Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to another edition of Papa's Perspective, brought to you
by Bob's Discount Furniture, the official furniture store and Mattress
partner of the New York Giants. As we welcome you
into the Hacken Sacobrity in Health podcast studio, Keep getting Better.
On this edition of Poppa's Perspective, we're visiting with Kevin Booth,
who spent seven years with the Giants, part of a
(00:20):
couple Super Bowl championships, and now the senior director at
the NFL Management Council. Kevin, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
How are you, Bob doing great? It's happy. It's so
awesome to see you. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
So before we get to the past, let's talk about
the president. Talk about your role with the National Football
League and did you ever think that this was the
path that you would be on?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You know, it's interesting.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I always loved football, obviously, and I love the NFL,
and I wanted to stay a part of the NFL
once my playing career ended. However, I quickly realized I
didn't want to be a coach, So I was just
thinking of ways that I can continue to stay involved
and be able to impact the game and hopefully improve
it on a day to day basis, and that led
(01:07):
me to the league office, where I've been now for
nine years and a few different roles. So started in sponsorship,
moved over to football operations, and now I'm in my
current role in the Management Council now working directly with
the NFLPA as well as working with the clubs on
salary cap administration, player contracts, player work rules, all the
(01:27):
areas that you know, I kind of lived throughout my
playing career.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
You know, education is so important, right, you played your
college ball at Cornell, you got your MBA. Where did
that passion come from in your upbringing to make sure
that you took care of that part of business and
not just being an outstanding athlete?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You know, I think it definitely comes from home, from
my parents and from my brother. Growing up in South Florida.
I guess we always figured that football is going to
be there, but in order to open up those opportunities,
it's gonna be through education. And we would always say,
why can't you do both? Why can't you have you know,
your cake and eat it too, so to speak, by
(02:09):
having an education and playing football and by going to Cornell.
I always had in the back of my mind that
if I'm good enough to play at the NFL level,
they'll find me. You know how these teams are with
their robust scouting abilities. So I figured if I had
to take care of my business in the classroom and
on the field, it would open up, you know, chances,
whether it's to continue playing or to have a successful
(02:31):
career off the field.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
So you get drafted by the Oakland Raiders in two
thousand and six and you only last there for one season,
what was that time in your life like just coming
into the league. I mean, nothing was guaranteed as a
sixth round pick, but you still were a draft pick.
Were you surprised that they pulled the plug so quickly
(02:54):
and then next thing you know, you're with the New
York Giants.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
It was a whirldwin because, like you mentioned, I was
a sixth pick, you know, so every day is a
blessing right you have to earn it every day. I
ended up starting in fourteen games that year, So I'm
thinking in my head, while nothing certain that I'm going
to be a part of this team for years to come,
and things changed. We weren't very good as a team.
We had a coaching change, a philosophy change, and you know,
(03:20):
to get released at at final cuts was it was
tough because I think that was the first time in
my life really i'd been told I'm not good enough
to make a team. So, you know, that heartache lasted
for about twenty four hours. And go through the waiver wire,
which is a new concept for me, and I wake
up the next morning and I'm told that, hey, I'm
on a red eye flight going to Newark.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So we get ready. Are now part of the New
York Giants.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Obviously two Super Bowls later. The friendship, the bonds that
you formed with your teammates, I know, when you guys
are around each other, it's like no time has passed.
It's like you're back in the locker room. But what
were some of those lessons that you learned as a
member of an offensive line and that group that you
now apply to your life in the business world.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
No, that's a great question, Bob. You know, when I
came into that locker room, I essentially got another rookie year, right,
So my first year with the Raiders, I jumped in
and played not really knowing what I was doing, and
then come to the giants and be able to sit
back and learn from that group of five to learn
what it's like to be a professional, to learn how
(04:30):
to prepare, to learn how to self scout and to
have accountability. And then obviously with the coaching staff that
we had in place with coach Coughlin and Pat Flaherty
and those also on the staff, you know, you learn
what it's like to be at your best at all
times and to always want to compete and to self motivate. So,
you know, it helped me tremendously my experiences as a
(04:54):
member of the team and especially on that group of
an offensive line, to where I am now.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Also, you know that offensive line was greater than the
sum of its parts, right, I mean your sixth round pick,
Richie's not even drafted.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
You know the little about that. Of course, every day.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Deals not drafted. Kareem came from the Jets, Snee was
a second round pick. But when you think about that group,
is that part of what made it so special is that,
you know, you guys understood that working at every moment
of every day was what was going to let you
be successful.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, that's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
You know, not taking anything for granted, realizing that, you know,
we have to leave no stone unturned, we have to
prepare as much as we can. And then truthfully, it's
going back to the accountability and not wanting to let
the person down. And I think with my role, you know,
starting out as an inactive and then slowly working my
(05:58):
way up through the lineup, the last thing I wanted
to do is when I got my opportunity to let
that group down, because I know how much they prepared
and I know how much it meant to them to succeed.
So that was honestly my motivation jumping in is, hey,
I'm filling in. I want them to not even realize
that I'm in, and that the wheels keep going.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You know, every player that I have on this show
that played in your group, I mean, they all have
their own coughlinisms, but they all say the same thing,
and I would I would assume it's the same with
you as well. Like, as you've grown into your new
role and your time in the league and now you're
a senior director, I got to gather that there are
(06:40):
times where there's Coughlin phrases pinging around in your head
and you probably say them right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Oh yeah, yeah, all the time.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I mean, whether it's talk is cheap, play, the game,
the team, the team, the team, team, first team, last team.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Always.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I think that's the way I've always been wired, and
I think even now at the league office, that's what
it's all about, too, is being able to not only
succeed in what I'm doing individually, but ensuring that the
business and my department, my coworkers all, you know, are
succeeding as well, and giving them the tools and the
opportunity to succeed.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Does that give do you feel like going in it
gives you a decided advantage in the fact that when
you're facing a crisis situation in your new job, in
your work, that there's an ability to sift through it
(07:36):
without panic and to lead others because you've been part
of ultimate teams.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Do you believe that's true? I do.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
I think there are going back to entering the quote
unquote real world. My biggest fear is that you know,
I'd be behind my peers, right they've worked in the
real world for ten years while I was in an
NFL locker room. Quickly realize that a lot of those
skills are transferable, and you know what you spoke of.
(08:06):
I think is a big asset to athletes as they
go on in life, is that we're used to dealing
with stressful situations. We're used to sudden change, right, We're
used to things not going well and being able to
turn the page quickly and move on and look for
a way to navigate your way out of a situation.
So I think all of those skills I quickly realized
(08:28):
are applicable to the real world, and it's been a
benefit for me.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
So now going back to your playing days, obviously you're
a part of two Super Bowl championship teams, you know,
and it's very easy. It's low hanging fruit, like greatest memory, right,
I mean, it's right, winning the Super Bowl. But is
there maybe another game or point in time that jumps
(08:52):
out in your mind, is something that you really remember
and cherish.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yes, there's one that I always think about, and it's
actually not from the Super Bowl year. It is the
twenty twelve season. So the twenty eleven NFC championship game
against San Francisco in Candlestick, toughest game I've ever played
in my life. You know, we always laugh on the
old line when those memories are posted and usually there's
quotes or comments about how ELI was savagely beaten throughout
(09:20):
the course of that game and ended up winning. So
it's a, you know, kind of a backhanded compliment. But
when we played in Candlestick the next year, I think
there were some quotes from the forty nine ers that
essentially said that that first game, the championship game, was luck.
And I think we handled them pretty comfortably in that
game in Candlestick, and I think that was one of
(09:42):
those memories that still stands out in my mind.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Now.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Of course, big picture that season, they go to the
Super Bowl and we didn't make the playoffs, but I
think that was one that I cherish. And you know,
obviously you have the seven season and the eleven seasons,
but if you were to kind of take a step
back and look at something outside of those two years
or those two games that's up there.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
You guys are pretty good with a chip on your shoulder,
because I you know, eight you know a lot of
people said you guys got lucky to win Super Bowl
forty two and the helmet catch, and you know, on
any given day, like it could happen. You guys had
like vengeance tour in a wait too, didn't you.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Oh yeah, yeah, And don't think that the head coach
didn't know that we were listening, and you'd provide a
little bit of material just enough to motivate us some more. So,
I think that's that's what was so special about that
group is being able to take in information, you know,
whether it was motivation or you know, clues, whatever the
(10:43):
case may be, and apply that to the field in
order to succeed.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I think about the eleven game in Foxborough too. It
was the first time the Giants and Patriots had met
since Super Bowl forty two.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
That's up there too, Yeah, and they had a.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Big winning streak at home, and you guys went in there.
Kevin ballot valid with the touchdown catch at the end
of the game, and I think.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
If I remember correctly, we were down a couple of
high profile skill guys.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
In that game. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, So, Senior director NFL Management Council sounds intense. What
is the day to day kind of like for Kevin
Ruth in that situation?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Great question. So my day to day, basically.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Every it's about maintaining competitive equity with all things that
are in the CBA right, making sure that everything is
okay from a salary cap standpoint, So we essentially balance
the books every day with all the transactions. We work
with our player personnel team that manages all the roster transactions.
Player gets signed, player gets waived, player gets put on reserve, injured.
(11:49):
All those things have salary cap ramifications, and at the
end of the day we ensure that all the teams
are still salary cap compliant. It also includes player contract language.
We approve all of the player contracts on a day
to day basis that come into the office, and then
there are certain nuances such as work rules that are
(12:10):
in the CBA, so ensuring that teams are following those
work rules and working a lot with the NFLPA. Quite frankly,
so in a way, I've lived through, you know, probably
about ninety percent of the current CBA, So I was
able to hit the ground running when I joined this group.
But then being a part of the contracts and the
salary cap and being able to communicate and interact with
(12:33):
club personnel, whether it's the GM, the head coach, or
their contract negotiator, has been a great part of this
business as I continue to grow and learn, because that's
what it's all about is enjoying what you're doing. And
if I get to stay a part of football and
doing something that I love, it doesn't really feel like work.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
So like when the team makes a transaction or whatever, like,
do you maybe have to pick up the phone and
call Team X and say, you know, you just kind
of went over the cap a little bit, You're gonna
have to do something here? Or is that too simplistic?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
No, you know what?
Speaker 3 (13:08):
That is pretty much it? But that I mean, I
guess you never say never, but that never happens. Teams
are great in terms of how they you know, monitor
their transactions and things of that nature. So typically it's
more of a check. You know, the teams will call
in and say, hey, we made this move, especially if
(13:29):
they're up against the salary cap. They want to ensure
that they are still compliant. So we have all this
information that's available to them, and we're here as a
resource for them to essentially double check their their calculations
when they sign that player and ensure that their cap
count is accurate.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Kevin, we appreciate a couple of minutes. Thank you so
much for joining us. Continued success and always great catching.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Up with you anytime. It's always great to see you both.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Kevin Booth, this week's guest on Perspective brought to you
by Bob's Discount Furniture, the official furniture store and mattress
partner of the New York Giants.