Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I don't know if Brandon Graham's a Hall of Fame player.
I do know this. You play fifteen years at his position,
and you do it, you're coming back from injury, and
you do it at such a high productive level. I
don't know if he was necessarily one of those guys
you ever thought was a standout. I think he was
in that conversation regularly in his prime as a top
(00:23):
ten pass rusher. I don't know if i'd necessarily push
him in the top five. But he's been a damn
good football player for a long time. And the thing
I loved most about him is not that he's from Detroit,
but I love the fact that he gave it everything
you had. He's a guy you would like to have
on your team. Here's the longest ten yured player in
(00:43):
Eagles history. I don't know if people know that. That's incredible.
He got two super Bowls, he won his last game,
and he said at his press conference the other day,
I gave it everything I had. I have no regrets.
He shouldn't have any regrets. Way he played, he played
two hundred and six regular season games. He's the only
(01:07):
player to play two hundred regular season games for Philadelphia.
He's also the only player to play fifteen seasons for
that team. He broke the tie with Chuck Begnerick for
the most postseason or most seasons played in an Eagles uniform,
and his two hundred and eighteen total games that's regular
(01:29):
season in playoffs are the most ever for a player
in the franchise's history. Some would argue you had the
biggest play in franchise history when he stripsacked Tom Brady
in the Super Bowl a few years back. He also
has more sacks in postseason history, the most by an
(01:53):
Eagle ever. And it made me think just a little
bit about the impact certain players have had from the
state of Michigan. Will he be considered one of the
best NFL players ever from the state? And then I
kept wondering who would be in that conversation right now?
(02:16):
First of all, he absolutely is, who would you consider
the best player? The best NFL player the state has
ever produced. Our phone number on the Meyer Hotline is
eight sixty six eight three, eight forty eight forty three.
You can always text US Sports Radio to twenty one thousand.
(02:38):
What names come to mind. Here's the interesting thing. I
think there's a couple of names in there that maybe
don't get very much attention because it's not a glamorous position,
and one might be actually a coach now that has
to be considered. There's also a couple who are too
(03:02):
old for you to even remember, but also one that
might surprise the hell out of you because he was
I don't know if he's considered the best safety of
all time, but I'll tell you this, he's got more
interceptions than anybody else all time. He's got more than
anybody else. There's a couple of guys who are still playing.
(03:28):
Who is it actually just one guy still playing? So
immediately my name goes or my mind goes to Jerome Bettis.
I know it was a feel good stories last game
as a Pittsburgh Steelers, last game in the NFL Super
Bowl in his hometown. It's storybook stuff. It's great. Detroit
McKenzie one of the best players of all time Rams Steelers.
(03:54):
I don't know how you view him as a RAM
or a Steeler, but he was pretty damn good. He's
a Hall of Fame player. I don't think he's going
to make anyone forget Barry Sanders or Walter Paydner. Eric
Dicker Center, Earl Campbell, but he was damn good Emmitt Smith,
all those great running backs. Antonio Gates. This is in
addition to Brandon Graham. I think I think Brandon Graham
(04:16):
is in the conversation. Where he ranks on your poll
is really up to you. I'm not sure about that,
but he's one of He's one of the best. It's
hard to argue that. Okay, I just gave you the
reason why. But Antonio Gates for sure is in that.
And you know his story right. He's from Detroit, played
for the San Diego Chargers, five time pro. He didn't
(04:38):
play in college. He was a basketball player, for crying
out loud, at Kent State.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
That's where my mind went first, by the way, just
because he was part of my childhood and he was
one of the best tight ends, if not the best,
in the lee for most of my childhood.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Greg Jennings has got to be in that conversation. He
went to Western Michigan. He's from Kalamazoo, so he stayed home,
went to calum went to Western Michigan and played for
the Green Bay Pack. Drafted in the second round. Good
for the mac right helped his team win a Super Bowl.
Greg Jennings is in that conversation. Jake Long is in
(05:14):
that conversation. He's from the Pier, played at Michigan, first
overall pick Miami Dolphins. Some say, oh boy, that's a
that's a bit of a that's a bit of a stretch.
That's Look, he had a nice career. He's not considered
the best player at his position all time, two time
(05:35):
conference only, two time All American, but was a steady player,
not just for the Dolphins, but as for the Rams
and the end of playing I think in Atlanta and Minnesota.
Joe Staley, Joe Staley was a very very good player
for a long period of time out of Central Michigan.
(05:57):
That's pretty cool. Love the love, the love the Mid
American Conference draft picks and he was a first round pick.
Andre Risen is definitely part of the conversation. Dude was
incredible from Flint, went to Michigan State. He was a
(06:17):
multi sports star in high school. Phenomenal player with the Colts,
the Falcons, I think really made his mark Cleveland Browns
as well. Played for Jacksonville, played for Green Bay, played
for Kansas City, played for the Raiders too. I think
that was it. Did did he play in Canada? Did
he end up playing in the CFL A little bit?
(06:39):
I thought he did. But anyway, really good player. Look,
this guy's eccentric, he's a little odd. It's a really
good coach. But he was a really good player. Jim Harbarugh.
But he's from Toledo, so I'm not going to put
him in there. He's not from the state of Michigan.
He went to Michigan, but he's not from the state
of Michigan. I'm not gonna put him in there. I
(07:02):
didn't know this, Craig Morton. It's amazing how many great
athletes came out of Flint, isn't it. I was talking.
I was talking when the teen cleaves about this at
Soaring Eagle Casino on the resort and their sports book
is send When we had the watch party for Michigan
and Michigan State at the end of the regular season,
and we immediately think Flintstones and I get it. It
(07:23):
was a great moniker and it was something that was
you know, we all thought it was, you know, let's
let's let's brag on that, and you should brag.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
On it helps to win a championship. Too.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
You know, I helps to win a championship. It helps
to have a lot of TV and a lot of
articles written about you, and so on and so forth.
Mentioned a lot about Saginaw during Draymond Green growing up
and all this other stuff. But Ian Craig Morton played
a long time in the National Football League and led
a team to a Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos played
(07:53):
a cow But he's from Flint, which quite honestly, I
didn't know. Carl Banks is from Flint. Carl Banks, He's
a bad man, really bad man. He was one of
the better linebackers of his generation and played for a
long time. He played from nineteen eighty four through nineteen
(08:13):
ninety five Giants Redskins. Browns don't remember his Cleveland brown Stint.
But he's from Flint. Michael Westbrook was a wide receiver
for the Washington Redskins, played at Colorado. He was on
the receiving end of that Cordel Stewart launch that beat
(08:35):
Michigan at the Big House and the final play of
the game. Also got in a big fight that was
well known there in Washington on the sidelines. Former mixed
martial artist anyway, he was a first round pick. But
he's from Detroit. You have to include Brayln Edwards. If
(08:59):
you don't, you're crazy. He's from Detroit, and he's unanimous
All American at the University of Michigan and one of
the better wide receivers during his stints in the National
Football League. He's a hell of a player. The guy
many people forget is a guy from Muskegan and his
(09:20):
name is Earl Morrale and he was in the NFL
for twenty one years. Also punted a little bit during
that time, but he was one of the considered one
of the greatest backup quarterbacks of all time. But when
Johnny Uniteds went down, Earl Morrell came in. When Bob
(09:42):
Greasy went down, Earl Morrell came in. So he's in
that conversation. Kirk Cousins is in that conversation. Yep, I
mean absolutely from Holland.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
The amount of money he's made, so I know that's
not relative that the time and stuff, but yeah, that
he is. He's put together a long career. Here is
my point.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, he's been around for a long time. Now here's
the problem with that. And I don't think it's a
huge problem because he went to high school. But he
wasn't born in Michigan, so you got to be careful there.
But he was born in Barrington, Illinois, I believe, But
he is. I consider him a Michigander.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, I think high school's a fair line to draw. Yeah,
he's spent at least four years in school and then
on top of that go to college in the state.
You're a Michigander, right.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
TJ. Lang from Ferndale, he's in the conversation. He's a
hell of a player for a long time with the
Packers and the Lions. But let me give you another
one that I'm not sure how many people remember him.
You don't because you're too young. But Paul Krauss is
the all time leader in interceptions. He holds the record
from the National Football League in interceptions in a career,
(10:53):
and it probably won't be beaten. He had twelve picks
as a rookie. Think about that for a second. We
were glorifying Kirby. Joseph oh Man shot in nine interceptions
and led the league and all this other stuff, and
he should be a first team all I said the
same thing. Yes, Paul Crouse said twelve as a rookie
(11:16):
and he's from Flint Speed Range. Outstanding player for the
Minnesota Vikings. Never won a championship. He got to a championship,
but he never won a world championship. And then there's others.
Jimmy Smith, a wide receiver for Dallas and Jacksonville. Yep,
(11:40):
he's from Detroit. Pepper Johnson, who played at Ohio State,
won a couple of Super Bowls with the Giants. He's
from Detroit. Pete Metzi Lars. Do you remember him as
a tight end? Yeah, Pete Metz Lars was a hell
of a player. He's from Three Rivers, played for Carolina,
(12:04):
played for the Lions, played sixteen years in the National
Football League. Really good player. And then there's a couple
of others. I mean, I didn't realize this again. Another
guy that Trent wouldn't remember even I barely remember him.
But Dick Anderson is from Midland. And Dick Anderson was
(12:26):
a former safety for Miami and played nine seasons sixties
and seventies. Played his college ball at Colorado, A consensus
All American. And Dicky Anderson I believe he was on
the Miami undefeated team. But he's from Midland. Michigan. If
(12:47):
people remember that and then you can go a little
bit deeper. I think you might be running out of
certain things, but you know, if you wanted to go.
Certain players like Joe Delamalar, who I thought was a
really good player in the pros and a former Spartan
and All American. There was all rookie selection too with
the Buffalo Bills was a guard Jeff Bachis first round pick,
(13:10):
eighteenth overall. I think Jeff Backus was from Midland as well.
Joe Delomealua was from Detroit. The one that surprised me,
and I shame on me. I didn't realize this. But
while many young people talk about the Ravens defense and
the Bears defense, maybe not young anymore, but the Bears
(13:30):
of nineteen eighty five and Ray Lewis and the Baltimore
Ravens defense, the Steelers defense is back in the seventies
are the ones that made such an impact on me.
And it's because they were so and I used this
word literally great at every level. When you have guys
like me and Joe green and Elsie Greenwood and Ernie
(13:53):
Holmes up front for that Pittsburgh defense, and then you
have on the back end, you have guys like Mel
Blunt and you have Donnie Shell, players like that, But
in the linebacker there's never been I don't believe a
trio of linebackers as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers of
(14:15):
the seventies. We're talking about first team All Pro, all
three of them in the same season, Jackham, Jack Lambert,
and Andy Russell. Andy Russell spent his entire twelve year
career with the Steelers. He went to the University of Missouri.
(14:39):
He was born in Detroit. I didn't know that until
you research something like this. Now, this is just the
opposite of what we were talking about earlier. On Kirk Cousins. Well,
you can't really count him because he's born in Illinois.
But to Tren's point, he went to high school in Holland.
(15:02):
Andy Russell moved from New York to the Saint Louis
area in high school. He was born in Detroit. I
don't know if you can claim him, but born in Detroit.
For what it's worth,