On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, Peanut and Roman welcome special guests Andrew Hawkins and Troy Jones, and Chris “CJ2K” Johnson. The start out talking with Andrew and Troy about their flourishing sports technology and gaming company “Status Pro.” As co-owners they discuss their latest success and how they secured $20 million in funding for their quest to be the go-to place for first-person virtual sports gaming. And Peanut shares his experience playing their football game. The guys also share how the future of “Status Pro” could include other games. Later, the guys sit down with former running back Chris Johnson. He shares stories of the signature game from his 2,000-yard rushing season, and whether he can still run a 4.24 40-yard dash. Chris also gets into his ventures after football, which is highlighted by his coffee business “Just Love.”
Time codes:
1:07 - Troy Jones and Andrew Hawkins are introduced
3:19 - Troy and Andrew discuss what’s next for “Status Pro”
9:48 - Troy discusses his film and TV projects
11:22 - Troy and Andrew discuss the future of virtual reality
16:13 - End of interview with Troy Jones and Andrew Hawkins
17:10 - Chris Johnson is introduced
18:04 - Chris explains how running a 4.24 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine changed his draft prospects
19:24 - Peanut and Chris talk about Peanut’s record setting game against the Titans
21:19 - Chris talks about the highlight of his 2,000-yard rushing season
24:05 - Chris shares the list of current players he believes could rush for 2,000 yards
27:12 - Chris explains how he started investing in coffee shops
30:41 - Chris shares the challenges of running a coffee shop
32:12 - Chris shares his welcome to the NFL moment
33:33 - Roman asks Chris how fast he could run a 40-yard dash today
34:59 - Chris talks about the Smash and Dash podcast he co-hosts with LenDale White
36:41 - Chris shares his personal Mount Rushmore
39:44 - End of Chris Johnson interview
The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.
I'm Peanuts woman, and this is the NFL player Second Acts with an ass podcast. My guy Roman Harbor with me. Why he's smiling, why he laughing right now? Because you're just a funny guy. It's gonna it's not gonna show on tape, but you're just a funny guy. That's all I'm saying.
All right.
Anyways, all of our viewers, I appreciate you.
We love you.
It's nothing but love. But I'm gonna have to bark at you a little bit. Give us five stars, okay, five star rating. Leave a couple of comments. Please please, please please click that follow button, share and leave some comments. We like to respond at times wherever you pick up your podcast, whether it's Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio Peanut. Who are the beautiful guests today? Andrew Hawkins, Troy Jones, Chris Johnson two K one call him c J two K s e J two.
OK.
Hey, we got a good one for y'all. Right now, we're gonna kick the first one off with Hawk and Troy Jones to check it out, just the first duo. We got two talented brothers, NFL legends, Troy Jones Andrew Hawkins. They're in the gaming. They got a whole lot of stuff and in the games on TV now too. He on TV and he'd be acting at everything and everything everything. I mean before me, I mean, can we just put the shoes up? Can we put the shoes up?
Out up?
Just like hawks? And he invented Chelsea boots.
So I had to make sure I came right, because it's okay, Mark, it's been business.
So the last time y'all were here, y'all had this the the VR game, and y'all had Lamar Jackson on there. After y'all left Super Bowl, I went out, I got the VR, I bought the game. I damn near broke something because when I was trying to throw it took me a minute to figure out how to throw the football. I figured, I mean, I dam here through myself and a controller like I got. I got so into it, it's real.
I don't know.
You because I'm imagining you. It was yo.
I was.
I was sweating. I'm over there dodging trying to throw them things. I couldn't figure out how to so at first I was just trying to, like like with the weed, you just kind of do that in it, like you really gotta throw it like you. I swear, Oh my mama, you you you really have to try to throw that thing. I was overthrowing it. I was underthrowing it. I was like, damn, this is a lot harder than I thought. So shout out. First off, shout out to y'all. It's it's legit. It's a y'all. U s d A certified. Put a stamp on that's real. That is like, it's real. Put a stamp a it's put a stamp on it. It's real, it's certified.
You heard it here man anytime players, Yeah, put it on. And that's their response that what better marketing is that? Because who knows what that experience is like better than you, guys.
We'll take a cut of it. If that's playing.
I pawork.
But how much has so the other day? Lamar Jackson? He wins the MVP is the second one. Yeah, how has from last year to this year? How has that been going? With sales? I know you guys been busy. Uh you've raised a ton of money, like talk about that?
Yes, I mean to answer your first question, thanks are going good with sales. We was able to cross a million users in less than fifteen months, which is tough and any consumer product, any gaming market. So shout out to our team for that. And as far as Lamari obviously, yeah, he's been on this ride all the way through. And we we started out with a vision say each year it was going to get better, you know, operating like athletes, taking that mindset, applying it to the product, and it's been It's been well received, man, I mean, people are having fun. I would say the most exciting thing for us is we just getting started, you know, like anything. We were the first people to ever launch our first fully licensed sports game, MVR. So now that we got user data, now that we got people in the headset giving feedback, you could take it up. Not because you got that data, you know what to go back and improve that we're focusing on applying thatt, I would go ahead.
I was gonna say, the cool thing for us is that people have been along the ride and the journey with us, you know, I mean, we knew that we had a.
Perspective that people wanted to see.
The tough part was obviously bringing it to life and communicating it in a way where people understood what the proposition was. To your point, we just raised our series A Round, which is led by Google, and our quest is to be the go to place to build first person sports. There's a level of access that fans have never had, which is on the field that we felt like as athletes we could provide. And the biggest tech companies in the world have backed us and aligned with us to bring that to life. And now you guys know that that's no easy feet and we've done it by being ourselves. We've done it by hiring a diverse team. We've done on it by hiring former athletes who you know, might also be engineers, might also be incredible marketers, might also be producers, along with the expertise of people who have built sports games for a very long time, and that has allowed us to accelerate to get to the point that we are so quickly.
I wish I was a STEM student. I could be talking to y'all. I could be codd. I wish I wish I was a STEM I could be stay in your life. You don't want to, So my question is this all right? Number one? When you talk about the biggest money backers in in these spaces backing you guys, Number one, I want you guys both to tell me, how does that make you feel to know that you're the ones that people believe in, Because it's something to be said when people like, man, I'm with you, dog, but when they put their money behind you, that's a different level of belief. And then also what's next. I know we're talking about the gameplay the other things, but it's always on the next evolution because you got to stay in front of it because it's not the one in front of you that you ever worry about, it's the one behind you. That's why I bash you up that you have to look out for I would say for people to back us the way that they have. I mean, it's incredibly humbling.
I know that's cliche, but we probably need to do a better job of soaking in those moments like that because sometimes we take it for granted, not because we don't appreciate it, but because when you hear three hundred no's from people who aren't google right right, that just have an effect on you. Sure, and so it's like you have to do so much to show and prove. We've had to show them better than we could tell anybody. And I think the thing that makes us special or the thing that we're most proud of. And I let Troy answer this question as well. But it's like, we've done what we said we're going to do. And as athletes, you don't get to the level you guys, you don't get to what we're doing unless you have that condition, conviction, you have that obsession, and your focus is not the press releases. Your focus is not how people talk about you. Your focus is not making sure when you come into a room people want to bow down and kiss the ring. Your focus is I said, I'm going to do something. That's all I care about is making sure that I do it, and over time, the right people will see that and go along with the journey.
And I think that's what's happened for us. Yeah, I said, I mean, basically that add on to what he said. We're not taking that face value, right, So we go out, we're talking about what we're going to do, and what we've done is some skepticism to it, just being honest. So like athletes, we kind of go into these room with chips on our shoulder, and when you're the people that believe in as we internalize that meaning like we want to preview, right, you know, we think about our story. You know, my journey is a quarterback Hawk's journey throughout his playing career, underdogs who had to always work hard and odds were against us. And it's kind of similar to that. And as we think about what we're building our venture and the people who believe in us, that their family, they believe in a vision, they trust us our team.
Same thing.
Anyone who comes on this journey with us that that has joined the company, we make sure that we do we do right by them by making sure we're keeping what's top of mind for the what's best for the company top of mind, right, Like we're never making it about Troy Hall, you know, so when we talk about things, it's always like, all right, what's best for the company. What's going to make sure that everybody that's part of this thing wins? And I think that's just a byproduct of just being appreciative, you know what I mean of them believing in us. And yeah, to this point, we got to do a better job relash than it. Like it's not easy, like it is. One percent of founder founders that raise money are African American, right, So for us to be in that you gotta you got to give yourself fowers for that.
You gotta tell that story.
But the other side of it is like, we got work to do and we know that if we win, everybody wins behind us versus, you know, just being happy like with that and being happy to be there.
Type of type mindset, you know, so on on behalf of like myself in Rome. I want to take out a little bit of cash right now, I got twenty I want to I want to back y'all. I don't get you point oh oh hey, this is from rooming on. This from both of us. You gotta do it like smoke.
He did you know twenty twenty two right.
That's both of us investment in the tech up series. He's like half a cold, half a character. We're gonna spend fifty dollars.
In the uber.
That's just trying to get to the bank. Put that money into the account. You said one percent. Man, I'm trying to be a part of us.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm trying to take us to one point one. You know what I'm saying. Hey, I'm a stim suit. I'm in an arms So I got a question for you. I know you're in the TV. Talk about some of the TV some of the TV shows, movies, some of the some of the projects that you're working on or have been in.
Yes, I mean entertainment is obviously a big part of the pie chart that I've gotten into after football, and I think that's where Status Pro and Pro Era playing too, and where I've gotten a lot of that knowledge of saying, Okay, this is what I think fans will gravitate to because I feel that reception and all the things that I've done. So I'm out ESPN now as an NFL analyst. Obviously, I produced, was an executive producer of hair Love, which one I Oscar. Another executive producer of To Live and Die and Live which was a dope movie that premiered at sun Dance last year. Have a couple of projects and developments and comedy projects. Worked at spring Hill Entertainment for a long time before I left there to go to the Status Pro full time, and then they invested into the company. So I think what you're going to see from sports technology and specifically what we're doing at Status Pro, there's a lane where these worlds will merge, and that's kind of what we've always envisioned of how do you enhance the sports experience of fans, And we had to find a thing that we're experts at and just drove down in there.
We're not trying to be anybody else.
We're not trying to take away from when anybody else is built from a gaming or entertainment or how they you know, show up with fans. But for us, if we can build an appetite for feeling, for seeing what it's like to be on the field, we will always be the leaders because that's something you only know if you've been there.
That was our whole idea around the company. I love that. I think the world is literally changing, like right in front of us, because you know, we've just seen the goggles, the things that people are just walking around normal and stuff like this is normal. It's not it's not normal normal, you know what I mean. So you guys are definitely ahead of the curve. But like you guys have seen this and now that everybody else is starting to catch up. So I'm still in my mind like, Okay, how do you guys continue to just grow and like what's the next game or what's the next you know, or now we're going to be able to be a wide receiver where now you got people like Peanut running through the house, like so it's saying, what is going to be that next little part. I'm really excited to see what you guys do because this was just last year that we got introduced to this, right and in one year, like you said, sixteen months, yeah, you guys have I'm over a million, yeah, a million one point one million years. Yeah, and like you guys are learning so much more from them. So I'm really excited.
I wanted out.
He didn't to tell me I don't have anything virtual.
I don't like it.
You didn't hand me that twenty four dollars to think.
That's true.
I tried to.
I try to make it up, you know what I mean. But I want to know, like what's next? And so like where do you guys see this going? For you guys to your point in that length, we've.
Been in this space since twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen, and I think when you're obsession obsessing over something like you think about you know, because we believed in it, we're thinking about five, ten, fifteen years ahead.
So obviously we'll continue to scale.
The NFL product we'll be able to make it more social where people can experience the game with their friends.
So what does it look like for you to build virtual.
Teams so you to hang out in stadiums and and just have unique experiences. Become a platform that way to where you can't experience football in a number of ways in the NFL product. But we want to go across different sports too, So any and everything that's first person sports we want to own. So that's basketball, that's baseball, as boxing, as soccer. Right, the goal is to really leverage what we've done in the NFL and continue to carry this out through multiple sports, which is awesome.
People believe in the vision.
Obviously, technologies finally getting to the point where everybody's paying attention and we're going to keep keep pushing forward.
It's cool because when Troy and I first met, which was like I think the end of twenty sixteen or early twenty seventeen, we spoke in terms of what was coming in ten years, and we were like, yo, in ten years, these big clunky headsets will be smaller.
There won't there'll be wireless.
There was no wireless HEAs at the time, and our whole mindset was preparing for what the next ten years was going to look like. It's crazy that was seven years ago now and it doesn't feel like it was that long.
But to your point of people walking.
Around and VR goggles and imagine where it's going to be three fore years from now. So, just like an athlete, when you get to the league or you've worked your hardest to become who you are, you don't so much focus on of like, oh what's next. You just get better every day. You watch your film from the practice before and you're like, man, I got to get that foot, Yeah, I got straighten that out because I'm losing a step. I got to make sure I get my hands on this receiver sooner. And it's like you just start to enhance because now you put yourself so far in front, and if you keep getting better, you don't got to worry about who's behind.
That's true.
That's kind of how we approach the experience we have, like we're just going to keep making it better. We want more positions, we want more competitive nature. We want you to play linebacker, we want you to play receiver, whence you play running back. We want you to play basketball, baseball, and we want to be the place when you think of first person sports status, pro is it. This is the gaming software that allowed us to see field level sports that we love across the gamut.
I want to give you some love too, because I can't wait to see the first YouTube video somebody playing linebacker on you guys' thing and come dive through a wall. They just totally don't recognize that you should not be diving like that, because I see it in boxing, people doing boxing. Somebody get it all the time. You know, it's funny.
We see so many viral videos of like uncles running through closet walls, and you know, we got to act like we don't even see it, Like, yeah, you see that video with six.
Million here our game in the background, I can't prove it. Talking about brothers well fellas, Hey man, we appreciate Sean. I'm actually curious to see what happens next year when y'all come on the shop. I feel like this show is the good luck charm. This is it. I can't wait to see you guys come back next year. You guys be doing even bigger and better things. I think that in the boot game right, Peter even had joints like that. Things is five. That's what we say them.
Things is far.
Look this is Peanut Tillman. We got trop we got Halt, we got the Black Bruce Wayne, we got my guy Room. Check us out Info Players, Second Act Podcast, Apple Pod Podcasts, iHeart Radio. Give us a link. Five stars. Tell a friend and tell her what to tell her? What tell a friend? That's what I'm talking about. Hey, super Bowl fifty eight we out, let's go feed. Yes, we're gonna take a short break and we'll be right back. First of all, those dudes are killing the game. It was funny because we saw them last year, last year and they were still just kind of getting their feet a little bit, a little bit more wet, really diving into it. Peanut went out and bought some stuff.
I did.
Damn near killed myself trying to play that game. It's dope, though it was super nice. Damn near killed myself. But they really are heading in well on their ways to being the virtuality of sports. I'm just a little disappointed that they didn't take my investment. I gotta make it enough. It's all good. Both of us from the collection played our next guest. Trust me, hell of a ballplayer. I mean they had the fastest forty times in Combine history for a long time. CJ two K, CJ two K aka Chris Johnson. Our next guest is a good one. He's gonna remember this. Let me read a little bit of his resume because it is extremely impressive. Drafted twenty fourth overall first round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans back in two thousand and eight, played ten NFL seasons two thousand and nine offensive Player of the Year rush for over two thousand yards, Yes, sir, and he set the NFL record for the most scrimmage arge over twenty five hundred. Since retiring, he's invested in real estate and he has a chain of successful coffee shops called Just Love Coffee. Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the podcast. Chris Johnson, CJ two K, CJ two K having CJ two K. That's the name right there. Two thousand. I don't even draw that far bro you ran. I don't even that far man.
You know.
I want to know this before we jump into it, because I remember when you ran the forty. That's what put you on the map. Nobody if you didn't watch Eastern Carolina football. We didn't know who Chris Johnson was, right, and I don't think the NFL knew either. And you ran this forty at the combine? Could you talk about that moment and all of a sudden how it changed everything?
A man, it was crazy because like going into the combine, like I was probably like a second third rounder, you know what I'm saying, I had all the film to match and stuff like that, a lot of people didn't know about me. But before then we did the Junior Day. So Junior Day, want to see I think a East Carolina probably like probably like three scouts came out or whatever. Three scouts I ran, Yeah, but I ran a four one nine there, Oh wow, I ran a four one nine. So that's what kind of got it wasn't you know what I'm saying. Still one overly known and or whatever like that. And then so I did my thing my senior year, and then in the bowl game and the Hawaii Bowl, I had four hundred dollars purpose yards and then so I was on the cut second third round and then like, man, at the combine, after I read that forty, it's just when everything went through the roof.
It went crazy. That went crazy.
So after that I had like I had sixteen schedule visits after after the combine, like it was crazy.
That was yeah.
Yeah, so uh do you remember that that twenty twelve game when Chicago came to Tennessee. You have refreshed my memories. So you had a good one. So I believe where the scroll we won fifty one to twenty. That's when that's when you said that record that game. Yes, he did, he.
Said that record what it was four or five?
It was four. Yeah, that was a fun game. That was a game. I just at some point on the ode, y'all gotta be like, can y'all just not let this guy puss? I don't know what the conversation was on the sund coveration.
Was like, man hold on to the to the damn boll?
What is it like for the during the week of practice, did anyone say.
After after you that next week coming I'm.
Talking about the week leading up to us, did anyone talk about it?
Yeah, it was all taught about it because it was always known. They you know, the peanut punching. You know what I'm saying, Like you're gonna get that ball or whatever like that was talked about so extra ball security this week, all that stuff, and it's.
Like, so the first play from scrimmage, we get Kenny Brick and force fumble. What was the conversation was solid? Right after that one?
It was just crazy, like we talked about this and you the first play this happened, so it's like we already fighting out up here at them, you know what I'm saying. And then like me myself, I never like I never fumbled, like I didn't. So we come out there and I fumbled it and one of those phones was questionable on that I had a catch, So it was like a bang bang player. But I feel like they knew he was going for the record that was so they gave it to him.
But yeah, man, he had a real good game.
Man, you had You had a good one too, though you ran. You still rush for like one hundred and forty one yards, sixteen carries, like you still did your thay. He had an eighty yard run, just took it to the house. I didn't even try to chase him, like, yeah, let it go. Don't put that on tape, dog, don't you put that on tape.
Just let him get that.
I want to know this what was your you know you won the offensive player that you're in two thousand and nine. Do you have a signature play, a signature moment of that season or something that really just sticks out to you and that that that season, because I know you broke off.
A ton of long runs, but I think my signature I ain't gonna say it just went play. But it was a game against Jacksonville. Me and Jones Rue was like going back and forth.
Remember that game.
I think total rushing off between me and him, It was like almost five hundred yards, like, but we was going back and forth, like he'll break along when I break alone. It was just like going back and forth the whole game, and it was like it's like it kind of like was like in my head and going back thinking about it, it was like a boxing mass where like, you know, he hit you with a big blow, I come back here hit you with a big blow, and then I end up with the last big blow to the knock him out. We end up winning the game, and I end up finishing with more yards and stuff like that.
So that's a signature game for me.
How competitive did you get it? When you're not making any tackles, but you got another really good running back on the opposite sideline. Do you take it personally like I got outshine?
Yeah, I definitely say that personally, like that's something I used to always.
Have in my mind, like I got to outshine the other guy.
And then another thing like with me was like even though AP came in a year before me and I was asking, we were still the same.
We graduated high school together.
He came out early, but it was like always like, you know what I'm saying, I got an outdo Ap. You know what I'm saying, because that was while we was in the league. That was always the talk who the best back out of me and AP? So if he played earlier, then I played what AP did today?
You know what I'm saying.
A lot of time, I know and I in a lot of stadiums, they usually put the.
Highlights in the yards up like that.
If he just bro for seventy got to do something, so like yeah, you always going to compete and compete against the other running back on the other team too, and I'll do him.
So. Adrian Peterson one of the greatest, another a great running back to UH to play the game. UH yourself. Is there a running back today who you think can rush for two thousand yards with what you see with I see where running backs we have?
Yes.
Well, first of all, the way that the offenses is going in the NFL today, I don't think it can happen. The last guy to do it, Darren Henry. They were still running the old school offense where they gonna give him a ball twenty twenty five game. But has it changed that it's different? But a physic guy that's capable of it, I would say. I would say Jamar Gibbs, if they if they, if they give him the bar, how they should give him the ball. I think he can do it. I think sa Quan could do it, but they'll never give him the ball like that. S Quan can do it, Jamar can do it. And if Nick Chubb can stay heal, yeah, yeah, I really believe he can.
I would say the same thing about Saquon too, because Saquon it's always some little tweak or something. He's just trying to stay healthy. But when he is healthy, he's explosive. Like you're saying, I would like to know this. I want your opinion. As a running back, there was drafted in the first round because now they like, you shouldn't draft a run back in the first round. How the outlook on running backs going forward? How has it changed? What do you see the future in it? And also the devaluing of the running back or the star running back. But now it's running back by committee.
See I hate a lot of times like when they say, oh, you can get this guy in the third, fourth, fifth round. How I've never seen you get a Chris Johnson an a Adrian Peterson, like Barry Sanders, jar Mark Gibbs. You know, you don't see these guys lasting to the fourth, fifth.
Round and things like that.
Now you might catch a guy in the third, fourth round, fifth round they come in and you know they have a good career. Yeah, but what guy is you gonna really name? That can be like oh I did what AP did, I did what CJ did that? Oh yeah, I went and got him in a fifth round or the fourth round. And a lot of times some of those guys that they may catch, they don't tell the backstory behind it. That guy probably could have got hurt coming out of college, had character issues.
Why it's a reason why he went LA.
It went't just like, oh, this guy not talented enough to be a first rounder. We can wait and get him in the fourth round and he goes crazy. No, they don't tell the backstory behind it. So that's why I don't like when they say that. You know what I'm saying. So and it's just like this year, you look at you Jamior Gills, he was a first rounder. B John Robinson, he was a first rounder. Like, I don't see how running bass can go in the first round no more when you see the talent that's coming out, and.
It's crazy because everybody was like questioning Jamior Gibbs and then all of a sudden they saw in play, especially down the stretch when you figured it out electric player. Yeah, we're going to take a short break and we'll be back in a minute. So making that transition after you, after you retire, go back to school, you get your degree in communications, and congratulations, congratulations, you get into you start investing in coffee. Just love coffee, yep, and talk about how well, first off, you got a must You must really love coffee to invest in it. And I know y'all have what twenty you have about twenty six locations? You know, how did you get invested in this, like what what what made you want to do that?
Well, the crazy thing is like when I first, like when I first retire, right going through that phase where it's like dang, like I'm used to being on the schedule every then in my life nothing doing. It's like dang, like what I'm gonna do? Like the transition is hard. So the first thing, my first initial thing what I did was I went back to school. Yeah, so doing a lot of online classes and stuff like that. And then like going through that a lot of time I used to do, like it used to be sometimes be sitting in the house and I'm just like like bored, Like shit, i gotta get out. So I used to go to like different coffee shops and like study and do all that type of stuff and just sitting and I'm like, man, it's kind of dope, man Like, and I just see how many people come in and out, Like sometimes you see some of the same people come in and out all day getting coffee, you know what I'm saying. I'm like, man, this would probably be dope, you know what I'm saying. So then so I'm like, man, I'm just just try it out. You know what I'm saying, And I got into that type of way or whatever. So my first initial thing was I'm gonna get a coffee shop, so it was a franchise or whatever like that, and then COVID hit or whatever like that, and I'm like, man, I know, like I want to build this brand and things like that, like with us some way, like what can I do, like to become bigger, you know what I'm saying, and not just hold myself to like this individual store. So I'm like, man, you know what, I'm gonna just go to the owners of the company and stuff like that, see if I can invest and see if I can be part owners. So I went to from just owning one individual store to becoming part owner of the whole brand or whatever like that. And I just felt like it was smart idea because next, like if we talk about addiction and we're not talking about like nothing illegal, not drugs or like you know what I'm saying, Like coffee is like people are addicted to coffee, like they have to have it. And a lot of times people think, oh, the hot coffee in the morning where we grew up thinking, but no, people love ice coffee and they drank that all throughout the day, all through how to win.
No, I'm not my grandmothers was.
So when I when I used to come up, like in middle school and high school, my grandma and I'm like and like my aunties and uncles and stuff, like every weekend, like every Saturday, Saturday morning, everybody used to come to my grandmother house because I who I lived with my grandmother, Like everybody used to come there every Saturday morning. They used to be there like like eight in the morning, all sitting down on the porch just drinking coffee, sent around talking and stuff like that. So like that's my first initial introduction to coffee.
Now you got a signature, You got a signature, Blend. Yeah, yeah, I gotta like some lemon, some raisins, yeah, limen raisin. I never would have thought like lemons and raisins and tea. I never would have thought that would have went together. Like we came up who and how did you come up with that? And it was crazy like that, Blend.
So at the main office, like it's a coffee tasting room, you know what I'm saying, Like you got all there's probably like twenty thirty different coffees you can taste, you know what I'm saying. So just sitting there tasting all the different coffees and getting up blend, putting together and then whatever the best one that I like.
You know what I'm saying. I just went with that. Okay, I just went.
Like, tell me about it. Sounds like it just went great. But I want to know about like a pitfall, something you didn't see happening outside of COVID that you learned from this coffee business. Like, man, this is everybody just needs to look out for this because this is what's really out there.
Well that that coffee business kind of got me into the next one. As far as real estate, you know what I'm saying. So I do real estate now, so commercial.
Residential, airbnbsbnbs, So just getting into the coffee business and running the restaurant and things like that, like dealing with employees, you know what I'm saying.
Yeah, like you may be saying because you're that type of business coffee shop you got, you got high school workers. Basically you may have some freshmen college workers, but you're dealing with kids, you know what I'm saying. So you're dealing with kids and sometimes you're dealing with their parents and stuff like that. So it's like going into that that let me know that, like I really don't want to do nothing involved with having to deal with people, like having deal with employees. I rather deal with real estate is cutting dry. This is what it's going to be. You don't have to worry about, Oh, this person can't show up to work today. All of that type of stuff is just a headache. Everybody complays about that.
The people.
You got a manage on on personalities. I guess it's kind of like being a head coaches. Fifty three people on the team, You got fifty three personalities that you got to manage, right, right, So I got a question for you. We all I got eleven. I'm sorry you got eleven. I got thirteen hundred years and ten. We all have that moment where we get rocked or something crazy happens that you didn't expect, like, damn, this is the league, this is this is real. What was your welcome to the NFL moment?
Mine was Wiz playing Will's playing Cleveland Browns my rookie year and they had the Quel Jackson you.
Know, Mike linebacker, Yeah.
My linebacker. All he wanted to do is that?
And it's so crazy that that that you was with Chicago because I thought I was gonna have my coming welcome to the NFL moment when I was going against Brian Urlacker. But once I played against him, I feel like he's more a finesse linebacker.
You know what I'm saying. But what the quest? Jackson?
He want to thay every chance he gets, every chance he gets. So I come through the middle, he hit me. I go this way. My mouth fees go the other way. This real deal right here?
Is that the hardest you ever been in?
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got back up. Now I'm gonna get back up.
It was it like the program Darnell Jefferson. Were you just.
You know?
I was more embarrassed. I'm like, dang my, he's not my mouth feet side. My question is I want to know what you think you would run a forty in right now?
Right now? Yes? Oh man?
When was the last time you rann? I I mean you look like you used to work out, but like I'm talking about, like run.
I ran for four speed. It's been a while. I just do cardio like ire around the neighborhood. I don't run like now I.
Don't do it's a don't come around that dog, come.
Round like realistically, I think I can run a fullfo right now?
You run fook? If you hit four five, you probably like mad.
I'm running so far. I know I can run a full fok.
Okay to Yo said he ran a four four two or four four two years ago in t City.
Yeah yeah, if he ran that, I know I can run.
So you bet that you think? Okay, no, no question.
If you think about it, like it's forty yards.
I know that might be five right now, right not a full four. I think I could do a full five right now. Dude. I barely hit fox fo when I was in my best shape at twenty two twenty three?
What was your best forty?
Uh?
Four four five?
Okay?
Okay, somewhere around there you wou'd you say you're in. We don't have to talk about it. Okay, let's just focus on Chris here, on Christ here. I know fast, people like to run fast. Let's just focus on Chris. I'm good with that. You're cool with that?
Cool?
All right? Cool? Go ahead? So, uh you got a podcast one of your former teammates Lindell and White and how's that been going and what is like how how what do you guys talk about on your podcasts?
Right well, we talk about just life, everything that's going on life, all social problems and all that stuff. I mean, honestly, we kind of we took a break right now because we was doing a lot of zoom like over zoom and stuff like that, and like they kind of got boring to me. I like, more in person seeing him is way better, you know what I'm saying. It's way better, Know what I'm saying. You have more fun with it, you look more forward to it, and stuff like that. So right now we just rebranding and like just trying to figure out because he lives in Denver, I live in Orlando, So we're just trying to figure out a schedule we can get together and like just make content.
And release it and make it make sense.
That's kind of how ours started out. We did the whole zoom at first, and then did an event for the league. It was totally differ, totally different vibe, and once then yeah, we gotta.
Yeah, like are y'all close, Like y'all stay in the same.
No, no, no, I'm in Chicago. He lives in Charlotte.
How y'all write that out?
We just I don't know. We we just make it work. Yeah, we just He's he's our he's our guru.
Shout out to Thomas.
Shout out to Thomas. Ye right now, because he just he saw a little star Cress High School. He he just he completely changed. He made his leader over here, brought out a little many vacuums doing the most. So it's all good. But c J, I want to know this from you because we asked this to all of our guests and Mount rushmore of influence, like the people that have impacted you the most in your life, in my life, ball off the field, on the field, life in general. You get four Who are those four?
B Okay one I would say my well, one of them, I would say my great grandmother. Okay, that was my great grandma, Like live with them my whole time growing up. So like I came up like my mom and dad, they was I was with them too, Like I ain't gonna say they weren't about it was in my life. But like I always wanted to live with my grandmother. So it was crazy because I stayed with two of my grandmothers. So I stayed with my great grandmother and my and my grandmother. Yeah you know what I'm saying. So I grew up with them, so like just seeing how hard they work, how they hustled and stuff and like to always provide and stuff like that. Those are those are two. And I gotta say my oldest brother. Like I always wanted to be like my oldest brother because when I was younger, my mom wouldn't let me play football because she thought that I was gonna get her call little. But she always let my brother play, so like.
Every year, so she let him play, but you couldn't.
Yeah, but he's my oldest He was my oldest brother. So he's five years older than me. So he's my oldest brother. So I got three older brothers. He the oldest. So every year, like all the way up until like seventh grade, every year, like he used to be like just working out, training stuff like that. I used to be right there with him working out and training and stuff like that. And when it comes time for the football season, she let him playing. Well never let me play, so I do all his work for no reason. So finally she eventually let me play. But like just seeing like he's the reason why I played football, like why I always wanted to play football and stuff like that.
So like he's one and then another guy.
I got to say, Vince Young Man, Like okay, yeah, Vince Young was a guy like when I came to When I came to the league, he was in the quarter back got it took me on his wings and just just to see the type of person he is and like no matter like whatever was going on with him, and like when everything was going on with him, like he never changed or anything like that, Like he took it on the chin and like and still like to this day, like that's my brother man, and he's still doing great for himself. And like even though he didn't, like we knew how good Vince was, and even though he didn't have this long career or play like that, like he got no ill wheels or anything, like you wouldn't even know you're thing. He played fifteen years in the league. Like when you get around him, like he's just still chill. He the same guy. He acted the same right now, the same guy that I met the first day I walked in the locker room to how he is now today.
So that's awesome. Little consistency with that, I wouldn't guess Vince, y'all, I wouldn't either not see that them out rushmore. So thanks c J two K man. We appreciate you coming on the shop man. Hopefully they zoom in on all this ice my man got because you know, if you don't know who it is, I'm cold. I mean clearly I got you. I got goosebumps. Okay, good, we appreciate you.
Appreciate it.
Man.
Love what he's doing with Just Love Coffee, Chris Johnson. He's killing it with the franchise business man. I love what he's doing the business, mind, the real estate. Like he's just man, I'm proud of him. He's on amazing things. I'm just happy that he said he can still run like a four to four and when challenged, I'm like, dude, this dude probably the fourth and that's just I'm gonna say. I'm gonna do it like a high faux five right now you right now, right now, high four five, a full five nine. I'm gonna do a pulled hamstring. So we are good to go. Hey, all of our viewers, wherever you pick us up at where if you watch us or listen to us, give us a five star rating, give us a follow, click that subscribe button, leave a couple of comments. Please share whether it's either on the Apple podcasts. iHeartRadio Man, Peanut, this is another great one.
Bro.
All we doing is dropping bangers, dog. All we do is win, win, win. No matter what I think, I made that up. Y'all ain't never heard of that. I'm pretty sure you do not. You know what I mean.
That's me.
All I do is win, win, win. I'm Peanut, NFL player Second Acts Podcast. He left because he's mad, But I didn't make that lyric up. He stolen from me. That's all I'm saying. I'm Peanut till me I'm out