Podcast fans like myself have been puzzled as to why David Goggins and Jocko Willink have not been on a podcast together.
Both are former Navy SEALs, have been guests on Joe Rogan’s JRE podcast, and are mutual friends of Cameron Hanes. So why hasn’t Goggins been on Jocko’s podcast or guests together on the Joe Rogan Experience?
It is so puzzling that it makes fans suspicious that there is a potential rift between the two, but at least publicly, the two guys have interchanged several cordial tweets. Let’s analyze deeper and look at why there is reason for hope…
Will Goggins Be on Jocko’s Podcast?
The Jocko Podcast is rich in guests that are former Navy SEALs or have a strong military background. Guys like Andy Stumpf, Leif Babin, and Mike Day have made fantastic guests on Jocko’s podcast, all who were Navy SEALs.
Also see: Andy Stumpf’s Amazing Life: From Navy SEAL to Business Leader
David Goggins, nicknamed the “toughest man on the planet”, would make an epic guest on the Jocko podcast, something all fans would scramble to watch. It would break the internet.
Marcus Luttrell, aka “The Lone Survivor”, seemed to talk very positively about Goggins on the JRE podcast:
But there are a lot of people that don’t like – that don’t understand David. I don’t want to say don’t like him because if you knew him you’d love him.
Marcus Luttrell, The Lone Survivor, on David Goggins (JRE episode #1622)
Way back on Twitter in 2016, Jocko and Goggins had a brief public conversation suggesting they were both willing to sit down for a conversation together. That exchange suggested that there was, in fact, no bad blood between the two and the conversation got fans very hopeful.
Fast forward a few years later and the glimmer of hope has not come to fruition yet, although fans on Twitter have not given up.
Do Goggins and Jocko Know Each Other?
The world of Navy SEALs is a small, tight-knit group of alpha males that rely on each other for missions, training, and survival – their life depends on it.
Although Goggins and Willink did not serve on the same SEAL teams, they did overlap in their Navy SEAL tenures and do know each other. Goggins, born in 1971, is four years younger than Jocko, born in 1975.
Also see: 8 Navy SEALs Who Came on Joe Rogan’s Podcast
Goggins served on SEAL team 5 and in BUD/S class 235, while Jocko served on SEAL teams 1, 2, and 3 and in BUD/S class 177.
Jocko mentioned on Twitter that they did work together, briefly, while in the Navy SEALs and called Goggins a “physical beast.”
Also see: David Goggins’s Workout Regimen in 5 Simple Steps
Are David Goggins and Jocko Willink friends?
There is no indication suggesting that Goggins and Willink are either friends or enemies. Willink responded “Nope” on Twitter when asked if Goggins was a rival.
One interesting tidbit here is that Goggins said on the JRE podcast that he had rubbed some people the wrong way while in the Navy SEALs. As a pure alpha male, Goggins prides himself on “taking souls”, or essentially out-working and being tougher than everyone around him.
Could this have rubbed Jocko the wrong way? Or made Goggins appear as not a team player?
I’ve read Goggins book, available on Amazon – Can’t Hurt Me, and he acknowledged that at times he was not very humble and was too brash. This was a life-changing book for me and I can’t recommend it enough.
Can’t Hurt Me (Amazon)
Rogan asked Goggins, “How much did that piss other alpha males off (in the SEALs), that you were imposing a very high bar?”
Goggins responded: “I was a very misunderstood human being when I was in the military. The Air Force (and Army Rangers) guys liked me a lot, not so much in the SEALs…I wasn’t a quiet person about (going hard). I wasn’t the most humble person always. When you’re around alpha males, sometimes you are picking a fight.”
Also see: The David Goggins Diet: Eating For High Performance
Goggins and Willink Both Were on the JRE Podcast
Another route for Goggins and Jocko getting together would be Joe Rogan’s large podcast platform. Both have made multiple appearances on the JRE podcast and are considered friends of Joe Rogan.
David Goggins On JRE episodes: #1080, #1212, #1906
Jocko Willink On JRE episodes: #729, #962, #1391, #1492, #1740
In addition to Rogan, both Goggins and Jocko are friends with world-class bowhunter Cameron Hanes. Goggins works out with Hanes, creating a warrior-like bond between the two when they go trail running and race ultra-marathons.
Also see: Who Is Cameron Hanes? A Look at His Amazing Life
Jocko has gone on bowhunting expeditions with Hanes and Rogan, and Hanes has mentored Goggins with some archery skills. Maybe Hanes can be the middleman that finally unite the two.
And maybe with some more time, these two military legends and self-discipline warriors can give the fans what we are all craving – a podcast conversation together!
*****
Thanks for reading!