Former players have increasingly found themselves pursuing media careers after their playing days are done. And according to former NFL defensive lineman turned podcaster Chris Long, the transition has its positives and negatives.
Long played in the NFL from 2008-2018 for three different teams, playing a role on two different Super Bowl-winning teams.
Since his retirement, he has worked on the Green Light podcast, largely discussing topics around the NFL from the perspective of someone who has been through all of the trials and tribulations of life in the NFL.
Despite making the Green Light podcast a very successful venture, Long detailed during an appearance on the Unbreakable podcast with Jay Glazer that he is still unsure every day whether podcasting is truly what he wants to do for a living.
“We’ve been lucky, and more than anything we’ve just been consistent,” Long told Glazer. I mean, there’s still days where I am like ‘What the f*** are we doing?’. Is this a purpose? Am I happy doing this? Does this seem successful? Like is this success? Is this who I want to be, do I want to be a podcaster? It’s a weird thing to go from being like a gladiator to a guy with a microphone that supposed to be intellectual and have these thought provoking conversations.”
"There is this though that the media is just one thing, but I think what players have done is cut out the middle man."
🏈@JOEL9ONE on his podcasting venture with @JayGlazer.
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Entering the world of podcasting for Long represented a huge shift in his mindset. As a player, Long detailed to Glazer that he felt like it was he and his teammates against the media. But now, Long detailed that he and other former players have “cut out the middleman” by hosting podcasts instead of working on traditional media outlets.
“You know, the media is what you make it Jay,” Long added. “You know, I used to tell coaches like the media, it is us and it is them. I understand beat writers and the history that they have to get the story out. You know, 24-hour news cycle, you got to mine for topics every day. There is this thought that the media is all one thing. But I think what players have done is cut out the middleman. Not that I’m saying the middle man is the bad guy. I think the media is extremely important. We don’t get paid as much as we get paid, TV deals matter, the media matters. So I’m appreciative of all that. But we wanted to do things differently. I wanted to do things on my terms and be the boss and build something.”
Long has said before that he now sees himself as an equal to the likes of traditional media members who haven’t experienced the game at the highest level like he has.
Regardless, Long’s experience in the NFL is valuable, and it does undoubtedly bring a different element to the content on his podcast that is seemingly becoming more and more sought after by most NFL fans as time goes on.
[Fox Sports Radio on Twitter/X]
