November 16, 2022 • 37 mins
On this episode of Off the Record, Dannie sits down to chat with her Detroit Lions LIVE: Postgame analyst, Lomas Brown. They talk how Lomas was always a “big fella,” how he started playing football later in high school and why he chose the Florida Gators over The U. Lomas also breaks down his relationship with one of the greatest of all time, Barry Sanders, and what it was like to block for him.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh and I'm looking at you. Yeah, unless you need
to like talk to about in the camera, you just
cry into it. You want to send a message, that's
how you do it, Okay, I get yeah, a little yeah,
And I'm already already teased him about that. Oh yeah,
you know that was Come on, man, youall know me
(00:23):
is getting teased all right. Oh my god, I love
how you just said big fella, yeah, big fella, A
little fella. He's he's a little there you go, there
you go, there you go, a little big fella, a
little big fella l bl. I love that. Yeah, Like
I really want to know if you've always been big
fella or like ten year old Lomas, where you little
fella at one point? Or were you just masking all
(00:43):
the chunky it was it's kind of chunky Lomas. Yeah.
So I was the chunkster. Yeah, a little weight, you know,
the extra jawbones, you know what I'm saying. Guy that
liked to sit in the kitchen and finish his plate.
I was the guy the last person at the table.
That's because you get everybody else's leftovers to anybody else
(01:03):
left anything over. See, that's the secret to being a
big fellow. They think we eat slow. No, we each
slow purpose right, you want everybody else to finish up,
and anything they leave you get the you know, smorgash board,
the leftovers. Yes, I always been to I don't know
what happened, Danny. And you look at some of my
(01:25):
little pictures, even from the age of five, and I'm
the mutant of the family. All my brothers and sisters
are way down here, and it's like me. The milkman's
parents weren't tall, ok. I got it from my granddad.
My granddad was like six to five, so it just
skipped over. And it's the same thing happened with my son.
(01:45):
My son didn't get any of my size. But my
grandson he is huge for eleven years old. He's probably
hitting me like right here at eleven, so he got
all the size. Yes, I know, it is crazy how
it just skips over, jim ration. And of course my
son is upset with me because he didn't get my size,
but I told him, look, it's only fifty percent of
(02:06):
the DNA I can control. You know. You got to
talk to your mother too. Now she might have hurt
that curve. So I'm sorry. Right now, have you got
to take the blame. Oh my gosh, okay, did you
raise how many one son? How many? How? I got
five kids? Yeah, so four girls and one son. Yeah.
(02:28):
So he's like, he's second to the last. Okay, so
I'm sorry off from age thirty seven. So I got
the thirty seven, thirty five, thirty three. Then I have
the twenty three year old and the twenty one year old.
Oh my god, yes, I know, I know, I know.
I was you know, well, we'll leave it that, okay,
say lest so but first and he's like, say yes, no,
(02:50):
say lest quite literally, you didn't technically graduate from Florida
when you left, right, Okay, you came back and did it.
But when you left Florida, I had her because my
raft they picture, I'm taking the picture with her in
my arms, and that was in nineteen eighty five. So yeah,
it was. It was so different, the draft, the process,
(03:11):
just everything was different back then. But that's the one
thing that I have that I cherished because I say,
she was my first born and then it was just
a special moment to get drafted and get into the NFL.
So it was all nice, It was real nice. I
love that you mentioned how different the draft is in
what ways stick out to you? Oh my god, Danny.
So they again they had you going to New York,
(03:32):
but they didn't have as many guys go to New York.
They might have had maybe five guys that went to
New York back then. Yeah, so it wasn't like, oh yeah,
it's a lot more. If they know you probably going
in the first fifteen twenty, they're probably trying to get
those guys there. But back then it was such an unknown.
(03:52):
And yes, well no I didn't go. I stayed home.
I think it was so early in the morning too,
when the draft are that. I don't know what time
the draft starts now, but it's in the evening on
the first day. See, so we started at nine in
the morning when back in the eighty five the draft started.
And remember back then we had twelve rounds, so it's
(04:14):
not the six rounds that they have now. So we
had twelve rounds, so they had to get through all those. Yeah,
so that's why we started so earth so early in
the morning and everything. So the good thing for me,
the Lions drafted so high that year. I think I
was drafted by maybe like ten thirty. I was already drafted.
(04:34):
So I just felt bad for all those guys that
had to sit and wait and wait and wait, and
it's not like how it is now. You know, they
would have so many guys get drafted in the day
and everything, and you would have to just sit there
and wait and everything. And of course communication wasn't like
it is now. It's instantly where you know, you have
(04:55):
to sit by your phone waiting for a phone call
before you know when you yeah you right, okayed to
New York or no. So I wasn't invited it to
New York. So I think Bruce Smith, Bill Frelick, and
probably a couple of other guys with Max like that,
Yeah he's a Pittsburgh Yeah, but yeah, but it was
(05:16):
probably like those five to seven guys that wasn't invited
and everything. And of course I watched it on TV
and you know, got to see them call my name.
That was Roselle back their commissioner, Roselle called my name
and everything, and it was a great moment. It was
life changing, Dan, he really was. It was life changing
because where we grew up there, it wasn't a great
part of Miami, and my dad was a construction worker.
(05:40):
My mom worked for a medical supply company, so they
always gave us what we needed. You can always get
what you wanted, but we always had what we needed. So,
you know, it was just great to be able to
help my family out, give them out that neighborhood and
move them into a better native neighborhood. Did you move
them from Milliami because you're here? Yeah, I know. They
(06:00):
stayed in Miami. I just moved them out of the
rough part of mine and moved them in another part.
Plus my dad he didn't like the cold. Those were Floridians,
so yeah, they didn't really like the cold, so they
wouldn't come up after say October. They would watch the
games on TV because it was just too cold for
my dad to come up. That's all right, Yeah, sibling
(06:22):
grow up, so it was just me my brother. I
got two brothers, and I got a sister. I got
an older brother than it's me. Then I got the
younger brother and the younger sister over there. So we
all grew up in Miami down now. Yes, did you
ever go back to Miami after you were dropped into Detroit? Yeah?
I did so, Danny. So how it worked out, I
(06:42):
got drafted in eighty five. I'm telling you, man, if
we knew we were out, the season was over with,
like three to three or four games before the season,
then you're getting your lights turned off. You know, you're
getting your bills transferred, you're getting all your furniture taking
out because you know the season was over with. So
my first two years, man, I would shoot back to
(07:03):
Miami as soon as the season was over. I'm like, man,
I can't deal with this. Coal my third year, I decided,
I said, Okay, I'm gonna just stay up here during
the all season just to see I is. And I've
been here every since. I mean, I loved Detroit, loved
the area. I mean it's just so much to do
here compared to Miami. The people were so there. Yeah,
(07:24):
the people so different here than it is down south.
I mean, this is home for me. Nah, I'm not
going back down to Mini. I turned in that Flaridian citizenship.
Now I'm a Michigander. I'm a Gander for life. Where
was your first apartment at home? When it was King's Cove?
I remember playing the state King's Cove then Rochester Hills, Michigan,
(07:46):
And they actually had a bet on me, which I
didn't know that. The first day of snow, they bet
whether I would be able to get into practice that day.
Good thing for me. Kevin Glover one of my best friends.
He's from Maryland. We were rooming together, so he was
used to the snow. I wasn't. I remember waking him
(08:07):
up at like four in the morning the first time,
the snow, shaking him, waking him up, Glove, it's snowing
out here, man. He looked at me like, man, what
the hell, why are you waking me up about that?
I'm used to snow. I see this all the time.
But for me it was like wow, man, snow, you know.
So it was awesome and everything. But I did win
(08:27):
the bed. I was able to make an vand that
day where were you driving? Back then, I had my
little Man. I had a little Mini van, so I
astro van. Yes, I had my astro Van, but it
was a conversion Danny. So I had the TVs in
the bag. I had the VCR in the bag, you know.
You know back then there was the big bag phone
(08:50):
you know then that. Yeah, so we had that. But
I enjoyed my man. They got me from point A
point B. Okay, when did you meet missus. So actually
we met because I owned the store. I had my own. Yeah,
(09:11):
I was like the first smoothie guy. So you see
smoothie kings around her. I had the first smoothie store
around in this area. Was called smooth Uh Sports Smoothie
And basically I had all the vitamins you had, you
had all the supplements you can want. I had in
(09:32):
my store. And then I had a smoothie bar in
the back, so you could go back there and get
you a smoothie and everything. So you know, shop, get
your supplements, go in the bag, get your nutritional smoothie
to leave. Oh yeah, my logo was this, It was
just an arm with I wish it was. I can't
take credit for that. I know. That's awesome. What was
(09:55):
it while you're a player after? Yeah, so it was
while I was playing. So I opened up the shop
in ninety two, um and had it all the way
up until my third year with the Arabs on the Cardinal,
so that was like ninety nine. I had. I even
kept it after I left Michigan and everything. But I
had a good friend of mine that was running the
(10:16):
store from me. So that's why I met my wife
at she worked for me and stuff. Yeah, so you
know we ended up, you know, liking each other. I
was like, yeah, you kind of cute there. I like you,
you like me this, Yeah, let's hook up. And it's
been every sense. Yeah. Yeah, I'm glad she goes to games.
But like you said, you got to convince her a
(10:36):
little bit now, which I feel. Yes, it's a lot
of football. I mean, because you know we have to
leave early in the morning, and you know she won't
be wanting to get out of bed to get dressed
to come down. Yes, thank you, Danny. That's becoming an
issue too with the cold. Yes, I agree. Um, okay,
I want to go back to you making your way
to the University of Florida where you played with somebody
(11:01):
that I know. Oh wait a minute, so I was wrong.
Was the University of Michigan. It's a University of Florida. Yeah,
so I entered at the University of Michigan and low
and behold you know the video coordiner. Oh yeah, Phil, Phil,
your center will help you help the Wall of Florida,
(11:23):
which I the guess that on't know what I was
thinking about because he's been there forever. Right then, I
was there. I had no idea guy man lovesome Phil
brom Yes, man, and he was awesome. He was an
awesome player, two times all that SEC All American Center.
(11:44):
He was great man, Just a great guy. We keep
in contact. I hadn't talked to him, and probably it's
probably been a little over a year since I talked
to him. But just a great, great guy man, one
of my best friends. Oh my god, I forgot. I wasn't. Yeah,
I read that. I'm like, there can only be one film,
So I googled it. I'm like, yes, Pensacola, Florida. He's
(12:06):
from Pensacola. Yeah, he's one the Pensacola is fine. Oh
my god, yes, Phil Bromley. Oh my goodness, I forgot
about crazy. I love that. No, just reading like just
all of your accolades. There's there's a lot, but I
got like just chills just because of how awesome they are,
how impressive they are. So I mean, just to name
(12:26):
a few, team captain for Florida, first Team All SEC,
first Team All American, winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy,
Best Blocker in the During your senior year, you guys
helped form the great Wall of Florida. Um, and then
you were recognized as a Gator great my birth year
in nineteen ninety five for one of the greatest Gator
(12:48):
players ever. So they have you at number eight all
time Gator player. Oh wow, okay they like that. Yeah
the period, Yeah, that's crazy. So then it does say
you went back. Yeah. I had to read a lot.
There's a lot I like reading about. However, it says
(13:09):
you went back and got your degree. So what happened?
So that was mom? Now that was my mom. And
that was a promise to my mom. But then I'm
gonna back up a little guy. So, like, I didn't
play football. My little brother was the first one to
play football. I thought them dudes was crazy. Yeah, I'm like, man,
all that running, they hidding each other's I stayed away from.
(13:33):
So I was in the band. I played the trombone.
So I was in the band all the way up
into high school. And my first day of high school,
I went in and I registered for classes and I
was coming out the auditorium and somebody was like hey,
So I turned around and I didn't know it, but
it was the principle of the school. So he called
(13:53):
me over to him he was like, did you sign
enough for varsity sports? And I was like no, So
he just grabbed me by the arm and took me
back into all the tourium and he signed me up
for varsity sports. So I'm still I'm not knowing what
that is. It was the last period of the day
and find out that he signed me up for football.
So I'm like, okay. So I'm like the type of
(14:15):
person I'll do things even if I don't want to
do it, I'll do it because I don't like letting people.
I know exactly Danny. I didn't want to go, but
I'm like, man, I can't let this man down. But
he pulled your arm and it was like, you must
go sign up for the sports. What were the measurables?
I was sixty three, but I was only like one
(14:37):
ninety my tenth grade year in high school, so I
was like sixty three. So he must have seen something
in me because, like I said, I was wired thin,
but I had a little height on me in everything.
So he signed me up. So I went out there
the first day and it was rough, but I went
out there the second day, went out there the third day,
and as they say, the rest was history. I mean,
(14:58):
I just grew to love the sport. And like I say,
that was my first year of playing any organized sports.
Was my tenth year in the high school. But I
think that kind of helped me a little bit because
you know, you hear about so many guys from little
talking about what they want to do. I'm going to college,
I'm going to the pros, you know. But with me,
(15:18):
it wasn't like that exactly. I was just letting things happen,
and they happened, and like I say, everything just kind
of snacked up for me the right way. And that's
the way. That's the way I've been living life the
whole time. If it's meant to be, I think I'm
gonna be in the right position to make it happen.
And that's how That's how my whole career has been, basically,
(15:39):
you know, from high school UPO. Yeah, it was. He
he was kind of crazy. My little brothers touch. He's
a little touch Danny. So he's a little awesome. Yeah,
so he's he he's a we need like a whole
nother segment from a little brother yea, yes, a whole
nother segment. Yes, Oh my gosh. So was Florida the
(16:02):
first college offer. Did you know what that was at
the time, college recruiting? Actually yes, And I'm gonna tell
you why. If you've ever seen that thirty for thirty,
the you that the ESPN made, that's called the U
I was right. I was right in the center of that.
That's when coach Howard Snellenberger told his recruiters to start
(16:22):
recruiting in the city. Before then, Danny, they wouldn't even
come into inner city and recruit kids out of the
inner city of Miami, which was crazy to me. They
would go everywhere else. So when Snellenberger got there, he
mandated that his recruiters go in the city and start
recruiting US kids. And that's where that thirty for thirty
(16:43):
came up at. And Danny, I'm telling you, every day
it was either University of Miami recruit at the high
school at my house every and they would kind of pressuring.
It was almost like the pressure tactics to get you
to sign. But what happened to me is I started
running with the wrong group of guys I met for
(17:06):
a week. I didn't know even though who I was.
I'm serious. I started doing stuff that was. I didn't
even know why, Danny, I couldn't tell you why I
was doing some of the stuff. And then one night
I just said to myself, if I don't get from
around these guys, nothing's good. It's gonna happen. And that's
when I decided to go to the University of Florida
(17:27):
because I knew if I stayed at the University of Miami,
they would have assets to me. But if I went
to Gainesville, which is five hours from Miami, it would
take some effort for them to get up there. So
that's why I left. Now, that wasn't favorable with my dad,
my dad, because coach Snellenberger had my dad hook line
and sinker. My dad thought I was signing with the
(17:50):
University of Miami, and when I didn't, my dad. If
you look at my scholarship today from Florida, it's only
one signature on there. It was my mom. Dad refused
to sign my scholarship because he wanted me to go
to the University of Miami and he had so my dad,
he grew up in Tallahassee, so he had if we
(18:11):
go back, well, no, but he had some bad you know,
being black back in the sixties and the fifties. So
he had some bad thoughts about that area where Gainesville was.
He had a lot of problems and everything, and it
wasn't it wasn't you know, back then, it wasn't integrated
like it should have been. Because you're talking about the
(18:31):
early eighties. So integration was happening because of the college there,
but the surrounding city, the little counties, all the little
neighboring stuff, they were still they weren't willing to change,
so you still had a lot of racial stuff. So
that's what my dad remembered growing up, and he didn't
want me to be part of that. That was one
(18:52):
of his real big reasons for me not going up there.
But that turned out to be the best thing that
happened to me. A college town that flore like I said,
I'm not in Miami, wears full speed ahead all the time.
It was the best decision I think I made. So
were you committed to Miami then? I never committed to them,
but they thought they had met Mimi. I'm like, oh
(19:15):
my god, they really did. I went my official visit
was there. I took I took all my official visits.
MAXI like this too. It was University of Miami, University
of Florida, University of Pittsburgh, University of Oklahoma, and Ohio State.
That was what I know. I got a quick story
about that. This will cheer you up a little bit.
(19:37):
I went there that weekend. It was nine degrees. I'm
from Florida. No, no, no, I just went on the
official visit. It was nine degrees. Yeah, I'm from Florida.
Oh my god, even like people surviving this. So I
asked you, you would be a little upset with this.
(19:58):
So I was supposed to visit the you University of
Michigan that father, I know. I called Bubba Paris because
he was my recruiter. I told Bubba, I said, Bubba,
I'm sorry, but I can't come after the nine degrees
in Columbus. I'm like, Dad, So I told him. Of course,
I heard some choice words back from Bubba, really words
(20:21):
we can't repeat unless just not yeah. Oh. He was
upset at me for not going, but I was like,
oh no, it's no way I'm sitting up in this
nine degree It was terrible. At Ohio State, it was terrible, Danny.
So again, those were my official visits and I ended
up going to Florida. Oh my gosh, Okay, you said
your dad didn't sign your scholarship letter. Did he know
(20:42):
why you just want to go to Miami? No, So
that was kind of I know, that was kind of
like my because you know, they didn't know I was
wild and out. They didn't because you were high schoolbly
hanging out with college. Yeah. Then some of my homeboys
from Miami. Look, I had one homeboy. Yeah. I don't
know if you've ever seen the movie The Bad Lieutenant,
(21:05):
I want you to watch that movie. As a bad lieutenant,
he was a lieutenant that he was a drug dealer, gambler,
drug added he did at all. I had the homeboy
who worked for the police department. He was the same
way they would go around robbing drug houses. He was
the police, but they would go rob the drug houses
(21:26):
in there. So that, yeah, I'm running with him. So,
like I said, I wasn't running around the right guys.
I needed to. That's why I had Yes, Danny, you're right,
you're right, But I could I could see it. I
could see the city consuming me. And I had so
many other examples of guys that were great athletes that
(21:48):
didn't make it because of the stuff they did outside
of the field. Yeah so no, never never told pops.
I kept that one. Yeah No, didn't tell her either.
That probably have broke their hearts to their little baby.
Because I was my mom's baby. I played. I was
thirty nine. She would come to football game. Don't you
(22:10):
hurt my baby? I'm like, oh yeah, I'm thirty nine
years old, you know, but with your mom, you're always
their baby, you know, a thirty nine year old baby.
Could you see that rocking theil? And I looked. I
looked at your Florida pictures. You're Florida roster. Young fella.
That's a young big fella. I know this looks nothing
(22:33):
like you. I know, I know I was we can hello, Danny.
What I don't understanding by that picture is to look
like I got the eyes like I'm looking like. I
don't know. It's honestly the stash for me, the dirt giggler.
That's why I told my god Neil has one. Um, yeah,
(22:58):
this is crazy. So you didn't look like this when
you're a ton creator being principle. But it's not very
many years off, which is the most insane. Yeah, what
were you eating to get to this big so Danny,
when I got remember one ninety when I left high
When I left high school, I was two forty five.
When my first year at Florida, I was like two
(23:18):
sixty five, two sets old. They was packing it on.
And remember now, like I said, you know, we had
everything that we needed, not everything that we wanted growing up.
So just think about going to a smortgage board. The
food that you eat as much as you want, some
good food all day every day in college. Oh yeah,
(23:38):
I blew up. Oh yeah I was. I was on
that meal plan. Pretty serious, Danny. But it seemed like
it all worked out. It did, Yeah, yeah, it did.
We had a great strength coach. Okay, I had some
great coaches. Coach Shanahan, Mike Shanahan, Kyle's dad. He was
my offensive coordinator there, Charlie Peale who was under the ground,
(24:00):
Bear Bryant, he was our head coach. So we had
a lot of great coaches that my offensive line coach
was pretty good. So that kind of helped me. Plus,
you know, we had to keep our way that a
certain and you had to look a certain way by
Danny for you to become part of the Great Wall
of Florida, which I was. Everyone of us had the
bench press four hundred pounds and we had the leg
(24:23):
press eight hundred pounds, and I was the last piece
of the Great Wall of Florida. They called me the
last brick because I was strong at some of those
guys that were part of the offensive line, so they
were waiting on me and the last thing I had
already did the eight hundred leg press, but I was
(24:43):
trying to get that four hundred up. And it was
probably three or four games before the last game of
the season. I went in there and I put four
ten bench press four hundred and ten pounds, and they said,
the Great Wall the Florida is complete. I was the
last brick that had to go in that great wall,
and I went in there. I am I'm thinking about
(25:04):
the Philip Bromley that I know right now. Yeah, I'm
telling yes, Yeah, I'm sorry, Si Okay, I'm sorry. That's incredible. Yes, Yes,
Phil was stronger than me. Phils. Yeah. We had a
great It was a great group of guys. Great. Yeah,
it was great group. What is your favorite memory from Florida?
Probably US winning the SEC. We were the first team
(25:28):
to officially win it. But of course you know on
the NCAA we got sanction. Yeah, and they took it
from us, and I still got my ring. They could
never get that, so I still got my ring. Oh yeah,
because we were we were the first team to win
the SEC and Florida history. But like I said, they
were after our coach, so we all got sanction. But
(25:48):
I always remember we played Kentucky. We came back from
Kentucky and for m Florida Field, the swamp was paid.
I've heard great things about this one. Oh you got
you got the partake, you got the partaker in the swamp.
So Danny were in the plane. So the pilot said
that he wants us to see, you know, all the
(26:10):
people in the swamp. So the pilot, he said that
this was after Kentucky because we played in Kentucky and
had just won their yes, and we came back. So
he came and he banked the plane this way so
everybody could see everybody in the stadium. Then he came
back and he banked it that way, so people on
(26:31):
that side of the plane because see, man, it was packed,
it was full. Man. That was probably one of my
best feelings at Florida. Oh, my gosh, I love that. Okay,
and then you go on to Detroit. I mean, um,
I gonna talk about you and Barry the little little
big fella that's my guy. I mean, how pro prolific
(26:53):
is he? As his former offensive woman Danny. Oh so
every time I say he he's the greatest everybody, they look, oh, yeah,
well you're a bias. You blocked for him for seven
of us ten years. Yeah, thank you, but they look
at me as being biased. But Danny, I'm telling you,
it's not the highlights that you could pull up on
(27:14):
YouTube that you see. The thing that you ushould impress
me and Kevin Glover was the most was Monday's after
the game, when we had to go watch film and
you sitting in the film room and Danny, I swear
every Monday, it Monday. It would be like five plays.
You would be like, oh my goodness, how did he
just do that? And it may not be a long run,
(27:36):
it might be a loss, it might be a one
yard run, it might be a two yard loss, but
it's gonna be the greatest one yard or two yard
loss you've ever seen in your life. And this was
every Monday. He would make you say stuff like that.
He was just incredible. And then the other thing about
Barry so humble, soul, soul, humble. I blocked for him
(27:58):
for seven of us ten years and never once and
you know he took a lot of losses. Never once
that I ever see him stand up and point out
to somebody and say it was your fault, or you
should have got this block, or you should have did that.
Never once did he ever do this. So that would
make you want to block for him harder. You know,
that would make you want to take care of him
(28:19):
because he was just a humble guy. That was a
good guy. And then he was generous. I mean he
would take care of the big fall. Oh yeah, he
was like one of the first ones to take care
of the watches a trip anywhere in the world that
you want to go first class. Let's see, I missed
that one. I didn't go anywhere. I know, Dann I
(28:40):
was tripping. I was tripped. I didn't even take advantage
of that big screen TVs when it wasn't popular to
have a big screen. That was when cast you like
ten thousand dollars right then. So he was just he
would just take one year. We told him, look, we
don't want you to give us anything. We're gonna get
you something. So us as an offensive line and we
(29:00):
bought him something and everything. So it was just he
was just a great, great guy. And man, I'm so
happy he made my career. I mean he really did.
I tell anybody that if it wasn't for Barry, because
my first four years here, we didn't get on Monday
night TV. We weren't on any national TV because we
didn't have a draw. Why would anybody watch Detroit other
(29:23):
than the Thanksgiving Day game? And that's how it was
until we got Barried. Once we got Barry, everybody wanted
to see us because everybody wanted to see Barry, so
the spotlight was on him, but he put the spotlight
on the whole team and it helped a lot of
us reach all Pro Pro Bowls and different things like that.
So the little big fella, he has a place in
(29:45):
the big fella's hard beautiful. You remember what gift? Yeah,
so what one year we bought and that's the thing, Danny,
And that was the biggest thing because Barry didn't. Here's
a guy that had the Hunda accord. He kept that
for like his first eight years in the league. And
(30:05):
then when he did buy another car, he bought a
used car. Man. He stayed in the house probably about
the size of this little studio, you know what I'm saying.
Clothing when nothing you would look at Berry and say, oh,
that looks good. I mean he was just that way.
So he's very few but frugal. So we didn't know
what to give him. He didn't wear jury, even though
(30:26):
that's what we bought him. We bought him a chain
and they had him to day and on that and everything.
I don't even know a Barry. Everybody, oh, because he's
not flashy. He doesn't do things. So our biggest name
was coming up with what did we want to get Barry?
You know? So yeah, so that was that was it.
But great, just a great guy, great guy. Yeah, he's great.
What is your favorite memories a Lion? My favorite membery
(30:49):
is it's bitter sweet. But it's nineteen ninety one when
you know right now, and I hate to say that,
it's still the best season in Lyon's history if we
count the pre Super Bowl, which is bad, but it
was the twelve and fourth season and it was better
sweet because of what happened with Mike utly getting paralyzed.
(31:09):
But what Mike did I mean for him to be
I think Danny thing that grasped me the most. For
this man to be landing on the stretcher, paralyzed, can't move,
and when they was willing him off, for him to
give all eighty thousand people in the Silver Dome the
thumbs up. I mean, I know I went. I tell
people this all the time. I couldn't have handled that
(31:31):
injury like he handled it. I would have been a bitter,
bitter person. I probably wouldn't have wanted to see people.
But Mike was a complete opposite. I mean, I remember
we went to see Mike, like three days after he
got paralyzed. We went up to the hospital of the
sim and I remember us gathering up as a group.
It was just an old lineman and we said, all right,
(31:53):
before we go in here to see Mike, we say,
we're not gonna talk about this. Don't bring this up,
don't discuss this. You know, it was names we just
wanted to stay away from. You know, when we talked
to Mike Man, we walked in the room, he and
the joking, you know, he's in the cracking. Yeah, I'm
sitting up there. I'm like, oh my god, just he
(32:14):
encouraging us. And here's a guy, like I said, he's paralyzing.
He kept telling you, and he'll tell you this today
if he sees you. He's still going to walk this
thirty some years later. And when I see him Mike
a year ago, he's still telling me, Yeah, man, I'm
gonna get up out this wheelchair. I'm gonna walk. And
I love the way he lives life. Now he's been
(32:34):
a couple of car accidents, he's skydies, he wore the seas. Yeah,
I'm like, man, I'm like, man, you got paralyzed and
got crazy. We're like, what's wrong with you? But but
I'm glad he's living life and he's living until the fullest.
And and then Eric Amdall said getting killed during that
all season. So it was the best year. We had
(32:57):
twelve and four, one game away from the super Bowl.
But in terms of what we lost with Mike getting
paralyzed and Eric getting killed during the all season, it's
just it was a bit of a suite. But that's
the year that I remember. That's the year my fund
This year with the Lions twenty eighteen, you come back
to fitty trait lions and more of a sort of
(33:17):
full time role taking over as color analysts on the radio. Yeah,
who is that something you'd always been, Danny. That whole
thing was scary because I was supposed to be We
were supposed to start off as a three man booth.
So it was supposed to be me, Dan and Jim
brand Steller, you know. And I was supposed to be
learning on the gym because they knew Jim was probably
going to retire in like two or three years, and
(33:40):
then I would just roll into that position. All of
a sudden, w JR had a change of plans that like, Nope,
You're going right in with Dan Miller. I had no experience.
I'm like, oh my god, you know, so went in
with Dan, and I'm telling you, he makes it so
easy ze, Oh my god, man, he sets everything up
(34:03):
for you. He is so good with what he does.
It just relaxes you. And then and he makes it
easy for me. So the transition, I was nervous about
it because Jim had had that position for thirty one years.
Thirty one years. He was the guy, and here I
am stepping in for this guy. Knew he had loyal
(34:23):
you know, loyal fans that layal following that he had
over these years. So it was a little bumpy at first,
but again it just worked out so smooth. And like
I said, I think Dan and I also think Jim
brand Stead, and he gave me the go ahead, He
gave me the green light and said it was all
right with him. That's when I felt that piece about
(34:46):
about what had happened. And it was only once I
talked to him and he was like, loa, let's go ahead,
go do it. He's such a great guy. Oh he is. Man,
he's one of my best friends. Him and his wife, Robbie. Timmy,
I am about his wife way before. Sorry, I just
she's iconic. Is she awesome? Tim is? Yes, she was
(35:10):
on Channel seven right absolutely for so many years. Yeah,
she's awesome. So that's a great family. Yeah. Yes, hey,
to wrap this up, is your sixteenth birthday coming up? Oh? Wait? Which, yes, yeah,
they're coming fast. Yea comes at you. Yes, March thirtieth. Man,
the big fellow. I changed the first number. I was
used to having that five at the first number. I
(35:32):
got to go with me six. I know they used
I know, that's how when I do. My grandkids like
that they my hands like yeah, yeah, they ain't pretty man.
And that's what my wife always tells me. Stop talking
with your hands, because that's what she would always tell
me that, Oh my god, just stop it with the
(35:53):
hands because they're everyone. Is that why you were so successful? Yeah, yeah,
just yes, because you got you get them. When you
grab them, you hold them. They're not getting out right here,
these meat hooks. They're not going anywhere once I Once
I give them in you, they're not going anywhere. Yeah.
And if they still you know, I know that might
be an old school saying that. You see I'm bringing up, yeah,
(36:16):
the hooks. Yeah, you know, I'm gonna take it easy.
You know, they're coming so fast, Danny. I might do
something odd. I might do sixty three, you know what
I'm saying. It might be a big sixty three. See
that look you gave me, like, yeah, there you go.
(36:39):
I might have people puzzled weight why not big sixty
Why big sixty three? So you know, I might come
up because I'd like to throw people off a little bit.
You can't keep them on the straight and now you
got to take them to the left or to the
right sometime, so, yeah, I might go sixty three. Yeah,
and that was a great year. That was the year
I was born to nineteen sixty three. Yes see, we
(37:02):
throw on them Matha, see math I'm making the rain
with facts. See, I'm making the rain with facts in here.
I love this. That's all I got for you. Okay,
that was That was painless, short and sweet. I'm talking
to the people who are out there painless and short
and sweet. You just listen to another episode of Off
the Record with Danny Rogers. A new episode drops every Tuesday.
Oh and I'm looking at you. Yeah, unless you need
to like talk to about in the camera, you just
cry into it. You want to send a message, that's
how you do it, Okay, I get yeah, a little yeah,
And I'm already already teased him about that. Oh yeah,
you know that was Come on, man, youall know me
(00:23):
is getting teased all right. Oh my god, I love
how you just said big fella, yeah, big fella, A
little fella. He's he's a little there you go, there
you go, there you go, a little big fella, a
little big fella l bl. I love that. Yeah, Like
I really want to know if you've always been big
fella or like ten year old Lomas, where you little
fella at one point? Or were you just masking all
(00:43):
the chunky it was it's kind of chunky Lomas. Yeah.
So I was the chunkster. Yeah, a little weight, you know,
the extra jawbones, you know what I'm saying. Guy that
liked to sit in the kitchen and finish his plate.
I was the guy the last person at the table.
That's because you get everybody else's leftovers to anybody else
(01:03):
left anything over. See, that's the secret to being a
big fellow. They think we eat slow. No, we each
slow purpose right, you want everybody else to finish up,
and anything they leave you get the you know, smorgash board,
the leftovers. Yes, I always been to I don't know
what happened, Danny. And you look at some of my
(01:25):
little pictures, even from the age of five, and I'm
the mutant of the family. All my brothers and sisters
are way down here, and it's like me. The milkman's
parents weren't tall, ok. I got it from my granddad.
My granddad was like six to five, so it just
skipped over. And it's the same thing happened with my son.
(01:45):
My son didn't get any of my size. But my
grandson he is huge for eleven years old. He's probably
hitting me like right here at eleven, so he got
all the size. Yes, I know, it is crazy how
it just skips over, jim ration. And of course my
son is upset with me because he didn't get my size,
but I told him, look, it's only fifty percent of
(02:06):
the DNA I can control. You know. You got to
talk to your mother too. Now she might have hurt
that curve. So I'm sorry. Right now, have you got
to take the blame. Oh my gosh, okay, did you
raise how many one son? How many? How? I got
five kids? Yeah, so four girls and one son. Yeah.
(02:28):
So he's like, he's second to the last. Okay, so
I'm sorry off from age thirty seven. So I got
the thirty seven, thirty five, thirty three. Then I have
the twenty three year old and the twenty one year old.
Oh my god, yes, I know, I know, I know.
I was you know, well, we'll leave it that, okay,
say lest so but first and he's like, say yes, no,
(02:50):
say lest quite literally, you didn't technically graduate from Florida
when you left, right, Okay, you came back and did it.
But when you left Florida, I had her because my
raft they picture, I'm taking the picture with her in
my arms, and that was in nineteen eighty five. So yeah,
it was. It was so different, the draft, the process,
(03:11):
just everything was different back then. But that's the one
thing that I have that I cherished because I say,
she was my first born and then it was just
a special moment to get drafted and get into the NFL.
So it was all nice, It was real nice. I
love that you mentioned how different the draft is in
what ways stick out to you? Oh my god, Danny.
So they again they had you going to New York,
(03:32):
but they didn't have as many guys go to New York.
They might have had maybe five guys that went to
New York back then. Yeah, so it wasn't like, oh yeah,
it's a lot more. If they know you probably going
in the first fifteen twenty, they're probably trying to get
those guys there. But back then it was such an unknown.
(03:52):
And yes, well no I didn't go. I stayed home.
I think it was so early in the morning too,
when the draft are that. I don't know what time
the draft starts now, but it's in the evening on
the first day. See, so we started at nine in
the morning when back in the eighty five the draft started.
And remember back then we had twelve rounds, so it's
(04:14):
not the six rounds that they have now. So we
had twelve rounds, so they had to get through all those. Yeah,
so that's why we started so earth so early in
the morning and everything. So the good thing for me,
the Lions drafted so high that year. I think I
was drafted by maybe like ten thirty. I was already drafted.
(04:34):
So I just felt bad for all those guys that
had to sit and wait and wait and wait, and
it's not like how it is now. You know, they
would have so many guys get drafted in the day
and everything, and you would have to just sit there
and wait and everything. And of course communication wasn't like
it is now. It's instantly where you know, you have
(04:55):
to sit by your phone waiting for a phone call
before you know when you yeah you right, okayed to
New York or no. So I wasn't invited it to
New York. So I think Bruce Smith, Bill Frelick, and
probably a couple of other guys with Max like that,
Yeah he's a Pittsburgh Yeah, but yeah, but it was
(05:16):
probably like those five to seven guys that wasn't invited
and everything. And of course I watched it on TV
and you know, got to see them call my name.
That was Roselle back their commissioner, Roselle called my name
and everything, and it was a great moment. It was
life changing, Dan, he really was. It was life changing
because where we grew up there, it wasn't a great
part of Miami, and my dad was a construction worker.
(05:40):
My mom worked for a medical supply company, so they
always gave us what we needed. You can always get
what you wanted, but we always had what we needed. So,
you know, it was just great to be able to
help my family out, give them out that neighborhood and
move them into a better native neighborhood. Did you move
them from Milliami because you're here? Yeah, I know. They
(06:00):
stayed in Miami. I just moved them out of the
rough part of mine and moved them in another part.
Plus my dad he didn't like the cold. Those were Floridians,
so yeah, they didn't really like the cold, so they
wouldn't come up after say October. They would watch the
games on TV because it was just too cold for
my dad to come up. That's all right, Yeah, sibling
(06:22):
grow up, so it was just me my brother. I
got two brothers, and I got a sister. I got
an older brother than it's me. Then I got the
younger brother and the younger sister over there. So we
all grew up in Miami down now. Yes, did you
ever go back to Miami after you were dropped into Detroit? Yeah?
I did so, Danny. So how it worked out, I
(06:42):
got drafted in eighty five. I'm telling you, man, if
we knew we were out, the season was over with,
like three to three or four games before the season,
then you're getting your lights turned off. You know, you're
getting your bills transferred, you're getting all your furniture taking
out because you know the season was over with. So
my first two years, man, I would shoot back to
(07:03):
Miami as soon as the season was over. I'm like, man,
I can't deal with this. Coal my third year, I decided,
I said, Okay, I'm gonna just stay up here during
the all season just to see I is. And I've
been here every since. I mean, I loved Detroit, loved
the area. I mean it's just so much to do
here compared to Miami. The people were so there. Yeah,
(07:24):
the people so different here than it is down south.
I mean, this is home for me. Nah, I'm not
going back down to Mini. I turned in that Flaridian citizenship.
Now I'm a Michigander. I'm a Gander for life. Where
was your first apartment at home? When it was King's Cove?
I remember playing the state King's Cove then Rochester Hills, Michigan,
(07:46):
And they actually had a bet on me, which I
didn't know that. The first day of snow, they bet
whether I would be able to get into practice that day.
Good thing for me. Kevin Glover one of my best friends.
He's from Maryland. We were rooming together, so he was
used to the snow. I wasn't. I remember waking him
(08:07):
up at like four in the morning the first time,
the snow, shaking him, waking him up, Glove, it's snowing
out here, man. He looked at me like, man, what
the hell, why are you waking me up about that?
I'm used to snow. I see this all the time.
But for me it was like wow, man, snow, you know.
So it was awesome and everything. But I did win
(08:27):
the bed. I was able to make an vand that
day where were you driving? Back then, I had my
little Man. I had a little Mini van, so I
astro van. Yes, I had my astro Van, but it
was a conversion Danny. So I had the TVs in
the bag. I had the VCR in the bag, you know.
You know back then there was the big bag phone
(08:50):
you know then that. Yeah, so we had that. But
I enjoyed my man. They got me from point A
point B. Okay, when did you meet missus. So actually
we met because I owned the store. I had my own. Yeah,
(09:11):
I was like the first smoothie guy. So you see
smoothie kings around her. I had the first smoothie store
around in this area. Was called smooth Uh Sports Smoothie
And basically I had all the vitamins you had, you
had all the supplements you can want. I had in
(09:32):
my store. And then I had a smoothie bar in
the back, so you could go back there and get
you a smoothie and everything. So you know, shop, get
your supplements, go in the bag, get your nutritional smoothie
to leave. Oh yeah, my logo was this, It was
just an arm with I wish it was. I can't
take credit for that. I know. That's awesome. What was
(09:55):
it while you're a player after? Yeah, so it was
while I was playing. So I opened up the shop
in ninety two, um and had it all the way
up until my third year with the Arabs on the Cardinal,
so that was like ninety nine. I had. I even
kept it after I left Michigan and everything. But I
had a good friend of mine that was running the
(10:16):
store from me. So that's why I met my wife
at she worked for me and stuff. Yeah, so you
know we ended up, you know, liking each other. I
was like, yeah, you kind of cute there. I like you,
you like me this, Yeah, let's hook up. And it's
been every sense. Yeah. Yeah, I'm glad she goes to games.
But like you said, you got to convince her a
(10:36):
little bit now, which I feel. Yes, it's a lot
of football. I mean, because you know we have to
leave early in the morning, and you know she won't
be wanting to get out of bed to get dressed
to come down. Yes, thank you, Danny. That's becoming an
issue too with the cold. Yes, I agree. Um, okay,
I want to go back to you making your way
to the University of Florida where you played with somebody
(11:01):
that I know. Oh wait a minute, so I was wrong.
Was the University of Michigan. It's a University of Florida. Yeah,
so I entered at the University of Michigan and low
and behold you know the video coordiner. Oh yeah, Phil, Phil,
your center will help you help the Wall of Florida,
(11:23):
which I the guess that on't know what I was
thinking about because he's been there forever. Right then, I
was there. I had no idea guy man lovesome Phil
brom Yes, man, and he was awesome. He was an
awesome player, two times all that SEC All American Center.
(11:44):
He was great man, Just a great guy. We keep
in contact. I hadn't talked to him, and probably it's
probably been a little over a year since I talked
to him. But just a great, great guy man, one
of my best friends. Oh my god, I forgot. I wasn't. Yeah,
I read that. I'm like, there can only be one film,
So I googled it. I'm like, yes, Pensacola, Florida. He's
(12:06):
from Pensacola. Yeah, he's one the Pensacola is fine. Oh
my god, yes, Phil Bromley. Oh my goodness, I forgot
about crazy. I love that. No, just reading like just
all of your accolades. There's there's a lot, but I
got like just chills just because of how awesome they are,
how impressive they are. So I mean, just to name
(12:26):
a few, team captain for Florida, first Team All SEC,
first Team All American, winner of the Jacob's Blocking Trophy,
Best Blocker in the During your senior year, you guys
helped form the great Wall of Florida. Um, and then
you were recognized as a Gator great my birth year
in nineteen ninety five for one of the greatest Gator
(12:48):
players ever. So they have you at number eight all
time Gator player. Oh wow, okay they like that. Yeah
the period, Yeah, that's crazy. So then it does say
you went back. Yeah. I had to read a lot.
There's a lot I like reading about. However, it says
(13:09):
you went back and got your degree. So what happened?
So that was mom? Now that was my mom. And
that was a promise to my mom. But then I'm
gonna back up a little guy. So, like, I didn't
play football. My little brother was the first one to
play football. I thought them dudes was crazy. Yeah, I'm like, man,
all that running, they hidding each other's I stayed away from.
(13:33):
So I was in the band. I played the trombone.
So I was in the band all the way up
into high school. And my first day of high school,
I went in and I registered for classes and I
was coming out the auditorium and somebody was like hey,
So I turned around and I didn't know it, but
it was the principle of the school. So he called
(13:53):
me over to him he was like, did you sign
enough for varsity sports? And I was like no, So
he just grabbed me by the arm and took me
back into all the tourium and he signed me up
for varsity sports. So I'm still I'm not knowing what
that is. It was the last period of the day
and find out that he signed me up for football.
So I'm like, okay. So I'm like the type of
(14:15):
person I'll do things even if I don't want to
do it, I'll do it because I don't like letting people.
I know exactly Danny. I didn't want to go, but
I'm like, man, I can't let this man down. But
he pulled your arm and it was like, you must
go sign up for the sports. What were the measurables?
I was sixty three, but I was only like one
(14:37):
ninety my tenth grade year in high school, so I
was like sixty three. So he must have seen something
in me because, like I said, I was wired thin,
but I had a little height on me in everything.
So he signed me up. So I went out there
the first day and it was rough, but I went
out there the second day, went out there the third day,
and as they say, the rest was history. I mean,
(14:58):
I just grew to love the sport. And like I say,
that was my first year of playing any organized sports.
Was my tenth year in the high school. But I
think that kind of helped me a little bit because
you know, you hear about so many guys from little
talking about what they want to do. I'm going to college,
I'm going to the pros, you know. But with me,
(15:18):
it wasn't like that exactly. I was just letting things happen,
and they happened, and like I say, everything just kind
of snacked up for me the right way. And that's
the way. That's the way I've been living life the
whole time. If it's meant to be, I think I'm
gonna be in the right position to make it happen.
And that's how That's how my whole career has been, basically,
(15:39):
you know, from high school UPO. Yeah, it was. He
he was kind of crazy. My little brothers touch. He's
a little touch Danny. So he's a little awesome. Yeah,
so he's he he's a we need like a whole
nother segment from a little brother yea, yes, a whole
nother segment. Yes, Oh my gosh. So was Florida the
(16:02):
first college offer. Did you know what that was at
the time, college recruiting? Actually yes, And I'm gonna tell
you why. If you've ever seen that thirty for thirty,
the you that the ESPN made, that's called the U
I was right. I was right in the center of that.
That's when coach Howard Snellenberger told his recruiters to start
(16:22):
recruiting in the city. Before then, Danny, they wouldn't even
come into inner city and recruit kids out of the
inner city of Miami, which was crazy to me. They
would go everywhere else. So when Snellenberger got there, he
mandated that his recruiters go in the city and start
recruiting US kids. And that's where that thirty for thirty
(16:43):
came up at. And Danny, I'm telling you, every day
it was either University of Miami recruit at the high
school at my house every and they would kind of pressuring.
It was almost like the pressure tactics to get you
to sign. But what happened to me is I started
running with the wrong group of guys I met for
(17:06):
a week. I didn't know even though who I was.
I'm serious. I started doing stuff that was. I didn't
even know why, Danny, I couldn't tell you why I
was doing some of the stuff. And then one night
I just said to myself, if I don't get from
around these guys, nothing's good. It's gonna happen. And that's
when I decided to go to the University of Florida
(17:27):
because I knew if I stayed at the University of Miami,
they would have assets to me. But if I went
to Gainesville, which is five hours from Miami, it would
take some effort for them to get up there. So
that's why I left. Now, that wasn't favorable with my dad,
my dad, because coach Snellenberger had my dad hook line
and sinker. My dad thought I was signing with the
(17:50):
University of Miami, and when I didn't, my dad. If
you look at my scholarship today from Florida, it's only
one signature on there. It was my mom. Dad refused
to sign my scholarship because he wanted me to go
to the University of Miami and he had so my dad,
he grew up in Tallahassee, so he had if we
(18:11):
go back, well, no, but he had some bad you know,
being black back in the sixties and the fifties. So
he had some bad thoughts about that area where Gainesville was.
He had a lot of problems and everything, and it
wasn't it wasn't you know, back then, it wasn't integrated
like it should have been. Because you're talking about the
(18:31):
early eighties. So integration was happening because of the college there,
but the surrounding city, the little counties, all the little
neighboring stuff, they were still they weren't willing to change,
so you still had a lot of racial stuff. So
that's what my dad remembered growing up, and he didn't
want me to be part of that. That was one
(18:52):
of his real big reasons for me not going up there.
But that turned out to be the best thing that
happened to me. A college town that flore like I said,
I'm not in Miami, wears full speed ahead all the time.
It was the best decision I think I made. So
were you committed to Miami then? I never committed to them,
but they thought they had met Mimi. I'm like, oh
(19:15):
my god, they really did. I went my official visit
was there. I took I took all my official visits.
MAXI like this too. It was University of Miami, University
of Florida, University of Pittsburgh, University of Oklahoma, and Ohio State.
That was what I know. I got a quick story
about that. This will cheer you up a little bit.
(19:37):
I went there that weekend. It was nine degrees. I'm
from Florida. No, no, no, I just went on the
official visit. It was nine degrees. Yeah, I'm from Florida.
Oh my god, even like people surviving this. So I
asked you, you would be a little upset with this.
(19:58):
So I was supposed to visit the you University of
Michigan that father, I know. I called Bubba Paris because
he was my recruiter. I told Bubba, I said, Bubba,
I'm sorry, but I can't come after the nine degrees
in Columbus. I'm like, Dad, So I told him. Of course,
I heard some choice words back from Bubba, really words
(20:21):
we can't repeat unless just not yeah. Oh. He was
upset at me for not going, but I was like,
oh no, it's no way I'm sitting up in this
nine degree It was terrible. At Ohio State, it was terrible, Danny.
So again, those were my official visits and I ended
up going to Florida. Oh my gosh, Okay, you said
your dad didn't sign your scholarship letter. Did he know
(20:42):
why you just want to go to Miami? No, So
that was kind of I know, that was kind of
like my because you know, they didn't know I was
wild and out. They didn't because you were high schoolbly
hanging out with college. Yeah. Then some of my homeboys
from Miami. Look, I had one homeboy. Yeah. I don't
know if you've ever seen the movie The Bad Lieutenant,
(21:05):
I want you to watch that movie. As a bad lieutenant,
he was a lieutenant that he was a drug dealer, gambler,
drug added he did at all. I had the homeboy
who worked for the police department. He was the same
way they would go around robbing drug houses. He was
the police, but they would go rob the drug houses
(21:26):
in there. So that, yeah, I'm running with him. So,
like I said, I wasn't running around the right guys.
I needed to. That's why I had Yes, Danny, you're right,
you're right, But I could I could see it. I
could see the city consuming me. And I had so
many other examples of guys that were great athletes that
(21:48):
didn't make it because of the stuff they did outside
of the field. Yeah so no, never never told pops.
I kept that one. Yeah No, didn't tell her either.
That probably have broke their hearts to their little baby.
Because I was my mom's baby. I played. I was
thirty nine. She would come to football game. Don't you
(22:10):
hurt my baby? I'm like, oh yeah, I'm thirty nine
years old, you know, but with your mom, you're always
their baby, you know, a thirty nine year old baby.
Could you see that rocking theil? And I looked. I
looked at your Florida pictures. You're Florida roster. Young fella.
That's a young big fella. I know this looks nothing
(22:33):
like you. I know, I know I was we can hello, Danny.
What I don't understanding by that picture is to look
like I got the eyes like I'm looking like. I
don't know. It's honestly the stash for me, the dirt giggler.
That's why I told my god Neil has one. Um, yeah,
(22:58):
this is crazy. So you didn't look like this when
you're a ton creator being principle. But it's not very
many years off, which is the most insane. Yeah, what
were you eating to get to this big so Danny,
when I got remember one ninety when I left high
When I left high school, I was two forty five.
When my first year at Florida, I was like two
(23:18):
sixty five, two sets old. They was packing it on.
And remember now, like I said, you know, we had
everything that we needed, not everything that we wanted growing up.
So just think about going to a smortgage board. The
food that you eat as much as you want, some
good food all day every day in college. Oh yeah,
(23:38):
I blew up. Oh yeah I was. I was on
that meal plan. Pretty serious, Danny. But it seemed like
it all worked out. It did, Yeah, yeah, it did.
We had a great strength coach. Okay, I had some
great coaches. Coach Shanahan, Mike Shanahan, Kyle's dad. He was
my offensive coordinator there, Charlie Peale who was under the ground,
(24:00):
Bear Bryant, he was our head coach. So we had
a lot of great coaches that my offensive line coach
was pretty good. So that kind of helped me. Plus,
you know, we had to keep our way that a
certain and you had to look a certain way by
Danny for you to become part of the Great Wall
of Florida, which I was. Everyone of us had the
bench press four hundred pounds and we had the leg
(24:23):
press eight hundred pounds, and I was the last piece
of the Great Wall of Florida. They called me the
last brick because I was strong at some of those
guys that were part of the offensive line, so they
were waiting on me and the last thing I had
already did the eight hundred leg press, but I was
(24:43):
trying to get that four hundred up. And it was
probably three or four games before the last game of
the season. I went in there and I put four
ten bench press four hundred and ten pounds, and they said,
the Great Wall the Florida is complete. I was the
last brick that had to go in that great wall,
and I went in there. I am I'm thinking about
(25:04):
the Philip Bromley that I know right now. Yeah, I'm
telling yes, Yeah, I'm sorry, Si Okay, I'm sorry. That's incredible. Yes, Yes,
Phil was stronger than me. Phils. Yeah. We had a
great It was a great group of guys. Great. Yeah,
it was great group. What is your favorite memory from Florida?
Probably US winning the SEC. We were the first team
(25:28):
to officially win it. But of course you know on
the NCAA we got sanction. Yeah, and they took it
from us, and I still got my ring. They could
never get that, so I still got my ring. Oh yeah,
because we were we were the first team to win
the SEC and Florida history. But like I said, they
were after our coach, so we all got sanction. But
(25:48):
I always remember we played Kentucky. We came back from
Kentucky and for m Florida Field, the swamp was paid.
I've heard great things about this one. Oh you got
you got the partake, you got the partaker in the swamp.
So Danny were in the plane. So the pilot said
that he wants us to see, you know, all the
(26:10):
people in the swamp. So the pilot, he said that
this was after Kentucky because we played in Kentucky and
had just won their yes, and we came back. So
he came and he banked the plane this way so
everybody could see everybody in the stadium. Then he came
back and he banked it that way, so people on
(26:31):
that side of the plane because see, man, it was packed,
it was full. Man. That was probably one of my
best feelings at Florida. Oh, my gosh, I love that. Okay,
and then you go on to Detroit. I mean, um,
I gonna talk about you and Barry the little little
big fella that's my guy. I mean, how pro prolific
(26:53):
is he? As his former offensive woman Danny. Oh so
every time I say he he's the greatest everybody, they look, oh, yeah,
well you're a bias. You blocked for him for seven
of us ten years. Yeah, thank you, but they look
at me as being biased. But Danny, I'm telling you,
it's not the highlights that you could pull up on
(27:14):
YouTube that you see. The thing that you ushould impress
me and Kevin Glover was the most was Monday's after
the game, when we had to go watch film and
you sitting in the film room and Danny, I swear
every Monday, it Monday. It would be like five plays.
You would be like, oh my goodness, how did he
just do that? And it may not be a long run,
(27:36):
it might be a loss, it might be a one
yard run, it might be a two yard loss, but
it's gonna be the greatest one yard or two yard
loss you've ever seen in your life. And this was
every Monday. He would make you say stuff like that.
He was just incredible. And then the other thing about
Barry so humble, soul, soul, humble. I blocked for him
(27:58):
for seven of us ten years and never once and
you know he took a lot of losses. Never once
that I ever see him stand up and point out
to somebody and say it was your fault, or you
should have got this block, or you should have did that.
Never once did he ever do this. So that would
make you want to block for him harder. You know,
that would make you want to take care of him
(28:19):
because he was just a humble guy. That was a
good guy. And then he was generous. I mean he
would take care of the big fall. Oh yeah, he
was like one of the first ones to take care
of the watches a trip anywhere in the world that
you want to go first class. Let's see, I missed
that one. I didn't go anywhere. I know, Dann I
(28:40):
was tripping. I was tripped. I didn't even take advantage
of that big screen TVs when it wasn't popular to
have a big screen. That was when cast you like
ten thousand dollars right then. So he was just he
would just take one year. We told him, look, we
don't want you to give us anything. We're gonna get
you something. So us as an offensive line and we
(29:00):
bought him something and everything. So it was just he
was just a great, great guy. And man, I'm so
happy he made my career. I mean he really did.
I tell anybody that if it wasn't for Barry, because
my first four years here, we didn't get on Monday
night TV. We weren't on any national TV because we
didn't have a draw. Why would anybody watch Detroit other
(29:23):
than the Thanksgiving Day game? And that's how it was
until we got Barried. Once we got Barry, everybody wanted
to see us because everybody wanted to see Barry, so
the spotlight was on him, but he put the spotlight
on the whole team and it helped a lot of
us reach all Pro Pro Bowls and different things like that.
So the little big fella, he has a place in
(29:45):
the big fella's hard beautiful. You remember what gift? Yeah,
so what one year we bought and that's the thing, Danny,
And that was the biggest thing because Barry didn't. Here's
a guy that had the Hunda accord. He kept that
for like his first eight years in the league. And
(30:05):
then when he did buy another car, he bought a
used car. Man. He stayed in the house probably about
the size of this little studio, you know what I'm saying.
Clothing when nothing you would look at Berry and say, oh,
that looks good. I mean he was just that way.
So he's very few but frugal. So we didn't know
what to give him. He didn't wear jury, even though
(30:26):
that's what we bought him. We bought him a chain
and they had him to day and on that and everything.
I don't even know a Barry. Everybody, oh, because he's
not flashy. He doesn't do things. So our biggest name
was coming up with what did we want to get Barry?
You know? So yeah, so that was that was it.
But great, just a great guy, great guy. Yeah, he's great.
What is your favorite memories a Lion? My favorite membery
(30:49):
is it's bitter sweet. But it's nineteen ninety one when
you know right now, and I hate to say that,
it's still the best season in Lyon's history if we
count the pre Super Bowl, which is bad, but it
was the twelve and fourth season and it was better
sweet because of what happened with Mike utly getting paralyzed.
(31:09):
But what Mike did I mean for him to be
I think Danny thing that grasped me the most. For
this man to be landing on the stretcher, paralyzed, can't move,
and when they was willing him off, for him to
give all eighty thousand people in the Silver Dome the
thumbs up. I mean, I know I went. I tell
people this all the time. I couldn't have handled that
(31:31):
injury like he handled it. I would have been a bitter,
bitter person. I probably wouldn't have wanted to see people.
But Mike was a complete opposite. I mean, I remember
we went to see Mike, like three days after he
got paralyzed. We went up to the hospital of the
sim and I remember us gathering up as a group.
It was just an old lineman and we said, all right,
(31:53):
before we go in here to see Mike, we say,
we're not gonna talk about this. Don't bring this up,
don't discuss this. You know, it was names we just
wanted to stay away from. You know, when we talked
to Mike Man, we walked in the room, he and
the joking, you know, he's in the cracking. Yeah, I'm
sitting up there. I'm like, oh my god, just he
(32:14):
encouraging us. And here's a guy, like I said, he's paralyzing.
He kept telling you, and he'll tell you this today
if he sees you. He's still going to walk this
thirty some years later. And when I see him Mike
a year ago, he's still telling me, Yeah, man, I'm
gonna get up out this wheelchair. I'm gonna walk. And
I love the way he lives life. Now he's been
(32:34):
a couple of car accidents, he's skydies, he wore the seas. Yeah,
I'm like, man, I'm like, man, you got paralyzed and
got crazy. We're like, what's wrong with you? But but
I'm glad he's living life and he's living until the fullest.
And and then Eric Amdall said getting killed during that
all season. So it was the best year. We had
(32:57):
twelve and four, one game away from the super Bowl.
But in terms of what we lost with Mike getting
paralyzed and Eric getting killed during the all season, it's
just it was a bit of a suite. But that's
the year that I remember. That's the year my fund
This year with the Lions twenty eighteen, you come back
to fitty trait lions and more of a sort of
(33:17):
full time role taking over as color analysts on the radio. Yeah,
who is that something you'd always been, Danny. That whole
thing was scary because I was supposed to be We
were supposed to start off as a three man booth.
So it was supposed to be me, Dan and Jim
brand Steller, you know. And I was supposed to be
learning on the gym because they knew Jim was probably
going to retire in like two or three years, and
(33:40):
then I would just roll into that position. All of
a sudden, w JR had a change of plans that like, Nope,
You're going right in with Dan Miller. I had no experience.
I'm like, oh my god, you know, so went in
with Dan, and I'm telling you, he makes it so
easy ze, Oh my god, man, he sets everything up
(34:03):
for you. He is so good with what he does.
It just relaxes you. And then and he makes it
easy for me. So the transition, I was nervous about
it because Jim had had that position for thirty one years.
Thirty one years. He was the guy, and here I
am stepping in for this guy. Knew he had loyal
(34:23):
you know, loyal fans that layal following that he had
over these years. So it was a little bumpy at first,
but again it just worked out so smooth. And like
I said, I think Dan and I also think Jim
brand Stead, and he gave me the go ahead, He
gave me the green light and said it was all
right with him. That's when I felt that piece about
(34:46):
about what had happened. And it was only once I
talked to him and he was like, loa, let's go ahead,
go do it. He's such a great guy. Oh he is. Man,
he's one of my best friends. Him and his wife, Robbie. Timmy,
I am about his wife way before. Sorry, I just
she's iconic. Is she awesome? Tim is? Yes, she was
(35:10):
on Channel seven right absolutely for so many years. Yeah,
she's awesome. So that's a great family. Yeah. Yes, hey,
to wrap this up, is your sixteenth birthday coming up? Oh? Wait? Which, yes, yeah,
they're coming fast. Yea comes at you. Yes, March thirtieth. Man,
the big fellow. I changed the first number. I was
used to having that five at the first number. I
(35:32):
got to go with me six. I know they used
I know, that's how when I do. My grandkids like
that they my hands like yeah, yeah, they ain't pretty man.
And that's what my wife always tells me. Stop talking
with your hands, because that's what she would always tell
me that, Oh my god, just stop it with the
(35:53):
hands because they're everyone. Is that why you were so successful? Yeah, yeah,
just yes, because you got you get them. When you
grab them, you hold them. They're not getting out right here,
these meat hooks. They're not going anywhere once I Once
I give them in you, they're not going anywhere. Yeah.
And if they still you know, I know that might
be an old school saying that. You see I'm bringing up, yeah,
(36:16):
the hooks. Yeah, you know, I'm gonna take it easy.
You know, they're coming so fast, Danny. I might do
something odd. I might do sixty three, you know what
I'm saying. It might be a big sixty three. See
that look you gave me, like, yeah, there you go.
(36:39):
I might have people puzzled weight why not big sixty
Why big sixty three? So you know, I might come
up because I'd like to throw people off a little bit.
You can't keep them on the straight and now you
got to take them to the left or to the
right sometime, so, yeah, I might go sixty three. Yeah,
and that was a great year. That was the year
I was born to nineteen sixty three. Yes see, we
(37:02):
throw on them Matha, see math I'm making the rain
with facts. See, I'm making the rain with facts in here.
I love this. That's all I got for you. Okay,
that was That was painless, short and sweet. I'm talking
to the people who are out there painless and short
and sweet. You just listen to another episode of Off
the Record with Danny Rogers. A new episode drops every Tuesday.
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