July 11, 2024 • 41 mins
Colin talks to Fox Sports Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas about the firing of manager Gregg Berhalter and where U.S. soccer goes from here before cohosting the 2026 World Cup
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Here we Go, it's our three fly and by It's
the Hurd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening.
Thanks for making us part of your day. So Greg Berhalter,
who I've supported, got fired after a disappointing performance at
COPA as the men's coach United States men's national team.
(00:46):
We fire our coaches. We blame our coaches. Won sixty
nine percent of his games, best winning percentage ever for
somebody that's coached at least twenty games. And people say, hey,
but our players are so much better. They're playing over
in Europe. Yes, but are they in their athletic prime?
Who Lissic has just entered his prime. We're still really young.
(01:06):
We were one of the youngest World Cup teams that
got into the round of sixteen draw with England and
then just overwhelmed by the Netherlands. But the fact that
this team played poorly in Copa now, I argued earlier
Jordan Copa. Our talent now is more European. We like
to play faster and wider, and Copa's fields are narrower
(01:31):
and shorter like in the NFL and college football hash
marks in different places, Olympic Hockey rings, NHL rings, difference
in size. Copa was not built for us. Not an excuse,
it's a reason now when we got a red card
against Panama and played a man down, that didn't help.
And I do think there's an argument to be made
(01:53):
that this team did not create enough high level scoring
opportunities relative to do our skill. But I think some
of that is the game in which we played a
man down. You tend to play just more defensively, right.
You look for opportunities, but you're not going to be
aggressive playing a man down after the red card. And
(02:16):
I really, and this is not an excuse, I like
our skill. But if I was talking about this in
my pod yesterday, if you look at baseball, football, basketball,
the championship teams, the Celtics are a great example, have
a majority of their best players Derek White, Tatum and
Brown in their prime. Porzingis late prime, but prime. If
you go to the NFL, you stuts. Why say the
(02:38):
San Francisco forty nine ers be careful a lot of
dudes if they're out of their prime. Now you're asking
a lot. Are you in your prime? When the Rams won?
Stafford Prime, Aaron Donald late prime, Cooper cup prime, Von
Miller late prime, that's how you win. This team has
a bunch of guys who are just not quite yet.
Pholisic has entered his prime early. He's got our seven
(03:00):
years a bit. But we're not great yet. We have
a potential in two years to be really special. I like,
I think this team at the World Cup can make
a real impact. Joining us live Alexi Lawless on the
firing of Greg Berholter. So is this a fair criticism that?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Wow, Colin you are you are a glutton for punishment,
My friend, you've been around. I was listening to your
pod yet last yesterday, and you also talked about the well,
how should we say it? The elitism and the snobbery
and the gatekeeping that American soccer does, and how dare
you go and defend Greg Berholt? They are going to
come for you and your family. My god goodness, wow
(03:44):
oh wow.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So I'll start with a criticism, is that, considering our
skill level where our best players are in Europe many flourishing,
that we want a more aggressive style and that we
didn't create a lot of success sessive offense, dynamic offensive
opportunities that jumped off the matches. For me, we're not
(04:08):
quite as dynamic as I want. Is that a fair criticism?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I mean, and you mentioned the expectations given this this group,
and you're absolutely right to point out the fact that
we took a very young group back to the World Cup,
which by the way, happened on Greg Burholter's watch. But
the promise that Greg Burholter and this team have kind
of made with us is that we are going to
see things that haven't been done before and that has
not come to fruition. And maybe in Greg Burholter's mind
(04:35):
that was going to culminate in twenty twenty six, but ultimately,
in the games that he has won, he can't point
to one where we are beating and bettering the elites
of the world, and that's ultimately what this was about.
So I understand you know where you're coming from relative
to the criticism that Burhlter has taken. But ultimately it's
(04:57):
about winning and so all the other stuff that we
talk about, and you talk about this in sports all
the time, it's about winning. And I have no doubt
that had that red card not come and the US
had gone through and beaten Panama or even tied Panama,
that eventually they would have gone through into the knockout
rounds and Greg Borhulter would still be the coach. But
they didn't, and we can say this is the blame.
(05:18):
And we can't fire the entire team, obviously, but we
can fire the coach. And I think most importantly right
now is that twenty twenty six is too important. It's
the most important summer in American soccer history and we
cannot afford to waste it. And I think right now
Greg Burholter is divisive and we need to be united.
We need to be together. Whether it's his fault or not,
(05:39):
to be quite honest with you, is irrelevant. We need
somebody there. I want somebody that is bigger than life.
I want somebody that I can believe in and that
makes us believe in the coach and this team going
forward into twenty twenty six, and that was not happening
right now, and so I think they had to make
the change.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So I had said this at the last World Cup,
although I thought just getting the draw of England and
getting out of the group stage in itself was fairly
remarkable considering the youth of this team. They were I
think second youngest team or one of the youngest teams. Yep,
that excuse won't stick, but there is something that's missing.
(06:16):
And I don't want to throw out any cliches, but
there does appear to be a lack of grit. I
thought in the last World Cup they needed an Alexi
Lawless or a Clint Dempsey, a borderline, inappropriately physical kind
of just a guy that's almost annoying, not always perfectly
Clint Dempsey co coach of All Clinton could be a
(06:38):
lot for Bruce Arena, and I think they miss it.
And as I watched this team, even if they're more
talented and more European in style, it does feel like,
what is it that we can't create a kind of
chip on the shoulder grittiness that I see with these
brilliant Argentinian teams or these teams that have the skill overseas,
(07:00):
but they also bring a toughness. Is do I sound
like an American football dope or is that something that
you use. No, you don't sound like a dope.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And I think it's it's almost a human condition, right
because you know, for example, when you know when somebody
you know in business is successful, sometimes they will grow
and they will change in the way that they act,
in the way that they are affected, in the way
that they dress, in the way that they live their life.
And sometimes in doing so, they will lose ultimately what
(07:30):
made them successful in the first place. And I think
in our desire to become more refined, our desire to
evolve as a soccer playing nation and as a national team,
it has made us do things that we haven't done
in the past and attempt to play in ways that
we haven't done in the past. And that's commendable. But
what it has done also has made us lose some
of the stuff that has made us, you know, maybe
(07:50):
not uniquely American, but certainly American over the years. And
you talk about some of that, that ruthlessness and that
aggression that is absolutely on display right now in Copa
America and some from some very good teams. If you
look at the Uruguays and the Colombians, yes, yes they
have the skill, and yes they have the the the
even the romance at times in terms of how they play.
(08:11):
But there is also an incredible dog and there is
also incredible and if we if we lose that, then
I do think that's a problem. And so marrying those
two with a more evolved approach to play, but also
with you know, a like I said, a dog and
a and a and a and a grit or all
the words, all the cliches that you said, where you know,
(08:31):
almost like the you know, obscenity from the Supreme Court.
I know it when I see it, right, And you
know what when you see it in all sports including.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Soccer, give me. I see the names bandeed about Liverpool
and you get and I think to myself, well that's
a pretty good gig. Are we are we overly optimistic
and hyperbolic in our pursuit of the next coach? Is
there a perfect style or manager for us when we go?
(09:00):
You know, listen, I love the idea that swing big.
Are we realistic on our potential choices?
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I think we are?
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I mean as we're as we're you know, as we're
doing this, news is just broken that evidently Jurgen Klopp,
who a lot of people had talked about and that
certainly is swinging big, maybe as big as you can
get other than Pep Guardiola, you know, has said he
wants time away and he's you know, has said thank you,
but no thank you when it comes to the US,
and there's plenty of other other names out there that
are big, that are going to cost a lot of money,
(09:29):
doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be successful.
And I think there is this this feeling that with
twenty twenty six and not wasting the stage and the
platform that is twenty twenty six, you know, go big
or go home and do some things that we haven't
been done in the past. And a lot of times
we equate that with money, and we equate that with
notoriety and big name types of things. It doesn't have
(09:49):
to necessarily be a big name, it doesn't necessarily have
to have a lot of money. But I think what
I say Soccer Federation has come out and said very
clearly is that money is it's not no. But if
there is somebody big that is going to cost a
lot out there that wants to do it. More importantly,
they will find the money, so that's not holding the
US back. But regardless, this has to be a higher
(10:11):
for the next two years. This has to be somebody
that comes in and says, look, these are the players
and either you're gonna coach them up right, and you
have to coach them up individually and collectively. And if
they don't have what you want, then you got to
get rid of them and find somebody else. But that's
gonna be very, very hard in just two years. And
to your point, I think a lot of these players
are very very good. They have plenty of pedigree when
it comes to where they are playing, but they are
(10:33):
not living up to their potential. And so whoever comes
in for two years, I don't care what happens behind
the scenes. I don't care about your Kumbaya dynamic. I
don't care about ted talks or anything like that. But
I do care that you are able to inspire this
group and in turn inspire me and all of the
American soccer fans out there to say, yeah, I'm gonna
follow this person because this person has taking us to
(10:53):
the promis Land and it's gonna give us the best
chance of doing something big and doing something that we
haven't seen before. Come the summer of twenty six.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Alexi Lawless, my friend, all right, you brought it. And
by the way, you know me. Sometimes the irritation I
create is a joyful experience, perhaps not for those who
I irritate, but for me and so I think we
both have that in common. Sometimes we are we are.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Shared beautiful irritants, beautiful pests, if you will, And we
enjoy poking. And it's okay to poke every once in
a while. Sometimes that's how you get to the truth.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
My friend, Thank you, good see anybody as always fit
the great Alexi Lawless. By the way, Sunday Euro Finals
followed by the Copa finals. So you got Spain in
England and then argent Tina and Columbia. The quality of
soccer on Sunday Fox is going to be unbelievable. Have
you seen the ratings for this stuff through the roof?
(11:52):
And for years and years people have said we're a
football nation. I got news for you, folks. Between the
World Cup, the Copa and the Euros, the qualities through
the roof, the intensity is palpable. The ratings have been unbelievable.
You know what It's funny about that. So everybody knows
that cable subs are you know, people are moving off cable,
(12:13):
but yet cable sports at Fox Women's basketball copa yours.
Say what you want about television, it doesn't share it
with anybody. It's all owned by sports, so you can
lose subs. But the only relevant thing outside of every
four years in a presidential race, the only relevant thing
(12:35):
on television today cable or you know your linear stuff
is it's sports and it's just been It's a thing
of beauty production all in really good.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Well. He had seventeen and a half sacks last year,
A very unique player. Josh heindz Alan, the Jags linebacker,
is joining us and I'm reading through some of the stuff.
You have a fascinating life. So you first thing you
notice when you meet this young man, he's very stylish,
(13:16):
you know. And I look down here and it said, oh,
you spent time in Milan for fashion week. So Jordan
and I went to dinner last night and I said,
give me a place in Europe. You gotta go, and
he said, you got to go to Milan.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
So you're a fashion guy. I mean most NFL guys
they're not fashion guys. Where does that come from?
Speaker 5 (13:34):
My wife? I am, you know I have.
Speaker 6 (13:39):
If it was up to me, I'd be wearing Adidas gear,
you know, home away games, you know. But you know,
growing up, you know, coming into myself into the league,
you know, want to look put together, like to wear suits.
And so we got invited this year to go to
go to fashion Week, so you know, I take the chance.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
I was like, oh, get outside of my comfort zone.
I like to look good. So going out up there
and experience and that it was. It was great.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
And by the way, you are six five to eighty five, yes, sir,
most models are not six six two eighty five. Where
do you get your clothes? I know it's a weird question.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
But there's a couple of brands out there. I was actually,
you know, one of the the shows that I did
go to, the head designer asked me to walk next
year in his in his in his line.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
So tell him if I got the time, I'll make
it happen.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
How about that? But yeah, your your sister's in the WNBA.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
In fact, you changed your name this year. It was
Josh Allen and that was due to you were paying
tribute to just.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
My family name. You know.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
So I grew up as I was known as little Hines.
You know, my uncles, my sisters, you know, We're we're
like household names in Montclair, New Jersey, big football, big.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
Big sports town.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
And so growing up I was little Hans a little high.
So I've always resonated with the Hindes name. I just
didn't have it on me and which was kind of weird.
And this year, you know, I decided to add it
on the back of my jersey. It's something I've been
wanting to do for for a minute now, and I think,
you know, going outside my comfort zone and being more
(15:15):
bolder and the things that I do in my life,
and and I just decided to let's do it time.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
You know, It's interesting when you look at you could
have chosen you were on you were available, right And
I'm not going to give the name of a general
manager I knew, but I did know a general manager
who was interested in you. You were talked about a lot,
so you had options and you decide I'm gonna stay you. Now,
(15:43):
you played at Kentucky East Coast, guy, I get that,
but you decided to stay with the Jags. Go all in.
You're a pro athlete, You're really talented. The whole league
wants quarterbacks and I rushers and left tackle. Is there
a minute you you could have left? I mean, take
me through your process.
Speaker 6 (16:00):
Uh, I mean it was definitely a a stressful process
at times, you know, but you know, I thank God.
I believe I had trust in God that he was
going to make things work.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (16:13):
You know, having a young family figure out, we got
to pick up and go and you know, building a
house out there in Jacksonville for the past three years
that's finally built. Was it was a huge transition to
be had. So, you know, trying to stay stationary. I
wanted to be on one team for my whole career.
That was a big, you know, thought process of going
through it. So so just being able to be stationary
(16:37):
was huge for me. I didn't want to be up
and moving and have to figure out a whole other team,
whole another system, whole an other city.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
I love Jacksonville, I love all of Duval.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
They treat me well, and you know, I want to
I want to make that home for the rest of
my career.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
By the way, the heat in September and August is
no joke down there.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
You will you lose ten to fifteen pounds in camp.
Speaker 6 (16:56):
I probably I'll probably start the season in like two eighty,
you know, to two eighty because it's because we work
out there. Like you know, guys that played for Doug
Peterson or the Andy Retree, they know, like Tranning Campson
no joke.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Andy and Andy.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
Practice is hard, yeah, and we do the same thing,
you know, but it pays off. And uh, you know,
I'm excited to work with the guys this year, especially
in training camp. We're gonna compete at a very high
level every day and we're gonna push each other for greatness.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yeah. So last five year, last six games, Trevor was
all beat up. Everything was banged up, a calf, a shoulder. Uh,
it was. It was a rough sledd at the end
of last year. Was it rough on the locker room?
Was what's it like to be a talented team picked
to win a division and it just unravels at the
(17:46):
end of the year. What was that locker room.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
Like, I mean for us man not we've never been
in that situation before. I know for me personally, guys,
you know, we had guys that played around the league,
that played on different teams, but the core guys that
been there have never been put in that situation. The
year before, you know, a couple of years before, we've
won one game, three games, and then Doug coach Peterson
comes and we find a way to win seven straight,
(18:12):
eighth straight to get into the playoffs. That's the first
time we've ever experienced that. Then then last year we
started off, you know, started off hot and then it
off slow. It was like, we've never experienced that. So
how do we figure out and fight through that? And
I think this year we've experienced winning, we experienced losing,
we experienced you know, losing fourth straight, five straight, winning
(18:32):
file four and five straight when it's important to win.
So I think right now we have the we have
the battle experience.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
We have the the the.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
We don't want to be in this situation again, and
just figured this out and let's go through it and
let's not put ourselves in a position to lose this
many games in October.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
You know, so the last two days, I've had three
players on Dion Dawkins great left tackle, went to Little
Old Temple, Jalen Johnson packed, he went to Utah. You
go to Kentucky. I'm mostly considered a basketball school. All
three of you are elite. He was the number one
rated corner cover. You're a top three edge rusher. Dawkins
(19:13):
terrific left hack. Didn't go to football powers both. I mean,
Dionne admitted like he got a chip on his shoulder.
He knows where you went. If you went to Ohio
State and he went to Tiftball, do you have that
chip on your shoulder?
Speaker 7 (19:28):
You know.
Speaker 6 (19:29):
You know, I like to see everybody get paid. I
like to see everybody be successful. So for me it's you.
Speaker 5 (19:34):
Know, I'm like I said, I'm a legacy guy.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
So you know, everywhere that I go, I want to
be a part of building that culture up. And you know,
I was fortunate to get a scholarship. It was either
Kentucky or Mamath. I chose to go to Kentucky. So
for me, it was you know, not biggie, not big football.
There so I was like, how can I assert myself?
Speaker 1 (19:53):
And when did you know at Kentucky, Well, the morning
you woke up or the game you played, you go
back to your dorm and you're like, I may play
on Sundays.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Uh, So you know, not my freshman year, not my
sophomore year, like a little bit of my junior year.
I was like, man, I can, I can I can
play some ball. And then my senior year, when you know,
I had my son I had. I was about to
leave to enter my name in the drift, and you know, I.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Heard coach give me the words other words.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
Generational wealth, and it hit me and it just sat
me deeper in my chair, like I want to know
more about it and I want to attain that. And
so I asked, you know, well what do I have
to do? And you know, he brought in Coach White
from he was an assistant coach since DLin coach at
the coach at the time. Yeah, he came and he
(20:45):
became my positional coach. And when I mean to tell
you telling me the ropes like this is what info stouts,
this is what the numbers they look at, this is
the body, this is this is this is the ideal
person that they're looking for, and having somebody be in
my are telling me this is what they look for,
and me having that work ethic that I already had,
just put the pieces together, and it was like, Oh,
(21:06):
I'm going to be the best in the way I worked,
in the way I think.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
You change your diet, change your workouts.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
I'm gonna be the best defensive player in college football.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
And you know, and I was SEC defensive players.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
You see National Defensive Play of the Year, I won
all the defensive ward first team, all everything. So I've
played at a very high level. So it's like in
my mindset and I was like, I've done it.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
In high school, I was twenty two sack guy my
senior year, seventeen last year, you know, so I know
what seventeen feels like.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
I know what twenty two feels like. So I gotta
go get that.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
So your sister's in the WNBAH. Angel Rees and Caitlin
Clark are good. Here's what nobody will admit, they're both good.
Everybody's picking sides. I never watched the WNBA a lot,
and then all of a sudden, I got all these rivalries.
Your sister's playing there and now I watch it. You
know what takes what I'm taking back by the WNBA.
How physical it is? Yeah, like chippy.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Them girls play. They competitive again, like my whole family
is competitive. So I already know how my sister's wired.
And now you know we're all competitive. You're competitive in
what you do. I know Jordan's competitive. What do you
do think about women?
Speaker 5 (22:18):
You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 6 (22:20):
When they get competitive, man, they don't play the they
don't play the coming second, you know what I mean.
And and they wanted as bad as as bad as
we want it. So I've learned from experience from going
one of my sister's game and you know, seeing her
play and seeing seeing how skillful those women are in person,
it's it's a sight to be had. And you know,
(22:40):
right then and there, I was like, yeah, I don't
think I could be my sister in one to one anymore,
you know what I mean. So you know, a lot
of respect for the women and that play the sport
and yeah, doing.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Okay, So seventeen and a half sacks is more than
won a game. Is there a left tackle? All right?
Is there a tackle that you face? You know? On yesterday,
said if an edge doesn't have gloves on, I know
he's wired different. So if you face him, are you
gonna take your gloves off?
Speaker 5 (23:09):
I think I might. I think I'm I'm a glove guy,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
We got little hands, they said in the combine, they
said from right here to right here. This is the
way they measure the hand size or whatever. And they
had had like one of the smallest. So I was like, damn,
a little finny now I got. You know, my famis
is all jacked up. So I wear gloves, but this week,
that week I might, I might go no gloves.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Who's the best guy you've ever faced in the NFL
on the old line ever, that you've ever faced? You
literally felt like with your physical gifts, You're like this,
this guy is schooled. Uh.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
You know there's a couple of guys out there that
that are really really talented. You know, Tristan Warts is
one of those guys that a he's a dog. You know,
he's you gotta get ready to play when you go
against him his bass. You have obviously Trent Williams, who's
who's just a freak of an athlete, strong and powerful. Well,
you gotta you gotta get ready to play against him.
(24:04):
And then you know, Lermie Tunsel, You know, Larmie is
a is a guy that I see every year twice
a year.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
You know, is that an advantage for you or him?
Speaker 5 (24:13):
It's a battle.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
I like going to war against LEERMI like, you know,
when were out there talking, it's you know, let's get
these one on ones going. You know what I'm saying,
one on one, you're the best on your team, on
the best one team.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
Let's go work.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
And I love that battle. You know, I look forward
to it every year. And you know, I don't know
what he feels like, but I know I look forward to.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
It and you do, and I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Is there any pass rusher that you've and this is
okay that you've stolen something from You're like, man, I
love that, of course you have.
Speaker 6 (24:42):
Of course, you know my game is my game, and
you know I've I've structured my body to fit the
way I play. But but yond unique and godway I
came into the league, he was cross top king.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
I've never seen that move. I was like, what is this?
Speaker 6 (24:56):
And then I started to implement it in my game
and now I like stole him quinn Ocu minure. I
studied the guys that've done it before. So those guys
play that play that do that move at a very
high level.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
You know. I was the von Millers. You know, it's Mike.
I love my class. You know, guys that came into
that ninet team.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
You look at Max, you know, who's one of the
top edge Crosby.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yes, Brian, there's another time. Yeah, where's you know.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
I'm so blessed that I'm a Jacksonville Jaguar and I'm
gonna retire Jacksonville Jaguar hopefully, But I still feel like
we should have We could have been teammates, you know,
and you know what could have been. You know, but
you never know how you know, the cars play out.
He could He's gonna come to Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
What so you you were in Milan Fashion Week. Let's
circle back to that. That's I'm not even gonna ask
what that shirt costs. That costs more than my car least,
But when you go you did you come home with
some nice clothes? Did you?
Speaker 5 (26:05):
Yeah? Yeah, they don't bite you out there for free,
you know, they.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Don't give the invite for you to come home with
khakis like you came home with stuff.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Yeah, I bought a couple of things, but these are
things that you know, I'm gonna wear for a long time.
You know, tailor. I got a lot of tailor stuff,
So I'll be wearing a lot of stuff this this,
you know this season. Like I said, man, I like to.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Does anybody else in your locker room have any fashion
sense at all?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:31):
We got some good We got some guys that got
so so we gotta I think we gotta. We got
a young group, a young team that likes to look
put together. And Coach Peterson he's a he's more of
a casual guy.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
Like we have to wear suits and the button ups
and the tie.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
He wants that.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Yeah, he wants that. So and that's the type of
style that I like to go with. No hoodiesies on
the road, no wear suits and button away games, but
home games we can kind of just a little bit
more casual.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Great meat, Great meeting you, Josh heinz Allen. Seventeen and
a half sacks only, TAJ. That's a lot of sacks, bro.
That is a that's a big number. You got yours
and you deserved it, sir, Thank you. Where'd it go
Jordan with the news on the news.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
Great stuff from Josh, and congrats on the new deal.
My man. The Giants handed Jared Goff a massive four
year extension, calling this offseason two hundred twelve over four.
They have their franchise quarterback going forward with golf. Last season,
Sam laportees at the record for receptions by a rookie
tight end and he spoke to his quarterbacks consistency in
the building.
Speaker 7 (27:43):
You're not going to find some many more consistent than
Jared Goff in our building.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
And for him to be leading the team, you need
to have consistency.
Speaker 7 (27:50):
You're gonna have good and bad days in the NFL,
just the nature of the game and how competitive this
league is. But he shows up every day, he works,
and he sets the example when he sets the tone
in the building. And to be able to follow him
in the example that he sets for this organization, it's
it just trickles on down from there or really really amazing.
(28:13):
So happy for him and his extension and you know
his security here in Detroit for another couple of years.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Colin, I know you've always liked Jared Goff. I don't
know who throws a prettier ball. What's the next step
for him? And Sam Laport obviously one of the great
rookie seasons of a.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
I think the next I think he's accomplished the next step.
So he already got to a super Bowl in LA,
but the next step was, Oh, is it McVeigh or
is it you? Okay, it wasn't just McVeigh. This is
the second coach, So the next iteration of Jared Goff
has been accomplished. He wasn't just a McVeigh. And by
the way, Sean's great, but I think there was a
(28:52):
lot of people that said, well, this is Sean thing.
No it's not. He went to a losing franchise where
Matt Stafford didn't win this much. Sure, now he got
a better front office, the coach works. But I think
Jared Goff has absolutely validated his number one pick. I
got a Super Bowl turned around two franchises. That's a
(29:13):
number one pick. You don't have to win a Super Bowl?
Are you a guy I can build my franchise around.
He's two for two.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I'm really excited to see, you know. Ben Johnson obviously
comes back year two of the forty year two of Gibbs,
David Montgomery, really good running.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
I think they have the second best roster in the league,
and just.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
The offensive line alone tremendous. So if you can keep
Jared Goff up right, We've seen he is an on
time thrower. He's really accurate. I think Detroit. I know
it's gonna be a they're gonna be hunted, but I
think Detroit actually upside wise, he's gonna take another another
step offensively, at least this season. The Jags started off
eight and three. We just had Josh on early contenders
(29:50):
for the AFC's number one seed, and so Trevor Lawrence
got banged up and Jacksonville finished the season one and five.
Heading into the season, Doug Peterson, the head coaches, the
team will use their late collapse as motivation.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Gone, it's gonna burn.
Speaker 8 (30:03):
It's gonna burn for a long time until you know,
we get some meaningful games again and start playing this September.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
But I think that's the.
Speaker 8 (30:09):
Same fuel, you know, the motivating factor for our for
our players that the way we ended is not us.
And no matter what you go through as a football team,
you know everybody goes through adversity.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
There's always gonna be injuries, but he can't make excuses.
Speaker 8 (30:25):
You gotta go play football and so so for us,
we got to learn from that. Roll up our sleeves
in a training camp, work hard, and just play a
one game at a time.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Let me think.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I think Jacksonville is gonna win the division, and I
think Houston is going to be a tight second. I
think Indianapolis is going to be fascinating, but I don't know.
I have to watch them. I think the Titans are
a fourth place team. I think the Titans if I
think that the story in that division, because every every
team's got an interesting narrative. I think I think Tennessee's
narratives can will leve us play and will know by
(30:58):
Thanksgiving if he can. They got their guy of not Dan.
The Raiders and the Giants will be drafting quarterbacks next
year at the top of the draft.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
I'm in on Levis, I'm in on Richardson, I'm in
on Strouded, I'm in on Lawrence. Every quarterback in that
division is enticing to me. But I think Jacksonville next
season healthy, the defensive line, really strong, good receivers. I
like it to Team USA basketball, where we saw the
US get out to a slow start against Canada before
taking home the win last night. Carmelle Anthony was recently
(31:26):
asked who he thinks the starting five should be, and surprisingly,
he believes they should go with a young lineup of Halliburton,
Anthony Edwards, bam Adebayo, Jason Tatum, and Devin Booker. Mellow
added that he thinks Lebron, step and KD should contribute.
But off the bench what on the bench?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Lebron still Lebron in this tournament will be the first,
second or third best player. Steph Curry will be the first,
second or third best player. You're not bringing those guys off.
You're not starting Bam out of by you and bringing
Steph off the bench and Lebron off the bench.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
I do you said? Embiid though sometimes inverting the floor.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Look, Embiid is a is a tough Okay, he's a
tough Bam. I mean Embiid sometimes screws the flow up.
I feel Embid. I understand he's great talent.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
He holds the ball a little bit.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I think sometimes he did it in Philadelphia. That's why
give Max he the ball, let him run the offense.
And on this team, I don't need embiid on the
perimeter I see.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
I think the biggest question marker and maybe even surprise,
would be if Edwards ultimately starts And what does that
do for d book? What does that do for Jason Tatum?
Because at the end of the day, we all believe
this team's gonna want to go medal, but eagles do
have to be sacrificed. And when you have arguably the
greatest or second greatest point guard of all the time
in Steph Curry, what does that mean for him? So
(32:43):
Edwards to me is the arguably the most interesting guy
here because he has the most upside.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Finally calling to the Euros. Yesterday's semi final between England
and the Dutch was tied at one entering injury time
before we had a heroic finish from Olie Watkins. Here's
the call from foxes Ian Dark.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Here's Palma Holly Walkin' say it? Oh, holliwin Kings, Win's it.
Fagan Silly comes on a substitute, scores his first tournament
gold and it looks like a winner. It was great.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Goosebumps.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
How about Southgate the head coach.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Everyone's calling for him to be fired go to the
just get out of here, we don't want you. And
then he's now in the final of a Euro By
the way, England takes on Spain in the euro Final.
Coverage begins Sunday at one eastern on Fox. Who's your pick.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
England?
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Even though even though it England. Yeah, my mom, my
late mother was British, so I.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Always I like what Alexi said that England is the
Dallas Cowboys. One way or the other. You have an
opinion on that. So now can they finally bring it home?
I'm gonna go with Spain. I like Spain. Yeah, I
like the mall. The sixteen year old kid, isn't that incredible?
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Youngest ever sixteen years old?
Speaker 4 (34:11):
We talked about yesterday and I know Colin at sixteen
wasn't scoring goals in the Euros.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
I wasn't. No, I wasn't Jordan with the news, Well
that's the news.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And thanks for stopping that. The Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
We've got a lot of stuff going on here.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter n a em Pacific.
Speaker 9 (34:31):
Pally Fools go here with Tony foodsco Yeah. As everybody
knows we're the hosts of the award winning Paully and
Tony Foodsco Show. Yeah, but instead of us telling you
how great we are, here's how Dan Packrick described us
when he came on our show.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Quick, knowledgeable and funny, opinionated.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
What are you doing interrupting our promo? Yeah, you wasn't
talking about you. You took those clips totally of context.
Speaker 9 (34:54):
Oh yeah, well after this promo, I'm gonna take you
out and beat you.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Let me put this into context. Shut up.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (35:01):
Anyway, just listening to the Paul and Toni Fusco Show
on iHeartRadio, Apple podcasts O wherever you get your podcasts, yee.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
On Tuesday, Judge O'tani Harper and Baseball's Biggest Star ticks
center stage deep in the heart of Texas for the
Midsummer Classic. It's the twenty twenty four All Star Game.
Coverage begins Tuesday at seven pm Eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
We've been very lucky over the last several days that
we've had a lot of pro football players in Los
Angeles for Espi's, which is in downtown Los Angeles. And
one of the young guys we had is Jalen Johnson,
who is out of Utah, grew up in Fresno, played
at Utah, has come into Chicago and is a absolutely
(35:45):
knock it out of the park corner and we talked.
So he was at that OTA for Caleb Williams, somebody
I defended multiple times on the show. I know Caleb
well enough to know I thought he was super confident.
I don't think he's cocky. I thought all the criticism
on the fingernail polish is just nonsense and waste of time.
(36:06):
But I did ask, you know, Jalen his early impressions
of this usc the first nil star in college. His
impressions initially on Caleb.
Speaker 10 (36:16):
He's a confident guy in hisself on the field, off
the field. I think it's one of those things where
he's very secure and who he is. He's very confident
and knows the work that he puts in to be
able to have that confidence. And at the end of
the day, I mean, he's the winner, He's the guy
that got drafted number one, So I don't feel like
he shouldn't have confidence at the end of the day.
I think it's one of those things that he embraces
and he walks in who he is as as a
(36:36):
player who he is as a man. I think that's
something that seeing him in person, and he blended in
right right away with the with the locker room, with
the guys, and that's only going to continue to grow.
But I think he's came in and handled everything perfectly.
Just come in and work in, coming in and jailing
with the guys, the offense. You can you can see
everything coming together how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
What's really interesting for the Bears. And in a weird way,
when Justin Fields went only for a sixth round pick,
it actually, if you're a Bears fan, is encouraging because
what it's telling you is that Justin Fields, despite his
athletic ability, who won seven games for the Bears. They
(37:17):
weren't atrocious, they won seven games, and they the NFL
marketplace was telling you, we've all looked at the film.
We don't think Justin Fields is close to being the guy.
So if Caleb, the gap between Caleb and Justin Fields,
I think is greater than the the you know, the
(37:39):
typical Bear fan thinks. I think the typical Bear fan
thinks they're young, they're athletic, they move well, they got
big arms. But the marketplace in the NFL was telling
you Justin's not the guy. He's probably not a franchise guy. Meanwhile,
the marketplace when you watch Hard Knocks and you watch
the New York Giants coaches Brian Daboll, who comparing Caleb
(38:01):
to Brett Farv that's the difference. I think a lot
of people in Chicago think, you know, Justin and Caleb
big guys run well, good arms. The gap, I think
is much greater than people understand. My only knock on
Caleb was his accuracy can be a bit inconsistent, but
he is a power throwery, not big guy. He's only
(38:21):
six feet tall, but he plays much bigger in person.
He's big, he's thick hands head, but he's you know,
you're running over linebackers, so he plays really big and
he has a power arm. He sometimes leans into the
spectacular over the pedestrian. But I think a lot of
that was USC just did not They weren't equipped offensive
(38:44):
line play was not equipped to protect him. And the
PAC twelve really was the last two years way above
average for the PAC twelve. Last year was as good
as the PAC twelve has been in twenty five years.
So Caleb was running for his life with a very
average offensive line. So I think the critics of Caleb
that he was sort of an ad liber He wasn't
the previous year, when I thought he got better protection.
(39:08):
And in the end the offensive line protection eroded twelve
was really good and he was kind of having to
kind of ad lib. And I think the takeaway is,
I was Caleb coachable? You know, he's kind of a
big personality. I think Chicago's old line in weapons, those
detractors and critics will be muted. I think he's I
(39:29):
think his accuracy a lot of it was when you
get hit and pressured, you let the ball go a
little more quickly than you naturally would. You're tired of
getting hit. I think Chicago will protect him. The weapons
are better. He'll be very good.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
They also talk about sc last year, Colin, they were
playing from behind. Jason points they fired the defensive coordinator
after panics. The company put up like forty eight or
fifty on them. So if you're playing from behind in
that conference, that's tough. I'll tell you what I think.
I mentioned it once before, but Cliff Kingsbury told me
Caleb Williams and he was he had them all year
at sc He told me Caleb Williams was as talented
or as close to Patrick Mahomes as he's ever seen.
(40:03):
And for me, that's all I need to hear. Of Chicago.
We've talked about it, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Swift comet,
there's a lot of weapons there. He's gonna have a
really good rookie year.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
The utter thing that really helps is when you get
a Keenan Allen. This is an adult. This is a
mature veteran. Roma Dunza was. I talked to two executives
in the league. One had a later first round pick.
He goes, we'd really like Roma Dunze. A Dunze is
a very mature player. So what you're getting in Chicago
(40:33):
is you're getting Luke Getzi, a very mature rookie receiver.
Keenan Allen's a veteran cole comit, Gerald Everett. These are
veteran players. I don't think this is going to be
like a slow build. I think Chicago is going to
be pretty interesting very quickly. I don't think. And in
the division, the best defense in the division is Chicago's.
(40:55):
So Minnesota has to generate better pass rush. Green Bay's
defense it never quite lives up to the hype. Detroit's
got some issues in the back end they're trying to solve.
So if you're Caleb Williams, you're not walking into the
AFC North. You know, you're not walking into Belichick and
his prime in McDermott. You're walking into a really gifted
offensive division. The defense you see at practice in Chicago.
(41:18):
He is the division's best defense. I think Chicago's gonna
score some points, and b they're probably the most interesting
team in the league to me, at least in the
first four to six weeks. Say big and your water
and energy bills go to tanklessmade Simple, dot Com and
Navvian only heats water when you need it, never runs out.
See you tomorrow.
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noone Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Here we Go, it's our three fly and by It's
the Hurd. Wherever you may be, however you may be listening.
Thanks for making us part of your day. So Greg Berhalter,
who I've supported, got fired after a disappointing performance at
COPA as the men's coach United States men's national team.
(00:46):
We fire our coaches. We blame our coaches. Won sixty
nine percent of his games, best winning percentage ever for
somebody that's coached at least twenty games. And people say, hey,
but our players are so much better. They're playing over
in Europe. Yes, but are they in their athletic prime?
Who Lissic has just entered his prime. We're still really young.
(01:06):
We were one of the youngest World Cup teams that
got into the round of sixteen draw with England and
then just overwhelmed by the Netherlands. But the fact that
this team played poorly in Copa now, I argued earlier
Jordan Copa. Our talent now is more European. We like
to play faster and wider, and Copa's fields are narrower
(01:31):
and shorter like in the NFL and college football hash
marks in different places, Olympic Hockey rings, NHL rings, difference
in size. Copa was not built for us. Not an excuse,
it's a reason now when we got a red card
against Panama and played a man down, that didn't help.
And I do think there's an argument to be made
(01:53):
that this team did not create enough high level scoring
opportunities relative to do our skill. But I think some
of that is the game in which we played a
man down. You tend to play just more defensively, right.
You look for opportunities, but you're not going to be
aggressive playing a man down after the red card. And
(02:16):
I really, and this is not an excuse, I like
our skill. But if I was talking about this in
my pod yesterday, if you look at baseball, football, basketball,
the championship teams, the Celtics are a great example, have
a majority of their best players Derek White, Tatum and
Brown in their prime. Porzingis late prime, but prime. If
you go to the NFL, you stuts. Why say the
(02:38):
San Francisco forty nine ers be careful a lot of
dudes if they're out of their prime. Now you're asking
a lot. Are you in your prime? When the Rams won?
Stafford Prime, Aaron Donald late prime, Cooper cup prime, Von
Miller late prime, that's how you win. This team has
a bunch of guys who are just not quite yet.
Pholisic has entered his prime early. He's got our seven
(03:00):
years a bit. But we're not great yet. We have
a potential in two years to be really special. I like,
I think this team at the World Cup can make
a real impact. Joining us live Alexi Lawless on the
firing of Greg Berholter. So is this a fair criticism that?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Wow, Colin you are you are a glutton for punishment,
My friend, you've been around. I was listening to your
pod yet last yesterday, and you also talked about the well,
how should we say it? The elitism and the snobbery
and the gatekeeping that American soccer does, and how dare
you go and defend Greg Berholt? They are going to
come for you and your family. My god goodness, wow
(03:44):
oh wow.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So I'll start with a criticism, is that, considering our
skill level where our best players are in Europe many flourishing,
that we want a more aggressive style and that we
didn't create a lot of success sessive offense, dynamic offensive
opportunities that jumped off the matches. For me, we're not
(04:08):
quite as dynamic as I want. Is that a fair criticism?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I mean, and you mentioned the expectations given this this group,
and you're absolutely right to point out the fact that
we took a very young group back to the World Cup,
which by the way, happened on Greg Burholter's watch. But
the promise that Greg Burholter and this team have kind
of made with us is that we are going to
see things that haven't been done before and that has
not come to fruition. And maybe in Greg Burholter's mind
(04:35):
that was going to culminate in twenty twenty six, but ultimately,
in the games that he has won, he can't point
to one where we are beating and bettering the elites
of the world, and that's ultimately what this was about.
So I understand you know where you're coming from relative
to the criticism that Burhlter has taken. But ultimately it's
(04:57):
about winning and so all the other stuff that we
talk about, and you talk about this in sports all
the time, it's about winning. And I have no doubt
that had that red card not come and the US
had gone through and beaten Panama or even tied Panama,
that eventually they would have gone through into the knockout
rounds and Greg Borhulter would still be the coach. But
they didn't, and we can say this is the blame.
(05:18):
And we can't fire the entire team, obviously, but we
can fire the coach. And I think most importantly right
now is that twenty twenty six is too important. It's
the most important summer in American soccer history and we
cannot afford to waste it. And I think right now
Greg Burholter is divisive and we need to be united.
We need to be together. Whether it's his fault or not,
(05:39):
to be quite honest with you, is irrelevant. We need
somebody there. I want somebody that is bigger than life.
I want somebody that I can believe in and that
makes us believe in the coach and this team going
forward into twenty twenty six, and that was not happening
right now, and so I think they had to make
the change.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So I had said this at the last World Cup,
although I thought just getting the draw of England and
getting out of the group stage in itself was fairly
remarkable considering the youth of this team. They were I
think second youngest team or one of the youngest teams. Yep,
that excuse won't stick, but there is something that's missing.
(06:16):
And I don't want to throw out any cliches, but
there does appear to be a lack of grit. I
thought in the last World Cup they needed an Alexi
Lawless or a Clint Dempsey, a borderline, inappropriately physical kind
of just a guy that's almost annoying, not always perfectly
Clint Dempsey co coach of All Clinton could be a
(06:38):
lot for Bruce Arena, and I think they miss it.
And as I watched this team, even if they're more
talented and more European in style, it does feel like,
what is it that we can't create a kind of
chip on the shoulder grittiness that I see with these
brilliant Argentinian teams or these teams that have the skill overseas,
(07:00):
but they also bring a toughness. Is do I sound
like an American football dope or is that something that
you use. No, you don't sound like a dope.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And I think it's it's almost a human condition, right
because you know, for example, when you know when somebody
you know in business is successful, sometimes they will grow
and they will change in the way that they act,
in the way that they are affected, in the way
that they dress, in the way that they live their life.
And sometimes in doing so, they will lose ultimately what
(07:30):
made them successful in the first place. And I think
in our desire to become more refined, our desire to
evolve as a soccer playing nation and as a national team,
it has made us do things that we haven't done
in the past and attempt to play in ways that
we haven't done in the past. And that's commendable. But
what it has done also has made us lose some
of the stuff that has made us, you know, maybe
(07:50):
not uniquely American, but certainly American over the years. And
you talk about some of that, that ruthlessness and that
aggression that is absolutely on display right now in Copa
America and some from some very good teams. If you
look at the Uruguays and the Colombians, yes, yes they
have the skill, and yes they have the the the
even the romance at times in terms of how they play.
(08:11):
But there is also an incredible dog and there is
also incredible and if we if we lose that, then
I do think that's a problem. And so marrying those
two with a more evolved approach to play, but also
with you know, a like I said, a dog and
a and a and a and a grit or all
the words, all the cliches that you said, where you know,
(08:31):
almost like the you know, obscenity from the Supreme Court.
I know it when I see it, right, And you
know what when you see it in all sports including.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Soccer, give me. I see the names bandeed about Liverpool
and you get and I think to myself, well that's
a pretty good gig. Are we are we overly optimistic
and hyperbolic in our pursuit of the next coach? Is
there a perfect style or manager for us when we go?
(09:00):
You know, listen, I love the idea that swing big.
Are we realistic on our potential choices?
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I think we are?
Speaker 3 (09:08):
I mean as we're as we're you know, as we're
doing this, news is just broken that evidently Jurgen Klopp,
who a lot of people had talked about and that
certainly is swinging big, maybe as big as you can
get other than Pep Guardiola, you know, has said he
wants time away and he's you know, has said thank you,
but no thank you when it comes to the US,
and there's plenty of other other names out there that
are big, that are going to cost a lot of money,
(09:29):
doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to be successful.
And I think there is this this feeling that with
twenty twenty six and not wasting the stage and the
platform that is twenty twenty six, you know, go big
or go home and do some things that we haven't
been done in the past. And a lot of times
we equate that with money, and we equate that with
notoriety and big name types of things. It doesn't have
(09:49):
to necessarily be a big name, it doesn't necessarily have
to have a lot of money. But I think what
I say Soccer Federation has come out and said very
clearly is that money is it's not no. But if
there is somebody big that is going to cost a
lot out there that wants to do it. More importantly,
they will find the money, so that's not holding the
US back. But regardless, this has to be a higher
(10:11):
for the next two years. This has to be somebody
that comes in and says, look, these are the players
and either you're gonna coach them up right, and you
have to coach them up individually and collectively. And if
they don't have what you want, then you got to
get rid of them and find somebody else. But that's
gonna be very, very hard in just two years. And
to your point, I think a lot of these players
are very very good. They have plenty of pedigree when
it comes to where they are playing, but they are
(10:33):
not living up to their potential. And so whoever comes
in for two years, I don't care what happens behind
the scenes. I don't care about your Kumbaya dynamic. I
don't care about ted talks or anything like that. But
I do care that you are able to inspire this
group and in turn inspire me and all of the
American soccer fans out there to say, yeah, I'm gonna
follow this person because this person has taking us to
(10:53):
the promis Land and it's gonna give us the best
chance of doing something big and doing something that we
haven't seen before. Come the summer of twenty six.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Alexi Lawless, my friend, all right, you brought it. And
by the way, you know me. Sometimes the irritation I
create is a joyful experience, perhaps not for those who
I irritate, but for me and so I think we
both have that in common. Sometimes we are we are.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Shared beautiful irritants, beautiful pests, if you will, And we
enjoy poking. And it's okay to poke every once in
a while. Sometimes that's how you get to the truth.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
My friend, Thank you, good see anybody as always fit
the great Alexi Lawless. By the way, Sunday Euro Finals
followed by the Copa finals. So you got Spain in
England and then argent Tina and Columbia. The quality of
soccer on Sunday Fox is going to be unbelievable. Have
you seen the ratings for this stuff through the roof?
(11:52):
And for years and years people have said we're a
football nation. I got news for you, folks. Between the
World Cup, the Copa and the Euros, the qualities through
the roof, the intensity is palpable. The ratings have been unbelievable.
You know what It's funny about that. So everybody knows
that cable subs are you know, people are moving off cable,
(12:13):
but yet cable sports at Fox Women's basketball copa yours.
Say what you want about television, it doesn't share it
with anybody. It's all owned by sports, so you can
lose subs. But the only relevant thing outside of every
four years in a presidential race, the only relevant thing
(12:35):
on television today cable or you know your linear stuff
is it's sports and it's just been It's a thing
of beauty production all in really good.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Well. He had seventeen and a half sacks last year,
A very unique player. Josh heindz Alan, the Jags linebacker,
is joining us and I'm reading through some of the stuff.
You have a fascinating life. So you first thing you
notice when you meet this young man, he's very stylish,
(13:16):
you know. And I look down here and it said, oh,
you spent time in Milan for fashion week. So Jordan
and I went to dinner last night and I said,
give me a place in Europe. You gotta go, and
he said, you got to go to Milan.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
So you're a fashion guy. I mean most NFL guys
they're not fashion guys. Where does that come from?
Speaker 5 (13:34):
My wife? I am, you know I have.
Speaker 6 (13:39):
If it was up to me, I'd be wearing Adidas gear,
you know, home away games, you know. But you know,
growing up, you know, coming into myself into the league,
you know, want to look put together, like to wear suits.
And so we got invited this year to go to
go to fashion Week, so you know, I take the chance.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
I was like, oh, get outside of my comfort zone.
I like to look good. So going out up there
and experience and that it was. It was great.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
And by the way, you are six five to eighty five, yes, sir,
most models are not six six two eighty five. Where
do you get your clothes? I know it's a weird question.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
But there's a couple of brands out there. I was actually,
you know, one of the the shows that I did
go to, the head designer asked me to walk next
year in his in his in his line.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
So tell him if I got the time, I'll make
it happen.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
How about that? But yeah, your your sister's in the WNBA.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
In fact, you changed your name this year. It was
Josh Allen and that was due to you were paying
tribute to just.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
My family name. You know.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
So I grew up as I was known as little Hines.
You know, my uncles, my sisters, you know, We're we're
like household names in Montclair, New Jersey, big football, big.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
Big sports town.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
And so growing up I was little Hans a little high.
So I've always resonated with the Hindes name. I just
didn't have it on me and which was kind of weird.
And this year, you know, I decided to add it
on the back of my jersey. It's something I've been
wanting to do for for a minute now, and I think,
you know, going outside my comfort zone and being more
(15:15):
bolder and the things that I do in my life,
and and I just decided to let's do it time.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
You know, It's interesting when you look at you could
have chosen you were on you were available, right And
I'm not going to give the name of a general
manager I knew, but I did know a general manager
who was interested in you. You were talked about a lot,
so you had options and you decide I'm gonna stay you. Now,
(15:43):
you played at Kentucky East Coast, guy, I get that,
but you decided to stay with the Jags. Go all in.
You're a pro athlete, You're really talented. The whole league
wants quarterbacks and I rushers and left tackle. Is there
a minute you you could have left? I mean, take
me through your process.
Speaker 6 (16:00):
Uh, I mean it was definitely a a stressful process
at times, you know, but you know, I thank God.
I believe I had trust in God that he was
going to make things work.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (16:13):
You know, having a young family figure out, we got
to pick up and go and you know, building a
house out there in Jacksonville for the past three years
that's finally built. Was it was a huge transition to
be had. So, you know, trying to stay stationary. I
wanted to be on one team for my whole career.
That was a big, you know, thought process of going
through it. So so just being able to be stationary
(16:37):
was huge for me. I didn't want to be up
and moving and have to figure out a whole other team,
whole another system, whole an other city.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
I love Jacksonville, I love all of Duval.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
They treat me well, and you know, I want to
I want to make that home for the rest of
my career.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
By the way, the heat in September and August is
no joke down there.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
You will you lose ten to fifteen pounds in camp.
Speaker 6 (16:56):
I probably I'll probably start the season in like two eighty,
you know, to two eighty because it's because we work
out there. Like you know, guys that played for Doug
Peterson or the Andy Retree, they know, like Tranning Campson
no joke.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Andy and Andy.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
Practice is hard, yeah, and we do the same thing,
you know, but it pays off. And uh, you know,
I'm excited to work with the guys this year, especially
in training camp. We're gonna compete at a very high
level every day and we're gonna push each other for greatness.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yeah. So last five year, last six games, Trevor was
all beat up. Everything was banged up, a calf, a shoulder. Uh,
it was. It was a rough sledd at the end
of last year. Was it rough on the locker room?
Was what's it like to be a talented team picked
to win a division and it just unravels at the
(17:46):
end of the year. What was that locker room.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
Like, I mean for us man not we've never been
in that situation before. I know for me personally, guys,
you know, we had guys that played around the league,
that played on different teams, but the core guys that
been there have never been put in that situation. The
year before, you know, a couple of years before, we've
won one game, three games, and then Doug coach Peterson
comes and we find a way to win seven straight,
(18:12):
eighth straight to get into the playoffs. That's the first
time we've ever experienced that. Then then last year we
started off, you know, started off hot and then it
off slow. It was like, we've never experienced that. So
how do we figure out and fight through that? And
I think this year we've experienced winning, we experienced losing,
we experienced you know, losing fourth straight, five straight, winning
(18:32):
file four and five straight when it's important to win.
So I think right now we have the we have
the battle experience.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
We have the the the.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
We don't want to be in this situation again, and
just figured this out and let's go through it and
let's not put ourselves in a position to lose this
many games in October.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
You know, so the last two days, I've had three
players on Dion Dawkins great left tackle, went to Little
Old Temple, Jalen Johnson packed, he went to Utah. You
go to Kentucky. I'm mostly considered a basketball school. All
three of you are elite. He was the number one
rated corner cover. You're a top three edge rusher. Dawkins
(19:13):
terrific left hack. Didn't go to football powers both. I mean,
Dionne admitted like he got a chip on his shoulder.
He knows where you went. If you went to Ohio
State and he went to Tiftball, do you have that
chip on your shoulder?
Speaker 7 (19:28):
You know.
Speaker 6 (19:29):
You know, I like to see everybody get paid. I
like to see everybody be successful. So for me it's you.
Speaker 5 (19:34):
Know, I'm like I said, I'm a legacy guy.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
So you know, everywhere that I go, I want to
be a part of building that culture up. And you know,
I was fortunate to get a scholarship. It was either
Kentucky or Mamath. I chose to go to Kentucky. So
for me, it was you know, not biggie, not big football.
There so I was like, how can I assert myself?
Speaker 1 (19:53):
And when did you know at Kentucky, Well, the morning
you woke up or the game you played, you go
back to your dorm and you're like, I may play
on Sundays.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
Uh, So you know, not my freshman year, not my
sophomore year, like a little bit of my junior year.
I was like, man, I can, I can I can
play some ball. And then my senior year, when you know,
I had my son I had. I was about to
leave to enter my name in the drift, and you know, I.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
Heard coach give me the words other words.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
Generational wealth, and it hit me and it just sat
me deeper in my chair, like I want to know
more about it and I want to attain that. And
so I asked, you know, well what do I have
to do? And you know, he brought in Coach White
from he was an assistant coach since DLin coach at
the coach at the time. Yeah, he came and he
(20:45):
became my positional coach. And when I mean to tell
you telling me the ropes like this is what info stouts,
this is what the numbers they look at, this is
the body, this is this is this is the ideal
person that they're looking for, and having somebody be in
my are telling me this is what they look for,
and me having that work ethic that I already had,
just put the pieces together, and it was like, Oh,
(21:06):
I'm going to be the best in the way I worked,
in the way I think.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
You change your diet, change your workouts.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
I'm gonna be the best defensive player in college football.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
And you know, and I was SEC defensive players.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
You see National Defensive Play of the Year, I won
all the defensive ward first team, all everything. So I've
played at a very high level. So it's like in
my mindset and I was like, I've done it.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
In high school, I was twenty two sack guy my
senior year, seventeen last year, you know, so I know
what seventeen feels like.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
I know what twenty two feels like. So I gotta
go get that.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
So your sister's in the WNBAH. Angel Rees and Caitlin
Clark are good. Here's what nobody will admit, they're both good.
Everybody's picking sides. I never watched the WNBA a lot,
and then all of a sudden, I got all these rivalries.
Your sister's playing there and now I watch it. You
know what takes what I'm taking back by the WNBA.
How physical it is? Yeah, like chippy.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Them girls play. They competitive again, like my whole family
is competitive. So I already know how my sister's wired.
And now you know we're all competitive. You're competitive in
what you do. I know Jordan's competitive. What do you
do think about women?
Speaker 5 (22:18):
You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 6 (22:20):
When they get competitive, man, they don't play the they
don't play the coming second, you know what I mean.
And and they wanted as bad as as bad as
we want it. So I've learned from experience from going
one of my sister's game and you know, seeing her
play and seeing seeing how skillful those women are in person,
it's it's a sight to be had. And you know,
(22:40):
right then and there, I was like, yeah, I don't
think I could be my sister in one to one anymore,
you know what I mean. So you know, a lot
of respect for the women and that play the sport
and yeah, doing.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Okay, So seventeen and a half sacks is more than
won a game. Is there a left tackle? All right?
Is there a tackle that you face? You know? On yesterday,
said if an edge doesn't have gloves on, I know
he's wired different. So if you face him, are you
gonna take your gloves off?
Speaker 5 (23:09):
I think I might. I think I'm I'm a glove guy,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
We got little hands, they said in the combine, they
said from right here to right here. This is the
way they measure the hand size or whatever. And they
had had like one of the smallest. So I was like, damn,
a little finny now I got. You know, my famis
is all jacked up. So I wear gloves, but this week,
that week I might, I might go no gloves.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Who's the best guy you've ever faced in the NFL
on the old line ever, that you've ever faced? You
literally felt like with your physical gifts, You're like this,
this guy is schooled. Uh.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
You know there's a couple of guys out there that
that are really really talented. You know, Tristan Warts is
one of those guys that a he's a dog. You know,
he's you gotta get ready to play when you go
against him his bass. You have obviously Trent Williams, who's
who's just a freak of an athlete, strong and powerful. Well,
you gotta you gotta get ready to play against him.
(24:04):
And then you know, Lermie Tunsel, You know, Larmie is
a is a guy that I see every year twice
a year.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
You know, is that an advantage for you or him?
Speaker 5 (24:13):
It's a battle.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
I like going to war against LEERMI like, you know,
when were out there talking, it's you know, let's get
these one on ones going. You know what I'm saying,
one on one, you're the best on your team, on
the best one team.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
Let's go work.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
And I love that battle. You know, I look forward
to it every year. And you know, I don't know
what he feels like, but I know I look forward to.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
It and you do, and I love it.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Is there any pass rusher that you've and this is
okay that you've stolen something from You're like, man, I
love that, of course you have.
Speaker 6 (24:42):
Of course, you know my game is my game, and
you know I've I've structured my body to fit the
way I play. But but yond unique and godway I
came into the league, he was cross top king.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
I've never seen that move. I was like, what is this?
Speaker 6 (24:56):
And then I started to implement it in my game
and now I like stole him quinn Ocu minure. I
studied the guys that've done it before. So those guys
play that play that do that move at a very
high level.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
You know. I was the von Millers. You know, it's Mike.
I love my class. You know, guys that came into
that ninet team.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
You look at Max, you know, who's one of the
top edge Crosby.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yes, Brian, there's another time. Yeah, where's you know.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
I'm so blessed that I'm a Jacksonville Jaguar and I'm
gonna retire Jacksonville Jaguar hopefully, But I still feel like
we should have We could have been teammates, you know,
and you know what could have been. You know, but
you never know how you know, the cars play out.
He could He's gonna come to Jacksonville.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
What so you you were in Milan Fashion Week. Let's
circle back to that. That's I'm not even gonna ask
what that shirt costs. That costs more than my car least,
But when you go you did you come home with
some nice clothes? Did you?
Speaker 5 (26:05):
Yeah? Yeah, they don't bite you out there for free,
you know, they.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Don't give the invite for you to come home with
khakis like you came home with stuff.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Yeah, I bought a couple of things, but these are
things that you know, I'm gonna wear for a long time.
You know, tailor. I got a lot of tailor stuff,
So I'll be wearing a lot of stuff this this,
you know this season. Like I said, man, I like to.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Does anybody else in your locker room have any fashion
sense at all?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:31):
We got some good We got some guys that got
so so we gotta I think we gotta. We got
a young group, a young team that likes to look
put together. And Coach Peterson he's a he's more of
a casual guy.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
Like we have to wear suits and the button ups
and the tie.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
He wants that.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Yeah, he wants that. So and that's the type of
style that I like to go with. No hoodiesies on
the road, no wear suits and button away games, but
home games we can kind of just a little bit
more casual.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Great meat, Great meeting you, Josh heinz Allen. Seventeen and
a half sacks only, TAJ. That's a lot of sacks, bro.
That is a that's a big number. You got yours
and you deserved it, sir, Thank you. Where'd it go
Jordan with the news on the news.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
This is the headline news.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
Great stuff from Josh, and congrats on the new deal.
My man. The Giants handed Jared Goff a massive four
year extension, calling this offseason two hundred twelve over four.
They have their franchise quarterback going forward with golf. Last season,
Sam laportees at the record for receptions by a rookie
tight end and he spoke to his quarterbacks consistency in
the building.
Speaker 7 (27:43):
You're not going to find some many more consistent than
Jared Goff in our building.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
And for him to be leading the team, you need
to have consistency.
Speaker 7 (27:50):
You're gonna have good and bad days in the NFL,
just the nature of the game and how competitive this
league is. But he shows up every day, he works,
and he sets the example when he sets the tone
in the building. And to be able to follow him
in the example that he sets for this organization, it's
it just trickles on down from there or really really amazing.
(28:13):
So happy for him and his extension and you know
his security here in Detroit for another couple of years.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Colin, I know you've always liked Jared Goff. I don't
know who throws a prettier ball. What's the next step
for him? And Sam Laport obviously one of the great
rookie seasons of a.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
I think the next I think he's accomplished the next step.
So he already got to a super Bowl in LA,
but the next step was, Oh, is it McVeigh or
is it you? Okay, it wasn't just McVeigh. This is
the second coach, So the next iteration of Jared Goff
has been accomplished. He wasn't just a McVeigh. And by
the way, Sean's great, but I think there was a
(28:52):
lot of people that said, well, this is Sean thing.
No it's not. He went to a losing franchise where
Matt Stafford didn't win this much. Sure, now he got
a better front office, the coach works. But I think
Jared Goff has absolutely validated his number one pick. I
got a Super Bowl turned around two franchises. That's a
(29:13):
number one pick. You don't have to win a Super Bowl?
Are you a guy I can build my franchise around.
He's two for two.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I'm really excited to see, you know. Ben Johnson obviously
comes back year two of the forty year two of Gibbs,
David Montgomery, really good running.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
I think they have the second best roster in the league,
and just.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
The offensive line alone tremendous. So if you can keep
Jared Goff up right, We've seen he is an on
time thrower. He's really accurate. I think Detroit. I know
it's gonna be a they're gonna be hunted, but I
think Detroit actually upside wise, he's gonna take another another
step offensively, at least this season. The Jags started off
eight and three. We just had Josh on early contenders
(29:50):
for the AFC's number one seed, and so Trevor Lawrence
got banged up and Jacksonville finished the season one and five.
Heading into the season, Doug Peterson, the head coaches, the
team will use their late collapse as motivation.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Gone, it's gonna burn.
Speaker 8 (30:03):
It's gonna burn for a long time until you know,
we get some meaningful games again and start playing this September.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
But I think that's the.
Speaker 8 (30:09):
Same fuel, you know, the motivating factor for our for
our players that the way we ended is not us.
And no matter what you go through as a football team,
you know everybody goes through adversity.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
There's always gonna be injuries, but he can't make excuses.
Speaker 8 (30:25):
You gotta go play football and so so for us,
we got to learn from that. Roll up our sleeves
in a training camp, work hard, and just play a
one game at a time.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Let me think.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
I think Jacksonville is gonna win the division, and I
think Houston is going to be a tight second. I
think Indianapolis is going to be fascinating, but I don't know.
I have to watch them. I think the Titans are
a fourth place team. I think the Titans if I
think that the story in that division, because every every
team's got an interesting narrative. I think I think Tennessee's
narratives can will leve us play and will know by
(30:58):
Thanksgiving if he can. They got their guy of not Dan.
The Raiders and the Giants will be drafting quarterbacks next
year at the top of the draft.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
I'm in on Levis, I'm in on Richardson, I'm in
on Strouded, I'm in on Lawrence. Every quarterback in that
division is enticing to me. But I think Jacksonville next
season healthy, the defensive line, really strong, good receivers. I
like it to Team USA basketball, where we saw the
US get out to a slow start against Canada before
taking home the win last night. Carmelle Anthony was recently
(31:26):
asked who he thinks the starting five should be, and surprisingly,
he believes they should go with a young lineup of Halliburton,
Anthony Edwards, bam Adebayo, Jason Tatum, and Devin Booker. Mellow
added that he thinks Lebron, step and KD should contribute.
But off the bench what on the bench?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Lebron still Lebron in this tournament will be the first,
second or third best player. Steph Curry will be the first,
second or third best player. You're not bringing those guys off.
You're not starting Bam out of by you and bringing
Steph off the bench and Lebron off the bench.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
I do you said? Embiid though sometimes inverting the floor.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Look, Embiid is a is a tough Okay, he's a
tough Bam. I mean Embiid sometimes screws the flow up.
I feel Embid. I understand he's great talent.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
He holds the ball a little bit.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
I think sometimes he did it in Philadelphia. That's why
give Max he the ball, let him run the offense.
And on this team, I don't need embiid on the
perimeter I see.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
I think the biggest question marker and maybe even surprise,
would be if Edwards ultimately starts And what does that
do for d book? What does that do for Jason Tatum?
Because at the end of the day, we all believe
this team's gonna want to go medal, but eagles do
have to be sacrificed. And when you have arguably the
greatest or second greatest point guard of all the time
in Steph Curry, what does that mean for him? So
(32:43):
Edwards to me is the arguably the most interesting guy
here because he has the most upside.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Finally calling to the Euros. Yesterday's semi final between England
and the Dutch was tied at one entering injury time
before we had a heroic finish from Olie Watkins. Here's
the call from foxes Ian Dark.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Here's Palma Holly Walkin' say it? Oh, holliwin Kings, Win's it.
Fagan Silly comes on a substitute, scores his first tournament
gold and it looks like a winner. It was great.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Goosebumps.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
How about Southgate the head coach.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Everyone's calling for him to be fired go to the
just get out of here, we don't want you. And
then he's now in the final of a Euro By
the way, England takes on Spain in the euro Final.
Coverage begins Sunday at one eastern on Fox. Who's your pick.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
England?
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (33:47):
Even though even though it England. Yeah, my mom, my
late mother was British, so I.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Always I like what Alexi said that England is the
Dallas Cowboys. One way or the other. You have an
opinion on that. So now can they finally bring it home?
I'm gonna go with Spain. I like Spain. Yeah, I
like the mall. The sixteen year old kid, isn't that incredible?
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Youngest ever sixteen years old?
Speaker 4 (34:11):
We talked about yesterday and I know Colin at sixteen
wasn't scoring goals in the Euros.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
I wasn't. No, I wasn't Jordan with the news, Well
that's the news.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And thanks for stopping that. The Herd Line News.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
We've got a lot of stuff going on here.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Easter n a em Pacific.
Speaker 9 (34:31):
Pally Fools go here with Tony foodsco Yeah. As everybody
knows we're the hosts of the award winning Paully and
Tony Foodsco Show. Yeah, but instead of us telling you
how great we are, here's how Dan Packrick described us
when he came on our show.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Quick, knowledgeable and funny, opinionated.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
What are you doing interrupting our promo? Yeah, you wasn't
talking about you. You took those clips totally of context.
Speaker 9 (34:54):
Oh yeah, well after this promo, I'm gonna take you
out and beat you.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Let me put this into context. Shut up.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (35:01):
Anyway, just listening to the Paul and Toni Fusco Show
on iHeartRadio, Apple podcasts O wherever you get your podcasts, yee.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
On Tuesday, Judge O'tani Harper and Baseball's Biggest Star ticks
center stage deep in the heart of Texas for the
Midsummer Classic. It's the twenty twenty four All Star Game.
Coverage begins Tuesday at seven pm Eastern on Fox.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
We've been very lucky over the last several days that
we've had a lot of pro football players in Los
Angeles for Espi's, which is in downtown Los Angeles. And
one of the young guys we had is Jalen Johnson,
who is out of Utah, grew up in Fresno, played
at Utah, has come into Chicago and is a absolutely
(35:45):
knock it out of the park corner and we talked.
So he was at that OTA for Caleb Williams, somebody
I defended multiple times on the show. I know Caleb
well enough to know I thought he was super confident.
I don't think he's cocky. I thought all the criticism
on the fingernail polish is just nonsense and waste of time.
(36:06):
But I did ask, you know, Jalen his early impressions
of this usc the first nil star in college. His
impressions initially on Caleb.
Speaker 10 (36:16):
He's a confident guy in hisself on the field, off
the field. I think it's one of those things where
he's very secure and who he is. He's very confident
and knows the work that he puts in to be
able to have that confidence. And at the end of
the day, I mean, he's the winner, He's the guy
that got drafted number one, So I don't feel like
he shouldn't have confidence at the end of the day.
I think it's one of those things that he embraces
and he walks in who he is as as a
(36:36):
player who he is as a man. I think that's
something that seeing him in person, and he blended in
right right away with the with the locker room, with
the guys, and that's only going to continue to grow.
But I think he's came in and handled everything perfectly.
Just come in and work in, coming in and jailing
with the guys, the offense. You can you can see
everything coming together how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
What's really interesting for the Bears. And in a weird way,
when Justin Fields went only for a sixth round pick,
it actually, if you're a Bears fan, is encouraging because
what it's telling you is that Justin Fields, despite his
athletic ability, who won seven games for the Bears. They
(37:17):
weren't atrocious, they won seven games, and they the NFL
marketplace was telling you, we've all looked at the film.
We don't think Justin Fields is close to being the guy.
So if Caleb, the gap between Caleb and Justin Fields,
I think is greater than the the you know, the
(37:39):
typical Bear fan thinks. I think the typical Bear fan
thinks they're young, they're athletic, they move well, they got
big arms. But the marketplace in the NFL was telling
you Justin's not the guy. He's probably not a franchise guy. Meanwhile,
the marketplace when you watch Hard Knocks and you watch
the New York Giants coaches Brian Daboll, who comparing Caleb
(38:01):
to Brett Farv that's the difference. I think a lot
of people in Chicago think, you know, Justin and Caleb
big guys run well, good arms. The gap, I think
is much greater than people understand. My only knock on
Caleb was his accuracy can be a bit inconsistent, but
he is a power throwery, not big guy. He's only
(38:21):
six feet tall, but he plays much bigger in person.
He's big, he's thick hands head, but he's you know,
you're running over linebackers, so he plays really big and
he has a power arm. He sometimes leans into the
spectacular over the pedestrian. But I think a lot of
that was USC just did not They weren't equipped offensive
(38:44):
line play was not equipped to protect him. And the
PAC twelve really was the last two years way above
average for the PAC twelve. Last year was as good
as the PAC twelve has been in twenty five years.
So Caleb was running for his life with a very
average offensive line. So I think the critics of Caleb
that he was sort of an ad liber He wasn't
the previous year, when I thought he got better protection.
(39:08):
And in the end the offensive line protection eroded twelve
was really good and he was kind of having to
kind of ad lib. And I think the takeaway is,
I was Caleb coachable? You know, he's kind of a
big personality. I think Chicago's old line in weapons, those
detractors and critics will be muted. I think he's I
(39:29):
think his accuracy a lot of it was when you
get hit and pressured, you let the ball go a
little more quickly than you naturally would. You're tired of
getting hit. I think Chicago will protect him. The weapons
are better. He'll be very good.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
They also talk about sc last year, Colin, they were
playing from behind. Jason points they fired the defensive coordinator
after panics. The company put up like forty eight or
fifty on them. So if you're playing from behind in
that conference, that's tough. I'll tell you what I think.
I mentioned it once before, but Cliff Kingsbury told me
Caleb Williams and he was he had them all year
at sc He told me Caleb Williams was as talented
or as close to Patrick Mahomes as he's ever seen.
(40:03):
And for me, that's all I need to hear. Of Chicago.
We've talked about it, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Swift comet,
there's a lot of weapons there. He's gonna have a
really good rookie year.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
The utter thing that really helps is when you get
a Keenan Allen. This is an adult. This is a
mature veteran. Roma Dunza was. I talked to two executives
in the league. One had a later first round pick.
He goes, we'd really like Roma Dunze. A Dunze is
a very mature player. So what you're getting in Chicago
(40:33):
is you're getting Luke Getzi, a very mature rookie receiver.
Keenan Allen's a veteran cole comit, Gerald Everett. These are
veteran players. I don't think this is going to be
like a slow build. I think Chicago is going to
be pretty interesting very quickly. I don't think. And in
the division, the best defense in the division is Chicago's.
(40:55):
So Minnesota has to generate better pass rush. Green Bay's
defense it never quite lives up to the hype. Detroit's
got some issues in the back end they're trying to solve.
So if you're Caleb Williams, you're not walking into the
AFC North. You know, you're not walking into Belichick and
his prime in McDermott. You're walking into a really gifted
offensive division. The defense you see at practice in Chicago.
(41:18):
He is the division's best defense. I think Chicago's gonna
score some points, and b they're probably the most interesting
team in the league to me, at least in the
first four to six weeks. Say big and your water
and energy bills go to tanklessmade Simple, dot Com and
Navvian only heats water when you need it, never runs out.
See you tomorrow.
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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