TJ Duckett discusses being part of the DVD Era in Atlanta, the Cleveland Browns not selecting him, and life after football
In 2009, after football had ended for T.J. Duckett, the former bruiser of a back, found himself wondering where time had gone and whether it was all really over. He did not know how to be an average human being outside of football, a game that was all he ever knew.
Since then, Duckett has found true happiness, learned to live without the crowd's roar, and become a philanthropist/entrepreneur who regularly speaks to student athletes as a motivational speaker.
Former Falcons RB T.J. Duckett runs the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Imagn Images (©) Copyright 2004 by Preston Mack
Duckett would sit down with Josh Petry, a journalist at Athlon Sports and host of the "Nerdz Enigma" podcast on YouTube. Duckett would discuss being part of the "DVD" Era in Atlanta (Dunn, Vick, and Duckett), being passed on by the Cleveland Browns, and what life is like after football.
One thing casual fans may not remember is that Duckett would run a 4.37 40-yard dash at his Michigan State Spartans pro day. All the while being just over six feet tall, and north of 260 pounds.
When asked about his being a bruising running back yet having that type of speed, he would say, "God-given blessed speed, you know! My dad is a track coach, and he's been coaching high school track for 56 years. I grew up around track, so I knew the importance of stretching and getting your knees up. I became a track runner at 250-260."
When Duckett was asked about expecting to go number 16 in the NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns, only for Cleveland to take another running back, then going 18th to Atlanta. Was that water under the bridge due to the better situation in Atlanta? Or did you want to make them play whenever you had the chance to play them?
"It was water under the bridge, you know, that NFL Draft, there is no telling where you're going to go. You may have an idea, but it's so unpredictable. I thought that I would go to Cleveland, Atlanta had just gotten Warrick Dunn, so I'm starting to look at the teams, and there isn't much room for a big running back like myself."
"When I got that call, it wasn't about making anybody pay; It's like, I get to live my dream now."
Duckett struggled after football, and was asked if losing his way was exactly what he needed to find that peace in his life, and he would say, "Yeah, it's not necessarily about losing my way, it's about what I want. But, it's so much bigger than you, and I like to control the situation, but you find yourself asking, This is what I want, so why didn't I win a Super Bowl. Life is meant to be lived, and it will unfold how you keep testing if what is inside you scares you."
Duckett's website originated through his non-profit "New World Flood." Flooding the world through giving and service, a single raindrop at a time. More can be found at IAmTheReignMaker.com. Duckett also has a book titled "The Student-Athlete Blueprint: The Ultimate Guide to Excellence in School and Sports.
The full interview with T.J. Duckett can be found in its entirety below.
