Legendary Coach Lou Holtz & Rep. Burgess Owens on Overcoming Adversity | Episode 9 #podcast

and he walks away after winning his 100th game as the head coach here at Notre day the reason I was born with the silver spoon in my mouth I was born in this country it isn't what you have it's what you're taught about the values of life we trying to save Souls so there's a ro life that said you're either growing or you're D and like an old friend once said We As Americans need to start winning again everyone should ask this question am I willing to ignore the pain and the suffering and the sacrifice it takes to be a [Applause] champion greetings and welcome to the L Holtz podcast every week I get excited about our guest but none more so than the one we have today in Burgess Owens and Burgess this program is not about Republicans Democrats independent white black yellow or any color in between it's about restoring the culture of this country but I am so proud of you and I it's going to take me a while to give you resume but In fairness to you people should hear this bur Owen is a congressman from Utah's fourth congressional district born in the segregated South but saw people of all backgrounds come together to work tirelessly against adversity Burger one of the first four black athletes recruited to play football at the University of Miami and a third black student there to receive a scholarship ultimately earning a BS in biology and chemistry he was a 13th pick in the first run of the 1973 NFL draft and joined the New York Jets later playing safety for 10 seasons in the NFL for the Jets and the Oakland reers where he won the Super Bowl in 1980 after retiring from the NFL Burgess worked in the corporate sales world and eventually moved the Owen family to beautiful Utah before being selected to Congress he started Second Chance a youth and nonprofit dedicated to helping trouble and incarcerated youth bures now serves as a member of the House Education and the workforce committee and house transportation and infrastructure committee bures believes that dreaming big and following the four guiding principles of Faith Family free markets and education what a great resume uh on that uh unbelievable I I didn't realize you were one of the three black athletes ever play at Miami and I coached against them I tell you they had a lot more than three but they all could and to that point Lou that that's what kind of points to where we are as a country and I I love playing with with you U when you were the coach of the Jets cuz that was a time when we realized Sports was the one place in military that you you found out that that place called meritocracy you know if you if you're good enough to to to start if you're no matter what's your background your color none of that matter if you help the team win you were brought in and you're part of that that equation so I love that I look forward to getting back to that because that which brings us together as a people Merit sure I agree with you completely now you're the first Congressman it's my h to have you on my show I know you had a successful NFL career PRI ready for congress but I'd love to hear about your journey leading up to the NFL how in the world did you get from high school to Miami well you know it's interesting because uh I grew up in Tallahassee uh back in the 60s uh my first exposure white Americans wasn't until I was 16 years old but uh we were taught in our community about what I mentioned before meritocracy about getting a good name uh work ethic uh we when I mentioned at the very end of your your introductory in my community Tallahassee and across the country as a black community we believe in faith the family the free market education so my goal when I got when I went to University of Miami believe it or not was not to become a a football player not to become an NFL player uh I I liked it I loved the sport I just thought that would be my way to get to college and my goal is to be a marine biologist but thank goodness I saw had people that found talent in me and and uh and and gave me some opportunities and I found the right position the right spot to one day meet Lou Holtz with the Jets and uh so it it all worked out pretty good my friend really did I got to tell you I was a coach of the jet for one year Buress Owens was an established star and I could not have had any player treat me any nature any more respect or be a better teammate than Burgess Owen was and I say that sincerely and I tell everybody that whether we're on the podcast or not as a child what do you believe with the pivotal moments in your life re resulting in you end up playing in the NFL what is the things that change your life CU I know you know we all go through it you're going along you don't expect to end up in Miami how did that all happen you know it was it was I was I was blessed to be part of a remarkable family Lou um I had a mom and dad my dad was an educator Florida A&M uh but they truly believed in teaching their kids how to work how to overcome they believe in education a big way so one of the things again that was my focus uh cuz I would actually every summer I'll go to uh my dad's campus and work on in laboratory doing doing off during the during the summer months so my goal really was to become as I mentioned a marine biologist and the biggest thing that happened during that time when you find out that people don't believe in you you have a choice either either you fight through it and prove that they're wrong or you act West and I had a I had parents who showed us how to work through it somebody tells you they don't believe you you just work harder you study harder you do whatever it takes to prove that them wrong and I I will say this I was blessed to be raised in a family that showed me how that happens it wasn't something I had to figure out on my own I watched my parents did that so I just had to learn it let it become muscle memory and once it becomes muscle memory it's kind of a fun thing to just go through just do it you know you make such Common Sense on that I was told when I was young no matter what I accomplished in this world if I wasn't successful as a husband or father I failed one thing's obvious you had great parents and you know what we find out on this show was the more people we talked to the ones that had good upbringing good leadership at home are the ones that usually accomplish outstanding things so and You' have done can I can can I just add to that Lou because you're so right it it's great when you have and I was fortunate and blessed to have such a remarkable uh uh household but I think the key to it also and you mentioned as we kind of got started life is never a straight elevator ride to the top it never is never will be sometimes people look at us and say you know you had such a great life they have no idea the down times you go through the down times that develop the culture of the character is a downtime to develop the faith it's a downtime to let us be the people and say you know what if I can do it you can do it and that's really the message of Americans is to get through it and give somebody else hope that they can make it through it also you know you bring up so many good points that make me want to interrupt one thing I believe that uh changed in the culture of this country is we don't want anybody to fail you know it's p we don't want anybody to get fought down everybody gets a trophy and nobody knows how to handle adversity when you get knocked down when things are going well you pick yourself up you have two choices you either keep going or you stay down but we don't teach young people that now going back well you know can I can I say can I say this Lou because one of the the upsides of my career uh is I can talk about that in real term um I played for uh uh my lashan high school was a losing season four years in University of Miami Los seasons and as you know with the Jets seven years and are not winning got to the Raiders that 13th season and we had a chance to to have a team that's kind of came together and what came out of that is my as a message I give to everybody everybody will have their 13th season when things turn out just right the things you want to have happen but the prepares you for that are the 12 before that the 12 years of ups and downs of of learning how to overcome obstacles to where you when you finally get to that point of success you can appreciate it and you can actually go out and help other people to know how to do the same thing well you were part of a great football program with the with the Raiders but let me what was the difference between the Jets and the Raiders in the locker room on the field Etc because there had to be a big difference when I looked at the results and that's the point I tell people all the time that the Raiders I played with the Raiders when they used to win football games all the time and and Lou as you know as what you did in college it's all about the culture when you have somebody at the top that can develop this culture that draws people to it when people come there they want they don't want to let anybody down they want to be part of that culture be accepted in that culture so you put everything out there the Raiders for those who don't remember Raiders before uh free agency if you're too old too rank functions too crazy too wild for other NFL teams you're just right for the Raiders raer where you at [Music] [Applause] because you get there you get there and Al Davis just as long as you got on the field and did everything you could do just win baby you were part of his his culture and so a lot of it was high expectations a lot of it the year that I got there we had about about 12 of us that were just brought in from different teams but every one of every one of us was so tired of losing that we didn't care who got the credit we didn't want to be the weak link and that allowed me to experience the first first time what it was to be part of a team that was so tight and so um I don't know it's just so rewarding I never felt that way um and and say Lou you know what it it is cuz you had a few of those teams but for me I had I had a chance to have have one of them and it was just a remarkable game changer for me to say the least well the one thing I found bird just all great teams have a love for each other and they don't want to let their teammates down they don't worry about themselves they just don't want to let their teammates down every man here has a role maybe your role is to be on the scouts one then you have to do that with the very best ability and with enthusiasm and a feeling that you're contributing greatly that's your role you do not have the right to cause your teammates to fail cuz you don't do everything to affit your abilities you had such a great career what's the most memorable thing about playing for the hurricane cuz I can tell you it know today that was not our favorite game cuz they were always great well here's the thing after remember I was with the Hurricanes before they became the you uh we we might have won three or four games a season so we were not there uh when when when you guys start having your your big uh big games but I would say the greatest thing that happened through the four years I was there we did not have any winning seasons but I learn what it is to always to be Eternal Optimus cuz when you when times are tough when things AR you aren't winning you have to get to a point either you give up or figure out one way it's going to get better one way or the other so I became an internal Optimist feel realizing that next year next game is going to get better than it is today and after you know it after you realize it that's that becomes muscle memory and and I I am today a interal Optimus a lot of it would came from the four years of University of Miami well you know what's amazing we're talking about football but we're also talking about culture the culture of this country the culture of Team there's there such a great combination and similarities between building the culture in both of them now 1980 you won the Super Bowl 351 all that's left and they Trail by 17 they find support Shori intercepted R Martin can you believe it seconds take away Jim plunet leads the Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl 15 Victory and plunet is announced as the most valuable player the final score Oakland 27 Philadelphia 10 what was your feeling before the game and after the game winning the Super Bowl the ultimate well first of all you have to keep in mind uh I had gone for S years in the with the NFL four years before that not having one winning season never thinking that the Super Bowl would be part of my journey so I remember sitting in the locker room um in New Orleans looking around the room and and saying to myself I cannot believe I'm sitting here with these guys and I I did my best to go around to a couple guys Lester Hayes matusak uh Jim PLU just say thank you I wish now I I was very shy so I didn't do this but I wish I got up on a on a on a chair and said thank you guys I appreciate this but it was an unbelievable experience to go out there and again once again it was a game of our life because every player went out to do everything they could to to to make the big play and not mess it up and we pulled each other together and you said something earlier today we're still Brothers uh those are guys I have so much respect for we've kind of gone all different ways but we say we say we love each other and we really mean it because we experienced something in our lives that uh it's just so unique you can't not cannot uh get any place else for sure I know exactly what you're saying I felt it with teeth when you have great teens there's a love and a feeling they AR going to let one another down they care about one another and that's the way this country used to be and it didn't matter whether you're white or black I understand we have a lot of things in our background that we had to change but I want to tell you I played with four different black athletes in high school and I got to tell you Burgess they were great football players but they were better teammates they were just class people that all they want to do was be a part of it help each other along that line now how can can I say can I say this real quick because uh I have to give I have I have to give credit for uh the generation that came before so my my dad's generation was world World War II vets and they went to war they they came back with a Brotherhood they still had a lot of things to take care of but they came back with one thing in mind I'm a proud American and I'm going to prove I'm going to make sure I command re Respect by succeeding as an American that's that's what that culture was all about and they came back to the greatest middle class finally breaking down the barriers that we had been dealing with for so long and passing on that that belief of America to the point where when I sit on the sideline I get teot listen to the national anthem because my my parents had taught us how to be patri patriotic be thankful and to take everything we could to make sure that our country became even better in time so I just I'll just say thank goodness for the greatest Generation I really can't say enough about them and we just have to to make up for lost time and get get us get us back for sure I with you now how did you make the transition from the NFL into the private World well I did a couple things uh I had always I had always decided I've always had this Niche or desire to be an entrepreneur in my last year in the NFL I decided as stop to go out and build a business and the business was designed to do something that actually I'm doing right now want have an impact on on the black Community give our kids a chance to to know they can do some great things the upside of that business Lou and this is so important cuz I had so much confidence and I was going to work hard I put money into it and I figured if I worked hard enough anything would work well when you start a business you also have to have a good idea the good idea wasn't there nine years later I literally lost everything so here I was going from the NFL former NFL player to uh moving my My Little My Family four into a small bedroom apartment in Brooklyn New York just trying to figure out what to make how to come back Chimney Sweep for a few months security guard but here's the thing I was always taught by my parents a man will do everything he can make sure Prof f for his family whatever it is it works out and today uh from that point I moved on into corporate sales and and I I can tell a history now I can talk to young people who said you know you're lucky that you're NFL player my message is yes I was very lucky to go through that process but I was even more lucky that I went through being a security card security guard and and and U in chimney suite and I can tell you from experience that if I can succeed you can succeed and that's the mer that's the message of America Lou uh as we go through our tough times to turn back and let people know it's going to be okay we all go through the down times you hang in there you keep the faith you work hard you stay respectful you do the right things it's going to work out okay it's going to come out just fine every successful person I have deal with I'm an old man my birthday candles cuss more than the cake merges but the one thing I found that everybody has difficulty and adversity and part of their life and they have to learn to overcome it now tell me about your family to me that's what's important yes I've been very blessed really blessed I have six kids uh and they all live in Utah within 45 minutes of me 17 Grands all live within 45 minutes and it is truly the blessing of my life uh when I think about all the things that I've been able to accomplish nothing compares to the kids I have how how they're very close they're tight-knit we get together all the time and to see how they're raised kids shows me that that we did okay uh so that that I would say is the biggest blessing and one of the things that uh that I've come down to Stage just like my dad you know we work hard to hold on to a good name a good Legacy so we can pass down to our kids and I now know that's what I'm here to do make sure our kids can start off knowing that their dad did the very very best like just like I know my my mom and dad did for me so uh again really blessed that that of all the things I've done that is the most important to say the least I agree with you I got to tell you you know I'm an old man and it became obvious to me there was a time where everybody lived on the same street but then it became obvious we're becoming a transient country so four or 37 years ago we started h family vacation first week of July uh if you're going to be in the will you're going to attend it every child every grandchild uh every spouse and we've been doing this for 37 years I wanted the aunts and the uncles to know the nephews and the nieces and for the cousins to know one another and it's amazing how close they are today they call one another they have a family uh hook up once a month where everybody gets on what they're doing how they're doing it Etc but it's all about family and to me when we talk about the culture of this country we go back to the family and unbelievable so many people in this country have tried to tear the family down and and try to get rid of the father of the family and the father is very important we all have a role along that line but we we we all do Lou and and can I just say this uh I think we can pass that Legacy down of all the things we can we can share with our kids and have them to to take a a a nugget from our lives is how important that family is how important it is to forgive each other to work through issues with each other to be there for each other when things are going ups and down because we all have it and every one of us should know that when things are right and wrong that there's there's one group we can depend on those are people we grew up with those are folks who all family and they'll figure out a way to help us through it all so we do that and as a country we expand that out we'll get back to America that we grew up in Lou for sure and I look forward to with you as I would tell our team the only people we have in this world when things don't go well those you eat with sleep with bleed with pray with and cry with that's your family and your teammates nobody else falls into there but Brides I also know you're very religious man tell me about how your belief came about and why you believe so strongly well I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints and a lot of it was because I lost my mom when I was very young um 26 years old and I think like all of us we have questions that they need to have answered uh somebody was very close to our family she was at the Hub of our family and and no one ever could could replace her so four years later I was in with the Jets I mean with the Raiders and I had these questions that that I had a chance to talk to some my teammates about Todd Christenson and Mark Wilson and those answers came true to me so and I'll say this whatever our faith is the one thing about America is we need to have some faith we need to find it because when things go tough that's what we can lean in on when when we we're trying to find out what is our real meaning in life that's what we lean in on and if people with faith just do the very best they can that we will bring back that culture that we that we grew up in the culture that's so U so much of what what America is and it's based on the faith the family the free market taking risk taking a chance failing and learning from that and education which is what all that comes together we educate ourselves become a wiser people and educ uh and and that education allow us to be even more valuable those around us Amen brother I agree with completely how the world agend up in the House of Representative how'd that come about okay this is a journey that for years if if we had talked about this back in the day I would have said never ever ever would I be a politician so but what happened is uh I actually uh I got I did something when I came to Utah started a program called Second Chance For Youth as I mentioned even when I left the NFL I have had this passion to work with kids at risk kids particularly and I found it was a chance for me to work with kids coming out of the juvenile system to give them that second chance mentoring job opportunities and I fig that might be the niche and when I found out as a couple years into that realized that if we don't change policies in DC our kids do not have a chance if they can't read write think if they can't articulate themselves and understand and and and and get wisdom there's no way that we're going to change this trajectory so um I I decided to to see if it works out and and right now I'm actually the chair of the higher education Workforce and I have a chance to work with juvenile kids and and kids over across across the across the um the Spectrum so I I'm doing something now that I've never thought I would have an opportunity to do and I'm so excited about and uh we're going to make sure that our kids are educated proud of their background appreciate apprciate where they are today and have remarkable vision for the future and it all comes from education what can other people do to help you cuz this caus is so important well I tell you probably the best thing to just uh uh is just pay attention be engaged uh you look me up on on on on on online and just see the things we can do there that kind of help me help me out in some ways but the most important thing is just make sure that we are educating ourselves Now's the Time one thing I'll say about the about the radi before before we cut this off one thing that happened that season is that every player that hit the field no matter what their talent was they gave the they all everything they could give and you remember Ray guy Ray guy might come in three times a game but he'll kick from our 10 yard line to the other 10 yard line and change the game forever as Americans we need to get on the field now every one of us I don't care what the talent might be it counts and now is the time to make sure it happens you get a bigger majority in the Republican party in my house need to get the Senate and we need to get a president Trump back in place we get that done I tell you this country will will be in good shape within months well looking I look forward to that happening for sure well the way I look at it that's not a luxury that's a necessity I see it in the direction we're going well now I I you have six children how many are girls have five girls and one boy good Lord you jump up on the soap box and talk about Fair opportunity for women this P men be able to compete against was ridiculous I remember when tit n came in hey that's great for women and know but it's crazy the Biden Administration is facing a flurry of lawsuits to block its changes to Title 9 from taking place the revisions announced earlier this month add in protections for transgender athletes well well we talked about family earlier and just keep in mind that the family unit the structure that we' that we've in place here is so important and when we when we have to have a conversation l about what Spar for women and and men not competing it says we are losing our way in a big way uh anybody with common sense knows that but then the the the the ideology that takes that and tries to take a different different direction is not by Common Sense it's by destruction of the family so let's let's make sure we fight for women's rights let's make sure that women have their space to do what they need to do we respect them allow them to compete and then men compete in their own Arena we can do that it's fair for everybody and at the end of the day Americans believe In fairness so we will we will get that done by the way oh one last thing I did I did have a I had a goal of having more boys I had two girls and one boy and I think one more boy I call it quits and three girls later we called it quits so that then we didn't try to get that get that extra boy there so well the way I put it bur just I have four children they're all girls but two that pleases the girls but I I okay I know you got to get out of here but I got to ask you two questions here quickly what is the the most important legislation you've worked on since you've been in Congress it's actually one I'm working on now uh in education is it's dealing with choice for children long ago caught the vision of school choice and how transformative educational freedom is for families especially those in low income and unper Performing school districts educational freedom is a civil rights issue of our time educational Freedom supports students over systems and gives every child in America regardless of his or her zip code the opportunity to achieve the American dream education is a national security ignorant free can never be that was Thomas Jefferson we need to have our kids no matter what their color is what their zip code is being able to think to uh adjust to dream big if they can't we're going to lose our way so right now we have a Cong and uh and and we're about to present something M fact next couple couple weeks that will allow Choice uh across the board it was using tax credits for for for for parents to actually take advantage of that so there are things like that and I I could say my legacy will be choice for kids Lo the cost of college and doing something with Workforce that allows everybody no matter where they are to digitize their efforts and have it in a place that you can share with everybody so those are things that I really H that I would say would be my legacy and we're working hard to make sure that happens well congratulations I know you got to go but I can't let you go to ask that very last question and then then like okay one more Sprint no no this is my last this my last no more spits what do we have to do to change the culture of this country back to where we can become great it's easy it's easy know where we land on land on know where we lean in on and that's Heavenly Father no matter how you worship we as a people of Faith we'll figure out the right things to do because we treat each other right we know how to discipline our kids so they will treat each other right we know how to be honest and sincere and those things that make our countryes so unique uh comes from One Source that's a God in heaven that blesses us we do our very best and we recognize we're going to mess up which we all do but that's okay we'll move forward and learn our lessons and and and and and get the blessings later on so uh that is where we have to go for just make sure we're we're fighting for that and not letting them take that away we'll be in we'll be in good shape for sure well it's a great way to end this program Buress I was looking forward to so much and I got to tell you I wasn't disappointed you are a Class Act in every single respected most important thing I appreciate the morals and values and did your parents still living no I lost my my dad about 10 years ago and I lost my mom about 30 years ago but uh let me just let me just say this Lou uh first of all I count one of my greatest chapters being uh playing for you I really do appreciate that and what I really appreciate even more so the time we had short time but what you did for so many kids when you left you knew where your Niche was you knew what your talents were and you found the best way to make it happen and so you now have kids across the country now adults they call each other brothers because they they went through that together so thank you so much for everything that that you did throughout your career all I know is this burges I'm a lousy coach I had burges so and we didn't win the Super Bowl God bless you keep up the grid work and if you ever have a problem you call me then you call 911 okay thanks my friend love you buddy take care and he walks away after winning his 100th game as the head coach here had another day the reason I was born with this Silver Spoon in my mouth I was born in this country it isn't what you have is what you're taught about the values of life we trying to save Souls said there's a ro life that you're either growing or you're dying and like an old friend once said We As Americans need to start winning again everyone should ask this question am I willing to Ure the pain and the suffering and the sacrifice that take to be a champion