Deebo Samuel is nursing a strained calf, but that isn’t stopping him from speaking his truth.
The San Francisco 49ers star has stepped into the podcast game with the launch of Cleats and Convos, which aired for the first time on Tuesday night. The Pro Bowl wide receiver has teamed up with Bleacher Report, and every Tuesday he will interview NFL wide receivers while touching on trending topics around the league.
At his customized studio inside his home in Silicon Valley, Samuel welcomed his first guest, teammate and embattled receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who recently signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the 49ers. On the debut show, Aiyuk revealed his emotions and thought process during an uncertain offseason, which saw him go through a lengthy “hold in” as he awaited a new deal while trade rumors swirled.
“I just want to give insight, tell people what’s going on and how I feel about certain things,” Samuel said in a phone interview. “I want to be a voice.”
Samuel joins a wave of pro athletes who have launched their own podcasts as athlete-driven media continues to garner more attention from fans and brands alike. “Sometimes we just want to control the narrative more rather than somebody put something out,” he said. “We want them to hear from us first and then have an opinion.”
Samuel’s new venture calls for him to team up with Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons, who approves all projects as president of B/R Gridiron and also hosts his own show, The Edge with Micah Parsons. The Cowboys and 49ers have a storied history as rivals, but the leaders from the opposing teams are putting aside their differences, at least during podcasting time.
“It’s all fun and games [until] you get in between the lines,” Samuel said. “But Micah is a pretty fun and cool guy.”
The slate of shows at Bleacher Report also includes On Base with Mookie Betts.
Samuel, who was featured in Netflix sports series Receiver, mentioned that he believes showcasing more of his personality off the field will only strengthen his marketing portfolio. The former University of South Carolina standout’s current sponsorships includes deals with Jordan Brand, Old Spice and PSD Underwear.
“A lot of people just know the football Deebo,” he added. “And not the Deebo that’s outside of the helmet.”
(This story has been corrected in the third-to-last paragraph to change B/R Gridiron to Bleacher Report.)
