January 5, 2023 • 48 mins
Wolf and Max open up the locker room discussing two Steelers who recently won awards. They also catch up with Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette about this upcoming clash with the Browns.
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
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. Can I pick it on the
field for the first time in regular season play? A
young man from Pitton who helped them win the a
(00:35):
c C title last year led them to the Peach Bowl,
and there are a lot of happy people understands that
Kenny is gonna be given a shot here and saw
the legend of Kenny began fourth week of the season,
halftime against the New York Jets, and Kenny comes in.
Now he's run up a record of six and five,
(00:58):
and Max I don't know him, and this guy is
just so clutch. The last two games, Markboli did the math.
I wouldn't trust my own math because you know, you
know how bad I am in math. But anyhow, the
last two games, the last two drives one two point
five QBR all other drives sixty three point two. When
(01:18):
he gets that leveled out throughout the game, I think
we've got somebody serious, seriously good. You're absolutely right, Yeah,
I think this is um. This is something that you
look at it you're just like, Okay, this is a
young guy, but he has ice water in his veins, right,
it's pumping, it's flowing. It might even be spring water.
(01:40):
I'm not sure. There might be some vitamins and nutrients
in there. But it's anything like that water over like
where where where's that the water in uh Tahiti or
something like that. Oh that the water, the Fiji water. Water.
That's it there we go to uh yeah, Fiji and water.
You know what. It might even or it might be
like some artesian well I don't even know. There hasn't
(02:02):
even been discovered yet. Yeah, it's gotta be gotta be
top shelf. I mean, I think one of the big things.
It might even be alkaline too. It might be nine
point five balance. I don't know. Okay, now we're getting
deep into the weeds. We are, we are, but but
I think but I think you know that that's a
crazy polarizing stat but and amazing one. Nonetheless, I think
(02:28):
that's that's the other cool thing about it. It is
because here's the to me, what's so significant is great quarterbacks.
They seemed to rise in the great moments when needed,
um some guys aren't always the most. Um. Remember Jim McMahon.
You know, I think Jim Jimmy had I don't know.
He had good stats and everything, no doubt, but there
(02:50):
were moments that he was just unbelievable. In unbelievable moments. Um,
It's like when they needed them most, he was able
to rise to the challenge for a couple of years,
is there, you know with the Bears and so forth. Um,
some quarterbacks seem to have that magic, you know. Bradshaw
was that magical guy in the Super Bowl. You know,
not that it's not that he wasn't great other times,
(03:13):
but on the biggest stage he was. He was the
biggest guy, you know. And that's that's something that you
can't teach, you can't coach, you can't impart that to anybody.
That's just something that that God gave you at birth. Yeah, no,
I mean, and that that's that special something. Now, obviously
Jim McMahon had to his own peculiarities with shoot with
(03:35):
shoes and lack thereof, but aout to drive with no
gu with no shoes on, don't either. You can slip
and fall down if you played earlier. Yeah, I would
think he can only play at certain times a day, right,
has like a standing like ten thirty tea time. You
know what I'm saying, And you can't you can't do,
you can't do. You can't do the early bird golf
(03:57):
if you if you're if you're if you're going shoeless,
because yeah, yeah, at that point it becomes croquet, you know.
But but I think I think that that that's a
hallmark when you talk about wanting to grow and look
to the future, I think one of the things you
can look to as a positive, like, hey, if we
(04:19):
clean up some more in game early game top fifteen
type of things. We know what the end game result is, right,
we know that he is locked in laser focus and
the guy to have at moments, right, you know, backs
against the wall moments. But how do we get him
into those moments to where his back isn't quite pressed
all the way against the wall? Right? When is it
(04:40):
just a close out moment um a four minute offense,
not a two minute offense at the end of the game.
Those are the things I think when you're looking for
the future and you're looking to what can be and
what can happen with this I think that's gonna be
a big hallmark, and you know, this off season would
be a big offseason to figure out the future of
(05:02):
what this the direction of this offense. But as it
stands now, there's been some really good things and some
really good growth by Kenny throughout this season, and the
fact that he's above five winning percentages is pretty awesome.
Well one of the by the way, I just had
to go and check that out, because when we started
talking about McMahon and then being barefoot, it took me
(05:23):
back to an old teammate of mine, John Goodson. He
was a barefoot punter. Oh I'm sorry, hold on, hold on, hold,
he was barefoot for US. Okay, so forty years ago, Okay,
the year I was born. I'm glad that was not
a thing when I started watching football. He never failed
(05:48):
to remind me that I'm an old man. No, No,
this is you've had so many more vast, laughing life
experiences than I have. I don't know about that, my friend.
There there's still something you You've seen a barefoot at
putter in your lifetime. I have not. I'm just saying
it's another one. You know, It's like one of the
ancient wonders of the world that you know. It's like, hey,
(06:10):
the Hanging Gardens of Babylon barefoot John Goodson, right there
you go, there you go. Is there's some things you know,
I know that I'll never get to see, but I
can relish in the stories that you do share with
You know, there wasn't there a movie back in the eighties.
I'm trying to think about this about about this dad
and his family and he was like a barefoot kicker
(06:32):
and like he had to protect his feet and stuff
because he wouldn't wear he was a Disney Yeah, yeah, probably,
uh I remember, gosh, you know what Steeler's Nation If
you can remember this movie. He was a kicker, but
he he kicked barefoot and it was only like he
would wear a cleaton one foot and then with barefoot
(06:53):
for the actual kicking foot. Gosh, I can't remember that movie.
I just remember there like in a station wagon driving
across country and he was like had his foot up
because he was trying to he was trying to like
do something with like keeping his foot safe or something.
I forgot what it was, but Andy, he was a
vivt memory from my mind, and talking about barefoot people
That was another one that made me think about it.
(07:14):
You know, it's funny because I had this image in
my mind. Now, John Gutsen was a pretty big guy.
He was like six four to twenty. That's a big punter,
you know when you think about it now, he I
had this image and I remember him walking out into
Cleveland on the field to punt, and it was like
back in December or something like that. In the field
(07:35):
was a mess that was cold, and it was so
funny because he had this like, um, it's like a
foot glove, you know, it's like some sort of almost
like a ski boot, but it's a sleeve of some
sort that he'd wear over it and he'd walk out,
then he'd take it off and throw it to the side,
and then he'd punt, you know, and I'm looking at him,
you know, in this old Cleveland stadium, which nasty grass
(07:58):
and all torn up, and it's December and it's cold
and it's you know, snow on the sidelines and everything,
and this guy is putting away with that barefoot, and
I remember looking at the foot when he comes to
the sidelines, it was like all red and everything. I'm thinking,
that's got to hurt. Yeah, I was. Let's say it's
either purple red. I mean, yeah, what do you do
about winter? You know, what are you doing? What are
(08:20):
you doing? Rain? You know what I'm saying, like rain
on AstroTurf. I could not imagine how how hard that
might have been. Well, the thing about it is he
had cleats on the left foot. He was a right
footed punter. I think it was that. I can't remember
which way, but but you still have to take two
or three steps right absolutely planning. Yeah, that's the only
(08:40):
thing that I was like, well, this this should get
a little messy. You know what happens when the cleat
foot is off the ground and you're on the barefoot?
Oh my goodness, you know, because it's not a stationary
drop kick. You know what I'm saying. I got you,
I'm following you. There's a lot of comple cations there.
(09:01):
You know. That might be why after that didn't That
wasn't impossible. He was only he was just there a year.
I'm thinking, what if you had Bunyan's on your foot,
that'd be a problem. I mean, that would be Yeah,
you catch that one corn on the wrong side. You know,
huge bunyans was was Mike Webster dead zukes Man. He
(09:23):
used to take now he would wear size I don't know,
thirteen shoe or something. He had huge feet, and he
he would like have to slice the inside over where
the bunyan was on the inside of the shoe, you know,
because he'd wear tight shoes because you wanted tight shoes,
you know, you don't want loose ones. But over the
one bunion party you have to cut a little bit
to give a little more room there, you know. Yeah, hey,
(09:48):
guys still do that to this day. Wolf that's the
only thing. Yeah, you see guys that making like a
little X mark, like a little ex cut in the cleat, yes,
on the front inside of the toe where they got
a little bunny in or you know, just growing out
to the you know, to the inside of your of
your shoe. So guys still do that. So that is
something that is not unique to just Mike Webster. Um,
(10:12):
you know, guys still do that. I remember because Chris
kim out To used to put like we used to
call it a little star. Even it's an X. But
you know, the bunyan would would would would it would
express itself. And so you see that X kind of
push out a little bit, almost like a budding flower.
That was, except for you don't want that flower to bud. Um.
(10:33):
But you know, I mean players do that. You know,
because like you said, you want to tight cleat, you
want to form fitting cleat so it feels like it's
your foot. But at the same time you gotta allow
for for some of the proclivities. Now, my feet just
used to be just humongous. So exactly what do you
mean used to be I mean, well, used to have cleats, Okay,
(10:55):
I mean used to wear cleats. I don't wear cleats anymore. Um,
but know when I did, you know, it was like whatever,
whatever it would fit, so I would have to adjust accordingly.
Um if they if they overdid the cleat, like I know,
there's a pair in the in the locker room, um,
hanging in the equipment room. Right. We called those the
moon boots because when Nike made these, these these shark cleats,
(11:20):
they made the waffle too wide, so so that so
I could literally if I was pushing off it by
the top of my foot was slide left or right.
Really yeah, So so I had to put a little
patting on the inside. Funny, I had to do the opposite.
I had to put padding on the inside to keep
(11:40):
my foot from sliding when I when I when only
when I wore those sharks though, like the cleated bottoms
like my set, like I made a nine stud cleat
the nine studs were fine. Um, the field turf, We're fine.
It was just the sharks. They made like too big
of a pattern on the waffle when they were making it.
(12:01):
So it was just that was the one that was
like hugely wide. Okay, all right, now let me ask
did they come with sales you know, like you know
three masted ships, you know, because those are some big
big boats there. Man. It did come with an emergency
break though. There you go break glass and pull in
(12:27):
case of emergency, right like you know when you're in
the mountains, you see that runaway truck ramp, Like yeah,
that that's how I felt with my shoes. Did you
ever did you ever talk to your shoes like Josh Miller?
Remember Josh Josh shoes out and he put them like out,
(12:48):
He's going which one you guys want to make history today?
Which one you guys? He's talking to your shoes? Come on, hey,
I never talked to him like that. I'm like, just
just please fit please. Josh used to kill me. He
had such a funny sense of humor. I do you
remember there was one time, um he kicked after a
(13:09):
safety and he shanked it and Cora went after him
like big time, came screaming up to him. You know,
he's got a little bit of the the old the flecking,
you know, the foam coming off the lips and everything else.
Like you know, you're sitting in front row a Gallagher concert,
you know when you're talking to exactly the chance that
when the chin comes out, just prepare for the spit
(13:30):
to follows tells the story his way. He says, he
shanky comes over in colors, comes right up. He's you
know what happened? And he goes it was a bad snap?
Oh is that good? What a great answer. That's the buck.
It's quick answer. He's out talking the long snapper. There's
(13:55):
no there's no snapper out on the kick after the
free kick after I'm just exactly exactly. It's it's like
what it's like you ship you shake the free kid?
Yeah yeah, Bada, you were holding it. I said, what
did say? Think about it? Coach Josh says, looked at
(14:15):
him like you had three heads, and then just turned
away because at that point you've lost all rational right,
you can't have a rational conversation after that, you have
a rational conversation with somebody that talks to his shoes
before he goes out to play. Hey, hey, listen, listen.
Obviously we've all had those special teammates. Yes, just like
(14:41):
you know what, you know what nah not not not
even gonna waste my time, my time. Like the second
I thought about it, I talked myself out of it.
You know. You know it's so funny. It's in those
crazy moments in between stuff that you find out the
craziest things about your crazy teammates. You know, it's different.
(15:01):
One of these things was I was up a training
camp and I locked my keys in the car one
night when we were out, you know, um, hanging out
at a joint, having a few uh beverages, replenishing our
our liquids, you know, it's Chuck always said. And I
came up and rehydrating the exactly exactly. So I'm out
(15:24):
and I come out and the keys are locked in
the car, and I go back and I get there's
a trooper that comes by and he takes one of
those slipjacks out, you know, and try. He can't get
it right now, it's about ye slim Jim, you know
whatever we call you call them things, um but anyhow,
so then so then I'm sitting there. It's like quarter
to eleven. I like, you know, bed check is at eleven.
(15:46):
You're in trouble, right, especially with Chuck. So I'm sitting
there and going, what am I gonna do? And and
that's when Robin Cole comes out. And you remember Robin Cole,
great linebacker from back in the seventies and eighties. So
Chili Bowl comes out. He goes, what's the problem, might go, oh, man,
I lock the keys in my car and we've got
you know, bet check come up, and he goes, anybody
got a hangar? I go robbing, just got a trooper
(16:07):
here with with a with a wire, I mean, with
a slim Jim. There's nothing you know, you can do it.
He goes, give me a give me a hanger. He
got a hanger. In ninety seconds he had the car opened.
I said, del I said to Robin, I go, Robin,
how did you know how to do that? He goes,
he man I'm from l A. I wasn't always a
good guy. Absolutely, absolutely. Sometimes modern technology doesn't it doesn't
(16:33):
necessarily work. Sometimes human ingenuity has to step in. Chili
bowl was so funny. Just cracked me up. Man, you know,
but he was what he saved my butt that night. Man. No, absolutely,
I mean listen, and and here's the thing. I know
how to do that too, but I don't. But obviously
the technology has changed a little bit. I see, I
(16:55):
didn't know anything about it. Yeah, but no, I mean
because growing up, you know, and working at the funeral home,
you know, you know you'd have you know, because you'd
have all these cars and you know somebody was bound
to forget something and leave one of the cars locked
or the hearst is locked and you can see the
key in there, and you're just like, okay, how are
(17:18):
we gonna do this? So that is so that means
that's how I learned. Um. It was because you know,
just just employees just leaving, leaving the keys in the car,
and I'm like, how do you drop the key in
the car and then hit the button to lock the
door before you close it? Like it just it's not
a mechanism like you take the key out and you
locked the door with the lock. That's what it's for.
(17:41):
But I digress. Apparently it didn't. But any who, so
I can appreciate Robert also having that ingenuity, I'm sure
helping countless l A citizens get into their locked vehicles. Absolutely, absolutely,
Which takes us back to the very beginning of what
we started the show. Wanted to congratulate Kenny Pickett on
(18:03):
becoming the Joe Green Great Performance Award winner as the
top rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I thought that was
pretty cool. It was and here we go, Yes, I
joined you. There we go, Okay, there we go, Here
we go, very nice radio clap, radio claps, kind of
(18:25):
like the golf and galley stuff. You know, they got
the little bit of patter, you know exactly what? Oh yes,
that was a good But that was a good Do
you think you and we could never we could never
commentate on pro golf? Could you imagine? You? And now?
We were far too long? No, I mean it would
have to be I mean we we we would have
(18:47):
to do like the happy Gilmour of golf, you know
what I'm saying, Like like it would happen or or
the Waste Management Open, right, we could do that one
Masnagement Open or the Wasted Management Open as we call
it out here. Yeah, ninety thousand fans, I mean half
of them are drunk as all get out, passed out
of the grass and you're playing golf. It's like it's
(19:08):
a party that that happened to have a golf match
in the middle of it. Like, I mean, we could
do that one. That that one I think we would
fit in. But yeah, masters, anything with open at the
end of it. Uh, anything with memorial in the name.
Now we're we would be not the right person except
(19:30):
for the Waste Management Open. That's the only open we
could do. Let me tell you I got I got
one quick story about golfing, about working in a golf course.
It was one of my summer jobs at college. I
worked at a local, the Orchard Park Golf Club there
in Orchard Park, right the country club, and they had
a tournament going on one day, and I always mowed
the greens. Right. Well, they re stationed us around to
(19:52):
like rake sandtraps and stuff like that. Uh you know,
so there's like a little tiny wooded area in between
a couple of whole So I was like, these guys
aren't even hitting into the sand trap. I'm gonna go
over and take a nap. You know. Training was a
little bit hard last night, and I need a little
so I'm done. Just laid down, and all of a sudden,
it seemed like I was just a minute and some
(20:13):
guys poking me with his night and going, hey, Ken,
you're snoring so a lot. I can't. I can't, but
and I was like, like, oh, sorry about that, you know.
Oh my goodness. It's like, are you sleeping on a
pine cone right now? Oh my gosh, that is hilarious
(20:41):
a guy, because like you found the wooded area but
didn't realize it was an open wooded area. Oh man,
Oh my gosh. That that that that that's that's hilarious.
That's absolutely hilarious. Yes to Kenny, And then we go exactly,
let's step aside, alright, Kenny, great perform this award by
the Joe Green. I'm sorry, the Joe Green Great Performance
(21:04):
Award with a k A the Steelers Rookie of the
Year Award. Um. But yeah, we'll step aside and we'll
contellue to talk about the Steelers. Of course, Uh, we
won't talk about Wolf snoring through uh putting putting practices. Um,
and we'll talk about the Cleveland Browns as well when
we come back here in the locker room, Wolf and Starks.
(21:26):
That's an already sp radio. This is in the locker
(21:49):
room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward One is the
official lock up the Pittsburgh Steelers. All right, the remix
had a little had a little rewind in there to
make sure that we got the cool breeze appropriately segued
(22:16):
into the locker room for today. That cool breeze being
Mr Jerry Doulac. Jerry is brought to us by Chipka's
to Cafe located in the historic South Side, where you
can catch all football and hockey action on their seventeen
TVs and most importantly, enjoy those three dollar core cores
like drafts. Jerry, how are we today? And I heard
(22:40):
the breeze is a little cooler today, but yet very
tolerable and uh in Pittsburgh. Well, Max, first of all,
good morning, and you have to make sure you get
that walk up music correct. And there seem to be
a little hiccup there at the beginning. Yeah, and then
they realized whoop sud that I was coming on. And
second of all, yes, as sunny a little cooler at
the it's still seasonable for here because you know how
(23:03):
mild it has been, and so it's gonna get a
little chillier for you on the weekend. Max, you know
that that the desert blood is the thinning out a
little bit more. But you've been after Christmas Eve. You
should be fine. Jerry wasn't hard to pick Kenny Pickett
as that Joe Green Great Performance Award winner. Don't you
think I would agree? I was. I never did ask
(23:25):
what the vote was. I was curious to see if
a couple of knuckleheads might have voted for um, George
Pickens and nothing against him, but let's face it, I mean,
Kenny Pickett, what is the natural rookie of the year,
and uh, you know, deservedly, so good for him. You
know you look back at and excuse me, Max, didn't
mean to jump in here, but I just want to
throw this. You go back to when he came out
(23:48):
at halftime of the Jets game week four. What were
your thoughts then versus they are now, well, you know
my immediate thoughts at the time, Wolf were what I
saw us he gave the park, uh, two possessions, two scores,
and he flipped the scoreboard. And then of course after
that rose three including two critical ones there at the
(24:11):
in the fourth quarter and then the one especially at
the very end. And what you saw the best and
the worst rookie quarterback. You saw what was going to
be good and what was going to be bad with
the quarterback. And that proved to be the case over
the next four or five get too touchdown, seven interceptions,
you know, blown chances. Uh you know in Miami, you know,
(24:35):
a game that they could have won and maybe should
have won. Um, but that's you know that that they
were they will with his mistakes and now you see
where he and I don't want to overblow it because
you have to keep in mind, um despite I mean,
he is number one, he's protecting the football only one
(24:57):
interception since to buy that is that is the number
one thing he has done best. Number two, of course,
is taking those game situations in the fourth quarter, especially
in the new weeks, fifty seconds left, fifties six seconds
left and producing touchdowns. Um, you know they see a
lot of the other times during the game, um, you know,
(25:19):
failures to put the ball in the end zone. Uh,
lack of explosive plays. How much of that is on him?
I'll give you quick for instance, the other day, they're
running the ball, running the ball, running the ball, well,
you go backwards. Baltimore game, Mitch Robinski attacking over the top, completion,
seven yard completion, thirty two yard completion, top of you know,
(25:41):
the Ravensy And I was shocked that they didn't tried
until the fourth quarter. They threw the thirty one yard
to Deonte and he failed to get his feet in bound,
so it was completion. But why they didn't attack earlier,
I think that was just part of the way they
wanted to play. So I'm not gonna sit there and
blame Kenny Picket for not going over the top and
(26:02):
taking chances. Um, but I think you know, so we've
seen we've seen him play very ordinary. But man, in
those key situations. Um, you know, it's three times now,
the Indie game, the Ravens game. In the Raiders game,
he's brought him back in the fourth quarter into me.
That's a sign, uh you know, that's a sign of
a winner. It's very Ben Roethlisberger line that absolutely. Uh
(26:26):
you know, those are definitely some of the things that
you look at, um, you know, and those numbers that
marked throughout there as far as final drives, I mean,
that's was kind of Ben's hallmark, right. It was those
big hero, big cape moments that he would come alive
and uh and and move move the defense with his
feet and make the play that he needed to downfield
(26:48):
to get to get the game and control. Um. You know,
Jared looking at just kind of where we're at in
the season, I mean eight and eight. Uh could you
have imagined this after week four? After week six? Heck
even going into the bye, would you have ever thought
(27:08):
that we would be at this position where we're at,
um going into week eighteen? Uh no um and and
um you know this run that they are on, this
late season charge, you know, winning five of their last six,
six of their last eight, um after they were two
and six, uh no um. I think part of it,
(27:30):
and not to take anything away from it, they've had
a very favorable schedule where all they've played a lot
of teams who have records that were the same or
worse than them to their credit. They they took care
of what they needed to do, which is beat the
teams that they feel they are better than, because we
have seen past seasons where they have been much better
(27:51):
than teams, and um, you know, let the game slip away,
and so I I you have to give them credit
for taking care of business. Don't care what the other
teams like or how bad they are. So and look,
they don't score touchdowns, they have no explosion in their offense.
You know, their longest touchdowns twenty four place. So there
are a lot of things that need to be corrected
(28:12):
and improved upon. There's no question about it. Um. All
that being said, I didn't I never ever thought they
would be sitting here with this pretty decent chance when
you consider that the Patriots have to lose to the Bills,
uh and the Jets, who are now a favorite the Dolphins.
(28:33):
To show you how bad the Dolphins are, they are
at home against the Jets, who have lost five in
a row, and the Dolphins are an underdog. So it's
very plausible that um, you know, New England and the
Dolphins could lose, and the Steelers of course can I
don't want to say should, but but can and probably
will win against the Browns. What do you think about Well,
(28:56):
first of all, with Miami, they're down to Skyler Thompson, right, Okay, Yeah,
so that's that's that's a boom that should help. But certainly,
as I look at this and he there's a lot
of factors that have like come in lately, and one
of one of the big stories has to be Mark Robinson.
I mean, you want to talk about a guy who's
got bounced back, you know, who's got a little bit
(29:16):
of that thumping. Uh. That guy there just he brought
a lot of juice in a very limited amount of
snaps there. Yeah, well, you know that's that's the most
he's played. Obviously, he's only been active for three games
and he's only played in the defense, um the last
two games. I think the other game he played five snaps.
He played twenty six against the Ravens, and he was
third on the team with seven tackles, and the two
(29:38):
guys in front of him played more almost the double
the amount of snaps that he did. He was very active.
He brings a lot of thump, There's no question about it. Um,
you know, I talked to some of the guys yesterday
about him, and uh, including Miles Jack, who, like Mark Robinson,
was a converted running back at the linebacker. And um,
you know Mark Robinson. You know, people want them to
(29:59):
go draft and in side linebacker in April, and you
know what they feel they have their inside linebacker next
year and his name is Mark Robinson. And so, um,
they really like this guy, they have all along and
what he did against Baltimore, Um, you know, just kind
of reinforced what they thought about this guy. Now. I
don't think he was under the ken Ken Drell Bell
(30:21):
game plan, which was just go tackle the ball. I
don't think that was it at all. But he went
and tackled the ball. There's no question about it. Absolutely.
And and so I mean when we look at this
rookie class just in general, I mean I think now
we can kind of you know, take stock now that
(30:42):
we're almost you know, at the end of the season
and we've seen a good volume of work from a
majority of them. I mean, we just talked about Mark
Robinson being probably one of the least played of the rookies.
Um contributing this season. Um, that's I've been on the
active roster. But how how do you view this rookie
class and the success of it. I mean, if if
you're looking at how well, I'm not asking for you know,
(31:05):
a actual letter grade, but you know, good, very good. Um.
You know, as far as this class draft and their
and their potential um not even not even potential, I say,
their contributions thus far in the season. You know, Max,
I learned a long time ago not to overreact one
way or another, good or bad, So I wouldn't sit
(31:26):
here and say very good, but I will say it
has the potential to be very good when you find
yourself and they believe they have, of course a quarterback
for the future in Kenney Pickett, and a big play
receiver like George Pickens. The Marvin Leo is um. He
is an athletic player boy for defensive lineman. We have
(31:47):
how they've used him, playing him in T. J. Watt slot.
You saw what they did with them the other day
moving him around. Is that fourth defensive lineman in some
of those packages. I think he ended up playing twenty
six or twenty seven snaps. They really like the Marven
Lee out to the point that they're playing him over
Isaiah Lottoman. But that was what they liked about him
when they drafted him. You know, they they I don't
(32:08):
want to say the knock. The curiosity about the guy was, Okay,
where do you play him? Is he a four? Three? Uh?
And uh? You know, is he an interior guy? He's
really not an interior guy, but they move him around
and and um, so there's another guy you're talking about
your top three draft picks. You know, the Marmin Lee
out probably next year, you know, depending on what happens
with Larry Ogan Jobi. Uh, you know, whether they decide
(32:32):
to resign him. He's a guy who could be a
starter next year, no question about it. He's going to
be a big time contributor. And then if you get
Mark Robinson at the bottom of the draft, all of
a sudden, if he develops into a starter. Um, then
a draft class, you only have seven picks, uh in
this in this draft, and now four of them could
be either starters or big time contributors. So you have
(32:54):
to like, um, you know what they've done. And last year,
you know, you get Nagy number one, and you get
Prior with number two, and you judge every draft. Every
draft gets graded highly or lowly depending on the number
one pick. You have to hit a home run with
the number one pick and it looks like at least
in the last two years they have done that with
numbers one and numbers two. So you have to give them,
(33:15):
you know, you have to give him high marks for that. Jerry,
you do a lot of stuff with them, chat the
chat rooms and still forth. And what's the reaction been.
The Wizard of Bo's having a kind of a tough
out in with you know, he's missed four of his
last eight and six of us or something. Yeah, he
had missed four of his eight and then he he
made those last three. Uh, you know in Baltimore. You know,
(33:37):
it's funny. Well, if I haven't been asked a lot
about it, and I think probably because everybody realizes it's
probably an anomaly because he is, uh you know, he
is so consistent and so good. Um, you know, I
I don't think there's probably any question that he is
still feeling whatever it is that landed him on I R.
(33:59):
You've been told it's a type of injury that you know,
it's not just going to go away. Maybe I don't
want to say ever, but it's something that's going to
bother him. I can't tell you what it is, I
don't know, but it's something that would bother a kicker.
And uh again, I'm not going to use that as
an excuse, but um, I think people understand how good
(34:19):
this guy is and it's just odd to see him.
And I think, I think all his misses, although the
one hit the crossbar was on the right, but all
his other misses were to the left. Now I know
two of them, I believe on Christmas Eve. And I
get that because you know the ball's colder, and you
one thing you want to make sure is that you
thump that ball, so you're gonna make sure you pull
(34:40):
through the kick. And I get missing him left on
on games like that, but it's just it's just odd
to see him miss fifty of his kicks in in
that little stretch. But at least he came back with
the three against the Ravens. You know. The one thing
is maybe he had visions of sugar plums dancing in
this that could get in the way, getting in the way.
(35:01):
But I do remember this. I do remember a few
years ago when he went through a similar stretch. Remember
he was kind of hurt. Remember I remember I remember
John Norwigs standing over it was in Tampa, as a
matter of fact, by the kicking net and I remember that, Um,
he was looking at where Bobs planted his foot and
he was just staring at it for a moment, and
(35:22):
I remember thinking, Okay, there's something wrong here, because that
started when when Bobs had another similar trouble a few
years ago, and it was he was basically looking I
think it whether the plant was correct or not, or
or he slipped, is what I'm saying. I guess, uh yeah,
And that's the only thing. I mean, this guy is terrific.
(35:42):
It's there's a little bit that seems to go awry
and wolf it could well be that whatever that type
of injury that he has had that he potentially could
have going forward could be something like that with his
plant foot as opposed to his kicking leg. But um, yeah,
we've we've you know, we've seen him have some small
(36:04):
um struggles. But all in all, um, he's just so
darn good and uh and you know he I mean,
you can see the strength in his leg, how how
he was bombing it the other day. So that's never
a question with him, absolutely no, absolutely, Uh, Jerry, I
do have to ask this question before we go. Uh,
do you remember John Goods in the Barefooted Punter? Vaguely
(36:30):
now that you bring it up, Yes, for the Steelers? Okay,
um did did did you ever? Did you ever question
or wonder why there is a man punting without a
shoe on? Yeah? I I wonder why anybody would because
to me, I think the shoe would help. But I
know you're gonna tell me why he did. No, I don't,
(36:52):
because Wolf just told me about this in our opening monologue,
and and I was confused by the fact that they're
I never hear a foot punter, and I was like,
maybe Jerry covered it. I don't know, No, No, before
my before my time, well not really before my time,
because I was at that fourth Super Bowl when that was,
and that's when I was a young kid in the business.
(37:13):
But I always wondered about those kickers, the barefooted kickers,
why they would kick that way? That's always puzzled. I mean,
I don't especially when the weather gets cold. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
And see, I know there was a movie that was
done about it. And I was trying to tell Wolf
and I couldn't remember it, but I felt like there
was a movie done about a barefoot kicker at him
(37:33):
like moving to all these different teams over the years.
But I can't remember it. So okay, all right, that
was my oddit ty has still been in my head.
I had to ask, Jerry. But we we appreciate you
in the time that we had for you, the cool
breeze segment in the locker room, just washing by and
making us feel good. Um, I will say, I will
(37:56):
see you at the ball yard this weekend, um, as
you always say, so I look forward to and of
course I look forward to seeing hopefully fingers crossed a
Steeler's victory impossible playoff entry when it's all said and done.
But and so for one more week I can see.
I'll see you boys at the ball on us. Yes, yes, exactly,
(38:18):
yes you can. You can. Uh. Jerry was brought to
us by Chikas to cafe remember us in the historic
South Side. There's seventeen TVs for all your football and
hockey action, but most importantly three dollar cores like drafts
all the time there, um, during during during ball games. Thanks, Jerry,
appreciate you. We'll see you this weekend. Alright, boys, always
(38:40):
a good chat with you. Alright, alright, we're gonna head
to break and when we come back, more Steelers, more
Brown's coverage, more players. Here in the locker room, it's
wolfing Starks ESPN, and that's in our radio. This is
(39:18):
in the locker 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. Man Pat Meyer has been. He's been the
rock for our room. Man he's been. He's been so
solid and um on top of all the technique and
(39:38):
schematics that he does, um, the leader he is for
that room is pretty special. Man. He's just like I said,
there's been a lot of ups and downs, and we've
had a good game the bad games. Um, but he
understands this level of football in the natural Football League
and um, the things that go on in the schematics
of it, the type of players we play against, and
(39:58):
just uh, just in still confidence in us and just
still it is still doing that. We're still learning every
day for a room and it's just been super impresive.
I'm super super thankful for Pat Meyer. I think everyone
else in the room would say that too, and that
of course is center Mason Cole Chief Award winner given
to the Steeler who best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation
(40:21):
with the media, and that's Mason. You know. It's it's
funny how often, you know, offensive linemen are are pretty
you know, amiable there you know he come from for
quotes and good batter and different. Usually the guys are
staying around. They'll give you an answer, you know. And
that's one of the things I love about the offensive line.
They're they're always the first to take it in the
(40:41):
chops from both good, bad and different. What have you.
But Mason Cole guy who was really done a good
job overall the whole year. Uh talking about the job
that Pat Meyer and the fact that Pat has been
and Isaac Washington to his assistant line coach. But Pat
Meyer has done a great job with this offensive line,
bringing some people along and helping this whole group to
(41:04):
play as a group much better. What do you say there, Max, No,
I think this has been yeoman's work that Pat Meyer
has done this season. Um, from where we were at
the first day of training camp, will remember that, remember
that first seven shots period didn't Yeah? No? And then
(41:26):
to where we got by the end of camp, and
then where we were at the beginning of the season
to now where we are at this point in the season.
I mean, you you could see the physical change in
this offensive You can see a physical change in the understanding,
the quick reaction and acknowledgement by the offensive line of
(41:49):
what's happening in game. They're not looking lost, They're looking
like a coordinated unit. Right, five fingers that turned into
a fist, and that has been, you know, a great
job done by Pat Meyer. This offensive line and his
leadership has been just steady the entire way. Right. Pat
(42:10):
Meyer's not a guy that talks a whole lot, but
you know, you talk to Pat pastical, give you a
couple of words, all right, man, all right, good luck, guys.
Hey kick, you know, let's kick. But you know it's
like it's like you get like four or five words
and that's it. It's not a true conversation. But he's
just stuck with it and done a great job with
this offensive line. So you know, to hear Mason kind
(42:30):
of talk about him in that way, you know, you
have to give kudos where kudos is deserved, and Pat
Myers deserves a bunch of kudos because he did a
great job with this group and turning a bunch of
guys into an offensive line exactly. So you know, Max,
I look at it and my experience in the NFL,
a lot of there's offensive line coach. The coaches generally
(42:51):
break down a couple of ways number and there's a
third way too, but they are few and far in between.
But some guys are really it at the XS and
those the schematics, and some guys are really good with technique.
But that you don't always get guys that are both,
you know what I mean. They they tend to trend
towards one area of specialty. It's not that the guys
(43:13):
who are technique minded don't not understand the offense, but
they're there. They're schematic ability is not quite the same
as those who are heavily into the XS and those.
But there are the guys like Mike Munchak. There are
outstanding offensive line coaches who um have a good grasp
of both. And uh, I think Pat tends and trends
(43:35):
towards that more than your average offensive line coach. Yeah, no,
I mean and that that's that that's really the difference
I think it's that extra step, extra time. It's the
extra purpose that's put in. Not all coaches are built
the same, you know, if that was the case, you
(43:56):
wouldn't you would never fire any coaches, right, if they
were all the same. But the good ones are hard
to come by and when you do get them, And
you and I were both blessed to have some amazing
coaches at our position, but you know, you appreciate them
even more you don't have a good coach, You're like, man,
(44:18):
I wish I would have had such and such and
you would've all been there. Yeah. And what I appreciate
too about Pat Meyer is one of the qualities I
really loved about Mike Munchak. You know, when you come
to the sidelines and there's something just went kaflui out
on the field, right, sometimes you're greeted by a uh
(44:39):
an angry spitting you know, coach that's uh you know
kind of yeah, He's like, before you even get the sidelines,
you're getting ripped, right. So what what I liked about
Pat is I liked about Munchak And there's a calmness. Okay, guys,
let's get over here. Let's talk about it. And before
we start ripping any buddy, let's just start to find
(45:01):
out what the facts of what happened here are. And
that's that's important. That there's there's keeping a sort of uh,
you know, some sort of cerebral like, let's get chilled,
and so we don't confuse the message with other things,
you know what I mean. And so that I appreciate
because when you have coaches that just start lightening you up,
(45:22):
it's like wait a minute, man, and then you don't
get things solved, you get anger and all kinds of
stuff going on there. Yeah, no, I mean exactly. It's
one of those where you had that bad play, like
the third play in a drive, and you just know
the coaches is over there giving you the laser eyes,
right yeah, yeah, and you won't look to the sidelines
(45:44):
for anything. I was like, I'm not looking over here,
and your nine plays into the drive, he's still staring
at you from that third play, yes, yeah, and god
god forbid anybody else messes up along the way, and
it's like one of those things where you're like, can't
we just kick another extra point if we score a touchdown?
(46:05):
But you know what, you know, in fact, I'll be
I'll go in the coverage unit. You know what, what's
the opposite position? Can I Can I go be l
one to make sure I'm away from our sideline is
far away, you know, and you know I'll play defense.
I'll play defense. It's like one of those things where
you start literally figuring out what other jobs you can
do to avoid going to the sidelines like that, like
(46:26):
that's the coach you don't want. And and I had
a couple of those in my years, but you know,
I was blessed, you know, to have guys, you know,
like Russ Grimm right where he's that similar mic un check,
you know, type of personality, Sean Coogler, same way. Um,
and so you were just like, man, I I do
(46:48):
you know you dread going to the sidelines, but otherways
like okay, I can go do this because you know,
but you know, BC is gonna be worse to me.
Coach Kaward is gonna gona It's gonna be more mad
than my offensive line coach. I mean, and it's only
gonna last for a second, and you can just keep
the squeezy shield on. I remember with touch and I
(47:08):
was always you go to the sidelines and Chuck was
gonna come after you. And the whole thing was always
the debate was if you're really screwed up. Like one
time we we were on the punt team and Tommy
Vigorito took one around us. I was semi contained. Touch
was contained. It just didn't end well. It was a
very poor So anyhow, we're going to sidelines and we're
trying to without speaking a word, were trying to figure
(47:31):
out do we go to the bench and go right
to Chuck or do we make him throw people out
of the way to come get us. Yeah, because that's
what Chuck would do, maybe like shoving guys aside that
you know, uh, and that that's always like the big thing.
Do you do you make him come get you or
do you just go up and take your licking like
a man? You know that that's where you're like, you
(47:53):
know what those couch for building days as a kid,
I really took those for granted. I mean, you know,
you could really use those on the sideline. It's like
just jumping that little bunker you know, you have you
have the seat and the seat cushies up front, you know,
just to hide, just to protect yourself, you know, I
I wish you had one of those on the sidelines.
Can't talk to me. I can't hear you exactly. I
(48:19):
got your ears in your ear, your your fingers in
your ears, like nope, nope, nope, you can't hear it.
You can't hear it. Didn't happen. Oh my gosh. All right, well,
well we gotta step aside, uh you know, because of course,
what is the next hour in this show? We got
the Power Hour coming up boom power right next, yes,
and we will continue in the locker room. He's Wolf,
(48:41):
I'm Starks West is back there pushing buttons. Uh here
in the locker room on SNR and ESPN 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. Can I pick it on the
field for the first time in regular season play? A
young man from Pitton who helped them win the a
(00:35):
c C title last year led them to the Peach Bowl,
and there are a lot of happy people understands that
Kenny is gonna be given a shot here and saw
the legend of Kenny began fourth week of the season,
halftime against the New York Jets, and Kenny comes in.
Now he's run up a record of six and five,
(00:58):
and Max I don't know him, and this guy is
just so clutch. The last two games, Markboli did the math.
I wouldn't trust my own math because you know, you
know how bad I am in math. But anyhow, the
last two games, the last two drives one two point
five QBR all other drives sixty three point two. When
(01:18):
he gets that leveled out throughout the game, I think
we've got somebody serious, seriously good. You're absolutely right, Yeah,
I think this is um. This is something that you
look at it you're just like, Okay, this is a
young guy, but he has ice water in his veins, right,
it's pumping, it's flowing. It might even be spring water.
(01:40):
I'm not sure. There might be some vitamins and nutrients
in there. But it's anything like that water over like
where where where's that the water in uh Tahiti or
something like that. Oh that the water, the Fiji water. Water.
That's it there we go to uh yeah, Fiji and water.
You know what. It might even or it might be
like some artesian well I don't even know. There hasn't
(02:02):
even been discovered yet. Yeah, it's gotta be gotta be
top shelf. I mean, I think one of the big things.
It might even be alkaline too. It might be nine
point five balance. I don't know. Okay, now we're getting
deep into the weeds. We are, we are, but but
I think but I think you know that that's a
crazy polarizing stat but and amazing one. Nonetheless, I think
(02:28):
that's that's the other cool thing about it. It is
because here's the to me, what's so significant is great quarterbacks.
They seemed to rise in the great moments when needed,
um some guys aren't always the most. Um. Remember Jim McMahon.
You know, I think Jim Jimmy had I don't know.
He had good stats and everything, no doubt, but there
(02:50):
were moments that he was just unbelievable. In unbelievable moments. Um,
It's like when they needed them most, he was able
to rise to the challenge for a couple of years,
is there, you know with the Bears and so forth. Um,
some quarterbacks seem to have that magic, you know. Bradshaw
was that magical guy in the Super Bowl. You know,
not that it's not that he wasn't great other times,
(03:13):
but on the biggest stage he was. He was the
biggest guy, you know. And that's that's something that you
can't teach, you can't coach, you can't impart that to anybody.
That's just something that that God gave you at birth. Yeah, no,
I mean, and that that's that special something. Now, obviously
Jim McMahon had to his own peculiarities with shoot with
(03:35):
shoes and lack thereof, but aout to drive with no
gu with no shoes on, don't either. You can slip
and fall down if you played earlier. Yeah, I would
think he can only play at certain times a day, right,
has like a standing like ten thirty tea time. You
know what I'm saying, And you can't you can't do,
you can't do. You can't do the early bird golf
(03:57):
if you if you're if you're if you're going shoeless,
because yeah, yeah, at that point it becomes croquet, you know.
But but I think I think that that that's a
hallmark when you talk about wanting to grow and look
to the future, I think one of the things you
can look to as a positive, like, hey, if we
(04:19):
clean up some more in game early game top fifteen
type of things. We know what the end game result is, right,
we know that he is locked in laser focus and
the guy to have at moments, right, you know, backs
against the wall moments. But how do we get him
into those moments to where his back isn't quite pressed
all the way against the wall? Right? When is it
(04:40):
just a close out moment um a four minute offense,
not a two minute offense at the end of the game.
Those are the things I think when you're looking for
the future and you're looking to what can be and
what can happen with this I think that's gonna be
a big hallmark, and you know, this off season would
be a big offseason to figure out the future of
(05:02):
what this the direction of this offense. But as it
stands now, there's been some really good things and some
really good growth by Kenny throughout this season, and the
fact that he's above five winning percentages is pretty awesome.
Well one of the by the way, I just had
to go and check that out, because when we started
talking about McMahon and then being barefoot, it took me
(05:23):
back to an old teammate of mine, John Goodson. He
was a barefoot punter. Oh I'm sorry, hold on, hold on, hold,
he was barefoot for US. Okay, so forty years ago, Okay,
the year I was born. I'm glad that was not
a thing when I started watching football. He never failed
(05:48):
to remind me that I'm an old man. No, No,
this is you've had so many more vast, laughing life
experiences than I have. I don't know about that, my friend.
There there's still something you You've seen a barefoot at
putter in your lifetime. I have not. I'm just saying
it's another one. You know, It's like one of the
ancient wonders of the world that you know. It's like, hey,
(06:10):
the Hanging Gardens of Babylon barefoot John Goodson, right there
you go, there you go. Is there's some things you know,
I know that I'll never get to see, but I
can relish in the stories that you do share with
You know, there wasn't there a movie back in the eighties.
I'm trying to think about this about about this dad
and his family and he was like a barefoot kicker
(06:32):
and like he had to protect his feet and stuff
because he wouldn't wear he was a Disney Yeah, yeah, probably,
uh I remember, gosh, you know what Steeler's Nation If
you can remember this movie. He was a kicker, but
he he kicked barefoot and it was only like he
would wear a cleaton one foot and then with barefoot
(06:53):
for the actual kicking foot. Gosh, I can't remember that movie.
I just remember there like in a station wagon driving
across country and he was like had his foot up
because he was trying to he was trying to like
do something with like keeping his foot safe or something.
I forgot what it was, but Andy, he was a
vivt memory from my mind, and talking about barefoot people
That was another one that made me think about it.
(07:14):
You know, it's funny because I had this image in
my mind. Now, John Gutsen was a pretty big guy.
He was like six four to twenty. That's a big punter,
you know when you think about it now, he I
had this image and I remember him walking out into
Cleveland on the field to punt, and it was like
back in December or something like that. In the field
(07:35):
was a mess that was cold, and it was so
funny because he had this like, um, it's like a
foot glove, you know, it's like some sort of almost
like a ski boot, but it's a sleeve of some
sort that he'd wear over it and he'd walk out,
then he'd take it off and throw it to the side,
and then he'd punt, you know, and I'm looking at him,
you know, in this old Cleveland stadium, which nasty grass
(07:58):
and all torn up, and it's December and it's cold
and it's you know, snow on the sidelines and everything,
and this guy is putting away with that barefoot, and
I remember looking at the foot when he comes to
the sidelines, it was like all red and everything. I'm thinking,
that's got to hurt. Yeah, I was. Let's say it's
either purple red. I mean, yeah, what do you do
about winter? You know, what are you doing? What are
(08:20):
you doing? Rain? You know what I'm saying, like rain
on AstroTurf. I could not imagine how how hard that
might have been. Well, the thing about it is he
had cleats on the left foot. He was a right
footed punter. I think it was that. I can't remember
which way, but but you still have to take two
or three steps right absolutely planning. Yeah, that's the only
(08:40):
thing that I was like, well, this this should get
a little messy. You know what happens when the cleat
foot is off the ground and you're on the barefoot?
Oh my goodness, you know, because it's not a stationary
drop kick. You know what I'm saying. I got you,
I'm following you. There's a lot of comple cations there.
(09:01):
You know. That might be why after that didn't That
wasn't impossible. He was only he was just there a year.
I'm thinking, what if you had Bunyan's on your foot,
that'd be a problem. I mean, that would be Yeah,
you catch that one corn on the wrong side. You know,
huge bunyans was was Mike Webster dead zukes Man. He
(09:23):
used to take now he would wear size I don't know,
thirteen shoe or something. He had huge feet, and he
he would like have to slice the inside over where
the bunyan was on the inside of the shoe, you know,
because he'd wear tight shoes because you wanted tight shoes,
you know, you don't want loose ones. But over the
one bunion party you have to cut a little bit
to give a little more room there, you know. Yeah, hey,
(09:48):
guys still do that to this day. Wolf that's the
only thing. Yeah, you see guys that making like a
little X mark, like a little ex cut in the cleat, yes,
on the front inside of the toe where they got
a little bunny in or you know, just growing out
to the you know, to the inside of your of
your shoe. So guys still do that. So that is
something that is not unique to just Mike Webster. Um,
(10:12):
you know, guys still do that. I remember because Chris
kim out To used to put like we used to
call it a little star. Even it's an X. But
you know, the bunyan would would would would it would
express itself. And so you see that X kind of
push out a little bit, almost like a budding flower.
That was, except for you don't want that flower to bud. Um.
(10:33):
But you know, I mean players do that. You know,
because like you said, you want to tight cleat, you
want to form fitting cleat so it feels like it's
your foot. But at the same time you gotta allow
for for some of the proclivities. Now, my feet just
used to be just humongous. So exactly what do you
mean used to be I mean, well, used to have cleats, Okay,
(10:55):
I mean used to wear cleats. I don't wear cleats anymore. Um,
but know when I did, you know, it was like whatever,
whatever it would fit, so I would have to adjust accordingly.
Um if they if they overdid the cleat, like I know,
there's a pair in the in the locker room, um,
hanging in the equipment room. Right. We called those the
moon boots because when Nike made these, these these shark cleats,
(11:20):
they made the waffle too wide, so so that so
I could literally if I was pushing off it by
the top of my foot was slide left or right.
Really yeah, So so I had to put a little
patting on the inside. Funny, I had to do the opposite.
I had to put padding on the inside to keep
(11:40):
my foot from sliding when I when I when only
when I wore those sharks though, like the cleated bottoms
like my set, like I made a nine stud cleat
the nine studs were fine. Um, the field turf, We're fine.
It was just the sharks. They made like too big
of a pattern on the waffle when they were making it.
(12:01):
So it was just that was the one that was
like hugely wide. Okay, all right, now let me ask
did they come with sales you know, like you know
three masted ships, you know, because those are some big
big boats there. Man. It did come with an emergency
break though. There you go break glass and pull in
(12:27):
case of emergency, right like you know when you're in
the mountains, you see that runaway truck ramp, Like yeah,
that that's how I felt with my shoes. Did you
ever did you ever talk to your shoes like Josh Miller?
Remember Josh Josh shoes out and he put them like out,
(12:48):
He's going which one you guys want to make history today?
Which one you guys? He's talking to your shoes? Come on, hey,
I never talked to him like that. I'm like, just
just please fit please. Josh used to kill me. He
had such a funny sense of humor. I do you
remember there was one time, um he kicked after a
(13:09):
safety and he shanked it and Cora went after him
like big time, came screaming up to him. You know,
he's got a little bit of the the old the flecking,
you know, the foam coming off the lips and everything else.
Like you know, you're sitting in front row a Gallagher concert,
you know when you're talking to exactly the chance that
when the chin comes out, just prepare for the spit
(13:30):
to follows tells the story his way. He says, he
shanky comes over in colors, comes right up. He's you
know what happened? And he goes it was a bad snap?
Oh is that good? What a great answer. That's the buck.
It's quick answer. He's out talking the long snapper. There's
(13:55):
no there's no snapper out on the kick after the
free kick after I'm just exactly exactly. It's it's like
what it's like you ship you shake the free kid?
Yeah yeah, Bada, you were holding it. I said, what
did say? Think about it? Coach Josh says, looked at
(14:15):
him like you had three heads, and then just turned
away because at that point you've lost all rational right,
you can't have a rational conversation after that, you have
a rational conversation with somebody that talks to his shoes
before he goes out to play. Hey, hey, listen, listen.
Obviously we've all had those special teammates. Yes, just like
(14:41):
you know what, you know what nah not not not
even gonna waste my time, my time. Like the second
I thought about it, I talked myself out of it.
You know. You know it's so funny. It's in those
crazy moments in between stuff that you find out the
craziest things about your crazy teammates. You know, it's different.
(15:01):
One of these things was I was up a training
camp and I locked my keys in the car one
night when we were out, you know, um, hanging out
at a joint, having a few uh beverages, replenishing our
our liquids, you know, it's Chuck always said. And I
came up and rehydrating the exactly exactly. So I'm out
(15:24):
and I come out and the keys are locked in
the car, and I go back and I get there's
a trooper that comes by and he takes one of
those slipjacks out, you know, and try. He can't get
it right now, it's about ye slim Jim, you know
whatever we call you call them things, um but anyhow,
so then so then I'm sitting there. It's like quarter
to eleven. I like, you know, bed check is at eleven.
(15:46):
You're in trouble, right, especially with Chuck. So I'm sitting
there and going, what am I gonna do? And and
that's when Robin Cole comes out. And you remember Robin Cole,
great linebacker from back in the seventies and eighties. So
Chili Bowl comes out. He goes, what's the problem, might go, oh, man,
I lock the keys in my car and we've got
you know, bet check come up, and he goes, anybody
got a hangar? I go robbing, just got a trooper
(16:07):
here with with a with a wire, I mean, with
a slim Jim. There's nothing you know, you can do it.
He goes, give me a give me a hanger. He
got a hanger. In ninety seconds he had the car opened.
I said, del I said to Robin, I go, Robin,
how did you know how to do that? He goes,
he man I'm from l A. I wasn't always a
good guy. Absolutely, absolutely. Sometimes modern technology doesn't it doesn't
(16:33):
necessarily work. Sometimes human ingenuity has to step in. Chili
bowl was so funny. Just cracked me up. Man, you know,
but he was what he saved my butt that night. Man. No, absolutely,
I mean listen, and and here's the thing. I know
how to do that too, but I don't. But obviously
the technology has changed a little bit. I see, I
(16:55):
didn't know anything about it. Yeah, but no, I mean
because growing up, you know, and working at the funeral home,
you know, you know you'd have you know, because you'd
have all these cars and you know somebody was bound
to forget something and leave one of the cars locked
or the hearst is locked and you can see the
key in there, and you're just like, okay, how are
(17:18):
we gonna do this? So that is so that means
that's how I learned. Um. It was because you know,
just just employees just leaving, leaving the keys in the car,
and I'm like, how do you drop the key in
the car and then hit the button to lock the
door before you close it? Like it just it's not
a mechanism like you take the key out and you
locked the door with the lock. That's what it's for.
(17:41):
But I digress. Apparently it didn't. But any who, so
I can appreciate Robert also having that ingenuity, I'm sure
helping countless l A citizens get into their locked vehicles. Absolutely, absolutely,
Which takes us back to the very beginning of what
we started the show. Wanted to congratulate Kenny Pickett on
(18:03):
becoming the Joe Green Great Performance Award winner as the
top rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I thought that was
pretty cool. It was and here we go, Yes, I
joined you. There we go, Okay, there we go, Here
we go, very nice radio clap, radio claps, kind of
(18:25):
like the golf and galley stuff. You know, they got
the little bit of patter, you know exactly what? Oh yes,
that was a good But that was a good Do
you think you and we could never we could never
commentate on pro golf? Could you imagine? You? And now?
We were far too long? No, I mean it would
have to be I mean we we we would have
(18:47):
to do like the happy Gilmour of golf, you know
what I'm saying, Like like it would happen or or
the Waste Management Open, right, we could do that one
Masnagement Open or the Wasted Management Open as we call
it out here. Yeah, ninety thousand fans, I mean half
of them are drunk as all get out, passed out
of the grass and you're playing golf. It's like it's
(19:08):
a party that that happened to have a golf match
in the middle of it. Like, I mean, we could
do that one. That that one I think we would
fit in. But yeah, masters, anything with open at the
end of it. Uh, anything with memorial in the name.
Now we're we would be not the right person except
(19:30):
for the Waste Management Open. That's the only open we
could do. Let me tell you I got I got
one quick story about golfing, about working in a golf course.
It was one of my summer jobs at college. I
worked at a local, the Orchard Park Golf Club there
in Orchard Park, right the country club, and they had
a tournament going on one day, and I always mowed
the greens. Right. Well, they re stationed us around to
(19:52):
like rake sandtraps and stuff like that. Uh you know,
so there's like a little tiny wooded area in between
a couple of whole So I was like, these guys
aren't even hitting into the sand trap. I'm gonna go
over and take a nap. You know. Training was a
little bit hard last night, and I need a little
so I'm done. Just laid down, and all of a sudden,
it seemed like I was just a minute and some
(20:13):
guys poking me with his night and going, hey, Ken,
you're snoring so a lot. I can't. I can't, but
and I was like, like, oh, sorry about that, you know.
Oh my goodness. It's like, are you sleeping on a
pine cone right now? Oh my gosh, that is hilarious
(20:41):
a guy, because like you found the wooded area but
didn't realize it was an open wooded area. Oh man,
Oh my gosh. That that that that that's that's hilarious.
That's absolutely hilarious. Yes to Kenny, And then we go exactly,
let's step aside, alright, Kenny, great perform this award by
the Joe Green. I'm sorry, the Joe Green Great Performance
(21:04):
Award with a k A the Steelers Rookie of the
Year Award. Um. But yeah, we'll step aside and we'll
contellue to talk about the Steelers. Of course, Uh, we
won't talk about Wolf snoring through uh putting putting practices. Um,
and we'll talk about the Cleveland Browns as well when
we come back here in the locker room, Wolf and Starks.
(21:26):
That's an already sp radio. This is in the locker
(21:49):
room with Wolf and Starks on ESPN Pittsburgh against Steelers
Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward One is the
official lock up the Pittsburgh Steelers. All right, the remix
had a little had a little rewind in there to
make sure that we got the cool breeze appropriately segued
(22:16):
into the locker room for today. That cool breeze being
Mr Jerry Doulac. Jerry is brought to us by Chipka's
to Cafe located in the historic South Side, where you
can catch all football and hockey action on their seventeen
TVs and most importantly, enjoy those three dollar core cores
like drafts. Jerry, how are we today? And I heard
(22:40):
the breeze is a little cooler today, but yet very
tolerable and uh in Pittsburgh. Well, Max, first of all,
good morning, and you have to make sure you get
that walk up music correct. And there seem to be
a little hiccup there at the beginning. Yeah, and then
they realized whoop sud that I was coming on. And
second of all, yes, as sunny a little cooler at
the it's still seasonable for here because you know how
(23:03):
mild it has been, and so it's gonna get a
little chillier for you on the weekend. Max, you know
that that the desert blood is the thinning out a
little bit more. But you've been after Christmas Eve. You
should be fine. Jerry wasn't hard to pick Kenny Pickett
as that Joe Green Great Performance Award winner. Don't you
think I would agree? I was. I never did ask
(23:25):
what the vote was. I was curious to see if
a couple of knuckleheads might have voted for um, George
Pickens and nothing against him, but let's face it, I mean,
Kenny Pickett, what is the natural rookie of the year,
and uh, you know, deservedly, so good for him. You
know you look back at and excuse me, Max, didn't
mean to jump in here, but I just want to
throw this. You go back to when he came out
(23:48):
at halftime of the Jets game week four. What were
your thoughts then versus they are now, well, you know
my immediate thoughts at the time, Wolf were what I
saw us he gave the park, uh, two possessions, two scores,
and he flipped the scoreboard. And then of course after
that rose three including two critical ones there at the
(24:11):
in the fourth quarter and then the one especially at
the very end. And what you saw the best and
the worst rookie quarterback. You saw what was going to
be good and what was going to be bad with
the quarterback. And that proved to be the case over
the next four or five get too touchdown, seven interceptions,
you know, blown chances. Uh you know in Miami, you know,
(24:35):
a game that they could have won and maybe should
have won. Um, but that's you know that that they
were they will with his mistakes and now you see
where he and I don't want to overblow it because
you have to keep in mind, um despite I mean,
he is number one, he's protecting the football only one
(24:57):
interception since to buy that is that is the number
one thing he has done best. Number two, of course,
is taking those game situations in the fourth quarter, especially
in the new weeks, fifty seconds left, fifties six seconds
left and producing touchdowns. Um, you know they see a
lot of the other times during the game, um, you know,
(25:19):
failures to put the ball in the end zone. Uh,
lack of explosive plays. How much of that is on him?
I'll give you quick for instance, the other day, they're
running the ball, running the ball, running the ball, well,
you go backwards. Baltimore game, Mitch Robinski attacking over the top, completion,
seven yard completion, thirty two yard completion, top of you know,
(25:41):
the Ravensy And I was shocked that they didn't tried
until the fourth quarter. They threw the thirty one yard
to Deonte and he failed to get his feet in bound,
so it was completion. But why they didn't attack earlier,
I think that was just part of the way they
wanted to play. So I'm not gonna sit there and
blame Kenny Picket for not going over the top and
(26:02):
taking chances. Um, but I think you know, so we've
seen we've seen him play very ordinary. But man, in
those key situations. Um, you know, it's three times now,
the Indie game, the Ravens game. In the Raiders game,
he's brought him back in the fourth quarter into me.
That's a sign, uh you know, that's a sign of
a winner. It's very Ben Roethlisberger line that absolutely. Uh
(26:26):
you know, those are definitely some of the things that
you look at, um, you know, and those numbers that
marked throughout there as far as final drives, I mean,
that's was kind of Ben's hallmark, right. It was those
big hero, big cape moments that he would come alive
and uh and and move move the defense with his
feet and make the play that he needed to downfield
(26:48):
to get to get the game and control. Um. You know,
Jared looking at just kind of where we're at in
the season, I mean eight and eight. Uh could you
have imagined this after week four? After week six? Heck
even going into the bye, would you have ever thought
(27:08):
that we would be at this position where we're at,
um going into week eighteen? Uh no um and and
um you know this run that they are on, this
late season charge, you know, winning five of their last six,
six of their last eight, um after they were two
and six, uh no um. I think part of it,
(27:30):
and not to take anything away from it, they've had
a very favorable schedule where all they've played a lot
of teams who have records that were the same or
worse than them to their credit. They they took care
of what they needed to do, which is beat the
teams that they feel they are better than, because we
have seen past seasons where they have been much better
(27:51):
than teams, and um, you know, let the game slip away,
and so I I you have to give them credit
for taking care of business. Don't care what the other
teams like or how bad they are. So and look,
they don't score touchdowns, they have no explosion in their offense.
You know, their longest touchdowns twenty four place. So there
are a lot of things that need to be corrected
(28:12):
and improved upon. There's no question about it. Um. All
that being said, I didn't I never ever thought they
would be sitting here with this pretty decent chance when
you consider that the Patriots have to lose to the Bills,
uh and the Jets, who are now a favorite the Dolphins.
(28:33):
To show you how bad the Dolphins are, they are
at home against the Jets, who have lost five in
a row, and the Dolphins are an underdog. So it's
very plausible that um, you know, New England and the
Dolphins could lose, and the Steelers of course can I
don't want to say should, but but can and probably
will win against the Browns. What do you think about Well,
(28:56):
first of all, with Miami, they're down to Skyler Thompson, right, Okay, Yeah,
so that's that's that's a boom that should help. But certainly,
as I look at this and he there's a lot
of factors that have like come in lately, and one
of one of the big stories has to be Mark Robinson.
I mean, you want to talk about a guy who's
got bounced back, you know, who's got a little bit
(29:16):
of that thumping. Uh. That guy there just he brought
a lot of juice in a very limited amount of
snaps there. Yeah, well, you know that's that's the most
he's played. Obviously, he's only been active for three games
and he's only played in the defense, um the last
two games. I think the other game he played five snaps.
He played twenty six against the Ravens, and he was
third on the team with seven tackles, and the two
(29:38):
guys in front of him played more almost the double
the amount of snaps that he did. He was very active.
He brings a lot of thump, There's no question about it. Um,
you know, I talked to some of the guys yesterday
about him, and uh, including Miles Jack, who, like Mark Robinson,
was a converted running back at the linebacker. And um,
you know Mark Robinson. You know, people want them to
(29:59):
go draft and in side linebacker in April, and you
know what they feel they have their inside linebacker next
year and his name is Mark Robinson. And so, um,
they really like this guy, they have all along and
what he did against Baltimore, Um, you know, just kind
of reinforced what they thought about this guy. Now. I
don't think he was under the ken Ken Drell Bell
(30:21):
game plan, which was just go tackle the ball. I
don't think that was it at all. But he went
and tackled the ball. There's no question about it. Absolutely.
And and so I mean when we look at this
rookie class just in general, I mean I think now
we can kind of you know, take stock now that
(30:42):
we're almost you know, at the end of the season
and we've seen a good volume of work from a
majority of them. I mean, we just talked about Mark
Robinson being probably one of the least played of the rookies.
Um contributing this season. Um, that's I've been on the
active roster. But how how do you view this rookie
class and the success of it. I mean, if if
you're looking at how well, I'm not asking for you know,
(31:05):
a actual letter grade, but you know, good, very good. Um.
You know, as far as this class draft and their
and their potential um not even not even potential, I say,
their contributions thus far in the season. You know, Max,
I learned a long time ago not to overreact one
way or another, good or bad, So I wouldn't sit
(31:26):
here and say very good, but I will say it
has the potential to be very good when you find
yourself and they believe they have, of course a quarterback
for the future in Kenney Pickett, and a big play
receiver like George Pickens. The Marvin Leo is um. He
is an athletic player boy for defensive lineman. We have
(31:47):
how they've used him, playing him in T. J. Watt slot.
You saw what they did with them the other day
moving him around. Is that fourth defensive lineman in some
of those packages. I think he ended up playing twenty
six or twenty seven snaps. They really like the Marven
Lee out to the point that they're playing him over
Isaiah Lottoman. But that was what they liked about him
when they drafted him. You know, they they I don't
(32:08):
want to say the knock. The curiosity about the guy was, Okay,
where do you play him? Is he a four? Three? Uh?
And uh? You know, is he an interior guy? He's
really not an interior guy, but they move him around
and and um, so there's another guy you're talking about
your top three draft picks. You know, the Marmin Lee
out probably next year, you know, depending on what happens
with Larry Ogan Jobi. Uh, you know, whether they decide
(32:32):
to resign him. He's a guy who could be a
starter next year, no question about it. He's going to
be a big time contributor. And then if you get
Mark Robinson at the bottom of the draft, all of
a sudden, if he develops into a starter. Um, then
a draft class, you only have seven picks, uh in
this in this draft, and now four of them could
be either starters or big time contributors. So you have
(32:54):
to like, um, you know what they've done. And last year,
you know, you get Nagy number one, and you get
Prior with number two, and you judge every draft. Every
draft gets graded highly or lowly depending on the number
one pick. You have to hit a home run with
the number one pick and it looks like at least
in the last two years they have done that with
numbers one and numbers two. So you have to give them,
(33:15):
you know, you have to give him high marks for that. Jerry,
you do a lot of stuff with them, chat the
chat rooms and still forth. And what's the reaction been.
The Wizard of Bo's having a kind of a tough
out in with you know, he's missed four of his
last eight and six of us or something. Yeah, he
had missed four of his eight and then he he
made those last three. Uh, you know in Baltimore. You know,
(33:37):
it's funny. Well, if I haven't been asked a lot
about it, and I think probably because everybody realizes it's
probably an anomaly because he is, uh you know, he
is so consistent and so good. Um, you know, I
I don't think there's probably any question that he is
still feeling whatever it is that landed him on I R.
(33:59):
You've been told it's a type of injury that you know,
it's not just going to go away. Maybe I don't
want to say ever, but it's something that's going to
bother him. I can't tell you what it is, I
don't know, but it's something that would bother a kicker.
And uh again, I'm not going to use that as
an excuse, but um, I think people understand how good
(34:19):
this guy is and it's just odd to see him.
And I think, I think all his misses, although the
one hit the crossbar was on the right, but all
his other misses were to the left. Now I know
two of them, I believe on Christmas Eve. And I
get that because you know the ball's colder, and you
one thing you want to make sure is that you
thump that ball, so you're gonna make sure you pull
(34:40):
through the kick. And I get missing him left on
on games like that, but it's just it's just odd
to see him miss fifty of his kicks in in
that little stretch. But at least he came back with
the three against the Ravens. You know. The one thing
is maybe he had visions of sugar plums dancing in
this that could get in the way, getting in the way.
(35:01):
But I do remember this. I do remember a few
years ago when he went through a similar stretch. Remember
he was kind of hurt. Remember I remember I remember
John Norwigs standing over it was in Tampa, as a
matter of fact, by the kicking net and I remember that, Um,
he was looking at where Bobs planted his foot and
he was just staring at it for a moment, and
(35:22):
I remember thinking, Okay, there's something wrong here, because that
started when when Bobs had another similar trouble a few
years ago, and it was he was basically looking I
think it whether the plant was correct or not, or
or he slipped, is what I'm saying. I guess, uh yeah,
And that's the only thing. I mean, this guy is terrific.
(35:42):
It's there's a little bit that seems to go awry
and wolf it could well be that whatever that type
of injury that he has had that he potentially could
have going forward could be something like that with his
plant foot as opposed to his kicking leg. But um, yeah,
we've we've you know, we've seen him have some small
(36:04):
um struggles. But all in all, um, he's just so
darn good and uh and you know he I mean,
you can see the strength in his leg, how how
he was bombing it the other day. So that's never
a question with him, absolutely no, absolutely, Uh, Jerry, I
do have to ask this question before we go. Uh,
do you remember John Goods in the Barefooted Punter? Vaguely
(36:30):
now that you bring it up, Yes, for the Steelers? Okay,
um did did did you ever? Did you ever question
or wonder why there is a man punting without a
shoe on? Yeah? I I wonder why anybody would because
to me, I think the shoe would help. But I
know you're gonna tell me why he did. No, I don't,
(36:52):
because Wolf just told me about this in our opening monologue,
and and I was confused by the fact that they're
I never hear a foot punter, and I was like,
maybe Jerry covered it. I don't know, No, No, before
my before my time, well not really before my time,
because I was at that fourth Super Bowl when that was,
and that's when I was a young kid in the business.
(37:13):
But I always wondered about those kickers, the barefooted kickers,
why they would kick that way? That's always puzzled. I mean,
I don't especially when the weather gets cold. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
And see, I know there was a movie that was
done about it. And I was trying to tell Wolf
and I couldn't remember it, but I felt like there
was a movie done about a barefoot kicker at him
(37:33):
like moving to all these different teams over the years.
But I can't remember it. So okay, all right, that
was my oddit ty has still been in my head.
I had to ask, Jerry. But we we appreciate you
in the time that we had for you, the cool
breeze segment in the locker room, just washing by and
making us feel good. Um, I will say, I will
(37:56):
see you at the ball yard this weekend, um, as
you always say, so I look forward to and of
course I look forward to seeing hopefully fingers crossed a
Steeler's victory impossible playoff entry when it's all said and done.
But and so for one more week I can see.
I'll see you boys at the ball on us. Yes, yes, exactly,
(38:18):
yes you can. You can. Uh. Jerry was brought to
us by Chikas to cafe remember us in the historic
South Side. There's seventeen TVs for all your football and
hockey action, but most importantly three dollar cores like drafts
all the time there, um, during during during ball games. Thanks, Jerry,
appreciate you. We'll see you this weekend. Alright, boys, always
(38:40):
a good chat with you. Alright, alright, we're gonna head
to break and when we come back, more Steelers, more
Brown's coverage, more players. Here in the locker room, it's
wolfing Starks ESPN, and that's in our radio. This is
(39:18):
in the locker 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. Man Pat Meyer has been. He's been the
rock for our room. Man he's been. He's been so
solid and um on top of all the technique and
(39:38):
schematics that he does, um, the leader he is for
that room is pretty special. Man. He's just like I said,
there's been a lot of ups and downs, and we've
had a good game the bad games. Um, but he
understands this level of football in the natural Football League
and um, the things that go on in the schematics
of it, the type of players we play against, and
(39:58):
just uh, just in still confidence in us and just
still it is still doing that. We're still learning every
day for a room and it's just been super impresive.
I'm super super thankful for Pat Meyer. I think everyone
else in the room would say that too, and that
of course is center Mason Cole Chief Award winner given
to the Steeler who best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation
(40:21):
with the media, and that's Mason. You know. It's it's
funny how often, you know, offensive linemen are are pretty
you know, amiable there you know he come from for
quotes and good batter and different. Usually the guys are
staying around. They'll give you an answer, you know. And
that's one of the things I love about the offensive line.
They're they're always the first to take it in the
(40:41):
chops from both good, bad and different. What have you.
But Mason Cole guy who was really done a good
job overall the whole year. Uh talking about the job
that Pat Meyer and the fact that Pat has been
and Isaac Washington to his assistant line coach. But Pat
Meyer has done a great job with this offensive line,
bringing some people along and helping this whole group to
(41:04):
play as a group much better. What do you say there, Max, No,
I think this has been yeoman's work that Pat Meyer
has done this season. Um, from where we were at
the first day of training camp, will remember that, remember
that first seven shots period didn't Yeah? No? And then
(41:26):
to where we got by the end of camp, and
then where we were at the beginning of the season
to now where we are at this point in the season.
I mean, you you could see the physical change in
this offensive You can see a physical change in the understanding,
the quick reaction and acknowledgement by the offensive line of
(41:49):
what's happening in game. They're not looking lost, They're looking
like a coordinated unit. Right, five fingers that turned into
a fist, and that has been, you know, a great
job done by Pat Meyer. This offensive line and his
leadership has been just steady the entire way. Right. Pat
(42:10):
Meyer's not a guy that talks a whole lot, but
you know, you talk to Pat pastical, give you a
couple of words, all right, man, all right, good luck, guys.
Hey kick, you know, let's kick. But you know it's
like it's like you get like four or five words
and that's it. It's not a true conversation. But he's
just stuck with it and done a great job with
this offensive line. So you know, to hear Mason kind
(42:30):
of talk about him in that way, you know, you
have to give kudos where kudos is deserved, and Pat
Myers deserves a bunch of kudos because he did a
great job with this group and turning a bunch of
guys into an offensive line exactly. So you know, Max,
I look at it and my experience in the NFL,
a lot of there's offensive line coach. The coaches generally
(42:51):
break down a couple of ways number and there's a
third way too, but they are few and far in between.
But some guys are really it at the XS and
those the schematics, and some guys are really good with technique.
But that you don't always get guys that are both,
you know what I mean. They they tend to trend
towards one area of specialty. It's not that the guys
(43:13):
who are technique minded don't not understand the offense, but
they're there. They're schematic ability is not quite the same
as those who are heavily into the XS and those.
But there are the guys like Mike Munchak. There are
outstanding offensive line coaches who um have a good grasp
of both. And uh, I think Pat tends and trends
(43:35):
towards that more than your average offensive line coach. Yeah, no,
I mean and that that's that that's really the difference
I think it's that extra step, extra time. It's the
extra purpose that's put in. Not all coaches are built
the same, you know, if that was the case, you
(43:56):
wouldn't you would never fire any coaches, right, if they
were all the same. But the good ones are hard
to come by and when you do get them, And
you and I were both blessed to have some amazing
coaches at our position, but you know, you appreciate them
even more you don't have a good coach, You're like, man,
(44:18):
I wish I would have had such and such and
you would've all been there. Yeah. And what I appreciate
too about Pat Meyer is one of the qualities I
really loved about Mike Munchak. You know, when you come
to the sidelines and there's something just went kaflui out
on the field, right, sometimes you're greeted by a uh
(44:39):
an angry spitting you know, coach that's uh you know
kind of yeah, He's like, before you even get the sidelines,
you're getting ripped, right. So what what I liked about
Pat is I liked about Munchak And there's a calmness. Okay, guys,
let's get over here. Let's talk about it. And before
we start ripping any buddy, let's just start to find
(45:01):
out what the facts of what happened here are. And
that's that's important. That there's there's keeping a sort of uh,
you know, some sort of cerebral like, let's get chilled,
and so we don't confuse the message with other things,
you know what I mean. And so that I appreciate
because when you have coaches that just start lightening you up,
(45:22):
it's like wait a minute, man, and then you don't
get things solved, you get anger and all kinds of
stuff going on there. Yeah, no, I mean exactly. It's
one of those where you had that bad play, like
the third play in a drive, and you just know
the coaches is over there giving you the laser eyes,
right yeah, yeah, and you won't look to the sidelines
(45:44):
for anything. I was like, I'm not looking over here,
and your nine plays into the drive, he's still staring
at you from that third play, yes, yeah, and god
god forbid anybody else messes up along the way, and
it's like one of those things where you're like, can't
we just kick another extra point if we score a touchdown?
(46:05):
But you know what, you know, in fact, I'll be
I'll go in the coverage unit. You know what, what's
the opposite position? Can I Can I go be l
one to make sure I'm away from our sideline is
far away, you know, and you know I'll play defense.
I'll play defense. It's like one of those things where
you start literally figuring out what other jobs you can
do to avoid going to the sidelines like that, like
(46:26):
that's the coach you don't want. And and I had
a couple of those in my years, but you know,
I was blessed, you know, to have guys, you know,
like Russ Grimm right where he's that similar mic un check,
you know, type of personality, Sean Coogler, same way. Um,
and so you were just like, man, I I do
(46:48):
you know you dread going to the sidelines, but otherways
like okay, I can go do this because you know,
but you know, BC is gonna be worse to me.
Coach Kaward is gonna gona It's gonna be more mad
than my offensive line coach. I mean, and it's only
gonna last for a second, and you can just keep
the squeezy shield on. I remember with touch and I
(47:08):
was always you go to the sidelines and Chuck was
gonna come after you. And the whole thing was always
the debate was if you're really screwed up. Like one
time we we were on the punt team and Tommy
Vigorito took one around us. I was semi contained. Touch
was contained. It just didn't end well. It was a
very poor So anyhow, we're going to sidelines and we're
trying to without speaking a word, were trying to figure
(47:31):
out do we go to the bench and go right
to Chuck or do we make him throw people out
of the way to come get us. Yeah, because that's
what Chuck would do, maybe like shoving guys aside that
you know, uh, and that that's always like the big thing.
Do you do you make him come get you or
do you just go up and take your licking like
a man? You know that that's where you're like, you
(47:53):
know what those couch for building days as a kid,
I really took those for granted. I mean, you know,
you could really use those on the sideline. It's like
just jumping that little bunker you know, you have you
have the seat and the seat cushies up front, you know,
just to hide, just to protect yourself, you know, I
I wish you had one of those on the sidelines.
Can't talk to me. I can't hear you exactly. I
(48:19):
got your ears in your ear, your your fingers in
your ears, like nope, nope, nope, you can't hear it.
You can't hear it. Didn't happen. Oh my gosh. All right, well,
well we gotta step aside, uh you know, because of course,
what is the next hour in this show? We got
the Power Hour coming up boom power right next, yes,
and we will continue in the locker room. He's Wolf,
(48:41):
I'm Starks West is back there pushing buttons. Uh here
in the locker room on SNR and ESPN Radio
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