Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman, is a former NFL linebacker. He played college football at Maryland and was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On More To It, Merriman shares with us the origin of his nickname and brand “Lights Out”, and the pain that his love, and need, for football grew out of. How he describes how he was able to channel his emotions into a passion. How he had to reconcile with circumstances like poverty, homelessness, and acts of violence from a young age. How does anyone overcome living in survival mode and go to thriving in the NFL?

Shawne has not only accomplished his NFL dreams but entered his rookie with his own brand and was awarded Rookie of the Year on top of it all! Listen for the story behind what you’ve seen on the field, what Shawne is up to now, and what it means to truly be resilient and persevere no matter what life throws at you. Many people come from humble beginnings,  it’s easy to look over that and chalk it up to being a part of life, but in this episode, we dive deep into those real make-or-break challenges and what it looks like to constantly choose success in the face of immense obstacles.

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Key Moments:

[01:32] Growing up in Maryland with a single mother

[03:58] Two Fires, Evictions, and Homelessness at a young age

[06:48] Survival Mode, “Normalcy”, and Positive Outlet from football

[10:17] When Shawne knew he had something special with football

[11:23] Origin of the nickname “Lights Out”

[13:09] The University of Maryland and NFL Draft Experience

[15:28] Dominating in the NFL from the start

[18:58] Failing an NFL-banned substance test

[25:25] Dealing with the backlash of “scandal”

[27:03] Navigating one’s career mid injury

[28:55] Battling the retirement conversation

[32:30] The Lights Out Brand, MMA, and partnership with FuboTV

[34:34] Shawne Merriman Baller or Brand?

[36:25] “In or Out” with Shawne Merriman

More To It is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Dat Dude Entertainment, Workhouse Media, and Jam Street Media. The show is executive produced by Dan Patrick, Marcellus Wiley, Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, and Matty Staudt.

Sound by Quinn Greenhaus and theme music provided by HBC Records.

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