In this episode of 3rd and Longhorn, we sit down with former Texas Longhorn QB/WR John Chiles to talk about his journey from top recruit to life after football. 0:00 – Intro & Welcome 0:38 – Journey to Dallas & Episode Prep 1:29 – Recruiting Beginnings & Early Offers 2:04 – Commitment to Texas: Family & Favorites 2:49 – Decision-Making: Stanford, Notre Dame & Texas 3:51 – Top-10 Recruitment Status & Athlete Ranking 4:33 – Filtering Schools: “Cut List” System 5:31 – Narrowing Down Top Schools 6:27 – Why Choose Texas Over Others 7:38 – Family Support & Proximity Factors 8:41 – Positional Transition: QB to Receiver 9:04 – Challenges of Learning a New Position 10:46 – One Practice at Running Back 12:16 – Reaction to First Contact Drill 12:48 – Final Decision: Receiver or Transfer 14:00 – Conversation with Mike Tomlin & Role Shift 14:48 – Standing Out Among Elite Athletes 16:11 – Sideline Moment: Fan Shouting “Put the brother in” 17:41 – Backup QB Perspective & Leadership Transition 19:02 – Playing QB as a True Freshman 19:47 – Pressure & Mindset Entering the Field 20:01 – Carrying the Hype & Expectations 20:47 – Pressure Cooker: Playing Under Media & Personal Stress 21:17 – Mental Health Struggles & Performance Anxiety 22:04 – Relief vs. Celebration: Scoring Without Joy 22:39 – Quarterback Culture & Community Expectations 23:08 – Most Joyous Moment: National Championship Energy 24:17 – Life After Texas: Transitioning to Canada Football 25:26 – Going Undrafted & Keeping the Dream Alive 26:02 – NFL Practice Squad Survival: $150 Reality 27:06 – Taking NFL Chance despite Financial Hardship 27:56 – Canadian League Tryout: Sacrifice & Ambition 29:11 – Running a 4.2s and Earning Mini Camp Spot 30:17 – Choosing Canada for Security & Opportunity 31:32 – Playing in Toronto: Fresh Start in Canada 32:10 – NFL Comeback: Injury & Final CFL Return 33:02 – Weighing Health vs. Football: Decision to Retire 34:16 – Reinvention: Transition to Film & Storytelling 35:16 – Discovery: Nike Project & Creative Passion Ignition 36:09 – From Nike to Nike Agency to Chicago Hustle 37:04 – Breaking into Film: Bleacher Report & Bleacher Beat 38:17 – Move to LA & Joining LeBron’s Uninterrupted 39:17 – Producing “Top Class” with Bronny & Momentum 40:01 - First Big Break with Meta 40:32 - Athletes Start Reaching Out 41:00 - Lessons from Bleacher Report, Nike, SpringHill 41:19 - Taking the Leap to Go All In 42:07 - The Power of Reinvention After Sports 42:50 - Going Through the Healing Process 43:57 - Dorm Room Days & Early Memories 45:11 - The John Chiles Effect 46:50 - A Unique Ability to Navigate Life 48:00 - Mentorship and Helping the Next Generation 49:44 - NIL, Identity, and Transition 50:26 - Choosing Football Over Basketball 51:57 - Almost Quitting Football 53:01 - The Coolest City He’s Lived In 54:00 - Returning to a Changed Austin 55:11 - Biggest Celebrity Encounters 56:50 - Legendary Mack Brown Meeting Story 59:04 - Jeremy’s Month-Long Silent Treatment 1:00:46 - Wrapping It Up Derrick Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/superdj56 Alex Okafor: https://www.instagram.com/alexokafor Jeremy Hills: https://www.instagram.com/jhills5 Fozzy Whittaker: https://www.instagram.com/fozzywhitt Rod Babers: https://www.instagram.com/rodbabers Nick Shuley: https://www.instagram.com/nickshuley
