Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman, is a former NFL linebacker. He played college football at Maryland and was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On More To It, Merriman shares with us the origin of his nickname and brand “Lights Out”, and the pain that his love, and need, for football grew out of. How he describes how he was able to channel his emotions into a passion. How he had to reconcile with circumstances like poverty, homelessness, and acts of violence from a young age. How does anyone overcome living in survival mode and go to thriving in the NFL?

Shawne has not only accomplished his NFL dreams but entered his rookie with his own brand and was awarded Rookie of the Year on top of it all! Listen for the story behind what you’ve seen on the field, what Shawne is up to now, and what it means to truly be resilient and persevere no matter what life throws at you. Many people come from humble beginnings,  it’s easy to look over that and chalk it up to being a part of life, but in this episode, we dive deep into those real make-or-break challenges and what it looks like to constantly choose success in the face of immense obstacles.

Connect with Shawne on Facebook,Tik Tok, and Instagram

Lights Out Apparel

Stay connected with the show, follow @marcelluswiley on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Key Moments:

[01:32] Growing up in Maryland with a single mother

[03:58] Two Fires, Evictions, and Homelessness at a young age

[06:48] Survival Mode, “Normalcy”, and Positive Outlet from football

[10:17] When Shawne knew he had something special with football

[11:23] Origin of the nickname “Lights Out”

[13:09] The University of Maryland and NFL Draft Experience

[15:28] Dominating in the NFL from the start

[18:58] Failing an NFL-banned substance test

[25:25] Dealing with the backlash of “scandal”

[27:03] Navigating one’s career mid injury

[28:55] Battling the retirement conversation

[32:30] The Lights Out Brand, MMA, and partnership with FuboTV

[34:34] Shawne Merriman Baller or Brand?

[36:25] “In or Out” with Shawne Merriman

More To It is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Dat Dude Entertainment, Workhouse Media, and Jam Street Media. The show is executive produced by Dan Patrick, Marcellus Wiley, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, and Matty Staudt.

Sound by Quinn Greenhaus and theme music provided by HBC Records.

Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman, is a former NFL linebacker. He played college football at Maryland and was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On More To It, Merriman shares with us the origin of his nickname and brand “Lights Out”, and the pain that his love, and need, for football grew out of. How he describes how he was able to channel his emotions into a passion. How he had to reconcile with circumstances like poverty, homelessness, and acts of violence from a young age. How does anyone overcome living in survival mode and go to thriving in the NFL?
Shawne has not only accomplished his NFL dreams but entered his rookie with his own brand and was awarded Rookie of the Year on top of it all! Listen for the story behind what you’ve seen on the field, what Shawne is up to now, and what it means to truly be resilient and persevere no matter what life throws at you. Many people come from humble beginnings,  it’s easy to look over that and chalk it up to being a part of life, but in this episode, we dive deep into those real make-or-break challenges and what it looks like to constantly choose success in the face of immense obstacles.
Connect with Shawne on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shawne.merriman.3/">Facebook,</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnemerriman">Tik Tok</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lt_21official/">Instagram</a>
<a href="https://lightsoutapparel.com/">Lights Out Apparel</a>
Stay connected with the show, follow @marcelluswiley on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marcelluswiley/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/marcelluswiley?s=20&amp;t=flS-KDLiX10wIzIZiIDRAg">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarcellusWiley/">Facebook</a>!
Key Moments:
[01:32] Growing up in Maryland with a single mother
[03:58] Two Fires, Evictions, and Homelessness at a young age
[06:48] Survival Mode, “Normalcy”, and Positive Outlet from football
[10:17] When Shawne knew he had something special with football
[11:23] Origin of the nickname “Lights Out”
[13:09] The University of Maryland and NFL Draft Experience
[15:28] Dominating in the NFL from the start
[18:58] Failing an NFL-banned substance test
[25:25] Dealing with the backlash of “scandal”
[27:03] Navigating one’s career mid injury
[28:55] Battling the retirement conversation
[32:30] The Lights Out Brand, MMA, and partnership with FuboTV
[34:34] Shawne Merriman Baller or Brand?
[36:25] “In or Out” with Shawne Merriman
More To It is a production of <a href="https://danpatrick.com/">Dan Patrick Productions</a>, Dat Dude Entertainment, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/workhousemedia/about/">Workhouse Media</a>, and <a href="https://www.jamstreetmedia.com/">Jam Street Media</a>. The show is executive produced by Dan Patrick, <a href="https://www.marcelluswiley.com/">Marcellus Wiley</a>, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, and <a href="https://www.jamstreetmedia.com/our-team/matty-staudt">Matty Staudt</a>.
Sound by <a href="https://www.jamstreetmedia.com/our-team/quinn-greenhaus">Quinn Greenhaus</a> and theme music provided by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMJWygfrjZ0UdvtghhfHtgw?view_as=subscriber">HBC Records</a>.

Welcome to “More To It” a show that takes a deep dive into the biggest topics in sports, entertainment, and culture.  The journey begins with headline news which leads to deeper discussions about life lessons that are presented in every story.  In every episode we tackle subjects and issues beyond the public’s perception & narrative in desire of new discovery about the stories & ourselves.  Hosted by Marcellus Wiley, an outlier who defied the odds to go from Compton to the Ivy League and then played ten years as an All-Pro Defensive End in the NFL.  This is not your typical sports show; with topics ranging from the social ills that surround us all, to the character building that occurs from overcoming adversity.  You’ll get inspired hearing stories that highlight the growing pains that fuels anyone on a successful journey.  You will be encouraged to hear your heroes humanized, emphasizing the shared inner greatness that we all possess.  You will leave every episode with a greater understanding that no matter the story, person, or outcome, there is always “More To It!”

Welcome to “More To It” a show that takes a deep dive into the biggest topics in sports, entertainment, and culture.  The journey begins with headline news which leads to deeper discussions about life lessons that are presented in every story.  In every episode we tackle subjects and issues beyond the public’s perception &amp; narrative in desire of new discovery about the stories &amp; ourselves.  Hosted by Marcellus Wiley, an outlier who defied the odds to go from Compton to the Ivy League and then played ten years as an All-Pro Defensive End in the NFL.  This is not your typical sports show; with topics ranging from the social ills that surround us all, to the character building that occurs from overcoming adversity.  You’ll get inspired hearing stories that highlight the growing pains that fuels anyone on a successful journey.  You will be encouraged to hear your heroes humanized, emphasizing the shared inner greatness that we all possess.  You will leave every episode with a greater understanding that no matter the story, person, or outcome, there is always “More To It!”

More To It with Marcellus Wiley

Dat Dude Interviews Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f4698cb1-4054-42b6-af98-af470049a85e/transcript