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NFL Hero to Zero: A Heartbreaking Episode You Need to See!

• Dave Des Rochers • Episode 112

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Have you ever witnessed the rise, fall, and rebirth of a titan? Join us as we delve into the extraordinary life of Dave Des Rochers, a former NFL offensive lineman turned entrepreneur, as he recounts a life teeming with victories and defeats, both on the gridiron and beyond.

Dave's career saga is nothing less than a rollercoaster, encompassing the thrill of professional football, a foray into acting, and the tumult of financial upheaval. However, his remarkable recovery—rooted in faith and a profound sense of purpose—will capture your heart and soul.

Our conversation unwraps Dave's deeply personal narrative, revealing how hitting rock bottom became the cornerstone of an inspiring journey back to hope and a passion for helping military veterans and more!

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Mario P. Fields:

Welcome back to unarmor talk podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue pleased to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is a awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck Just look in a show notes or you can put in the search engine Mario P Fields parade deck and get all access To my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people. Welcome back to unarmor talk podcast. I am your host tonight for this special episode depends on when you watch it. It may be the daytime in the world, but it is right now in the evening on the East Coast and I got a former NFL Offensive lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, dave desk Rosher, and he's also. He's been in acting, he's been in investing and more. Dave, what's up, man? Yeah.

Dave Des Rochers:

I've been. I've been all over the place. I Appreciate you having me on man. You know we, we've been getting to know each other, I think, pretty much just through texts and LinkedIn and zooms. You know veteran zooms on Wednesday nights with Christine and and now starting to get to know each other a little bit better. So thanks for having me on Mario.

Mario P. Fields:

No, no, my pleasure and everybody. Just so you guys know. The running joke is Dave is about sick, we Dave.

Dave Des Rochers:

Six foot nine, six to go bro, so the stories grow. So when I was younger I was six, seven, but now I'm only like six, six, so I'm gonna be 60 this year. You know that shrink, I'm shrinking, but I wish my waistline would shrink. I'm just getting shorter, but I'm still. I'm still about 285 pounds or so.

Mario P. Fields:

Hey everybody, you know the running joke I'm five, two and a half and shrinking, that's it. So I told Dave when, I come out the dope house sooner or later. We can't take a picture next to each other.

Dave Des Rochers:

Actually, whether you wonder or not, you guys know the deal well.

Mario P. Fields:

Before we jump into the show for tonight, I want to thank everyone again for your continued support of unarmored talk podcast as we rapidly get to year four. You know hundreds of episodes already rapidly starting to go towards that 200 mark. But the big thing is all the charitable dollars that we have generated since 2020, and so you guys can go on the website at wwwsteelservinginccom and you can see we've combined of donate over 20k To students in low-income communities in Pitt County, north Carolina. So again, get on that website, check us out and I'm done with all that admin stuff.

Mario P. Fields:

Everyone, tonight we have a special guest and essentially what you guys are seeing and I just kind of briefly went over His you know kind of executive resume their professor introduction is he's done a lot of great stuff in his life. He looks young he's almost 30, but here's the deal squared. You have done a lot for veterans. I've seen you. You and I've been connected. You have this Insatiable passion for supporting veterans, but from my basic understanding, my man, it hasn't always been like that. Talk to us a little bit about it.

Dave Des Rochers:

Oh, you know, yeah, you did kind of do a basic run. You know, I did get an opportunity to play a little bit of football in the NFL and play in the World League and and in a couple years, here and there and, and then I went off on launch a professional career and I did a little bit of acting, you're right, you know, a fresh principal air and did a movie or two of some commercials. But, anyhow, when I got into life, I did an investment planning for 20 years and I was successful at it and we did charitable things. But you know, I think I did charitable things. So everyone see me doing charitable things and you know it was more for me than it was for the person we were given it to. You know that we were in a position that we could help people out and and it wasn't until I lost everything and and this was in In 2010, so it's not that long ago I went through a horrible divorce and just was making poor life decisions and and, mario, I found myself on a park bench in 2015, emotionally, spiritually and financially bankrupt.

Dave Des Rochers:

I just had nothing and and it was one of those. It was one of those things are I got that's. That's that's doing your way. I I ain't doing it right, you know, and I and I completely started my life over and and got back into my faith, and it was a very humbling experience. It's very humbling for me to even say that I got myself there, so it was really successful. But, you know, I had to lose everything in order for me to live the life that God wanted me to, and so I completely started over and it was.

Dave Des Rochers:

It was a thing that I did with an old high school friend, I. She reached out to me and said hey, dave, we're going to go down to the West LA VA. My son, I believe he was a Marine got addicted to heroin and was in the West LA VA. They kicked him out because he was suicidal. I'm thinking, isn't that why they have the hospital? So they kicked him out because he was suicidal and then he ended up overdosing that night.

Dave Des Rochers:

Oh, wow, she has a mission to go down to the West LA VA and bring clothing and items and food to the veterans that are outside the walls, outside the gates. They're living on pallets and in tents and, as if I would do that with her, we went down with an MC called the deserted, because they protect her and they take her down. And seeing that firsthand and knowing that, hey, I was that cat just, and I don't know how long it was after when I turned my life around, but it wasn't down long, I would say it was probably within a year or two, probably about a year. And I'm looking at the buildings behind them and these huge monoliths of just open space. They're empty and I'm going why are all these cats out here? And then I saw people. There was no shortage of food, mara. I mean they have a food bank that's monitored and but the people would just go and they dropped the stuff off and they'd run away.

Mario P. Fields:

And I'm waiting. Wait a minute, they would just drop the food.

Dave Des Rochers:

Yeah, they just they didn't want to talk to them, they didn't want to engage. People don't know how to deal with that. Well, like. I said, it was one night for me. I didn't have a tent and I didn't stay there long because I didn't like it.

Dave Des Rochers:

But I got there and so I sat and I talked to those guys and they would apologize because they were doing their drugs or they were doing like bro. But they know all about that, don't, don't even worry about it, I'm just, I'm Dave, what's your name? And they just they appreciated the engagement and so it just it kind of just. It kind of stemmed from that I'm just thinking in my infantile mind, not being aware at all how many of us are just not aware that this is an issue. And then as I started to get involved with purpose driven things, it just always seemed to be veteran organizations that I was drawn to. Care possible was one of the better factors of my, of my golf tournament, my charity golf tournament, I told when it's on April 8th this is a shameful plug. April 8th we raised money for veteran support programs here in Norse County. But Care Possible provides free counseling and Veterans Legal Institute provides free legal I mean full representation to veterans to get their benefits, to get housing that they keep getting denied. Sometimes it's after they pass away that they actually get the benefit for the family they work for it for like, for free, for years, sometimes to battle for our veterans Patriots and Paws, who has a huge warehouse of items in a veteran or active duty military first, can drive up with a pickup or a flatbed and it doesn't matter if you need some plates or if you need a whole house of furniture. You just go shopping. There's no limit, no questions. You take what you need and it's these fantastic organizations that we benefit. But what's happened is that I have slowly then built myself back and I'm now the president of the NFLPA here in Orange County. I was elected by my peers to sit on the former players advisory board. I'm currently going through NFL Transition Coach certification. I'm the CEO and president of my own foundation, the First and Gold Project, helping people in transition, which we have talked about with your labor credentials, and I use that platform now to bring former players and get involved. And we just do tons of veteran events. We just did one down at Pendleton the Dark Horse Battalion, the 3-5. They are the deployment run over the Mr Chris's Party. And so I get a call and say, hey, dave, we're doing an NFL Playoff Party for the 3-5 Battalion, dark Horse Battalion, can you bring a former player with you? And I said so, this is an NFL playoff party. They go. Yeah, I said okay, how about I bring three Super Bowl champs with me? And I like so Todd Light, you know, super Bowl of the Rams, matt Vanderbeek. Super Bowl of the Dells Cowboys, walter Thurman. The third Super Bowl champ with the Seattle Seahawks. And then me, because it was my idea, so I get to go.

Dave Des Rochers:

But to see the, based on 700 Marines and their families. You know, that's what's your stories about the NFL. And then hanging out with them I mean, it's every time I do it. It's just bringing value and showing that we appreciate them and glad they're home, you know, and let's have some fun together. So it's no surprise once you start getting involved. But that's how I got there. It wasn't one of those things I've been doing all my life. We have no veterans in our family other than my great-great-great-grandfather rode with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. So there's no military background. You know, it's just me being a patriot. And I'll say one more thing, because I've been talking the whole time this is your show and I haven't shut up yet.

Mario P. Fields:

Oh no, this is good, dave. I'm captivated for real, my friend.

Dave Des Rochers:

Let me tell you this. My mom is not surprised. She said, david, she goes from the time you were, however big. She said and I have these pictures I had Army helmets. I had the what are they called the Union Jack, you know from the Civil War. I had, you know, rifles. And when Captain Kangaroo came on, I don't know if you're old enough, but when Captain Kangaroo came on, he always had to be played the National Anthem and I'd march around the couch with my American flag. She said, david, this doesn't surprise me, so, anyhow. So maybe he's in my blood, but I will tell you. I will say, the majority of the things that I do, events that I do, are surrounded or involved with veterans and supporting our veteran community.

Mario P. Fields:

Yeah, and everyone I have witnessed it. Like you said, dave and I we've been, you know, connected for a few years. Now Seems like forever, dave, and I tell you, you know I know a lot of folks but you know, for its first and goal project and the other various things I've seen you do for veterans just amazing. And the other cool thing that connects you know me to you, and what you just did for Thurbatine V Marines actually, my last combat deployment I was deployed with Thurbatine V Marines. I was with Thurbatine V and we were all in the same box in Afghanistan together. So I mean that is pretty cool.

Mario P. Fields:

And you guys heard him. You know Dave removed his armor. You know I wasn't always this way but it took me. You know the kind of rock bottom. I use that metaphor to really find my purpose and live a purposeful life. You've impacted me. I've seen you impact thousands and this just beginning. You got a little star major here in your back pocket. But, dave, looking back, you know if you want to leave the listeners and viewers, because you guys know Dave, let me tell you guys, dave made me 6x6. But the amount of things he's doing in Southern California, you would think there's 180, dave desrocious, appreciate it All right, joe, I have to sit him in Texas. I hold my breath like I'm in a gas chamber, but so I'm not going to hold you too much tonight because him and I have been trying to work this thing for months. So, looking back, if you had to give any piece of advice to anyone and veterans, those who are struggling, those are hitting rock bottom. You know what would you tell them?

Dave Des Rochers:

my friend, Well you know, for me it's a God story, you know it is a faith story and I share this analogy. I've been benched twice in my life. One time was by my coach. I was playing BYU and I played against a guy that was 6'9". I walked through the line of scrimmage. I've done something I never did. I looked up, you know, and this cat, you know, was BYU, so he was from a mission, so he's like 28 years old, a beard, and he was just kicking my butt and I went in for like the fourth or fifth series and the coach grabs me by the collar. He says, son, he goes. Look, you're embarrassing me, you're embarrassing your parents out there and you're embarrassing yourself.

Dave Des Rochers:

And I knew it was going bad. But he goes. You sit on that bench and you decide if you want to play or not, Right, Well, OK, so yeah, I want to play. This is what it's all about. You know all this work. I want to be on that field, but I can't very well go back out there and do the same thing and expect a different result, and I had to completely change what I was doing. We ended up winning the game BYU for the first time in 12 years and I get liming at the game and then went on to have a decent group no-transcript In life.

Dave Des Rochers:

I was getting my butt kicked. I didn't even know it, because I was making a lot of money, I was doing all these great things that I thought I was doing, but I was making a bunch of bad decisions. I was using drugs, I was drinking. I was just not living a life that I should be living, and so God slowly just took everything away from me and he kind of sat me on that park bench and it was like he was saying to me son, because you're embarrassing me, you're embarrassing your parents and you're embarrassing yourself, I've blessed you with a great life, and he has. Now you sit on this bench, you decide if you want to live the life I've blessed you with, and I got a lot to offer.

Dave Des Rochers:

I don't know how I got here, but this isn't what I envisioned my life being right. But I can't very well go back out there doing the same thing, expecting different results. I had to completely pivot my life and change my life and since then it's been all these things we've been talking about. It's been such a blessing to be looked at, to be voted in by my peers in a position, to be on a board and to be able to be asked to do these things. I wouldn't have been asked to do these things eight, nine years ago. So it is a blessing and it's been a purpose and not an agenda. I have no agenda when I show up to anything and it's not about me, it's about a purpose. And what can I do? What can we do together to make a difference? And that's what I encourage people to do. We're so agenda driven. What am I gonna get? People will invite them and go well can I get any business from?

Dave Des Rochers:

it. I don't know, but if that's your intent, I don't want you going with me. If you're looking at dollar signs over people's heads, I don't want you with me. But if we could do something together we don't know what that's gonna be, but it's gonna be developing what we're doing with NGPN, we're developing a community together to make a difference. And I do wanna add one more thing while you have me on.

Dave Des Rochers:

Oh yeah, one thing we're doing, aside from my golf tournament, which is fun and great April 6th and you know about this April 6th NGBN TV is training 100,000, initially we said men, we wanted to train 100,000 men on suicide intervention, what to look for, and I think most of us will see it, most of us kind of you know when somebody's struggling. But, more importantly, what do you do? What do you stay? Because that's the hardest thing, because I've been through the suicide training like 15 hours of suicide training, that's the hardest thing.

Dave Des Rochers:

And so we're doing that live from the American Legion 291 in Newport Beach, the nation's largest American Legion, and we're hosting two shows one at 9 to 11 Eastern, so six to eight PST, and then nine to 11 Pacific Standard Time, and it's being conducted by a retired Sergeant MP from the Army has received all kinds of accolades and awards for his work in suicide intervention by the DOD, by the Army and guys. Go to NGBN TV and just sign up and we have watch parties going on all over the country. It's amazing we're talking about. You know, if you build it they will come. And it's just. You know, we're just trying to save men's lives and that's the whole purpose of the whole network.

Mario P. Fields:

Yeah, no, and thanks, and I'm also, you know, because of Dave Desrocher, you know it's here soon I'll be a new member of the NGB and TV family. You know I'll be doing Thursday night lives, unarmored, with Mario P baby to continue to help everyone on the team save lives, like Dave said, as we kind of close out. You know you may see depression on the outside, you may not see it, but what do you do? And that's the key, like you said, when someone calls and go hey, it's the, you know it's Mario. Hey, I do a Mario. Yeah, you know I'm kind of numb right now. What's next? What's next? So you guys heard it April 6,. You know I'm gonna start promoting a lot of that on my, on my networks here this coming week and everyone you heard it.

Mario P. Fields:

You know you can repurpose your life at any time. Sometimes God may have to remove some things from you to see what your your mission in life. You guys, you're looking at Dave again. He's about to turn 30, but you guys, but seriously, you know your faith is powerful. You guys have seen what has done to Dave. You know you've seen what has done to me and other folks. Dave, I love you, my friend Do you, thank you so much lesson, a show.

Mario P. Fields:

and I tell you, man, literally, I can't wait to see you in person, to give you a big hug You'll be at your thighs but to give I'm looking forward to my friend.

Mario P. Fields:

Where are you guys gonna reveal? This special episode is about the end, but I could continue to keep some amazing folks coming your way. But until next time, god, may God continue to bless your families, may God continue to bless your friends and, most importantly, may God bless you, the listener and viewers. Be safe out there. Dave, thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and Watch all of the previous episodes on my youtube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media is follow me on the parade deck. That is wwwparade deckcom, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon.

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