This week's Next Man up is Washington Commanders newest receiver, Treylon Burks. Burks had the catch of the year and speaks about how the play went down. And for our Washington Legend... Virgil Seay, a Super Bowl winning WR and a member of the "Fun Bunch" pulls up to talk about his favorite memories in the Burgundy & Gold.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There's a big down.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
We're in the red zone and I want to one
I take a disrespect to me that you know death.
The coordinators like, all right, you're gonna play him man
and beat him. And I was just like, it's not
gonna happen to me. And I just ran a favor
(00:21):
oute exactly what I did in practice, and God took
care of the rest.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
The Next man A podcast is presented by Lansdown Resort
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get away in the heart of louder. Lansdown Resort, proud
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man up. We have somebody whose name. If you don't
know him by now, you're gonna know him by the
end of this video.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Trailing Berks to catch herd around the world.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
My man pulled up right after making an amazing play
that had the entire world's eyes on you.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Brother, how you're feeling, Wow, that's man, great, it's happy.
Wake up another day and do the things that I love.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Amen. Amen, Because I'm sure there was a moment at
some point this year where maybe you had the question
if you would be able to do what you love Man,
That's why I love doing Next Man Up because a
lot of times you don't get to tell the full story.
Y'all don't get to tell how y'all even got to
this point and your first round pick had injuries pretty
much your entire first few years. Man, how tough was
(01:23):
it to deal with that aspect before you even made
it to Washington? How tough was those first few years
in the league.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I'd say, uh, it was.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
It was pretty tough, just because coming out of college,
I've never I didn't even have injuries. Be getting to
the league and you know, different circumstances, but I'm favorite
by gods, so I don't really bother me at all.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
No, I just I keep my faith.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It's my main priority for me, even when I'm doing
good or doing bad. So just going through those injuries,
I would say, I'd say it's tough, but I really
wouldn't really tripping on. I just knew that my time
would come. And no, God always has a plan for everybody,
So it's followed that plan to it.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
A man, he had a plan for you, and that's
easier said than done. Man, Like it's you know, I'm
a man of faith as well, but it's still a
human being. It is hard not to waver sometimes and wonder,
like what is happening right now? And you get put
on injured reserve where most people they end up just
playing out the year and then they figure out what happened.
But Titian's decide to let you go. You a first
round pick, top twenty pick. That don't happen often. Man,
(02:29):
was there a moment because it was very quick now,
it was only it was only a free agent for
all the way round for a few days. But was
there a moment where you were like, Man, I might
not ever be able to do this game I love anymore?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I would say after I tore my aclo last year. Yeah,
back in October, I questioned myself if I wanted to
keep playing football because I told myself I tore my
ac my left aco in high school, and I kind
of told myself that if I tore my right a cl,
I wo wasn't play no more because I was tired.
(03:01):
I didn't want to go through the same thing that
I went through on my left side. So but just
being close with my family and friends, man, you know
I got I was in great spirit. Actually went through
some hard things. My great grandmother passed after I tore
my a c O. Then I have I had a
beautiful little girl, so that uplifted everything.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
And no, I'm here, so I wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I would say that journey made me a better man,
a better player, and a better father.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So I'm blessed for it.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Man.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That is beautiful. Man. And during those times when you
are going through things, not just work stuff, but life
stuff like you mentioned, I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother.
Was it your baby that got you through out? Who
did you lean on in those moments to help get
you through? Because I think that's very important because sometimes
people don't have anybody to lean on for sure.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Man, my daughter and my wife them too, my agent.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
My PT was it was a quite a few people
that actually, you know, stuck out like short thumbs to
me and show more interest in me. And you know,
I could tell that they wanted the best for me,
So you know, I just never once I figured that out.
It was just I think that just added a little
(04:17):
more fuel to the fire. It was like, all right,
you know, they want to they want to cut me
so big, and I know what I can do.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
God knows what I can do.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So I'm just gonna let God take me on the
journey and you know, we'll show everybody.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And you get cut, and not just the commander. There
was a few teams that wanted a piece of you.
What made you decide to take your talents here and
rip the burgundy and go over?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Man, when I first got here, I could just tell
it was different starting in the locker room, GM assistant
GM head coach, position coach. Oh see, shoot, everybody in
the building just like welcomed me with open arms, even
when I was when I came on to tryout, and
(05:02):
it made me just feel part of a team. And
that's what I've always wanted, was just to feel part
of a team and feel.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Wanted, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And you know that's that was big for me because
just going down the past three to four years, I
didn't really feel like that. So I just, like I said,
it just fueled the fire and that I haven't looked back,
not going to look back.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
I'm blessed for it and just gonna keep rolling.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Man. That had to have been pretty tough though, because
I'm looking at a first round pick here.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
You haven't had to try out for a team at all.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Really, you know, you had to do the combine and
things like that, but you never had to ever try out.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
And say, you know, hey want me? Was that a
little humbling?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I'd say it was humbling when I got cut because
deep down I knew that what I could do on
the field, it wasn't It wasn't me, you know what
I mean, Like, yeah, I could have done you know,
took care of my body better, studied harder, worked out better,
like all those things. But it was just God, man,
(06:09):
he was just showing me like, okay, brother, let's take
a step back, let's slow down, let's.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Get our gears under control, and then let's move forward.
And that's what I did. And man, I'm here now.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
And when you have a change like that, it's not easy. Right,
You went about a month on our practice squad. How
did you keep yourself right and ready during that time?
Because again, this is unfamiliar territory for you. Only if
you never had to try out, you really had to
touch a practice squad for real, What was that like?
How did you keep yourself ready?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I mean I took it personal going against I just
took it as like I'm going against the number one
defense every day, and I'm like, if I can go
out here and be who I am against these guys,
I can play like he ain't nothing stopped me because
those are the same guys that are playing on Sunday.
(06:59):
So why can I be out there on the offense
and do it to another defense. That's just how I
took it, And I mean, it's football at the end
of the day. It's just how you go about your business,
as in listening to the outside noise or the inside noise.
And I don't listen to the outside noise. I listen
(07:21):
to the people that I'm with every day, and I
lower it and savior. So no, that's that's how I
get down.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
You mentioned that outside noise.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Whenever a first round pick coming to the building, people
are going to tall attention. People are gonna notice and
be watching. Then they're hearing you're making plays a practice,
but everybody was noticing when you made that one hand. Cash.
Let's get right into it. I don't want to bury
the lead anymore, bro, Just walk us through what happened there.
I'm sure you've had to talk about this catch endlessly. Man.
I'm sure at this point you're probably sick of it.
(07:52):
Hopefully this is the last time you have to describe it.
If you are sick of it. Man, talk to us
about that play.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Man.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I'll tell you there was so much magic around it.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I just saying, man, it was just going to making
him play for the team. There was a big down.
We're in the red zone, and I want on one,
I take it disrespect to me that, you know, the
the coordinators like, all right, you're gonna play him man
and beat him.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
And I was just like, it's not gonna happen to me.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And I just ran a favor oute did exactly what
I did in practice, and God took her of the rest.
I just honestly, I didn't know I caught it until
I felt my finger, because I mean I just broke
my finger two three weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I mean he's still swollen.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Right down, but I felt it like I just felt
the ball just stick.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And I don't know, God took her to the reds.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
When does a moment like that hit you, right, because
it's not in the game. You know, you're adrenaline still going,
you're trying to win the game. When does that moment
hit you? Is it when you get to the crib
and see Odell Beckham Junior reached out to you directly
on some y'o one three one three?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
When does that moment hit you? Or have you let
it hit you?
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yxuse? I know sometimes that's all.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I'm not the type of person that like, let's see
be like, oh shit, dude, I just called it one
hand and passbjut of this. That's not me because I'm
the type shit I want to do it next week,
I want to do it the next week. I want
to keep keep on doing it being consistent just because
of what I've been through. Like I'm not gonna yeah,
great catch, but that's not like I make those plays
(09:34):
in practice, Like that's what I do. And like I said,
that was just a way that I wanted to contribute
to the team and the A team players.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
This is a poeticness to it because I had rest.
I'm not sure if this is true, but that when
you tore your a CL it was off of a
one hand catch it practice, right? Is that true?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So you're talking about that, So I didn't this was
non contact when I told my a cl what you're
talking about it is. Actually we had a joint practice
in Minnesota and I told my one another injury, but
I did catch it, catch it one hand, passed and
throw my meniscus.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
But yeah, that's.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Crazy how life works out man. It is yeah here man,
and you know, I got to imagine a play like
that builds confidence for yourself. But also seeing the way Jaden,
the way everybody on the sideline was just so happy
for you.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Man.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Man, how doe was it to be a part of
a brotherhood?
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Man, it's it's you don't come by it easy. And
I don't take it for granted either, because that's how
that's how I grew up. You know, I was raised
by my great grandparents and it was like a brotherly family.
You know, we were all right there and that's what
it feels like here, and I'm just blessed to be
(10:48):
here and trailing.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
We love that you're getting it done on the field,
but our partners and lands that resort like so know
that you're taking downtime as well. And somebody like you,
who has been through so many injuries his whole career,
how do you spend your downtime, Whether that's recovering, whether
that's just getting right with your mental maybe it's just
playing with your baby girl. Man, how do you spend
you downtown?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
You said it right, the last one. I make sure
I spend at least two or three hours here after
practice and recover, you know, make sure that my body's
feeling good, and then I go when I go home,
I leave football here going to my baby girl and
we play all night long till she's about to go
(11:28):
to bed.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
And that's that's my joy right there, just seeing her.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
When I walk through the door, call my name, runs
up to me, and you know, she's already going to
grab a ball, grab one of her cars or something,
ready to play. And so, you know, I find joining
that because you know, we live in a life that,
you know, sometimes we forget the things that really matter,
just because we get caught up in football. And I
(11:53):
take pride in giving back to her because you know,
she's so young and vulnerable, and I just want to
make sure that she knows that she got a dad
there with one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
That's a blessing.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Man.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
It's great to have those things outside of football that
drive you. Last question for you, brother, we are headed
to Minnesota, the first of a back to back. How
ready are you to show that you got a lot
more in you than just the one hand catch when
you take on the bike.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
For sure. Just tune in on Sunday. It's all I
can say.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
You know, we're all gonna go out there and play
command of football now. It's honestly not about me or
Dad Catch. It's about being a great teammate and winning
football games.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
And that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Spoken like a true commanded trailer man. Is a pleasure
to meet you, brother. Thank you for taking the time
to pull up on so. I'm sure you've been a
very busy man this week. Brother. We appreciate you. Command
his family. Our next man up trailing burks. Mister one
hand catch himself has a lot more to do in
the burgery and gold. We appreciate you, brother, appreciate you.
Command is family. We hope you have been enjoying. Next
man Up. Before we go any further, we have to
(12:56):
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of the and commanders of this DC is the premier
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(13:19):
Hey Marylanders, play multi Match from the Maryland Lottery, Maryland's
only in state jackpot game. A two dollar ticket gives
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play responsibly. They say your work defines who you are.
Monday through Friday nine to five, you are clocking in.
What happens on the weekend. What happens to your time.
(13:42):
You could take it easy, or you could use your
time to get better. In the US Army we think differently.
Your time should be used to improve the skills you
do have to learn some you don't, to put yourself
in new ways, because it's those days that truly define
who you are. That's how you make progress, That's how
you make impact on the world around you. It's your time.
(14:03):
How you spend it is up to you. It's your time.
The US Army Reserve Command his family back to the
show for our next man up. We have a legend
that played a long time ago, but if you look
at him today, you would think he was my age.
He aged beautifully. He is a super Bowl champion and
(14:24):
a member of the fun Bunch. Welcoming in, Virgil c
to next man up, brother, how are you?
Speaker 5 (14:30):
I'm doing well. I'm doing well, really am. I just
have a little bit of a issue, you said. You
said him, Oh, I'm not old.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
You had clearly not. I had to preface it because
I wanted him to see the youngness.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Man.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
You ain't got no wrinkles, right, You're still good. I'm
trying to age like you.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
I'm doing okay. I'm doing okay.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
That's great. Virgil. No, thank you so much for taking
the time when we met just this past game. As
soon as I met you, you're giving me game. You
let me know, hey, you got to do things like this.
So I appreciate you taking the time because so many
times my generation and generations after me don't get to
hear from people like you, So we appreciate it so much.
Let's start from the very very beginning, because back when
(15:14):
you were drafted, there was more than seven rounds in
the NFL. You were drafted in the tenth round to
the Denver broncos Man. Let's start at the very beginning,
because I'm sure it's been a while since you've been
able to tell your story.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
What was that like for a young Virgil?
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Well, it was a little different, Like you said, back then,
there were I believe there were twelve rounds, and I
got drafted in the tenth and I was actually sitting
in my dorm, not in the room, but in the
in the hallway, and I got a phone call in
(15:53):
our hallway dorm and I had to go from the
from the lobby back up to the hallway to receive
the phone call from Red Miller that I got drafted.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
That was probably pretty much normal for most people. So
are they like, do they call you and say called back?
Are they waiting on the line for you to make
this track to the phone?
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Actually, at that time, I believe was like I said,
someone answered the phone and came downstairs. I stayed on
the fourth floor and the lobby area was on about
that I think was on the third floor, second or
third floor, So they came to get me and I
went back upstairs to receive the phone call in the hallway.
(16:40):
So it was probably i'd say about a three minute
three to five minute transition time.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
That is so different than what we see today, right,
because we know now the NFL Draft today it's just
such a big event. People are either going to the
after or just surrounded by the level. Was there in
a living room? What was it like taking that call
and what it sounds like just a public setting right there?
I mean, you see how special and what these moments mean.
When you watched the draft today, was it still a
special moment for you?
Speaker 5 (17:14):
It was a special moment because you know, I'm sitting
there and I had been receiving information about I would
be drafted here or there or whatever, But I wasn't
I wasn't really excited until it actually happened. And when
(17:36):
it happened, like I said, it was a phone call
upstairs and I had to guy came. I can't remember
who it was that came to get me, and I
went back upstairs. I don't know if I ran upstairs,
hopped or whatever. I got upstairs and received a phone call.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
And then after that phone call, right because again, you
you at college, what do you do right after that?
Do you call family? Do you call your mom? How
did you react to that news? Once you hang up
that phone, because again, it's a very different setting than
what we're used to seeing people get drafted in.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
It is a very different setting. And the first thing
that I did, and I always do when there's some
type of news or something that I'm involved in, I
call my mama and I told her what was going on.
And I was telling her and says, I don't know
what to do. I just received a phone call I
(18:34):
got drafted, And she said, okay, let me, let me
make some phone calls. And my mom made some phone
calls and got me an agent who was not actually
an agent at the time, he was an attorney in
my hometown.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
What an interesting story, man. That is crazy because I'm
sure back then that would happen a lot right where
you probably don't get the resources that a lot of
college kids get today, where a lot of times before
they even get the call, they have that agent. So
I appreciate that insight. And then you go to the
dem for Broncos. I mean, you talked about a little
bit before we started the interview, but you never actually
ended up playing a regular season game for the Broncos, Right,
(19:16):
That is true?
Speaker 5 (19:16):
That is true. I got drafted, Like I said, tenth
round and we're up up to training camp. I was.
I was a receiver and return specials. I have returned punts, kicks,
whatever they had to do with getting the ball to me,
I would be able to. I would do except center,
(19:38):
of course. But I love kickoff. Excuse me, I like kickoff.
I love punt return, absolutely love punt returns, and I
like receiver. But yeah, you give me a punt return,
and yeah it could be it could be nasty for
(19:59):
the other team.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Clear the way, because of course after I think what
year two is when you ended up winning that Super Bowl?
Was that year three for you?
Speaker 5 (20:10):
It was actually year two because we had started out unfortunately.
We started out h to five with Washington, and then
we ended up on a run where we won eight
of our next eleven games and ended up eight and eight,
and then the following year we went on and won
(20:32):
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
And before we talk about that Super Bowl, I want
to know what it was like for you getting cut
from the Broncos. I believe you told me you got
cut after that very first preseason game. Didn't really know why,
just kind of the business. What happens after that? What
is the journey that gets you to Washington after your
cut by the Broncos.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Well, what happened after that? I got my ticket to
come home. But what I did instead of going back
to my hometown, I went to Dintgomery, Alabama's at that time,
and it was closer to Troy, so if I needed
to get there and work out, I could. I just
(21:12):
I just stayed in shape, running and doing all the
things that I could to so that if I had
another opportunity, I would be ready for it. I don't
know if that would have happened if I had gone
back to my hometown. Who's who knows. But the route
that I took was the best at that time I felt,
(21:34):
and it proved to be the right choice.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
So when you get that call from Washington, they just
end up reaching out to you, like, how do you
end up in Washington?
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Well, what happened that year? I'd gotten a phone call
to come and do a workout. I think it was
the Saints the Jets in Washington, and the Jets only
wanted me as either a punt returner or receiver, and
(22:06):
the same thing with New Orleans. So but Washington was
going to allow me to do both. My agent and
I said you know that's probably the best option. So
we chose to go to Washington, and it proved to
be the right choice.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Was there a world during that time when you're trying
to keep yourself ready at Troy, your your training. Was
there a time when you thought that maybe your NFL
career was over?
Speaker 5 (22:35):
Like?
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Was there ever a time when you had doubt or wondered, like, man,
what am I doing here? Is this gonna work out?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
I actually did not have that that doubt. I felt
that my skills were able, I was able. I was
going to be able to to fit in somewhere either
like I said, as a kick returner, a punt returner,
or receiver. Now I'm only five eight, Well now i'm
(23:04):
five seven, but five to eight, and at that time
you don't find that many smaller receivers in the NFL.
But you know, my determination I feel made me bigger
than what I was.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
And getting to play under a guy I coach gives
every time I talk to legends, I've never heard a
negative thing about him. I hear about the coach, the leader,
but also like the father figure, the friend. How valuable
was it getting to go to a team in Washington
that had a coach like Joe Gibbs.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
It was great. And I don't think I've told this
story many times, but during the time that we were
in the first part of nineteen eighty one and we
we were losing games. We lost our first game, we
lost our second game, we lost our third game, and
(24:03):
our fifth game. That following meeting team that we had
that we came in and there were some names on
the board of players that coach Gibbs felt needed to
(24:24):
Douce needed to do better. I needed to show why
he picked them. And you know, you're looking, and I
look and I see my name on the board, and
I said, wait a minute. I thought that I was
doing what I was supposed to be doing, and I'm
I'm like I said, I'm doing what I'm supposed to
(24:45):
be doing. But at that point I was playing sparingly,
So you know, I focused a little bit more, started
doing started working a little bit harder, and ended up
playing bit more and got a chance to start the
the last part of the season. And I guess by
(25:10):
me seeing my name up there on the board says
to me, I wasn't doing what I should be doing.
I thought that I was, but I wasn't so that
kicking the pants from Coach Gibbs and it was a
sun kick, but it was good. Helped me to understand, hey,
(25:34):
you can do better, and from that point on I
just did whatever I could do.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Was there a conversation after because I think I remember
you telling me the story when we met about seeing
your name on that list, and that could be taken
it anyway right like again, because in your mindset, I'm
doing what I need to do, I'm overachieving if anything.
Do you talk to Coach Gibbs about that? Do you
ask them like, hey, what more can I do? Or
is it just one of those things where as soon
as you see your name on that list you knew
what time it was.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Well, the thing is you can, like you said, you
can look at it one of two ways, Oh, I'm
doing what I'm supposed to be doing and say okay, yeah.
But then again you go back and you look and say, hey,
can you do more? Or are you giving one of
effort every single time? And if you if you look
(26:25):
at it, if you go back and take it back
internally and start saying, Okay, maybe I didn't do this,
maybe I didn't do that, and I and I see that.
I says, Okay, I need to do this, I need
to do more, I need to do better. But again
you get some somewhat other person that says I'm doing
(26:46):
all I can. I ain't doing no more. Well, you
get what you get. So I took it upon myself
to do what I could, and like I said, started
playing better, started studying more, and able to make the
club again. Well not make the club again, but able
(27:09):
to play more and become a starter that last part
of the season.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
There's a humbleness to that, right when you're in that
moment where you see your name on that list, Because
like you painted it perfectly, it could go multitude of ways.
It could make gods mad and say they don't want
to do this no more? Right, But you decided to
stick with it. And then you come through the next
year super Bowl. So you get these two years where
one you got to start off really rough on five
(27:38):
and then you get that note saying hey, I need
to step up. Did you ever shake that feeling that
you needed to do more?
Speaker 5 (27:45):
Though?
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Because I feel like when something like that happened so
early in your career, it's easy to have that mindset
in that chip almost for the rest of your life.
Did you ever have a moment, especially in that two
year span when you're headed to the Super Bowl, that
you felt like I'm doing enough.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
I always want to do better. I strive to perfection,
but I know I will never be perfect, but I
want to at least do what I can. I want
to learn as much as I can. I want to
talk to players like Art Mom and learn the things
(28:23):
that he knows. And he can share quiet person, but
you got to get into him and talk to him,
and and I learned some things also, you know, talking
with some of the defensive backs at that time, Joe Lavender,
uh learn learn some things from him. Joe laven was
(28:44):
taller than I was. Of course most everyone is. But
you have to learn. You have to learn learn from
your coaches. But you also get a different learning curve
when you're getting something from the players, because they feel
(29:06):
what you feel, they see what you see, and they've
been where you've been. Not saying that the coaches have it,
but it's right then and there and they've given you.
They're giving you what you could do or what you
should do, or this is what I do and this
is how I approach how to get there.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
And it wasn't just art that you had and your disposal.
I mean you had a utility belt of players who
have to play with so much. So y'all were called
the fun Bunch, which I think it's one of the
best names that a group in the NFL has. Man,
How valuable was it to have that brotherhood because you
mentioned learning from players why you got to play with
some of the best. Ever, how valuable was that brotherhood
(29:50):
you had with the full months.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
That was actually great. I mean it kind of started
back the year that that Joe gibbson first year when
we're you know, players kind of joke with each other
and call people names and this, that and the other,
and tell you another story where part of it came from.
(30:13):
I don't know if you remember the name Terry Metcalf. Well,
Terry Metcalf and I would always call each other short
this and short that. He true enough, he was taller
than I am, and uh one of the one day
he called me a smurf. I said, smurf, when is that?
(30:35):
He said, you don't. You don't know what that is?
He says, go home and on Saturday morning, turn the
television on and you'll see these little blue people and
you'll you'll see what I'm talking about. I went home
and I did that. I came back and I gave
him his props. He said, Okay, that's that's a good one.
That's a good one. You got me on that one.
(30:55):
So that kind of stuck with me because I became
popa Smurf since I was the first Smurf, and then
Alvin and Charlie Brown were the other Smurfs, So we
learned from Charlie. Charlie got the long arms, came from
South Carolina State, and he does all the all the
the he can catch the ball as well. Then you
(31:17):
got Alvin, who is the shorter of the Smurfs, but
he he he did something on the field as well.
And then you know, you got Art of course, and
then Rick, because Rick Rick Rick was a he's he's
he's a guy to get things going, and uh, once
(31:41):
it gets going, it just takes off from there. Otis
Wansley was also part of the fun bunch. But you know,
we all we all poke fun at each other to
keep each other ready to play, and uh we we
did a good job of that, and we we kind
(32:03):
of came up with this, uh with this, Uh, I
don't want to call her a dance this uh.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
Whatever it is and celebration maybe.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Celebration can celebration and we we decided we were going
to break it out and uh we did and it
kind of took off. And but the one of the
things that happened is I can't remember who it was.
A scored first and we were supposed to come down
(32:34):
and do our celebration and person forgot. Happened again person forgot.
And then the third time we had an opportunity to jump,
and we you we jumped, and uh that that uh
that took off. That it really took off, and uh
(32:57):
the fans loved it, and we loved giving it to
the fans. So every time every time that we one
of one of the fun Munch members scored, it was
it was on. It was really on, and it was
it was a great time. It was a great time.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
And that is so special because when I hear people
like you talk about even Gary talk about it, Santana
Moss talk about your guys's height and your size during
that time, a five eight five nine receiver is not
really rare these days, right, Like you see guys all
different sizes play in that position, but back when you
did it, it was almost unheard of. Did you realize
(33:33):
what you were doing at that time? Because I feel
like guys like yourself who wore undersized receivers were real
pioneers for what the NFL looks like today? Did you
realize that in real time?
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Not really? I mean at that time, I really didn't
look at size in the NFL. It was only when
we were talking about each other, calling each other short,
that's the time I realized it. But you know, after
playing well, I think I believe we played bigger than
larger than life, bigger than life. Again, we were five
(34:04):
five seventy five eight one hundred and seventy eighty pounds
and we're not we're not big, but we could play
big and as long as I mean, Joe Gibbs gave
us the the the the the techniques and everything to use,
(34:27):
and we used it, and we practiced what we used
and it was it was great. I don't nowadays, I
don't know if if the guys are really practicing their fundamentals,
because fundamentals, they never get tired. The body of muscles
(34:52):
may tire, but the fundamentals never tire. So if you're
constantly working on your fundamentals, he could be first games,
third game, tenth game, playoffs. So whatever, those fundamentals don't change,
they don't get tired. You just work on it. You
just sharp, You just stay sharp with them if you
(35:15):
are disciplined enough to stay with it.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
And it's so rare where you have a team that
has so many different people that have that same mindset,
that same discipline. I talk to be Mentioned Gary about
it all the time, and I'm like, it just seems
so rare, Like normally you got maybe three or five
dogs on the team, But when you think about the
entire team being locked in like that, and clearly I
were locked and you end up getting that Super Bowl
in year two? What do you remember most about that run?
Speaker 5 (35:41):
What do I remember most? Actually, the the week of
that game, the week of the Super Bowl, we were
in the meeting offensive meeting and Coach Gibbs put the
(36:03):
offense up and we had to be in one position.
He called it an explode package where we would come
in in one position and then we'd break out into
a different location. So the defense had to adjust to us.
And that's all well, and fine, you have to adjust
(36:25):
to us, because one thing about what Coach Gibbs did
is there are always options from the options that the
defense gave you, and no matter where they were, they
were going to be wrong. And we knew it because,
like I said, that explode package the very first time,
(36:49):
we had no idea what it was, and then all
of a sudden we started doing it and it was like, oh, yeah,
this is going to be great, this is going to
be great. And it turned out to be turned out
to be great, Yeah, it did.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
I love hearing from all the legends when you guys
talk about these Super Bowl runs, because as many talented
people that were on the field on both sides of
the ball, you have all of these different groups, all
of you all speak most about the coach, about Coach
Gibs and how important he was to you guys and
your success. Do you think you find the level of
success that you found in your career without coach gives
(37:29):
you know?
Speaker 5 (37:29):
I don't. I don't think so, because if I go
back to my high school time, Mike, my high school
coach didn't yell or scream and holler or curse or this,
that and the other. So that was kind of built
into me all throughout, even even when I went to
(37:52):
junior college. Now that JUNI my junior college coach was
a he was a he was a yeller, but it
was a different time, so it's a it's an understood
kind of thing. And then when I left left a
junior college, went on went on the Troy UH. He
he wasn't a yellow or streamer either. So then to
(38:16):
come into to come into uh Washington, and I had
a coach like coach Gibb who was he was a
teacher also, and it's it's it's it's basically what I
needed because if I had a yeller and a streamer,
I don't believe I would have made it in the
(38:38):
NFL because that's that's I don't respond that way. I
don't respond to people yelling and screaming and this, that
and the other. That that part turns out to me
because there are ways to get information to someone and
yelling you hear it, but yelling and screaming it goes
(39:01):
in one ar or not the other. If someone is
talking to you and you hear it, you understand why
and they explain why, Oh y you get that you
want to you want to do whatever you can to
to make things the way they should be done.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
I'm so glad you put it like that because I
think that people miss how rare having a coach like
that is that knows how to connect and communicate with
so many different people, so many different personalities. And I
think that that's why I love hearing these coach give
stories so much. And you've accomplished so much in your
career on and off the field. But before I let
you go, there's one thing I wanted to highlight because
(39:43):
if I'm not mistaken, Troy puts you in their hall
of Fame. Correct your college?
Speaker 5 (39:48):
Actually, yes, Troy put me in after my hometown put
me in. My hometown put me in the hall of
fame first, and I guess sometimes.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
After that.
Speaker 5 (40:09):
My junior college and Troy put me in as well.
So I have been blessed by being put in the
hall of fame in my hometown, in my junior college,
uh and in Troy as well. And something that a
lot of people don't know, and I'll share it with
(40:33):
you is my hometown, Calquak County, Georgia, has an indoor
practice facility. And that indoor practice facility is named after
Ray Golf and myself. It is a phenomenal indoor practice
facility for a high school. Wow.
Speaker 3 (40:58):
That that means you had to have been one of
those ones, right, not just a great football player, but
a great man, because I don't think you get all
of these accolades, even post career, without being just an
amazing individual. So you have these super Bowls, your multiple
Hall of Fames, you have a facility named after you,
your hometown. When it's all set and done, years from now,
(41:18):
twenty thirty fifty years from now, how do you want
Virgil to be remembered?
Speaker 5 (41:25):
Well, I would say, I would say a person who
loved people. I would say a person who would try
to give the experience that I had to anyone who
(41:50):
would want to listen, anyone who needed any type of
pick me up. I share my my height, my height
is five whatever, and I'll say, hey, if I can
do it, you can do it. I mean, I'll share.
I'll share anything that I that can with with with
(42:12):
male female, and share my experiences. I would share a
thought of you can do it, And I do that
with like I said, anyone, whether whether I know you
or I don't.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
You know.
Speaker 5 (42:34):
Sometimes you, you can, you can, you can be around someone,
or you can you can walk up to someone, or
you can be near someone and you can sense that
they need some type of of encouragement of some kind
and a simple how you're doing, and they'll go into
(42:56):
whatever they they need and you you share, hears something
with him and it picks them up. And that me
picking them up makes my day. It makes me feel
a whole lot better if I can, if I can
make someone else happy.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
And those things are easy to say, right especially during
the interview, but not many people actually do it, and
I can truly say Commands Family, this is exactly who
he is. We met last weeknd and literally five seconds
into meeting Virgil, he is giving me game, telling me, yeah,
you gotta do this, like this, you gotta do this,
and man, it just that kind of energy, especially from
(43:37):
the legends. Man, it means so much to all of us. Virgil,
thank you so much. It's been so great talking to you.
We got to get you in the studio next time
because we know you're not far Command this family, our
next man, A true legend and a great man, Virgil Ce.
I appreciate you, sir, Oh, thank you, Thank you very much.
Thank command this family. We hope you enjoyed this episode
of Next Man Up. Remember you can stream all of
(43:59):
the Next Man of episod right now on the Commander's
YouTube page or the audio wherever you get your podcast.
Thank you so much for supporting the Next Man Up podcast.
You allowed us to be nominated for not one, but
two People's Choice Podcast Awards, Best Male Hosted and Best
Black Male Hosted Podcast. And that's all because of the
best fans in the NFL. I appreciate y'all so much
for supporting us. It's crazy to think we're already in
(44:20):
season three of Next Man Up and we have a
lot more to go. So make sure to subscribe to
the Commander's YouTube page so you don't miss any of
our content.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
I'm Brankovi Jr.
Speaker 3 (44:30):
And this is Next Man Up. This show was filmed
at the Big Bear AI Commands Interstudio. Big Bear AI
offers this is Ready AI for a rapidly evolving world,
proudly protecting the Washington Commanders and its fans.
There's a big down.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
We're in the red zone and I want to one
I take a disrespect to me that you know death.
The coordinators like, all right, you're gonna play him man
and beat him. And I was just like, it's not
gonna happen to me. And I just ran a favor
(00:21):
oute exactly what I did in practice, and God took
care of the rest.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
The Next man A podcast is presented by Lansdown Resort
from kickoff to check and you score, game, change and
get away in the heart of louder. Lansdown Resort, proud
partner of the Washington Commanders, commands family. For our next
man up. We have somebody whose name. If you don't
know him by now, you're gonna know him by the
end of this video.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Trailing Berks to catch herd around the world.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
My man pulled up right after making an amazing play
that had the entire world's eyes on you.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Brother, how you're feeling, Wow, that's man, great, it's happy.
Wake up another day and do the things that I love.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Amen. Amen, Because I'm sure there was a moment at
some point this year where maybe you had the question
if you would be able to do what you love Man,
That's why I love doing Next Man Up because a
lot of times you don't get to tell the full story.
Y'all don't get to tell how y'all even got to
this point and your first round pick had injuries pretty
much your entire first few years. Man, how tough was
(01:23):
it to deal with that aspect before you even made
it to Washington? How tough was those first few years
in the league.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I'd say, uh, it was.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
It was pretty tough, just because coming out of college,
I've never I didn't even have injuries. Be getting to
the league and you know, different circumstances, but I'm favorite
by gods, so I don't really bother me at all.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
No, I just I keep my faith.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
It's my main priority for me, even when I'm doing
good or doing bad. So just going through those injuries,
I would say, I'd say it's tough, but I really
wouldn't really tripping on. I just knew that my time
would come. And no, God always has a plan for everybody,
So it's followed that plan to it.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
A man, he had a plan for you, and that's
easier said than done. Man, Like it's you know, I'm
a man of faith as well, but it's still a
human being. It is hard not to waver sometimes and wonder,
like what is happening right now? And you get put
on injured reserve where most people they end up just
playing out the year and then they figure out what happened.
But Titian's decide to let you go. You a first
round pick, top twenty pick. That don't happen often. Man,
(02:29):
was there a moment because it was very quick now,
it was only it was only a free agent for
all the way round for a few days. But was
there a moment where you were like, Man, I might
not ever be able to do this game I love anymore?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I would say after I tore my aclo last year. Yeah,
back in October, I questioned myself if I wanted to
keep playing football because I told myself I tore my
ac my left aco in high school, and I kind
of told myself that if I tore my right a cl,
I wo wasn't play no more because I was tired.
(03:01):
I didn't want to go through the same thing that
I went through on my left side. So but just
being close with my family and friends, man, you know
I got I was in great spirit. Actually went through
some hard things. My great grandmother passed after I tore
my a c O. Then I have I had a
beautiful little girl, so that uplifted everything.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
And no, I'm here, so I wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I would say that journey made me a better man,
a better player, and a better father.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So I'm blessed for it.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Man.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That is beautiful. Man. And during those times when you
are going through things, not just work stuff, but life
stuff like you mentioned, I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother.
Was it your baby that got you through out? Who
did you lean on in those moments to help get
you through? Because I think that's very important because sometimes
people don't have anybody to lean on for sure.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Man, my daughter and my wife them too, my agent.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
My PT was it was a quite a few people
that actually, you know, stuck out like short thumbs to
me and show more interest in me. And you know,
I could tell that they wanted the best for me,
So you know, I just never once I figured that out.
It was just I think that just added a little
(04:17):
more fuel to the fire. It was like, all right,
you know, they want to they want to cut me
so big, and I know what I can do.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
God knows what I can do.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So I'm just gonna let God take me on the
journey and you know, we'll show everybody.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
And you get cut, and not just the commander. There
was a few teams that wanted a piece of you.
What made you decide to take your talents here and
rip the burgundy and go over?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Man, when I first got here, I could just tell
it was different starting in the locker room, GM assistant
GM head coach, position coach. Oh see, shoot, everybody in
the building just like welcomed me with open arms, even
when I was when I came on to tryout, and
(05:02):
it made me just feel part of a team. And
that's what I've always wanted, was just to feel part
of a team and feel.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Wanted, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
And you know that's that was big for me because
just going down the past three to four years, I
didn't really feel like that. So I just, like I said,
it just fueled the fire and that I haven't looked back,
not going to look back.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
I'm blessed for it and just gonna keep rolling.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Man. That had to have been pretty tough though, because
I'm looking at a first round pick here.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
You haven't had to try out for a team at all.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Really, you know, you had to do the combine and
things like that, but you never had to ever try out.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
And say, you know, hey want me? Was that a
little humbling?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I'd say it was humbling when I got cut because
deep down I knew that what I could do on
the field, it wasn't It wasn't me, you know what
I mean, Like, yeah, I could have done you know,
took care of my body better, studied harder, worked out better,
like all those things. But it was just God, man,
(06:09):
he was just showing me like, okay, brother, let's take
a step back, let's slow down, let's.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Get our gears under control, and then let's move forward.
And that's what I did. And man, I'm here now.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
And when you have a change like that, it's not easy. Right,
You went about a month on our practice squad. How
did you keep yourself right and ready during that time?
Because again, this is unfamiliar territory for you. Only if
you never had to try out, you really had to
touch a practice squad for real, What was that like?
How did you keep yourself ready?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I mean I took it personal going against I just
took it as like I'm going against the number one
defense every day, and I'm like, if I can go
out here and be who I am against these guys,
I can play like he ain't nothing stopped me because
those are the same guys that are playing on Sunday.
(06:59):
So why can I be out there on the offense
and do it to another defense. That's just how I
took it, And I mean, it's football at the end
of the day. It's just how you go about your business,
as in listening to the outside noise or the inside noise.
And I don't listen to the outside noise. I listen
(07:21):
to the people that I'm with every day, and I
lower it and savior. So no, that's that's how I
get down.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
You mentioned that outside noise.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Whenever a first round pick coming to the building, people
are going to tall attention. People are gonna notice and
be watching. Then they're hearing you're making plays a practice,
but everybody was noticing when you made that one hand. Cash.
Let's get right into it. I don't want to bury
the lead anymore, bro, Just walk us through what happened there.
I'm sure you've had to talk about this catch endlessly. Man.
I'm sure at this point you're probably sick of it.
(07:52):
Hopefully this is the last time you have to describe it.
If you are sick of it. Man, talk to us
about that play.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Man.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I'll tell you there was so much magic around it.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
I just saying, man, it was just going to making
him play for the team. There was a big down.
We're in the red zone, and I want on one,
I take it disrespect to me that, you know, the
the coordinators like, all right, you're gonna play him man
and beat him.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
And I was just like, it's not gonna happen to me.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
And I just ran a favor oute did exactly what
I did in practice, and God took her of the rest.
I just honestly, I didn't know I caught it until
I felt my finger, because I mean I just broke
my finger two three weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I mean he's still swollen.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Right down, but I felt it like I just felt
the ball just stick.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And I don't know, God took her to the reds.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
When does a moment like that hit you, right, because
it's not in the game. You know, you're adrenaline still going,
you're trying to win the game. When does that moment
hit you? Is it when you get to the crib
and see Odell Beckham Junior reached out to you directly
on some y'o one three one three?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
When does that moment hit you? Or have you let
it hit you?
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yxuse? I know sometimes that's all.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I'm not the type of person that like, let's see
be like, oh shit, dude, I just called it one
hand and passbjut of this. That's not me because I'm
the type shit I want to do it next week,
I want to do it the next week. I want
to keep keep on doing it being consistent just because
of what I've been through. Like I'm not gonna yeah,
great catch, but that's not like I make those plays
(09:34):
in practice, Like that's what I do. And like I said,
that was just a way that I wanted to contribute
to the team and the A team players.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
This is a poeticness to it because I had rest.
I'm not sure if this is true, but that when
you tore your a CL it was off of a
one hand catch it practice, right? Is that true?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
So you're talking about that, So I didn't this was
non contact when I told my a cl what you're
talking about it is. Actually we had a joint practice
in Minnesota and I told my one another injury, but
I did catch it, catch it one hand, passed and
throw my meniscus.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
But yeah, that's.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Crazy how life works out man. It is yeah here man,
and you know, I got to imagine a play like
that builds confidence for yourself. But also seeing the way Jaden,
the way everybody on the sideline was just so happy
for you.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
Man.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Man, how doe was it to be a part of
a brotherhood?
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Like?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Man, it's it's you don't come by it easy. And
I don't take it for granted either, because that's how
that's how I grew up. You know, I was raised
by my great grandparents and it was like a brotherly family.
You know, we were all right there and that's what
it feels like here, and I'm just blessed to be
(10:48):
here and trailing.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
We love that you're getting it done on the field,
but our partners and lands that resort like so know
that you're taking downtime as well. And somebody like you,
who has been through so many injuries his whole career,
how do you spend your downtime, Whether that's recovering, whether
that's just getting right with your mental maybe it's just
playing with your baby girl. Man, how do you spend
you downtown?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
You said it right, the last one. I make sure
I spend at least two or three hours here after
practice and recover, you know, make sure that my body's
feeling good, and then I go when I go home,
I leave football here going to my baby girl and
we play all night long till she's about to go
(11:28):
to bed.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
And that's that's my joy right there, just seeing her.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
When I walk through the door, call my name, runs
up to me, and you know, she's already going to
grab a ball, grab one of her cars or something,
ready to play. And so, you know, I find joining
that because you know, we live in a life that,
you know, sometimes we forget the things that really matter,
just because we get caught up in football. And I
(11:53):
take pride in giving back to her because you know,
she's so young and vulnerable, and I just want to
make sure that she knows that she got a dad
there with one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
That's a blessing.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Man.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
It's great to have those things outside of football that
drive you. Last question for you, brother, we are headed
to Minnesota, the first of a back to back. How
ready are you to show that you got a lot
more in you than just the one hand catch when
you take on the bike.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
For sure. Just tune in on Sunday. It's all I
can say.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
You know, we're all gonna go out there and play
command of football now. It's honestly not about me or
Dad Catch. It's about being a great teammate and winning
football games.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
And that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Spoken like a true commanded trailer man. Is a pleasure
to meet you, brother. Thank you for taking the time
to pull up on so. I'm sure you've been a
very busy man this week. Brother. We appreciate you. Command
his family. Our next man up trailing burks. Mister one
hand catch himself has a lot more to do in
the burgery and gold. We appreciate you, brother, appreciate you.
Command is family. We hope you have been enjoying. Next
man Up. Before we go any further, we have to
(12:56):
pay some bills now. Vince DC is a proud partner
of the and commanders of this DC is the premier
host of meetings, entertainment, sporting, and cultural events in the
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See how we make DC happen at events DC dot com.
(13:19):
Hey Marylanders, play multi Match from the Maryland Lottery, Maryland's
only in state jackpot game. A two dollar ticket gives
you a chance to win a jackpot starting at five
hundred thousand dollars. Drawings Mondays and Thursdays, and remember please
play responsibly. They say your work defines who you are.
Monday through Friday nine to five, you are clocking in.
What happens on the weekend. What happens to your time.
(13:42):
You could take it easy, or you could use your
time to get better. In the US Army we think differently.
Your time should be used to improve the skills you
do have to learn some you don't, to put yourself
in new ways, because it's those days that truly define
who you are. That's how you make progress, That's how
you make impact on the world around you. It's your time.
(14:03):
How you spend it is up to you. It's your time.
The US Army Reserve Command his family back to the
show for our next man up. We have a legend
that played a long time ago, but if you look
at him today, you would think he was my age.
He aged beautifully. He is a super Bowl champion and
(14:24):
a member of the fun Bunch. Welcoming in, Virgil c
to next man up, brother, how are you?
Speaker 5 (14:30):
I'm doing well. I'm doing well, really am. I just
have a little bit of a issue, you said. You
said him, Oh, I'm not old.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
You had clearly not. I had to preface it because
I wanted him to see the youngness.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Man.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
You ain't got no wrinkles, right, You're still good. I'm
trying to age like you.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
I'm doing okay. I'm doing okay.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
That's great. Virgil. No, thank you so much for taking
the time when we met just this past game. As
soon as I met you, you're giving me game. You
let me know, hey, you got to do things like this.
So I appreciate you taking the time because so many
times my generation and generations after me don't get to
hear from people like you, So we appreciate it so much.
Let's start from the very very beginning, because back when
(15:14):
you were drafted, there was more than seven rounds in
the NFL. You were drafted in the tenth round to
the Denver broncos Man. Let's start at the very beginning,
because I'm sure it's been a while since you've been
able to tell your story.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
What was that like for a young Virgil?
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Well, it was a little different, Like you said, back then,
there were I believe there were twelve rounds, and I
got drafted in the tenth and I was actually sitting
in my dorm, not in the room, but in the
in the hallway, and I got a phone call in
(15:53):
our hallway dorm and I had to go from the
from the lobby back up to the hallway to receive
the phone call from Red Miller that I got drafted.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
That was probably pretty much normal for most people. So
are they like, do they call you and say called back?
Are they waiting on the line for you to make
this track to the phone?
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Actually, at that time, I believe was like I said,
someone answered the phone and came downstairs. I stayed on
the fourth floor and the lobby area was on about
that I think was on the third floor, second or
third floor, So they came to get me and I
went back upstairs to receive the phone call in the hallway.
(16:40):
So it was probably i'd say about a three minute
three to five minute transition time.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
That is so different than what we see today, right,
because we know now the NFL Draft today it's just
such a big event. People are either going to the
after or just surrounded by the level. Was there in
a living room? What was it like taking that call
and what it sounds like just a public setting right there?
I mean, you see how special and what these moments mean.
When you watched the draft today, was it still a
special moment for you?
Speaker 5 (17:14):
It was a special moment because you know, I'm sitting
there and I had been receiving information about I would
be drafted here or there or whatever, But I wasn't
I wasn't really excited until it actually happened. And when
(17:36):
it happened, like I said, it was a phone call
upstairs and I had to guy came. I can't remember
who it was that came to get me, and I
went back upstairs. I don't know if I ran upstairs,
hopped or whatever. I got upstairs and received a phone call.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
And then after that phone call, right because again, you
you at college, what do you do right after that?
Do you call family? Do you call your mom? How
did you react to that news? Once you hang up
that phone, because again, it's a very different setting than
what we're used to seeing people get drafted in.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
It is a very different setting. And the first thing
that I did, and I always do when there's some
type of news or something that I'm involved in, I
call my mama and I told her what was going on.
And I was telling her and says, I don't know
what to do. I just received a phone call I
(18:34):
got drafted, And she said, okay, let me, let me
make some phone calls. And my mom made some phone
calls and got me an agent who was not actually
an agent at the time, he was an attorney in
my hometown.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
What an interesting story, man. That is crazy because I'm
sure back then that would happen a lot right where
you probably don't get the resources that a lot of
college kids get today, where a lot of times before
they even get the call, they have that agent. So
I appreciate that insight. And then you go to the
dem for Broncos. I mean, you talked about a little
bit before we started the interview, but you never actually
ended up playing a regular season game for the Broncos, Right,
(19:16):
That is true?
Speaker 5 (19:16):
That is true. I got drafted, Like I said, tenth
round and we're up up to training camp. I was.
I was a receiver and return specials. I have returned punts, kicks,
whatever they had to do with getting the ball to me,
I would be able to. I would do except center,
(19:38):
of course. But I love kickoff. Excuse me, I like kickoff.
I love punt return, absolutely love punt returns, and I
like receiver. But yeah, you give me a punt return,
and yeah it could be it could be nasty for
(19:59):
the other team.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Clear the way, because of course after I think what
year two is when you ended up winning that Super Bowl?
Was that year three for you?
Speaker 5 (20:10):
It was actually year two because we had started out unfortunately.
We started out h to five with Washington, and then
we ended up on a run where we won eight
of our next eleven games and ended up eight and eight,
and then the following year we went on and won
(20:32):
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
And before we talk about that Super Bowl, I want
to know what it was like for you getting cut
from the Broncos. I believe you told me you got
cut after that very first preseason game. Didn't really know why,
just kind of the business. What happens after that? What
is the journey that gets you to Washington after your
cut by the Broncos.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Well, what happened after that? I got my ticket to
come home. But what I did instead of going back
to my hometown, I went to Dintgomery, Alabama's at that time,
and it was closer to Troy, so if I needed
to get there and work out, I could. I just
(21:12):
I just stayed in shape, running and doing all the
things that I could to so that if I had
another opportunity, I would be ready for it. I don't
know if that would have happened if I had gone
back to my hometown. Who's who knows. But the route
that I took was the best at that time I felt,
(21:34):
and it proved to be the right choice.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
So when you get that call from Washington, they just
end up reaching out to you, like, how do you
end up in Washington?
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Well, what happened that year? I'd gotten a phone call
to come and do a workout. I think it was
the Saints the Jets in Washington, and the Jets only
wanted me as either a punt returner or receiver, and
(22:06):
the same thing with New Orleans. So but Washington was
going to allow me to do both. My agent and
I said you know that's probably the best option. So
we chose to go to Washington, and it proved to
be the right choice.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Was there a world during that time when you're trying
to keep yourself ready at Troy, your your training. Was
there a time when you thought that maybe your NFL
career was over?
Speaker 5 (22:35):
Like?
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Was there ever a time when you had doubt or wondered, like, man,
what am I doing here? Is this gonna work out?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
I actually did not have that that doubt. I felt
that my skills were able, I was able. I was
going to be able to to fit in somewhere either
like I said, as a kick returner, a punt returner,
or receiver. Now I'm only five eight, Well now i'm
(23:04):
five seven, but five to eight, and at that time
you don't find that many smaller receivers in the NFL.
But you know, my determination I feel made me bigger
than what I was.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
And getting to play under a guy I coach gives
every time I talk to legends, I've never heard a
negative thing about him. I hear about the coach, the leader,
but also like the father figure, the friend. How valuable
was it getting to go to a team in Washington
that had a coach like Joe Gibbs.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
It was great. And I don't think I've told this
story many times, but during the time that we were
in the first part of nineteen eighty one and we
we were losing games. We lost our first game, we
lost our second game, we lost our third game, and
(24:03):
our fifth game. That following meeting team that we had
that we came in and there were some names on
the board of players that coach Gibbs felt needed to
(24:24):
Douce needed to do better. I needed to show why
he picked them. And you know, you're looking, and I
look and I see my name on the board, and
I said, wait a minute. I thought that I was
doing what I was supposed to be doing, and I'm
I'm like I said, I'm doing what I'm supposed to
(24:45):
be doing. But at that point I was playing sparingly,
So you know, I focused a little bit more, started
doing started working a little bit harder, and ended up
playing bit more and got a chance to start the
the last part of the season. And I guess by
(25:10):
me seeing my name up there on the board says
to me, I wasn't doing what I should be doing.
I thought that I was, but I wasn't so that
kicking the pants from Coach Gibbs and it was a
sun kick, but it was good. Helped me to understand, hey,
(25:34):
you can do better, and from that point on I
just did whatever I could do.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Was there a conversation after because I think I remember
you telling me the story when we met about seeing
your name on that list, and that could be taken
it anyway right like again, because in your mindset, I'm
doing what I need to do, I'm overachieving if anything.
Do you talk to Coach Gibbs about that? Do you
ask them like, hey, what more can I do? Or
is it just one of those things where as soon
as you see your name on that list you knew
what time it was.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Well, the thing is you can, like you said, you
can look at it one of two ways, Oh, I'm
doing what I'm supposed to be doing and say okay, yeah.
But then again you go back and you look and say, hey,
can you do more? Or are you giving one of
effort every single time? And if you if you look
(26:25):
at it, if you go back and take it back
internally and start saying, Okay, maybe I didn't do this,
maybe I didn't do that, and I and I see that.
I says, Okay, I need to do this, I need
to do more, I need to do better. But again
you get some somewhat other person that says I'm doing
(26:46):
all I can. I ain't doing no more. Well, you
get what you get. So I took it upon myself
to do what I could, and like I said, started
playing better, started studying more, and able to make the
club again. Well not make the club again, but able
(27:09):
to play more and become a starter that last part
of the season.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
There's a humbleness to that, right when you're in that
moment where you see your name on that list, Because
like you painted it perfectly, it could go multitude of ways.
It could make gods mad and say they don't want
to do this no more? Right, But you decided to
stick with it. And then you come through the next
year super Bowl. So you get these two years where
one you got to start off really rough on five
(27:38):
and then you get that note saying hey, I need
to step up. Did you ever shake that feeling that
you needed to do more?
Speaker 5 (27:45):
Though?
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Because I feel like when something like that happened so
early in your career, it's easy to have that mindset
in that chip almost for the rest of your life.
Did you ever have a moment, especially in that two
year span when you're headed to the Super Bowl, that
you felt like I'm doing enough.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
I always want to do better. I strive to perfection,
but I know I will never be perfect, but I
want to at least do what I can. I want
to learn as much as I can. I want to
talk to players like Art Mom and learn the things
(28:23):
that he knows. And he can share quiet person, but
you got to get into him and talk to him,
and and I learned some things also, you know, talking
with some of the defensive backs at that time, Joe Lavender,
uh learn learn some things from him. Joe laven was
(28:44):
taller than I was. Of course most everyone is. But
you have to learn. You have to learn learn from
your coaches. But you also get a different learning curve
when you're getting something from the players, because they feel
(29:06):
what you feel, they see what you see, and they've
been where you've been. Not saying that the coaches have it,
but it's right then and there and they've given you.
They're giving you what you could do or what you
should do, or this is what I do and this
is how I approach how to get there.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
And it wasn't just art that you had and your disposal.
I mean you had a utility belt of players who
have to play with so much. So y'all were called
the fun Bunch, which I think it's one of the
best names that a group in the NFL has. Man,
How valuable was it to have that brotherhood because you
mentioned learning from players why you got to play with
some of the best. Ever, how valuable was that brotherhood
(29:50):
you had with the full months.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
That was actually great. I mean it kind of started
back the year that that Joe gibbson first year when
we're you know, players kind of joke with each other
and call people names and this, that and the other,
and tell you another story where part of it came from.
(30:13):
I don't know if you remember the name Terry Metcalf. Well,
Terry Metcalf and I would always call each other short
this and short that. He true enough, he was taller
than I am, and uh one of the one day
he called me a smurf. I said, smurf, when is that?
(30:35):
He said, you don't. You don't know what that is?
He says, go home and on Saturday morning, turn the
television on and you'll see these little blue people and
you'll you'll see what I'm talking about. I went home
and I did that. I came back and I gave
him his props. He said, Okay, that's that's a good one.
That's a good one. You got me on that one.
(30:55):
So that kind of stuck with me because I became
popa Smurf since I was the first Smurf, and then
Alvin and Charlie Brown were the other Smurfs, So we
learned from Charlie. Charlie got the long arms, came from
South Carolina State, and he does all the all the
the he can catch the ball as well. Then you
(31:17):
got Alvin, who is the shorter of the Smurfs, but
he he he did something on the field as well.
And then you know, you got Art of course, and
then Rick, because Rick Rick Rick was a he's he's
he's a guy to get things going, and uh, once
(31:41):
it gets going, it just takes off from there. Otis
Wansley was also part of the fun bunch. But you know,
we all we all poke fun at each other to
keep each other ready to play, and uh we we
did a good job of that, and we we kind
(32:03):
of came up with this, uh with this, Uh, I
don't want to call her a dance this uh.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
Whatever it is and celebration maybe.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Celebration can celebration and we we decided we were going
to break it out and uh we did and it
kind of took off. And but the one of the
things that happened is I can't remember who it was.
A scored first and we were supposed to come down
(32:34):
and do our celebration and person forgot. Happened again person forgot.
And then the third time we had an opportunity to jump,
and we you we jumped, and uh that that uh
that took off. That it really took off, and uh
(32:57):
the fans loved it, and we loved giving it to
the fans. So every time every time that we one
of one of the fun Munch members scored, it was
it was on. It was really on, and it was
it was a great time. It was a great time.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
And that is so special because when I hear people
like you talk about even Gary talk about it, Santana
Moss talk about your guys's height and your size during
that time, a five eight five nine receiver is not
really rare these days, right, Like you see guys all
different sizes play in that position, but back when you
did it, it was almost unheard of. Did you realize
(33:33):
what you were doing at that time? Because I feel
like guys like yourself who wore undersized receivers were real
pioneers for what the NFL looks like today? Did you
realize that in real time?
Speaker 5 (33:43):
Not really? I mean at that time, I really didn't
look at size in the NFL. It was only when
we were talking about each other, calling each other short,
that's the time I realized it. But you know, after
playing well, I think I believe we played bigger than
larger than life, bigger than life. Again, we were five
(34:04):
five seventy five eight one hundred and seventy eighty pounds
and we're not we're not big, but we could play
big and as long as I mean, Joe Gibbs gave
us the the the the the techniques and everything to use,
(34:27):
and we used it, and we practiced what we used
and it was it was great. I don't nowadays, I
don't know if if the guys are really practicing their fundamentals,
because fundamentals, they never get tired. The body of muscles
(34:52):
may tire, but the fundamentals never tire. So if you're
constantly working on your fundamentals, he could be first games,
third game, tenth game, playoffs. So whatever, those fundamentals don't change,
they don't get tired. You just work on it. You
just sharp, You just stay sharp with them if you
(35:15):
are disciplined enough to stay with it.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
And it's so rare where you have a team that
has so many different people that have that same mindset,
that same discipline. I talk to be Mentioned Gary about
it all the time, and I'm like, it just seems
so rare, Like normally you got maybe three or five
dogs on the team, But when you think about the
entire team being locked in like that, and clearly I
were locked and you end up getting that Super Bowl
in year two? What do you remember most about that run?
Speaker 5 (35:41):
What do I remember most? Actually, the the week of
that game, the week of the Super Bowl, we were
in the meeting offensive meeting and Coach Gibbs put the
(36:03):
offense up and we had to be in one position.
He called it an explode package where we would come
in in one position and then we'd break out into
a different location. So the defense had to adjust to us.
And that's all well, and fine, you have to adjust
(36:25):
to us, because one thing about what Coach Gibbs did
is there are always options from the options that the
defense gave you, and no matter where they were, they
were going to be wrong. And we knew it because,
like I said, that explode package the very first time,
(36:49):
we had no idea what it was, and then all
of a sudden we started doing it and it was like, oh, yeah,
this is going to be great, this is going to
be great. And it turned out to be turned out
to be great, Yeah, it did.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
I love hearing from all the legends when you guys
talk about these Super Bowl runs, because as many talented
people that were on the field on both sides of
the ball, you have all of these different groups, all
of you all speak most about the coach, about Coach
Gibs and how important he was to you guys and
your success. Do you think you find the level of
success that you found in your career without coach gives
(37:29):
you know?
Speaker 5 (37:29):
I don't. I don't think so, because if I go
back to my high school time, Mike, my high school
coach didn't yell or scream and holler or curse or this,
that and the other. So that was kind of built
into me all throughout, even even when I went to
(37:52):
junior college. Now that JUNI my junior college coach was
a he was a he was a yeller, but it
was a different time, so it's a it's an understood
kind of thing. And then when I left left a
junior college, went on went on the Troy UH. He
he wasn't a yellow or streamer either. So then to
(38:16):
come into to come into uh Washington, and I had
a coach like coach Gibb who was he was a
teacher also, and it's it's it's it's basically what I
needed because if I had a yeller and a streamer,
I don't believe I would have made it in the
(38:38):
NFL because that's that's I don't respond that way. I
don't respond to people yelling and screaming and this, that
and the other. That that part turns out to me
because there are ways to get information to someone and
yelling you hear it, but yelling and screaming it goes
(39:01):
in one ar or not the other. If someone is
talking to you and you hear it, you understand why
and they explain why, Oh y you get that you
want to you want to do whatever you can to
to make things the way they should be done.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
I'm so glad you put it like that because I
think that people miss how rare having a coach like
that is that knows how to connect and communicate with
so many different people, so many different personalities. And I
think that that's why I love hearing these coach give
stories so much. And you've accomplished so much in your
career on and off the field. But before I let
you go, there's one thing I wanted to highlight because
(39:43):
if I'm not mistaken, Troy puts you in their hall
of Fame. Correct your college?
Speaker 5 (39:48):
Actually, yes, Troy put me in after my hometown put
me in. My hometown put me in the hall of
fame first, and I guess sometimes.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
After that.
Speaker 5 (40:09):
My junior college and Troy put me in as well.
So I have been blessed by being put in the
hall of fame in my hometown, in my junior college,
uh and in Troy as well. And something that a
lot of people don't know, and I'll share it with
(40:33):
you is my hometown, Calquak County, Georgia, has an indoor
practice facility. And that indoor practice facility is named after
Ray Golf and myself. It is a phenomenal indoor practice
facility for a high school. Wow.
Speaker 3 (40:58):
That that means you had to have been one of
those ones, right, not just a great football player, but
a great man, because I don't think you get all
of these accolades, even post career, without being just an
amazing individual. So you have these super Bowls, your multiple
Hall of Fames, you have a facility named after you,
your hometown. When it's all set and done, years from now,
(41:18):
twenty thirty fifty years from now, how do you want
Virgil to be remembered?
Speaker 5 (41:25):
Well, I would say, I would say a person who
loved people. I would say a person who would try
to give the experience that I had to anyone who
(41:50):
would want to listen, anyone who needed any type of
pick me up. I share my my height, my height
is five whatever, and I'll say, hey, if I can
do it, you can do it. I mean, I'll share.
I'll share anything that I that can with with with
(42:12):
male female, and share my experiences. I would share a
thought of you can do it, And I do that
with like I said, anyone, whether whether I know you
or I don't.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
You know.
Speaker 5 (42:34):
Sometimes you, you can, you can, you can be around someone,
or you can you can walk up to someone, or
you can be near someone and you can sense that
they need some type of of encouragement of some kind
and a simple how you're doing, and they'll go into
(42:56):
whatever they they need and you you share, hears something
with him and it picks them up. And that me
picking them up makes my day. It makes me feel
a whole lot better if I can, if I can
make someone else happy.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
And those things are easy to say, right especially during
the interview, but not many people actually do it, and
I can truly say Commands Family, this is exactly who
he is. We met last weeknd and literally five seconds
into meeting Virgil, he is giving me game, telling me, yeah,
you gotta do this, like this, you gotta do this,
and man, it just that kind of energy, especially from
(43:37):
the legends. Man, it means so much to all of us. Virgil,
thank you so much. It's been so great talking to you.
We got to get you in the studio next time
because we know you're not far Command this family, our
next man, A true legend and a great man, Virgil Ce.
I appreciate you, sir, Oh, thank you, Thank you very much.
Thank command this family. We hope you enjoyed this episode
of Next Man Up. Remember you can stream all of
(43:59):
the Next Man of episod right now on the Commander's
YouTube page or the audio wherever you get your podcast.
Thank you so much for supporting the Next Man Up podcast.
You allowed us to be nominated for not one, but
two People's Choice Podcast Awards, Best Male Hosted and Best
Black Male Hosted Podcast. And that's all because of the
best fans in the NFL. I appreciate y'all so much
for supporting us. It's crazy to think we're already in
(44:20):
season three of Next Man Up and we have a
lot more to go. So make sure to subscribe to
the Commander's YouTube page so you don't miss any of
our content.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
I'm Brankovi Jr.
Speaker 3 (44:30):
And this is Next Man Up. This show was filmed
at the Big Bear AI Commands Interstudio. Big Bear AI
offers this is Ready AI for a rapidly evolving world,
proudly protecting the Washington Commanders and its fans.
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