Shawn Springs | Tackling New Challenges: Journey from the NFL to Innovating Safety

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an inspiring episode of Mick Unplugged. And I have one of my goats as a guest today. From dominating the NFL field to pioneering advances in safety technology, he has continually shown resilience, innovation and leadership. His journey from a top performing athlete to a visionary entrepreneur is nothing short of remarkable. Currently leading wenpak, a company transforming safety in sports and beyond. Please join me in welcoming the Ohio State University's finest, the one and only Sean Springs. Sean, how you doing today, brother?

How you doing, my brother? Hey, when you say the Ohio State like that, Nick, I already know you got it down, man. You have. You might have some Buckeyes on here already, brother.

I am a Tara Hill through and through. You guys might get us some football, but in basketball, you know, everything runs through us. I'll. I'll leave you with that one.

That's right. And the crazy thing is I am a Tar Heel fan when it comes to basketball, man.

There you go, man. So I want to get into it, man. You've been a person who's inspired me. You know, I'm literally just a couple of years younger, so watching you winning defensive player of the year in Ohio State, which most people don't understand, how hard that is for a cornerback to win defensive player of the year or conference player of the year, like, that's freaking awesome. But then not only what you did in the league, and we'll get a little bit there, but the businessman that you've become, and I've read so much about you. Again, inspiring me to be a business leader as well. And the conversations that you had with. With Paul Allen, I think really transformed who you are. So I'd love to hear about that transition from NFL superstar to entrepreneur. Dynamo, right?

It has been a journey, man. And I sometimes find myself just pinching myself, trying to figure out, like, you know, this God has blessed me to be in a position where then we can go through the history of me playing, but basically great parents. My mom and dad had me out of high school. My dad ended up going to the NFL. My mom went into military. So a lot of that shaped who I became and what we're going to talk about today, from the challenges of competing in high school and going to Ohio State thinking you're the big dog and realize that you're fourth on a depth chart. I think coach told you you're going to start to working your way, setting a go, make sure that you elevate the standard, take it to the next level to being drafted third overall into the NFL. Meet Paul Allen. Playing 13 years in NFL and starting a company, and I never thought that, you know, just recently in March, I would go into the Smithsonian of American history for innovators. One of the innovators in the new bilingual sports technology exhibition called Change, Game Changer. So we can go through all that, man, and sometimes I get shy about it, man, because it's like, how, why I think we're going to tease out today, it probably stems from my parents and journey and work ethic and all that.

Literally, that's where I was about to go. When you talk about why and on make Unplugged, right, we go deeper than why, because I think everyone's why is superficial. And I don't mean that in a negative way at all, right? But to me, it's your because, that why behind the why that really transforms you as an individual, as a leader and as a person. And for you, right, like you had, I'm going to say, the crazy cool dynamic. And for you, it probably wasn't cool growing up this way, right? But you had a father who was an amazing athlete, an amazing leader in sports, and then your mom in the military, right? So what was life like for SEAN that most 4, 5, 6 year olds didn't go through? Because you were getting it all, bro.

Yeah, you write about it. So most people don't know. My dad and mom grew up in that. I'm telling you. Interesting fact, man. My dad, mom grew up knowing each other from Williamsburg, Virginia, right there. Most people know about Williamsburg because of Thanksgiving and Christopher Columbus and, you know, all this stuff that happened down there. But they grew up in that small town, man, they knew each other. Had me out of high school and, man, it was just. My dad went on to play at junior college in Coffeyville, Kansas, and then was recruited to Ohio State and played for the legendary Woody Hayes and then was able to go to the Dallas Cowboys and play for Tom Landry. His best friend was Tony Dorset. You know, he knew Roger Stall back and all those guys, if you're familiar with the old Cowboys. And then my mom's journey was totally different. You know, she grew up where her life was a little more challenging. My grandmother was an alcoholic. She went into the military and left me with my grandma Springs, my father's mom, and she went into the military and then came back and got me around first or second grade, right?

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I was kind of raised in the south, man, with my whole family and everything. Growing up swimming in the James river, man. I tell people all the time, you want to make an athlete, let them swim in that James river, man. Alan Iveson, Mike Vick, Bruce Smith, Lonzo Moyni, all them boys from down there, right? Ronald Perry and. And it was just that's what made me, man. And then mom came back from Germany, being stationed in Germany with that military discipline. Mature now from seeing the world a little bit. And she raised me in PG county until I went to live my dad. So my experience is, wow, my dad was I would be in a locker room with the guys and spending my Thanksgivings down there. And then, then I'd be in PG county over in Maryland during the school year. And so I got to see the best of both worlds. Right. So I think for me, what really shaped me is my experience, you know, from I've seen million dollar homes to like hanging out in the hood. So you develop a different type of mindset both ways. Right. And I went to great schools and stuff like that. So that's kind of the foundation I was set very my grandma and all my family, you know, they kind of raised me and that's what I did.

That's awesome. And then superstar athlete in high school. I'm sure every college in the universe wanted Sean Springs. And Ohio State had a bigger purse, you know, they had a bigger wallet.

You know, they had the black card.

So this is pre nil. So I'm not getting Sean trouble, right?

Yeah. Please don't.

Please don't.

Please, no.

So why Ohio State? I know a lot of it had to do potentially with your dad being there as well, but. But why Ohio State? And then also you hit on it. You're the big dog until day one starts, right? And then all of a sudden it's like, okay, go down to the bottom and then. And work your way up.

McMahon. Like most people that know that, my dad, you're right, my dad went to Ohio State and played for legendary coach Woody Hayes. But I was a small kid. I wasn't a big kid, like 8th, 9th and 10th grade and maybe even 11th grade. I didn't really start getting the big offers until like halfway through my senior year. And it just kind of exploded. I ran track and everything, but unlike my dad, who was the number one player in the country, you know, coming out of high school and a small town Williamsburg, Lawrence Taylor, Mel Gray went to the high school. So actually that's another thing most people don't know. Been around it all my life. Ms. Taylor. Lawrence Taylor. Mom was my nanny at First Baptist. The cool thing is in my Grandma Springs, when I was staying with her while my dad was in school and going into NFL, my mom was stationed going back to the Williamsburg days. She was cleaning the halls away in Murray. I would play with my cars and it was a basketball coach at William Mary named George Blantis. George ended up becoming my Nike rep 20 years later. So that's, that's a cool thing. But I got recruited my senior year by pretty much once I kind of blossom. Everybody came out of the woodworks, man. And most people don't know That I committed to the University of Michigan early. Coach Gary Mohler, Gary Moeller. I don't know if I ever told this story. This is the first podcast I ever told. The reason I was loving Michigan, they had Fab Five. At the time I came in on my visit, they had Jalen Rose, Jalen and Chris and Juwan and all those guys. Steve King, I mean, on the Michigan football team. My boy Ty Law Wheatley was there and all those guys. But, man, two reasons why I didn't go. One was Ty called me and was like, I don't know, man, if it's for you, because they're not letting kids leave early, I'm gonna throw my boy Ty Law under the bus top. Go explain. She ain't supposed to tell that part, you know. He's made up with Michigan since then. We went to a Chinese restaurant the night before national signing day. I think it was February 8th and it was cold, Mick. And my dad said, who you gonna go sign with, man? And I said, dad, Coach Mola coming in town tomorrow for signing day. He said, all right, cool. My stepmom, beautiful, light skinned la. She started getting red around her neck and stuff, you know, she went to Ohio State, so her blood is boiling. So I get back to the house and we got. I remember we had. I'd never forget, we had like a red Jeep Cherokee. My dad goes, hey, man, wait right here. I said, okay, cool, cool, cool, cool. My little sisters, get out. My mom, get out. My stepmom, get out. He basically goes, if you go to Michigan, don't come in my damn house no more.

It was dead serious, right?

Serious. So I ended up going to Ohio State. I was pretty recruited by Ohio State and when I got there, man, I was like one of the guys thinking I was the man. Hell, my roommate was the player of the year, Stan Jackson, New Jersey. Then we had all type of guys who was just studs. And I found myself fourth on a depth chart deep on the bench, you know, my freshman year, man, laughing and thinking about it. But I believed in myself because of where I was raised, the way my dad worked me, and the way he kind of installed the values in me by work ethic, discipline, and, you know, just taught me football. For me, man, it was like an eye opening experience and one of the best things that ever happened. I can tell you more about, like how I went from fourth on the depth chart to the highest drafted corner in the history of the NFL, if we want to go into that. But I just worked, man.

And that's the key, right? I tell people this, and my mentor, Les Brown, he's called it the Mick Factor. I didn't call it this. This is what he said. But I know that this embodies Sean Springs as well, too. Mental resiliency. Because your first day of practice, right, all the freshmen are there together, so everybody's a superstar. But then when the upperclassmen come in, you get treated like you're supposed to.

Get treated at that point, right?

But here's what's critically important to understand the mental resiliency that it takes to know that I'm going to persevere. And I think that that embodies you. And then the next part for me is impact, which we're going to talk about when we go to NFL. But your character speaks loudly of who you are and then the mentality to keep going. And to me, that's Sean Springs.

Man, you've been reading up on me, brother.

You have been my guy since 96, man.

96 for my freshman year at UNC, and you were my guy.

Well, I really appreciate that, man, because that really, truly is who I am. First of all, I believe that we all put on earth to provide a service to others. So I think if you come in there with a. With a humble heart and a good spirit, I think good things happen to you. And, man, you're right. I mean, I just set that goal of, like, if I outwork, you know, And I think it's probably still true to this day. Like I remember would do. Malcolm Jenkins, a recruit they had. Most people know Malcolm because he played. He came up to me one time and was like, is it true you never lost a workout at Ohio State? I said, I think I did. I mean, there were people faster than me, like Joey and Terry and those guys, but barely by a little bit. Maybe sometimes it was. But, you know, I was competitive, but I just worked, man. And so often, especially in this new Nil day and age, people don't believe in, like, earning it. So for me, it was about, I got to earn it. And that's what life is about. Like, you know, And I'm not. Not saying every situation, you need to stick there, but there are some situations that you got to see through, and you can see the light. And if you continue to persevere and you let that. You know, they say iron, shop on iron. Once you, you know, you get in there, you see Eddie George where he worked. You see the way Orlando Pace come in a year after me, where he worked. Ricky Dudley, Joy Galloway, Terry Glenn, Chris Sanders, Marlon Kerner, Tim Walton. Who's there? Secondary. Like, when you see these guys, Chico Nelson. When you see these guys, Dan Wilkinson, first rounders, all Americans, ballers. And you like, man, I got to be a part of that. And that's what life is about. And I think that's what carried me into, you know, the NFL the same way. Although I was a pretty high draft pick when I first started, I wanted to be the best in the room, the best on the team, the best in the Big Ten, the best in the country. Get drafted to NFL.

And you did it. So third overall pick.

Yep.

As a defensive back.

Yep.

Never done before.

Only done one time since or twice since now, right?

Twice.

Yes, you're right. You're right. Twice since. What was that moment like for you?

Man, I cried, man, and I cried. And this is the funny thing. I cried because I thought I was going to be the first or second pick.

Right. There was not two people better than Sean Springs that year.

Well, Orlando I could accept, man, and rest in peace. My boy Darryl Russell from usc. But I remember Oakland calling me on that call, Al Davis, and those guys called and said, would you take a deal without no signing bonus and just more of a guaranteed first year? That was. It was a weird deal. And I think. I think the quality. They wanted Orlando, and he ended up going to the Rams, and it became down to me and Darren Russell, and they called me first, and I was just like, I want to, but David Ware at the time didn't let me do it. So I ended up going to Seattle, which was the best decision of my life, to go play for Seattle. And the new ownership there that they were, they didn't have at the time. And that changed my life. Going to play for Mr. Allen in the Pacific Northwest.

Amazing. I want to get to Mr. Allen.

Two questions from now, Right.

First question for you. As it relates to the NFL, though.

What.

What's one moment that stands out for Sean Springs when you think about your NFL career, What's that one moment that stands out to you?

That's a tough one. I had several moments. I guess the first moment had to be my. I was holding out that year. I get in a camp on Tuesday or Wednesday, take a physical on Thursday. No, I take. I get in the camp on Tuesday, take a physical practice Wednesday. We traveled Thursday on walk through, and I lined up. Coach Erickson said, you don't know the plays. Your first assignment is when you go in a game, everybody else gonna play around you. You match up With Jerry Rice.

You got him.

You got him. You know that cat right there, you're just like.

I had.

I heard of him a little bit. Jerry Rice. It was like the third preseason game, so he was gonna play at this point. I think he was probably about year nine or ten, you know, he was gonna play at that point. And I remember that moment. My mom was at the game, so that was a big moment for me, man. Lining up on Jerry Rice. God, another big moment for me, man. And I don't know if it's like, man, like, I don't need, like, thinking about this sometimes. The first game we played without Sean Taylor, you lined up with 10, right? We lined up with 10 men. Wow, bro. And man. And make out till this day, man, it make me tear up. That was a big gesture. I don't even. That by Greg Williams. I don't even think Coach Gibbs knew that we were going to do that in the spirit of his energy in the. In the stadium, man, and with me. And at that time, my dad was in a coma and stuff. So I remember me and Sean sat beside each other every day and he was talking to me, was like, man, I don't know how you fly to Dallas, see your dad in the hospital in a coma and then come back on Fridays and playing the game. And I remember Sean just supporting me and just developing our relationship with him, man. And that moment was big for me. Crazy, brother. Crazy.

It's wild, man, because I've talked to several people that have been impacted by Sean Taylor, right? Like, just not who the. I don't want to say the media, because I don't think he was getting portrayed negatively specifically by the media, but there was just some negative moments that maybe the media went in on, and that wasn't a full representation of the man and the person that Sean was. And like to know how many lives he touched, man. Like, that's. That's.

Yeah.

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He. He. You know, for a young dude, you know, like you said, Sean wasn't perfect, man, but who is? Yeah, right, right. No one's perfect. Right. Like, with the way he changed and the impact he had in a short period of time is simply amazing.

Absolutely. So you spent your last couple of years with my team, the Patriots, right? My. My Uncle Stanley's team, as I like to call them.

Yeah.

And. And you retire and you had a moment, a conversation with Paul Allen. And I remember this, you saying this.

Paul said it wasn't about being a.

Billionaire there, it was about making an impact. And you said that that conversation changed your perspective.

How so? Well, because in the world we live in today, it's. It's about, you know, how we make money and it becomes. But, like, what are we doing to make a difference and make a change? Right. You know, when I asked Mr. Allen, I was like, man, did you know you can be a billionaire? He goes, sean, it wasn't about becoming a billionaire. It was about making a difference in the world. So at that point, Mick, I knew it wasn't about, like, taking. Chasing money. I knew it was about, like, finding something you love, a direction you wanted to go in and working hard at it. And money will come if you do the right things.

That's amazing. And then you became CEO of Impact, right? Yeah. That's what you're doing, right? You're making an impact and a couple of things, man. Like, you say I researched you, but I mean it when I say you've been like my guy forever. And you don't know how you've inspired me. Seeing the things that you've done. Some of the coolest things you've ever done. Right. Like, how many patents do you have now?

I think like five or six patents and two companies, you know, so crazy.

And then the Smithsonian.

I'm in the US Patent and trademark hall of Fame. I think right above me is a lady who created a messenger rna. Then I'm in the Smithsonian, which is the latest exhibit in American Smithsonian of American history. That exhibit is called change your game. And it's really around bilingual interactive exhibition where you can learn about all different type of cool technologies. There's four featured innovators. Myself for impact protection, the lady who founded the sports bra, the man who founded Gatorade, and the other guy who did a prospect prosthetic for sports and stuff. But there's 60, I believe, 60 other technologies that you can experience. And from instant replay to the deflategate ball is in there. I know you don't want to hear about that one, but they got that.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know what you're talking about.

And just talking about safety far as like or technology innovators who've really done things in sports that affect regular live that you just don't even know about. Like my helmet and baseball catches your kids wearing or you know, skis and the sports bra, what it did for women, like, I mean that's one of, one of the most, most amazing stories that I don't think people really understand that she took two jock straps really and sold them together and created basically a sports bra.

Wow. I didn't know that.

Yeah.

What's crazy to me is you grew up right there. Right. Did you ever envision the day? Did, did 8 year old Sean ever just say we'll be there one day?

No, man, I don't think that guy who was excited to go on the field trips because he lived in the Washington D.C. area and they felt like he was getting out of school. So everybody get to go to the Smithsonian and mess around on.

Right.

But for me, I never would have imagined that. I think I've always had a humble curiosity to make things better. I wanted, in high school I wanted to be architect. So I. Because I like things being developed, done investments in land and stuff like that. But man, like the Smithsonian. It's so funny. I go down to the. That took my. I think one of my sons, we went down there and we looked at it and we walking around and people were just like looking. Is that you? That's you? Like, I mean if I'm in the Smithsonian for like seven to ten years, that's unbelievable.

It's wild, man. So let the listeners know. Like what is Windpack about? What is it that you're doing? Yeah.

Wimpac. We based out of North Virginia. We build a helmet padding solution for products. We don't make the helmet, we make the padding solution safer. It was based out of Northern Virginia. We basically started off with the idea to make the game safer for the next generation athletes. The sad thing about football is football is a dangerous sport if not played correctly. The great thing about football is if played correctly with the right rules and the right equipment and advancement equipment, it's the. One of the world's best sports, if not the best sport. Right, Right. So I wanted to work with companies in sports and the military. We've done a lot of work for the Military because of this, the seriousness of impact protection and the patent system. So think about if listeners out there are thinking about our product. You go on the dicks, you see a catcher's helmet from Evo shield. The pad on the inside is my engineers. We designed it. And that's when technology inside that or the military working with the Department of Defense. You know, when you think about our soldiers, and my mom was a soldier, so I understand the seriousness of it, but I think. I don't know, most people understand that. They protect their lives. That ain't a game. They need protection to save their lives. And we work on serious things like that because, you know, these guys are out on the battlefield, unfortunately, where bullets are flying. So we got to be able to make sure that. That soldiers who protect our freedom come back. So we are impact protection. We got engineers, we design things. We. We work with companies and. And get to be in cool sports like cricket.

Very popular in Asia, brother. Very, very popular.

Yeah, you're right, man.

So, Sean, you've been so gracious with your time, and I feel like we need to do episode two at some point here because there's so many places I want to go. Be very conscious of your time and the gratitude that you're given by being on the show. One thing that. That I'd love for you to end with, there are a lot of athletes, and I don't care the sport that struggle to transition, right? Like, there are a lot of athletes that struggle with that transition. What's some advice that you would give a fellow athlete to, you know, that resiliency that you have, that impact, that's a part of your character. What's some advice you'd give?

I think the biggest of the advice to any athlete I would give them is don't define yourself as an athlete. Go on there with the idea that NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, whatever sport you play, male, female, it's a stepping stone in life. We know that our bodies can't hold up forever. So you got to understand that that's just a moment in time, and it's a stepping stone to take you to the next level. So I think if you go in there with the mindset of, I could be 28 years old now, I got to go into the real world and start to develop yourself professionally and stuff like that, with that mindset, I think you might have a chance to transition nicely.

That's it. Sean, brother, I appreciate you spending some time with us. I definitely want to do more because there's so much more we could talk about. Thank you for being an inspiration and a role model to me so personally. I thank you.

You're welcome brother.

You got it. And for all the listeners out there, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

Thanks for listening to Mick Unplugged. We hope this episode helps you take the next step toward the extraordinary and launches a revolution in your life. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast and be sure to check us out on YouTube at MC Unplugged. Remember, stay empowered, stay inspired, and stay unplugged.

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