February 12, 2022 • 26 mins
Jackie Slater played 20 years as a stalwart on the Los Angeles Rams offensive line, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2001, he joins us on today’s podcast. Jackie, reminisces about sitting next to Big Ben in the Press Box at SoFi Stadium during the 49ers/Rams NFC Title Game. Talks about the many changes to the NFL over the years, reveals his secret to longevity in the smash mouth sport, shares his experience playing against the Steel Curtain defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 14. Jackie is old school, he doesn’t do social media, but if you live in Los Angeles you can catch his football commentary on FOX-11 with his former QB Vince Ferragamo talking Rams football. Follow Danny G Radio on Twitter @DannyGradio, Follow Big Ben on Twitter @BenMaller, and listen to the original "Ben Maller Show," Monday-Friday on 400+ terrestrial Fox Sports Radio affiliates, 2a-6a ET, 11p-3a PT!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ka Boom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes
a week was enough, I think again. He's the last
remnants of the old republic a sole fashion of fairness.
He treats crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as
the rich pill poppers in the penthouse the clearing House
of Hot takes break free for something special. The Fifth
(00:23):
Hour with Ben Maller starts right now in the air
everywhere as we are back at it on a Saturday
edition of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller and Danny
g Radio. Because four hours a night clearly not enough
(00:43):
eight days a week. We hope you enjoyed the programming
change on Friday. Thanks to our friends over at DraftKings,
we provided you with all of the amazing prop bets
around Super Bowl fifty six. It is a yearly tradition
that I've done on terrestrial radio and here on the podcast,
(01:04):
and we're very lucky that Draft Kings wanted to be
a part of that, and we would have done it anyway,
but they were like, hey, we want to associate the
Draft Kings sports book with the podcast, so that was great.
We had a wonderful time and so normally if you
know the way this works, and you listen a lot,
there's not a lot of drama unless there is, because
(01:28):
normally we have a cadence to the Fifth Hour podcast Friday,
a chance to talk to somebody in the radio business
or sports. It doesn't just have to be sports. We've
had political pundits, We've had professional chefs on the podcast.
I'm willing to expand my horizons on the Fifth Hour,
(01:53):
but lately we've been sticking to sports. And it's the
football postseason where a day before Super Bowl Sunday, and
so we we did the prop bet thing on Friday,
and so we were reversing what we normally do. And
that means on this the Saturday podcast edition of The
Fifth Hour, we have a Hall of Famer, not me.
(02:18):
I'm not a Hall of Famer. No no, no, no no.
But if you've been listening to the Overnight show, you
know that I had a little childhood crushed as a
through the eyes of a child, I thought I was
going to play in the NFL, and I thought someday
I could play on the offensive line for the l
A Rams. I've told the story many times. My mom,
(02:41):
as she rest in peace, a great mom, she would
drop me off every once in a while at RAM
training camp as a fat, chubby kid, and I would
run around the campus of UC Irvine and the Rams
had to a day practices and I pretty much had
the run of the place because in those days, training
camp was just training camp. It was actually about football.
(03:03):
It was like one security guard and he was sitting
on one of those metal folding chairs, and that was
kind of it. I mean, they did have a roped
off area, but it wasn't anything like it's been in
the last ten fifteen years. If you have been able
to attend an NFL training camp or even seeing video
(03:23):
of it, you know it's it's a whole circus. It's
like going to Disneyland at NFL training camp. But it
was much different back then. And I gravitated towards the
offensive line and Jackie Slater, who we're gonna have on
here in a couple of minutes, a very nice uh.
It was someone I looked up to. It was a
great player for the Rams back in the day. In fact,
(03:45):
the reputation of Jackie Slater insane. I mean this, guys,
you talked about having a pro football career as an
offensive line and you can't do it better than Jackie Slater.
I know I'm sucking up here, but man, oh man,
this guy was drafted by the Rams in nine teen
seventies six, and he didn't even play that much his
first couple of years. And then once he started playing,
(04:06):
he was the primary, you know, a guy on the
offensive line, was the anchor of the offensive line in
nineteen seventy nine, all the way through the Rams returned
to St. Louis. He was still with the team when
they went back and became the St. Louis Rams. But
he had all kinds of accolag You don't end up
(04:27):
in the Hall of Fame by being a chump. Twenty
four different quarterbacks, twenty four different quarterbacks played behind Jackie Slater,
thirty seven different running backs, and he was a great lineman.
It's the old chicken and the egg thing. Where is
it the the great offensive lineman that makes the great
(04:48):
running back? Or is it the great running back that
makes the great offensive lineman? What came first? But all
I know is Jackie Slater played in college with the
great Walter Payton at Jackson State. That's been a story
that's been bounced around quite a bit over the years.
You talk about Jackie Slater, but in the NFL some
big names had seven different thousand yard running backs behind
(05:10):
Jackie Slater, including Lawrence McCutcheon, Wendell Tyler, Eric Dickerson, for me,
the gold standard, Eric Dickerson, Charles White, Greg Bell, the
great Cleveland Gary a great name, okay player, and Jerome Bettis.
He broke in with the l A. Rams before he
became the man with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he he
(05:32):
did it all back in the day and we are
lucky enough to have on now the man, the myth,
the legend who just kept going and going and going
and going. As he's number seventy eight, well he was
number seventy eight in your RAMS program, but he was
number one in your heart. No longer an active number
(05:52):
because that number has been retired by the Ramsey's in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was the class
of and more importantly for my purpose is Jackie. Uh.
We we hung out together and I again it's another
story I've told on the radio show, but we were
in the press box together at the NFC Championship game. Uh.
(06:13):
You on one side, me on the other, were like bookends.
In the press box there side by side and in
the Rams come back against the forty niners. I I
don't know if I bothered you too much. That was
I too annoying, Jackie, Please help me out on that.
I hope I wasn't too annoying for you. No, not
at all. But we have a good time. I mean
we sat there and you know, we looked at the
(06:36):
game and it was a good game. And I could
tell you were a fan. Even though I know you're
a reporter and you're covering the game. You were really
into the game, kind of like me. Perfect strangers. We
didn't hit it off, okay, as we watched the game. Yeah, no,
it was. It was good. Listen. I had a great time.
And I don't know if I told you I had
talked to you in the past, But when I was
(06:56):
a kid, Jackie and I used to growing up, my
mom would drop me off every once in a a while
at Rams training camp when you were playing for the Rams,
and I was a little chubby kid, and I would
always go kind of hang around the offensive lineman and
uh and I. You were very kind. I mean you
didn't say much, and I mean you guys were all
kind of doing your thing. You were focused on your job.
(07:18):
But you were very nice to me, and I do
appreciate that, Jackie. Is when I was a little kid,
through the eyes of a child, Uh was about that?
How about that? And I think you see if I
had doesn't mean to you and and said get away
from me, kid, can't you see them hot and bothered?
Then you would have remembered that. Also, you would have
been thinking all your life that guy number seventy eight
for the Rams, it's not a nice person. You know,
(07:41):
you would have been thinking that way. So I've always
I always try to handle people the way I want
to be treated and the way I would want them
to treat my kids and my family. And and it's
paid off. I I enjoyed people coming up and and
sharing with me. Hey, Jackie, I met you here, I
met you there, you came to speak to us here,
he came. You know, I enjawed that because you know,
it just tells me. It's it's affirmation for me that
(08:03):
I was trying to treat people the right way, and
that's the way I want to be treated myself. Yeah,
you were great, and it was a lot different back then.
I mean I went to training camp. You know, recently
we'll get to the Super Bowl and all that. But
I went to training camp, you know, somewhat recently. It's
all corporate now. Back in those days, it was very
laid back in training camp. But I look at it
(08:24):
now and I compare it to them. It's a it's
an amazing transformation. Jackie. You know, you guys, you had
it much different back in those days. Uh it was.
I was, You know that, there's no comparison. I was.
I was at the Pro Bowl just this past week.
My son played in the Pro Bowl, and I sat
there in amazement watching the game. You know, it used
(08:46):
to be uh Crosby, I think his name is, the
defensive lineman from from the Raiders. Actually wanted the defensive
m v P of the game. And and it didn't
deprive me because when I went to he put for
a pretty good effort, ran hard to the quarterback, got
the sacks, and made some big plays where they were
calling his name. And I said earlier in the ball game,
his effort long, if he keeps it up, he's gonna
(09:08):
be the m v P of the game. I called
it on the first play because most of the people
there are just going through the motions. And I remember
going to I played in seven Pro Bowls, and I
left one of those Pro Bowls with a crack in
my wrist and I had to wear a prosthesis on
my wrist for the rest of my career. And I
really the reason why is because the defensive linemen were
(09:30):
the ones that were running past the offensive lineman. They're
getting the sacks, and then they would get the m
v P Award, which was the nice brand new truck.
And so it was nowhere near as competitive for these guys.
The other night when I was at that game as
it was for us. I mean I had, I mean
think about you got more guests, so you got how
we long? You got? You got all these you got
(09:50):
ready white, all of these guys over there realizing, Hey,
if I get two and a half sacks, maybe three,
they're gonna give me a brand new truck. So you
know you had for if you were well. Yeah, and
and being at the Proo. I watched a few seconds
of it on Telligence, but it seems like it's it's
turned into two hand touch Jackie. Right. It was, it
(10:11):
was a lot of it, did It really wasn't two
hand touch. And you know, this has been going on
for a while, and I guess it's I guess it's understandable.
You know, I don't know what they're gonna do. I
noticed they took the kicking game completely out of the game.
There's no kick covers, no punk coverage. You know, they've
taken that completely away. And and and I suppose I
(10:32):
can understand it. I mean, just think about this. I
don't know how many years ago it was that Jerry
Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys, but he paid somewhere in
the neighborhood of a hundred d hunting forty million dollars
something like that is what he paid for. The Rams
right now have three guys on their roster with contracts
(10:56):
of just a little bit under that. And it's all
over the National Football League. So I suppose that if
I were a player and I was participating in this
economic environment, I would want, in other in other words,
for men to go and risk my risk, my livelihood
at a game, at an All Star Game, I suppose
(11:17):
I would want the rules changed so that I wouldn't
jeopardize my future as well. Well. Yeah, and and Jackie,
as you said back, when you were playing, you guys
made a more reasonable You made a lot of money,
but in comparison, but not like today. You needed those
guys needed the truck, right, Jackie, you had to wak
the n V p Okay, Okay, first of all, let
me clear something that you made a statement that's incorrect.
(11:39):
You said back in the day. You know, I know
you guys made a lot of money, and then you
went on to compare it to what the guys are
doing today. Let me clear you up so you have
perfect understanding. There was no way you compare what the
guys made during my day with what the guys made
h during this particular time. And you know what, I
(11:59):
don't begrudge them. I'm so happy for them. When you know,
the two guys that I think about is back kri
the left tackle with the Green Bay Packers, and Trent Williams,
the left tackle with the San Francisco Fortis. Both of
those men or hundred million dollars players their team says,
the blind side of these quarterbacks are so important that
(12:20):
we're gonna treat you like that. You know, years ago,
when I was playing, you go into some of these
offices and they would tell us. You know, don't come
in here ask them for a contract or a raise.
But we can get any overweight taxicab driving to do
your job. So things have certainly changed over the years.
So they told you, you you know, you you end up
in the Hall of Fame, Jackie. And they were like, right,
(12:42):
we that sounds like I work in radio, jack I've
had program directors that said we can get anybody at
the train station to work in radio and talk. You
know that. So they treated you like that back when
you were playing early on. Absolutely absolutely it was a
part of the as a part of the uh you know,
it's a partner of the fabric of the of an existence.
(13:03):
You know. They they that this whole idea of the
blindside and throwing the ball is by me, you know,
to throw the ball a lot more than what we did. Strategically,
I thought our guys had to our coaches had to
be on top of the game because now they gotta
call the defensive, they gotta call you know, you gotta
you gotta strategically run the ball, and you gotta attack
people strategically with a lot of variety. And your passing
(13:26):
game had to be you know, pretty good as as well,
so it's I like the air that I played in
because I was expected to be a more versatile player.
I was not a uh, just a pure pass blocker,
even though I did that well when I had to.
I was not just a pure run blocker, even though
I did that well. I think the thing for me
(13:46):
that lent this up to my success during the time
that I played was the versatility that I had. I mean,
I was I worked really hard on my pass sets
and and how to use my hands as on punching downs.
I worked real hard on that, and then I worked
really hard on on the different parts of run schemes
that we use. I mean we use the inside zone,
(14:08):
outside zone. We ran counters, we ran traps, we ran
pitches and tosses, and I mean we just had so
much variety that you know, even the defenders that we
uh that we played, uh, you know, they were more
depth at at at both rushing the passer and UH
and and playing the run. They were more every down
(14:29):
players as opposed to the platooning in the pass rushers
and platooning in the run defenders. On on the perspective
downs and yeah, well you you actually played in here
where they ran the ball more. You were known for
producing hundred yard rushers during games, and great played with
great running backs. But as an offensive line, was it
more fun to run block? I would think that would
(14:50):
be more enjoyable than pass blocking. But you played, what
what did you enjoy more? Well? I felt like to
be a really good and productive offensive line, you needed
to be able to do both. But don't just come
out of the ball game, out of the shoot and
start the ball game with me pass blocking, because most
defensive linemen, all you want to do is tee off
and get vertically up the field after your quarterback. Now,
(15:13):
all of a sudden, you put your hand in the ground.
You make them play a variety of of runs on
first and second down in early in the ball game,
and take your traditional shots on third down, and then
start mixing it up in the next series. From there.
Now the guy has to conclude that, hey, these guys
will run the ball. They got good backs the rams
of Historically when I was playing, they always had good backs.
(15:34):
From Lawrence McCutcheon, we used to call him Lawrence of
Los Angeles. From Lawrence McCutcheon to Durrell Thomas, who said
had at one point in time, a record for most
yards in the game. We did it against the Dallas Cowboys. Uh,
you know, Elvis Pecock. The list goes on and on.
Man Eric Dickinson. I mean we had we had several
(15:55):
thous yards back and Eric Dickison was the was the
two thousand yard back. So I mean it was just
a lot of fun, a lot of production. It was
a very physical game. Was that that type of balls
is not for the you know, the faint of hearts.
You can't just sit there and want to get physical
later in the block. Uh, as most pass boxers, uh,
(16:17):
you know find out that they can do in that scheme.
You gotta be physical at the line of scrimmage. And uh,
you know, when I think about the New York Giants
and Bill Parcels and Belichick when they were together in
New York, the guys that they I mean they had
two and forty pounds linebackers, you know, Gary Reasons and
had Harry Carson. Those guys were Harry Carson was an offer,
(16:38):
was the first team Black College All American defensive lineman
when he was in college and his senior year and
then he played in as a Hall of Fame linebacker
where he played linebacker his whole career with the New
York Giants, So that tells you something about the physicality.
How big and then these guys are two and forty
fifty pounds playing inside linebackers. So you know you had
(17:00):
to be an all around guy to separate yourself from
the average joe. And you know that's just the way
it was. Like then, well, you played. You know, you're
known for your longevity in the NF. You played regular
season games, which I read the most ever by an
offensive lineman when you were tired. So what was the secret?
I used? You met, you got hurt in the Pro Bowl,
(17:22):
and I'm sure you had plenty of injuries through your career,
but what what was the secret to twenty year run? Well,
I have to be honest with you. I think that
it was just the Good Lord's will for my life.
You know a lot of people looked at me when
I came to Los Angeles and they concluded, you know
that the Good Lord said let there be offensive tapito.
I mean I was big, big enough, strong enough, quick enough,
(17:44):
fast enough, in fact more most of that, more than most.
And uh, you know, then I got exposed to some
very good coaching and an environment that really like to
express yourself. The utopic environment and which I was put
as a unblockers, a pass blockers schematically with the players
that I was, with the injuries that I had, if
(18:05):
I could do it all over the day. I often
get asked this question, if you could do it all
over the day to participate in this economical environment, would
you do it? And they expect me to say, yeah,
I jump all over it. I wouldn't look back. But
the truth of the matter is I answer that question
by saying, yes, I would if if I could have
(18:25):
the same injuries, if I could play the same number
of years, if I can have the same teammates, if
I can have the same coaches. I mean, it was
just a utopic environment for me to function, and every
single one of those elements that I just share with
you were critical contributions to my ability to stay in
the league as long as I do. If I could
(18:46):
come back just to make ten million a year for
four or five years, and that would be it, I
passed on it. Yeah. Interesting, why I've seen you at
the at the Rams game a couple of weeks ago.
I get you. Still you look like you haven't aged
at all, Jackie, you look like you could still play.
Is that a mirage only on him? Only my botherer knows?
Because you you know, I feel good, I really feel good.
(19:08):
I've been blessed. You know. I try to stay as
active as I possibly can, you know, and you know,
try to just try to do things right, you know,
even though I have you know, I have a I
love my GONNELI scream, you know, chocolate cake on the cage,
and so I have to watch those type of things.
But you know, I just try to enjoy the life
of trying not to overdo it. Now I hear and
(19:29):
you many people know your story. You in college, you
played at Jackson State with with Walter Payton. But Jackson
State now over the last couple of years, Jackie, you
know you're well aware of it. But with Dion Sanders
and him taking over at your old college, they got
the number one recruit in college football. How impressed are
you talking about what Dion has been able to do
(19:51):
and only a couple of years at year old school
back in the day. Yeah, he's been able to accomplish
quite a bit. And uh, you know, hats off to
him for for going and have up to the to
the athletic directors for reaching out to him and bond
building a relationship with him. For a guy of his
caliber to come in and hire staff like he did,
to come alongside him and and and and support him.
(20:14):
And I mean and think about it. I mean, the
guys won a lot of ball games in just two years.
And if you were a young and talented uh cornerback
or young and talented wide receiver and and you had
the opportunity to study to be great like Deon Sanders,
I mean, I think I might consider going to that college.
(20:37):
And Dean Sanders brings a lot to the table. Uh.
You know my understand that there's a lot of uh
charitable contribution has been made to the program since he's
been there. Uh, there's a lot of eyes on the programs. Uh.
There are a lot of players that are participating in
the Neil the New Neil opportunities, uh name like there's
an images that they that you get to participate in.
(20:58):
And and so you know, the playing field, you know,
though it hasn't been totally leveled. You know, to have
a guy like Dion and a professional NFL caliber coaching
staff bear you know, players want to go to the
big times, and what better way to enhance that opportunity
than the goal and be coached by Hall of famers
(21:21):
and great NFL coaches. You know that's ever done? Absolutely?
Now he invited you back, Jackie, is he? Because you're
one of the have you inviting me back? They've been
very very gracious to me, and the opportunity for me
to do that will be coming up nice, nice, all right. Now,
as far as the Super Bowl is concerned, you played
(21:42):
in a Super Bowl? How much do you remember from
the lead up to the game as opposed to the game, Like,
what's you know? The hype? Now? Two weeks of hype
before the Super Bowl and all that. It's been that
way for years. But when you played in the Super Bowl,
do you remember the hullabaloo before the game or have
you kind of blocked that out? You only remember the game? Well,
(22:05):
I mean the holly be a little before the game
was just us getting there. We were nine and seven
that year, and in that particular season, we only had
two offensive linemen to start and play every snap that year,
as myself and our center Rich Songs, so we were
beat up. I haven't played next to a guy who's
in New York stock has changed broker right now named
(22:26):
Dan Rizig, who had a bad knee that was so
bad he could hardly straighten it out. But we got
through games with him and and and he he helped
us survive and and then down the stretch we got healthy.
And then we got into the playoffs and you know,
we next thing, you know, we're we're thumping running uh
the Tampa Big Bucks. I was. It was just beating
(22:47):
the people that that you know, we end up up
setting people to get to where we were. And by
the time we got to the Super Bowl, you know,
all that I'm thinking about it is I gotta block
l C. Greenwood North for us to have a snow
ball chance in Haydes are winning this ball game. And
this is one of the most prolific pass rushers that
the game has ever known. Is one of the best
(23:08):
defensive lineman that has ever played the game. And I
am responsible for dealing with him. So any ticket requests
or anything that had to do with the logistics of
playing that Super Bowl, it went over my head and
I I delegated it. Uh, loaded my wife over those
responsibilities and anybody else I could put your mythv because
(23:29):
it was my priority not to go and get embarrassed
in Super Bowl fourteen with a hundred and three thousand
people than people, wasn't that game and so? And I
think that was the way it was for a lot
of the guys who were playing a lot of football
and uh, and it gave us a chance, you know,
we we were the eleven minutes to go in that
(23:49):
ball game. As you know, we had to lead and
an opportunity to win the game. And I'm one of
the few people I teased Terry Branshaw on the cage
and when I see him, Uh remember throwing the block
one time and I rolled over on their sideline and
and just about it into the bench area there, you know,
a couple of yards on their side of of the sideline.
(24:11):
And I stood up and looked right into Terry Bradshawn's face,
and all you can see on his face was we
are getting that rear hands kicked by That was all
you can see on his face. And I'll tease him
about that all occasion that I'm wanted a few men
in the world that knows what he looks like when
(24:31):
he thinks he's losing the super Bowl. They wanted, they wanted,
and he was the difference maker in it. But each
year was looking depressed at that moment. Yeah, and well,
and you mentioned that that particular year you guys were
kind of struggling along during the regular season, you end
up going to the Super Bowl. What was the team
that was the most talented Rams team you played on
that didn't didn't end up going to the Super Bowl?
(24:52):
Was there one that stood out that you thought, Man,
that team was the super Bowl team and it just
didn't work out. Oh? Yeah, I had several And uh,
you know a lot of people will tell you that
the Rams super Bowl teams of the seventies in mid eighties,
we're the most talented football teams that ever were assembled
that did not make it too and win a Super Bowl.
(25:14):
I mean, I'm I'm I'm looking at Jack young Blood
and Fred Dryer and and I'm i'm Reggie Dawson, Cody Jones,
and I mean, it's just a ton of Nolan Cromwell,
hacks All Reynolds and Jim young Blood and Pat Thomas
and Rob Perry and Doug France and Dennis Hair and
Rich Fall and and the list goes on. The Vince Ferraga.
(25:37):
The list goes on and on and on. Man, these
are the legitimate big time drafts, uh, big time draft
churches that were assembled to to dominate their positions. And
I like to think we all did that, but we
you know, we just came up and it was always Dallas,
always Minnesota. My seventies six, we go to Minnesota and uh,
(25:58):
we're we're getting getting ready to go to a super Bowl,
and then all of a sudden, boom boom boom, and
we're out of it. We're out of it, and Vikings
beat us. And then every year after that we were
in in the thick of the playoffs. Everybody had high
expectations and and then we just somehow managed to lose
our way out of it, and so that was unfortunate.
But now brighter days are here. You know, we gotta
(26:22):
gotta talented team here in l A with a lot
of opportunity, and uh, you know, I'm looking forward to
running them from these guys this weekend. So I'm sorry
to cut it off, being but I got I need
to do something here, all right. Thank you, Jackie, I
appreciate it, buddy, Thank you. It was nice to have
met you. And thanks for reaching out, all right, Jackie,
all right, thank you then
Ka Boom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes
a week was enough, I think again. He's the last
remnants of the old republic a sole fashion of fairness.
He treats crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as
the rich pill poppers in the penthouse the clearing House
of Hot takes break free for something special. The Fifth
(00:23):
Hour with Ben Maller starts right now in the air
everywhere as we are back at it on a Saturday
edition of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller and Danny
g Radio. Because four hours a night clearly not enough
(00:43):
eight days a week. We hope you enjoyed the programming
change on Friday. Thanks to our friends over at DraftKings,
we provided you with all of the amazing prop bets
around Super Bowl fifty six. It is a yearly tradition
that I've done on terrestrial radio and here on the podcast,
(01:04):
and we're very lucky that Draft Kings wanted to be
a part of that, and we would have done it anyway,
but they were like, hey, we want to associate the
Draft Kings sports book with the podcast, so that was great.
We had a wonderful time and so normally if you
know the way this works, and you listen a lot,
there's not a lot of drama unless there is, because
(01:28):
normally we have a cadence to the Fifth Hour podcast Friday,
a chance to talk to somebody in the radio business
or sports. It doesn't just have to be sports. We've
had political pundits, We've had professional chefs on the podcast.
I'm willing to expand my horizons on the Fifth Hour,
(01:53):
but lately we've been sticking to sports. And it's the
football postseason where a day before Super Bowl Sunday, and
so we we did the prop bet thing on Friday,
and so we were reversing what we normally do. And
that means on this the Saturday podcast edition of The
Fifth Hour, we have a Hall of Famer, not me.
(02:18):
I'm not a Hall of Famer. No no, no, no no.
But if you've been listening to the Overnight show, you
know that I had a little childhood crushed as a
through the eyes of a child, I thought I was
going to play in the NFL, and I thought someday
I could play on the offensive line for the l
A Rams. I've told the story many times. My mom,
(02:41):
as she rest in peace, a great mom, she would
drop me off every once in a while at RAM
training camp as a fat, chubby kid, and I would
run around the campus of UC Irvine and the Rams
had to a day practices and I pretty much had
the run of the place because in those days, training
camp was just training camp. It was actually about football.
(03:03):
It was like one security guard and he was sitting
on one of those metal folding chairs, and that was
kind of it. I mean, they did have a roped
off area, but it wasn't anything like it's been in
the last ten fifteen years. If you have been able
to attend an NFL training camp or even seeing video
(03:23):
of it, you know it's it's a whole circus. It's
like going to Disneyland at NFL training camp. But it
was much different back then. And I gravitated towards the
offensive line and Jackie Slater, who we're gonna have on
here in a couple of minutes, a very nice uh.
It was someone I looked up to. It was a
great player for the Rams back in the day. In fact,
(03:45):
the reputation of Jackie Slater insane. I mean this, guys,
you talked about having a pro football career as an
offensive line and you can't do it better than Jackie Slater.
I know I'm sucking up here, but man, oh man,
this guy was drafted by the Rams in nine teen
seventies six, and he didn't even play that much his
first couple of years. And then once he started playing,
(04:06):
he was the primary, you know, a guy on the
offensive line, was the anchor of the offensive line in
nineteen seventy nine, all the way through the Rams returned
to St. Louis. He was still with the team when
they went back and became the St. Louis Rams. But
he had all kinds of accolag You don't end up
(04:27):
in the Hall of Fame by being a chump. Twenty
four different quarterbacks, twenty four different quarterbacks played behind Jackie Slater,
thirty seven different running backs, and he was a great lineman.
It's the old chicken and the egg thing. Where is
it the the great offensive lineman that makes the great
(04:48):
running back? Or is it the great running back that
makes the great offensive lineman? What came first? But all
I know is Jackie Slater played in college with the
great Walter Payton at Jackson State. That's been a story
that's been bounced around quite a bit over the years.
You talk about Jackie Slater, but in the NFL some
big names had seven different thousand yard running backs behind
(05:10):
Jackie Slater, including Lawrence McCutcheon, Wendell Tyler, Eric Dickerson, for me,
the gold standard, Eric Dickerson, Charles White, Greg Bell, the
great Cleveland Gary a great name, okay player, and Jerome Bettis.
He broke in with the l A. Rams before he
became the man with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he he
(05:32):
did it all back in the day and we are
lucky enough to have on now the man, the myth,
the legend who just kept going and going and going
and going. As he's number seventy eight, well he was
number seventy eight in your RAMS program, but he was
number one in your heart. No longer an active number
(05:52):
because that number has been retired by the Ramsey's in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was the class
of and more importantly for my purpose is Jackie. Uh.
We we hung out together and I again it's another
story I've told on the radio show, but we were
in the press box together at the NFC Championship game. Uh.
(06:13):
You on one side, me on the other, were like bookends.
In the press box there side by side and in
the Rams come back against the forty niners. I I
don't know if I bothered you too much. That was
I too annoying, Jackie, Please help me out on that.
I hope I wasn't too annoying for you. No, not
at all. But we have a good time. I mean
we sat there and you know, we looked at the
(06:36):
game and it was a good game. And I could
tell you were a fan. Even though I know you're
a reporter and you're covering the game. You were really
into the game, kind of like me. Perfect strangers. We
didn't hit it off, okay, as we watched the game. Yeah, no,
it was. It was good. Listen. I had a great time.
And I don't know if I told you I had
talked to you in the past, But when I was
(06:56):
a kid, Jackie and I used to growing up, my
mom would drop me off every once in a a while
at Rams training camp when you were playing for the Rams,
and I was a little chubby kid, and I would
always go kind of hang around the offensive lineman and
uh and I. You were very kind. I mean you
didn't say much, and I mean you guys were all
kind of doing your thing. You were focused on your job.
(07:18):
But you were very nice to me, and I do
appreciate that, Jackie. Is when I was a little kid,
through the eyes of a child, Uh was about that?
How about that? And I think you see if I
had doesn't mean to you and and said get away
from me, kid, can't you see them hot and bothered?
Then you would have remembered that. Also, you would have
been thinking all your life that guy number seventy eight
for the Rams, it's not a nice person. You know,
(07:41):
you would have been thinking that way. So I've always
I always try to handle people the way I want
to be treated and the way I would want them
to treat my kids and my family. And and it's
paid off. I I enjoyed people coming up and and
sharing with me. Hey, Jackie, I met you here, I
met you there, you came to speak to us here,
he came. You know, I enjawed that because you know,
it just tells me. It's it's affirmation for me that
(08:03):
I was trying to treat people the right way, and
that's the way I want to be treated myself. Yeah,
you were great, and it was a lot different back then.
I mean I went to training camp. You know, recently
we'll get to the Super Bowl and all that. But
I went to training camp, you know, somewhat recently. It's
all corporate now. Back in those days, it was very
laid back in training camp. But I look at it
(08:24):
now and I compare it to them. It's a it's
an amazing transformation. Jackie. You know, you guys, you had
it much different back in those days. Uh it was.
I was, You know that, there's no comparison. I was.
I was at the Pro Bowl just this past week.
My son played in the Pro Bowl, and I sat
there in amazement watching the game. You know, it used
(08:46):
to be uh Crosby, I think his name is, the
defensive lineman from from the Raiders. Actually wanted the defensive
m v P of the game. And and it didn't
deprive me because when I went to he put for
a pretty good effort, ran hard to the quarterback, got
the sacks, and made some big plays where they were
calling his name. And I said earlier in the ball game,
his effort long, if he keeps it up, he's gonna
(09:08):
be the m v P of the game. I called
it on the first play because most of the people
there are just going through the motions. And I remember
going to I played in seven Pro Bowls, and I
left one of those Pro Bowls with a crack in
my wrist and I had to wear a prosthesis on
my wrist for the rest of my career. And I
really the reason why is because the defensive linemen were
(09:30):
the ones that were running past the offensive lineman. They're
getting the sacks, and then they would get the m
v P Award, which was the nice brand new truck.
And so it was nowhere near as competitive for these guys.
The other night when I was at that game as
it was for us. I mean I had, I mean
think about you got more guests, so you got how
we long? You got? You got all these you got
(09:50):
ready white, all of these guys over there realizing, Hey,
if I get two and a half sacks, maybe three,
they're gonna give me a brand new truck. So you
know you had for if you were well. Yeah, and
and being at the Proo. I watched a few seconds
of it on Telligence, but it seems like it's it's
turned into two hand touch Jackie. Right. It was, it
(10:11):
was a lot of it, did It really wasn't two
hand touch. And you know, this has been going on
for a while, and I guess it's I guess it's understandable.
You know, I don't know what they're gonna do. I
noticed they took the kicking game completely out of the game.
There's no kick covers, no punk coverage. You know, they've
taken that completely away. And and and I suppose I
(10:32):
can understand it. I mean, just think about this. I
don't know how many years ago it was that Jerry
Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys, but he paid somewhere in
the neighborhood of a hundred d hunting forty million dollars
something like that is what he paid for. The Rams
right now have three guys on their roster with contracts
(10:56):
of just a little bit under that. And it's all
over the National Football League. So I suppose that if
I were a player and I was participating in this
economic environment, I would want, in other in other words,
for men to go and risk my risk, my livelihood
at a game, at an All Star Game, I suppose
(11:17):
I would want the rules changed so that I wouldn't
jeopardize my future as well. Well. Yeah, and and Jackie,
as you said back, when you were playing, you guys
made a more reasonable You made a lot of money,
but in comparison, but not like today. You needed those
guys needed the truck, right, Jackie, you had to wak
the n V p Okay, Okay, first of all, let
me clear something that you made a statement that's incorrect.
(11:39):
You said back in the day. You know, I know
you guys made a lot of money, and then you
went on to compare it to what the guys are
doing today. Let me clear you up so you have
perfect understanding. There was no way you compare what the
guys made during my day with what the guys made
h during this particular time. And you know what, I
(11:59):
don't begrudge them. I'm so happy for them. When you know,
the two guys that I think about is back kri
the left tackle with the Green Bay Packers, and Trent Williams,
the left tackle with the San Francisco Fortis. Both of
those men or hundred million dollars players their team says,
the blind side of these quarterbacks are so important that
(12:20):
we're gonna treat you like that. You know, years ago,
when I was playing, you go into some of these
offices and they would tell us. You know, don't come
in here ask them for a contract or a raise.
But we can get any overweight taxicab driving to do
your job. So things have certainly changed over the years.
So they told you, you you know, you you end up
in the Hall of Fame, Jackie. And they were like, right,
(12:42):
we that sounds like I work in radio, jack I've
had program directors that said we can get anybody at
the train station to work in radio and talk. You
know that. So they treated you like that back when
you were playing early on. Absolutely absolutely it was a
part of the as a part of the uh you know,
it's a partner of the fabric of the of an existence.
(13:03):
You know. They they that this whole idea of the
blindside and throwing the ball is by me, you know,
to throw the ball a lot more than what we did. Strategically,
I thought our guys had to our coaches had to
be on top of the game because now they gotta
call the defensive, they gotta call you know, you gotta
you gotta strategically run the ball, and you gotta attack
people strategically with a lot of variety. And your passing
(13:26):
game had to be you know, pretty good as as well,
so it's I like the air that I played in
because I was expected to be a more versatile player.
I was not a uh, just a pure pass blocker,
even though I did that well when I had to.
I was not just a pure run blocker, even though
I did that well. I think the thing for me
(13:46):
that lent this up to my success during the time
that I played was the versatility that I had. I mean,
I was I worked really hard on my pass sets
and and how to use my hands as on punching downs.
I worked real hard on that, and then I worked
really hard on on the different parts of run schemes
that we use. I mean we use the inside zone,
(14:08):
outside zone. We ran counters, we ran traps, we ran
pitches and tosses, and I mean we just had so
much variety that you know, even the defenders that we
uh that we played, uh, you know, they were more
depth at at at both rushing the passer and UH
and and playing the run. They were more every down
(14:29):
players as opposed to the platooning in the pass rushers
and platooning in the run defenders. On on the perspective
downs and yeah, well you you actually played in here
where they ran the ball more. You were known for
producing hundred yard rushers during games, and great played with
great running backs. But as an offensive line, was it
more fun to run block? I would think that would
(14:50):
be more enjoyable than pass blocking. But you played, what
what did you enjoy more? Well? I felt like to
be a really good and productive offensive line, you needed
to be able to do both. But don't just come
out of the ball game, out of the shoot and
start the ball game with me pass blocking, because most
defensive linemen, all you want to do is tee off
and get vertically up the field after your quarterback. Now,
(15:13):
all of a sudden, you put your hand in the ground.
You make them play a variety of of runs on
first and second down in early in the ball game,
and take your traditional shots on third down, and then
start mixing it up in the next series. From there.
Now the guy has to conclude that, hey, these guys
will run the ball. They got good backs the rams
of Historically when I was playing, they always had good backs.
(15:34):
From Lawrence McCutcheon, we used to call him Lawrence of
Los Angeles. From Lawrence McCutcheon to Durrell Thomas, who said
had at one point in time, a record for most
yards in the game. We did it against the Dallas Cowboys. Uh,
you know, Elvis Pecock. The list goes on and on.
Man Eric Dickinson. I mean we had we had several
(15:55):
thous yards back and Eric Dickison was the was the
two thousand yard back. So I mean it was just
a lot of fun, a lot of production. It was
a very physical game. Was that that type of balls
is not for the you know, the faint of hearts.
You can't just sit there and want to get physical
later in the block. Uh, as most pass boxers, uh,
(16:17):
you know find out that they can do in that scheme.
You gotta be physical at the line of scrimmage. And uh,
you know, when I think about the New York Giants
and Bill Parcels and Belichick when they were together in
New York, the guys that they I mean they had
two and forty pounds linebackers, you know, Gary Reasons and
had Harry Carson. Those guys were Harry Carson was an offer,
(16:38):
was the first team Black College All American defensive lineman
when he was in college and his senior year and
then he played in as a Hall of Fame linebacker
where he played linebacker his whole career with the New
York Giants, So that tells you something about the physicality.
How big and then these guys are two and forty
fifty pounds playing inside linebackers. So you know you had
(17:00):
to be an all around guy to separate yourself from
the average joe. And you know that's just the way
it was. Like then, well, you played. You know, you're
known for your longevity in the NF. You played regular
season games, which I read the most ever by an
offensive lineman when you were tired. So what was the secret?
I used? You met, you got hurt in the Pro Bowl,
(17:22):
and I'm sure you had plenty of injuries through your career,
but what what was the secret to twenty year run? Well,
I have to be honest with you. I think that
it was just the Good Lord's will for my life.
You know a lot of people looked at me when
I came to Los Angeles and they concluded, you know
that the Good Lord said let there be offensive tapito.
I mean I was big, big enough, strong enough, quick enough,
(17:44):
fast enough, in fact more most of that, more than most.
And uh, you know, then I got exposed to some
very good coaching and an environment that really like to
express yourself. The utopic environment and which I was put
as a unblockers, a pass blockers schematically with the players
that I was, with the injuries that I had, if
(18:05):
I could do it all over the day. I often
get asked this question, if you could do it all
over the day to participate in this economical environment, would
you do it? And they expect me to say, yeah,
I jump all over it. I wouldn't look back. But
the truth of the matter is I answer that question
by saying, yes, I would if if I could have
(18:25):
the same injuries, if I could play the same number
of years, if I can have the same teammates, if
I can have the same coaches. I mean, it was
just a utopic environment for me to function, and every
single one of those elements that I just share with
you were critical contributions to my ability to stay in
the league as long as I do. If I could
(18:46):
come back just to make ten million a year for
four or five years, and that would be it, I
passed on it. Yeah. Interesting, why I've seen you at
the at the Rams game a couple of weeks ago.
I get you. Still you look like you haven't aged
at all, Jackie, you look like you could still play.
Is that a mirage only on him? Only my botherer knows?
Because you you know, I feel good, I really feel good.
(19:08):
I've been blessed. You know. I try to stay as
active as I possibly can, you know, and you know,
try to just try to do things right, you know,
even though I have you know, I have a I
love my GONNELI scream, you know, chocolate cake on the cage,
and so I have to watch those type of things.
But you know, I just try to enjoy the life
of trying not to overdo it. Now I hear and
(19:29):
you many people know your story. You in college, you
played at Jackson State with with Walter Payton. But Jackson
State now over the last couple of years, Jackie, you
know you're well aware of it. But with Dion Sanders
and him taking over at your old college, they got
the number one recruit in college football. How impressed are
you talking about what Dion has been able to do
(19:51):
and only a couple of years at year old school
back in the day. Yeah, he's been able to accomplish
quite a bit. And uh, you know, hats off to
him for for going and have up to the to
the athletic directors for reaching out to him and bond
building a relationship with him. For a guy of his
caliber to come in and hire staff like he did,
to come alongside him and and and and support him.
(20:14):
And I mean and think about it. I mean, the
guys won a lot of ball games in just two years.
And if you were a young and talented uh cornerback
or young and talented wide receiver and and you had
the opportunity to study to be great like Deon Sanders,
I mean, I think I might consider going to that college.
(20:37):
And Dean Sanders brings a lot to the table. Uh.
You know my understand that there's a lot of uh
charitable contribution has been made to the program since he's
been there. Uh, there's a lot of eyes on the programs. Uh.
There are a lot of players that are participating in
the Neil the New Neil opportunities, uh name like there's
an images that they that you get to participate in.
(20:58):
And and so you know, the playing field, you know,
though it hasn't been totally leveled. You know, to have
a guy like Dion and a professional NFL caliber coaching
staff bear you know, players want to go to the
big times, and what better way to enhance that opportunity
than the goal and be coached by Hall of famers
(21:21):
and great NFL coaches. You know that's ever done? Absolutely?
Now he invited you back, Jackie, is he? Because you're
one of the have you inviting me back? They've been
very very gracious to me, and the opportunity for me
to do that will be coming up nice, nice, all right. Now,
as far as the Super Bowl is concerned, you played
(21:42):
in a Super Bowl? How much do you remember from
the lead up to the game as opposed to the game, Like,
what's you know? The hype? Now? Two weeks of hype
before the Super Bowl and all that. It's been that
way for years. But when you played in the Super Bowl,
do you remember the hullabaloo before the game or have
you kind of blocked that out? You only remember the game? Well,
(22:05):
I mean the holly be a little before the game
was just us getting there. We were nine and seven
that year, and in that particular season, we only had
two offensive linemen to start and play every snap that year,
as myself and our center Rich Songs, so we were
beat up. I haven't played next to a guy who's
in New York stock has changed broker right now named
(22:26):
Dan Rizig, who had a bad knee that was so
bad he could hardly straighten it out. But we got
through games with him and and and he he helped
us survive and and then down the stretch we got healthy.
And then we got into the playoffs and you know,
we next thing, you know, we're we're thumping running uh
the Tampa Big Bucks. I was. It was just beating
(22:47):
the people that that you know, we end up up
setting people to get to where we were. And by
the time we got to the Super Bowl, you know,
all that I'm thinking about it is I gotta block
l C. Greenwood North for us to have a snow
ball chance in Haydes are winning this ball game. And
this is one of the most prolific pass rushers that
the game has ever known. Is one of the best
(23:08):
defensive lineman that has ever played the game. And I
am responsible for dealing with him. So any ticket requests
or anything that had to do with the logistics of
playing that Super Bowl, it went over my head and
I I delegated it. Uh, loaded my wife over those
responsibilities and anybody else I could put your mythv because
(23:29):
it was my priority not to go and get embarrassed
in Super Bowl fourteen with a hundred and three thousand
people than people, wasn't that game and so? And I
think that was the way it was for a lot
of the guys who were playing a lot of football
and uh, and it gave us a chance, you know,
we we were the eleven minutes to go in that
(23:49):
ball game. As you know, we had to lead and
an opportunity to win the game. And I'm one of
the few people I teased Terry Branshaw on the cage
and when I see him, Uh remember throwing the block
one time and I rolled over on their sideline and
and just about it into the bench area there, you know,
a couple of yards on their side of of the sideline.
(24:11):
And I stood up and looked right into Terry Bradshawn's face,
and all you can see on his face was we
are getting that rear hands kicked by That was all
you can see on his face. And I'll tease him
about that all occasion that I'm wanted a few men
in the world that knows what he looks like when
(24:31):
he thinks he's losing the super Bowl. They wanted, they wanted,
and he was the difference maker in it. But each
year was looking depressed at that moment. Yeah, and well,
and you mentioned that that particular year you guys were
kind of struggling along during the regular season, you end
up going to the Super Bowl. What was the team
that was the most talented Rams team you played on
that didn't didn't end up going to the Super Bowl?
(24:52):
Was there one that stood out that you thought, Man,
that team was the super Bowl team and it just
didn't work out. Oh? Yeah, I had several And uh,
you know a lot of people will tell you that
the Rams super Bowl teams of the seventies in mid eighties,
we're the most talented football teams that ever were assembled
that did not make it too and win a Super Bowl.
(25:14):
I mean, I'm I'm I'm looking at Jack young Blood
and Fred Dryer and and I'm i'm Reggie Dawson, Cody Jones,
and I mean, it's just a ton of Nolan Cromwell,
hacks All Reynolds and Jim young Blood and Pat Thomas
and Rob Perry and Doug France and Dennis Hair and
Rich Fall and and the list goes on. The Vince Ferraga.
(25:37):
The list goes on and on and on. Man, these
are the legitimate big time drafts, uh, big time draft
churches that were assembled to to dominate their positions. And
I like to think we all did that, but we
you know, we just came up and it was always Dallas,
always Minnesota. My seventies six, we go to Minnesota and uh,
(25:58):
we're we're getting getting ready to go to a super Bowl,
and then all of a sudden, boom boom boom, and
we're out of it. We're out of it, and Vikings
beat us. And then every year after that we were
in in the thick of the playoffs. Everybody had high
expectations and and then we just somehow managed to lose
our way out of it, and so that was unfortunate.
But now brighter days are here. You know, we gotta
(26:22):
gotta talented team here in l A with a lot
of opportunity, and uh, you know, I'm looking forward to
running them from these guys this weekend. So I'm sorry
to cut it off, being but I got I need
to do something here, all right. Thank you, Jackie, I
appreciate it, buddy, Thank you. It was nice to have
met you. And thanks for reaching out, all right, Jackie,
all right, thank you then
Host
Ben Maller
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