Spencer Paysinger

I never wanted football to be my highest peak.

I don't want this to be, 'Hey, you're the guy who had that one show. What are you doing now?' I want it to be a career.

I've been in places that have been robbed.

I've been in cars that have been shot at.

Beverly Hills didn't save me from anything. It exposed me to a whole new world of problems I didn't know existed.

There's a rich family culture in South Central. The block that I grew up on, all the kids were best friends. They hung out at each other's houses. I can knock on the person's house two doors down and grab some food and just hang out or go into the backyard and play basketball when they're not there.

Me and both my brothers got permits to attend Beverly because two of my uncles and my uncle's wife all taught and coached at Beverly Hills High. But I grew up in South Central.

It dates back to my dad and my uncles. They all got permits to go to Beverly Hills High School back in the '70s and early '80s. After they finished college, they came back and became football coaches there. So I was there with a permit.

I don't get hyped when I see stars now because it's like second nature to me.

It's extremely uncommon in sports to retire and have a show about you within eight months of retiring.

I just felt like I didn't have to go back to football. Anytime I don't have to hit somebody, I'm all for it.

Just growing up on 'Friday Night Lights,' other dramas, that kind of shaped my childhood. The fact that I can have one talking about my life - it's insane.

I've seen a lot of guys who can't get beyond their playing days.

I don't bad-mouth football, but I also know that it has a long trail of tears and heartbreak and animosity built up by past players who feel that they put so much into the game and didn't get a lot out of it after.

I wish football, as a culture, bred more than just a football player. It has the ability to be an incubator and transition players properly.

Every linebacker that plays in the NFL wants to be a starter.

At the end of the day, I want to help my team out as much as possible in any way I can.

I'm not the type of person to dwell on what's not happening and what I can't control.