Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike sits down with team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing fresh off a three-sack day against the Bengals to talk about how life has changed after his extension, how he's approaching his job differently, getting the pass rush on a roll, and much more.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome into the lounge presented by Draft Kings. We are
thrilled to sit down with Nomdi mat A Bka. Thank
you for joining us. And uh, last time you were
on the lounge with us, it was fresh off signing
your extension.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Had your family here. Very cool moment, great day, great day.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Uh and you told us that fresh off the extension
that you thought you might go to the jewelry store
pick up.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Something nice for yourself. Just wondering did that come to fruition?
Did you get something or what?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Okay, I got a little you know, three little tennis change.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You know, I've been seeing Day and Lamar rock and
mind and give me a little neck.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
But yeah, I got a little.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
La Mar's got like the grill that he wears on
the gate.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Have you thought about it inspiration? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, what what has it been like since thinking that extension?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Like?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
How how has life changed for you?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
You know, you know a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Of people have been hitting me up and finding my
number somehow. But you know, I think I just try
to keep the main thing, the main thing, keep things simple,
just keep working hard and just keep developing as just
a player and just like more now a leader and yeah,
just trying to keep the same focus as I had,
you know, the year before the extension. So just trying
to keep the main thing, the main thing, and you know,
just keep them the tight smart circle tight and just
(01:21):
keeping focused.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
Yeah, does it change after you get a big contract
like that in terms of people hitting you up? I mean,
you've obviously been in the NFL for a while and
so it's not like it's a secret you know that
you're in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
But but has.
Speaker 6 (01:34):
That actually changed in terms of people hit you up
or ask you for things?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
You know, people are like I guess like nicer or
something like that. I don't know what it is, but
I don't really put too much attention to it. I
just kind of peep it, kind of noticing and just
kind of move along. But you know, I don't like
to get it in my head. I just like to
just keep the main thing and just focus on just
being a great player.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yeah, that is one thing about you that it does
really stand out to me?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
From my perspective, Like nothing has changed about you, like nothing,
you know, like you still you're one of those guys
that you know, you don't worry like, all right, he
gets the contract, is he going to work as hard?
Is he going to put everything? Like you absolutely have?
You know it was that how intentional was that for you?
That you're like, all right, this is gonna make me
work even hard because I know we talked about that,
you know, the day that you came on and and
(02:23):
like how did you go about doing that?
Speaker 3 (02:26):
How went about it?
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Was?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Like I feel like when you sign a contract with that,
a lot of people are in your ear about what
you should do, what you shouldn't do, and I think
it's upon yourself to like just focus, really are just
doing what you did to get them contract that you
know what I'm saying, just earn it again, and like
that's the mentality. Just earn your respect in the league.
You know, Like I always have visions of like, you know,
(02:47):
seeing guys that looked up to like talk after the game,
I got respect your game like stuff like that that
keeps me motivated, like mentally, just you know, sometimes football
it's such a long season. You have to be able
to find things to keep you focused, keep you driven.
So yeah, things like that kind of keep me. Like
guess you could say.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
It's kind of interesting because I remember sitting down with
you on that day, and of course you're happy and
your family's here and it's an exciting day and all that,
but like there was a part of you that seemed
as we were talking to this to this point, like
it almost seemed like it added like another chip on
your shoulder. You're like, I got this contract, but I
know people are going to doubt me that I shouldn't
have got this contracted.
Speaker 6 (03:19):
I'm even more motivated because of.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
That, which I was like, wow, that is like the
next levels, like next levels three D chess right there.
And there's how you're feeling about that contract. How did
you use that like as motivation in a in a
strange way.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Yeah, you know, I think you know, just my story.
I guess like my first three years here in front
of me, and like I was learning from him but
still trying to show that I am a great player too.
So then when he left, I was like, you know,
I feel like people were like, oh, he's just another
third brown pick whatever like that, and I'm just like,
you guys, don't know.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I'm really believe himself. I'm really great. I just got
to show it.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
And then when I showed her Everyone's like, well, wow, congrats,
but you know, maybe it's like a one hit wonder.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Something like that.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
You know, people like that, I know be hitting me up,
like I said, like new numbers and stuff like that
about articles. I don't really get that too much attention.
But one of them was like one hand in Wonderlse.
I was like, man, these people don't know. I'll be
training in Atlanta off season like a hot summer. So
I'm just like, you know, I need to just stay
locked in and just do it again. It's one day
at a time, don't overthink it. Yeah, things kind of
(04:20):
went about it just about how you know, even though
I signed, people are still like, yeah, but you know,
he just had a great year. And I'm just like, nah,
I really do this, but actually speak a lot of
the words. I just have to keep showing it through it.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Well, fresh off a big time game three sacks against
the Bengals, Joe Burrow went home very sore, in part.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Because of you. He still might be having nightmares a
few days later. So what was going so right in
that game for you?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I think like on the sideline, like you know a
lot of guys may have been you know, Thursday night game.
You know, we're waiting all day to play. You know,
I took my time that day. I was keeping my
feed up and just like eating good food to keep
my energy flowing, keep managing going. So I think at
that night I was just like telling everybody silent, just
trust your moves. Trust your moves. Like at some point
(05:09):
they were up on us by like a touchdown in
a field goal, just like, yall, trust your moves is
getting quet Los sideline. I think I think just saying
that and just everybody just you know, having that that
juice going just had me going, and you know, just
playing very confidently and very aggressively and just trying to
get back there. I feel like if it's going to
be a spark has to start with me through action.
So you know, I did my best, and you know,
(05:30):
Marlin had a great play that's kind of spiked up
the whole momentum of the game, and you know, we
just found a way to win the league.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Is not easy. So I think just just talking to myself,
believing in what I'm doing, just and just just playing fast.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
Yeah, with this football standpoint, like you made the points
to me after the game that you felt like and
I'm curious about this that like if you basically just
pushed the pocket and stay it on your track there,
that you would have success getting to the quarterback. And
so like there's the I guess the mental side of things,
the emotional side of things, but like from a football standpoint,
was there was it any different in terms of your
(06:03):
approach and how you were rushing the pastor of this game.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
This specific game.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Yeah, I would say, So you know, bro, he likes
to you know, look back and then step up. Okay,
so if you if you if you collapse that pocket,
where is he gonna step up right right into your arms?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
So you just collect.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
If you don't collect, you know, Dov's gonna be a traps,
gonna be the like case's gonna be there to collect to.
We're in second down, we're on third down, you know,
just trying to get off the field third and out.
So you know that was the emphasis throughout the whole week.
You know, he likes to step up and just try
to find Chase down there or one of his targets
down there. So it was like just like a step up.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
It's just so comfortable right with you, I feel like,
you know, because you're so talented, Like once you get
on a roll, like it can really it can go.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Right.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Do you feel like there's a point in the game,
like when you start winning matchups like you were in
that Bengals game that like, all right, I'm in unstoppable
mode right now.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yeah, I do feel like like, you know, like I'm
in in my mode, like I'm going you know what
I mean, Like I'm in my zone. You know, I'm
in my zone, and you know I just have to
keep you know, just just keep going through whole game,
a whole sixty minutes.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
You know.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
I tell the whole Old line and D line, you know,
when we're a little practice warm up the game, like, man,
do y'all got sixty?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Man, They're like, yeah, I might not.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Man for really, y'all got sixty for me, Like sixty
minutes of just hard, smash.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Nose like football. Yeah tonight.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
You know what I'm saying, y'all got After we're done,
we get the dog, we can go home, see your
little auntie, nephew, white kids, whatever you got to do.
But like right now, y'all, y'all got sixty. I think
that's just my mentality, Like I'm gonna bring my sixty.
You know what I'm saying. I'm depending on you guys too.
I know you guys will I'm gonna win this game.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, and I know we talked earlier this season, you know,
before he had three sacks. He had two before then.
And it was a challenge, right like defense defenses or offenses,
I mean have adjusted to you. They they know who
nom The matabik is loud and clear, and you were
seeing a lot of double teams.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
How hard was that for you to adjust to?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Oh? Yeah, it was those pretty frustrating.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
You know. I have talks with like kV and all
these guys that played along with I'm like, damn man,
I playing like Noah, Bro, you're getting slidered a lot.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
And I was like, sure, I don't know, I ain't
getting sacks like I was last year. But you literally
asked you that not Well yeah, I was.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Like, is this something wrong? Like I like, no, Bro,
just you're agatst slide. Just don't overthink it because put
in football you can really get yourself in the whole
where you're over analyzed and overthinking things, and then you
start playing slow, you start playing sloggers, and then it
gets worse. You just have to take the simple game
like down a notch, like keep it smooth, be calm, coucted,
trust yourself, trust your moves. Right, That's why I was
preaching to the whole line. I'm in the D line
(08:30):
on the sideline the Bengals game because I had to
tell myself that all y'all too. So I think that
really helped.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
So I guess when you get three sacks and does
that just those thoughts are gone?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Then right? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, I mean it shows me that like, hey, like
what you were telling yourself about what you believe what
was working. So now let's get on a roll. It's
going because we're in the middle of the season and
you know, I believe we can really get hot. We
have some things to fix, but we can really get hot.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
I'm curious as a pass rusher, like all year long,
you have been you've been in the backfield, you've been
making an impact, and.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You like, even though up until the gate, up until Bengals.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Game, you only had two sacks, but your impact was felt,
and is it how do you balance? Basically, like, I'm
getting to the quarterback, I'm getting pressures, I'm geting some hits,
but like the sacks aren't there yet, But it's a
whole You're you're looking at the entire package of how
you're playing.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So how do you balance all those things as the player?
Speaker 4 (09:19):
You know, just I think just trusting the process. Like,
for example, if you have like four tackles and like
zero sacks, you know, for four games straight, you're getting
four tackles every game, that's good, but the sacks of
Whateverybody's like, ooh, you may feel like you're playing bad
when you're not.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
That's kind of how I felt in a sense.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
You know, I was getting a lot of tackles, wasn't
getting back there when I was getting back that wasn't collected.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And I'm just like, man, like.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
I just need to just just keep trusting the projects,
keep living right, I keep eating when I keep sleeping right,
trying to do everything that I can control to get
a better outcome in the game. So I feel like
when I got three, I really could have got more.
When I look back on the film, I really could
have add like more. But it just you know, keeps
me like motivated to just keep trusting yourself and just
keep trusting.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Do you look at some of the other guys around
the league, some of the other premier defensive tackles, and
you're like, man, there's guys like they've been doing it
for a while now, right, like the Chris Chris Jones
has been eating for a while Aaron Donald, Right, Like
those guys went to Pro Bowls like you, and.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Then they kept producing.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Like do you look at them and kind of take
inspiration from them in any way?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Yeah for sure, Oh for sure.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, like Aaron Donald, Like that's a guy that I
watched a lot on film and especially now this year
was the first time I started asking Matt, like a Mat,
can you find like old a dfilms are like beating
double teams, getting double team the bunch can find, you know,
filming like Chris Jones, like, you know, getting double team
and see how he slips and so just through there.
This is the year where I think if I were
(10:48):
to go back in the off season, I would to
watch more film on taking double teams. I didn't know
how much I was going to get this right, right,
So I think stuff like that is just trying to
find ways to.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
Get So you're going to Matt, who's a you know,
for listener reviewers is one of the defensive assistant coaches.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, Matt Robins. Yeah, Robins is one.
Speaker 6 (11:03):
Of our defensive coaches. And you're saying to him, give
me footage of double teams here so I can figure
out how to beat these.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
Yeah, of other guys, even of Chris Jones.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Yeah, just to see like how you know they they
made it work in terms of like getting pressure through
the double team or slithering through there and still getting
the sack. You know, you can still get a sacking
double team, but just just not what you do is
how you do it, you know. So I think watching
those guys and then be envisioned myself in their shoes,
like when the game is on, I can know how
to lift that arm up and rip through there and
(11:32):
just keep your feet, keep your feet driving stuff like that, right,
because I know they're gonna slot to me, so I
stn't eat.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotta.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Find a way to get in there.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
That's awesome, and I think you can certainly take some
comfort also knowing or if you're getting a double team
somebody else isn't.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Right.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
That's opening things up for Travis Jones and for Broddy
and MP before he was on into reserve and all that, Like,
how have you kind of viewed what those guys have
done as you've gotten a lot of attention.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
You know, Yeah, when I get a lot of attentions,
those guys get the one on ones, which is great.
And you know sometimes they jet why and they have
wild why slides and all types of stuff. So they
know we're gonna bring pressure. Yeah, they know we're gonna
being pressure. So we just got to keepplyying it. Just
keep applaying it. Well, the more they bring it, the
more we apply. Just keeping the mind to that.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
How do you view a game against the Steelers? Everybody
knows what they're known for. Everybody knows that the Ravens
defense is known for. How much do you kind of
get up for these games against Pittsburgh?
Speaker 4 (12:29):
No, it's it's a it's one of the longest rivalries
in NFL history, and you know it is another game,
but you know this game, you know, you know when
it comes with smash mouth talking, trash, physical like, showing
no weakness like all those things just have to mentally,
you have to really factor and before you go out
(12:49):
there and play your heart out. So I think the
week of preparation. Everybody just having that mind frame going
into practice, have that mindframe goingto Thursday, Friday, Saturday and
locked efflicts Sunday and just you know what I'm saying,
play our best ball.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
It's interesting that you say showing no weakness, Like both
of these teams take pride in on game day we're
going to be the more physical team.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Both of them do. And so is that a tangible thing?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Like when you're out there, you don't even want to
give them the glimmer of hope that they're the more
physical team. Like if you get banged up, you're like,
do you In other games you might be like, ah,
but in the Steelers game, like you don't, you don't
do that.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
I think in every game I don't do for me.
For me, I can only speak for me. But in
the Steelers game, you know, for show like they really showing,
you know me because of just the rivally and the history,
and yeah, we don't really like them. They don't really
like us, so it's just like, yeah, like we're it's
it's manhead day for sure. Everybody just have to locked
in the same page, old line, D line, special teams,
quarterback running, but everybody I think you know, if we
(13:46):
all do that, have that frame, you know, we'll come
up with a great outcome.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Did you like watching old tapes?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Old highlights?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
Are you pulling up any old school Ravens, Steelers, Ray
Lewis ed Reed? Helloiti, not a type highlights this week
to get you for this one?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
You know, U z oh he he already put the
highlights up already in the meeting. Yeah, you know, like
you know, like film like that, you know you those
are cool film.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
But you know if you play like that, now you're gonna.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Get you can't be too like the mentality is there,
but just the way they play is like you have
to make back up. They're gonna get flagged or get letter.
It's just like just a different game that was just fine.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Can you break Ben Roethlisberger's nose?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Like I want to even get flagged on that play?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I don't think he.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I don't think he did.
Speaker 6 (14:33):
Yeah, I don't think he did either.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Different game now, different game it is, and you just
have to just know that, be aware of that. But
you know, still like like you still got to win
your Russia's and trying to get back there.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Sorry, sorry to cut you off, I'm curious.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
I want to go back to you when you talk about.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
Eating right, sleeping right, training right, Like you to me
seem like an incredibly disciplined guy just in everything that
you do, your training, your diet. Are you one of
these guys like Derek Henry's diet got a lot of
buzz earlier this year. I if you strike me as
a guy that is very strict and like everything that
you're putting into your body, Like what is your your
regimen from a diet standpoint and from a workout standpoint.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Even when Derek got here, you know, we were talking
a lot, and I always would ask him like, hey, man,
would you eat this morning like one o'clock in the
morning at that afternue Yeah, like it would eat this
morning because you know, he would tell me like he
wouldn't eat much until like before practice would be like like.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
A celery or kale he was having like kale for breakfast.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yeah, Brea. I'm just like dang, like that just can't
be me. I'm in the trenches. Like he has to
be a little bit lighter as a running back.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
I'm more of like I have to be happy, husky,
like being able to take double team and stay in there,
stay put. So you know, I was kind of like,
you know, asking questions. I feel like if it added
to me and what I could be better, I would
do that. So to answer your question, like I stopped
eating breakfast and I started eating like basically like a
brunchish lunchish around like sounds like yeah, yeah, so around
(16:00):
like twelve fifteen, that'd be like my first meal and
I'll stop eating.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I'll stop eating. I like.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Thirty nine the latest, so I have that whole like
twelve hour fourteen hour fast. I guess you could say,
just to make sure I don't get too big, you
know what I mean. So I'll just try to find
ways just to see what bes fits me.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
You know what I mean. Right, it's really like really
like a journey to find out what works for your body.
Right works for me, I work for you.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Are you like regimented about during those times that you
are eating what you're eating?
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Yeah, Like I eat like pancakes and like eggs, like
egg whites and stuff like that. But I don't eat
like crazy stuff like super fried food and something like
that unless it's like you know, food.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Trucks day exactly. So outside of that, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
I try to keep a smooth regimen, like try to
keep the main thing the main thing, like eat the
same meal before a game. Usually I kind of like
two options I give myself every game, morning games, late games.
Speaker 6 (16:59):
So yeah, because you lost what like ten pounds this year?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Yeah, like last year I played maybe at three or
five three hundred.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Now I'm playing like a two ninety two eighty eight okay, yeah, like.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Like ten to fifteen.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Yeah, and I think just not eating like in the
morning immediately, like kept my weight like down and kept
my torchiness there. Still my strength is still there. So
as long as I'm still strong and still able to
take those old teen and stay stout, and I feel
like I can keep shedding. But when it gets too
shady where you're getting right over, it's like, okay, you
(17:33):
gotta put some more.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Get a problem exactly right right now? How do you
schedule in it? It's jolliffe, is I pronounced juel rice?
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yes? How do you schedule that into the regiment?
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (17:47):
As long as I got some some chicken or something
like that, I'll be good. It's some suspinach, but yeah,
that can be like the carb and like you know,
like sweet sweet potato fried like sweet potatoes.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah, I find those like smooth, like healthy, like energetic
like carb and stuff like that. Chickens always good. Yeah,
Beef maybe once a week, you know me, Beef kind
of like feels weird in my system, but chicken for sure.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
And Shydre is huge. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Yeah, So I do want to talk for listeners who
might not know. Jolliff Rice is a Nigerian dish and
now the obviously with the name change this year, you know,
really kind of embracing more of your Nigerian heritage and uh,
and it's really cool that you're also doing that alongside
of Odafe and David Ajavo. And so how has that
(18:35):
process been, Like do you feel not just with your
name change, but that brotherhood that you have that uh.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
You're more true to your natural self? Do you feel
that way now?
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I do?
Speaker 4 (18:45):
I do for sure, you know, Dafe and Jabi always
been my brothers. But you know, I think like just
being real with yourself. I feel like as I started
elevating my career, every year, I just got better and
better and better. And as I got better, I started
like shed away things are just stripped things from me
that didn't mean much like oh, like friends that I
ain't doing much like video games, like girlfriends and stuff
(19:09):
like just trying to just really just dial and and
see how great I can be in this thing. And
like I just realized it. Just being real with myself
just really got me there. And I was just like anyway,
like you know, in the building, people call me beaks.
You know what I'm saying, only really called me justin
that justin Tucker gets got just if somebody says Justin,
like I don't even turn around. I'm never talking to
just talker. People call me beaks. I'm just like if
(19:30):
that's gonna be the case, I'm gonna go like my
real name. You know. If my dad calls me like
how hey, you know, how did they go, I'm like
good chilling, like try to get that quarterback saying my mom,
but hey, now how you feeling?
Speaker 3 (19:41):
I'm doing good, mom, I'm doing good chilling. You know.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
So those are my people, and they've always called me
that since I've been a kid. So I was like,
you know what, this is my real name. I'm just
Gonta Braced what I really am, and I don't care
anybody thinks about it.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
It's on mysid, it's my brothertificates though.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Is how good does it feel like? Does it? Does
it feel better to you?
Speaker 3 (19:58):
It does? Yeah, it was like it feels true.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It feels like that thing that we're all missing mentally,
like something just like that.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Don't feel that void. You know.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
I'm still trying to be hungry and fight for my
my respect and in my career and all that stuff
and just little things like that. But I think changing
my name to like my real name that I believe
in my heart is my real name. So I've been
a kid just really just just kind of like a
liberating feeling.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Was it?
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Did you recognize it when you ran out of the
tunnel with Nomdi being called out over the PA for
the first line, Like when you run out of the
tunnel you hear Namdi mata bk for the first time.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
Did that strike you?
Speaker 4 (20:35):
You know, it's so crazy and in that tunnel, like
the crowd is so loud. I just go out there
and just fighting. I'm just ready just to go and
just to fight and just to go to war. So
I think, you know, I think for like the fans
and like my family, they enjoy it, but for me,
I don't hear.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
I'm just locked in, ready to go.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 5 (20:51):
Last last thing for me is obviously this you know,
this defense. You guys are getting ready to play this
divisional game. I know this defense is not played to
the level overall that you guys as a whole, you
got high expectations. So talk to me about the confidence
that you guys have as a unit that you can
write the ship. You know, there's a lot of good
players on this team, a lot of good coaches that
you guys can write the ship and get the thing
(21:12):
back on track.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
High confidence, you know, as I see it as that
we have like the same guys as we had last
year for the most part, you know, so it's us,
you know what I mean. We are in our own way.
So I have high confidence that you know, if you're
great and you have great inn City, you can find
a way to turn around despite you know, going through
shortcomings and just not playing that you believe you can.
(21:34):
So it just starts to practice, starts supposed to be
on the same page. And I believe in the guys
because I believe in the last year, the same guys
believing that this year. You know, I believe them as
long as we're playing with each other. So you know,
that's just what it is. We shouldn't put in the
work in practice, all right.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Last one for me is take me inside of that
brotherhood that you have with Doffin Jabo and what that
looks like when the three you know, Nigerian guys are
hanging out off the field.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
What's that look like. It's cool.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
It's just so much relatability, you know, just in terms
of growing up, we go through like our parents like
the same things to us.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I'm like, bro, your mom.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
Said that to Sa to me too, she told me
to leave like and go back home after the lights
was off, and if you don't, you know, you're gonna
get spaced.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
All that time.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
I'm just like, man, this is just so funny how
we're just so similar, we're so different at the same time.
So those are my DAGs, those like, those are my dogs,
those are my guys. And being on the same team
in the NFL, like definitely is gonna bring our relationship
to a whole different level after football and just a
beautiful thing. So I'm happy that get to play with it.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
And his food, music. What else is it that gets
rolled up here?
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, food for sure, like you know they're there.
It's funny.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
They're more heavy on like eating Nigerian food and finding
like Nigerian cuisine out here. I'm more like, man, give
me like a nice burger. Gave me like some popcorn,
Like give me like it's like some ice cream COOKI
you know, I'm straight. I still eat like my Nagerian food,
like you know what I mean. It's just not it's
not like my automatic go to. But I do have
times where I'm like, man, I'm craving like some old
(23:03):
mom's cooking. I'll find like a nice cruisin out here,
because there's a bunch out here in Maryland. So yeah,
I think that's our music and stuff like that. We
listened to this usually the same music. There's a lot
of guys like burn A Boy and like with like
you know, whiz Kid, all these Nigerian you know, artists
that we we share songs with and stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Like that, and like the beat. But I saw that, man,
just just a smooth brotherhood.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
That's really awesome, awesome cool.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Well, hey, thanks for joining us and you'll get that
quarterback somewhere man appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Yeah, you're listening to the Lage Podcast. We're coming to
you from the Seakiek Studio. We also want to mention
our partners with Draft Kings Sportsbook. They are an official
sports betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens Draft Kings Sportsbook.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
The Crown is yours.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
So enjoyed sitting down with because I think this is
a guy who's been productive, had a huge game obviously
against the Bengals, and I think you asked him about
I think this thing could snowball a little bit for him.
I think he's got five sacks right now in the season.
I'm still not ruling out double ditches for him at all.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Oh yeah, I mean he's a supremely talented player, and
once he heats up, yeah, I think he's going to
be really hard to stop. And he already has heated up,
so yeah. I mean sometimes sacks can come in bunches,
and maybe you know, we saw it with k Venn
earlier this year, right he went on a tour in stretch.
Is this the beginning for Nomde? I'm certainly not going
to rule it out.
Speaker 6 (24:22):
Yeah, I think he could be really good. And also
getting Travis Jones healthy on that defensive line.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
And that's a big deal.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Yeah, I think I think it's going to help, and
I just think he's going to be a really He's
already a huge player for this defense, but I think
his production is only going to continue to go up
from here. So the Raves are gonna need him against
the Steelers this week. They need this defense to play
at a top level. They need to get after Russell Wilson,
and a lot of that starts with Matabek.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
So as always, you can.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Email us as a lounge at Ravens dot NFL dot net.
Thank you so much, Beeks for joining us here today
and we will be back with you again later this week.
Welcome into the lounge presented by Draft Kings. We are
thrilled to sit down with Nomdi mat A Bka. Thank
you for joining us. And uh, last time you were
on the lounge with us, it was fresh off signing
your extension.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Had your family here. Very cool moment, great day, great day.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Uh and you told us that fresh off the extension
that you thought you might go to the jewelry store
pick up.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Something nice for yourself. Just wondering did that come to fruition?
Did you get something or what?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Okay, I got a little you know, three little tennis change.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You know, I've been seeing Day and Lamar rock and
mind and give me a little neck.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
But yeah, I got a little.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
La Mar's got like the grill that he wears on
the gate.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Have you thought about it inspiration? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, what what has it been like since thinking that extension?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Like?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
How how has life changed for you?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
You know, you know a lot.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Of people have been hitting me up and finding my
number somehow. But you know, I think I just try
to keep the main thing, the main thing, keep things simple,
just keep working hard and just keep developing as just
a player and just like more now a leader and yeah,
just trying to keep the same focus as I had,
you know, the year before the extension. So just trying
to keep the main thing, the main thing, and you know,
just keep them the tight smart circle tight and just
(01:21):
keeping focused.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
Yeah, does it change after you get a big contract
like that in terms of people hitting you up? I mean,
you've obviously been in the NFL for a while and
so it's not like it's a secret you know that
you're in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
But but has.
Speaker 6 (01:34):
That actually changed in terms of people hit you up
or ask you for things?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, a little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
You know, people are like I guess like nicer or
something like that. I don't know what it is, but
I don't really put too much attention to it. I
just kind of peep it, kind of noticing and just
kind of move along. But you know, I don't like
to get it in my head. I just like to
just keep the main thing and just focus on just
being a great player.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yeah, that is one thing about you that it does
really stand out to me?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
From my perspective, Like nothing has changed about you, like nothing,
you know, like you still you're one of those guys
that you know, you don't worry like, all right, he
gets the contract, is he going to work as hard?
Is he going to put everything? Like you absolutely have?
You know it was that how intentional was that for you?
That you're like, all right, this is gonna make me
work even hard because I know we talked about that,
you know, the day that you came on and and
(02:23):
like how did you go about doing that?
Speaker 3 (02:26):
How went about it?
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Was?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Like I feel like when you sign a contract with that,
a lot of people are in your ear about what
you should do, what you shouldn't do, and I think
it's upon yourself to like just focus, really are just
doing what you did to get them contract that you
know what I'm saying, just earn it again, and like
that's the mentality. Just earn your respect in the league.
You know, Like I always have visions of like, you know,
(02:47):
seeing guys that looked up to like talk after the game,
I got respect your game like stuff like that that
keeps me motivated, like mentally, just you know, sometimes football
it's such a long season. You have to be able
to find things to keep you focused, keep you driven.
So yeah, things like that kind of keep me. Like
guess you could say.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
It's kind of interesting because I remember sitting down with
you on that day, and of course you're happy and
your family's here and it's an exciting day and all that,
but like there was a part of you that seemed
as we were talking to this to this point, like
it almost seemed like it added like another chip on
your shoulder. You're like, I got this contract, but I
know people are going to doubt me that I shouldn't
have got this contracted.
Speaker 6 (03:19):
I'm even more motivated because of.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
That, which I was like, wow, that is like the
next levels, like next levels three D chess right there.
And there's how you're feeling about that contract. How did
you use that like as motivation in a in a
strange way.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Yeah, you know, I think you know, just my story.
I guess like my first three years here in front
of me, and like I was learning from him but
still trying to show that I am a great player too.
So then when he left, I was like, you know,
I feel like people were like, oh, he's just another
third brown pick whatever like that, and I'm just like,
you guys, don't know.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I'm really believe himself. I'm really great. I just got
to show it.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
And then when I showed her Everyone's like, well, wow, congrats,
but you know, maybe it's like a one hit wonder.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Something like that.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
You know, people like that, I know be hitting me up,
like I said, like new numbers and stuff like that
about articles. I don't really get that too much attention.
But one of them was like one hand in Wonderlse.
I was like, man, these people don't know. I'll be
training in Atlanta off season like a hot summer. So
I'm just like, you know, I need to just stay
locked in and just do it again. It's one day
at a time, don't overthink it. Yeah, things kind of
(04:20):
went about it just about how you know, even though
I signed, people are still like, yeah, but you know,
he just had a great year. And I'm just like, nah,
I really do this, but actually speak a lot of
the words. I just have to keep showing it through it.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Well, fresh off a big time game three sacks against
the Bengals, Joe Burrow went home very sore, in part.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Because of you. He still might be having nightmares a
few days later. So what was going so right in
that game for you?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I think like on the sideline, like you know a
lot of guys may have been you know, Thursday night game.
You know, we're waiting all day to play. You know,
I took my time that day. I was keeping my
feed up and just like eating good food to keep
my energy flowing, keep managing going. So I think at
that night I was just like telling everybody silent, just
trust your moves. Trust your moves. Like at some point
(05:09):
they were up on us by like a touchdown in
a field goal, just like, yall, trust your moves is
getting quet Los sideline. I think I think just saying
that and just everybody just you know, having that that
juice going just had me going, and you know, just
playing very confidently and very aggressively and just trying to
get back there. I feel like if it's going to
be a spark has to start with me through action.
So you know, I did my best, and you know,
(05:30):
Marlin had a great play that's kind of spiked up
the whole momentum of the game, and you know, we
just found a way to win the league.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Is not easy. So I think just just talking to myself,
believing in what I'm doing, just and just just playing fast.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
Yeah, with this football standpoint, like you made the points
to me after the game that you felt like and
I'm curious about this that like if you basically just
pushed the pocket and stay it on your track there,
that you would have success getting to the quarterback. And
so like there's the I guess the mental side of things,
the emotional side of things, but like from a football standpoint,
was there was it any different in terms of your
(06:03):
approach and how you were rushing the pastor of this game.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
This specific game.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Yeah, I would say, So you know, bro, he likes
to you know, look back and then step up. Okay,
so if you if you if you collapse that pocket,
where is he gonna step up right right into your arms?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
So you just collect.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
If you don't collect, you know, Dov's gonna be a traps,
gonna be the like case's gonna be there to collect to.
We're in second down, we're on third down, you know,
just trying to get off the field third and out.
So you know that was the emphasis throughout the whole week.
You know, he likes to step up and just try
to find Chase down there or one of his targets
down there. So it was like just like a step up.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
It's just so comfortable right with you, I feel like,
you know, because you're so talented, Like once you get
on a roll, like it can really it can go.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Right.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Do you feel like there's a point in the game,
like when you start winning matchups like you were in
that Bengals game that like, all right, I'm in unstoppable
mode right now.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yeah, I do feel like like, you know, like I'm
in in my mode, like I'm going you know what
I mean, Like I'm in my zone. You know, I'm
in my zone, and you know I just have to
keep you know, just just keep going through whole game,
a whole sixty minutes.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
You know.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
I tell the whole Old line and D line, you know,
when we're a little practice warm up the game, like, man,
do y'all got sixty?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Man, They're like, yeah, I might not.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Man for really, y'all got sixty for me, Like sixty
minutes of just hard, smash.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Nose like football. Yeah tonight.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
You know what I'm saying, y'all got After we're done,
we get the dog, we can go home, see your
little auntie, nephew, white kids, whatever you got to do.
But like right now, y'all, y'all got sixty. I think
that's just my mentality, Like I'm gonna bring my sixty.
You know what I'm saying. I'm depending on you guys too.
I know you guys will I'm gonna win this game.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Yeah, and I know we talked earlier this season, you know,
before he had three sacks. He had two before then.
And it was a challenge, right like defense defenses or offenses,
I mean have adjusted to you. They they know who
nom The matabik is loud and clear, and you were
seeing a lot of double teams.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
How hard was that for you to adjust to?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Oh? Yeah, it was those pretty frustrating.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
You know. I have talks with like kV and all
these guys that played along with I'm like, damn man,
I playing like Noah, Bro, you're getting slidered a lot.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
And I was like, sure, I don't know, I ain't
getting sacks like I was last year. But you literally
asked you that not Well yeah, I was.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Like, is this something wrong? Like I like, no, Bro,
just you're agatst slide. Just don't overthink it because put
in football you can really get yourself in the whole
where you're over analyzed and overthinking things, and then you
start playing slow, you start playing sloggers, and then it
gets worse. You just have to take the simple game
like down a notch, like keep it smooth, be calm, coucted,
trust yourself, trust your moves. Right, That's why I was
preaching to the whole line. I'm in the D line
(08:30):
on the sideline the Bengals game because I had to
tell myself that all y'all too. So I think that
really helped.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
So I guess when you get three sacks and does
that just those thoughts are gone?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Then right? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, I mean it shows me that like, hey, like
what you were telling yourself about what you believe what
was working. So now let's get on a roll. It's
going because we're in the middle of the season and
you know, I believe we can really get hot. We
have some things to fix, but we can really get hot.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
I'm curious as a pass rusher, like all year long,
you have been you've been in the backfield, you've been
making an impact, and.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You like, even though up until the gate, up until Bengals.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Game, you only had two sacks, but your impact was felt,
and is it how do you balance? Basically, like, I'm
getting to the quarterback, I'm getting pressures, I'm geting some hits,
but like the sacks aren't there yet, But it's a
whole You're you're looking at the entire package of how
you're playing.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So how do you balance all those things as the player?
Speaker 4 (09:19):
You know, just I think just trusting the process. Like,
for example, if you have like four tackles and like
zero sacks, you know, for four games straight, you're getting
four tackles every game, that's good, but the sacks of
Whateverybody's like, ooh, you may feel like you're playing bad
when you're not.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
That's kind of how I felt in a sense.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
You know, I was getting a lot of tackles, wasn't
getting back there when I was getting back that wasn't collected.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And I'm just like, man, like.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
I just need to just just keep trusting the projects,
keep living right, I keep eating when I keep sleeping right,
trying to do everything that I can control to get
a better outcome in the game. So I feel like
when I got three, I really could have got more.
When I look back on the film, I really could
have add like more. But it just you know, keeps
me like motivated to just keep trusting yourself and just
keep trusting.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Do you look at some of the other guys around
the league, some of the other premier defensive tackles, and
you're like, man, there's guys like they've been doing it
for a while now, right, like the Chris Chris Jones
has been eating for a while Aaron Donald, Right, Like
those guys went to Pro Bowls like you, and.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Then they kept producing.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Like do you look at them and kind of take
inspiration from them in any way?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Yeah for sure, Oh for sure.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, like Aaron Donald, Like that's a guy that I
watched a lot on film and especially now this year
was the first time I started asking Matt, like a Mat,
can you find like old a dfilms are like beating
double teams, getting double team the bunch can find, you know,
filming like Chris Jones, like, you know, getting double team
and see how he slips and so just through there.
This is the year where I think if I were
(10:48):
to go back in the off season, I would to
watch more film on taking double teams. I didn't know
how much I was going to get this right, right,
So I think stuff like that is just trying to
find ways to.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
Get So you're going to Matt, who's a you know,
for listener reviewers is one of the defensive assistant coaches.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, Matt Robins. Yeah, Robins is one.
Speaker 6 (11:03):
Of our defensive coaches. And you're saying to him, give
me footage of double teams here so I can figure
out how to beat these.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
Yeah, of other guys, even of Chris Jones.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Yeah, just to see like how you know they they
made it work in terms of like getting pressure through
the double team or slithering through there and still getting
the sack. You know, you can still get a sacking
double team, but just just not what you do is
how you do it, you know. So I think watching
those guys and then be envisioned myself in their shoes,
like when the game is on, I can know how
to lift that arm up and rip through there and
(11:32):
just keep your feet, keep your feet driving stuff like that, right,
because I know they're gonna slot to me, so I
stn't eat.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotta.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Find a way to get in there.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
That's awesome, and I think you can certainly take some
comfort also knowing or if you're getting a double team
somebody else isn't.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Right.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
That's opening things up for Travis Jones and for Broddy
and MP before he was on into reserve and all that, Like,
how have you kind of viewed what those guys have
done as you've gotten a lot of attention.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
You know, Yeah, when I get a lot of attentions,
those guys get the one on ones, which is great.
And you know sometimes they jet why and they have
wild why slides and all types of stuff. So they
know we're gonna bring pressure. Yeah, they know we're gonna
being pressure. So we just got to keepplyying it. Just
keep applaying it. Well, the more they bring it, the
more we apply. Just keeping the mind to that.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
How do you view a game against the Steelers? Everybody
knows what they're known for. Everybody knows that the Ravens
defense is known for. How much do you kind of
get up for these games against Pittsburgh?
Speaker 4 (12:29):
No, it's it's a it's one of the longest rivalries
in NFL history, and you know it is another game,
but you know this game, you know, you know when
it comes with smash mouth talking, trash, physical like, showing
no weakness like all those things just have to mentally,
you have to really factor and before you go out
(12:49):
there and play your heart out. So I think the
week of preparation. Everybody just having that mind frame going
into practice, have that mindframe goingto Thursday, Friday, Saturday and
locked efflicts Sunday and just you know what I'm saying,
play our best ball.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
It's interesting that you say showing no weakness, Like both
of these teams take pride in on game day we're
going to be the more physical team.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Both of them do. And so is that a tangible thing?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Like when you're out there, you don't even want to
give them the glimmer of hope that they're the more
physical team. Like if you get banged up, you're like,
do you In other games you might be like, ah,
but in the Steelers game, like you don't, you don't
do that.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
I think in every game I don't do for me.
For me, I can only speak for me. But in
the Steelers game, you know, for show like they really showing,
you know me because of just the rivally and the history,
and yeah, we don't really like them. They don't really
like us, so it's just like, yeah, like we're it's
it's manhead day for sure. Everybody just have to locked
in the same page, old line, D line, special teams,
quarterback running, but everybody I think you know, if we
(13:46):
all do that, have that frame, you know, we'll come
up with a great outcome.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Did you like watching old tapes?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Old highlights?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
Are you pulling up any old school Ravens, Steelers, Ray
Lewis ed Reed? Helloiti, not a type highlights this week
to get you for this one?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
You know, U z oh he he already put the
highlights up already in the meeting. Yeah, you know, like
you know, like film like that, you know you those
are cool film.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
But you know if you play like that, now you're gonna.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Get you can't be too like the mentality is there,
but just the way they play is like you have
to make back up. They're gonna get flagged or get letter.
It's just like just a different game that was just fine.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Can you break Ben Roethlisberger's nose?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Like I want to even get flagged on that play?
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I don't think he.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I don't think he did.
Speaker 6 (14:33):
Yeah, I don't think he did either.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Different game now, different game it is, and you just
have to just know that, be aware of that. But
you know, still like like you still got to win
your Russia's and trying to get back there.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Sorry, sorry to cut you off, I'm curious.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
I want to go back to you when you talk about.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
Eating right, sleeping right, training right, Like you to me
seem like an incredibly disciplined guy just in everything that
you do, your training, your diet. Are you one of
these guys like Derek Henry's diet got a lot of
buzz earlier this year. I if you strike me as
a guy that is very strict and like everything that
you're putting into your body, Like what is your your
regimen from a diet standpoint and from a workout standpoint.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Even when Derek got here, you know, we were talking
a lot, and I always would ask him like, hey, man,
would you eat this morning like one o'clock in the
morning at that afternue Yeah, like it would eat this
morning because you know, he would tell me like he
wouldn't eat much until like before practice would be like like.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
A celery or kale he was having like kale for breakfast.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yeah, Brea. I'm just like dang, like that just can't
be me. I'm in the trenches. Like he has to
be a little bit lighter as a running back.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
I'm more of like I have to be happy, husky,
like being able to take double team and stay in there,
stay put. So you know, I was kind of like,
you know, asking questions. I feel like if it added
to me and what I could be better, I would
do that. So to answer your question, like I stopped
eating breakfast and I started eating like basically like a
brunchish lunchish around like sounds like yeah, yeah, so around
(16:00):
like twelve fifteen, that'd be like my first meal and
I'll stop eating.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I'll stop eating. I like.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Thirty nine the latest, so I have that whole like
twelve hour fourteen hour fast. I guess you could say,
just to make sure I don't get too big, you
know what I mean. So I'll just try to find
ways just to see what bes fits me.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
You know what I mean. Right, it's really like really
like a journey to find out what works for your body.
Right works for me, I work for you.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Are you like regimented about during those times that you
are eating what you're eating?
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Yeah, Like I eat like pancakes and like eggs, like
egg whites and stuff like that. But I don't eat
like crazy stuff like super fried food and something like
that unless it's like you know, food.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Trucks day exactly. So outside of that, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
I try to keep a smooth regimen, like try to
keep the main thing the main thing, like eat the
same meal before a game. Usually I kind of like
two options I give myself every game, morning games, late games.
Speaker 6 (16:59):
So yeah, because you lost what like ten pounds this year?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Yeah, like last year I played maybe at three or
five three hundred.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Now I'm playing like a two ninety two eighty eight okay, yeah, like.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Like ten to fifteen.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Yeah, and I think just not eating like in the
morning immediately, like kept my weight like down and kept
my torchiness there. Still my strength is still there. So
as long as I'm still strong and still able to
take those old teen and stay stout, and I feel
like I can keep shedding. But when it gets too
shady where you're getting right over, it's like, okay, you
(17:33):
gotta put some more.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Get a problem exactly right right now? How do you
schedule in it? It's jolliffe, is I pronounced juel rice?
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yes? How do you schedule that into the regiment?
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (17:47):
As long as I got some some chicken or something
like that, I'll be good. It's some suspinach, but yeah,
that can be like the carb and like you know,
like sweet sweet potato fried like sweet potatoes.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah, I find those like smooth, like healthy, like energetic
like carb and stuff like that. Chickens always good. Yeah,
Beef maybe once a week, you know me, Beef kind
of like feels weird in my system, but chicken for sure.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
And Shydre is huge. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Yeah, So I do want to talk for listeners who
might not know. Jolliff Rice is a Nigerian dish and
now the obviously with the name change this year, you know,
really kind of embracing more of your Nigerian heritage and uh,
and it's really cool that you're also doing that alongside
of Odafe and David Ajavo. And so how has that
(18:35):
process been, Like do you feel not just with your
name change, but that brotherhood that you have that uh.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
You're more true to your natural self? Do you feel
that way now?
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I do?
Speaker 4 (18:45):
I do for sure, you know, Dafe and Jabi always
been my brothers. But you know, I think like just
being real with yourself. I feel like as I started
elevating my career, every year, I just got better and
better and better. And as I got better, I started
like shed away things are just stripped things from me
that didn't mean much like oh, like friends that I
ain't doing much like video games, like girlfriends and stuff
(19:09):
like just trying to just really just dial and and
see how great I can be in this thing. And
like I just realized it. Just being real with myself
just really got me there. And I was just like anyway,
like you know, in the building, people call me beaks.
You know what I'm saying, only really called me justin
that justin Tucker gets got just if somebody says Justin,
like I don't even turn around. I'm never talking to
just talker. People call me beaks. I'm just like if
(19:30):
that's gonna be the case, I'm gonna go like my
real name. You know. If my dad calls me like
how hey, you know, how did they go, I'm like
good chilling, like try to get that quarterback saying my mom,
but hey, now how you feeling?
Speaker 3 (19:41):
I'm doing good, mom, I'm doing good chilling. You know.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
So those are my people, and they've always called me
that since I've been a kid. So I was like,
you know what, this is my real name. I'm just
Gonta Braced what I really am, and I don't care
anybody thinks about it.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
It's on mysid, it's my brothertificates though.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Is how good does it feel like? Does it? Does
it feel better to you?
Speaker 3 (19:58):
It does? Yeah, it was like it feels true.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It feels like that thing that we're all missing mentally,
like something just like that.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Don't feel that void. You know.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
I'm still trying to be hungry and fight for my
my respect and in my career and all that stuff
and just little things like that. But I think changing
my name to like my real name that I believe
in my heart is my real name. So I've been
a kid just really just just kind of like a
liberating feeling.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
Was it?
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Did you recognize it when you ran out of the
tunnel with Nomdi being called out over the PA for
the first line, Like when you run out of the
tunnel you hear Namdi mata bk for the first time.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
Did that strike you?
Speaker 4 (20:35):
You know, it's so crazy and in that tunnel, like
the crowd is so loud. I just go out there
and just fighting. I'm just ready just to go and
just to fight and just to go to war. So
I think, you know, I think for like the fans
and like my family, they enjoy it, but for me,
I don't hear.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
I'm just locked in, ready to go.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 5 (20:51):
Last last thing for me is obviously this you know,
this defense. You guys are getting ready to play this
divisional game. I know this defense is not played to
the level overall that you guys as a whole, you
got high expectations. So talk to me about the confidence
that you guys have as a unit that you can
write the ship. You know, there's a lot of good
players on this team, a lot of good coaches that
you guys can write the ship and get the thing
(21:12):
back on track.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
High confidence, you know, as I see it as that
we have like the same guys as we had last
year for the most part, you know, so it's us,
you know what I mean. We are in our own way.
So I have high confidence that you know, if you're
great and you have great inn City, you can find
a way to turn around despite you know, going through
shortcomings and just not playing that you believe you can.
(21:34):
So it just starts to practice, starts supposed to be
on the same page. And I believe in the guys
because I believe in the last year, the same guys
believing that this year. You know, I believe them as
long as we're playing with each other. So you know,
that's just what it is. We shouldn't put in the
work in practice, all right.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Last one for me is take me inside of that
brotherhood that you have with Doffin Jabo and what that
looks like when the three you know, Nigerian guys are
hanging out off the field.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
What's that look like. It's cool.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
It's just so much relatability, you know, just in terms
of growing up, we go through like our parents like
the same things to us.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I'm like, bro, your mom.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
Said that to Sa to me too, she told me
to leave like and go back home after the lights
was off, and if you don't, you know, you're gonna
get spaced.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
All that time.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
I'm just like, man, this is just so funny how
we're just so similar, we're so different at the same time.
So those are my DAGs, those like, those are my dogs,
those are my guys. And being on the same team
in the NFL, like definitely is gonna bring our relationship
to a whole different level after football and just a
beautiful thing. So I'm happy that get to play with it.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
And his food, music. What else is it that gets
rolled up here?
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, food for sure, like you know they're there.
It's funny.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
They're more heavy on like eating Nigerian food and finding
like Nigerian cuisine out here. I'm more like, man, give
me like a nice burger. Gave me like some popcorn,
Like give me like it's like some ice cream COOKI
you know, I'm straight. I still eat like my Nagerian food,
like you know what I mean. It's just not it's
not like my automatic go to. But I do have
times where I'm like, man, I'm craving like some old
(23:03):
mom's cooking. I'll find like a nice cruisin out here,
because there's a bunch out here in Maryland. So yeah,
I think that's our music and stuff like that. We
listened to this usually the same music. There's a lot
of guys like burn A Boy and like with like
you know, whiz Kid, all these Nigerian you know, artists
that we we share songs with and stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Like that, and like the beat. But I saw that, man,
just just a smooth brotherhood.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
That's really awesome, awesome cool.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Well, hey, thanks for joining us and you'll get that
quarterback somewhere man appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Yeah, you're listening to the Lage Podcast. We're coming to
you from the Seakiek Studio. We also want to mention
our partners with Draft Kings Sportsbook. They are an official
sports betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens Draft Kings Sportsbook.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
The Crown is yours.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
So enjoyed sitting down with because I think this is
a guy who's been productive, had a huge game obviously
against the Bengals, and I think you asked him about
I think this thing could snowball a little bit for him.
I think he's got five sacks right now in the season.
I'm still not ruling out double ditches for him at all.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Oh yeah, I mean he's a supremely talented player, and
once he heats up, yeah, I think he's going to
be really hard to stop. And he already has heated up,
so yeah. I mean sometimes sacks can come in bunches,
and maybe you know, we saw it with k Venn
earlier this year, right he went on a tour in stretch.
Is this the beginning for Nomde? I'm certainly not going
to rule it out.
Speaker 6 (24:22):
Yeah, I think he could be really good. And also
getting Travis Jones healthy on that defensive line.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
And that's a big deal.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Yeah, I think I think it's going to help, and
I just think he's going to be a really He's
already a huge player for this defense, but I think
his production is only going to continue to go up
from here. So the Raves are gonna need him against
the Steelers this week. They need this defense to play
at a top level. They need to get after Russell Wilson,
and a lot of that starts with Matabek.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
So as always, you can.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Email us as a lounge at Ravens dot NFL dot net.
Thank you so much, Beeks for joining us here today
and we will be back with you again later this week.
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