Mike Malano | Former Minnesota Viking and NCAA All-American Talks About the Transition from College to the NFL and How the Lessons Learned in Football Helped Him Launch his Business Career

Greg Spillane: 0:01

Welcome to the athlete entrepreneur. I'm your host, Greg Spillane. This is the podcast that brings you real success stories and insights from former elite athletes who have gone on and are now crushing it as startup founders, innovators, operators and business leaders, we dive into the traits and habits that lead to high performance on the field and how they are carried forward to the boardroom. Whether you are a professional athlete looking to transition to the business world, or an entrepreneur looking to hone your craft, we're going to dive deep to find the tools, tactics and tricks that you can use to reach your goals. In this episode, we have Mike molana, a former collegiate all American, who was drafted into the NFL by the Minnesota Vikings. Mike is currently a partner at greens down a financial capital firm specializing in the acquisition, development and operation of water assets. In this episode, we talk about a wide variety of topics, including his transition from the NFL into business, what motivates him, how we achieve high performance, both on the field and in business, and much, much more. So without further ado, here is Mike Mulana. Hey Mike, welcome to the show. Hey, Greg, thanks for having me. Absolutely, buddy. Hey, so listen for people who don't know maybe you could take just a couple minutes here and quickly tell everybody a little bit about you.

Mike Malano: 1:26

Yeah, sure. You know, basically grew up in Arizona was born in Colorado moved here and lucky enough to get a scholarship went to San Diego State and played football there for four seasons was redshirted. So was there five years there was lucky enough to get drafted in the NFL didn't have quite a professional career that I wanted got injured my rookie year but I'm still proud of I battled just to stay kind of end of the league for for a couple more seasons after that rookie year and in played one year NFL Europe and then actually signed a deal with Atlanta but was truthfully was injured. I was kind of lying every time I take a physical I had a whole system down so they wouldn't spot the swelling and the problems I still had so i i needed another surgery. got that done. And then Honestly, I was out an entire year and I was just done you know, but in that time I kind of started a professional career outside of football so I just didn't have didn't have the heart anymore. But that that was a you know, a real transition. I think every athlete goes through it where you are no longer you know, kind of a football player in your, in your it's more than just not playing it's a lot of your who you are is wrapped up in that. And so I kind of joked about a midlife crisis at like 25 years old. Because it's like, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? And I think a lot of that's what we're going to talk about here today. So excited.

Greg Spillane: 3:01

Yeah, no, man. Absolutely. And I just saw you post some stuff. Congratulations. I know you were just inducted into your high schools Hall of Fame. I also know you were inducted into the San Diego State College University Hall of Fame. So obviously had an amazing career, both high school and college, what was it like to get that call? Or either of those calls?

Mike Malano: 3:25

You know, both both were super exciting. I mean, the you know, started with the with the high school one, you know, you put so much into it. And in really high school, I think is where you form, you know, a lot of friendships that, that last and you kind of you know, it's a it's a special group to ever play football. So you got these great teammates, you got these friends. So that was really cool. And we got, you know, we had a lot of success in my high school and so to be recognized, was really cool. And that one just happened. The San Diego State one was obviously you know, that's that's a huge honor. Because, you know, there's a lot a lot of great athletes that come through San Diego State. And, you know, I think I think I said this in the speech, you and I played together, offensive line. And really, I was fortunate because I was maybe the most recognized off of the line, but it doesn't matter that line is the line of if I if the other four guys weren't good, and we were damn good. It wouldn't have mattered so but it was really cool to get that, obviously that honor and you know, be able to, you know, you can always kind of hang your hat on it and, and so, you know, I left it all out there on the field and was recognized, not the reason why you do it. But you know, it does feel really good when you when you get that recognition.

Greg Spillane: 4:40

No, absolutely. You know, it's interesting. I was always in a situation I was early in my career, I was an early executive, I was working for a startup, and we were out raising capital. And I would you know, you kind of always start off the introduction meeting or meeting with the VC or whoever it is across the desk from you and they would ask about your background and you know, I would Very similar to the way you gave your background you know, I was hey I was lucky enough to do this and yeah I was lucky enough to do this I did this and and the CEO of the company at the time, like pulled me aside and he's like hey man, like, you know these people are you know they're betting on horses like like get rid of the humility like tell people who you are what you've done and I try to explain to them right and you know I think your your humility is coming through it's like when you're when you're an athlete, you know when you get interviewed, right i mean you you're a quarterback and you throw for five touchdowns and 450 yards or whatever it is, and what do you say, Oh, hey, you know, my, my offensive line did an amazing job and they gave me time to protect my receivers just a great cook, right? Like we're trained to like put that off on other people like, is that something that you've had to deal with in your professional life? Or you know, it's you kind of have to tell people a little bit more about who you are and what you've accomplished in your life.

Mike Malano: 5:49

Yeah, you know, it's funny once you get into it, it once people know because it's such a it's a fascinating thing and I think that when you've done it like you and I were used to we know a lot of people obviously because you played college sports and then you know guys go to the NFL, so your circle of people, you know, has those experiences and you've had them but to the outside world, it's so unique. I mean most people you know, it's hard to make your high school team it's hard to do these things so they get really into it and they want to know and in sometimes I think I'm the same way I try to kind of deflect off of it because I also want to be known as a professional. I don't want them to be kind of relying on something that they did in the past. But I think for most people it's a really cool thing and I kind of go back to thinking about when I was a kid if I met somebody that played college sports, or especially professional sports of any type. I mean it just blew your mind because you know when you look at the numbers, and I'm kind of a numbers guy you look at the percentages of what it takes to make it it's kind of amazing when you do so people you know people a want to know more about it and and kind of want to understand it because obviously you know, especially football is kind of America's passion. So

Greg Spillane: 7:02

yeah, absolutely. So you obviously had a great high school career. I know you were pretty highly touted definitely in the state of Arizona. You know from knowing you I believe ASU was sort of your dream school. That's that's really where you wanted to go and it did ended up happening right there something something occurred and you

Mike Malano: 7:27

actually it was University of Colorado was where I wanted an ASU I'd actually committed to and they they had offered me and I what happened with Colorado was they actually Rick Neuheisel got the job and he'd been the guy that was recruiting me out of Arizona and he didn't offer me a scholarship which was kind of disappointing because he kind of been recruiting me took a trip to ASU and it really liked it and actually, you know, kind of softly committed to it. And then really I decided a bunch of their coaches left. Actually Carl morale went up he was the one that recruited was the main guy recruiting me there. He left and went to the University of Colorado. The defensive line coach guys got recruited for both offensively but the line went to USC there's a whole bunch of things so then I was like, You know what, I got to take this trip and you and I both know, and whitened so Ed White was the coach San Diego State 17 years NFL and it is like a guru i mean he's like he's more than a coach he's a teacher in life he's just a great man and so I'm really glad I took that trip because I think about that all the time if I would have stuck with ASU I would have been you know gone to school close to my home would I have gotten out and met new people done new things I don't know you know, it'd been very easy to just to stay kind of in the you know in your circle because and I would add a lot of friends more more people I knew that obviously went to ASU being a you know, right there in Phoenix or in Tempe so anyway I you know, I I'm glad everything worked out the way did obviously will always kind of be disappointed. My family was all University of Colorado people and so but, you know, it would have it would have been great, but but I'm really glad I don't think I'd be the player. If I didn't go to San Diego State and learned from Coach white, I don't think I would have ever had the skills because I saw guys in the NFL, from big schools and they did not get coached the way we did. And then and that followed on with Coach Baldwin that really taught us things that guys just didn't know. And that gives you a huge advantage.

Greg Spillane: 9:37

Yeah, no, absolutely. Yeah, having played for Coach white, I you know, I know how much he's meant to me in my life and still a part of my life. So that transition from from high school to college is a big one. You know, it's really where I think a lot of people become men. You know, you seem to do better than a lot of people did, and your ability there to quit. Come in and figure out the system and find your place you know how did you do that let's coach why a big part of that or was that just kind of an inner fire that you had in yourself?

Mike Malano: 10:11

I think it's both you know I have always was very driven especially with football It was a big family thing you know my dad played at a small school my grandfather played it was something that was always there and and I wanted to be good you know I really did I wanted to be you know I set my goals extremely high and tried to work for you know, work towards those every day so yeah, who's unique and I think you know, part of part of my thing was is I maybe have a maturity my dad passed away when I was young and that's a obviously I would give up everything to have those memories and have that life with my dad in it but it also teaches you how to grow up you know, and you kind of are forced to maybe take things on and mature faster than others because that's just your you know your lot in life so you know, in reality it would be it'd be disingenuous to say those things didn't help me in some ways you know, and in even my freshman year in college my grandfather who would become a lot like my father figure growing up got cancer my freshman year before we started and I went back home and was with him and you know he passed away before our first game that year against Cal so I had to go back to the funeral that week and then come back and I didn't play in the game but I suited up for it and that was a big deal as a freshman to kind of suit up and be on the travel team. So anyways, it's you know, I think that those things help you so I definitely had an inner fire I had a certain level of maturity and then I'll be honest football was made sense to me I love the the strategy behind it I was kind of think about it's like high speed chess you know it what the repercussions Are you know, they don't take your piece they might you know, blast your good buddy Who's your quarterback or your running back if you mess up and so that you know, things are moving around quickly, and you have to have that mental part of it and then that lets you play fast as an athlete. But if you don't know what you're doing, it doesn't matter at all. You could be the greatest you know, athlete in the world. But if you're on the football field and you don't know your assignment, you're worthless

Greg Spillane: 12:24

solely and you obviously had an amazing career at sango State all American your senior year pretty exciting. drafted into the NFL by the Vikings I believe Yep. How was that transition? What was what was that like going from from college the pros

Mike Malano: 12:42

You know, it was such a it's such a kind of surreal experience because you get there I remember just even like the first you know, mini camp because that happens real quick after the draft I think I got drafted they flew me out there I was actually in Las Vegas during the draft I didn't really want to watch it I wasn't going to be a first rounder so I wasn't going to go to New York City so I don't want to sit around and wait for you know two days for my name to be called but they flew me out there the next day and then I think I was back in San Diego for like two or three days and then instantly had to fly out there for that weekend to mini camp which was you know unexpected I mean we had john Randall you know was I think my first one on one pass pro in the guys you know first ballot Hall of Famer so but I'll tell you you know is one of the things I was lucky is playing in San Diego State we have some guys like Leroy Glover I remember he was one of my first you know going head to head against when I got to college and that guy played and you know, eight Pro Bowls or something like that so you know I was used to kind of be at outmatched or at least definitely out experienced by by really good players but it was a blast you know, you kind of get in there and you just kind of I had more of an attitude of I'm just gonna let it loose you know like if I don't if it doesn't happen I'll be fine you know, but I'll just kind of go at it where maybe in college I you know, played a little bit more tight because I kind of knew I could block the guy so I didn't want to make a mistake but here it's like man I'm just going to try to you know, I'm going to try as hard as I can to actually do this because if I don't be you know, these guys are too good though. They'll eat you alive.

Greg Spillane: 14:23

So he talks a little bit about you know, your your career, the injury and you know being done at 25 right it's 25 years old I mean you're a kid you're just starting off and it's like well your first careers done you know something that you spent your entire life doing you've kind of probably been the thing that you know it's been your dream since you were a little boy and and really is dominated every you know moment you know, every every thing you've really done your life up to that point. So you talk a little bit about the midlife crisis. jokingly but you know how You have a plan you know what did you want to do next?

Mike Malano: 15:03

You know I didn't I mean I sort of had a plan I would say the best thing I did was I always gave myself options you know I you know I didn't do I kind of regret I didn't try harder in college really in classes I mean that's probably one of my biggest regrets but I still did did well enough and in basically I think I had one class left for my my degree and I got that done, you know, right away when I was done playing, and I had done some internships through the NFL, I'd always thought about coaching so I'd done a coaching internship actually coached NFL Europe A few years later, which was another part of an NFL program but I also done business once I'd gotten my insurance and financial services license while I was playing they had a program with a you know I forget I forget it was even with I don't do the company around anymore but it was big you know investment firms So I did that and so I was kind of set up you know, to at least to at least have myself options and so you know, that was the first thing I did was insurance and financial services. I liked it but I didn't love it I had been involved in kind of investing in real estate with money I had made in Arizona and that time was a really good thing we weren't we were investing in raw land that we would you know entitle for development housing and things like that and so in the early 2000s you know from 2000 to 2005 that was a you know a great business to be now from 2008 to 2010 horrible business to be in but you know you learned some lessons but that was one thing I had some options you know I'd given myself even if you don't know what you want to do the reason to go get a degree The reason that give it is just so you can have you know more chance of success later in life yeah it's interesting

Greg Spillane: 16:50

you know you I put myself back into that you know 20 to 23 year old mindset and you know, not going on in the NFL and having friends that you know dead like yourself and you know you just you're you know you see you know the money they make and you're like oh my god those people are never gonna have to work again and all they're set for life and then now like you know 40 something year old me goes no no that's I mean you get a little bit of a head start it's helpful like you can do things with it but you know 25 years old like yeah I mean unless you sign for you know, you're a top five draft pick or have a huge contract like you're going to go through that money you better figure out what you're going to do for the rest of your life right

Mike Malano: 17:32

yeah yeah it's very I mean that's that's the one thing even have a great career. Besides Tom Brady you know you're gonna buy be done you know 30 early 30s at the best and then you've got a lot to go and in you know there's something about making money too is you know, I always think back to in college like if I had $20 on a Friday night I was gonna have an absolute blast you know, like you had everything you needed now I go through $20 feels like before I leave my house You know? So money you know you you get into it you get used to having it in and I think it's a good motivator makes you kind of want more it's like a lot like anything else because that's how you measure success in some ways in business and things like that is is what you make and you know, I think that's part of being an athlete is you always kind of are able to set goals I mean you had to be to be successful in athletics you have to be able to set goals and then work towards them and you want that reward you know and if you're playing football you want to win that game you want to do those things but in the freshman thing it's like hey look, I want I want that promotion I want to make more money I want to be more successful because you know that's all part of that you know that mindset of pushing yourself towards a goal

Greg Spillane: 18:44

so you mentioned that you know in to being successful in athletics you got to set goals like there's so many things that i i still to this day and you'll you'll appreciate it because you probably heard the same thing but I I'll like cure myself saying like, for instance, like Lombardi time, like I still have this philosophy in life that you know, with my team of people and companies that I've run and managed, like if you're on time you're late, right? Like you just show up to meetings five minutes early, it's just the way it works. Like, are there things like that that were sort of drilled into your mind plane sports that you just still take with you today in the professional world?

Mike Malano: 19:22

Yeah, I think you I mean, you nailed the biggest one is the body time I mean, I think that's that's something that that's the thing I've always loved. You know, you're five minutes early is on time on time, you're late, and if you're late, you're in trouble. Yeah, well, you know, it's, it's, but there's so many things like that, just the, I always go back to you know, like two days in the amount. It's one thing the physical strain but also the mental strain. That's the one thing that people don't realize, that didn't play college football or beyond is the meeting time. I mean, it's it's one thing you are out there practicing, but you're sitting in those meetings and you're learning and so I go back to that all time. where I'll have a long day you know where let's say you know doing something I'm meeting with our board and it's a long day and you're going through stuff but in my mind it's like it's never as hard as today was it's never gonna be that physically and mentally taxing on you you know and so yeah there's there's always those things and I you know I go back to there was Rayfield right there was a guy's in the Hall of Fame he came and gave a talk I don't even know how I got invited so it was a middle school and they kind of had like I guess the teachers kind of nominated kids to go listen to him talk it was kind of like I guess they said like the leaders of the thing and he's the one he had this speech about how to set goals and then work towards them. So it's like you set your goal far off like the ultimate thing you know, like in in let's just say in football like in your high school it's a state championship Well, that's your end goal. Now what is it that you have to do? Well, you have to make the playoffs before you can win the state championship and then you have to do this and you build it all the way back down to then you as an individual as part of that team in what you're going to do that day. So those things always help and I'm a big person and I write everything down. I write down my calendar I'm an old school guy right in front of me right here I've got my calendar it's got my stuff written down it's got my kind of things to get done today. But I used to do that with goals with sports and so I kind of carry that over of when you put it down on paper and you look at you say okay, I got to get that done. And it's funny when I don't put it down you know I can procrastinate it put it off you know justify lol just go home now instead of getting that done but when it's down on paper it's like man I gotta You know what, I got to get this let's let's get this off the table and move on and that's you know, that's a that's a lesson I think from you know, a great NFL Hall of Famer given a kid and it's one thing I remember about that speech and it's something that's helped me my entire life.

Greg Spillane: 21:56

Yeah, I think I think that that concept of working backwards is so powerful, right? I mean, it's one thing to write a goal down and we all know the you know how impactful and how important writing goals down can be. But then once you start to work backwards it really helps you realize what's going to be necessary for you to achieve that goal. And you know, I think there's the old saying and I paraphrase it but you know, kind of like a goal that action steps is sort of just a dream right? And you need to make it in something that's actionable and it only becomes actionable if you have actionable objectives and things that you can actually accomplish right? Yep. You know, you met you made one comment and I also think it's it's somewhat interesting, it's something that I I talk about a lot kind of in my own professional world is you mentioned the meetings and there are tons and tons and tons of meetings and I'm sure that you know it continues to go on through the NFL for forever and really what those meetings are is reviewing film and in most cases you're reviewing film of you know, either the opponent or yourself but you definitely yourself all practices are videotape basically every rep that you perform whether in a practice a game or a drill is on tape and and you go through it and you know, coach is gonna nitpick you you know, did did you take the right step there? Did you stop here, you know, whatever it may be. But but it teaches you to be coachable, right? We're, you know, as ex athletes, you're used to having people tell you when you do things wrong, and you just accept it. You know, I was I was making you know, a comment now, you know, Tom Brady now has kind of gone into like God world, but there was a time where I'm sure, you know, after maybe three Super Bowls, you'd sit in a room and whether it was, you know, McDaniels or whether it was belcheck. He was getting coached, there were there were times where he made the wrong read, and, and they were still getting in on telling me how to do better. And, you know, I find that a lot of people today are afraid to coach their employees or their people. They're trying to be sensitive, they don't want to hurt people's feelings. And you know, and I think it's a disservice both to the, to the employee, as well as it to the company. Do you know, have you had any experiences like that?

Mike Malano: 24:08

You know that that was a really great point you made and it kind of leads back to your last question of what do you take with you and I see it all the time, I see where people can't be critical of themselves. It's almost like they get stuck and it's like to admit you were wrong, or to admit that you could have done that better, is like they don't want to do and I think that that's a crazy way to look at things where really what you're saying is I want to get better. How do I do it, and we did spend so much of that time, it was so critical. And not only was it It teaches you because we were in front like you know, like let's just say as the offensive line room, you're you're in there with all your best buddies. And you're getting called to task for something that you did. And and then the kind of the the big test would be let's say on Saturday night, you know, and you got to primetime ESPN game like we used to have and and now you're out there in Essentially you know everybody's probably close to you in the world meaning your good friends family they're all watching that game and you're putting yourself out there to be basically just you know like you're either gonna have a great game and everyone's gonna slap you on the back congratulate you are you can have a bad game and you can you know give up a saccade and an opportune time do something that you have a mental or whatever it is and you look bad and but you do in front of everybody and it's a really hard thing and I think that that lesson of how to take that deal with it kind of internalize it because not easy than ever should be easy you don't want to be called out you don't want to be but that but I think what you're saying is like that's what drives you to do better and it is a disservice not to challenge people i think i think that that's you know missing in our society in so many ways you know, it starts from the top politics on down it's like people get stuck and it's like well you know, if you can't if new information can't get you to change your mind or look at things then then that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard everything should be 10 you should always be looking at whatever belief you have whatever core value you have in question and saying is this right and then as new information comes out you better take it in process and say you know is it still right and you know football teaches you that it teaches you kind of in harsh harsh lessons you know it's like hey you better You better work on yourself because these other guys are and and you may be better now but they're gonna catch up and you're gonna get your ass kicked pretty soon

Greg Spillane: 26:37

yeah and I couldn't agree more so you know from from your perspective I mean you have parents out there who you know are want the best for their kids you have you know people coming out of college or in college or you know starting their career off and you know, what would be you know that piece of advice that you'd give them of you know, hey here's the things that you're going to need to be able to do to be successful in your life and in your career.

Mike Malano: 27:02

Yeah, I think you know, part of it is is to humble yourself you know know that that you don't know everything when you're when you're starting out look for people who do and I'll say that's like a coach white you know look for look for somebody that's done it done it at the highest level and then learn from them and and that's something that that I think I wish there was more of I wish there was kind of a better opportunity set for people to mentor to do those kinds of things I think it's great i know so some companies do it but I don't think enough do where you kind of put some you know a junior person and somebody starting out and put them with a kind of a senior person somebody that's that's there but you know I there for whatever reason they don't do it I think it's a mistake because it's it's the best to learn from those who have done it and then and then you know but it's also hard to say you know you don't know everything so sometimes you just got to you know shut up and listen in in take like you said take the coaching you know which are taking instruction which which people don't want to do and I you know and I think it's because they haven't had the way that we were taught to I don't think that they do that anymore and even in college sports at that level you know how coaches would get on you but I think it was a great lesson because it just you know it reinforces they aren't doing it to be mean or to be an asshole to you they're doing it to make you better and help you achieve your goals which is which is all part of it and I think that's you know in business that's the same thing as look we all win if the company does well are we get you know whatever it may be get the sale done you get whatever your goal is you all succeed in there's just too much you know Pete you said people are not coachable and that's a lesson that I think you can only get from from being in sports and things I mean honestly

Greg Spillane: 28:59

Yeah, I you know, I've had situations in my own my own career where you know, I do tend to default to the sports and you know a little bit of the philosophies that you know, we came up with with you know, hey meritocracy, and like no excuses and accountability and those types of things. And, you know, the fact of the matter is not everybody responds to that. And it's just it's just it is what it is. So I've you know, I've had to adjust and I've had to morph I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I just, you know, not not everybody's wired the same way. How have you had to adjust kind of that philosophy that we we grew up with, but understanding that in the real world, that's not how everybody is.

Mike Malano: 29:43

Yeah. And I think you know, that's very true. I'll tell you so I did code like I coach NFL Europe, and in one of the one of the best lessons in coaching, even in sports is that not everyone responds the same way. You know, and In one of my favorite sayings is that this is Dennis Greene said one time when I first got to the Vikings is I'm gonna treat everybody fairly but I'm not going to treat everyone equally and so you treat people fairly but you got to figure out what pushes certain people and if you're going to be in a leadership position you know that's what you have to do but I've definitely had it where I mean I'm so used to wanting things done done right and you have to you know it's good but it's about being coachable like like my business partner and CEO of my company he says hey, you know like you're right but but don't be so you know, forceful in that and it's like okay you know what you got to take take a step back and say you know what, yeah I was right but I'm wrong in the way I'm doing it and in so you just Yeah, you do have to learn that's a valuable lesson to learn but again it becomes about are you willing to step back and look at yourself and be judgmental of yourself and say, is this is this actually going to help me accomplish the goal that I want and in a lot of times you just got to know the people and you got to be able to read and that's that's one thing I think in listening to people and seeing how they respond so you know you can say the same thing to three different people and get three totally different results and reactions to it and so you got to you got to be able to sit back and kind of Judge what's you know their reaction or listen to what they say from what you say to them so

Greg Spillane: 31:29

and you still you've done some other coaching after NFL Europe correct?

Mike Malano: 31:35

Yeah, I did. I coached High School ball I haven't done it for the past few years just timewise and things it's it's such a commitment of time but it's a blast you know, I get I see the kids that I coached a few years ago now they're graduating from college they're getting jobs you know so I see him kind of now in a totally different light I might see him in kind of a social setting at a bar or something like that and you know, it's it's great to see because there's kids I know I mean there's one that kid was struggling through through high school he's one of my favorite kids and I always always joked at him and I would have been you know like you'd have been my good buddy if I wasn't in high school with him the same time and we would have gotten a lot of trouble together you know just kind of knew kind of had the same mindset a lot of different things. He was struggling with school got him through he ended up going to the University of Arizona who I get with the JC first u of A's graduate he's got a good job now I saw him up actually you know ran into him up skiing in Flagstaff this last winter and that's a really cool thing to see somebody that you you know helped out you know, it's kind of it's basically a volunteer job you figure out what you get paid for coaching high school football it's like $1 an hour so you you know you're really doing it to just kind of help these kids out and when you see kids like that that you probably think you know if they didn't have football now he was never going to be you know, a college NFL player those those kinds of things but it helped him get through high school and then that allowed him to get a degree and now have a you know, a path in life that it's probably way better than what he would have had otherwise.

Greg Spillane: 33:05

You know, coaching is so important to these kids in many cases these coaches are are going to be some of the most influential people in their lives and you know, I think coaches you know deserve more credit because it truly is a labor of love you don't get paid well what who has been the most influential coach in your life and why

Mike Malano: 33:30

well coach white for a lot of reasons in him kind of you know the life lessons more I mean as much as he was a great teacher football but he you know his you know, his daughter who was our age was paralyzed and in a coma for our first few years in college you know and he was dealing with that and and you just see you know, how to he's a man who knows he dealt with some things he's had a lot of success in his life but he's also had to deal with things but it doesn't change who he is he's still the same you know caring person and those kinds of things so you learn from that but really all my coaches I mean I can think back to even you know, Pop Warner coaches and guys that I just looked up to I remember one of my offensive line coaches in in high school Tony Conrad I mean he he coaches now out in California but he played in an AAU which again back to like it was a huge deal to me to be have a guy that it played at that high you know college level back then division one double A and he you know, it was just cool to have guys like that be a part of it and they just kind of make an influence on you where you say, Man, I want you know, as like a freshman, it's like, you see him just out of college. You know, he's probably 643 100 pounds you're like, man, I want to work to be like that, you know, I want to I want to achieve those kinds of things. And so there's just in like you said, the guys who do it, you know, just out of the love. I'm watching my nephew. Now play and And you got the you know the guys out there that are just sacrificing here in Arizona you know it's 105 degrees on a Saturday and they're out there coaching these kids up and doing it for no reason you know other than to see the kids succeed really i mean i think that's for the most part there's obviously some that that go about it the wrong way but but yeah I really don't think they may go they may have some bad tendencies but it's not their hearts in the right spot because there's no one would do that just just to do it and so yeah I think we need more support form and you need you know the parents to support them more in really help that out because it's it's such a great thing

Greg Spillane: 35:41

really is and you know they I mean you mentioned coach white and his daughter you know they say that you can't truly understand your parents until you get older and you know now is a father of two daughters you know when we were 1819 years old and obviously his daughter had the freak tragic accident that that you know ultimately led to to you know, her passing away you know, I think you see it from the perspective of another 18 and 19 year old but now you know, as someone in my 40s who have who has daughters and just to understand how crushing out was and you know really how coach White was able to handle that and keep a positive outlook on life and still be there with all of us and you know, you know, still here 20 something years later we're talking about him being you know, where the most influential people in our lives so shout out to coach white Yeah. How about teammates? I know you've had a lot of great teammates I know you have a lot of really close friends that were teammates but who who was the teammate that pushed you that really made you better

Mike Malano: 36:44

you know that's that's a great question um I you know, that actually say is Andrew Klein you know, we came in together and and we just you know, it was like we were kind of competing always for the same you know, thing especially when we were young it's like Okay, there you know, basically, we had four returning starters after our redshirt freshman year and so it was like a competition and we were good buddies but but it it also you want to be the guy that that gets that spot you know and so and so we help push each other for sure and then I'll say you know I totally I mean that guy was just a maniac you know and and getting to play next to him for a couple years was you know you just kind of got to see like the the intensity that you can bring to the game you know especially the offensive line which can sometimes you need to be you need to be a little bit passive sometimes to you know and things but he but he didn't play that way ever you know it's kind of like just attack attack attack which which was great you know, so you kind of learn those things Gosh, but then the guys you got to go against like I said like Leroy Glover like what a great opportunity as a freshman to come in and in basically get taken to school by a guy that was a really good player and it was going to go on to have a really long NFL career those things are you know, that's a great that's a great lesson because you learn Okay, I got I got a little bit of work to do before I can be at that level so

Greg Spillane: 38:13

Kyle Turley man, that dude is a I mean you talk about intense and everything a person does in life man it's it's that guy. So if you could go back and give that 18 year old you know Mike molano you know one piece of advice what would it be

Mike Malano: 38:30

it's probably I would actually go I would tell myself to go to his class more I would say you know really take the opportunity and I remember actually you and i a few years ago we're out to dinner is by paddock eight years ago now or whatever it was and you said you know what if you had you know$20 million in the bank all you'd want to do is basically kind of work out and learn stuff every day and that's really what our that's really what our job was when we were 18 years old it was like look make yourself mentally stronger but you're getting a free education you know go to class work out in take advantage of those things. I mean, I took enough advantage that I but I still regret I mean I could have done more you know, and that's I don't really feel that way about the football side of things I feel that way about the school and I don't think I would be I you know, not necessarily what helped me in my career necessarily if I would have done more but would it help mice you know, just my own kind of inner self to know that I that I gave more of an effort in class you know, and it's hard You know, you just go back to what you say to an 18 year old it's like, you know, these times are great you're never gonna have it this easy these are but you don't listen when you're 18 you know, you kind of kind of you know, nod your head and say I yeah, great, whatever. And, you know, I'm going to sleep in instead of getting up and going to class and I regret doing that. Now. I didn't ever do that football, but I did that with school, and I regret that.

Greg Spillane: 39:57

Yeah, they say man youth is wasted on the young Exactly alright brother hey if you want to be remembered for one thing what would it be?

Mike Malano: 40:07

I'd say accountability I I always wanted to be the guy that that if you were lined up next to me You knew I was going to do my job on the football field and and that's how I want to be in business and in life you know I want my wife to know that she can always count on me I want my friends to know they can always call me my family and so that's countable is what I want to be known as is a guy that look you know if I say I'm gonna do something I'm a big one if like you know if I say hey I'm going to be there I'm going to be there you know I'm not going to I'm not going to be Su and say yeah you know let's let's get together and do this like okay yeah, we're making plans I'm gonna figure out how to make it work and you know sometimes things will always come up but it's like look I when I commit to something I want it to work and I want everyone around me to know that if it's in my power you're going to you're going to get the best from me every single time out.

Greg Spillane: 41:02

I love you man. Well my brother I appreciate you coming on the show. You're one of those guys that I think was extremely influential in my life you know very similar you know you you get to college you know you come out of this you know bubble that's kind of high school and it teaches you real quick how to be a man and you learn to be a man because there's people around you that are that are working their ass off that are talented that are smart and they they're going to take what's yours and the only way you're going to you're going to make it or you're going to survive is you better learn how to compete or go home and you know the the reality of it is is a lot of people ended up going home and and the system continues to move forward. And you know, I think those are the type of things that you know have helped you know, me and my professional career and it was definitely guys like you that when I got the school and kind of met and you know, saw just talented, dedicated hardworking dudes where it's like, well if I don't get my act together, you know, I'm gonna be one of those guys sitting on my couch saying you know what could have been so, appreciate it, man. I appreciate our friendship, appreciate you coming on and telling your story.

Mike Malano: 42:06

Thanks for having me, man. Anytime.

Greg Spillane: 42:09

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the athlete entrepreneur. As always, the show notes will be available at crossing the field comm you can follow me in the show on Twitter at Greg underscore splain. If you liked the show, please don't forget to leave a rating. Thank you so much for listening. Have a great day.