April 9, 2025 • 10 mins
UC defensive tackle Dontay Corleone joined us to discuss spring practice, his first pitch at Saturday's Reds game, and much more.
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Instagram too: @MoEgger
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Drew swings the first pick, bounces it down the first
base line, off the glove of the leaping wade down
the right field line against the sidewall, one run home.
Here comes Freedle to score around the third spinal and
de la Cruz is into second with a two run double,
three nothing, Reds.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I turned the microphone on.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
That's Tommy Thrall on the Reds Radio Network and seven
hundred WL Elie Dela Cruz with a two run double
in the top of the third inning to give the
Reds a three to nothing lead against San Francisco and
Justin Verlander and the Reds are still threatening with two
on and two outs. Tom sorry, two on and one
out in the top of the third. We will keep
you updated on that game all afternoon long twenty three
(00:42):
after four o'clock.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
The UC Spring Showcase is on Saturday, and the centerpiece
of a day filled with activities is gonna be the
open football practice from ten no from twelve until two
o'clock on Saturday. There's gonna be autographs, there's gonna be
all sorts of games and fun, and there's gonna be
activations and there's a UC baseball game, and then everything's
going to culminate with Bearcats at the ballpark night on Saturday,
(01:08):
Reds and Pirates with Dante Corleone and Joe Royer throwing
out first pitches. Also, on top of that, The Godfather
is going to be a Bucketheads on May seventh and
fifty West Brewing on May twenty first, as part of
a UC's twenty twenty five Ball and Brew Tour, So
go check those out. Dante Corleone is with us. Let's
start by talking about the first pitch. Have you been
(01:30):
have you been throwing? Have you been loosening up your arm?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yes, sir so. A couple of years ago I threw
a first pitch at at our university. We couldn't play Miami.
I didn't do so good. So I've been practiceding with
coach Sat Hopefully I get a strike to comrade.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
All right, you say you didn't do so good?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I mean you you It wasn't like a like an
embarrassing like Mark Mallory type first pitch.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
It just wasn't a strike, right, Yeah, it was a strike.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
It was the ball.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Okay, are you going to be throwing from the mound.
I gotta throw from you have to throw from the man. Now,
Joe Royer is also going to be throwing on right yep.
Is he gonna throw from the mound if.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
He see me throwing from them out he gotta do
it always on these competition between.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
A very good that's that's gonna be a lot of fun.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Springball is nearing its end. What progress has the teammate
over the last couple of weeks?
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Just building that connection? Uh, just improving from the year
ago to today, Just building in bringing the right guys,
in getting them formatted with the defensive scheme or offense
scheme necessarily, but just getting people discomfortable of their roles
and moving forward to the off season again.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It has to be and you know, there was obviously
your individual journey last year and what you dealt with,
but also as a whole the unit. Last year there
was a new scheme being implemented, and so there's some
continuity this year with your unit.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
How much does that help? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:53):
And the first of all, it's always gonna be good
to have your DC two years in a row. You know,
it's always gonna be hard to play with a new
scheme and learning on the go as well. But now
we're a year in with Coach Bike and Coach braswell
defensive game and we just get more comfortable in it.
And we got a couple of guys coming back from injury,
Michael Coman and Jay Hunt to a big factors from
(03:13):
last year and on d line and getting them back
out there, seeing them move around the game is a
good good thing for Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
What do you think will be the strength of this
defense this coming season?
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Just the overall unit, just getting after the quarterback, just
plan as one, not getting disconnected, or just everybody plannings one.
So the back end commune came with the front end
and et cetera. So we're just gonna play us one
and you're just gonna play hard at the play.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Made the decision to return to the University of Cincinnati,
and look a year from now right, we're we're all
going to be paying attention to the draft process and
waiting to see your name get called. Are you going
into this season thinking, you know to You obviously want
to have a great year. You want to have a
great year individually, You want the team to to turn
things around. You want to play in the postseason all
of that, But you personally, are there things you're looking
(04:05):
to work on this season that will pay off a
year from now.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, it is not necessarily about staff, just about proving
people wrong, Like I just still play at a high
level even with the condition I have. Like, that's that's
one of my main colbos this year. Just keep proving
people wrong, doing offseason conditioning with the team and just
keeping up with the team, things like that, Just proving
the scouts and I can still play at a high
level and hopefully get my name called.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Talking with a lot of players who were a part
of the team last year, and we all know how
things went down over the final five games.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Nobody wants to repeat of that.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
It's been interesting hearing some of your teammates talk about
the new guys and how they've kind of taken on
that chip on their shoulder, right even though they weren't
here last year. They want to get this thing turned around.
They want to prove that last year is not what
you see football is. Do you sense something similar?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Yeah, and that's that's a test to coach Nick on
the staff harping on it during our season, Like, I
know you came for winning programs, but we have struggled.
But if you have to buy in if you want
us to win, and they did just that. Like Tylie Walker,
he's one of the guys I selected as one of
our crew captains and one of our leaders, and he's
gonna be one of the biggest accetial guys in the
pool this year, just because how hearty run and his leadership.
(05:18):
I always challenge him every day to be more vocal
and I know his present's gonna speak.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Gavin Garrett Hart is back. I would imagine you two
by now are an old married couple. Given how long
you've been practicing against each other, what is it like
to have another year of going up against him in practice?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Yeah? I know, I know we tired of seeing each
other every day. But Gad was a great He's a
great leader man. We needed him, especially if we want
to accomplish our goal this year. He's one of another
vocal leader that also is like a person that he
can always rely on. If you're not having the best day,
you're gonna say, like for me, as far as leadership wise,
I can always follow on him. But he's a guy
(05:58):
that can just keep give people motivated to work out
even though we were crazy Niko and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
That's a unit that's gone through some change as well.
The offensive line, right, there was so much continuity from
twenty twenty three to twenty twenty four. Give me an
assessment of that group as a whole. On the other
side of the football, Yeah, like some.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
They're not gonna stick out, but like the whole Gun
and Alan is improving every day, like it's gonna take
one day at a time for them to improve. But
guys like tiring. We got from Ball States, another like
Hall greedy guy, Evan kings Off, another hard greedy guy.
I want to play like. This old line is more
motivated than ever because everybody coupeed for a spot. So
it's no besides Gavin Gahart, but other positions they're fighting
(06:40):
every day, so it's not gonna be easy for using it,
so walk all over them. So they're gonna keep being
greedy and keep trying to see to get a certain spot.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
The Godfather, Dante Corleone is with us the Spring Showcase
on Saturday and then two Ball and Brewed Tour events,
one at Bucketheads, which that's in my backyard, So I'm
coming to that the other at fifty West Brewing on
the east side. Does Buckethead still have the Godfather Burger?
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Of course, just on there for thanks forever now and
I think we're working on something in the summertime. But
you know, Tom, he's a great guy man. He's like
a big brother than me. I talked to him almost
every day. Still, just that relationship we got. This is
gonna go a long time.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
All right.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So you've got the conclusion of spring ball, You've got
some events that you're a part of for U see,
you've got thrown out the first pitch on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
What will you be doing beyond all that this off season?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Uh? Just keep my I know, I lose the focus
of my cardio. Always got to make sure I'm doing
something extra every day to keep my weight below and
make sure I'm out there for all three hours.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
All right, that's football. Like, are you doing anything fun
this offseason?
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Yeah, you know, I got a little frenchy at home.
I like to chill out with. That's pretty much it.
I'm not a guy to really leave the house.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
The frenchie is the dog.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, okay, you know, Zach, I'm be a guy like
to keep me busy, man, keep me out the house.
I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Well, very good.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
All right, well, I'm looking forward to the Spring Showcase
on Saturday. But I'm gonna be watching that first pitch
very very closely, and I hope you throw.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Well, you you're just gonna throw straight fastball.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
I gotta throw fastball. That's the only one I can throw.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Do you know what I mean? What's the radar gun
gonna read?
Speaker 4 (08:29):
You gotta be an eighty plus. I'm a strong guy, man.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Yeah, all right, well, I'll be paying close attention. You
need to throw a strike. And uh, I can't thank
you enough for doing this. Best of luck throughout the
course of the offseason, and I hope you guys have
a great year.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Man, thanks so.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Much, thank you.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
You got it.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
The Godfather Dante Corleone noon to two of the open
practice that you see, tons of autographs, lots of stuff
happening in and around the game. The UC Baseball team
plays at three o'clock and then Dante and Joe Roy
are throwing out the first pitch at GABP and again
the two events, first one at Bucketheads. These are a
(09:07):
lot of fun that's gonna be on May seventh and
the second at fifty west right throwing Wooster Pike on
the twenty first. There you go, twenty eight away from
five o'clock. Rads are crushing the Giants, not exactly an
insurmountable lead, but a comfortable one. We'll say five nothing
Cincinnati on top of San fran as the Giants bat,
thankfully not wearing those jerseys they were last night in
(09:30):
the bottom of the third inning. Sports headlines and U
see is losing a guy I wanted them to keep.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
We'll get to that next on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. April is Donate
Life Month. A register to become an organ donor or
explore living donation at uchelp dot com. Slash Transplant northbound
seventy one seventy five at two seventy five. The right
lane blocked off from an accident that has traffic stop
and go from US forty two. He's found two to
(10:07):
seventy five disabled vehicle on the ramp to Taylor Mill Road,
and Montgomery wrote it as an accident before fields irdle
on that he's zl like with traffic
Speaker 2 (10:17):
This report is sponsored by All Stain
Drew swings the first pick, bounces it down the first
base line, off the glove of the leaping wade down
the right field line against the sidewall, one run home.
Here comes Freedle to score around the third spinal and
de la Cruz is into second with a two run double,
three nothing, Reds.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I turned the microphone on.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
That's Tommy Thrall on the Reds Radio Network and seven
hundred WL Elie Dela Cruz with a two run double
in the top of the third inning to give the
Reds a three to nothing lead against San Francisco and
Justin Verlander and the Reds are still threatening with two
on and two outs. Tom sorry, two on and one
out in the top of the third. We will keep
you updated on that game all afternoon long twenty three
(00:42):
after four o'clock.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
The UC Spring Showcase is on Saturday, and the centerpiece
of a day filled with activities is gonna be the
open football practice from ten no from twelve until two
o'clock on Saturday. There's gonna be autographs, there's gonna be
all sorts of games and fun, and there's gonna be
activations and there's a UC baseball game, and then everything's
going to culminate with Bearcats at the ballpark night on Saturday,
(01:08):
Reds and Pirates with Dante Corleone and Joe Royer throwing
out first pitches. Also, on top of that, The Godfather
is going to be a Bucketheads on May seventh and
fifty West Brewing on May twenty first, as part of
a UC's twenty twenty five Ball and Brew Tour, So
go check those out. Dante Corleone is with us. Let's
start by talking about the first pitch. Have you been
(01:30):
have you been throwing? Have you been loosening up your arm?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yes, sir so. A couple of years ago I threw
a first pitch at at our university. We couldn't play Miami.
I didn't do so good. So I've been practiceding with
coach Sat Hopefully I get a strike to comrade.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
All right, you say you didn't do so good?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I mean you you It wasn't like a like an
embarrassing like Mark Mallory type first pitch.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
It just wasn't a strike, right, Yeah, it was a strike.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
It was the ball.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Okay, are you going to be throwing from the mound.
I gotta throw from you have to throw from the man. Now,
Joe Royer is also going to be throwing on right yep.
Is he gonna throw from the mound if.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
He see me throwing from them out he gotta do
it always on these competition between.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
A very good that's that's gonna be a lot of fun.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Springball is nearing its end. What progress has the teammate
over the last couple of weeks?
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Just building that connection? Uh, just improving from the year
ago to today, Just building in bringing the right guys,
in getting them formatted with the defensive scheme or offense
scheme necessarily, but just getting people discomfortable of their roles
and moving forward to the off season again.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It has to be and you know, there was obviously
your individual journey last year and what you dealt with,
but also as a whole the unit. Last year there
was a new scheme being implemented, and so there's some
continuity this year with your unit.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
How much does that help? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:53):
And the first of all, it's always gonna be good
to have your DC two years in a row. You know,
it's always gonna be hard to play with a new
scheme and learning on the go as well. But now
we're a year in with Coach Bike and Coach braswell
defensive game and we just get more comfortable in it.
And we got a couple of guys coming back from injury,
Michael Coman and Jay Hunt to a big factors from
(03:13):
last year and on d line and getting them back
out there, seeing them move around the game is a
good good thing for Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
What do you think will be the strength of this
defense this coming season?
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Just the overall unit, just getting after the quarterback, just
plan as one, not getting disconnected, or just everybody plannings one.
So the back end commune came with the front end
and et cetera. So we're just gonna play us one
and you're just gonna play hard at the play.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Made the decision to return to the University of Cincinnati,
and look a year from now right, we're we're all
going to be paying attention to the draft process and
waiting to see your name get called. Are you going
into this season thinking, you know to You obviously want
to have a great year. You want to have a
great year individually, You want the team to to turn
things around. You want to play in the postseason all
of that, But you personally, are there things you're looking
(04:05):
to work on this season that will pay off a
year from now.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, it is not necessarily about staff, just about proving
people wrong, Like I just still play at a high
level even with the condition I have. Like, that's that's
one of my main colbos this year. Just keep proving
people wrong, doing offseason conditioning with the team and just
keeping up with the team, things like that, Just proving
the scouts and I can still play at a high
level and hopefully get my name called.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Talking with a lot of players who were a part
of the team last year, and we all know how
things went down over the final five games.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Nobody wants to repeat of that.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
It's been interesting hearing some of your teammates talk about
the new guys and how they've kind of taken on
that chip on their shoulder, right even though they weren't
here last year. They want to get this thing turned around.
They want to prove that last year is not what
you see football is. Do you sense something similar?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Yeah, and that's that's a test to coach Nick on
the staff harping on it during our season, Like, I
know you came for winning programs, but we have struggled.
But if you have to buy in if you want
us to win, and they did just that. Like Tylie Walker,
he's one of the guys I selected as one of
our crew captains and one of our leaders, and he's
gonna be one of the biggest accetial guys in the
pool this year, just because how hearty run and his leadership.
(05:18):
I always challenge him every day to be more vocal
and I know his present's gonna speak.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Gavin Garrett Hart is back. I would imagine you two
by now are an old married couple. Given how long
you've been practicing against each other, what is it like
to have another year of going up against him in practice?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Yeah? I know, I know we tired of seeing each
other every day. But Gad was a great He's a
great leader man. We needed him, especially if we want
to accomplish our goal this year. He's one of another
vocal leader that also is like a person that he
can always rely on. If you're not having the best day,
you're gonna say, like for me, as far as leadership wise,
I can always follow on him. But he's a guy
(05:58):
that can just keep give people motivated to work out
even though we were crazy Niko and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
That's a unit that's gone through some change as well.
The offensive line, right, there was so much continuity from
twenty twenty three to twenty twenty four. Give me an
assessment of that group as a whole. On the other
side of the football, Yeah, like some.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
They're not gonna stick out, but like the whole Gun
and Alan is improving every day, like it's gonna take
one day at a time for them to improve. But
guys like tiring. We got from Ball States, another like
Hall greedy guy, Evan kings Off, another hard greedy guy.
I want to play like. This old line is more
motivated than ever because everybody coupeed for a spot. So
it's no besides Gavin Gahart, but other positions they're fighting
(06:40):
every day, so it's not gonna be easy for using it,
so walk all over them. So they're gonna keep being
greedy and keep trying to see to get a certain spot.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
The Godfather, Dante Corleone is with us the Spring Showcase
on Saturday and then two Ball and Brewed Tour events,
one at Bucketheads, which that's in my backyard, So I'm
coming to that the other at fifty West Brewing on
the east side. Does Buckethead still have the Godfather Burger?
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Of course, just on there for thanks forever now and
I think we're working on something in the summertime. But
you know, Tom, he's a great guy man. He's like
a big brother than me. I talked to him almost
every day. Still, just that relationship we got. This is
gonna go a long time.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
All right.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So you've got the conclusion of spring ball, You've got
some events that you're a part of for U see,
you've got thrown out the first pitch on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
What will you be doing beyond all that this off season?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Uh? Just keep my I know, I lose the focus
of my cardio. Always got to make sure I'm doing
something extra every day to keep my weight below and
make sure I'm out there for all three hours.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
All right, that's football. Like, are you doing anything fun
this offseason?
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Yeah, you know, I got a little frenchy at home.
I like to chill out with. That's pretty much it.
I'm not a guy to really leave the house.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
The frenchie is the dog.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, okay, you know, Zach, I'm be a guy like
to keep me busy, man, keep me out the house.
I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Well, very good.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
All right, well, I'm looking forward to the Spring Showcase
on Saturday. But I'm gonna be watching that first pitch
very very closely, and I hope you throw.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Well, you you're just gonna throw straight fastball.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
I gotta throw fastball. That's the only one I can throw.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Do you know what I mean? What's the radar gun
gonna read?
Speaker 4 (08:29):
You gotta be an eighty plus. I'm a strong guy, man.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Yeah, all right, well, I'll be paying close attention. You
need to throw a strike. And uh, I can't thank
you enough for doing this. Best of luck throughout the
course of the offseason, and I hope you guys have
a great year.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Man, thanks so.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Much, thank you.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
You got it.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
The Godfather Dante Corleone noon to two of the open
practice that you see, tons of autographs, lots of stuff
happening in and around the game. The UC Baseball team
plays at three o'clock and then Dante and Joe Roy
are throwing out the first pitch at GABP and again
the two events, first one at Bucketheads. These are a
(09:07):
lot of fun that's gonna be on May seventh and
the second at fifty west right throwing Wooster Pike on
the twenty first. There you go, twenty eight away from
five o'clock. Rads are crushing the Giants, not exactly an
insurmountable lead, but a comfortable one. We'll say five nothing
Cincinnati on top of San fran as the Giants bat,
thankfully not wearing those jerseys they were last night in
(09:30):
the bottom of the third inning. Sports headlines and U
see is losing a guy I wanted them to keep.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
We'll get to that next on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. April is Donate
Life Month. A register to become an organ donor or
explore living donation at uchelp dot com. Slash Transplant northbound
seventy one seventy five at two seventy five. The right
lane blocked off from an accident that has traffic stop
and go from US forty two. He's found two to
(10:07):
seventy five disabled vehicle on the ramp to Taylor Mill Road,
and Montgomery wrote it as an accident before fields irdle
on that he's zl like with traffic
Speaker 2 (10:17):
This report is sponsored by All Stain
Mo Egger News
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