Mike Singletary on 'Rattling His Cage' and Finding Spiritual Moments on Beyond the Edge

Mike Singletary has played and coached in some of the most high-pressure environments in sports, including the Super Bowl. But going onto Beyond the Edge was a different matter entirely for the Pro Football Hall of Famer. Despite finding himself a fish out of water in the jungles of Panama, he eventually started to swim, putting his leadership and motivational skills to use when it came to both the team challenges and helping the celebrity contestants through the most challenging experience of their lives.

Check out our interview with Mike Singletary below. Beyond the Edge airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Related: Meet the Celebrity Cast of Beyond the Edge

I know we're only two episodes into Beyond the Edge. But what has it been like watching the experience back, considering what you went through out in the jungle?
Well, it was definitely life-changing and life-altering in many ways. A great, great opportunity to really get in touch with feelings that maybe you've never felt with a group of people that really bonded together, came together, and fought every step of the way together. It was tough and really soul-searching. But it was definitely worth going. A tremendous life experience for me, and very excited to get back in one piece!

Let's rewind to your decision to come onto the show in the first place. What made you choose to pursue the opportunity?
I think the biggest thing is just being able to rattle my cage. Sometimes in life, you're moving along, and you're doing things, and you've been doing in that way for a while. You're just kind of in a routine. For me, it was a great way to shake up the second half of my life. Reading so deeply within myself to look at the direction that I needed to go and really begin to go in that direction with everything that I have—cleaning all of the old rules out and beginning to refocus and get where I need to be.

So then, how do those expectations compare to your feelings when you get there and see what you had to do?
When you get there, it's one thing to hear that you got to find the food; it's one thing to hear that you got to build your own hut. But it's another thing actually to do it. You know that you're surrounded by the water. And so you're thinking, "Well, heck, I can go out there and get the fish." But we don't have a fishing pole and hook in there. So you think, "Man, that's a heck of a lot more difficult than I thought!"

But it really was just a lot of rethinking what you previously thought it was going to be. That first night, you're sitting there, and then at maybe two or three in the morning, it starts to turn into a downpour. And you think, "You've got to be kidding me!" (Laughs.) I thought after the first activity, at least you can go to bed at night. But then we're ready for the second half with all kinds of creatures coming out at night. You're hearing all these noises and wondering how close these things are. So it's pretty crazy, pretty creepy at times.

I noticed the other contestants eventually took to calling you "coach." Did you expect to use those coaching skills so early on in the process, especially when you held back on that first day?
It was interesting. After a while, everybody was teasing me for being quiet. And for me, I'll talk soon enough; I just need to do some thinking. And, after a couple of days, I was talking. I was involved, but it just took a little time to get my bearings and figure out how and where I fit in this thing. How can I make a difference?

You did get to participate on the show with Ray Lewis, who you coached for a couple of years on the Ravens. What was it like to view your relationship in a whole new way?
It was really interesting. For a few nights, we were back-to-back. We stayed next to each other, and we had a screen in between us. And we're thinking we're going to have a chance to get a good night's sleep for the next day's competition. But then it starts raining. It did that for several nights. And we find ourselves back-to-back, just talking, looking at some of the elements that are out there, and trying to figure out what some of the noises were.

To speak of another contestant, you were vehemently against Metta World Peace leaving the show this most recent episode, telling him if he rang the bell, it would be something he'd regret for the rest of his life. What was your reaction by the time he made his departure?
No one wanted anyone to leave. It was tough. It was tough to see anybody go. You just hate to see that it happened. But you just never know. And hopefully, it's never your day. Hopefully, you're fighting until the end. And that's all you can think about is, "I just want to make sure that I last as long as I can."

Did you grow close with anyone else particularly on the show?
It was everybody out there. And in some way in some form or fashion. You grew close to everybody out there in some way. There was no way that you could exist and really make it. You have to depend on everyone. At some point in time, they were going to be your teammate. And at some point in time, they were going to be cheering you on or challenging you not to give up. So you know you find them later and say, "Hey, thank you. I needed that man." Or they will tell you that. So there was not one person out there that I wasn't close to by the end of the show.

You were the oldest contestant on Beyond the Edge, and I know you said in the premiere that age was just a number. But did the experience surprise you with what you could do in your 60s?
No, not really. I'm prepared to be ready for really any challenge at any time. Continue to live my life as best I can and continue to work out and eat right. I've got a great wife who takes care of me. And we take care of each other. So I was ready for that challenge. And yes, it was difficult. But at the end of the day, you know, there were really no surprises. We are all beaten down at the end. And just very thankful to see how far we can go.

You said in the first episode, "I'm here to hear from God." Were you able to find that moment of spiritual awakening during your time in the jungle?
Well, I'll tell you what. When you're walking in the dark, in the jungle, and you're hearing noises, and they seem like they're getting closer and closer to you, you experience God in a lot of different ways. It's very exciting and exhilarating, actually, to know the inner voices that you're hearing. You have to say to yourself, "Hey, we're going to make it. Come on, man. Let's keep pushing here, Mike. This is the way you need to go; this is what you need to do. Just keep walking straight and keep going forward." That's the self-talk that we have to keep saying to ourselves and reassuring ourselves that we are in the right place, and we are going to make it, and we are going to fight through.

Lastly, I know you went out to Beyond the Edge to earn money for the charity Changing Our Perspective. Can you tell me more about that cause?
Changing Our Perspective is a charity 501(c)(3) about education, health, and mental wellness, all based around bridging the gap in our country. That's really what it comes down to. I'm very excited about what we're doing and trying to raise all the money that we can to fill this gap.