Getting Pedicures with Super Bowl LX Champ AJ Barner

Hey! What's up guys? Leslie Robbins for Young Hollywood joined by all six foot six Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, Mr. A. J. Barner. Let's go. Welcome. Thank you so much. Brought you a prop. Appreciate it.

I'm used to carrying one of these around.

You are here in Los Angeles celebrating NBA All-Star Weekend, but you're like one of the biggest stars around right now.

For sure. Coming off the Super Bowl, I think it's a, it's a good time to be alive, definitely.

No touchdown had been scored yet going into the fourth. You caught the ball at the back of the end zone at the 13:24 mark. Take me back to that moment.

Just had to make a play for my team. Uh, just a great moment in the game, waited for my opportunity. And I play a position tight end where you block a lot, you run block, you pass block, you catch the ball. So it makes it easier to scheme some of those things open when you, when you're doing a bit of everything.

What do you do out on that field besides score the winning touchdown?

Catch the ball, block, both pass and run, talk a little, uh, have fun with my teammates.

Having fun is the name of the game. How do you keep it fun? You're still so young, so it's not hard.

Just playing the game with that mindset of just, you know, you're playing a game, uh, and just remembering how much you prepared to be in that moment and then just enjoying the moment at the end of the day.

How was the celebration?

It's still happening. It was awesome. Um, the confetti, the trophy, everything in between was sick. The parade was incredible. I think a week later it's really settled in that, you know, we won the championship and uh, you know, a few months from now we're going to have to go defend it.

Only two years ago you won the national championship with Michigan. And then two years later you win the Super Bowl.

Yeah. What? I think it's a combination of, you know, just being on great teams and, and being a great player as well. I think, um, you know, you're, you're blessed to be in those situations and uh, fortunately for me I've been a part of, you know, a great organization. But at the end of the day that's what you play for. You play the game to win, you play the game for for championships.

I think you wrote on social media preparation plus opportunity.

Yeah.

Break that down for me because I love that life lesson.

For sure. I think, you know, you prepare for those moments and you don't know when when they're going to happen. And uh, when they do happen, you only get one opportunity to make it. So putting yourself in that frame of mind to just be ready when that opportunity comes and uh, knowing that you've prepared to, to take full advantage of it.

So AJ, as a professional athlete, you have to take care of your body. Obviously, nutrition, huge, going to the gym, working out, very important. But, you know, a little pampering every now and then, you got to take care of your body and your soul.

For sure.

You ever like indulge in a pedicure?

Every now and then, uh, usually I go with my mom once in once in a blue moon. So, got to take care of your feet, you know, you're on them all day and uh, it's something nice to do for yourself every now and then.

Right here in Beverly Hills, there's a place called Townhouse. Little pampering, little love for your feet. What do you think?

Let's go do it. I'm ready for it. Let's do it.

How do you feel?

I'm ready to go. Need to get it in, it's been a while.

How often do you normally get pedicures?

Probably like twice a year.

Okay, you brought up your mom who is a celebrity in her own right. And you also have three sisters.

I do.

So you must have been around a lot of this.

A little bit. Uh, I think the girls will do it by themselves. My mom would take them to the salon and all that.

So while spa is the lifestyle space, you are making quite the name for yourself in fashion.

I like to kind of keep it, you know, a little a little bit of a grunge fashion as well, but like to keep it classy as well. So be able to express yourself and uh, pull off a bunch of different fits and look presentable, I think is very important.

Your tunnel fits are amazing.

Thank you.

Do you pick the clothes out yourself? Do you have a stylist? Break that down for me.

Yeah, both. Honestly, a lot of the stuff I do pick out myself. Um, I'll thrift clothes, I'll buy clothes from different vendors, um, and then I also have some people that I'll work with a little bit as well that, you know, help me with my outfits, get me connected with different brands. Um, so yeah, it's been, it's been a lot of fun.

When you got drafted, fourth round. Take me back to that moment. Because that's what every football player dreams of.

Yeah. It was crazy. Went to Seattle, a long way from home. And that was kind of my first reaction, like man, that that's a long that's a long flight. But um, honestly, I love it out there. Um, and I quite honestly, I like the distance too.

So you like being far from home now?

I do.

All grown up.

I do. Just get a little get a little space. Um, but I'm only I'm only one flight away at the end of the day.

Before you won the Super Bowl with Seattle, how was the city treating you? I've been up there and I loved it.

The city's been great. Uh, I feel like I fit right in with the people. Um, I love the vibes up there, the weather. Uh, it's West Coast but a little more laid back. Definitely during the season I kind of like to keep to myself. Um, you spend so much time at the facility and getting ready for the game and all that comes with that. In the season I want to be at my house chilling as much as I can.

Well tell me about your house.

I furnished it myself.

No way.

Um, I still need a few more pieces, a little more accent to the place, but it has the necessities and it feels like home.

Maybe we should have gone to an art gallery instead of a spa.

That might have been fire. That that could be part two. For sure.

When you win the next Super Bowl, we'll go to an art gallery and get you some art.

We'll do it.

This might sound silly, but some athletes have their feet or hands insured, right? Insured?

Yeah. Not me. The only type of insurance I've been seeing is my car insurance, which is way too high.

So you're complaining about your insurance being too high.

Oh yeah, way too high.

Really?

Way too high.

What are you driving?

Just a truck. I got it uh, when I got drafted, so we're going to need a new one soon though. I think I'm in the market for a new car.

Besides the car, what's been kind of your biggest purchase as a pro baller?

I'm a saver honestly. Um, I like to save my money, put it away, put it in the market. Um, but I do spend money on, you know, travel and training. Um, in my off season, I I'm not in Seattle. I I get away from Seattle a little bit and train and make sure that, you know, I'm improving and doing all the things to be the best player I can. I trained with Chuck Liddell a little bit, uh, do some MMA stuff. I grew up wrestling. So I think uh, it's been a huge help for me, um, and obviously it's a physical game. Leverage is important. Yeah. Um, and you have to move grown men. So uh,

Well, you did get to go on a podcast recently with one of your idols.

For sure.

Who's from your hometown.

For sure. Yeah, Travis uh, is my guy and his brother Jason. So that was good time, good time to be able to chop it up with them and uh, yeah, it's always good to talk to guys, you know, that that been in the league and are from where you're from.

How does that even feel that you're now one of them when you look up to them?

Yeah, uh, I think you kind of build up to that point. Um, it's not really a surprise to me. I've put in the work to be there. I think those guys are people that, you know, I can go to for advice, um, and just, you know, a friendship as well. So it's it's cool to have people like that in your corner.

Now, actually, I heard you say that you thought that touchdown could have been prettier.

Happy could have stayed up. But yeah, I mean, I made a play. I said what I said, but you know, it was a it was an awesome play and it worked out just fine.

Now, a question for you. After you make a play like that, how do you even like compose yourself to finish a game?

Yeah, it's hard. I think that's something that you got to kind of learn to do as you continue to play the game. Um, just the emotion of scoring and doing it in a game like that, you you got to kind of contain yourself and be ready to go back out there and compete.

They're smoothing out the bottoms of our feet.

I need it. After a long year, uh, definitely have some calluses on my feet.

I think you deserve it.

I think so too.

What happens if we added a manicure to that? Like, is that?

I've never done a manicure before. Really? Yeah, I'm good. I'll keep the paint off my nails. But I'll keep the calluses off my feet too.