Former NE Revs Striker & Radio Analyst Charlie Davies Joins the 23rd Annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

Audacy Sports

Transcript

00:00Fighting for those that inspire.

00:02Please help WEEI and Nesson strike out cancer.

00:07Please call 877-738-1234 to make a gift.

00:15Now, back to Jones and Keith and the WEEI Nesson Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon.

00:22Year 23, WEEI Nesson Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance.

00:28It's day one here today, Jones and Keith at Fenway Park.

00:32A reminder, you can sign up as a monthly donor today,

00:35and you will be entered to win an exclusive Fenway Park tour,

00:37including a behind-the-scenes look at the WEEI and Nesson Studios, Keith.

00:41Those WEEI studios are something to go check out.

00:45Winner will be selected this week.

00:47You can join Jimmy's team, our monthly giving program,

00:49and a meaningful gift will be charged on your credit card each month.

00:52It's an easy way to support the work of Dana Farber all year long.

00:55Call 877-738-1234 or go to jimmyfund.org.

00:59You can sign up today.

01:00You can also text CANCER to give any amount to 56512.

01:05We're joined now by Charlie Davies, former Rev Striker and radio analyst,

01:10joining us here on day one.

01:11Charlie, thanks for coming out.

01:12Thanks for having me.

01:14You were just telling us off the air about your story and your experience with cancer,

01:20and you actually said in the past, I know this is your first time on even speaking with Rich,

01:25that you've heard from some people who have gone out and caught things early based on your story.

01:29So what can you tell us, and why are you here today?

01:32Yeah, for me, whenever Dana Farber needs something, my hands always raise.

01:36Dana Farber, Boston Children's Hospital, even Brigham Women's, Mass General,

01:41anything in the healthcare sector, I know how important it is,

01:44not just for yourself, but just for our communities.

01:48So in my story in particular, I was a revs player.

01:53I was trying to get back on the U.S. Men's National Team,

01:56and for people who know my story, I went through a tragic car accident,

02:00and it took me a year and a half to get back, but I did.

02:04And it wasn't until I got to the New England Revolution where I finally understood my new body.

02:09I fractured my femur and my tib and fib and my right leg, you know, ruptured bladder, elbow fracture,

02:14but I had rods in my legs, and I was just off balance.

02:18And finally, I figured it out.

02:20And so I'm moving forward.

02:22I was the team's leading goal scorer.

02:24And the next year, my wife's water broke around 25 weeks, literally a week before the season.

02:31And so, you know, you're like, wait, what's going on?

02:34And so now I'm in the hospital.

02:37They gave us the all clear.

02:38She was going to be on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy.

02:41So I was able to fly to Houston.

02:42I scored in that first game of the season, so everything's going well.

02:45And then being in the NICU every day to support my wife, and, you know,

02:51it just weighs on you, and you're not eating right, sleeping right, which eventually led to injuries.

02:56So I pulled a groin muscle in a game, got a scan.

02:59And you don't always get scans for muscle pulls, but I did for this one,

03:03and then they found a tumor, which eventually led me to Dana-Farber.

03:08So I had a liposarcoma cancer.

03:11My kids were in the NICU for 92 days at Brigham Women's.

03:15I had surgery, I think, on June 2nd.

03:18The boys got out on June 14th.

03:20The boys are happy and healthy.

03:21They're nine years old.

03:23I coached them on their youth soccer team.

03:26And, yeah, I've been the athlete who goes and visits children, whether it's at Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund,

03:34whether it's at the Boston Children's Hospital.

03:36And you're seeing how resilient these kids are and how special they are

03:40and how they're going through and their families are going through incredible difficulties.

03:46And you're there to just brighten their day for a minute, for an hour, whatever it is,

03:50to make them forget about what they're going through every day.

03:53And here I am now on the flip side, and I was super worried.

03:57Now I'm that guy, and will I have a long, healthy life?

04:01Will I get to see my kids grow old?

04:03Will I get to be, you know, someone who can have a constant impact?

04:09And so, you know, fear, scared.

04:12But here I am today, always looking to find positives in life, always looking to inspire people.

04:19And whether that's through soccer or just through life, having conversations,

04:22that's kind of how I live my day.

04:24Have you and your wife ever had a chance to, like, catch your breath after all that happened?

04:28I mean, just one of those things is, like, an unbelievable, life-changing experience

04:32for all that to happen at once.

04:34Has there ever been a moment, or is it just, like, since then you guys have been?

04:37No, it's go, go, go.

04:38It's always chaos.

04:39And I keep adding jobs.

04:41You know, I'm the club ambassador for the New England Revolution.

04:44Now let's go into the booth.

04:46So now I'm the broadcast analyst with my partner, Brad Feldman.

04:49And then you're saying, okay, let's do CBS.

04:51Let's do MLS.

04:52Let's do NBC Sports Boston.

04:53And now I'm a journalist.

04:54Like, who would have thought?

04:55I write for The Athletic in the New York Times.

04:58So life is full of surprises.

05:00And I think I'm a perfect example of live life to the fullest.

05:05Try different things.

05:07Be excited to live.

05:09Be excited to inspire.

05:10And if I can change the life of one person, I've done my job.

05:14And so that's how I look at it.

05:16You mentioned you're coaching the nine-year-olds.

05:18Yes.

05:19How's it being on that side of things with probably, I imagine, parents yelling at you

05:23and parents yelling at refs.

05:25And, like, how's the youth sports coaching experience going?

05:28It's incredible.

05:29It's so fulfilling.

05:31You hear that parents are really the worst part of coaching.

05:36Not the kids or the refs.

05:37The refs can be tough sometimes.

05:40But it's the parents.

05:41No, I get no flack or negative comments from the parents that I'm around.

05:49I think they all know I'm here to help all kids.

05:51And I'll be on the sideline coaching my team, and I see a kid on the other side.

05:56He'd make a mistake, and I'll be like, hey, next time.

05:58And then the kids would be like, hey, coach our team.

06:00Don't coach them.

06:02But, no, the kids, they're so excited every single day.

06:08My goal, I tell the parents every time, you don't always make the teams.

06:12I was a kid that tried out for teams, and I didn't make it.

06:16What team was that?

06:18So I tried out for the Eastern Regional team.

06:21Okay.

06:21So this is soccer.

06:22Yeah.

06:22I was like, wait, this is another sport?

06:24And I didn't make it.

06:25Yeah.

06:26Wrestling is a sport I picked up in high school.

06:29I tried out for the varsity basketball team.

06:31My advisor was the head coach of the varsity basketball team, and he still was like, you're

06:35not ready for it.

06:36JV.

06:37So I was like, oh.

06:38My Spanish teacher said, hey, come to the wrestling team.

06:40We have a varsity spot.

06:41I had never wrestled before.

06:42That year, I was a New England champion, and I was a three-time New England champion.

06:46Wow.

06:46And I was an All-American.

06:47I finished third place my senior year.

06:49Wow.

06:49And wrestling, those four years of wrestling helped define my soccer career.

06:53I would have never been the soccer player had I not wrestled.

06:57I have some inside info, Jones.

06:5814 years.

06:59So I went to St. Paul's school, the best high school in the country.

07:02Yeah, Bragg.

07:02Charlie went to Brooks.

07:04Oh.

07:04And he's a couple years younger than me, and so I didn't play soccer, but I had friends

07:07that played soccer.

07:08And I remember them saying, like, there's a kid on Brooks who's not fair.

07:12He's not fair to play against.

07:13He's way better than everybody else in the league, and that was Charlie.

07:16And by the way, I did apply to St. Paul's.

07:19They put me on the wait list.

07:19So listen, tough school.

07:21It was easy for me.

07:22I was like, I'm going to Brooks school.

07:23There's one thing you didn't get into.

07:24There you go.

07:25Exactly.

07:25How about that?

07:26No, but for parents, I think it's so important to know your kid is not going to be an All-American

07:32as an 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, even 14-year-old.

07:35They're not always going to be the best player on their team, and even if they are.

07:39Sure enough, come 15, 16, 17, there's going to be new kids that come up, and I think it's

07:45just important to have them understand to get the best values of being a teammate, to get

07:50the best values of understanding what work ethic is, and that's what I bring them.

07:55I instill that in them from the very moment they start playing with me.

07:59Is it too much for some of these kids?

08:01So my daughter's 6, so she's sort of getting into it, but I have a nephew that's on a couple

08:06of teams.

08:06It seems like his whole week is just soccer, and it feels like, I don't know, maybe it

08:10shouldn't be that much.

08:11No, for me, I make sure they understand.

08:14I want you to play as many sports as you can.

08:16That's how you really grow.

08:18You take things, and you learn things from different sports.

08:20So my kids play lacrosse.

08:21And you said it from wrestling.

08:22Like your own experience, just cross-training in other sports, how that helps.

08:24So they also play lacrosse.

08:25Yeah, they're with Lax-Sachusetts is the program.

08:28That's a good name.

08:29That is a good name.

08:30For me, I've never, I don't know if there's any Lax people in here, but I've never experienced

08:35lacrosse.

08:36I learned about it in high school, but I really don't know the game.

08:39These kids are intense.

08:40These parents are intense.

08:42I'm in a whole new world.

08:44The coaching is phenomenal.

08:45They love it.

08:46I think you're very lucky that you haven't had a lot of bad parental experiences yet.

08:50You know, my son's only seven, and I have not, I've seen a lot of angry parents in my

08:56time.

08:56So Charlie Davies, former Rev Striker, a Rev Analyst as well, on the radio.

09:02Thanks for coming in, sharing your story.

09:05I know, again, I started by saying this, but you mentioned when you've been on the telethon

09:08previously, people have reached out to you and said your story inspired him to go get

09:13a screening and catch things early.

09:15And so that's why we have people like you on.

09:17So thank you for coming out.

09:18We really do appreciate it.

09:20You get to see Keef again.

09:21Of course.

09:22Which is always good.

09:23And a reminder, you can donate toll free 877-738-1234 or online at jimmyfund.org.

09:30Easiest way for a lot of people to do it.

09:32You can text KCANCER to 56512 to give any amount.

09:37Donate.

09:37I'm telling you right now, donate.

09:38It's a good thing.

09:39The people, not only are you saving the children, but you're helping families.

09:44You're helping these doctors do incredible things.

09:46I can tell you firsthand, they are just wonderful people.

09:49You go into Dana-Farber, everyone's smiling, and you're like, what's going on?

09:52And they make you feel comfortable.

09:54So please donate.

09:56Even if it's a dollar, whatever you can, just give because it really makes a difference.

10:01Well, and the tow board was updating behind you.

10:03We're up over 370,000 now as well.

10:06But certainly a great message there from Charlie Davies.

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