On this episode of the NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, former All-Pro receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh joins Peanut and Roman for a spirited conversation. TJ explains why the talented Cincinnati Bengals teams he played with were known more for their disfunction than winning. Despite tough years early on, TJ talks about why he felt mixed emotions when he made his first Pro Bowl, and why he wished he would’ve played for bad teams toward the end of his career. TJ says he never dreamed of making to the NFL, and he talks about his journey making it to the league despite being a high school dropout. TJ still stays connected to the game, and he shares how he and Snoop Dogg teamed up to create their own flag football league.

The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, former Pro Bowl receiver Braylon Edwards joins Peanut and Roman. Braylon didn’t come to sugarcoat. He came to be real. Braylon starts out telling the guys how his Detroit roots came out when he defended an elderly man from an attack at a local YMCA (3:50). He then talks about his wild days in the NFL, which included a friendly challenge for Olympic legend Michael Phelps (10:55), a friendly rivalry with LeBron James (23:14), and a friendly conversation with Jets coach Eric Mangini that led to his trade to the New York Jets (31:40). Speaking of his time with the Jets, Braylon names the coach who he blames for the Jets back-to-back AFC Championship Game loses in 2010 and 2011 (38:10). Braylon also opens up about his struggles finding his identity after football (41:26), and how going back to school to get his college degree helped him find it (44:32). Braylon also discusses how he overcame a dependence to opioids (49:22), and the therapeutic process of writing his book Doing it My Way (55:30). It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss.

The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the latest NFL Players: Second Acts podcast, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles joins hosts Charles “Peanut” Tillman and Roman Harper. Jamaal sits down to share his improbably journey from Texas high school phenom, to the NFL, to how he’s found direction in his post-football life. Jamaal also shares his devotion to the Special Olympics, and his journey from finding his confidence as a youth competitor to now being a global ambassador for the organization.

Jamaal is a newly inducted member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and he shares with the guys his emotions of being recognized as one of the greatest athletes in the state’s history. In the NFL, Jamaal bloomed into one of the most electrifying runners in the league. He credits his success to head coach Andy Reid, and details how Reid maximized his talents in the Chiefs offense. Roman can also attest to Jamaal’s speed, as he shares the story of seeing Jamaal blow by him on the longest run of Jamaal’s NFL career.

The aftermath of the NFL has been a winding road for Jamaal. He gets candid with Peanut and Roman about events that led to loneliness and suicidal thoughts. Jamaal opens up about how therapy helped pull out of his darkest days, and how he’s still on a journey to finding complete inner peace. And he gives a message to other former players, and everyone, who finds themselves in a similar position: lean on their support system. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss.

The NFL Players: Second Acts podcast is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeart Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.