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September 13, 2024 • 15 mins
Veteran OL Mitch Morse joins the O-Zone Podcast and drops some wisdom on making it in the NFL and provides some insights about the mentality of the 2024 Jaguars team. Mitch opens up about the team's hunger to win and what makes them special this year.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, welcome into this week's ozone podcast. I'm John
Oser and I'm joined this week by Jaguars center Mitch
Morse and Mitch, first of all, appreciate you doing it. Absolutely,
Thank you for having me and tenth year guy does
Jaguars center Mitch Morse? Does that sound right? By now
are used to that title?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
I would say, yeah, now that we've accrued some months
here and the families acclimated and we've just done some
time on task, Yeah, it is.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
It feels good, easier to adapt to new situation if
you've been in the league for a while because you
sort of know absolutely, I guess know what to expect,
although there's always newness when you switch a team.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Absolutely, yeah, I would just say there's always newness with
you know, when you change teams, there's always the unknown,
which can be a little bit daunting, but you do
have a lot more past experience to draw back upon.
And then just I think you've played a lot of ball,
You've gone through a lot of situations with different plays,
and you've had different line rooms even in even in

(01:03):
the same organizations. Right Like, you stick around a place
long enough, there's turnover as well, so you've had that.
But I think the thing that is the biggest difficulty,
if there is one, is the the staff, that the
people really make this thing run, just because we don't
spend as much time with them, and you know, you

(01:23):
have to draw so much on those guys and gals
that you don't want to just have a relationship where
it's you're asking for something rather being something. You want
to actually build these kind.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Of relations time to sort of get what you're talking
about five minute conversation and you need thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Of those exactly right, Like we've all been around people
who show up and try to be someone who than
not or or try to you know, just beat his
giant presence when you haven't spent the time with people,
no doubt, right, Like you know, people see right through that.
So that was my biggest fear coming here, you know.

(01:58):
But you don't have that much time to build these relationships, right,
So it's a catch twenty two.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
How do you you're brought in and clearly as a
tenth year guy, it was said publicly a lot need
to provide some leadership, need to sort of set the example.
And yet like what you're talking about, you still have
to learn teammates, So you can't come in acting like, hey,
I pretty much know everything here. Just listen to the

(02:25):
old wise guy. So there's a balance there, right.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
One thousand percent. Right, Like, first of all, as I've learned,
the more I play this game, the less I know. Okay,
so many intricacies of this game. So I would say
that exactly like you said, No one respects that, right,
and you have to be who you are because people
see through that too. And for me, I'm just gonna

(02:50):
try to be a professional every day and hopefully the
guys can see that. It's gonna be perfect. No, Like
everyone has these tougher days, but when you have these
relationships you're slowly building, you can draw on certain guys
to help you out of those holes. And hopefully I'm
a guy that can draw guys out, because I'm going
to need to be drawn out of holes. It's just
the nature of this business.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Do you just have to kind of trust at that
point that hey, you know, I've been in it for
nine years. I know how to approach this. I've seen professionalism.
If I behave that way, then I know that's the
right way, and guys will follow the example.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean, just be a pro, right totally, yeah, And
each day being a pro mean something different. Today dictates
what being a pro means. And I think that's the
beautiful thing about this business and it's also the most
humbling part of it for sure.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
How do you sort of tied into the next question,
but the mood of the week obviously a game that
could have been one sort of a tough gut punch.
Is there a role that you play in terms of
setting the example for how to handle that or do
you just have to do the same way you're talking about, Hey,

(04:01):
I know what I have to do. I have to
come to work.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
I think it would be the latter better than the former, right, Like,
it was a gut punch, right Like, we felt like
we had every opportunity to win that game, and we
felt like we lost it. Right the defense put it,
had an outstanding performance, and you know, we just made
little mistakes and we lost. As a team, yes, but
you know, I think we can look as an offense

(04:24):
and see where we let some things slip through our hands.
And the beautiful thing about this game is we have
an opportunity most sundays to remedy those mistakes. Now, granted,
that's not going to be very easy versus defense like
the Browns have with you know, coach Schwartz. So yeah,

(04:45):
the last thing you also want to do is ride
these roller coasters, these waves of extreme highs and devastating
those which is the NFL. It's what people want you
to do, right and if you do that, you can't
last twenty or so weeks that you.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Want to sort of see that it's not.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
At times at times, but it'll still get you. It'll
still get you. You you It is easier, for sure,
and it's not like this big It doesn't hit you,
it doesn't blindside you, but it's still you have to
remind yourself to not ride the wave because I think
the hardest thing is when you things are going well,
it's hard not to drink the kool aid, right. So I.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
Mean, you know, I you haven't seen all these guys
in this situation before, but you feel like the team's
approaching it the right way. I guess what I'm asking, Yes,
I do.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
I think Doug pusts in a position where we get
to go back to work. And I thought the coaches
were constructive with us and their criticism. They weren't just
detrimental or demeaning, and we also have teammates and professionals
that do a good job of looking inward. What individually

(06:01):
we could have done better to do that and hopefully
put our best foot forward against a very competitive Cleveland's
Browns team.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
Sort Of a big picture question, probably digging back to
when you got here. What do you like about this
bunch that makes you feel good about the season, even
without like the resiliency topic of this week, but overall,
what do you like about this team? What gives you hope?

Speaker 2 (06:23):
I think they're just so hungry to win and to
make a push, right, And I also like the fact
that no one takes themselves too seriously, right there are
self deprecation is the greatest form of not only comedy
but also of ways to be vulnerable. Sure, and no

(06:43):
one takes themselves too seriously and that's easy.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
To rally behind.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
And even the QB, right, even the QB, which matters
totally right, Yeah, I mean, let's not get mistaken, like
the QB sets the tone for the locker room, right,
it is what it is. You have your leaders on
offense and defense. This is a quarterback driven league. And
the way that he goes, the team goes, and we're
very fortunate to have the guy we have, not only

(07:08):
as a physical specimen in regards to sure what he's
able to do in his capabilities in the field, but
just the way he carries himself in the locker.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
Room easy got to follow. Totally got you. I mean,
that's something that I heard you talking about during training
camp that's fascinating to me. And you were talking about
how I'm going to paraphrase you poorly, but how you
know you're physically at your best when you enter the
league and then once you get to the end, you

(07:38):
know so much more about it. And there's that intersection
you're waiting for. And I'm not saying it very well,
but you know I'm.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
Talking to.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Is it better to be experienced or is it better
to be great physically? Or is it just I.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
Think there is that line where they cross, right, And
I would say that's that's a really good question.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
I think so well, something that if you watch the league,
you see guys go through it for every year and
handling it must just be well, I guess that's the job, right, That's.

Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, totally well. I think also, I mean even young
guys go through ailments and such, right, But well, I
believe what I said was, by the time you really
get to appreciate this game, you can't quite do what
you used to be able to do. It doesn't mean
you still can't do your job right, but you know

(08:34):
you're you bounce back so much quicker in recovery, and
you were just able to do these things that you
know you as his life. And I think it's a
microcosm of what the grand scheme of things are. Right.
So I don't know if there's totally a right answer
to that question. Is a very good question, and uh,
if I had time to think about it, i'd give
it to you. But maybe if you ask me again,

(08:55):
I'll have thought about it, because it's a very good question.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
What's the and this is a bad question that you
know the key to offensive line play? Like you've been
doing this for a long time. I've been around offensive
lines that you know, we're not necessarily five all pro players,
but they were really good offensive lines, right, been around
the opposite too. What's the most important thing that offensive

(09:21):
line as a group can have.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Well, people like to say cohesiveness, right, Like you want
the same five guys playing together. But the reality of
the businesses, that's a rarity to play all seventeen plus
games with everyone together. But as long as everyone is
on the same page and sees the same thing or
how you're going to attack certain blocks in a certain

(09:44):
way or communicated in the proper way, I think that's
the most important thing.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
What do you like about you know, aspect the team earlier,
but this group, this offensive line, every offensive line gets
so much scrutiny. It's the cruelest position should because one
bad play means you had an awful day, right, no
doubt so. But overall of this group, you know what's
going to be the key for you guys and say

(10:12):
how good can you be? But do you feel like
this can be a group that is the engine of
the offense?

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, I think that those teams that make pushes have
a offense or defensive line or both. I would say
usually both that are the catalyst for the guys who
have more athletic ability to make plays. Whether it's the
back end of a defense or the skill position is

(10:42):
on offense. That's just the nature of the beast, right,
That's that's just the truth of it. I think what
you want to do is you want to be able
to be better the next week than you were before.
You know, you want to put your best foot forward
every week, and you know that the next week your footing,

(11:03):
you know that's going to be a better foot You
put for it, and you hope so. And that's just
striving you in practice and you go from there.

Speaker 1 (11:10):
Did you feel like you guys established a base last week?
Good looks for three quarters? Certainly it looked like dominating
the run game. It looked like there was something to
build on.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Totally, Yeah, I think there wasn't. We don't want to
totally scrap what happened on the game. You know, we're
sick to our stomach on that we didn't end up
with a win. That's the only stat line that matter. Sure,
but you have to be constructive. There are things we
liked about it and uh and we're going to try
to just compound.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Those got you what's the key? And this again is
a little philosophical here, but the key to NFL longevity.
Like you've been playing ten years, I'm sure a lot
of guys that you came into the league with that
you probably thought were maybe better players totally aren't. Here anymore.
How do you do that?

Speaker 2 (11:55):
I don't know if people are gonna like this answer,
but I think a lot of it's circumstantial. Like who
you end up with, you know, the first team you
go with, are they you know, nurturing in regards to
and nurturing a career, not so much your emotions, right,
like do they push you enough but also don't break
you in regards to your ability to be pliable and

(12:18):
to be the kind of you know, professional you can be.
You have to have luck with front offices being patient
or seeing you as a guy. And then you also
have to be a good teammate in the locker room
because those guys you have to be a special talent
to stick around if you're a kid, and right, like,
that's just the nature of it, right, and I wish
there was a better way to say it. And then

(12:39):
you also have to be a little bit fortunate with
injuries and you know everyone's gonna sustain them, sure, And
then you just have to be able to adapt, right
and no other it's situational. It's the grand scheme adapting
or daily adapting and do that. And then for me,

(13:00):
when I got married to my wife, who's my best buddy.
Life got a lot easier to and we got two kiddos,
and to have that opportunity to remove church and state
so that when I'm here, I'm fully in football. When
I'm home, I'm present dad, which is harder said than done,
because it's it's totally hard, I mean, for any profession
not to bring bad work days home.

Speaker 1 (13:21):
Right. So a final question on these lines, it sounds
like you like where it's at, oh and one is
not where you want to be, but you like, uh,
the state of the franchise if you will after totally
after game? Why what?

Speaker 2 (13:38):
I just like the I mean the last few days
of practice, the energy level was it was just like
I said, it was constructive. Yet there was a sense
of urgency, like everything you need to do after a
win or a loss, right Like if we had won
that game, there's still plenty of things to work on clothes, right.
So yeah, it's just it's it's a good locker to

(14:01):
be part of and to be it and this part
of my career and have this opportunity is a blessing.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
Got you. Final thing we do we call it the
ozone five. It's five fast questions, Miss Morris. What was
your last binge watch?

Speaker 2 (14:14):
Last binge watch was Vikings on Netflix.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
Good.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
Oh yeah, it was awesome.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Okay, the last song you heard this morning.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
On the way in Josh Turner, South Carolina low country.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
Sport you would have played if it hadn'ton football.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
I mean you also have to think, like, I don't know.
Basketball is my favorite sport coming up, guy, I was
not going to go anywhere with it. Football. Was it
really much?

Speaker 1 (14:41):
Best opponent you've ever played?

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Oh? Man, it just changes every like every guy goes
against just too many. Man, It's it's hard and and
and some of them are out in the league and
some are in the league, and it's just there's a
lot of good football players.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
Person who's most responsible for you being here?

Speaker 2 (15:00):
I will make it a pair of my parents.

Speaker 1 (15:01):
Good deal, Misch Morris. I appreciate it. On a busy week,
you're joining the ozone podcast. Thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Thank you for having me.
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