DL Travis Johnson | This is Texans OG's

Former Texans defensive lineman N.D. Kalu welcomed former Texans defensive lineman Travis Johnson and the two swapped some entertaining stories from back in the day, and much more.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome inn, Welcome back, Texans OG Podcast. I'm in d
kaloud sitting here, not just former teammate but good friend
of mine Travis Johnson. But if you know him, you
call him trap J. Gonna sit here and kick it
around for a few minutes, talk about well rookie minni
camp mini camps, get his experience from being a former
first round pick, what his mentality was with his first

(00:28):
mini camp, and the differences. You know, trap J is
still close to the team, close to the going zones
of the NFL, so we could talk about the differences
between now and what we had back then. And I
know I'm getting old because I still think of trap
J as a pup. He been out for a while.
But appreciate you making a trip. What's going on, trap Man?

(00:49):
Indywaate DJ join to klu Gota Thunder, what's going on?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Brother man? Just chilling man, Just coming to hang out
with you for a little.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Bit and appreciate quick story, A couple quick stories outside
of the box. My son Jonah for those who don't know,
he's a freshman in high school and a trap son.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Dou See, they're very very good friends.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
Damn their family Jonah was telling me just the other
day that the teachers at school thought you were his dad,
how loud you cheer for when you go to those games,
And I was like, yep, that's Uncle Trapp right there.
I don't know if that makes me a bad father
or you were just a good.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Man, you know me. I just I love man, listen.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
I love your kids, man, you know, and you know,
I know you feel the same with my mind. Like
I laugh because I come home some days and you
see a bicycle out front, I'm like, I know, I
know Jonah here at least, and then I know the
boys gonna you know, the twins gonna be there. So
I'm just happy, man, because I you know, I think
about them is almost like four brothers, you know what
I mean, Like it's it's it's amazing that, you know,

(01:52):
especially in the neighborhood like ours, because every everybody nobody has
it's not like a like it's it's a real neighborhood,
but it's not a real neighborhood.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Like there's no trigger treatment during.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Halloween because everybody's got their acreages fenced in or whatever.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
And the kids.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
You know, we were fortunate that all our kids are
born around the same time, and because we played together,
they also knew each other forever. And then they've gone
to school with each other, they've done you know, they've
done everything together. And then the fact that they get
to see each other, and then like even with like DK,
they got to see the maxuration process of DK from

(02:29):
you know, when they used to be itty bitty babies
and the pudgy kid that was running around the block
getting extra runs in to his you know, they got
to watch his worth ethic, you know what I mean.
And I think that right there was big for them,
that right there is I mean, that's the only thing
I regret about Deucey going to Episcopal or not going
to rich One is that they all can't have this

(02:51):
journey together because I truly believe, like like I think,
I think it's it's epic, and it'd be epic when
we're all four of them going to play on Saturday,
you know what I'm saying, No matter they have four
different places.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
It's just like, wow, we.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
Remember when they were little puffs running around here causing
nothing but trouble, you.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Know, I mean absolutely, And for those who don't know,
DK's my oldest son, and you know he's about five
years older.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Than Yeah, five years old.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
They saw him go from like he said, the pudgy
kid headed to Baylor. But even with Deucy going to
Episcopal is the cool thing. We lived so close to
each other.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
They see every time they get every time to get
a bread.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
They still training together. They can all right, Well let's
get into the Texans talking about training. The draft is over.
You are a high south after a draft prospect shooter.
I remember at one point hearing you being the number
one D tackle, you know, rated detackle. So tell me,
because this is what will Anderson go ahead?

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Well, no, I still technically was the first D tackle
off the board. Uh. The draft was a little different
that year.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
You know, I kind of knew going into it, I
could go as high as four, I could go as
low as seventeen, you know what I mean. Like those
teams in between there were the ones looking for D
lineman as well. Uh, you know that morning I got
a call from one team saying, hey, if this team
doesn't draft this guy, then we'll or if this team
drafts this guy, we'll take you. You know what I'm saying.
But then it worked out the way it is uh,

(04:16):
you know, for the you know, fortunate and unfortunate, you
know what I mean? Because sometimes, you know, as much
as I love this place, you know, some days I
think of, like, man, what happened about have felled one
more pick and gone to Cincinnati? Or what happened if
I'd have went to the Senior Bowl?

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Uh? With Tampa Bay being the coaches? Do I go?
Do I do I end up going for? You know
what I mean?

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Do I go? Do I go with that pick? You
know instead of Cadillac? If Cadillac goes somewhere else? You know,
it's just I've always had that that thought process.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
But the draft is inexact science. Man.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
You know, it's you know, that's that's the beauty of it.
And that's why I like about this coaching staff. I
like about uh, you know, the Miko, Nick Cal, all
of them are on It seems like for the first
time in a long time, everybody's on the same page.
And it seems like we're not We're not putting square
We're not putting square pegs in round holes. We're trying

(05:06):
to find We're trying to find round guys that go
in round holes. You know what I'm saying we're not
going to draft. We're not gonna draft. And it worked
out great that we drafted the best guys on the board,
especially early and throughout. But what I noticed throughout the
draft was drafting to who fits our situation best, you
know what I mean. I think when I was drafted here,

(05:27):
you know, I laughed because I'm like, dude, they should
have took Aaron Rodgers, you.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Know what I mean, it said to me.

Speaker 3 (05:31):
But they didn't, you know, And I should have went
a pick later and went to seventeen and went to Cincinnati,
you know what I mean. But I look at it
as God works some mysterious ways. Man, I would never
have if I wouldn't have lived in Cincinnati, you know
what I mean, I'd probably move back to Los Angeles
by now. I got to come to a wonderful city
play for the top knock team. Like I don't think
if for all y'all out there, if you hadn't listened,

(05:53):
or I mean, if you hadn't been to other places,
I don't think you realize how nice it is in Houston.
Play of the McNair's been going to anywhere else? You
go to San Diego. We didn't have a kitchen, like
we ate in the tent every day, you know what
I'm saying. And they try to play it up like,
you know, it's just beautiful California.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Weather like no, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
Y'all just didn't want to spend the money on the infrastructure,
you know, and we were here. It was you know,
big breakfast. You know, it was all type of is
we was living, you know what I mean. But you
know the draft is you know, so I have a
you know, it's like a happy sad time for me
even thinking about the draft.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
Like I've watched the draft, you know.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
Every every year since I was seven eight years old,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Like I've always watched the draft.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
For some reason, I feel like kids should get the
day off of school and you know what I mean,
Like they shouldn't be like the day after the draft,
it should be able to stay, you know, no class
that day because why not because it was a holiday yesterday.
You know. So it's I have mixed emotions, man, but
I wouldn't change it for the world.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
You know. That's interesting because like for a guy like
myself who went in the fifth round, my whole thought
before the draft was I just want to you know,
I just want to get picked by somebody somewhere. So
I was literally watching the first round like a fan
because I knew I wasn't going the first round, and
I was so happy for those guys my year going
in the first round. Then when it got third, fourth round,

(07:16):
I started get a little nervous. But a guy like yourself,
knowing you were going the first round, were you enjoying it?

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Was there a point where you got upset? I was like,
it wasn't. It wasn't I got upset like I had.
It was a pick. It was like some picks around
like pick nine, ten, and eleven, like where I remember
I get a call from a team and I'm telld
to hold on right. But the crazy part is I'm
on the phone. I'm on like a conference call. So

(07:42):
at the time, you know, I had three phones at
the time. I don't know why it free three free phones,
you know what I mean. And I'm on a conference call.
Like we got like a seven way conversation going with
me and all my homeboys who ended up getting drafted
that first day. So but it's like me and our
closest homies we on the like seven way and one

(08:03):
of the other dudes on the call also was on
hold with.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
The same team.

Speaker 3 (08:07):
So we're sitting there like, okay, you know, first hold on,
I'm like, and then the silence like okay, and then
all of a sudden the pick comes in and it
ain't neither one of us.

Speaker 2 (08:19):
It was like, man, hung up, Yeah, cool whatever, Uh
let me tell you there. Why do teams do that?

Speaker 1 (08:26):
No clue because they're gonna pick who they're gonna pick exactly,
and even later in the round like Cincinnati told me, oh,
we really want you, but we don't think you're gonna
be around past the third round, Like fool, why would
you tell me? Then I go two rounds after like
it's not like college recruiting where they have to you know,
butter you like, why do you think teams are saying, Hey, Trav,
we're gonna get you here?

Speaker 2 (08:46):
But I have no clue?

Speaker 3 (08:48):
Man, Like I it was like that day was it
was frustrating because I knew, like I knew the Texans
wasn't gonna let me.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Pass them by. How'd you know that? So when I
came with my visit here.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
When I came I visit here, the only thing they
were talking about was like where to buy a house at.
Like we weren't talking. We were talking about ball. We
ain't talk anything. It was hey, man, when you come here,
don't buy a house in Periland. Go out Missouri City,
sugar Land.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
Shout out to the plant like they were like, don't go,
don't go to Shadow Creek because it'll take you forever
to get daring back from work.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
And I'm like, this kind of weird, you know what
I mean?

Speaker 3 (09:25):
Like I met with all the coaches, of course, but
like when it got down to it, Kevin Bestein is
sitting there talking to me about where to live at
and I'm like what he And this is the trainer,
so I know he knows the trainers. And if you
ain't never been the building, trainer knows more than people
think they know, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
So he's been told like he's our guy. And I knew.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
I knew it was either me or my homeboy Alex
Barron that they needed. They needed a left tackle, Alex
Barron's left tackle. Alex is up going nineteen, but Alex
they passed up on Alex and Alex missus dinner. He
was like two hours late for dinner with the Texans
until as they came to have dinner with him, me
sit out talk to him. He was two hours late.

(10:07):
Is Alex like he's always late? He No, he's always late.
He'd be late to his own funeral. I got like
a little disrespectful a team, no question. But that's but see,
if you don't know him, you'd be like like he would.
If he wasn't my friend, I wouldn't talk to him

(10:27):
because I'd be like, you're just not reliable for certain things,
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
Like I've been calling him for two weeks. Oh man,
I'm gonna call you back. Man, I'm like, what what
are you talking about? I've been waiting.

Speaker 3 (10:37):
I said, I'm glad I didn't hold my breath. Man,
I'm glad I wasn't dying or something. You got him know,
it's always he's just really fair, you know what I mean.
And I think that was like for his career, that
was like the roughest thing because he's a left tackle.
He gets drafted uh to the Rams at nineteen, but

(10:57):
they got they got Big Old, they got at left tackle.
But he's there to replace Big Old. But he's so good.
They got him playing right tackle. If you don't know
about football, playing left tackle, right tackles like righting with
your left hand and righting with your right hand, you
know what I'm saying. So now he's doing well over there,
but he's not looking great. But he's spot he's every
time Opaye get hurt, they moved in the left tackle,

(11:18):
you know what I'm saying, he balls over there. But
then when Opays come back, of course you got to
go back to the other side. So then he gets frustrated.
After he's starting, he starts, o Pays retired. He starts
for a while, and then all of a sudden, he's
you know, he thinking they don't love me, but really
they loved him, but they just he's different man. So
Allas was a quiet taste man, and uh, you know,

(11:39):
he forced his way out of there, and it's just
his the way he works just didn't work because of
he ends up going to Dallas makes one mistake on
national TV.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
All of a sudden.

Speaker 3 (11:49):
Everybody's being in a small market works for some people,
like for him, it's been perfect because they'd have never
said anything about anything, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
It's just we go to work. We're good, you know
what I mean?

Speaker 3 (12:00):
So, uh, but now the draft was the draft is? Uh,
it's it's just different. I said, no, no, no, it's it's
it's bittersweet indeed, because like I never played in the
three four defense before and I got drafted. I'm playing three.
Like you're talking about mini camp. So we come to

(12:21):
mini camp and I don't know, I don't know what
type of stands they getting in, but I'm not getting
sitting on.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
The toilet sands. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (12:28):
I'm getting off the ball, you know what I mean.
And I'm in practice, I'm getting off the ball. I'm balling.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
I'm getting to the ball.

Speaker 3 (12:34):
You know me, I'm always sideline the sideline, no seatbell, man,
I'm gonna get to that ball.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
And so when we're.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
Doing these drills, like to me, it's like, oh my goodness,
he's running this and that, blah blah blah. And then
all of a sudden, training camp comes around. It's like, nah,
we need you to hold up two blockers? What man
only bench press four five? Now?

Speaker 2 (12:54):
Like I'm not that ain't my game.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
Now, You're like, right now, I wish I wish I
was twenty two years old, twenty three years old coming
out now in the Texans draft me like the defense
they running with jockets as the defensive line coach is
the defensive coarter that we got here with a defensive
mind of the coach who likes to swarm, likes to
get off the ball, likes to go, likes to run

(13:18):
to the ball, like I could have been here forever, right,
you know what I mean, Like I just I wish
you know what I mean, Like you know, we just
ahead of our time, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (13:26):
Say it like that.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
No, but when I say you shouldn't Like no matter what,
I would even say this to Courtney Brown. I don't
even know if he even played in a actual game.
But no matter what anybody can say, when you go
on the first round, you to me, you've won, like
you've accomplished somebody. There's literally thirty two picks, thousands of thousands.
Like people don't realize there's thousands of guys from high

(13:48):
school that's their dream. Like when you think about the draft,
of my opinion, it just needs to be a glorious thought. No,
because the NFL, there's so many things we can't control.
We can't control the system that you're in. You can't
control injuries, you can't control how mentally you're gonna react
just to the workings of the NFL, so specifically, like
there's things we could all have done differently, but that's

(14:10):
hindsight twenty twenty. We learned from it. But I would
hate for you to be looking at like you accomplished something.

Speaker 3 (14:15):
Shoot, oh yeah, no, don't don't don't no, don't don't
get me, don't get it wrong.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
But see here here.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
Here's the thing, though, ind is that I always had
the expectation. So you gotta think about like I was
the number one, arguably no lower than number two overall
player in my class come out of high school, and
then I read I played a little bit my freshman
and then I read shirt.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
So my mind, I'm thinking my senior year, I was
that dude.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
So if I stayed the whole time I'm in school,
I know I'm better than dudes who was juniors when
I was a senior.

Speaker 2 (14:47):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
So either all this gonna catch up to me, but
when it comes time to come out, I'm gonna be
the man again. And so for me, it was it
was like I never in my mind, I never thought
I I'd be a second, third, fourth, fift six, seventh
round pick.

Speaker 2 (15:02):
I always knew. It was like, no, I'm going the
first round.

Speaker 3 (15:06):
Like when I like my redshirt sophomore year, I petitioning
the league and it was like I had a third
fourth round grade or something like that, second day grade
or whatever at the lowest. But I knew once I run,
I said, I'm gonna go higher. You know, my time's
gonna be stupid, you know what I mean. But then
my daddy, my daddy pulled me aside and was like,

(15:27):
why do we come to Florida State?

Speaker 2 (15:30):
I said, because I want to be a first round pick?

Speaker 3 (15:31):
He said, And they just told you you're not gonna
be a first round pick, So what's leaving school for
a while even thinking about it, you know what I mean?
And I was like, you know, you're right, I come back.
I had some some stuff going. So then I ended
up coming back after my junior year wasn't great, you know,
and in my senior year I bought out again, you
know what I mean. And it was just like it

(15:53):
worked itself out, like it worked out like I remember,
and I laughed because I probably, you know, I probably.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
Didn't do myself justice.

Speaker 3 (16:02):
But like when I got to school, there was back
in the day, they used to be like the Internet's
not what it is today, we know that, but they
used to be like these little mock draft things, right,
and after freshman year they put out a mock draft
for the two thousand and four to two thousand and
five classes potentially, like so these guys would just come
in and my name wasn't on it in the first

(16:24):
first round mock draft from this little site. I posted
both of them on my wall and I said, at
the minimum, I'm going fifteen because at times on thirty
one teams, you know what I'm saying. So I posted
my name right there at fifteen. I'm in there, and
I ain't going sixteen.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (16:40):
But I passed by this thing for three four years
in school, but this is the minimum I'm going, you
know what I mean. So it was so for me
it was ex and I know it sounds pretentious, it
sounds crazy, but like I never thought of myself as
anything less. Like when I got drafted, I had my
elementary school excuse me, miss Faster, Yeah, Miss Faster, my

(17:03):
elementary school pe teacher or middle school pee teacher.

Speaker 2 (17:06):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Miss Fast calls me and like, I don't even know
where she got my phone number from and apologizes, and
I'm like, She's like, man, cause you she said, I
used to tell you all the time, you ain't never
going to no pro professional towards this and that, blah
blah blah, you ain't doing this.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Have a plan B.

Speaker 3 (17:24):
And my plan B was if I'll make the NFL,
I'm going to play Major League Baseball.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
You know what I'm saying. She was like, who is
this guy? You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
So she calls me and says, she apologized and said,
you know what, after seeing this, I'll never tell another
kid they can't do it, you know what I mean.
So I was like, all right, you know. So to me,
it's bittersweet because I wish it had been perfect. You
know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (17:45):
I wish I'd have played fifteen years.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
I wish i'd have, you know, had seven sacks a
year for fifteen years and go to the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
Be uprinting. We all wish that, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (17:56):
I was like, it's just and then at minimum, I
wish I got ten years years, you know what I'm saying,
Like that was the origon like the gold Like outside
of injuries, I'm like, the goal was always get ten.
If you get ten, that's you're talking about strong. I
don't care who you are. Ten years don't come easy
for nobody, especially back then because it was grown men
out there like y'all. When I got in the league,

(18:18):
them were different cats, you know we Victor Riley smoked
cigarettes at halftime.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
You know what I'm saying, Like these real different dudes,
you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (18:26):
And like I look back outside of Larrmy Chumsil, Trent
Williams and Marshall Yonder when he was I think he
s in league and the kid out of.

Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah, Quint Nelson.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
Ain't no office alignment in the league like what we
used to face week after week after week after week.

Speaker 2 (18:46):
And not even the biggest names like Bobby Williams.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
Bobby Williams was already already like he wasn't Hall of Fame, no,
but Adull you better bring it, dog, you know what
I'm saying, Like every week you had a straight kill
out there, and not to mintion when you went against
the Hall of Fame. My first game I started, I
was in Cincinnati and I'm out there with Willy Anderson.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
Willy Anderson got the.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
Big old plastic face mass on with the bar going
straight down.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
The middle, and he a massive human being.

Speaker 3 (19:20):
My next game was Floes out of the Hotel and
Larry Allen. I had Brian Waters that year. I had
like I played like that year. I go back Willie RoAF.
Uh was was ever last year? Orlando pace Man. I
could just name the names the guys who I played
against that year that are now in the Hall or

(19:42):
going to be in the Hall. And this is a weekend,
and not to mention Stacy Andrews, Sean Andrew.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
You know what I'm saying. It was goons man. The
dudes was massive human being.

Speaker 3 (19:51):
Uh, your boy, did you play with running Trey Thomas
like we played against Mark.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
We played against y'all, Thomas and Andrew. That's what I'm saying.
Three of them were on the line together and none of.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
Them going to Hall of Fame. But all three of
them you better bring your lunch exactly now. A good
point with that. It's a different game all right with
the Texans. Now, when I pulled up for our podcast,
I saw them walking out. So they're in mini camps,
so it's a little bit different if you're on the
coaching staff. Obviously they're not banging. You know, you're not
going to really see how aggressive they can play. What

(20:25):
are you what are you looking for? And let's stick
to the defensive side of the ball. What are you
looking for in many camp from your younger Will Anderson,
first round pick, defensive man, outside linebacker. What do you
want to see from him?

Speaker 3 (20:36):
I want I want to see what I saw in college,
Like I want to see him being a monigator ten
thousand mother levels.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
I want them to be a guy set the new
line of scrimmage, getting to the ball, coming out of
the stack, and I want to see that that world
class leadership.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (20:50):
What we saw from him Alabama the whole time he
was there. The reason why guys looked at him, the
reason why when you look back at you know, the
top the top two teams in the nation the last
few years, Alabama and Georgia. Everybody wants defensive players from
them places and we got two of them, you know
what I'm saying. So it's like I want to see
them guys fly around. I want to see the linebackers.

(21:13):
And you know Domico used the you know I always
you say sideline, the sideline.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
No seatbelt. Demico uses the worst swarm. You know what
I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (21:20):
I want to see the defense swarm like a pack
of Africanized bees.

Speaker 2 (21:23):
You know what I'm saying. Get to the ball. You know,
Coach Boden, you say play to the echo, the whistle.
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (21:29):
That's what I want because I think for this team
to be great. Yeah, the offense is gonna be. Offense
needs to be the offense, you know what I'm saying.
But the defense has to be what sets the tone.
You know what I'm saying. The defense has to be.
You know, we have to go out there and create sacks.
You know, last year, you know we got what ten
sacks out of Jerry Hughes. You probably get ten sacks

(21:49):
more like Jerry old Man. Now, if you can get
ten sacks with old Man, and you can start getting
ten from from the young guys, you start getting the
six from the inseterior guys. You you winning, you know
you win, and not to miss you start running inside
outside zone that play action pass, which the office they
probably bringing back. You know what I'm saying, You start
doing that all of a sudden, now you're looking like, man, is.

Speaker 2 (22:14):
Jerry coming back? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (22:15):
I think yeah, I think so that was a nice
little surprise last year. I knew he was good. I mean,
that's all he does. I think it was a nice surprise.

Speaker 3 (22:22):
But then also I think that I think that, you know,
a lot of people downplay what Joxy's there is really
like really doing as a d line coach. Man, I
think you know his you know, people because he's not
a big name, people don't realize the stuff he does,
you know what I'm saying. But that, like, for me,
one of the best teammates I've ever had in my life,

(22:43):
one of the best dudes.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Like like I like, he.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
Literally come over and like I bought a whiteboard to
sit in in the in the in the garage because
he wants to come over to talk ball and some stuff.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
I'm like, Jock, man, I'm so far.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
Removed right now that okay yeah, uh huh okay, yeah,
And we just go through it.

Speaker 2 (23:03):
But it's almost like his teaching style.

Speaker 3 (23:06):
I wish and I played for some decent coaches in
this league, but I played for none that was as
good as as Jockey is. Right now, you know what
I mean, which is which is I mean a big
for a guy who for a guy who's undrafted free
agent to play eleven twelve years in the league, start
half his time in the league, You know what I mean?

(23:27):
Like he's all work. You know what I'm saying, he's
all gas, no breaks.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
You know what I'm saying, football to grind the way
he did to get to where he did in the
NFL last that long. Then as soon as he's done,
jump right and don't don't get twisted. Don't get a
twisted Like he didn't go to No, he didn't go
to Part five school. He went to I C DC College.
I think you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
He went. He went to I T. T. Tech.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
He like, I don't know, Like you can't tell me
right now with school, I don't know what school Jock
went to.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
You know what I'm saying. But I'm telling you.

Speaker 3 (23:56):
Like he was he is a grinder. You know, he
coaches the way he coaches the way he played like
he's gonna grind.

Speaker 1 (24:04):
And I love the small schools help out for the
longevity question because you're coming in with that chip on
your shoulder. You're coming in you know, not everyone's that's saying,
but I know, coming out of Rice, like my mentality.
I remember telling my agent Van McElroy before the draft.
You know, he's saying, hey, after being the MVP of
the Senior Bowl, you might go here, you might go there.
I said, I said, Vam, just get me in a camp.

(24:26):
I don't care if I go free agent. I don't
care if I get drafted. Just give me in a camp.
Then I'm gonna prove myself. And he was like, no,
you need to have your expectations a little higher. But
my point is when you come from those schools, like
like Florida State, which is great. I wasn't good there,
but you're kind of used to it because you see
the trade Thomas and you see the I can name
a million guys from Florida State, so it's an expectation.

(24:49):
But with us, it's like god, dog, like they don't
want us here, so I gotta go that extra mile.
So when you get in there, I think sometimes it helps.
You're giving me that incredulous look.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, no, hell no, you only ended up at Rice
probably because your parents made you go to Right, You're
not jeering you. So it was so it was once
the education factor came into it.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
It wasn't even it was no question like A and M.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
I'm on the bet, A and M how many power
fireh schools you had offered from?

Speaker 2 (25:22):
So you o't we here like what?

Speaker 3 (25:25):
Once Big inn d get involved, he said, no, no,
you are not going to Alabama. You will go to
Rice because it is the greatest education you could possibly get.

Speaker 2 (25:33):
Right, and I'm one of the bet he said. That
was exact same words to you.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
That's exactly so my dream school because I wanted to
be you know, I was a little hard head, was
ou and he was getting all that trouble. And coach Blake.

Speaker 3 (25:46):
Yola, my god, God bless it call me every week
gassing me what what's up?

Speaker 2 (25:54):
Freaking you know. I thought he was too old, but you,
I guess you Blake.

Speaker 3 (25:59):
So me and Blake Man, Blake was my I've known
Blake since nineteen ninety five, that is when I met
Blake and I was an eighth grader.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
Wow, and met Blake.

Speaker 3 (26:12):
Blake's all season home was down the street from my parents,
So Blake and my agent, who you know, he ended
up being my agent when I got older. Like they
all lived and we all lived in the same neighborhood.
So when Blake was the coach at Oh You, I
was working at the movie theaters at the time. So
I'm like thirteen years old working movie theaters. Blake used
to bring his wife up there, send her to a

(26:33):
movie and just stay there and talk to me the
whole time, recruiting me from young pup. When he got
fired from OU, he was the He was the d
line coach at Harford west Lake High School while he
was still getting paid. But he was just like all
he would do was mentored me. Would would sit there
and be like, hey man, what you doing tomorrow?

Speaker 2 (26:50):
What you doing tomorrow?

Speaker 3 (26:51):
We want to get on the field, And so he'd
take me out there we run drills.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
You know what I'm saying. This dude was running drills
with me. He was the former he just got fired.
He was a heck you last.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
Year, so you know, he was a great recruit. And
you know, its like, because you know my upbringing, my
parents were strict. I love my parents, best parents I
could ever ask for. So he would like call me
and he would like whisper into the phone, Hey, if
you come to owe you, we have this buzz system
where with your girlfriends coming up, she has to buzz
up just in case you got another girl there.

Speaker 3 (27:20):
Like you know, no one ever talked to me like that.
I was like, oh man, I'm going to owe you.

Speaker 1 (27:25):
But like you said, when that letter from Rice came,
my dad my mom throw all those other letters was done. Yeah,
you're going on Rice or SMU or Northwestern. Then my
dad's he we're lucky because your dad's very wise. And
you told me stories of your dad. My dad told
me because I was a little bit down, but as
a Nigerian you just do what your parents say. And

(27:45):
my dad pulled me aside and said, you know, what
are your goals in life? And I was, you know,
I want to make it to the NFL and he
was all, who does Rice play Texas? Ain't m u
T this is when we're conference. So I said, if
you're good enough, they're gonna find you and you're gonna
get that education. That's kind of when my first visit
I run into Scarface it over. That's my favorite. For

(28:06):
those who don't know, you know, people say jay Z Biggie.
If you ask me, Scarface is greatest rapper of all time.
I'm at the ah Rium when I'm in high school
visiting my sisters because they ran track at you of age,
and I just ran into Scarface and I had a
little fan boy moment. I said, Hey, I know you.
You know people bother you, but you're my favorite rapper.
When I say he talked to me for like fifteen
twenty minutes, like we get the game. Yeah, since then

(28:30):
to this day we were cool. So I was all, yeah,
that's a sign.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
That's a sign from guy, and that's like like your pop.
He right spot on. Because that was my next thing
was like you act like you went to Rice right now, You.

Speaker 3 (28:43):
Went the right when shout out to you like it
was Southwest Conference. Southwest Conference was the Big twelve before
the Big twelves.

Speaker 2 (28:51):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
So, and the only reason I still believe is Rice's
biggest mistake is not going to the Big twelve. Oh
they tried, no, So this story, the story I've got
is that yeah, they tried lately as in the last
few years. But originally Rice didn't want to renovate the
stadium because the stadium was the key to coming to

(29:13):
the Big twelve, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
It was like, hey, yeah, we know you got all.

Speaker 3 (29:17):
This prestige, but like we need you to renovate it,
bring it up, to bring it up to the code,
bringing make it a little bit new, because we because
you got to think, all these conferences need an educational school.
Like when you think of Big twelve right now, who
who's the education school?

Speaker 2 (29:35):
Has Vanderbilt? Pac ten has Stanford, USC and cal Berkeley.

Speaker 3 (29:39):
You know what I'm saying. Florida State has Universe. I mean, uh,
the ACC has uh is it Maryland is University of Maryland?

Speaker 2 (29:48):
The uh?

Speaker 3 (29:49):
The SEC has well Vandy and Florida. Then you got
who we missing? The Big ten has Michigan Northwestern.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
So everybody.

Speaker 3 (30:00):
Yeah, so every every conference has because they had to
bring up the act because the way the n C
Double they set it up was the academics have to
bring a certain level of prestige to the to the conference.
So they always wanted a conference they because they didn't
care if y'all win to losing the Big twelve. But
your academics was gonna bring the whole Big twelve academics up. Academics,

(30:22):
That's what I'm saying. You we say academic and school
should be, it's really not, you know what I mean.
Like I lie, like, oh, Florida State at Harvard the South,
Like what.

Speaker 2 (30:32):
I went to Florida State because I like my mother
to this day.

Speaker 3 (30:35):
Man, I tell my mother didn't talk to me for
like two three months Florida State. She hated wanted me
the Michigan or Cayle Burkeley. She was like education, education,
Like I said, just like you. My parents are immigrants,
you know what I'm saying, so all they care about education.
But my dad knew me. He's like, man, I know
this dude. Don't like no school, you know what I'm saying. Like,
and I want to go major in football, right you know?

(30:57):
And that and I found the perfect place, you know
what I mean. Do I wish out of gone to
Michigan some days? You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
Do I wish out with the cal Berkeley change it
up a little bit. Yeah? But I really didn't like
school like that, you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
So it's like I remember with Tayo Johnson and uh
and I Mon Almon Green?

Speaker 2 (31:17):
No, so I no, not that a Mon Green? My
bad a Mon? Uh? Uh what's the mon? Like I
can't remember his name, but Mat goes to.

Speaker 3 (31:27):
They decided to go to Stanford and it changed the
game up, you know what I'm saying, Like, uh, it was,
it was a whole different But Alman Gordon, that's my
doubt name, Almon Gordon. So Amon Gordon was the second
round pick, you know what I mean, from out of Stanford.
Tayo was a first round pick out of Stanford. But
those guys were doing it like and my mom was like,

(31:49):
look at your friends they going to Stanford. Why you
don't know cal Berkeley? Like, man, I don't really like
school like that, you know what I mean? But like
you like, don't doubt play who Indy d K Jones Louis,
you was a goon coming out of high school. You
was a goon when you played when when you played
in college, and to be honest, you was a goon
that when we played together. I told you it was

(32:10):
the first time I seen a coach scare of another individual.
Doc No when that boy told when I don't know who.
I don't want to put it out there. And we said,
you do want me to kill you?

Speaker 2 (32:20):
Old man? I said, whoa shoot? And I said, you
hiding a spirit back there?

Speaker 3 (32:25):
Like now you was a first, like you were from
Conda before Wakanda.

Speaker 1 (32:29):
You know what I got that I was at that
point in my career because I was either my tenth
or eleventh year where I still appreciated playing, still loved it.
I wouldn't do it, but I was starting to really realize, like, yeah,
some of these coaches. There's some great I think coach
Kobe is a great it's a great person. Uh, but
some of these coaches really don't respect our mind. You
know what I'm saying. They and they tried to dangle

(32:51):
the whole or we'll cut you or you know, we'll
move on from you. And at that point of my career,
not in a cocky way, was like, if you come in,
I live down the street.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
Money, I can walk home.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, you're not gonna tell me that juggling tennis balls
is the way to become a better player just because
I'm coachable. But yeah, so anyway, but that's really not
my nature. But I was at that Dan Riley aka
D Boy. I'll never forget when I was with the
Washington Redskins early in my career, Dan Riley was the

(33:22):
strength coach I remember. And one thing about Dan Riley
for those who don't know NFL strengths coach, he's like
the godfather strength coaches. In my opinion, I don't know
what your experience was with him. He actually cared about
the individual player, which a lot of you know, a
lot of teams didn't really appreciate about him. But he
kept talking about I can't wait for some of y'all
to get that fu money where. You know, once you

(33:44):
start hearing things that you just really you're not vibing with,
you know, you got that FU money where you're like, man,
I'm just gonna move on. You said something. I don't
think you realized this when we were here. You you
just your reaction to something. I said, Yeah, this guy
he gets it. He's been here before. First of all,
I always felt like you got a bad rap because
I heard of you when I was in Philly. But

(34:05):
you know, I heard about you when you were in college,
and when I got here, there was this rap that
he doesn't work hard, and I was like this fool
was one of the hardest, Like you got here early,
you stayed late during drills. You know, you were a sprinting.
I was all like, what am I missing? Like this
guy is he doing it just because it's day one?
But it was you were like that, No, that's what

(34:27):
I'm saying, Like you got a bad rap. Then you
did say something. I forgot the brother's name, our d
Lion coach Jethro Franklin. Yeah, when he tried to pull
the whole Hey, guys, the name on the front of
the jerseys more important the name on the back, and
you said she you know, I was like, that doesn't

(34:48):
mean we don't believe in the team, we don't work hard,
but let's put this thing in perspective because the team
could cut you as they you know, they feel like
we're not but we're still playing for that name on
the back.

Speaker 2 (34:59):
But that's what out here for. That's my why what
are you talking about? That?

Speaker 1 (35:02):
That's why I was like, yeah, you know, he gets it,
but he understands why he's doing.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
And that's some of the things that I try to give,
like to Deucey, to Jonah, to the boys. It's like,
I know, my mistakes was I was I spoke my
mind a little bit too much on some things, you
know what I'm saying, And you know, like the rap
about me, like like you said, that's what they was

(35:28):
talking and I didn't. I never understood it because I'm like,
is it is it because I don't fit into your
two Like you said, you drafted a square peg and
try to put him in a round hole, you know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (35:40):
So it is that why? You know what I mean?
Because then it was then it became immediate thing.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
So I always believe like somebody was always putting stuff
out there because like me and Coop had a good relationship,
Me and Cal had a great relationship.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
Me and Bob had a great relationship. You know what
I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (35:56):
Is the reason why I still come around here now.
But in the media, I was a pariah. I was
a locker room lawyer. I was not a hard worker.

Speaker 2 (36:05):
I was and I'm like, dude, I don't want to
be as a good teammate and come to work.

Speaker 1 (36:09):
And I'm not just saying because you're sitting in front
of me, but that and that's so disappointed. That's why
it's different now in twenty twenty three. But that's why
a lot of guys back then, they didn't really like
the media.

Speaker 2 (36:19):
That's why I played.

Speaker 1 (36:21):
I didn't have a disdain for it, but I always
said I'll never coach or never be in the media
when I'm done, because I just wanted to get away
from it in the media. And it's funny I ended
up doing a show that I just retired from, but
because when I got here, I was just like, what
am I missing? I really thought before you and I
became friends and met, I was like, Oh, he must
just be doing this because it's the first couple of
days of a mini cam and he's just trying it.

(36:42):
But I was like, nah, that's is mode from early
work hard, during the drills, you know, work on extra
I'm like, what am I missing? And that's why you
can't really judge a book from what you read from
the media. And another one, and this will be my
last one. I'm gonna ask you some texting questions where
I felt like you were wronged and the guy that
got hurt was a former teammate of mine who actually
liked the Trent Green incident. Yeah, where he hit you

(37:06):
low and people don't realize when you're I don't when
you play in the NFL, you would rather get hitting
the head and put me to sleep. The way he
hit you. I thought I was there.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
I was.

Speaker 1 (37:18):
I hope it didn't tear anything, and your initial reaction
was natural, and they try to play it as you
were celebrating that his dumb ass knocked himself. You know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
I was.

Speaker 3 (37:29):
I was upset, like I was like, yeah, you know
what I mean.

Speaker 1 (37:34):
But but again, you have certain people who just don't
understand what it means they go through that because I've
been hit down low and my initial thought was like
this MF is trying to in my career. And sometimes
it was a clean hit, like when I kind of
calmed down, but I just felt like they they that
that was bad, that that kind of hurt me the
way they're playing.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
And you know, it hurt. It hurt me for a while,
to be honest, you know what I mean. Like, but
then when I got to San Diego, like they love me,
like I remember like when when North turned to pull
me aside, he goes, dude, because I showed up first.
Literally I got traded there on a Thursday, and I
get I get there. So Friday morning, I show up.

(38:18):
Hold on, step back, because I like to bring people
into our list. Do you know you're about to get traded? No,
so I don't.

Speaker 2 (38:24):
So here so I rewinded a little bit further.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
So at the time there's an agent that I know
that I've known outside of football, you know what I mean?
And he got He calls me on the phone one
day and he goes, hey, man, if you want to
get out of Houston, Man, I can get you out
of here.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
Mm hmm he was, And I'm like, what why would
I want it?

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Like, no, man, I'm saying, now, if you want to
get out of Houston, I can get you out of here. Well,
I don't realize at the time he represents the GM.
That's his agent too for Houston. Yes, so he's Rick's agent,
you know what I'm saying. So I'm like, no, I'm sticking.
I'm good right when actuality, I should have been like, okay,
let's do it and I can get out and get

(39:03):
a fresh start somewhere else. So I get to so
I get uh, so I have I've been you know
that off season matter of fact, this time of year,
mini camp, matter of fact, the rookies was cutting. The
rookies had a mini camp uh at the towards the end,
so we had OTAs you remember, and then the rookies
had like they second set of mini camp.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
Right, So I had been banged up.

Speaker 3 (39:28):
I pulled a hamstring during off season conditioning with Ray Wright.
I pulled a hamstring at the end of it, right,
And so I didn't really get too many reps during
regular OTAs. So cool goes, Hey, man, I need you
to come out here and get you a couple reps
with the rookies. This is what I asked my callwell

(39:49):
and uh Arian and you know, cush all the boys
and rookies. So I get out there. I'm I'm killing
these dudes, man. And then like cougos, they tried one
more play and go inside and seeing all I want
to see, you know what I'm saying. So I do
the one play, I throw atoins to the ground. I'm

(40:10):
running to the ball, but then somebody cuts in front
of me and I kind of stopped and then kind
of start back. Well, then all of a sudden, I
feel this immense pain like in my abs and my nuts,
Like I'm like we just had so I literally like
walk in and I'm in so much pain. Ended up
come to find out I, uh, well, they thought I
had like a little small tear of my growing couldn't

(40:32):
find out I had a hernia. You know what I'm saying,
I've had And so I had the soft bossized hernia
in my lower ab that had been there, and the
doctor was like, man, it's been here for years. So
I'm trying to figure out why I've been getting hurt.
I stop drinking. I stopped doing all of that stuff
because I'm like, I got to figure out why my
career ain't going the way I wanted to go right now.
And so I get the surgery right before July fourth,

(40:52):
the week like the week before July.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
Fourth from they finally diagnosed it. Yeah, so they sent me.

Speaker 3 (40:57):
They sent me to They sent me to Saint Louis,
to the Jewish Hospital, Bar Jewish Hospital. They send me
over there. I do, uh, get surgery, come back and
I'm rehabing, rehabing, rehabbing, and I'm like, I'm the starter.
Even though we just signed Sean Cody, I know I'm
the starter, you know what I'm saying, And you know

(41:20):
they just and I know my contract coming up. They
just gave Sean Cody three million. I want three point
one million if I'm gonna stay here, you know what
I mean. It wasn't eve about the money, because y'all
just gave me a whole lot of it. But I
don't want to I'm the start I want. I need
at least a dollar moder he getting. And so I'm
in there doing rehab on like a wind when's it?
As a matter of fact, it was I got traded

(41:41):
the day Brett Favre signed with Minnesota.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (41:45):
So I'm on the I'm in the the training room
or whatever have you, and I'm on I'm on one
of the little the exercise machines rehabing, and I see
something like I see it exces logo on the bottom
line is Johnson.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
That's he charges.

Speaker 3 (42:03):
I'm like, that is not how you found out. I
swear that is not how you swear that. But mind
you now in the back in in in the locker room,
I hear my because I'm the only one in the building.
Because we played We about to play that Thursday night.
We about it.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
It's pre season.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
I mean, we about to play Uh, this is I
guess it's Thursday or Saturday. So yeah, I think it's
a thurd nose a Saturday, right. So it's so that Saturday.
I came in here and I'm rehabbing. I hear my
phone blowing up in the back. I'm like, I'm my
phone ringing like this, but I'm I'm like, I'm about
I'm doing my work, you know what I'm saying. So

(42:41):
I'm not paying attention. I'm listening to music, not paying attention.
And then the the phone in the training room rings
and they said, hey, trap Kobyak want to see you.
I said, well, where are you at? In his office?
So my first thing is, oh, man heard me talking.
You know what I'm saying? Like, what did I do?

Speaker 2 (43:02):
Now? You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (43:04):
So he called him Stare. He's like, hey Man, UH
want to let you know, Man, we traded you the
San Diego What I said for real? He was like, yeah, man,
we had he said, Man, for the last couple of
years we gotten called San Diego try to trade for
you cup.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
Last year we said no.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
We had called from Baltimore, Philly and one other team,
but we thought it'd be cool to send you home
for the first time. She's seventeen years old. I was said,
all right, he said, man, trust me, it was hard.
You know, I tell the boys because me I used
to hate, Like I used to throw with the boys
before the games and stuff like that. Yeah, And I
literally I was like, all right, man, appreciate it, man,

(43:41):
thank you man.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
Enjoying my time here, and walked.

Speaker 3 (43:45):
Downstairs, took a shower, put my clothes on, called the
wife and was like, hey, man, I just got traded.
She was like, man, stop lying someone the way home.
Pack a bag, gotta go, you know what I'm saying.
And she was like, what. So I get to San
Diego that So I get to San Diego that day.

(44:10):
So on Sunday, So Monday comes around and I walk
in the building four thirty am Monday.

Speaker 2 (44:19):
You know what I'm saying, and I'm looking like I
ain't nobody here, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (44:25):
Then I'm I'm bringing the buzzard. Security lets me in.
But I don't know where I'm even going, you know
what I'm saying. I got no clue where I'm going.
They dropped me like it was that was It felt
like it felt on a rock bottoms. But it was
lonely though, you know what I'm saying, because like I
didn't I knew I knew CRAMARTI I knew uh de Spros.

(44:46):
I knew Luis because we came out Louis CASTILLCA and
we came out and draft together. I knew Philip because
we played against each other for all them years in school.

Speaker 2 (44:55):
You know what I'm saying. I knew them dudes.

Speaker 3 (44:57):
My real my real ash dog was was dep see
what I'm saying. So I get there and I'm like,
I don't even know where to go. First I check
on in the front building and it was like I
was like, nah, but the parking lot over here. So
but mind you now, I have no like I had.
I just I rented a car, you know what I'm saying.
It's like I don't even have the cold to get

(45:18):
in the gate, Like where to where do we park at?
So I got to ring the bell like hey, Travis
Johnson just got Tradel blah and get inside park in there.
Then I'm like where do I even go?

Speaker 2 (45:29):
You know what I mean? Like A.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
Yeah, But I'm thinking to myself like it's four thirty here,
but it's six thirty back and home right right, I'm
wide away, you.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
Know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (45:38):
Like, I'm like, it's time to get to work in
at least let me get a lift in with them.

Speaker 2 (45:42):
But then nobody's there.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
Then I was like, finally I get inside and I'm like, okay,
let me go hit the tub. Well, this place so old. Man,
Like the tub is the hot tub. It is still cold,
so they got to turn it on to warm it up. Yeah,
So I'm like, oh, So I asked the trainer that more.
I said, man, what time do the building over? That

(46:04):
was typically not till six, And I was like, well,
you know, I like to be there five, no letter
than five thirty. He looked at me like yeah for now.
I'm like, no, that's what time I like to get work.

Speaker 2 (46:15):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (46:16):
I like to get my lift in, get my treatment in,
and then then get working. You know what I'm saying,
get breakfasting and have my day started right away. And
so I did doing that. They started. So I'm doing
that for a while, and I remember I got I
got hurt on Monday night. That year started on Monday night.

(46:38):
Got hurt on Monday night. I was there a week
and a half, I tore my growing, which that's a
whole nother story. But I was sitting there and after
I'm rehabbed and came back and I'm working, and North
Turner pulled me aside and said, man, I don't know
why they've ever said the things that I've heard about you.

Speaker 2 (46:56):
And I'm like, what do you mean? He said, Man,
because you one damn good team. Man. You want Like
He's like, man, you work hard, you.

Speaker 3 (47:03):
Want Because when I got there, the D Line didn't
say nigga didn't like each other like them dudes didn't
do nothing together like and so when I got there,
literally the first week I'm there, I'm like, hey, man,
what night.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
Is d Lion night? What what t Line night?

Speaker 3 (47:17):
You know what I'm saying, Like you gotta d lin Yeah,
like they beefing, Like they all beefing over money, Like
Luisa's got a brand new deal, Jock ain't got a
new deal. This dude ain't got no So like they beefing.
And then you got Jamal Williams in the back, who
the leader? But he just he a psychopath, you know
what I'm saying. So he sit in the back like
me mugging everybody, and I'm like, no, I don't know

(47:38):
what y'all what y'all do here, but man, I believe
like D Line. You know what I'm saying, this is
what we're gonna do. Them boys ain't used to talking
to me, none of that. I'm cracking jokes like like
I've been there forever, you know what I mean. And
Norah pulled me aside when I told him when he
find out we're doing D Line, and he said, let
me pay for the first one.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
I'm like, no, man, I got this. I picked it.
It's my restaurant. I picked it.

Speaker 3 (47:58):
He was like, okay, but after you tell me how
it goes, then you know what I mean, Like I
play for the next one, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (48:04):
And like I'm like, all right, whatever, you know what
I mean.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
But it just it it made me feel certain type
of way that behind the scenes, my name was getting
like you putting you putting dirt on my name, you
know what I'm saying. I'm like, I ain't never been
like I've been in trouble once in my life on
something that I didn't do, you know what I'm saying.
And I'm never like I've always been own, Like I
didn't have one late find my entire time in league,
Like I'm not a dude's late to meetings late the practice.

Speaker 1 (48:28):
Your pride coming early, and when I would get here,
you'd be done with your morning routine. So I never
it's weird. You don't know where it comes from. You
can't dwell on it. But that was one of the
first things that I thought about when I got here,
was like, well, because you know, they told me, like
when I got here, like, hey, you know this is
what's going on with the team. You're not going to start,

(48:50):
but we know you still got some reps in you,
but we want you to bring your your betish leaders
and stuff. And I was like, well, that guy doesn't
need any leadership. And I'm talking about you because he
gets so early. He works hard, and if someone gets hurt,
they get hurt, like this is football. And that's another
thing that used to bother me about some coaches, the
ones that didn't play, like when they would look down

(49:11):
on guys when they get injured. I'm like, this is
the most violent sort in the world. Yeah, I'm actually amazed.
I've said this before that more guys don't get hurt
during the season, you know, with all the collisions and
piles like so when people get hurt, I'm like, yeah,
that's that's supposed to have.

Speaker 2 (49:30):
What we do is a natural.

Speaker 3 (49:31):
And you know the funny party when when did how
long have you retired and you went to a game?

Speaker 2 (49:37):
Did you realize, like, I can't believe I did? This
is funny? What was I thinking?

Speaker 1 (49:44):
Probably the first time, because it took me a while
to adjust to not be a football player anymore, even
though you know, I try to have everything sett and ready.
But you know, everyone always says football is what I do,
is not who I am. That sounds good, but when
we've been doing it since and it is so far,
it's a part of who you are. So when I
did go, I was on the sideline to the MCS

(50:05):
thank you very much. And like you said, when I
saw some of those hits, I was like, are they
hitting harder than when I played.

Speaker 2 (50:14):
Anymore? I can't believe, like you know I did that.
We minds was we went to shout out to mcnerris again.
We went to.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
Uh matter of fact, you remember that time we went
to me and you we were together.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
We went up to Washington d oh yeah, And it
was a fun.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
Trip, but that was the first That was literally the
first time where I'm like, oh, we was tripping, like
and I'm walking and stuff like what is going on here?

Speaker 2 (50:44):
I'm looking at Trent and Trent looked like, I'm like
what lap they make him in? And you're thinking like
men when.

Speaker 3 (50:52):
You look at and when you meet Trent, and Trent
like stay neighborhood next to us. When you meet him,
you realize like, okay, eat the same size as the
other tack we played against for the most part, but
still like at that time, I was like I was
I had a little fear in my heart, you know.

Speaker 2 (51:05):
What I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (51:06):
I'm like, what is going Then that's when you realize,
like the game is officially passed me by because there's
no way there's not enough money on this earth for
me to do that again.

Speaker 1 (51:16):
And you know, when we're in it, and I told
the story about Damiko Ryans and you head coach, like
everyone in the game, you have to be a little
bit off because like those guys that you're talking about
that look like giants. When we retire, I remember thinking like, oh,
I can't wait to chop this.

Speaker 2 (51:32):
You know this guy.

Speaker 1 (51:34):
I can't wait to just hit him head ahead and
see if he can take it. It's gonna be me
who falls out. But I remember, and I can't believe
talking to you already at the hour point once. So
I want to tell about Domiko. For those who don't
know Dimiko, I mean just to type, you want your
son to grow, no question, God fearing man. When you
were in there early. He was in there early reading

(51:55):
the Bible. That's when they always remember. And I remember
asking him, like, why do you come in early? You know,
kuloud this is the only time I could get the
word in. I'm like, and this is his rookie year.
I'm like, okay, yeah, somebody raised him right. But that
same dude, he's a little psychon. No, like I told,
we tell the story like this dude is, he'll take

(52:16):
the shirt off his back give it to you. He'll
you know, being in the word in his Bible. But
I'll never forget against Jacksonville, we were playing against the
Jaguars when they had that bowling ball of running JD
who's the beast, and he actually had one of the
coldest trash hawking moments. But then Dimigo just backed it
up so real quick. He ran through like three of us.

(52:38):
Yeah you remember he hopped up and said, this is
a podcast we could curse, right, Yeah, okay, so he
hopped up and said one, two, three bitches I left
on the ground. Part of me was like, oh hell now,
another part of me like who that was cold? And
I remember Dimiko said something to the fact of I
don't even care what the play is, I'm gonna get him.

(53:00):
And it wasn't was not one of the guys that
went over the very next play he lit. And that's
when you're like, you know what, there's some good people.
There's some special people, like the timing and everything. I
was like, yeah, this is the Migo rhymes. He's a psycho.

Speaker 3 (53:17):
Also, I remember my story about the migo is and
we get talking from me forever. But like my story
was the Miko's rookie year. And remember we signed Sam
Coward that year.

Speaker 2 (53:30):
Yea.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
So Sam Coward is he's supposed to be the starter
the game. Sam carad a million plus dollars up front.
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (53:38):
To be the starter. Sam Coward is the guy.

Speaker 3 (53:40):
For all your listeners out there, don't know Sam kyr
is another floor State guy. This is a guy who
who literally led the league in tackles one year and
missed five games. You know what I'm saying, Like, this
dude is an absolute goon. Sideline the sideline, no seatbelt.
And I remember, uh when Miko got gets here. At
the time, we had Richard Smith with our defensive coordinator,

(54:05):
and Richard Richard comes to me.

Speaker 2 (54:07):
He's like, hey, man, look at look at these guys.
Anthony Weaver.

Speaker 3 (54:11):
We bring him in here and he's bossing the ass
every game, every practice.

Speaker 2 (54:15):
Right, We're like, man, all right, okay, cool.

Speaker 3 (54:18):
Then all of a sudden he turned every time he
shows a picture of a Weaver, Mi goo come flash
through the screen, knocking somebody Like I'm like, dang, what's
going on? And all of a sudden they pulled Sam
Kyle decide and say, hey man, the rookie out here
hitting people.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Man, we're gonna she gonna show us a little bit.
And then he was like, man, you hit it with
the Jamie Sharper. You want today? You want on Sunday.
You know what I'm saying, I can give it to
you today.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
I ain't gonna give it to you Sunday and me,
and they looked at me, go like, well he give
it to us all seven days, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (54:49):
So all of a sudden, man, he gets in there, starts,
man never looks back.

Speaker 3 (54:52):
Man. I think that was that showed like his for me.
He was his rookie year. He should have went to
a p that year, you know what I mean. And
I think nobody gives him credit for that because it
was if you know, everybody goes to Pro Bowl. Yeah
they're supposed to go, you know what I'm saying, and
they'll still go a year longer than they're supposed to

(55:12):
be there as well. But that year, I think de
miico second in the league and tackles only the ray Lewis,
you know what I mean, Like it was the year
Yeah he would. I don't know how you remember this stuff, man,
I got concussions and forget the simple stuff, man, and
remember this like what is that's tough? It's I guess
stuff is exting your brain. Man, You just can't forget.

Speaker 2 (55:33):
It was awesome.

Speaker 1 (55:34):
But he yeah, So, I mean that would be a
good stopping point since the two of our stories and
then here we.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
Talked about you said, you want to talk about detections.

Speaker 1 (55:44):
You asked, Well, the one question I had about many camps,
like with the you talked about, I want to talk
about the last thing is this is going to be
the A hole in me. But you still gotta be real.
History says not every pick is gonna work out. And
I remember when the Cleveland Browns had two first round
picks and Johnny manziel and I think justin Gilbert.

Speaker 3 (56:06):
It was Johnny manziel and the kid from from Michigan
it was Johnny manziel And and the tweeter was that him?

Speaker 1 (56:19):
He went to Cleveland too, and with but with the
Texans being as aggressive and I love, love, love to move.
And I'm not just saying this because this is uh
the o G podcast by the Texans Texans Radio shout
out to Mark Vandermere. But I love how aggressive they
were and getting the quarterback they wanted and then doubling
up and getting the best defensive player in the draft.

(56:41):
Are you concerned knowing with history like one of these guys.

Speaker 2 (56:45):
No, And here here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (56:47):
I thought that the way we the way we uh,
the way we pulled that off, I thought it was
actually pretty like it was genius, you know what I mean,
because I don't think if you drafted any other way,
does it does it do what it's supposed to do.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
And let me see who is what was that? The Browns?

Speaker 3 (57:04):
You said we were talking about the Browns, right, Well,
you're right, justin Gilbert then a cornerback. I don't know
why I thought it was somebody else, but you know,
I think, you know, besides that, besides that pick when
we watched uh them do that. The last time it
was done before that was in the top three picks

(57:27):
was when Washington did it, when they took LeVar and
they took uh or No, Chris Sam and LeVar in
the top three, you know what I mean, and then
they wedged in Courtney. It was in at two, right,
and I just thought of how genius it was.

Speaker 2 (57:47):
Because here's the crazy part.

Speaker 3 (57:49):
If we take because I still believe that that Will
was the number one, if not number two guy in
his draft overall. You know, I mean, in any position,
if we take Will at two, we won't be able
to trade back up to three to get the quarterback.

Speaker 2 (58:05):
Because people will put together more lucrative.

Speaker 3 (58:07):
Because now somebody else will pay an arm and a
leg to come back to three, you know what I'm saying.
So that's why I thought it was like with with
Nick and with with Di Migo, I thought it was
actually quite genius, you know what I mean, because I'm like, dude,
you take the quarterback the best available, you know what
I'm saying, because we need a quarterback. Everybody's like, oh, well,
like we need a quarterback. I hate people that was like,
you know, leading up the draft, like Will Levis is

(58:28):
our guy, Like Will levels is garbage for four and
a half years and you're talking about taking them at
pick two?

Speaker 2 (58:34):
Have you lost your rabbit mind?

Speaker 3 (58:35):
And then you're gonna fire him a dog because when
he don't turn out, when Will Levis turned out to
be exactly what he is, you know what I'm saying,
He is what we thought he was, you know what
I'm saying. And so like when we take when we
take CJ. Stroud, Like, yeah, history says one of them
might not be it. But I really believe like history
gonna change because I think it's it's like who he is.

(58:59):
He can make all the throw he got a Helifi,
competitive attitude, he Cali kid. You know, we do produce
the best quarterbacks. Youee what I'm saying out there, and
then you all of a sudden, that's another thing. People
talking about them with two Cali kids that got out
of the state of California that went picked one and
picked two.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
Yes, both of them California and.

Speaker 3 (59:19):
Neither one of them with the U c L, a
USC or Berkeley Stafford, none of that.

Speaker 1 (59:24):
But both of them is Cali kids. You know what
I'm saying now, Is that a bad that an indictment on.

Speaker 3 (59:31):
Yes, no question, because there's no way you got those
two kids and don't none of the powerhouses get them. Yeah,
they probably in the running for him, but you're not
like I'm supposed to break the bank to make sure
that one of these kids don't leave.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
That was Bryce, that guy coming out of.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
High Yeah, yeah, Bryce was, Yeah, he was that guy.
I mean about Nick Saban went out there again, he was.
I think he wanted to be not more a cruit
at the time. You know, but when you when you
think about it, I really believe defensive player like this
defensive set up for him for for or will to
be successful this offense.

Speaker 2 (01:00:02):
If they run the office. If we think that that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
Bill wash Uh, that Bill Walsh, Mike Shanahan, Gary Kobiak
type offense.

Speaker 2 (01:00:12):
It is, it is UH.

Speaker 3 (01:00:14):
It is tailored to be made for the quarterback to
be successful. You know what I'm saying. Like it's gonna
put him in good positions to be successful. That and
the running back. You know what I'm saying. So, in
my opinion, we're gonna see big numbers from UH from Pierce.
We're gonna see big numbers from UH, from from c J.

Speaker 2 (01:00:32):
Stroud.

Speaker 3 (01:00:33):
Think about it, last time we ran an offense similar
to what they probably wild run this year, Mats Shout
through for five thousand yards.

Speaker 2 (01:00:39):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (01:00:40):
And are we saying Stroud can't be better than matshout
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (01:00:43):
I think not. And listen, don't get me.

Speaker 3 (01:00:45):
Wrong, I love Shopping Championship. But at the same time,
I just know C. J. Stroud is a better athlete
and a better quarterback. Well yeah, you got you got,
you got mixedy you got yeah. Now no, he ain't
got this. You don't got you. You don't got dre
out there. You know what I'm saying. But you got
a good contingency of wide receivers. Though, you know what

(01:01:05):
I'm saying, Like I think across the board, you got more.
You know what I'm saying. We was here, we had
dre We had Kevin Walters, you know what I'm saying,
and not to say I mean Kevin Watson was a
bad white dude. You know what I'm saying. He wanted
the bad Jakoby. I mean, Jacoby wasn't a receiver. He
Jacoby was a good receiver. Kobe was just an okay receiver.
He wasn't Kevin Walters. Kevin Watson's heading shouders above. Jacoby

(01:01:27):
is a receiver. You know what I'm saying. Andre Johnson
head and shoulders and belly button over as. Jacoby was
a receiver. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
But Jacoby was a good three you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
But I think collectively, you know what I mean, we
have a better group, you know what I mean than
we had at that time outside of missing the greatest
of all time.

Speaker 2 (01:01:42):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
No, that's strong, that's fair. That's gonna do it for
us today. Trap jay As always appreciate you. You know,
I had like ten questions or things I want to
go over. But when you and I get to talk
in uh, we're only gonna cover three, but I appreciate
the time, and, like I said, especially when the season starts.

Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
Listen, let's continue, yes, sir, all right brother, Hi