Time to get real with TJ Ward. I'm really excited to have you here because you're local. I am.
Yep. Coming up here from LA. And he's the real deal. Okay, Super Bowl 50, 10 years ago in San Francisco. How amazing was it? What did it feel like to win the Super Bowl in your hometown?
It was a dream come true. I mean, wow. The slow motion. Slow motion victory after we won. And everything just came back to me from starting my journey here in the San Francisco Bay Area. So, just an amazing, amazing experience.
Well, on Get Real, we want to know the origin story. So, how did it all get started, TJ?
Okay, I was born here in San Francisco in the Bayview District. Then we moved to Antioch in the East Bay when I was about 8 years old, and that's when I started playing football for the Antioch Youth Football Organization. Went to De La Salle High School. Played there. Didn't play much until my senior year. Then I broke my knee my senior year in high school doing that final season, and had to get healthy. So, I ended up walking on at the University of Oregon. And had a couple of more injuries early while I was there. Started my junior year. Had a really, really good junior year. Made second team or honorable mention all league Pac-10 at that time. Came back for my senior year. Had a high ankle sprain first game of that season. So, I missed half of my senior year again. And no, it all been a blessing. Still got drafted second round. Went number 38 overall to the Cleveland Browns. Played 4 years there. Signed a free agent deal with the Denver Broncos. Won a Super Bowl in my second year with them. Played one more year for the Broncos, then they released me, and I got picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And played 1 year in Tampa Bay. And that was pretty much my last full season. I had a small stint with the Arizona Cardinals for a little while. And once I retired about 2020, I started my sports agency. Which has now transitioned to sports agency and NIL management and marketing.
Yeah, good. I wanted to talk about that.
Yes. Um And then last year I started my podcast, Safety First. So, I've been doing that this past season. Just talking about the game, talking about the week-to-week content in the NFL. And halfway through the season I got picked up by Arena Gridiron.
Oh, that's awesome. You know, to come and overcome injury and win a Super Bowl ring. I mean, how how did it happen? What's your secret? What what is it about you?
Oh, man. I would say hard work. No, I It's something not not special. Honestly, you know, hard work and determination, man. And and continually to focus on what you want to get done no matter what steps in your way. I don't know. I'm pretty sure that you've um had some obstacles that For sure.
didn't know they were coming and didn't know when they would stop. But no matter what, you got to keep going. You got to keep persistent. If you really want something, you got to keep going after it no matter what happens.
So, we've been talking a lot with different guests this week about leaving the bubble of pro football and maybe college football. What was it like to retire and, you know, it sounded like you went right into business. Was there a transition? Was it easy, hard, no
No, there was a I would say, the pivot. Like, there wasn't much time off cuz cuz I just wanted to keep active and find something to really pursue. And my dad, he was an entrepreneur. He worked out here. Um He his own building maintenance company called Ward Building Maintenance, WBM, and I just seen his daily hustle growing up, his daily grind, him getting up and working late hours, working early hours, coming back and forth from San Francisco to Antioch, and I knew I wanted to be in control of what I was doing as a professional, so I can relate to that as an entrepreneur starting a business.
Yeah. Right. What do you think's the most important thing as an entrepreneur? I You know, you mentor people in this. You know, what do you tell them?
I think it's putting a the correct team around you. Finding the correct team and that works well together. You guys don't always have to be chummy chummy and get along, but people with work ethic, same goals in mind, and at the end of the day it's about being pursuing one goal, right? And you know, sometimes you have to give and take, you know, some things, and even as the boss, conform and listen. Yeah. Yeah, it took me a few years to Yeah, me still. I'm still working on it. I'm still working on it, but it's definitely something that uh you need, man. The team around you is so important.
Well, listening's a talent, right? It's not something and it doesn't come naturally to many people, especially given what you've had to do, and you know, I think what what turned the worm did something happen that made you realize I got to change the way I approach this?
Um I think kind of the lessons I learned in football, getting injured. Yeah.
Like, realizing that anything can be gone in an instant. Um and then another thing I would say is trying to be responsible for everything is too stressful. It's too hard. Like trying to control every little factor of your business. You just have to trust like you do in sports or like I did in sports. Like you have to trust that the right guard is going to do his thing. You're going to have to trust that the corner has studied and is going to handle his responsibilities. And that's why it's so important to get in the right people in your building.
Well, you know, it's funny that we are talking a lot about sports and business and it would I would think the sporting experience makes you more prepared to build a business because of the things you just said. Um, I guess what's been the biggest challenge to scaling and growing your business so far?
Man, it's so challenging. I don't even think I've gotten to that level where it's been a huge scale. We're still at the you know, lat- the lower levels of this building, but you know, we're building. And understanding is it takes time. You can't rush anything, but we're scaling and adding new pieces daily and weekly and communication key. Keep the communication lines open cuz we can't read each other's minds. And if you're thinking of something, you have to relay that and vice versa. So we know right, wrong, or indifferent, we know where we're at. We're not assuming.
Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, I always say cuz that's what my firm is about is communication. Communications is leadership and leadership is communication. That's what I've you know, espoused in the years. I'm in year 25. I got 2,500 people that work for us now. And you know, it's something you can do. Yeah. Um, you're filling an unmet need. What is that unmet need in the market that you're filling with your business?
Checks and balances, the roles and responsibilities. It still, you know, sometimes some of those get blurred. Sometimes the lines get blurred. And and making sure everybody's handling what they're supposed to handle, I can't help it personally. It's like, let me step in and do that. Like, I'll just do it type. And it's like, I don't know.
That's a mistake. So, that's what I'm probably learning the most right now. Um Like you said, it's a skill. You got to work at it. Well, you know, are they watching you work or are they going to do the job, right? So, you got to give them a chance to do it. But, that's look, that's probably the hardest thing to realize where you stop and they start. You know, on the team.
to find good workers. No. Like it's not.
that, right? It's something
think so either. I think it's something that you can You should have You can be taught that, but it has to start at a young age.
Well, you know, you change the culture of business by who you hire. Is there someone on your team right now who's making a difference and changing the trajectory?
Um I have a few people. You know, my partners, uh my friends and family. I bounce a lot of advice off from them. Especially my dad and my mom. Um about how I should handle certain situations, how I should handle certain partnerships. And I think in both of my businesses is handling the business in the back office before you start putting feet to pavement. The balancing act that I don't think people appreciate when you start your own business and it's all your money, yeah, usually. I mean, you know, or friends and family, which is even more intense. Um you know, having that. Now that I've sold the private equity, I have a board and all the things that you know, come with that, but I was kind of glad I got them, you know, because they gave me some boundaries.
You know, so what's next steps here? I mean, what what do you see coming up for the business in the next year?
I've wanted to just expand and get better, get better at the content and get better guests. You know, as far as the agency and NIL is making my network bigger, getting in contact with more collectives and GMs and colleges. I know a lot of coaches already right now. I was just up at Cal. It was funny cuz I was at Cal Saturday. I flew back to LA to get ready and then I flew back here Tuesday. So, balancing the two businesses and is really probably my most difficult part cuz I started them at the same time. And there's another business, the family business, right?
business, which is the family foundation, which is the War Boy project. And creating a board, we did that in the last 2 years, which has helped us tremendously.
What's the focus of that?
Uh our focus is youth development, whether it's providing scholarships to private schools, whether it's health and wellness, you know, financial literacy, mentorship. My grandmother was a a huge community activist out here in San San Francisco in the '70s and '80s.
What's her name? Shirley Jones.
Oh, yeah. And she worked with Mayor Willie Brown and she had daycares in the Bayview-Hunters Point community and she's always been a pillar of the community. So, just being a part of the community, helping kids in the community has always been something um in our family blood. Like, it's something we do. It's just you do and you're going to keep doing.
Um so, before we wrap up, I just, you know, always ask a couple of easy lobby questions, but they're fun. So, we aren't going to be so serious, right? Tell me, what's the best vacation you've ever been on?
The best vacation I've been on was I just went to Spain. I think it was 2 years ago. And we did the Below Deck show with Bravo.
Yeah, man. It was a great trip.
How did I miss that? It was It just aired. Deck Mediterranean?
Right, long way up to speed. I'm a big Bravo fan.
and when I did it, I didn't know it was such a big show. I'm a so ignorant to it.
behave on the sea? Everything worked out okay?
I was pretty somber. Yeah. But I had some great moments on the show. Like it was we were on the yacht for a few days. We stopped in Germany, Berlin for the first day and then we flew to the Spain. And once we got off the boat for the 2 days, we stayed in Spain for 2 days and we flew back to Berlin and flew back. It was my first time across the pond.
for me there. Is it Captain Sandy or Jason?
Sandy. It was Sandy. She was great. That whole crew was great. Uh we chat sometimes on Instagram
You'll save yeah, you'll save Captain Sandy. She's good people, right?
And it was a great time, but other than that, I like the Caribbean. So, I had a good time in Grenada. Grenada is a good island, man. The people are great down there. Yeah. What about you?
My best vacation I would say was a vacation to Israel Mhm. with two families. And that was about long before all the problems that we've seen today.
Yeah. But boy, they were boiling up when we were there. So, we learned a lot Yeah. about that and it's a complicated
Yeah. messy situation, but boy, did we learn a lot. And you know, there's some serious It's just stuff we're not used to here in America.
I think we take a lot for granted the way we live. But those borders are not so secure as we now know.
Yeah. so they I just you know there's a feeling of incredible culture and pride and diversity. You'd be surprised. There was a lot of diversity in that country. So I I learned a lot. That was my favorite one.
Okay. Yeah, that sounds amazing.
turning the tables. Yeah, I didn't mean to. Sound Well, no, that's okay. I like it. Soundtrack of your life, if there was one, what would the album be?
Ooh, soundtrack of my life. That is a good one. I'm not like I'm more of a movie person than than a music person.
If I was to pick a song, it'd have to be something about being an underdog. Maybe like Eye of the Tiger or something. That's my son's favorite song.
He's like turning it into my favorite song because there's such a message in it and That's amazing that he even knows it. How old is he? He's five.
All right. Hey, that's what streaming is.
Bro, like I My son is only five years old and he's five years old and Eye of the Tiger is his favorite song.
kidding. So what What's one thing you're going to get real this whole week talking to folks around, you know, at the Super Bowl?
Um I just like interactions with guys like yourself. Yesterday I went to a Rich Eisen wine party and I met um a guy who's head of the V Foundation and just exchanging knowledge. I like to just get as much knowledge as I can. I used to use this as an opportunity just to party in my younger days.
Right. But you know, I stopped drinking two years ago and it's probably the best thing I've ever done. I've heard that that really helps. Yeah.
Yes, it helps me a lot. I'm so much sharper and focused in what I'm trying to get done.
But uh yeah, I'm I'm just wanted to make as many contacts as I can and see where things lead, you know.
That is a theme I'm hearing, you know, it's not just all the fun and games. It's you know, and some people are like the parties are fine, but where I really get value is the partnerships.
Exactly. Exactly. Learning from guys like yourself. Men like yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate it.
Thank you for not calling me sir, which has happened once too many times this trip. All right. Thank you very much. T.J. Ward, what a what an honor, what a pleasure.
All right, we're getting real. We're getting real in the Starter Lounge, you know, with Sean and Carl. We're going to hear their story, origin stories, what they want to get real about here at the Super Bowl. Before I get started, Starter is awesome. I had my my vintage Starter on yesterday. Syracuse. It was quite quite amazing. But, I always do like to start with a little bit of an origin story. Where you came from, why you do what you do, how you got where you are. Um, we'll start with the man in blue. Sean Peka.
Sean C.B. My guy. What's going on, fellas? Good. Good.
Thanks for being here. First of all, thank you for having me on the podcast. You got a nice little setup here. You know, my brother Carl Banks always goes strong with the Starter jackets. I've been wearing these since the '80s.
got the Bad Bunny one on.
I got the Bad Bunny one It's a moment. I just Can I just let you guys know? It's a moment.
This is a moment. This like to be able to have a Bad Bunny Starter jacket for Super Bowl. This is It immediately becomes a collector's item. No, no, by the way, I love Carl and I came out to say hello. He's like, 'You know I got the Bad Bunny Starter jackets in there.' I said, 'Carl, I'll be right back. I'm going in there to buy two.'
