Zach Thomas: I’m Grateful

Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep On February 9, 2023, the world found out what Miami Dolphins fans have felt in their hearts for what has seemed like forever…Zach Thomas is a Hall of Famer! As former Fins’ head coach Jimmy Johnson announced Thomas’ name from the NFL Honors stage, Dolfans rejoiced and the legendary linebacker’s world shifted into overdrive. Diving into The Fish Tank for the first time since 2018, Zach shares what life has been like since being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023, reflects upon his spectacular career, takes us under the helmet of one of the most prepared players in the history of the game, and expresses his love for the Dolphins organization and all of Miami. Contributors to this episode include Sean “DJ Prec” Todd and Dolphins Productions. Theme song created and performed by The Honorable SoLo D. The Fish Tank is Presented by iHeart Radio.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're now diving meeting down with Seth living O J
jew juice and this is strictly for them true fans.
Number one one, of course, just how Ordinarius was talk

(00:24):
been a Welcome back to the fish Tank presented by
iHeartRadio right here on the Miami Dolphins podcast network. Seth
Levitt and the only podcaster to lead the league in receptions,
hand bowl a perfect game. Look it up, O. J. McDuffie, Jews.
How are we feeling? Man? Is that factual? It is
until someone proves in wrong, find that out and they

(00:45):
can have it. I'm doing great, man, you know, be big, Seth.
You know we get into you know, into the into
the building. We always talk about, you know, getting into
the building. Man. But today's guests, obviously is one of
the guys that we've been been hunting down man, been
hunting down. Hasn't been in the fish tank since twenty
eight teen, but at that point, he wasn't the eleventh
member of the Miami Dolphins to enter the Pro Football

(01:05):
Hall of Fame. Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, Welcome back
to the fish tank. Ain't good to be back then? Yeah,
how are you feeling? I feel good? Riding high. Yeah, yeah,
I mean you cannot be you know what, There's so
much to talk about, and we're gonna get into everything,
but I have a bone to pick with you. First.
I think you know where I'm going with this. So

(01:27):
I'm fired up. I'm watching NFL Honors, right, this has
got to be the year. And of course they call
you last, so they build the drama because they know
that Dolphins Nation is like they're thirsty for this thing.
You come out there. Everybody's going nuts. My phone's blowing up.
I'm sugures Is Juice. Juice and I already were like planning, Hell,
Zack's gonna come back in the fish tank, like of
course he is. We're gonna be first. I stay up late.

(01:49):
I watch, you know, the communication staff and Nolan and
Brett breck Eyes and they get it all figured out,
and you're talking to the South Florida media. You look
like a champ. I've never seen you look so good,
and you're doing everything, and I'm like, Juice, we're gonna
get him. We're gonna get him on the show. And
then like twenty minutes later, Anne's texting me and she's like, hey,
Zach kind of wants to lay low. Now he's kind

(02:09):
of and you start backpedaling, you start doing that thing,
You're going right back into Scara. Nobody did it better.
And he's gonna just start fading off. Somehow. He thinks
he can hide from the world, Juice, because now he's
all of Famer, you can hide. And I said, Okay,
I understand it. That's him, that's his personality. I'm driving
in the car like four days later and I turned
on and you're on with Hawking Crowder. I'm like, what

(02:31):
the hell is this about? Then Joe Rose calls me
that night He's going on with Joe in the morning,
like you do a whole media tour. I mean, what
what's the deal? Well, I called Juice even I had
talking about talking about Leeds Ye and I told you, hey,
I'm just trying to rattle, said, because you know you
were assigned to me back in nineteen ninety sixty six, right,

(02:54):
And when was I ever easy when dealing with the meeting? Never? Well,
how are you so surprised before you were an aim
the starter? Yeah, you know that start Harve takes the
pecking order and then anything else was me. And so
they thought that I was going to work with zat
until you know, about two weeks in Jack del Rio's
gone and I couldn't talk to him for the rest
of your career. But you were assigned to me for

(03:16):
then out. So yeah, yeah it was. It was quite
a wild ride, man. But let's we can't. We can't
just let this. He was really in his feelings that good. Yeah,
got it, that's what I was trying to do. Yeah,
you know you're both friends. Yeah, so you knew I
was going to do the show your friends. Hey, that's exactly.
It's all love and you're gonna just like you knew,

(03:37):
a shot hell out of him. You just took a
shot at me run at the baddest first question. So
is that is that what? I just you know, it
was my first opportunity to sit in front of you.
You know, your texts are on do not disturb a
whole thing, So well we are pretty text me every
day and I text back, We're good. This is true,
we are good. So let's let's move into this thing.
We all got to see the moment the Hall of

(03:59):
Fame didn't unbelievable job. I mean, the knocks in the
hotel were really cool, but what they did this year
was incredible, And obviously we have a bias, but I
think everybody's seen it now, And what an incredible moment
to see you walk into your house. You know, mom
takes you out to lunch. You think that it's just
a normal lunch with mom, and you're walking up the

(04:20):
stairs in your house like you've probably done a million times,
and there's Jimmy in his gold jacket. We saw your reaction.
We all felt it. Your whole family's standing there. I
mean everybody. Bart flew in. I bet you probably didn't
even know he was in town. Katina's there, the kids,
everybody's there. Tell us what we didn't see, Like, what
were you feeling in that moment? That's I just like

(04:43):
everything that had to kind of build up to that moment.
What's going through your head? Well, I mean I was
surprised and it was very emotional, you know, going up
the stairs, I couldn't breathe and so that's why I
was moving like a penguin man side to side. I
couldn't even get up the stairs. And uh, but it
was powerful because of Jimmy. Um, Jimmy's my guy. He

(05:05):
gave me the opportunity, and he started me after the
first preseason game, you know, and and so ill him
everything and and you know I didn't fit the part either,
so for him just to throw me in from the
jump was respect. And you know, but to my family
being there too, because they've known me through you know,
well they know me, but they I played for twenty

(05:27):
eight years of football and they were along on the
journey the whole time, and they were very supportive. My
parents gave me every opportunity to succeed, and so I
rode their backs for a long way. But they knew
how much I loved the game. I was obsessed with it.
So for them to be there and enjoy that special
moment was awesome. And are you thinking about all that

(05:48):
in that moment? Like, I mean, you know clearly you
were just overwhelmed with emotion, but likes all of that
running through your head at that point in time, because
I know when I when I did talk to you,
you were like, I'm still kind of in the days,
So how how much is that motor just running and
you're thinking about all you know, people talk about your
life flashing before your eyes, how much of that was
going through your head? In that moment. It's like everything

(06:09):
came all at once, you know, and uh, I'm very
grateful the game has been so good to me and uh,
but yeah, it's a blur and when I look back
at it, but a special moment. They got it on
video and yes I cried, yeah, but you know time,
but it played out perfectly. Yeah, you know, it's running

(06:30):
through my mind. Big seth was that when he played
against Penn State at one game in Happy Valley, he
had like forty tackles against us. Yeah, and how much
I didn't like him at that point. Yeah, you know
what I mean. And then I met him with Walter
Camp realized how much I loved the guy. And the
next thing, you know, he's a dolphin man. So it
was like, you know, so love hate relationship was that time.
And so I hope you hope that was running through

(06:52):
your mind as well. Zach. You're saying that moment, I
love your coach he's thinking about, right, I say it
is that that was wide. The field goal was wide.
They won the last they won the last second of
the game and it went wide. So I was better.
He wasn't. Man, I haven't let it go. I mean

(07:13):
that was to open up the season. They were number
three in the country at the time, and they got
they got a field goal at the very end of
the game to win it. So you know, you know
what his motivation is now, that was his motivation that
oh yeah, oh yeah. And then to see you at
the Walter camp that was awesome. You and Kajana there
just welcomed me like I'm your boy already. And then

(07:34):
next thing, you know, we're neighbors, we're friends. You know,
it's it's uh, it's awesome. Yeah, you zach at it.
He tried to introduce himself to the big seth. I know,
they come on, man, you know, I still don't like
you because of what you did to my team. Yeah,
we were good at the time. That weekend became real cool.
I'm glad you're able to get past that, and I'm
sorry that that caused you to cry in this important moment.

(07:55):
What happens after so when the cameras turned off, like
you guys, I mean, is it a celebration in or
you just kind of like overwhelmed and I need some space?
Like what happens after the after the surprise? Yeah, after
the surprise rise you do all the things that you
had to do for the cameras. Well, I just I
went and got Jimmy a beer, okay, and made sure.
Yeah it wasn't a honey, it was a MODELO. So

(08:17):
you didn't know, yeah I didn't. It wasn't domestic, but
it was. He was happy with it. So we sat
there and just reminisce and you know, exaggerate all stories
and stuff like that, you know, outstanding that awesome. So
earlier Seth mentioned the NFL Honors. You know that was
obviously an incredible night. But you were sitting on this

(08:37):
for a couple of days, bro, you know you you
had you know you you were sitting on it for
a couple of days. And now when NFL Honors are on,
you finally get a chance, you know, to go out
there and celebrate it, you know, not only that with
your former teammates, but now also with your new gold
jacket teammates. Man, how was that man for one having
to sit on it for a few days, yeah, you know,
and then obviously you know when that moment happened we

(08:58):
had when we came on stage, well look at back
up and we set on it for two weeks. Even
my kids how about my kids. They kept it all secret.
I mean, yeah, I think I think my dad told
her dentist back home or something. It was just I
know you, Thomas is man, I know exactly right. But
that night before the announcement, I'm staying in backstage with

(09:20):
Barry Sanders, Emmett Smith, I mean, Kurt Warner just talking football,
and I'm just like, man, these the legends, you know,
and now I'm part of that team. Is very humbling. Uh.
At the end of the night, I remember looking at
my phone and it was like six hundred texts and climbing,
you know, and yeah, and it took me about a
week to get back to everybody. I can get older

(09:42):
myself now if it exactly well, seth sent back, Hey,
I'm so proud of you, the same text over and over. Yeah,
I'm liking So that's why I kept climbing. It was
all said. But uh, but it was pretty cool because
it reconnected me with a lot of old teammates and
then coaches and distant family. Yeah, of course, Yeah, so

(10:04):
it was cool. How much of a whirlwind is it?
Because I know you you like things to be routine.
You kind of have gotten into your soccer, dad, life
and everything. And now you're whisked away and you're at
the Super Bowl and NFL Honors and this press conference
and that, and then they're measuring you for your jacket
and your bust and all that other stuff. How much
of a whirlwind is it to like have all that?

(10:26):
I mean, your life is interrupted in the best of ways, yes,
But what is that like for you a guy who
really likes things to be a certain way. Oh? Hey,
you know me, I'm a routine guy, and so it's
a little uncomfortable going out of your comfort zone. I mean,
you know, it throws off your workouts. You know, I
gotta get my workouts. I'm a mental head case where

(10:47):
it comes to workouts. But I feel like that's the reason.
Even from a young kid, I couldn't miss a workout,
even with my family, Like we're going on vacation, I
wasn't missing a workout. I'm like, hey, there's the hotel
we're staying at. Have a good jam or I'd take
dumbbells women, you know. And so it was just always
and so I'm the same way today. And so even
when you're out there out of your schedule, it does

(11:10):
throw you off a little bit, but hey, it's a
it's a good thing. Yeah, it's a good way to
do it right. And then you know, and it doesn't
stop and it won't stop until August and uh and
again all for the right reasons. But I think you
were just in Canton last week or what have you.
You know, they always they bring the incoming gold jackets
in and you kind of do your tour now that
that it's your house. And I remember being there in

(11:32):
oh five when Marino went in and you're playing in
the in the Hall of Fame game. There's this great
picture juice of er Laker and Zach and JT. Because
we're playing the Bears and you guys are just standing
in the Hall of Fame because they give the players
a tour and now you guys are going to be
there forever. What was it like going back to the
Hall last week for the first time, knowing that this

(11:53):
is your forever football home. Yeah, you know it. Canton
is a little small town, you know, can being from
Ohio and and the people out there man super friendly.
And I don't know if it's because I'm a Hall
of Famer now, but they super friendly. The handshakes, the
eye contact. It's so cool to be out there. But
to go through the room of bus was awesome. All

(12:14):
the linebackers and you look back at you got Junior
in there, you know, got JT in there, just Mike Singletarry,
I could keep going, Derek Brooks, all these guys, Ray
Lewis or Lacker who you just mentioned. I mean, like, wow,
that's a that's a special family. And uh, you know,
but just like I said earlier, we all rode on
somebody else's back just to get there. So that's what

(12:36):
I'm out there, to represent all our teammates and coaches
along the way, and people help me, you know, because
I didn't do this all by myself, and I'm very
grateful for that. Did they show you like, okay, this
is where the class of twenty twenty three where the
buses are gonna go. Yeah, they did, and uh, I
don't know if they got enough room on that wall.

(13:00):
That's a lot of bronze, it is. Value is going up. Yeah, Blair,
Blair is doing the measurement. Blair is doing Okay, is
he going to do yours? He was? He did my
measurements already. But I didn't I didn't break records, all right,
I think what he says, But he's got a body
for Jonathan August body. I mean, I ain't got that.

(13:24):
I mean, I'm like a bubblehead or something. If you're yeah,
that's not good. But they all look the same though,
And it's just the bus though, you know, right, it
is a lot of Yeah, you got some big, big
heads out there. But the little place of glass shells
that they sent on some of them are like reinforce.

(13:46):
I'm trying to see if I should smile. What would
you think? Smile or be warm? You you get to
make that decision. I think you go with the smile
you had when we're playing basketball and somebody filed you
and wish they would like that. Yeah, Hey, you had

(14:09):
my back always all day, especially when there was a
hard foul. Yeah all day. Man. I mean, we can't
got to protect a price possession. Man. We got some
of these guys that come out to the play. They
can't play like that. But plus I was worried about
them getting hurt. Yeah, you know what I mean, they
exactly they might get hurt. This seems like a little
Oh you're worried about them getting hurt. Yeah, exactly right. Yeah,
so funny BECAUSEPT mentions that oh five, you know, man,

(14:32):
you guys are in the Hall, and you were at
that point, you were in your tenth season, and I
mean you had to be. You know, you already had
a legendary career at that point. At that point you're thinking, like,
start to think about your place in history, And did
you ever think that one day you're gonna be right
there with some of those guys, some of those busts.
Well back in oh five, what you were mentioning when
we're out there, and then we were there for an

(14:54):
induction of Marino. I never would have thought that I'd
be on the same team again with Dan. But even
and I remember coming in as a rookie and you
know Dan's presence, he's a legend, you know, and uh
I remember telling him, hey, man, I remember watching you
back when you first came to the league when I
was in the third grade. Right, So he's like, hey,

(15:15):
yeah he did, he did, So think about that and
then I'm going in with Dan the man. But I
never I was always in the moment because I always
wanted to be even if I was playing, well, be
uncomfortable and that was me playing you know, mind games
with myself just to get the best out of my prep.
And if I feel like, if you look back at
everything while you're playing, you can't really enjoy the ride

(15:38):
if you're going to try to get the best out
of yourself. And that was the one thing I kind
of understood, not not earlier on, but later on, that
you had to really be you know, in the moment
at the time to get the best out of your
prep and best out of your play because it's a
short window. Man, in that window, even if you know
played thirteen years, it went by like that, and so

(15:59):
you got to know just a little bit of time
of sacrifice, you know, for a lifetime of pride or
do you start to recognize that more as you get
you know, those first few years, right, you're just trying
to establish yourself and build that name. But like Juice
is talking about No. Five, now you're talking year nine,
year ten, do you start to understand that that window
is even and ten years in this league? I mean

(16:21):
it's it's unbelievable position as well. Yeah, especially at that
position and the way this guy played it. Yeah, but
do you start to even everything you just said about
understanding that short window. Do you start to embrace that
even more because you start saying, man, what is what
is the longevity here? Now? Ten years into right, you're
always looking at you. I mean, it didn't matter if
I had five more years you got You're looking at

(16:43):
the finish line because you know we always went on
from high school to college to pro right, Well, there's
no nothing after that, you know, And so for me,
I always I feel like in that tenth year you
start to get smarter, and you both know the locker room.
I was more efficient with my time when I got there,

(17:05):
because I knew if I was more efficient at work,
I'd had more rest time at home. And so I
get in there instead of watching tents replays a sports center,
you know, or in the corner with the dump talk.
You know, the dump talk. I was part of that
dump talk as a young rookie. But you waste so
much time in the facility. And so instead of doing
all that, I was like, hey, getting supre hab in,

(17:28):
getting some weight room and some film in. And that's
when I feel like you figure it out, but your
body starts to let you down. But at that time
I feel like two thousand and five peaking man with
my prep. And that's what I miss most, you know
I talk about I'd say, I say, it's people all
the time, like Zac even before like nowadays, where they
get breakfast, lunks and dinner here if they want it.

(17:48):
You were one of the only guys that was ordering
dinner here. You know what I mean. It was hard.
You couldn't. It was hard to take film home back
whatever you were. But he was saying he was he
was staying here eating all those meals, you know, while
you were here where a lot of guys were out
of it. They were gone, yeah, out of the building. Man.
And we'll talk a little bit more about you know

(18:09):
how much film study you did, man, But that's how
that's what you're talking about. You weren't waste You were
doing that really early in your career where a lot
of guys in the early twenties were they were out
living in South Florida. They're out, you know what I mean.
I feel like I wasn't really smart earlier in my career.
You know, I got away with it, you know, because
of my youth. But even prap I wasted a lot

(18:30):
of time and watching film. But you start to with experience, man,
you start to understand it, knowing what can help you
in the game. And when you start understand that's pretty cool.
But you always were always here all the time, you know.
I know the line you said to one former Miami
Dolphins head coach, I'll be there when you get into
I'll still be here when you right. But you were sorry.
I think that's what you're saying, is that you were

(18:52):
doing that even as a rookie. You just maximize the time,
more gotten better, more efficient, like you said, and and
and even even if I wasn't if I was wasting
the time earlier on in my career, mentally on the field,
you feel like you still at that edge because you know,
you really prepare. It's like study for a test man.
You're ready to go take it. And that's that's where

(19:13):
I feel like I got the best out of myself.
And it was more for between the ears that even
knowing one play, because all it takes is one play,
one play from that prep that's a game changer, right,
Like you could have a bad game, but one great
play and then nobody's gonna remember all the rest of it.
And that's what that's true. Right way, those that couldn't

(19:35):
have bad And just to just to clarify what you're
saying when you said you got more efficient with your time,
or you didn't waste time, you didn't shorten the amount
of time you were in the building, you were still
in all these hours. You just got the most out
of that time, right I was. I got the most
out of it, just got more where I could get
home and I could do the hyperbaric chamber, I could

(19:56):
get the massages. Yeah. Yeah, And so it definitely helped
helped me in the long run and even to play
you know longer in my career. The concussions is what
got me because I felt like the way I took
care of my body, I could have played another at
least five. But but yeah, concussions got me and I
couldn't get as the same as you know, as aggressive, right. Yeah.

(20:17):
I just it's funny you talk about the dinners and
ordering food. They hid ordering food and be like, hey, Seth,
what are they serving in the coaches? It's long night.
I got to sneak a playfown there salmon and filet. Oh, yeah,
that was good. They're doing it like that. We couldn't
go up to yourself because other players be like, hey,
you start doing upstairs. So you know, you talk about

(20:39):
the amount of time that you played and uh, you
know you could have played longer what have you, but
you retired when you did. You became eligible for the
Hall of Fame in twenty fourteen, and then it was
kind of the waiting game. And I remember talking you
early on and you're like, look, I'm not if it happens,
it happens, I'm not going to get caught up in it.
But there was a period of time that you had

(21:00):
had to wait. You know that you had to wait,
and I think it was what was it like six
years in before you made it to be a finalist,
and then four years in a row you're a finalist.
That first year you did the whole that's they were
still doing the hotel thing and the knock, and you
had the whole and it was here, it was in
South Florida, and you had the whole family there, and
I know year two you were like, that's a lot, Like,
you know, the family can catch up if and when

(21:20):
I get in. But Jews, I don't know if you
even know this. So in the second year of his
being a finalist. Zach was in my office. He was
helping me out with one of my other twenty five
podcast projects, and he was sitting in my office in
the phone rings and he looks down and he's like, oh,
this is David Baker, who was the president of the
Hall of Fame at that time. Because I gotta take this, Yeah,
you gotta. So. I'm sitting here thinking like, I'm gonna

(21:41):
be here for the moment. This is the moment. I'm
gonna be here for it. And it wasn't the call
that you wanted at that time. Probably better for television
history that you got to Jimmy Johnson walking up the
stairs crying, then sitting alone with me. Oh my god. Yeah,
can you imagine what a waste that would have been.
But talk about that call, because I could hear, you know,

(22:02):
for whatever reason, your phone so damn loud, but I
could hear a little bit about what David Baker was saying.
And I felt like at that moment, even though he
was telling you no, it almost seemed like it became
more a matter of when and not if at that point. Yeah,
you know, even at that time, though, I mean, it's
all perspective, how I looked at everything because just like
I keep mentioning and we rolled the backs to so

(22:23):
many others, and you're only here because of that, and
to be in the conversation, I'm like, I won. Man.
I wasn't ever looking at it like even if I
didn't make it, just to be in the conversation, to
make it as a finalance. I looked at it as like, man,
you know where I came from, a small town. Man,
Like you think I would even think one day i'd
be in the conversation. I didn't even know I'd be

(22:44):
able to make it. The first Tampa Harvester that will
make it, yeah, yeah, first Texas Tech red Raider too,
really which yeah, but not gonna be the last, you know.
And so but I tell you, it was just to
me how it's all perspective of how you look at it.
And I didn't let ego get in the way, because man,
there's so many more factors that make you the player

(23:06):
you are. I don't care if if you're a great receiver, juice,
if you don't have a quarterback, re offense a line
to block for that quarterback, right, So that's the only
reason you're great. It's a team game, an individual award.
So I never lost that word game owes me something,
you kidd me, that's not me, you know that, And
so I never wanted to go out. That's why I

(23:26):
never went out to campaign. You're not gonna hear me
campaign or hear that. It's easy to say now, but
but the thing, but did you hear me? Did you
hear me? And I'm not that guy because I know
there's more to it. Man. You gotta get lucky in
the lucky situation. The system that I got put in
from the beginning, and you got to have a coach
that believes in you, you know, and then your players

(23:48):
to believe in you. And that's what I feel like,
I just got it. It was lucky. It was a
little lucky. Yeah I understand, but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
saying thank you? Did you ever doubt though? Like I
understand everything that you're saying, But did you ever think
about or was it not even the type of thing

(24:09):
that you think about that you know, like, okay, you
gave you that call, this will be the year you're
a finalist again. Do you feel like you're on a
treadmill you think it will ever happen or did you
start to believe, Okay, my time will come. I believe
my time would have come because they more year a finalist,
and what it was it three or four years it
was finalist and that's when I started thinking about it.

(24:30):
And then you think about it for maybe a week.
It's the most prestigious honor. Man, I'm not gonna act
like it's not like it didn't affect me. It didn't
affect me, Man, what can I do now? I wish
I had that motivation when I played what are you
gonna motive? I mean, yeah, I don't know. I just
it wasn't one of those that you do sleep at
night about. But it's the most prestigious honor. But I
didn't want to take away anything from the guys that

(24:51):
made it before me. You kidding me. It's all respect
for these guys and even the guys that haven't been
in there in the conversation. Everybody could be deserving and
I'm not that guy. It's not meaning to compare, man,
I'm just amazed that we've been twenty five minutes before
the word respecting. Yeah, I'm about to say the thing.
I'm about to say that as well. You know, so, right,

(25:12):
after big announcement, you know, I mean, after all, I mean,
after you this is these are sess words right after
you stiffed arm this Yeah, I mean I wouldn't. He's
gonna go low anyway, Yeah, away like a puny or kicker,

(25:35):
you know, so work about it, you know. So we
started working in the tribute our tribute episode for you,
and I'm not sure if you heard it, but you know,
we talked to some of your former teammates and one
of the things that really came across from some of
the guys, especially I was, um, they were getting really
defensive about the fact that they thought that everything was
incredible about you because your reputation was just because of

(25:56):
your preparation and that you're a student of the game.
That that kind of rubbed me the wrong way too,
because now you were that. But you're just a badass dude.
You know, you're a badass football player. For one, I
saw you, you know, on a basketball court as an athlete.
I saw you play fast football, you know, which was
fun as hell, right yeah, but I also saw you
jump six foot walls, you know what I mean. You

(26:19):
know what I mean? So your parties, Oh yeah, you
were a badass linebacker and playmaker man, So I too
take you know, personal issue with that. And sometimes you
know people call you as an overachiever. I just call
you austome a achiever like you talked about earlier. You know,
you didn't waste any time doing what your your workouts,
your study habit, you're your Mutriian, your chambers, you're everything

(26:43):
you did. It's propelled to this point right now. So
I get we all get a little upset and seth
and is for sure. So what do you what do
you say to those people that you know only think
about your preparation is what got you here instead of
realizing how badass you were as a background as you know,
as a football player. I mean I own man like preparation, preparation.

(27:06):
I mean when I first when I was playing, I
always yeah with the overachieving label, overachiever label, I saw
that as disrespect right. Um, same with try hard guy.
Oh I hated that. That's the worst man, And that's
where hey, it helped motivate me. But now with preparation,
that's part of the part of the game, right And so,

(27:27):
but you have to have talent to be in the NFL.
We all know that, but uh, I mean way I
look at is more like if you're a strong guy
and somebody just says, oh, he's a gym right, Okay,
well why is that so for me? I mean when
I played, to hear all that, I would be pissed.

(27:49):
But now that i'm all of famer of care, you
know what I'm saying, I owned it, you know, like, yeah, man,
there's hey, my prep was good man. That's the one
thing I will You'll pat myself on the back. Man,
My prep was good man. It was something that skill
I trained. And but that's what I love about the game.
It's the locker room. But I missed the prep. Band

(28:11):
play is nice, right, and you find one little thing
on the tape and if they just even line in
that during the game, and they might be on the
right hash and you're like, I know it's coming that
right There is like such a high, especially if you
make the play and you're like, I own this team, right,
you know there could be one playout of seventy plays.

(28:33):
But it's just that that is what I missed. It irreplaceable,
you know. Yeah, it's so funny. You say that real quickly,
except because I hear the story with Peyton Manning talking
about that's yeah, yeah, you're in my playbo Yeah, go ahead. No, no,
not like I'm hearing with Peyton Manning's saying about you
know how he would check and then you would check,
and then you would check and then seem like it

(28:54):
seems like you were in his head and his playbook,
like you were talking about your preparation. But he kind
of figured out. You knew exact what the hell he
was doing too. One of the smartest guys they ever
played a game on the other side of football. Yeah,
and you know what, I had had fun when we
played up in End because it was quiet when the
offense was right. That makes a difference. And it's hard

(29:16):
when you're playing here and it's hard on him as well.
But we played the win our division twice a year
until they moved out. But you start to figure out
their numbers, but it doesn't matter because they have like
they change colors in between a live color to a
dummy color, you know, so you wouldn't know until maybe
part way through the drive. But there were certain things,

(29:37):
especially short yards. They didn't have a lot of short
yardage tape. So when it's short yards, I remember this
one play they do a y flex, he's outside the
receiver and they bring in two backs and they're always
twenty one personnel, well eleven personnel, and they brought in
twenty one and so they put the tight end at
wide and on tape for the last two years they

(29:59):
run the league. And all I said, I'm not knowing,
you know, I know they're going to the three tech.
So I'm just like, you'll lead right at the start.
And I just seemed like and I just I blitz
it and and hey, you know what I'm like, if
it wasn't a lead, I mean, Marcus Paulin's gonna be
behind me or whatever. But I hit it, made the
play and just got up and I'm in your book,

(30:20):
in your book all day, you know. And uh, but
that was one play. So maybe he's thinking that's all
it takes is that one play and they thinking you're
in their their playbook and I wasn't. And you can't
be thinking like that anywhere. You got to react. Even
if you know the play, you can overrun the play, right.
So it's uh one of those that it was that

(30:41):
chess match up there was really cool, but lining us
up and everything made everything look the same, but lining
us up just so we wouldn't give up. The big
play was was what I feel like I did good with? Yeah?
And what about another guy that mentioned you in the
Hall of Things to be Kevin White? Yeah, he about.
I mean, that's gotta be that that match up right there.

(31:03):
You had to deal with a couple of times a
year as well. But he gave you so much respect,
you know what I mean. And he said, talk about
how tough that was? What about that? And just just
say it is induction speech is pretty cool. I mean,
m He's probably the reason I didn't go in earlier.
So but he was a beast, you know. And I
remember the first time of the playing it is probably

(31:25):
my worst game. It was out in New York. We
started three and oh we went out there. I can
remember to this day. I just got comfortable, I guess
because I was playing good Man then those first three games,
and so I just remember getting humbled real quick, and
I'm like, hey, this guy because he could pull to
the perimeter behind the line of scrimmage. If at a
center especially, is trying to come directly out none none,

(31:50):
you know, especially when you're a line right. But when
you can pull around, but he can get around square.
That's where you know his game was really good because
a lot of guys go out there pulling and he
just kind of their momentum take him out of the way,
but he could be under control, get his hands on you. Yeah,
he was good man, and a lot of respect for
him to even say that, A trust me, he'll be

(32:11):
in my induction speech even though he's a jet that
he's gonna be. He's gonna be in my speech. And
one more thing we had is a one in the
tribute he talked about how you know, the first thing
they talked about in New England was if we can't
block this guy, we can't beat him, you know what
I mean? And that that's you usually talk about. We
gotta stop this running back. We gotta stopped this quarterback.

(32:32):
We gotta stopped this guy. They said, if they couldn't
block you, couldn't get to you, we can't beat him.
It's over. Yeah, you talk about a team that went
on a run like no other New England and they
had that's that was their game plan, was Zach Thomas, Well,
I think that's the biggest amount of respect. You know,
I was out in the Super Bowl and I saw
Brian day Ball out there and he came up to me,

(32:53):
you know, congratulating me. But he said, hey, Zach, of
all players, we had a play that was just called
crag Zach, And I thought I saw as respect. He says,
you remember the player, like, yeah, David Gibbons. Oh, I remember,
because you know, and he said that, he said that
Belichick got in the team meeting. He says, we're gonna
run Craigzach, and I don't care if we get one yard,

(33:16):
but you're gonna go take him out. And so I
just remember they ran it a couple of times in
the game. So I think the second time I just
go right at the at David Gibbons and just blasted,
I don't know what, Yeah, just go at him and
uh and and I don't know if they even picked
up a yard. But but that was respect right there
for Bill Belichick to just say, hey, you're gonna call

(33:36):
a play just to kind of get in your head.
I know Charlie Weis, he was a coordinator there, so
he always gave me fits. But they always had something
for me and the run game, but had something in
the past game for JT and JT always played great
against Tom Man and uh bust why it's Hall of
Famer you know, Yeah, I just think about all these
names you guys just through out there. I mean, you
talked about being in the Hall of bus there. Why Hayton,

(33:59):
Tom Brady J two. Yeah, Yes, it's pretty cool. I mean,
there's a there's a reason, right, it's not just the
numbers you put up, but it's who you did it against.
And I think that that's testimony right there for all
of that. So let's go back to the film study
really quick or kind of. You have told me since
your rookie year that you had a read that you

(34:20):
were taught in high school by your high school coach,
and that you used that throughout your entire college career
and in the pros all the way through an entire
Hall of Fame career. You use the same read that
you learned in high school. So can you can you
explain to us what that is and give this high
school coach a little bit of love, because that's pretty
fascinating to me. You talk about how much you thought

(34:43):
you knew how to play receiver, but you didn't know
until you got to the league. And here you are
taking something that you learned in high school and applied
it to be one of the best linebackers that ever
played the game. Yeah. His name is Max Plump and
I ran into him when I was a junior, transferred
schools to a bigger score to get a chance of
the scholarship. And uh, he pretty much got me labels

(35:06):
smart and instinctive. And you know you both know that.
I so so look at you, hey, but yourself. Oh yeah,
but I don't know what I'm doing there, man, But

(35:26):
but I but try to not get too in depth.
But I'll try to make it basic. Was used to
reads would be off of running back to lineman or
lineman to running back. We're most reads. And his was
a blur technique he wrote up on a napkin, and
it wasn't a focus just on one guy. If you
focused on the center, it will be bad. He balks back.
They're pulling a guard the other direction. You already take

(35:47):
a bad step, saying goes with the back. They take
that off set and they try to get you so
lyman get leverage on you. Um. But it was all
for that first step, and it was more of a
blur you're seeing four to five players, you know, But
what's more important than that. I don't care if you
don't if you don't align right, alignment was more important
than anything, because I don't care how fast your first

(36:08):
step is or you read the play if you're aligned wrong.
And I feel like that's where I one. I used
to look at it like this, like if I could
go into depth here. But if I'm the mill backer
and I'm between the center and the guard, You're easily
called a ten position. Well, people are like, okay, you're
aligned right. Well, no, it all depends one inch front back,

(36:29):
side to side, one inch because you can take on
blocks better. You can get over a block, you know,
down a double team tackle coming up over if you're
aligned one inch wider right. But it all how do
you determine all that? For me, it was a field
when they would come out and there, you know, it
would be a formation that determines something, that tells you something.

(36:52):
They have their tendencies, so maybe one inch here, one
inch here. The depth of the back tells you something,
specially with run pass. The splits of the line juice
tell you something. If they're wide one side, narrow on
the back side. Oh yeah, oh yeah, you know, the
tied end to tackle tells you something how wide they
are from down a distance to body language. It was

(37:14):
crazy all the things and you get this feel and
if you can figure that out just one inch, oh man,
it can give you over. You can take a better
angle at another guard that's coming on you. Things like that.
That's what I was thinking of more than even the
player that they're running. You know what I'm saying on
the take ons and stuff like that. So I feel
like where they do say it's a game of inches.

(37:36):
The alignment for me, because everybody just thinks, oh ten alignment.
And you know that's in walkthroughs. You know, the coach say,
what do you have a gap? C gap? Coach? I
got this. No, there's so much more to it. Like
even if you feel like it's a pass, where are
you gonna go a little farther forward if you're going man,
or you go a little farther back. You got the
tied end. There's so many things that give you the

(37:59):
best chance. Where some guys just line up in that
that a gaps. I got it. I know what I'm doing.
That's not what it is. That's not where you win.
For me, the game's changed today, but for my day,
that was where I want. I have to imagine alignment
though the game has changed, But alignment is alignment, isn't it.
I mean, with what you're describing, and you know my
limited knowledge, you better be careful though you might start
getting some coaching offers here. You got to disappear into

(38:24):
homer sense, into the bushes. You're gonna be doing that
right after this one. But but that's it was. The
walkthrough was more important to me than a lot of practice.
And then you know, juice like walkthroughs was more a
lot of guys just it's kind of taking a break, right. No, Man,
if I didn't do a walkthrough but before practice a
lot of practice, I'd be rattled. I'd be rattled, you

(38:45):
know that. But the show team, you get a little
mad at them if they're not lined up the way
if you're not, so what's gonna be? So what's real
for Sunday? That's not gonna work for you either abuse
them with this how was that guy? But they you
know you're all friends. Yeah, you know afterwards you're hanging
out having a beer together. But easy to say now, yeah,

(39:05):
easy to say, you know, it was a Wirings hero
like you. They don't play coveries like that. That's how
they played coveries. You know, you're watching the film, you
know what I mean. So yeah, all that poor guys
just trying to hang on exactly get to where you're
at it, just going through, you know, So Zach, you know,
nobody makes the Hall of Fame obviously without you know,
just a body of work that screams excellence. But there's
also some signature moments, you know, Seth and I we're

(39:28):
sitting back, we're thinking about our signature moment that we felt,
you know, when it came to Zach Thomas and um,
we're gonna share our moments with you, you know, and
you know, and see if it stands out in your mind,
but also want to hear what you feel about our
signature moment for you, right, So mine, you know signature
moment came during your first game as a pro September one,

(39:48):
nineteen ninety six, you celebrate your twenty third birthday by
knocking excuse my friends ship out of Sean Jefferson. And
I remember that like it was yesterday, because you know,
I was like it was amazing because I looked back
at it, and it seemed like everybody else was going
one way, but you were going the other way. Yeah,
the same way that San Jefferson was going. I think

(40:09):
Sean thought he had a clear path. And next thing,
you know, I mean it was bad. I love Sean,
but man, that day was a bad day for him. Man.
And then honestly, I mean, how are you feeling when
you made that play? Because seemed like I said, see
the rest of our defense is going this way, Zack
Thompson was going that way, same way Sean Jefferson was going. Boy,
that was that was a hell of a collision. I

(40:31):
tell you first, my first game, and what I remember.
This might be too much, but when a lineman is
coming to take me on, That's where I was talking
about body language earlier. He's not going hard. He's trying
to get you to run like you're running. They're running
a press and so he and then he just waits
on you. So when you see him come out kind

(40:51):
of like not really trying to get you, he's trying
to sell you. So he came out like that and
I said, this is reverse and I was gone, you know.
So it was just certain things like that. But that
focused in that first game, because I feel like when
you can get that laser focus, you don't have it
every game. But that was my first game was so hype,

(41:13):
you know, during the national anthem, like man, I made it,
you know, and so it was like that focus. I
wish I had that focus every game because it's inconsistent.
But that's why you're preparing to try to get as
close as you can to those type of games. Because
there were certain games you had that focus where you
could see out to the tackles when you're looking straight ahead,
or some games that you're like this looking through a

(41:34):
tube and then you're like, man, how do I get this?
But that laser focus, I had that that first game,
and that was Hey. That was hey. Just to make
it to the NFL and and having that opportunity, I
wasn't gonna, you know, take it for granted. Well, I'm
gonna say there's like we talked about the game, but
I saw all through training camp the way worked way
moved his instincts. He talked about, man, you saw it

(41:56):
coming that he was gonna be one hell of a linebacker.
And that was a camp where you could actually see
guys hit a lot of live We didn't know any better,
you know, when I've been a rookie, the veterans knew
there was of everybody. So you were doing what was
asked of me, for sure. So my signature moment came

(42:17):
a few years later. December thirty of two thousand and one.
We were nine and five. We were tied with the Jets,
and we were one game behind the Patriots. They were
on a buy so, like the whole AFC East was
at steak and we had the Atlanta Falcons here at home.
Chris Chandler was a starting quarterback, but they also had
the number one overall draft pick just sitting there and

(42:38):
he was waiting, a guy by name of Michael Vick,
you know, and so he was there and he did
ultimately get into that game. But you racked up fourteen tackles.
I got to read all this because the stat line
is pretty long. Fourteen tackles, one and a half sacks
a pass defense, and you spearheaded not one, but two
gold line stands in the second half, one that came

(43:00):
with under a minute to go in the game, and
as a game that we ended up only winning by
a touchdown, yeah, so those goal line stand you know,
you talk about nothing comes down to one play, but
you go and look at those those goal line stands
and you had some big time collisions and those goal
line stands. They had a guy by the name of
Marie Smith. They had a full back named Bob Christian,
and that when I think about you in your career,

(43:22):
like that game symbolizes Zach Thomas, this middle linebacker. What
do you remember from that game? I remember having the
rhythm in that game, you know, and get that rhythm
at times, and you know it flows well. But I
do remember that goal line hit on fourth and one
and I got whiplash from it and got a bone

(43:44):
brewis on my C seven. I couldn't fill my hand
and I'd have this excruciating pain going down. And so
when we played Baltimore that year, I remember it was
it was that A couple of weeks later, yeah, I
think this was like the second of the last game.
And then we had a wild card weekend and I
had a lot hits that game too, and man, every
hit just like almost felt like it was like down

(44:07):
my neck. Everything. I couldn't use my head. And so
it took the off season to recover. But I wasn't
gonna miss a playoff game, man, I wasn't. I think
I did miss the Buffalo game the phone week because
we already you know, qualified clinch pretty much and uh
and so. But yeah, that that hit right there, I
remember making that hit and everybody jumping. I couldn't breathe.

(44:28):
I couldn't breathe. But it was that pain that went on.
The teams are working, the teammates are worse uptimes. So
that was one that, yeah, I remember forever. But it
was a good game, guy, I think it was. I
didn't know all that. Yeah, well I remember you run
it off the field, but I didn't know. Wow. Yeah,
there hardly no way to treat that, but with rest,

(44:48):
you know. So that was tough, man. Yeah, he was
always man, please you know me. You saw me in
the front row, you know the games when after I
was I was still one of those in ze man.
Oh yeah, coming to money and he always showed me
respecting the end zone. Man, they come out of Tooma. Man,
that was down to your end zone. That was right there. Yeah,
but that could have been right in front of you too,
I think, Yeah, beautiful thing. You know, it's crazy when

(45:10):
you look back at it, it's silly, he was saying.
But I remember lying here and then I went weak
and then that left it open where that's where they ran.
But I hit it hard from I did remember. That's
crazy the things you remember. I don't remember all the
players that game. I just remember kind of going week
a little bit to not have, you know, have a

(45:32):
clean shot at me, but came free on that one. Yeah, Zack, Man,
can you really talk about, you know, receiving the ultimate
you know, individual honor in this game? Man? You know,
not only that, man, but as a Miami Dolphin, the
eleventh Miami Dolphin, and going to the Hall of Fame.
I mean you're joined the elite group of men that
represent city's franchise, Sam Base, everything that you represent, man,

(45:54):
I mean what does that mean to you? Beaus everything?
Because you know, being twelve years here with the Dolphins,
I made a lot of relationships, strong relationships, not just teammates, Seth.
I mean think about it, Stu. I mean I go
around the whole building, me and you, Stu, and is
it will go Friday night moving a dinner the mandates,

(46:19):
right like we just go out and Frieder and Titanic
and stuff like that. Like we always did movies every
week and that was what But it's the relationships. If
I go around that building that we had in Davy,
if you go to the training room, I mean you
got bid, you got troice. It's good people. Man like
you go to the equipment room, Tony, Joe, Charlie. That's

(46:41):
what it's about for me because all that hard work.
We saw the hard work and you got abused, but
it was love. But because you gotta sign, you gotta
sign by Jason another Hall of Fame, you know, signed
to him too, and so we got both of us
together to divas. But that's what it means to me,
because everybody knows their part and they're they're all all

(47:02):
everybody's I was mentioned it was in my wedding, you
know what I'm saying. That's the bond that it all
started at the top, especially with Haziga and now to
Stephen Ross. I feel like it's always a family base.
That it's not just the teammates. It's from the front
office to the operations. Everybody is just family. And that's

(47:22):
what I'm proud about, you know. It's uh, it's definitely
when Nat keeping everybody connected. Tom you know, um always
reaching out and that makes me proud. As for Miami,
I mean, they always have my back through all those years.
And even the fans. Man they Jim Porter, the president
of the Hall of Fame, said, I'm glad you went

(47:44):
in because we post anything that didn't have to pertain
to like the Dolphins, and they would put put Zach Thomas.
He said it was so annoying. But that's the love
right now, oh man. But but I told him he
felt it. The president, he felt the Dolphins fans big time.

(48:05):
I love it. And they all talk about it out
there on the Hall of the staff and everything, and
I told them I was it was me that a
non sitting in like hey puts back Thomas in. Yeah. Yeah,
but you know that's what it's about. And then representing
you know, your teammates here and we all you know,
I wouldn't change the thing. Man. We went to battle

(48:27):
with each other and and but back to those relationships,
it's it's it's it was awesome, man. It's awesome too,
and proud to be you know, a Miami Dolphin going
in and going in with JT and Marino and and
all that you know, ten others pretty much. That's pretty special. Man.
I would say there's one saw in the hallway there
with the jersey, so that'd be Yeah, I think I

(48:50):
saw somebody had your jersey on. They had they saw
those jerseys and they had your jersey on, threw it
back and it's like, this is what's kind That's cool.
That was me too. That was I didn't look like
you know, he's got his son Christians. You know, it
is pretty amazing. How you know, you you've played with
other guys and other teams and none of them have

(49:13):
the same They have the respect, but nobody realizing talks
about how great a job the Dolphins do with their
former players with an organization, it's like the second to none. Yeah,
it really is. Man. You talk about Nat and Tom
and mister ross Man, but the player everything about it
is just the biggest family. We talk to guys that
played on the perfect season team, all the guys that

(49:35):
played this year, and everybody in between. It's pretty impressive.
It is that cool. Yeah, I mean, how we all
stay connected, that's what That's what I'm talking about, the
whole family. That's how they get in a family feel.
It's not just you know, you're you're done with the team,
They're done with you. You know it's uh, they keep
keep you connected. And I know, I'm I'm busy. Uh
NAT's always that's always blowing my phone up. But breath

(50:00):
for that because seriously, because he when I need something,
I'm always coming. I'm glad always she made. It's not like, oh,
I pick up my phone anytime anybody calls it. So
funny because when he does come out, he like sneaks up.
You know, I'm I'm in the sweet I'm like watching
the game. He sneaks up, like what's up. Jus like, oh,
that's in the milding, you know what I mean, that's
right getting We're getting. That's great stuff, really cool. Well again,

(50:23):
so thankful that you are here. I know we kind
of gave you a hard time or I gave you
a hard time about the seventeen interviews that you did
before you got here back in the fish tank. But
the truth is you helped put us on the map
because back in twenty eighteen, you were one of the
first guests we ever had. And you know, if you
didn't do that, who knows what we'd be doing. Something else,
Maybe for sure, So we do appreciate that. I'm surprised

(50:45):
it's still going No, I throw a job back, but
you know what, Hey, seriously, I've listened to everyone of
your podcasts, and you know what, it reminisces. It makes
me feel good, especially the funny stories, and they'll do
a great job with that. I'm not surprised, man, because
you both tell you man, I'll give you yeah, Man,

(51:07):
it means a lot. And and we are trying to
maintain the integrity of what we did back in twenty
eighteen with you, but also grow and evolve, and certainly
you see that this is probably the nice this is
est I guess we were zooming by then. Oh you
came to the house. Yeah, we came to your house
for that one, um, and that's why you told us

(51:29):
we'd never be invited back. Having said that, we did
add a segment as well. And uh, and it's the
two minute drill. And so Jews always talks about how
the offensive guys love the two minute drill and they're
trying to you know, really, that's when they come alive
and they're using the timeouts and calling the plays and
work in the defense and trying to score the touchdown,
and defensive guys just want to get off the field.
But I feel juice like a Hall of Fame linebacker

(51:51):
and wants some more than just getting off the field.
So we're gonna and I know you love hard hitting questions,
and I know you love being surprised. We're gonna throw
some things at you that our fast paced. It's a
two minute drill. We're gonna start the clock. I see
Eric's getting already, and you know, let's see how Zach
Thomas handles the final two minute drills. I got, I
got Sam and Patt on the outside, Russian in the middle.

(52:16):
I love it. All right, clock is one five down
linebacker here. You know he's on the field, you know,
no matter what, right, all right, here we go. As
soon as you were named to the Hall of Fame,
you did what we expected and you gave credit to
your teammates. So let's see what really what teammate really
has your back? Zach? If you were in a barroom brawl,

(52:36):
which teammate would be the guy you want on your side?
No question? Is that's easy? Tim him? Yeah, man, my guy,
he's definitely the guy who would not want to be
on the other side of Okay, if you had to
retake your SATs, which teammate would you want to help
you with the test? And I'm just putting help him close.

(52:58):
I took the act, okay, and I did take it twice.
I had to take it twice, So I don't want uh,
I wouldn't want too big of a gap throw up
a red flag. So I'd say it is though, what
in fact you don't want, like like Tim Ruddy or

(53:18):
isn't as smart as he looks? Man? You know? So
he went to Rice. So so that's my guy. He
is a smart guy. I just I like to bust
his child because that's my boy, you know. He he
doesn't want too much of a guy. I don't need
that traced any of that stuff. They're gonna be like
red flags. We're gonna see it for the same misanswers

(53:40):
on all these sets, right, I love it all right?
So what if you need to take us to a
red carpet movie premiere? Which teammate would you call red carpet? Yep?
This guy not me? You know everybody, man, I mean
not you know you're you're my teammates know everybody who
I call him? All the time. But if not, if
it's a teammate, it'll be you juice because you know
everybody as well. But oh you can make a phone call.

(54:03):
Oh you make the phone like, I appreciate being a teammate,
Thank you. I appreciate that. All right, here's a tough one.
You need to pick one former teammate to win the
Tag Team Beer Chugging Championship. Oh god, who's your guy?
Shane Burton Man? Yeah, hey, well that's a good one.

(54:28):
Hey hey, let me tell you he could pound them.
You know, it's not a nothing to be proud of. Yeah,
I'm ramma, but I got you know, at the Elbow
Room one time I won a chugging contest and it
was versus old man with a white beard, looked like
Uncle Jesse on Duke's as. So it's like I just

(54:48):
remember and I pounded that. They said you won. They
came out with a beach chair and umbrello and they
gave me all this and it was a real contest.
It was a real contest. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Proud of it. I was a baby. This guy looked
apart man, but he's been doing it forever. Yeah, right,
up there with pro footballs that I'm yeah, I think

(55:11):
so put it right by the bust, put the umbre,
and I still have it. But I was proud of him.
I thought it. I thought it been though. But it's
so hard to get a good night sleep because it's old.
When he pound, he could pound, but he held a
beer in one hand in his nose and the other
like that, they just don't look right like that. You
can't like no matter. Yeah, yeah, he's gonna be you

(55:37):
know what. Speaking of this though, you know he recently
told us about the collision that you guys have, you know,
and force him in the plastic surgery. What's the heart
that you ever hit someone on the NFL field? Well back,
let me get to his though. I know we're running
plenty of time, brother, Like you know you used to
when they kick a ball and then you see a
flyer going up and they get their head up there

(55:57):
in trouble. I learned it from you. So I remember
being in Punch Safe. They're blocked and he's running down
free as the ut back and he's looking up like
he doesn't see me. I'm looking up like I don't
see him, like over there, and then we just both
because I already know him he's gonna try to get
his shot, and so I gave him the shot back.

(56:19):
You know what I'm saying, And litterally I know that
it did put you know, yeah, proud of that you are? Yeah,
But to your point, I would go all the way
back to high school. Man, My best hit was the
junior or quarterback that I hit. I hit him to

(56:40):
the move. Man, it was like one of those hits
that but I remember the backup came in through a
hell mary on the next play and they stay tied
us in the game. But yeah, that that was my
best hit. It was he it was still a good

(57:01):
hit man. Ye all right, one final question for you
here in the two minute drill, we know again we
talked about it being a matter of when and not if.
We know that not only applied to you getting into
the Hall of Fame, but how soon to your enshrinement speech.
Can we expect this tough hitting Texas linebacker to just
start crying like a baby pretty early? Yeah? It wants

(57:26):
to start talking about family. I think, yeah, if I
gave my mom and dad in there, I think it's
gonna get me. But I got to prepare for that
because you know you don't want you don't get much time,
you don't want to be up there, sobbing you know
what I'm saying and not getting words out people that
don't know this. It's a linebacker. It's a linebacker. I
know exactly. I mean this guy. Everybody knows, everybody knows you. Well,

(57:49):
that was in two minute drill and four and a
half minutes to but I mean it was worth every
second of it and a lot of jokes, a lot
of fun. And I'm sure that's not going to stop
with us, and if it ever does, I think we'd
be disappointed. But all seriousness, you know, if we can
take a second here and stop the jokes. Really really
happy for you, man, I'm proud of you, and it

(58:09):
was an honor for me to be some little small
part of that journey. I tell Juice class and ninety
six man, we'll never forget it. And uh, you know,
just excited for you and I can't wait to see
up there in that golden jacket. He appreciate. It's gonna
be a good time and can't wait. And you better
be ready for the party. Man. Oh, come on, you
know he's already sad. He's already you know, he's got

(58:34):
bed time. You know what I mean. We got this, bro,
I've already got my flight and everything. I can't wait
for me and the men, my kids are coming. It'll
be good man to reconnect with everybody, right, So it's
gonna be fun. Man, Dude, I've got everybody's gonna be there,
so it's gonna be really dope, awesome. Thank you, Zach.
It's served. You're now diving. Been that pitch tank? Who

(59:04):
that sitting down with Seth living oja truth and this
is strictly for them true fans number one one of course,
y'all this how ordinary sports talk. Never been that pitch tank.
Don't get shore. I got one yet. It's kind of
never been that patch tank. It's on the legend that

(59:27):
we're talking when you never been that patch tank? Rocking well,
old Jay, you're Seth Food, you never been that patch tank.
I'm beans added two kind of den butt them down hard,
celebrate big or cry hard. Leave it out on the field.
We're gonna try hard. Old school a new school, mixing
in feeling like we're up close when we listened in

(59:50):
Dolphins tells here Miami is the deep end. We're rib
been with our favorite players. No seat bread we get
with Seth and mc duffie bringing up stars we never
heard to the public. Bet we lovely Dolphins fans never brushed.
We're loyal to the team. Wasn't happier we upset? We'd
be like, what's next? Don't twist the subject. You know
what's all about the fens hint if you read it
for that, wasn't time to dive in. Don't twist the subject.

(01:00:12):
You know what's all about the fens hinting if you're
down with dolphin's nations trying to dive in, don't twish
the subject. You know what's all about the fence. You're
looking at that fish tank. It's time to down tank. Okay,
show I got on yet. It's kind of devil been
at pitch tank. It's a new lessons that we're talking
when you government a pitch tank, rocking old jack severnment time.

(01:00:41):
Don't ever had a