An Army of Normal Folks - Chavis Daniels: Mentoring 1,000 Kids (Pt 1)

Episode Date: July 4, 2023

Chavis Daniels played football for Coach Bill Courtney and was one of the accidental stars of the Oscar-winning film Undefeated. But that’s not why he’s a member of the Army. Chavis went on to found The North Memphis Steelers, a mentoring and athletics nonprofit that helps at-risk kids in the same challenging neighborhood where he grew up. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The kid that I put the most Blusher and tears all the ones that still go Go to juvenile like I do and most of those kids not even bad kids It's just the environment like and that's no excuse because we still make our own decisions, but And one thing I've learned is just like I've ran into so many kids like I was and the hardest thing I think I've had to do is try to coach them me out of a key. The hardest thing you've had to do is try to coach the you out of the kids.

Yes, sir. Because you recognized it from your past. Right. And I've had kids to walk off the field, throw the hill, call me bees and H.S. And literally I've had to experience the same thing that I was taking people to. Welcome to an Army of Normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. I'm a normal guy.

I'm a husband, a father, or an entrepreneur. And I'm a football coach and intercity Memphis. And the last part, unintentionally led to an Oscar for the film about our team it's called undefeated. I believe our country's problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people and nice suits using big words that nobody understands on CNN and Fox but rather by an army of normal folks us just you and me seeing an even saying hey I can help. That's what Chavis Daniels, the voice we just heard is done.

And I know this guest all too well because Chavis played on my football team at Manassas, and like me, was one of the accidental stars in undefeated. But that's not why he's on the podcast. Chavis has gone on to mentor over 1,000 kids in his organization that he founded, the North Memphis Steelers, and is even back to coach and football at his alma mater, Manassas High School. I could not be prouder of Chavis and I can't

wait for you to hear from him right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. What's up brother? What's up coach? How you doing? I'm good. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. I'm just a canker flying coach. Good That's that's a big difference from when you're junior in high school. Why you did was complain Yeah, I'd be hungry For listeners this this will this particular guest will be one that I'm will be one that I'm intimately familiar with and extraordinarily proud of. And Chavis Daniels was a former football player of mine who was one of the individuals highlighted in the movie, Undefeated, which kind of chronicled the time that we spent together. But really, that's not what we're here to talk

about. Chavis started an organization called the North Memphis Steelers and we're going to get into that and hopefully inspire some of you with things that you can do to be a part of the Army of Normal Folks. But first, Chavis, which come from, man, tell me about growing up. Tell me about little ugly Chavis. I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. I came from Levant de Shakeob, this is my mom, my dad is Michael Daniels. I grew up mostly in North Memphis area, but we moved out to Frazier and Raleigh over a period of time. But my whole family grew up in North Memphis, so I was very familiar with most of the people

that was just in North Memphis. So, Chavis is the native mintian and for those who don't know the area, North Memphis is actually inside the city limits as well as Frazier and Raleigh, but there are areas of Memphis. And if you think of Memphis as city, city, city, downtown, the farther north you go, you go north Memphis, then you go Frazier, then to Raleigh. And so, North Memphis is a community, really. Head and compasses Raleigh and Frazier, it's all North Memphis. And then you have South Memphis, East Memphis, and then West Memphis is actually an Arkansas. So you're a North Memphis guy. Right. And was your dad ever in the home? Oh no, my dad was

never in the home. No, not really until like my 12th grad year when he found that I was maybe in a movie. So he came around. Right. That's not exactly the father experience that some of us hope for. I agree, but no, no, no, no bad blood at all. And I don't know how I grew up. It's I grew older. I just learned the situation for what it was and forgiveness is way because I know there's two sides to every corner.

Javits, I met you in ninth grade. Right. When you showed up and here is this contemptuous back then skinny, fast but very athletic kid playing linebacker for me. It took me a while to figure it out, but you weren't disrespectful, but you were always edgy and a little angry. Yeah, and then one thing I can say is growing up, I kind of grew up with my grandmother and my mom as well.

And one thing they did teach me was a good etiquette and respect. And maybe sometimes I didn't apply what I was taught, but you think sometimes maybe you didn't. Yeah, I was talking about. You think sometimes maybe you didn't? Yeah, I know I did. But yeah, one thing my mom, I can't say my mom and my grandmother did was teach me good etiquette. I'm 29 years old and I still, yes, sir, yes, ma'am. I feel like there's just something I carried on.

So you know what the seed was planted? Right, yes, sir. And I always tell people that I was raised right. I just did wrong on my own. Whatever I did on my own. Whatever I did wrong. I did it because I wanted to do it. So I know you're not often comfortable talking about what I'm about to ask you about. And I understand why it's not the your proudest achievement in life, but this is an army of normal folks. Normal folks struggle. Normal folks have challenges and have to overcome obstacles.

And life is tough and we make mistakes. And it's the response to the most mistakes, more than the mistakes themselves that typically define the man. And I think one of the most defining moments in your life is when you're arrested. Yes, sir. And I know it's not easy to talk about. And I know sometimes when I've heard you asked about it,

you say, yeah, that happened and glance over it. But I think it's a defining moment in you. So tell me about that night, who are you with? Why? What you were doing and what happened? It was my night gray year, I think I was throwing for the first, no, I don't think I thought, I don't really remember. No, you started.

I think I started. It was week five and you started against BTW and had nine tackles. And it was then I decided this cat is not only an interesting kid, he's a hell of a football player. It was pretty excited about you. And I didn't see you no more. Right.

So what happened? So when I did Friday night, I got my first thought. And I felt like I did a good. And it was a great feeling. But after that night, just being honest, I was in, I've been in the gang since I was 14 years old. So, Roland 20's crew, like the same thing, like Snoop Dogg is. But yeah, I was drawing a crew when I was 14 years old.

Let me ask you something before we get to the story. You got to, I know your mama. She loves you. Yes, man. I'm talking about Wood- wooddough for you, without you, Levanta Shay loves Shayvis. Yes, and so you had that at home and you had a grandmama that loved you

and they taught you right from wrong. Why did you feel the need to join a gang? I mean, a lot of people that listen to us think that only bad kids join gangs or they think that gangs are a surrogate for not having people that love them at home. I mean, that's a popular narrative in our country that gangs fill up void for children

who have nobody to love them. But that ain't you, man. Right. And I was a Indian. One thing about me, I've always been like the leader. I didn't join a gang because I didn't love them, but that ain't you, man. Right, and I was a, and then one thing about me, I've always been like the leader. I didn't join the game because I didn't, I won't love them, how am I ain't joined the game

because I wanted to feel a void. I joined the game because that's what I wanted to do. And I'm just a responsibility for the fact that I wanted to join the game. And, but why, what's your cool, most of your neighborhood? It was cool and most of the people that was in my neighborhood were a part of it. I joined the gang when I was in 8th grade. 8th grade. Alright, and so one thing to set this up, 14 years old, 8th grade, but there's members of that same gang that you're running with that are how old? 18, 19. You realize a 19 year old and a 14 year old they got no business

hanging out. Right. I agree. And that's what that culture is. Right. And this one, this one was going on. So I started there Friday. Certainly, I think I stayed at home all day. This Sunday while we went out to play football for a minute. And after we got through playing football, we all got an assigned car. Who we are? Like four or five? It was like four of us. And we was driving and the tags was out. And my friends that I was in the car with, well, I only had a car and my associates did that I was in the car with.

They had, there was imposition of drugs. What were the ages of the people in car? You 14. I was 14. I think it was 14, 16, 17 and 19. So you were the youngest? I was the youngest. But because you are you, and trying to be cool, and everything else, you gonna ride.

Yes, sir. This is exactly what I was doing. I was feeling cool. My friend had his own car. Like I said, the tag was inspired. We was riding around. And they had, they was in positions of handgun. I think like an ounce of marijuana.

It was three handguns, three handguns. I'm the only one that didn't have a gun, but in our culture, it's called snitching if you say, this is not mine, and you know, don't, and then, and then, honestly, nobody admitted to who's guns and stuff it was, so, we all, so it's got a guilty about association. and stuff it was. So we all, so it's got a good to be our association.

Okay, so these gangs are supposed to be your brother, knowing you're a 14 year old kid, and knowing you ain't got none to do with the guns. But none of them stood up for you. No, not at all, not one time. And I'm beyond as like since that period of time, none of those guys, I really talk to again. Yeah, these people that you swear no to and your brothers and always got your back. Right, so I would let you go down as a 14 year old and you don't even hang out with them. Right, and so I went to a wilder ishung. You went where?

Wilder ishung, this, the youth penitentiary, in Whiteville. And this, where's Whiteville? Whiteville, Tennessee. Yeah, where's that? Kinda way out there in Nashville. It's like a little bit before Nashville. So at 14 years old, you shipped all the way

from the only place you know. Right. To wilder ishion. It's one of the toughest youth facilities in the country. What happened to the other guys? We all got the same thing. I think I was initially supposed to do like nine months, but I was, I had to put on this persona when I was in wider that I was tough. So I ended up going into focus and I got critical and critical is like going to the hole.

And focus is just going into the hole and you just focus is on. What are you doing fighting? Fighting. I'm still running with the gangs. So I initially spoke to the NAAA, but I think I wanted critical for like three months. And then when I got out, I think I got in trouble again. And so it added another three months. So it was like six months plus nine.

So I missed two birthdays, two Christmas. Two Christmas. And my birthday in January, so I had just like, yeah, I missed the Christmas. So what about these other guys, though? I'm curious today, what, what was 19? Right, so he, so he, and he was a filling.

Oh, so I know we're filling with a gun. I think this automatic 10 years like I see it coach. I really haven't kept what with those guys like that You know, so like and then I because I know did This not the direction I'm trying to go again, so I just surround myself with a different So this is on the fall because So this is in the fall because it's football season. And you got 15 months, so you lost the rest of your freshman year. And all your soccer year. And a little piece of your junior year.

Oh, not think I was, I let it go. That's right. So I kind of back the end of, I kind of to my analysis, the end of 10th grade. All right, tell me about the atmosphere and a youth detention facility. Are they rehabbing here?

Are you learning anything? Are they teaching anything? Are your studies getting handled? Do you really go to school? Or are you just becoming angry? I think it's kind of everything, because we did go to school. We had like a regular school hours.

It's kind of like what people say it is. But to me, I kind of, what people say it is. But to me, I kind of, at the end of my time, I kind of mad at my business. So I really wasn't getting involved with all the stuff that was going on. Enough three months at it all. Right, yeah.

So, yeah, and then with me, it was still like me surrounding myself with those type of people that had me in those type of situations. And like they say, the food was what they say it was. The guy in culture is what they say it is. You gotta be apart of something. If you're not, you just like, you like pray. And even in a youth facility.

And like I said, not one day of fun, one thing I did learn was, it's cool to be to yourself. You avoid so much other stuff when you're just standing yourself and when it was there it was just like you either come and hear the rehab or you're going to be here for a long time. You either come and do the right thing and to rehabilitate from whatever you did or you gonna get time at it or you gonna get involved in something that's guaranteed.

One thing I wish I would have done different was come in, focus on the reason I'm here and not getting involved with everything that was going on around, still trying to be a part of the gang. But the gang's still in there. Oh yeah, that's where they hit. That's where this one most of them and then when you got to think about it,

if you're not in the game, when you go more than likely, you got like, you got to be a part of something. Because if you left out, it's a dangerous for you. Right. Yes, you got to be a part of something out, especially like to be honest, like black people, we more against each other when men can come in you you welcome you gonna we're gonna make sure you protect it we're gonna make sure you get full we're gonna make sure you do it right but when black

people come in it's just like we against each other and this will make it like more dangerous because everybody want to be tough everybody want to be hard everybody want to be tough, everybody want to be hard. Everybody want to be, everybody looking for, I don't know love or cloud. I don't know, I can't explain it, but it's just different. It's way different. We'll be right back. So, you do your time, you get your time added on for fighting a mess around, you finally, you finally got enough of that. Right.

You straighten up. Yes sir. And you come out and I know your mom is happy to have you out. Yeah my mom, I was down there like two and a half hours away. My mom never missed a weekend. Every weekend my mom was there. Crime. Every weekend.

Tell me the truth, Chavis, when you were in there and it was just you and you in a pillow somewhere and after you saw your mom, did you get emotional? I was emotionally in front of her. Just crime. Yeah, and I had got to the point where I was just selling her like, don't come, don't come see me why because um the outside the outside things make the time harder thinking about the outside things they this what they say you can't

do time with be it's on your mind really this is they say yeah this is a hurt you yes especially after the phone call the phone calls with the worst be it something you man. Really? This is that line. That's what they say. This hurts you. Yes, especially after the final cause, the final cause was the worst. We just supporting you, Chef. Yes, sir, absolutely. And I was disappointed because I feel like I lit on my mom down, and I, because my mom, I always

been like high expectations. She always hit me accountable. and I feel like I really just disappointed her and my grandmother, especially knowing like how like my mom came to a one football game and I think I scored like four touchdowns and I was out there getting big hits and she didn't even know that I knew how to play football because I stayed with my grandmother when I started so my mom really didn't knew so I mean she really didn't, so it started like with it, and it was just like, man, he actually good at these.

So just being on the phone with her and seeing how her own visit was just hard breaking because she was crying and she was just like, Chai, I warned you about this. So, all right, so you get through it, you get out, and you come play football from a NASSR. Right, and we meet. I never forget, I got out and I had

checked my MySpace page and a big robber, Robo Williams. He embogg's me on MySpace and was like, man, whatever you with, cause be a looking for you. Well, I mean, the last time I saw you was on a football field at Booker 2 Washington, right? And then you vanished for a year and a half. Right, so when I got out, I checked my page and be Robert embossed me and was like,

cause you be a looking for you. And with me, my whole family went to Manassas. Like my dad went to Manassas, my mom, my grandma. You're my dad played baller, man. Yeah, basketball. Yeah, my mom actually went to college from an anastas. It was called Shelby Stateback Man.

Yeah, it was a community college. Community college, but I had a good girl's basketball program. Right. And I think my mom used like average like 22 rebounds again. Yeah, she was good. Yeah. I think she could still rebound if you ever see it. With those elbows on you, box you butt out.

But I tried to get in your box you bought out but um I tried to get in my nances, but for some reason that was like I couldn't because it was so late in the school You're I think was like the end of 10 gray year So they wouldn't allow me to register in my nances, so I had to go to um Kingsbury Kingsbury was the only school that they accept me, but I reached out to you, Coach, and whenever you said to Dr. Williams, she let me at the school like the next day, so.

That's how I got back to my NASA. So on the first day, I got back to my NASA, like it was already like the camera crew was there. And it was just like from there, but it was just crazy. Well, Chavis, I had to get back to Monanza. I had to graduate from Monanza's high school. I gotta tell you something though, the guy that left was a curious,

pretty respectful, but edgy kid, the guy that came back, the Chavis that came back that I first met was angry. Yes, I agree. Did it met that? Yes, sir. Absolutely.. Did it met that? Yes, sir. What were you angry about? I was just, I've always been kind of like a self-centered person sometimes.

And then most of the stuff I was used to get angry about is because I probably wouldn't get what I wanted. Something wasn't going my way. So I kind of feel like I was kind of, they made me angry and I did wanna have a relationship with my dad as well. And I kinda feel like not being able to conquer that made me kinda angry a little bit. Besides did I kinda think it was just like,

I don't know, I just had a high emotion. I always been a kid or a person that wore my heart on my sleeve, I think. That's fair enough. So this angry chavis shows up and you just alluded to the cameras are already there. For those of you don't know what we're talking about. Some guys showed up that were 28 29 and 29 years old with two borrowed cameras and said they were going to make a documentary about our football season.

And these guys collectively had one credit to their name, which was a documentary on the World Series of BeerPong. And so these guys are going to make a movie and none of us think it means nothing, but we thought, hey, it's cool. Maybe we'll get a CD of our season together and these folks followed us around and made a movie that was then titled, Undefeated, and ended up winning the Academy Award. Which is crazy. You know, it's crazy.

But what that movie chronicles is the season that ensued after you came back from prison. And the season that was OC and money and TOs and that whole group of kids from Heums Jr. Hot, their senior year, which is your junior year. And the work we did to try to be good at football, but be better people and make the playoffs. And I'm not going to spoil our alert here. You'll have to watch the movie to find out how it ended. But there's a lot of time we spent together

that your chavis and you messing up and you getting right and messing up and getting right and through it all. I think I think I fell in love with you. And I want to know what changed for you in your mind. People can see it on screen, but I want to know in your mind, not what the screen says, but the angry Chavis, I first encountered that summer practice to the Chavis that I entered the season with, what changed inside you? Like I said, I kind of feel like I was always like a self-centered kid and I always had things my way

But just to be a part of something that was truly like bigger than myself was my top motivation Also, like I said I had a current mother and I had teammates that I really cared about and I really I really wanted to be there for my teammates. Also, I just, I had to sit goals for myself. Like you said, I ain't gonna spoil it like, but if you watch the documentary, like you see me coming across the screen with my pants sagging, all type of crazy stuff. And I always knew that, even the small still move forward.

So I said, small goals for myself, like one was to just present myself better, which made, by myself, a built, make sure my pants pulled up at all times. And those type of goals created the bigger picture for me. On my also, I really cared about Chutu as well, Coach. I know you really cared about us, and they weren't even just about football for you. So, and then, like, really, like, we never,

we really never had coaches that really showed us that we cared, they just want to use us for our talent. But you really came around and showed us that, like, the football, we want to win games, but in reality, we just want to really want to win in life and That alone is a Worth more than anything to me just a Because people in reality like I didn't really even care about if coach being a really new football

But I really knew coach being really cared about is out despite what anybody ever said football, but I really knew Coach B and really cared about it. It's all, despite what anybody ever said. I knew for a fact that you were in it because like, you wanted to make a difference. It went about money. It wasn't about anything. Guess what I, and I knew that. And I feel like the only person in those years

that I was in my nancers did could really like get through me, what badges. Like, you always was yourself. So, dead alone made me want to stay in my nancers like get through me with badges. Like, you always was yourself. So, dead alarm made me want to stay in my answers and like get better and get back apart of the team or the collective. And also, it was so crazy that I really wanted to be,

like, it was something special, I knew it was special. Like, I never thought it would have went to those like, it was something special. I knew it was special. Like I never thought it would have went to those highs, but it was just an unbelievable opportunity to put some other things before my own personal wants in me, he said, I want to be a part of it because I knew it was a big advantage of me. So if I hear all of that, which by the way, is humbling, delistint to and chokes me up because you

know how much I love you and care about you. But to hear you say those things is pretty special to me. But if I hear, if I could put a word on what I just heard you say, it sounds like you got humility. Yes, I gained it. I feel like there was one of my favorite words in a dictionary when I was in Wilder. I heard two words my whole time I was in wilder and it was narcissistic and humility. Which are, but you can't be both. You can't be both. You got to choose one. And I kind of wrote the fence for a long time and had to realize that most of the

situations that I created like I created those situations. So you didn't catch a charge you earned it. Yes sir. Yes I earned it. Matter of fact I want to say that but yeah I earned it because you can't be a street person and you can't be a full-body player at the same time. You got to distinguish between which one you want to be. And at that moment, I didn't choose being a full-ball player. I wanted to be in the screeching. I got what I earned like he said. But your time finding his own humility and your time being part of something bigger than

yourself that wasn't a gang. Right. We were kind of aware of a gang, but it was different. It was a positive gang. Positive gang. Yeah. But it did. It did change.

Right. And I watched this impetuous kid with a lot of anger and a lot of edge, go off to Lane College and come back to Memphis. And when he came back to Memphis, you did some things that I want to talk to you about because that's what our listeners need to understand. The reason you're an army of normal folks is not because of a movie. It is not because of the Oscars and it's not because you were a great football player, which you were. It's about what you did when you get back. But to set the stage for this, I want to read some demographics.

This comes from a website, the Oasis, I hope, what you know, is from Hope Presbyterian Church out in Cordova, which is an East East Memphis, but they do a lot of outreach work in North Memphis. I have partnered with them so many times. Many times. They fed us. If you remember, they fed our football team. They fed the North Memphis dealers as well. They got you. Okay, well, so this is off their website and for the listeners to fully understand, you know, the inner cities of Baltimore and Detroit and East St. Louis and Memphis and other places get sensationalized a lot. And so between TV shows and movies and stuff you read on TV and stuff you see on the news and all of that. People, you know, what's real, what's not? Well here are some data facts about North Memphis, which is where you grew up.

Of the families with children under five years old, 83.4% live below the poverty level. 83%. 3.4% live below the poverty level. 83% 87% of the homes are valued at less than $50,000 and only 23% of the people actually own their home. More than 75% of the residents rent and half of those renters pay less than $300 a month. More than 50% of adults do not have a vehicle. Only 43% of adults have a high school diploma or a GED. Only 1.3% have a bachelor's degree. Unemployment rate is roughly 36%. Roughly 50% of the community is under the age of 25 years old, only 12.5% of the households consist of a married couple.

21% of the homes list the grandparent is being head of the household household and the most stark demographic is a 21-year-old male is three times more likely to be dead or incarcerated than he is to have a job. That's North Memphis. So an 18 year old young man graduating from a NASA's high school is three times more likely to be in jail or dead by the time he turns 21 than has to have a job. That's North Memphis. That's where Chavis came from. That's where your teammates came from. And that's where our coach to learning

the hearts and minds of these young men for seven years. Chavis at last count, seven kids at coached at my NASA, so now dead. Buky, Chris, Madison, I mean, we name them all. And I can think of six that are in jail right now. These are your friends, these are your teammates. There's the boys you grew up with. These are some of the boys that we're also joining gangs when they were 14.

They're also the kids that got right on a football field and changed a school's culture and attitude. Like everybody uses nine with superstars. Super stars in their community. Like on the full bio field and in the community, like very important individuals like Joshua Somers and who's passed your RP or RP the on Virginia. That's what we use the collar. Cause he was from Virginia. Right.

And we had really, we had really, we had really we had really we had really really impressive day right if you're from Virginia you're Virginia if you're from Florida you're Florida we had a Virginia we had a Florida and like literally everybody you name phenomenal talents like exposed to like we we we we know how many people you it's so common for us to say We could have did and should have or should have back in the day right all that back in the day and all those guys Little it changed like they the like I always tell people I was just blister even Be profiled and the move it like There's so many guys kind before me. And I don't even, like I always say to people,

I don't even know how they chose me, but they chose me. And I was just thankful for that. They did someone really ugly. Well, I think I was the most handsome one, though. Okay. Yeah. But man, it was just crazy that all those guys played a huge part in my life too.

Like, if you see me, I got a body full of tattoos. And the first two people I went and got my tattoos, we were on Woothe and Josh. And who? And Josh, Virginia. Yeah. Who's now passed away. Right. And passed away at 27

28 28 29 I think he's 29 before he was 30. Okay. Yeah, before he I think he was just about the 30 he was about the 30 so man, hey James let's let's count the guys you played with we don't have to name the, but how many of them are in jail? I don't think people know who Pedro, yes, so I can say Pedro. Pedro, we're not forgot he's got Pedro. Pedro.

For sure, five, and how many are dead? Four, for sure that I know. Like, it's a nine guy. It's nine. Nine guys. It's a lot. Before they're 30. Before they're 30.

I locked up or dead. Right, I know one who got shot over here off Chelsea three, four months ago. Right. And died. Yeah. After being in jail. Right.

And these are kids that were part of a football team where we talked about character and commitment and integrity and they balled into that. Right. But when they left that football team, the streets got them back. Right. Because it seems like it all, after we graduated, it's just like wouldn't them especially if you didn't take schools serious or you weren't good enough to get an offer from a college on it On a sign of day it was just probably an April sign of days out when April so

When April come around and you got a 12 on the ACT and your grade point average of 1.8 or 1.5 something You didn't do just what to do so now is And that's the real world now you go from being a bright-eyed young boy to a grown man No prosperous, right and you concerned about And like right now I see it every day like just being working working at my nancy lately, like knowing and seeing kids that just graduate in leisure, they come to every guy and they have. They got none else. They don't got none else to do.

So it's just like, and a great football player, it's great athletes. And at the end of this scene, you're just like, what now? And then all boys down so we can point out, and we can blind whoever we wanna blind, about why we do certain thing. We can say I day, one in the home is the reason why we did, is we can make any type of excuses, but at the end of the day, we make our own decisions.

And whether we, a separate responsibility for those decisions or not, it's on us. And like I said, a lot of people and they don't get me wrong. A lot of our teammates got opportunities to go play college football, but they didn't take advantage of, you know what I'm saying, and I'm one of them. So this is why I kind of feel like I came back to on North Memphis to stop the cycle of just making it so far when we all got so much potential. They say there's nothing more common than unsuccessful man with talent. And like this is true, that's true.

It's always what we could have did or what we should have did, or what we would have did. But when it gets to the 12th grade year, you didn't take it all serious and you really live by having character and humility and putting other things before yourself. You always blow down to what you didn't do. And not about who did do it. So you ain't blame them. None of this on society. No, no.

Because at the end of the day, I'll tell you what kind of excuses you make. We make our own decisions at the end of the day. If you guys listen to us, don't understand why I love Chavis Daniels, you just need to hear what you just heard. This is a kid who grew up, I gave you the demographics. That's where he grew up. joined the gang at 14 because he was cool, wanted to be part of some special,

paid the price, went to jail, came back, figured out he was either going to be a narcissist or have some humility, found humility in his life, and has a perspective that matters. We'll be right back. When you came back to North Memphis, with you may not have been able to recite those demographics, but you lived them your whole life You know them. You see them. You feel them Object poverty and loss and people talk about when I could have should have woulda and it ain't just the 29 years old There's 30 40 and 50 people all over the neighborhood talking about what I was back in the day

While they hold a 40 in a brown bag. I agree. This is it. So you saw all that. Demographics. This is fake. That's it. This is fake.

But you said I want to make a difference. Yes, sir. So tell me what you did. One thing I think I didn't do that I wanted to do was I wish I would have finished college and got a degree. You know, when I first went to line college, it was just about, I want to be a football player, but I feel like my whole time playing football,

everything was always given to me because I was good. And when I got to college, it was like, man, you ain't the only one that's good or everybody's good. When people battling for their scholarships and stuff like that, the competition is top tier, you get top tier competition. So when I went to school, it was like, I wanted to be a football player, but I went for the wrong reasons, I think. I had a girlfriend in high school and we all went to the same college.

And it was like, I went to college to follow my girlfriend, and when I went, I just threw football out the window. I was a true freshman. I started, like week four because I was starting with a linebacker head got shot in the club. So there was like the end of the year. You're starting with linebacker in college got shot in a club Yeah, 21 people got shot in like in the club in a club called and Jackson Tennessee

21 people shot. I think two people got killed in night So I started with lineback a guy shot and Didn't the next day I was on start My first game was against clock Atlanta There was the first day I started. And one day, I miss waste. I never forget. I miss waste like two, three times.

And it was about me just not being here to countable. I thought there was just going to give me by college, but no, sir. The person that was behind me, he was on scholarship. And I think I got done patrol for like two weeks straight every day. Before and after practice and done patrol is when you wake up, it dawn at four o'clock in the morning and you got to do cutaways to the whistle stop. You got a bird cry for 200 yards and punishment, punishment, being held accountable for being missing waste and My attitude was so bad that it was just like man stop it. I'm not doing this

So I went to my dorm room and never kind back to practice again So now I was just in school and I'm gonna be honest coach. I really Never went to class like this. I was smoking weed, I was just doing everything, the wrong way and then I think I got kicked out one year. I had a bully in my room and I had like, residue from weed in my drawer. So I went home one weekend and they had such my room. They found that in my room so I got her

her with the school and I got kicked out but I had a pill and they let me beg in. Because they really didn't have evidence that they were mine. I tried to finish and then my mom got sick. So I came home one weekend. I think I want to come home for like two or three weeks. And I finally came home one weekend and I came home. And it was a Friday night. So, Saturday morning I woke up and I just heard my mom

like chavish, chavish, chavish. But in a lower time. So I walked down the steps and saying my mom just laying on the steps, like pale, a ponds her hand was cold. And she was like, I don't know what's wrong with me. And like, my mom, if you know my mom, my mom is probably the funnest person. Like she always, she's the life of the party.

And it was just different. This early morning, she was like, I need to go to the hospital right now. She had to get eight blood transfusions. And I tell myself like, she going through this and she been through everything with me, I'm dedicated to making sure that my mom gonna be okay. So I left school again and I started working at Kroger and I always tell myself I know I'm bigger than this. Like people used to come in Kroger and see me and be like, oh, you was in that movie. Or whatever. And I was like, my mom being in this. I know I'm supposed to be doing working in the dairy department at Kroger.

So, one day, I like down the line, I think my mom, and by the way, guys, my mom is 10 years and 11 years in remission of a gastrointestinal cancer. Yes, she almost died. Yes, she was in her fourth stage of gastrointestinal cancer. Yes, she almost died. Yeah, she was in her fourth stage of gastrointestinal cancer. And right now my mom is 11 years in remission. So like, I know there is a God, seeing it just sprinting

my face so much. And just knowing that like you can overcome all this and still go back to school and get a massive degree. Which she did yeah my mom did all this and that she has our own catering company T-shirt company and just bliss and she So one day I went to her job and I

Said a need in North Memphis. I wish I had a person like me growing up. Somebody that can actually relate to what we grew up going through. I know that from being a football player from when I was like six years old to college, people go through stuff outside of football field. Sometimes the football field is like a sanctuary to people So I went to my mom's job one day and was just telling her I Want to do something or Memphis that nobody's doing But I want to do it through sports So I brought that idea to her and she was like the only way that I be a part of this is if school versus the motto

School first school first is the motto. School first, school first is the motto. So before I start researching on what to do next, that she was like, the only way I help you is if you show me a plan. So I went, found some templates to make flyers and start making flies and start figuring out ways to get kids, start going to every neighborhood, dropping flies off. And I told myself, I always start stuff and don't finish it. And I told myself, I want to do something that I'll commit myself to and serve other people and I'm be honest I ain't gonna lie like I was just a perfect coach especially when it comes to exist and I was but

I just want to teach kids what I learned on my journey and a lot of the stuff that I went about with stuff that you taught us, character, integrity, being able to put the group before yourself. Like those are the same thing that I teach these kids. I teach them about holding yourself accountable. Holding your teammates accountable, because at the end of the day, you either do or you don't. And you gotta have hard, you gotta,

like it's cool, you ain't gotta be tough out of time, but you gotta have some hard though. Like most of the stuff that you talk, I use the sign recipe and out of these seven years I've been working with kids. So here's the deal. You start the North Memphis Steelers. Right.

And I know it's been seven years, but it went from one team to how many team. So now we started off with four age groups. So it was like the five and six year olds, which is six you. Then you had the eight you, which is seven to eight year olds. You had the 10 you, which is nine and 10 year olds. And you had the 12 you, which or eight year olds you had the ten you witches nine or ten year olds and you had the twelve you Which was 11 and 12 year old so for them you also decided, but there's more than just boys in this community

Right, so we did cheerleaders and dance team which my sister and my auntie were the coaches over so There's this void of Youth engagement, right? You see it you start for football team, right? And it was like 25 years on each age group and four cheerleading teams and like 20 cheerleaders and 20 cheerleaders So you go from nothing to 125 kids, right and you call this organization the North Memphis Hills, North Memphis State, right? And youth and mentoring ship program.

Right. Not for ball team. No. But the youth and mentoring ship program. Right. We'll be right back. Well, so the first game you kept saying coach got come watch got come watch. I never forget out when I first premiered with you and makes time right. Yeah, like I ever saw.

Yeah, I came and I feel like there was and I think I told somebody before I think it was one of my greatest coaching moments for Tom, see you on the sideline, with your son, just to support with. Because a lot of people say that Coach Bill is a target person. And obviously, it's like 12, 13 years later you've always just been one final call away. So, yeah, Travis, I've always been phone call away.

Right now I'll always be phone call away, but I thought why I asked you about that really. Yeah, you asked me about, you say one of my greatest coach and mama's was about, you're seeing you on the sideline with me. Well, yeah, but one of my fondest things was when I looked out on that field and you were coaching your sons and you all had your things going everything else, but the assistant coaches all over the place

and who they were. T-Makes. All old menaces, team mates. Right. So not only did the North Memphis Steelers start mentoring kids six through 12 years old, both male and female, but you went out to your former teammates from a NASA's and gave them a sense of purpose to coach other ages and assistant coaches. Right. And like I said, I want to get my friends who needed an avenue to something better or positive. And pretty good football players at that.

Also, days, we don't talk about the good days enough and we was giving it days who just got out of jail for 12 years and stuff like opportunities to come and make up for all the time that you lost with your child with your child and it was just like, we had guys that just literally got out the penitentiary that came and was 100% supportive and no organization in the city had more dads on the sideline than my son with to get his driver's license renewed. And the lady sitting at the computer at the DMV was talking to him and she had on it a pause when she was watching she paused while she helped Max get his driver's license and

Max looked over and it was a kid with an ortho Memphis Steelers jersey on and Max looked over and said all the North Memphis Steelers and she looked to him said well What you know about that? And he said, because I basically grew up with Chavis. And she said, you grew up with Chavis, right? But in reality, there's literally white little blonde hair and Max. And Chavis,

and she couldn't even put it together, but the point was, everywhere you go, somebody knows something about the North, but for Steelers now, which came from scratch. Scratch. And the point is, there was an organization that you could call and become a part of.

Nobody handed you a pamphlet on how to create a 501c plan. Nobody gave you a business plan on how you create four youth teams that get right nationally, and share teams, and dance quads. Nobody told you how to go get all the equipment which most of these kids' families cannot pay for. Nobody told you how to get the jerseys. What you did was you saw a knee and you figured it out. And I'm sure you made mistakes along the way, right?

But you did it. And the entire time your motto was school first. School first. Every uniform we had, there was on the phone. And you made kids get a certain GPA to be able to participate. Oh yeah, most of them. Now, they had to come to practice standing street clothes. But as long as they had a GPA, they could play.

If they didn't, they're still part of the team, but they couldn't participate. They got the GPA, I'm proud. Exactly, yeah. School first. School first. Yeah, school first. School first. Yeah. And you did this because you saw a need in field.

Right. Ordinary guy who's been through his own struggles and all his own problems who found his humility and they decided he wanted to give back. And there's no template for it. No. So let me ask something. Couldn't anybody in any city of this country if they just decided they wanted to have the heart and passion for disadvantaged community?

You've done it. Can't other people do it? Right. And most definitely. And to me, that was how seven years it felt like we would just point from the empty cook. Man, it like we really didn't have money like they but for those kids, we literally, I'm my all-vow has been a person where I'm kind of like, I've never wanted to stand on the

corner and ask for donations but I humble myself to whatever was going to help these kids look nice with their uniforms. We had like five different uniforms. We had like no-tain travel more than this and we did it all off the love. We went, it went about money because most of the times I'm going to be honest like a lot of the for like five years straight, the first two years what I only two years the kids actually paid the play and most of the times they couldn't even pay that was just paying something. And you know, it's a lot of organizations I heard that if you don't pay your key, it really

can't play. Your key, don't receive a uniform, but we had really nice uniforms. And we had 145 keys. That's a lot of keys to deal with every day. Especially 5, 6, 7.8. So Kenna gone is like, so you're a Kenna gone. Yeah, so my son started it. 5. And my son was like, he a loveable kid. Everybody loves him. So he always wanted to play with his friends, but his friends, what the people did, really were just under privilege and really couldn't afford the stuff.

So his friends not playing with her. So it definitely wouldn't be about the money because it's like, you without race, we get out of raise it. People send donations like Valerie Calhoun helped us a lot by putting this putting us on the news. Calhoun is a local news. Yeah, the look she helped us out by putting us on a great platform to show people like everybody in the city. I ain't doing bad.

So actually people are trying., let me ask something, as you're thinking about the work you're doing with these kids, did you ever flash back to your former teammates who are in jail or dead and think the real reason I'm doing this is trying to keep this group of North Memphis kids out of the demographics that we read early. Right. And, initially, Coach, all the best players are the signs of formal manaces, tigers. Which is crazy.

Which is crazy. Kids I coached their kids, right. Now play for you with the North Memphis kids and some of their daddies are dead and in jail. Right. And these kids are the nationally ranked keys. So imagine my son on the table, Kendall son and Jotavia's Rogers and Dre Fife and all those guys. These kids are unbelievable. Dre Fife has a son.

Yes, I can't believe he found a woman to even be around. But do you draw five? Yes. Like, and these guys, songs are big time players. Nationally ranked been around the nation to play. The top teams, the top supposed to come up over players up in the assets kids who you now coached. Right now.

Right. And, and, Tavis Rogers. Who? John Tavis Rogers. Oh, they saw an art crazy. Good. Crazy. And as you're coaching these kids, at the same time, so many of the people that you played ball with are locked up or dead. Right. And it seems to me you're trying to be the barrier between sons and fathers from repeating a life of Sarah.

Right. And I'm just honestly coach, I just want to be what you were to us. That's what I want. That's what my mind thing is trying to be. Like I know I never be who you were, but you did a lot for a lot of people. And that's what I seek out to do. Just serve other people.

This is it. I'm not like this. Man, I ain't looking for you. You're gonna make it old man cry when you say stuff like that. I'm for real though. I'm just being honest. And like I said, it's not about money because I've learned over these seven years that when you're doing good, people are gonna know this.

They're gonna, people are helping you, especially if you're doing it the right way. Well, that concludes part one of our conversation with Chavis Daniels and I hope you'll listen to part two that's now available. Chavis wills and I hope you'll listen to part two that's now available. Chavis will tell us about his new endeavor to help our hometown, Memphis, Tennessee. I look forward to seeing you in part two. you