Dak Contract Latest; Draft Prospects Oklahoma C Creed Humphrey, Bama OT Alex Leatherwood, Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, Boys and girls, Welcome in to the Boys and
Girl Podcast with Cowboys NFL Network reporter Jane Slater and
NFL Network producer Bobby Bell. Cowboys Community with the inside
scoop on the Dallas Cowboys now coming straight to you

(00:22):
from the Lone Star State. Here's Jane and Bobby. All Right, Bobby, Well,
we did have a little bit of downtime to sort
of decompress and wait for news of the season to
kick off as it relates to the Cowboys, and now
that we are within the tag window, we have got
a lot to talk about as it relates to Dak

(00:44):
Prescott and the Cowboys, most notably a report that I
shot down, and it wasn't even a report. I think
it's important that I that I point out and I
did try to clarify. Oh, the report where you said
he's signing he wants a ten year contract worth fifty
million dollars, I saw you said that. Sorry, sorry, sorry,
I will not go ahead. Go ahead, Jane. I was
going to start with the fact that people were ready

(01:06):
to move on and replace Doc with Russell Wilson, just
because Russell Wilson did what a lot of smart guys
do when they want to get out of a place
or they are a free agent, and what max dollars
they throw in the Dallas Cowboys to the mix, and
so it became a talking point last year or last week.
And if you didn't cure me on the NFL network

(01:31):
or breaking this down, Bobby, I know you and I
can get into this. It was considered laughable by one
of my team's sources because they are trying in good
faith to still get a deal done with Dak Prescott.
There's also the fact that Russell Wilson is under contract.
They oh him, I believe thirty nine million dollars in

(01:52):
guaranteed money. So you're telling me Seattle is going to
be cool shipping Russell Wilson down to Dallas another and
see team. Yes, they're going to get some things in exchange,
but this has been a team that has made things
so expensive and out priced them on guys like Earl Thomas.

(02:14):
They jumped in and went after Jamal Adams when the
Cowboys found it too costly to work with the Jets,
and then when they came calling picked up the phone.
Stephen Jones ring ring season is not going that great.
But how did you feel about doing something for Alden
Smith and the phone goes back down, and as I said,

(02:34):
he's a free agent this offseason. There I'm told trying
to bring him back. They could have gotten a compensatory
pick for him, and said no. It just tells you
that if you're talking to me about that team, that quarterback,
he's five years older and still trying to get something
done with Deck, you would agree knowing what you and
I know that it is laughable. So Bobby, this is

(02:55):
I know you said you didn't want to get into
the dock fray. You didn't last very I lasted. I
lasted two weeks. I think that's a long time for me.
Two weeks of living up to that, and now I
gotta pay off a bet to like five different people.
But I mean, it's it's fine. I mean, my biggest
thing is outside of everything you just laid out about
Russell Wilson and seeing how ridiculous that is, uh, I

(03:19):
think that forget just how ridiculous that is. Just look
at how difficult is it to acquire that player versus
how difficult is it to just sign the damn check
with your current quarterback. Just get it done. That's the
that is The biggest thing the Cowboys can do is
just get it done. And I know there's always this
discussion of you know, the Cowboys won a victory, they

(03:39):
want to win something in the negotiation. I think you're
at a point now where you could win the negotiation
just by getting it done. Like public opinion would be
on your side if you just get it done, because
people are just so tired of it. Just finish it up,
get it done. Let's not wait any longer, just to
pick up the phone talk to Todd France. Well, that's
the good news that I have for Cowboys fans. Body
is I was told that Stephen and Todd have been talking,

(04:03):
and why is that meaningful? When I looked back at
my report last year at Combine, there was little to
no talking. And when I asked them to characterize how
the talks were going, I was told they were good.
And I was then said to them, how you feeling
versus years past? And it said it felt a little

(04:25):
bit better. And so, given how deeply they've both dug
in those cowboy boots, I think that we're seeing some
signs of light. And and here's also why I add
another layer to this. I was told that Dak Prescott
has been rehabbing at the Star in Frisco nearly every day,

(04:46):
And why is that meaningful? Dad could rehab anywhere he wants.
And if you don't want to run into Jerry and
Stephen or people in the front office because you're just
it's just gotten so contentious. And if they tagged you,
you're not going to sign it. You're not going to
keep going up to the office. Oh oh yeah. And
and people have not naming a list of days, but

(05:08):
I mean people have done that before. In the past.
There have been guys who don't want to be around
the building and they rehab outside of it. So that's
not unusual for those of you who go, well, of
course he's rehabing because he needs to rehab and keep it. Yeah,
but there are lots of guys who choose to rehab
outside that building when feelings aren't good. And he's find
that meaningful. Is my point in saying that. Now, look,

(05:28):
it might be a win for both parties to just
go ahead and exists with a tag. He gets thirty
seven point seven million dollars the minute he signs it.
That's guaranteed. No matter what happens the Cowboys get another
year to assess that Prescott, although I would argue if
you look at his record seven with him seventh best

(05:48):
passer rating in NFL history, tied with Tom Brady, and
he's twenty seven years old, and he's beloved by the
guys in the locker room, there's a lot of upside.
But if you still time to evaluate them, which I
find that hard to believe, or they wouldn't be giving
him the franchise tag. They uh wouldn't be trying to

(06:10):
still get this thing done because it does take up
so much of the cabin. Mean, franchise ties are are
costly tags that you use. They both get to play
this thing out next year, and the Cowboys assume the
risk that Dak balls out has an amazing year completely
outprices them, or they assign the non exclusive tag, which

(06:31):
would be somewhere around point three million. He's able to
shop around to other teams. Cowboys in have to match it,
and if they don't, I think they get two first
round compensatory picks. Well, no, it wouldn't even be compensitory,
would be wherever those teams finish. So, like let's say,
just as a theoretical scene, Let's say the Titans went
out and signed him, you would basically just get the
Titans next two first round picks, so wherever it is

(06:54):
that the Titans finished. But the downside there's obviously if
Dad goes and balls out somewhere else, then you're getting
like back into the first round picks, which are basically
second round picks. But I mean, my biggest thing the
point is you're I don't see Jerry not not having
the rights to dock because you get something of value
from it. Big risk? Am I wrong in that big risk? Though?

(07:16):
Because I I think I think if he plays on
the tag this year, he's not playing for Dallas next year.
There's no circumstance where he wants to be a Cowboy
after that. I bet I agree, Or you could look
at it of the cow again, he might find I
just think there's risk on both sides. The Cowboys risk
losing him to another team the following year, because I mean,

(07:39):
fifty four point three is absurd, uh for a franchise tag,
or you risk him actually signing it to spite you,
and then you have a fifty four million dollar count
number correct, and in three years he makes what a
dred and twenty three point four million dollars or in
dex situation, he gets hurt again, the team doesn't have

(08:00):
a good season, and then what does that do to
his leverage in his future in the league. So I
actually see risk on both sides, which I see a
great deal more risk on the Cowboys side, though in
that instance, I think there's a better chance that he
plays well than he gets hurt again. Perhaps, but I
don't think we ever expected the injury that he was
going to have this year. It was it was on

(08:21):
the most it was on the most ridiculous of runs.
It was one of the more gruesome injuries that we've
seen in recent years, and it was a setback for
him and it was a setback for the team. And
I don't think any of us saw that coming. It
was a risk that we literally said, he's been so
durable in his career, that's not a possibility. I've just

(08:43):
got to think that that that that at least factors
into some of this. And so I think given all
of the things that we've outlined, I think we're now
at a point where the two sides truly have to
give up something they don't want to give up. To
to get a deal done. But I feel like the
most encouraging thing, like I said, is I feel And

(09:05):
again now this is me analyzing me. This is not
me knowing, although I do, I do know talk to
some of the people I have talked to that Dak
wants to be here, Deak wants Dak just wants to
be respected, and the Cowboys just want some space to
structure a deal that allows them to put the pieces
around them. So if there can just be some more give,

(09:28):
this thing gets done. But I don't think it's going
to be on the timeline that people think. I see why.
I see why he doesn't though, because you you buckled,
You caved to Ezekiel Elliott, you buckled, your cave did
to Marcus Lawrence. You gave them what they wanted. I've
said this before. The last negotiation the Cowboys one was
Tyrne Smith seven years ago. They haven't won any since then.

(09:49):
And so I think that there's precedent, undoubtedly from Todd
France's end and Das end that just says, all right,
they're gonna buckle. And if they don't buckle, then how
much did you really want him? And and I think
it'd be foolish if the one position they choose not
to buckle on a contract, especially with a potentially exploding
salary cap, where it's going to be nothing, it's going

(10:09):
to be peanuts essentially into the future. I think that's silly.
And and I hear Jeff Kavanaugh and g bag Nation
say this this week, and this is something that I've
said before too, is that two years ago, the argument
was you can't pay him thirty million last year, the
arguments you can't pay him thirty five million this year,
the arguments you can't pay him fortu just figure out
what you don't want to pay him now, and that's

(10:30):
what you'll be happy with in a year. So just
pay the money now and know that in a year
you'll be happy with it. I mean, think about, have
they just gotten it done. He would have been making
thirty two million dollars and if they would have just
got it done two summers ago. But they got cute
and they wanted to play games, and they wanted to
come in with their you know, mid market value in

(10:50):
twenty nineteen enough to piss him off to where there
wasn't a lot of great feelings heading into just stop playing.
You just get it done. That's what I don't understand.
I can give is how I used to approach my
credit cards in the past. I have this money from
my tax return, so I'm going to apply it to
my credit card. Nope, there's that shiny object over there

(11:11):
that I really don't need, but I'm going to go
spend it on it. In the meantime, my credit card
bill is just going to keep going up and up
and up because I'm making the minimum payments and the
interest rates are going through the roof. When I wouldn't
have had to even worry about this if I'd use
that dumb money to just pay off my credit card debt.
That's what this feels like. Hey, your quarterback, that's all

(11:32):
you gotta do. If you pay your quarterback, you win
this offseason. Just get that done and stop playing games.
This is this is I keep saying that every interval,
it's gonna get done. It's gonna get done, It's gonna
get done. And it's just because I have to believe
they can't be this stupid, just to say that they
can't be the only team that flubs the quarterback negotiation

(11:53):
this bad. And look, there's a history of them pushing
things off like with d Law and letting things get
to a second tag and them waiting into almost the
regular season with Zeke, They've got a history of letting
things linger a little bit before they get it done.
So I'm hoping that's the case here. But if he
plays on the tag this year, he's not your quarterback
in two. And there's a precedent for that. We've talked

(12:14):
about that Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees. Uh. That hasn't gone
well for other teams who have done this. I yeah,
and you know, you know what, you know what happens
when you let Kirk Cousins walk and you don't want
to pay Kirk Cousins, which I'm not saying Kirk Cousins
is the best quarterback in the world, but when he's
a Pro Bowl quarterrect, when you don't want Kirk Cousins,
you end out trading extra picks to move up in

(12:35):
the first round and take Dwayne Haskins and then cut him.
You end up making trades to pay Alex Smith and
case Keenom combined forty million dollars. That's what happens when
you don't just give him his twenty eight million, and
so also why I think it's so absurd, Like if
we're going to just come up with absurd theories about
how the Cowboys win, now it's not to go get

(12:56):
a quarterback that not only are you gonna have to
give up a lot for I'm using Russell Wilson here,
you're gonna have to give up stuff for another team
is gonna have to pay his million dollar guarantee. But
even though he might be a little bit more cat friendly,
he is older and he still have to put pieces
around him. If you're going to just say DA's not

(13:17):
our guy, then lean into the draft, find sign Andy
Dalton again, ride with Andy Dalton again, and then develop
a guy behind him that you're only gonna be paying
four thousand dollars like you paid Dak for four years.
That to me like, if Dak truly isn't your guy, well,
and that's the play, not the Russell Wilson play. The

(13:38):
other example of when you let Drew Brees walk? Am
I wrong on that? No? No, I think you're the
other example of when you let Drew Brees walk was
you had Philip Rivers and house for a year he had,
but you drafted him. You knew what you were doing.
You let him sit behind Breeze for a year and
then he went on and had a borderline Hall of
Fame career for you. So if the Cowboys had already

(14:00):
drafted somebody or they had finished and that's another thing,
is that I feel like if they were really considering
moving on from Doc, because again, I just I gotta
rationalize this as best I can, if they were really
moving on from Dagger or or contemplating this possibility, do
you smash your watermelons and go six and ten or
do you try and go four and twelve and pick
third and be in position for Zach Wilson or Justin
Fields are one of these top quarterbacks as to most

(14:21):
where you are, which is now you're in this purgatory
spot in the draft where you're not going to be
in position for one of the top quarterbacks. That's actually
a really good point because I I think it had
less to do with pride. If they really weren't in
on deck and they keep talking to us about the
money and uh, what they've got to do to get
into the cap, and if they weren't truly committed to Doc,

(14:43):
I agree with you. I think they would have gone
all in on team Tank said he's damaged goods, We're
going to have to like start over, and they just
haven't done that. So I do think that we're going
to see just like I was told Zeke didn't deserve
zero Jared, I mean Todd Gurley money, which he didn't continue.

(15:05):
He ended up getting the money to Beforence they didn't
want to pay him, they ended up paying him. I
just think it's going to take Todd picking up the
phone a little bit more. I'm not saying he has
to kiss the ring, but I think these conversations that
they're having may not be meaningful in the context of
we have anything to report or get a deal done,
but they're meaningful because from what I'm being told, it

(15:28):
feels like a more positive direction in the past, and
which that's good because literally anything we've heard has been negative.
So literally just they're talking and it was kind of
positive is a positive and which again sounds like the
dumbest nugget because I'm reporting. But for me, when you've
covered the negotiations the way that I have the last
two off seasons, that is actually a meaningful nugget, which

(15:50):
let's let's think back to the Zeke and de Law negotiations.
We hadn't heard that things were cheery by the time
that the deals got done, and then we heard, oh things,
you know, we came to other and and things were
good at the last minute, or we pushed over the
finish line, but there weren't reports of that leading up
to the deals getting done. We were still hearing things
were contentious. So the fact that we've at least been
given a signal that hey, things maybe aren't as contentious,

(16:12):
that already sounds like it's further along than Zeke and
d Law had been at the point when their contracts
did get done. The only downside there's we knew at
the very least they were having open communication consistently and
trading figures with those two. We don't necessarily have that here. Yeah,
I mean, last year covering this, this literally just felt

(16:34):
I don't want to use the word here, but it
felt exhausting, a contest between men as you as you
men do sort of fight what's that I don't understand?
Sort of fight to speak? Okay, all right, we'll done
know what that means. But again, just based on talking
to people that I trust and that haven't steered me wrong,
and that I don't think use me uh in contract

(16:54):
negotiate like to to manipulate contract negotiations for either side it.
I do trust that if it again, it's not enough
to be like I think we're getting still done. It's
just it feels more positive and that's all. That's all
you can take constructive, take more positivity and like the
tag deadlines coming up here, they could tag him. He

(17:15):
could even sign the tag or whatever else I mean,
and they can still negotiate for the next few months.
I think it'd be better the sooner you get this done.
I think it'd be best if you could get it
done ahead of the draft. I think it. I think
it's best so that way you can go in with
a clearer picture for the draft. Uh. It helps the
off season energy, It gets dock into o t a s.
It gets you know, the locker room excited that they

(17:37):
could ride with their guy. I don't think the stuff
helps your locker room. I don't think it. I don't
think it helps the guys to know that the guy
that they all believe should get paid and have said
that very publicly isn't getting paid. That doesn't make you
feel good about. Well, what does it make you feel
about your own future if you wouldn't pay your quarterback?
You know, how does it make the the you know,
Michael Gallup feel about trying to get a contract extension.

(18:00):
And boy, they've already got Ceedee Lamb and a Marii
Cooper here, so I've already got some competition and they
won't pay our quarterback who there's really nobody behind. So
why are they gonna pay me? Why are they gonna
respect me? It's just it's those unnecessary doubt is all.
But it's like I said, would be best if they
get it done before the draft. Um. And actually today
we're gonna be talking a lot of draft with a

(18:20):
lot of these prospects. Joining us now is Oklahoma offensive
lineman Creed Humphrey. You can follow him on Twitter at
Creed Underscore Humphrey. He is training out at Michael Johnson
Performance in the Dallas area and we're excited to have
him here today. Creed, thanks for joining us. Yeah. Now,
I gotta say, you guys won the Joe Moore Award

(18:42):
over at Oklahoma in two thousand nineteen, and I know
when I've seen you talking about it that a big
part of that was just the camaraderie and you thought that,
you know, the relationships you guys had and the chemistry
was a big reason why you guys were able to
do that. How difficult was that this year for you
with COVID in terms of just being able to manage
that camaraderie and stay close. We heard a lot of
that from guys in the NFL that you know, it

(19:03):
was it was tough to have those same sort of
bonds that they would normally have because of how this
season went. Yeah, stuff, you know, we weren't you able
to go to our usual stuff like about to eat
all the time with each other, you know, hanging out
with each other after practice. You know, we kind of
had to be isolated from each other whatever we're outside
of the facilities. So it was definitely a different here,

(19:24):
you know, but we did things like zoom meetings and
stuff all the time. We're still hoping able to connect
with each other outside of the facilities. So it was
definitely different. But you know, it wasn't too hard. Going
to get creative with it, but it won't bring well
all right, My first question out of the gate has
to be where does the name Creed come from because
I love getting to know you guys, separate from what

(19:46):
we're going to read and obviously the you know, the
the college biography and what we're gonna hear Daniel Jeremia
and then talk about your intangils whatever. I want to
get to know you as a person. So we've talked
about some of the cooler names over the year that
come through draft. I'm not going to forget you, and
I would imagine neither our g MS and Scouts because
it's such a strong first name. Where did Creed come from? Yeah,

(20:10):
you know, my parents never really told me exactly where
it came from. I know my dad's a fan of
the Van Creed, so I'm sure that has an influence
on it. But yeah, they never really told me the
exact reason why they came up with it. Right. Have
you ever listened to Creed? And if so, does do
you or your father have a favorite song? Because you
know there is a Cowboys tie in there? Yeah, you know,

(20:32):
I you know, I like the man. I wouldn't say
I have a favorite song by and there's a few
that are really good, so but yeah, you know, they're
a good band. So I like to listen to him.
Did you ever watch the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving performance of
him taking off on a cloud of what is now
acro silks for yoga enthusiasts. Yeah, yeah, I've seen that. Actually,

(20:53):
it was pretty cool. Can we just get a graphic
of him just flying? Yeah, you do, that's what we're
gonna do now. Yeah, it's you know, as much as
I'm surprised, I would never figured somebody wouldn't named had
Creed as an inspiration, a banned inspiration with a child's name.
But you know, at least it wasn't Nickelback or something
like that. Um, now Creed. I'm curious. You've had so

(21:16):
many guys that you've gone up against in the Big twelve,
big time pass rushers. Um, who is it that in
your career that you faced at Oklahoma? You think was,
you know, the best player that you've gone against on
the defensive side of the ball. Yeah. You know, I'd
always say Quinn Williams from Alabama in my retort freshman year.
You know, he was a great player, you know, a
disruptive player. So it was it was funny to beaus
a guy like that, especially early on in my career.

(21:37):
You know to challenge myself best season, So it was fun.
What do you think this is the biggest thing you
learned about football while you were at OH You? Really?
Just how you prepare for a game. You know, you
can't walk into a game and I know what the
defense is doing. So I'd take a preparation very seriously.
I'd take film study more seriously because the morning about
the defense, the the better idea of you know, how

(21:59):
I can make a call of things like that, how
I can pick up a blitz and mass protection. So
really dispreparation and learning, you know, defensive philosophies. You know
exactly where I'm going at this question, Bobby. We had
Daniel Jeremiah on our show once and one of the
more fascinating things that he told us was, typically get
in a room and a guy. I'll tell you he's
a he's a big film guy. And the best way

(22:20):
to check that is to go to the film guy
and ask how many different times this player has logged in. So,
if we were to go to the film guy at
OH You, how many hours of tape are you logging
into each week? Yeah? You know, I at least trying
to do outside our meeting rooms with the coaches and everything,
you know, have to practice. I'd like to try to
get at least, you know, two hours. I have not more,

(22:42):
and you know, depending on how much have to study
for you know, an exam or anything like that coming up.
So I'm trying to get into the film rooms as
much as i can. For sure. Now I know what
m JP a big draw for a lot of the
offensive lineman there and the reason why they get so
many of the big guys, they're so frequently too many
weather Um that's somebody. Have have you trained with him
before this year? And why did was it important to

(23:02):
go work with him? Haud of the Draft. Yeah, this
is the first time I've trained with him. I went
to attending the Olanda Masterminds uh conference he does in
the summer this past year, and uh, you know, dude's
just one of those guys that you know, he's he
has such a great idea about football and technique and everything,
and you can really tell the guy who works with
the guys who worked with how much he improved your game.

(23:24):
And so that was a very reason why I wanted
to come work with him. You know, I've just seen
the results that's had with guys. You know, I've talked
to Lane Johnson about him. He had nothing but good
things to stay them, let's say about him. So that
was definitely a big reason why. You know, I just
think there's not many guys either who can train offensive
line and like do. Now when we talk about you know,
what's the biggest thing you learned about football at Oklahoma,

(23:45):
what's the biggest thing you've learned during this process leading
up to the draft. Yeah, you know, Uh, dude's definitely
taught us a lot of technique and everything like that,
but also you know, just learning how to take care
of everybody like a professional. You know, we do so
much recovery and rehab stuff throughout the day that it
makes you feel fresh every single time to come into
no matter how hard to work out was the day before.

(24:07):
So really just learning different techniques on how to rehab
and recover for the X workout. When you walk when
you talk about some of the technique that you've learned,
walk us through some of those that you've been able
to see. There's certain nuances too, or that you've felt
an area of improvement for you just in how you
line up at the you know the line of scrimmage

(24:27):
and you know is it is it your hands at
your feet? Yeah? You know when do he uh really
strange and emphasis on feetwork and hands. You know, he
says you always win a you win the battle with
your feet before you win with your hands. So whereking
footwork technique on different blocks and everything like that is

(24:50):
huge for us here. So doing that, you know, I
feel like I've definitely improving that area down here. When
you pop in the tape or when Duke walks, because
Duke has worked with I mean, there's a list of
the cowboys, everybody, the the offensive line, all protein is
who he's worked with everybody pretty much. So when you
pop in the tape, who does he say, this is

(25:10):
a player that you remind me of and this is
where I want your technique to go. Does he do
things like that? And if he does, who does he
pop in for you? Yeah? You know, he doesn't really
do comparisons down the area for us. You know, he
wants us to be the best version of ourselves, So
he really strains on what he can see as doing
the best, uh, and he straights on those parts of

(25:32):
our game to really work on and grove so he
doesn't really have comparisons for us that he's had for me.
You know, he just wants me to be the best
words of myself. Now, you are training around the Dallas
area and we do a lot of Cowboys focus here.
So have you thought any about the opportunity to play
for the Cowboys potentially or have you had any conversations
with them? You know, we thought of the Senior Bowl. Uh,

(25:52):
you know, they asked some great players. They've had great
on some lines throughout the years. You know, being able
to that on all this would definitely be awesome. So
you know, they had such great offensive line and you
know they've had a great centers there too, so it
would definitely be an interesting place to play for him.
Do you see yourself having some position flex on that
offensive line or are you a pure center? Yeah, definitely, No,

(26:14):
I don't. I don't consider myself as a center. No,
I consider myself almost a line and a football player.
I don't mind where on line up. You know, I
feel like out of the versatility to play just about
anywhere on the offensive line. Now, that's a good question
there that I was curious about was your ability to
play guard. Has anybody talked to you about that that
they see you as more of a guard, or has
everybody just pretty much focused on center with you? Yeah,

(26:36):
I know people have asked me if I'm able to
play guard. Uh, they have so much to me and
center that you know, I haven't really played card in
the game, but I'm definitely practiced in the ton, you know,
throughout the years, so I'm comfortable playing both for sure.
Is there is there a little bit of Um, It's
funny you always see fans on social media and stuff
talking about, you know, well, if we have a whole

(26:56):
right tackle and we have two decent left tackles, let's
move the left to right, or we got this tackle,
let's just have them play inside, or have the center
play guard. Uh? Does that ever bug you? I know
it seems to bug a lot of offensive life, but
the people don't seem to understand the nuances of each
one of those spots. Offensive line is not just one position. Yeah.
I don't really focused too much on what people say

(27:17):
outside of, you know, the team I'm on, so I've
never really noticed it. It definitely takes along more than
you think to be able to just change positions, though,
I will say especially from playing one side of the
line together side of the line. You know, it's completely
different feedwork and it's completely different level of comfort than
what you're used to. So it definitely is difficult to do,

(27:38):
and you know what people do, it is very impresive.
Now we know Steven Jones has a great relationship with
Lincoln Riley. Uh, we had Lincoln Riley on our show.
Who wouldn't over characterize those conversations ahead of Dallas? For
my point is Stephen can easily pick up the phone
and talk to Lincoln about his OU players. Can you
characterize what your conversations were like at the Senior Bowl

(27:59):
with the Cowboys and who you talk to? Yeah, you know,
I'd rather not get into that too deep right now.
You know, I'm just really meeting with you know, everybody,
So I really not YouTube even the what I've been
talking about fair enough. I like the gamesmanship there. Now,
last question for you here because I know you gotta run. Um.
There's this big One of the big stories this offseason

(28:19):
has been Carson Wentz getting moved over from the Eagles
to Indianapolis. That potentially puts Jalen Hurts in the spot
to be the franchise quarterback for the Eagles. I know
that's a guy you played with. Uh. Anybody who's curious
about what type of player Jalen Hurts is, what would
you have to say about him? Yeah? You know, Jaalen
is such a great leader on and off the field.
You know, he's something that you you love to have

(28:40):
in the locker room, and he approached the game such
a business light level. You know, he's someone who's always
prepared for anything that comes and happens on the field.
You know, he's very impressive and he has a very
composure too throughout Again, you know, he he's not someone
who gets, you know, too excited and two down himself
every makes a good or bad play. You know, he
stays locked in the hold. Was very impressive. So, you know,

(29:02):
I'm a big fan of Joan. You know, just been
a one year that I got to play with him.
Creed hump three is the center at Oklahoma and very
well could be the first center off the board in
the draft to come April. You can follow him on
Twitter at Creed Underscore Humphrey Creed. We appreciate you man, Yeah,
thank you guys. Joining us now is Alabama offensive lineman

(29:22):
Alex Leatherwood. I would tell you where you can find
him on Twitter, but you can't because he doesn't have
a Twitter. Uh. He's he's keeping his mental health on point. Alex,
How you doing, man? I'm doing great? And I gotta
ask about the what is the How have you not
gotten sucked in by the social media bug? To this point?
I don't know social media is. I've never really been

(29:44):
my thing. You know. It means a lot of people,
uh don't know what they're talking about. Keep piece and
just going about my business. A smart man. Do you
ever have one? Or did you decide to step away
from it or you just never got into it. I
used to have a but I didn't use it much,
you know what I mean? So I decided to just
do away with it. We got yeah, we got a

(30:06):
first round grade on Alex Leatherwood between the ears there.
That's that's good. That and now Alex, you of course
won the Outline Trophy. You are one of the top
linemen in the country. I think everybody feels like, uh,
you're you're likely a first round pick, and so there
has been some discussion. It sounds like that some people
may think you should kick inside the guard and that

(30:27):
that's where you should play at. Um, do you would
you welcome that or do you have any sort of
resistance that or any sort of pushback that says like, hey,
come on, Like, I just want the outline trophy playing
the tackle at Alabama and the SEC and I think
I've done a pretty good job at tackle. I think
I can stay there. How do you approach that question
about where you're gonna play at the next level? Right,
I mean, just like you said, I mean, I just

(30:49):
want to album that live tackle believe my skill set
and my relief. Uh like, I'm super for love top,
you know what I mean. But I won't, Um, I
won't take away from our versatility to play anything on
the offensive long, you know, I mean, I could, like,
I could be a senator of guard tackle no matter
where you need me to play. But I am indeed

(31:10):
that hard in a body of love tackles. Why come
back your senior season, especially in a year that had
so many unpredictable and unexpected challenges, Right, Um, I came
back just for, like, to be honest, the sole purpose
of getting better than being a better player. And you
know what I mean. Also, I wanted to graduate. I

(31:30):
wanted to win another national championship because the season we
had last last last season was just not the center
of what we were expecting, you know what I mean.
So I just wanted to go back and like prove
a lot to myself and uh just put more on
take because I knew, because I knew I could show
more one of I mean, so I just wanted to
like capitalize on all the good things I did my

(31:51):
junior season and take it to the next level. As
the see here. What do you think, I mean, You've
got You've got a chance to play for coach Saban
for the full run there, and he of course is
one of the most revered minds in football. What's the
biggest thing you learned from coach Saban at Alabama? The
BA is just how to win, you know what I mean,

(32:12):
how to win and the things that it takes to win,
you know, um, staying sugar to the process, and the
things that you got to do that you did where
you're trying to go. You know that. I mean, Uh,
I'm super agreeci you and so greatful just life have
big coach about him and learn the things I did.
It was great. You were you were a guy who
was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school.

(32:33):
You had a lot of attention on you back even
then you spent four years now like running through Alabama,
having that spotlight there and playing in the SEC. Do
you feel like all this time you've spent in the
football spotlight at every level, like that kind of better
prepares you for what comes with the day to day
attention and grind and intensity of the NFL. Exactly, the

(32:54):
dosand P centing. I mean, that was one of the
main reasons why I went to Alabama, you know what
I mean, just because of these older that we get
there against the athletes, and you're always in a slot,
like you know what I mean, So like you you
always have to do in your piece and hughes and
like you just get used to it. So like you know,
how's better as you've been there before. It's interesting, Bob,

(33:14):
because you know, we've talked about guys like Sammy Watkins
in the past, who I was told decided not to
come to Dallas because he didn't want everything that came
with it. It sounds like you would be very capable
of embracing that. Have you had any conversations with the Cowboys. Um,
I had conversations with the Cowboys and you're really off
at teams. Uh, maybe I'll be going great. To be honest,

(33:36):
all the conversations I've had. Okay, I've got a question
for you. When you have a head coach like Nick Saban.
You know, we talked to another guy m JP and
and because you're in the spotlight at Alabama, and because
you have a coach like Nick Saban, is there any
head coach on the other side of a zoom in
the next couple of weeks that if you get asked

(33:56):
to talk to is going to move the ele for you?
In other words, or pinch yourself and saying wow, like
I'm doing this. Um No, not really, to be honest,
just because um prepared, you know what I mean, And
I'm confidence, So I'm going to go into every interview
on this and um and prepared. What was it like

(34:17):
when Saban was in that living room talking to your parents.
That was a high schooler. Now that being in high
school and that was kind of surreal, you know what
I mean? Just knowing that I have an opportunity to
play for somebody's how Italian and Revere as him and
like I mean used to go, you know what I mean.
So it kind of was a surreal moment, but it

(34:37):
was cool. It was very really cool, Alex. I'm sure
you've heard this question a lot because I know it's
a favorite of NFL scouts in front offices, and it
sounds pretty basic, but it helps you to kind of
look inside yourself and and and flesh it out. As
pecial came. What is it about ball that you love? Why?
Why do you love football? Just? Um, just like the competition,
you know what I mean? And I'll love do you
love football? What I love? Like specifically, it's just like

(35:01):
the art of the position of being an alarm and
you know what I mean, Just I feel like we're
the most cerebral and technical position, don't feel so just
like that chase of like being perfect, you know what
I mean, getting all your steps right, playing like mental
games with the vendors, edge rushing and things like that.
Just trying to be perfect and everything you do. That's
what I love about it. I love the competition, I

(35:24):
love the physicality, and I love it it's a team
sport as well, Like you can't do it all on
your home. You gotta have like I mean not even
not just in football, but more specifically offensive Lin, like
you got five youths to have an assignment to you know, accomplished,
so just that, I mean, it's fun, it's great. I
love the authenticity and passion of that answer. It didn't

(35:45):
feel canned. It felt very genuine. This is a guy
that loves football and Dallas has had an impressive line
over the years. Have you talked to any of the
Cowboys players and have any of them stood out to you?
Not personally, I hadn't talked to any Cowboys players, but uh,
I mean, of course the offensive line they stand out

(36:06):
to me. Just uh, the tradition and uh just like
a good tradition of that albums along and what they
do whether they're done over the past years. I mean
it was like inspiration, you know what I mean, Like
they were the best in the league and it's super funny,
great to Watchington learn from, you know, Thomason, did Zay Martin,
Um like Apollins, all of them, I mean, Creatulayers. Is

(36:29):
there anybody specifically that you've studied while you've been at
Alabama and just kind of tried to I wouldn't say,
mold yourself after because I know a lot of guys
like to say. I'm mean, you know, I'm not somebody else,
But is there anybody else that you try and like
pick up some things or see if you can learn
some things from through study any players in particular? Uh
note in particular, but I mean I watched I watched
a lot of topics in the league. Uh, Thomas Smith,

(36:50):
Trimp Williams stayed about the yard. I mean, you know,
like the All pros, like degree, like the Pro bowlers,
you know what I mean. A couple of my other
teammates to playing the league, Jonah Williams, other rules like
those names. I watched him and just trying to learn
as much as I can and take away from all
of their games, you know, to mean and um trying
to make it and take it to me in my

(37:11):
skip saying what I can do with it. So I
just trying to be a sponge from everybody. You know,
if the Cowboys were to call your name, I'm sure
you know Trayvon Digs a little bit. What was he
like when he was on your team? Oh? Yeah, it
was great. This is definitely a character. Uh he's a
great teammate, he asked me, he has a lot of personality,

(37:31):
a free athlete, great player, and yeah, that's my that's
my boy about Patricks Urtan, that's a corner that cowboys
might also pick up the phone and call and what
you're scouting report on him as a teammate. As a teammate,
I mean, you don't get any better than him. I mean,
I got like a bunch of great teammates, but you

(37:51):
can't any ratter like he approaches, like the way he
approaches practice and the way he approaches in the way
he approaches his work in his game is crowd I
mean unbelievable. And he's been like that since he was
a freshm one. He verst up on campus. I mean
he's a workforce and uh he's a probo about what
he does. So I feel like his strength of his
strangers is gonna be seeing us. What challenges you most

(38:13):
on the football field? What what do you feel like
you still need to improve that? What do you think
that you know, you feel like it's not quite as
polished as you want it to be, and and you
feel like gives you a challenge and something to shoot for. Um.
One thing I always try to work on because it
is always gonna think of me. It's just hands, you
know what I mean, my hands in the run game
and in the past game. Just being more consisent about

(38:34):
them being inside where I put them, toming and things
like that. But I feel like that's not just with me.
I feel like that's what like all tackles, you know
what I mean, just having good iron correlation, you know
when the tom in knowing your league and things like that.
So that's one thing to always try to keep polishing.
And like you can never beat you to that. How
has Duke helped you out with that? I know you're

(38:54):
trying with Duke many whether they're at m JP. Duke
is um hooked out with that a lot. I mean,
and he knows like he knows a great deal about
footballing office as long play and just uh the drills
we work, I mean everything teams in on like like
that Steel said in like how do you use your
hands better? You know what I mean? I mean, it

(39:15):
just works. I mean I can't really explain it, but
it's great working. I'm super grateful to be here working
with him, learning from him. You're like all the and
all the other old line dudes. Youre a bunch of
talking to here is great to learn from him and
all the other duds here. You know, with n C
double A rules, you can only work on so many
things as it relates to skills and the nuances that

(39:38):
come with your position. How energized and excited because you
do seem like one of those guys who really loves
football and you know, using words like loving the fact
that it's technical and being perfect. How much you love that.
Now you can finesse your game and you can work
on the nuances that make you a good offensive lineman
with guys like Duke who that's what they do and

(40:02):
they've got all pro guys that they've trained. It feels
like that gets You're the type of guy that gets
up for that in the morning. Like that energizes you
about what I'm saying. And I mean it's great not
just because like you get the word with you, and
it's like because all the other guys he brings in
that he works with, we're also great players in the league.
Like you get to learn from them as well, like

(40:23):
season bets, like who played the game, who played against
like the great Dans and stuff like that. So I'm
music Cools I'm it's just great. I love it. Do
you have a mentor right now in the game? Has
in other words, as certain NFL player that you talked
to or that has like you don't seem like one
of those guys that necessarily needs a whole lot of direction.

(40:43):
But is there's someone that because it is such a
small fraternity, this game of football and doing this is
very different than what your family does for a living
and your friends do for a living. Is there a
mentor that you reach out to that's that really just
in few is you with some good brain food. Let's
see a mean tour of one of my closest friend

(41:06):
and uh A teammates, uh Jenic Wills. He plays the
little table for the Browns and he was the right
table at aimable while I played level and transitions to
left tackle. So just talking to him about his experiention
and things that he's he's slaying over his um really season,
the things that he's learned, uh in my labor stuff.
We'll talk about that a lot, and I feel like

(41:28):
I learned a lot from him just from him being
rookie and he's experienced with it. So Alex Leatherwood is
an exciting player and one that you should hear. I
would guess on night one of the draft in April,
he should hear his name getting called. Alex. Appreciate you
so much and best of luck is there. I appreciate all.
Joining us now is Coastal Carolina defensive end Tehran Jackson.

(41:51):
You can follow him on Twitter at Tehran Underscore Jackson Torn.
How you doing, man, I'm doing great. I'm doing them lifting, man,
how are you doing? I'm doing great and I'm excited
to talk to you because I think you are the
first prospect we have ever interviewed that graduated with a
bachelor's degree in mathematics? What what had you? Honestly, honestly

(42:12):
gives me anxiety. I know, I just didn't graduate the
University of Texas and I had two degrees because I
failed math not once, not twice, but three times and
finished up in community college. That's how bad I am
at math. Here's how bad I am at math is
that I have. I've got my app here photo math

(42:33):
that I used to help me with my children's math
equations to make sure that uh so I just take
a picture of it and it solves it. So I'm
curious as somebody who's pursuing football what it's It seems
very outside the beaten path. I wouldn't expect a lot
of football players were, uh, you know, majoring in mathematics,
So what had you go in there? Oh? Yeah, I

(42:54):
think it's kind of just a kind of a combination
to some things that I did when I'm growing up.
I'm not always numbers, but growing up my family being
in construction, my pops of contract, so you know, do
are different mamagements and stuff, you know, couldn't different, you know,
like wood and stuff, image me just being able to
cut the map in your head just be some things.

(43:14):
So I think that's kind of some of the stuff
that you know, kind of two before that path, but
not just always been a number of guys. God, I
mean the cool thing about that is like that also
says GM to me when you're playing days are over?
Is that something you'd ever consider? I mean, honestly, it's
something that never really crossed my mind. Honestly, uh uh,

(43:35):
but I definitely couldn't you know, see that in the future.
But you know, it's just something I never really thought about,
to be honest. Now as you're preparing for the draft.
I mentioned their Coastal Carolina. There's probably not a lot
of guys that fans know who have come from Coastal Carolina,
but uh, you know they you guys really came on
the scene last year. I had a big primetime game
against b y U. Um, so you guys are really

(43:57):
starting to build a strong reputation. But you're you're kind
of one of the four runners here for it. So uh,
talk to us a little bit about just coming from
a small school and still trying to or are not
a small school, but but a lesser known football program
and trying to establish yourself and help teams understand like, hey,
we played good football over here. To believe what you

(44:18):
see on the tape. I didn't say given me you
know that internship on my shoulder, you know, working with
guy that you know, get a little bit more not
a riding from that standpoint, but um, you know football
and the football so you know are going to you know,
just telling Jim you know what you're seeing it on tape,
and you know what you're gonna get. You know, you're
gonna get a guy that's flying around all the time,
that's playing a hard you know, playing for his teammates,

(44:39):
you know, upliving guys when they're now and you know
they make us a player or something like that, just
trying to uplive them, but you know, just showing them
that just because you know, we may come from a
smaller conference, you know, we still have a lot of
guys that can compete at any level. Is it fun
being a part of a school that's building something, because
even Coastal Carolina in baseball has really been coming around
in recent years. Is it fun to be a part

(45:00):
of building something there? Oh, for sure, it's amazing, you know,
to be a part of the groundwork for you know
Coast Carolina. You know the Lakesy is just started. But
you know, just to be a part of something that's growing,
like coach lives now. You know, we first came into
summer el you know we was three and nine and
then five and seven, five, and said we're trying to
build our way up every year. You know, last year

(45:21):
before last year kind of seeing that you know the product.
You know, we lost uh set of games, but three
and for that game, those games you had lost for
like one point three points. And then this year just
you know, busting onto the scene and you know, whinning
winning our you know conference, Uh, it means a lot
to me, you know, and the guys that I came
in with, you knows something that we definitely was worded
towards and for us to be in belated at Brick,

(45:42):
you know, for future teams, it's amazing. Now one of
my uh this is this is gonna be a trivia
question for Jane because I know that Tehron's gonna know
it instantly. But Jane, Uh, Tehran is from Aiken, South
Carolina and went to Silver Bluff High School. You know
who else fits the wash that bio that currently plays
in the NFL Big Time Cowboys connection here he knows

(46:06):
that he already knows you want to go ahead and
share it with her. Not DeMarcus Now he was he
was in DeMarcus Lawrence. See DeMarcus So de Marcus was
Birmingham never mind having been a guy who was in
aking and went to Silver Bluff like de Marcus Lawrence.
Is that a guy that you studied at all when
you were coming along definitely coming through high school you

(46:29):
know and everything. You know, he was as you know,
kind of a guy in my coach. Uh, you know, pulled,
pushed me towards and look at as far as film
and everything. So he's definitely got it. I've been watching,
you know since I was kind of younger. I know
he's he's come back to the areas um um in
recent years. Have you ever got a chance to meet him?
Oh no, I haven't read got a chance to meet me.
And you know, I'm actually cool with some of his

(46:51):
nephews cousins. I went to school with him, but you know,
I haven't got a chance to beat him formally. I've
talked to him vote and now I haven't got a
chance to meet him place to place. Well, we've talked
to a few guys. You've talked to DeMarcus Lawrence. So
I love seeing that he's taking on the mentor role.
What is what has he said to you? What's been
the feedback for a guy from his hometown. You know,

(47:12):
just you just gotta keep pushing, man, you know, just
stay still fast, you know, be cautious of the details
from that nature, and just you know, do what you love. Now.
You were at Senior Bowl, and I know everybody at
Senior Bowl got to talk to uh run you know,
the gauntlet with all the teams. Uh. So you did
get to talk to the Cowboys. How did that go
and what would you think about being able to play

(47:32):
for them? The meeting went very well with cow Boys.
Now I gave at a little bit about the Martins Lawrence,
Um total uh and driving on there's gonna be coming
for the Mary coming from people with a guy that
you know watching you're growing up. Um. So it definitely
went will and you know, to get the opportunity to
go play. We're doing definitely spitial one of my favorite

(47:53):
uh notes about a player. You know, guys always pick
numbers for different reasons. I know J. C. Horne Warren
number one at South Carolina just because he said it
was cold. He said, it's just a great number. But
I know you've got the number nine that you were
in Coastal Carolina. I know that means a lot to you.
Um tell people about why you wear the number nine.
So I wanted over nine because of my brother. My

(48:14):
brother actually passed to keeping when I was nine years old. Um,
you know, the football a lot of something that kind
of brought us together. Just seeing him go through firewood
cats or stuff. You know, he was a guy that
they never be playing he was always smiling, you know,
he always had it on his face, and I just
try to embrace that. You know, when I played football,
you know, I'm always the guys trying to uplift everybody. Uh,

(48:34):
and not just on the field, even outside of the field.
You know, they have problems. You know, I wouldn't bet
that guy to guys can lean on. Um, just being
a good, good captain, you know, being a good leader
in a road. More is that? Is that your main
drive in pursuing the NFL is is your brother? Oh yeah, definitely. Um.
You know, like I said, that's that's one thing that
always brought us together. You know, we love football, So

(48:57):
that's definitely my mainving force. You know for playing football.
How exciting is it to play a place like Coastal Carolina,
get on the phone with a guy like DeMarcus Lawrence
and now find yourself on zoom calls with g ms
and head coaches in the NFL. Um, It's amazing. You know.

(49:18):
When I was younger, you know, me and my cousin
growing up playing outside playing football, you know, watching different
games stuff. You see, you see all the stuff going on,
but um, you know, it's just something that you dream
of like, man, I'm gonna be there in one day,
you know, and then every year, you know, once I
started playing football, just building towards and build them towards it.
And then finally, you know, you see some of the
fruits of your labor. You know, most of the time

(49:39):
you can't see it when you're working. To that point
now and I can, you know, kind of see a
little bit of a work coming. Um. So, man, it's great.
You know, it's just a blessing. Man. You gotta thank
God for the opportunity that I'm at now, and you know,
to be able to even be in the place that
I am now. Where do you feel more natural in
the defensive line? I feel close with in those positions?

(50:02):
But I had to say the fourth place scheme probably
did because the men they ended the three or fourth
outsideline backer. When you talked to the cowboys, did they
express to you where they saw you? Did they see
you as a guy who stood up or did they
see you with your hand in the dirt rushing from
like a wide dine. Did they talk to you about
that any Uh? Not really, you know, they kind of
just wanted to you know. It was just flash who
I wasn't the person, Uh didn't kind of my understanding

(50:24):
and knowledge of football and flash to questions there. I
think that was that assume caller was that? Like it?
Where was that? So? I had to see you both? Um,
you know we meet with his team. You know, we
just meet with the scouts. Um, some team recorded but
I can't remember and they had recorded or not. But
you know, just talking face to face with the scouts there. Uh,
you know that was picking my brain in that flash.

(50:46):
I think that last year, if you were to just
poll college football fans of like, hey, what was the
chippiest football game, I think they would probably say it
was that b y U Coastal Carolina game where the
things got a little intense there. There was some there
was some aggression that is that. Do you think that
was a good representation of the type of intensity you
might see on Sundays? Oh yeah, I never feel like that.

(51:09):
That game was probably the closest representation. You know. Um,
the energy that we had for that grand was amazing. Man.
I never get you know, they came in and the
changing game three days away, you know, we're closed to
be playing, and everybody were already fired and playing everything
because those where harmly arrivals, but you know, get a
chance to play d y you you know, and then
going into the game, all of the people that doubted us,

(51:31):
you know, we haven't seen something like I know coaching
made for us where everybody ever rowing in and you know,
holt of them playing kids like you know, they're not
going to amount to it and they're not gonna be
able to beat you guys. Uh. So you know it
was amazing just get out there, but people, my brothers
man and just put put the world on know as
you know, the coach is a really good football team.

(51:53):
What's the biggest question you think teams have had for
you during this process? Um, everybody's always got, you know,
a targeted area that they need to work gone before
they get to the next level. What's the thing teams
most want to know about you? Um? I think especially
my size of that. I meant now I've had that
question of uh, he's a cleaner where where you're gonna play?
But in terms of playing the three or four, A

(52:14):
lot of team have told me, you know, they want
to see if I can drop in you know in
the coverage and everything like that. Uh, and I'd be
able to show that at my pro day. Um, the
turns of the four three you know. Um, you know
I've heard from teams, you know, just being consistent from
times with my footwork and everything. Um, but you know
that's pretty much what I've been here. And I've heard flexibility, Um,

(52:35):
you know, not this year so much, but you know
my past year, so you're not trying to combat that
when yoga, uh, everything like that. But you know, currently,
that's probably the things that I've been hearing the most.
When they ask you about the size, do you say, hey,
Elvis Stumerville played at five eleven for like a decade,
y'all chill out. Yeah, I mean I tried to work that, man,

(52:56):
because if you can play football, you play football. You know,
any size man. You know. I love when I see
the smaller guys, you know, the other dogs coming down
and dominating the guys that's twice their size, because I'm like, man,
if you could play, you play, it doesn't matter. I'd
be What do you think is your most pro ready trade.
I'll say my my my best pro already trade, you know,
in terms of you know, on the field, Uh, it's

(53:18):
definitely probably my hands. I feel like this year. It's
one thing I definitely try to key on is getting
better with my hands. Um, you know, my my I
talked about some of my coaches and stuff from previous
years and it was like, um, you know, log just
rely on that period, just athleticism. You know, they wouldn't
see me be able to been around the corner and
you know, use my hands. I'm going into this year.
That's one thing that I didinitely focused on. I feel

(53:38):
like I got better. You seem really coachable in the
sense that you know, even as we're sitting here and talking.
I love the guys that can assess their game, talk
about what the knocks have been and then going out
of their way to address those. Is that a fair
assessment of you? Oh? Yeah, for sure. I'm definitely coachable. Man.
I literally like after every year, Um, I'm talking to

(54:00):
my coaches and I see, you know what I need
to work on, what part of my game and you know,
how can I improve it? Um? You know, going to
this year, my coach said he wants me to to you know,
get a little faster. You know, he wants to see
me that possibilities. I said, you know, okay, I dropped
to the Piege, you know, and I started getting in
the yoga, you know, just working on the little names
that he said, you know, and I difinite feel like
I improved, uh, you know. And in those areas you

(54:22):
are you we mentioned about being coachable. I know for
a fact that you are because our good buddy here
on the show we've talked to Brandon Tucker has talked
about that. What have you been able to learn from
too you've been working at m JP. I've learned love
a lot from coach up Man. I love him. Man.
He's talking me a lot, you know, not just by
my position of previously then, but he's talking to me

(54:42):
about the time stuff outsideline, by your stuff and a
lot of that knowledge, you know, I didn't have previously,
you know, because it's just a new position. But I've
learned a lot from to man has he has? He
made sure to take you to Hutching's barbecue. Yet. Man,
it's crazy because we're just talking about the lands we say.
He did me and one of the other guys I
work out with Ham and he will take us to

(55:05):
his home. Let's see how I heard from some of
the other guys. Good though they may they may wait
till after pro day because Tuckle like to just like
load up and binge guys, and you don't want to
put on that extra five pounds. Man Torn Jackson is
a defensive end from Coastal Carolina and one of the

(55:25):
really exciting, i'd say sleepers in this class, a guy
that a lot of people are excited about. You can
follow him on Twitter at Tehron underscore Jackson, toront Thanks
so much, man, best of luck, Thank you appreciate joining
us now. Is cal defensive back Cameron buying him? You
can follow him on Twitter. It's at cam Busy underscore.
So there's that little underscore at was cam Beusy itself

(55:47):
already taken? Cameron? Yes, I had to find a way
was taking. I gotta put it underscore. I was mad.
I want a pain man, all right. So you were
one of the few who did choose to or not
one of the few. You were one of the ones
who decided to play this season, even though with the
shortened season there with Cal and everything going on with
covid um. Do you have any regrets about deciding to play?

(56:09):
Are you glad you did? I know we talked to
pauls and the de boat Stanford. He said he was
glad he didn't. He felt good about the decision because
there was a little bit of stop start and he
thinks that would have thrown him out of his rhythm. Um,
do you have any regrets or do you feel good
about the way you handled it? I have no regrets
at all. I was my mentality. Once they uncancelled disease
and let us play in the ball, I was thinking,

(56:30):
if I can play football, I'm gonna play football. Be
a lot better off as a football player actually getting
those reps and be able to practice for those months
and play. However many games were able to and I
feel a lot better by myself doing that than just
training an extra a couple of months. So I was like,
if I have a chance to play some football, I'm
doing it, regardless how disruptive was it, even when the

(56:51):
state of California wasn't letting people practice at their facilities
at times, it was cal in the mix of that. Yeah,
in the Bay Area was super strict. M Like the
entire time, we didn't have a locker room. We were
changing outside in the tunnel. We didn't have a weight room,
so we had to move the weight room out to
our practice field and yeah, basically every life we've had

(57:11):
position meetings outside that moved TVs or fifty degrees at
six am before our practices and stuff, and we're out
there doing meetings shivering colde how to get it done
because we couldn't We couldn't go outside the building at
us Like my first my whole senior year, I didn't
see my locker room, didn't have a locker. Everything is
pretty crazy. But then the day we got to play
football too, so it's fun. That's fascinating. How how important

(57:35):
was it for you to be able to go compete
at the Senior Bowl with some of the limited exposure
that other guys are getting this year? Um, I think
that was huge, Just like especially for me, I only
was able to get four games in that cow, and
I know a lot of other people got a lot
of games canceled, some people opted out. So just having
that chance to show your skill right before the whole
draft process starts up, that's probably super big for the

(57:58):
evaluation process. Then being able to see you this close
to when they're drafting you, and just being able to
compete against the best. I was my favorite party. Being
able to compete against the guys that you see on
TV every week and be able to compete at the
end of day. You were obviously a lot up close
and personal with a lot of scouts, gms and coaches.
Was there one that really stood out for you and experience? Um,

(58:22):
I'll just stay with the Miami staff because that was
my team for the for the game. So um. And
I had my my college coach that coached meeting in
college for three years. He was the secondary coach for
the Dolphins. So that was just cool being with him
again and being familiar with the defense and with all
the terminology and everything. That was really helpful to me
and I was it felt like I was back home

(58:44):
again at cast uh front of the best experience I had.
Who gave you the most trouble at Senior Bowl practice week?
Who who's the biggest handful? Oh? Dayne ASCAR to Western Michigan. Yeah,
real good. Now when you got to there, I know
everybody was at Senior Bowl. Was able to talk to
all the teams were obviously Cowboys center here. Um, do

(59:05):
you get a chance to talk to the Cowboys And
how did that go? Um? They were really well. I
was able to talk to every team except the Rams
they weren't there, but talking to them. A lot of
scouts that I've seen in my area before that I've met,
So it's just cool of being able to catch up
and uh, interview process is long there, so as able
to I was glad I was able to talk to
everybody for sure, was able to get a good conversation

(59:27):
and interview with the Cowboys. When would you describe the
conversation with the Cowboys, Um, I would say kind of
more personal than the other ones because they've met me
a lot of times before, so they weren't asking as
many like background questions because they've seen me and been
in my school a lot. Especially those scouts that were
that we're talking to me, they met me a couple
of times, so we're more talking about kind of like

(59:49):
more live stuff and that our defenses and just giving
an overview of the whole week and stuff. Firstus just
asking like background, where do you feel most comfortable at
the next level in terms of scheme fit or are
you a guy who would feel better about being in
a you know, a cover three system or somebody who
wants to play some press man. Where do you feel
the best at the next level you think, um, I

(01:00:11):
feel I could do at all. That's something I was
able to do in college. You play um An he
covered three, who played a lot of Cover four also,
but also did a lot of man. A lot of
my Cover three is turned into man, so I think me.
I pride myself and being versatile. So whether I played
corner or safety or nickela, I feel like I'll be
best in any scheme because I'm prepared myself super well.
Did Dallas give you any inclination of what they kind

(01:00:33):
of view as Do they've you use a boundary guy?
Do they look at you as a safety? No, they didn't.
They didn't took their hat on any of that. If
the team asked me if I'm willing to play other
positions and move around, and that's something I'd be willing
to do any time of the day. There have been
a lot of great players who have graduated from KEL.
One of my favorites, of course, is Cam Jordan's Mr Personality.

(01:00:56):
If you had to power rank your top five cal
football umps, who would they be? Oh, that's obviously Aaron
Rodgers might be at the top. He might be one
of the best ever. After Brady um Keenan Allen's I
know he's a dog, umj Sean Jackson, um namdi um

(01:01:20):
and I say Jalen Hawkins and Ashton Davis at number
five that have come out of there exactly. So I
was like, I gotta put my own teammates there. Evan
Weavers gonna be upset, man, I gotta go at the DV. Well,
what do you think it's still the biggest question in
these conversations you have with teams and things like that.

(01:01:40):
What do you think is the biggest question teams still
have for you? Um? Probably persatility, just because I've only
played corner in my whole career, um, and I don't
see that as something that's put me behind the curve
at all, just because I think corner is the hardest
position on the whole defense, and if I made him
play corner, I can easily move into safety and guards
are tight ends, and playing corner this whole time, for sure,

(01:02:03):
I can cover and if I'm moving to the the nickel,
I'll be able to play even better. So I think
my versatility something that hasn't been showed off much in
the past, but it's something I'm no I'll define that.
What is the biggest thing that you yourself still look
out and say I'd like to be better at that.
I want to improve that. I would say versatility UM
In the senior boy, I went and played the slide

(01:02:25):
a little, had had a little trouble the first first day,
just because it's something I've never really done too much,
besides taking a couple of practice reps. If into man coverage,
I go to guard the slot, so I'd say just
slot coverage. Just knowing those different angles and different rout
tree coming from there, something I want to get more
reps at. Now. I know you've been working out there

(01:02:45):
at m jp uh Clay MAXs been out there and
know too, and so are you working with Clay And
if so, how's that been. Yeah, I'm working with him
multiple times a week and it's been super well, going
super well, and I think he's he's a great coach,
just preparing us to move and getting us um all
of our functional movements. Like people think like you go
out there and just do the drills and just practice

(01:03:07):
the combined drills just for these couple of months, but
he's teaching us breaking out every single movement, every angle,
so that whatever drill they put us through protoy, I'll
be able to do well just because of my functional
movement is tip top shape. So that's what I like
about him, the real technician and technical coach. Now we
mentioned that you did get a chance to talk to
the Cowboys, how would you feel about potentially and that

(01:03:27):
you're in the Dallas area right now, how would you
feel about calling us home? I love it. I love it.
I for sure gonna live out here, buy a house
out here long term. So really, you liked it that much,
you give me a blessing to go anywhere. But at
the end of day, for his Dallas how we had
before we let you go, I wanted to ask you,
how have you been to Dallas before and lived here

(01:03:48):
for a while or you just wanted to buy a
house based on just your limited time here. Yeah, So
last year I came out here to train get a
three weekhead start at m JP souh. I came here
last year during my winning train here, so I wanted
to see, Okay, this is the place I want to train,
and they're actually super good and be able to train
and do the workouts for like a year before I

(01:04:09):
get here, so I don't have to waste time trying
to learn when my time is here. So that time
I did a bunch of exploring when lift the model homes,
lifted property and all that, and I'm like, yeah, this
is b that's amazing. Yeah. So this year I did
it again and I'm like, yeah, sure that so you
could you could be pay comes into your life. You
could be playing for the Titans maybe, and you would

(01:04:31):
still try and have like an offseason home here or something.
Oh yeah, yeah, I want to buy land here. So
it's like, look at that. I've been living in California,
like by the ocean in the Bay Area, and you
still choose Dallas. Yeah, because two dollar gas, I smiled
putting gas in my car and I'll filled up my

(01:04:53):
niece off like sixty five dollars. That's good stuff. Well,
Cam buying them you can follow him on Twitter. It
is at cam Beasy Underscore don't cam bez twenty four
don't can't be Ezy. Somebody else already stole those, but
you can find Camera buying them on Twitter at cam
Bezy Underscore Camera. Thanks so much and good luck during
this process. Joining us now is Northwestern offensive tackle Rashaan Slater.

(01:05:19):
You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram at r
D s L eight, r c do s L eight,
r Slater. You get it, Rashwan, How you doing doing well?
About doing great? And now I the thing I want
to knock out first. I want to give you a
chance to talk about because I know I've been screaming
it and other people have been screaming it for you,
including Duke. Uh. Why is it in you in your opinion,

(01:05:41):
in your own words, why is it that you are
not just a guard? You can play tackle at the
next level. Yeah, I mean that's why I played in
my room quesn you know, the big time. How the
opportunity to go against a lot of these guys that
we're doing well in NFL. I've definitely got the film
and I've got to need to um. You know, maybe

(01:06:02):
I don't have the elite length that's some teams a
little born titles, but I do have the technique and
then know how that despite that, I'm able to play
really well when you Is that anything that in talking
with teams you've had to make that case for. I'm
sure the teams have their own idea, so you're not
gonna but have they asked you about that yourself just
kind of see, all right, let's let's see how he

(01:06:22):
explains this himself. Yeah, for surely comes up. Most teams
I've talked to see me at the tackle really with
the value is the versatility that ring like, I have
no doubt that I can play really well yard too. Um,
but you know most teams are on the same page
with that. I remember the first time I watched your film.
It was after Duke had told me to watch you

(01:06:43):
going up against Ohio State and Chase Young and uh,
I remember just being struck. I called him and I
was like, he is so much stronger than I would
have guessed just looking at him out there. Do you
think you're you? In terms of just what people talking about, Oh,
he doesn't have the link to do this, and my
own preconcy of notions of that he doesn't look like
he'd be a maller. Do you think that that drives

(01:07:03):
you all those sorts of different doubts. Is that drive
you to excel in certain areas? Yeah? Absolutely all the time.
That's one of the biggest things that working would do
because just you know, people are always gonna be question
my lanes. What comes down to so like all I
didn't do is controlments. I need my strength control I
can control um. And so we even working a lot

(01:07:24):
on the run game to just like working on leverage
and stuff like that to be able to make up
for anything. Now you are one of the guys that
opted out this year. Walk me through how you created
personal structure and more importantly stayed motivated as there were
so many questions I think for a lot of these

(01:07:45):
guys that they made decisions about what the season was
going to look like, if it was going to get played,
and then you see it getting played and there you
are going and working at a training facility. How hard
was that? How did you stay motivated? And more importantly,
do you think it was a good decision now looking back? Yeah? Absolutely? Um,

(01:08:06):
So you know I was all in on the season.
I was. I was playing I think practice for about
to two days to fall camp before they canceled the season.
And from there, um, I made this in and I
wanted to come. You know, I started investing in my
NFL career here at m JP and would do and
I've been here since then. So I was training for
about two weeks when they reinstated it, and at that
point it really came down to, um, you know, I

(01:08:29):
really felt confident in the training I was getting. I
was already seeing a lot of improvements, getting coaching stuff
like that, and um, with all the uncerting college football,
I decided to, you know, stay on that path. And
so no, I really haven't had any arrest with it.
Northwestern end of having an awesome season. I'm so happy
for those guys. But the way I saw it is,

(01:08:50):
you know, I'm taking that step. You know, it's the NFL,
and from from here on I had no room for
a great everything I'm doing and I was gonna, you know,
I'm working towards the ultimate goal of how in that
great Brookie season. Um, So that's where the focus, and
that's in my elevation this whole time. It's fascinating because
we may not see a season like that again, as
we see the vaccine rollouts and we're seeing you know,

(01:09:12):
more of this move towards her community. So this to
me was such an interesting season. And like I said,
it's so hard to make a decision when you don't
have all the information in front of you. But when
to your point, you know, the n C double A
only allows so much time to work on technique and
the nuances that come with your position. How far ahead

(01:09:32):
do you think you are as a player, because you've
been training since what you said June, Yeah, I'm down
here since August. We're gonna do to MDP has. It's
unbelievable way. Um. You know, while those other plant of season, like,
there's definitely some ponds of the com from planting season.
But I've been down here working with you know, the

(01:09:53):
best of the best, and it's been like very one
on one, especially in the fall. Um, and so I
feel really tough. And you know, I've been even nutrition
plans and working with a therapist and mobility and stuff
like that. Um. So it's all kinds just adds together
as you sat day after day. Um, it's a lot
of you know, at the time, it's investing in myself

(01:10:14):
and so it's it's been awesome. How does your body
feel not having some of that live work. Do you
think it's it's benefited, you know, because when you think
of high school and college and and sort of the
wear and tear, do you think there's been an advantage
there as well? Yeah? I think so. My wife feels outstanding. Um,
and I've just been working so much for my body

(01:10:35):
as far as like body composition and mobility to um,
so you know that's feeling really good. Now when you
talk about controlling what you can control, what is it
that you're I guess most still looking to get under control?
Where do you feel like there's still a deficiency or
something you need to work towards, or something you wanna
maybe not a deficiency, but something you want to polish
up or make stronger that you think you're gonna have

(01:10:56):
to prepare yourself for at the next level. Yeah, I
mean there's a lot of things. Like some of the
things I've focused on a lot with Duke is changing
direction and space. Um, we're kind of like driving off
my backside leg, getting out of my sands more efficiently,
and getting good handfuits in the run game, and just
like find a little areas to switch my game up,
just uh, you know, be able to keep like whoever

(01:11:17):
I'm blocking guesting as far as different types of sets
of different kinds of hand users or something like that.
Now we are Cowboys focused there, and I know you're
from the sugar Land area, Houston area there you grew
up a Cowboys fan. Or Texans or who who'd you
cheer for growing up? Really, I never was super loyal
to any team. Um, but for me, when I started

(01:11:37):
like falling in love with the game, I started becoming
like attracted to like really good lineman's, really good lines.
And so there are the two few things I followed
in Cowboys is definitely one of them. Watched a ton
of you know, Tyron Smith was trying to learn from
his games and like that. So, yeah, it would be
really cool. Is that a team that you've been able
to talk to it all during this process and is

(01:11:59):
that a place you like to end up? Potentially? Absolutely,
I'm to be blessed to go anywhere, but you know
how it was would be amazing. Um, I haven't really
talked to him yet, but it's still pretty early in
the process. I feel like, now I know one of
the big things that one of the things that you
are passionate about on social media is hyping up your
teammate Greg Newsome. A lot of people are starting to

(01:12:20):
get him on the radar two and it looks like
Northwestern could have too highly drafted players there. Uh, what
is it that makes Greg such an elite player and
a guy that's going to succeed at the next level.
You think he's just such an awesome competitor man, Like
you look at this season shortened season and on talking
of that, he wasn't even able to play avery single
game and he's still at the time he was able

(01:12:41):
to play. Um, you know, it was just consistently dominant. Um.
You look at a guy like that who didn't have
the same time to repair really as everyone else. Um,
and he made account even more when he was out there.
So I have a ton of confidence and Gregg as
a defender. You know, I don't know too much about
a d V technique, but from what I've heard from
our receivers are a thing like he's super detailed. The

(01:13:02):
way to it was about, you know, covering people. Um,
so I think he's gonna be great. Well, you can
follow Rashwan on Twitter and Instagram. As I said, it's
R D S L eight R and uh with the
Cowboys picking at ten and Rashan being in the top
ten conversation, he very well manned up with a star
on his helmet. So get to know the guy, Rashan.
We appreciate your man and best of luck, really appreciate

(01:13:24):
it right. A lot of great players there that we
just talked to, a lot of interesting people. I'll tell
you who I was really impressive. I loved Alex Leatherwood.
That guy sharp, He's great. So that's somebody who, uh,
you know, maybe could be in the forty four range
when the Cowboys pick. If they don't go offensive lineman
there in the first round, maybe they look for a
tyring replacement a little bit later on. So, uh, those

(01:13:45):
are named certainly to know over the next couple of weeks.
And we're gonna keep talking to guys, keep finding guys
that you can hear from heading up to the draft,
and uh, as we sign off here, just get Dak done.
You know that. That's that's all that matters, is that
signed Dak Prescott and especial thing to the Michael Johnson
Performance Center for making these guys available. Yes, especially Jessica.
Thank you Jessica for all your help there.

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