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Growing up in Brooklyn in the 80s and 90s, kids did not have many role models in the media industry to admire, so sports became the main outlet and focus for Devale Ellis, who followed this path with football always being his plan B while acting and entertaining were his real dreams, Devale used the game of football to teach him about being a better man, better teammate and better person because
The football player turned actor and Internet personality, joined Ryan, Channing and Fred to share an inside look into his journey through the ups and downs, beating underdog odds and eventually landing him on the big screen while amassing a large social media fanbase. Walking on to Division I football, making the team, being undrafted and making a NFL roster are rare instances but for Devale, it's just about outworking the next person and being the 1% of the 1% which is why becoming a star actor and YouTube phenom was never out of a reach with dedication and effort.
Before making it to the NFL playing with the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, Ellis was a wideout alongside Marques Colston at Hofstra University. Having played basketball most of his life, Devale relied on his athleticism to perform at the college level, but he tells the guys about how his dream for a scholarship led to him wanting real money at the professional level.Starting his NFL career in Detroit, Devale's motivation to outwork people landed him a roster spot but as he peels back the layers of his experience, revealing his struggles mentally and emotionally, he opens up to the guys on how his addiction to painkillers began, turning to pills to try and mask his insecurities and frustrations with football. With his passion fading for the game, his Plan B quickly became his Plan A as he transitioned from the NFL to Hollywood, becoming an actor and entertainer.
Today, Devale s best known as a family man who's a star on Tyler Perry’s Sistas show amongst other projects while creating a platform with his wife Khadeen that has become a hit. His social media framework is filled with a lot of positive messages while sharing daily experiences to allow people a peek into his life and the lessons along the way. Sharing with the guys how instrumental Tyler Perry has been in his career and as a mentor in life trying to navigate each day. Perry has helped him continue to grow with opportunity and fame, but Devale explains the importance of always supporting his people while taking the characters he plays on tv to set an example that there is always hope for a different outcome.
While Devale posts lots of moments with his family online, he says the 1 min he shares out of the 1,440 minutes in a day is such a small representation of his life and who he is which is important to him to keep some aspects close to his heart. He stresses the importance of open communication between him and his wife as well as with their sons, allowing them to experience life as it happens and tackle tough topics straight on whether it be racism, bullying, work ethic or debunking false perceptions of black culture, Devale prides himself in setting an example by sharing life experiences and showing the world, even people who hit obstacles have a way of achieving their dreams.
Life never works out quite as we planned or imagined, but sometimes it can work out even better and Devale has embraced the better and all the growth that has come with each success and even the failed opportunities too. As a father to young boys, Devale emphasizes how everything is centered around emotional maturity, having a strong family and the means to get by each day. Devale is honest about the paths he's walked, mistakes he's made and how each part of his journey has shaped him into the man, husband and father he is today.
New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET
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This year’s 2024 NFL draft class has received more noise than recent years’ pools of players, and it has mainly stemmed from one position- quarterback. Many teams are hoping to change the trajectory of their franchise in the first round, and the Chicago Bears are sitting in that top spot with one player a phone call away. 
Ryan, Channing and Fred sat down with the NFL’s projected No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams to find out what it will be like for him to hear his name called first at next week’s Draft in Detroit. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner talks to The Pivot a few days before the life changing night, about what it will take for him to lead a team and how he has proven what it takes to win Lombardi Trophies. 
A knock many people had against Caleb was that he lacked adversity growing up. Caleb shuts down these assumptions and explains how each of his biggest pivots came from losses and failures. Whether it was falling short in crucial games growing up or starting on the bench at Oklahoma, Caleb has dedicated his life to never accepting losses again. 
Williams is built for the future of the game, and as Channing says he’s “built in a lab,” Caleb has approached football from a business mindset as well. His parents taught Caleb to sit back and watch then learn and adapt, and on and off the football field Williams has found ways to only get better. 
The Bears trading away Justin Fields showed Caleb everything he needed to see, and the same way he changed the culture at Gonzaga High School and at USC he is hoping to revive Chicago football. He discusses with the guys how much he dreams of championships and the journey he’s taken to making that a reality. 
Playing alongside Olu Fashanu in high school and against Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix in college has exposed Caleb to some of this year’s best talent. Yet he explains to Ryan how his leadership and focus is seemingly unmatched amongst the other players. 
Before games Caleb tells himself he’s already won, and he is already picturing his name being called out on April 25th. Caleb hopes to cultivate a new culture in Chicago, and he has the confidence to make it happen. 
New episodes drop on Tuesdays at 12 p.m. ET and Fridays at 3:30 p.m ET on YouTube, with audio available on all streaming platforms
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In one of our favorite conversations on The Pivot, Ryan, Channing and Fred talk with NBA legend Jamal Crawford on everything from his basketball journey to Michael Jordan bond to fatherhood to life after the game and importance of legacy. Whether it is starting roles or years of advice, he’s given back a lot to the game he loves, and on this episode we get a rare glimpse of how one person can have so much love and gratitude for a sport.
When people bring up the greatest ball handlers basketball has ever seen, there is a shortlist of guys who make that group, with most of the players being shorter point guards who have made a living off of facilitating NBA games and dominating other small defenders. At 6’5”, Jamal cemented himself as one of the best isolation players from the shooting guard position and adapted a “whatever it takes” mentality to win which led to Jamal being named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year three times and the 2018 NBA Teammate of the Year which meant the most to him because it was always about who he is over what he is that matters.
As a young man growing up in LA and Seattle, Jamal shares how a random but timely interaction with Paul Pierce pushed him to be in school and approach his grades with as much love and detail as he did basketball, and once he started, the opportunities started flowing. 
His natural ball handling skills and unique approach to the sport paved a path not many can walk professional sports, but Jamal did it was class and respect, being clear that playing basketball was never about changing his circumstances, rather it was always about his pure love for the sport and the magic feeling that took over his body every time he touched a ball. 
It was after getting drafted where Jamal’s ability and basketball career truly took off and how meeting one man, forever changed his life. Sharing never-told-before stories to The Pivot, Jamal opens up how Michael Jordan took him under his wing and explains how their close knit bond on and off the court was formed. MJ deemed Jamal his go-to partner in summer ball and the duo never lost while attracting stars and celebs to their pick up games. By developing this life-long bond with the GOAT, Jamal understands how that bond changed his life on every level by just knowing he had the “Greatest Ever” in his corner, helped his career skyrocket and he even shares some off-the-court stories between the two from gambling to parties to hard lessons.
After listening to Jamal talk his basketball journey, how he approached the game, his love for the sport and ability to easily talk any aspect and break down players and plays, Ryan called him a “Basketball Nerd”, a compliment to how much he truly loves the game. 
Before closing out the conversation, Jamal talks fatherhood, what it’s like coaching his son and the lessons learned through this experience. The current on-air analyst gives his take on the current NBA playoff picture, his comparison of Kyrie and Jokic and how Wembley is the emerging face of the game for years to come. Crawford has always been an analyzer, hyper-aware of all that is going on around him, and his breakdown of any situation proves just that. He may not have an All-Star appearance to his name, but he tells the guys that’s part of his story of what he gave back to a game that gave him so much.
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With the NFL Draft almost here, Football analysts and teams alike are saying the 2024 receiving draft class is one for the history books filled with top tier talent making the first WideOut off the board a mystery, as the top spot is up for grabs but Washington Huskies' Rome Odunze shares on The Pivot, why he believes that spot is his and why he's the Best Wide Receiver in the draft. And hard to argue...Rome's raw talent, accolades and numbers have projected to be a top 10 pick and his Combine performance captured the attention of not just coaches and teams but anyone who witnessed his heart and determination in every step, understands he's "different" than most.
Sitting with Ryan, Channing and Fred, Rome takes the guys through his football journey, childhood, record breaking collegiate career and NFL aspirations. The Las Vegas native is as big of a family man as they come, and whether it is representing his Nigerian name or working on his grandfather’s farm in Provo, Utah, he is proud of where he comes from. He talks with the guys about how he developed a humble nature and strong work ethic which is not a question after Rome refused to leave the field during the Combine until he got a cone drill perfect despite putting up outstanding football numbers and high marks in every category, finishing at his best and nailing the routine mattered to him.
Yet as humble as he may seem, Rome Odunze has proven himself as one of the most dynamic and dangerous offensive players on the field and poses an extreme challenge to opposing defenders every time he stops on the field, not just skill set but his towering demeanor lends to blocking linebackers, catching slants and screens and even taking the top off of defenses.
At Washington, Rome paired with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., he helped take the Huskies to the National Championship but football has taught him life lessons and being a part of something bigger than himself has inspired Rome since day one, and he discusses the role he seeks on his future NFL squad. 
Rome may have fell in love with the game from Devin Hester highlights on YouTube, but the two-time All-American and Biletnikoff finalist is already making his mark on the game. Odunze means “Kings Ivory,” and Rome is already fulfilling his duty of standing for the family name. With confidence and an elite skill set, Rome has the potential to be an immediate contributor to any NFL team but more importantly be a guy in the locker room that his teammates can count on and respect.
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GloRilla, Rapper and Songwriter, has rocketed to the top of Hip Hop's charts and become a global star with her outgoing personality, her unique country accent and innocence through brutal honesty and always being her country self. Ahead of her music tour this summer and releasing a new mixtape, Glo spent some time with Ryan, Channing and Fred in NYC chatting about her journey into music, growing up, her inspirations and how a young girl from Tennessee made it out of the country onto music's biggest stages.  

Born Gloria Hallelujah Woods, the Memphis native known as GloRilla, has carved a niche in the hip hop world doing it her way and by being 100% her authentic self, has written hits true to her life experiences and life perspective. Growing up being homeschooled and singing in the church choir, GloRilla lost her voice one day which prompted her to change from singing to rapping, still following her music dreams and performing aspirations. She shares with the guys that her first big hit came from heartbreak and in 2022, her song "F.N.F" went viral and later led to two nominations at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards. 

Opening up to the guys about her dating life and how she feels towards men right now, Glo talks about her hurtful experiences which have made her look at love differently and even explore abstinence before realizing she didn't want to take her feelings that far but it did boost her songwriting turning her experiences into lyrics and being able to move a certain way of being unapproachable by men and dedicated to her craft. 

Building off her early music success, Glo's 2024 single "Yeah Glo!" became her second song to reach the top 40, and continuing to broaden her reach, GloRilla is preparing to go on tour with Megan Thee Stallion, releasing a mixtape with collaborations with Megan, MoneyBagg Yo and other artists.  

With the love of New Orleans food and a die hard Steelers fan, Glo and Ryan connect on the winning traditions, the Super Bowl win over the Cardinals and love for Mike Tomlin as Glo talks about recently getting to meet him and her expectations that with new Quarterback Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing for ring number 7 in her favorite city of New Orleans this coming NFL season.  

With no dream to small and artists like Beyonce, Rhianna and Justin Timberlake on Glo's wishlist to work with, there is no sign of slowing up anytime soon for the young rapper. 
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Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson sat with Ryan, Channing and Fred to talk about his football career and personal life, transcending from his childhood to family values to his unique path to the NFL as well as shares some of his truths and misconceptions along the way.
There is a certain weight professional athletes carry when they make it to the pinnacle of their sport. As is the case with certain players, though, the pressures can lead to emotions they’ve never felt before. For LaDainian Tomlinson, growing up with just his mom in a place that held so much negative history was the burden he bore. 
Tomlinson was a fifth overall pick, played in five Pro Bowls and still holds the NFL record for rushing and scrimmage yards in a season from his 2006 MVP campaign with the Chargers. He was on top of the world for a stretch of seasons and after finishing college as a Heisman finalist, had dominated at each level of the sport. LT gets into the truth behind why he kept his helmet on during the AFC Championship game that he was sidelined for and shares one of his most disappointing moments in life.
Growing up without a dad in the picture very much caught up to him, and left a hole in his life and a desire to get to know his dad more and have the opportunity to spend time with him, but when his dad passed in 2007, LaDainian felt like the chance was missed to get to know him and understand the man he really was. Through his faith and acceptance, he began a journey to learn about his ancestry, and soon found out that his relative’s home of Tomlinson Hill was a slave plantation his ancestors had worked on. 
His career that he has described as “close but no cigar” had many iconic moments away from the game, and LT touches on his iconic Hall of Fame acceptance speech as well as his “A Football Life” feature. 
With all of his jukes, hurdles and power moves throughout his career, LaDainian Tomlinson’s biggest pivots came away from the game. His championship moments will define his legacy, and his calls for unity represent both history and the future he is hoping to help build. 
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