It’s another stacked week on Next Man Up! Commanders rookie Johnny Newton joins the show to talk about his breakout year on the defensive line, what’s clicking for him in Year 2, and how the team is preparing for their primetime matchup against the Dallas Cowboys 💪🏾🔥
Then, Super Bowl Champion Joe Theismann stops by to reflect on his favorite memories at RFK Stadium, his journey to the Super Bowl, and what made Washington football so special during his era 🏆
From rising stars to franchise legends — this episode is all about the past, present, and future of the Washington Commanders.
👉 Tune in, subscribe, and stay locked in with your host Bryan Colbert Jr. for more inside access to the Burgundy & Gold!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I got say, man, my brother's to d room. I
feel like we're real close, like we we brothers, first cousins.
And I said it last year, so it's it's really true.
Even this year, I feel like we're even closer. With
the new additions Ken Law, Eddie uh Resting, Fine, everybody
just just fell right along to the I call it
(00:20):
the Webalism.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I love that. That's what we're gonna call this show, Theism.
The Next Mental Podcast is presented by Lansdown Resort from
kick Off to checking Score, game change, and get Away
in the heart of Loundess. Lansdown Resort proud partner of
the Washington Commanders Commander's Family. Our Next Man Up is
in year two of his NFL career with you would
(00:43):
think he's in like year five or six because of
the way he's been playing, because of how comfortable he looks,
because the way he's messed with his teammates. Welcome in
and my guy called him so Jermanda. Last time he
was with you on Next Man Up, Johnny knew.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
What my brother. How you feeling.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I'm good man, appreciate you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, I appreciate you taking time and you got the
LEGSI won you fresh out of practice, Man, you have
to go back into doing a whole bunch of stuff.
So you took the time to kick it. And it's funny, man,
I set it off the rit when I seen you
last time. We kicked it a Saturday of these ship.
You had the Wicks.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Man, you was brand.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
New, didn't even know what the league was gonna be. Like, Man,
what is this last year been.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Like for you?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Man? First off, like you said, the Wick's gonna had
to go to the beach. You're spinning down swimming. But
it's been great. I'm already adjusted to everything you're to
in our defense for this team. I just feel more
comfortable in a sense, just used to the floor of
the game and the brotherhood be gotten in this building.
(01:38):
It's our match. So it's a great feeling.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And you got really your true first NFL offseason, right
because like rookie is a whole nother thing. You got
the draft, got a combine, y'all just getting after it.
This is your full first off season, bro, How.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Was that alone? But because you won't be for more football, yeah,
you know, college, you get like a month off and
you're right back to the webalism, but yeah, it was long.
It felt good though. I worked real hard last year
coming off the injury to get myself back right, so
to be able to take some time off after a
long season, it felt good.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And we haven't gotten to really sit and wrap about,
like what it was like dealing with your injury. I
think with me and you sat the first time. I
don't even think I was fully aware that you were
dealing with the injury. Man, What was it like dealing
with that in real time?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Is a rookie bro?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Because mentally that can't be easy, right You a dominant athlete.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You want to be out on that field.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Man, How did you get through that process of healing
and getting back on the field?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Does everybody in the building. I always saw my bad
no matter what the days I was down, they coming
in and joking bringing a smile on my face. I
got said, man, my brother's to dlight room. I felt
like we're real close, like we brothers, first cousins in
that I said it last year, so it's really true.
Even this year, I feel like we're even closer. With
(02:52):
the new additions Kenlaw, Eddie Pressing, Vonn, everybody just just
felt right along to the I call it the Weibalism.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I love that. That's what we're gonna call this show.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
See what's your Vonn Man, it's not every day future
Hall of Famer pulls up into the building. He says, Hey,
you want to come be a part of this. You
had a lot to do with that. This defense jo
with Jr. Had a lot to do with that. What's
it been like lining up next to somebody I know
you grew up watching.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I grew up watching too.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Some of my friends would be like, bro, that's von Miller.
But you know, I gotta be like, that's just my
that's my teammate.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
That's all.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
We're here to put that work in. But when I
sit back and think about it, sometimes I'm like, man, no,
that's crazy. Like I was watching von in elementary and
he's still doing this thing for us now, So that's
a crazy thing. Vn brings a lot of knowledge, like
football wise, and I mean it shows on this film
his numbers they don't lie. So uh, it's a it's
(03:52):
a really cool thing to have him in there.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
And you mentioned that brotherhood y'all have with the defensive line,
but even with Javon being new. A lot of these
guys you mentioned being new, you got to do Warran' back,
you got to play with Doroan. I know it's took
a hand and just helping you figure things out as well,
because he's been through some of the things you've been through.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
What's it been like this year man, being a year
two guy?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Because rookie things, you know, people give you a little
bit of grace as a rookie, but.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Now you're in year two.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
But every single person I've talked to, I had Doron
and Javon on this show. They both showed you a
lot of love and just are amazed at how fast
you came along, because it's not easy to bounce back
from an injury like you did.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, for sure, paying that's my big brother. Like you said,
we've been kicking it since last year together. He'd been
showing me the way how to do it in a
way I want to say, he took me out of
his wing. That's I'm next behind him and in the game.
Whenever I mess up or whenever I do good, he'll
show me what I could do better. Uh, you know,
he got that vet experience. He hadn't been already. You
(04:45):
know what to do. He'd be calling all the players
before they happened. So Deroan, just a real vet side guy.
Moved moved dog Ken Long movedog By the same. He
didn't been there. He didn't want to gainst a lot
of these old linemen. We don't win again, so he'd
be breaking it down. I'll give a shout out to
Sheldon Day as well. Shoulton, that's my guy. We work
pre game, every game, we work pre practice, every practice,
(05:07):
just piece in the details to help me get better.
So all those guys, really, all the dtacles, we help
you try to crisp our game up because we want
to be the best in the league.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
And with all those veteran players that giving you advice
and all that. But I know you're taking the time
to watch your film too. What did you say coming
into this year that you wanted to accomplish? What did
Johnny Newton want to get out of this year? What
did you see last year? You said, you know what,
I need to work on that and get better.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Shit, I wanted to be able to stop that, Ryan.
I knew I could do that in college. I was
a I don't want to say a great run soccer
but I can hold my ground and a lot of
people feel like they doubted me in that aspect. So
just piecing out one thing out of time, being able
to stop the run, then going to rest your pastor
get my hands Chrispy, and then I'll be a complete detacle.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Hey man, you call yourself great? Man here we like
to say good things.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
So we can say great for sure, and as you
try to achieve greatness. Right we talked about all these
different coaches, is that you got to play with, it,
got to play under that have this NFL experience. You
weren't really sure what it was going to be like,
but you were very excited about getting to be in
the building with r.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
K On Sharif, Darryl Tapp, of course a guy like
Joe wid Jr.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Man, what has it been like now that you've gotten
a year under your beltment?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
How great has it been to learn from them? Oh? Man?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Like you said, them some coaches that got experienced in
the league. And I'm played a few snaps, so everything
they say, I'm all there, it's all yes. For Sharif,
I'll probably work with him a lot more than everybody else.
Me and him and Sheldon, we're pre practice. We've be
out there about thirty minutes early. Just like I said,
piece and other things together. Everybody see the outcome, but
(06:39):
I don't see the details that go into it. So those
guys helped me out. Coach Chap, the belief he put
in me is like not another And then Urk, I'm
when it come to past rush, who else but a
redskin commander and Washington football team. That's that guy right there.
So everything, URK say, I'm all theirs.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And you mentioned those details, and I think a lot
lot of people don't realize that it's not so much
the things you're doing on the field, all the work
you're putting you into, but you got to take the
time to rest right. And our partners at Landsdown Resort
want to know that you're putting that working on the field,
but also know that you take it that down time
to get yourself right.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
How does Johnny Newton spend its downtime?
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Man, kicking it like karate on that couch. Always come
in here, do some recovery, probably go fishing, sometimes chilling
with the guys. We do a lot of things together
the defensive line rooms, so man, a.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Lot you know what doron told me. When I asked that,
I mentioned to Von too. He said he spends his
downtime snowboarding. Did you realize he does that?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah? He told us. I ain't go snowboard. That ain't
that ain't me right now, but you try.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Javon said he's thinking about giving it a try.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Move too big for that, That's what I said, too
big for that.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Move that ground. Let's go hit like Thunder's gonna be
an apple damn.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
So okay, we say this, say Johnny, do they do it? No?
Snowboard it?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Johnny newan karate bike? That about it?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Well, Johnny, what thing you do very very well is
you get it done on that field. Like I said, man,
you are in year two and we've seen some ups
and downs, but our defensive line man has looked really
really strong. What's going right for y'all, especially for you
in year two of the system.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah, for sure. Our man thing is violence, physicality. That's
something coach whittingstalled on us Q installing us. They believed
that we could do it. We believe that we could
do it every day. We know what we're capable of.
So the last thing we want to do is take
over the game. As a defensive line, I feel like
that's our that's our standard, that's our goal. Being able
to stop the run consistently. No roller coasters, that's what
(08:42):
coach Chaps say. Just going out there and dominating on
a weekly basis rather than up down, up down, up down.
We know once we've been able to stop the run,
we know who the past rushers we got. That's what
we got those guys for us. So just coming in
there and shining it down on first and second down
so we could get the big dogs paid.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And when we talk about those highs and lows of
a season, right last year, you don't know what that's like.
Like we tend to think of all the good things
we're going to accomplish, all the great things that we're
going to be able to do in that field, but
it's hard to fathom the bad things that happen some
of the highs, some of the lows.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
How have you dealt with those lows? Right?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
It's easy to be good on those highs, but how
as a player, have you learned to deal with some
of those loads when things aren't always going right or
the way you expect it.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, for sure, you live and you learn the expectation
is the highest for sure, but you can't let those
loads take you down too low. You know, Like I said,
you learn from them, you digest it, and you move
on to the next week and those mistakes happen again.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And talk about moving on to that next week. Brother,
we got another set of back to backs. We're going
to be in Dallas taking on the Cowboys. You know,
now those NFCAS games get a little different, man. What
are you looking to get right in Dallas? And how
can we find success out there?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
For sure?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Just being us playing commander ball, getting to that ball
and taking that away. That's how we need to do
as a defense coach. What preachers that every week the ball,
the ball, ball, you know, every meaning we say, it's
about the ball. So and like I said, stopping that run.
They got a great running back, great offensive line, and
you know them divisional games, they get tough in them trenches.
(10:11):
So uh old line, dlon us doing our thing, holding
our ground, you know, and we'll see.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
You see you said it perfectly gets tough on those
trenches and those trenches really are being in enemy territory,
especially against a rival in NFC East rival. But one
thing we've seen all season is something that you probably
maybe never seen before you went to adult college. But
I don't know if you've ever seen a fan base
like the Commander is fan base? Bro, Like I look,
I think about l a bro. That felt like a
(10:40):
home game. I think about it.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I ain't know it was rocking like that, Bro, Like
that is crazy?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Man, How dope is that?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
As a player, man, to know, no matter where y'all at,
no matter where y'all were playing, even in Spain, we're
gonna have that Commanders fans.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Damn, you gonna have that family.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Then, man, indubitably.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Rocking and U.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I turned around, I said, godard him yelling. I was like, dang,
I ain't know where it's rocking like that. That's a
great fella, though, to be on the road have that
much fans behind our back. I'll call him the tough player.
So yeah, man, that that help out a lot. That
bring the juice once they get the yelling loud, that
make our energy go up. So we appreciate them.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Hey man, we appreciate y'all. Man, y'all putting that working
on the field. The fans would have pull up if
they ain't believe in y'all. Love y'all man, and that
my boy, Johnny. I appreciate you taking the time. Come man,
it's family. Our next man up. The guys in year
two we look a lot different sitting here now. Who
knows what he gonna look like a year three.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Four, five, six, and seven. Shout out to my god.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Next man up, Johnny Newton, appreciate you, brother, your man.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Yes, all right, we hope you are enjoying this episode.
The next man there, but real quick, we gotta pay
some bills now. 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?
You could take it easy, or you could use your
time to get better. In the US Army we think differently.
(12:02):
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.
How you spend it is up to you. It's your time.
The US Army Reserve Command is family back to the show.
(12:25):
Command is family for our next man up. This Washington
legend is extremely special. We got them in studio. We
didn't have to zoom in. He's a super Bowl champion
but also in an NFL MVP. It's an honor to
be here with greatness and welcome in Joe.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
This with joll you're doing, sir, good right, good to
be with you. Oh man, it is so great to
be with you. Now.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I was going to start with, you know, those first
four years of your pro career, but while we were
sitting here just talking, you mentioned Notre Dame in that
feel you mentioned in your life that you have these
feelings that if something feels right, you know that that's
where you're supposed to be. What felt right about Notre
Dame when you decided to take your college creative?
Speaker 3 (13:03):
You know, it was interesting. I visited five schools. I
narrowed it down to five schools, and I recommend this
to any seniors that are out there looking for colleges
as they go around. Don't overwhelm yourself with ten or
fifteen different places. Pick out the five you really think
I might appeal to you. It was Wake Forest, Notre Dame.
University of North Carolina, Penn State, and like I said,
North Carolina State. My high school coach was a backup
(13:27):
to Roman Gable and people will have to google his
name if you're too young, but he was a great
quarterback for the Rams, and of course at North Carolina State,
my high school coach was his backup. I thought, hey,
that's a great way to go to school. So I
initially signed at North Carolina State, never made a visit
to Notre Dame. Notre Dame contacted. Maybe because we were
an independent, I could go visit the school and if
(13:48):
I signed, I wouldn't lose a year of eligibility. The
rules were different then, so I wound up flying out
to Notre Dame. I walked around Rocky Blyer was my
chaperone and a guy named a Dan Harshman, and flew
back home to New Jersey. Got off the plane, my
father says, what do you think. I said, I have
to go to Notre Dame. He said why, I said, Dad,
it just feels right, And I believe this one hundred percent.
(14:09):
Your gut is a heck of a judge of a
lot of things in our lives. Quite often we sit
down and We analyze things and we overanalyze them, and
we either talk ourselves in it, into it or out
of it. But if you trust your gut, I think
the percentages are higher that things will work out okay.
And it did for me at the University of Notre Dame.
That's how I wound up there. You know, you and
I were sitting here talking about the facility we're in now.
(14:29):
What they've done here to the Commander's Park, it's amazing,
I think as a player in particular, because we're real finicky.
Players are really really good. You haven't found out, I'm sure,
but players are really finicky. Little things you wouldn't think
turn them on do And at times you say something big,
(14:50):
like you know all these other big things, they might
turn on. No, it's a little thing. Walking in this facility,
it's clean, it's classy, it's it's exciting. The changes they've made,
I think are when guys come in here, I think
they look at the place and they go, man, this
is professional, this is first class. This is something that
(15:11):
i'd like to be a part of. And so the
visual part of what you see when you walk into
the commander facility, it lights the flame. It sort of
turns the pilot light up just a little bit more,
and then you get into the organization, the opportunities and
the other things that are available to you. But just
being here and seeing the things that have been done
are just magnificent, and that wasn't always the case.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I'm thinking interesting that you bring that up and that
you point that out, because that's something that feels kind
of new around here, the pride and the facilities, the
way that things have changed, the way that free agents
have come in and looked. We spoke to Debo last
week and he talked about being so happy here. So
that feels different, right, And you've gotten to see the change, right,
You've gotten to see when.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
It wasn't like that.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
How much pride do you have knowing how much you
did in the Burgney and Gold seeing those changes happen.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Now in real time we were in an older facility.
I'm excited for I'm excited for the guys. I'm excited
for the people that are in the building. I'm excited
for the people that come to work every day that
don't put a uniform on, but that are a part
of the organization. I'm excited for them too. But It's funny.
You can change the people, you can change the coaches,
you can change the players, but if you're coming to
(16:19):
the same facility all the time, it's sort of a
bit of a drag, to be honest with you. It's like, Okay,
everything's different, not really, isn't you know. You think it's different,
But the personnel is different, the coaches are different, the
front office may be a little different, but you're still
coming into that same building. Now it's gone, it's absolutely gone.
(16:40):
And that's why I'm so excited about you know, hopefully
you know when the new stadiums built, everything, what it's
going to look like for everybody, for the fans. The
fans have been so loyal for so many years, and
last year, I think all that frustration was finally let
out and we were rewarded with an incredible season. And
we have incredible challenges ahead of us in this one.
You know, we don't want to be a one year
(17:01):
wonder as a football team. You never want to be
a one year wonder as anybody. I don't care what
business you're and you just don't want to have it.
Oh it's great, and all of a sudden, you want
enough of the year. We've dealt with the year. We've
enough of that, right.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Well, one thing I know didn't make anybody go yok,
And that's something that I know made you very, very
proud and happy. Was that RFK news when you heard it,
when you found out that they would be honoring history
in that way. Because that's really what you're doing, right,
You're honoring history and the people that played before. Man,
what does that mean to you when you heard that
news for the first time?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
I thought the first thing I thought of, It's going
to connect the old and the new. It's going to
connect the people that have grown up knowing what the
Redskins were at RFK Stadium, and it's going to give
it a chance to what the commanders are now, to
be able to sort of not be in the house
but have their own house in the same neighborhood. And
you know, what does your house look like? Well, I
(17:53):
grew up just down the road a little bit. Yeah,
but I'm in a new house now and it's exciting
and it's fun, and I think the people I think
it's going to be it's is.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
There anything from the old glory where you as a
player you're like, you know, what we need to have
that back in here. I remember Ricky Irvins coming in
and talking about certain things, like when he saw from
the outside, he wasn't really impressed.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Then when he got out impressed, he's like, it was
so right simple.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
As soon as he walked through that tunnel and saw
the fans bouncing up and down, the rocking of it,
he said, there was nothing quite like it. Do you
have anything that you think about when you walked into
RFK that stood out to you and you said, you
know what, I would love to see that again in
this modern era.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
What I thought about was when visiting teams came in,
they don't want to be here. You know, I'd rather
play any place else, but I don't want to be here.
And I talked to a lot of guys that were
on different teams and they said it was the toughest
place to play. The proximity of the fans to the field,
there's a closeness that you get as a player to them,
and yet as an opposing player, it's like it's annoying.
(18:54):
They're real close, They're too close for comfort. And that
that warmth, that feel, I think is so vital and
important from a player's perspective, as well as the fans.
You know they're right there. The energy is right there.
And if you don't think that people live off of
energy as players, you're wrong. We live off the energy
of the fans. When they're down, we're just sort of cruising.
(19:17):
When they're rocking and rolling, our level goes up as well.
You can't fight human nature, that's the whole. That's what
life's all about. You get excited, people around you get excited,
or if people around you're excited, you can't help but
get excited. And that's the way it was for us.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You think about those moments with those fans, those exciting,
energetic moments, there's probably so many that stand out to you.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
One would you take here? Okay? Then here? What's that one? One?
In particular, because people have asked me, I said, what's
the most memorable game you ever played in? Assuming it
would be the super Bowl? And certainly it was memorable.
I mean winning Super Bowl seventy was an incredible experience
for us, But it was in Pasadena, California. It was
in front of one hundred thousand people. It wasn't in
(19:58):
front of our fans. They weren't our people in that
stadium the NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys, and
get goosebumps telling the story. I always do. I don't
know why I always get these goosebumps, but it was,
you know, I remember standing at the end of that game.
I remember standing on the sidelines and they brought in
these like aluminum seats to make the stadium seating a
(20:19):
little bit bigger, and everybody was pounding their feet on
these seats, pounding them and literally I'm standing on the
sidelines watching the end of that game. As you know,
Dallas is trying to come back. I'm standing and the
ground beneath my feet is actually shaking. You could you
could feel the vibrations through the ground. Standing on the sidelines.
I'm going this is unreal. And to me, that is
(20:40):
the game that stands out in my mind as the
game that I remember the most. Like I say, it's
almost impossible to think higher than a Super Bowl, but
that game was for me. It was It was my
football career and moment because it was our fans against
our rival with an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl.
All the chips were on the table, everything was there
(21:02):
for us. To be able to seize the opportunity, and
we did. But we didn't do it alone. We did
it with the fans as well.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
That's so interesting you say that, because every legend that
sat here has talked about the fans in that capacity
in some type of way. Talk about the way that
even after losses, you guys would fly in and fans
would be lined.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Up out there, like y'all are the Beatles. Yeah, I know.
We wouldn't get in early. I'll tell you, it'd be
at like two, three, four o'clock in the morning and
there'd be people with signs and everything else. It's like, man,
don't you ever sleep?
Speaker 2 (21:37):
That has to make you feel a certain level of
pride for what we're doing, right, You feel wanted. And
I got to imagine, like, there's so many legends out
here that stayed in this area, right, or at least
spend most of the time in this area, because you
guys aren't from here, just like me, I'm not from here.
But we have decided to make this place home where
the fans. The reason that you said, you know what,
this is going to be home for me. This is
(21:58):
going to be a place I always rock with matter
all the different places I've been. This is going to
be something special. That's what a lot of guys are saying.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I'm gonna be honest with you. Okay, When I played,
there wasn't free agency. Where was I gonna go, right,
It's like, you know, it would have been nice to
be I'll get a bigger contract, maybe going someplace. Now,
guys move all over the place they haven't. They have
a residence, they have a home, but then they rent
someplace else and they live someplace else. But when we
played back in you know, the eighties and in early
(22:26):
late seventies and eighties, it was a time and a
place where you really had to play your ass off.
We all grew up together, all the guys on the
team and our families, well, we all stayed together. We
hung together. You know. It's interesting. I think the Giants,
friends of mine with the Giants, friends of mine with
the forty nine ers, friends of mine with the Cowboys,
(22:47):
friends of you know guys that I played with here
those four cities in particular, you see the guys still
living where they lived when they played. Like I said,
we really didn't have an option to go someplace else.
There wasn't free agent and sey available to us to
be able to move somewhere else. So you basically grew
up in an area with everybody else, and you grew
up with the fans that knew you. You know, I
(23:09):
played twelve years here. I was very fortunate to play
for one franchise, one in Canada, and you know, twelve
years down here, and so you really become a part
of the community. I mean, it wasn't just. It wasn't
just you were a football player. You were a neighbor,
you were a friend, you were a guy taking the
kids to schoolday the crossing guards. Are you doing high?
(23:30):
How are you? Yeah, Joe, I had one situation happened
when early on, when we weren't doing well. It was
like I think eighty, I pulled up to a gas
station to put some gas in my car, and you know,
when things aren't going well, when people are like this,
and the guy would be, hey, aren't you Joe with
the heisman. First thing you think is, yeah, that's pretty clearly.
(23:50):
He says, you know what you lost in yet? Yeah,
he says, pump your own gas fair enough? Was he serious? Yes,
he was serious? Yeah, Oh yeah. The fans take this
game serious hereties. Definitely take it seriously.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
And it's been really cool to see a resurgence, if
you will, yeah, of this fan base. Because you're talking
about getting at two three am. We're seeing fans waiting
for us when we get into two or three am. Now,
it's been kind of wild to see that difference. As
somebody that has seen the great has seen the not
so good, it now sees that return to greatness. When
(24:25):
you look at this team, what Dan Quinn, what Adam
Peters have kind of done. Now, are you feeling parallels
of similarities to the success and those Super Bowl teams
that you.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Got to be a part of initially, Yes, but the
sustainability is so important. You can't be a flash in
the pan. You can't be a one year wonder, you know.
And that's what that's what I believe they're building here
is consistency. We have veterans on this football team. We
have a lot of youth on this football team. I
think Adam and Dan have both put together an interesting
(24:56):
combination the way the football team is blended far as
the experience, the youth, of the rawness of some of
the players. You know, just you, how do you make
it work. You know, how do you put all those
ingredients in a mixer and come up with a beautiful cake?
Is basically what it's boiled down to. I think we
have a challenge this year because we earn the right
(25:18):
to play better football team, We earn the right to
have a tougher schedule, we earn the right to travel overseas. See,
the young guys don't know I'll be going to Madrid.
I'll be in Madrid for our game there. So it's
but now you're playing. Now you're playing three thirty afternoon games.
Now you're playing Sundays. Now you're playing Monday, Now you're
(25:38):
playing Thursday. And it takes an adjustment for an individual
to be able to understand how to take care of
their body. How do you get your mind right for
the travel, how do you handle the travel? You know,
these are all things that Dan has to consider, and
they have to consider the travel of the young guys.
The veterans pretty much settled that I know what I'm
going to do, I know my routine. You guys have
(26:00):
to find it. So again, that's part of the learning
process when you put a football team together like we have.
I mean, we had We had so many guys coming
in from so many different places a year ago, and
all the pieces fit. And then the one thing that
I remind people of is our last five six games
last year. We're all nail binders. We wound up on
the right side of all of them. And is that
(26:20):
going to happen every year? Probably not. You just don't
roll the dice and come up seven all the time.
So this is this is where we go through injuries.
How healthy can we stay? How healthy can we be
in the offensive line, How healthy can we be at
the linebacker position, the safety position. So it's there's a
lot of factors that go into what this football team
(26:41):
is going to be able to accomplish going forward. But certainly,
you know, the fans are back. I mean, they've been
so starred for so long, it's two decades. We would
start it would be like, okay, we've won the first
three out of the first five, and then all of
a sudden something would happen and it would start to
go south. And then all of a sudden, soon as
it goes south, the first thing is go, oh, no,
(27:02):
here we go again. Yeah, oh, we don't want that back.
And I don't see that with this football team. I
think this football team is building to be something special.
And Joe, you've reached the pinnacle.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
You've gotten to the very very top, and you talk
about how hard it is to sustain that. So when
you think back in the day after you won your
Super Bowl, did you have that mindset where it's like, oh, man,
I got to do this again or oh I got
to keep this same success.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
Did you go through that as a player, And if
you did, how did you deal with that? I see,
I love the game. It wasn't about necessarily the success.
It was the love of the game. I love playing
the game. I remember an offensive lineman one saying, you
may love the game, but the game doesn't love you
because you see guys, Guys get hurt. That's part of
the game, unfortunately, but that's not the love that you're
(27:46):
going to get from the game. That's one of those
unfortunate things that happens. And for me, I just loved
playing football. You know, as soon as the season was over,
I was back here in two weeks throwing the ball around.
Jay Burnetti, who happens the equipment director for the San
Francisco forty nine ers to this day, still Jay Bird,
and I would go out and throw. Then I didn't
(28:07):
want any of the guys. You know, the guys weren't around.
It was too darn cole, to be honest with you.
But it would be late January and February. I'd be
out throwing the ball around. I loved playing football. That's
why I was a punt returner. That's why I spent
my first two years here as a punt returner. Just
give me a chance to get my hand on the
ball and have some fun. And that's the way I
looked at it, and I think I think you can
see it when you talk about Debo talking about being
(28:29):
here feels great. He smiles, He enjoys. It's that's the key,
is to be able to love the game, love what
you're doing, have fun doing it, make it something exciting,
look forward to it every day. And for me, that's
what it was, you know. And we got better and better,
and we got more efficient in our offense, you know,
(28:50):
the first eight Yeah, I remember, we coach kids, got
here in eighty one, we go to Super Bowl. At
eighty two eighty three, were the highest scoring team in
the history of football. Forward back to the playoffs, I
mean we started to build going forward and then he
sustained that with different people going for ten to eleven years.
And it's just finding the right pieces in the right places.
(29:11):
As you know, as somebody gets a little older and
you transition somebody in now they have to do the job.
But like I said, the veteran leadership is very important
in the locker room. The youthful enthusiasm is important on
the field to be able to have the skill set
to be able to do the things you need to do.
And I think we're building a blend here that I
(29:31):
think is very, very sustainable.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
And Joe, when I think about you talking about that
love for the game, and I'm trying to wonder where
that derives from. Does having that CFL stint? Does having
to be a returner? Does having those feelings of when
you first got into the league, I just want the ball,
I just want to show you all what I could do.
Does that add to that love of the game for
you and why you were out here ten degree Whether
(29:55):
throw it a football because we all know how.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
COVID it is, it can get cold. Absolutely yeah, I
think so. I think it really was just so when
I was a kid I'll never freak. There was a headline,
like when I made the decision to go to the
University of Notre Dame, there was a headline in a
newspaper that said, thighs wmen will get killed. Actually I
was Joe Thiesman at that time. But these men will
get killed at Notre Dame. And I'm a prideful individual.
(30:20):
You can call it spie, you can call it pride,
whatever you want to, but don't ever tell me I
can't do something. And what I did was is I
took that comment and I channeled it into a belief
that if I worked hard enough, I could accomplish the
things that I wanted to accomplish, I would be able
to be a part of something. Validation is very important
(30:41):
to people. You agree, yes, it is. So when I
was at the in high school, we were undefeated and
we were really good, and so that was a validation.
Then I went to college and I played against the
University of Southern California that had a lot of guys
going to the pros. When I was in college, I
graduated at one hundred and eighty five five pounds. I
went to school at one seventy two. I wasn't the
(31:03):
biggest I was, You're not going to confuse me with
Josh Allen. One bet? Okay? One bit. So when I
went to school, When I went to school, you know,
was I good enough to play? Could I validate my
abilities against players that were going on to the NFL?
And then when I got here with Washington to me
the Dallas Cowboys, I felt like We're a barometer. Could
(31:24):
I play against them? Could I play well against them?
If I did, it was a validation of Okay, I
belong It's like I've been always, I guess, chasing. It's interesting,
I've always been chased in that sense of belonging. Do
I belong here? Am I good enough to be here? Now?
What do I need to do to be able to
sustain myself to be here, to be good enough to
(31:46):
be able to compete? And then fortunately, you know, the
quarterback position is the single most depending position on a field.
I mean, you think the line doesn't block receivers, don't
catch Ask the Buffalo Bills about kickers not making kicks.
I mean thirty percent, thirty percent of the games are
decided by three points or less. Now you know, I
don't care how many how far people are ahead is
always down to that last possession or a kick, and
(32:08):
so you know, you think about that position. You have
to do your job, but so many other people have
to do theirs to have the success that we've had
here in the past.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And when you have that yearning for longing because you
said you wanted to belong, a lot of times that
void is never filled, right. A lot of times that
void there's nothing we could do to fill that void
and really fix that thing that we're missing, that we
thought were missing.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Did you ever get to.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
A point in your career where you're saying, okay, I
belong here. Was it seeing the fans? Was it winning
that what was it given the MVP? Did you ever
truly feel that I need to belong void?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
I don't think I ever fully. I don't think i've
you know, fulfilled it yet I still think you keep
searching for that, you know, whatever whatever you need to
get you to the next level. For me, it was
a sense of belonging as a I want to be
the best dad. As a partner, I want to be
the best partner. As a husband, I want to be
the best husband. I want to be the best friend.
(33:06):
You know, so there's that belonging that you want to
be in that group of really special people to someone,
and so that that never it's never left me. It's it's, uh,
you know, I just constantly want to belong. I feel
I want to feel like I've done the right thing
and do the right job. And the other thing I've
learned is is we're not put on this earth to
be served. There was a point in my career where
(33:28):
I felt like, you know, I'm Joe Thiason, I'm a
quarterback the Washington Redskins. I'm a super Bowl champion, I'm
an MVP, I'm all that kind of stuff. Felt pretty
high falutin. And then after my leg got broken, my
whole perspective of life changed and people will say, oh,
what a tragedy it was you broke You're like, now,
I was divine intervention. Wow, you think the Good Lord
saw me going down the path and he said, you
(33:48):
know what, if you're not smart enough to take care
of it, I'll help you. He didn't have to. He
could have called I could have gave you some other Hello, Joe,
this is the Lord. You better straighten up. Oh yeah, sure, okay,
I got you. Yeah, I got you. No, he said,
he decides to send a two hundred and thirty five
pound messenger by the name of Lawrence. But it really
it changed the perspective of my life to understand it's
(34:09):
all about people. It's all about relationships, and that's what
we build. That's what you're building here on a team.
You know you can you look at the most talent
I think of the Lakers just over the last three
four years, very talented, but not real cohesive, right. You know,
you can take the most talented group of people and
put them together, but unless they want to play together,
unless they live together, unless they grow together, you're not
(34:33):
going to be successful. You can take a less talented
group of people and have more success if they care
about one another and they want to take care of
one another and they want to protect one another. That's
a tough that's a tough group to be in any element.
And so for me, I learned that we're not put
on this earth to be served. We're here to serve others,
and anything we can do to help someone be better
(34:54):
at what they do is my reward. If I can
help somebody through my speeches, if somebody comes, he says,
you know, you've opened my eyes to some things that's
very gratifying. Through the experiences of my life. Maybe there's
something that can help you make your life better.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
And that's why we love having the legacyre on Next
Man Up because it's fun to talk football, but it's
that life stuff. Is that perspective that really makes a difference.
And you mentioned divine intervention with that injury, and I
know that's a very mature way of looking at it,
and I'm sure that wasn't the way you looked at
it in the moment, because you're still the Joe Feisman.
In that moment, I'm invincible, You're the man.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
That's the thing. Is the thing about our game, it's
it's not the ego. You have to take an invincible
approach to it to be able to survive at this level.
Right If you don't think you're invincible, if you don't
think you can play here, you may as well get out.
I have young guys come up to me and say,
I'm thinking about a career maybe in television or radio
after well, you just started one step out the door.
(35:56):
You can't think about that. The competition is too tough
on your own team. The competition is too tough in
the league. You have to be totally focused. This is
why I love the game of golf. You take one
moment away from focus on a golf course and that
ball is so in some place you don't want it
to go exactly. And for me that you have to
be focused and you have to be intent on saying, Okay,
(36:17):
I'm going to be the best at this, and then
you can, like in the offseason, you can dabble on
some other things. I always used to look at football
in my perspective as the axle of a wheel. I
know that I know that sooner or later the game's
going to end. For me, I'm going to wind up
not playing. The game didn't go out the way I
thought I would, But at some point I was thirty
five years old, I was getting close to the end.
(36:39):
So what becomes the spokes in your life? For me,
it was my restaurant. For me, it was television, it
was movies, it was speeches, it was other things that
I got myself involved in. I remember guys telling me
when Coach Gibbs left the game and came back after
you got into NASCAR, really heavy. He was a different guy.
(36:59):
Was it was a different The intensity was there, but
there was something about him that was different. I think
sometimes we need a distraction from that intensity that we
have to be able to give our minds a chance
to relax on something else. It's funny, how many ideas
have you had. I say this to everybody out there.
You step in a shower, Okay, you've had a heck
(37:20):
of a day. You step in the shower, you're taking
a shower. All of a sudden, does your mind not
become clear? Yeah? For sure. You start thinking. You start
thinking of things that are different than you spent the
entire day doing. It's that moment where you find reflection.
And so for me it was, like I said, I
think it was. You know, the focus has had to be.
Like I tell guys, man, if you're thinking about when
(37:40):
the game is over, I mean you're taking the wrong approach.
Think about the game today and then a little bit
in the off season of some of the things you
want to do. But right now you're playing ball. It's
all ball.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
And while you're locked in on that and you're so
focused on what you're doing, then the injury comes that
forces you to immediately almost cold turkey like have to
sit there and reflect and think how many years? How
much time did it truly take Joe Thosman to say,
get to this point right, because you're at a point
of piece now you're at a point of where you've
been able to reflect it all that, but in real
time that takes some time. How much time did it
(38:13):
take you to get to this point where you were
at peace with saying, okay, I could let this game
go that I've loved my entire life.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
It's funny you ask. I threw defensive drills for teams
until I was fifty years old, So you want to
say fifteen years I never gave the dream up. I did.
Bobby Bethurs was out in San Diego, Belichick was in Cleveland.
Brian Billick was with the Ravens. I mean, these are
all teams that I actually went when I was covering them.
(38:42):
During games, I would go out and throw defensive drills. Wow.
I was still wanted to come back, but I just
couldn't move. I got you know, the right leg was
a power leg. I just didn't have the power. I
couldn't move. I could. I moved well enough to be
able to do the things in drills. But I would
say for me emotionally, a couple of years, I went
from being Joe thisman to citizen thighsman, you know, just
(39:07):
a guy, just a guy, okay. And that's the adjustment
you make from being the notoriety and everything else and
just being humble enough to be able to say, what
a great run it was. Now there's other aspects of
my life I want to explore, and other aspects of
my life I need to grow in. Just like I
grew in football, I want to grow in other aspects
(39:28):
of my life.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Actually, I talk to you forever, and there's so many
things that I could learn from.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
There's so many things that this NFL can learn from.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Right now, a guy that we currently have a quarterback
in Jayie Daniels can learn from.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
He is following in your footsteps and closing.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
When you watch what Jayan Daniels has accomplished in just
such a short amount of time, the way he's been
able to bring this fan base back, even some of
these legends back. How much pride do you have seeing
a quarterback being able to do some of those things
that you were able to do to help lead us
to that promised land.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Since I got hurt in eighty five, I think there
been forty three different starting quarterbacks. Wow, and you know
that over and yeah, it's just every year. I mean,
if you take a look at look at the starting
quarterbacks that have played for the Washington Redskins slash Commanders,
the number is unbelievable. Whether it's one game or a season.
I mean, sustainability is what's important. I want Jayden to
(40:19):
be here, not for a great year, last year or this.
I want him to be here for ten years. I
want him to lead this football team. Hopefully he stays healthy.
I know he's coming back this week, which is great,
but you know, the big key is being able to
stay healthy enough to be able to sustain the growth
that you have to have at the position. I love
everything about them. I love the person, the man, the
(40:39):
man I appreciate so much, the work ethic, the desire
to be good, not good great, the desire to be great,
to understand how to lead a group of men, to
understand how to really lead a fan base. He has
all that. Such an engaging personality. You know, I've never
seen anybody like him. He's out on the field during
a game standing over by a defensive huddle and smiling.
(41:05):
It's just you know, he's just got Hey, how are
you having a pretty good day, aren't we? Yeah, I'm
sorry we're beating on the daylight, Chaddie, But hey, what
can I tell you? It's okay. It's like, you know,
his personality is infectious, it really is. And his I
think his leadership is that way as well. And that's
that love for the game, that love for the game
it is that you have. It wants to be He
doesn't want to be good. It MutS to be great,
(41:25):
and that there's a difference. Being good is collecting a paycheck.
Being great is doing something special. And that's exactly what
you did. Joe.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Thank you so much for taking the time to pull
up here. Thank you so much for this everything you've
done on and off the field.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
And you mentioned that sense of belonging.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I know, amazing father, amazing husband, I'm sure, but you
belong here always just knowing this building, in this area
you belong.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
These fans love you so much, man.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
We appreciate so much that you did, and we're just
so happy that you're still around to be able to
talk to us, tell us these stories, to spend time
with a Joe hope, this is the first of many
sit down to me and you get to have.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
I was very to be a part of something very special.
You know. Coach Gibbs was an incredible band. Coach Allen
brought me here to Washington. Coach Party gave me the
chance to play, and Coach Gibbs gave me a chance
to be in a system that allowed a lot of
us to be able to enjoy a lot of success
and have the fans be so involved in them.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Well, listen, you earned all of that. You did the work.
You didn't have the easy road, but you made it there. Joe,
thank you so much. Commanders fan, you our Next Man Up,
super Bowl champion, the League MVP, one of the best
to ever do in Thatt Burgley and Gold. Joe thatisman, Joe,
thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Thank you, Commands family.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Next Man Up.
You could stream all of the Next Man Up episodes,
even last seasons, on the Commander's YouTube page, or stream
the audio wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
We appreciate the love so much.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
We will see y'all Monday night for some prime time
action against the Chicago Bears. Make sure to do what
y'all do best, show up and show out for our
commanders until next week is next Man up.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I'm your host, Brian Coole, with you what you can say?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Scrapping so nice.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Gotta hear her, It's fright
I got say, man, my brother's to d room. I
feel like we're real close, like we we brothers, first cousins.
And I said it last year, so it's it's really true.
Even this year, I feel like we're even closer. With
the new additions Ken Law, Eddie uh Resting, Fine, everybody
just just fell right along to the I call it
(00:20):
the Webalism.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I love that. That's what we're gonna call this show, Theism.
The Next Mental Podcast is presented by Lansdown Resort from
kick Off to checking Score, game change, and get Away
in the heart of Loundess. Lansdown Resort proud partner of
the Washington Commanders Commander's Family. Our Next Man Up is
in year two of his NFL career with you would
(00:43):
think he's in like year five or six because of
the way he's been playing, because of how comfortable he looks,
because the way he's messed with his teammates. Welcome in
and my guy called him so Jermanda. Last time he
was with you on Next Man Up, Johnny knew.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
What my brother. How you feeling.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
I'm good man, appreciate you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well, I appreciate you taking time and you got the
LEGSI won you fresh out of practice, Man, you have
to go back into doing a whole bunch of stuff.
So you took the time to kick it. And it's funny, man,
I set it off the rit when I seen you
last time. We kicked it a Saturday of these ship.
You had the Wicks.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Man, you was brand.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
New, didn't even know what the league was gonna be. Like, Man,
what is this last year been.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Like for you?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Man? First off, like you said, the Wick's gonna had
to go to the beach. You're spinning down swimming. But
it's been great. I'm already adjusted to everything you're to
in our defense for this team. I just feel more
comfortable in a sense, just used to the floor of
the game and the brotherhood be gotten in this building.
(01:38):
It's our match. So it's a great feeling.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And you got really your true first NFL offseason, right
because like rookie is a whole nother thing. You got
the draft, got a combine, y'all just getting after it.
This is your full first off season, bro, How.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Was that alone? But because you won't be for more football, yeah,
you know, college, you get like a month off and
you're right back to the webalism, but yeah, it was long.
It felt good though. I worked real hard last year
coming off the injury to get myself back right, so
to be able to take some time off after a
long season, it felt good.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And we haven't gotten to really sit and wrap about,
like what it was like dealing with your injury. I
think with me and you sat the first time. I
don't even think I was fully aware that you were
dealing with the injury. Man, What was it like dealing
with that in real time?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Is a rookie bro?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Because mentally that can't be easy, right You a dominant athlete.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You want to be out on that field.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Man, How did you get through that process of healing
and getting back on the field?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Does everybody in the building. I always saw my bad
no matter what the days I was down, they coming
in and joking bringing a smile on my face. I
got said, man, my brother's to dlight room. I felt
like we're real close, like we brothers, first cousins in
that I said it last year, so it's really true.
Even this year, I feel like we're even closer. With
(02:52):
the new additions Kenlaw, Eddie Pressing, Vonn, everybody just just
felt right along to the I call it the Weibalism.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I love that. That's what we're gonna call this show.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
See what's your Vonn Man, it's not every day future
Hall of Famer pulls up into the building. He says, Hey,
you want to come be a part of this. You
had a lot to do with that. This defense jo
with Jr. Had a lot to do with that. What's
it been like lining up next to somebody I know
you grew up watching.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I grew up watching too.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Some of my friends would be like, bro, that's von Miller.
But you know, I gotta be like, that's just my
that's my teammate.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
That's all.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
We're here to put that work in. But when I
sit back and think about it, sometimes I'm like, man, no,
that's crazy. Like I was watching von in elementary and
he's still doing this thing for us now, So that's
a crazy thing. Vn brings a lot of knowledge, like
football wise, and I mean it shows on this film
his numbers they don't lie. So uh, it's a it's
(03:52):
a really cool thing to have him in there.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
And you mentioned that brotherhood y'all have with the defensive line,
but even with Javon being new. A lot of these
guys you mentioned being new, you got to do Warran' back,
you got to play with Doroan. I know it's took
a hand and just helping you figure things out as well,
because he's been through some of the things you've been through.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
What's it been like this year man, being a year
two guy?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Because rookie things, you know, people give you a little
bit of grace as a rookie, but.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Now you're in year two.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
But every single person I've talked to, I had Doron
and Javon on this show. They both showed you a
lot of love and just are amazed at how fast
you came along, because it's not easy to bounce back
from an injury like you did.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, for sure, paying that's my big brother. Like you said,
we've been kicking it since last year together. He'd been
showing me the way how to do it in a
way I want to say, he took me out of
his wing. That's I'm next behind him and in the game.
Whenever I mess up or whenever I do good, he'll
show me what I could do better. Uh, you know,
he got that vet experience. He hadn't been already. You
(04:45):
know what to do. He'd be calling all the players
before they happened. So Deroan, just a real vet side guy.
Moved moved dog Ken Long movedog By the same. He
didn't been there. He didn't want to gainst a lot
of these old linemen. We don't win again, so he'd
be breaking it down. I'll give a shout out to
Sheldon Day as well. Shoulton, that's my guy. We work
pre game, every game, we work pre practice, every practice,
(05:07):
just piece in the details to help me get better.
So all those guys, really, all the dtacles, we help
you try to crisp our game up because we want
to be the best in the league.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
And with all those veteran players that giving you advice
and all that. But I know you're taking the time
to watch your film too. What did you say coming
into this year that you wanted to accomplish? What did
Johnny Newton want to get out of this year? What
did you see last year? You said, you know what,
I need to work on that and get better.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Shit, I wanted to be able to stop that, Ryan.
I knew I could do that in college. I was
a I don't want to say a great run soccer
but I can hold my ground and a lot of
people feel like they doubted me in that aspect. So
just piecing out one thing out of time, being able
to stop the run, then going to rest your pastor
get my hands Chrispy, and then I'll be a complete detacle.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Hey man, you call yourself great? Man here we like
to say good things.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
So we can say great for sure, and as you
try to achieve greatness. Right we talked about all these
different coaches, is that you got to play with, it,
got to play under that have this NFL experience. You
weren't really sure what it was going to be like,
but you were very excited about getting to be in
the building with r.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
K On Sharif, Darryl Tapp, of course a guy like
Joe wid Jr.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Man, what has it been like now that you've gotten
a year under your beltment?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
How great has it been to learn from them? Oh? Man?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Like you said, them some coaches that got experienced in
the league. And I'm played a few snaps, so everything
they say, I'm all there, it's all yes. For Sharif,
I'll probably work with him a lot more than everybody else.
Me and him and Sheldon, we're pre practice. We've be
out there about thirty minutes early. Just like I said,
piece and other things together. Everybody see the outcome, but
(06:39):
I don't see the details that go into it. So those
guys helped me out. Coach Chap, the belief he put
in me is like not another And then Urk, I'm
when it come to past rush, who else but a
redskin commander and Washington football team. That's that guy right there.
So everything, URK say, I'm all theirs.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And you mentioned those details, and I think a lot
lot of people don't realize that it's not so much
the things you're doing on the field, all the work
you're putting you into, but you got to take the
time to rest right. And our partners at Landsdown Resort
want to know that you're putting that working on the field,
but also know that you take it that down time
to get yourself right.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
How does Johnny Newton spend its downtime?
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Man, kicking it like karate on that couch. Always come
in here, do some recovery, probably go fishing, sometimes chilling
with the guys. We do a lot of things together
the defensive line rooms, so man, a.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Lot you know what doron told me. When I asked that,
I mentioned to Von too. He said he spends his
downtime snowboarding. Did you realize he does that?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah? He told us. I ain't go snowboard. That ain't
that ain't me right now, but you try.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Javon said he's thinking about giving it a try.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Move too big for that, That's what I said, too
big for that.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Move that ground. Let's go hit like Thunder's gonna be
an apple damn.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
So okay, we say this, say Johnny, do they do it? No?
Snowboard it?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Johnny newan karate bike? That about it?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Well, Johnny, what thing you do very very well is
you get it done on that field. Like I said, man,
you are in year two and we've seen some ups
and downs, but our defensive line man has looked really
really strong. What's going right for y'all, especially for you
in year two of the system.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah, for sure. Our man thing is violence, physicality. That's
something coach whittingstalled on us Q installing us. They believed
that we could do it. We believe that we could
do it every day. We know what we're capable of.
So the last thing we want to do is take
over the game. As a defensive line, I feel like
that's our that's our standard, that's our goal. Being able
to stop the run consistently. No roller coasters, that's what
(08:42):
coach Chaps say. Just going out there and dominating on
a weekly basis rather than up down, up down, up down.
We know once we've been able to stop the run,
we know who the past rushers we got. That's what
we got those guys for us. So just coming in
there and shining it down on first and second down
so we could get the big dogs paid.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And when we talk about those highs and lows of
a season, right last year, you don't know what that's like.
Like we tend to think of all the good things
we're going to accomplish, all the great things that we're
going to be able to do in that field, but
it's hard to fathom the bad things that happen some
of the highs, some of the lows.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
How have you dealt with those lows? Right?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
It's easy to be good on those highs, but how
as a player, have you learned to deal with some
of those loads when things aren't always going right or
the way you expect it.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, for sure, you live and you learn the expectation
is the highest for sure, but you can't let those
loads take you down too low. You know, Like I said,
you learn from them, you digest it, and you move
on to the next week and those mistakes happen again.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
And talk about moving on to that next week. Brother,
we got another set of back to backs. We're going
to be in Dallas taking on the Cowboys. You know,
now those NFCAS games get a little different, man. What
are you looking to get right in Dallas? And how
can we find success out there?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
For sure?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Just being us playing commander ball, getting to that ball
and taking that away. That's how we need to do
as a defense coach. What preachers that every week the ball,
the ball, ball, you know, every meaning we say, it's
about the ball. So and like I said, stopping that run.
They got a great running back, great offensive line, and
you know them divisional games, they get tough in them trenches.
(10:11):
So uh old line, dlon us doing our thing, holding
our ground, you know, and we'll see.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
You see you said it perfectly gets tough on those
trenches and those trenches really are being in enemy territory,
especially against a rival in NFC East rival. But one
thing we've seen all season is something that you probably
maybe never seen before you went to adult college. But
I don't know if you've ever seen a fan base
like the Commander is fan base? Bro, Like I look,
I think about l a bro. That felt like a
(10:40):
home game. I think about it.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I ain't know it was rocking like that, Bro, Like
that is crazy?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Man, How dope is that?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
As a player, man, to know, no matter where y'all at,
no matter where y'all were playing, even in Spain, we're
gonna have that Commanders fans.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Damn, you gonna have that family.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Then, man, indubitably.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Rocking and U.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I turned around, I said, godard him yelling. I was like, dang,
I ain't know where it's rocking like that. That's a
great fella, though, to be on the road have that
much fans behind our back. I'll call him the tough player.
So yeah, man, that that help out a lot. That
bring the juice once they get the yelling loud, that
make our energy go up. So we appreciate them.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Hey man, we appreciate y'all. Man, y'all putting that working
on the field. The fans would have pull up if
they ain't believe in y'all. Love y'all man, and that
my boy, Johnny. I appreciate you taking the time. Come man,
it's family. Our next man up. The guys in year
two we look a lot different sitting here now. Who
knows what he gonna look like a year three.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Four, five, six, and seven. Shout out to my god.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Next man up, Johnny Newton, appreciate you, brother, your man.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Yes, all right, we hope you are enjoying this episode.
The next man there, but real quick, we gotta pay
some bills now. 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?
You could take it easy, or you could use your
time to get better. In the US Army we think differently.
(12:02):
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.
How you spend it is up to you. It's your time.
The US Army Reserve Command is family back to the show.
(12:25):
Command is family for our next man up. This Washington
legend is extremely special. We got them in studio. We
didn't have to zoom in. He's a super Bowl champion
but also in an NFL MVP. It's an honor to
be here with greatness and welcome in Joe.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
This with joll you're doing, sir, good right, good to
be with you. Oh man, it is so great to
be with you. Now.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I was going to start with, you know, those first
four years of your pro career, but while we were
sitting here just talking, you mentioned Notre Dame in that
feel you mentioned in your life that you have these
feelings that if something feels right, you know that that's
where you're supposed to be. What felt right about Notre
Dame when you decided to take your college creative?
Speaker 3 (13:03):
You know, it was interesting. I visited five schools. I
narrowed it down to five schools, and I recommend this
to any seniors that are out there looking for colleges
as they go around. Don't overwhelm yourself with ten or
fifteen different places. Pick out the five you really think
I might appeal to you. It was Wake Forest, Notre Dame.
University of North Carolina, Penn State, and like I said,
North Carolina State. My high school coach was a backup
(13:27):
to Roman Gable and people will have to google his
name if you're too young, but he was a great
quarterback for the Rams, and of course at North Carolina State,
my high school coach was his backup. I thought, hey,
that's a great way to go to school. So I
initially signed at North Carolina State, never made a visit
to Notre Dame. Notre Dame contacted. Maybe because we were
an independent, I could go visit the school and if
(13:48):
I signed, I wouldn't lose a year of eligibility. The
rules were different then, so I wound up flying out
to Notre Dame. I walked around Rocky Blyer was my
chaperone and a guy named a Dan Harshman, and flew
back home to New Jersey. Got off the plane, my
father says, what do you think. I said, I have
to go to Notre Dame. He said why, I said, Dad,
it just feels right, And I believe this one hundred percent.
(14:09):
Your gut is a heck of a judge of a
lot of things in our lives. Quite often we sit
down and We analyze things and we overanalyze them, and
we either talk ourselves in it, into it or out
of it. But if you trust your gut, I think
the percentages are higher that things will work out okay.
And it did for me at the University of Notre Dame.
That's how I wound up there. You know, you and
I were sitting here talking about the facility we're in now.
(14:29):
What they've done here to the Commander's Park, it's amazing,
I think as a player in particular, because we're real finicky.
Players are really really good. You haven't found out, I'm sure,
but players are really finicky. Little things you wouldn't think
turn them on do And at times you say something big,
(14:50):
like you know all these other big things, they might
turn on. No, it's a little thing. Walking in this facility,
it's clean, it's classy, it's it's exciting. The changes they've made,
I think are when guys come in here, I think
they look at the place and they go, man, this
is professional, this is first class. This is something that
(15:11):
i'd like to be a part of. And so the
visual part of what you see when you walk into
the commander facility, it lights the flame. It sort of
turns the pilot light up just a little bit more,
and then you get into the organization, the opportunities and
the other things that are available to you. But just
being here and seeing the things that have been done
are just magnificent, and that wasn't always the case.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I'm thinking interesting that you bring that up and that
you point that out, because that's something that feels kind
of new around here, the pride and the facilities, the
way that things have changed, the way that free agents
have come in and looked. We spoke to Debo last
week and he talked about being so happy here. So
that feels different, right, And you've gotten to see the change, right,
You've gotten to see when.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
It wasn't like that.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
How much pride do you have knowing how much you
did in the Burgney and Gold seeing those changes happen.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Now in real time we were in an older facility.
I'm excited for I'm excited for the guys. I'm excited
for the people that are in the building. I'm excited
for the people that come to work every day that
don't put a uniform on, but that are a part
of the organization. I'm excited for them too. But It's funny.
You can change the people, you can change the coaches,
you can change the players, but if you're coming to
(16:19):
the same facility all the time, it's sort of a
bit of a drag, to be honest with you. It's like, Okay,
everything's different, not really, isn't you know. You think it's different,
But the personnel is different, the coaches are different, the
front office may be a little different, but you're still
coming into that same building. Now it's gone, it's absolutely gone.
(16:40):
And that's why I'm so excited about you know, hopefully
you know when the new stadiums built, everything, what it's
going to look like for everybody, for the fans. The
fans have been so loyal for so many years, and
last year, I think all that frustration was finally let
out and we were rewarded with an incredible season. And
we have incredible challenges ahead of us in this one.
You know, we don't want to be a one year
(17:01):
wonder as a football team. You never want to be
a one year wonder as anybody. I don't care what
business you're and you just don't want to have it.
Oh it's great, and all of a sudden, you want
enough of the year. We've dealt with the year. We've
enough of that, right.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Well, one thing I know didn't make anybody go yok,
And that's something that I know made you very, very
proud and happy. Was that RFK news when you heard it,
when you found out that they would be honoring history
in that way. Because that's really what you're doing, right,
You're honoring history and the people that played before. Man,
what does that mean to you when you heard that
news for the first time?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
I thought the first thing I thought of, It's going
to connect the old and the new. It's going to
connect the people that have grown up knowing what the
Redskins were at RFK Stadium, and it's going to give
it a chance to what the commanders are now, to
be able to sort of not be in the house
but have their own house in the same neighborhood. And
you know, what does your house look like? Well, I
(17:53):
grew up just down the road a little bit. Yeah,
but I'm in a new house now and it's exciting
and it's fun, and I think the people I think
it's going to be it's is.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
There anything from the old glory where you as a
player you're like, you know, what we need to have
that back in here. I remember Ricky Irvins coming in
and talking about certain things, like when he saw from
the outside, he wasn't really impressed.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Then when he got out impressed, he's like, it was
so right simple.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
As soon as he walked through that tunnel and saw
the fans bouncing up and down, the rocking of it,
he said, there was nothing quite like it. Do you
have anything that you think about when you walked into
RFK that stood out to you and you said, you
know what, I would love to see that again in
this modern era.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
What I thought about was when visiting teams came in,
they don't want to be here. You know, I'd rather
play any place else, but I don't want to be here.
And I talked to a lot of guys that were
on different teams and they said it was the toughest
place to play. The proximity of the fans to the field,
there's a closeness that you get as a player to them,
and yet as an opposing player, it's like it's annoying.
(18:54):
They're real close, They're too close for comfort. And that
that warmth, that feel, I think is so vital and
important from a player's perspective, as well as the fans.
You know they're right there. The energy is right there.
And if you don't think that people live off of
energy as players, you're wrong. We live off the energy
of the fans. When they're down, we're just sort of cruising.
(19:17):
When they're rocking and rolling, our level goes up as well.
You can't fight human nature, that's the whole. That's what
life's all about. You get excited, people around you get excited,
or if people around you're excited, you can't help but
get excited. And that's the way it was for us.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
You think about those moments with those fans, those exciting,
energetic moments, there's probably so many that stand out to you.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
One would you take here? Okay? Then here? What's that one? One?
In particular, because people have asked me, I said, what's
the most memorable game you ever played in? Assuming it
would be the super Bowl? And certainly it was memorable.
I mean winning Super Bowl seventy was an incredible experience
for us, But it was in Pasadena, California. It was
in front of one hundred thousand people. It wasn't in
(19:58):
front of our fans. They weren't our people in that
stadium the NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys, and
get goosebumps telling the story. I always do. I don't
know why I always get these goosebumps, but it was,
you know, I remember standing at the end of that game.
I remember standing on the sidelines and they brought in
these like aluminum seats to make the stadium seating a
(20:19):
little bit bigger, and everybody was pounding their feet on
these seats, pounding them and literally I'm standing on the
sidelines watching the end of that game. As you know,
Dallas is trying to come back. I'm standing and the
ground beneath my feet is actually shaking. You could you
could feel the vibrations through the ground. Standing on the sidelines.
I'm going this is unreal. And to me, that is
(20:40):
the game that stands out in my mind as the
game that I remember the most. Like I say, it's
almost impossible to think higher than a Super Bowl, but
that game was for me. It was It was my
football career and moment because it was our fans against
our rival with an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl.
All the chips were on the table, everything was there
(21:02):
for us. To be able to seize the opportunity, and
we did. But we didn't do it alone. We did
it with the fans as well.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
That's so interesting you say that, because every legend that
sat here has talked about the fans in that capacity
in some type of way. Talk about the way that
even after losses, you guys would fly in and fans
would be lined.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Up out there, like y'all are the Beatles. Yeah, I know.
We wouldn't get in early. I'll tell you, it'd be
at like two, three, four o'clock in the morning and
there'd be people with signs and everything else. It's like, man,
don't you ever sleep?
Speaker 2 (21:37):
That has to make you feel a certain level of
pride for what we're doing, right, You feel wanted. And
I got to imagine, like, there's so many legends out
here that stayed in this area, right, or at least
spend most of the time in this area, because you
guys aren't from here, just like me, I'm not from here.
But we have decided to make this place home where
the fans. The reason that you said, you know what,
this is going to be home for me. This is
(21:58):
going to be a place I always rock with matter
all the different places I've been. This is going to
be something special. That's what a lot of guys are saying.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I'm gonna be honest with you. Okay, When I played,
there wasn't free agency. Where was I gonna go, right,
It's like, you know, it would have been nice to
be I'll get a bigger contract, maybe going someplace. Now,
guys move all over the place they haven't. They have
a residence, they have a home, but then they rent
someplace else and they live someplace else. But when we
played back in you know, the eighties and in early
(22:26):
late seventies and eighties, it was a time and a
place where you really had to play your ass off.
We all grew up together, all the guys on the
team and our families, well, we all stayed together. We
hung together. You know. It's interesting. I think the Giants,
friends of mine with the Giants, friends of mine with
the forty nine ers, friends of mine with the Cowboys,
(22:47):
friends of you know guys that I played with here
those four cities in particular, you see the guys still
living where they lived when they played. Like I said,
we really didn't have an option to go someplace else.
There wasn't free agent and sey available to us to
be able to move somewhere else. So you basically grew
up in an area with everybody else, and you grew
up with the fans that knew you. You know, I
(23:09):
played twelve years here. I was very fortunate to play
for one franchise, one in Canada, and you know, twelve
years down here, and so you really become a part
of the community. I mean, it wasn't just. It wasn't
just you were a football player. You were a neighbor,
you were a friend, you were a guy taking the
kids to schoolday the crossing guards. Are you doing high?
(23:30):
How are you? Yeah, Joe, I had one situation happened
when early on, when we weren't doing well. It was
like I think eighty, I pulled up to a gas
station to put some gas in my car, and you know,
when things aren't going well, when people are like this,
and the guy would be, hey, aren't you Joe with
the heisman. First thing you think is, yeah, that's pretty clearly.
(23:50):
He says, you know what you lost in yet? Yeah,
he says, pump your own gas fair enough? Was he serious? Yes,
he was serious? Yeah, Oh yeah. The fans take this
game serious hereties. Definitely take it seriously.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
And it's been really cool to see a resurgence, if
you will, yeah, of this fan base. Because you're talking
about getting at two three am. We're seeing fans waiting
for us when we get into two or three am. Now,
it's been kind of wild to see that difference. As
somebody that has seen the great has seen the not
so good, it now sees that return to greatness. When
(24:25):
you look at this team, what Dan Quinn, what Adam
Peters have kind of done. Now, are you feeling parallels
of similarities to the success and those Super Bowl teams
that you.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Got to be a part of initially, Yes, but the
sustainability is so important. You can't be a flash in
the pan. You can't be a one year wonder, you know.
And that's what that's what I believe they're building here
is consistency. We have veterans on this football team. We
have a lot of youth on this football team. I
think Adam and Dan have both put together an interesting
(24:56):
combination the way the football team is blended far as
the experience, the youth, of the rawness of some of
the players. You know, just you, how do you make
it work. You know, how do you put all those
ingredients in a mixer and come up with a beautiful cake?
Is basically what it's boiled down to. I think we
have a challenge this year because we earn the right
(25:18):
to play better football team, We earn the right to
have a tougher schedule, we earn the right to travel overseas. See,
the young guys don't know I'll be going to Madrid.
I'll be in Madrid for our game there. So it's
but now you're playing. Now you're playing three thirty afternoon games.
Now you're playing Sundays. Now you're playing Monday, Now you're
(25:38):
playing Thursday. And it takes an adjustment for an individual
to be able to understand how to take care of
their body. How do you get your mind right for
the travel, how do you handle the travel? You know,
these are all things that Dan has to consider, and
they have to consider the travel of the young guys.
The veterans pretty much settled that I know what I'm
going to do, I know my routine. You guys have
(26:00):
to find it. So again, that's part of the learning
process when you put a football team together like we have.
I mean, we had We had so many guys coming
in from so many different places a year ago, and
all the pieces fit. And then the one thing that
I remind people of is our last five six games
last year. We're all nail binders. We wound up on
the right side of all of them. And is that
(26:20):
going to happen every year? Probably not. You just don't
roll the dice and come up seven all the time.
So this is this is where we go through injuries.
How healthy can we stay? How healthy can we be
in the offensive line, How healthy can we be at
the linebacker position, the safety position. So it's there's a
lot of factors that go into what this football team
(26:41):
is going to be able to accomplish going forward. But certainly,
you know, the fans are back. I mean, they've been
so starred for so long, it's two decades. We would
start it would be like, okay, we've won the first
three out of the first five, and then all of
a sudden something would happen and it would start to
go south. And then all of a sudden, soon as
it goes south, the first thing is go, oh, no,
(27:02):
here we go again. Yeah, oh, we don't want that back.
And I don't see that with this football team. I
think this football team is building to be something special.
And Joe, you've reached the pinnacle.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
You've gotten to the very very top, and you talk
about how hard it is to sustain that. So when
you think back in the day after you won your
Super Bowl, did you have that mindset where it's like, oh, man,
I got to do this again or oh I got
to keep this same success.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
Did you go through that as a player, And if
you did, how did you deal with that? I see,
I love the game. It wasn't about necessarily the success.
It was the love of the game. I love playing
the game. I remember an offensive lineman one saying, you
may love the game, but the game doesn't love you
because you see guys, Guys get hurt. That's part of
the game, unfortunately, but that's not the love that you're
(27:46):
going to get from the game. That's one of those
unfortunate things that happens. And for me, I just loved
playing football. You know, as soon as the season was over,
I was back here in two weeks throwing the ball around.
Jay Burnetti, who happens the equipment director for the San
Francisco forty nine ers to this day, still Jay Bird,
and I would go out and throw. Then I didn't
(28:07):
want any of the guys. You know, the guys weren't around.
It was too darn cole, to be honest with you.
But it would be late January and February. I'd be
out throwing the ball around. I loved playing football. That's
why I was a punt returner. That's why I spent
my first two years here as a punt returner. Just
give me a chance to get my hand on the
ball and have some fun. And that's the way I
looked at it, and I think I think you can
see it when you talk about Debo talking about being
(28:29):
here feels great. He smiles, He enjoys. It's that's the key,
is to be able to love the game, love what
you're doing, have fun doing it, make it something exciting,
look forward to it every day. And for me, that's
what it was, you know. And we got better and better,
and we got more efficient in our offense, you know,
(28:50):
the first eight Yeah, I remember, we coach kids, got
here in eighty one, we go to Super Bowl. At
eighty two eighty three, were the highest scoring team in
the history of football. Forward back to the playoffs, I
mean we started to build going forward and then he
sustained that with different people going for ten to eleven years.
And it's just finding the right pieces in the right places.
(29:11):
As you know, as somebody gets a little older and
you transition somebody in now they have to do the job.
But like I said, the veteran leadership is very important
in the locker room. The youthful enthusiasm is important on
the field to be able to have the skill set
to be able to do the things you need to do.
And I think we're building a blend here that I
(29:31):
think is very, very sustainable.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
And Joe, when I think about you talking about that
love for the game, and I'm trying to wonder where
that derives from. Does having that CFL stint? Does having
to be a returner? Does having those feelings of when
you first got into the league, I just want the ball,
I just want to show you all what I could do.
Does that add to that love of the game for
you and why you were out here ten degree Whether
(29:55):
throw it a football because we all know how.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
COVID it is, it can get cold. Absolutely yeah, I
think so. I think it really was just so when
I was a kid I'll never freak. There was a headline,
like when I made the decision to go to the
University of Notre Dame, there was a headline in a
newspaper that said, thighs wmen will get killed. Actually I
was Joe Thiesman at that time. But these men will
get killed at Notre Dame. And I'm a prideful individual.
(30:20):
You can call it spie, you can call it pride,
whatever you want to, but don't ever tell me I
can't do something. And what I did was is I
took that comment and I channeled it into a belief
that if I worked hard enough, I could accomplish the
things that I wanted to accomplish, I would be able
to be a part of something. Validation is very important
(30:41):
to people. You agree, yes, it is. So when I
was at the in high school, we were undefeated and
we were really good, and so that was a validation.
Then I went to college and I played against the
University of Southern California that had a lot of guys
going to the pros. When I was in college, I
graduated at one hundred and eighty five five pounds. I
went to school at one seventy two. I wasn't the
(31:03):
biggest I was, You're not going to confuse me with
Josh Allen. One bet? Okay? One bit. So when I
went to school, When I went to school, you know,
was I good enough to play? Could I validate my
abilities against players that were going on to the NFL?
And then when I got here with Washington to me
the Dallas Cowboys, I felt like We're a barometer. Could
(31:24):
I play against them? Could I play well against them?
If I did, it was a validation of Okay, I
belong It's like I've been always, I guess, chasing. It's interesting,
I've always been chased in that sense of belonging. Do
I belong here? Am I good enough to be here? Now?
What do I need to do to be able to
sustain myself to be here, to be good enough to
(31:46):
be able to compete? And then fortunately, you know, the
quarterback position is the single most depending position on a field.
I mean, you think the line doesn't block receivers, don't
catch Ask the Buffalo Bills about kickers not making kicks.
I mean thirty percent, thirty percent of the games are
decided by three points or less. Now you know, I
don't care how many how far people are ahead is
always down to that last possession or a kick, and
(32:08):
so you know, you think about that position. You have
to do your job, but so many other people have
to do theirs to have the success that we've had
here in the past.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And when you have that yearning for longing because you
said you wanted to belong, a lot of times that
void is never filled, right. A lot of times that
void there's nothing we could do to fill that void
and really fix that thing that we're missing, that we
thought were missing.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Did you ever get to.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
A point in your career where you're saying, okay, I
belong here. Was it seeing the fans? Was it winning
that what was it given the MVP? Did you ever
truly feel that I need to belong void?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
I don't think I ever fully. I don't think i've
you know, fulfilled it yet I still think you keep
searching for that, you know, whatever whatever you need to
get you to the next level. For me, it was
a sense of belonging as a I want to be
the best dad. As a partner, I want to be
the best partner. As a husband, I want to be
the best husband. I want to be the best friend.
(33:06):
You know, so there's that belonging that you want to
be in that group of really special people to someone,
and so that that never it's never left me. It's it's, uh,
you know, I just constantly want to belong. I feel
I want to feel like I've done the right thing
and do the right job. And the other thing I've
learned is is we're not put on this earth to
be served. There was a point in my career where
(33:28):
I felt like, you know, I'm Joe Thiason, I'm a
quarterback the Washington Redskins. I'm a super Bowl champion, I'm
an MVP, I'm all that kind of stuff. Felt pretty
high falutin. And then after my leg got broken, my
whole perspective of life changed and people will say, oh,
what a tragedy it was you broke You're like, now,
I was divine intervention. Wow, you think the Good Lord
saw me going down the path and he said, you
(33:48):
know what, if you're not smart enough to take care
of it, I'll help you. He didn't have to. He
could have called I could have gave you some other Hello, Joe,
this is the Lord. You better straighten up. Oh yeah, sure, okay,
I got you. Yeah, I got you. No, he said,
he decides to send a two hundred and thirty five
pound messenger by the name of Lawrence. But it really
it changed the perspective of my life to understand it's
(34:09):
all about people. It's all about relationships, and that's what
we build. That's what you're building here on a team.
You know you can you look at the most talent
I think of the Lakers just over the last three
four years, very talented, but not real cohesive, right. You know,
you can take the most talented group of people and
put them together, but unless they want to play together,
unless they live together, unless they grow together, you're not
(34:33):
going to be successful. You can take a less talented
group of people and have more success if they care
about one another and they want to take care of
one another and they want to protect one another. That's
a tough that's a tough group to be in any element.
And so for me, I learned that we're not put
on this earth to be served. We're here to serve others,
and anything we can do to help someone be better
(34:54):
at what they do is my reward. If I can
help somebody through my speeches, if somebody comes, he says,
you know, you've opened my eyes to some things that's
very gratifying. Through the experiences of my life. Maybe there's
something that can help you make your life better.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
And that's why we love having the legacyre on Next
Man Up because it's fun to talk football, but it's
that life stuff. Is that perspective that really makes a difference.
And you mentioned divine intervention with that injury, and I
know that's a very mature way of looking at it,
and I'm sure that wasn't the way you looked at
it in the moment, because you're still the Joe Feisman.
In that moment, I'm invincible, You're the man.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
That's the thing. Is the thing about our game, it's
it's not the ego. You have to take an invincible
approach to it to be able to survive at this level.
Right If you don't think you're invincible, if you don't
think you can play here, you may as well get out.
I have young guys come up to me and say,
I'm thinking about a career maybe in television or radio
after well, you just started one step out the door.
(35:56):
You can't think about that. The competition is too tough
on your own team. The competition is too tough in
the league. You have to be totally focused. This is
why I love the game of golf. You take one
moment away from focus on a golf course and that
ball is so in some place you don't want it
to go exactly. And for me that you have to
be focused and you have to be intent on saying, Okay,
(36:17):
I'm going to be the best at this, and then
you can, like in the offseason, you can dabble on
some other things. I always used to look at football
in my perspective as the axle of a wheel. I
know that I know that sooner or later the game's
going to end. For me, I'm going to wind up
not playing. The game didn't go out the way I
thought I would, But at some point I was thirty
five years old, I was getting close to the end.
(36:39):
So what becomes the spokes in your life? For me,
it was my restaurant. For me, it was television, it
was movies, it was speeches, it was other things that
I got myself involved in. I remember guys telling me
when Coach Gibbs left the game and came back after
you got into NASCAR, really heavy. He was a different guy.
(36:59):
Was it was a different The intensity was there, but
there was something about him that was different. I think
sometimes we need a distraction from that intensity that we
have to be able to give our minds a chance
to relax on something else. It's funny, how many ideas
have you had. I say this to everybody out there.
You step in a shower, Okay, you've had a heck
(37:20):
of a day. You step in the shower, you're taking
a shower. All of a sudden, does your mind not
become clear? Yeah? For sure. You start thinking. You start
thinking of things that are different than you spent the
entire day doing. It's that moment where you find reflection.
And so for me it was, like I said, I
think it was. You know, the focus has had to be.
Like I tell guys, man, if you're thinking about when
(37:40):
the game is over, I mean you're taking the wrong approach.
Think about the game today and then a little bit
in the off season of some of the things you
want to do. But right now you're playing ball. It's
all ball.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
And while you're locked in on that and you're so
focused on what you're doing, then the injury comes that
forces you to immediately almost cold turkey like have to
sit there and reflect and think how many years? How
much time did it truly take Joe Thosman to say,
get to this point right, because you're at a point
of piece now you're at a point of where you've
been able to reflect it all that, but in real
time that takes some time. How much time did it
(38:13):
take you to get to this point where you were
at peace with saying, okay, I could let this game
go that I've loved my entire life.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
It's funny you ask. I threw defensive drills for teams
until I was fifty years old, So you want to
say fifteen years I never gave the dream up. I did.
Bobby Bethurs was out in San Diego, Belichick was in Cleveland.
Brian Billick was with the Ravens. I mean, these are
all teams that I actually went when I was covering them.
(38:42):
During games, I would go out and throw defensive drills. Wow.
I was still wanted to come back, but I just
couldn't move. I got you know, the right leg was
a power leg. I just didn't have the power. I
couldn't move. I could. I moved well enough to be
able to do the things in drills. But I would
say for me emotionally, a couple of years, I went
from being Joe thisman to citizen thighsman, you know, just
(39:07):
a guy, just a guy, okay. And that's the adjustment
you make from being the notoriety and everything else and
just being humble enough to be able to say, what
a great run it was. Now there's other aspects of
my life I want to explore, and other aspects of
my life I need to grow in. Just like I
grew in football, I want to grow in other aspects
(39:28):
of my life.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
Actually, I talk to you forever, and there's so many
things that I could learn from.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
There's so many things that this NFL can learn from.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Right now, a guy that we currently have a quarterback
in Jayie Daniels can learn from.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
He is following in your footsteps and closing.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
When you watch what Jayan Daniels has accomplished in just
such a short amount of time, the way he's been
able to bring this fan base back, even some of
these legends back. How much pride do you have seeing
a quarterback being able to do some of those things
that you were able to do to help lead us
to that promised land.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Since I got hurt in eighty five, I think there
been forty three different starting quarterbacks. Wow, and you know
that over and yeah, it's just every year. I mean,
if you take a look at look at the starting
quarterbacks that have played for the Washington Redskins slash Commanders,
the number is unbelievable. Whether it's one game or a season.
I mean, sustainability is what's important. I want Jayden to
(40:19):
be here, not for a great year, last year or this.
I want him to be here for ten years. I
want him to lead this football team. Hopefully he stays healthy.
I know he's coming back this week, which is great,
but you know, the big key is being able to
stay healthy enough to be able to sustain the growth
that you have to have at the position. I love
everything about them. I love the person, the man, the
(40:39):
man I appreciate so much, the work ethic, the desire
to be good, not good great, the desire to be great,
to understand how to lead a group of men, to
understand how to really lead a fan base. He has
all that. Such an engaging personality. You know, I've never
seen anybody like him. He's out on the field during
a game standing over by a defensive huddle and smiling.
(41:05):
It's just you know, he's just got Hey, how are
you having a pretty good day, aren't we? Yeah, I'm
sorry we're beating on the daylight, Chaddie, But hey, what
can I tell you? It's okay. It's like, you know,
his personality is infectious, it really is. And his I
think his leadership is that way as well. And that's
that love for the game, that love for the game
it is that you have. It wants to be He
doesn't want to be good. It MutS to be great,
(41:25):
and that there's a difference. Being good is collecting a paycheck.
Being great is doing something special. And that's exactly what
you did. Joe.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
Thank you so much for taking the time to pull
up here. Thank you so much for this everything you've
done on and off the field.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
And you mentioned that sense of belonging.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
I know, amazing father, amazing husband, I'm sure, but you
belong here always just knowing this building, in this area
you belong.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
These fans love you so much, man.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
We appreciate so much that you did, and we're just
so happy that you're still around to be able to
talk to us, tell us these stories, to spend time
with a Joe hope, this is the first of many
sit down to me and you get to have.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
I was very to be a part of something very special.
You know. Coach Gibbs was an incredible band. Coach Allen
brought me here to Washington. Coach Party gave me the
chance to play, and Coach Gibbs gave me a chance
to be in a system that allowed a lot of
us to be able to enjoy a lot of success
and have the fans be so involved in them.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Well, listen, you earned all of that. You did the work.
You didn't have the easy road, but you made it there. Joe,
thank you so much. Commanders fan, you our Next Man Up,
super Bowl champion, the League MVP, one of the best
to ever do in Thatt Burgley and Gold. Joe thatisman, Joe,
thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Thank you, Commands family.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Next Man Up.
You could stream all of the Next Man Up episodes,
even last seasons, on the Commander's YouTube page, or stream
the audio wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
We appreciate the love so much.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
We will see y'all Monday night for some prime time
action against the Chicago Bears. Make sure to do what
y'all do best, show up and show out for our
commanders until next week is next Man up.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I'm your host, Brian Coole, with you what you can say?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Scrapping so nice.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Gotta hear her, It's fright
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