Full Transcript for Connor Pay Year 2

gonna go to the NFL. 00:01:49.226 --> 00:01:51.896 And unfortunately that didn't happen. 00:01:51.896 --> 00:01:54.296 Talk to us about that process and 00:01:54.735 --> 00:01:55.005 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:01:55.466 --> 00:01:56.486 Jethro: how you dealt with that. 00:01:56.486 --> 00:02:00.356 We've all lost jobs or not gotten the job we wanted before, but you're in a 00:02:00.356 --> 00:02:05.636 different situation because everybody saw that you didn't get this job that 00:02:05.636 --> 00:02:06.956 you were working really hard to get. 00:02:06.986 --> 00:02:07.826 So talk 00:02:07.905 --> 00:02:08.265 Connor Pay: Right. 00:02:08.276 --> 00:02:08.606 Jethro: that. 00:02:09.975 --> 00:02:10.155 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:02:10.155 --> 00:02:14.835 I think, um, if I remember right, when we did this last time, I was in Georgia 00:02:15.225 --> 00:02:17.385 doing, doing my pre-draft training. 00:02:17.715 --> 00:02:22.485 Um, and so when I, when I came back from that, I, I went down to 00:02:22.515 --> 00:02:24.375 Texas and did the Big 12 pro day. 00:02:25.395 --> 00:02:27.945 Um, and, and did pretty, pretty well. 00:02:27.945 --> 00:02:32.235 I was o overall I was pretty happy with how it went and had some great interviews 00:02:32.235 --> 00:02:38.565 with teams and things like that and come back and, uh, there's a few weeks between 00:02:38.565 --> 00:02:42.615 Pro Day and the draft and you know, you're just getting phone calls, doing a few more 00:02:42.615 --> 00:02:44.715 interviews with teams and stuff like that. 00:02:44.715 --> 00:02:50.265 And then, then the draft weekend comes and I kind of knew with where I stood 00:02:50.265 --> 00:02:55.335 that free agency was my most likely route that I probably would go undrafted. 00:02:55.875 --> 00:03:00.735 But if, if something crazy happened like the seventh round, maybe the 00:03:00.735 --> 00:03:02.775 sixth was the highest I'd ever go. 00:03:03.435 --> 00:03:08.565 Um, and usually when you get to the third or the fourth round of the NFL 00:03:08.565 --> 00:03:14.925 draft, that's when teams start calling around about priority free agents. 00:03:15.495 --> 00:03:19.035 Um, and so e even as early as the, as the third and fourth round, 00:03:19.035 --> 00:03:22.995 they're already thinking about who they're gonna be able to get, um, 00:03:23.235 --> 00:03:26.805 for cheaper, uh, as free agents. 00:03:26.835 --> 00:03:29.055 You know, guys who they don't project to be drafted. 00:03:29.055 --> 00:03:35.175 And so my agent calls me, um, in the fourth round and basically says, Hey, 00:03:35.175 --> 00:03:39.705 we've got, we've got three or four teams in a bidding war for you essentially 00:03:40.365 --> 00:03:42.765 to come and be a priority free agent. 00:03:43.335 --> 00:03:44.925 Um, and I said, okay, great. 00:03:44.925 --> 00:03:46.185 And so we're just talking with him. 00:03:46.185 --> 00:03:49.455 We're, we're driving up the guaranteed money, things like that. 00:03:49.455 --> 00:03:55.155 And I was like, okay, not a bad spot to be in, you know, and, uh, uh, but 00:03:55.275 --> 00:03:59.235 you know, the draft is different every single year in terms of how many players 00:03:59.235 --> 00:04:02.625 are taken at your position or not taken. 00:04:03.225 --> 00:04:07.455 And yeah, this was the third or fourth round and only only two or three centers 00:04:07.845 --> 00:04:10.485 had been drafted so far in that draft. 00:04:10.485 --> 00:04:13.425 So there were still a lot of guys ranked higher than me. 00:04:13.950 --> 00:04:14.820 On the board. 00:04:15.420 --> 00:04:19.380 And normally eight 10 centers are drafted per year. 00:04:20.070 --> 00:04:24.180 Um, and not a single other center was drafted for the rest of the draft. 00:04:24.990 --> 00:04:29.640 And so only three were taken, um, if I remember right, three, maybe four, 00:04:29.880 --> 00:04:31.350 uh, but I'm pretty sure it was three. 00:04:31.350 --> 00:04:38.220 And so now all of a sudden, the free agent market is super saturated with 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:40.110 guys who were ranked higher than me. 00:04:40.950 --> 00:04:43.260 Um, and so those teams went dark. 00:04:43.650 --> 00:04:46.230 Uh, they did, stopped responding to my agent 'cause they had 00:04:46.230 --> 00:04:47.490 better options out there. 00:04:47.490 --> 00:04:54.030 And, um, I ended up not getting, you know, signed, uh, as a free agent 00:04:54.030 --> 00:04:59.460 like I had hoped, and got what's called a, a mini camp invite instead. 00:04:59.850 --> 00:05:00.420 Um. 00:05:01.185 --> 00:05:06.735 And which is basically you go to, you go to rookie mini camp, which is a, a part of 00:05:06.765 --> 00:05:10.335 OTAs, um, which is part of the OTA block. 00:05:10.335 --> 00:05:12.375 It's like a six week block for most teams. 00:05:12.375 --> 00:05:15.705 And rookie mini camp is really just one week into the weekend of that. 00:05:15.705 --> 00:05:19.605 And so I optional team activities. 00:05:20.235 --> 00:05:20.565 Yep. 00:05:20.715 --> 00:05:25.305 And, and so, you know, the, the veterans, the guys who have been there 7, 8, 9 00:05:25.305 --> 00:05:28.545 years probably don't do a ton during OTAs. 00:05:28.545 --> 00:05:31.995 They'll come around a lobby, be around the team, work out, some of 'em don't show up 00:05:31.995 --> 00:05:34.305 to it at all and usually get, get fined. 00:05:34.755 --> 00:05:36.075 But they make enough, 00:05:36.161 --> 00:05:36.636 Jethro: and they still 00:05:36.675 --> 00:05:36.855 Connor Pay: yeah. 00:05:36.855 --> 00:05:39.525 They make, they make enough money where it's like, oh, you're gonna 00:05:39.525 --> 00:05:43.005 find me a hundred grand for not coming to OTAs, whatever, you know? 00:05:43.545 --> 00:05:43.755 Yeah. 00:05:43.755 --> 00:05:45.615 I'm gonna go train on my own somewhere else. 00:05:45.615 --> 00:05:50.355 And so, uh, so I get invited to the Seattle Seahawks. 00:05:51.525

--> 00:05:57.585 Um, and so I, I fly down to Seattle, um, and join the 00:05:57.585 --> 00:06:00.165 team there, uh, for mini camp. 00:06:00.675 --> 00:06:04.545 And, um, felt like I did pretty solid. 00:06:04.725 --> 00:06:07.905 Uh, but you know, it just, it's, it truly is a business. 00:06:07.905 --> 00:06:13.755 The, the NFL is less about talent and more about your situation, right. 00:06:13.755 --> 00:06:15.945 And perceived perceived value. 00:06:16.635 --> 00:06:20.505 Um, because, you know, there was, there was a, another C center 00:06:20.535 --> 00:06:22.575 taken in free agency before me. 00:06:23.325 --> 00:06:27.195 Um, you know, so we were both rookies coming in together and they had 00:06:27.195 --> 00:06:29.025 paid him a lot more money than me. 00:06:29.625 --> 00:06:37.485 And so, naturally, even if, and if I performed better or he, uh, performed 00:06:37.485 --> 00:06:41.835 worse than me, they're gonna give him a longer leash and cut me loose 00:06:41.835 --> 00:06:44.985 and keep him around more likely because they've invested more money 00:06:45.181 --> 00:06:45.471 Jethro: Yeah. 00:06:45.525 --> 00:06:45.855 Connor Pay: him. 00:06:46.215 --> 00:06:49.635 And that's, that's why it's so important when you can to get drafted 00:06:49.681 --> 00:06:49.971 Jethro: Yeah, 00:06:50.145 --> 00:06:52.665 Connor Pay: because the team has some skin in the game for you. 00:06:52.665 --> 00:06:56.715 Where it's like for me and all the other, uh, mini camp guys who were there. 00:06:57.195 --> 00:06:59.835 You know, the, the team doesn't have a, you have to do something pretty 00:06:59.835 --> 00:07:01.485 amazing to get them to keep you. 00:07:01.616 --> 00:07:02.006 Jethro: Yeah. 00:07:02.175 --> 00:07:04.755 Connor Pay: Um, and they don't, they don't have much skin in the game. 00:07:04.755 --> 00:07:09.135 So I, I go through my practices that week, go through meetings, 00:07:09.135 --> 00:07:10.305 feel like I'm doing well. 00:07:10.305 --> 00:07:14.565 And then, you know, you come in, you come in after, uh, after practice one 00:07:14.565 --> 00:07:17.835 day at the end of mini camp, and you have a piece of paper in your locker with 00:07:17.835 --> 00:07:22.515 your flight itinerary home for the next morning, you know, and it's just a, yep. 00:07:22.515 --> 00:07:23.925 Nobody talks to you. 00:07:23.985 --> 00:07:28.065 You just, you get shuttled back to the team hotel and they say, okay, the shuttle 00:07:28.065 --> 00:07:32.235 leaves at this time to take you to the airport, you know, and you head back home. 00:07:32.235 --> 00:07:33.615 And so that's what happened to me. 00:07:33.615 --> 00:07:39.255 And, um, so flew back home from Seattle, was here for a week and then got 00:07:39.255 --> 00:07:41.925 picked up, uh, actually by the Raiders. 00:07:41.985 --> 00:07:43.995 So got another chance at the Raiders. 00:07:44.715 --> 00:07:49.545 Um, during their mini camp and, uh, similar situation, uh,

00:07:49.575 --> 00:07:52.005 felt like I honestly had done really well at the Raiders. 00:07:52.005 --> 00:07:55.485 I had known Chip Kelly from high school recruiting and he recruited 00:07:55.485 --> 00:07:57.255 my brother and he was the OC there. 00:07:57.255 --> 00:08:02.085 So got to go, go spend a couple weeks in Vegas practicing with them and, 00:08:02.595 --> 00:08:06.525 you know, gotta meet guys like Max Crosby and, and some of the other 00:08:06.525 --> 00:08:08.085 dudes who were there at the facility. 00:08:08.085 --> 00:08:14.415 And, uh, um, you know, gotta be coached by Pete Carroll, who obviously was a legend. 00:08:14.456 --> 00:08:14.966 Jethro: Yeah. 00:08:15.056 --> 00:08:15.836 That's pretty amazing. 00:08:16.305 --> 00:08:19.245 Connor Pay: and so that was, that was a fun experience, but very similar thing. 00:08:19.275 --> 00:08:23.685 They were, the Raiders were a lot more communicative with me versus the Seahawks. 00:08:23.685 --> 00:08:29.265 And so they let me know like, Hey, uh, hey man, we, we felt like you performed well. 00:08:29.265 --> 00:08:30.555 We just don't have a spot for you. 00:08:31.110 --> 00:08:35.190 And, uh, they have a lot of money tied up on their Interior O line. 00:08:35.190 --> 00:08:37.560 They have some really good players and, you know, they got, they 00:08:37.560 --> 00:08:39.900 got some 10, $15 million guys. 00:08:39.990 --> 00:08:42.450 Uh, and so they just didn't have the spots. 00:08:42.450 --> 00:08:44.040 And I was like, you know what, I'm, I get it. 00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:48.870 I'm, I'm, I'm, uh, I'm smart enough to know that this is a business and you 00:08:48.870 --> 00:08:50.670 guys have to make business decisions. 00:08:50.670 --> 00:08:55.680 And so ended up getting cut, uh, from the Raiders at a mini camp as well. 00:08:56.550 --> 00:09:02.880 And so came back, uh, and um, you know, obviously 00:09:04.920 --> 00:09:05.550 pretty tough. 00:09:05.550 --> 00:09:09.240 'cause if you don't make it out of those mini camps, then there's a pretty slim 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:13.770 chance that you're gonna be invited back for training camp where you get 00:09:13.770 --> 00:09:19.200 to go and, uh, actually practice in pads and play in preseason games. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:24.240 Get NFL tape, which is the biggest thing for, uh, elongating your 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:29.910 career, is that those, that preseason film, uh, you really need that. 00:09:30.270 --> 00:09:34.530 And unfortunately, you know, there, there were a few times where some guys 00:09:34.530 --> 00:09:40.860 went down in Seattle, um, and that I was, I was very close to being called 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:44.250 back to their training camp where my agent called me and said, Hey, be ready. 00:09:44.430 --> 00:09:48.390 They've had some injuries, uh, but it just never ended up happening. 00:09:48.630 --> 00:09:54.360 And so, uh, went throughout that entire season, still training. 00:09:54.390 --> 00:09:59.940 I got calls from teams every single week, the entire season, um, and had 00:09:59.940 --> 00:10:04.380 flights booked a few times that ended up getting, getting canceled, you know, 00:10:04.410 --> 00:10:07.890 'cause the team changed their mind or they ended up taking someone from a 00:10:07.890 --> 00:10:12.180 different position instead where they felt like there was a greater need. 00:10:12.690 --> 00:10:14.610 You know, those kind of things. 00:10:15.870 --> 00:10:19.680 Um, so yeah, it got, it was a little bit discouraging at times, you know, 00:10:19.680 --> 00:10:21.060 just kind of the back and forth. 00:10:21.060 --> 00:10:22.440 You're getting yanked back and forth. 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:23.070 It may happen. 00:10:23.070 --> 00:10:23.940 No, it's not happening. 00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:24.630 It's gonna happen. 00:10:24.630 --> 00:10:24.810 Yeah. 00:10:24.810 --> 00:10:29.100 Psych, it's not happening, you know, and so it's, uh, it was mentally, 00:10:29.100 --> 00:10:32.250 it was a little bit of a roller coaster, but I think the thing 00:10:32.250 --> 00:10:35.430 that hurt the most is I didn't get invited back for a training camp. 00:10:35.430 --> 00:10:37.470 And so I didn't get any preseason film. 00:10:38.250 --> 00:10:41.370 And so now trying to get picked up, my agents out there trying to get 00:10:41.370 --> 00:10:42.990 me picked up by a different team. 00:10:43.380 --> 00:10:47.640 A team's gonna pick a guy who they can actually watch play in the NFL in 00:10:47.640 --> 00:10:52.590 the preseason almost every time before someone who doesn't have preseason film. 00:10:52.590 --> 00:10:56.250 And so, um, that's kind of where it ended up. 00:10:56.250 --> 00:10:59.910 And, uh, so that's at least the NFL portion of it. 00:10:59.910 --> 00:11:03.150 And then, so I, I gave it the full season because my agent was like, look, 00:11:03.150 --> 00:11:07.680 there's also, there's also a lot of injuries and they have extra spots going 00:11:07.680 --> 00:11:09.600 into the playoffs and things like that. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:10.140 And so. 00:11:10.770 --> 00:11:14.760 Um, you know, he's like, let's just, we gotta stick it out for the entire season. 00:11:15.060 --> 00:11:20.070 I think technically, even though I kind of consider myself retired now from 00:11:20.070 --> 00:11:24.900 playing, I think technically my name is still in the NFL database as active. 00:11:24.930 --> 00:11:29.970 But, uh, just 'cause, you know, I mean, I still obviously I consider myself 00:11:29.970 --> 00:11:33.780 retired from playing now, but I, I still train and do things to try to 00:11:33.780 --> 00:11:36.180 stay in shape and so just for life. 00:11:36.780 --> 00:11:38.220 So, hey, you know, you never know. 00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:40.920 I could get a call and, uh, 00:11:41.021 --> 00:11:41.171 Jethro: know, 00:11:41.370 --> 00:11:42.210 Connor Pay: jump back in. 00:11:42.210 -->

00:11:42.810 You know, why not? 00:11:42.941 --> 00:11:46.631 Jethro: Weddle got a call for, I think it was the Chargers right before, was it The 00:11:46.631 --> 00:11:47.981 Chargers, right before the Super Bowl. 00:11:48.371 --> 00:11:50.111 Uh, and, and then 00:11:50.190 --> 00:11:50.880 Connor Pay: Or the Rams. 00:11:50.880 --> 00:11:51.510 The Rams. 00:11:51.521 --> 00:11:51.701 Jethro: you. 00:11:51.701 --> 00:11:52.061 I knew it 00:11:52.110 --> 00:11:52.380 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:11:52.541 --> 00:11:52.811 Jethro: team. 00:11:53.021 --> 00:11:58.001 He got a call and he was already retired from what I understand, and like got 00:11:58.001 --> 00:12:00.761 up off the couch and came and you've, you've heard of that some other times. 00:12:01.121 --> 00:12:04.121 It obviously he wa he had played in the league for years. 00:12:04.211 --> 00:12:04.961 Uh, so I got 00:12:05.010 --> 00:12:05.640 Connor Pay: yeah. 00:12:05.891 --> 00:12:08.231 Jethro: to go, to go through with this and, 00:12:08.565 --> 00:12:08.805 Connor Pay: Sure. 00:12:08.831 --> 00:12:11.591 Jethro: as people are listening, like I just want people to think 00:12:11.591 --> 00:12:15.311 like, we all have these situations where we think something's gonna 00:12:15.341 --> 00:12:17.291 happen and then it doesn't. 00:12:17.351 --> 00:12:19.751 And so like you. 00:12:20.366 --> 00:12:24.566 So, the first one is like a, a financial situation. 00:12:24.745 --> 00:12:25.165 Connor Pay: Mm-hmm. 00:12:25.316 --> 00:12:29.726 Jethro: what I understand, up until the draft, you're paying for 00:12:29.726 --> 00:12:33.836 everything, all your extra training and, and everything to get ready. 00:12:33.956 --> 00:12:35.126 You're paying for that. 00:12:35.306 --> 00:12:39.116 And then after the draft, if you're going to OTAs, then the teams are 00:12:39.116 --> 00:12:41.816 paying you to come out as an employee. 00:12:41.966 --> 00:12:44.726 Is that a fair, simplified way of looking at that? 00:12:45.175 --> 00:12:46.230 Connor Pay: So it depends. 00:12:46.290 --> 00:12:52.200 Um, most guys, most guys, their agency will pay for them to go and train. 00:12:52.771 --> 00:12:53.061 Jethro: Okay. 00:12:53.250 --> 00:12:56.310 Connor Pay: that's, that's kind of one of the incentives that agents have. 00:12:56.310 --> 00:13:00.480 Not only the prestige of the agency, but it's like, Hey, we're gonna pay for you. 00:13:00.690 --> 00:13:02.915 So like, my agency paid for me to go to Atlanta. 00:13:03.660 --> 00:13:04.500 And train. 00:13:05.310 --> 00:13:09.420 Um, that's kind of the, the risk and the investment 00:13:09.656 --> 00:13:09.836 Jethro: That 00:13:09.930 --> 00:13:11.280 Connor Pay: making in, in you. 00:13:12.330 --> 00:13:13.800 But that doesn't happen for everybody. 00:13:13.950 --> 00:13:19.530 Um, it depends on, you know, your pre-draft rankings, um, and 00:13:19.530 --> 00:13:20.850 other, other things like that. 00:13:20.850 --> 00:13:25.290

And so, thankfully I had a number of agencies who felt like I was ranked high 00:13:25.290 --> 00:13:29.160 enough to where all of them offered to pay for my training, and so I wasn't 00:13:29.160 --> 00:13:31.740 gonna go with an agency that was unwilling 00:13:31.951 --> 00:13:32.241 Jethro: Yeah. 00:13:32.280 --> 00:13:32.850 Connor Pay: to pay. 00:13:33.180 --> 00:13:38.310 Mm. And so, but yes, then you go to mini camp and OTAs and it's either 00:13:38.310 --> 00:13:40.560 no money or very little money. 00:13:40.831 --> 00:13:41.181 Jethro: Uhhuh. 00:13:41.370 --> 00:13:45.090 Connor Pay: Um, I mean, obviously the, the team pays for you don't 00:13:45.090 --> 00:13:47.220 pay, you don't pay the team at all. 00:13:47.281 --> 00:13:47.571 Jethro: Yeah. 00:13:47.580 --> 00:13:49.950 Connor Pay: So I could, at the very minimum, it's free. 00:13:50.100 --> 00:13:52.290 Like you don't pay for your flights or your hotel. 00:13:52.650 --> 00:13:56.520 The, the NFL team will pay for your flight and your hotel and all that stuff. 00:13:56.670 --> 00:14:01.470 Um, and so sometimes, sometimes you'll get, uh, a small 00:14:01.470 --> 00:14:02.940 amount to go to mini camp. 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:07.380 Um, but it's really, if you can stay for, if you can get invited back 00:14:07.380 --> 00:14:12.120 for the remainder of OTAs, then they pay you for your time being there. 00:14:13.110 --> 00:14:14.910 So you get compensated in that way. 00:14:14.910 --> 00:14:19.290 And then obviously, guys who are already signed right after the draft usually 00:14:19.290 --> 00:14:21.660 comes with some type of a signing bonus. 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:22.470 If you're drafted. 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:25.740 The signing bonus can be pretty big as most people know. 00:14:26.280 --> 00:14:28.560 But as a free agent, it really varies. 00:14:29.010 --> 00:14:33.390 Um, a large amount where sometimes there's you, you're signed, so you get, you'll 00:14:33.390 --> 00:14:35.070 be on the team through training camp. 00:14:35.730 --> 00:14:40.530 Um, but sometimes there's no signing bonus or, you know, if they felt like you 00:14:40.530 --> 00:14:45.600 were ranked high enough, uh, or worthy of it, then, you know, some of 'em can 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:49.290 be up to a hundred thousand dollars signing bonus even for a free agent. 00:14:49.976 --> 00:14:50.366 Jethro: yeah, 00:14:50.910 --> 00:14:51.780 Connor Pay: you know, and so. 00:14:52.515 --> 00:14:56.145 And, and that's where for, for a while there, for those few rounds, 00:14:56.145 --> 00:14:58.755 that's the bucket I thought I'd find myself in, because that's 00:14:58.755 --> 00:15:00.045 what my agent was working on. 00:15:00.045 --> 00:15:03.375 Like, Hey, there's interest and so we're gonna, because there's, there's 00:15:03.375 --> 00:15:07.425 a signing bonus and then there's what's fully guaranteed in your contract. 00:15:07.425 --> 00:15:10.995 And so my agent was doing some work

to try to raise both of those things. 00:15:11.535 --> 00:15:15.375 Not only would my signing bonus be higher, but also my guaranteed money. 00:15:15.855 --> 00:15:19.695 Um, and there are certain organizations in the NFL who are known for really 00:15:19.695 --> 00:15:21.735 taking good care of their free agents. 00:15:21.735 --> 00:15:25.305 And you know, like I, I've had some former teammates go to teams 00:15:25.305 --> 00:15:28.305 like the Cowboys, where it's like, look, even if you get cut, we're 00:15:28.305 --> 00:15:29.805 gonna guarantee you a hundred grand 00:15:29.906 --> 00:15:30.196 Jethro: Yeah. 00:15:30.466 --> 00:15:30.756 Okay. 00:15:31.185 --> 00:15:32.895 Connor Pay: just to like, make it worth the time. 00:15:33.675 --> 00:15:33.975 You know? 00:15:33.975 --> 00:15:35.625 And so that's, that's kind of how it works. 00:15:35.625 --> 00:15:40.815 But, uh, yeah, mini camp and into OTAs, uh, unless, unless you end up 00:15:40.815 --> 00:15:45.165 getting invited back and staying, uh, you don't end up making much money. 00:15:45.165 --> 00:15:45.195 I. 00:15:45.246 --> 00:15:45.536 Jethro: Yeah. 00:15:45.791 --> 00:15:46.991 Yep, that makes sense. 00:15:47.291 --> 00:15:53.036 So it's, it's one of those things where, you know, if you do end up with a. NFL 00:15:53.036 --> 00:15:57.086 contracts and you're on the 10 to $15 million range, like you were talking 00:15:57.086 --> 00:16:01.586 about those guys in Oakland, then, you know, you're, you're in good shape. 00:16:02.006 --> 00:16:02.276 But 00:16:02.280 --> 00:16:02.580 Connor Pay: Mm-hmm. 00:16:03.356 --> 00:16:06.776 Jethro: whenever you're applying for a job, you're investing time, you're 00:16:06.776 --> 00:16:10.586 investing money, you're investing in relationships and things like that. 00:16:10.886 --> 00:16:15.986 Can you talk about that relationship piece and how that either helped or 00:16:15.986 --> 00:16:21.026 hindered or what you thought about as you were, as you were thinking about 00:16:21.026 --> 00:16:26.246 those relationships, like you mentioned Coach Kelly having, uh, familiarity 00:16:26.246 --> 00:16:28.316 with you on the recruiting trail and 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:28.890 Connor Pay: Yeah, 00:16:28.946 --> 00:16:29.276 Jethro: brother. 00:16:29.276 --> 00:16:33.326 So like how do those relationships manifest themselves? 00:16:33.356 --> 00:16:34.166 Do they matter? 00:16:34.166 --> 00:16:35.696 Do they feel like they don't matter? 00:16:35.906 --> 00:16:37.346 Like, what's your perspective on that? 00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:39.930 Connor Pay: I, I think they always matter and, 00:16:39.956 --> 00:16:40.196 Jethro: can they 00:16:40.230 --> 00:16:42.750 Connor Pay: and, uh, I don't know. 00:16:42.750 --> 00:16:45.750 One of the things that I've always, you know, that I was taught by my 00:16:45.750 --> 00:16:49.435 parents and that I've always tried to do is I've always tried to end. 00:16:50.115 --> 00:16:53.535 End

up in a positive relationship with everybody, everybody. 00:16:53.535 --> 00:16:58.725 But that I possibly can leave a good impression, um, because you never, like 00:16:58.725 --> 00:17:01.965 you said, you never know when your paths are gonna cross again later in life. 00:17:01.965 --> 00:17:06.675 And so it's like I had, I met Chip Kelly one time in the recruiting process 00:17:06.735 --> 00:17:10.365 in person and had a few phone calls with him as we were going through it. 00:17:10.965 --> 00:17:14.955 And yet when I show up at the Raiders, obviously my, my younger 00:17:14.955 --> 00:17:18.975 brother was a, a much bigger high school recruit than I ever was. 00:17:18.975 --> 00:17:20.895 He was one of the top tackles in the country. 00:17:21.495 --> 00:17:26.145 And so Coach Kelly was pushing hard at Ohio State, um, to get him to come. 00:17:26.145 --> 00:17:28.455 And so got to know our family even better that way. 00:17:29.025 --> 00:17:31.635 But it's like he remembered me, you know? 00:17:31.635 --> 00:17:35.895 And so it's like, did it, did it end up really making a difference, 00:17:36.075 --> 00:17:38.055 uh, for me and making the team? 00:17:38.325 --> 00:17:38.775 No. 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:44.370 But it's like now, um, and I guess I don't even know if I've told you this Jethro, 00:17:44.370 --> 00:17:47.250 like now, now I'm, I'm coaching at BYU. 00:17:47.250 --> 00:17:48.840 That's one of the things that I'm doing 00:17:49.001 --> 00:17:49.481 Jethro: Well we 00:17:49.530 --> 00:17:50.130 Connor Pay: and 00:17:50.261 --> 00:17:50.531 Jethro: so 00:17:50.790 --> 00:17:52.210 Connor Pay: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:17:52.241 --> 00:17:52.691 Jethro: part up. 00:17:53.250 --> 00:17:56.370 Connor Pay: And so it's like, who knows what's gonna happen down the line. 00:17:56.370 --> 00:18:00.900 And that relationship that I have with Coach Kelly, maybe it'll manifest 00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:02.190 itself in different ways again. 00:18:02.190 --> 00:18:04.200 'cause now he ended up getting fired from the Raiders. 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:05.700 He's back at the college ranks. 00:18:06.390 --> 00:18:10.170 Um, and so it's like you just, you never know. 00:18:10.260 --> 00:18:15.600 And I feel like I'm seeing that more so now where it's the same deal. 00:18:15.630 --> 00:18:23.010 Um, I, I got to have, uh, a one-on-one interview with the Lions offensive line 00:18:23.010 --> 00:18:27.420 coach in the pre-draft process, Hank Fraley, because he had recruited me 00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:30.630 at UCLA, um, and he had remembered me. 00:18:30.630 --> 00:18:33.510 And so he wanted to gimme a phone call and interview me in person 00:18:33.510 --> 00:18:34.950 instead of having the scout do it. 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:35.940 You know? 00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:38.460 And so it's, it's like little things like that where it's like. 00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:41.130 Again, did it make a difference in the end? 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:46.230 Not exactly, but, but it could have, you know, it de it definitely could have. 00:18:46.230 --> 00:18:52.530 And, um, I think, and maybe we can just in answering this question, it 00:18:52.530 --> 00:18:57.690 might be a good transition into after football, or I guess it was kind 00:18:57.690 --> 00:19:03.240 of mixed into during, uh, because relationships is where I'm at now. 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:07.020 It's, it's why I'm at where I'm at now, where when I got cut from the Raiders, 00:19:07.020 --> 00:19:09.240 I come back and I'm training every day. 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:13.440 So I'm at the facility, I'm around the coaches, and I, and I really made a point 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:18.750 as a player to develop a relationship with all the coaches and, um, my, my 00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:23.100 play on the field and my dedication to the team earned their trust. 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:28.740 But then also, uh, you know, just taking the time to get to know 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:30.600 them, especially with Coach Kalani. 00:19:30.600 --> 00:19:32.340 Coach Kalani and I are very close. 00:19:33.030 --> 00:19:33.660 Um. 00:19:34.005 --> 00:19:37.875 And so after I got cut from the Raiders, I'm at the facility training every day. 00:19:38.265 --> 00:19:41.625 Never in a million years have I considered going into college coaching. 00:19:41.711 --> 00:19:42.251 Jethro: Really? 00:19:42.675 --> 00:19:43.155 Connor Pay: No. 00:19:43.215 --> 00:19:46.245 I've, I've always, I've always wanted to go into business. 00:19:46.275 --> 00:19:47.625 That's what I studied at BYU. 00:19:47.625 --> 00:19:48.705 That's what I wanted to do. 00:19:49.095 --> 00:19:49.965 And I said, you know what? 00:19:49.965 --> 00:19:54.225 I, I'd love to just start a business, make a good life for myself, and 00:19:54.225 --> 00:19:57.375 then give back in the football community by going and coaching 00:19:57.375 --> 00:19:59.205 high school or something, you know? 00:19:59.205 --> 00:20:01.575 And that was kind of what I thought I'd always do. 00:20:01.575 --> 00:20:03.255 That's what my, that's what my dad does. 00:20:03.255 --> 00:20:07.035 He's the oline coach at Lone Peak and loves it, and loves 00:20:07.035 --> 00:20:08.025 working with those kids. 00:20:08.025 --> 00:20:08.835 And so I was like, you know what? 00:20:08.835 --> 00:20:12.045 If I end up getting, that's my way to stay in, in the football world, 00:20:12.105 --> 00:20:13.515 you know, I'll coach high school. 00:20:14.475 --> 00:20:18.015 Um, but Kalani approached me and he knew I wanted to do business. 00:20:18.975 --> 00:20:20.265 And so that's how he lured me. 00:20:20.265 --> 00:20:25.665 And, uh, he said, he said, Hey, I have a, I have a business venture 00:20:25.695 --> 00:20:30.495 I wanna do with you and I, Isaiah Kafue, one of my former teammates. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:36.690 Um, who was working at Adobe at the time doing business development for Adobe and,

00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:44.610 uh, kind of the BYU Pathway program has slowly over my time at BYU become more and 00:20:44.610 --> 00:20:46.860 more ingrained in the football program. 00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:51.420 Um, and he said, Hey, I wanna start a company to help, help 00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:55.470 get these pathway students hired remotely with US-based companies. 00:20:56.010 --> 00:21:00.000 He essentially wanted to start a hiring agency like Salvo or Bloom or Clear 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:01.980 Source, you know, something like that. 00:21:02.340 --> 00:21:04.950 But specifically for Pathway students. 00:21:05.550 --> 00:21:10.230 Um, and so obviously he's the CEO of BYU football right now, so it's like 00:21:10.230 --> 00:21:12.810 he doesn't have time to execute that. 00:21:12.810 --> 00:21:18.750 And I was, I was still training, but I, I, I had extra time to kind of 00:21:18.780 --> 00:21:20.550 help and do that while I was training. 00:21:20.550 --> 00:21:22.710 And so I was like, yeah, I'm in, I'm in. 00:21:22.710 --> 00:21:28.380 And so we co-founded, uh, ventures, uh, together and I can. 00:21:29.085 --> 00:21:31.125 Maybe later on, I couldn't tell you a little bit about 00:21:31.125 --> 00:21:32.475 the significance of the name. 00:21:32.625 --> 00:21:37.755 But, uh, and then, and then we ended up starting, uh, a nonprofit, a 00:21:37.755 --> 00:21:40.215 foundation to go side by side with it. 00:21:40.215 --> 00:21:45.555 And we're actually headed to Tonga in June to open our first employment center. 00:21:45.831 --> 00:21:46.051 Jethro: Oh, 00:21:46.155 --> 00:21:52.245 Connor Pay: Uh, we, we got a building on in Tonga Tap and uh, ro it's currently 00:21:52.245 --> 00:21:56.355 under renovations right now and it's gonna house 130 remote employees 00:21:56.355 --> 00:21:58.005 in the morning to early afternoon. 00:21:58.425 --> 00:22:03.315 And then in the evenings, uh, those same 130 computers desk cubicles 00:22:03.315 --> 00:22:06.645 will be available for Pathway students on the island of Tonga to 00:22:06.645 --> 00:22:10.215 come and do their schoolwork and get access to starlink and all that. 00:22:10.215 --> 00:22:13.545 And so, um, I'm the vice president of that foundation. 00:22:13.545 --> 00:22:15.315 It's called the We Are One Foundation. 00:22:15.765 --> 00:22:20.085 Um, and both of those things kind of came outta that conversation with Kalani 00:22:20.745 --> 00:22:23.815 when he just approached me and said, Hey, I think there's, you know, I think. 00:22:24.795 --> 00:22:26.055 I think you'd be good at this. 00:22:26.055 --> 00:22:27.135 I think you could help us. 00:22:27.165 --> 00:22:28.275 Here's what I want to do. 00:22:29.085 --> 00:22:34.395 And then a couple weeks later, that's when he said, Hey, like, dude, you're 00:22:34.395 --> 00:22:35.985 here every day training anyways. 00:22:35.985 --> 00:22:38.205 He's like, just come, come help out at practice 00:22:38.336 --> 00:22:38.626 Jethro: Yeah. 00:22:39.345 --> 00:22:41.925 Connor Pay: and just be around the guy, share some knowledge with him. 00:22:41.925 --> 00:22:45.735 And Coach Woods, our O Line coach had always joked with me about coming 00:22:45.735 --> 00:22:49.335 back and coaching, but he knew, he also knew I wanted to do business, 00:22:49.335 --> 00:22:50.745 so he never pushed the issue. 00:22:51.221 --> 00:22:51.671 Jethro: yeah. 00:22:52.541 --> 00:22:52.781 what's 00:22:52.845 --> 00:22:53.445 Connor Pay: and 00:22:53.681 --> 00:22:59.861 Jethro: told me when last, uh, fall during the season, you said that you were just to 00:22:59.861 --> 00:23:02.651 help helping out with the, with the team. 00:23:03.195 --> 00:23:03.555 Connor Pay: yeah. 00:23:03.671 --> 00:23:05.351 Jethro: way you said it made it seem like. 00:23:06.296 --> 00:23:08.156 This is just a stopping ground, a 00:23:08.450 --> 00:23:08.870 Connor Pay: Mm-hmm. 00:23:09.116 --> 00:23:09.716 Jethro: and 00:23:10.300 --> 00:23:10.590 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:23:10.616 --> 00:23:12.326 Jethro: on from this later. 00:23:12.446 --> 00:23:15.266 And, and that, that didn't happen. 00:23:15.296 --> 00:23:18.896 You are now coaching for real. 00:23:19.286 --> 00:23:20.126 And, and so 00:23:20.250 --> 00:23:20.540 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:23:20.936 --> 00:23:23.361 Jethro: between what you're doing last year and what you're doing now? 00:23:24.750 --> 00:23:25.680 Connor Pay: Probably the time. 00:23:25.791 --> 00:23:26.141 Jethro: Uhhuh? 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:29.850 Connor Pay: just like now, now I'm officially a staff member, so it's 00:23:29.850 --> 00:23:33.930 like I'm involved with recruiting every bit of the off season stuff. 00:23:33.930 --> 00:23:37.950 Like that's my, it's my nine to five now, you know, where, where before it 00:23:37.950 --> 00:23:41.790 was like, you know what I was, I was doing business stuff in the mornings 00:23:42.060 --> 00:23:46.830 while training, working on stuff with Isaiah for the business and foundation. 00:23:47.070 --> 00:23:50.100 Then I'd come help at practice in the afternoon. 00:23:50.670 --> 00:23:55.380 Um, but, uh, then it ended up, I ended up loving it and I was just 00:23:55.380 --> 00:23:57.420 volunteering, you know, last year. 00:23:58.320 --> 00:24:02.070 But, uh, you know, they, they're allowed to essentially have one or 00:24:02.070 --> 00:24:06.330 two volunteers on the staff and bring you to away games and stuff like that. 00:24:06.330 --> 00:24:09.420 And so Kalani was like, Hey, if you, he's like, we'll bring you 00:24:09.420 --> 00:24:10.680 if you really wanna do this. 00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:13.710 And I was having a blast and so I was like, yeah, let me, let me try it. 00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:14.640 He was like, just try it. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:15.870 He is like, I think you'd really love it. 00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:19.470 So I ended up getting to travel to all the away games, essentially

00:24:19.470 --> 00:24:21.090 was a pseudo staff member. 00:24:21.840 --> 00:24:26.250 And then come January of this last year, just a few months ago, 00:24:26.970 --> 00:24:29.310 Kalani was like, did you enjoy it? 00:24:29.550 --> 00:24:30.690 And I was like, I loved it. 00:24:30.990 --> 00:24:31.470 I loved it. 00:24:31.470 --> 00:24:32.370 It was so much fun. 00:24:32.370 --> 00:24:33.150 And he goes, okay. 00:24:33.150 --> 00:24:36.750 And so that's when we, we talked with Arod, the oc, and 00:24:36.810 --> 00:24:38.370 made sure he was on board. 00:24:38.370 --> 00:24:43.830 And uh, they, they decided to bring me on full-time, um, as an 00:24:43.830 --> 00:24:48.690 analyst on the offense, one of our assistant oline coaches, basically. 00:24:48.866 --> 00:24:49.436 Jethro: That's great, 00:24:49.560 --> 00:24:52.860 Connor Pay: Um, and so yeah, now that's what I do full-time. 00:24:52.860 --> 00:24:57.540 And then I'm in a unique position where I get to coach football, but I also have 00:24:57.540 --> 00:25:01.440 these, the foundation and some business stuff I'm working on with the head coach. 00:25:01.470 --> 00:25:06.300 And so it's kind of a, it's kind of a unique kind of dual role that's been 00:25:07.170 --> 00:25:10.770 really amazing, um, and a lot of fun. 00:25:11.141 --> 00:25:11.831 Jethro: That's awesome. 00:25:11.831 --> 00:25:16.871 So one of the things that I've learned over the past couple years is that we, 00:25:16.961 --> 00:25:22.901 we can and should work hard towards goals that we have, but to, to think 00:25:22.901 --> 00:25:27.461 that the goal is the only thing that God's preparing us for is really a 00:25:27.461 --> 00:25:33.671 mistake because God has, has plans for each of us that are unique to us. 00:25:33.911 --> 00:25:40.481 And so many things put us in, in the pathway what God has for us 00:25:40.961 --> 00:25:43.421 that don't look like what it is. 00:25:43.481 --> 00:25:49.331 You know, like you, you don't know what it's gonna look like in 10 years of 00:25:49.590 --> 00:25:49.800 Connor Pay: No. 00:25:49.901 --> 00:25:53.771 Jethro: you're gonna be a, a coach at BYU or a coach somewhere else. 00:25:53.771 --> 00:25:59.231 Or you're gonna be like, I'm gonna live in Tonga and help these people do this. 00:25:59.291 --> 00:25:59.741 Uh. 00:26:00.131 --> 00:26:03.041 This, this, uh, pathways to Work thing. 00:26:03.371 --> 00:26:05.501 Like you just don't know what it's gonna be. 00:26:05.801 --> 00:26:12.911 But the fact is that every one of these experiences are worthwhile and lead you to 00:26:12.941 --> 00:26:15.251 the thing that God has in store for you. 00:26:15.251 --> 00:26:20.621 So my personal philosophy around this has been I'm gonna work towards a 00:26:20.621 --> 00:26:24.881 specific goal, but I'm never going to have the expectation that that 00:26:24.881 --> 00:26:28.901 goal is the thing that, I have to do. 00:26:29.021 --> 00:26:32.531 The work is the value,

the relationships I'm building along the way. 00:26:33.011 --> 00:26:34.121 That's the value. 00:26:34.391 --> 00:26:40.001 And then if that thing comes to pass, then that's great, but that's not 00:26:40.181 --> 00:26:43.211 that, that end goal is not the point. 00:26:43.241 --> 00:26:46.361 The point is the work you're doing along the way, how do you respond to that? 00:26:46.361 --> 00:26:46.961 What do you think? 00:26:47.310 --> 00:26:47.520 Connor Pay: Right. 00:26:47.520 --> 00:26:49.320 No, I, I, I couldn't agree more. 00:26:50.040 --> 00:26:53.850 Um, and, you know, just 'cause I, I never, like I said, I never 00:26:53.850 --> 00:26:55.410 thought I'd be doing coaching. 00:26:56.010 --> 00:26:58.440 That wasn't, that wasn't on my Bingo card. 00:26:58.935 --> 00:27:01.995 And I also didn't think I'd be working with BYU Pathway trying to 00:27:01.995 --> 00:27:05.355 help students get hired and building employment centers and raising 00:27:05.355 --> 00:27:06.975 money and doing all those things. 00:27:06.975 --> 00:27:10.725 You know, like this isn't, this isn't at all how I envisioned 00:27:11.341 --> 00:27:11.741 Jethro: Yeah. 00:27:12.105 --> 00:27:13.035 Connor Pay: my life going. 00:27:13.035 --> 00:27:17.355 You know, my, my blueprint for life, my plan was to go play in 00:27:17.355 --> 00:27:21.915 the NFL, make good money and come back and use it to start a company. 00:27:22.095 --> 00:27:24.465 You know, like that was, that was my plan. 00:27:24.945 --> 00:27:29.055 And, uh, one of those things I guess is, is still taking place. 00:27:29.055 --> 00:27:33.105 You know, I, I, I guess I am part of starting a company, but, um, 00:27:33.345 --> 00:27:36.915 you know, I was, I was a Pathway mentor while I was a player at 00:27:36.915 --> 00:27:39.165 BYU, just kind of more one-on-one. 00:27:39.165 --> 00:27:42.525 And, uh, you know, that's, that's an interesting, going 00:27:42.525 --> 00:27:43.695 back to relationships too. 00:27:43.695 --> 00:27:47.265 We just randomly, we had a, we had one day, we had a team meeting my sophomore 00:27:47.265 --> 00:27:51.225 year when Kalani wanted Pathway to get more involved and he had the chairman 00:27:51.225 --> 00:27:54.495 of the career advisory board for Pathway come and speak to the team. 00:27:54.495 --> 00:27:55.635 His name was Matt Downs. 00:27:56.460 --> 00:28:00.720 Um, and he talked about how he gave us the overview on Pathway and all 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:03.300 the amazing students and then he just said, Hey, if anyone's interested 00:28:03.300 --> 00:28:05.760 in helping these students out and being a mentor, just let me know. 00:28:05.760 --> 00:28:09.120 And me and a couple other players went up to him after the meeting and said, 00:28:09.120 --> 00:28:10.680 Hey, we'd love to help with this. 00:28:11.310 --> 00:28:16.320 Um, and uh, you know, so became a Pathway Mentor. 00:28:16.320 --> 00:28:20.460 Got assigned, uh, you know, five or six Pathway students, got put in WhatsApp 00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:23.490 groups with them and just answered any questions they had about school 00:28:23.490 --> 00:28:28.080 life, job interviews, how to build a resume, connections, all those things. 00:28:28.080 --> 00:28:30.180 You're kind of just there to help, help 'em along. 00:28:30.900 --> 00:28:34.620 Um, and so did that while I was at BYU, but never thought anything would 00:28:34.620 --> 00:28:37.470 come of it, you know, I just did it 'cause I wanted to help, you know. 00:28:37.470 --> 00:28:37.620 And 00:28:37.676 --> 00:28:37.946 Jethro: Yeah. 00:28:38.190 --> 00:28:40.680 Connor Pay: then here we are fast forward when we start to build 00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:42.360 this company and this foundation. 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:48.150 Um, Isaiah and I get linked up with Matt Downs again, and I didn't know 00:28:48.210 --> 00:28:50.220 any of the details about what Matt did. 00:28:50.835 --> 00:28:51.915 Uh, as a career. 00:28:51.915 --> 00:28:55.485 I just knew that he was the, he was a Pathway missionary and was the 00:28:55.485 --> 00:28:56.925 head of their career advisory board. 00:28:56.925 --> 00:28:57.615 That's all I knew. 00:28:58.155 --> 00:29:04.605 Turns out he's a co-founder and a CEO of a $2 billion VC firm, um, managing 00:29:04.605 --> 00:29:06.525 companies and, and all this stuff. 00:29:06.525 --> 00:29:10.575 And we ended up getting involved with a startup that he was a 00:29:10.575 --> 00:29:14.715 part of, um, called Pearl 27. 00:29:14.775 --> 00:29:20.625 That's doing ai, digital marketing and hiring just mass numbers of 00:29:20.655 --> 00:29:23.745 pathway students to do it, to to work. 00:29:23.745 --> 00:29:26.355 And on the back end of all this AI marketing. 00:29:26.985 --> 00:29:28.755 That, uh, they're doing for companies. 00:29:28.755 --> 00:29:31.995 And Isaiah and I got to be there at the beginning, at the start of it 00:29:32.535 --> 00:29:34.185 and help do business development. 00:29:34.185 --> 00:29:38.085 This was, this was before I was full-time coaching during that season where I, 00:29:38.085 --> 00:29:40.965 I'd go down to the office with them in the mornings, then go to practice 00:29:40.965 --> 00:29:45.945 in the afternoons, you know, and, uh, just got to learn so much from him. 00:29:45.945 --> 00:29:49.515 As I, as Isaiah and I were trying to build and structure our own company, 00:29:49.581 --> 00:29:50.001 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:29:50.055 --> 00:29:52.455 Connor Pay: get to learn from a guy who's built over a hundred 00:29:52.455 --> 00:29:56.835 successful companies or been a part of 'em, at least in a, in a VC role. 00:29:57.495 --> 00:29:59.805 And just to soak up everything I could from him. 00:29:59.805 --> 00:30:01.095 And it was amazing. 00:30:01.095 --> 00:30:05.265 Every single day we'd, we'd stop at some point during our meetings 00:30:05.265 --> 00:30:11.355 and he'd, he'd pull out the Book of Mormon and,

or, or his New Testament 00:30:11.355 --> 00:30:12.765 and say, Hey, I was reading this. 00:30:12.765 --> 00:30:16.125 I think this really actually applies to, uh, a business 00:30:16.125 --> 00:30:17.715 problem we're facing right now. 00:30:18.420 --> 00:30:21.930 And we dive into the scriptures and that helped him make business decisions. 00:30:21.930 --> 00:30:24.960 Like it was, it was really amazing to get to see that. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:28.710 And, and obviously now I, I'm not a part of Pearl 27 anymore. 00:30:29.310 --> 00:30:32.580 Uh, you know, I just, 'cause now I have the football gig, when that became 00:30:32.580 --> 00:30:34.290 full-time, I couldn't do both anymore. 00:30:34.290 --> 00:30:38.490 But Isaiah's still there, uh, doing business development for them along 00:30:38.490 --> 00:30:40.080 with doing the business stuff with me. 00:30:40.350 --> 00:30:45.180 Um, and so it's just like that, that's another relationship 00:30:45.630 --> 00:30:47.910 that started four years ago 00:30:47.966 --> 00:30:48.386 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:30:48.450 --> 00:30:51.030 Connor Pay: just went up to the guy and got his number and he helped 00:30:51.030 --> 00:30:52.770 set me up to be a pathway mentor. 00:30:52.770 --> 00:30:56.760 Now that led into, I know that if football or coaching doesn't 00:30:56.760 --> 00:30:59.370 work out, I could go to Matt and he would hire me in a heartbeat. 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:04.050 You know, and it's, and, uh, because he's seen what I've been able to do. 00:31:04.050 --> 00:31:08.700 And, um, and, you know, part, part of me, the, the entrepreneur in me 00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:12.600 is kind of bummed that I don't get to be a part of Pearl 27 anymore and 00:31:12.600 --> 00:31:15.360 be a part of the build and all the amazing things that they're doing. 00:31:15.360 --> 00:31:16.860 But, um. 00:31:17.520 --> 00:31:22.770 You know, it just, it goes back to, to that relationship piece and how, had no 00:31:22.770 --> 00:31:25.290 idea I'd ever end up in that situation. 00:31:25.650 --> 00:31:30.150 But God knew, and he gave me the impression in that team meeting four 00:31:30.150 --> 00:31:35.880 years ago to go and talk to Matt after and, and offer to, to help. 00:31:36.210 --> 00:31:41.250 And then that turned into a relationship that, uh, now is a 00:31:41.250 --> 00:31:42.630 great one on the business side. 00:31:42.630 --> 00:31:45.780 And he's on the board of our foundation helping us do things. 00:31:45.780 --> 00:31:48.990 And so it's, you know, you just, you never know. 00:31:49.586 --> 00:31:49.826 Jethro: Yeah. 00:31:49.826 --> 00:31:53.306 You really don't, and that's why it's so important to listen when the 00:31:53.306 --> 00:31:58.616 spirit whispers something as silly or simple as going up and talking to 00:31:58.616 --> 00:32:02.096 somebody after they gave a presentation in the room you're in, right? 00:32:02.370 --> 00:32:02.580 Connor Pay: Hmm. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:03.180 Right. 00:32:03.386 --> 00:32:05.181 Jethro: you not gone and talked to 'em then? 00:32:06.506 --> 00:32:10.676 Perhaps all these things would've still happened, but the reality is 00:32:10.796 --> 00:32:15.836 that you developed and deepened that relationship over time leading up to that. 00:32:15.836 --> 00:32:15.986 And 00:32:16.305 --> 00:32:16.515 Connor Pay: Hmm. 00:32:16.911 --> 00:32:18.206 Jethro: it, it is where it is. 00:32:18.206 --> 00:32:22.946 And again, we don't know what the future is gonna hold, but probably going to 00:32:22.946 --> 00:32:25.436 be some connection there in the future. 00:32:25.526 --> 00:32:26.036 And, 00:32:26.150 --> 00:32:26.440 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:32:26.666 --> 00:32:31.406 Jethro: you know, I'm not gonna go too deep into this, but I mentioned 00:32:31.406 --> 00:32:36.836 in a, in a message to you that I got a job in January and it is with a 00:32:36.836 --> 00:32:43.256 guy that I first met in 2016, and we have stayed in touch all this time. 00:32:43.556 --> 00:32:46.706 And then he was like, Hey, I think you'd be really good for this job. 00:32:46.976 --> 00:32:49.496 And he explained it to me and I was like, that sounds terrible. 00:32:49.616 --> 00:32:50.906 I don't think I would like that. 00:32:51.296 --> 00:32:53.606 And then he's like, well, let's just try it for a couple 00:32:53.606 --> 00:32:55.016 months and see what it's like. 00:32:55.346 --> 00:32:56.516 And so we did. 00:32:56.546 --> 00:32:58.136 And then it turns out I totally love it. 00:32:58.136 --> 00:32:59.516 And he saw in me. 00:32:59.861 --> 00:33:01.721 What I couldn't see in myself. 00:33:01.811 --> 00:33:05.891 And that's a, a beautiful thing because other people can 00:33:05.891 --> 00:33:07.211 see things that we can't see. 00:33:07.211 --> 00:33:09.791 And it was, it turned out to be a great thing. 00:33:09.911 --> 00:33:13.541 And I would've ne like, like you, I would've never thought that I'd be 00:33:13.541 --> 00:33:17.501 doing what I'm doing now and that I would actually enjoy it as much as I do. 00:33:17.771 --> 00:33:21.251 Because on the outside it sounds super boring, but on the inside 00:33:21.251 --> 00:33:24.611 it's like fascinating solving all these little tiny problems that 00:33:24.611 --> 00:33:25.811 you didn't even know existed. 00:33:25.841 --> 00:33:26.411 And, 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:27.360 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:33:27.401 --> 00:33:30.941 Jethro: and, that's the beauty of like building these relationships and like 00:33:30.941 --> 00:33:36.851 you said, ending each relationship on a positive note so that when, 'cause 00:33:36.851 --> 00:33:39.611 relationships really are never ended, I think is the point you're really trying 00:33:39.611 --> 00:33:44.051 to make, that they're gonna come back later and you're, you're going to have 00:33:44.051 --> 00:33:46.541 interactions with these people again. 00:33:46.601 --> 00:33:49.151 And when you do, you

want to be prepared 00:33:49.350 --> 00:33:50.070 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:33:50.711 --> 00:33:50.921 Jethro: yeah. 00:33:51.030 --> 00:33:53.220 Connor Pay: Can I share, can I share one more story 00:33:53.411 --> 00:33:53.981 Jethro: Please. 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:57.090 Connor Pay: since I kind of, I'm kind of using this podcast as an annual 00:33:57.090 --> 00:33:59.190 diary of my life too, you know, and, 00:33:59.576 --> 00:33:59.786 Jethro: Do 00:33:59.910 --> 00:34:00.510 Connor Pay: um, 00:34:00.596 --> 00:34:00.746 Jethro: it, 00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:04.530 Connor Pay: just, but it's in the same vein of just, you never know 00:34:04.530 --> 00:34:07.245 what's gonna happen with certain relationships, even with people that 00:34:07.620 --> 00:34:08.725 you never thought you'd ever know. 00:34:09.225 --> 00:34:09.285 I 00:34:09.386 --> 00:34:09.566 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:34:10.125 --> 00:34:13.185 Connor Pay: didn't think it you'd ever come in contact with. 00:34:13.695 --> 00:34:15.435 And that, that happened to me. 00:34:15.435 --> 00:34:18.345 And, uh, I don't remember, I don't remember if we talked about this on the 00:34:18.345 --> 00:34:20.295 podcast last year or not, I'm not sure. 00:34:20.295 --> 00:34:26.085 But during fall camp of my senior season in 2024, elder Raz Band came 00:34:26.805 --> 00:34:32.355 to practice, um, and spoke at the team meeting and was answering some questions 00:34:32.355 --> 00:34:34.275 about NIL and some things like that. 00:34:34.305 --> 00:34:37.995 'cause at that time, his assignment as an apostle was to oversee 00:34:37.995 --> 00:34:39.525 the church education system. 00:34:40.065 --> 00:34:44.205 And so he was kind of, uh, he, he was kind of indirectly involved. 00:34:44.205 --> 00:34:47.685 He oversaw a lot of things, but obviously he is not around on the day to day. 00:34:47.685 --> 00:34:52.515 But, um, so he just wanted to come in and, and talk to the team a little bit. 00:34:52.515 --> 00:34:58.155 And, uh, because we just had some issues at the end of 2023. 00:34:58.365 --> 00:35:03.735 And some, you know, there were some players who went public about, uh. 00:35:04.140 --> 00:35:07.440 You know, relationships with companies and their payouts and all this 00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:09.120 stuff, and it was just a disaster. 00:35:09.120 --> 00:35:13.260 And so I think, uh, I think RAs band wanted to come in and just be like, Hey, 00:35:13.410 --> 00:35:15.480 like, I'll, let me answer your questions. 00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:17.100 Like, we're gonna, we're gonna figure this out. 00:35:17.100 --> 00:35:20.010 And especially when things, it comes to money. 00:35:20.010 --> 00:35:23.520 BYU always is conservative and tries to do things the right way. 00:35:23.580 --> 00:35:25.440 And I think he just wanted to reiterate that. 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:28.350 But there was a lot of questions in that team meeting and he could tell 00:35:28.350 --> 00:35:31.920 that players were frustrated a little bit with how some things had been 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:35.160 handled, um, by the administration. 00:35:36.240 --> 00:35:41.130 And so he, I think he just wanted to talk to someone who was a veteran, you 00:35:41.130 --> 00:35:44.670 know, who had been around, who knew how BYU worked and all that stuff. 00:35:44.670 --> 00:35:50.220 And so he asked to have, uh, lunch with me after practice, uh, that day. 00:35:50.910 --> 00:35:52.740 Um, and so. 00:35:53.445 --> 00:35:57.495 I went and, uh, sat down and had lunch with him and he got to know 00:35:57.495 --> 00:36:00.165 me a little bit and he is like, Hey, I just wanted, he is like, this 00:36:00.165 --> 00:36:01.755 is your third year as a captain. 00:36:01.785 --> 00:36:02.505 You're a leader. 00:36:02.505 --> 00:36:03.735 You're a BYU guy. 00:36:03.735 --> 00:36:05.715 Your dad played here, all this stuff. 00:36:06.465 --> 00:36:11.685 Um, and he was like, I just, he's like, I just want to ask you some questions 00:36:11.685 --> 00:36:13.065 about how the guys are feeling. 00:36:13.845 --> 00:36:15.195 Um, and all that stuff. 00:36:15.195 --> 00:36:18.285 He just, I think he just wanted to get a pulse from the other end, you know? 00:36:18.315 --> 00:36:20.685 'cause all he hears is the perspective from the top. 00:36:21.045 --> 00:36:24.375 You know, the ad the president, they all report up to him, but I think he 00:36:24.375 --> 00:36:28.725 wanted to hear from people down at the bottom, uh, us you know, to see 00:36:28.725 --> 00:36:31.725 if, to see if what, what they were saying and what we were actually 00:36:31.725 --> 00:36:33.615 experiencing were synonymous or not. 00:36:34.515 --> 00:36:40.065 Uh, and so he ended up asking me some questions, some hard ones, um, you 00:36:40.065 --> 00:36:45.525 know, and, uh, about NIL and the future of BYU and kind of what I thought 00:36:45.585 --> 00:36:47.655 how BYU is doing on the NIL side. 00:36:47.655 --> 00:36:52.275 And, um, you know, and I, I had, I had. 00:36:53.265 --> 00:37:00.195 I have a tendency to, uh, to speak my mind, you know, and I had been vocal at 00:37:00.195 --> 00:37:04.635 times about me disagreeing with the way BY U'S Athletic Administration has ha 00:37:04.635 --> 00:37:07.515 had handled NIL in the football program. 00:37:07.515 --> 00:37:11.505 And there were some certain things that they were blocked for us so they could 00:37:11.505 --> 00:37:16.545 be given to basketball and some other stuff like that, that just, uh, we didn't 00:37:16.545 --> 00:37:21.285 feel like was fair since we bring in 90% of the revenue to BYU Athletics. 00:37:21.285 --> 00:37:25.155 And so I was, I, I asked him, I said, well, RAs Bank, can I just, can I 00:37:25.155 --> 00:37:26.595 have permission to speak freely? 00:37:26.775 --> 00:37:27.135 You know? 00:37:27.135 --> 00:37:29.595 And he was like, please, like, please do. 00:37:29.595 --> 00:37:34.965 And we ended up talking

for almost two and a half hours, just about all this stuff. 00:37:34.965 --> 00:37:39.735 And I, I, I told him about all the things that I, I, I aired my grievances, so to 00:37:39.735 --> 00:37:46.485 speak, with the administration and, and with the, uh, with the, uh, program. 00:37:46.695 --> 00:37:49.065 But then I also talked a lot about the stuff that I thought 00:37:49.065 --> 00:37:50.535 we were doing fantastic at. 00:37:50.561 --> 00:37:50.851 Jethro: Yeah. 00:37:51.285 --> 00:37:53.625 Connor Pay: Um, and how far BYU had come. 00:37:54.255 --> 00:37:59.085 Um, and then, you know, I thought that was the, uh, I thought that was it. 00:37:59.175 --> 00:38:01.725 I was like, you know, he just wanted to get a pulse on, on the 00:38:01.725 --> 00:38:03.225 team from a player's perspective. 00:38:03.225 --> 00:38:06.405 And, but he did say something to me at the end, 'cause I was, 00:38:06.525 --> 00:38:08.235 I wasn't afraid to be honest. 00:38:08.235 --> 00:38:11.715 And, and a little bit, um, negative with him. 00:38:11.715 --> 00:38:14.265 Like, Hey, there are some things I really think aren't going well. 00:38:15.015 --> 00:38:15.645 Uh, 00:38:16.001 --> 00:38:20.141 Jethro: He probably really valued that because somebody in his position likely 00:38:20.681 --> 00:38:25.061 gets told, you know, everything's rosy and we'll do whatever you 00:38:25.061 --> 00:38:26.711 say because you're an apostle and, 00:38:26.955 --> 00:38:27.795 Connor Pay: that's what he said. 00:38:28.215 --> 00:38:29.955 That's one of the most interesting things he said to me. 00:38:29.955 --> 00:38:31.665 He said, thank you for being honest. 00:38:32.385 --> 00:38:35.625 He said, that's one of the most difficult things about being an apostle. 00:38:35.685 --> 00:38:36.675 And I was like, what do you mean? 00:38:36.945 --> 00:38:38.235 He said, people lie to me. 00:38:38.326 --> 00:38:38.616 Jethro: yeah. 00:38:38.946 --> 00:38:39.296 Crazy 00:38:39.985 --> 00:38:41.310 Connor Pay: And I was like, wow. 00:38:41.310 --> 00:38:45.000 He's like, and he is like, I think it's because they're just, they're afraid of 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.560 my position or saying, being like, Hey, here's this thing I'm responsible for. 00:38:49.560 --> 00:38:50.850 It's really not going good. 00:38:51.240 --> 00:38:54.720 You know, I think people are afraid to say that to him because of his position. 00:38:55.260 --> 00:38:58.560 And that ended up turning into a fantastic relationship. 00:38:59.670 --> 00:39:06.060 Um, and a number of things happened after that, where a, after that conversation, 00:39:06.750 --> 00:39:12.420 Ella RAs band wanted some things changed and, you know, and, and, uh, I think 00:39:12.420 --> 00:39:14.760 the program just continues to improve. 00:39:14.820 --> 00:39:20.280 But then every time, every time, 'cause Razan, uh, tries to make it to as many 00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:22.380 of our games as he can when he's in town. 00:39:22.500 --> 00:39:28.260 Uh, or sometimes when he gets lucky, he'll get sent on a assignment to 00:39:28.260 --> 00:39:32.040 come to a leadership conference or something in the same place that 00:39:32.040 --> 00:39:33.600 we're playing at an away game. 00:39:33.671 --> 00:39:34.061 Jethro: awesome. 00:39:34.215 --> 00:39:37.335 Connor Pay: so occasionally he'll be at the hotel and we're in an away game. 00:39:37.335 --> 00:39:42.045 And he always, ever since then, he always sought me out and wanted to 00:39:42.045 --> 00:39:44.235 check up on me and on my family. 00:39:44.745 --> 00:39:48.165 And, uh, it ended up turning into a real friendship. 00:39:48.525 --> 00:39:54.615 Um, and you know, it, I was communicating with him almost weekly and uh, you 00:39:54.615 --> 00:39:57.945 know, got to the point too where my brother, my younger brother, my youngest 00:39:57.945 --> 00:40:02.595 brother was really struggling with the decision of whether to graduate 00:40:02.595 --> 00:40:08.595 early and serve a mission or to see the rest of his senior year out, play 00:40:08.595 --> 00:40:11.085 baseball and some stuff like that. 00:40:11.085 --> 00:40:15.465 And then go, um, or even to go play football for a year 00:40:15.615 --> 00:40:16.845 and then go on his mission. 00:40:16.845 --> 00:40:18.795 He just was having a really hard time with it. 00:40:19.365 --> 00:40:22.515 And, uh, Al Razan invited him up to his office. 00:40:22.995 --> 00:40:26.565 Um, and so my little brother and I got to go up to Salt Lake. 00:40:27.060 --> 00:40:29.790 And go sit down with all the RAs band and Austin gotta sit there and 00:40:29.790 --> 00:40:34.710 just ask him questions about how to, how to find answers to prayer 00:40:35.100 --> 00:40:36.990 and, you know, receive revelation. 00:40:36.990 --> 00:40:41.040 And he, 'cause he didn't know what to do and it was, it, it was pretty awesome. 00:40:41.040 --> 00:40:42.330 Like, who gets to do that? 00:40:42.390 --> 00:40:45.720 You know, like, who gets to go sit, take their little brother to go sit 00:40:45.720 --> 00:40:47.640 in an apostle's office so he can help 00:40:47.801 --> 00:40:48.091 Jethro: Yeah. 00:40:48.180 --> 00:40:49.800 Connor Pay: answers to his life questions, 00:40:50.591 --> 00:40:51.071 Jethro: So 00:40:51.090 --> 00:40:51.750 Connor Pay: you know, and 00:40:52.181 --> 00:40:54.761 Jethro: I, want to come back to the NIL stuff in a minute, but on 00:40:54.761 --> 00:40:57.791 that topic, what was your takeaway? 00:40:57.791 --> 00:41:00.761 Not what did Elder Raban say to your brother, but what was 00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:01.140 Connor Pay: mm-hmm. 00:41:02.111 --> 00:41:05.621 Jethro: from that conversation about receiving revelation for yourself? 00:41:06.720 --> 00:41:12.540 Connor Pay: Um, I, for me, I think the biggest takeaways were to 00:41:12.690 --> 00:41:15.600 trust your immediate impressions. 00:41:16.410 --> 00:41:20.640 Um, and 'cause one of the

things that he shared with my brother that really 00:41:20.640 --> 00:41:26.040 resonated with me was that a lot of times we get caught in this cycle of, I felt it. 00:41:26.430 --> 00:41:27.810 Ooh, I think, Ooh. 00:41:27.810 --> 00:41:28.710 But then I'm not sure. 00:41:28.901 --> 00:41:29.411 Jethro: yeah. 00:41:29.460 --> 00:41:32.130 Connor Pay: And then, and then we get caught in this spiral of, 00:41:32.220 --> 00:41:34.260 of Yes, no, maybe, I don't know. 00:41:34.290 --> 00:41:34.560 Yes. 00:41:34.560 --> 00:41:35.610 Again, I don't know. 00:41:36.240 --> 00:41:41.550 And he is, he's like, look, um, similar to the way Elder Bednar 00:41:41.550 --> 00:41:44.970 teaches it, or he is like, whether it's me or the Holy Ghost and other 00:41:44.970 --> 00:41:46.950 Bednar says, stop worrying about it. 00:41:46.961 --> 00:41:47.261 Jethro: Yep. 00:41:47.850 --> 00:41:49.800 Connor Pay: You know, if it's, if you feel like it's a good 00:41:49.800 --> 00:41:51.090 thing, it's the right thing. 00:41:51.480 --> 00:41:54.690 That doesn't always mean it's gonna be an easy thing, right. 00:41:54.690 --> 00:41:55.740 But he is like, go with it. 00:41:56.250 --> 00:41:57.180 He's like, go with it. 00:41:57.180 --> 00:42:02.640 And so, um, the one thing I appreciated too is he didn't influence, try to 00:42:02.700 --> 00:42:04.680 influence Austin in one way or another. 00:42:05.580 --> 00:42:08.940 Um, especially like, 'cause Austin was still undecided on what 00:42:08.940 --> 00:42:10.380 school he was gonna go play at. 00:42:10.380 --> 00:42:15.540 And at the time he was headed to Oregon, he had had a really good experience there. 00:42:16.080 --> 00:42:21.150 Um, and uh, you know, I think in his mind they were number one at that moment. 00:42:22.140 --> 00:42:24.635 But Raz Band didn't even talk about BYU with him. 00:42:24.915 --> 00:42:25.965 Yeah, really. 00:42:25.965 --> 00:42:31.605 And, and, uh, he, he just talked about what he felt like the values of 00:42:31.605 --> 00:42:35.055 a mission were, and you know, what, how it could make Austin a better 00:42:35.055 --> 00:42:38.265 athlete, a better football player, which has been my experience, you know? 00:42:38.265 --> 00:42:41.445 So I agreed with all that, but just, it was cool to see. 00:42:41.445 --> 00:42:49.395 And then he gave us both copies, um, of his book, uh, and to be not afraid. 00:42:50.625 --> 00:42:56.265 And, uh, I think Austin, even though it's not like Austin asked directly, 00:42:56.265 --> 00:42:57.765 like, elder Raban, you're an apostle. 00:42:57.765 --> 00:43:03.015 Tell me what to do, you know, he, he, uh, to, to my little brother's credit, 00:43:03.045 --> 00:43:06.495 he wanted to know how to actually do it. 00:43:07.185 --> 00:43:11.265 He didn't just want someone to feed him an answer, and, but he came away 00:43:11.265 --> 00:43:15.165 after that conversation, pretty settled on what he felt like he should do. 00:43:15.915 --> 00:43:17.565 Um, and. 00:43:18.300 --> 00:43:22.800 You know, it was just, it was just cool to where it's like, even, even when we're not 00:43:22.860 --> 00:43:27.270 talking directly about a specific thing, if you can just put yourself in situations 00:43:27.270 --> 00:43:30.960 where the Holy Ghost can be present, all of a sudden you might get answers to 00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:32.520 things you weren't even thinking about. 00:43:33.611 --> 00:43:33.831 Jethro: Yep. 00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:36.000 Connor Pay: Um, and that, that happens to me all the time. 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:39.510 It's one of the, uh, it's one of the reasons why I love the temple. 00:43:39.961 --> 00:43:40.181 Jethro: Yep. 00:43:40.200 --> 00:43:42.990 Connor Pay: It's like I can go sit in the celestial room and I could be 00:43:42.990 --> 00:43:48.210 praying about some challenge or topic, and that I isn't completely unrelated 00:43:48.240 --> 00:43:50.130 to the answer I get occasionally. 00:43:51.570 --> 00:43:54.780 It's been very rare for me, at least for me, and may, maybe 00:43:54.780 --> 00:43:56.130 this is a lapse on my part. 00:43:56.130 --> 00:43:57.360 Maybe I'm just not good at it. 00:43:57.420 --> 00:44:01.320 But, um, it's very rare for me to sit down, pray about something, 00:44:01.320 --> 00:44:02.580 and then just receive an answer. 00:44:03.930 --> 00:44:05.370 Like, oh, yep, this is what I should do. 00:44:05.370 --> 00:44:07.350 For me, it's like, it's, it's a process. 00:44:07.680 --> 00:44:12.450 It's laying out options and, and, uh, it's, and that was 00:44:12.450 --> 00:44:13.800 all the rasp band's advice too. 00:44:13.800 --> 00:44:17.280 Like, it's like, look, the Lord, the Lord expects you to do some work too. 00:44:18.375 --> 00:44:22.035 Like, it's, it's, it's, you know, it's like that scripture in the, in the 00:44:22.035 --> 00:44:27.255 doctrine and covenants, you know, that talks about to, to, you know, uh, play it 00:44:27.255 --> 00:44:29.115 out in your mind and think things through. 00:44:29.115 --> 00:44:31.545 Then ask me if it be right. 00:44:31.545 --> 00:44:34.755 And so, um, he was like, go, go through the options. 00:44:34.771 --> 00:44:35.191 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:44:35.445 --> 00:44:37.365 Connor Pay: what you think's good or bad about each one. 00:44:38.085 --> 00:44:41.415 See, see how it feels, and then take those feelings to the Lord, 00:44:41.595 --> 00:44:44.835 you know, and then he can help, he can help give you the final nudge 00:44:45.086 --> 00:44:45.446 Jethro: Yep. 00:44:45.495 --> 00:44:46.035 Connor Pay: you need. 00:44:46.035 --> 00:44:48.135 And that, that was one of my biggest takeaways. 00:44:48.236 --> 00:44:48.506 Jethro: Yeah. 00:44:48.506 --> 00:44:50.126 So, uh, two things on that. 00:44:50.126 --> 00:44:54.986 Number one, uh, the, the receiving revelation part of. 00:44:56.571 --> 00:45:00.326 A ask the question and be ready for the answer. 00:45:00.956 -->

00:45:04.946 Even when you asked the question three months ago and the questions 00:45:04.946 --> 00:45:08.546 coming now, when you're, when you're looking for the answer to a different 00:45:08.546 --> 00:45:10.466 question, that's a very real thing. 00:45:10.466 --> 00:45:14.846 And that happens to me all the time too, where a lot of times with, with these 00:45:14.846 --> 00:45:19.166 questions that are right in front of us, we probably already know what to do. 00:45:19.526 --> 00:45:23.366 And so there's something else that we, that we need guidance on 00:45:23.366 --> 00:45:27.776 that that is not the thing that we think we really need guidance on. 00:45:28.166 --> 00:45:31.811 And, and it's really fascinating how that has happened. 00:45:31.811 --> 00:45:38.726 And just briefly for me, uh, a lot of that ha has been around how to support 00:45:38.726 --> 00:45:44.426 my kids and help my kids when they're dealing with something that I will get 00:45:44.756 --> 00:45:47.216 an answer to, something that they need. 00:45:47.696 --> 00:45:48.926 When it's right for them. 00:45:49.106 --> 00:45:51.866 Not necessarily when, when it's right for me. 00:45:51.986 --> 00:45:54.776 And, and that's a, that's an interesting thing too. 00:45:54.776 --> 00:46:01.196 And then the second piece of, of Austin not, not going in and saying, tell me what 00:46:01.196 --> 00:46:03.716 to do, but help me know how to do this. 00:46:03.866 --> 00:46:09.986 Just think about how many guys girls and, and people Austin's gonna be able to share 00:46:09.986 --> 00:46:14.996 that experience with later in life and how powerful that's gonna be for all of them. 00:46:14.996 --> 00:46:20.486 I think that, that, that idea of ministering to the one that 00:46:20.486 --> 00:46:23.786 our church leaders talk about, that's what it's all about. 00:46:23.816 --> 00:46:30.686 And, you know, elder RAs band that because this was a person that needed something. 00:46:30.686 --> 00:46:33.956 I'm sure Elder RAs band has turned down opportunities where people 00:46:33.956 --> 00:46:35.276 have said, I need some advice. 00:46:35.606 --> 00:46:37.826 And he is like, ah, I, I just can't do it. 00:46:38.156 --> 00:46:38.816 And for 00:46:38.855 --> 00:46:38.975 Connor Pay: Hmm. 00:46:39.206 --> 00:46:43.256 Jethro: reason, he, he also, I'm sure, felt that he needed to 00:46:43.256 --> 00:46:46.166 do this for Austin and for you. 00:46:46.680 --> 00:46:47.010 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:46:47.081 --> 00:46:47.771 Jethro: what end? 00:46:47.801 --> 00:46:51.851 We don't know, but, I'm sure the, the Lord's hand was in that also. 00:46:53.070 --> 00:46:57.190 Connor Pay: Well, I think you know what's interesting is now as now Elda, Razan 00:46:57.190 --> 00:47:02.490 and I have grown close, I've spent more time with him around the other, uh. 00:47:03.105 --> 00:47:04.695 Quorum of the 12 members. 00:47:05.265 --> 00:47:07.995 And it's interesting, as I've watched them interact with people, 00:47:07.995 --> 00:47:11.415 very rarely do they give people direct answers to their questions. 00:47:11.415 --> 00:47:13.035 They always teach principles. 00:47:14.475 --> 00:47:16.695 That's, that's something that I've, I've noticed. 00:47:16.725 --> 00:47:20.175 Now, obviously if it's, if it's a simple question and stuff, then 00:47:20.175 --> 00:47:21.375 they'll give a straight answer. 00:47:21.375 --> 00:47:25.335 But a lot of times with the deeper life questions, they'll give, they give 00:47:25.335 --> 00:47:30.285 either advice from their own experience, like, 'cause a lot of 'em, they've, I 00:47:30.285 --> 00:47:31.755 mean, look, they're all fricking old. 00:47:31.905 --> 00:47:35.175 Like they've, they've been around the block a few times, you know, and like 00:47:35.175 --> 00:47:38.775 they've, they've experienced a lot of things, a lot of hard things, most of 'em. 00:47:39.705 --> 00:47:46.065 Um, and, uh, um, to hear them share their experience, like, this 00:47:46.065 --> 00:47:48.105 is, this is what's worked for me. 00:47:48.465 --> 00:47:53.325 But it, it always seems to be like, they always teach principles, you know, 00:47:53.325 --> 00:47:55.725 because, because principles can be applied 00:47:55.886 --> 00:47:56.486 Jethro: Yes. 00:47:56.505 --> 00:47:58.545 Connor Pay: situation in your life. 00:47:58.635 --> 00:48:02.175 A one, a direct answer, can't. 00:48:02.456 --> 00:48:02.786 Jethro: Yeah. 00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:06.180 Connor Pay: applied to every situation in your life, but a concept can. 00:48:07.050 --> 00:48:12.990 Um, and so that's one of the things that I hate about school, to be honest, is, 00:48:13.080 --> 00:48:17.310 is it, uh, it forces people into boxes 00:48:17.366 --> 00:48:17.666 Jethro: Yep. 00:48:18.150 --> 00:48:19.740 Connor Pay: that there's only one right answer. 00:48:19.740 --> 00:48:23.010 And I get it In certain situations like math and the sciences and all 00:48:23.010 --> 00:48:27.660 that, like, yes, there is, there is one right answer, but for 90% of the 00:48:27.660 --> 00:48:31.020 other things, it's like, no, we need to teach correct concepts that can be 00:48:31.020 --> 00:48:34.740 applied across a variety of situations. 00:48:34.740 --> 00:48:35.940 Like that's real learning 00:48:36.086 --> 00:48:36.536 Jethro: Yeah. 00:48:36.900 --> 00:48:38.880 Connor Pay: that's real teaching if you can do that. 00:48:39.060 --> 00:48:43.560 Um, and that's how they teach and it's been pretty remarkable to see. 00:48:43.560 --> 00:48:46.020 And um, that's exactly what he did. 00:48:46.020 --> 00:48:50.880 I, I asked him to be, uh, the sealer at me and Mallory's wedding and so 00:48:50.910 --> 00:48:52.860 he, uh, he sealed my wife and me. 00:48:53.126 --> 00:48:53.246 Jethro: It's 00:48:53.580 --> 00:48:56.610 Connor Pay: Um, and we got to spend, uh, some time together in 00:48:56.610 --> 00:49:00.810 the celestial room beforehand, and

he took us into an endowment room 00:49:00.815 --> 00:49:02.430 and, and taught us a little bit. 00:49:02.430 --> 00:49:05.970 And then, and then he, uh, even in the ceiling room, he 00:49:06.810 --> 00:49:08.460 peppered me with a few questions. 00:49:08.490 --> 00:49:11.460 So that was in front of everybody, in front of all our guests. 00:49:11.460 --> 00:49:12.450 So that was joyful. 00:49:12.626 --> 00:49:13.016 Jethro: a lot. 00:49:13.230 --> 00:49:17.340 Connor Pay: Um, but, uh, even then he taught, he taught 00:49:17.340 --> 00:49:19.080 from the family proclamation 00:49:19.301 --> 00:49:19.721 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:49:19.920 --> 00:49:23.700 Connor Pay: in our temple ceiling in front of everyone to see and teaching 00:49:23.700 --> 00:49:28.050 about marriage and unity and, and you know, what it means to be equal partners. 00:49:28.136 --> 00:49:28.556 Jethro: Yeah. 00:49:29.610 --> 00:49:33.510 Connor Pay: and it was really, it was pretty amazing, uh, to, to get, to have 00:49:33.510 --> 00:49:34.920 that, and get to be taught in that way. 00:49:34.920 --> 00:49:37.140 But again, even in that moment, he taught concepts. 00:49:37.316 --> 00:49:37.556 Jethro: Yeah. 00:49:37.650 --> 00:49:41.640 Connor Pay: You know, he didn't tell us how to make our marriage perfect, right? 00:49:41.640 --> 00:49:43.830 He said, here are some principles that can make it great, 00:49:44.096 --> 00:49:44.486 Jethro: Yeah. 00:49:44.640 --> 00:49:45.450 Connor Pay: know, and, uh. 00:49:46.020 --> 00:49:47.220 And then it was actually pretty cool. 00:49:47.220 --> 00:49:50.730 He highlighted those sections, he dated it, and then he signed that 00:49:50.730 --> 00:49:52.770 family proclamation and gave it to us. 00:49:52.770 --> 00:49:56.010 And so we're gonna be able to frame it and have that forever. 00:49:56.010 --> 00:49:56.370 So 00:49:56.786 --> 00:49:57.266 Jethro: Yeah. 00:49:57.390 --> 00:50:02.250 Connor Pay: anyways, just, but again, it's like never in a million years would 00:50:02.250 --> 00:50:07.500 I ever thought I should or would have a relationship with an apostle of the Lord. 00:50:08.130 --> 00:50:09.240 And then here we are. 00:50:09.420 --> 00:50:13.410 I consider him a close friend, and he just sealed my wife and I just a, a 00:50:13.410 --> 00:50:17.640 month and a half ago, you know, and I guess two months ago today, actually, 00:50:17.640 --> 00:50:19.020 it's our two month anniversary. 00:50:19.260 --> 00:50:21.480 But, uh, um, 00:50:21.506 --> 00:50:22.316 Jethro: here you are with me. 00:50:22.410 --> 00:50:22.860 Connor Pay: you know, yeah, 00:50:23.096 --> 00:50:23.966 Jethro: I'm sorry, Mallory. 00:50:23.966 --> 00:50:24.686 I didn't know. 00:50:25.230 --> 00:50:28.890 Connor Pay: no, she's, I, I would've, uh, I would've brought her on and had her chat 00:50:28.890 --> 00:50:30.660 too, so we could kind of do this together. 00:50:30.746 --> 00:50:31.166 Jethro: Yeah. 00:50:31.200 --> 00:50:33.870 Connor Pay: she, uh, she's actually sick today, unfortunately. 00:50:33.870 --> 00:50:36.330 So hopefully she's, hopefully she's laying in bed. 00:50:36.420 --> 00:50:36.720 But, 00:50:36.761 --> 00:50:37.151 Jethro: kidding. 00:50:37.361 --> 00:50:38.201 Well, in 00:50:38.280 --> 00:50:38.970 Connor Pay: anyways. 00:50:39.011 --> 00:50:40.841 Jethro: want to have her join, then that, I'm 00:50:40.920 --> 00:50:41.190 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:50:41.220 --> 00:50:43.950 Next, next year is we for will, for sure will. 00:50:43.980 --> 00:50:46.140 'cause now we're doing this together, right? 00:50:46.170 --> 00:50:49.710 This isn't, it's not my, it's not my decade, never to be forgotten. 00:50:49.710 --> 00:50:50.640 It's ours. 00:50:50.700 --> 00:50:51.120 So 00:50:51.341 --> 00:50:52.661 Jethro: that's the right way to think about it. 00:50:52.991 --> 00:50:55.781 Um, so we will get to Mallory in a moment, but I do 00:50:55.890 --> 00:50:56.280 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:50:56.321 --> 00:50:57.911 Jethro: to the NIL thing because 00:50:58.290 --> 00:50:58.470 Connor Pay: Sure. 00:50:58.601 --> 00:51:02.921 Jethro: has certainly changed how college sports are played. 00:51:02.921 --> 00:51:07.391 And you are now in a, in a role where you are involved in that 00:51:07.391 --> 00:51:08.771 'cause you're involved in recruiting. 00:51:09.551 --> 00:51:20.711 are, what are some of the, the, the ways that you either to manage that, uh, Well, 00:51:20.711 --> 00:51:27.251 or how you teach guys now to manage that Well, and, and what, what that looks like. 00:51:27.251 --> 00:51:30.131 'cause it used to be that if, so, like I, I have a friend 00:51:30.131 --> 00:51:31.721 who is a collegiate athlete at. 00:51:32.561 --> 00:51:33.851 this school that's red. 00:51:33.911 --> 00:51:39.761 And she, she was, uh, track and she told us about how she was eating 00:51:39.761 --> 00:51:43.601 ramen noodles basically, uh, all the time because she had no money. 00:51:43.931 --> 00:51:48.521 And she got a scholarship and had room and board, but then didn't have anything else. 00:51:48.521 --> 00:51:51.461 And you actually, I think, have lived on both ends of that, 00:51:51.950 --> 00:51:52.425 Connor Pay: I have, 00:51:52.871 --> 00:51:54.311 Jethro: pre and post NIL. 00:51:54.311 --> 00:51:54.731 So 00:51:55.515 --> 00:51:55.935 Connor Pay: well, 00:51:56.021 --> 00:51:56.951 Jethro: a big, a big 00:51:57.110 --> 00:51:57.230 Connor Pay: I 00:51:57.251 --> 00:51:58.781 Jethro: So talk to me about that and 00:51:58.875 --> 00:52:00.795 Connor Pay: sure it is a big change. 00:52:00.825 --> 00:52:02.055 It's even bigger now. 00:52:02.115 --> 00:52:05.955 It's even bigger now that rev revenue share is a part of the deal. 00:52:05.955 --> 00:52:08.565 So I only had one year of that piece of it. 00:52:08.741 --> 00:52:09.311 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:52:09.855 --> 00:52:15.375 Connor Pay: but, uh, you know, and I, I'm sure our situation

is still a lot better 00:52:15.825 --> 00:52:20.115 than your friends was, you know, like our, our, our schooling and books were 00:52:20.115 --> 00:52:26.025 paid for, and then we got a $2,000 a month stipend while we were on scholarship for, 00:52:26.025 --> 00:52:28.455 for rent and whatever else we needed. 00:52:28.455 --> 00:52:31.395 Which, you know, for a college student most of the time with 00:52:31.395 --> 00:52:32.470 roommates, like that was plenty. 00:52:32.876 --> 00:52:33.206 Jethro: Yeah. 00:52:33.296 --> 00:52:33.536 No 00:52:33.780 --> 00:52:37.710 Connor Pay: Um, but now in the world of NIL, we've got guys making a hundred, 00:52:37.710 --> 00:52:43.530 200, 300, 800, $900,000 a year, you know, and, and the, the top of the top 00:52:43.530 --> 00:52:48.990 in college football in the millions, you know, and, and, uh, you know, as, as, as 00:52:48.990 --> 00:52:52.770 a player, like, I'm, I'm very, I'm very glad it's happening, you know, because 00:52:52.770 --> 00:52:54.330 I do feel like the players deserve it. 00:52:54.330 --> 00:52:58.200 I do think there needs to be a little bit of regulation just 00:52:58.200 --> 00:53:01.320 to, just to keep everyone on the same sort of playing field. 00:53:01.830 --> 00:53:07.140 But, uh, I think the players, you know, according to their marketability, should 00:53:07.140 --> 00:53:08.670 be able to make as much as they can. 00:53:08.670 --> 00:53:08.880 And, 00:53:08.921 --> 00:53:09.341 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:53:09.450 --> 00:53:12.870 Connor Pay: know, it's been a billion dollar industry for decades, and yet 00:53:12.870 --> 00:53:17.400 they wanted it to be amateurism while the, while the NCAA lined their pockets. 00:53:17.430 --> 00:53:19.770 So, um, but it's okay. 00:53:19.770 --> 00:53:20.820 We sued them and we won. 00:53:20.831 --> 00:53:21.191 Jethro: There 00:53:21.270 --> 00:53:22.470 Connor Pay: Uh, but 00:53:22.481 --> 00:53:23.921 Jethro: like, right now we're in the middle of the 00:53:23.921 --> 00:53:25.901 basketball transfer portal, and 00:53:25.950 --> 00:53:26.400 Connor Pay: Oh, yeah. 00:53:26.651 --> 00:53:31.031 Jethro: like almost everybody from the BYU basketball team has entered the portal. 00:53:31.035 --> 00:53:31.455 Connor Pay: Mm-hmm. 00:53:32.111 --> 00:53:35.831 Jethro: Rob Wright that I'm aware of is the only one who's come back right now. 00:53:36.225 --> 00:53:36.555 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:53:36.611 --> 00:53:40.961 Jethro: but I mean, to me, and I, I don't have any inside information. 00:53:40.961 --> 00:53:43.481 I'm not asking you to give any inside information, but 00:53:43.545 --> 00:53:43.845 Connor Pay: Mm-hmm. 00:53:43.871 --> 00:53:48.311 Jethro: like it'd be crazy to not put your name in the portal if you 00:53:48.311 --> 00:53:53.231 could possibly go out and get a, a better deal, especially if you don't 00:53:53.235 --> 00:53:53.625 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:53:53.741 --> 00:53:55.181 Jethro: gonna go pro like 00:53:56.055 --> 00:53:56.565 Connor Pay: No, no. 00:53:56.565 --> 00:54:00.165 And I, I, to be honest, everyone gets frustrated and everyone gets mad and 00:54:00.735 --> 00:54:04.095 about guys entering the portal and like, look, you won't find a guy that 00:54:04.095 --> 00:54:06.555 bleeds deeper blue and BYU than me. 00:54:06.611 --> 00:54:06.851 Jethro: Uhhuh. 00:54:07.185 --> 00:54:09.705 Connor Pay: But it's like, look, especially for those players where it's 00:54:09.825 --> 00:54:14.865 like, I, I don't think, and the NFL is my future, there's, there's a legitimate 00:54:14.865 --> 00:54:18.705 chance of a very high likelihood that these players will never make this 00:54:18.705 --> 00:54:20.715 amount of money ever again in their life. 00:54:20.761 --> 00:54:21.051 Jethro: Yeah. 00:54:22.005 --> 00:54:25.185 Connor Pay: It's like, I mean, you could, you could be, if you're, if 00:54:25.185 --> 00:54:29.295 you're a, a starter, a returning starter power for offensive line. 00:54:30.180 --> 00:54:35.670 You're gonna be making anywhere from 200 to $750,000 a year. 00:54:37.050 --> 00:54:41.280 Go ask anyone of their former teammates who's making anywhere 00:54:41.280 --> 00:54:45.540 near that, even 10 years into their career, almost none of them. 00:54:45.561 --> 00:54:45.851 Jethro: Yeah. 00:54:46.470 --> 00:54:49.530 Connor Pay: And so it's like, for me, like I, I totally get it. 00:54:49.530 --> 00:54:56.460 And I'm, I am, uh, you know, I do think BYU is a little nuanced in that 00:54:56.460 --> 00:55:03.090 area because I do think the value of BYU as it represents more than most 00:55:03.090 --> 00:55:07.170 other college places, I do think that accounts for something and BYU 00:55:07.170 --> 00:55:08.490 is not gonna be the highest bidder. 00:55:09.060 --> 00:55:13.140 Um, so I know basketball's not necessarily following that model right now, but, 00:55:13.740 --> 00:55:18.780 um, at least in the football program, you know, like our philosophy is, uh, is 00:55:19.080 --> 00:55:20.640 like, look, we're gonna be competitive. 00:55:20.640 --> 00:55:25.320 Like, like B-Y-U-B-Y-U is, is willing to be competitive. 00:55:26.160 --> 00:55:29.340 But it's like you gotta understand that representing and getting to 00:55:29.340 --> 00:55:33.540 play at BYU and everything that BYU brings to your life, that's value too. 00:55:34.380 --> 00:55:36.990 And so it's like, look, you might make a couple hundred thousand 00:55:36.990 --> 00:55:40.590 dollars less at BYU than you would at some other school, but it's like, 00:55:40.590 --> 00:55:41.880 what are you getting in return? 00:55:42.206 --> 00:55:42.496 Jethro: Yeah. 00:55:43.170 --> 00:55:45.960 Connor Pay: You know, the type of people and coaches you gotta be, get 00:55:45.960 --> 00:55:49.710 to play with and be coached by the network you're building at BYU, which 00:55:49.710 --> 00:55:51.840 I think is elite, in my opinion. 00:55:51.840 --> 00:55:52.500

Elite. 00:55:53.250 --> 00:55:57.480 Um, you know, especially if you're a latter day saint, getting to have 00:55:57.480 --> 00:55:59.220 that mixed into your education. 00:56:00.090 --> 00:56:04.020 There are plenty, there are plenty of latter day saint players on our team who 00:56:04.020 --> 00:56:07.890 started at other schools and just hearing them talk about it, how it's like, you 00:56:07.890 --> 00:56:11.070 know, it was really fun to play at a big time program somewhere else or some 00:56:11.070 --> 00:56:12.570 other things, but it wasn't the same. 00:56:13.380 --> 00:56:17.460 It's not the same as BYU and they ended up back here because they value it 00:56:17.460 --> 00:56:22.200 and they want it, even though frankly, a few of those guys probably could 00:56:22.200 --> 00:56:23.760 go make more money somewhere else. 00:56:24.480 --> 00:56:29.220 And that, that was my experience, you know, my last year there's 00:56:29.520 --> 00:56:33.570 teams find very unique ways to tamper, you know, and it's, uh, 00:56:33.581 --> 00:56:34.421 Jethro: gonna say, I bet that is 00:56:34.740 --> 00:56:39.900 Connor Pay: um, I, I got my, but my junior year, after my sophomore year 00:56:39.930 --> 00:56:43.560 when NIL was first became a thing, and after my junior year headed into my 00:56:43.560 --> 00:56:48.900 senior year, I got multiple offers from other schools to transfer for a lot 00:56:48.900 --> 00:56:50.850 more money than I was making at BYU. 00:56:51.180 --> 00:56:54.510 And the way they did it was through my brother and my dad. 00:56:54.596 --> 00:56:54.886 Jethro: Yeah. 00:56:55.080 --> 00:56:57.690 Connor Pay: So, like, you know, my brother would go on a recruiting visit 00:56:57.900 --> 00:57:00.840 somewhere, and then they'd ask, oh, how's your, how's your older son doing? 00:57:00.900 --> 00:57:02.250 Is he happy at BYU? 00:57:02.630 --> 00:57:04.650 You know, asking questions like that. 00:57:04.650 --> 00:57:05.550 And it's like, oh, interesting. 00:57:05.550 --> 00:57:08.880 It's like, Hey, we have a certain amount of money for him if he's interested. 00:57:09.176 --> 00:57:09.596 Jethro: Yeah. 00:57:09.780 --> 00:57:12.810 Connor Pay: And you, I hear some of those numbers and I'm like, oh, 00:57:13.500 --> 00:57:15.090 like that's a, that's a big deal. 00:57:15.261 --> 00:57:15.681 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 00:57:15.960 --> 00:57:20.520 Connor Pay: but for me, finishing what I started and my commitment 00:57:20.520 --> 00:57:22.170 to Kalani and the program. 00:57:22.680 --> 00:57:25.770 Outweighed those dollar amounts for me at least. 00:57:25.770 --> 00:57:29.460 And, and don't get me wrong, my senior year I was well taken care of. 00:57:29.970 --> 00:57:34.530 Like, it'll, it'll probably be a while as a coach before I, I get to the 00:57:34.530 --> 00:57:36.420 amount of money that I made as a senior. 00:57:36.840 --> 00:57:41.670 It's not, uh, it's not anywhere near now that full Rev shares kicked in 00:57:42.000 --> 00:57:44.460 what these guys are making, uh, now. 00:57:44.460 --> 00:57:47.790 And so I love to make fun of 'em now, you know, and Coach, coach 00:57:47.790 --> 00:57:49.170 Woods loves to make fun of me too. 00:57:49.170 --> 00:57:50.790 Like, oh, if you had one more year, 00:57:50.816 --> 00:57:51.146 Jethro: Yeah, 00:57:51.270 --> 00:57:53.220 Connor Pay: you know, and full rev share kicked in, you could 00:57:53.220 --> 00:57:54.150 have made a lot more money. 00:57:54.210 --> 00:57:57.960 But I, I got really blessed, kind of going back to the original question 00:57:57.960 --> 00:57:59.340 about how I managed all that. 00:58:00.570 --> 00:58:03.660 I was really blessed to have some great mentors. 00:58:04.410 --> 00:58:05.010 Um. 00:58:05.445 --> 00:58:09.165 And one of 'em, when I first got to B-Y-U-B-Y u's, they, the 00:58:09.165 --> 00:58:12.225 athletic department has an alumni program where you can come and 00:58:12.225 --> 00:58:14.235 be a mentor for current athletes. 00:58:14.235 --> 00:58:18.795 And I met Markel Sta, I don't know if that name rings a bell. 00:58:18.910 --> 00:58:23.025 He, he played outside backer in the early to mid two thousands. 00:58:23.625 --> 00:58:27.825 Um, played for the Eagles for a short time, but he was the CEO of a 00:58:27.855 --> 00:58:30.105 financial firm called Roven Capital. 00:58:30.885 --> 00:58:35.475 Um, he got assigned to me as a mentor and started teaching me about that world. 00:58:35.955 --> 00:58:41.745 Um, and so he helped me build a budget and go through all these other things. 00:58:41.745 --> 00:58:45.855 He helped, he helped walk me through investments and Roth IRAs 00:58:45.855 --> 00:58:50.355 and all this stuff and how much I could maximize it, um, at my age. 00:58:50.775 --> 00:58:53.385 Uh, and he, he walked me through all the math of like, look, if 00:58:53.385 --> 00:58:57.290 you can put just like a hundred, $200 a month in to a Roth, IRA. 00:58:58.110 --> 00:59:02.400 At age 20 versus starting at age 25, it's worth hundreds of thousands of 00:59:02.400 --> 00:59:06.720 dollars more in retirement, you know, and I, I hadn't had anybody walk me 00:59:06.720 --> 00:59:12.480 through that, you know, and so I, I left when I left BY or not when I left BYU. 00:59:12.750 --> 00:59:15.840 You know, guys are always thinking like, oh, it's not enough. 00:59:15.960 --> 00:59:16.890 It's just scholarship. 00:59:16.890 --> 00:59:23.760 It's like Markel had me, I had $30,000 in investments when NIL first started 00:59:24.086 --> 00:59:24.621 Jethro: There you go. 00:59:24.870 --> 00:59:26.400 Connor Pay: just off my stipend, 00:59:26.431 --> 00:59:26.721 Jethro: Yeah. 00:59:27.510 --> 00:59:29.640 Connor Pay: just because I got really lucky and I had someone 00:59:29.640 --> 00:59:31.500 who, who was willing to help me. 00:59:31.500 --> 00:59:34.170 And then I listened to 'em, you know, I was disciplined with my money. 00:59:34.650 -->

00:59:38.550 And then when NIL became a thing, I was able to do even more and all this stuff. 00:59:38.550 --> 00:59:41.610 So I was able to be kind of set up financially because of him. 00:59:42.210 --> 00:59:47.940 And then through another mentorship, um, event, I, I met Mike, uh, 00:59:47.970 --> 00:59:52.380 Mike Beck and Marcus Beck, who run Halifax Advisors, a CPA firm. 00:59:53.370 --> 00:59:57.690 Um, and, you know, all NIL money is 10 99. 00:59:58.410 --> 01:00:02.160 And, you know, teaching the teaching guys the difference between 10 99 and W2 01:00:02.610 --> 01:00:08.610 and you know, and how important it is to have an entity set up and an S corp and 01:00:08.610 --> 01:00:11.070 those things for just the tax benefits. 01:00:11.430 --> 01:00:14.040 It's like they opened my eyes to that entire world. 01:00:14.400 --> 01:00:17.700 And so now I've sent probably 20 or 30 players to them 01:00:17.741 --> 01:00:18.031 Jethro: Yeah. 01:00:18.300 --> 01:00:20.490 Connor Pay: just saying like, Hey, these are the guys who helped me. 01:00:20.711 --> 01:00:21.001 Jethro: Yeah. 01:00:21.150 --> 01:00:23.580 Connor Pay: You know, and, and that's how I managed it all. 01:00:23.580 --> 01:00:27.270 I, I had to go to people who were smarter than me, you know, because you 01:00:27.270 --> 01:00:29.310 can't be expert in every single field. 01:00:29.520 --> 01:00:31.860 You know, it's not possible for a human being to do that. 01:00:31.860 --> 01:00:36.510 And so I rely on people who are smarter than me in those areas and they, they 01:00:36.510 --> 01:00:38.370 were able to help set me up financially. 01:00:38.370 --> 01:00:41.130 And, uh, my wife Mallory is a CPA. 01:00:41.130 --> 01:00:45.090 She was working at PWC before we got married, and then she was gonna 01:00:45.090 --> 01:00:46.800 transfer up to their Salt Lake office. 01:00:46.800 --> 01:00:48.960 And, and Mike and Marcus said, Hey, can we, uh. 01:00:49.325 --> 01:00:50.520 Can we take a shot at her? 01:00:50.520 --> 01:00:51.390 And I said, I don't know. 01:00:51.390 --> 01:00:53.070 She loves the big four. 01:00:53.096 --> 01:00:53.546 Jethro: Yeah. 01:00:53.610 --> 01:00:55.020 Connor Pay: what she's always wanted to do. 01:00:55.020 --> 01:00:57.030 But they made her an offer she couldn't refuse. 01:00:57.030 --> 01:00:58.260 And now she works there, 01:00:58.616 --> 01:00:59.156 Jethro: Awesome. 01:00:59.310 --> 01:01:01.200 Connor Pay: And so it's pretty amazing. 01:01:01.200 --> 01:01:04.050 And getting to learn about these whole new financial worlds. 01:01:04.080 --> 01:01:06.000 'cause that's what players now need to hear, 01:01:06.146 --> 01:01:06.566 Jethro: Yeah. 01:01:06.630 --> 01:01:09.420 Connor Pay: because we have these 18 year olds coming into college and making 01:01:09.420 --> 01:01:13.890 astronomical amounts of money that most of 'em have never had in their entire life. 01:01:14.160 --> 01:01:16.590 And they're blowing it and they're being stupid. 01:01:16.980 --> 01:01:21.060 And most of them didn't realize that if you're 10 99, you're taxed at the end 01:01:21.060 --> 01:01:22.950 of the year, not the beginning of it. 01:01:23.430 --> 01:01:25.200 And you have to save for your taxes. 01:01:25.200 --> 01:01:27.660 And so I've seen players get screwed in that arena. 01:01:28.530 --> 01:01:32.820 And so that's one of the things as, as a staff member now I'm trying to do, is 01:01:32.820 --> 01:01:35.640 like, whenever I'm having conversations about the guys, I'm like, Hey, are you, 01:01:35.760 --> 01:01:37.350 are you keeping up on your finances? 01:01:37.350 --> 01:01:38.490 Are you for Juan? 01:01:38.490 --> 01:01:39.390 Are you investing? 01:01:40.200 --> 01:01:43.830 'cause I, I tell 'em, I'm straight up with him like, look dude, if you don't 01:01:43.830 --> 01:01:46.890 play in the NFL, there's a good chance you'll never make this much money in a 01:01:46.890 --> 01:01:48.930 year ever again for the rest of your life. 01:01:49.890 --> 01:01:53.400 And so it's like, if you could, if you could live within your means, which 01:01:53.400 --> 01:01:57.210 should be easy with the amount of money they're making, and their whole life 01:01:57.210 --> 01:02:01.350 is basically paid for, it's like you should, you should have a, a retirement 01:02:01.350 --> 01:02:04.680 account that is locked and loaded by the time you're done at BYU that you 01:02:04.680 --> 01:02:06.540 could never contribute to it again, 01:02:06.866 --> 01:02:07.346 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 01:02:07.500 --> 01:02:09.690 Connor Pay: still set for your entire retirement. 01:02:09.896 --> 01:02:10.376 Jethro: Yeah. 01:02:10.470 --> 01:02:12.570 Connor Pay: like, but a lot of times they're young. 01:02:12.570 --> 01:02:13.680 They don't think that way, 01:02:14.096 --> 01:02:14.426 Jethro: definitely 01:02:14.430 --> 01:02:14.700 Connor Pay: know? 01:02:14.700 --> 01:02:18.030 And so that's, at least that's, that's what I've been trying to do because 01:02:18.030 --> 01:02:22.110 I had, I had people who were great and helped me, so now I'm trying 01:02:22.110 --> 01:02:24.600 to just, uh, do the same for them 01:02:24.836 --> 01:02:27.656 Jethro: And, and now you're an old man who's a 01:02:27.685 --> 01:02:28.170 Connor Pay: I, right. 01:02:28.230 --> 01:02:30.180 The ripe age of 26, you know? 01:02:30.206 --> 01:02:30.536 Jethro: man. 01:02:30.746 --> 01:02:34.346 You're not, you're not, you're not a, uh, a young buck, even though 01:02:34.346 --> 01:02:36.266 you may still feel that young. 01:02:36.716 --> 01:02:39.086 Um, uh, so, so that's good. 01:02:39.086 --> 01:02:39.326 All right. 01:02:39.326 --> 01:02:41.846 Let's move on to another relationship, which 01:02:42.030 --> 01:02:42.450 Connor Pay: Mm-hmm. 01:02:42.866 --> 01:02:43.556 Jethro: with Mallory. 01:02:43.980 --> 01:02:44.430 Connor Pay: Sure. 01:02:44.606 --> 01:02:48.296 Jethro: uh, when we talked last

year, I think that you hinted that 01:02:48.296 --> 01:02:53.006 there might be something happening, but you were not committed yet. 01:02:53.096 --> 01:02:55.916 And so, uh, talk to me about the, 01:02:56.040 --> 01:02:59.220 Connor Pay: Not to the point of, not to the point of, uh, being 01:02:59.220 --> 01:03:00.570 like, yep, this is the one. 01:03:00.570 --> 01:03:04.350 I mean, when we did this last time, was it in February when we did, or January 01:03:04.436 --> 01:03:06.206 Jethro: I, think it was, uh, February. 01:03:07.290 --> 01:03:07.470 Connor Pay: then? 01:03:07.470 --> 01:03:07.620 Yeah. 01:03:07.620 --> 01:03:11.310 We had only been dating for three months at the time, and so yeah. 01:03:11.310 --> 01:03:14.880 Was not in a place to make any definitive statements at that point. 01:03:14.880 --> 01:03:21.090 But yeah, I met Mallory, um, at the Marriott School of Business here at BYU. 01:03:21.090 --> 01:03:22.950 She was in the Masters of Accounting program. 01:03:23.220 --> 01:03:24.900 We actually didn't know each other from school. 01:03:24.900 --> 01:03:26.460 She dmd me on Instagram. 01:03:27.240 --> 01:03:32.130 Um, and I, I normally don't really respond to those, but I happen to see hers. 01:03:32.130 --> 01:03:35.250 And, uh, I was like, dang, this girl's hot. 01:03:35.550 --> 01:03:36.390 And uh. 01:03:36.506 --> 01:03:36.866 Jethro: helps. 01:03:37.470 --> 01:03:43.620 Connor Pay: Yeah, so, um, went out with her and, uh, it was just awesome right 01:03:43.620 --> 01:03:47.100 from the jump, I think I, I think I knew, I think I was in denial a little 01:03:47.100 --> 01:03:51.450 bit at first, but I think I knew pretty early on that I could, when it, when 01:03:51.450 --> 01:03:55.860 it became real to me, it was when it was like I could legitimately spend 01:03:55.860 --> 01:04:01.050 every second of my life, the rest of my life with this girl and I'd be happy. 01:04:02.130 --> 01:04:04.650 And so I was like, okay, this is probably serious. 01:04:04.826 --> 01:04:05.246 Jethro: Yeah. 01:04:05.520 --> 01:04:07.830 Connor Pay: But then I left, you know, then I went to Georgia for 01:04:07.830 --> 01:04:12.120 three months, you know, and then I came back and was there for a few 01:04:12.120 --> 01:04:14.910 weeks, went to the Seahawks, came back, was home for a couple weeks, 01:04:14.910 --> 01:04:17.970 went to the Raiders for a few weeks, and so it was like so much traveling. 01:04:18.330 --> 01:04:22.080 Then I get cut from the Raiders, come back in July, and she moves to Houston. 01:04:22.260 --> 01:04:26.580 You know, I move her down to Houston for her job that was set up long before 01:04:26.580 --> 01:04:27.930 I was ever in the picture, you know? 01:04:27.930 --> 01:04:29.220 So I wasn't gonna mess with that. 01:04:29.220 --> 01:04:31.920 And so we spent a lot of our relationship apart. 01:04:32.086 --> 01:04:32.436 Jethro: Uhhuh. 01:04:33.690 --> 01:04:34.140 Connor Pay: but. 01:04:34.980 --> 01:04:38.310 Then it ended up working out where after she moved to Houston, I flew 01:04:38.310 --> 01:04:42.840 back down a couple weeks later and, uh, proposed to her and then we 01:04:42.840 --> 01:04:46.950 were able to get married here in February and it's just been awesome. 01:04:46.950 --> 01:04:48.780 Married life's a lot better than single life. 01:04:49.631 --> 01:04:50.651 Jethro: Ain't that the truth? 01:04:52.061 --> 01:04:53.171 Ain't that the truth? 01:04:53.501 --> 01:04:57.911 So you, you talked about concepts before, so what. 01:04:59.456 --> 01:05:02.126 And this is going to be a fun question because we're gonna come 01:05:02.126 --> 01:05:06.206 back to this about what are you doing to make your marriage great, uh, 01:05:06.305 --> 01:05:06.385 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:05:06.506 --> 01:05:07.856 Jethro: over the next several years? 01:05:07.856 --> 01:05:12.746 Because it's gonna change, especially when you have kids and move closer or farther 01:05:12.746 --> 01:05:14.306 away from in-laws and things like that. 01:05:14.306 --> 01:05:15.446 All those dynamics 01:05:15.935 --> 01:05:16.225 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:05:16.556 --> 01:05:18.326 Jethro: Job stress and all that kind of stuff. 01:05:18.326 --> 01:05:23.246 So, so what are some of the concepts that you are using in this very much 01:05:23.246 --> 01:05:25.316 honeymoon period of the first two months? 01:05:25.796 --> 01:05:27.656 What are some of the, the concepts that you're 01:05:27.695 --> 01:05:27.815 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:05:28.106 --> 01:05:33.356 Jethro: on to, to make it a, a great marriage and not just a, a 01:05:33.356 --> 01:05:36.836 partnership or a, you know, we're good friends and now we're married. 01:05:37.155 --> 01:05:38.445 Connor Pay: Yeah, not roommates. 01:05:38.576 --> 01:05:39.026 Jethro: Yeah. 01:05:39.135 --> 01:05:44.175 Connor Pay: Uh, you know, I, I, I'm not perfect at it and I'm not gonna sit 01:05:44.175 --> 01:05:48.075 here and pretend like I know anything about what makes a successful marriage. 01:05:48.075 --> 01:05:49.905 'cause you know, we're only two months in. 01:05:49.905 --> 01:05:51.045 We're trying to figure it out. 01:05:51.075 --> 01:05:52.875 I'm sure we're gonna learn a lot along the way. 01:05:53.895 --> 01:05:58.245 Um, but I, at least I think for me, as a general principle is I always 01:05:58.245 --> 01:06:00.045 try to put her needs above mine. 01:06:01.065 --> 01:06:07.485 Um, and she reciprocates that, uh, which is really nice to, to have someone 01:06:08.025 --> 01:06:11.895 that you're attached at the hip with who you know, is probably the only 01:06:11.895 --> 01:06:17.385 person on earth who cares more about you than they do themselves, you know, 01:06:17.385 --> 01:06:18.825 outside of your parents probably. 01:06:19.155 --> 01:06:23.415 Um, and it's like, that's a pretty unique relationship. 01:06:23.415 --> 01:06:27.165 And so I, and, and I, I, you know, I know

that, uh. 01:06:27.930 --> 01:06:31.950 The, the big fad right now is trying to break down traditional gender roles and, 01:06:32.610 --> 01:06:35.010 uh, but I believe in them pretty strongly. 01:06:35.010 --> 01:06:39.870 And so, uh, I, I want to be able to protect her and provide for her, 01:06:39.896 --> 01:06:40.186 Jethro: Yeah. 01:06:40.380 --> 01:06:44.790 Connor Pay: you know, and, um, and, you know, uh, with right now 01:06:44.820 --> 01:06:47.790 getting into the college football coaching world's not a ton of money. 01:06:48.600 --> 01:06:52.830 I'm starting, uh, businesses, like this is the startup phase. 01:06:52.830 --> 01:06:54.150 There's not a lot of money in it yet. 01:06:54.150 --> 01:06:57.750 Like, she's my sugar mama right now with her cushy accounting job. 01:06:58.560 --> 01:07:03.060 Um, but you know, it's like, I, I feel like that's my role. 01:07:03.060 --> 01:07:05.730 I need, I need to protect her and I need to take care of her. 01:07:06.330 --> 01:07:10.770 Um, and you know, thankfully she likes that. 01:07:11.006 --> 01:07:11.516 Jethro: Yeah. 01:07:11.520 --> 01:07:15.300 Connor Pay: uh, uh, you know, so I think for us, I think 01:07:15.300 --> 01:07:16.710 service has been a big deal. 01:07:17.370 --> 01:07:20.940 Even if it's something as stupid as I know her water's getting low before 01:07:20.940 --> 01:07:23.730 we go to bed and she's gonna want to refill it before we go to sleep. 01:07:23.730 --> 01:07:26.520 I'll just grab it, take it downstairs, fill it back up for her. 01:07:26.580 --> 01:07:28.650 Like, just, just simple things like that. 01:07:28.650 --> 01:07:30.360 Even whether she notices or not. 01:07:30.360 --> 01:07:35.910 It's like, I think those are, those are things that, um, you 01:07:35.910 --> 01:07:40.260 know, really, really strengthen a relationship in, in my opinion. 01:07:40.260 --> 01:07:44.130 It's not, it's not a series of huge moments. 01:07:44.130 --> 01:07:47.430 I think it's, I think it's hundreds of thousands of little moments, 01:07:48.150 --> 01:07:50.880 um, that, that make it stronger. 01:07:50.880 --> 01:07:55.770 And, and, you know, the always there's the grand gestures, uh, but the things 01:07:55.770 --> 01:07:58.770 that have meant the most to me and I hope have meant the most to her is, 01:07:58.770 --> 01:08:00.330 you know, the little day-to-day things. 01:08:00.330 --> 01:08:03.420 Like, oh, she remembered this, that I like this, or wanted 01:08:03.420 --> 01:08:04.650 this, or something like that. 01:08:04.650 --> 01:08:09.390 And, um, oh, I, I, I, I cooked, uh, tonight. 01:08:09.390 --> 01:08:15.210 So she, without hesitation, she's on the dishes, you know, and vice versa. 01:08:15.735 --> 01:08:17.175 You know, that's kind of what we worked out. 01:08:17.175 --> 01:08:21.135 Whoever cooks the other one does the, the dishes, you know, and it's just like 01:08:21.135 --> 01:08:25.125 little things like that where it's like, you know, it's, that's when it really 01:08:25.125 --> 01:08:27.375 starts to feel like a true partnership. 01:08:28.215 --> 01:08:31.725 Um, at least for me, and again, I'm saying this on two months experience, but you 01:08:31.725 --> 01:08:36.615 know, like that's, you'd know a lot more about this than me, but, uh, at least 01:08:36.615 --> 01:08:41.655 initially, that's what I felt like has, has made things, you know, stronger. 01:08:41.865 --> 01:08:48.495 And, you know, I think, uh, you know, I, I, I just, I, I like to read and do 01:08:48.495 --> 01:08:52.725 research on things and stuff, and so I, I do think a big part of it is too, is 01:08:52.725 --> 01:08:57.495 like in something I've had to improve on is like really feeling intimately 01:08:57.495 --> 01:09:02.745 connected to someone for the man is a lot of times the physical intimacy. 01:09:03.225 --> 01:09:05.475 That part is, means a lot for us. 01:09:05.505 --> 01:09:09.495 But for, for women it's, it's emotional. 01:09:09.990 --> 01:09:12.240 It's, it's, you know, it's verbal. 01:09:12.240 --> 01:09:13.260 It's, it's a connection. 01:09:13.260 --> 01:09:16.710 It's having conversation like that's, that's how they 01:09:16.710 --> 01:09:18.240 feel truly connected to us. 01:09:18.240 --> 01:09:22.000 And that's one area where I've had to improve is, you know, like I, I, 01:09:22.000 --> 01:09:26.520 I know like sitting down and having a conversation about our days helps 01:09:26.520 --> 01:09:31.110 her feel really connected to me and, and sharing my life with her. 01:09:31.110 --> 01:09:33.300 Not just saying, Hmm, my day was good, 01:09:33.551 --> 01:09:33.941 Jethro: Yeah. 01:09:34.091 --> 01:09:34.181 I 01:09:34.230 --> 01:09:34.860 Connor Pay: and that's it. 01:09:35.201 --> 01:09:35.561 Jethro: yeah. 01:09:36.090 --> 01:09:37.440 Connor Pay: Which I still do sometimes. 01:09:37.440 --> 01:09:38.940 She, she'll be the first one to tell you that. 01:09:38.940 --> 01:09:42.540 I still do that a lot, you know, I'm trying, I'm trying to get better at 01:09:42.540 --> 01:09:45.270 it, but it's just like little things like that as we learn more about each 01:09:45.270 --> 01:09:49.620 other and it's like, oh, you know what, like that, that conversation that seems 01:09:49.620 --> 01:09:56.100 stupid in my mind, um, you know, is like really means a matters a lot to her. 01:09:56.146 --> 01:09:56.566 Jethro: Mm-hmm. 01:09:57.000 --> 01:09:59.070 Connor Pay: And, and just little things like that. 01:09:59.070 --> 01:10:02.190 I feel like I'm learning more and more every day about how I could be, 01:10:02.910 --> 01:10:04.530 you know, a better husband for her. 01:10:04.590 --> 01:10:07.350 And so, I don't know, that's first things that popped into my head. 01:10:07.736 --> 01:10:09.596 Jethro: Yeah, I mean, that's true for me. 01:10:09.686 --> 01:10:14.426 We, my wife and I have been married 21 years and I, still feel like 01:10:14.426 --> 01:10:18.506

I'm learning every day how I can be the best husband for her. 01:10:18.506 --> 01:10:22.196 And, and it's not, uh, it's not like there's a perfect answer or 01:10:22.256 --> 01:10:24.176 like this is exactly how you do it. 01:10:24.176 --> 01:10:27.566 But it goes back to what you were saying, that it's about these concepts, you 01:10:27.685 --> 01:10:27.975 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:10:28.646 --> 01:10:31.316 Jethro: listening, uh, little moments here and there. 01:10:31.676 --> 01:10:35.321 And in the beginning the real benefit is that you can see really quickly. 01:10:36.551 --> 01:10:42.371 What is working well and what's not, because you, you communicate about 01:10:42.371 --> 01:10:44.471 that stuff a lot more over time. 01:10:44.801 --> 01:10:47.891 You just kind of recognize that's how this person is. 01:10:47.891 --> 01:10:52.631 And so you don't spend the time talking about, well, here's this 01:10:52.631 --> 01:10:54.101 new thing that neither of us have 01:10:54.185 --> 01:10:54.405 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:10:54.641 --> 01:10:55.241 Jethro: together. 01:10:55.451 --> 01:10:56.651 How do we deal with this? 01:10:56.981 --> 01:10:59.771 You've experienced a lot of things together, so you stop 01:10:59.771 --> 01:11:01.361 asking about those things. 01:11:01.361 --> 01:11:05.201 You stop being curious about how the other person wants this to work out. 01:11:05.201 --> 01:11:05.621 And, 01:11:05.625 --> 01:11:05.705 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:11:06.041 --> 01:11:08.921 Jethro: and that's a, that's an interesting thing as, as time goes 01:11:08.921 --> 01:11:15.011 on, um, and you know, it's, it's interesting because nobody ever 01:11:15.011 --> 01:11:17.981 goes into a marriage planning on getting divorced, but like half of 01:11:17.981 --> 01:11:19.691 marriages end in divorce in the United 01:11:19.695 --> 01:11:19.995 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:11:20.385 --> 01:11:20.745 Yeah. 01:11:21.491 --> 01:11:25.511 Jethro: it has to be an intentional thing and, and you have to work at it. 01:11:25.511 --> 01:11:27.101 And it's not, it's not 01:11:27.225 --> 01:11:27.405 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:11:27.491 --> 01:11:28.056 Jethro: for you to just. 01:11:28.946 --> 01:11:30.536 Uh, be roommates. 01:11:30.596 --> 01:11:34.136 You like, you both have to put forth the work and you gotta figure out what 01:11:34.136 --> 01:11:38.426 that looks like in your particular marriage for your relationship. 01:11:38.426 --> 01:11:40.676 That's different than anybody else's. 01:11:41.265 --> 01:11:43.545 Connor Pay: Yeah, no, I, I, I couldn't agree more. 01:11:43.545 --> 01:11:47.385 And that's, that's what I'm hoping to try to do, you know, 01:11:47.385 --> 01:11:49.305 is just to be being willing. 01:11:49.395 --> 01:11:52.725 I don't, I don't have all the answers, like being willing to keep 01:11:52.725 --> 01:11:58.905 learning and also giving myself and her grace when things don't go 01:11:58.905 --> 01:12:02.355 perfectly because we're experiencing all this for the first time together. 01:12:02.601 --> 01:12:02.821 Jethro: Yep. 01:12:03.315 --> 01:12:07.605 Connor Pay: Um, where it's like, look, I, there are certain things that irritate 01:12:07.605 --> 01:12:12.555 me and then I'll, I get frustrated and have a short fuse and same thing for her. 01:12:13.095 --> 01:12:16.065 And it's like, look like those are part, those are still parts of us 01:12:16.065 --> 01:12:18.045 that we're learning about each other. 01:12:18.495 --> 01:12:22.935 And so trying, trying to have an attitude of grace towards those things. 01:12:22.935 --> 01:12:26.655 And um, you know, I think that's been super helpful too, 01:12:26.655 --> 01:12:28.215 and need to continue that. 01:12:28.316 --> 01:12:31.526 Jethro: Yeah, one of my good friends calls that Blind Trust, 01:12:32.175 --> 01:12:32.385 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:12:32.486 --> 01:12:35.486 Jethro: says that you have blind trust that they're not intentionally being a 01:12:35.486 --> 01:12:40.676 jerk, that they're, they're doing the best they can and, and have good intentions. 01:12:41.636 --> 01:12:44.336 And if you're frustrated, it's not because they're trying to frustrate 01:12:44.336 --> 01:12:48.626 you, it's because you blindly trust that they have your best interest at heart. 01:12:48.656 --> 01:12:54.476 And, and that framing for me really helped me be like, okay, when, there's 01:12:54.476 --> 01:13:00.566 frustration, like don't have to get as bent outta shape because she's probably 01:13:00.566 --> 01:13:02.276 not doing this just to piss me off. 01:13:02.985 --> 01:13:03.345 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:13:03.446 --> 01:13:05.126 Jethro: sometimes that does happen, 01:13:05.835 --> 01:13:07.845 Connor Pay: I feel like that's later into the marriage. 01:13:07.875 --> 01:13:11.865 You know, like when we get, when we get 21 years, like you, I'm sure there's 01:13:11.865 --> 01:13:15.045 plenty of things Mallory's gonna do just to get my goat, you know what I mean? 01:13:15.135 --> 01:13:15.225 But 01:13:16.406 --> 01:13:18.296 Jethro: The good thing is you make sure nobody knows you got a 01:13:18.386 --> 01:13:19.826 goat tied up behind your house. 01:13:20.200 --> 01:13:20.985 Connor Pay: there we go. 01:13:21.176 --> 01:13:22.466 Jethro: that goat doesn't exist. 01:13:22.496 --> 01:13:22.946 Um, 01:13:22.995 --> 01:13:23.415 Connor Pay: Right? 01:13:23.996 --> 01:13:24.566 Jethro: okay. 01:13:24.686 --> 01:13:29.786 Uh, so this, this has been a great conversation, as with last year, I didn't 01:13:29.786 --> 01:13:33.116 really ask any of things that I planned on beforehand, but I really enjoyed it. 01:13:33.116 --> 01:13:38.936 So the, the, the last question I want to ask is, how have you seen the Lord's 01:13:38.936 --> 01:13:42.236 hand guiding you over this last year? 01:13:42.536 --> 01:13:45.746 Uh, you can include miracles that you've seen or anything else. 01:13:45.746 --> 01:13:48.896 We've talked

about a lot of stuff, so it could come back to that. 01:13:48.896 --> 01:13:51.686 And you feel free to reference that, but how have you 01:13:51.765 --> 01:13:53.325 Connor Pay: Oh, it's, it's a great question. 01:13:54.735 --> 01:13:59.475 You know, I've tried, I've tried to be better about recognizing that stuff. 01:14:00.870 --> 01:14:06.000 Uh, and um, so I start, I just started this thing. 01:14:06.120 --> 01:14:09.480 Uh, 'cause I hate typing, I hate writing or journaling of any kind. 01:14:09.750 --> 01:14:10.890 That's why I like this. 01:14:10.950 --> 01:14:13.980 It's my annual diary and I just get a talk, which I love doing. 01:14:14.460 --> 01:14:16.680 Um, I don't have to write anything. 01:14:17.040 --> 01:14:22.560 And I started, I just started a, I call it a Lord's hand, a journal in my voice memos 01:14:22.586 --> 01:14:22.806 Jethro: Yep. 01:14:22.890 --> 01:14:26.730 Connor Pay: on my phone where it's just for me, it's a lot easier for me 01:14:26.730 --> 01:14:31.470 to open my phone after something cool happens and tell the story for two 01:14:31.470 --> 01:14:34.770 or three minutes than it is for me to take a half an hour writing it down. 01:14:35.520 --> 01:14:37.200 Um, that's just my preference. 01:14:37.230 --> 01:14:38.310 So I've started doing that. 01:14:39.000 --> 01:14:43.200 Um, and I, and so because of that, it's been nice to be able to refer 01:14:43.200 --> 01:14:47.190 back to experiences I've had where I felt like I've seen the Lord's hand. 01:14:47.190 --> 01:14:48.905 And there's a couple from this year that come to mind. 01:14:49.950 --> 01:14:56.040 Um, with all this BYU pathway stuff, I, I, I just didn't know that I was 01:14:56.040 --> 01:14:57.660 gonna end up being this involved. 01:14:57.660 --> 01:15:01.260 And when I, when Kalani first proposed it to me and I started doing 01:15:01.260 --> 01:15:02.640 it, I was still a little bit torn. 01:15:02.640 --> 01:15:05.700 Like, am I giving up on the NFL too soon? 01:15:06.120 --> 01:15:09.180 You know, like, do I keep trying, my agents want me to go play in 01:15:09.180 --> 01:15:11.520 the UFL to try to get another shot. 01:15:12.150 --> 01:15:17.070 Um, and it's just like, man, like dude is, am I making the right decision here? 01:15:17.910 --> 01:15:23.100 And I, I go to the, uh, the B There was a BYU Pathway documentary that released 01:15:23.100 --> 01:15:27.000 back in October of, uh, of last year. 01:15:27.810 --> 01:15:32.820 Um, and it played in between the sessions of general conference. 01:15:32.850 --> 01:15:34.770 I don't know if you had a chance to see it or anything. 01:15:34.770 --> 01:15:37.980 They, they followed a few, a few families who are doing the 01:15:37.980 --> 01:15:39.840 BIU Pathway program in Africa. 01:15:40.530 --> 01:15:45.090 Um, and, uh, just because of my affiliation with Pathway, I've gotten 01:15:45.090 --> 01:15:46.860 to know President Ashton pretty good. 01:15:47.430 --> 01:15:48.930 Who's the president of Pathway? 01:15:49.110 --> 01:15:51.180 Uh, so Isaiah and I got invited. 01:15:51.840 --> 01:15:58.320 Um, and so we're there, uh, and we, we got to see a preview of the documentary 01:15:58.320 --> 01:16:01.410 and then there was a panel with some of the people who were interviewed. 01:16:01.710 --> 01:16:06.570 They, they flow flew them in from Africa to come and do this panel 01:16:06.690 --> 01:16:07.950 and be a part of the premier. 01:16:07.950 --> 01:16:10.380 And it was done in the BYU performing arts center and 01:16:10.380 --> 01:16:12.270 their huge new auditorium stuff. 01:16:12.270 --> 01:16:12.810 It was cool. 01:16:13.620 --> 01:16:17.730 Um, and then at the end, after the panel, elder Clark Gilbert 01:16:17.790 --> 01:16:22.530 got up, um, and this is back when he was still General Authority. 01:16:22.740 --> 01:16:26.880 Um, he wasn't an apostle yet, but he was pr, he was the head of the 01:16:26.880 --> 01:16:31.620 church education system and so he oversaw Pathway and he was talking 01:16:31.620 --> 01:16:33.450 about the BYU Pathway program. 01:16:33.450 --> 01:16:38.280 And initially it was, it was an assignment of his and Kim b Clark's. 01:16:38.595 --> 01:16:40.125 When he was a general authority. 01:16:40.125 --> 01:16:43.275 And, uh, elder Clark is a, is a great guy. 01:16:43.275 --> 01:16:45.585 He, uh, had been on chasing Mike's podcast. 01:16:45.585 --> 01:16:46.665 He's, he's awesome. 01:16:46.845 --> 01:16:51.465 Um, and he told a story about how they were trying to figure out how 01:16:51.465 --> 01:16:53.115 to make this pathway thing work. 01:16:53.205 --> 01:16:57.975 You know, like it was, it was at a time when now it's like after COVID 01:16:57.975 --> 01:17:03.165 Online school is easy and super standard, but before that it was, it 01:17:03.165 --> 01:17:06.945 was a pain and it was, it was rare to have like some universities who 01:17:06.945 --> 01:17:09.795 had a lot of funding, like they were able to get it down pretty good. 01:17:10.365 --> 01:17:14.055 Um, but again, that's, they were able to do it well in America, you know, 01:17:14.055 --> 01:17:15.855 where everyone has access to technology. 01:17:15.885 --> 01:17:20.745 And so they were really running into some issues, um, you know, trying to get it 01:17:20.745 --> 01:17:26.745 to work, uh, internationally, especially in the countries that need it the most. 01:17:26.745 --> 01:17:30.225 Which consequently, consequently are the countries that are the worst off. 01:17:30.735 --> 01:17:32.445 You know, they're the ones who need it the most. 01:17:32.445 --> 01:17:36.315 And, and so Elder Gilbert says. 01:17:36.840 --> 01:17:39.300 You know, I was sitting in my office one day in the church 01:17:39.300 --> 01:17:46.620 office building and they had been working on it, um, for a long time. 01:17:46.740 --> 01:17:51.900 And he said, elder McKim b Clark came and just burst into his office.

01:17:52.410 --> 01:17:58.350 Um, and he said, I know, I know how we're gonna get this done. 01:17:59.460 --> 01:18:03.300 And Elder Gilbert was like, okay, sweet. 01:18:03.510 --> 01:18:04.410 Like how? 01:18:04.830 --> 01:18:11.310 And he goes, doctrine and covenants 88 73, which is very simple verse 01:18:11.310 --> 01:18:15.150 where it just says that the Lord hastens his work in its time. 01:18:16.320 --> 01:18:20.850 And you know, his, his, I, I won't go into the whole macro point 'cause it's 01:18:20.880 --> 01:18:24.630 not super relevant to the story, but basically Elder Clark was saying like, 01:18:24.630 --> 01:18:29.070 the, the Lord Hastens is working its time and it's this, it's time for BYU pathway. 01:18:29.730 --> 01:18:33.420 And so he's gonna essentially say he's gonna provide a way for us to hasten it. 01:18:33.420 --> 01:18:36.630 And Elder Clark went on to talk about some of the things that happened 01:18:36.630 --> 01:18:38.640 after that, that that did hasten it. 01:18:38.640 --> 01:18:44.370 But when he said DNC 88 73, it was like a lightning bolt went through my spine. 01:18:45.030 --> 01:18:54.090 Um, because ever since I was a missionary, um, the, before I even got to the mission 01:18:54.090 --> 01:18:59.670 field, just the standard password on the phones in our mission was d and c 88 73, 01:18:59.836 --> 01:19:00.336 Jethro: Oh, really? 01:19:00.476 --> 01:19:00.896 That's 01:19:01.110 --> 01:19:02.340 Connor Pay: about, hey, sending the work. 01:19:02.340 --> 01:19:03.660 And I was like, okay. 01:19:04.230 --> 01:19:11.670 And that's been the password to my phone ever since, for the last five plus years. 01:19:12.030 --> 01:19:13.260 Five to seven years now. 01:19:13.260 --> 01:19:16.320 And I've, I've tried to change it back to some of my old passwords a 01:19:16.320 --> 01:19:19.590 few times, and it was, for some reason there was always this feeling in my 01:19:19.590 --> 01:19:23.280 gut to, to keep it as 8, 8, 7, 3. 01:19:23.280 --> 01:19:25.410 So if any of you get my phone, you can get into it now. 01:19:25.410 --> 01:19:26.400 Congratulations. 01:19:26.430 --> 01:19:26.730 But, 01:19:26.831 --> 01:19:27.251 Jethro: Uh oh. 01:19:27.330 --> 01:19:27.900 Connor Pay: uh, 01:19:28.031 --> 01:19:28.371 Jethro: to change 01:19:28.560 --> 01:19:32.640 Connor Pay: um, well, no, now I, now I, I, I do different variations of D 01:19:32.640 --> 01:19:37.110 and c sometimes I include the words in there now too and some other stuff. 01:19:37.110 --> 01:19:42.570 But anyways, uh, and so, but I was never, for the last seven, 01:19:42.570 --> 01:19:46.380 eight years, I just couldn't shake having that as my phone password. 01:19:47.370 --> 01:19:50.280 I just, for some reason, I knew deep down it meant something. 01:19:51.450 --> 01:19:54.870 And then to be sitting in that meeting and to have Elder Gilbert 01:19:54.870 --> 01:20:02.160 say that's, that's the verse that sparked the, the rocket launch that 01:20:02.160 --> 01:20:04.830 was BYU pathway in the late 2010s. 01:20:05.430 --> 01:20:08.940 It's like, and you could say that's a stupid coincidence, but for me and 01:20:08.940 --> 01:20:10.860 the way I felt sitting in that chair. 01:20:11.595 --> 01:20:17.385 Uh, after hearing that was like, that was, that was a sign to me from God that 01:20:17.505 --> 01:20:22.095 this is, I'm, I'm supposed to be involved in this, like that this is, I'm on the 01:20:22.095 --> 01:20:28.905 right track and you know, God, God was sending me a sign that I didn't know was 01:20:29.385 --> 01:20:31.965 a sign for, you know, seven plus years. 01:20:32.126 --> 01:20:32.416 Jethro: Yeah. 01:20:32.475 --> 01:20:34.815 Connor Pay: They're like, Nope, 8, 8, 7 3 means something. 01:20:34.905 --> 01:20:38.595 And then I didn't know what it meant until Elder Clark got up there and said, 01:20:39.105 --> 01:20:42.615 this is, this is how the Pathway program, this is how we knew it was gonna be 01:20:42.615 --> 01:20:44.565 successful, was that scripture verse. 01:20:44.595 --> 01:20:45.405 And I was like, whoa. 01:20:45.881 --> 01:20:46.361 Jethro: Yeah. 01:20:46.365 --> 01:20:48.555 Connor Pay: know, pretty amazing thing for me. 01:20:48.791 --> 01:20:53.681 Jethro: And Connor, on, on this point, you, you tell that story to anybody 01:20:53.681 --> 01:20:55.271 and they're like, okay, that's cool. 01:20:55.571 --> 01:21:02.231 But you know, in your heart of hearts that that means something for you personally. 01:21:02.685 --> 01:21:02.955 Connor Pay: yeah. 01:21:03.611 --> 01:21:10.331 Jethro: and that is that when it comes down to it, God knows us and he talks 01:21:10.331 --> 01:21:12.971 to us, and that was him talking to you 01:21:13.420 --> 01:21:13.770 Connor Pay: Right. 01:21:13.901 --> 01:21:15.011 Jethro: very clear about it. 01:21:15.011 --> 01:21:20.171 And that is just so key because if we can just learn how to listen to that, 01:21:20.831 --> 01:21:26.261 I think God talks to us a lot more than any of us readily admit because 01:21:26.501 --> 01:21:30.071 those kinds of things do happen and things stay on your mind and, and. 01:21:30.941 --> 01:21:33.641 we experienced so many things throughout our life and then all of a 01:21:34.005 --> 01:21:34.335 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:21:34.361 --> 01:21:36.191 Jethro: this one thing is the thing. 01:21:36.521 --> 01:21:37.961 Like there's something there. 01:21:37.961 --> 01:21:42.041 And, and I think God, uh, like Elder Kieran's talk, that God 01:21:42.041 --> 01:21:44.741 is constantly seeking after us. 01:21:44.951 --> 01:21:45.071 I 01:21:45.255 --> 01:21:45.465 Connor Pay: Hmm. 01:21:45.611 --> 01:21:51.611 Jethro: so true, and, and that is just one little tiny example that to anybody else 01:21:51.611 --> 01:21:55.976 really doesn't mean anything, but to you pure testimony that God does speak to you. 01:21:55.976 --> 01:21:56.616 That's amazing.

01:21:57.360 --> 01:22:00.000 Connor Pay: Yeah, no, it was, that's, that's how it was. 01:22:00.000 --> 01:22:01.470 That's the way he spoke to me. 01:22:01.680 --> 01:22:06.330 It's probably meaningless to almost everybody else, but to me it meant a lot. 01:22:06.660 --> 01:22:12.330 Um, and if we have time, I had one more story come to mind, if that's okay. 01:22:12.360 --> 01:22:15.540 Just So with the Lord's hand, it actually has to do with where we 01:22:15.540 --> 01:22:17.220 live, the house we live in now. 01:22:17.316 --> 01:22:17.596 Jethro: I love it. 01:22:17.970 --> 01:22:23.160 Connor Pay: Um, when, when Mallory and I set our wedding date and we 01:22:23.160 --> 01:22:28.020 knew we were getting married and in February and in the new year, and, uh. 01:22:28.545 --> 01:22:33.555 Mallory put in her transfer and stuff from PWC to their Salt Lake office. 01:22:33.765 --> 01:22:36.885 Uh, they were gonna have her start in the new year, so we knew we had to 01:22:36.885 --> 01:22:39.075 have a place, you know, by January. 01:22:39.405 --> 01:22:40.845 So she had a place to live. 01:22:40.995 --> 01:22:43.065 And then once we got married, I'd come and join her. 01:22:43.065 --> 01:22:47.955 I was staying at my parents in Highland at the time, uh, and we went 01:22:47.955 --> 01:22:51.975 and saw a number of houses and town homes and other things like that, 01:22:51.975 --> 01:22:53.295 trying to figure out where to live. 01:22:53.295 --> 01:22:58.245 And there was this, this house, this town home in Linden, Utah, right 01:22:58.245 --> 01:23:01.185 off State Street, right behind the Linden Nursery, the country store, 01:23:01.185 --> 01:23:02.685 right there by Pizza Factory. 01:23:02.685 --> 01:23:09.465 And, um, it was, Mallory's would be working downtown in Salt Lake. 01:23:09.465 --> 01:23:13.215 And so this was, this was significantly farther for her 01:23:13.335 --> 01:23:15.855 than some of the other places. 01:23:16.545 --> 01:23:19.635 Uh, and so that was like a major hurdle. 01:23:20.100 --> 01:23:22.440 And we didn't really wanna do it because of that. 01:23:22.440 --> 01:23:26.220 We had had some that were closer to Lehigh point of the mountain that was more split, 01:23:26.220 --> 01:23:30.660 50 50 if I was gonna be doing stuff in Provo and she was gonna be downtown, make 01:23:30.660 --> 01:23:33.060 it a 30 minute-ish drive for each of us. 01:23:33.060 --> 01:23:37.470 You know, they were a lot more reasonable and, and even cheaper too. 01:23:37.470 --> 01:23:38.700 They were nice places. 01:23:38.700 --> 01:23:43.650 And, um, every time she'd come into town, we'd go and tour a few 01:23:43.650 --> 01:23:45.510 of 'em and just see what we liked. 01:23:45.510 --> 01:23:50.850 But we both still had this draw to this townhouse in Linden. 01:23:51.390 --> 01:23:58.890 Um, and, you know, when you look at it, it didn't make any sense, 01:23:59.250 --> 01:24:00.780 you know, it didn't seem feasible. 01:24:00.780 --> 01:24:05.100 She now, her drive was almost 50 minutes to an hour, you know, down 01:24:05.100 --> 01:24:06.900 to downtown, like, that's miserable. 01:24:07.470 --> 01:24:10.980 Um, and it's significantly closer to Provost. 01:24:10.980 --> 01:24:14.250 So my drive is only like 20 minutes and it's like, man, this isn't, this 01:24:14.250 --> 01:24:17.790 doesn't, logistically, this doesn't seem to make much sense to live here. 01:24:18.071 --> 01:24:18.521 Jethro: Yeah. 01:24:18.705 --> 01:24:21.945 Connor Pay: But we just, we just kept feeling like this was the place. 01:24:21.945 --> 01:24:28.725 And so contrary to our logic, like we, we picked it and 01:24:28.725 --> 01:24:29.565 you were like, you know what? 01:24:29.565 --> 01:24:33.975 This is, this seems like this is gonna be the best place, even 01:24:33.975 --> 01:24:36.885 with the downsides of some of the travel and some things like that. 01:24:37.695 --> 01:24:45.165 Um, not two weeks after we picked this place, my CPA firm reaches out to me 01:24:45.165 --> 01:24:51.255 with interest in Mallory and they're like, Hey, um, we want to talk to her. 01:24:51.255 --> 01:24:52.005 We wanna interview her. 01:24:52.005 --> 01:24:54.375 And like I said before, she loved the big four. 01:24:54.435 --> 01:24:55.875 That was her goal, her whole career. 01:24:55.875 --> 01:24:58.425 And so I was like, I'll see if she'll do an interview with you 01:24:58.425 --> 01:25:02.625 guys, but I don't know if it's, if it's, you know, really gone or, uh, 01:25:02.625 --> 01:25:04.245 it's really going to go anywhere. 01:25:04.755 --> 01:25:10.365 So they interview with her, they make her an offer, she couldn't refuse, so she 01:25:10.365 --> 01:25:15.675 ends up accepting the job and their office is in Highland, which ends up being, now 01:25:15.675 --> 01:25:17.400 our town home is exactly in the middle. 01:25:18.135 --> 01:25:20.295 Of our two jobs, like precisely, 01:25:20.466 --> 01:25:20.756 Jethro: Yeah. 01:25:21.075 --> 01:25:23.685 Connor Pay: we were, we're both anywhere from 15 to 20 01:25:23.685 --> 01:25:25.215 minutes away from our offices. 01:25:25.256 --> 01:25:25.546 Jethro: Yeah, 01:25:26.265 --> 01:25:29.835 Connor Pay: And it's like, again, that may seem like a stupid coincidence, 01:25:29.835 --> 01:25:33.945 but for us it was like, it was completely counter to the logical 01:25:33.945 --> 01:25:36.075 decision for us to pick this town home. 01:25:36.315 --> 01:25:39.405 It was farther away and it was more expensive, you 01:25:39.405 --> 01:25:40.875 know, than our other option. 01:25:41.595 --> 01:25:45.585 And, uh, we ended up taking it and she gets this job and it's 01:25:45.585 --> 01:25:47.235 ended up being phenomenal for her. 01:25:47.235 --> 01:25:50.775 They, they've treated her so well and she's really enjoyed the work. 01:25:50.775 --> 01:25:54.375 And that was just another thing that was like, you know what, you

know, 01:25:54.375 --> 01:25:57.285 the, the Lord's got us and he was nudging us in ways that we didn't 01:25:57.285 --> 01:25:59.295 even fully understand at the time. 01:25:59.295 --> 01:26:02.025 But I'm grateful that we both had confidence enough 01:26:02.265 --> 01:26:04.545 in how we felt to listen. 01:26:05.235 --> 01:26:07.785 And it, it ended up working perfectly. 01:26:07.785 --> 01:26:08.775 We love this house. 01:26:08.775 --> 01:26:09.765 We love living here. 01:26:09.795 --> 01:26:10.695 Love the area. 01:26:10.755 --> 01:26:11.955 Phenomenal ward. 01:26:12.016 --> 01:26:12.236 Jethro: Yep. 01:26:12.255 --> 01:26:13.755 Connor Pay: It's everything is coming together. 01:26:13.841 --> 01:26:14.261 Jethro: Yeah. 01:26:14.561 --> 01:26:15.161 That's amazing. 01:26:15.161 --> 01:26:16.481 I think that's a great story. 01:26:16.481 --> 01:26:18.791 And also, uh, 01:26:21.461 --> 01:26:24.161 the, here's another thing that I'm thinking. 01:26:24.311 --> 01:26:27.491 This may or may not be true, but if she can go work for one of the big 01:26:27.491 --> 01:26:32.381 four accounting firms, this CPA firm that she's now working at, may have 01:26:32.381 --> 01:26:36.101 thought, there's no way we can get her because she's on that pathway. 01:26:36.101 --> 01:26:39.041 And, and when you're going down that pathway, then that is, 01:26:40.061 --> 01:26:41.231 that's what you're looking for. 01:26:41.291 --> 01:26:45.581 You know, like Kalani may have never thought he could get you as a coach or 01:26:45.581 --> 01:26:50.501 as a business partner because you're planning on going to the NFL, but, you 01:26:50.501 --> 01:26:52.386 know, things work out how they need to. 01:26:52.571 --> 01:26:57.221 And it, it sounds like even this job opportunity is another one 01:26:57.221 --> 01:26:59.261 of those things that is, that 01:26:59.530 --> 01:26:59.750 Connor Pay: One. 01:26:59.850 --> 01:27:00.630 100% 01:27:00.671 --> 01:27:04.601 Jethro: a miracle that we just didn't know we wanted, you know? 01:27:05.050 --> 01:27:05.670 Connor Pay: had no idea. 01:27:06.281 --> 01:27:08.771 Jethro: She, she was like, I'm going for Big four, and 01:27:08.771 --> 01:27:10.721 I can, so I'm going for that. 01:27:10.961 --> 01:27:14.291 But this may be the best thing for her. 01:27:14.621 --> 01:27:14.981 Uh, 01:27:15.135 --> 01:27:15.495 Connor Pay: Right. 01:27:15.521 --> 01:27:20.951 Jethro: right now with your housing situation, yes, we can, can say it is, but 01:27:21.120 --> 01:27:21.660 Connor Pay: Right. 01:27:21.791 --> 01:27:22.871 Jethro: things that go into it. 01:27:22.871 --> 01:27:23.321 So 01:27:23.820 --> 01:27:24.270 Connor Pay: No doubt. 01:27:24.671 --> 01:27:26.291 Jethro: Connor, this, this was awesome. 01:27:26.291 --> 01:27:32.111 I appreciate you and if you, uh, if you ever want to just send those little hand 01:27:32.111 --> 01:27:36.101 of the Lord stories, we can just append them to these recordings too, if you want. 01:27:36.245 --> 01:27:36.535 Connor Pay: Cool, 01:27:36.611 --> 01:27:37.181 Jethro: And, 01:27:37.230 --> 01:27:37.470 Connor Pay: Yeah, 01:27:37.571 --> 01:27:40.601 Jethro: that way we, you can, you can have that as part of your you 01:27:40.961 --> 01:27:43.601 collection for later on, you know, and, 01:27:43.620 --> 01:27:43.950 Connor Pay: yeah, 01:27:44.111 --> 01:27:45.551 Jethro: and you can, you can figure that out. 01:27:45.551 --> 01:27:46.301 Well, this was awesome. 01:27:46.301 --> 01:27:49.331 Thank you so much for, for doing this and taking the time to chat. 01:27:49.571 --> 01:27:49.691 It's 01:27:49.905 --> 01:27:50.285 Connor Pay: of course. 01:27:50.585 --> 01:27:52.165 Thanks for doing this, Jeff Throw, man. 01:27:52.185 --> 01:27:52.765 You're awesome.