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Mike: Hey, Monarch nation.

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This is Mike, and this is the Monarchist Podcast.

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Today.

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We are welcomed by ODU alum and ODU basketball player.

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AJ Oliver.

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Welcome to the show AJ!

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AJ Oliver: What's going on, guys.

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Thank you guys for having me.

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This is a great opportunity, honestly.

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Aaron: Thanks for coming on.

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AJ Oliver: of course.

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And honestly, you know, it's I I'll say this has started out.

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I I've, I've really wanted to change to, to be able to greet Monarch
nation outside of basketball, you know, being able to do this podcast.

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Like I say, you know, we were able to talk about it at the the baseball.

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Last week, I was really excited because, you know, it's, it's
something that I've wanted to do myself, but not only that,

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just to be able to get a chance, to just talk about basketball
and old dominion university and how much I truly enjoyed and

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appreciated my experience, you know, I'm really excited for this.

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So

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Aaron: Yeah, we're excited to be a great opportunity to just chat.

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Have a good time and let Monarch Nation know a little bit more about you.

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What your past, your present and what's in store for you in the future.

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AJ Oliver: Yeah, of course I'm an open book,

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Mike: Alright, AJ so we're going to go back in time a little bit.

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We all know you transferred from Clemson, a big
P5 school, especially compared to Old Dominion.

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Can you tell us about that process and what it
was like and what kind of led you to old dominion?

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AJ Oliver: Sure.

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Yeah.

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I mean, honestly it was it was pretty easy and a very simple process.

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It didn't take long, you know, when I think about it
when I let's, let's, let's take it back to Clemson.

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You know, the first year that I went, then I was, you
know, able to play fully was the year that we went to

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the sweet 16 and, you know, it was a very fun ride.

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I made a lot of, you know, a lot of different, not, not just friends,
but family members, you know, brothers and, you know, people that I'll

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cherish forever because that experience is just once in a lifetime and
be able to play not only against, you know, not only in the sweet 16,

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but to play against Kansas at the time, you know, one of the best teams
in the country, you know, it was just a, it was an amazing experience.

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And I felt like at the time, you know, I, I had made strides,
but, you know, they just, they didn't see it that way.

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So, you know, I put my name in the portal and took
a chance on myself and coach Jones and coach stead

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came calling and, you know, the rest is history.

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So.

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Aaron: Well, we're certainly happy and feel lucky
that you made that choice to come to Old Dominion.

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You know, as a guy who's five foot eight and has about
a six inch vertical, I didn't get recruited to, to a

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high level division one school to do much of anything.

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But can you tell us a little bit about recruiting kind of what your
process was like and share that with folks who've never been through that.

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AJ Oliver: now, recruiting is kind of like I dunno, I guess if
there was, if there was a game back in the day, that was just

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super, I don't know, like, like a, what's the word I'm looking for?

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Like arcade game.

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Right.

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You know, like those arcade games that you could
play at Dave and Buster's and stuff like that.

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If somebody,

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Aaron: Old enough to

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AJ Oliver: I, yeah.

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Yeah, my bad.

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So like if there was a very popular arcade game, you know,
at all, it costs 25 cents and you know, your first 15

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friends have 25 cents and they're already there essentially.

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That's kind of like recruiting.

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Who's going to be the first one to get you, you know what I'm saying?

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So it's really about recruiting itself is more so about you feeling
good about the situation rather than them showing you a good time.

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I think, cause that's one thing that, you know, recruiting that like
recruiting is, is just trying to show you a good time, essentially.

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But if, if you're really out there looking for, for what you want
to accomplish in life and not only life, but your sport as well,

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you really got to look into, is this the right place for me?

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Is this the place that's going to help me grow?

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Not only as an athlete, but as a human and as a person,
then that's kind of just how recruiting is for me.

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I just, I never look into what school it is or what conference.

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What mid-major D one ID, one load.

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Do you want it doesn't matter if the
place feels right for me, then I'll go.

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Like, that's just kinda how it goes.

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So

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Aaron: So what felt right about Clemson or
were there, were there others that were close?

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AJ Oliver: there were others that were close more than anything.

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It was more of a family decision.

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So yeah.

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Aaron: That's awesome.

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Family is everything.

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AJ Oliver: Yeah.

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I, it was at the time, you know, it was a great, it was a great
opportunity because not only that, at that time, my sister was

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just starting to get recruited by Clemson for volleyball as well.

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So yeah, the whole family was going to be on a roster.

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Aaron: Oh, that's awesome.

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AJ Oliver: am

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Mike: So, AJ speaking of family we know that your mom played at
UVA, went to multiple final fours, had a great career as a coach.

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How has her being a coach contributed to
who you are now as a person and a player?

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AJ Oliver: You know, when you're, you know, five
years old brushing your teeth in the morning.

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And then there was a game day against Louisville which is, which
was a C USA conference fo at the time when she was coaching at UAB.

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And I'll never forget this.

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I, I think I was I was running late.

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I might've been running late for school.

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I don't know.

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I think she might've just read the clock wrong, but she yelled out.

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Ha we need to go right now.

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And if you're not downstairs, you're getting
left and I promise you I won't come back.

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So yeah, that's kind of how, like the first coaching mindset I kind
of saw out of my mom, you know, and it, and it came to me, you know?

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And so with that, being able to go to practices, being able
to go to away games, watching home games being there at award

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ceremonies and things of that nature, you know, you see a lot
of different things that, that the school doesn't teach you.

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And you know, that, I think that most people, you know, like teachers
and coaches don't even teach you, you just something about what

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she does and how she carries herself and how she, you know coaches
and not only coaches, but it interacts with the community is just

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something that, you know, I've put into my repertoire as well and
use it to, to better, better everyone around me, more than anything.

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And that's, that's all she's ever wanted to do was just make sure
that everyone around her was, would be better than her one day.

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So

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Aaron: Awesome.

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It's it's interesting.

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You've, you've got a lot of, a lot of family intertwined in your story.

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You talking about your, your mom there, but you also have interesting
history with Old Dominion and Coach Jones , coaching family members

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, and Coach Stith playing alongside your dad in the early nineties.

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Has there been any interesting discussions while you're
on the court getting coached or anything like that?

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Coming out of, of Coach Stith

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AJ Oliver: every once in a while he says, I looked like my dad on defense.

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So my dad was a two-time ACC defensive player of the year.

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So that, that, that feels a little good, you know, it was a little good.

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But I think honestly, one of the things that that is kind of
not just, not just really kind of cool, but also just I guess

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heartwarming in my sense is that like sometimes, you know, when we're
doing things, he'll call me Anthony, which is my dad's first name.

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And that just kind of like realized that like he
sees that, that type of player in me, which is.

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Is great.

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Cause like myself, like included, I never thought I was a good defensive
player until I came to ODU and played defense for three straight years.

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You know what I'm saying?

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So once that happened, I mean, building the confidence to guard
more people take more charges, do more things defensively.

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You could see that, you know, that link that, that old dominion UVA
link was there still because he still had that mindset of being perfect.

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Coach Jones is what I mean.

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You know, he still has a mindset of being perfect,
being great on defense being sound on offense.

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And you know, his coaches, players, everyone
down takes that mindset along with him.

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So

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Mike: AJ, you've been at ODU since 2018-19 season.

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You've seen some highs.

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You've seen some lows.

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What's your most memorable moment from your time at ODU?

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AJ Oliver: I would say selfishly, it was definitely the FAU game.

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I think my first year I got here, I think I had a
career high of like 28 or something like that at 2020.

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I don't remember it was a high number.

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It was a great number.

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And then, you know, throughout that year, you know, I had
a couple of double doubles with rememorable, especially

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in the UTS game, towards the end where I got the, the,
an one foul to kind of seal that game essentially.

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And so, you know, all the things that I I've I've, I've endured here
and experienced here have been amazing and memorable, but you know,

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I, it, those two come to mind, but it's really hard to pick one.

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Cause it's just one thing I'll say about the, I don't,
you know, I'll call it, I'm going to call it the Ted

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cause I, I just, I'm sorry, I can't, I've known it as.

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Aaron: Yeah.

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AJ Oliver: I CA I've known it as

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the

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Aaron: We  all do.

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AJ Oliver: That's what they introduced me, introduced
it to me as, so that's what I'm going to go with it.

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I love the Ted, when the Ted used to get rocking during
the first year I was here in a second, you know, COVID year

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was 250 fans, but it still felt like at least a thousand.

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So, but the past couple of the past couple of years just being in
a Ted, playing in home games are just memorable more than anything.

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Mike: Branching off of that, this year and prior years, we've seen a
really dominant team at home . We saw the flip-flop of that on the road.

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Would you account that to the fans or
just you guys being comfortable In the Ted

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AJ Oliver: You know, I think one thing about playing on the road
is that you, you, you really need your, a game all the time and.

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You know, when you don't have it, it's that this is kind of how it goes.

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And I think one of the things is that, like, we just never really had
that in-sync moment on the road, you know, like at home it just felt

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like clockwork, but like on the road, we, I don't know what it was.

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W it would be times where, you know, we would play
really good for stretches, give up a, a lead, come

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back, bring it back, and then just run out of gas.

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And, you know, I mean, eh, I don't really know truly what it
is, but I mean, it, something's got, something's got to change.

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I mean, it's, for me itself, like I felt more on those road games.

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I felt more embarrassed, like when winning or losing
those games, because it just, it felt like we could give

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a little bit more and it felt like we had a little more in
the tank, but we just never could figure it out, you know?

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And you know, the harder I work and the more
proud I take into it, At the end of the day.

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It's it's just a game, but still it's it's my, it's what I work for.

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I'm sorry.

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Aaron: Sure.

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I imagine  it's difficult being on the road.

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And at one of the things that Mike and I hear a lot
with Conference USA is the fans just have a tough time

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connecting against some of the teams that we play against.

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And so I think the fan energy is similar as well, as opposed to, let's
just, let's say 10 years ago, Mike and I are in the stands for a VCU game

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when they're a conference opponent JMU game as a conference opponent,
as opposed to playing know FIU, you know, it's a basketball game.

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When you walk on the court, it's a basketball game, but the
energy, I imagine you guys feed off of that energy as well.

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And if, if you're struggling or you're , for whatever reason,
you, flew to El Paso and you need to pick a pick me up

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feeding off of less energy probably makes it challenging.

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AJ Oliver: Yeah, it's definitely a challenge in terms of just playing,
you know, like one thing I would say about this is that it when it

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comes to Ted, I bring my own energy and you guys know, you guys know
me, I'm coming out, blazing, yelling, doing whatever I need to do to get

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y'all out to seats because we need every edit, every ounce of energy.

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Y'all got the same way, you know, teams do at, at, at at their place.

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So, I mean, I really do like playing on the road a lot more
though, because like, one of the things about playing on the road

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is, is just being able to quiet that crowd, you know, the ones
that don't like, you, you know, that's always the most fun part.

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You know, sometimes you get it done, sometimes you don't.

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I think, you know, one of the most fun part, I think one of the most
fun games that we played in was definitely William and Mary, you know,

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cause it wasn't, it wasn't our best, but we had fun because we just
figured out how to just blow past them at the end, you know, because

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we, we just grinded and grinded and do what we were supposed to do.

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We made mistakes.

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We, we, we were human, but in the second half we just, you
know, figured something out, found a way to just continue to

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put baskets together and get stops and the rest was history.

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So

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Aaron: That was a fun game.

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And Mike and I were both there.

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AJ Oliver: I remember,

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Aaron: That's been that's been, yeah.

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Then

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AJ Oliver: I

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Aaron: We make a little bit of noise.

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That's that's been a tough place for you
guys the last the last couple of times.

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AJ Oliver: Yeah.

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Aaron: that was a good

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AJ Oliver: So, you know, actually the funny thing is, is
that I didn't play in those in a couple of those matches.

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I only played.

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I think they came to us last year and in COVID
year, that was my first time playing William & Mary.

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Mike: I think that's Jeff's first win at Mary.

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AJ Oliver: It was, it was,

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Aaron: I get tired of seeing Bruce Hornsby in losses.

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I love his music, but I don't like losing to him.

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AJ Oliver: I get it.

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Aaron: Hey AJ.

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So what's, what's a day in the life for you as a student athlete at ODU?

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AJ Oliver: You know As I've gotten older, you know, less and less, you
know, class time, I guess it'd be more online class type stuff, you know?

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00:14:27,550 --> 00:14:35,890
But you know, wake up, make some breakfast, stretch out a little
bit, take a nice shower, you know, make sure I'm ready for the day.

202
00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,580
Go to, if I have to go to class, go to class.

203
00:14:39,375 --> 00:14:45,034
You know, get some work done on my computer
watch S I'll watch first take and get up.

204
00:14:45,064 --> 00:14:48,814
Cause I usually get up at like 7 30, 8
o'clock in the morning, usually every day.

205
00:14:48,895 --> 00:14:54,515
So it's, it's usually a light day, honestly, for me,
because being a senior, you know, you don't really, we

206
00:14:54,515 --> 00:15:02,525
don't really have much to do other than, you know, do our
work, go to practice, study hall maybe, and then go home.

207
00:15:03,035 --> 00:15:08,793
And it's essentially just kind of like for me, it's
just, I sneak in video games every once in a while.

208
00:15:08,793 --> 00:15:10,383
I'll go to the gym whenever I can.

209
00:15:10,442 --> 00:15:15,842
You know, and then the occasional out to dinner,
everyone to, to where, where do I go again?

210
00:15:15,902 --> 00:15:18,152
Ah, yes, Texas Roadhouse.

211
00:15:18,992 --> 00:15:19,562
Oh man.

212
00:15:20,162 --> 00:15:22,298
Listen, my cheat day, every.

213
00:15:22,339 --> 00:15:25,999
Not every Sunday, but cause we will be off Sundays.

214
00:15:26,029 --> 00:15:35,089
So every Sunday night or every other Sunday night, I go to Texas Roadhouse
ordered two baskets of rolls with the butter, a big, a nice steak.

215
00:15:35,149 --> 00:15:39,581
I think I'd get the it's the ribeye and a ribs combo with mashed potatoes.

216
00:15:39,611 --> 00:15:40,271
Oh my God.

217
00:15:40,355 --> 00:15:40,745
Man,

218
00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:42,560
Aaron: You're making me hungry.

219
00:15:42,590 --> 00:15:43,670
I haven't eaten yet.

220
00:15:44,015 --> 00:15:46,205
AJ Oliver: I promise you, there was a time in the season.

221
00:15:46,205 --> 00:15:51,005
I think like in December when there wasn't much
going on, I would go almost every, every week.

222
00:15:51,275 --> 00:15:55,235
I was about 205 pounds December 22nd.

223
00:15:57,001 --> 00:15:59,701
Aaron: You don't want to eat that right
before you have to play defense, right?

224
00:16:00,695 --> 00:16:05,505
AJ Oliver: You know, for me it like one of the things
that I've learned about my my stomach and my appetite is

225
00:16:05,505 --> 00:16:11,025
that like, I guess it doesn't really matter what I eat.

226
00:16:11,055 --> 00:16:15,525
It's kind of like how, how, how long I
ate it or like how long ago I ate it.

227
00:16:15,615 --> 00:16:17,115
I guess if that makes sense.

228
00:16:17,115 --> 00:16:17,685
You know what I'm saying?

229
00:16:17,745 --> 00:16:17,995
If I.

230
00:16:19,470 --> 00:16:21,930
We is a game it's eight and I eat something at six.

231
00:16:21,930 --> 00:16:22,500
I'll be fine.

232
00:16:22,530 --> 00:16:33,660
But if I eat it like 6 30, 6 45, like, you know, up to an hour,
if I had to get a snack or something, then not, not, not good.

233
00:16:33,750 --> 00:16:34,470
Not good for me.

234
00:16:35,700 --> 00:16:36,420
I'll just say that.

235
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:38,480
Mike: Alright AJ, speaking of food.

236
00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:46,390
at ODU, do you, do you have a favorite restaurant on campus and off campus?

237
00:16:46,390 --> 00:16:49,850
AJ Oliver: Favorite restaurant on campus definitely is Del Vecch's.

238
00:16:50,008 --> 00:16:53,368
And then favorite off-campus restaurant.

239
00:16:53,428 --> 00:16:55,978
I I'm just going to keep it in the pizza family.

240
00:16:55,978 --> 00:16:56,458
I'm sorry.

241
00:16:56,908 --> 00:16:59,848
Granby Street Pizza is absolutely ridiculous.

242
00:17:00,838 --> 00:17:03,388
Like that's the grit I love, I love it.

243
00:17:03,778 --> 00:17:04,438
I love it, man.

244
00:17:05,068 --> 00:17:06,418
It just, I don't know what it is.

245
00:17:08,503 --> 00:17:10,363
I like that New York style pizza.

246
00:17:10,393 --> 00:17:17,917
I've been to New York a couple of times, just to well, for basketball
reasons obviously, but you know, eating pizza, they're amazing.

247
00:17:17,977 --> 00:17:23,587
And then coming down to the Granby street, trying
some of what they got, it was like almost identical.

248
00:17:23,707 --> 00:17:24,277
It was so good.

249
00:17:24,517 --> 00:17:24,967
I love it.

250
00:17:25,967 --> 00:17:26,847
Mike: Have you tried Benny's?

251
00:17:26,847 --> 00:17:27,437
AJ Oliver: Not yet.

252
00:17:27,532 --> 00:17:34,492
Everybody keeps telling me to try Benny's I'm I don't know if I, is that
the one with the big, the big slices, the $5 big sizes or something?

253
00:17:35,812 --> 00:17:36,562
Yeah.

254
00:17:36,692 --> 00:17:43,172
Mike: You're out on the town of Granby Street late at
night, and you need a bite before you go home and get that

255
00:17:43,202 --> 00:17:53,132
Uber home it's highly recommended, especially if you like
New York slices, the big ones you want to fold it over.

256
00:17:53,582 --> 00:17:56,532
It's it just hits right, right around midnight.

257
00:17:56,532 --> 00:18:02,043
Aaron: It's not a wanna folded over it's a have to
fold it over because otherwise it just didn't work.

258
00:18:02,124 --> 00:18:13,014
Hey, so a week ago, when we were chatting at the baseball
stadium, we talked a little bit about other sports and growing up.

259
00:18:13,644 --> 00:18:20,354
So I was wondering if, you could jump on the roster of any
other Old Dominion sports team right now, which one would it be

260
00:18:20,424 --> 00:18:20,955
AJ Oliver: football.

261
00:18:21,005 --> 00:18:21,855
Aaron: No hesitation.

262
00:18:21,885 --> 00:18:22,495
AJ Oliver: No hesitation.

263
00:18:22,545 --> 00:18:22,995
I'm sorry.

264
00:18:22,995 --> 00:18:23,895
I love first off.

265
00:18:24,225 --> 00:18:27,555
Let me get my second, like secret love is football.

266
00:18:27,615 --> 00:18:28,605
It's always been football.

267
00:18:28,605 --> 00:18:33,244
I loved like, not the physicality of it, but just
being able to, you know, how Randy Moss plays.

268
00:18:33,282 --> 00:18:34,752
I was one of the best waters.

269
00:18:34,852 --> 00:18:40,932
Like I played five football when I was a kid up until I was
about like 13, 14, 1 of the best wide receivers in Alabama.

270
00:18:40,932 --> 00:18:43,182
I promise you that you threw the ball to me.

271
00:18:43,182 --> 00:18:44,382
It's getting caught every time.

272
00:18:44,562 --> 00:18:45,132
It doesn't matter.

273
00:18:45,282 --> 00:18:45,642
It doesn't matter.

274
00:18:45,642 --> 00:18:46,242
Who's on me.

275
00:18:46,422 --> 00:18:47,412
It doesn't matter why they're on me.

276
00:18:47,412 --> 00:18:48,552
It doesn't matter if it's double coverage.

277
00:18:48,582 --> 00:18:48,852
Triple cut.

278
00:18:49,847 --> 00:18:51,077
Press, what do you want to do?

279
00:18:51,107 --> 00:18:52,007
You want to put me in a zone?

280
00:18:52,037 --> 00:18:52,277
Okay.

281
00:18:52,307 --> 00:18:56,327
I'm going to find a spot and I'm going to catch the ball
and I'm going to take it to the touch, take it to the house.

282
00:18:56,357 --> 00:18:57,407
That's just how I roll.

283
00:18:57,467 --> 00:19:01,307
I loved it, but I was also a very good quarterback as well.

284
00:19:01,577 --> 00:19:03,977
So I could do a little bit of both.

285
00:19:04,007 --> 00:19:07,547
So, I mean, a little rusty, but

286
00:19:07,807 --> 00:19:09,398
Aaron: What if Coach Rahne is listening

287
00:19:09,557 --> 00:19:09,947
AJ Oliver: you know, he's

288
00:19:10,178 --> 00:19:10,898
Aaron: with COVID.

289
00:19:10,958 --> 00:19:12,998
Why do you have, do you have any

290
00:19:13,277 --> 00:19:14,027
AJ Oliver: I have a,

291
00:19:14,138 --> 00:19:15,218
Aaron: I mean, we could use like a

292
00:19:15,587 --> 00:19:16,037
AJ Oliver: I have

293
00:19:16,037 --> 00:19:18,167
a, I have a half a semester left.

294
00:19:20,048 --> 00:19:21,128
Aaron: We only need a half a

295
00:19:21,257 --> 00:19:23,897
AJ Oliver: Uh, and then guess what semester?

296
00:19:24,287 --> 00:19:27,927
Yes, this semester I have left that fall semester of 2022.

297
00:19:28,607 --> 00:19:30,578
Aaron: Alie-Cox didn't play any football VCU.

298
00:19:30,617 --> 00:19:31,067
AJ Oliver: Hey man.

299
00:19:31,187 --> 00:19:33,437
Look, I can, I can do it.

300
00:19:33,497 --> 00:19:40,938
I think honestly, I've just, I've watched a lot of football throughout
my lifetime just because, you know, I wasn't allowed to play tackle as

301
00:19:40,938 --> 00:19:44,538
a kid just cause you know, mom thought the moneymaker was basketball.

302
00:19:44,568 --> 00:19:44,958
We'll see.

303
00:19:45,018 --> 00:19:47,568
But you know, Hey football coach, coach.

304
00:19:48,888 --> 00:19:50,628
Let me know, man, I'll come try out.

305
00:19:50,928 --> 00:19:51,798
I will come try out.

306
00:19:51,888 --> 00:19:53,208
I will work.

307
00:19:53,208 --> 00:19:53,748
My damn heart.

308
00:19:53,778 --> 00:19:54,708
I'll work my hardest to

309
00:19:56,474 --> 00:19:57,044
Aaron: That's awesome.

310
00:19:58,578 --> 00:19:58,878
AJ Oliver: yeah,

311
00:19:59,868 --> 00:20:00,098
Mike: Alright.

312
00:20:00,118 --> 00:20:06,274
AJ so ,  what do you think is the most underrated thing about as a school?

313
00:20:06,844 --> 00:20:08,524
And what's the most overrated thing?

314
00:20:10,535 --> 00:20:13,325
AJ Oliver: Man, most overrated thing.

315
00:20:14,615 --> 00:20:15,395
Oh man.

316
00:20:15,455 --> 00:20:15,815
Ah,

317
00:20:19,834 --> 00:20:20,824
Mike: you can pass if you

318
00:20:20,925 --> 00:20:23,235
Aaron: He's afraid to say like Cane's..

319
00:20:23,495 --> 00:20:23,855
AJ Oliver: It's not.

320
00:20:24,125 --> 00:20:25,065
No, I love Cane's.

321
00:20:25,295 --> 00:20:25,955
Oh no, no, no.

322
00:20:25,985 --> 00:20:29,255
Let's let that that's the most, I think Kate, yeah.

323
00:20:29,315 --> 00:20:35,165
Now that you say it, I would say canes is definitely the most
underrated part of ODU because a lot of people be in there, but

324
00:20:35,165 --> 00:20:37,865
a lot of people that I know around or use campus, doesn't like.

325
00:20:38,955 --> 00:20:40,455
Like I talked to him on a daily basis.

326
00:20:40,475 --> 00:20:46,141
I'll talk to, you know, classmates, you know, acquaintances,
some friends that I've made here on ODU campus.

327
00:20:46,141 --> 00:20:54,181
And some, some people don't like Cane's and I'm like, you mean to tell
me there's, there's a, there's a, there's a chicken finger spot that

328
00:20:54,191 --> 00:21:05,131
gives you either three, four, or like six, or puts it on a bun for
you with not with good crinkle fries and great lemonade and sweet tea.

329
00:21:06,211 --> 00:21:08,281
You mean to tell me you don't like that.

330
00:21:08,311 --> 00:21:09,511
That's not entitled.

331
00:21:09,521 --> 00:21:12,511
Not only that the sauce come on, like

332
00:21:14,511 --> 00:21:19,071
Mike: My thing about Cane's is the chicken.

333
00:21:19,851 --> 00:21:21,381
you don't have the sauce.

334
00:21:21,401 --> 00:21:22,121
AJ Oliver: it is bad.

335
00:21:22,271 --> 00:21:23,441
It's bad.

336
00:21:23,831 --> 00:21:24,401
It is bad.

337
00:21:24,591 --> 00:21:26,501
I'm not going to sit here and lie to you on that.

338
00:21:26,545 --> 00:21:28,520
Aaron: So they have to, they've got to be married.

339
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:28,610
you

340
00:21:28,839 --> 00:21:29,649
AJ Oliver: yeah, it's a,

341
00:21:29,690 --> 00:21:30,560
Aaron: can't have the chicken

342
00:21:30,789 --> 00:21:38,519
AJ Oliver: you know, it's and honestly, It was a guy who
just loves chicken just to, I love all types of meat, but

343
00:21:38,519 --> 00:21:42,869
just chickens, the chicken wings, chicken fingers, chicken.

344
00:21:42,899 --> 00:21:43,529
It's just great.

345
00:21:43,859 --> 00:21:46,289
Like, it's gotta be the chickens.

346
00:21:46,289 --> 00:21:53,099
Gotta be good along with the sauce, you know, but like
with canes, it's like, yeah, the sauce is good enough.

347
00:21:53,489 --> 00:21:58,559
I usually make like, when I'll get a box combo,
it says, I think there's like four tenders.

348
00:21:58,625 --> 00:22:02,026
The coleslaw, the fries and then the bread.

349
00:22:02,056 --> 00:22:05,596
And so I get an extra bread, so I'll make a sandwich with it.

350
00:22:05,656 --> 00:22:05,986
Right.

351
00:22:06,646 --> 00:22:22,516
So what I do is I put one burned down, call saw three fries,
sauce, half a tender Again, other bun I'm telling you,

352
00:22:22,816 --> 00:22:25,576
it's the best thing I've done since I've went to canes.

353
00:22:27,041 --> 00:22:28,481
Aaron: That is well thought

354
00:22:28,481 --> 00:22:28,781
out.

355
00:22:28,991 --> 00:22:30,611
That is a established

356
00:22:30,946 --> 00:22:31,936
AJ Oliver: it was okay.

357
00:22:32,026 --> 00:22:34,336
I can tell you where I was when I did this.

358
00:22:34,336 --> 00:22:46,486
I think it was a Clemson and I was with a couple of friends
and I saw my one friend just putting like, you know, the one

359
00:22:46,486 --> 00:22:49,336
piece of bread, he just split it in half and did the same thing.

360
00:22:49,336 --> 00:22:51,826
And I was like, wait, I got an extra piece.

361
00:22:52,006 --> 00:22:55,126
Do you want, what if I do the same, but just make it bigger.

362
00:22:56,506 --> 00:23:07,936
And I kind of tweaked his cause his was more, his was more like been
chicken, little bit of saw a lot of sauce, extra buck, and then been

363
00:23:07,946 --> 00:23:11,386
again, or like the, the second button that he split it, half mine.

364
00:23:11,416 --> 00:23:12,136
I switched it up.

365
00:23:12,136 --> 00:23:13,636
So I did the bun.

366
00:23:13,906 --> 00:23:17,648
Cole saw three fries, chicken sauce.

367
00:23:17,648 --> 00:23:19,088
And then, and then it was just.

368
00:23:20,498 --> 00:23:20,848
Man.

369
00:23:20,848 --> 00:23:22,448
I honestly, you gotta try it.

370
00:23:22,628 --> 00:23:23,318
I'm not gonna lie.

371
00:23:23,348 --> 00:23:25,538
I don't, I don't recommend a lot of like food things.

372
00:23:25,538 --> 00:23:32,648
Cause I, I don't know a lot of people's food preferences, so I don't
want to like say something that you might not like, but like, if you like

373
00:23:32,648 --> 00:23:35,888
canes and you like sandwiches, you should, you should definitely try it.

374
00:23:35,888 --> 00:23:37,418
I'm telling you, is it, am

375
00:23:37,438 --> 00:23:43,868
Mike: well, hopefully we can get this  podcast
loaded soon because Cane's closes very

376
00:23:43,998 --> 00:23:45,378
AJ Oliver: Do they close in a summer?

377
00:23:47,048 --> 00:23:48,728
Mike: They're closing in April sometime.

378
00:23:48,888 --> 00:23:49,598
AJ Oliver: Oh my God.

379
00:23:51,128 --> 00:23:51,548
Mike: Yeah.

380
00:23:51,598 --> 00:23:52,718
You need to hit it up this week.

381
00:23:52,999 --> 00:23:58,609
Aaron: what, what would that level of specificity on your sandwich?

382
00:23:58,639 --> 00:24:01,309
I mean, damn, they should give you a freaking NIL

383
00:24:01,538 --> 00:24:03,398
AJ Oliver: Ah, Man, I would love that.

384
00:24:03,638 --> 00:24:03,968
Honestly.

385
00:24:03,968 --> 00:24:05,509
Aaron: I see you holding that sandwich.

386
00:24:05,509 --> 00:24:07,189
That's a very specific sandwich.

387
00:24:07,189 --> 00:24:08,198
AJ Oliver: It's really good.

388
00:24:08,228 --> 00:24:14,678
I look, it's the, it's the Texas toast like, but like buns man.

389
00:24:14,678 --> 00:24:15,728
It's it's so good.

390
00:24:15,758 --> 00:24:16,478
They, if they can.

391
00:24:18,018 --> 00:24:24,678
Make that a sandwich I would literally take probably just
twenty-five percent of whatever they could take, whatever else.

392
00:24:24,738 --> 00:24:25,218
I don't care.

393
00:24:25,758 --> 00:24:27,558
Just make it a sandwich and put my name on it.

394
00:24:27,558 --> 00:24:28,269
Aaron: Canes,

395
00:24:29,393 --> 00:24:35,273
Mike: so AJ well, while I was in college at
Tennessee, we didn't have a Cane's on campus.

396
00:24:35,273 --> 00:24:35,633
We had

397
00:24:35,898 --> 00:24:36,738
AJ Oliver: Oh

398
00:24:38,273 --> 00:24:41,713
Mike: and Zaxby's used to only have the same stuff that Cane's did.

399
00:24:41,713 --> 00:24:44,603
They only had the chicken, the toast, the coleslaw  fries.

400
00:24:44,633 --> 00:24:45,743
That's all they used to sell.

401
00:24:46,973 --> 00:24:52,303
I think they've kind of messed up adding all these
salads and stuff and making it more complicated.

402
00:24:52,303 --> 00:24:52,603
AJ Oliver: Right.

403
00:24:53,653 --> 00:24:57,253
Mike: But that was where we went every Sunday to cure hangovers.

404
00:24:57,633 --> 00:24:59,557
It worked and they had me hooked.

405
00:24:59,607 --> 00:24:59,877
AJ Oliver: Okay.

406
00:24:59,877 --> 00:25:01,827
Wait, I actually have a question.

407
00:25:02,067 --> 00:25:05,157
So do you guys, are you guys familiar with Bojangles?

408
00:25:06,572 --> 00:25:07,502
Aaron: Absolutely.

409
00:25:08,247 --> 00:25:10,662
AJ Oliver: so essentially in Clemson, Right.

410
00:25:10,662 --> 00:25:19,512
So how it goes is that the campus is like its own entity and
then there's the town on the other side kind of, kind of deal.

411
00:25:20,112 --> 00:25:28,805
So like there's a bridge that goes over like this little
this highway and over the bridge, there's a Bojangles 10

412
00:25:28,805 --> 00:25:32,705
minutes down the road, like kind of the back way of that.

413
00:25:32,792 --> 00:25:34,952
Bojangles is like kind of where the clubs are usually.

414
00:25:35,642 --> 00:25:45,274
So, you know, go to the club, be out till two don't
sleep till like four for reasons that are not PG.

415
00:25:45,574 --> 00:25:53,301
And then we wake up the next morning and just drive to Bojangles
and order a Cajun filet biscuit, a Bo rounds and a Bo-Berry.

416
00:25:53,621 --> 00:25:54,401
It's

417
00:25:56,341 --> 00:25:57,701
Mike: got to get the boatBo-Berry

418
00:25:58,031 --> 00:25:58,951
AJ Oliver: and you know what

419
00:25:58,951 --> 00:26:08,047
Aaron: We know Bojangles so well that we drove an extra 30 miles going
to Coastal Carolina for the bowl game, just to eat breakfast at Bojangles

420
00:26:08,677 --> 00:26:11,756
AJ Oliver: know, honestly, I applaud the, I I've done that.

421
00:26:11,762 --> 00:26:13,907
Several times on the drive back home.

422
00:26:15,107 --> 00:26:15,887
Let me tell you something.

423
00:26:16,547 --> 00:26:18,197
It makes the drive a lot easier.

424
00:26:18,677 --> 00:26:28,007
I'm just saying, like, being able to, to, to drive it, like wake
up at, like, I usually wake up around to go back home 7 30, 8.

425
00:26:28,007 --> 00:26:33,977
O'clock wake up, go to Bojangles, which is
like right down the street from my house.

426
00:26:34,967 --> 00:26:37,907
And then just take that five hour drive home.

427
00:26:39,557 --> 00:26:40,097
Oh man.

428
00:26:41,297 --> 00:26:41,657
I love it.

429
00:26:43,937 --> 00:26:45,677
I'm just a big food guy, I guess.

430
00:26:45,677 --> 00:26:49,547
And you wouldn't get, you would not guess that if you saw me in person.

431
00:26:51,781 --> 00:26:52,291
Mike: no,

432
00:26:52,707 --> 00:26:53,127
Aaron: I

433
00:26:53,651 --> 00:27:02,261
Jeff's got you running a lot for defense with, or with the way
that you talk about food, it Texas Roadhouse and Porter house.

434
00:27:02,261 --> 00:27:05,051
And I think it was the porterhouse rib combo.

435
00:27:06,156 --> 00:27:07,506
AJ Oliver: It's, it's phenomenal.

436
00:27:07,566 --> 00:27:07,986
I'm telling you.

437
00:27:08,986 --> 00:27:14,896
Aaron: So AJ , you talked a little bit about friends there and
one of the conversations we had when we were at The Bud, you

438
00:27:14,896 --> 00:27:17,686
talked about Noah Dean and how you guys are really great friends.

439
00:27:17,764 --> 00:27:22,414
You know, traditionally basketball players and baseball
players, you know, there's not a lot of crossover.

440
00:27:22,464 --> 00:27:23,364
How did that happen?

441
00:27:24,248 --> 00:27:26,010
AJ Oliver: So it's kind of interesting.

442
00:27:26,022 --> 00:27:26,142
Huh.

443
00:27:26,172 --> 00:27:32,652
How it works is that our academic advisor,
Amy Lynch, she works with multiple teams.

444
00:27:33,192 --> 00:27:36,312
And so we see other teams on a daily basis.

445
00:27:36,372 --> 00:27:40,002
It's just a matter of if they want to talk
or not like if they want to say hello.

446
00:27:40,512 --> 00:27:44,322
And I remember one time I walked in and
there were like two baseball players.

447
00:27:44,322 --> 00:27:48,702
And then there was this ginger haired kid talking
to Amy and I was like, oh, he, he seems cool.

448
00:27:49,602 --> 00:27:52,182
So I was like, Hey, Hey Amy.

449
00:27:52,602 --> 00:27:53,592
And she was like, oh, Hey.

450
00:27:55,232 --> 00:27:55,852
Noah, this is AJ.

451
00:27:55,852 --> 00:27:56,832
AJ, this is Noah.

452
00:27:56,847 --> 00:27:58,557
And I was like, what's up, bro?

453
00:27:58,707 --> 00:27:59,577
He was like, what's up bro?

454
00:27:59,697 --> 00:28:00,027
He good.

455
00:28:00,087 --> 00:28:04,617
And he dapped me up and I was like, hold on and
say, this is, this might be a friendship right here.

456
00:28:04,737 --> 00:28:05,487
This might be a friendship.

457
00:28:05,667 --> 00:28:08,427
Like I felt something in that dap, like it it was kinda cool.

458
00:28:09,717 --> 00:28:10,287
I like this guy.

459
00:28:10,527 --> 00:28:14,097
And so, you know, just kind of talking with
him a little bit and just getting to know him.

460
00:28:14,127 --> 00:28:20,716
Then we exchanged social medias and then we exchanged
PlayStation network accounts and we play Call of Duty, Modern

461
00:28:20,716 --> 00:28:23,116
Warfare, a little bit of Fortnite every once in a while.

462
00:28:23,116 --> 00:28:27,616
And you know, with him being in season now and me being out
of season, you know, I have more free time, but he doesn't.

463
00:28:27,646 --> 00:28:34,165
So, but like before, when we first met like I think it was last
year, I think I want to say we would play all the time because you

464
00:28:34,165 --> 00:28:42,454
know, with COVID like you had a bunch of free time, like and then I
learned, I didn't realize this last year though, but we have the same

465
00:28:42,454 --> 00:28:45,394
birthday or not the same birthday we have like back-to-back birthday.

466
00:28:45,394 --> 00:28:47,144
So mine's the ninth in his is the tenth.

467
00:28:48,084 --> 00:28:54,358
So, you know, I was already at the at the conference
championships in Dallas at that time playing.

468
00:28:54,438 --> 00:29:00,198
And, you know, I remember getting a text from him saying,
happy birthday, go kill it, do what you always do.

469
00:29:00,198 --> 00:29:05,568
And so, you know, being able to do that, being able to get
that text and then be able to wake up the next morning.

470
00:29:05,568 --> 00:29:10,528
And it was saying these almost the same
thing, cause he's about to start playing soon.

471
00:29:11,038 --> 00:29:12,688
It was, it was a really cool experience.

472
00:29:12,688 --> 00:29:17,788
And, you know, I cherish our friendship and it's
definitely gonna take me, it's going to, you know, be

473
00:29:17,788 --> 00:29:20,128
something that we will definitely be friends for awhile.

474
00:29:20,278 --> 00:29:20,488
So

475
00:29:21,488 --> 00:29:24,678
Mike: So when you guys are playing those
video games,  who's the better player?

476
00:29:26,198 --> 00:29:31,813
AJ Oliver: I mean, it, it just depends on
like the day, you know, I can't lie to you.

477
00:29:32,143 --> 00:29:35,803
I sometimes I'll be, I'll be killing it with about nine kills.

478
00:29:35,870 --> 00:29:36,350
I'll get up to.

479
00:29:37,095 --> 00:29:37,665
On a good day.

480
00:29:37,665 --> 00:29:40,725
I'll get up to seven to 12 kills.

481
00:29:40,755 --> 00:29:51,135
He'll get up till about eight to eight, 13, and then on a bad
day, you know, I get up to, I want to say zero to one to one

482
00:29:51,135 --> 00:29:54,975
to six, and then he'll get about three to eight on a bad day.

483
00:29:55,005 --> 00:29:57,285
So, you know, it just, it, it just depends, honestly.

484
00:29:58,285 --> 00:29:59,005
Aaron: Nice.

485
00:29:59,905 --> 00:30:04,195
Hey, what's what's one thing.

486
00:30:05,035 --> 00:30:07,375
And obviously don't say anything.

487
00:30:07,375 --> 00:30:07,675
That's

488
00:30:07,929 --> 00:30:08,379
AJ Oliver: Oh no, of

489
00:30:08,379 --> 00:30:08,739
course.

490
00:30:08,979 --> 00:30:09,519
No, no, no.

491
00:30:09,655 --> 00:30:16,765
Aaron: tell, tell us something about one of your teammates
that ODU fans don't know that you think they should.

492
00:30:16,790 --> 00:30:22,970
AJ Oliver: Austin Trice is really good at singing
has a, he has an absolutely beautiful singing voice.

493
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:23,480
I've never.

494
00:30:24,915 --> 00:30:25,815
Like, okay.

495
00:30:25,875 --> 00:30:35,055
I've been to look just in, just for reference, I've been to a
Drake concert at the Post Malone concert, tame, Impala concert.

496
00:30:35,055 --> 00:30:38,354
I've been to, you know, several different, just what was it like?

497
00:30:38,384 --> 00:30:43,814
They're constantly like, same top like acapella group concerts
and things of that nature with like people who do it for a living.

498
00:30:43,874 --> 00:30:47,474
Like they do this seriously and you can't take it from him.

499
00:30:48,374 --> 00:30:53,054
He does it effortlessly the same way he does dunks the same way he plays.

500
00:30:53,144 --> 00:30:56,174
I don't know how, but he's just great.

501
00:30:56,414 --> 00:31:00,584
And like you hear, and you're like, why are
you not, why don't you have a record deal yet?

502
00:31:00,734 --> 00:31:01,844
What, what is going on?

503
00:31:02,504 --> 00:31:09,164
And so, you know, I mean, I want to see if he actually
does something with it, cause like it would actually be

504
00:31:09,164 --> 00:31:12,464
kind of cool to see because he does have a beautiful voice.

505
00:31:12,524 --> 00:31:18,104
And I mean, if you ever have a chance to, to, to see him and ask him.

506
00:31:19,484 --> 00:31:19,814
Man.

507
00:31:19,844 --> 00:31:21,224
He can pull it out on the spot.

508
00:31:21,224 --> 00:31:24,344
Like I promise it's like, it's like, it's like a, it's like a magic trick.

509
00:31:24,374 --> 00:31:25,484
Like he just does it.

510
00:31:25,484 --> 00:31:26,654
You wouldn't expect him to do it.

511
00:31:26,834 --> 00:31:27,464
That's the crazy thing.

512
00:31:27,824 --> 00:31:28,124
So

513
00:31:29,374 --> 00:31:32,734
Aaron: it's going to be weird if we see him on the
street though, Mike and I are walking and be like, Hey,

514
00:31:32,734 --> 00:31:36,079
we heard you, you could say, can you  drop a rhythm?

515
00:31:36,899 --> 00:31:40,179
AJ Oliver: No, now just tell him AJ sent ya.

516
00:31:40,609 --> 00:31:43,389
, 
Mike: if you were singing, what style of music is he

517
00:31:43,549 --> 00:31:45,479
AJ Oliver: it, it can be RB.

518
00:31:45,479 --> 00:31:47,909
It can be slow, slow jams.

519
00:31:48,015 --> 00:31:48,285
It's.

520
00:31:48,945 --> 00:31:53,025
He just like, has just this melody about them.

521
00:31:53,025 --> 00:31:53,655
I don't know what it is.

522
00:31:53,655 --> 00:31:56,002
He'll sing it every once in a while in the in the locker room.

523
00:31:56,002 --> 00:32:02,482
And it's just like, oh, like something like that,
like something quick, but it just sounds like the most

524
00:32:02,782 --> 00:32:05,212
amazing production produced thing I've ever heard.

525
00:32:05,242 --> 00:32:05,722
I'm not gonna say.

526
00:32:07,567 --> 00:32:13,717
I get, I get, I don't give a lot of high praise to a lot of people,
but like when it comes to just things that I know, I can't do.

527
00:32:16,147 --> 00:32:16,987
You got it, man.

528
00:32:17,017 --> 00:32:18,787
Hey, all praise to you.

529
00:32:18,787 --> 00:32:19,327
Seriously.

530
00:32:21,147 --> 00:32:28,957
Mike: so if we, if we put it in a range, is he more
Teddy Pendegrass or is he more like Usher Timberlake?

531
00:32:28,957 --> 00:32:30,937
AJ Oliver: Usher Timberlake with a little bit of Teddy.

532
00:32:31,427 --> 00:32:31,877
Mike: Okay.

533
00:32:32,167 --> 00:32:33,127
AJ Oliver: Not too much.

534
00:32:33,187 --> 00:32:33,877
Not too much.

535
00:32:33,907 --> 00:32:35,737
It he's got, he's got that.

536
00:32:36,247 --> 00:32:40,567
He's got that Teddy in him, but he doesn't
really let it like belt out as much.

537
00:32:40,567 --> 00:32:43,357
Cause he likes to make it sound sexy.

538
00:32:43,357 --> 00:32:44,377
Like, JT and Usher.

539
00:32:46,692 --> 00:32:47,142
Mike: Okay.

540
00:32:47,982 --> 00:32:53,862
I can envision it now because when you're saying he
can sing, I'm just envisioning like a Luther Vandross

541
00:32:53,937 --> 00:32:54,687
AJ Oliver: Oh no.

542
00:32:54,777 --> 00:32:58,647
None of them in the know he gets, he gets both sides of it.

543
00:32:59,037 --> 00:33:00,867
It's it's it's crazy.

544
00:33:00,942 --> 00:33:02,622
Mike: got, he's got a lot of range then.

545
00:33:03,097 --> 00:33:05,737
AJ Oliver: Like, you know, how you ever heard Jamie Fox sing?

546
00:33:06,737 --> 00:33:08,877
Jamie Fox, about the

547
00:33:09,172 --> 00:33:09,892
Mike: He was amazing.

548
00:33:09,917 --> 00:33:13,167
AJ Oliver: about the closest comparison I can give you is Jamie Fox.

549
00:33:14,727 --> 00:33:15,897
And that's how, that's how I,

550
00:33:16,102 --> 00:33:16,612
Mike: crazy.

551
00:33:17,353 --> 00:33:18,913
Aaron: That's the last thing I thought you were going to

552
00:33:18,913 --> 00:33:21,283
say about the interesting thing.

553
00:33:21,623 --> 00:33:22,453
That's awesome, man.

554
00:33:22,493 --> 00:33:23,593
That's awesome.

555
00:33:23,773 --> 00:33:24,313
Right.

556
00:33:24,387 --> 00:33:30,547
AJ Oliver: was thinking, I was like, what's something that's like
super interesting that nobody would have thought about Austin singing

557
00:33:30,687 --> 00:33:34,257
because he did, he does it, not all the time, but every once in a while.

558
00:33:34,257 --> 00:33:40,047
And when he does it, like, we're all just like
what the, you can sing it's you can say, huh?

559
00:33:41,487 --> 00:33:42,297
He just keep doing it.

560
00:33:42,357 --> 00:33:42,897
And this is funny,

561
00:33:43,372 --> 00:33:52,412
Mike: uh, so speaking to teammates, we're going to ask you
to build a starting five from ODU's basketball history.

562
00:33:53,102 --> 00:33:56,612
You have to be in it you're the one making it.

563
00:33:57,672 --> 00:33:58,392
Who are you surrounding

564
00:33:58,501 --> 00:34:01,801
AJ Oliver: Going with, can I have a six man?

565
00:34:01,861 --> 00:34:02,461
Is that okay?

566
00:34:02,701 --> 00:34:03,271
Can I do that?

567
00:34:04,051 --> 00:34:04,291
Okay.

568
00:34:04,291 --> 00:34:04,621
Cool.

569
00:34:05,131 --> 00:34:05,611
All right, cool.

570
00:34:05,611 --> 00:34:06,361
So I, I

571
00:34:06,516 --> 00:34:08,646
Mike: you're the coach player, coach.

572
00:34:08,671 --> 00:34:12,952
AJ Oliver: I got first I have Trey Freeman, no question point guard.

573
00:34:13,492 --> 00:34:16,732
Secondly, I'm going to put Kent at, to me at the three.

574
00:34:16,793 --> 00:34:18,040
Well, we put bad, right?

575
00:34:18,370 --> 00:34:24,760
Would you classify Biberaj as a four or
a stretch five because I really don't.

576
00:34:24,780 --> 00:34:31,210
I want to put, I want to put Kalu at the five and Biberaj
ride the four, but I don't know who would bang more, you know?

577
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:33,630
Mike: alright, Nik.

578
00:34:33,700 --> 00:34:34,980
He can shoot a little bit.

579
00:34:35,030 --> 00:34:36,490
He can move at four.

580
00:34:36,490 --> 00:34:37,510
Makes sense for him.

581
00:34:37,970 --> 00:34:42,010
AJ Oliver: And Kalu's mobile too, which is my thing, but you know,

582
00:34:43,810 --> 00:34:44,860
Mike: Well, you're going to be up to stretch the

583
00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:45,580
AJ Oliver: Oh man.

584
00:34:46,450 --> 00:34:48,220
That spread out, stretch the floor.

585
00:34:48,310 --> 00:34:49,600
Hey, we can be big as well.

586
00:34:49,720 --> 00:34:53,290
And we're we're long and athletic, but also got a speeding point guard.

587
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,300
And then my six men is definitely a Ahmad Caver.

588
00:34:57,550 --> 00:35:06,265
I got, I got, I remember when I first transferred in to
watch, you know, that team that went to, to the NCAAs, Ahmad

589
00:35:06,265 --> 00:35:10,555
Caver and BJ Stith had that team on a roll, essentially.

590
00:35:10,705 --> 00:35:18,715
They, they, they, however, they went the team
went, you know, and I wanted something like that.

591
00:35:18,715 --> 00:35:25,926
I just couldn't, we couldn't build it for some reason here, but, you
know, it's, it's it's something that I cherish that I, that I love

592
00:35:25,926 --> 00:35:36,706
about point guards and about just leaders that if you're going to be the
leader of this team, like then be like Ahmad Caver, be like Trey Freeman.

593
00:35:36,846 --> 00:35:37,506
You know what I'm saying?

594
00:35:37,576 --> 00:35:43,446
Like those guys were pillars on teams that
were great or not, and not just in a sentence.

595
00:35:44,466 --> 00:35:51,876
Winning games and, you know, doing, do, you know, just winning
games and stuff like that, but just in the community as people,

596
00:35:51,876 --> 00:35:57,726
they were just great people, you know, and they, and they set
the example for not only just the freshmen and sophomores,

597
00:35:57,726 --> 00:36:00,036
but also their juniors and their senior counterparts as well.

598
00:36:00,036 --> 00:36:00,246
So

599
00:36:00,746 --> 00:36:01,316
Aaron: That's awesome.

600
00:36:01,346 --> 00:36:03,086
You talk about those two guys.

601
00:36:03,086 --> 00:36:07,466
Were, were they vocal leaders on the
floor were or would, did they lead in a

602
00:36:07,620 --> 00:36:09,270
AJ Oliver: I would say that they laid in a different way.

603
00:36:09,270 --> 00:36:15,120
And then it laid lead by example, which is something that post
Jones liked about me when we had our, our recruiting meeting.

604
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:20,520
Was that like, I don't, I did a lot more talking this
year just because I wanted to get everybody into it

605
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,010
and I missed the fan, the fan log and stuff like that.

606
00:36:23,010 --> 00:36:31,290
So, but you know, one thing about me is that like, I've always been a
person that just is cool, calm and collected, and just does this work.

607
00:36:31,530 --> 00:36:33,210
And it doesn't really speak that much.

608
00:36:33,210 --> 00:36:35,250
And, you know, you saw a lot of that.

609
00:36:35,321 --> 00:36:37,391
Well, you know, not towards the end of the.

610
00:36:38,341 --> 00:36:40,751
You saw a lot of that when I first got to ODU.

611
00:36:40,751 --> 00:36:49,891
And so, you know, it's, it's something that, you know, I took, I took pride
in being able to see some other people take pride in was, was, was good.

612
00:36:49,891 --> 00:36:55,201
And it made me into reassured me that, you know, I was
supposed to be here because people do, if people take

613
00:36:55,201 --> 00:36:57,751
pride in what I take pride in and I'm in the right place.

614
00:36:58,751 --> 00:36:59,561
Mike: Alrighty, Jay.

615
00:36:59,651 --> 00:37:05,381
We got to talk about this and there's no easy
way to transition to a topic as serious as this.

616
00:37:05,385 --> 00:37:10,949
Harry Minium wrote an awesome article about you in early March.

617
00:37:10,967 --> 00:37:17,428
You were open and honest and really kinda pulled the
curtain back on some of the struggles you've gone through.

618
00:37:17,446 --> 00:37:21,643
What is your message to everyone out there who may
share some of the feelings that you talked about?

619
00:37:21,742 --> 00:37:25,912
And before you answer, we both want to thank you for sharing your message.

620
00:37:25,942 --> 00:37:27,162
We think it's really important.

621
00:37:27,902 --> 00:37:31,042
You talked about mental health and kind of get rid of that stigma.

622
00:37:31,141 --> 00:37:35,911
There should be no stigma because everyone
goes through their own ups and downs in life.

623
00:37:35,963 --> 00:37:38,273
So we really do appreciate you sharing that message.

624
00:37:38,973 --> 00:37:46,953
AJ Oliver: One thing that a lot of people have to understand
is that the reason why I said what I said and explain what I

625
00:37:46,953 --> 00:37:50,403
was going through is that it's not for me, this isn't about me.

626
00:37:50,493 --> 00:37:58,903
Like, like my life, one thing that I've noticed about my life is that
I've, I've helped a lot of people, you know, get to certain places like.

627
00:37:59,753 --> 00:38:05,903
I'll tell you a story about one of my best friends, Palmer Morris,
he's, he's probably one of the coolest people you'll ever meet.

628
00:38:06,503 --> 00:38:08,393
You know, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.

629
00:38:08,593 --> 00:38:15,133
We met on, on Twitter actually because I was an incoming
freshmen at Clemson and he was already there in his first year.

630
00:38:15,733 --> 00:38:21,853
So, you know, push comes to shove talking about, you know,
Clemson and him, and at the time his favorite team, because

631
00:38:21,853 --> 00:38:24,043
he was from Chapel Hills, North Carolina, obviously.

632
00:38:24,523 --> 00:38:30,703
And so, you know, talking about, you know, talking smack about the
games and stuff like that, and then meeting him in person and being

633
00:38:30,703 --> 00:38:34,633
able to, you know, get to know him as as a person was just great.

634
00:38:34,933 --> 00:38:41,053
And so after a while, you know, a spot
for our student manager job opens up.

635
00:38:41,083 --> 00:38:45,772
I was really good friends with the director of
basketball operations at the time, Lucas McKay.

636
00:38:46,372 --> 00:38:53,047
And you know, I got him a job as a student manager and next thing you know,
he takes that job continues to build on it, does what he's supposed to do.

637
00:38:53,047 --> 00:38:54,976
And now he's he's he sets lines.

638
00:38:55,346 --> 00:38:58,616
It makes a lot of money at DraftKings and does very well for himself.

639
00:38:58,616 --> 00:39:06,836
And that's, that's more so what the point of me sharing this
story is, is that like, I want to help people that, that are in

640
00:39:06,836 --> 00:39:10,406
my situation, understand and realize that this isn't the end.

641
00:39:10,946 --> 00:39:13,286
You know, this is just a roadblock, it's just a stop.

642
00:39:13,346 --> 00:39:15,656
It's just a stopping point, you know?

643
00:39:16,076 --> 00:39:25,586
And there are times where you have to go through those trials and
tribulations because as humans and as people, that's just how life is.

644
00:39:26,186 --> 00:39:34,916
And for me, I'm glad it happened earlier in life than
later, because I'm not sure if later in life at the time,

645
00:39:35,066 --> 00:39:43,002
you know, where I was, I would've probably had the same
support system and the same, you know, the same outcome.

646
00:39:43,212 --> 00:39:52,962
So did it because I feel like there are people in my position,
kids that are black, white, Asian, you know, whatever.

647
00:39:53,727 --> 00:40:00,387
You know, whether there's seven, two or four 11, you know,
male, female, whatever, it doesn't, it doesn't matter.

648
00:40:00,507 --> 00:40:07,977
You know, it's supposed to be for the people that, that are going
through it so that they can understand that they can get through it too.

649
00:40:08,547 --> 00:40:18,987
And I just hope that it's reached someone out there that that is, you know,
was feeling the same way I was feeling and realizes that, Hey, if he can

650
00:40:18,987 --> 00:40:22,887
do it as an athlete, a student athlete at that, I can definitely do it.

651
00:40:23,187 --> 00:40:32,607
So you know, that my whole goal on this earth is to help people into,
you know, to do things for the betterment of others, not for myself.

652
00:40:32,817 --> 00:40:33,057
So

653
00:40:35,967 --> 00:40:37,277
Aaron: We really do appreciate it.

654
00:40:37,277 --> 00:40:37,497
AJ.

655
00:40:37,727 --> 00:40:43,727
I mean, Mike and I have discussed this along with some
of the other folks that you met at The Bud last weekend.

656
00:40:44,027 --> 00:40:53,284
I mean, we've got folks in our group that have children who have read
the story and are inspired by your story and realize that they're

657
00:40:53,284 --> 00:41:02,614
not alone because when you're having feelings, so whatever they are,
they're real to you, whether or not, you know, whatever's going on.

658
00:41:02,974 --> 00:41:11,644
But to know that you're not alone and that other people have gone
through the same thing or are going through the same thing that.

659
00:41:13,289 --> 00:41:15,149
No, it's, it's very helpful.

660
00:41:15,149 --> 00:41:19,109
So we really do really do appreciate you being so open and honest.

661
00:41:19,109 --> 00:41:22,739
And I know that that you and Harry worked on that for a long time.

662
00:41:22,739 --> 00:41:24,829
That, that wasn't something you all sat down and did in a

663
00:41:24,829 --> 00:41:25,009
AJ Oliver: weekend.

664
00:41:25,009 --> 00:41:28,868
That was a two that's about a two year project.

665
00:41:28,868 --> 00:41:31,358
I would say two years, man.

666
00:41:31,448 --> 00:41:39,696
It was, it was great to just like, you know, and one of the things that
I would say about that whole thing is that I was able to, to re, to, to

667
00:41:40,656 --> 00:41:45,756
kind of like rehash and go over some things again and, and realize that.

668
00:41:46,676 --> 00:41:52,016
Some of the things that were said, and some of the things that were
done at the, at my time there weren't what was supposed to happen.

669
00:41:52,016 --> 00:42:01,436
And so, you know, it, it, it made me kind of like get, I don't
know, like a second wind, you know, when we were doing that story,

670
00:42:01,436 --> 00:42:09,656
because it just felt like I had a lot more to prove not only in
terms of just basketball, but in life and to show people that,

671
00:42:10,076 --> 00:42:15,266
you know, there is nothing, you know, that you can accomplish.

672
00:42:15,536 --> 00:42:16,796
There's nothing you can accomplish.

673
00:42:16,856 --> 00:42:27,086
And I hope people really understand that and to the kids that listen to
it and who should even adults, if, if you, you know, need someone to talk

674
00:42:27,086 --> 00:42:38,156
to, or if you need someone to just kind of open up to about your whole
situation, DM me, literally on my Instagram, Twitter, you know, like I

675
00:42:38,156 --> 00:42:41,606
listened to everyone because at the end of the day, I, I don't judge.

676
00:42:41,696 --> 00:42:42,896
I, I, I truly don't.

677
00:42:43,496 --> 00:42:43,916
It's, it's.

678
00:42:45,551 --> 00:42:45,791
More.

679
00:42:45,791 --> 00:42:48,571
So it's not about your past is more so about your president.

680
00:42:48,581 --> 00:42:49,451
What's your future is.

681
00:42:49,451 --> 00:42:55,811
And if you have a mindset that you want to stay on this earth
and do good things and help the world, and not only helping the

682
00:42:55,811 --> 00:43:02,291
world, but help your family, help your friends achieve greatness,
then shoot your friend of mine will tell you that right now.

683
00:43:03,291 --> 00:43:04,111
Mike: oh, we love it.

684
00:43:04,421 --> 00:43:05,487
AJ really admirable.

685
00:43:07,797 --> 00:43:09,537
Well, we're going to switch gears again on you.

686
00:43:10,017 --> 00:43:10,674
So all right.

687
00:43:10,704 --> 00:43:13,134
So we hung out at The Bud.

688
00:43:13,554 --> 00:43:15,864
You told us how much you enjoyed going to The Bud.

689
00:43:17,869 --> 00:43:20,718
You tell us a little bit more about how you became a baseball

690
00:43:21,028 --> 00:43:21,748
AJ Oliver: yeah, no.

691
00:43:21,748 --> 00:43:24,340
So like I was like I said, at the, at The Bud, right.

692
00:43:24,390 --> 00:43:28,063
I was, I was never really properly introduced to baseball.

693
00:43:28,213 --> 00:43:32,332
So, you know one time and, you know, in college I picked up.

694
00:43:33,152 --> 00:43:37,516
I picked out of a hat of, of different
teams, you know, baseball teams in MLB.

695
00:43:38,366 --> 00:43:46,355
And you know, I picked, I picked the team out of the
hat and well, as you guys know, it was the Diamondbacks.

696
00:43:46,535 --> 00:43:56,119
And so now I am a proud Diamondback fan, but I actually take that back,
not proud, but I am a Diamondback fan for the past five years now.

697
00:43:56,230 --> 00:44:03,310
So honestly I do want to get to a a Nationals game before I, before
I ended up leaving, I do want to end up getting to a Yankees game.

698
00:44:03,310 --> 00:44:09,130
I do want to end up wanting to go to Chicago, LA,
Kansas City, and also, you know, Texas as well.

699
00:44:09,179 --> 00:44:13,529
Just to experience that, that whole baseball like that, just the tradition.

700
00:44:13,529 --> 00:44:19,439
You know, I feel like that, that's one thing that like, you know, my
cousins, my little cousins are actually getting a chance to do is that

701
00:44:19,799 --> 00:44:22,379
they're actually getting a chance to play like actual, real baseball.

702
00:44:22,409 --> 00:44:22,469
Yeah.

703
00:44:23,294 --> 00:44:28,004
They're getting a chance to sit down and have fun with
friends, you know, playing the outfield, playing the infield.

704
00:44:28,544 --> 00:44:31,665
I think my oldest cousin might be a pitcher next year.

705
00:44:31,695 --> 00:44:34,245
Hopefully I don't, apparently he's got an arm.

706
00:44:34,395 --> 00:44:38,535
Well, so, you know, look out for him in the coming years, so,

707
00:44:39,545 --> 00:44:42,435
Mike: slide is his name and his information to

708
00:44:42,555 --> 00:44:43,005
AJ Oliver: oh yeah.

709
00:44:43,275 --> 00:44:44,025
Oh yeah, definitely.

710
00:44:44,025 --> 00:44:47,045
Well, he's, he's almost I think he's like he's 13 now.

711
00:44:47,675 --> 00:44:52,709
So, you know, when he gets in think he's
getting to high school pretty soon, so, oh man.

712
00:44:52,739 --> 00:44:53,699
Time flies.

713
00:44:53,795 --> 00:44:54,495
Aaron: handed or left.

714
00:44:55,109 --> 00:44:55,529
AJ Oliver: right-handed

715
00:44:57,539 --> 00:45:05,759
Mike: so AJ, I will say if you have a chance to
make the trip up to DC, you should go to Nat's Park.

716
00:45:05,759 --> 00:45:05,909
It's

717
00:45:05,909 --> 00:45:06,134
AJ Oliver: really?

718
00:45:06,839 --> 00:45:09,579
Mike: But you should also try to fit in CamdYardsrds.

719
00:45:09,609 --> 00:45:13,354
Camden Yards is one of the coolest
stadiums I've been to highly recommended.

720
00:45:13,834 --> 00:45:14,284
I've been there.

721
00:45:14,314 --> 00:45:16,294
Wrigley Wrigley is awesome.

722
00:45:17,164 --> 00:45:23,794
If you can experience Wrigley, especially like on a,
I went there on July 4th and it was one of the coolest

723
00:45:24,249 --> 00:45:25,449
AJ Oliver: You went on July 4th,

724
00:45:25,550 --> 00:45:25,880
Man.

725
00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:26,480
I'm jealous.

726
00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:28,340
Aaron: baseball on July 4th.

727
00:45:28,340 --> 00:45:29,300
Those does pair

728
00:45:29,450 --> 00:45:30,230
AJ Oliver: I am very

729
00:45:30,230 --> 00:45:31,970
Aaron: but all, any of those iconic

730
00:45:32,060 --> 00:45:35,570
AJ Oliver: to make that a statement that everyone knows.

731
00:45:35,870 --> 00:45:43,970
I'm very jealous that people were, that the people in this podcast
were able to experience baseball on the fourth and that I wasn't.

732
00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:46,790
And that, that is the next thing on my bucket list now.

733
00:45:48,110 --> 00:45:51,800
Aaron: Any of those iconic parks, Wrigley, Fenway,

734
00:45:51,999 --> 00:45:52,659
Mike: you can feel

735
00:45:52,774 --> 00:45:53,494
Aaron: worth, yeah.

736
00:45:53,494 --> 00:46:01,294
It's you can, you can, you can feel the history, you sit in the
same seat, so you go to Fenway and it's like stepping back in time.

737
00:46:01,714 --> 00:46:02,944
I mean, it really, it really

738
00:46:03,219 --> 00:46:08,499
Mike: Walking into Fenway or Wrigley, you feel
that buzz around the stadium, like within like a

739
00:46:08,499 --> 00:46:10,959
couple blocks of the stadium before you even there.

740
00:46:11,053 --> 00:46:13,683
It's the same kind of buzz you have
when you're walking into the Ted for the

741
00:46:14,213 --> 00:46:14,493
AJ Oliver: Oh man.

742
00:46:15,443 --> 00:46:18,953
Mike: The buzz in Chicago, in Boston for
a baseball game, it's, it's pretty cool.

743
00:46:19,728 --> 00:46:20,388
AJ Oliver: Oh man.

744
00:46:20,448 --> 00:46:22,038
Aaron: really is, it really is.

745
00:46:22,548 --> 00:46:23,118
So

746
00:46:23,238 --> 00:46:23,418
AJ Oliver: Yeah.

747
00:46:23,418 --> 00:46:23,718
Yeah.

748
00:46:24,378 --> 00:46:29,998
Aaron: you know, as a couple diehard Old Dominion
fans, Mike and I are always interested in.

749
00:46:30,658 --> 00:46:33,838
What's what's next with ODU.

750
00:46:34,198 --> 00:46:41,998
So, you know, for all the prospective student athletes out
there that are considering Old Dominion, and then they have

751
00:46:41,998 --> 00:46:47,128
choices, you know, people have more choices now than ever.

752
00:46:47,158 --> 00:46:53,401
It's, it's easy to, to recruit if you can play coaches, know where you are.

753
00:46:53,761 --> 00:46:59,341
So for every student athlete that's , considering
Old Dominion, what would you share with them?

754
00:46:59,971 --> 00:47:04,314
AJ Oliver: you know, I, I would tell them
don't stay in your niche, know your team.

755
00:47:04,464 --> 00:47:07,434
Don't just be friends with your team.

756
00:47:07,794 --> 00:47:08,364
Get out.

757
00:47:08,494 --> 00:47:15,414
That's one thing that I, I, as a, as a person, you know, and upset
at myself about is that first two years here, I stayed to my team.

758
00:47:15,714 --> 00:47:17,124
Honestly, I didn't do much.

759
00:47:17,154 --> 00:47:25,897
I, when my boy AC, Lo, and Alfis was here, I hung out with
those guys, like probably exclusively more than anything.

760
00:47:25,897 --> 00:47:26,047
And.

761
00:47:27,382 --> 00:47:34,282
I think they took me to a party, you know, like it was like a sport,
like every other sports party or all the sports were in there.

762
00:47:34,282 --> 00:47:41,992
And you know, it was cool to see everybody just hanging out and seeing that
there were other people, friends with other sports, you know, and one of

763
00:47:41,992 --> 00:47:49,372
the things that, like, I was kind of like told when we got here, when I got
here was that like, we're not really friends with a lot of other sports.

764
00:47:49,372 --> 00:47:50,452
We're not really friends with football.

765
00:47:50,452 --> 00:47:53,932
And so that was one of the things I kind
of wanted to like change a little bit.

766
00:47:54,112 --> 00:48:01,505
I kind of got more friends and volleyball, a little, couple
friends with I'm friends, with LaMareon James from ODU football.

767
00:48:01,535 --> 00:48:04,330
That's my guy for we have a CampusMogul deal together.

768
00:48:04,362 --> 00:48:06,415
So, you know, shout out to him.

769
00:48:06,565 --> 00:48:09,265
Honestly, I really, I really love what he does on the football field.

770
00:48:09,295 --> 00:48:10,515
It's, it's, it's incredible.

771
00:48:10,771 --> 00:48:11,161
Aaron: We do

772
00:48:11,245 --> 00:48:14,755
AJ Oliver: and honestly, I really hope my guy gets drafted soon.

773
00:48:15,235 --> 00:48:20,455
I think it's coming up this year and next year, is he, what is he eligible?

774
00:48:21,085 --> 00:48:21,475
He's got enough.

775
00:48:21,761 --> 00:48:22,871
Aaron: gotta play another year.

776
00:48:22,968 --> 00:48:23,638
AJ Oliver: LaMareon,

777
00:48:23,638 --> 00:48:25,600
Aaron: LaMareon he's

778
00:48:25,660 --> 00:48:26,620
AJ Oliver: you got one, you got another year.

779
00:48:26,680 --> 00:48:27,760
I hope he gets drafted.

780
00:48:27,790 --> 00:48:35,500
And I, and I hope it's first, second and third, honestly, a kid kid works
hard and I, and I, and I appreciate that more than anything in this world.

781
00:48:35,500 --> 00:48:45,912
And one of the things is like coming over as a, as a Clemson
student around that time was that I got to watch three national

782
00:48:45,912 --> 00:48:57,252
championships and then went to, so, you know, my first impression
of ODU football was I think it was that 2019 year or the 20.

783
00:48:57,282 --> 00:49:00,882
Yeah, the 2019 year when they played Norfolk state at home.

784
00:49:01,992 --> 00:49:04,512
And I'm, I'm just going to be honest fellows.

785
00:49:04,602 --> 00:49:05,922
I walked out at halftime.

786
00:49:06,222 --> 00:49:09,822
I didn't, I didn't go back to a game
until coach Ricky Rahne started coaching.

787
00:49:10,282 --> 00:49:16,053
So I I'm very excited for Coach Rahne in
that team and I've, I've watched them.

788
00:49:17,493 --> 00:49:24,033
Grow since I've been here and, and, you know, with, with
Coach Rahne pedigree at Penn State, you know, being a college

789
00:49:24,063 --> 00:49:32,233
football, you know, fanatic as I am, you know, watching that
team, you know, when they had the Trace McSorley to Saquon

790
00:49:32,233 --> 00:49:40,268
Barkley and, and even a what's my gun on the, the cowboy Michael
Parsons, you know, they, they were, they were pretty good teams.

791
00:49:40,268 --> 00:49:44,408
They couldn't get over the hump in the Big Ten, but they were
pretty good teams and they made solid runs and they, they

792
00:49:44,408 --> 00:49:51,158
got to, you know, double digit win seasons bowl games that
were new year six or bigger, or at least to that standard.

793
00:49:51,158 --> 00:49:59,948
And so being from that pedigree I expect are not expect,
but I would hope that Coach Rahne has big plans and nothing

794
00:50:00,038 --> 00:50:03,158
more, nothing less than the new year six, at least honestly.

795
00:50:03,158 --> 00:50:11,920
And hopefully if they expand the playoffs and you know, we
can get a a mid-major bid, boom, you know, If I think our

796
00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:15,040
ceiling is high, I believe in Coach Rahne in that team.

797
00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:24,160
And even if you know, I'm not a student, I'm still an alumni
and I want to see this team do well more, more stability thing.

798
00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:26,110
I want to see all of our teams do well.

799
00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:26,950
So

800
00:50:29,315 --> 00:50:29,975
Mike: absolutely.

801
00:50:31,415 --> 00:50:31,935
All right, AJ.

802
00:50:32,105 --> 00:50:34,565
So we're gonna have our one question.

803
00:50:34,565 --> 00:50:37,565
We're going to ask every guest and this is going to be it.

804
00:50:37,565 --> 00:50:43,055
So you're a player, but we're going to put you in the position as a coach.

805
00:50:44,465 --> 00:50:48,065
What is your pitch to recruits to come to ODU?

806
00:50:49,065 --> 00:50:53,415
AJ Oliver: My coaching philosophy honestly,
is more so built around my players.

807
00:50:53,565 --> 00:50:57,105
And so whatever let's say, the, the player is.

808
00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:03,320
Is this shooting a slashing point guard who can really finish up the rim.

809
00:51:03,720 --> 00:51:11,700
I want to make sure that not only does he know basketball wise,
we're going to put them in the best situation that he'd get as

810
00:51:11,700 --> 00:51:19,500
possible to succeed, but in the classroom and in life, we are also
going to make sure that he needs everything, that he, everything

811
00:51:19,500 --> 00:51:26,640
that he needs to succeed as well, whether that's playing basketball
or getting a regular job or, you know, whatever it is that he does.

812
00:51:26,700 --> 00:51:35,970
You know, honestly, I, I'm more so invested in, you know, the player
and the person as well, because I wanna make sure that when he

813
00:51:35,970 --> 00:51:41,460
comes to ODU, he's not coming to just play and get a random degree.

814
00:51:41,490 --> 00:51:51,740
No, he's coming here to build his life so that when he graduates
or he goes to the draft, he's ready and he's able to succeed..

815
00:51:52,650 --> 00:52:00,365
And so at the end of the day, man, like I think that's one of the things
that old dominion has done for me is that not only will I be able to

816
00:52:00,375 --> 00:52:03,585
succeed on the pro level, but I'll also be able to succeed in life.

817
00:52:03,615 --> 00:52:11,115
And, you know, I can think Coach Jones, Coach Stith, Chris Ko,
Coach Richardson and even Coach Jefferson when he was here.

818
00:52:11,233 --> 00:52:15,433
And you know, that was just one of the things
that, that really enticed me about being here.

819
00:52:15,433 --> 00:52:21,583
And that's one of the things that I'm going to carry into
being a coach is that like, it's not more so about wins

820
00:52:21,583 --> 00:52:24,463
and losses for me, I guess, in, in, at the end of the day.

821
00:52:24,463 --> 00:52:24,823
Yes.

822
00:52:24,823 --> 00:52:33,103
That that's the, that's the goal, but no, my goal is that this
guy's going to be an amazing basketball player, but he's also

823
00:52:33,103 --> 00:52:36,733
going to be an amazing person and an amazing student as well.

824
00:52:37,393 --> 00:52:43,813
And you know, some kids might not be into that, but at the
end of the day, if you, if you gotta play for me, like, I

825
00:52:43,813 --> 00:52:46,483
want to make sure that you're not going to be out here wylin'.

826
00:52:46,693 --> 00:52:47,493
Like, come on.

827
00:52:48,668 --> 00:52:56,788
Got to make sure that you're in check and make sure that if you are
doing something that is frowned upon, just please just do it in a private

828
00:52:56,788 --> 00:53:05,878
manner and make sure that there's people that you trust around because
at the end of the day, like that is how most of us athletes fault.

829
00:53:06,478 --> 00:53:15,238
So, you know, that that's kind of just my philosophy for
coaching and bringing people to, to recruit to come here.

830
00:53:15,628 --> 00:53:15,838
So,

831
00:53:17,038 --> 00:53:17,938
Aaron: you sold me.

832
00:53:18,688 --> 00:53:20,418
So AJ  what's the future look like

833
00:53:20,933 --> 00:53:21,413
AJ Oliver: you know,

834
00:53:21,498 --> 00:53:22,038
Aaron: AAJ

835
00:53:22,343 --> 00:53:26,080
AJ Oliver: honestly I still have that extra semester left.

836
00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:33,557
So we are currently working on getting the waiver, but all options
on the table right now, you know as do want to go pro I want to hear.

837
00:53:34,952 --> 00:53:45,242
What people have to say, whether if I'm ready now or if I'm ready in a
year or, you know, whatever it takes and, you know, it's about more so the

838
00:53:45,242 --> 00:53:54,692
experience rather than I guess the money for me, but, you know, obviously
the money would be nice, but, you know, I I'm, I'm more than willing

839
00:53:54,692 --> 00:54:03,032
to come back to ODU for another year as well, but I'm also, you know,
enticed to also find a place where I can get some more stats up as well.

840
00:54:03,032 --> 00:54:10,862
So all options are on the table and whichever one is, is looking
the best at the end of the day is what I'm going to go with.

841
00:54:10,862 --> 00:54:14,012
And so, you know, obviously I'll talk to my parents about it.

842
00:54:14,012 --> 00:54:21,069
I'll pray about it and make sure that, you know, I talk I talked to
all the right people before I make my own decision because at the end

843
00:54:21,069 --> 00:54:28,839
of the day, you know one of the things that, that I I've had to learn
is that making decisions on my own has been a tough little battle.

844
00:54:29,784 --> 00:54:32,214
Hearing opinions every once in a while is good.

845
00:54:32,214 --> 00:54:41,214
Just to hear different bits and pieces and take, you know, pros and cons
and outweigh all options because, you know, you can't go into something

846
00:54:41,214 --> 00:54:49,284
blind and sometimes a lot of people make that mistake and I don't
want to be, I don't want to make sure that my next move is, is some,

847
00:54:49,404 --> 00:54:51,564
I want to make sure that my next move is something that is calculated.

848
00:54:51,684 --> 00:54:51,924
So

849
00:54:53,224 --> 00:54:53,344
Aaron: okay.

850
00:54:53,374 --> 00:54:55,354
When you're done playing basketball, do you have a

851
00:54:55,443 --> 00:54:55,953
AJ Oliver: absolutely.

852
00:54:56,043 --> 00:55:05,119
I actually have like three coaching actually became one recently
just because whether it's high school, college, a U whatever.

853
00:55:05,659 --> 00:55:16,459
I want to make sure that like, like I, I put, I make my stamp out on the
world and coaching because I feel like the things that I I could do as a

854
00:55:16,459 --> 00:55:20,709
coach could be like, never, not really never before seen, but something.

855
00:55:22,174 --> 00:55:28,894
Teams aren't used to doing, because it's, it's more so about, like
in college basketball, sometimes it's more so about the set and what

856
00:55:28,894 --> 00:55:32,374
you're running rather than the players and who, and how they play.

857
00:55:32,914 --> 00:55:34,834
And some teams are playing that way.

858
00:55:34,834 --> 00:55:42,724
But I think, you know, if you put players in positions to, to actually
succeed and do, and to ask them to do things that they know how

859
00:55:42,724 --> 00:55:50,674
to do and just put them in those positions and run sets like that,
you make all the difference in the world rather than like trying

860
00:55:50,674 --> 00:55:58,894
to run sets because you know, it could work because that's kind of
how it's worked, but, you know, it's just like something that I've

861
00:55:58,894 --> 00:56:01,774
just kind of thought about, you know, for the past couple of years

862
00:56:08,219 --> 00:56:10,027
Mike: AJ this is your chance to plug

863
00:56:10,447 --> 00:56:10,657
your

864
00:56:10,773 --> 00:56:11,313
AJ Oliver: yeah.

865
00:56:12,633 --> 00:56:13,023
Oh yeah.

866
00:56:13,109 --> 00:56:14,333
So Monarch Nation.

867
00:56:14,333 --> 00:56:17,723
I am starting a podcast soon with a very good friend of mine.

868
00:56:17,723 --> 00:56:25,013
His name's Kyle Barry, AKA Chrome, B it's all, all of his social
media is, and we are starting a podcast called The Waking Times.

869
00:56:25,463 --> 00:56:30,503
We're shooting for our first episode to
be either next Monday or the Monday after.

870
00:56:30,533 --> 00:56:40,193
And essentially our whole thing is we're going to talk about, you know,
just life in general, how humans interact with, you know, everyday life,

871
00:56:40,193 --> 00:56:46,223
whether it's going to work, you know, music, social media, sports takes.

872
00:56:46,733 --> 00:56:52,537
And then at the end, we'll have like this thing called the
rotation where we take topics of controversial opinions that

873
00:56:52,537 --> 00:56:58,167
we, you know, one person will pick another person we'll pick and
then we'll come together at the end for a third topic that we

874
00:56:58,177 --> 00:57:01,807
would talk about and debate, and also have a couple of guests on.

875
00:57:01,907 --> 00:57:05,297
And we're looking to just kind of just elevate your morning, essentially.

876
00:57:05,297 --> 00:57:06,537
That's kind of what we're doing.

877
00:57:06,617 --> 00:57:08,527
And the name of it is called the waking.

878
00:57:09,542 --> 00:57:14,956
And honestly our whole goal is to give you something in the
morning, you know, when you're getting ready for working, just

879
00:57:14,956 --> 00:57:22,396
throw it on and just listen to different things that we talk
about, because I think not only as an athlete, but also as

880
00:57:22,396 --> 00:57:25,672
an African-American and also CRO and also Chrome is as well.

881
00:57:25,887 --> 00:57:29,127
We have different insights on the world that
a lot of other people don't really get to see.

882
00:57:29,307 --> 00:57:38,487
And so, you know, being able to just give that situation out and
not only that just promote, you know, general wellbeing in terms

883
00:57:38,487 --> 00:57:45,537
of just being able to just get ready and go for your day at work
or at school, or, you know, whatever you gotta do and just give

884
00:57:45,557 --> 00:57:49,857
you a good feeling about the day, you know, more so than anything.

885
00:57:50,997 --> 00:57:57,017
just want to have a good time and we hope you guys
just enjoy us being goofballs and enjoying our, our

886
00:57:57,057 --> 00:57:59,097
more are giving you a chance to enjoy your morning.

887
00:57:59,186 --> 00:58:00,326
I'm really excited for it.

888
00:58:00,416 --> 00:58:07,466
And also be on the lookout for our Twitters are, are all
of our social media is, will be out probably this weekend.

889
00:58:07,616 --> 00:58:08,276
So yeah,

890
00:58:10,396 --> 00:58:10,756
Aaron: good deal.

891
00:58:10,756 --> 00:58:13,006
You have to let us know that we'll put it in the show notes.

892
00:58:13,036 --> 00:58:15,466
So people will be able to check that stuff

893
00:58:15,866 --> 00:58:16,346
AJ Oliver: Absolutely.

894
00:58:16,931 --> 00:58:17,981
Mike: And we're looking forward to hearing

895
00:58:18,146 --> 00:58:24,416
AJ Oliver: actually, okay, so before we, I'm not sure if
you guys were about to end it, but before we do, I had a

896
00:58:24,416 --> 00:58:31,526
question because we did talk about baseball and speaking
of spring sports, are you guys familiar with the USFL?

897
00:58:32,926 --> 00:58:33,886
Aaron: Which version?

898
00:58:34,265 --> 00:58:34,745
AJ Oliver: The nut?

899
00:58:35,015 --> 00:58:35,375
I think it

900
00:58:35,386 --> 00:58:37,396
Aaron: the old people version or the more current

901
00:58:37,805 --> 00:58:39,275
AJ Oliver: it was the old people version.

902
00:58:39,275 --> 00:58:44,435
I remember watching a 30 for 30 on that and I really look, Hmm.

903
00:58:45,275 --> 00:58:45,665
Okay.

904
00:58:46,415 --> 00:58:51,065
I have a gripe with a certain person
because he technically killed that league.

905
00:58:51,305 --> 00:58:54,545
When that happened back in the day and my team.

906
00:58:55,860 --> 00:59:00,815
So my, my my eventual nine-year home at the time Birmingham had a team.

907
00:59:01,415 --> 00:59:11,733
And so I was robbed of a chance of watching them play at Legion
field, but not anymore because they're coming back and they are being

908
00:59:11,733 --> 00:59:15,901
added, I think their play, I think they start what April, I think.

909
00:59:16,561 --> 00:59:19,471
And so I'm going to try and get down for a home game one time.

910
00:59:19,471 --> 00:59:23,975
And cause I think one of my best, one of my friends
from that down there, Trey, Jameson, he's still, he's

911
00:59:23,975 --> 00:59:25,655
still going to be there I think for another year.

912
00:59:25,655 --> 00:59:29,487
So I'm going to go down there and see him and
hang out with him and watch the games with him.

913
00:59:29,547 --> 00:59:31,827
So I'm looking forward to it, honestly.

914
00:59:31,857 --> 00:59:33,897
Yes, the Stallions, I got to get a Jersey soon.

915
00:59:35,668 --> 00:59:36,688
Aaron: Do you know, who's coaching them?

916
00:59:36,837 --> 00:59:38,967
AJ Oliver: Do not, I haven't looked at the full roster yet.

917
00:59:38,997 --> 00:59:42,777
I learned very, very late that this was happening again.

918
00:59:42,833 --> 00:59:49,741
Because after last or was it last year with the Football Alliance
or something like that and why it's a football or something?

919
00:59:49,815 --> 00:59:58,845
I was a DC Defenders fan cause I, I, you know, there were like my dad's a
Washington, well now Commanders, but he was a watched a football team fans.

920
00:59:59,475 --> 01:00:06,345
And so now he's a Washington Commanders fan and
I don't like the Commanders, so I needed a team.

921
01:00:06,382 --> 01:00:07,642
Aaron: I, I can

922
01:00:07,683 --> 01:00:08,155
Mike: kind of hurting.

923
01:00:08,445 --> 01:00:10,741
Aaron: Me me, you said your dad,

924
01:00:10,905 --> 01:00:14,055
AJ Oliver: my dad's a huge Commanders fan big, tremendous

925
01:00:14,221 --> 01:00:20,191
Aaron: the two of us need to talk to him because I can
commiserate as a long time, except I hate the name.

926
01:00:20,191 --> 01:00:21,871
So I call him the Commandos.

927
01:00:22,755 --> 01:00:23,865
Mike: So I will say this.

928
01:00:24,945 --> 01:00:26,295
You talked about the Alliance.

929
01:00:26,355 --> 01:00:27,585
We were all big.

930
01:00:27,885 --> 01:00:28,305
What was it?

931
01:00:28,335 --> 01:00:28,725
The St.

932
01:00:28,725 --> 01:00:30,045
Louis Battle Hawks

933
01:00:31,805 --> 01:00:33,635
AJ Oliver: They did have Taylor Hi Nikki.

934
01:00:34,875 --> 01:00:35,395
Heinicke.

935
01:00:35,415 --> 01:00:36,285
Mike: They did have it.

936
01:00:36,515 --> 01:00:37,385
AJ Oliver: Oh man.

937
01:00:38,691 --> 01:00:40,161
Aaron: It was, yes,

938
01:00:40,205 --> 01:00:41,105
AJ Oliver: That was a time that.

939
01:00:42,020 --> 01:00:47,240
You know, I was about before the seat before
they like completely destroyed the league.

940
01:00:47,540 --> 01:00:49,940
I was two weeks away from buying the Defender's Jersey.

941
01:00:51,740 --> 01:00:53,390
Like I built up the money and everything.

942
01:00:53,390 --> 01:00:53,990
I saved up.

943
01:00:54,020 --> 01:00:57,320
I was ready to get like a, an authentic one that costs like $250.

944
01:00:58,010 --> 01:00:59,930
And I had like $315 at the time.

945
01:01:00,020 --> 01:01:00,950
It was more than enough.

946
01:01:03,140 --> 01:01:03,980
Two weeks later.

947
01:01:04,331 --> 01:01:06,851
Aaron: that always, that happens to me all the time.

948
01:01:07,331 --> 01:01:09,671
I got my Zach Pascal Jersey.

949
01:01:09,761 --> 01:01:10,241
Yeah.

950
01:01:10,301 --> 01:01:11,321
Eagle now.

951
01:01:12,150 --> 01:01:13,980
AJ Oliver: Oh, ouch.

952
01:01:17,501 --> 01:01:17,621
Aaron: Yeah.

953
01:01:18,131 --> 01:01:22,991
But yeah, your, your new coach is, was the former coach of Louisiana Tech.

954
01:01:24,501 --> 01:01:25,091
Who were

955
01:01:25,121 --> 01:01:25,781
Mike: Skip Hotltz

956
01:01:26,311 --> 01:01:28,051
Aaron: Sayonara.

957
01:01:28,371 --> 01:01:29,031
Yes.

958
01:01:29,091 --> 01:01:30,021
Skip Holtz.

959
01:01:32,341 --> 01:01:36,298
Mike: AJ, we really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us today.

960
01:01:36,316 --> 01:01:39,418
We also want to thank you for your, for being a Monarch.

961
01:01:39,484 --> 01:01:43,196
I think all of ODU Nation wall will second me in that.

962
01:01:43,213 --> 01:01:46,183
Thank you for representing the school.

963
01:01:46,183 --> 01:01:48,103
Well, playing your hardest.

964
01:01:48,133 --> 01:01:48,943
We all saw it.

965
01:01:48,943 --> 01:01:49,543
We all appreciate.

966
01:01:50,218 --> 01:01:52,888
Aaron: always have an energy, always having a smile on your face.

967
01:01:54,298 --> 01:02:01,499
AJ Oliver: you know, I'll leave on this because that you guys mentioned
that honestly, one of the things that is big for my values is family.

968
01:02:02,219 --> 01:02:06,384
And at Clemson, we did talk about being you know,
the Clemson family and things of that nature.

969
01:02:06,384 --> 01:02:11,514
And sometimes you felt it, but sometimes you
really didn't because, you know, the Clemson family

970
01:02:11,514 --> 01:02:15,294
essentially is the football team and everyone else.

971
01:02:15,654 --> 01:02:16,794
It's just how it kind of goes.

972
01:02:18,529 --> 01:02:27,228
You know, whether it's the fans, whether it's, you know, S you
know classmates, whether it's, you know, teammates or other

973
01:02:27,228 --> 01:02:34,728
sports teams, you kind of feel it, you do every time you walk
in to, to the gym, Jerry, to do study hall, or every time

974
01:02:34,728 --> 01:02:41,478
you're going to, to the butter, you know, you walk into the
football stadium, are you going to the match or not the match?

975
01:02:41,478 --> 01:02:45,978
I'm sorry, The Ted, and even The Web, you know, you feel it everywhere.

976
01:02:46,008 --> 01:02:48,078
You feel it that like people want to be here.

977
01:02:48,078 --> 01:02:50,028
People actually enjoy their time here.

978
01:02:50,028 --> 01:02:59,418
And, you know, one of the things that I loved about the ODU
was that, like, you know, it's a S it's a school in Norfolk,

979
01:02:59,418 --> 01:03:01,998
Virginia, which is like 30 minutes away from Virginia Beach.

980
01:03:02,028 --> 01:03:09,198
Like, no one really knows where that is, but when you come down
and you get a chance to really feel the vibe and the energy

981
01:03:09,198 --> 01:03:12,948
around the campus, you understand why people like going here.

982
01:03:14,223 --> 01:03:18,993
No, I've enjoyed my time here and I've loved
every, every, every single second of it.

983
01:03:19,053 --> 01:03:23,163
And more so than anything, I've been extremely grateful for.

984
01:03:23,643 --> 01:03:27,963
You know, all my aunts and uncles who are, who are the fans in the stands.

985
01:03:27,963 --> 01:03:31,503
And, you know, I really appreciate you guys more than anything.

986
01:03:31,533 --> 01:03:38,883
You guys have been the light that I've needed time and
time again, every season to continue on and playing.

987
01:03:38,883 --> 01:03:48,033
And so without you guys, and without coach Jones and this team, and just
this community in the school, like, I honestly don't know where I would be.

988
01:03:48,363 --> 01:03:48,993
I truly don't.

989
01:03:51,033 --> 01:03:58,233
forever grateful for it, for all the million and I'll give
whatever they need, honestly, because they've given me everything.

990
01:03:59,533 --> 01:04:00,283
Mike: love to hear it.

991
01:04:00,283 --> 01:04:00,793
AIJ.

992
01:04:01,053 --> 01:04:02,013
Aaron: Absolutely.

993
01:04:02,863 --> 01:04:06,313
AJ, thanks so much for coming on and sharing your time.

994
01:04:06,623 --> 01:04:14,073
We look forward to checking out the next game at The Bud and
hanging out and watching, watching your boy Noah a close out

995
01:04:14,172 --> 01:04:14,592
AJ Oliver: man.

996
01:04:14,852 --> 01:04:22,002
You know what I got robbed of not seeing him pitch when I
came to The Bud and then miss the ECU game, I was so pissed.

997
01:04:22,452 --> 01:04:23,952
Oh, I can't wait.

998
01:04:23,982 --> 01:04:26,262
I need to see my guy pitch the next time he pitches.

999
01:04:26,262 --> 01:04:26,802
Let me know.

1000
01:04:26,802 --> 01:04:30,162
I will be there front and center early.

1001
01:04:30,174 --> 01:04:30,540
Aaron: Hook.

1002
01:04:30,750 --> 01:04:32,070
Hopefully it will be a couple of

1003
01:04:32,139 --> 01:04:32,349
AJ Oliver: Oh,

1004
01:04:32,370 --> 01:04:32,970
Aaron: this weekend.

1005
01:04:33,482 --> 01:04:36,362
Microphone Array (Realtek(R) Audio) Input channel 1:
Thank you for tuning into the Monarchists is podcast.

1006
01:04:36,662 --> 01:04:37,292
Thank you again.

1007
01:04:37,772 --> 01:04:38,282
Oliver.

1008
01:04:38,942 --> 01:04:39,812
And go monarchs.