Byron Leftwich: Journey of a Leader

The offensive coordinator of the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers joins Steve and Jim. He talks about why he was confident facing the Chiefs for a second time with a title on the line (31:41). After the win Byron basked in what he calls the greatest title parade ever (52:05). And he talks about why we’re witnessing once-in-a-lifetime excellence by Tom Brady (14:02). Byron also talks about the Super Bowl win being “special” for Bruce Arians (33:33), being mistaken for Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles (29:30) and his path as a kid from Southeast D.C. to Super Bowl champ (18:43). Plus, Steve and Jim pay homage to fellow NFL journalist and Howard Bison alum Terez Paylor, who recently lost his life.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Coming up on Huddling Flow. I mean I dreamed of this,
right I'm I mean, I'm a Southeast DC kid, you know,
growing up in the in the city, having dreams of
playing for the Washington team, having dreams of men. Just
I was just a football fanatic, just everything football, football,
and obviously I had dreams of, you know, playing at

(00:24):
the highest level, playing in the National Football League. But
you know, your everyday life, you know, you open your
eyes and you realize, man, that's so far from where
I'm at. You know, that's so far from where I'm at.
So you just start on your journey and just with
belief and commitment that I'm gonna try everything possible to
get there. That's next on Huddling Flow. Wait, welcome to

(01:06):
a very special Hall to Flow podcast, brought you by
into it the Problem Maker and Turbo Tax Mint and
Quit Books. I'm Steve White. Is my guy, Jim Trotter,
two thirds of the Howard Mob, Thomas Warrener the ones
and two is completes the puzzle Jim. We got absolutely
incredible guests on today newly minted Super Bowl champ Byral Left,

(01:28):
which the offensive coordinator took some time after the Super
Bowl parade to come hang with us, Steve. You know, Um,
this is how I tell just what a quality individual
someone is is that when something comes up and they
could very easily blow you off, and you know that
they have every reason to blow you off, such as

(01:49):
Byron leftwiche a few days after winning a Super Bowl,
the parade, all the other things going on where he
could say, you know what, I get back to you
later in the offseason. But no, what does he do?
He shows up when he says he's gonna show up
to me. That speaks to a man's character and what
he's about. So our listeners are going to enjoy this
interview because, um, Byron left, which is gonna be a

(02:10):
head coach in the NFL. And when when you listen
to this interview, you understand why and what he brings
to the table. So I'm excited for folks to hear this. Yeah. Look,
we covered him as a player. You know, he was
in Atlanta for a season. When I covered him, we
really really got to know him well and you know,
to see his growth as a coach. But he has
not been doing this for long. And to dial up

(02:30):
a thirty one and nine to Perol victory over the Kansas.
He chiefs some of the things they did creatively offensively
and really offensively down the stretch of the back half
of the season, goes to show his football acumen, his
ability to relate. But when you get this interview, just
his overall approach to dealing with adversity, to dealing with hype,
dealing with non hype, and how it translates to how

(02:53):
you lead is as oppressive as it gets against him.
I think I think you'd agree with this. He could
save some nice chunks of this interview and just present
them to NFL owners at the interview table next year
and say this is exactly what you're getting. And this
is why I'm not too absolutely you know with you
saying that, Steve, I'm like, you know what, let's get
to it. Let's just give it to the listeners, now

(03:23):
are you now? Were joined by our special guest, and
he uh, he's making no bones about what time it is.
He is rocking his Super Bowl champions hat. Here's Byron
Left with the champion o C for the fucking ears
Left Man. Thanks for joining us here on the Hudland Flow.
No problem, man, appreciate you guys having me left. How
are you feeling, man, I mean, the hat says it all.

(03:46):
How are you feeling at this moment? Yeah, we're feeling
good right now. We're feeling good right now. And obviously
it was a big game for us. We found a
way to win it. It's an exciting time here in Tampa.
The parade was the craziest thing I've seen, and I've
never seen parade like on the water like that, man,
with so many people, It's amazing. This city has been

(04:07):
good to us since we got here. We didn't have
no really not a lot of fans in the stands,
but to see all the fans standing around, I mean,
that was a unique special thing to even be a
part of. But just to see how long it went
the people, it was just good. It's just good for
the City's good that the energy here in the city.
So it's exciting time for us. How do you describe

(04:30):
that journey this year that the focus was on you
guys from the moment Tom said he was coming to
Tampa and it was just wild. Can you take us
behind the curtain and just describe what that journey was
like this year for you all. I remember when the
first day of training camp. I remember being with an
assistant coach and we're walking into you know, do our

(04:50):
COVID testing and and there's like five helicopters flying over time.
So yes, first day camp, first day we reported, and
right then I turned to him and said, Hey, this
is gonna be different than anything everybody has experienced. So
we gotta I gotta make sure that they understand what's
gonna happen weekend and week out, with every loss, with

(05:12):
every win, how it's gonna be. Will be the best
team in the world one week, and we'll be the
worst team in the world the next week. So I
knew right then and there when I saw that we'll
have an opportunity to be and have a kind of
strange year. From that, thing pointed different, you know, because
anytime you got Tom Brady on your team, it's different.
So it was it was everything you'd imagine. It was

(05:34):
just it was fun the whole way. Though. It was
fun the whole way from week one to week twenty.
I love the way our guys fought, were hung in
there and through tough situations and found the way through.
What's it like being with that with with with Michael
Jackson and the Jackson so to speak, where you guys
everywhere you win everything you did. You know, it was
like a pop stars almost, yeah, And we knew everybody would,

(05:58):
you know, because these types, you know, they try to
make these dream teams or whatever type of teams they
come up like every four or five years, right in
every different sports, right, so they feel as though a
bunch of guys get together. We didn't feel as though
we had a certain type of We just added Tom
Brady and and Grunt, so you know, additions. Yeah, But

(06:20):
at the same time, it was people that was already
here that adds to that. So we knew wee getting
we got we're getting everybody's best and we ain't even
done nothing yet, you know. So it was a matter
of making sure we come in and get to work in.
We need to get in to live up to our potential.
And guys came in and did what they had to do.
Work they tailed off to get to this point. And

(06:43):
I'm just so happy for everybody that was here before,
the Vantag's, the Donovan Smith's, the Cameron Braids, the guys
that have been Mike Evans, the guys that been here
that talented enough to play in these type of games.
Just never had the ability or uh chance to really
be a part of these type games. So to see

(07:04):
them when it's a special thing for me. When you
got the news of Tom Brady was was coming in?
What was your focusing? Okay, I'm coaching to go like
I'm coaching the goat or is It's like, Okay, this
is gonna be a little bit different than maybe coaching
a rookie or even a five year free agent vet.
I mean, I was excited because there was some it

(07:24):
was a relationship already there, so I knew me and
him would be good. I knew our relationship would be good.
It was more excitement to have that type of guy,
to be able to have the ability to coach. Uh,
it was no fear. It was like, man, what can
we possibly do? I just wanted to let's start talking
football so I can so we can combine our thought

(07:45):
patterns and become one. And because year in and year out,
the offense is what the quarterback is. So I just
wanted to build on our quarterback relationship as quick as possible,
with the understanding that you can't really un let's you know,
a guy you can't really put him in position or
you can't really call plays from and have consistent success.

(08:05):
So I knew I had to learn him. I had
to figure out what he likes, what he does well,
how how he sees things, how his body's going to
react in certain situations in the situational football standpoint. So
it was tough early because we didn't have no O,
T A S, no preseason to get all that done.
We had to do it all on the fly. But
we both put the work in and it worked out. Left,

(08:29):
what was that conversation like when he first got to Tampa,
was coming to your house and he got lost when
he finally showed up, How did that conversation begin in
terms of the process you're talking about, Well, it was
just really to just pass him over like really a playbook.

(08:49):
So it was not really like that. That conversation was
really it didn't last that long, maybe five minutes, you know,
because we had knew each other of that. But it's
just it was just really giving him a hard copy
of what so he can visualize it instead of me
trying to tell him to him looking at it on
the iPad. He's old school like me, so we still

(09:11):
like paper. We don't want everything on our phone. You know.
That was just that and just really just introducing ourselves
from the football standpoint. It's just from that point on,
it was just, hey, let's try to get get this
thing downpacked, like we needed to make sure we playing
our best football in December, because our whole goal was

(09:33):
to make sure we're playing good football in December. Knowing
that they would be bumps in the road and on
the way. Well, that box was checked but left. You know,
you know, you played the position you talked about learning Tom.
You had a relationship but just kind of learning him.
But you got ten other players on the offense, you know,
as starters and other people rotating in. What was it
like them learning him him learning them because some of

(09:56):
those guys might have been intimidated just because he is
Tom Brady or was he the guy who made them
all feel like, hey, at ease, it's all good. Let's
go ahead and get this going. May take some time.
Like you just said, Tomsy, Tom's a different type of
superstar that you know, the the unique guys that I've
been around, and special I mean Tom, I mean he

(10:18):
he communicates with everyone. You know, he has the ability
to communicate with everyone, so it was never a situation.
I mean, within the first day of camp, guys are
already joking with him in a way that you wouldn't
joke with a six time champ. Boy of the guy,
you know, give us an example, us like say called

(10:42):
him six times. It was the nicknames that he was.
You know, he was just one of the guys sitting
amongst the guys, and Covid made it so different. So
we were separate, but when we did get the opportunity
to get together, it was just it was just amazing
to see him amongst his teammates, offense, defense, special teams guys.

(11:04):
He's throwing the Scottie Miller, he's throwing the Mike Evans,
he's throwing the Seral, he's throwing the Mickens, He's throwing
the guys that people wouldn't normally throw to. And he's
you know, he's throwing the huts in the tight end.
So he he he loves the game of football so much.
He loves with football brains, he loves being around football people.
So to see him operating that type of environment is

(11:27):
a unique thing. But I mean, he's he's a unique guy.
He's special. Obviously he's a great football player, but the
human being and how he is with his teammates off
the field is special also. You know, luck you played
this position. Um to see a guy doing it at
forty three, at the level that he's doing it, could

(11:48):
you have ever ever imagined that a quarterback would be
doing it at that level that efficiently at forty three
years old in the NFL. Hell No, Like, you know,
it was possible, right, Like, Like you watch the tape
of him, and I knew his arm was still alive.
You know, you could tell him, man, he still got

(12:09):
a live on so you knew his arm was live.
But then you get around it and you're like, look
at that ball. It's it's the type of ball that
he through. It's a friendly ball, it's a penetrating ball.
So it was unique to see him to be able
to do all these things still. Hell, I just turned
forty one, and I tried to you know, and to

(12:29):
see him. I'm like, man, just to see how he's
able to still do things that young guys could do. Then,
you you know, I started talking to him conversating about it.
He started this process twenty years ago. You know, eighteen
seventeen years ago, and it's a testament of hard work,
of having an understanding, of having an end goal in mind.

(12:50):
And you see all the sacrifices he had to make
along the way to be able to, you know, play
this long. So, I mean, it's amazing to see him
do it, but it's amaz eason to see the commitment
that it takes to make sure you're capable of plan
is long. That's the thing we heard from Steph Curry
last week. He talked about greatness and the sacrifices that

(13:11):
are made. And I don't think we on the outside
really understand when you're talking about that level of player
what all it is that they sacrifice to do what
they do. So it's great to hear you say that
because I I don't know that I have that type
of discipline, you know, to be able to set everything
else aside and stay on the straight and narrow path

(13:32):
to get to where I want to go. It's it's
it's really amazing. It's the consistency that always jumps in
the way. Right. The real profecial guys do it seven
days a week for three weeks, right, yes, So to
be around those type of guys. This is unique with
guys can get in that mental space and get things done,

(13:54):
and anything he's committed to, he fully commits to it.
And it's it's it's unique to see on the day
and day out basis well Byron. I mean you you
can just see the people around him, like you know,
his family knows him well. Because before the super Bowl
he was like, you all have got to skidaddle for
a couple of weeks while I'm preperent. They were like, cool,
we want to see you go ahead and get another ring.

(14:16):
I think we all kind of getting that mode when
it's about the super Bowl. I think everybody kind of
goes into it just because it's just such a hard
thing to do. I mean, man, it's so hard to
get this thing accomplished. There's so many obstacles that come
along the way, it's so many people involved in it.
So it's it's it's a tough thing to accomplish, man,

(14:38):
And when you accomplish it, it's a it's a great feeling.
And obviously he's done it seven times, he's had the
opportunity to do it ten times. That's just crazy. That's
that same, that's same, and that's something that I don't
think we'll ever see, you know, I just don't know
if we'll see that. Just the way that football is now,

(14:58):
I don't know if guys are being the same place
twenty years anymore, you know, be able to play being
a twenty first year playing at a high level. Uh.
I hope so, because I love the position, I love
the play of the position. We all like to see
good quarterback play. So I hope there's guys that seeing this,
and it will be guys this watching Tom Brady right

(15:19):
now that's gonna come behind him and try their best
to get eleven. But that's what's that's what's great about
our sport. That's what's great about competition. You know, once
one guy success, motivate the next group of younger guys,
and hopefully we'll see that. I want to jump off
right here because you said you love the position and
this sor I want to get to you at the

(15:40):
coach because a lot of people who were former quarterbacks
coach the position through their eyes. Right you seem to
have adjusted or come to a meeting of the mind
with Tom or your quarterback group to coach it through
their eyes. How was that process to kind of really
come together and collaborate. That's what the best type of

(16:01):
thing was for this particular system, in this particular quarterback. Well,
well that was always the process because, like you said,
I played and then I've been in situations where there
wasn't the case, you know, so you know we're gonna
get to that. Yeah. So as a coach, my whole
mindset it's all about the quarterback. You know, It's about
the quarterback all the time. So you do with the quarterback,

(16:24):
do best. The tough part that was for me and
Tom and I never think we I never I really
don't believe we ever struggled throughout the year. I think
we had bad moments within games, we had bad plays
within games, but we would listening we were six and two,
seven and two, and people were at scoring thirty points
and people saying something's not right because we lost the

(16:45):
good football team. So I don't think we've ever really struggled.
I just think we had to learn. It was always
about that. From the beginning of training camp. We're gonna
do it was all about Tom. But we needed that
experimental period it and we only got it within games
because it was brand new. We just got together. Our

(17:05):
first game was first opportunity we had the showcase was
the New Holland Saints. You know, week one. You don't
want to be trying to figure things out, you know,
against that caliber football team. So we had bumpy patches
throughout the year because of things like that. I think
halfway through the year we got a good understanding. Once

(17:25):
I got a good understanding of Tom, I knew, I
kind of know everything of how he'll react. It's really
about reactions, right, because what you do on paper and
what your body reacts to is two different things. So
once I got the understanding of where he'll go with
the ball and how he'll see certain players really in
certain spots, because it's not really about you know, the

(17:47):
concept is who we got in that concept and why
we got him there as opposed to being over somewhere else.
So it was just all that communication had to happen,
and we hit a little few bumps in the road
there during the year. But then for the most part,
I think we you know, he did an excellent job, man,
I mean, he had a heck of a year. He
did an excellent job of putting us in position to

(18:09):
win football games. Weekend and week out. Yeah, but left
you did an excellent job too, because I always say
with players like Tom, the great ones, there's an ego involved,
whether anyone admits it or not. And I'll never forget
even on I think our show Larry Fitzgerald talking about
there's almost a selfishness when you're a great player, because

(18:30):
you know what it takes to to get it done
at a certain level, and sometimes you have to sacrifice
certain things. So I don't want you to to minimize
your role in this and the success at this offense
and this team had um. But going back, what I'd
like to do for a minute is let people know
your journey, why this is so important or why this
is so special to you coming out of d C.

(18:53):
You know, a kid um Danna Woodson High School and whatnot.
Tell me how what you dreamed about as a kid
playing this game, what you envisioned for yourself, and why
a moment like this becomes so special for you. I
mean I dreamed of this, right I'm I mean, I'm
a Southeast DC kid, you know, growing up in the
in the city, having dreams of playing for the Washington team,

(19:16):
having dreams of I mean just I was just a
football fanatic, just everything football, football, and obviously I had
dreams of, you know, playing at the highest level, playing
in the National Football League. But you know, your everyday life,
you know, you open your eyes and you realize, man,
that's so far from where I'm at. You know, that's

(19:37):
so far from where I'm at. So you just start
on your journey and just with belief and commitment that
I'm gonna try everything possible to get there. And then
having an opportunity to get there and make it, get
drafted in the first round. Uh, exciting feeling. I can't
even explain the feeling of, you know, of that achievement

(19:58):
and then retiring, still being around the game of football,
becoming a coach and still having that same feeling almost
that you have as a player. It's a unique thing,
but now you just have a different mindset, like you
know I was as a coach. I've already had my time.
I played in this league. It's not about me right now,
to be honest with you, That's how I really view
this is my job put these men, these young men

(20:21):
in position to play their best football because I want
to see them. I want to give guys opportunities. I
want to see guys that nobody know of get an
opportunity and become a great football players, become you know,
just being able to take care of their families. However,
whatever comes out of it, whatever skill set, whatever, as

(20:42):
as good as they can be possibly. I want to
see that happen for the players. So that's mainly why
I'm in it. I'm in it they're really being in
this league and understanding how it can be something. I
want to just put guys in position to be the
best selves week in and week out so they can
do all of the above of taking and their family,
achieving their goals in this lead that we play in,

(21:04):
and doing the things at the best of their ability.
So that's that's how I view a really weekend and
week out. But what's interesting left is that you didn't
want to get into coaching. You had no desire at
the time that you retired. I know BA had mentioned
it to you, But why did you not think that
was your career path after after football? Because I didn't
really you know, I didn't really give no thought until

(21:25):
what coaching was about, you know what I mean, or
what or the opportunities daring coaching. I think more It
was more about as a player. You see yourself as
a player, you know, you never really see you I
never saw myself as a coach, But when I look
back on it my last half of my career, that's
that's really what I was doing, you know, that's really
what I was doing to the young Dee Man. You

(21:46):
were saying this to the young an Tonio Brown's to
the having to be a different set of eyes and
is for Ben Roethlisberger. So it was it was kind
of what I was doing really as a backup quarterback
because you see everything. You see things more than sometimes
the style is so focused on getting the job and

(22:07):
you'll see things that he's not probably seeing, but just
because you're not in that mindset, so you're able to
help more, baby to reach out more, able to able
to get people in position more for the starting quarterback,
so they can have a you understanding of how he's
gonna react to certain concepts. Mhm or not. You're coaching
though from your playing career, I mean, what types of

(22:28):
things have you you taken you know, from Tomlin, you
know from Raheem, from Bruce, from from all the guys
that you played with that's now kind of helping shape
you as a coach. Well, the best thing about you
know those guys you talk about be a Mike Tomlin
right like they're gonna shoot you straight right, So you

(22:50):
don't have to just be honest. Just be honest and
being a guy that has been in the locker room before.
That's all I've ever wanted, that's all we ever want.
Just be honest with me and do with everything possible
you can to help me as a player. That's all
they care about. And if they feel as though you'll
do those things for them, hell man, they'll do whatever
and they'll knock down the wall for you. But in reality,

(23:12):
you're really just doing it for them so they can
be at their best. So good football players only wanted
to just good information to help them play their best.
And that's what that's what I try to do. And
that's what I learned really from those guys, and just
being the leader of men and having an opportunity to
shoot scrape with guys, which is easy for me. That's
easy for me, and just try to help them as

(23:35):
much as possible. But I learned from some guys to
Mike Thomlins bas obviously you know those are two, you know,
big guys to learn from, two main guys that you
can learn a lot from. Left, that's an important character
trade for a head coach. I'm just wondering what else
does it take, because obviously you're gonna be in that
pipeline now for guys who are going to get opportunities

(23:57):
to interview before a head coaching job. What are the
fags of qualities do you feel important for someone to
be a successful head coach? Besides just honesty? Well, I mean,
I think ultimately you gotta be a leader of men.
You gotta be a leader of men. You gotta have
the ability to communicate with a lot of different type
of people because football players come from everywhere. Now, I

(24:19):
talked about it all the time. I remember when I
first got in this league, it was it felt as
if it was very few guys in the league from
where I was from. Right. It just felt that way
when I was in the league, oh three oh four,
when I first got in the league. Now it feels
though I I know these kids. I feel like I
grew up with a lot of you know, so it's like,

(24:42):
you know, it's it's it's more diverse, especially in the
locker rooms, and you know, you gotta be able to
communicate with all people. All people. You gotta have the
ability to communicate. You gotta have the ability to have
awareness and understand of what you're talking about, because they're
going to be the first people to call your bluff
if you're bluffing. So just just be honest with the guys,

(25:05):
and that's all they normally take. Just give them good
football advice, give them good football knowledge to help them
play the best, and be a leader of men and
try to help these guys to the best of your ability.
That's really all you can do as a coach, right
Help these men be better football players, help these men
be better human beings. That's your responsibility as a coach.

(25:26):
You were asked about during Super Bowl because the whole
topic about coaching diversity to lack of diversity. Head coaching
hires Eric Bienimy doc for the Chiefs, just like, look,
I want to be a head coach, but I don't
want I didn't get into this to be the example
of the diversity hiring of the NFL. Well, you're you're
gonna be that guy next year. You you know, you
and Eric are gonna be there next year. I mean,

(25:48):
you're gonna know, going to next season, people can like
fire Left, which is gonna be on the shortlist, right,
So how are you transitioning into that kind of because
you know, be as I'm pissed a Byron didn't get
an interview, I mean, how are you kind of thinking
more globally now? Like, Okay, people are gonna be talking
about me. They're gonna talk about me in the context

(26:08):
of the diversity or lack there of head coaching issue
while I'm also trying to do my job. Thats what
the tough part for me is that I'm new to
the process, right, so I haven't really even been through
the process yet to say, you know, to know what
it's like, because like you said, I haven't been interviewed,
but there's a history, and I hear the people before me,
and I hear them talk, and now that I get

(26:30):
asked the question, I try to answer it to the
best of my ability with the understanding that I've never
been through the process of myself. But with that being said,
I understand the responsibility that comes with that. It's nothing
you can we can't answer questions that it's tough to ask,
like I've had to said last week, we're the guys

(26:52):
that's trying to be interviewed for the job. We can't
answer the questions that's being asked of us. That's like,
we can't ask that because it's it's not for us
to answer. We can ask questions that we can't answer.
All all people really want is an opinion of what
we think of the process. And that's really irrelevant, right,

(27:15):
It's really irrelevant when you think of it. Uh. I
just I hear Eb. I heard Eb had to answer
that question. I hear myself have to answer that question.
It's a tough question to answer because that question shouldn't
be headed towards us as the guys that's trying to
be interviewed for the jobs, because like you heard he be,

(27:36):
he don't have no answer. He's not trying to be
to post the boy for this. Uh. He's a good
football coach. There's a lot of good African American football court.
It's just a lot of good coaches in general. That
I mean, it's it's tough to answer those questions sometimes
because you have no idea, especially we being young, not
going through the process. But we can't speak for other people. Yeah,

(27:58):
you know, it's like Tony Dungee always says, you can
and legislative morality, and look, you guys, you guys. And
I've always said this left so you don't have to
speak on it, but I always say, just put up resume,
blind resumes, no names on it, anything, and just put
up what men have done. And then when you do that,
if you can tell me that a Nick Sirianni or

(28:19):
Dan Campbell or even a Brandon Staley deserved this opportunity
more than some others when you look at their resume,
I'll shut up. But you can't objectively look at those
blind resumes and say that. That's that's my point, and
that's why I say to people, until we get to
that point where we can see objectively, you all say

(28:40):
you want the best, the most qualified person, until we
see objectively that those are the people being hired. UM.
I think Steve and I and others are gonna keep
preaching on this that about this process not being fair, um,
not being representative. And the worst part for me is
that it's bad for football because you're not getting the
best people in place, and the message is being sent

(29:02):
us wrong. So I respect what you said I know
when I talked to you last week and he said,
we can't answer this question because you know, we don't
have the answer to it, you know, and you don't.
The answer lies with the owners and until they correct
their behavior. Um, this is going to continue and unfortunately
you and Eric and others will continue to be asked

(29:23):
this question. Alright, I'm off myself, I'm off my soun Well, look,
my part was on the media as well, which leads
me to this. Yes, it is though, it is really
it is. It is which leads me to this because
one of the I mean, it's gonna be a lasting

(29:44):
moment by right, and you were just a totally unintended
victim of this what some dude is asking you. How
you guys were defending Patrick Mahomes. Oh my god, man, well,
I mean how did you even positive because you were
just like you got me mistaken with Todd before that

(30:05):
question they called him Brian. Yeah, yeah, he had the
body you know, go ahead, man, I'm sorry, Hey man,
all I know, I was just leaving the locker room
where he had just can't well, you know, we were
celebrating in the locker room, and I almost forgot that
I had to do the interviews, and you know, so

(30:27):
it was. It was an exciting time for us. So
nothing really wasn't still in that moment away. But I
almost just want to answer because me and Tom talked
to me, I think before somebody asked him that and
thought I was him, So I was, we're just gonna
start answering the question for each other. We just go answer.
I think we know each other well enough to answer

(30:47):
the questions now for each other. But left. What I said,
half jokingly is they ought to used that clip in
any interview you do for a head coaching job, just
to say, look how poised he was. Man, send that question.
It's true because me, I don't know. I might have
just said, look, bro, I know we all look alike,
but come on now, and it ain't that hard to

(31:09):
figure out, you know. Like I told you, I wasn't
even in that man, I was in such a good manset,
you know. I mean nothing but taking that moment away
from us, just leaving the locker room with the Fellers,
leaving the locker room with the guys. It was such
a good moment, man. It is what it is, right,
So it's just hey, move on, I feel you handled

(31:32):
it well. Hey, Brian Todd, I'm sorry some stuff about
the game a little bit, because I mean when we
saw you guys do offensively, which is so surgical and
so efficient. You know, Tom was a m v P.
But you only had two on one yards throwing the
ball a lot because your defense put you guys in

(31:53):
great positions. But what did you guys change up from
the first time you played? But I mean not even that,
because the back half of the season we saw your
offensive line Malling wondered for that really step up in
the run game, and that showed itself big time in
the Super Bowl. Man, we we felt as though we
played seven really good quarters against them guys. I think,

(32:15):
uh them guys jumped out in the first quarter. As
an offense, we didn't convert third downs. We had two
early third downs that we went three and out of
three and out, and we had convertible third downs that
we just didn't make. So even though we lost that game,
I think me personally, because of those two early first downs,
it was time. It was ability for us to go
into the lab and teach off those moments. You know,

(32:37):
we got an opportunity that that following week to show
how important situational football is, uh, because I think the
last three quarters of that game we played well, you know,
so we were it's but to win football games versus
good football teams, it takes for the full quarters, a
good execution, play in and play out, and we had

(32:58):
a lot of those moments happened to us throughout the
year versus good football team. So you know, we played
the Rams, we lost the Coach game. We just ain't
playing well enough in situation football. We had to use
that opportunity to learn the same thing with the Chiefs. Uh.
We lost to the Saints twice. We had an opportunities.
Are good football teams that anybody can lose to. But

(33:18):
at the same time, if you don't play your best,
especially in situational football, you you can lose these games.
So it was good for us to see that and
to understand how we're going to have to play when
it's good on good football to ultimately get to our
main goal. You know. Left Um, I wanted to ask
you what the moment meant for be a because prior

(33:40):
to the game and talking to folks who were close
to him, including the author of his book, and he
was saying Lars Anderson was telling me that during Bruce's
final two seasons in Arizona, he would say him, the
one thing I haven't done is a head coach. That
I really need is to win the Super Bowl as
a coach. And then even when he got out of

(34:01):
the game, when he was broadcasting, he would say the
large there's still a hole on my resume, if not
in my heart, that I need to coach a team
to a super Bowl, win a super Bowl. You've been
around him during that time, So what did that moment
mean for him to finally be able to accomplish that.
I mean, it was specially right. He's realty much achieved

(34:22):
everything else. He's one Super Bowls as coordinators, he's one
Coach of the Year. The only thing he didn't really
have was a Super Bowl as a head coach. So
you know, when you get to this game, you know,
the thought is being in Pittsburgh having ability to win one,
and then we lost one. Also, you cannot lose that game.
You get that far, you gotta find a way to

(34:42):
finish it. And you know, our whole mindset, we all
knew it as a staff, we knew it as players
that you know we're gonna try to We're gonna try
to do what we gotta do to win this. And
what it would mean for b A, uh, just the
person he is, the human being, is the opportunity that
he's given not just two coaches, but two players. Really,

(35:02):
you know, around the league, just to have this type
of guy that you are able to work for a
weekend and week out, day in and day that it
allows me to be easy to come to work every day.
So for this, for BA to win it, there was
no way, you know, just from the throwd. Player was
no I say this knowing that we had a good opponent,
but it was no way we was We was we

(35:24):
could lose this football game. We had to do everything
possible to find a way to win this football game.
Just so proud of the staff, so proud of the
players of what we was able to accomplish. You know,
one thing about b A, we all know he coaches
you hard and it doesn't matter if on the roster,
if you're Tom Brady and not everyone can accept that.

(35:44):
So what was that like with the relationship between BA
and time early establishing that foundation. I'm gonna coach you hard,
We're gonna coach you hard and and waiting to see
maybe how he responded to it. Well, that was part
of the five helicopter you know, you know, like every
little word was gonna be taking. They were never in

(36:05):
the bad spot like you know, like from my view,
they were never in the bad spot. But that that's
what happens, right, That's what happens when you know you
you're a team where you people feel as though you
got a lot of great players weekend and week out.
You you've seen the weekend and week out. The conversation
was really about what we did good or bad, you know,

(36:25):
and it was able to carry a story for at
least a month. You know, I would I would hear
stuff on TV. I hear people say stuff on TV.
I'm like, man, they're just making stuff up. You know this,
and I know they're completely just making it up. And
so I'm right there that happen. They'll get on TV
and said exactly what happened, and that stuff has never happened.

(36:48):
So but that's part of being involved with the type
of team that we're involved in, so that we just
threw all that in the you know, we learned from
that also because I think it was good for our
team because our team. It was new to our team too.
Like you said, most of our guys never made the playoffs,
let alone been a part of Monday morning quarterbacks, weekend

(37:08):
and week out, right, So you know what guys telling
us what's best for our team weekend and week out.
So it was it was just part of it. It
comes with the turn toy. It's not stopping either. It
will come up next year, it'll be it'll just be
that way. Something happened and somebody else, you know, taking
out of context, and then it is what it is.

(37:29):
But that's part of being a part of winning football
team has been a part of the winning organization. These
things kind of come with it. We'll accept it, we'll
deal with it, and we'll just keep working through it. Look,
you got that calm demeanor when it comes to that stuff.
Where does that come from? That poison? That calm? And
they sort of in the yild of the storm, if
you will. I mean most of the time people just talking, right,

(37:51):
you know, most of the time people talking. You know,
you listen, just listen to sports as people just talking.
Real people don't really got no information. There's not really
no experts out there. We're just talking appreciate, appreciate, innovative.
You guys making a living of what they like to

(38:12):
do and what they talk about. We're all passionate about it.
So we all feel as though the way that we
see things of the right way or the way that
we know this over that person, or we should do that,
so they should do that. Yeah. Alone, we're around these
guys every day. It's crazy how it's It's crazy some
of the conversation. But that's come with being on good
football teams. I've been on bad football teams with that

(38:34):
type of stuff never comes up. So that's just probat
of being evolved in a good program, good football and
having the players that we have, the high five star
caliber guys that we have. That comes with the turn
to it. How much as your playing careers, somebe think
you with you and your playing career kind of embolden

(38:55):
you to what you're just talking about is to where
the stuff people right, or the or the criticism of
the other people calling in the sports radio talks shows
bounces off you. Because I remember Jacksonville, it was like
you had fans who loved you and fans who were
like bringing the next guy and you were winning ball
game to the playoffs, right, but so so, how much
going through that as a player at that position, as

(39:18):
a forward seven number seven overall draft pick kind of
hardened you or just made you say, you know what,
that that stuff is nonsense. We're we're good. Don't worry
about that in our locker room. I think it just
allowed me to understand it, you know, it allowed me
to understand it. I remember getting drafted, being the leader
of the franchise, and then two and a half years later,

(39:38):
you know, even though we were twelve and four, it
wasn't enough, you know. So I get that. I understand that.
I've been one of those guys that as a quarterback,
I've been through the ringer. They put me in the blender,
they hit high speed, and I've made my way through it,
you know what I mean, just because I learned. I
learned the lot doing that problem says, it's just part

(40:00):
of being quarterback in this league. If you don't stay healthy,
you don't win enough football games or when they the
right football games, this comes with it. So with that understanding,
that's why I try to approach the players and make
sure I have that in mind. With the awareness to
try to be the exact opposite of that, you know,
try to be the exact opposite of that, Try to

(40:23):
truly help the player become a better football player, as
opposed to, you know, just saying I'm coaching them and
not helping them. It's not coaching if you're telling someone
to do something and they're not getting the job done,
or you're not helping them get the job done. You're
just telling somebody how to do something. You know, Coaching

(40:43):
is being able to teach him put him in position
to be able to do the things that you're trying
to tell him to do so he can have success.
Uh So I just viewed that's the way I really
view that, and that that's the way I'd approached you know,
coaching and teaching you left when you came and you
grew up watching Doug Williams, you know, and then you

(41:04):
you come in the league. You want to excuse me,
one of the few black quarterbacks drafted in the first round.
And now we see it all the time. And I
know on the pod, like week two or week three,
we had Doug Williams on and he said, do you
guys realize we got like four games five games where
the starting quarterbacks on each team are black and nobody's

(41:24):
really talking about it. I wonder from your standpoint, do
you think we've reached that point where race is no
longer um part of the evaluation process, if you will,
or a factor in the evaluation of a quarterback. Uh,
probably not right, the fact that we're still talking about it,
and probably Matt right, because uh, our league is just

(41:48):
just really a you know, our society is more it
is what it is throughout the world, right, So it's
it's an American thing, it's or whatever thing have you
want to see it. But we're really here. The NFL
is not gonna be no different than the rest of
the world. So I don't think that I still think

(42:08):
it's involved that anytime we gotta say the fact that
we're still saying African American quarterbacks and we're still like
you just said that, we have to have that conversation,
says uh, it kind of answers the question for us, right,
It kind of answered the question for us because like
I hear, like people say, well, Mike Tomlins is one
of the best black black coaches. To the fact that

(42:31):
we're saying that, right, just think of that. That's the
fact that we're having that conversation saying and in that way,
I think Mike Tomas is one of the best coaches
in this league. Let me know what color he is.
So it's just something that, you know, if we're still
talking like that, obviously it's uh in the backup people
minds somewhere for us to be having this conversation. Yeah.

(42:53):
You know the reason I said too, because folks are saying,
prior to the Super Bowl, look, um, the last two
league MVPs were black quarterbacks. The last um, Um Super
Bowl MVP was a black quarterback. We've had number one
picks overall who were black quarterbacks, whether it's Kylin Murray,
Jameis Winston, Cam Newton, you know, continued down that line

(43:14):
and whatnot. So I will get people say to me,
why do you bring that up? It's no longer an issue,
And then I say, well, wasn't it just three years ago?
We had Bill Polly in one of the respect most
respective voices in the game saying that Lamar Jackson needed
to switch positions coming out of college. So have we
really advanced past that? We was? We just can't mistake

(43:34):
movement for progress. Sometimes that's uh, movement in progress is
two different things sometimes, so sometimes I think we kind
of could buy those together that we just went to. Yeah,
that that is how it was. That that is how
that is how you know that that that's really meaningful,
you know, especially because you have and I and that's

(43:55):
you're the conversation with the diversion hiring issue with owners
and things like out of mean we should we should
send them all a Plaquard movement doesn't necessarily translate to progress.
I'm gonna take a hard left here, left because we
have a little fun because you and I. Oh no
you're not. Because you and I have been in locker
rooms together. Part of your playing career was in Atlanta

(44:18):
and this was the craziest year both of our lives. Okay, So,
so Byron was a free agent. I think you were
recovering from an injury, right, That's how come you hadn't
been signed yet? Or were you actually? Uh you remember
I got cut right before the day before the season opener.
That was it? Yeah, that was okay. But this is

(44:44):
in the Falcons O seven. Bobby Petrino's the head coach.
The whole Michael Vick is gone because of the dog
fighting stuff. Joey Harrington is a quarterback who drove I
mean crazy, right. So they signed Byron like it was
about week three, week four or something like that, and
you deal with a team like a week and it

(45:05):
was like a seven to six game at Tennessee and
Bobby puts you in and it was like okay, Byron's
and you've been there learning to playbook for like a week,
and a couple weeks later you could hurt with with
another ankle injury, and then Bobby of course quits. You know,
twelve games man. Bro, that was like the illest the

(45:30):
whole scenario it could possibly be. And just as a
player in that locker room, because you knew there were
studs in that locker lawyer Malloyd John Abraham worked one.
You had great players in that lock What they had
to go through. What was it like dealing with that environment, Bro,
I mean it was different. I'll say that. I would

(45:52):
say it was different. Um, it was just unique to
that situation. Like I mean, I don't think we've ever like,
I don't know, it was just unique. It was a
learning experience for me really as a player. That's how
I really look at few things like that. It was
just different. It was it was just it was different.

(46:16):
But I mean it was different for anybody that's been
through that. It was different for you that was involved
in it. So it's just different a situation as you
know this league probably seen. But it is what it is.
Nothing really shocking, no more. It's just it is what
it is. That I try to look at those moments
that you know you have throughout your just your life

(46:37):
and try to lose and use them as learning moments
and just things that helped me get better, things that
that made me a better football player, that made me
a better human being. Really just gone through that sein
the pain of all the players because there was so
much stuff going on, you know what I mean that
that was really irrelevant to football. So I mean it

(46:59):
was what it was was. Um, it's just something I
put in my memory bank and just tell my son
about what about the staff on that team. I mean,
because of all the crazies, I think people realize how
great that coaching staff was. Yeah, it was them was there.
You had Hugh Man, Harry Washingburg, Emma Thomas. So yeah,

(47:26):
some good coaches, good coaches on that good on that staff.
There so they probably could speak more about it, you know,
me being a player, they probably could speak more about
it from a coach standpoint, But it was different as
a player. I just something we've never experienced before. Wait,
what I want to hear about is in being cut
the day before training camp? Is that that elicted from him?

(47:49):
Like that's something? Now, I want to hear that story.
It ain't nothing there. I just got cut the day
before the season started in Jacksonville. So well wait, wait, laugh,
come on, now, how many guys get cut the day
before the season starts. Well, to somebody, it happened to
the guy that happened to day to Two years later,

(48:12):
I think, yeah, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa? Did it really? Yeah?
I think he got cut the day before the something
like that, the day before the two days before the
season started. I think I got cut two days before
the season started. Okay, you know where my mind is
starting to go right now? Right man, It's just part
of the process. It ain't nobody you are. You are

(48:35):
getting real as a player. Is the best thing ever
happened to me because what it did, it allowed me
once I got cut, right, it allowed me to go
and play in Pittsburgh. It really allowed me to be
involved with all my connections that I got an opportunity
to meet b A, got an opportunity to play for
Mike Tomlin and learned from him. Had an opportunity to

(48:58):
go around great football players, a young Antonio Brown, a
younger Manuel Sanders, Ben Rosselisberger was the quarterback. I'm in
the room with him every day, having an opportunity to
learn from him, just a game of football, being around
like Heath Miller's being around, like our defense, Larry Foot,
James Ferry, and Troy Polamalu, just I Tellor, just Hamp

(49:23):
Just being around those type of guys. Just it was
good for me at that time, just because I learned
so much from that organization and maybe I never get there,
and maybe I never get to, you know, to see
those things without having an opportunity to go to Pittsburgh.
So that ultimately gave me then opportunity to go to
Pittsburgh to see all the things that I saw in

(49:43):
my second half of my career, to build the relationships
that I built. Uh, my guys in Jacksonville, I still love.
I'm still friends with a bunch of those guys. I mean,
I'll be friends with those guys in Jayville for the
rest of my life. You know, we built some of
there that the lands forever. So uh, you know that's
how I really view it, if you really view as

(50:03):
me getting cut as a player, like I tell you,
once you get cut as a player, everything else you
can deal with once you get cut as a player.
That's why I approached the cutting process the way that
I do, because people don't understand what that's really like.
You know what that's really like. It So once I
got cut as a player, everything else was a plus

(50:24):
from that that point on. What do you mean you
approach it the way that you do? Do you mean
with a player when a player is being cut? Yeah, Like,
as being the coach, I understand what this means to
be cut. For someone to tell you that, hey man, unfortunately,
it's not gonna work out. Because what I try to
tell people, don't let me, don't let no other coach,
don't let no other person affect your relationship with the

(50:46):
game of football, because it's unique to you. It's unique
to that person. And it's a lot of people that
have gotten cut before moved on went to other places
and became Hall of Fame football players, So I try
to give them then said that don't let me, don't
let any coach just because it's not working out and
you're getting cut, tell you that you're not good enough

(51:07):
in this league because you are. It's just the way
that the process is. Those things happen, So I don't
want nobody affect. I always talk to these guys about
allowing people to affect their relationship that they have with
this game, because they the one sleeping the night, dreaming
and stuff. You know, they had the one day dreaming
when they're ten, eleven, twelve years old. That's their dreams.

(51:28):
So don't allow nobody else to get involved in that
at all. You just keep working and keep trying to
get to that point and keep trying to achieve those
goals that you want to achieve. Don't allow me or
any other person, the other coach, to get in the
way of that. You know, Steve, that there's another reason
why you know this man is gonna be a successful
head coach. Save that one for that clip for the

(51:50):
job interview A negative into a positive man. It's how
you live. You know. That's what I was starting and
now I'm starting on the two had not firing. Hey,
look before before we get you out of here, how
was the celebration party on the river bro Oh Man,

(52:12):
it's uh, it was special. It was special. I've never
seen nothing like that. I've been a part of parade.
I remember been in Pittsburgh being on the parade and
we're going up and down the street and you're saying, people,
but man, we were on the water. It's eighty degrees
like and man, it was man, just to see the energy,

(52:33):
just to see the energy out there, I'm quite sure
you guys are saw it. That's a unique thing. I've
never seen the parade. That's that has to be the
number one parade ever. It was like it was the
best Super Bowl parade time. Yeah. Yeah, it was just

(52:55):
good to see how guys in that situation. Man, it
was good to see that. It was good to see
the them celebrating the way that they celebrated, because like,
this is a hard practicing team. This is a hard
working team. This team puts in work day in and
day out. We never have to say sick them. We
we got most of the time we gotta say whoa, whoa, whoa,

(53:15):
whoa whoa. We never have to tell this group of
men to sick them so you know, they they they
have the right mindset, they have the right energy about
the game. We as coaches just trying to keep putting
them in position so they can have as much success
as possible. Left. Man, No, this has been This has
been tremendous. So I can't wait for you to sit

(53:37):
down in front of owners and and they get a
feel for who you are and what you're about. Because
I have no doubt based on your experiences, you're accummending
your intelligence all of that, you're gonna be a successful
head coach. Man. So, Steve, and I appreciate you coming
on the show like this, you know, a few days
after the super Bowl, because it would have been real
easy for you to say, you know what, Jim, you

(54:00):
know after that, after that both parade, I'm good. That's
why I That's why I had to I had to
see you on Thursday. Yeah you're hmm, I'm on a
par forward. I'm a whole No, exactly. Man. We appreciate you.

(54:22):
So now, thanks guys for having me on. Man, appreciate
you guys in the work that you've done. Steve. We
told our listeners this this is a special man, and
I think having listened to that interview, that can understand

(54:44):
why now so calm, so reasoned, knows the game from
a player's standpoint, from a coaching standpoint, and more than anything,
I think Byron left which is a leader, and I
think that's one of the reasons he's going to be
successful going forward. So much love and appreciation to him
from coming on a few days after the Super Bowl
and the day after that parade where we saw it

(55:05):
took its toll on a few of the bucks, but
Byron was able to handle it. Hey, hey, look, and
you know, and much props to him because he was
in that locker room with the falconsin oh seven, which
was absolutely I mean with the craziest experiences you could
ever have. I couldn't imagine being a player with that
Falcon team, and just the way he kind of handled
his answer and everything else. Again, he's Byron is a

(55:28):
real one. He is a Southeast DC cat, and for
those who don't know, south East d C is as
real as it gets. And so there's no way coming
from there there could be any bs about him and
the fact that he's gotten to where he's gotten and
has he outlooked that he has is a testament. You

(55:49):
talk about character, you talk about grown man, you talk
about someone using all of his experiences as a springboard
instead of, as you know, just say, hey, this is
what I did. He's like, no, this is what I'm
going to build on. Is just as impressive and as
solid as it gets. And so Byron left, which is
a real one. And Jimmy just turned forty one, but

(56:11):
he's two years younger. Crazy man, it's crazy, but you know,
but he's lived He's lived a life. He's lived a lot,
as you said, coming from Southeast d C where you
know he had dreams and aspirations and watching Doug Williams
and getting a chance to play in college and then
going on in the NFL. He has experienced a lot.

(56:32):
And I think all of those life experiences are what
help or what will help him again be a successful
head coach, because at the end of the day, Stevens,
a head coach, you've got to be able to connect
with your players, you know, and and and you have
to get them to a point where they see that
you can help them be successful and achieve all the
goals whatever it is they may they may be whether

(56:52):
it's football, whether it's life, whether it's financial, and he
gets all that and it comes through in that interview.
So again I'm looking forward to the cycle next year
and when he finally gets a chance to sit down
in front of owners, because if they try and tell
me that this guy isn't head coaching material, um, Aca
fly Bro, No, not at all, mistake. They're a mistake.

(57:16):
And Jim, before we get out of here, we have
to take another moment to acknowledge some heartbreak in our
industry and in our brotherhood. Um. You know, look, we've
had some tremendous losses lately, say Who Smith, Chris Wesley,
Marty McNeil, um Pedro Gomez, And we just lost another
brother in our industry, Gym one of your Hall of

(57:38):
Fame selectors, Uh Terress Paylor who worked for Yah Who's
born who is based in Kansas City. Terrest was thirty
seven years old and he died in his sleep. It
is heartbreaking. UM, I'm sure I'm gonna shed some more
tears over this one. And you know, look, life is fragile,
So smell the roses. Smell the roses and just understand

(57:59):
that people mean a lot every day, no matter what
type of mood you're in, whatever terres love life. You know,
I've never had a conversation with him where he wasn't
talking about a fiancee evany they were, you know, gonna
get married at some point. And it's it's a tough one.
This is this is a a brutal and brutal of
a stretches. As you know, when you think about your
peers and people your age, GM and uh, Terres, you know,

(58:22):
we know you're looking down on its. We love you, bro.
Everyone who has left us we love you, and you
know we're here for you to continue your legacy. Yeah,
he's he was a special young man. The thing is
he was going to be a star. He was a star,
but he had not risen to the level that his
star was going to go. But he was on his way.
And um, I think if you really want to know

(58:44):
a lot about Terres as well, who was one of
our Howard brothers as well. UM read the column that
his co worker wrote on him, that Charles Robinson wrote, it's, um,
it's just amazing, it's touching. Um. It tells you a
lot about who Terres was and he will definitely be
miss Steve, no question, And you're right. This this last

(59:06):
week in particular has just been a gut punch when
you think about they're not just members of our industry,
their quality people, you know, every human beings. Yeah, and
that's what makes it so hard, particularly at a time
where the state that our country is in. So our
thoughts and our prayers are with their family and and um,

(59:26):
we love them and they're gonna be missed. Jim want
to take us home. Let's just do this one for
the spirit to rest well. Once again, we thank you
for listening to the podcast. We thank you for subscribing.
Please continue, leave us messages, let us know who you'd
like to hear from, what you'd like to hear about.

(59:48):
That way we can continue to give you more of
what you're funking for. That's right. You've been listening to
hud On Flow podcast. Brought you by into it Howdmakers
of Quick Books, Turbo Tax and Mint. I am Steve White,
my brother Jim Trotter, my brother Thomas Warren. Where the
Howard Mob. We love y'all until everyone you know that

(01:00:12):
you love. Because life is fragile, we are out