Von Miller on joining Bills, gambling in Josh Allen’s man cave, trash-talking Tom Brady

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller joins Mike to discuss his time in Los Angeles, playing with Aaron Donald, the tough decision to leave the Super Bowl champion Rams, his infamous Halloween party in Denver, hanging out in Josh Allen's man cave, and why he should have never talked trash to Tom Brady. #Herd

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
My favorite thing in sports is when a great player
just takes over a postseason, like Steph Curry did this
last June. We see it in basketball, we don't see
the football too often. In the guy that I'm with
right now, von Miller, just hijacked the entire postseason, blew

(00:25):
it up. And what I like even more is that
during that run, he had me over to his house
for an NFL Network feature on Club fifty eight, which
is I guess I would just say it's the greatest
man cave in NFL history. Uh. And he has done
a whole lot more since then. But Vonon, I just

(00:47):
wanted to introduce you that way, because when a guy
has me over with cameras and then proceeds to take
over the Super Bowl, I'm not mad. Thanks for joining me,
man Man. I appreciate you guys are having. Two fifteen
was was an amazing yere. You know, I always look
back on it and I reference it um and on

(01:07):
all the team since then. You know, when I went
to the Rams this year, that's all I talked about
was that Super Bowl, the Super Bowl fifty team and
Payton and all the guys and everything that they said.
And I just try to pay it for it. I mean,
there are million stats I could sit from that run.
And I know DeMarcus was balling. You guys were all
going nuts. But I think you hit Tom Brady seventeen
times in that an FC championship game. Here's the one

(01:30):
stat that I would say that you know, this is
the mic drop. The Patriots fired their offensive line coach
the day after the a f C Championship. Yeah, that's crazy, man.
We had a we had a hell of a rush
man with DeMarcus and the League Jackson and and Derek
Wolfe and you know all of those guys. We had
a we had a crazy d line the year. We're

(01:51):
going to get into all of it, including the most
recent super Bowl that you won after another great postseason.
But you are a member of the Buffalo Bills six years,
hundred twenty billion, and uh, you know it is a
loaded team. How have you been received so far by

(02:12):
Bill's mafia? Are you vibing on that? Yeah? You know,
I love the team, you know, I'm I've always uh,
I've always been great in in that college type of atmosphere,
you know, in two thousand and fifteen, that's where we
had everybody hung out together. We all kicked it. Everybody
came over to my house. And this this Bill's team
is the same in Josh Allen, he reminds me of myself.

(02:35):
He reminds his house reminds me of my house. He
loves to have everybody over. You know, he wants everybody
to kick it. He has the old line over delone
over receivers um and it's got the college volved. It's buffalo.
There's nothing else to do. And you know, it's not
like you have any other options to do. What could
you possibly doing is sitting there home? Or do you
want to kick it with the guys? And you know
they kick it heavy there man. And I really like

(02:57):
that man. And that's one of my favorite things about
his Bills team. Does he have a bronze rightinoceros head
as you walk down into his back Now he doesn't, man,
but he has a He has a sick golf simulator. Um.
He has an F one race like a like an
F one racing Simulatorum. He has a Part three in

(03:18):
his backyard. He's got a Part three with three different
tea boxes. He's got a literal part three in his backyard.
He has a part three with three different tea boxes.
I think the furthest tea boxes about a hundred and
ninety yards or two hundred yards and the one upfront
is probably one team. So, um don't I don't know
how can we be able to play it in Buffalo,

(03:39):
But you know, he's a sickhouse. He's got a pawn
out there and he just he loves to have all
the guys over man. And you know, I enjoyed that.
I was there for you know, just a couple of
practices through out O t a s man. When I
was there, he coming to me every day. Man, He's
you know, he's he's energetic. Like I love Josh Allen, man.
That's that's I can already tell that. You know, I'm
a love playing with Josh Allen. He's one of my guys. Man.

(04:01):
All he cares about is this football and hanging out, man.
And that's that's my type of guy. I love it. Well.
I know you love college towns. You're loving Buffalo at
a town that's a little different through Buffalo. Los Angeles
is where you ended up midway through last season, and
obviously you guys did some great things that went in

(04:22):
the Super Bowl what was that experience? Like, man, it
was great. Man. Come in to l A kind of
refreshed me. Being in Denver and just being there for
ten and a half years. You know, I love Denver.
I always bleed orange and blue. But I felt like, um,
you know, it just got kind of stagnant there. You
know for me, you know, I think, uh, you know,
I know my teammates love me wherever I go, but

(04:43):
I just think, you know, I was there so long
that it was just hey, that's you know, that's just
un you know Bones here, you know, Bones having something
in his house. It's it's just run. And then when
I got traded, it was like bro, Like we got
von Miller and everybody's coming up to me, and everybody
is excited, and you know, everybody was everybody was full
of energy. I came to l A. L A is

(05:05):
a great city. Um. I spent so much time here
before I had even got traded to the Rams. Um
So I had already had love here. Didn't play for
the Rams. It was just so much love. And you know,
I got to play with Aaron Donald coach McVeigh man.
He he just had such a different coaching style than
any of the coach that I that I've ever been with.
You know, I've been with Cool, I've been with Kubiak,

(05:25):
I've been with Vic Fangio, I've been with VJ coach
Fox Coach mcveigh's is totally different. He's only two years
older than me, and um, you know, he's he's just
has this energy about him, and I think the team
feeds off of that. They got so many superstars over there,
from Cooper cup to to Matthew Stafford and Donald. Like,
you know, that's that's really leaving l a you know,

(05:46):
of course going to Buffalo. You know, I'm happy to
be a Buffalo Bill, But um, I think, uh, the
biggest thing that I think about every day is like,
you know, not being able to play with Aaron Donald. Um,
he's such a man using player, and uh, let's just
tell the truth. Like I could just line up next
to him and like we could just break up sacks
for the rest of my career and uh, you know,

(06:08):
you know, so to walk away from that, You know
that that's one of the things that I think about,
you know, all the time. Like, man, he's such an
amazing player. You know, he's the best defensive player I
ever played with um. And you know because when I
played with some Grace and played with the Marcus, I
played with him Grace. He just has this. He just
has this. And I don't think any of them. It's
not no offense to all of those guys, but Aaron

(06:29):
Donald's just you know, he's just on the whole another
level man, and coach me very man. Like you know,
he's just he's just a special coach man. And and
they got special team or hem more. And she just
has such a different leadership style, different coaching style. And
it was it was really just like a movie that
every single day, man, and you know, it really walked
away from that, Like I saw the guys last night,
and you know, it's just I was around Jalen Rams.

(06:52):
Jalen is so funny man, and you know to be
there with and I don't know that you know, just
the thing back like bro, like you know, I'm really
leaving l A. I think about it every day, man,
and it's uh, I don't think it's something that I
ever go away. And that's not a not to any
other team. It's just l A is just so special.
And then leave that for another team that new team

(07:13):
has to be special, it has to be great, and
Buffalo is just that. And I remember going through that
free agency process. Um, I was going back and forth
back and forth with the Rams and the Buffalo Bills.
And I was going back and forth, back and forth,
and I was kind of at a standstill and for instance,
crazy because you you have to make life changing decisions

(07:33):
so fast, like you don't get like two weeks or
three weeks. You get you know, a couple of hours,
you know, to make you know, a decision for like
the career changing decision. And I remember going through that process.
And I was talking to my dad and he has
said it was I always talking about I always go
to my dad for advice. He asked me, um, are
you are you content? And I was like, what you

(07:56):
mean is like, are you Are you done? And I
was like, no, I'm not done. I still I still
want to play football. He's like, you know what that means?
And UM, I knew what that meant. Man, I knew
I had to Um. I knew I had to go
to Buffalo. Um, despite it being cold, despite whatever, it
being in a small market, you know, they have the
opportunity to go compete for three different two Super Bowls

(08:17):
on three different teams. Um, it's something that selfishly that
that I that I want to go get man, And
you know I had to leave l A. I had
to take the uncomfortable route, you know. I had to
take the the the the path that that normally people
want to follow to go up there in the code
and you know, to play in the a f c

(08:38):
s and play on turf and do all these things.
I had to take that path to um go compete
for a third Super Bowl. And the Bills have a
great team. You know, the Bills have a really great team.
And you know, I remember talking to coach McDermott um
signing and he was like, man, Um, you know we're
not We're not bringing you here to save us. We
just want you to do the same thing that you
did in Denver. I want you to do the same

(08:59):
thing that you did. And uh, l A, we want
you to be a locker room guy. We want the
same bun and you know they really uh come here
and have this impact on all these young guys, man,
and you know, be able to work and you know,
really just branch out, you know, branch out and have
more people. Uh, have more people get to know vun
and have more people get to know me. Man, It's
just that it was just the uncomfortable decision that I

(09:21):
had to make, man, And to walk away from l
A is super super duper tough, man. And I'm here
in l A right now. Man. It's I flew in
over so far field man in my heart, like you know,
that stadium it's the best, it's it is the newest,
the most expensive stadium in the whole entire world. And
we want to super Bowl in front of our fans. Man,
you know, really walk away from that. Man, it was tough,

(09:41):
and like I said before, it had to be something
special in the bills they have, they have something special.
And selfishly, I want to be that drop that overflows
these guys. I want to. I want to. I want
to look back on my career and be like, dang
I was you know it was it was it was
me what we was winning, all this what we was
winning all the super Bowl, And I want to see
if it's if it's me, if I got their touch,
if I got you know that that that juice, that

(10:03):
um that that that really charges up teams and have
have them and and really makes them compete for Super Bowls,
So I knew I wouldn't be able to do that
with the Rams. I knew if I stayed with the Rams,
we go compete for a second title this year. But
to win three different titles on three different teams is
something that haven't that has never been done before. Matt Millon,
you know, he was on three different teams, but he

(10:24):
didn't play. So you know, to be able to play
in three different Super Bowls and win through different three
different Super Bowls is just the goal that I have
in the back of my head. Man. And yeah, and
you know why Matt Mellon didn't play in that third one.
He he had gone to the Redskins and the Bills
were the opponent, And because the k gun Jim Kelly,

(10:44):
because they were spreading about and going no huddle, they
had to get Matt's old slow body off the field.
You know, he's the old school, better life backers. So
you could blame the Bills for that. Now, I didn't
know that. I didn't know that, man. And you know,
I've um I've been a fan of the Bills for
a long time. I thought they were gonna draft me. Um,
But the Broncos had creep in right before and took

(11:07):
the number two. The Bills had the number three pick
and they ended up taking March. They end up taking
Marshall Darius. And you know, I've been just been doing
my research hunt the Bills, and they went to four
straight Super Bowls and lost each super Bowl. And this
this um, this town, Buffalo is just thirsty for a
Super Bowl. And we got a hell of a quarterback,
we got a hell of the offense. Pass words has

(11:27):
always played best with leads, you know, and this this
Bills offenses, we don't get it. Lead like we're gonna get,
not just a literal lead, not just like a ten
point lead we're gonna have. We're gonna have seventeen point leads.
And I'm gonna be able to do what I do
best man. And you might have a lead. You might
have a lead with thirteen seconds left to the playoff game,
you know, you know, And I just want to use that.

(11:48):
I want to use the code. I want to use
the code. I didn't nobody likes playing the code. I
don't even like playing the code. Well, I want to
use the code. It's kind of home field advantage man.
And Brandon Bean was a huge reason why I came
to the Bills as well. His his g M style
is just so different. Like I can I can just
text him, I can take him right now and he
can hit me back within two minutes, like you know,
I can call him. I called him the other day

(12:10):
just to like, you know, I was excited about going
to camp. I called him. He picked right up, Man
and we talked Man, And you know, I really feel
appreciated over. I feel like those guys love me, and
those guys want me, Man, and I want to go
out there and really break my back for those guys, Man,
and put it online and hopefully compete for another Super Bowl.
I have a little story for you before I move on.
So I'm hanging out with the late great Derek Derek Thomas,

(12:33):
one of my all time favorites and one of the
great pass rushers ever as you know. And we are
at this like drury In like somewhere random and Kansas City.
It's some hotel bar and he's holding court like usual,
and he goes hundred thirty five degrees, I have the
best player on the field, thirty five degrees, get my

(12:55):
ass to the locker room. He did not like the
coal he the Florida Boy to him, Yeah, exactly. You
were an unanimous member of the All Decade Team the
previous decade. UM. You uh, And you know when I
hear you talk about Aaron Donald, I'm like, wait, that's
not just some guys saying Aaron Donald's the best defective

(13:17):
players ever played with. That's your databus All Decade Team
or UM. Tell me about what it was like to
be with Aaron And you know, you're a vocal guy.
He's been more of a quiet guy. Did you kind
of you know, rub off on him a little bit
in terms of him being vocal. I don't think I
did anything special. I just think it was just a
perception around it. You know, I don't think I came

(13:39):
in and don't like I don't think I don't think
I did anything special to like change the guy I'll
get him going. It was just it was just I
was just able to show him a different perspective. UM.
I was able to just show him like a different
viewpoint of him just saying anything like, you know, it
could be anything. He could be like, hey, guys, come on,
let's go like and people are gonna listen to them

(14:01):
because people have so much respect for this guy. I
was only there for a couple of a couple of weeks.
Like I was there a couple of days, and I
already had respect for I was already had respect for
the guy. You see the way he works, Um, you
seem on film, you know, you watch games and you
see him get sacks and stuff, but he's so much
more effective on game film. He's doing so much more.

(14:21):
Um he has uh. He leaves it all out there
on the field every single time. UM, And you just
want to break your nicked for the guy. So I
just when was riding on the plane one time and
like I think, uh, I think it was just it
might have been after a law, so it might have
been after I forgot what gaming was. But he sat
right across me in first class. I just went over
there and he was watching the movie and somebody just

(14:43):
tapped him on the show and I was just like
I just told him, like a brol like, if you
just say anything to these guys, bro, these guys are
gonna be ready to like do whatever you say. Man,
Like if you just say anything, like come on, guys,
like you can't It was like, just you can't be
worried about saying the right thing, Like, you can't be
worried about the right time to say something. You just
gotta say it. You're the leader of the team, man,

(15:05):
you one of the best players to ever play this game.
But if you say anything, bro, football And I told him,
football is just such a raw rock sport. Football is
just such a if you give a great speech before
a game. You know, you've seen the college all the time.
You know, teams lose, they shouldn't be losing, like you know,
teams get up for certain opponents. You know, football is
just such a raw rock sport. And if Aaron Donald

(15:27):
says anything to this to anybody on this team, man,
it's it's gonna put him over the top. Man. And
it was just a little seed I planned. I was
just talking to him, like on the lower I didn't
think it was gonna be I didn't think it even
had that effect because I walked around the plane basically
talk and bullshit with everybody on the on the plane.
So it was just it was just Aaron Donald was
just you know, I was just talking to him, and um,

(15:49):
it was definitely definitely made my heart feel good for
him to take it like that and for him to
take that that that little conversation and just take it
all the way over the top, man, and that just like,
like what was he saying after that? I don't I
don't know, like you know exactly what we're said, but
they got clips of it, and we just put everybody
to the side and got everybody going, man, and everybody

(16:09):
was excited and ready to go, and we end up
coming back and winning that that game. He did it twice.
He did in the Super Bowl and I think he
did in the playoff game as well. And um, yeah, man,
for me to just contribute anything to such a great
player like that, man, it definitely feels good. Well. Speaking
of trash talk, I heard that in the Tampa Bay
game in the playoffs, you might have said something to

(16:32):
a certain opponent. Tell me what happened in that situation.
We started the game versus Tambay Buccaneers, and we knew
it was gonna be a tough game. It was gonna
be a tough game playing Tom Brady. Um, we started
game off, I think he had a big run, but
right after that we were able to get off the
field and we had another three and now and we
were just we we pretty much had the advantage the

(16:53):
whole game. And it got back to the third quarter.
I had I had had a sack or something and
and Aaron was going crazy. I defense was the defense
is going crazy, and I think it was like mad
way through the third and I had I was just
so into the I had made a play on Gronkers
like the screen and he tried to run outside and
I jumped outside of tack on him, and I was

(17:13):
just hype, and it was like third down. It was
a third down. I think it was the same draw.
After I tacked Gronks third down, I was like, man,
they quit. And I'm looking at the offensive line and
I'm like they quit. I'm looking at Tom and I
and and had like he had like hit Tom. He
had a quarterback hit on Tom Brady, and he had
like he had like scratched his feet in the ground

(17:34):
like he was marking his territory. And I was like, trash' ass.
I was like, trash's ass, trash his ass, and Tom
kind of looked at me and smirked. Then I was
looking at the offensive line. I was like, man, they quit,
they give up, they give up. And that was second
down and then third down came and it was an
incomplete pass, and I was lay, man, they give up,
and I'm running out the field and I looked back
and Tom's going for them fourth down. So I run

(17:57):
back out on the field and he converted the fourth
down and then to play after that, he sccored a
touchdown and they just started coming back and I'm looking
at I'm got my hands on my head. I was like, see,
this is why I don't talk ship in the game,
Like this is why I don't do it, Like this
is why just be quiet. I just played my game.
But you just get so caught up in the moment. Man,

(18:17):
are you're playing? Tom Brady just so excited And for
me to say that, bro, for Tom to like rally
the troops and bring everybody back. Man, I was definitely
nervous that game. And it came all the way down
to the end, and um, that's why in pro sports
you really want you really don't want to motivate guys
because guys are already good, and guys already playing for
they already playing to win, and you don't want to
motivate these guys more than they're they're already motivated. I

(18:39):
definitely learned the hard but luckily we were able to
win that game, because I would have felt so bad to,
you know, really motivate those guys to play even harder
than what they were playing. Did Tom say anything to
you what he tied the game? What he got T
S T seven? No? I didn't, man. You know, I've
always had a huge respect for Tom Brady, and you know,
I always knew that he had it in him. It
was just at that point I got kind of caught

(18:59):
him home and I just started talking a little trash.
You know. He definitely used it for motivation, and I
viewed them and they bounced right back. Yeah, You're like,
it's three. How could Tom Brady ever come back from oh? Wait?
And it was crazy, man. That's why a little Tom Brady. Man.
I love playing against Tom Brady. You love playing against
the greats and Tom Brady, Man, he's just he's just

(19:20):
so amazing. I played them so many different times, and
you know, he's one of my favorite quarterbacks and not
only one of my favorite quarterbacks on the field. Like
I've gotten the known time, I've gotten the no time
off the football field as well. Man, He's such a
great guy. Man, he's so dope to be around, and
he's just he's just so cool. Man. I'm blessing on
it to for us to even have a relationship outside
of football. Man, it's just super cool. Yeah, it's always

(19:41):
tripped me out, you know for twenty plus years. You know,
pass rushers want to hate quarterbacks, it's like in your nature.
And Tom is so competitive, and yet I can't find
people who hate him. It's like, you know, dudes who
should want, you know, want to hate them, are just
like you are. Just like now, he's the best. He's
so cool, So you know that, get props to him. Now.

(20:03):
I love Tom Bradie. Every time you play against Tom Bradie,
he's gonna Donna, You're not gonna do nothing extra. He
believes in his team, believes in his arm. You know,
of course you don't get chips, and of course you're
gonna get extra attention and stuff. But you know he's
not doing too much, man, He's just trying to go
out there and win the game. He's just trying to
be legendary. The quarterbacks you really don't want to play
or like the columnaries and you know, the Lamar Jackson's

(20:24):
the guys that's just not gonna go down. Like and
that's just what this uh, this league is really morphing
into is. You know more. You know, they still got
pocket pastors now too, like you know Mac Jones and
they still got great pocket pastors now too. But you
don't want to play like a Columnary. You don't want
to play like a Lamar Jackson. You know, a guy
that you're about the sacking he takes off running and
goes to six. You don't want to play a Josh

(20:44):
Allen like these guys right here, man, they just don't
give up, man. And those are a tough quarterbacks you
mentioned for he Morris earlier. You know, he did some
really good things as a young head coach in Tampa
way back in the day and uh, and then got
fired and he's kind of you know, been rebuilding his
brand for a long long time. I know him, well,

(21:05):
he's so smart and I think he's going to just
be a terrific head coach the second time around. What
how do you see him as a potential head coaching
candidate in the cycle. Yeah, Ross should be a head coach.
If not after this season, you know it's got to
come soon. Um, he just has this, Uh, he just

(21:26):
has his leadership ability. Man. He relates to all his players. Um,
he you know, he doesn't play mind games or anything
like that. He keeps it all the way real, like
I'm talking about, like brutally honest, like even when I
was there, like brutally honest with me, and you're just
like wha what. But it's the truth, you know, Like
it's the truth and you can't respect it. And um,
he keeps it real with all this players. It doesn't

(21:46):
matter if it's ninety nine, it doesn't matter if it's
a D. Gonna keep real with a D. Gonna keep
it real with Jayla Ramsey. Don't keep it real with
me in front of everybody. And um, you know he's
so smart. He puts his he got his, he puts
his team, and because this is the win games. He
relates to all the coaches, he relates to all the players,
And it was definitely a blast, like you know, working
with Raheim. Man. You know, I love playing I love

(22:07):
playing with the Rams. I love playing with Raheim and
Coach McVay and all those guys. And he would definitely
be a head coach one of these days. What's your
favorite Rod keep it real moment from your time with
the right It's just you know, he would he would
just it would be like jokes, but it would be
that serious like you know when he comes there, he's
like he would say something like, uh some something going

(22:27):
like your old last like something something like and just
just like real like it just be like so it
just and everybody would laugh, but it would be he'd be,
he'd be he'd be rootally honest, but he'd do with
the sense of humor. And it's just it's just the
coaching style that I that I really like, Man, I
really appreciate it, uh, robbing honest with me. All great

(22:49):
players want the true and Rod's definitely gonna keep it
real with all the guys. Man, even if you're doing good,
if even if you're doing bad, you're gonna keep it
real with everybody. He just has this ability to get
everybody's attention, get everybody focus, and get everybody up to
play games without playing my games or any extra coaching.
It's just the bare minimum that's needed to get all
these grown men ready to go. Man, before games, we

(23:12):
wouldn't even have a we wouldn't even have a defensive
me like we would just we would have a team meeting,
we'll be doing like and that. That's just a testament
to all the work that we do throughout the season
where I mean throughout the week where Rob Man he
was great man and I can definitely see him being
the head coach again one of these days. There was
a great story on you that came out recently by
Dan Pompeii and Um the beginning, it's kind of talking

(23:36):
about how when you showed up uh in Buffalo, you'd
already made the decision in your mind. I've signed with
the Bills, you're on, they're playing, and now you're starting
to freak out and you end up excusing yourself and
going into the bathroom for like said, about fifteen minutes,
to take me through, take me through that whole thingture Man.
You know, like I said, Man, it was a tough

(23:57):
decision for me. Um. You know, I wanted to be
a Bill. I wanted to be I wanted to play
for the rounds. I didn't want to leave the roums,
didn't want to leave, and don't didn't want to leave
coaching me back. I made the decision, but it's it
wasn't setting stone. Um. I had made the decision, and
the news broken stuff, and everybody's looking at me like, bro,
why you're not happy? Like why you're not happy? It's like, bro,
I really don't want to lead a rounds. And you know,

(24:20):
I got on the plane. I was like, bro, I'm
gonna go out here and I'm gonna tell him like,
you know, I know what, I know what I said, like,
I'm a pay for the jet that you guys you know,
flew me out here with. But I'm going back to
the rams. And you know, I got there, um and landed.
It was cold. We went to to get some food.
Didn't like the food, Um, you know everything, you know,

(24:41):
I just I just didn't like it. You know, I
just didn't like it. It's just hard coming from l
A to Buffalo. But when I got there and I
drove up to the facility, you know, I started to
feel a little bit better. I started to meet, you know,
all the guys that's working in the facility, from the
trainers and you know, the support system and all the
secretaries and and the chefs and the and the janitors
and everybody, and I started to feel a little bit better. Um,

(25:02):
I saw a locker room, you know, the facilities are nice.
It has to be nice because it has to be
nice because it's Buffalo. Facilities are nice. Start feeling a
little bit better. And it was like, all right, let's
go up stairs and sign a contract. And I was like, oh, man,
I gotta go overside of contract one upstairs. My agent
was he was there. Um. I asked like, can I

(25:23):
go to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom of
my little brother and my cameraman and I'm talking to
these guys like the I don't know what to do,
Like I don't know how gonna do this. Man, don't
know How'm gonna do this. They sent they sent somebody
from the bills into the bathroom to give you. I
come out. My agent was like, hey, let me uh
my agent job. But he was like, let me uh.
He told everybody to like, you know, go out for
a little bit. Let me let me talk to Van.

(25:44):
He's like, man, just give me a hug. And I
gave joe Be a hug and He's like, heye to
see me like this. You know. He wanted me to
be happy, you know, he wanted me to be excited,
to be it, which I was. Um, but it was
just I just didn't want to leave arounds. And you know,
I'm sitting in there talking to job for like forty
five minutes, like how I'm gonna do this, like this
and that. And I heard a knock on the door
and it was Coach Washington and Coach Frasier that came

(26:06):
in and they broke down exactly how they're gonna use
me on the defense. Um. I love Coach Washington, you
know I love this fire. Um, I loved everything about
Coach Fraser. And I started to feel a whole lot better.
I started to feel a whole lot better. But still
I wasn't like I still I wasn't. So I was
in there for another twenty minutes. So now it's a
little bit over an hour that I've been sitting there
still and still had to sign a contract and coach

(26:30):
UH coach McDermott. Coach McDermott not from the door, and
he sits down with me and he tells me, you know,
we started talking. He's like, man, you know, I get it.
You know I get it. It's buffalo. Like when I
told my kids that I was taking a head coaching
job here the Buffalo, they cried. They cried, and he
was like, but now they love it and it's a

(26:50):
special place. It doesn't look like it, but you you
would love this place too. And we was like, man,
we're not We're not. We're not bringing you here to
save us. We already got a good team. He was
number one and all the major categories in defense you
know last year. We just needs you to put us
over the top. We want you to do the same
thing that you did with the Rams. And you know,
for coach mcdermoy to keep it real with me and
say like, hey, like nobody, nobody likes it, but you

(27:13):
you would learn to love it, like you would grow
to love this place as a special place and just
buy my limited time there. Man, it really is a
special place. And I do love it. Um. I played
in cold games before, um, and I just I started
to get this this vibe, like, man, this is the
right decision for me to make. Man. And and I'm
and I signed a contract, and I'm and I'm Buffalo Bill,

(27:34):
you know, and I'm excited about it. Man, I'm trying
to trip it out a little bit on the person
whose job it was to go get you in the bathroom.
Like first of all like if you were in a
stall or something like, what are they gonna like knock
on the door of the stall, Like No, I was
just sitting on the same talking to my camera man,
and like I just needed space that like, you know,
just keep it real talking to my little brother man,

(27:56):
and you know, I just I was just gonna tell
him like straight they face. I wanted to be a
man about it and say like, hey, I know I
did whatever I did, like but this and this, I
can't do it. But I talked to another another. Another
thing they really put it over the top was was
Brandon being man. He is a special gm um and
you can just tell like he wants to win and

(28:16):
he's gonna do whatever it takes to win. And I
want to be around guys like that. Man. I want
to be around guys like you know, Brandon Bean and
you know, let's Need and George Payton. They were great
games as well, like great young games as well, like
Brandon being like man, I love the guy man only
and I've only had limited interactions with him. You know,
I love the guy. I love my d Lion room.

(28:37):
I love the locker room. Man. It's a special group
of guys. Man, you have we have no choice but
to kick it with each other, man, And that's where
I flourish, as you can tell with Studio fifty eight
back in Denver. That's that is my environment, you know,
to have the guys around and really just kick it
with the guys and talk. She didn't get to learn
the guys know their kids. And in Buffalo, we really
have no choice but to do it, man, And I'm

(28:58):
excited about it. So I'm glad you brought that up
because you were the most generous host in Denver. And
you know, you did have six years in a row
of not making the playoffs after that that Super Bowl season,
which you know, that's that's a long time. Um. And
then after you left, there was this weird report about
like a Halloween party and guys that wanting to pay

(29:21):
and like it got crossed up a little bit. What
what happened? So we had the Halloween party every year,
and you know I had the Halloween party. Uh, the
very first Halloween party I had, I didn't have. I
didn't ask anybody to play like you know, like me,
Like like you said, I'm generous when it comes to
having fun. There's nobody better than me to do it, Like,

(29:43):
I didn't ask anybody to pay for a boom. We
had the Halloween party, Um, it was a great Halloween party.
We had another Halloween party. It was great as well.
It kind of made some media attention through that second
Halloween party, remember the national media. It made the media
a little bit on that. You know, I'm not gonna
go into it, but it was a blast. And whenever
you know you have national exposure, it's got to be

(30:04):
a great Halloween party is a blast, right, and um,
you know that next year. So I had the Halloween
quite two years in a row, all on on my dog.
And the next year, I'm getting ready to have the party.
And it was my teammates idea to like a like
let us like let us, let us help you out.
And I was all right, cool, like I let I'll
let you guys help, you know, help throw the party.

(30:24):
And it was like, just show us everything that you
used to do. So I had broke down the breakdown
of everything that I did for the Halloween party. And
now you have different voices saying now because everybody's paying
for the Halloween party, it's just different voices. People looked
at the invoicears like take this out, take this up,
Let's not do this. Let's do this instead instead of
bringing in DJ bunt, you should DJ. And I'm like, bro, like,

(30:48):
this is not this is the different Halloween party than
the one that I throw. So I just was like, man, like,
we're not gonna do it. And we weren't winning at
the time, and it was always like a treat. It's
like a treat to like party and um and have
fun and stuff. So I to have it for two
years and we got ready to have the Halloween party
back again. Everybody in Denver, everybody in the locker rooms
like bring the party, bring bring it party, bring the

(31:08):
party back. And now we got fresh food, we got
different teammates, and um, I showed him to breakdown again.
It's like, yeah, we're gonna do the Halloween party. So
I was like, all right, we we we said we
was gonna do the Halloween party way back and way
back in like June or something like that. We was
planning like early for the Halloween party. And I had
this huge group I had this huge group feed of
everybody in there, so everybody can be you know, in

(31:30):
the loop about the Halloween party. So we were playing
the Halloween Party. Um, I had already had paid for
some stuff, and then we start to lose games and
I'm not a fan of like party and what we're losing.
So I'm like, hey, Like I'm telling the guys like, hey,
I don't I don't know, I don't think we should
have the Halloween party, like let's cancel it. And the

(31:51):
people were like no, b no matter what, like we
need to hang out, we need to kick Let's have
the Halloween Partner's have Halloween partners. Have the Halloween party
week when we win, I think we two we went out,
think we win like the first couple of games of
the season, and then we start to lose and I'm
starting to get co feet about it. So I'm telling
the guys like hey, like it was like it was
it was a week before the Halloween party, and I
was like, hey, we should cancel now because if we

(32:14):
cancel now, we don't have to pay for anying this stuff.
If we if we choose to have the Halloween party,
we had to pay for all of this stuff, which
I had to. I'm gonna pay for the first and
I'm gonna have to get reimburged from everybody, and that's like, hey,
let's cancel the party. And it's like, you know, man,
no matter what, if we went to lose, we're gonna
have the Halloween party. So all right, cool, y'all want
to have the Halloween parties had the Halloween party. We
end up doing, we end up losing again, and we

(32:35):
had the Halloween party, and when we lost, nobody really
it wasn't It was still a great Halloween party, but
the attendance of my teammates it wasn't like what it
was because we have been losing and this was the
same the guys that didn't show up with the same
guys that saying have the Halloween party. So it's like,
let's have the Halloween party. They were telling me had
the Halloween party. I had the Halloween party. They don't

(32:57):
show up, and now I'm like, hey, like, now it's
time to pay, y'all. We yeah, you guys wanted to
have the Halloween for you. Now it's time to pay.
Even though you didn't come, we still have to pay
because it was everybody's idea. Like you told me to
have the holliween. You can't back on on the you
can't do me like that, so um, you know things
and me being me being a guy that I am,

(33:19):
and me loving to win like we had lost in
it was just like it was just like little ship
that I had been holding in that I was like, bros,
see this is this is the reason why, Like, this
is the reason why I got into like a heated
argument with some of my teammates. Um. I probably could
have handled it a little bit differently, but you know,
I was like, bro, this is this is the reason why.
You know, uh I had Um, I just used that

(33:40):
space to like really get some stuff off my chest.
And you know, guys just like dangun really coming out
at us. But me being a guy there like bro,
like if I can't talk to y'all, like if I
can't like talk to y'all, like what's on my mind?
If I gotta walk and hold like hold ship in,
it's not like I'm not working with it. And I
guess something. The guys didn't really like the way that, uh,

(34:02):
you know, I was talking to him, but I didn't
really matter, Like it's the same thing I told you
and done. You can't really be worried about saying the
right thing at the right time. You just gotta say it.
And I was just telling the guys, bro like this, this,
this is not this is not the makings of a
good team. You. I couldn't do me like that, you
know what I'm saying, y'all y'all said that y'all was
gonna pay, and y'all backed up, and y'all wondered, how
the Holy party then you're backed up? So I was frustrated.

(34:22):
And it wasn't really like you know, it wasn't really
like nothing. And I end up getting traded right after.
It wasn't like a big It wasn't like a big deal.
I think, Uh, you know, I sat down and I
talked to all the guys. Anything that I said, it
takes me. I told the guys in their face too,
and um, you know, everybody ended up, you know, chipping
in and paying. It took all of that. It took me,
Like you know, everybody asked for them. They're like, hey,

(34:43):
but you know everybody paying. Not everybody paid. But I
got a I got a big chunk back from my teammates,
and you know, I ended up getting traded. And you
know when I when I got traded, I think no
effect like he kind of spoke out on it, and uh,
it's kind of spoke out on it and on the
ra video and stuff. So this is my space like
giving me the floor, Like this is I'm using your

(35:03):
podcast for me to say my piece on the Halloween party.
There was a Halloween party that I wanted to half
of the guys we end up losing. I wanted to
back out. They wanted to have the party. Still, we
have the party. Nobody wanted to pay. Nobody came. So
it was just a tough situation that they put me in,
and I was upset about it, and I got all
this stuff on my chest and we kept moving. Is

(35:25):
there anyone who didn't pay that you could possibly face
on the other side of the ball, and because that
would be amazing, that'd be amazing if you had a
free shot at someone. You know, I'm a I'm a
I'm a I'm a generous guy. Man. I just I'm
in Buffalo for the next six years. I'm not really
you know, I'm not really tripping off that. It wasn't

(35:47):
really about the money. It wasn't really about the money.
It's just the principal, Like it's the principle how can
How can y'all like do me like that? You know
what I'm saying, the guy, especially especially you, you host everything,
you flying at the places. I opened up my opened
I opened up my opened up my house, over to
my home. You know, I opened up. If I worked

(36:07):
out with young guys. You know, I had a young
guys trained with me in the summertime. If I'm taking
the PJ, everybody's welcome to ride with me, like you know,
I opened up. I'm I'm such a generous guy, especially
to my teammates. So I treat my teammates like like brothers.
And it just it just hurt me that they that
they didn't like that. But I got off my chest
and you know, everybody, everybody chipped then. Man. You know
it was especially all the especially all the big time guys,

(36:31):
and you know, we had some I had some rookies
in that in that group feed, you know, and the
rookies you still gotta pay two. It wasn't like a
crazy amount. But because I would never I would never
do the rookies like that. I would never had a
rookies play like, you know, something crazy. And I had
broken down everybody that was on the feed. It was
probably like forty of us. If everybody had paid, it
end up being liked allars you know something. Guys, Yeah

(36:55):
they were that. Yeah. So it ended up being like
fifteen hundred dollars for every for every person something like that.
So but when the guy backs out, they mean somebody
else has to pick up the slack. So half of
the people back up. Now this the other half is
looking at a pretty Steve tab which I might end
up getting the biggest chunk of it anyway, Like you
know what I'm saying, because I'm I'm one of the
longest team, I'm getting up getting the biggest chunk. It

(37:17):
was just the respect man at the end of the day,
like they just they just shitting on me like that
after I didn't want to have the party, and uh
well we we got it Australia. And I love my
I love the Demon Rockers, I love my teammates. All
of those guys are like my little brothers. Have you
kicked it with any of the Bills Legends since you
signed you know Thurman, Thomas, uh, you know Andre Read,

(37:37):
Jim Kelly, any of those guys. So I've been around
Andre Read a couple of times. Just you know me
being in the league. Like, so, I'm very familiar with
Andre Read Bruce Smith. He hosted one of my past
first summons and we did some film sessions together. I'm
very familiar with Bruce Smith. He's like my he's like
my uncle. He was actually he actually called to recruit

(37:58):
me to go to the Bills and um, yeah, so
I'm very familiar with Bruce Mayn and Andre Reid. I
think if you get to know Jim Kelly, you might
need to go talk about that Halloween party from a
few years ago, because I'm pretty sure his nephew was
the star of the show. If you remember, he had

(38:19):
he had a fun night that night. He had a
fun night until he ended up in a house that
he didn't realize with someone else's house. Yeah, and we're
not going into a two deep. Man. He had a
fun night, and you know, that's that's my boy. And
I love chat but over man, that's my guy. All right,
We'll see now I've I've given you a good conversation

(38:40):
starter with jib. I'm sure Jim, we'll we'll appreciate it. Um,
you guys are on top of the world and then
miss playoffs, miss playoffs miss playoffs, miss playoffs, miss playoffs,
traded in the middle of the season. Uh, maybe we've
already covered it, but what was your what was your
lowest But what was the time during all that where

(39:02):
you were just like, man, this is hard not to win.
I think probably the lowest moment was me getting traded
because I felt like it's hard for me not to
look at it. It's my fault, you know, It's my
fault that we wasn't successful. I didn't make enough place
for my teammates. Um. I wasn't Um, I didn't produce
enough for us to win. Uh. You know, it's just

(39:22):
the way I took it. Um. You know, I've had
conversations with all those guys leading up to that point,
like you know, John Elway and all the guys, and
I just I just I just looked at it, like
you know, it's me and didn't you know every single
year they have trade rumors and you know, for so
for the last four years, like you know, you can't
help but hear the rumors about we should trade one,
we should trade bone and you could get bun out

(39:44):
of here with paying them too much. Just that and um,
you know, for it to happen. I just felt like,
you know, it was my fault. It was my fault
that we wasn't winning. You know, it was my I
didn't make enough place for my teammates. I didn't I
didn't make enough game changing I always got sex in
that all that stuff, but I didn't make enough game
changing uh uh plays to put my teammates in better

(40:08):
positions to win. And I just I felt like it
was I felt like it was on me when I
was traded, and it just it just hurt for I know,
they didn't like give up on me. I just felt
like it just it just it just sucks to be traded. Man.
You just you feel like you're not wanted anymore. And
you know the only way that could have felt better
for me is uh to go to a Los Angeles Roums,
to a team that was already good, that that was

(40:30):
that was excited to have me. You know, if I could,
if I would, if they would have just traded me
off to the Jets, something I probably you know, they
traded me off to a team that was struggling or
something like, you know, they wouldn't hurt worse. But I
went to a great team. I ended up winning the
Super Bowl, and you know it just that was the
only way that I could have felt good about, you know,
that situation. But it did it did hurt? It did

(40:52):
you know, suck to be traded like that in the
middle of in the middle of the season, like a
big surprise, Like I go into the training room and
like they come in to the office, Like, man, it
definitely they definitely hurt. What happened you went up to
Georgia's office or how did they tell you? Yeah? I had,
I had my ankle was already hurt, and um, I
was already battling the injury, my ankle injury from the

(41:13):
year before. I had missed the whole season before and
that Cleveland game that was my last games the Denver
Bronco and before that game, like you know, I had
tried the same I tried the exact same method that
I used a couple of years before. They turned the
team around. So and we played we played the Cardinals
in like I think it was twining. We played the

(41:36):
Cardinals and that's why we're gonna beat them. I was like,
we're gonna beat the ass and we just I just
walked off the podium, like I gave the Cardinals bull
into board material and I told my teammates I was
gonna do it before. And you know, we went out
there and we we stumped the mudhole and the Cardinals
on Thursday night football. Everybody had my back, you know,

(41:56):
everybody was you know, and that team was different. You know,
you got teammates like a Key to League and Chris
Harris and Emmanuel Sanders and d T and you know
that that team was was different, you know. And you
know this team is a lot younger, you know, a
different mindset of guys, you know. And the pressure that
I put on the team and eighteen, they they flourished

(42:16):
in that pressure. And I feel like the pressure I
put on because I'm okay with putting pressure. I say,
I go out to kick anybody ass, you know. But
you know, and it was a different coach and stuff.
You know, Coach, you know, Coach Franz was a little
bit more old school. DJ was all for like, hey,
let's let's go out here with their ass like and um,
you know, coach and Joe is a little bit more

(42:37):
old school. And I think the pressure that I put
on the team, it kind of you know, I don't
think we responded in the right. I don't think we responded.
I didn't. I didn't go out there and I didn't
kick nobody else. I didn't get a sack. I ain't
up getting hurt, and um, I heard my ankle and
I felt like that was that was already only win
the playing at Washington riskin Is the next week. I
didn't play in that game because my ankle was my

(42:58):
ankle was still was, you know, injured. So I was
going in early. I was getting treatment on my ankle.
I limped in there and getting treatment on my ankle
um and the head strength, the head trainer, UH, Vince Garcia,
which I have a great relationship with, he uh came
over to my He came over to my little table

(43:18):
where I was getting worked on. He was like, he, George,
want to see you up in the office. And I
was like, George Payton and he was like, yeah, he
want to see you upstairs. And I was like, damn.
And you know, I had already. I've been on the
team long enough, like when they send the guy to
come and get you and stuff, already knew, like you
know what time it is. I felt like I was
walking to the Principal's office. Like I knew like I

(43:40):
was getting traded. I just didn't know where I was going.
I didn't know if I was going to the build.
I didn't know if I was going to the Cowboys.
I didn't I didn't know if I was going to
the Arizona Car News. And I went up there and
I'm talking to George Payton. He asked me about my ankle. First,
he asked me how I was doing time. I was
doing good, and he was like, okay, well, you know,
I just want to let you know that we are trading.

(44:00):
And he said we're trading you. He said, we're trading
you to the Los Angeles Rams. Immediately, but when he
said we are trading you, like everything kind of like
froz for me, Like everything could just kind of like
Brown being traded. Is this real? He's like, we getting trade.
You getting traded, he said, immediately to Los Angeles Rams.
And I said, the Los Angeles Rams, how how could

(44:21):
they afford me? Like and immediately after that, he's like,
we're gonna pay most of your deal. He's like, We're
gonna pay everything so they can fit you in in
the salary cap over there and I'm like, damn, Like
they really wanted me go. I was like, damn. I
was like, damn, man. They I was like, they really
wanted to go, but they sent me to a good
team and they're gonna pay all of my most of
the most of my contracts so I can fit over there.
I was like, damn, but they really want me going, man.

(44:43):
And and I think the hardest part about that, Um,
I just built so many relationships, like through the ups,
through the downs, the Super Bowl wins, super Bowl loss.
I just built so many relationships like with Flip and
Harry and you know VNS and you know all the
coaches there, and you know, I'm afraid oh the Cook

(45:04):
and Ray Jackson and you know, Chip Conway and everybody
you know and John Elway. I had been around these
guys for teen and a half years. Like they saw
me grow up. I had my son that they saw
me like go from a kid with here to like
a guy with you know, I got with no hair.
You know what I'm saying now, you know, And like

(45:25):
I spent a third in my life walking into the
locker room, walking into that building, man, you know, to
to only have like forty five minutes to say, Bob Man,
it was definitely tough, and you know, and to go
to Los Angeles Rams and you know, the only way
it could have it could have worked out for me
is to go win, you know, to go out there
and win, and then in the off season you seen him,
you see him pick up Russell Wilson and you see

(45:47):
them start to like really get the team. Right now,
It's like, brother, funk, I could have you know, why,
why the funk we couldn't get Russell Wilson while I
was there. You know, maybe if Russell was there when
I was there, like maybe we would have. You know
what I'm saying, Like the city, the city gonna be
on far. I know, I know how excited the Broncos fan,
the Bronco fans get about having great teams, and I
know training camp is don't be flooded with fans, and

(46:09):
I know everybody is excited about the team and stuff,
and I just, you know, it's a it's a bitter
sweet feeling because I love the different Broncos and I
want to see him win, and it's just it's just
it's just said that I won't be able to be there,
to be a part of it because I know our heart.
We've worked. It was six years of playoff losses. That
team is it is ready to explode and they just
needed that one piece to get over the humping. And
Russ is definitely gonna be that piece to put the

(46:29):
Broncos over the talk. Did you did you tear up
at all? Yeah? Man, I cried. I cried like a baby.
I'm thirty. I was thirty two years old, and I
cried real tears. And I was really like, I was
really hurt, like that whole day. And I went to
beating Hunters that night. Me and Melvin came with me,
Melvin Gordon and I got a special relationship with Melvin Gordon.
And when we was just sitting there and I'm just

(46:49):
sitting there eating and we was just quiet, but in
my eyes are already and stuff. He just looked over
that me. He was like, Bro, you're really gone, bro,
And It's like, yeah, bro, I'm gone, man. And we
sment that whole night, and I was really hurt. And
I walked through my house and like you've been there.
I got so many memories of the wings and lost
that so many different teammates have come through there from
d t to pay Manning, and you know, it's just

(47:11):
it was just like, Bro, like I'm really going. But
I told myself, like I got on the plane and
I said, bro, taking off like I'm looking at the
mountains and stuff. We're taking off their next mornings. Like, Bro,
when I get off this plane, I'm not feeling like
that no more. I'm leting go of all of this
and I'm a Los Angeles round right with I landed. Brother,
they had the cameras and they had the rounds had
and they were so excited to go to the facility.

(47:33):
And I got me with Reggie Scott. And you know
Reggie the trainer man, he's man, he's great man, he's great,
he's one. He is I had great training staff with
the broncos Um. Reggie is definitely one of the best
man and I appreciate Reggie. He took care of me
like a vet. You know, they took They take care
of you like vets, and they treat you like they
treat you like a pro. They treat you, they expect

(47:55):
you two they expect you to, especially the vets with
the rams. Of course they're going be on rookie's and stuff.
But with the Rams. Man. They only care about winning, man,
and they expect you to put yourself to do whatever
it takes to put yourself in the best situation for
you to win. So if you can't practice, just communicate that, man,
and and they'll be cool. Um, if you're dealing with something, man,

(48:16):
they're not gonna force you to you know, they expect
you to be l A has all these different doctors
and all these different things you can do to like
all these different body works. They expect you to get yourself,
you know, right, man, And they're gonna treat you like
a grown man. And all they care about is you
performing to the best of your ability on Sunday and
winning games. And it's lived by coach McVeigh and they
got it. They just got a great organization over there. Man.

(48:38):
I love the Rams. Well. I mentioned the one DT
Derek Thomas, and that still makes me cry. You mentioned
DT to Marrius Thomas, who you know, how are you
processing you know? Him being gone? And man, it's it's
you know, every time I think about it, man, it's

(48:58):
it's tough, you know. That's uh, he's like he was
my brother. But I'm at I'm in peace with it
because every chance. I wasn't afraid to love on DT
like I was. I was not afraid like if anybody
would be like bro like love DT. Like the media
knew I love DT. DT knew I loved DT. Um,

(49:19):
his family knew I loved him. I do anything for him.
Every chance that I got to tell him, like not
love you, I told him like I love you, like
like real love, like genuine love. I love the guy man,
And you know that that was my boy. Man. I
just love everything about a baby. I loved how how
big and strong and fast he was. He was a
gentle giant man. He loved being around kids. Um, he

(49:42):
loved just hanging out, even though he had like this
huge image, he really just loved, you know, chilling bro
and being out the scene. And it's just like me
a little just playing cards and hanging out and um,
you know, my daddy was really close with his dad,
and his mom was really close with my mom. And
that's that's relationship that was built over a decade. You know.
It's not something that you just get on team. And

(50:04):
just like I came in, DT is one of the the
first people I talked to and I saw him grow,
he saw me grow man. When D two got traded Man,
that hurt me. Um. I went into a locker room
through we played the Texans, like who goes into a
and we lost the game too, And I'm stealing the
locker room. I'm in the locker room in C d T.
I'm not worried about nobody else. I'm in the locker

(50:24):
room to C d T and talked to d T
man and and I really let him know that I
love him man. And you know, I just wasn't afraid.
We went on trips all across the world together. You
know that that was my That was my boy man.
I wasn't afraid too to love on him. And I
wasn't afraid to show love in the in the media,
social media, in public. That was my That was my

(50:44):
That's my boy. He always be my boy after that game,
because you know, he's the most real dude ever who
always said what he thought. So he talked some ship
to be after that game, He's like, we like winning
over here. You know, he was throwing change. I remember
you cover to the locker room. I mean I can
still picture, but you're right. He just I mean, he's

(51:06):
been through a lot in his life. It's a crazy story.
But he just exuded you know. Yeah, man, when I
when I had my son. When I had my son,
he was one of the he was one of the
first like people that I faced home, like I faced
time to my screenshot so you can see him. I
still got our feed, like I I got my phone

(51:28):
is telling me like, hey, I gotta delete my messages
because my space my storage is up and I don't
want to let him. And I look over our feed
all the time. Man was joke and laugh, you know,
have all type of stuff. It's it's crazy to see that,
to see the message like green, like I can't I
can't call him, I can't take some you know, none
of that stuff, man. And my last message from him

(51:48):
is I love you, bro. And it's the day I
got traded. And then a month later he had a
month later he had passed away. I remember one mom
telling me, Bro, I remember what I'm telling him. My
mom told me and I said it that Mary's and
she was like yeah, she asked me who was told
me to sit down before she told me and she
told me and I was like DT and like the

(52:10):
whole night, bro, I was just like being shocked and
I'm and I'm calling my teammates from calling Payton Manning,
I talked, And that's that's one of the crazy things,
like when somebody passed away, you reconnect with all your
teammates and stuff. Talking to Payton on the phone and
talking to DT. I mean, I'm talking. I was one
of the first people that knew. So I'm calling everybody.
I'm calling I'm calling a key to leave and Chris

(52:31):
Harris and just to break the news and just the shock. Bro.
It was just like bro, like it was tough man.
And then I get COVID and I can't go to
I get COVID, I can't go to the funeral or
nothing like that. Man, Man, Man, that was that was
your second time because you got it right in the beginning.
I thought we had a Yeah, we had a huge
breakout with the Rams like that. It was like a huge,

(52:53):
like huge breakout, like and it was them. They're like
nineties in the team, like had COVID. And this time
around we were able to like get healthy and time
and this that was the very first time that m
playing the game. We didn't have practice the next day,
the council practice. I end up getting COVID and I
didn't do anything but play Call of Duty and sit

(53:14):
on the couch for a whole week. And then I
played another game, Like I didn't practice, watch film, do anything.
I played in the game the whole week of not
doing nothing, of working out, just video games. Um. And
then I take a COVID test that morning of and
I passed it and I said, good, down here you're playing.
I come down there. I played in the game and
I ended up getting set. My very first act is around,

(53:37):
and I'm like, bro, I don't need to practice. Yeah,
you will be. You will be referring to that the
rest of your career. I can roll out a bit
and go do this. Man, you know what I'm saying. Amazing. Um.
You you know your generosity is not just money. What
you do with the past Rush Summit is really really cool.

(53:58):
And you I'm just curious. You've you've basically opened up
you're you know it up to all pass rushers and
teams all over the place. Have you ever been on
the sideline watching someone you taught something to sack your
quarterback and you're like, damn, why did I teach you that? No? Man?
You know, um, you know everybody's style is so different,

(54:20):
you know, everybody saw everybody's style that's so different, and um,
I just look at it as it's so I have,
so I wouldn't. I wouldn't be on this podcast with
you without the NFL, you know. And I love the NFL,
and I have so much expect for the NFL and
all the people that have come before me, all the
veterans and the Hall of famers that have poured into
me and poured all this knowledge into me, that I

(54:42):
just want to pay it forward. And it's just it's
just my way of giving back to the game that
has given so much to me. And I'm not I'm
so comfortable in my space, so comfortable in my game
and where I'm at in my career that you know,
I'm an open book, like I tell at the past,
something I tell like I'm sitting here and I talked
about everything, my whole perspective, how I play the game,

(55:05):
when I'm looking at from all the little things that
helped me get sex. And I'm just so comfortable in
my game and where I'm at that I can give
it to a younger person and if he flourishes, if
any of these guys go to go to the Hall
of Fame and they're like, bro, I went to the
Vonne Miller's pastor something selfishly like I'll be like, yeah,
I got I don't need no money, I don't need anything, man,

(55:26):
I just I'm I don't really care about what people
say about me, but my colleagues and people that I
spend time with, my teammates in the NFL, Like I
care about that. Like you know, if I like Cam Jordan's,
Cam Jordan comes, right, I care about what Cam Jordan's
thinks of von Miller, Like I'm a fan of his game. Um,

(55:49):
I'm a fan of all of these guys, and I
care about what they think about Vonne Miller, not the
football player, but the person. Like the football is still
gonna take care of yourself. But you know, outside of this,
outside of this game, mean they put the media puts
us against everybody, say this guy's number one, this guy's
number two. This is that. I'm like, I'm here to
just put all that to rest and take the pride

(56:09):
out of it. Like you know, I love the game.
I love the game of football. Love I love coaching
and uh and teaching past rush to pass rushers like
I can't. I can't teach her. I can't teach you know,
Joe Small of the street, how the rest of pastor.
But guys that already know how to pass rush, like
I can't help him, Like I get. I'm an open book.
It doesn't matter if it's a d tackle. It doesn't

(56:29):
matter if it's a outside linebacker d N when it
comes to pass words. This is where I know I
spent my whole life doing this. I care about what
these guys think in the past or something. We we
talk football on the field, but another piece of it too.
We're hanging out. Like we're hanging out and we're kicking it.
It's like the Pro Bowl for past rushers. And um,
I've always been a fan of the probo I've always
been a fan of that aspect of the Pro Bowl.

(56:51):
Like you can see that at the bar and like
you kicking with Philip Rivers. And I never get to
talk to Philip Rivers. The only time I get to
talk to Philip Rivers at the Pro Bowl and and
and sit at the bar and talk to Philip Rivers
and tell him how much I respect him in his
game outside of like football and helmets on and see
him like appreciate that. Uh, and you see him appreciate

(57:13):
my words like that makes me. That makes me feel good.
And I wanted to take that aspect um of the
Pro Bowl and make my own kind of like Pro
Bowl for the past rus summing. And that's what it is.
It's a it's a Pro Bowl for the past rushers.
We got college guys there, we got we got high
school guys there. We got young past rushers there, and
we got established veterans like Chandler Jones and guys that

(57:35):
I've been fans of for a long time, Challenge Jones
and Majordan's, Aaron Donald's been there. Uh, you know all
types bro Calais Campbell, like all of these guys, like
I'm fans of brand and they all take time out
of it and they come to the past rush something
for free. I want to I want to get to
a point where I can start paying these guys to come.
You know, of course I want to promote in these

(57:56):
potics too, but it hasn't got to that level yet.
And all these guys come. Maybe if you get reimbursed
for the Halloween party, you know what police guys to
take time out there that comes to spend time with
me and top pass first man. That it makes uh
that that that's that's payment in itself. Man, I love it.
Are there any young pass rushers were would you watch him?

(58:16):
You kind of go, Damn, that guy's smoother. I love
watching that guy. I'm a fan of the game, man,
and all these young pass rushers, Like from day one,
I like, you know, guys on my team. I like
Ed Oliver. You know, um, he was a beast in college,
like he was. He was saying he might he might
win a Heisman that year when he was in Houston,
and you know he was. He was the best defensive

(58:38):
player in college that year. And like to be with
him on the team, like, you know, I want to
I want to pour into him, like I want to
get him playing like that again. I want him to
be the best defensive player in the league. Like I
want to get him around and Donald and see him
like and see what and what gets and don what
the thing that makes a Donald and Donald? And can

(58:58):
he take that and put it into his game? You know?
And I like Max Crosby, you know, I like I
like Max Crosby story too. He's just a good guy. Bro.
He's just he's man. Man. Max Crosby's just a good dude. Man,
He's a good dude. He's got the tattoos. You know.
I got tattoos too. I'm a fan of tack twos
and art and just he just got this this this
biker image. But he's a He's a really cool guy.

(59:21):
Chandler Jones is cool. I like Chandler too. Um, but
you said young pass rushers man. And I'm a fan
of all of these guys. Man, I'm an open booking
you know, Nick, Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa. You know,
I love their game, you know, for those guys to
move the way they move like you know, it's you
know that people don't move like that, you know. And

(59:41):
I'm a fan of those guys, Um, Miles good t
J wat like you know all those guys. Man. I'm
a fan of the game man. And I take, I
really take the product. And I'm on my second contract
on the main money out of SAX and commercials and
there's really no competition in it for me. Man. I
love all of those guys that J T J. Why
j J. I've been a fan of j. J. Watt

(01:00:02):
for a very long time. We went to Afghanistan together.
We spent a week in Afghanistan, and the same way,
I got to see what made Aaron donnad Aaron Donald.
I was in Afghanistan and I got to see what
made j J. J. J. Watt. We ain't Afghanistan. He
was still working out. I'm like, bro, we but bro,
what are you working out? And it's Afghanistan like and

(01:00:23):
it was. It was still the worst one at the time.
The two. He's like, I gotta work out, I gotta
stay right. I'm going to Houston. I'm going to the
Houston Astros uh uh game and they're gonna let me uh,
They're gonna let me go to batting practice. And he's like,
I gotta make sure I'm ready to go. And a
week later, he's at the Houston Astro's batting practice and

(01:00:45):
he's crushing. He's he's crushing runs like this has nothing,
this has nothing to do with football, and like, I'm
just I was just blown away. And I talked to
J J. What you know, he was a captain. He's
a captain his rickie season and I'm like, bro, how
did you get the respect of the old guys like that.
He's like Brod just came in and I wasn't afraid
to talking. And if it wasn't right, I'm gonna say something.

(01:01:06):
You know, who's gonna change? J. Watt Like, it doesn't
matter if you are ten years twelve years in like
like bros. J J. Watt Like. I've been a fan
of J. J. Watt since he first came out. Khalil
Mac they always put me in Khalil makes always every
time I see my name is Khalil mckname, Well, Kalil mcname.
You know, so it's it's it's you know, it's like
you can't help, but you know, the pay attention to

(01:01:27):
his career and pay attention to what he's doing. And
anybody that's ringing off sacks, any young guy is that
that has some type of crazy move like Ya Meik
and dog way Um, all of these guys. Man, I'm
a I'm a fan of pass Russian and passed Russian
is just a family. It really is. This has been amazing.
I could talk to you forever. I'm gonna leave you
with I just have some housing questions. You know that personally,

(01:01:49):
I'm very interested in It's club fifty eight the original
does is it sold or do you still it's not?
So I'm probably gonna take it off the market too, man,
because I went back. I'm over this break. It's easy
to put a house on the market when you just
bought the house in Buffalo and you got a son
and and he's moving to Dallas and it's it's and
then you get traded and then you signed with the

(01:02:11):
Bills and you're not really endeavor like that. It's easy
to just say like, yeah, I put the house in
the market, like you know, but then I go back
to train for the for the off season form over
the summer break, and you just walk around like, bro, like,
ain't a way I can like train this, Bro, ain't
a way I can like sell this. Ain't no way
Like I could just give it up. And people have

(01:02:31):
come to like see it, and you know, people that
have been interested, but nobody's like nobody loves it like
I love it, you know, and it's like, Bro, I
might just there's no reason for me to sell it, brom.
You know, I'm good everywhere else, Like I don't want to.
I don't want to just sell it just because like
you know, so as long as I can, you know,
afford to keep it in a portfolio. Man, I'm I'm

(01:02:52):
I'm gonna keep it. Okay, that's good news. Now in Buffalo,
is it true that you are living near your head coach?
I am directly next door to coach McDermott now across
the street in that caddy corner. Um, his house, my
house like right next door. And um, it wasn't I didn't.
I mean, it wasn't like find me a house next

(01:03:14):
to coach McDermot is just Orchard Park and Buffalo is
just not a lot of places. This is where I'm
gonna go, Like, and this house was on sale, and
my relator she came and showed me. She didn't tell
me to the second time that I came to Chicken.
She didn't want it to be you know, Um, she
didn't wanted to be a breaking point. I'm like to be,
but I don't care, like I'm dirty three years older,
Like I don't care if the head coach they were

(01:03:34):
what they're gonna do to me. This is outside. I'm like,
this is outside like football. And then my house is
only like seven minutes away from the facility too, And
you know, I like being close facility to Coach mcdermot's
house is right next door to me. And then Mitch
Morris he's like right down the street as well. And
it's like four guys. It's like four guys on the
team in a neighborhood. So it's it's Buffalo is just different, man,

(01:03:58):
and and I like it. Man, it's cool. So will
there be like a modified club fifty eight man cave situation?
Are there gonna be parties? Are you're gonna be low key? Man?
We are at Josh Allen's house. He already said we
have Josh Allen house. I'm bringing all of my knowledge
of the clubificate to Josh Allen's house. We already played
bou Ray and kicked it with the guys. Um, you know,

(01:04:20):
I'm I'm bringing I'm hosting closely day that Josh Allen's house,
like Josh Allen's big, big money creb the Part three.
It's you know, and he reminds me so much of myself,
you know, like he reminds he reminds me of what
I was in Denver. So it's you know, it's cool
to just you know, sit back and you know, go
to somebody else's house and dirty up day house perform

(01:04:42):
right that see that is this is a veteran move,
like you've had your long run of CLUBFT eight. Now
Josh gets to be the host, and I know if
he has a party, you will pay up. We know that.
So I was giving um so I was giving Josh
uh pointers too. I'm like because we had a casino
night in Buffalo, and I'm telling Josh, like, hey, you

(01:05:05):
got guys coming over here, right, we're playing for money
like Boo Ray, like cash. The house always gets like
at the end of the day, somebody you have to
tip the house. Every time you had casino or not,
you were walking you're walking away with money to pay
the maids for the food. You know, get these guys
coming over to play, had them chip into it, especially
the guys that win. If you come over here, you

(01:05:26):
win ten thousand dollars him. I need we need tax
offer that everybody to come over here and play Boo
Ray that smokes the guards, drink whiskey or hang out
and eat food whatever. You need money for that and
no matter what, like you always you always be on
top because you can pay for the maize and you
can pay for somebody from clean up. So I've been
getting with little pointers on how to run his club too.

(01:05:46):
So I'm just the manager over there at a club.
I'm the manager at club seventeen. Amazing. Just Josh, how
is this Boo Ray knowledge? You know? You know he
does not back down from side bits, you know, and
that's he doesn't back that. I mean it's me and him,
like he signed a big contract, you know, he doesn't
back that's what We're not playing for nothing. Crazy, but

(01:06:07):
he don't back down from no side battman. But he does,
he does. He did boo me for like outrageous things
like I guess because I'm the new guy on the team,
Like I actually to flip a card over, he booze me.
I'm na throw my card out so it's the last deal,
you know, and I'm we only have one car left
and I throw my card out. He boozed me for that,
like I got. I got booed like four unnecessary times,

(01:06:28):
like and I guess it's just I guess, just initiation,
you know, so they can see how I react to stuff.
But you know, I still end up leaving with the
most money. And um, I got booed four time, So
I know how to play Boo Ray, I really do.
And I give a guess whoever's watching this tip? Like
you don't want to play every hand. It's just like
the casino, Like you don't want to play every single hand.
You only play when you know you have a solid

(01:06:50):
chance to win because the object the way you win
and boot Ray is just don't get boomed. It's okater,
like you know who's the ANNI, but don't get a boot.
As long as you don't get a boo, you'd be silly.
That is incredible wisdom. And we'll see who's because the
people who make it all the way to the end

(01:07:12):
will get that actual tip and benefit from it, and
the other dudes will just be like I'm playing every hand.
I don't care. Yeah, but I don't do that. I
cannot wait to come see hopefully a Club seventeen, but
if not the uh the non Club fifty eight Pad
of Buffalo and Uh, I can't wait to see you

(01:07:32):
on the field. It's my favorite trading cap by the way. Uh. Pittsford,
New York, St. John Fisher, you're gonna love it. Go
to go to a place called Thirsties if you can,
you'll like it. Yeah, Man, I'm excited about it. Man,
I'm excited about my team. I'm excited about the staff
here man from Brandon Bean, the coach Mcdihamond and Lesney Fraser,
coach Washington, all of these guys. A man, excited about

(01:07:54):
my new teammates Josh Allen and all the guys. Is
hot powered offense, just this crazy deep things that we got, man.
And I'm and I'm more excited to really earn a
respect on my teammates, something that I always like doing well.
I like, I like earning the respect to the guys
that I uh, that I play with, not just coming
here and giving a lip service, but being thirty three,
I'm still working the way I work. Um, still coming

(01:08:17):
here and and um and really just earning the respect
of these guys. Man, because I'm like a rookie again
and m I get a brand new slate here with
the Buffalo Bills, and I'm excited for these guys to
get to know me. You know, you know Brandon Bean's nickname, right, uh,
big ball of Bean, big baller Bean. He is man,
he really is. Man. He LittD to that name. Man,
He's he is. He is a great gym man. And

(01:08:39):
this this you can tell the boy the way he
put this Buffalo team together. Man, if they mean business,
I love it. Thank you so much for your time, man,
I really appreciate it. Appreciate you, Mike. Thank you guys,