May 8, 2025 • 49 mins
Chip Scoggins, Ryan Burns and Justin Gaard continue their Gopher Legends series with former quarterback great Adam Weber! Adam talks about growing up with football, what brought him to the U and his career that saw more coaching changes than perhaps any other time in Gopher history. Adam and the guys also discuss some career highlights and his time back on the sideline coaching before moving into a "normal career."
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Glenn Mason said a long time ago at the University
of Minnesota, you need a pair and a spare.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Thank you, PJ.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
It is time, after a couple of weeks, for another
edition of the Parent of Spare podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm justin Guard from Kate fam.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
We've got Chip Scoggins from the Star Tribune, Ryan Burns
from Gopher Illustrated dot com. So is this episode one
oh one? We haven't done one since PJ. Right, PJ
Fleck was the last episode that we did.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
Correct, you're one one start a new century.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Yeah, I'm of the next century. Hopefully we got another
one hundred episodes in US. Thanks everybody who checked out
the PJ Fleck episode. It was a lot of fun
to do that what three four weeks ago. Appreciate Jack's
Cafe for sponsoring this show again and the great event
we had for Dickytown athletes.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
It was a ton of fun. And we're going back
to the legend series.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Is it fair to call this the Parent a Spare
legend series?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Absolutely? This next guy's a legend for sure.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I think that's what we're doing. So we're excited to
open up the yearbook a little bit. One of our
favorite players to cover. One of our favorite players to
run into around town and frankly one of the best
of all time.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
He's Adam Weber legend, looks like he could still throw
for How are you man?
Speaker 5 (01:10):
I'm great, guys, how you guys do it?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We're good. Thank you for doing this.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I like to just kind of lay out, especially for
a guy like Chip who covered all you guys a
much more closely.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We'll get to it, Burns.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
He was like seven years old when you played that,
So we're going to get to that in a minute.
But we're just going to open up the year book,
tell some stories, talk a little go for football past
and presence, and Chipper lead it off.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Buddy, Yeah, Adam, thanks for having us there, coming on here.
I went back through some clips so I got the
added the good fortune of covering Adam's I think first
two years as a beat writer. And I went back
and I looked at a story I did on you
from two thousands before your first start, and I think
(01:52):
either you told me, your dad told me, and Adam's dad,
Bob was a former Gopher cornerback back in the day,
but he there was a story about when you were
a freshman at Mounds View and he drove you down
to it must have been the Metrodome, and you guys
maybe snuck into the Metrodome or the story where there's
no one around. You guys walked around the field just
(02:13):
to kind of kind of a reconnaissance mission. This was
when you're a freshman, and then this is you know,
I think you reflected on it that week before you
first start. You do you remember that and kind of
take back the recruiting process and kind of what that
was like.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So, you know, I think if I'm recalling correctly, So
I started as a freshman due to Luke Johnson, who
was at Molins.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
The starting quarterback who's gonna be a senior.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
He tore his acl that summer, so I knew I'd
be up on the varsity team in some capacity, either
like lying back or running back. I was wearing number
twenty seven, you know, so I was just happy to
be there. And all of a sudden, the starting quarterback
goes down.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
I'm competing. They let me go tryout quarterback. I end
up winning the job.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And so now this our first game is at Blaine,
who was at that time or you know, they're still
pretty good but they're really good at that time, like
going to stay consistently and things like that. So my
dad prior to the game, drove me up to the
Blaine Stadium and so we were walking around that field
just to kind of get my bearings down, figure it out,
so i'd be a little bit more comfortable. Luckily, when
(03:18):
I was a freshman, amounts you, I grew up my
older brother was a senior. He was a football player,
and so I grew up around all those guys, and
so I felt pretty comfortable.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
But it was helpful knowing that my dad kind of
knew that it was.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
A little bit different stadium than playing in some you know,
Pop Warner Fielder. You have ten parents there, so that
was helpful. But yeah, you know, he was always my
dad was always a great support and kind of understanding
the psychology that goes into some of the nerves, especially
(03:52):
as a freshman go into into that into that situation.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Then it was it because your dad played there. I
mean assume you group a Gopher fan. Was it as
you became you know, junior senior year getting recruited, was
it always going to be the Gophers or did you
look at other schools too?
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Or yeah no.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I So what I appreciate my parents was, you know,
good or bad. They they kind of said, this is
on you. You you make a decision, you figure it
out wherever you want to go with support, you know,
if you want to go check out campuses. And so
early on I was. It was after my sophomore year.
You know, I was at Mona's. We did a wing tea.
So I mean half the time I was handing there.
(04:32):
You know, ninety percent of the time I handed the
ball off of my back is to the defense. So
I wasn't being heavily recruited at that point. I went
to a seven on seven camp at Minnesota. Eric Decker's there.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
So this is the.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Summer going into my junior year, summer after my sophomore year,
and uh performerly well throwing the ball really well.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Uh I remember it was.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
One situation where you know they're having us throw concepts
like a curl flat concept against defender. I'm like, oh,
so you read the defense and then depending on what
the defender does, I just throw.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
I'm like, that's brilliant, that's amazing. I can do this. Uh.
And then so after that camp, Glenn Mason offered me.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
I think he ended up offering Eric Deck at that
same time as well, and that's where Eric and Eric
and I first met and kind of started our friendship.
So then from there I started doing more camps and
so my dad would always just travel with me and.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Take me to mostly around. I knew I want to
stay in the Big ten. Uh. Minnesota was the easy choice, or.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
This the most you know, simple choice, I would say,
or you know what would make the most sense. But
I want to do my due diligence and make sure
that I was making the right decision for myself and
my future.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
When it came down.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
To it, it was between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and I
was really close to going to Wisconsin.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
That was a really interesting decision.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
But I remember my parents and I talking to coach
Mason and say saying, you know, one of our concerns
is if you're going to stay around, you know, because
at that point he was like up for a contract
renewal and going into that decision time, he had just
signed like a four year extension. So I was like,
you know what, that kind of solidifies it because that
mische Wisconsin coach Elvrez had just stepped down and so
(06:20):
there's kind of some uncertainty of what that next step
look like at Wisconsin, and so annoying coach Mason was
going to be there for my four years. I'm like, boom,
let's go. I'm ready to make that decision. So I
made that decision prior to my senior year and then
lo and behold, that four year extension only lasted one
season or two seasons.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
So anyways, it all worked out though.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Yeah, Mays always talks about he had delusions of grander
for how you were going to run his offense. He
said that on the fan a million times. So what
is that like when, because this is do you go
back to two thousand and six, there's no transfer portal, right,
I mean there's no like getting out of your NI
NL I. It was nl I before it was I L.
It was just a different time, right, So what was
(07:03):
that like when you know, they come back from that
Bowl game, Glenn Mason's fired, and all of a sudden,
here comes Tim Brewster, a guy that I don't know
if you'd ever heard of him before he got the
head coaching job. So what was that whole thing like
as a young buck?
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yeah, No, it was I mean definitely interesting times.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
My first time I met or saw coach Brewster is
when they did the introductory press conference, and so I
think they did that like the Alumni Center or something
like that, and so you saw it, You're like, whoa,
this guy is on a different level.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Okay, a little bit different than than coach Mason. But
you know, at the time, it was.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
You got to buy in, you got to do it
because I knew I wanted to play at Minnesota, had
really built up some great friendships with my teammates, and
so now it was okay, well, you know, well this
this is the next challenge. We'll figure it out, and
you buy in. And it was no doubt it was interesting.
There's not one time that I considered leaving because you know,
(07:59):
at that point, right, you have to sit out a season,
blah blah blah. But I just figured, you know, let's
just go compete here and see what happens. Give him
my best and probably helps that. I was a super naive,
like I didn't know, like when a new coach comes in,
they're probably gonna want to bring their own people in
and I'm not his guy, and blah blah blah. It's
like I didn't even think about that stuff. I was like,
(08:19):
I'll just I'll just compete. My dad always said the
cream of the crop rises to the top, no matter
you know, no matter what.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
So that's just how I've always approached it is.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Regardless of where I'm at, I'll just make sure that
I put myself in a position to to compete and
and hopefully earn that starting starting spot.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Not only did he bring his own people in, he
brought his son in who was a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And you stay.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
But you know, I always said that, you know, Adam's
name is throughout the record but holds all the records,
which is a testament not only to your talent, obviously
we always saw that, but just your willingness to adapt it.
I don't know that there's a college quarterback who went
through as much as you did in a five year career.
(09:08):
Three head coaches and four offensive coordinators different in a
you know, five year span. In some ways, it was
unfair that you were asked to kind of change on
the fly so often with different schemes and you're running
the spread one year and something else. What was that
like as a quarterback hapened to constantly have a new coordinator,
(09:28):
a new system, new verbage, all that thing, and just
being able to adapt to it.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
So I looked at it.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
You know, there there's two ways that you can approach
change like that. You can either sit there and say, well,
you know this sucks. I don't like this new system.
The old system was better, you know, stay in that zone.
Or you say, hey, I get an opportunity to learn
something new. I get to be around a new coach,
you know, and try to embrace it.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
So that's no doubt. Hindsight looking at it is like, yes, continuity.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
We struggled because of that, no question, and that it
will always be a tough thing to live with. That
we weren't successful during those four years that I played,
But I looked at it that it also prepared me
to have an opportunity in the NFL where I knew
a bunch of different systems and I could learn a
new system really fast.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
You know, you get a big playbook.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
It's that thick I knew, just like, okay, I don't
need you really need to look at that, right And okay,
you called this. You call this formation solo and other
people calls it double. You know, it's like in my mind,
I can figure it out. It's like learning a new language.
Once you kind of learn to like learn a new language,
you can pick it up faster. And so I chose
to embrace it. And I had some great coaches along
(10:39):
the way. Mike Dunbar was great. Jedfish is great. I'm
still close with Jetfish. He's still trying to get me
on his staff at Washington.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So it's like Jeff Jeff Wharton was great. You know,
so some really great coaches along the way. And but yes,
that was going through that. Now looking back, every summer,
you would love to like go out and captain's practice
and lead the team and be like, here's the players
(11:07):
we're running.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
We'd go to captains practice, like, guys, I've know a
freaking idea, or I don't know, I don't know what
system running this year.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Just go deep, Just go deep up.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Yeah, yeah, just that, go deep.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
You know. But that that's where that's that's where it
really challenged. And then recruiting wise, especially offensive linement. You
go from Glenn Mason's system, which is that kind of
outside zone, you know, Shanahan style, heavy, you know, heavy
on the running back to spread system where you're recruiting
different type alignment, and then all of a sudden, you
(11:41):
go to Jed Fish, who's going more pro styles, and
now we go back to big guys. Well, yeah, it's
a cool idea, but it takes years to develop these
linemen all of a sudden, you know. It's like, that's
where it's the trickle down effect of it takes a
few years to kind of get the right guys in
the system. And that's where I think we ran into
a lot of problems with that changing and stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
I just can't imagine in today's landscape having a quarterback
go through four offensive coordinators and trying to have to
like I can't imagine a Max Brozemer or a Tanner
Morgan actually sticking it out in this day and age.
But before I ask you about a specific player story,
there is one game of yours that I will forever remember.
I think Chip was probably there guards you too, which
(12:23):
was a Halloween night against Michigan State. Can you what
do you remember most about that specific game? I remember
watching that. I was at a hunting camp at the
time in Western Minnesota. One of my favorite games of
all time to turn on. What do you remember about
that Michigan State Halloween game.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Uh. Yeah, so that was a very fun evening, uh
people because it's late, you know, this late game, so
everyone wash was excited for you know ly uh. I
know my family was all dressed up in hilarious costumes,
which was funny.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
But yeah, it just was.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I mean we started off with a bank like the
very first play was a throwback to Dewan Bennett and
he took it for I don't know, sixty seventy yards
and so it's just one of those games where.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Everything was on in that one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yeah, And so it's just one of those games where
there's some fluky stuff that happened too. I throw ball
to Jeff Towernett, who was our tight end. He gets
whacked because it was it wasn't the greatest of throws,
kicks off his leg. Dwan Bennett catches it and then
takes it for like you know, it was uh. And
the crazy thing is, I think, you know, three for
over four hundred yards. They probably should have been over
five hundred something because there's a couple a couple of
(13:30):
misses on my part, a couple of drops, but it
was Yeah, it's one of those weird games where everything
was flowing. And the funny thing is too is after
that game, jed Jeff Fish with the cordingate at the time,
He's like.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
All right, yeah, let's roll. And I think we played
like Illinois the next week and I missed.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Like my first throw and he's like, dude, what what happened? Like, yes,
it'd be great to be like, you know, in the
in the flow zone all the time. But that may
have been one of those special games where you know,
all the stars aligned and you know, but it was
incredibly fun.
Speaker 5 (13:58):
I wish, I wish there's more games like that.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
There's a few others we're going to talk about. I
was in Green Bay, Wisconsin that night. Were you there, Chipper,
because it was Farv's return to Lambo than I was.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Yeah, I was in Green Bay but watching it.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Yeah yeah, So I was with some buddies that had
flown in from all over the country to watch Farv.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Go to Lambeau.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
By the time we sat down at stadium view bar
and got those big beer you know whatever, they're called
boots the Gophers, I'm like, we got to get over here,
let's go watch the Gophers. Players can say you guys
are up fourteen rip and I'll be honest, after that,
the night's a little fuzzy, I'll say that. But just
talk about being at you know, you got to see
(14:39):
the transition from you know, the Dome to TCF Banks Stadium,
which now, you know, kids these days take for granted
like it was a big deal to I think we're
seeing the fruits of football being back on campus.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You know now that w'ds it's like, you know, fifteen
years or.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
So now just to tailgating so much better, all of that.
But you were there kind of at the front end,
like what was that whole whole vibela like in those
early years.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah, well, I mean I remember that was part of
the recruiting shtick for coach Mason, was like, hey, we're
fighting hard to get this stadium on campus. You know
it will probably be ready during your playing time and
you get to be a part of that. So I
really commend coach Mason to kind of get that done
and up and running. But yeah, the Metrodome was that
(15:23):
was cool for a little bit. I mean, as a quarterback,
this mat it's always seventy win. Yeah, conditions are great,
but when it comes to the atmosphere, you know, it
felt like a it's a neutral site essentially every single time, right,
so you miss out on reguards you as you put it,
that kind of college atmosphere. And so after a while
you started noticing that where it was, you know, this
(15:43):
isn't our home.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
You know, this is just a kind of a just
a spot, just a stadium and play on.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
It was cool because it was a professional stadium, but
it wasn't our home. And so to open up TCF
Bank at the time, Huntington Bank now incredibly special.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Uh planing air force that night.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
To be a part of that that is something really
cool because in fact, I have you know, that opening
night picture that you know, they probably sell it now,
but it's a really nice, cool picture of the stadium.
And just to know like I was on that team,
I was a part of that that that team, that
process is one of those special moments that yeah, you
can maybe focus on, man, I wish we would have
done this, or you know, maybe not so many coaches changes,
(16:25):
but then you say, look at this positive A lot
of that situation I was able to open We were
a part of that team that opened that stadium.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
And you know, most important when you open a stadium,
it's really important to win the game.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
Very thankful we did. It wasn't it wasn't very exciting
on offense.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I was kind of I was a little pissed on
myself because it's like we didn't we didn't do much
on offense. I want to say, like Nate Triplett had
a nice flumble return for a touchdown. You know, of course,
it's like your dreams of like, well, first opening up
the stadium, big long touchdown pass. Fans are going nuts,
and it was like, well, you know, you know, I
guess I didn't have person that didn't you know, kind
of selfish person.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
I didn't have the greatest of games. But we won.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
That's the most important thing and so huge that we
beat the Air Force Cadets.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
And you've talked about Decker and your friendship and kind
of the relationship you get, what was that like playing
with him and the connection you two had, I mean,
obviously to the best at to ever do it in
this program and the numbers you guys put up was
pretty astounding.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Yeah, we had a lot of fun, you know, and
we were we were really close, and it was what
made it really fun is we started that friendship really
early on, prior to us even being up at University
of Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
I remember I would go up to Cold.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Spring and and we'll go watch him play baseball and
we would hang out. This is even prior to going
up to the University of Minnesota and started doing with
no idea if we would ever do anything right. It
was just I knew he's really good. I mean, he
was breaking good athlete and everything, so I knew he
had a chance, but we just never know. But then
when we started kind of playing, it was fun. And
(18:00):
that's what I try to tell people now is you know,
you got to build this rapport with your receivers. It's
so important to understand body language. It's like, yeah, there's
a whatever, it's.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
A curl rudder, a ten yard out. Yeah that's what
it is on paper.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
But you got to understand you got to be able
to read the body language of the player and know
where they want the football or you know, a lot
of times with Eric, which was fun, I would look
over it it's a run play. I would see man coverage,
no safety over the top. It's like, screw, let's throw
him a face, you know, what I mean, it's like, yeah,
so having fun. And thankfully I had coaches that embraced that.
You know that, They're like, yeah, you know, KYP know
(18:33):
your personnel. So it's like if you got a rock
star over there, feed them the football. And so we
had a lot of fun with it. I think we
could have done more, but I'm very happy with kind
of the connection we had and the success we had together.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
One thing you mentioned him in baseball, I didn't. I'd forgotten,
but you were elected a three sport captain at bounds
you how good were you at the assuming as basketball
and baseballs were the other sports? How good were you
in those sports?
Speaker 1 (19:02):
I was probably a better baseball player growing up. But
what I found was I love the physicality of football.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
It wasn't like baseball was. I really enjoyed baseball. I
mean playing high school ball. I grew up watching Joe Mauer.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So and my dad would take me up to Midway
to watch the creen Durham Hall. Watch Joe Mauer catch
the whole game coming and throw ninety six miles an
hour and close the game off and hit like two dingers.
You're like whoa, And then shake everybody's hand and say, hey,
good game.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
You know, just the most humble guy in the world, like, dude, this,
that's what I want to be. So that's who I
grew up round. And so I was.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I was a pretty good baseball player, but I'm you know,
I was a right handed pitcher throwing high eighties, maybe
low nineties.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
So it's nothing probably too special there. I was getting
some looks.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I remember trying out for some I think I tried
for like some major league teams in high school, but
again I don't think I was wollowing them away. And
then ultimately football was my passion still is, you know.
I just I just love the game of football. And
so once I got that offer from Glenn Mason from Minnesota,
I'm like, Okay, this is where I'm going to focus.
And so it wasn't like I didn't try as hard
(20:08):
at say baseball or basketball. It just they became the
second tier sport for me, where I was more more
dialedant for football, and you know, that's kind of how
it worked out. But and I'm glad I did, because again,
baseball is great. I love baseball. I still love watching
the sport. I just I love football and hitting and
all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
How did ZIGGI zols use you for the Mustangs? That's
what I want to know.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I was, you know, I was.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
I was a promising young player coming up, so I
was like, up on, they moved me up on varsity
JV as a freshman.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Wow, that was big. I mean I practically at the
same size as I was a freshman.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
So it's not because I think what happened was like
in one of the practices, I was we're doing like
the three man weave, and I was on the sophomore team.
I think they kicked me up to the sophomore team
early on, and then I dunked. You know, I can
practice and they're like, Okay, well we're gonna move up
to JV varsity, and so I think I got, you know,
like some scrap minutes there. So there's like potential, But
I never worked on my craft. Like I was never
(21:06):
in the gym, you know I was. I wasn't in
the gym because like in the summertime, I'm playing baseball,
I'm going to football camps, I'm doing all that. So
by the time like basketball season came around, you're just
finishing off football season.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
So you have football legs. I have no skills. I
can't dribble basketball.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It'd take me half a season just to kind of
get back into basketball shape and.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
To be able to do it.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
So I was just always behind where you know, rest
in piece Diggy Colts. He just recently passed away, but
he and even to this until his passing, when I
would see him, he's like, you were like the one
of the worst basketball like most counted basketball.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Like players I've ever coached.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
He's like, you know, as a quarterback here, you should
be good at like passing and like seeing wanes and like,
I just never.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Saw basketball that way I was. I I saw struggle.
So I became really I pride myself in.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I took a lot of charges, I made a lot
of I did a lot of screens and rebounded. You know,
I probably averaged out on a six points four to
six points a game. And then my senior ho, I'm
six too, not even I'm sniff and sniff to six
to two.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
I was the center. I was the five. So we're
a little.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Undersized small ball. Yeah you'd like to play, that's right. Yeah,
Draymond Green can do it. Not everybody can be Nick
Corvath right. Not everybody can be the legend Nick Corvath,
you know, going to Duke and all that. So how
do you like that knowledge, Burnsy? That's institutional knowledge right there.
Speaker 6 (22:26):
What are we going to get into Tartan basketball versus Mounds.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
View back in the day. That's what it is. God,
go ahead, Burnsy.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
Well, I want to go back to your last two
years when I mean we talked about Brewster bringing in Clint, Well,
what about the Marquise Gray experience there for your final
two years where he's the highly touted kid coming out
of Indianapolis and you're thinking yourself, Okay, it's another offensive coordinator.
Now he's bringing in his guy. Well, you remember about
just playing alongside him in the kind of caliber of
(22:55):
athlete he was as well?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Yeah, well, first off, he's a great human be so
luckily as talented as he was, and how the accolades
he had coming in. He's just a very great person,
still is to this day. And when I when I
see cos he's he's awesome. Right, So he's a great teammate.
But you I didn't know like they really wanted him
to be the starter. In fact, there was times in
(23:20):
practice where I would be downgraded to the second team,
and so but I looked at I always approached practice
and every single day that I'm I'm going to prepare
and practice like I'm the number two guy. I'm always fighting,
I'm always nothing's given. I have to earn that starting
spot every single day. And I saw I think with
(23:40):
that what allowed me to kind of keep my spot was.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
I was able to manage the game a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Definitely, he is more athletic than I am, bigger, stronger,
better runner. But I think I was the better quarterback
at the time because I could I understood the system,
understood the checks, understood defense, and then we kind of
incorporated him into some more of that wildcat stuff. And
then you know, my senior, I mean, he was like,
we got to have this guy in the field in
(24:08):
some capacity. He can't just be sitting on the bench.
And so I was moving the wide receiver and then
became a rock star wide receiver. And I was like,
you know, I can't remember a touchdown passes he had
over that in ten but yeah, a heck of the crew,
you know, season as a wide receiver for us, and
it just testament to his athletic ability and then obviously
going on to the NFL. But most importantly he was
(24:28):
a good person, a great teammate, and so he wasn't
you know, we were very u We were teammates and
that was awesome that we wanted to see the best
in each other.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Uh speaking, teammates. When you get to the NFL and
you're Denver, did you have one year overlap with Tebow?
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (24:43):
Yeah, with the twenty eleven season.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
Yeah, what was what was kind of like your NFL experience?
Like I think he Denver a couple of years? Was
it Washington or Tampa a couple of years? What was
your NFL?
Speaker 5 (24:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Your NFL experience?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Like, well it was what was really I mean really cool?
Was so I signed as another drafted free agent to Denver? Well,
you know the year prior Eric was drafted to Denver.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
Right right away, I'm coming into a locker room where
I have a friendly face.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
And so I'm kind of coming in, you know, trying
to figure it out, probably just the camp.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Arm right, I'm the fourth guy.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
And so luckily with like Eric, I remember I came in,
I had like a sore achilles from training and.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
Well, why am I blinking on his name?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
And now he's now passed away number eighty eight to
Mary's Thomas. So he's stood added. But a great human
being too is a rest in peace. A great human being.
He gave he had just torn his ace, his achilles
like the year prior, and he gave me a special
like soccer footwear to wear because I told him like, hey,
I got this sore thing, just go right away.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
I fell a part of the team, which is huge.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
And then I remember early on having some success and
people ask like, wow, what are you attributing the success
success to him?
Speaker 5 (25:51):
Like well, you know, it's.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Very helpful when everyone has to do their job and
if they don't, they're they're like they'll find somebody else.
Kind of college like if you got somebody who struggles
or something doing you know, say you have somebody up front,
he's not really the best blocker, maybe not the fastest guy,
and you just have to live with it. We're in
the NFL. I'm like, hey, I'll have a pocket. That's
I mean, I can work in inside of pocket. That's
(26:14):
that's no problem.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Like this is actually I found it a little easier
in practice where I was like wow.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Like you know, I just read the plays out and
so yeah, and it was never too it was never
too big for me, which was which was great. You know,
I felt very much at ease, and I was playing
really good football at that time. But Tim, he was
a locker roommate of mine, our teammate, we were next
to each other, just a really genuine person. What you
see is what you get. Very competitive. But I will say, like, yes,
(26:42):
some of our worst some of the worst practices I've
ever seen in my life were during that time. And
because you know, they're trying to make him a thrower,
and he just that wasn't his style.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
His style was he.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Was a football player, you know, who happened to throw
the you know, he happened to be the quarterback and
make some throws. But if you ask them to drop back,
you know, take a seven step drop, read it deep.
You know, that's not happening. That wasn't that's not where
he shines. And so I know he struggled there. I
mean there's some games. I think we played Kansas City
at Kansas City and we were like two for six throwing.
(27:13):
It was like the lowest passes, uh for a team
in the NFL since whatever, since the thirties or forties
and uh.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
To win a game.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Uh, but we won.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
And trust me, there's times where people we look at
each other. We you know, we went on a heat show.
We won a bunch of games in a row with Tim.
Once they moved him, they bench Kyle Whredon brought Tebow
in that Everyone's like, like, if you don't believe in.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
God before, you better believe in God. We just won
eight games in a row. This guy.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Like clutch throws to like he couldn't do anything all
day and then all of a sudden, he just like
dial it up and you guys would win the game.
It was I loved it. I loved it. Yeah, I
was all in on it. It's like the guy's winning games,
like yeah, he was, yeah, one for fourteen through the
first three, but he was three for three there in
some random it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Well, I think it goes to show is like that
competitive greatness that you've see in some people, some of
the great athletes, and he had that for sure. And
so you know when when the when the lights turn on,
the cockroaches scatter, they say, And he wasn't one of
those guys like like he showed up when when they
when they needed them. I think of even like our
playoff game, so we you know, we won the division.
(28:28):
Go to play the Steelers at home and you know,
kind of like a nothing game, and then go into overtime.
They play like cover zero for some reason, are really
low quarters and to Mary, we do a hard play action.
Demarius takes a nice skinny post and of course to
your point Guardsy throws a perfect bang.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Eight on to Marus Thomas. He takes an eighty yards
game over. You know, we win a playoff game. It's nuts.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
There's not many quarterbacks in NFL that can say they
want a playoff game. So you know what I mean,
You can say all the stuff you want about him. Yeah,
he you know, he did some things.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
Once were like, uh, I even think bad to if
you know. Transitioning to your time as a grad assistant
here at the University of Minnesota fifteen and sixteen, which
speak about being thrown into the fire that twenty fifteen season,
what in your mind, what is the biggest difference going
from being the successful collegiate quarterback to then having to
go way back down the food chain to being a
(29:18):
grad assistant, especially throughout a twenty fifteen season. That again
very very tumultuous with the way it ended up planning out.
Speaker 5 (29:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
No, I mean it's in a way you know it
is humbling or you have to check your ego for sure,
but you understand that you kind of have to cut
your teeth in this profession.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
You don't want anything given to you, especially in the
coaching realm. You want to earn it.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
And there are some things that you just you have
to figure out when you're when you're graduate assisting and
you're doing kind of all the non fun work.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
I'll say, rights.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
What long hours, very little pay too as well. I'm
not sure how that was even legal. I even did
like some some like charts on myself. I'm like, I'm
making like a dollar an hour.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
But uh, it was, I mean it was good. So
I was able to.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Work with the quarterbacks, work with receivers, which was great,
and Mitch Mitch Liner was the quarterback at the time,
and so it was kind of great. We would pull
off into our own film sessions together. I remember sharing
you know, stories with him because at the time I
think he thought, like my, my, my four years was
all rainbows and butterflies, like there's nothing going on, and
(30:26):
I'm like, you know, Mitch, because I think there's a
maybe after getting struggled and you know, people are writing
whatever it was like they wanted a new court of
whatever was going on. I was like, Mitch, there's times
I got I got it benched in practice and stuff like, Yeah,
you wouldn't imagine what some of the stuff that people
were saying about, like, it's just part of the deal.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
So be able to share that with somebody.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
And that's what I really enjoyed about coaching, was to
be able to share my time and hopefully pass that
on to people. And that's what really got me excited
about coaching. But burns it to your point, Uh, coach Kill,
it's our bye week. He has all the other coaches
on the road, so it's him.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
It's him and the j's running practice, and he wasn't
getting the right.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Effort out of the players. So you know, he had
a Jerry Hill kind of blow up, which he was
known to do a little bit, which is good, little fiery,
but it ended up forcing him to like have a seizure.
And so that was after that. I think it was
a couple of days later that he medically retired. From that,
which was really, you know, tough. But then you know,
(31:26):
Tracy Clays comes in, who I'm sure you guys all
got to speak with him a little bit, kind of
just laid back guy.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
He's like, you know, football is not hard, guy, you know,
And I like that.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
I like that, Like some coaches get through ego in
there and they're trying to reinvent the wheel, and it's like, guys,
it's third and ten. You can run a screen, you
can try to pick it up, or you know, you
hand the ball off and.
Speaker 5 (31:46):
Just try to live for the next you know.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
I think he even told coach he's like, if you're
up here past ten thirty, you're an idiot.
Speaker 5 (31:52):
It's not a hard sport. I like that, Like it
made sense.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Yeah, But we also knew that at the time with
Toy steps down where they're in a search for an
ad and so when they hired Mark Coyle, you're like.
Speaker 5 (32:04):
I kind of know the writing on the wall here.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I don't think coach Clays is going to be the
head guy moving forward. But we still went through it
and you had a pretty crazy season that year as well,
should have been better than we were.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
And then of course we.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Had off the field issues, which doesn't help anything. But
then crazy enough, we go and win the bowl game.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
And then you know the next day we're fired.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
So that's all that's college coaching for you.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Your time there, that could be an entire podcast.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Crazy two years to.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Your playing career, you're probably like, oh yeah, coach, step down,
big deal. I had fifty two coaches in five years,
Like what's the and the one guy's right here, like,
no problem. You were probably prepared. But one of my
favorite moments because you got a lot of credit. I
remember Jerry talking a lot about how good you were
for Mitch because you're right. I mean, we all know
how you know, Mitch took a lot of heat while
he was here, right, I mean that's why I coined
(32:58):
the phrase Leidner Island. Burnsley and I were the only
two ones living on Leidner Island. And like the guys
winning games, the team likes him? Is he is he
perfect all the time?
Speaker 4 (33:06):
No?
Speaker 3 (33:06):
But the NFL can't find thirty two starting quarterbacks, So
what chance does the Big.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Ten West have to have a bunch of guys just
lightening up? Every week?
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Every college team has problems with their quarterbacks at times.
But I always remember after that Holiday Bowl, Adam, we
were in the team hotels we stayed after and Mitch's
parents were hanging out down there, and you'd you'd pop
down there. Burns you might have been there too, because
you used to live at the hotel bar with other
assistant coaches whose name nameless. But to see them how
(33:36):
appreciative they were of you as someone just watching it
from the outside, who watched you on the field because
that's where you were, I just thought that was really
cool that in that short time it was obvious the
impact that you had on their son. And even though
you don't coach anymore, that to me, that is why
you coach right, to make a positive impact like that,
And you could just tell how appreciative they were that
(33:58):
you came along when you did to kind of shepherd
Mitch through. Obviously you want a lot of games, but
like you said, could have been more. There was more
meat on that bone. And if you make another thrower,
you get another stop. You're we're talking about different things.
I just thought that was you guys clearly had a
pretty good bond, and I wanted to pass that on.
So I just thought that was a cool moment.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yeah no, and I just like Mitch is a wonderful
you know man, and so you know, he was a
great leader of the team and just again to be
shoulder to shoulder with them, it is very enjoyable. To
your point, that's why I was coaching. It wasn't for
anything else other than to have those moments, those bonds,
to be there, to share, to be be somebody that
(34:39):
I wish I had when I was coming up.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
And that's that was, you know, my main focus.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
So I'm thankful and appreciative that they they saw that
support that I had in their son.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
And so yeah, it's that's the special stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
It's you know, obviously it's the wins and losses that
kind of go down to the record book, but those
are the relationships are what are lifelong and lasting.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
So Adam with the coach, is it just a lifestyle
choice for a year for you that you didn't want
to stay in that profession?
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, no, I saw, you know, I look at like
a guy like Jetfish, great guy, great coach.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
You know, a ton of success now at the University
of Washington.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
But I remember that, you know, coaches would have up
in their office or at their house, all their different stops,
you know they've been to.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
I was like twelve or what was it.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
It was like like eight nine stops in eleven years.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
Right, So that's it's not ideal.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
And then it was you know, at Minnesota with Tracy Clay's,
with Coach Clay's, I was like, this is you know,
we're this makes sense. It was when I got to
kind of UCLA, which was great and nothing against the
profession and the people that do it.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
I just was like, man, I'm up here.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
For sixteen hours or probably getting eight hours of work done.
I like all the you guys, but I would rather
be home. You know, if we're done working, there's nothing
to do. I would rather be home with. At the
time it was my girlfriend, but now my wife. It's
like and I saw like my future. It's like it's
just more valuable to me to be a father and
a husband. Then to the scheme how to pick up
third down, you know, it's like we're not hearing cancer.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
Why am I up here until one o'clock in the morning. Yeah,
So that's what kind of got me.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
And then to realize, like to stay in it, I
was going to have to move around and do that.
I just want to I want to put down I
want to put down roots and I wanted to be
a family man.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
So yes, it was a lifestyle choice.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Ultimately, what were your living conditions like in Westwood? What
was your job? First of all with Jed? What was
your official title?
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Official title was Offensive Analysts, which whatever the hell that means, right,
I was. I was the intermediary between the coaching staff
and the GA essentially, but a pseudo quarterback coach because
Jed was the quarterback coach offensive coordinator, That's.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
Where I stepped in and assisted there.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
So I really assistant quarterback coach is probably what the
more realistic title is what I was. And then liaison
of the gas, so you know, I'd make sure that
the Jays are doing all the stuff that they needed
to do.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
And then I would be assisting Jed as the assistant
quarterback coach.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
What kind of mansion did you have there in bel
Air with that salary and that title?
Speaker 5 (37:02):
We were, Yeah, a little bit more south. We're in
Culver City. Actually, I'll tell you what I don't mind.
I didn't mind LA.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
I mean, yes, cost of living was brutal, but I
was like, I wake up and flip flops and shorts
every day.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
I like, I can get used to that. And we'd
practice earlier. We'd practice at.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Seven am, so that meant I was getting up at
like five, getting up to the facility to make sure
I got all my stuff done.
Speaker 5 (37:24):
And then it'd be like a full day. Probably leave
in the facility at like midnight or one o'clock.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Drive on the four o five, which depending on traffic,
I was only like two miles away, could take you,
like you know, not at that time a night, it
wasn't bad, but certain times a day your traffics brutal.
But I mean I'll come home, I'll eat some cold
leftovers in the fridge, laid on for like three hours,
wake up and do it all over again.
Speaker 5 (37:44):
It just after a while just kind of got it
wears on you.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
So you mentioned, uh, wife and kids. Now, what's what's
Adam Weber's life twenty twenty five? Kids growing? You can
be the the dad coach for them if they're in
sports or are you at go for games on Saturdays?
What kind of what's the life like now?
Speaker 1 (38:04):
I would say, like, yes, I'm looking forward to I
love those Like what I love about sports is like
there's there's life lessons to be learned through it. There
of a sport, a game of practice is a microcosm
of what you're gonna face the life.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
So I do love that component to it. I don't
look forward to some of the stuff I see.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
In youth sports when it comes to say, like other
parents and things like that, I'm not looking forward to
that at all one bit.
Speaker 5 (38:29):
But yeah, no, two small children. I got a three
and a half year old son. His name is Bear.
He's awesome, he's uh, you know, and crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
And then a one and a half year old daughter
named Billy. So yeah, the loves of my life. And
then my wife Jasmine, So we're doing that, which is awesome.
I got my son, you know, got him learning how
to skate. Uh. I never played hockey like you know, competitively.
I'm kind of hoping my son but doesn't either. But
you better learn how to skate all those things. It's
(38:59):
like we'll teach i'm ow to swim, We'll teach them
all the stuff. You're gonna learn how to swing a
golf club, you know, all the things. And so I'm
just loving life that way. And professionally, I work for
a company called Marsha McClelland Agency. I'm a health and
benefits broker, so I work with companies that are kind
of growing and I try to help them through.
Speaker 5 (39:17):
Their kind of insurance process.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
So it's it's a job that it's like what I
tell people, it's not like when I was growing up, Hey,
this is what I'm dreaming I dreamt of being. But
what I do enjoy is the people I get to
meet and help and get them like put together to them.
I truly kind of quarterback for like it's kind of
funny how that plays out, but I truly quarterback a
situation where I'm the quarterbacking my our resources at my
(39:41):
company to what this company needs, and then I just
make sure that the right people are in the right spots.
And it provides a lifestyle that allows me to be
home for dinner, which I'm very appreciative of forever.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
The quarterback, right, it doesn't leave me.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
So you said your son's already skating a little bit.
He's three and a half.
Speaker 5 (39:59):
Yeah, you got him in some skate lessons up up
here in Maple Girl.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Yeah that's good, because I was gonna say, if he
hasn't started now he's already behind behind.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
Yeah, and and especially if you.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Don't have a hockey background, like I didn't, you'll find
out once he joins a team, his assistant coaches will
all have like five hundred games in the NHL because
all the hockey players just move here have kids. And
that's so, yeah, find him other sports if you don't
want to deal with that.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
That's what I'm dealing with.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
But I'm glad you got him on skates so he
won't be too far behind at four when you get
him out of.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
A neighbor neighbor friend who's like giving us a bunch
of the kids gear to get him ready, Like these
are the breezers and like, what the.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
What are they? I guess they're shorts. They're shorts with
paths that yes, yeah, I'm so oblivious to it.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Like I can skate, but no idea about like the
culture and lifestyle of hockey, which is I don't know,
probably tough because I live in Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
I'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
You'll figure it out. You're a smart guy. You can
go through transitions.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Can we talk about your last game in our in
our final couple of minutes, the game against Iowa speaking
of skates and conditions. I remember leaving at halftime because
it was so cold. Shout out Sally's for keeping a
warm but that had to be And you mentioned Jeff Horton.
I always I had just kind of started covering the
team more regularly then and went to the press conferences,
(41:18):
mostly because of the free food, much to Mason's chagran court.
But the I loved his approach that whole time, because
like he obviously knows he's the interim coach, and he's
and he's saying I always remember the line like, eh,
when whatever happens after the last game, there's a train
track that runs by our practice field, I'll grab an
apple and I'll hop on that.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
We'll see where it takes me. Like just the fun.
No one wants to.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
See their coach fire during the season, but I have
to imagine like that was a good guy to kind
of take things over. It seemed like he had a
good just kind of reference for all of you, and
obviously you guys played great down the stretch and beating
Iowa was always.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
A great thing. Right to wrap up the season.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
There, Yeah, no coach hort As we say, he's the
man he's just a really great human being, great great
father figure to look up to. But yeah, like it's
not ideal coach, you know, Coach Brewster by that point,
you know, the the writing was on the wall.
Speaker 5 (42:11):
We weren't performing very well. You know, we lose to Purdue.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
And and I think he gets fired, you know, not
too much later after that.
Speaker 5 (42:21):
So that not ideal, right, because that's that's life changing
for people. You know. Coach grew ended up just fine
for himself, you.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
Know, but still it's it's a humbling kind of it's
a low in someone's life. And then the whole rest
of the staff kind of knows, all right, well, you know,
we're we're probably done here. You never know, right, you
want to stay positive. So it's just all that kind
of going on. But yeah, coach Coach Horten comes in,
he changes up practice, like even how he warmed up.
(42:47):
He's like, we're gonna just guys, you know, let's just
let's find the joy in what we're doing these last
a little bit. And that was really important because I
knew this was like my last go around to where
you know, I grew up my whole life dreaming of
wearing the room to go right and then to have
it where you're like not enjoying it or not being enjoying, but.
Speaker 5 (43:06):
It's just not going the way you want. He was
able to kind of bring back that joy and have
fun with it. And then to your point, Yeah, we
had some success at the end.
Speaker 1 (43:13):
We beat Illinois at Illinois, which is awesome, and then
to beat Iowa at home. Yes, the last the last game,
which yes, very cold. I can't remember what the temperature was,
but they didn't have the field wasn't heat it. You know,
this is prior to like where they came in and
like the NFL had to heat it because Brett.
Speaker 5 (43:31):
That's when Brett Farva I think that same year.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
Because it was rock hard.
Speaker 5 (43:36):
Yeah, and so that the field is rock hard. But
it was awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
I do not like the Hawkeyes, so that was awesome.
I wish we would have beaten more of the rival games.
But I'm very very thankful that we beat the Hawkeyes
and we got the floida Rosedale and then we took
it out into Dinky Town that night, which was very.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Fun carry it around dinky Town. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (44:01):
Well, you know, you.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Get you get some liquid courage, and yeah, I can
do it. But no, yeah, it was.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
It was a team effort.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
What else for Adam? Guys?
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Yeah, hey, Bernie, go ahead, BERNSI.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
Well, I'm trying to take you back fifteen years now.
Want see if guards you can find the photo that
I sent him earlier?
Speaker 2 (44:21):
Photo right here?
Speaker 6 (44:27):
You have any recollection of that night before I tell
the story of how I remember it.
Speaker 5 (44:34):
I don't. I'm trying to think. I don't even know.
Speaker 4 (44:37):
Look at that smile on Burnsy, He's so happy. Was
that it?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (44:43):
That was over it? I speak at something or what
was that?
Speaker 2 (44:47):
All right?
Speaker 6 (44:47):
So to give context for this photo on the screen,
here you in a former Bloomington Jefferson player that you
were trying to mentor at the time, came over to
the machine shed right off ninety four there to speak
at the I think it was the Tartan High School
football banquet.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Where the story goes, My father called to.
Speaker 6 (45:09):
You and said, hey, can you send over a couple
of players to come talk at our year end banquet?
And they sent Adam Weber and Moses Alipate. Wow, got
to sit at the same table as the Adam Weber
got to hear some pretty good stories. And I'll tell
you my father couldn't give a more glowing recommendation. So
if you ever need somebody to write you on, the
(45:32):
unofficial mayor of Oakdale himself would love to give Adam Weber.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (45:36):
But when we when we uh, look at.
Speaker 5 (45:42):
And I was like, yeah, look at that fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Ago, Adam.
Speaker 4 (45:47):
You know what, Adam, if you did in high school,
if you'd have done that this year, they'd have paid
you a lot of money to do that.
Speaker 5 (45:52):
Yeah. I got the deal, that's right.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
Yeah, look at this. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be
a linebacker hitting you at him. I mean look at that.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
You were ready, yeah, sticker, Yeah, that's funny. People can
always give you a kind of crap about that. I got, dude,
I thought you would be bigger. It's like, well, you know,
I was like thirty pounds ago. What's the quarterback?
Speaker 4 (46:14):
I'm not like, so it's not just lineman that lose
the weight after you get done playing, right, Yeah?
Speaker 5 (46:20):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
I look at Bernsy and his shirt. That's good stuff, Burnsy,
that looks like an Express shirt that.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
You got to know.
Speaker 6 (46:27):
To tell you, I don't know how to dress to
this day. It's very late two thousands, early twenty because
I got the undershirt rocking.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Yeah, uh yeah, it was Adam got here. Look at
that hair. That's good. I got a little.
Speaker 5 (46:40):
Curract's why I started grown on my hair. That was
my little hippie face there.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
Yeah, your big tech quarterback. You do whatever you want,
all right, No one wants to there, that's right. Anything else, guys,
or should we let mister Webber get out of the
rest of his day quarterback? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Business.
Speaker 4 (46:57):
I always wrapped these up at him with this guy
in my thoughts, and I always tell people that you're
one of the great players in Gopher's history and certainly
quarterbacks in the record, but a better person and a
great representative of the university and kind of what you
stand for. And it's great to see you in your
post career doing great with your family and your and
(47:18):
your professional life, and just a wonderful ambassador for Go
for football. You won't find anybody better than Adam. So
appreciate you coming on here and sharing some stories with us.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
So well, thank you for those kind words. It was
important for me always again with growing up watching Joe Mauer,
I knew I wanted I wanted to have. The reputation matters,
and how you carry yourself matters, and so of all things,
whether it's success you win games or not, I wanted
to to people say exactly what you just said.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
So thank you for sharing that, and thank you guys
for doing this. This is awesome. I love that you
guys are doing this, so thank you for having me on.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
It's always great to see on the field.
Speaker 4 (47:55):
Man.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
What's it like for you to go back now and
just kind of hang out on the field and the
former players assume you were part of the alumni weekend.
Earlier I ran into Koke Keith that at the Tampa Airport.
He was coming back. Like, seems like that thing has
really grown here in the last handful of years, where
all you guys, regardless of who your coach was is,
have been coming back a lot more.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Yeah, it's so important and it's got to get better. Frankly, like,
I'm glad that we're doing this because that's huge.
Speaker 5 (48:21):
You realize that we all share that common that common thread.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
We're all.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
We all wore the m when whether you're a person
name that people know or not, whether you just happened
to put on the jersey and never really saw the field.
Speaker 5 (48:33):
Doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
You wore the M and so that's a brotherhood. And
so I'm glad that we're doing that. We need to
get better at that because you know, that's what it's
all about, is the people that you're you know, you're
surrounding yourself with, whether it's personally or professionally, and we
can rite, you know, raise everybody up. That's important. So
I'm so glad that Coach Black and his staff started
doing that. It's important, and they they've opened the doors.
Speaker 5 (48:57):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
I will say I do not envy people when I
see the hits. When I'm down on the sideline, guards
you want to see you down there.
Speaker 5 (49:04):
And you hear some of these hits. I was coaching
fifteen and sixty. I'll be on the sideline and guys
are just getting whacked. It's like, oh, man, I guess
that's what it was. You just some crazy.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
How quickly that changes, and how I would I couldn't
couldn't do it anymore.
Speaker 5 (49:21):
But when you're eighteen nineteen, you know you're invincible, So right.
Speaker 3 (49:24):
You could do it now, but this guy should right
here deliver the hits. Not now, But that guy could
definitely do it. Thanks man, It's great to see you
as always. People love hearing some stories and obviously you
have so many from your career and we appreciate you, man,
and we'll see you on campus this fall, the first
(49:44):
game right around the corner.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
But thanks for taking the time, dude.
Speaker 5 (49:47):
I appreciate it. Guys, great to see you go go first.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
That's Adam Weber and this has been the Pair and
a spare podcast. Thanks as always to our great partners
at Jack's Cafe. Make your reservations at Jaxcafe dot com.
Glenn Mason said a long time ago at the University
of Minnesota, you need a pair and a spare.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Thank you, PJ.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
It is time, after a couple of weeks, for another
edition of the Parent of Spare podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm justin Guard from Kate fam.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
We've got Chip Scoggins from the Star Tribune, Ryan Burns
from Gopher Illustrated dot com. So is this episode one
oh one? We haven't done one since PJ. Right, PJ
Fleck was the last episode that we did.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
Correct, you're one one start a new century.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Yeah, I'm of the next century. Hopefully we got another
one hundred episodes in US. Thanks everybody who checked out
the PJ Fleck episode. It was a lot of fun
to do that what three four weeks ago. Appreciate Jack's
Cafe for sponsoring this show again and the great event
we had for Dickytown athletes.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
It was a ton of fun. And we're going back
to the legend series.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Is it fair to call this the Parent a Spare
legend series?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Absolutely? This next guy's a legend for sure.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I think that's what we're doing. So we're excited to
open up the yearbook a little bit. One of our
favorite players to cover. One of our favorite players to
run into around town and frankly one of the best
of all time.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
He's Adam Weber legend, looks like he could still throw
for How are you man?
Speaker 5 (01:10):
I'm great, guys, how you guys do it?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We're good. Thank you for doing this.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I like to just kind of lay out, especially for
a guy like Chip who covered all you guys a
much more closely.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We'll get to it, Burns.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
He was like seven years old when you played that,
So we're going to get to that in a minute.
But we're just going to open up the year book,
tell some stories, talk a little go for football past
and presence, and Chipper lead it off.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Buddy, Yeah, Adam, thanks for having us there, coming on here.
I went back through some clips so I got the
added the good fortune of covering Adam's I think first
two years as a beat writer. And I went back
and I looked at a story I did on you
from two thousands before your first start, and I think
(01:52):
either you told me, your dad told me, and Adam's dad,
Bob was a former Gopher cornerback back in the day,
but he there was a story about when you were
a freshman at Mounds View and he drove you down
to it must have been the Metrodome, and you guys
maybe snuck into the Metrodome or the story where there's
no one around. You guys walked around the field just
(02:13):
to kind of kind of a reconnaissance mission. This was
when you're a freshman, and then this is you know,
I think you reflected on it that week before you
first start. You do you remember that and kind of
take back the recruiting process and kind of what that
was like.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So, you know, I think if I'm recalling correctly, So
I started as a freshman due to Luke Johnson, who
was at Molins.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
The starting quarterback who's gonna be a senior.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
He tore his acl that summer, so I knew I'd
be up on the varsity team in some capacity, either
like lying back or running back. I was wearing number
twenty seven, you know, so I was just happy to
be there. And all of a sudden, the starting quarterback
goes down.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
I'm competing. They let me go tryout quarterback. I end
up winning the job.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And so now this our first game is at Blaine,
who was at that time or you know, they're still
pretty good but they're really good at that time, like
going to stay consistently and things like that. So my
dad prior to the game, drove me up to the
Blaine Stadium and so we were walking around that field
just to kind of get my bearings down, figure it out,
so i'd be a little bit more comfortable. Luckily, when
(03:18):
I was a freshman, amounts you, I grew up my
older brother was a senior. He was a football player,
and so I grew up around all those guys, and
so I felt pretty comfortable.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
But it was helpful knowing that my dad kind of
knew that it was.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
A little bit different stadium than playing in some you know,
Pop Warner Fielder. You have ten parents there, so that
was helpful. But yeah, you know, he was always my
dad was always a great support and kind of understanding
the psychology that goes into some of the nerves, especially
(03:52):
as a freshman go into into that into that situation.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Then it was it because your dad played there. I
mean assume you group a Gopher fan. Was it as
you became you know, junior senior year getting recruited, was
it always going to be the Gophers or did you
look at other schools too?
Speaker 5 (04:09):
Or yeah no.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I So what I appreciate my parents was, you know,
good or bad. They they kind of said, this is
on you. You you make a decision, you figure it
out wherever you want to go with support, you know,
if you want to go check out campuses. And so
early on I was. It was after my sophomore year.
You know, I was at Mona's. We did a wing tea.
So I mean half the time I was handing there.
(04:32):
You know, ninety percent of the time I handed the
ball off of my back is to the defense. So
I wasn't being heavily recruited at that point. I went
to a seven on seven camp at Minnesota. Eric Decker's there.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
So this is the.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Summer going into my junior year, summer after my sophomore year,
and uh performerly well throwing the ball really well.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Uh I remember it was.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
One situation where you know they're having us throw concepts
like a curl flat concept against defender. I'm like, oh,
so you read the defense and then depending on what
the defender does, I just throw.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
I'm like, that's brilliant, that's amazing. I can do this. Uh.
And then so after that camp, Glenn Mason offered me.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
I think he ended up offering Eric Deck at that
same time as well, and that's where Eric and Eric
and I first met and kind of started our friendship.
So then from there I started doing more camps and
so my dad would always just travel with me and.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Take me to mostly around. I knew I want to
stay in the Big ten. Uh. Minnesota was the easy choice, or.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
This the most you know, simple choice, I would say,
or you know what would make the most sense. But
I want to do my due diligence and make sure
that I was making the right decision for myself and
my future.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
When it came down.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
To it, it was between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and I
was really close to going to Wisconsin.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
That was a really interesting decision.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
But I remember my parents and I talking to coach
Mason and say saying, you know, one of our concerns
is if you're going to stay around, you know, because
at that point he was like up for a contract
renewal and going into that decision time, he had just
signed like a four year extension. So I was like,
you know what, that kind of solidifies it because that
mische Wisconsin coach Elvrez had just stepped down and so
(06:20):
there's kind of some uncertainty of what that next step
look like at Wisconsin, and so annoying coach Mason was
going to be there for my four years. I'm like, boom,
let's go. I'm ready to make that decision. So I
made that decision prior to my senior year and then
lo and behold, that four year extension only lasted one
season or two seasons.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
So anyways, it all worked out though.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Yeah, Mays always talks about he had delusions of grander
for how you were going to run his offense. He
said that on the fan a million times. So what
is that like when, because this is do you go
back to two thousand and six, there's no transfer portal, right,
I mean there's no like getting out of your NI
NL I. It was nl I before it was I L.
It was just a different time, right, So what was
(07:03):
that like when you know, they come back from that
Bowl game, Glenn Mason's fired, and all of a sudden,
here comes Tim Brewster, a guy that I don't know
if you'd ever heard of him before he got the
head coaching job. So what was that whole thing like
as a young buck?
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yeah, No, it was I mean definitely interesting times.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
My first time I met or saw coach Brewster is
when they did the introductory press conference, and so I
think they did that like the Alumni Center or something
like that, and so you saw it, You're like, whoa,
this guy is on a different level.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Okay, a little bit different than than coach Mason. But
you know, at the time, it was.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
You got to buy in, you got to do it
because I knew I wanted to play at Minnesota, had
really built up some great friendships with my teammates, and
so now it was okay, well, you know, well this
this is the next challenge. We'll figure it out, and
you buy in. And it was no doubt it was interesting.
There's not one time that I considered leaving because you know,
(07:59):
at that point, right, you have to sit out a season,
blah blah blah. But I just figured, you know, let's
just go compete here and see what happens. Give him
my best and probably helps that. I was a super naive,
like I didn't know, like when a new coach comes in,
they're probably gonna want to bring their own people in
and I'm not his guy, and blah blah blah. It's
like I didn't even think about that stuff. I was like,
(08:19):
I'll just I'll just compete. My dad always said the
cream of the crop rises to the top, no matter
you know, no matter what.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
So that's just how I've always approached it is.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Regardless of where I'm at, I'll just make sure that
I put myself in a position to to compete and
and hopefully earn that starting starting spot.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Not only did he bring his own people in, he
brought his son in who was a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And you stay.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
But you know, I always said that, you know, Adam's
name is throughout the record but holds all the records,
which is a testament not only to your talent, obviously
we always saw that, but just your willingness to adapt it.
I don't know that there's a college quarterback who went
through as much as you did in a five year career.
(09:08):
Three head coaches and four offensive coordinators different in a
you know, five year span. In some ways, it was
unfair that you were asked to kind of change on
the fly so often with different schemes and you're running
the spread one year and something else. What was that
like as a quarterback hapened to constantly have a new coordinator,
(09:28):
a new system, new verbage, all that thing, and just
being able to adapt to it.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
So I looked at it.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
You know, there there's two ways that you can approach
change like that. You can either sit there and say, well,
you know this sucks. I don't like this new system.
The old system was better, you know, stay in that zone.
Or you say, hey, I get an opportunity to learn
something new. I get to be around a new coach,
you know, and try to embrace it.
Speaker 5 (09:52):
So that's no doubt. Hindsight looking at it is like, yes, continuity.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
We struggled because of that, no question, and that it
will always be a tough thing to live with. That
we weren't successful during those four years that I played,
But I looked at it that it also prepared me
to have an opportunity in the NFL where I knew
a bunch of different systems and I could learn a
new system really fast.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
You know, you get a big playbook.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
It's that thick I knew, just like, okay, I don't
need you really need to look at that, right And okay,
you called this. You call this formation solo and other
people calls it double. You know, it's like in my mind,
I can figure it out. It's like learning a new language.
Once you kind of learn to like learn a new language,
you can pick it up faster. And so I chose
to embrace it. And I had some great coaches along
(10:39):
the way. Mike Dunbar was great. Jedfish is great. I'm
still close with Jetfish. He's still trying to get me
on his staff at Washington.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
You know.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So it's like Jeff Jeff Wharton was great. You know,
so some really great coaches along the way. And but yes,
that was going through that. Now looking back, every summer,
you would love to like go out and captain's practice
and lead the team and be like, here's the players
(11:07):
we're running.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
We'd go to captains practice, like, guys, I've know a
freaking idea, or I don't know, I don't know what
system running this year.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Just go deep, Just go deep up.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Yeah, yeah, just that, go deep.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
You know. But that that's where that's that's where it
really challenged. And then recruiting wise, especially offensive linement. You
go from Glenn Mason's system, which is that kind of
outside zone, you know, Shanahan style, heavy, you know, heavy
on the running back to spread system where you're recruiting
different type alignment, and then all of a sudden, you
(11:41):
go to Jed Fish, who's going more pro styles, and
now we go back to big guys. Well, yeah, it's
a cool idea, but it takes years to develop these
linemen all of a sudden, you know. It's like, that's
where it's the trickle down effect of it takes a
few years to kind of get the right guys in
the system. And that's where I think we ran into
a lot of problems with that changing and stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
I just can't imagine in today's landscape having a quarterback
go through four offensive coordinators and trying to have to
like I can't imagine a Max Brozemer or a Tanner
Morgan actually sticking it out in this day and age.
But before I ask you about a specific player story,
there is one game of yours that I will forever remember.
I think Chip was probably there guards you too, which
(12:23):
was a Halloween night against Michigan State. Can you what
do you remember most about that specific game? I remember
watching that. I was at a hunting camp at the
time in Western Minnesota. One of my favorite games of
all time to turn on. What do you remember about
that Michigan State Halloween game.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Uh. Yeah, so that was a very fun evening, uh
people because it's late, you know, this late game, so
everyone wash was excited for you know ly uh. I
know my family was all dressed up in hilarious costumes,
which was funny.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
But yeah, it just was.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
I mean we started off with a bank like the
very first play was a throwback to Dewan Bennett and
he took it for I don't know, sixty seventy yards
and so it's just one of those games where.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Everything was on in that one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yeah, And so it's just one of those games where
there's some fluky stuff that happened too. I throw ball
to Jeff Towernett, who was our tight end. He gets
whacked because it was it wasn't the greatest of throws,
kicks off his leg. Dwan Bennett catches it and then
takes it for like you know, it was uh. And
the crazy thing is, I think, you know, three for
over four hundred yards. They probably should have been over
five hundred something because there's a couple a couple of
(13:30):
misses on my part, a couple of drops, but it
was Yeah, it's one of those weird games where everything
was flowing. And the funny thing is too is after
that game, jed Jeff Fish with the cordingate at the time,
He's like.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
All right, yeah, let's roll. And I think we played
like Illinois the next week and I missed.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Like my first throw and he's like, dude, what what happened? Like, yes,
it'd be great to be like, you know, in the
in the flow zone all the time. But that may
have been one of those special games where you know,
all the stars aligned and you know, but it was
incredibly fun.
Speaker 5 (13:58):
I wish, I wish there's more games like that.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
There's a few others we're going to talk about. I
was in Green Bay, Wisconsin that night. Were you there, Chipper,
because it was Farv's return to Lambo than I was.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Yeah, I was in Green Bay but watching it.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Yeah yeah, So I was with some buddies that had
flown in from all over the country to watch Farv.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Go to Lambeau.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
By the time we sat down at stadium view bar
and got those big beer you know whatever, they're called
boots the Gophers, I'm like, we got to get over here,
let's go watch the Gophers. Players can say you guys
are up fourteen rip and I'll be honest, after that,
the night's a little fuzzy, I'll say that. But just
talk about being at you know, you got to see
(14:39):
the transition from you know, the Dome to TCF Banks Stadium,
which now, you know, kids these days take for granted
like it was a big deal to I think we're
seeing the fruits of football being back on campus.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You know now that w'ds it's like, you know, fifteen
years or.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
So now just to tailgating so much better, all of that.
But you were there kind of at the front end,
like what was that whole whole vibela like in those
early years.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah, well, I mean I remember that was part of
the recruiting shtick for coach Mason, was like, hey, we're
fighting hard to get this stadium on campus. You know
it will probably be ready during your playing time and
you get to be a part of that. So I
really commend coach Mason to kind of get that done
and up and running. But yeah, the Metrodome was that
(15:23):
was cool for a little bit. I mean, as a quarterback,
this mat it's always seventy win. Yeah, conditions are great,
but when it comes to the atmosphere, you know, it
felt like a it's a neutral site essentially every single time, right,
so you miss out on reguards you as you put it,
that kind of college atmosphere. And so after a while
you started noticing that where it was, you know, this
(15:43):
isn't our home.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
You know, this is just a kind of a just
a spot, just a stadium and play on.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
It was cool because it was a professional stadium, but
it wasn't our home. And so to open up TCF
Bank at the time, Huntington Bank now incredibly special.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Uh planing air force that night.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
To be a part of that that is something really
cool because in fact, I have you know, that opening
night picture that you know, they probably sell it now,
but it's a really nice, cool picture of the stadium.
And just to know like I was on that team,
I was a part of that that that team, that
process is one of those special moments that yeah, you
can maybe focus on, man, I wish we would have
done this, or you know, maybe not so many coaches changes,
(16:25):
but then you say, look at this positive A lot
of that situation I was able to open We were
a part of that team that opened that stadium.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
And you know, most important when you open a stadium,
it's really important to win the game.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
Very thankful we did. It wasn't it wasn't very exciting
on offense.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I was kind of I was a little pissed on
myself because it's like we didn't we didn't do much
on offense. I want to say, like Nate Triplett had
a nice flumble return for a touchdown. You know, of course,
it's like your dreams of like, well, first opening up
the stadium, big long touchdown pass. Fans are going nuts,
and it was like, well, you know, you know, I
guess I didn't have person that didn't you know, kind
of selfish person.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
I didn't have the greatest of games. But we won.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
That's the most important thing and so huge that we
beat the Air Force Cadets.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
And you've talked about Decker and your friendship and kind
of the relationship you get, what was that like playing
with him and the connection you two had, I mean,
obviously to the best at to ever do it in
this program and the numbers you guys put up was
pretty astounding.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Yeah, we had a lot of fun, you know, and
we were we were really close, and it was what
made it really fun is we started that friendship really
early on, prior to us even being up at University
of Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
I remember I would go up to Cold.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Spring and and we'll go watch him play baseball and
we would hang out. This is even prior to going
up to the University of Minnesota and started doing with
no idea if we would ever do anything right. It
was just I knew he's really good. I mean, he
was breaking good athlete and everything, so I knew he
had a chance, but we just never know. But then
when we started kind of playing, it was fun. And
(18:00):
that's what I try to tell people now is you know,
you got to build this rapport with your receivers. It's
so important to understand body language. It's like, yeah, there's
a whatever, it's.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
A curl rudder, a ten yard out. Yeah that's what
it is on paper.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
But you got to understand you got to be able
to read the body language of the player and know
where they want the football or you know, a lot
of times with Eric, which was fun, I would look
over it it's a run play. I would see man coverage,
no safety over the top. It's like, screw, let's throw
him a face, you know, what I mean, it's like, yeah,
so having fun. And thankfully I had coaches that embraced that.
You know that, They're like, yeah, you know, KYP know
(18:33):
your personnel. So it's like if you got a rock
star over there, feed them the football. And so we
had a lot of fun with it. I think we
could have done more, but I'm very happy with kind
of the connection we had and the success we had together.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
One thing you mentioned him in baseball, I didn't. I'd forgotten,
but you were elected a three sport captain at bounds
you how good were you at the assuming as basketball
and baseballs were the other sports? How good were you
in those sports?
Speaker 1 (19:02):
I was probably a better baseball player growing up. But
what I found was I love the physicality of football.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
It wasn't like baseball was. I really enjoyed baseball. I
mean playing high school ball. I grew up watching Joe Mauer.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So and my dad would take me up to Midway
to watch the creen Durham Hall. Watch Joe Mauer catch
the whole game coming and throw ninety six miles an
hour and close the game off and hit like two dingers.
You're like whoa, And then shake everybody's hand and say, hey,
good game.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
You know, just the most humble guy in the world, like, dude, this,
that's what I want to be. So that's who I
grew up round. And so I was.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I was a pretty good baseball player, but I'm you know,
I was a right handed pitcher throwing high eighties, maybe
low nineties.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
So it's nothing probably too special there. I was getting
some looks.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I remember trying out for some I think I tried
for like some major league teams in high school, but
again I don't think I was wollowing them away. And
then ultimately football was my passion still is, you know.
I just I just love the game of football. And
so once I got that offer from Glenn Mason from Minnesota,
I'm like, Okay, this is where I'm going to focus.
And so it wasn't like I didn't try as hard
(20:08):
at say baseball or basketball. It just they became the
second tier sport for me, where I was more more
dialedant for football, and you know, that's kind of how
it worked out. But and I'm glad I did, because again,
baseball is great. I love baseball. I still love watching
the sport. I just I love football and hitting and
all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
How did ZIGGI zols use you for the Mustangs? That's
what I want to know.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I was, you know, I was.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
I was a promising young player coming up, so I
was like, up on, they moved me up on varsity
JV as a freshman.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Wow, that was big. I mean I practically at the
same size as I was a freshman.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
So it's not because I think what happened was like
in one of the practices, I was we're doing like
the three man weave, and I was on the sophomore team.
I think they kicked me up to the sophomore team
early on, and then I dunked. You know, I can
practice and they're like, Okay, well we're gonna move up
to JV varsity, and so I think I got, you know,
like some scrap minutes there. So there's like potential, But
I never worked on my craft. Like I was never
(21:06):
in the gym, you know I was. I wasn't in
the gym because like in the summertime, I'm playing baseball,
I'm going to football camps, I'm doing all that. So
by the time like basketball season came around, you're just
finishing off football season.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
So you have football legs. I have no skills. I
can't dribble basketball.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It'd take me half a season just to kind of
get back into basketball shape and.
Speaker 5 (21:23):
To be able to do it.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
So I was just always behind where you know, rest
in piece Diggy Colts. He just recently passed away, but
he and even to this until his passing, when I
would see him, he's like, you were like the one
of the worst basketball like most counted basketball.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Like players I've ever coached.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
He's like, you know, as a quarterback here, you should
be good at like passing and like seeing wanes and like,
I just never.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Saw basketball that way I was. I I saw struggle.
So I became really I pride myself in.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I took a lot of charges, I made a lot
of I did a lot of screens and rebounded. You know,
I probably averaged out on a six points four to
six points a game. And then my senior ho, I'm
six too, not even I'm sniff and sniff to six
to two.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
I was the center. I was the five. So we're
a little.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Undersized small ball. Yeah you'd like to play, that's right. Yeah,
Draymond Green can do it. Not everybody can be Nick
Corvath right. Not everybody can be the legend Nick Corvath,
you know, going to Duke and all that. So how
do you like that knowledge, Burnsy? That's institutional knowledge right there.
Speaker 6 (22:26):
What are we going to get into Tartan basketball versus Mounds.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
View back in the day. That's what it is. God,
go ahead, Burnsy.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
Well, I want to go back to your last two
years when I mean we talked about Brewster bringing in Clint, Well,
what about the Marquise Gray experience there for your final
two years where he's the highly touted kid coming out
of Indianapolis and you're thinking yourself, Okay, it's another offensive coordinator.
Now he's bringing in his guy. Well, you remember about
just playing alongside him in the kind of caliber of
(22:55):
athlete he was as well?
Speaker 1 (22:58):
Yeah, well, first off, he's a great human be so
luckily as talented as he was, and how the accolades
he had coming in. He's just a very great person,
still is to this day. And when I when I
see cos he's he's awesome. Right, So he's a great teammate.
But you I didn't know like they really wanted him
to be the starter. In fact, there was times in
(23:20):
practice where I would be downgraded to the second team,
and so but I looked at I always approached practice
and every single day that I'm I'm going to prepare
and practice like I'm the number two guy. I'm always fighting,
I'm always nothing's given. I have to earn that starting
spot every single day. And I saw I think with
(23:40):
that what allowed me to kind of keep my spot was.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
I was able to manage the game a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Definitely, he is more athletic than I am, bigger, stronger,
better runner. But I think I was the better quarterback
at the time because I could I understood the system,
understood the checks, understood defense, and then we kind of
incorporated him into some more of that wildcat stuff. And
then you know, my senior, I mean, he was like,
we got to have this guy in the field in
(24:08):
some capacity. He can't just be sitting on the bench.
And so I was moving the wide receiver and then
became a rock star wide receiver. And I was like,
you know, I can't remember a touchdown passes he had
over that in ten but yeah, a heck of the crew,
you know, season as a wide receiver for us, and
it just testament to his athletic ability and then obviously
going on to the NFL. But most importantly he was
(24:28):
a good person, a great teammate, and so he wasn't
you know, we were very u We were teammates and
that was awesome that we wanted to see the best
in each other.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Uh speaking, teammates. When you get to the NFL and
you're Denver, did you have one year overlap with Tebow?
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (24:43):
Yeah, with the twenty eleven season.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
Yeah, what was what was kind of like your NFL experience?
Like I think he Denver a couple of years? Was
it Washington or Tampa a couple of years? What was
your NFL?
Speaker 5 (24:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Your NFL experience?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Like, well it was what was really I mean really cool?
Was so I signed as another drafted free agent to Denver? Well,
you know the year prior Eric was drafted to Denver.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
Right right away, I'm coming into a locker room where
I have a friendly face.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
And so I'm kind of coming in, you know, trying
to figure it out, probably just the camp.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Arm right, I'm the fourth guy.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
And so luckily with like Eric, I remember I came in,
I had like a sore achilles from training and.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
Well, why am I blinking on his name?
Speaker 1 (25:24):
And now he's now passed away number eighty eight to
Mary's Thomas. So he's stood added. But a great human
being too is a rest in peace. A great human being.
He gave he had just torn his ace, his achilles
like the year prior, and he gave me a special
like soccer footwear to wear because I told him like, hey,
I got this sore thing, just go right away.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
I fell a part of the team, which is huge.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
And then I remember early on having some success and
people ask like, wow, what are you attributing the success
success to him?
Speaker 5 (25:51):
Like well, you know, it's.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Very helpful when everyone has to do their job and
if they don't, they're they're like they'll find somebody else.
Kind of college like if you got somebody who struggles
or something doing you know, say you have somebody up front,
he's not really the best blocker, maybe not the fastest guy,
and you just have to live with it. We're in
the NFL. I'm like, hey, I'll have a pocket. That's
I mean, I can work in inside of pocket. That's
(26:14):
that's no problem.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Like this is actually I found it a little easier
in practice where I was like wow.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Like you know, I just read the plays out and
so yeah, and it was never too it was never
too big for me, which was which was great. You know,
I felt very much at ease, and I was playing
really good football at that time. But Tim, he was
a locker roommate of mine, our teammate, we were next
to each other, just a really genuine person. What you
see is what you get. Very competitive. But I will say, like, yes,
(26:42):
some of our worst some of the worst practices I've
ever seen in my life were during that time. And
because you know, they're trying to make him a thrower,
and he just that wasn't his style.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
His style was he.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Was a football player, you know, who happened to throw
the you know, he happened to be the quarterback and
make some throws. But if you ask them to drop back,
you know, take a seven step drop, read it deep.
You know, that's not happening. That wasn't that's not where
he shines. And so I know he struggled there. I
mean there's some games. I think we played Kansas City
at Kansas City and we were like two for six throwing.
(27:13):
It was like the lowest passes, uh for a team
in the NFL since whatever, since the thirties or forties
and uh.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
To win a game.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Uh, but we won.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
And trust me, there's times where people we look at
each other. We you know, we went on a heat show.
We won a bunch of games in a row with Tim.
Once they moved him, they bench Kyle Whredon brought Tebow
in that Everyone's like, like, if you don't believe in.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
God before, you better believe in God. We just won
eight games in a row. This guy.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Like clutch throws to like he couldn't do anything all
day and then all of a sudden, he just like
dial it up and you guys would win the game.
It was I loved it. I loved it. Yeah, I
was all in on it. It's like the guy's winning games,
like yeah, he was, yeah, one for fourteen through the
first three, but he was three for three there in
some random it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
Well, I think it goes to show is like that
competitive greatness that you've see in some people, some of
the great athletes, and he had that for sure. And
so you know when when the when the lights turn on,
the cockroaches scatter, they say, And he wasn't one of
those guys like like he showed up when when they
when they needed them. I think of even like our
playoff game, so we you know, we won the division.
(28:28):
Go to play the Steelers at home and you know,
kind of like a nothing game, and then go into overtime.
They play like cover zero for some reason, are really
low quarters and to Mary, we do a hard play action.
Demarius takes a nice skinny post and of course to
your point Guardsy throws a perfect bang.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Eight on to Marus Thomas. He takes an eighty yards
game over. You know, we win a playoff game. It's nuts.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
There's not many quarterbacks in NFL that can say they
want a playoff game. So you know what I mean,
You can say all the stuff you want about him. Yeah,
he you know, he did some things.
Speaker 6 (28:58):
Once were like, uh, I even think bad to if
you know. Transitioning to your time as a grad assistant
here at the University of Minnesota fifteen and sixteen, which
speak about being thrown into the fire that twenty fifteen season,
what in your mind, what is the biggest difference going
from being the successful collegiate quarterback to then having to
go way back down the food chain to being a
(29:18):
grad assistant, especially throughout a twenty fifteen season. That again
very very tumultuous with the way it ended up planning out.
Speaker 5 (29:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
No, I mean it's in a way you know it
is humbling or you have to check your ego for sure,
but you understand that you kind of have to cut
your teeth in this profession.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
You don't want anything given to you, especially in the
coaching realm. You want to earn it.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
And there are some things that you just you have
to figure out when you're when you're graduate assisting and
you're doing kind of all the non fun work.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
I'll say, rights.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
What long hours, very little pay too as well. I'm
not sure how that was even legal. I even did
like some some like charts on myself. I'm like, I'm
making like a dollar an hour.
Speaker 5 (30:01):
But uh, it was, I mean it was good. So
I was able to.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Work with the quarterbacks, work with receivers, which was great,
and Mitch Mitch Liner was the quarterback at the time,
and so it was kind of great. We would pull
off into our own film sessions together. I remember sharing
you know, stories with him because at the time I
think he thought, like my, my, my four years was
all rainbows and butterflies, like there's nothing going on, and
(30:26):
I'm like, you know, Mitch, because I think there's a
maybe after getting struggled and you know, people are writing
whatever it was like they wanted a new court of
whatever was going on. I was like, Mitch, there's times
I got I got it benched in practice and stuff like, Yeah,
you wouldn't imagine what some of the stuff that people
were saying about, like, it's just part of the deal.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
So be able to share that with somebody.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
And that's what I really enjoyed about coaching, was to
be able to share my time and hopefully pass that
on to people. And that's what really got me excited
about coaching. But burns it to your point, Uh, coach Kill,
it's our bye week. He has all the other coaches
on the road, so it's him.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
It's him and the j's running practice, and he wasn't
getting the right.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Effort out of the players. So you know, he had
a Jerry Hill kind of blow up, which he was
known to do a little bit, which is good, little fiery,
but it ended up forcing him to like have a seizure.
And so that was after that. I think it was
a couple of days later that he medically retired. From that,
which was really, you know, tough. But then you know,
(31:26):
Tracy Clays comes in, who I'm sure you guys all
got to speak with him a little bit, kind of
just laid back guy.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
He's like, you know, football is not hard, guy, you know,
And I like that.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
I like that, Like some coaches get through ego in
there and they're trying to reinvent the wheel, and it's like, guys,
it's third and ten. You can run a screen, you
can try to pick it up, or you know, you
hand the ball off and.
Speaker 5 (31:46):
Just try to live for the next you know.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
I think he even told coach he's like, if you're
up here past ten thirty, you're an idiot.
Speaker 5 (31:52):
It's not a hard sport. I like that, Like it
made sense.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Yeah, But we also knew that at the time with
Toy steps down where they're in a search for an
ad and so when they hired Mark Coyle, you're like.
Speaker 5 (32:04):
I kind of know the writing on the wall here.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I don't think coach Clays is going to be the
head guy moving forward. But we still went through it
and you had a pretty crazy season that year as well,
should have been better than we were.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
And then of course we.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Had off the field issues, which doesn't help anything. But
then crazy enough, we go and win the bowl game.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
And then you know the next day we're fired.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
So that's all that's college coaching for you.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Your time there, that could be an entire podcast.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Crazy two years to.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Your playing career, you're probably like, oh yeah, coach, step down,
big deal. I had fifty two coaches in five years,
Like what's the and the one guy's right here, like,
no problem. You were probably prepared. But one of my
favorite moments because you got a lot of credit. I
remember Jerry talking a lot about how good you were
for Mitch because you're right. I mean, we all know
how you know, Mitch took a lot of heat while
he was here, right, I mean that's why I coined
(32:58):
the phrase Leidner Island. Burnsley and I were the only
two ones living on Leidner Island. And like the guys
winning games, the team likes him? Is he is he
perfect all the time?
Speaker 4 (33:06):
No?
Speaker 3 (33:06):
But the NFL can't find thirty two starting quarterbacks, So
what chance does the Big.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Ten West have to have a bunch of guys just
lightening up? Every week?
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Every college team has problems with their quarterbacks at times.
But I always remember after that Holiday Bowl, Adam, we
were in the team hotels we stayed after and Mitch's
parents were hanging out down there, and you'd you'd pop
down there. Burns you might have been there too, because
you used to live at the hotel bar with other
assistant coaches whose name nameless. But to see them how
(33:36):
appreciative they were of you as someone just watching it
from the outside, who watched you on the field because
that's where you were, I just thought that was really
cool that in that short time it was obvious the
impact that you had on their son. And even though
you don't coach anymore, that to me, that is why
you coach right, to make a positive impact like that,
And you could just tell how appreciative they were that
(33:58):
you came along when you did to kind of shepherd
Mitch through. Obviously you want a lot of games, but
like you said, could have been more. There was more
meat on that bone. And if you make another thrower,
you get another stop. You're we're talking about different things.
I just thought that was you guys clearly had a
pretty good bond, and I wanted to pass that on.
So I just thought that was a cool moment.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yeah no, and I just like Mitch is a wonderful
you know man, and so you know, he was a
great leader of the team and just again to be
shoulder to shoulder with them, it is very enjoyable. To
your point, that's why I was coaching. It wasn't for
anything else other than to have those moments, those bonds,
to be there, to share, to be be somebody that
(34:39):
I wish I had when I was coming up.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
And that's that was, you know, my main focus.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
So I'm thankful and appreciative that they they saw that
support that I had in their son.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
And so yeah, it's that's the special stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
It's you know, obviously it's the wins and losses that
kind of go down to the record book, but those
are the relationships are what are lifelong and lasting.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
So Adam with the coach, is it just a lifestyle
choice for a year for you that you didn't want
to stay in that profession?
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, no, I saw, you know, I look at like
a guy like Jetfish, great guy, great coach.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
You know, a ton of success now at the University
of Washington.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
But I remember that, you know, coaches would have up
in their office or at their house, all their different stops,
you know they've been to.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
I was like twelve or what was it.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
It was like like eight nine stops in eleven years.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
Right, So that's it's not ideal.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
And then it was you know, at Minnesota with Tracy Clay's,
with Coach Clay's, I was like, this is you know,
we're this makes sense. It was when I got to
kind of UCLA, which was great and nothing against the
profession and the people that do it.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
I just was like, man, I'm up here.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
For sixteen hours or probably getting eight hours of work done.
I like all the you guys, but I would rather
be home. You know, if we're done working, there's nothing
to do. I would rather be home with. At the
time it was my girlfriend, but now my wife. It's
like and I saw like my future. It's like it's
just more valuable to me to be a father and
a husband. Then to the scheme how to pick up
third down, you know, it's like we're not hearing cancer.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
Why am I up here until one o'clock in the morning. Yeah,
So that's what kind of got me.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
And then to realize, like to stay in it, I
was going to have to move around and do that.
I just want to I want to put down I
want to put down roots and I wanted to be
a family man.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
So yes, it was a lifestyle choice.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Ultimately, what were your living conditions like in Westwood? What
was your job? First of all with Jed? What was
your official title?
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Official title was Offensive Analysts, which whatever the hell that means, right,
I was. I was the intermediary between the coaching staff
and the GA essentially, but a pseudo quarterback coach because
Jed was the quarterback coach offensive coordinator, That's.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
Where I stepped in and assisted there.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
So I really assistant quarterback coach is probably what the
more realistic title is what I was. And then liaison
of the gas, so you know, I'd make sure that
the Jays are doing all the stuff that they needed
to do.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
And then I would be assisting Jed as the assistant
quarterback coach.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
What kind of mansion did you have there in bel
Air with that salary and that title?
Speaker 5 (37:02):
We were, Yeah, a little bit more south. We're in
Culver City. Actually, I'll tell you what I don't mind.
I didn't mind LA.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
I mean, yes, cost of living was brutal, but I
was like, I wake up and flip flops and shorts
every day.
Speaker 5 (37:15):
I like, I can get used to that. And we'd
practice earlier. We'd practice at.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Seven am, so that meant I was getting up at
like five, getting up to the facility to make sure
I got all my stuff done.
Speaker 5 (37:24):
And then it'd be like a full day. Probably leave
in the facility at like midnight or one o'clock.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Drive on the four o five, which depending on traffic,
I was only like two miles away, could take you,
like you know, not at that time a night, it
wasn't bad, but certain times a day your traffics brutal.
But I mean I'll come home, I'll eat some cold
leftovers in the fridge, laid on for like three hours,
wake up and do it all over again.
Speaker 5 (37:44):
It just after a while just kind of got it
wears on you.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
So you mentioned, uh, wife and kids. Now, what's what's
Adam Weber's life twenty twenty five? Kids growing? You can
be the the dad coach for them if they're in
sports or are you at go for games on Saturdays?
What kind of what's the life like now?
Speaker 1 (38:04):
I would say, like, yes, I'm looking forward to I
love those Like what I love about sports is like
there's there's life lessons to be learned through it. There
of a sport, a game of practice is a microcosm
of what you're gonna face the life.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
So I do love that component to it. I don't
look forward to some of the stuff I see.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
In youth sports when it comes to say, like other
parents and things like that, I'm not looking forward to
that at all one bit.
Speaker 5 (38:29):
But yeah, no, two small children. I got a three
and a half year old son. His name is Bear.
He's awesome, he's uh, you know, and crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
And then a one and a half year old daughter
named Billy. So yeah, the loves of my life. And
then my wife Jasmine, So we're doing that, which is awesome.
I got my son, you know, got him learning how
to skate. Uh. I never played hockey like you know, competitively.
I'm kind of hoping my son but doesn't either. But
you better learn how to skate all those things. It's
(38:59):
like we'll teach i'm ow to swim, We'll teach them
all the stuff. You're gonna learn how to swing a
golf club, you know, all the things. And so I'm
just loving life that way. And professionally, I work for
a company called Marsha McClelland Agency. I'm a health and
benefits broker, so I work with companies that are kind
of growing and I try to help them through.
Speaker 5 (39:17):
Their kind of insurance process.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
So it's it's a job that it's like what I
tell people, it's not like when I was growing up, Hey,
this is what I'm dreaming I dreamt of being. But
what I do enjoy is the people I get to
meet and help and get them like put together to them.
I truly kind of quarterback for like it's kind of
funny how that plays out, but I truly quarterback a
situation where I'm the quarterbacking my our resources at my
(39:41):
company to what this company needs, and then I just
make sure that the right people are in the right spots.
And it provides a lifestyle that allows me to be
home for dinner, which I'm very appreciative of forever.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
The quarterback, right, it doesn't leave me.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
So you said your son's already skating a little bit.
He's three and a half.
Speaker 5 (39:59):
Yeah, you got him in some skate lessons up up
here in Maple Girl.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
Yeah that's good, because I was gonna say, if he
hasn't started now he's already behind behind.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
Yeah, and and especially if you.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Don't have a hockey background, like I didn't, you'll find
out once he joins a team, his assistant coaches will
all have like five hundred games in the NHL because
all the hockey players just move here have kids. And
that's so, yeah, find him other sports if you don't
want to deal with that.
Speaker 2 (40:24):
That's what I'm dealing with.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
But I'm glad you got him on skates so he
won't be too far behind at four when you get
him out of.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
A neighbor neighbor friend who's like giving us a bunch
of the kids gear to get him ready, Like these
are the breezers and like, what the.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
What are they? I guess they're shorts. They're shorts with
paths that yes, yeah, I'm so oblivious to it.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Like I can skate, but no idea about like the
culture and lifestyle of hockey, which is I don't know,
probably tough because I live in Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
I'll figure it out.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
You'll figure it out. You're a smart guy. You can
go through transitions.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Can we talk about your last game in our in
our final couple of minutes, the game against Iowa speaking
of skates and conditions. I remember leaving at halftime because
it was so cold. Shout out Sally's for keeping a
warm but that had to be And you mentioned Jeff Horton.
I always I had just kind of started covering the
team more regularly then and went to the press conferences,
(41:18):
mostly because of the free food, much to Mason's chagran court.
But the I loved his approach that whole time, because
like he obviously knows he's the interim coach, and he's
and he's saying I always remember the line like, eh,
when whatever happens after the last game, there's a train
track that runs by our practice field, I'll grab an
apple and I'll hop on that.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
We'll see where it takes me. Like just the fun.
No one wants to.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
See their coach fire during the season, but I have
to imagine like that was a good guy to kind
of take things over. It seemed like he had a
good just kind of reference for all of you, and
obviously you guys played great down the stretch and beating
Iowa was always.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
A great thing. Right to wrap up the season.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
There, Yeah, no coach hort As we say, he's the
man he's just a really great human being, great great
father figure to look up to. But yeah, like it's
not ideal coach, you know, Coach Brewster by that point,
you know, the the writing was on the wall.
Speaker 5 (42:11):
We weren't performing very well. You know, we lose to Purdue.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
And and I think he gets fired, you know, not
too much later after that.
Speaker 5 (42:21):
So that not ideal, right, because that's that's life changing
for people. You know. Coach grew ended up just fine
for himself, you.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
Know, but still it's it's a humbling kind of it's
a low in someone's life. And then the whole rest
of the staff kind of knows, all right, well, you know,
we're we're probably done here. You never know, right, you
want to stay positive. So it's just all that kind
of going on. But yeah, coach Coach Horten comes in,
he changes up practice, like even how he warmed up.
(42:47):
He's like, we're gonna just guys, you know, let's just
let's find the joy in what we're doing these last
a little bit. And that was really important because I
knew this was like my last go around to where
you know, I grew up my whole life dreaming of
wearing the room to go right and then to have
it where you're like not enjoying it or not being enjoying, but.
Speaker 5 (43:06):
It's just not going the way you want. He was
able to kind of bring back that joy and have
fun with it. And then to your point, Yeah, we
had some success at the end.
Speaker 1 (43:13):
We beat Illinois at Illinois, which is awesome, and then
to beat Iowa at home. Yes, the last the last game,
which yes, very cold. I can't remember what the temperature was,
but they didn't have the field wasn't heat it. You know,
this is prior to like where they came in and
like the NFL had to heat it because Brett.
Speaker 5 (43:31):
That's when Brett Farva I think that same year.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
Because it was rock hard.
Speaker 5 (43:36):
Yeah, and so that the field is rock hard. But
it was awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
I do not like the Hawkeyes, so that was awesome.
I wish we would have beaten more of the rival games.
But I'm very very thankful that we beat the Hawkeyes
and we got the floida Rosedale and then we took
it out into Dinky Town that night, which was very.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Fun carry it around dinky Town. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (44:01):
Well, you know, you.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Get you get some liquid courage, and yeah, I can
do it. But no, yeah, it was.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
It was a team effort.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
What else for Adam? Guys?
Speaker 4 (44:12):
Yeah, hey, Bernie, go ahead, BERNSI.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
Well, I'm trying to take you back fifteen years now.
Want see if guards you can find the photo that
I sent him earlier?
Speaker 2 (44:21):
Photo right here?
Speaker 6 (44:27):
You have any recollection of that night before I tell
the story of how I remember it.
Speaker 5 (44:34):
I don't. I'm trying to think. I don't even know.
Speaker 4 (44:37):
Look at that smile on Burnsy, He's so happy. Was
that it?
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (44:43):
That was over it? I speak at something or what
was that?
Speaker 2 (44:47):
All right?
Speaker 6 (44:47):
So to give context for this photo on the screen,
here you in a former Bloomington Jefferson player that you
were trying to mentor at the time, came over to
the machine shed right off ninety four there to speak
at the I think it was the Tartan High School
football banquet.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Where the story goes, My father called to.
Speaker 6 (45:09):
You and said, hey, can you send over a couple
of players to come talk at our year end banquet?
And they sent Adam Weber and Moses Alipate. Wow, got
to sit at the same table as the Adam Weber
got to hear some pretty good stories. And I'll tell
you my father couldn't give a more glowing recommendation. So
if you ever need somebody to write you on, the
(45:32):
unofficial mayor of Oakdale himself would love to give Adam Weber.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (45:36):
But when we when we uh, look at.
Speaker 5 (45:42):
And I was like, yeah, look at that fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Ago, Adam.
Speaker 4 (45:47):
You know what, Adam, if you did in high school,
if you'd have done that this year, they'd have paid
you a lot of money to do that.
Speaker 5 (45:52):
Yeah. I got the deal, that's right.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
Yeah, look at this. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be
a linebacker hitting you at him. I mean look at that.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
You were ready, yeah, sticker, Yeah, that's funny. People can
always give you a kind of crap about that. I got, dude,
I thought you would be bigger. It's like, well, you know,
I was like thirty pounds ago. What's the quarterback?
Speaker 4 (46:14):
I'm not like, so it's not just lineman that lose
the weight after you get done playing, right, Yeah?
Speaker 5 (46:20):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:21):
I look at Bernsy and his shirt. That's good stuff, Burnsy,
that looks like an Express shirt that.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
You got to know.
Speaker 6 (46:27):
To tell you, I don't know how to dress to
this day. It's very late two thousands, early twenty because
I got the undershirt rocking.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Yeah, uh yeah, it was Adam got here. Look at
that hair. That's good. I got a little.
Speaker 5 (46:40):
Curract's why I started grown on my hair. That was
my little hippie face there.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
Yeah, your big tech quarterback. You do whatever you want,
all right, No one wants to there, that's right. Anything else, guys,
or should we let mister Webber get out of the
rest of his day quarterback? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Business.
Speaker 4 (46:57):
I always wrapped these up at him with this guy
in my thoughts, and I always tell people that you're
one of the great players in Gopher's history and certainly
quarterbacks in the record, but a better person and a
great representative of the university and kind of what you
stand for. And it's great to see you in your
post career doing great with your family and your and
(47:18):
your professional life, and just a wonderful ambassador for Go
for football. You won't find anybody better than Adam. So
appreciate you coming on here and sharing some stories with us.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
So well, thank you for those kind words. It was
important for me always again with growing up watching Joe Mauer,
I knew I wanted I wanted to have. The reputation matters,
and how you carry yourself matters, and so of all things,
whether it's success you win games or not, I wanted
to to people say exactly what you just said.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
So thank you for sharing that, and thank you guys
for doing this. This is awesome. I love that you
guys are doing this, so thank you for having me on.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
It's always great to see on the field.
Speaker 4 (47:55):
Man.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
What's it like for you to go back now and
just kind of hang out on the field and the
former players assume you were part of the alumni weekend.
Earlier I ran into Koke Keith that at the Tampa Airport.
He was coming back. Like, seems like that thing has
really grown here in the last handful of years, where
all you guys, regardless of who your coach was is,
have been coming back a lot more.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Yeah, it's so important and it's got to get better. Frankly, like,
I'm glad that we're doing this because that's huge.
Speaker 5 (48:21):
You realize that we all share that common that common thread.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
We're all.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
We all wore the m when whether you're a person
name that people know or not, whether you just happened
to put on the jersey and never really saw the field.
Speaker 5 (48:33):
Doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
You wore the M and so that's a brotherhood. And
so I'm glad that we're doing that. We need to
get better at that because you know, that's what it's
all about, is the people that you're you know, you're
surrounding yourself with, whether it's personally or professionally, and we
can rite, you know, raise everybody up. That's important. So
I'm so glad that Coach Black and his staff started
doing that. It's important, and they they've opened the doors.
Speaker 5 (48:57):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
I will say I do not envy people when I
see the hits. When I'm down on the sideline, guards
you want to see you down there.
Speaker 5 (49:04):
And you hear some of these hits. I was coaching
fifteen and sixty. I'll be on the sideline and guys
are just getting whacked. It's like, oh, man, I guess
that's what it was. You just some crazy.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
How quickly that changes, and how I would I couldn't
couldn't do it anymore.
Speaker 5 (49:21):
But when you're eighteen nineteen, you know you're invincible, So right.
Speaker 3 (49:24):
You could do it now, but this guy should right
here deliver the hits. Not now, But that guy could
definitely do it. Thanks man, It's great to see you
as always. People love hearing some stories and obviously you
have so many from your career and we appreciate you, man,
and we'll see you on campus this fall, the first
(49:44):
game right around the corner.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
But thanks for taking the time, dude.
Speaker 5 (49:47):
I appreciate it. Guys, great to see you go go first.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
That's Adam Weber and this has been the Pair and
a spare podcast. Thanks as always to our great partners
at Jack's Cafe. Make your reservations at Jaxcafe dot com.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.