Publix Tailgate Show: WR coach Keenan McCardell

Jaguars wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell visits with J.P. Shadrick on the Publix Tailgate Show ahead of the Week 12 game against the Browns.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jaguars wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell joining us as the
Jaguars host to Cleveland Browns. Keenan, good to see you
and are you past? The whole Cleveland Browns thing is
one of your early teams as a player, but it's
been a little while ago, obviously in the early nineties.
What's your best memory of playing in Cleveland? My best
memory of playing in Cleveland, and it's probably the last

(00:20):
game in Cleveland. Uh, we played the Cincinnati Bengals. It
was the memorable, memorable moment. I caught the last touchdown
in Old Memorial Stadium and it was a bitter sweet
too because we were leaving, you know, and uh, you know,
but we got a chance to go around and uh
just shake hands with all the fans, you know, as

(00:42):
a team we went we stayed out and just jogged
around the inner part of the outer part of the
stadium and just was shaking hands and and fans were
happy and mad. They were throwing chairs out, but the
die hard fans were appreciative of us taking our time
to just say goodbye. And you know, and I always

(01:04):
have love for Cleveland because the fans they're are are wonderful,
their blue collar fans that love good football, and uh,
you know I kind of grew up That's what what
made me and uh in this league has been a
blue collar worker. Kenny Riccardia with US Jaguars wide receivers coach.
Let's get into the group that you're working with now

(01:26):
for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Well, this week you got a
couple of guys out Charting Connly not available. Leavisca Chennault
could be back. He's been battling suit through injury throughout
the year. Here, Kelan Coles had a great season so far.
I mean that's a lot of moving parts. I know
there's other moving parts around the entire football team, but
now it's come to the wide receiver room too. Yeah.

(01:48):
You know, we we take it. We take the challenge
head on. You know, we always stay next man up.
You know, in our room, we feel like we're challenged
enough to step up and uh fill into shoes for guys.
You know, get get a chance to get your opportunity.
As I always tell him, Uh, once you get your opportunity,
you gotta step in there and knock on the that
the opportunity is knocking on the door. You gotta step

(02:10):
in the door and take advantage of it. And uh,
you know that's what I preach. I got guys believe
in that way. When they step up, coach, I got you,
there's not gonna be a drop off. And that's that's
what we believe. I mean, And you know what, it's
a challenge for us. These guys are playing good football.
How to go out there and execute, understand what we're
doing and we gotta make plays to help help us win. Well,

(02:32):
let's because you don't we mentioned him, he's been in
and out of the lineup with injuries. How much do
you have to kind of keep his head on strength?
They can get to a young guy. I know we
had to battle some of that in college as well.
How much do you have to kind of get inside
above the shoulders with him to make sure he's still
good A lot? I mean not just just saying that,
you know what it happens in this league, but you

(02:54):
when when you come back, you gotta understand that when
you're in there, you gotta produce like you you were.
You're you're not hurt. I mean, you're you're not injured.
I mean the thing, the thing it. Think about it,
at this level, once you step out on the field,
all the injury stuff is out the door. If we
feel like you're you're healthy, you gotta play to little
viscus your notes potential. And I think, uh, he understands that,

(03:18):
and I you know, I'm happy that he's you know,
he'll be back. I hope, you know, we're just hoping that,
uh we can get a little bit of uh, a
little bit of something from him, you know, and uh,
if he does, I hope he comes back with the
same intensity and mental mindset that, uh, that he had
before he went out. Que and Cole's catching a bunch
of balls this year and obviously had a punt return

(03:38):
touchdown in Green Bay as well. You've seen him develop
over the last couple of years here, Well, what's different
about this time around? I think we've asked you this
before this season, but he just continues to perform this year.
You know what he's He's a guy that takes advantage
of every opportunity. Uh. He has. He enjoys playing football,

(03:58):
and you see him on special teams. You see him
on the field goal block, you see him on side kicking. Yeah,
I mean he enjoys playing football, and that's what I
love about him. I mean, every day he comes to work,
you know, he runs all day. Um, you know, I
just keep telling me. I said, every time you step
I don't know, feel you're being evaluated, whether you're at receiver,

(04:20):
at anything. They want to see how hard you're playing.
And my thing to him is to play hard because
you're your athletic ability and talent to show up if
you're playing hard. How bad does this team needed a win?
We needed bad? I mean, uh, you know, being in
that locker room, you understand, you know, when you get
a losing streak. I've been in that locker room and
just one win to get that bad taste out of

(04:42):
your mouth, you know. And uh, this week would be
a great time. I mean, you know, they got a
lot of confidence going. Uh, they're running the ball really well,
they're playing really good defense, um, you know, and on
special teams that are making play. So it's not gonna
be an easy task. I mean, last week wasn't an
easy task. None of the weeks are eay taxes in
the National Football League, So you gotta step up and

(05:03):
bring your a game every week. And I think this
week we got to bring it um so I'm looking
forward to a good football game. Guys coming out with
a lot of intensity as we did last weekend. Let's
see what the chips fall. Appreciate the visitors always getting
talk to you soon, all right, thanks to sing Thank
you j P.