Raiders tight end Darren Waller is now considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL. But just a few years ago, he wondered if he would ever get back to the game. After being suspended for a year from the Ravens for a positive drug test, he was working in a local grocery store and going through rehab.
“When I took that job, I had no desire to play football,” Waller told In the Moment’s David Greene. “I was just trying to regain structure in my life.”
But Waller did come back to the NFL. The Raiders signed him in 2018. A few weeks later, he was playing in Cincinnati against the Bengals. Waller felt this was his moment to prove himself.
He caught a pass for 44-yards. “Just ran like I was running from a dog, put my head back and just ran,” Waller said.
David Greene sits down with Waller to break down why that moment meant so much to reviving his career. The two dive into the rollercoaster of a season the Raiders had last year including the controversy surrounding former head coach, Jon Gruden, who resigned after racist emails he wrote surfaced.
While Waller says the racist language didn’t sting him personally, he understands why others in the league were offended.
Pedro Martínez: “Who’s Your Daddy?” Red Sox vs. Yankees 2004 ALCS Game 7
Denver Nuggets Bones Hyland: “The back-to-back-to-back threes – that was one of the biggest moments in playoff basketball.” (April 2022 NBA Playoffs)
Steelers Cam Heyward: “This is the opportunity, everybody's gonna be watching.” (Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs 2016 season)
UFC’s Francis Ngannou: “Becoming a heavyweight champion was …. my own revenge on my life.”
WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne: “I’ve come this far… I can’t not finish” (2019 WNBA Finals)
NFL Great Larry Fitzgerald: “That was my moment… only to have it snatched away.” (Super Bowl XLIII)
Raiders TE Darren Waller: “I’m Meant to Be Here… It’s not by Accident” (12/16/2018 Raiders vs. Bengals)
Bucs WR Chris Godwin: “It was an out of body experience” (2020 NFC Championship)
Introducing: In the Moment with David Greene
MAN IN THE ARENA (Bonus Episode): Tom Brady Retires
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 10: Post Game
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 9: Football vs. Football
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 8: Real Talk
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 7: Risky Business
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 6: Time Out
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 5: Fail Safe
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 4: Almost Perfect
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 3: Haters
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 2: The Icon
MAN IN THE ARENA Part 1: Game of Chance
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