The Sam Acho Podcast

Sam Acho: Welcome everybody to the Sam
Acho podcast featuring Cliff Marshall,

and as we usually do, cliff, we have a
very special guest and I'd love for you

to introduce to the world our guest.

Clif Marshall: I'm so fired up today guys.

We have Fatus Bullard on the show.

Thaddeus is an American
professional wrestler.

He is described by the wwe.

As one of the most philanthropic
superstars in WWE history, he

was actually the recipient of the
WWE Hall of Fame Award in 2021.

Uh, fatties played college football
for the University of Florida and

thereafter in the Arena Football League,
and that led him to a career again

in the in, in the wrestling world.

Uh, he went under the ring
name as Titus O'Neill.

A former WWE tag team champion
as part of the primetime players.

He is a father.

He currently resides in Tampa,
Florida, and uh, he is devout in

his faith and we are super, super
fired up to talk to Thaddeus today.

Sam Acho: Eddie's got
a new show coming out.

We're gonna get, we're
gonna get into the new show.

We got a new show coming out.

Which, uh, it's gonna be
on NBC and on Peacock.

Uh, it's, it's called King's Court.

And I'm, I, I don't wanna
get too deep into it first.

Tha so I wanna talk about how we connected

Thaddeus Bullard: Yeah.

Sam Acho: So I think it was maybe
three, four months ago I, in national

championship I believe it was.

And, uh, I'm in the hotel lobby.

I see this, uh, dapper looking young
fellow muscles sticking out everywhere.

And I recognized him.

And for me, Thaddeus, it
wasn't necessarily from your

wrestling career, but it's from.

Your impact, I would say, not just
in the community, but also when it

comes to social media, et cetera.

I just seen a podcast you had done
with a colleague of mine, Ryan Clark,

and you went deep and I was like,
man, there's something about this

man as a human, as an individual.

And we connected, talked about some of
your, uh, philanthropy and some of your

work and family, and that's kind of how
the podcast conversation came about.

But what do you remember about that
initial kind of, uh, interaction?

Thaddeus Bullard: Yeah, I, I mean, I,
we, we were one of only, uh, very few.

Black man in the lobby at the time.

And uh, so I was like, uh, but I've
always been a, a huge fan of your work.

And, uh, just wanted to
come up and say that.

And, and that's exactly
what I said to you.

Hey man, I'm a huge fan of
your work and this and that.

And, um, he was like,
thank you so much man.

And we just literally.

Started talking like we were
brothers from another mother and,

uh, exchanging pleasantries, talking
about family, talking about faith.

I just want to be a good human being.

You know, I don't want.

If I, if I'm wealthy, great.

You know, if I, if I have nice cars,
nice clothes, but if I have all of that

and I'm a horrible human being, I don't
want it, you know, and, uh, my, the,

the meeting this guy at 13 years old
and being able to literally take him, I.

To church with one of my teammates
who at that time his family owned

one of the largest mobile home
manufacturers in the southeast.

They got him a job.

He ended up running a place by four
years later, got reconnected with

his ex-wife not to get married,
but he hadn't been around him.

'cause one, it didn't, couple of
weeks after I met him and talked to

him, uh, you know, I asked him, you
know, how did you end up in this

place, if you don't mind me asking?

And he said, uh.

You know, uh, if I told you that I was
A-A-A-A-C-E-O of a company, I had nice

cars, a beautiful home, beautiful wife,
beautiful daughters, would you believe me?

And I said, if that's what you say, you
know, that's what I have to believe.

He said, that's exactly
what my life used to be.

Drugs, alcohol, and gambling took me away
from my family and to know at that age.

How I responded to him, you know, when
he told me that God's gonna use you, not

realizing that, you know, I'm going to go
to a Catholic church and 'cause at the,

you know, ask of my teammate who had been
asking me all year and um, I went, I.

I love all religion 'cause I think
we can learn from everything.

It just didn't move me at all.

It was a bunch of standing up,
sitting down, humming, and I didn't

know what the hell was going on and
I had no idea what was going on.

And I walked out of there like.

You know, in church most of the time
at le, at the minimum I get the music.

And the music made me feel good.

You know, sometimes I wasn't getting
the message, but this was a time where I

didn't understand none of it, you know?

But what it, but what I saw this
man experience as a, at me as a kid

watching this man, just be happy
to be in a house of God at all.

Um.

Really put in perspective what
he was saying to me in regards to

like, how God is going to use me.

And I'm not, I'm unapologetic
about it to this day.

You know, like I cuss, I
fuss, I blow the houses down.

Uh, but I know that God chose 12 people
in the Bible that were the most in.

You know, probably the most unqualified
folks in the world and made 'em

disciples, you know, and some of the
best work in the Bible or people in the

Bible were from, from some of the most,
quote unquote unqualified by society.

And so, you know, I, I get to live
with a freedom, you know, and,

uh, we, uh, a freedom that says.

Regardless of what people think
of me, I know who I am, you know?

Um, and I know that there are way
more people that know who I am instead

of knowing what I do for a living.

You know, when I was playing football,
that's what I did for a living.

I would constantly tell folks
when they'd go, oh, you're that

football player at such and such.

No, that's what I do for a living.

It's not who I am for a living.

Oh, you're a wrestler.

You're that pro wrestler.

Oh yes.

What I do for a living, that's
not who I am for a living.

Lemme tell you who I am
for a living and, uh.

You know, I didn't grow up with the
example that a lot of people grow up

with, with the positive dad in the home.

And, uh, you know, being, you
know, the superstar athlete in

high school, and I didn't become
all that until later in my, I.

Uh, high school career, you
know, I was the number one

recruit coming outta high school.

Uh, I could have chose anywhere and
obviously I chose the best school at

the University of Florida and, um, you
know, won a national championship there.

Graduated from there, uh,
two SEC championships.

I.

I'm in the University
of Florida Hall of Fame.

I was the vice president of
student government and which is

why I hate politics to this day.

Um, a lot of the people that, uh,
that helped me get elected into office

are still, er, are now serving as
senators and congressmen and women.

Um, and I have my hats off to 'em if they
can, you know, navigate those spaces.

But I just.

I, I'm a person that firmly believes
that God put me on this earth to connect

people and to, um, to impact folks in ways
in which traditional people cannot do.

And I think all of us have that
in innate, innate ability to do

that, um, because we're all called,
um, but few are, are chosen.

Sam Acho: Alright,
Thaddeus, I heard a lot.

What you just said about faith,
uh, about family, about football,

about finances, about philanthropy.

But I have a question about, just
circling back to the family piece.

Before we started the call, we
talked about you being a father

and you know, you have the show
coming out, King's Court about being

a bachelor and all these things.

But you talked about, man,
I have sons from a previous

marriage, but an adopted daughter.

Tell me about your daughter.

Thaddeus Bullard: My daughter Leah.

She's, uh, she's amazing.

Uh, I've actually known her
since she was seven years old.

Uh, her mother has been a long
time friend of mine, and she, uh,

had some health complications.

Um, you know, not to get too far
into what it was, but it was a chance

that she may or may not make it.

And, uh, she was just hoping that
I would just check in on Leah.

You know, um, in the event that
something unfortunate happened, and,

uh, I said, well, what if I adopted her?

And she was like, what?

And I was like, yeah, I've
always wanted a daughter.

And, you know, I'm not having
physically having any more kids.

You know, vasectomy 2012 is
my alternate Bible verse.

And, uh,

and so I, um, um, so I, uh, you know,
I said, well, let me talk to my sons

about it first and see what they say.

And, uh.

But I knew they would be fine with it
because about three years prior to that,

you know, I had met two 7-year-old twin
girl, SYA and Skye, and I met 'em at the

youth ranch and I was like, you know, I.

Like they were hanging all over me
and I was just fell in love with 'em.

And I said, uh, I went to the
counselor and I said, you know,

I, I want to, I would love to see
about like seeing if I can be around

these kids more and this and that.

And, you know, I hadn't thought about
adoption, but I, I was definitely

thinking about adoption at that point.

And so I started the process of seeing
how I could become their father.

And probably two months
into the process, uh.

The social worker came to me and
she said, I think this is very

admirable of what you're doing.

Um, there's no question These
kids will come to a great home.

You're a great man, yada, yada, yada.

But I need to tell you this, you
know, we're, uh, you could take

these young ladies and you can
put 'em in the best of situation.

And, you know, two or three years down
the road, the mom or the dad can come and

say, Hey, I'm ready to be a parent now.

And you would have to, you know,
pretty much relinquish the rights

back over to the parent because
they're in a foster care system.

And I stopped the process
because I just didn't want to.

I couldn't, I couldn't imagine pouring
all that time and stuff, uh, into these

two young ladies and giving them the
opportunity to pour their love into me

only to have their life shifted again.

They were already in the foster care
system, and so they kind of been

at one place to another place, to
a relative here or whatever, and

I just didn't want to continue.

I wanted to be the one that broke that
cycle and gave them some stability

and gave them some, uh, normalcy.

Um, and, uh, I, I knew that I was
gonna have a lot of trauma and mental

health and things like that, that
I would have to help them navigate

through, but I was willing to do that.

And so cutting that process off, uh,
I clearly God had knew that was on my

heart, that I wanted to have a daughter.

And, uh, the opportunity came up to, to
get Leah and, um, you know, sh once I.

Talked with my sons, and
it was an absolute yes.

They knew her already.

Um, uh, jokingly talking about
where she long as she notices a

competitive family and all this,
that, um, you know, it was all good.

And so I, I, um, I end up, you
know, FaceTiming her and Carrie

and, you know, she, uh, Leah said,
why are you doing this for me?

I said, well, you know, I, uh, I've
always wanted a daughter and if I had

a daughter, you'd be everything that
I would want, and a daughter or a son.

And she was like, well,
you know, I'm gay, right?

And I paused and I said, um,
Leah, I don't give a damn.

If you purple with streamers
flying outta your ass.

Like, I'm not here to
make you be a certain way.

I'm here to help you be the
best version of yourself.

And I want you to be a good human being.

And as long as you're a great human being,
you, you are more than welcome to be

anything and everything you desire to be.

Um, but part of being a great human
being is also understanding that

that may be your sexual orientation
and your choice, but you long as you

don't try to push that motive much.

Like I don't want anybody to
push Christianity on anyone.

I don't want anybody to
push politics on anyone.

I want people to be.

The their ultimate best selves.

And because diversity is important
to me, you know, and, um, and, and

not only diversity in skin color and
religion and politics, but diversity

in thought because we have a lot of one
track thinkers, um, when it comes to

a lot of things, uh, when in business.

Uh, you have a lot of guys that just look
at the bottom line, the bottom line, the

bottom line, and they completely take out
the human element of that bottom line.

You know, people do get sick,
people do have life, life issues.

People do have deaths in the family.

And when you're looking at people's
performance and you're rating their

performance based on just the number
and not equating all these other things.

You're taking out the human element
that got you to the position that

you're in to even have a business.

And it's the same way I feel about teams.

You know, everybody says, uh, you
know, if you were a coach, you know,

do you coach every player the same?

No, I don't.

Do you treat every player the same?

Absolutely not.

'cause every player doesn't
come from the same background.

But every standard is the same.

You will be on time, basic stuff.

You will be on time, you
will respect the game.

You will respect one another.

And, uh.

Um, my daughter and my kids
understand that, you know, we

have three rules in our house.

You know, the first rule
is love and respect.

Everybody you come in contact with, you
know, you're not gonna like all of them.

Uh, and you're not gonna agree
with all of them, but you love

them and you respect them.

Uh, rule number two,
don't use the word can't.

Uh, I was told my entire life, what I
can't do, what I won't do, how I'll never

be, and it was all proven to be a lie.

And then from a biblical sense.

Uh, you know, the Bible says that
we can do all things through Christ

who strengthens us, and so I can't
tell people that I believe in Christ.

And then tell them what can't be done.

It's just a com complete
oxymoron to what I believe.

And, uh, and rule number
three, be your best.

You know, um, some days 70% is
your best, 30% is your best.

But as long as you're doing your best.

You or anybody else can
never be disappointed.

It's when you didn't study for
that test or you didn't prepare

for that presentation as much as
you should have and you lost out

on that deal or whatever it may be.

That's when you should be disappointed.

That's when you're going
to be disappointed because

you didn't do your best.

And my daughter has given me
so much introspective, even

though she's, you know, gay.

She's still a woman, you know,
and that's a different, women are

different, you know what I mean?

I don't get, women are
different, you know?

So, uh, um, you know, as, as much as
of a jock she is, she's still very much

so feminine and very much so sensitive
when it comes to certain things.

And, you know, I have
to, I've had to like.

Check myself on, on, on a lot of
occasions because I'm like talking

to her like I would talk to my sons.

So my daughter has definitely
been an amazing experience of

fatherhood, but she's been an
amazing addition to our family.

She just, uh, she just, uh, signed, uh.

She went into the transfer portal.

She was at Oakland University
in Rochester, Michigan.

And uh, now she's gonna be at UMass.

And so, uh, great
opportunity for her there.

Um, she got a little
NIL money coming too, so

Clif Marshall: Okay.

Thaddeus Bullard: get out of daddy's
pockets, you know, get out of dad's

pockets and do your own thing.

But, um, yeah.

And then my oldest son plays at UCF.

Uh, plays football at UCF and
then my daughter, my youngest son

plays, uh, football at Florida.

So I'm a very happy
and proud empty nester.

And, uh, so obviously this show coming
out, uh, Queens Court, which will be,

uh, debuting on July 13th, on Bravo,
uh, and also streaming on Peacock.

Um, it's myself, Tyson Beckford
and Carlos Boozer, hosted by

Holly and Rob Holly Robinson.

P and Rodney p.

Uh, to of Hollywood's royalty when it
comes to married couples kind of steering

us through this journey and, uh, so it's
a, it's a great, I think it's gonna be

a, a fun experience for people and the
front journey for people to go along with

us on, uh, as we try to discover if who's
our who, if, and who will be our queen.

Sam Acho: I got.

Okay.

I know Cliff got a question.

Can you give us some insight?

Did you find it Queen?

Did, I mean, what can you share
with us about, about the show?

Thaddeus Bullard: All I can say it
was a great journey and I think,

uh, the outcome of the show, uh,
will really be indicative of.

Just the journey we're all on,
you know, and, uh, in discovering

who we are as men at this point.

You know, uh, Carlos formerly
divorced, uh, as well, and his,

his two sons are top basketball
players in the country, you know?

Uh.

Uh, and they're going to Duke and, uh,
tried to get 'em to come to Florida.

They were very close to coming to Florida,
but obviously they had to follow in

pop's footsteps and go to Duke, which
is also an amazing opportunity for them.

And then obviously Tyson's
been a fashion icon for years.

Uh, been around the world and, and
has dated a pe uh, a person or two.

Uh, so we'll, uh, we'll, we'll.

We're, we're very excited about what,
what is to come on the show and what

people will be able to see from, from
that standpoint and vantage point for us.

Clif Marshall: Thaddeus, I'm again
so fired up Here're on the show

today, and I told Sam before we
got on the uh, podcast with you.

I said, man, I'm a little nervous.

I've never really spoke to a WWE
superstar, and I grew up in the eighties.

I grew up watching the WWE with Hulk
Hogan, macho man, Randy Savage, and

I followed it all the way up until.

Where it's at today.

As a matter of fact, in, in the
spring of this year, I was blessed

to go down to the Royal Rumble.

It was in Indianapolis.

And uh, I had a connection where
I was able to get ringside.

my goodness, man, I just have a new
respect for the athletes of wwe.

So I really just wanted to talk to
you about your journey from college

football to the Arena Football
League, and then into wrestling.

Like did somebody scout you?

Uh, or how did you get
involved, uh, in wrestling?

Thaddeus Bullard: No, my best friend
is, uh, one of my best friends is Dave

Bautista uh, who was also, uh, in, in
wrestling at the time and, and, uh, kind

of encouraged me to try out for, and
I was like, man, I'm not doing that.

I want to go coach.

You know.

And then 2009, I, I was driving
by FCW, which is, uh, um, our

develop was our developmental
league, which is now called NXT.

Uh, and uh, I wanted some jerk
chicken, which is a place called

in Tampa called the Jerk Cut.

So I was going to get jerk chicken.

I saw the building on the right hand
side that he had been telling me about.

I picked up the phone, I said, Dave, is
this a place you've been telling me about?

He said, yeah, um, I said, I'm
gonna poke my head in the back door

and see what it's about, you know?

And he said, uh, yeah, ask for Dusty
Rhodes or Steve Keirn And I said, dusty

Rhodes like atomic elbow, dusty rose.

And he was like a bionic elbow,
dusty Rhodes he's like, yes.

He's like, he helps the talent
with, uh, developing their

promos and stuff like that.

And so I poked my head in the back
door and, you know, lo and behold,

two weeks later I was signed and
learning how to become a WWE superstar.

And the rest is history.

You know, that happened in 2009 and.

2020, I was put into the WWE Hall of
Fame as a Warrior Award recipient.

So it's, uh, definitely, again,
one of those things where if people

would've told me, you know, and that's
why even now, you know, if people

asked me the question, where do you
see yourself five years from now?

I can honestly say five years ago, I
couldn't tell you where I was gonna be.

You know, I wouldn't have told you that.

I'm getting ready to be on a, you know.

Uh, unscripted reality TV
series on Bravo of all places.

Um, I wouldn't have told you
that I was gonna be in the

WWE e when I was in college.

I wouldn't have told you anyhow.

I mean, I speared people into the
pool during my pool parties, but

that was, that was just me being, you
know, being a fan and being crazy.

Uh, but yeah, I just, I tell folks all
the time and when they ask me, you know,

what do you see yourself in five years?

Right now, you know, five years, 10
years, I see wherever God has for

me to go, that's where I'm gonna go.

And, um, I haven't controlled
my destiny up to this point.

I didn't control how I got
in, came into this world.

The only thing I can control
is my attitude and, uh, and my

gratitude and, and displaying
both of them in a positive way.

Each and every day, I will never be
able to repay the folks that poured

into the Florida Sheriff's Boys Ranch.

I'll never, I don't
even know a lot of them.

I don't know the people that wrote
checks for the Boys and Girls Club.

I just remember the moments, the
moments at 12 years old when I was

given an opportunity to stay, even
though everybody wanted me to go.

I remember at 12 years old before
I went to the Boys Ranch, a white

lady from Chi from uh, Boynton
Beach, Florida came up and gave me

a really nice remote control car.

For Christmas and said,
I want you to have this.

I really, I want, I bought this
for you because I wanted you

to have a really nice gift.

And that was the only thing
that I got for Christmas.

And I kept that car until my junior
year in college and I would still have

that car to this day if my college
roommate, uh, darl Owens, who also

played football with me at Florida,
didn't come home and wanted to wrestle

at two o'clock in the morning after
drinking, having a good night out of town.

And, uh, he broke our fish tank.

And, and my, and my, uh, and my car,
well, I didn't really care much about

the fish tank, you know, that could
be replaced, but I, I probably beat

his ass for three days straight,
you know, about remote control car.

And he, to him, man, it's just a car.

I'll get you another car.

But to me it is, it wasn't just
a car, it was the first time

somebody treated me with dignity,
um, when they gave me a gift.

We do a lot of very transactional
stuff in this world.

You know, Christmas comes around.

Everybody's giving and they'll put some
gifts in a plastic bag and hand them

and they'll feel good about themselves.

But those people that are getting that
nice car or whatever, they might not

have money to get the batteries, or
you're giving them food boxes during

Thanksgiving, but they might even be, not
even have a home to warm that food up in

or to cook that for, prepare that food.

So while we're all very giving,
you know, by nature hurricane hits.

You know, national disaster, national
disaster hits, mass shooting hits.

Everybody feels like they
want to do something.

In my opinion, I, you know, transactional
things didn't get me to where I'm at.

Transformational things did, and I'm a
transformational thinker when it comes

to how I give, you know, if I can't.

Do something that's su that's sustainable.

I won't do it.

You know, when I invested my time,
my talent and my resources into

turn in one of the lowest performing
schools in the entire school district,

and literally telling the school
district let me do what I need to do.

Don't mess with us, don't screw with us.

You know, like I will help turn this
school into a positive beacon for

this community and four years later,
it's one of the best schools in it is

definitely the best looking campus.

We've completely transformed it.

It's the only middle school
with a whole bunch of stuff.

I got a street hockey rink
there in the middle of the hood.

So brothers and sisters
are playing hockey.

Uh.

You know, we have a turf field.

We're the only school in the
school, the only middle school in

the entire school district that's
public, that has a turf field.

We got an academy wing, we got
robots, we got all kinds of stuff.

And so I, because I truly believe
that exposure leads to expansion,

and when you expose people wherever
they are from, it expands their mind.

It expands their thought process
and expands their ability to

think outside of their own.

Surroundings.

Um, and so when it comes to being in
the WWE e having a platform that I've

had in the wwe e uh, and, and even now
to this day, I still have very close

connections with a lot of people on the,
on the roster, but also former WWE talent.

It's not because I was world champ
25 times and not, it's not because

I, uh, was, you know, tag team
champion 3,500 times or whatever.

It's because I was a great human being
in that space, and I continue to be the

same dude that I was walking in the doors.

It didn't matter how much success
I had or didn't have, it was really

all about, you know, me being
grateful for the opportunity.

And I think that if people, I.

Looked at that holistically across the
board, whether it's, you know, dealing

with your own kids, like, man, these damn
kids, you know, they getting on my nerves.

Well, guess what?

It's some people that don't have kids
to get on their nerves and they wish

they could have kids, but they can't.

Uh, it's some people that had kids
that were getting on their nerves

and they lost them to cancer and
some kids that were getting on their

nerves and um, you know, and they
started finally turning the corner and

getting things right and then boom.

Life happens, accident,
shooting, whatever.

So I think, you know, for me, uh, I.

Being in a WWE e gave me a
better perspective even of what

a being American is, you know,
especially an African American.

You know, folks always, I ask the question
all the time, do you feel like America's

the greatest country in the world?

And you'll get some people
to raise their hand proudly.

Yes, absolutely.

And for me, ab yeah, it's not.

Like as a black man in America,
like my history in this country

is not good and still not good.

You know, it doesn't mean I can't be
successful and I haven't been successful.

But when I go to China, who people talk
crap about here, or when I go to Japan

and it's clean and people are respectful
and there's no obese people over there,

like you gotta wonder like how can.

We say we're the greatest
country in the world.

We lead the world in mass shootings.

We lead the world in, in
incarcerations, mass incarcerations.

We lead the world in a whole
lot of things that are not good.

And I always say the only time we're
ever collectively in this country, good.

Really good.

And United is in times of tragedy.

And even that is fleeting.

You know, hurricane hits, you
see the best and best of people.

And then two weeks later they're back to
being the divided country that we are.

And so I always tell people, people
come to this country not because it's

the greatest country in the world.

They come to this country
'cause it's the country with the

greatest amount of opportunity.

People can come here and get an
education that they wouldn't be

able to get at a respective country.

They'd be able to come
here and start a business.

It is truly the land of opportunity,
but even with having that

opportunity, there are still people.

Completely negate the fact
about the struggles that go

along with that opportunity.

And depending on how you look, where you
come from, what language barrier you have

or you don't have, what's your sexual
orientation, what the color of your skin

is, or what your political affiliation
is, there is real life situations

where systemic issues will affect you.

And so I don't get too caught
up in being a proud American.

I get.

More caught up in being
a great human being.

You know,

whether you're American or not, this
is supposed, this is a melting pot.

You know, whether you were born in
this country or you were not born in

this country, you get an opportunity
to help this country be better, which

hopefully will help the world be better.

And that's well constantly
what I preach to my children.

Like if you go to the league, great,
but if you go and you're successful

in whatever you're successful in
and people love you for the human

being that you are, not just 'cause
you're a talent, but because of your.

Attitude, your character, your
integrity, those things matter to me

because I set the legacy for my family.

I broke the generational curses
for my family and I set a legacy

for my last name in my family.

And I truly believe that anytime for
a man of any sort, the greatest gifts,

and I told you this, you know, when
we first met Sam, the greatest gift

that we'll ever give our children and
our families is a great last name.

And it's not the house that you live
in, it's not the car that you drive.

It's a great last name because at the
end of the day when you're dead and

gone, how will people remember you?

What will they remember you for and
will that will how they remember you?

Open up opportunities for other
people you know, as a coach.

As a CEO, as a president, as a teammate,
when people hear your name or they see

your number come up on the caller ID
and they ask you for a favor, or you're

asking to help somebody or get somebody
help, will your last name be the bridge

that people need to become better?

And for the most part, up to this
point in my life, that's been the case.

I didn't, I wasn't
raised with that though.

I had to build that for myself and
it took a lot of people from a lot

of different backgrounds to help
get me to the space that I'm in now.

So when people say, how do you make so
much time to do everything that you do, I.

My immediate response is, how can I not?

People invested in me when they had
absolutely nothing to gain in return,

and I serve a God that truly has.

Jeremiah 29 11 written all over my life,
he knew the thoughts that he had for me.

He understood that if thoughts of good
things and I've had a damn good life, and

I'll continue to have a damn good life.

And it's not that it is a life
that comes without struggles.

It's not a life that comes without weapons
being formed, but they haven't prospered.

Because I continue to
grow and I continue to go.

And, um, you know, I I thank
you guys for giving me the

opportunity to come on your podcast.

Uh, one, because I know
that you're a believer.

I, I mean, it was very evident.

I'm a believer right out of the gate,
you didn't shove it down my throat.

I just could tell by the way you
walked, the way you talked about your

family, the way you, you carry yourself.

Um.

And you know, brother to brother,
both of you, even though you're

a little lighter than I am, uh,

we still brothers, you
know, I'm in this walk.

Uh, continue to use this platform man
to, to, to bring as many voices to

the table as possibly can that not
only will speak to their journey or

speak to their faith, but speak truth.

Because that's what I think
a lot of folks are scared of

nowadays, is to hear the truth.

I ain't running for office, have
zero desire to run for office.

So if I tell somebody to F off, I ain't
worried about that coming back and

bite me in the butt two years from now.

Somebody worried about, you know,
well, you know, you told such and such

grew off, you know, two years ago.

Yeah, I did.

And I'll tell him again and
I'll tell you why I told him.

I'm debt free.

I'm stress free.

I'm worry free.

I'm kids free.

And so, uh, you know, it just, if
it's just me and my French Bulldogs,

at the end of the day, I'm good.

You know, as long as my kids are healthy
and God is continuing to allow me to

open doors for folks and do things
for people, um, that help facilitate

the world in which I know we can help.

Build then so be it.

You know, they always say if
you can just reach one, you

know you've done a great job.

I've reached thousands.

And thousands.

We've put 370 something kids in
college in the last 15 years.

38 of 'em are in the NFL playing football.

You know, several of 'em are
playing major league baseball.

Some of 'em are lawyers, some of 'em
are doctors, some of 'em are police

officers, some of 'em are school teachers.

So, and this is since
they were 12 years old.

I'm 48.

I'm not even halfway dead yet.

So just imagine when I get
on that other side of 50 when

I really don't give a damn.

Because you know, the older
you get, you lose all the damn.

Yeah, you lose all the
damns together, you know?

Sam Acho: Uh, so I got, I got
one more and then Cliff, you, we

always end every episode we end
with some cliff notes, right?

So Cliff has, his cliff notes will
have, he'll have his cliff notes

and maybe a, a question to close us.

Um,

and I'm, I usually ask, how do
you win without losing it all?

And, and it seems like you've answered
that question, but I, so what I

want to ask you Thaddeus, is what
truth does the world need to hear?

Thaddeus Bullard: You are enough.

Simple.

The world will tell you what you can't
do, how you can't be, what you're not

capable of, what you're not qualified
for, and it's a boldfaced lie.

You, you are truly enough.

And the enemy will put that doubt and
that fear and that that wall up so

that you won't go through that wall.

Like, just think about it like people.

The enemy doesn't go after
you for what you have.

That, that's, that's, uh, that's easy.

You know what I'm saying?

Like that's the easy part
when you go into a game plan.

Sam, you played football.

Uh, who's the best running
back you played against?

Sam Acho: Um, I played against
Saquon, so I'd say Saquon.

Thaddeus Bullard: All
right, so Sequan Barkley.

So prior to you getting on the field with
Saquon Barkley, you didn't care how many

yards he rushed for last yard, last game.

Sam Acho: No,

Thaddeus Bullard: You didn't care how
many yards people projected him to get

in the game that you played against.

What you cared about is stopping
him from gaining anything.

That's how the enemy works.

It ain't after what you did in the past.

It ain't after what you got
going on in the present.

They wanna stop your future.

Hey you, you ain't gonna do that with me.

You, I'm not gonna allow you to do that.

You ran for 300 yards
against the last team.

You ain't gonna do that here.

That's how the enemy works.

So the devil says, Hey, y'all think
I want what you got right now, man.

What you got right now ain't no.

It is not even a fraction of what I know.

Got God got.

But if I can keep you from getting at
what God got for you in the future,

oh, I can kill your whole family.

I can stop.

I can stop your grandkids.

I can stop your great-grandkids.

If I can just get you right now
because you may be a millionaire.

But your great gang cri be, are
supposed to be multimillionaires because

they're gonna continue the generational
wealth that you've accumulated.

But if I can stop you in your tracks
right here and set you back and set

your family back, and you be the
patriarch of that, all of a sudden

I'll put you back in a space and your
family back in a space in which now

everybody's got a doubt and wonder,
will we ever get back to where we were?

And you're wondering from a world
sense, you're not depending on

God, you're depending on the fact
that you just lost all this stuff.

So my thing is, you are enough.

There was a time in my life where I was
very insignificant to a lot of people.

My life up to this point.

Uh, from this point, moving
forward is all about significance

because success is for ourselves.

It's very selfish.

I wanna be this, I wanna
make this amount of money.

I wanna do such and such.

I want to graduate from high school.

I want to graduate from college.

I want to do this, I wanna do that.

Great.

Anybody can be successful at anything
they wanna do, especially in this country.

But the question is, what are you
gonna do when you get that success?

How are you gonna impact
the people around you?

Because I believe that the 8-year-old
Thaddeus and the 80-year-old

Thaddeus will never be too far apart.

I'll never forget where I came from.

I'll never forget how I felt when
I was ho, when I was hungry, when I

was cold, when I was homeless, when
I was told when I'll be molested.

So therefore, I can look at other
people that are in that situation.

I'm gonna be like, Hey
man, you, you are enough.

I love you and I believe in you,
and we gonna get through this.

The 80-year-old me is sitting up
there like, yeah, I've gotten all

this, this, I've accumulated all these
things, and I got all these great

memories, but I'm still wanting to make
sure that other people can do that.

That's why I love kids and I love elderly.

They both are that they, they, it is
two of the most truthful demographic of

people you'll ever meet in your life.

If your breath stink and they're
six years old, they're gonna

tell you your breath stink.

If your breath stink and they're
85 years old, they're gonna

tell you they breath stink.

As a 8-year-old or a 6-year-old or
7-year-old kid, they're gonna tell you

the same story every day, all day, and,
and you going and the 85, 90-year-old

tell you the same stories a million times.

You know why?

Because those were their dreams
that they, they see things and

they experience things, and they.

Constantly wanna live in those moments
because those are great moments for them.

And as much as you don't want to
hear what your 6-year-old, 7-year-old

saying all the time, over and over
and over and over again, man, it's

gonna be a time that you go when
they 85 grandpa or great 85-year-old

granddad, or 85-year-old dad or mom.

And you're gonna wish you
had those conversations back.

You're gonna wish that you can
talk about the good old days.

You're gonna wish that you can talk about
what they want to be when they grow up.

Because once they grow up, they're
not talking to you about the same

thing that they were talking to you
when they were talking to you at six.

So you are enough.

Wherever you are on the spectrum
of life, you are enough.

God, Jesus died for us all for a reason.

Clif Marshall: Hmm.

Thaddeus Bullard: And it
wasn't because I was the best.

You was the strongest.

He was the fastest, she was the richest.

They was the, this, you know,
whatever it was because he loved us.

Clif Marshall: Hmm.

Fatties.

My last, uh, thought, and this has
been incredible, I've spent the

last eight years as the director of
strength and conditioning for the

Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team.

And as Sam mentioned earlier, I've,
you know, I've been coaching for

almost 30 years now in the NFL
College football, college basketball.

But there's one quote that
I typically will leave on my

grease board for the athletes to
see, and it's from John Wooden.

And it says, a great person is more
important than being a great athlete.

And just hearing your story and the impact
that you've made with the platform that

you've been given is incredible to me.

it's not really a question.

It's more or less a salute.

A thank you.

And a, uh, encouragement man to
keep doing what you're doing because

you have certainly inspired me
over the last 45 minutes or so.

Thaddeus Bullard: Thanks, man.

Appreciate it.

Sam Acho: Yeah.

And, uh, everybody for listening,
thank you all so much for checking out

the Sam Macho Podcast, uh, featuring
Cliff Marshall, AKA, cliff Notes, and

today's special guest, Thaddius Bullard.

Uh, make sure to check out King's Court.

It'll be on NBC and on
Peacock starting in July.

I.

And all this information
will be in the show notes.

We'll have links for you to
check out and go to sam macho.com

to check out all the resources.

Thank you.