Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Aaron Rodgers: Enigma’ exploring the defining moments of the titular football athlete’s life and career, we get a documentary series that can only be described as illuminating. After all, it incorporates not just archival footage but also exclusive interviews with the quarterback as well as those close to him to underscore who he really is on every level as a being. Amongst those to thus feature in this Gotham Chopra and Liam Hughes’ 3-part directorial is actually none other than Aaron’s childhood friend and long-term close confidant, Jordan Russell.
Jordan Russell Has Been By Aaron Rodgers’ Side Since They Were Teenagers
It was reportedly back at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California, when Jordan first came across Aaron just as they were both getting used to starting this new journey as 9th graders. However, it wasn’t until they both realized they were a part of the same youth group owing to their religious families that they became really close, which they were able to maintain as they grew up. While the athlete did begin moving away from his family’s belief system in college, his best friend also grew into his own person and found his passion in the food and beverages industry.
Yet, according to reports, Jordan and Aaron remained friends at every stage of their lives, enabling them to be a key part of each other’s triumphs and tribulations. Therefore, of course, the former not only knows all about the latter’s estrangement from his family but has also stood by him through his years as a backup quarterback, his Superbowl win, his career peaks, his controversies, and his injuries. Moreover, and more importantly, in terms of the public eye, he has been the athlete’s caddie ever since his first Annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship appearance.
Jordan Russell Introduced Aaron Rodgers to Ayahuasca
According to former columnist turned author Ian O’Connor’s ‘Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers,’ it was back in 2019 that Jordan found himself deep in the Amazonian rain forest for some spiritual healing and wayfinding. He had actually decided to take a trip to a plant-medicine shamanic healing center in Iquitos, Peru, called the Temple of the Way of Light in the hopes of self-improvement, just for his friend Aaron to essentially take over his journey. That’s because, per the California native’s own interview with Ian, he primarily saw his childhood friend and his unrealized potential despite his remarkable success throughout the five nights he did ayahuasca.
“I saw into who Aaron is, and I saw the reason that his potential was not being met: because his potential is not who he is on the football field. That is what has given him the platform and profile to give his gift, is the way I see it,” Jordan reportedly told Ian. “I saw him for exactly who he is, and it brought me to tears. I stand in awe of him as a man, and in so many ways, he’s trapped inside of his own archetype, trapped inside this shell, this ego of a famous football player, when really what he is is a warrior of a man who has an absolutely gigantic heart and who just wants to love and be loved.”
Jordan admittedly didn’t say any of this to Aaron for a while as he wanted to have this conversation face-to-face, unaware his assertions and tales of his experience would inspire the athlete. In fact, Aaron and his then-girlfriend, racecar driver Danica Patrick, traveled to Peru in early 2020, where his limited encounters with the drug changed his life in a way he could have never imagined. We say limited because the couple had to cut their trip short owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet Aaron has admittedly since taken several more such voyages for ayahuasca.
Jordan Russell is a Professional Chef Turned Entrepreneur
While Aaron is a professional football player, his childhood friend Jordan has been in the food and beverages industry for the better part of his adult life. He actually graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts with an Associate’s degree, after which he got to work with some of the most exciting ingredients from around the world while also traveling to several places. Little did he know, though, that he would fall in love with Thailand while on one such experience, only to return time and time owing to its rich flavors, natural ingredients, as well as vibrant culture.
So, by the time 2022 rolled around, Jordan knew he had to do something to blend his new appreciation for Thailand with his old passion for the industry he serves, resulting in him establishing Ra Natural Beverages. This brand offers cold-processed 100% organic coconut water that is single-sourced from family farms in Thailand, meaning it prioritizes sustainability, support, and a greener earth by reducing waste. According to this travel enthusiast, he leads this company as its Founder-CEO with a solemn commitment to doing business with reciprocity and awareness.
Read More: Carol Sargent: Where is Aaron Rodgers’ Tahoe Grandma Now?
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