The Sam Acho Podcast

Sam Acho: Welcome back to the Sam
Acho podcast featuring Cliff Marshall.

A space where we go first, we
give space and we grow hope.

We talk about faith, family,
football, and finances.

And today we have another special guest.

Clif Marshall: Sam, I'm so
hyped to welcome our friend,

Vinny Ray to the podcast today.

Vinny has a great story for God's glory.

Vinny is a follower of Jesus Christ.

He is a husband, he is a father,
and he recently went from being the

Cincinnati's Bengals team captain to
being the Cincinnati Bengals team.

Chaplain.

Vinny played college for the Duke Blue
Devils, and he went on to play for

nearly a decade in the NFL as a standout
linebacker and a special team stud.

I got to watch firsthand
how Vinny defied the odds.

Going from an undrafted free agent
to the team captain of the Bengals,

I was a performance director at
Ignition, the gym that Vinny trained

at every off season in Cincinnati.

His story is one of courage,
consistency, and commitment.

Vinny, thanks for being on the podcast.

We are eager, eager to talk faith,
family, and football with you today.

Vincent Rey: Man, I cliff.

I like how, how you wrote that, man.

I like the, the rhyme
scheme, the alliteration.

That was all good, man.

Sam Acho: He was talking,
we were talking beforehand.

He was like, Hey man, from team
chap, from team captain to team.

I like that's that's
nice to team Chaplain.

That's nice.

Oh man.

Clif Marshall: That flows.

Sam Acho: it flowed and you know Cliff.

So Cliff, you trained Vinny.

I met Vinny while training
in those off seasons.

I think that's what we made.

If I'm not, I'm not, not mistaken,
of course we played each other.

But just seeing you and a man
of faith, a man of character,

and a man who worked hard.

That's the thing that stood out the most
for me when I was training with you.

I, I prided myself on being a guy
who gave his all and who worked hard

and was gonna outwork everybody.

Right?

Man of faith.

And I look at Vinny, I'm like, oh no.

He gives his all, he's a man of faith.

He outworks everybody.

I can't beat him.

But, but it was this deal of like, irony,
sharpening iron, iron, sharpening iron.

And so Vinny, uh, thank you so
much for being on the podcast.

My first question for you, we heard
Cliff talk about you going from

team captain to team Chaplain.

What as the transition out
of football, at least out of

playing football, been for you?

Vincent Rey: Yes, man.

Great question.

So I think it's been, it, it was a
little tough, um, initially, so I came

in the NFL in 2010 and I played nine
years, and then I tried to make a 10th

year, had did the whole track, you
know, workout for this team, that team

getting flown out everywhere, even.

Down to like, than around Thanksgiving.

I think I was going and working out,
but I ended up retiring in 2020.

And one thing, um, that my chaplain,
Lamars Crawford, who you what, when he was

a chaplain for the Bengals, when I was a
player, he would always say, football's

what you do, it's not who you are.

He would always share that with the
players and he needed to say that because.

Football culture is telling you
that you are what you produce.

Um, based on how you're
treated, you play well.

Um, other teammates treat you well.

Coaches treat you well.

Maybe front office treat you well.

Family and friends treat you well.

And then when you don't perform well,
then you're not treated as well.

When you're injured and you're not
able to perform, you somehow become le

less important in the eyes of others.

Nobody's gonna say that, but
that's how you're treated.

Uh, and then one day when it's over.

If, because the culture is telling
you that you are what you do, then

you start a, you start to feel like a,
like a widget that's no longer useful.

Uh, like a, you know, I, I live
in Ohio and here you have, I think

some people call it the rust belt.

You like, you'll have some of these
factories and it just kind of, they have

been, they haven't been used for decades.

You kind of feel like something
that, Hey, I used to be useful, but

I no longer am because they found
someone younger with less injuries.

So I no longer bring value.

So you feel your value is now down.

But, um, tell you what, during, uh,
when, when I was retired, a brother, um,

at my church had said football's, no.

He, he said, what you do matters,
but who you are matters more.

And that really set me free, man.

Um, that really helped me.

And because I know I.

What I do, whether it's football,
whether you are an attorney, whether

you are what, whatever your job is, that
matters, but it matters more who you are.

And at the very least, all of us, we are,
I would say the crown of God's creation.

Um, I don't believe we're random cosmic
goo that happened to come together.

Right?

I think we're all, we all have inherent
value and, um, I'm loved by God.

He made me to love me
and I can rest in that.

So the, uh, the transition, uh, has been
pretty good from knowing that at first

it was difficult because you're, you're
an expert at something and then you go in

and you try to jump in and be an expert
at something else when you're really not.

Um, which is one of the reasons I think,
um, players may struggle financially when

they're done for, uh, when they finished.

Uh, some people make it seem like,
oh, former players just blow all

their money and they lose it.

There's some of that, but I think most
of the time that it's someone trying

to be an expert in something else that
they never really put the time in to do.

So I, um, was looking to try to do
something else, but, uh, I'll tell

you what, being a chaplain kind of
fell in my lap, and I love what I get

to do with my family because my wife
and I work together as chaplains.

I know I was a little long-winded
there, but I'll be quiet.

Sam Acho: No, no, no.

I got,

there's so much, so Cliff, I
know we got some questions, but

there's so much I need to unpack.

Really, there's two things I
wanna unpack if we, if we can

like park there for for a second.

The first one is, you said that
when your chaplain, or maybe

it was the pastor, said that.

Said something that set you free.

You said that it set you free.

You know, uh, what you,
who you are matters more.

But when I hear, set you free.

I hear, okay.

That means you were trapped
or somehow not free before.

What was that process like?

Vincent Rey: The not free process.

Sam Acho: Yes.

Vincent Rey: Yeah.

So I guess we can go there.

I, I've been, um, uh, I've been following
after Jesus for most of my life.

I was raised in a Christian home, but,
um, when I get, when I got to college,

I made, uh, I had a, a chaplain who
kind of, who shared with me the faith

and kind of told me some things about
myself that I needed to hear, and I've

been following after him ever since, but.

During that time, I did feel, I,
I guess you could say trapped by,

um, kind of the thoughts of others.

Like, man, I'm, I've, I
haven't gone out on my terms.

Um, I knew that one day I, I would
hear the same door that you walk

in—the NFL building is the same
door you're gonna walk out one day.

Um, but I had never been,
you know, released before.

And that, that was kind
of a shameful thing.

Like, man, I'm, I'm no longer good
enough, but I real, I, I became

secure in knowing that what my father
thinks of me really matters the most.

Um, and I know he thinks highly of
me because he paid a high price for

me in Christ, in his son, um, by.

I believe he gave his son lived the life.

Um, not just I, but we were
supposed to live and, and then die.

The death we were supposed
to die in our place.

So even though I, I was someone who
was a man of faith at the time, I still

felt a little guess you say trapped
in shame in things not turning out

the way I wanted to, um, with, with
the game of football that I love.

But, but yeah, that, that freed
me up reminding me that who I

am matters more and who I am is
not something I need to attain.

Um, I don't have to work my way up to it.

Um, because God already came
down, you know, in his son,

and, you know, I, I'm secure.

I'm secure.

I'm loved, like to be loved.

That means I don't have
to do anything to get it.

I just embrace what he
does, what he did for me.

Sam Acho: I don't even have
a, I mean, cliff, could you

give some Cliff notes real

Clif Marshall: Yeah.

Yeah.

No, it's, it's a lot here.

It's really a lot to unpack and
it's something that coaches and

players alike deal with, and I
call it the idol of performance.

You know, in the Bible it says you
should have no other idols before God.

But I've seen some of the strongest
men of faith make their sport

an idol, make it their God.

Right.

And Sam, I wanted to just ask you,
um, have you dealt with this, have

you felt the pressures in the outside
world of, you know, being the best and

making the most money and, uh, earning
the awards as at some point in time in

your career, was it an idol for you?

Sam Acho: Oh, without a doubt.

I mean, yesterday, cliff, yesterday
I had some friends over and one of

'em just graduated from college at
Clemson and you know, he, we, we

were outside playing basketball and
I was playing with him and it was my

kids and all those kind of things.

And even in that, I wasn't
winning in the basketball game.

Right.

And I, I'd like to blame it
on one of my children, but I'm

not gonna do that right now.

Uh, but another buddy of mine
was there and I, I said, kind

of flippantly, like, um, man, I
need to, I need to show my worth.

You know, just kind of like, I thought
I was joking and I think I was joking,

but there was something in there of
like, dude, I don't want to lose.

Even as I talked about the intro to
Vinny of like, oh man, like Vinny, as

much as we were, you know, competing
in the off season, like I didn't want

anybody to outdo me even in that.

And then talk less of actually on the
football field, on the football field

of having coaches say there's a, a,
a, a sign in our meeting room, maybe

my third year in the NFL the sign
said, you are what you put on tape.

Clif Marshall: Hmm.

Sam Acho: So imagine walking into
practice every single day and

then meetings after at practice.

'cause then think about it, you,
you, you practice in the morning.

As soon as practice ends, you might go
take a quick shower, grab a meal, and

then 30, 45 minutes later you're in the
meeting room, you're watching film of

the practice and that's throughout the
week and then the game comes on Sunday,

boom, you watch it on Monday or on
Tuesday you are what you put on tape.

And so I was like, well crap, if I have
a bad practice, am I just bad if I have

a, if I'm not performing, am I not?

So that really got to me and
that there was something already

deeper of chasing awards, I think.

And I think.

initially it wasn't
necessarily chasing awards.

It was like, man, I have fun.

I'm good at the X, Y, and Z.

But there, there did come a time Cliff
where I remember, and Vinny, you'll

atta, you'll relate to this or you may
relate to this between plays in games,

you know how you look to the sideline
to see, hey, what's the personnel?

Or hey, what's the next
play call or whatever.

I looked to the sideline in games
and practice and sure, I'd look to

see, hey, what's the next play call?

But I would look to see if my coach
approved of my last performance

about like the last play.

You know, if I made a mistake,
they have their heads down.

If I made a good play,
they're like, Hey, great job.

Like, I was trapped.

I was trapped.

And if I could just be honest, like I
don't know what, when exactly it happened.

Uh, but there was a time something
changed in me and I started

looking to God for my approval.

Instead of looking to the sideline,
I'd instead looking left or right.

I'd look up and I would just pray.

I'd be like, Hey, God, what
did you think about that play?

And I almost felt this piece, bro.

I felt this piece of like,
great job, keep it up.

And that what happened was I, the
approval that I was looking for in

coaches, I wasn't getting so, so
it was almost like the opposite.

It was like they were looking down
on me and I was like, well, shoot,

I got 17 more weeks in this season.

It's early in the season.

I can't, I can't live like this.

I started praying, fasting, God, how
can I rely on you and not rely on them?

And so he started to show me like,
Hey, like I ma, my opinion matters.

And so between plays.

Between games.

It wasn't like I wasn't waiting
for the coach to say, great

job or poor job, immediately.

Hey God, what'd you think about that?

And I felt a piece of like, great job.

You're good.

Clif Marshall: So the problem is the
idol of performance, the solution.

Sam, what you said is.

You start looking up and you play for God.

And we call that the
audience of one, right?

And I think when you do that,
it allows you to play free.

For eight years I've been a team
chaplain for the Indiana Hoosiers

men's basketball team, right?

Where I was also the strength
and conditioning coach.

And so we'd have an optional
chaplain, um, on game day, but

great attendance and great dialogue.

But I can tell you man, this concept
of the idol of performance is real.

It was certainly real here at Indiana
in the conversations that I had with

players and even when, when I was
a strength and conditioning coach

in the NFL, it was the same way.

So I'm glad that we've kind of spoken
on this and I hope this will bring,

um, some peace and perspective to some
young athletes who may be out there,

uh, listening to our show today.

Sam Acho: Yeah.

No, that's so good.

So remember we said there were, there
was two things I wanted to unpack, Vinny.

So that was the first one, right?

It seems like we unpacked it.

We got out of park, let's drive a
little bit more and then boom, the

next stop sign you talked about.

'cause on this podcast we talk about
faith, family, football, and finances.

But so far we haven't really dug into
finances in depth just yet on any

of our podcasts for whatever reason.

But you, you made a comment about
athletes, and not just athletes, but

people who, I guess you could talk, let's
say football players, athletes, whatever.

And this idea of going broke
when they're done playing.

And you said it's not, it's not because
they're blowing all their money.

Oftentimes it sounded like you said it's
more of a, an issue with identity or what?

Like what, like, let's
unpack that for a second.

The financial piece of what
happens with athletes when

they're done playing financially.

Vincent Rey: Yes.

I, I think it does connect
with identity still, Sam.

Uh, I think the idea is.

I have been told that
I'm great for so long.

Uh, I played football from age seven
until age 32 every year of my life.

And there's others who are similar.

You've been told for so long, Hey, you're
great at this, at football and, um.

When you're in high school,
you get to leave school early

to go to football practice.

Or when you're in college, you
get to enroll early in classes

because what you do matters more
than what everyone else does.

That's what's being communicated.

So you're like, man, I'm
important because of what I do.

And then tens of thousands of people
come to watch me and play in college

and in the NFL and I get all this
affirmation and then it's done.

I'm not playing anymore.

So I need to get that affirmation again.

So I'm going to be great at something.

And just one thing that some
players go into is business.

I'm going to be the best at business.

Um, also it's a unique, uh.

A unique job, uh, as a professional
athlete because you're getting probably

the most money you're going to get
financially early on in your twenties

where most people are going this way.

You kind of start here and then you
come back down, um, at some point.

So I think that may play into it
also, but I think it's, Hey, I

need to show that I'm still great.

But the problem is I didn't do the work
to be great like in football or my sport.

I was, I practiced at
this a million times.

I practiced running this route,
or, um, doing this footwork.

I practiced a million times doing
this, but I didn't practice a million

times in this business pursuit.

So that's just something I've seen.

Um.

And, and I like to correct the
fact that it's not just a bunch of

athletes just just mindlessly spending
their money on, uh, on chains and

cars, even though that does exist.

It's, I think it's mostly that way
I'm spending, or I, I'm trying to be

great at, um, business and even I, I
want to, here's another thing I want

to help my community that I came from.

I want to provide jobs, so I'm
going to give this money to this

person who's not really qualified,
but I'm leading with my heart.

Um, and I'm being genuine.

I'm being sincere, but it's
still, I would call foolish.

It's a foolish thing to do.

Uh, so yeah, financially,

Sam Acho: Why is it foolish?

Why is it foolish?

Vincent Rey: because you didn't dot
every I and cross every t like you,

like as a, the athlete went when he
is getting ready for a game on Sunday.

He has practiced full speed.

He has done jog through,
he has done walkthrough.

He has watched more film than
he even spends on the field.

So he has dotted every
I and crossed every T.

But when it comes to, um, provi trying
to provide for your community or

doing a business venture with someone,
you didn't invent that guy out.

You probably didn't even get
a, uh, like one, did you get

a background check on him?

Uh, do you, have you seen
what he has done beforehand?

Have you talked to some people who have
worked with him financially beforehand

and not just your aunt or your cousin?

So all these things are, are things
that many play, um, former athletes

learn like the harder way, uh, but.

These are things you're just not thinking
of because you probably didn't get

your MBA yet, or you didn't, not to
say you have to get an MBA, but you,

you haven't spent enough time, um,
just toiling in the soil of business.

You've just, you've been doing football,
which is fine, but yeah, I don't

want to just kind of talk circles,
but pay the, pay your dues and learn

financially, because financially it is
what I think that you hit the jackpot.

If you're in the NFL and you have
a certain amount, you don't have to

go and take the biggest risks, which
is what some people want you to do.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

That's good.

That's good.

Just the lessons, the
lessons, uh, of growth, right?

Spent 25, 30 years, 15, whatever,
years at one thing, becoming an expert,

becoming a pro, becoming, uh, uh.

Best in class,

Vincent Rey: Yes.

Sam Acho: just expect overnight to
switch careers and just be best in class.

It's like you think so, but it's
like go back to when you started

playing or forget sports, like
whatever field you're in, you've been

doing that for a number of years.

You've gotten the number of
reps necessary to be successful.

And so in the same way in which you
watch film, study tape, go over the

plays have been getting the reps in
the weight room, all those things

since you were 7, 5, 3, 15, whatever.

In the same way, it's going
to take that amount of

focus, knowledge, skill, discipline
in another area, and you can't

affect it to happen overnight.

Vincent Rey: Mm-hmm.

I agree.

Clif Marshall: Vinny, I know as a
team chaplain for the Bengals that

you're helping these players, right.

Um, on and off the field.

But I want to ask you as a team
chaplain, what is your day-to-day

responsibility, week to week, and then
also what is the, the greatest joy

that you have as being the, the team

Vincent Rey: Uh, man,
those are great questions.

Uh, so this is going into my
fifth year as team chaplain.

I'd like to share, uh, really
quickly how I became chaplain.

Um, I retired in 2020 and the former
chaplain reached out to me and said

that he's going to be leaving to be a
pastor in another state in another place.

And he thought I would be perfect
to be chaplain and not just

me, but me and Noel together.

Uh, which Lamar and Megan,
they worked together as our

chaplains when we were players.

And I was a little hesitant
at first because I wasn't

someone who led bible study.

I wasn't someone who led chapel.

Uh, but at the same time I was involved
in whatever he had that he did.

Um, chapel Bible study.

Maybe we went down the street
to speak to some high schoolers.

Maybe we, one time we went to the, to
the west side here in town and went to a

laundromat and were giving out quarters
and were praying with people like some,

some, uh, I mean some guys who maybe Andy
Dalton was there, you know, he's giving

out quarters, praying with, uh, with.

Andrew Whitworth was there.

This guy's about six, seven, you know, big
guy we're standing in a laundromat, giving

out quarters to mostly it seemed like,
older women who were there at the time and

just asking him if, can we pray with them?

So I was involved with all these things
that, uh, my former chaplain was doing.

So the next step was just to do the
work of ministry, um, which I'm still

learning, developing as someone who
leads Bible study, developing as someone

who, um, speaks on behalf of God.

What a humbling thing.

Um, but, but yeah.

My week, my day to day, I'll give
you during the season, because right

now I'm, I'll have a bible study
once a week with the players and

with the coaches, um, separately.

And then I'm doing a lot of what,
what we call ministry of presence,

which I'm just being around.

I am in the lunch room, I am in the
locker room, and I'm just mingling.

And just by being around the ministry
will happen, players, um, training

staff, um, people in the lunchroom

coaches, people will come and ask
me different questions or just

wanna start conversations with me.

Um, but quickly I'll share with you
during the week, during the season,

um, let's say the game is Sunday,

We go to the games because after
the game we get a chance to be

around the significant others,
the families and friends, and

just get to connect with them.

And again, ministry of presence seeing I.

God, what is it that you're already doing?

Because we begin with a pre presupposition
that God is already at work and we

want to get in on what God is doing.

God open our eyes.

How are you working
within this organization?

How can we serve?

And um, so that's why we're there.

On Sundays after the games, Monday
I'll have a Bible study after the team

meeting with the players, and then
we'll have a couple a time with couples.

Um, in the evenings, which it may be at a
player's house, usually it's at our house.

And my daughters will act.

They are babysitters, so
they're junior babysitters.

We'll have an older babysitter
for the other, uh, an adult

babysitter or a teenager, but my
kids are, they're serving also.

So we're all doing it together.

Um, and then Noelle will have
her time with the players',

wives, the coaches' wives.

Then I'll do a chapel message
the night before a game.

And, um, but Noel see.

We'll have, like just today,
she'll have her a walk with

some women who have children.

They'll go walk downtown, um, they'll
go out to lunch, to breakfast.

They'll walk, go to the
zoo, go to the aquarium.

Just different things, just connecting,
um, you know, engagement and she'll,

every year she has the, her and some of
the other women, they'll throw a baby

shower for any woman who's been pregnant.

And this past year was five women,
uh, the year before were nine women.

So a lot of pregnancies and a number of
them were in the offensive line room.

So we were like, man, something's
in the ward over there.

What's going on?

So that's what our, our ministry
gen generally looks like.

I've had a chance to
baptize maybe three players.

We've done weddings for them,
premarital counseling, uh.

And I would say Cliff, that's
probably my greatest joy.

The thing I

enjoy Mo most, I think, is
doing premarital counseling.

Uh, I just love, um, I love the
idea of, of a, a marriage, like

the Bible says that God's
people are the bride of Christ.

And I'm, I'm married to
Christ, we're married to him.

And scripture says, even when we're
faithless, he remains faithful,

so he cannot deny himself.

So he, he's faithful and I love to see
the picture of a husband and a wi and

wife coming together, um, becoming one.

And, you know, that's a picture
of God's love for his bride.

So I think that's my favorite
thing in the ministry we do.

Sam Acho: I got a question, man.

I, I feel like I'm, I'm
stopping this at every moment.

Um,

for somebody listening that's
saying, okay, marriage is a

picture of us in God's bride.

How does somebody listening say,
okay, I want to be a part of that.

Vincent Rey: Oh, can you restate that?

Sam Acho: Yeah, so like I'm
listening, I'm like, okay, marriage.

And some people see it as like, well,
okay, what about all the divorces?

Like is that a good thing?

Is that a bad thing?

And then it's like, okay, marriage.

Okay, so God's people are
married to, to Christ.

Like what?

And okay, some people's like, okay,
what if I want to learn more about that?

How do I like it sounds good
in theory, but how does that

actually play out for me?

Vincent Rey: yeah, that's good.

Good question, Sam.

So, um.

Jesus.

Jesus is like the husband, and
the church is like the, the bride.

And

we as the church, as God's
people, we are his bride and

he's never going to forsake us.

He's with us to the end.

The Bible calls him the faithful husband.

That's why we are secure, because Sam,
I'm, you know, I struggle in life.

I have my struggles.

I have children as we
all have children here.

And I think, I think that kind of
brings to the surface my issues

where I am not patient, uh, where
patient means long suffering.

I don't suffer long with my
children all the time, and I'm

learning that, no, that's not cool.

I, I, I need to treat them the right way.

I need to be long suffering with them, not
just because it's the nice thing to do.

But because God been
long suffering with me,

Clif Marshall: Mm.

Vincent Rey: I, there have been times
I haven't been honoring God yet.

He stuck, he stayed right by my side.

And for someone to get in on this and say,
man, I wanna learn more about, and God

has been, is faithful to his bride and
will never leave them or forsake them.

Um, I would say that's,
that's the best news man.

And that's also known as the
good news, uh, the gospel, that

God became man in Jesus Christ.

Uh, he lived the life we
were supposed to live.

There was a life.

We, the standard, the Bible says we
are supposed to keep that we didn't.

Yet.

Jesus kept that standard.

He lived that life perfectly.

This is news that we believe, you
know, it's good news, but it's news.

We believe that this is a fact.

But then he died the death
that we was supposed to die.

Um.

He paid the price when he wasn't
supposed to, but it was in our place.

So it was like he was our substitute.

It's like if someone did an, did
an uh, an egregious crime and the

judge says, nah, you're free to go.

We would say, man, that's unjust.

Well, what if that's
us that did the crime?

The judge has to judge the crime.

It's only right yet because God
is gracious and he's, he's loving.

He said, look, I'm gonna provide an
opportunity, which I'm gonna have my son

in your place.

So God's able to be just in his
son paying the price that we were

supposed to pay, but we get all his
son's righteousness and goodness.

That's how we're seen.

How do we get this?

We just, there's a word called repent
that means to turn, turn from this

way, to go that way, but turn from
all the wrongdoings in your life, all

known, known wrongdoings, um, ways that
you're living that you know is wrong.

You turn from that you trust in him.

You faith is just like an empty hand.

Just, I'm gonna just trust in you.

God, I believe the facts about it
and I'm gonna just depend on you.

And by faith, you now have
become a child of God.

And God loves you with the very
love he has for his son Jesus.

And you are instantly, you
are the bride of Christ.

Clif Marshall: That's great.

Vinny, you know what, as I think
about marriage, you can't have a

marriage without a relationship.

Vincent Rey: Hmm.

That's true.

Clif Marshall: And the rela the,
the relationship that we have with

Jesus Christ, our heavenly Father.

Is most important.

'cause that's what we're talking about.

We ain't talking about religion,
we're talking relationship.

And when we have that relationship, as
you're describing with Jesus Christ, you

know, that makes you know Christ and the
bride, the church make all the more sense.

And in order to have a relationship,
you also have to have communication.

You have to talk

Vincent Rey: that's true.

Clif Marshall: and you have to talk.

Often.

I can't have a relationship with
anyone unless I have dialogue,

unless I have constant conversation.

And so I think that's a great reminder
to us as well, you know, as we're

building this relationship with Jesus
Christ, is that we have to communicate.

Vincent Rey: Yes.

Clif Marshall: He's always there.

He is always listening.

And so that's great insight, Vinny,
and great, um, just great knowledge,

uh, as you paint that picture for us.

I do, uh, wanna just go back a
little earlier in your career

before you were 18 chaplain and talk
about, um, you as a student athlete

and then as a football player.

But one of the things I remember, um,
about your story is you rode a school bus,

correct me if I'm wrong, like an hour,
hour and a half every day into school when

you were living outside of New York City.

Is that correct?

Vincent Rey: Close.

So I rode, I, so I was living in Queens
and I rode not a school bus, but a

city bus and not just one city bus.

It would be a city bus and two trains.

It took me two hours to
get to school every day.

I had

to walk to the bus or the train stop.

Took one, took the a train to the j train
to the Q 31, and it was two hours each

way for four years to get to a school
that had a reputable football program,

because at the time, New York City didn't
have many reputable football programs.

Sam Acho: Were you going

by yourself?

Vincent Rey: Yep.

By myself.

Clif Marshall: I guess I remember
part of that story because you

know when nine 11 happened,

you talked about seeing that right
from the bus that you were on.

Vincent Rey: Yes.

So this is where I, I went to
school, so it was a Tuesday

morning and I'm at school.

Uh, school in New York City starts late.

So it started, I think on my birthday,
which was September 6th, on a Thursday.

Um, anyway, Tuesday morning we're in
biology class and I'm sitting in the back.

Uh, my last name starts with a R.

So based on, you know, I, I'm more in
the back and I'm looking, I remember

looking out the window and seeing
smoke coming from one of the towers.

I saw it and I didn't
think anything of it.

You know, you think maybe
it's a fire in the window.

Now.

Those towers they were
in, they're in Manhattan.

They were in Manhattan.

I was in Queens, Northern Queens.

So not too close, but I can still see.

But, um, once I got to the next class,
it was a global history teacher.

And I still remember, we walk in
and he said, we are under attack.

And it sounded like
another language because.

War on American soil.

Like I've never heard of that.

And he said, yeah, uh, some planes
were flown into the Twin Towers,

and after that class, people were
basically just leaving school.

Nobody, there was no announcement
from the principal or anything.

We just didn't know what to do.

You know, I didn't have a cell
phone, so I went to the payphone.

Uh, I had a quarter.

But I wasn't getting
through on the payphone.

Uh, I think my parents may have
had cell phones at the time, but

I just remember what, it didn't
take me two hours to get home.

Tell you, that took me a lo a lot longer
because I, I couldn't take the trains

home because underground they weren't dr.

They weren't going because they're
thinking, Hey, about a million

people travel underground every
day in New York City, maybe

terrorists would attack underground.

And by the way, my father was a
train operator for the atri, and

he was underground at the time.

So all these, these things
are going through my mind.

I don't know where they're at.

Uh, my parents, I don't know where
they're at, my sister, my nephew,

but I made it home and everyone
else, one by one made it home.

Clif Marshall: Wow, what a story.

Just incredible.

Vinny, I can remember you sharing that
when you were playing there with the

Bengals and just your story as a whole.

Um, that transition now takes you
to Duke right after high school.

You graduate, you go down
to North Carolina, you play

for the Duke Blue Devils,

and then you come to Cincinnati, Ohio,
not to play for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Initially, you come to Cincinnati,
Ohio to sign with an NFL agent and

then start training that ignition.

And Sam, as you know, if they
train with me, I got a picture

of him here in my office.

But Vinny, Vinny, um.

Vinny, I remember you coming into
Ignition and the one thing that stood

out to me initially was your wingspan.

So I'm gonna say you're probably
six foot one, but what do

you think your wingspan is?

Vincent Rey: I'm six foot.

I know my wingspan.

Do you know it?

Clif Marshall: I would say
it's at least like 6, 7,

Vincent Rey: it's, uh, 82
inches, so it's six 10.

Clif Marshall: 6, So 10.

So Vinny, I can tell you from spending
the last years, uh, last eight years

at Indiana, the biggest measurement,
the most important, important

measurement for a basketball player is
his height compared to his wingspan.

so like what would be considered
excellent at the NBA combine

is a plus five wingspan,

Vincent Rey: Wow.

Clif Marshall: You have a plus
10 wingspan and that Vinny.

I can tell you helped you become a
great football player because Sam,

as you have to have long arms to
keep those offensive linemen off

of you when you're a linebacker.

But the other thing that stood
out obviously, is you ran a great

40 time, you have like a 4.5

40, just great athletic ability,
but you don't get drafted.

You sign as an undrafted free
agent to the Cincinnati Bengals.

So we actually ended up naming our NFL
Combine Prep program after you believe it

or not, we started calling it Operation 53
because our philosophy at Ignition was we

don't care if you're a first round draft
pick or if you're an undrafted free agent.

The only goal is to make
the 53 man active roster.

And you did that after going
undrafted for nine straight years,

you made that 53 man active roster.

I want to know how you did it.

Vincent Rey: Oh man.

there's so much you can't
control, as you both know, but

people say, control the controllables.

And what that meant was you
don't come on time to meetings,

you're early for meetings because

when you get there early, the coach is
already in there, so he'll go through

what he's gonna go through, so you'll
get a chance to hear it twice and just,

it was just competing with myself to
be as great as I possibly could be.

just, yeah, and just saying,
I'm not gonna leave every week.

No.

Knowing the stakes, also knowing the
stakes that it's not a one year contract.

It's not a one month, it's every day.

every day I'm going to.

Be great, be as great as I possibly can.

Colossians 3:23 with all your
heart work, heartily, work with

all your heart in all you do.

I'm butchering the verse.

In all you do work heartily, as
for the Lord and not for men.

So work with all you have.

and yeah, it just kept doing it and
made the team first started off on

special teams, and that's what I did.

And I get opportunity on defense.

I carve out a role and just knowing
that, here is a little, here is

a little nugget here, but people,
coaches, and maybe even in the business

world, I don't know, but they're not
maybe looking for the most talented.

They're looking for someone who's gonna
consistently bring what they have.

so you don't, you rather a guy who's
a consistent eight than a person

who's a ten and then maybe a four
and then a nine and a six, because

you want that consistency every day.

Um, the best ability is
availability, of course,

but here's another one is reliability.

To be

reliable, to be known as someone who's
going to get the job done, whatever

they're called to do, they're gonna do it.

They're always gonna be in the right spot.

So I think I was that person.

And you build trust over time, little
by little, little by little, but you

build trust with, with coaches over time.

And, um, I was able to get out there
and make plays and kind of, and just

stay man and stay in one place for nine
years, have over a hundred play games

that I played in as an undrafted player.

Um, I don't know the record.

But I think with the Bengals,
that's, that's up there for

someone who was undrafted.

So praise God.

Clif Marshall: Sam, can you,
um, recall recently we had a

strength coach from the Cincinnati
Bengals that was on our podcast.

His name was Jeff Friday, and Jeff
went on to WR to write a book,

uh, called Built for Winning.

He talks about four foundations, right?

The physical, the mental, the
spiritual, and the social.

And so we kind of put him on the
hot seat as we were on this podcast

and we asked Coach Friday, is there
ever been an athlete in your 30

plus years as a strength coach?

And remember now he was a Super
Bowl winning strength coach who

trained guys like Ray Lewis and Sam.

Do you remember the athlete mentioned
when we asked who had the four

foundations that were built for winning?

Sam Acho: Vinny Ray,

Vincent Rey: Wow.

Sam Acho: Ray.

Vincent Rey: Amazing.

Sam Acho: For me that stood out
because I had my thoughts, right?

Like I said, he coached Ray Lewis,
ed Reed Super Bowl, you name

it, you know, and I'm thinking,
okay, it's probably gonna be Ray,

maybe Ed, you know, maybe thinking
about the other guys he coached.

And I mean, he didn't know
that we knew each other.

He may have known that you and I
don't even know, but he sat and he

thought, he said Vinnie Ray, and
I think he actually wrote about

you and your story in his book.

Vincent Rey: Mm-hmm.

Sam Acho: So I guess my question is

for being undrafted, how
do you make an impact?

Vincent Rey: How do you make an impact?

Um.

I It is knowing that, yeah, that,
that's, that's a tough question.

How do you make an impact, uh,
doing the little things, being

great at the little things?

Uh, man, I, I got a great, uh, nugget.

It was gold from, um, when I was
in college, I was trying to get in

the NFL and I had a chance to go
to what's called a local workout.

Um, I'm from New York, so they let me go
to a workout with the New York Giants.

But before we worked out, and it
was mostly guys who were gonna be

undrafted and, um, like myself, but
there was a guy who spoke with us who

works for the organization, New York
Giants, and he said, most players don't

realize that they're already competing
before they go get on the field.

They're already being evaluated by how
they carry themselves, by how they shake

someone's hand, by how they look you
in the eye when they're talking to you.

And I didn't know any of these things.

Uh, so the you competing
is not just on the field.

You're competing to bring your
best version of yourself in

the locker room, speaking to
people who you don't even know.

Um, for those who may be watching who
don't know when you're a professional

athlete, definitely in the NFLI don't
know about other professions, but there

are all these people who are in the
building that you don't know who they are.

They're just in the building.

And they'll, you'll, you know, you
don't know them, but you should treat

them well because you just don't know.

They treat people well because
they're people and you're just

always, you're always on display.

And I, I think, I think that's something
I did a good job of was just always

treat, treating everything like a game.

Um.

Even if it's practice, again,
walkthrough, jog through, I'm,

I'll mention these things.

I don't know how many people are
watching who really care about this,

but, or listening who care, but
there's something called a mental

rep in, in sports that is important.

It is highly important.

Basically what this means is you
are, let's say you're a rookie.

You come in or you're a young player and
there's someone starting ahead of you

while you're watching from the sideline.

Or you may be someone who's, um, who's
on the other side of the ball just

lining up so the, the players in front
of you can do what they're doing.

A mental rep is seeing what the
person in front of you is doing, and

then when you don't understand what
they did or why they did it, you ask

someone, Hey, why did they do that?

And they tell you, oh,
this is why they did that.

You just got better.

So it's constantly competing to pursue
excellence, to be great within yourself.

I'm trying to get better.

I see this, I'm not getting any
reps because I'm a young guy, but I

see everyone in front of me at the
position I play, and I'm getting better

just watching him do what he does.

And then when I see, oh,
did he mess up there?

Oh, he actually messed up.

Hey, yeah, I'll let him know, Hey, I
think you were supposed to do this,

because I'm constantly getting better.

So I think that's a, that's a way to have
impact is to just constantly get better.

Sam Acho: So we, we, we talked about some
of the highs, Vinny, the impact, right?

Some of the undrafted nine-year
from captain to chaplain.

talk about some of the lows.

Uh, on this podcast.

We talk a lot about adversity
and uh, so I wanna ask you.

What adversity have you been
through and what did it teach you?

Vincent Rey: Man

adversity.

I'll give you two.

Um, that come to my mind.

Initially, the first thing that came
to my mind was, um, while in college

I was, uh, after my junior year at the
time, duke was not a powerhouse at all.

My first two years we went one in 23.

So we were losing all the time.

We, we were not that good.

But, uh, going into my senior
year, I was, I was someone

who played well on the field.

I had been elected as a captain, as
a junior, so I was probably gonna be

elected as a captain, as a senior.

People thought well of me, um,
everyone would say I'm a nice guy.

I went to church, I went to bible
study, but then a chaplain came in

January of oh nine of my junior year.

And I remember I mentioned him briefly
earlier, but I remember him telling me

things about myself that I didn't like.

Um, just from, from
observing how I lived that.

Uh, and he called me out on things
that other people wouldn't, and

I'll just share this with you.

I don't remember much of anything
that he taught me scripturally,

but this is what he showed me.

He goes.

You have.

He showed me three pictures, right?

And he said, this is a
picture of a Christian.

This is a picture of a non-Christian, and
this is the picture of a carnal Christian.

Now the second picture and the
third picture looked identical.

So what he was saying was, he told me
the cardinal Christian says they're

the Christian, but they look exactly
like the non-Christian to the world.

And he said, this is who you are.

You.

You're the Cardinal Christian right now.

And I would say that was I.

Maybe adversity isn't the right
word, but that was my moment where I

could've, I was at a fork in the road.

I could've said, man, I
don't know you like that.

You don't have to talk to me like that.

I don't have to meet with you.

Um, I don't want to hear
what you have to say.

But I'm thankful I was able to sit down
and listen to him because that was a

game changing moment in my life, um, to
be able to listen to wisdom from him.

And, um, I believe I've
been growing ever since.

So that was the first
thing that came to my mind.

But the second thing was in my
ninth year, I had an ankle injury

that I would rehab every week.

I would, it, it was a battle to
get it healthy enough to play.

And then after I play, like
I'm back hurting again.

And I played that entire season that way.

And looking back, maybe
I shouldn't have played.

Maybe I should have sat, sat out.

Um, but that was a hard time.

Um, I hadn't dealt with an injury in
that kind of way before where it was

always affecting me and it was hard.

I re, my wife reminded me not
too long ago, she said, yeah, I

remember one day you said, Hey, I
don't wanna wake up in the morning.

I just want to sleep.

I don't want to get outta bed
because I don't want to deal with

this pain that I'm dealing with.

So that was, um, some adversity there.

Uh, and that was my last
year playing football.

So

Sam Acho: What did it teach you?

Vincent Rey: well,

it taught me

that I talk with Noelle,
my wife, about this.

Why did that happen?

I don't know.

I don't know why it happened.

It taught me that it's okay to not know.

I don't fully know why.

Um, I know the following year I,
I had workouts at other places and

I was healthy, but, um, I never
got signed and I don't know why.

And I had some other bad
breaks, uh, during that time.

Um, and I don't know why that happened.

But God be praised.

Like I know that it's all
right because he is got me.

And, um, yeah.

So I don't really know what I
learned there, except that I

don't have to know everything.

Clif Marshall: Really good stuff, Vinny.

Um, I did want to ask you
quickly, we talked Proverbs 27

17 on here as iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.

I can remember a point in time at
Ignition where even Sam was there, right?

You were there.

The defensive player of the year in
the NFL Luke Keekley was there, who

also plays the same position as you.

What was it like training next
to Luke, and then how do you

feel like that made you better?

Vincent Rey: Yes.

So I tell, I was just having this
conversation not too long ago,

but I think Luke Keekley was,
uh, he, he played eight years.

So if, if not for that, I think he, he
would no question the, in my opinion,

the best, uh, middle linebacker ever.

That's my opinion.

But he's still up there.

He's ranked to me.

He's a, he's a Hall of Famer in my book.

Um, the man was, well, he, he won
the NFL uh, rookie, MVP, then he

wins defensive MVP the next year.

But training with him.

Luke is very smart.

Everyone knows he's very smart.

Luke is actually very athletic.

I don't know if you know
people don't assume that he's

not, but he's very athletic.

He's strong.

But Luke Keekley, if we ran a hundred
half gasses, we ran half gasses afterward,

like we would do something, we'd

do some sort of running.

If we ran a hundred of
them, he won a hundred.

There were corners, there were smaller
guys, there were people faster than

him, but Luke refused to lose and
that showed me to be, to be great at

something you just refuse to lose.

You just compete with yourself to
be as great as you can every time.

Like it, it's, the athleticism
may get you to the door, but

the desire will keep you there.

Like his desire to just keep winning.

That shocked me.

Like, here's a MVP, like he's here
training with us, yet we're, it's

May or April, whenever it was,
and he's competing at that level.

Um.

I, it really shocked me and
what he was eating, it wasn't

something that I would want to eat.

I, I was like, what is that man?

Like, he's, it, it did not look good.

But he, he paid a price that
I was not willing to pay.

But, uh, but yeah, I, that's
what I gotta say about him.

He is, uh, he refused to lose
sprints in the off season with

people who he didn't even know.

You know, we weren't, I
was not at, at his level.

And yeah.

That, that, that to me is greatness.

Clif Marshall: Sam before
Sam closes, closes us out.

Always like to give a couple cliff notes.

And man, Vinny, the first one I have
for you and for every, everybody

listening out there, is to treat
every day like it's a job interview

because that's what you did, and that's
how I believe you went from being an

undrafted college free agent to the
team captain of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The second one is don't fit in.

Stand out.

Romans 12, two tells us, don't conform
to the patterns of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind.

And what I say that for is
don't fit in and stand out.

It's because I remember one time
we were in the weight room and

you were engaged at the time at, I
don't think you were married yet.

You were engaged at the time.

But you and your fiance went
to a wedding out of town.

And I remember you telling me and
a few others that were around that

you got her her own hotel room while
you got you your own hotel room.

And I thought to myself, well,
that's not the way of this world.

The way of this world is that you
would get your hotel room with your

fiance and you guys would stay in
there and you would do what you do,

right?

Like most of this world does.

But you, on the other hand,
chose that's not the route.

That's not who I am.

I'm a man of God.

I'm a man of character, and I'm
gonna stay pure until I'm married

and you got a separate hotel room.

So I say that don't fit in
and stand out, don't fit in.

Instead, stand out because that's
what you did on the football field

and also off the football field.

So I appreciate that Out of
you, uh, Vinny, you made me

better, uh, just watching you.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

Vincent Rey: That means a lot.

Cliff.

Thank you.

Clif Marshall: Do you remember that?

Do you remember the conversation or do
you remember getting two separate hotel

Vincent Rey: No, I definitely remember
getting two separate hotel rooms

because we did that all like, it was a
time where maybe she knew someone who

was getting married and I or I knew.

So we did that multiple times, so, yep.

Clif Marshall: Yes.

Sam Acho: Well talking about that impact,
and I'm gonna check something because

this stuff might fall down and it's fine.

Um, talks about as iron sharpens
iron, so does one man sharpen another?

This is one of the ignition
deals from when I train, but

the year before I don't have it.

Cliff.

Cliff may have it.

Um, which I think you trained
in 2020, if I'm not mistaken.

Uh, or sorry, 2010, excuse

me.

Um, and even whether at
ignition or even just watching

you, you sharpened me, right?

Like I don't have the deal, but
it was like on that shirt it says,

uh, got you trained with Cliff.

It said Proverbs 27 20, uh, 27 17.

Uh, as iron sharpens iron, so
does one man sharpen another and

we hear verses.

Read verses talk about verses, but as
I'm listening to this podcast, Vinny,

and looking at you, I'm looking at iron.

I'm, I'm looking at, I, you sharpened
me from in the off season training

for the few times, the few weeks
we got a chance to train against

each other or with each other.

Like you sharp.

Most people, I wouldn't
feel like they sharp.

I mean, they might sharpen me from a run.

You sharpened me spiritually,

physically, mentally, emotionally,
you sharpened me right.

Fast forward.

Right.

We we're going to PAO
some of these conferences.

I see you, you're sharpening me.

And even listening to you, it's like,
yes, I'm doing ministry with my family.

Right.

You've talked about Noel multiple times.

We haven't even gotten there yet.

Right.

He was talking about doing
ministry with your children

multiple times.

Right.

I'm a father.

I, I have four kids.

Right?

You have four kids, right?

I'm trying to figure how do I do?

And so it's like as iron sharpens,
it's almost like as a, a, a as as.

Iron sharpens iron.

So does Vinny sharpen Sam Cliff, like you

name and I'm and I'm just saying that
for, for me, and I haven't seen it

until just now, I haven't, I guess I
haven't, it hasn't permeated to my heart

and imprint, but it's an imprint, bro.

Like, I see like a, it's like a, so like
a sword, but most like a, like an ax.

Like you sharpened me, bro.

And no, very few people can do that.

Like, like I said, physically.

Sure, I'm gonna train with
this person spiritually.

Sure.

I'm gonna go and, you know, study with,
but physically, mentally, spiritually,

emotionally, you're, you're sharp of me.

And so really I just say all that
to say thank you for being an ax.

Thank you for being

a vessel used by you.

Earlier you said, I'm honored that
I get a chance to be God's voice.

Like you are also doing his work.

You are living out Proverbs 27 17.

And so I just want to,
want to say thank you.

Vincent Rey: That is a huge
encouragement, Sam, that I like that man.

Wow.

Thank you.

Sam Acho: So, Vinny, there
is a point that you wanted to

make about the finance piece.

We talk about faith, family,
football, and finance.

We haven't dug into it yet, but
I'd love to love to hear more about

Vincent Rey: Yes.

Um, this was a thought just with, um,
with athletes now guys who are currently

playing, like with the Bengals or maybe
some other athletes I know who are either

in college or coming out of college who
are, whom I've had a chance to speak with.

I try to let them know, uh, this
one question, what's your number?

Like, that was something that somebody
told me, like, what's your number?

What, what is specifically,
what's the number that you

need to live off of every year?

Um, and someone told me that this
after, like about when I retired.

And I think it's just
a good point because I.

Again, everybody's going for
the gusto, wants to be great.

If you're playing in the NFL,
you're playing professional sports.

You were once great,
you were great playing.

It doesn't matter if you're the,
at the bottom of the, of the

53 man roster, you are great.

That's why you're in the league.

That's why they want you.

So you want to go and
be great somewhere else.

But remember, what's your number?

Maybe you spend, I don't
know, $10,000 dollars a month.

Maybe that's what you spend, uh,
with all your bills and everything.

That's $120,000 dollars a year a year.

If you could somehow get that amount
passively, then in a way, you've,

you've kinda won financially.

You, you can be out of the rat race.

Some say you, you've won.

So I know that's a lot of money.

Maybe $1.2

million.

dollars You're able to get 10% from that.

And, and this is all rough math,
of course you have to pay taxes.

But start thinking in that manner
of what's my number that I need,

like per day, per week, per month?

That would mean that I need
to, I need to know some things.

I can't just fully depend on
financial advisors which they're

excellent, but I also am responsible.

Um,

one, the Lord says, let them
rule, um, let them take dominion.

Meaning, uh, we have responsibility.

We have, we're the steward,
what God gives us and.

I did have a conviction that
I wasn't being a good steward.

I was depending on other
people to handle my finances.

Um, which that doesn't mean
I, I, I don't have to do that.

Um, I don't have to have other people help
me, but I need to be knowledgeable also.

I need to have some sort of idea.

So all of that to say what's your number?

And I think a bigger point is,

are you stewarding well,
what God has given you.

Again, that doesn't mean knowing
every single detail, but also having

the ability, have the ability to
manage whoever's managing your stuff.

Um, do you know what you're paying them?

Have you asked them?

Um, this is, I say this to my shame.

I didn't want to ask my financial
advisors if I like what I was

paying them because I felt.

I felt like, man, that's my boy.

These are my friends.

I don't like that can
hurt our relationship.

But the truth is I have to be a good
steward for what God has given me.

And

in order to do that, I have
to ask tough questions.

I have to get outside of my comfort zone.

Um, so yeah, tho those are just
some, some thoughts I wanted to add.

Sometimes when you're an, when
you, football is what you do.

Yes.

But you can also do other things.

You, you have the ability to, to learn.

Uh, not to say you have to go
and get all these high degrees.

I haven't gone to get other degrees,
but I learned little by little.

So we are responsible ultimately,
um, for what God has given us.

And, um, what's your number?

That's all

I had.

I.

Sam Acho: that's so good.

It's this idea of how much is
enough, you know what I mean?

Like how much is enough?

You have to know that, you know,
and that's one piece of it.

What's your number?

How much is enough?

Are you just chasing status?

Or have you realized,
okay, this much is enough.

Whether it's like for this year,
uh, for my career, for this

generation, for future generations.

And then also this idea
of owning your wealth.

That's what I'm hearing from you own it.

Don't just fully delegate.

I have no idea what's going on.

It's like, no.

And I felt some of the same things.

I was scared at times to ask
my financial advisor, Hey, how

much am I actually charging you?

I don't wanna feel dumb.

Like, I don't understand.

I didn't get it.

You know?

You know?

And what are they talking
about and basis points?

What does that mean?

You know?

And it's like, no, I
need to own my wealth.

Everyone wants to be A-A-C-E-O, right?

Like an athlete, ceo, EO.

Well, CEOs make decisions.

CEOs hire people and they fire people.

Vincent Rey: Mm-hmm.

Sam Acho: CEOs look at, they do, they
look at what's best for their company.

They see it as a business relationship.

You could still be friends with somebody,
but I don't have a business relationship.

And so this idea of like stewarding
your well, like that's one thing

I'm, I'm like committing my life
to, it's like, okay man, football,

ESPN, I enjoyed all that stuff, but
it's like, man, like we don't know.

Athletes don't have the
game plan financially.

We got the game plan on football.

A lot of us got the game
plan for, for our faith.

Some of us have the game plan for
our families, but financially,

so we're not stewarding it well.

Vincent Rey: Yes.

Clif Marshall: Hmm.

Sam Acho: And so it's
like owning your wealth.

What's your number?

How much is enough?

Don't, not being afraid
to ask hard questions.

Questions that someone who you're
paying to do a job should be able

to answer, They work for you.

Vincent Rey: Yes.

Sam Acho: them.

And we have to, we have to almost
reframe our minds to realize, no, no, no.

You work for me and I'm
paying you to do a job.

And if you're not doing it up
to par, then changes may need

to be made, and that's okay.

Vincent Rey: And Sam, I think part of
someone doing their job is explaining

it to you in a way you can understand.

Because if I am hiring you, yet you have
more intelligence than me in this, in

this area, you, you're more knowledgeable.

still, I still would like you to
explain it to me in a way I can

understand because am managing this.

I, you know, I own, I own this, right?

So be, and I say that because
for years when I would hear some

advisors talk to me and above my
head and I just didn't understand,

I felt, well that's not my thing.

You know, I do the
football thing when, nah.

You know, I, I, I can do more than that.

I, I'm, I'm a human being.

I, I can learn, I can grow, but, um,
I can also hold someone accountable.

But

yeah, that's, uh, that's
what I wanted to mention.

Sam Acho: Yeah.

And even to your point, like just
the language, some people that a

lot of that's intentional, like
speaking in language that it's like,

sounds like it's over our head.

So it's like, oh, okay, well I'm just
not in and I'm just gonna like let it go.

It's like, no, actually no.

Can you educate me?

Can you teach me?

And if you're not able to educate it to me
it's like, are you doing that on purpose?

Vincent Rey: Mm.

Sam Acho: I just kind of feel, get lost.

Get lost in the sauce.

You know what I mean?

Or, or, you know what I mean?

Like, educate me, help me understand.

I went to a, a, a venture capital, uh,
uh, deal conference a few weeks ago, a few

months ago, not even months, weeks, weeks.

And, and I went with the, you know,
the group I'm I work with and my team.

And essentially I was so glad to
be there because my team was like,

Hey, Sam, we're gonna educate,
educate you on how this world works.

But I, as I was there, there was a
lot that I, I was like, man, okay,

what are they actually saying, right?

And what is this new language?

It almost was intimidating, like,
oh man, like, how am I supposed to

know what all these things mean?

And I can read about it in the book and
study it, but now they're saying, you

know, it's like when you try to learn
Spanish and it's like, okay, you learn

how it is in the book, but then you go
to Spain to Spain or Mexico and it's

like, they, they using slang, you know?

And it's like, and after a while
it was this, God made it clear.

It's like they're not smarter than you.

They're just speaking
a different language.

Learn the language, learn the
language, and it, and, and also it

doesn't, it didn't happen overnight.

Like, just like I've been playing
football, the last in been

football the last 15 plus years.

These people have been in the business
of, whether it's venture capital or

investments, whatever, for a long time.

So learn the language, right?

That's one way to to, to be a good
steward of your wealth, to own your

wealth, is to learn the language and,
and, and, and then, and have the people

who are around you, have them teach you.

And if they're not willing to teach
you, then I would say either go learn

yourself or go find somebody who will.

Vincent Rey: Yes.

Sam Acho: Yeah.

Vincent Rey: That is good.

Sam Acho: That's good.

Well, Vinny, I appreciate you, man.

Thank you again, and, uh, so
honored to to, to reconnect

and excited to connect again.

Vincent Rey: Yeah, this has been great.

Love what y'all have going on.

Still gotta listen to Coach Fridays
and listen to the others that you

have, so yeah, I'm, I'm happy.

I'm happy for y'all.

I'm happy to be a part.

Sam Acho: Definitely.

Well with that, we'll sign
off for the Sam Macho podcast.

Go to sam macho.com

to to learn more.

We'll see y'all next time.