Offseason Recap + Rising Stars + LB Von Miller | The Player’s Club | Washington Commanders | NFL

London Fletcher, Santana Moss, and Shawn Springs are back for another season of The Player's Club! The crew gets you caught on how they spent the offseason and talk wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s extension. Then, they preview the 2025 season and share some of their rising stars. Plus, linebacker Von Miller joins the show to talk gearing up for his 15th season in the league. 

The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guests and/or hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Commanders or any of their representatives.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome back to another season of The Players Club, broadcasting
from the Big Bear AI Command Center studio. I loved
to Fletcher along with my co host Sean Springs a
k A. Bluefoot, that's a k a A to the
nine aka Cowboy Killer.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Ak what Fellers, We're back, man, we're back.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Earlier this week. Speaking of we back, we got some news.
Terry has signed an extentioner. Yes, Tyner, you're the wide receiver. Yeah,
resident wide receiver. What does this mean for you?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
It means a lot, It means a lot of things.
It's crazy.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
I was, I was riding in here today and me
and one of my homeboys on the phone and that's
the first thing he asked me, like, what's up with Terry.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
I'm like, bro, I don't know everybody news. Just to
hear that, man, it's big.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I think when you watch the preseason games and
you saw how things were out there, when you saw
the first asked who were expecting.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
To be playing come week one, you knew it.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Regardless of how how good we saw some things was
handled as far as offensively, defense, special teams wise, you
just felt like it was something missing out there, you know,
offensively so I'm happy that they've come to an agreement.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Man, I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 4 (01:16):
We had to, man, because he's like that, he's at
that staple in the organization.

Speaker 5 (01:21):
Man.

Speaker 4 (01:21):
Just professionalism. You know when he's out there JD five
gotta feel great. You got to have your guy, man.
And just Terry what he means to this community too,
you know, like your homeboys, but every neighbor, everywhere you go.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Man, Terry gonna sign what we're gonna do.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
It's the only thing though that that that words me now,
just knowing that it's a process, which is getting your
body back to that point to where you can go
out there and play a game. So my question is,
and you know, we played this game, but we never
know how other people handle business. What has he been
doing to get himself to be ready to go?

Speaker 1 (01:57):
You know, Terry, you know he's been Yeah, conditioning. They're
doing the things, but nothing like what condition.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
It's a big difference.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Between being on the football field conditioning, getting defensive backs
pushing on you, pull pulling on you, trying to fight
off defenders to get open. But we got weeks, got
two weeks to get themselves acclimated.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Now, early in the season.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
They may have him on somewhat of a pitch count
just to get him, you know, all.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
The way back right.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
You don't want to rush him into it too much
and you risk injury. But they've the great thing about
this organization, they've always had a plan to get guys
back to playing.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
They're not going to coach.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
DQ talks about not missing a step as far as
getting those guys ready to return to the field. So
I trust that process man and them going about it
the right way.

Speaker 4 (02:49):
We're talking about a receiver man. A guy can go
out there run rogers like man you're talking about. Were
talking about a receiver man. Put that man, but received it.
There is an element of it. You can speak to
this better than all of us ability to go deep.
Listen how many times you're gonna be able to go deeper.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
First of all, I tell you like this, if I
had to be in them shoes, that's one of the
reason why I never wanted to be in them shoes
of having to sit out and miss the reps of
being out there with my brothers, you know, going through
those vigorous you know training. I know it's different now
we don't have the same kind of Uh, they don't
have the same kind of practices that we have. They
actually have a better luxury than us when it comes
to practicing and how they take care of their body.

(03:35):
But still I think the just just after you know,
station after station of individuals seven on seven, to me,
that alone helps you.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
You know, they're changing the pace of practice. Get a
cremated with what you're going to have. Fans, I'm gonna
say that you gave Santana two weeks. He can give
you ten plays.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Two weeks, but don't give you.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
But but I've also noticed this, this Lamborghini or whatever
you want to call the engine I had in me
Ferrari engine.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
I had to have that thing too.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
So if you're not tuning in the meaning going out
there getting those reps, knowing how to switch it in
out of those gears, you just come off the come
off the sideline itself from switching to this gear.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Here's the thing.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Here's the thing that Terry's also going to have to
guard against. Two him not trying to do too much
to make sure. Hey, I want to I want my
full workload right early in the season. We all know
when when the season starts, it takes you a little
bit of time you come out, even even what a
regular preseason training camp, it takes you a little bit

(04:39):
of time to get your your your conditioning of get
your body ready to go and run your full workload.
Now you can do it, but you won't be able
to do it at the level that you will be
able to.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Do it a month from now. Things like that. So
and that's smart about it.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
First, we got to get up, get the people caught
up on our own off season.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
That's kind of what's been going on. Man, What have
you guys been up to this offseason? Work you guys?
I mean word, I want to know right here.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
You know, nah, man, this off season was big because
I was taking Shannee around on the West coast.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
We was looking at schools.

Speaker 4 (05:18):
We went out to Arizona, Arizona State, Kyle and you know,
you know, the big thing for me was just going
into a senior year. What schools you know would he like?
I wanted them to see it, especially the ones on
the West coast. We didn't see a lot of schools
on the East coast, so I was doing a lot
of traveling.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
I'm about to say, all these good ass schools. Now,
we see the East Coast, can't you. But that makes
that's to be able to the West coast schools because
we've already seen us going into his junior yet we
saw a lot of the East Coast, and it's hard
for him to go out and be able to visit
those schools the season. On the season, he could get

(05:56):
to some of these coast schools. I mean, I've I've
had a busy off season. Like like you man, my
oldest she went off to college.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Did you cry? I just don't cry? I was. I was.
I was.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
I'm sure how I would respond, like, well, am I
gonna cry?

Speaker 2 (06:15):
But I actually was.

Speaker 1 (06:17):
I felt great because I was down in Nashville before
I actually left her for like four days, so I
got a good feel of her, her in her situation.
I saw some maturity and just the way she was
having the only thing. So it gave me a sense.

Speaker 4 (06:32):
Of did you just walk around letting No, Big Fletch
was not too.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
You know, Big Fletch was around, but also.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
You know, got to see Nashville.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
And then saying, you know, coaching him and him going
to uh, you know, playing a bunch of different seven
O seven is my youngest she's she's doing a lot
of field hockey stuff. So it was you man, you
like and around and everything. Great thing about it is
my oldest page. She drives and still my son. They
drive so.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
Big.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
Help how difficult that was for you because I know
we have have to go through that process. Fortunately mine
stayed down the street from their home, so they didn't
have to go too far.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
But how do you feel that was for you?

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Like, how challenging it was for you for your first
to now be saying I got to kind of lend
her off to college.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
You know, I looked at it, how I was able
to kind of deal with it. I say, this is
a part of life. Yeah, it's just a part of it.
But girls, I think we're gonna be a little bit
more at more technically, little bit more concerned. So I
just was making sure, I was giving a lot of information,
Hey don't do this, making sure, making wise decisions. All

(07:41):
those things constantly reminded her of different things that she
needs to make sure she she makes wise decisions. But
they're gonna make the mistakes. You know, she's gonna have
some she's gonna have to relationships. Yeah, but man, but
you know, as a parent, it's it's great.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
So off season, man, yeah, what a what about the
Let's talk about the team, man, let's get into that.
What uh what position groups are you all most excited
to see?

Speaker 4 (08:10):
Man? You know, for me, it goes back to the
defensive back room, right, And I tell you we made
a move. And I thought I knew about Tray Amiss,
the kid, you know, because I remember going to Alabama
to the old mess. But when I saw him the
first day of practice, I told I think I was
talking to you town. I said, man, this kid looks

(08:31):
like he'd been League ten years. This kid out here
like he's all pro. He was so comfortable. And then
I saw I knew when we knew what Mikey we
did last year. We saw Mikey get better than really
exploded in the playoffs, and we was like, with whomen Ma,
Sean get healthy. So our corners group is completely switched.
And then we get Will Harris and we get Kwann.

(08:53):
So I'm looking at the secondary. I'm like, this secondary
is a championship secondary. I was just like I said, Jo,
we can do some things now with the guys back in.
We know we got some guys up front, but now
you're marrying it with the coverage in the back end.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Man, I'm super excited to see what that secondary looks like.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
I think I think this You mentioned that the secondary
was something that was hound me because it's being a receiver.

Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's what I look at.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
It's hard for me to watch the game and not
watch the receiver and cornerbacks, you know, kind of you know, competition,
you know, to see what's going on, what's being displayed.
And that's mainly why it used to be so pissed
off last year, just knowing that man, he was one
of two guys away from really having a solid back in.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
But yeah, I got to add to that.

Speaker 3 (09:35):
I mean, I think, yeah, that that was something that
I was you know, it raised my eyebrows just seeing
you know, where Trey was at.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Just being a guy that's just coming in here.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
You never, you never, you rarely get guys to come
into this level because even myself, I'll tell you, I
think before I injured my knee, I was kind of
that guy that it wasn't new, it wasn't too fast.
But you know, you don't really get the speed test.
You don't take the speed test until you actually in
a live NFL game. Preseason don't add up to a
live NFL game, So unfortunately I never got tested out

(10:08):
the gate. But if you had to ask me, through
those those days of training camp, I felt like I
was just a guy that just was out there playing.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
Football, going by my business.

Speaker 3 (10:17):
I had guys like you know, Aaron Glenn or Ray Mickens,
you name it, you know Mo Lewis, all those guys
on the defense that when I got out there on offense,
I felt like I was back back at home. And um,
you know what I mean, it wasn't no surprise. So
when I'm watching Trade, I'm saying to myself, who he
kind of has?

Speaker 2 (10:34):
That it's that.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
Comfortability, you know what I mean, that you don't really
see in a young guy. But to add to that,
I would say, for me, uh, the group that I've
been more impressed with or been watching it, it's the
officer line. Yeah, I think the officer line. And you
know it's it's quick and it's easy for the fat boy.
Yeah boy, you know, you know, you know, smooth says
it best. Some boys bacon, you know, what do you

(10:57):
call them something?

Speaker 2 (10:58):
Some of them boards who jumps off the chart?

Speaker 3 (11:05):
Tonsu we talk about finally, we talk about the guys
that you know we're going to probably be playing close
attention to.

Speaker 4 (11:10):
But I think you had to get bigger after the
NFC Championship game, so we knew we had to go
upgrade the line.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
I think for me what stood out is just seeing
how they've been playing in this preseason and just seeing
some of the competition just amongst the guys that we
haven't been mentioned in the Chris Pauls and andys like
that good man bro like, I mean, really we watched
them the last year and said that the potential was there,
but to see like they really playing dividends for him

(11:36):
now or we know what beat his brains to the
table seeing whiley in a new position being put at guard,
like that's something that's that that just because you know,
one of the things that's about any team, if you.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
Can win in the trenches, you can win anywhere else.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
You know, when you have the skilled players, it's all
about how can we protect the quarterback one and get
after the quarterback. So when you have your office the
line intact the way we have, you know, I don't
want to get too far my ahead and musself and
talk about D line, how impressive they look against those
guys in practice, but man, to see those guys when
they got put to the test in this preseason being

(12:11):
out there. Man to me, I feel like they gave
us all something to look forward to.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
You know come week one.

Speaker 1 (12:17):
Well, you don't have to get ahead of yourself. But
I'm gonna get myself and I'm going to talk about
the D line. That's the group that I've been most
impressed with. And then I think the offense offensive line,
we've they kind of guarded a little bit more headlines
because you're of the trade and then drafting Conny in

(12:37):
the first round, but collectively, when I've been able to
watch this D line play together, the starters, and first
I'm gonna start with Ken Long.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
That's a wrong man.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
Wrong man, heavy handed, got a lot of snap back
to him. I mean, there was a couple of players
and he made against the Bengals in the run game
where he just disregarded the offensive linement that was trying
to block him, got off blocks, made tackles at the
line of Scriptinal Pain did the same thing. I can't
wait to see Von Miller, Louver and all those guys

(13:14):
we got speaking of one to get bigger.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
We got bigger in the trenches alone.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
The defensive line should be a lot more stouter at
stopping a run. The linebackers will be able to run
a little bit more freely, freer. So that was that's
something that really has stood out to.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Me, isn't me?

Speaker 4 (13:32):
And that it looked like the body type was actually
went and got bigger guys because I absolutely.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
They looked long. It was it was concerned effort. You
go out and you get a.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
Longer guy in a key drick I mean Dietrich strong,
you know, strong at the point of attack. So we
needed to be able to set harder edges on those
perimeter outside type ones. Being able to set set harder
edges I think, you know, being able to fit the
run better, playing more more gap one gap type defenses.

(14:05):
Joe Whitt talked about being able to play that style
more with the with the guys that he've added he's
added to his going.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
To ask you to how how much of.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
That pays off for a guy like yourself being in
the middle of in the middle linebacker, Like what that
does for you when it comes to you know, setting
and letting things, be able to be freely for you
to go out there and attack the.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
Thing about it you want. You want to define gaps.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
You want to be defined knowing where you can, how
you can hit runs, where you can hit it. You
don't want a situation where there's gray areas where you
have kind of playing. You got to play two gaps
or you got to play a gap and a half.
You don't want that, especially if you want to play downhill,
make tackles in the backfield, negative yardist plays.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
You can do that when you.

Speaker 1 (14:49):
Know, hey, versus this this type of run, I can
hit my a gap coming downhill. Now for guard pull,
they pull alignment. Now you've got to go over it
and adjust to that. But you even within thatt you
still know, I know what my extra man is, I
still know my fit. It just they've just moved it
a little bit. So it allows you to play a

(15:10):
lot faster. You can be more aggressive, you can create
more more havoc and disruption.

Speaker 4 (15:15):
Well, there was a trend at one time everybody was
going to that three four with the big nose to
kind of keep off the mic and stuff like that.
But you're saying you like, you like the fact that
we're going to be more aggressive. First, you go like
a three four defense with that four eyes and all
that stuff.

Speaker 1 (15:30):
The four eyes and we're getting into the we don't
get into that's what people know multiple ways with two
different ways to play a three four defense. You can
be a three four defense and still be a single gap,
one gap defense, right, or you can be a three
four and you you mentioned having those guys and four
eyes and all that. Now you're kind of playing a

(15:51):
little two gaps. I'd much rather be a one gap defense.

Speaker 4 (15:54):
Well anyway, so that that leads us to what we
saw in the preseason then, yeah, So in the preseason
we got to talk about this moment was cross get
marriage scored his first time. We called him dollar Bill
right here, named dollar Bill Bill. I was so excited
that he forgot to get the game ball man, and
he just kind of threw it down.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Jada got it for I love that got it from
what what?

Speaker 4 (16:16):
What are some of the memories we're gonna start with you,
like in preseason with I first memory scoring your first
touchdown or making a big play for me memory for me.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
It had to be a big play.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
I told you know my first year, I didn't get
a chance to play in the preseason. I got hurt
in the fan appreciation practice, and that was such a
devastating blow. And I remember watching those guys play preseason
then regular season, and then I didn't get my shot
until like week twelve.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
So I missed so much of the season.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
And I played like the last four for or five
games that year. So fast forward, like my somewhomore year
was really my rookie year all over. Even though they
sprinkled me into those last four games, I wasn't me.
It was like somebody else was in my uniform had
my name. When this bagger, I was like a lost puppy.
So I got up for that that sick that sophomore season,

(17:09):
like I was really ready to go out there and
attack the preseason, attack everything that I had to look
forward to. And I remember that first game man we played,
if I'm not mistaken, it was a catch against the
Baltimore the them talking about Baltimore, the Indianapolis Coats, and
I remember going across the middle and I told myself,
I say, look, Tanna, I know you want to catch
the ball with your hands and do all that the

(17:30):
perfect way. I'm gonna go up in the air. I'm
I'm gonna trap that thing on my body. I catch
this ball because it's one of those situations like when
this ball come and it was a deep it was
a deep over and I know the safety was gonna
be behind me.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
So I'm like, it's a possibility.

Speaker 3 (17:46):
You know, back in them days we played, he played
a little different across that middle. I said, he gonna
knock me in the dirt, you know what, in the dirt.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
Oh, I'm gonna catch this thing. And then he could
just hit me how you want to hit me?

Speaker 3 (17:56):
So I made sure I secured the catch and I
caught it and I'm I'm hitting me in my back
and I got up.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
I feel like I had nothing score a touchdown it was,
but you can keep up, you know. Fresh.

Speaker 3 (18:12):
Actually, look, I was just so happy to have a
preseason moment, you know what I mean. I was just
thrilled to say, man, I'm alright, you know, even though,
like I said, I played four games the year previously,
But it wasn't me that was the whole.

Speaker 2 (18:25):
It was an impostle in my uniform. So that's when three.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
Season journey it was crazy because you were fighting to
make that team.

Speaker 1 (18:31):
Man, Yeah, they thought I was a loan shot, but
there ain't no big fletch myself as a as a
sure shot. Hey hey, it is what it is. But
I'll say this though, it was it was a battle.
Unlike you and Kinna, you guys both first round draft picks.
You we number three overall pick, kind of team six

(18:53):
years overall. So you guys, do you were making the
team For me, I'm an undrafted free agent from a
Division III school underside for the at the at the
position that I'm playing, So it was I mean called
I'm fourth on the depth chart in the in the
beginning of a training camp, and really the three is
only getting reps, so it might be a period I

(19:15):
wasn't getting any reps, might get one rep, two reps.
It's if I'm gonna make this team, it's gonna be
by standing out on special teams. And I can from
a preseason memory, I can remember the first first preseason
game We're playing in the Dome in Saint Louis and
just it was just a surreal feeling to be out
on that football field and it's I'm on the opening

(19:38):
kickoff coverage team. So it's like, man, this is something
I've always dreamed about playing International Football League, and that's.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
When still running four three.

Speaker 3 (19:47):
Oh yeah, absolutely, man, I had I had I bumped
into him when he was in he was in Buffalo,
and I.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Swear too we didn't.

Speaker 1 (20:01):
But just the for me, there was no difference, and
you probably felt the same way town of there was
no difference between the preseason game and a regular season game.
I know they still as far as like just being
on the inn an NFL, right, So I was, man,
I was on cloud now and then I went out
there and made some plays. So that just made it

(20:22):
even to me.

Speaker 4 (20:24):
And especial teams game first, Yeah did you when did
you get like the actual reps at linebacker in the game.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, So in that.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
In that preseason game, I did play late in the
fourth quarter. Maybe maybe a series or two played played
in that game. So that was that was That was
my first linebacker. Welcome to the But that by the
fourth game, I had worked my way up to the
the backup nickel linebacker, right. And we played the Kansas

(20:55):
City Chiefs in that fourth preseason game, and this was
the Battle of I seventy. That's a highway down in Missouri.
We're playing the Chiefs Kansas City. They come out and
they're running there no how to offense. Linebacker playing ahead
of me, roma fighter pulls his hamstrings, Strengthed's hams early.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
In the game.

Speaker 1 (21:12):
So I'm playing all the special teams and I'm playing
against the Chiefs first first of straight pre songs yet
out there here, and so I'm tired. As what I mean,
I missed a couple of tackles. I'm like, man, I
got it. I'm about to get cut. But the crazy
thing is that I don't had about fifteen tackles.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
So that so I understand your feeling and how you
feel in the game. But to be honest, if you
practicing on that Rams team, the guys you're going against this.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Was the year before that, before Washington.

Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yes, because I'm saying and I'm like, hold on, bro,
you was on that team with Marshall and all the
learning guys.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
We were building something, Okay, we were building something that
that year ninety eight we end up going.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Four and twelve. We had running back in ninety eight.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Nobody god named Greg Hill. We had Appley. It's the
third down back. Man, you're talking about rout you up? Yeah,
we just we don't have a lot of talent. We
had some talent there offense we were lacking then.

Speaker 3 (22:28):
When that's aging for y'all to be able to do
that three sixty and and go to the talent on
defense because.

Speaker 4 (22:32):
They still had like talle and that's when like Guard
was there.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
Yeah, they have some time flow. So we have some
guys on that defense.

Speaker 3 (22:40):
All right, fellas well, it's time for our new segment,
and this segment calls fast Lane presented by Eastern Automotive Group,
any car anyway for everyone since nineteen eighty eight, since
nineteen eighty we be getting these years. Man, I be
scratching my head sometimes, like man, these business has been
around for a long time, but I ain't gonna knock them.

Speaker 2 (23:01):
So check it this segment here.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
Man, I'm gonna I'm gonna throw some questions out and
y'all get me with the first thing that comes to mind. Man,
My first question is and then we're talking about football,
so talking about football, it's not gonna have to be
about stuff.

Speaker 2 (23:14):
On the field. It's gonna be whatever whatever comes to mind.
And I got you and you tell me.

Speaker 3 (23:17):
So the first one, what is the best tailgate food
that you guys have wow.

Speaker 4 (23:25):
Man, ribs, I would say, brisket, man, I had. I
went to a game down in the Textile House State
game and asked from brisket.

Speaker 1 (23:34):
Yeah, that brisket was a universal. I think everybody's gonna
have ribs at right.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
Yeah. To tell, okay, what about you?

Speaker 3 (23:41):
So, I was gonna say, probably something barbecue, rather it's
chicken or ribs or even having like a sastres or
or or Nathan's a nice Nathan's a ballpart hard dog.

Speaker 2 (23:51):
But to tell me this though, since.

Speaker 6 (23:52):
We're talking about tail like a beef hot dog. Yeah,
with my kid, when you go to the games, man,
you can't eat it. You know what I'm gonna tell
you about it, kid, you can't save it for another time.
To be careful, man, Man.

Speaker 3 (24:07):
They can tell they can talk about what they want
to talk about. I'm gonna have me a hot dog.
I'm gonna have me a hot dog. But tell me
this because I was just sharing this I think a
year or two ago. I didn't have my first tailgate
experience until I only had two of my life kind
of retired. That was my first time experience in tailgate
when I retired from the NFL So when was your

(24:28):
first tailgate experience?

Speaker 4 (24:29):
Actually, that's not true because my dad played it.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Because yes, we would go to that. You grew up
a different experience.

Speaker 4 (24:36):
I just remember that my uncles and them going and
they were just passing out the stuff in the parking lot.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
I guess that's called tail I guess that's called tailgate
at the time. You know, they pull a girl out.

Speaker 1 (24:47):
So yeah, I was telling I'm like you talking to
My first tailgate was after I retired to The crazy part.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Is especially home games.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
You driving to the stadium and you see all these
fans out there tell gate and having a good time,
your family and friends coming to the game. They partied,
having a good time, and you stressed out talking about
they You just stressed out because you think, yeah, I
gotta go perform, right. So I was like, man, I

(25:16):
can't wait to be in this parking lot of tailgate
and I went to my first tailgate after I retired.

Speaker 3 (25:22):
Yeah, it's crazy because I was just sharing that same
story I had the scent Bros. It's funny how a
lot of our stuff kind of you know, are similar
when it comes to just playing the game and seeing.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Other stuff, Like I haven't enjoyed the stands tan at
the regular football NFL. Yeah say in the game.

Speaker 3 (25:37):
And so coming out of college, I forgot the agent
who was trying to get me in Ready at the time,
Lee Lee Lee Steinberg. Some of the Steinberg Lee Steinberg
and gave us tickets to the Super Bowl game. So
I actually watched the Baltimore Ravens with Ray Lewis and
d Starks and all those boys from Miami. I watched
them beat the Giants in the Super Bowl. I went

(25:58):
to the Super Bowl game. So that was my first
NFL game I went to.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
It was a Super.

Speaker 3 (26:03):
Bowl in Tampa, I believe. But getting back to the
story about you, you know, being pissed bro every time
I go to a game. That's why I stopped driving
to the game reporters and it's got on the bus
because I'm like, Bro, I don't want to drive in
this parking lot and see your family and my family
sitting there with their jerseys on, getting ready to see

(26:25):
us play. And I gotta go. Anything on my mind.
I'm so lazis focused and you know everybody want to
shake your hand like you just saw me.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Leave the house other day. Man, I gotta go work.

Speaker 3 (26:35):
So I started telling myself, you know what, screw that
going that experience of getting in the car and coming
to the game. I'm gonna get on that first bus
with the team so I can go straight into that
tunnel and be focused. But yeah, man, like I hated
that part of football, and I was just sharing this
with Smooth and Logan recently that it's been so much
fun now to enjoy the actual atmosphere of the game,

(26:58):
you know what I mean, Like doing we do, we
get a chance to really be involved in the atmosphere
and not just be stressed out about me.

Speaker 2 (27:04):
I gotta make these plays. We got to get this dubbed,
you know, the stuff of that nature. All right.

Speaker 3 (27:08):
My next question, best rivalry in college football team? You know,
I mean, I know both of you guys, big Ohio State,
we're gonna be buys he from oh.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
Do tell me.

Speaker 4 (27:21):
I think it has to be Ohio State Michigan game. Okay,
I mean yeah, Ohio State Michigan.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
But I will say this, I would love to go
to an SEC Alabama Auburn game, one of those, because
that one.

Speaker 4 (27:36):
Or the Georgia Florida game in Jacksonville.

Speaker 3 (27:39):
But I don't think the Georgia Florida game ass up
to what it used to be like, you know, so
back in the days, went back in the day when
when when Florida was on the same level as Georgia.

Speaker 4 (27:48):
Last couple of years going to beat down but but
all ben to Alabama in the same way.

Speaker 2 (27:56):
But it's hard. It's hard that I'm gonna say for me.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
I was gonna say for me when Alabama the last
year that Alabama was something like that was two years
ago because last year was their first year without the coach,
it was Alabama and Georgia. To me, oh yeah, Alabama
and that's elevated.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, that got to be the game that I was like.

Speaker 3 (28:16):
And then you know what, because why I say that,
And don't get me wrong, I'm not.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
Throwing no shade at Ohio State and Michigan, but.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
I feel like, even though that's a great rivalry from
what I'm used to watching football, it's more smash mount
up there in that division and in that area. Like you,
Ohio State have a little speed here and there, Michigan
speed didn't add up to Ohio State speed. And when
you watch Georgia and Alabama, that thing was Ferrari's Lamborghinis, you.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
Know, portion that thing like this.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
The last two national championships came from Ohio State in Michigan.

Speaker 1 (28:49):
Right, I mean, so, so you don't pick Miami Florida.

Speaker 3 (28:54):
No, because it's it was so far away from from dominance.
Don't get me wrong. I would have easily said Miami.
You know me, I'm one of those guys. Me man,
I'm gonna be I'm gonna keep it at thout. Wow,
you hear me. So it was so far away from
both teams being something like, don't get me wrong, last
year Miami was here and then we didn't finish it
and we didn't even get a chance to be in
the postseason.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
Florida State wasn't you see what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (29:15):
Years before it was Florida State here and Miami was
so we we know had a seesaw of up and
down seasons.

Speaker 2 (29:22):
When it comes to those two times, that.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
Texas Oklahoma game is one I would want it at
one time.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
One. Yeah, we're forgetting about a lot of teams, a lot.
It's just a lot of right, we of Michigan, but.

Speaker 3 (29:33):
The ones that stands out the most for you guys
was Michigan or Ohio state, and I knew he was
gonna be a stiffler stickler I mean, and you.

Speaker 6 (29:40):
Know he's a big you know, he grew up in
on how he's he's at.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
Something around me something.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
But just to be living in the South now that
football is different.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
That's why I say at S E. C.

Speaker 1 (29:58):
And I'll picked Alabia in Auburn because those dudes are
battling for their state dominance. You got families divided with
Alabama and Auburn go against each other.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
I'm gonna throw a curve ball.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
This ain't This ain't something that because I since we
talking about rivalry, about college in your division. When you
was playing y'all league, what y'all league was called Big ten? No,
I'm talking to college.

Speaker 1 (30:22):
Yeah, were called Ohio Athletic Conference.

Speaker 2 (30:24):
Okay, who was the rivaly? Who was the school? Who
was the big school? Two schools us John Mount Union
and so Mount Union Mount Union.

Speaker 3 (30:33):
I know about mynt Union because mostly everybody that I
knew from Miami that went to who didn't get a
chance to go D one, they found himself in Mountain Union.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
And then Pierre comes here and he was a Mountain
Union guy. So that was like them that was the
big game, man, dude.

Speaker 1 (30:45):
My last two years of college we went nineteen and three. Wow,
only three losses to mount Unions.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
That's crazy. That'st to him in the regular season.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
My junior year then my last year of college were
actually kind of my sophomore year because I left after
three years, left early. But then my last year we
lost to him at the regular season, lost to him
at the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
Wow. Crazy, so apart they.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
Took about hour to getting out from so they in
the same Yeah, they didn't know know that.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
So how many how many teams are in that division anyway,
in that conference? I think about ten. And for y'all
to be.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
Holding that thing up for a year after year after year,
that's crazy. This one right here, this is gonna be
something You're going to dive dive deep, dive back into
your little your archive or your memory. Which one, which
game in your college career was your best college career game,
best college career game?

Speaker 4 (31:44):
Yeah, or favorite college game?

Speaker 2 (31:46):
Your best favorite?

Speaker 4 (31:47):
I want to say for me, it was ninety seven
Rose Bowl. Key, you know one reason because and I
are what you know, man, if you were a fan
of college football, the Rose Bowl was the granddaddy of mall.
And then you had that Keith jack action right, which
keep Jackson, which form Milling coach for Mill and Keith Jackson,
it was like what would he say? Something by Saturday

(32:08):
football writers like, oh, Nelly, we got a big one.
So playing in the Rose Bowl for me was was
probably the one for me.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
Rose Bowl. For your man, it had to be that
Union game then, No, well I don't have got whooped
it out? Best memory on?

Speaker 1 (32:24):
Just give me your favorite you thought about last college
game against all your.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yesterday gonna be your favorite? Man.

Speaker 1 (32:32):
I had a game my the second game of my
last year. I had twenty nine tackles? What twenty nine tackles?

Speaker 2 (32:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (32:41):
What did anybody else on the plane? Hit everything that
moved anything move? You gotta get it.

Speaker 2 (32:47):
Twenty nine tackles thirty that's crazy. What's the record that
to be a record? Like? What is the record I put?

Speaker 1 (32:57):
I put that ain't Yeah, I'm pulling up as up
there that that it's gonna be hard to be brokeow.

Speaker 2 (33:03):
Crazy, you know for me? For me, it's crazy that
you know, And I'm finna, I'm finna.

Speaker 4 (33:09):
I'm gonna talking about that Florida State Miami.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
You know, I ain't talking about that Florida State mind
because and I think a big game. It was big games,
but we didn't We didn't win until my senior year.
So all those years that I played well against them,
we didn't have a victory against them to my senior
which I still played well.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
But my favorite game. When I look back at all
the games.

Speaker 3 (33:30):
I played and it didn't it didn't register to me
this is this was one of my favorites until just
thinking about it now. I have to say the kickoff
class in my junior year that that number six coming
out part against Ohio.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
In the middles in the Middlelands and bro Clements and
Palmer Boy. I gave them boys. I was giving them
boys a business man. Don't get me wrong.

Speaker 3 (33:59):
Clement did this thing, had a good game, so I
can't say that. You know, I actually had to come
back for one of the balls on Clement. But it
wasn't about them. It was about just knowing what Ohio
State was at that time. If you think about Ohio
State that year, y'all was ranked higher than us. I
think y'all. I believe y'all was almost in the top five.
I think we were somewhere in there, but we wasn't
top five. And when you're talking about the names on

(34:22):
that team you had with the cornback, I said a
plumber or something like that. Plumber, he was top defensive back.
He was Clemens, was a young guy like us. He
was he was he was in his junior year.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
You had the safety number one. What his name was, yeah,
Sally and he was pretty good. I know he was.
He was pretty He's pretty good.

Speaker 3 (34:41):
But y'all had so much riting on that game, and
it was little Miami trying to come back to dominance.
But my highlight of all was the one one Kenny
Kelly just threw it up the deep. I had to
have to come back for the ball, and I want
to put put the whole defense on the run.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
I mean, I was like I was down south and
running from the police. The boys didn't catch me. You
couldn't call. But that was like my come out. That
was like my come out game.

Speaker 3 (35:05):
And it was crazy to me not even knowing, like
you know, you'd be so oblivious to the things that
you're doing. That was at the Middlelands, and two years
later I get drafted by the Jets, who played in
that same stadium. So that's what's crazy, raft because she
was killing it. It's crazy how that thing and kind
of like you can think that that probably was the
little reason why John Coaches was watching definitely was watching
all the Jets coaches.

Speaker 2 (35:24):
Okay, so we're going to the next segment. All right, Fellers.
So you know, we're a week away.

Speaker 3 (35:30):
From the start of the season, and since we're talking
about diving into this this twenty twenty five NFL season,
I'm gonna start with you, Sewan, what have you seen
from my secondary you know, I mean, I mean we
talked about a lot of these, a lot of our
moves or this off season and also in this preseason
or some of the things that stood out that you've

(35:51):
seen so far.

Speaker 4 (35:52):
Well, the biggest thing is I saw one an addition
of Will Harris, the boy. He was a much better
player than I thought of seeing him at New Orleans
healthy corners. All three of our corners are number one guys.
Moving Mike back into the inside was one of those
things because I was upset. I was like, when Mike

(36:13):
plays it well outside last year inside, but having him
full time inside and Nickel and then seeing him in camp,
I mean, he was just excellent, So he was I mean,
he's the perfect nickel.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
And then Marshawn looked healthy. And you know, we talked about, you.

Speaker 4 (36:27):
Know him last year being traded in the middle of
the season with a hamstring. You know, now he's on
the opposite opposite side of a young corner.

Speaker 1 (36:35):
So so you've you've yeah played the position, explained to
people how difficult it is to try to play corner
with a leg.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
Off the ball.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
I rolled it up, so you know, and when you
have that and the difference between a little bit of
a receiver because both of us got to run a lot.
Receiver actually knows where he's going. So a cornerback oftentimes
you gotta react, so you got to hit the gas.

Speaker 2 (37:05):
You might be out of play.

Speaker 4 (37:06):
So when you can't, you know, or hesitant to go
to that next gear because you think it might pull,
you can't control it. That this causes hesitation. And when
I went and saw all preseason, we was watching the
guys practice. Everybody looks so fast, it look comfortable, and
but you know, it's one of those things where the

(37:27):
secondary last year, we watched him against Tampa give up
some place Mike Evans and we have some guys saying,
you know this year is like we ready to see
anybody with that with that group.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
Yeah, speaking of you know defense and standing that standing
on that side of the ball, London, what you're thinking
about this our new linebacker court? Who are the guys anyway?
You know, you know, we know we know the guy
in the middle of the man in the middle, and
we know lou so who's the other guy that will
feel that void? And yeah, how you think they're gonna
look at you?

Speaker 1 (37:57):
I think the way Jordan McGee man speaking like watching
him against the the Ravens.

Speaker 2 (38:04):
The other thing.

Speaker 1 (38:06):
He only played I want to say a series, but
in that series he made a couple of players. You
see explosiveness, you see the speed, see the size, his presence,
you can feel his presence on the football field. And
that's why I look at for a linebacker. What can
you feel his presidence? You can feel his presidence, energy,

(38:27):
and hopefully he'll get his opportunity. I'm sure they all
have some packages where where he's able to go out
there showcase. But when you got his size, his his
physical skill set, you got to get that. You got
to get him on the football field. That's that's the
guy I thought, I also liked. I thought Madrano had
some moments, but Khole, he flashed, he made some he

(38:55):
made some things.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
He made some things happen, and I'm glad to see
McGee back healthy, exactly back he Lovelsea.

Speaker 3 (39:01):
You know, you know, we talking about the defense, and
you know, we could talk at nauseam about them because
there's so many different things that happen in the back end.
And then's some of the new guys that we brought
to the defensive line. I think for the whole preseason
it had been a cloud over our receiver.

Speaker 2 (39:18):
Corps and it was just like, man, you know, you
know what Nord brong to the table.

Speaker 3 (39:22):
But you know from I guess you could say from
the off season ot as and and any preseason, we
hadn't quite seen enough of them, you know what I mean, Like, man,
it's Noah gonna be available, you know come week one,
along with the I guess the elephant in the room
in terry.

Speaker 4 (39:38):
You know.

Speaker 3 (39:39):
And it's crazy because when you get when you get
one sports car and you already had one, you know
that can We've been in those shoes where you get
a new toy and you get you already had a
couple of them.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
You can pick it to be sports cars.

Speaker 5 (39:55):
But you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
But when we got the addition in Debo, it was
just like, well, damn, we can't even see how both
of them cars look in the driveway because one of
them in the shop, one of them is just not available,
and now here that we're.

Speaker 2 (40:11):
Going to have Terry back.

Speaker 3 (40:12):
Man, I think it's it's it's it brings back that that,
you know, that feeling that Man, maybe this can be
what you know, we can get a peek of what
what the season will look like.

Speaker 4 (40:24):
I like when we talk about receivers, one of the
things you see, you you you start to dream about
all the different possibilities and positions that can play.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
Like I said, man, Whi's thinking about Debo? Yeah, I
want him here.

Speaker 5 (40:36):
You can do this, do this?

Speaker 4 (40:37):
So you know, when you have that many cars, is
that something you got to think about, like I'm gonna
move them around?

Speaker 5 (40:42):
Do this?

Speaker 2 (40:43):
What's your thoughts on that?

Speaker 3 (40:44):
Yeah, speaking of it the way if you want me
to put it the way I would have when I
used to have my team cars and my driveway, I
used I used to put the.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
Old schools in the front. I used to do them
in order, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
I used to put the old schools first because they
come before all the other ones. And then you know,
I trinkle in there. I have out the Hummer sitting there,
sitting high, might come down to the Mercedes.

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Might have to range in the back.

Speaker 3 (41:05):
In the garage, I had the cards that I didn't
want to get wet or want to get dirty.

Speaker 2 (41:09):
It'd be like the bit Lee or want of them,
you know what I mean, or the BMW or the
Cayenne in the garage. But looking at our receiver requise
look at them like that.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
I look at like the guys who can do more,
the guys who are only going to be used for
one spot. Then I look at the guy who can
do everything, like the guy who you can say, Okay, this.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
Guy's want to be like that.

Speaker 3 (41:28):
That's what's army knife, that I can just use him,
line them up anywhere on the field, not even have
to be a receiver. And that's what I see in
Deebo and coming into the season, I kind of was
sitting there saying, like, man, are we going to be
handicapped to having to just put Deebo out wide most
of the time because of the lack of not having
you know, Terry on the field, or not having them
in preseason or having them signed yet. So I was

(41:50):
kind of questioning that coming into this, you know, this
whole show. But to hear the news that we heard
of them, I kind of pleased to know, man, that
we at least have them back.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
Lost in the shuffle and all this is. You know,
how long your driveway has has to be? I mean,
my driveway I can't put.

Speaker 2 (42:19):
Hey, that driveway was pretty long. It was one of
them round about. I woke up one day it was like, man,
I got too many cars. I gotta get them away.

Speaker 1 (42:27):
But I'm gonna say this though, just kind of piggybacking
on the whole finally getting to see what this offense
looks like with all your your pieces. From a defensive perspective,
as we're game planning for this offense, you only can
dedicate so many resources to stopping you know, certain guys.

(42:50):
You can't double team everybody, but so you're gonna have
some favorable matchups, especially when teams try to go one
on one and critical situations. Hey, ern get a bunch
of one on one matchups and he's been looking excellent.
There's gonna be some one on ones for Debo. There
will be some opportunities for Terry to have some one

(43:11):
on ones. And then you got Eckler coming out of
the backfield. You're gonna get some one on ones and
the dollar Bill you're gonna have a no and you're
gonna have all some other guys that are gonna get
one on one matchups. And this is now a situation
where we have the ability to attack players or attack
matchups instead of all right, y'all won't take him away.

(43:33):
We feel like we got guys that go out and
win one on one against anybody.

Speaker 3 (43:37):
And the thing that makes that, you know, give you
hope to say, if this thing could work out the
way we saw them use the guys they had last year,
you see what I'm saying, Like that would make this
you know, like any football player that knows football, especially
you know that side of the ball, when you see
that many pieces in one offense and with the quarterback

(43:59):
we have, you look at were talking about it, but.

Speaker 4 (44:04):
But but learning to be fair though, and I'm glad
we upgraded our line to be fair. If you're a
defensive coordinator. You know a lot of these cordinators keep
too high. Safety, you gotta keep too high. So we
got to show them that we can run the ball.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
What your thoughts run the ball last year?

Speaker 5 (44:19):
We do?

Speaker 2 (44:20):
Yeah, I thought that, I know. But we also have
plays that we can use as the run game.

Speaker 4 (44:27):
And that's that's why the line was so im point
to get in line because when you see that type
of win.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
The first thing, when you see that type of weapons,
you think, we gotta play a lot of keep lot
of things in front of you.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
So you know, I mean teams start, they show two
hot shells to start, but most of them they're rotated
the move to single high or some form of a
safety being an extra defender. But to our credit, it's
hard to play us truly like that because you have

(44:57):
jaded too.

Speaker 4 (44:59):
So you have to that's from him. That's the point.
That's run game.

Speaker 1 (45:02):
So again you're gonna have some one on one matchup
and especially when you get into the r P O
game where I can hand this ball off, I can
throw a bubble screen. Oh, I can hit the little
bangate drift rod whatever, what do y'all call that?

Speaker 2 (45:16):
The Glans?

Speaker 1 (45:18):
Yeah, so you have those options to be able to
do those types of things.

Speaker 3 (45:24):
Well, one of the things that you know, we're talking
about additions, and you know, I mean, you got two
guys that you can talk about on the officive side.
And like I said, we talked so much about Debo
another guy's TUNSI you know what I mean, like we haven't.
I mean, we talked about the officer line. We talked
about some of the things that we saw as well.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
But what what do you think that how far can
he move? I guess you could say.

Speaker 1 (45:48):
That office I will say this when you got when
you had a tusso it was like adding two players
first and foremost because you took Brandon Cullman, who started
a left tackle, did an admirable drive, moved him to
probably a more natural position for him. He's gonna be
a I mean Brandon played left tackle, gonna move call

(46:08):
to the left guard. So there's like adding two players
at that one position. He was dominanting that and then
practice against the New England Patriots. He's been a perennial,
he's been a multiple Pro Bowl type. Players start when
you have a left tackle that you don't have to
assign help to that allows you, Hey, if you want
to slide protection away from him, you can get it

(46:29):
back out. You don't necessary needs a tight end the
ship for him or running back to chip form.

Speaker 5 (46:34):
It does.

Speaker 1 (46:34):
It allows you to do so many more things from
a passing game standpoint where you have a dominant left tackle. Yeah,
so that leads because he's truly a star, all pro
type left tackle. But this season we got some rising
stars and now I want to talk about a few
and throw some names out there to you. And the

(46:54):
first guy I'm gonna throw out a Kawan Martin.

Speaker 4 (46:58):
Oh yeah, I love Kwan. Know coming out of Illinois.
I just thought that, you know, we you know that
secondary was great and we saw him last year. You
talked about you you constantly talked about and we had
him on the show last year. We loved him, you know,
and I think he's he's a rising signs rising a
guy in the league. If you don't know his name now,
you will know his name by the end of the season.

(47:19):
You got any thoughts on Kwan, I.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
Meant you know, I told you earlier.

Speaker 3 (47:23):
Man, he reminds me of Ed Read so much because
it's one thing, Man, you played the position and I've
seen I've seen it from so many different you know
players where you look at Ed's size and you was like,
it's impossible for him to be that dominant as a safety.
You look at safety, you expect them to be at
a bang. I know this league different now, so you

(47:43):
don't think about that. But I remember watching Ed when
he first got to college and how small he was,
and I'm like, I'm receiving. I feel like I got
I had a little more you know, stout to me
than he were, But when he put on them pass
and got there and he was just directing everybody and
just making every play.

Speaker 2 (47:58):
That's what I see in Kwan. I see it.

Speaker 3 (48:00):
I saw his first year, but last year, I feel
like Joe with junior unlocked something with him man, and
he showed how far he can go.

Speaker 2 (48:08):
He showed his knowledge of the game.

Speaker 3 (48:10):
And that's something that Fred talked about him coming from college,
being able to play, you know, with Lovely Smith. In college,
he was a guy that played corner, he was the
guy that played safety. He can guy that play the slot,
you know. And that's what I love about just our
secondary as a whole. I feel like I got defense
as a whole you know have that you know, you
have guys where you can say, look, I don't necessarily
have to line them up as a strong or free

(48:32):
He could play both, you know what I mean. Or
I can put them down here in the box. He
can I can see them doing things as a linebacker
or as that rover guy, you know, or I can
put them in the slot and let them you know,
cover on the slot. So yeah, this is one of
those years. And I think that Detroit game shows you
where he Ray's ready to take that step. You know,
that was the game that to me was showing that
everybody showing the world that oh you better watch out.

(48:54):
You know, you see all these other guys, but this
guy here has been spoken about it and he did
a lot of those things last year, you know, with
an Ellen showed us. So, man, I'm looking forward to
seeing this guy to jump off the.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Trust rising start.

Speaker 4 (49:05):
My next rising started London and and oftentimes you don't
say a rookie is a rising start, but I saw
him in the preseason. I was like, this kid is
special and that's dollar bill a dollar bill and what
did what did you see from him? Because normally and
to give Adam Peterson and and the coaching styff credit.

(49:29):
We we we've hit on our draft picks, and I
just we don't know who's on the team, but we
can assume that he's going to be on the team.

Speaker 2 (49:36):
I just think this kid could be special. Man, it's
a rookie.

Speaker 1 (49:38):
The first thing I'll say this, when we drafted him,
I never heard of him. So immediately I go start
looking at his film and you look at him and
just played the one game of Arizona, and then you
see some of his other other footage before he transferred,
and you say, man, this is not a seventh round

(49:58):
draft right. If he plays the entire season, he's not
a seventh round draft pick.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
He's explosive.

Speaker 1 (50:05):
And when I look at it from a linebacker stepoint,
I'm gauging this running backs man. Explosive, twitchy, great vision,
has great vision to get in and out because get
to get to a hose that you know some some
running backs don't see. But the burst too. So when
you add all those different things, he can catch it
out of the backfield. All that he has home run speed.

(50:27):
We saw that against the Cincinnati being a low you know,
be able to take that, take that to the house,
but he has he has the capability to do a
lot of different things and the run, not only in
the run game, but also in the receiver game as well.

Speaker 2 (50:41):
You know, you you want to be hesitant to.

Speaker 1 (50:43):
Say of rookies around Let's yeah, let's say that I was,
but I've never seen a seventh round pick.

Speaker 4 (50:49):
Just obviously just take I was the guy there of
the preseason, right.

Speaker 1 (50:53):
Yeah, I think you got to kind of take seventh grade,
seventh rounder all with an asterisk seventh or out of
But if yeah play he played a little bit more,
he wouldn't have been a steveth for our dropping.

Speaker 4 (51:06):
I completely agree. And I just think we can talk
about the whole rookie class as the whole. We got
a couple of guys. I thought about Trey, and I
think he's gonna be a rising star. I think, Santana,
you can give us a little bit on something, Jayleen Lane.
He's not a rising star in the sense of like
you might not be a household name, but he's gonna
be a rising star in this and our and our

(51:26):
organization is a guy who could take over the special teams.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
You talked about him, You love that kid.

Speaker 3 (51:31):
Yeah, I think Jayen Lane and just like what Fless saying,
you know you want, you don't want, you don't you
want to pump your brakes a little when it comes
to those those young guys who haven't really played in
a real NFL game yet. But if you just talking
about some of the things that we saw from the preseason, yep,
Jague Lane fished that he fits the mode. I will say,
you know, from a guy who've been here, and if
you really want to, you know, you want me to

(51:53):
mention somebody Yankoff.

Speaker 2 (51:55):
Oh, Yankoff. Yeah, I feel like just.

Speaker 3 (51:57):
From what we use, how we use our tight ends,
and and how he can be used on both ends
of the ball, you know, or size of the ball.
Would it come to special teams and as a tight end, yeah, man,
I mean Logan had been talking about Yankoff so much
to where I didn't even know what number he was
at one time.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
I'm just hearing the name, like, man, what what number
is this dude?

Speaker 3 (52:16):
To get right?

Speaker 2 (52:16):
And this year you saw that number all the time.
I mean, he just he stands out.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
He's almost like Rebo, you know what I mean, Like
a guy that you like, you got to have on
the fields and some capacity.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (52:29):
So yeah, I mean you think he think those two
in the you know, with a returning game and then
yankoff in the special game like that.

Speaker 1 (52:36):
Got to mention, that's all great stuff, man.

Speaker 2 (52:40):
But coming up after the break, we got von Miller
to join us on the show. Yep, yep, Yes, sir,
NFL fans.

Speaker 3 (52:48):
When it's time to get Commanders tickets, you can tackle
game day with total certainty with Ticketmaster as the official
reseale ticket marketplace of the NFL. Ticketmasters got the best
way to take it to the house when it comes
to being there live. With one hundred percent verified resale
tickets available all season long, you can kind on getting
in with ease and spend time focusing on good stuff

(53:10):
like tailgating with your friends and found. Even if you
headed to the game last minute, you can still score seats.
Want to meet up inside the stadium with your crew.
Transfer your tickets is an easy handoff, So get those
touchdown celebrations ready and score your ticket today with ticketmaster
dot com.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
Slash Commanders here with Von Miller Future Hall of Faber.
Appreciate you joining us.

Speaker 5 (53:34):
Mine, Thank you, I appreciate you. Guys for having me
this dough.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (53:38):
So you've been here DC now for what almost a month,
maybe a little bit longer than that's changed? Yeah, I
heard you do you love the restaurants. Here's what's it
been like for you getting acclimated to this area.

Speaker 5 (53:50):
Man, it's been good. I mean, this is my fourth
time doing.

Speaker 3 (53:55):
So.

Speaker 5 (53:55):
I'm I'm kind of used to it right now.

Speaker 7 (53:57):
As much as I hate to say it, you know,
I'm kind of used to, you know, change and going
to a new spot. And you know, I try not
to get caught up in comparisons or anything like that.
All my other teams was great for their own reasons.
But DC is definitely nice different and this team is
definitely nice for sure. And I've been enjoying my time
here for sure.

Speaker 3 (54:14):
Well, one of the things we was talking, we were
joking about saying, like when you get up into those
you know, you this is your fourteen fifteen fifteen for you.
We all played long. I played fourteen. I believe you
sixteen next. Yeah, and you want to see something where
you can kind of kick your feet back, you know
what I mean and enjoy the city a little bit.

Speaker 2 (54:32):
I'm sure it's way different from Buffalo.

Speaker 7 (54:34):
Yeah, it is different than Buffalo. Like I said, I
tried to get caught up in comparisons, but it is
different than Buffalo and Buffalo. Some of you unique things
about Buffalo, like it's all it's all football there, it's
ball and we're gonna win games. I think, yeah, whole
time there, we lost eight games in three years, so
we go. If you love football, if you love fans
that love football like that is that is a place

(54:55):
for you for sure.

Speaker 5 (54:56):
And nothing else outside of that.

Speaker 7 (54:58):
No, yeah, no, Mulberry's nice Italian restaurant, Buffalo Chop House,
but that's just about it.

Speaker 5 (55:03):
And my chef was really really good to add a
Caribbean chef, and I.

Speaker 7 (55:06):
Had my other chef, chef Nick, so that I was
at the house a lot, you know, scream and play
video games, spend a lot of time at home.

Speaker 5 (55:13):
But here in DC, you know, they just got options. Man,
whatever you're looking for, they got it.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
Hey VI. So I played five seasons in Buffalo and
I think the most.

Speaker 1 (55:22):
Games we ever won, what's eight games and the superg
But to your point, though, I loved I loved playing
a Buffalo great fan base. This so this is a
question I got for you year fifteen. For you, You've
accomplished so much already, two times Super Bowl champion, been
MVP of the Super Bowl. You have nothing left else

(55:45):
left to prove on the football field. What made you
continue to want to play still want to play?

Speaker 7 (55:50):
And honestly, I just I love football, And you know
it's you know, once you do it for so long,
like it's, uh, it's kind of hard to let go.

Speaker 5 (55:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (55:59):
So I'm kind of in that spot between like getting
kicked out the league and leaving too early. And I'm
in the middle of that. I don't want to get
kicked out, but I don't want to leave too early.
I still think I'm in a sweet the sweet spot
of that situation. And yeah, like I just I love football,
love everything about it, from you know, coming up here
to the facility, from the exus and those parts, to
you know, kicking with the teammates, learning new teammates, getting

(56:20):
ready for schemes, watching football games the preseason was great,
to learning new coaches, team infrastructure, player development, player evaluation. Like,
I love all elements of football, and you know, I
can still play and you know I'm gonna come up here.
I spent the whole off season at home, like you know,
not on the football team, and it was cool for

(56:41):
a little bit, you know, dropping the kids off, pack
the ski kids up.

Speaker 5 (56:45):
But you know, after a while, like.

Speaker 2 (56:49):
To go back to where I can still play.

Speaker 7 (56:50):
I'm not like you know, I'm not like you know,
taping myself up just to go out there like I
can still play. You know, take a little bit longer
to get ready, but I deal play. I still believe
I can play at a high level. And you know,
if I still got some juice, I something go out there.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
Being at you're here now and then seeing some of
the things that Joe Witt junior, what his defense is
made up and what it's about. How eager that is
for you to kind of like put yourself in that
and see what you can do. Because I mean I
watched guys like Fouler last year. You saw what Loulu
was able to do last year. Knowing what you you're
good at and what you can do when it comes

(57:25):
to getting out to the quarterback. You know, when you
ever watched that defense when they was in Dallas though
you were last year here, did you have a picture yourself? Man?

Speaker 2 (57:32):
Man, I want to see.

Speaker 3 (57:33):
If I can, you know, be a part of that
because they look like those guys are really getting at there.

Speaker 7 (57:37):
You know, after when when I got released from Buffalo,
I did, like my research. This was way before like
you know, had the opportunity to come here. I did
my research, and yeah, I was I was a fan
of his defense. You know, I've been watching Dante Follow's career,
his his whole entire career, even since he was back
with the Jaguars. That's one of my that's one of
my dogs. And to see some of the success that
he had here was great. And you know Frankie is

(57:57):
a is a great player too. You can stand up
a linebacker lay wheel and he come down and rush.

Speaker 5 (58:03):
So it'll be hearing. Another great scheme has been dope man.

Speaker 7 (58:06):
And you know, I've been able to play with some
great defensive coordinators over the course of my career, and
my time here.

Speaker 5 (58:13):
Is no different.

Speaker 7 (58:13):
I got another great defensive coordinator. But what I feel
like what sets other defenses apart because all of these
defensive coordinators are geniuses, all these offensive coordinators are genius,
is once you make it to that position in the NFL,
Like you know what you're talking about, You got the
x's and o's and you got that down like you
got the perfect scheme. You know, the defensive coordinators, the
great ones that I've been around, they've been able to

(58:34):
just get those guys to play the level that they
went normally play it on Sunday, Monday, Thursday. You know
when I was in seat, when I was in LA,
we had a game on Tuesdayday. So great, great defensive
coordinators that able to get you ready to play at
at that particular time.

Speaker 5 (58:53):
And it's a mindset thing.

Speaker 7 (58:54):
And you know here with with coach with he he
has he possesses those same qualities to be able to
you know, strike a fire underneath those guys and then
getting ready to go. It's different in basketball, like you know,
playoff time come around, you gotta be ready to go.
You get sixty minutes to figure it out. It's not
the best out of seven games. It's like right now.

Speaker 5 (59:11):
And you know, the great defensive coordinators, including your with
they have that ability to get their guys going.

Speaker 2 (59:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (59:16):
One thing we like to do on the players club man,
we like to get to know dudes and what they're
too off the field. You you grew up in Dallas,
I understay that you got a farm chicken form. So
did you grow up on a farm or did you
just it was something that you was just like man
wanted to get into it.

Speaker 2 (59:33):
I grew up in the city. I don't know anything
about as far to tell us about this far man.

Speaker 5 (59:38):
I grew up. I grew up outdoors, but I was
never like a farmer.

Speaker 7 (59:41):
I've been hunting and fishing since day one, so I
didn't grow up, you know, raising chicken.

Speaker 5 (59:46):
But I grew up outside.

Speaker 7 (59:47):
And when I went to take X A and M,
which is an agricultural school, like a lot of student athletes,
you know, I needed an easy A to.

Speaker 5 (59:55):
Boot my GPA.

Speaker 7 (59:56):
So I played the next season and me production one
on one potry production one on one was that class.
They had an A minus was the average. So everybody
took that class they got that. They got him a minus.
So I took the class and it was easy like
and I used to fall asleep, you know, similar to
what I still do in meetings and stuff. I used
to fall asleep when my professor used to wake me

(01:00:16):
up and make me come to the front of class.

Speaker 5 (01:00:18):
Like I'm eighteen.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
I'm eighteen, nineteen.

Speaker 7 (01:00:21):
Years old and making me come up to a friend
of class and like just regurgitate all the information that
we learned. And then he would tell my academic advisors
like once falling sleep is not taking taking it serious,
which in turn it really it really made me like
learning process. And then you start hearing some of the
numbers that they're talking about. You know, the poetry meat
production industry is a multi billion dollar industry, like not

(01:00:44):
just one, two three, like hundreds of billions of dollars.

Speaker 5 (01:00:47):
Really, you know, I got that thought in class. I
think it was right after a dream.

Speaker 7 (01:00:50):
I was like, you know, if I could, if I
could go to the league and make some money, I'm
start my own forum.

Speaker 5 (01:00:56):
You know.

Speaker 7 (01:00:56):
I was able to start my chicken form after my
second country back in twenty sixteen and just been working
on it slowly till now. We're producing about thirty five
thousand birds a week with a live room to grow
thirty five thousand, thirty five thousand a week. So it
started there is this little dream in class, and you know,
now it might it might end up being my planing A.

Speaker 3 (01:01:17):
I feel to say this, what at least you got
your you know, whatever you're going to pivot to when
it's you know, we're ball done.

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
I mean, that's big foot.

Speaker 5 (01:01:24):
I don't want to be on the chicken farm every day.

Speaker 2 (01:01:28):
Everybody else I liked, I liked.

Speaker 7 (01:01:29):
I like the marketing side of it, and I like
the number side of it, and you know, you know,
sometimes relationships go a little bit further than performance. So
you know, shout out to all everybody that's you know,
doing the hard job on the chicken form. Agreed, and
that's what shicken.

Speaker 5 (01:01:43):
But I'm the guy that come on podcasts and talk
about it and just.

Speaker 2 (01:01:47):
Raise the words. Now, I saw you that you had
to write up or some kind of show.

Speaker 3 (01:01:52):
It was some years ago, and I saw you on
the farm and I was always interested just to seeing
what got you into it. So you know, that's kind
of that's something that I didn't know about you. But
going forward, like just knowing that you have that upbringing
and stuff like that, will you kind of have you
ever kind of pitched that to some of your teammates
and like, hey man, you should look into this.

Speaker 7 (01:02:10):
Yeah, I do, but then again I don't, especially the
older that I get, like I do eighty percent more
talking like I mean, I do eighty percent more listen
more listen twenty percent like less talking, especially like I
get older, because when I was young, you know, you
got you know, a locker room full of vests, and
they're like, man, I used to do it like this,
we went on vacation back in Monday, or this guy
went to Pro Bowl, or y'all not doing it right,

(01:02:32):
this and that, or I got this business venture, this
and that, Like you know, I remember that from when
I was young, and I was like, man, just shut up,
like trying to play ball.

Speaker 5 (01:02:42):
So I never I never wanted to be that guy.

Speaker 7 (01:02:45):
But if it's an opportunity for me to talk, like man,
I love talking and I love, you know, sharing advice,
not necessarily about things that I was doing back when
I was young, but things I should have done back
when I was young.

Speaker 5 (01:02:55):
So maybe they could, you know, you know, gain off of.

Speaker 2 (01:02:59):
That, no doubt.

Speaker 1 (01:02:59):
As you as you mentioned that, that had me thinking
about the past rust summit that you guys put together.
Was that kind of mindset? Why you decided to put
that together? Because a lot of people don't want to
share information, especially with competitors so to speak. What made
you want to share that information?

Speaker 7 (01:03:17):
So it all started with I had a position coach
named Richard Smith. He was my first outside Lomburger's coach
with the Denver Broncos. I had him for four years
and he left and he went to the Atlanta Falcons
with Dan. He was with Dan Quinn too at Atlanta Falcons,
and he had Vic Beasley, and he was telling me, like,
you know, Vic Beasley has you know, similar games me.

(01:03:39):
He would love if I've like if I like got
with him mic in the summer and like, you know,
shared some secret rhythms, shared some secrets with him, or
like worked out or like just hungling. So that that
year we ended up going to the super Bowl. It
was like twenty and sixteen, and that that after you
win the super Bowl, like that off season is like crazy.
So I wasn't able to like, you know, put together.

(01:04:00):
But I told Vic that we was gonna like link
and do off season workout or whatever he wanted.

Speaker 5 (01:04:05):
I was gonna sit down with him.

Speaker 7 (01:04:06):
I was in San Francisco at the time, so like, man,
you could come spend a whole month with me, don't
worry about nothing.

Speaker 5 (01:04:11):
You could live with me.

Speaker 7 (01:04:11):
We could just go over anything that you want to go.
And it didn't happen in twenty sixteen. But in twenty seventeen,
you know, all season, everything kind of calmed down, and
I told Vic Beasley to come out, and he told
the media down in Atlanta that he was gonna come
out to work out with me, and it just blew
up from there, Like they was like Vos having this summer,

(01:04:32):
He's gonna invite our guys. So it wasn't even my idea,
but I figured I'd take advantage of it and like
started inviting guys out, Guys that I was fans of,
from J. J. Watt, Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, Kaleis Campbell,
like Eric Armstell, like into your guys outside guys, guys
game that I always respected to come out there so
we can learn from each other.

Speaker 5 (01:04:52):
At the time, I was just trying to figure out
how to beat chip.

Speaker 7 (01:04:55):
Blocks, Like yeah, I was just trying to figure out,
like how to beat the full slide with a tight
end ship and running back coming over to you. Basically
for people focusing on you, always trying to figure ways
of like defeating that. But you know, Vic had his
own game and he had things that he was trying
to pick up. In turn, we just all kind of
like learned from each other. It slowly became a place
where we can link and learn and like share secrets.

(01:05:17):
And you know, I can't like play like Max Crosby
or you know, it's moves that that Cam Jordan can't
that I can't do, and vice versa, but we can
all take from each other's mindset. And I especially like
being around the young pass Russells just to like get
their mindset. If I can get a little bit from
their game to put into my game and vice versa
with him, then you know, it was time well spent.

Speaker 5 (01:05:38):
And that was nine years ago. We've had non pass
us summits.

Speaker 7 (01:05:42):
I linked up with Max Crosby and Cam Jordan last
year and it's just it's just blown up in Vegas.

Speaker 1 (01:05:47):
That's that's dope, man, dope interview. We appreciate Vin joining
us on the Players Club.

Speaker 2 (01:05:54):
That's a rap.

Speaker 1 (01:05:54):
We'll see y'all next week on the Players Club.

Speaker 3 (01:06:00):
This Club was filmed at Big Bear AI Command Center Studio.
Big Bear AI offers Mission Ready AI for a rapidly
involving world, proudly protecting the Washington Commanders and his fans.