Gladiator Apollo on life in the NFL, Rugby & Louis Rees-Zammit 🏉

Hask is joined in the studio by his former Stade Francais teammate Ollie Phillips to help interview Alex Gray aka Apollo from Gladiators.
Alex has had a varied and wonderful career that's taken him from England U20 captaincy to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Now he has a starring role in the smash hit remake of Gladiators.
In the week that Louis Rees-Zammit signed for the Kansas City Chiefs, Alex speaks about his time in the NFL and the challenge of making the active roster.
Season 4 is sponsored by Continental Tyres.
0:01 - Show Intro
1:28 - Show Starts
3:20 - Alex Gray's Career
5:09 - Life changing?
8:27 - Becoming a Gladiator
12:50 - The American Dream
18:22 - Understanding NFL
22:40 - Signing for Atlanta Falcons
25:15 - Why do Rugby players head to the NFL?
29:13 - The Pressure Cooker
34:40 - The Experience
37:20 - Ollie in the NFL
38:35 - Louis Rees-Zammit
42:37 - Continental Tyres Question of the Week
46:51 - Being Apollo
50:50 - Team
58:19 - Hong Kong Sevens
1:00:25 - What next?
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#gladiatorstvshow #nfl #louisreeszammit

[@PaulWilsonfitness]

It seems like the rugby world missed out on not having Alex's personality and energy in the game to promote it but what a story he's had living to the fullest. Great episode.

[@usarugbyleagueunionfan]

Great episode. I live in a city with 2 NFL teams. I used to be a massive fan yet the love is gone. I fell in love with both Rugby codes. The NFL’s games are 3 hours chocked full of commercials and stoppage. I have a season seat to my local Major League Rugby team RFCLA. These guys don’t get paid much yet I’m taken aback by how humble Rugby players are. There’s a culture of trash talking your opponent which doesn’t exist in that scale in Rugby. Respecting your opponents and the referee is a huge selling point for a lot of Yanks like myself. It’s refreshing to see.

[@beewalkerqt]

Really enjoyable episode! Alex's brashness seemed to almost pipe Hask down a bit, but his intelligence and humour also reflected on goals, working hard and missing out on some of your dreams only to find new ones. The trio of Hask, Ollie and Alex worked really well as entertainment and enlightenment to some of rugby and football's hardships.

[@GoodBadRugby]

Glad you enjoyed ❤

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

​@@GoodBadRugbyAlex's gladiator Apollo is my favourite gladiator

[@joelhickman9158]

Well done Hask, actually a great episode and you did a good job 👍

[@JohnHirsch88]

_actually_

[@RahiAs1607]

Loved this. Apollo my favourite gladiator on the show. 💙👍

[@GoodBadRugby]

0:01 - Show Intro 1:28 - Show Starts 3:20 - Alex Gray's Career 5:09 - Life changing? 8:27 - Becoming a Gladiator 12:50 - The American Dream 18:22 - Understanding NFL 22:40 - Signing for Atlanta Falcons 25:15 - Why do Rugby players head to the NFL? 29:13 - The Pressure Cooker 34:40 - The Experience 37:20 - Ollie in the NFL 38:35 - Louis Rees-Zammit 42:37 - Continental Tyres Question of the Week 46:51 - Being Apollo 50:50 - Team 58:19 - Hong Kong Sevens 1:00:25 - What next?

[@Jamie-ur6xy]

great episode. couldve easily been double the length

[@leesumsion5428]

Thought he would mention being dropped from the Olympic 7s team… surprised he didn’t…😉

[@Zentrum234]

I‘m happy for LRZ that he got a contract. I didn‘t think he‘d make it but hats off to him. However, I cannot help but worry about Rugby‘s future. If LRZ becomes a precedent for a Rugby player to make a serious splash in the NFL, Rugby must make changes to keep guys like him in the sport. Otherwise Rugby will die the death of a thousand cuts and become irrelevant.

[@dajay2k]

No it won't

[@Jasabout]

They get paid more. It's not really difficult to understand.

[@GoodBadRugby]

Which current rugby player would make a good Gladiator? 🤔

[@sambrett8767]

Maro Itoje

[@winterrose190]

There already is one, Fury.

[@Jackssw]

Dan Cole

[@robbob5351]

Unders...... up against him the ork

[@Michael-hk6dj]

Andrew Porter but Pierre Spies would be an amazing Gladiator

[@ronjohnson9853]

Hope the anti Haskell comments mentioned at the beginning are untrue, as I very much the watch progam for Haskell's comments, understanding and humour.

[@waynehardiman5443]

Soon as he came home he quit that’s the issue no nfl would pick him up there’s no second chances shame he looked good in clips and had backing shoulf of stuck it out and stayed

[@ChristianOram]

LRZ is on a different level to this guy off the gladiators who was a part time rugby player 🤷‍♂️🙈

[@brymorian]

Money, Money Money. What a stupid question

[@70260j]

I was very excited when Alex came to Leeds, having seen his 7s highlights. TBH he was a bit of a disappointment.

[@chadthecat7248]

If you listen to this guy he is just like actors who are always claiming that they were "about to.." be cast in an Oscar winning role, "just about to.." be recognised as the greatest actor ever. he seems to think that rugby is like Hollywood deal-making where having sit downs with Eddie Jones and Stuart Lancaster automatically means that he was about to become a fixture in the England team. Showbiz might work like that but rugby and sport doesn't work anything like that.

[@itzgxlxxi]

i hope he doesn’t simply because he went to a supebowl contender team!

[@itzgxlxxi]

i’m not even welsh 🤷🏾‍♂️😭

[@robertcottam8824]

@@itzgxlxxi That’s a relief. You must be very pleased.

[@clemfandango619]

Why go to the NFL? Twice the money for almost no work.

[@mickconners9377]

Because it’s sports’ version of trying to become a pop star instead of a musician. Out of control US capitalism trying to compete with the Saudis in a sports race, Reagan/Andropov style!!!

[@saucyisawesome]

lol. Nobody is trying to compete with the Saudi. There’s no roots of any sport in Saudi. Plus the geography of Saudi makes it difficult for fans to watch games. Average fans are about 5k unless Ronaldo is playing and that now is slowly dying.

[@mickconners9377]

I was referring more to the boxing and golf which the Americans used to dominate in terms of revenue, rights and monopolisation. That’s why you see them buying up ‘soccer’ teams for example.

[@emmettculleton7165]

You’re an arse, but you tell the truth

[@mewbrigsfarm599]

I really like GBR usually, found this episode unlistenable. Alex’s level of narcissism and arrogance made Hask look humble!

[@ScipioAmericanus__]

What’s the the rainbow in the back? Did the alphabet mafia pay you a visit ?

[@omgwaffles09]

People get triggered by rainbows now. Touch grass.

[@ScipioAmericanus__]

@@omgwaffles09 okay boomer

[@robertcottam8824]

@@ScipioAmericanus__ I’m not sure this site is for the likes of you, poppet. Most people here are quite nice. Try GeeBeebees or something similar. Pip pip.

[@clemfandango619]

​@@omgwaffles09maybe he's concerned about his favourite podcasters being corrupted.

[@user-np2ni9pq9y]

​@@clemfandango619Thats a good spot actually. GBR Australia did something similar - they brought out a jersey with an upside down triangle with an alphabet rainbow made of 6 colours. The natural rainbow is made of 7 colours and so the six is important because of the association of the number 6 being anti-creation and anti-christian. Polynesians in Oz are well aware of this and rinsed GBRA for the symbolism, especially the upside down pyramid design. In return GBRA called them bigots and pretended that it was based on a childs drawing. No.. it wasnt. the poor kid drew some stick figures but in true fashion GBRA hid behind "children.. charity... kids drawing.." when the poor kids had nothing to do with it, it was their design choice. Now if you see the rainbow rugby ball in this podcast it similarly has 6 and not the normal 7 colours.

[@ConnorCody-qe4ef]

Get up zammit boy🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 go show the whole of england, what crap they talk😂 your more than a gladiator 😂😂 on the tv show.your a welsh warrior who had the guts and the courage to test your self in a new tough sport.you achived ao much more than your peers in the rugby world you done all that was achievable.well done zammy,now lets take it to the Americans, you got what it takes go get that dream and enjoy your achievements.good luck welsh dragon🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👏👏

[@ChristianOram]

LRZ is on a different level to this guy off the gladiators who was a part time rugby player 🤷‍♂️🙈