Hobson's Choice Podcast: Willie Anderson

Bengals.com Senior Writer Geoff Hobson has a special Hobson's Choice Podcast with Bengals great Willie Anderson.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
To a very special Hopson's Choice podcast. We have the
Bengals all time franchise right tackle and Pro Football Hall
of Fame candidate Willie Anderson. Willie, we're really happy to
have me on today, as you can well imagine, will

(00:20):
be all there. Just so you apologize I think we're
doing and Atlanta pos killing me home. Well, thank you
very much for gutting it out. But I wouldn't expect
anything less of a guy that played one hundred and
eighty one games in Cincinnati and one hundred and ninety
eight overall. Uh where, if you can tell us, maybe

(00:43):
that's a great place to start, Willie. I know you're
you're involved with your offensive line academy. Can you can
you kind of tell us what you're doing down there
in Atlanta with a young offensive lineman. Well, of course
I want to make I want to make sure that
two games in so I already told you I'm putting
the call in to Mike Brown this week about you

(01:05):
know about signed for two games something you get that
the last two hundred two games and even two hundred
I love to see it. Bernie Mack uh uh, three
thousand movies. So I'm trying to get my last two
games in maybe the bigges to sign me back. Told
probably do it games to play right now you could.
You could probably do it around a couple of zones,
zones with Joe mixing. You'll be ready to go one

(01:26):
series of the game just to get my count. You know.
Then I'm out. That sounds great. I let Mike know
do that. But but down in the line of man,
I run my uh my Willie Enerson Linement Academy, you know,
fans to sign out on my website Woollie Enerson Linement
Academy dot net. Um. Basically we were traded in the

(01:47):
next the new the new generation of office alignment. You
know we're here. You're in so much about pro coaches
and college coaches all saying their kids are so underdeveloped
once they get to them. I feel like I dis
level of my high schoolball and even in middle schoolball.
Lineman has just been so underdeveloped that I had to
focused my business on my coaches and our training high

(02:10):
school in middle school alignment. Now I do have the
prose come to me, and they come to me by request.
I don't really seek out the train pros. I don't know,
probably make more sense to people. But I really enjoyed
giving my my knowledge information back to high school kids.
Who can you know, hopefully one day make a new,

(02:31):
more improved Williemerson. You know, um and of course you
you lived at I mean you were, you were a
high school prodigy Downomobile Ala Man. I think I think
it came out what you were twenty right, you were
twenty years old when you were drafted at number ten.
What do you what do you I mean, what's the
difference do you think nowadays? Willie with with uh? Because

(02:51):
it almost seems like, you know, when you came out,
I mean you were you were obviously a great player,
so you were pro ready, But it seems like a
lot more gay came out already, you know, I don't
you know, it just seem like I agree, I mean,
I agree with me, just for just for just from
one of the state of football. Was you know you
figuring my freshman year as Vigar High School, my high

(03:14):
schools coming up being m ESPN, I think first national
champion vigor High School they won the eighty seven, eighty eight.
My ninth grade years, I started for defending the national
championship team, which was a power running football team. And
I think football kind of a symboled on every level.
Football always resembled the level above it high schools or

(03:38):
running our formations split back, split back formations, very free,
good informations. And you looked during that time from eighty
nine to ninety two my senior high school, all the
dominant college football teams were running similar offenses that we
were into high school. You know, there were very free

(03:59):
teams in shotguns in the shotguns spread office, which back
in the late early nineties we thought that was like
some volue witchcraft stuff. So Lineman, we learned how to
you know, Um, we didn't. We didn't know we were learning.
We didn't know we were learning troll skills at the time.
But the pro game was a running game too, And

(04:23):
I always say, um, I came into the League of
ninety six when it was a dominant when it was
every team that has a dominant running game, dominant running back.
I mean, just looking at the vision scored dealon Eddie George, Jerome, Dennis,
um who ever asked Jamal lewis you know from ninety

(04:44):
six to my time to being was oh seven man
return for ninety six to about two thousand and two.
It was all about who had the most dominant running game,
who had a dominant deceis. I got a Baltimore Raisers
of two thousand and I joked about is a lot.
I said, man, you know the Beagles when we talked

(05:05):
to Carson's and two years later we gave Carson one
hundred million dollars. I say, football for ever changed then,
And I told Ruey Charlson, be prudy. It's no longer
important about getting you that money. Yards We get it
as great, but we absolutely munths progect Carson because of
the contract. Right because the contract, Yeah, I say so,

(05:27):
I can't in to the league. The league. The league
changed even upon me. Yeah, you know my eight years
we started. Ay Man, you know, we gotta we gotta
protect Carson. But sometimes having that great quarterback too, were
kind of we're gonna get you because we all felt
like the meeting, the whole entire city or even your
seven fluided. We all would have ran the ball a

(05:49):
lot more. Tune up Carson. But you know, at that
young level, man, kids are just it's all spread football. Now.
I'm siding with the spread, but even talking Ray who
runs nine percent of spreads, everything simply he says, we
got to run the football. And I just think at
the lower level, the guys who are coaching the kids,

(06:12):
not the old line coaches. I think it's more of
the coordinators. The coordinators not really worried about his high
school officers Linement or its officers Lineman has all the
necessary skills to be a great blocker because they feel
like their scheme it's going to get points. So you're teaching,
so you're basically teaching. You're teaching these kids fundamentals. That's

(06:33):
what you're doing. You're going, I mean, whatever they're getting
in the spread, you're teaching them. I guess an all
around game. Yes, I mean James be able to you
know some of these kids housing. You guys get guys
all the time, and you're in and I feel get
guys all the time. With college lineman, who's never put
their hands down in the three points? Thence so can

(06:56):
I always say it is long with the NFL guys
who coached old school football, they're going to require in
Lignement to be in three points? Then you know, so
teachings are teaching a guy in fundamental stands is I
thought was so elementary when I first start doing this,
guys that begged me to train alignment and always said,

(07:19):
what in the hell would I trade alignman to do?
Like what is training alignment? And when I thought alignment,
got coached. But the coaching is not the same as
we got even when I was a rookie, you know
what I mean. I always told Paul that was always
said that the coaching was different from my rookie year

(07:39):
to learn in my career because we had guys in
my team, you know, every cockle that came in. Paul
would assigned me to coach me by Jones coach Andrew Whitworth,
you know I mean. So I learned my coaching from that,
and it was always based upon fundamentals and teaching guys
from the basis of a good stands to pass blockheads

(08:01):
and a great stands and run block. Ina. Could you
ever see a soft coaching pros Willie? I don't know, man,
because I think I think it's with pro expro football players.
Expos football players is the only job to where your
past experience. I think it's used against you. You know, coaches.

(08:21):
Sometimes coaches think just because a guy played it, he
can't coach it, and a lot of times in pro football,
I mean training camps every year, the least thing that's
talked about among coaches is technique. Coaches have so such
a big as playbook to put is, they're putting in
plays every day. And so I watched these young guys

(08:45):
in training camps, you know, so big to trying to
learn to play that they don't have time or no
one to teach them extra technique. So with me being
a coach, I think the least the least thing a
pro coach football's coach football the coach plays and direction

(09:05):
I to call it. So if I wanted to coach,
I would love the girl on somebody to help teach
technique and skills. One think about it, Most old line
coaches so old school and stubborn to dare think any
kind of help is a slight. So so most old
line coaches won't want to have a kind of myself

(09:26):
come in and help them out because then taking them slight.
So I understand that's and because I just continue to
watch these young lines struggle year at the year because
the cbars cut down time when coaches can't spend them
much time with their guys, and our coach is so busy.
He's only I mean, I've been training camp. There's a

(09:48):
more technique talk. There's a couple of teams that do it.
But I talked to I talked to am plepper, old
lineman every year once when training camp coaches don't have
time to teach the technique. I mean, I've been in
training care rooms where I see you know coaches that
we know. Head coach, you know, he's the old line

(10:11):
coaches about take me an old line coach is like,
when do I have time to do that? When well,
you're helping us out on brathday, will you're making the
you're making the second round pick. And uh that that
brings everybody's memory back to nineteen ninety six. Um, a
little bit different world. Uh you know in this same age,

(10:32):
not only would you have been in New York you
might have been the first pick, um, but where were
you on draft day nineteen ninety six? So what was
going on? I was to my mom off, you know,
cut cut my mom in law for draft meey party
when our old neighborhood over. Um, I was cutting the
grass and Tony Dungi called me on the phone and

(10:54):
he asked me to many would do you want to
be book? I say, he sounds with joy because we
just played in Champa and Bowl game and Auburn versus uh,
the state. If I had the time of my life
in Tampa and just to have coach does you call me?
You know? It was crazy head? What are you doing?

(11:16):
The coach? I'm gonna cut my mom's grass. It was
getting a big party coming over. So uh, and then
my whole neighborhood came over and we went through TV
and uh, the whole big shindy, my old neighborhood came in,
just a whole big, big boy dude. Yeah. The Bucks
were the Bucks picks. The Bucks picked twelfth that year.
They picked Raging up Shot. They traded it down, man,

(11:38):
I was they traded down. I forget. I forget to
the Raiders, the Rigors. Ragler took up the Rickie Dudley
tight end and they traded down out of that spot.
And the Bible that's been telling everybody who would listen
to that if I was there at ten, they were
taking me. So Mike Brown told me that pretty much
wasn't a secret. Mike Brown told me that at the combine.

(12:00):
I remember it distinctly crossing the street to go to
Steak and Shake, and he said, Willie Anderson thought, I
thought you one of the best players in the draft,
maybe the best, maybe the best player. That was quite
address that was That was quite a draftfully five Hall
of famers in that baby, and I think and I

(12:20):
think you should be the sixth. We'll talk about that later.
But Oggin went in with the fourth pit to the
ravens um and uh. The couple of guys who went
before you there it didn't turn out as well as
you did. Cedric Jones the defensive end, went to the Giants.
Lawrence Phillips, the running back from Nebraska, didn't last very long,

(12:42):
went in the Rams at six. Number seven, Terry Glenn
went to the Patriots. Tim Biaka Paduka, the running back
for Michigan, went eight for the Panthers, and then as
you said, Dudley to the Raiders, the tight end for
my Ohio State, and then Willie Aaron Anderson at number ten.
Once every guy gets drafted, we love a little back.

(13:03):
But I was, you know, during the time, you also
wonder it's like going to college your first year, do
your freshman class come in and then by the junior year,
you only got two of those guys left, and you know,
some guys transferred guy into the trouble guy got hurt, whatever.
And I always wondered the ninety six class. I'm with
them to shooting everyone does for their own draft class,

(13:26):
when we just wondered how long will we played for
one team? When I bounced around the league, when I
have a Pro Bowl career without the Hall of Fame career,
you know what I mean? And those the questions I
think guys ask themselves when they're drafted, because so many
guys get in. But once you're in, man, you're going
to work your ass up to stay in and to
sustaining career. Well, yeah, the saying you know, that's the

(13:48):
great stat you only missed two games in the twelve
years you were here, played one hundred and eighty one
games it as a banker. Yeah, I mean, I always
always heard that. You know, when I first came in
the NFLS, I had no idea how to take care
of my body and how to stay in shape. And
I remember once at the movie I was saying something

(14:08):
the paper because I came in out of shape one
of my first first for the second year, I think
and I read something the paper. Uh if I was
you outing that time for the right, that's a that's
a great memory. Really. Somebody asked MOEO, say, we were
thinking about you know, we're struggling with his wings, and
he said something I knows again, he said, the great

(14:31):
players know how to take care of themselves, but to
take care of their bodies. And when I read it
about him, I was determined to never come in out
of shape ever again. I mean, that was that was
never a thing to me my second year. No one
ever heard that again. I was a big guy, so
I had a big guy, big stomach, but I was
always in shape. Can make my can make my my

(14:53):
my running times, you know, until you know, well make
I'm running downs. I mean, yes, my week was a conscious,
constant thing. I have to constantly constantly watching control to
working out during the season. Eat right, it's herd. But
once when you were sitting there about me as a man,
you know what, I'm another one's gonna let my weight

(15:15):
be a problem again. And I learned how to treat
because I gave me a twenty years old. There was
no there was no there was no organization with the
beings with any other NFL teams pat up guys outside
of the learning of the NFL life, I just I
didn't not agree about myself in an all season But
once I learned that, man, you know, I was determined

(15:38):
to hit man. The great players can take care of themselves,
and the great players were always available. I always want
to be available on game day. Now, this is why,
and this is just the seguation, this is why I
think you the Hall of Famer because you have to
judge and being and being a member of the committee,
this is very important to me that you have to
judge guys in the area they played. Nobody's doubted. Nobody

(16:01):
doubts it's out sure the best right tackle in the
National Football League when you played from nineteen ninety six
to two thousand and eight, no one doubts that. But yet,
you know, we keep having these law jams in the
committee with you know, uh, the Tony Bisselli's and the
and the and the Kevin and the and then Kevin

(16:24):
Wise and and the Steve Hutchinson's and the and that.
That was a big debate this year was you know,
we got to get some of these alignment in and
and my question is you know, I'm not saying these
guys aren't worthy. I mean, I'll vote for Bissell even
though he had the short career, but you know he
was he was a great player. But what about you're
ignoring the best right tackle in the times these guys

(16:46):
were playing and I and I know you've got you
know you're still I know you said even then that
the right tackles were kind of we're kind of looked
down upon because it didn't play the left side. But
you predicted it because you you were at the you
were at the middle of it. When suddenly the best
pass rushers runicle. I mean, oh, man, I told I

(17:07):
told you that. I told you the option, but I
was going for my last country with the baboos. I
told I told Katie the same thing asaid Katie. Where
I mean, because you gotta watch it, like like, yes,
the left tackles on the left side, yes they do.
I get supposed to have his backside. I look at

(17:28):
the number of rushers over the right tackles. Teams are
getting smart. You're going to as soon it to start
paying both tackles. And fortunately they they weren't paying it.
But it was it was it was it was such
a fight to convince people the importance of it. Now
people see it now, I mean J Watson, the middles,

(17:49):
they're over the right tackles. You know, a rush can
company anywhere. Now, now you're gonna soon start seeing guards
get paid me, man, they are guards to get paid down. Well,
we got paid because everyone's trying to duplicate the three
taque dominants. So you better have some cards at the
block the pass block as well too. But dude, that

(18:12):
time we played, you know, it took my division A loan.
It was John de Harden but self to Shelley oh Man,
a couple of times is playing good? Um, And I
mean in our division A loan we had five tacols
that were rotating going to pro bowls. Right. Well, here's

(18:33):
the thing, Willie, I mean and I and I wrote
this story a couple of years ago after I walked
out of that meeting with the Selly that whatever Selly
did not get in. But he was leading a bunch
of guys. And that's you know, when they said, well,
look but you know this guy. And when we went
back and we went when we did the story, we
looked at the Okay, the top two sackers who ever

(18:53):
played Bruce Smith and Reggie White, you both, you played
them both, playing both and you held up what I
think Bruce Smith got a sack on yet in the
last minute of a row right as a rook when
you were a rookie, And if I'm not mistaken, you
blanked Reggie White White. Yeah, and uh, Kevin Green. I

(19:14):
can't Kevin Green's get the third most sacks just recently
got in the hall. Um, those are three guys. So
those are three guys that are in the hall that
you played against. Taydon Taylor. Yeah, and uh Green, I
don't I don't remember Green getting the sack off you Green?
Or remember Michael Trehan did not? Yeah? Right now, Julius

(19:35):
Peppers is the fourth most prolific sacker of all time.
I remember you stone him here in oh six when
he was the part is people saying through my whole career,
always with the one you notice, I'm about down play
days and I can't hurt you. You can downplay days
when somebody else are doing the pragging for you. Yeah,

(19:58):
and it talking for you and you never talk about
yourself and build yourself up. How would some voter who
is Dallas texts who are voting in Dallas? Ever know
that Williamson or anybody was shutting out these guys. Now
we think my little brother, Andrew Whitworth right there, right,

(20:19):
he played at the social media age, so a lot
of people can see a lot more things, a lot
more TV games, things are being paid. But I retired
the year Twitter took off. I mean, I see I
set minute offered the Lineman videos on Twitter now that
people can watch it and old that guy's pretty that

(20:39):
I'm good. We didn't know that, right, you know what
I mean? But but the three part of what we
have two it is Tarvis brother has all my games
on a hard drive video director. Yes, so anybody want
to see that the Rigie White tape. I got it right.
You should post Willing he posted, and then right and

(21:00):
right after that, you gotta you gotta post that Peppers,
because you because you play these guys. I mean, not
only did you play him and play him in that prime,
you know what I mean? You played him And I
trained my lineman on my Instagram and my Twitter page,
both of them. Big Willie seventy one seventy nine. It's
easy to find the Instagram page the video I teach

(21:20):
I teach my lineman off Julie's Pepper videos. I was
shutting them out. I mean, I said, I mean asking me.
I took a long time. It's hard to believe. I said,
he did go ask He's on Twitter. Peppers, yeah, right
right after Varn Curse take us a great linement. I
never I won't say it's slight against them. They were great,

(21:41):
but they just did beat me. You know, the only
guy remember when he was a rookie, Remember when he
was when Curse was a rookie, and he was you
the only guy to block him that year. I blocked.
I blocked. I played Javarn Curse eleven times and had
to tell yourself, John Porton, who played with us with
the Beatles for a long time and played with Javarn
Curse for four years, because I see, they'll tell you

(22:03):
Javone never beat me, right and eleven twelve games, never
beat me. And again it's not braggett, just what it is.
What it is. But who wouldn't know that, you know
what I mean, you think, but they would know it now?
Well right if you play, I mean, if you were
playing now on Twitter, you know, I mean you're a
big Twitter guy. Anyway, I'm not. I'm I played not
to go. I mean take it. I made like I

(22:28):
take some funny. I say some funny I just found
out I made about I found it's like three months ago.
I found like three months ago that I made second
team All Pro twice. H I have no freaking idea. Yeah,
that's the fact to say that's all Pro. Damn right,

(22:51):
I'm gonna count my second team all broke because two teams, right,
thank you know what I mean. But I never knew
that because there was nothing to look at that, you know.
John Clayton about to John Clayton last year, he said, Willie,
there's a website you can go on. He try to think,

(23:12):
he's try to think, Um, it was out when he
was playing. It tracked stuff alignment. Well, you know, I
wouldn't looked it up. I forgot what it was naming was.
But John Clayton told me what it was, and of
course it wasn't track anything do my gear this. So
then about two months ago, a guys for Pro Football
Focus he put a thing on and said he listened

(23:36):
some of the best right tackle ratings of all time
and he had beet number three or four my last
year in Baltimore. I was an old man and I said, damn,
I never do it. He said, yeah, these were the
early years a pro football folk we had. It wasn't
really popular yet, but we were doing it. And they

(23:58):
hadn't really got it, hadn't really got to the point
where it is that. But I didn't, I would have
known that. It was a guy who fought me on Twitter,
who followed me on Twitter, man from Pototball Focus, the
man you posted the number four all term right tackle
passing rating, and I was the old man. Man was
that that gie? I would have loved to see. I mean,
what would he had had in old side? What would

(24:20):
he had in old back? And from ninety nine to
old two, Yeah, there were no shocks giving up for
you by you right by me. Here's no shacks throwing there.
And and then or nine thin nine two thousand and
two thousand and one, Yeah, I think who broken three
Paul Paul Paul's and heard me down for three years

(24:40):
and no shacks? I know in ninety nine there was
no sexs ninty nine and then and then in two
is Kevin Carter right Jabron kirsh Right, Kevin Green, ninety nine,
Bridgie White came to eighty eight from them are ninety eight,
thirty and ninety eight, right, and then and then and
then then um in uh and then in two thousand
throwing to it. Well, there's two thousands of great instruction

(25:03):
game of all time after that point. And well, I still,
I mean, you know, people forget well, I mean we're
talking about your pass rushing abilities. I mean, you're you're
you're unreal on the running game, as the one mentions
that mean. But so, how is the reporter who don't
cover the Beagles gonna know that Williamson was dominant in

(25:24):
the run blocks? I mean, how do you know that?
All the way? All the Judge Gronment, they go off
the Pro Bowls and those things, and to keep a
real which is like I wasn't you know I'm playing
on three or thirteen teams to two or fourteen teams.
Who cares if it writing isn't so if a writing

(25:44):
from Pro Football was saying a voter, I didn't Seattle
Washington and the Beagle were going two or fourteen? Do
you think you're going to care about man the right
chackle they're always down, They're always losing three turns down,
throwing the ball thirty to forty times of the game.
He's not give any sense. Yeah, that guy won't care

(26:08):
about that. That that that they The main problem I
have with the makeup of what's in the Hall, and
I told you this many times, Willie, is there's not
enough great players from bad teams or average teams on there.
There's too many just guys and good players on great
teams in there. And I think winning the Super Bowl

(26:30):
is too overblown. It's a team game. It's the ultimate
team game. But anyway, real quick, the uh, who who
are some of the greatest players you ever played against?
I'm talking about it, you know, I mean across the
line of scrimmage. Who's the best that you played against? Best? Why,

(26:51):
I've never sold anyone you I it's like you're dead
you and you know he's way stronger than you. And
I was smarter, you know what I mean. Like I
never said any one player that was that much more stronger,
you know, more physical than I was than Reggie White.

(27:14):
I was twenty three years old and I wasn't doing
the technique that I was doing later on my career.
But still and like I said, I shut him down,
but he's physically beating me up, like I was hurting
for the next four or five weeks. It's just up
that one game against him, because when Richie were hit
it to you it was like the skeleton shakes. He

(27:36):
was hurting. He was hurting my skeleton. You know who
who's so strong he was? Who was some of the
other ones? Well, who who was some of the other
great ones? Definitely Bruce Smith. I played him with a
rookie and uh, Bruce, Bruce took so much pressure on you.
The entire game is that everything is just so every

(27:57):
play was just so hectic. So it was because he
was so quick, so fast he could go toward his
body and the very crazy angles and means. I mean,
he had some many different moves that it was just
it was nerve record for twenty one year a rookie
um um next and would be I would say a

(28:18):
Javan curse because no one was no one. I was
seeing a guy six foot six two sixty running four
three forty and it was just unreal that wunder pressure
he put on you with his speed, you know what
I mean? And I always tell people say if Javon
had an inside move. He probably got twenty types from me.

(28:41):
But because I knew he did had an inside move,
I played basketball with him and it was still a
stressful on He's just so stressful every play You're blacking
a guy who's ten times more athletic than you are
and maybe one hundred pounds less than you are, and
my job is to keep front of him while he's
trying to kill the quarterback. So yeah, those guys, man,

(29:04):
and pretty good list there. That's a pretty good list.
And he didn't give up a sacophone except Bruce at
the end, right, I had a puce. He had a
pretty good story with the problem too. Yeah, he got
that unusually. String. If I say product, I tell was training,
he's probably the board rush anybody overseable boy. Yeah, String

(29:25):
is another guy that thinks you should be in the hall. Yeah,
I mean Mike, I mean might don't tell him all
the time man that anything he could do, you know,
any but because they ain't kind a video or whatever,
I just never do it because I know, you know,
he's kind of it's gonna it's gonna be the geinst
the breakwa off sometimes like you're never gonna be in
the breaking So tell him to put you on one
of his shows. He's on about eighteen shows. He's on

(29:46):
about eighteen shows, isn't he? I mean, my god, Um, okay,
how about this willing change gears a little bit? The
greatest the thingal who? Who? Who is the greatest teammate
as a player, the greatest player when you were a
teammate created a bigle teammate? Yeah, as a player, as

(30:06):
a player. I mean I always say that that kind
of question. Whoever was the first person that poppa in
your head? You see them, yep, and then you may
think a couple of guys d ever went to one B?
My one eighth for me will be John Kinder. Well yeah, no,
I'm I mean the teammate will get that later. I'm

(30:29):
talking about talent wise. I'm sorry. Talent. Yeah. Did I
played with uh? I mean, well, I mean I've seen
I just see Corey didn't do so much stuff, man,
I mean, you know, to Taquia was great, But I
played with Cory um a little longer. It much longer.

(30:52):
But the things I was I was blocking for quarter,
so I kind of chance to see more things from Cory.
Then I would say you know I gave it to kill. Yeah,
you know cord to the day I ever heard this.
I haven't heard this sound. I never heard this sound
ever again my entire time playing football to when we

(31:13):
played in New England in two thousand and if you
asked Corey right now, I asked Corey this at the
fifty at the fifty anniversual day. But it's I have
some other airplane. We both threw from lat togethers to
the fidy anniversual thing. I said, Corey, do you remember
we played in New England um in two thousand maybe

(31:33):
old one? I forget was it? Here? Was that? Was? That?
Was that Paul Brown? Yeah? Yeah, the old one opener?
And that was the old one opener? Do you remember
you broke up the left side? I said, I was
laying on the ground. I brought the backside guy and
so up the guy and I looked up and Corey
Lord his damn head of course, started laughing and said, yeah,

(31:55):
I remember he hit that damn dude so hard. The
dude counterpot it about two yards backwards. Now again I
have I have all our games a hard drive down.
So I just watched that last year. But that sound
that made I never heard that sound again from a runner.

(32:15):
He's a defender. Now. I've seen Ryan Clark or last
year and at Baltimore we played Pittsburgh in the championship game.
I thought Ryan Clark kill was mcgagee. It was in
a pass, a pass running him the guy. I've never
seen a guy run the ball and a dB that hard.

(32:38):
It made it sound like it was crazy, that sound.
And he could run. And the thing was he could run.
I mean he was fast. I mean he could run.
You know, I mean, we're getting people to always better.
You know, youre running, damn stories, Corey King, he'll have
a game breaking speed and Corey get pissed off the
run for none of yards, to be sure, because everybody

(33:01):
because you know, because everybody played eight man fronts because
nobody was gonna throw you know, no right the ball. No,
we played eight man nine man for us Het the
whole damn team up there scrimmage. Yeah, and Corse these
jars out. Yeah. I mean, he put the NFL record.

(33:22):
I mean you know this twent two carries first back carries.
Yeah yeah, pretty close, yeah, pretty close. Yeah, he got too.
He probably got to a big time quarterback. He was
the Super Bowl, right. He also he's he's he's not
only the Bengals all time rusher, he's also the Patriots

(33:43):
single season rusher. That's part of his to me, that's
part of his uh, that's that's part of his fall.
That's part of his flaw of fame. Argument is, um,
you know there's very you know, they talk about Edward James, Okay,
but the list that comes out usually Corey's the only
guy who has as many yards with a ring, you

(34:05):
know so, but he everybody never gets mentioned. But I
wish you had. But I always told him I wish
he had played long enough to get twelve thousand. You
get twelve thousand, that seems something, yeah something. Let them
a couple of get a couple of secular ardass. I mean,
I know you played in an AFC championship game, but
I gotta believe the most memorable day has to be

(34:28):
that day when he broke the record, or it's gonna
be one of the most memorable days. October twenty second,
two thousand until we major champions major championship game off,
you know, like the playoff game for the first time.
You're thirteen years that, Yeah, you're old man. And you
probably win the games. If we wanted two PLO games

(34:48):
in the role, that was a pretty big deal for me,
right right, I mean it will just because we are
you know, if if I would know, if you told
me twenty three four people going to those past seasons,
you know, I gave up any amount of Pro Bowls
to win playoff games, to win the Super Bowl. Yeah,

(35:10):
I mean because for once, once we found the won them,
once I found the warm I wish. I mean, I
love for to day we won in the first game,
took out of the eight jus like Rickie year Pop
with what we beat my end on the road and
my immediately my thoughts were my bigger teammates. Yeah, it
was about the Kio you know, and guys that had

(35:31):
never made to the playoffs. It's about you know, car
Sitis them guys. I mean, we're going about celebrating my
team has a happening for me. But I immediately thought
about my bigger teammates, talk about Levi and all these
guys and Richie Braham and all these guys. Um that
I knew I had never made it to the playoffs

(35:52):
and won the game, and I got a chance to
win that first one, he won, the second one and
the third one, we just we're out of gas. We
thought were we had no we had no by week
to play twenty straight games. We just get were done.
We thought we had yet, you know what I mean,
We thought we had one forty and oh five that
that say that seemed to be set that seemed to

(36:13):
be set up. But back up your back up quarterback.
There's a game with how many passages through? Uh? You know,
you know, you know that makes me physically sick. And
I love Kidnap. We both love Kidnap, but kids, but
we don't want him. But we don't want them throwing
forty passes. You know, kids that would tell us I
do not need to be throwing the ball thirty five

(36:35):
forty times. We gotta make the gin game go. Give
me say this out of his mouth. So just Kidna
knew what his invitation were, know what I mean? But
apparently you know who were calling damn plays? We have
ten zero and Kidna fit of the game with forty
pass and someone that's crazy. How tough was that to

(36:56):
look back there and see casting on the ground. It
was real tough man, because the first thing we saw
was flim you know rect the piece we saw, we
saw the big reception. Yeah, people forget that, people forgetting
get hurt on the sear as usual coming to get
piper as that year, you know what I mean A
physically they couldn't stop them, right, we've been a running game.

(37:19):
Yeah we uh we know pretty much all poofs a line.
We have pretty receivers that they couldn't match up to,
you know what I mean? When and so with Chris
Carson to the big pack, to Chris, we're like, yo,
it's a business as usual, right, and we were, we
were we looked down her Carson yelling and you know,

(37:39):
everybody's lives. They change their game. Yeah you know they played,
They played, changed everybody's lives. Yeah, right, right, we win
that game. You know, maybe myself, a couple of guys
don't get cut two years later. You know who those right?
You know? Right? Right? Well, um, I guess I got

(38:01):
to ask you about the uh, well, the here I am.
I haven't even promo the draft. I guess right. I'd
be a bad salesman, Willie. But you're gonna be You're
gonna be up there um calling the shots, making the
pick um and I guess you know you're you're up
there because you're a franchise. Great. How how much did
you enjoy kind of back for the fiftieth It was

(38:21):
a great man, you know. You know me, I always
been one of the guys that's pushing forward, you know,
any kind of commaraderie to bring that Bagle players. You know,
I've been saying for years and and I told the
bagles and um, um, what's my young lady's name? Will
put those have been on? Alex? Alex did a great

(38:42):
job of that. Yeah, I told the name on the
best if it's ever been too. It was professional. Um,
how she cared about all the players, whereabout our families?
She was so first class. I mean, I think the
Beagles for it, and I beg there for it, not
about to be the last. And I think, you know,

(39:03):
the Bengals we had to continue, you know, continue the
momentimum that you know, we think Mike Brown for that.
I mean, there was a big thing to do that. Uh,
so many guys in the chair. You know. I got
Chad to meet Pete Johnson and talk to him and
to him, I'm just saying I was with him, and
I never I've never met him. With so many guys
that had never met before that we being was great.

(39:25):
Anybody else you met was anybody else you met that
you hadn't seen him but had heard about. I seen
a lot of guys before, but no, Actually I met
Peach Johnson. I was listening that doing the weekend I
was doing, uh, I was doing outside the stadium, and
I came over. It was the weekend that Justin and
Buddy Wills are good abducted. If I just came over

(39:48):
and be while with down there, I said, to meet
each other's Oh my gunsin Man, I want to meet
you for so long, you know what I mean? Just
talk to him and he was a funny guy. He was, well,
we should put you know, we've all you know, you
know the all time line is is obviously uh You're

(40:09):
at right tackle, Anthony's at left, uh Bob Johnson, who
is the first draft pick as the center, and then
you know lap is uh well, the MAXI mont Poya,
the greatest right guard in Bengals history, is the right guard.
Obviously the left guard. I I uh Lap lap laps tremendous.
Lap was Lap was played everywhere on the line and

(40:30):
he was the Super Bowl, Uh guard for Kenny Anderson.
But we're leaving on Woodworth. Yeah. If you ranked the
line by number, yeah, where we gotta go in looking
rank him? But like, well, I guess we couldn't do
whit Worth because he was retired. But no, if we
ring my number, yeah, who too? Oh, I I think

(40:56):
I think you're too okay? Three? Max Latoria, who's four? Um?
Would you say? Would you say went you got through? Yeah?
Some people, some people who see we play more recently
than mea with number two? You mean? Well? No, I well,

(41:20):
I mean what would you say he was behind you?
I'm sure he would say that. But what what's the
hell of a player? Though? I mean, I mean I
always say that because we can't, we would leave guys out.
That's that's one of the things that ranking gout by
teams first line. That's kind of what's kind of one
of the things that's putting guys right as you went
working myself, you know, out of talk because now them Okay,

(41:44):
with all ProTeam we got two undergone two tackles, right,
you know what I mean? The Potbowl team on the
go three and some people woget as you we weren't
having the same kind of season. We were shutting guys
down and no Pro Bowls. Tell me it's kind of no.

(42:04):
I love to ask culture that the people know football. Okay, well,
don't wait, don't don't rank the teams, don't rk the
bingles off the line by he was a bit like
talk of because now they're like Andrew Man, I can't
mentioned because he only played left tackle him. He's by
far on the top three typo three lineman, three four

(42:27):
five lineman and bingles history. Blow myself man, after number one,
I would say, I don't know where I rink it,
but I would say I'm the top five. Yeah, I
would say that now if we were wild thing so
and and and and you know what, they were having
the baby that they've been having these conversations for fifty years,
because I always hear that. And I didn't get a

(42:49):
chance to see Max play Max Montoya. But those guys say, hey,
he he ought to be in the hall of thing.
You know he was at you know, he was a
dominant right guy. Maybe number two. Yeah, on the on
the bingles BlimE, you know what I mean. So it
just it's just it's so subjective, man, And you know
It's something I've been around for. You know how we
learn all the faith been around man, and it just

(43:12):
really is everybody's gonna get in. I think the rest
of guys that don't get in we have to learn
to not let the people who value putt ball all
the fame, uh degrade us, down grade our value because
we're not in. Because anybody in the saying any linement,
I put myself up with just sorry. I would I mean,

(43:35):
and I would gonna talk. I would have anybody that says,
listen to this guy and say this stuff. I would
say what this girl? Ask the players? Did? I mean?
What does I do? So? I we just guy let
myself an injury with versus just to come and put
ourselves down while y'all never see anything about the years
we were great. No, I'm gonna tell you that. No,

(43:56):
go ask these players. You know what I mean? What
now you you'll be You'll be at the left turn.
I guess it's Friday night. What position would you like
to call? Willie for the Bengals when they draft. You know,
people are saying in line. You know if you Bingle
was saying, so, I'm a being was saying whatever whatever
that thing's going to prove. So we always say I

(44:19):
always said this, even don't playing, I told you this
number of turns I don't playing. I think there's second
round picks, or sometimes more important, their first round picks, right,
I mean should we name them? Well, everybody can if
I get if I get a chance to pick from
my barrel that everyone knows pretty damn good. The second

(44:40):
round pick. That's when you're really scound in your gym
and you you know, your infatuation really come into play. Yeah. Well,
if you look at well, I mean you played with
a couple of great second rounders, Darny Scott, Corey Doan, Um,
if you were you know, Chad Johnson, Jack Johnson. Yeah,
and just talking about it, right, Um, I mean and

(45:03):
even today, I mean even today you got Jesse Bates
as the safety. Uh, Tyler Boyd the wide receiver from
Pitt you know, uh, your team has made it up
to me, how would you drift second before? Hm? Okay,
that's a good call. Yeah, you guys, Uh, they've had

(45:24):
some pretty good you know, Uh, it's not always the
first rounder, right Willy, Oh No, I always I mean,
I mean close your eyes and pick, you know, close
eyes and we uh some we're gonna tell you you're
in the circle right now for pre receivers. Those pre receivers.
Uh Jeff Mpson is uh Pa Jones a degree and

(45:50):
you know only I threw right, you know what you
trace first? That your game? Yeah, like pretty easy, right, yeah,
it's not hard, even though what they're the second round pick.
The picking come to finding a guy like Board in
the second round, Andrew Wickworth in the second round for

(46:12):
your pick, farn Gino active in the third round. Yeah, yeah,
you know what I mean, Uh, the you've got uh
I think yeah, I think Gino was a fourth but
he is gonna be announcing. You're gonna be announced the
third two through four long term green players, I believe,

(46:32):
right right. But and now Willie an offensive coach, I
mean an offensive head coach. I know, I know you
enjoy playing for Marvin. Now they've got Jack Taylor here,
who is a who's an offensive guy. So it'll be
interesting to see how he forms the club. And I'm
sure I'm sure his his process would be, you know,

(46:52):
but a lot of a lot of offers, guys. But
you see, you see with the round, you know the
coach he was always talking about the defense because he
knew I could, I could score these points. But we're
gonna have a defense and stop give jobs. You know,
and doing the offense is great, but you know the
same time you're doing the defense. If your defense it's

(47:16):
way more. If someone so much more better than it
runs the office, you're probably have a chance to win it.
It was offense in his offensive dominated league, you know
what I mean? So just go down the offensive guy.
You don't mean all the time that that, but the
team just him, I mean, Brian, Brian Billett came from

(47:38):
from from Minnesota, scoring the most points in NFL history
his entire damn time at Baltimore. Did they ever had
with the name of offense? Not? No, I don't remember.
I mean to this damn day. Do you know? Efficient
quarterback play, running the football and defense right, sounds pretty good?

(48:00):
Sounds pretty good? Championship hot right? No, that sounds good
to me. Uh an efficient running game, good quarterback playing,
good defense. We'll take it um as always will we
could talk this is this breaks the record for the
longest Hotson's Choice podcast forty eight minutes, and uh it's

(48:25):
every minute it's been at the light. We could talk
for another hour with you. We always could. But uh,
every day, every day we talked about favorite player, favorite
basketball player, manag Johathan. I told her everybody able to
do a bad choice as a president. Well, favorite player
of all time? Yeah, well, he said, but we remember
we used to have this argument. Who's the greatest player

(48:46):
of all time? I say Bill Russell and you say, uh,
you play, say Michael right, I would say, but I
will imagine championship. DA. What were we talking about? Yeah, well,
they say, right, that's right, that's right. Willie is always
you're the best. Can't thank you enough for spending the time,

(49:07):
and this's have a great time at the draft and
pick a good one for us. Thank you? Who are
who are they? Thanks well,