October 27, 2023 • 30 mins
Houston Texans CB Coach Dino Vasso, Concussion Expert Dr. Kenneth Podell and Panthers Voice Anish Shroff join Marc Vandermeer on this week's VanderPod.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello Texans, Welcome to the podcast, and we've got three
guests for you to hear from Dino Vasso, who is
the cornerbacks coach for your Texans, doing a fine job
with these guys through six games of the season, Carolina.
Up next, we'll also have doctor Kenneth's Padell Houston Methodist
minutes with him. He's a concussion expert, one of the
(00:26):
best in the world as a matter of fact, as
Houston Methodist is on the cutting edge of concussion treatment
diagnosis with the Houston Methodist Concussion Center. So we'll catch
up with doctor Kenneth Padel and a Niche Shroff, who's
the voice of the Carolina Panthers. Let's get into it
first though, with Dino Vasso, as John Harrison and I
caught up with the Texans cornerbacks coach.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Dino. How's it going great? Great to have you with us.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
This is the first time you've been in this studio
with both of us at.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Least, yeah, with both of us. Yeah, Now, Coach Ross
is trying to give you a hard time. It's hot Seatna,
not really. We just talked ball, that's.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
All we did.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, let's coach, let's start with a guy that you
brought in this offseason, and that was brought in soft seasons,
Shack Griffin.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
What a shack meant to the defense?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Stepping in so obviously had a lot of experience, But
what do you mean coming to this team and providing
the play when Derek went out.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yeah, just veteran leadership and he's doing exactly what we
anticipated that he would do. I think his greatest quality
is that he's confident. Yeah, and that's half the battle
when you're playing corner. He's he's been out there, he's
playing confident in making plays and he's been a great
addition for us.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Let's talk about the play of Steven Nelson. Three picks
tied for the league lead, and he's really meant a
lot to you as well. It's not just about the interceptions, obviously,
he's a leader. Describe what he does for you back there.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, I've said this before. I've known Steve for a
long time, almost a decade now. Is with him as
a rookie in Kansas City. Wow, And yeah, he's always
been this way. Just the mentality at practice, every rep
matters to him. So it's not a shock to me
that he's making plays out there because I see it
every day in practice.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You talk about confidence and playing that position, you gotta
have confidence, and Steven strikes me as a guy.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
That doesn't lose his How do you how do.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You ensure as a coach that a corner doesn't lose confidence?
You know in that game against the Saints, thing was
a great example of it. You know, he has the
opportunity for the pick six at the beginning, two plays
later gave up the deep shot and you would think, man, oh,
a guy that doesn't have the confidence, maybe he's lost
even more than what he's got. How do you kind
of help a guy maintain that confidence and make sure
that at that position in particular, players are going to
(02:29):
be up and down.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
How do you help him maintain that confidence? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
As a coach, you can help him by keeping your composure. Yeah,
you can't ask your guys to be composed and then
they come in the sideline and you're losing your mind. Right,
So we try to not stay too high or too low,
just kind of even keel. That's what we ask for
our players, and that's what we do on the sideline.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
This coach, Yeah, danel Vasso joining us coaches cornerbacks describe
what a nickel does for the listeners. We know he
covers the slot, but why is it so difficult and different?
What do you look for in a nickel corner?
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, it's kind of a hybrid position. Over the last
fifteen to twenty years or so, it's a lot more
value than it was in the past. But you're a
little bit of a corner, you're a little bit of
a safety, a little bit of a linebacker.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
You got to be able to cover, you got to
be able to handle the run fits blitz. So you're
kind of our Swiss army knife because you're really doing
everything on the field for us in the past game
and as well in the run game.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Not that we want to get away state secrets. But
you know, how different is this year versus last year?
Just scheme wise and for you having to learn maybe
you know, quarters is quarters. You know, the coverages are
probably similar, but I'm sure there were nuances with last
year's defense defense for that and this year's defense. How
was it for you kind of learning all of that
(03:41):
in I mean, you're here for what third year, but
yet this is the second defense that you're learning.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
How is it kind of for you to teach that.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, I've been in similar schemes to this. If you
go back to Philadelphia, we were a similar scheme to this,
particularly in the front. The coverage is a little bit different,
but I've worked with Corey Unlin and Matt Burke in
the past, so the terminalogy was relatively similar. So it
has changed for the players definitely because we're a little
bit more man conscious and even our zone calls here
(04:11):
have a little bit more match principles to them, So
you're a little bit more man in pattern match zones
here relative to last year where we were more spot
drop zone team. We were visual on the quarterback. When
you're a spot drop zone team, the quarterback is going
to tell you everything you need to know. You're looking
at the quarterback when you're pattern matching routes. Routes tell
you your responsibility. That dictates your responsibility, and that's kind of
(04:32):
the way we're structuring some of our defenses now.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Coach, you've been here since twenty twenty one. You've been
through some tough times here, you've been through some great
times Philadelphia with a super Bowl team. What are you
seeing in this group right now? As the Texans and
bark on it's not the second half of the season,
but whatever comes after the buy.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Yeah, particularly in our room, I've said this to our guys.
This is as talented as a room as I've been around,
and I've been some talented ones in Kansas City and
in Philadelphia. We got leadership. We got guys that can
play multiple positions, can cover, and then are productive in
the run game.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Coach, I would imagine there are a lot of people
that want to they want to ask you about Derek.
I know Derek hasn't been playing, but you know, getting himself.
You know in games one and two, what did you
see in Derek? And what are you excited about when
Derek's able to come back at some point this season.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yeah, he's just growing as a player, maturing as a player.
And then the time on task is just is imperative
for him and he's losing that a little bit now,
but he's he's still in the meetings, he's still learning
and taking those mental reps. But those first two weeks
were huge for him, particularly because we're in a new
scheme and again we're doing some some different things relative
to last year. But yeah, time on task and just
(05:43):
maturing and continue to grow as a player. He's he's
been doing that and I'm grateful to be around him.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Did del Vasso cornerbacks coach with us on Texans Radio? Okay,
so you're from Philadelphia, right and you went to the
University of in New Hampshire.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I've actually done games there.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I was at U Bass. We went to UNH many times.
Have you talked to also Texans director of Security Brett
Nakara about going up to Maine because he played there?
All right, this is New England football talk.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
We go black Bear hunting a couple. Yeah, so we
talk about that. We played for the Musket. It used
to be the last year of the game. Now last
game of the year now they kind of move it around. Yeah,
but that's our that's our rival, University of Maine.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So you played dB in College Plain Corner.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yep, Splain Corner.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Very nice. Yeah, New England football is where it's at.
I mean, I think you played much, but I mean
we try, Okay, we try. I mean we weren't.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
You know, we weren't exceptional back when I was like,
we're starting to get some things done. But I know
the IVY League is kind of kind of looked down
upon in some sense.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Oh, you guys are a bunch of smart guys. They
played football to play football too.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Okay, since you are from Philly, we've got to ask
the Phillies lose too straight?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
How much did that sting?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
And by the way, did you see the video of
the guy that was standing outside what his assistance Bank
Park and he's he's interviewing the fans and they're coming
out of game seven of you see that?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
My brother sent me that od I mean, that's that's
I wasn't shocked by it.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
That's how Philly fans.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
I was one of those fans.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
At one point. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
What is it about Philly fans though? Because broad Street
it's a unique place, right, I mean you're dealing with
the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers fans back in the
day played at the Spectrum and then later on where
they play now, all of it.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Yeah, I mean, it's a it's a blue collar town
and they're they're very passionate about their sports and they
show that unique ways.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Oh yeah, but they show that.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, they've got a whole different language something that we
can't really say on the air. But as you guys
are making the Super Bowl run being from Philly, and
we've seen a lot of different videos of people that
are you know, actors and and you know famous people
that have been from Philly that just that moment of
them winning the world or winning the super Bowl was
just almost overwhelming for them. For you being from Philly,
(07:48):
I know you're right in the midst of you coaching
the game, you're doing those things, but are you kind
of taking it all in? Like, I've never seen my
team win a super Bowl. I've never seen my team
win a championship like this. How is that feeling for
you a Philadelphia citizen seeing your team when you're coaching
when a super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Yeah, that's a good point. Like when you're in it,
you don't You don't really realize how big it is.
And then when you take a step back, and then
you look at your family and my mom and my
entire family's Eagles fan. So when I got this experience
with them, then I could take a step back and
enjoined a little bit more. Because when you're in it
and entrenched in it, yeah, you don't, you don't have
that fan perspective. Yeah, but again, looking at my family
(08:24):
and my brothers and my mom and what that meant
to them.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
That was awesome.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Well, you worked for Doug Peterson. Last year Texans beat
the Jags down there with Doug Peterson coaching. I know
up here it didn't go as well this year, decisive
victory down there. What do you see when you see
the Doug Peterson Jaguars does it remind you a bit
of what he was doing with the Eagles, at least
in the early going.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
I mean, how do you see that?
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Yeah, Press was with us as well as the offensive
coordinator who's with us in Philly, and they're doing some
of the same things that that they did with the Eagles.
The scheme has grown a little bit and and evolved,
but the nuts and bolts and the principals are still there,
same stuff that they were doing in Philly.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You were talking about confidence, we're talking about amongst your
group and your position, because I agree with you, Horley,
I feel like that position's got to have more confidence,
maybe than even the quarterback on the other side of
the ball. But it feels like this team has an
energy and of confidence that it hasn't had maybe a
year's prior. For whatever reason that you cens there's a
different energy and a different vibe with this particular team.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Then you can remember maybe maybe not a years past.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
But just different even from week to week and getting
that win over Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
What did that do to the confidence and the energy
of this team.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
I think just winning is contagious, and you start to
stack a couple of wins and it becomes the norm.
We expect to win. Not to say that we didn't
expect to win in the past, right, but we take
the grass on Sunday and we're out there, we expect
to win.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Outstanding coach. Thanks a lot, good luck, appreciate it, guys.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
There's Dino Vaso, Texans cornerbacks coach up next a Niche Shruff.
He's the play by play man for the Carolina Panthers
and also works on ESPN games Friday nights with Andre
Ware so we share at the same broadcast partner.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
Yeah, it's very polygamous.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Huh yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
True.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Before we get into the Panthers working with andre I
think this is your first year doing it, So what's
that like for you? Because I've been doing it for
twenty two years.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
You know, I want to bash him, but he's great.
He's great. He sees the game really well. Having played quarterback,
you know, there's just an added level focus in detail
that he picks up that a lot of analysts don't.
So makes my job a whole heck of a lot
easier when he's picking up on a lot of the
little nuances, and especially when it comes to quarterback play, which,
(10:40):
as we know, that rules the roost. That's what everybody
wants to hear about. And he's able to pick up
a little thing that these guys can do. How that
makes the difference on a micro and a macro level.
So I've had a lot of fun working with.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Andrea Anie Sharp joining us voys of the Carolina Panthers.
And before we get into it again, what about travel
as voice of the Panthers between your ESPN games and
the Sunday NFL stuff. You guys are doing Friday nights now,
so that's really convenient. But have you had any close
calls throughout your career?
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Well, you know, this is my second year with the Panthers.
So last year I was on Saturdays and there were
probably about a half dozen weekends where I'm flying out
Sunday morning to a game. There were a couple of
times last year, two or three occasions where I would
do a seven pm game Saturday, get out plane at
(11:32):
five am Sunday morning to do a one o'clock game
on Sunday. And it's not even the sleep. It's not
the lack of sleep, it's the travel anxiety, just getting
to the airport, keeping your fingers crossed that your plane
is going to go, and if it doesn't, that you've
got multiple backup options to get to where you need
(11:54):
to be. It's the anxiety of travel more than the
actual travel itself.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
So who would fill it for you if you did
not make it to the Panthers broadcast booth.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Well, the easy answer last year would have been Jim Zochie,
who's been our long time broadcaster with the Panthers. He's
usually one of the guys in the booth, and if
he's not, he's always a pre and post guy. But
Jim this year started as the radio voice for the
East Carolina Pirates, so now he's dealing a lot of
(12:24):
weeks with what I dealt with last year. So I
guess in a perfect world, if I couldn't make it,
Jim would be there. But I guess, and now you know,
with Jim doing the ECU stuff as well, we probably
need an option three just to be real safe, and.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
He shrop, joining us voice of the Carolina Panthers. All right,
let's get into it here, and I want to start
with Frank Reich because Frank was with the Colts. We
know Frank well, long history with Houston sports quarterback for
the Buffalo Bells during the big comeback game and all
of that. But what's it like to be around Frank
because he seems like a super likable head coach, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
And I'm about to go interview him here in about
forty five minutes or so. Even when things aren't going well,
he treats you with class and respect, and again I
know everybody should doesn't always work like that. When the
team is losing, he answers every question. I've never really see,
you know, you never really see him loses calm, and
(13:25):
especially with the way things have gone this first part
of the season, I think that's important. So he's been
a joy to deal with. He's again, just a great
human being. I'll tell you his story. A couple of
weeks ago, we're down in Miami getting ready to play
the Dolphins. So nine am at the team hotel, I
head down to the quarterbacks room to go do my
(13:45):
Sunday morning pregame interview with him. And now he's grandpa,
he's facetiming his grandchildren. And you know, I think sometimes
in this business, when you're just watching and you just
see these people on TV, it's often the curated version
or version you curate for yourself of these folks. And
(14:05):
as you know, when you're in the building, when you're
around them, you get to see them as people. And
I just would hope that you know, our fans and
fans everywhere, when you have a player, when you have
a coach who you know might be in the spotlight
when things aren't going too well, you remember that component that, yes,
these are people just like you and me, and you know,
(14:29):
there's the same struggle that human beings deal with, doesn't
matter how high profile you are.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Anie Sharp joining us voice of the Carolina Panthers, so
we all see the record a niche but tell me
what the Panthers do well that they need to do
more of. What can they sort of hang their hat
on and say we're good at this and we need
to do a whole lot more of it to get
these wins that we're looking for.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
Yeah, the reality right now is, you know those wins
and what they do well, you got to search for them.
They have done things well at times. The problem the
has been consistency. And you'll watch games and you'll say, wow,
that was a really good opening series or two. They
generally script the first fifteen plays and then the offense
(15:09):
fizzles out. You saw that against Miami when they led
the Dolphins fourteen nothing on the road. The run game,
you know, week one against Atlanta, they were able to
run the ball. They ran it well at times against Miami,
and then in other games it's non existent. Injuries have
been a part of it. You know, they're banged up,
you know, down three four guys in the secondary right now.
(15:31):
They're starting middle linebacker who you know is the longest
tenured positional player on this team. He's out for the season.
So that's part of it. But to be honest, they
have not found consistency in any one area this season.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That's tough. All right.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
So Bryce Young, because we know all about him pre
draft Texans, where the Panther's.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Going to take Young? Were they going to take Stroud?
Maybe even Richardson, who knows.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
We knew it was going to be Young after a
while in this pre draft process, and so I think
everybody felt like they had a sense of him as
a terrific guy, great quarterback at Alabama. What are you
see in so far as a professional quarterback. We've seen
some of the good plays, completion percentage pretty good. What
do you see in a niche He is the least.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Of their concerns, and I know the quarterback often gets
the blame when things aren't going well. To me, he
is having a normal rookie season, and the way CJ.
Stroud has played, I think CJ. Stroud is having the
type of rookie season that Panthers fan saw a decade
ago with Cam Newton. And that warps your perception of
(16:41):
Bryce Young. If you're a Panthers fan, well, hey, why
didn't we take this guy? Because he's putting up these
eye popping numbers. The reality is this is a long process.
Bryce Young processes, well, he's getting better. You can see
the progression as he made mistakes, as he had his
rookie moments. Absolutely, but this guy is getting better. He's progressed.
(17:01):
They have other issues they've been down two guards on
the offensive line, and he's been under duress quite a bit.
They haven't had a consistent running game, and again some
of that points to the injuries and the shuffling that
they've had up front. Outside of Adam Feeln, there has
been no consistent playmaker in the receiving game. So, given
what he's had to deal with in these first six games,
(17:22):
I think Bryce Young has acquitted himself pretty good. And
I'll tell you this, there is a game coming. I
don't know if it'll be this weekend or next weekend.
There's a game coming where Bryce Young is going to
wow people, and folks are gonna sit back and go, WHOA. Okay,
now we know why he was the pick.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Interesting, all right, what about the running game? I see
some carries from Laviska Channault, our old buddy with the Jaguars, obviously,
Chewba Hubbard.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
What are you seeing here?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I know Sanders has had some injury issues.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
Tuba Hubbard's been the best running back on this team
through six games. Unequivocally. Miles Sanders was the splashy free
agent signing, and he's had a couple of costly fumbles.
He's had some injuries. He just does not really produced,
I think the way they thought he would. And if
Miles Sanders is healthy on Sunday, I would still expect
(18:15):
Cuba Hubbard to get at least half the carries. Ce
Bas earned that much, and lamiskus Chnalt is one of
these guys who is a playmaker. Get him the ball
in space, find different ways to get him the football.
They're using him now almost as the third running back
in his hybrid wide receiver running back role. You'll see
him in orbit motion a ton. You'll see him catch
(18:37):
all out of these tunnel and bubble screens. He's not
gonna run a ton of long routes, but he'll line
up in the backfield and he'll carry the ball. And
he's a big, physical, wrecking ball who can get yards
after contact and yards before contact.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Any sharp joining us voice of the Carolina Panthers, give
me a Panther or two who doesn't get publicity really
or enough of it, who's doing something well that you'd
like to point out right now.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Yeah, there's a couple. One is Derek Brown on the
defensive line. This guy, really, since the start of last year,
has been an absolute stud. He's a thirty year guy
out of Auburn, and he is a guy who's really
a game wrecker. Defensively, He's blown up plays. I think
two or three weeks into the season he was the
(19:25):
Panthers leading tackler. And again, this guy plays on the
defensive line in a three to four front. So Derek
Brown is somebody who can wreck a play as soon
as it's snapped. He's explosive. I don't want to compare
him to Aaron Donald because there's not another Aaron Donald,
but he is disruptive in the way Aaron Donald can
disrupt the play right at the point of attack. And
(19:46):
then Frankie Luvu at linebacker. Again, this was a hit
and gym. They picked up a few years ago from
the Jets. They thought he could be a bit player,
a special teamer, and he has really come on. Last
year stepped into a starting role for the first time,
and if you look at his numbers, it was right
up there with any All Pro Pro Bowl caliber linebacker.
He can rush the passer, he makes plays in space,
(20:10):
he can play in coverage and pick off passes. He's
disrupted too. So those guys with all the injuries that
they've had have really carried this defense. And then the
third guy who you might see on Sunday we'll find
out on Wednesday. You might see on Sunday is J. C.
Horn He was their first round pick a couple of
years ago. When he's healthy, and health has been a
(20:31):
big problem with him in his two plus seasons in
the league. He's a lockdown corner who changes the calculus defensively.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Yeah, we saw him here a couple of years ago
on a Thursday night against the Houston Texans. I remember that.
A niche couple more for you. Charlotte as a sportstown.
Define it for me? What characterizes Charlotte as a sports town.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Oh, that's a great question. You know, the honest answer
would probably be thirsty. The Hornets in their thirty plus
year existence, have never even been to a conference finals,
let alone an NBA finals. Panthers have been to two
Super Bowls, they have not won a Super Bowl, and
(21:17):
they have not had back to back seasons with a
winning record. And when you have a city of transplants where,
let's be honest, nobody's grandfather grew up a Panthers fan,
there is a little bit of missionary work to be
done by these teams, and you have to find a
way not just to engage fans of other teams that
(21:39):
have moved here, but also produced a consistent winner, so
you turn them into loyalists and die hard and it
just has not happened yet. We have a soccer team,
an MLS team, Charlotte FC, and I was at the
game on Saturday. They were playing Inner Miami MESSI was here.
It was just a as Bank of America Stadium has been.
(22:03):
They play in the same building where you'll be Sunday
with the Panthers play. And somehow Charlotte FC won the game,
punch their ticket in the playoffs, and the soccer team
has carried a lot of positive momentum this season. But
I think this town as a sports town, it's thirsty.
They're waiting for a consistent winner. They want it really bad.
(22:24):
You got a generation of thirty five and younger who
are die hards, who did grow up with the Hornets
and did grow up with the Panthers, and they're thirsty.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
At each one. More Syracuse you went there.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
I've always said this is like Johns Hopkins for doctors,
Harvard Law for lawyers, Syracuse for broadcasters. It's unbelievable. So
give me your favorite or two favorites you have who
have been to Syracuse. Broadcasters that you look up to, admire,
you really like their work.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
Yeah, there's three of them. One Bob Costas, who I
just think is probably the best sports caster of our generation.
Iron Eagle was the guy I grew up listening to.
He would do the Jets on the radio. I've gotten
to know him, especially in the last few years through
the NFL circuit. His son's doing an incredible job on
(23:14):
the NBC Games Big Ten package. Iron's a guy I've
long admired. And then the third guy was Len Burman.
Len was the Channel four WNBC local news sportscaster in
New York where I grew up, and we would watch
him religiously and he almost became like Uncle Len in
our household. Six pm every weeknight, we were at the
(23:37):
TV back before the Internet and Twitter and dot com.
That's how we would catch our local sports news.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
You're not even old enough to know Len Berman. My gosh,
that's amazing. Good stuff, and East thanks so much for
joining us. We look forward to seeing you Sunday.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to connecting with you too. Take care.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
There's a niche, sharp voice of the Carolina Panthers now
dot Kenneth Paddell Houston Methodist Concussion Center. I visited with
him on the latest in concussion technology. Always a pleasure
to visit with the good doctor. What's the latest in
terms of diagnosis? Because I noticed a lot of players
are catching on or people in general who might be
(24:18):
in situations where they might suffer a concussion and a
lot of self reporting going on. So what can you
tell me about that?
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Well, that's great, Mark, and they bring up two very
good points. First has to do with the assessment. Just
came out a couple months ago. Is an update and
it's called the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool, and it's just
updated about a year ago, but just released a few
months ago, and it's a significant improvement in helping individuals
(24:49):
evaluate for possible concussion. It's designed for professionals, those that
are in the field, but it really highlights the multitude
of problem that can occur in a concussion, things like balance, dizziness,
eye movement problems, net problems, you know, the thinking stuff
(25:09):
that everyone's familiar with. But it's a real nice update
on the assessment. And they also just created a version
for office visits, so when you follow up with the doctor,
and it's a nice way, it's a nice outline for
the doctors to follow in looking at all the different
parts that can be affected in that concussion.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Doctor, what can you tell us about baselines? We hear
a lot about this. As you evaluate a player who
might have concussion symptoms, compare them to his baseline data.
How do you evaluate what baseline data are?
Speaker 6 (25:44):
Yeah, it's interesting. Baseline assessments were very very popular a
few years ago and originally thought of the best way
of looking at athletes that may have concussions. Are they
at baseline? And we're actually getting away from that a
little bit because the tools now have such great normative
(26:06):
data that we know what to compare them to. So
tests compare an eighteen year old mail with five thousand
eighteen year olds that never had a concussion. So we're
getting away from the baseline. But the idea is when
we get them, when we're ready to return an athlete
to play, we want to make sure that they are
(26:29):
at that baseline, which typically means no symptoms that they
ever experienced before, that their thinking skills are back to normal,
sleeping is back to normal. All of those things are
at where they were before the concussion.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Well, when you have someone suffering from a concussion, what
is the recovery? Should somebody be around other people doing
relatively normal things or how is it determined what they
can or cannot do? Is that about what you can
tolerate yourself? How do you evaluate and subscribe treatment?
Speaker 6 (27:01):
Good point and a lot have to do with the
type of pattern. I believe that individuals have a signature
to their concussion, so therefore the treatment plan is tailored
to the problems that that person is experiencing. The point
that you do bring up that I think is becoming
(27:21):
a little bit more acknowledged and used in the profession
is after about forty eight probably seventy two hours, we
start to get the patient moving again, a little bit
of physical activity, a little bit of cognitive activity. I
(27:42):
like to use the phrase Goldilocks approach to all of this,
not too little and not too much activity. And activity
could be a three to five minute walk, or it
could be reading for five minutes. What we try to
do there is to make sure that their symptoms don't
get worse. If the activity makes the symptoms worse, when
(28:04):
we say stop, back it down, and slowly and gradually
increase over time. What we're finding is this approach of
gradually increasing activity helps us recover faster from the concussion.
Lack of activity, as you know, is never good for health,
and it's not good for the concussion either. So this
(28:26):
whole idea of being in a dark room until your
symptoms go away, we don't do that anymore. It's his
gradual increase of activity.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
How are things going at the Concussion Center? Anything you
can share with us that you're excited about, anything new,
anything you're working on.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
We're excited about a couple of things. At the Concussion Center.
We will be monitoring patients that come into use the
methodists for concussions. We have a way of using text
messaging to have to follow patients acutely after a concussion.
For example, if they walked into one of our cares
or emergency rooms and we're diagnosed with the concussions, they
(29:03):
would be offered the opportunity to enroll in this program.
And what we're going to do is closely monitor their
symptoms and their problems and offer them advice for treatment,
offer them visits with any of our twenty two doctors
that see concussions throughout Houston Methodists, so we'll be able
to reach out to these individuals in the public. And
(29:28):
the reason that's important is because more recent research has
shown that up to sixty seventy percent of individuals that
sustain a brain injury or concussions don't follow up with doctors,
yet seventy percent still have symptoms weeks or months after that.
So this is an opportunity for us to help the
public recover from their concussions.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Quicker, great information. As always, doctor, we really appreciate the time.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
There's doctor Kenneth Fidell of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center
that's going to do it for the vandor P. Check
out all the other Texans podcasts and subscribe to this
one and all of them wherever you get your podcasts from.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Have a great day, Go Texans.
Hello Texans, Welcome to the podcast, and we've got three
guests for you to hear from Dino Vasso, who is
the cornerbacks coach for your Texans, doing a fine job
with these guys through six games of the season, Carolina.
Up next, we'll also have doctor Kenneth's Padell Houston Methodist
minutes with him. He's a concussion expert, one of the
(00:26):
best in the world as a matter of fact, as
Houston Methodist is on the cutting edge of concussion treatment
diagnosis with the Houston Methodist Concussion Center. So we'll catch
up with doctor Kenneth Padel and a Niche Shroff, who's
the voice of the Carolina Panthers. Let's get into it
first though, with Dino Vasso, as John Harrison and I
caught up with the Texans cornerbacks coach.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Dino. How's it going great? Great to have you with us.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
This is the first time you've been in this studio
with both of us at.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Least, yeah, with both of us. Yeah, Now, Coach Ross
is trying to give you a hard time. It's hot Seatna,
not really. We just talked ball, that's.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
All we did.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, let's coach, let's start with a guy that you
brought in this offseason, and that was brought in soft seasons,
Shack Griffin.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
What a shack meant to the defense?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Stepping in so obviously had a lot of experience, But
what do you mean coming to this team and providing
the play when Derek went out.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yeah, just veteran leadership and he's doing exactly what we
anticipated that he would do. I think his greatest quality
is that he's confident. Yeah, and that's half the battle
when you're playing corner. He's he's been out there, he's
playing confident in making plays and he's been a great
addition for us.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Let's talk about the play of Steven Nelson. Three picks
tied for the league lead, and he's really meant a
lot to you as well. It's not just about the interceptions, obviously,
he's a leader. Describe what he does for you back there.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, I've said this before. I've known Steve for a
long time, almost a decade now. Is with him as
a rookie in Kansas City. Wow, And yeah, he's always
been this way. Just the mentality at practice, every rep
matters to him. So it's not a shock to me
that he's making plays out there because I see it
every day in practice.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You talk about confidence and playing that position, you gotta
have confidence, and Steven strikes me as a guy.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
That doesn't lose his How do you how do.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You ensure as a coach that a corner doesn't lose confidence?
You know in that game against the Saints, thing was
a great example of it. You know, he has the
opportunity for the pick six at the beginning, two plays
later gave up the deep shot and you would think, man, oh,
a guy that doesn't have the confidence, maybe he's lost
even more than what he's got. How do you kind
of help a guy maintain that confidence and make sure
that at that position in particular, players are going to
(02:29):
be up and down.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
How do you help him maintain that confidence? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
As a coach, you can help him by keeping your composure. Yeah,
you can't ask your guys to be composed and then
they come in the sideline and you're losing your mind. Right,
So we try to not stay too high or too low,
just kind of even keel. That's what we ask for
our players, and that's what we do on the sideline.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
This coach, Yeah, danel Vasso joining us coaches cornerbacks describe
what a nickel does for the listeners. We know he
covers the slot, but why is it so difficult and different?
What do you look for in a nickel corner?
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, it's kind of a hybrid position. Over the last
fifteen to twenty years or so, it's a lot more
value than it was in the past. But you're a
little bit of a corner, you're a little bit of
a safety, a little bit of a linebacker.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
You got to be able to cover, you got to
be able to handle the run fits blitz. So you're
kind of our Swiss army knife because you're really doing
everything on the field for us in the past game
and as well in the run game.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Not that we want to get away state secrets. But
you know, how different is this year versus last year?
Just scheme wise and for you having to learn maybe
you know, quarters is quarters. You know, the coverages are
probably similar, but I'm sure there were nuances with last
year's defense defense for that and this year's defense. How
was it for you kind of learning all of that
(03:41):
in I mean, you're here for what third year, but
yet this is the second defense that you're learning.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
How is it kind of for you to teach that.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, I've been in similar schemes to this. If you
go back to Philadelphia, we were a similar scheme to this,
particularly in the front. The coverage is a little bit different,
but I've worked with Corey Unlin and Matt Burke in
the past, so the terminalogy was relatively similar. So it
has changed for the players definitely because we're a little
bit more man conscious and even our zone calls here
(04:11):
have a little bit more match principles to them, So
you're a little bit more man in pattern match zones
here relative to last year where we were more spot
drop zone team. We were visual on the quarterback. When
you're a spot drop zone team, the quarterback is going
to tell you everything you need to know. You're looking
at the quarterback when you're pattern matching routes. Routes tell
you your responsibility. That dictates your responsibility, and that's kind of
(04:32):
the way we're structuring some of our defenses now.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Coach, you've been here since twenty twenty one. You've been
through some tough times here, you've been through some great
times Philadelphia with a super Bowl team. What are you
seeing in this group right now? As the Texans and
bark on it's not the second half of the season,
but whatever comes after the buy.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Yeah, particularly in our room, I've said this to our guys.
This is as talented as a room as I've been around,
and I've been some talented ones in Kansas City and
in Philadelphia. We got leadership. We got guys that can
play multiple positions, can cover, and then are productive in
the run game.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Coach, I would imagine there are a lot of people
that want to they want to ask you about Derek.
I know Derek hasn't been playing, but you know, getting himself.
You know in games one and two, what did you
see in Derek? And what are you excited about when
Derek's able to come back at some point this season.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yeah, he's just growing as a player, maturing as a player.
And then the time on task is just is imperative
for him and he's losing that a little bit now,
but he's he's still in the meetings, he's still learning
and taking those mental reps. But those first two weeks
were huge for him, particularly because we're in a new
scheme and again we're doing some some different things relative
to last year. But yeah, time on task and just
(05:43):
maturing and continue to grow as a player. He's he's
been doing that and I'm grateful to be around him.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Did del Vasso cornerbacks coach with us on Texans Radio? Okay,
so you're from Philadelphia, right and you went to the
University of in New Hampshire.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I've actually done games there.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I was at U Bass. We went to UNH many times.
Have you talked to also Texans director of Security Brett
Nakara about going up to Maine because he played there?
All right, this is New England football talk.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
We go black Bear hunting a couple. Yeah, so we
talk about that. We played for the Musket. It used
to be the last year of the game. Now last
game of the year now they kind of move it around. Yeah,
but that's our that's our rival, University of Maine.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So you played dB in College Plain Corner.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yep, Splain Corner.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Very nice. Yeah, New England football is where it's at.
I mean, I think you played much, but I mean
we try, Okay, we try. I mean we weren't.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
You know, we weren't exceptional back when I was like,
we're starting to get some things done. But I know
the IVY League is kind of kind of looked down
upon in some sense.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Oh, you guys are a bunch of smart guys. They
played football to play football too.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Okay, since you are from Philly, we've got to ask
the Phillies lose too straight?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
How much did that sting?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
And by the way, did you see the video of
the guy that was standing outside what his assistance Bank
Park and he's he's interviewing the fans and they're coming
out of game seven of you see that?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
My brother sent me that od I mean, that's that's
I wasn't shocked by it.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
That's how Philly fans.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
I was one of those fans.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
At one point. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
What is it about Philly fans though? Because broad Street
it's a unique place, right, I mean you're dealing with
the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers fans back in the
day played at the Spectrum and then later on where
they play now, all of it.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Yeah, I mean, it's a it's a blue collar town
and they're they're very passionate about their sports and they
show that unique ways.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Oh yeah, but they show that.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, they've got a whole different language something that we
can't really say on the air. But as you guys
are making the Super Bowl run being from Philly, and
we've seen a lot of different videos of people that
are you know, actors and and you know famous people
that have been from Philly that just that moment of
them winning the world or winning the super Bowl was
just almost overwhelming for them. For you being from Philly,
(07:48):
I know you're right in the midst of you coaching
the game, you're doing those things, but are you kind
of taking it all in? Like, I've never seen my
team win a super Bowl. I've never seen my team
win a championship like this. How is that feeling for
you a Philadelphia citizen seeing your team when you're coaching
when a super Bowl?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Yeah, that's a good point. Like when you're in it,
you don't You don't really realize how big it is.
And then when you take a step back, and then
you look at your family and my mom and my
entire family's Eagles fan. So when I got this experience
with them, then I could take a step back and
enjoined a little bit more. Because when you're in it
and entrenched in it, yeah, you don't, you don't have
that fan perspective. Yeah, but again, looking at my family
(08:24):
and my brothers and my mom and what that meant
to them.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
That was awesome.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Well, you worked for Doug Peterson. Last year Texans beat
the Jags down there with Doug Peterson coaching. I know
up here it didn't go as well this year, decisive
victory down there. What do you see when you see
the Doug Peterson Jaguars does it remind you a bit
of what he was doing with the Eagles, at least
in the early going.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
I mean, how do you see that?
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Yeah, Press was with us as well as the offensive
coordinator who's with us in Philly, and they're doing some
of the same things that that they did with the Eagles.
The scheme has grown a little bit and and evolved,
but the nuts and bolts and the principals are still there,
same stuff that they were doing in Philly.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
You were talking about confidence, we're talking about amongst your
group and your position, because I agree with you, Horley,
I feel like that position's got to have more confidence,
maybe than even the quarterback on the other side of
the ball. But it feels like this team has an
energy and of confidence that it hasn't had maybe a
year's prior. For whatever reason that you cens there's a
different energy and a different vibe with this particular team.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Then you can remember maybe maybe not a years past.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
But just different even from week to week and getting
that win over Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
What did that do to the confidence and the energy
of this team.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
I think just winning is contagious, and you start to
stack a couple of wins and it becomes the norm.
We expect to win. Not to say that we didn't
expect to win in the past, right, but we take
the grass on Sunday and we're out there, we expect
to win.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Outstanding coach. Thanks a lot, good luck, appreciate it, guys.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
There's Dino Vaso, Texans cornerbacks coach up next a Niche Shruff.
He's the play by play man for the Carolina Panthers
and also works on ESPN games Friday nights with Andre
Ware so we share at the same broadcast partner.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
Yeah, it's very polygamous.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Huh yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
True.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Before we get into the Panthers working with andre I
think this is your first year doing it, So what's
that like for you? Because I've been doing it for
twenty two years.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
You know, I want to bash him, but he's great.
He's great. He sees the game really well. Having played quarterback,
you know, there's just an added level focus in detail
that he picks up that a lot of analysts don't.
So makes my job a whole heck of a lot
easier when he's picking up on a lot of the
little nuances, and especially when it comes to quarterback play, which,
(10:40):
as we know, that rules the roost. That's what everybody
wants to hear about. And he's able to pick up
a little thing that these guys can do. How that
makes the difference on a micro and a macro level.
So I've had a lot of fun working with.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Andrea Anie Sharp joining us voys of the Carolina Panthers.
And before we get into it again, what about travel
as voice of the Panthers between your ESPN games and
the Sunday NFL stuff. You guys are doing Friday nights now,
so that's really convenient. But have you had any close
calls throughout your career?
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Well, you know, this is my second year with the Panthers.
So last year I was on Saturdays and there were
probably about a half dozen weekends where I'm flying out
Sunday morning to a game. There were a couple of
times last year, two or three occasions where I would
do a seven pm game Saturday, get out plane at
(11:32):
five am Sunday morning to do a one o'clock game
on Sunday. And it's not even the sleep. It's not
the lack of sleep, it's the travel anxiety, just getting
to the airport, keeping your fingers crossed that your plane
is going to go, and if it doesn't, that you've
got multiple backup options to get to where you need
(11:54):
to be. It's the anxiety of travel more than the
actual travel itself.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
So who would fill it for you if you did
not make it to the Panthers broadcast booth.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Well, the easy answer last year would have been Jim Zochie,
who's been our long time broadcaster with the Panthers. He's
usually one of the guys in the booth, and if
he's not, he's always a pre and post guy. But
Jim this year started as the radio voice for the
East Carolina Pirates, so now he's dealing a lot of
(12:24):
weeks with what I dealt with last year. So I
guess in a perfect world, if I couldn't make it,
Jim would be there. But I guess, and now you know,
with Jim doing the ECU stuff as well, we probably
need an option three just to be real safe, and.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
He shrop, joining us voice of the Carolina Panthers. All right,
let's get into it here, and I want to start
with Frank Reich because Frank was with the Colts. We
know Frank well, long history with Houston sports quarterback for
the Buffalo Bells during the big comeback game and all
of that. But what's it like to be around Frank
because he seems like a super likable head coach, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
And I'm about to go interview him here in about
forty five minutes or so. Even when things aren't going well,
he treats you with class and respect, and again I
know everybody should doesn't always work like that. When the
team is losing, he answers every question. I've never really see,
you know, you never really see him loses calm, and
(13:25):
especially with the way things have gone this first part
of the season, I think that's important. So he's been
a joy to deal with. He's again, just a great
human being. I'll tell you his story. A couple of
weeks ago, we're down in Miami getting ready to play
the Dolphins. So nine am at the team hotel, I
head down to the quarterbacks room to go do my
(13:45):
Sunday morning pregame interview with him. And now he's grandpa,
he's facetiming his grandchildren. And you know, I think sometimes
in this business, when you're just watching and you just
see these people on TV, it's often the curated version
or version you curate for yourself of these folks. And
(14:05):
as you know, when you're in the building, when you're
around them, you get to see them as people. And
I just would hope that you know, our fans and
fans everywhere, when you have a player, when you have
a coach who you know might be in the spotlight
when things aren't going too well, you remember that component that, yes,
these are people just like you and me, and you know,
(14:29):
there's the same struggle that human beings deal with, doesn't
matter how high profile you are.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Anie Sharp joining us voice of the Carolina Panthers, so
we all see the record a niche but tell me
what the Panthers do well that they need to do
more of. What can they sort of hang their hat
on and say we're good at this and we need
to do a whole lot more of it to get
these wins that we're looking for.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
Yeah, the reality right now is, you know those wins
and what they do well, you got to search for them.
They have done things well at times. The problem the
has been consistency. And you'll watch games and you'll say, wow,
that was a really good opening series or two. They
generally script the first fifteen plays and then the offense
(15:09):
fizzles out. You saw that against Miami when they led
the Dolphins fourteen nothing on the road. The run game,
you know, week one against Atlanta, they were able to
run the ball. They ran it well at times against Miami,
and then in other games it's non existent. Injuries have
been a part of it. You know, they're banged up,
you know, down three four guys in the secondary right now.
(15:31):
They're starting middle linebacker who you know is the longest
tenured positional player on this team. He's out for the season.
So that's part of it. But to be honest, they
have not found consistency in any one area this season.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
That's tough. All right.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
So Bryce Young, because we know all about him pre
draft Texans, where the Panther's.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Going to take Young? Were they going to take Stroud?
Maybe even Richardson, who knows.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
We knew it was going to be Young after a
while in this pre draft process, and so I think
everybody felt like they had a sense of him as
a terrific guy, great quarterback at Alabama. What are you
see in so far as a professional quarterback. We've seen
some of the good plays, completion percentage pretty good. What
do you see in a niche He is the least.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Of their concerns, and I know the quarterback often gets
the blame when things aren't going well. To me, he
is having a normal rookie season, and the way CJ.
Stroud has played, I think CJ. Stroud is having the
type of rookie season that Panthers fan saw a decade
ago with Cam Newton. And that warps your perception of
(16:41):
Bryce Young. If you're a Panthers fan, well, hey, why
didn't we take this guy? Because he's putting up these
eye popping numbers. The reality is this is a long process.
Bryce Young processes, well, he's getting better. You can see
the progression as he made mistakes, as he had his
rookie moments. Absolutely, but this guy is getting better. He's progressed.
(17:01):
They have other issues they've been down two guards on
the offensive line, and he's been under duress quite a bit.
They haven't had a consistent running game, and again some
of that points to the injuries and the shuffling that
they've had up front. Outside of Adam Feeln, there has
been no consistent playmaker in the receiving game. So, given
what he's had to deal with in these first six games,
(17:22):
I think Bryce Young has acquitted himself pretty good. And
I'll tell you this, there is a game coming. I
don't know if it'll be this weekend or next weekend.
There's a game coming where Bryce Young is going to
wow people, and folks are gonna sit back and go, WHOA. Okay,
now we know why he was the pick.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Interesting, all right, what about the running game? I see
some carries from Laviska Channault, our old buddy with the Jaguars, obviously,
Chewba Hubbard.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
What are you seeing here?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I know Sanders has had some injury issues.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
Tuba Hubbard's been the best running back on this team
through six games. Unequivocally. Miles Sanders was the splashy free
agent signing, and he's had a couple of costly fumbles.
He's had some injuries. He just does not really produced,
I think the way they thought he would. And if
Miles Sanders is healthy on Sunday, I would still expect
(18:15):
Cuba Hubbard to get at least half the carries. Ce
Bas earned that much, and lamiskus Chnalt is one of
these guys who is a playmaker. Get him the ball
in space, find different ways to get him the football.
They're using him now almost as the third running back
in his hybrid wide receiver running back role. You'll see
him in orbit motion a ton. You'll see him catch
(18:37):
all out of these tunnel and bubble screens. He's not
gonna run a ton of long routes, but he'll line
up in the backfield and he'll carry the ball. And
he's a big, physical, wrecking ball who can get yards
after contact and yards before contact.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Any sharp joining us voice of the Carolina Panthers, give
me a Panther or two who doesn't get publicity really
or enough of it, who's doing something well that you'd
like to point out right now.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Yeah, there's a couple. One is Derek Brown on the
defensive line. This guy, really, since the start of last year,
has been an absolute stud. He's a thirty year guy
out of Auburn, and he is a guy who's really
a game wrecker. Defensively, He's blown up plays. I think
two or three weeks into the season he was the
(19:25):
Panthers leading tackler. And again, this guy plays on the
defensive line in a three to four front. So Derek
Brown is somebody who can wreck a play as soon
as it's snapped. He's explosive. I don't want to compare
him to Aaron Donald because there's not another Aaron Donald,
but he is disruptive in the way Aaron Donald can
disrupt the play right at the point of attack. And
(19:46):
then Frankie Luvu at linebacker. Again, this was a hit
and gym. They picked up a few years ago from
the Jets. They thought he could be a bit player,
a special teamer, and he has really come on. Last
year stepped into a starting role for the first time,
and if you look at his numbers, it was right
up there with any All Pro Pro Bowl caliber linebacker.
He can rush the passer, he makes plays in space,
(20:10):
he can play in coverage and pick off passes. He's
disrupted too. So those guys with all the injuries that
they've had have really carried this defense. And then the
third guy who you might see on Sunday we'll find
out on Wednesday. You might see on Sunday is J. C.
Horn He was their first round pick a couple of
years ago. When he's healthy, and health has been a
(20:31):
big problem with him in his two plus seasons in
the league. He's a lockdown corner who changes the calculus defensively.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Yeah, we saw him here a couple of years ago
on a Thursday night against the Houston Texans. I remember that.
A niche couple more for you. Charlotte as a sportstown.
Define it for me? What characterizes Charlotte as a sports town.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
Oh, that's a great question. You know, the honest answer
would probably be thirsty. The Hornets in their thirty plus
year existence, have never even been to a conference finals,
let alone an NBA finals. Panthers have been to two
Super Bowls, they have not won a Super Bowl, and
(21:17):
they have not had back to back seasons with a
winning record. And when you have a city of transplants where,
let's be honest, nobody's grandfather grew up a Panthers fan,
there is a little bit of missionary work to be
done by these teams, and you have to find a
way not just to engage fans of other teams that
(21:39):
have moved here, but also produced a consistent winner, so
you turn them into loyalists and die hard and it
just has not happened yet. We have a soccer team,
an MLS team, Charlotte FC, and I was at the
game on Saturday. They were playing Inner Miami MESSI was here.
It was just a as Bank of America Stadium has been.
(22:03):
They play in the same building where you'll be Sunday
with the Panthers play. And somehow Charlotte FC won the game,
punch their ticket in the playoffs, and the soccer team
has carried a lot of positive momentum this season. But
I think this town as a sports town, it's thirsty.
They're waiting for a consistent winner. They want it really bad.
(22:24):
You got a generation of thirty five and younger who
are die hards, who did grow up with the Hornets
and did grow up with the Panthers, and they're thirsty.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
At each one. More Syracuse you went there.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
I've always said this is like Johns Hopkins for doctors,
Harvard Law for lawyers, Syracuse for broadcasters. It's unbelievable. So
give me your favorite or two favorites you have who
have been to Syracuse. Broadcasters that you look up to, admire,
you really like their work.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
Yeah, there's three of them. One Bob Costas, who I
just think is probably the best sports caster of our generation.
Iron Eagle was the guy I grew up listening to.
He would do the Jets on the radio. I've gotten
to know him, especially in the last few years through
the NFL circuit. His son's doing an incredible job on
(23:14):
the NBC Games Big Ten package. Iron's a guy I've
long admired. And then the third guy was Len Burman.
Len was the Channel four WNBC local news sportscaster in
New York where I grew up, and we would watch
him religiously and he almost became like Uncle Len in
our household. Six pm every weeknight, we were at the
(23:37):
TV back before the Internet and Twitter and dot com.
That's how we would catch our local sports news.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
You're not even old enough to know Len Berman. My gosh,
that's amazing. Good stuff, and East thanks so much for
joining us. We look forward to seeing you Sunday.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to connecting with you too. Take care.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
There's a niche, sharp voice of the Carolina Panthers now
dot Kenneth Paddell Houston Methodist Concussion Center. I visited with
him on the latest in concussion technology. Always a pleasure
to visit with the good doctor. What's the latest in
terms of diagnosis? Because I noticed a lot of players
are catching on or people in general who might be
(24:18):
in situations where they might suffer a concussion and a
lot of self reporting going on. So what can you
tell me about that?
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Well, that's great, Mark, and they bring up two very
good points. First has to do with the assessment. Just
came out a couple months ago. Is an update and
it's called the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool, and it's just
updated about a year ago, but just released a few
months ago, and it's a significant improvement in helping individuals
(24:49):
evaluate for possible concussion. It's designed for professionals, those that
are in the field, but it really highlights the multitude
of problem that can occur in a concussion, things like balance, dizziness,
eye movement problems, net problems, you know, the thinking stuff
(25:09):
that everyone's familiar with. But it's a real nice update
on the assessment. And they also just created a version
for office visits, so when you follow up with the doctor,
and it's a nice way, it's a nice outline for
the doctors to follow in looking at all the different
parts that can be affected in that concussion.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Doctor, what can you tell us about baselines? We hear
a lot about this. As you evaluate a player who
might have concussion symptoms, compare them to his baseline data.
How do you evaluate what baseline data are?
Speaker 6 (25:44):
Yeah, it's interesting. Baseline assessments were very very popular a
few years ago and originally thought of the best way
of looking at athletes that may have concussions. Are they
at baseline? And we're actually getting away from that a
little bit because the tools now have such great normative
(26:06):
data that we know what to compare them to. So
tests compare an eighteen year old mail with five thousand
eighteen year olds that never had a concussion. So we're
getting away from the baseline. But the idea is when
we get them, when we're ready to return an athlete
to play, we want to make sure that they are
(26:29):
at that baseline, which typically means no symptoms that they
ever experienced before, that their thinking skills are back to normal,
sleeping is back to normal. All of those things are
at where they were before the concussion.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Well, when you have someone suffering from a concussion, what
is the recovery? Should somebody be around other people doing
relatively normal things or how is it determined what they
can or cannot do? Is that about what you can
tolerate yourself? How do you evaluate and subscribe treatment?
Speaker 6 (27:01):
Good point and a lot have to do with the
type of pattern. I believe that individuals have a signature
to their concussion, so therefore the treatment plan is tailored
to the problems that that person is experiencing. The point
that you do bring up that I think is becoming
(27:21):
a little bit more acknowledged and used in the profession
is after about forty eight probably seventy two hours, we
start to get the patient moving again, a little bit
of physical activity, a little bit of cognitive activity. I
(27:42):
like to use the phrase Goldilocks approach to all of this,
not too little and not too much activity. And activity
could be a three to five minute walk, or it
could be reading for five minutes. What we try to
do there is to make sure that their symptoms don't
get worse. If the activity makes the symptoms worse, when
(28:04):
we say stop, back it down, and slowly and gradually
increase over time. What we're finding is this approach of
gradually increasing activity helps us recover faster from the concussion.
Lack of activity, as you know, is never good for health,
and it's not good for the concussion either. So this
(28:26):
whole idea of being in a dark room until your
symptoms go away, we don't do that anymore. It's his
gradual increase of activity.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
How are things going at the Concussion Center? Anything you
can share with us that you're excited about, anything new,
anything you're working on.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
We're excited about a couple of things. At the Concussion Center.
We will be monitoring patients that come into use the
methodists for concussions. We have a way of using text
messaging to have to follow patients acutely after a concussion.
For example, if they walked into one of our cares
or emergency rooms and we're diagnosed with the concussions, they
(29:03):
would be offered the opportunity to enroll in this program.
And what we're going to do is closely monitor their
symptoms and their problems and offer them advice for treatment,
offer them visits with any of our twenty two doctors
that see concussions throughout Houston Methodists, so we'll be able
to reach out to these individuals in the public. And
(29:28):
the reason that's important is because more recent research has
shown that up to sixty seventy percent of individuals that
sustain a brain injury or concussions don't follow up with doctors,
yet seventy percent still have symptoms weeks or months after that.
So this is an opportunity for us to help the
public recover from their concussions.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Quicker, great information. As always, doctor, we really appreciate the time.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
There's doctor Kenneth Fidell of the Houston Methodist Concussion Center
that's going to do it for the vandor P. Check
out all the other Texans podcasts and subscribe to this
one and all of them wherever you get your podcasts from.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Have a great day, Go Texans.
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