Addicted at 15. NFL Star at 30. | Darren Waller

Darren Waller was one of the most talented players in football.Georgia Tech standout. NFL draft pick. Pro Bowl tight end. Massive contracts. Fame. Success. But behind the scenes, he was spiraling. Addiction started at 15. Pills. Alcohol. Failed drug tests. Suspensions. A fentanyl overdose that nearly killed him. Eventually, the NFL banned him for a year. This conversation goes way deeper than football. We talk about identity, addiction, recovery, fame, relationships, loneliness, rebuilding your life from scratch, and what happens when you finally stop running from yourself. Darren opens up about rehab, working at Sprouts after losing football, fighting his way back to the NFL, signing life-changing contracts, his marriage and divorce, retiring from the game, and finding purpose through sobriety, music, and helping others recover. One of the most honest conversations we’ve had. Thank you to our sponsors Ketone-IQ: ⁠ketone.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT” Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15” Rho Nutrition: https://rhonutrition.com/ Code "RIDEOUT" Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ Chapters (00:00) Darren Waller Joins (00:29) Music Roots and Passion (01:56) Atlanta Upbringing and Academics (04:58) Georgia Tech Grind (06:25) Position Switch and NFL Dreams (08:50) High School Arrest and Fallout (13:42) Addiction Begins (15:59) Identity and Belonging (20:51) College Partying and Arrest (24:42) Scouts Notice and Draft Path (31:16) Agents Combine and 40 Time (33:15) Drafted by Ravens (33:58) Combine Lies and Red Flags (35:24) NFL Money and Pill Supply (38:36) Rookie Camp and Injury Spiral (40:05) Switch to Tight End (40:28) Failed Tests and Suspension (43:15) Touchdowns and Shoulder Tear (46:33) Banned and Fentanyl Overdose (50:32) Detox and Rehab Breakthrough (51:40) Sprouts Job and Rebuilding (54:22) Training for Comeback (57:17) Raiders Chance and Breakout (01:00:04) Sobriety and Self Belief (01:03:40) NAD Plus Sponsor Break (01:04:44) Big Contract Setup (01:05:17) First Big Extension (01:06:54) Handling Fame and Money (01:07:37) Frugal Lifestyle Choices (01:09:53) Giving Back Through Foundation (01:10:50) Love Addiction and Marriage (01:16:01) Giants Trade and Retirement (01:21:20) Year Off and Self Work (01:23:02) Unretiring With Dolphins (01:27:15) Injury Comeback and Free Agency (01:29:19) Books Music and Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Episoder(69)

Brutal Hits, Broken Bodies & the Business of Football | Bernard Pollard

Bernard Pollard earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most feared hitters — and became known throughout New England as the “Patriot Killer.” In this episode, Bernard sits down with Ken Rideout to t...

26 Aug 1h 58min

The Cop Who Went to Prison for 19 Years | Kent McGowen

Kent McGowen spent years enforcing the law. Then he spent nearly two decades behind bars. Kent is a former Houston police officer and Harris County deputy who was convicted of murder after fatally sh...

21 Aug 3h 6min

The Wall Street Executive Who Had Everything—Except Peace | James “Jet” Davies

James “Jet” Davies spent more than two decades inside high finance, eventually becoming CEO of Deutsche Bank’s broker-dealer for the Americas. But behind the titles, money, and success was a life that...

19 Aug 2h

From Small-Town Kid to Everest, Equinox & IRONMAN CEO | Scott DeRue

Scott DeRue has spent his life creating experiences that push people beyond what they thought was possible. Ken sits down with his longtime friend and current CEO of The IRONMAN Group to talk about g...

14 Aug 1h 41min

Jail, Navy SEALs, Fentanyl & the French Foreign Legion | Taylor Cavanaugh

Taylor Cavanaugh’s life has been a cycle of achievement, self-destruction, and rebuilding. Before becoming a Navy SEAL, Taylor had already been expelled from school, arrested repeatedly, survived a v...

12 Aug 2h 26min

Four Brain Surgeries, Total Deafness, and Refusing to Break | McKinnon Galloway

McKinnon Galloway was diagnosed with NF2 at 16 after a routine MRI for a volleyball concussion revealed two brain tumors. What followed was years of chemotherapy, a phase-one clinical trial, four brai...

7 Aug 1h 31min

A School Shooting, a Shipwreck, and the Long Run to Sobriety | Mishka Shubaly

Mishka Shubaly has lived several lives: gifted student, touring musician, Columbia-trained writer, addict, shipwreck survivor, ultrarunner, Yale professor, and the editor who helped Ken Rideout turn h...

5 Aug 2h 8min

One Life, Two Hearts: Surviving Cancer, Loss and Heart Failure | Dr. Dawn Mussallem

Dr. Dawn Mussallem was a young medical student when she collapsed and doctors discovered a 15-centimeter tumor wrapped around her heart. She was diagnosed with stage IV diffuse large B-cell lymphoma a...

31 Jul 1h 34min