December 9, 2024 • 19 mins
Celebrate 30 seasons of Carolina Panthers football with Jim Szoke. Join him as he sits down with the key figures who shaped the past 29 seasons, reminiscing on the moments that made Panther's history. This week's guest is former Panthers offensive lineman, Frank Garcia.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Like so many former Carolina Panthers, Frank Garcia has continued
to make the Charlotte area his home. Today, we visit
with one of the original members of the Carolina Panthers
first ever draft class, reliving the days down at Clemson
in the original days under Don Capers with Frank.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Garcia, thirty seasons of Panther football a celebration of the players, coaches,
and other key figures who contributed to the organizational success.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
He's part of that original nineteen ninety five Carolina Panthers
football team, played here for a couple of years as
part of his pro career that began as a college
start at the University of Washington.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Growing up in Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Frank Garcia one of the big guys on the offensive
line from the early days of Panthers football, and Frank,
of course here a big part of the Charlotte community
all these many years later. Frank, great to catch up
with you today.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
How you doing, Hey, Jim, Thanks for having me and
I'm doing great. Just been taking one at the time,
raising my family.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
That's awesome to hear. And you're like a lot of players,
I mean, I mean, I don't know if we might
be in the hundreds by now guys that spent some
part of their career here and decided they're going to
make this the place they raised their families and stick around.
What about Charlotte in the Carolina as a particular has
been attractive for you to stick around all these many years.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Well, I was very fortunate, you know, when I was,
you know, first here with the Panthers to kind of
get mentored by John Casey, and he gave me a
good piece of advice is that, you know, this is
a vault the league. You're gonna you know, maybe travel
here and there, but always find a place you can
call home. And that's what we decided to make Charlotte.
And it was an easy decision. The community, the schools,
(01:41):
the activities, the safeness, it's just a great lifestyle and
a great place to raise a family.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
And you know, we found.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Ourselves loving it and just continue to grow here and
and immerse ourselves into the community and you know, doing
a bunch of different things, coaching high school football, running.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Restaurants, it's just doing radio, just being a part of
the community.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
It has been something that's been important to me and
we've been blessed to be able to do that for
many years.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Here you know, and you live at your friends with
these guys. There are a lot of guys that are
like you. They find success after football, and then some
who kind of get lost or don't really find exactly
what they love to do. But you just mentioned a
couple of passions. If you're doing radio, being in the
restaurant industry, coaching high school football, what's post football been
like as far as having those successes you've had outside
(02:30):
of the football field.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Well, it's been a challenge initially, and I understand those
people's the other guys that have played this game and
made a career out of it.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
That post part of what you do afterwards.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
And it's a challenge because a lot of times you
base your identity and what you do as a young
kid and you really don't understand the purpose. You don't
do that for a long time. It might be ten
years if you're lucky, if you're really lucky, it might
be ten years. But you have the rest of your
life to live. So finding that passion is something that
it took a little while. I played a lot of golf.
(03:05):
I was lost a little bit when I was done,
but fortunate I surrounded myself with good people, and I
got into the radio industry and started my own show
and I did that for several years and you know
turned that into hopefully a pretty good successful brand at
w F and Z. And you know, then you know,
you started once that was over to you know, always
(03:26):
coach high school football.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
But it's a challenge.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
It's a challenge, and you know that's turned into even
you know, running restaurants and owning restaurants with a good
partner that that I made Joe Moss, who owns several
car dealerships here in the area. So just surrounding yourself
with good people and you know, finding your way through
and you know, having a passion for what you're doing
and looking for that next challenge.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
We'll talk a little about you're growing up playing high
school football and college football. But to take one of
those categories you just mentioned, you're you're still at Shelock
Catholic High School, one of the prominent programs in not
only Charlotte, but in the Carolina's know, what's that like
getting back in there and working with you know, fifteen
to eighteen year olds coaching college football the way that
you've been doing for years.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Well, it's super rewarded because you don't get paid a
whole lot and you spend a lot of time. People
don't understand the commitment that it takes. Even now so
with high school football and the amount of time that
these coaches put in, and I applaud them for that
because you know, it's really not something we're doing to
make a lot of money. We're doing it because we
love the kids and we want to give back and
we have a passion for that.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
And that's that's where my passion has been. I love coaching.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I've been there for about seventeen years now and you know,
we've turned that program and.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
What that's been, that's that's been a predominant program. Krmoto.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
You know, started the tradition obviously and was there for
thirty some years and you know, brought it, it's took
over and now we have a new new coach at
the Helm. So you know, it's been a it's been
a big part of you know what I've been able
to give back and you know something that I've enjoyed.
You when you're when you're doing it and you're with
the kids, you hope they understand someday the impact that
(05:07):
you're going to have, because I think we can all
remember our high school coaches or a teacher that we
had and the impact they had on their life, hope
hopefully in a positive way. And you know, that's what
I try to do for these kids, and you.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Know, hopefully they come back and you know, and I've.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Been fortunate enough to have them a lot a lot
of them come back and say, you know, thanks, thanks
for everything you did.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
It's cool that you do that. And of course, as
folks knows, a lot of other former Panthers that that
are also involved in the area programs here and I'm
sure to throw for those kids to have their expertise.
When you were growing up on the other side of
the country in the Phoenix, Arizona area, what was what
was maybe that person for you or those experiences like
that you recall going through the high school years before
(05:47):
you went off to Washington for college that kind of
helped form you as as a high school football player.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Well, I was a big wrestler back then, and you know,
I also played football, and you know, I had a
coach named coach buck Hall, you know, back in Arizona.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Kind of fitting for the state that we were in.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
But he wore a big belt buckle, and you know,
I remember one day at practice. You know, I thought
I was smart and I had all the answers, and
you know, I decided to pop off to him.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And back then it wasn't as politically correct as it
is now.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
He took a clipboard and jams at about three and
a half four inches into my sternum and told me
if I wanted to coach the F and team, here,
you coach the F and team. I think I learned
my lesson right then and there that I overstepped, and
you know, my dad did a good job raising us,
and you know, I think nowadays there might be a lawsuit,
but back then I went and apologized for overstepping after
(06:38):
the practice and learned my place. But he had a
big impact on my life and you know, teaching me
values and and things like that. We had a great
high school program, you know, with a lot of NFL athletes,
Darren Woodson Fleape Sparks to mention a couple that had
long careers for the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And the New York Giants. You know, we had a
really good team.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
But you know, he was a big part of my life,
and I remember a lot of the things he instilled
in me, and you know, sorted my dad as as
a kid growing up, he was there for us and
you know, really gave us a lot of our values
that we have today.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yeah, you and I are in the same decade of life,
so yeah, the school of hard knocks was a common
common occurrence whether it's parenting or a gym coach or
a football coach through the years. And obvious thing with
you being such a great interior linement is those wrestling
skills had to come in awfully handy for you. As
far as crossing over into your football career.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Absolutely is probably one of the best sports I ever did,
and really kind of transitioned and helped me as a
young younger player and a not not as big as
an athletic or as as physically as a gifted as
maybe some of these other bigger, stronger athletes were, but
it taught me leverage, It taught me how to you know,
gain position, play with play with power, and you know,
(07:52):
just just the mental part of the sport that you
have to push yourself through. And you know, it's something
I tell my kids now and you fatigue is. Fatigue
is is a crazy thing. It'll make towers of us all.
If you learn how to beat fatigue, that's when you
become a champion, because that's the battle you're always fighting
in your head when you get tired. Is that you
(08:15):
to push yourself through those those moments. And that's what
really wrestling really was able to bring them to me.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I played high school basketball, and I always would It
was obviously time of year at the Grub Ohio where
you would be say simultaneous season as wrestling, and we'd
be out there doing layups and free throw drills and
shuttle drills, and I watched those wrestlers wearing those plastic
suits trying to lose half it ounce of water way
to go. I absolutely did not want to do wrestling.
That basketball seemed a.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Lot more fun.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, there was, there was times, and I was fortunate
I was a heavyweight, so I mean I think towards
my senior year I had to kind of start watching it.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I was eating, but I.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Didn't envy any of those younger guys that were cutting,
you know, two three weight classes to try to compete
and get the most out of their bodies and you know,
just the regiments and the routines that they'd have to
go through before each and every match, you know, getting down,
you know, basically into their underwear and sometimes nothing at
all to get on that scale to try to to
(09:11):
get that last out.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
So it didn't tip the scale. And you know, I.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Applaud all the guys that have ever wrestled because it's
a tough sport and hopefully it's talked them a lot
about life.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
No, absolutely so, again, this was Arizona. You end up
at the University of Washington. What were some of the
other college considerations? How'd you end up being a Husky?
Speaker 4 (09:31):
You know, Arizona State was always first and foremost on
my list. There was a coaching change where John Cooper
went to Ohio State, and I had already verbally committed
to Arizona State, and I really wanted to go there
to play in front of my family and my home crowd.
But when he left, Larry Marmai came in and my
scholarship immediately or just kind of magically disappeared, and they
(09:52):
asked me to walk on and said, no, thanks, I
think I'll go try my options elsewhere. And I went
up to Washington and fell in love at that campus.
University of Miami was another option, Ohio State John Cooper,
but I didn't want to stay. I didn't want to
be too far away where you know, I was close
to my family. I have seven brothers and sisters, so
I wanted them to be able to at least see
me once or twice a year. I'm playing in the
(10:14):
PAC ten at the time, now you know it's PAC twelve,
but to not even really resemblance of what it used
to be.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It gave me that opportunity to go.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
To Arizona, Arizona State, and I'm play in front of
the home crowd every now and then. So I chose Washington.
It was an easy choice.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
It was a good choice for me. Win in the
National Championship and ninety.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
One going to three Rose Bulls and just had a
lot of success there and was a big part of
all of that as well.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
All right, before we talk about your panther years, quick,
because you're right there that PAC twelve PAC ten discussion
which became the PAC two for a minute to pick
on your sports talk brain for a little bit. How
do you when you look at college football now, there's
so many different things with nil transfer portal, but to.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Take the conference realignment.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
I grew up an Ohio Ohio State fan. I mean
they're they're unrecognizable if you're a SEC, SEC doesn't matter,
PAC twelve and all of them. Just what are your
thoughts about just the loss of geography and those rivalries
that we see now with all this kind of greed
I would call it in college football.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
All right, Well, that's exactly what it is.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
It's the power of money, the love of money, and
I think it's ruining a lot of the innocence of
the game. It was something that you know, you could
look differently upon on a Saturday and seeing these kids
out here doing it for an opportunity to play on Sundays.
And now I think it's become more of a minor
(11:38):
league sport with the with the expectation of you know,
making millions of dollars, and I think that's what's really
changed the game and it's really hurt the innocence of it.
But you know, the rivalries are another thing that I miss.
You're going to lose some of those the tradition, the
history of some of the games that existed.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
You're going to create new ones.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
But you know that's I guess the way of the
world and the way it's moving is, you know, it's
more about, you know, how they can maximize their dollars
instead of you know, give the fans a little bit
of something in return.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Yeah, no doubt, and affects all the other types of
sports underneath.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
They all led by football, geography wise and all that.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
So you're at Washington, you get drafted by the Panthers
and the fifth round expansion team. So what was that reaction.
You probably grew up what you were watching the NFL
and that team didn't even exist. Did you view that
as an opportunity more so being a new team or
would you rather go into a traditional team or did
you even have a preference of where you landed in
the NFL.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I didn't care where I was going and who I
was planning for.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Jim. I was a late fourth round pick. I didn't
go to any bowl games.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
I didn't go any I thought my career was over
and I had a passion like you wouldn't believe from
the time I was three years old in a dream
to play in the NFL. So I was coming to
grips with that might be over because I didn't get
any opportunities once the college season was over. I thought
(13:11):
it was gonna be an unrestricted free a restricted free
a free agent and having to go and you know,
sign on as a you know, just kind of a
guide that the hopefully gets on a team. But fortunately
the Panthers called. I got drafted in the fourth round.
I remember it was about six o'clock in the morning,
(13:33):
West Coast time. I was just barely in bed and
they called, and Tom Capers and called me, and I'm
like who I was like, I didn't know who he
was because he hadn't been on a head coach, but
I felt very h quickly found out that he was
the head coach of the.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Panthers, and it was the happiest day of my life.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
I called my parents, Bill Polly and talked to me
for a while, and they drafted me, you know, in
the fourth round, and the rest is history from there.
I was very fortunate to come here and get an
opportunity to play my first year as a rookie, and
you know, they were just looking for the best five
(14:16):
guys on the line, and I fought myself into that position.
I wouldn't let know be an answer for me because
I did have to take on I did have to
battle a lot of obstacles. I was only six to two,
it was, you know, close to three hundred pounds, but
by NFL standards, that was a small alignment. So I
had to find my way and work my way into
(14:37):
you know, that starting lineup, and not.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
That you would have anything to compare it to, but
it's like it's such a unique situation and that you're
on a brand new team, so there's there's no set
like last year starters you have to beat out and
things like that. So that had to be kind of
a unique situation in hindsight, that you weren't coming into
some established franchise where they had the veteran players. Everybody
was new.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
That's right. God would work some mysterious ways.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
And so I had went to the Seahawks, or would
have went to the Packers, or I would have been
behind a guy that had been a perennial five year,
six year starter, waiting for him to kind of, you know,
step out or get himself priced out of become a
free agent out of his position. But here Tom told
us that we had five spots available. There's no starting
(15:21):
there's no guys that are inked in. It's all pencils,
so you have an opportunity to move up to earn
yourself a shot. And I found myself slowly moving up
the depth chart into that first or second of the
second game where Kerry Collins and I both made our
start against the Rams, you know at Clemson Stadium.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
And I tell people who weren't around, it's like, you
have to remember there were there were twenty one road games.
I mean, Clemson was a home stadium, but it began
in Canton. The home games were you know, without traffic
two and a half hours, with traffic even more. What
was that degree of difficulty as far as not really
having like a true home base or was there was
travel involved every week?
Speaker 4 (16:02):
That's right, And really there's only if as many people
are probably to listen to the show has ben to
Clemson are through that area, but going through it when
everybody from Charlotte is going to watch a game, it
makes the travel time a whole lot more challenging. It
was a four hour trip, you know, on these big
buses getting back and getting to the game, and everybody
(16:25):
and Charlotte was going there to watch it, so it
was just like traveling to San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It was it was.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Really literally sixteen road games, and we felt like if
we went to New Orleans, or we went to Saint Louis,
so we you know, went to an NFC West team,
you know back then that was going to be or Atlanta.
It was gonna be a lot quicker to get home
going to those games, and it was to Clemson. So
we didn't mind even traveling to Atlanta or to New
(16:54):
Orleans or or Saint Louis at the time to to
play those to play those road games.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
All right, last thing, We'll let you go. And this
type of answer has been one hundred percent to any
player who's wrapped up their career, I'll ask them, looking back,
what do you miss the most? And almost everyone appreciated
the games and loved the games and have big stories
from big games to talk about. But almost to a person,
it's like it was Wednesday practice or card games in
(17:21):
the locker room, or just the general joking around camaraderie.
When you look back at your career, what is that
kind of it for you too? Kind of more the
day to day and less about those three hours on
Sunday that you really kind of missed the most when
you leave the game.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Well, yeah, anybody that tells you that the paychecks aren't
the number one thing they missed a lot.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
You just don't make that kind of money in the
real world. So other than the paychecks, yeah, the guys.
That was definitely the camaraderie.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
The fights, the hard work that you had to go
through with the guy next to you pulling you through
when when you were dog tired, or you pulling them
through and cheering for one another.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
And then you know, facing the adversity of you know.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
The opponent that you're going to be playing, knowing that
everybody in the world watching and coming out of that
tunnel and either having a hostile crowd booing you.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Or your home team cheering cheering for you.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
There's no feeling like that in the world that you
can mimic or emulate, and that's the thing that you miss.
It's like literally when you watch the movie Gladiator. You
know now when you're in the arena and everybody is
cheering and you're just waiting for the thumbs up or
the thumbs down. So that's the way you felt back
(18:38):
then as a player, and you know those are the
things that I miss as a player, you know, getting
out there on that arena and battling at the highest
level against the guy across from you who was the
best of what he did as well.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
That's awesome. So a great career, and we're glad you
stuck around in Charlotte continued good success and all the
things you do coaching, business and all that stuff. Frank,
thanks for visiting with.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Us, Jim, thanks, thanks for having me, and thanks to
everybody that supported me over the years. And hopefully the
Panthers can get back on track. It sounds like it
looks like Dan Morgan has them heading in the right
direction and Dave Canalis has them going the right way,
So just keep cheering for them, and thanks for having
me on and hopefully we can do this anytime you need.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Thirty seasons of Panther football.
Like so many former Carolina Panthers, Frank Garcia has continued
to make the Charlotte area his home. Today, we visit
with one of the original members of the Carolina Panthers
first ever draft class, reliving the days down at Clemson
in the original days under Don Capers with Frank.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Garcia, thirty seasons of Panther football a celebration of the players, coaches,
and other key figures who contributed to the organizational success.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
He's part of that original nineteen ninety five Carolina Panthers
football team, played here for a couple of years as
part of his pro career that began as a college
start at the University of Washington.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Growing up in Phoenix.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Frank Garcia one of the big guys on the offensive
line from the early days of Panthers football, and Frank,
of course here a big part of the Charlotte community
all these many years later. Frank, great to catch up
with you today.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
How you doing, Hey, Jim, Thanks for having me and
I'm doing great. Just been taking one at the time,
raising my family.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
That's awesome to hear. And you're like a lot of players,
I mean, I mean, I don't know if we might
be in the hundreds by now guys that spent some
part of their career here and decided they're going to
make this the place they raised their families and stick around.
What about Charlotte in the Carolina as a particular has
been attractive for you to stick around all these many years.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Well, I was very fortunate, you know, when I was,
you know, first here with the Panthers to kind of
get mentored by John Casey, and he gave me a
good piece of advice is that, you know, this is
a vault the league. You're gonna you know, maybe travel
here and there, but always find a place you can
call home. And that's what we decided to make Charlotte.
And it was an easy decision. The community, the schools,
(01:41):
the activities, the safeness, it's just a great lifestyle and
a great place to raise a family.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
And you know, we found.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Ourselves loving it and just continue to grow here and
and immerse ourselves into the community and you know, doing
a bunch of different things, coaching high school football, running.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Restaurants, it's just doing radio, just being a part of
the community.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
It has been something that's been important to me and
we've been blessed to be able to do that for
many years.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Here you know, and you live at your friends with
these guys. There are a lot of guys that are
like you. They find success after football, and then some
who kind of get lost or don't really find exactly
what they love to do. But you just mentioned a
couple of passions. If you're doing radio, being in the
restaurant industry, coaching high school football, what's post football been
like as far as having those successes you've had outside
(02:30):
of the football field.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Well, it's been a challenge initially, and I understand those
people's the other guys that have played this game and
made a career out of it.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
That post part of what you do afterwards.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
And it's a challenge because a lot of times you
base your identity and what you do as a young
kid and you really don't understand the purpose. You don't
do that for a long time. It might be ten
years if you're lucky, if you're really lucky, it might
be ten years. But you have the rest of your
life to live. So finding that passion is something that
it took a little while. I played a lot of golf.
(03:05):
I was lost a little bit when I was done,
but fortunate I surrounded myself with good people, and I
got into the radio industry and started my own show
and I did that for several years and you know
turned that into hopefully a pretty good successful brand at
w F and Z. And you know, then you know,
you started once that was over to you know, always
(03:26):
coach high school football.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
But it's a challenge.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
It's a challenge, and you know that's turned into even
you know, running restaurants and owning restaurants with a good
partner that that I made Joe Moss, who owns several
car dealerships here in the area. So just surrounding yourself
with good people and you know, finding your way through
and you know, having a passion for what you're doing
and looking for that next challenge.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
We'll talk a little about you're growing up playing high
school football and college football. But to take one of
those categories you just mentioned, you're you're still at Shelock
Catholic High School, one of the prominent programs in not
only Charlotte, but in the Carolina's know, what's that like
getting back in there and working with you know, fifteen
to eighteen year olds coaching college football the way that
you've been doing for years.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Well, it's super rewarded because you don't get paid a
whole lot and you spend a lot of time. People
don't understand the commitment that it takes. Even now so
with high school football and the amount of time that
these coaches put in, and I applaud them for that
because you know, it's really not something we're doing to
make a lot of money. We're doing it because we
love the kids and we want to give back and
we have a passion for that.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
And that's that's where my passion has been. I love coaching.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I've been there for about seventeen years now and you know,
we've turned that program and.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
What that's been, that's that's been a predominant program. Krmoto.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
You know, started the tradition obviously and was there for
thirty some years and you know, brought it, it's took
over and now we have a new new coach at
the Helm. So you know, it's been a it's been
a big part of you know what I've been able
to give back and you know something that I've enjoyed.
You when you're when you're doing it and you're with
the kids, you hope they understand someday the impact that
(05:07):
you're going to have, because I think we can all
remember our high school coaches or a teacher that we
had and the impact they had on their life, hope
hopefully in a positive way. And you know, that's what
I try to do for these kids, and you.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Know, hopefully they come back and you know, and I've.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Been fortunate enough to have them a lot a lot
of them come back and say, you know, thanks, thanks
for everything you did.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
It's cool that you do that. And of course, as
folks knows, a lot of other former Panthers that that
are also involved in the area programs here and I'm
sure to throw for those kids to have their expertise.
When you were growing up on the other side of
the country in the Phoenix, Arizona area, what was what
was maybe that person for you or those experiences like
that you recall going through the high school years before
(05:47):
you went off to Washington for college that kind of
helped form you as as a high school football player.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Well, I was a big wrestler back then, and you know,
I also played football, and you know, I had a
coach named coach buck Hall, you know, back in Arizona.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Kind of fitting for the state that we were in.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
But he wore a big belt buckle, and you know,
I remember one day at practice. You know, I thought
I was smart and I had all the answers, and
you know, I decided to pop off to him.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And back then it wasn't as politically correct as it
is now.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
He took a clipboard and jams at about three and
a half four inches into my sternum and told me
if I wanted to coach the F and team, here,
you coach the F and team. I think I learned
my lesson right then and there that I overstepped, and
you know, my dad did a good job raising us,
and you know, I think nowadays there might be a lawsuit,
but back then I went and apologized for overstepping after
(06:38):
the practice and learned my place. But he had a
big impact on my life and you know, teaching me
values and and things like that. We had a great
high school program, you know, with a lot of NFL athletes,
Darren Woodson Fleape Sparks to mention a couple that had
long careers for the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And the New York Giants. You know, we had a
really good team.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
But you know, he was a big part of my life,
and I remember a lot of the things he instilled
in me, and you know, sorted my dad as as
a kid growing up, he was there for us and
you know, really gave us a lot of our values
that we have today.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yeah, you and I are in the same decade of life,
so yeah, the school of hard knocks was a common
common occurrence whether it's parenting or a gym coach or
a football coach through the years. And obvious thing with
you being such a great interior linement is those wrestling
skills had to come in awfully handy for you. As
far as crossing over into your football career.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Absolutely is probably one of the best sports I ever did,
and really kind of transitioned and helped me as a
young younger player and a not not as big as
an athletic or as as physically as a gifted as
maybe some of these other bigger, stronger athletes were, but
it taught me leverage, It taught me how to you know,
gain position, play with play with power, and you know,
(07:52):
just just the mental part of the sport that you
have to push yourself through. And you know, it's something
I tell my kids now and you fatigue is. Fatigue
is is a crazy thing. It'll make towers of us all.
If you learn how to beat fatigue, that's when you
become a champion, because that's the battle you're always fighting
in your head when you get tired. Is that you
(08:15):
to push yourself through those those moments. And that's what
really wrestling really was able to bring them to me.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I played high school basketball, and I always would It
was obviously time of year at the Grub Ohio where
you would be say simultaneous season as wrestling, and we'd
be out there doing layups and free throw drills and
shuttle drills, and I watched those wrestlers wearing those plastic
suits trying to lose half it ounce of water way
to go. I absolutely did not want to do wrestling.
That basketball seemed a.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Lot more fun.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, there was, there was times, and I was fortunate
I was a heavyweight, so I mean I think towards
my senior year I had to kind of start watching it.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I was eating, but I.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Didn't envy any of those younger guys that were cutting,
you know, two three weight classes to try to compete
and get the most out of their bodies and you know,
just the regiments and the routines that they'd have to
go through before each and every match, you know, getting down,
you know, basically into their underwear and sometimes nothing at
all to get on that scale to try to to
(09:11):
get that last out.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
So it didn't tip the scale. And you know, I.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Applaud all the guys that have ever wrestled because it's
a tough sport and hopefully it's talked them a lot
about life.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
No, absolutely so, again, this was Arizona. You end up
at the University of Washington. What were some of the
other college considerations? How'd you end up being a Husky?
Speaker 4 (09:31):
You know, Arizona State was always first and foremost on
my list. There was a coaching change where John Cooper
went to Ohio State, and I had already verbally committed
to Arizona State, and I really wanted to go there
to play in front of my family and my home crowd.
But when he left, Larry Marmai came in and my
scholarship immediately or just kind of magically disappeared, and they
(09:52):
asked me to walk on and said, no, thanks, I
think I'll go try my options elsewhere. And I went
up to Washington and fell in love at that campus.
University of Miami was another option, Ohio State John Cooper,
but I didn't want to stay. I didn't want to
be too far away where you know, I was close
to my family. I have seven brothers and sisters, so
I wanted them to be able to at least see
me once or twice a year. I'm playing in the
(10:14):
PAC ten at the time, now you know it's PAC twelve,
but to not even really resemblance of what it used
to be.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It gave me that opportunity to go.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
To Arizona, Arizona State, and I'm play in front of
the home crowd every now and then. So I chose Washington.
It was an easy choice.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
It was a good choice for me. Win in the
National Championship and ninety.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
One going to three Rose Bulls and just had a
lot of success there and was a big part of
all of that as well.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
All right, before we talk about your panther years, quick,
because you're right there that PAC twelve PAC ten discussion
which became the PAC two for a minute to pick
on your sports talk brain for a little bit. How
do you when you look at college football now, there's
so many different things with nil transfer portal, but to.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Take the conference realignment.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
I grew up an Ohio Ohio State fan. I mean
they're they're unrecognizable if you're a SEC, SEC doesn't matter,
PAC twelve and all of them. Just what are your
thoughts about just the loss of geography and those rivalries
that we see now with all this kind of greed
I would call it in college football.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
All right, Well, that's exactly what it is.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
It's the power of money, the love of money, and
I think it's ruining a lot of the innocence of
the game. It was something that you know, you could
look differently upon on a Saturday and seeing these kids
out here doing it for an opportunity to play on Sundays.
And now I think it's become more of a minor
(11:38):
league sport with the with the expectation of you know,
making millions of dollars, and I think that's what's really
changed the game and it's really hurt the innocence of it.
But you know, the rivalries are another thing that I miss.
You're going to lose some of those the tradition, the
history of some of the games that existed.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
You're going to create new ones.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
But you know that's I guess the way of the
world and the way it's moving is, you know, it's
more about, you know, how they can maximize their dollars
instead of you know, give the fans a little bit
of something in return.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Yeah, no doubt, and affects all the other types of
sports underneath.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
They all led by football, geography wise and all that.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
So you're at Washington, you get drafted by the Panthers
and the fifth round expansion team. So what was that reaction.
You probably grew up what you were watching the NFL
and that team didn't even exist. Did you view that
as an opportunity more so being a new team or
would you rather go into a traditional team or did
you even have a preference of where you landed in
the NFL.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
I didn't care where I was going and who I
was planning for.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Jim. I was a late fourth round pick. I didn't
go to any bowl games.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
I didn't go any I thought my career was over
and I had a passion like you wouldn't believe from
the time I was three years old in a dream
to play in the NFL. So I was coming to
grips with that might be over because I didn't get
any opportunities once the college season was over. I thought
(13:11):
it was gonna be an unrestricted free a restricted free
a free agent and having to go and you know,
sign on as a you know, just kind of a
guide that the hopefully gets on a team. But fortunately
the Panthers called. I got drafted in the fourth round.
I remember it was about six o'clock in the morning,
(13:33):
West Coast time. I was just barely in bed and
they called, and Tom Capers and called me, and I'm
like who I was like, I didn't know who he
was because he hadn't been on a head coach, but
I felt very h quickly found out that he was
the head coach of the.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Panthers, and it was the happiest day of my life.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
I called my parents, Bill Polly and talked to me
for a while, and they drafted me, you know, in
the fourth round, and the rest is history from there.
I was very fortunate to come here and get an
opportunity to play my first year as a rookie, and
you know, they were just looking for the best five
(14:16):
guys on the line, and I fought myself into that position.
I wouldn't let know be an answer for me because
I did have to take on I did have to
battle a lot of obstacles. I was only six to two,
it was, you know, close to three hundred pounds, but
by NFL standards, that was a small alignment. So I
had to find my way and work my way into
(14:37):
you know, that starting lineup, and not.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
That you would have anything to compare it to, but
it's like it's such a unique situation and that you're
on a brand new team, so there's there's no set
like last year starters you have to beat out and
things like that. So that had to be kind of
a unique situation in hindsight, that you weren't coming into
some established franchise where they had the veteran players. Everybody
was new.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
That's right. God would work some mysterious ways.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
And so I had went to the Seahawks, or would
have went to the Packers, or I would have been
behind a guy that had been a perennial five year,
six year starter, waiting for him to kind of, you know,
step out or get himself priced out of become a
free agent out of his position. But here Tom told
us that we had five spots available. There's no starting
(15:21):
there's no guys that are inked in. It's all pencils,
so you have an opportunity to move up to earn
yourself a shot. And I found myself slowly moving up
the depth chart into that first or second of the
second game where Kerry Collins and I both made our
start against the Rams, you know at Clemson Stadium.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
And I tell people who weren't around, it's like, you
have to remember there were there were twenty one road games.
I mean, Clemson was a home stadium, but it began
in Canton. The home games were you know, without traffic
two and a half hours, with traffic even more. What
was that degree of difficulty as far as not really
having like a true home base or was there was
travel involved every week?
Speaker 4 (16:02):
That's right, And really there's only if as many people
are probably to listen to the show has ben to
Clemson are through that area, but going through it when
everybody from Charlotte is going to watch a game, it
makes the travel time a whole lot more challenging. It
was a four hour trip, you know, on these big
buses getting back and getting to the game, and everybody
(16:25):
and Charlotte was going there to watch it, so it
was just like traveling to San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It was it was.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Really literally sixteen road games, and we felt like if
we went to New Orleans, or we went to Saint Louis,
so we you know, went to an NFC West team,
you know back then that was going to be or Atlanta.
It was gonna be a lot quicker to get home
going to those games, and it was to Clemson. So
we didn't mind even traveling to Atlanta or to New
(16:54):
Orleans or or Saint Louis at the time to to
play those to play those road games.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
All right, last thing, We'll let you go. And this
type of answer has been one hundred percent to any
player who's wrapped up their career, I'll ask them, looking back,
what do you miss the most? And almost everyone appreciated
the games and loved the games and have big stories
from big games to talk about. But almost to a person,
it's like it was Wednesday practice or card games in
(17:21):
the locker room, or just the general joking around camaraderie.
When you look back at your career, what is that
kind of it for you too? Kind of more the
day to day and less about those three hours on
Sunday that you really kind of missed the most when
you leave the game.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Well, yeah, anybody that tells you that the paychecks aren't
the number one thing they missed a lot.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
You just don't make that kind of money in the
real world. So other than the paychecks, yeah, the guys.
That was definitely the camaraderie.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
The fights, the hard work that you had to go
through with the guy next to you pulling you through
when when you were dog tired, or you pulling them
through and cheering for one another.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
And then you know, facing the adversity of you know.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
The opponent that you're going to be playing, knowing that
everybody in the world watching and coming out of that
tunnel and either having a hostile crowd booing you.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Or your home team cheering cheering for you.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
There's no feeling like that in the world that you
can mimic or emulate, and that's the thing that you miss.
It's like literally when you watch the movie Gladiator. You
know now when you're in the arena and everybody is
cheering and you're just waiting for the thumbs up or
the thumbs down. So that's the way you felt back
(18:38):
then as a player, and you know those are the
things that I miss as a player, you know, getting
out there on that arena and battling at the highest
level against the guy across from you who was the
best of what he did as well.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
That's awesome. So a great career, and we're glad you
stuck around in Charlotte continued good success and all the
things you do coaching, business and all that stuff. Frank,
thanks for visiting with.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Us, Jim, thanks, thanks for having me, and thanks to
everybody that supported me over the years. And hopefully the
Panthers can get back on track. It sounds like it
looks like Dan Morgan has them heading in the right
direction and Dave Canalis has them going the right way,
So just keep cheering for them, and thanks for having
me on and hopefully we can do this anytime you need.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Thirty seasons of Panther football.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!