In the latest episode of Fox Nation's "Nuff Said," Tyrus sat down with former New York Jets safety Erik Coleman to discuss his life after the league, their differences of opinion, and where they found common ground.
"Our relationship at first was hate...I hated you," Tyrus said to the NFL athlete.
Tyrus' disdain for the player came from his loyalty to the Jets' rivals the Patriots, he explained.
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"I didn't know you, you didn't know me and I hated you because you were a New York Jet and I was a big Patriots fan, and you were like 'Mr. Jet,'" Tyrus said.
The duo found common ground as Coleman described his turbulent upbringing, discussing the journey that led to his successful NFL career.
"I found out at the age of eleven that my parents were addicted to drugs, they got divorced...and it made for a tough life," Coleman reflected in the latest "Nuff Said" episode.
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As his home life became increasingly turbulent, Coleman assumed the role of parent and became the caretaker of his younger brother, he explained, doing his best to protect him while protecting himself.
"The whole time it was just me and my brother," said Coleman. "So I was playing that parent, you know, trying to shield him from all that stuff and holding him accountable and [I] had to grow up quick. 11, 12 years old, having to become a man and be responsible for what happens in your house...it makes for a tough life."
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Tyrus, who often speaks out about his difficult childhood-- without the presence of his father--commiserated with the former athlete.
"That's funny you said that because I grew up in a very similar situation," said Tyrus, adding that he did his best to protect his younger brother from drug usage throughout their upbringing.
In order to cope with his difficult home life, Coleman began immersing himself in sports, he said, playing football, basketball and baseball during his younger years.
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"I always wanted to be like, you know, the best athlete...[it] was always something that I wanted to do," Coleman said. "And that was kind of like my getaway away, you know, you get lost in it.
"I would go over to the fields and I would run around. I would visualize myself making plays. I would hit them into football bags and shoot hoops, you know, just do something to get away from what was going on."
"Just knowing all the stuff I had gone through in my life, against all odds and being able to play in the NFL... to live that dream was the ultimate blessing."
Tyrus said he also used sports as an escape from his chaotic home, calling it his "medicine" to deal with the lack of a father figure in his life and his mother's "sh*tty boyfriends who tried to steal her money.
"We were out there. We were all just kids. And that's why sports became so important to me because that was my medicine," the Fox Nation host and former WWE professional wrestler said.
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Both Coleman and Tyrus said they were inspired by the coaches and teammates who gave them hope for a brighter future -- but that they had to turn down offers to leave their homes so that they could properly care for their brothers.
"You were a kid, trying to raise a kid," Coleman said, detailing a specific event that proved his genuine concern for his kid brother.
"There's a lot of times I wanted to escape...I remember being in a time where my mom's boyfriend was hitting my mom and I wanted to stab him with a pitchfork and he ran out of the house... My concern was first my mom's safety, but I was like, did my brother see it because I don't want him to become that kind of man," he said.
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 3: Erik Coleman #26 of the Atlanta Falcons lines up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on January 3, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. The Falcons defeated the Bucs 20-10. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
"And it was tough," added Coleman, who developed an ulcer from all of the stress. "You know, it was tough, but I kind of found my way through other people. You know, I [understood] that I had real responsibilities in that sports at that time were gonna be my only way out of my situation."
Coleman continued on to Washington State University after his mother's arrest, detailing the emotions he felt when he found out he had been accepted. Before receiving a football scholarship, Coleman said he hoped to become a Marine and continue his career in the FBI -- but his former roommate, NFL safety Lamont Thompson, and his luxury car changed his mind.
"I remember he came back to college and my current roommate and I saw him," Coleman said. "He had this [Cadillac] Escalade...he had this nice car...and we looked at each other like, 'Man, if we worked hard, we might be able to get that. We might be able to have that, you know, that opportunity.' So we started working really hard the next year...[and I thought] if I bust my butt and sacrifice everything and dedicate my life to this, maybe I'll have an opportunity."
Later in the episode, Coleman opened up about the day he was offered his first NFL draft, and how his life was forever changed.
" I stayed at my grandmother's house...my mom had a party at the house and I said to my grandmother, 'I want to be by myself,'" said Coleman. "I wake up and I start watching the draft. The fourth round goes by and I'm like, 'Man, I didn't get picked'...so I'm sitting there on the couch by myself just starting to panic. I was crying. I went on a walk like, 'Man, is this really going to happen?'" he said.
"And I came back, and all of a sudden I get this phone call from this 5 1 6 number... and I'm like, I don't know that area code, but, you know, Hello. And it was a coach from the Jets and he said, 'Do you want to be in New York Jets?' And I was like, 'Hell, yeah, I want to be a New York Jets.'"
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Coleman said his family "roared and cried" after hearing the good news, astonished at how far he had come from his rocky upbringing.
"I drove up to my mom's house, got out of the car and everybody was crying," Coleman said. "You know, it was a very emotional time just knowing all the stuff I had gone through in my life, against all odds and being able to play in the NFL to live that dream. It was the ultimate blessing."
Coleman discussed his time in the NFL, his family's response to his fame, and his mother's eventual sobriety, leading to his role in an organization aimed at helping suffering addicts and their families.
To see the full episode featuring Coleman as he discusses his upbringing, his road to a star athlete, and his life after his NFL career, join Fox Nation and watch the latest episode of "Nuff Said" today.
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