Too Small for the NFL. Then He Broke a Chiefs Record.

Dexter McCluster1:24

Right? And I I think I I think I had an even balance in my game, you know? Uh I was crazy enough to go ahead go ahead first if I needed to to let them know that hey you can get it this way as well. And then as well you know what come came natural to me was me uh you know that that that one two step that spin move that shiftiness that to be here in one spot one at one moment then over here. How do you do that?

I mean so that natural ability. So I think uh overall what helped me out was I was you know fearless and just even in all areas.

Dexter McCluster2:07

No 100%. Uh if if I have a moment uh so coming into the locker room and I got drafted by the Chiefs. Um

I forgot the linebacker's name. He was a veteran by then. I got in the locker room. He came to me. He said

You McCluster, huh? I said yes sir. You know still young. Yes, sir. And uh he was like, "I just want to I want to see uh how you going to pick up that A got blitz at practice today." Yeah.

But he just didn't know. He gave me the answer to the test.

I knew at practice he was not going to try to go around me. He's going to try to go through me. And he just didn't know this little dude right here. I'm just the one you you looking for. So long story short, we got uh got in practice, whatever. Hey, God bless came. He came in. Boom. Big thud. Uh fast forward a couple hours later in the locker room, he came to me. You gonna be all right. So, that was that was that was kind of a a cool moment for me to know that, you know what?

Hey, yeah, I'm I'm I'm still the same guy. I'm still unwavering, you know, and and I had something to prove. Still had that chip on my shoulder.

Dexter McCluster3:20

Nothing nice. them grown grown men.

Dexter McCluster3:22

Yes. 100%.

Dexter McCluster3:25

So uh Largo is right outside of Tampa Bay. Okay.

You know, so you the surrounding cities, Tampa, uh West Coast, you got St. Petersburg, you got Clearwater, you got Orlando, you got all those surrounding cities, you know. So uh yeah, small town, man. You know, if if you blank, you miss in my neighborhood. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster3:42

Uh we're good, man. My last two years, we we made it um to I think the first second round playoffs. never made it to the big the big show, but we had we had some great competition, man. And I had some great years there. I did some I did some things that, you know, made people say, "Whoa, whoa, who who is this little dude here?" Even though [clears throat] at that in that era at that time, uh the little guy wasn't really accepted yet. Even though you're putting up these big numbers, it's like, "Wait a minute, something's off, you know?" So, it was a little fishy for him.

Dexter McCluster4:20

100%. Yes. 100%.

Dexter McCluster4:23

All of that.

Yeah.

Dexter McCluster4:26

I practiced with the track team. I never ran track. Really?

The coach want uh he wanted me to, I guess, stay healthy. Yeah.

Quote unquote be be healthy for the football season.

Um, but I did high jump and long jump. So, a lot of people don't know that I went to states for high jump. I jumped uh 66, man. So, Michael, if Michael Jordan uh stands still, I can high jump over him. Yeah, man. That's awesome. Yeah,

Dexter McCluster4:55

Wow.

Dexter McCluster4:58

She probably me.

Yeah. I was just going off of pure uh just athleticism.

Athleticism. Uh yeah, but I didn't quite have the form. I kind of sat over it like I was uh sitting in in a bathtub. That is

Dexter McCluster5:14

Yep. 66. It got me eighth place. The guys that actually lived it and breathed it and did it. Uh it was two twins that won it that year. It was down in Gainesville. I think they jumped like maybe 71 7 foot.

Dexter McCluster5:26

69 things like that. So I wasn't quite at that caliber, but at least I I made it. My name's on the shirt on the back of the shirt for states that year.

Dexter McCluster5:36

Yeah, live with my mom and dad. Uh have two younger sisters. Uh

What they do? They athletes? They were athletes, but I think, you know, once once time went on, they kind of

Uh shied away from the athletic uh athlete side of of things and they became mothers and and things like that. But um yeah, man. So, I I guess me, I was just I was so focused on, you know, school. Uh my dad, he uh did not want me to have a summer job.

He wanted me to focus on my school and, you know, practice on my craft. And he was like, "Son, if you if you do the right things in school and work on your craft, I'll give you the money." Yeah. It wasn't a lot of money cuz I wasn't raised with money, but he just wanted me to uh be as focused as I could. So, I grew up in the household with all my family.

Dexter McCluster6:17

Yeah, man. I did.

Dexter McCluster6:26

I have a daughter in college now going into her junior. Yeah, man. In college. Yeah. I started I started early. I remember uh scoring a couple touchdowns uh in the LSU game at Ole Miss and I would bring her on the field. I was carrying her and now she can probably carry me now. Yes.

Dexter McCluster6:42

Albany State uh in Georgia. She's going for nursing. She was uh she ran track since she was 2 years old. And one day she said, "Dad, I don't want to run track." And I said, "Uh well, what do you want to do?" And she said, "Well, I want to help people. I want to be a nurse."

I said, "Well, you can still be a fast nurse." And uh I I put my bid in for about a year and I was like, "You know what? If this what you want to do, I'm I'm behind you 100%.

Dexter McCluster7:13

Yes. You have it has to be something that you really you really want, something that you really have a passion for. And you know, I have six kids now, man. I have five kids, five daughters. And guess what?

I just had my first boy 7 weeks ago, man. He came out uh 11 lb 5 oz. So he's he's ready for the world.

Dexter McCluster7:39

Yeah, big family.

Dexter McCluster7:42

Yeah. So I'm about uh 7 minutes away from you, man.

Okay. And I'm actually in the Governor's Club uh about three times uh a week. I don't know if you know you know JT Fox. Yeah, of course.

Yes, that's my guy. So I train him three times a week there at the Governor's Club. So I feel like I'm an honorary Governor's Club. Hell yeah.

Dexter McCluster8:00

Oh yeah.

Dexter McCluster8:03

Yeah.

Dexter McCluster8:08

Yeah. So uh junior year, everybody knows that in high school that's that year that you you really want to make that mark, you know, uh had a great junior year. Uh but come senior year, um man, I finished my senior year with

2,490 yards rushing in one year.

Dexter McCluster8:26

A game. Yeah. Yeah. A game. And we weren't playing any slaps. Like it was it was Florida. I feel like I was kind of before my time. So like two 2490 rushing, 39 touchdowns, and I was the first in my

Dexter McCluster8:38

Uh in the count Pinellas County uh the first ever to rush for over 2,000 yards uh in the season. So uh they they nicknamed me Mr. 2000. I actually got the key to the city as well. Pretty cool.

Dude, that's awesome. Yeah, man. As a

Dexter McCluster8:48

know what it all meant at the time because uh you know, even now people ask me like, "How did you approach the game?" And I was like, "You know what? I just I love the game. I I didn't compare myself to anybody. I was like just really out there playing football."

Yeah,

Dexter McCluster9:11

And I wanted to go and me being a Florida boy, I wanted to go to Florida State. That was my dream going to Florida State.

Dexter McCluster9:18

Cuz I would imagine they'd be like, "You just say the word. Bobby Bowden looked at me and said, "Man, a little too small, but you can play defensive back for me." And no way.

Yeah. And uh Urban Meyer said the same thing. Hey, you're too small to play on offense, but uh we can work you in at return and kind of see where it goes from there.

And I was like, you know what? I know who I am and I need the ball in my hand. So, um as much as that hurt my heart, I had to had to turn it down.

Dexter McCluster9:46

Yeah. So, I was

Dexter McCluster9:48

Yeah. So, like we talked about earlier, I had my first uh child at 17. So, I was a senior in high school. So, I was committed to South Florida in Tampa. So, I shut down all of my um all of my visits. All I didn't want to go anywhere. I'm staying home.

I'm going to be a dad now. I don't [clears throat] know how to be a dad. So, I'm I think I'm doing the right thing. Right.

Dexter McCluster10:08

That was the And you know what? It it says something about my character because when I found out about it, the moment I found out about it, I said, "You know what? I have to tell my parents."

Of course. And I told him within the it took me about 30 minutes to get myself together. But I told him and uh my mother just gave me this look that I'll never forget. She just looked at me and she walked away. And my dad just kind of his it might his eyes might have not been blood red, but it felt like it was blood red, bloodshot red, but he just looked at me and said, "Son, got to be a man."

Dexter McCluster10:42

And I'm like 17 years old. So, I went after I did it, I went in the room and I cried and I'm like, man, you know what?

Like, what am I going to do? Like, I feel like I let everybody down. But, I mean, it turned out to be a blessing, you know? Uh, we we grew up together. I matured. So, again, you know, I felt like I was doing the right thing going to South Florida and shut everything down. And here comes

Ed Orgeron, the Ragin' Cajun. He called my phone. Uh, him and our running back coach now, Coach Frank. He was um there as well at the time, but now he's back. Full circle moment. Yeah. But uh he was like, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, let me just come down sit in your living room."

Dexter McCluster11:18

And came in my living room and it was like that blue chip moment. Have you seen the movie Blue Chip? Yeah. So with like we're throwing pillows in the living room. He's had my mom getting up and he had me ready to play a game in my living room. So I was like, "Wait a minute. Let me go see what this old miss tank is talking about." And we uh we set up a visit, went down there, and um my dad went with me. And we got there, saw the ins and outs.

Uh Jason Cook, um I think his brother uh played in the league as well. Um

He was a tight end, I believe. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster11:50

Yeah. His brother. So um long story short, before we left Ole Miss, me and my dad was on the Memphis plane getting ready to take off back to Florida. And I said, "Dad,

I think I know where I want to go." And he was like, "Where?" And I said, "Ole Miss." And he looked at me and said, "Hey, when we land back home, you know, think about on the flight we land. if you feel that same way, we'll talk about it and if that's the case, we'll do it the right way. We'll call South Florida. We'll let them know and we'll let Miss know. All right, cool. And got home, I said, "Dad, I want to go to Ole Miss." And that's how it was.

And then he didn't and Orgeron didn't say, "You're our running back." He said, "We got BenJarvus Green-Ellis at our running back." So, we have our running back, but we don't have a slot receiver, so you'll have a chance to come in and start or compete to start as a um as a freshman. And my mindset was I don't want to go red shirt anywhere. I want to continue this football game now. And it gave me the opportunity. And I think that's what kind of helped me uh have that longevity long long term in my career.

Dexter McCluster14:33

"No, no, I worked." At that moment, we didn't really talk about it. I think once he said I that slot receiver was open and they don't have a guy, my mindset clicked on like, you know what, I'm a competitor. I'm an athlete. I'll learn this receiver thing and we'll make it happen and and I freaking won the spot.

Dexter McCluster15:41

Figure it out. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster15:44

So by from from the uh fastest to slowest 439, 444 and a 45. Uh the 45 at the combine, you know, at See, that's my mind. Listen, my no my mindset, right? The mindset is, you know, uh if if you start at the combine and you stumble, Yeah.

You can stop.

Dexter McCluster16:02

My mindset was Well, I I did stumble. I felt it, but I was like, "No, I'm fast enough

Dexter McCluster16:08

To just keep going and I kept going." And

Dexter McCluster16:12

Yeah. Yeah. So, like the second chance was faster.

Dexter McCluster16:16

So, so the the two uh times I met the 439 and 444 was at uh proday when I lost my weight. I don't know if we want to get to that story. When I was at the combine, I at the combine I was like 173 and I threw up right before the weigh in. It was like so I weighed in at 170.

Dexter McCluster16:30

Yeah, because you know my the knot was this dude is too little. So my agent my agent was like, "Dude,

Like you have to just they they theyin at the combine.

He sent me up a basket of uh protein drinks, uh protein uh couple rolls of quarters,

Everything." Right. So he was like, "Hey, your future depends on it." Yeah,

You have to eat this. And I'm like, okay, cool. So, I'm I'm in my hotel room eating and about 2 hours later, I'm like,

Dexter McCluster17:00

So, I called him. I said, uh, this is how much I've I've done that. He said, you have to eat it all, buddy.

Dexter McCluster17:06

And I stuffed and I stuffed and I stuffed and the next morning I woke up feeling horrible.

So, I'm glad uh my name is the Musl M. So, I had time. So, I was in line and I knew we didn't have any um any field work or anything. It was just like the the the weightlifting and and the weigh in that day

And I was like maybe

15 people in front of me and I felt it all coming up. So I ran to the bathroom. I threw up. So leaving the hotel room I weigh in at uh I'm sorry my room I weighed in I think at like 174

And I threw up and I weighed in at I think 172.

Dexter McCluster17:41

171. So I threw I threw a couple pounds up on there. But yeah, the knot was me, you know, me being being small. So I put on that weight and I felt uncomfortable. He was like 175. You felt I like listen my frame does not hold this. If I'm just a normal average everyday dude I'll be about 160.

Dexter McCluster18:00

That's what I had to do all my career. Even like you know college when I first got there NFL they want to put me on these programs. I listen dude this is who I am.

I'm a football player. It might not look like it but this is who I am. But they all realized at at one point that you know what nah

He's all right.

Dexter McCluster18:21

Uh, no. No. So, uh, I met my, uh, my wife about

Dexter McCluster18:28

We, uh, my, uh, oldest daughter, her mom passed away from breast cancer.

Dexter McCluster18:33

Yeah. So, uh, yeah. So, she uh, but my wife's been in her life since, uh, she was about three 3 months, if that makes sense. She

Dexter McCluster18:44

Yeah, she was 30 I want to say 30 years old. Wow.

Yeah. 30 years old.

Yeah. She was older than me myself. Yeah. Yeah. So 30 years old. And even even with that, you know, now that now my daughter, she's about to be 21,

You know, and and just seeing, you know, like we grew up together, seeing

Dexter McCluster19:02

Like how she feels about certain things like we started talking about things like that. So she hasn't she hasn't had a rough upbringing whatsoever, right? But just mentally, you know, you don't have your mother. You know what I'm saying? So that's why I I I fill in any blanks that I can fill in. You call me about anything.

Feel open to talk talk to me about anything whether it's uncomfortable or not or you feel like it was a mistake, talk to me. Let's talk about it. So yeah, she uh so

Dexter McCluster19:35

Yeah.

Dexter McCluster19:46

Yeah.

It's it's overwhelming.

Dexter McCluster19:59

The school is a city, right? If that makes sense.

Dexter McCluster20:02

No, no, no. Ole Miss.

Dexter McCluster20:06

Inner city for sure.

Dexter McCluster20:10

Oh, yeah. chandeliers in the in the square when you walk through the grove. It It was different, you know. And I guess I was so green.

Dexter McCluster20:17

I was so green to where

Dexter McCluster20:24

No, just just even the the freaking uh the scenery, the trees, you know, how how green everything was, just the buildings of it, and just, you know, you just the way people like people walk different, people talk different,

You know, it was just a whole a whole different world for me. So, here I am coming in with my uh

Jabogue jeans, my Dicky shorts, and all my Dada shoes and all that. So, you know, I felt I felt somewhat out of place a little bit. Uh but I've always been a guy that, you know, I'm always a people person. Uh I can talk to anybody. I can talk to this wall and we'll have a conversation, right? So, I I' I was always able to adapt to it. Um, it was a it was it was just a whole new world for me. But I was just soaking it in, taking it in, and like, wow, like I'm really I'm really not home.

I'm really not in LA. I'm in I'm in freaking Mississippi, right? I'm at Ole Miss.

Dexter McCluster21:24

Um, I think so. So, uh, we had a lot of guys from New Orleans come in, [clears throat] and that was during the Hurricane Katrina time. Uh, so those guys came in. So, I guess they already have culture in in general. They have their their culture is is

Dexter McCluster21:38

So, maybe they were a little faster faster paced than uh than the school, but I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb because I hadn't quite figured out

Who I was as far as, you know, just,

You know, as as a person, you know, outside of football, outside of school, like who am I? Who do I talk to? Like, what do I what do I like to do? Who who do I like to hang with you? So, I mean, uh, but like I said, I I think, you know, uh, it was a big melting pot and it kind of helped me kind of mold myself into who I am today.

Dexter McCluster22:16

Um, well, I I I don't I don't know. I didn't I never felt that way. You never felt whether it's from uh teammates or anything like that. But I guess uh when you have Patrick Willis on one side

And you catch a uh a flat route and you turn around and he didn't blow you up. He just kind of let you know, hey,

Hey, he he used to call me baby Hester. Yeah. Hey, baby Hester. I could have had you on that play.

So I I guess he knew that. Okay. Well, he he might be a little fragile right now, but this dude was a ball player. I kind of I think I got got a little grace when I

Dexter McCluster23:12

You know. me per like me personally and but but me outside and looking at everything, I don't think that was the culture. Uh when I when I got there, I think we had some real deal true leadership uh on the team.

Dexter McCluster23:25

Yeah. And I I think that they knew that, hey, we're not where we want to be anyways. We've only won this many games these past couple years anyways. So, we got to build this thing up the way we need to build it up. So, I think we had real deal guys that loved the game, that wanted to win, and that was, you know, that that carried that leadership role. So, it was it was it was no hazing at all. I I didn't I didn't uh see it.

Even for even from other guys, it was no hazing. Yeah. Maybe they talked a little crap or whatever, but for the most part, it's like, how can we get this rolling?

Dexter McCluster23:54

Yeah. So,

Dexter McCluster24:02

Yeah. 100%.

Not to show everyone like, "Let me teach this guy a lesson.

Dexter McCluster24:16

Or I mean is that going to help me get better? It would have cuz if it would have hit me who I was, my kill switch would have came on and I would have fought with every ounce of energy I had that day to make sure that I'm hunting you every single time. Even if if I got to go block you, you going to see me. Yeah. So I think it'll work out either way.

Dexter McCluster24:42

Yeah. So, high school, you know, um you're pretty much, you know, sometimes if you have that, you you're a little faster than everybody else, a little stronger than everybody else. You're dominating, right?

But you get there and everybody else is like physically already look like, you know, grown human beings. And when you have a guy like Ed Orgeron that's that tough caden that's that it's it's it's real deal training camp. It's real deal we're going to see how far we can push you to see if you really if you really if you're really built for what we have going on and and and where we're trying to go. That was the first time in my life and I was it was a long life cuz I was only 8 17 18 years old but first time to where I actually called my mother one time during camp cuz I would look in the mirror and my face would be so sunken in.

Yeah.

12 12 guys a day going full body cramps cuz it was real. We're getting after it. We're running after it. Right.

Dexter McCluster25:40

100% feet is on fire. Right. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't I didn't physically see myself.

Dexter McCluster25:45

And I called my mom. I said, "Mom,

I don't know if this is for me."

And I said that, but then when I got to my dorm, I'm like, "Did I really say that?"

Dexter McCluster25:54

Right. But it made it made me really question like, hey, if you really want this thing, this is you got to this is what you have to adapt to. This is what you have to get through. And I think that's what kind of helped us the the the the crew that he brought in as far as recruiting wise. I think it was like 20 of us. And I think all of us started our close of all of us started our freshman year, whether it's on offense, defense, special teams.

So he brought a great core there. And I think him building us and pushing us that far is what kind of helped us have that chip on our shoulders and that grit and that grind that kind of carried us throughout, you know, our career.

Dexter McCluster26:35

Yeah, it it was it was amazing, you know. I I felt I felt so small again, right? Just I'm like, "Wow." Like I'm really I'm really here like, you know, I'm in college. I'm playing college football and I'm freaking starting the game. Yeah,

I'm freaking starting the game. We're playing Memphis uh at Ole Miss and you know my my my parents are there, my family's there. It's like it was a dream come true. It's like so now, okay, now it's time to do something in the game so I can have something to talk about later on. And I ended up scoring uh no way my first college game and

Yeah, on the ML they call it the McCluster Fluster.

Dexter McCluster27:07

We worked on it all week in practice. So obviously not

Dexter McCluster27:16

For meluster fluster. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster27:34

Right. So, I guess I was doing something, you know, uh, worthwhile at at practice. And that's one thing about me, if you ask anybody, from Pop Warner to high school to college to the NFL, I practice pro how I played. So, in the game, it was just muscle memory.

Dexter McCluster27:51

Right. So, again, the cluster fluster.

Dexter McCluster27:55

So, so all it is is very simple. We had a huge offensive line. So, we all huddle up in the huddle. When we break the huddle, all everybody breaks uh breaks out of the huddle in a very tight uh tight formation. They're all standing up and here I am hiding behind the tallest guys on the field. A big Michael or is my the left guard. Yeah. So So he's the one that kind of my guy. Shout out Mike. So I'm down there. So the quarterback kind of taps the center.

The center just gives the ball. Yep. Uh-huh. And I I'm crotched I'm crotched down and they put the ball between my legs and I just grab it.

Yeah. And once the quarterback, we had Brent Schaefer, he was a scrambling quarterback. He took off right. The whole right side of the line took off right

And me and Michael or took off left and the rest was history. Yeah. I think I ran past Mike within the first two steps and he didn't do anything. I seen Mike put his hand up as I was running past and scored my first touchdown, man. So it was

It was awesome. I couldn't wait till we had a long game left. I couldn't wait till after the game so I can call back home like, "Did y'all see that?"

Yeah. I mean, so it was pretty pretty awesome. That was early in the game.

Yeah, it was early in the game. Early in the game. Yeah. So, it was that must have been awesome.

Yeah. And I to be honest, I don't remember any other highlight or play from that game but that one. I'll take it

Dexter McCluster29:11

I knew it was like it wow like this is happening right now. And I I just I was just in I just turned 18.

Dexter McCluster29:18

I was just in high school. It felt like but well it was about 3 4 months ago and here I am

Dexter McCluster29:38

Yeah. Yeah. Uh I I I had no swag.

Um I like I said, I just played the game of football. So in

High school, I wore no gloves.

Dexter McCluster29:46

Right. It was it was nothing fancy about me. I just helmet, shoulder pads, uh

Dexter McCluster30:04

You know, what to how to look.

Dexter McCluster30:08

Yeah. And I thought they had these cleats. I thought they were so cool cuz I I used to tape my ankles all the time in high school.

So, it was the Nikes. They were like kind of mid to high top, but then they had a strap at the top of it so you can strap it around your ankles to make it tight to make it feel like you have um

Dexter McCluster30:25

Wraps on. And I thought it was so cool, but now when I look at it now, I'm like, "Yeah, brother. Those were those were terrible."

They were terrible. But that's but that's where I was to where it's like I never seen anything like it. So when they gave me the equipment, everything was everything was like a a wow moment for me when I was getting everything done. But one thing I did do, I wore every piece of that equipment. Thigh pads, knee pads, shoulder, whatever, whatever it was. Butt pads, whatever I needed, I wore every day.

Dexter McCluster30:57

All the above. The jogging suits, man. It's cool. So when I when I did go home in the offseason, I made sure I wore something every day.

Dexter McCluster31:58

100%. Yes. 100%.

Dexter McCluster32:02

Especially now I'm like, "Man, whoa, whoa, whoa." We had the traditional

Dexter McCluster32:08

Gray, you know, red, gray, nothing fancy, nothing flamboyant. But, I mean, times change, man, as you can tell with with with the game game now, especially on the collegiate level. So, you know, they have the white helmets with the with the uh silver the silver shinies in it, man. They got the It's awesome, man. I just went down to uh Ole Miss a couple weeks ago. I don't know if you saw it. I recorded the hype video.

Dexter McCluster32:38

I did. Yeah. So it's pretty pretty dope. Pretty awesome. So I went down there, but I stacked up on a lot

Of Ole Miss gear. I got I got the camouflage. Yeah. I got this one. Yeah. So I got the camouflage. I got all that stuff. I made sure I walked out with a lot.

Dexter McCluster33:00

Yeah. It's it's it's like you said, it's attractive, man. Like, you know, social media, people when when they see that, they they can envision themselves like, I want to wear that helmet. I want to wear that jersey. You know what I mean? So, that's that's pretty that's pretty cool.

Dexter McCluster33:15

You must look at these kids now and that kid's getting a million%. And you got some guys that's not even starters. They're just kind of sitting on the sideline getting like 500,000, right? As a kid, I'll take that. We we had our He had like $600 stipen to where we had to uh spend like 300 and something on rent split between three guys. Uh you have to whatever it was electricity and then you get your food. I lived on the Chevron chicken on a stick for a while at at Ole Miss, right?

Dexter McCluster33:52

Yeah, but I I know what you're talking about with that. What's going on? Yeah, for sure.

Dexter McCluster33:59

Yeah, he's going to always push those limits and he's going to push those buttons and I think that he has a a good knack for that. He he he he welcomes that uh that adversity. I think I think I think Yeah, I think it fuels him a little bit.

Dexter McCluster34:35

Yeah. Where where does the line draw? And I think right now um

It's already chaotic. Yeah. But I mean a couple years from now it's going to be out of control. I think it's going to be out of control. And uh me personally, I'm all for these guys getting paid. I I I get it 100% right.

Dexter McCluster35:13

Oh it's crazy. Yeah. And I my thing is at when it started first coming up, I'm like, man, I don't want I like what is that going to do for the the the the passion to to want to be better as a as a

Dexter McCluster35:27

You know what I'm saying? Like where where's the loyalty like in in life? Let's let's say you are getting paid this stuff and you don't make it to the NFL and you don't budget right the right way. Now, [clears throat] do you know how to fight for anything?

Dexter McCluster35:40

What is that going to look like? You going to hold or you going to fold? What? Like what what are you going to do? Are you going to are you going to man up or are you going to try to look for the next route or next get-rich easy scheme, you know? So, I I don't know, man. I I think I think it it might take away some of the

Dexter McCluster36:06

And now and now more so now it's giving the parents uh you know avenue to step in and say oh my son wants this my son wants that but wait a minute what

Dexter McCluster36:18

Yeah so you know it's it's it's it is what it is right now I guess

Dexter McCluster36:38

All four. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster36:41

Uh broadcast journalism, actually.

Dexter McCluster36:46

It's It's all about timing.

Yeah. You know, I think right now uh where I am in life, I'm I'm I'm in that sweet spot to where I can be an impact uh to to the community, impact to these uh the youth that's coming up and just just be be in it with everybody right now. And I I think later on in life, I think once things slow down for me and I and I want to sit down a little bit, I think everything else will be kind of

Setting set in stone once it's time. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster37:19

Well, uh as a team I think we're like nine and two 10 and something. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. Under under um so we had Ed Orgeron our first two years and once they let him go Oh, Houston Nutt came from uh Arkansas. And

Dexter McCluster37:33

Uh it it was it was great. Um you know his brother Danny Nutt

He's the man behind behind the scenes man. Danny. So we were running, it was offseason, we were running 110s, right? And he came at after he run the run 10s. He pulled me to the side. He said, "Hey Clust,

You played running back before?"

I said, "All my life." And he was like, "All right, I'mma talk I'm I'mma talk to coach. I'm going to talk to coach. I'm talk to coach."

Dexter McCluster37:58

Receiver. Yeah. And I'm like in my mind like, "Wait a like I they they'll dabble in the running back spot, but they it's like they had something they had that running back mode in their mind already to where it was like he can still make plays over here, so we'll just leave him here.

And it kind of it started to frustrate me because I'm like, listen, I am when people ask me what are you? I'm a freaking running back.

Dexter McCluster38:25

Yeah. Even though you weren't here, right? So he we talked about it and uh some some time went by like maybe three games. I'm like coach I mean I I practice I I no disrespect I probably practice harder than anybody out here on the field. I'm trying to do everything right. Like what can I do

Dexter McCluster38:43

And he was like yeah I got you clutch this and that. And uh and everybody in Oxford can tell you the story. Um but it was it came I think it was South Carolina. I think we played South Carolina and our running back got hurt.

Dexter McCluster38:57

And it was five time It was five minutes left in the freaking game.

Every time I touched that ball, it was something spectacular, right?

Dexter McCluster39:08

It was something spectacular to where every time I touched it, I'm getting 10. I'm getting six. I'm getting five. I'm getting 15.

Dexter McCluster39:16

That's my guy." Yeah, that's my guy. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster39:20

100%. Yeah. But then that next week, his old school was coming into town, Arkansas.

Dexter McCluster39:26

And after him seeing that five last five minutes of that game, we lost it. But that last five minutes, he said, "Clus, I'm going to get you the ball."

Dexter McCluster39:40

Yeah. And I started running back that game.

Dexter McCluster39:45

Yes.

Dexter McCluster39:46

And the rest is history. I was the first person in SEC history to rush for over 500 yards and catch 4,000 yards in a season.

SEC history

Dexter McCluster39:57

This is uh that was my um what year was that?

Dexter McCluster40:01

It might it might have been it might have been my senior year.

Dexter McCluster40:04

But but even that junior year that's when they like what the heck. So I was a cotton [clears throat] ball I was the first uh well second ever to do it since Dope Walker and he did it in 1941 I believe. uh [snorts] backto back uh cotton bowl MVPs and I was the guy to come along later on to uh do that since 19 freaking 41.

Dexter McCluster40:23

You know what [clears throat] I mean? So it's like when that moment came I made sure that I would not be denied.

Dexter McCluster40:30

Yeah. Two combo MVPs. Yeah. I'm in the Cottonball Hall of Fame right now. So, I'm in the uh So, I'm in the Cottonball Hall of Fame, the M Club Hall of Fame at Ole Miss, um the State of Mississippi Sports uh Hall of Fame, and the SEC legend.

Dexter McCluster40:45

Yeah, man.

Dexter McCluster40:49

The biggest Cotton The biggest Cotton Bowl. I got two Cotton Bowl trophies that my dad won't give them up.

He won't give them up.

Dexter McCluster40:56

Like this.

He has all of my jerseys. Uh but I guess to answer your question, the biggest game I ever had uh in college was against uh UT Tennessee.

Dexter McCluster41:05

Um so peep this

Dexter McCluster41:13

But peep this. Guess who was the head coach at Tennessee?

Dexter McCluster41:15

Lane Kiffin.

Guess who was uh uh the defensive coordinator?

Dexter McCluster41:20

Monty Kiffin.

Dexter McCluster41:24

Orgeron.

Who recruited me, right? Oh, and he didn't let you play quarterback, running back.

Well, it was it wasn't about that, but it was just about what he saw and what he saw the potential that he saw that I could be.

I was eager to show him that you were right. You know what I mean?

Dexter McCluster41:38

Listen, so that that moment we're in Tupelo, Mississippi. Never been a vocal leader up until then. I was like just leading by example. I'm going to work hard. Hopefully the teammates see I'm working for working hard.

And I asked Coach Nut, I said, "Coach Nut, can I can I talk to the team?" Yeah.

Before we get on the bus to head to Oxford. He was like, "Yeah." So I went up there, I talked and I talked and I said, "I'm going to run so hard that y'all are going to have to carry me off the field." And with me saying that, I was just saying, "I'm going to give you all of me. Nothing left after this game."

And I'll be darn. I went out there four touchdowns, 282 rushing yards, 302 allpurpose yards.

Dexter McCluster42:15

That was my That it was like nothing. It was like nothing could go wrong.

Dexter McCluster42:20

Yeah, but I didn't know it was going to be like that. But it was but I guess

Dexter McCluster42:24

And guess what they did?

Dexter McCluster42:27

They put me on that show. The big Darren David Gerald's our center man. One of my best friends to this day. Him and I forgot who else it was man. We they we it was it was a celebration. But people to this day everywhere I go

They talk about that Tennessee game.

Dexter McCluster42:41

Everywhere I go. So it's a part of it's a party.

Dexter McCluster42:44

Tennessee.

Dexter McCluster42:47

Yeah, Tennessee.

Dexter McCluster42:50

Yeah. So, I did. So, uh, he he sent somebody over, I'm not sure, to find my dad. And my dad went into their locker room and he told my dad, he said, "Hey, tell him [clears throat] that I'm proud of him."

Dexter McCluster43:00

Everything that I saw,

I was able to see it tonight, but I was just on the wrong sideline. Yeah. So, that was a pretty cool. So, I didn't physically talk to him after the game, but he talked to my dad, but we did we did eventually talk uh some years later uh over the phone and everything. So, it was it was a cool a nostalgic moment, man. It was cool just to and I it's a picture uh out there floating around. I think somebody bought it, but I'm running past their sideline and you [clears throat] see uh you see Lane, you see money, then you see Orgeron just barking on the side and so it was it was pretty if I can ever if anybody has that that picture, let me know.

Dexter McCluster43:44

I always started. Um, just going back to um,

Dexter McCluster43:57

Yeah. I think I think that junior year, man. Uh, once once after after six games of pleading my case and finally getting that that running back spot, I was like, "Here we go."

Dexter McCluster44:12

Oh, yeah. Yeah. They they start you start you start getting hey uh such and such is uh

Dexter McCluster44:21

Buzz is going around that

You know um you know this person might be uh wanting to take you on if if you want to come out uh after your junior year. And

Dexter McCluster44:43

Yeah. Okay. They started getting getting that word out and you see guys like you won't even know they be dressed in regular clothes but they'll be at practice.

Dexter McCluster44:49

Just kind of seeing. So I've always been aware observing. So and it didn't matter to me anyways because I just I worked hard in practice anyway. So you start you start to see that and feel that buzz. And towards the end I was actually going to uh debating on coming out my junior year after that season. I'm glad I didn't because that next season was freaking amazing. Um, but

Dexter McCluster45:12

Yeah, that was my mindset. I'm like, you know what? I'm I'm in college. I'm in a rush. I agree. I I want to I want to do this thing the right way. I'm coming.

Dexter McCluster45:34

Yeah. Yes. And that's that's another reason, like I said, I'm like, you know what? No, I'm I'm gonna do this thing the right way. I'm gonna go back to college. I'm gonna do all four years and and then we'll see what happens next year. And shoot.

Dexter McCluster45:47

Uh it was good. Like people people It's tough the balance wise of it, you know, going to practice and, you know, the study tables and all that. But that's exactly what helped. They give you all the resources that you need to be successful. You just have to freaking show up. You got guys that, you know, every day didn't show up. you know, they they'll go to practice but don't come to study table. They'll come when they want to and things like that, you know, and

I mean, obviously that's not the right way if you want to get it done. It's going to be tougher on you than it should be, right? But I was the type that, you know what, I'm going to get every all the help I can get to make sure that I can be ready to play football. Cuz growing up, if you don't have the grades, you're not playing. Not just from the coach, but from mom, from dad.

Dexter McCluster46:31

Yeah, 100%. And

Dexter McCluster46:41

Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster46:49

But yeah, you you do you do have that you do have that uh

Dexter McCluster46:57

Just take that class and you'll be all right. just show up and and and do something nice, you'll be okay. Okay.

Yeah. 100%. And one one of those classes helped me out a lot. So, yeah. 100%. Yeah. Not all of them cuz some of them some of them you go in, they're like this almost had the personal vendetta against you. Like, [clears throat] you know what? Oh, you think you're this big shot athlete? Okay, we're going to make this thing harder. So, I've had I've had both both sides of the of the spectrum.

Dexter McCluster47:31

Yes, that's when the process.

Dexter McCluster47:36

Yeah. So, uh now

Dexter McCluster47:40

So, now you you have all these big time agents. You got the Sexons. You have um who I who I signed with um sports stars um down in New York. You have all these big time guys and they're they're they're talking all these these big these big words that you probably haven't heard before and you know making things sound so good. So I'm an energy person.

Dexter McCluster48:13

That's exactly why I signed with who I signed with because some of those big time uh guys that had already had those big time names, they just come in. Oh, we're going to get you this. We're going to get you that." And I hear you. It sounds great. You know, and and you know, when sports stars came in, they were like, "Hey, listen. This is where we are. We we we can't your your your work on the field is is is your work. We can't do anything on the field for you, but this is what we can do.

This is what we do. This is this is

Dexter McCluster48:45

To get every penny?

Dexter McCluster48:46

That I deserve. Every inch that I earned on the field, they will get every penny for it. They would not leave anything on the table. Right. Okay.

And I did I and I I felt the genuiness genuiness of it. Right. And I always go I go with that gut feeling. I go with the ones that you know what

Dexter McCluster49:04

Yeah. Yeah. But but

It feels right and I and I've I've lived that way, you know, going to Ole Miss. It felt right. You know, everybody say, but no, it felt right to me and it and it was, you know, so ended up sign signing with uh sports stars stars Brian Mler. Um

Dexter McCluster49:22

So you sign with So uh so um after the after the bowl game,

Dexter McCluster49:28

100%. Yeah. So after the bowl game is over with, um you know, now you're pretty much it's time to roll, right? Um so you know, we went out to dinner, uh took the family, we did all the the initial we did the signing and everything after the bowl game

And uh they shot they they they

They give me different facilities I can go to to train for the combine, give me my choice to pick from. I went down to Michael MJP, Michael Johnson performance center, McKenna, Texas. Uh that's where I chose. Um, and they they give they gave me about I had about maybe five just maybe $5,000.

Dexter McCluster50:04

No, not crazy at all.

Dexter McCluster50:06

They loan it to you. Yeah. No, take that back. My bad. $2500. [clears throat] Yeah. Yeah. I probably spent $500 on unnecessary stuff. But they gave me about 2500. So like to me that's some big money to me at the time. So I'm like that's cool.

Dexter McCluster50:21

Yeah. So while I'm there. Yeah. It comes with the whole the whole package. You got to stay. You just show up, you you work out every day, you be what you need to be. Whether it's the the mental cogn uh cognizance of things, whether it's uh the workouts, whether it's the meal plan prep, whatever, like they they take care of that. That's all under the same umbrella. So, that's a side of the 2500. 2500 for was just for me to just have have some money on me and uh have a have a have have some fun on the weekends.

That makes sense.

Dexter McCluster50:49

Yeah. So, yeah. Uh but once once you sign your contract, you'll uh you'll pay that back. Yeah, for sure.

Dexter McCluster51:00

Uh [clears throat] you got about 2 3 months.

Dexter McCluster51:05

No.

Dexter McCluster51:07

I went right into No. So, I went back to school and graduated and got my degree. I was going to get back. Now, we were talking about it earlier about the degree. But yeah, I went back uh later on cuz I could hear my grandmother in my head. Rest in peace to her to saying that you better get that degree, right? So, I went back so close.

Yeah. I went back freaking almost shucks almost 20 years later.

Dexter McCluster51:27

Yeah, I went back.

Dexter McCluster51:29

Yeah, so I had four classes. So when I got drafted after my um that rookie year, I went back to school and I uh I finished two. But it was tough going back because

You you have to the the fandemonium of things. You sign autographs. You can't really be a student anymore. So it me I I sit there. I was time for 3 hours until everybody's gone. And it was a little tough for me. So after that year, I just kind of just didn't didn't go back. And then uh you know, after um

After I retired and everything, I said, "You know what?

Go back and get your freaking degree." And I did. Yeah, man. I got it. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster52:13

Yeah. So, um I didn't get invited. Um

Dexter McCluster52:22

Well, no, they they they had me uh projected like maybe fifth round undrafted type of type of thing. Yeah, the little guy wasn't like Sprouls had just broke the mold. Uh those guys had just broke the mold of the the little guys making making a big impact. So, it still wasn't just as popular as it was. So, everybody still had their doubts, right? But call me crazy, but in my mind, so I wanted to go back home to Largo. I wanted to be with my family.

But we did rent out a um it's like a club. like twotory club whatever. So, uh for for day two, just in case we had camera crews lined up just the whole family came from Orlando, Miami, you know, Largo, wherever, right?

But day one, I was at home uh in Largo with my family cuz I had I was like, man, somebody's going to take a shot on me. Yeah.

Somebody. And watching I had no I had no high expectations that that day. So, I'm watching it.

Didn't happen first day. So, Dan, you know, my agent, we talked. He was like,

Dexter McCluster53:17

And then he was like, "Hey, um, we got these cameras crew set up. We got this venue rented out um for the

Dexter McCluster53:25

Uh, no. Like they're like, they're like I don't I think they were kind of in the in the unknown area, too. So that's why he called me was like, "Do you still want to, you know, uh, have the camera crews there? Do you still want to do this venue thing?"

And I'm like, "Yeah, let's do it." Yeah, why not? Right. I love it.

And I'm glad I did. So, uh, we we get there that night. I'm nervous. It's crap. I got my Nokia phone on deck in my in my pocket, you know. I got my family there. You got the camera crews there. So, here I am sitting on this freaking couch like this. You got my mom, my dad, uh my wife.

Dexter McCluster53:57

Next to me, my uh daughter at the time. At first, she was young at the time, my my sister. So, everybody on that couch and like camera. So, all eyes is on me. Like, is he going to get drafted? Am I going to get drafted? So, I was drinking Fiji water like like I like it was I wasn't even thirsty. I was just nervous, right? And so time went by, the draft comes on. Okay, the uh uh 33rd pick, the 34th, 35th, and my phone rang.

And I it was a unknown call. And I looked at my agent, I said, "Should I answer this?" And he was like, "Heck yeah." So I picked it up and I'm like, "Uh, hello."

He like, "Is it is this Dexter?" I said, "Uh, yes, sir.

Um, are you nervous?" "Yes, sir." "Do you know who this is?" "Yes, sir." I wanted to say, man, like, "Who who are you?" Right? He was like, "Well, this is uh Hunt. We're going to draft from the Kansas City Chiefs. We're going to draft you owner." Yeah. Him and the general manager. Uh we're going to draft you uh on on the 36 pick next. Welcome to Kansas City. And I'm like, "Thank you. I You made the right decision. I can't wait to do it." He was like, "Enjoy the night.

Enjoy the family. We'll touch base uh later on. Welcome welcome to the team." Boom. Hung up the phone and everybody went crazy. He's on YouTube, too. Everybody went crazy. I did my interviews and you know uh just let them know.

Dexter McCluster55:19

It's happening. It's happening right now. So he's talking while it's happening right. Yeah. So it's happening right. So uh did my little interviews. I'm like listen I'm going to go out there and and and work as hard as I can to make sure that I can I can contribute right away and this and that. Just just elated. So after the cameras went off, man, we everybody screaming logo and having a good time. And then that's when the party started, man. Everybody's having a good time. And it it was cool like because I knew I like, damn, I'm going to the NFL.

But just seeing the the the smiles and the the happiness of everybody else around me. It It was amazing.

Dexter McCluster55:55

I don't think he took his damn glasses off the whole night. He was Mr. Cool that night. He got a hacker. Had his waves going. Yeah. But no, he did, man. But he gave me a big hug, man. But when they interviewed him, he said, uh, I knew he would go as far as that as as he wanted to, uh, wanted to go. You know, he's always been a hard worker, and this is where hard work has gotten him.

And that that stuck that stuck in me because I got that from him.

Dexter McCluster56:17

I used to see him get up at I still I get up at 3:50 in the morning. My first session is at 4:30 in the morning.

Uh, so um, I get up that early cuz I see him get up, he'll cook breakfast, and then he he did construction, you know. He played football at East Kentucky, war number 22. That's why War 22. But when I was born, same situation as myself. Uh when I had my daughter, he left college and never went back. So I got a tattoo on me that says uh the future and it has 22 cuz I wanted to take it further than what he did. And when I had my child, I I I just I kept kept it pushing and they played a big role, my mom and dad, at you know, helping me out in that process, you know.

So it was just it was it was it was amazing. It's like, wow. Like all the hard work has gotten me here, but the work still is not done.

Dexter McCluster57:10

Paper? So, the the contract was uh was it a fouryear um like like four like four or five million million dollars whatever.

So, you just just a couple months ago

Dexter McCluster57:19

He said, "Congratulation still." and he was like, "We just made your son a millionaire."

He made himself a millionaire. We facilitate it. I get it. I get it. But so, so speaking about the signing bonus, I don't want to The numbers are probably there, but I remember when I first got it, I was sitting uh sitting down and I I opened it up and I looked and I literally like literally almost fainted. Like, yeah,

Cuz to a kid that really didn't have anything, it's like

Dexter McCluster58:00

It's mine. So, I I put I I I put in to to my bank account. And the first thing I did, um I told my mom when I was 9 10 years old, I said, "Mom, I'm going to get you a house.

Uh I'm going to uh get you a house and I'm going to buy you a nice car when I get to the NFL."

Dexter McCluster58:16

And so I bought my parents uh their first home.

Dexter McCluster58:27

The first thing I did was to that's in Dunen, Florida. Uh they're still there to this day. And the thing I love about it is that that's the house for,

You know, like if anybody falls on hard times, whether it's uh family, you know, uncles, cousins, whatever. You know what I mean? Like

You have a safe haven there, you know? So that's that. My dad told her we were in the garage last time I was home and he was like, "Son, I never really said it, but thank you." Because like you you've you your nephews are here all the time, you've created a an environment, a place to where everybody can feel safe, welcome, and you know, h have something if that makes sense, right?

Dexter McCluster59:08

So, I got I got them I got them a house. Uh got them uh both cars and uh I bought me a Jaguar XJL. Yeah. Before I did it though, I I called my agent. I said, "Listen,

Um, can I afford this?" Like, obviously I see it, but I just want to make sure that I'm not not just going crazy cuz we just bought a home and all that stuff. And he was like, when he said, "Yeah, we got it. I got it from the Tampa dealership, man." And

Yeah, so I It was It was pretty awesome to just just do something for myself, if that makes sense. Like Like this this is my money, baby.

Dexter McCluster59:55

On at that time I would say uh high school to college

Gotcha um because like with with the weightlifting and once those guys that's already huge already in college and you know

Dexter McCluster1:00:08

Yeah yeah so to speak yeah at that time so I think that was the biggest thing but again people may call me crazy. And they probably did and still do. Like when I was there, I knew they were big, but it didn't it didn't it didn't phase my mental,

You know? I'm like, I'm just as I'm I'm here, too.

Dexter McCluster1:00:24

You know what I mean? So, I think that's that delusion

Was kind of what helped me. But I joke to a lot of people now that I'm done playing the game and that Warriors turn turned down when I'm out uh like with the Titans or something, I'm just sitting there looking like,

Damn, I played with these guys. So now I can kind of see it through the lens of the people that were like in awe and in disbelief now, you know, that cuz I used to take offense to that. Like what do you mean? Like this is what I do, right? But now that I see it, I'm like okay, I I see I okay, I got it. My bad if my bad if I ever snapped on you about it. I apologize.

Dexter McCluster1:01:37

"Yeah, 100%."

Dexter McCluster1:01:43

Yeah. No, 100%. And

Dexter McCluster1:01:54

So I I got to experience the last true real deal NFL training camp before the collecting the bargaining when it was real deal training camp. And it was almost like that old miss uh deal again to where I'm like is this for me? Yeah.

Right. So it it was tough. Every single day you you're in pads for every single practice and every practice is no walk through. Every practice is hit it and get it. Hit it and get it and repeat, right? Know your playbook. So it was different. So I had to really tap into a place to where you know what, hey, you you're here now. Like this is this is your dream. This is what you want to do. You got to get you got to get through this process, right?

So it was it was very tough. But once I got through the training camp and again uh and battling for a starting job, I I got the starting slot the starting receiving job when I when I got there.

Dexter McCluster1:02:47

Oh my god.

Something about those first games with me. I always score a touchdown.

Dexter McCluster1:02:54

Yeah. Now, now it was a little different than Ole Miss, right? I'm like, "Yeah, I'm Yeah, it was Reebok." Oh, it was Reebok back then, you Now it's not I think it's Nike NFL. So I got a bunch of Reebok NFL Reebok stuff. So So that's why the u the the high school I coach and stuff now they're like coach you you wore Reebok. You old, bro. Right,

Dexter McCluster1:03:15

Yeah. So um so just just having I'm like, "Wow, it's a it's a it's a NFL logo on this helmet.

It's a like it's the Chiefs on here." So it's like it's like not even bragging rights through the roof, but it's like, man,

I made it.

Yeah. Right. Even though I I hadn't made it, but I made it. Right. So,

Dexter McCluster1:03:36

I'm a freaking Kansas City Chief, man. Like, what in the world? Like, how did this happen? You know what I mean? So, it was it's it's it's an unbelievable unexplainable moment. It's just something that it it's it's got reassurance that, man, like all that stuff that you went through, all the stuff that you're still going through,

Dexter McCluster1:03:55

Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:03:57

Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:04:00

Yeah. So you know the we played um the San Diego Chargers, right? So

Dexter McCluster1:04:06

Yeah. So listen, coming out of the locker room, we talked about coming out of Ole Miss. Coming out of the locker room,

Arrowhead, I mean it at night, lights going, you got the fireworks going and it's like, man, I'm looking up like, [sighs] wow. Like, wow. like, man, I I am I am I am I'm about to play my first NFL game. Like,

Dexter McCluster1:04:33

So, coming out of that locker room and you know, uh I didn't care what I did that day. I just knew I just knew like, man, damn, this is my first NFL game. Like, you are an NFL player. You are on an NFL roster. From that kid from Largo that said he was going to buy his mom a house to now that man, I did that and here I am going to play a game. Yeah.

And so we couldn't get much started that game.

And Jav, I don't know if you remember Javier Arenas from Alabama. He was a great punt returner, Nickelback. He was our starting punt returner. But again, in practice, I practiced as pump returner behind him. Did that prepared for it.

And we just couldn't get nothing started. And I seen our coach

Lean over to our special teams coach and say, I want to see McCluster return one. I read his lips and I said, oh lord. So I started talking to myself. Dexter catch the ball. It was it was sprinkling at the time. I said, "Dex, just catch the ball."

Dexter McCluster1:05:28

I said, "I don't care. I don't care if you a yard. Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball." Then my I remember my dad telling me the most dest part if it's raining of your uh of your body is the inside of your thigh. So, put your gloves in there. So, I'm just I'm going back to the basics, the details, right? You know, right? So, I get out there. Boom.

I'm like, "Okay, just catch the ball. Just catch the ball."

They punted the ball up. So, I'm literally looking in the air. Water's dropping in my eyes. I kid you not, I didn't blink at all. My eyes was focused on that ball, just catching the ball. And when I caught it, it's like everything else went away. It's like I caught it. It's like

Muscle memory kicked in. I don't know if you remember, they had a running back, Tobbert, big and he was on special teams at the time. I made one sticking move and he fell on the ground and the rest all I seen was sideline and and red leading away and 94 yards later I uh scored my first NFL touchdown. 94. Y'all broke the franchise record of the longest part return in Chiefs history.

Dexter McCluster1:06:23

No, I had Yeah, I had the ball for sure. Yeah, that come with me. It's flat, right? It's flat. I had to keep pumping up. I got it. Yes, 100%.

Dexter McCluster1:06:38

Ah, shucks. I can't even

Dexter McCluster1:06:41

Yeah. Yeah, I caught Yeah, I caught a few from Cassel. You

Dexter McCluster1:07:11

So such a small world.

Small man.

Dexter McCluster1:07:20

You got You got to know him. You got to know him. You uh If you don't know him, you can be very intimidating.

Dexter McCluster1:07:26

Yeah. Yeah. For sure. [clears throat]

Dexter McCluster1:07:29

Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:07:33

Uh, so I played four in Kansas City.

Dexter McCluster1:07:37

Yes. Andy Reid came out last year. Thank God for him because he was able I had great years in Kansas City before him, but when he got there, man, he had a great way of um like you'll run through a wall for that guy. He used to be like, "Hey, deuce deuce.

Hey, when you catch that first down, I want to see you dance." Like you everybody everybody felt free there. You can you can be yourself. He can have a hundred he can have 10 Dexter McClusters on the team and all of them will all of them will get get what they deserve on on the team, right? So that was my Pro Bowl year, man. made it to the Pro Bowl that year

As a as a receiver returner. Uh return that year. I led the NFL in part returns that that year. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:08:15

Yeah, I was a running back receiver. I was I was full goal by then.

Dexter McCluster1:08:17

Yeah. I was full goal. Yeah. I was running back, receiver. I was I was pretty utility guy. Like you were just a football player

And that's when the contracts came after my biggest freaking year make it to the Pro Bowl. And that was the last like I guess real deal Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Dexter McCluster1:08:39

Yeah. So, um

Dexter McCluster1:08:41

Yeah. So, you would think that, you know, uh Kansas City would want to go ahead and um you know, uh you know, pay pay what they see.

Dexter McCluster1:08:49

It's a business 100%. And uh what they said was, and the thing about it is sometimes it's out of the coach's hands, like you know what I mean? It's the big dogs, right?

And the what what they said to us was, "Well, he's not really a running back. He's not really a receiver. We'll just kind of bring him back as a punt returner. No, you want you want to bring me back as a punt returner to do all the things.

Dexter McCluster1:09:11

For the almost my rookie contract again.

Dexter McCluster1:09:15

So So my Yeah, 100%. Uh but the Tennessee Titans, they they were on the line like like that, man. And uh you know, they they they did their offer and you know, we told Kansas City about it. They were still, oh, he's just a punt returner. He's just this and that. Which kind of hurt me a little bit. Of

Course it hurt you. I'm like, bro. And I'm like, man, do do y'all like all of this stuff I've been doing? And

Dexter McCluster1:09:41

Exactly.

Dexter McCluster1:09:47

That hurt me for a little bit even though I knew like my family was growing and I that's when I again I knew it was a business. Started to learn that, hey, you got to get you got to get you right, you know, to be to be able to take care of your family. And uh when when they just weren't weren't budging on it, I was like, you know what? I got to go, man.

Dexter McCluster1:10:05

Then and here I am 12 years later.

Dexter McCluster1:10:13

Yeah. I think that was like 13 13 years. 13 uh 13 million incentives uh up to Wuh.

Dexter McCluster1:10:24

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. At at one point in my life, of course.

But yeah. Yeah. But yeah, honestly, genuinely, I would have. Um but knowing that that that that second getting to that a lot of NFL guys, a lot of ball players get Yeah. They don't get there.

Average life is like two and a half years. Yeah. So it's like get to that second contract now. You have a little more wisdom under your belt. You have a little more understanding of, you know, uh what the game is all about as far as the business aspect of things. So uh I thank God for it, man. Cuz now I'm able to take care of my, you know, my I say I joke all the time that man, you know what? God allowed me to live my dream cuz he knew I I needed the money to take care of all these kids.

Dexter McCluster1:11:07

They came out of the woodworks when I uh when I first signed to Kansas City, man. Like,

Dexter McCluster1:11:14

Yeah. Yeah. And it it was so it was so tough, man, because it's like they stopped seeing me as uh as Dexter. They started just seeing me as the money man, fix it man, you know, and shoot problems don't end. I have this I have bills maybe not. I got six kids gota go to college.

Yeah, you know what I mean? So I have I have things that you know if if I don't have it

Dexter McCluster1:11:36

What about my family? Like how can I look at them as a man, as a father, as a husband [clears throat] knowing that

I have nothing to give, right? So, and and and that's where it took me a while to say to say no

Because the genuiness of my heart and things like that. I I've been let down a lot in my life and I don't want and I hate the feeling. So, I want to always be there for whoever I can be. And maybe I maybe I overexert myself a little more than I should.

Um but you it's just it's just who I am and I think that's what that's what drives me every day. Even though it's it's it's tough, even though it's it's exhausting, it's frustrating at times, I'm going to show up. But I love the

Dexter McCluster1:12:19

Uh, Father Ryan right now, coaching running backs. Yeah. So, they got good facilities.

Yeah. 100%. Yeah. So, this uh So, now uh Zack Mettenberger. Yeah.

Uh out of LSU, who was a Titans quarterback. We played together with the Titans.

He married uh I I believe um Ken Whisenhunt, our head coach's daughter now. So, it's myself on the staff at Father Ryan, uh, Mettenberger, and Ken Whisenhunt all together, man. So, it's pretty cool. So, it's cool. Like, dang, I'm really on the sideline with my old head coach, man. I mean, like, what in the heck? This is This

Dexter McCluster1:12:56

We have We have Maui this week.

Yeah. So, we're one and one right now.

Dexter McCluster1:13:02

Oh, we lost to Riverdale last week. They're a solid team. They're very solid.

Dexter McCluster1:13:13

I've been I've been watching that film. That's the film we've been watching. Yeah. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:13:20

Yeah, I saw that. Saw them. Yeah. So, it's it's a lot of good competition, man. Yeah. But I'm I'm loving it, man.

Dexter McCluster1:13:26

I've been in Nashville.

Dexter McCluster1:13:29

Three years.

Three years. Three years. And then um so um so I experienced my first time being cut. Not cut, but cut. Released. Yeah. Released. Right. What happened? Um, so, um, uh, Derrick Henry came in, of course, of course he won the, uh, the Heisman, and you know, I I know the game.

Dexter McCluster1:13:50

Yeah, man. We We both from Florida, so we've known we've known of each other uh, before and things like that.

Dexter McCluster1:14:02

Um, but I know this is what it was. Um, obviously he wore number uh two in in college and um when he came he asked to, you know, buy number 22 or get number 22 off of me and I'm like, man, this number is special to me where it's there's no number that I don't I don't care. There's no number that's going to get it. And he's always come to me, always come to me. I just kept turning it down. Kept turning it down.

Dexter McCluster1:14:28

$10 million won't get it done. He said 10, I probably would have gave it to him.

Dexter McCluster1:14:39

Yeah. So, um then I remember uh one day, you know, uh on on Mondays, um you have you come in do some do yoga. Monday is Tuesday, I forgot what day it was. Tuesday you do yoga, uh mobility stuff, mobility stuff. You get yourself together from the game from the weekend. And I was I had my eyes closed doing the the little stretch they had us doing. And I felt the dark shadow come over me. And I opened my eyes. The grim reaper.

Dexter McCluster1:15:02

In the NFL, we all know who the grim reaper is. The guy that tell you to turn in your turn in your iPads and all that stuff. So I looked and my teammates, they were pissed. They were looking like like what?

Dexter McCluster1:15:13

Like Woodyard, our linebacker. Uh,

Dexter McCluster1:15:19

Yeah, it it was at one point I was a captain. They just named me captain of the Hey, that's something.

Dexter McCluster1:15:24

I I got it at home. Right.

Dexter McCluster1:15:43

Yeah. When Kim W Hunt got let go Mark Malarkey filled in for the he was like man I see the way you work at practice. You're the type of guy that that I want that that I want to coach. He named me a captain. So that was kind of odd to me. Yeah. And uh so once the Grimby he came like hey man Dex sorry man all right cool. So I that was my first time being cut from anything.

Dexter McCluster1:16:05

Yeah. Right. Yeah. Right before started right like right before and

Dexter McCluster1:16:10

Yeah. So right before and so I went to the uh to the to to coach Mark Malarkey's uh office and he you know did this spill. Hey man, you done everything we've ever asked for uh you to do. You you you're a pros pro. You work hard in practice all the time. Da da. uh but we just want to take a a different approach, a more power back type of style, this and that, you know, just give me to speak to. But then he was like, um, you know, if if you have anything to, uh, say.

I say, as a matter of fact, I do. I say, you're right. Every every every day I show up and and I work as hard as I can. You know, every day I show up and I do whatever it takes, right? And, you know, with with the power back style, okay, there's nothing I can do about that if that's what you want to do. But I know I'm a value. I know I'm a value whether it's at the receiver, whether it's still at random back, whether it's still I'm of value.

But I said, you know what? I appreciate it. I thank you, but you will see me one day. Uh see me again one day. Right.

And the thing about it after that, I got in the car again. Like I left all my like when I went in there, dabbed out my uh teammates and they like they were like really like, man, this just is not making any sense. Right. So I get it. So I was like I got in the car and I was in tears. I stopped. I was crying in the locker room because not more so that I got cut, but it's like I felt I felt ashamed.

Dexter McCluster1:17:28

And I'm like, "Okay, now what am I going to tell my wife?"

Dexter McCluster1:17:33

This is this is new to me. So I cried all the way home

And I I told my wife I was like, "Hey, I got just got to let go. Um don't have a job. Um this this is where we are." And she was like, "Okay, so it's all right. Well, what what you you keep working and somebody going to get you, but other than that, you don't have any any reason to hold your hold your head down. So, she was there rocking that moment.

Dexter McCluster1:18:50

That's what was kind of mindb bothering like how do you get me to see

Dexter McCluster1:18:53

On my on my on my chest and then

Rip it off.

Dexter McCluster1:18:59

The next uh next week Derek had 22.

But so what happens then? So uh the season started right man. So my daughters, they travel dance. So we're on the road a lot driving.

Dexter McCluster1:19:13

No. What?

No. No. No. Yeah. So I think maybe like three weeks went by. So

Dexter McCluster1:19:20

Yeah. So he he's talking he's giving, "Hey, this this team is talking about bringing you in for for this workout, this team, this team." So like I'm just like, "Okay, well just just let me know. I'm I'm still working out. I'm still trying. I'm in shape. I just

Dexter McCluster1:19:39

Yeah. I didn't press anything. I just rode the wave. And I was in Atlanta at my uncle's house. [snorts]

My wife's uncle, but she's my uncle. And I was watching the freaking football game on a Sunday. Yeah. Right. And um

So we we're getting ready after the game, we're getting ready to leave, come back to uh Tennessee. So we get halfway uh up the road maybe about 30 45 minutes to the drive and my agent called. I was like, "What's up?" And he was like, "Hey uh where are you?" I said, "I'm leaving Atlanta, headed back to Nashville." "Well, how fast can you get to the airport?" And I was like, "I mean, what do you mean? I I mean, I can I can go to the Atlanta airport.

I can turn around here now." And he was like, "Well, um" I said, "What's going on?" He was like, "Well, San Diego wants to bring you in um for a try out." And he was like, "Try out?

Dexter McCluster1:20:22

That's what he said. He was like, "You're not freaking trying out." He was like, "But you go to Tennessee. When you get to Tennessee, you get home, you pack a bag, let me know, and we're getting you on the flight right away." So I was that Sunday night I was in in San Well, I think it was time for Got time difference, but I was there. I was there very very fast. Right.

So the uh that night I remember I couldn't I'm in the hotel. I'm got my room service. I'm excited, nervous as hell. So I get up, they take me to the doctors, do the physicals and all that. So I'm now I'm sitting in there and my agent called me again and was like, "Hey, we have Atlanta on the line." I'm like, "Damn, I just left Atlanta on the line. They're ready to sign you now without a workout.

Dexter McCluster1:21:02

So, so that's that's when uh my agent was like, "Hey, send it the charges. Hey, uh we got Atlanta on the line. Uh this he's a veteran. This guy's a Pro Bowler. Uh he's not working out. If y'all want him to work out, then he's going to Atlanta." And

Dexter McCluster1:21:18

Right? And now and all but now I mean I didn't work out and now I'm a San Diego Charger.

Dexter McCluster1:21:24

Uh so that was just one year contract. Yeah, just one year. But Ken Wizen Hunt, my guy who I'm quoting with now, he uh he stood on the table and and brought brought me brought me with him. So, okay.

That was pretty cool. So, I got reunite night and type of thing. So, it was it was pretty awesome.

Dexter McCluster1:21:40

It was good, man. Uh I mean, I had I had a I don't know what it is about Monday Night Football. We had our color like the the dark blue and gold uniforms. Yeah. So, I I was I was killing it, but then I rebroke my radius.

Fractured just above where where the plate ended.

Damn. It fractured right where the plate ended. So, it's like the plate in my bone in the season. It was like halfway halfway through. But,

Dexter McCluster1:22:04

The thing I love about it is those guys had so much respect for myself and my craft to where I was still getting paid. Not my uh actual, you know, salary or whatever, but I was getting paid uh still uh weekly. You know, they they still they still took care of me. They still took care of they probably didn't have to

Dexter McCluster1:22:22

But they did. Yeah. I didn't I thought if you got hurt during the season the contract was already the thing I don't know if I should say this online

Dexter McCluster1:22:32

But uh it kind of happened outside the game

Dexter McCluster1:22:36

I was at home

Yeah that would that that might be a problem um at home and u so I I kind of went to the walkthrough the next day and caught a little punt if you know so yeah but um but they but they they really they still took care of me and and it it wasn't it wasn't was in a wash, man. So, it was pretty cool. But I do remember sitting uh I was sitting watching the meeting. Um this I think this is even before uh the the break in my um wrist and fracture.

And I watch it was after practice. I'm watching I'm watching. I'm like, man, I want to go home. Just tired of seeing the same old. I was like I literally like I'm like, you know what? I think I'm done. I want to go home.

Dexter McCluster1:23:13

So, I went home and told my wife and I was like, I think I I think I want to be done.

Yeah. And she was like, "Well, if that's the case, you finish this year out, you know, hard with everything you got and then if you feel that way, just I'm behind whatever you want to do."

Dexter McCluster1:23:27

Right.

And so, uh, after that year

Was done, I was like, you know, I think I'm done. So, I took like a year off and I started helping out at Ravenwood High School, actually. Yeah. So, that's where my kids go.

Yeah. It's kind of crazy how things go full circle to where when I was helping I did like the spring and the summer summer there worked uh um helping them out and then I got another a call from I started getting my bounce back. I'm out there with the guys catching the ball running. I'm like shoot I still got a little left, right?

And I uh reached out to uh James Wilder. Uh he's a guy from Tampa. His dad was one of the greats at Tampa. He what is his dad's name? Okay. But he he was a running back for Tampa back in the days, but um he played his son played at Florida State James Wilder and we were good friends and he was over in the CFL. So I was like, "Hey man, how is it over there in the CFL, man?"

Dexter McCluster1:24:13

I wanted to play the game.

Dexter McCluster1:24:18

I think I mentioned it to to my agent and he was like, "Well, I mean, you've been out for a little bit. I don't know how. So maybe just get some film." So, I think that was just kind of a film and make sure you still got around. And my thing is, and that's that's the crazy part about it. Like I I was like, I just want to play football,

Right? That's how I've been all my life. And um so I called him like he was like, man, hey, I told coach that you were available and he said he want to get you up here ASOP. So I told my agent and then next thing you know, a couple days later, I'm on a flight to uh Canada.

So I get to Canada, right? And it's

Dexter McCluster1:24:50

Yeah. So when I get to Canada, you know, I met everybody, you know, they they took me out to uh to dinner like, "Thank you, Jesus. We got them."

But the thing about it, I didn't know about the ratio to where uh like that's their league. That's Canadian league. So like they only allow a certain Yeah. and things that that can be like that can play a week. So like certain guys only play every week that's from the States, whatever. So I didn't know anything about that thing. He they came in was like, "Hey man, I did a workout. I felt like I killed it." and they were like, "Man, we don't want we don't want you to go anywhere, but with the ratio and everything, we would have to put you on uh like a practice squad type of deal." And I'm like, "Ah, my wife's pregnant right now."

Dexter McCluster1:25:30

And and I I I appreciate it. Thank y'all, but uh I I I think I'll just I'll go I'll go ahead and go home. And if the opportunity comes up, that's fine. And he was like, "Well, all right. Do you want to uh flight out tonight or tomorrow?"

And I was like, "You can get me out tonight." So, he left out of the room. He came back like five minutes later was like,

"We can't let you go anywhere." Uh, so they ended up they ended up letting somebody go. It sucks for them.

Dexter McCluster1:25:57

I got to go. I got to go home.

Dexter McCluster1:26:00

I'm okay at home, right? Um, so yeah, man. So, they let him go and u and I was a Toronto Argonaut, man. And and the feeler, you know, it's great experience, man. Like, and I feel in a great like the the melting pot, the agriculture there, man. the just the the people like and then like they don't practice long like you're you you get to almost sleep in. You you get there like 8 in the morning, you eat your uh you eat your uh breakfast, you meet, you practice, you're you're going home at 12:00 because you going to watch film.

You're only allowed I forgot it's like 6 hours or 4 something like hours a day. Totally different environment. So I'm on the rooftop uh like at 1:00 in the afternoon after practice like man this is it right here. But when people say that the Canadian League is not competitive, that is is just as competitive as the NFL. And just different rules. I remember one time on the sideline I look up and I see we got like one point or two points. I'm like, why the hell did we get two points?

They're like, "Oh, if you kick it over, I like, man, this is this is why, you know, but it was fun, man."

Dexter McCluster1:27:02

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it it was fun, man. Like, I was It was Do you have any returns?

Uh, not really any returns, man. I I just did a lot of running back. a lot of running back and just getting me acclimated to it. It sucked because after the season was over with I was going to resign with them. Uh the staff got fired. Then I got a call saying they wanted to uh send me off to

I for Saskatchewan or Saskatchewan somewhere and uh and no man's land and I'm like man you know what

Dexter McCluster1:27:34

So I I went back home for a little while. Uh and then it then then came on like damn like who am I outside of the game? So some months went by and that's when that depression kicked in like

Like I'm I'm like I'm I'm physically there with my my kids, my children,

But it's like mentally I'm not there. So we can be have be watching something but I'm just

I'm just not there. Right. So

Dexter McCluster1:28:27

And I guess with my thing, it it wasn't even just the people like the love of it. It was just like, damn, I I can't play this. I'm not playing this game anymore. Like, what do I do? Like, how do I fill in these blanks? Like, I'm used to structure. I get up in the morning. I do this, do this, do this, do this, play football, do this, practice, take care of my whatever. So, it was like that void. So, I would I would literally go on the patio from like 6:00 in the morning to like almost 6:00 at night and just sit sit there, sit out there, had the TV on.

Um, I started drinking a little a little more than I should have, just sitting in it. But my wife would poke her head out of there and be like, "Don't forget who you are."

Dexter McCluster1:29:03

Not Dexter the football player, but who you are to us,

Who you are. And she always

And I and I I never lost that voice in my head. I knew that, man, you like

Dexter McCluster1:29:14

Get up, dude. And one day I said, you know what?

Dexter McCluster1:29:17

And I started um

I started working out again, just getting the regimen and just hashtagging McCluster Fit.

Yeah. And 6 years later, I run I I run a sports performance uh because I trained over 100 athletes, man. Uh uh from uh football, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, uh I trained some guys from the NFL combine early on with uh boost performance. So like I I I found that NFL again that that this is my new NFL motivating and showing people showing the the the youth and the right way to do it.

Dexter McCluster1:29:52

Arena? Yeah. I forgot about that. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:29:58

Boston? No. Worcester. I know. I know. I know.

Dexter McCluster1:30:03

Yeah. 100%.

Dexter McCluster1:30:05

Okay. Yeah. But hey, but again, it was an experience. So, like people, you know, the the people out there, oh, he's going to play arena football. He he doesn't have any money anymore. Man, screw y'all. Dexter McCclus is okay. Right. But, uh, I but the reason I did it, so he reached out to me, the owner, Jawad. I'm actually older than him than the owner. That's crazy, right? His dad gave him a team. Anyways, he was like, "Hey, this is a reach for me, man, but I would love to have you a part of the program and this and that." And I'm like, "You know what?

I want to I want to go out the way I came in this game.

Just the pure love of it. I don't care how many fans are in the stands. Just just just no politics. Just go and have fun." Yeah.

And I was like, "You know what? I'm coming."

Dexter McCluster1:30:49

I'm doing it. We're going to do it. Right. And when I got there, everybody was like and all like, "Oh man, Dexter McCluster is here." Like, it was one of those moments. But then once they realized, man, this dude was cool as hell. Like I'm like I'm like, "Go ahead and get in, bro. You good. Go ahead. You go you go [clears throat] get yours." I mean, you just just seeing it, but just having those moment scoring a couple touchdowns up there. The most fun you had in football in a while.

In a while, right? And just and and and once I finished that uh finished that that season, I'm like, you know what? This is it. Like that. I know I said it about three times already, but I think that I I I went out like I came in for the love of the game,

Dexter McCluster1:31:27

Yeah. So, I did spend some time in Worcester. Yeah. It was nothing to freaking do that. So, we did drive to Boston quite quite quite a bit. Yeah. Quite a bit. Yeah,

Dexter McCluster1:31:40

Did it all, man. Like, uh it's it's it's a journey, man. Uh the successful roller coaster, man.

Dexter McCluster1:31:45

Man. It's still still rolling. So, now I'm just

Dexter McCluster1:31:49

Father Ryan caller hood and I got my first boy. So now now I don't have I can take it out of my daughter's contracts to where they have to keep a cluster in their name. I can take that out. So he he can the name it lives on, man. Yeah.

Dexter McCluster1:32:05

Yeah. Yeah. I already got a spot for him. Yeah. He going he going to keep me going.

Dexter McCluster1:32:21

I have an adopted daughter. She's Ethiopian. Okay.

Dexter McCluster1:33:53

Yeah, that's cool, man.

Dexter McCluster1:34:04

Yeah, on Instagram is just my name, Dexter McCluster, all the way through no spaces. Uh my my personal training page is McCluster Fit. Yep.

All the way through. McCluster Fit is just not my last name. It is a mindset every single day, you know. So, uh there um I'm on X. My name Dexter McCluster on X. But,

Uh Tik Tok, um girl, dad, and fit. Yeah. So, [clears throat] just look me up. I'm there. I ain't too hard to find. You might see me at your local gas station here in a minute.