January 30, 2025 • 42 mins
Amie Wells, Rhett Bryan, Dave McGinnis, and Ramon Foster are joined by Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy on the OTP, presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans.
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans.
Farm Bureau is for those who make plans for everything
except themselves. We make it easy and affordable for Tennesseeans
who don't have a group or employer plan. Visit FBHP
dot com to learn more. Welcome to the OTP from Mobile,
(00:32):
Alabama and the Reesa Senior Bowl. I'm Amy Wells, Mac
is here, Red is here, Ramona is here. We're all here,
and we are wrapping things up from the Senior Bowl.
That's right, folks. Our time here has come to an end.
We are heading back to Nashville. But there are some
things that we need to put a bow on because
a lot has happened. We have seen a lot of
(00:53):
football since we have been here, and so I want
to break some of it down, and I think the
best the best place to start is the quarterbacks, because
earlier in the week we were reluctant to talk about
the quarterbacks because they hadn't really gotten their feet on
the ground yet, and we hadn't seen them in pads,
and there were a lot of different things that we
(01:14):
wanted to let them get acclimated to before we made
any sort of judgments. Or evaluations. So Mac, I'm going
to start with you. Did you watch the quarterbacks at
all and what did you notice?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I watch them completely for one full day, and
it's you always do this because these guys, the quarterbacks
that come in here, there's two things. First of all,
they get a lot of information that it's just different
from what they've ever had. And Plus, a lot of
these guys have played in the shotgun their entire career.
(01:47):
They're asked to go under center and then the route
structure is completely different, and so you don't ever give
them a you don't give them an ie and it's
an evaluation on the first day. Now, once they're in
to it and you can see them start getting more
acclimated to what's going on mentally around them, then that's
when you start. So yes, and you could tell as
(02:08):
the as the days progressed, there was more seven on seven,
there was more throwing in team, and then both teams
did a lot of what we call redline drills where
they were throwing the deep balls. They were throwing the
deep balls both to begin practice, throwing deep balls in
the middle of practice, and then they both teams also
(02:29):
extended their one on ones extended their one on ones,
and you know, I was asked and now by people said, well,
why would they why would they have Jackson Dart and
Taylor millburllere on the same team, Because scouts and coaches
want to see them throwing alternating against each other. That's
what they want to that's what they side by side,
that's that's what they want to do. And it's not
(02:52):
I mean, you try to even out the team's number wise,
but I mean that's what that's why they want to
see that. Anytime you've got two kind of quarterbacks that
are at the at the top of the pile, that's
why that's what you do. You try to you try
to move him just so they can throw side by side,
same throws, same timeframe, all of that.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Stuff in one time. So he saw him, you saw
him do all of that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
They both got more comfortable with what they were doing,
just like they always have. I mean, that's the path
for quarterbacks in this league.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
RTT. Was there anybody who's stuck out to you in
that group?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
I think as the week progressed, Jackson Dart from Ole
miss is the one I think that has the most
to gain out of this group, I would say Riley
Leonard from Notre Dame probably and certainly coming off of
National Championship game. And then a couple of the other
guys that were a little steadier from start to finish,
Tyler Schuck from Louisville and Seth Hennigan from Memphis all
(03:47):
made some nice plays in this but I think Jackson
Dart is the one out of this group. And the
only reason I haven't mentioned Dylan Gabriel is because we
realized just exactly how small Dylan Gabriel is and I
don't know how I don't know how much that translates.
We're gonna figure that out, Ramon.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
One of the things that was a big topic of
conversation throughout the week is there's a ton of running backs. Yeah,
there's just a lot of them. Was there anybody who
you feel kind of separated themselves from the pack this week?
Speaker 5 (04:15):
More than likely the SMU running back. Rhett called him
out yesterday. He has some flashes throughout the day, but
of course I didn't pay attention to them fully. I
was more looking at the quarterbacks and wide receivers for
the most part, but just looking at the way the
speed that they're running back from SMU just completely could
move away from guys, you know, if he got speed
(04:35):
like that. He's trained himself in a wide receiver role.
And in today's world, as far as being a running back,
you can't just tote the ball. I mean, Saquon and
Derek Heriet in that world. But for the most part,
you gotta have a toolbox of weapons. And that's just
in Betwined Taxles hitting the edges, which he did and
also being able to catch the ball out of the backfield. Well,
we're learning right now looking at the college game, a
(04:57):
lot of these offenses are within five yards of the
line of Grimace and that might mean throwing the wheel
route to the running back and putting him at a
disadvantage against a linebacker. That's what you saw outed a
guy like him. So he's one and particularly I kind
of peeked my eyes a little bit also when Rett
pointed him out.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Yeah, he's talking about Berchhard Smith and Burshard Smith is
a Miami kid, went and played for the Hurricanes, was
a three year wide receiver converted to running back. Went
his last year of eligibility to SMU, where he absolutely
took that to task over thirteen hundred yards rushing another
three hundred change out of the backfield as a receiver.
(05:33):
So the receiver part of him is there and he's
learning the running back part and I think it certainly
has the explosion. But yeah, he's somebody that you should
definitely keep your eye out.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
That's fascinating, though, rep because most times a wide receiver
going to running back is one of those situations where
you ask yourself, is he feelsical enough to play the position.
He's shown that, but of course you catch him in space,
that's especially like you better have your head on the
swolve and you bet also have some burners on your
feet to catch up to a guy like him.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Two more running backs, because I think these guys kind
of kind of started out strong and stayed strong is R. J.
Harvey from University of Central Florida. I liked him, and
then Trevor Attien. Trevor atiend was was solid from start
to finish.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
All right, Ramon, because you said that you had your
eye on the wide receivers, you now get to tell
me about some of your favorite wide receivers throughout the week.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
I got a starting It's not because he's on his
broadcast with this, okay, is not but TCU's frog.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Jack Besh followed up with multiple days of good work.
You saw him at contested catches, you saw him going
across the field, you saw him down the field.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
He did everything that you needed him to do.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
Another one ore against Tesz Johnson always found himself open.
I know Ret and coach Mack brought up brought up
the Louisville quarterback Tyler Shuck. He found him consistently throughout
the course of these practices. He just one of those
situations you find yourself and said, why is he always open?
And then another one, of course is is Illinois Pat Bryant.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
He is precise.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
He's bigger than I thought seeing him on the field
compared to other players out there. And he can get
down the field. He was really good catching the ball
over his shoulder. His separation was good. So those are
guys I enjoyed watching over the course of this Senior Bowl,
and I think helped themselves or at least solidify that
they are who we thought they were in this pre
draft process.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Ratt, what about you, anybody's separate themselves from the pack.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Well, he's right about test Johnson. Tes Johnson's smaller receiver
reminiscent of a Tank Dell that we've seen here at
the Senior Bowl, the same kind of build and frame.
He's a little bigger than Tank Dell. But yeah, Jaden
Higgins from Iowa State is another big receiver that is
over six to two hundred pounds, and you know it's
(07:53):
one of those bigger receivers in this And Matt arian
Smith from Georgia is a guy that really started to
build in the middle of the week going towards this game.
And no surprise that you know, a Southeastern Conference receiver
from a program like that is actually pretty good when
he shows up against these other guys. But and jam
(08:14):
Mary dk from Florida, Uh, that's another guy who's been
in a big program and started to flash a little
bit here. But Arian Smith is the guy from Georgia
that was pulling away from guys easy because he was
He was a Florida state track title winner in high
school in one hundred and two hundred meters and it
showed up.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Tez has got Tank Dell to thank Yeah, because Tank Dell,
if you remember just a backtrack to last year at
the Senior Bowl, when when he came in, everybody was
a little bit reticent because we know how small he is.
But all he was doing was getting open. And Tz
is a little bit bigger than Tank Dell, but he's
got the same gidget gadget make you miss in a
(08:56):
short area and a really quick accelerator. So he can
thank Ain't Dell for their attention on him.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
I'm a little hesitant to give a critique on one
particular guy because I've seen guys be this way in practice.
And that's Miami's leading career leaving receiver, Xavier or Restrepo.
I try to follow the name sometimes to see if
they live up to it. Now, here's what I also know.
Some guys are just aren't great practice guys. Okay, you
turn the lights on and they turn into different players.
(09:23):
I've seen it over the course of my career. Because
here's the thing I know about him. He's played a
lot of Miami, He's called a lot of footballs, He's
got a lot of yards under his belt. Also, I
didn't think he had these strongest showing in this Senior
Bowl this Senior Bowl week, but his production his tape
is one of those things that you gotta follow and
maybe you know how this pre draft goes talk to
his coaches, have some conversations and say, hey, is just
(09:45):
not a good practice player, you know. Or it's also
the side of its difference of quarterbacks too. He played
for guy that was in the Heisman race as far
as camp war go, so that could also play a
part in it. This is what this process is all about,
finding everything you can out.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
About these guys.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
So we've heard all about the pass rushers that are here,
and what a great group of pass rushers we have, Rhett,
do you feel as though they were as advertised after
seeing the work they put in this week?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Well, it didn't start off that way. The old line
had the best of them to start the week out,
but certainly they kind of even the score a little
bit with that, including a guy that we had here
on the OTP with Mike Green from Marshall, a former
Virginia Cavalier who transferred to Marshall and was the sack
leader in college football last year with seventeen quarterback sacks.
(10:33):
Big Land and Jackson from Arkansas is certainly someone there.
Donovan Azarak, who from Boston College who had sixteen and
a half Sacks in twenty twenty four himself, and there's
other guys. I mean, I'm sure you guys have some
prospects too, but this thing was rich in edge Rusher's
and d line in particular.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
It was I think the first day we saw fuel
of these guys, like Rhett said, they had to back
it up with a couple other days of work after that.
One in particular everybody saw on social media is Kentucky's
defensive lineman Dean Walker. First day out, he was, you know,
I called him sticky, sticking on the gall herds and
not getting off of blocks and stuff like that. As
(11:14):
the week progressed, you saw him get in the backfield.
You can tell one of these veteran coaches talk to
him and say, hey, your job is on the line already,
you're not even employed. You better show something, and he did.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
And T J.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Sanders, if I'm not mistaken, out of South Carolina another
one of those defensive linemen.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
That flashed and showed.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
I was glad to see them kind of answer the
call a little bit, because right the first day or
so just didn't go in their favor, But they showed.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
The pedigree for sure. Over the course of this week.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Well, Mike Green is the one that everybody had huge
expectations on him coming in here, and it took him
just a minute to kind of because I think the
first day he just said, well let me they know
I'm a speed rusher, let me try to do something else. Well,
then he went to who he was, which was really good,
talking about Ramone's guy from Kentucky, just coaching points for
(12:04):
him that you could tell that they got him really quick.
He I mean, he's six seven, so he's going to
play tall anyway. But what he was trying to do
the first day is get off the ball. He was
getting off very very high, and then he was standing
up to look and see because he could see over everything.
But he was letting them get into his chest. He
was letting them do all the things you don't let
him do. So they got a hold of him and said, look,
(12:26):
Pad's down, go forward, crush the line of scrimmage first,
and then go to work. And so you could see
some of the coaching kicking into on these guys, because
when they go into meetings, when you're coaching this thing.
When we had Jim Naggy on he told us what
he tells these coaches is look not real. Don't go
(12:47):
deep on schemes, but go deep on technique and let
him play. In other words, don't give him too much mentally,
you know, to clog him up, but let him play
because what we want to do is see him compete
one on one. So you could see the technique that
they went to with those two guys in particular.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Well, Mac, you mentioned Jim Naggy, and that is just
a great transition. Let's share some of that conversation that
we had with Jim Naggy right here on the OTP.
He so happy to have you here. We're so excited
to be here in Mobile at the REESA Senior Bowl.
And we've got to start by asking you about Mike Borgonzi,
(13:24):
our new general manager, because I know you guys have
a history together. You guys are friends. So what should
we know about our new general manager. Mike.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
He's really good.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
I'm so biased, I can't even answer this question.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I love like a bias answer here.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (13:40):
No, Borgo and I were together in Case for four years.
He was just it was his first NFL job and
he you know, so I've seen him. I've seen the
growth from from the ground up and uh, really hard
working guy. I mean, really smart guy. He's one of
those IVY League guys though that he won't tell you
he went to an IVY League school, like some of
those guys tell you within the first five minute they
somehow dropped that they went to an IVY League. You know,
(14:02):
Mike for five years, he wouldn't tell you when played
in the IVY League. But no, just he's a relentless worker.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
You're going to get that.
Speaker 6 (14:09):
I mean, this dude, this dude is a workhorse.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
He's going to bring in good people.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
He's I'm so happy for I saw him on the
practice field yesterday and it's a long time coming. You know,
people say that a lot for a lot of people
who look at him. He's been a part of three
Super Bowl winning teams. At one point he and Brett
Veach had the same title, and now Brett's been the
GM forever and nobody's coming got Mike, which is crazy
to me. So yeah, I'm really happy for him. I
think Tennessee got the right guy.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
No, we've got to talk about things that are happening
here in Mobile.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Let's do it.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
And this event just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, how proud are
you of how this event has continued to grow and
the caliber of players that we're seeing seems to get
better and better every year.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
Well, it's I think it's a testament to the team
we have here, you know. And I break it up
into different parts. We've got our office staff, which is
really ten people.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I mean, we're a mom and pop shop.
Speaker 6 (14:59):
I mean, this is isn't some like massive operation, and
right now there's a really high care factor in the office.
There's a lot of people from the city of Mobile
on the staff, and this game means everything to the city,
you know. I mean the NFL approached us years ago
to move this thing and we said, absolutely not. This
is part of the fabric of our community. I think
you guys could all be sensitive to that. You all
(15:20):
come from hometowns that you know certain things in your
hometown means something. The Senior bal certainly means a big
deal to means a lot to Mobile, you know. And
then we've got a volunteer committee of three hundred and
fifty some people that help us pull this thing off.
And we're talking like transportation committee that picks these guys
up from the airport and gets them downtown. And you
know security. I mean, there's just so many different committees.
And then then we've got this core staff. We call
(15:41):
them like our Senior Bowl family. Like it's the team managers,
it's the equipment people that have been around the game.
There's eight individuals and collectively they've been here over three
hundred years.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Like our trainer, coach macnism Dean Kleinschmidt just went in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer as a
forty one year NFL trainer. He's been with us. This
is your fifty four for Dino. So yeah, just a
lot of a lot of great people. And so that's
what I'm that's what I'm proud of, is that, you know,
this group is taking a lot of pride and now
that we're seeing.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
It take off.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
We've we've tried to do a good job marketing this
thing over the years. So it's like this, like you
guys being here, that's a big deal for us.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
The players on the field who are coming out to
this thing. There's so many different competitions, there's so much
happening on the field. Who are some of the groups
that you have your eye on as this week continues.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
That's what this week is.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
Competition, you know, as we tell the coaches when we
get them here, like this isn't a huge teaching week,
you know, like just like, get these guys motivated, crank
them up, and let them go. You know, the evaluators
are here down here to see movement and explosion, and
you know you can't do that. You can't show that
stuff if you're out here in your mind's racing. So
so let's keep it simple and let these guys go
and put them in competitive period. So I thought the
(16:50):
old line D line stuff yesterday was great. I think
this is our best D line group we've ever put
on the field at list. I mean, I've been coming
to Senior Bowl since nineteen ninety eight and I don't
even remember those years. Maybe there were good defensive about that,
but I can speak to the seven years I've been here.
This D line cruise is pretty nasty and to see
in O line. If you if you took bets around
the stadium before O line D line started, I think
(17:12):
everyone would have put their money on the D line.
And I thought the O line won yesterday. So that
was that was that was a fun That was a
fun group.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Jim uh.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
The emphasis on allowing underclassmen, so that happened. I think
November twenty twenty three is when the league kind of
made that and so you didn't have enough traction. It
was too close to the event and this time a
year ago. But now that we've had this full year cycle,
it was impressive to see the names that you guys
(17:41):
dropped that Monday and Tuesday morning wherever it was a
week or two ago. Yeah, that is huge in what
is a fantastic roster.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
Yeah, and I've said this is our best roster. And
I don't mean that, you know, I'm not trying to
brag or anything like that. They should be they should
be better. We can bring underclassmen, so I'm not I'm
not saying that like be boastful by any means, but
but yeah, we didn't get a lot of traction last
year from them. I just don't think they thought Senior
Bowl is going to be part of their process.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
And so this year.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Last year all ten first rounders were seniors. So if
we can get to you know, and I do, I
think we've got a bit. You know, nice handful of
juniors that will be first rounders out of this game.
So yeah, that's that's a big deal getting the buy
in from those guys. So hopefully we just keep building it.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
It's got to be exciting when you set this up
and you understand what it is is good on good
the Senior Bowl. Everybody wants the Senior Ball and you
get guys down here that I might not know about,
Rep may not know about, Coach Mack and Amy may
not know about, and you see them shine and you
feel good about extending that invitation too. One of those
guys yesterday, for me was I kept saying, who the
heck is sixteen? Ania's peoples like seeing him to your
(18:46):
point about the defensive line, He's somewhat wreck shop yesterday.
And not just him, It was a few other guys
that ended up having good days. I didn't know a
whole lot about Tied End from Miami. Elijah Royal also today. Yeah,
but how is it seeing those dudes kind of call
a pathway for themselves in a week like this?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (19:03):
So Anias is a is a good example of us
trying to integrate some analytics into this thing. You know,
we're we have a limited budget. We're not we're not
the Tennessee Titans. We're not some billion up so but
we try. So We've got this tool PFF Ultimate, and
you can sort pass rush stuff. And so we got
into the middle of the fall and we had free
(19:24):
agent grades on anas People's and from our two scouts
it saw them and I was like, I was looking
at these like advanced pass rush metrics, and there's a
thing called pass rush win rate and you don't necessarily
have to get a sack, but like you know, it's
you involves pressures and hurries and all those things. And
like the top of the top fifty guys in this
they were all edge players except People's and he was
(19:47):
like number eight, And I was like, for an interior
d lineman to be eight on this list when every
singlar guy's an edge player, I'm like, there's got to
be some to this guy. So then I flipped him on.
I'm like, oh, yeah, we've undergraded this guy. Yeah, he
needs to be in the game. So we caught one
there that was that was a good one. And then
you know, like we had we had a guy, we
had a center from Georgia, dropout on Saturday, which was unfortunate.
(20:08):
I hate losing guys that late. Yeah, twenty four hours
from getting on a plane.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
And we lose.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
A guy said, come on, we replaced him with a guy.
I don't know if you saw this guy yesterday. Willy
Lampkin's a center from center guard from North Carolina.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
I was going next man, Sorry, no, look all right, yes,
so again you you you scout. You that's your background.
You've been in the NFL business and industry. Willie Lampkin,
how five ten to seventy five invite to the Senior Bowl.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Your question is how?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, not just.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
How, but like I looked at his tape also, I
get it, but how.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
Yeah, So we lose, We lose Wilson, and Willie was
just you know, we knew, we knew he wasn't gonna
come in big. He's a smaller guy. He came in
at like five ten and three quarters whatever he was.
He was two hundred and seven pounds when he showed up.
I thought he was gonna be like two eighty five.
We didn't have a verified weight for the guy.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Of course.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Yeah, he probably never wanted to step on a stale
until I got here. But uh, but no, so you know,
but you watch Willy's tape, he's just such a good
football player, Like he won the ACC Jacob's Blocking Trophy.
He was a you know, when you dig into his background,
he's a four time state wrestling champ. So you love
that his body tape. Even though he short, he's got
(21:26):
disproportionately long arm. He's got like thirty two and a
half in charms. He's got a big old butt on
him so he can stop people. Uh, it's he's in.
So when we did that, when we announced it the
day before player arrival, I mean my phone blew up
with NFL guys because they you know, he is such
an outlier. He's an extreme outlier. And when you're in personnel,
you don't want to build a team full of outliers.
But there is room for some, you know, like you
(21:47):
got I think the NFL guys in a in a
perfect world, if you're an NFL scout and putting myself
back in the league, you see Willy Lampkin, You're like,
we're gonna get this Guy's a free agent. I am
going to recruit my tailor, yes, and we're gonna get
this dude. Well, now, like the guys that hit me up,
they were like, now, I'm glad you did it, Like
we were, we were planning on recruiting this guy. But
he's probably gonna get drafted if he goes to Mobile
and does what we think.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
He knew.
Speaker 6 (22:08):
So he just needed a chance and I hope it
happens for him if you just go based off yesterday.
He more than held his own against some of those
those really good D linemen.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
I don't realize he could snap. Also, was that a
part of the play, Like, look, one on one with
the d tackle is one thing. We put you at
center and I like to say centers are covered, meaning
like they got two guys to the sad Yeah, Like
was that a part of his game play? Because I
never saw him play center.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
He played center too, He played center as a sophomore,
so you would have had to dig way back. Yeah,
the last two years he's been a guard us and
that was at Coastal Carolina at Coastal correct yup, Coastal transfer.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
So, Jim, you talk about your phone blowing up when
when you announced him as is the latest edition? So
another guy you lost quarterback? With the college football playoffs
being so laid into the dipping into your season here,
and how many guys started talking to you about Taylor Elgersma,
(23:02):
the quarterback from Canada. And because you're I've read all
I can read about this guy. I don't think he's
been any the manning passing camps or anything, but I've
seen where he has been a part of the CFL's
Quarterback Initiative and internship kind of thing where he's participated
with CFL training camps and things. But how many people
(23:23):
were bugging you about who is Taylor Elgersma?
Speaker 6 (23:26):
So that one I got to give credit. There's a
guy in Birmingham and Ben Neil. There's a group down
here at QB Country. Started in Mobile. There's branches all
over the South. There's one in Nashville. The Nashville one
does really really well, trains middle school high school aged kids,
and we have a partnership with those guys.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
During the week.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
There's a camp at the end of the week, a
QB Country Draft prep experience is what we call it.
So we bring a bunch of high school kids down
here and get him behind the scenes. And so Ben
was training Taylor this summer and he called me in
October he's like, man, He's like, I know you're the
senior ball and this is probably a stretch, but you know,
could you hooked me up with some of another All
Star game for this kid? I got this Canadian guy
(24:03):
that can really throw it. And yeah, we lost Will
Howard last week after the college football playoff, we lost
all the Ohio State guys, which was unfortunately. We had
some really good ones coming down here. So I was like,
you know what, let's do it. Let's let's bring this
guy down and uh let him rep.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Thro the Cub Country. Don't they have a branch of
that in Nashville, I do, That's what I thought.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Yeah, it does really well.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
That was started by the guy who's running the Manning
passing camps.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Yeah, David Morris.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
So David was Eli Manning's back up at Ole Miss
and there, you know, best buddies and in each other's
weddings and all that, and now so yeah, he runs
the Manning passing camp now, so just a lot of connections,
you know when you get in the football world, like
everyone kind of knows each other and.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Just interested to see him down this week. You know,
after they've had that first day to kind of get
their bearings. I mean, the dude can throw, Yeah, you
can throw it, but think about it. The field's different,
the ball size is different. I mean there's just a lot.
There's a lot. There's a lot going on with this
guy right now. And he's never played with people like
he's playing with.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
The speedy game is probably you know, I haven't talked
to Taylor since practice yesterday, but I'm sure he was
out there like wow, like these receivers, like you didn't
have guys like that up again. So now he might
have been laid on a couple throws yesterday, but no,
it's cool. It's a cool story. I did a TV
thing TV hit up in Canada a couple days ago,
and they were like, man, this is wildfire up here,
(25:17):
like this is all anyone can talk about. And I'm like,
that's that's awesome. That's not why we did it, you know,
like I did. This kid deserves a chance. So and
you needed an arm too. We need it through the week. Yeah, yeah,
you know the way that we feel about you.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
But what you've done, and I've told you this, I mean,
this is I've been coming since eighty six to this
thing coached in it several times. You've done a great
job with this place. You've done a great job of
identifying players.
Speaker 6 (25:42):
Well, coach Mac, Yeah, that means that's coming for you.
That means a ton, means a ton.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
The thing that strikes me about Jim Naggy every time
we talk to him is that he is so excited
to tell the stories of these players. Yes, he's an
evaluator of talent, but he gets so genuinely excited about
each individual player as a person and who there are
and their journey to this point and rhet I just
(26:10):
think that that is such a special thing that he
is the person taking over that he is the person
who has taken on this role in the Senior Bowl
and made it just exponentially better because he cares about
those guys so much.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
That's the thing. It's still a people business, and they
are from all walks of life, and some of them
are met with tragedies, some are met with triumph, some
with both. And you heard him mention right there. You
know Jack Besh, the receiver from TCU who tragically lost
his brother Tiger, the receiver from Princeton in the New
Year's Eve thing that went down in New Orleans and
(26:47):
of course, you know he's wearing his brother's number and
everybody's wearing the decal on the helmet for the game.
But there's all these different stories like Tess Johnson that
we've just mentioned here in this OTP from Oregon. He
is the adopted brother of Bo Nicks, like they become
that tight in that program with the Ducks, and his
(27:07):
family adopted Tz. So you know, there's just some really
neat stories in this. And you know, I mentioned the
linebacker from South Carolina who has all these crazy connections
and Demetrious Night. I think I've shared this with y'all,
but I mean, here's a guy that he spent four
(27:29):
years at Georgia Tech. He went to Charlotte for his
fifth year, and because he is married and has two
young children, one boy one girl, he would go as
a door dash driver after these ball games that charlottecause
obviously there's not a ton of nil money coming into Charlotte,
so he takes a six year of eligibility. He goes
(27:49):
to South Carolina. He has a really nice year there
and so he is one that has starting to show
up in this off ball linebacker group this week, and
he's also famously related to DiAngelo Hall, who we know
in the National Football League, and he is cousins with
Gladys Knight of Classes Night and the Pips, and also
Aretha Franklin.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Wow, that's awesome right there.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
That's quite the family. Whether you're buying or selling tickets
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(28:31):
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Little Caesars app and get your favorites delivered today. Delivery
fees apply. Now back to the OTP. We had the
opportunity to sit down and talk to some of these guys.
(28:53):
That's one of the best things about coming down to
Mobile for this event is that we get to meet
some of these people, and so we want to introduce
you to just a few of the guys that are
down here participating in the recent Senior Bowl. And to start,
we want to introduce you to Pat Bryant because he
was the fourteenth player in Illinois's history to start at
(29:15):
least three games as a true freshman. He ended his
career with one hundred and thirty seven receptions for twenty
and ninety five yards and nineteen touchdowns. And when you
talk to this kid, you hear his passion immediately.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
You clearly love this game and you're clearly not afraid
to work. All you guys have worked to get to
where you are this week. But that workmanship and that
grinder I hear, and you where where does all that
come from?
Speaker 7 (29:40):
So honestly, man, just growing up in Florida, Man, you know,
it's really just a football stage.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
So just I don't know, if you.
Speaker 7 (29:46):
Know, if you don't got that dog again, you man,
you really won't last that long and it's eventually going
to get exposed. But really, just my posse was always
hard on me, man, just growing up. I started playing
football at four years old, so he was kind of
my coach, my mentor you know, throughout, you know, all
the way to middle school. Finally let me go, but
just having him in my corner man like. He wasn't
one of those nice coaches, Like it was times where
where I kind of felt like, like that you push
me a little too hard. But now that I look
(30:07):
back on at my like, I really like wouldn't be
where I am today without him Because when I was
going to college, I was kind of looking for a
coach that honestly kind of had that same coaching style
because that's what I was used to growing up in
At Illinois, Coach Andrew Stoker Hayes was that guy named
coach George McDonald came in the coach step came in.
He wasn't really he was a little laid back, wasn't
wasn't as aggressive. But I went through that my first
(30:27):
three years, so I kind of, you know, self disciplined
enough to have a coach come in like that and
just keep that same you know that pushing that dog.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Yes, so Dad gave you the whole I'm not your friend,
I'm your dad. Oh yeah.
Speaker 7 (30:38):
He kept it every every time I tried tried some
crazy no no, no, no, I'm your father. Like on
the field, I'm your coach. But but when we leave
this field, I'm your father. So just having him in
my corner, man, it was really honestly special. Then you
know that's the that's the guy I think the most.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
Let me ask you this based on that relationship. Now
that he sees you're this close to being in this
league where that shield has he let down any of that,
and that you know he's he's.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
So so at first he'd be like at the any game,
he would say, uh so as a father, he would
give me a little scoop, and then he'd say, as
your coach, and then he would give me like things
he saw while I was playing, things I need to
work on. So he I mean, he kind of he
kind of dollar back a little bit, just knowing that
I have coaches, but he's still gonna give his piece
of advice. And you know after any game where anytime
you see me, he used to come to pass it
sometimes anything he saw like many times he's just you know,
(31:27):
correct things and at the same time be a father
and just say how proud of he he is.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
The night your Name's called is kind of change that
for him, though, oh yeah, it'll certainly change it for you.
But you might see some of that that wall come
down a little bit.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Man.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Here's another one that we want you guys to hear from.
This is tight end. This is tight End. Jake Brennan stool.
He's participating in the Reese's Senior Bowl, of course, and
I have the chance to catch up with him after
Tuesday's practice to talk about his unique skill set as
a tight end and what it means to the Nashville
Negative if he had the chance to play for the
(32:02):
Tennessee Titans. What makes you and your style of play
so special?
Speaker 8 (32:07):
Yeah, you know, I think you cause you a really
good word. You know, I think I bring a lot
to the table in terms of the run in the
past game. I think I can make a difference in both.
But obviously I feel like my strength is in the
past game, grant separation, create a mismatches outside, and I'm
ready to go.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Prove that at the next level. Where do you think
that fits in the best?
Speaker 8 (32:26):
I think it fits in anywhere. You know, I'm open
to learn new things. I just want to be able
to compete, you know, do my best day in and
day out, and uh, wherever that is. You know, God
has planned for me. So I'm trusting that a.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Lot of what people talk about as your spatial awareness
as well. Where does that come from, the ability to
know not only where you need to be in relation
to what's happening, but what everyone else is doing as well.
Speaker 8 (32:45):
Yeah, I think it just goes to the coaching and
I received at Clemson. You know, I think they did
a really good job installing the entire concept, install on
how I fit into the entire offense, more so than
just what the tight end was doing on a specific play.
So I think just numerous reps at Clemson kind just
gave me the opportunity to be able to get a
good feel for the game, get a good feel for coverages,
and kind of be able to sit down the soft
spots and be a safety valve for the quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
At the next level, the tight end position is such
a huge part of what offenses do because whether it's
protection or whether it's catching passes or anything, you're very
involved in the offense as a whole. Why do you
think that you are uniquely skilled to be able to
do that?
Speaker 8 (33:20):
Yeah, you know, I think the tight end position is
a tough position to play. You gotta be as smart
as a quarterback. Yeah, I know pretty much everything that's
going on. But I think me, I think I'm built
to be a tight end.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Like you said, i have a unique skill set.
Speaker 8 (33:30):
I bring a lot to the table, and I've also
received great coaching along the way. So I'm just ready to,
you know, put that on full display. And I'm ready here.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
From Brentwood, went to Ravenwood High School. What would it
mean to you to play for a team like the
Tennessee Titans.
Speaker 8 (33:43):
And it'd be pretty sweet. You know, my parents still
live in Brentwood, so that was my favorite team growing up.
You know, I went to Titans games the Nissan Stadium,
so it'd be pretty cool. I'm looking forward to, you know,
whatever team God has a sore for me.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
And here's one more and then I promise I'll stop
one more. This is offensive lineman Wyatt Milam from West
virgin and he was willing to switch from tackle to
guard at the next level, but he started out his
football career in a completely different position group altogether.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
Did you always play the offensive line or were you
at like me, tried to fight it and wanted to
play tight end.
Speaker 9 (34:16):
See the funny thing is I'm so middle school all
the way till ninth grade. Yeah, I played tight end.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Yeah you guys end, it's the last step before they
say no.
Speaker 9 (34:30):
Then my my first strimmage. So I transferred to a school. Yeah,
I was still tight end. My first strimmage, I ran
like a little drag route, dropped the past. The next
day they put me at right tackle, and I've been
offensive lineman ever since.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Mone was this.
Speaker 5 (34:46):
I was not about me, but I got to tell
you my pathway ninth grade, I'll played tight end d
n sophomore year to put me at uh at tackle
because my brother was the main tight end junior senior year,
moved a d tackle in the offensive tackle there you
go back there?
Speaker 9 (35:00):
Yeah yeah, yeah, just dropping that one pass. You know,
I don't know what would happen if I did catch it.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
I don't know where. I don't know if I would
be here right now.
Speaker 9 (35:10):
But but I'm glad they I'm glad they moved me
there right that.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Yeah, clearly you're one of those guys you're invited to hear.
So your draft percentages are high. What what's your plans
when you get into the NFL if you've thought about
it that far, like you're one start or just what's
your mentality going into it?
Speaker 9 (35:31):
I say, my mentality is I want, like, I want
to go start, I belong, Yeah, yeah, I want to go,
earn the respect, trust of the older guys there. I
want to go. I want to work. I just want
to work and get better every day in the NFL.
But I just that's I just want to make it there,
earn the guys trust and respect and the show, and
(35:52):
I belong.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
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OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. When it's game
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(36:16):
to draw up a winning play for you. They've been
covering Tennesseeans for nearly eighty years now back to the OTP.
So there you go. Those are some of my favorites,
and I'm so excited that we are able to share
those stories with the ot people well, because I think
it's important for them to know.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
It is important for them to know and that was
a really good job for you with Jake brinning Stool
the Ravenwood Raptor in Nashville. And by the way, that
young man has done very well this week. Yes, that
big number nineteen has flashed quite a bit, Pat Bryant,
I mean, you can tell how much his father is
influential to him, been playing the game since he was
(36:56):
four and has been his coach and the guy that
just push push, push, like I said to him, and
there's like, you know, he's the one that said, I'm
not your friend, I'm your dad, and I'm your coach.
And then you know, you think about these other guys
we talked to. I mean there's some there's some great
stories in this and again that's why that Jim Naggy
(37:16):
is so excited because these are people and they have
some incredible things that are happening then to them, not
only this week but going forward.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
Yep, it's it's such an awesome event. And Mac, you've
been to every one of them.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Yeah, And I'll tell you why Jim Naggy is so
excited about it, because he also really is not just
because he's got him here to play the game, or
he's got him here he realizes what a difference he's
making in their lives.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
This changes these kids life. I mean, I mean.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
They they come in here from all different backgrounds, all
different shapes and sizes, but the chance to have a
chance to do what they're doing here and then a
chance to go to the Combine and just to get
your foot in the door of the National Football League.
And most of these guys are gonna be able to
play in the league. That's how good Jim has done
(38:07):
vetting these people through the years that he's been in
charge of this. But he also knows that he's changing
their lives. He's completely changing their lives for the better.
And you know, you'd have to be proud of that.
As a coach. You're proud of that when guys come in,
I mean they come in driving a Pinto and leave
driving a Mercedes. I mean, you're proud of that because
you've seen them just grow.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
But this this is big.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
And it seems to be even as if they're going
to improve it even more. A conversation with Jim Nagge,
he explained how they're incorporating analytics into it now and
how it really benefited a guy in the NS peeples.
You know, like that played a huge part there, putting
in and he just kept showing up in their top ten.
And that to me, coach, Max your point, like a
lot of people are, I'm old school, I'm okay, let's
(38:52):
just beat each other up and go about our day.
But like, there is a sector of this game that
needs a little bit of technology and analytics and stiff
and Nia's Peebles is one of those guys. Man, I
was glad to hear that story from Jim Naggy break
down how they found him production and Max to your point,
you talk about making it to the league if you
have it or something that they want in the NFL,
(39:14):
Jim Naggy or one of these scouts that are down here,
also they will find you. They absolutely will.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Well they not only they not only find you. And again,
I mean we heard, we heard the story from Jim Naggy.
I mean the only reason that Ana's Peebles is here
is because somebody chose not to come, right, somebody chose
not to come and they called him at the last
instant and he said, I can't wait to be there.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Awesome, and then he.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Just so And then you look at the track record
of success over the last year. I mean, it was
ten first round draft picks here last year, yep, and
it for the most part, but don't know the percentage,
But for the most part, if you're here, you probably
end up getting an invite to the Combine, which you
really that's the big, big show and those two big
(40:00):
stepping stones to get into the league. This is the
one they always say the draft starts and Mobile. That
is true. But if you do well here, you're probably
gonna get an invite to Indianapolis. You can show your
stuff again and keep trucking and get your name called.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Well.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
The other thing that you get from it amy is
you get to meet the people they're making the decisions,
and you get to sit across from them, just like
we're sitting across from each other, face to face on
numerous occasions, to go deep into who you are, what
you are, why you want to do this. If you
don't get to know the people they are decision makers,
(40:38):
you've got no chance.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
You've got no chance. And that's why this is a huge,
huge thing.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
It is a huge thing, and it is going to
continue on here in Mobile because just because we are
leaving does not mean that the Reese senior bol stops. No, no,
there's more work to be done here, and they were
going to continue on the game that they are practicing for.
All of this practice is not for show, folks. There
is a game that will be played and that is
(41:03):
on Saturday. It airs on NFL Network at one thirty
pm Central Time. So if you would like to watch it,
we recommend that you do. You can see some of
these people do work for yourself. And that's it for us.
We are headed back to Nashville to continue through the
pre draft process. There's more work to be done for
us too, right mac oh no, no, this is just
(41:24):
the start of it.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Let me just tell you about the game.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I coached the game several times on Saturday, and we're
in SEC country. It's just like an SEC game. The
parking lot is full of campers. Everybody's flying a flag,
they're barbecuing. I mean, it's a huge tailgate thing. And
this community. Jim brought it up to us again today.
(41:47):
This community embraces this place, it embraces this event. And
the first time I ever coached it and pulled up
there on Saturday, I'm like, hell, this.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
Is a game.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
They do show up, though, I think this is going
to turn out to be their third consecutive sellout. That's
twenty five thousand people at you know, Whitney Hancock Stadium
at South Alabama's campus. So there you are.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
It's awesome. Well for coach Mac, for Ramone Foster, for
Ret Brian, I'm Amy Wells. Thank you for listening to
the OTP and we will see you back in Nashville.
This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans.
Farm Bureau is for those who make plans for everything
except themselves. We make it easy and affordable for Tennesseeans
who don't have a group or employer plan. Visit FBHP
dot com to learn more. Welcome to the OTP from Mobile,
(00:32):
Alabama and the Reesa Senior Bowl. I'm Amy Wells, Mac
is here, Red is here, Ramona is here. We're all here,
and we are wrapping things up from the Senior Bowl.
That's right, folks. Our time here has come to an end.
We are heading back to Nashville. But there are some
things that we need to put a bow on because
a lot has happened. We have seen a lot of
(00:53):
football since we have been here, and so I want
to break some of it down, and I think the
best the best place to start is the quarterbacks, because
earlier in the week we were reluctant to talk about
the quarterbacks because they hadn't really gotten their feet on
the ground yet, and we hadn't seen them in pads,
and there were a lot of different things that we
(01:14):
wanted to let them get acclimated to before we made
any sort of judgments. Or evaluations. So Mac, I'm going
to start with you. Did you watch the quarterbacks at
all and what did you notice?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, I watch them completely for one full day, and
it's you always do this because these guys, the quarterbacks
that come in here, there's two things. First of all,
they get a lot of information that it's just different
from what they've ever had. And Plus, a lot of
these guys have played in the shotgun their entire career.
(01:47):
They're asked to go under center and then the route
structure is completely different, and so you don't ever give
them a you don't give them an ie and it's
an evaluation on the first day. Now, once they're in
to it and you can see them start getting more
acclimated to what's going on mentally around them, then that's
when you start. So yes, and you could tell as
(02:08):
the as the days progressed, there was more seven on seven,
there was more throwing in team, and then both teams
did a lot of what we call redline drills where
they were throwing the deep balls. They were throwing the
deep balls both to begin practice, throwing deep balls in
the middle of practice, and then they both teams also
(02:29):
extended their one on ones extended their one on ones,
and you know, I was asked and now by people said, well,
why would they why would they have Jackson Dart and
Taylor millburllere on the same team, Because scouts and coaches
want to see them throwing alternating against each other. That's
what they want to that's what they side by side,
that's that's what they want to do. And it's not
(02:52):
I mean, you try to even out the team's number wise,
but I mean that's what that's why they want to
see that. Anytime you've got two kind of quarterbacks that
are at the at the top of the pile, that's
why that's what you do. You try to you try
to move him just so they can throw side by side,
same throws, same timeframe, all of that.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Stuff in one time. So he saw him, you saw
him do all of that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
They both got more comfortable with what they were doing,
just like they always have. I mean, that's the path
for quarterbacks in this league.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
RTT. Was there anybody who's stuck out to you in
that group?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
I think as the week progressed, Jackson Dart from Ole
miss is the one I think that has the most
to gain out of this group, I would say Riley
Leonard from Notre Dame probably and certainly coming off of
National Championship game. And then a couple of the other
guys that were a little steadier from start to finish,
Tyler Schuck from Louisville and Seth Hennigan from Memphis all
(03:47):
made some nice plays in this but I think Jackson
Dart is the one out of this group. And the
only reason I haven't mentioned Dylan Gabriel is because we
realized just exactly how small Dylan Gabriel is and I
don't know how I don't know how much that translates.
We're gonna figure that out, Ramon.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
One of the things that was a big topic of
conversation throughout the week is there's a ton of running backs. Yeah,
there's just a lot of them. Was there anybody who
you feel kind of separated themselves from the pack this week?
Speaker 5 (04:15):
More than likely the SMU running back. Rhett called him
out yesterday. He has some flashes throughout the day, but
of course I didn't pay attention to them fully. I
was more looking at the quarterbacks and wide receivers for
the most part, but just looking at the way the
speed that they're running back from SMU just completely could
move away from guys, you know, if he got speed
(04:35):
like that. He's trained himself in a wide receiver role.
And in today's world, as far as being a running back,
you can't just tote the ball. I mean, Saquon and
Derek Heriet in that world. But for the most part,
you gotta have a toolbox of weapons. And that's just
in Betwined Taxles hitting the edges, which he did and
also being able to catch the ball out of the backfield. Well,
we're learning right now looking at the college game, a
(04:57):
lot of these offenses are within five yards of the
line of Grimace and that might mean throwing the wheel
route to the running back and putting him at a
disadvantage against a linebacker. That's what you saw outed a
guy like him. So he's one and particularly I kind
of peeked my eyes a little bit also when Rett
pointed him out.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Yeah, he's talking about Berchhard Smith and Burshard Smith is
a Miami kid, went and played for the Hurricanes, was
a three year wide receiver converted to running back. Went
his last year of eligibility to SMU, where he absolutely
took that to task over thirteen hundred yards rushing another
three hundred change out of the backfield as a receiver.
(05:33):
So the receiver part of him is there and he's
learning the running back part and I think it certainly
has the explosion. But yeah, he's somebody that you should
definitely keep your eye out.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
That's fascinating, though, rep because most times a wide receiver
going to running back is one of those situations where
you ask yourself, is he feelsical enough to play the position.
He's shown that, but of course you catch him in space,
that's especially like you better have your head on the
swolve and you bet also have some burners on your
feet to catch up to a guy like him.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Two more running backs, because I think these guys kind
of kind of started out strong and stayed strong is R. J.
Harvey from University of Central Florida. I liked him, and
then Trevor Attien. Trevor atiend was was solid from start
to finish.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
All right, Ramon, because you said that you had your
eye on the wide receivers, you now get to tell
me about some of your favorite wide receivers throughout the week.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
I got a starting It's not because he's on his
broadcast with this, okay, is not but TCU's frog.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Jack Besh followed up with multiple days of good work.
You saw him at contested catches, you saw him going
across the field, you saw him down the field.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
He did everything that you needed him to do.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
Another one ore against Tesz Johnson always found himself open.
I know Ret and coach Mack brought up brought up
the Louisville quarterback Tyler Shuck. He found him consistently throughout
the course of these practices. He just one of those
situations you find yourself and said, why is he always open?
And then another one, of course is is Illinois Pat Bryant.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
He is precise.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
He's bigger than I thought seeing him on the field
compared to other players out there. And he can get
down the field. He was really good catching the ball
over his shoulder. His separation was good. So those are
guys I enjoyed watching over the course of this Senior Bowl,
and I think helped themselves or at least solidify that
they are who we thought they were in this pre
draft process.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Ratt, what about you, anybody's separate themselves from the pack.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Well, he's right about test Johnson. Tes Johnson's smaller receiver
reminiscent of a Tank Dell that we've seen here at
the Senior Bowl, the same kind of build and frame.
He's a little bigger than Tank Dell. But yeah, Jaden
Higgins from Iowa State is another big receiver that is
over six to two hundred pounds, and you know it's
(07:53):
one of those bigger receivers in this And Matt arian
Smith from Georgia is a guy that really started to
build in the middle of the week going towards this game.
And no surprise that you know, a Southeastern Conference receiver
from a program like that is actually pretty good when
he shows up against these other guys. But and jam
(08:14):
Mary dk from Florida, Uh, that's another guy who's been
in a big program and started to flash a little
bit here. But Arian Smith is the guy from Georgia
that was pulling away from guys easy because he was
He was a Florida state track title winner in high
school in one hundred and two hundred meters and it
showed up.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Tez has got Tank Dell to thank Yeah, because Tank Dell,
if you remember just a backtrack to last year at
the Senior Bowl, when when he came in, everybody was
a little bit reticent because we know how small he is.
But all he was doing was getting open. And Tz
is a little bit bigger than Tank Dell, but he's
got the same gidget gadget make you miss in a
(08:56):
short area and a really quick accelerator. So he can
thank Ain't Dell for their attention on him.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
I'm a little hesitant to give a critique on one
particular guy because I've seen guys be this way in practice.
And that's Miami's leading career leaving receiver, Xavier or Restrepo.
I try to follow the name sometimes to see if
they live up to it. Now, here's what I also know.
Some guys are just aren't great practice guys. Okay, you
turn the lights on and they turn into different players.
(09:23):
I've seen it over the course of my career. Because
here's the thing I know about him. He's played a
lot of Miami, He's called a lot of footballs, He's
got a lot of yards under his belt. Also, I
didn't think he had these strongest showing in this Senior
Bowl this Senior Bowl week, but his production his tape
is one of those things that you gotta follow and
maybe you know how this pre draft goes talk to
his coaches, have some conversations and say, hey, is just
(09:45):
not a good practice player, you know. Or it's also
the side of its difference of quarterbacks too. He played
for guy that was in the Heisman race as far
as camp war go, so that could also play a
part in it. This is what this process is all about,
finding everything you can out.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
About these guys.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
So we've heard all about the pass rushers that are here,
and what a great group of pass rushers we have, Rhett,
do you feel as though they were as advertised after
seeing the work they put in this week?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Well, it didn't start off that way. The old line
had the best of them to start the week out,
but certainly they kind of even the score a little
bit with that, including a guy that we had here
on the OTP with Mike Green from Marshall, a former
Virginia Cavalier who transferred to Marshall and was the sack
leader in college football last year with seventeen quarterback sacks.
(10:33):
Big Land and Jackson from Arkansas is certainly someone there.
Donovan Azarak, who from Boston College who had sixteen and
a half Sacks in twenty twenty four himself, and there's
other guys. I mean, I'm sure you guys have some
prospects too, but this thing was rich in edge Rusher's
and d line in particular.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
It was I think the first day we saw fuel
of these guys, like Rhett said, they had to back
it up with a couple other days of work after that.
One in particular everybody saw on social media is Kentucky's
defensive lineman Dean Walker. First day out, he was, you know,
I called him sticky, sticking on the gall herds and
not getting off of blocks and stuff like that. As
(11:14):
the week progressed, you saw him get in the backfield.
You can tell one of these veteran coaches talk to
him and say, hey, your job is on the line already,
you're not even employed. You better show something, and he did.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
And T J.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
Sanders, if I'm not mistaken, out of South Carolina another
one of those defensive linemen.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
That flashed and showed.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
I was glad to see them kind of answer the
call a little bit, because right the first day or
so just didn't go in their favor, But they showed.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
The pedigree for sure. Over the course of this week.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Well, Mike Green is the one that everybody had huge
expectations on him coming in here, and it took him
just a minute to kind of because I think the
first day he just said, well let me they know
I'm a speed rusher, let me try to do something else. Well,
then he went to who he was, which was really good,
talking about Ramone's guy from Kentucky, just coaching points for
(12:04):
him that you could tell that they got him really quick.
He I mean, he's six seven, so he's going to
play tall anyway. But what he was trying to do
the first day is get off the ball. He was
getting off very very high, and then he was standing
up to look and see because he could see over everything.
But he was letting them get into his chest. He
was letting them do all the things you don't let
him do. So they got a hold of him and said, look,
(12:26):
Pad's down, go forward, crush the line of scrimmage first,
and then go to work. And so you could see
some of the coaching kicking into on these guys, because
when they go into meetings, when you're coaching this thing.
When we had Jim Naggy on he told us what
he tells these coaches is look not real. Don't go
(12:47):
deep on schemes, but go deep on technique and let
him play. In other words, don't give him too much mentally,
you know, to clog him up, but let him play
because what we want to do is see him compete
one on one. So you could see the technique that
they went to with those two guys in particular.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Well, Mac, you mentioned Jim Naggy, and that is just
a great transition. Let's share some of that conversation that
we had with Jim Naggy right here on the OTP.
He so happy to have you here. We're so excited
to be here in Mobile at the REESA Senior Bowl.
And we've got to start by asking you about Mike Borgonzi,
(13:24):
our new general manager, because I know you guys have
a history together. You guys are friends. So what should
we know about our new general manager. Mike.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
He's really good.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
I'm so biased, I can't even answer this question.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I love like a bias answer here.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (13:40):
No, Borgo and I were together in Case for four years.
He was just it was his first NFL job and
he you know, so I've seen him. I've seen the
growth from from the ground up and uh, really hard
working guy. I mean, really smart guy. He's one of
those IVY League guys though that he won't tell you
he went to an IVY League school, like some of
those guys tell you within the first five minute they
somehow dropped that they went to an IVY League. You know,
(14:02):
Mike for five years, he wouldn't tell you when played
in the IVY League. But no, just he's a relentless worker.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
You're going to get that.
Speaker 6 (14:09):
I mean, this dude, this dude is a workhorse.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
He's going to bring in good people.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
He's I'm so happy for I saw him on the
practice field yesterday and it's a long time coming. You know,
people say that a lot for a lot of people
who look at him. He's been a part of three
Super Bowl winning teams. At one point he and Brett
Veach had the same title, and now Brett's been the
GM forever and nobody's coming got Mike, which is crazy
to me. So yeah, I'm really happy for him. I
think Tennessee got the right guy.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
No, we've got to talk about things that are happening
here in Mobile.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Let's do it.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
And this event just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, how proud are
you of how this event has continued to grow and
the caliber of players that we're seeing seems to get
better and better every year.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
Well, it's I think it's a testament to the team
we have here, you know. And I break it up
into different parts. We've got our office staff, which is
really ten people.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
I mean, we're a mom and pop shop.
Speaker 6 (14:59):
I mean, this is isn't some like massive operation, and
right now there's a really high care factor in the office.
There's a lot of people from the city of Mobile
on the staff, and this game means everything to the city,
you know. I mean the NFL approached us years ago
to move this thing and we said, absolutely not. This
is part of the fabric of our community. I think
you guys could all be sensitive to that. You all
(15:20):
come from hometowns that you know certain things in your
hometown means something. The Senior bal certainly means a big
deal to means a lot to Mobile, you know. And
then we've got a volunteer committee of three hundred and
fifty some people that help us pull this thing off.
And we're talking like transportation committee that picks these guys
up from the airport and gets them downtown. And you
know security. I mean, there's just so many different committees.
And then then we've got this core staff. We call
(15:41):
them like our Senior Bowl family. Like it's the team managers,
it's the equipment people that have been around the game.
There's eight individuals and collectively they've been here over three
hundred years.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Like our trainer, coach macnism Dean Kleinschmidt just went in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer as a
forty one year NFL trainer. He's been with us. This
is your fifty four for Dino. So yeah, just a
lot of a lot of great people. And so that's
what I'm that's what I'm proud of, is that, you know,
this group is taking a lot of pride and now
that we're seeing.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
It take off.
Speaker 6 (16:10):
We've we've tried to do a good job marketing this
thing over the years. So it's like this, like you
guys being here, that's a big deal for us.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
The players on the field who are coming out to
this thing. There's so many different competitions, there's so much
happening on the field. Who are some of the groups
that you have your eye on as this week continues.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
That's what this week is.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
Competition, you know, as we tell the coaches when we
get them here, like this isn't a huge teaching week,
you know, like just like, get these guys motivated, crank
them up, and let them go. You know, the evaluators
are here down here to see movement and explosion, and
you know you can't do that. You can't show that
stuff if you're out here in your mind's racing. So
so let's keep it simple and let these guys go
and put them in competitive period. So I thought the
(16:50):
old line D line stuff yesterday was great. I think
this is our best D line group we've ever put
on the field at list. I mean, I've been coming
to Senior Bowl since nineteen ninety eight and I don't
even remember those years. Maybe there were good defensive about that,
but I can speak to the seven years I've been here.
This D line cruise is pretty nasty and to see
in O line. If you if you took bets around
the stadium before O line D line started, I think
(17:12):
everyone would have put their money on the D line.
And I thought the O line won yesterday. So that
was that was that was a fun That was a
fun group.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Jim uh.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
The emphasis on allowing underclassmen, so that happened. I think
November twenty twenty three is when the league kind of
made that and so you didn't have enough traction. It
was too close to the event and this time a
year ago. But now that we've had this full year cycle,
it was impressive to see the names that you guys
(17:41):
dropped that Monday and Tuesday morning wherever it was a
week or two ago. Yeah, that is huge in what
is a fantastic roster.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
Yeah, and I've said this is our best roster. And
I don't mean that, you know, I'm not trying to
brag or anything like that. They should be they should
be better. We can bring underclassmen, so I'm not I'm
not saying that like be boastful by any means, but
but yeah, we didn't get a lot of traction last
year from them. I just don't think they thought Senior
Bowl is going to be part of their process.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
And so this year.
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Last year all ten first rounders were seniors. So if
we can get to you know, and I do, I
think we've got a bit. You know, nice handful of
juniors that will be first rounders out of this game.
So yeah, that's that's a big deal getting the buy
in from those guys. So hopefully we just keep building it.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
It's got to be exciting when you set this up
and you understand what it is is good on good
the Senior Bowl. Everybody wants the Senior Ball and you
get guys down here that I might not know about,
Rep may not know about, Coach Mack and Amy may
not know about, and you see them shine and you
feel good about extending that invitation too. One of those
guys yesterday, for me was I kept saying, who the
heck is sixteen? Ania's peoples like seeing him to your
(18:46):
point about the defensive line, He's somewhat wreck shop yesterday.
And not just him, It was a few other guys
that ended up having good days. I didn't know a
whole lot about Tied End from Miami. Elijah Royal also today. Yeah,
but how is it seeing those dudes kind of call
a pathway for themselves in a week like this?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (19:03):
So Anias is a is a good example of us
trying to integrate some analytics into this thing. You know,
we're we have a limited budget. We're not we're not
the Tennessee Titans. We're not some billion up so but
we try. So We've got this tool PFF Ultimate, and
you can sort pass rush stuff. And so we got
into the middle of the fall and we had free
(19:24):
agent grades on anas People's and from our two scouts
it saw them and I was like, I was looking
at these like advanced pass rush metrics, and there's a
thing called pass rush win rate and you don't necessarily
have to get a sack, but like you know, it's
you involves pressures and hurries and all those things. And
like the top of the top fifty guys in this
they were all edge players except People's and he was
(19:47):
like number eight, And I was like, for an interior
d lineman to be eight on this list when every
singlar guy's an edge player, I'm like, there's got to
be some to this guy. So then I flipped him on.
I'm like, oh, yeah, we've undergraded this guy. Yeah, he
needs to be in the game. So we caught one
there that was that was a good one. And then
you know, like we had we had a guy, we
had a center from Georgia, dropout on Saturday, which was unfortunate.
(20:08):
I hate losing guys that late. Yeah, twenty four hours
from getting on a plane.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
And we lose.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
A guy said, come on, we replaced him with a guy.
I don't know if you saw this guy yesterday. Willy
Lampkin's a center from center guard from North Carolina.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
I was going next man, Sorry, no, look all right, yes,
so again you you you scout. You that's your background.
You've been in the NFL business and industry. Willie Lampkin,
how five ten to seventy five invite to the Senior Bowl.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Your question is how?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, not just.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
How, but like I looked at his tape also, I
get it, but how.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
Yeah, So we lose, We lose Wilson, and Willie was
just you know, we knew, we knew he wasn't gonna
come in big. He's a smaller guy. He came in
at like five ten and three quarters whatever he was.
He was two hundred and seven pounds when he showed up.
I thought he was gonna be like two eighty five.
We didn't have a verified weight for the guy.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Of course.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Yeah, he probably never wanted to step on a stale
until I got here. But uh, but no, so you know,
but you watch Willy's tape, he's just such a good
football player, Like he won the ACC Jacob's Blocking Trophy.
He was a you know, when you dig into his background,
he's a four time state wrestling champ. So you love
that his body tape. Even though he short, he's got
(21:26):
disproportionately long arm. He's got like thirty two and a
half in charms. He's got a big old butt on
him so he can stop people. Uh, it's he's in.
So when we did that, when we announced it the
day before player arrival, I mean my phone blew up
with NFL guys because they you know, he is such
an outlier. He's an extreme outlier. And when you're in personnel,
you don't want to build a team full of outliers.
But there is room for some, you know, like you
(21:47):
got I think the NFL guys in a in a
perfect world, if you're an NFL scout and putting myself
back in the league, you see Willy Lampkin, You're like,
we're gonna get this Guy's a free agent. I am
going to recruit my tailor, yes, and we're gonna get
this dude. Well, now, like the guys that hit me up,
they were like, now, I'm glad you did it, Like
we were, we were planning on recruiting this guy. But
he's probably gonna get drafted if he goes to Mobile
and does what we think.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
He knew.
Speaker 6 (22:08):
So he just needed a chance and I hope it
happens for him if you just go based off yesterday.
He more than held his own against some of those
those really good D linemen.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
I don't realize he could snap. Also, was that a
part of the play, Like, look, one on one with
the d tackle is one thing. We put you at
center and I like to say centers are covered, meaning
like they got two guys to the sad Yeah, Like
was that a part of his game play? Because I
never saw him play center.
Speaker 6 (22:31):
He played center too, He played center as a sophomore,
so you would have had to dig way back. Yeah,
the last two years he's been a guard us and
that was at Coastal Carolina at Coastal correct yup, Coastal transfer.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
So, Jim, you talk about your phone blowing up when
when you announced him as is the latest edition? So
another guy you lost quarterback? With the college football playoffs
being so laid into the dipping into your season here,
and how many guys started talking to you about Taylor Elgersma,
(23:02):
the quarterback from Canada. And because you're I've read all
I can read about this guy. I don't think he's
been any the manning passing camps or anything, but I've
seen where he has been a part of the CFL's
Quarterback Initiative and internship kind of thing where he's participated
with CFL training camps and things. But how many people
(23:23):
were bugging you about who is Taylor Elgersma?
Speaker 6 (23:26):
So that one I got to give credit. There's a
guy in Birmingham and Ben Neil. There's a group down
here at QB Country. Started in Mobile. There's branches all
over the South. There's one in Nashville. The Nashville one
does really really well, trains middle school high school aged kids,
and we have a partnership with those guys.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
During the week.
Speaker 6 (23:43):
There's a camp at the end of the week, a
QB Country Draft prep experience is what we call it.
So we bring a bunch of high school kids down
here and get him behind the scenes. And so Ben
was training Taylor this summer and he called me in
October he's like, man, He's like, I know you're the
senior ball and this is probably a stretch, but you know,
could you hooked me up with some of another All
Star game for this kid? I got this Canadian guy
(24:03):
that can really throw it. And yeah, we lost Will
Howard last week after the college football playoff, we lost
all the Ohio State guys, which was unfortunately. We had
some really good ones coming down here. So I was like,
you know what, let's do it. Let's let's bring this
guy down and uh let him rep.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Thro the Cub Country. Don't they have a branch of
that in Nashville, I do, That's what I thought.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Yeah, it does really well.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
That was started by the guy who's running the Manning
passing camps.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Yeah, David Morris.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
So David was Eli Manning's back up at Ole Miss
and there, you know, best buddies and in each other's
weddings and all that, and now so yeah, he runs
the Manning passing camp now, so just a lot of connections,
you know when you get in the football world, like
everyone kind of knows each other and.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
Just interested to see him down this week. You know,
after they've had that first day to kind of get
their bearings. I mean, the dude can throw, Yeah, you
can throw it, but think about it. The field's different,
the ball size is different. I mean there's just a lot.
There's a lot. There's a lot going on with this
guy right now. And he's never played with people like
he's playing with.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
The speedy game is probably you know, I haven't talked
to Taylor since practice yesterday, but I'm sure he was
out there like wow, like these receivers, like you didn't
have guys like that up again. So now he might
have been laid on a couple throws yesterday, but no,
it's cool. It's a cool story. I did a TV
thing TV hit up in Canada a couple days ago,
and they were like, man, this is wildfire up here,
(25:17):
like this is all anyone can talk about. And I'm like,
that's that's awesome. That's not why we did it, you know,
like I did. This kid deserves a chance. So and
you needed an arm too. We need it through the week. Yeah, yeah,
you know the way that we feel about you.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
But what you've done, and I've told you this, I mean,
this is I've been coming since eighty six to this
thing coached in it several times. You've done a great
job with this place. You've done a great job of
identifying players.
Speaker 6 (25:42):
Well, coach Mac, Yeah, that means that's coming for you.
That means a ton, means a ton.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
The thing that strikes me about Jim Naggy every time
we talk to him is that he is so excited
to tell the stories of these players. Yes, he's an
evaluator of talent, but he gets so genuinely excited about
each individual player as a person and who there are
and their journey to this point and rhet I just
(26:10):
think that that is such a special thing that he
is the person taking over that he is the person
who has taken on this role in the Senior Bowl
and made it just exponentially better because he cares about
those guys so much.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
That's the thing. It's still a people business, and they
are from all walks of life, and some of them
are met with tragedies, some are met with triumph, some
with both. And you heard him mention right there. You
know Jack Besh, the receiver from TCU who tragically lost
his brother Tiger, the receiver from Princeton in the New
Year's Eve thing that went down in New Orleans and
(26:47):
of course, you know he's wearing his brother's number and
everybody's wearing the decal on the helmet for the game.
But there's all these different stories like Tess Johnson that
we've just mentioned here in this OTP from Oregon. He
is the adopted brother of Bo Nicks, like they become
that tight in that program with the Ducks, and his
(27:07):
family adopted Tz. So you know, there's just some really
neat stories in this. And you know, I mentioned the
linebacker from South Carolina who has all these crazy connections
and Demetrious Night. I think I've shared this with y'all,
but I mean, here's a guy that he spent four
(27:29):
years at Georgia Tech. He went to Charlotte for his
fifth year, and because he is married and has two
young children, one boy one girl, he would go as
a door dash driver after these ball games that charlottecause
obviously there's not a ton of nil money coming into Charlotte,
so he takes a six year of eligibility. He goes
(27:49):
to South Carolina. He has a really nice year there
and so he is one that has starting to show
up in this off ball linebacker group this week, and
he's also famously related to DiAngelo Hall, who we know
in the National Football League, and he is cousins with
Gladys Knight of Classes Night and the Pips, and also
Aretha Franklin.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Wow, that's awesome right there.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
That's quite the family. Whether you're buying or selling tickets
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fees apply. Now back to the OTP. We had the
opportunity to sit down and talk to some of these guys.
(28:53):
That's one of the best things about coming down to
Mobile for this event is that we get to meet
some of these people, and so we want to introduce
you to just a few of the guys that are
down here participating in the recent Senior Bowl. And to start,
we want to introduce you to Pat Bryant because he
was the fourteenth player in Illinois's history to start at
(29:15):
least three games as a true freshman. He ended his
career with one hundred and thirty seven receptions for twenty
and ninety five yards and nineteen touchdowns. And when you
talk to this kid, you hear his passion immediately.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
You clearly love this game and you're clearly not afraid
to work. All you guys have worked to get to
where you are this week. But that workmanship and that
grinder I hear, and you where where does all that
come from?
Speaker 7 (29:40):
So honestly, man, just growing up in Florida, Man, you know,
it's really just a football stage.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
So just I don't know, if you.
Speaker 7 (29:46):
Know, if you don't got that dog again, you man,
you really won't last that long and it's eventually going
to get exposed. But really, just my posse was always
hard on me, man, just growing up. I started playing
football at four years old, so he was kind of
my coach, my mentor you know, throughout, you know, all
the way to middle school. Finally let me go, but
just having him in my corner man like. He wasn't
one of those nice coaches, Like it was times where
where I kind of felt like, like that you push
me a little too hard. But now that I look
(30:07):
back on at my like, I really like wouldn't be
where I am today without him Because when I was
going to college, I was kind of looking for a
coach that honestly kind of had that same coaching style
because that's what I was used to growing up in
At Illinois, Coach Andrew Stoker Hayes was that guy named
coach George McDonald came in the coach step came in.
He wasn't really he was a little laid back, wasn't
wasn't as aggressive. But I went through that my first
(30:27):
three years, so I kind of, you know, self disciplined
enough to have a coach come in like that and
just keep that same you know that pushing that dog.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Yes, so Dad gave you the whole I'm not your friend,
I'm your dad. Oh yeah.
Speaker 7 (30:38):
He kept it every every time I tried tried some
crazy no no, no, no, I'm your father. Like on
the field, I'm your coach. But but when we leave
this field, I'm your father. So just having him in
my corner, man, it was really honestly special. Then you
know that's the that's the guy I think the most.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
Let me ask you this based on that relationship. Now
that he sees you're this close to being in this
league where that shield has he let down any of that,
and that you know he's he's.
Speaker 7 (31:05):
So so at first he'd be like at the any game,
he would say, uh so as a father, he would
give me a little scoop, and then he'd say, as
your coach, and then he would give me like things
he saw while I was playing, things I need to
work on. So he I mean, he kind of he
kind of dollar back a little bit, just knowing that
I have coaches, but he's still gonna give his piece
of advice. And you know after any game where anytime
you see me, he used to come to pass it
sometimes anything he saw like many times he's just you know,
(31:27):
correct things and at the same time be a father
and just say how proud of he he is.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
The night your Name's called is kind of change that
for him, though, oh yeah, it'll certainly change it for you.
But you might see some of that that wall come
down a little bit.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Man.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Here's another one that we want you guys to hear from.
This is tight end. This is tight End. Jake Brennan stool.
He's participating in the Reese's Senior Bowl, of course, and
I have the chance to catch up with him after
Tuesday's practice to talk about his unique skill set as
a tight end and what it means to the Nashville
Negative if he had the chance to play for the
(32:02):
Tennessee Titans. What makes you and your style of play
so special?
Speaker 8 (32:07):
Yeah, you know, I think you cause you a really
good word. You know, I think I bring a lot
to the table in terms of the run in the
past game. I think I can make a difference in both.
But obviously I feel like my strength is in the
past game, grant separation, create a mismatches outside, and I'm
ready to go.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Prove that at the next level. Where do you think
that fits in the best?
Speaker 8 (32:26):
I think it fits in anywhere. You know, I'm open
to learn new things. I just want to be able
to compete, you know, do my best day in and
day out, and uh, wherever that is. You know, God
has planned for me. So I'm trusting that a.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Lot of what people talk about as your spatial awareness
as well. Where does that come from, the ability to
know not only where you need to be in relation
to what's happening, but what everyone else is doing as well.
Speaker 8 (32:45):
Yeah, I think it just goes to the coaching and
I received at Clemson. You know, I think they did
a really good job installing the entire concept, install on
how I fit into the entire offense, more so than
just what the tight end was doing on a specific play.
So I think just numerous reps at Clemson kind just
gave me the opportunity to be able to get a
good feel for the game, get a good feel for coverages,
and kind of be able to sit down the soft
spots and be a safety valve for the quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
At the next level, the tight end position is such
a huge part of what offenses do because whether it's
protection or whether it's catching passes or anything, you're very
involved in the offense as a whole. Why do you
think that you are uniquely skilled to be able to
do that?
Speaker 8 (33:20):
Yeah, you know, I think the tight end position is
a tough position to play. You gotta be as smart
as a quarterback. Yeah, I know pretty much everything that's
going on. But I think me, I think I'm built
to be a tight end.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Like you said, i have a unique skill set.
Speaker 8 (33:30):
I bring a lot to the table, and I've also
received great coaching along the way. So I'm just ready to,
you know, put that on full display. And I'm ready here.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
From Brentwood, went to Ravenwood High School. What would it
mean to you to play for a team like the
Tennessee Titans.
Speaker 8 (33:43):
And it'd be pretty sweet. You know, my parents still
live in Brentwood, so that was my favorite team growing up.
You know, I went to Titans games the Nissan Stadium,
so it'd be pretty cool. I'm looking forward to, you know,
whatever team God has a sore for me.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
And here's one more and then I promise I'll stop
one more. This is offensive lineman Wyatt Milam from West
virgin and he was willing to switch from tackle to
guard at the next level, but he started out his
football career in a completely different position group altogether.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
Did you always play the offensive line or were you
at like me, tried to fight it and wanted to
play tight end.
Speaker 9 (34:16):
See the funny thing is I'm so middle school all
the way till ninth grade. Yeah, I played tight end.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Yeah you guys end, it's the last step before they
say no.
Speaker 9 (34:30):
Then my my first strimmage. So I transferred to a school. Yeah,
I was still tight end. My first strimmage, I ran
like a little drag route, dropped the past. The next
day they put me at right tackle, and I've been
offensive lineman ever since.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
Mone was this.
Speaker 5 (34:46):
I was not about me, but I got to tell
you my pathway ninth grade, I'll played tight end d
n sophomore year to put me at uh at tackle
because my brother was the main tight end junior senior year,
moved a d tackle in the offensive tackle there you
go back there?
Speaker 9 (35:00):
Yeah yeah, yeah, just dropping that one pass. You know,
I don't know what would happen if I did catch it.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
I don't know where. I don't know if I would
be here right now.
Speaker 9 (35:10):
But but I'm glad they I'm glad they moved me
there right that.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Yeah, clearly you're one of those guys you're invited to hear.
So your draft percentages are high. What what's your plans
when you get into the NFL if you've thought about
it that far, like you're one start or just what's
your mentality going into it?
Speaker 9 (35:31):
I say, my mentality is I want, like, I want
to go start, I belong, Yeah, yeah, I want to go,
earn the respect, trust of the older guys there. I
want to go. I want to work. I just want
to work and get better every day in the NFL.
But I just that's I just want to make it there,
earn the guys trust and respect and the show, and
(35:52):
I belong.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
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(36:16):
to draw up a winning play for you. They've been
covering Tennesseeans for nearly eighty years now back to the OTP.
So there you go. Those are some of my favorites,
and I'm so excited that we are able to share
those stories with the ot people well, because I think
it's important for them to know.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
It is important for them to know and that was
a really good job for you with Jake brinning Stool
the Ravenwood Raptor in Nashville. And by the way, that
young man has done very well this week. Yes, that
big number nineteen has flashed quite a bit, Pat Bryant,
I mean, you can tell how much his father is
influential to him, been playing the game since he was
(36:56):
four and has been his coach and the guy that
just push push, push, like I said to him, and
there's like, you know, he's the one that said, I'm
not your friend, I'm your dad, and I'm your coach.
And then you know, you think about these other guys
we talked to. I mean there's some there's some great
stories in this and again that's why that Jim Naggy
(37:16):
is so excited because these are people and they have
some incredible things that are happening then to them, not
only this week but going forward.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
Yep, it's it's such an awesome event. And Mac, you've
been to every one of them.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Yeah, And I'll tell you why Jim Naggy is so
excited about it, because he also really is not just
because he's got him here to play the game, or
he's got him here he realizes what a difference he's
making in their lives.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
This changes these kids life. I mean, I mean.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
They they come in here from all different backgrounds, all
different shapes and sizes, but the chance to have a
chance to do what they're doing here and then a
chance to go to the Combine and just to get
your foot in the door of the National Football League.
And most of these guys are gonna be able to
play in the league. That's how good Jim has done
(38:07):
vetting these people through the years that he's been in
charge of this. But he also knows that he's changing
their lives. He's completely changing their lives for the better.
And you know, you'd have to be proud of that.
As a coach. You're proud of that when guys come in,
I mean they come in driving a Pinto and leave
driving a Mercedes. I mean, you're proud of that because
you've seen them just grow.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
But this this is big.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
And it seems to be even as if they're going
to improve it even more. A conversation with Jim Nagge,
he explained how they're incorporating analytics into it now and
how it really benefited a guy in the NS peeples.
You know, like that played a huge part there, putting
in and he just kept showing up in their top ten.
And that to me, coach, Max your point, like a
lot of people are, I'm old school, I'm okay, let's
(38:52):
just beat each other up and go about our day.
But like, there is a sector of this game that
needs a little bit of technology and analytics and stiff
and Nia's Peebles is one of those guys. Man, I
was glad to hear that story from Jim Naggy break
down how they found him production and Max to your point,
you talk about making it to the league if you
have it or something that they want in the NFL,
(39:14):
Jim Naggy or one of these scouts that are down here,
also they will find you. They absolutely will.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Well they not only they not only find you. And again,
I mean we heard, we heard the story from Jim Naggy.
I mean the only reason that Ana's Peebles is here
is because somebody chose not to come, right, somebody chose
not to come and they called him at the last
instant and he said, I can't wait to be there.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Awesome, and then he.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Just so And then you look at the track record
of success over the last year. I mean, it was
ten first round draft picks here last year, yep, and
it for the most part, but don't know the percentage,
But for the most part, if you're here, you probably
end up getting an invite to the Combine, which you
really that's the big, big show and those two big
(40:00):
stepping stones to get into the league. This is the
one they always say the draft starts and Mobile. That
is true. But if you do well here, you're probably
gonna get an invite to Indianapolis. You can show your
stuff again and keep trucking and get your name called.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Well.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
The other thing that you get from it amy is
you get to meet the people they're making the decisions,
and you get to sit across from them, just like
we're sitting across from each other, face to face on
numerous occasions, to go deep into who you are, what
you are, why you want to do this. If you
don't get to know the people they are decision makers,
(40:38):
you've got no chance.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
You've got no chance. And that's why this is a huge,
huge thing.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
It is a huge thing, and it is going to
continue on here in Mobile because just because we are
leaving does not mean that the Reese senior bol stops. No, no,
there's more work to be done here, and they were
going to continue on the game that they are practicing for.
All of this practice is not for show, folks. There
is a game that will be played and that is
(41:03):
on Saturday. It airs on NFL Network at one thirty
pm Central Time. So if you would like to watch it,
we recommend that you do. You can see some of
these people do work for yourself. And that's it for us.
We are headed back to Nashville to continue through the
pre draft process. There's more work to be done for
us too, right mac oh no, no, this is just
(41:24):
the start of it.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Let me just tell you about the game.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I coached the game several times on Saturday, and we're
in SEC country. It's just like an SEC game. The
parking lot is full of campers. Everybody's flying a flag,
they're barbecuing. I mean, it's a huge tailgate thing. And
this community. Jim brought it up to us again today.
(41:47):
This community embraces this place, it embraces this event. And
the first time I ever coached it and pulled up
there on Saturday, I'm like, hell, this.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
Is a game.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
They do show up, though, I think this is going
to turn out to be their third consecutive sellout. That's
twenty five thousand people at you know, Whitney Hancock Stadium
at South Alabama's campus. So there you are.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
It's awesome. Well for coach Mac, for Ramone Foster, for
Ret Brian, I'm Amy Wells. Thank you for listening to
the OTP and we will see you back in Nashville.
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