May 28, 2024 • 10 mins
Casey Hampton sits down with Rob King to talk about his football career and more.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
I want to take you back to high school Texas
kid growing up in Galveston. What's it like to be
a Texas kid and go to the University of Texas?
No they want you? Is that a lifetime goal when
you're a kid?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You know what's crazy about that? Like I was always
I grew up like a Texas A and M fan
like that. I was always like, you know, they had
a wrecking crew Patrick Batsy from Galveston. You know, we
had a lot of gals and guys you know, playing
in college in the NFL and stuff like that. And
I always like A and M and kind of like
Texas kind of snuck in and like stole me from
(00:39):
A and M. So it was kind of like a
little different deal. I always liked that in them. But Texas,
once they get your own campuses over with, is you
can't you you you you're gonna go there?
Speaker 1 (00:49):
You know, because right now there's some Aggie fans saying,
oh no, really, he could have gone to Texas City.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
You know, r c rc RC have a lot of
faith in me. You know, he didn't think I was
gonna grade wise, he didn't think I was going to
make it, you know, so it was. It was kind
of a crazy deal. So I I had a vendette
against and them when I played them, you know what
I mean. So I wanted to do good against them
every time I played them. But the nineteenth selection, the
Pittsburgh Steelers have chosen defensive tackle from the University of
(01:17):
Texas K C. Hampton.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
What were your thoughts when you were drafted by the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I just I really didn't have no thoughts, Like you know,
I I really know a lot of Steel's history. I
was all. I was oldest fan growing up, like you
know what I'm saying. So, so we were we were
we were battling against the Steelers all the time. So
it w it was fun kind of learning the history
and learning like the great defenses and and h and
uh great teams back in the day. So it was
kind of a learning curve.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
When I got here, What was it like, Well, when
did you feel like, Wow, this is great to be
a Pittsburgh Steeler. It's great to be in a city
that loves defense.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It's like when I got here, Like, when I got here,
started learning the history, started meeting some of the older guys,
you know, some of the guys from the seventies and
stuff like that, and then I kind of got into
the history and learning and learning and seeing how those
guys worked and how those guys had great defenses and
things like that, and you know, being a defensive player,
you know, you you wanna be a part of that
those type of things. So it was a great thing
(02:13):
for me.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
You had a a great friendship with Dan Rooney. How
did that come about?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It just kind of just kind of happened, man like
just talking to him, just messing around with him, like
I I I think j him just being around, just
being an old school cat, like just being there just
talking to everybody and things like that. And I'm I'm
that type of guy, like I I'll talk to anybody,
mess with anybody, man. And he was just my god, dude,
like he was just he was just cool, like you
(02:39):
know what I mean. You could just go up to him,
talk to him by anything, like just mess with him
by and like it was crazy about it. It is.
Any conversation we had was never really about football ever.
It was always about like family, different things like that
and that and that was my type of thing. Like
it was a different type of relationship. He wasn't all
about football. Like, that's that's what man, I think, that's
what made the relationship really great.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
You had one of the most unique nicknames I've ever heard,
Big Snack. How did you get that nickname? Would you
think of the nickname?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
First of all, none of my teammates never called me that, right,
So i'm'a tell you how I got the name. So
we were at training camp and one of the one
some people were interviewing people like the best nicknames on
the team and things like that, and Travis Kirsky I
never forget. They were ask to him, who has the
best nickname on the team or whatever. He was like, Oh, yeah, man,
(03:28):
you know him. We call him Big Snack cause you know,
all the time he's snacking and he's eating this, and
he's eating that, and he's he he's just I during
meetings and whatever, he's always snacking, he's eating doing this.
Nobody never called me that, Like, nobody never called me that.
So like I come out of I come out of
lunch or whatever. When that I don't know when he
didn't interview or whatever. The people who interviewed him were like, yeah, man,
(03:50):
I I heard they call you Big Snack. I'm like,
big snack, Like, what, like, what are you talking about saying?
What I get? I I guess that's what I guess.
That's what they called me. So after that, man, and
they everybody just started calling me snack. Like no, none
of my teammates never called me that when I was here,
but all the fans fans started calling me that bick
snack and things like that. So it just it just
(04:10):
kind of stuck. Now all my teammates called me that now,
So that's a that's that's what that's what's crazy about it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
So the drivers just make it up on the spot.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I made the big snack thing up. Man. That's that's crazy, man,
that's that's it's fun. It's a funny deal.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
For you as a player, five time Pro Bowl that's
not easy as a nose tackle. A lot of time
there are very few nose tackles playing. Obviously there's more now,
but most teams are playing four to three sorts of pride.
For you to make five Pro.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Bowls a lot of pride. Man. You know, playing a
position like I play, when you don't get a lot
of stats and things like that, it's a bigger deal
when you make a Pro Bowl because that means that
guys really respect you and they respect what you're really doing.
So I took a lot of pride in that, Like
you know what I'm saying. I think that myself along
with the other defensive lineman, you know, Aaron kesel Kemo,
(04:55):
you know, all all of us, like we were so
so underrated for what we did. But the d the
real true football people know that the defensive line and
what make it's what makes it go. So that was
a great armor for me to to be able to
make those type of Pro Bowls.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Cause it was a little different for you guys, right,
I mean a lot of what you were doing under
that system was eating up blocks, allowing the linebackers. There
seems to be a little more freedom in a lot
of the three fours now for the defensive alignment.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
So w so we always say we played a true
three four. It wasn't no getting up the field doing this.
It was play the run and get to the past
after you play the run. We were we were real.
I was, I know, meet myself and I talked to
a lot of guys. Nobody really plays the three four
where the nose tackles two gapping. They don't really understand
(05:43):
how hard it is to get front side every time,
Like a lot of time they just go run backside
and get behind the block. But we ran a true
three four. You know, me and Labout would always talk
about it. I'm like, man, lebout, I wanna make some
plays too, Like I wanna get out there and make
some plays too, you know what I'm saying. But I
think that he knew I could play it the true way.
(06:03):
So we always played like the tight traditional three four defense,
and I just got used to it. Man. That was
just that was just what it was.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
How important was Dicklebo since you mentioned him to the
to the defense and the success you.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Had everything, Man, Dickie was everything, dude. Like, I think
the biggest thing with coach Lebo is him playing football
and being the type of player he was being a coach,
he never got on you for making mistakes and doing
things wrong because he understood it cause he played it.
He know you wouldn't trying to do it wrong. And
he did like he know you were trying to do
the right thing and you just messed up, So he
(06:35):
wouldn't like overly get mad or whatever. Whatever. He was
a like, he was a player's coach. Like you know,
he coached like he played like he understood a lot
of the things that a lot of coaches when they
become coaches act like they don't understand, like like they
don't they act like you not supposed to make mistakes,
You not supposed to do to do that. So that's
what made him a great coach man. He was just
he was a people's person, and the he understood he
(06:58):
understood players by being a player.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He remembered that the game is.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Hard, absolutely, no doubt, no doubt. He don't let you
know that too.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
So you dominated, Uh in Super Bowl forty, you played
a great game. You also had a sack. You didn't
get to get a lot of sacks in your career.
Take me through your sack of Matt Hasselback.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So I think we were running like a we were slanting.
I think we were. It was like a defense where
everybody was slanting one way. So I came off and
I I slanted it that way, but uh, the center
kind of over went that one way. Once I got
that hand on him, it was over. He was a
little bitty dude, you know what I'm saying. He din't
little bide when I put that hand on it, and
and and and got him in the area, it was
(07:36):
over with man. It was it. Y. I don't get
a whole lot of chances to get sacks, So to
be able to get a sack in the Super Bowl,
it was crazy, dude, It was it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
You watch it on TV. What's it like to be
on that field, the confetti's coming down, You're looking around,
you're hugging your teammates, and you're Super Bowl Champion.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I think that's what it's all about. You always think
about it as a kid and the dream as a kid,
but it's like when it happens, it's it's like better
than what you ever thought about. And I think the
big thing is like being there with your teammates and
the guys you went through the journey with, and like
enjoying that with with our families and things like that. Man.
(08:16):
I I think that was like one of the most made.
The first one was like one one of the most
amazing things, like I've ever been through my life. Man,
Just just that lifelong struggle and battle to get there.
It was it. It was just fulfilling, fulfilling thing.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Second one just as sweet, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
It was just as sweet. But the first one is
the first one is the first one, you know what
I'm saying. It's always good to get them, but the
first one that was that was real, That was really
really sweet.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Are you one of those people that looks back and
says with some pride. I played for one team in the.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
NFL, no doubt, no doubt. And I think playing at
the level I played at for that loan for one
team and the organization a story organization like this, I
think that's a really big deal. I'll take a lot
of pride in that.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And when you think about you mentioned some of the
guys from the seventies, the rich history of the Steelers defense,
to be on the seventy fifth anniversary team, what did
that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It means a lot, man, It was. It was really surprising,
really humbling to me, especially with the still curtain the
defensive lines that get the guys they had back in
the day. Man, it was a really humbling thing, surprising
thing to me. You know what I'm saying, cause I
don't get a lot of stats and things like that,
but it just let me know that the the football people,
the people who know, football really respect what I did
and that and that's that's a really great thing for me.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Is there a bond with those guys, those great players
from the seventies. I mean you mentioned reaching back into
the history and just talking with the game obviously has
changed a little bit, but reaching back over eras and
and making connections with former players.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Oh, no doubt about it. Man. It me and jo
o'mele seeing those guys around, Man, it's it's a great thing. Man.
And when those guys when they come up to you
and say, man, you know you could have played with us,
or you could you coulda you coulda did did the
thing with us. Man, that's that's that's a big deal. Dude,
like it. It's nothing like that. Manage to have those
guys give you that ultimate respect that you could have
(10:06):
played with them. That's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
M
I want to take you back to high school Texas
kid growing up in Galveston. What's it like to be
a Texas kid and go to the University of Texas?
No they want you? Is that a lifetime goal when
you're a kid?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You know what's crazy about that? Like I was always
I grew up like a Texas A and M fan
like that. I was always like, you know, they had
a wrecking crew Patrick Batsy from Galveston. You know, we
had a lot of gals and guys you know, playing
in college in the NFL and stuff like that. And
I always like A and M and kind of like
Texas kind of snuck in and like stole me from
(00:39):
A and M. So it was kind of like a
little different deal. I always liked that in them. But Texas,
once they get your own campuses over with, is you
can't you you you you're gonna go there?
Speaker 1 (00:49):
You know, because right now there's some Aggie fans saying,
oh no, really, he could have gone to Texas City.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
You know, r c rc RC have a lot of
faith in me. You know, he didn't think I was
gonna grade wise, he didn't think I was going to
make it, you know, so it was. It was kind
of a crazy deal. So I I had a vendette
against and them when I played them, you know what
I mean. So I wanted to do good against them
every time I played them. But the nineteenth selection, the
Pittsburgh Steelers have chosen defensive tackle from the University of
(01:17):
Texas K C. Hampton.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
What were your thoughts when you were drafted by the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I just I really didn't have no thoughts, Like you know,
I I really know a lot of Steel's history. I
was all. I was oldest fan growing up, like you
know what I'm saying. So, so we were we were
we were battling against the Steelers all the time. So
it w it was fun kind of learning the history
and learning like the great defenses and and h and
uh great teams back in the day. So it was
kind of a learning curve.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
When I got here, What was it like, Well, when
did you feel like, Wow, this is great to be
a Pittsburgh Steeler. It's great to be in a city
that loves defense.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It's like when I got here, Like, when I got here,
started learning the history, started meeting some of the older guys,
you know, some of the guys from the seventies and
stuff like that, and then I kind of got into
the history and learning and learning and seeing how those
guys worked and how those guys had great defenses and
things like that, and you know, being a defensive player,
you know, you you wanna be a part of that
those type of things. So it was a great thing
(02:13):
for me.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
You had a a great friendship with Dan Rooney. How
did that come about?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It just kind of just kind of happened, man like
just talking to him, just messing around with him, like
I I I think j him just being around, just
being an old school cat, like just being there just
talking to everybody and things like that. And I'm I'm
that type of guy, like I I'll talk to anybody,
mess with anybody, man. And he was just my god, dude,
like he was just he was just cool, like you
(02:39):
know what I mean. You could just go up to him,
talk to him by anything, like just mess with him
by and like it was crazy about it. It is.
Any conversation we had was never really about football ever.
It was always about like family, different things like that
and that and that was my type of thing. Like
it was a different type of relationship. He wasn't all
about football. Like, that's that's what man, I think, that's
what made the relationship really great.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
You had one of the most unique nicknames I've ever heard,
Big Snack. How did you get that nickname? Would you
think of the nickname?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
First of all, none of my teammates never called me that, right,
So i'm'a tell you how I got the name. So
we were at training camp and one of the one
some people were interviewing people like the best nicknames on
the team and things like that, and Travis Kirsky I
never forget. They were ask to him, who has the
best nickname on the team or whatever. He was like, Oh, yeah, man,
(03:28):
you know him. We call him Big Snack cause you know,
all the time he's snacking and he's eating this, and
he's eating that, and he's he he's just I during
meetings and whatever, he's always snacking, he's eating doing this.
Nobody never called me that, Like, nobody never called me that.
So like I come out of I come out of
lunch or whatever. When that I don't know when he
didn't interview or whatever. The people who interviewed him were like, yeah, man,
(03:50):
I I heard they call you Big Snack. I'm like,
big snack, Like, what, like, what are you talking about saying?
What I get? I I guess that's what I guess.
That's what they called me. So after that, man, and
they everybody just started calling me snack. Like no, none
of my teammates never called me that when I was here,
but all the fans fans started calling me that bick
snack and things like that. So it just it just
(04:10):
kind of stuck. Now all my teammates called me that now,
So that's a that's that's what that's what's crazy about it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
So the drivers just make it up on the spot.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I made the big snack thing up. Man. That's that's crazy, man,
that's that's it's fun. It's a funny deal.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
For you as a player, five time Pro Bowl that's
not easy as a nose tackle. A lot of time
there are very few nose tackles playing. Obviously there's more now,
but most teams are playing four to three sorts of pride.
For you to make five Pro.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Bowls a lot of pride. Man. You know, playing a
position like I play, when you don't get a lot
of stats and things like that, it's a bigger deal
when you make a Pro Bowl because that means that
guys really respect you and they respect what you're really doing.
So I took a lot of pride in that, Like
you know what I'm saying. I think that myself along
with the other defensive lineman, you know, Aaron kesel Kemo,
(04:55):
you know, all all of us, like we were so
so underrated for what we did. But the d the
real true football people know that the defensive line and
what make it's what makes it go. So that was
a great armor for me to to be able to
make those type of Pro Bowls.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Cause it was a little different for you guys, right,
I mean a lot of what you were doing under
that system was eating up blocks, allowing the linebackers. There
seems to be a little more freedom in a lot
of the three fours now for the defensive alignment.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
So w so we always say we played a true
three four. It wasn't no getting up the field doing this.
It was play the run and get to the past
after you play the run. We were we were real.
I was, I know, meet myself and I talked to
a lot of guys. Nobody really plays the three four
where the nose tackles two gapping. They don't really understand
(05:43):
how hard it is to get front side every time,
Like a lot of time they just go run backside
and get behind the block. But we ran a true
three four. You know, me and Labout would always talk
about it. I'm like, man, lebout, I wanna make some
plays too, Like I wanna get out there and make
some plays too, you know what I'm saying. But I
think that he knew I could play it the true way.
(06:03):
So we always played like the tight traditional three four defense,
and I just got used to it. Man. That was
just that was just what it was.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
How important was Dicklebo since you mentioned him to the
to the defense and the success you.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Had everything, Man, Dickie was everything, dude. Like, I think
the biggest thing with coach Lebo is him playing football
and being the type of player he was being a coach,
he never got on you for making mistakes and doing
things wrong because he understood it cause he played it.
He know you wouldn't trying to do it wrong. And
he did like he know you were trying to do
the right thing and you just messed up, So he
(06:35):
wouldn't like overly get mad or whatever. Whatever. He was
a like, he was a player's coach. Like you know,
he coached like he played like he understood a lot
of the things that a lot of coaches when they
become coaches act like they don't understand, like like they
don't they act like you not supposed to make mistakes,
You not supposed to do to do that. So that's
what made him a great coach man. He was just
he was a people's person, and the he understood he
(06:58):
understood players by being a player.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
He remembered that the game is.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Hard, absolutely, no doubt, no doubt. He don't let you
know that too.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
So you dominated, Uh in Super Bowl forty, you played
a great game. You also had a sack. You didn't
get to get a lot of sacks in your career.
Take me through your sack of Matt Hasselback.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
So I think we were running like a we were slanting.
I think we were. It was like a defense where
everybody was slanting one way. So I came off and
I I slanted it that way, but uh, the center
kind of over went that one way. Once I got
that hand on him, it was over. He was a
little bitty dude, you know what I'm saying. He din't
little bide when I put that hand on it, and
and and and got him in the area, it was
(07:36):
over with man. It was it. Y. I don't get
a whole lot of chances to get sacks, So to
be able to get a sack in the Super Bowl,
it was crazy, dude, It was it was. It was crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
You watch it on TV. What's it like to be
on that field, the confetti's coming down, You're looking around,
you're hugging your teammates, and you're Super Bowl Champion.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I think that's what it's all about. You always think
about it as a kid and the dream as a kid,
but it's like when it happens, it's it's like better
than what you ever thought about. And I think the
big thing is like being there with your teammates and
the guys you went through the journey with, and like
enjoying that with with our families and things like that. Man.
(08:16):
I I think that was like one of the most made.
The first one was like one one of the most
amazing things, like I've ever been through my life. Man,
Just just that lifelong struggle and battle to get there.
It was it. It was just fulfilling, fulfilling thing.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Second one just as sweet, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
It was just as sweet. But the first one is
the first one is the first one, you know what
I'm saying. It's always good to get them, but the
first one that was that was real, That was really
really sweet.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Are you one of those people that looks back and
says with some pride. I played for one team in the.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
NFL, no doubt, no doubt. And I think playing at
the level I played at for that loan for one
team and the organization a story organization like this, I
think that's a really big deal. I'll take a lot
of pride in that.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
And when you think about you mentioned some of the
guys from the seventies, the rich history of the Steelers defense,
to be on the seventy fifth anniversary team, what did
that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It means a lot, man, It was. It was really surprising,
really humbling to me, especially with the still curtain the
defensive lines that get the guys they had back in
the day. Man, it was a really humbling thing, surprising
thing to me. You know what I'm saying, cause I
don't get a lot of stats and things like that,
but it just let me know that the the football people,
the people who know, football really respect what I did
and that and that's that's a really great thing for me.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Is there a bond with those guys, those great players
from the seventies. I mean you mentioned reaching back into
the history and just talking with the game obviously has
changed a little bit, but reaching back over eras and
and making connections with former players.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Oh, no doubt about it. Man. It me and jo
o'mele seeing those guys around, Man, it's it's a great thing. Man.
And when those guys when they come up to you
and say, man, you know you could have played with us,
or you could you coulda you coulda did did the
thing with us. Man, that's that's that's a big deal. Dude,
like it. It's nothing like that. Manage to have those
guys give you that ultimate respect that you could have
(10:06):
played with them. That's a big deal.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
M
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.