Episode #31: Jabari Issa- Former NFL defensive tackle talks life in the NFL

On this episode of Real Talks on the Rocks, I sit down with Jabari Issa, who was a former defensive tackle for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. Jabari talks about learning football in High School, learning the college game and what it took to get himself ready for the NFL draft. Jabari spends a lot of time dissecting the inner workings of life as an NFL player and why some players just never make it in the league. Thank you to all of my supporters who are supporting me on Patreon and allowing me to grow this channel! Click the link below to access this episode's bonus content: https://patreon.com/realtalksontherocks For all of the links to the other avenues to view/listen to my show, you can visit my website at: https://realtalksontherocks.com There you will find links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify as well as my Patreon page. You can also follow me on: Facebook: https://facebook.com/realtalksontherocks Instagram: https://instagram.com/realtalksontherocks Twitter: https://twitter.com/realtalksrocks #nfl #proathlete #tombrady  Chapter list: 00:00-Preview 01:00- Intro 03:00-Getting into football in High School 08:00- the “chatter” that goes on in the game11:25- thinking about playing college football 13:28-High School football rivalry 15:31- Playing with Tom Brady 17:55-Learning how to play PAC-10 football with the Washington Huskies 21:08- what it means to “Red Shirt” in college football 22:30-Balancing athletics, academics and a social life in college 26:30-How to adjust when the coach gets fired 30:03- The NFL combine and how NFL teams judge new talent 33:05- Dealing with drama-ridden players on your team (Antonio Brown) 35:56- Interviewing with NFL teams at the combine 37:05- Getting the “call” 40:40- signing an NFL contract 45:25- What it’s like playing for an NFL team 49:00- Whose fault is it that we lost the game?? 56:50- Do the fans really have an influence on who plays for the team? 59:35- Managing your money 1:05:48- saving money for the months you don’t get paid 1:07:35-Expansion Draft for the Houston Texans 1:09:21- Free Agency and playing for the CFL and NFL Europe 1:12:40-Jabari was the reason why Arizona built a new stadium for the Cardinals 1:14:00-Health and CTE in the NFL 1:22:50- Deciding to retire from the NFL 1:25:50-Former players falling into depression 1:30:50- Letting kids play contact football 1:33:45- Playing with Pat Tillman 1:35:22- How social media has changed how we view each other 1:37:41- What this society needs 1:42:15-Final thoughts