December 10, 2024 • 25 mins
On this episode of Rams Revealed, Los Angeles Rams tight end Hunter Long discusses dealing with injuries during his NFL career, scoring his first touchdown as a professional on a blocked punt against the Buffalo Bills, and his passion for computer science.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
How's going everyone, Welcome back to RAMS Revealed. I'm your host, JB.
Long and as you know, LA is above five hundred
for the first time this season. They've earned a winning
record as they're off to Santa Clair to take on
the rival San Francisco forty nine ers and to preview
Thursday Night football. And of course we'll look back on
that win over the Buffalo Bills. Is our guest, a
RAMS tight end and maybe my cousin we're about to
(00:26):
find out, potentially, Hunter along, Hunter Long.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good to see you, Good to see you, Thanks for
having me.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, so preparing. Initially I said, you know, no relation,
but then the more I got to talking with some
of my friends and family. You're from Exeter, New.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hampshire, Exit New Hampshire I raised.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So my paternal grandfather is from Portsmouth. So maybe we
should just knock out a quick twenty three day and
have the results by the end.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Of the I always get the I always get the Howie.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Long, right. Class of all of us in football are
Howie Long.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, we're all descendants of how Lan Howie Chris dated Long.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Anyway, Yeah, obviously you're here to talk about the pump
block first and foremost, So why don't we just dive
right in your memory? Can you just walk us through
every single corner of that play?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Sure? My job on the play was to widen the tackle,
and I widened to my guess and kind of looked
away like figured the play was over, and heard the
thud thud off of Hummel's arm, which is like an
iconic sound in football, and I started like panicking, and
(01:31):
I looked down the balls just like trickling by my feet.
I should probably try to pick that up and run
with it, and almost almost absolutely bungled it, bobbled the
first one and really locked in for the second one
as I can't. I can't drop this thing twice. So
then uh, then the rest of it's a blur. Ran
(01:52):
the end zone and first NFL touchdown, which not the
bay I probably would have drawn it up, is my
first one, but you know, take it.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It's awesome how many times have been able to watch
it back and in what different formats, like every phone.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I've been sent I've been sent it in every way possible,
every format possible, multiple languages. I was watching in Spanish
at one point. I think, Yeah, it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Over the course, of your week of preparation, I mean
your entire unit. What goes into making a moment like
that possible.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, well, that's the funny thing about it is like
everyone's hyping me up. I didn't do a whole lot
on the play, like like it was. It was cool
getting a touchdown, but I mean Hummel's block and the
guys work on the inside to come free, and like
teams is, I mean, football in general is as team
sport as I guess especially, I mean those guys were
just I mean way more important than my role on
(02:47):
that on that play and changing the game and teams
that the mantras always like you never know if you'll
be able to make a play, but you know that
if you don't one hundred percent every time, you'll definitely
not make a play. So just trying to bring it
every snap and you know, sell out for the guys
(03:08):
out there, and we love playing together and it's a
it's pretty cool unit.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Sometimes you do have a hunch though, right you see
something in your preparation or film, stay it might be
taible this week, and so we're going to lever up
to try and make this happen.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, yeah, of course, you see different stuff on film.
You envision stuff coming to life on the field, but
when it actually comes to life, it's completely different.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You're underselling yourself a little bit in this regard. You
played more special team snaps than any ram yesterday, and
so what is on your plate in terms of your
roles in the kicking game in addition to everything you
have to be responsible for running, passing the offense.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, I'm on all eight special teams for the first
time in the career. That's a lot. I'm on all
of them. No, I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
My role throughout my years in the NFL is fluctuated,
a lot of highs, a lot of lows, a lot
of injuries, and just at the point now, we're just
grateful for every opportunity I get to be out there,
run around with the guys and try to make the
most every snap I get and anyway I can help
the team win, Like I'm I'm going to try to
(04:17):
try to give him all.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
You mentioned Jake a couple of times now he does
lead the team and special team snaps this season. You
want to brag on him a little.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Bit, Yeah, I mean he's a he's a Core four guy. That,
I mean just as much as anyone else out there,
sells out for the guys every snap and gives it all.
He's always putting an extra work, uh film, getting guys
right on the field, being kind of a leader out there,
a lot of a couple of other of us, and
I mean he's awesome. So without him, I mean I
(04:45):
don't get touchdown.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
So h So you're a New England guy through and through, right,
born and rased. Did that make you a Patriots fan?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Growing up? I was not a Patriots fan. I actually
despised Patriots fans because of how because I my dad
raised me as a Packers fan because he's from the
Wisconsin area, so I was a big Packers fan growing up.
My bedroom growing up was painted green Bay Packer colors
interesting and I had a giant Green Bay Packer fat
(05:12):
head on my wall, blankets, the whole nine. And I
despised Patriots fans because that was obviously my childhood was
their whole run of a lot of Super Bowls and
they were good friends. But you couldn't talk about the
page with them because the Patriots with them, because it
was just unbearable.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I think a lot of rams fans are listening
to this same See we knew Hunter Long was one
of us. And the reason I ask is because you
score your first NFL touchdown with Tom Brady on the call.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, oh my mo Alm was freaking out about it, like, uh,
it is cool. Uh you get desensitized and stuff if
being being around or we're around all the time. But
my mom was definitely freaking out. She mentioned it multiple
times on the ride home, so she was pumped.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And then you touch on this just a second ago.
But to go back to it, of all the ways
that you dreamed of potentially scoring your first NFL touchdown
where I was as a child, as a collegiate student
at Boston College, which we'll get to as a dolphin
as a ram, that had to be pretty far afield.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, definitely wasn't on the Bingo card of you know,
top choices for how it's scoring my first touchdown, but
definitely will take.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
It another cool play because you mentioned you're on all
eight teams, you're on the field for that last sequence
where you just basically got a punt to win right
with Evan Evans and the offenses on the field, they
take the delay, they take the time out. I see
you guys gathering on the sideline. What was that give
or take? Like to then jump on the field and
try and salt that away with.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
A Yeah, just trying to coordinate everything. I mean we
watch every team kind of watches during the week other
teams like mess up situations like that, and you never
want to be the team that messes up the situation
like that because then you're on every other team's clips
during the week of like what not to do. So
just trying to coordinate everything to make sure we're not
(07:04):
on that tape and steal the game and come out
of it unscathed.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, aside from the obvious one that you scored on.
I'm always curious to know, like what's the player's favorite
player moment from a win? And I wonder if anything
jumps out at you all play you were involved in,
or a play that you just had a view from
from the sideline that you'll remember fondly from what was
a historic day against the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
There's a bunch of them. I mean, watching cool football
is cool, you know, watching had a sweet angle of
Pooka's catch on the sideline that was unreal.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I just wrote that down. That was part of the
reason I asked, because you might have had the clearest vantage.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, I had a swee sweet angle of that watching
I mean watching your friends make plays and fly around
and have fun doing it, and you know, contributing to
a game like that and having you know, a meaningful
impact on is. I mean, there's not much better feel
than that.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
The window that Matthew had to put that through to
even give Pooka the chance to make another outrageous catch.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Oh, they're there, their next level with it, and yeah,
I mean not nine back there when you have him
on the field, I mean anything's possible.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
He can still make your jaw drop every now. Oh yeah,
I mean very much. So, Uh, you know as well
as we do. Like the defense has really held it down.
Uh this season middle portion of the schedule especially, I
think they scored in four straight games clinch some wins.
How good did it feel as an offense, in as
a special teams unit to say, you know what, we
know you got Josh Allen the Bills today, we got
(08:32):
this one.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah, it was about time that we that we had
their back. You know, there's there's been some some times
this year where they've they've you know, played all out
and we haven't come through for him, and you know,
this is the ultimate team sport, and you know, lion
and each other and and you know, pick up, pick
up the pieces and and hold the line. And being
(08:55):
able to come through on on a game like that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
I call Puka and Cooper tight receivers instead of wide receivers, Like,
are they honorary tight ends because of the work they
put in. They didn't pass at the pivot point.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
They'll they'll send it and they they get asked to
do receivers here get has to do a lot in
the run game, which any good run game, you know,
you tend to need receivers that are willing to stick
their face in there and hit somebody in there. It's
on the best in the league, got it.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, As for the actual tight end tight ends, we're
all hopeful that Tyler Higbee can make his twenty four
debut on Thursday Night Football at San Francisco this week.
What's it been like is here's his peer to watch
him rehab and get back to this moment.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Oh, he's an ultimate grinder, like he watching him come
back from everything, He's I mean multiple different, different injuries
this offseason. He was there for me last year when
I was doing all my injury stuff. I mean, ultimate teammate,
ultimate locker room gud. He's just a great dude. So
seeing him come back from what he's gone through and
(09:56):
grind through it and see where he's at now, it's
been pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
How hard is that or will that be for him
to not have an off season program, to not have
joint practices, to not develop that callous and to dive
right in here in December.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
It's definitely it's not easy, but I mean he's been
doing it a long time. Anyone can do it, ya,
he's been doing a long time. I think they'll be
all right, But no, it's not easy. You gotta knock
some rust off. There's nothing that can get you in
football shape like playing football. But he's playing well. So yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
At the front of that room is Nick Kayley, who's
the Rams tight ends coach for those who don't know,
and someone who's next step very well could be an
offensive coordinator in this league. In fact, I think it
was reported that he might have had an opportunity or
to this offseason. What do you think makes him uniquely
equipped to advance in his coaching career.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yeah, he just he just pours everything he has into it,
which from a player's perspective, you respect a lot. The
hours he puts in, the energy he brings every day on.
I mean, I think he's up at three four in
the morning and every day. You can expect the same
out of him, same energy, same love that he pours
into our unit wanting us to be great, same love
(11:07):
that he pours into the game plan making sure everything's right.
I mean, he he's a great, great tight end. Cars
love love playing for him, and he'll he'll definitely have
a bright days ahead.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah, Hunter in the mutual admiration society that is, like
the NFL tight end fraternity, Where does George Kittle rank
as you're prepared to go up against him as a
team this week?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
He's uh, He's done a lot for uh bringing the
popularity of the tight end group uh to the forefront.
Great dude, I've met him a couple of times. Love
his energy. It seems to be authentically himself, which you
can respect and appreciate. And he's a hell of a
tight end, so you expect that.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Let's take a quick lap through your NFL journey if
you don't mind third round pick the Miami Dolphins. How
would you describe your first couple of pro seasons?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Uh? Uh as much of a roller coaster as it
probably could have been pretty much on and off injuries
for a long time now, and battling through recovery, coming back,
starting to finally play well injury, come back play well injury.
(12:20):
So it's been a mental and physical journey to say
the least. And not definitely not what I would have
was what I was envisioning, you know, when I got
drafted on on draft night. But uh, it's definitely made
me grow as a person and uh kind of has
(12:42):
introduced me to myself in a way and that I
hadn't before that. So I don't think I would change
it for where I'm at now, but give me a
lot of perspective on on my mindset coming in this
year and what to work on and what to focus
my energy on.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
So when you met that adult hunter long, why did
you find out about him?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah? I don't know. I guess it's hard hard to
put into words. I think my biggest Uh, I don't
know if I have any like super insightful insight on this. Uh.
I think my biggest takeaway from it, which which has
(13:27):
helped this year, was just coming to this year, not
worried about, you know, stuff that I can't control, not
worried about what comes after this year, not worried about
you know, stuff like that, and pour my energy into
coming every day with you know, a joy to be here,
a joy to get to do this with, with guys
that I love doing it with a team I love
(13:50):
playing for, and focus on getting better, focus on, you know,
just the stuff that I can control and let the
rest of them fall where it may. And it's helped
me a lot with some the mental clarity side of it.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
So just hypothetically, when the host of this show has
like contract a year for you, hunter, what's next like
on his list of questions upcoming here in the next
few minutes, would you tell me to just skip right
past that, skip right past that one? Hey, dude, didn't
you just hear what I say?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yes? That actively been working on not thinking about that,
So I'll, uh, I'll worry about that and let my
agent worry about that in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Fair enough. When you did come to LA though it
was part of the Jalen Ramsey trade with Miami. What
is that like as a professional to be trade It's
pretty unique in the space of what we all go
through in life.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I mean, you have no say. I was laying
up by the pool at my apartment in Fort Lauderdale,
got a call from I don't know who, call me first,
one of the gms and told me the trade was happening,
and five minutes later was out on Twitter. And a
(14:59):
week and a half later, I was packing up my
stuff and shipping across the country. I'm on that side
of the business is crazy, but at the end of
the day, it's a business and kind of got to
be where where you're shipped off too. So it was
what it was. It was definitely, you know, it wasn't
necessarily expecting it, but I'd say, uh, you know, it
(15:22):
was hesitant just because change is always hard. But I'd
say it's worth that for me.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
You got to get knocked off the pool in Fort Lauderdale,
though at least you'll.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Lay in California would have been I've been extremely lucky
so far in uh, Miami in LA and it's honestly
kind of made me a little soft to the cold.
I mean I grew up in the frozen tundra of
New Hampshire for twenty one years, where it's just miserably
cold all the time. To go to Miami and then
be out here, it's I've got a little softer in
(15:51):
the Yeah, you're rocking the rainbows California. Yeah, yeah, perfect, Yep.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Fast forward a little bit because you come to the
Rams and again and it's kind of been your narrative.
I get this, an injury that summer prevented you from
probably carving out the role you would have liked on
that twenty three team. Start the year on injury reserve,
You're activated in November, and you got that start exactly
a year ago on the trip to Baltimore. Your recollections
of that day.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Yeah, got the start in Baltimore. Finally felt like I
knocked the rust off, come back from the injuries. I mean,
I had a great offseason that year and pulled my
quad a week before camp started, which it's never ideal
battling back from that. Finally knocking the rust off, coming
(16:40):
back and getting the start, and was playing pretty well
against Baltimore and just a fluke dive at the knee
as soon as it went, like I knew something was
something was off, but it summed up the year and
year just battling and uh kind of ending up with
(17:04):
the short end of the stick in a lot of ways.
And you never you never want injuries or not grateful
for the injury. Obviously, I wish I didn't get hurt,
but grateful for the uh, the insight in the the
the tests that I had to go through personally to
(17:26):
get through it.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
So there's a lot of downtime when you are rehabilitating.
You were telling me before this show started, you've actually
got an interest or two away from football. Did that
help you pass the time or distract you from the grind?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh? Definitely.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Will you share what that was.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
By the way, video games, Yes, we're talking about video games.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Start there and then I'll follow up.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yes, I do play. I would argue one of the
best Call of Duty players in the NFL used to
play semi professionally, probably a little step below semi professionally. Okay,
very good at call duty, got into it very young,
(18:12):
started building computer switched to PC. But video games in
general has kind of always been been my niche.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Yeah, So since I can't ask you like what's next
in your football career? What about in life? Like you
have a computer science degree from Boston College, could you
get into tech or do you see anything down the road?
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Maybe you could definitely get into tech. Uh. I try
every day to think of a startup idea. Okay, you
know where we've had some We've had some ideas on
the on the precipice of of being something we'd love
to do something like that. I love the idea of,
you know, creating something and kind of pouring your time
(18:53):
into it, something that you it's like your baby. But uh,
still waiting on an idea on that front, but probably
something in tech. Yeah, It's always been my passion.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
And so just tying those teams together who you are
as a person, where you come from your football career
was a little bit of a startup project, like a
self created endeavor, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Yes, Yeah, we talked about this before. I learned fairly young,
which I was lucky to learn that with a good
Google search and a YouTube video, you can teach yourself
just about anything that you care about, which is how
I taught myself to build computers, how I taught myself
to code when I when I started getting the software
(19:37):
side of things. But it's how I learned football was
I never had a personal trainer, I never had some
football guru to teach me the way I had some
great high school coaches. You know, I teach the fundamentals,
and I always kind of had h delusional confidence at
(20:01):
the time that that I which what you need you
need early on to to even pursue you know, a
college or pro careers, convincing yourself to to make it happen.
And but I learned most of my football stuff early
on from watching guys on YouTube or watching other people
(20:21):
play and incorporated to my game. And uh so a
lot of self taught aspects of it. Obviously, high school
coaches were great, still talk to them this day. They're awesome,
and they played it a hand in this more than
more than most people. But just you know, trying to
(20:41):
be a student of the game and learn as much
as you can. And it might be a pitfall, might not.
But when I become passionate about something, it's like I
need to know everything about this subject and I'm not
going to stop until I, you know, try to. So
that's kind of how the football journey journey began.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, which at one point included no offers coming out
of high school required a prep year.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, I had no. I had no offers coming out
of high school in twenty sixteen, did a prep year
at Deerfilly Academy in twenty seventeen, and once I, you know,
kind of declared I was gonna do a prep year,
I got a couple offers, but BCRE is my only
power five and I had a couple of smaller ones
around BC, right around New England area, in New Hampshire,
(21:25):
U Mass Yukon, but there was there was no I
mean at that point the time I had put into
it that the path I had foreseen for myself, it
was like I'm taking the best off I got and
BCRE as the spot which ended up being the best
place for me. And without my years at BC, I
(21:46):
would be nowhere near where I am today. So it
worked out.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Then there's another Packers connection, but we'll get to that
another time, maybe down the road. We got to get
to the wine down brought to you by Sleep number.
Each week around RAMS revealed we get insight into how
sleep and recovery impacts performance in the NFL, and this
is one of the trickiest weeks in the NFL. Here
we are in December, going into week fifteen, Hunter, can
you take us inside Thursday night football preparations for a
(22:10):
pro and like from the moment Matthew Stafford breaks you
down in the locker room at so far Sunday night,
it's on comparing.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah, the short week is it's kind of just you
step on a train that's moving one thousand miles an
hour and it doesn't stop until until the game. The
game's over on Thursday. You get a nice little break
after the little mini bye after, but yeah, as soon
as the as soon as the hull is broken down,
I mean they bring in you know, twenty five massusas
(22:40):
that are in the locker room. Rehabs starts right after
today is techning our off day? And where right back
out tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, unbelievable. Do you have a feel for this rivalry
two years in the job? What la San Francisco means?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah? I have an understanding of it. I don't know
if I have any skinning the game per se and
the rivalry, but you know, a conference, a division opponent,
a division opponent that you know in state, rival all
the above. It's always a great game with them too.
They're a good team and always some great.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Games between disliking the Patriots and potentially sweeping San Francisco,
you can cement your place. It's a little what is
your sense of the opportunity in front of this team
right now? Four games to play in control of your
postseason destiny.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yeah, I mean by says says all the time, you know,
playing playing many meaning football in Decembers. I mean, you
can't ask for anything more than that. You know, the
the road to get here is not as important as
as where we are. I think the road that we
took to get here has made us a much more
mentally tough team. We've been tested in many ways and
(23:56):
have gone through a roller coroaster in itself this season.
But I think, you know, everything's coming together at the
right time, and this team is as close as it's
ever been, and I think we're training in the right direction.
So it's uh, you're trying to have to think too
far in the future. You try to take it one
game at a time and you know, just get the
(24:17):
next win, which which I think is what we're focused on.
And uh, but it's uh, it's cool to to have games.
That means something, right now, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
All right. We close out this show every week with
our grease sport drawing, which I actually don't have with me.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
When am I drawing?
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Oh yeah, you don't have to draw, but fair are
amazing nice trainee does each week.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Hell yeah. It takes a.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Shot of our guest and a rendition of it. What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
That's sweet?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
She thinks that might be here her best effort yet.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
That's a hell of a I was gonna have to
draw something and that wouldn't have done well. No, well,
that's sweet.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
We know you're more of a computer science I hope
I look something like that. Yeah, pretty good. Right. I
think we can safely conclude that we're not related now
because I don't think any thing.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
No, that's sweet, and my brain is I was terrified
that I was going to have to draw. So the
fact that someone drew something from me, yeah, that's a
thousand time. That's a thousand times better. You're good to go.
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
I can do good getting to know you a little bit.
Wish all the best this week against the Niners and
the rest of your twenty four campaign.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Thanks all right, appreciate.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
It for a hunch along, I'm JB. Long as always,
Rams revealed brought to you by Sleep Number
How's going everyone, Welcome back to RAMS Revealed. I'm your host, JB.
Long and as you know, LA is above five hundred
for the first time this season. They've earned a winning
record as they're off to Santa Clair to take on
the rival San Francisco forty nine ers and to preview
Thursday Night football. And of course we'll look back on
that win over the Buffalo Bills. Is our guest, a
RAMS tight end and maybe my cousin we're about to
(00:26):
find out, potentially, Hunter along, Hunter Long.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good to see you, Good to see you, Thanks for
having me.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, so preparing. Initially I said, you know, no relation,
but then the more I got to talking with some
of my friends and family. You're from Exeter, New.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Hampshire, Exit New Hampshire I raised.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So my paternal grandfather is from Portsmouth. So maybe we
should just knock out a quick twenty three day and
have the results by the end.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Of the I always get the I always get the Howie.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Long, right. Class of all of us in football are
Howie Long.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, we're all descendants of how Lan Howie Chris dated Long.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Anyway, Yeah, obviously you're here to talk about the pump
block first and foremost, So why don't we just dive
right in your memory? Can you just walk us through
every single corner of that play?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Sure? My job on the play was to widen the tackle,
and I widened to my guess and kind of looked
away like figured the play was over, and heard the
thud thud off of Hummel's arm, which is like an
iconic sound in football, and I started like panicking, and
(01:31):
I looked down the balls just like trickling by my feet.
I should probably try to pick that up and run
with it, and almost almost absolutely bungled it, bobbled the
first one and really locked in for the second one
as I can't. I can't drop this thing twice. So
then uh, then the rest of it's a blur. Ran
(01:52):
the end zone and first NFL touchdown, which not the
bay I probably would have drawn it up, is my
first one, but you know, take it.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It's awesome how many times have been able to watch
it back and in what different formats, like every phone.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I've been sent I've been sent it in every way possible,
every format possible, multiple languages. I was watching in Spanish
at one point. I think, Yeah, it was crazy.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Over the course, of your week of preparation, I mean
your entire unit. What goes into making a moment like
that possible.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, well, that's the funny thing about it is like
everyone's hyping me up. I didn't do a whole lot
on the play, like like it was. It was cool
getting a touchdown, but I mean Hummel's block and the
guys work on the inside to come free, and like
teams is, I mean, football in general is as team
sport as I guess especially, I mean those guys were
just I mean way more important than my role on
(02:47):
that on that play and changing the game and teams
that the mantras always like you never know if you'll
be able to make a play, but you know that
if you don't one hundred percent every time, you'll definitely
not make a play. So just trying to bring it
every snap and you know, sell out for the guys
(03:08):
out there, and we love playing together and it's a
it's pretty cool unit.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Sometimes you do have a hunch though, right you see
something in your preparation or film, stay it might be
taible this week, and so we're going to lever up
to try and make this happen.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, yeah, of course, you see different stuff on film.
You envision stuff coming to life on the field, but
when it actually comes to life, it's completely different.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You're underselling yourself a little bit in this regard. You
played more special team snaps than any ram yesterday, and
so what is on your plate in terms of your
roles in the kicking game in addition to everything you
have to be responsible for running, passing the offense.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, I'm on all eight special teams for the first
time in the career. That's a lot. I'm on all
of them. No, I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
My role throughout my years in the NFL is fluctuated,
a lot of highs, a lot of lows, a lot
of injuries, and just at the point now, we're just
grateful for every opportunity I get to be out there,
run around with the guys and try to make the
most every snap I get and anyway I can help
the team win, Like I'm I'm going to try to
(04:17):
try to give him all.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
You mentioned Jake a couple of times now he does
lead the team and special team snaps this season. You
want to brag on him a little.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Bit, Yeah, I mean he's a he's a Core four guy. That,
I mean just as much as anyone else out there,
sells out for the guys every snap and gives it all.
He's always putting an extra work, uh film, getting guys
right on the field, being kind of a leader out there,
a lot of a couple of other of us, and
I mean he's awesome. So without him, I mean I
(04:45):
don't get touchdown.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
So h So you're a New England guy through and through, right,
born and rased. Did that make you a Patriots fan?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Growing up? I was not a Patriots fan. I actually
despised Patriots fans because of how because I my dad
raised me as a Packers fan because he's from the
Wisconsin area, so I was a big Packers fan growing up.
My bedroom growing up was painted green Bay Packer colors
interesting and I had a giant Green Bay Packer fat
(05:12):
head on my wall, blankets, the whole nine. And I
despised Patriots fans because that was obviously my childhood was
their whole run of a lot of Super Bowls and
they were good friends. But you couldn't talk about the
page with them because the Patriots with them, because it
was just unbearable.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I think a lot of rams fans are listening
to this same See we knew Hunter Long was one
of us. And the reason I ask is because you
score your first NFL touchdown with Tom Brady on the call.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, oh my mo Alm was freaking out about it, like, uh,
it is cool. Uh you get desensitized and stuff if
being being around or we're around all the time. But
my mom was definitely freaking out. She mentioned it multiple
times on the ride home, so she was pumped.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And then you touch on this just a second ago.
But to go back to it, of all the ways
that you dreamed of potentially scoring your first NFL touchdown
where I was as a child, as a collegiate student
at Boston College, which we'll get to as a dolphin
as a ram, that had to be pretty far afield.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, definitely wasn't on the Bingo card of you know,
top choices for how it's scoring my first touchdown, but
definitely will take.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
It another cool play because you mentioned you're on all
eight teams, you're on the field for that last sequence
where you just basically got a punt to win right
with Evan Evans and the offenses on the field, they
take the delay, they take the time out. I see
you guys gathering on the sideline. What was that give
or take? Like to then jump on the field and
try and salt that away with.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
A Yeah, just trying to coordinate everything. I mean we
watch every team kind of watches during the week other
teams like mess up situations like that, and you never
want to be the team that messes up the situation
like that because then you're on every other team's clips
during the week of like what not to do. So
just trying to coordinate everything to make sure we're not
(07:04):
on that tape and steal the game and come out
of it unscathed.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, aside from the obvious one that you scored on.
I'm always curious to know, like what's the player's favorite
player moment from a win? And I wonder if anything
jumps out at you all play you were involved in,
or a play that you just had a view from
from the sideline that you'll remember fondly from what was
a historic day against the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
There's a bunch of them. I mean, watching cool football
is cool, you know, watching had a sweet angle of
Pooka's catch on the sideline that was unreal.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I just wrote that down. That was part of the
reason I asked, because you might have had the clearest vantage.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, I had a swee sweet angle of that watching
I mean watching your friends make plays and fly around
and have fun doing it, and you know, contributing to
a game like that and having you know, a meaningful
impact on is. I mean, there's not much better feel
than that.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
The window that Matthew had to put that through to
even give Pooka the chance to make another outrageous catch.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Oh, they're there, their next level with it, and yeah,
I mean not nine back there when you have him
on the field, I mean anything's possible.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
He can still make your jaw drop every now. Oh yeah,
I mean very much. So, Uh, you know as well
as we do. Like the defense has really held it down.
Uh this season middle portion of the schedule especially, I
think they scored in four straight games clinch some wins.
How good did it feel as an offense, in as
a special teams unit to say, you know what, we
know you got Josh Allen the Bills today, we got
(08:32):
this one.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah, it was about time that we that we had
their back. You know, there's there's been some some times
this year where they've they've you know, played all out
and we haven't come through for him, and you know,
this is the ultimate team sport, and you know, lion
and each other and and you know, pick up, pick
up the pieces and and hold the line. And being
(08:55):
able to come through on on a game like that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
I call Puka and Cooper tight receivers instead of wide receivers, Like,
are they honorary tight ends because of the work they
put in. They didn't pass at the pivot point.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
They'll they'll send it and they they get asked to
do receivers here get has to do a lot in
the run game, which any good run game, you know,
you tend to need receivers that are willing to stick
their face in there and hit somebody in there. It's
on the best in the league, got it.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, As for the actual tight end tight ends, we're
all hopeful that Tyler Higbee can make his twenty four
debut on Thursday Night Football at San Francisco this week.
What's it been like is here's his peer to watch
him rehab and get back to this moment.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Oh, he's an ultimate grinder, like he watching him come
back from everything, He's I mean multiple different, different injuries
this offseason. He was there for me last year when
I was doing all my injury stuff. I mean, ultimate teammate,
ultimate locker room gud. He's just a great dude. So
seeing him come back from what he's gone through and
(09:56):
grind through it and see where he's at now, it's
been pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
How hard is that or will that be for him
to not have an off season program, to not have
joint practices, to not develop that callous and to dive
right in here in December.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
It's definitely it's not easy, but I mean he's been
doing it a long time. Anyone can do it, ya,
he's been doing a long time. I think they'll be
all right, But no, it's not easy. You gotta knock
some rust off. There's nothing that can get you in
football shape like playing football. But he's playing well. So yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
At the front of that room is Nick Kayley, who's
the Rams tight ends coach for those who don't know,
and someone who's next step very well could be an
offensive coordinator in this league. In fact, I think it
was reported that he might have had an opportunity or
to this offseason. What do you think makes him uniquely
equipped to advance in his coaching career.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yeah, he just he just pours everything he has into it,
which from a player's perspective, you respect a lot. The
hours he puts in, the energy he brings every day on.
I mean, I think he's up at three four in
the morning and every day. You can expect the same
out of him, same energy, same love that he pours
into our unit wanting us to be great, same love
(11:07):
that he pours into the game plan making sure everything's right.
I mean, he he's a great, great tight end. Cars
love love playing for him, and he'll he'll definitely have
a bright days ahead.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah, Hunter in the mutual admiration society that is, like
the NFL tight end fraternity, Where does George Kittle rank
as you're prepared to go up against him as a
team this week?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
He's uh, He's done a lot for uh bringing the
popularity of the tight end group uh to the forefront.
Great dude, I've met him a couple of times. Love
his energy. It seems to be authentically himself, which you
can respect and appreciate. And he's a hell of a
tight end, so you expect that.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Let's take a quick lap through your NFL journey if
you don't mind third round pick the Miami Dolphins. How
would you describe your first couple of pro seasons?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Uh? Uh as much of a roller coaster as it
probably could have been pretty much on and off injuries
for a long time now, and battling through recovery, coming back,
starting to finally play well injury, come back play well injury.
(12:20):
So it's been a mental and physical journey to say
the least. And not definitely not what I would have
was what I was envisioning, you know, when I got
drafted on on draft night. But uh, it's definitely made
me grow as a person and uh kind of has
(12:42):
introduced me to myself in a way and that I
hadn't before that. So I don't think I would change
it for where I'm at now, but give me a
lot of perspective on on my mindset coming in this
year and what to work on and what to focus
my energy on.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
So when you met that adult hunter long, why did
you find out about him?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah? I don't know. I guess it's hard hard to
put into words. I think my biggest Uh, I don't
know if I have any like super insightful insight on this. Uh.
I think my biggest takeaway from it, which which has
(13:27):
helped this year, was just coming to this year, not
worried about, you know, stuff that I can't control, not
worried about what comes after this year, not worried about
you know, stuff like that, and pour my energy into
coming every day with you know, a joy to be here,
a joy to get to do this with, with guys
that I love doing it with a team I love
(13:50):
playing for, and focus on getting better, focus on, you know,
just the stuff that I can control and let the
rest of them fall where it may. And it's helped
me a lot with some the mental clarity side of it.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
So just hypothetically, when the host of this show has
like contract a year for you, hunter, what's next like
on his list of questions upcoming here in the next
few minutes, would you tell me to just skip right
past that, skip right past that one? Hey, dude, didn't
you just hear what I say?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yes? That actively been working on not thinking about that,
So I'll, uh, I'll worry about that and let my
agent worry about that in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Fair enough. When you did come to LA though it
was part of the Jalen Ramsey trade with Miami. What
is that like as a professional to be trade It's
pretty unique in the space of what we all go
through in life.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah, I mean, you have no say. I was laying
up by the pool at my apartment in Fort Lauderdale,
got a call from I don't know who, call me first,
one of the gms and told me the trade was happening,
and five minutes later was out on Twitter. And a
(14:59):
week and a half later, I was packing up my
stuff and shipping across the country. I'm on that side
of the business is crazy, but at the end of
the day, it's a business and kind of got to
be where where you're shipped off too. So it was
what it was. It was definitely, you know, it wasn't
necessarily expecting it, but I'd say, uh, you know, it
(15:22):
was hesitant just because change is always hard. But I'd
say it's worth that for me.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
You got to get knocked off the pool in Fort Lauderdale,
though at least you'll.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Lay in California would have been I've been extremely lucky
so far in uh, Miami in LA and it's honestly
kind of made me a little soft to the cold.
I mean I grew up in the frozen tundra of
New Hampshire for twenty one years, where it's just miserably
cold all the time. To go to Miami and then
be out here, it's I've got a little softer in
(15:51):
the Yeah, you're rocking the rainbows California. Yeah, yeah, perfect, Yep.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Fast forward a little bit because you come to the
Rams and again and it's kind of been your narrative.
I get this, an injury that summer prevented you from
probably carving out the role you would have liked on
that twenty three team. Start the year on injury reserve,
You're activated in November, and you got that start exactly
a year ago on the trip to Baltimore. Your recollections
of that day.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Yeah, got the start in Baltimore. Finally felt like I
knocked the rust off, come back from the injuries. I mean,
I had a great offseason that year and pulled my
quad a week before camp started, which it's never ideal
battling back from that. Finally knocking the rust off, coming
(16:40):
back and getting the start, and was playing pretty well
against Baltimore and just a fluke dive at the knee
as soon as it went, like I knew something was
something was off, but it summed up the year and
year just battling and uh kind of ending up with
(17:04):
the short end of the stick in a lot of ways.
And you never you never want injuries or not grateful
for the injury. Obviously, I wish I didn't get hurt,
but grateful for the uh, the insight in the the
the tests that I had to go through personally to
(17:26):
get through it.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
So there's a lot of downtime when you are rehabilitating.
You were telling me before this show started, you've actually
got an interest or two away from football. Did that
help you pass the time or distract you from the grind?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh? Definitely.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Will you share what that was.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
By the way, video games, Yes, we're talking about video games.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Start there and then I'll follow up.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yes, I do play. I would argue one of the
best Call of Duty players in the NFL used to
play semi professionally, probably a little step below semi professionally. Okay,
very good at call duty, got into it very young,
(18:12):
started building computer switched to PC. But video games in
general has kind of always been been my niche.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Yeah, So since I can't ask you like what's next
in your football career? What about in life? Like you
have a computer science degree from Boston College, could you
get into tech or do you see anything down the road?
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Maybe you could definitely get into tech. Uh. I try
every day to think of a startup idea. Okay, you
know where we've had some We've had some ideas on
the on the precipice of of being something we'd love
to do something like that. I love the idea of,
you know, creating something and kind of pouring your time
(18:53):
into it, something that you it's like your baby. But uh,
still waiting on an idea on that front, but probably
something in tech. Yeah, It's always been my passion.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
And so just tying those teams together who you are
as a person, where you come from your football career
was a little bit of a startup project, like a
self created endeavor, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Yes, Yeah, we talked about this before. I learned fairly young,
which I was lucky to learn that with a good
Google search and a YouTube video, you can teach yourself
just about anything that you care about, which is how
I taught myself to build computers, how I taught myself
to code when I when I started getting the software
(19:37):
side of things. But it's how I learned football was
I never had a personal trainer, I never had some
football guru to teach me the way I had some
great high school coaches. You know, I teach the fundamentals,
and I always kind of had h delusional confidence at
(20:01):
the time that that I which what you need you
need early on to to even pursue you know, a
college or pro careers, convincing yourself to to make it happen.
And but I learned most of my football stuff early
on from watching guys on YouTube or watching other people
(20:21):
play and incorporated to my game. And uh so a
lot of self taught aspects of it. Obviously, high school
coaches were great, still talk to them this day. They're awesome,
and they played it a hand in this more than
more than most people. But just you know, trying to
(20:41):
be a student of the game and learn as much
as you can. And it might be a pitfall, might not.
But when I become passionate about something, it's like I
need to know everything about this subject and I'm not
going to stop until I, you know, try to. So
that's kind of how the football journey journey began.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, which at one point included no offers coming out
of high school required a prep year.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, I had no. I had no offers coming out
of high school in twenty sixteen, did a prep year
at Deerfilly Academy in twenty seventeen, and once I, you know,
kind of declared I was gonna do a prep year,
I got a couple offers, but BCRE is my only
power five and I had a couple of smaller ones
around BC, right around New England area, in New Hampshire,
(21:25):
U Mass Yukon, but there was there was no I
mean at that point the time I had put into
it that the path I had foreseen for myself, it
was like I'm taking the best off I got and
BCRE as the spot which ended up being the best
place for me. And without my years at BC, I
(21:46):
would be nowhere near where I am today. So it
worked out.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Then there's another Packers connection, but we'll get to that
another time, maybe down the road. We got to get
to the wine down brought to you by Sleep number.
Each week around RAMS revealed we get insight into how
sleep and recovery impacts performance in the NFL, and this
is one of the trickiest weeks in the NFL. Here
we are in December, going into week fifteen, Hunter, can
you take us inside Thursday night football preparations for a
(22:10):
pro and like from the moment Matthew Stafford breaks you
down in the locker room at so far Sunday night,
it's on comparing.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah, the short week is it's kind of just you
step on a train that's moving one thousand miles an
hour and it doesn't stop until until the game. The
game's over on Thursday. You get a nice little break
after the little mini bye after, but yeah, as soon
as the as soon as the hull is broken down,
I mean they bring in you know, twenty five massusas
(22:40):
that are in the locker room. Rehabs starts right after
today is techning our off day? And where right back
out tomorrow?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, unbelievable. Do you have a feel for this rivalry
two years in the job? What la San Francisco means?
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah? I have an understanding of it. I don't know
if I have any skinning the game per se and
the rivalry, but you know, a conference, a division opponent,
a division opponent that you know in state, rival all
the above. It's always a great game with them too.
They're a good team and always some great.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Games between disliking the Patriots and potentially sweeping San Francisco,
you can cement your place. It's a little what is
your sense of the opportunity in front of this team
right now? Four games to play in control of your
postseason destiny.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yeah, I mean by says says all the time, you know,
playing playing many meaning football in Decembers. I mean, you
can't ask for anything more than that. You know, the
the road to get here is not as important as
as where we are. I think the road that we
took to get here has made us a much more
mentally tough team. We've been tested in many ways and
(23:56):
have gone through a roller coroaster in itself this season.
But I think, you know, everything's coming together at the
right time, and this team is as close as it's
ever been, and I think we're training in the right direction.
So it's uh, you're trying to have to think too
far in the future. You try to take it one
game at a time and you know, just get the
(24:17):
next win, which which I think is what we're focused on.
And uh, but it's uh, it's cool to to have games.
That means something, right now, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
All right. We close out this show every week with
our grease sport drawing, which I actually don't have with me.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
When am I drawing?
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Oh yeah, you don't have to draw, but fair are
amazing nice trainee does each week.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Hell yeah. It takes a.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Shot of our guest and a rendition of it. What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
That's sweet?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
She thinks that might be here her best effort yet.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
That's a hell of a I was gonna have to
draw something and that wouldn't have done well. No, well,
that's sweet.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
We know you're more of a computer science I hope
I look something like that. Yeah, pretty good. Right. I
think we can safely conclude that we're not related now
because I don't think any thing.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
No, that's sweet, and my brain is I was terrified
that I was going to have to draw. So the
fact that someone drew something from me, yeah, that's a
thousand time. That's a thousand times better. You're good to go.
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
I can do good getting to know you a little bit.
Wish all the best this week against the Niners and
the rest of your twenty four campaign.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Thanks all right, appreciate.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
It for a hunch along, I'm JB. Long as always,
Rams revealed brought to you by Sleep Number
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