September 24, 2024 • 26 mins
On this episode of Rams Revealed, Los Angeles Rams rookie defensive end Braden Fiske speaks on his contribution to the Rams' first 2024 win, Senior Bowl story, draft day nerves, playing alongside fellow rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse again, and more.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Well, hello everyone, hope you're having a great week. Thank
you for spending part of it with us, and welcome
to RAMS Revealed. I'm your host JB. Long and in
twenty twenty four, we're presented by Sleep Number, the Rams
sleep and Wellness partner. Our guest today was instrumental, as
you know, in LA's first win of the season. Now
he and the Rams are off to Chicago to face
the Bears in week four. Welcome to rookie defensive tackle
(00:32):
Brandon Fisk. Great to have you on RAMS Revealed, Sir,
appreciate you for having me. Congrats on your first NFL win.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, no, I think that was much needed, especially at home,
and that that was a pretty cool experience, pecially couldn't
getting out to the wire there.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I was really really glad we pulled that one off,
no doubt. Any chance, you're like, are you friends with
Joshua Carty? Like, could you get us an autograph to know.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
That?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
What'd you make of your first taste of that rivalry
in that environment.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
It's a lot more for fans I expected.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
They definitely packed the house too, But no, that was cool, man.
It was like I said, we needed that against the rival,
and yeah, it was just in there started geting a
little chippy.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Was cool.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I mean, I was just glad that we were able
to pull that one off. And the environment definitely proved
you know, it was a rivalry.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Let's go through some of your key plays and let's
start at the end of the first half. Agent zero
gets the strip sack and you're right there for the
recovery back to back weeks pouncing on a football.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, we were kind of communicating prior to you know,
run a rush game there. But you know, be why
he saw, he saw his opportunity to go make a
play and sure enough. I mean, it's a cool thing
about you know, the fund recovery. You never known your
opportunity get to come. It just kind of happens. You know,
it's the balls on the ground. You gotta make a play,
you gotta jump on it, and you know, hopefully you
don't get the dove on too much by other guys.
So I think my guy Kobe Turner kind of helped
shield a little bit to keep that ball there. So No,
(01:48):
that was pretty good.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Not as easy as you make it look. I imagine
like that thing can bounce all sorts of different ways.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, especially when you kind of land on and you know,
push you around, like knocks the windown a little bit.
But that's uh, yeah, it gets a little a little
dangerous under there in the file totally.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
That cap points off the board at the end of
the first half. Now let's go to the end of
the game. Your third down rush kind of spinning away
from contact finding Purdy to force the fifty five yardfield
goal mess. How critical was that?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, I think it's huge. You know, I think you
look at the whole, you know, the game as a whole.
I mean, even speaking from the Cardinals game the week
prior to you know, being able to keep the quarterback
in the pocket because you know, they're always looking for
those little lanes to attack and to get out of
and you know, find space. And you know, I think
you know, as a as a rush unit, you gotta
find you gotta feel when those rush lanes start to
you know, expanse. You know, I think both me and
(02:34):
Kobe at the same time kind of felt that both
of us spun back like, no, this can't have especially
in a crucial situation, and you know third and ten
could get into you know, easy first down pass the
fifty get them in field goal territory.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
So yeah, we got to get the ball back. So
I mean I just think, you know, as a.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Unit, we did a great job of we kind of
expanded and brought it right back in, which was huge,
and you know, got them down and he's the rest
of his history.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Is that instinct like sixth cents or did you see
something that made you know it was.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
A little I mean, definitely, definitely instinctive. You know, I
feel myself getting too high up the fields. I got
to get back because you know we have a rustling
you got it, you know, especially if we're bringing four
We got four points on the quarterback and like, oh
I'm missing my spot, miss my spot, Like he's I
kind of got you got to get back, get back
in your rust lane and sure enough, you know that's
where he was trying to attack.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
You know you had a half dozen pressures yesterday as
a team, some twenty seven by some measures. Let's talk
about converting those pressures into sacks. Right, you go from
Kyler to Purty, next up Kleb. Like that's that's a gauntlet,
right for sure. Give us your sense of the week
to week. Focus on improving that area and capitalizing.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, definitely, I think you know, we talk about a
lot in the you know, the line room of taking
that extra step, taking that you know, taking that last
step to get to the quarterback, not leaving your feet
too early. And I think, you know, just being able
to finish the play. I mean at the end of
the day, of leaving money on the table. You know,
you're leaving players on the table for the team to
be able to you know, extend you know, extend drives
to the offense, whatever may be, get the ball back.
But yeah, I think the emphasis is definitely just body
(03:56):
control in general. You know, just you get to the quarterback,
you know, having the focus on you know, focus on that,
you know, the hips, not the eyes. You know, that's
that's a big thing, you know quarterback and to see
if you I and moving his head too much and
you know, you start getting out of whack. You know,
we're bigger, do is you know, we're trying to move
But you know, just and I think as a whole
unit comes from you know, keeping him in the pocket,
because once he gets outside of the hashes, I mean,
(04:16):
it's anything's game and he can run whatever he wants.
But you keep him inside that pocket. You know that
movement spaces. You know, we're real condensed, So I think
you know, goes hand in hand. You know, by yourself,
you know how you're gonna attack it, but also as
a unit, you know, keeping him in the pocket, which
has been huge the first three weeks, and I think
it's to be even bigger going to week four.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
You know V eight better than any of us, Like
how confident are you that he's going to calibrate that
and Jared's going to start collecting some.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Especially especially we actually talked about today just how much
we're missing out on and you know, just you know,
how much better we can be. And you know we've
been through this even last year Florida State. You know,
we're going into week four and neither of us had
a sack and was like, all right, it's trying to
step it out, like you know, we got to finish
these plays.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
You know you're getting home. But like you said, pressure
in side.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's a big difference, you know, especially on the stat
sheet and uh and the paycheck too, but uh he
we we kind of both the we're gonna we're gonna
tone this and tune it in and you know we're
gonna get this right.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Do you say that last year going into week four?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Is that about what we were looking at each other?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Hey man, you know we're getting there too much to
not getting these sacks a few games and yeah, definitely,
uh yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Before we get to your personal story, which I'm really
looking forward to this week especially, I want to compliment
your swag and the simplicity of it. Like you go
out there on game day and it's just bare hands,
you against the world. Has it always been that way?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Uh? Honestly know?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So my first you know, few years in college, I
always wore gloves, and you know, I was playing up north,
so it didn't really make a difference. But when I
got down to Florida State, you know, you're playing in
the humidity. It's muggy a practice. I mean by you know,
period six seven of practice, you're you're just drenched, and
you know you're trying to, you know, grab guys jerseys
and your hands are just slipping right off.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
So my d line coaches and I take those gloves off.
You're done wearing gloves. Odell Hagen's at Florida State quick
shout out. But us I take them gloves offs on.
You know you're slipping out, your hands are slipping off,
take them gloves off. I was like, I'll try. I
never wanted to. I was like, man, cut your hands
on me. Look at my hands now I got cuts
all over. But uh yeah, the first time I did
was like, oh man, I'm grabbing jerseys. You know, you
get a better fuel for like when you grab onto somebody.
(06:10):
So it definitely changed my game. So something I just
rolled with and like, you know, now people are.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Oh he's greedy or whatever.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You know, they see the guy with no gloves and
it just kind of fits the mold for you know,
how I play ball.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
But uh yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Uh there's some other guys you see him in practice
that weren't glod I've seen Kobe without him. I've seen
Verse take him off here and there. So we might
be making a might be making an impact.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
All right, but you reserve the right like when the
Rams go to New York deep in the year, if
it's snowing or something, you might go back to glove glose.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
My we'll play it though, We'll play how it goes,
but uh, gloves might be coming back on and just knowing.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
All right, you're no stranger to cold weather. Let's get
to growing up in Michigan City. Yeah, northwest Indiana, on
the shore of Lake Michigan, about an hour yeah yeah,
from Soldier Field, where you're gonna be this week.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
All right, So let's first talk NFL fandom. Did that
make you a Bears fan growing up or do you
have other allegiances?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Definitely not a Bears fan. My my dad was a
big Bears fan. I grew up a big Colts fan.
I grew up in the are you know, Peyton Manning,
you know Reggi, Wayne, Marvin Harris, and that was my guys,
you know, Bob Sanders on Defense, like.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Big Colts fan growing up.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
But that whole area, you know, Michigan City, you know,
it's right around that lake, Lake Michigan. So yeah, it's
a big Bears country up there. So I was kind
of like the odd man out being a Colts fan.
But where'd you watch that Super Bowl? We actually so,
I got family down in Indianapolis. So yeah, six oh seven,
I think, you know, winter of O seven we went
down to Indianapolis and a lot of my Indianapolis family
obviously Colts fans. So I got to watch it down
(07:35):
there and you know, see the Colts win.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
So that was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And coincidentally, you're like watching that film this week to
prepare for your game, right, it's be How are the
ticket requests for Soldier Field.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
In week four? Uh? Definitely a lot of people want
to go.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I mean, which I gues, especially being a Bears country,
and I think people thinking, oh, you just get unlimited
tickets the NFL, I don't really work that way, but uh,
you know, a few no's, you know, catch it on TV.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Not a problem there.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
But uh yeah, definitely we're getting some tickets for the Faan,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Okay, some members of your inner circle will be inner
circle will be there.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, and everybody else. I'll give you a good wave
on the way out.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Let's keep it going with your youth football days, Braden.
You led your squad to the twenty ten Junior Pee
Week National Championship at Disney.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah, we're gonna be able to surface some photos from
those days.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, you dig up the right right places, you'll find some.
You'll find some photos.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
What was the name of that team?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
We were in the Michigan City Wolves mid Corner City Wolves.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And you were playing defensive tackle back then. No, I
was playing linebacker and running back. That was my main
two positions. Yeah, and coincidentally, we actually played a mon
Ron Saint Brown the Lions in the National Championship there
in twenty ten. Come on, he was the running back
for the yor Belinda Bulldogs.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
How great is that?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Did you revisit that with him in Week one?
Speaker 3 (08:50):
By any chance? I did not. I was a little
upset about the loss. So yeah, I'll shut it off.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Your NFL debut Sunday night football is probably not the
best time to be. Like, hey, remember Disney and Peewe
Day wasn't a good look? Yeah, okay, all right, So
then you become a prep offensive lineman. By the time
you're in high school, you're on the O line.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, you know, go to get to high school. Really,
my first year or two is playing actually playing a
lot of defense. First year two, we get a new
head coach, coach Mason. He kind of takes over our
program and he says, nope, you're playing offensive line from here.
I now, it's what's best for the team.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
And there was.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Definitely a lot of you know, hurt feelings there, and
I think, you know, both me and my dad were
just like, what do you mean? Like I was, you know,
I was playing good at defensive end and my coach
moves me to offensive line and strictly offensive line. And
I think at the time I was like it was
this guy doing he's out of his mind. But you know,
sure enough, you know, I just I kind of bit
the bullet on it. So, you know what, if this
was best for the team, will make it happen, you know,
try to find some enjoyment from this. And then uh,
(09:42):
luckily I got the Coyle's and somebody's Our coach was
my de cording like we're go, We're gonna bring you
over here, back to the back to the good ship.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Plays some D line again.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I want to ask you about that recruiting process just
a second, but let me it kind of dawned on me,
like did you take anything away from viewing the game
from an offensive lineman's perspective that you now use against
them as a defensive pass rusher.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Probably not enough, I think, I mean high school. I
think high school is it's a way different, you know,
way of playing the game. They're college and in the
NFL for sure, but yeah, maybe a little bit of
just maybe kind of understanding concepts of how, you know,
offensive linemen try to run different run schemes. But I
think I was I spent more time you know, beat
(10:26):
up about while I'm playing offensive line than actually, you know,
trying to gain something from it. But maybe life in
football lesson, Yeah, how to be a team player, right,
all right? So then like what were your college options?
What did that look like?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
And how'd you choose?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I really had one offer coming coming out of high school.
Like the guy brought up coach Esposito. He's actually a
D line coach in Michigan. Now, he had came to
my high school and you know, around the end of
my junior year, and it was kind of when that
recruiting process is building up. I mean I had been
going to you know, twenty thirty of the one day
camps all over the Midwest, you know, the big ten
max schools, and he came to my high school and
(10:59):
I was saying, what the hell Western Michigan. You know,
I had no idea just kind of going through the
recruiting process because you know, when you're in high school,
you guys are set on the on the big school.
So I want to go to Ohio States in my
area was Notre Dame, those type of schools. But you know,
he said, hey, just come to the camp, try it
out whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
That was June or before my senior year, and you know,
I go to the camp. Had no idea where Kalamazoo,
Michigan was. Never thought I'd find myself in Kalamazoo Michigan.
Was sure enough, you know, go to that camp and
that happened to be my first offer and they offered
me on a Monday. I committed that that same Friday.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
So awesome. That was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Five years of maction, solid five years of action. How
would you describe that season of your life? Like what
kind of player were you? And where do you think
you might go after that?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
From the being in the Mac.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Yeah, just like before we get to Florida State, like
take yourself back to being a Bronco. Are you like, Hey,
I'm an All League caliber player. I might have a
future in this. You're like, I'm just going to maximize
my time here at Western Michigan and see what comes next.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I think it kind of built for my first year.
I you know, as I when I was a freshman there.
You know, I I think I had to learn a lot.
I learned a lot of lessons, you know. I was
I was always known in high schools being the hardest worker.
But when I got to college, there's a big, big
difference between a hard high school worker and a hard
college worker. I mean there's a lot of extra hours
spent to be a hard college worker. And those are
kind of things I kind of learned, you know, forout
throughout my first three years there, and after that third
(12:20):
years when I started, I was just like, you know what,
I'm putting all my chips in, Like I really want
to make a career out of this.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I want to do something with this.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
You know, I had battled a few injuries early on
in my career and that kind of set me back
at least mentally of like you know, where my ceiling
was where you know my floor was rather but uh,
you know, I think as time went on, really into
my senior year, I was like, no, I'm really I'm
going to make it up to this, you know, like
I have an opportunity. You know, you talk to a
few agents, you know, and how that's a whole different
(12:48):
process me. Even my coacher will giving me the support
of hey, like, you know you can make it here,
like you got to. You have a good opportunity, just
keep being you keep working hard, and you know, sure
enough after that twenty twenty two season, you know it's
looking good and not I mean not great. You know,
I had been saying, hey, like you got a chance
to go in the late rounds. You know it could
be an undrafted guy, which in my head was like, man,
that's huge, let's do let's make it happen and boom,
(13:09):
you know, the last few weeks of season.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Right shoulder got to get a work down and say.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Oh, man, like everything I put in the season, it's like,
damn man, like this was supposed to be the year,
right and then you know, get to show the surgery.
The idea was, hey, I'm gonna come back to uh,
you know, Western Michigan for a six college football season,
where I was like, man, I never in my dreams
thought this would be, you know the case, because you know,
you're come into college. I'm gonna do my four and
get out of here. Makes the NFL, right, which there's
other plans for it, and yeah, So a lot kind
(13:35):
of went into what happened. You know, I was going
to come back. Then my head coach gets fired at
Western Michigans. Like, oh, well, let's say I'm not coming
back to Western Michigan, which would have been an option,
but you know, I had, I had put together a
good enough season in twenty twenty two to say, hey, like,
you know, let's see what.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
The transfer port was talking about.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And I guess that kind of leads me into the
you know, the fairy tale of Florida State ended up being.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
No doubt, real quick to follow up though, if not
for the shoulder, maybe try your chance in the professional
waters after that twenty two season, if that means college
free agency.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
So yeah, it was no doubt. Yeah I was gonna.
I was going to declare for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
All right, So instead, your your coaching staff gets terminated,
you step into the transfer portal waters and that's that's
a new frontier at this time, right, Like nil, it's.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Way different than I ever expected, new had any knowledge of.
It was.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
What was that experience?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Like, well, you know, I hop in the portal.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I want to say it was like November twenty eight,
So since my coach was fired, I was able to
hop in the portal early, so, you know a little earlier,
like a week earlier than most kids could that. You know,
we're you know, just transferring to transfer. So I hop
in and like forty minutes later, my phone is just
non stop, no stop, getting calls like coach saying, hey,
you know this is so and so from so and so.
I went off of you, and then you know, I
(14:47):
just kept on going for probably two weeks straight. You know,
my phone just doesn't stop. It's just going and going.
You know, my families getting My parents are getting blown up.
My coaches from high school, you know, Athletic direct, you
name it, were getting blown up about me, like hey,
like what's up, kid, what do you want to do?
And like Coylee Coast and ruthless man. I mean, this
transfer port is blown up into something that's you know,
like it turns teams around.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
So I guess I understand, but.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Like I couldn't imagine being an eighteen year old kid
being like one of those blue chip recruits going through
the I mean, it's is madness. I had to just
put my phone away and I'm done with it. But
uh yeah, I mean I'm babbling now, but uh, just
going through it. Yeah, I mean multiple schools are offering
you know, they're asking, hey, what do you want? That
part was pretty crazy as well. It's like, what do
you mean what? I want to come play football? But
you know there's a whole different element now with his
(15:29):
nil and what else they can do for you. But
you know, long story short, you know, Florida State made
a big impact. You know, kind of came down to
Florida State, USC and Notre Dame, you know, go to
Notre Dame, want to get out of the cole came
in to USC and unfortunately, I don't really think LA
is for me. Kind of ironic, right, and then you know,
go to go to Florida State and I say, you
know what, this could be the place I saw what
they were building, and you know, sure enough go thirteen
(15:50):
and no and yeah, that.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Was that was great experience.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
A couple of things. One babbling is what Rams revealed
is all about. So don't apologize for that. Keep it rolling.
You're telling me you could have been college teammates with Caleb.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Though, yeah he was.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Actually Yeah, when I came out here, we went to
Lincoln Riley's house and sure enough, Kill William he shows up.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
So I've met him before. Yeah, they were recruiting me
heavily to come out here, but uh LA was not
for me at the time.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
At the time, had to postpone that for just a minute.
Mike Norvella and Florida State though one y over, how.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Uh one coach Norvelle.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I think, you know, he's not even just the best motivator,
but as a coach, and I just think what he
brings to the table, Like I couldn't deny what he
was presenting you. I knew they were going to be
successful just by you know what the one what they
were bringing back into Like his plan for me. I mean,
he knew my situation. I'm a six year senior. I'm
about to be twenty three years old, going to my
last year at college.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
You know, I'm a little banged up.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
He say, hey, you know what we're gonna come in
you take you just be you. We're gonna take care
of you, and I know the rest will you know,
take care of itself. And you know there was gonna
be some competition in the room. I mean, they had
some really good guys coming back and me Jared was
coming back. You know, there's a few guys in the
interior that were coming back as well. But yeah, I
was like, you know, I can be in addition to
this room, and you know, I was confident myself to
be able to take over the room and away.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
I mean, I'm not saying that I was like I did.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
I just mean, like, you know, be able to come in,
you know, make it a you know, big time impact
and we could have a real successful season because you know,
I think if you're dominant up front, you could be
dominant as a team.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
You know, That's something I've always believed in.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
And you know, sure enough we had one of the
best defensive fronts and you know the country and it's
just uh yeah, as it could have worked out better,
especially you know, you look back to twenty twenty two
of just like how that finished, thinking.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Oh man, you know, the world's ending.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
You know, I thought I was going to the NFL
and then could have been a late round draft pick,
comeback for a six year, end up being in the
second round, and you know, being able to come to
a team like the Rams, you know, playing with Jared again,
it's just crazy, crazy how it all just you know
kind of unfolded.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, do you want to take a quick sidebar on
the current state of the Seminoles. Anything you need to
get off your chest after their first win, man.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
That's uh, hey, the road of the ninety three. Now
they were We're on a roll. Now, you know. I
had to take some lumps in the first half, but
we're gonna be I like it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Let's fast forward to the senior ball all right, because
you were voted the top defensive lineman on the American
team during the week of practice. But you did not
play for the American team at the end of that week,
did you.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
I did not.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I suit it up for the national team, and yeah,
how did that happen? Well, it was, I mean, he
caught me by surprise too. You know, I spent the
whole week practice for the American team. You know, you
get to know all your guys and you're like, and
you go against the same offensive line all week, right,
and then you get to the game. I finally get
to face the other squad. You know, they don't the
all line doesn't know. You get to you know, unleash
on them. And then the morning of the game, Uh,
(18:30):
mister Naggie already text me and said, Hey, where you
I'm sitting at breakfast and say come meet me and
the lobby and at eight thirty whatever it was, And
sure enough, I walk out there and I see him
in my D line coach, both my D line coaches
from the American team and the D line coach from
the national team. You I'm not really sure what's happening.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
He kind of just looks at me and said, hey, like,
what would you say if we asked you to play
on the national team today? And I didn't really think
much of us. Yeah, sure, why not? You know, last
day here, let's go play balls, play get a game in. Uh,
you know, national team was down the three D linemen,
so it kind of made sense, you know, get somebody
over there. I didn't really understand the history of it,
but it ended up being, you know, the first player
to ever do something like that. And uh, it's like
(19:08):
you talked about with the getting the defensive line of
the week kind of just added to the story, you know,
it felt, you know, that was a goal going in there,
just you know, show going into the week, you know,
just showing who I was and you know what I
can make up. And then that kind of just was
like the cherry on top of Hey, you know, like
this is.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Who I am.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
You will will want to play ball at any time,
you know, for whoever it is. It's just suit up
and go play. And we end up getting the win.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
So that was pretty cool too, beating the guys I
was practicing with all week.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I caught a lot of craft for that. But uh,
you know, everyone on the team didn't understand. They thought
I was just I just left. They thought, oh, I
wanted to go play, But now I got I literally
was told, hey, you're gonna play for this team, you know,
So it all worked out.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
It was a pretty cool moment.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
We know how much Lessoning and his team appreciate the
data points from the Senior ball so I'm not surprised
that you ended up with la you know. Over the
course of the spring, I jotted down, like some of
the things I heard about you as you became a RAM,
and I just want to realize some of them to
you and let you reflect on You know, you're blind
to all this right until you become a member of
the organization. But behind the scenes, people were saying he
(20:05):
was the number one leadership candidate in the draft. Too
good to be true, One of the best overall packages.
I've ever seen an absolute must get guy like now
being here. How does that feel to receive those compliments?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, it's super special,
especially hearing it from the team you know that drafts
you because you know you're going through the whole process
and you know you trust that there's a team out
there that wants him. There's a team out there that
sees you in that way, but you can't help. But
here are all the negatives that people have about it,
because that's most of the things that you see out there,
because you know there's always teams trying to tear you
down and you know, get you for a cheap price,
(20:39):
whatever it may be. You know, be able to hear
that's pretty special, just you know, going through the process
and kind of how my whole story kind of shaped
out was like, you know, I trust the work I've
put in. My journey is a little bit longer than others,
however it may have you know, shaped out, but you know,
I've always put everything I had into this game, you know,
from a leadership standpoint, from just you know, playing on
the field, just leaving everything out there in the field,
(21:00):
so to kind of have that backed up by somebody
else's opinion at this level is pretty cool to hear.
And you know, especially where they you drafted me, where
they took me, especially trading up to give me, you know,
it made it even more special. And you know, from
that moment, I was like, you know, let's get to
work because I know I want to fulfill that, you know,
and I want to show them that's who I really am.
You know, I want to show the organization, the fan base,
you know, the NFL in general. You know, that's who
(21:21):
I am, who I'm going to be on the field.
So that is it's pretty cool to hear, pretty special.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
There was that indelible video that went viral of you
and Jared in your draft experience. I think that story
is well covered. What else happened behind the scenes, say
Thursday into Friday as you became a professional that maybe
we haven't heard about.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Right, I mean Thursday, you know, it was kind of
a toss up. You know, I could kind of fall
into that, you know, twenty eight to thirty two range.
It wasn't a guarantee, but you know I kind of
thought it was possible. So we got together Friday night,
you know, close friends, close family. It was more of
a get together than anything. And you know, we're sitting
around and I think it was around pick twenty one,
twenty two. You know, I get a phone call. It's
kind of the hard drifts that home. Man, what's about
(21:59):
to happen here? Enough, somebody answered or answer the phone
and say, uh, hey, this is Mike McDaniel's with the dolphins,
and of course I hit them.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Oh, yes, sir, you know what's going on the boom.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
You know, they hang out the phone and I'm sitting
there like, come on, man, like, you know, people around
me are like, is this really happening. I'm like, sorry, guys,
you know, everybody relaxed. You know, I'm kind of just
sitting there like, damn, man, like, come on, man, like
anything that's gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
But to hear they're like, damn, did I really get big?
Speaker 2 (22:23):
That's when it first happens, right, But uh, anyways, you know,
fast forward, you know, Jared obviously gets picked and uh,
you know, move on to day day two, Friday morning. Yeah,
and I had a good feelings. I know it's got
to happen today. You know, it's gonna happen today. The
moment didn't really set into later in the day. You know,
I spent the day kind of just doing stuff to
kind of keep me occupied to go get a workout
in Friday morning, you know. But once once it started
(22:45):
getting closer to six o'clock, you know, the heart's starting
to be a little bit. You know, I'm getting dressed,
getting ready for the day or for the for the
draft party. And then especially when we got to the
draft party we had at Zorn Brewery in Michigan City,
and you know, I had a ton of friends and
family around, like around one hundred and eighty people. You know,
there's people outside trying to get in. Like you know,
when I finally walked in that building, you know, you
could feel that energy. You could feel like it felt
like a game day atmosphere, only how manly it's time
(23:07):
to go, it's time to play, but you know it's
more of this awaiting game. So that's when like the
anxiety sets in. But uh, you know, it was cool,
you know, get that phone call and kind of all
the dreams come true end up in La Over after all,
and it's a pretty special moment.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Yeah, just a year later than maybe you could have
right time, now bright in for the wind down. It's
brought to us by sleep Number. Each week here on
RAMS Revealed, we get insight into how sleep and recovery
impacts performance in the NFL, So in addition to becoming
a RAM basically comes with a sleep number bed. I
hear there's like one hundred percent participation from training camp
all the way through now that you're on the roster,
(23:41):
true that you have a sleep number bed.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Yeah, I have a sleeping liver bed now and I
got a little taste of it in training camp. We
actually had sleep liver beds provided to us for training camp,
so that's where I got the first taste of it.
And then just about two weeks ago, I have my
own sleep number bed delivered about about two weeks ago.
It's been great to us so far. You know, my
girlfriend she likes she's a softer sleep so personley, he
number could be a little bit different. I'm more firm,
(24:03):
so I turned mine up a little bit. And Uh,
I think the most fun part about it is checking
out our sleep number scores in the next day and
kind of getting the grass from the how sleeping And Uh,
that's been great so far.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Yeah, sleep how it's supposed to be competitive sport.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Let's finish shot with a few lighthearted questions and have
you out the door to enjoy your day off.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Okay, Uh.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
On Sunday at so if I Stadium, you may have
seen Rams season ticket members where gifted a Sean McVay bobblehead.
In fact, we strategically placed one over your shoulder. You've
probably been I've had this weird sense that he's watching
you during this program. What do you make of his likeness?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Uh, he's uh, not exactly what I thought he looked
like on a bobblehead. Definitely wouldn't have one of my
own house. I see him enough around here, but uh,
he looks good on his shelf.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
We'll keep him there. He's got a nice bot. He's
good there.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
I've been told that you've got some investment acumen, that
you got into the stock market at a pretty young age.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Definitely started early on, more so in Kylein's you know,
I think maybe high school and I was messing out
with that, you know, those coin stuff whatever it was.
That was like my first, oh, you can make money
doing this type of stuff, right, And then guy obviously
got smarter throughout couge you know, started making some money
through N I L and you know, just investing in
kind of seeing that compound and seeing the turnover from
you know, investing into you know, more index funds at
(25:17):
the time. Starting to work more individual now. But uh,
it's uh, it's definitely a good little uh you know, hoppy.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
To have good bull market on top of the world.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
Been doing great so far. There you go.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Uh, and finally let's finished with some food. Like a
defensive lineman's favorite topic, right, I understand you found a
few local haunts that you enjoy.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Definitely two of my favorite spots, you know, the one
down here on Topenga Biddiom Pisoles. Uh, you know, cash only,
so make sure he takes some cash you're going to
stop in there. They've been great to me. And uh
same with Tacos Reys uh down here in the area
as well. I mean they've been awesome.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
He had great video Tacos Bidia and Solis has a
beauty of fries.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
So you know, if you're uh, if you're looking to
have on that, it's been awesome for me.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It's like a regional Mexican specialty has captured your heart.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Oh, I love it.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Yeah, and I see you campaigning for a few free
meals based on this name driving.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Let's see if we can help you out.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Maybe someone in the audience has a recommendation. We can
broaden your horizons around the Greater LA area. OK, here's
to a good meal. Tonight's some rest and recovery. And
congrats on your first win in the National Football League.
Here's too many more, sir, Thank you all right for
Brad and Fisk, I'm JB.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Long.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Thank you everyone for being with us for another episode
of Rams Reveal, presented by Sleep Number
Well, hello everyone, hope you're having a great week. Thank
you for spending part of it with us, and welcome
to RAMS Revealed. I'm your host JB. Long and in
twenty twenty four, we're presented by Sleep Number, the Rams
sleep and Wellness partner. Our guest today was instrumental, as
you know, in LA's first win of the season. Now
he and the Rams are off to Chicago to face
the Bears in week four. Welcome to rookie defensive tackle
(00:32):
Brandon Fisk. Great to have you on RAMS Revealed, Sir,
appreciate you for having me. Congrats on your first NFL win.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, no, I think that was much needed, especially at home,
and that that was a pretty cool experience, pecially couldn't
getting out to the wire there.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I was really really glad we pulled that one off,
no doubt. Any chance, you're like, are you friends with
Joshua Carty? Like, could you get us an autograph to know.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
That?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
What'd you make of your first taste of that rivalry
in that environment.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
It's a lot more for fans I expected.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
They definitely packed the house too, But no, that was cool, man.
It was like I said, we needed that against the rival,
and yeah, it was just in there started geting a
little chippy.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Was cool.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
I mean, I was just glad that we were able
to pull that one off. And the environment definitely proved
you know, it was a rivalry.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Let's go through some of your key plays and let's
start at the end of the first half. Agent zero
gets the strip sack and you're right there for the
recovery back to back weeks pouncing on a football.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, we were kind of communicating prior to you know,
run a rush game there. But you know, be why
he saw, he saw his opportunity to go make a
play and sure enough. I mean, it's a cool thing
about you know, the fund recovery. You never known your
opportunity get to come. It just kind of happens. You know,
it's the balls on the ground. You gotta make a play,
you gotta jump on it, and you know, hopefully you
don't get the dove on too much by other guys.
So I think my guy Kobe Turner kind of helped
shield a little bit to keep that ball there. So No,
(01:48):
that was pretty good.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Not as easy as you make it look. I imagine
like that thing can bounce all sorts of different ways.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, especially when you kind of land on and you know,
push you around, like knocks the windown a little bit.
But that's uh, yeah, it gets a little a little
dangerous under there in the file totally.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
That cap points off the board at the end of
the first half. Now let's go to the end of
the game. Your third down rush kind of spinning away
from contact finding Purdy to force the fifty five yardfield
goal mess. How critical was that?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, I think it's huge. You know, I think you
look at the whole, you know, the game as a whole.
I mean, even speaking from the Cardinals game the week
prior to you know, being able to keep the quarterback
in the pocket because you know, they're always looking for
those little lanes to attack and to get out of
and you know, find space. And you know, I think
you know, as a as a rush unit, you gotta
find you gotta feel when those rush lanes start to
you know, expanse. You know, I think both me and
(02:34):
Kobe at the same time kind of felt that both
of us spun back like, no, this can't have especially
in a crucial situation, and you know third and ten
could get into you know, easy first down pass the
fifty get them in field goal territory.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
So yeah, we got to get the ball back. So
I mean I just think, you know, as a.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Unit, we did a great job of we kind of
expanded and brought it right back in, which was huge,
and you know, got them down and he's the rest
of his history.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Is that instinct like sixth cents or did you see
something that made you know it was.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
A little I mean, definitely, definitely instinctive. You know, I
feel myself getting too high up the fields. I got
to get back because you know we have a rustling
you got it, you know, especially if we're bringing four
We got four points on the quarterback and like, oh
I'm missing my spot, miss my spot, Like he's I
kind of got you got to get back, get back
in your rust lane and sure enough, you know that's
where he was trying to attack.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Hmm.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
You know you had a half dozen pressures yesterday as
a team, some twenty seven by some measures. Let's talk
about converting those pressures into sacks. Right, you go from
Kyler to Purty, next up Kleb. Like that's that's a gauntlet,
right for sure. Give us your sense of the week
to week. Focus on improving that area and capitalizing.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, definitely, I think you know, we talk about a
lot in the you know, the line room of taking
that extra step, taking that you know, taking that last
step to get to the quarterback, not leaving your feet
too early. And I think, you know, just being able
to finish the play. I mean at the end of
the day, of leaving money on the table. You know,
you're leaving players on the table for the team to
be able to you know, extend you know, extend drives
to the offense, whatever may be, get the ball back.
But yeah, I think the emphasis is definitely just body
(03:56):
control in general. You know, just you get to the quarterback,
you know, having the focus on you know, focus on that,
you know, the hips, not the eyes. You know, that's
that's a big thing, you know quarterback and to see
if you I and moving his head too much and
you know, you start getting out of whack. You know,
we're bigger, do is you know, we're trying to move
But you know, just and I think as a whole
unit comes from you know, keeping him in the pocket,
because once he gets outside of the hashes, I mean,
(04:16):
it's anything's game and he can run whatever he wants.
But you keep him inside that pocket. You know that
movement spaces. You know, we're real condensed, So I think
you know, goes hand in hand. You know, by yourself,
you know how you're gonna attack it, but also as
a unit, you know, keeping him in the pocket, which
has been huge the first three weeks, and I think
it's to be even bigger going to week four.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
You know V eight better than any of us, Like
how confident are you that he's going to calibrate that
and Jared's going to start collecting some.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Especially especially we actually talked about today just how much
we're missing out on and you know, just you know,
how much better we can be. And you know we've
been through this even last year Florida State. You know,
we're going into week four and neither of us had
a sack and was like, all right, it's trying to
step it out, like you know, we got to finish
these plays.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
You know you're getting home. But like you said, pressure
in side.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's a big difference, you know, especially on the stat
sheet and uh and the paycheck too, but uh he
we we kind of both the we're gonna we're gonna
tone this and tune it in and you know we're
gonna get this right.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Do you say that last year going into week four?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Is that about what we were looking at each other?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Hey man, you know we're getting there too much to
not getting these sacks a few games and yeah, definitely,
uh yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Before we get to your personal story, which I'm really
looking forward to this week especially, I want to compliment
your swag and the simplicity of it. Like you go
out there on game day and it's just bare hands,
you against the world. Has it always been that way?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Uh? Honestly know?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So my first you know, few years in college, I
always wore gloves, and you know, I was playing up north,
so it didn't really make a difference. But when I
got down to Florida State, you know, you're playing in
the humidity. It's muggy a practice. I mean by you know,
period six seven of practice, you're you're just drenched, and
you know you're trying to, you know, grab guys jerseys
and your hands are just slipping right off.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
So my d line coaches and I take those gloves off.
You're done wearing gloves. Odell Hagen's at Florida State quick
shout out. But us I take them gloves offs on.
You know you're slipping out, your hands are slipping off,
take them gloves off. I was like, I'll try. I
never wanted to. I was like, man, cut your hands
on me. Look at my hands now I got cuts
all over. But uh yeah, the first time I did
was like, oh man, I'm grabbing jerseys. You know, you
get a better fuel for like when you grab onto somebody.
(06:10):
So it definitely changed my game. So something I just
rolled with and like, you know, now people are.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Oh he's greedy or whatever.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You know, they see the guy with no gloves and
it just kind of fits the mold for you know,
how I play ball.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
But uh yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Uh there's some other guys you see him in practice
that weren't glod I've seen Kobe without him. I've seen
Verse take him off here and there. So we might
be making a might be making an impact.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
All right, but you reserve the right like when the
Rams go to New York deep in the year, if
it's snowing or something, you might go back to glove glose.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
My we'll play it though, We'll play how it goes,
but uh, gloves might be coming back on and just knowing.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
All right, you're no stranger to cold weather. Let's get
to growing up in Michigan City. Yeah, northwest Indiana, on
the shore of Lake Michigan, about an hour yeah yeah,
from Soldier Field, where you're gonna be this week.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
All right, So let's first talk NFL fandom. Did that
make you a Bears fan growing up or do you
have other allegiances?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Definitely not a Bears fan. My my dad was a
big Bears fan. I grew up a big Colts fan.
I grew up in the are you know, Peyton Manning,
you know Reggi, Wayne, Marvin Harris, and that was my guys,
you know, Bob Sanders on Defense, like.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Big Colts fan growing up.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
But that whole area, you know, Michigan City, you know,
it's right around that lake, Lake Michigan. So yeah, it's
a big Bears country up there. So I was kind
of like the odd man out being a Colts fan.
But where'd you watch that Super Bowl? We actually so,
I got family down in Indianapolis. So yeah, six oh seven,
I think, you know, winter of O seven we went
down to Indianapolis and a lot of my Indianapolis family
obviously Colts fans. So I got to watch it down
(07:35):
there and you know, see the Colts win.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
So that was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
And coincidentally, you're like watching that film this week to
prepare for your game, right, it's be How are the
ticket requests for Soldier Field.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
In week four? Uh? Definitely a lot of people want
to go.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I mean, which I gues, especially being a Bears country,
and I think people thinking, oh, you just get unlimited
tickets the NFL, I don't really work that way, but uh,
you know, a few no's, you know, catch it on TV.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Not a problem there.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
But uh yeah, definitely we're getting some tickets for the Faan,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Okay, some members of your inner circle will be inner
circle will be there.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, and everybody else. I'll give you a good wave
on the way out.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Let's keep it going with your youth football days, Braden.
You led your squad to the twenty ten Junior Pee
Week National Championship at Disney.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah, we're gonna be able to surface some photos from
those days.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, you dig up the right right places, you'll find some.
You'll find some photos.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
What was the name of that team?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
We were in the Michigan City Wolves mid Corner City Wolves.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And you were playing defensive tackle back then. No, I
was playing linebacker and running back. That was my main
two positions. Yeah, and coincidentally, we actually played a mon
Ron Saint Brown the Lions in the National Championship there
in twenty ten. Come on, he was the running back
for the yor Belinda Bulldogs.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
How great is that?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Did you revisit that with him in Week one?
Speaker 3 (08:50):
By any chance? I did not. I was a little
upset about the loss. So yeah, I'll shut it off.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Your NFL debut Sunday night football is probably not the
best time to be. Like, hey, remember Disney and Peewe
Day wasn't a good look? Yeah, okay, all right, So
then you become a prep offensive lineman. By the time
you're in high school, you're on the O line.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, you know, go to get to high school. Really,
my first year or two is playing actually playing a
lot of defense. First year two, we get a new
head coach, coach Mason. He kind of takes over our
program and he says, nope, you're playing offensive line from here.
I now, it's what's best for the team.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
And there was.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Definitely a lot of you know, hurt feelings there, and
I think, you know, both me and my dad were
just like, what do you mean? Like I was, you know,
I was playing good at defensive end and my coach
moves me to offensive line and strictly offensive line. And
I think at the time I was like it was
this guy doing he's out of his mind. But you know,
sure enough, you know, I just I kind of bit
the bullet on it. So, you know what, if this
was best for the team, will make it happen, you know,
try to find some enjoyment from this. And then uh,
(09:42):
luckily I got the Coyle's and somebody's Our coach was
my de cording like we're go, We're gonna bring you
over here, back to the back to the good ship.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Plays some D line again.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I want to ask you about that recruiting process just
a second, but let me it kind of dawned on me,
like did you take anything away from viewing the game
from an offensive lineman's perspective that you now use against
them as a defensive pass rusher.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Probably not enough, I think, I mean high school. I
think high school is it's a way different, you know,
way of playing the game. They're college and in the
NFL for sure, but yeah, maybe a little bit of
just maybe kind of understanding concepts of how, you know,
offensive linemen try to run different run schemes. But I
think I was I spent more time you know, beat
(10:26):
up about while I'm playing offensive line than actually, you know,
trying to gain something from it. But maybe life in
football lesson, Yeah, how to be a team player, right,
all right? So then like what were your college options?
What did that look like?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
And how'd you choose?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I really had one offer coming coming out of high school.
Like the guy brought up coach Esposito. He's actually a
D line coach in Michigan. Now, he had came to
my high school and you know, around the end of
my junior year, and it was kind of when that
recruiting process is building up. I mean I had been
going to you know, twenty thirty of the one day
camps all over the Midwest, you know, the big ten
max schools, and he came to my high school and
(10:59):
I was saying, what the hell Western Michigan. You know,
I had no idea just kind of going through the
recruiting process because you know, when you're in high school,
you guys are set on the on the big school.
So I want to go to Ohio States in my
area was Notre Dame, those type of schools. But you know,
he said, hey, just come to the camp, try it
out whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
That was June or before my senior year, and you know,
I go to the camp. Had no idea where Kalamazoo,
Michigan was. Never thought I'd find myself in Kalamazoo Michigan.
Was sure enough, you know, go to that camp and
that happened to be my first offer and they offered
me on a Monday. I committed that that same Friday.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
So awesome. That was pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Five years of maction, solid five years of action. How
would you describe that season of your life? Like what
kind of player were you? And where do you think
you might go after that?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
From the being in the Mac.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Yeah, just like before we get to Florida State, like
take yourself back to being a Bronco. Are you like, Hey,
I'm an All League caliber player. I might have a
future in this. You're like, I'm just going to maximize
my time here at Western Michigan and see what comes next.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I think it kind of built for my first year.
I you know, as I when I was a freshman there.
You know, I I think I had to learn a lot.
I learned a lot of lessons, you know. I was
I was always known in high schools being the hardest worker.
But when I got to college, there's a big, big
difference between a hard high school worker and a hard
college worker. I mean there's a lot of extra hours
spent to be a hard college worker. And those are
kind of things I kind of learned, you know, forout
throughout my first three years there, and after that third
(12:20):
years when I started, I was just like, you know what,
I'm putting all my chips in, Like I really want
to make a career out of this.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
I want to do something with this.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
You know, I had battled a few injuries early on
in my career and that kind of set me back
at least mentally of like you know, where my ceiling
was where you know my floor was rather but uh,
you know, I think as time went on, really into
my senior year, I was like, no, I'm really I'm
going to make it up to this, you know, like
I have an opportunity. You know, you talk to a
few agents, you know, and how that's a whole different
(12:48):
process me. Even my coacher will giving me the support
of hey, like, you know you can make it here,
like you got to. You have a good opportunity, just
keep being you keep working hard, and you know, sure
enough after that twenty twenty two season, you know it's
looking good and not I mean not great. You know,
I had been saying, hey, like you got a chance
to go in the late rounds. You know it could
be an undrafted guy, which in my head was like, man,
that's huge, let's do let's make it happen and boom,
(13:09):
you know, the last few weeks of season.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Right shoulder got to get a work down and say.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Oh, man, like everything I put in the season, it's like,
damn man, like this was supposed to be the year,
right and then you know, get to show the surgery.
The idea was, hey, I'm gonna come back to uh,
you know, Western Michigan for a six college football season,
where I was like, man, I never in my dreams
thought this would be, you know the case, because you know,
you're come into college. I'm gonna do my four and
get out of here. Makes the NFL, right, which there's
other plans for it, and yeah, So a lot kind
(13:35):
of went into what happened. You know, I was going
to come back. Then my head coach gets fired at
Western Michigans. Like, oh, well, let's say I'm not coming
back to Western Michigan, which would have been an option,
but you know, I had, I had put together a
good enough season in twenty twenty two to say, hey, like,
you know, let's see what.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
The transfer port was talking about.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And I guess that kind of leads me into the
you know, the fairy tale of Florida State ended up being.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
No doubt, real quick to follow up though, if not
for the shoulder, maybe try your chance in the professional
waters after that twenty two season, if that means college
free agency.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
So yeah, it was no doubt. Yeah I was gonna.
I was going to declare for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
All right, So instead, your your coaching staff gets terminated,
you step into the transfer portal waters and that's that's
a new frontier at this time, right, Like nil, it's.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Way different than I ever expected, new had any knowledge of.
It was.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
What was that experience?
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Like, well, you know, I hop in the portal.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
I want to say it was like November twenty eight,
So since my coach was fired, I was able to
hop in the portal early, so, you know a little earlier,
like a week earlier than most kids could that. You know,
we're you know, just transferring to transfer. So I hop
in and like forty minutes later, my phone is just
non stop, no stop, getting calls like coach saying, hey,
you know this is so and so from so and so.
I went off of you, and then you know, I
(14:47):
just kept on going for probably two weeks straight. You know,
my phone just doesn't stop. It's just going and going.
You know, my families getting My parents are getting blown up.
My coaches from high school, you know, Athletic direct, you
name it, were getting blown up about me, like hey,
like what's up, kid, what do you want to do?
And like Coylee Coast and ruthless man. I mean, this
transfer port is blown up into something that's you know,
like it turns teams around.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
So I guess I understand, but.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Like I couldn't imagine being an eighteen year old kid
being like one of those blue chip recruits going through
the I mean, it's is madness. I had to just
put my phone away and I'm done with it. But
uh yeah, I mean I'm babbling now, but uh, just
going through it. Yeah, I mean multiple schools are offering
you know, they're asking, hey, what do you want? That
part was pretty crazy as well. It's like, what do
you mean what? I want to come play football? But
you know there's a whole different element now with his
(15:29):
nil and what else they can do for you. But
you know, long story short, you know, Florida State made
a big impact. You know, kind of came down to
Florida State, USC and Notre Dame, you know, go to
Notre Dame, want to get out of the cole came
in to USC and unfortunately, I don't really think LA
is for me. Kind of ironic, right, and then you know,
go to go to Florida State and I say, you
know what, this could be the place I saw what
they were building, and you know, sure enough go thirteen
(15:50):
and no and yeah, that.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Was that was great experience.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
A couple of things. One babbling is what Rams revealed
is all about. So don't apologize for that. Keep it rolling.
You're telling me you could have been college teammates with Caleb.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Though, yeah he was.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Actually Yeah, when I came out here, we went to
Lincoln Riley's house and sure enough, Kill William he shows up.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
So I've met him before. Yeah, they were recruiting me
heavily to come out here, but uh LA was not
for me at the time.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
At the time, had to postpone that for just a minute.
Mike Norvella and Florida State though one y over, how.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Uh one coach Norvelle.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I think, you know, he's not even just the best motivator,
but as a coach, and I just think what he
brings to the table, Like I couldn't deny what he
was presenting you. I knew they were going to be
successful just by you know what the one what they
were bringing back into Like his plan for me. I mean,
he knew my situation. I'm a six year senior. I'm
about to be twenty three years old, going to my
last year at college.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
You know, I'm a little banged up.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
He say, hey, you know what we're gonna come in
you take you just be you. We're gonna take care
of you, and I know the rest will you know,
take care of itself. And you know there was gonna
be some competition in the room. I mean, they had
some really good guys coming back and me Jared was
coming back. You know, there's a few guys in the
interior that were coming back as well. But yeah, I
was like, you know, I can be in addition to
this room, and you know, I was confident myself to
be able to take over the room and away.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
I mean, I'm not saying that I was like I did.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
I just mean, like, you know, be able to come in,
you know, make it a you know, big time impact
and we could have a real successful season because you know,
I think if you're dominant up front, you could be
dominant as a team.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
You know, That's something I've always believed in.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
And you know, sure enough we had one of the
best defensive fronts and you know the country and it's
just uh yeah, as it could have worked out better,
especially you know, you look back to twenty twenty two
of just like how that finished, thinking.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Oh man, you know, the world's ending.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
You know, I thought I was going to the NFL
and then could have been a late round draft pick,
comeback for a six year, end up being in the
second round, and you know, being able to come to
a team like the Rams, you know, playing with Jared again,
it's just crazy, crazy how it all just you know
kind of unfolded.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, do you want to take a quick sidebar on
the current state of the Seminoles. Anything you need to
get off your chest after their first win, man.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
That's uh, hey, the road of the ninety three. Now
they were We're on a roll. Now, you know. I
had to take some lumps in the first half, but
we're gonna be I like it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Let's fast forward to the senior ball all right, because
you were voted the top defensive lineman on the American
team during the week of practice. But you did not
play for the American team at the end of that week,
did you.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
I did not.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
I suit it up for the national team, and yeah,
how did that happen? Well, it was, I mean, he
caught me by surprise too. You know, I spent the
whole week practice for the American team. You know, you
get to know all your guys and you're like, and
you go against the same offensive line all week, right,
and then you get to the game. I finally get
to face the other squad. You know, they don't the
all line doesn't know. You get to you know, unleash
on them. And then the morning of the game, Uh,
(18:30):
mister Naggie already text me and said, Hey, where you
I'm sitting at breakfast and say come meet me and
the lobby and at eight thirty whatever it was, And
sure enough, I walk out there and I see him
in my D line coach, both my D line coaches
from the American team and the D line coach from
the national team. You I'm not really sure what's happening.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
He kind of just looks at me and said, hey, like,
what would you say if we asked you to play
on the national team today? And I didn't really think
much of us. Yeah, sure, why not? You know, last
day here, let's go play balls, play get a game in. Uh,
you know, national team was down the three D linemen,
so it kind of made sense, you know, get somebody
over there. I didn't really understand the history of it,
but it ended up being, you know, the first player
to ever do something like that. And uh, it's like
(19:08):
you talked about with the getting the defensive line of
the week kind of just added to the story, you know,
it felt, you know, that was a goal going in there,
just you know, show going into the week, you know,
just showing who I was and you know what I
can make up. And then that kind of just was
like the cherry on top of Hey, you know, like
this is.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Who I am.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
You will will want to play ball at any time,
you know, for whoever it is. It's just suit up
and go play. And we end up getting the win.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
So that was pretty cool too, beating the guys I
was practicing with all week.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I caught a lot of craft for that. But uh,
you know, everyone on the team didn't understand. They thought
I was just I just left. They thought, oh, I
wanted to go play, But now I got I literally
was told, hey, you're gonna play for this team, you know,
So it all worked out.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
It was a pretty cool moment.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
We know how much Lessoning and his team appreciate the
data points from the Senior ball so I'm not surprised
that you ended up with la you know. Over the
course of the spring, I jotted down, like some of
the things I heard about you as you became a RAM,
and I just want to realize some of them to
you and let you reflect on You know, you're blind
to all this right until you become a member of
the organization. But behind the scenes, people were saying he
(20:05):
was the number one leadership candidate in the draft. Too
good to be true, One of the best overall packages.
I've ever seen an absolute must get guy like now
being here. How does that feel to receive those compliments?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, it's super special,
especially hearing it from the team you know that drafts
you because you know you're going through the whole process
and you know you trust that there's a team out
there that wants him. There's a team out there that
sees you in that way, but you can't help. But
here are all the negatives that people have about it,
because that's most of the things that you see out there,
because you know there's always teams trying to tear you
down and you know, get you for a cheap price,
(20:39):
whatever it may be. You know, be able to hear
that's pretty special, just you know, going through the process
and kind of how my whole story kind of shaped
out was like, you know, I trust the work I've
put in. My journey is a little bit longer than others,
however it may have you know, shaped out, but you know,
I've always put everything I had into this game, you know,
from a leadership standpoint, from just you know, playing on
the field, just leaving everything out there in the field,
(21:00):
so to kind of have that backed up by somebody
else's opinion at this level is pretty cool to hear.
And you know, especially where they you drafted me, where
they took me, especially trading up to give me, you know,
it made it even more special. And you know, from
that moment, I was like, you know, let's get to
work because I know I want to fulfill that, you know,
and I want to show them that's who I really am.
You know, I want to show the organization, the fan base,
you know, the NFL in general. You know, that's who
(21:21):
I am, who I'm going to be on the field.
So that is it's pretty cool to hear, pretty special.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
There was that indelible video that went viral of you
and Jared in your draft experience. I think that story
is well covered. What else happened behind the scenes, say
Thursday into Friday as you became a professional that maybe
we haven't heard about.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Right, I mean Thursday, you know, it was kind of
a toss up. You know, I could kind of fall
into that, you know, twenty eight to thirty two range.
It wasn't a guarantee, but you know I kind of
thought it was possible. So we got together Friday night,
you know, close friends, close family. It was more of
a get together than anything. And you know, we're sitting
around and I think it was around pick twenty one,
twenty two. You know, I get a phone call. It's
kind of the hard drifts that home. Man, what's about
(21:59):
to happen here? Enough, somebody answered or answer the phone
and say, uh, hey, this is Mike McDaniel's with the dolphins,
and of course I hit them.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Oh, yes, sir, you know what's going on the boom.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
You know, they hang out the phone and I'm sitting
there like, come on, man, like, you know, people around
me are like, is this really happening. I'm like, sorry, guys,
you know, everybody relaxed. You know, I'm kind of just
sitting there like, damn, man, like, come on, man, like
anything that's gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
But to hear they're like, damn, did I really get big?
Speaker 2 (22:23):
That's when it first happens, right, But uh, anyways, you know,
fast forward, you know, Jared obviously gets picked and uh,
you know, move on to day day two, Friday morning. Yeah,
and I had a good feelings. I know it's got
to happen today. You know, it's gonna happen today. The
moment didn't really set into later in the day. You know,
I spent the day kind of just doing stuff to
kind of keep me occupied to go get a workout
in Friday morning, you know. But once once it started
(22:45):
getting closer to six o'clock, you know, the heart's starting
to be a little bit. You know, I'm getting dressed,
getting ready for the day or for the for the
draft party. And then especially when we got to the
draft party we had at Zorn Brewery in Michigan City,
and you know, I had a ton of friends and
family around, like around one hundred and eighty people. You know,
there's people outside trying to get in. Like you know,
when I finally walked in that building, you know, you
could feel that energy. You could feel like it felt
like a game day atmosphere, only how manly it's time
(23:07):
to go, it's time to play, but you know it's
more of this awaiting game. So that's when like the
anxiety sets in. But uh, you know, it was cool,
you know, get that phone call and kind of all
the dreams come true end up in La Over after all,
and it's a pretty special moment.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Yeah, just a year later than maybe you could have
right time, now bright in for the wind down. It's
brought to us by sleep Number. Each week here on
RAMS Revealed, we get insight into how sleep and recovery
impacts performance in the NFL, So in addition to becoming
a RAM basically comes with a sleep number bed. I
hear there's like one hundred percent participation from training camp
all the way through now that you're on the roster,
(23:41):
true that you have a sleep number bed.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Yeah, I have a sleeping liver bed now and I
got a little taste of it in training camp. We
actually had sleep liver beds provided to us for training camp,
so that's where I got the first taste of it.
And then just about two weeks ago, I have my
own sleep number bed delivered about about two weeks ago.
It's been great to us so far. You know, my
girlfriend she likes she's a softer sleep so personley, he
number could be a little bit different. I'm more firm,
(24:03):
so I turned mine up a little bit. And Uh,
I think the most fun part about it is checking
out our sleep number scores in the next day and
kind of getting the grass from the how sleeping And Uh,
that's been great so far.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Yeah, sleep how it's supposed to be competitive sport.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Let's finish shot with a few lighthearted questions and have
you out the door to enjoy your day off.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Okay, Uh.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
On Sunday at so if I Stadium, you may have
seen Rams season ticket members where gifted a Sean McVay bobblehead.
In fact, we strategically placed one over your shoulder. You've
probably been I've had this weird sense that he's watching
you during this program. What do you make of his likeness?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Uh, he's uh, not exactly what I thought he looked
like on a bobblehead. Definitely wouldn't have one of my
own house. I see him enough around here, but uh,
he looks good on his shelf.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
We'll keep him there. He's got a nice bot. He's
good there.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
I've been told that you've got some investment acumen, that
you got into the stock market at a pretty young age.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Definitely started early on, more so in Kylein's you know,
I think maybe high school and I was messing out
with that, you know, those coin stuff whatever it was.
That was like my first, oh, you can make money
doing this type of stuff, right, And then guy obviously
got smarter throughout couge you know, started making some money
through N I L and you know, just investing in
kind of seeing that compound and seeing the turnover from
you know, investing into you know, more index funds at
(25:17):
the time. Starting to work more individual now. But uh,
it's uh, it's definitely a good little uh you know, hoppy.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
To have good bull market on top of the world.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
Been doing great so far. There you go.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Uh, and finally let's finished with some food. Like a
defensive lineman's favorite topic, right, I understand you found a
few local haunts that you enjoy.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Definitely two of my favorite spots, you know, the one
down here on Topenga Biddiom Pisoles. Uh, you know, cash only,
so make sure he takes some cash you're going to
stop in there. They've been great to me. And uh
same with Tacos Reys uh down here in the area
as well. I mean they've been awesome.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
He had great video Tacos Bidia and Solis has a
beauty of fries.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
So you know, if you're uh, if you're looking to
have on that, it's been awesome for me.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It's like a regional Mexican specialty has captured your heart.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Oh, I love it.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Yeah, and I see you campaigning for a few free
meals based on this name driving.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Let's see if we can help you out.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Maybe someone in the audience has a recommendation. We can
broaden your horizons around the Greater LA area. OK, here's
to a good meal. Tonight's some rest and recovery. And
congrats on your first win in the National Football League.
Here's too many more, sir, Thank you all right for
Brad and Fisk, I'm JB.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Long.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Thank you everyone for being with us for another episode
of Rams Reveal, presented by Sleep Number
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.