October 2, 2024 • 31 mins
Richard Sherman interviews New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Richard asks the former University of Oregon standout about getting drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo's intricate playbook, getting his first career interception against the Miami Dolphins last season matching up with Tyreek Hill, and what his goals are for his second year in the league. Christian talks about his bond with his Patriots teammate Keion White, why Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos is the corner he's studied the most in his career, and what makes A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles the most difficult receiver to cover in the NFL for him.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 3 (01:46):
Volume nor Delta Po Bowl Championships that should always do
the expectation.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Alright, manx go. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast.
We got an incredible guest, one of the best quarters
in the National Football League from the New England Patriots,
Christian Gonzales. Appreciate you joining me.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Anytime, anytime. Well, I got a lot of questions. Obviously
last year your your season was cut short by injury,
but you were strapping before the injury. You you had
some great games. Talk to me through your rookie year
and even your draft process. How it felt to get drafted,
Did you expect to go there where you did? Did
you expect to go to New England? And how did
you feel when you got selected?
Speaker 5 (02:32):
The whole draft process was it was crazy. It was surreal,
to be honest. I mean, I really didn't think me
or like my team, we know, we didn't really think
I was gonna fall out of the top ten.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
But you know what I mean, it happened for a reason.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
I mean, it was it was a blessing to be
able to come to the Patriots, and it was it
was a real cool moment when I found out I
was the first dB drafted since mccordy in the first
round by the Hall of Fame by Belichick. So I
mean that was that was amazing. And I mean rookie year,
it was. It was fun while while I was out there,
(03:10):
and then you know, injuries happened, so I mean it
was it was tough, but I think I learned from
it and was able to grow this offseason, So I
think it helped in the back end.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No question, no question. I think it's they just don't
value even this year's draft you look, you look up,
and you're like a defensive player didn't get picked till
so I think Byron Murphy went to the Seahawks at sixteen,
and it's just it's just wild. So I don't think
it was you. It's it's that, you know, everybody likes
these receivers and and and they're dancing, and then it's
the quarterbacks and stuff like that. But I mean, it
(03:44):
must have felt really good to get picked by Belichick
because Belichick has a I mean, he got a feel
for DB's you know, they they you know, you could
say whatever you want about some of the other positions,
but for dB, he has a good eye, a good feel,
especially what he likes to do. It's a man and
a man's scheme. They like guys that could Minoi mono
all day. So talk me through your relationship with him
(04:05):
once you got drafted.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Yeah, I mean it was it was, like I said,
it was a surreal moment, especially when I found you
know that I didn't really I didn't actually know that
stat until you know, they told me, But I mean,
it was it was real cool. It was a blessing
to be able to learn from him. I mean, he
he and I kind of lot. I mean, we don't
really talk a lot. I mean it's not you know
(04:28):
that there wasn't a lot of you know, conversations. You know,
we're both not you know, we're not the raw rock guy.
So I mean being able to learn from him and
and you know, take take the things he taught me
was it was like real real helpful and real cool
and I had a fun time doing it.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Well. You know, I know you're on the player. You
don't like to talk a lot, but I need you to.
You're gonna have to talk today to me. You you
didn't got tasked with every just about every game you
following If they have a number one, a true one receiver,
it looks like they've got you following his That something
you take pride in you take personally or is this
something coach may or DC ask you to do or
is just something that's within y'all scheme.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean I definitely take pride in it. So
I mean it's it's kind of both. You know, if
they're asking me to do it, yeah, I'm gonna go
do it. So I mean, it's it's definitely fine, you know,
being able to go up against against the league's best
weekend and week out. So I mean that's what you
dream as a corner, you know it. It's just you know,
you want to go against the best, and I embrace that, y'all.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Sure, your second career game, you played the Miami Dolphins
and you got that interception, and I you know, I've
been looking at the tape and it still looks like
invert two to me, But I could be wrong. Everybody
runs all kind of crazy stuff these days. But within
that scheme, Belichick scheme, and even now, y'all run that zero,
y'all bounce back, y'all give zero looks, and then you
got so many different responsibilities. Talk me through that play
(05:50):
when you got your first pick.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
Yeah yeah, I mean we was in a in an
inverted to. So I was playing the safety, you know,
the deep the deep half at that point, and you
know I've seen Tyreek was kind of he was kind
of the only threat on that side, and I mean
everybody knows he can roll, so I mean just tried
to get out of there, you know, made up this speed,
turned and was able to go up there and get
the ball.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
When you left Colorado, you know, you played really good
football at Colorado. But what went into the decision to
go to Oregon.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
It was really my dB coach, Demetris Mark.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
He he left Colorado and went to Oregon, and you know,
I committed it to the Colorado he was at Colorado,
So being able to learn from him and play under him,
it was it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
You know, he played the position he he he did
a lot.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
So I mean, uh, once he went to Oregon, I
mean I got to you know, finished when I started
with him, and you know, he told me I could
I could go to college and leave in three years
and and and be a first round pick.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
So I mean believed in him and just went with
him to Oregon.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
He didn't lot to you when the player comes together.
Uh So in this game, y'all run in a lot
of zero where you got it, where you gotta trust
you in things. You gotta trust you your pass rush.
Your pass rush has gotten home. U. There's been some
some guys that that are taking steps forward on that
D line. Talk to me about your teammates and the
(07:18):
and the impact and growth that you've seen.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
Yeah, the whole the whole defense. You know, it's it's
fun to play in this defense. I mean, we we
do so much, you know, some aggressive defenses, especially with
second year guys like like Keon.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
You know, me and him, we talked a lot.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
We got the same agent, so I mean being able
to know he gonna go up there and do his
job and the whole d line they're going to get
back there, and you know that that.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Only helps the secondary so much.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
So being able to you know, know I have a
great front seven and that they're going to affect the
quarterback is real helpful.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
When you're coming out of high school? What what what
made you want to play corner? You know, I mean
you in Texas and y'all take football, ol dang series
in Texas. What it ain't a lot of kids these days.
We talked about the receivers. Everybody wants to play receivers.
Everybody wants to catch touchdown passes. What made you want
to play corner?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Well?
Speaker 5 (08:10):
Really, I played receiver my whole life, So honestly I played,
like in high school, played both ways. Was really playing receiver.
You know, mostly I played corner just you know, just
being athletic, just going out there and playing it. But
you know, my my corner coaching high school coach Grady.
(08:30):
He was telling me, he thinks I could I could
play this position at a high level. So junior year
is kind of when I started like actually going and
I started going to my trainer. Now Flight once I
started going to him, and you know, we took off
and it took off from them.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Hey, that's exactly how my journey started. When I was
in high school, I was a straight receiver. You know,
you know, I'm catching a hundred yards a game. I'm
feeling good. Pete Carroll comes to campus and coming and
for Carroll to come to Compton, it was crazy to me.
But he went to all the hoods because that's where
he was. He was Uncle Pete back then, and he
was like, man, I think you could be a lockdown
corner for usc UH in the future. And I was like,
(09:11):
you know, he's the freaking godfather. They were winning national
champions chips then and ever since then. I had I
had really only dabbled that corner because one of our
other corners had a rough game and the championship game
and they literally I hadn't played it all year and
they were like, hey, going there and stop him from
catching the ball. And I was like, hey, I figured
it out. I'm tired of watching it. Yeah, and so
(09:33):
we got we got to college and I played receiver
my first couple of years, then switched and played corner
ever since I didn't I didn't go first round. I
should have. I should have switched earlier. I might have
had a chance. But what motivates you, what pushes you
to keep going, What pushes you to get out of
bed every day and and and grind?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Yeah, really it's it's my family.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Uh, my dad especially you know him, him being from
Columbia and his story is is you know, it inspires
me every day. The fact that he was able to
leave everything he knew and come to America and not
even speak English. For him to do that, and you know,
chase his dream playing basketball and then just raise a
(10:13):
successful family. Being able to look back at that, it's
not hard for me to get up and go to
work in the morning.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
So I mean, it's that's that's what gets me going.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's awesome, man, it sounds like a great man. My
dad was a trash truck driver and you know, thirty
years and just got up at three forty five every
day and went to work. And you know, when you
just see that kind of work ethic. It really it
pushes you and it's just a lot of fewer excuses.
Then you got a sister that.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Hurdles, right, yeah, I got two of them.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
You got two sisters that they both hurdle.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Yeah, yeah, So, I mean, well, the oldest one, Melissa,
she she's the one that ran in the Olympics. She
ran the forms of hurdles. Then I got another sister, Samantha.
She ran hurdles in high school and in college. She
went to Miami, but she's still running. But she she's
just recently switched to two hundred, so she's she's now
(11:08):
running the two.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
How is it when all y'all get together, you know,
after you know, obviously y'all y'all got raised, got a
good dad, got a good family, and you know, have
gone on to have so much success. It must be
really cool when you all get together and can talk
about it and just see and appreciate how far you
guys have come.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
I mean anytime we get together, you know, we always
get to argue about you know, competitive you know, who's
the fastest, who does this, who does that? But I
mean it's amazing we all you know, support each other,
and you know, I think that's also one of the
biggest things that I didn't really realize until now, like
looking back on and being able to, you know, watch
(11:49):
them and watch their success as I was growing up,
that seeing them do their support at such a high level,
being able to respect that and learn from them. Even
though it's two different sports, you know, there's still so
much you can take away from it.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
So being able.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
To lean on them and and it was that was
really helpful.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It's always good to have a great example in front
of you. Got an Olympian in front of you. I
don't care if it's tennis, you know what I mean.
It shows you work, ethic, dedication, probably professionalism. Like she
had to break some barriers down so that you could
get through them and know what it looks like. Yeah. Sure,
So what is your favorite thing. You've been in New
England two years now? Tell me some stuff you like
(12:31):
to do. You got an apartment, you got a house.
I don't know a lot about Foxborough.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
I mean it's different for sure, especially going from from
Texas to Oregon all the way to the East coast.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
I mean it's still still getting used to it. But
I mean, it's it's cool.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
I enjoyed it. It's quiet. I'm a quiet guy, so
I like, I don't like being in big cities and
all that, so it's it's a good fit for me.
One of my favorite things about being out here is
you get all the seasons, which in Texas you don't
get all the seasons.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
You get you get summer and winter. That's it.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
So being out here being able to see you know that,
like right now the leads are changing. You know, it's
turning the fall or getting close to winter. So I mean,
it's little things like that that I never really experienced.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
That's that's one of my favorite things of being up here.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that too. I'm from California, so
you get no seasons. In California's literally seventy five in
sunny year round, which ain't nothing to complain about, I guess.
But first time I ever saw snow, well, I was.
I was out there. It wasn't even snow, it was
just ice on the ground. I was in there trying
to make snow angels, right, looking like a deal fool.
(13:44):
Did you have any corners that you studied coming out
that you patterned your game after. Obviously you in New England,
ReBs played in New England, Tyed lost, some real great
DB's played for that organization. But who did you try
to pattern your game after.
Speaker 5 (13:59):
Yeah, my biggest and most you know, somebody I still
watch pretty much every day is at That'ssertained. It was
kind of my first. It was my first corner that
I like really started to model my game after. And
that kind of got that in college just because my
coach is always you know, preaching about.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Technique, technique, technique and.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Being able to see, you know, somebody that I'm kind
of physically around the same size around, you know, the
same way, kind of like that play with such you know,
great technique.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
He was.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
He was the first person I found, and you know,
I've been studying him, studying him pretty much every day.
I mean, I feel like, if you're a dB, you
got to watch a little Jalen Ramsey. Can't leave them out.
But patt Is is definitely who I watch the most.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Pat is the class of the NFL right now. I
Mean when you look at his tape, it's literally press off,
it's tap tape, teach tape, it's patient h it's deliberate,
you know it's the they're trying to pick him. They're
trying to freaking run crossers. They're trying to He has
incredible He's not grabbing, he's not pulling. That boy looks
like he is just chilling on the beach having a
(15:09):
good time. Fat man. He's one of the best I've seen,
and I just hope he gets more books. Man, these
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dot com to get started today. But in y'all scheme,
and I don't want you know, and I'm gonn preface
it with this because CJ. Stroud got you know, got
talking about people giving away these secrets. I'm not trying
to get your secrets. I'm not trying to give away anything.
But I love talking ball and it's hard not to
talk ball without talking coverages and schemes. And I wanted
to talk about the play the play with DK because
(16:42):
again y'all, y'all coverages and not to bring up bad
plays because you you're one of the best goringers the
National Football League. So I'm not just not a shot
I any matter. I just want to understand something because
it looks to me like inside of y'all zero. When
y'all get that look, sometimes they'll most you out and
then obviously quarterbacks see it and they try to check
out of stuff. They try to check out and see
y'all in there, and y'all look like y'all have checks
(17:03):
that change when they change, which is one of the craziest,
coolest things I've seen. And I'm like, if they really
check it. When the quarterbacks check it. This is wow.
And people were telling me I'm crazy, Like Fit's played
with Flores for a while and it's all they're all family,
you know, that New England family. And He's like, they're
not checking, it's just they're just faking and running zero.
(17:24):
And I'm like, no, they're definitely checking. I don't know
if it's palms or what, but they're they're communicating, so
they're not just running zero and sitting flat Like that
tell me about how it is to be in that
kind of scheme where you have to make those kind
of decisions on the fly.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah, I mean I think it's I think it's real cool,
you know, playing the defense that has.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
So many different, like you said, checks, and it's not
just like all right, they line up in this, all right,
we're gonna play this. You know, they line up like
this and the motion like this. We can check it too.
So I mean being able to do that is real fun.
But I mean it comes from playing with with You're brillant,
playing with Pep and play with Doug and you know
they've seen so much, they've seen so much falling and
(18:05):
the real smart guys, so being able to trust that
they're going to be in the right spot and they
know everybody else is going to be in the right spot.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
It all comes from that, and you know, we we
make it a communication is key.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
So I mean we could we could technically be in
the wrong check, but as long as we all in
the same check, were good.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
So I mean, we just rely on communication and being able.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
To change it up how it looks to the QB
and how it looks at the offense, make make certain
things look like certain things, and so it's a lot
of fun, dude, being able.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
To do that.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
My great coach Rissard said, Look long as we all wrong,
we're all right wrong together we are right. We're doing
the same thing. That's really cool because it's it's always
tough when they motioned the back out and they really
you know what I mean, I D the coverage and
know you and man or know you and zero. You're
just kind of sitting there like I know it's probably
(18:57):
slot fade or double move or you know. Then you
start trying to get through what it is. But if
you can adjust to and be like ha ha, y'all
thought we was in zero, got him?
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Sweet?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I wish I wish boy. We we we used to
sit and cover three. We made it work. We made
it work now. But boys knew what we was in
and we in three one fire zone three or I
mean at third and loan maybe soft two. But we
only played like four or five coverages. So it's like
it's not it's not crazy complicated. We just got the
(19:28):
personnel that's gonna make it tough. Right, who's the toughest
receiver you've gone again so far? And it don't got
to be a big name, because do you ask me.
Stevie Johnson was the one that that that gave me hell.
He gave me hell for one game, longest game of
my life. Next time I saw him, I picked him
twice on Thanksgiving and eight turkey on the field, so
I got it settled. But he gave me hell.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
I talked about a lot. You know, when people ask
me this, I said, aj Aj is up there. Aj
Brown for sure. He got all the tools.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
He's strong, fast, smart, uh, he understands football, and I
think a lot of people don't don't give him as
much credit for how quick he is, especially being that
size that you know that that doesn't really you know,
get put into his into his game plan or a
nice game plan, but his his traits. Everybody just talks
(20:17):
about how big he is and how fast he is,
but he he's really explosive and real quick and he
gets he can get in and out of his breaks
real fast.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
So he's a tougher seed for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
No, it's definitely a tough challenge. What were your goals
heading into this season? Yeah? This season.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Uh, you know, one of my my biggest goals I
made was not even like a stat or anything like that.
It was really just go have fun. Going into my
rookie year, I was all right, I gotta I want
to do this, I want to do this, and then
I got hurt. So I mean that was that was
the first time my career ever got hurt. Uh oh wow,
first time since Little league that I ever you know,
(20:53):
missed the game. So, I mean it was definitely a change.
Sitting in this offseason and just thinking it was, you know,
coming to this season, I was more like, okay, like,
let me enjoy the moment, let me enjoy that, Like
I get to play football for for my work. So
something as small as that, you know, it sounds cliche,
(21:13):
but that was That's kind of My biggest goal is
just you know, go out there, don't take it for granted,
and just have fun.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
End the day I playing at the kids game for work.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Yeah, that's it. Took It took me a while to
get back to that. And my playing career is just
because you get so locked in, you know, in the ground.
You're like day to day like I gotta cover this,
I gotta do this, I gotta do this, you gotta
do this. You're like, hey, I gotta cover this, dude.
And people don't understand how high anxiety playing corner is.
This is a high anxiety position, not because not because
we ain't confident, we don't think we could do it,
(21:45):
just because it takes one play to ruin your damn day.
Oh yeah, I gotta. I got a lot of respect
for everything you've done, uh and and who you are
as a person as a corner. I love your tech
and I love the comparison between certain because that's exactly
how who you are. You do a great job from off,
you do a great job from press. You're a technician
(22:05):
within your tech, within y'all scheme. It's really cool to
watch what did you do different? You know, because Obviously,
last year was your rookie year, so you're all season
going different, you know, chicking with your head cut off,
going crazy. This is your first off season as a pro.
How did you spend it?
Speaker 4 (22:19):
I definitely took time to be with my family.
Speaker 5 (22:22):
Yeah, Like, like you said that that jump from from
college from you know, you play your last college game
and then it's you know, you have maybe I think
I had like three days before I left for combine training,
So I mean you don't really get that time and
that you go from there all the way to season
and then finally get that break.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
But I mean, you know, Mike came earlier than expected.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
But you know I was able to, you know, get
back with my family and you know, just mentally get better,
breathe and take time to hang out.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Then. But then I also was able to study the
game a lot more and learn more.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
So you know, I feel like I have a a
good perspective as as as from a defensive mind, which
I mean there's still so much I can learn, but
I was able to learn more from the offensive sidey
And like one thing Belichick always talked about. He would
always ask us, like, who who's the offensive coordinator?
Speaker 4 (23:17):
And my rookie year.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
I'm like, like, at first I didn't under like understand, like,
all right, he's offensive coordinator. Okay, so what But now
it's like in the obeason, I was able to learn, like, okay,
offensive coordinator, he came from this tree.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
They did this.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
They like to attack a corner like me this way.
So I mean that type of thing I was able
to pick up on this offseason.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Bro your your mouths and light years ahead of a
lot of other people. And then you're you're you have
the talent, you have the body, you have everything, you need,
all the tools. But that part of the game, the
sooner and the better you can grasp that, Oh my god,
it's gonna be such an easier game because it's gonna
be you're gonna have your notebook and you're gonna be like,
is this Coyle Shanahan tree?
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Is this?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Wait? Is this that spread tree? Is this West Coast?
Or is this that tight West coast?
Speaker 4 (24:08):
Like?
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Hey, where did he come from? Was he an assistant? O? Okay?
So I see I see, I see it. They're gonna
be outside zone, mid zone. They're gonna they're gonna run
these crossers. They're gonna be condensed. They're gonna run spray
outs and spray posts, and okay, who's their quarterback? This
is what he liked, because the receiver at that point
doesn't matter. That's why a guy who ran four or
five and and had really suspect backpedal could sit there
(24:31):
and get forty one interceptions and lead the league in
a lot of his years and be leaked. Because I
don't really care about none of that stuff. All I
care about is the scheme. I care about the plays.
Can I recognize the formations? Can I recognize the emotions
and diagnose them within a few seconds? That was my superpower.
Superpower wasn't running four three. I could jump pretty high,
but and I can catch the football. But I started
(24:52):
the game that way I started. That was my freaking
from the beginning. That was all I thought about. I
was like, Hey, if I can recognize the plays in
the scheme, the receiver won't matter. I'm going against Calvin.
But he got to run a go route, he got
to run a post, he got to run a curl
so and I just got to beat him to the ball.
That's knowledge. That's knowledge. Well, you got any questions for me?
I don't want to, you know, make this all about you.
If you got anything you want to ask me, what.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Would you say, you know, like, welcome to the NFL movement.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Plus that's that's that's a great question. It was we
played Cincinnati Bengals. I got my first it was my
first start, and I'm playing AJ Green. AJ was top
five and you know, I'm fifth round. And so they're like,
oh man, this rookie is about to get cooked by
AJ Green. He's about to probably go for one point fifty.
And I got an interception, like a couple drives into
(25:36):
the game. So I'm talking cash. Yeah, I'm feeling good.
I you know, yeah, got I got got it off
my chest. And then I'm playing cover three. I'm guarding
one receiver deep and he runs me off and we're
running cover three and they throw the ball to the
full back in the flat and our buzz defender, our
backer didn't get out there, Like I don't know what
he was doing. He was he blitzing, not paying attention.
(25:56):
But it's just sixty yards between me and him, right,
And so I'm I'm like, damn. So I turn around.
I'm running full speed, full speed, and I'm like, all right,
I'm just gonna chop him down. I'm just gonnachop him down.
When I get there, I'm just gonna hit him in
his knee and his play's gonna be over. I get there,
I go down to his knee. I don't know what
kind of flexibility training this man was doing, but he
got his helmet down there where I was, and yeah,
(26:21):
I remember getting up and I saw half of me
was black and white and half of me was color.
And I was like, oh shit, oh it's different, it's different.
But it was my first start, so I wasn't going out.
I told my teammates, give me up, give me up,
just get me back to the I was no welcome.
It was not fun. But from a receiver standpoint, this
(26:44):
guy named Brandon Lloyd Boy, his releases were like that.
You know, he's not a famous receiver that nobody really
you know, talks about, but if you look him up,
you'll find he was one of them. He played for
New England for a little while, but he just was
out there, him and Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald gave me
another welcome to the fell moment, grabbed me by the
back of my head on the release, he like released
and then grabbed me by the back of my head
(27:04):
and pulled me through and then caught caught the past
two steps later. It's wow, right, yeah he was. He
betted me. What else you got?
Speaker 4 (27:16):
What's what's something you got for me? What's a like
a tip or or anything?
Speaker 2 (27:23):
A lot of it is stuff you you've been already
talking about, just studying concepts, studying route tree, studying, like
I don't you play receiver, and so you know that
a lot of concepts are married. And I'm sure the
Patriots do a good job of schooling y'all on you know,
slat flat. You know two to the flat means ones
coming in most of the time, and stuff like that,
and and ovs or or all these combinations. But what
(27:44):
I tell you is something. It sounds like you got
a good grasp on too. And in the off season
you got us have a second, you know, whether it's
two weeks, three weeks to step away from the game
and reset your brain. It's too it's too stressful of
a position when we play. It's too it's too. You're
too tight all the time, you know, we we you
got to be that way. It's how you got to
be wired to play corner at a high level in
(28:05):
this league. But you got to take the time to
take a deep breath, sit on the beach somewhere with
your family, connect, you know, think about something other than football,
and then go dive right back into it and take
care of your body. Spend money and spend time taking
care of your body. It's totally worth it. Get the massages,
get the get the you know, game readies or norma
(28:26):
texts or whatever. You you got to spend the money
on your body. That's necessary because it's always worth it. Yeah,
you're you're You're a great corner. So I don't want
to talk to you like like I talk to other people.
But just treat the two imposters the same. Never let
nobody get you out your game. Never let a bad
play get you down. Like it's always a good play
right behind it. It's always a good play hiding right
(28:48):
right in the near future if you can get your
mind around getting there, you know, and uh, be a
great teammate. Always be a great teammate. I think championships
are won by by teams not just because they're the
most talented team, but because they they care about one another.
They hold each other accountable and with love and respect,
and they elevate each other, they encourage one another. You know,
(29:11):
it's something to be said. You talked about your relationship
with Keon and how you guys always talk like it's
something to be said about being in an adversity and
chaos and a guy having a tough day and somebody
being in their form and being like, bro, hey, hey,
I know how I know you care more than that.
I know you didn't mean to do that, like, hey,
we got this, we got you back, Like there's something
(29:33):
to be said about that. And I think I don't
think we win a super Bowl and I don't think
we're as great of a defense if we're not doing
that every single day, and it comes from every angle.
You know, it's not just one guy doing it, it's
ten other guys that feel the same way. And you
know you I give up a catch and I'm like, bro,
that was the first down, Like, but of course I
didn't mean to give the catch up. I'm trying my best,
and I don't look over and see my teammates like
(29:56):
like you know what I mean, Earl coming up to
me like they better be lucky that one who there.
Lucky you get picked out, you know, and that and
that just raises the level of the team and raised
the confidence, you know, because not everybody, not everybody's you,
and not everybody's going into the game no matter how
they look as confident as you are and as as
you know, ready to play, and sometimes you giving them
(30:18):
that reassurance stabilizes they ship. Like that might be the
reason they have a good game because they were sitting
there like, man, I don't know about today, you know,
and now you came up to them like, hey, bro,
I see you. I see you've been working. You know
what I mean, Let's go, let's get them. And then
in the game you're like, bro, I see you working.
I see that was a heck of a play.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
You have no idea how how far that goes, right,
So I appreciate that. That's right, all love, all love, Well.
I appreciate you joining me. I know, I notice your
off day, and I don't want to hold you up
too much. You know, I know you got other things
to do. If you don't mind, I want to have
you on later in the year, you know, when you
get you a few more books, so we could talk
about it. Oh yeah, I love Yes, Sir, I appreciate
(30:57):
you brother. Say hello to the family. All love be
Sted Sir. The volume
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Speaker 3 (01:46):
Volume nor Delta Po Bowl Championships that should always do
the expectation.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Alright, manx go. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast.
We got an incredible guest, one of the best quarters
in the National Football League from the New England Patriots,
Christian Gonzales. Appreciate you joining me.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Anytime, anytime. Well, I got a lot of questions. Obviously
last year your your season was cut short by injury,
but you were strapping before the injury. You you had
some great games. Talk to me through your rookie year
and even your draft process. How it felt to get drafted,
Did you expect to go there where you did? Did
you expect to go to New England? And how did
you feel when you got selected?
Speaker 5 (02:32):
The whole draft process was it was crazy. It was surreal,
to be honest. I mean, I really didn't think me
or like my team, we know, we didn't really think
I was gonna fall out of the top ten.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
But you know what I mean, it happened for a reason.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
I mean, it was it was a blessing to be
able to come to the Patriots, and it was it
was a real cool moment when I found out I
was the first dB drafted since mccordy in the first
round by the Hall of Fame by Belichick. So I
mean that was that was amazing. And I mean rookie year,
it was. It was fun while while I was out there,
(03:10):
and then you know, injuries happened, so I mean it
was it was tough, but I think I learned from
it and was able to grow this offseason, So I
think it helped in the back end.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No question, no question. I think it's they just don't
value even this year's draft you look, you look up,
and you're like a defensive player didn't get picked till
so I think Byron Murphy went to the Seahawks at sixteen,
and it's just it's just wild. So I don't think
it was you. It's it's that, you know, everybody likes
these receivers and and and they're dancing, and then it's
the quarterbacks and stuff like that. But I mean, it
(03:44):
must have felt really good to get picked by Belichick
because Belichick has a I mean, he got a feel
for DB's you know, they they you know, you could
say whatever you want about some of the other positions,
but for dB, he has a good eye, a good feel,
especially what he likes to do. It's a man and
a man's scheme. They like guys that could Minoi mono
all day. So talk me through your relationship with him
(04:05):
once you got drafted.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Yeah, I mean it was it was, like I said,
it was a surreal moment, especially when I found you
know that I didn't really I didn't actually know that
stat until you know, they told me, But I mean,
it was it was real cool. It was a blessing
to be able to learn from him. I mean, he
he and I kind of lot. I mean, we don't
really talk a lot. I mean it's not you know
(04:28):
that there wasn't a lot of you know, conversations. You know,
we're both not you know, we're not the raw rock guy.
So I mean being able to learn from him and
and you know, take take the things he taught me
was it was like real real helpful and real cool
and I had a fun time doing it.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Well. You know, I know you're on the player. You
don't like to talk a lot, but I need you to.
You're gonna have to talk today to me. You you
didn't got tasked with every just about every game you
following If they have a number one, a true one receiver,
it looks like they've got you following his That something
you take pride in you take personally or is this
something coach may or DC ask you to do or
is just something that's within y'all scheme.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean I definitely take pride in it. So
I mean it's it's kind of both. You know, if
they're asking me to do it, yeah, I'm gonna go
do it. So I mean, it's it's definitely fine, you know,
being able to go up against against the league's best
weekend and week out. So I mean that's what you
dream as a corner, you know it. It's just you know,
you want to go against the best, and I embrace that, y'all.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Sure, your second career game, you played the Miami Dolphins
and you got that interception, and I you know, I've
been looking at the tape and it still looks like
invert two to me, But I could be wrong. Everybody
runs all kind of crazy stuff these days. But within
that scheme, Belichick scheme, and even now, y'all run that zero,
y'all bounce back, y'all give zero looks, and then you
got so many different responsibilities. Talk me through that play
(05:50):
when you got your first pick.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
Yeah yeah, I mean we was in a in an
inverted to. So I was playing the safety, you know,
the deep the deep half at that point, and you
know I've seen Tyreek was kind of he was kind
of the only threat on that side, and I mean
everybody knows he can roll, so I mean just tried
to get out of there, you know, made up this speed,
turned and was able to go up there and get
the ball.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
When you left Colorado, you know, you played really good
football at Colorado. But what went into the decision to
go to Oregon.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
It was really my dB coach, Demetris Mark.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
He he left Colorado and went to Oregon, and you know,
I committed it to the Colorado he was at Colorado,
So being able to learn from him and play under him,
it was it was a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
You know, he played the position he he he did
a lot.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
So I mean, uh, once he went to Oregon, I
mean I got to you know, finished when I started
with him, and you know, he told me I could
I could go to college and leave in three years
and and and be a first round pick.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
So I mean believed in him and just went with
him to Oregon.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
He didn't lot to you when the player comes together.
Uh So in this game, y'all run in a lot
of zero where you got it, where you gotta trust
you in things. You gotta trust you your pass rush.
Your pass rush has gotten home. U. There's been some
some guys that that are taking steps forward on that
D line. Talk to me about your teammates and the
(07:18):
and the impact and growth that you've seen.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
Yeah, the whole the whole defense. You know, it's it's
fun to play in this defense. I mean, we we
do so much, you know, some aggressive defenses, especially with
second year guys like like Keon.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
You know, me and him, we talked a lot.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
We got the same agent, so I mean being able
to know he gonna go up there and do his
job and the whole d line they're going to get
back there, and you know that that.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Only helps the secondary so much.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
So being able to you know, know I have a
great front seven and that they're going to affect the
quarterback is real helpful.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
When you're coming out of high school? What what what
made you want to play corner? You know, I mean
you in Texas and y'all take football, ol dang series
in Texas. What it ain't a lot of kids these days.
We talked about the receivers. Everybody wants to play receivers.
Everybody wants to catch touchdown passes. What made you want
to play corner?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Well?
Speaker 5 (08:10):
Really, I played receiver my whole life, So honestly I played,
like in high school, played both ways. Was really playing receiver.
You know, mostly I played corner just you know, just
being athletic, just going out there and playing it. But
you know, my my corner coaching high school coach Grady.
(08:30):
He was telling me, he thinks I could I could
play this position at a high level. So junior year
is kind of when I started like actually going and
I started going to my trainer. Now Flight once I
started going to him, and you know, we took off
and it took off from them.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Hey, that's exactly how my journey started. When I was
in high school, I was a straight receiver. You know,
you know, I'm catching a hundred yards a game. I'm
feeling good. Pete Carroll comes to campus and coming and
for Carroll to come to Compton, it was crazy to me.
But he went to all the hoods because that's where
he was. He was Uncle Pete back then, and he
was like, man, I think you could be a lockdown
corner for usc UH in the future. And I was like,
(09:11):
you know, he's the freaking godfather. They were winning national
champions chips then and ever since then. I had I
had really only dabbled that corner because one of our
other corners had a rough game and the championship game
and they literally I hadn't played it all year and
they were like, hey, going there and stop him from
catching the ball. And I was like, hey, I figured
it out. I'm tired of watching it. Yeah, and so
(09:33):
we got we got to college and I played receiver
my first couple of years, then switched and played corner
ever since I didn't I didn't go first round. I
should have. I should have switched earlier. I might have
had a chance. But what motivates you, what pushes you
to keep going, What pushes you to get out of
bed every day and and and grind?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Yeah, really it's it's my family.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
Uh, my dad especially you know him, him being from
Columbia and his story is is you know, it inspires
me every day. The fact that he was able to
leave everything he knew and come to America and not
even speak English. For him to do that, and you know,
chase his dream playing basketball and then just raise a
(10:13):
successful family. Being able to look back at that, it's
not hard for me to get up and go to
work in the morning.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
So I mean, it's that's that's what gets me going.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
That's awesome, man, it sounds like a great man. My
dad was a trash truck driver and you know, thirty
years and just got up at three forty five every
day and went to work. And you know, when you
just see that kind of work ethic. It really it
pushes you and it's just a lot of fewer excuses.
Then you got a sister that.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Hurdles, right, yeah, I got two of them.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
You got two sisters that they both hurdle.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Yeah, yeah, So, I mean, well, the oldest one, Melissa,
she she's the one that ran in the Olympics. She
ran the forms of hurdles. Then I got another sister, Samantha.
She ran hurdles in high school and in college. She
went to Miami, but she's still running. But she she's
just recently switched to two hundred, so she's she's now
(11:08):
running the two.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
How is it when all y'all get together, you know,
after you know, obviously y'all y'all got raised, got a
good dad, got a good family, and you know, have
gone on to have so much success. It must be
really cool when you all get together and can talk
about it and just see and appreciate how far you
guys have come.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
I mean anytime we get together, you know, we always
get to argue about you know, competitive you know, who's
the fastest, who does this, who does that? But I
mean it's amazing we all you know, support each other,
and you know, I think that's also one of the
biggest things that I didn't really realize until now, like
looking back on and being able to, you know, watch
(11:49):
them and watch their success as I was growing up,
that seeing them do their support at such a high level,
being able to respect that and learn from them. Even
though it's two different sports, you know, there's still so
much you can take away from it.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
So being able.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
To lean on them and and it was that was
really helpful.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It's always good to have a great example in front
of you. Got an Olympian in front of you. I
don't care if it's tennis, you know what I mean.
It shows you work, ethic, dedication, probably professionalism. Like she
had to break some barriers down so that you could
get through them and know what it looks like. Yeah. Sure,
So what is your favorite thing. You've been in New
England two years now? Tell me some stuff you like
(12:31):
to do. You got an apartment, you got a house.
I don't know a lot about Foxborough.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
I mean it's different for sure, especially going from from
Texas to Oregon all the way to the East coast.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
I mean it's still still getting used to it. But
I mean, it's it's cool.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
I enjoyed it. It's quiet. I'm a quiet guy, so
I like, I don't like being in big cities and
all that, so it's it's a good fit for me.
One of my favorite things about being out here is
you get all the seasons, which in Texas you don't
get all the seasons.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
You get you get summer and winter. That's it.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
So being out here being able to see you know that,
like right now the leads are changing. You know, it's
turning the fall or getting close to winter. So I mean,
it's little things like that that I never really experienced.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
That's that's one of my favorite things of being up here.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, yeah, I appreciate that too. I'm from California, so
you get no seasons. In California's literally seventy five in
sunny year round, which ain't nothing to complain about, I guess.
But first time I ever saw snow, well, I was.
I was out there. It wasn't even snow, it was
just ice on the ground. I was in there trying
to make snow angels, right, looking like a deal fool.
(13:44):
Did you have any corners that you studied coming out
that you patterned your game after. Obviously you in New England,
ReBs played in New England, Tyed lost, some real great
DB's played for that organization. But who did you try
to pattern your game after.
Speaker 5 (13:59):
Yeah, my biggest and most you know, somebody I still
watch pretty much every day is at That'ssertained. It was
kind of my first. It was my first corner that
I like really started to model my game after. And
that kind of got that in college just because my
coach is always you know, preaching about.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Technique, technique, technique and.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Being able to see, you know, somebody that I'm kind
of physically around the same size around, you know, the
same way, kind of like that play with such you know,
great technique.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
He was.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
He was the first person I found, and you know,
I've been studying him, studying him pretty much every day.
I mean, I feel like, if you're a dB, you
got to watch a little Jalen Ramsey. Can't leave them out.
But patt Is is definitely who I watch the most.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Pat is the class of the NFL right now. I
Mean when you look at his tape, it's literally press off,
it's tap tape, teach tape, it's patient h it's deliberate,
you know it's the they're trying to pick him. They're
trying to freaking run crossers. They're trying to He has
incredible He's not grabbing, he's not pulling. That boy looks
like he is just chilling on the beach having a
(15:09):
good time. Fat man. He's one of the best I've seen,
and I just hope he gets more books. Man, these
quarterbacks are kept so clean now. It's so hard to
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(15:33):
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dot com to get started today. But in y'all scheme,
and I don't want you know, and I'm gonn preface
it with this because CJ. Stroud got you know, got
talking about people giving away these secrets. I'm not trying
to get your secrets. I'm not trying to give away anything.
But I love talking ball and it's hard not to
talk ball without talking coverages and schemes. And I wanted
to talk about the play the play with DK because
(16:42):
again y'all, y'all coverages and not to bring up bad
plays because you you're one of the best goringers the
National Football League. So I'm not just not a shot
I any matter. I just want to understand something because
it looks to me like inside of y'all zero. When
y'all get that look, sometimes they'll most you out and
then obviously quarterbacks see it and they try to check
out of stuff. They try to check out and see
y'all in there, and y'all look like y'all have checks
(17:03):
that change when they change, which is one of the craziest,
coolest things I've seen. And I'm like, if they really
check it. When the quarterbacks check it. This is wow.
And people were telling me I'm crazy, Like Fit's played
with Flores for a while and it's all they're all family,
you know, that New England family. And He's like, they're
not checking, it's just they're just faking and running zero.
(17:24):
And I'm like, no, they're definitely checking. I don't know
if it's palms or what, but they're they're communicating, so
they're not just running zero and sitting flat Like that
tell me about how it is to be in that
kind of scheme where you have to make those kind
of decisions on the fly.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah, I mean I think it's I think it's real cool,
you know, playing the defense that has.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
So many different, like you said, checks, and it's not
just like all right, they line up in this, all right,
we're gonna play this. You know, they line up like
this and the motion like this. We can check it too.
So I mean being able to do that is real fun.
But I mean it comes from playing with with You're brillant,
playing with Pep and play with Doug and you know
they've seen so much, they've seen so much falling and
(18:05):
the real smart guys, so being able to trust that
they're going to be in the right spot and they
know everybody else is going to be in the right spot.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
It all comes from that, and you know, we we
make it a communication is key.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
So I mean we could we could technically be in
the wrong check, but as long as we all in
the same check, were good.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
So I mean, we just rely on communication and being able.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
To change it up how it looks to the QB
and how it looks at the offense, make make certain
things look like certain things, and so it's a lot
of fun, dude, being able.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
To do that.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
My great coach Rissard said, Look long as we all wrong,
we're all right wrong together we are right. We're doing
the same thing. That's really cool because it's it's always
tough when they motioned the back out and they really
you know what I mean, I D the coverage and
know you and man or know you and zero. You're
just kind of sitting there like I know it's probably
(18:57):
slot fade or double move or you know. Then you
start trying to get through what it is. But if
you can adjust to and be like ha ha, y'all
thought we was in zero, got him?
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Sweet?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I wish I wish boy. We we we used to
sit and cover three. We made it work. We made
it work now. But boys knew what we was in
and we in three one fire zone three or I
mean at third and loan maybe soft two. But we
only played like four or five coverages. So it's like
it's not it's not crazy complicated. We just got the
(19:28):
personnel that's gonna make it tough. Right, who's the toughest
receiver you've gone again so far? And it don't got
to be a big name, because do you ask me.
Stevie Johnson was the one that that that gave me hell.
He gave me hell for one game, longest game of
my life. Next time I saw him, I picked him
twice on Thanksgiving and eight turkey on the field, so
I got it settled. But he gave me hell.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
I talked about a lot. You know, when people ask
me this, I said, aj Aj is up there. Aj
Brown for sure. He got all the tools.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
He's strong, fast, smart, uh, he understands football, and I
think a lot of people don't don't give him as
much credit for how quick he is, especially being that
size that you know that that doesn't really you know,
get put into his into his game plan or a
nice game plan, but his his traits. Everybody just talks
(20:17):
about how big he is and how fast he is,
but he he's really explosive and real quick and he
gets he can get in and out of his breaks
real fast.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
So he's a tougher seed for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
No, it's definitely a tough challenge. What were your goals
heading into this season? Yeah? This season.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Uh, you know, one of my my biggest goals I
made was not even like a stat or anything like that.
It was really just go have fun. Going into my
rookie year, I was all right, I gotta I want
to do this, I want to do this, and then
I got hurt. So I mean that was that was
the first time my career ever got hurt. Uh oh wow,
first time since Little league that I ever you know,
(20:53):
missed the game. So, I mean it was definitely a change.
Sitting in this offseason and just thinking it was, you know,
coming to this season, I was more like, okay, like,
let me enjoy the moment, let me enjoy that, Like
I get to play football for for my work. So
something as small as that, you know, it sounds cliche,
(21:13):
but that was That's kind of My biggest goal is
just you know, go out there, don't take it for granted,
and just have fun.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
End the day I playing at the kids game for work.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Yeah, that's it. Took It took me a while to
get back to that. And my playing career is just
because you get so locked in, you know, in the ground.
You're like day to day like I gotta cover this,
I gotta do this, I gotta do this, you gotta
do this. You're like, hey, I gotta cover this, dude.
And people don't understand how high anxiety playing corner is.
This is a high anxiety position, not because not because
we ain't confident, we don't think we could do it,
(21:45):
just because it takes one play to ruin your damn day.
Oh yeah, I gotta. I got a lot of respect
for everything you've done, uh and and who you are
as a person as a corner. I love your tech
and I love the comparison between certain because that's exactly
how who you are. You do a great job from off,
you do a great job from press. You're a technician
(22:05):
within your tech, within y'all scheme. It's really cool to
watch what did you do different? You know, because Obviously,
last year was your rookie year, so you're all season
going different, you know, chicking with your head cut off,
going crazy. This is your first off season as a pro.
How did you spend it?
Speaker 4 (22:19):
I definitely took time to be with my family.
Speaker 5 (22:22):
Yeah, Like, like you said that that jump from from
college from you know, you play your last college game
and then it's you know, you have maybe I think
I had like three days before I left for combine training,
So I mean you don't really get that time and
that you go from there all the way to season
and then finally get that break.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
But I mean, you know, Mike came earlier than expected.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
But you know I was able to, you know, get
back with my family and you know, just mentally get better,
breathe and take time to hang out.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Then. But then I also was able to study the
game a lot more and learn more.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
So you know, I feel like I have a a
good perspective as as as from a defensive mind, which
I mean there's still so much I can learn, but
I was able to learn more from the offensive sidey
And like one thing Belichick always talked about. He would
always ask us, like, who who's the offensive coordinator?
Speaker 4 (23:17):
And my rookie year.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
I'm like, like, at first I didn't under like understand, like,
all right, he's offensive coordinator. Okay, so what But now
it's like in the obeason, I was able to learn, like, okay,
offensive coordinator, he came from this tree.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
They did this.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
They like to attack a corner like me this way.
So I mean that type of thing I was able
to pick up on this offseason.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Bro your your mouths and light years ahead of a
lot of other people. And then you're you're you have
the talent, you have the body, you have everything, you need,
all the tools. But that part of the game, the
sooner and the better you can grasp that, Oh my god,
it's gonna be such an easier game because it's gonna
be you're gonna have your notebook and you're gonna be like,
is this Coyle Shanahan tree?
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Is this?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Wait? Is this that spread tree? Is this West Coast?
Or is this that tight West coast?
Speaker 4 (24:08):
Like?
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Hey, where did he come from? Was he an assistant? O? Okay?
So I see I see, I see it. They're gonna
be outside zone, mid zone. They're gonna they're gonna run
these crossers. They're gonna be condensed. They're gonna run spray
outs and spray posts, and okay, who's their quarterback? This
is what he liked, because the receiver at that point
doesn't matter. That's why a guy who ran four or
five and and had really suspect backpedal could sit there
(24:31):
and get forty one interceptions and lead the league in
a lot of his years and be leaked. Because I
don't really care about none of that stuff. All I
care about is the scheme. I care about the plays.
Can I recognize the formations? Can I recognize the emotions
and diagnose them within a few seconds? That was my superpower.
Superpower wasn't running four three. I could jump pretty high,
but and I can catch the football. But I started
(24:52):
the game that way I started. That was my freaking
from the beginning. That was all I thought about. I
was like, Hey, if I can recognize the plays in
the scheme, the receiver won't matter. I'm going against Calvin.
But he got to run a go route, he got
to run a post, he got to run a curl
so and I just got to beat him to the ball.
That's knowledge. That's knowledge. Well, you got any questions for me?
I don't want to, you know, make this all about you.
If you got anything you want to ask me, what.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Would you say, you know, like, welcome to the NFL movement.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Plus that's that's that's a great question. It was we
played Cincinnati Bengals. I got my first it was my
first start, and I'm playing AJ Green. AJ was top
five and you know, I'm fifth round. And so they're like,
oh man, this rookie is about to get cooked by
AJ Green. He's about to probably go for one point fifty.
And I got an interception, like a couple drives into
(25:36):
the game. So I'm talking cash. Yeah, I'm feeling good.
I you know, yeah, got I got got it off
my chest. And then I'm playing cover three. I'm guarding
one receiver deep and he runs me off and we're
running cover three and they throw the ball to the
full back in the flat and our buzz defender, our
backer didn't get out there, Like I don't know what
he was doing. He was he blitzing, not paying attention.
(25:56):
But it's just sixty yards between me and him, right,
And so I'm I'm like, damn. So I turn around.
I'm running full speed, full speed, and I'm like, all right,
I'm just gonna chop him down. I'm just gonnachop him down.
When I get there, I'm just gonna hit him in
his knee and his play's gonna be over. I get there,
I go down to his knee. I don't know what
kind of flexibility training this man was doing, but he
got his helmet down there where I was, and yeah,
(26:21):
I remember getting up and I saw half of me
was black and white and half of me was color.
And I was like, oh shit, oh it's different, it's different.
But it was my first start, so I wasn't going out.
I told my teammates, give me up, give me up,
just get me back to the I was no welcome.
It was not fun. But from a receiver standpoint, this
(26:44):
guy named Brandon Lloyd Boy, his releases were like that.
You know, he's not a famous receiver that nobody really
you know, talks about, but if you look him up,
you'll find he was one of them. He played for
New England for a little while, but he just was
out there, him and Larry Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald gave me
another welcome to the fell moment, grabbed me by the
back of my head on the release, he like released
and then grabbed me by the back of my head
(27:04):
and pulled me through and then caught caught the past
two steps later. It's wow, right, yeah he was. He
betted me. What else you got?
Speaker 4 (27:16):
What's what's something you got for me? What's a like
a tip or or anything?
Speaker 2 (27:23):
A lot of it is stuff you you've been already
talking about, just studying concepts, studying route tree, studying, like
I don't you play receiver, and so you know that
a lot of concepts are married. And I'm sure the
Patriots do a good job of schooling y'all on you know,
slat flat. You know two to the flat means ones
coming in most of the time, and stuff like that,
and and ovs or or all these combinations. But what
(27:44):
I tell you is something. It sounds like you got
a good grasp on too. And in the off season
you got us have a second, you know, whether it's
two weeks, three weeks to step away from the game
and reset your brain. It's too it's too stressful of
a position when we play. It's too it's too. You're
too tight all the time, you know, we we you
got to be that way. It's how you got to
be wired to play corner at a high level in
(28:05):
this league. But you got to take the time to
take a deep breath, sit on the beach somewhere with
your family, connect, you know, think about something other than football,
and then go dive right back into it and take
care of your body. Spend money and spend time taking
care of your body. It's totally worth it. Get the massages,
get the get the you know, game readies or norma
(28:26):
texts or whatever. You you got to spend the money
on your body. That's necessary because it's always worth it. Yeah,
you're you're You're a great corner. So I don't want
to talk to you like like I talk to other people.
But just treat the two imposters the same. Never let
nobody get you out your game. Never let a bad
play get you down. Like it's always a good play
right behind it. It's always a good play hiding right
(28:48):
right in the near future if you can get your
mind around getting there, you know, and uh, be a
great teammate. Always be a great teammate. I think championships
are won by by teams not just because they're the
most talented team, but because they they care about one another.
They hold each other accountable and with love and respect,
and they elevate each other, they encourage one another. You know,
(29:11):
it's something to be said. You talked about your relationship
with Keon and how you guys always talk like it's
something to be said about being in an adversity and
chaos and a guy having a tough day and somebody
being in their form and being like, bro, hey, hey,
I know how I know you care more than that.
I know you didn't mean to do that, like, hey,
we got this, we got you back, Like there's something
(29:33):
to be said about that. And I think I don't
think we win a super Bowl and I don't think
we're as great of a defense if we're not doing
that every single day, and it comes from every angle.
You know, it's not just one guy doing it, it's
ten other guys that feel the same way. And you
know you I give up a catch and I'm like, bro,
that was the first down, Like, but of course I
didn't mean to give the catch up. I'm trying my best,
and I don't look over and see my teammates like
(29:56):
like you know what I mean, Earl coming up to
me like they better be lucky that one who there.
Lucky you get picked out, you know, and that and
that just raises the level of the team and raised
the confidence, you know, because not everybody, not everybody's you,
and not everybody's going into the game no matter how
they look as confident as you are and as as
you know, ready to play, and sometimes you giving them
(30:18):
that reassurance stabilizes they ship. Like that might be the
reason they have a good game because they were sitting
there like, man, I don't know about today, you know,
and now you came up to them like, hey, bro,
I see you. I see you've been working. You know
what I mean, Let's go, let's get them. And then
in the game you're like, bro, I see you working.
I see that was a heck of a play.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Bro.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
You have no idea how how far that goes, right,
So I appreciate that. That's right, all love, all love, Well.
I appreciate you joining me. I know, I notice your
off day, and I don't want to hold you up
too much. You know, I know you got other things
to do. If you don't mind, I want to have
you on later in the year, you know, when you
get you a few more books, so we could talk
about it. Oh yeah, I love Yes, Sir, I appreciate
(30:57):
you brother. Say hello to the family. All love be
Sted Sir. The volume
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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