Eric Weddle: From Retirement to Super Bowl in Six Weeks

The following transcript is intended to to aid in your study. However, while we try to go through the transcript, our transcripts are primarily computer-generated and often contain errors. Please forgive the transcripts' imperfections.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Eric Weddle's retirement was going great. As Sports Illustrated put it, "He went to church, slept in, made breakfast for the family, packed school lunches, spent time he could hardly find before with his wife and four children ages eight to 14. When the kids went to school, he hit the gym, not as hard as he used to, but still lifting every day and running twice a week. But then a call came that changed everything and gave Weddell the fairytale ending everyone hopes for. Five weeks after that call, Eric Weddle was a Super Bowl champion. Eric Weddle is a former NFL safety, he played college football for the University of Utah where he was a consensus All American. In 2020, he announced his retirement after 13 seasons in the NFL, only to come out of retirement two years later when the Los Angeles Rams needed him during their NFL playoff run. He is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and you can read his conversion story as well as the beginnings of his career in his biography, "No Excuses, No Regrets." This is All In, an LDS Living podcast where we ask the question, what does it really mean to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ? I'm Morgan Pearson and I am honored to have Eric Weddle on the line with me today, Eric, welcome.

Eric Weddle

Morgan. How are you?

Morgan Jones Pearson

I'm doing so well. How are you?

Eric Weddle

Doing great. Just living the dream.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Well I have told Eric this already, but my husband...I went up a few notches in his book when Eric agreed to do this interview. So I am stoked, we were rooting so hard for you in the Super Bowl. And I'm just so excited to talk today. So thank you for being willing,

Eric Weddle

Anytime, anytime. My pleasure.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Well let's talk a little bit about that Super Bowl. You were two years into retirement and were meeting with a local high school about coaching, when you got a call asking if you'd want to play in the NFL playoffs, which sounds like something from a Disney movie. Tell me a little bit about that moment and what was going through your mind when you got that phone call?

Eric Weddle

Man it was definitely a whirlwind of emotions. And you know like you said I'd just gotten done interviewing at the local high school to potentially, if the interview went well and I was what they want for the future, that I would take over the high school program this upcoming season. And I had just gotten done with a meeting, mind you I'm happily content with my life. I gave everything to the game. I gave everything to try to be the very best and it was time for me to be done. And I had no regrets. I had no desire to return. I didn't miss the game at all. I didn't miss the pain. I didn't miss the sacrifice, the time. Everything that the job entails. As much as I love playing on Sundays, it got to the point where I just couldn't, couldn't keep up both mentally and physically. So two years removed, I started coaching youth football, love that doing the taxi service, the daily wake the kids up and make them breakfast, make them lunches, drop them off, then you get a little five hour break to do whatever I wanted, I could take a nap, I could go work out if I wanted to. I could, you know watch a show, hang out with my wife. You know, we've been looking for this moment for, you know, basically 14 years where we finally can have time for ourselves. You know, she held it down and was the rock of our family for so many years. So it's just nice to be able to give back, give my time to kids, give my time to up to my wife and then your world gets flipped upside down when you get a call asking if I could give them 15 to 20 snaps Monday night. This was Tuesday afternoon. So we're talking six days from now. And I literally laugh when Raheem called me. He's the defensive coordinator. And I laughed out loud. I said, Is this some kind of joke or something? You know, I haven't played football in two years. I haven't been working out. I'm not the guy that was on the field two years ago. Like I'm 182 pounds. I'm physically not where you would expect to be to go play football. And he's like, Nah, man. He's like, we got a great plan. I think you can do it. You can learn the system easily. We just need someone back there to get the guys in position and bring some stability back there. I said Raheem am I seriously the best option you guys got right now? And he's like, pretty much. So we talked for like, maybe 15 minutes. And I just was like, this isn't real. This is some sick joke that they're playing on me. And you know in life there's opportunities that come about whether you're ready for them or not. And I just kept circling back to this is an opportunity of a lifetime, this is an opportunity that I get to live out my dream once again. And am I ready? Of course not. Should I do it? Absolutely not. But if I preach what I say and the way I live my life is I live life to the fullest. I love life. I love living everything that it entails, the ups and downs, the adversity, the low times. I love it. And what would I be if I preach that to my kids to live each day like it's your last, to when something happens or opportunity comes, you just take it and live with what happens? Right? So many times we're afraid to take that leap of faith because of what someone may say or what someone may think. And at the end of the day, I kept thinking about that, how can I look anybody in the face if I don't take this chance and see what happens. And so long story short, I make that decision after a few phone calls and talking to Chanel and talking to some other people that I'm close with and kind of wrapping your head around trying to go back and play in the NFL. And once you commit to something, I'm all in and who would have thought six weeks later, I'm a Super Bowl champ.

It's amazing. Well, and I think it's important to know, you know, you talk about not being entirely ready for that opportunity. And who would be after two years of retirement. But also when the defensive coordinator called you they were like are you fat? And you were like no. And I think there's something important to note there in terms of like, you weren't not ready. And so the idea of like being ready when those opportunities come even like you said, if you're not all the way ready, but being being in a position to answer that call, I think is a really cool part of that story.

Yeah, I mean, you're 100%, right, like, I work out now, so my body feels better. So my mind, I'm a little more patient with my kids, and I'm not in so much pain. And you know, I play basketball once a week, because I love you know, hooping with my friends and just trying to be a little kid again. And you know, so you never know why you do certain things right? Like a month prior, I started changing my workouts to just try to get a little bit more explosive on the basketball court and just try to get in a little bit better shape. And in looking in hindsight, like honestly, doing those things a month prior gave me the confidence to to say yes, and try to come back and make this dream come alive again. And you know, there's always a saying you got to stay ready, so you don't have to get ready. And it's a perfect example in life of are you ready to attack the day? Are you ready for the crazy things that may happen that you may not know about? You know, every day we wake up, we don't know how the day's gonna be? It could be our last day here. We don't know. So are you ready? Are you ready for those challenges? Are you strategically putting yourself in the best spot to be successful in that day, both mind, body, spiritually, this is a crazy world. And for me, it was something that gave me the confidence that I could take this chance and make the most of it. And really the belief like you know, when you hear it from your wife, you know, I was going back and forth. And you know, I had a legacy. I had a standard of football that I played with, you know, I could easily have made a fool of myself and that would be the lasting impression in millions of people's minds that this guy's made a fool of himself. And, you know, going back talking to friends, talking to more coaches and the last thing that made me just go all in was my wife, she's been my biggest supporter, my biggest believer and has also humbled me and reminded me what my standards are and reminded me what life is all about, you know, this crazy life, crazy world, and to understand that, hey, as much as you want to be the best football player ever, you have a even greater responsibility of being the best husband and best father to your kids. And, you know, without her by my side for my entire career, there's no way it would have been what it ended up being. And when she says, fame, if anyone can do it, you can. It's just like solidified, "You're dang right, babe, like, I can do this, I could do anything I put my mind to." And I don't know if it all would've worked out if she just didn't give me that little nudge that I needed in the moment.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Yeah. Well, I love that part of the story as well. And we'll talk a little bit more about your wife as the interview goes on. But I wondered, you know, you mentioned five weeks, six weeks later, you are a Super Bowl champion. From the outside looking in, it looks like an absolute fairytale. I'm sure when you're the one out there putting in the work, it probably doesn't feel like wow, that just happened. But what did it feel like? And what did it mean to you, after you've put so many years into it, to then have that kind of closure?

Eric Weddle

Well, it was just like a lifelong goal of, you know, that's why we play sports. That's why you play especially team sports is to win a championship, to be the very best. You do things individually along the way. But it's always clouded when you have success as an individual, but your team stinks. Like it's just not worth it in the long run, you'd much rather have a team success than the individual accolades that come with it, and to have this crazy moment, and in this life and opportunity come about, and to make the most of it, and have a hand in the ultimate goal, the ultimate dream when that dream was dead for me two years ago, when I retired, like, it was never a possibility to even think about winning the Superbowl, or be a part of a team that had a chance. You know, I was just the retired has-been cheering on my squads each Sunday and Monday and Thursday. And any chance I could help out other guys and coaches during that time I was fine with but to have that it's just, it's just surreal. And it's you know, to say grateful and humbled to even have that chance to be thought of is just as hard to fathom. And then you go back to everything that's happened over the course of my career led to this decision of trying to bring me back I mean, a lot of who I am, is derived from my parents raising me the right way, but having the gospel and having the church in my life and the way I tried to treat people the way I have a standard and try to hold that. Now I'm not perfect. I've made plenty mistakes. And that's why the Savior is so beloved and cherished in my life for His Atonement and the things that we can overcome in life. And if I hadn't been that way, throughout my career, these coaches and players wouldn't even have thought twice by asking me to come back knowing that if anyone could do it, probably Eric could, he'd be crazy enough to even think about it. So it's all correlation of trying to do right, and trying to treat people with love and kindness and good things happen to good people. And I try my best to do those things. And to have it circle back, to have a hand and have actual prominent role in winning the Superbowl for the Rams. It's something that I'll never forget. And there's reasons why those those things happen is because you tried to do things the right way.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Well, I completely agree. And I think it was so it was so inspiring. I remember during the little Super Bowl run during the playoffs, and then the Super Bowl, telling my dad your story. And he was just like, Wow, it sounds like something off a movie. And it does. It's incredible. You mentioned during that little period of time that it was cool for you to have your kids there. And if anybody watched they probably have like that image of your wife and kids with you all decked out in their Rams gear like permanently embedded in their minds, but how you mentioned it was cool that they were able to watch you now that they're a little bit older and maybe understand the significance of their dad playing in the NFL, what was their reaction? And what did it mean to you for them to have that?

Eric Weddle

Well, yeah, it was. You know, I was fortunate to play a long time. So my last year, my oldest was in sixth grade, beginning of her sixth grade. So my son was in fourth. My third is a girl she was in second, then my youngest girl was in kindergarten. So did they really know what was going on? Do they really understand how much work dad had to put in or how much time and sacrifice? I'm sure they understood when dad's not around, obviously. But it was just a cool opportunity to see dad who's been retired, but lives life to the fullest. And it was just a great moment to try to show them to try to be an example to them. Like, there's no greater point for me to show them what hard work can do. And if you really commit yourself, mind and body to a goal, to a dream, that great things can happen and to be able them for them to see that week by week. You know, obviously, I left and I didn't see them. So I left Tuesday night got there Wednesday morning at 1 a.m. And I was in the building by 5 a.m. And the next time I saw them was the home playoff game Monday night. And so I'd see them after the game. They would say hi, see dad on the field. And then the following week, I wouldn't see them till in Tampa, Chanel brought all the kids out to watch the Tampa game second round of the playoffs. So they were only seeing me each week but they were talking to me every day. And I would tell them what I was doing each day and how many times I was working out, doing rehab and studying around the clock and to be able to share that experience with them along the way, the journey, the injuries, the pain, the sacrifice, and then to to end it all with them on the field was me celebrating something that we never thought was possible. Hopefully they take that and they take just something from that experience and down the road. They use it: Hey Dad did this, we could do it too. And that's something that hold dear that I was able to, to share that and have my kids experience something that I gave all I had to it. And then what had happened from it.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Yeah, well speaking of giving all after that call came on Tuesday, like you said you got there Wednesday morning, you said you practiced 16 hour days, you gained eight pounds of muscle and dropped 3% body fat in eight days, which is wild. But the reason you said you knew you could do this was because you think of yourself as one of the most mentally tough people. Eric, what makes you so mentally tough? Teach me your ways.

Eric Weddle

Oh, I don't know, I'm a very cut and dry individual. And if someone says I can't do something, then it'll be my life goal to prove them wrong. And do I say I hold grudges? I would be lying if I said don't. I've been trying to work on forgiving others and being more Christlike. It's something I battle with. Because what makes me great is not also maybe Christlike at times. And that's okay. That's just reality. We're all trying to improve and work. But I just think that there's not something I can do when I put my mind to it. And I knew I had a lot of a lot to make up on. I was not playing for two years. I played at 195-200 pounds. And I was 182. So you know, I had I had a lot of ground to make up. But you know, that's what work does...the determination to make the most of this chance. Like there wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't doing whatever I could for my teammates and do whatever I could to make sure physically and mentally I was able to give my all to the team and make the most of it because nobody gets this chance. Right? Like nobody who played 13 years and retired two years gets this chance. So it would be I'd be a fool if I wasn't giving everything I had. So I was working out twice a day, rehabing around the clock, studying from sunup to sundown. I mean, I was getting in the building at 5am and I wasn't getting to my hotel room till 9:30, 10 o'clock at night and then doing it all over again. Every day, and that's what it took, right? Because you just didn't want to say I wish I would have done more. And so many times in life, we do that as human beings. And I just decided, I'm not going to let that happen. Whatever happens, I'll be able to look myself in the face and say, I gave it all I had and be happy with what what has happened. And then shoot, I mean, I'm living a dream, I'm playing with house money, there is no pressure. I mean, seriously, like, if I screw up or I make a bad play, it's their fault for bringing me back, not mine. I'm just trying to make the most of it and trying to help them out. But hey, you are a 37 year old old has-been so what do you expect?

Morgan Jones Pearson

Well, I just had a thought snd I'm curious about how you handled this, like the guys that you were playing with many of them you had never played with before. So how do you come into a situation where you're playing with a new team, you're like this guy that they don't really know and you're expected to be a leader?

Eric Weddle

Yeah. I learned how to handle different personalities and how to get the best out of each individual. And I wasn't coming in as if this was my team, I wasn't coming in as this is my defense or my defensive backfield, I was coming in to find my place, earn my role, and be a helping hand to anyone that needed it, there was definitely some turmoil and some drama going on in that team when I came in. So it was, I think I was half coming in to help the safety play and be a player and then half be a psychologist for the drama that was going on between players and coaches and try to bring everyone together, right? You can't be successful in the field if you're not aligned off the field, both mentally and physically and as a team and as individuals. So I knew what my role was, and I knew I have a big personality, as you could tell in the prior 20 minutes talking to me. I'm very strong in what I believe in and what I say and then how I tried to act and work and lead by example. So I just ease into it the first week or so and figured out what was going on, figured out the dynamics between players, between coaches and players, and then start little by little start infusing some energy and some influence by trying to bring everyone together. And then shoot by the third, by the championship game and the Super Bowl. It was as if I had been a part of the team this whole time. And I think it took both sides myself, you know, playing well and holding that end of the bargain. And also the the guys accepted me. I mean, when I walked in there Wednesday morning, to see the smiles in the the energy and the excitement that Dub was back in the building. It was like I was a kid in a candy store and it just gave me the extra pep in my step that this is the right decision. Like I'm doing it for the right reasons. It's not anything selfishly, it's to give everything I have for my teammates and try to help them wherever that's needed, whether it's playing special teams, whether it's playing 10 snaps or playing 67 snaps and starting the Super Bowl. So it was just trying to give all I have selflessly to the team. And I felt the players felt that from me. And it was never about myself. It was always about the team and really help gravitate everyone to the ultimate goal. And that's about the team, about winning.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Well, and I should highlight you did play every snap in the Super Bowl. Is that right?

Eric Weddle

Yes.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Wild, Wild. Eric, before we move on to the next part of your story, which is going to kind of take us back a little bit. I'm curious. You are currently co coaching high school team but gonna take it over next year. Is that right?

Eric Weddle

Yes. So I'm, I'm just helping out. On the days I'm not coaching my son's 14 year team so I help out breaking down film and I go to practice once a week and I meet with the head coach and I meet with AD throughout the last six months a bunch of times it's kind of good. It's actually I'm fortunate to basically get a free season on the job without being on the job to learn the ins and outs and what is required and what is expected and and learn and just give me an idea of what my vision is and then also see what I want to keep I don't want to change culturally, there are things I want to put in place. So yeah, so once the last game is done in three weeks, I take over the program.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Okay? And are you hoping is your hope to coach at a higher level someday? Are you content to coach at the high school level?

Eric Weddle

I don't, I think everything's up in the air until my kids are out of high school. I love being at home, I love picking them up. I love not missing stuff that I've missed for 14 years. So I think everybody knows that, whether it's NFL or college, it would be amazing to maybe take that jump. But that's not going to happen until my kids are out of high school. So at least 10 years, is what I envision something like that's not gonna happen until my kids are out of the house and living their good life away from mom and dad.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Gotcha. Okay. Well, like I said, I want to kind of go back a little bit you there was a biography that that Deseret Book and I believe Shadow Mountain published before you came back to the NFL long before that, kind of telling your story and your conversion story as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And in that biography, one of the biggest things that struck me as I read was, can you talk about how things happen for a reason. So for example, when you were in high school, you got hit in the eye by a baseball, which ultimately is what led you to focus more on football, rather than baseball and kind of set off a string of events that, like we've talked about, led to this moment in the Super Bowl. You also got injured in a football game in college, when you were playing for the University of Utah, which led your now wife but then ex girlfriend to text you. And in the book, you said if I hadn't gotten hurt, we wouldn't be married today. So I wondered this thread of being a believer that things happen for a reason. Why do you think that that's something that you believe in so strongly?

Eric Weddle

I think everything that has led me to where we're at right now in this conversation, that Heavenly Father and the Savior has had a hand in my life, when I wasn't a member of the church, the things that have happened, led me to where where I'm at today. And, you know, when you look back over the course of my life. I was one of the top prospects in all southern California in baseball, and then a fastball to the face. And then in my junior year, cracks my my cheekbone, fractured my eye socket, and there goes my baseball career. And if that one single moment doesn't happen, do I end up at the University of Utah to play football? Probably not. Do I end up moving into a house after first semester of my freshman year because I got good grades into a house of four returning missionaries that gave me my first impression of the church. Obviously, probably not. Do I end up reuniting with Chanel who was at Utah State on a soccer scholarship already my second year? No. And do I end up getting baptized? Do I end up marrying Chanel and having four beautiful kids and playing in the NFL and having everything circled back the way my career ended? Without San Diego and Baltimore? All these things happen for a reason and do you understand it at the time? Of course not. Like, so many times things that happen in our lives that we don't understand why, right? Like, why do unfortunate things happen if you're trying to do what's best, right? You're trying to live right, make good decisions, but you just don't know. And you just have to have faith. And for me, that's been tested over and over and over again, and reaffirms my commitment and my love for the gospel and my love for the Savior because of things that have happened over the course of 20 years that I know He had a hand in and He was watching out for me and to say that heavenly Father knows each and every one of us is 100% true. And I believe that with all my heart, you know, the things that happened in San Diego were unfortunate, why I left and went to Baltimore night. And I didn't love football and I didn't want to play anymore. And it was really, really hard for me to overcome that. And as of now, that happened in 2015-16, I played in Baltimore and then few things happened and then circle back to have the opportunity with the Rams. You know, all that stuff had to happen for me to have this crazy opportunity to come out of retirement, and to fulfill a dream and was it hard in the process? Yeah. Like, I never felt so alone in my life outside of Chanel, my kids, but the blessings I receive from going through that tough time, and that adversity, made Chanel and myself and our family that much closer, and made us a stronger unit at home. So, again, we don't understand things at times, why are they happening? But if we just stay committed and stay true to what our beliefs are, eventually it's going to come back around? No doubt at some point, it will. And you're going to look back and say, That's why that happened. And I'm a better person from it.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Absolutely. I want to talk a little bit about your conversion story. You mentioned that you were at the University of Utah. You were rooming with football players who were returned missionaries. But your wife was a member of the Church, at the time, your ex-girlfriend who had been your high school girlfriend was a member of the church. So I wondered if you could tell listeners a little bit about how you ended up joining the church.

Eric Weddle

So I first met Chanel my sophomore year, her junior year, at a friend's get together. We all went to the movies and there was like 12 of us. And you know, I dated the typical girls that showed off their bodies and were outgoing and this and that. And when I first met her she was wearing a half vest with a turtleneck long sleeves. And she wore a skirt down to her knees like right above her knees. And she had long curly hair down to like, middle of her back. And that was the first time I'd ever saw her and I'm like, Oh, my gosh, who is that? She is beautiful. And that night I didn't get to see her because the way it worked out. I sat next to her friends and she was on the opposite end. Long story short, she was the very first introduction I got to the Church and what was so great about Chanel and what I love and admire about her is her love of the Savior and her standard is the standard and she was not going to let anybody get in the way of her commitment to what she wanted out of life, and that was to be married in the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity to some lucky man, which ended up being me. And to have those values. In her house that she grew up in, she grew up a member, but her dad wasn't a member so she never had the priesthood in her home. She never had that stability in the sense of what a priesthood holder man in the house can give to the kids and to the wife, and she always wanted that. And when we started dating, she was like, listen, these are my standards, this is who I am. I'm not gonna change for anybody. And at the end of the day, I was just enamored by her. Seriously, I was fixated on this woman who's so confident, so beautiful, athletic, played obviously soccer, cross country, track, ASB president, just had everything going for. And I was just the lucky one to just stumble upon her. And so that's how it began, just her example to me, she never pushed the Church on me, she never invited me on Sundays, she just she wanted just for me to be me and her to be her and enjoy each other. But just let her be an example to me. And I think in most times, that's how change happens by the example, and the kindness and just being there for people. And that's what she was for me. And she's always been someone that has always been there for me and always has my back. And so as she went off to school to Utah State, I was a senior in high school, she was a year older than me. So we broke up, because I wasn't a member. And she was like, Listen, you can't give me what I want. And very blunt and it was hard on both of us like to break up, we were extremely close. But to break up for those reasons was hard on both of us. But that's who she was. And it's such a great example to me at an early age of commitment and being passionate about what you believe in. So I at the time, I didn't think I was going to end up University, of Utah, I thought I was gonna go some big time college. And, you know, it's crazy how the world works, right? I ended up at the University of Utah. And like I said, earlier, the guys on the team were just so great, just great examples of great men of the gospel, and to be around that my freshman year, and then be able to move into a house with four returned missionaries. And to be up at night when it's 10:30 or 11 o'clock at night, and I'm walking upstairs, I lived in this little dungeon room in the basement that had no windows. That was like in my own little world. But I'd come upstairs and one of my best friends, he's still one of my best friends today. He's the one that ended up baptizing me, his name's Justin Hansen. And he'd be up in his room late at night reading scriptures. And I'd be like, What are you reading? So I'd just sit there and listen to him. And he would be the best to just reading these stories from the Book of Mormon, being able to describe it in a way that it would make sense to me was just amazing. So amongst the many other reasons, I decided to take the discussions after, you know, three or four months of living with these guys. I had a great freshman season as a freshman All-American, you would think I'd be on cloud nine. But there was just something that was missing. And, you know, looking back and how everything has transpired, what was missing in my life was the gospel, and the Savior in my life. And so many things that had to happen to get to that point. One, I've always felt that I was meant to join The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints like, so many times things could have happened in high school where you go down a wrong path, you go to a party, and you could drink, you can do things with girls, you go down that road, but for whatever reason, I never did. I never did. I was always the guy that was the driver. I was always the guy that looked after my friends that were drinking, I was always the guy that wanted a girlfriend and wasn't the guy that wanted to just hook up with any girls just because and I'm so happy and grateful that I was able to go through those experiences and try to hold strong in in those in those moments. Because then I got to share with Chanel who is my best friend at the best time of the inside the temple and getting sealed like that was worth everything, to be able to have someone like that and to be able to circle back and have that opportunity of getting baptized, dating other people within you know, the first three, four months and then not talking. She and I didn't even talk for six months. And then I got hurt my sophomore year, she was in Idaho at some soccer tournament for Utah State saw me on the sideline and crutches and shot me a text saying I hope you're okay. And we hadn't spoken in six months. During this time, I had been baptized, we'd been living our lives. And eight months later, we get out of the temple in San Diego and start our lives together as newlyweds living in Ogden going different ways each each and every day, because she was a senior at Utah State and I was a junior at the University of Utah. So we've lived a fun life, a challenging life. But like I said earlier, I was meant to join the church. And was I always meant to marry Chanel? I think so. But so many things had to happen to join back together and be where we're at now.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Well, I love that story so much. One thing I wanted to touch on, before we get to our last question, one thing I loved in the biography is and people have probably picked up on this, Eric, throughout this interview is you're very honest. And you talked about how there were three seasons into your NFL career, you started to realize that you weren't prioritizing church the way that you'd like to. And you made an intentional decision to kind of put that in at a more prominent place in your life. I wondered, you know, that was years ago, how have you seen the gospel become increasingly more important with time as you've learned and and have grown within the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Eric Weddle

Yeah, we tend to get occupied and clouded with just life. And everyone does with work, with school, with kids, with jobs, with activities, it's just so much throughout the day. And then the realization I came to is it's very difficult to go without church for six months, and then just try to jump back in for five, six months and try to just jump back in like you were just there. And it was a hard reality to try to get back into what life is about. And I lost track of that. And I just made it an excuse that I'm playing in the NFL, I need sleep, I need this to make sure I play good. And at the end of it, the reality is that's just not the case. And I wasn't putting my family first and I wasn't putting the gospel and the Church first and to say the correlation of going back and making a priority to go to sacrament, whether I was at home or away, dressed in normal clothes, showing up to different wards across the country. And they see this random guy walk in to sacrament, they're like, who is this guy? And in most cases, there wasn't ever a case where it was negative, it was always positive. And people were like, Hey, come on in, and I'd always have to sneak out, my taxi would be outside waiting for me. And it's just ironic that, you know, we try to keep the Sabbath day holy and not only am I working on Sunday, but I'm also paying a taxi driver to take me to church sacrament, and then tell him to wait to drive me back. But it was important. And I think at times, if we're putting through the effort, it shouldn't matter. Right? If we're trying to put Heavenly Father first in our lives, it should not matter how it's getting done. And I really, I really feel strongly about that because I lived it. And I don't think Heavenly Father's looking down on us saying, Eric's doing this or he's working on Sunday. He's not. He's smiling because I'm trying to take the sacrament on Sundays and I'm trying to renew my baptismal covenants to keep me on the straight and narrow and keep me in line with what I need to be doing. And it's no coincidence that as soon as I started doing that my career took off. And the next eight years were the best I've ever had. And it was because I realigned what my priorities were. And that was, the Church and my family come first, and figuring out ways to best solve that, that I wasn't getting done my first three years, and I needed help, I needed to get kicked in the butt by Chanel, and others to remind me, hey, this is only gonna last for so long, we've got eternity to do what we need to do here. And that's one of the best decisions I've ever made. And, and even more so now I think, trying to be the example to my kids and my son and always getting up getting ready early for church and going to activities and doing family prayer night, I try to remind people like I didn't grow up in the church. So I'm still...I feel like I'm more in line with the youth. That's why I'm in the stake young men's presidency. I think Heavenly Father knows because mentally and just the gospel, I feel like I'm right there with them, both knowledge and just experiences and whatnot. But, you know, we're always learning and I'm still trying to learn what's best for my kids, and how to have the gospel in our lives and in our house at all times. Because I know the benefit it has on us, the benefit it's had on my life. But it's not easy, but it's totally worth it anytime I speak to members or non-members. You know, life is hard. Life is tough, but it's so worth it. It's so worth it. The great things that this life gives, and being a member of this church is the single-most, best decision I've ever made to join the Church, because it's just brought so much fun in life and blessings beyond measure that I wouldn't have right now. And I really believe that.

Morgan Jones Pearson

That's inspiring. Thank you so much. So I feel like you kind of have already answered this question. But this is the last question we ask on every episode of this show. And so my last question for you is, what does it mean to you to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Eric Weddle

Well I think it's just giving your best and just trying. We're all here for the right reasons, we're all trying to be our best, but we're gonna falter, we're gonna fall, we're gonna make decisions that we're gonna think back and say, Gosh, I wish we wouldn't have made that decision. But it's about what you do after it. And the Savior and Heavenly Father is always there for us, they're always arms wide open, ready to hug us and they want to hear from us. And, you know, the Savior died for us. And His life is there as an example. There isn't enough anything in this world that we can overcome. And to be all in for me is just to try our best each and every day that we try our best. And it's okay, if it doesn't go that way. If it doesn't go the way you want it to go. Because at the end of the day, you wake up and you try again. And knowing that this world is hard, and it's crazy, and honestly, the world and everything outside doesn't want us to be close to the Savior doesn't want us to have stability. It doesn't want us to have families in core unit at home, that we rely on each other. And we're here for a bigger purpose. They don't want that, and it can bring us down. But if you just try and try your best, that's all that is needed. Your best is all you need. Not anything more, not anything less. And I can attest to that. Because when I give it my all, life is pretty dang good. And I still have struggles just like everybody else. But at the end of the day, I know that I'm loved and I'm cared for. And when I don't, it takes a while to come back. But they're always there waiting for us. And it's just great to know and to feel the love and the understanding of why we're here. What is the purpose. It's just nice to have that stability into. Give it all you got. Whatever you're doing, give it all you got. Whether it's work, whether it's being a friend, husband or wife, father, mother, etc siblings, just give it all you got. And know that you're not alone.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Eric, you're awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. I appreciate it more than you know, and I'm grateful for your example.

Eric Weddle

Oh anytime.

Morgan Jones Pearson

Big thanks to Eric Weddle for joining us on today's episode, you can find Eric's biography "No Excuses, No Regrets" by Trent Toone on DeseretBook.com Thanks to Derek Campbell of Mix At A studios for his help with this episode and thank you for listening

Transcribed by https://otter.ai