[captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: good evening from los angeles. i am tavis smiley. first up, a conversation about michael vick with nfl hall of fame quarter paurn moon. last night on 60 minutes, michael vick tried to put his troubles behind him just two days after returning to football with the philadelphia eagles. warren moon is out now with a new memoir about his life and career called never give up on your dream. also, emmy nominated actor dylan mcdermott is stopping by. he is finding success in "dark blue." we are gland you joined us. football great warren moon and actor dylan mcdermott coming up

right now. >> there are so many things that wal-mart is looking forward to doing, like helping people live better. but morsely we are looking forward to helping build stronger communities and relationships. because of your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports taffer smile. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve international literacy. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> first day i walked into prison, and he slammed that door, i knew the magnitude of

the decisions that i had made and the poor judgment and what i allowed to happen to the animals. there is no way of explaining the hurt and the guilt that i felt. that was the reason i cried so many nights, and that put it all into perspective. >> michael vick sunday night in an interview sunday night on 60 mivents. i am pleased to be joined by warren moon. in 2006 he became the first and to this point the only african-american quarterback inducted to the nfl hall of fame. he covers the nfl with the seattle seahawks. how could i mess that up. the new book is called "never give up on your dream, my journey." >> thanks for having me. >> what did you make of what michael had to say? how did he come across? >> i thought he came across

very well. he came across showing remorse. he apologized for a lot of the different things he did. that is what people wanted to see. and then james brown asked the tough questions that people wanted to hear the answers, and i think he gave good answers. he talked about how tough it was for him to go to prison. i can imagine how tough that was for tell your young kids some of the things you have done. those things are tough. >> remorseful. you thought he was. believable? >> the proof is in the pudding. that is going to come by time. people are talking about whether he was coached or not? of course he was coached. i get coached on what to tell the media after a game and what your answers maybe should be. yes, he was coached. the proof is going to be in the pudding, whether he goes out and does the things he talked about, whether he tries to make a difference as far as dogfighting is concerned,

whether he keeps himself on the straight and narrow. and is he going to do the things he needs to do to be the best player he can be. >> before i get to the play, and we will talk about whether or not he is ready after a few years of being out of the game. i was in philadelphia the day that vick made the announcement. i was there for some appearances. i get off the plane, and it is on in philadelphia because vick has just given his live conference of the i was in phily, and i love phily, but i was in the thick of it. and just watching, listening and reading the back and forth, and the fans. some fans -- i have been a life-long eagles fan, and i am giving up my ticket. the dogs can't play again, why should he? some are glad he is with the eagles. i am in phily catching this. before we get to whether or not he can perform on the field, how is he going to deal with

the reaction in the stands? i'm not talking about on the road. i am talking about in philadelphia, when they boo'd santa claus, when they boo'd kobe bryant? how is he going to handle it in philadelphia? >> i think he will handle it. as a quarterback first of all, you have to have that tough skin and big shoulders. i think he understands this stuff is going to happen. there are going to be a few weeks where people's emotions are still going to be venting when he goes out on the field or walks out of the tunnel. but he can answer a lot of that by the way he plays. as long as he plays well in philadelphia, they will start to give acceptance. on the road it may not happen as quickly. first of all, he is the opponent. when he goes out on an opponent's field, they are not going to like him anyway whether he killed a dog or not. but with this type of baggage, they are going to let him know about it. they are going to harp at him and intimidate him with those

rants and taunts. >> i think you think he does deserve another chance to play? >> i really do. i think anybody who goes to prison and does what they are supposed to do and comes out and lives their life the right way deserves a second chance. that is what rehabilitation was all about. if michael vick doesn't deserve a second chance, then what prisoner does that comes out of prison? you try to rehabilitate people, and they don't always do the greatest job of that because a lot of criminals end of going back. but i don't think michael strick is a criminal. i think he did something that is very wrong, and he understands that now. i don't think he will go back down that path again. if he does something else, that is different. >> how much respect do you have for tony dungy for putting himself on the line this way? >> he really did, but he has been working with ex-prisoners for a long time as far as helping with the rehabilitation process and getting them

acclimated back into society. this is no different except you are dealing with a high profile player. he is out there, and a lot of that responsibility is going to be put on his shoulders if michael fails again. but that is the kind of person tony dungy is. >> he is the first african-american head coach to win in the super bowl. i want to go to the book, and i want to start with a parallel. thankfully you never got caught up in a dogfighting stanley or anything near like that in your career, but there were -- or there was a line that you had to walk as an african-american quarterback, not being accepted. >> right. >> here you are, you are the only player in the canadadian a nfl halls of fame and the only black quarterback to be in our hall of fame. tell me about the ugly side, the side of being a black quarterback back in your day? >> a lot of people at any time want to accept that the

african-americans could even play the position. there were stereo tapesbout it. i don't know if it was racism when it came to professional football, but i think in the minds of a lot of owners, general managers and a lot of coaches that we couldn't play a position where you had to lead, where you had to think, where you had to mme quick decisions. it wasn't just the quarterback it was any position down the middle of the field, the center, the guy who makes the calls on the line ofcrimmage. middle linebacker was another spot, and safety. but quarterback was the the last horizon. it was tough because i knew in my heart that i could play the position. i watched myself against different competition. i could size myself up as to whether i had what it took to be a quarterback, and i was always a pretty good leader as a young kid. a lot of that started from my upbringing and my family background because of my dad passing away when i was seven. i was a very mature kid for my age, and i know how to be

mature, know how to think and make decisions and all the things that come along with being a quarterback. >> i know your mother has been a great mother, and yet i'm thinking about the sport you play, football, and how so many guys who play football, coach in it, coached into it because of their father's dreams. you think of payton and eel, and their father is archie. you have six sisters. who is guiding you? you don't have that father figure who help you in this football figure? >> i had an uncle roy who was my biggest father figure at that age, he was my great uncle, and coaches in parks. that is one reason my mom got me involved in sports, was to get me around more black males and people who cook mentors,

and to have me around more boys as well because it was all women around my house all the time. those tended to be my mentors and the guys i looked up to. my coaches and my uncle. >> i should manage, the pride of hamilton high school. >> go yankees. >> there you go, right here in l.a. that said, i'm sure guys will get a kick out of this, the flip side of having that father figure around, is the ritual your mother told you to engage in to keep yourself calm before games. she wanted to keep yourself calm. what did your mom suggest you do before every big game, warren moon? >> she taught me to cook at a young age and bake. she told me that i should bake cookies the night before my game to relax me and get me ready to play. i got really intense, and i got into what i had to 0 do the next day. this relaxed me and got my mind away from it. it intentionally turned into a cookie business. i had a chocolate chip cookie

business in canada, and had five stores down here. it was a very good suggestion by my mom. >> you can still hook it up now? >> i can still hook it up now. >> you didn't bring me any? >> i didn't bring any. >> i ought to kick you out of here for that. if warren moon comes back here, make hur he brings cooks. >> it will be more than that. >> what else have you got? >> i have got an oatmeal race inand a warren special. i have peanut butter, and i have a combination oatmeal chocolate chip too. >> now i'm getting hungry. when you heard that you were being inducted into the nfl hall of fame, what did that do, if anything? i remember your career well and watching you as a kid growing up. what did that do for all that you had to endure to get to that place as a black quarterback? did questioning to the hall of

fame take whatever animosity, disappointment or angst you miffed away? >> you know? what it did was give a stamp of approval on my career. the one thing that i didn't accomplish during my football career in the nfl was a super bowl. that was something that i had every opportunity to win, but we never got it together and did it. but to make it into the pro football hall of fame, to be considered one of the best ever to play the game, considering where everybody said of me coming out of high school and college, didn't want me to play the position, it put the stamp of approval on it that i really had a great career. >> when you say never give up on your dream, what is the lesson? i believe there are lessons, which is why i love sports at their best. they underscore for us every day people what we can do when we put our mind to it, prepare and practice for it. what is the lesson that we take

from the life and legacy of warren moon about never giving up? >> in young kids, i try and tell them to dream big and make your goals high. i dreamed big when i was a young kid. this started when i was 7 or 8 years old in the front yard at my house in los angeles, emulating who i thought i was going to be, whether it was roger staw back, or roman gabriel or james harris. i put myself in their uniform. that was my dream as a young kid. even though there were some tough times along the way, a lot of adversity and twists and turns, i stayed focused and eventually accomplished it. that is what this book is all about. i tell kids even though you may run into some adversity along the way, somebody might tell you no, you can't do this or that. i'm a prime example of someone who didn't come from a lot,

went through a lot of tough times in history, but i still made it. >> i can guarantee this, and i don't have to know him to ask this. michael vick, donovan mcnab, dante culpepper, they will all love to win the super bowl, but they would like to end up where warren is now, the nfl hall of fame. his book is called never give up on your dream, my journey. glad to have you here. >> glad to be here. >> cookies next time. up nt, actor dylan mcdermott. stay with us. >> please welcome dylan mcdermott to this program, the emmy-nominated actor who starred for years on "the practice." he is back in prime time now in a new project for tnt called "dark blue." the police drama is produced by some guy named jerry bruckheimer. and it airs wednesday nights at

10:00 p.m. here is a scene. >> go back, kiss his butt, wash his car. get him to trust you. >> wait a minute, britt? >> who is he? >> big-time diamond fence. >> criminals convert their millions into brilliant prist even dinald. >> how does he foit into it? >> they grew up into the same neighborhood. did a lot of work together. >> why not cut off the middle business? >> because he is smart. he only does deals north of $2 million. >> what are we going to do, hit tiffany's? >> something like that. >> why "dark blue"? >> well, i guess it is the darker side of law enforcement. these guys basically are acting like criminals to catch criminals. it is a darker side with undercover work. >> tell me about the role you play? >> well, carter shaw, we are meeting him at the bottom of his life. this is a guy who has done

police work for a long time. this is a guy whose personal life is a mess. i think that all he lives for is his work. it is the only thing he knows. he sleeps on the couch at the office a lot of the time. he is really good at what he does. it is the only thing he really knows. >> yes tavis: you have done this a couple of things in prime time now. is the plan to do things that are die met trickally opposed in terms of characters? >> yes. that is always the fun part. the thing about being on a successful show is people get to know you. that is the good news and the bad news. once they get though know you, they think they know you, and they kind of lock you in, you know what i mean? tavis: right. >> i think when i left "the practice," the real work began because then it is my job to kind of change people's mind about me. i certainly don't want to play that role again. it is time to play a new role.

but sometimes in the old days they wouldn't let you do that. you were trapped into a role, and that was it. so it really is my job to mix it up as much as i can, and i try to do things in films like wunder land. i changed my look. in "dark blue," it is a chance for me to play a mucuch darker character. that might be uncomfortable for people, but hopefully they will catch up and say he has so many intricacies to him. tavis: a couple of things i want to go back and unpack a little bit. one, when you said in the old days they wouldn't let you do that, tell me what you meant by that and why that has changed? >> in 1997, i believe, television was a very clear line between television actors and movie actors. when "the practice" came to me, everyone said don't do it. you will be labeled a tv actor. so i knew the material was

good. my instinct was huge on that, and i knew i had to do it. so i ended up doing it. i fired everyone because i knew. that my i think are instinct was right. sometimes you get that instinct, and you don't want to listen to it. tavis: i know. >> i knew that i was correct, and by the way, the show was not successful when it came out. it took a good two seasons for it to catch on. tavis: that is something else. >> i knew in my heart that it was going to be successful, and it did take time. i proved to be right. that doesn't always happen. sometimes you do things, but that instict was really remarkable when i think about on it, because it was realllly not a time for a movie actor to go to television. now the lines are completely blurred. tavis: we laughed when you said you fired everybody. tell me your process for jucks juxtaposing what you believe is

right for your career and being managed? jay leno was on a couple of nights ago, and he doesn't have an agent or a manager. >> how does he do that? tavis: but most folks in this busisiss are managed or handled by somebody. there is this thing, co--- do you trust your own instincts or listen to what they are telling you? what is your process in that regard? >> representation is a huge part of this business. i have had many agents. i have had many managers. and some have fallen by the wayside because they didn't line up with my vision of myself. you have to have a very clear vision of who you are certainly. sometimes you get lucky and you run into people that have that same vision. but right now i have that. i have a good team of people

that i really believe in. but it really comes from you. i mean you have to decide what you want and what you see in your career. if you are waiting for somebody to give you that, you are in g trouble, because they are not. it is like waiting for a director to give you a performance. it doesn't happen. you have to come in with a performance, and they can guide you because there are only a few crate directors left. tavis: i hear your point that you can't wait for somebody to give that vision to you. i guess the question is whether or not dylan mcdermott's vision of who he is changes over time? >> yes -- tavis: or does that remain cons tabt? you know where you want to take this career, or has that changed over your career? >> yes. i think it has deepened over time. tavis: that is a good word. >> when you first start out, all you want to do is work. and then you realize you want to do the great work because there is a small window of what is out there for an actor, especially nowadays.

there are less and less movies. network stwigs in flux and trying to find its identity. cable right now is the place to be because you can have character. that's a great thing for an actor, to have character, because so much of the time you don't get to have character. >> what is it about cable -- it is all television on ostensibly. >> sure. tavis: what is it about the fact that cable alouse character? >> well, because you can do a lot more. you can use language, sexuality , and there is violence that you can get away with. it is a much more sanitized version on television because of the advertising. on cable you don't have to worry about that as much because you are paying for it. >> you talked earlier in the conversation about from role to role changing your style, look and changing who you are and hoping that the audience

catches up. >> right. tavis: do you find that your core fan base does that, or do they have trouble accepting that? >> it is always an experiment. certainly this is a much more darker character. as i said before. and i like that. i do this for me, right? i act for me ultimately. i'm not acting for anybody in the world but for me because i love it. that is the reason i began, and that's the reason i continue to do it. i don't really have a calculated plan to move me to the next level. i respond to material, and i responded to this because i felt him somewhere. i felt this guy, felt his sorrow, if you would. in the pilot he was just walking county the street. when i saw that, i saw me in the role. if the material hits me, i don't care if one person sees

it or 10 million people. once i start doing it for other people and trying to create success through that, i think that is when i will be unhappy. tavis: to your point earlier about the lines being so blurred now between television and film. i assume that is a good thing and that you feel comfortable free-flowing back and forth? or have you decided you know what, i'm a tv guy and this is where i want to be now? >> no. i have made many films while i was on television. i have had more success on television. you don't know where that is going to come from sometimes. it just comes. for me, tv has been very good to me. so i have to kind of butter my bread there. when the movies come, it is great. tavis: if i got this wrong, you tell me, and i will move on. >> ok. tavis: i'm a fan of your work, and i thought you knew you relatively well. i don't know how i missed this. is it true that dylan is not your deliven name? >> right. >> tavis: i say that because dylan

mcdermott -- i can do like 10 of these. i think some people have the coolest names. i love ahmed rarbed. >> that is a great one. tavis: and dylan mcdermott works, but i did not know that was not your given name? >> yes. my step mother who became my adoptive mother. she was the greatest influence and still is the greatest influence in my life. she took me as a 15-year-old boy and shaped me. she gave me books to read, and she brought me to plays, and she taught me philosophy. she just was that person, that one person in your life that i'm so grateful to have. anyway, she was going to have a child with my dad, and she miscarried, and they were going to name the baby dylan. i had to change my name because of sag. there was already a mark mcdermott. i had to take a new name, and

there it was, and i took the name. it is sort of beautiful in the way it happened. it was very organic, and i sort of took over i guess the spirit. tavis: a great story, what a great name and what a great show, "dark blue" on tnt. nice to have you on. >> thanks you. >> give my best to your mother. that is our show for tonight. catch me on p.r.i. you can access us on pbs.org. i will see you next time on pbs. until then, thanks for watching and keep the faith. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> for more information on today's show, visit twice smile at pbs.org. >> hi, i am tavis smiley, join me for a conversation with smokey robinson, celebrating 50 years of music. that is next time. we will see you then. >> there are so many things that wal-mart is looking forward to doing, like helping

people live better. but mostly, we are looking forward to helping build stronger communities and relationships. because of your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.