Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, and welcome to Packers POV, a podcast that aims
to shine a light on the human behind the helmet.
I'm your host, Taylor Rodgers, and we're here inside historic
lambeau Field.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Today's guest recorded fifteen sacks for the Auburn Tigers. Now
in his third Packers season, he already has career best
marks and tackles and tackles for a loss. Introducing Green
Bay Packers defensive lineman Kolbe Wooden aka the General.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What's going on, man?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Man?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
It's going good. It's going good. You know, a little
sore from yesterday, but we'll be all right. We'll bounce
the body.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Bet.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah. No, you had a big game and you're now
a starter on the Packers, which is a pretty cool thing.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
In year three. Yeah, it's a great thing. You know.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
When the Micah trade kind of happened, it was like, okay,
well who's starting now? And then agent called me like
you like you're starting, So it was an interesting way
to find out you're gonna start. But I've been great
before the opportunity and that's how I looked at it,
and I've taken advantage of my opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And you come from a football family. When did football
first enter your life.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Football entered my life when I turned eight. Before that,
I was playing baseball, t ball. My dad said, that's
that's where I got some sort of hand eye coordination
from football.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I started playing I was eight.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
My funny thing, my first year I played on lineman
and in the second year they put me at running back.
So that's a bit of a mix up. But now
I started when I was eight and had fun with
it going there. It was just fun at first. Be real,
I did not enjoy hitting anybody. I was the kid
that was not crying when it's time to hit. And
(01:49):
then you know, as you get older and you learn
to play behind your pads and you start figuring things out,
you start growing into your body. You know, I was
able to get better with it over time.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Your dad, who you mentioned, played linebacker at Louisiana Tech
and you were a teammate at Auburn with your brother.
Can you talk about a little bit what you learned
from him and vice versa.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, So growing up, Pops was always he was a hard,
extremely hard worker. If you taught me that as a man,
you have to work and work hard, especially for anything
you want in life, nothing's gonna be given to you.
And so he just instilled that in me and my
brother from an early age. And then learning from my brother.
It's funny because growing up, he was the better athlete.
(02:32):
He was the one that was scoring all the touchdowns,
like he was the one with the pick sixies. I
was the one, you know, quiet, little game. I had
a couple of tack It was cool. But my brother
was the better football player early on. So you know,
learning from him, I guess I just learned, you know,
just go make plays. But nah, growing up it was
actually vice versa.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
That makes sense, Yeah, no it does. That's cool that
you got a chance to learn from him, even being
the big brother. And y'all also have a sense of
humor that you said comes from your dad. When did
you realize you could make people laugh?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
See that was the problem. Like growing up, I'd get
in trouble for like being a class clown. Like they
would always call my mom and she got to stop
on it. Playing in class and you know, lock in.
But I was trying to be funny, like he who's funny?
They get everything, their class best everything. So nah, I
was just trying to be funny and uh, I said,
(03:28):
I mean I got a couple laughs, got a couple
of times in trouble, but more so I would always
end up on the good side of the teachers. So
I'd say I probably started on early elementary school.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
And you grew up in Georgia. What comes back to
you when you think back on that period of your life.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Yeah, growing up it was cool, like it was a
cool family. You know, we didn't struggle. It was very loving,
big on faith, big on church every Sunday. God has
number one in my life. He used the head of
my life. And I'd say all that is still from
you know, just growing up around that time, been in
church consistently. I look at it like I gotta tell
of two sides. My mom is stilled the Bible, God,
(04:06):
you know, religion, and father instilled like that sort of
hard work, like dedication, like as man, you gotta go
to work, like rain, sweet snow, You're going to work.
I don't care how bad you feel. So I'd say
he instilled that toughness and that mental toughness in me,
and it's carried me all the way through today.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Yeah, it seems that way. It seems that that's really
part of your DNA to this day. What are some
of the other lessons that he taught you.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
He just taught me how to like be grateful and
take advantage of air opportunity you get. You can't control
the outside vehbles. All you can control is what's in
front you, in between your two ears. He has a
saying like God gave you two ears and one mouth
for a reason.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Use them.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
So I try to take that in consideration and listen
more than I talk. And it's carried me a long way.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
It has.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
The journey went through Auburn University and when you committed
for the NFL Draft, you put out a video think
coach Malazon, Coach Gardner, and coach Latt. Looking back, Was
there a lesson you learned there that's helped you during
your time here in Green Bay?
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Yeah, I'd say learning from that Auburn experience. It just
taught me a sense of team pride and since the team,
like we weren't always the best obviously, you know, our
season thing to always go as planned, but we always
did teach brotherhood. You can't replace brotherhood. You can't replace
like caring for that man next to you. It's something
special about when you put your hand in that dirt
and you know your brother to your right and your
(05:30):
left back outside of football, because you know, life carries
on outside of football. So I'd say at Auburn they
taught me just be an Auburn man, and once you're
an Auburn man, were bonded together for life. And so
taken from that, it just taught me a sense of
team pride and a team man.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
You credited coach Latt specifically for the brotherhood part for
people that might not have ever played organized football. When
you talk about off the field, how would you describe
that brotherhood that you learned there.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
I would say, like I have brothers for life. For example,
Jaylen Simpson, my teammate or on the Packers. I'm gonna
be in his wedding coming up to soon, so it's
like his life outside of football. Me and Simp came
into the same recruiting class and here we are four
or five years later down the road and he's gonna
get married. I'm there.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
It's brother It's bigger than just what goes on between
the white lines.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
And yeah, that's a really powerful thing to have it
translate off the football field. And you've seemingly now on
the field taking a little bit more of a vocal
role this season. Would you agree with that statement?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yes, definitely, being part of the nickname the general like uh,
coach Vel told me, like, you're gonna have to step up,
like you know, Casey left, so now it's your time.
I usually got to step up, be more vocal, like
you know what you're doing. It's not a matter of
like can you do it? It's like consistency now. So
when I'm talking to the guys and being more vocal,
(06:53):
colso reminding myself and talking to myself. So it's you know,
it's a good thing to be more vocal. But it's
also like, like I said, you gotta listen some time too.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I see you doing a little bit of both. You
get a chance to watch DC your coach really pep
everyone up, and specifically at MetLife Stadium, I noticed a
little bit of a shift in the way that you
did your pregame hype speech in that you were getting
a little bit more physical with everybody and getting them going.
What is your mission in the center of that circle
(07:24):
with defenders and offensive players alike?
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Man, You know, everything starts in the trenches. If you
can't run the ball up front, then it's not gonna
be a good day. If you can't stop the run,
it's not gonna be a good day. So just the
guys seeing the passion that I have, I feel like
that it knits the fire. And then Zach Tom personally
told me, like, it hypes me up when you talk
like that because I first did it Steelers game and
(07:48):
we play it unbelievable. So why not carry it on?
Why not give the guy something they want to hear.
Don't nobody want to hear? Oh, let's go out here
and yeah, no, it's not time for that. It's time
for lentus, time for how the women and children like,
it's time for that. Like, so we got to give
the message that they need to hear. And what's all
I try to do When you.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Talk about your dad teaching you about your two years
and listening and that part you've been studying, You've had
a chance for two years here in Green Bay to
really pick pieces of leadership that you find authentic to you.
Is there anyone you want to credit for where you've
gotten to now in that category?
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:27):
I mean you credit everybody that's helped me along the way.
You credit my first coach, coach Jerry Montgomery j MO,
and credit Kenney for being that leader that got the
big bro to help me out, to point stuff out
that I didn't see or tweak how I was looking
at things to Okay, now I see it from that
point of view, I see how I can play that
or do that. And then picking people's brains like Preston
(08:50):
Smith when he was here, Rashan, even Micah now that
he's here, I'm picking his brain. That's all pro Like
you want to pick his brain like what you see.
So I believe you can never know too much, can
never stop learning. You gotta keep learning, bro, So that's
all I try to do. Just keep learning.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
You mentioned Micah, what's one thing that you've taken from him?
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Just have fun with this game? Like I realized, this
is everybody's livelihood. Yeah, one hundred percent. But at the
same time, this is the same kids game that like
we've been playing since I, like I said, I.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Was eight, So why not have fun with it? Why
not enjoy it? So on top of that, we get.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Paid to do this, Like I mean, kids dream of
doing this and we're living their dream. So if I
take one thing he just said, like, just enjoy it.
Enjoy the process, like fall in love with the process.
And that's what we keep doing.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
You said in the locker room recently about your own
success on the field, I didn't know it was gonna
happen this soon. What do you want to do with
this opportunity?
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I want to be the best.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
I want to be my best, my best self, Like,
I'd be crazy to not take advantage of my opportunity
that I'm getting now. Clearly the guys up top seeing
something in me, so who am I to not prove
them right? I thanked him for that. I sh oh
my appreciation by going out there and doing what everything
I can.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
So yeah, I'm just to keep going.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
When people talk about Kobe Wooden, the player down the line,
what's one of the first words you want to come
out of their mouth?
Speaker 4 (10:13):
The first two better be tough and smart. Tough and smart.
You gotta have physical and mental toughness to play this game.
You're gonna get got. It's the NFL. But at the
same time, those who respond back and get theirs more
than they get got, those are also the same players
that are also the great players that's what make a
great player. You gotta be able to bounce back and recover, couperate.
I also want to say he's a smart guy. Like
(10:34):
he's a smart player, like when he stopped in the field,
he was able to recognize formations, recognize hands, stance splits.
He's a smart physical guy. That's the two words that
better be associated, or I could ask for just physical.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Smart. He's gonna do his job switching gears.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Now to school, and at the beginning of the season,
you became one of the first people in your family
to graduate from college. First of all, congratulations, I appreciate that, man,
I'm just grateful.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
So when I left school two years ago, I had
three more classes left, but I'd have been able to
finish and graduate in December had I went back for
that another year of school. But clearly I chose to
come to the league, into the draft, and so I
told my mom after the second off season, I'd go
back to school, and that's what I did. I was
(11:22):
able to finish them three classes. I would have graduated
earlier in the summer, but I had to wait for
the last prerecordsite class to be in August. So yeah,
kind of timed up, kind of timed up perfectly, Like
who's had a graduation here at LAMBO. I can definitely
say I'm one to one, but I'm just blessed grateful for,
you know, this opportunity to be able to do both.
(11:42):
I got education and I played in the National Football League.
So we'll moorking the guy ask.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
For and Kobe, what did earning that degree mean to you?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Man? To me, it was special because to me it
signified that I finished something. For example, a lot of
guys came in on the same recruiting class, but not
everybody finished. You know, different people finished, different times paces
or whatever the case may be. But for me, it
signified that I finished something. Forever part of an Auburn
War Eagle brotherhood. I'm Auburn alumni. That's something I can
(12:10):
say proudly and I don't hold it lightly. So I'm
just blessed and blessed Auburn alumni.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Packer Man, congratulations again, man, I mean that's a big
achievement to do in combination with football, and the Packers
put on a surprise graduation ceremony for you, which you
alluded to, which looked like a pretty special event. Your
mom Nicole flew in. It looked like something that meant
a lot to her too. Is there anything you'd like
(12:37):
to say to her?
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Mama, I got it. I got it, the degree sitting
at her house, she got it framed up, you know,
just going to when I first went to college. She
just told me, Kobe, just finished. Just just please do
one thing. If you do go to the league or
whatever the case, just finish. And so Mom, I finished it,
(12:59):
not for you, for me, because I got a piece
of paper that nobody can never take from me. So
I love you, Mom, and yeah, I got it.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
That's a beautiful way to close. Kobe, thank you so
much for taking time, man.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
I thank you. Thank you for having me. It's been
a great time.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Pleasures mine. And thank you for listening to packers pov.
To learn more about Kobe's life off the field, follow
him on Instagram. C would v II, take care and
see you next time.