October 15, 2025 • 48 mins
00:00 – 22:32 – Driver’s license stories, background on newly signed Colts quarterback Brett Rypien, Daniel Jones’ running ability, has Anthony Richardson played his last snap for the Indianapolis Colts, previewing the Chargers wideouts, what’s realistic at the trade deadline, Purdue defensive tackle missing a game because of a dog-bite, the importance of hiring the right coach
22:33 – 37:00– ESPN’s Stephen Holder joins the show to talk the Colts new backup QB Brett Rypien, trades the Colts could make, Anthony Richardson’s continued bad luck and is the injury season-ending? Why Shane Steichen is the “executive producer” of this offense, how long will AD Mitchell be sidelined
37:01 – 48:33 – The Athletic’s College football writer Justin Williams joins the show to talk about Indiana being a national title contender, how realistic it is for Cignetti to leave Bloomington, Indiana’s defense shutting down Oregon, how the rest of the Hoosiers’ schedule shakes out, what Justin remembers about covering Alec Pierce at Cincinatti
Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Best of the Fan Morning Show
on ninety three five and one oh seven five The Fan.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning everyone, Welcome into the Fan Morning Show. It's
a Wednesday. If you're just joining us, thanks so much
for listening on ninety three five or one O seven
five The Fan at one O seven five Thefan dot Com.
Any smart application, Kevin, go ahead, do your thing, Hey Siri,
play one on seven five of the Fan.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
What do you like to say about it?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Alexa?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Alexa?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Either one, play knuck. If you buck.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Never get old, that'll never get old. I was thinking
about you this morning when you commented on the anniversary
of the Toush Push this morning, Bush Push Bush Push. Yes,
thank you very much. Toush Push Bush Bush Bush Push
the Reggie Bush Push. There's a big difference for you.
There isn't there there is?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, I wish it was the Toushbush James.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You'll appreciate this because you've grown fond of my youngest son.
If you've met a couple of times now, Grant. I'll
be taking Grant to Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
We're going to do a tour of USC on Friday.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
How about that, Kevin, I hope you guys have a
horrific time.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I hope you get there safety.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Look on Caleb's face when you said that just now,
you're not going to Sofi Sunday to watch Saturday Night, I'll.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Give me back Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
So looking forward to it, taking a trip with my
sixteen year old who's not ready to get his driver's
license too.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I am so psyched, and you guys are nowhere near
any of this.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
But within the next thirty days, both of my sons, teenagers,
will have their driver's license and I will be free
to enjoy my afternoons.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
I questions about this, So how quickly do you give
your kids the keys as soon as they passed the
driver's tests? Because my dad going to a still kind
of like I need you to, you know, because I
honestly think that people pass driving tests who can't drive
a lick. So my dad was like, before I hand
you the keys of this car that I worked very
very hard to get, I'm gonna need you to bend
a few more corners it safely before I just throw
(01:54):
you the keys. I think my first time I drove
by myself anywhere might have been like the barber shop
or something.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I felt like I was such an adult.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, I don't know what it was like for you, Kevin,
But now in Indiana you have to have forty hours
of daytime driving logged with a parent, you have to
have ten hours of night time driving. And you also
now basically do your driver's test through professional driving instructors
who you have a couple of appointments with and then
their last appointment. They're the ones that certify whether or
(02:22):
not you get your license or not. So it's fairly
comprehensive in this day.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
The question I have today to follow up is do
the hours log with the parents need to be verified
at all?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Because sounds very shady.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I guarantee you, Kevin.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
When Jesse Boyd was teaching James Boyd how to drive,
we lied about all those hours. He was like, all right,
at about fifteen, you know, you know where the break
is and shout out to Pops. His best advice he
ever gave me was don't hit anything that's not moving,
and that has worked out very well for me.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
I'll not forget my dad thought drivers had for years
and when he would come home at night and my
mom be like, hey, how was you know driver's head today?
And it was always a good day when he said, yeah,
we only had one kid turned left on red, and
like when I was, you know, thirteen fourteen, it didn't
don't get with me. And then now I go through
these intersection it's crazy, you know whatever, eighty second in
(03:14):
Allisonville or you know some of these major ones, and
I'm like, holy bleep, turning left on red. Oh my gosh,
can imagine. So the other day you're grateful for all
of our driver instructors out there.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
The other day he's heading east on the four sixty
five and we're getting ready to get off a keystone.
And now Grant, who's over thirty hours in the daytime
and over five hours at night, he starts commenting on
other drivers. Now, James, oh dad, look at that guy
right there. What's he doing?
Speaker 5 (03:42):
I must say, I'm not really like that as a driver.
I'm pretty calm, honestly, I barely. I feel like I
only ever use my horn if you're going to hit
my car. Other than that, I mean, if you get
cut off whatever. I'm just like, people are a little
too you know, crazy. You ever throw a digit in
the air, No, I really have it. I'm prett calm driver, honestly,
and that's probably because if you leave when you're supposed to,
(04:03):
you get places when you're supposed to get there.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Feel like the rays comes from dangam are late and
this person make me more late.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It's The Fan Morning Show, ninety three five one oh
seventy five The Fan. Big news for the Colts today
is they signed another quarterback yesterday. Is still on the
practice squad at this point in time. But for those
just joining us, Brett Rippin. He's twenty nine years old.
He's been around the league for a while. I think
he's made what five four or five career starts? What
more can you tell.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Us about him? Kevin?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
For those just joining us, Yeah, so most recently it
was in Cincinnati. They've obviously had their quarterback issues this season.
So he spent last year with Minnesota. There was a
two month overlap there with Daniel Jones. Ironically enough, I
guess if you were going to make out the Vikings
depth chart when they were there, Brett Rippon was the
third stringer Daniel Jones the fourth stringer Daniel Jones on
the practice squad in Minnesota. He then was cut by
(04:53):
the Vikings ripping. That is, at the end of training
camp this year, joined Cincinnati's practice squad. Joe Burr gets
a toe injury, they bring him up to be Jake
Browning's backup. He only logged three snaps as Jake Browning's backup,
meaningless snaps of a forty eight to ten blowout ironically
against the Vikings earlier this year, and then when they
(05:15):
traded for Flacco eight days ago, he got the scissors. James.
You mentioned this earlier. He was not among the lists
of the four quarterback tryouts no that the Colts had yesterday.
Any of those names stand out to you? Brylan reached
out to me and said on Twitter, these names remind
(05:35):
me more of utility infielders for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Jeff Driscoll, Jaren Hall, Tanner Mordecai and Kyle Trask would
be those four names.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah, the crazy, I mean they none of them mosted
out to me. Their resumes are what they are. I
mean most of it is usually a handful of games
you've started, you've thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, which is
the same way with Brett Rippin. I think he's want
to say he's throwing four touchdown passes and nine interceptions
in eleven career games four starts. Overall, he's two and
two as a starter. But yeah, none of those guys
(06:08):
stood out to me. But the unique one is Kyle Trask.
I mean, this is a guy who was a second
round pick in twenty twenty one, and I want to
say he has like never started in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Now, granted he was behind Tom Brady.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
I leave Baker Mayfield for years down there in Tampa Bay,
so exactly gotta get on the field behind those guys.
But yeah, I mean this is a talented guy, at
least coming out of college who is now sort of
like this journeyman just trying to latch onto a team.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Well, one thing we know in the NFL, you never
want your backup to take the field. There's maybe two
or three every year that you're like, oh, okay, we
can survive this.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
Yeah, but second round picks usually yeah, I mean he's
driving down second round at quarterback.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
He's supposed to play.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Well, you don't want your backup to play. I was
looking up the other day, I want to say, and
I just did the last three years, I believe of
all the playoff teams in the NFL over the last
three years, I want to say the numbers north of
forty percent had to rely on multiple quarterbacks to get
through a season. So you know, nearly half of the
playoff teams in the last three years had to have
(07:05):
at least two quarterbacks. You remember Cleveland few years ago,
Remember when they finally got to Flacco. I mean they
had like four different quarterbacks start and still made the playoffs.
Shane Siken with the Eagles both years Jalen Hurts didn't
start every single game for him, so you know he's
had to deal with that. And you know, James, you
know this full well. Daniel Jones has had injury history.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
So yes, four of his first six seasons before coming
to Indianapolis, he's missed at least multiple games dude to injury.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Now, if I'm Riley Leonard, I kind of look at
this and think, Okay, this is good. Brett Rippen is
not an eye popping and resume. Brettrippan has not been
the backup for a team very often in his career.
He's mostly been the third, yeah quarterback in his career.
So this is not something to where the Colts went
out and we debated this yesterday. Would they spend a
draft pick, would they try and trade for a knowing
(07:54):
Anthony Richardson is out for at least a month. The
Colts elected not to, and now we see how the
week plays out. I would guess they just want to
see how Brett Rippon can absorb the game plan, the playbook.
You know, he's mainly been kind of in the Sean
McVay tree, if you will, with Zach Taylor in Cincinnati,
Kevin O'Connell of Minnesota, so you know how much overlap is
(08:17):
there with the Colts playbook. And then we'll get to
whatever Friday Saturday, and we'll see how they want to
divide it up. I assume all three quarterbacks will address,
but they'll have to make a decision on who's the
backup and who's the emergency. And again, just to clarify
for everybody out there, the NFL changes this rule a
few years ago. Your third quarterback has to be deemed
(08:37):
the third quarterback, and that guy can only play if
injuries occurred to the starter and the backup. You can't
have your third quarterback be whatever Ashton Doolan and use
him in wildcat or something like that you literally have
to only have him in that position to play, and
so far Riley Leonard has been that until of course
(08:58):
Sunday when Anthony and Richardson got hurt.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well, you hope that everything goes okay, but really it's
the offensive line that kept him pretty clean. Other than
him kind of putting his nose in other people when
he's running with the football, he's he's fared pretty well.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
James Daniel Jones, Yeah, that is, oh absolutely yeah. I
did ask Shane after the game if Daniel's three yard
touchdown run was designed, and he looked at me like
I was crazy, So but I thought, you actually, if
you good back at the play. I wasn't necessarily sure
because when he bends the corner, there's a couple of
(09:32):
receivers out there blocking for him, and so it kind
of gives you the option, I guess, to run if
that's blocked up, or to throw it. And listening to
the micd up yesterday, Alec Pierce went over to DJ
and sold him, hey, you didn't think he, you know,
wanted to throw that one.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
He's like, I didn't see you whatever.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
So we saw a little bit of personality there from
Daniel Jones. Like Kevin pointed out earlier in today's show,
I got a kick out of Michael Pitman Jr. Getting
into a tussle there at the foot of Daniel Jones.
But also I thought Dan, because that's who he is
when he gets into the scrums. I thought Dan stood
up for his guy a little bit, got you know,
got got a little shoven match going there. So there
(10:09):
is some toughness to him, and it is kind of
cool to see the guy at least enjoy football again.
I know he talked about, you know, how how tough
it was. I believe it was on the Was It
Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick podcast last week where he
talked about how hard it was sometimes driving back from
the stadium when he was a New York Giant and
you know, dealing with the pressure there, the losses, not
(10:31):
having success and you know, supposed to be the franchise
guy and it just didn't work out that way. And
now I wrote this in a story actually yesterday about
you know, possible quarterback signings. The first time in my
story was the coach needs a new quarterback, but not
for the main guy like he's been balling. And I
feel like every week that passes, we're asking the question
of should they extend him? And that question gets a
(10:53):
little bit louder with every week that he plays good football.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Anthony Richardson, Obviously he's going to be on the shelf
for a little while now. But if if Daniel Jones
continues this pace, he's the quarterback of the future for
the Indianapolis Colts. What now for Anthony Richardson? Do he
in his camp ask for another opportunity somewhere else? Do
they just kind of keep plugging away here? Like to me,
this is fascinating. This is a guy who just a
(11:17):
couple of years ago was a first round pick in
the top five, and what's his trajectory at this point
in time?
Speaker 1 (11:24):
You know, I prefaced in the nine o'clock hour yesterday.
I don't think we're there yet, but it is a
thought that's crossed my mind in the last forty eight hours.
Has Anthony Richardson put on a Colt jersey for the
last time? Again? I don't think we're there, but it
is a thought if whatever this injury lasts, I don't
know till Thanksgiving and the Colts get to Thanksgiving, They're like,
(11:47):
you know what, Daniel Jones is playing good football. We
like Brett Rippon, we like Riley Leonard. Let's just roll
with these three. Maybe that is how they'll handle it.
Maybe it's not. Maybe you know, richard's'll be back in
a month or so and he'll get back right to
be in the backup quarterback. But my best guess would
be at the end of the season, Yes, ANTHONYA. Richardson
(12:08):
and his camp and would like to go somewhere else,
and that's what happens. So again, he's under contract for
one more year through twenty twenty six. The Colts have
that team option that in all likelihood they will decline
of course for twenty twenty seven. But that would be
my guess.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, And it still feels to me and I'm old
school this way.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I think we press these top chosen quarterbacks in the
upper part of the first round. I think we were
in such a hurry to have them make a difference
because of contracts and how much money they're making and
how it can help the team. Like for every Jaden
Daniels that you see that plays well out of the gate,
there's probably five or six guys that just they're not
(12:47):
ready for the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Yet.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
I saw a story yesterday, James, and maybe you guys
did too, that the last four number one overall selections
at quarterback their coaches were fired within two seasons. Just
some guys just aren't ready, not that they can't be,
but some guys just aren't ready right away, James, and
we want to make them ready right now. And I
(13:09):
don't know that that's necessarily the way to go.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
Yeah, but I think the exception with Anthony is that
he didn't play football hardly at all, and so he
was like the anomaly of all anomalies. They took a
huge swing on him. They bet on traits and physical
gifts and all of the above over experience, and it
backfire tremendously. So I think that's one of the biggest
things when you look at why he possibly hasn't worked out,
(13:32):
is he hasn't played football enough. I mean, this is
a guy who I want to say he only started
maybe one or two years when he was in high school,
only started one year at Florida, and then obviously got
benched pretty early in his career in the NFL. So
he needs reps and he just hasn't had an opportunity
to get them. And to your point, Jeff, when you
(13:52):
get to the NFL, and I've talked to a few
people behind the scenes about this and just their perspective
on development in the NFL, but it's not a developmental league.
You can get better, certainly, and I think that is
part of the plan you draft any young player, but
if your baseline isn't where it's supposed to be, it's
hard to catch up. And I think Anthony's baseline in
(14:13):
hindsight was never really where was supposed to be. And
then on top of that the injuries. I mean, the
guy's been hurt for most of his career, unfortunately, and well,
I can't say most, I'll say he's been hurt for
a significant amount of his career so far. And then
you have this latest injury that takes you out for
at least a month. So unfortunate for him, but again
(14:35):
talking to people behind the scenes, very fortunate that this
injury wasn't more serious than what it was and he
like lose an eye or something like that. So very
scary scene for him. With that, again, a piece of
the whatever he had the band attached to breaking off
and hitting him in the face. So again, like I said,
yes today on the show, imagine someone standing fifty feet
(14:56):
away from you and then firing a fastball at your face.
That's basically what happened with him when he had his
band attached to whatever in the locker room and that
broke and that piece of that flew back of him
in the face.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
I'd forgotten that JJ Watt is now calling games for CBS.
You know, usually I'm really only watching the Colts game
that's that week, But yeah, that'll be the call team
coming up on Sunday, Iron Eagle, jj Watt. The Colts
do like his second team on CBS. So how do
you know you're starting to get a little bit more
national attention? Iron Eagle's calling your game? So JJ Watt,
(15:28):
have you, guys seen what Jeff? Maybe you Have you
seen JJ Watt do any games this year? Is he
any good?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I've seen Yeah, he's jj Watt.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
You saw him on the set I think a little
bit last year or even when he was done playing
football in the playoffs. He's being on the set. He's
well spoken, he obviously knows what he's talking about.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
I think he's done a nice job so far.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
So Colt's a one and a half point underdog with
the LA Chargers coming up on Sunday non quarterback news. Obviously,
where are you at from a Kenny Moore standpoint? I
get the feeling Moodyward's gonna miss sometime. We'll see how
all that's the feeling. I guess, yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
I mean, if you look at what happens with concussion
is typically unfortunately, so he got injured before the game,
but you es since you treat it like it's if
he were injured in the game. So he missed the
game already because it happened an hour before kickoff. But
then if you look at it like he got hurt
in the game, so to speak, typically players missed at
least one game after that. And keep in mind, like
(16:22):
you said, Kevin, this is his I believe, second concussion
in six weeks, and so that is very concerning. Obviously,
cornerback depth well documented.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
We've talked about it a lot with the Chargers specifically,
and we'll see if they get Quinton Johnson back one
of their better whiteouts. They are the only team in
the NFL with three wide outs north of three hundred
yards this year, so that's Keenan Allen still getting done
and Lad McConkey, who made the play of the game
last week. So they are a very balanced wide receiver group.
(16:51):
So your depth at corner again, this is you know,
the most balance of any wideout group in the NFL
that you're gonna see on Sunday. Those would be a
couple of things to watch. But the Chargers do have
real warts and that's an offensive tackle. They are incredibly
banged up and their run defense has been awful, So
opportunities there. Obviously the Colts neither d line to show up,
(17:14):
which hasn't happened I think to the level that you
needed to, and Jonathan Taylor should be foaming at the mouth,
and what this opportunity looks like on paper against the
Chargers run defense that ranks near the bottom of the NFL.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I see a lot of comments on the text line
this morning, and we appreciate all of them about potential
moves that the Colts could make and maybe Anthony Richardson's
part of that. And some of them are saying, like,
for example, Joe says, send Ar, Mitchell and Pay to
Cincinnati for Hendrickson or Ar and Mitchell to Las Vegas
for Crosby. I think sometimes we overvalue the parts and
pieces that we have and what other teams James might
(17:49):
even be interested if it came to trading, and I
don't think Vegas is even considering a trade for Max
Crosby at this point in time.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
If they were ar and Ady Mitchell, you hang up
the phone and you tell him lose my number, Like,
I love you, guys, but let's be realistic here.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Video game credits.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
Yeah, I'm like, this is not going to be successful
in the trade machine, even if you try to do
this online. So no, first of all, masx Crosby isn't
going anywhere like that, he's not coming here. You'd have to,
you know, then take on a huge, massive contract that
he just signed and he seems like top player in
the NFL. Yeah, like he's not going anywhere. Say with
Miles Garrett. I get that he's frustrated with losing, but
(18:29):
he literally signed up for that when they told him,
Remember he wanted out, and then they gave him a
big bag of money, and he was like, you know what,
it ain't too bad living in Cleveland, So he figured
it out. He'll be fine as far as straight Henderson.
I think he's the most realistic option, so to speak.
But it also depends on what the Bengals want to do.
Do they if they suffer a couple more losses, are
they becoming you know, sellers a trade deadline to kind
(18:51):
of you know, prepare for a high draft pick and
try to recoup whatever they can to build another team
around Joe Burrow next season. So we'll see all that unfold.
But yeah, some of these people are just acting like,
you know, you could just offer up you know anything
and get you know something.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
That's not how trades work.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Speaking of freak injuries. Did I see this correctly? And
maybe you guys saw this Perdue football Barry Odam squad,
one of their players didn't play against Minnesota because this
dog bit him.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Well, I didn't see that.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I could have sworn I saw this, and maybe my
mind was, you know not, maybe I.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Was reading the googling this. Now.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I hope you didn't get like and I think it
was a big dude. I think it was like a
three hundred pounder dog bit him. If I'm not mistaken,
I think in the foot Yeah, here it is sports
illustrated Perdue defensive secle Missus game due to dog bite.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Man, remind me never to get a dog. I'm like,
my goodness, did you train them at Oh my, that's
actually kind of scary.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
You imagine walking around campus with that dog. Oh boy,
you talk about the sidewalks clearing for you real quick.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
I was saying, no walking around gams with that.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
But her dog is I might eat a three hundred
pounder that causes the player not to play in the game.
That's a hell of a bite.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It depends on probably.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Say yeah, yeah, tell that to Mike Tyson.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Boy, it gives dogs a bad name.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Most dogs don't bite.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
You know, And I'll give you a Dorothy Boyd classic.
My grandmother when I was walking with her throughout the
streets of Chicago, because she never learned how to drive.
She was always about public transportation, never really had to
learn how to drive them in Chicago.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But whenever we saw a.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Dog walking home and uh, Chatham in Chicago, and she
was just like, we're gonna go to the other side
of the street.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
And I'm like.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Every time, Grandma, She's like, everybody says their dog don't
bite until they do, and they bite you. So shout
out to Grandma I have not been bitten by a dog.
Probably because of her. Maybe the pretty football team needs
to take a listen. That's I honestly feel bad. That's
scary stuff. They've got Northwestern right in Northwestern? Are they
still in that little stadium on the lake.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I think they're rebuilding. I think they're building a new
stadium at this point in time.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
So they still playing that little I think right now? Yes,
until they.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Get got a cool environment. Frankly, I think Northwestern football
deserves that.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Like I called a game there once Penn State long
time ago, like at the very last year of Joe.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Paterno, oh boy, you are dialing them back.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Yeah, it's been a while.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
I you four touchdown? Favorite? Am I seeing that? Right
over Michigan State? They should be Wait, talk about Michigan
State falling off a cliff in the last decade.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
They've had problems.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
They had some pretty good head coaches for a while.
They just have never quite gotten that right at a
certain point. And that's just so important, as we've seen
here in Indiana. I mean, you get the right guy,
you're good for forever. You get the wrong person, you
can set the program back, and then what happens that
guy gets fired after two and a half for three seasons,
they bring in a new guy, and if that guy
doesn't work, now, you're starting over again in two or
(21:46):
three seasons. And if you're not really careful and hire
a right guy at that point in time, James, the
cycle just keeps repeating itself. And I think that's where
Michigan State is right now.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Yes, And speaking of coaches, I would say that, as
much as we've given some praise to Daniel Jones, where
does Shane Stichen fall in the early coach of the
year candidacy and things like that?
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Oh, he's got to be at the top of the list.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
We'll have a chance to perhaps stow that question at
Stephen Holder here in a few minutes as he joins
us in the eight o'clock hour.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
All right, In fact, he's gonna do that.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Coming up in just a few minutes here, we'll talk
more about the Colts and why they went and got
Brett Rippon as a backup quarterback yesterday and as opposed
to other players that were out there and available.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
We'll do that.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
We'll also talk a little bit more about the upcoming
college and NBA seasons for basketball as we continue next
to ninety three five and one O seven to five.
One guy we love having under contract and no trade
in sight. Our guy, Stephen Holder, who joined us now
to talk coltsfootball from ESPN dot com on the Payless
Liquors Hotline. Good morning, Steven. You're not going anywhere. You're
(22:44):
like Kurt Signette, You're staying put right.
Speaker 7 (22:48):
Uh, well, hey, listen. You know I think that you
always got to listen. You know, you always got to
listen to offer.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I'm a businessman, okay, high a mercenary.
Speaker 7 (22:57):
I'm not making that committment.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
No.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Well, welcome back into the Fan Morning Show. We always
appreciate you being here. Everybody's talking about could should the
Colts make any kind of move, especially on defense before
the trade deadline comes up in a couple of weeks.
Where do you think Chris Ballard's appetite is for something
like that?
Speaker 7 (23:17):
I don't think he ever has a huge appetite for
giving picks away because it's just it's just not his way.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
But you give a few of a way, Steven, you
know you don't want to be sitting in that room
with me next spring as a waiting for him and
trade back inevitably and we're all like groaning as he does.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
So true, that's true.
Speaker 7 (23:36):
Well, I mean, listen, if he doesn't keep all those picks,
how's he going to trade down.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Three times and get more?
Speaker 7 (23:44):
Look, I don't know, I think that he I think
that this might be a unique situation though, right, I
mean Chris Ballard, so he's never been you know one,
you know, so I don't know that the past necessarily
well we'll dictate, you know, what they do here, because
again this is this is different. So I do think
(24:07):
they're underwe by this defense, this defensive front. If they're not,
I want to know why not, because I certainly am.
I think they're way too invested in this this front
for it not to be producing. But at the same time,
that may preclude them from, you know, going further and
taking on more salary there. You know, that's that's the
(24:29):
reality that they have to think about too. Are very
heavily invested there, it goes more money.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (24:36):
I don't know. And then on the back end of
the defense, I mean, honestly, I think they just have
to weather the storm, or at least I think they can't.
They think they can weather the storm. You know, it's
it's gone on longer than I think they expected though,
and it's been bad. This is a tough week for sure.
This is this matchup with the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Steven Holder from ESPN where you can find is work
key joins us every Wednesday. We always appreciateive of Steven's
time all over our airwaves. Steven, you were certainly one
of the first and had a ton of details in
regarding what exactly happened with Anthony Richardson For those that
maybe have missed it, could you just kind of paint
a picture of best you know, what occurred Sunday pregame
(25:20):
with him?
Speaker 7 (25:22):
Yeah, I think you know. You guys, those of us
who are around the team, we were familiar with them
using these stretching bands. They've been doing this for years.
I mean I remember Andrew Lucky using them. That was
the first time I recall seeing them. Anyway, they're pretty
thick elastic bands. They used to get loose because you know,
they put a lot of mileage on those arms every day.
(25:45):
And as I understand it, he had his attached to
a poll of some kind in the locker room. And
this is not something that's just unique to Anthony Richardson,
they all do it just so happened. He's the one
that had this misfortune and in the process of stretching
(26:06):
with using that band, that pole snapped and it impacted
him in the face obviously pretty forcefully, and he's got
this broken orbitable orbital bone. So as I understand it,
and just talking to other players, I mean, it was
quite a scene. He was down the ground. I was
told it almost you know, knocked him out. It was
(26:29):
so forceful, you know, it's like getting punched in punched
in the face practically. So just a really chaotic situation, man.
And I mean you talk about misfortune, I mean a
bad break, no pun intended. I mean, this is this
is awful.
Speaker 6 (26:45):
So yeah, it was.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
It was definitely it sounded comical at first. Certainly I agree,
you know, how do you hurt yourself with this band? Well,
that's not what happened. It was it was this pole
that that really hit him very hard and took him out.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Frankly, honestly, if I'm Richardson, I'm looking around at the
equipment staff or really anybody related to the Colts and saying, hi,
y'all gonna compensate me? In my face because it sounds
like he did with anybody else. But I'm actually not joking.
I mean I want to laugh, but I'm looking at
this like, wait a second, do you have some recourse
you could take, possibly, because it sounds like he did anything,
(27:21):
didn't do anything wrong, ended up on the wrong side
of obviously the incident. But to pivot to what has
transpired since then, the cold sign Brett Rippen resume is
what it is. Stephen wasn't all that great, But just
your thoughts on bringing in him and him possibly being
QB two or QB three depending on what second decides
(27:42):
here over the next week.
Speaker 7 (27:45):
I mean my reaction is pray for Daniel Jones. Okay,
let's just hope Daniel Jones stays upright. I mean, you know,
I'm not saying that there's any like imminent fare that.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
He's going to be hurt.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
Look, I mean it could happen on any play. He
could twist his ankle, he could take a bad step.
Anything could happen, right, concussion, Right, I mean that happens
all the time, right, I mean, so things do happen.
So this is a theory, Okay, just a theory. I
think what might be happening. Here is the Colts are saying,
(28:20):
all right, Richardson's going to be out. I guess maybe
the four weeks or so is maybe what they're banking on.
And if Daniel Jones has an end game injury in
one of the two backup quarterbacks plays, they figure it out.
If he has a longer term injury, you have to
do something more substantial than this.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
That's what I would say if.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Someone has to play multiple games. Look, I know a
lot of you fans out there. You love Riley Leonard.
I love Riley Leonard. He's great. I think he's a worker.
I think he has a potential future. He's not ready. Okay,
I'm telling you fans, he's not ready. And I think
the Colts understand that. I'm not saying they wouldn't play
him in a pinch, in a backup role off the bench,
(29:02):
but they are not actively trying to play Bodie Leonard.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
I think it with you, guys.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
Am I am I off base?
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Here?
Speaker 7 (29:09):
Am I missing something? Guys? You saw training camp right right?
Speaker 1 (29:12):
I would agree, especially once teams started to actually, like,
let's say they needed Leonard for a couple of weeks.
Steven once they actually schemed and said, hey, spy Leonard,
make him a pocket passer. You know, again, anybody that
watched Notre Dame's playoff run, I mean Riley Leonard hardly
threw any consequential passes until they were down a million
against Ohio State. So yes, you know, his life of
(29:34):
running like he did on the opening drive against Ohio
State probably not going to last in the NFL, which
which is fine. Like, I mean, they drafted him to be,
you know, developmental project. Sounds like he's horrific, but like
that was some of the thought there. I think sometimes
you get into day three quarterback picks, some guys are
like whatever, Curtis Rourke from Indiana, more of a finished project,
(29:55):
and then other guys are a little bit more Riley
Leonard battle some injuries, played a multiple colle you know,
you feel like there's a skill set there that you
want to tap into. And I think that was some
of the colts thinking.
Speaker 7 (30:05):
There, Yeah, I think that's exactly right. So yeah, that's
how I see it. We'll see, though, I mean, I
think I think they would be in a tough spot
if there was a multi week injury to Daniel Jones, right, now,
so I don't think this way of thinking would continue
if that happened.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
That's my theory.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
One thing.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Go back to Richardson for a second again. Stephen Holder
from ESPN with the Ciar Palostickers outline, it's not your
impression that this is a season ending injury, correct.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
I don't think so. It doesn't sound like that. I
mean the initially there was some uncertainty and possibility I
think was discussed, but it sounds now, and particularly after
this move they made, I'm I'm starting to think that
they settled on it being a shorter term absence. The
(30:56):
last I heard, which was Monday or yeah, late Monday,
I think there was the thinking was multiple weeks, but
the NA season ending, So that's a big range. But
but that's kind of what I.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Know so far.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Stephen Holder, ESPN dot Com. I'm just curious.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
We've seen a lot of praise for Daniel Jones and
what he's doing with a great receiving corps that's done
a nice job, and obviously Tyler Warren into the mix
and Jonathan Taylor has just been fantastic. Where do we
put the role of Shane Stikeen in all of this
offensive success? That is leading the league in scoring by
a ways at this point in time.
Speaker 7 (31:34):
No, I mean he is the He's the conductor of
it all. I mean like if this were if they
were making an album, he's the executive producer and he's
the guy making it all come together. It doesn't happen
without that guy. You know, he's the SCORSEESSI I guess,
I don't know something like that, but to use a
movie analogy, I think Shane Stikeen is brilliant. I do.
(31:58):
I don't say it enough. Shane Styking is brilliant, There's
no question about that. I mean, how many guys have
you seen wide open this year? Just why the hell? Okay,
they're good players, I think a lot of their receivers,
but I mean, come on, they're wide open that There's
a reason for that, and it's because of what he
(32:20):
is putting together in the game playing process. And that
is Jim Bob Cooter as well, the offensive coordinator, who
he really does rely on a lot. So I'm telling
you he has saying being he he has this understanding
of how to attack defenses at a high level that
(32:40):
I don't think is typical. All Right, there are a
lot of good coaches out there, but they don't all
I think see the game at the level that Shane
Styken does. And I remember when he got hired. I
remember Frank Reich Okay telling me, and he had history
with him, he knows he said. He said he is
an potential offensive genius. That's what he told me. I mean,
(33:05):
that says it all right, and I think a lot
of Frank Wright's opinions. So I think you're starting to
see that. And people around the league have told me
the same thing, like this guy high level offensive offensive mind.
That's like the consistent theme you get when you talk
to people. So there's no doubt the cults are. I
think you're starting to see that now with a quarterback
(33:26):
of Daniel Jones caliber in terms of his understanding of
the game. He has a quarterback who understands the game,
you know, at a level that the coach does, and
that's helping it all come together.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
Well, Steven, I must say, now you got me going
down the rabbit hole a little bit. I should probably
ask Shane. I don't know if I should do it
on the record, off the record, like who you listened
to before the game, you know, as the producer or
as the music guy. I'm picturing him like what DMXX
gonna give it to you? When he's dolling up like
his playbooks for the week. It's just knowing that he's
gonna get guys wide open for touchdowns so I can weird.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
It's probably like it seems weird. I don't know he's weird.
It might be like the Star Wars theme or something.
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Man, No, I feel like it's got to be a holder.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
I feel like it's got to be one end or
the other of the spectrum where it's like he's sitting
there in silence like a serial killer but no music
at all, or he's vibing out to DM max and
he's very rock and roll for his team. So last
one I Got for You is And this is kind
of a I guess a serious question, but with Lady
Mitchell officially an act of last week, do you think
the Colts have taken the right approach with him after
(34:35):
the blunder in l A against the Rams and really
some of the mental mistakes he's made throughout the early
stage of his career.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
I mean, it's brutal. There's a question about that, right
I mean, although I look, I have criticized this kid
as much as anybody, but you know that being said,
look at it's like as a parent, which James knows
nothing about. Uh, look, your kids can screw up, right right, Yeah,
take your time, takes time. Your kid can screw up
and really deserve like severe punishment. But it's not fun
(35:07):
punishing them, right, It's not fun to see them, you know,
sit in the corner and be pissed and miserable that
it's not fun. And I think that's that's what I
think about when I see Saint psyching right now, like
he I don't think he's enjoying this, you know, but
I think he felt like it had to be done.
Oh it's really tough, Okay, no question about it. But
(35:28):
I think you just laid it out. I mean, this
isn't the only thing. If this were the first time
we were talking about ad Mitchell in this manner, I
might feel differently. But it is not. And it's not
just display. It's not just negating the Jonathan Taylor touchdown
later in that game. It's not even just the Dender
play last season where he was I guess picked off
(35:51):
for lack of a better word on the trick play.
Speaker 6 (35:53):
It's not just those things.
Speaker 7 (35:55):
It is a consistent then with him, the lack of execution,
the lack of finishing plays, the lack of just playing
with a seriousness. And I think they had to do this,
or they felt they had to do this. And I
will say this, I bet he never does it again.
That's for sure. Right, he's gonna go line and give
(36:16):
that ball to the referee if he ever gets there.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
Until he does, I think he'll just run with it,
like all the way back to the locker room. Yeah,
I mean celebration there for aighty Mitchell. So yeah, I'm
just very curious about that. But that's all I had
as far as the wid receiver room goes.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
All right, Steven, thanks so much for being here. We
appreciate it. We will see you soon in a press
box near us.
Speaker 7 (36:39):
All Right, you guys, got it.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Hey, pick up the phone the first time. My boy
Caleb palls. Okay, just just let's get that straight too.
You know, I'll see you like D and D on.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
D and D my dad mind you stevenholders like six too,
And I'm like, yeah, it's not gonna fly, James, or
I'm punching above my weight class.
Speaker 6 (36:56):
There.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
I'll see you in a couple of hours.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
They already hung up on us. Man this morning, Good morning, Justin,
Thanks for being here. We appreciate your time. Is this
is crazy to you to start saying Indiana ranked number
three in the country and like you feel good about
saying it, like it's not a mirage.
Speaker 6 (37:12):
Right totally, and you know, let's go even further. Indiana
legit national championship contender. That's what That's what Saturday was
that that win at Oregon. You know, I think anyone
that's that's arguing otherwise is doing in bad faith now.
So it's it's been quite a rise under Signetti, but
it really felt like Saturday was kind of like that
that exclamation point that, you know, kind of official arrival
(37:33):
that yes, they've been really good, but now we're talking
about them as like a team that can actually win
a national championship.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
Justin, James Boyd here, thanks for one answering.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
My text last night.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
It's kind of last minute.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
Get for the show, but I know you and Ralph
had sort of a breakdown of the quick takeaways or
reactions to that game, and I want to go back
to a moment in that game where you have the
pick six from Fernando Mendoza, the game is tied there
on the road. What did you think think of the
response from IU and what that says about how serious
this program can be.
Speaker 6 (38:05):
Yeah, I mean that felt like the moment, right, you know,
Oregon really couldn't get it going offensively. Indiana had had
really gotten after and sacked Dante more but Indiana wasn't
necessarily playing great offensively either, and so then it feels like,
all right, Organ's at home. They get the pick six,
big momentum shift, This is it. They're going to kind of,
you know as salt away of the game now, and
that's going to flip it. And I think that was
(38:27):
when the next was the twelve place seventy five yard
drive that you know, Mendoza leads them down and gets
to go ahead score. That was just like, you know,
those are the kind of the teams that you feel like,
all right, you know these teams they have their identity
figured out, they have their confidence, they have their coaching
where you can make a mistake like that can feel
like you know, everything thing's kind of going against you.
(38:49):
And then instead of panicking or instead of stuff falling apart,
you know, they actually kind of locked in and then
you know, they go on that drive, they pick off
more twice in the fourth quarter. So it was all
just kind of part of it. You know. I think
everyone watching that game going into it was like, all right,
is it going to be like last year when you know,
they really weren't up for that game against Ohio State
on the road and they couldn't hang with Notre Dame
(39:10):
in the playoffs, and so then they're kind of you know,
hanging around at the close game and and then that
moment ever probably thinking like, all right, this is it.
You know this word it's going to fall apart, and
they just at every turn this year have kind of
proven whether it was that Illinois game or you know,
just the way they've kind of dominated every other opponent.
And then to have that game on the road just
a completely you know, impressive win. It definitely solidified and
(39:34):
erased any doubt that anyone should have about them.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Justin Williams with us here from the athletic I call
what James said, We appreciate you joining us justin here
on this Wednesday morning. If I would have asked you
this question. I don't know. Ten years ago, you probably
would have laughed at me compare the IU job to
the Penn State job, But now, I don't know. I
think that question might have a little bit more relevance
as you hear Kurt Signetti's name whatever, probably on a
(40:00):
wish list for Penn State fans more than anything at
this point. How would you view in today's college football
landscape the year of twenty twenty five, how would you
view Penn State's opening versus the Indiana job?
Speaker 6 (40:12):
Yeah? I mean, and let's be honest, like every school
that's going to have an opening, there's probably gona be
a decent amount of them. Signette's going to be on
those lists, and he should be. And this is it's
kind of the good problem to have if you're Indiana
that everyone wants to hire your coach. I do think
it'll be really interesting. Obviously, there's some ties Signetti being
a Pittsburgh guy, you know, coach at JMU, which isn't
too far outside of that kind of that region. But
(40:35):
I'm very curious in the kind of the whether it's
the new revenue sharing house settlement or just this whole
nil transfer portal like it has totally kind of changed things. Now,
that doesn't mean that India or Penn State suddenly like
a terrible job. There's gonna be some obvious pools there.
If they fire a guy and pay him, you know,
forty five to fifty million dollars just as a buyout,
(40:58):
that means that you're feeling pretty secure with your money
and you're going to take a big swing. So if
Signetti is on that shortlist for Penn State, look, they're
gonna they're gonna offer him the move, the moon. They're gonna,
you know, come and give him whatever he wants Godfather
offer to try and get him away. I think the
question will be can whatever Indiana offers, whether that's you know,
from a revenue share standpoint, but also just infrastructure, nil resources,
(41:22):
can it be Can it match that? Can it be
close enough? Because now you start getting into with the
rev share, like they're gonna give some money to basketball
at Indiana. Obviously that's an important thing. So how does
all that balance? But also, you know, I do think
there's this aspect with Signetti, like Indiana kind of gave
him his shot right at the Power conference level he'd
want everywhere, hadn't really gotten that job. Does he feel
(41:45):
a certain loyalty to Indiana for for doing that. I
don't think it's unfair to say, like, yes, if Penn
State wants him, this is going to be a tough
decision for him to make. But I also don't think
it's unfair to say he might ultimately look at it
and be like, no, I want to be here at
Indiana that you know I can win here. I prove
that I have everything I need here, And so I
think that the question will be can whatever Penn State
(42:05):
throws at him to can Indiana match it or at
least come close enough for him to say like no,
this is where I want to.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Be talking to Justin Williams from the Athletic IU Football
the topic of discussion today. I want to dig down
deeper on how this team has even taking a step
forward over what they did last year. To your comments
just a moment ago. We see Fernando Mendoz has been
a terrific quarterback, and they've got speed, and the lines
on both sides of the football have held up. But
talk about Indiana's defense and how they've been able to
(42:34):
keep their offense in games with anybody this year.
Speaker 6 (42:37):
Yeah, no, I mean that's that was the story of
the game Saturday. Oregon had been sacked once all year
coming into that game, Indiana comes in and gets to
Dante Moore six times. And some of it was them
creating pressure, some of it was just whatever they were
scheming up or whatever they were doing in coverage. Dante
Moore clearly wasn't seeing the field very well because he
just didn't have a good game overall. And so this
(42:58):
is the guy that came into the game as a heisman,
you know, favorite hopeful, and Indiana just you know, kind
of put him in a body bag. And you know,
I think the most impressive thing is the evaluation and
development of talent. You know, Signetti brought all those guys
from JMU, and JMU had a good team, but you're
not thinking that, Okay, you're going to go into the
Big ten and then start to dominate D'Angelo Pond's, you know,
(43:21):
be the best cornerback in the country. You know, Aidan
Fisher is a tackling machine. Kamara he brought with them,
you know, all these guys that he brings with him
from his previous job. There's clearly some identification on Signetti
and his staffs part and then some development with those
players that now in year two in the Big Ten,
you know, they're they're out there dominating against an Oregon
(43:43):
team that was like putting up close to fifty points
a game entering that. And so I just have a
ton of respect for that staff and Signetti and what
he's been able to do in terms of you know,
if you just look at recruiting talent, actually think the
whole talent composite, you know, numbers that are out there
for recruiting. I think Indiana still last in the Big
Ten technically, which is just hilarious because when you watch
them play their complete unit, they move people on both
(44:06):
sides of the line of scrimmage and they just have
you know, guys that whether you want to say it's
the holes greater than the some of the parts, or
they play above their ability, whatever, they've kind of figured
out the combination of scheme players and then developing them
to be one of the best teams in the country.
Speaker 5 (44:23):
Justin as we look ahead for the rest of the
record season schedule for the Hoosiers, is there a game
that we should be worried about. I'm looking at UCLA
two weeks from now, and I'm like, suddenly, they're actually
kind of scary to me. So as much as we
have ridden high on the wave of IU and after
that Oregon went, it feels like, oh my gosh, you're
(44:43):
just a shoe win and get a bye into the
college football playoff, we know how weird this sport can be.
So do you have some games I'm looking at Michigan State, Ucla, Maryland,
Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue to close it out any of
those opponents.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
Opponents should scare us.
Speaker 6 (44:58):
Yeah, I mean this is why, like you can't play
the schedule game in college football right because three weeks
ago it's like, man, that that trip to Penn State,
that's going to be really tough, and now all of
a sudden they have an interim coach and their quarterbacks hurt,
and same thing. You know Ucla. No one was expecting
Penn State to go out there and get beat so
on paper, no, You're you're looking at this schedule and
you're thinking, like, man, they should be able to kind
of cruise control into the you know, Big Ten championship game,
(45:22):
whether that's playing you know, another undefeated team in Ohio
State or whatever happens. But I think this will also
be kind of the next challenge for Indiana, right, Like,
they were always kind of trying to punch through that
glass ceiling, and they had respect they made the playoff
last year, but again people weren't necessarily looking at them
as the title contender. Now you have that, you have
all the attention that comes with that. It'll be interesting
(45:43):
to see how they respond here down the stretch when
the targets on their back. You know, they have, you know,
kind of everyone gunning for them, and they have games
that you know they're going to be favored. Jeeh, I
don't buy. You know, probably close to double did it's
digit in every one of these games that's left. It'll
be interesting to see if they can come to go
out and live up to that. But man, if you're
an IU fan just kind of playing the schedule game
(46:04):
of looking on paper, I'm not telling you to go
ahead and book your you know, your stay in Indianapolis
for the for the title game, but you know, maybe
at least pencil.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
It in justin last one and correct me if I'm wrong.
You covered Cincinnati when Alec Pierce.
Speaker 6 (46:20):
Was there, I did, correct. What do you.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Remember just about like his ascent there, because you know,
I definitely remember the Indiana game, the Notre Dame game
where Pierce made huge plays and then now here obviously
in our city. He's turned into quite the home run
hitter on an NFL level. So what do you remember
about Alec Pierce becoming you know, it took a little bit,
but I think coming a big time target there for
(46:44):
Desmond RD.
Speaker 6 (46:45):
Yeah, great kid comes from a great, really athletic family.
Two stories stand out to me about covering Peers. So
after his freshman year, which he didn't play much, during
bowl practice, they worked him out at a linebacker and
this is when Marcus free Mine Philip Sincidi, he was
a defensive coordinator, and I remember Freeven saying like if
(47:05):
he if Piers wanted to be a linebacker, if he
wanted to hit and be a defensive player, he could
be like an All American linebacker. He's just like, he
doesn't want to do that. He's a pretty boy. He
wants to be a receiver. He wants to run and
you know, catch sixty yardt bombs. But even early on,
like when he you know, hadn't necessarily cracked the rotation
or receiver. They were just trying to find ways to
get him on the field because he was such a
you know, athletic, gifted talent. And then the other one
(47:27):
that stands out is the COVID. You know when that happened,
and everyone gets sent home for the summer. So we're
talking summer twenty twenty, and they finally bring these players
back on campus. Everybody, I mean, this wasn't just Cincinnati,
across the country. All these guys are out of shape,
and you know, just they've been stuck inside. They didn't
know what to do. And Pierce came back and had
somehow added like two inches to his vertical, Like the
(47:48):
training staff couldn't believe that this guy came back and
he's like, you know, jumping forty two inches and basically
was in better shape than when he had left. And
he was just like, oh, yeah, I worked out at
home with my brothers or whatever. But those two, like
you talk about kind of what a freakish player he is.
He's also super smart. He has like an engineering degree
from Cincinnati, which is a ridiculously hard program. A really
(48:09):
impressive kid. But I always just remember those two things,
like them trying to put him at linebacker because they
wanted to get him on the field, and then everyone
coming back out of shape from Covid and Pierces in
the best shape of his life.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Justin, thanks for time this morning. We appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
We'll talk to you this season moves along, but appreciate
your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
Have fun this weekend anytime.
Speaker 6 (48:27):
Thanks you guys.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
Justin Williams, the athletic covering IU football, Joining us here
on the payless liquors hotline.
Speaker 3 (48:32):
All right,
You're listening to the Best of the Fan Morning Show
on ninety three five and one oh seven five The Fan.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning everyone, Welcome into the Fan Morning Show. It's
a Wednesday. If you're just joining us, thanks so much
for listening on ninety three five or one O seven
five The Fan at one O seven five Thefan dot Com.
Any smart application, Kevin, go ahead, do your thing, Hey Siri,
play one on seven five of the Fan.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
What do you like to say about it?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Alexa?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Alexa?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Either one, play knuck. If you buck.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Never get old, that'll never get old. I was thinking
about you this morning when you commented on the anniversary
of the Toush Push this morning, Bush Push Bush Push. Yes,
thank you very much. Toush Push Bush Bush Bush Push
the Reggie Bush Push. There's a big difference for you.
There isn't there there is?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Yeah, I wish it was the Toushbush James.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
You'll appreciate this because you've grown fond of my youngest son.
If you've met a couple of times now, Grant. I'll
be taking Grant to Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
We're going to do a tour of USC on Friday.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
How about that, Kevin, I hope you guys have a
horrific time.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I hope you get there safety.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Look on Caleb's face when you said that just now,
you're not going to Sofi Sunday to watch Saturday Night, I'll.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Give me back Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
So looking forward to it, taking a trip with my
sixteen year old who's not ready to get his driver's
license too.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I am so psyched, and you guys are nowhere near
any of this.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
But within the next thirty days, both of my sons, teenagers,
will have their driver's license and I will be free
to enjoy my afternoons.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
I questions about this, So how quickly do you give
your kids the keys as soon as they passed the
driver's tests? Because my dad going to a still kind
of like I need you to, you know, because I
honestly think that people pass driving tests who can't drive
a lick. So my dad was like, before I hand
you the keys of this car that I worked very
very hard to get, I'm gonna need you to bend
a few more corners it safely before I just throw
(01:54):
you the keys. I think my first time I drove
by myself anywhere might have been like the barber shop
or something.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I felt like I was such an adult.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, I don't know what it was like for you, Kevin,
But now in Indiana you have to have forty hours
of daytime driving logged with a parent, you have to
have ten hours of night time driving. And you also
now basically do your driver's test through professional driving instructors
who you have a couple of appointments with and then
their last appointment. They're the ones that certify whether or
(02:22):
not you get your license or not. So it's fairly
comprehensive in this day.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
The question I have today to follow up is do
the hours log with the parents need to be verified
at all?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Because sounds very shady.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
I guarantee you, Kevin.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
When Jesse Boyd was teaching James Boyd how to drive,
we lied about all those hours. He was like, all right,
at about fifteen, you know, you know where the break
is and shout out to Pops. His best advice he
ever gave me was don't hit anything that's not moving,
and that has worked out very well for me.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
I'll not forget my dad thought drivers had for years
and when he would come home at night and my
mom be like, hey, how was you know driver's head today?
And it was always a good day when he said, yeah,
we only had one kid turned left on red, and
like when I was, you know, thirteen fourteen, it didn't
don't get with me. And then now I go through
these intersection it's crazy, you know whatever, eighty second in
(03:14):
Allisonville or you know some of these major ones, and
I'm like, holy bleep, turning left on red. Oh my gosh,
can imagine. So the other day you're grateful for all
of our driver instructors out there.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
The other day he's heading east on the four sixty
five and we're getting ready to get off a keystone.
And now Grant, who's over thirty hours in the daytime
and over five hours at night, he starts commenting on
other drivers. Now, James, oh dad, look at that guy
right there. What's he doing?
Speaker 5 (03:42):
I must say, I'm not really like that as a driver.
I'm pretty calm, honestly, I barely. I feel like I
only ever use my horn if you're going to hit
my car. Other than that, I mean, if you get
cut off whatever. I'm just like, people are a little
too you know, crazy. You ever throw a digit in
the air, No, I really have it. I'm prett calm driver, honestly,
and that's probably because if you leave when you're supposed to,
(04:03):
you get places when you're supposed to get there.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Feel like the rays comes from dangam are late and
this person make me more late.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It's The Fan Morning Show, ninety three five one oh
seventy five The Fan. Big news for the Colts today
is they signed another quarterback yesterday. Is still on the
practice squad at this point in time. But for those
just joining us, Brett Rippin. He's twenty nine years old.
He's been around the league for a while. I think
he's made what five four or five career starts? What
more can you tell.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Us about him? Kevin?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
For those just joining us, Yeah, so most recently it
was in Cincinnati. They've obviously had their quarterback issues this season.
So he spent last year with Minnesota. There was a
two month overlap there with Daniel Jones. Ironically enough, I
guess if you were going to make out the Vikings
depth chart when they were there, Brett Rippon was the
third stringer Daniel Jones the fourth stringer Daniel Jones on
the practice squad in Minnesota. He then was cut by
(04:53):
the Vikings ripping. That is, at the end of training
camp this year, joined Cincinnati's practice squad. Joe Burr gets
a toe injury, they bring him up to be Jake
Browning's backup. He only logged three snaps as Jake Browning's backup,
meaningless snaps of a forty eight to ten blowout ironically
against the Vikings earlier this year, and then when they
(05:15):
traded for Flacco eight days ago, he got the scissors. James.
You mentioned this earlier. He was not among the lists
of the four quarterback tryouts no that the Colts had yesterday.
Any of those names stand out to you? Brylan reached
out to me and said on Twitter, these names remind
(05:35):
me more of utility infielders for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Jeff Driscoll, Jaren Hall, Tanner Mordecai and Kyle Trask would
be those four names.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah, the crazy, I mean they none of them mosted
out to me. Their resumes are what they are. I
mean most of it is usually a handful of games
you've started, you've thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, which is
the same way with Brett Rippin. I think he's want
to say he's throwing four touchdown passes and nine interceptions
in eleven career games four starts. Overall, he's two and
two as a starter. But yeah, none of those guys
(06:08):
stood out to me. But the unique one is Kyle Trask.
I mean, this is a guy who was a second
round pick in twenty twenty one, and I want to
say he has like never started in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Now, granted he was behind Tom Brady.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
I leave Baker Mayfield for years down there in Tampa Bay,
so exactly gotta get on the field behind those guys.
But yeah, I mean this is a talented guy, at
least coming out of college who is now sort of
like this journeyman just trying to latch onto a team.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Well, one thing we know in the NFL, you never
want your backup to take the field. There's maybe two
or three every year that you're like, oh, okay, we
can survive this.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
Yeah, but second round picks usually yeah, I mean he's
driving down second round at quarterback.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
He's supposed to play.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Well, you don't want your backup to play. I was
looking up the other day, I want to say, and
I just did the last three years, I believe of
all the playoff teams in the NFL over the last
three years, I want to say the numbers north of
forty percent had to rely on multiple quarterbacks to get
through a season. So you know, nearly half of the
playoff teams in the last three years had to have
(07:05):
at least two quarterbacks. You remember Cleveland few years ago,
Remember when they finally got to Flacco. I mean they
had like four different quarterbacks start and still made the playoffs.
Shane Siken with the Eagles both years Jalen Hurts didn't
start every single game for him, so you know he's
had to deal with that. And you know, James, you
know this full well. Daniel Jones has had injury history.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
So yes, four of his first six seasons before coming
to Indianapolis, he's missed at least multiple games dude to injury.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Now, if I'm Riley Leonard, I kind of look at
this and think, Okay, this is good. Brett Rippen is
not an eye popping and resume. Brettrippan has not been
the backup for a team very often in his career.
He's mostly been the third, yeah quarterback in his career.
So this is not something to where the Colts went
out and we debated this yesterday. Would they spend a
draft pick, would they try and trade for a knowing
(07:54):
Anthony Richardson is out for at least a month. The
Colts elected not to, and now we see how the
week plays out. I would guess they just want to
see how Brett Rippon can absorb the game plan, the playbook.
You know, he's mainly been kind of in the Sean
McVay tree, if you will, with Zach Taylor in Cincinnati,
Kevin O'Connell of Minnesota, so you know how much overlap is
(08:17):
there with the Colts playbook. And then we'll get to
whatever Friday Saturday, and we'll see how they want to
divide it up. I assume all three quarterbacks will address,
but they'll have to make a decision on who's the
backup and who's the emergency. And again, just to clarify
for everybody out there, the NFL changes this rule a
few years ago. Your third quarterback has to be deemed
(08:37):
the third quarterback, and that guy can only play if
injuries occurred to the starter and the backup. You can't
have your third quarterback be whatever Ashton Doolan and use
him in wildcat or something like that you literally have
to only have him in that position to play, and
so far Riley Leonard has been that until of course
(08:58):
Sunday when Anthony and Richardson got hurt.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Well, you hope that everything goes okay, but really it's
the offensive line that kept him pretty clean. Other than
him kind of putting his nose in other people when
he's running with the football, he's he's fared pretty well.
Speaker 5 (09:12):
James Daniel Jones, Yeah, that is, oh absolutely yeah. I
did ask Shane after the game if Daniel's three yard
touchdown run was designed, and he looked at me like
I was crazy, So but I thought, you actually, if
you good back at the play. I wasn't necessarily sure
because when he bends the corner, there's a couple of
(09:32):
receivers out there blocking for him, and so it kind
of gives you the option, I guess, to run if
that's blocked up, or to throw it. And listening to
the micd up yesterday, Alec Pierce went over to DJ
and sold him, hey, you didn't think he, you know,
wanted to throw that one.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
He's like, I didn't see you whatever.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
So we saw a little bit of personality there from
Daniel Jones. Like Kevin pointed out earlier in today's show,
I got a kick out of Michael Pitman Jr. Getting
into a tussle there at the foot of Daniel Jones.
But also I thought Dan, because that's who he is
when he gets into the scrums. I thought Dan stood
up for his guy a little bit, got you know,
got got a little shoven match going there. So there
(10:09):
is some toughness to him, and it is kind of
cool to see the guy at least enjoy football again.
I know he talked about, you know, how how tough
it was. I believe it was on the Was It
Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick podcast last week where he
talked about how hard it was sometimes driving back from
the stadium when he was a New York Giant and
you know, dealing with the pressure there, the losses, not
(10:31):
having success and you know, supposed to be the franchise
guy and it just didn't work out that way. And
now I wrote this in a story actually yesterday about
you know, possible quarterback signings. The first time in my
story was the coach needs a new quarterback, but not
for the main guy like he's been balling. And I
feel like every week that passes, we're asking the question
of should they extend him? And that question gets a
(10:53):
little bit louder with every week that he plays good football.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Anthony Richardson, Obviously he's going to be on the shelf
for a little while now. But if if Daniel Jones
continues this pace, he's the quarterback of the future for
the Indianapolis Colts. What now for Anthony Richardson? Do he
in his camp ask for another opportunity somewhere else? Do
they just kind of keep plugging away here? Like to me,
this is fascinating. This is a guy who just a
(11:17):
couple of years ago was a first round pick in
the top five, and what's his trajectory at this point
in time?
Speaker 1 (11:24):
You know, I prefaced in the nine o'clock hour yesterday.
I don't think we're there yet, but it is a
thought that's crossed my mind in the last forty eight hours.
Has Anthony Richardson put on a Colt jersey for the
last time? Again? I don't think we're there, but it
is a thought if whatever this injury lasts, I don't
know till Thanksgiving and the Colts get to Thanksgiving, They're like,
(11:47):
you know what, Daniel Jones is playing good football. We
like Brett Rippon, we like Riley Leonard. Let's just roll
with these three. Maybe that is how they'll handle it.
Maybe it's not. Maybe you know, richard's'll be back in
a month or so and he'll get back right to
be in the backup quarterback. But my best guess would
be at the end of the season, Yes, ANTHONYA. Richardson
(12:08):
and his camp and would like to go somewhere else,
and that's what happens. So again, he's under contract for
one more year through twenty twenty six. The Colts have
that team option that in all likelihood they will decline
of course for twenty twenty seven. But that would be
my guess.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, And it still feels to me and I'm old
school this way.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I think we press these top chosen quarterbacks in the
upper part of the first round. I think we were
in such a hurry to have them make a difference
because of contracts and how much money they're making and
how it can help the team. Like for every Jaden
Daniels that you see that plays well out of the gate,
there's probably five or six guys that just they're not
(12:47):
ready for the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Yet.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
I saw a story yesterday, James, and maybe you guys
did too, that the last four number one overall selections
at quarterback their coaches were fired within two seasons. Just
some guys just aren't ready, not that they can't be,
but some guys just aren't ready right away, James, and
we want to make them ready right now. And I
(13:09):
don't know that that's necessarily the way to go.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
Yeah, but I think the exception with Anthony is that
he didn't play football hardly at all, and so he
was like the anomaly of all anomalies. They took a
huge swing on him. They bet on traits and physical
gifts and all of the above over experience, and it
backfire tremendously. So I think that's one of the biggest
things when you look at why he possibly hasn't worked out,
(13:32):
is he hasn't played football enough. I mean, this is
a guy who I want to say he only started
maybe one or two years when he was in high school,
only started one year at Florida, and then obviously got
benched pretty early in his career in the NFL. So
he needs reps and he just hasn't had an opportunity
to get them. And to your point, Jeff, when you
(13:52):
get to the NFL, and I've talked to a few
people behind the scenes about this and just their perspective
on development in the NFL, but it's not a developmental league.
You can get better, certainly, and I think that is
part of the plan you draft any young player, but
if your baseline isn't where it's supposed to be, it's
hard to catch up. And I think Anthony's baseline in
(14:13):
hindsight was never really where was supposed to be. And
then on top of that the injuries. I mean, the
guy's been hurt for most of his career, unfortunately, and well,
I can't say most, I'll say he's been hurt for
a significant amount of his career so far. And then
you have this latest injury that takes you out for
at least a month. So unfortunate for him, but again
(14:35):
talking to people behind the scenes, very fortunate that this
injury wasn't more serious than what it was and he
like lose an eye or something like that. So very
scary scene for him. With that, again, a piece of
the whatever he had the band attached to breaking off
and hitting him in the face. So again, like I said,
yes today on the show, imagine someone standing fifty feet
(14:56):
away from you and then firing a fastball at your face.
That's basically what happened with him when he had his
band attached to whatever in the locker room and that
broke and that piece of that flew back of him
in the face.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
I'd forgotten that JJ Watt is now calling games for CBS.
You know, usually I'm really only watching the Colts game
that's that week, But yeah, that'll be the call team
coming up on Sunday, Iron Eagle, jj Watt. The Colts
do like his second team on CBS. So how do
you know you're starting to get a little bit more
national attention? Iron Eagle's calling your game? So JJ Watt,
(15:28):
have you, guys seen what Jeff? Maybe you Have you
seen JJ Watt do any games this year? Is he
any good?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I've seen Yeah, he's jj Watt.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
You saw him on the set I think a little
bit last year or even when he was done playing
football in the playoffs. He's being on the set. He's
well spoken, he obviously knows what he's talking about.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
I think he's done a nice job so far.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
So Colt's a one and a half point underdog with
the LA Chargers coming up on Sunday non quarterback news. Obviously,
where are you at from a Kenny Moore standpoint? I
get the feeling Moodyward's gonna miss sometime. We'll see how
all that's the feeling. I guess, yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
I mean, if you look at what happens with concussion
is typically unfortunately, so he got injured before the game,
but you es since you treat it like it's if
he were injured in the game. So he missed the
game already because it happened an hour before kickoff. But
then if you look at it like he got hurt
in the game, so to speak, typically players missed at
least one game after that. And keep in mind, like
(16:22):
you said, Kevin, this is his I believe, second concussion
in six weeks, and so that is very concerning. Obviously,
cornerback depth well documented.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
We've talked about it a lot with the Chargers specifically,
and we'll see if they get Quinton Johnson back one
of their better whiteouts. They are the only team in
the NFL with three wide outs north of three hundred
yards this year, so that's Keenan Allen still getting done
and Lad McConkey, who made the play of the game
last week. So they are a very balanced wide receiver group.
(16:51):
So your depth at corner again, this is you know,
the most balance of any wideout group in the NFL
that you're gonna see on Sunday. Those would be a
couple of things to watch. But the Chargers do have
real warts and that's an offensive tackle. They are incredibly
banged up and their run defense has been awful, So
opportunities there. Obviously the Colts neither d line to show up,
(17:14):
which hasn't happened I think to the level that you
needed to, and Jonathan Taylor should be foaming at the mouth,
and what this opportunity looks like on paper against the
Chargers run defense that ranks near the bottom of the NFL.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I see a lot of comments on the text line
this morning, and we appreciate all of them about potential
moves that the Colts could make and maybe Anthony Richardson's
part of that. And some of them are saying, like,
for example, Joe says, send Ar, Mitchell and Pay to
Cincinnati for Hendrickson or Ar and Mitchell to Las Vegas
for Crosby. I think sometimes we overvalue the parts and
pieces that we have and what other teams James might
(17:49):
even be interested if it came to trading, and I
don't think Vegas is even considering a trade for Max
Crosby at this point in time.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
If they were ar and Ady Mitchell, you hang up
the phone and you tell him lose my number, Like,
I love you, guys, but let's be realistic here.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Video game credits.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
Yeah, I'm like, this is not going to be successful
in the trade machine, even if you try to do
this online. So no, first of all, masx Crosby isn't
going anywhere like that, he's not coming here. You'd have to,
you know, then take on a huge, massive contract that
he just signed and he seems like top player in
the NFL. Yeah, like he's not going anywhere. Say with
Miles Garrett. I get that he's frustrated with losing, but
(18:29):
he literally signed up for that when they told him,
Remember he wanted out, and then they gave him a
big bag of money, and he was like, you know what,
it ain't too bad living in Cleveland, So he figured
it out. He'll be fine as far as straight Henderson.
I think he's the most realistic option, so to speak.
But it also depends on what the Bengals want to do.
Do they if they suffer a couple more losses, are
they becoming you know, sellers a trade deadline to kind
(18:51):
of you know, prepare for a high draft pick and
try to recoup whatever they can to build another team
around Joe Burrow next season. So we'll see all that unfold.
But yeah, some of these people are just acting like,
you know, you could just offer up you know anything
and get you know something.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
That's not how trades work.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Speaking of freak injuries. Did I see this correctly? And
maybe you guys saw this Perdue football Barry Odam squad,
one of their players didn't play against Minnesota because this
dog bit him.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Well, I didn't see that.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I could have sworn I saw this, and maybe my
mind was, you know not, maybe I.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
Was reading the googling this. Now.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I hope you didn't get like and I think it
was a big dude. I think it was like a
three hundred pounder dog bit him. If I'm not mistaken,
I think in the foot Yeah, here it is sports
illustrated Perdue defensive secle Missus game due to dog bite.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Man, remind me never to get a dog. I'm like,
my goodness, did you train them at Oh my, that's
actually kind of scary.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
You imagine walking around campus with that dog. Oh boy,
you talk about the sidewalks clearing for you real quick.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
I was saying, no walking around gams with that.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
But her dog is I might eat a three hundred
pounder that causes the player not to play in the game.
That's a hell of a bite.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It depends on probably.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Say yeah, yeah, tell that to Mike Tyson.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Boy, it gives dogs a bad name.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
Most dogs don't bite.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
You know, And I'll give you a Dorothy Boyd classic.
My grandmother when I was walking with her throughout the
streets of Chicago, because she never learned how to drive.
She was always about public transportation, never really had to
learn how to drive them in Chicago.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But whenever we saw a.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Dog walking home and uh, Chatham in Chicago, and she
was just like, we're gonna go to the other side
of the street.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
And I'm like.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Every time, Grandma, She's like, everybody says their dog don't
bite until they do, and they bite you. So shout
out to Grandma I have not been bitten by a dog.
Probably because of her. Maybe the pretty football team needs
to take a listen. That's I honestly feel bad. That's
scary stuff. They've got Northwestern right in Northwestern? Are they
still in that little stadium on the lake.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
I think they're rebuilding. I think they're building a new
stadium at this point in time.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
So they still playing that little I think right now? Yes,
until they.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Get got a cool environment. Frankly, I think Northwestern football
deserves that.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Like I called a game there once Penn State long
time ago, like at the very last year of Joe.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Paterno, oh boy, you are dialing them back.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Yeah, it's been a while.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
I you four touchdown? Favorite? Am I seeing that? Right
over Michigan State? They should be Wait, talk about Michigan
State falling off a cliff in the last decade.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
They've had problems.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
They had some pretty good head coaches for a while.
They just have never quite gotten that right at a
certain point. And that's just so important, as we've seen
here in Indiana. I mean, you get the right guy,
you're good for forever. You get the wrong person, you
can set the program back, and then what happens that
guy gets fired after two and a half for three seasons,
they bring in a new guy, and if that guy
doesn't work, now, you're starting over again in two or
(21:46):
three seasons. And if you're not really careful and hire
a right guy at that point in time, James, the
cycle just keeps repeating itself. And I think that's where
Michigan State is right now.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Yes, And speaking of coaches, I would say that, as
much as we've given some praise to Daniel Jones, where
does Shane Stichen fall in the early coach of the
year candidacy and things like that?
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Oh, he's got to be at the top of the list.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
We'll have a chance to perhaps stow that question at
Stephen Holder here in a few minutes as he joins
us in the eight o'clock hour.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
All right, In fact, he's gonna do that.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Coming up in just a few minutes here, we'll talk
more about the Colts and why they went and got
Brett Rippon as a backup quarterback yesterday and as opposed
to other players that were out there and available.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
We'll do that.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
We'll also talk a little bit more about the upcoming
college and NBA seasons for basketball as we continue next
to ninety three five and one O seven to five.
One guy we love having under contract and no trade
in sight. Our guy, Stephen Holder, who joined us now
to talk coltsfootball from ESPN dot com on the Payless
Liquors Hotline. Good morning, Steven. You're not going anywhere. You're
(22:44):
like Kurt Signette, You're staying put right.
Speaker 7 (22:48):
Uh, well, hey, listen. You know I think that you
always got to listen. You know, you always got to
listen to offer.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
I'm a businessman, okay, high a mercenary.
Speaker 7 (22:57):
I'm not making that committment.
Speaker 6 (22:59):
No.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Well, welcome back into the Fan Morning Show. We always
appreciate you being here. Everybody's talking about could should the
Colts make any kind of move, especially on defense before
the trade deadline comes up in a couple of weeks.
Where do you think Chris Ballard's appetite is for something
like that?
Speaker 7 (23:17):
I don't think he ever has a huge appetite for
giving picks away because it's just it's just not his way.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
But you give a few of a way, Steven, you
know you don't want to be sitting in that room
with me next spring as a waiting for him and
trade back inevitably and we're all like groaning as he does.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
So true, that's true.
Speaker 7 (23:36):
Well, I mean, listen, if he doesn't keep all those picks,
how's he going to trade down.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Three times and get more?
Speaker 7 (23:44):
Look, I don't know, I think that he I think
that this might be a unique situation though, right, I
mean Chris Ballard, so he's never been you know one,
you know, so I don't know that the past necessarily
well we'll dictate, you know, what they do here, because
again this is this is different. So I do think
(24:07):
they're underwe by this defense, this defensive front. If they're not,
I want to know why not, because I certainly am.
I think they're way too invested in this this front
for it not to be producing. But at the same time,
that may preclude them from, you know, going further and
taking on more salary there. You know, that's that's the
(24:29):
reality that they have to think about too. Are very
heavily invested there, it goes more money.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (24:36):
I don't know. And then on the back end of
the defense, I mean, honestly, I think they just have
to weather the storm, or at least I think they can't.
They think they can weather the storm. You know, it's
it's gone on longer than I think they expected though,
and it's been bad. This is a tough week for sure.
This is this matchup with the Chargers.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Steven Holder from ESPN where you can find is work
key joins us every Wednesday. We always appreciateive of Steven's
time all over our airwaves. Steven, you were certainly one
of the first and had a ton of details in
regarding what exactly happened with Anthony Richardson For those that
maybe have missed it, could you just kind of paint
a picture of best you know, what occurred Sunday pregame
(25:20):
with him?
Speaker 7 (25:22):
Yeah, I think you know. You guys, those of us
who are around the team, we were familiar with them
using these stretching bands. They've been doing this for years.
I mean I remember Andrew Lucky using them. That was
the first time I recall seeing them. Anyway, they're pretty
thick elastic bands. They used to get loose because you know,
they put a lot of mileage on those arms every day.
(25:45):
And as I understand it, he had his attached to
a poll of some kind in the locker room. And
this is not something that's just unique to Anthony Richardson,
they all do it just so happened. He's the one
that had this misfortune and in the process of stretching
(26:06):
with using that band, that pole snapped and it impacted
him in the face obviously pretty forcefully, and he's got
this broken orbitable orbital bone. So as I understand it,
and just talking to other players, I mean, it was
quite a scene. He was down the ground. I was
told it almost you know, knocked him out. It was
(26:29):
so forceful, you know, it's like getting punched in punched
in the face practically. So just a really chaotic situation, man.
And I mean you talk about misfortune, I mean a
bad break, no pun intended. I mean, this is this
is awful.
Speaker 6 (26:45):
So yeah, it was.
Speaker 7 (26:46):
It was definitely it sounded comical at first. Certainly I agree,
you know, how do you hurt yourself with this band? Well,
that's not what happened. It was it was this pole
that that really hit him very hard and took him out.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Frankly, honestly, if I'm Richardson, I'm looking around at the
equipment staff or really anybody related to the Colts and saying, hi,
y'all gonna compensate me? In my face because it sounds
like he did with anybody else. But I'm actually not joking.
I mean I want to laugh, but I'm looking at
this like, wait a second, do you have some recourse
you could take, possibly, because it sounds like he did anything,
(27:21):
didn't do anything wrong, ended up on the wrong side
of obviously the incident. But to pivot to what has
transpired since then, the cold sign Brett Rippen resume is
what it is. Stephen wasn't all that great, But just
your thoughts on bringing in him and him possibly being
QB two or QB three depending on what second decides
(27:42):
here over the next week.
Speaker 7 (27:45):
I mean my reaction is pray for Daniel Jones. Okay,
let's just hope Daniel Jones stays upright. I mean, you know,
I'm not saying that there's any like imminent fare that.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
He's going to be hurt.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
Look, I mean it could happen on any play. He
could twist his ankle, he could take a bad step.
Anything could happen, right, concussion, Right, I mean that happens
all the time, right, I mean, so things do happen.
So this is a theory, Okay, just a theory. I
think what might be happening. Here is the Colts are saying,
(28:20):
all right, Richardson's going to be out. I guess maybe
the four weeks or so is maybe what they're banking on.
And if Daniel Jones has an end game injury in
one of the two backup quarterbacks plays, they figure it out.
If he has a longer term injury, you have to
do something more substantial than this.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
That's what I would say if.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
Someone has to play multiple games. Look, I know a
lot of you fans out there. You love Riley Leonard.
I love Riley Leonard. He's great. I think he's a worker.
I think he has a potential future. He's not ready. Okay,
I'm telling you fans, he's not ready. And I think
the Colts understand that. I'm not saying they wouldn't play
him in a pinch, in a backup role off the bench,
(29:02):
but they are not actively trying to play Bodie Leonard.
Speaker 6 (29:07):
I think it with you, guys.
Speaker 7 (29:08):
Am I am I off base?
Speaker 6 (29:09):
Here?
Speaker 7 (29:09):
Am I missing something? Guys? You saw training camp right right?
Speaker 1 (29:12):
I would agree, especially once teams started to actually, like,
let's say they needed Leonard for a couple of weeks.
Steven once they actually schemed and said, hey, spy Leonard,
make him a pocket passer. You know, again, anybody that
watched Notre Dame's playoff run, I mean Riley Leonard hardly
threw any consequential passes until they were down a million
against Ohio State. So yes, you know, his life of
(29:34):
running like he did on the opening drive against Ohio
State probably not going to last in the NFL, which
which is fine. Like, I mean, they drafted him to be,
you know, developmental project. Sounds like he's horrific, but like
that was some of the thought there. I think sometimes
you get into day three quarterback picks, some guys are
like whatever, Curtis Rourke from Indiana, more of a finished project,
(29:55):
and then other guys are a little bit more Riley
Leonard battle some injuries, played a multiple colle you know,
you feel like there's a skill set there that you
want to tap into. And I think that was some
of the colts thinking.
Speaker 7 (30:05):
There, Yeah, I think that's exactly right. So yeah, that's
how I see it. We'll see, though, I mean, I
think I think they would be in a tough spot
if there was a multi week injury to Daniel Jones, right, now,
so I don't think this way of thinking would continue
if that happened.
Speaker 6 (30:23):
That's my theory.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
One thing.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Go back to Richardson for a second again. Stephen Holder
from ESPN with the Ciar Palostickers outline, it's not your
impression that this is a season ending injury, correct.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
I don't think so. It doesn't sound like that. I
mean the initially there was some uncertainty and possibility I
think was discussed, but it sounds now, and particularly after
this move they made, I'm I'm starting to think that
they settled on it being a shorter term absence. The
(30:56):
last I heard, which was Monday or yeah, late Monday,
I think there was the thinking was multiple weeks, but
the NA season ending, So that's a big range. But
but that's kind of what I.
Speaker 6 (31:10):
Know so far.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Stephen Holder, ESPN dot Com. I'm just curious.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
We've seen a lot of praise for Daniel Jones and
what he's doing with a great receiving corps that's done
a nice job, and obviously Tyler Warren into the mix
and Jonathan Taylor has just been fantastic. Where do we
put the role of Shane Stikeen in all of this
offensive success? That is leading the league in scoring by
a ways at this point in time.
Speaker 7 (31:34):
No, I mean he is the He's the conductor of
it all. I mean like if this were if they
were making an album, he's the executive producer and he's
the guy making it all come together. It doesn't happen
without that guy. You know, he's the SCORSEESSI I guess,
I don't know something like that, but to use a
movie analogy, I think Shane Stikeen is brilliant. I do.
(31:58):
I don't say it enough. Shane Styking is brilliant, There's
no question about that. I mean, how many guys have
you seen wide open this year? Just why the hell? Okay,
they're good players, I think a lot of their receivers,
but I mean, come on, they're wide open that There's
a reason for that, and it's because of what he
(32:20):
is putting together in the game playing process. And that
is Jim Bob Cooter as well, the offensive coordinator, who
he really does rely on a lot. So I'm telling
you he has saying being he he has this understanding
of how to attack defenses at a high level that
(32:40):
I don't think is typical. All Right, there are a
lot of good coaches out there, but they don't all
I think see the game at the level that Shane
Styken does. And I remember when he got hired. I
remember Frank Reich Okay telling me, and he had history
with him, he knows he said. He said he is
an potential offensive genius. That's what he told me. I mean,
(33:05):
that says it all right, and I think a lot
of Frank Wright's opinions. So I think you're starting to
see that. And people around the league have told me
the same thing, like this guy high level offensive offensive mind.
That's like the consistent theme you get when you talk
to people. So there's no doubt the cults are. I
think you're starting to see that now with a quarterback
(33:26):
of Daniel Jones caliber in terms of his understanding of
the game. He has a quarterback who understands the game,
you know, at a level that the coach does, and
that's helping it all come together.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
Well, Steven, I must say, now you got me going
down the rabbit hole a little bit. I should probably
ask Shane. I don't know if I should do it
on the record, off the record, like who you listened
to before the game, you know, as the producer or
as the music guy. I'm picturing him like what DMXX
gonna give it to you? When he's dolling up like
his playbooks for the week. It's just knowing that he's
gonna get guys wide open for touchdowns so I can weird.
Speaker 7 (34:02):
It's probably like it seems weird. I don't know he's weird.
It might be like the Star Wars theme or something.
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Man, No, I feel like it's got to be a holder.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
I feel like it's got to be one end or
the other of the spectrum where it's like he's sitting
there in silence like a serial killer but no music
at all, or he's vibing out to DM max and
he's very rock and roll for his team. So last
one I Got for You is And this is kind
of a I guess a serious question, but with Lady
Mitchell officially an act of last week, do you think
the Colts have taken the right approach with him after
(34:35):
the blunder in l A against the Rams and really
some of the mental mistakes he's made throughout the early
stage of his career.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
I mean, it's brutal. There's a question about that, right
I mean, although I look, I have criticized this kid
as much as anybody, but you know that being said,
look at it's like as a parent, which James knows
nothing about. Uh, look, your kids can screw up, right right, Yeah,
take your time, takes time. Your kid can screw up
and really deserve like severe punishment. But it's not fun
(35:07):
punishing them, right, It's not fun to see them, you know,
sit in the corner and be pissed and miserable that
it's not fun. And I think that's that's what I
think about when I see Saint psyching right now, like
he I don't think he's enjoying this, you know, but
I think he felt like it had to be done.
Oh it's really tough, Okay, no question about it. But
(35:28):
I think you just laid it out. I mean, this
isn't the only thing. If this were the first time
we were talking about ad Mitchell in this manner, I
might feel differently. But it is not. And it's not
just display. It's not just negating the Jonathan Taylor touchdown
later in that game. It's not even just the Dender
play last season where he was I guess picked off
(35:51):
for lack of a better word on the trick play.
Speaker 6 (35:53):
It's not just those things.
Speaker 7 (35:55):
It is a consistent then with him, the lack of execution,
the lack of finishing plays, the lack of just playing
with a seriousness. And I think they had to do this,
or they felt they had to do this. And I
will say this, I bet he never does it again.
That's for sure. Right, he's gonna go line and give
(36:16):
that ball to the referee if he ever gets there.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
Until he does, I think he'll just run with it,
like all the way back to the locker room. Yeah,
I mean celebration there for aighty Mitchell. So yeah, I'm
just very curious about that. But that's all I had
as far as the wid receiver room goes.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
All right, Steven, thanks so much for being here. We
appreciate it. We will see you soon in a press
box near us.
Speaker 7 (36:39):
All Right, you guys, got it.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Hey, pick up the phone the first time. My boy
Caleb palls. Okay, just just let's get that straight too.
You know, I'll see you like D and D on.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
D and D my dad mind you stevenholders like six too,
And I'm like, yeah, it's not gonna fly, James, or
I'm punching above my weight class.
Speaker 6 (36:56):
There.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
I'll see you in a couple of hours.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
They already hung up on us. Man this morning, Good morning, Justin,
Thanks for being here. We appreciate your time. Is this
is crazy to you to start saying Indiana ranked number
three in the country and like you feel good about
saying it, like it's not a mirage.
Speaker 6 (37:12):
Right totally, and you know, let's go even further. Indiana
legit national championship contender. That's what That's what Saturday was
that that win at Oregon. You know, I think anyone
that's that's arguing otherwise is doing in bad faith now.
So it's it's been quite a rise under Signetti, but
it really felt like Saturday was kind of like that
that exclamation point that, you know, kind of official arrival
(37:33):
that yes, they've been really good, but now we're talking
about them as like a team that can actually win
a national championship.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
Justin, James Boyd here, thanks for one answering.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
My text last night.
Speaker 4 (37:44):
It's kind of last minute.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
Get for the show, but I know you and Ralph
had sort of a breakdown of the quick takeaways or
reactions to that game, and I want to go back
to a moment in that game where you have the
pick six from Fernando Mendoza, the game is tied there
on the road. What did you think think of the
response from IU and what that says about how serious
this program can be.
Speaker 6 (38:05):
Yeah, I mean that felt like the moment, right, you know,
Oregon really couldn't get it going offensively. Indiana had had
really gotten after and sacked Dante more but Indiana wasn't
necessarily playing great offensively either, and so then it feels like,
all right, Organ's at home. They get the pick six,
big momentum shift, This is it. They're going to kind of,
you know as salt away of the game now, and
that's going to flip it. And I think that was
(38:27):
when the next was the twelve place seventy five yard
drive that you know, Mendoza leads them down and gets
to go ahead score. That was just like, you know,
those are the kind of the teams that you feel like,
all right, you know these teams they have their identity
figured out, they have their confidence, they have their coaching
where you can make a mistake like that can feel
like you know, everything thing's kind of going against you.
(38:49):
And then instead of panicking or instead of stuff falling apart,
you know, they actually kind of locked in and then
you know, they go on that drive, they pick off
more twice in the fourth quarter. So it was all
just kind of part of it. You know. I think
everyone watching that game going into it was like, all right,
is it going to be like last year when you know,
they really weren't up for that game against Ohio State
on the road and they couldn't hang with Notre Dame
(39:10):
in the playoffs, and so then they're kind of you know,
hanging around at the close game and and then that
moment ever probably thinking like, all right, this is it.
You know this word it's going to fall apart, and
they just at every turn this year have kind of
proven whether it was that Illinois game or you know,
just the way they've kind of dominated every other opponent.
And then to have that game on the road just
a completely you know, impressive win. It definitely solidified and
(39:34):
erased any doubt that anyone should have about them.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Justin Williams with us here from the athletic I call
what James said, We appreciate you joining us justin here
on this Wednesday morning. If I would have asked you
this question. I don't know. Ten years ago, you probably
would have laughed at me compare the IU job to
the Penn State job, But now, I don't know. I
think that question might have a little bit more relevance
as you hear Kurt Signetti's name whatever, probably on a
(40:00):
wish list for Penn State fans more than anything at
this point. How would you view in today's college football
landscape the year of twenty twenty five, how would you
view Penn State's opening versus the Indiana job?
Speaker 6 (40:12):
Yeah? I mean, and let's be honest, like every school
that's going to have an opening, there's probably gona be
a decent amount of them. Signette's going to be on
those lists, and he should be. And this is it's
kind of the good problem to have if you're Indiana
that everyone wants to hire your coach. I do think
it'll be really interesting. Obviously, there's some ties Signetti being
a Pittsburgh guy, you know, coach at JMU, which isn't
too far outside of that kind of that region. But
(40:35):
I'm very curious in the kind of the whether it's
the new revenue sharing house settlement or just this whole
nil transfer portal like it has totally kind of changed things. Now,
that doesn't mean that India or Penn State suddenly like
a terrible job. There's gonna be some obvious pools there.
If they fire a guy and pay him, you know,
forty five to fifty million dollars just as a buyout,
(40:58):
that means that you're feeling pretty secure with your money
and you're going to take a big swing. So if
Signetti is on that shortlist for Penn State, look, they're
gonna they're gonna offer him the move, the moon. They're gonna,
you know, come and give him whatever he wants Godfather
offer to try and get him away. I think the
question will be can whatever Indiana offers, whether that's you know,
from a revenue share standpoint, but also just infrastructure, nil resources,
(41:22):
can it be Can it match that? Can it be
close enough? Because now you start getting into with the
rev share, like they're gonna give some money to basketball
at Indiana. Obviously that's an important thing. So how does
all that balance? But also, you know, I do think
there's this aspect with Signetti, like Indiana kind of gave
him his shot right at the Power conference level he'd
want everywhere, hadn't really gotten that job. Does he feel
(41:45):
a certain loyalty to Indiana for for doing that. I
don't think it's unfair to say, like, yes, if Penn
State wants him, this is going to be a tough
decision for him to make. But I also don't think
it's unfair to say he might ultimately look at it
and be like, no, I want to be here at
Indiana that you know I can win here. I prove
that I have everything I need here, And so I
think that the question will be can whatever Penn State
(42:05):
throws at him to can Indiana match it or at
least come close enough for him to say like no,
this is where I want to.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Be talking to Justin Williams from the Athletic IU Football
the topic of discussion today. I want to dig down
deeper on how this team has even taking a step
forward over what they did last year. To your comments
just a moment ago. We see Fernando Mendoz has been
a terrific quarterback, and they've got speed, and the lines
on both sides of the football have held up. But
talk about Indiana's defense and how they've been able to
(42:34):
keep their offense in games with anybody this year.
Speaker 6 (42:37):
Yeah, no, I mean that's that was the story of
the game Saturday. Oregon had been sacked once all year
coming into that game, Indiana comes in and gets to
Dante Moore six times. And some of it was them
creating pressure, some of it was just whatever they were
scheming up or whatever they were doing in coverage. Dante
Moore clearly wasn't seeing the field very well because he
just didn't have a good game overall. And so this
(42:58):
is the guy that came into the game as a heisman,
you know, favorite hopeful, and Indiana just you know, kind
of put him in a body bag. And you know,
I think the most impressive thing is the evaluation and
development of talent. You know, Signetti brought all those guys
from JMU, and JMU had a good team, but you're
not thinking that, Okay, you're going to go into the
Big ten and then start to dominate D'Angelo Pond's, you know,
(43:21):
be the best cornerback in the country. You know, Aidan
Fisher is a tackling machine. Kamara he brought with them,
you know, all these guys that he brings with him
from his previous job. There's clearly some identification on Signetti
and his staffs part and then some development with those
players that now in year two in the Big Ten,
you know, they're they're out there dominating against an Oregon
(43:43):
team that was like putting up close to fifty points
a game entering that. And so I just have a
ton of respect for that staff and Signetti and what
he's been able to do in terms of you know,
if you just look at recruiting talent, actually think the
whole talent composite, you know, numbers that are out there
for recruiting. I think Indiana still last in the Big
Ten technically, which is just hilarious because when you watch
them play their complete unit, they move people on both
(44:06):
sides of the line of scrimmage and they just have
you know, guys that whether you want to say it's
the holes greater than the some of the parts, or
they play above their ability, whatever, they've kind of figured
out the combination of scheme players and then developing them
to be one of the best teams in the country.
Speaker 5 (44:23):
Justin as we look ahead for the rest of the
record season schedule for the Hoosiers, is there a game
that we should be worried about. I'm looking at UCLA
two weeks from now, and I'm like, suddenly, they're actually
kind of scary to me. So as much as we
have ridden high on the wave of IU and after
that Oregon went, it feels like, oh my gosh, you're
(44:43):
just a shoe win and get a bye into the
college football playoff, we know how weird this sport can be.
So do you have some games I'm looking at Michigan State, Ucla, Maryland,
Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue to close it out any of
those opponents.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
Opponents should scare us.
Speaker 6 (44:58):
Yeah, I mean this is why, like you can't play
the schedule game in college football right because three weeks
ago it's like, man, that that trip to Penn State,
that's going to be really tough, and now all of
a sudden they have an interim coach and their quarterbacks hurt,
and same thing. You know Ucla. No one was expecting
Penn State to go out there and get beat so
on paper, no, You're you're looking at this schedule and
you're thinking, like, man, they should be able to kind
of cruise control into the you know, Big Ten championship game,
(45:22):
whether that's playing you know, another undefeated team in Ohio
State or whatever happens. But I think this will also
be kind of the next challenge for Indiana, right, Like,
they were always kind of trying to punch through that
glass ceiling, and they had respect they made the playoff
last year, but again people weren't necessarily looking at them
as the title contender. Now you have that, you have
all the attention that comes with that. It'll be interesting
(45:43):
to see how they respond here down the stretch when
the targets on their back. You know, they have, you know,
kind of everyone gunning for them, and they have games
that you know they're going to be favored. Jeeh, I
don't buy. You know, probably close to double did it's
digit in every one of these games that's left. It'll
be interesting to see if they can come to go
out and live up to that. But man, if you're
an IU fan just kind of playing the schedule game
(46:04):
of looking on paper, I'm not telling you to go
ahead and book your you know, your stay in Indianapolis
for the for the title game, but you know, maybe
at least pencil.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
It in justin last one and correct me if I'm wrong.
You covered Cincinnati when Alec Pierce.
Speaker 6 (46:20):
Was there, I did, correct. What do you.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
Remember just about like his ascent there, because you know,
I definitely remember the Indiana game, the Notre Dame game
where Pierce made huge plays and then now here obviously
in our city. He's turned into quite the home run
hitter on an NFL level. So what do you remember
about Alec Pierce becoming you know, it took a little bit,
but I think coming a big time target there for
(46:44):
Desmond RD.
Speaker 6 (46:45):
Yeah, great kid comes from a great, really athletic family.
Two stories stand out to me about covering Peers. So
after his freshman year, which he didn't play much, during
bowl practice, they worked him out at a linebacker and
this is when Marcus free Mine Philip Sincidi, he was
a defensive coordinator, and I remember Freeven saying like if
(47:05):
he if Piers wanted to be a linebacker, if he
wanted to hit and be a defensive player, he could
be like an All American linebacker. He's just like, he
doesn't want to do that. He's a pretty boy. He
wants to be a receiver. He wants to run and
you know, catch sixty yardt bombs. But even early on,
like when he you know, hadn't necessarily cracked the rotation
or receiver. They were just trying to find ways to
get him on the field because he was such a
you know, athletic, gifted talent. And then the other one
(47:27):
that stands out is the COVID. You know when that happened,
and everyone gets sent home for the summer. So we're
talking summer twenty twenty, and they finally bring these players
back on campus. Everybody, I mean, this wasn't just Cincinnati,
across the country. All these guys are out of shape,
and you know, just they've been stuck inside. They didn't
know what to do. And Pierce came back and had
somehow added like two inches to his vertical, Like the
(47:48):
training staff couldn't believe that this guy came back and
he's like, you know, jumping forty two inches and basically
was in better shape than when he had left. And
he was just like, oh, yeah, I worked out at
home with my brothers or whatever. But those two, like
you talk about kind of what a freakish player he is.
He's also super smart. He has like an engineering degree
from Cincinnati, which is a ridiculously hard program. A really
(48:09):
impressive kid. But I always just remember those two things,
like them trying to put him at linebacker because they
wanted to get him on the field, and then everyone
coming back out of shape from Covid and Pierces in
the best shape of his life.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Justin, thanks for time this morning. We appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (48:22):
We'll talk to you this season moves along, but appreciate
your thoughts.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
Have fun this weekend anytime.
Speaker 6 (48:27):
Thanks you guys.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
Justin Williams, the athletic covering IU football, Joining us here
on the payless liquors hotline.
Speaker 3 (48:32):
All right,
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