00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:02.959
Back with Unscripted with Ryan.
00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:04.400
I'm your host, Ryan Fitzpatrick.
00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.200
Today we are not live, pre-recording today.
00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:13.519
And I have an old guest, uh, one that was um on just about a month and a half ago.
00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:13.919
Mr.
00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:25.039
Um, you know, today's guest is a good friend of mine, very good friend of mine, old teammate, now Franco Pierce, football defensive line coach out of uh southern New Jersey by the Philadelphia area, Mr.
00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.719
Tino Savai Naya.
00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:27.440
What's up, buddy?
00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:28.719
What up, what up?
00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:30.480
Just hanging around, guys.
00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:32.719
Yeah, no, thanks for having me back, dude.
00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:34.399
It's uh I was kind of looking forward to this.
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:38.560
I was waiting for that text to come through with uh, yeah, you wanna come on?
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:39.280
So definitely.
00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:44.240
I I enjoyed last time, and hopefully we can kind of dive deeper into my simple life.
00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.560
Your simple life dude, it's it feels a lot better in here, it's a lot of spacious.
00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:49.280
I know, dude.
00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:54.000
We weren't like we were like like right on top of each other in the other studio, but I like this spot.
00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.200
This is where we did our first podcast in in college, it's pretty fun.
00:00:57.759 --> 00:00:58.240
That's right.
00:00:58.399 --> 00:00:58.719
Yeah.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:00:59.759
What was that about?
00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:01.280
That was about football too, right?
00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:02.560
Ooh, that's a great question.
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:03.920
Dude, I have no idea.
00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:05.840
To the archives.
00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.000
That was old bigger Tino back in the day.
00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:12.239
Yeah, I wore glasses in that one.
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:13.040
I know you did.
00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:14.480
I've sunglasses in this one too.
00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:16.480
Well, we we recorded that one on the eye.
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:18.079
I just didn't want to be see my eyes.
00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:18.799
Why?
00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:20.079
I don't know.
00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:22.560
Can't say, can't say.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:23.200
Ooh, what?
00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:26.239
Yeah, I mentioned we're not live today.
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:28.959
Uh Tino, like I said, the defensive line coach.
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:34.239
We're heading into a very interesting part of your season where um, you know, it's almost spring ball.
00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:41.840
The boys are hit in uh their lifts, their deadlifts, and uh not deadlifts, but their max weight um in the weight room.
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:44.000
And uh things are getting going over there.
00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:49.040
Um I know you have a meeting at four o'clock or around there, so you want to get a little early session in.
00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:58.079
I know we go live at four o'clock every Wednesday on the Talon, but uh today we were we're recording this night in the nice podcast studio, and um how's that all going for you, man?
00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.599
Like Yeah, no, this has been um Wow.
00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:09.919
Yeah, no, this has definitely been an interesting year just for me, just because like I've been around the program for you know we've been around the program since the start.
00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:17.840
And um, you know, I guess this is the first, like just to speak for my unit, um by itself.
00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:22.000
I can't I don't really like to speak for other people's uh, you know, other position groups or anything like that.
00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:29.840
Um but this is the first unit that none of the guys have been at, like true starters, like we're not bringing back any true starter guys.
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:43.439
Everybody was like a second string type of dude, so like um it's been an like interesting year from like trying to motivate these guys to like alright, this is your guy's turn, you know, it's time to pass the torch now, and um kind of getting them ready for that.
00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:44.800
But they they've responded really well.
00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:56.159
We have a really, really young group, um really sophomore heavy this year, um, you know, with a really good freshman class, and obviously we got the twenty s uh twenty-sixth class coming in with with four more dudes.
00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:58.400
I think that'll be really good for our for our unit.
00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.479
But yeah, no, it's it's been an interesting one.
00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:03.199
The guys have responded really well to what I've been asking them to do.
00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:08.479
I've been taking more of a Hendo approach with being able to give them their own lives, but like, all right, this is what we're doing, guys.
00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:14.080
Like Thursdays, be ready to like practice or practice and go out to eat right after.
00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:20.000
Um and trying to keep them as busy as as as I can without getting in trouble with the NCAA.
00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:23.680
Um but yeah, no, they they've been good.
00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.800
They're they're their their numbers in the the weight room have been really good.
00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:33.199
Um look, some of them have some tight, you know, tight hips, tight, you know, their legs are a little kind of got draft legs right now.
00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:35.520
They're still babies behind themselves.
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:48.479
But um I think going into to spring ball in the next two weeks, I I think this is gonna be really uh a real a real big um stepping stone for a lot of the guys, especially the three guys I do expect to start.
00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:52.560
Um you know, this spring is gonna be they need to kind of turn the page.
00:03:52.639 --> 00:04:03.039
So really banking on on three of my guys, uh Ish, Kevin, and uh and Jairis to to really have uh a good a good spring.
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:04.879
And and the other guys too, you know.
00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:08.560
I I've always said um you know I want everybody to eat at my table.
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:11.439
I don't believe in just three starters, I believe in everybody starters.
00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:19.519
The more guys you have that are able to play football and understand your scheme, um, the better your overall team is and the better your unit is.
00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.800
So um try to get all those guys prepared as much as I can.
00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:27.680
And uh, you know, myself being a young coach, I try to um try to give my true self.
00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:33.680
You know, I'm I don't I'm not a drill sergeant or anything, so just I appreciate that how they're responding to how I'm coaching them right now.
00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:37.759
And I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but um I love them up just as much.
00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.360
So yeah, to kind of sum it up, I'm really excited, they're really excited.
00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:44.319
Um kind of got those pre-spring ball jitters right now.
00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:47.839
Um kind of sick of the weight room warrior aspect of it.
00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:48.720
You're sick of it?
00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:52.000
I want to see I want to see some some pads crack.
00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:57.439
I want to hear that that sweet, sweet sound that we that we that I that every football player and fan loves to hear.
00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.879
So um, you know, I'm ready to get going with these dudes.
00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.480
So yeah, you see it in sports all the time.
00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.720
Like the weight weight room can only do so much.
00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:14.399
Like, obviously, guys that can lift weight, you know, could can produce better on the football field, but you see guys, like as the terminology used, the weight room warrior, man.
00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:20.160
Like, you see those guys that put up all the numbers in the weight room and it does not translate at all to the field.
00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:21.199
So you see that right now.
00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:26.720
This is the big weight room time of the year because it's cold outside, we're not we're not doing as many drills, but then it got it's got to translate.
00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.959
How do you make it translate onto the field?
00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:32.319
Um, yeah, that's a really good question.
00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:37.199
So being able to get the movements that we're doing, especially in the defensive line.
00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:50.800
You know, we're doing a lot of Olympic lifting and you know, um, you know, the testing, like broad jump, uh your vertical, your, you know, your five ten five times, things like that, like those things have to relate.
00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:55.439
Like, you know, when it comes down to simple things of just coming out of your hips and using your hands.
00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:02.399
So um trying to get that the trying to get these guys to get those drills to relate, it it's not hard, but just being able to it's buying in.
00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:03.519
It's not relating anything.
00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:06.079
It's all right, are you gonna buy into what I'm telling you to do?
00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:07.120
Yeah, you know what I mean?
00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:17.120
Like it's telling those getting those guys to believe what you believe, and as long as you can get them to do that, I'm I'm I'm a firm believer that like they'll do it, they'll do what you're asking them to do.
00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:21.759
So um, I guess that was kind of a weird answer, but yeah, no, definitely.
00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:26.720
Like it's it's hard sometimes to to try to get that to relate.
00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:28.560
Some guys like it takes a little bit more time.
00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:30.240
Everybody's on a different time frame, you know.
00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:34.560
Um so some guys you might think that they're ready, but in reality they're really not.
00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.920
Um but you know, we'll figure it out.
00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:38.720
We always do.
00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:39.519
We always do.
00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:56.639
Yeah, and it's an interesting time, like you said, for the D-line group, because we've always had those guys that had so much playing time returning, but we've seen it in our time in the past few years, we've seen other position groups go through that where they retire those experienced guys and the younger guys that haven't really had any experience had to step up to the table.
00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:02.639
So are you asking around other coaching uh coaching coaches in the position groups what they did for them?
00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:06.959
Or are you finding your own way and how are you uh how are you planning on motivating them?
00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:16.240
I feel like um for me, especially being a younger coach, I definitely look towards gas and ewing for guidance and like that.
00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:18.079
They've been around this game for a really long time.
00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:19.199
Smart guys too.
00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:24.720
Um and it's not for me, sorry it was a weird pause.
00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:30.720
For like me, like the ceiling for these guys is is huge.
00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:40.079
They have a high they have a high ceiling, and I I think like I can't treat them like that, and I can't worry, because once you start to worry, those the the players will start to see that.
00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:41.279
And I'm not worried at all.
00:07:41.360 --> 00:08:08.160
I I think um seeing other groups go through that, like how we have, uh have kind of given my own way of of trying to make sure these dudes are ready and being able to go out there and play, you know, don't be thinker, just be a doer, you know, like trying to get those guys to understand scheme uh from from like even from install one, trying to break things down to the very simplest form.
00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:10.959
So all they can have to do is just alright, this is what I gotta do.
00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:12.720
Boom, boom, boom, it's done.
00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:15.759
Instead of, alright, man, what gap am I in?
00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.079
Alright, what what technique do I have to play?
00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:20.079
Oh man, like I don't want them to think like that.
00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.399
I just go out there, let me do all the thinking.
00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.560
I'll do the thinking, you guys do the playing.
00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:33.440
Um and now having two years under my belt coaching, you know, uh there's things that I you know I have looked back and I've done a lot of self-reflection on.
00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:38.720
There's things that I need to get better in as a coach to to give these guys the best chance possible on the field.
00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:46.639
So um so to kind of answer your question, like I've done a lot of looking within like what am I doing internally to the day.
00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.879
Um the pla the it's never gonna be the player's fault.
00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:52.000
It's gonna be the coach's fault.
00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:53.120
I didn't get them ready enough.
00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:59.600
So as long as I'm on my P's and Q's, I'm sure that they're gonna be on their Ps and Q's because we work as a unit and I head it.
00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:06.799
So I I I have to make sure I'm on a hundred miles per hour every day, uh, making sure I know as much as I can.
00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:12.159
And if I don't know, I go find the answer with Coach Ewan, Coach Gas, or I outsource, watch clinics.
00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:21.840
And um, so I guess for me to kind of sum up that whole kind of conversation, like I've really been looking within um to try to figure out like all right, what what can I do?
00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:27.759
Like, because I have a big old uh whiteboard and my thing, and what my the question right at the top, what can I do to be a better coach this year?
00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:29.120
And I I have that up there.
00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:30.159
Well what can I do?
00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:31.519
What can I do to be better?
00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:33.120
What can I do to make these guys better?
00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.279
What can I do to impact these dudes' lives?
00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:48.720
Um, so just trying to be there in all aspects, not just for you know the athletic part of it, but for outside of athletics, for you know, for their education, for their personal lives, like how things are going on at home.
00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:54.480
I want to make sure I know everything so I know how to attack different situations because people go through different things every day.
00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:55.200
100%.
00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:03.759
So just trying to make sure I'm doing everything I can to make sure I'm giving my unit the best opportunity to go out there this spring and hopefully compete again in the fall.
00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:07.519
Um so yeah, yeah, that's it's kind of what I've been doing.
00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:16.080
A lot of self-reflection of what I did last year and breaking down film and um you know, kind of just bringing it down to percentages and fast, dude.
00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:17.440
You know, like what did we do good?
00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:19.600
Like on on first down, did we do good on second down?
00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:21.039
Did we do good in this run?
00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:26.559
Um, you know, were we more you know efficient enough to give the back end a chance?
00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:29.679
Um so it all kind of ties in together, you know.
00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:41.600
Um it comes in for from from a unit standpoint, and then just from for an actual position group standpoint, everything you can break down to the small things, right?
00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:43.519
So sorry, that's kind of a long answer.
00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:44.559
No, you're good, man.
00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:46.000
I mean um hanging around, man.
00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:47.360
Hanging around, dude.
00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:51.519
I mean speaking of hanging around, I mean outside of football.
00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:53.200
Let's let's outside of football.
00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:54.879
Football is like, I know, your life.
00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:56.879
It's out it was it was it was my life.
00:10:56.960 --> 00:10:57.360
I get it.
00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.440
No, you m you keep it go, you're keeping it going.
00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:01.919
Yeah and um, but how you been, dude?
00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:03.440
You look good, you look awesome.
00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:04.960
I wish I recorded this podcast today.
00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:05.519
Yeah, man.
00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:06.159
You're looking good.
00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:08.879
You got the all black, necklace action.
00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:10.159
Just hanging around, dude.
00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:12.000
Honestly, um, yeah, yeah.
00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:13.360
Football is my life, man.
00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:15.039
I never I always joke about it.
00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:18.720
Like when I was a player, and I was like, I'd never be a coach, never be a coach.
00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.039
And I'll be a goddamn coach.
00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:24.480
Um I love it though.
00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:34.399
Um, yeah, most of my days consist in me just hanging out in the office and going home and watching film or or doing a project that Ewan or Cass has for me.
00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:45.759
Um other than that, man, just trying to stay in touch with my family and and you know be as uh involved with with especially my nieces and nephews live as much as I can, especially their grandma.
00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:46.720
Maybe Scope.
00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:48.240
They're getting older, man.
00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:50.320
So maybe Scope's how old now?
00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:52.159
That's a good question.
00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:54.639
Um, I think a year.
00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:56.399
Uh yeah, he's about a year and a half, two years old.
00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.320
We're coming up on his second birthday, actually.
00:11:58.399 --> 00:11:59.360
You'll have to come back home for that.
00:11:59.440 --> 00:11:59.919
It'll be fine.
00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:00.320
Okay.
00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:02.960
It's at the place our class had his commute.
00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:04.559
Yo, that place was awesome.
00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:05.759
It's it's on the water right there.
00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:05.919
Yeah.
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:06.960
Next to that weird bar.
00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:08.480
Yeah, that was a really weird bar.
00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:15.039
Oh man, I'm so I'm so happy that uh that things are going well back at home.
00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:17.120
With uh I know you don't have a car yet.
00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:18.240
What's going on with that, dude?
00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.879
Dude, so like I seated the parking lot.
00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:27.279
You know what I'm I'm you know, to everybody who's listening that's from New England, this is your guy's fault.
00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:32.399
The roads are terrible here.
00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:33.519
Oh, seriously, bro.
00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:34.240
Mountain Road?
00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:36.240
The potholes on the reel.
00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:44.399
So I um my HC compressors is is gone, my serpentine belt.
00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:45.360
Serpentine.
00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:45.919
Yeah, man.
00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:47.039
So my dad's gotta come up.
00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:47.840
My dad's a mechanic.
00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:56.639
I I mean I feel like I'd be able to probably maybe fix it if I had the right tools, but you know, my dad's a mechanic and he's just trying to make time and everybody's got work, you know.
00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:02.000
So I've been really patient walking around, hitching drives here and there when I can.
00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:08.000
But other, yeah, other than that, man, just enjoying being up in Ringe, you know, it could always be worse.
00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.399
So not having a car, man.
00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:16.240
Especially in the winter months, it's it's definitely hard getting up at six o'clock in the morning to walk up to the bubble and stuff.
00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:17.440
Oh boy.
00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:18.559
It wakes you up real quick.
00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.240
Hey man, if you ever need a ride, let me know.
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:20.559
I will.
00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:21.759
Come on now, baby.
00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:23.279
Oh, come on, talk to me.
00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:27.840
Hey man, you talk you talk talk about your dad a little bit, man.
00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:29.120
Um your dad's the man.
00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:29.600
Yeah.
00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:31.200
Your dad is the man, dude.
00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:32.159
He's a grammar.
00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:34.639
He's uh he's a mechanic, he's a hardworking guy.
00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:38.000
Yeah, my dad is a um what do they say?
00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:40.559
Uh Jack of all trades or uh ace of all?
00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:41.039
I don't know.
00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:42.080
Jack of all trades.
00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:43.519
Jack of all trades, yeah.
00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:45.759
Um he's a master of uh some though.
00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:46.960
Not like people say some master.
00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.080
No, he's he's a master of some.
00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:48.960
He knows a lot, man.
00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:50.000
A dog or a cat?
00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:51.120
Yeah, I don't know.
00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:54.639
Uh yeah, so a little bit about my dad.
00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:58.639
Um scope, man.
00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:05.200
Yeah, so my dad um is originally from Samoa, um, Kalifa and uh Yusu in Samoa.
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:11.120
Then um in the 70s he ended up moving to Hawaii with my Uncle Tino, who I'm actually named after.
00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:17.679
And after that, um in like 81, I believe, uh they both moved to the States.
00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:30.080
My Uncle Tino ended up going and dancing for Disney World, and my dad went up to Atlantic City under a contract with another um Polynesian dance group um to to go dance at all the resorts in Atlantic City.
00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:34.240
And then that's kind of where my the the story kind of starts with the the rest of my family.
00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:36.399
Uh my dad, my dad's a big guy.
00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:46.639
If you if anybody from New England or around the area that's listening, if you know Samoan people or we're nationally big people, and uh my dad's actually a you know a professional power lifter too.
00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:55.600
Um he kind of got into that in his you know his his late teens, going in his early twenties, especially when he moved over here in the States and when he spent his time in Hawaii.
00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:58.799
Um you know, he did a bunch of jobs when he first came here.
00:14:58.960 --> 00:14:59.840
He did a lot of stuff.
00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:05.200
He was a bouncer, uh fire knife dancer, a power lifter, a mechanic.
00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:07.279
Uh so he kind of did it all when he came here.
00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:13.200
But that but that's what you gotta do when when you're you know when when you're an immigrant and you come to a new country, you gotta find a way to make ends meet.
00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:21.519
Um didn't really have much, came here with a a bag with maybe a shirt and some shorts and twenty bucks his name.
00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:25.919
And um yeah, and that that's kind of where it started, and he started dancing Atlantic City.
00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:29.440
Um then he met my mom while he was Irish, an Irish lady.
00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:30.720
An Irish lady, dude.
00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:32.639
Old Miss Colleen McMichael.
00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:33.840
Oh man.
00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:37.519
And uh yeah, then nine months later, my sister popped out.
00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:42.720
So um, yeah, and that's how it kind of started.
00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:44.960
And you know, um they danced.
00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:55.039
My dad, we and we own a Polynesian dance studio and a uh Polynesian entertainment uh entertainment business where we cater, you know, roast pigs and all that good stuff.
00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:58.960
Um and that's kind of where the the roots of my culture come from.
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:05.360
I was really fortunate enough growing up to to be a part of that and and know where I'm from and be proud of where you know my people.
00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:09.919
Because that's at first in the early 2000s and stuff, people didn't really know too much about Samoan people.
00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:10.559
Oh, they don't.
00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:15.600
I didn't until I bet you people kind of grouped us into Hawaiian people, and it's kind of cool now.
00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:18.960
Um, you know, when I was younger, I you know I knew who I was.
00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:20.320
I knew I was a proud Samoan.
00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.399
And I was proud to be Irish, just Irish too.
00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:24.159
Everybody else Irish, man.
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:29.120
There's not too many people you grew up with around the especially this side of the country that that are Samoan.
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:41.360
So um, you know, being able to be brought up every you know with the shows and going and doing luaus and cooking pigs and doing the fire knife dance and being around my siblings, all six of us.
00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:44.080
Yeah, someone's that those families run deep, man.
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:44.720
Yeah, man.
00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:54.080
So just being able to be, especially because we didn't grow up in the islands as much as we want, we're fortunate enough to go back a lot um when we were younger, and I actually went back last year too.
00:16:54.399 --> 00:17:10.799
Um really fortunate, but especially living here in the States, it was really um good for us to to be able to practice our culture and our traditions and you know, be able to wear our our tattoo, our tattoos, um, to to embrace our culture because we don't get to be with it every day back on the islands.
00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.960
So Yeah, no, it's kind of the story of how my family came to be.
00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.039
So we're all we're all over the place though.
00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:18.319
I'm up in New Hampshire.
00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:23.680
Everybody's still kind of in that Jersey Philly area, but I'm the one who's away from home, so it kind of sucks.
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:24.160
Yeah, man.
00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:29.119
Having a tight-knit family that's kind of just I just feel left out sometimes.
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:30.799
You are very close with your family.
00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:41.200
You mentioned you when you were talking about the uh the dance company, you said we, and a lot of people that know Tino, that know him as a defensive line coach, might not know that uh you're a dancer.
00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:48.720
You are a dancer, you work very deep with your with your uh dance, dance um family.
00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:50.720
Yeah, yeah, the whole company.
00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:52.319
Very that business is awesome.
00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:54.960
Go check him out on Instagram and uh talk about that a little bit more.
00:17:55.200 --> 00:18:05.359
Yeah, so um so my family started well my mom and dad um started our Polynesian dance business um back in the eighties, late 80s going into the 90s.
00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.039
Um started off really small.
00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:09.200
People really didn't know what Polynesian dancing was.
00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:15.359
They kind of knew about hula dancing back then, but they didn't really know about like Tahitian dancing, Fijian dancing, Tongan Sabamo.
00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:27.839
Oh, you said Tongan Um They they didn't know too much uh back in the day, like the the people um that that we were you know teaching about our culture.
00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:34.160
Because we don't just do Sabamo and we do we do it all around the the Pacific because that's that's Polynesia, you know.
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:35.279
We're all we're all connected.
00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:38.000
You know, we're not connected by land, but we're connected by ocean.
00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:59.759
Um so we try to t touch every island and give a little bit of their tradition and we've gone out of our way to learn different um different islands' languages and um how they dance, so we're able to, you know, because we're ambassadors of of of the Pacific when we do things like this, as as little as it might seem, like we are we're showing, you know, we're we're showing our culture off to people that don't really know too much about it.
00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:07.039
So we have to make sure we're on our Ps and Q's, make sure we're you know presenting you know the items the right way and doing those islands justice.
00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:09.440
Um so yeah, to kind of get back on track.
00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:14.160
Um yeah, my family started it back in like the late 80s, going in the 90s, really small.
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.240
And then over the years it's kind of just built up.
00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:22.079
You know, we we traveled a lot, we've been trying, we know we traveled to Florida to go dance, Indiana, all over the place, all over the states.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:24.720
And yeah, it's it's it's been interesting.
00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:26.880
I've been dancing since I was since I could walk.
00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:36.799
It's so funny like when the new guys come in, and we still have a couple guys that we played with on the team, and they're like, you know, like Coach Tino does like that fire dance stuff, and they're like, What?
00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:38.640
Fire knife, don't undersell it, dude.
00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:39.680
It's the fire knife dance.
00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:40.720
Y'all ever heard of that?
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:42.960
That stuff looks so cool, and y'all know it.
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.680
Yeah, like Tino does that, his mother does that.
00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:56.079
I will say, um, the Ayla Wafi is what it's uh traditionally what it would be called the uh the the the tooth of death is really what the okay the terminology.
00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:01.359
Yeah, so it's uh it's a machete basically on a stick with a hook on it.
00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:05.359
And um you just light it on fire, and that's you know what they would do.
00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:07.759
Um, you know, before war and all that.
00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:12.880
Before the fire came along, it was just a machete, and then they added the fire, maybe in the 60s.
00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:14.960
What six son of a gun is like?
00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:18.000
Let me light this thing on fire and start dancing with it.
00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:19.839
Thanks for that.
00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:21.119
Um, but it is cool.
00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:24.720
I I I really every summer when I go home and I go work with my family.
00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:30.960
It's um when you're little, it's like, man, like you look at all your other friends, they're having a fun summer.
00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:36.480
They're they're out, they're out going on vacation, this, that, and the third.
00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:39.920
Where for me, like summer was work season since I could walk.
00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:46.559
Like, I go, and I used to complain about it a lot when I was like, hey, look at where go do all these shows for these other people.
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:47.519
Where's the time for us?
00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:49.039
Where's the time for our family?
00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:55.279
And like little did I know, like now that I've been here for uh close to six years, like that was our time together.
00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:58.720
Like, I when I go back home, like that's that's everything to me.
00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:01.759
Like, that's an excuse to be around my siblings, 24-7, 8-2.
00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:02.400
Oh, seriously.
00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:12.079
Because the summer season, everybody wants a luau at their party, so we're traveling down to the shore, we're traveling to Maryland, PA, Florida to to go dance at uh at venues.
00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:17.279
I mean, even the Phillies were going over to the Phillies Stadium to go dance on their dugouts and stuff like that.
00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:18.480
Yeah, y'all have done that before, too.
00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:22.640
Yeah, so it's just like you know, we did Shane Victorino's uh retirement party actually.
00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:26.480
Shane Victorino, man, Ryan Howard and all those guys, dude.
00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:26.880
Ugh.
00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.240
Insane, man.
00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:34.559
Um, but you know, when I was little, even when I was in high school, like I'd just be like, man, I wish I had just a little bit more free time.
00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:43.599
But now that we're all kind of getting older, and you know, unfortunately, you know, the truth is my um my dad has more years behind him than he has ahead of him now.
00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:47.200
And I always like to just be brutally honest.
00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:50.079
I love going home when I can and being able to go dance.
00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:59.759
And sometimes it's a pain that you gotta be half naked in front of people, but it's alright because it's it's for my culture, and I'm really lucky and fortunate to be a part of.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:23:02.720
part of a um a really special culture that a lot of people admire um because we we hold our um you know we hold our customs and and and our traditions really close to us and we really live by it still to this day and I I got to see it again in person after being away for eleven years from Sahamo I I got to go touch Sahamo and soil again and that was a really spiritual moment for me to to go back to Sahamo and see family and go back to Falifa and Bayusu and Soisinga all the villages that my my you know all my family are from to to be able to go back there and see all my cousins I've never seen met before and you know go up to the bush where my dad grew up you know in his little little house up in the mountains it was cool you get to see all your cousins and they're looking at you I'm just white guy coming out of the car all these little brown kids are family yeah yeah I'm your cousin and all that so it was cool I enjoyed it it was such a spiritual trip for me when I went back to Samoa and then it kind of got me more in touch with the dance studio like I was like I I can do I could be doing more.
00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:20.640
Um you know I might my dad made a lot of sacrifices to come here to start this business came here with twenty dollars in his pocket and didn't have a roof he was sleeping under trees when he first got here for the first two years in the States so like it kind of gave me pers uh you know perspective like I got things really good.
00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:23.839
Like my cousins over here don't have shit excuse my language.
00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:32.720
So being able to kind of do those things and and be proud of my culture and and where I come from and have a good better understanding was really good for me.
00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:35.279
It's actually one of my players right there.
00:23:35.359 --> 00:25:50.799
I'll be seeing him here shortly he's a gremlin that kid Josh Moore man he is he's a hoot we would have loved him he's like the Troy Vento he's like the Troy Vento of uh of our defensive line so for anybody listening right now we're kind of in this like fishbowl type of deal and uh there's a college class coming out right now and it's our defense line one of my defensive linemen just came out recording me so just kind of explaining to old Ryan Fitzpatrick uh why we're getting recorded by a random kid but I love that guy Josh Moore is a he's a hilarious human being like he does he's one of those guys that like he doesn't mean to be funny he's just funny like you just you and I don't mean that in a condescending way like an ignorant no no no no no you look at him it's like oh my gosh like you're just funny bro you look like a little rubber ducky bro like squeeze him bro he's a little goofy guy man yeah man Troy Vento I know we're gonna get off topic real quick Troy Vento called me the other day no yes he did we'll call him the night we'll call him the night perfect we'll call him the night if we want me hang out we hang out yo if anybody's listening make sure you pull up to Winchin and for uh for the women's hockey game uh playoffs playoffs right round two round two this really big really big moment for their program right big moment yeah really big moment so definitely pull up lacrosse is playing here in four o'clock yo we need we need the we need the town out here man we need to get you this is good this is living this is airing live at four o'clock so it's alright if you guys don't make it seven o'clock make sure you're in winch I'll be posting this podcast very soon I'll be I'll be getting this out today um but yeah man I I really appreciate you taking the time today I I want to I I would love to talk about your family bro what like I was kind of like I didn't really know what we were coming in here to talk about last time I knew it was about football so I'm being honest with you guys I didn't really uh I didn't care about my body that much when I played football so my head's all over the place so sometimes I'm just like blank staring at the wall because I hit my head so many times playing football and I uh um I was almost paralyzed for the rest of my life because of it so that was a good warning um but yeah no man I always love coming on here and we'll have to get the all the boys man we gotta get that the LV thing going man that you're also the DB group wants to hop on here.
00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:52.319
Don't have them on here.
00:25:53.200 --> 00:26:08.960
Yo DBs until you uh if you listen to this until you guys put on 10 pounds each you ain't coming on this you ain't coming on this podcast you worry about the wrong things right now you need to tighten up hey but bro what you texting I really appreciate your text the other morning by the way saying I love you.
00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:40.960
Yeah man I was thinking about you the other day I was reading through our old messages from college we can stay on a little bit longer another five minutes um I was I was reading our text like I don't know why I was just going through them I think I had to find something something you just sent me some funny thing you just sent me and um I was just I got I got into a rabbit hole like it was like it was like four o'clock in the morning and I was like what's up with that you still don't sleep d I don't sleep man I'm up I'm up at like four I was this guy's roommate and I just walked around random hours not sleeping.
00:26:41.200 --> 00:28:39.039
Yeah man I got so much weird things on my mind um but no I'm sitting there reading it at like four o'clock in the morning while I woke up to kind of get my day started and um I'm I'm literally sitting in my room like laughing I'm cackling on on on the phone right because you said something so funny that I can't repeat on this podcast and I'm sitting there dying bro I'm I'm literally crying at this guy I'm like why are we like who are we right now where is my bread can you say what was it what was it about my bread yeah it was about my bread one of the breads it was about one of the breads definitely one of the piece of breads that we that we were eating wow bread man and uh yeah dude this is so funny that one yeah man I appreciated that text dude you ever like wake up and like have a weird dream about someone and then be like I have to go text them tell them I love them yeah yeah that's what it was definitely I definitely had some weird some weird dreams about things like that old Joe Muggs I was out dinner with that kid last night he's he's yo he's a guy you guys you gotta keep your eye on right there like what do you mean like he is good oh yeah he's gonna be really good wide receiver he can run man okay run but he's from Connecticut oh you hate Connecticut man talk about that before we get out of here talking about you're talking about doing it's like totally degrade uh Connecticut right now listen before anyone hops off of here and before they don't want to listen to this anymore just know that I am uh in support of Connecticut sort of so I'm I'm a neighboring town from there so let's just start with this this is Al Tino go ahead man if you're from Connecticut and I'm like I'm I'm pushed up on this mic right now I hope you can hear me loud and clear your pizza is not better than New Jersey or New York's it's not even close.
00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:50.720
How can you call yourself the pizza capital of the world when Davy Portnoy rated New Jersey one of the best spots honestly we have the highest rated spot on his thing.
00:28:50.960 --> 00:29:36.720
You do it's uh it's in North Jersey it's North Jersey it's called the Delucio's yeah it is it's Deluches Delucio's so go ahead and come talk to me nice I'm sick and tired of this pizza conversation with y'all because y'all out here talking no how you how can you have the best pizza when most of your pizza shops don't even sell individual slices oh yeah that's very true that you can't do that if you're the best pizza shop sometimes people don't just want a whole pie they gotta look out for the kids after school man gotta and then the pizza shops that do it's like a$7 slice of pizza look up for the kids get a hold of yourself give me a$3 with the can of soda on the side I'm sticking tired you going any place in Jersey$3 a slice of pizza can of soda the thing with Long Island brother yeah like get get out of here get and it's in Long Island Long Island is way more bougier than Connecticut and it's three dollars.
00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:39.200
So where are the other four dollars going?
00:29:40.000 --> 00:31:10.000
We have higher taxes than it's not like you use a lot of dough that thin pizza get the heck out of here that thing's a pizza burnt toast bud yeah and I know that Pepe is I'm talking to you buddy yeah and I know this grudge in of Connecticut is not about the just the food though every time you drive up here you always say you get I was getting to it I was getting to it okay my bad sorry my fault my fault I had to take a sip my smoothie real quick Connecticut you also have the worst drivers in your is in mankind ever ever Georgie is the worst it's the yo Connecticut is terrible you need to fix your roads you need to get rid of the residents in the state I don't know what it is I I don't know if you guys don't know how to drive you be flicking your high beams at people don't flick your high beams at me dude I'm going the speed limit like get out of here get out of here and let's come up with some original names in Connecticut New London get a hold of yourself New Britain New Haven New Haven come on now come on I bet you never heard of a Paul's borough before no you haven't because we're original we don't need that only Woodbury Heights Woodbury Heights my bad yeah I'm from Paulsboro I'm not from Woodbury Heights or anybody I said a sister but I know I I do live in Woodbury Heights here and there but I'm just not from there.
00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:38.880
That's where I visit that's where you visit I don't want to visit I mean I visited Paulsboro it's not like that but trench baby gremlins over there I remember driving around there I drove around for the first time I went around into Paulsboro started to cut off your rant went into Paulsboro the South Jersey my first time we're in the car and um driving around in a nicer car I was in the back of it nice Kia and uh people were staring at the car I'm like why are they looking at us?
00:31:39.119 --> 00:34:02.240
They're trying to steal it trying to steal it I'm being serious I'm there's a pizza shop right in Quincy's right in front of my house literally right in front of my house they stole two of their delivery drivers' cars I I love Paul's brother interesting place they the cars got returned but it's all good they said to borrow them but yeah man um I really appreciate you dude coming on here giving you a little rant yeah well the next time I come on I promise you I'm gonna be more prepared I'm gonna come in here with some more ammunition for Connecticut oh my god there's more yeah there's more i there's more there's more there's a lot more um we have a lot of people from here from Connecticut so uh listen up he's got a message for y'all and and yo hey if y'all got something to say about New Jersey or Long Island come by leave some in the comments all you can say about New Jersey is that our air smells everything else is better than you're better than your beaches better pizza they don't have pizza I just burped into the mic that was gross I'm sorry they don't even have beaches in Connecticut but yeah we can get into that next time man yeah they got a bay that's what you got a bay overlooking Long Island and they the the it's to Long Island Sound it's not even called the Connecticut sound is it no I don't think so it's probably not because who really wants to what what else is in Connecticut other than the WWE convention center nothing or the headquarters that's what you guys are known for get out of here guys I'm not taking sides here just so I don't know come see me come on Rutgers vs UConn who's winning in Rutgers 100% we are I didn't even say a sport I didn't even say it we are slamming them in everything besides a women's basketball that is very true that is very true Paige Bukers I do not want any problem with you but she can see me with a one-on-one what oh like basketball okay okay hey man I really appreciate you coming on here today bro absolutely we got sidetracked I I wrote some stuff out but we kept I didn't yeah I didn't know I didn't even who cares hey but I appreciate you I know you got a schedule to get back to keeping it busy I love you man and uh I really do and let's keep going with this um some other time man love you absolutely love you dude I'll be seeing tonight love you too man I'll be seeing you later why don't you just what time are you done?
00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:40.239
4 30 We're going to games I asked Doug Hardy if we can do a fire so yeah let's uh sweep by it down in the song though sounds good brother hey once again thank you for joining me thank you all for listening absolutely I love you guys too I love you guys too man yeah unless what did bad buddy say hey hey hey man but I appreciate y'all for listening 105.3 fm radio live at four o'clock every Wednesday or wherever you get your podcast I'm Ryan Fitzpatrick this is on scripted with Ryan and we will see you next time peace