January 11, 2023 • 39 mins
Max and Wolf open the locker room in hour one laughing about some of the dumbest things they ever did during their playing careers. Max shares a hilarious story about a time he turned into a running back while at the University of Florida.
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 (00:11):
This is in the locker Room with Wolf and Starks
on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your
neighborhood Forward Store. The F one is the official truck
of the Pittsburgh Steelers. UM. I evaluate everything. UM, you know,
I just think that you know, there's gonna be a
(00:32):
start to next season, and and so you know, if
the start was not what you're like, like the wanted,
you better evaluate that. And so I'll evaluate the season
and totality, I'll evaluate components of the season, UM, team development, UM,
how we managed the team through the season, from a
physical work standpoint, from an intellectual work standpoint, the rate
(00:55):
in which we introduce UM. You know, it's them things
growth in development, and so there's just a lot of
discussions to be had. Just rest assured that it will
be evaluated in totality, but it will also be broken
down into smaller pieces and evaluated in that way because
that is equally as necessary. Well, I think I agree
(01:18):
with Mike. You know, you gotta evaluate everything. And Max,
I'm gonna get you and get you to get on
the record and give me a take on did you
ever shove a trainer on the field? Have you ever
shoved a trainer. No, I have not much less an
opposing trainer. Yeah, definitely not an opposing trainer. On top
(01:40):
of that, I would never have pushed them out of
the way if they're providing medical assistance of any kind. Um.
But you know what, we have some awesome trainers in Pittsburgh.
When I was there, one the first one that comes
to mind, and and he just retired. John Norwig, who
had been the Steelers trainer for a very long time.
(02:01):
Uh Wiggles, he that's what we called him. Uh yeah, yeah, Wiggles.
Wiggles retired, and it was it was one of those
bitter sweet days because you know a lot of a
lot of there was a couple of people that retired,
um on Sunday, So it's one of those because Ricoso
came back. Yeah, Rico came back for for John's last game.
(02:25):
Obviously Ryan Grove for a long time, I didn't see Ryan.
I was so disappointed. Yeah, well no, Ryan was working.
Ryan still works, so he was not there. But I
was going through my I was going through my three trainers. Okay, alright,
sorry sorry, And then of course Sonya came um, you know,
after Ryan left for for Miami, so or after Rico left,
(02:48):
Sonja Sonya replaced her, and then now Davean is here
replacing Ryan. So yeah, so it's like a whole kind
of kaleidoscope of pieces that go in. So but yeah,
now it was a bitter sweet day to see John
Norwig retire. Also Jack Kearney retiring as well. Yeah yeah,
so yeah, I know you asked the trainer question, but
(03:10):
it just it it led my stream of consciousness to
think about the retirements because John Norwig, great trainer, awesome
trainer I loved and respected. Um, you know, it was
now gone. And then of course we had the great
Ralph Berlin previous to that, the plumber as they used
to call him back in the day. Fixer. Okay, the plumber, baby,
(03:31):
you know, the plumber is a fixer, that plumberer. What
I mean, I wasn't renaming him. Okay, got you, alright.
So here's the thing that just mystified me. I'm watching
the video of Kuaywalker, the linebacker from the Packers, and
you got a guy down some one of the lions
went down and took a forearm to the head or whatever,
(03:51):
and so he's discombobulated. So you got the trainers coming over,
there's coming overstanding and Quait Walker just pushes the guy
if him the back. I mean, just push them right
in the back. I'm like, going, what is his problem?
And then I find out that he also did this
to a non uniform Buffalo Bill's player on the sideline
(04:14):
back in October. So we got a serial shover here.
All right, somebody who's got a problem and needs to
shove people from behind. Gad zucks man, you can't have
that in this game. Now. You can't push them. Yeah,
I mean go push the guys that have other uniforms on.
You know what I'm saying, like the opposing team, don't
push the guys that come out and polos and catching shorts.
(04:37):
You know what kind of tough guy are you? Come on,
you're pushing guys with your pos on. That's right? That
that that that's like, that's like trying to poke a
guy with with with glasses on. Give him the give
them the all three stooges right between the eyes. Come on. Yeah,
I'm like, come on, get out of here. I'm sitting here.
He tweets out this huge apology. I don't know what,
(05:01):
what could you possibly think? You were doing when you
shoved the trainer in the back. You know, I mean,
you know, he he couldn't explain why he did it,
which I don't think you could explain why you did it.
But the fact is to sit there and say it
just it just happened. What you just go around shoving
(05:22):
people from behind? That's what I call a cereal shover. Yeah. No,
that that and and that and that that that's that's
that's annoying. You know what I'm saying, like, that's one
of those you look at it, you're just like really
really and there's nothing you could say. You're all the
way wrong the entire time. Oh yeah, there there there's
not one justification you can make on why you get
(05:47):
pushed unless the trainer was a former player and he
scored a gatorade in your eye, you know what I'm saying, Like,
that's but yet you pushed him in the back, so
therefore he wasn't even looking at you on top of that.
So there's so many things wrong with this thing. And
quay Walker, I know you're young, but listen, son, if
you want to continue to work here, stay off the drugs.
(06:11):
I'm sitting They're going he's done it, and twice he
got ejected for shopping people that weren't on the field
to play. And I'm sitting there, going do we play
the Packers next year? I want to hang a sign
on Max. It says I, dare you shoved me? Yeah?
I wish you would. I wish you would. Quay Walker. Yeah,
(06:36):
I'm notice I who am safely in ensconced in the
in the uh you know, knife booth with Billy right
and going hey yeah, yeah yeah, yelling down from from
the press box. I just I bet you all, Quay
(06:58):
Quay I'm sitting there, I'm watching this video and reading
his words that he would issued out on the Twitter
thing whatever it is, and uh, and you know he's
just like apologizing for it, Like this is so ridiculous.
What makes you do something so dad comes stupid? Man? Yeah,
(07:22):
I don't know. It's just I'm not gonna lie full disclosure.
While you were just talking, I was literally imagining you
and Billy with the window open, with chocolate chip cookies
in your hand and breaking pieces off almost like birds,
and like trying to throw it at quay Walker from
the from the press box. Max. You know how you
know how people. You know how people sit in the
(07:43):
outfield at the home run derby every summer with like
a big target sign that says hit one here. That's good.
Wolves gonna have like a big arrow that says hit
max here. Yeah exactly. He's gonna have like a laser pointer,
you know, like you do for casses, so shining in
his face and then you're like pointed at me. Come on,
(08:07):
come on, go over there, go over there. Can you
imagine coming to your coach, you know, as you're being
ejected from the game, which is gonna cost you money, right,
I mean, you get ejected from a game, it goes
on your on your on the dollar bill sign thing man, right,
so you go play your coaching? What what was it for?
Was for? I pushed a trainer from behind? What what?
(08:32):
I'm sorry? I wasn't paying attention. I was talking to
the defense, I was I was talking to the offense, Um,
what what happened? Quay? And then and then you get
how Quay? How? How Quay? How did you come to
do it? He came over and he was just he
was acting really tough, and I just shoved him. I like,
(08:56):
I like the way he had sleeves rolled up when
he was carrying those Gatorway bottles. I just I don't know,
I saw I was back. I had to shove him.
I don't know he had he had a shovelable back.
All right, now, hold on, gentlemen, this beckons the question,
and yes, the statue of limitations are over. All right.
(09:17):
You know we're we're ripping on quay and it's all
in good fun. But now we need to know the
dumbest thing that you can say on air that each
of you did on a football field. I mean, it
could be it could be middle it could be middle school.
You went and tried to steal the trumpet from somebody
in the band because he was talking to your girlfriend.
I mean, the dumbest thing you ever did on the
football field. Go, oh my man, let so many different things.
(09:45):
How do you pick one? How do you pick one?
I mean definitely definitely purposely stepping on guys toes as
you're like up around the huddle. Um, I mean, I
mean listen, I mean I do I really kind of
stupid in the moment. I mean, because like I'm definitely like,
(10:07):
how do you Okay, here's marines over a pile? Yeah, alright,
here's one for you. All right, we're playing the Jets.
I'm playing against Marty Lions right now. Marty was a
big defensive tackle for my Alabama great guy, great competitor.
I played hard as I'll get out right, so we
had some real go rounds. So Marty was one of
those guys like, um, the big swim and so I
(10:29):
like to jump side him. And I told you this before, Max,
So bear with me as I tell this story about
So I like to really cram the line of scrimmage,
you know, and and and just I'm into him the
moment he the snap goes boom, I'm I'm locked on him.
You know when you have that short jump shut set
that you know, it's like close quarter combat right in
the phone booth. So what happened was we had a
(10:50):
third and twelve and um, I got called for lining
up off sides. Now I'm I'm playing left card. I'm
right next to the ball, right next to Mike Webster.
And I was so intent and jump setting him so
hard and fast, I inadvertently lined up offsides. So you
(11:12):
get whistled for it. And I come to the the side
and Chuck is staring at me like I got three
eggs and he grabs me and goes what happened? What
were you thinking? I really didn't have an answer. Oh
my god. So wait a second. For clarification purposes, you
lined up offsides forward not back? Was what what what
(11:36):
normal offensive line would get called for? It not not
enough men on the line of scrimmage. But no, you
covered up the center. I was that's the ball. So
you you guys were just lined up like a diagonal line.
You just made your own line of scrimmage, like come on,
(11:59):
move up, boom up, Kobe, you're too far back. Man?
Oh man. It was brief conversation with Chuck at that point. Yeah, exactly.
You know, it's funny. I can honestly say I've never
tried to do that ever in my life as a tackle.
(12:21):
That's only a guard thing that could happen. Now, I
will say this. It's those moments like that, though, when
you come being confronted by the coach and you gotta
explain the stupidity that you just unleas. Yeah, hey, now
listen now one of the funniest ones I had. So
(12:45):
you know how Cincinnati Stadium has that has has the
low twenty five second clock like it sits down. Like
most of them are up top in a visible place.
This one's on the field, so if players get in
front of you, you can't really see it. Um, I'll
never forget. We're in Cincinnati playing and yeah, and so
(13:07):
you know it's a Mike Zimmer double mug, and so
guys are up there. So I'm thinking, you know what,
Ben being six ft five and standing directly straight up
um at a full erect um, and me bending down
somewhat at the left tackle position, I'm thinking being cannot
see the play clocks. So all right, decide as times
(13:31):
running low. We're we're about um, let's say we're about it,
like the ten second mark. We're just getting we're just
getting started. And so I'm looking at the clock of like, man,
we're we're about to go. We're about to go. I'm like, man,
we're about get to delay a game, delay a game.
And it gets down to three two one, and I
just set randomly. The ball has not snapped, but I
(13:58):
but I set, and and so I'm like, I'm like, man,
I'm like, dag it. We didn't snap the ball. And
then they looked at me like what were you doing?
I said the twenty five second clock was running out.
I figured you were gonna snap it and said you
couldn't see it. I thought if I jumped, y'all would snap.
But nobody moved except me. They're like, dude, he didn't
(14:18):
say hut. I'm like, I know that, but the clock
was running down, and so so we come to the
side like coach. I was like, why the hell did
you jump off? Sizes back and it was like, Coach,
the clock was going to zero. He's like the way,
it's like, okay, and I figured if if if I
(14:41):
took a set, we'd move. He's like he just looked
at me and just walked away. There was no comment,
there was no comment. He just it was like he
just shook his head walked away. I was like, oh god,
it's one of those short conversations. You know what I
mean exactly. It's like, okay, I'll give you one more.
I will never forget. Where playing in Miami and touch
(15:02):
and I were on the punt team and we're second year,
first year, and I don't know, but anyhow, I'm semi contained.
He's contained. Believe it or not. We're going on. We're
going down. Tommy Vigorito is a punt returner and he
he um. He puts a little joke on Touch and
goes around the corner. Ah, I'm running down the numbers
(15:25):
are the hash marks, right, and um Jim Jim crash Jensen,
who was a third string quarterback slash Swiss army knife
backup tight end. He wore he's a quarterback. He wore
an eleven number jersey and he wore a neck collar
a horse. Right, So he hits me from the blind side.
(15:49):
I'm I'm just digging up the turf down there in
the Orange bowl, right, but with my face. Touch gets joked.
Vigorito goes up the sidelines for forty yards touched. Now
we're in a quandary because we got to come to
the sidelines and Chuck is looking real hot. So we're
thinking maybe maybe we go to the end of the
(16:09):
bench and you know, maybe Chuck will forget about it
for a moment, you know, But no, Chuck is throwing
people out of the way to come get us, and
Chuck screaming contained good Dane, good Dane, what are you
thinking that? He looks at Dutch and Touch goes well,
I don't know, He's sure to tell you, guy, how
do I know he's that fast? I went, WHOA, that's
(16:31):
not the answer. Wow, that was I was hoping you
had a good answer, but it wasn't it short, Hey
didnt knows that quick? Goes, Oh my gosh. He had
two things working against him. Like what I think we've
(16:55):
been going to break? I didn't read low. Yeah, exactly,
hold on, I gotta tell mine just we could put
a button on this. We'll stay with this. This is
pretty good. Yes, all right. So so you said you
said on the football field. So the statue limitates. So
we're we're playing Auburn. I'm in college now, a sophomore year. Funny,
(17:15):
Kendall Simmons is actually on Auburn squad on the other
side of the field. Kendall was there left tackle. And
so it's the end of the game. We're down. We're
down three is down to the last place? What on
our own twenty? Like, I mean, this is like Hail
Mary of Hail Mary's um. So Rex Grossman is our quarterback.
(17:37):
Rex is running right, and he runs. We are the
line of scrimmage and we're trying to we're trying to hustle.
So Rex throws the ball backwards. Now, mind you, all
the receivers and skill like positions have run street routs
down the field preparing for hail Mary. I'm already seen
(18:00):
in a problem, right, yes, So when you throw backwards,
there's only five of us back here that are that
are technically behind the line of scrimmage, and we're all big,
fat guys. So so I'm like that not one of us,
I would feel is an accomplished gout that could have
(18:23):
been mistaken for a skill player, not one of us.
So the ball comes backwards, it's on the ground. I
run back because obviously I'm the nearest guy to it.
I pick it up and I'm like, you know what,
maybe I could throw this ball down field. You didn't do, no,
(18:44):
And then as I try and grip the football, I'm like, oh, snap,
my hands. My hands are taped up and I have
and I have those thumb cups on there, so therefore
locked thumbs. So then I'm like, well, I don't know
what else to do. I'm the furthest guy, but everybody
(19:04):
is in front of me, so technically it's not even
a lateral or a backwards pass because everybody's in front
of me. So so so that what do I do?
Being a smart guy that I am, I yelled to
the offense, charge to the offensive lunch. Now, mind you,
they have no clue what charge means. We've never wrapped this.
(19:28):
We've never talked about this call. Apparently I went back
to you know, colonial times, right, and we're on mounted
mounted horseback, right, you know, and we are charging into
a group of soldiers. For some reason, I don't know why.
That kicked in my head. And then I just take
the ball tugging and just put my head down and
(19:50):
run forward, thinking that I'm going to run. And in
my head, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna
get about twenty yards or so, and then guys are
gonna come back, and I could toss it off to body.
You know I'm gonna get, but I'm gonna get twenty
yards And I start to run, I break the line
of scrimmage, and literally two yards later, I am flipped
(20:10):
over by by a safety. No, yeah, came up, sniper me.
Completely game over, end of game. But here's the funny thing.
We're sitting on the bus. I'm already embarrassed about this.
I was like, what else was I supposed to do.
It's like nobody helped me at all. All of you
(20:33):
guys left me out to hang. And so and so
the UH coach, Teve is our quarterbacks coach. He gets
on the bus, he has he has a final stat sheet,
you know, and he's looking through the stat She's like, hey, Max,
He's like, here, I want to show you something. Hey,
you leave the team in Russia with two yards with
(20:59):
two yard rushing. I led the Florida Gators and rushing
for one game in my career. It was the most
embarrassing rushing my entire life. Yeah, it's fantastic. That was
the worst decision ever. Oh gosh, sec running back Max
stars Day. Yeah exactly. I could add that. When when
(21:19):
you think of great Florida running backs, Max, I mean
it starts with Emmett Smith and then number two on
that list. I think you gotta put Max Starks. I'm
just on the list. I mean, I don't all I
know is polar opposite is great at Russia, all time,
worst rusher all time. I want to Max with the
ball and he's pointing, yelling charge. I have no clue
(21:50):
what I was exactly, I have no clue it was.
I was like my knee jerk reaction was the yell charge.
I was like, what the hell is wrong with me?
And then expecting everybody else to understand what I'm saying.
If anything, I could have said, block, move anything out,
(22:13):
go yeah anything, Max, Do you at least give him
before I should have. I mean, I wish I would
end the trumpet from f troop. I mean I don't know.
I mean that probably would have helped a little bit better.
Oh God, Okay, let's go to break. Wolf has to recover.
(22:34):
We're in the locker room. It's crazy, it's wild. He's Wolf,
Ump Stars and Wesley Euler here on that Sonarity. It's
her radio. H This is in the locker room with
(23:03):
Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers Nation Radio,
presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F one is
the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think that
I think that his development is a process, and we've
said throughout UM I thought his development took off once
(23:25):
he started getting into stadiums in the preseason, and so
there was a process there. Laying in the third groups,
he was playing in the second groups. He gave him
some first group exposure. Preseason football is different than regular
season football, let's be honest. And so you know, he
bided his time and worked in the regular season football environment,
(23:45):
and when he had an opportunity, when he presented himself,
he showed he belonged and he continued to get better
in that space. And so as I look back at it, um,
I don't know that I have any second thoughts of
regrets about the process or how it transpired as I
sit here right now, maybe I'll think differently as I
analyzed it in an in the season kind of way
(24:07):
in the upcoming weeks. But knee jerk reaction to the question, though,
I don't have any regrets about it as a standards born.
And of course that's Mike Tomlin talking about Kenny Pickett
and talking about the fact that brought Kenny into what
was it the fourth week or something with the Jets game.
I'm still trying to I'm trying to wrap my brain
(24:28):
around all this stuff, you know, And now you go
back the Jets game. Half time of the Jets. All
you need to know that, don't worry about week numbers
and all that, just halftime of the Jets game. Honest,
the goodness, Max, that was one of the funniest opening
segments I've ever been a part of. I've we need
a picture of you with that ball yelling charge. That's
(24:51):
what I'm telling you. That's just one of the greatest
pictures in my head that I can come up with. Man. Yeah, no,
I mean, listen, I I trust somebody on social media
and the Steelers Nation community listening. I'm sure somebody will
come up with something great. I mean, in the era
of memes, I'm sure somebody will come with something that's
(25:12):
so beautiful. Man, that is just beautiful stuff. Oh but
it's in the archives. You have the two thousand one
Auburn game and look at the stat sheet, Max Starks
leading Rushier two yards. Man, just sheer awesomeness, exactly one
(25:33):
of them. It's one of my hidden trivia questions but
also one of my worst blenders, all wrapped into one.
Oh man, you know, I remember I remember Ted Peterson,
who played tackle next to me for a couple of years. Teddy,
great guy. Uh should I probably shouldn't start this again
and gonna start laughing like crazy, But you know, we
(25:54):
were playing Tampa Bay and Hugh Green was a great
defensive end for the pitt Panthers and then went on
to have a fine pro career, pretty good hitter man.
So we were on the screen and uh, there was
a fumble or Teddy thought was a fumble, and he
picked the ball up and and Hugh Green lit him
up from ten yards I mean, just eviscerating. See there
(26:19):
it is, and we upset. Teddy looked like he was
at the bottom of a bad car accident. He's laying
on the ground and Mike Webster standing over and and
he's going, Teddy, Teddy, don't you know you fall on
the ball, don't pick it up and try to run
(26:41):
with it. Yeah, exactly, exactly exactly, I mean, yeah, exactly.
That's almost like one of those things where you whispered
to the rest of the office line, Hey, you guys
want to see a dead body. Come on, come on
right here, right here. Look at that guy. He's still hey,
(27:01):
still holding the ball too. That's gonna be evolved. Let's
get let's let's get back. You asked the question, what
was the question to get out? I forgot what I was.
I know Kenny Pickett came in after the Jets game.
That's the last thing I heard. Okay, so Mike Donomin's
(27:24):
talking about you know, Kenny Pickett and you know, basically
starting off and how far he's coming. He's not had
time to evaluate at all. It's interesting to me that,
you know, I was thinking about there was a commentary,
you know, throughout the season, some people jumping in and saying, well,
the the the offense is Saturday ish is the term
that I remember hearing, and I'm thinking to myself, well,
you know, it seems like that's how you start off,
(27:47):
you know, offensively, a little bit of Saturday ish. When
you have a quarterback who just came off a plane Saturdays,
you know, I mean I think about him going. You know,
maybe we had two high expectations that we're gonna go
with this wide open playbook from the get go, and
it's not gonna be that way from the get go.
You're gonna do something that you know, you think you're
(28:08):
putting your players in the best position given the fact
that you understand you've got a young guy in there,
fresh office Saturday football, um, and you know, the the
game plan and the you know, everything's gonna open up
more as you proceed forward. And I think we saw
the culmination of it against the Browns. But again, there's
(28:29):
not a whole lot of secrets Max anymore. In the NFL.
I mean, you know, you can use different down distance
and personnel people and go motion and all sorts of
zipper motion and jet motion and so forth. But the
fact of the matter is you still have to block,
you still have to tackle, you still have to cover,
you still have to catch the ball. Yeah. No, I mean,
(28:52):
at the end of the day, there there's basic axioms,
right that that have to be accomplished in sports, right,
Always charge when you're I mean, once again, if you're
going to if you're going to run with the ball.
Charge is the best word to use because it describes
an action you know what you're doing, You're you're I
mean literally, I mean, Naji could let's think about this,
(29:14):
Nazi could yell charge every time he gets the ball.
That's good him on the show and ask Hi if
you ever yelled charge? Yeah, when you when you took
a handoff, Just just did you yell charge? Or did
you at least think charge? You know what I'm saying,
Like you also think charge and it works just as well.
Maybe I was just you know, I just I just
(29:35):
had it had it had a very out of body experience.
I was like, you know, what what are you doing
in this play? I'm charging forward? You know so? But no,
but you must, you must, you might you run the
ball right? You charge forward? Uh? When you pass the ball,
you know, you air it out forward. Uh. But that's
(30:00):
that they're trying to justify why I yelled charge still
all these years later. I mean, it happened twenty one
years ago, Wolf, twenty two years ago. I got you
years ago, and I'm still trying to justify why I
expelled such a pointless word. Um, it's tremendous. So it's
just tremendous. It's like, hey, stream of consciousness in the moment, right,
(30:23):
that's it. Nobody has been in your position. You know,
you're down there, the ball comes to you, and what
are you gonna do? You can't throw it, can't throw it,
can't pass it backwards anymore. I'm the furthest guy back.
I mean, all you can do is charge, right, I
mean that's it. So you know what I didn't. I
(30:44):
didn't ask you what did you yell charge with the
termination or do you yell charge? It was definitely yelling charge.
And I also remember I have a mouthpieces, so it's
like tird tird, because you know, you can't can't get
the tongue to the roof of the mouth with the
mouth piece. There. As I think about it, they probably
(31:05):
was like, what the hell is he saying? Because he's
yelling something and stumbling forward. I mean, you know, okay,
we need to reload again. I know, we got to
reload again. I got to get out of this. It's
like it's like Billy Bob and Varsity Blues. Jesus, Okay,
(31:26):
we're okay here. Right, So we were talking about Mike
Tomlin talking about Kenny Pickett. Right, but you know, let's
pick it up in the next segment because we left
our way through the second. I know, I know, we
just we just we just completely devolved two segments in
a row. It's perfect. No, it's perfect. You know, this
is what the locker rooms all about. Baby used to say.
(31:49):
You know, if you ever saw The Circle of Life,
you know, the Disney movie and all that stuff, yeah,
don't you was always like, you're like the hyenas they
left themselves the death. Yeah, exactly, exactly, more like shawan Ze,
not not so much as there you go, all right,
(32:11):
we're going to break, We're gonna try and get it
back together. In this segment of this first hour, you're
here in the locker room with Wolf and Starks on
ESPN and that Star Radio. This is in the locker
(32:38):
room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN, Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F
one fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers trips.
Left is back looking left, He's hit by Captain Camp
and down he goes, Are they gonna throw a flag? No,
(33:00):
he got slammed down, and they threw a flag on
the players of dest out. And I'm still saying it
to this day. Are you kidding me? That was one
of the worst calls I have ever seen in the
history of the NFL and Jens Territory, you know Jeans
(33:22):
from you know Western p a here, and and it
was for years um NFL referee, but he's even said
that the penalty on Cam Hayward for roughing the pastor
wasn't overreaction. I tend to think it was more of
a makeup call, Max than anything else. Yeah, it was
a makeup call. The Larry Ogan job face mask tackle
(33:44):
uh sack was definitely one that was highly overlooked, and
I'm sure Kevin Stefanski probably said that video into the
league office really refs, really you missed this one talking
about protecting quarterbacks and and heading next secure and all
this other stuff about targeting. Yeah, Deshaun Watson got tackled
(34:04):
by the face mask. Like it was almost like like
when like when you go in the trunk and you're
going for that swoop to get a whole bunch of
groceries at once. You know, you're trying to grab like
seven bags in just one hand. Like That's what it
looked like when. Because I was right there in line
on the sideline watching, I'm like, like, all dis a
penalty and then it was like what the flag? Oh
(34:27):
Lario must you know? Yeah, I was like happy New
Year indeed on that one. But but yeah, the captain,
I felt like that was the makeup because you could
see because Mike Tomlin gave them an absolute earful after
that flag, they come, you know how, they come to
the sidelines and talk to the coach, the offended coach
(34:48):
of and they're walking away because It's during a TV
tie about and you see the referee talking to the
side judge and he's kind of looking back and whispering
in his ear, and I'm like, oh, that was a makeup.
He's like, hey man, we gotta cover this up. I'm like, like,
whatever he says, you know, just just let him go.
I feel like that's what he was saying in his ear.
(35:10):
Have you ever heard the crowd react as vociferously as
they did. I mean, well, I'm sure that they you know,
there have been I can't, but it was loud. Man,
was the booing loud. They really were honked off about that.
When Captain cam brought Watson down to the ground and
you and you look, he didn't even roll up on
(35:30):
him or nothing, just you know, got him down to
the turf. Yeah, no, I mean, and and he came sideways.
That's the other thing he did. He did He could
have landed squarely on top of Deshaun Watson like crunched
him right. Absolutely when he took him. He took him
and landed on his own shoulder and elbow on his
(35:51):
side as he pulled Deshaun Watson down. And I don't
know how else I mean you could say that there
was a little bit of a torque, but that was
to make sure that on Watson's feet cleared because obviously
if you just go and tackle, you know, you can
kind of you can kind of lawn dard it right
with one leg and go straight and kind of bend
and toss the guy off. So he kind of gave
(36:12):
like a little up swift jerk to make sure that
leg cleared from underneath him as he took him down,
but still landed on his side, did not land with
the full weight of his body on top of the quarterback,
which I thought was heads up to do in the
moment to still have control over your body enough not
to not to just go on top of him. You know.
(36:32):
He chose to go to the side. He did. You know,
now I just flicked onto They do an interview with
Joe Turkey Jones, you know who did the the head
slammer with Bradshaw back in the day. That was like
in the it was before I got there. It was
like seventy seventy nine. Uh, And he had he had
Bradshaw wrapped him up and supplexed him over the tops
(36:54):
of the brad The first thing contacted was his helmet
as he was spiked into the ground, and I you know,
I'm laughing thinking about that versus what this guy is
flagging here and just how bad what what Joe Jones
did way back when? You know, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
that that was that was different. There was more wrestling
(37:15):
rules um allowed back back in the day. Yeah, that's true.
If you if you could hit, if you could hit
the perfect suplex by Mr Perfect, you know, it was
like bonus points. Okay, yeah, I mean, you know it
was that when the clothes line technique, of course, you know,
it was always Dick Knight train lane. That was the
one that he was. He was for clotheslining guys. Uh,
Deacon Jones the head slap, yes, that was another. Yeah,
(37:39):
these are things that are now outlawed. And now you
get to the point where you can't you can't even lie,
you know, a guy down on sideways. Um, So we've
come a very long way in the interpretation of tackling
a human being down has come. But yeah, it was
definitely a little more wild wild West before your day,
(37:59):
definitely during your day back in the day, you know,
but I think you culminated. You take a look at
the Hines word rule. You know, I mean literally where
you got to introduce yourself and and show three forms
of I D before you hit a guy. You know.
It's like, yeah, hello, I'm coming to hit you. Do
you see me? Yeah? Exactly on a on a backside block,
you know, and hey, I'm coming hello, watch out, watch out.
(38:26):
You are impeding my progress, sir, So I must take
you down. Is that okay? Is that okay with you?
All right? Well, how would you like to go down? Exactly?
You don't want to go down? Well, you have to
go down one way or another. Brother, You're going down
one way. Choose high, medium, low, however you want it.
(38:46):
It's like a broiler setting. You pick it. How fast
do you want to be able to get up afterwards?
Or you can pull the Patrick or card? Do you
remember the Patrick card? Play the first play of the game,
when the Ravens were in Pittsburgh. He went the backside.
He went on the backside like wham block on t J.
He like fell like three yards in front of him
and like log rolled very halfheartedly just to make sure
(39:11):
that t J saw it coming. He can avoid you
can avoid this, Just wait, just wait, one more rotation
one more full roll. Okay, plays over. You know who
we got coming up my front um. It is Wednesday,
(39:33):
so that can mean only one thing, you know, the Wexanator. Yes,
you gotta have it, precipice. It's exactly need more Wexanator
in our lives. And of course we're doing it during
what part of the program will there there? It is
Power Hour up next with Jim Wexel here in the
locker room with Wolf. It starts on ESPN and that's
(39:55):
in our radio
This is in the locker Room with Wolf and Starks
on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your
neighborhood Forward Store. The F one is the official truck
of the Pittsburgh Steelers. UM. I evaluate everything. UM, you know,
I just think that you know, there's gonna be a
(00:32):
start to next season, and and so you know, if
the start was not what you're like, like the wanted,
you better evaluate that. And so I'll evaluate the season
and totality, I'll evaluate components of the season, UM, team development, UM,
how we managed the team through the season, from a
physical work standpoint, from an intellectual work standpoint, the rate
(00:55):
in which we introduce UM. You know, it's them things
growth in development, and so there's just a lot of
discussions to be had. Just rest assured that it will
be evaluated in totality, but it will also be broken
down into smaller pieces and evaluated in that way because
that is equally as necessary. Well, I think I agree
(01:18):
with Mike. You know, you gotta evaluate everything. And Max,
I'm gonna get you and get you to get on
the record and give me a take on did you
ever shove a trainer on the field? Have you ever
shoved a trainer. No, I have not much less an
opposing trainer. Yeah, definitely not an opposing trainer. On top
(01:40):
of that, I would never have pushed them out of
the way if they're providing medical assistance of any kind. Um.
But you know what, we have some awesome trainers in Pittsburgh.
When I was there, one the first one that comes
to mind, and and he just retired. John Norwig, who
had been the Steelers trainer for a very long time.
(02:01):
Uh Wiggles, he that's what we called him. Uh yeah, yeah, Wiggles.
Wiggles retired, and it was it was one of those
bitter sweet days because you know a lot of a
lot of there was a couple of people that retired,
um on Sunday, So it's one of those because Ricoso
came back. Yeah, Rico came back for for John's last game.
(02:25):
Obviously Ryan Grove for a long time, I didn't see Ryan.
I was so disappointed. Yeah, well no, Ryan was working.
Ryan still works, so he was not there. But I
was going through my I was going through my three trainers. Okay, alright,
sorry sorry, And then of course Sonya came um, you know,
after Ryan left for for Miami, so or after Rico left,
(02:48):
Sonja Sonya replaced her, and then now Davean is here
replacing Ryan. So yeah, so it's like a whole kind
of kaleidoscope of pieces that go in. So but yeah,
now it was a bitter sweet day to see John
Norwig retire. Also Jack Kearney retiring as well. Yeah yeah,
so yeah, I know you asked the trainer question, but
(03:10):
it just it it led my stream of consciousness to
think about the retirements because John Norwig, great trainer, awesome
trainer I loved and respected. Um, you know, it was
now gone. And then of course we had the great
Ralph Berlin previous to that, the plumber as they used
to call him back in the day. Fixer. Okay, the plumber, baby,
(03:31):
you know, the plumber is a fixer, that plumberer. What
I mean, I wasn't renaming him. Okay, got you, alright.
So here's the thing that just mystified me. I'm watching
the video of Kuaywalker, the linebacker from the Packers, and
you got a guy down some one of the lions
went down and took a forearm to the head or whatever,
(03:51):
and so he's discombobulated. So you got the trainers coming over,
there's coming overstanding and Quait Walker just pushes the guy
if him the back. I mean, just push them right
in the back. I'm like, going, what is his problem?
And then I find out that he also did this
to a non uniform Buffalo Bill's player on the sideline
(04:14):
back in October. So we got a serial shover here.
All right, somebody who's got a problem and needs to
shove people from behind. Gad zucks man, you can't have
that in this game. Now. You can't push them. Yeah,
I mean go push the guys that have other uniforms on.
You know what I'm saying, like the opposing team, don't
push the guys that come out and polos and catching shorts.
(04:37):
You know what kind of tough guy are you? Come on,
you're pushing guys with your pos on. That's right? That
that that that's like, that's like trying to poke a
guy with with with glasses on. Give him the give
them the all three stooges right between the eyes. Come on. Yeah,
I'm like, come on, get out of here. I'm sitting here.
He tweets out this huge apology. I don't know what,
(05:01):
what could you possibly think? You were doing when you
shoved the trainer in the back. You know, I mean,
you know, he he couldn't explain why he did it,
which I don't think you could explain why you did it.
But the fact is to sit there and say it
just it just happened. What you just go around shoving
(05:22):
people from behind? That's what I call a cereal shover. Yeah. No,
that that and and that and that that that's that's
that's annoying. You know what I'm saying, like, that's one
of those you look at it, you're just like really
really and there's nothing you could say. You're all the
way wrong the entire time. Oh yeah, there there there's
not one justification you can make on why you get
(05:47):
pushed unless the trainer was a former player and he
scored a gatorade in your eye, you know what I'm saying, Like,
that's but yet you pushed him in the back, so
therefore he wasn't even looking at you on top of that.
So there's so many things wrong with this thing. And
quay Walker, I know you're young, but listen, son, if
you want to continue to work here, stay off the drugs.
(06:11):
I'm sitting They're going he's done it, and twice he
got ejected for shopping people that weren't on the field
to play. And I'm sitting there, going do we play
the Packers next year? I want to hang a sign
on Max. It says I, dare you shoved me? Yeah?
I wish you would. I wish you would. Quay Walker. Yeah,
(06:36):
I'm notice I who am safely in ensconced in the
in the uh you know, knife booth with Billy right
and going hey yeah, yeah yeah, yelling down from from
the press box. I just I bet you all, Quay
(06:58):
Quay I'm sitting there, I'm watching this video and reading
his words that he would issued out on the Twitter
thing whatever it is, and uh, and you know he's
just like apologizing for it, Like this is so ridiculous.
What makes you do something so dad comes stupid? Man? Yeah,
(07:22):
I don't know. It's just I'm not gonna lie full disclosure.
While you were just talking, I was literally imagining you
and Billy with the window open, with chocolate chip cookies
in your hand and breaking pieces off almost like birds,
and like trying to throw it at quay Walker from
the from the press box. Max. You know how you
know how people. You know how people sit in the
(07:43):
outfield at the home run derby every summer with like
a big target sign that says hit one here. That's good.
Wolves gonna have like a big arrow that says hit
max here. Yeah exactly. He's gonna have like a laser pointer,
you know, like you do for casses, so shining in
his face and then you're like pointed at me. Come on,
(08:07):
come on, go over there, go over there. Can you
imagine coming to your coach, you know, as you're being
ejected from the game, which is gonna cost you money, right,
I mean, you get ejected from a game, it goes
on your on your on the dollar bill sign thing man, right,
so you go play your coaching? What what was it for?
Was for? I pushed a trainer from behind? What what?
(08:32):
I'm sorry? I wasn't paying attention. I was talking to
the defense, I was I was talking to the offense, Um,
what what happened? Quay? And then and then you get
how Quay? How? How Quay? How did you come to
do it? He came over and he was just he
was acting really tough, and I just shoved him. I like,
(08:56):
I like the way he had sleeves rolled up when
he was carrying those Gatorway bottles. I just I don't know,
I saw I was back. I had to shove him.
I don't know he had he had a shovelable back.
All right, now, hold on, gentlemen, this beckons the question,
and yes, the statue of limitations are over. All right.
(09:17):
You know we're we're ripping on quay and it's all
in good fun. But now we need to know the
dumbest thing that you can say on air that each
of you did on a football field. I mean, it
could be it could be middle it could be middle school.
You went and tried to steal the trumpet from somebody
in the band because he was talking to your girlfriend.
I mean, the dumbest thing you ever did on the
football field. Go, oh my man, let so many different things.
(09:45):
How do you pick one? How do you pick one?
I mean definitely definitely purposely stepping on guys toes as
you're like up around the huddle. Um, I mean, I
mean listen, I mean I do I really kind of
stupid in the moment. I mean, because like I'm definitely like,
(10:07):
how do you Okay, here's marines over a pile? Yeah, alright,
here's one for you. All right, we're playing the Jets.
I'm playing against Marty Lions right now. Marty was a
big defensive tackle for my Alabama great guy, great competitor.
I played hard as I'll get out right, so we
had some real go rounds. So Marty was one of
those guys like, um, the big swim and so I
(10:29):
like to jump side him. And I told you this before, Max,
So bear with me as I tell this story about
So I like to really cram the line of scrimmage,
you know, and and and just I'm into him the
moment he the snap goes boom, I'm I'm locked on him.
You know when you have that short jump shut set
that you know, it's like close quarter combat right in
the phone booth. So what happened was we had a
(10:50):
third and twelve and um, I got called for lining
up off sides. Now I'm I'm playing left card. I'm
right next to the ball, right next to Mike Webster.
And I was so intent and jump setting him so
hard and fast, I inadvertently lined up offsides. So you
(11:12):
get whistled for it. And I come to the the side
and Chuck is staring at me like I got three
eggs and he grabs me and goes what happened? What
were you thinking? I really didn't have an answer. Oh
my god. So wait a second. For clarification purposes, you
lined up offsides forward not back? Was what what what
(11:36):
normal offensive line would get called for? It not not
enough men on the line of scrimmage. But no, you
covered up the center. I was that's the ball. So
you you guys were just lined up like a diagonal line.
You just made your own line of scrimmage, like come on,
(11:59):
move up, boom up, Kobe, you're too far back. Man?
Oh man. It was brief conversation with Chuck at that point. Yeah, exactly.
You know, it's funny. I can honestly say I've never
tried to do that ever in my life as a tackle.
(12:21):
That's only a guard thing that could happen. Now, I
will say this. It's those moments like that, though, when
you come being confronted by the coach and you gotta
explain the stupidity that you just unleas. Yeah, hey, now
listen now one of the funniest ones I had. So
(12:45):
you know how Cincinnati Stadium has that has has the
low twenty five second clock like it sits down. Like
most of them are up top in a visible place.
This one's on the field, so if players get in
front of you, you can't really see it. Um, I'll
never forget. We're in Cincinnati playing and yeah, and so
(13:07):
you know it's a Mike Zimmer double mug, and so
guys are up there. So I'm thinking, you know what,
Ben being six ft five and standing directly straight up
um at a full erect um, and me bending down
somewhat at the left tackle position, I'm thinking being cannot
see the play clocks. So all right, decide as times
(13:31):
running low. We're we're about um, let's say we're about it,
like the ten second mark. We're just getting we're just
getting started. And so I'm looking at the clock of like, man,
we're we're about to go. We're about to go. I'm like, man,
we're about get to delay a game, delay a game.
And it gets down to three two one, and I
just set randomly. The ball has not snapped, but I
(13:58):
but I set, and and so I'm like, I'm like, man,
I'm like, dag it. We didn't snap the ball. And
then they looked at me like what were you doing?
I said the twenty five second clock was running out.
I figured you were gonna snap it and said you
couldn't see it. I thought if I jumped, y'all would snap.
But nobody moved except me. They're like, dude, he didn't
(14:18):
say hut. I'm like, I know that, but the clock
was running down, and so so we come to the
side like coach. I was like, why the hell did
you jump off? Sizes back and it was like, Coach,
the clock was going to zero. He's like the way,
it's like, okay, and I figured if if if I
(14:41):
took a set, we'd move. He's like he just looked
at me and just walked away. There was no comment,
there was no comment. He just it was like he
just shook his head walked away. I was like, oh god,
it's one of those short conversations. You know what I
mean exactly. It's like, okay, I'll give you one more.
I will never forget. Where playing in Miami and touch
(15:02):
and I were on the punt team and we're second year,
first year, and I don't know, but anyhow, I'm semi contained.
He's contained. Believe it or not. We're going on. We're
going down. Tommy Vigorito is a punt returner and he
he um. He puts a little joke on Touch and
goes around the corner. Ah, I'm running down the numbers
(15:25):
are the hash marks, right, and um Jim Jim crash Jensen,
who was a third string quarterback slash Swiss army knife
backup tight end. He wore he's a quarterback. He wore
an eleven number jersey and he wore a neck collar
a horse. Right, So he hits me from the blind side.
(15:49):
I'm I'm just digging up the turf down there in
the Orange bowl, right, but with my face. Touch gets joked.
Vigorito goes up the sidelines for forty yards touched. Now
we're in a quandary because we got to come to
the sidelines and Chuck is looking real hot. So we're
thinking maybe maybe we go to the end of the
(16:09):
bench and you know, maybe Chuck will forget about it
for a moment, you know, But no, Chuck is throwing
people out of the way to come get us, and
Chuck screaming contained good Dane, good Dane, what are you
thinking that? He looks at Dutch and Touch goes well,
I don't know, He's sure to tell you, guy, how
do I know he's that fast? I went, WHOA, that's
(16:31):
not the answer. Wow, that was I was hoping you
had a good answer, but it wasn't it short, Hey
didnt knows that quick? Goes, Oh my gosh. He had
two things working against him. Like what I think we've
(16:55):
been going to break? I didn't read low. Yeah, exactly,
hold on, I gotta tell mine just we could put
a button on this. We'll stay with this. This is
pretty good. Yes, all right. So so you said you
said on the football field. So the statue limitates. So
we're we're playing Auburn. I'm in college now, a sophomore year. Funny,
(17:15):
Kendall Simmons is actually on Auburn squad on the other
side of the field. Kendall was there left tackle. And
so it's the end of the game. We're down. We're
down three is down to the last place? What on
our own twenty? Like, I mean, this is like Hail
Mary of Hail Mary's um. So Rex Grossman is our quarterback.
(17:37):
Rex is running right, and he runs. We are the
line of scrimmage and we're trying to we're trying to hustle.
So Rex throws the ball backwards. Now, mind you, all
the receivers and skill like positions have run street routs
down the field preparing for hail Mary. I'm already seen
(18:00):
in a problem, right, yes, So when you throw backwards,
there's only five of us back here that are that
are technically behind the line of scrimmage, and we're all big,
fat guys. So so I'm like that not one of us,
I would feel is an accomplished gout that could have
(18:23):
been mistaken for a skill player, not one of us.
So the ball comes backwards, it's on the ground. I
run back because obviously I'm the nearest guy to it.
I pick it up and I'm like, you know what,
maybe I could throw this ball down field. You didn't do, no,
(18:44):
And then as I try and grip the football, I'm like, oh, snap,
my hands. My hands are taped up and I have
and I have those thumb cups on there, so therefore
locked thumbs. So then I'm like, well, I don't know
what else to do. I'm the furthest guy, but everybody
(19:04):
is in front of me, so technically it's not even
a lateral or a backwards pass because everybody's in front
of me. So so so that what do I do?
Being a smart guy that I am, I yelled to
the offense, charge to the offensive lunch. Now, mind you,
they have no clue what charge means. We've never wrapped this.
(19:28):
We've never talked about this call. Apparently I went back
to you know, colonial times, right, and we're on mounted
mounted horseback, right, you know, and we are charging into
a group of soldiers. For some reason, I don't know why.
That kicked in my head. And then I just take
the ball tugging and just put my head down and
(19:50):
run forward, thinking that I'm going to run. And in
my head, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna
get about twenty yards or so, and then guys are
gonna come back, and I could toss it off to body.
You know I'm gonna get, but I'm gonna get twenty
yards And I start to run, I break the line
of scrimmage, and literally two yards later, I am flipped
(20:10):
over by by a safety. No, yeah, came up, sniper me.
Completely game over, end of game. But here's the funny thing.
We're sitting on the bus. I'm already embarrassed about this.
I was like, what else was I supposed to do.
It's like nobody helped me at all. All of you
(20:33):
guys left me out to hang. And so and so
the UH coach, Teve is our quarterbacks coach. He gets
on the bus, he has he has a final stat sheet,
you know, and he's looking through the stat She's like, hey, Max,
He's like, here, I want to show you something. Hey,
you leave the team in Russia with two yards with
(20:59):
two yard rushing. I led the Florida Gators and rushing
for one game in my career. It was the most
embarrassing rushing my entire life. Yeah, it's fantastic. That was
the worst decision ever. Oh gosh, sec running back Max
stars Day. Yeah exactly. I could add that. When when
(21:19):
you think of great Florida running backs, Max, I mean
it starts with Emmett Smith and then number two on
that list. I think you gotta put Max Starks. I'm
just on the list. I mean, I don't all I
know is polar opposite is great at Russia, all time,
worst rusher all time. I want to Max with the
ball and he's pointing, yelling charge. I have no clue
(21:50):
what I was exactly, I have no clue it was.
I was like my knee jerk reaction was the yell charge.
I was like, what the hell is wrong with me?
And then expecting everybody else to understand what I'm saying.
If anything, I could have said, block, move anything out,
(22:13):
go yeah anything, Max, Do you at least give him
before I should have. I mean, I wish I would
end the trumpet from f troop. I mean I don't know.
I mean that probably would have helped a little bit better.
Oh God, Okay, let's go to break. Wolf has to recover.
(22:34):
We're in the locker room. It's crazy, it's wild. He's Wolf,
Ump Stars and Wesley Euler here on that Sonarity. It's
her radio. H This is in the locker room with
(23:03):
Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers Nation Radio,
presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F one is
the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think that
I think that his development is a process, and we've
said throughout UM I thought his development took off once
(23:25):
he started getting into stadiums in the preseason, and so
there was a process there. Laying in the third groups,
he was playing in the second groups. He gave him
some first group exposure. Preseason football is different than regular
season football, let's be honest. And so you know, he
bided his time and worked in the regular season football environment,
(23:45):
and when he had an opportunity, when he presented himself,
he showed he belonged and he continued to get better
in that space. And so as I look back at it, um,
I don't know that I have any second thoughts of
regrets about the process or how it transpired as I
sit here right now, maybe I'll think differently as I
analyzed it in an in the season kind of way
(24:07):
in the upcoming weeks. But knee jerk reaction to the question, though,
I don't have any regrets about it as a standards born.
And of course that's Mike Tomlin talking about Kenny Pickett
and talking about the fact that brought Kenny into what
was it the fourth week or something with the Jets game.
I'm still trying to I'm trying to wrap my brain
(24:28):
around all this stuff, you know, And now you go
back the Jets game. Half time of the Jets. All
you need to know that, don't worry about week numbers
and all that, just halftime of the Jets game. Honest,
the goodness, Max, that was one of the funniest opening
segments I've ever been a part of. I've we need
a picture of you with that ball yelling charge. That's
(24:51):
what I'm telling you. That's just one of the greatest
pictures in my head that I can come up with. Man. Yeah, no,
I mean, listen, I I trust somebody on social media
and the Steelers Nation community listening. I'm sure somebody will
come up with something great. I mean, in the era
of memes, I'm sure somebody will come with something that's
(25:12):
so beautiful. Man, that is just beautiful stuff. Oh but
it's in the archives. You have the two thousand one
Auburn game and look at the stat sheet, Max Starks
leading Rushier two yards. Man, just sheer awesomeness, exactly one
(25:33):
of them. It's one of my hidden trivia questions but
also one of my worst blenders, all wrapped into one.
Oh man, you know, I remember I remember Ted Peterson,
who played tackle next to me for a couple of years. Teddy,
great guy. Uh should I probably shouldn't start this again
and gonna start laughing like crazy, But you know, we
(25:54):
were playing Tampa Bay and Hugh Green was a great
defensive end for the pitt Panthers and then went on
to have a fine pro career, pretty good hitter man.
So we were on the screen and uh, there was
a fumble or Teddy thought was a fumble, and he
picked the ball up and and Hugh Green lit him
up from ten yards I mean, just eviscerating. See there
(26:19):
it is, and we upset. Teddy looked like he was
at the bottom of a bad car accident. He's laying
on the ground and Mike Webster standing over and and
he's going, Teddy, Teddy, don't you know you fall on
the ball, don't pick it up and try to run
(26:41):
with it. Yeah, exactly, exactly exactly, I mean, yeah, exactly.
That's almost like one of those things where you whispered
to the rest of the office line, Hey, you guys
want to see a dead body. Come on, come on
right here, right here. Look at that guy. He's still hey,
(27:01):
still holding the ball too. That's gonna be evolved. Let's
get let's let's get back. You asked the question, what
was the question to get out? I forgot what I was.
I know Kenny Pickett came in after the Jets game.
That's the last thing I heard. Okay, so Mike Donomin's
(27:24):
talking about you know, Kenny Pickett and you know, basically
starting off and how far he's coming. He's not had
time to evaluate at all. It's interesting to me that,
you know, I was thinking about there was a commentary,
you know, throughout the season, some people jumping in and saying, well,
the the the offense is Saturday ish is the term
that I remember hearing, and I'm thinking to myself, well,
you know, it seems like that's how you start off,
(27:47):
you know, offensively, a little bit of Saturday ish. When
you have a quarterback who just came off a plane Saturdays,
you know, I mean I think about him going. You know,
maybe we had two high expectations that we're gonna go
with this wide open playbook from the get go, and
it's not gonna be that way from the get go.
You're gonna do something that you know, you think you're
(28:08):
putting your players in the best position given the fact
that you understand you've got a young guy in there,
fresh office Saturday football, um, and you know, the the
game plan and the you know, everything's gonna open up
more as you proceed forward. And I think we saw
the culmination of it against the Browns. But again, there's
(28:29):
not a whole lot of secrets Max anymore. In the NFL.
I mean, you know, you can use different down distance
and personnel people and go motion and all sorts of
zipper motion and jet motion and so forth. But the
fact of the matter is you still have to block,
you still have to tackle, you still have to cover,
you still have to catch the ball. Yeah. No, I mean,
(28:52):
at the end of the day, there there's basic axioms,
right that that have to be accomplished in sports, right,
Always charge when you're I mean, once again, if you're
going to if you're going to run with the ball.
Charge is the best word to use because it describes
an action you know what you're doing, You're you're I
mean literally, I mean, Naji could let's think about this,
(29:14):
Nazi could yell charge every time he gets the ball.
That's good him on the show and ask Hi if
you ever yelled charge? Yeah, when you when you took
a handoff, Just just did you yell charge? Or did
you at least think charge? You know what I'm saying,
Like you also think charge and it works just as well.
Maybe I was just you know, I just I just
(29:35):
had it had it had a very out of body experience.
I was like, you know, what what are you doing
in this play? I'm charging forward? You know so? But no,
but you must, you must, you might you run the
ball right? You charge forward? Uh? When you pass the ball,
you know, you air it out forward. Uh. But that's
(30:00):
that they're trying to justify why I yelled charge still
all these years later. I mean, it happened twenty one
years ago, Wolf, twenty two years ago. I got you
years ago, and I'm still trying to justify why I
expelled such a pointless word. Um, it's tremendous. So it's
just tremendous. It's like, hey, stream of consciousness in the moment, right,
(30:23):
that's it. Nobody has been in your position. You know,
you're down there, the ball comes to you, and what
are you gonna do? You can't throw it, can't throw it,
can't pass it backwards anymore. I'm the furthest guy back.
I mean, all you can do is charge, right, I
mean that's it. So you know what I didn't. I
(30:44):
didn't ask you what did you yell charge with the
termination or do you yell charge? It was definitely yelling charge.
And I also remember I have a mouthpieces, so it's
like tird tird, because you know, you can't can't get
the tongue to the roof of the mouth with the
mouth piece. There. As I think about it, they probably
(31:05):
was like, what the hell is he saying? Because he's
yelling something and stumbling forward. I mean, you know, okay,
we need to reload again. I know, we got to
reload again. I got to get out of this. It's
like it's like Billy Bob and Varsity Blues. Jesus, Okay,
(31:26):
we're okay here. Right, So we were talking about Mike
Tomlin talking about Kenny Pickett. Right, but you know, let's
pick it up in the next segment because we left
our way through the second. I know, I know, we
just we just we just completely devolved two segments in
a row. It's perfect. No, it's perfect. You know, this
is what the locker rooms all about. Baby used to say.
(31:49):
You know, if you ever saw The Circle of Life,
you know, the Disney movie and all that stuff, yeah,
don't you was always like, you're like the hyenas they
left themselves the death. Yeah, exactly, exactly, more like shawan Ze,
not not so much as there you go, all right,
(32:11):
we're going to break, We're gonna try and get it
back together. In this segment of this first hour, you're
here in the locker room with Wolf and Starks on
ESPN and that Star Radio. This is in the locker
(32:38):
room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN, Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F
one fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers trips.
Left is back looking left, He's hit by Captain Camp
and down he goes, Are they gonna throw a flag? No,
(33:00):
he got slammed down, and they threw a flag on
the players of dest out. And I'm still saying it
to this day. Are you kidding me? That was one
of the worst calls I have ever seen in the
history of the NFL and Jens Territory, you know Jeans
(33:22):
from you know Western p a here, and and it
was for years um NFL referee, but he's even said
that the penalty on Cam Hayward for roughing the pastor
wasn't overreaction. I tend to think it was more of
a makeup call, Max than anything else. Yeah, it was
a makeup call. The Larry Ogan job face mask tackle
(33:44):
uh sack was definitely one that was highly overlooked, and
I'm sure Kevin Stefanski probably said that video into the
league office really refs, really you missed this one talking
about protecting quarterbacks and and heading next secure and all
this other stuff about targeting. Yeah, Deshaun Watson got tackled
(34:04):
by the face mask. Like it was almost like like
when like when you go in the trunk and you're
going for that swoop to get a whole bunch of
groceries at once. You know, you're trying to grab like
seven bags in just one hand. Like That's what it
looked like when. Because I was right there in line
on the sideline watching, I'm like, like, all dis a
penalty and then it was like what the flag? Oh
(34:27):
Lario must you know? Yeah, I was like happy New
Year indeed on that one. But but yeah, the captain,
I felt like that was the makeup because you could
see because Mike Tomlin gave them an absolute earful after
that flag, they come, you know how, they come to
the sidelines and talk to the coach, the offended coach
(34:48):
of and they're walking away because It's during a TV
tie about and you see the referee talking to the
side judge and he's kind of looking back and whispering
in his ear, and I'm like, oh, that was a makeup.
He's like, hey man, we gotta cover this up. I'm like, like,
whatever he says, you know, just just let him go.
I feel like that's what he was saying in his ear.
(35:10):
Have you ever heard the crowd react as vociferously as
they did. I mean, well, I'm sure that they you know,
there have been I can't, but it was loud. Man,
was the booing loud. They really were honked off about that.
When Captain cam brought Watson down to the ground and
you and you look, he didn't even roll up on
(35:30):
him or nothing, just you know, got him down to
the turf. Yeah, no, I mean, and and he came sideways.
That's the other thing he did. He did He could
have landed squarely on top of Deshaun Watson like crunched
him right. Absolutely when he took him. He took him
and landed on his own shoulder and elbow on his
(35:51):
side as he pulled Deshaun Watson down. And I don't
know how else I mean you could say that there
was a little bit of a torque, but that was
to make sure that on Watson's feet cleared because obviously
if you just go and tackle, you know, you can
kind of you can kind of lawn dard it right
with one leg and go straight and kind of bend
and toss the guy off. So he kind of gave
(36:12):
like a little up swift jerk to make sure that
leg cleared from underneath him as he took him down,
but still landed on his side, did not land with
the full weight of his body on top of the quarterback,
which I thought was heads up to do in the
moment to still have control over your body enough not
to not to just go on top of him. You know.
(36:32):
He chose to go to the side. He did. You know,
now I just flicked onto They do an interview with
Joe Turkey Jones, you know who did the the head
slammer with Bradshaw back in the day. That was like
in the it was before I got there. It was
like seventy seventy nine. Uh, And he had he had
Bradshaw wrapped him up and supplexed him over the tops
(36:54):
of the brad The first thing contacted was his helmet
as he was spiked into the ground, and I you know,
I'm laughing thinking about that versus what this guy is
flagging here and just how bad what what Joe Jones
did way back when? You know, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
that that was that was different. There was more wrestling
(37:15):
rules um allowed back back in the day. Yeah, that's true.
If you if you could hit, if you could hit
the perfect suplex by Mr Perfect, you know, it was
like bonus points. Okay, yeah, I mean, you know it
was that when the clothes line technique, of course, you know,
it was always Dick Knight train lane. That was the
one that he was. He was for clotheslining guys. Uh,
Deacon Jones the head slap, yes, that was another. Yeah,
(37:39):
these are things that are now outlawed. And now you
get to the point where you can't you can't even lie,
you know, a guy down on sideways. Um, So we've
come a very long way in the interpretation of tackling
a human being down has come. But yeah, it was
definitely a little more wild wild West before your day,
(37:59):
definitely during your day back in the day, you know,
but I think you culminated. You take a look at
the Hines word rule. You know, I mean literally where
you got to introduce yourself and and show three forms
of I D before you hit a guy. You know.
It's like, yeah, hello, I'm coming to hit you. Do
you see me? Yeah? Exactly on a on a backside block,
you know, and hey, I'm coming hello, watch out, watch out.
(38:26):
You are impeding my progress, sir, So I must take
you down. Is that okay? Is that okay with you?
All right? Well, how would you like to go down? Exactly?
You don't want to go down? Well, you have to
go down one way or another. Brother, You're going down
one way. Choose high, medium, low, however you want it.
(38:46):
It's like a broiler setting. You pick it. How fast
do you want to be able to get up afterwards?
Or you can pull the Patrick or card? Do you
remember the Patrick card? Play the first play of the game,
when the Ravens were in Pittsburgh. He went the backside.
He went on the backside like wham block on t J.
He like fell like three yards in front of him
and like log rolled very halfheartedly just to make sure
(39:11):
that t J saw it coming. He can avoid you
can avoid this, Just wait, just wait, one more rotation
one more full roll. Okay, plays over. You know who
we got coming up my front um. It is Wednesday,
(39:33):
so that can mean only one thing, you know, the Wexanator. Yes,
you gotta have it, precipice. It's exactly need more Wexanator
in our lives. And of course we're doing it during
what part of the program will there there? It is
Power Hour up next with Jim Wexel here in the
locker room with Wolf. It starts on ESPN and that's
(39:55):
in our radio
Popular Podcasts
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
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.