October 21, 2024 • 50 mins
Jerrold Colton and Dave Spadaro are LIVE from Chickie's and Pete's in Marlton, NJ and are joined by #Eagles safety Reed Blankenship! Reed talks all about the big #Eagles win at the #Giants and look forward to the #Bengals!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Coming to you live from Chicky's and Pete's in Marlton,
New Jersey, every Monday night. It's the All Pro Philly
Players Show. Now Here are your hosts, Gerald COLTSI and
Eagles inside him, Dave Spadero, Rad Jel.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Every five welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
The six Peas and Mark New Jersey. All pro fully players.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
It's jer Cart He get insiders.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Dave Spade, What's up day? What's up? Is a big victory.
I'm fired up.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
As everybody should be a sellar about. You know, it's
been such a beautiful October. It's another gorgeous day here.
It's a victory Monday. You know they're four and two.
You caught it last week. The hottest team in the
NFC East and it continues and obviously a lot to
build on. And we are joined today by an extremely
special guest and just thrilled, thrilled to have him here.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
He is the starting safety for the Philadelphia.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Eagles, number thirty to by way of Middle Tennessee State
read blanket shit.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah. So the journey of Red Blanket Ship has been.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
Told many times and we're gonna tell it again tonight.
It's an awesome it's really the story of somebody who
loves the game of football, because every time I've talked
to Read about anything, it always goes back to I
love playing football, and you've had amazing success and the
journey you've taken. Read, you never count anybody out right,
(01:34):
like superstar player in Alabama when you were a kid, uh,
Middle Tennessee State, five years there, not drafted by the NFL,
and here you are starting playing well contract extension.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Life is good for Read blanket ship. Yeah, you put
it like that. I don't really think about it. Yeah,
I know, I know.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
I was actually sitting on the sideline before uh, I
think before practice Friday. I'm like, man, this is great.
You know, We're just I'm just living life. I'm very
blessed to be able to up on this field.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
And do what I love. You know what did when
you were you just love football from the from the
very like seven years old.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
I mean, I love me some Alabama football. That was
one of our main things down south, especially in Bama.
I mean, you're either an Auburn or Alabama fan. You bleed,
you bleed red, so uh that was one of the
bigger things. But man, growing up, I was I was
a big baseball player. Yeah, and you know, it kind
of got kind of got iffy.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I say, iffy. Oh, I thought it was basketball.
Speaker 6 (02:29):
Baseball was before football.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
But I mean you you you had a choice of
going one direction of the other. Well here's what happened.
Speaker 6 (02:38):
You know, as as a kid, I thank goodness my
parents told me this, it's like play as me in
sports you can and that kept me busy. And then
obviously when you get to high school, you got to
make a decision. And so baseball was thrown out pretty fast.
It got burned out of it when I was a
kid because it was just it was a slow paced
game obviously. And then started playing basketball, and then you know,
(03:00):
football started coming around.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know, I'm like, why why am I not playing?
You know, I played.
Speaker 6 (03:04):
I played in third grade and uh just played one year.
And I was a little bitty thing, you know, I
just stick running around and uh get to middle school
and I'm still I don't know, I'm a buck twenty
maybe and well yeah, run anything, honestly, and uh get
to middle school. It wasn't my grade year at all.
(03:28):
You know, I'm still trying to learn the ropes, still
kind of scared to hit hit guys. You know that
physical the physical part that comes with it. But uh,
that's for my seventh grade year, going to eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Man it, I don't know what happened.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
I flipped the switch, and you know it just started
to come a love. That's when I physically, physically and mentally,
and that's when everything started to change. I loved what
I was doing regardless of how bad I felt the
next day. You know, I always told myself, even when
I was little, I was like, if you need that
sort the next day, then you need to. You didn't
do a whole lot, you know, So, Uh, I was
(04:03):
blessed and able to for my dad actually pushed me
through that. I remember coming off of He's probably gonna
hate that I say this, but uh, I came off
the field one time after a game and it was
a pitiful performance by me, and uh, he looked at
me said, man, if you ever put up a performance
like that again, I won't let you play out here again.
I was like, yes, sir, hard and understood. So from
(04:24):
then on, you know, I carried that kind of motivation and.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
There I am.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
So So we'll get we'll get into the read story, Gerald,
But what's funny is REI said, if you're not hurting,
you didn't too much to day before.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
When he walked intoday, I'm like, how do you feeling?
Speaker 5 (04:37):
He goes, I feel pretty good because the Eagles dominated.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
And read I mean, you played basically one hundred percent
of snaps. You got to take a little time off yesterday.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
That's rare, I.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
Say, take some time off, but you always got to
be keyed in on what you do. But man, especially
on defensive side, our boys up were eating eating, you know,
and uh, you know we don't have to cover as long.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
You know.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
That's what makes that's what makes it good. I mean,
it's like a relationship, a marriage, you know, which which
if apparently you're going to.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Be experiencing sometimes absolutely very soon, Actually some big news
news for read Black and God share the personal news
and then we'll get back into football.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Well go ahead, and said, I said, yes, yeah, yes,
thank you.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
So yeah, it was kind of one of these things
that you never know the person that you're going to
spend the rest of your life with is sitting right
in front of you, you know, and uh, luckily it
was my defensive coordinator's daughter in Middle Tennessee. So Uh,
I kind of knew each other from the get go,
nothing crazy. Always respected that she was the coach's daughter
(05:44):
and me and me and her dad have had a
really really close relationship, and uh, she would always check
in here and there, nothing crazy, and then spent you know,
one year in the league here and uh, like I said,
it's you've been following me throughout this whole or deal.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And I was like, when I get back to.
Speaker 6 (06:04):
Murphysboro, I want to, you know, we should go out
on a little date, you know, and uh, trying to
make it happen. But actually, what's funny is that we
have the same birthday. She's exactly one year older goal
so it' smart second and she was having a little
thing in Nashville.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Whatever.
Speaker 6 (06:21):
She's like, you you should come up and celebrate with
us because we had sort of the kind of like
same friend group.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Whatever.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
It was all right, you know, whatever happens. I'm not
really looking for anything, you know, and uh walked through
the door and there she was. I'm like, man, like
I haven't seen her, you know, forever, and we just
hit it off and I'm like, where have you been?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know.
Speaker 6 (06:40):
It's that one of those things like where have you
been and man? From then on, we've been. Man, we've
been doing everything. You know. Click, you know, she's she's one.
She understands this league. She understands yep, the whole concept
of football because, like I said, her dad, her dad's coach,
so she's been traveling a lot. But she's a very
strong person to have that I have in my corner.
(07:01):
I can lean on her with everything.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
How the conversation go. I wondered with the with dad
that's a coach, Can I have a word with you?
It's crazy.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
I would always, you know, go up there. We'd watch
film together. He's like, man, I wish you were in
my family. Well, I hope you made Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
What a compliment?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
No, No, I know so that one pretty so I
guess he approved.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah from the get go. Yes, read. Now, let's talk
about your back pedal here, let's let's let's.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Fire and sit it. To your right is a guy
who just got married about a yell over year ago August. Well,
you get considered newly waed because I.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Don't know months were we married.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
August of twenty twenty three, first preseason game against the Ravens,
Eagles were down in Baltimore and Angela and I got
married on the fifty yard line, a like a financial field.
And if you remember, the Ravens changed the date of
that game, it was supposed to be a Thursday game.
It was the first Eagles game I'd missed since nineteen
ninety No, nineteen eighty seven.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Wow, that's hold. But uh, yeah, it's been great.
Speaker 6 (08:03):
Got a question, is there like, so, you know when
you first meet somebody, there's a honeymoon stage, right?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (08:07):
Is there a honeymoon stage with married?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I think that if you treat it right, there's always
a honeymood s you know she's listening. I mean, you're
always honeyloo stage. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I mean I happen to be married to a woman
who's far beyond my kicking ability, and uh she and
and I just am. I'm humbled every day by her
accepting my proposal in marriage, actually marrying me, and staying
with me through all the knucklehee of things I do.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Absolutely, Yeah, I'm agread. I'm gonna add this dear friend
of mine. We've known each other a long time. It
is so great to see your friends so happy and
made so by the woman in his life as well.
As its profession, but really the woman is life and
I've seen such a difference since Angela came into his life,
and there's just a fabulus couple will be around as
I'm sure you when you're you're intended.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Do you have a date?
Speaker 6 (08:56):
We have a date and it's in July. Nice lot,
all detailed.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
What an exciting off season, and then you go right
to camp, perfect the camp, honeymoon, right to camp.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
No, the last thing, and then we'll get back to
football a little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
You're an Alabama kid who went to school in Tennessee
at Middle Tennessee State.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Now I'm a big Morgan Wiland fan. I'm not a
huge country I'm a huge more Wallace.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Okay, so you're familiar with this with the song where
it's you know, uh, Tennessee always loses to Alabama, but
he got the girl from Alabama. Know they played this
weekend Tennessee beaten Alabama. It's a rare, rare occurrence in
the past. Do you still have a Rugan interest at
all or did you leave that behind when you went
(09:40):
to college.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
I left it behind a little bit in college, but uh,
I don't know it picked back.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
You grew up in Tennessee. What's the NFL attraction? Is
there one?
Speaker 6 (09:51):
Honestly no, Like I said, it's my goal for this
football path was just to make it to college to
play football. Like anything past that was extra, you know.
And like I said, like there was no not really
an NFL team. The closest one would be what Tennessee
Titans or Falcons, you know, but uh no, it's.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
More just a college were oute for fact, were you
in the were you recent enough to be making nil
money or did nil start after you?
Speaker 6 (10:21):
I think it came out my last year and it
wasn't really.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Wasn't a Middle Tennessee state not like it should not
like it just to go over it when it originally
came out.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
It's supposed to be name image and likeness and was
money for appearances and things like that.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Is turned into a straight out pay for play.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
But that didn't.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
That didn't trickle down, with all due respect to Middle
Tennessee State for a little while a little time. Now
it's out there, I mean, and reports just came out
to Texas had like twenty two twenty three million dollars
worth of nil.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Deal for this.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
David is absolutely crazy.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
It read probably could have made more money in college
than he would have rookie year as a transfer won't
go through that that whole track.
Speaker 6 (11:03):
I'm kind of jealous, you know. I'm happy to say all.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
I think.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
I think it will impact the NFL. Those kids cannot
be as hungry when you come into the league with
all that kind of money. Different. It's different. I mean,
I think part of what.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
I mean, I would imagine you tell me part of
your success, A lot of your success, you're just really
hungry if you weren't drafted, you didn't walk into the
league with millions of dollars and then read.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
It's also one of the things is that the whole
stage of being a college student, in college athlete, you're
in the locker room at the time, but everyone was
somewhat similar situated. Obviously, there's kids who come from more
money than others and other than some are taking care differently.
But basically your kids who have to stretch a buck
and stuff like that. I think there's something really good
in that. And now you're going to have a differentiation
(11:48):
in college locker room. So some guys, I mean, the
haves and have not so you haven't an NFL. But
it's at an age where it's a little bit different.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
And I say, it's like not too long ago that
you the reason that you strive to be at the
highest level of clasic football's because you love the game.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
And noawly' says, who's gonna pay me more?
Speaker 4 (12:05):
And that has happened. Let's let's go over a bunch
of things. First of all, you are chickens and pizza
moraw to New Jersey. You're still time to join us
if you're listening to us on Fox Sports of Gambler
or streaming us anywhere.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
We are with Eagles star safety Read Blank.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And Ship closer. He's closer.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
You know what, we haven't even really touched on your
Eagles career yet, which we have so many things and
we we we have an hour that I know is
gonna fly by. So let's first start with yesterday great
victory for the Eagles twenty eight to three over the
New York Giants. Very rarely do you have an NFL
game like that, because, as you know, all your games
go down to the wire. They're all ones in the game.
(12:43):
And and and I did make reference to the fact
that you actually got to not have to be out
there at the end right end of the game, which
I'm sure is nice.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Nice on your body. You feel good today, so great,
great on that which is allowed when you when you
escape that, when you escape that, life's and you're not
hurt it.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
So just in general, the Eagles have to feel pretty
good where they are right now.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Now.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Hopefully you don't listen to a whole lot of media
around here because you never believe that you're sitting at
four and two and two wins in a row and
put it together. You know you're you're head coach. Nick
Sirianni took a lot of criticism this past week. I personally,
from the outside didn't feel like it would affect your
team at all and has anything to do with winning
football games. How do you guys feel about how do
(13:29):
you view it in the locker room?
Speaker 6 (13:33):
Yeah, it's easy, it's easier, I mean to say, it's
just like it's easy for people to come to Nick,
to Syrianni like he's the one that he's obviously our
head coach whatever.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
But and people don't know what we got in the
locker room.
Speaker 6 (13:48):
I mean, the media comes in there for I don't
know how long, forty five minutes, but that's not they
don't see everybody's personal Like we get along, like we're tight.
We're a tight knit group, and it's I don't know,
it's hard to even explain. It's just like I love
playing with these dudes, and I mean they love playing
with each other, and it's just that we're having fun.
(14:10):
You know, we're having fun. Like everybody's having fun to
regardless if you're a player or not. Like, just that
that relationship we built together. I mean it started from
you know, obviously after the season in twenty three, but
especially in OTAs just felt that different vibe, you know,
in the building with everybody, and it's just like, we
know what we gotta do and we're gonna have fun
(14:31):
doing it, you know. And you know, the past few
weeks whatever have been ups and downs, but hey, I
mean that's that's the NFL. Everybody else gets paid to.
I mean, they're professionals. But you know, we're gonna get
together and like we're saying, we're having fun right now,
and it's.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Clear that the defense is coming together and that Vick
Dangel is learning what each player can do. What is
your perspective on what has happened here these last several
weeks with with the with the defense. Other than really
the the Tampa Bay game, the defense has played really well.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
We're just coming together more. Our job is like we're
understanding our job description even more each week.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
We're getting better each week.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
I mean, like I said before, like our guys up
front were eating so it makes our job in the
back end a lot easier. But it's just like having
that confidence and each level of the defense and knowing
that you know, Nikobe is gonna get his job done,
you know, Zach's gonna get his job done. Jalen Carr,
you know JD. Everybody's gonna get their job done. And
it's just that correlation that everybody's just gonna work together.
(15:28):
And like we we had a pretty good week of
really I say, really good week of practice this past week.
And it's just like we know what we're doing. You know,
we're not making these like big mistakes. If we're making
a mistake, we already know what we're doing when we
get to the sideline of practice.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
So what was it like for you to win?
Speaker 5 (15:44):
Lack of a better term, win win over Vic Vangiel,
old school guy, thirty eight years in the league, New
defensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Everybody's job is on the line. How did you feel
about that? I've been coached by a guy like that before.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
I'll say like that, Like coach that I've had has
been like hard nose like him, and you know he
he's gonna become in the meeting rooms and he's gonna
tell you what you did wrong and then tell you
what you did good at But at the end of
the day, if you don't fix it, and he's gonna
find somebody else to put in your spot. But it's
not You're not always worried or whatever. You just gotta
go out there and play hard. And that just goes
back to you just loving the sport, loving the whatever
(16:19):
comes with football.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
You know, the challenge that it's done with so total
respect for what he's done in his career. Absolutely amazing.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
Right, Well, it's interesting from the outside you can read
it just seems like week by week it's getting better
and more familiar larity, and even you, you know, you
may reference harder a couple of sacks Nikobe first, you're
really playing less than starting, and he picks up a
couple of sacks. You just added Cooper Gene in the
last couple of weeks. I mean everyone is just playing
(16:47):
their role and seeming really that the unit is coming together,
and those are two really good defensive performances in a row.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Absolutely, just gotta keep it going. Yep.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Long season, long season, and it keeps going because you've
already had bye week, so it doesn't stop.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You're right, exactly right.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
The only time you'll get a BUBE we can get
is if you wind up being top seed in the
whole NFC.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
But so next week, Cincinnati, and.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
This is a little bit different club that you played
the last two weeks, but you take who's ever in
front of you, and they do have a different type
of offense, different type of quarterback.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Have you already started watching him.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
I'll start watching him tomorrow. Okay, that's kind of my routine.
But uh, you know, whatever challenges we're gonna face, I mean, regardless,
I know Joe Burrow is his great quarterback. He's got
Jamar Chase with him too, and then we just got
to shut those guys down, man at the end of
the day and just play our type of ball, you.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Know, at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
So that is my favorite betting story of all time
is Joe Burrow's father going into his senior yor because
he wasn't all that well known, he had transferred and
he was down at ELS and he was like forty
to one to win the Heisman Trophy, and his father
put two thousand dollars believing in his son.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And when he hit that was an eight hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
It's crazy, that's good, but anyway, good, good for him,
all right, So let's let's take you back down down
to your to your roots, and at what point did
it become a parent to you that you really could
do this thing at a higher level and go to
college and play football.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
It was my sophomore year in high school. We already
had a guy getting recruited by Southern Myss, which was Converse.
He WUSA at the time, and uh, that coach actually
came down. He's like, you know, I can't really talk
to you right now, but you know, if you keep
this up like you have a chance. And from then on,
you know, it sparked that fire uneath me that I
(18:39):
want to be the best player I can possibly be
on the team and then hopefully get more offers whatever.
So from my sophomore year on, I kind of knew
that if I keep playing, keep doing what I'm doing,
I can go places. And obviously the main goal I
wanted to go to Alabama, you know, I want to
play that. I wanted to play for Nick Saban whatever.
(19:00):
But you know, things change a little bit when you
get older, and you know you get a certain offers.
But uh, you know, pick chose Empte. One of the
thought it was one of those places. I can go
there and play pretty fast. What did it come down to? Though,
honestly Middleton to City and Troy okay, because Neil Brown
was actually at Troy. I think he's the head coach
(19:21):
steal for West Virginia. And you were playing both sides
of the ball. Quit playing both sides of the ball.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
And so it would was it clear that you were
going to be a defensive player.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
Yeah, I think started to go to a lot of
camps as a receiver and stuff.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
And we're going to pick up your career from Middle
Tennessee State when we get back.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We are the all pro Philly players.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Show Gerald caught along with Dames Spadaro and our very
very special guests read Blanket Ship.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Live on Fox Sports.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
A gambler iHeart Radio and here at Chickens and Pizza
and Marlton, New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
We'll be back right after this the Insider dates where
they're all learn their red blankets. You here at teas
(20:14):
and past years. I'm eating at so good like I
usually pia, but I want to sports the time. It's fantastic,
he did, I feel so healthy?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Now?
Speaker 6 (20:26):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
The foods here is so good.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Everybody loves it.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
And you know, Chickens and Peas is the place to go. Read.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
You probably hit a few Chickis and Pizza because they're
all over the region. It's the best sports bart that's
where the players go, and it's the best for food
and drink.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
And if you want to come watch Monday football, there's
two games tonight.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
But read what do you think of the Chickis and Peas?
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Man?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 6 (20:45):
Their craft fries, oh my gosh, takes a lot of
weight off that man.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
My my wife, my wife watches the show and listen.
She wants you to. Can you cover a J Brown?
Speaker 4 (20:55):
What we got AJ Brown sweet Heat wings designed by
AJ right here at Chickens and Pets, And.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
We appreciate Pete.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
The entire chicken Peat's family, his son Pete the third,
who comes in here a lot to visit us, story
of the shows, and just everything they do. And I
mean they are the pulse or their fingers right on
the pulse of the phil Fish sports scene. And we love,
we love doing it here every week. So thanks for
coming to Chickens and Peace with us. Read Black and
Ship of the Field off Eagles joining us today.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
We've got a great crowd of people here. Thank you
all for coming out and supporting the show. Awesome, we
and we appreciate it. And yeah, I gotta say you
you you brought, you brought more than anybody else.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
But that's.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Let's let's go back to where you make your decision.
You go to Middle Tennessee State. It's how far? How
far aarrived from Athens, Alabama? Only an hour and a
half from me, perfect right up the road.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Mom My mom loved that.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
I'm sure I'm sure she did then.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
And and as a college kid, it's like it's it's
far enough and close enough at the same time, I
want the records right up right up.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
This road, about it hour away. It was. It was
a perfect distance anyway.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
So so you get there and you get on the
field of your freshman year and wound up having a
pretty good career. So talk about the transition from high
school to college football.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
It was probably it was a really, really tough transition. Obviously,
going from high school from where I was was like
small ball to the I say, big stage, a whole
lot faster. I mean, guys are kind of the same
speed as me. Then a whole lot faster. I'm like,
oh my gosh, I mean that everything's making me dizzy,
(22:34):
you know. But I mean my sooner bit father in law,
he was a pretty good coach, you know, and he
taught me a lot. Sometimes didn't know what I was doing,
but I was just out there having fun with it,
you know, just playing asar as a ya.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
So what was it?
Speaker 2 (22:49):
The temple? Was it the complexity of the defense? Just
I say, the whole thing.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
I didn't really know what cover two was until I
actually got to college, so that says a lot. But now,
I mean he kind of laid the foundation for me
and now here I am.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And during college you went through the COVID period. How
crazy was that?
Speaker 6 (23:10):
I was quarantined for forty two consecutive days.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Yeah, wait, what if to find quarantine and during season
or so.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
This was during the summer, so I'll rewind and go back.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
So I broke.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
I had a season ending injury in twenty twenty that
would have been so in twenty nineteen, I had a
season end gug injury in October.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
That set me back.
Speaker 6 (23:36):
You know, I was out the whole year, and then
I just started walking, I think in January. And obviously
you've been hearing the news, like the COVID thing whatever.
So I'm doing my regular treatments in college at MC
and then all of a sudden, you know, March, I
think it was either February or March.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
That's when we got shut down, and so they.
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Sent us all home, and you know, I was doing
treatment at home, and obviously it's two completely different things
when you're doing at a facility.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Or you know, just at a normal place.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
You know, they don't push you as hard as they
would because they're around you every day. So anyways, come
back during the summer, I'm you know, still thinking about
my leg. It was pretty gruesome. The whole COVID thing
was obviously it was at his at his peak. And
we get back and our I think our whole weight
(24:28):
staff tested positive for COVID.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So that's what this is.
Speaker 6 (24:32):
When you know, if you were contact tracing whatever, you
were down for two weeks. And so the whole team
at a quarantine. That was just us going back to
our you know, houses apart whatever wherever we stayed and
just we're just there. So come back, maybe a couple
of days, retest everybody. One of my roommates has it.
(24:54):
That's another two weeks, you know, Oh yeah, come back.
Spent two or three days, you know, everything's fine. Another
my other roommate, two more weeks. And this is when
obviously the Power five schools were iffy about it for
their playing or not. And in my head, I'm like,
why would I want to play? You know, I'm sitting here.
I haven't played any football since October of last year,
(25:19):
and I'm expecting to play. And granted we were playing
Army our first game, so I'm trying to learn the
triple options over the zoom call and I'm sitting here.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
I'm like, I don't even know.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
Like obviously, you see you look at Twitter at the time,
was just a horrible thing. You things here, things they're whatever,
So get back. Other roommates tests positives. I'm like my
cows man will and I've never I never tested and
were they they I think one of my roommates were
he I think he had it, but my other roommates
(25:51):
I think was just like a false positive. But even then,
you you were still quarantine at that point. Man, I'm
just like, what, I don't I don't even and not
like my head wasn't in the right space.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Are you're restricted to what? During that During that course,
it was.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
Just into our home, you know, We're just at our
home and we would go on these long walks out outside,
just like to get out, you know, and put no
access to weight room and no access to or weight
room anything at all. And I'm sitting here like I
ain't lifting, like I ain't lifted like I wanted to.
I haven't been running like I've been whatever.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
And so.
Speaker 6 (26:27):
I come back and the first live rep I have
is against Army trying to triple out options. And I
made that decision. I'm like, it's kind of me feeling
bad for, you know, my DC because he had to
teach all these young guys. I'm like, as me as
a player, I don't want you to go through stuff.
I mean you're sticking those swabs up your nose every week.
Didn't know if you were going to be able to
(26:47):
play or not.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
And where were you physically during that time? Did you
Did you lose muscle masks? Did you lose no? Actually
gain weight.
Speaker 6 (26:54):
So I've I've always been the type of guy that
I couldn't get to two hundred, like I've always wanted
get the two hundred. I always in the one ninety
five one ninety range. And right after covid Rid, after quarantine,
I was like two ten to twelve, and obviously I
haven't been running with it. So I'm out there gassed,
and thank goodness. I mean, it's kind of a blessing
(27:14):
to this guys that COVID did happen because I did
get over that two hundred mark and I'm actually in
a really good way.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
But man, was that tough? And how long did you
take to get back to being red blanket ship?
Speaker 6 (27:27):
NFL prospect took me the whole year. Honestly, I'll be
vulnerver a little bit. I mean there's points that I
would go in to, like my weight coaching.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
I'm just in tears like that. I don't know what's
going on.
Speaker 6 (27:40):
I can't find myself and I can't get in that rhythm,
and I'm just like I thought, I was just pissing
my career away, you know. And you know, I was
fortunate enough to have guys in my corner and my
you know.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Especially my parents. They were always there and they just
pushed me and pushed me.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
And then the next year comes along. I'm like, look
like this is make get a break it for you.
I mean, if you don't, if you don't produce anything,
like you're just gonna be at home. I mean, you
got to you gotta figure out what you want to do.
So I kind of looked myself in the mirror, had
a long talk, and you know, the rest is kind
of at the time, no, I've been playing football or
(28:19):
playing some type of sport my whole curer, like my
whole life. And you know, yeah, I worked here and there,
like at home, like on on a farm, but nothing
like nothing like.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
A real world job, you know. And so I didn't
even know what to expect. I didn't know what to do.
Speaker 6 (28:34):
I just knew that if I didn't, football was my
plan A.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
And Plan B. Like I was there was I was
going to make it somehow.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
That was such a strange time in the whole world,
let alone for someone who's trying to get to the
NFL for Middle Tennessee State. So so you just dedicate
yourself with them. You wound up having two more years there.
It seemed to be more of a normal semblance. I
mean there were people at the games and a rhythm,
and and I guess college came, which has returned a
lot more towards normal, right.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
I mean feel bad for the guys in hospital or
the people in high school that were trying to get
to college. I didn't experience the whole college feel. You know,
they were quarantine doing zoom classes, and you know it's
what we sit here and talk about me. But like
some of these people, you know, they unfortunately had different
circumstances and it's tough.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
But so you rebounded really well, make all academic and
all conference and wind up as a very big draft prospect.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
I guess you went to the East West Shrine.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Is that we got all struggling, which is one of
the big ones in an opportunity where obviously you'd caught
the attention of the scouts, but in preparing for the draft,
were you anticipating being drafted.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Really, if I was being real with myself, I mean, no, hey,
we're on the right.
Speaker 7 (29:52):
He go, nice, Yeah, you know, these are some good
friends of mine haven't seen a long time, and now
they're coming up in the middle of show and and
and not only coming up, they're they're walking down now
that they realize.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
It was all pro Gerald, I love it. Appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Appreciate you guys.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Legend back to I just loved what I was talking
about your draft prospects. You gonna get where you're gonna
be drafted.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
I mean yeah, I always you're that that type of
feeling that yeah, I want to get drafted. Yeah I
might go, you know, day three. But just being real,
and obviously I have a really good agent that he was.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Well, but he's one of my good friends.
Speaker 6 (30:38):
He's ah, there, they got to their order.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Or whatever is.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
Their agency is down to earth, dude, like people love
everything about them. And my agent he was like, I'm
just gonna be honest with you, like you're gonna be,
you know, probably a probably free agent.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I was like, LOUI is fine, So just give me
on the team, just give me opportunity.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
And so.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
I don't know, maybe a couple of teams called whatever,
but the Eagles called and he was like, that's the
best opportunity for you. You know, we're not looking at
the money or anything. And he said, that's the best opportunity.
He said, I know you're going to work as hard
as you can and you're gonna get on the spots.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And I'm not worried about that.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
So I was like, man, I'm glad you have all
this faith in it, you know, but you know it's different,
you know it's a different stress.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
But you know, go to Ricky Minnie camp. Try I
don't want to hear all that.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Yeah, but just just slowing down for a second, because
you're coming to a team that had been a playoff
team Knick year on his first year, and and those
choices as an agent are really tough because it's a
spur of the moment thing. You're hoping to get drafted
and when the draft ends, you've done your homework and
you've talked to all the clubs, and he I'm sure
(31:52):
knew that the Eagles had a possibility, the best possibility
of making the club, because that's really as an undrafted agent,
that's a big deal and hard to do.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
And you were one of only three that made that
Eagles team.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
I guess two of you are still here.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Yeah, I think so actually, But and you wound up
joining the team that wound up going to the super Bowl.
So that was and and here we are just a
couple of years later, and you've had two new defense
coordinators and a whole lot of turnover.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
So when you first joined. Now take us through it.
So you're coming to the camp question.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
First, I find it amazing that a player who is
as good as re Blankenship is not drafted, Like, what
are NFL scouts looking for?
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Are they?
Speaker 5 (32:31):
Like?
Speaker 2 (32:31):
What are they? How can they make that miss?
Speaker 4 (32:35):
Can I just add that before he answers? I want
to add to that because Brad Obey a mutual friend
of Dave's and I, and he's he's a scout with Eagles.
He's now with Caroline, a great guy. He believes in
you so much. He and somebody else. I don't know
if you were aware of that, but they but they
really pushed it. And to me, Dave, to answer that question,
we can take it further. It's just not an exact science,
(32:55):
and unfortunately, coming from Middle Tennessee State of Good school
any guys in the NFL, there's still a little discrimination
against it.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Absolutely, and there's some things you just have to overcome.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Because if you look at your numbers, your combine numbers
and and everything, you were right there. So it does
come down dated to me, a little bit of prejudice
against a smaller school. But read you could answer maybe.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Better than you. I mean, y'all said it best.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
But you know, I feel like, I don't know, like
the whole combine thing whatever, Like that's not football, like
you're out there running around your underwear. But for all
these small schools, like they just need to get the opportunity.
And I know a lot of guys have that chip
on their shoulder. I mean not even me, I know
there's plenty of other ones. And just seeing guys that,
(33:43):
you know, powerful schools, that you know that you're probably
more than likely better than get drafted or something, you know,
get that opportunity, you know, it's just kind of a
slip in the face. But that's just one of those things,
those challenges and that adversity. I mean, you just got
to overcome. You mentioned in our first segment how your
father motivated you.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
You know, Dave, you worked with Andy Reid for a
long time and you didn't get the pleasure on her
playing for him.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
You played against him in your Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
But hopefully next time you'll beat him.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Right.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
But but, but Andy and I had a conversation a
long time ago, and one of the brilliances of Andy
Reid that the public would never see is that he
tapped into what each player on his rosters psyche he
was psyche with, and how it took to motivate him.
You can't motivate everybody the same way. Your father talked
to you in a way that my father would not
have talked to me. And I don't know if it
(34:33):
would have worked on him, it clearly worked on you.
So Dave, now now he gets to the NFL, and
I imagine you kept a chip on your shoulder the
whole time. Yeah, I mean, I still have a chip
on my shoulder.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
I honestly don't think that chip will be gone until
they put me six foot under.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
So that's one of those things that's a long ways yea, hopefully,
hopefully absolutely, But just one of those things.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
Man.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
One of the things I admire about read it.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
You know, he's had really a great success, and he's
not letting any of it get to him. He's not
looking ahead. He doesn't think he's arrived. I get the
sensory that you don't think you'll ever arrive.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Unfortunately. No, it is it a blessing or curse.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
You can look at it both ways. I think it's
more of a blessing though. Don't let any of this
change I don't let any of this change who I
am as a person. It shouldn't change anybody. Uh, just
be who you are, man like, that's who That's what
people really want to see. I mean they really want
to see who you are as a person and just
have fun with life, you know, get to know everybody.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Yeah, he can change so fast, Like you can be
on top one day and you're you're out of the
league in a couple of months.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Well, let's go through that, because because it has changed
fast for you, and I'm sure it's gone fast as well.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I mean you're in the you're in the middle of
your three.
Speaker 6 (35:45):
Crazy Yeah, that's that's scary fast, more than I hate
to think about it.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
And you've already I mean making the club, beat the odds,
becoming a starter, super beat, the odds, and being in
year three actually beats the odds, like you're way past
the curve of an undrafted free agent and really almost
now the average NFL career is only slightly win. Three
years are the guys who actually make it, so you're
already coming up on that. But here's an irony date.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I'm not sure if you're aware. Reed knows it.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
In the end, it actually did you a favor because.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
When you're drafted, if you're drafted, it's a four year
locked in contract, and if you're in those last few
rounds you get one hundred maybe a couple of hundred
thousand dollars signing bucks. You were already able to renegotiate
and continue your contract because as an undred just aniron
it absolutely And the other part is, you know, this
is sort of the Tom Brady esque six six round pick.
(36:38):
I don't think you should ever lose that ship because
no matter what, all those teams, thirty two teams passed
on you, and you're always proving yourself and you never
know where.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
This sack's going to take you. Absolutely, absolutely cool.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
Let's let's do a little break here and then let's
wrap it up because I want I want to get
a little into this defense and.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
What has made read so successful.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
And then mentality of the closer two games where he's
the one who comes up with the takeaway, and it's
like I'm equating it to basketball where the great ones
want the shot on the last possession.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
I want to know if Reid wants them to throw
the ball where he can go get it.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
You have a way of being a playmaker and a
closer for sure.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
And you know, listen, Daniel Jones probably took a shot
downfield that he might not have taken if you guys
were an offside, but of courtuate had one taken away
from you yesterday.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
But hey, there will be boy, all right.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
You're listening to the All Pro Philly Players Show live
from Chicken Pizza while to New Jersey Daves Bondero, Gerald Coleman,
our special guest Read Blanket Ship on Fox Sports a Gambler.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Welcome back the All Pro Philly Players Live and see
your segment.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Our special guys Dave Ferdaro and Gerald Colton coast you
with special guys Read Black and Ship the Closer. Eagles
starting sifety number thirty two, fresh off a great victory
against the New York Giants and read in your time here,
it's been, as we were touching on in the last segment,
kind of a whirl win three years. First you first
you worried about making the club, then then you get
(38:26):
on the field, then you start. But in that first year,
you actually went to the Super Bowl. And I'm sure
you said, right, this will happen every year, right.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Well, how was that? It's great? Yeah, Like, obviously we've.
Speaker 6 (38:41):
Had you know, BG and them, they haven't been back
since what seventeen, So going in as a rookie and
going to the Super Bowl, you're just spoiled at this point.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Man, this is gonna happen every year.
Speaker 6 (38:51):
Yeah right, I mean everybody was saying that you're gonna
hit the rookie wall and I'm like, what wall? Like,
I'm over here having fun with it. Yeah, we're going
to a.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
Z for did the enormous amount of media impress you did?
The game, the intensity of the game, the lights, the
you know, the spectacle of the Super Bowl. There's really
nothing more spectacular in American sports than the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (39:11):
Honestly, the media didn't really come after me, so I
wouldn't a big facker for me, the distracts it anyway,
but I felt like we handled it its as good
as we could.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Yea.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Yeah, And it was heartbreaking. And I gotta tell you
I'm still not over yet.
Speaker 6 (39:25):
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
I'm not joking about that. But you got to move
on and hopefully return.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
But read that rookie year was interesting because, like I said,
you know, it's it's you're you're beating the curve in
the odds to make the club as an undressed free
agent and and just be on.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
The active roster.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
I mean, you know, there's plenty of practice squad, a
lot of undrect free agent we had to it. But
you're on that roster from the start, and you actually,
at the end of the year were starting when CJGJ
went down with injury. Interesting enough, of course he's returned
this year, not just starting together. But you know, how
did all that feel?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Was it just whirlwinner is? You know, it's the old
next an up thing and you were ready for it.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
I mean, yeah, it was kind of the next man up,
But like I didn't really I wasn't like an active player,
I would say until maybe week seven. Whenever we played
the Colds, I forgot what week he was. So I
was inactive until then. And you know, I was always taught,
you know, go to a special teams coach. You know,
I always make friends with them, and you know, Michael
(40:23):
Clay's a great dude. And I was trying to learn
every time. I was trying to learn everything I could
just to get on the field for special teams. And
then finally, you know, I got that opportunity to go
on the field of special teams and also being like
a dime package be the safety. And you know that
also says a lot with my TV coach at the time,
But Nard Wilson, you know, he was one of those
(40:43):
guys that I always believed in me, would always you know,
have these talks back and forth about what I could
have in my.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
In that year having production meetings for the TV broadcast
with Jonathan Gannon, the defensive coordinator, and he said, you know,
you guys need to watch is read Blankakonship. He never
makes a mistake mentally, he is on top of everything
and he's a much better athlete than people give him
credit for. And so when you I don't know if
did he ever tell you do coaches give you the
real story?
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Or they they keep prizes away from.
Speaker 6 (41:14):
You as I haven't even heard the real story, so
I guess. I mean, they've always kept the praise away
from me. But I think I kind of understood how
they felt about.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Me, so based on the opportunities they were giving.
Speaker 6 (41:26):
Absolutely, you know, especially you know when city went down,
it was it wasn't in the hesitation, you know, Denard
Wilson looked back said, read you're in. I'm like, oh, really,
you know, I was just I was coming the game,
just worried about you know, dom package that we barely run,
and then playing special teams.
Speaker 5 (41:40):
And then Gerald that was again green big Packers in
town read Blanket Ship. The only player to intercede, I
think the only rookie to intercept Aaron Rodgers. And it
was a primetime game. It was like an amazing moment.
You was that was that for you read a welcome
to the NFL moment?
Speaker 6 (41:55):
I think, so, you know, I didn't really have time
to think about anything that happened that game until after
the fact, but that's definitely one of those welcome to
the NFL.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
And where's the Yeah, that's exactly what I did. No,
it's back home with my dad right now. Very good.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
That's a great thing to give to your dad.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
So so read.
Speaker 4 (42:14):
Then then you come in for the second year and
Cjgj's gone, and now you're coming in not just to
be able to team, you're you're competing for a starting
job and and and talk about that mental transition because
the team you came into you had so many great
veteran leaders, but it's always that transition. You had a
team that had Jason Kelsey, Fletcher Cox BG on it,
(42:35):
and now you're year two and you're ready to be
a starter.
Speaker 6 (42:39):
Yeah, Like I mean, we had some great veterans, Like
you said, I mean I always point this guy out
and it's Marcus ELPs. Obviously he's with the Raiders right now,
but uh, he was one of those guys, those mentors
that if I had any sort of question anything like,
he was always their answer. And as a rookie, you know,
(43:00):
you want to be around the guy that's you know,
a hard worker and kind of kind We kind of
have the same type of work ethic, you know, and
just just watching him do what he does and the
questions that he would ask in me is I'm like,
I want to be like I want to be like
him one day, you know, and.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
You know from then on, you know, like I said,
we would always have these thoughts.
Speaker 6 (43:20):
I always ask questions, and then obviously we have Sleigh
and you know, James Bradberry at the time, like I
was always asking him questions, and James Bradbury he would
always tell me give me tips because he's played with
some you know, pretty good safeties. And he would say, look,
this is how they would play, like if you can
do it, that would be great. You know, little little
tips here and there.
Speaker 5 (43:39):
And these are guys who I don't think it happens
in every NFL city. These are guys you are coming
in to potentially take their jobs and they are still
showing you the ropes and leading the way for you.
Now that you are first of all, the gratitude you
have towards them, it must be significant. And then you
are now in that position, read what.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
What is it like? Honestly love it?
Speaker 6 (44:02):
You know. It didn't really hit me until this year
when we had you know, Cooper come in and Quinyon
and uh, those two type of guys.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Man, they're hilarious. I'm telling you.
Speaker 6 (44:12):
When you when you actually get to know them, their personalities.
They're real good players, real they're real good players. But
let me tell you, like, they would not say a
word to anybody, And I was like, you know what,
flashback to me when I wouldn't say a word to
anybody either. I'm like, you know it only it's it's
only going to get better at All you gotta do
is just say hey, or like, how you doing? You know,
(44:32):
every every time I saw them, every time I walked
in the long runers, they tell them too more.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Are they afraid to ask questions?
Speaker 4 (44:37):
No?
Speaker 2 (44:39):
But I mean rookies are Were you afraid to ask ques?
Speaker 6 (44:40):
Not afraid, but very because hesitant because they were having
because the guys we had in our room, they were
having really high level conversations, you know. And obviously I
haven't experience as much as they have, and I'm like,
I'm not I feel like I'm not in their shoes.
I'm a little I'm like a step or two steps
behind them. You know. I can only learn what they're asking.
(45:02):
And that's what helped me a lot. It was those
just sitting there listening and taking notes like I was
preparing to play and be a starter, and just hearing what.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
They would say and communicate to each other. I'm like, Okay, this.
Speaker 6 (45:12):
Is how a really good secondary and the NFL is.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Supposed to be.
Speaker 6 (45:16):
Yeah, so a couple of quick things before because we're
coming up on the end.
Speaker 4 (45:19):
I don't I mean, we could go in for a
long long time, but maybe you'll come visit it again.
Big Fangio is in his first year as a decordinator here. No,
he was here as a consultant your Super Bowl year,
so you knew him some much. He's a nut in
a good way. Talk about playing for Big Fangio and
and how this defense is now really coming together.
Speaker 6 (45:38):
He has his plays, he has them, how he wants
everybody to play them, and now a whole lot is
money change. I mean, obviously, we have a lot of
guys in our room and on our defense that can
play multiple positions, and that's that's his that's his scheme.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
You know.
Speaker 6 (45:53):
He has a lot of guys that's in the past
has played multiple positions and big plays.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
You know, so or I'm lucky to have them.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
The Blitz package. We've seen Cooper, we've seen Nakobe yesterday.
Great success is there is there no no not giving
away any secrets?
Speaker 2 (46:09):
Is there? A possibility that there's a reblanket ship list
down the line. It's possible, but sometimes I got a.
Speaker 6 (46:15):
Direct traffic at the end of the day. So if
it happens, it happens, I would love The blitz.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Is yeah, what kind of blitz are?
Speaker 1 (46:22):
What?
Speaker 2 (46:22):
What is the key?
Speaker 5 (46:23):
Because what's been so impressive is the way that these
guys have timed it up and they've gotten home.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
And it's one thing to call up blitz. It's another
thing to call a blitz that gets home. What what
are the keys to that?
Speaker 6 (46:33):
It's kind of hard, especially like the secondary, because we
don't get our numbers called as much as linebackers food,
you know, so it's kind of four. I wouldn't say
foreign language, but it's kind of foreign to us when
we get down get down in the nitty gritty in
the trenches. But uh, you know, it's it's just your
kind of your instincts and just based off what you
see on film. And then you know, we talk about
certain keys that quarterbacks have or you know, the guards
(46:56):
if it's if they're playing a you know at the link,
you know, they give the tapp or something. Just little
keys and indication indicators that allow us to jump on
the stap or jump the snap in general.
Speaker 4 (47:06):
So and read coming from Alabama by way of Middle
Tennessee state, how has Philadelphia been to be a part
of this?
Speaker 6 (47:14):
Let me tell you it's the culture shock. Definitely culture shock.
I've been asked multiple times or told multiple times like, yeah,
you're not from here, are you? It's like no, because
of my accident, Tennessee talking Tennessee, and it's always a yes,
ma'am no, man, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
No, sir.
Speaker 6 (47:32):
And I don't know if you'll come Back's rarest thing
up here, but it doesn't matter how old you are.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
You know, I'm gonna say yes, ma'am no. Do you
like Do you like the sports culture?
Speaker 6 (47:43):
Oh my gosh, I've prayed, I've I've always wanted to
be in a place where they take football or sports
in general to another level.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
This is a good way of putting it.
Speaker 6 (47:56):
Never had it, yeah, never, I mean I say never
had that high school was was like that standing room only.
But man, Philly is a different animal, and you know,
kind of I say a bit off more that I
could you. But man, I respect the mess out of
the fans. Man.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
They hold us.
Speaker 6 (48:11):
Accountable and when we win, man, we're all celebrating together
when we lose.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
You know, we're we're in it together. Like that's how
it is. I mean, that's the feel the way Philly.
Are you comfortable in public? Do you get it recognized
a lot?
Speaker 6 (48:22):
I'm getting I'm getting recognized a little bit more. Sometimes
people will say Cooper, I'm like, no, you're the.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
One who actually they're older than fifteen years old.
Speaker 6 (48:31):
Yeah, so no, I'm getting recognized a little bit more.
But you know, I don't mind it. I mean, it's
not like Jalen walks in here and everybody knows them, so.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
I don't walking. I don't think. I think Janeen was
like back room walking in here. There's no way. Yeah,
I can't even imagine that.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
Well, we appreciate you so much coming out spending an
hour with especially after a game.
Speaker 3 (48:53):
It was a good game and glad you weren't breaking
too bad, and.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
We'll look forward to another one.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
Since I does the uh blackt Hip family travel up
to Cincinnati from Alabama.
Speaker 3 (49:06):
We got caravan going.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
Man.
Speaker 6 (49:08):
I had sixteen people come up I think the Browns game,
and it was just like that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
It's awesome.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
Man.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Your parents must be so fired up the season.
Speaker 6 (49:18):
Football, I think is like it's it's because obviously.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
This is this is part of the job.
Speaker 6 (49:23):
Like I got to do my job on Sunday. But
just like afterwards, you see all these people here that travel,
that get on a plane.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
I'm like, yeah, are you kidding me? You know, like
I know football Eagles mean it's in the fabric of
people's lives. Crazy for generation generation, generation generation, it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (49:42):
I mean you said, this is an unbelievably passionate sport
city and area.
Speaker 2 (49:46):
But Eagles are number one. Yes, there, without question. So
listen again. Thank you so much for joining us. We
next week.
Speaker 3 (49:54):
We don't know exactly who.
Speaker 2 (49:55):
We don't quite know that yet. We'll nail down in
the next day too, and you are welcome to join
us an time. Appreciate thanks to read blank Ship, Thank you, Read,
thank you.
Speaker 4 (50:03):
We got a whole bunch of other birds, Nick mcclayback
in the studio, Mike Powers here along with John Jansen,
we got Matt Schultz in the house, and I don't know,
a cast of thousands helping us sound good and be
on the air. So on behalf of my co host
and partner Eels and Saturday's Zero. I'm saying Gerald called
appreciation to read blank Ship, thanks for listening to you
(50:23):
all pro Philly Player show on Fox Sports.
Speaker 3 (50:25):
A Gambler Goberts
Coming to you live from Chicky's and Pete's in Marlton,
New Jersey, every Monday night. It's the All Pro Philly
Players Show. Now Here are your hosts, Gerald COLTSI and
Eagles inside him, Dave Spadero, Rad Jel.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Every five welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
The six Peas and Mark New Jersey. All pro fully players.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
It's jer Cart He get insiders.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Dave Spade, What's up day? What's up? Is a big victory.
I'm fired up.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
As everybody should be a sellar about. You know, it's
been such a beautiful October. It's another gorgeous day here.
It's a victory Monday. You know they're four and two.
You caught it last week. The hottest team in the
NFC East and it continues and obviously a lot to
build on. And we are joined today by an extremely
special guest and just thrilled, thrilled to have him here.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
He is the starting safety for the Philadelphia.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Eagles, number thirty to by way of Middle Tennessee State
read blanket shit.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah. So the journey of Red Blanket Ship has been.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
Told many times and we're gonna tell it again tonight.
It's an awesome it's really the story of somebody who
loves the game of football, because every time I've talked
to Read about anything, it always goes back to I
love playing football, and you've had amazing success and the
journey you've taken. Read, you never count anybody out right,
(01:34):
like superstar player in Alabama when you were a kid, uh,
Middle Tennessee State, five years there, not drafted by the NFL,
and here you are starting playing well contract extension.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Life is good for Read blanket ship. Yeah, you put
it like that. I don't really think about it. Yeah,
I know, I know.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
I was actually sitting on the sideline before uh, I
think before practice Friday. I'm like, man, this is great.
You know, We're just I'm just living life. I'm very
blessed to be able to up on this field.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
And do what I love. You know what did when
you were you just love football from the from the
very like seven years old.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
I mean, I love me some Alabama football. That was
one of our main things down south, especially in Bama.
I mean, you're either an Auburn or Alabama fan. You bleed,
you bleed red, so uh that was one of the
bigger things. But man, growing up, I was I was
a big baseball player. Yeah, and you know, it kind
of got kind of got iffy.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I say, iffy. Oh, I thought it was basketball.
Speaker 6 (02:29):
Baseball was before football.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
But I mean you you you had a choice of
going one direction of the other. Well here's what happened.
Speaker 6 (02:38):
You know, as as a kid, I thank goodness my
parents told me this, it's like play as me in
sports you can and that kept me busy. And then
obviously when you get to high school, you got to
make a decision. And so baseball was thrown out pretty fast.
It got burned out of it when I was a
kid because it was just it was a slow paced
game obviously. And then started playing basketball, and then you know,
(03:00):
football started coming around.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know, I'm like, why why am I not playing?
You know, I played.
Speaker 6 (03:04):
I played in third grade and uh just played one year.
And I was a little bitty thing, you know, I
just stick running around and uh get to middle school
and I'm still I don't know, I'm a buck twenty
maybe and well yeah, run anything, honestly, and uh get
to middle school. It wasn't my grade year at all.
(03:28):
You know, I'm still trying to learn the ropes, still
kind of scared to hit hit guys. You know that
physical the physical part that comes with it. But uh,
that's for my seventh grade year, going to eighth grade.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Man it, I don't know what happened.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
I flipped the switch, and you know it just started
to come a love. That's when I physically, physically and mentally,
and that's when everything started to change. I loved what
I was doing regardless of how bad I felt the
next day. You know, I always told myself, even when
I was little, I was like, if you need that
sort the next day, then you need to. You didn't
do a whole lot, you know, So, Uh, I was
(04:03):
blessed and able to for my dad actually pushed me
through that. I remember coming off of He's probably gonna
hate that I say this, but uh, I came off
the field one time after a game and it was
a pitiful performance by me, and uh, he looked at
me said, man, if you ever put up a performance
like that again, I won't let you play out here again.
I was like, yes, sir, hard and understood. So from
(04:24):
then on, you know, I carried that kind of motivation and.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
There I am.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
So So we'll get we'll get into the read story, Gerald,
But what's funny is REI said, if you're not hurting,
you didn't too much to day before.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
When he walked intoday, I'm like, how do you feeling?
Speaker 5 (04:37):
He goes, I feel pretty good because the Eagles dominated.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
And read I mean, you played basically one hundred percent
of snaps. You got to take a little time off yesterday.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
That's rare, I.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
Say, take some time off, but you always got to
be keyed in on what you do. But man, especially
on defensive side, our boys up were eating eating, you know,
and uh, you know we don't have to cover as long.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
You know.
Speaker 6 (04:59):
That's what makes that's what makes it good. I mean,
it's like a relationship, a marriage, you know, which which
if apparently you're going to.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Be experiencing sometimes absolutely very soon, Actually some big news
news for read Black and God share the personal news
and then we'll get back into football.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Well go ahead, and said, I said, yes, yeah, yes,
thank you.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
So yeah, it was kind of one of these things
that you never know the person that you're going to
spend the rest of your life with is sitting right
in front of you, you know, and uh, luckily it
was my defensive coordinator's daughter in Middle Tennessee. So Uh,
I kind of knew each other from the get go,
nothing crazy. Always respected that she was the coach's daughter
(05:44):
and me and me and her dad have had a
really really close relationship, and uh, she would always check
in here and there, nothing crazy, and then spent you know,
one year in the league here and uh, like I said,
it's you've been following me throughout this whole or deal.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And I was like, when I get back to.
Speaker 6 (06:04):
Murphysboro, I want to, you know, we should go out
on a little date, you know, and uh, trying to
make it happen. But actually, what's funny is that we
have the same birthday. She's exactly one year older goal
so it' smart second and she was having a little
thing in Nashville.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Whatever.
Speaker 6 (06:21):
She's like, you you should come up and celebrate with
us because we had sort of the kind of like
same friend group.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Whatever.
Speaker 6 (06:27):
It was all right, you know, whatever happens. I'm not
really looking for anything, you know, and uh walked through
the door and there she was. I'm like, man, like
I haven't seen her, you know, forever, and we just
hit it off and I'm like, where have you been?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know.
Speaker 6 (06:40):
It's that one of those things like where have you
been and man? From then on, we've been. Man, we've
been doing everything. You know. Click, you know, she's she's one.
She understands this league. She understands yep, the whole concept
of football because, like I said, her dad, her dad's coach,
so she's been traveling a lot. But she's a very
strong person to have that I have in my corner.
(07:01):
I can lean on her with everything.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
How the conversation go. I wondered with the with dad
that's a coach, Can I have a word with you?
It's crazy.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
I would always, you know, go up there. We'd watch
film together. He's like, man, I wish you were in
my family. Well, I hope you made Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
What a compliment?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
No, No, I know so that one pretty so I
guess he approved.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah from the get go. Yes, read. Now, let's talk
about your back pedal here, let's let's let's.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Fire and sit it. To your right is a guy
who just got married about a yell over year ago August. Well,
you get considered newly waed because I.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Don't know months were we married.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
August of twenty twenty three, first preseason game against the Ravens,
Eagles were down in Baltimore and Angela and I got
married on the fifty yard line, a like a financial field.
And if you remember, the Ravens changed the date of
that game, it was supposed to be a Thursday game.
It was the first Eagles game I'd missed since nineteen
ninety No, nineteen eighty seven.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Wow, that's hold. But uh, yeah, it's been great.
Speaker 6 (08:03):
Got a question, is there like, so, you know when
you first meet somebody, there's a honeymoon stage, right?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (08:07):
Is there a honeymoon stage with married?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I think that if you treat it right, there's always
a honeymood s you know she's listening. I mean, you're
always honeyloo stage. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
I mean I happen to be married to a woman
who's far beyond my kicking ability, and uh she and
and I just am. I'm humbled every day by her
accepting my proposal in marriage, actually marrying me, and staying
with me through all the knucklehee of things I do.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Absolutely, Yeah, I'm agread. I'm gonna add this dear friend
of mine. We've known each other a long time. It
is so great to see your friends so happy and
made so by the woman in his life as well.
As its profession, but really the woman is life and
I've seen such a difference since Angela came into his life,
and there's just a fabulus couple will be around as
I'm sure you when you're you're intended.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Do you have a date?
Speaker 6 (08:56):
We have a date and it's in July. Nice lot,
all detailed.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
What an exciting off season, and then you go right
to camp, perfect the camp, honeymoon, right to camp.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
No, the last thing, and then we'll get back to
football a little bit.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
You're an Alabama kid who went to school in Tennessee
at Middle Tennessee State.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Now I'm a big Morgan Wiland fan. I'm not a
huge country I'm a huge more Wallace.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Okay, so you're familiar with this with the song where
it's you know, uh, Tennessee always loses to Alabama, but
he got the girl from Alabama. Know they played this
weekend Tennessee beaten Alabama. It's a rare, rare occurrence in
the past. Do you still have a Rugan interest at
all or did you leave that behind when you went
(09:40):
to college.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
I left it behind a little bit in college, but uh,
I don't know it picked back.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
You grew up in Tennessee. What's the NFL attraction? Is
there one?
Speaker 6 (09:51):
Honestly no, Like I said, it's my goal for this
football path was just to make it to college to
play football. Like anything past that was extra, you know.
And like I said, like there was no not really
an NFL team. The closest one would be what Tennessee
Titans or Falcons, you know, but uh no, it's.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
More just a college were oute for fact, were you
in the were you recent enough to be making nil
money or did nil start after you?
Speaker 6 (10:21):
I think it came out my last year and it
wasn't really.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Wasn't a Middle Tennessee state not like it should not
like it just to go over it when it originally
came out.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
It's supposed to be name image and likeness and was
money for appearances and things like that.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Is turned into a straight out pay for play.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
But that didn't.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
That didn't trickle down, with all due respect to Middle
Tennessee State for a little while a little time. Now
it's out there, I mean, and reports just came out
to Texas had like twenty two twenty three million dollars
worth of nil.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Deal for this.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
David is absolutely crazy.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
It read probably could have made more money in college
than he would have rookie year as a transfer won't
go through that that whole track.
Speaker 6 (11:03):
I'm kind of jealous, you know. I'm happy to say all.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
I think.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
I think it will impact the NFL. Those kids cannot
be as hungry when you come into the league with
all that kind of money. Different. It's different. I mean,
I think part of what.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
I mean, I would imagine you tell me part of
your success, A lot of your success, you're just really
hungry if you weren't drafted, you didn't walk into the
league with millions of dollars and then read.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
It's also one of the things is that the whole
stage of being a college student, in college athlete, you're
in the locker room at the time, but everyone was
somewhat similar situated. Obviously, there's kids who come from more
money than others and other than some are taking care differently.
But basically your kids who have to stretch a buck
and stuff like that. I think there's something really good
in that. And now you're going to have a differentiation
(11:48):
in college locker room. So some guys, I mean, the
haves and have not so you haven't an NFL. But
it's at an age where it's a little bit different.
Speaker 6 (11:55):
And I say, it's like not too long ago that
you the reason that you strive to be at the
highest level of clasic football's because you love the game.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
And noawly' says, who's gonna pay me more?
Speaker 4 (12:05):
And that has happened. Let's let's go over a bunch
of things. First of all, you are chickens and pizza
moraw to New Jersey. You're still time to join us
if you're listening to us on Fox Sports of Gambler
or streaming us anywhere.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
We are with Eagles star safety Read Blank.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And Ship closer. He's closer.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
You know what, we haven't even really touched on your
Eagles career yet, which we have so many things and
we we we have an hour that I know is
gonna fly by. So let's first start with yesterday great
victory for the Eagles twenty eight to three over the
New York Giants. Very rarely do you have an NFL
game like that, because, as you know, all your games
go down to the wire. They're all ones in the game.
(12:43):
And and and I did make reference to the fact
that you actually got to not have to be out
there at the end right end of the game, which
I'm sure is nice.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Nice on your body. You feel good today, so great,
great on that which is allowed when you when you
escape that, when you escape that, life's and you're not
hurt it.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
So just in general, the Eagles have to feel pretty
good where they are right now.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Now.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Hopefully you don't listen to a whole lot of media
around here because you never believe that you're sitting at
four and two and two wins in a row and
put it together. You know you're you're head coach. Nick
Sirianni took a lot of criticism this past week. I personally,
from the outside didn't feel like it would affect your
team at all and has anything to do with winning
football games. How do you guys feel about how do
(13:29):
you view it in the locker room?
Speaker 6 (13:33):
Yeah, it's easy, it's easier, I mean to say, it's
just like it's easy for people to come to Nick,
to Syrianni like he's the one that he's obviously our
head coach whatever.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
But and people don't know what we got in the
locker room.
Speaker 6 (13:48):
I mean, the media comes in there for I don't
know how long, forty five minutes, but that's not they
don't see everybody's personal Like we get along, like we're tight.
We're a tight knit group, and it's I don't know,
it's hard to even explain. It's just like I love
playing with these dudes, and I mean they love playing
with each other, and it's just that we're having fun.
(14:10):
You know, we're having fun. Like everybody's having fun to
regardless if you're a player or not. Like, just that
that relationship we built together. I mean it started from
you know, obviously after the season in twenty three, but
especially in OTAs just felt that different vibe, you know,
in the building with everybody, and it's just like, we
know what we gotta do and we're gonna have fun
(14:31):
doing it, you know. And you know, the past few
weeks whatever have been ups and downs, but hey, I
mean that's that's the NFL. Everybody else gets paid to.
I mean, they're professionals. But you know, we're gonna get
together and like we're saying, we're having fun right now,
and it's.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Clear that the defense is coming together and that Vick
Dangel is learning what each player can do. What is
your perspective on what has happened here these last several
weeks with with the with the defense. Other than really
the the Tampa Bay game, the defense has played really well.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
We're just coming together more. Our job is like we're
understanding our job description even more each week.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
We're getting better each week.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
I mean, like I said before, like our guys up
front were eating so it makes our job in the
back end a lot easier. But it's just like having
that confidence and each level of the defense and knowing
that you know, Nikobe is gonna get his job done,
you know, Zach's gonna get his job done. Jalen Carr,
you know JD. Everybody's gonna get their job done. And
it's just that correlation that everybody's just gonna work together.
(15:28):
And like we we had a pretty good week of
really I say, really good week of practice this past week.
And it's just like we know what we're doing. You know,
we're not making these like big mistakes. If we're making
a mistake, we already know what we're doing when we
get to the sideline of practice.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
So what was it like for you to win?
Speaker 5 (15:44):
Lack of a better term, win win over Vic Vangiel,
old school guy, thirty eight years in the league, New
defensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Everybody's job is on the line. How did you feel
about that? I've been coached by a guy like that before.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
I'll say like that, Like coach that I've had has
been like hard nose like him, and you know he
he's gonna become in the meeting rooms and he's gonna
tell you what you did wrong and then tell you
what you did good at But at the end of
the day, if you don't fix it, and he's gonna
find somebody else to put in your spot. But it's
not You're not always worried or whatever. You just gotta
go out there and play hard. And that just goes
back to you just loving the sport, loving the whatever
(16:19):
comes with football.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
You know, the challenge that it's done with so total
respect for what he's done in his career. Absolutely amazing.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
Right, Well, it's interesting from the outside you can read
it just seems like week by week it's getting better
and more familiar larity, and even you, you know, you
may reference harder a couple of sacks Nikobe first, you're
really playing less than starting, and he picks up a
couple of sacks. You just added Cooper Gene in the
last couple of weeks. I mean everyone is just playing
(16:47):
their role and seeming really that the unit is coming together,
and those are two really good defensive performances in a row.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Absolutely, just gotta keep it going. Yep.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Long season, long season, and it keeps going because you've
already had bye week, so it doesn't stop.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You're right, exactly right.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
The only time you'll get a BUBE we can get
is if you wind up being top seed in the
whole NFC.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
But so next week, Cincinnati, and.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
This is a little bit different club that you played
the last two weeks, but you take who's ever in
front of you, and they do have a different type
of offense, different type of quarterback.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Have you already started watching him.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
I'll start watching him tomorrow. Okay, that's kind of my routine.
But uh, you know, whatever challenges we're gonna face, I mean, regardless,
I know Joe Burrow is his great quarterback. He's got
Jamar Chase with him too, and then we just got
to shut those guys down, man at the end of
the day and just play our type of ball, you.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Know, at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
So that is my favorite betting story of all time
is Joe Burrow's father going into his senior yor because
he wasn't all that well known, he had transferred and
he was down at ELS and he was like forty
to one to win the Heisman Trophy, and his father
put two thousand dollars believing in his son.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And when he hit that was an eight hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
It's crazy, that's good, but anyway, good, good for him,
all right, So let's let's take you back down down
to your to your roots, and at what point did
it become a parent to you that you really could
do this thing at a higher level and go to
college and play football.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
It was my sophomore year in high school. We already
had a guy getting recruited by Southern Myss, which was Converse.
He WUSA at the time, and uh, that coach actually
came down. He's like, you know, I can't really talk
to you right now, but you know, if you keep
this up like you have a chance. And from then on,
you know, it sparked that fire uneath me that I
(18:39):
want to be the best player I can possibly be
on the team and then hopefully get more offers whatever.
So from my sophomore year on, I kind of knew
that if I keep playing, keep doing what I'm doing,
I can go places. And obviously the main goal I
wanted to go to Alabama, you know, I want to
play that. I wanted to play for Nick Saban whatever.
(19:00):
But you know, things change a little bit when you
get older, and you know you get a certain offers.
But uh, you know, pick chose Empte. One of the
thought it was one of those places. I can go
there and play pretty fast. What did it come down to? Though,
honestly Middleton to City and Troy okay, because Neil Brown
was actually at Troy. I think he's the head coach
(19:21):
steal for West Virginia. And you were playing both sides
of the ball. Quit playing both sides of the ball.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
And so it would was it clear that you were
going to be a defensive player.
Speaker 6 (19:30):
Yeah, I think started to go to a lot of
camps as a receiver and stuff.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
And we're going to pick up your career from Middle
Tennessee State when we get back.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We are the all pro Philly players.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Show Gerald caught along with Dames Spadaro and our very
very special guests read Blanket Ship.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Live on Fox Sports.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
A gambler iHeart Radio and here at Chickens and Pizza
and Marlton, New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
We'll be back right after this the Insider dates where
they're all learn their red blankets. You here at teas
(20:14):
and past years. I'm eating at so good like I
usually pia, but I want to sports the time. It's fantastic,
he did, I feel so healthy?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Now?
Speaker 6 (20:26):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
The foods here is so good.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Everybody loves it.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
And you know, Chickens and Peas is the place to go. Read.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
You probably hit a few Chickis and Pizza because they're
all over the region. It's the best sports bart that's
where the players go, and it's the best for food
and drink.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
And if you want to come watch Monday football, there's
two games tonight.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
But read what do you think of the Chickis and Peas?
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Man?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 6 (20:45):
Their craft fries, oh my gosh, takes a lot of
weight off that man.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
My my wife, my wife watches the show and listen.
She wants you to. Can you cover a J Brown?
Speaker 4 (20:55):
What we got AJ Brown sweet Heat wings designed by
AJ right here at Chickens and Pets, And.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
We appreciate Pete.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
The entire chicken Peat's family, his son Pete the third,
who comes in here a lot to visit us, story
of the shows, and just everything they do. And I
mean they are the pulse or their fingers right on
the pulse of the phil Fish sports scene. And we love,
we love doing it here every week. So thanks for
coming to Chickens and Peace with us. Read Black and
Ship of the Field off Eagles joining us today.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
We've got a great crowd of people here. Thank you
all for coming out and supporting the show. Awesome, we
and we appreciate it. And yeah, I gotta say you
you you brought, you brought more than anybody else.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
But that's.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Let's let's go back to where you make your decision.
You go to Middle Tennessee State. It's how far? How
far aarrived from Athens, Alabama? Only an hour and a
half from me, perfect right up the road.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Mom My mom loved that.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
I'm sure I'm sure she did then.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
And and as a college kid, it's like it's it's
far enough and close enough at the same time, I
want the records right up right up.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
This road, about it hour away. It was. It was
a perfect distance anyway.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
So so you get there and you get on the
field of your freshman year and wound up having a
pretty good career. So talk about the transition from high
school to college football.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
It was probably it was a really, really tough transition. Obviously,
going from high school from where I was was like
small ball to the I say, big stage, a whole
lot faster. I mean, guys are kind of the same
speed as me. Then a whole lot faster. I'm like,
oh my gosh, I mean that everything's making me dizzy,
(22:34):
you know. But I mean my sooner bit father in law,
he was a pretty good coach, you know, and he
taught me a lot. Sometimes didn't know what I was doing,
but I was just out there having fun with it,
you know, just playing asar as a ya.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
So what was it?
Speaker 2 (22:49):
The temple? Was it the complexity of the defense? Just
I say, the whole thing.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
I didn't really know what cover two was until I
actually got to college, so that says a lot. But now,
I mean he kind of laid the foundation for me
and now here I am.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And during college you went through the COVID period. How
crazy was that?
Speaker 6 (23:10):
I was quarantined for forty two consecutive days.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Yeah, wait, what if to find quarantine and during season
or so.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
This was during the summer, so I'll rewind and go back.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
So I broke.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
I had a season ending injury in twenty twenty that
would have been so in twenty nineteen, I had a
season end gug injury in October.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
That set me back.
Speaker 6 (23:36):
You know, I was out the whole year, and then
I just started walking, I think in January. And obviously
you've been hearing the news, like the COVID thing whatever.
So I'm doing my regular treatments in college at MC
and then all of a sudden, you know, March, I
think it was either February or March.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
That's when we got shut down, and so they.
Speaker 6 (23:57):
Sent us all home, and you know, I was doing
treatment at home, and obviously it's two completely different things
when you're doing at a facility.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Or you know, just at a normal place.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
You know, they don't push you as hard as they
would because they're around you every day. So anyways, come
back during the summer, I'm you know, still thinking about
my leg. It was pretty gruesome. The whole COVID thing
was obviously it was at his at his peak. And
we get back and our I think our whole weight
(24:28):
staff tested positive for COVID.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So that's what this is.
Speaker 6 (24:32):
When you know, if you were contact tracing whatever, you
were down for two weeks. And so the whole team
at a quarantine. That was just us going back to
our you know, houses apart whatever wherever we stayed and
just we're just there. So come back, maybe a couple
of days, retest everybody. One of my roommates has it.
(24:54):
That's another two weeks, you know, Oh yeah, come back.
Spent two or three days, you know, everything's fine. Another
my other roommate, two more weeks. And this is when
obviously the Power five schools were iffy about it for
their playing or not. And in my head, I'm like,
why would I want to play? You know, I'm sitting here.
I haven't played any football since October of last year,
(25:19):
and I'm expecting to play. And granted we were playing
Army our first game, so I'm trying to learn the
triple options over the zoom call and I'm sitting here.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
I'm like, I don't even know.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
Like obviously, you see you look at Twitter at the time,
was just a horrible thing. You things here, things they're whatever,
So get back. Other roommates tests positives. I'm like my
cows man will and I've never I never tested and
were they they I think one of my roommates were
he I think he had it, but my other roommates
(25:51):
I think was just like a false positive. But even then,
you you were still quarantine at that point. Man, I'm
just like, what, I don't I don't even and not
like my head wasn't in the right space.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Are you're restricted to what? During that During that course,
it was.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
Just into our home, you know, We're just at our
home and we would go on these long walks out outside,
just like to get out, you know, and put no
access to weight room and no access to or weight
room anything at all. And I'm sitting here like I
ain't lifting, like I ain't lifted like I wanted to.
I haven't been running like I've been whatever.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
And so.
Speaker 6 (26:27):
I come back and the first live rep I have
is against Army trying to triple out options. And I
made that decision. I'm like, it's kind of me feeling
bad for, you know, my DC because he had to
teach all these young guys. I'm like, as me as
a player, I don't want you to go through stuff.
I mean you're sticking those swabs up your nose every week.
Didn't know if you were going to be able to
(26:47):
play or not.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
And where were you physically during that time? Did you
Did you lose muscle masks? Did you lose no? Actually
gain weight.
Speaker 6 (26:54):
So I've I've always been the type of guy that
I couldn't get to two hundred, like I've always wanted
get the two hundred. I always in the one ninety
five one ninety range. And right after covid Rid, after quarantine,
I was like two ten to twelve, and obviously I
haven't been running with it. So I'm out there gassed,
and thank goodness. I mean, it's kind of a blessing
(27:14):
to this guys that COVID did happen because I did
get over that two hundred mark and I'm actually in
a really good way.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
But man, was that tough? And how long did you
take to get back to being red blanket ship?
Speaker 6 (27:27):
NFL prospect took me the whole year. Honestly, I'll be
vulnerver a little bit. I mean there's points that I
would go in to, like my weight coaching.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
I'm just in tears like that. I don't know what's
going on.
Speaker 6 (27:40):
I can't find myself and I can't get in that rhythm,
and I'm just like I thought, I was just pissing
my career away, you know. And you know, I was
fortunate enough to have guys in my corner and my
you know.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
Especially my parents. They were always there and they just
pushed me and pushed me.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
And then the next year comes along. I'm like, look
like this is make get a break it for you.
I mean, if you don't, if you don't produce anything,
like you're just gonna be at home. I mean, you
got to you gotta figure out what you want to do.
So I kind of looked myself in the mirror, had
a long talk, and you know, the rest is kind
of at the time, no, I've been playing football or
(28:19):
playing some type of sport my whole curer, like my
whole life. And you know, yeah, I worked here and there,
like at home, like on on a farm, but nothing
like nothing like.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
A real world job, you know. And so I didn't
even know what to expect. I didn't know what to do.
Speaker 6 (28:34):
I just knew that if I didn't, football was my
plan A.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
And Plan B. Like I was there was I was
going to make it somehow.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
That was such a strange time in the whole world,
let alone for someone who's trying to get to the
NFL for Middle Tennessee State. So so you just dedicate
yourself with them. You wound up having two more years there.
It seemed to be more of a normal semblance. I
mean there were people at the games and a rhythm,
and and I guess college came, which has returned a
lot more towards normal, right.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
I mean feel bad for the guys in hospital or
the people in high school that were trying to get
to college. I didn't experience the whole college feel. You know,
they were quarantine doing zoom classes, and you know it's
what we sit here and talk about me. But like
some of these people, you know, they unfortunately had different
circumstances and it's tough.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
But so you rebounded really well, make all academic and
all conference and wind up as a very big draft prospect.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
I guess you went to the East West Shrine.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Is that we got all struggling, which is one of
the big ones in an opportunity where obviously you'd caught
the attention of the scouts, but in preparing for the draft,
were you anticipating being drafted.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Really, if I was being real with myself, I mean, no, hey,
we're on the right.
Speaker 7 (29:52):
He go, nice, Yeah, you know, these are some good
friends of mine haven't seen a long time, and now
they're coming up in the middle of show and and
and not only coming up, they're they're walking down now
that they realize.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
It was all pro Gerald, I love it. Appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
Appreciate you guys.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Legend back to I just loved what I was talking
about your draft prospects. You gonna get where you're gonna
be drafted.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
I mean yeah, I always you're that that type of
feeling that yeah, I want to get drafted. Yeah I
might go, you know, day three. But just being real,
and obviously I have a really good agent that he was.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Well, but he's one of my good friends.
Speaker 6 (30:38):
He's ah, there, they got to their order.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Or whatever is.
Speaker 6 (30:42):
Their agency is down to earth, dude, like people love
everything about them. And my agent he was like, I'm
just gonna be honest with you, like you're gonna be,
you know, probably a probably free agent.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I was like, LOUI is fine, So just give me
on the team, just give me opportunity.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
And so.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
I don't know, maybe a couple of teams called whatever,
but the Eagles called and he was like, that's the
best opportunity for you. You know, we're not looking at
the money or anything. And he said, that's the best opportunity.
He said, I know you're going to work as hard
as you can and you're gonna get on the spots.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And I'm not worried about that.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
So I was like, man, I'm glad you have all
this faith in it, you know, but you know it's different,
you know it's a different stress.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
But you know, go to Ricky Minnie camp. Try I
don't want to hear all that.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Yeah, but just just slowing down for a second, because
you're coming to a team that had been a playoff
team Knick year on his first year, and and those
choices as an agent are really tough because it's a
spur of the moment thing. You're hoping to get drafted
and when the draft ends, you've done your homework and
you've talked to all the clubs, and he I'm sure
(31:52):
knew that the Eagles had a possibility, the best possibility
of making the club, because that's really as an undrafted agent,
that's a big deal and hard to do.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
And you were one of only three that made that
Eagles team.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
I guess two of you are still here.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Yeah, I think so actually, But and you wound up
joining the team that wound up going to the super Bowl.
So that was and and here we are just a
couple of years later, and you've had two new defense
coordinators and a whole lot of turnover.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
So when you first joined. Now take us through it.
So you're coming to the camp question.
Speaker 5 (32:22):
First, I find it amazing that a player who is
as good as re Blankenship is not drafted, Like, what
are NFL scouts looking for?
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Are they?
Speaker 5 (32:31):
Like?
Speaker 2 (32:31):
What are they? How can they make that miss?
Speaker 4 (32:35):
Can I just add that before he answers? I want
to add to that because Brad Obey a mutual friend
of Dave's and I, and he's he's a scout with Eagles.
He's now with Caroline, a great guy. He believes in
you so much. He and somebody else. I don't know
if you were aware of that, but they but they
really pushed it. And to me, Dave, to answer that question,
we can take it further. It's just not an exact science,
(32:55):
and unfortunately, coming from Middle Tennessee State of Good school
any guys in the NFL, there's still a little discrimination
against it.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Absolutely, and there's some things you just have to overcome.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Because if you look at your numbers, your combine numbers
and and everything, you were right there. So it does
come down dated to me, a little bit of prejudice
against a smaller school. But read you could answer maybe.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Better than you. I mean, y'all said it best.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
But you know, I feel like, I don't know, like
the whole combine thing whatever, Like that's not football, like
you're out there running around your underwear. But for all
these small schools, like they just need to get the opportunity.
And I know a lot of guys have that chip
on their shoulder. I mean not even me, I know
there's plenty of other ones. And just seeing guys that,
(33:43):
you know, powerful schools, that you know that you're probably
more than likely better than get drafted or something, you know,
get that opportunity, you know, it's just kind of a
slip in the face. But that's just one of those things,
those challenges and that adversity. I mean, you just got
to overcome. You mentioned in our first segment how your
father motivated you.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
You know, Dave, you worked with Andy Reid for a
long time and you didn't get the pleasure on her
playing for him.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
You played against him in your Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
But hopefully next time you'll beat him.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Right.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
But but, but Andy and I had a conversation a
long time ago, and one of the brilliances of Andy
Reid that the public would never see is that he
tapped into what each player on his rosters psyche he
was psyche with, and how it took to motivate him.
You can't motivate everybody the same way. Your father talked
to you in a way that my father would not
have talked to me. And I don't know if it
(34:33):
would have worked on him, it clearly worked on you.
So Dave, now now he gets to the NFL, and
I imagine you kept a chip on your shoulder the
whole time. Yeah, I mean, I still have a chip
on my shoulder.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
I honestly don't think that chip will be gone until
they put me six foot under.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
So that's one of those things that's a long ways yea, hopefully,
hopefully absolutely, But just one of those things.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
Man.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
One of the things I admire about read it.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
You know, he's had really a great success, and he's
not letting any of it get to him. He's not
looking ahead. He doesn't think he's arrived. I get the
sensory that you don't think you'll ever arrive.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Unfortunately. No, it is it a blessing or curse.
Speaker 6 (35:10):
You can look at it both ways. I think it's
more of a blessing though. Don't let any of this
change I don't let any of this change who I
am as a person. It shouldn't change anybody. Uh, just
be who you are, man like, that's who That's what
people really want to see. I mean they really want
to see who you are as a person and just
have fun with life, you know, get to know everybody.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Yeah, he can change so fast, Like you can be
on top one day and you're you're out of the
league in a couple of months.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Well, let's go through that, because because it has changed
fast for you, and I'm sure it's gone fast as well.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I mean you're in the you're in the middle of
your three.
Speaker 6 (35:45):
Crazy Yeah, that's that's scary fast, more than I hate
to think about it.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
And you've already I mean making the club, beat the odds,
becoming a starter, super beat, the odds, and being in
year three actually beats the odds, like you're way past
the curve of an undrafted free agent and really almost
now the average NFL career is only slightly win. Three
years are the guys who actually make it, so you're
already coming up on that. But here's an irony date.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
I'm not sure if you're aware. Reed knows it.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
In the end, it actually did you a favor because.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
When you're drafted, if you're drafted, it's a four year
locked in contract, and if you're in those last few
rounds you get one hundred maybe a couple of hundred
thousand dollars signing bucks. You were already able to renegotiate
and continue your contract because as an undred just aniron
it absolutely And the other part is, you know, this
is sort of the Tom Brady esque six six round pick.
(36:38):
I don't think you should ever lose that ship because
no matter what, all those teams, thirty two teams passed
on you, and you're always proving yourself and you never
know where.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
This sack's going to take you. Absolutely, absolutely cool.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
Let's let's do a little break here and then let's
wrap it up because I want I want to get
a little into this defense and.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
What has made read so successful.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
And then mentality of the closer two games where he's
the one who comes up with the takeaway, and it's
like I'm equating it to basketball where the great ones
want the shot on the last possession.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
I want to know if Reid wants them to throw
the ball where he can go get it.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
You have a way of being a playmaker and a
closer for sure.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
And you know, listen, Daniel Jones probably took a shot
downfield that he might not have taken if you guys
were an offside, but of courtuate had one taken away
from you yesterday.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
But hey, there will be boy, all right.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
You're listening to the All Pro Philly Players Show live
from Chicken Pizza while to New Jersey Daves Bondero, Gerald Coleman,
our special guest Read Blanket Ship on Fox Sports a Gambler.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
Welcome back the All Pro Philly Players Live and see
your segment.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Our special guys Dave Ferdaro and Gerald Colton coast you
with special guys Read Black and Ship the Closer. Eagles
starting sifety number thirty two, fresh off a great victory
against the New York Giants and read in your time here,
it's been, as we were touching on in the last segment,
kind of a whirl win three years. First you first
you worried about making the club, then then you get
(38:26):
on the field, then you start. But in that first year,
you actually went to the Super Bowl. And I'm sure
you said, right, this will happen every year, right.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Well, how was that? It's great? Yeah, Like, obviously we've.
Speaker 6 (38:41):
Had you know, BG and them, they haven't been back
since what seventeen, So going in as a rookie and
going to the Super Bowl, you're just spoiled at this point.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Man, this is gonna happen every year.
Speaker 6 (38:51):
Yeah right, I mean everybody was saying that you're gonna
hit the rookie wall and I'm like, what wall? Like,
I'm over here having fun with it. Yeah, we're going
to a.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
Z for did the enormous amount of media impress you did?
The game, the intensity of the game, the lights, the
you know, the spectacle of the Super Bowl. There's really
nothing more spectacular in American sports than the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (39:11):
Honestly, the media didn't really come after me, so I
wouldn't a big facker for me, the distracts it anyway,
but I felt like we handled it its as good
as we could.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Yea.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Yeah, And it was heartbreaking. And I gotta tell you
I'm still not over yet.
Speaker 6 (39:25):
I'm not.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
I'm not joking about that. But you got to move
on and hopefully return.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
But read that rookie year was interesting because, like I said,
you know, it's it's you're you're beating the curve in
the odds to make the club as an undressed free
agent and and just be on.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
The active roster.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
I mean, you know, there's plenty of practice squad, a
lot of undrect free agent we had to it. But
you're on that roster from the start, and you actually,
at the end of the year were starting when CJGJ
went down with injury. Interesting enough, of course he's returned
this year, not just starting together. But you know, how
did all that feel?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Was it just whirlwinner is? You know, it's the old
next an up thing and you were ready for it.
Speaker 6 (40:01):
I mean, yeah, it was kind of the next man up,
But like I didn't really I wasn't like an active player,
I would say until maybe week seven. Whenever we played
the Colds, I forgot what week he was. So I
was inactive until then. And you know, I was always taught,
you know, go to a special teams coach. You know,
I always make friends with them, and you know, Michael
(40:23):
Clay's a great dude. And I was trying to learn
every time. I was trying to learn everything I could
just to get on the field for special teams. And
then finally, you know, I got that opportunity to go
on the field of special teams and also being like
a dime package be the safety. And you know that
also says a lot with my TV coach at the time,
But Nard Wilson, you know, he was one of those
(40:43):
guys that I always believed in me, would always you know,
have these talks back and forth about what I could
have in my.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
In that year having production meetings for the TV broadcast
with Jonathan Gannon, the defensive coordinator, and he said, you know,
you guys need to watch is read Blankakonship. He never
makes a mistake mentally, he is on top of everything
and he's a much better athlete than people give him
credit for. And so when you I don't know if
did he ever tell you do coaches give you the
real story?
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Or they they keep prizes away from.
Speaker 6 (41:14):
You as I haven't even heard the real story, so
I guess. I mean, they've always kept the praise away
from me. But I think I kind of understood how
they felt about.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Me, so based on the opportunities they were giving.
Speaker 6 (41:26):
Absolutely, you know, especially you know when city went down,
it was it wasn't in the hesitation, you know, Denard
Wilson looked back said, read you're in. I'm like, oh, really,
you know, I was just I was coming the game,
just worried about you know, dom package that we barely run,
and then playing special teams.
Speaker 5 (41:40):
And then Gerald that was again green big Packers in
town read Blanket Ship. The only player to intercede, I
think the only rookie to intercept Aaron Rodgers. And it
was a primetime game. It was like an amazing moment.
You was that was that for you read a welcome
to the NFL moment?
Speaker 6 (41:55):
I think, so, you know, I didn't really have time
to think about anything that happened that game until after
the fact, but that's definitely one of those welcome to
the NFL.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
And where's the Yeah, that's exactly what I did. No,
it's back home with my dad right now. Very good.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
That's a great thing to give to your dad.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
So so read.
Speaker 4 (42:14):
Then then you come in for the second year and
Cjgj's gone, and now you're coming in not just to
be able to team, you're you're competing for a starting
job and and and talk about that mental transition because
the team you came into you had so many great
veteran leaders, but it's always that transition. You had a
team that had Jason Kelsey, Fletcher Cox BG on it,
(42:35):
and now you're year two and you're ready to be
a starter.
Speaker 6 (42:39):
Yeah, Like I mean, we had some great veterans, Like
you said, I mean I always point this guy out
and it's Marcus ELPs. Obviously he's with the Raiders right now,
but uh, he was one of those guys, those mentors
that if I had any sort of question anything like,
he was always their answer. And as a rookie, you know,
(43:00):
you want to be around the guy that's you know,
a hard worker and kind of kind We kind of
have the same type of work ethic, you know, and
just just watching him do what he does and the
questions that he would ask in me is I'm like,
I want to be like I want to be like
him one day, you know, and.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
You know from then on, you know, like I said,
we would always have these thoughts.
Speaker 6 (43:20):
I always ask questions, and then obviously we have Sleigh
and you know, James Bradberry at the time, like I
was always asking him questions, and James Bradbury he would
always tell me give me tips because he's played with
some you know, pretty good safeties. And he would say, look,
this is how they would play, like if you can
do it, that would be great. You know, little little
tips here and there.
Speaker 5 (43:39):
And these are guys who I don't think it happens
in every NFL city. These are guys you are coming
in to potentially take their jobs and they are still
showing you the ropes and leading the way for you.
Now that you are first of all, the gratitude you
have towards them, it must be significant. And then you
are now in that position, read what.
Speaker 2 (43:59):
What is it like? Honestly love it?
Speaker 6 (44:02):
You know. It didn't really hit me until this year
when we had you know, Cooper come in and Quinyon
and uh, those two type of guys.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Man, they're hilarious. I'm telling you.
Speaker 6 (44:12):
When you when you actually get to know them, their personalities.
They're real good players, real they're real good players. But
let me tell you, like, they would not say a
word to anybody, And I was like, you know what,
flashback to me when I wouldn't say a word to
anybody either. I'm like, you know it only it's it's
only going to get better at All you gotta do
is just say hey, or like, how you doing? You know,
(44:32):
every every time I saw them, every time I walked
in the long runers, they tell them too more.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Are they afraid to ask questions?
Speaker 4 (44:37):
No?
Speaker 2 (44:39):
But I mean rookies are Were you afraid to ask ques?
Speaker 6 (44:40):
Not afraid, but very because hesitant because they were having
because the guys we had in our room, they were
having really high level conversations, you know. And obviously I
haven't experience as much as they have, and I'm like,
I'm not I feel like I'm not in their shoes.
I'm a little I'm like a step or two steps
behind them. You know. I can only learn what they're asking.
(45:02):
And that's what helped me a lot. It was those
just sitting there listening and taking notes like I was
preparing to play and be a starter, and just hearing what.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
They would say and communicate to each other. I'm like, Okay, this.
Speaker 6 (45:12):
Is how a really good secondary and the NFL is.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
Supposed to be.
Speaker 6 (45:16):
Yeah, so a couple of quick things before because we're
coming up on the end.
Speaker 4 (45:19):
I don't I mean, we could go in for a
long long time, but maybe you'll come visit it again.
Big Fangio is in his first year as a decordinator here. No,
he was here as a consultant your Super Bowl year,
so you knew him some much. He's a nut in
a good way. Talk about playing for Big Fangio and
and how this defense is now really coming together.
Speaker 6 (45:38):
He has his plays, he has them, how he wants
everybody to play them, and now a whole lot is
money change. I mean, obviously, we have a lot of
guys in our room and on our defense that can
play multiple positions, and that's that's his that's his scheme.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
You know.
Speaker 6 (45:53):
He has a lot of guys that's in the past
has played multiple positions and big plays.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
You know, so or I'm lucky to have them.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
The Blitz package. We've seen Cooper, we've seen Nakobe yesterday.
Great success is there is there no no not giving
away any secrets?
Speaker 2 (46:09):
Is there? A possibility that there's a reblanket ship list
down the line. It's possible, but sometimes I got a.
Speaker 6 (46:15):
Direct traffic at the end of the day. So if
it happens, it happens, I would love The blitz.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Is yeah, what kind of blitz are?
Speaker 1 (46:22):
What?
Speaker 2 (46:22):
What is the key?
Speaker 5 (46:23):
Because what's been so impressive is the way that these
guys have timed it up and they've gotten home.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
And it's one thing to call up blitz. It's another
thing to call a blitz that gets home. What what
are the keys to that?
Speaker 6 (46:33):
It's kind of hard, especially like the secondary, because we
don't get our numbers called as much as linebackers food,
you know, so it's kind of four. I wouldn't say
foreign language, but it's kind of foreign to us when
we get down get down in the nitty gritty in
the trenches. But uh, you know, it's it's just your
kind of your instincts and just based off what you
see on film. And then you know, we talk about
certain keys that quarterbacks have or you know, the guards
(46:56):
if it's if they're playing a you know at the link,
you know, they give the tapp or something. Just little
keys and indication indicators that allow us to jump on
the stap or jump the snap in general.
Speaker 4 (47:06):
So and read coming from Alabama by way of Middle
Tennessee state, how has Philadelphia been to be a part
of this?
Speaker 6 (47:14):
Let me tell you it's the culture shock. Definitely culture shock.
I've been asked multiple times or told multiple times like, yeah,
you're not from here, are you? It's like no, because
of my accident, Tennessee talking Tennessee, and it's always a yes,
ma'am no, man, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
No, sir.
Speaker 6 (47:32):
And I don't know if you'll come Back's rarest thing
up here, but it doesn't matter how old you are.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
You know, I'm gonna say yes, ma'am no. Do you
like Do you like the sports culture?
Speaker 6 (47:43):
Oh my gosh, I've prayed, I've I've always wanted to
be in a place where they take football or sports
in general to another level.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
This is a good way of putting it.
Speaker 6 (47:56):
Never had it, yeah, never, I mean I say never
had that high school was was like that standing room only.
But man, Philly is a different animal, and you know,
kind of I say a bit off more that I
could you. But man, I respect the mess out of
the fans. Man.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
They hold us.
Speaker 6 (48:11):
Accountable and when we win, man, we're all celebrating together
when we lose.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
You know, we're we're in it together. Like that's how
it is. I mean, that's the feel the way Philly.
Are you comfortable in public? Do you get it recognized
a lot?
Speaker 6 (48:22):
I'm getting I'm getting recognized a little bit more. Sometimes
people will say Cooper, I'm like, no, you're the.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
One who actually they're older than fifteen years old.
Speaker 6 (48:31):
Yeah, so no, I'm getting recognized a little bit more.
But you know, I don't mind it. I mean, it's
not like Jalen walks in here and everybody knows them, so.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
I don't walking. I don't think. I think Janeen was
like back room walking in here. There's no way. Yeah,
I can't even imagine that.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
Well, we appreciate you so much coming out spending an
hour with especially after a game.
Speaker 3 (48:53):
It was a good game and glad you weren't breaking
too bad, and.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
We'll look forward to another one.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
Since I does the uh blackt Hip family travel up
to Cincinnati from Alabama.
Speaker 3 (49:06):
We got caravan going.
Speaker 2 (49:07):
Man.
Speaker 6 (49:08):
I had sixteen people come up I think the Browns game,
and it was just like that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (49:15):
It's awesome.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
Man.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
Your parents must be so fired up the season.
Speaker 6 (49:18):
Football, I think is like it's it's because obviously.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
This is this is part of the job.
Speaker 6 (49:23):
Like I got to do my job on Sunday. But
just like afterwards, you see all these people here that travel,
that get on a plane.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
I'm like, yeah, are you kidding me? You know, like
I know football Eagles mean it's in the fabric of
people's lives. Crazy for generation generation, generation generation, it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (49:42):
I mean you said, this is an unbelievably passionate sport
city and area.
Speaker 2 (49:46):
But Eagles are number one. Yes, there, without question. So
listen again. Thank you so much for joining us. We
next week.
Speaker 3 (49:54):
We don't know exactly who.
Speaker 2 (49:55):
We don't quite know that yet. We'll nail down in
the next day too, and you are welcome to join
us an time. Appreciate thanks to read blank Ship, Thank you, Read,
thank you.
Speaker 4 (50:03):
We got a whole bunch of other birds, Nick mcclayback
in the studio, Mike Powers here along with John Jansen,
we got Matt Schultz in the house, and I don't know,
a cast of thousands helping us sound good and be
on the air. So on behalf of my co host
and partner Eels and Saturday's Zero. I'm saying Gerald called
appreciation to read blank Ship, thanks for listening to you
(50:23):
all pro Philly Player show on Fox Sports.
Speaker 3 (50:25):
A Gambler Goberts
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