Happy holidays from The Player’s Club! The crew kicks of the show with some of their favorite holiday memories and how they are giving back this holiday season. Then, they chop it up about some of their Prime Time memories on the field. And, they catch up with outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Happy Holidays from the Players Club. On this episode, we
are talking holiday memories and some of our favorite matchups
against the Falcons, and we're previewing Atlanta that week seventeen
matchup that's been flexed Sunday Night Football. Then we're sitting
down with Dante Fowler Junior. He's a baller. That's all
going down on the Players Club. Let's go. The Players
(00:29):
Club is presented by Pepsi, the official soft drink of
the Washington Commanders, and in part by Johnson Kendall Johnson,
the official insurance broker and risk management partner of the
Washington Commanders, where our passion is your protection. Welcome to
another edition of the Players Club. First and foremost, happy
holidays to you all. I'm lond To Fletcher, got my man,
(00:52):
Santana Moss eight to the Nine Shy Springs aka Blue
Foot aka Blue Blue in the building us man. It's
the holiday season, a lot to be thankful for it.
Be thankful, Tyner.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
We know you love this that clause. This this your season,
This your holiday season.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You you always love this.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
What are some of your favorite holiday memories?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
But I think.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I'm I'm big on family. I'm big on family. But
I'm also I've been at giver all my life. It's crazy.
We were just sitting there talking about not having right
and then when you finally get a chance to have,
that's what you want to do. You want to pour
into others that you know because you remember that that
moment of you know, damn, I wish I could have this,
a thing.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I wish my old girl could afford this.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You know, you remember the moments and it was valuable
lessons learned that those times and those ages, and so
now to be able to afford the things that we can,
and I'm always I'm big on just giving. So I
think some of my most memorable moments is just being
with you know, whether it was here in Virginia or
down in Miami when we always in one house, everybody
kind of like coming around and you just do something
(01:59):
with the family, whether it's the holidays or not, but
mostly around the holidays, And I think my most fondest
memory of the holidays in Virginia is just getting ready
for a game, but knowing your family up there to
watch that game and you gotta go work. But it's
Christmas season, you know what i mean. They having a
good time they on vacation. They enjoying your gifts that
(02:20):
you're giving them.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
But you like it.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
I got to go out here and make this money
all over again.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Let me ask you this, and Blue you can share
your memories as well, any favorite traditions also, so memories
or traditions.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
For me, you know, I remember just going to that
was the time I could go because I stayed with
my mom during the school year. Then I would go
to Dallas with my dad doing the holidays, So that
was my time.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I get to go to the locker room.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
Man you know, you know the Cowboys is playing, So
for me, it was just being around the family. But
more so, I just that was the first time, like
you know that back in the day they could bring
everybody could bring their kids and practice and stuff like that.
So it was a good chance to spend time with
the family. I think for me, man like now as
I get older, man like, as my kids started to
get older and get out of the house, I just
(03:09):
just like having them around, you know, having around, because
you know, once you turn teenagers, hanging out with your
dad ain't cool, you know what I mean. But that's
that's the time we all get to come back around
and be thankful seeing my mom and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Oh yeah, I love the holidays, man, love Christmas, Christmas obviously,
you know, being a kid getting the presence and I
every year I got a train track train.
Speaker 6 (03:33):
The same time, the same time you get the same
track or different different trains.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And it also a race car track.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Was the one where you can add to the one previous.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. You don't mess around.
You lose a piece of your Why do you always
lose a piece.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Of the curve?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Lose a curve exactly the cur it's the curve shortened
if it's just but you lose that curve, man, that's crucial.
That's crucial, man. So that was always a special time
for me, getting that there. We would so I lived
with my mom and then my father he stayed on
the other side of the town. We would go on Christmas,
(04:08):
always go to my grandmother's house. It was you and
you and who you and your brother, sister who was
me and one of my sisters. Here we go, okay,
now spending spending time over there, great great family atmosphere.
They they playing bid Wiz and uh being being in
the basement listening to them tell their stories and you know,
hearing some lives being tell a lot of lives.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
But thinking about you just brought up the race car
electric football, man, everybody anybody had electure football?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Y' did your age?
Speaker 6 (04:44):
That's up man, It's still around for all the.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Fans out there.
Speaker 6 (04:50):
Man, tell us about your election football getting.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Ready to take I was.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I was in the video game too.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
You ain't electric football.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
You put a penny on it and the curve making, dude,
curve this is.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, it costs a little too much for me.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It's say you mentioned being a giver holiday season.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
One thing about this time is given you.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
You got a foundation, man, this opportunity take time to
kind of talk about that and what you're doing, how
people can help out and you know, any any foundation
you want to be involved with, blue or involvated, just
opportunities to give.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
One of the things mainly that I was when I
was coming up, it was it was something to be
a part of my community. And when I say community,
I'm just talking about my neighborhood. It wasn't a community
where there was like people helping each other or nothing
like that it was just somewhere I lived, and I
think I took it personally when I saw how the
(05:45):
family structure that I had at home, having a mom
and a dad, you know, in my household, how much
different it was for me compared to my friends, you know,
or people who are associated with played at the part with.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I could just see the difference.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I can see it was no foundation at a certain time,
Like I just be looking at guys, I'm like, man,
he just he out hered what time, and then he
leaving it. You know that it's dark, the lights on,
and they're still out there driven the basketball.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
I'm like, well, damn it ain't got nobody telling him
to come on.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So you kind of start, you know, early developing that
that thought, like man, what's going on at day house?
And then you start seeing it, Oh do you get
the more you see, like now he's doing something totally
different from what we was doing when was younger. And
then you realize like, man, I'm fortunate to have what
I have so early out the gate man, before I
even got to college, I was already my brain was
(06:33):
turning like man, I want to get a foundation and
I want to be at the gift of them kind
of dudes, not even just giving them something far as tangible,
but it is tangible, but it's not something that they
probably can say, oh, I got this gift, something that
I can give them, you know what I mean, whether
it's love, whether there's a lesson, whether it's.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
Just a shoulder or something he's given and the thought
that thought that was thinking about him and care.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, And so I just.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Wanted to be that kind of support system for a
lot of the people in the inner cities, not just
just period, because I knew that the many trips I
took to play football or run track, I saw the
same kind of people growing up and being a part
of these families or not having families. And so that's
mainly what I start out to do. And then, you know,
when you come from what we come from and then
(07:16):
have the success that we have, people try pointing to
what you're doing because they're eager to be able to say, Okay, yeah,
I can't. I never thought to do that on my own,
So let me do it, you know, through you and
reach out.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
And that's something that I do now.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Like you know, everybody you hear a foundation say, well,
this foundation, you know is for you know, some kind
of disease or this person or that person, or we
give back to this church in hospital, we give back
to this United Way. Me and particularly man, everything I
do is going back out into the community, into those
neighborhoods and to those schools and to the people that
(07:47):
I touched personally that I'm able to go hear those
stories like I don't have.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
You started because you started foundation in high school, right,
I started in college college.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I started in college eighty nine.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
What's what's the foundation?
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So so my foundation name is eight nine Ways to
Give If you ever want to look into what we're
doing and some of the things that we're doing, like
far as events wise, we have a golf tournament. I
just told you, Goya need y'all guys to show up
for me if y'all can April eighteenth. We already had
a date set so you could go on that eight
nine Ways to Give dot org to get all information
for that, knowing how to sign. They can donate on
(08:18):
that as well. You can do all type of stuff
on that. But yeah, that's and that's particularly what I
wanted to do. I just wanted to be able to
be that crutch for the ones who don't have. And
I think we've been doing good so far.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Man.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
You know, I started way when I was, you know,
leaving college, and it was just sentantamous foundation and then
I kind of, you know, transition to the eighty nine
ways to give them, knowing that this area know me
as eighty nine and so I wanted to kind of
give it something a little put a little.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Twist out, shout out.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
I had a foundation. It was called London's Bridge Man Foundation,
and it's the reason I got back got into giving back.
Is similar to what you said when you see younger
kids doing being out there. I was that kid, had
a lot of stuff going on at home. Man, I'm
out on the basketball court shooting baskets as a way
(09:06):
of scape. You know, I'm staying out of trouble now,
not want to go home, or different things taking place.
So the fact that you even noticed kids that are
like that, but sports changed my life. It was a
group of foundation that took me in and helped me
get to the point that I help me make sure
I graduated high school, helped me in college. So once
I got into position to give back, like man, I'm
(09:28):
gonna start me a Foundation, and I did that. I
had my foundation London's Bridge for about fifteen years and
once I retired. I'm not big on fundraising, so I'm
funding this. Yeah, I like, man, shoot these broadcasting checks. Yeah,
a NFL check. But I still give to other people's foundations.
(09:48):
Not because it's just like I look and see what
other people are doing, you know, just that's just kind
of where my heart is, and I still do that.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
I had to Springs for Life Foundations the same thing
all while I was playing, and all the reasons I
kind of I would say put mine on pause because
I supported my father.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You know, he needed like kidney trans with j d RF.
Speaker 6 (10:08):
So I became the spokespersson from Juvenile Beat this research
fund and supporting all those efforts around that. Man, it's
like like that's that's that's crazy that you know. I
don't think we get enough attention as athletes. Know what
you guys have done or what we've done. I've given
the millions of dollars in Seattle or just even to
loud County for the the camps, never taking anything from
(10:31):
but this is this is the time where you know,
the holidays. I think we are we realize in the NFL.
We fortunately we can look back and say, man, we
affect so many communities. Man, Yeah, so that's that's good man.
And also I don't know if a lot of fans
know this.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
The Washington Commanders they have community outreach as well, ye,
and fans can go to the Community Outreach on there
and also donate because they get they they do a
lot of giving to the to the the community, local
communities as well, local children. Those those are needs. So
you know, definitely encourage you to go to Santana's eighty
nine ways dot org. Correct ain't no ways to give
(11:11):
that eighty nine ways to give dot org or you know,
you going to the Commander's website and there's a I
want to say, community service or community tab that you
can click on and give or even if you want
to do something else. You know, definitely encourage you. This
time of year, a lot of people are in need. Yeah,
no dumb all right, man, Timas change it up.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
They're gonna switch it up.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Man.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
You know what time it is? Drive time, fellas.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
It's time for drive Time, presented by Eastern Automotive Group,
Any car, anyway for everyone, since nineteen eighty eight. Now
Fellas Fellas Fellers or this episode of Drive Time, we're
gonna be talking about some of our prime time games.
You know, we have a prime time matchup against the
Atlanta Facults.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
They kind of flexed us.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Man.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
You know it's crazy because let's let's talk about the
flex first, where we get into the primetime games that
our memories of prime time games. I've been a part
of teams where we get flexed, and think about that.
I'm not sure if you guys was acceptable of it,
but I used to hate it, and especially when I
knew I got to schedule locked in, I'm playing at
one o'clock the rest of the day to do what
(12:17):
I want to do.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Man, we used to get flex I you be like, bro,
you just took away everything I had planning.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
But you know, when you're getting flexed, specially in particular
to what we've got, what we have going on, it's
good to be seen under the delights. It's good to
have that kind of prime time or you know, I
guess you could say showcase, so you can basically put
your talent on notice. Put what we're doing as an organization,
as a team want notice. And you know, our guys
Rose to the challenge last time and hopefully they do
(12:43):
that again. But y'all give me some of y'all. Let's
go down memory lane of some of youall primetime moments
or do y'all remember any of your primetime moments?
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Blue you started off back.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Oh you know, I don't remember all my prime time
He brushed time. It's a big moment on top of
four of us.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
It's smooth.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
It's to say, one person I know gonna shot on
prime Time where it's peers can see if it's old
Blue foot.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That's only time you play play.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I played all my games, and what time we played
to day one o'clock? I think her.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Eight o'clock.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
When you look at it, like you'll see like sixty
seventy straight games. But that's okay. We want to talk
about that, y'all. This y'all, y'all mistaken playing for practice.
That's totally different. I played so but thinking about prime time,
a few things stick out and we always bring it up.
The Monday nighty dollars was big. That was a good
Prime Time. But we went on the stretch, Tanner when
(13:41):
we needed to win, we got flexed. You talk about
you like getting flexed that was for about five weeks.
We got flexed and flexed every week. We had a
Thursday night games Chicago, then we came back and think
Minnesota was like Sunday night games, and then the Giants
was a Sunday night game. So for me, man, you know,
(14:01):
like I said, we talked about it earlier year. I
love the prime time just because, yeah, this team is
going to have an opportunity for their peers.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Because everybody still question.
Speaker 6 (14:12):
It's like people on the West Coast and you know
they they like I hear about the Commanders. I'm excited
that this team can flex. But I liked when we play.
But I'm excited we all school. I'm excited about this.
People get to see what we get to see.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
You know, I don't look down on so much now.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
I think as what we do far as I'm pretty
sure you London calling the games, and then you know
us be mentioned all us out there, you know, you know,
doing a pre in the post game show.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
The flex does affect us, trust me.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Because but now because now I only get home and
on at seven o'clock watching the later game. Now I'm
probably getting home at one o'clock in the morning something.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
But you know, it's all good man, it comes to
terr tory.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
But I will say this memory laying down, you know,
some of my prime time moments. It's been a few.
It's been a few that I can remember right now.
I can't trust me. I probably leave this show and
then oh man, I remember this, Remember that moment. I
think the most standout I could never not talk about,
you know, the Money Night miracle. I mean, I feel
like every time I'm going somewhere, people want to mention
(15:22):
that that was a prime time moment, that it was
just a regular prime time moment. I didn't get up
no more than I got up for any other regular game,
another prime time moment. I believe that New Year's they
game for us to five you was a part of that,
for us to beat Philly to go to the playoffs,
that that was a big time when Sean picked it up.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yeah, I picked it up and do that game.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
You know, if you want to keep it in prime time,
this period prime time, regardless of it's a regular season
or not. Those playoff performances was prime time moments. When
you're in the playoffs, every game is a prime time game.
So I've had a lot of those in New York,
and I had some of those here, you know, as
you know, playing with the Jets and playing here. But
there's moments where, you know, the reason why I try
(16:09):
to not talk so up on prime time because it's
supposed to be natural for us to kind of like
go out there and do what we do, you know
what I mean. I never really got up more or less,
you know what I mean. I feel like I was
always so amy or about staying neutral and being in
the same set mind state.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
That I was in the week before.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Anyway, that half the time I'm forgetting what time we're playing,
you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Just about, it's just the schedule, what we on today, you.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Know what I mean, whether it's it's a Sunday night
or Sunday at four. You know, I'm like, it's just
a schedule. This is the time I gotta get up,
to the time I gotta be on that first bus,
I gotta go get rid, I gotta go play, and
then before you know it, you're done, show it out
in front of the lights, and before you know it,
they're talking about you, like, oh, this is the.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Prime time moment.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
So my mindset was always the same, whether it was
a primetime game. Whatever happened during that game, Oh, it
could have been a prime time that's.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Good teammate, yeah, but a good team, Yeah, good team.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
I played in a lot of prime time games to
super Bowl, to super Bowl, NFC Championship, super Bowl, Yeah yeah,
in fact checked that.
Speaker 6 (17:11):
So you're played in two first out of two out
the first three years, to out of my first four.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Years, out your first four years, yeah, yeah, so those
it doesn't get any bigger than the super Bowl. That's
just that's just crazy right there in itself. And then
with the super Bowl, it's more the hoopled everything leading
up to it, the pageantry leading up to the Is
it crazy?
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, it's like it actually can be exhausting, really especial
after I were practicing and have something.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Every day every day, man, every day your media schedules
off your I mean every day you had media from
the opening night media session and it's even bigger, bigger
event now to every day. You know how some people
could get get little when it was open locker room
and not have to talk to reporters during the Super Bowl. No,
(17:59):
everybody has to be available talk Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
It's just a little bit. I think maybe even Friday
they might close it. One little kid, but it's it
could be exhausting. But from the regular season standpoint, Monday
night football I didn't. I didn't particularly care for Monday
(18:19):
Night until it got here that that feels like forever
to get there because you watch all the games on Sunday. Yeah,
that shit around the hotel all day Monday. Then you
finally play Sunday night. I was good with Sunday Night.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
A different feel about that game.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Yeah, okay, you still you going to the whole to
the coming to the stadium right around four o'clock. Game
still going on. You watch watch everybody else playing. Yeah
you know, uh, you know it's about to be a
big game.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
I liked it.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
So as y'all talk about the two thousand and seven season,
what I loved about those those primetime Flex games was
we played in the cold.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
You didn't sleep, guys.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
So we go to the Giants in the Middle Lands
this cold as well, we're about to be hitting out here.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So I love those type of games.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Uh, going to Minnesota that year, yeah we shut down.
That was the year we shut down down, And so
I loved that.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
That was seven touch down that game. But that was
that's when Todd College was on the run.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Was crazy.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Every you knocking them down with Minnesota, Chicago, you name it,
we were knocking them down.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah. But to your point, though, you're trying to treat
all the games the same from a preparation, not get
too high and not get too low. What another reason
why I didn't like Monday night football because I'm my
preparation was so intense by the time, like I need
a game to hurry up and get here, like this
(19:57):
is exhausted, all this preparation from a middle step. I
need this game the hurry up again. This is another
twenty four or more hours of just me with my thoughts.
Speaker 6 (20:09):
You wouldn't when you wouldn't shut off said nothing enough,
like because because I know oftentimes I would have to
just like take a not blue relax.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
There's another big fletch. Couldn't turn it off.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Skill guys that we got to relax.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Now you wonder why that boys around that tunnel like
I'm just ready man, I m and why and six
got to coffee in three ready balls? Man flesh was
too intense for me. Out of his way, not my head.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
Keeping moving believe that the loan to run through the
wall right now.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
But I like the long means man talking. I'm tired
of because you get an extra meet when you play
at night. We talked out man, Matt, I don't want
to meet with y'all no more so tired to look
at Let's go play football.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Speaking of the whole flex situation. And you know, going
up against the Atlanta Falcons, you know it was a
special Atlanta Falcon and we got a quarterback change. We
got Michael Pennick's right, Pinnix right, he's.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Going to be the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Think about when Atlanta got Michael Vick. Do y'all have
any memories of going to get in those days when
he was with Atlanta. I did shood something with us,
man about memory.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I started off with the Rams, and the Rams and
the Falcons used to be in the same division back
when I was in so we played them twice a year.
Was I think with us in the NFC West, No,
that was that didn't happen until after I left Saint Louis,
So Carolina, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco and Saint Louis
(21:44):
that was the NFC.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
West And so yeah, so Atlanta was in that. Yes,
that's right, that makes sense. Yeah, that was a that
was the n f C West. So we played vict
twice a year.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I mean the first time we played him, We're at
the down down in Atlanta. I come on the blitz
and he started to take off and I turned the
corner and I clipped his heel, but I darned to
strain my hand. String. Yeah, I got the sack on,
but I like felt a little string man. This is
the fast dude on the football field, and he got
the ball.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Every single play for me. That was the first time.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
So we played in the Seattle we had to go
down and that's when you know the Mike Mike Vick experience.
That was the first time I think they had like
Sean Jefferson, I received and you know somebody else have
received it.
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Now.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That was the first time that I actually matched up
on the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
He was spotty.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
I spied him on. I spied him on second and
third down like maybe first time. But for the most
part they spread out a little bit. My job was
to just shoutow Mike Vick. We had Joey Gallaway playing
him and practiced a little bit George Jeorye.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
He probably did.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Joe had a different get He don't like to run
fast this game day, but you fast.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
But Mike, but Mike was. Mike was special with the
ball in his hand. And they think about Michael is
you knew he ran for a while, but it was
it was how quickly it was like it stopped and starting.
It was answer. It was like joy. It was just
like joy. It was instant. He get up on you,
and Mike was shifting with it. He ain't give you
too much, but he'd just give you enough.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
To get you get your moved a little bit. So, yeah,
Michael specially.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I just think about it, you know, coming out. You know,
I was a guy when he played in the Big East,
and I told Mike this story the other day.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You know, he shout out to Mike.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
You know he we just we just heard he got
the coaching job that had the stake, so shot to him.
But he came here one day to visit Jayden. They
had this little thing they need, this picture they took
and they exchanged jerseys. Met him and Fred Smooth was
in the same draft class, and I.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Remember I was sharing with him.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I was like, yeah, bro, you know, and he asked me, say, Tanner,
you came out the year after me. I said, Mike,
I'm older than you. We came out together. And he said, oh,
I said, Mike, we was. We was co MVPs or
the Big East that year in office of the m
v P s.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
He's like, man, I don't even know. I forgot.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I said, you had so much going on with the
draft and everything, being number one overall pick, you probably
forgot about that. But that meant the world of me
just knowing that. You know, it's crazy because I did
something in the Big East back then that hadn't been
done before or now now after because now the Big
East no longer exist football wise. But I was the
Special Teams MVP and co Offensive MVP with Mike Vick,
(24:22):
and that had never been done by nobody.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Me having both awards, you had to.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Put up some crazy numbers because I remember what Vic did.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Yeah, but that's the crazy part about it. I think
what they gave it to me for because I did.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
More or less I had I had.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I had reverses for touchdowns, passion for touchdowns. You know,
I was doing stuff as we see, you know, for
the little bit of touches I had.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
I was scoring, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
And it wold me too because I'm like, well, damn
they I had twelve touchdowns that year. They was all
split up from punt returns, reverses and passing retouchdown.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
So it was just like one of those things. They're like, man,
this guy shot.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Out the Big East man, Big East football.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
But no, he was laughing about that and it it
was just funny to to just see him and he
was like, hey, bro, I want to be a part
of one of y'all shows. So now that we know,
you know, and he's a he's a guy from the
Virginia area, so we.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Would love to have him. Now that he's we're.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Gonna get back in the area. On the bottom, man,
don't get you in the players club, man. We wanted
to you know, shit, a special shout out to help
you recruiting.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Oh yeah, exposure.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Okay, so check this out.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
So some of the guys, some of the fellas that
you know that stands out to me, you know, talking
about the Atlanta Falcons and and I'm going down memory land.
I'm not talking about none of the guys at the day.
I just want to go back and some of the
guys you guys may have matched up against. And one
particular time, Julio Jones was that dude, man, did you
ever get a.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Chance to who is young than me?
Speaker 6 (25:39):
But I admired him from as far bro He's one
of those guys you see on tape and he's one
of the guys I was like, I would have loved
to match up against him because he's just a freaking athlete, big,
and I felt like I was drafted for those guys.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
What about a guy like Tony Gonzalez that.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
I came in with Tony?
Speaker 1 (25:56):
And yeah, I had a couple of couple of matchups
with help. Only used to deal deal with Tony toally
about six.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Five long arms.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
He wasn't fast, but so I wasn't worried about him
running past me. But I'd be on him and he
just have those long arms and he's boxing you out.
He got some balls, you got some balls and big
flat Yeah, but I made him work though. Made so
my last season we played, we played the Falcons and
in Atlanta thirteen, I had to score that to you
(26:25):
and certain formations, certain person of personnel group is down
the distance red zone area like I knew what the
route was, new the coverage. I'm literally talking to Tony
before the snap. Uh, he's lined up the flex at
number three. We're playing. We're playing cover four but with
our baskeardized cover ford. So I'm carrying and I'm talking
(26:47):
to Him'm like, I know you're about to get this ball.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
He's like, no, noting about to get it.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
But I'm locked up on him. He runs this route
and this one I knew it was tied to retire.
I was like, man, I'm here, I know what's about
it is. I still couldn't stop it. As I said,
they called. He caught the ball and scored a touch out,
just like man, damn Fletcher.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Man, I remember you sharing that story a little bit
about him. Still can you feel like he was right
there in the ball, he still was able to up
and do it. Yes, speaking of like, since we're talking
about prime time memories, and I think this is one
of those memories that I don't know, I don't know
we shared enough about. This is a primetime moment I
can say in our career, let's let's go down memory
(27:33):
lane and do I remember signing that first NFL contract.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Before you was all world coming out you was.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
What we all got three different stories. I say, by.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
Well, I remember, here's a crazy thing about when I
got drift to the Seattle that spring.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
It was weird because the team was up for sale.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
Mister Allen was binding, so the team was practicing, so
I for a while, I was in limbo when I
was signing my contract and I'm not gonna be in Seattle,
stay of Washington, Mama being the Rams, and end up
purchasing a team that made blah blah blah and keep
the team, which is the Seahawks today in u Seattle.
So that was a little interesting moment. The state tax too,
(28:17):
a huge difference in the state tax, so that was
a big difference. So that was a big moment for me, man.
But I remember signing it, man, and you know that
was it.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
It was.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I mean, we'll see you like.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
It's a difference from you because your dad played in
the league, so.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Like it wasn't a life changing moment.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Might get you, man, I was that was small town.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
That was like seven, man, but seven million years. Yeah, yeah,
I had five, but I had a close ninety seven.
The TV contract wouldn't have got crazy money. But the
thing For me, man, it was like when I got
drafted first.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Of all, I thought I should have been the second.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
Pick Oakland shout out to my manor rest in peace,
Don Russell see. But for me, man, it was almost
it was almost like it was a life changing moment.
But I worked so hard to feel like I needed
to get there. I just couldn't wait to play. I
just couldn't wait to prove myself. And I felt like
at Ohio State with Joey and Eddie and m I
felt like I saw my boys. I felt like I
(29:20):
needed to know, hurry up and get there and play. Yeah,
I just wanted to prove myself.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Got you, I mean, you know? And London was right.
We all had different moments. So I think when I
think back about Minds two thousand and one getting drafted first,
being the first round pick and a sixteen overall pick,
it was mind battling a little bit because and only
for the simple fact of what my journey was about
(29:46):
what it was like to get there.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Bro.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I mean, if you tell me, after going through the
stuff I went through, you know what I mean individually,
that that was going to be the outcome, Bro, I'll
do it all over again, but I still want to
have a clue how I was going to do it.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
It was tough.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
It was tough sledding, and to get there, coming in
knowing just four years prior, I just barely got through
the back door in college to get on.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
The football team. You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
So that was like an accomplishment in itself. I cared
less about a contract, I care. I cared less about
what round I got picked in other than my goal
was I want to play professional foot That's how I was.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I want to day one, I want to be a pro.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
When my dad asked me at six years old, where
I was five or six, I know it was around
that time, what you gonna be when you grew up?
And I said, I'm gonna do that. Well he's watching,
He's like, yeah, bo, all right, you know what I mean.
And from that day on, that's all I ever thought
about is And he couldn't deny it, because even my
dad used to tell stories to the media when they
started talking to your parents about you know how it
(30:47):
was he as a kid. My dad said, well, he
told me I want to play ball, and I can't
say that I didn't believe him.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
But when when you look.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
At how you slept at night, you had to put
some kind of you know, trusting that's what he want
to do.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
I slept that ball all the time as a kid.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
I had pictures of me growing up, football in hand, pampa,
football in hand, you know what I mean, doing something
as I got old, the same thing. So getting to
the contract part of it, it was just it was
life changing. I think I was more It's crazy how
a lot of us anticipate that moment in that day,
but still it's so cautious with how we, you know,
(31:22):
get carried on with it, you know what I mean.
Like I was like, Okay, I know this is life changing.
I know this is something that I've always said I
want to be and this is was going to do it, okay,
but I can't.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Now it's time to go to work, you know what
I'm saying, Like, Okay, he go.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
To ink, ink, ink, pending ink, I mean ink to paper.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Now it's time to go to work.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And I was more focus of going to work.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Going to prove myself on the field, and also at
the same time, like it's crazy because mane, I was
twenty one years old when I signed that deal. You
think I knew anything about a dollar, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
But how to spend it? You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
So it was it's a scary feeling too because you like,
I know, I'm a bank account, fat nine.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
But right what to do next with it? You know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
So if you if you have the right kind of
people in your coner, you all right. But if you don't,
which a lot of us don't, you know what I mean?
My parents was the only thing that I had in
my coner, and they ain't had their hands out, but
they couldn't tell me what to go in best then
they couldn't tell me how to put it. My dad
like put that thing in that account right there, you know.
And the only thing that I know I got some
a little you know, coaching up on was when I
(32:23):
saw the numbers was different after I signed. I'm like, bro,
I was supposed to be signing for five four? Why
this thing looking like three too?
Speaker 1 (32:30):
But that's you learned about.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
I think Man and London you can went to the
NBA too, huh Man.
Speaker 8 (32:38):
I had I ain't know, but we ain't gonna talk
about it about your side, you know, you third overall
draft pick, first round to hear Division three guys undersize undrafted.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
So yes, I remember my first NFL contract. It's crazy.
After the draft, I'm thinking, even though I played the
Division III school, I man, I've read shop, I was,
I was, I was a man in bunks boys, So
I'm still thinking I'm getting drafted. I'm thinking, man, I'm
getting drafted at least in the third round. That's how
the type of work I put in watching draft didn't
(33:10):
get drafted. So rams Uh called me in the seventh
round like we might take you, didn't end up taking me.
So now at the draft, they're like, hey, we want
you to come to here and be a try out
player or whatever. So I go to the camp. When
I get there, they're like, hey, we want you to
we want to sign you. You know somebody you signed me,
but I'll need to give me a sign and drafted.
(33:33):
You need to give me a sign of boning. Now
we ain't gonna give us sign the boning. So were
going back and forth, me and the gentle manager just
here and I in the conference room. I'm like, man,
you give me a side of I had an agent,
but I'm talking London with intense even with no leverage.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Look, you respect where I come from or not?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Just me, Charlie, Charlie Armory with the GM. We we're
in the conference room with long gas conference table, like, dude,
you giving me, you give me a sign of ball,
Like Charlie like, now, we just gonna send you back
if you know, if you don't sign a deal.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
So I'm trying to.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
I ain't gonna let you punk me, but I ain't
stupid either, So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna sign
this contract, but I'll be back for some more money.
Like So I signed a contract one work here the year,
held out the next year, only sign of one year.
I told you I was gonna give me some more
money rams work here the year. Yeah, I won, Yeah,
(34:36):
one Rookie of the Year. So I only signed one
year deal, but I'm exclusive rights the next year. Hey man,
I did a one day hold out from a off
season workout. They gave me some more money, gave me
that sign a bonus, said he in my.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Like, I told you one way or another.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Huh hey, But to a point, I ain't had no lever, but.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Every forgetting that I'm gonna get me something.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Yeah, that's the it end. That working out? It end,
don't working out for me? Buye. You're listening to the
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Speaker 4 (35:47):
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Speaker 7 (36:27):
You got the game on Santana Moss.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Who's winning?
Speaker 7 (36:33):
Ken Harvey, Hey, Doc, come on in.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
Football is better.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
With pizza from Paisana on us the official piece of
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Speaker 7 (36:50):
Dot com.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
You're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi. It's
time to switch it up. Man, set the tone. It's
time to set the tone. Brought to you by Johnson
Kendall Johnson, the official insurance broker and risk management partner
of the Washington Commanders, where our passion is your protection.
At the time, obviously we got the game against the Falcons.
A lot of playoff implications in this game. Yes, as
(37:16):
we've all been in these type of games. How do
you stay focused, keeping the main thing the main thing,
not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but being able
to focus on Hey, just win this game. Don't let
the other stuff come in and play even though we
know what's at stake.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Yeah, I think it's only natural.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
It's natural for us to kind of hear the noise,
but it's also natural for you as a competitor to
just know that, you know, the biggest game is the
game in front of you, and I think you can't
accomplish what you're trying to accomplish that we give you're
not solely focused on what the job is and what
your task is going to be. So you know, I'm
(37:55):
talking to two other guys that played at a high
level that understands. Man, if you thinking about meet set
yourself up a filure, you.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
And that's one of the things I've always told myself
and I will. I care less how I play this game,
but it's all about this game. Whether I played well,
whether I didn't play as well as I wanted to,
It's all about this game.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
And that's and that's what you do.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
You give yourself an opportunity to be solely, you know,
concerned about that and making sure that you got your
best stuff for them that week, because that's that's the
only thing you're gonna be able to do, is give
yourself a chance for next week, you.
Speaker 5 (38:25):
Know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (38:26):
And you think about the Raheem's gonna have the team ready,
right right Morris? Yeah, Ryan Morris, the coach, head coach
who's here. Yeah, but when you think about the Falcons, man,
they got some dogs, they got some But the thing
that was interesting this week to me, fella us is
we know they gave Kirk Cussing all that money in Fridges.
You know the fact that they decided to switch quarterbacks
(38:48):
out in a move that's made the discussion that Rahiem
had to have with the owner to do that, or
what they see in Pinnix, it's saying this kid is ready,
he's good enough to play. So one when a team
make a move like that, I'm thinking about it, like
they still trying to win that competitive.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
That's true, But when you have a rookie I care
less of how good he is, and you in the hunt.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
For the for the for the postseason. Yeah, is that
really you saying that you got a chance to win
or yeah?
Speaker 2 (39:18):
I mean because they might see because you're just saying.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
Like, hey man, right now, we might not win, so
let's just see what we.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
Got in this guy.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
I think it's the opposite.
Speaker 6 (39:26):
I was like like, like, they're probably looking at our
rookie because you still have a rookie.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Yeah, they But I'm talking about you know, one of
the things that's going good for us is the reps.
Jaden has the reps coming out of college, now the
reps in the pros. Pennies come off the bench in
the most critical time of the year in December football,
where you gotta win every week to get yourself even
talked about going to the postseason. Right now, you're in
a favorable situation where maybe you do, maybe you don't,
(39:53):
But do you believe he just that much better than
Kurt to get me?
Speaker 1 (39:57):
I think that's exactly what they believe, especially when you
the way Kirk Kirk Kirk has played these last.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
You know, five games.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
At one point during that four game losing streak, zero touchdowns,
eight interceptions. They beat the they beat the Raiders one touchdown,
another interception.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
So you're talking about five games where one touchdown, nine interceptions.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
And they're looking at They're looking at Penis in practice
and I'm sure Penick said back in OTAs and mini
camps and even training camp. This Pinix, this version of
Penis is a lot further ahead, and they're saying.
Speaker 3 (40:28):
Hey, he looked good in the preseason.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Two. We need a spark from this offer. This passing
game is not good enough for us to to make
the playoffs because they're looking at, hey, our schedule, we
got a great opportunity to run the tables and we
got John Robinson. I think it's just like the Kurk
from a physical standpoint, whatever the case may be, they
(40:52):
like Pinis probably gives us a better better option throwing
the football. So I know my point is you you
you can't.
Speaker 6 (41:04):
They're looking at it like this chance to be the Commanders.
You got to be ready. Yeah, you got to be
ready for a team that's gonna be well coached and
think they got there. They're making They made.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
This move with the mindset, if we can make the playoffs,
exactly what pics we can't make it.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
And that and couldn't be that can only be what
they've seen of this guy going up against their ones
in practice, those reps, because that's the that's where you
really get to see what you got on your team.
That's when they when the scout team go against the
starting offensive defense and and and in Penis case, you know,
him going up against that defenses which has been playing
pretty good this year, to see him probably get him
(41:41):
some fits in practice. That's why they had that Oh
you know what, man, we sure that we should get
this guy truck, you know, get him a shot this
year this so we can see how far along, or
we can get him ready for next year, you know
what I mean, Like, hey, it's a win when we
can we can get a playoff birth with this guy,
or just get him that much more ready for next
year that when he comes back he already.
Speaker 6 (42:02):
I don't want to get into Atlanta, but that's hard
to put the man the kirk a lot home, that
back tad.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
That we both know roight Heim Moore as well, he was,
he was here. Rod's gonna have them guys ready. Yeah,
great guy, happy for him that root foremost Sunday, Rod,
you get your victory another, get that week next, that
victory next week. But uh, you know, definitely going for
the burger. There go the thing about bringing in Panics
and also why they probably feel comfortable about it. There
(42:31):
running game, John Roberts, John Roger uh Roberts said our jeer, Yeah,
they have, they have. They have a running game that
can take the pressure off the quarterback. And you now
you open up play action.
Speaker 6 (42:44):
Pass and big receivers, big physical receivers, big physical receivers.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
How do we how do we stop this offense.
Speaker 4 (42:51):
You know to me and I think especially when you're
just talking about running, you know, when teams come in
with a potent running game, you know the way one
of the things we do is swamp to the ball.
That's the things I love about when we do defensively.
No matter who makes the first you know contact or
that that that that ball carrier here goes everybody else,
you know what I mean. Like I say, they swam
on you like a torranso on the calipillar. I don't
(43:11):
use that before that just that's the phrase I like
to use. And it just you can see it because
when that calipillar putting them arms all around, I mean
when when that that tarrant look gets you know, gets
a whole of it and wrap them up. Just that's
how our defense is. They swarm and you don't even
see that. You don't even see.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
That ball carry no more.
Speaker 4 (43:27):
But besides that, it's just one of those things is
you know, we're susceptible to the run. You know, we
We've had that problem all year long. And what's crazy
about it is when we play against great competition, our
defense team seems to rise to the challenge and although
we allow them to have a little you know something,
because you can't really stop them, and when somebody's good
(43:47):
at what they do, you can't just stop them. We
find a way to contain it the best way we
know how, and then put them in a situation where
we say, okay, now score, we got you. We got
our backs against the wall. Score so as you can score.
So that's one of the things I like we have
going for our offense. I don't really sit there and
say say that we will. I mean for our defense.
I don't sit there and say that we can just
stop these guys in their run game.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
But containing them gonna be everything.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (44:09):
No.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
And then as you mentioned, Sean, they got they got
some weapons, big receivers, play megas, nice tight ends. But
after the break, we've got Dante Folish joining us. You're
listening to the Players Club, presented by Pepsi.
Speaker 4 (44:26):
Players Club is brought to you by Bet three six
y five, official sports betting partner of the Washington Commanders.
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Speaker 3 (44:42):
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Speaker 4 (44:48):
Download the bet three six y five app today. Age
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Speaker 9 (45:01):
Football season this year, and it's time to get ready.
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Speaker 5 (45:09):
Being their lives.
Speaker 9 (45:10):
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Speaker 1 (45:30):
Slash Commanders, you're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi.
Welcome back to the Players Club. As promised, We've got
Dante Fola Junia. This is your ice Cold Player presented
by Pepsi, the official soft drink Hub the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 5 (45:47):
They're balling. We appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
We appreciate you joining us.
Speaker 5 (45:52):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (45:52):
Man I tell.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
You first season in the bargainy to go out there
doing your thing. What has it been like for you
you comele of here with Washington.
Speaker 10 (46:02):
Man, it's been real cool, you know, just coming here,
you know, having a good opportunity, you know, just go
out here and showcase the people I don't really about
and stuff like that. So man, it's cool. I remember
in twenty fifteen, like going through the draft. I remember
I was either going to go to the Jazz so
I was gonna go to the Redskins number four. When
I came down here and I did a visit just
(46:23):
went real smooth with those guys and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
So man, I thought it was gonna happen.
Speaker 10 (46:28):
But it's crazy how everything you know comes back around
and stuff like that. So man, it's definitely cool to
just be in this type of situation right now.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Yeah, speaking of opportunity, you know, when we heard that
we was getting a guy of your caliber, you know,
we always you know, pleased to know that you know,
we're getting the talented. God when you got here, it
doesn't always paning out how we wanted to be. But
when you got here, did you do you was going
to have a season like you having right.
Speaker 10 (46:51):
Now to be honest with you, Yes, I did, just
because you know, the two years that I had in Dallas,
what's real cool.
Speaker 5 (47:00):
Just to be able to.
Speaker 10 (47:01):
Learn from DeMarcus Lawrence and Michael Parsons. We was loaded
a defensive end and we was a special group. So
just being able to learn from those guys for two
years in a road being coached by a d East,
the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks, I was just ready
for this moment. You know, my body was able to
get healthy again. I was banged up with the Falcons
(47:21):
those past two years. So just being able to play
that role coming in on third down, banging my body
a lot, you know, saying for.
Speaker 5 (47:29):
This for this moment when you yeah, I feel real good.
Speaker 10 (47:32):
So coming into this season, I felt real healthy. And
you know coach Chad the strength coach definitely, you know,
putting in to work with him in the off season
and then training camp made me feel real confident and
real good about myself.
Speaker 6 (47:45):
So you got a relationship with d Q man You
tell us about that. Obviously he come to Washington with Dallas.
Speaker 5 (47:52):
And way back.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
That's about the relationship with d Q man Man.
Speaker 10 (47:55):
Me and DQ go way back, you know, he recruited
me in high school and stuff when he was the
defensive coordinator at u F And you know, I was
a diehard Florida State fan. Like that's why I was
gonna go. And then when I met d Q, Yes,
he got me.
Speaker 5 (48:10):
Bro just a real dude.
Speaker 10 (48:12):
And you know I made that decision for myself that
I was gonna go and play with him.
Speaker 5 (48:16):
My pots was mad at me for a while.
Speaker 10 (48:19):
Fida hard Florida go to the games when Santurinados, I
remember those days.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
Man.
Speaker 10 (48:27):
But yeah, man, when I met d Q, man, he
was just so real and I just knew he was
the coach for me. But he left my freshman year
and it was just crazy because like all the things
he taught me just in that one year, I just
used it for those last two years. You know, you
know it took me to another level. But you know
he always had my back. He always you know, stood.
Speaker 6 (48:46):
At every every stop, right, he recruited you at every stop.
Speaker 5 (48:50):
He recruited me almost at every stop.
Speaker 10 (48:51):
Man, like for show, that's my guy, man, stand up
God God that I'm just grateful for to having my
corner to go down.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Yeah, when you look at this team and so many
new free agents guys, either through the draft or free agency.
I think it's over seventy percent of the roster completely new. DQ.
You've you've been with him in multiple places. Cruju in
Florida played for him, Atlanta, played for him in Dallas.
How has he and how have you guys been able
(49:19):
to bring this together so quickly?
Speaker 10 (49:22):
Just a culture, you know, his culture is just it's
just real. It's it's no facade in it, you know
what I mean. So like it's just kind of like
contagious a little bit when you see, you know, real
people doing real things and they stand by what they
mean and things like that. The brotherhood, the things that
we did in the lost season really bonded us and
brought us close together.
Speaker 5 (49:42):
Man. So it was real cool just to be able
to be.
Speaker 10 (49:45):
In that situation and say I was one of the
first people, you know, to build that up and start
this culture right here, because it means a lot to me.
And it's definitely contagious, man. I feel like when you
play karateie football and you just genuinely know that the
person got up next to you gonna do his job
and you can count on him and depend on him.
It's going to take your play to another level. So
(50:05):
he does a great job with that for sure.
Speaker 4 (50:07):
Yeah, speaking of that culture, man, you know, most of
the guys come in here and say they talk a
little briefly about you know, the brotherhood and everything. What
are some of the things that your guys, your group
of guys, you know, we all shared that space in
different rooms, you know, different settings with guys.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
But what are some of the things that you can
remember that you.
Speaker 4 (50:25):
Guys did before the season started to get that caaraerie
up to kind of build that bond with each other.
Speaker 10 (50:30):
Man, A lot of guys was I think it was
one hundred percent attendance at OTAs to be honest with you.
So you know, when you have things like that, I
feel like that's already special.
Speaker 5 (50:39):
Guys that actually.
Speaker 10 (50:40):
Want to be here, coming in every day, put in
the work, getting to know each other in the locker
room stay. You know, sometimes in locker rooms you have
the D line O line. It's like a melting pot.
Like I sit next to Tressway, you know what I mean,
and Jeremy Nichols. You know those offensive got special team Scott,
So it forced you to like be able to interact.
Speaker 5 (50:59):
With people, get people, bond with.
Speaker 10 (51:01):
People, and you know the things that we did before
the season. He has these special guys from the military coming.
Speaker 5 (51:08):
We had to put these big logs.
Speaker 10 (51:10):
You know, we're throwing like the Navy Seals type of stuff.
You know, it was hard, you know what I'm saying,
And some guys wanted to break, but we didn't let them.
And I felt like, that's that brotherhood. That's that's brotherhood.
And we didn't know what I'm from a candapaign at
that time. We just made each other. We haven't been
in a month with each other, and you know, we're
telling them now, we're not gonna let you fall.
Speaker 5 (51:31):
Bro, get up.
Speaker 10 (51:31):
We got this where if you do, I'm gonna go
and hold the other plug. I'm gonna go and hold
the other log so this lock don't fall, you know
what I mean. And I feel like that really bonded
us together. I think the coaching staffs did it as well.
So just to imagine like some of the guys on
the coaching staff trying to do it, it's pretty front
that you know that that's contagious.
Speaker 5 (51:50):
Man, it takes you to another level.
Speaker 10 (51:52):
Man.
Speaker 6 (51:53):
We watched your plays and that Carolina play man, I
call you Lebron when you're number six, had across, that's
get him with a crossover.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Man, running back, you got some skills.
Speaker 10 (52:04):
Mann talk to us about not going That's always been
my dream. Like growing up, I used to watch offensive guys,
so I used to play running back. My dad was
a running back growing up really good. So when we
first wanted to play football, we should just play running back,
running back drills, and I used to watch Reggie Bush,
Adrian Peterson, Sean McCoy sometimes Santanamos.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
I used to always, like.
Speaker 10 (52:29):
You know, be able to have some wiggle and jerk
people down on from down South.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
You know, we try to like, you know.
Speaker 10 (52:33):
Jerk people, and we got all the type of sauce
to us. So we used to play a lot of
throw them up, bust them up. We used to take
that junk serious. So I always had that type of
you know, you know, that type of swivel, and it
was just, you know, fortunate enough I was able to
be able to show.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
That, tell you what has happened and this at that moment,
lets go there.
Speaker 10 (52:59):
I'm like, I've been waiting for this all my life.
So bro, you gotta get this work. You gotta get
this work. Break you down.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
You shut him down.
Speaker 5 (53:10):
That moment for sure.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Well you did a nasty that's great.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
That's all gote. We have all the guests who joined
us on the show. We asked the guys to sign
this football for us, mat if you wouldn't mind blessing us,
put your autograph on this man. I can't wait to continue,
continue to watch you ball out the man and that'll
do it for the Players Club. We'll see y'all next week,
same time. Want more great Commander's Podcast, We have a
(53:37):
full slate for you. Every day of the week. Mondays
myself at Brown Weinstein are breaking down the game on
Booth Review and you won't want to miss Fred Smooth
and Michael Jenkins Tuesdays on the Get Loud podcast And Wednesdays,
our guys Logan Paulses, Sat, tanam Ass and Fred Smooth
are talking all things Commanders Football. Check them out on
(53:57):
the Commander's YouTube page or subscribe wherever you get your podcast.
Happy Holidays from the Players Club. On this episode, we
are talking holiday memories and some of our favorite matchups
against the Falcons, and we're previewing Atlanta that week seventeen
matchup that's been flexed Sunday Night Football. Then we're sitting
down with Dante Fowler Junior. He's a baller. That's all
going down on the Players Club. Let's go. The Players
(00:29):
Club is presented by Pepsi, the official soft drink of
the Washington Commanders, and in part by Johnson Kendall Johnson,
the official insurance broker and risk management partner of the
Washington Commanders, where our passion is your protection. Welcome to
another edition of the Players Club. First and foremost, happy
holidays to you all. I'm lond To Fletcher, got my man,
(00:52):
Santana Moss eight to the Nine Shy Springs aka Blue
Foot aka Blue Blue in the building us man. It's
the holiday season, a lot to be thankful for it.
Be thankful, Tyner.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
We know you love this that clause. This this your season,
This your holiday season.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You you always love this.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
What are some of your favorite holiday memories?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
But I think.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I'm I'm big on family. I'm big on family. But
I'm also I've been at giver all my life. It's crazy.
We were just sitting there talking about not having right
and then when you finally get a chance to have,
that's what you want to do. You want to pour
into others that you know because you remember that that
moment of you know, damn, I wish I could have this,
a thing.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
I wish my old girl could afford this.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
You know, you remember the moments and it was valuable
lessons learned that those times and those ages, and so
now to be able to afford the things that we can,
and I'm always I'm big on just giving. So I
think some of my most memorable moments is just being
with you know, whether it was here in Virginia or
down in Miami when we always in one house, everybody
kind of like coming around and you just do something
(01:59):
with the family, whether it's the holidays or not, but
mostly around the holidays, And I think my most fondest
memory of the holidays in Virginia is just getting ready
for a game, but knowing your family up there to
watch that game and you gotta go work. But it's
Christmas season, you know what i mean. They having a
good time they on vacation. They enjoying your gifts that
(02:20):
you're giving them.
Speaker 5 (02:20):
But you like it.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
I got to go out here and make this money
all over again.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Let me ask you this, and Blue you can share
your memories as well, any favorite traditions also, so memories
or traditions.
Speaker 6 (02:33):
For me, you know, I remember just going to that
was the time I could go because I stayed with
my mom during the school year. Then I would go
to Dallas with my dad doing the holidays, So that
was my time.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I get to go to the locker room.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
Man you know, you know the Cowboys is playing, So
for me, it was just being around the family. But
more so, I just that was the first time, like
you know that back in the day they could bring
everybody could bring their kids and practice and stuff like that.
So it was a good chance to spend time with
the family. I think for me, man like now as
I get older, man like, as my kids started to
get older and get out of the house, I just
(03:09):
just like having them around, you know, having around, because
you know, once you turn teenagers, hanging out with your
dad ain't cool, you know what I mean. But that's
that's the time we all get to come back around
and be thankful seeing my mom and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (03:20):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Oh yeah, I love the holidays, man, love Christmas, Christmas obviously,
you know, being a kid getting the presence and I
every year I got a train track train.
Speaker 6 (03:33):
The same time, the same time you get the same
track or different different trains.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And it also a race car track.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Was the one where you can add to the one previous.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. You don't mess around.
You lose a piece of your Why do you always
lose a piece.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Of the curve?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Lose a curve exactly the cur it's the curve shortened
if it's just but you lose that curve, man, that's crucial.
That's crucial, man. So that was always a special time
for me, getting that there. We would so I lived
with my mom and then my father he stayed on
the other side of the town. We would go on Christmas,
(04:08):
always go to my grandmother's house. It was you and
you and who you and your brother, sister who was
me and one of my sisters. Here we go, okay,
now spending spending time over there, great great family atmosphere.
They they playing bid Wiz and uh being being in
the basement listening to them tell their stories and you know,
hearing some lives being tell a lot of lives.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
But thinking about you just brought up the race car
electric football, man, everybody anybody had electure football?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Y' did your age?
Speaker 6 (04:44):
That's up man, It's still around for all the.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Fans out there.
Speaker 6 (04:50):
Man, tell us about your election football getting.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Ready to take I was.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I was in the video game too.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
You ain't electric football.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
You put a penny on it and the curve making, dude,
curve this is.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah, it costs a little too much for me.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
It's say you mentioned being a giver holiday season.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
One thing about this time is given you.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
You got a foundation, man, this opportunity take time to
kind of talk about that and what you're doing, how
people can help out and you know, any any foundation
you want to be involved with, blue or involvated, just
opportunities to give.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
One of the things mainly that I was when I
was coming up, it was it was something to be
a part of my community. And when I say community,
I'm just talking about my neighborhood. It wasn't a community
where there was like people helping each other or nothing
like that it was just somewhere I lived, and I
think I took it personally when I saw how the
(05:45):
family structure that I had at home, having a mom
and a dad, you know, in my household, how much
different it was for me compared to my friends, you know,
or people who are associated with played at the part with.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I could just see the difference.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I can see it was no foundation at a certain time,
Like I just be looking at guys, I'm like, man,
he just he out hered what time, and then he
leaving it. You know that it's dark, the lights on,
and they're still out there driven the basketball.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
I'm like, well, damn it ain't got nobody telling him
to come on.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So you kind of start, you know, early developing that
that thought, like man, what's going on at day house?
And then you start seeing it, Oh do you get
the more you see, like now he's doing something totally
different from what we was doing when was younger. And
then you realize like, man, I'm fortunate to have what
I have so early out the gate man, before I
even got to college, I was already my brain was
(06:33):
turning like man, I want to get a foundation and
I want to be at the gift of them kind
of dudes, not even just giving them something far as tangible,
but it is tangible, but it's not something that they
probably can say, oh, I got this gift, something that
I can give them, you know what I mean, whether
it's love, whether there's a lesson, whether it's.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
Just a shoulder or something he's given and the thought
that thought that was thinking about him and care.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, And so I just.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Wanted to be that kind of support system for a
lot of the people in the inner cities, not just
just period, because I knew that the many trips I
took to play football or run track, I saw the
same kind of people growing up and being a part
of these families or not having families. And so that's
mainly what I start out to do. And then, you know,
when you come from what we come from and then
(07:16):
have the success that we have, people try pointing to
what you're doing because they're eager to be able to say, Okay, yeah,
I can't. I never thought to do that on my own,
So let me do it, you know, through you and
reach out.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
And that's something that I do now.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Like you know, everybody you hear a foundation say, well,
this foundation, you know is for you know, some kind
of disease or this person or that person, or we
give back to this church in hospital, we give back
to this United Way. Me and particularly man, everything I
do is going back out into the community, into those
neighborhoods and to those schools and to the people that
(07:47):
I touched personally that I'm able to go hear those
stories like I don't have.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
You started because you started foundation in high school, right,
I started in college college.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I started in college eighty nine.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
What's what's the foundation?
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So so my foundation name is eight nine Ways to
Give If you ever want to look into what we're
doing and some of the things that we're doing, like
far as events wise, we have a golf tournament. I
just told you, Goya need y'all guys to show up
for me if y'all can April eighteenth. We already had
a date set so you could go on that eight
nine Ways to Give dot org to get all information
for that, knowing how to sign. They can donate on
(08:18):
that as well. You can do all type of stuff
on that. But yeah, that's and that's particularly what I
wanted to do. I just wanted to be able to
be that crutch for the ones who don't have. And
I think we've been doing good so far.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
Man.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
You know, I started way when I was, you know,
leaving college, and it was just sentantamous foundation and then
I kind of, you know, transition to the eighty nine
ways to give them, knowing that this area know me
as eighty nine and so I wanted to kind of
give it something a little put a little.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Twist out, shout out.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
I had a foundation. It was called London's Bridge Man Foundation,
and it's the reason I got back got into giving back.
Is similar to what you said when you see younger
kids doing being out there. I was that kid, had
a lot of stuff going on at home. Man, I'm
out on the basketball court shooting baskets as a way
(09:06):
of scape. You know, I'm staying out of trouble now,
not want to go home, or different things taking place.
So the fact that you even noticed kids that are
like that, but sports changed my life. It was a
group of foundation that took me in and helped me
get to the point that I help me make sure
I graduated high school, helped me in college. So once
I got into position to give back, like man, I'm
(09:28):
gonna start me a Foundation, and I did that. I
had my foundation London's Bridge for about fifteen years and
once I retired. I'm not big on fundraising, so I'm
funding this. Yeah, I like, man, shoot these broadcasting checks. Yeah,
a NFL check. But I still give to other people's foundations.
(09:48):
Not because it's just like I look and see what
other people are doing, you know, just that's just kind
of where my heart is, and I still do that.
Speaker 6 (09:57):
I had to Springs for Life Foundations the same thing
all while I was playing, and all the reasons I
kind of I would say put mine on pause because
I supported my father.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You know, he needed like kidney trans with j d RF.
Speaker 6 (10:08):
So I became the spokespersson from Juvenile Beat this research
fund and supporting all those efforts around that. Man, it's
like like that's that's that's crazy that you know. I
don't think we get enough attention as athletes. Know what
you guys have done or what we've done. I've given
the millions of dollars in Seattle or just even to
loud County for the the camps, never taking anything from
(10:31):
but this is this is the time where you know,
the holidays. I think we are we realize in the NFL.
We fortunately we can look back and say, man, we
affect so many communities. Man, Yeah, so that's that's good man.
And also I don't know if a lot of fans
know this.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
The Washington Commanders they have community outreach as well, ye,
and fans can go to the Community Outreach on there
and also donate because they get they they do a
lot of giving to the to the the community, local
communities as well, local children. Those those are needs. So
you know, definitely encourage you to go to Santana's eighty
nine ways dot org. Correct ain't no ways to give
(11:11):
that eighty nine ways to give dot org or you know,
you going to the Commander's website and there's a I
want to say, community service or community tab that you
can click on and give or even if you want
to do something else. You know, definitely encourage you. This
time of year, a lot of people are in need. Yeah,
no dumb all right, man, Timas change it up.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
They're gonna switch it up.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Man.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
You know what time it is? Drive time, fellas.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
It's time for drive Time, presented by Eastern Automotive Group,
Any car, anyway for everyone, since nineteen eighty eight. Now
Fellas Fellas Fellers or this episode of Drive Time, we're
gonna be talking about some of our prime time games.
You know, we have a prime time matchup against the
Atlanta Facults.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
They kind of flexed us.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Man.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
You know it's crazy because let's let's talk about the
flex first, where we get into the primetime games that
our memories of prime time games. I've been a part
of teams where we get flexed, and think about that.
I'm not sure if you guys was acceptable of it,
but I used to hate it, and especially when I
knew I got to schedule locked in, I'm playing at
one o'clock the rest of the day to do what
(12:17):
I want to do.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Man, we used to get flex I you be like, bro,
you just took away everything I had planning.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
But you know, when you're getting flexed, specially in particular
to what we've got, what we have going on, it's
good to be seen under the delights. It's good to
have that kind of prime time or you know, I
guess you could say showcase, so you can basically put
your talent on notice. Put what we're doing as an organization,
as a team want notice. And you know, our guys
Rose to the challenge last time and hopefully they do
(12:43):
that again. But y'all give me some of y'all. Let's
go down memory lane of some of youall primetime moments
or do y'all remember any of your primetime moments?
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Blue you started off back.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Oh you know, I don't remember all my prime time
He brushed time. It's a big moment on top of
four of us.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
It's smooth.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
It's to say, one person I know gonna shot on
prime Time where it's peers can see if it's old
Blue foot.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That's only time you play play.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I played all my games, and what time we played
to day one o'clock? I think her.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Eight o'clock.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
When you look at it, like you'll see like sixty
seventy straight games. But that's okay. We want to talk
about that, y'all. This y'all, y'all mistaken playing for practice.
That's totally different. I played so but thinking about prime time,
a few things stick out and we always bring it up.
The Monday nighty dollars was big. That was a good
Prime Time. But we went on the stretch, Tanner when
(13:41):
we needed to win, we got flexed. You talk about
you like getting flexed that was for about five weeks.
We got flexed and flexed every week. We had a
Thursday night games Chicago, then we came back and think
Minnesota was like Sunday night games, and then the Giants
was a Sunday night game. So for me, man, you know,
(14:01):
like I said, we talked about it earlier year. I
love the prime time just because, yeah, this team is
going to have an opportunity for their peers.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Because everybody still question.
Speaker 6 (14:12):
It's like people on the West Coast and you know
they they like I hear about the Commanders. I'm excited
that this team can flex. But I liked when we play.
But I'm excited we all school. I'm excited about this.
People get to see what we get to see.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
You know, I don't look down on so much now.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
I think as what we do far as I'm pretty
sure you London calling the games, and then you know
us be mentioned all us out there, you know, you know,
doing a pre in the post game show.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
The flex does affect us, trust me.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Because but now because now I only get home and
on at seven o'clock watching the later game. Now I'm
probably getting home at one o'clock in the morning something.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
But you know, it's all good man, it comes to
terr tory.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
But I will say this memory laying down, you know,
some of my prime time moments. It's been a few.
It's been a few that I can remember right now.
I can't trust me. I probably leave this show and
then oh man, I remember this, Remember that moment. I
think the most standout I could never not talk about,
you know, the Money Night miracle. I mean, I feel
like every time I'm going somewhere, people want to mention
(15:22):
that that was a prime time moment, that it was
just a regular prime time moment. I didn't get up
no more than I got up for any other regular game,
another prime time moment. I believe that New Year's they
game for us to five you was a part of that,
for us to beat Philly to go to the playoffs,
that that was a big time when Sean picked it up.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yeah, I picked it up and do that game.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
You know, if you want to keep it in prime time,
this period prime time, regardless of it's a regular season
or not. Those playoff performances was prime time moments. When
you're in the playoffs, every game is a prime time game.
So I've had a lot of those in New York,
and I had some of those here, you know, as
you know, playing with the Jets and playing here. But
there's moments where, you know, the reason why I try
(16:09):
to not talk so up on prime time because it's
supposed to be natural for us to kind of like
go out there and do what we do, you know
what I mean. I never really got up more or less,
you know what I mean. I feel like I was
always so amy or about staying neutral and being in
the same set mind state.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
That I was in the week before.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Anyway, that half the time I'm forgetting what time we're playing,
you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Just about, it's just the schedule, what we on today, you.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Know what I mean, whether it's it's a Sunday night
or Sunday at four. You know, I'm like, it's just
a schedule. This is the time I gotta get up,
to the time I gotta be on that first bus,
I gotta go get rid, I gotta go play, and
then before you know it, you're done, show it out
in front of the lights, and before you know it,
they're talking about you, like, oh, this is the.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Prime time moment.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
So my mindset was always the same, whether it was
a primetime game. Whatever happened during that game, Oh, it
could have been a prime time that's.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Good teammate, yeah, but a good team, Yeah, good team.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
I played in a lot of prime time games to
super Bowl, to super Bowl, NFC Championship, super Bowl, Yeah yeah,
in fact checked that.
Speaker 6 (17:11):
So you're played in two first out of two out
the first three years, to out of my first four.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Years, out your first four years, yeah, yeah, so those
it doesn't get any bigger than the super Bowl. That's
just that's just crazy right there in itself. And then
with the super Bowl, it's more the hoopled everything leading
up to it, the pageantry leading up to the Is
it crazy?
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, it's like it actually can be exhausting, really especial
after I were practicing and have something.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Every day every day, man, every day your media schedules
off your I mean every day you had media from
the opening night media session and it's even bigger, bigger
event now to every day. You know how some people
could get get little when it was open locker room
and not have to talk to reporters during the Super Bowl. No,
(17:59):
everybody has to be available talk Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
It's just a little bit. I think maybe even Friday
they might close it. One little kid, but it's it
could be exhausting. But from the regular season standpoint, Monday
night football I didn't. I didn't particularly care for Monday
(18:19):
Night until it got here that that feels like forever
to get there because you watch all the games on Sunday. Yeah,
that shit around the hotel all day Monday. Then you
finally play Sunday night. I was good with Sunday Night.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
A different feel about that game.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Yeah, okay, you still you going to the whole to
the coming to the stadium right around four o'clock. Game
still going on. You watch watch everybody else playing. Yeah
you know, uh, you know it's about to be a
big game.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
I liked it.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
So as y'all talk about the two thousand and seven season,
what I loved about those those primetime Flex games was
we played in the cold.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
You didn't sleep, guys.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
So we go to the Giants in the Middle Lands
this cold as well, we're about to be hitting out here.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
So I love those type of games.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Uh, going to Minnesota that year, yeah we shut down.
That was the year we shut down down, And so
I loved that.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
That was seven touch down that game. But that was
that's when Todd College was on the run.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Was crazy.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Every you knocking them down with Minnesota, Chicago, you name it,
we were knocking them down.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah. But to your point, though, you're trying to treat
all the games the same from a preparation, not get
too high and not get too low. What another reason
why I didn't like Monday night football because I'm my
preparation was so intense by the time, like I need
a game to hurry up and get here, like this
(19:57):
is exhausted, all this preparation from a middle step. I
need this game the hurry up again. This is another
twenty four or more hours of just me with my thoughts.
Speaker 6 (20:09):
You wouldn't when you wouldn't shut off said nothing enough,
like because because I know oftentimes I would have to
just like take a not blue relax.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
There's another big fletch. Couldn't turn it off.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Skill guys that we got to relax.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Now you wonder why that boys around that tunnel like
I'm just ready man, I m and why and six
got to coffee in three ready balls? Man flesh was
too intense for me. Out of his way, not my head.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
Keeping moving believe that the loan to run through the
wall right now.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
But I like the long means man talking. I'm tired
of because you get an extra meet when you play
at night. We talked out man, Matt, I don't want
to meet with y'all no more so tired to look
at Let's go play football.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Speaking of the whole flex situation. And you know, going
up against the Atlanta Falcons, you know it was a
special Atlanta Falcon and we got a quarterback change. We
got Michael Pennick's right, Pinnix right, he's.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Going to be the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Think about when Atlanta got Michael Vick. Do y'all have
any memories of going to get in those days when
he was with Atlanta. I did shood something with us,
man about memory.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I started off with the Rams, and the Rams and
the Falcons used to be in the same division back
when I was in so we played them twice a year.
Was I think with us in the NFC West, No,
that was that didn't happen until after I left Saint Louis,
So Carolina, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco and Saint Louis
(21:44):
that was the NFC.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
West And so yeah, so Atlanta was in that. Yes,
that's right, that makes sense. Yeah, that was a that
was the n f C West. So we played vict
twice a year.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I mean the first time we played him, We're at
the down down in Atlanta. I come on the blitz
and he started to take off and I turned the
corner and I clipped his heel, but I darned to
strain my hand. String. Yeah, I got the sack on,
but I like felt a little string man. This is
the fast dude on the football field, and he got
the ball.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Every single play for me. That was the first time.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
So we played in the Seattle we had to go
down and that's when you know the Mike Mike Vick experience.
That was the first time I think they had like
Sean Jefferson, I received and you know somebody else have
received it.
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Now.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That was the first time that I actually matched up
on the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
He was spotty.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
I spied him on. I spied him on second and
third down like maybe first time. But for the most
part they spread out a little bit. My job was
to just shoutow Mike Vick. We had Joey Gallaway playing
him and practiced a little bit George Jeorye.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
He probably did.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Joe had a different get He don't like to run
fast this game day, but you fast.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
But Mike, but Mike was. Mike was special with the
ball in his hand. And they think about Michael is
you knew he ran for a while, but it was
it was how quickly it was like it stopped and starting.
It was answer. It was like joy. It was just
like joy. It was instant. He get up on you,
and Mike was shifting with it. He ain't give you
too much, but he'd just give you enough.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
To get you get your moved a little bit. So, yeah,
Michael specially.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
I just think about it, you know, coming out. You know,
I was a guy when he played in the Big East,
and I told Mike this story the other day.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You know, he shout out to Mike.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
You know he we just we just heard he got
the coaching job that had the stake, so shot to him.
But he came here one day to visit Jayden. They
had this little thing they need, this picture they took
and they exchanged jerseys. Met him and Fred Smooth was
in the same draft class, and I.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Remember I was sharing with him.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
I was like, yeah, bro, you know, and he asked me, say, Tanner,
you came out the year after me. I said, Mike,
I'm older than you. We came out together. And he said, oh,
I said, Mike, we was. We was co MVPs or
the Big East that year in office of the m
v P s.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
He's like, man, I don't even know. I forgot.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
I said, you had so much going on with the
draft and everything, being number one overall pick, you probably
forgot about that. But that meant the world of me
just knowing that. You know, it's crazy because I did
something in the Big East back then that hadn't been
done before or now now after because now the Big
East no longer exist football wise. But I was the
Special Teams MVP and co Offensive MVP with Mike Vick,
(24:22):
and that had never been done by nobody.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Me having both awards, you had to.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Put up some crazy numbers because I remember what Vic did.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
Yeah, but that's the crazy part about it. I think
what they gave it to me for because I did.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
More or less I had I had.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I had reverses for touchdowns, passion for touchdowns. You know,
I was doing stuff as we see, you know, for
the little bit of touches I had.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
I was scoring, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
And it wold me too because I'm like, well, damn
they I had twelve touchdowns that year. They was all
split up from punt returns, reverses and passing retouchdown.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
So it was just like one of those things. They're like, man,
this guy shot.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Out the Big East man, Big East football.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
But no, he was laughing about that and it it
was just funny to to just see him and he
was like, hey, bro, I want to be a part
of one of y'all shows. So now that we know,
you know, and he's a he's a guy from the
Virginia area, so we.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Would love to have him. Now that he's we're.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Gonna get back in the area. On the bottom, man,
don't get you in the players club, man. We wanted
to you know, shit, a special shout out to help
you recruiting.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Oh yeah, exposure.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Okay, so check this out.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
So some of the guys, some of the fellas that
you know that stands out to me, you know, talking
about the Atlanta Falcons and and I'm going down memory land.
I'm not talking about none of the guys at the day.
I just want to go back and some of the
guys you guys may have matched up against. And one
particular time, Julio Jones was that dude, man, did you
ever get a.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Chance to who is young than me?
Speaker 6 (25:39):
But I admired him from as far bro He's one
of those guys you see on tape and he's one
of the guys I was like, I would have loved
to match up against him because he's just a freaking athlete, big,
and I felt like I was drafted for those guys.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
What about a guy like Tony Gonzalez that.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
I came in with Tony?
Speaker 1 (25:56):
And yeah, I had a couple of couple of matchups
with help. Only used to deal deal with Tony toally
about six.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Five long arms.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
He wasn't fast, but so I wasn't worried about him
running past me. But I'd be on him and he
just have those long arms and he's boxing you out.
He got some balls, you got some balls and big
flat Yeah, but I made him work though. Made so
my last season we played, we played the Falcons and
in Atlanta thirteen, I had to score that to you
(26:25):
and certain formations, certain person of personnel group is down
the distance red zone area like I knew what the
route was, new the coverage. I'm literally talking to Tony
before the snap. Uh, he's lined up the flex at
number three. We're playing. We're playing cover four but with
our baskeardized cover ford. So I'm carrying and I'm talking
(26:47):
to Him'm like, I know you're about to get this ball.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
He's like, no, noting about to get it.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
But I'm locked up on him. He runs this route
and this one I knew it was tied to retire.
I was like, man, I'm here, I know what's about
it is. I still couldn't stop it. As I said,
they called. He caught the ball and scored a touch out,
just like man, damn Fletcher.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Man, I remember you sharing that story a little bit
about him. Still can you feel like he was right
there in the ball, he still was able to up
and do it. Yes, speaking of like, since we're talking
about prime time memories, and I think this is one
of those memories that I don't know, I don't know
we shared enough about. This is a primetime moment I
can say in our career, let's let's go down memory
(27:33):
lane and do I remember signing that first NFL contract.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Before you was all world coming out you was.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
What we all got three different stories. I say, by.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
Well, I remember, here's a crazy thing about when I
got drift to the Seattle that spring.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
It was weird because the team was up for sale.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
Mister Allen was binding, so the team was practicing, so
I for a while, I was in limbo when I
was signing my contract and I'm not gonna be in Seattle,
stay of Washington, Mama being the Rams, and end up
purchasing a team that made blah blah blah and keep
the team, which is the Seahawks today in u Seattle.
So that was a little interesting moment. The state tax too,
(28:17):
a huge difference in the state tax, so that was
a big difference. So that was a big moment for me, man.
But I remember signing it, man, and you know that
was it.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
It was.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I mean, we'll see you like.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
It's a difference from you because your dad played in
the league, so.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Like it wasn't a life changing moment.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Might get you, man, I was that was small town.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
That was like seven, man, but seven million years. Yeah, yeah,
I had five, but I had a close ninety seven.
The TV contract wouldn't have got crazy money. But the
thing For me, man, it was like when I got
drafted first.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Of all, I thought I should have been the second.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
Pick Oakland shout out to my manor rest in peace,
Don Russell see. But for me, man, it was almost
it was almost like it was a life changing moment.
But I worked so hard to feel like I needed
to get there. I just couldn't wait to play. I
just couldn't wait to prove myself. And I felt like
at Ohio State with Joey and Eddie and m I
felt like I saw my boys. I felt like I
(29:20):
needed to know, hurry up and get there and play. Yeah,
I just wanted to prove myself.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Got you, I mean, you know? And London was right.
We all had different moments. So I think when I
think back about Minds two thousand and one getting drafted first,
being the first round pick and a sixteen overall pick,
it was mind battling a little bit because and only
for the simple fact of what my journey was about
(29:46):
what it was like to get there.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Bro.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I mean, if you tell me, after going through the
stuff I went through, you know what I mean individually,
that that was going to be the outcome, Bro, I'll
do it all over again, but I still want to
have a clue how I was going to do it.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
It was tough.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
It was tough sledding, and to get there, coming in
knowing just four years prior, I just barely got through
the back door in college to get on.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
The football team. You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
So that was like an accomplishment in itself. I cared
less about a contract, I care. I cared less about
what round I got picked in other than my goal
was I want to play professional foot That's how I was.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I want to day one, I want to be a pro.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
When my dad asked me at six years old, where
I was five or six, I know it was around
that time, what you gonna be when you grew up?
And I said, I'm gonna do that. Well he's watching,
He's like, yeah, bo, all right, you know what I mean.
And from that day on, that's all I ever thought
about is And he couldn't deny it, because even my
dad used to tell stories to the media when they
started talking to your parents about you know how it
(30:47):
was he as a kid. My dad said, well, he
told me I want to play ball, and I can't
say that I didn't believe him.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
But when when you look.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
At how you slept at night, you had to put
some kind of you know, trusting that's what he want
to do.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
I slept that ball all the time as a kid.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
I had pictures of me growing up, football in hand, pampa,
football in hand, you know what I mean, doing something
as I got old, the same thing. So getting to
the contract part of it, it was just it was
life changing. I think I was more It's crazy how
a lot of us anticipate that moment in that day,
but still it's so cautious with how we, you know,
(31:22):
get carried on with it, you know what I mean.
Like I was like, Okay, I know this is life changing.
I know this is something that I've always said I
want to be and this is was going to do it, okay,
but I can't.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Now it's time to go to work, you know what
I'm saying, Like, Okay, he go.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
To ink, ink, ink, pending ink, I mean ink to paper.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Now it's time to go to work.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And I was more focus of going to work.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Going to prove myself on the field, and also at
the same time, like it's crazy because mane, I was
twenty one years old when I signed that deal. You
think I knew anything about a dollar, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
But how to spend it? You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
So it was it's a scary feeling too because you like,
I know, I'm a bank account, fat nine.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
But right what to do next with it? You know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
So if you if you have the right kind of
people in your coner, you all right. But if you don't,
which a lot of us don't, you know what I mean?
My parents was the only thing that I had in
my coner, and they ain't had their hands out, but
they couldn't tell me what to go in best then
they couldn't tell me how to put it. My dad
like put that thing in that account right there, you know.
And the only thing that I know I got some
a little you know, coaching up on was when I
(32:23):
saw the numbers was different after I signed. I'm like, bro,
I was supposed to be signing for five four? Why
this thing looking like three too?
Speaker 1 (32:30):
But that's you learned about.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
I think Man and London you can went to the
NBA too, huh Man.
Speaker 8 (32:38):
I had I ain't know, but we ain't gonna talk
about it about your side, you know, you third overall
draft pick, first round to hear Division three guys undersize undrafted.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
So yes, I remember my first NFL contract. It's crazy.
After the draft, I'm thinking, even though I played the
Division III school, I man, I've read shop, I was,
I was, I was a man in bunks boys, So
I'm still thinking I'm getting drafted. I'm thinking, man, I'm
getting drafted at least in the third round. That's how
the type of work I put in watching draft didn't
(33:10):
get drafted. So rams Uh called me in the seventh
round like we might take you, didn't end up taking me.
So now at the draft, they're like, hey, we want
you to come to here and be a try out
player or whatever. So I go to the camp. When
I get there, they're like, hey, we want you to
we want to sign you. You know somebody you signed me,
but I'll need to give me a sign and drafted.
(33:33):
You need to give me a sign of boning. Now
we ain't gonna give us sign the boning. So were
going back and forth, me and the gentle manager just
here and I in the conference room. I'm like, man,
you give me a side of I had an agent,
but I'm talking London with intense even with no leverage.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Look, you respect where I come from or not?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Just me, Charlie, Charlie Armory with the GM. We we're
in the conference room with long gas conference table, like, dude,
you giving me, you give me a sign of ball,
Like Charlie like, now, we just gonna send you back
if you know, if you don't sign a deal.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
So I'm trying to.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
I ain't gonna let you punk me, but I ain't
stupid either, So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna sign
this contract, but I'll be back for some more money.
Like So I signed a contract one work here the year,
held out the next year, only sign of one year.
I told you I was gonna give me some more
money rams work here the year. Yeah, I won, Yeah,
(34:36):
one Rookie of the Year. So I only signed one
year deal, but I'm exclusive rights the next year. Hey man,
I did a one day hold out from a off
season workout. They gave me some more money, gave me
that sign a bonus, said he in my.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Like, I told you one way or another.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Huh hey, But to a point, I ain't had no lever, but.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Every forgetting that I'm gonna get me something.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Yeah, that's the it end. That working out? It end,
don't working out for me? Buye. You're listening to the
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Speaker 7 (36:27):
You got the game on Santana Moss.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Who's winning?
Speaker 7 (36:33):
Ken Harvey, Hey, Doc, come on in.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
Football is better.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
With pizza from Paisana on us the official piece of
the Washington Commandment Order online now a.
Speaker 7 (36:50):
Dot com.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
You're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi. It's
time to switch it up. Man, set the tone. It's
time to set the tone. Brought to you by Johnson
Kendall Johnson, the official insurance broker and risk management partner
of the Washington Commanders, where our passion is your protection.
At the time, obviously we got the game against the Falcons.
A lot of playoff implications in this game. Yes, as
(37:16):
we've all been in these type of games. How do
you stay focused, keeping the main thing the main thing,
not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but being able
to focus on Hey, just win this game. Don't let
the other stuff come in and play even though we
know what's at stake.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Yeah, I think it's only natural.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
It's natural for us to kind of hear the noise,
but it's also natural for you as a competitor to
just know that, you know, the biggest game is the
game in front of you, and I think you can't
accomplish what you're trying to accomplish that we give you're
not solely focused on what the job is and what
your task is going to be. So you know, I'm
(37:55):
talking to two other guys that played at a high
level that understands. Man, if you thinking about meet set
yourself up a filure, you.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (38:03):
And that's one of the things I've always told myself
and I will. I care less how I play this game,
but it's all about this game. Whether I played well,
whether I didn't play as well as I wanted to,
It's all about this game.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
And that's and that's what you do.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
You give yourself an opportunity to be solely, you know,
concerned about that and making sure that you got your
best stuff for them that week, because that's that's the
only thing you're gonna be able to do, is give
yourself a chance for next week, you.
Speaker 5 (38:25):
Know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (38:26):
And you think about the Raheem's gonna have the team ready,
right right Morris? Yeah, Ryan Morris, the coach, head coach
who's here. Yeah, but when you think about the Falcons, man,
they got some dogs, they got some But the thing
that was interesting this week to me, fella us is
we know they gave Kirk Cussing all that money in Fridges.
You know the fact that they decided to switch quarterbacks
(38:48):
out in a move that's made the discussion that Rahiem
had to have with the owner to do that, or
what they see in Pinnix, it's saying this kid is ready,
he's good enough to play. So one when a team
make a move like that, I'm thinking about it, like
they still trying to win that competitive.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
That's true, But when you have a rookie I care
less of how good he is, and you in the hunt.
Speaker 3 (39:12):
For the for the for the postseason. Yeah, is that
really you saying that you got a chance to win
or yeah?
Speaker 2 (39:18):
I mean because they might see because you're just saying.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
Like, hey man, right now, we might not win, so
let's just see what we.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
Got in this guy.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
I think it's the opposite.
Speaker 6 (39:26):
I was like like, like, they're probably looking at our
rookie because you still have a rookie.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Yeah, they But I'm talking about you know, one of
the things that's going good for us is the reps.
Jaden has the reps coming out of college, now the
reps in the pros. Pennies come off the bench in
the most critical time of the year in December football,
where you gotta win every week to get yourself even
talked about going to the postseason. Right now, you're in
a favorable situation where maybe you do, maybe you don't,
(39:53):
But do you believe he just that much better than
Kurt to get me?
Speaker 1 (39:57):
I think that's exactly what they believe, especially when you
the way Kirk Kirk Kirk has played these last.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
You know, five games.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
At one point during that four game losing streak, zero touchdowns,
eight interceptions. They beat the they beat the Raiders one touchdown,
another interception.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
So you're talking about five games where one touchdown, nine interceptions.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
And they're looking at They're looking at Penis in practice
and I'm sure Penick said back in OTAs and mini
camps and even training camp. This Pinix, this version of
Penis is a lot further ahead, and they're saying.
Speaker 3 (40:28):
Hey, he looked good in the preseason.
Speaker 1 (40:30):
Two. We need a spark from this offer. This passing
game is not good enough for us to to make
the playoffs because they're looking at, hey, our schedule, we
got a great opportunity to run the tables and we
got John Robinson. I think it's just like the Kurk
from a physical standpoint, whatever the case may be, they
(40:52):
like Pinis probably gives us a better better option throwing
the football. So I know my point is you you
you can't.
Speaker 6 (41:04):
They're looking at it like this chance to be the Commanders.
You got to be ready. Yeah, you got to be
ready for a team that's gonna be well coached and
think they got there. They're making They made.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
This move with the mindset, if we can make the playoffs,
exactly what pics we can't make it.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
And that and couldn't be that can only be what
they've seen of this guy going up against their ones
in practice, those reps, because that's the that's where you
really get to see what you got on your team.
That's when they when the scout team go against the
starting offensive defense and and and in Penis case, you know,
him going up against that defenses which has been playing
pretty good this year, to see him probably get him
(41:41):
some fits in practice. That's why they had that Oh
you know what, man, we sure that we should get
this guy truck, you know, get him a shot this
year this so we can see how far along, or
we can get him ready for next year, you know
what I mean, Like, hey, it's a win when we
can we can get a playoff birth with this guy,
or just get him that much more ready for next
year that when he comes back he already.
Speaker 6 (42:02):
I don't want to get into Atlanta, but that's hard
to put the man the kirk a lot home, that
back tad.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
That we both know roight Heim Moore as well, he was,
he was here. Rod's gonna have them guys ready. Yeah,
great guy, happy for him that root foremost Sunday, Rod,
you get your victory another, get that week next, that
victory next week. But uh, you know, definitely going for
the burger. There go the thing about bringing in Panics
and also why they probably feel comfortable about it. There
(42:31):
running game, John Roberts, John Roger uh Roberts said our jeer, Yeah,
they have, they have. They have a running game that
can take the pressure off the quarterback. And you now
you open up play action.
Speaker 6 (42:44):
Pass and big receivers, big physical receivers, big physical receivers.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
How do we how do we stop this offense.
Speaker 4 (42:51):
You know to me and I think especially when you're
just talking about running, you know, when teams come in
with a potent running game, you know the way one
of the things we do is swamp to the ball.
That's the things I love about when we do defensively.
No matter who makes the first you know contact or
that that that that ball carrier here goes everybody else,
you know what I mean. Like I say, they swam
on you like a torranso on the calipillar. I don't
(43:11):
use that before that just that's the phrase I like
to use. And it just you can see it because
when that calipillar putting them arms all around, I mean
when when that that tarrant look gets you know, gets
a whole of it and wrap them up. Just that's
how our defense is. They swarm and you don't even
see that. You don't even see.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
That ball carry no more.
Speaker 4 (43:27):
But besides that, it's just one of those things is
you know, we're susceptible to the run. You know, we
We've had that problem all year long. And what's crazy
about it is when we play against great competition, our
defense team seems to rise to the challenge and although
we allow them to have a little you know something,
because you can't really stop them, and when somebody's good
(43:47):
at what they do, you can't just stop them. We
find a way to contain it the best way we
know how, and then put them in a situation where
we say, okay, now score, we got you. We got
our backs against the wall. Score so as you can score.
So that's one of the things I like we have
going for our offense. I don't really sit there and
say say that we will. I mean for our defense.
I don't sit there and say that we can just
stop these guys in their run game.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
But containing them gonna be everything.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (44:09):
No.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
And then as you mentioned, Sean, they got they got
some weapons, big receivers, play megas, nice tight ends. But
after the break, we've got Dante Folish joining us. You're
listening to the Players Club, presented by Pepsi.
Speaker 4 (44:26):
Players Club is brought to you by Bet three six
y five, official sports betting partner of the Washington Commanders.
Bet on a range of NFL markets with bet three
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access thousands of.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
Games with live streaming. Place your bet before the match
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Download the bet three six y five app today. Age
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Speaker 9 (45:01):
Football season this year, and it's time to get ready.
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Speaker 5 (45:09):
Being their lives.
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Speaker 1 (45:30):
Slash Commanders, you're listening to the Players Club presented by Pepsi.
Welcome back to the Players Club. As promised, We've got
Dante Fola Junia. This is your ice Cold Player presented
by Pepsi, the official soft drink Hub the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 5 (45:47):
They're balling. We appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
We appreciate you joining us.
Speaker 5 (45:52):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 7 (45:52):
Man I tell.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
You first season in the bargainy to go out there
doing your thing. What has it been like for you
you comele of here with Washington.
Speaker 10 (46:02):
Man, it's been real cool, you know, just coming here,
you know, having a good opportunity, you know, just go
out here and showcase the people I don't really about
and stuff like that. So man, it's cool. I remember
in twenty fifteen, like going through the draft. I remember
I was either going to go to the Jazz so
I was gonna go to the Redskins number four. When
I came down here and I did a visit just
(46:23):
went real smooth with those guys and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
So man, I thought it was gonna happen.
Speaker 10 (46:28):
But it's crazy how everything you know comes back around
and stuff like that. So man, it's definitely cool to
just be in this type of situation right now.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Yeah, speaking of opportunity, you know, when we heard that
we was getting a guy of your caliber, you know,
we always you know, pleased to know that you know,
we're getting the talented. God when you got here, it
doesn't always paning out how we wanted to be. But
when you got here, did you do you was going
to have a season like you having right.
Speaker 10 (46:51):
Now to be honest with you, Yes, I did, just
because you know, the two years that I had in Dallas,
what's real cool.
Speaker 5 (47:00):
Just to be able to.
Speaker 10 (47:01):
Learn from DeMarcus Lawrence and Michael Parsons. We was loaded
a defensive end and we was a special group. So
just being able to learn from those guys for two
years in a road being coached by a d East,
the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks, I was just ready
for this moment. You know, my body was able to
get healthy again. I was banged up with the Falcons
(47:21):
those past two years. So just being able to play
that role coming in on third down, banging my body
a lot, you know, saying for.
Speaker 5 (47:29):
This for this moment when you yeah, I feel real good.
Speaker 10 (47:32):
So coming into this season, I felt real healthy. And
you know coach Chad the strength coach definitely, you know,
putting in to work with him in the off season
and then training camp made me feel real confident and
real good about myself.
Speaker 6 (47:45):
So you got a relationship with d Q man You
tell us about that. Obviously he come to Washington with Dallas.
Speaker 5 (47:52):
And way back.
Speaker 2 (47:53):
That's about the relationship with d Q man Man.
Speaker 10 (47:55):
Me and DQ go way back, you know, he recruited
me in high school and stuff when he was the
defensive coordinator at u F And you know, I was
a diehard Florida State fan. Like that's why I was
gonna go. And then when I met d Q, Yes,
he got me.
Speaker 5 (48:10):
Bro just a real dude.
Speaker 10 (48:12):
And you know I made that decision for myself that
I was gonna go and play with him.
Speaker 5 (48:16):
My pots was mad at me for a while.
Speaker 10 (48:19):
Fida hard Florida go to the games when Santurinados, I
remember those days.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
Man.
Speaker 10 (48:27):
But yeah, man, when I met d Q, man, he
was just so real and I just knew he was
the coach for me. But he left my freshman year
and it was just crazy because like all the things
he taught me just in that one year, I just
used it for those last two years. You know, you
know it took me to another level. But you know
he always had my back. He always you know, stood.
Speaker 6 (48:46):
At every every stop, right, he recruited you at every stop.
Speaker 5 (48:50):
He recruited me almost at every stop.
Speaker 10 (48:51):
Man, like for show, that's my guy, man, stand up
God God that I'm just grateful for to having my
corner to go down.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
Yeah, when you look at this team and so many
new free agents guys, either through the draft or free agency.
I think it's over seventy percent of the roster completely new. DQ.
You've you've been with him in multiple places. Cruju in
Florida played for him, Atlanta, played for him in Dallas.
How has he and how have you guys been able
(49:19):
to bring this together so quickly?
Speaker 10 (49:22):
Just a culture, you know, his culture is just it's
just real. It's it's no facade in it, you know
what I mean. So like it's just kind of like
contagious a little bit when you see, you know, real
people doing real things and they stand by what they
mean and things like that. The brotherhood, the things that
we did in the lost season really bonded us and
brought us close together.
Speaker 5 (49:42):
Man. So it was real cool just to be able
to be.
Speaker 10 (49:45):
In that situation and say I was one of the
first people, you know, to build that up and start
this culture right here, because it means a lot to me.
And it's definitely contagious, man. I feel like when you
play karateie football and you just genuinely know that the
person got up next to you gonna do his job
and you can count on him and depend on him.
It's going to take your play to another level. So
(50:05):
he does a great job with that for sure.
Speaker 4 (50:07):
Yeah, speaking of that culture, man, you know, most of
the guys come in here and say they talk a
little briefly about you know, the brotherhood and everything. What
are some of the things that your guys, your group
of guys, you know, we all shared that space in
different rooms, you know, different settings with guys.
Speaker 3 (50:22):
But what are some of the things that you can
remember that you.
Speaker 4 (50:25):
Guys did before the season started to get that caaraerie
up to kind of build that bond with each other.
Speaker 10 (50:30):
Man, A lot of guys was I think it was
one hundred percent attendance at OTAs to be honest with you.
So you know, when you have things like that, I
feel like that's already special.
Speaker 5 (50:39):
Guys that actually.
Speaker 10 (50:40):
Want to be here, coming in every day, put in
the work, getting to know each other in the locker
room stay. You know, sometimes in locker rooms you have
the D line O line. It's like a melting pot.
Like I sit next to Tressway, you know what I mean,
and Jeremy Nichols. You know those offensive got special team Scott,
So it forced you to like be able to interact.
Speaker 5 (50:59):
With people, get people, bond with.
Speaker 10 (51:01):
People, and you know the things that we did before
the season. He has these special guys from the military coming.
Speaker 5 (51:08):
We had to put these big logs.
Speaker 10 (51:10):
You know, we're throwing like the Navy Seals type of stuff.
You know, it was hard, you know what I'm saying,
And some guys wanted to break, but we didn't let them.
And I felt like, that's that brotherhood. That's that's brotherhood.
And we didn't know what I'm from a candapaign at
that time. We just made each other. We haven't been
in a month with each other, and you know, we're
telling them now, we're not gonna let you fall.
Speaker 5 (51:31):
Bro, get up.
Speaker 10 (51:31):
We got this where if you do, I'm gonna go
and hold the other plug. I'm gonna go and hold
the other log so this lock don't fall, you know
what I mean. And I feel like that really bonded
us together. I think the coaching staffs did it as well.
So just to imagine like some of the guys on
the coaching staff trying to do it, it's pretty front
that you know that that's contagious.
Speaker 5 (51:50):
Man, it takes you to another level.
Speaker 10 (51:52):
Man.
Speaker 6 (51:53):
We watched your plays and that Carolina play man, I
call you Lebron when you're number six, had across, that's
get him with a crossover.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Man, running back, you got some skills.
Speaker 10 (52:04):
Mann talk to us about not going That's always been
my dream. Like growing up, I used to watch offensive guys,
so I used to play running back. My dad was
a running back growing up really good. So when we
first wanted to play football, we should just play running back,
running back drills, and I used to watch Reggie Bush,
Adrian Peterson, Sean McCoy sometimes Santanamos.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
I used to always, like.
Speaker 10 (52:29):
You know, be able to have some wiggle and jerk
people down on from down South.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
You know, we try to like, you know.
Speaker 10 (52:33):
Jerk people, and we got all the type of sauce
to us. So we used to play a lot of
throw them up, bust them up. We used to take
that junk serious. So I always had that type of
you know, you know, that type of swivel, and it
was just, you know, fortunate enough I was able to
be able to show.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
That, tell you what has happened and this at that moment,
lets go there.
Speaker 10 (52:59):
I'm like, I've been waiting for this all my life.
So bro, you gotta get this work. You gotta get
this work. Break you down.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
You shut him down.
Speaker 5 (53:10):
That moment for sure.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Well you did a nasty that's great.
Speaker 1 (53:14):
That's all gote. We have all the guests who joined
us on the show. We asked the guys to sign
this football for us, mat if you wouldn't mind blessing us,
put your autograph on this man. I can't wait to continue,
continue to watch you ball out the man and that'll
do it for the Players Club. We'll see y'all next week,
same time. Want more great Commander's Podcast, We have a
(53:37):
full slate for you. Every day of the week. Mondays
myself at Brown Weinstein are breaking down the game on
Booth Review and you won't want to miss Fred Smooth
and Michael Jenkins Tuesdays on the Get Loud podcast And Wednesdays,
our guys Logan Paulses, Sat, tanam Ass and Fred Smooth
are talking all things Commanders Football. Check them out on
(53:57):
the Commander's YouTube page or subscribe wherever you get your podcast.
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