Marcellus Wiley recently interviewed Shawne Merriman on his podcast “More to it” and “Lights Out” Merriman dropped some gems about his life and path to football stardom.

In a preview of the interview, Merriman drops a witty comment from a time when he was questioned as to why he decided to play football long before the star had received any media training.

Merriman recalls, “I was getting some notoriety in the country, and they asked me, ‘why do you play football?’ And I looked at the guy, not having any media training, and I said, ‘hey, I can do anything I want to somebody and not go to jail.'”

Merriman clarified that what he meant was that as a kid, he went through a lot – but football was a haven for him. It offered him a path out of a difficult childhood.

The football star has always been an emotional player with a charming interview style. His appearance on “More to it” is an emotional and revealing glimpse into his mindset and life experience.

Merriman retired from football in 2012 but has remained influential in the sports world.