Before the stages. Before the applause. Before the voice heard on the Super Bowl. William “King” Hollis grew up carrying weight most children never choose — a mother lost to heroin addiction, a father in prison, and a childhood shaped by instability and survival. Football became his escape. He rose to become one of the top players in the nation, believing it would be his way out. When that dream collapsed, so did his sense of identity. In this episode of Break Phree Podcast, King speaks candidly about the pressure of inherited pain, the silent battle with suicidal thoughts, and the moment he chose to live — and to love deeper than the demons trying to destroy him. He reflects on his book Love Them More Than Your Demons, finding purpose in his voice, and what it meant to be affirmed by Les Brown at a moment when everything finally aligned. This isn’t a comeback story. It’s a conversation about choosing life when quitting feels easier.