Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews Shares Football Stories On 790

Dating back to his earlier years at SC and before being drafted first round, NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews joins Sean in a trip down memory lane. Sean and Bruce reminisce on the days before the league, making the first round, and him sustaining dominance throughout his nineteen year long career. 

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Saulsbury. Hot, Okay, let'sdo this. Sewn Salisbury, there the
USC true longtime friend, Shawn Salisbury, Bryan Lima, go Lobos. This
is the Sean Salisbury Show with hisfourteen U team. Just tell him to

(00:25):
stay in Hoover. Yeah, don'teven come back here. And it's a
wood bat thin you got to doubledown on it. Saw a lot of
wood bat home runs last night.Tasker Hernandez first dodger ever and he was
the last one in slow starting roundone ends up winning the home run derby,
first dodger. That's a that's acool mill last night. Shout out
to him, man, it's acool mill. In my NEXTUS. I

(00:46):
wonder if he made one mill,how many times he made a mill in
a season? And they went ahome run Derby and make a mill last
night. We're joined today for thefirst couple hours. He was going to
join me for four but played theGrandpa card, the grandpa it's grandparents days
on. I think it's Tuesday andThursdays. He turned out he got that
Mike hit that mic right there,you go Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's on

(01:07):
for you. It's good Tuesdays andThursdays. So I said, well,
can I get you for two hours? He says yeah. I said that's
why. I know. It's alot of work. He goes, yep,
but I'll be there. My guy, former teammate, longtime teammate,
and I guess it's been about fortyyear friendship. Bruce Matthews joins me in
studio Hall of Fame. What's up? Man? How you doing? I'm
doing the question? Is it?Is it really great to be here?

(01:30):
I love it when I say,I know, it's a lot of worker.
You got grandpa duties today it's atyour regular it's not even duties.
You get to be with your grandkids. Yeah, you know. But I
even, well, man, canyou come and give me six to eight
instead of seven to ten? Andyou said, yeah, I could do
that. I said, I knowit's a lot of working. Yeah,
it's a lot of work. ButI'm here. So there you go.
What's happened? Man? Goodness?So how many grand kids you got?

(01:53):
We have eight with two on theway, so now eight with two on
the way. Yeah, and notdone? I mean, I mean ten,
it's not gonna it's not stop itis it? Well, they don't
consult it MoMA might have up thatthey with their wives and stuff and husbands
and all that stuff. Yeah,Bruce Matthews, I don't know if he

(02:15):
needs much introduction College All American withme at USC and I will have something
that nobody can I have something nobodycan ever ever take from me. And
we'll discuss that in this show.That is that. It's the only thing.
And he didn't miss many, buthe missed part of this one,
and I happen to be a partof it. So I'm grateful for it.

(02:36):
Nineteen years in the NFL Hall ofFamer as well, and one franchise,
two team names, right, andwhich is a phenomenal. It doesn't
happen anymore, Bruce. So goodto have you today, brother. I
appreciate you coming in sharing it withme. Yeah, like I said,
coming here, been with you,good memories, good discussion. You're good

(02:57):
at your craft. I enjoy listeningto you when I do listen. Thank
you. Well, you're you're upand six o'clock and less forced to be
here. I appreciate it. Man, and I h our friendships lasted a
long time and I was fortunate tosee some I mean well, I got
to see as a player with youand in the huddle with you, and
then covering you, and well playingwith you as a teammate at this level
in the NFL, and then coveringyou for all those years. And what's

(03:20):
crazy, I've been covering the Matthewsor playing against or with the Matthews.
Think about this now since nineteen eightyone for me, and you were eighty
three first round draft pick in thatdraft, which is to be a pretty
decent quarterback draft. But there weresome other great players in that draft.
Yeah, they call it the quarterbackdraft. We had pretty good old line.
I'm gonna say you want to callit the old line draft for a

(03:42):
couple like the always and Britos floatingaround right, And in all the years
of playing, you know, Ihad ten, you had nineteen, and
then covering you and your brother andnow with your son who I can't believe
is going Jake's going on as eleventhyear with the Atlanta Falcons and as you
say, got a yank that jerseyand have somebody tear that jersey off?
Does he have goals to out lastyear? And your your brother Clay,

(04:05):
who also nineteen years was that intended? Did you guys talk about that and
you and Clay I know the answer, but the fans don't know. Did
you and Clay both nineteen years talkabout who was going to play longer?
Well, my brother Clay was alwaysthe standard bearer for me. He's five
years older. He went to SC. I wanted to go to s C.

(04:27):
He made it to the NFL.I wanted to make it to the
NFL. And he played nineteen years. And I'm like, I don't know
about the number nineteen, there werethat many anything special, But I thought
it was pretty cool that we bothplayed the same amount of years. He
played the most games ever by alinebacker in the NFL. I've played the

(04:50):
most games by an offensive lineman.And those records still hold true, correct,
Yeah? Yeah? And Clay finishedin Atlanta, And how many years
with even sixteen? Seventeen of them, sixteen with the Browns and three with
Atlanta. Yes, and you wereall nineteen with the Houston franchise which became
the Tennessee Titans, right prior tothree years of Tennessee oilers. Yeah,

(05:15):
that's right. That that that littlethree that gets lost in there that we
didn't even we forget about, right, Yeah? And it's kind of I
need to start working with eBay becauseI do have some Tennessee Oiler merchandise,
T shirts, things of that nature. They maybe it might have some value.
You think, oh, well,there's there's so many like Memorabilion and

(05:40):
I mean this effectually nut jobs outthere. Yeah, how many of them
in the love you Blue folks here? And it's the tweeener, right dude,
that you might want to tease itand hold on to it and make
them beat down your door for that. But yeah, those were dark years,
those Tennessee Oiler years. Right?Does it offend you that the Powder

(06:00):
Blues And I mean, I guessfor you who played with both franchises,
what's the biggest bother other than leaving? What? What? What? What
do people talk to you most aboutabout that? Uh? Primarily, Well,
the biggest thing first was winning orgoing to the super Bowl. We
didn't win, but as the TennesseeTitans, I mean I loved it,

(06:21):
was great experience, what a gameit was, and by inches as we
always talk about. But you know, nowadays it's about the history of the
team. You know, I loveNashville. I loved our time there.
Gosh, all my nephews have movedthere, and uh, but that isn't

(06:46):
the Oilers. The Oilers history belongsdown here, I believe with the Texans,
and uh, you know, it'skind of weird seeing in fact,
it was last year when they theybroke out their Oilers throwback uniform. They
played the Falcons, right, soJake's on the one team and I'm looking
on the screen. I'm like,oh my gosh, look at those nice

(07:09):
uniforms. And then it took aplay or two to realize, Oh,
you're pulling for the Falcons, notthe Oilers, right, So yeah,
what a just a what a historyof it? And I think most well,
I haven't met a person yet thatdoesn't feel the same way you do
about the Oilers and what went onnineteen years. Bruce Matthews joins me.
He'll be in here till eight o'clock. Then he gets to go do a

(07:29):
more important gig and be with hisgrandkids and expecting two more. We will
discuss. We have a lot todiscuss today, and I'm curious, Bruce,
just for fun, and you don'thave to answer this, but I'm
gonna ask it anyway, because that'swhat a good journalist does. What was
your biggest salar I can find itout. And what was your biggest single
season salary? Base salary? Youremember was my last couple of years.

(07:53):
It was like two point nine andI thought I was well, I was,
yeah, rolling in the dog comparedto what we had made. I
mean my first I was the ninthpick in the first round and wasn't hold
out Howie Howard Slusher. I don'tmean, here's the irony of that.
He got the nickname hold out Howiehow Howard Slusher, who also I believe

(08:16):
was the agent for wasn't he theagent for Todd Bell? And remember when
they held out the season? WasSlusher their agent when they held out the
nineteen eighty five Bears team and thenDave Dorson took over. I'm gonna do
a little research because he might havebeen theirs. But it's ironic. You
never missed a game. We'll getto that duty injury. And yet you

(08:37):
had one of those like the ScottBoris of tough guys, agent Howard Slusher.
Who was that guy when you cameout? Yeah, he was.
He made me into a person.I think that became I'm committed to the
cause. Right, and he madean argument and it was like, I

(09:00):
can't believe I did it. Butat the same time, you know,
I sued the league back in eightyseven, and I'm never one of those
rocked the boat kind of guys.I didn't even know I had forgotten.
And now you go back because thatwas that plan B. That was that
striking right. I had forgotten that. You did see the league and nobody

(09:22):
you always just look a guy showsup and plays three positions and long snaps
and garden tackle and center in nineteenyears in the league. Yeah, it
was November fourth of eighty seven.We had our court case. The judge
threw it out in a matter ofthirty minutes, and I thought it was
It made perfect sense to me becausemy contract had expired, the CBA collective

(09:46):
barring an agreement had expired. SoI'm like, I'm not bound, I'm
free. You can do whatever youwant. Yes, but they didn't see
it that way. Two point nineyour biggest salary. Yeah, now,
I know, times change and we'lldiscuss we come back. You do know
that your kid probably has to venmoyou as opposed to you've been knowing him,

(10:07):
right, no question, Gosh,I am. When he first signed,
he gave me his old iPhone,so I was like, man,
I got it made right. Butno, he has done very well.
He's been very blessed and he's blesseda lot of people with the finances that

(10:30):
he's been in his abundance and sharedit with others. Absolutely special family.
We'll discuss and from Clay and Bruceand Jake and the whole group and what
Bruce is doing, and just goover some great stories of the career,
what he thinks about the league.And I know it's not bitterness because your
son's a party. The great thingabout you is you've sought early times,
which we I mean when it wasthat I think a lot of us think

(10:50):
the Golden age. We do.I mean that's just how you whenever you
play. And then went through somestuff where we're like, okay, the
transformation of the league and then we'veseen all the change just informations and the
way we go and you know,no full back and bringing a full back
back and no full back, allthe different formations and now we're spread out
and you have a son who's beeninvolved in all of that as well.

(11:11):
So the transformation for you It's like, well, your kid's reaping the benefits
of it, and you're sitting backsaying, wait a second, now,
what would Bruce Matthews and Clay whatwould you have been worth? A Hall
of Famer? All those Pro Bowls? Versatile, could play three positions and
long snap. Wonder what you'd beworth today? We'll discuss Talk Football Talk
Texans as well. Bruce Matthews inthe studio till eight o'clock today. Hall

(11:35):
of Famer Bruce Matthews, What ifit was Clay up right now? Yeah,
No, he's not not ed.He's still your outside, still your
hero, and still I mean stillyou still the competitiveness, He's still the
guy. No question. Should hebe in the Hall of Fame. We'll
discuss that next. Wouldn't that besomething? Sports Talk seven ninety Bruce Matthews

(11:56):
and Tell eighta clock Sean Salisbury Show. The Shawn Said Alisbury Show continues on
seven ninety and continues in your homeSay Alexa play Sports Talk seven ninety on
iHeartRadio. A great perspective on seeingdifferent eras and has seen them all,
and so what would you be worthtoday? As a nineteen years never missed

(12:22):
a game? Due to injury.Did Clay miss any games dute injury?
He had a couple couple. Yeah, he tore his ankle up pretty good,
but among the family less than aseason of missed games right in thirty
eight seasons. It's funny. Mydad, who was very successful in the
corporate world and had a great businesscareer but played in the NFL, played

(12:48):
five years for the forty nine ers, and he kind of half heartedly was
speaking to me about, hey,man, I've negotiated a lot of top
contracts. You got an interest inme doing your And I go, yeah,
sure, how much you make that? And he goes like, uh,

(13:09):
twenty three five I go twenty threefive hundred dollars in the fifties.
That is an amazing salary, becausesalary, what are you talking about?
That's what I made in my entirecareer, and so, uh yeah it's
now it's twenty three point five million. Yeah, was the most exactly that
is? So did your did yourwas it e when you you were going

(13:30):
through your stuff? Did you leanon your dad during some of them to
go just say dad, what doyou think about this? Did you ever
lean on him? Yeah? Definitely, talking with Howard slusher and stuff.
That was definitely a huge part ofsigning off on him was getting my dad's
approval of him. And uh yeah, I'd always I called him after every

(13:50):
game, and you know, earlyin my career they didn't have the prime
ticket and that type of thing,right, But I think my the last
half or so, he was ableto watch the games. And that's really
one of the highlights of myself nowis I watch every one of Jake's games.

(14:13):
I watch it in real time andtry and grade it because I know
he wants that feedback the way Igot the feedback from my dad. So
it's something I really enjoy. Andit's interesting too, Sean, because during
the games, I mean, Inotice at the end of the game this
stress level across my neck and shoulders, and I'm like, oh my gosh,

(14:35):
I'm not playing, but I feellike I yeah, And we're gonna
hit that about what drove you evenfifteen sixteen years into your career when you
should be secure. I'm going toget to that in these two hours.
Bruce Matthews, Hall of Famer andteammate of mine and great friend. It's
a heck, we're forty plus yearfriendship now, which is frightening, and
that means we're only forty eight yearsold. Though he started we were a

(14:58):
youth, right. That's what I'lltry to tell everybody in studio. You
mentioned he'll be here till eight o'clockand it won't be the last time he
comes in, whether he knows ityet or not. You mentioned watching your
son Jake play, who's a hellof a football player, and I still,
like I told you, Precie,can't. I can't believe it's already
a decade in is you talk aboutgrading him now, you've also been a

(15:20):
coach. You've coached offensive line,so there's the grading. When we're watching
as a player, as you asyou know, sometimes we can call it
watching the other team's guard because you'relike, I want to be like I'm
watching the core, you're watching thesecond here. It's like, well Marino
staring. I want to see thisguy doing. It's like Sean the game.
You're not playing Marino, you playthe other defense. He'll be prepared.
But when you're watching your son,first of all, I know,

(15:41):
like anytime we hear it all thetime, it's got to be far worse
than it was when you played thestress levels that you mentioned. But when
you're grading him you take out athome if you're not in person, you
take out a pad and a paperand or do you do you'd grade while
you're watching, or go back andrewatch and double grade it. Or are
you a dad on Sundays and theSunday nights or Monday become coach? Which
one is it? Or is itboth? I have a pad of paper

(16:07):
number the plays. I have myown little jargon that I write down the
lingo you use, yes, andso I can feedback to Jake after the
greater, harder, greater or easierbecause it's your kid, Which one is
it? I feel in a lotof different ways, I'm all of those.

(16:30):
There are times, especially on thingswhere I think where we have talked
about that and he let it happen, and I'm come on, man,
you know we had that conversation,and do you compare it to you too?
I mean, I know it's hard. I mean not in an arrogant
way, but it's like I wouldhave done it this way a little bit,
but not so much because the biggestthing that I do realize and one

(16:55):
of the greatest attributes of coaches thatI respect was they understood that, Hey,
guys, you're the guy out thereplaying and you're the one where this
freakishly athletic defensive end is trying torip the quarterbacks, especially his position,
exact nasty, and I know howhard it is. So I'm going to

(17:19):
say a lot of things that inreality, you know, hey, I'd
love to be able to go outand do this, but it ain't happening.
So I'm I can understand enough thatI'm not going to say, hey,
you have to do this. Butat the same time, his expectation

(17:40):
is he wants to be coach hard. He wants to see stuff that I
see that can help. He doesn't. He doesn't take it personal, which
is not the sign of a goodplayer. That he's probably harder on himself
than you could be anyway, exactlyright. And I feel sometimes that balance
a little bit where I'm like,man, I really got to call him
out out and be a little moreforceful with more coach than dad. Yes,

(18:03):
right, is it? Have youguys ever had a post game run
in, I mean, when you'regreat him to the point where because you're
you're a faith based guy and allthese grand kids and you and your wife
been married for years and you raisedall these kids. Not saying that you
can't be anything else than that,but as I've known, you've always been

(18:23):
that guy. Family's always been firstand making sure you're cognizant of self esteem
and all that for your all that. So I'm curious, have you ever
had you know, how we getin fights on the field. As we
watch Joey Brown or coming in fightof the US, we all disappeared because
nobody wanted to fight Joey. Haveyou ever gotten to the point where it's
like, like we do sometimes walkaway from the coach, we'll catch up

(18:44):
later today. Have you ever gottento the point where it's been one of
those whatever you'd call heated or adifference of opinion that's led to we got
to back away from this film studynow with Jay Mikey his younger brother,
right who unfortunately his body he didn'thold up and he was a little undersized.
But the thing about Mikey was hehad that kind of a hole also

(19:07):
he was nastier. Yeah the family, yes, okay, and Jake absolutely
hates Jake. Why can't you bemore like Mike? Oh he's so it
is the life serial commercial Mikey thisis his kid brother, yes, right,
so he didn't like going there,but he understands it. He saw

(19:29):
and Mikey's younger right, yes,yeah, right, and they played really
cool story they played at Ane mtogether. I remember that Jake was two
years older, and Jake could havecome out his UH after his junior year
and been either the number one ornumber two pick in the draft. They
it was here they drafted Eric Fisher, first offensive tackle than Luke jokel and

(19:55):
Uh. I remember having that whichwas vastly considered. It an underwhelming draft
that year, considering with your songoing back to school, right, yes,
And He's like that should I comeout, I could be the first
pick in the draft. And I'mlike, yeah, that would be awesome.
But at the same time, Igo, you will never have the

(20:15):
experience of playing with your brother anotheryear. And he goes or I said
to him, you can do allthe Lloyd's of London to ensure yourself from
catastrophica and during stuff. And itwas really cool because Mikey was Jake's best
man at his wedding and starting toget choked up no to have at it.

(20:41):
He shared how What an awesome thingfor his brother to come back to
play another year with his little brother. And Jake doesn't regret it at all.
He said it was one of thehighlights of his year, well,
his career. Yeah, the moneygets spent, all that stuff happens that
never gets spent. They remember thatas best man, and they may be

(21:03):
competitive, want to tear each other'shead off the right tope, which is
a good thing. Yes, Iworry if they didn't. And then the
comparisons where it's like I could alreadypicture Mikey they're wrestling. He's a smaller
one and but the feisty one thatwants to, you know, tear your
heart out. Yeah, I couldalready visualize that. I haven't been there
in their wrestling matches at the lockin their front room, but I would
imagine that there's no bigger supporter ofJake than his brother Mikey. My correction,

(21:30):
I wanted an honor to be ableto do that for them and for
you as a pops. How proudyou were sitting in college station watching them
play. Absolutely, we'll come backand discuss more. Bruce Matthews Hall of
Famer, great stories and if youhave a question. Come on in.
I know there's a lot of peoplehere that not only love love you,
Blue, but there's a ton ofpeople that would love to get in.
Uh and here from It's Bruce Day. I'd love to keep me here for

(21:52):
four hours. And trust me,I'm going to hound him. I'm gonna
make up for a lot of lostyears of having to talk about him on
TV, which was easy to do, and now I'm gonna have you in
here, come talk about others,including his kids, and you don't ever
have to apologize for getting emotional aboutyour family. It's awesome to be able
to see your kid in I'm hopinghe gets to twenty years so he could
hold that over your head that hegot more years than you and Clay.
That'd be cool, you would,that'd be awesome, That'd be great.

(22:14):
Uh, Bruce Matthews, We'll havehim till eight o'clock. Come on in
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It's a connection you can count onwithout. The Shawn Salisbury Show continues.
Are the astros after that horrendous startand here we are and we'll discuss that.
But when you got Hall of FamerBruce Matthews, former teammate, longtime
friend of mine in studio, wetalked football and talk great experiences in lifetime

(24:14):
experiences, and I think some ofthe things you'll hear in the next hour
and a half he'll be here tilleight o'clock will kind of blow your mind,
like it as a longtime teammate andfriend. Even things you find out
that you didn't know when you wereplaying with the guy, or mind boggling.
You'll get a chance you want tocall in and ask Bruce a question
seven one three two one two fiveseven ninety We were talking about your kids

(24:37):
and about uh. I don't knowhow many. And I've asked you during
the break with Clay, who isfive years older than you, and who
will get to I believe and I'vesaid this for years. Bruce's is in
front of you. I've said itfor years, and covering him how he's
not in the Hall of Fame withdurability and play is a bit criminals,
a little overboard because of the society. But in the foot world, I

(25:00):
don't think there's many who don't thinkit. And I know that would be
a thrill for you, wouldn't it? Absolutely? Would you present? Do
you know this? Yes, hetalked to you about it. If he
gets in, would you be hispresenter? That is the last thing he
wants to talk about. And hisdaughter, Jennifer is his who I've known
who tweet her and I I mean, I know a lot of people do,

(25:21):
but when Jennifer's on social media,we're constant, constantly talking about She
lets other people do it in ahumble way, but boom jumping about how
Clay belongs in the Hall of Fame. She's his biggest no doubt, And
my brother's kind of cringing like Jennifer, I appreciate the effort, but gosh,
so that just sounds like Clay right. But I mean, I agree

(25:42):
one hundred I'm very biased though.He has always been my favorite player,
whether it was as a kid goingand watching his high school games or going
to all the SC games, orwatching the Browns on TV. And who
to funk the fact that you know, I was a huge Cleveland Browns fan,

(26:04):
and then to have the opportunity toplay the Browns twice a year because
the old AFC Central, what atreat and you know, neither team we
had our moments, but by andlarge it was a rough go. And
but playing against your brother, andespecially playing up at the old Cleveland Stady

(26:27):
were the worst visiting locker rooms inthe history. It's just the history and
tradition. Yeah, to the wholepoint in the field Green, it must
have been a trip playing against him. Yeah, I mean for years.
It probably took me the first fiveyears of my career to properly train myself

(26:51):
how to prepare for the game becauseit was Brown's week and I'm like,
all right, this is awesome,and they'd be talking about my brother because
he was the it guy on theirdefense, and so I'd be watching tape
him the whole time. And grantedwe would cross paths not a whole lot
of times, but we did haveour battles. In fact, he beat

(27:17):
me for a sack one time,and he actually after the game said he
felt bad, but I think hewas lying. But you had to give
a dec leader. You would havefelt that either, right. I never
really got that good of a shoton him, right, Yeah, but
an elusive guy with great hands.Yeah, he was awesome in space.
But anyway, preparing for the Brownsgame, for me, it was like,

(27:40):
all right, I know I'm notgoing to get over the fact that
I'm watching my brother, but Igot to go back and take care of
my own business. Yeah, you'rerid of the emotion of it. Right,
he becomes a football player with thejersey, no cheap shot. But
the point is, and you geltthe trash talk and post. He didn't
seem like much of a track infun, but he seems so focused like
you that the job at hand washad to be more important. And then
the memories of playing against each other. But when you're out there, because

(28:04):
this leads directly to and we're gonnaget that at the top of the seven
o'clock hour. This part leads directlyto you and him. What drove you,
guys both, and it's it's fascinatingwhich what drives people? Stuff that
I never knew about you. Soso with that in mind, and with
Clay in the Hall of Fame,Clay son, your son, you,

(28:27):
Clay, your dad. Who's theNFL's first family, there's the you know
who? The next question is isit Archie Peyton Eli? And now with
with Cooper's son playing at at atat Texas, arch I'm curious do people

(28:51):
ask you that often? Who?I mean, you start to think about
it. Now, Clay and hiskid are pretty good. Uh huh,
you and your son are pretty good. And I mean that obviously underwhelming when
I talk about it. But thefact that you have pro bowlers, you
have Hall of famers, you haveone that should be in the Hall of
Fame, you have years of Imean, come bine, all four of

(29:11):
you years of play and your oldman five extra year five years. Who
is the first family? And shamelessplug? I have my book Inside the
NFL's First Family. There you go, that's right available on Amazon dot com.
But is it because they're quarterbacks.They're going to get more credit out

(29:33):
aside from the fact that they're talented. Go ahead and rip on quarterbacks.
I've had it, brother, I'msitting here all here for it. We
were real players. You know,you actually had to practice getting hit.
Well, we didn't. But Ihave nothing but respect for the Manning family.
I mean one of the biggest treatsof my career was my rookie year.

(29:55):
I held out Howard Slusher miss twelvedays of camp, came into camp
and our quarterback invited me out forbeer and pizza. It was Archie Manning,
the right at the end of Archie'scareer, I mean close right,
and I'm like, oh my gosh, Archie Manning is asking me and he
actually paid for my beer and pizza. And so I have great respect for

(30:18):
them. They're great players. Butuh, you know, we got down,
we got dirty, and uh,I think the Matthews family has a
pretty good case to say, we'rey. Yeah, and we may have to
separate the blue collar tough guy,the ones who did all the dirty work,
and then the guys who reap allthe benefits for it. There you
go, both impactful, not juston the field off the field makes for

(30:41):
a hell of a conversation at ashapeless plug of the book. Again,
you can get it on Amazon.There you go forward by did you somebody
write the fore? How we long? There you go, well, well
that's not and how he being atrenches guy, I think we'll make the
argument. I know his respect forthe manning, so probably make the r
for the big fellows up front.And I got no argument here considering I

(31:03):
know one of them that that hadmy ass and Leek Corso knows all about
that. To get to that too. I also with Bruce Matthews that day
in Buffalo, do you do youthink about it? Uh? The comeback?
Yeah it was in Buffalo, right, Yeah it was in buffal I

(31:26):
just want you to hold that thoughtworst day your career on a on a
game day, which I kind ofwant to get worst day of your career
or a regret or something that sticksout on the negative side. We get
all the positive we got to findout and what year was that? Again?
Because we were in the playoffs,I think because we came in I'll

(31:48):
never forget it before I go tobreak in Minnesota, we were in playoffs
two. We went out. Youguys played on a set that was a
Saturday game. We were playing thenext day, so we were going through
our walk through and you know howTV's are on the locker room. We
went out to the walk there itwas like, oh my gosh, my
buddies are moving on. We cameback in craziness. No, I hate
to bring it up, but I'mjust curious. I guess my thought is,

(32:10):
what was it like? Because Iknow that feeling of when you it
starts to go down. You knowthat feeling when momentum builds one way and
then when it goes the other way, that feeling of I've talked to Warren
about this obviously, but that feelingof the sideline, the constant conversation,
what was that like from beginning tothe end of the game. We'll discuss
it next Bruce Matthews here and atthe top of the hour and we'll take

(32:30):
your calls. Billy, we'll getto you. We'll get your question right
out before Bruce talks about that momentand that one day which whatever was it,
the Super Bowl Sunday, which wasthe toughest day of his career,
And at seven o'clock hour, we'lldiscuss you know, certain things drive people,
and you're going to hear Bruce Matthewsand I think you'll probably be as
shocked as I am, and thatthere's something that I never knew when I

(32:52):
played with him about I guess whatgoes on in somebody's head when they're playing
nineteen years in a league and hada day in the league nineteen years.
It's Sports Talk seven ninety. We'lltake your call seven one three, two
one two five seven ninety at CrazyComeback Dave. Bruce will talk about that
next Sean Salisbury Show, Why You'reback. This is the Sean Salisbury Show,

(33:14):
Get back at it. I don'tdevalue offensive line as matter of fact,
I hold him in the highest regardand as a friendship and a longtime
teammate, and uh having him instudios priceless for me, Bruce Matthews.
But when we get him in thefall, he doesn't know it yet,
but we will uh just talking Texansand NFL and line play and get his
uh, you know, unadulterated,unfiltered opinion about line play. It'll be

(33:37):
important and we'll talk Texans in thesecond hour. We got Bruce tell eight
o'clock. But Bruce, I Iuh, I keep this, Billy.
I'm going to get you in justa second. We want to talk about
that day in Buffalo. What thatfeeling was, Billy, welcome in.
You got a question. Billy's alongtime listener and chimes in off in Big
Sports Fan, you got a questionfor Bruce. Welcome in, brother,
How you doing? I do?And good morning? And it is an

(33:59):
on to speak to you, sir, It truly is. I just want
to say that Ernest Gibbons was interferedwith the Buffalo Bills a defensive back except
out of bounds before the interception,and that game still makes me sick to
my stomach. So I won't talkany more about it. But my question
to you is you got to blockfor Oliver Luck, for Archie Manning,

(34:22):
for Warren Moon, all these guys. Was there a quarterback that major job
easier? And was there a quarterbackthat major job harder? And I'll hang
up. Listen once again, it'san honor, and thank you for being
on the show. Appreciate it.Thanks Billy. It was me in college.
Go ahead, Ruce, have atit. Yeah, playing with those

(34:45):
guys, they brought so much tothe table, whether it was all over
luck being like the smartest guy I'veever talked to in my life, or
the thing about Warren was he wasso well prepared, such a great professional.
You knew that come Sunday he wasgoing to be prepared in every way,

(35:07):
always calm to right, Bruce,he seemed like he never saw him
sweat, I guess, is mypoint. Yeah, and then Steve McNair,
I was going to bring him upas one of those guys in that
group. Yeah, his toughness anduh, I hate the word, but
I got to use it. Gritis what stood out to me, because

(35:30):
you knew he was going to bein there battling. And there were many
many weeks during the season, evenearlier in his career, when I overlapped
with him where he didn't practice atall during the week, and you know,
I could get away with that,but as a quarterback, you need

(35:50):
the reps. And so those tworeally stand out to me as I remember
covering games when I was It's amazingI came into the after you played ten
years and you were still playing inthe league when I was talking on television
at ESPN. But I remember comingin and interviewing you, and we talked,
you know, like for college,I mean for a Sunday NFL countdown,

(36:10):
and we brought up Steve McNair.I don't know if you remember this.
I do vividly because I was afan. I thought he was one
of the toughest players I'd ever seenin my life and a great teammate.
And it got down that was thatyear Steve kept winning games two minutes,
you know, in the two minutedrill. And I remember you and I'll
paraphrase it talking about how when therewas two minutes left and you had the
ball and Steve was a quarterback,you knew the chances were you were going

(36:34):
to be in position to win becausehe was so physically and mentally tough.
Lot of what a tragic end islife, but what a great football player.
Yeah, no question. The lastdrive in the Super Bowl, although
although it didn't work out the waywe wanted, I mean, that was
the epitome of what he was allabout as a quarterback. Great teammate.
Absolutely, Yeah, Well you gotto get some good Archie longtimer. I

(36:59):
mean, yeah, I didn't geta lot of time with Archie. He
got traded right four games into myrookie year. But gosh, I remember
growing up in LA and the Ramswould play the Saints twice a year and
he was running for his life becausethe Saints were awful, exactly getting beat
up and still making plays. Butit was I remember him at old mess
and I'm like, oh my gosh, Archie Manning is my teammate. Yeah,

(37:22):
it's crazy, man, it's amazing. And warn n Steve McNair two,
pretty damn good ones, Billy,thanks for the question. I will
movet talk about that day in Buffalo. We'll talk about Bruce Matthews in his
career and what drove him, andwe'll take more of your calls. Our
number two was Bruce Matthews and thefirst family. Is it the Matthews or
is it the Mannings. I thinkI know how my teammate feels, and

(37:43):
I'm always gonna choose my teammate.But yeah, you can't go wrong put
in the Manning second Sportstock seven ninetyhour two. Next here on the Seawn
Salisbury Show seven one three, twoone two five seven ninety again, remember
the Astros will start post All StarGame and their run to try and win
this division and get back to awinning a championship. It starts in Seattle

(38:07):
on Friday, All Star Game tonightBruce Matthews for another hour before he becomes
Grandpa again. Sports Talk seven ninetyJeff wits It. If you're looking for
doctor Jeff wits It, look nofurther seven one three three six five ninety
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(38:30):
him because I wanted some Lasik proceduredone. You want the best Lasik procedures
him tens of thousands of the procedures. He's there. You work out a
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you don't go in wondering, well, is it invasive? I can tell
you it's not. I was noton the table long efficient and recovery was
urgent and quick through. I wasseeing within a week better than I had

(38:51):
in three decades. There's no doubtin my mind he's the best. So
you can go and you know,if you're looking for a certificate that says,
hey, twenty five dollars Lasik procedure, you're gonna get what you pay
for. On the other side ofit, it's your eyes. I would
suggest you treat him right and doit with the very best expert in the
business. And he's local right here. You don't even have to leave the
state to go to him. Myguy, there is no better non invasive

(39:14):
expert. You want it done rightwhen it comes to your eyes, I
would suggest that you go to thebest in the business, Jeff wits It
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dot Com, witsit Vision dot Com. KDB Houston ADHD two Houston iHeart Radio
Station, the exclusive audio home ofNBC's coverage of the twenty twenty four Paris

(39:37):
Olympics. This is Sports Talk sevenninety and the Rockets, your home for
your home teams, driven by theclassic elite Fewick GMC Studios for the elite
car buying experience. Suf right.Okay, let's do this. Sean Salisbury,

(40:06):
The USC Truth, longtime friend,Shawn Salisbury, Ryan Lima, go
Lobos. This is the Sewan SalisburyShow. This team got a chance?
Are they super Bowl talk yet?Are we premature? Well? The quarterback
makes you make them premature because thatcould stepped up huge last year. Now

(40:32):
the expectation and uh, you mean, because he's so good, we may
be a little premature because we expectso much stuff out of him is what
he did last year? Yeah,And like they always say that a stud
offensive player as a rookie, theirmost difficult year will be their second year

(40:52):
because every defensive coordinator in the leaguehas taken the entire offseason to see,
how are we going to game planthis kid? Yeah, right, and
his adjustments are going to He's gonnahave to adjust as fast as they do
because they're going to do it.But gosh, so impressed last year.

(41:12):
It's exciting. Do you believe that? I know how when we played at
SC. I guess maybe this ispart of it and how we were raised,
But at SC, it was physical, physical, physical. Right.
We're in a league that a lotof spread out and that the perception is
teams are finesse, right, Butwhere they come from Dmico and Bobby Slok
the coordinator, they want to bephysical. They want to run the football.
Now go and get Joe Mix andthey've decided to add to being more

(41:36):
physical. Can you win a championshipthese days? You got to have a
good quarterback. We know that there'sa lot of needs. But if you
got the quarterback, which we believewe do here, can you win a
Super Bowl and sustain seventeen games andthrough the playoffs if you're not physical.
I can't remember the last time ateam that. Look at last year,
we thought Kansas City has always hadthe perception with Mahomes as a finesse team,

(41:59):
But in truth, last year,Mahomes, yes, but their defense
carried them. They were physical,as so Chris Jones. They were really
physical, and I think their defensewas was the difference maker in the way
that the you know that Steve Spagnolacalled defense in the Super Bowl. So
I'm just curious, can you winSuper Bowls nowadays not being physical? I
don't think so. I mean,there are some uber talented teams over the

(42:21):
years maybe that you could make thatcase. Obviously Marino fell short, but
I think the Rams team that beatyou was pretty They were had so many
weapons right right, but they stillhad and they ran the ball. But
the thing I like about the Texansis the miko and I had the privilege

(42:44):
of that I coached here in Houstonwith Gary Kubiak, for two years,
and one of them was Demiko's lastyear in the league, I think before
he tore his achilles or something.And I was so impressed with that kid
as a player, and he wason the wrong side, on the opposite
side of the balls. He didn'tspent a ton of time with him,

(43:06):
right. And the way I likenhim too, is like Andre Johnson,
the Hall of Fame receiver. Andrerarely said anything. It's because his work
on the field was speaking so loudthat he didn't have to say anything.
And I think Tomiko is the sameway. Now. I know as a

(43:29):
head coach, obviously he's going tobe more verbal and stuff. But I
saw those two guys and I wasso impressed with Damiko Ryans and Andre Johnson.
I go, those are two badassguys that I would love to have
had as teammates. And another shamelessplug. I was on the coaching staff

(43:51):
of the five year old flag footballteam over in Siena and Tomiko's one of
his sons plays on another team,and I remember I saw him said hello
to him. I go, man, you guys got the bulls on your
back. Now, this was justafter this last season, yes, yeah,

(44:12):
and did he put probably big oldsmile and that's the way he wants
it though, right, yes,absolutely, that's exactly how you Bruce.
Could you tell even like you're coachingoffensive line and he's, you know,
playing on defense, and like atthe end of his career, was it
easy to see away from the footballhis execution as a football player. Was
it easy to see he had thetraits that we're seeing now as a head

(44:32):
coach. I didn't. I can'thonestly say that I saw that in the
time that I spent with him.But in hindsight, I am not surprised
at all that he's had the successthat he's had. As quickly as he
said, if I told you rightnow we are going to hire a head
coach, you and I were wewere only on the team, or you're

(44:53):
the GM ors, you could bethe owner, You're you're better players,
I'll be the GM okay. Andwe said, okay, okay, what
is the number one trait we haveto have with our head coach? Is
it x's and o's or is itleadership or is it something else? What
would you choose from your head coach? I say leadership and respect. So

(45:14):
buy in basically exactly. And I'vehad the privilege to have played for a
few of those guys. I mean, I think of John Robinson, our
coach. We had a sc Jackparty, for example. I respected the
heck out of now his It kindof worked in his against him a little

(45:39):
bit because I think Jack so expectedother people to approach the game the way
he did that it got lost intranslations exactly. And then I loved him.
What a good man. But Ithink that's a lot of the reason
why great players don't coach at times. Sometimes now some do is because they

(46:01):
can't live up to the expectations.You know what I'm saying. It's like,
how can you not want to bethe best? Right? And you
say that, and you're like,what do you mean a guy doesn't want
to be the best. There areguys out there who have the talent and
ability to be light years ahead ofwhere they are as players, but it's

(46:22):
not a priority to them. Butgetting back to coaches, you know,
Jeff Fisher, our teammate, thesame way, and then Mike Munchak,
the Hall of Famer, Oh,you think it's the best football player you've
ever been around? Exactly? Notnamed your brother exactly. Yeah, we'll

(46:42):
get to much. I want todiscuss him, Bruce Matthews, Hall of
Famer, teammate, friend, longtime here in studio. Well before we
do, because I'm not we're goingto get this answer about Buffalo. I
got to know what the feeling wasin a huddling on those sidelines that day.
But before we do, I knowa fan of yours as well,
Bill and Seabrook, and a greatlistener of the show has a question for

(47:05):
you. Bill, welcome in.How you doing You got a question for
Bruce. Absolutely, It's always greatto have two Southern cowboys on the air
when a Notre Dame fan is callingin morning. Uh, Bruce, when
you watch and this Sean, youcan answer the same question when you watch
football today, NFL or college football. Given the type and style of football

(47:29):
y'all played compared to the ways now, do you still enjoy the product that
you see on the field when youflip on a TV you go to a
game. Allowed, I'll turn itdown and listen to you. Thank you.
You have a great guy. Guysappreciate it. Go ahead, Bud.
Definitely. I think there's that elementthat football players of all generations bring

(47:55):
or at least the guys who standout because they are the guys that refuse
to get beat. They're the guysthat will do anything they can to have
success on the field. And youcan think that have to adjust to changing
times and whether it's formations are theway it coach exactly. And it's funny

(48:15):
because you can have guys past protectsixty reps a game and they're the most
physical guy on the field, andyou're like saying, how can that possibly
be? And then you watch teamswho run the ball a lot, and
these guys aren't physical at all.And so those competitive part of the game

(48:38):
I think kind of transcends all erasYeah and Bill. For me, I
can see the force of the treeson the fact that the appreciation I think
when it gets just right down tothe x's and I was an execution of
football players. Now, there arecertain parts of the game, you know,
the way we cut, you know, making guys play on Thursdays.

(48:58):
There are certain parts of the rulesof the game I don't like. I
don't like the overprotection of quarterbacks.That stuff I don't And as a quarterback,
most quarterbacks will tell you the samething that we do it too much
now, Yet every time a quarterbackgets hit his head snaps to the official
like are you gonna call it?Are you gonna call it? So your
milk it as much as you canwithin the rules. But I think in
Bruce, I think what you're alsosaying I agree is that watching players do

(49:19):
great things, regardless of the erais still is still a blast. The
x's and o's and the chess pieceof football which I like the most of
How's this guy attacking third and five? How's he gonna deal with the blitz?
How are they going to handle therun? How I and I?
Bruce, I'm sure you're the sameway I watch it different. I'd love
to just be a fan, butwhen I'm watching USC player, I can't
just be a fan. But whenI'm watching football, I'm like, why

(49:39):
why didn't he check out of that? As opposed to just being a fan
and your team's winning and going heywire, I'd love to be that way,
but it's so hard on me.But Bill, I do appreciate the
x's and o's of ex because tome, if you can't evolve in life
or in sports, you're gonna getleft behind. So I do appreciate the
athletes and the coaches and the chesspiece. I don't like some of the

(50:00):
rules that the periphery of some ofthe stuff bugs me. But just sheer
watching a great C. J.Stroud drop back on third and seven and
make a comeback throw, or aguy make a great block or a great
miss. You can't help but appreciatethe phenomenal. It's still competitive. Like
in basketball. You may not likethat they don't play defense, but when
they do finally decide to play defensive, lock you down late, it's pretty

(50:20):
fun to watch. So I getinto that. All right, man,
we got okay, we're gonna makethis the stake out. Okay, Bruce
is gonna come back and tell usabout that day that no Euler fan wants
to talk about. And I'm intothe psychological side of it of what then,
I've never asked Bruce this question.What was it like on the sidelines
in the huddle as that momentum startedrolling the wrong way to a backup quarterback,

(50:45):
which I'm always fascinated with. Myguy Frank Reich went out there,
had one of the days of hislife. But how that felt. We'll
also talk to Bruce this hour abouthis what drove him? How do you
last nineteen years in the league andnot miss a game? Good injury,
you'd be surprised. Up next,we'll talk that Buffalo Bill's Houston Oiler's day
and we'll take your calls. Roger, you're up next, Right, we

(51:06):
come back for the steakout Sports Talkseven ninety. We want to wait.
Jean Salisbury continues on seven ninety.All right, Sean, what are you
hearing out there now? The Salsbury'stakeout salsburyf takeout on the Sean Salisbury Show.

(51:45):
It is a steakout with the Steakouts. Bruce Matthews and long time nineteen
years, didn't miss a game dueto injury. Got a fun Lee Corso
story we'll get before he leaves today. He'd stay here for all four hours,
but we've got grandpa duties today,which is a great thing, being
able to be with eight grandkids andtwo more on the way. Yeah,
there you go, nineteen years ofMatthews family, first family of the National

(52:06):
football or you're just football period.Amazon there, Yeah, yeah, you
can get that book by Bruce onAmazon dot com. Still there and every
every copy counts, trust me.My wife didn't buy all of them.
There you go. And Bruce isin the studio today till eight o'clock,
and it's great to have him insharing fun stories. And we got a

(52:28):
couple more to get to in thisnext forty five minutes we got with him.
But Roger, I know you havesomething for Bruce. And Roger's a
big listener of the show too.And you get a chance to talk to
Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, oneof my dearest friends and longtime teammate,
Roger, have at it, brother, what's up? Good morning, gentlemen.
A pleasure to talk to you,mister Matthews. Been a long time.
So I'm looking at the dictionary,dictionary and then the term longevities worst

(52:52):
longevity come up. It's two names, man, It's it's you, and
it's you and Count Ripken, andI will put you first for this football
so, man, we're just anhonor to even share a phone call with
you. Bro. Uh uh.So I just had a question about the
you know, the uh the Adamsfamily. Uh. I just wanted to

(53:15):
ask, is if are they bitterin person as they are seem like out
in the public or in regards tothe Houston uh, the Houston Orders franchise,
and uh, I just think thatit's a shame that we can't carry
that back to over here and uhwhere it's rightly for supposed to be.
And it's just pleasure to to talkto you, man. Uh you're you're,

(53:39):
you're, you're right there on theiconic mountain of uh just supports legends
around here. Just we haven't heardthat. Well, I'm pretty sure you've
heard that. I just want togo ahead and say it again because you
guys, you ray Ah munch All, all that, all that whole is

(54:01):
uh, Jefferies Hope, but RichardJmitz and all of you guys just remember
the the way up laid y'all leftit on the field every second and you
guys were just yeah, yeah,yeah, the House of Pain for a
reason, man, you guys iconic. Man. I just well, thank

(54:22):
you, appreciate it. Thank you. With any thoughts on the Adams family,
Yeah, and we're not talking aboutthe movie. I mean, I
had kind of a unique relationship withmister Adams, but I went in a
couple of times and tried to reworkmy contract to no avail. I was

(54:45):
I said that was a chore,yes, among all the trinkets in the
in the office. Yeah, buthe was an interesting man and I always
felt like, hey, what's theworst thing he can do? He could
cut me, I guess, butI wasn't worried about it. So I
kind of spoke my mind with him. I showed him respect and he respected

(55:09):
me. And I'll never forget whenI was coaching with the Titans on Mike
Munchak's staff, mister Adams came intothe locker room after we won to beat
the Steelers on Monday Night Football,and uh, I turned to mister,
Hey, mister Adams new contracts rightfor the staff, right, and all

(55:31):
the games came joking and having funin the celebration. Right. Yeah.
The guys were like, oh mygosh, how could you say that to
him? Miss me and miss mydog. But uh, Now, I
from what I understand, I don'tknow Amy Adams at well, but I've
heard she has done a lot ofgreat things in terms of bringing players back

(55:54):
when they do the Oilers reunion.But even that, you know, having
a reunion in Nashville, it's justthat's not a real reunion. Yes,
it doesn't seem right, right,But I'm thankful for the effort that she
tries, and you know, itwas a good time. There were a

(56:17):
lot of things that could have beendone better, but I really I'm over
all my bitterness to mister Adams keepingmoney from it. Yeah, Bruce Matthews,
Hall of favorite joins this year tobe here. Tell eight o'clock that
it's great to have him in.A long time friend and teammate forty plus
years for him and I have notteammates, but we are teammates a good

(56:38):
long time in an sc which wasgreat memories. I think both of us
put John Robinson, our head coach, at the top of the list of
guys and big reason why we wentto school there. Now, I'm in
to play against the best, allright, Bruce, take me to that
early nineteen ninety two game. I'mmore on the psychological side. I don't
want to re have to relive whatpeople don't want to relive, but unfortunately
we do. And they've seen ita few times before. And was it

(57:00):
the catching Mike renfro and the endzone in another season? Right? Is
bigly? What was the feeling likeon the sideline in the huddle when it
started to shift in that moment inwhich you hope if you're Buffalo, I
know what that feeling was like.What was it like and what was said?
How did it feel going through that? My takeaways from that game are

(57:22):
a and this is the biggest one. They show that game NonStop, come
playoff time. Yep, and everyyear I think we're gonna win it still
still to the stake. Same withthe Super Bowl, right, B Is
that Big Mo is real in game? Big Mo? Right? Yes?

(57:43):
Yeah. Momentum swung heavily in theirfavor. But it was interesting because we
had beaten them either a week ortwo before them and pretty much throttled him,
and you know, Thurman Thomas wasout, Kelly was out, and

(58:04):
the first half that we played itwas like we've had some good halves as
but yes, and then the openingseries of the second half, we kick
off, Bubba McDowell picks off apass for pick six. So it is
uh, what was that thirty whatever? It was? Yeah, two,

(58:30):
and it was like, okay,we just got to take care of business,
hold the ball. Yes, Sothey score, they kick an onside,
they score again. I think wego out and they we throw a
pick or something, and it waslike, I'll never forget David Williams,

(58:50):
David Babygate Williams. I looked athim on the bench and it was like
one of those looks like is thisreally what we're going through right now?
But it it was like, Okay, it's got to stop at some point.
Yeah, it can't continue like this, Frank RAI can't stay this hot.
They can't make every play, Yeah, and unfortunately they did. But

(59:15):
the craziest part of it was theyscored to go ahead by three. We
get the ball back and we havethis amazing drive to go and kick a
field goal to tie the game andsend it to overtime. So I think
I was one of the captains atthe time. We go out for the
flip. I never call it,and we win the flip, and I'm

(59:39):
thinking, Okay, we've weathered thestorm. We get a couple first downs,
as I recall, and then wethrew the pick and it was over
right, And it was just like, did that just happen? Worst day
of your career? Or was theSuper Bowl loss? You do you remember
a worst day? Or maybe itwas just some random game. Is there

(01:00:00):
a time where you like the regretand maybe mix in what your biggest regret
of your career is. My hardestday ever was we played the Cowboys in
the Dome in eighty four and theygot twelve sacks on us. Oh and
film the next day wasn't fun.You were embarrassing for you, right we

(01:00:21):
We couldn't protect the A gap.Guys are running through the A gap unblocked.
Too tall is bringing it on theedge. I was playing right tackle
at the time, and I rememberdoubting myself as a player. It's like,
I suck. They're gonna find out. And you know, didn't sleep
that night. So that way doyou think super Bowl ad that? Because

(01:00:44):
offensive line, that pride of protectingyour guy right right, twelve sacks is
on It is usually unheard, itit is and with a get with And
that group you guys had was prettyfriggin good. We were we were young,
but it's talented, yes, Andthen I imagine when you well,
you didn't go to bed because Iknow, staring at the ceiling, I
know you and if I have anidea, miserable right to walk in that

(01:01:05):
film room the next day had tobe a horrible, horrible to watch.
That had to be even more miserablebecause it's never as good as you think,
and to me it's always it alwaysfeels even when you play good,
you're like nitpicking at your stuff exactly. So that had to be a tough
day play, right, That eatsat you. It's like, man,
I had a great game except forthat one play. Your biggest regret as
an NFL player not being an MVP. Probably No, I really don't have

(01:01:36):
any regrets none. I bummers whenyou lose, but regrets in your own
life. You're prepared hard, nothing, There's nothing you said that you could
have done different. It was Imean, had someone told me when I
was a kid that I would aplay in the NFL and b play nineteen
years and you know, be regardedas a really good player, one of

(01:01:59):
the best of all time. Inever would have thought that was possible.
And it was such a blessing andlike, man, I can't believe this.
And then you get to play nextto your best friend Munch for all
those years, who's one of thebest of all time, and obviously Hall
of Fame presented that whole thing.So with that, you go back that
twelve SAC game. We come back, We'll get Andy got a comment for

(01:02:22):
you when we come back, andalso we're going to discuss over You said
it was a second year in theleague in nineteen eighty four for you and
the Cowboys too tall, was prettygood at six' nine, dominating,
and you said you sucked. Yousay, am I good enough to play
in this league? Well, nineteenyears later and in your nineteenth year did

(01:02:43):
that question still exist? We willdiscuss Bruce Matthews and his career and what
drove him next Sports Talk seven ninetyI had were there, but the Sean
Salisbury Show continued. Good to haveyou two for four hours. I'll just
turn the mic. I'll turn mymike to let you two go at it
and we'll have a blast. Butwith you and him and Dean Steinkler are

(01:03:04):
some pretty good offensive lines. Andpeople here in Houston all about that.
It's very rare as somebody spends nineteenyears nowadays, it's unheard of, but
rare that somebody spends nineteen years,doesn't miss a game due to injury,
and spends it with what's supposed tobe the same franchise all nineteen years.
Incredible. Bruce Matthews in the studiofor another thirty minutes. Andy, let's
get to you and then we're goingto talk to Bruce about what drove him.

(01:03:28):
Was it success or fear? Interestingstuff? Andy, you got something
for Bruce Matthews. Welcome in,brother. So just for the audience,
I want them to understand who BruceMatthews is. He's not the best tackle,
the best guard, or the bestcenter to ever play, but he's

(01:03:49):
the best off this alignment to everplay the game. Because this man was
all pro if I'm not mistaken,in the NFL from an Alama, and
one of the best long snappers onthe planet too, so he could do
that. Yeah, I forgot aboutthat, but y I tell you it

(01:04:11):
was a privileged watch you play,and I watched all nineteen years. I'm
gonna native youw Stonian. I'm anold guy now. It was a privilege
to watch you play. And Igot one question, how did you play
all the times? Could you easilyset out and not played because because of

(01:04:34):
an injury or or being nicked?Well? Any great stuff? Thank you
go ahead, brother, Yeah,thank you for the kind words. The
biggest thing I would say is,for the most part, I usually felt
really good in terms of physical andhealth and stuff, even at practice.

(01:05:01):
Hated missing practice, even training camppractices, even though I will say at
the end of my career, Ididn't start taking some off. Got to
the point where Bruce's and sweats today. I like it. You deserved it,
you earned it. It's a lotof football, but God blessed myself
and my brother Clay with bodies thatthe only way I can describe it is

(01:05:27):
they could take the pounding and justbounce back. And like I said,
I felt good for the most part. And then when I didn't like I
got rolled up a couple times atCincinnati and at Pittsburgh one time, and
I was a little concerned about thenext week, but I was like,

(01:05:48):
I'm not gonna miss this game ifI can possibly help it. And sure
enough, Friday would roll around andI would. My intention was I'm gonna
play regardless, but I don't wantto hurt the team. And if I
felt like I would hurt the team, then I wasn't gonna put myself before

(01:06:11):
the team. So uh but Fridayrolls around and I feel pretty good,
and I'm like, I'm going forit. Was there a game you should
have missed? Dodo injury that youjust you fooled the staff to that.
I mean, not dud, youwere gonna hurt the team. But I
know you, dude, a eightypercent, you felt you were better than
a guy one hundred percent. Sowas there a game at seventy five percent?
You played and could have taken itoff and probably should have, but
didn't just because of mental toughness.We played at Seattle in ninety seven after

(01:06:35):
we played the Steelers up at threeRiver and these are the old nasty AstroTurf
in fields in the Kingdom, threeRivers River Front all those days. Seconds
right, yeah, they smelled bed. But anyway, Uh, Jeff Fisher
calls me in his office and here'sa guy who I was teammates with a

(01:06:57):
USC he's my head coach for twoyears. And he goes He said,
Bruce, I know you want toplay, but it isn't and we don't
need you for this game. Wewant you for down the stretch. I'm
like, Jeff, if I feellike I can't do what I'm supposed to
do, then I won't play.And I kind of probably was lying.

(01:07:21):
Right, of course I'm gonna I'mgonna play, but it mattered to you
to miss. I mean it's abadge honor too, because it shows that
your care for your teammates and weren'twilling to take time off. Yeah,
my dad, we had very basicrules in my family. It was like,
if you're gonna play, you're notgonna quit, okay, if you're

(01:07:41):
If you're gonna play, you're gonnago full speed. And if I see
you jacking around on the field,I personally will come down on the field
and snatch you by the back ofyour neck out of the game. And
I feared my dad more than anycoach I've ever had. But I respected
the crowd out of the too.So I definitely felt that there was a

(01:08:03):
duty and a responsibility to the oilersand my teammates, and I didn't want
somebody getting comfortable in my spot whileI wasn't in there. I was scared
to death, you know that,So which leads me. And by the
way, Andy, when you combinecenter guard, tackle very few people and

(01:08:25):
you hit it. When you combinethose three could play at a top level
in a Pro Bowl caliber level atall three of those for nineteen years.
Yeah, you can make the argumentthat we've never had a more versatile dominant
player all three combined in the league. And I can make that argument and
we'll get to a funally Courso storyat the last segment. But in those
next couple minutes you mentioned fear.You didn't want somebody in your spot,

(01:08:48):
getting too comfortable, all those things. And I never knew this when we
played, because you just seemed likea guy. You just went out and
did your job. But you reallywere scared to death about getting cut from
day one all the way till yearnineteen. Why I and fear drove you
and you said Clay was the sameway correct. We would have that conversation.

(01:09:09):
It wasn't the good plays, butit was the fear of getting beat,
that I was going to give upa sack or miss my block and
the guy tackles him for a lossor whatever. And the fact that me
not being in there played into thatas well. It was like, I

(01:09:29):
don't want them to find somebody whocan replace me. But yeah, I
was more fearful of having a badplay than I was of having a great
block or something. And I'll neverforget I never gave it a second thought,
but there was always this anxiety andthis tension within myself that when I

(01:09:53):
walked into the facility that it's like, all right, it's on. You
got to do everything you can tomaintain this. And then yeah, I
shared that story with you. I'llnever forget my nineteenth year. I'm going
out for practice and training. Canyou or you should be on company?
I mean, you're at the stageeven if you're done, you're done.

(01:10:15):
I mean, yeah, nineteen yearsinto the league. Most guys have been
on their couch for about twelve ofthem already. But I, uh,
yeah, I'd made thirteen straight ProBowls and all that type stuff. And
I don't know if someone asked meor what. First off, they go,
why do you drink coffee before practice? I go, I drink coffee

(01:10:39):
if I'm watching film in the filmroom, I drink coffee. If I'm
working out in the weight room.I drink coffee before games. Because they're
all like, don't you take likea protein shaker? Right? I go,
nah, I'm double cheeseburger coffee.Yeah. But and somehow it came
up and I go, I'm justscared to death. They're going to find

(01:11:03):
out I suck and they're gonna kickme to the curb. And this is
not hyperbole. This is the wayyou felt. Yes, and you're in
the middle of it, even likein year twelve when you're in your prime
playing great football every single day.Like, if a coach said, Bruce,
come see me in the office,would you have been scared to death
if he didn't know why? Noquestion, So you went to practice it
when we were at sc which Ididn't see as an all America. I

(01:11:26):
didn't see it at all. Anxietyfilled every single day of your career.
Yeah, because you were afraid thatone play was going to get you cut.
Yes, and that drove you andClay operated the same way. We
had the same conversation and we expressedthe same concern. It was like,
you know, I burned so muchenergy and it's kind of unnecessary. But

(01:11:48):
it's the fear angle, the anxietyangle that man, they're going to find
out today. Say when I heardthat first, when you first told me
that the couple months ago, I'mlike, after all these years, I'm
like, well, damn if hecan have anxiety, the rest of us
get Yeah, nineteen years in thirteenstraight. Probol isn't afraid to death.

(01:12:11):
More people either should not feel thatway or should feel it. I'm not
sure which way it is, butgood gracious, and I guarantee people are
driving right now saying I feel hispain because but you know, certain fear
of failure, fear of success.It goes both ways. But your fear
to make one bad play thinking acoach was calling you and you were done
right had to be tough carrying aroundthat burden brother for nineteen years. I

(01:12:32):
guess what I was going to say, too many blows to the head about
nineteen years about the fear of comingin field every day. Oh, I
know that I would. I hadthis picture, this scenario in my mind
that I would see teammates and I'mlike, look at him, it doesn't
even bother him that he gave upa sack on that play. And I'm

(01:12:55):
like, I wish I could belike him. And yet he's trying to
make the team and hang on theteam, and you're thirteen straight years in
appropriate, headed to the Hall ofFame. And I would honestly say,
I think he was feeling the anxiety. Oh yeah, but I thought,
just like the hot chicken high school, Oh my gosh, she must have
so many dates. No, she'ssitting home every night because the guys are

(01:13:18):
too scared to ask her. Right, Right, So you did know after
nineteen years years going to the Hallof Fame? Right? Did you not
know? Nineteen years into your careerwere you still wondering if you were a
Hall of Famer? I thought therewas a chance that you would make it,
or wouldn't that I would make it? Just a chance? Huh?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, itwas hard for me. I don't know

(01:13:43):
if it's false humility or pride orwhatever, but yeah, I contended with
that my entire my whole life,never missed a game due to injury and
played nineteen years. It worked foryou, brother, Wow, and we're
at a still kicking, and yougot a son who's doing the same thing.
And uh, you know, weall want more success for our kids

(01:14:03):
than we do for us. Sohopefully he'll get twenty years to hold that
over you. Alay forever be happy. That's exactly right. Uh. We'll
finish up with Bruce Matthews Neck.I'd love to keep him here for four
hours, but he's got grandpa dutiestoday the Great Lee Corso College Game Day.
Me and Bruce are teammates, andI hold the distinction of I don't

(01:14:26):
think he's ever been kicked out ofa game in the NFL, and he
never missed one due to injury.But a usc that red ass showed.
We'll discuss that next and the kindof a tribute to the great Lee Corso
as well, we can tie thatin. It's Sports Talk seven ninety.
Wrap it up with Bruce Matthews aswe get halfway through the show. Next
on Sports Talk seven ninety, thisis the Sean Salisbury Show. sALS beutiful

(01:14:53):
and and played them all at scLee Corso people, we see Lee as
you know the legend on college gameDay, which he's been finaw he is
college game Day along with our guyKirk kurb Street. But a long time
ago, Lee Corso was a coachand we were at the coliseum and I'll
just set it up and you runfrom there, and uh, you know,

(01:15:15):
you played nasty on the field,but we're always composed and we were
well coached in John Robinson. ButLee Corso's the coach of Indiana. Do
you remember that day we played thembecause we had back to backers the year
before Marcus and ran forty times forlike two hundred nineteen yards in Bloomington.
So Corso's on the sidelines and we'replaying them at the coliseum, and this

(01:15:36):
is the only time you've missed actionin a game because of it. Correct,
So tell me what happened because Iremember it well. All right,
I'll go back even further talking aboutmy boys and how I crossed paths with
Lee Corso. But anyway, Iremember we were going towards the Paris style

(01:15:58):
land where you come out of thetunnel and you scrambled around to the left
sideline me in the days when Icouldn't run. Yes, yes, okay,
you were high step and with yoursweet toe. But anyway, their
safety slacks you. I mean,he made a great hit. And back

(01:16:18):
in the day, this was eightytwo, my senior year, and they
still had the running track for theLA College between the sidelines and the stands.
Yes, right, and but thiskid stands over you, and it's
just I don't know what he said, Hey you mother, after ye after
hitting me a little bit, laidout of bounds, yes, right,

(01:16:40):
and he crushed me. My headhit the ground first, Yes he did.
He ain't liad, But I hadhustled over and I see this and
I'm just seeing rattle all of asudden, and I go and I drill
this kid and you go from orhe goes from the sideline to onto the

(01:17:01):
track taunting, and you knocked him. He had to be about a six
foot eight foot fly. But anyway, Uh, the ref got up in
my face and he goes sixty six. That was my number. At asked,
see, you're out of the game, and I'm just losing it.
And so this is on the Indianasideline sideline and Coach Corso is the coach

(01:17:27):
of the Indiana team, and I'mrunning through their bench and I'm just like,
I'm almost in tears. I'm soemotional, and uh, Coach Corso
gets in my face, Hey,sixty six, You're too good of a
player to do that. And allI did, all I remember was going,
f you want a big cusser onthe field, right, And so

(01:17:54):
right in his face, I'm seeingred. I'm running back to the sideline.
I'm kicked out of the game.I'm embarrassed, and I tell Lee
Corso to off. And so fastforward about twenty twenty five years. We're
watching college game day. We're hugefans. Coach Courso's doing his thing I'm

(01:18:18):
not thinking giving a second thought toit. Now. This is my second
wave of boys were coming through Jakeand Mike, right, So they were
we'd always watch on Saturday morning collegegame day and watch get in our requisite
ten to twelve hours of football.Oh yeah, hell yeah. But I'm

(01:18:40):
sitting there and I'm like, ohmy gosh, I have never told my
kids this story. And I turnto him and I go, guys,
here, let's pause the TV fora second because Courso's making his picks or
something, right, And I go, this wasn't your dad's fine est morning
moment. And I go on toexplain that I had told him to f

(01:19:01):
off, and they thought it wasthe greatest Oh yeah story because he's the
most popular guy on DV. Popsis cussing him out as a coach.
Yeah, And I was. Iwas so scared to tell them about that,
but it became like my uh redbadge of DS's legendary. Yeah,
and see you said it was yourfinest moment as your quarterback, you coming

(01:19:25):
to my rescue and not missing agame in the NFL for nineteen years of
getting kicked out of a game yoursenior year before you're gonna be a first
round pick. I think it wasyour finest moment because I said, he's
got my back no matter what.And while that guy unloaded on me and
hit me hard, and I wasfortunate I didn't get hurt. Able to
pop up my finest moment that game. Although we kicked their asses, we
did every time we played them.Was watching that kid fly and realized that

(01:19:47):
you got kicked out protecting me.So to me, you've had nineteen years
of five moments. That was aHall of Fame moment for me, and
I'm forever grateful, and your kidsprobably loved that. Yeah, my dad
cussed Corso out on the sideline,that's right. And we got the best
of them twice, and that wasa phenomenal moment, dude. I remember
it as vivid as I as ithappened yesterday, as vivid ha happened yesterday.

(01:20:10):
It was I could hear Bruce Matthewscuss it was a good thing.
It didn't happen very often. Itwas ironic too, that later a scout
came up to me and said,hey man, you made yourself a lot
of money in the Indiana game.And I'm saying, what do you mean
I got kicked out on that's anembarrassment or a black cloud, right,

(01:20:30):
yeah, black cloud on my career. Nah, standing up for your quarterback,
I'm like, really so so soany signing bonus I can get from
the kind of gets something. Iwas the quarterback. I used to it
up for anything today what I usedto be. That's right? And you
know what, because you know howthis is and you coached him. Those
coaches love nasty. Oh yeah,and that was the sign of nasty.

(01:20:54):
I mean, you had it,but they got to see it for god
in the world to see real quick. Did you pop say anything? What
do you say after the game?Do you remember? He go? It
was something to the effect you aren'tvery tired, are you, because it
was one of the It's like Ithink it's a middle of second quarter.
Yeah, yeah, I'm right,thanks dad. Yeah, I can't even

(01:21:15):
look at him in the eye.Sorry, Thank goodness. We whooped him
and it didn't make a difference.But yeah, and it leads to your
anxiety. Somebody's playing in place tobe right. Yeah, unbelievable. How
that that The chain keeps rolling,Bruce, phenomenal stuff, brother, I
love you man, It's great.To have you in and you're doing some
phenomenal stuff. Come back in becausei'd like to. I know, we
get into the stories. You're justsome really good stuff to make a difference

(01:21:39):
as well. Can you come inin another month or so or during training
camp and let's share some stories youmight on a day when you don't have
grandpa duties. I'd love to keepyou in for four hours. My co
host would love to have you inhere and we'd love to share stories.
Plus, I want you to sharewhat you're doing that also shaped your life,
that you that in your personal side. Yeah, and we'll get into
that and make that a big partof the show. Appreciate you, brother,

(01:22:00):
I love you. That's Bruce Matthews. We'll come back eight o'clock hour
next A great thanks to Bruce Matthews'sgot questions about while he's gone. Now
we can talk about him and andyou guys call in seven one, three,
two, one two five seven ninetyThe lines formed outside Bruce will go
sign autographed Sports Talk seven ninety