From the Raiders to Reinventing Himself | Miles Burris

Former Raiders linebacker and actor Miles Burris joins Ken for a conversation about identity, reinvention, and what happens when the dream you chased your whole life suddenly ends.

Miles grew up in Granite Bay, California obsessed with football from the moment he first put on pads. After becoming a standout linebacker at San Diego State, he was drafted by his childhood team — the Oakland Raiders — and thrown into the fire immediately as an NFL starter. He talks about the reality of playing linebacker in the league, facing quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, rookie camp chaos, injuries, Toradol, identity loss after football, and the pressure of trying to hold onto a career that was slipping away.

But this episode isn’t just about football.

After injuries ended his NFL career, Miles fell into a dark stretch trying to figure out who he was without the game. His wife pushed him into acting classes, which eventually led to roles in The Righteous Gemstones, Lucifer, Safety, and more. He opens up about the transition from athlete to actor, the uncertainty of Hollywood, moving to Nashville, and how funny neighborhood skits on social media unexpectedly opened even bigger doors.

This is a conversation about effort, reinvention, masculinity, confidence, and betting on yourself when life forces you to start over.

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro and Banter

(00:53) Growing Up Granite Bay

(01:10) Sports and Football Focus

(02:37) High School Program and Position

(03:42) NFL Dream and Dad Influence

(06:06) College Choice and Recruiting

(07:35) SDSU Struggles and Turnaround

(12:07) Effort Mindset Lesson

(14:41) Agents and Draft Prep

(20:38) Draft Day Raiders Call

(23:32) Rookie Camp Reality Check

(25:34) Thrown Into the Fire

(26:40) Facing QB Chessmasters

(27:50) Raiders Reality Check

(28:39) Near Pick on Brady

(30:25) Kids Sports and Concussion Scare

(32:30) Rookie Hazing and Camp Life

(33:52) Injuries End the Dream

(37:20) Toradol and NFL Pain Culture

(42:01) PED Talk and Testing

(44:05) Rookie Money and Benefits

(47:32) Identity After Football

(50:20) Why Nashville Won Them Over

(51:12) Cross Country Move Horror Story

(52:25) Host Backstory NYC to LA

(53:19) Free Work Breakthrough

(54:07) Leaving LA for Nashville

(54:42) Reacher Neighbor Story

(57:02) Football Ends Acting Begins

(58:16) First Auditions No Fear

(01:01:13) Big Roles and Gemstones

(01:03:09) Self Tape Era Shift

(01:05:08) Social Media Career Boost

(01:11:33) Brands and YouTube Money

(01:14:17) Raiders Content and Brady

(01:15:21) Closing Advice and Outro

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