Press Conference (Jim Knowles)

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
When it came to Ohio stage.Is that Uh, you know, the
expectation is, you know, I'mgonna have thatything I need. And I
think that show just got better nowgoing in through year three where you can
really look at it and say,we have veteran players who understand the defense
of understand the position, plus thegreat actors jib. What do you like

(00:20):
about Sonny at some factor that yousee most years? You know, it's
a it's a change for Sonny becausehe's playing in the box, you know,
from a low position instead of droppingin, so things happen a lot
faster. But you know, he'sreacted superbly. I mean, he's sure.
He's a guy who's got football intelligence. He understands the scheme, played

(00:45):
a lot of positions. I thinkhe's gonna be great because one of the
biggest parts of being a linebacker isyou have to know every all the pieces
around you so you can play fastand uh, Sonny's shown a lot of
that in the first two days.Response where where you sat, Yeah,

(01:07):
I feel it's it's permanent, butyou know, in terms of face and
and nickel packaging, you know it'spermanent. But there may be other things
where he'll still have multilicities. Youknow, there's gonna be packaging. It
gives need to find back and stillis that over due to is just promentally

(01:29):
to listen to a pretty five poundnow or give it to depondies and its
tips your comment, Stem, it'sjust thank Yeah, a little bit of
both. I mean, anytime youmake a move, you wanted to be
right for the player and for theyou know, the defense and the team.
And I think that fit up naturally. You know, Sonny, Sonny
had to uh fight to stay leanas a DV and now he now you

(01:51):
know he gets to east, youknow, and and uh and but I
think it worked out for both ofus ideas kind of stop. Well,
you know when you when you whenI first met him, when when I
first got here. You know,I think everybody talks about, you know,

(02:12):
he's going to be a linebacker.He's going to be a linebacker.
But I really wanted to see himat safety first. That's what he wanted
to do, That's what I wantedto see. You know, I felt,
long term in my vision for himthat playing safety early in his career
was going to give him a betterperspective of the defense. You know,

(02:36):
had Malcolm Rodriguez who was is withthe Lions at Oklahoma State. Now he's
about half a sunny size, buthe started as a safety and when he
became a linebacker, he understood thingsa lot better. So my vision for
Sonny was to you know, starthim out of safety and then eventually move
him down. How was c Hicksdoing? And CJ and and Sonny competing

(02:57):
for the same spot generally speaking,I mean, you know, part of
the time they are you know,part of the time we'll have all three
of them on the field with coach, so there's balance there and that they're
competing, and they also could bein the same package. But CJ's got
a great attitude. You know,I've always felt that CJ has a lot

(03:21):
of pressure on him, you know, being from Ohio, but he's coachable
and he understands growth and our plansfor him, and he's got a great
attitude and gay powers. Where's heat his third year probably and it didn't
you didn't see it because he didn'tplay a lot in the games, But
in our opinion game, you know, the second half of the season,

(03:43):
what we see in practices, it'sprobably one of the most compete guys.
He really was. So he madea huge jump second half of the season
in terms of what he was doingin practice and when he got into the
game, a huge jump, youknow. So I feel like he is
a guy that is going to compete. He's a guy that's gonna be ready.

(04:05):
You know. I feel like he'smade too manous improvements and we can
start to count on it. Areyou looking at just to Will right now?
Or is he a guy that's movingaround to CJ's moving around too,
you know. So you know,you get into a three linebacker package,

(04:25):
you know, Sonny and Cody andCJ. You're you're pretty good right but
now, but you can't just haveone guy. So you know, the
son he's not there at the SAMThen CJ's got to know how to play
it too, you know, sothat you can playing gave in and Mike
and Cody can play well, youknow, and you still have a great
lineup. So you always have toplan for you know, Okay, we'll

(04:47):
start out this way, but who'swho's in next? SoJ has to know
both positions too. Yeah, areare y'all still a four five defense?
How would you? I mean yeah, we're still fortune times yeah, no,
multiplayers. Absolutely, we're still Fortunefive, but multiple multiple deployments at

(05:09):
times, you know we can befour three. But yeah, you still
got some right, So now yougot Yeah, you got Sonny at a
sam backer who's who's has experienced playingsafety, you know what I mean?
So that that that really creates moremultiplicity. How does it help you do
your job now that you have afull time linebackers coach? You'll take one

(05:30):
nice? Yeah, it's uh,you know, just having James initially last
year was a big bonus because ofhis experience and and the way he works
with the players. He's a lotnicer to them than I am. You
know, the last year it wasgood cop, bad cop. You know,
now the bad cops left the room. So I'm sure the players love

(05:51):
it, you know, Sea,I think the defense, if you look
at the defensive line, I feelsettled. Look in the secondary, feel
settled. I think outside looking again, linebacker spot what what's there? What
you know? Makes a question onhow top margent in the discip that the
right guys to speak Scots? Yeah, really confident. I think adding sunning

(06:16):
it into that makes a guy who'sgot a lot of experience, a lot
of playing time. You know,that really bolsters that position in that room.
So I'm confident in what we havethere. Cody Simon, you know,
is a guy who we think isgonna be great, and he's hearing
the or a leader or the defunct. So I think it'll be a strange

(06:36):
feel like you see others. Youknow, yeah, r Vel. You
know, we kind of experimented withRvel at the the end last year a
little bit, and uh, youknow, I keep getting asked, you
know, can he be a linebacker? Can he be a linebacker? And

(06:56):
I think he's gonna be a greatlinebacker. You know, he just needs
growth and learning. So I wouldlike to just continue to grow our veil
mentally in football intelligence, you know, after linebacker position. So will there
be a role for him this year? I don't know, because he is
so athletic. You know, he'sa guy you kind of look at and

(07:18):
say, I can do different thingswith you know when we get to the
season. You know, that's aguy you can always create something for that
doesn't involve as much thinking, youknow, so he can just go.
But out here, I want tokeep growing him as a linebacker because his
time will come. As far asthe jackets, Yeah, I mean it's

(07:40):
it's it's always there, you know. I'd like to get it in this
spring. You know, we didn'tused it, dabbled in at year one,
didn't use it last year. It'salways in our package, you know,
so at some point we'd like toget to it just to kind of
keep it fresh. Jam look likea child. What do you like about

(08:01):
their technic size sport. Yeah,he's got great speed, you know,
good size. It's just that helooks like a nickel. You know,
his skills are his skills are likea nickel. So you know he's still
learning. But you saw Jordan makejust cement tremendous progress with that last year.

(08:24):
So we gotta we gotta bring Lorenzoon that team this year and you
kind of keep him from there.Mike. Yeah, Hero really flashed last
year at times when you go backand watch the film. So, uh,

(08:45):
the fact that we play a lotof rushing in I mean, that's
a that's a guy who who usedto have a good thing for us,
because he's gonna be uh, he'sgonna be next man there, you know,
and you know where the guy likeHero if he starts to really come
along, you know, you startto look at some uh you know,

(09:07):
double eagle type of packaging. Youknow. My thoughts are you know,
with the with Jack and j T. You know that at some point I
want to train them as outside linebackers. You know, so if you got
hero THI League of Tie and youget to you can get to more of
you know, uh, you know, five five guys, five d linemen

(09:31):
in the game, you know,with training guys like Jack and and j
T and Kanyata. You know,it's just kind of in my thoughts like
if we're strong inside those those guyscan become more multiple, you know,
and I think it's techniques and thingsthat they can use when they get to
the next level. So that's kindof been my thoughts too on that a

(09:54):
little bit. You're saying with Jackand j T possibly with that outside linebacker
concepts, Well, you know,you're always looking to get the best eleven
on the fields, right, sowhen when you look at a twelve personnel
set, you say, okay,I got you know, Sonny, Cody

(10:16):
and CJ with with before down youknow, you know, could we have
another component with you know, Jackand JT and and three tackles and Cody
and Sonny or Cody and CJ.You know, I think you know who's
gonna be Who's going to be thebest eleven, you know against bigger sets.

(10:37):
Could it possibly be Hero, youknow, versus having a third linebacker?
Could it be three tackles? Youknow, that's in my thoughts.
We haven't installed that yet, butbut I I'd like to get to that
just to see. And like Isaid, I feel like with those guys,
the more they know of how tobe an outside linebacker better, it's

(11:03):
gonna help them when they get tothe next the next level. So it's
something I'd like to do for themto Yeah, I'll expect. I mean,
Lathan was making very good progress.You know, I always loved the

(11:24):
way he played, his attitude,his physicality. First year, you know,
he had some eye violations. Youknow, he was he was improving
on that until he got hurt.So you know, he goes down.
I'd say, the responsibility is,you know, first and foremost, to

(11:46):
lead by example. I could sitthere and I can say all the things
that I want to say, talkof a storm. At the end of
the day, you gotta just doyou gotta work the work you got to
go to brutre supposed to do.And I think that's gonna ultimately lead guys
in the right direction. So that'sjust good thing that I can kind of
take it on the most is justlead by example. Yeah, get up,
Yeah, okay, Well the quicklook you can hurry. I'm a

(12:09):
flying standpoint to me, like wehad a good year last year. I
mean me, you know what Imean if we if you look back at
the post, how far have youcome in that round? Yeah, I've
came along with It's a it's avery say. I'd argue to say tight
end is probably the most developmental positionon the field. It takes a long
time to get around to. Ittakes a lot of work. I think

(12:31):
it's a full process. It's notsomething that it's a winner turnaround or a
six month turnaround. You come intrying to catch it on the fly and
something that takes a lot of timeand attention. I'm just thankful for,
you know, my great, greatcoaching staff and the great unit around me.
Guys you're back then starting off withyou know, rout from those guys
to kid, I think there's beena great example for the way they're supposed
to at tack blocking and being atight end here out of Ohio state.

(12:52):
And I've been just you know,thankful to be able to have that example.
Feila Way, what are you waitnow for? What's for? What's
it been like you have? Worldforward? Yeah, well it's been great.
He's been good as somebody that's camein humble and is ready to work.
That's that's been like the only wordsthat I have from not not a

(13:13):
minute, just like many words.But he's here to here, here to
work, and he's done just that. And I'm just that we got to
have you learned a lot far walkingor just kind of kids a holy part,
like I know you guys were sorryBill you miss four guy on any
bays. But also that's what he'sknown. You guys have learned a little
bit, guys more a little bitto walk into. Yeah, I think
essentially that's the that's the culture ofour room. It's when we come off

(13:33):
the ball violent we're looking to swingas hard as we can. We'll clean
up the details after. So that'skind of our mindset going into it.
And uh, yeah you fret you'refrom walking? How long did you take
though, like you to know thatcan you still be a receiver, so
you know you're in reality, likeyou know you're block where people to do
it? Like how hard is itto kind of change the words that want

(13:56):
more? I know you guys don'tpay if that's you like outside noise,
but also blocking what you scott protectionthe way really pretty good bot to.
Yeah, I'd say it starts offwith like you kind of got to.
It starts off with tuning out forthe outside noise and and what other people
have to say about it. Andit's really grew up a mindset. I
kind of look at it as it'slike a drop in the bucket. You
know, if I got a bigbucket, there's no one thing I'm gonna

(14:18):
do to make this bucket full.It's it's a daily thing where I put
one dropod of the day. Andyou look back over a year, two
years, three years, you lookback and be like, man, I've
gotten a lot better. And so, like I said, I'm just very
thankful for the unit. The guysthat I have around me pushed me very
hard, but I'm just thankful.You mentioned that you develop that press harder
today. What was the most challengingpart that you to me developing into the

(14:39):
what it said. Yeah, I'dsay it's definitely the size component. You
know, you can't you got tobe someone that's you know one. You
got to be big, you gottabe strong, you got be fast.
There's a lot of jobs that youhave to do. It's a very asking
job. You need to bought thebig on some of the biggest guys in
the field, but also run routesoff some of the smallest guys in the
field. And so I mean justthankful just to be out here and do

(15:01):
exactly that. What was it liketo get that shot the other day from
the pro scouts, you know,just run routes kits balls, Oh yeah,
show off. Yeah, No,it was a good opportunity. I
think some of the big you knowreasoning behind it, we're just kind of
giving those guys out there that we'reat pro Davia limited numbers, so just
get out there and give those guysa breather. But the need, the
opportunity to get to go out therein front of scouts, I think that's

(15:22):
a it's a pretty good deal.And your take on the quarterbacks to this
point, the quarterback battle is goingon. What's spend your take on Will
for Echamp, we'll get to knowhim. Yeah, and then and of
course, David, I think themindset that we be embody around here is
ironing shoppering iron, and so that'skind of like it's not just you know,
one room, it's from top tobottom throughout this whole team. No
matter what position you are, we'rehere to work. And I think we're

(15:45):
all here to make each other better. Whether it's in a cornerback room and
tighten room', running back room,offense, pus defense, coach first coach,
doesn't matter. We're all just youknow, iron and shopping iron.
Especially in this time of year inspring ball, we're not doing too much
game planning for next week, whichwe're really just spending this time to get
better and Hi just build a goodfoundation for ourselves, has something to work
on moving forward. If you've seenWill, Will Howard fitting in more and

(16:06):
more, is the practice have goneon, you know, getting to know
everybody and all that kind I meanI always been beenner for a while.
I'm sorry, Yeah, no,I think yeah, I think that's time.
I think as times goes, nomatter where you are, you start
to adapt and you start to getused to what we have going on here,
and so it's good to have them. Thanks you came in. It's

(16:32):
what's it been like? Yeah,learning polutions, Yeah, condition I'd say
when it comes to that, Ithink it's all the glory to the Lord.
And I decided to give my lifecompletely to the Lord a little over
a year ago, and that kindof really changed my outlook on the way
that I approach in football. It'sno longer something that I idolize. It's
just something that I do. AndI think from the time of my life

(16:53):
where I stopped, you know,compartmentalizing who God was in my life.
God wasn't just something that I doon Sundays or something that I do in
a Bible study. It was something. It went from what I do to
who I am. And so nowI embody that is who I am.
And so some of the fruits ofthe spirit is peace, patience, and
kindness, and so those are kindof the things that I've started to embody
on this on this journey. Ithink it's easy to kind of compartmentalize football

(17:15):
away from faith, but ultimately it'sall one. It's all one, So
it's given me a spirit of patience, peace and and enjoy with the guys
around me. And so I'm justI'm thankful. I'm just I'm thankful to
be here. But just being quitehonest, I just I know for a
fact, I wouldn't be where I'mat right now. And I know on
the outside looking in, you know, asked like, you know, where

(17:36):
are you right now? But Iwouldn't be where I'm at, you know,
right now if it wasn't for myyou know, relationship with the Lord
until it came into my life andyou know, he changed around for the
body. Gee, what did yousee from Bennet Christian last year? How
did you know that suspension? Andhow did you work through about who you
go? Yeah, I think hedid a great job. A lot of
perseverance. I think that's no matterwho you are, you kind of hear
news like that that are going tobe out for a year. That's hard,

(17:59):
no matter where you are. Onething, I'm really proud of him
because he you know, he cameup and he came to show up every
single day and he got better.He got better. The easy thing to
do in that kind of situation isto throw in the towel and be like,
man, you know, you know, forget this or you know,
I'll get better next year. ButI saw the drive at him. One
thing I seen out of him.Every day he showed up, he got
better, and I'm proud of Bennett. I'm proud of this unit. I

(18:21):
latch question seem like you know,I mean, yeah, I mean,
I don't know. I don't reallyknow how to answer that question. Because
if you go from one unit toanother unit, the moment you trade units,
you're no longer in the unit youwere initially in, so you're you're

(18:41):
now a tight end. And soI mean to answer that question, I
think the time that I went fromin the receiving it to approaches things.
I love the way the questions heasks. I love the way he makes
mistakes and then correct mistakes. It'svery veteran, like, I mean,
there's so much ball he has tolearn, Like he literally does things that

(19:02):
are good. I'm like, doyou know what that worked? He goes
coach, I have no freaking idea, So like I'm trying to teach him
all of that why it worked,so then you know the consistency at which
it works. Just goes through theroof and so but I'm very you know,
excited and proud of the conversations we'recurrently having, and I'm exciting for
them to keep going. I loveworking with Chip Chip Is. I love

(19:27):
talking ball, I love the viewpoints, I love I love the veteran that
he has, you know. Uhand uh, I love now like I
love all of it. I thinkthat you know, early on the biggest
impact, you know, just youknow, feeling perspective. I think in

(19:51):
the run game has been awesome,you know, and then you know,
off of the run game, someof the actions or or relief throws or
all that kind of stuff. Ilove where it's at. I love working
with them, and I would saythat I sleep a little better, all

(20:15):
right. Uh No, It's it'sreally a great combo because, like you
know, we're obviously we're doing alot as a group. It's not just
Chip and I so uh but youknow, obviously Chip has an image and
a view on things that I neverhad. So to have that experience and
have that viewpoint, I'm just tryingto absorb as much as I can,

(20:37):
but then also highlight some things thatwe've really done a good job of and
make sure those You know, nothing'sreally changing. We're just trying to enhance.
We're not changing, we're enhancing.So where the things fit is perfect.
You know, I think, uh, you know the rest of the
dynamics and search chip can talk about. But it's been it's been awesome,
So I'm excited about it. Youtalked to him that there's talking about moving

(21:00):
from slot to the outside. Youknow how good he's been in the slot.
Is that a difficult move for youguys as coaches to know how good
a guy is in that one spot, but know that maybe for his long
term future and the no. Iwouldn't say it's anything on his future,
because he's capable of doing whatever youwant to get done. But I'd say
that it says more about the room. I think it's it's the growth of

(21:23):
you know, Brandon and the growthgrow of Bryson that's really you know,
allowing my mind to say, hey, Mech, be prepared. You're gonna
move around a lot. You're gonnacome out of that slot, You're gonna
be outside. We're gonna create mismatchesout there. I mean, his ability
to move around is critical. ButI would say between Mech and between Carnell
takes's ability to move around a lot. It's gonna provide a lot of flexibility

(21:45):
for our room. And uh andthose top you know, six seven guys
that are really doing a good job. Right now, progress looks like this
spring formica because there's no time tothink. It's one of those things,
I'm sure where you guys balance howmuch this work does a need versus so
much? Yeah, heavy, heavyemphasis on what work he needs, you
know, versus anything else. Irely on him. We have great dialogue

(22:07):
back and forth. It's a twoway it's a two way conversation. And
frankly, there's gonna be times we'relike, hey, Meg, what do
you want to do today? Youwanna go outside? And you and go
inside and I don't care. Sowe're not there yet. We will be
there, but it's just more about, you know, when the room is
ready to start mixing things up.I would say, there's God. I

(22:38):
mean, I make sure I bringin guys that are able to do all,
but I have not asked them toyet. So the only guys that
in our room currently I've asked todo that has been Mecca and Carnell,
and those are probably the two guysthat I would, you know, think
heavily on doing moving around a lot. I'm not putting that on anybody else
right now, not saying they can't, but at this point, having two

(23:00):
guys being able to swing, youprobably don't need much more than that.
I need guys being experts at whatthey're good at, so it it helps
the offense. Don't be great ateverything and be an expert at something and
we can use that to our toour advantage. This year is different,
like maybe you guys more situation.The room's always different, frankly, I
mean from twenty eighteen and then nineteenand through COVID and and those guys,

(23:26):
and and then the depth of thoseguys and then where Mec and Marvin and
those guys were as freshmen compared toyou know, It's just it's always different,
and uh, I expect this oneto be different again, I'm not
sure at what level yet. Lastquestion, your relationship between the TV room
and your West, especially you know, I'm curious TV as a leader,

(23:47):
just like you you know, playedat Ohio Intel Experience, and I'm curious
about how you've seen Tim kind ofbuild a different mart backs and especially on
the recruits. I'll the amount successfulguys and maybe kind of the effective you're
recruit how that's kind of been canceled. He would probably know more for that
question than I would, but Iwould say that, Yeah, we obviously
feel right at the work. Helloeverybody, Darius Robinson, University of Missouri.

(24:12):
I just want to thank mister BillWillmant to your coach Gannon for this
amazing opportunity. I'm glad to behere with Marvin Harrison right next to me,
so I peel great. I'm reallyexcited and I'm excited for this journey.

(24:41):
See fifteen here in town. Marvin, when did you know the Cardinals
were gonna select you? Did youknow before they called or was there an
agreement in place before? No,I did not know until I got that
phone call from the Arizona Cardinals.Marvin Richard Science Fox. Then, welcome
to the I know kind of tweetedto you, tweeted out to you once

(25:04):
you got drafted. What was itlike to get a message from the franchise
quarterback and what kind of thoughts haveyou had about teaming up with this guy
in the near future. Yes,sir, it's been great. He always
want to support I love from yourquarterback and to cause a great player.
I'm so excited to play with him, and it's gonna be my job to
make his job easier. Darius DarrenUrban from Azycardinals dot Com. I know

(25:26):
that a lot of players these daysaren't sticking in one school, uh for
a long time, and you didit for five years. I mean even
Marvin did it for three, Likewhat what went behind that? And why
was it meaningful for you to stayat one school? Yes, at Missouri,
you know, we had some toughseasons, but we were really built
with an edge energy, details,good in emotional consistency, and I just

(25:49):
found myself just trying to grow andget better each year and also as a
team, you know, win moregames each year. And that was my
that was my home, that wasmy family. I was blessed to,
you know, get two degrees aswell off the field, and I just
love MISSOI two degrees. Wow.Marvin Mbob McMahon at Arizona Republic, Congratulations,

(26:11):
Thank you to both of you.You're known as all business and I
want to know how that's going toserve you well in this league from personal
standpoint, your brand, everything youdo or a daily preparation. There's a
lot that goes into being all business. Tell me what that is to you.
Yeah, I mean that's just beinga pro. It's kined and raised

(26:32):
and grew up to do and keepthe same mindset, same attitude that I've
had throughout my whole career. OnceI get here, continue to work hard,
be consistent and discipline, you know, and all that I do.
So I'm looking forward to putting thework. Hey Marvin, Josh Wayne ESPN.
What were the best pieces of adviceyour dad gave you about being an
NFL player? I mean, yeah, it takes a lot of work,

(26:52):
a lot of preparation. You know, from Monday to Saturday, it's all
work. And then Sunday should bethe easy part. I go out there
and have fun, ready to putthe work in. So it starts with
the work first and then no oneSunday comes its Rieka benefits. Hey Darius
Howard, balls are from cards wire. I can't help but notice that ring

(27:12):
on your finger. Is that acotton bowl ring? Yes, it is
the cotton bowler. You showed itto Marvin very quickly. No, I
I was telling Marma, you know, he was glad he didn't play the
whole week leading up. You know, you see Ohio State, everybody said,
okay, Marvin Harrison, and nowis he gonna plays? To go

(27:33):
play? He didn't play, soyou know we lucked out. So hey,
Marvin Paul KELBC Cardinals Broadcasting, doyou believe that receivers have to earn
the trust for their quarterback? Andif so, what does that usually require?
Absolutely, you got to earn thetrust of the quarterback. And think
it starts, you know, everyday in practice and being consistent. Really,

(27:53):
and you can't just do it oneday. Can't you do it for
one week? Has to be youknow, done over and over and over
again. And I think that's howtrust has earned. So no matter where
you get picks, when you're firstreceiver round seven, doesn't really matter.
Have to go and earn trust tothe quarterback, your coaches, your teammates.
So it all starts in practice.What's going on, guys, Good
to see again, Tyler Drake,there's no sports systems for Darius. What's

(28:15):
the feeling of just being able torepresent your school as that first round pick
and what kind of impact can thathave for those guys following in your footsteps.
Yeah, it's awesome. I feellike I'm setting the standard going forward.
Best the name was Zoo is knownas Delon Zoo, so I'm just
added to the family. But nowi feel like I'm setting the standard for
my younger teammates that this is attainableif you work really hard, be consistent,

(28:37):
and really get trust your strimp coach. I feel like every program is
built out the strimp coach and developsall the habits on and off the field.
Darius zach ERSHMANEZI Cardinals dot Com Rightover here, JG mentioned that he
loves the violence that you play with. You mentioned the different tendencies that you
picked up. The emotional consistency isthe great. How do you balance that
the violence with discipline on the field. Honestly, just through preparation and practice.

(29:03):
I'm a big guy. I'm abig believer in inside hands, so
that's why I'm always working my handplacement and then I lift weight, so
you know that's all connected. SoI'm just trying to be focused on my
technique as much as possible. Hey, Marvin over here, David Brown with
the Associated Press. You know alot of rookies come into the league,
and they get a little bit ofleeway. It's like, oh, he's

(29:26):
young, he needs to grow andstuff like that. But obviously you're gonna
be expected to be the guy herereally quickly. How do you deal with
that pressure? How do you goabout just so much being expected of you
so quickly? I mean, yeah, I have high standards for myself,
but I'm just gonna go in thereand try to work, you know,
the best I can. I justwant to help the team win really,
so without that role I play,you know, come September, let me

(29:48):
just do my best do that role. Now. This one's for both of
you, guys. The fans wantto know who you guys are on the
inside. I don't know how muchyou're wanting to reveal to us today.
A lot would be nice. Couldyou tell us what you like to do
away from football, what pisses youoff about things, and you know,

(30:08):
what what makes you roll. I'mpretty simple, like you know, be
in my apartment, watch a movie. If I go out and I go
to a restaurant, get some food. But other than that, they do
too much. And then I'm prettyeasy going, guys, so I try
not to nothing bother me too much. Yeah, I said the same thing.
A real chill guy, just reallyobsessed with football. But outside of

(30:30):
football, like I said, Igot my two degrees. I got my
undergrad hospitality management and the minor andbusiness I got my master and Positive Culture
with FLA leadership. So just thinkingabout being well rounded, and then I
do philanthropy work. I start myown nonprofit foundation Darius Robinson Helping Hands Foundation,
But really just football and then everythingelse. Honestly, congratulations, guys,

(30:56):
welcome to the valley. I'm RobbieBaker with Fox ten. Darius,
this is for you. After thedraft last night. You had a great
response about how your process and preparingfor a game, just kind of wondering
where your love for kind of thegrind comes from, and then your love
for that process comes from. Iwould say my junior year because I played
little league ball off and on.But I got my junior year and I
was playing high school and my wholegoal is just to earn a scholarship.

(31:18):
But during that process, I reallyfell in love with the game, fell
in love with working out relationships withteammates. And now it's kind of like
my advice and I can't let itgo. And just kind of finding ways
to always get better. You know. Luke g litting here with twelve Sports.
Congrats both of you walking into thevalley. This one's for you.
Marvin. I'm curious your thoughts orwhat was that conversation like with your dad

(31:38):
after your name was called and youwere able to be drafted by this organization,
and how surreal is it for youto be following on your own father's
footsteps but in your own way.Yeah, I mean it was very brief
actually, just in the second graduations, I walk up to the stage and
then I had to do a bunchof interviews afterwards. So I don't think
it's hit both of us yet.I don't know what's happened. I think

(31:59):
no. One of my goals alwaysmake him proud, So I hope I
did that. Marvin, bo Brock, pH and X Sports. When do
you anticipate catching your first passes fromKyler Murray? I don't know. I
don't know. I guess we'll seehopefully as soon as possible. Darius,
you mentioned philanthropy, and I knowthere's been it's been talked about how you

(32:20):
took some of the NI nil moneyto do get back to school for the
kids in Colombia. Where where didthat belief in doing those things come from?
I say my family, my brotherand my mom really instilled that into
me and to me at a youngage, just give back your blessings to
others. And my fifty on Miszoois the best year of my life,
So why would I not share myblessings with others. So that's what really

(32:43):
motivated me to do that. Andnow being in NFL, you know,
my goals to do three events eachyear and just get back because you know,
it's life outside of football and biggerblessings out there. Marvin, you
obviously played with a number of highlydrafted receivers at Ohio State. What sort
of feedback if you gotten about theNFL from them, and you know about
making the transition in the league itself. Yeah, it's a long season,

(33:05):
I think going from the twelve gamerecord season you have in college to was
it seventeen games now and you gotthree preseason? Actually just the biggest challenge.
The game stays the same obviously neverWe're all skilled and very talented athletes,
So the mental part is probably thebiggest thing and the biggest change from
the college to pros Marvin, what'syour timeline for hiring an agent? Right

(33:25):
over here on the way part right, you haven't hired an agent? Why
is that? Is there a timelineto hiring one? And are you gonna
sign the NFLPA licensing? I thinkthe title on this team is really good
too, and I think that Ican come in here and make a big
difference, you know, and wecan win a lot of football games,
you know. So that was myThat was part of my decision. Your

(33:49):
achilles could, guy, How toughwas that? How long will it take?
You? Are you back now?But I'm one hundred percent now?
And it was like a walk inthe park. It's like a sprained ankle.
You know. It was very easy, you know, because I had
the knee. The knee was prettyhard, you know, and the Achilles

(34:10):
was I would say it's easy,you know, just because that's just my
mentality, and it was. Itwas pretty easy to be But you know,
I've had these injuries and it's beenstorm like the past two years,
you know, having have like good, great games. The next thing you
heard and then you know, sogot got the injury prone out there,
you know. But I think thestorm is over with, you know,

(34:35):
you know, and I think I'mgonna gonna take off now, you know,
and there will be no setbacks andthe injury prone thing will be gone
out of the window again. That'syep. I need I am. I
am excited. You know. Hedoes a lot of great things, and
he's a great person, and wehave a great relationship. It's gonna be

(34:59):
it's gonna be a f year.We're gonna have a lot of fun.
We're gonna do a lot of greatthings. So I can't wait to hear
waiting. The injuries you've had,is that just bad luck? Is there
anything you've been attributed to beyond justmisfortunately? Yeah, it's just unfortunate,
you know. But God has aplan always, you know. I don't

(35:19):
know what the plan exactly is,you know, I don't know, but
whatever plan it is, it's forme to be here. You know.
I had a great rookie year.Uh I didn't. I didn't really have
the volume as other people my rookieyear, but I still had a great
rookie year. Six yards of carry, you know, things like that.
I think it was like nine touchdownsten including the playoffs. And so there's

(35:44):
always been like, all right,guy, lets me show my talent shine
a little bit. Like even whenI had the knee. So I had
the knee, right, A lotof people don't know like I didn't get
hurt again whenever I got you know, got cleaned up. So I went
down in twenty one, right,had the injury, the knee injury,
and then came back later the nextyear and I and I played the first

(36:04):
few games and it just feel therewas a lot of scars issue in there.
So I did get it cleaned up. I didn't get hurt again.
I could have played the whole year, but I got it cleaned up so
I can feel like me. Andso after I got that cleaned up,
the first two games back from theinjury, I had over one hundred and
twenty yards rushing right, and thenwent on had great, great ending of

(36:24):
the year, you know, onehundred total yards in the playoff game we
lost, which I hate the most. Stays, don't marry me. I
don't want to win. But thencome back the next year hurt again like
torn achilles. So two really unfortunateinjuries. But that's just God's plan,
you know. And I think thatthe storm is now over, you know,

(36:45):
and I do think that I'll beable to shine my light to the
whole world. Are you concerned thatyou have that label your game stand free?
I could care less because I do. I know this out there because
as as it should be, itshould be. I got hurt two major
injuries back or not back to backyears. But you know, so I

(37:05):
haven't been on the field as muchas I should. That's true, that
is true, But it's not likeI'm having these little little dinky injuries and
sitting out. It's something I can'tcontrol, literally, So that's why I'm
not bothered by it. Like,yeah, I am injury pollem, you
can say that, you know,but I do think that the Chargers are
getting a guy that's gonna be healthyfrom now on, you know, God

(37:28):
willing, and it's gonna be great. And I do think that it's gonna
be It's gonna be a great.However, many years here, when you've
been on the field, you've beenhighly adopted five pointy years, but very
average for your career. Like knowingthat when you're out there you're very adopted,
how much confidence does that give youthat really all you need is is
not what you need all the confidencein the world. You know, the

(37:51):
way I work. I wouldn't sayjust from the numbers, but just the
way I work, my work ethic, you know, and my relationship with
Jesus is like I have the mostconfidence when I step out there because I
do know, like if he grantsme the health, it's over with is
I don't think I would be youknow, I think it will be a
great year or whatever, a coupleof years. However, many years he

(38:15):
grants me great health, you know, And I think just the work ethic,
my prayer and all that stuff,that's what helped me have that confidence.
With the numbers will be there,and they might be higher after this
year, you know what I'm saying. And it's crazy to think about because
I had six or six yards percarry, you know. So we'll see
you living forward to running behind thisline that they put together. Oh yeah,

(38:37):
yeah, yeah. I played withBradley, I played with him,
you know, I know the Slater, I know all the I know all
the guys, you know, andI'm excited. I think it's like I
said earlier, it's a talented group. You know. We just got to
put together win some games because that'swhat I came here for a year or
I wouldn't. I wouldn't say partof the recruitment, but like whenever I

(38:59):
decided gonna sign, it was greatto have him in the room. What's
your relationship? Yeah, we're great. We're we have a great relationship.
That's he's like my brother. SoI think compliment each other very well.
You know, he can do alot of stuff too. You know,
we got a lot of people thinkhe's just power, power, power,
but I think he has some otherparts of his game. Two which it

(39:22):
it'll be great because I feel likeI can do everything and when one get
tired, we can roll it in. We keep rolling win some games.
So when you the two of youget going, well, how do you
think that's gonna look for? Whatwould like? What will be that partnership?
Kids back there? I know that'sa hard question. How do I

(39:43):
think it? I think it'll lookbeautiful. You know a lot of people
call this a passing league, butI think you gotta run the ball to
win the super Bowl. You know, if you look at the team who
win the super Bowl, they canrun the ball, they can control the
clock. And so if we're bothgood it'll look great, beautiful. How
would you describe the Gregor running offense? I would I would describe it as,

(40:05):
you know, a great offense.I think he gives a quarter he's
gonna give the quarterback a lot ofoptions. He's gonna give the running back
a lot of options. He's gonnagive the receiver a lot of options,
you know. And I think it'llbe I think it's gonna be great.
His offense is gonna be amazing thing. When we talked to him, you
know, I was like, whyhave you been able to build something good
rushing offenses throughout your career? Youknow, everywhere you've been, And you

(40:29):
said that one part of it isjust you gotta call place. You got
a call a lout of place asa running back. You know, how
much confidence, how much you sit, does it give you when you know
you have a play caller that's gonnastick with it and allow you and the
offensive linement to get your resident givesme a lot of excitement. You know.
It's gonna be Like I said,it's fun to play at his offense,
you know. And I think hedoes have some good things in the

(40:52):
past game too, But like yousaid, he sticks with the run,
and that's that's the identity. You. You want an offense that has an
identity, right, you won't belooking everywhere else to find your your identity.
You want to have it. Andso I think his offense has that,
and the guys he builds and putsin there, it complements that identity.
So I think it's gonna be great. You you're one hundred percent,

(41:15):
so you'll be full go for traininghim. That'sation. Look, I ain't
gonna answer any of the four ifit's up to me. Yes, Look,
because I had this problem like threetwo years three years ago, I'm
thinking I'm full go. I thinkI'm ready to go, and the next
thing, you know, I'm onpup like, hey, look some story
above my prey pay grade. Sobut I don't know hopefully I can start.

(41:39):
I think I'm ready to start,you know, at the beginning of
training camp. But that's not upto me. As I've learned, tell
you how you feel. I wouldn'tsay that. I think I've been I've
been in some great organizations and Ithink this this organization is a great organization,
and the training staff is great,and so they just want what's best

(42:02):
for me, you know, andthey're they're taking care of me, which
that's what you want in an organization, and so that's where that comes from,
which I appreciate it, Like Ireally appreciate that, you know,
because I'm the type of guy,like I work really hard, so maybe
sometime I'm blind to you know,the danger of something, you know,
So I appreciate it. But likeI said, if it's up to me,

(42:23):
yeah, I'm out there. Butnever know what any frustration for you
during the heading into free agency,you know, dealing with with rehab and
not you know, having won afull season tape or production to go out
there. Is there any part ofthat where you're like, God, I
wish you know, had hit theopen market with a different situation. You
know. Nah, I like it. I like, how would I say

(42:46):
this? I like it the hardway, but not, you know,
I like it the hard way.I like it. I like trial and
relations. So I mean the dicethat I was giving the role was I

(43:07):
was coming off of our Achilles andthat was that was the Lord's plan.
So it was beauty in that,Like I was comfortable, I was caught
like there was multiple teams, youknow, I wasn't It wasn't like I
didn't have any other team, butI was comfortable and sitting back and just
that we wouldn't have had initially atthis time of the year, you know,

(43:28):
last year, you know, thosethose tougher conversations, those ones where
we might disagree when we do agree, where he's got his two cents on
it, which is, you know, always the best two cents I've heard.
But me being who I am,you know, I'm gonna throw my
two cents in there, you know. So that's just a it's been awesome,
man. He's you know, aresource for me, just a person
that I can always bounce my thoughtsoff of. And now, you know,

(43:51):
just a year you said, thirteenmonths, now I feel more comfortable
just you know, bringing certain thingsthat you know, you never you never
want to come off too Stan.But I'm a curious guy. I got
a lot of questions. I like, I like football lot, I like
to talk talk the games. Soyou know, come to find out,
he's the exact same. So weuh, you know, we get along
well, and you know we're gonnakeep keep building that relationship. Sometimes in
this league, playing you know,eighteen games, they tryna make it twenty.

(44:14):
You know, it's like it soundlike a little a little fever dream
to be honest, But but uh, if we can find a way to
k you know, stay up rightout there, keep keep airon on his
feet. You know, I'm I'mexcited for that and uh everything that comes
with it. But uh but yeah, like I said, man, that's
it's it's harder said than uh orharder done, and said, I guess
you know, it's one of thosethings. It's like that's a lot of
games. You know, all ofa sudden take a lot of hits.

(44:34):
They take a lot of hits wherethey're not looking, and it's just how
can we keep him healthy? Yeah? Yeah, are you when you think
I do? You've receive the roomnow posisions you guys have made one on
money, healthy and everything, like, yeah, you know, I'm excited
to see it at at full health. You know, we've i haven't got
to see all the all the guysout there at once. And and you
know, it's one of those positionswhere every day is something might happen to
Nick up. You know, it'sjust a a tough position to stay out

(44:57):
there at all times. But Ifeel like, we got a great group,
and the number one thing is howcan we stay healthy? How can
we you know, I'll be outon the field, and I think having
depth like this and the group wehave is gonna help us. Having guys
that can do different things, thatcan go catch ball over the middle,
all types of things that it's gonnatake some of the strain off off all
of us. You know. It'sit's a good group. So I'm excited
to, uh, you know,get out there. I feel like we

(45:20):
haven't had the whole whole thing together, but you know, come season time,
morol, and it's gonna be exciting. What about the guy that's in
your whole number? Yeah? Yeah, Like yeah, man, he's uh
he was a brute. And Ithink it's like, you know how to
write, like when you use yourright hand, you know how your handwriting
should look. What's about taking thereps to make sure matches? I guess

(45:42):
you know, so you're taking thereps to get back to that. I
think it's all what it is.I mean, obviously, like he's one
of my biggest supporters, you know, so obviously you know he's he's he's
excited about the opportunity for me,you know, so I'm excited about it.
Did he help you? Oh alot. He helped me a lot,

(46:05):
even felt like the first day,just trying to help me get used
to to write tackle. He gotmy feet used to write tackle like my
first day practicing, Like dude,I still feel feel a little off.
I don't feel as balanced in mystands. And he showed me the small
technique and to do with my feet, which I still do even even tho
I left tackle just because it's partof my routine. That was part of

(46:27):
my process of getting to my stands. So stuff like that that he taught
me from day one and obviously inpractice was fun. Just compete with him,
you know, it's just to meetat the back of the pocket and
to dap each other back to everyrep like that was compete, you know
what I mean. So that's myguy. As much as you welcome on
your west side, how bittersweet isas a certain matters because it would happened

(46:51):
to him. Yeah, that's thething. That's not how it was definitely
not how I n in And that'show I thought about the transition would go.
You know, I thought it wouldbe you know, home soon timing
and the cardinal his whole career.You know, you know you want to
play here forever, you know whatI mean. While I was talking about
his plans, so you know,you us transitions like one of those fairy

(47:15):
tale like to your time now.But but again either way, you know,
we talked about it. You knowthat that's that's the how it goes,
you know. But obviously you knowhe sees he's He's been one of
my biggest supporters. Again, Iaffect everybody leads in their own way,

(47:36):
you know, not everybody's the guyscoming around like and that's not everybody,
right, Like I felt for me, that's me specifically on game day with
the old line after we do oneon one like that's my like bahump did,
like that's my like big vocal time. I feel like I've talked to
him about this, you know,just recently talking about how what I want

(48:00):
to do for the room was Iwant to bring that hump energy that he
brought right so last year, ofcourse, some traits been doing it for
years, but the year when Ispent with him, he brought a lot
of the energy and excitement and thehappiness in the room was just his natural
energy to where I only had tofocus on me, you know, I

(48:22):
didn't have to make sure other otherguys are you know, feel some type
of way when they came in herebecause Hump brought that. But out of
Hump's not here, but I sawwhat he did for the room. I
want to be that guy to makesure everyone's amp to go to practice,
everybody's hype. Weren't taking the fieldteam on period, you know it's a

(48:43):
low day or something. You know, it's a it's a day, but
like I want to make it feellike your parents the Tripper right now.
I want to bring that because that'swhat me and Hump did with each other.
People hpe each other up, dudeslike dudes about to be walked through.
We're lit. So I want todo that. I want to bring
that energy. I want to makebring more guys, you know, to
do that. You know, yeah, I wanted to do that from day
one, you know, I kindof I wanted to do that from day

(49:07):
one, from just talking to him, and obviously it's that time. I
spend the off season before OTA startedjust being in myself, just thinking about
what the room needs, you know, because I know my new role as
one of the leaders, you knowon my offense is that we need a

(49:29):
guy like that that's gonna make surethe old line is picked up, ready
to go every day and was heldaccountable. Little things are happening to practice,
people aren't saying anything. And howI may lead maybe different than somebody
else may lead. You know.I like to and practice at least like
to lead with positivity, you knowwhat I mean. So, but he
the energy at went beyond just thehype up the deal line and stuff too.

(49:52):
So that's kind of how I wannabe s goal mine literally my whole
life. I want to be aNFL team captain, like specifically the NFL.
I wasn't a captain of high school. I wasn't a captain of college.
But I made a joke when Iwas in high school. It's like
there, I feel like I'm notgonna be a captain til I get to
the NFL. Yeah, but thatwould be awesome, you know, but

(50:16):
you know, if it happens,i'd be great, But not either way,
I wanna assume a role as acaptain from the respect of the guys
on the team. They did aword today and to get back to that
way. Yeah, I mean,I can't say that. I mean,
I guess the biggest thing is thatI felt like it has felt like how

(50:37):
it you used to in the past. But it didn't take just the first
day OTAs. It took training leftand right once the season ended, cause
I didn't know what what it wasgonna be sure, so it took a
lot of yeah reps just to getback to feeling like myself for day one
OTAs and then that whole first week. But now like today, specifically just

(51:01):
changing some small things with my feetthat I did today talking about a line
coach about some things I can dowith my feet to get to that,
like to sell it the traditional anglethat I love to set on. Felt
even I thought I felt, Ithought I felt great already. By my
kat I felt even better. SoI'm even more excited tomorrow. Now I'm
getting my feedback to how I likedit the right side and on the left

(51:22):
side, so I'm excited. Imean, obviously, I feel like in
the league, whether I left orright, you're still going against premier guys,
so obviously you have high expectations foryour left hand or run tackle.
But there's definitely uh like the thelevel of energy and like the expectations.

(51:42):
Definitely taking the human spect cause nowconnected the black side that stuff that's de
tackle roles, you know. Soso yeah, I would say in terms
of communication as far as just evenoutside of facility and just stuff like that,
like really creating that that tackle quarterbackbonding more off the field, I
think has been something that's even beencool. I got a text one day,

(52:06):
I said, Hey, like youplay left and I was like,
yeah, you know, yeah,I've been training both. I've been training
both. You know. I askedafter the season. They're like, honestly,
you know, we'll talk to you. So play in the season and
I just gotta text me, likedepending what happens with with the free agency
then. So I was like,you know what, I had a whole
season right tackle. So if Iget the word, I'm going I'm standing

(52:30):
right tackle. I don't used todo what I did before. I'm built
on that bus. I was like, I might as alost trained the left
tackle now as if I'm gonna beleft tackle, And I'd rather do that
than training on right tackle and getthe call hey you're the left tackle.
I'm like, oh, I didn'teven switch on my feet yet, you
know what I mean. So I'mlike, let me just prepare in advance.
I was like, yeah, let'sgod. You know, I think

(52:51):
occasionally on third down there'd be alot of twists. I would just know
like it's a automatically coming. AndI think that was my mindset for like
the first half of the season.But like I didn't have to go into
a game and was surprise, like, oh my gosh, they did that.
I kind of figured like, okay, like this is this is the
type of rush men again, thisis how this guy usually rushes. But
I get the vibe, this ishow the end's like the rush you know,

(53:14):
tackles that are you know, firstyear guys who got the premiere patch
on. I already knew what itwas gonna be, already knew of every
stunt and honestly just knowing that it'skind of an advantage too. So you're
not you're not you're not old.They brought the twisted my side again,
it was never an Aaron Donald,Like, you know there coming up of
mines like three plays in a rowtwo minutes. I knew that that was
gonna when it happened, So likeyou know what I mean. I'm watching

(53:37):
him more than everybody else, andhe rarely Evelan goes out there on occasional
third downs on the d ND.I was like, already know it's gonna
be. He's gonna pick me,you know what I mean, So fact
fact it's kind of a it's alsokind of an advantage in a way,
but it's also exciting, like Okay, I'm gonna get the hardest look.
You know. So those are real, real reps, you know the bank.

(53:58):
So I don't really to kind ofprocess that. I was like,
hey, when they tell me tolet me know, my mom's gonna train
it. I was training all leftto tas. I guess if I didn't
hear anything about T's I would havecame in like so, you know what
I mean, because just like I'mcool training both continuing, I would have

(54:19):
been cool training both continually. ButI feel like anybody, any position will
be like, okay, like youwanna as soon as possible get your feet
accountability at the time. Ustin,what a U? What did you see?
The guy counted all week? Yeah? I mean he's quick. You
know, he can create a lotof space and uh, small spaces so
uh, it's quick, you know, uh, savvy with his route running,

(54:42):
and you know he's just he's justa hard worker. You know.
You know there's some plays where heknows he's not getting the ball, he's
still still winning or out. Soyou know, just to have that player,
a player like that give that mucheffort on the field every play,
it's really really good to see.And I think it's you know, really
uh gonna ab up on the otherguys too. I'm good about the gun.
I'm getting another what's it like workingwith uh some of the tight ends

(55:05):
that you guys happened room there,I know after Smithia straight just talking about
how versatility that a lot of otherguys have, especially in that prip.
Yeah, I mean we have adifferent uh uh a lot of you know,
different guys in the tight end room. You know, Darnell he brings
sides to the room. Uh,Rodney Speed, Uh Connor he has a
great awareness in the field. Patof course he's you know, he's a
great all around sight end. Andthen uh you know, uh Crew he's

(55:29):
a he's a back, he's smart, he knows what he's doing. So,
I mean, just all the guysin the room. You know,
they're smart and uh atensive and they'vei f I feel like they've j a
justice to the offense. Well,so, what's been like working with Tom
or on what's he been kind ofworking what you wants? Yeah, I
mean Tal's been great. Uh justhis at t he's attention to detail,

(55:52):
the way he comes you know,in each and every day. He comes
in the same guy every day anduh to be on side. And you
know, I don't think of howto coach that detailed as Tom. You
know, he's very detailed in termsof you know, practice review sending us,
uh the info, breaking down eachand every play and really just really
just focused on the detail. Tobe honest with you, I think,

(56:14):
Uh, that's the thing that setshim apart. And you know he's he
pushed us to be hard, Imean our our indie periods or you know,
conditioning, So of course that's goodfor us. But I mean he's
been great so far. So excitedto uh, you know, allow that
allow our relationship to grow and excitedto work with the future. And it's
what he's doing kind of compliment whatyou're doing individually. You know, when

(56:35):
you're away from the facility, workingwith you know, coaches one on one
anything like that. He said,what does he what does he do here?
That kind of compliments what you doaway from the facility when you're troubling.
I mean, I think he doesdifferent stuff, So I think,
uh, that's a good thing aboutit. You know some stuff that we
do here. Oh sorry, Uh, I don't you know, usually do
outside of the facility. So it'sgood getting that different work in, different

(56:58):
drill work that I can you know, implement into my you know, off
season program and stuff like that.So it's good that I'm learned this stuff,
for sure. You'd really good deepall off efficiency nos time that especially
the last year. What what what? What is uh? Our smith in
the offense talk about you about tryingto make make that incorporate that into it
being a big part of this office. I mean yeah, uh, I

(57:19):
think we have fast guys, guysthat can get down the field with speed.
Uh, Guys like Quez, Calvin, Scottie, Van, you know,
me and Rust. You know,we've we've had a lot of deep
off success and a lot of explosiveplays in the past. So you know
that's just uh, you know what, Yeah, I guess how our offense
is built. To be honest withyou, but I mean, our job
is to create explosives and you know, push the ball down the field.

(57:40):
So anytime we get those opts,we definitely wanna capitalize on those. Are
you a coach arresting any part ofyour mechanics and anyway plum that? I
mean, yeah, uh, Ithink there's always room to improve, uh,
mechanic wise and stuff like that.So I think you know, Matt
Baker, uh, he's a fourquarterback assistant. He you know, usually
stays on me the most about it. Okay, So I appreciate the fact
that he does that, and Iusually, you know, make sure he

(58:02):
doesn't make sure I just just stayon top of it, you know as
a whole, and you know,make sure my mechanics are always clean.
Can you talk about one particularly ifthey're distressing. It's it's different areas,
to be honest, I don't thinkit's just one specific area, but it's
it's different areas. Justin in youropinion, was there's something that you wanted
to work on maybe get better atwhen you got here at this point of
your career. I mean, likelike I said, there's you know,

(58:24):
no matter who you are. Youknow, there's always stuff to get better
at, always different areas. Nobody'sperfect in one area, so I think
you can continue to prove in allareas in my game, you know me
personally, So I'm just focused ongetting better you Shoverhood. When we talked
at Russ yesterday, he said thatRus said that he personally felt kind of
revived you bring at another stop inhis career. Is there any of that

(58:45):
sense of maybe rejuvenation or feeling revived? Obviously you haven't been in the league
for thirteen years, but is therea new energy that you get being in
a different organization, going through minicamp in a different way for the first
time. I think so, youknow, just being around in the team
uh uh an organization that's you know, just just with this culture. You

(59:05):
know, me being in two differentplaces now, you just I realize that,
you know, you don't get thisculture everywhere. I think Chicago,
I think they are, you know, kind of changing the narrative now,
but I mean this has just beenthe culture here for so many years to
where I mean you can see it. It's just the way that you know,
we attack each every day and coachyou know, he stays honest about

(59:27):
it. So I think just havingthat and uh, you know, reiterating
that you know each and every day, that keeps guys in the posing guys
are ready to compete each and everyday. Is it easy to step into
an organization when there already is sucha culture that's been established for a long
term to kind of know where youfit and know what's expected. Most most
definitely, I think, you know, especially as a leader as a player

(59:49):
on the team, you just don'thave to thank you for checking out this
contents at sports. If you watchthis po and YouTube, please like the
yes at least yeah. I mean, I think college football is different and
uh, ideologies and understandings and havechanged. And I think that you know,

(01:00:12):
the portal is a variable, andI would say that not him in
particular, but I wouldn't say everyonedoesn't really know how to handle it properly
you see it currently. I mean, it's just it's a variable that's new
and how to handle it. There'snot a transcript on how to handle that
variable. So you just guys justtry to do what they think is right.
That's all they're really trying to do. And I'm not saying there right

(01:00:35):
or wrong, but he was tryingto do the same, and you know,
I think at the end of theday he realized he made the wrong
decision and we connected on it.We talked about it, and you know,
it was a great opportunity to towrite or wrong. And uh,
obviously we're very glad he's here.I've always believed in him. We believe
in him, and he believes inhimself, and that's part of the just

(01:00:55):
trying to understand what's my path right. So, uh, but yeah,
it's been great. Stuffs have beenmade. He's growing, but he's nowhere
near where he knows he's capable ofbeing. He's just probably a priceless Caeremiah.
I love, uh the way helives. I love the way he
approaches things. I love the waythe questions he asks. I love the

(01:01:19):
way he makes mistakes and then correctmistakes. It's very veteran, Like,
I mean, there's so much ballhe has to learn. Like he literally
does things that are good. I'mlike, do you know why that worked?
He goes coach, I have nofreaking idea, So like I'm trying
to teach him all of that whyit worked. So then you know,
the consistency at which it works justgoes to the roof. And so but
I'm very you know, excited andproud of the conversations we're currently having,

(01:01:44):
and I'm exciting it for them tokeep going by what power for you working?
Tell Oh, I love working withChip, Chip is. I love
talking ball, I love the viewpoints, I love I love the veteran that

(01:02:05):
he has, you know, anduh I love yeah, like I love
all of it. I think thatyou know, early on the biggest impact,
you know, just you know,feeling perspective. I think in the
run game has been awesome, youknow, and then you know, off
of the run game some of theactions or or relief throws or all that
kind of stuff. I love whereit's at. I love working with them,

(01:02:28):
and I would say that I sleepa little better, all right.
Uh No, It's it's really agreat combo because, like you know,
we're obviously we're doing a lot asa group. It's not just Chip and

(01:02:50):
I so but you know, obviouslyChip has an image and a view on
things that I never had. Soto have that experience and have that viewpoint,
I'm just trying to absorb as muchas I can. But then also
highlight some things that we've really donea good job of and make sure those
you know, nothing's really changing,We're just trying to enhance. We're not
changing, we're enhancing. So wherethe things fit is perfect, you know,

(01:03:15):
I think, uh, you know, the rest of the dynamics of
search hip can talk about. Butit's been it's been awesome, so I'm
excited about it. We talked toa Mecca who's just talking about moving from
slot to the outside. You knowhow good he's been in the slot.
Is that a difficult move for youguys's coaches to know how good a guy
is in one spot, but knowthat maybe for his long term future.

(01:03:37):
And then no, I wouldn't sayit's anything on his future, because he's
capable of doing whatever you want toget done. But I'd say that it
says more about the room. Ithink it's it's the growth of you know,
Brandon and the growth grow of Brysonthat's really you know, allowing my
mind to say, hey mech beprepared. You're gonna move around a lot,

(01:04:00):
gonna come out of that slot.You're gonna be outside. We're gonna
create mismatches out there. I meanhis ability to move around is critical.
But I would say between Mech andbetween Carnell Takes's ability to move around a
lot, it's gonna provide a lotof flexibility for our room. And uh
and those top you know, sixseven guys that are really doing a good
job. Right now, progress lookslike this spring for likeca because there's no

(01:04:20):
times one of those things. I'mtrue when you has balanced how much work
does a need versus yeah, heavyheavy emphasis on what work he needs,
you know, versus anything else.Uh, I rely on him. We
have great dialogue back and forth.It's a two way to It's a two
way conversation. And uh, frankly, there's gonna be times we're like,
hey, Mech, what do youwanna do today? You wanna go outside?

(01:04:41):
You gonna go inside? And Idon't care. So, uh,
we're not there yet. We willbe there, but it's just more about,
you know, when the room isready to start mixing things up.

(01:05:04):
I would say, there's got Imean, I make sure I'm bring in
guys that are able to do allbut I have not asked them to yet.
So the only guys that in ourroom currently I have asked to do
that has been Mecca and Carnell,and those are probably the two guys that
I would, you know, thinkheavily on doing moving around a lot.
I'm not putting that on anybody elseright now, not saying they can't,

(01:05:25):
but at this point, having twoguys being able to swing, you probably
don't need much more than that.I need guys being experts at what they're
good at, so it it helpsthe Offenset'll be great at everything and be
an expert at something and we canuse that to our advantage. This year
is different, like maybe you guyswho were more situational. The room's always

(01:05:45):
different, frankly, I mean fromtwenty eighteen and then nineteen and through COVID
and and those guys, and thenthe depth of those guys and then where
Mech and Marvin and those guys wereas freshmen compared to you know, It's
just it's always different, and uh, I expect this one to be different
again, I'm not sure at whatlevel yet. Last question, the relationship

(01:06:06):
between the TV room in your leftthe room especially you know, back of
forwards. I'm curious. YEAHDVO asa leader just like you you know,
play at Ohio. Same hasn't,how experience, I'm curious about how you've
seen him kind of build a differentMarveckan, especially on the recruits. I
mean specially hasn't maybe the effective yourrecruits. How that's kind of a chance

(01:06:28):
to Yeah, he would probably knowmore for that, courving all the way
through ten years in this league.So excited to see what he's got.
How old did you know soors sowhen he was assistant here and have you
gotten to know him a lot thatit wins a relationship? Maybe right now?
I know him pretty well. Hewas always just a good dude around
the facility. He did our ballmeetings, so he's good in front of

(01:06:51):
a group. He's a good leader. He knows his scheme really well,
which is good. I was happyto see him promoted. He called me
in the off season. We talked. I just congratulated him, and I
think he's gonna bring something similar towhat we had with the Miko. It'll

(01:07:12):
be good. Do you know Brandonstanleywell at all? And I mean obviously
Joey platform don't know too much abouthim. I've obviously heard from my brother,
but I don't even think i've saidhigh yet. I haven't ran into
him yet, but I'm sure I'llget to know him. When you say
it looks similar to to Miko,the energy or the system, maybe a
little different energy, but I thinkjust knowing the system from the front to

(01:07:38):
the back, I think he knowshow it ties in. And he's been
around with some really good coaches,so I think it'll be pretty pretty seamless,
and I think we'll be firing onall cylinders. You're three months removed
from the super Bowl now, sohow have you? I guess digested it,
and I guess physically every good togo. Yeah, I feel really

(01:08:01):
good. I think it's been oneof my better off seasons of just kind
of it was a long year,so I took it nice and slow to
get back into it. Not asyoung as I once was, so I'm
taking a little, uh, alittle slower, but everything's great. I'm
feeling as good as I felt.I'm excited to actually get some practice in.

(01:08:24):
Last year was kind of tough,getting thrown in Week one after I
walked through, so that was anotherreason I'm excited to be here, is
just to get practicing a little bitin season. Practice is one thing,
but actually being able to work yourstuff and not have a game coming up
is good with the Super Bowl.Unfortunately, I know how to bounce back

(01:08:48):
from tough losses, so it wasrough for a little bit, but now
it's just annoying when people bring itup. Since the last season, you've
seen a Rock on TV commercials andon the stage with Luke Coombs and throwing
out the first pitch in the Giantsgame. But he seems like a guy
that's totally unaffected by celebrity, whichhe has now. But what have you

(01:09:11):
noticed in his leadership style and theway he carries himself any difference at all.
I think he's definitely getting a littlemore vocal within the building. And
uh yeah, I mean I don'tthink he's ever gonna change. I don't
think he's somebody that's going to changeeven when he gets paid next year.
So he's he's a man of faithand he kind of reminds me of Scotti

(01:09:33):
Scheffler, but except for just superhumble and really good kid. And yeah,
he's definitely famous. I don't justfrom watching Armstead get released. Obviously,

(01:09:59):
events so much to the defensive lineinto the team. I mean,
Colin John were pretty open that theywere willing to talk about trading deebo or
are you as yourn? Does thatjust another what's that feel like in the
locker room when those sort of joelshappen. I didn't even know that happened
and I wasn't here, but you'retalking about this offseason arms and alarmed er

(01:10:24):
released, so that's certainly one thing. Yeah, it's a tough business,
for sure. You have to havethick skin and I haven't gone through that,
but I think you just have tounderstand that it is a business and
the team's going to try and getas good as it possibly can with or

(01:10:45):
without you, and you have tolook out for yourself. That's why you
go through holdouts and do certain thingsthat seem selfish in the moment, but
it is what it is, andwhen everything's settled, we're gonna come together
as a team and try and goget one Nick, what's the overall feeling
around the group right now? Like, how much does it feel like the
excitement of the ramp up to theseason, Even though it's early, it

(01:11:09):
feels good. It's been a coupleof days for me, so I like
all the new guys. I'm gettingto know everybody, but I think the
past is in the past and we'reready to go. You talk to you
talked to Beat all about handling thebusiness part of this, and he's going
through something similar. We chat alittle bit, but not too much about

(01:11:29):
the details. I just told himto keep his head up and try and
stay positive through it all. Youfirst impressions when you heard what your schedule
would be in that Aaron Rodgers's firstup, it'll be fun. Yeah,
it's gonna be gonna be a goodnick excuse me kind of alluded to this.
But the fact that last year youhad to have that hold out,

(01:11:53):
you said that affected you somewhat earlyin the season. If you hadn't had
that experience, would you beat?I mean, was that part of the
motivation for being here early, justto have the opposite No, I don't
think that's one of the reasons.But I just talked to Kyle and he

(01:12:13):
kind of asked me, Uh,he kind of stated how he felt about
why it would be good for meto be here and asked if I agreed.
And I agree. So it's notlike I'm missing too much. I
think I'm out here. It's alittle less workload than I'm doing back home.
So it's kind of a good activerecovery thing for me. And I'm

(01:12:35):
getting football stuff, football working specifically, so that's good. I'm not it's
not compromising my training at all,and I get to meet all the guys.
It's it's positives. Your brother youhave to like let him down and

(01:12:56):
oh no, he's he's there.He's got a new regime over there.
Did you first? I actually thoughtI was coming next week until recently,
so I was gonna have one moreweek at home. But we're both in
California. You could share about reasonsthat are sent from the top and it

(01:13:23):
doesn't get mixed up as it's movingdown the ladder. It's boom. This
is how we're doing things, andeverybody's following that. And I think it's
impressive the details that everybody has beenon, has has been on, the
effort and just the competitiveness that that'sbeen going on over the last few weeks.

(01:13:44):
Yeah, it's it's it's been great. How much do you appreciate that
not just described the way Jim,I shouldn't eat in the messaging, doesn't
eat mixed up. I appreciate thatso much. I mean, it's I
guess it's easy to appreciate when youkind of see it working and you see

(01:14:04):
guys improving, getting better. Ijust think the details are really important.
You can pretend that leaving your shoesa mess or your locker a mess isn't
a big deal, and what mattersis playing football. But I think all
those tiny details and things kind ofadd up and leak into the important stuff,

(01:14:27):
like what you're doing on the field. So if you can have your
toe behind the line, or haveyour locker and order and all these things,
they kind of stack up into performingwell and playing well when things count.
So you know, I appreciate thatit's It also hasn't been a fight
with the guys in the locker room. They buy in and you know,

(01:14:48):
it's a lot of young guys,and I think they're hungry to learn,
hungry to compete, and when youknow, it's just an example, whether
it's we talk about the first day, have you shoot if you could,
if you could spend the time onthese small things when nobody's watching. I
think, like I was saying,it seems like it might not add up

(01:15:09):
too much, but I think inthe long term it does, and it
leaks into other things, whether you'redoing your right assignment on the field,
being late to meetings or all thesethings. If you hold a standard and
you stay to that standard, Ithink it benefits you long term. It's
been like Ben Herbert, Has therebeen anything in his training program or working

(01:15:33):
with you that you feel will benefityou later? Yeah, Yeah, definitely.
He's been great. He's a nononsense kind of guy. But he's
not an old school in the sensethat he's bringing his way of doing things
and that's the only way to dothings. He understands that guys have been
in the in the business for along time, Khalil me and we have

(01:15:55):
a way of doing things, andall he wants to do is add to
that and help you get better andperform the best you can. He's a
he stresses it all the time thathe's a tool for us, and you
know, he's been He's been great. The guys love him. The energy
brings is awesome, and I thinkthe stuff that we're doing in the weight
room is great, great addition tostuff that I may may do on the

(01:16:17):
side or whatever that is. Yeah, I think we I mean, we
had a presentation today with all thecertain measurables that are changing, and if
you guys are in the meeting,you definitely see how beneficial he's been to
the team so far. So obviouslystaying healthy is is a huge factor to
anybody's success. I'd say it's plaguedus a little bit for a while.

(01:16:42):
So yeah, I think he's he'sdefinitely incredibly beneficial when you like, I
know at the end of last season, you might have been able to Yeah,
no, I was not ready togo last year. No, tried
practicing, tried coming back, anduh it was it was not good.

(01:17:03):
But yeah, it was Unfortunately,the year wasn't going great and it just
was unnecessary risk for I mean,my foot could have had some real real
issues if I came back too early. So yeah, it's been, it's
been. It's been a great offseason. My foot's feeling great, toes
good, hamstrings good. I mean, there was a list of things last

(01:17:25):
year, my hand, so allthose things are good. Finger gout surgery
on my finger, So that's feelinggood. Yeah, it's it's nice to
be feeling better going into year ninethan you have since maybe five six years
ago, which I've said, I'vesaid I've been feeling great last couple of
years and telling you it's a realdeal this time. But obviously anything can

(01:17:47):
happen. But I just feel it'sfun feeling really confident in your body and
being able to perform. So Icould just go out during practice and you
know, good bye to the walland do everything that I feel like I
need to to be able to prepare. It's fun. My brother and whoever

(01:18:08):
I trained with my trainer Todd backhome, Uh, I think they'd be
really proud of how I've been workingthis off season, and it's just exciting.
The pointing was the injuries on theGreen Bay game. You kind of
yeah, it was a bit ofa build up, a little bit of
an overreaction, but you know,it's just tough. It comes sometimes like

(01:18:32):
that, and I just felt feltreally uh defeated coming back. Had a
broken hand, I'm like, oh, yeah, I get to play boom
for a serious foot pops. ThoughtI'd have to get surgery, and all
these thoughts flooded through my head.Broke down a bit, and yeah,
it just hurts. You know,you're losing, you're getting injured. You've

(01:18:54):
felt like you prepared really well inthe off season and then the year before
you had groin surgery, so youknow, a lot of things build up.
Yeah, you don't get a breakif you're injured. Everybody wants to
go on. Fans are very nice, but no, I just I'm grateful
that I feel this way. I'mstill still nice. Ripe twenty eight,

(01:19:17):
so not too old yet. Butyeah, I'm just excited. I can't
remember what the original question was.At this point, you get something about
my Bobby, how close you andGift were, How frustrating was it that

(01:19:38):
you couldn't you know soon for oneof those last three games. It was
frustrating, but I mean Gift washad my back the whole way. I
think for Gift, for any butfor the whole team, just to show
what it means to me. Itwould have been important for me to be
out there, but I literally couldand I tried to practice. Injured my

(01:19:59):
foot the very first play I wasand in practice, so no chance that
was happening unless I wanted to throwmy next season away as well. But
no, I'm just I'm proud ofhim for what he did with the team,
how he handled it, and Ineed to call him back. Actually,
sorry, I give Yeah, I'mhappy he gets to stay close by

(01:20:23):
with the with the Rams and uh, I'm just proud of all we accomplished
here together over the years and andwe'll be close for the rest of our
lives. Was the footage, Itwas this guy a foot sprang. Yeah,
I sprained one area of my foot. Then when I tried to return,
I sprained another area. Was ableto avoid getting surgery, which is

(01:20:44):
kind of the main goal, butyeah, it was. It was tough
when it comes to the addition ofbut Dupree when he felt like he's kind
of brought to the to the roomand could bring on the field. Yeah,
when I heard we got my brothersome I don't know, maybe my
brother told me. I'm like,really, we just got budd Like that's

(01:21:04):
no, that's no small pickup.He's a seriously elite pass rusher. Has
had some trouble with injuries as well, so I understand how that is,
but not only him as a player, but as a personality. I heard
Khalil just saying he's he's a funguy. He's a funny guy and and
to have that in the room anothervet is always a great addition. But

(01:21:28):
I'm just excited to have him andTulle and to be able to rotate like
that and not drop off at allwhen we come off the field is huge.
And now Tuly's going into a secondyear. Just what do you what
are you kind of What are someof the maturity maturity areas you see from
him? You know, I'm gonnasay not much, And that's a compliment
because he was already mature in thoseareas. I mean, he's on it

(01:21:53):
everything playbook wise, always doing hisjob, working hard, just refining his
technique and pass rush. I mean, we don't have the pads on right
now, so the real work willbegin, you know, in six weeks
now. So but yeah, Ilove Tulie. I've loved him since the
first days he's walked into the facility, and I know he's just gonna continue

(01:22:15):
to get better. You think ofthe addition of Joe Old, Yeah,
yeah, I'm gonna need to beathim up a little bit in camp.
So he's so he's ready, Butno, I think anything to protect our
number ten is a good, goodinvestment. So he seems like a real
solid dude. Haven't talked to himtoo much, great build, seems like

(01:22:39):
he has good hands, good feet, strong. We'll see. We'll see
in a few weeks when I laya helmet in his chin, how he
holds up. But it'll I'll takeit easy on him. Rashawn's a beast.
Did you know Coach Harbond before hecame here and if he did,

(01:22:59):
just those first couple of conversations likethat, Yeah, probably have crossed paths
with him. Maybe maybe not.Actually I think what was it his first
year when I was a junior,So he kicked his ass as usual mitt
Ohio State. No, No,they just want a championship, so I'd

(01:23:19):
say they probably have the bragging rightsright now. I'm like the guy talking
about his old high school. Oh, I remember we used to kicks.
No, but no, yeah,no, the rivalry is dead. I
was just saying this morning, youknow, nine years and kind of forget
about that. I'm not a greatalumni. Sorry, sorry, coach,

(01:23:42):
But no, it's great. That'swhat's great about the NFL is you just
have guys from all backgrounds. Youcould hate their guts one one year,
and then you come on the sameteam and your brothers and you're all working
towards one goal together. So ourfirst talk together was great. I just
sat down with them, went upinto his office and chopped it up about
life mainly and his opportunity here andhow much it means to him. And

(01:24:08):
uh, yeah, I think he'sa special guy. I think he's uh,
the way he conducts himself. He'san interesting cat for sure, and
I'm still still feeling him out.But one thing you can't denies that he
loves football and his main goal isto win football games. And that's what
we need. When you see himworking out with you guys and and pushing
slaves and doing all this stuff,just how interesting is that to see?

(01:24:31):
Yeah, I mean he was ahe was a great player himself, and
I think he's always been, youknow, built like that lack of a
better term. But yeah, he's, uh, he's part of the guys.
You know, he's not this guyoutside looking in. He he really,
I mean he voiced that to me, is that his favorite part of
all of it is being with theguys and and the connections he makes.

(01:24:55):
So Yeah, to to see aguy like that come in and bring it
all and kind of be part ofit himself is important. Your initial impressions
of Coachman during the defensive gaming areYeah, it's funny you go from old
Gift, old Gift to this littleyoung guy who's my age. I wouldn't
want to get thrown into a roomwith me and Khalilipos his age. But

(01:25:20):
no, he's been great. Ilove messing with him a little bit.
We a little sarcasm back and forth. But no, he's great. He's
uh, he's very talks very fast, and I don't as you know,
so sometimes I got to be like, slow down, coach, come on.
But no, he's great. I'mexcited, you know, to get

(01:25:43):
closer as the years, as theyear goes on, and I think he
has he has a lot of passionfor the position and all he wants to
do is learn and and help usto improve. So I'm excited about him
and me and I do miss Giftobviously, was a long time with him,
but I am excited to have anew face and kind of have that

(01:26:03):
challenge for me. You worked muchwith with Jesse's dad, since I know
he coached linebackers in Michigan. Didyou ask about Jesse? Did you ask
about doing? Okay, you askedabout Jesse. Oh my god, I
was talking about freaking doing the wholetime. You guys are so confused.
No, sorry, I thought Ithought I was. I thought you mentioned

(01:26:27):
coach Ronie. No, No,coach Mentor has been great as well.
Yeah, they've both been great.Sorry, run that back. No,
he's been good. Yeah, veryknowledgeable guy. Same thing. I'm excited
to get to know him more asthe year goes on. Have you worked
Have you worked much during the season. Yeah, No, I have not.

(01:26:53):
I don't know if I've said oneword to him, but more words
to come down the road, Likeyou said, you've been in years since
twenty sixteen. Just what are someof the stuff you? Uh, what's
just one on a ramble about thewrong guy for fifteen minutes walking? What?

(01:27:17):
Yeah? What the hecks like?Actually that's literally not the person.
Yeah. I figured out. What'ssomething that you you worked undering the off
season? Something to improve your gameor is there something that you can Usually
my answer is pretty consistent that Ijust continue to try to prepare myself physically,

(01:27:45):
whether that's my sprint work or agilitywork and my lifting, but yeah,
just to get everything feeling great.I dealt with those injuries, so
I had to kind of ramp itup with my finger and foot and all
those things. But now I'm I'mfull full speed out there, and I'm
just gonna continue to do what Iknow will prepare me for the season.

(01:28:08):
And uh, I know I'm gonnaget plenty of technique work and position work
when I'm out here. So fornow, I'm gonna spend these five weeks
really getting uh preparing my body.There's workouts competitive again, another year of
competitives with you and all that stuff. Yeah. Yeah, it's usually too

(01:28:28):
hot out there for much competition.We're just trying to survive. So but
yeah, it's always it's a it'sa silent competition between between each other,
be like peeking, He's like whatwas his time? Was his time?
But no, yeah, it's always. You can never have an off day
when when you're out there and he'she's warming up like a beat, like
a freaking robot every day out there, so there's there's no off days.

(01:28:55):
Have you you and him talked atall and out I mean, i mean
just when you were kind of contractthing, do you guys have to talk
about on about it? Yeah,I mean it's it's a conversation, not
a not really a serious conversation,but it's something that's come up before,
but yeah, I mean it wouldbe cool. It would be cool at

(01:29:15):
some point. I uh. Ialways thought of myself being somebody that will
play here and retire here, whichI think not many people do on one
team, and I think would bea cool thing to accomplish. But you
never know. I'm gonna worry aboutthis year first, you guys, Sorry,

(01:29:35):
it's kind of a work on foodstory play. So you guys have
like the lowest or second lowest foodcafeceria in the NFLPA serbally last year and
let it moved to the facility,Like you need to talk a lot about
food and how you need some time. Is it fine because you are you
looking forward to the food upgrades atall? Have you thought about it at
all? Yeah? No, it'sWolfgang Puck or whatever is the is the

(01:29:58):
word. Yeah, it's great.I've been working with my chef for seven
years now, so she's been great, so I've never really had to worry
about that too much. But yeah, my weight's good. I've been eating
a lot this off season, sothat's good. But yeah, I'm excited
to maybe be able to Sorry Christina, but maybe I won't need a chef.

(01:30:20):
Next year, I'll have I'll havemy going on see how to see
the best fit Chris go, Yeah, Adria, welcome to Seattle. What
are you looking for? And it'sthat that's a loaded question for real for

(01:30:43):
uh. You know in terms ofno pay system, teammates, environment,
city, all those kind of justlike play into it. Besides just the
money thing. I know, financialsalways play a big role and I kind
of steer you into the direction youwant to go, but everything kind of
plays into it. And how muchdid you reach out to Shelby Drew knowing

(01:31:04):
some of the guys, see youknew the played here last year to get
a sense for what what Seattle mightoffer you. I mean not much right
now, I'll talk to I talkto Shelby a little bit about it,
mainly no one, Drew, Uh, just congratulate me, Bob. Did
you come together pretty quickly? Iknow you kind of came your agreement on

(01:31:28):
that first Monday and everything with Seattlethat all kind of come together really faster.
Now, it was a long donSeattle came in almost out of nowhere.
We had like a good set ofteams that we were talking to,
just trying to find like finalize whatwas going on, what was it?
The terms gonna be you know,and Seattle came in hot. They showed
a lot of interest and uh,they kind of just motivated me to come
here more and more. And howsimilar will your role be, you know,

(01:31:51):
in terms of playing from what youdid in Denver. I don't know
that yet. I kind of justmentioned previously, I don't know my role.
I don't know the ins and outyet. Once we'll get NO through
the protocols and nfl PA, we'llwe'll talk about NO, the schemes and
everything, right, so welcome.When you were in Denver in the three

(01:32:13):
four, where did you find yourselfmost comfortable and most effective? I played
a lot of different positions in Denver. I mean earlier in my year,
I played zero, I played three, two one. I mean, I'm
definitely more comfortable in a shaded position, mainly being a three technique and five
technique. That's why I found myselfto be more comfortable whether I'm standing up
or I'm not, whether it's runneror pass, they'll seem to be my

(01:32:35):
best my best fits. And whatis your impression of Pete Carroll's defense and
whole environment set from Afar, itseems like he holds in on defense a
lot. Uh. I can't reallysay too much about that. Yeah,
I don't. I know Pete Carrollvery little, so uh, I'm just
trying to figure out more and I'llgive you a better answer later. What's

(01:32:57):
the reputation around the league out ofthe Seahawks? Uh, you know,
hard nose, hard had type ofteam, definitely on a little more lack
side as opposed to being stuck upor military style, and which is definitely
good because then this program is onea lot of football games have been super
successful for many years, as longas I've been alive, as long as
I've been watching football, and definitelythis has been a good program. And

(01:33:20):
Pete Carroll has been a hell ofa coach for as long as I remember,
even back in his college of days. So I'm looking forward to experiencing
that. Boyle. Yeah, Iknow you said you don't know yet,
you know what your role, butjust what what kind of players who haven't
watched Time of Denver? What kindof player? Definitely a high motor,

(01:33:42):
definitely not a one trick pon anytype of player I like to attack.
You know, whether it's a firstor first through fourth down. I like
to attack. I'm always trying toapply pressure. I'm definitely just a high
mortar guy in my opinion. Bradythere, Brady Henderson from ESPN. Nice
to meet you. Yeah, thisis not a team that really makes big

(01:34:04):
splash signings in free agency. Didyou think going into it the Seattle would
be in play? Uh? No, not at all. Uh. You
you just it's kind of like beinga cure at the County store. You
know, I've got a who wholebunch of different options coming at you,
uh hearing, a whole bunch ofdifferent crazy things, and uh, you
know, you only get to chooseone. And this is the place that
that we both chose each other.And I mean, I'm loving Seattle so

(01:34:27):
far. You know, I likethese colors for real, for real.
What what have you got to dowith Seattle or see since you've been here?
Not much? Uh, just kindof just drive around the city exploring,
uh, getting down to the marketa little bit. I want to
get on of the Ferris will dosome more like touristy type of things.
You know, I'm new to thecity and I got a lot to learn
about the city. All right.Yeah, there's been a lot of comparisons

(01:34:49):
with you to Michael Bennett. Iwas wondering if you know Michael Bennett at
all and you think those are accurate. Uh. I know Michael Berr then
it like nothing. I know nothingabout it, but besides his his style
to play. But I'm honored tobe considered in the same conversation as him
and style of play. You know, He's a Hall of Fame type of
deep lineman that I've known about sinceI was a kid. I mean,
last time he played here, Iwas in high school. So you know,

(01:35:11):
it's cool to it kind of camefull circle a little bit watching him
on TV and now I'm being kindof compared to him in the way you
know. I mean, I'm nottouching the surface of Michael Bennett. You
know, he's a Hall of Famerand I'm not there yet. So you
know, I just got to keepdoing my due diligence to be a better
player. Can Hey dreamont welcome toSeattle. I know you get to play

(01:35:33):
several seasons for vig Fango and thethree four style defense, and Seattle's playing
a similar system now dating back tolast year. As a defensive lineman.
What do you think is most importantto be successful in that system? Maybe
fundamentals or just playing style to besuccessful. Just from what I learned,
being gap sound and being patient hasalways been the biggest thing, and that's

(01:35:56):
how we've been successful when I wasin Denver. Just kind of like relying
on each other. I know thatsounds kind of cliche, but like it's
kind of like the the realm ofbeing in the three four defense. You
gotta really really rely on the guysbehind you and the guys on the side
of you to really make their todo their job to make your job easier.
Bob, Yeah, Uh, youryourho state. Myoffs that you didn't

(01:36:20):
start playing football, So you werejunior in high school and largely played basketball.
So then that's what made I guessdecided to go go play football.
Then was away from basketball. No, No, I've always loved football first.
Uh, it was just kind ofjust playing it out, you know.
I love the who but you know, football was definitely my calling.
Given I was a two hundred andsixty five pound power forward and I was

(01:36:43):
like six strees and change, soyou know, I kind of chose the
route that God gave me. No, I'm not six eight sena. Yeahmond,
We'll come to Seattle and you've beenquoted, and you're looking a couple
of other things that you play,and can you just talk a little bit
about that. The always kind ofcounted out, but can you elaborate more

(01:37:09):
than that just from a standpoint likeI always get like over overshadowed, overlooked,
whether it's a in something, youknow what I'm saying, Like,
I feel like I do a lotmore than what can be seen by the
eyes of the inexperienced, you know, Scout and I do a lot of
different dynamic things that help make playsfor others. You know, I'm definitely

(01:37:30):
an active player. I'm always doingsomething, whether in the runner pass game,
so you know, I think thatgoes on another sometimes and I'm looking
forward to putting people on notice.Thanks Brady. What uh what do you
like to do outside of football?Uh? Big gamer? I'm definitely I've
been getting to a lot of chestslately, so just to expand my brain.

(01:37:53):
Uh. I try to get intoreading, but if it's not as
ports related, I'm really not interestedin reading that book. What do you
think think some of that I'll beable to bring out out of your game
as you can keep trying to,you know, just being more explosive,
probably more yards for catch with thespace that he's putting us into. The
more yards, more yards have tocatch, more exposed to pick, more

(01:38:15):
exposed to plays for for not justonly me, but she and Ak and
taste them. So I'm excited tobe able to be in the system.
I assume you think you guys canbe a lot more explosive than than you
have in the last couple of years. Oh yeah, of course. It
brings a lot of different things,you know what I'm saying, the playbook,
but just accountability. Uh, Ifeel like that's gonna lead us to

(01:38:35):
success. They said, the languageis a little a little shorter it.
Have you found that the language thatyou guys use. Is it about the
same or is it it's kind ofthe same. Really, it's a long,
long place, but it's more understandingfor sure. I feel like you
can get to that more understanding playsand uh, I feel like that's that's
the difference. Peter was saying theother day, just kind of like coming

(01:38:58):
into this offense after like twenty yearsthe breeze and just kind of how it
was just kind of built on topof each other, on top of each
other. It's like kind of alot to kind of take in. Do
you do you find that they kindof turn it down to something new,
starting to like zero with everybody.It's just a little bit easier to kind
of get everybody on the same Yeah. I feel like it's way easier.
Like you said, it was kindof more of a Drew Brees style,
uh the last playbook, so uh, all credit to them though they built

(01:39:20):
that around him, around his players. But uh, like I said,
it's it's more. Uh, thisplaybook is more uh for uh matchups,
and uh, I feel like it'sgonna be better for us. How do
you think it's gonna really take advantageof your skill sets? Uh? Just
building around the strengths that I have. You know what I'm saying, things

(01:39:41):
that I can do and things thatshe can do, Uh, things that
our players can do. Is kindof focus on what we can do and
building on that. Uh. Ifeel like it's playing to the players strengths.
So I feel like it's gonna helpus a lot around the way.
This offense will have a lot morespeed. And how has that transition been
so far. I mean, likeI said, it's building aroun the players
strengths. So of course we gotspeed, uh with me or she and

(01:40:03):
ati receiver, So just building aroundthat, like I said, playing to
our strengths and be able to capitalizeoff that. Feel like it's gonna help
us a lot most of like theup tempo ASPCT and you know, getting
a lot of plays in less time. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's definitely gonna play a big difference. Like I said, coming from the
West Coast, Uh, they bringingthat stand for an offense here, So
I'm excited to be able to bea part of that. For you personally,

(01:40:26):
what what's the next level look likefor you? What do you What
are you trying to accomplish this year? Just staying consistent, man, a
couple of upside downs last year,just building off that. It's always always
gonna work on the physical part,but being able to bounce back after a
bad game. The mental mental aspect, Uh, just learning and learning that
last year and be able to buildon that this year is a huge part.

(01:40:48):
You know, with Mike go on, did you take it upon yourself
to kind of be that voice inthe room or to take a step forward
even further as Uh, I meanit's not really I mean, everybody kind
of grown in the NFL, soit's just on you to be able to
have that standard. Like I said, I just try to do that,

(01:41:11):
lead by example. I'm not reallyoutspoken, but just lead by example,
working hard, trying to dominate everyrep and hopefully they follow after that.
I bet yards after the catch isthat you feel like that's the strength of
yours that maybe wasn't utilize. Idon't know if utilizes the right word,
but you could show more. Yeah, it's an offense that is built around
that, uh, just catching theball in space, catching the ball over

(01:41:34):
the middle or even on the outside, uh, with space and separation.
I feel like it's built around havingyards have to catch. So I'm definitely
proud to be in the system,like I said, and I'm excited.
But is that is that a mindsettoo? Like being good at yards after
the catch? Like? Oh yeah, I mean of course. I mean
you don't want to get tackled bythe first person. And my mindset is

(01:41:55):
trying to take every take everything tothe house, you know, every touch.
So I definitely gotta do that moreand definitely try and work on that
and practice keep wheels great dude,man, Uh, some something that I
definitely needed, something that he relatesto me. Uh, just from backgrounds,
and uh he's a great coach,great leader, Uh, motivational and

(01:42:19):
Uh. Like I said, I'mexcited to have him around and for him
to push me is everything that Ineed. So when you're talking about like
mentally bouncing back, you know fromtough performances or whatever, like, did
you try to find your resources goingto help you figure out how to do
that? Oh? Yeah, Imean it's older guys. Uh uh tell
me, Uh that's natural just havebad games. But uh, just having

(01:42:41):
the standard that I have for myselfand the expectations I have for myself gets
hard sometimes. So just be ableto be hard on yourself but at the
same time just let it go andjust bounce back for the next game is
something that I learned last year.You're one of those guys that feels like
you should always have a certain lookingfor you know, are you okay with
those certain games where the defense isso focused on you that other guys have

(01:43:04):
big games and where you're just runninggood routs? And yeah, I'd definitely
be one dimensional in football, youneed to be able to throw the ball
as much as run the ball.You know, It's funny. Some people
think I'm an area guy. Somepeople think I'm a wing tea guy.
Some people think I want to runthe ball every down. You know,
we're gonna We're gonna do what's bestfor a house state, and that's that's
kind of what our game plan isright now, right Austin were a podcast.

(01:43:28):
When you think about your first evaluationsof the quarterbacks and going through these
fifteen practices at how do you wantto structure that? I know that you
and Ryan have probably talked about thata good amount, Like what's the right
way to set up a spring positionbattle? How many reps does everybody need?
What's sort of your plan just froma general perspective, I guess yeah,
you know, we're really detailed inwhat practice looks like and how that's

(01:43:51):
going to operate. But I alsothink you need to let the players go,
you know, so I don't thinkyou need to to put shackles on
them, so to speak, andjust keep them constrained. You got to
let him go and you got tolet him operate. And we were rotating
I think everybody on every two snapstoday just and that was just what we're
gonna do on day one. Youknow, we'll reassess it after we got
through it, get a chance tocount up all the reps of how many

(01:44:11):
plays, how many plays each guygot, and did they get more in
seven on than they did in elevenon? You know, and we'll go
through that whole thing, and that'llbe a constant flow in terms of how
we're doing it. But I thinkthe best way people learn is they learn
by doing. You know. Sothey've been great in the meeting rooms.
They're sharp when you get them onthe board, they're really good when they're
watching film. But you got togo out and you got to play the
game. And so the more thatwe can put them in those situations to

(01:44:32):
play the game, the better we'llhave an opportunity to evaluate them. U
S. Thinking all of these thingsgo back so far with Ryan Day.
You mentioned since you've known ed sinceshe was a kid, what were your
first impressions back then? And thenshe could come full circle to now,

(01:44:53):
like how do you how do youfeel about that? It's still the same
way, you know, even sincehe was playing Little league, he was
the ultimate competitor, you know,and he was always trying to find a
way to win. He was greatat a lot of sports, Baseball,
basketball, football, you know.I got an opportunity to recruit him,
you know, so I coached himwhen I was at New Hampshire. I
recruited him out of high school.We all, and we grew up really

(01:45:14):
close to each other, so sameelementary school, same high school, same
junior high, same college. Youknow. So I've known him since for
for a really long time. Butthat competitive fire burns deep with him,
and that's the one thing that I'vealways admired with him. And he's got
an amazing athletic brain in terms ofhow to process things and how to how
to put people in position to makeplace. He's always been that prototypical coach
on the field, no matter whatsport he was playing. So I knew

(01:45:36):
he was destined to be a coach, you know. And I was fortunate
in my career as a head coachto have him on my staff in a
couple of places, so I gota chance to see him work firsthand,
you know. I got to seehim work firsthand as a player and then
as a coach. So the successhe had is not is not surprising to
me that there is there where doyou see Ryan, the successes had.

(01:45:57):
Yeah, I think we all dothat. I think we come from a
unique place in a really small hometownin New Hampshire where we all take a
lot of pride to where we're from. And when anybody's successful coming out of
there, then you kind of takea little pride that that's it's the upbringing
that we all had, you know, in the U sports program that we
grew up in in in every aspect, whether it was football, baseball,
basketball, those coaches we had anamazing impact on us and that's why we

(01:46:18):
are where we are right now.Ryan said, he doesn't think of it
as you working under him, it'sworking with him. Fact is he is
the head coach. He makes mecall him sir though he just said can
you do that day one and Iwas like, all right, right now.

(01:46:41):
But I mean he ultimately is thedecision maker. You've been a head
coach, how do you think that'sgoing to work? Do you think there'll
be any as close as you are? Any kind of awkward moments the right
term, but when he's the ultimatedecider and you are working for him.
Yeah, I certainly understand my role. I'm not al Haague, Like I'm

(01:47:01):
not in charge here. Yeah,some people get that reference. Other people
don't get that reference. But I'dcertainly understand that, and I actually kind
of relish it because I really lovethe scheming part. I love the individual
part. I love being in themeeting room of the quarterbacks and trying to
game plan. But everything we dohere is collaborative. You know. The
one thing that really struck me whenI walked in this place is there's an

(01:47:24):
amazing coaching staff here, you know, and if you get a chance to
talk to Larry Johnson just about football, or Tim Walton or Jim Knowles or
Brian Hartline or any of these guysthat are on the staff here, it's
it's a very collaborative effort. Ithink everybody's on the same page. You
know. It's not our offense andtheir defense and it's Ohio State. You
know, it's Ohio State versus thetwelve opponents that we're going to play during

(01:47:46):
the regular season and then beyond.So it's really collaborative. And that's the
thing I like. Just in theshort time that I've been here, is
how collaborative everybody's been. You know, we're all trying to make each other
better and we're all trying to developthis team. Touched on this, you
said, you know you like todo what you want to do and not
My sense is you, in yourperfect world, you'd like to scribble plays

(01:48:06):
on a nap can and not dealwith boosters, dot deal with all the
stuff that coaches head coaches have todeal with now. And how much of
a factor was that in this decisionyou can just do football. No,
that's not it. I mean Ienjoy I mean we've had some amazing I've
had an opportunity and everywhere I've beento meet some amazing people that are associated
with the program. And there's peoplethat from my time at New Hampshire or

(01:48:29):
my time at Oregon. I wasjust with Phil Night two weeks ago,
you know, I got an opportunityto spend some time with him and his
wife Penny, who are dear friendsof mine that have been great mentors to
me in my career. And there'sa bunch of people that at UCLA,
Terry Donnaho Andrea Donna, who wereawesome to me. Angela Mazzoni is a
great friend, Casey Wasserman, TroyAikman. There was a bunch of people
at UCLA that I really enjoyed,you know, being around and talking with.

(01:48:50):
So I think sometimes everybody wants tomake a narrative of it's either this
or that. It's it's it's neverthat. It's never just all ball,
it's never just all recruiting, it'snever just all boosters. It's it's a
mixture of everything. But I thinkthe one thing that as this position as
a head coach kept moving on isthat if you look at a lot of
them, they all become more CEOs. You know. I can't tell you

(01:49:11):
how many coaches that have called mesince I made this decision that said I'm
two years behind you, brother,you know that are thinking the same exact
way. And I think it's allpart of what we have to do.
I think we all need to protectthis game and promote this game, and
I think there are some rules thatwe need to get straightened out so that
people understand where what it's about,because the game is still about the players,
and I hope that never gets discounted. You know. It's it's always

(01:49:33):
been about the players, and Ithink if we can keep that at the
forefront the people that are making decisionson this, and I think Jean Smith
is one of the best influences inin the NCAAA, is to make sure
we keep that the main thing.The main thing needs to be the student
athletes. You know, you're comingin at a time where you've been through

(01:49:55):
some places where the expectations are high. I understand it's also coming into a
juncture where, you know, thethree losses to Michigan, the not making
the playoff last year, the urgencyis pretty high here. I guess just
sort of what perspective do you haveon kind of the stakes that there are
for Ryan this year and the decisionthat then he makes to bring you in

(01:50:15):
to kind of help solve that.Yeah, I think the expectations can be
no higher than they are in yourown brain, you know. And I
think if you try to worry aboutwhat other people are thinking in their brains,
you're going to get screwed up alittle bit. So, you know,
I talked earlier the one thing aboutRyan that I know about him and
has always been he's the ultimate competitor. So he's got there's nowhere that has
higher expectations of Ohio State than Ryandoes, nor the rest of us that

(01:50:36):
joined him in our part of thisand that are working with him. So,
you know, I don't think.I think sometimes you can spend too
much time thinking about those things.You know. What you really have to
do is just as there's a bigsign as you walk into this place,
it says when the moment, youknow, I think that's a real thing
that we have to do as coaches, is to make sure that our players
aren't worried about what's going on inthe future, or or aren't worried about
what's going on in the past,or worry about can they get a little

(01:50:58):
bit better today, you know,and can we make them provement? And
I think the one thing that I'veseen here and I've only been there for
three weeks, but there's a consistencyto the players approach when they walk in
this building every day, which isit's unique. It's not like that everywhere
else. And it's one of thethings that I remarked to Mick when I
you know, he said, hey, what do you think, And I
was like, it's impressive. It'simpressive. The culture of the players that
are in this program right now.But I think it speaks a lot to
the leadership. There's there's a lotof older players on this team, and

(01:51:23):
they've set the tone for the youngerplayers, and I think the younger players
have done a great job of followshipand getting right in line with that.
It never hit it over play callingto someone before. What does it mean
to you? I guess he technicallydid it to Bill when he was here
for a couple weeks. But whatdoes that mean to you to kind of
be getting that responsibility from him andhe's calling essentially the offense that you gave

(01:51:43):
it? I guess in some way. Yeah, I still think the play
calling part will be a collaborative effort. And by that I mean that if
it's a good play, I calledit, and if it's a bad play,
he called it. Because the greatpart is an assistant coach, you
need to just hen point the fingera little bit and just say, hey,
you know, I wanted to dothis, but he trumped me.
So we haven't actually discussed game dayyet. You know, we'll see how
that operates. But everywhere I've beenit's been a collaborative effort, and all

(01:52:09):
of a sudden, someone that's callingthe plays, isn't isn't like pulls one
out of left field that you hadn'tpracticed and hadn't been part of your offense
and said, hey, let's dothis. You know, we're not running
the annexation of Puerto Rico. Youknow, we're not coming up with something
special, you know in the middleof the fourth quarter that we haven't done.
But I think it's the key toreally being successful on offense is is
how you game plan, how youput it all together, and then how

(01:52:30):
you practice and train for that sothat you get a chance to execute it.
Because the player's confidence comes from theirdemonstrated ability that they've done this so
many times in practice that when theyget out on the field that this is
like that to them. You know, it's not that they do it so
they do it right, it's theypractice it so much so that they can't
do it wrong. So, youknow, I think it's that whole part
of it that is really the keyto being a really good game planning team.

(01:52:53):
Second Doug Lane ree King north Ship, When you had that feeling when
you were cooked and quarterbacks during Bowloperation, did you consider at that point
maybe resigning as the head coach andthinking like this is this is not where
I am anymore. I'll leave andthen I'll look to see what else is
out there. No, I neverthought about quitting anything. So, you

(01:53:14):
know, I just is there anopportunity that I think I can that fit,
you know, And I think that'sthe you know, it's no different
than when you're talking to a recruitabout that make a decision on where they're
going to go to school. Ithink that where they should go to school
is where the best fit is forthem. So you know, I just
entertained some opportunities and I always feltI felt like this was the best fit.
But I never thought about quitting ornot coaching. I'm gonna coach.

(01:53:39):
I'm gonna coach, and then I'mgonna die. But I mean, that's
how I think I think about things. Is I can't picture that. I
know someone I was on the Niketrip and they are like, how much
longer are you gonna go? WhenI said I to go another fifteen twenty
years. I don't think about Idon't think about retirement. I don't think
about any of those things. That'sjust not kind of my mindset that you
know. I love football in theas long as I can be part of

(01:54:00):
this game, then I'll be partof this game. Just the way things
worked out with your departure from UCLA, is there anything that you wish you
had done differently, or anything youregret, or just that the circumstances that
presented themselves. Do you think thatyou handled that departure the best that you
could have? Yeah? I meanI got an opportunity to tell my players
personally. You know, I thinkin this day and age of the internet,
where they read it somewhere else andyou have to text message him.

(01:54:24):
You know, that was always importantto me that I wanted to make sure
I talk to my players and explainthe reasons of what I was doing.
I wasn't leaving to take a headcoaching job somewhere else. I wasn't thinking
that the grass is greener at anotheruniversity. Was just in my personal situation,
this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to take an opportunity
to go be a position coach andcoordinator, and that's how it fit.
You know. What I was happyis that I always thought to Sean Foster,

(01:54:46):
I think the world of them,and I think he's a special,
you know, and the fact thatthat they were they gave him the opportunity
to take over there was you know, it worked out. I didn't have
any say in that decision, youknow, I was gone, But I
always thought that de Shaun would bea great head coach, and I'm really
proud of them and happy that thathe got the opportunity to take that job
right behind it at you have,your reputation is innovator. Was part of

(01:55:12):
the appeal of this is that youget to get in the weeds a little
bit. Uh maybe not mad scientists, maybe too too strong of a word,
because you're working within the system.But was there an appeal of I
get to get my hands dirty hereagain and innovate and get back to that
side of things. It was,But it was really more important of who
I get to work with, youknow, and so knowing you know,

(01:55:34):
I've got I know a lot ofguys on the staff besides Ryan also,
so you know, when I knowwhat their mindset is and what their values
are and how they do things,and so I wanted to be a part
of that. But but there's apart of that, Yeah, yeah,
how much of a teacher you getlabeled in the Innovator. The teachings are
part of this. How much isit is of a teacher, are you?

(01:55:55):
And how patient are you? Yeah? I think we're all teachers.
I mean, education is the transportationof knowledge, you know, So it
really doesn't matter what the coach knows. It matters what the players understand,
you know. So you have tobe able to make sure that while you're
implementing things is what resonates with themand how does that come back to them.
So, you know, a lotof our teaching styles that we've learned

(01:56:15):
is more of the Socratic method ofthere's a lot of questions, you know,
and a lot of check for understandings, just to kind of find out
where the players are coming from,because it's what they know that that's ultimately
gonna win games, not what weknow. You know that we're not playing
the games. We're not stepping acrossthose white lines, you know. And
your job as a coach is tocreate an environment where they have an opportunity
to be successful and then get outof their way and let them go do
it. So I think the teachingaspect is huge, and we continue to

(01:56:38):
research, you know, some ofthe latest trends in teaching to make sure
that we are transporting that knowledge toour players. The second roll left Steve
Hellwagen twenty four seven Sports. Yeah, coach, just creious. You got
five scholarship quarterbacks with differing levels ofexperience, age and everything else. Not
to annoyed him, but just wantto ask specifically about Will how coming in

(01:57:00):
after starting part of two years athe has a stage. He just seems
to promote this idea that he's afootball player, you know above all else.
Just how impressed are you with hismakeup, by his experience, what
he's bringing to the table walking inhere right now? Yeah? Really impressed.
You know, you don't have totalk to Will for more than five

(01:57:21):
minutes to kind of know where he'scoming from. He's really focused. You
know, he knows he's got ashort window left in his college career and
it really wants to capitalize on whatthat is. There's a maturity to Will,
you know, I really I've hadexperience. My experience in this thing
since the transfer portal opened in collegefootball is some of the best parayers I've

(01:57:42):
had an opportunity to coach ward transfers. Sometimes when you're a true freshman and
it's five years out. You know, it's like, hey, I got
a ton of time, you know, And sometimes when you're a transfer is
that I've got nine months, youknow. So there's a sense of urgency
I think when you're dealing with withtransfers, and I think Will has exuded
that since he's been here. Butthe thing that I just in the short
time that Will has been here ishow quickly he's fit in with the entire

(01:58:03):
team, you know, and howmuch the the rest of the players respect
him. You know. He wasuh one of the Gold Award winners for
his work in the weight room inthis offseason, so that says a lot
for him coming in here as ain a short time, being able to
to win a weight room award,you know, to start off, You
guys hope to have the number oneinternally externally at the end of spring or

(01:58:25):
I guess just let it play out, how do you I? I think
it always every time I've been involvedin these, I think when they're organic
is when it's the best that Idon't think you can anoint somebody or force
the issue because the players know,the players would understand, they see it
every single day. You know,and there's a team chemistry part of this
thing too, So we're not gonnaforce the issue a but I've always seen
it play itself out. So I'vebeen fortunate that there's always gonna be some

(01:58:48):
quarterback battles that at some point intime at every school there's a quarterback battle,
you know, and then and reallyyou gotta let him play it out
on the field, and that's whereit has to That's that's where it has
to be decided. Just a couplemore Hey, welcome, and we very
excited to have you here. I'mkind of to talk about the innovative part.
Ryan said that that's something that he'salways loved about working with you,

(01:59:11):
and now he wants you to bringthat here and how it would fit with
Ohio State. Do you have anyidea what that's going to look like yet
or is just way too kly?I have no idea, you know.
I think part of it is isyou're trying to put the players in position
to make plays. So a lotof that comes from getting to understand the
players and what their skill sets areand how we feature what their skill sets
are, you know, and andthe one thing after day one, I

(01:59:34):
can tell you that there's a lotof skill set out there, you know,
So that's that's what gets you excited, you know, that's what That's
what you jump out of bed inthe morning and you're excited to go to
work because of the talent that youget to work with. But the one
thing that's the most impressive is thework ethic that goes along with that talent.
You know, it's not just emptytalent. It's you got some kids
who want to I mean all ofthem since I've been here, want to

(01:59:55):
work. So that that's what getsyou excited. But I think assessing what
the skill set is you know thatwe have available to us on the offensive
side of the ball is vitally important. And then our job is to put
those guys in positions to make placesof pressure. I mean, you've experienced
what it's like to coach national championship, how over teams this program right now
and moving into a situation where yougot to win Quicken now, So does

(02:00:20):
that feel like pressure here for youor is it a little bit of excitement
or both? Well, I've alwayssubscribed to as pressure is what you feel
when you don't know what you're doing. So if you don't want to feel
pressure, and then you should knowwhat you're doing, so, you know,
I think it's it's part of that, and I think part of our
job with our players in terms ofthe education process is getting them to understand
that too. Is that you know, it's it's about your preparation, it's

(02:00:41):
about you and your development. It'snot about that you can't be governed by
what other people say. It's it'swhat's my mindset and how am I intrinsically
motivated? And then how do Ireally compete against myself on a daily basis
to get a little bit better.You know, we got a little bit
better today because we get out onthe field today. I got a chance
to do some football. And thenthe challenge is when we get back on
the field on Thursday, can webe a little bit better than we were

(02:01:01):
on Tuesday. And if we're doingthat, then we keep stacking good days
on top of good days, andI think we'll be in good spot.
Welcome, Thank you. I'm gonnaask about the pros and cons of coaching
from the box and coaching from thefield. It's interesting talk to some off
some coordinators. Tom Herman talked abouthe swore he wanted to coach from the
box. Saw the game so muchbetter, sterile environment, not all the
chaos on the field. Some coachesyou talk to the like, I want

(02:01:24):
to be on the field so Ican look at my guys in the eye.
Where are you at as a asa coordinator, honestly, And I've
thought of this a lot. Ithought of it a lot during COVID because
we had the empty stands, youknow, so I had thought about just
walking up into the stands for alittle bit because I had a better advantage.
I've always believed you can see thegame better from up above, but
I believe you can feel the gamebetter from the field. So if there

(02:01:45):
was any way we could get azip wire where you could do both,
you know, coach calling from thereand then zip down of the field get
a chance to talk to him,because it's a different deal when you're talking
to the quarterbacks on a phone,you know, than being able to look
in their eye and kind of seewhere they are with it, And part
of it is the field part ofit. I remember when I coached Ryan
once we were playing Ukon and hegot hit hard going out of bounce and

(02:02:06):
he just walked by me, andI was a play caller, and he
was like, run the next play, and I just kind of looked at
him. I saw the look inhis eyes because I don't think he could
have thrown it, you know,he was still trying to get his win
back. But you wouldn't know thatif you're up in the booth, you
know, and you call a passplay from up in the booth and you're
like, how come we can't completethat? Well, he just took a
shot going out of bound. Soit's that fine line that I don't have
an answer, you know. Ithink I think it's feel on the ground

(02:02:29):
and it's see from up above.Maybe in this day a technology, they'll
figure it out. But we'll seehow that that that operates, and whatever
Ryan feels is the best for theteam is what we're gonna do. So
your team's at the organ were obviouslyno, we're playing at this pass pace
and running a bunch of plays pera minute and yep, maybe not by

(02:02:50):
all pretty fast. What role doyou see tempo and having an offense and
in the station in college football?And hasn't maybe changed? I think the
game is always evolving, you know, I think when I left in two
thousand and twelve to go to theNational Football League, Oregon was the only
team that was playing really really fastand had shiny helmets. And when I

(02:03:11):
came back in twenty seventeen, everybodyhad shiny helmets and everybody was playing fast.
So I think the game is alwaysgoing to go up and down,
and there's going to be different cyclesthat it goes through. I think tempo
is part of an offense, butI don't think it's an offense in itself.
I think it's more of like ifyou go to dinner, it's a
side order. You know, it'snot the main course, but it's it's
always good to have it. SoI think there's times when you'll use it,

(02:03:33):
but you're you're not going to useit extensively the entire game, just
like you're not going to throw theball every single snap in the game.
You're not going to run the ballevery single snap in the game. You
know, there's not a game ofabsolutes anymore. I think the ability to
be diverse and have it as atool in your two box, so to
speak, is really how we wouldlook at using it here becaus are now

(02:03:56):
work familiar with it then I thinkso, you know, I think when
you first started going Temple, therewere people in the NCAA. They want
to outlawed. They want to makean NCAA rule that you had. You
couldn't do it, you know,and I'll I'll give coach Shaping credit.
I mean, I think obviously Nickwas the first one to do it.
He wanted outlawd and then all ofa sudden he adapted it and said,
all right, we like this,you know, so we'll keep it in.
But it's I think people have itdoesn't matter what you do. There's

(02:04:19):
there's cycles to this game, andthen once people catch on to that cycle,
then it moves. You know,It's no different than for three defenses
and three four defenses. You knowwhat is the rage when the when the
Giants won the Super Bowl, theywere there were three four defense and everybody,
everybody says, we have to dothat. What people didn't understand is
they had Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor. It didn't matter what defense they were
running. I know, Gym's backthere and Jim played against the you know

(02:04:41):
it was they could have been afour down defense and those guys would have
been great players, but it's notthe scheme. I think that the coaches
that do it the best way isthey insert their players and put them in
the best position to make plays.And now, now will Temple be part
of it. It'll be part ofit, but it's certainly not going to
be the main course. Sorry,last question Tim made to ma Oh,
thank you very much, Jerry.Remember one, there was a great moment

(02:05:03):
there when y'all were warming up,when you were you were talking with Tim
Walton and Caleb Downs comes up andconversing and as you're in this kind of
a two part question, but numberone, what was just your take on
the talent you saw on that fieldtoday on both sides of the ball.
Where where would you rank it?Yeah, I'll rank it. I'll be
very transparent. As I was tellingTim and Caleb what a great offensive player

(02:05:27):
I thought Caleb would be, couldbe and should be. But I'm not
the head coach, so I alwaysturned stretch as a as an offensive coordinator,
I'm always looking at the defensive playerslike I could use him. Oh
what could I do if I hadhim? What could I do if I
have him? But I don't.I don't get to choose him anymore because
I'm I'm not I don't have thepick. But I was just talking to

(02:05:49):
him about he's He's a great youngman and if you watch, if you
want to watch a highlight type,watch his holl You know, I understand
I came off a rough season,but I don't think it's a step down
of where I can play. Youknow, I think when I was at
the top of my game, I'mstill you know, top five player in
my position. And you know,I played a run in the past and

(02:06:10):
I bring leadership and you know that'snot anything I discome. Can you do
you plan to be here for Minicamp ram a storage in the camp?
Yeah? How difficult has it beenthe last two weeks to not be here?
And you said in your podcast thefirst time you've never not been a
Ota. Yeah, it w Itwas difficult, But like you know,
the thing I got very frustrated withwas just when people questioned my communication with

(02:06:32):
the team. You know, Iuh was communicating with guys left and right,
and you know, front office,coaches, teammates, and all I
care about is how I am withmy teammates. I don't want them to
ever think I don't care about themor how I'm not in it and you
know, you can say whatever youwant about me. But besides that,

(02:06:55):
but I always dedicate anything I cando, and I don't want that to
every question. Isaiah said that itfelt like sometimes you were holed up somewhere
watching film. You texted hy youmissed this, or you want to be
well. Like the first day,he was batting all up Russ's passes,
so I had to let him know. You know, Uh, you gotta
take advantage of that. You gottamake sure guys are you know, uh

(02:07:16):
know that you you still care andyou still wanna be a part of this.
Uh, you know, just watchingpractice, there's a couple of things
we're doing different, whether I'm communicatingwith Gunbar or other people. You know,
Tovie, so you're that you're alsotalking with him and you you've given
him pointers during the off season,just constant communication. How do you see
him grow as a person, youknow, as far as how he's approaching

(02:07:40):
things and how he's getting ready forthis season, promos his rookie year.
Uh, you know, I thinkthe thing with Keanu is he's more comfortable,
you know, you know it's nothis first time around the track.
You know, it's actually like hecan you know, uh, catch his
feet under him. You know,I always think when you're in your rookie
season, you're going from bowl game. I don't know, Wisconsin playing in

(02:08:01):
a bowl game. Sorry, Wisconsin, I don't even know. But you
know, personally, I just thinkwhen you go from bowl game to training
for the combine to you know,rookie mining camps, OTAs, the you
know mini camp, I mean thetraining camp the regular season, you really
don't get a time to really catchyourself. You know, he understands the
playbook. Now he can be morevocal, you know, And I think

(02:08:24):
when my absence the other guy's absence, you know, you need guys like
that to step up and be readyfor those opportunities. What do you take
you have saying you have during theseason was a more thorough What was just
tightening down everything, you know onmy left side because I was overcompensating a
little bit, But you know itwas it wasn't anything that lingers. You

(02:08:46):
know, I'll say this, Agrowing is not like an a cl It's
not like anything's that we're gonna geaffected again. And you know, you
know I'm feeling good, able todo everything squat and heavy with power and
speed. So you know, itfeels good to get after again, what
do you think of what the teamwas able to accomplish? Whish off eas
you return to bring guys like Russianand things ended. You know, I

(02:09:09):
think they're all good acquisitions. Butyou know, you never want to be
known as a paper champion, andso you can't win the off season.
I think the work gets done outhere on the field, gets done in
the classroom, It gets done training, you know, and then you see
where you're at in training camp andthen you build on that. You know,
I think we got the right guysin the building. It's just about

(02:09:33):
putting a complete team on the field. Camp. How tenther colleges to separate
the business part of the game inthe actual football player week, Oh,
you know, you always wanna youalways have to treat it like a business
because you know one day it's gonnaend. And that's any job. It's
not like in college where you knowyou got four years guaranteed. I don't

(02:09:58):
know, well now you don't evenknow what nil scrap the transfer portal portal,
but you know you have to,you know, I still have love
for this game, and I stillwork my tail off and I still put
everything into it, and that's notgonna change. But you have to know
what you bring to the team andwhat your what your value is all.

(02:10:20):
Did a feel to be out therewith your teammates today? Emotionally great?
You know, we got a newuh, we got a new training staff
and still learning the the warm upa little different, but uh, you
know, I loved it. Uh, you know, just getting after it,
learning new guys, Uh, goingthrough the same drills I've been doing
by myself. I actually like havingmore people around, cause like kind of

(02:10:43):
go stir crazy when it's just youand another guy. You're like, damn,
I gotta go back up for anotherrep already. And so you know,
it's nice to be up here andget a chance to, you know,
be with my guys. Cam wereyou confident and deep? Will get
done with your emotional Oh, I'mgonna I'm We'll try to remain pretty neutral,

(02:11:03):
cause you know, I don't wannabe too either way. All I
know is I wanna be here,but we'll see what happens. Is my
last year here, I I II've had a great career here, but
uh, I'll look forward to playnext year. Can you know what that
second surgery you said it this timewas on the left side. It was

(02:11:24):
the first time around on the rightside, right side during the season,
left side, and that was justtightening down my corner. My corma saw.
It wasn't the same as my addoctor. You know, you can
ask doctor Bradley, Uh, doctordoctor Zuckerbron who uh did the surgery as
well. You know, I ifanything's gonna help me and you'll make me

(02:11:46):
a lot stronger from hearing up Andyou said you were training with another guy?
Who have you kind of been Tyson? Oh? Uh, I've been
training with him for the last eightyears. We've always trained together. We
got a trainer up north. Uhshout out Cole Haley. He's my guy,
traded h trained trained, Uh,Heath Miller, Brett Keesel, the

(02:12:07):
multitude of guys that I all respectand we've just been getting after Cam.
He's very few guys historically thirty fivethat get paid big contracts. You think
that's held against you. I thinkthere's not a lot of history behind it.
But you know, for me,I I look at as I'm not
looking to be like anybody else.You know, my game is different from

(02:12:28):
everybody else in this league. Youknow, I like to think, you
know, I can play the runin the past, and then that's where
I'm different. You know. Iremember last year, Mike t just brought
to my attention. You know thething that's really cool is you watch powerlisters,
and you know, my game's builton powering technique, and those guys
go into their forties and so youknow, that's what kind of research I'm

(02:12:50):
doing behind the scenes. But youknow, I I We'll see what happens.
I It's m there's not a lotof history, but I'm here to
make history and I'm here to youknow, I win anuther super Bowl here
and you know, have a greatseason. Do you have a set goal
for yourself or how many years youwanna play in the NFL? Or do
you just take things here by theyear? You know it? It was

(02:13:13):
it was tough answering that question rightafter the season. I will say this,
guys, I I can't keep answeringthat question right after the season.
That is not fair to the season, that's not fair to my family.
Uh you know, but in mymind, I got three years, and
I wanna maximize'em. I wannaplay at a high level, and I
wanna go deep in the playoffs.And you know, we got a good

(02:13:35):
team, and I'm gonna do mypart to be ready for all those situations
here. If you plan on practicewhen you report to latrob Or, it
is your possibility that you might pullin and enforce the negotiations. I I
have not even thought that far.I'm taken a day by day uh you
know, uh uh. I toldmy agent and we talked about it.
I mean, we were cool comingout here. You know. I'll be

(02:13:58):
here for many you know, andthen I'll be there for training pan.
You know, I don't know whatthe work entails, but when we get
there, we'll we'll cross that bridge. Why is it or remain a stealer
for those three years? You know, there was a conversation between me Omar

(02:14:18):
and Mike t And there's certain guysthat are one helmet guys, you know,
and I wanna be one of thoseone helmet guys. And you know,
there's a there's a hunger and desirethere. But that doesn't mean just
hanging it up and calling a careerto me. I think you know,
I got more bullets to fire anduh, you know, I'm excited to

(02:14:41):
do that. What's the meaning lastone? You? And also what did
your impression of him? What?What does he do well that you're like,
okay, yeah, this is thisis the proger. I want to
take her and he closes you boardyou both torn. Yeah, you can
get it right up in the visit. I mean when you came down here,
was there a thought process that youcould commit. Did you come down
with an open mind or did youkind of have a feeling that this was
gonna be doing again to you?I came down with opamon. I didn't

(02:15:03):
know about the motimating really and thenI got here. I fl the family.
I'm here with the player of whatwas that moment like for you talking
to coaches telling me and compared andtelling your family? Just what was that
like for you? But it wasgreat? I have a mom, my
dad or my mom's been in theroom area. What was that reaction?
Well, my everybody argues except fromthem doing take five? So what was

(02:15:26):
coach lost that it was time?When you think of like just to comment
or the yeah, just an Ohiostate back, you know, whether it's
physicality. What are the first thingsthat come to mind when you think of
you don't high shap or any backsweet of power, yes on and tity
got it? Yeah? Is thatsomething that I mean you feel like you

(02:15:46):
have to you know we're going oris that something that you're like, Yeah,
that's the kind of back I am. I'm just gonna be next to
mine. That whist I think that'sthe tip of back I am. But
you go out, Yeah, Well, what are kind of a few of
those things that you're like, yeah, I need to work on like over
the course of the next few months, or I'm just thing make sure I
keep all the details, Baston.What a coach I tell you that he
likes about your game? Is ableto do between the tackles, your speed

(02:16:07):
or what is he like right now? He said you like tomorrows off the
backfield fan without saying he liked that, I'm not what's kind of your main
I mean, obviously as an instate kid committed to this class, what's
your pitch now to other recruits tobe like, this is why you should
join Ohio States. It's a realfamily. I'm experience YEA, everybody getting
them on. Everybody trucking to everybodyjoy each other. What'd you say once

(02:16:31):
you gets bring him to his well, I've always looked up to Bill Jackson
watching this film. Do you uhthat's funny? Do you think that your
boy style can hear his forms respectiveand just the way that he thinks all

(02:16:52):
go off? And I think that'llyou want to grow into Yeah? I
think I can. I think tospeed the power? Yeah, I think
you know? Who are the mainguys that you're you're talking to you right
now to join the store. I'mreally talking to everybody at the list of
room and that all the community andany guys that you want to join the
past, anybody at the top ofyour list. Not oh sorry if you

(02:17:15):
already got asked this, but comingup here as a as a recruit or
as a commitments here? What whatdid you want to show today? What
did you want to get out ofthis experience? It wasn't nothing to show,
nothing to prove. I just wantedto do some working with his blow.
How did you feel like that went? Obviously he's still relatively new here,
but he seems to bring up alittle bit of a different energy than
than some of these camps in thepast, I feel like it really good.

(02:17:37):
Yeah. Do you sense that energy? I mean when you're out with
him, it's I feel this intenseenergy. He's different than other guys though,
right, I mean kind of howyou would you explain his coaching than
some of the other running back coachyou may have worked with in the path.
It's just intense, extense like gogo go? Did did you talk
to coach? Talk on when youeither got to organ? I did?
Okay? So when when didn't hedidn't work? And get him out to

(02:17:58):
Erica like Rufford around like after theseason, like not to try to Okay?
Is that I mean? Is itwas? He kind of the same
guy that he is now, sojust just in a new uniform. Basic.
Yeah, And you guys obviously addedIsaiah to the class, and there's
no secret they would like to addanother one. What are your thoughts on
being in a class with three differentrunning backs like that? I have no

(02:18:22):
problem being with the past three.Nuther, what do you like about Isaiah?
I don't know, you've never methim, but you just damn on
the first when you committed. Whowere some of the guys that we started
to from any but in particularly aboutafter they come back, not really A
couple of linebackers take the host.I just appreciate this. I mean,

(02:18:56):
obviously we got a couple of yearbefore you get here. If about how
you pick so higher and state prettyit's a pretty you started to get it
pretty good. But I mean interms of the guys, don't you want
to join? You you'restars? Notso much the testing parts. Mary Hamper,

(02:19:16):
you're not such hit your peel shirtgreat, a great right seek what
do you want out of a quarterbackin your class like a white? You're
missing a specific like h this iswhat we wanted tested quarterbacks. But you're

(02:19:39):
cart greatly. What's your first seeRochester, A couple of bride hard worker.

(02:20:05):
Thank you, brothers music coach,the very chills, just very very
person Thank you once again your music. We're talking about Kelly about that tell
me like that I'm a girl.That's the first time I met him.

(02:20:30):
You know, we just finding out. Yeah, what do you think you
can work to? You know talkingyea like a lots of ta. What's
been like for you just coming upto California, being out of fun to
day? This is a little honestlylike help you Yeah, like different being

(02:20:58):
in what state here or what weredifficult A lot of it's definitely different.
So it's flying here. You know, listen years a new generation of recruits
where I don't think anybody outside lookingat an older question, is the strength
of your commitment? Like you're lockedinto the lag of state. You send
it over and over, but you'remaking visits around the country, You've seeing

(02:21:18):
other schools. It's it's almost atotally different mindset. In nineteen that was
like the first year we were makinga transition, and then you know,
COVID hit, and then you know, every year it just seems like there's
something else. And I could cometo the conclusion that every year is going
to be different and we have toadapt. But there's certain things that we're
not going to change. There's certainvalues we're not going to change. It's
just you know, you know,principles that have you know, stood the

(02:21:41):
test of time. And I sharedthis with with a group before when I
started doing some some research as wewere doing some some of our recruiting you
know introductions and some of our youknow talks about you know, the traditions
of Ohio State. We talked abouthow Ohio Stadium was built. You know,
and when you when you do yourresearch on that one hundred years ago,

(02:22:05):
you know, folks had the ideaof building a stadium over sixty thousand
people, and that's because of whatChick Carley was doing. And you know,
they had a wooden bleachers over here, and all these people started coming
in and the idea of bringing ina stadium that of our sixty thousand people
at the time was like, thisis crazy. What is college football turning
into? And they instead of goingto the state or going to the school
the community, they went to thecommunity to raise the money they raised over

(02:22:28):
at the time over a million dollars. Well, I had fast forward one
hundred years and the conversation still mightbe like what is college football doing right?
And in this situation then il wehad to turn to the community for
help, and Bucky Nation showed upagain in a big way. So although
the landscape is changing, I don'tknow if you know, one hundred years
later, if it's that much different. It's just in a different time,

(02:22:50):
in a different you know, setof issues that we're working through. But
I think it's exciting. I thinkthere's a lot of positives to it.
I do I think that we're takingthe next step with the revenue sharing to
try to institutionalize some of it,which would be big for US Bills.

(02:23:11):
Yeah, every years got question.It seems like this year's team has fewer
questions off line guard address specifically,if you look ahead to reveal in a
month, what are the real questionsthat you have in your mind about position
battles and there, I would sayon offense, you know, we got

(02:23:35):
to square away the quarterback as youknow, I feel like, you know,
the offensive line on the right side, we got to solidify that.
I feel like we got to build, you know, enough depth at receiver
that we feel like we can putin five or six in the game and
feel good about it. On defense, I think we're still looking to figure

(02:23:56):
out, you know, who aregoing to be the guys in side,
you know, the third, thefourth, the fifth, defensive interior alignment
that we're going to put in thegame. And then same thing just just
I would say depth, a littlebit of safety, just to kind of
see who those next guys are they'regoing to step up, and so we
know it's going to be a longyear. We're going to need everybody and

(02:24:18):
and so in a lot of thoseareas, it's depth, uh, special
teams wise, you know punter isgoing to be you know that that is
significant. You know, we justbrought in Nick and you know, so
there'll be a battle there. SoI'd say those are probably the areas we're
focused on the most. Right justto fall on the offensive line, there
was I think a school apology youguys might look for a transfer in that

(02:24:41):
post spring window. Did you guysdo that? Did you guys not find
the guy or were you just confidentthe guys you have, just like you
know in January, if if ifwe're going to bring somebody in, it
is to fill a hole. We'renot just going to bring somebody in to
bring somebody in. Like in allpositions, we'll always look to see what
it's out there. We did evaluatesome of the guys that were out there,

(02:25:03):
and you know, you know,we felt like coming out of it
as we evaluated it, you know, there was a couple of guys that
you know, we checked on,but but ultimately, like based on where
we were and some of the youngguys that are coming up, you know,
we felt like we saw some progressin the offensive line in the spring,
So you know, it wasn't therewasn't as many folks in the portal,
you know, in after the spring. So we looked at it,

(02:25:26):
we identified it, We did ourdue diligence, but you know, we're
gonna go through what we have now. Second round. Bill landis right,
you're it was interesting that you havetwo of maybe the top five ors of
guys in Sport and then a bunchof guys who haven't plenty maybe someone that
I know w question, but didyou consider trying to add there? Understanding
that probably the difficult sell we havesuch telling how to bring over you of

(02:25:50):
these experiences, like what were thoseconversations like, and how did you settle
on being comfortable with you know,Trey and and well, like you said,
you know, I think we're wellget some experience there with those two
guys, and then you know,we felt like coming out of the Spring
that James and Sam both did anice job and you know, we're gonna
have to play them and they're gonnahave to you know, take on a
little bit of that. You know, we have you know, started having

(02:26:13):
conversations with Caleb Downs. I waspart of the recruiting process of possibly you
know, doing a little bit ofrunning back as well. It's something that
he wanted to do. So we'vebeen having him in some of the meetings
and some of the individual drills asa possibility there if you know, needed
so down the road to continue tobuild depth at that position. But you
know, I think, you know, we feel like, you know,

(02:26:35):
if you have you know, fourstrong running backs going into it, then
you know that's gonna be that's gonnabe enough to carry the season. I
do think that the quarterbacks will runthe ball more this season, so that
should take some carries away from them. But to your point, you know,
James and Sam are gonna have tostep up to the guys that we
can count on. Save that foranother day. Yeah, just fall up

(02:27:01):
on that. Is he capable ofstepping in and being running back obviously?
Yeah, says a lot. We'llsee, We'll see. We talked about
in the recruiting process, you know, the first time around and more specifically
in the second time around, andso he's you know, he's been around
a little bit just to get afeel for it. We did very little
in the spring. We did Ithink we pitched them an option or something

(02:27:24):
like that. In the spring justto kind of get them going. But
yeah, we'll see. We'll seewhere that goes. We don't have a
specific plan right now, but wedo want to introduce him to that just
the same thing like Lorenzo Styles hasplayed Recier where he did that, Notre
Dame. You know, he's outthere a little bit, just kind of
learning. It's healthy. You know, you're seeing it from the other side
of the ball. This time ofyear, you can get away with that
a little bit, a little bitin the preseason. Where it goes,

(02:27:46):
we'll see, but you just neverknow. And we're trying to put some
contingency plans in place because it couldbe a long season. Yeah, this
is my forty first year covering ofHot to Day. I don't remember ever
expectations like this In the summer,there were some of them were almost this
big. Do you sense that too, And what's that pressure like as you're
working through a summer. Yeah,And people have asked me that I go

(02:28:07):
back to the expectations every year arethe same. I mean, it's just
the truth. When opening press conferenceI said you got to beat the team
up north, and when every gameafter that, that's just the expectations and
when you come up short, youknow you've got to figure out a way
to get those things fixed. Ithink we have done that. But the
expectations are the same every year.Pressure is the same every year. I
just like the pressure when you've gota really good team behind you. So

(02:28:28):
that's what we've got right now.And you know, we know it's going
to be a long season. Weknow we're working towards. But I will
say this about this team, Well, we've been talented. That's there's been
times in the past we've been talented. I don't know since I've been here.
If we've been this talented and thisexperience together with guys that have played
a lot of football, fourth andfifth year guys, and that doesn't matter,

(02:28:48):
we'll go court. Maybe maybe thisis just top because it's summer cobviously
you can just have conversations. Maybewe're making a big out of nothing long
term situations. But we've seen itaround college football in league guys playing both
sides of the ball and doing itquite well. Right Travis Sunder is doing
in Colorado, and Caleb Dallas hasbeen apartment turns, so we see what

(02:29:09):
he could do with the ball.But there's also the stamina aspect of that
getting to a sixteen game season.So I'm not saying it's any forty snaps
or something like that, But whatabout his athleticism what he brings to the
table and let you know that ifyou wanted to explore it a real game,
he could last and still be aneffective safety. Yeah. Yeah,
we'd have to see all that hedid it in high school. But we

(02:29:31):
got some really good running backs ina room. So it's not something that
we're planning on doing, but uh, we all we are gonna, you
know, work on a little bitCaleb. Caleb enjoys that part of it.
We did agree that that was somethingthat we were going to look into.
Where it goes, I don't Idon't really know right now, but
I know that he has the capabilityto do it. He has the athleticism
and do it, and you know, we'll kind of see where it goes,
see see how he does, andyou know, maybe hand the ball

(02:29:54):
Tom a little bit in the preseasonbecause again, it's going to be a
long season. We have to makesure we have continuoency plans in place.
But I know it's something that heenjoys. Having the ball in his hand.
So even during their first time aroundthe recruiting process, we even't talked
about him coming in as a asan offensive player. Ultimately, we think
a ceiling is highest on defense.But you know, but I also agree.

(02:30:16):
I think that having you know,guys go on the other side of
the ball and just see it,listen to meetings is really healthy for their
development. So we're gonna do thatregardless. Your defensive recruiting right now is
maybe further long, and it's beenin the years past, and I think
we passed numrous questions about it inthe past. But is this a product
of seeing it over the last coupleof years and now it's not just telling

(02:30:39):
you guys, hey, this mightlook like this. They're seeing it in
real time. Yeah, you know, we talked about it when Jim first
came in, and I think TimWall was an unbelievable job as well in
the back end, and you know, Matt stepped right in and James and
Larry. I think they're all doinga great job. But like you said,
you know, it's one thing totalk about it. That's theory testimony
is just look at this is thisis what we're doing and then I think

(02:31:00):
you're seeing a lot of guys justexcited about playing in this defense and they
see the capabilities and the flexibility too. You know, right now, the
way we play, excuse me,the way we play right now is based
on you know, we have fourreally talented defensive linemen that are really good,
and we got a lot of thatto those positions. But there's also
flexibility with some of the things Gym'sdone in the past that you know,
we're definitely looking at, and someof the recruits that we're looking at who

(02:31:22):
bring some versatility, pass rusher,you know, we have that jack position
and those type of things. So, uh, that's exciting as well.
And I think you're seeing a lotof the recruits, you know, really
get fired up when they get here. People. Yeah, coach, first
years, your identity was was very, very from an awful standpoint and air

(02:31:43):
and out type team. Look atthe defense of talent and the play makers
you have there. Has your identitychanged? I guess what do you think
the identity is of this twenty pointfour. We'll see as we go,
but you know, we know whatwe need to do to play in the
big games. That's never changed.That we have to be able to stop
the run, run the football,take care of the ball, and there'll
be opportunities to throw the ball that'llhappen, but you know we're gonna have

(02:32:07):
to, you know, do thosethings to win close games and play situational
football. But I think, youknow, you won't really get a feel
for what the identity of the teamis until we get into probably the beginning
of October, you know, andI think we all have ideas of what
it could go. But you know, now that we're playing in a playoff
format, just like a lot ofthose NFL teams sometimes, you know,
they don't really quite understand their identityuntil the get about halfway through the season.

(02:32:30):
I don't think it'll take that long. But you know, we're able
to play some games and kind ofwork through some things. And I don't
think our defense is going to changea bunch in terms of what we did
last year. I mean, it'sa lot of the same guys back could
look a little different on offense.Time for two more go to Doug Limmers.
Okay, right, you lose animportant recruiting staff or to promotion at

(02:32:52):
Michigan just offseason, how do youreacting like that is something that someone like
that would take information that was learnedhere that could help the Michigan or burto
high stages. Yeah. All goodquestions, and you know, I just

(02:33:13):
I want to talk about the guysthat are here, you know, the
staff members that are here, thecoaches that are here, the players that
are here, the ones that areBuckeyes. Joe Judgin. With the scheduling
change that was announced yesterday, whydid they come together? Didn't have anything
to do with the expanded the playoff? Maybe we think the beginning of the
season a little different. Yeah,you know, I don't know all that

(02:33:35):
came in came with it. Iknow it got presented to me a while
back, and you know I wason board with it. So yeah,
I mean, I think, youknow, we do have to look a
little bit different at our scheduling aswe move forward, based on the way
the format is at the end ofthe season. That's quickly About the linebackers.
I got in here a little bitlate. How do you feel about
your linebackers? Cody seems like healways us the betterment Ross, but he's

(02:33:58):
lacking as a starter when you seehis role being Sonny, when you see
his role being gay and all thisguy. Yeah, good versatility, all
those guys Rvel Reese, like yousaid, c J, Gabe, Sonny
Cody. You know I'm missing acouple, I'm sure, but like that
was that the Rvel? Yeah,I mean these guys are very versatile guys.

(02:34:20):
You can see the length on them, and you know they do a
good job in terms of like fittingthe runs. They can know how the
ship runs right now, so theyknow how things should operate. And I
gotta spend time making sure those otherguys get ready and get caught up to
speed in a timely fashion. It'sgreat, he's taking a great step forward.

(02:34:41):
Like I said, he's the nextguy up. Man. I mean
he's been extremely you know, importanton the growth of our secondary because now
you know we're working him inside someUh he's played outside both corner spots.
You know, he got that itfactor, you know what I mean.
So so we look what he bringsthe energy to competitiveness. We got to

(02:35:01):
build off the last year, uhand expand the role for him and make
sure he's uh, he's ready togo. But he's been doing great.
Uh. We're just authentic really notgiving a lot of recruiting talk. It

(02:35:24):
is what it is. We tryto shoot straight, honest communication, honest
assessment, the character, the value, the work at it, and the
main things the competition. You gottacompete. If you don't want to compete,
it's not gonna be the place foryou, because that's the that's the
thing that will get us where weneed to go is competition in the room.

(02:35:48):
And those guys here love to compete. We sell that we're looking for
guys who embrace that, who chairsbeing in those spots. And you can
take time to grow, you know. Uh, you don't have to have
the big mentality of problem of instantgratification. You know, you can develop
and grow so and sometimes you maybe behind a guy that's a really good

(02:36:11):
player. There is nothing wrong withdeveloping and growing and playing when your time
is right, and if the timeis right right now as a freshman like
well, Jermaine, did you playearly? You know, So we try
to also sell that, you know, we care about them as people and
try to prepare you for life afterfootball. So it's bigger than just football.
We're going to prepare you for life, whether it's the NFL or on
with a regular career in the workforce. We want you to prepare you as

(02:36:33):
a young man, and we tryto sell that and preach that to the
parents to remain having that. Infact that you mentioned rolling all these different
spots, do you anticipate you know, there wasn't a lot of rotation along
the cornerbacks last year when everyone washealthy. Do you anticipate maybe rolling him
through the rest guys here with thelongerst season potentially? Yeah, we play
it by here, you know whatI mean, We see how it goes

(02:36:54):
by the time we get into camp. But you know, obviously he's earning
the stripes, so you know,I mean, when you earn the stripes,
you know, job to create opportunitiesfor you, you know what I
mean. We have to see howit goes with all that other stuff,
you know, once we get closerto the season and we'll get into game
plan stuff. But he's doing agreat job, and he's he and he's
taking a great step forward that youwere. The way you kind of establish

(02:37:16):
room now it seem like it's thecenterpieces relationships and kind of build their mind.
And I'm curious, is that somethingthat you came in with you like
a couple of years ago with theintention of futi or is it something that
you're like, it's kind of beencool to be to do over the course
of your time as a position here. No, it's been there for a
while. I've been doing that fora long time. It's all about relationship.
If you develop real relationship and youauthentic and your communication and you have

(02:37:37):
honest feedback and you have you know, direct teaching. The guys that have
value and character and they appreciate thatstuff, they embrace that. So but
they have to know your care andyou have to know that it's real,
and they have to know that youyou're really concerned about that where of being
as a young man. And whenyou get close to him and spend a
lot of time with them off thefield, you could coach them hard and

(02:37:58):
you can. You can and youcan you can say truthful things to them
and then they'll embrace it and youhave real conversation because you know the only
goal is to help them get betteras a young man. Years ago,
the receiver room is so far aheadof the more to get kind of skewed
that evaluation sometimes do. And how'sthat dynamic change in these two years after

(02:38:18):
group's gotten older and more talent.Yeah, it's done balanced UF a little
bit. Now that goes with greatcompetition. We have the uh we go
against the best receivers in college football. So that helps escalate your growth process
because if you don't figure it outreal fast, you'll get embarrassed. So
that competition. But what happened withthat, eye guys start competing, eye
guys start growing. Eye guys gotbetter and now is even up a little

(02:38:39):
bit. So will you get reallygood work at practice to day? You
know what I mean? So it'scompetitive, it's fun. Those guys both
on both sides of ball care abouteach other. So it's great competition.
And they're all real, real close, so you know what I mean.
It's that stuff that gets us better. Uh that were prepare us for Saturday,
I said my first day of practice. Are the receivers kind of got

(02:39:01):
them? Is that any kind ofa good week up? Oh? No,
it's just it's it's gonna competitive.Man. They got the best group
in the country that you're going againstevery day, so you have to bring
it every day, you know whatI mean. So they they we got
a great quarterback room. We've gota great receiver room. The running backs
are really good, so when youout there going against them, it's deep,
so you have to be ready forit. And obviously, man,

(02:39:24):
we're seeing a lot of good stuffwith with with Day and coach Kelly doing
over there, and so it preparesyou a lot and it helps us grow
that recruiting or wide receiver room kindof like a part of your recreeas like
these are the guys you get toplay against. Yeah, always, because
you know that's where you get betteriron shoppings ire. So you know,

(02:39:46):
you get to see that every dayat practice. That helps you grow.
It's no better uh thing to goagainst every day than to see that on
a daily basis. Oh, wejust moving a lot of guys around.
If you watch that practice, wehave a lot of guys in there right
now. You know, we probablyhave three or four different guys in there.
Obviously, Little Lorenzo's in there,Jermaine is in there, k Mouse,

(02:40:07):
we have we have about four orfive guys moving around right now.
We just try things out in springball, see where the fit, you
know, see what things work together. So there's probably some more guys in
there. You know. We moveit around to try to just get the
right fit throughout the end and seehow it goes by the time we get
ready to start the season. Hecan run and he's strong, you know
what I mean. He's fast,very serious about his business. Uh,

(02:40:30):
he's big, it's two hundred pounds. He can run, he's strong,
he's conscientious, you know what Imean. He's starting to grow and he's
starting to get get better with it, you know I mean. So we
looked for big things for him inthe spring. What do you want to
see this spring? Keep competing,you know what I mean. Now he's
made the transition. Competing today,you know what I mean? You start
going in that transition is all justlike I'm in Jermaine last year. You

(02:40:50):
throw them in the fire, youlet them go, you compete, you
go. By the time we getout of the end of training camp,
it'll be them figured it out.You have all that, but now you
just throw it all at them.Compete, continue to grow, continue to
learn. He has the skill set, he has the length. Now you
just got to put it all together. And it takes time to do that,
and hopefully you see that by thetime we get in the training camp.
It seems like midway through spring.It kind of clicked for Jermain last

(02:41:11):
year and he started to see him. It could not be more hacker to
be here. I'm super happy tobe here at the Rod two as well
or right at the work. Helloeverybody, Dari's Robinson University of Missouri.
I just want to thank mister Billwill Mont to your coach Gannon for this
amazing opportunity. I'm glad to behere with Marvin Harrison right next to me,

(02:41:33):
so I feel great. I'm reallyexcited and I'm excited for this journey.

(02:41:54):
Gratefully see you fifteen here in town. Marvin, When did you know
the Cardinals were going to select you? Did you know before they called or
was there an agreement in place before? No, I did not know until
I got the phone call from theArizona Cardinals. Marvin Richard signs foxten,
Welcome to the valley. I knowkind of tweeted to you, tweeted out

(02:42:16):
to you once you got drafted.What was it like to get a message
from the franchise quarterback and what kindof thoughts have you had about teaming up
with this guy in the in thenear future. Yes, sir, it's
been great. He always want tosupport and love from your quarterback and to
cause a great player so excited toplay with him, and it's gonna be
my job to make his job easier. Darius Darren Irban from Azycardinals dot Com.

(02:42:39):
I know that a lot of playersthese days aren't sticking in one school
for a long time. And youdid it for five years. I mean
even Marvin did it for three.Like what went behind that and why was
it meaningful for you to stay atone school? Yes, at Missouri,
you know, we had some toughseasons, but we were really built with
an edge, energy, details,good in emotional consistency. And I just

(02:43:01):
find myself just trying to grow andget better each year and also as a
team, you know, win moregames each year. And that was my
that was my home, that wasmy family. I was blessed to,
you know, get two degrees aswell off the field, and I just
love missou two degrees. Wow,Marvin, Bob Mcbob McMahon at Arizona Republic,

(02:43:24):
congratulations, Thank you to both ofyou. You're known as all business
and I want to know how that'sgoing to serve you well in this league.
From personal standpoint, Your brand.Everything you do in a daily preparation.
There's a lot that goes into beingall business. Tell me what that
is to you. Yeah, that'sjust being a pro. It's kind of
and raised and grew up to doand keep the same mindset, same attitude

(02:43:48):
that I've had throughout my whole career. Once I get here, continue to
work hard, be consistent and discipline, you know, and all that I
do. So I'm looking forward toput in the work. He Marvin Josh
Wayne Fest ESPN. What were thebest pieces of advice your dad gave you
about being an NFL player? Imean, yeah, it takes a lot
of work, a lot of preparation. You know, from Monday to Saturday,

(02:44:11):
it's all work. And then Sundayshould be the easy part. I
go out there and have fun,ready to put the work in. So
it starts with the work first andthen when Sunday comes, sreek the benefits.
Hey, Darius Howard, balls arefrom cards wire. I can't help
but notice that ring on your finger. Is that a cotton bowl ring?
Yes, it is the cotton bowler. You showed it to Marvin very quickly.

(02:44:33):
No that I was telling Marvin,you know, he was glad he
didn't play. The whole week leadingup. You know, you see Ohio
stay, everybody said, okay MarvinHarrison, and now is he gonna plays?
To go play? He didn't play, so you know we lucked out.
So hey, Marvin Paul KELBC CardinalsBroadcasting, do you believe that receivers

(02:44:54):
have to earn the trust of theirquarterback? And if so, what does
that usually require? Absolutely? Gotto earn trust of the quarterback. And
think it starts every day in practiceand being consistent. Really, and you
can't just do it one day.Can't you do it for one week?
Has to be done over and overand over again. I think that's how
trust has earned. So no matterwhere you get picked, when you're first

(02:45:16):
receivers round seven, doesn't really matter, have to go and earn trust to
the quarterback, your coaches, yourteammates. So it all starts in practice.
What's going on, guys, Goodto see again, Tyler Drake,
there's a sports systems for Darius.What's the feeling of just being able to
represent your school as that first roundpick and what kind of impact can that
have for those guys falling in yourfootsteps. Yeah, it's awesome. I

(02:45:37):
feel like I'm setting the standard goingforward. But that's the name with Zoo
is known as Delon Zoo, SoI'm just added to the family. But
now I feel like I'm setting thestandard for my younger teammates that this is
attainable if you work really hard,be consistent, and really good. Trust
your shrimp coach. I feel likeevery program is built out the strimp coach
and that develops all the habits onand off the field. Is Zach Ershmanezcardinals

(02:46:01):
dot Com Right over here. JGmentioned that he loves the violence that you
play with. You mentioned the differenttendencies that you picked up. The emotional
consistency is the grit. How doyou balance that the violence with discipline on
the field. Honestly, just throughpreparation and practice. I'm a big guy.
I'm a big believer in inside hands, so that's why I'm always working
my hand placement and then I liftweight, so you know that's all connected.

(02:46:24):
So I'm just trying to be focusedon my technique as much as possible.
Hey, Marvin over here, DavidBrown with the Associated Press. You
know a lot of rookies come intothe league and they get a little bit
of leeway. It's like, oh, he's young, he needs to grow
and stuff like that. But obviouslyyou're going to be expected to be the
guy here really quickly. How doyou deal with that pressure? How do

(02:46:46):
you go about just so much beingexpected of you so quickly? I mean,
yeah, I have high standards formyself, but I'm just gonna go
in there and try to work,you know, the best I can.
I just want to help the teamwin really, so without that role I
play, you know, come September, let me do my best do that
role. Now. This one's forboth of you, guys. The fans
want to know who you guys areon the inside. I don't know how

(02:47:09):
much you're willing to reveal to ustoday. A lot would be nice.
Can you tell us what you liketo do away from football? What what
pisses you off about things? Andyou know, what what makes you roll.
I'm pretty simple. I like toyou know, be in my apartment,
watch the movie. If I goout and I go to a restaurant,

(02:47:31):
get some food. But other thanthat, I may do too much.
And then I'm pretty easy going.Guys, so try not to nothing
bother me too much. Yeah,I said the same thing. A real
chill guy, just really obsessed withfootball. But outside of football, like
I said, I got my twodegrees. I got my undergrad hospitality management
and the minor and business I gotmy masters and positive culture with says FLA

(02:47:52):
leadership. So just thinking about beingwell rounded. And then I do philanthropy
where I start my own nonprofit foundationand Darius Robinson Helping Hands Foundation, but
really just football and then everything else. Honestly, congratulations, guys, welcome
to the valley. I'm Robbie Bakerwith Fox ten. Darius, This is
for you. After the draft lastnight, you had a great response about

(02:48:15):
how your process and preparing for agame, just kind of wondering where your
love for kind of the grind comesfrom and your love for that process comes
from. I would say my junioryear because I played little league ball off
and on. But I got myjunior year and I was playing high school
and my whole goal is just toearn a scholarship for During that process,
I really fell in love with thegame, fell in love with working out
relationships with teammates, and now it'skind of like my vice and I can't

(02:48:39):
let it go. And just kindof finding ways to always get better.
You know, Luke litting here withtwelve Sports. Congrats both of you,
Welcome to the valley. This one'sfor you. Marvin. I'm curious your
thoughts or what was that conversation likewith your dad after your name was called
and you were able to be draftedby this organization, and how surreal is
it for you to be following onyour own father's footsteps but in your own

(02:49:00):
away. Yeah, I mean itwas very brief actually just in the second
graduations. I walk up to thestage and then I had to do a
bunch of interviews afterwards. So Idon't think it's hit both of us yet.
I don't know what's happened. Ithink, you know, one of
my goals always make him proud,So I hope I did that. Marvin
bo Brock, pH and X Sports. When do you anticipate catching your first

(02:49:20):
passes from Kyler Murray? I don'tknow. I don't know. I guess
we'll see hopefully as soon as possible. Darius, you mentioned philanthropy, and
I know there's been it's been talkedabout how you took some of the NI
nil money to do a get backto school for the kids in Colombia.
Where where did that belief in doingthose things come from? I said,

(02:49:43):
my family, My brother and mymom really instilled that end of me.
Inswered me at a young age.Just give back your blessings to others.
In my fifth year at Miszoo isthe best year of my life, So
why would I not share my blessingswith others. So that's what really motivated
me to do that. And nowbeing in NFL, you know, my
goals to do three events each yearand just get back because you know,
his life outside of football and biggerblessings out there. Marvin, you obviously

(02:50:07):
played with a number of highly draftedreceivers at Ohio State. What sort of
feedback have you gotten about the NFLfrom them? An you know, about
making the transition in the league itself. Yeah, it's a long season.
I think going from in a twelvegame record season you have in college to
was it seventeen games now and youhave three preseason. That's really just the
biggest challenge. The game stays thething obviously never all skilled and very talented

(02:50:30):
athletes, So the mental part isprobably the biggest thing and the biggest change
from the college to pros Marvin,what's your timeline for hiring an agent?
Right over here on the way partright, you haven't hired an agent?
Why is that? Is there atimeline to hiring one? And are you
gonna sign the NFLPA licensing agreement.I'll continue to talking to my team.

(02:50:50):
We do what's best for me.I'm moving forward. We just take it
one day at a time. Ijust got drafted, so I'm trying to
enjoy the moment and be happy whileI can at the moment. Arizona Republic,
Welcome. Then can you just kindof share a little bit about you
touched on it briefly here, butjust a little bit more about growing up
with with your dad and you know, the experiences you had in Indianapolis and

(02:51:11):
games and so on and so forth. Yeah, I mean, there's no
better role model, coach, mentorrelationship. All the way through college,
we were captains together Ohio State,so we shared a lot of we shared
a lot of time there together.And then before Pro day he came up
and we threw that night before ProDay and we've i mean we've played in

(02:51:31):
touch. I feel like pretty well, he's just an awesome human and even
a better teammates. If I couldask you quickly, what did you make
of what he was able to doafter you saw him and you played with
him the year before, and hecame on and did what he did his
rookie year. What did you makeof what he was able to do in
his rookie season? Man, Ijust to be honest with you, it

(02:51:52):
was no surprise to me or anybodyin that Ohio State facility. It's just
we knew to do a special andwhen you got the chance, got over
the right people and the right coachingstaff for the dudes. Unbelievable. Brian
Bearfield, Hey, kay, welcometo Houston. Brian Bearfield, big sarch

(02:52:13):
media for everybody just called me serage, as you could tell by the hats.
So, Kate, I don't wantto take you back down memory lane
for just one second. I justlooked up some of your status. So
you were in high school. Youwere running back one thousand and four into
seventy seven yards your senior year,seventeen touchdowns, linebacker, one hundred and
sixty three tackles, four intercessions.You broke your high school scoring record in

(02:52:37):
basketball overall athlete, even when yougot to Ohio State, you didn't really
you were like a hybrid. Theydidn't really know where to put you until
you ended up at tight end.So I say all that to ask you
what the Houston Texans are getting anathlete who's willing to play anywhere and everywhere
they need them. Correct? Onehundred percent. Yeah, that's one hundred

(02:52:58):
percent, un percent correct, nodoubt about it. I'll do whatever we
got to do here to win ballgames. And I mean they got awesome
players, awesome coaching staff, sojust super super blessed here. How much
did that? How much does thatbackground help you or help you to get
through you know, college and nowI'll get you to where you are today.
I think every day I've been thrownin a million different directions, pool

(02:53:20):
in a million different directions, Andto be honest with you, I mean,
nothing's ever gone like how it's supposedto on pin the paper in my
life and my coaching career, soI mean my playing career, excuse me,
and it's just, uh, Ithink I'm just I feel like I'm
battle tested and i feel like I'mready to go. Thank you. Yeah?
Cool, cool, You're on mute? Any better Katie got me.

(02:53:52):
Yeah, I got you now.Cole Thompson USA Today Texans Wire, congratulations
are getting drafted. I just heardyou kind of mentioned a little bit about
coaching. You're talking about your coachingcareer, not your playing career. Do
you want to get into coaching afterwardswhen you're done playing football? No?
No, no, It's a lotof emotions going through my body right now.

(02:54:15):
So regardless, No, I'm notplaying on getting coaching. I'm playing
on just playing as long as Ican. Just a quick follow up,
and you look at a guy likeTamiko Ryans, who is a former player
that is very close to the league, only has been out for about seven
years. What does it mean tobe playing for somebody who's translated over to
this new side of things but alsounderstands what a player goes through on the
daily basis. I think that makesthe biggest difference on the world. And

(02:54:39):
I think you can tell by theway the players respect him and just how
and the job he's done in theshort time he's been there. I mean,
the dude's unbelievable. He seems likean unbelievable person. I'm just really
really excited to be able to playUnnathan Cody. Heyk Cody Davis from Sports
Illustrated. You and I met atthe NFL COMBA. By the way,

(02:55:01):
Yeah, I would like to know, man, what are what type of
tight end are the Houston Texans getting. Man, I'll tell you what they're
getting. Just a complete utility player. Basically, I'm gonna do whatever you
asked me to do at one hundredpercent, uh one hundred everything I got
every single time, and just I'mgoing to be the exact gluve in the

(02:55:22):
locker room. I'm going to bea dude people can come to when things
go wrong, and I'm so excitedto help his team anyway I can.
Kim, Hey, Kate, It'sKim Davis with Chalk Talk. Congratulations on
getting drafted by the Texans. Kindof following up on what Cody, just
to ask you from your conversation withCJ. I know he's spoken how you

(02:55:45):
have the staff, but what doyou know about this just from what you've
seen this offense? And although you'reyour utility player, what excites you most
about it other than obviously playing withCJ? Now, I just think one,
I think Dalton Schultz is a greatplayer. Uh uh watch a lot
of his film growing up, andjust even the last couple of years,
studied a lot of what he does, especially was on the Cowboys and now

(02:56:05):
just to be able to learn froma guy like that and take notes and
tips how he handles his life andeverything. It's gonna be awesome for right
now, in long term down theroad. And one quick follow up,
what do you know about the cityof Houston? Have you spending time here?
No? No, I trained inBrisco, Dallas for a little bit
for a couple of months, andthen that was really about it. Other

(02:56:28):
than that, I've never really beento Houston. But I mean, I'm
really excited to come. All right, thank you the media, you too,
Aaron, Hey Kate. When itcomes to blocking, some tight ends
embrace it. Some do it becauseit's part of the job. What's your

(02:56:48):
mentality for blocking? And I havea follow up, Man, I love
blocking. I do. I'm gonnathrow my face in the fire chance I
can get. I might not alwaysbe pretty, but I promise you're gonna
get every ounce of the power Igot. And the draft process as a
proven guy, did you go ona lot of visits did you work out

(02:57:09):
privately we're someones that you remember.And what kind of level of activity did
you have with Texans Combine meetings,et cetera. Yeah, thank yeah,
we had. We had a formalat the combine. Uh And I've always,
like I said, always talked toCJ closely. Uh So, just
having that and then just throughout theproNT we had a couple of zoom calls
here and there, and other thanthat, I mean, I trained the

(02:57:31):
oh State coach Mick and coach atthe trained coach is up there with train
a group of me, Tommy Iickenberg, and Steel Chambers, my roommates that
we lived with in the afternoon,and that was really about it. We
just trained and play ball at thatpoint. And the other teams. Did
you go on trips things like that? We took one local visit to the
Bengals. That was it. Wehave time for a couple more. Go

(02:57:54):
ahead, sarge, Oh Kate,I know that we guess you at questions
about playing with CJ. But you'vebeen scouted as a tight end but can
also be flexed out to the widereceiver position. Being at Ohio State for
as long as you were, whatdid you pick up from a lot of
those great Ohio state wide receivers thatcame through the time you were there,

(02:58:16):
you just watched. I mean,you watch those guys go about how they
handle releases, how they handle theirfeet, the top and the routes and
everything. Like I mean, forme, I've never played it in my
life. So starting you literally startedfrom square one, absolute square one.
So learning slowly with them, andthen I mean, this is a business
and you have to do what's bestfor his career and his future as well.

(02:58:37):
So you know, obviously has familiaritywith Joe Brady and had one of
his best season with them, Soyou know, I think he's gonna be
a big part of their offense andcontinue to grow as a receiver. You
know, it's a lost for ourroom because he's a dynamic playmaker. He
can play inside and out and justhis energy. Man, I think he
really became one of the favorite teammateson the team because he kept things light.

(02:58:58):
But he also was a really hardworker and and uh made plays when
we need him to. So ona personal standpoint, I'm definitely gonna you
know, miss him having him inthe building, and he's kind of like
the guy you I get to talkto and he's like my best friend.
But on the other hand, Iget to see him, you know,
continue take steps in his career.Uh, he's still very young, so

(02:59:18):
he has a lot of good footballahead of him. Literally king offense and
how be different for the offense.Yeah, yeah, we haven't honestly even
started install yet, so I haven'teven got a lay of the land quite
yet. I'll probably take a lookat just got our I pass within the

(02:59:39):
last few days, so I'll tryto take a sneak peek at what we
have looking for. But you know, I know with him talking to zach
Ertz, he does a great jobof trying to get his playmakers involved,
which I think we have a reallygood group of guys from the running backs
to receivers and some solid tight endsas well. So I'm just looking forward
to see where I fit into that. And you know, I think him

(03:00:00):
his biggest things is making sure theplaymakers are making plays and trying to fit
the scheme around that, which isalways good to hear, good to see.
Two, this is what your offense? Yeah, yeah, it's definitely

(03:00:22):
you know, an adjustment obviously whenyou're learning a new offense, and it's
kind of the same mentality I takeinto last year in years past, where
you kind of just want to takea day one approach, kind of erase
what you've learned in the past.But at the end of the day,
I think, uh, you know, schemes in the NFL are relatively similar.
Is just the names and the formationsthat may be a little different.

(03:00:45):
So just getting used to the terminologyand Cliff's offense is just going to be
something that's adjustment for all of us. But the good thing about it is
I got some good time on myhands to really put some work in studying
when I leave this place, soI could come in here when we have
walkthroughs and we start to put ourhelmets on, we can really hit the
ground running. So so far it'swe haven't learned anything yet. But my

(03:01:07):
approach is there saying try to takegood notes in there, ask good questions,
and then study on my own atnight. I know you like to
go to the Yeah, h yeah, I think I got some really good
work down in Florida. Is justworking on my footwork, just being better

(03:01:28):
at the top of my routes,sharper on my speed cuts, dig routes
out routes and just being cleaner withmy footwork at the top of the routes.
I think, you know, witha little bit of zone covers that
we've seen in the past with someteams kind of running more too hot show,
you're gonna get a little bit moreof catch technique where guys are kind
of sitting at the top of yourroute. So I want to be better

(03:01:48):
at being efficient to gett out thoseroutes when the guy's kind of sitting at
my depth, whether it's a fifteenyard comeback or a twelve yard curl route,
you know, being able to getout efficiently so I can uh keep
creating keep the separation within my route. So obviously I'm always still working on
my ball skills and making sure I'mjust catching a lot of footballs in the
off season, but just really beingbetter at the top of the routes and

(03:02:13):
you know, sharper out of mycuts is something that I think I can
improve on. Good to see youtoo. You know, you're obviously one
of the leaders of this team andteam captain, and with so many new
faces, new players locker room,what is the challenge you're going to have
and the other leaders in that lockerroom blend everything together because there's so many

(03:02:33):
new and different personalities. Now,yeah, I think I think that's really
started with coach Quinn in the wayhe's really integrated everybody over the first two
days. I think we haven't evengotten into x's and oo's quite yet.
We've just really beginning to know oneanother, getting out there with Chad and
the strength coaches and getting some goodworkouts in just kind of creating a foster
in an environment where everybody's the sameand continuing to have a competitive environ and

(03:03:00):
I think that brings out the bestin one another. And obviously, you
know, you have guys like ZachErtz who's played a lot of football and
won a championship, Marcus Mariota,obviously, Bobby Wagner who's a future Hall
of Famer. So you got someguys who have been brought in here who
know what it's supposed to look likeat this level. And for myself,
I just want to continue to adduh my value and be even more vocal
this year than I have in thepast, especially with possibly a new quarterback

(03:03:22):
coming in. I think that canreally help our offense. Have you know,
some more unity with the guys whoknow what it looks like helping bringing
those guys, the younger guys along. I don't know, if you had
a chance to watch d conference,he didn't want to use the word rebuild.
Yeah, changes going on franchise,all the new changes, new coaching

(03:03:46):
staff, all the new players.Is there a certain word use everything?
Honestly, I just think of itas a as a new year. Just
talking to Sam Cosmy, Uh,we've been here for a few years,
so it's a lot of new faceis I think you know, this is
probably the most I would say turnoverwe've had in the last few years.
So there's guys coming from all differentareas, walks of life, and but

(03:04:09):
I think the one thing is thesame. They're all coming in looking for
an opportunity to compete, take anotherstep in their careers, and prove that
they're one of the best players atthe position. And I think coach Quinn
has emphasized that we're gonna have theopportunity to prove ourselves. Whether you're a
ten year VET or a second yearplayer. You know, this is a

(03:04:30):
clean slate for everybody. So Ithink it's just about getting on the same
page. Enjoying coming in here andworking together and also just pushing each other
in these workouts, and then whenwe start getting on the field, really
get that competition going. Try tosimulate as we go along in this off
season process of how the games aregoing to be. Hey, how are

(03:04:54):
you doing? Good to see youtoo, Yeah. I think Coach Quinn
has really assemble assembled a very uniquegroup of coaches. There's multiple head coaches,

(03:05:15):
there's multiple quarter uh coordinators that havecome from different places, and so
you have guys who have a lotof football experience, some have played,
some have coached in big games,and then you bring in, you know,
the the talent that we have defensivelyand offensively. And I just think
you can feel the unity and thesameness in in the message that he's trying
to preach to our team, andit's we're gonna be tough and we're going

(03:05:39):
to be competitive, but we're alsogoing to have fun. And he,
like I think he said in YourGuys interview, he said he likes to
do you know, hardship with goodpeople. So I think that's fun.
You know, a guy like melikes to put my nose down and grind
and work so I know him andI are going to continue to hit it
off, and you know, it'sjust my job to help bring other guys

(03:06:01):
along with me. Thank you more. What does it look like to your
next step as a vocal leader?Yeah, what does that mean to you?
I think for me, I've growna lot in my vocal leadership.
I think I try to always findthe balance of when to say something when

(03:06:22):
not to say something. I thinkI never want I've always wanted to be
a person when I say something thatmeans something like you don't want to be
You're giving all the motivational speeches,but you're not backing up with your play,
or you're you're talking so much youkind of your message get drowned out.
And so it's kind of continue tofind that balance of when to say
things and when to kind of justtake a step back. But I think

(03:06:43):
I've I've gotten a really good feelof how to do that. I think
obviously with a new coaching staff,you just try to understand what they how
they want things done, and youtry to, you know, bring what
you do well into that, andyou also try to encourage the guys who
haven't taken those steps in their careerto do that as well. So I
think for me it's just really startingin my position group. I think we

(03:07:05):
have, uh still a very younggroup, kind of inexperience for the most
part, but I think we havea lot of talent in there, and
it's just my job, in Bobby'sjob, and to continue to bring that
group along as we go throughout thisseason. What is I guess, Yeah,

(03:07:31):
approach. Yeah. I hit itreally hard this offseason, so I
kind of started training a little bitafter the Super Bowl, So I got
a good six to eight weeks intowhere I feel football ready right now,
which is great for me because youknow, obviously we're probably having a mini
camp at the end of this month, so that'll be I'm already in football

(03:07:52):
shape, So that's that's exciting toknow that I'm ready to be able to
run routes and get going with ourquarterbacks and get going with our system.
So you know, as this offseason goes on, I just trust the
plan that Chad and the guys havehere. I want to be here for
all the workouts and things like thatand be a part of the team building
and just continue to learn the playbookas we start to install things, and

(03:08:13):
uh be at a point where Icould go out there and be confident in
my game what I've worked on thisoffseason and and put that into how that
fits into this offense. So Ialways try to pride myself on knowing multiple
positions just to have be flexible forthe team and be flexible for myself,
so I'll be ready for whatever theywherever they put me. I'm a new

(03:08:37):
quarterback. This yeah, yeah,you never well I don't say never,
but it's it's always tough seeing likesomeone you build a really good relationship with
go on and move on in theircareer, and especially your quarterback, because
as a receiver, you want tocontinue to try to build that chemistry,

(03:08:58):
you know what I mean. Thatwas only our first you're playing with one
another, and I feel like himand I had our uh we made some
great plays and we had some youknow, room for growth, and I
think that comes with any new quarterbackreceiver relationship. And so but to see
him go in a situation where havea chance to compete and play under a
really good quarterback in Geno, youknow, I think he'll he'll really like

(03:09:20):
playing with receivers like uh, well, throwing the receivers like Locket and Jason
Smith and Jig but in d K, you know what I mean. So
I think he's going in a situationwhere different it's more mentally they any thing
though, Like left side was alwaysmy best side back in college, but
since I got to always been playingright. But you know, it's a
it's a good challenge for me andI can show people I can as you

(03:09:43):
play right hand left, So it'sa versatility thing. So I'm happy about
it. There. You moved arounda lot throughout your career that there's jumbo
side tackle, I guess in thesentence and cleaning up the left on the
right side, do you think youkind of benefit from focusing a little bit
more on the right center a littlebit? But you know, there is
a new systems that we have,Like I've been found my mindset most in

(03:10:03):
the right, but also have mymind's on the level too, just in
case something does happening to like youknow what I mean, like Cohen or
you know, Pete Coors. ButI'm always gonna be ready for life no
matter what. How quickly have youfelt like you picked up this new system
that you're working in now, Oh, it's A. We actually pretty up
picked up pretty well cause it's thesame system that I'm used to back in
the hot stae cause we're more likespread back at how I state, So

(03:10:26):
you know, it's pretty good.It's one of those like the draft process
off seasons. A lot of peopleoutside of the buildings and the mangers get
the right tack. A lot ofyeah, alright now. A lot of
people in the building were like,we have a right time. All the
people do you motivated about that?You followed it like if you had nature
do it? Though I don't.I read into it a little bit.
But also the same time, likethey not here of course, but I

(03:10:48):
don't really care what they say.I know what I can do, and
the team know I what I cando. So they trusted me right now
and I'm not gonna let them rightnow. How hard or how easy is
that to compartment I analyze that anduse that as fuels going forward rather than
to kind of merit it, uhI j I just keep the seats.
Everybody knows that one person I don'treally care for him at Also that's all

(03:11:09):
good, but it's all love.I love uh outside of this, but
keep doing me, keep me betterkeep on these nuts. Do what I
can do there. You've been aoutspoken about your supporter Zamir, and obviously
it's just his chance now to bethe dog. Wait, what is it
about him that you bought in soearly? The reason why I bought it
so early cause Uh, I wasat a house they they always taught us

(03:11:33):
to actually, I go get it, and ever since I got here,
i'm'a always wanna go get and Igotta picked late, and I always wanna
prove people wrong. You know,I think prove people wrong all my life.
I don't wanna keep doing that.That's long to be like, it's
more just like compotating, like theset, and you feel like a community
year that you have nine day difference, nine day difference from my first year

(03:11:56):
and my second year to now.Like now, I'm my gul. I
know I can play. I knowI can go against one of the best,
specially Max, anybody else that wewant to play this year, and
I know what I can do.So all I gotta do now is ast
meet my potential and should do itand help everybody else out on the team
as well. You've practiced a lotagainst Malcolm and he's really come into his
own What is it about Malcolm that'shelped him make that next step? There?

(03:12:18):
Man, Malcolm, he's quiet,he doesn't really say too much.
He comes to the work every day, do what he does, and he
works hard. He doesn't lilit twiceat anything. Yeah, he'll get mad
over a coch reps fosse. Atthe same time that like, he has
an entality of adult like he's hedon't really care what y'all think or anybody
else thinks for real, So it'sjust like, alright, just keep going.

(03:12:39):
That's how everybody is on the team. How about Ty raise that same
mindset? He does have the samemindset. A little nervous, but uh
no, nah. He has definitelygrown up a lot from his like first
year here intil now like he has. But he's he's a lot into me

(03:13:00):
too. We'll tell you guys arereimagining the offensive line a little bit with
you out there right side far upthere next to y'all on on the ost
side too, and then drafting theguys on the line here. How exciting
is that to be part of somethingthat's that's kind of being you know,
having that trust but also being reinventeda little bit. That's great, you
know, but me and doing thoselike they gonna keep replacing us, of
course, but all the same time, we gotta keep going, you know,

(03:13:24):
kings and think about what they did. All we gotta do is say
about what what can we do withpeople that are in four tons? Well?
Sorry, don't put a lot onthe bove side a little bit more.
How how long were you guys workingtogether? Been working pretty well?
You know, you say, forus, we had like a a little
rookie moment a little bit, butyou know, yeah, you know those

(03:13:45):
those tougher conversations, those ones wherewe might disagree, where we do agree,
where where he's got his two centson it, which is, you
know, always the best two centsI've heard. But me being who I
am, you know, I'm I'mI'm gonna throw my two cents in there,
you know. So that's just uh, it's been awesome, man.
We he's he's you know, aresource for me, just a person that
I can always bounce my thoughts offof. And now, you know,

(03:14:05):
just a year, you said,thirteen months, Now I feel more comfortable
just you know, bringing certain thingsup. You know, you never you
never wanna come off too strong.But I'm a curious guy. I got
a lot of questions. I like, I like football a lot. I
like to talk and talk to games. So you know, come to find
out he's the exact same. Sowe uh, you know, we get
along well and and uh we're gonnakeep keep building that relationship. Sometimes in
this league, playing you know,eighteen games, they tryna make a twenty.

(03:14:28):
You know, it's like sound likea little a little fever dream to
be honest, but but uh,if we can find a way to k
you know, stay up right outthere, keep keep Aaron on his feet.
You know, I'm I'm excited forthat and uh everything that comes with
it. But uh but yeah,like I said, man, that's it's
it's harder said than uh or harderdone. And said, I guess you
know, it's one of those things. It's like that's a lot of games,
you know, all of a suddentake a lot of hits. They
take a lot of hits where they'renot looking, and it's just how can

(03:14:52):
we keep him healthy? Yeah?Yeah, are you when you think I
get your over SiO room now,positions you guys have made when on wanta
healthy and everything, like, yeah, you know, i'm'a decided to see
it at full health. You know, we've i haven't got to see all
the all the guys out there atonce, and and you know, it's
one of those positions where every dayis something might happen to nick up.
You know, it's just a toughposition to stay out there at all times.
But I feel like we've got agreat group and the number one thing

(03:15:16):
is how can we stay healthy?How can we you know, I'll be
out on the field and I thinkhaving depth like this and the group we
have is going to help us.Having guys that can do different things,
that can go catch the ball overthe middle, all types of things that
it's gonna take some of the strainoff off all of us. You know.
It's it's a good group. SoI'm excited to, uh, you
know, get out there. Ifeel like we haven't had the whole whole
thing together. But you know,come season time, a roll and it's

(03:15:39):
gonna be exciting about your whole number. Yeah. Yeah, Like yeah,
man, he's uh, it wasa brute and once he catches that ball,
I mean he's got great instinct ofwhere the defense is going. I
think the title on this team isreally good too, and I think that
I can come in here and makea big difference, you know, when
we can win a lot of footballgames, you know. So that was

(03:16:01):
my That was part of my decision. Your achilles coun how sough was that?
Wh are you back now? I'mone hundred percent now And it was
like a walk in the park.It's like a sprained ankle. You know.
It was very easy, you know, because I had the knee.
The knee was pretty hard, youknow, and the achilles was I would

(03:16:26):
say it's easy, you know,just because that's just my mentality, and
it was. It was pretty easyto be But you know, I've had
these injuries and it's been storm likethe past two years, you know,
having haveing like good, great games. The next thing, you know,
I heard and then you know,so got got the injury prone out there,
you know. But I think thestorm is over with, you know,

(03:16:50):
you know, and I think I'mgonna gonna take off now, you
know, and there will be nosetbacks and the injury prone thing will be
gone out of the window again.It's yep, aw, say you're gonna
be back. I am. Iam excited. You know, he does
a lot of great things, andhe's a great person, and we have

(03:17:11):
a great relationship. It's gonna beit's gonna be a fun year. We're
gonna have a lot of fun.We're gonna do a lot of great things.
So I can't wait, Jack herewaiting. The interest you've had is
that just bad luck? Is everyIs there anything you've been attribute to beyond
just misfortune? Yeah, it's justunfortunate, you know, But God has
a plan always. You know,I don't know what the plan exactly is,

(03:17:35):
you know, I don't know,but whatever plan it is, it's
for me to be here. Youknow, I had a great rookie year.
Uh I didn't. I didn't reallyhave the volume as other people my
rookie year, but I still hada great rookie year. Six yards of
carry, you know things like that. I think it was like nine touchdowns
ten including the playoffs. And sothere's always been like our right, gud,

(03:18:00):
lets me show my talent shine alittle bit. Like even when I
had the knee. So I hadthe knee right, A lot of people
don't know, like I didn't gethurt again whenever I got you know,
got cleaned up. So I wentdown in twenty one right, had the
injury, the knee injury, andthen came back later the next year,
and I played the first few gamesand it just feel there was a lot
of scars issue in there. SoI did to get it cleaned up.

(03:18:22):
I didn't get hurt again. Icould have played the whole year, but
I got it cleaned up so Ican feel like me. And so after
I got that cleaned up, thefirst two games back from the injury,
I had over one hundred and twentyyards rushing right, and then went on
had great, great ending of theyear, you know, one hundred total
yards in the playoff game we lost, which I hate the most. Stays,

(03:18:45):
don't marry me. I want towin. But then come back the
next year hurt again like torn achilles. So two really unfortunate injuries. But
that's just God's plan, you know. And I think that the storm is
now over, you know, andI think that I'll be able to shine
my light to the whole world.Are you concerned that you have that label?

(03:19:05):
You can't stay and see? Icould care less, because I do.
I do. I know this outthere because as as it should be.
It should be. I got hurttwo major injuries back or not back
to back years. But you know, so I haven't been on the field
as much as I should. That'strue, that is true. But it's
not like I'm having these little littledinky injuries and sitting out. It's something

(03:19:30):
I can't control, literally, Sothat's why I'm not bothered by it.
Like, yeah, I am injurypolling, you could say that, you
know, but I do think thatthe Chargers are getting a guy that's gonna
be healthy from now on. Youknow, God will it, and it's
gonna be great. And I dothink that it's gonna be. It's gonna
be a great. However, manyyears here, when you've been on the

(03:19:52):
field, you've been highly adopted,five years for very average for your career.
Like knowing that when you're out thereyou're very adopted, how much time
does that get you? That reallyall you need is you need all the
confidence in the world. You know, the way I work, I wouldn't
say just from the numbers, butjust the way I work my work ethic,
you know, and my relationship withJesus is like I have the most

(03:20:16):
confidence when I step out there becauseI do know, like, if he
grants me the health, it's overweight, is it. I don't think I
would be, you know, Ithink it will be a great year or
whatever, a couple of years.However many years he grants me great health,
you know. And I think justthe work ethic, my prayer and
all that stuff, that's what helpedme have that confidence with the numbers will

(03:20:39):
be there, and they might behigher after this year, you know what
I'm saying. And it's crazy tothink about because I had six or six
yards per carry, you know.So we'll see. You're looking forward to
the running behind this line that theyput together. Oh yeah, yeah,
yeah. I played with Brandley.I play with him, you know,
I know the Slater, I knowall the I know all the guys,
you know, and I'm I'm excited. I think it's like I said earlier,

(03:21:01):
it's a talented group. You know. We just got to put it
together win some games. Cause that'swhat I came here for. It all
part of year, or I wouldn't. I wouldn't say part of the recruiting.
But like whenever I decided I wasgonna sign, it was great to
have him in the room. What'syour relationship. Yeah, we're great.
We're we have a great relationship.That's he's like my brother. So I

(03:21:26):
think accompany ch compliment each other verywell. You know, he can do
a lot of stuff too. Youknow, we got like a lot of
people think he's just power, powerpower, but I think he has some
other parts of his game two whichit it'll be great cause I feel like
I could do everything and when oneget tired, we we can roll it
in. We keep rolling win somegames. So when you the trivia get

(03:21:46):
going, well, how do youthink that's gonna look for? What would
like? What will be that partnershipkind of back there? I know that's
a hard question. How do Ithink it? I think it'll look beautiful.
You know a lot of people callthis a passing league, but I
think you got to run the ballto win the super Bowl. You know,
if you look at the team towin the super Bowl, they can

(03:22:07):
run the ball, they can controlthe clock, and so if we're both
good, it'll look great, beautiful. How would you describe the record running
offense? I would I would describeit as, you know, a great
offense. I think he gives aquarter he's going to give the quarterback a
lot of options. He's going togive the running back a lot of options.

(03:22:28):
He's gonna give the receiver a lotof options, you know. And
I think it'll be I think it'sgonna be great. His offense is going
to be amazing. When we talkedto him, you know, I was
like, why have you mane lebuild something, give rushing offenses throughout your
career everywhere you've been And you saidthat one part of it is just you
got a call place, You gota call run of place as a running
back. You know, how muchconfidence, how much reciton does it give

(03:22:52):
you when you know you haven't playedall or that's gonna stick with it and
allow you and the offensive line toget your resident gives me a lot of
excitement. You know. It's gonnabe Like I said, it's fun to
play in his offense, you know. And I think he does have some
good things in the past game too, But like you said, he sticks
with the run and that's that's theidentity you You want an offense that has

(03:23:13):
an identity, right, you won'tbe looking everywhere else to find your your
identity. You want to have it. And so I think his offense has
that and the guys he builds andputs in there, it complements that identity.
So I think it's gonna be great, full go for Look, I
ain't gonna answer any of the ifit's up to me, yes, Look,

(03:23:39):
because I had this problem like threetwo years three years ago, I'm
thinking I'm full go. I thinkI'm ready to go, and the next
thing, you know, I'm onpup, like, hey, look some
stuff above my prey pay grade.So but I don't know. Hopefully I
can start. I think I'm readyto start, you know, at the
beginning of training camp. But that'snot a to me. As I've learned,

(03:24:03):
I wouldn't say that. I thinkI've been I've been in some great
organizations, and I think this thisorganization is a great organization and the training
staff is great, and so theyjust want what's best for me, you
know, and they're they're taking careof me, which that's what you want
in an organization. And so that'swhere that comes from, which I appreciate

(03:24:26):
it, Like I really appreciate that, you know, because I'm the type
of guy like I work really hard. So maybe sometime I'm blind to you
know, the danger of something,you know. So I appreciate it.
But like I said, if it'sup to me, yeah, I'm out
there. But you never know whatany frustration for you during the heading into
free agency, you know, dealingwith with rehab and not you know,

(03:24:48):
having won a full season tape oradoption to go out there. Is there
any part of that where you're like, gosh, you know, I have
hit the open market with a differentsituation. You know. Nah, I
like it. I like, howwould I say this? I like it
the hard way, but not,you know, I like it the hard

(03:25:09):
way. I like it. Ilike trial and true relations. So I
mean the dice that I was giventhe role was I was coming off of
Achilles, and that was that wasthe lowest plan. So it was beauty
in that, like I was comfortable. I was caught like there was multiple

(03:25:33):
teams, you know, I wasn't. It wasn't like I didn't have any
other team. But I was comfortableand sitting back and just enjoying the process,
letting myself get fully healed. Sowhenever that team, whoever I would
sign with, who now is theChargers, is going to get the best
me, you know, And Ithink people all around the league know that,
like, okay, this guy,Okay, it's a high risk,

(03:25:56):
high reward type thing, right,not even high risk lowris because you it's
a business, right, So Igot her last year, so not as
much money it needs to be throwingthere. But I think everyone around the
league knows that whenever I am onthe field, the numbers don't lie,
and so they know that, Anda lot of teams were like, all
right, here, you can.We give you this, but we want

(03:26:18):
you to be healthy. So whenI'm healthy, it's gonna be great.
This is the chance that I've beengiving here. I'm so grateful and I
know that's gonna be. They won'tbe They won't regret it. Are you
the type of person that likes theopportunity for me? You know? So
I'm excited about it. Oh alot. He helped me a lot,

(03:26:41):
even feel like the first that justtrying to help me get used to write
tackle, he got my feet usedto write tackle like my first at practice.
I like, dude, I stillfeel he feel a little off.
I don't feels balanced to my stands. And he showed me the small technique
and to do with my feet,which I still do, even even though
I love taco, just keeps aspart of my routine. That was part

(03:27:01):
of my process and getting to mystand. So stuff like that that he
taught me from day one and obviouslyin practice was fun. Just compete,
and you know it's just to meetat the back of the pocket and to
dap each other back to every replike that was competing, you know what
I mean. So that's my guy. As much as you love him on

(03:27:22):
your the west side, how bittersweetis it as a certain matters because it
would happen to him. Yeah,that's the thing. That's not how.
It's definitely not how I and andthat's how I thought about the transition would
go. You know, I thoughtit would be you know, homesoon timing
and a cardinal his whole career.You know, you know, you want
to play here forever, you knowwhat I mean when I was talking about

(03:27:45):
his plans, so you know,you win, you wish transitions like one
of those fairy tale like it's yourtime. But but again, either way,
you know, we talked about it. You know that that's that's the
how it goes, you know,But obviously you know, he sees he's

(03:28:05):
He's been one of my bigges supporters. Again, I affect everybody leads in
their own way, you know,not everybody's the guys coming around like and
that's not everybody, right Like Ifelt for me, that's me specifically on
game day with the O line andafter we do one on one like that's
my like, well Hump did like, that's my like big vocal time.

(03:28:28):
I feel like I've talked to Humpabout this, you know, just recently
talking about how what I want todo for the room is I want to
bring that Hump energy that he broughtright so last year. Of course some
traits been doing it for years,but the year when I spent with him,
he brought a lot of the energyand excitement and the happiness in the

(03:28:52):
room was just his natural energy towhere I only had to focus on me,
you know, I didn't have tomake sure sure other other guys would,
you know, feel some type ofway when they came in here because
Hump brought that. But I'm aHump's not here, but I saw what
he did for the room. Iwant to be that guy to make sure

(03:29:13):
everyone's amp to go to practice,everybody's hype weren't taking and field team one
period. You know it's a lowday or something. You know, it's
a it's a day, but likeI want to make you feel like like
your parents a tripper right now.I want to bring that cause that's when
me and Hump did to each other. We will hpe each other up,
dudes like dudes about to be walkedthrough. We're lit. So I want
to do that. I want tobring that energy. I want to make

(03:29:33):
bring more guys. You want todo that, you know I wanted to
do that from day one, youknow, I kind of I wanted to
do that from day one, fromjust talking to him, and obviously it's
that time. I spent the offseason before OTA started just being in myself,
just thinking about what the room needs, you know, because I know

(03:29:58):
I knew a new role as asone of the leaders, you know on
the offense, is that we needa guy like that that's gonna make sure
the old line is picked up readyto go. Every day I was held
accountable. Little things aren't happened topractice, people aren't saying anything. And
how I may lead maybe different thansomebody else may lead. You know,

(03:30:18):
I like to a practice at leastlike to leave with positivity, you know
what I mean. So, buthe the energy yet went beyond just the
hype up the deal line and stufftoo. So that's kind of how I
wanna be s goal mine literally mywhole life. I wanna be a NFL
team captain, like specifically NFL.I wasn't a captain of high school.

(03:30:39):
I wasn't a captain in college.But I made a joke when I was
in high school. It's like there, I feel like I'm not gonna be
a captain to like it to theNFL. Yeah, but that would be
awesome, you know, but youknow, if it happens, I'd be
great. But not either way.I wanna assume a role as captain from

(03:31:01):
the respect of the guys on theteam, the sedu award today and to
get back to that way. Yeah, I mean, I can't say that.
I mean, I guess the biggestthing is that I felt like it
has felt like how it you usedto in the past. But it didn't
take just the first day OTAs.It took training left and right once the

(03:31:22):
season ended, cause I didn't knowwhat it was gonna be sure, So
it took a lot of Yeah,reps just to get back to feeling like
myself for day one OTAs and thenthat whole first week, but now like
today specifically just changing some small thingswith my feet that I did today talking
about a line coach about some thingsI can do with my feet to get

(03:31:43):
to that to sell at that traditionalangle that I loved to set on.
Felt even I thought I felt,I thought I felt great already by my
okay, I felt even back.Okay, so I'm even more excited tomorrow
and now I'm getting my feedback andhow I liked it the right side and
on the left side. So Imean, obviously I feel like in the

(03:32:03):
league, whether I left or right, are still going against premier guys.
So obviously you have high expectations foryour left and or run tackle. But
there's definitely uh like the the levelof energy and like the expectations definitely taking
the human start cause now connected theblack side, that's the that's de tackle
roles, you know. So soyeah, I would say in terms of

(03:32:28):
communication as far as just even outsideof facility and just stuff like that,
like really creating that tackle quarterback bondeven more off the field, I think
has been something that's even been cool. I got a text one day it's
like, hey, like you playleft, and I was like, yeah,
you know, yeah, I've beentraining both. I've been training both.

(03:32:48):
You know. I I aks afterthe season. They're like, honestly,
you know, we'll talk to youstill play in the season. And
I just got a text on likedepending on what happens with with the free
agency then. So I was like, you know what, I had a
whole season right tackle, So ifI get the word, I'm going I'm
standing right tackle. I don't needto do what I did before. I'm
built on that bus. I waslike, I might as wellst trained the

(03:33:09):
left tackle now as if I'm gonnabe a left tackle. And I'd rather
do that than training on the righttime and get the call hey you're the
left tackle. I'm like, oh, I didn't even switch on my feet
yet, you know what I mean. So I'm like, let me just
prepare in the advance. I waslike, yeah, le's god. You
know, I think occasionally on thirddown there would be a lot of twists.

(03:33:30):
I would just know like it's automaticallycoming. And I think that was
my mindset for like the first halfof the season, but like I didn't
have to go into a gaming withsurprise like oh my gosh, they did
that. I kind of figured like, okay, like this is this is
the type of rushman again, likethis is how this got usually rushes,
but I get the vibe. Thisis how the ends like the rush you
know, tackles that are you know, first year guys who got the premiere

(03:33:52):
patch on. I already knew whatit was gonna be, already knew of
every stunt and honestly just knowing thatit's kind of an advantage too, So
you're not you're not You're not theybrought the twist. It was never an
Aaron Donald coming out of mind likethree players in the world in two minutes.
I knew that it was a winninglot, you know what I mean.

(03:34:13):
I'm watching more than everybody else.He rarely England goes out there on
occasional third downs on the d M. He's gonna pick me, you know
what I mean, So fact factit's kind of it's also kind of advantage
in the way, but it's alsoexciting, like, Okay, here were
the two guys, this talent andthis this background at the top of that
group. How much of your discussionswith Ryan, I guess the interview process

(03:34:35):
were about how you might approach this, and and and what do you think
is mean the the key element.You're getting the most out of those because
you got two guys. This ain'tmy first rodeo, No. I know
a lot of people look at say, well, this guy only been on
the field for three years Western andTucky and Oregon. Just because I didn't

(03:34:56):
have the title of a running backcoach where I was at the Memphis I
never carried myself that way. Iwas carried myself as a running back coach.
I approach every day that way.So at Memphis we had Darren Henderson,
Patrick Taylor, Tony Poller, Kennygame weell Tonyo Gibson. I've seen
talented backs, and I've seen thembe able to function with one another.
So I hear that all the timeabout well, I this ain't my first

(03:35:20):
rodeo. Same thing out there atOregon we had Bucketrivern Norwich, and George
James. You go look at theynumbers. They all functioned well together.
We learned how to p play asone. So this ain't my first rodeo.
So and plus I know those twokids, cause I recruited them when
they was in high school. So, uh, I'm up for the challenge
and the responsibility of it. Gotright behind it. Dan Hope, Leven
Carlos, just what is your kindof coaching philosophy? How do you get

(03:35:43):
the best out of your running backs? I get the best out'em cause
I love the young man. Mymain focus is to change the uh,
the hearts and minds of'em,and they'll play for me. I had
just got through we reading Coach Trestle'sWinders Manual, and it's something that I
took from that book. You haveyour purpose and you have your goals,
all right. My purpose is toserve and pourtant to the I man.

(03:36:05):
Now, my goals is a footballcoach. All of them are take care
of themselves. So that's one ofthe ways. I'm just real relationship base
and I'm very detailed at this position. I know y'all heard me say before,
and I'm gonna keep saying. Thisis the worst coach position in football.
It's terrible, guys hire anybody tocoaches position and recruiters. Carls Locker
is not a recruiter. I'm anelite relationship builder. But I coach this

(03:36:28):
position. I'm a ball coach,so that's who I am. So ama
pouring to these kids. I thinkthey kind of seeing it now, and
I jumped in day one. I'mready to coach. I'm gonna use the
phrase, you know, saw thatchcookies. Where did that phrase come from?
Kind of alay this boy? Letme tell you about that boy.
I've been called everything but the namethe child of God by the people at
the other places I left, sothat I been getting pills Hey, Pillsbury

(03:36:52):
needs to give me a deal becauseI've been getting I been getting some DM
the texts something. Some of themhave been so funny. The sawbat's cookie
thing came from just having a frameof mind, a mental toughness. It
had nothing to do with guys gettingin the portal and anything. Now,
most people say I'm a salt beat'scookie for leaving there, but actually I'm

(03:37:13):
not because it takes great strength tomake a decision to leave a place.
No, a weak minded person wouldn'tbe able to make the decisions I make,
So it took great strength to dothat. So I'm telling you,
if I literally in my DMS,it's some it's some great comedians out here
that have been sending me like tonsof cookies and out like it's funny right

(03:37:33):
behind him, Tony, how haveyou gone about the assessment of the talent
in the room over the past weekor two? How much is that nfield
off field? Like, what's theprocess of getting to know who you have
as players? Well, I brokedown well me being a guy that loves
the running back position, and Ialready broke those kids down because I recruit

(03:37:54):
them out of high school. Youknow, Cue is from where I'm from
in Montgomery. I was one offirst guys to offer him just watching him
great contact, balance, creative runner, great hands and trey. I recruited
him out of Virginia exceptional short air, your bursts and quickness and things that
I'm gonna help him get better on. And then I recruited James Peoples out

(03:38:16):
of t out of San Antonio,Texas. I knew what he was gonna
what he was gonna be TC andSam, those two kids I'm getting to
know and I'm gonna help them improvethat game. But we got different runners
in there. I like to callmyself, I'm in love with this position,
so I get to break down runnersand help their game. So talented,
talented room, very talented. Uhfar back uh, Jeremy Birmingham podcast

(03:38:41):
Couch. How do you swear thatthat saw beast cookies are actually the best
cookies to Philip Britty mix or thoseare way better than the crunchy chips and
white things that a terriory? Imean, do you do you have to
first find a balance there or someone. Well, for me, I'm actually
not eating any cookies. I'm justsaying I'm not eating any cookies this year.
I gave it up for a fastor no sweets for me for the

(03:39:05):
whole year. That's something I gaveup. So they the term the south
bast cookie term. Look, guys, I actually took that from I represent
the high school coaches of Myths,Tennessee. I actually took that from a
guy that coach Slocum. He usedto always say that south bast Cookie.
Actually stole that from him. Igive him credit for it, and I
tell him all the time he said, you I should have branded that,

(03:39:26):
cause you done took it and ranaway with it. But that's just where
that comes from. That that Iwas standing as you get to Ohio stand
and you start to look around thecountry. Any Oregon's a big place.
That's a that's a major job withHow how do you think that where you
opposite a logo are the Jack Brandonblocko? When you get out out of
the little free and trail, howdoes that change the way that you feel

(03:39:48):
you're either received or or does itadd a different level to to just feeling
like I could go anywhere and getanybody in the country and the it's the
changest thing for me. This isa great place. Oregon is a great
place too. But guess what whateverI put on, I know what I'm
going to represent for me. In I N I know who who put

(03:40:13):
me here? Uh? I knowI represented something higher, you know.
Like I told you, I knowwhat my purpose is. My purpose is
to poorting to people. So whateverlogo I have on, I'm still gonna
be doing the same thing. Sothis is a great logo, great logo,
but I wear another logo every day. It's across I see around my
neck. I know what I represent. So that's the greatest logo I could

(03:40:33):
ever wear. So it doesn't matterwhat other logo I have on. I
got that one on I'm going toany house and be a recruit. Uh
uh deep right to cameraon Tick Robinsonthe athletic froch. You you mentioned the
time of Memphis and Nemis for NFLnbacks. You mentioned there who you learned
from that time? That I meanthat you take over to managing your group

(03:40:56):
and keep What did I learn fromthem? I just building, just teaching
the kids. We live in sucha selfish world though, and I could
tell the kids all the times,it's gotta be much more to football.
The ball gonna go flat one day. As I always say, what being
in that room there at Memphis isit wasn't four five? Teaching them how
to be about about being one?I tell you them in all time,

(03:41:20):
it doesn't cost you anything to celebrateanother man's success. So teaching them how
to be one. And then oncethey learned to be one, they function
and they feed off one another.So that's what I learned from being there
at Memphis and bachm in road crossthud of your career in law enforcement kind
of influence you as a coach andkind of shape where you are. Oh
well, I just got through talkingto somebody about that today. When I

(03:41:43):
first got in this profession, andI got my own room in Western Tech.
I was aked, No, howwas I was gonna be able to
handle my room? I said,Man, I had a part with fifty
one inmates. You talking about mehaving guys six or seven guys? Are
you kidding me? I'm talking aboutme having to do traffic stops. So
going on domestic no violence calls,it's simple easy. You know people won't

(03:42:09):
know what you care. Also know, you gotta have a certain demeaning about
yourself. So when I walk intoa room, it's the reason why I
go train every morning. This iswhen it's the same thing when I was
a police officer. You look acertain way kind of deter people from doing
certain things. So reason why Igo train every morning. I'm gonna look
just as good as my boys look. So U it helped out a lot.

(03:42:31):
In other words, uh from ArlRight Austin wore the podcast Carls Welcome
to Columbus. What would it meanto I don't know, revolutionize the way
running backs are coach? What doesthat take? I ain't even I'm not
gonna say revolutionized. Just some good. It's some good running back coaches out
here. Everybody's different it's some greatcoaches out here. I just want to

(03:42:54):
head guys who say that on thesejobs to not just hire guys just no,
all coaches on your staff should begreat recruiters, not just a running
back coach. We coach a position, We developed players as well. I
just want the coaches to realize,Hey, you know what, let me
look and be thorough about this guythat I'm hiring for the job. Is
he teaching the position? Is hedevelopment the position? Because you're not gonna

(03:43:18):
hire anybody just coach quarterbacks, areyou. Well, it shouldn't be like
that for the running back position either. And I'm only passionate about it cause
I played it. I love it, so it's the only position I want
to coach. Cauld I coach theother positions. Yeah, I played dB
in college too, but I lovethe running back position so and I just
wanted to see it coach well.To May podcasts, Yeah, a million
questions. All that's a couple.Number one when you when you when your

(03:43:41):
wife whatever, you got the messagestuff? Or are we moving again?
What was what was her reaction?Nah? She she just now God that
give us gave us a new assignmenthit. It was never like we're moving again.
Let me tell you, guys somethingI grew up. My mom was
in the military, so I livedeverywhere. I lived in Panama of South
America. I'm used to picking upand moving. I lived in Fort Roley,

(03:44:01):
Kansas, Montgomery's home if it wasmy second home, So I'm I'm
used to moving now. My wifeit was different for her, but she's
this new guy that gave us anew assignment. So it's time to go.
What did uh? What did coachDay tell you when he heard you
that he wants out of you?That may be different. It's not slamming
somebody else, But what did hesay he wanted you to bring to the
running back room? I think hedid his research on me. He said

(03:44:26):
he wanted the guy to to developthe position. And that's not taking a
shot at the coach that was herewho I'm friends with. And he said,
they want somebody to really get guysthat we picked up and I'm excited
to know much about and Uh.I think he's super skilled rusher, a

(03:44:48):
little good length, and he's moreathletic than I even realized. And I
think guys like him when they cometo our scheme are the best is brought
out of him, So I'm excitedto see what potential he has. He's
year nine, so I feel likeyou as a d lineman, you can
keep improving all the way through tenyears in this league. So I'm excited

(03:45:13):
to see what he's got. Howold did you know sores So when he
was assistant here and I had gottento know him a lot that it's a
relationship, Madi. Right now,I know him pretty well. He was
always just a good dude around thefacility. He did our ball meetings,
so he's good in front of agroup. He's a good leader. He

(03:45:35):
knows the scheme really well, whichis good. I was happy to see
him promoted. He called me inthe off season. We talked. I
just congratulated him, and I thinkhe's gonna bring something similar to what we
had with the Miko. It'd begood. Do you know Brandon Stanley well
at all? I mean, obviouslyJoey play for him. I don't know
too much about him. I've obviouslyheard from my brother, but I don't

(03:46:00):
even think i've said high yet.I haven't ran into him yet, but
I'm sure I'll get to know him. When you say it looks similar to
Miko of the energy or system.Maybe a little different energy, but I
think just knowing the system from thefront to the back, I think he
knows how it ties in, andhe's been around with some really good coaches,

(03:46:22):
so I think it'll be pretty prettyseamless, and I think we'll be
firing on all cylinders. You're threemonths removed from the Super Bowl now,
so how have you? I guessdigested it, and I guess physically everything
good to go. Yeah, Ifeel really good. I think it's been
one of my better off seasons ofjust kind of it was a long year,

(03:46:45):
so I took it nice and slowto get back into it. Not
as young as I once was,so I'm taking a little a little slower,
but everything's great. I'm feeling asgood as i've felt. I'm excited
to actually get some practice in.Last year was kind of tough, getting
thrown in week one after a walkthrough, so that was another reason I'm

(03:47:09):
excited to be here, is justto get practicing a little bit in season.
Practice is one thing, but actuallybeing able to work your stuff and
not have a game coming up isgood. With the super Bowl, Unfortunately,
I know how to bounce back fromtough losses. So it was rough

(03:47:30):
for a little bit, but nowit's just annoying when people bring it up.
Since Angel last season, we've seena Rock on TV commercials and on
the stage with Luke Coombs and throwingout the first pitch of the Giants game.
But he seems like a guy that'stotally unaffected by celebrity, which he
has now. But what have younoticed in his leadership style and the way

(03:47:50):
he carries himself any difference at all. I think he's definitely getting a little
more vocal within the building. Anduh yeah, I mean I don't think
he's ever gonna change. I don'tthink he's somebody that's gonna change even when
he gets paid next year. Sohe's he's a man of faith and he

(03:48:11):
kind of reminds me of Scotti Scheffler, but except for just super humble and
really good kid. And yeah,he's definitely famous. I don't just from

(03:48:31):
watching Armstead get released obviously meant somuch to the defensive line into the team.
I mean, Colin John were prettyopen that they were willing to talk
about trading Deebo or are you asyou well? Does that just another.
What's that feel like in the lockerroom when those sort of joels happened.

(03:48:52):
I didn't even know that happened andI wasn't here, but you're talking about
this off. Yeah, alarmsta In, alarm Eric Releas. So that's certainly
one thing. Yeah, it's atough business, for sure. You have
to have thick skin and I haven'tgone through that, but I think you

(03:49:16):
just have to understand that it isa business and the team's going to try
and get as good as it possiblycan with or without you, and you
have to look out for yourself.That's why you go through holdouts and do
certain things that seem selfish in themoment, but it is what it is,
and when everything's settled, we're gonnacome together as a team and try

(03:49:39):
and go get one. What's theoverall feeling around the group right now,
Like, how much does it feellike the excitement of the ramp up to
the season. Even though it's early, it feels good. It's been a
couple of days for me, soI like all the new guys. I'm
getting to know everybody, but Ithink the past is in the past and
we're ready to go. You talkto you talk to be all about handling

(03:50:01):
the business part of this. He'sgoing through something similar. We chat a
little bit, but not too muchabout the details. I just told him
to keep his head up and tryand stay positive through it all. First
impressions when you heard about your schedulewould be in that Aaron Rodgers' first up,
It'll be fun. Yeah, it'sgonna be gonna be a good one.

(03:50:22):
Nick excuse me, kind of alludedto this, But the fact that
last year you had to have thatholdout for something that affected you somewhat early
in the season. If you hadn'thad that experience, would you be here
right now? I mean, wasthat hard of the motivation for being here
early just to have the opposite whenlast year might No, I don't think

(03:50:46):
that's one of the reasons. ButI just talked to Kyle and he kind
of asked me. He kind ofstated how he felt about why it would
be good for me to be hereand asked if I agreed, and on
degree. So it's not like I'mmissing too much. I think I'm out

(03:51:07):
here. It's a little less workloadthan I'm doing back home, so it's
kind of a good active recovery thingfor me, and I'm getting football stuff,
football working specifically, so that's good. I'm not it's not compromising my
training at all, and I getto meet all the guys. It's positive.

(03:51:33):
Oh no, he's he's there.He's got a new regime over there.
I actually thought I was coming nextweek until recently, so I was
gonna have one more week at home. But we're both in California. As
I've come in and thought we weregoing to lose or have have a bad
year, I felt like every yearwhen I tell you things are feeling good

(03:51:56):
and I feel optimistic, it wasn'ta lie. But yeah, I think
things are are definitely, like Isaid, trending in the right direction.
Everybody's on the details. I'm sureit's a word that you've heard a million
times. So yeah, I thinkit just feels like it feels like coach
is leading the team the way itshould be led. It has a feel

(03:52:20):
of being back in college, youknow, with with coach ierban Meyer,
and you know the message is sentfrom the top and it doesn't get mixed
up as it's moving down the ladder. It's boom. This is how we're
doing things and everybody's following that,and I think it's impressive the details that
everybody have been on, has hasbeen on, the effort and just the

(03:52:45):
competitiveness that that's been going on overthe last few weeks. Yeah, it's
it's it's been great. How muchdo you appreciate that? To stop and
just described the way Jim leads Ishouldn't eat in the messaging, doesn't eat
mixed up? Appreciate that? Imean, it's I guess it's easy to

(03:53:07):
appreciate when you kind of see itworking and you see guys improving, getting
better. I just think the detailsare really important. You can pretend that
leaving your shoes a mess or yourlocker a mess isn't a big deal,
and what matters is playing football.But I think all those tiny details and

(03:53:28):
things kind of add up and leakinto the important stuff, like what you're
doing on the field. So ifyou can have your toe behind the line,
or have your locker and order andall these things, they kind of
stack up into performing well and playingwell when things count. So you know,
I appreciate that. It's it alsohasn't been a fight with the guys

(03:53:52):
in the locker room. They buyin and you know, it's a lot
of young guys, and I thinkthey're hungry to learn, hungry to compete,
and when sort of mandates and havewalkers please you know, it's just
an example, whether it's we talkedabout first day you have a foo,
if you could, if you couldspend the time on these small things when
nobody's watching. I think, likeI was saying, it seems like it

(03:54:13):
might not add up too much,but I think in the long term it
does. And uh, it leaksinto other things, whether you're doing your
right assignment on the field, beinglate to meetings or all these things.
If you hold a standard and youstay to that standard, I think it
benefits you long term. It's itbeen like word Ben Herbert, Has there

(03:54:37):
been anything in his training program orworking with you that you feel will benefit
you later? Yeah, Yeah,definitely. He's been great. He's a
no nonsense kind of guy, buthe's not an old school in the sense
that he's bringing his way of doingthings and that's the only way to do
things. He understands that guys havebeen in the in the business for a

(03:54:58):
long time. Khalil me and wehave a way of doing things and all
he wants to do is add tothat and help you get better and perform
the best you can. He's hestresses it all the time that he's a
tool for us, and you knowhe's been He's been great. The guys
love him. The energy brings isawesome, and I think the stuff that
we're doing in the weight room isgreat, great addition to stuff that I

(03:55:22):
may may do on the side orwhatever that is. Yeah, I think
we I mean, we had apresentation today with all the certain measurables that
are changing, and if you guysare in the meeting, you definitely see
how beneficial he's been to the teamso far. So obviously, staying healthy
is a huge factor to anybody's success. I'd say it's plagued us a little

(03:55:46):
bit for a while. So yeah, I think he's he's definitely incredibly beneficial
when you like full fully, Iknow at the end of last season,
you might have been able to Yeah, no, I was not ready to
go last year. No, triedpracticing, tried coming back, and uh

(03:56:07):
it was it was not good,but yeah, it was Unfortunately, the
year wasn't going great and it justwas unnecessary risk for I mean, my
foot could have had some real,real issues if I came back too early.
So yeah, it's been, it'sbeen. It's been a great off
season. My foot's feeling great,toes good, hamstrings good. I mean

(03:56:30):
there was a list of things lastyear, my hand, so all those
things are good. Got surgery onmy finger, so that's feeling good.
Yeah, it's it's nice to befeeling better going into year nine than you
have since maybe five six years ago, which I've said, I've said I've
been feeling great last couple of yearsand telling you it's a real deal this

(03:56:52):
time, but obviously anything can happen. But I just feel it's fun feeling
really confident in your body and beingable to perform. So I could just
go out during practice and you know, go balls to the wall and do
everything that I feel like I needto to be able to prepare. It's
fun. My brother and whoever Itrained with my trainer Todd back home,

(03:57:16):
Uh, I think they'd be reallyproud of how I've been working this offseason
and it's just exciting. Winning.Was the injuries on the Green Bay game?
You kind of yeah, it wasa bit of a build up,
a little bit of an overreaction.But you know, it's just tough.

(03:57:37):
It comes sometimes like that, andI just felt felt really uh defeated coming
back had a broken hand. I'mlike, oh, yeah, I get
to play Boom for a series footPops. Thought I'd have to get surgery,
and all these thoughts flooded through myhead. Broke down a bit,
and yeah, it just hurts.You know, you're losing, you're getting

(03:57:58):
injured. You've felt to keep preparedreally well in the offseason, and then
the year before you had groin surgery, so you know, a lot of
things build up. Yeah, youdon't get a break if you're injured.
Everybody wants to go on. Fansare very nice, but no, I
just I'm grateful that I feel thisway. I'm still still nicey Ripe twenty

(03:58:22):
eight, so not too old yet, but yeah, I'm just excited.
I can't remember what the original questionwas at this point, get something about
my body. How close you andGift were? How frustrating was it that

(03:58:43):
you couldn't you know soon for oneof those last three games. It was
frustrating, But I mean Gift washad my back the whole way. I
think for Gift for any but forthe whole team, just to show what
it means to me. It wouldhave been important for me to be out
there, but I literally could andI tried to practice, injured my foot

(03:59:05):
worse the very first play I wasand in practice, So no chance that
was happening unless I wanted to throwmy next season away as well. But
no, I'm just I'm proud ofhim for what he did with the team,
how he handled it, and Ineed to call him back. Actually
sorry, I give Yeah, I'mhappy he gets to stay close by with

(03:59:28):
the with the Rams, and uh, just proud of all we accomplished here
together over the years and and we'llbe close for the rest of our lives.
Was the foot injury, It wasthe guys foot sprang. Yeah,
I sprained one area of my foot. Then when I tried to return,
I sprained another area. Was ableto avoid getting surgery, which is kind

(03:59:50):
of the main goal, But yeah, it was. It was tough when
it comes to the addition of butDupree when he felt like he's kind of
rout to the to the room andcould bring on the field. Yeah,
it's when I heard we got mybrother some I don't know, maybe my
brother told me, I'm like,really, we just got budd Like,
that's no, that's no small pickup. He's a seriously elite pass rusher.

(04:00:16):
Has had some trouble with injuries aswell, so I understand how that is,
but not only him as a player, but as a personality. I
heard Khalil just saying he's he's afun guy. He's a funny guy,
and and to have that in theroom another vet is always a great addition.
But I'm just excited to have himintulee and to be able to rotate

(04:00:37):
like that and not drop off atall when we come off the field is
huge. And map Tuley's going intoa second year. Just what do you
what do you kind of what aresome of the maturity maturity areas you see
from him? You know, I'mgonna say not much, and that's a
compliment because he was already mature inthose areas. I mean, he's on
it everything, playbooks, always doinghis job, working hard, just refining

(04:01:03):
his technique and pass rush. Imean, we don't have the pads on
right now, so the real workwill will begin, you know, in
six weeks now. So but yeah, I love Tulie. I've loved him
since the first day he's he's walkedinto the facility, and I know he's
just gonna continue to get better.You think of the addition of Joe Old.

(04:01:24):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna needto beat him up a little bit
in camp. So he's so he'sready. But no, I think anything
to protect our number ten is agood, good investment. So he seems
like a real solid dude. Haven'ttalked to him too much, great build,
seems like he has good hands,good feet, strong, We'll see.

(04:01:48):
We'll see in a few weeks whenI lay a helmet in his chin,
how he holds up. But it'llI'll take it easy on him.
Rashawn's a beast. Did you knowcoach Harbond before he came here? And
if you did, just what werethose first couple of conversations like that?
Yeah, probably have crossed paths withhim. Maybe maybe not. Actually I

(04:02:13):
think what was it his first yearwhen I was a junior, So he
kicked his ass as usual? MittOhio State. No, No, they
just want a championship, so I'dsay they probably have the bragging rights right
now. I'm like the guy talkingabout his old high school. Oh,
I remember paying, Yeah, weused to kicks. No, but no,

(04:02:37):
yeah, no, the rivalry isdead. I was just saying this
morning, you know, nine yearsand kind of forget about that. I'm
not a great alumni. Sorry,so he coached, But no, that's
great. That's what's great about theNFL is you just have guys from all
backgrounds. You could hate their gutsone one year, and then you come
on the same team and your brothersand you all working towards one goal together.

(04:03:01):
So our first talk together was great. I just sat down with him,
went up into his office and choppedit up about life mainly and his
opportunity here and how much it meansto him. And uh, yeah,
I think he's a special guy.I think he's uh the way he conducts
himself. He's an interesting cat forsure, and I'm still still feeling him

(04:03:22):
out. But one thing you can'tdenies that he loves football and his main
goal is to win football games.And that's what we need. When you
see him working out with you guysand and pushing slves and doing all this
stuff, just how interesting is thatto see? Yeah, I mean he
was a he was a great playerhimself, and I think he's always been
you know, built like that lackof a better term, but yeah,

(04:03:48):
he's uh, he's part of theguys. You know, he's not this
guy outside looking in. He hereally, I mean he voiced that to
me, is that his favorite partof all of it is being with the
guys and and the connection since hemakes so Yeah, to to see a
guy like that come in and embraceit all and kind of be part of
it himself is important. Your initialimpressions of equiment during the defensive game.

(04:04:13):
Yeah, it's funny to go fromold gift, old gift to this little
young guy who's my age. Iwouldn't want to get thrown into a room
with me and khalil IPOs his age. But no, he's been great.
I love messing with him a littlebit. We a little sarcasm back and
forth, but no, he's great. He's uh, he's very talks very

(04:04:37):
fast, and I don't as youknow, so sometimes I gotta be like
slow down, coach, come on. But no, he's great. I'm
excited, you know, to getcloser as the years. As the year
goes on, and I think hehas he has a lot of passion for
the position and All he wants todo is learn and and help us to

(04:04:58):
improve. So I'm excited about himand I me and I do miss Skiff.
Obviously, it was a long timewith him, but I am excited
to have a new face and kindof have that challenge for me. You
worked much with with Jesse's dad,since I know he coached linebackers in Michigan.
Did you ask about Jesse? Didyou ask about doing? Okay,

(04:05:20):
you asked about Jesse. Oh mygod, I was talking about freaking doing
the whole time. You guys areso confused. No, sorry, I
thought were I thought I was.I thought you mentioned coach Ronie. No,
No, coach Mentor has been greatas well. Yeah, they've both
been great. Sorry, run thatback. No, he's been good.

(04:05:43):
Yeah, very knowledgeable guy. Samething. I'm excited to get to know
him more as the year goes on. Have you worked if you worked much?
Yeah, No, I have not. I don't know if I've one
word to him, but more wordsto come down the road. Like you

(04:06:07):
said, you've been year since twentysixteen. Just what are some of the
stuff you uh, what's just oneon a ramble about the wrong guy for
fifteen minutes walking what Yeah, whatthe hecks? Actually that's literally not the
person. Yeah, yeah, Ifigured out what's something that you you worked

(04:06:35):
unduring the off season, something toimprove your game or is there something that
you can Usually my answer is prettyconsistent that I just continue to try to
prepare myself physically, whether that's mysprint work or agility work and my lifting.
But yeah, just to get everythingfeeling great, and I'll dealt with

(04:06:58):
those injuries. So I had tokind of ramp it up with my finger
and foot and all those things.But now I'm I'm full full speed out
there, and I'm just going tocontinue to do what I know will prepare
me for the season. And uh, I know I'm gonna get plenty of
technique work and position work when I'mout here. So for now, I'm

(04:07:22):
going to spend these five weeks reallygetting preparing my body. There's workouts,
competitor again, another gear of competitiveswith you and all that stuff. Yeah.
Yeah, it's usually too hot outthere for much competition. We're just
trying to survive, so but yeah, it's always it's a it's a silent
competition between between each other, belike Peeking's like what was his time?

(04:07:46):
Was his time? But no,yeah, it's always you can never have
an off day when when you're outthere and he's he's warming up like a
beat, like a freaking robot everyday out there, so there's there's no
off days. Have you you andhim talked at all about I mean,
I mean this Alison, you werehaving a contract thing. Do you guys

(04:08:07):
have to talk about one about it? Oh? Yeah, I mean it's
it's a conversation, not not reallya serious conversation, but something that's come
up before. But yeah, Imean it would be cool, It would
be cool at some point. Iuh. I always thought of myself being

(04:08:28):
somebody that will play here and retirehere, which I think not many people
do on one team, and Ithink would be a cool thing to accomplish.
But you never know. I'm gonnaworry about this here first, guys.
Sorry, it's kind of work ona food story. But so you
guys have like the lowest or secondlowest food cutec area in the NFLPA Servely
last year, and you better movedto the new facility. Like have you

(04:08:50):
talked a lot about food and howyou need some time? Is it fine?
Because you have to take Have youlooking forward to the food upgrades at
all? Have you thought about itat all? Yeah, it's Wolfgang Puck
or whatever is the is the word. Yeah, that's great. I've been
working with my chef for seven yearsnow, so she's been great, so

(04:09:11):
I've never really had to worry aboutthat too much. But yeah, my
weight's good. I've been eating alot this off season, so that's good.
But yeah, I'm excited to maybebe able to Sorry Christina, but
maybe I won't need a chef nextyear. I'll have I'll have my I'll
have my Wolfgang Puck food and that'llbe good. So yeah, I'm excited

(04:09:35):
about the move, found a newspot, excited to kind of learn the
area and all that, even thoughI won't ever leave my house. Were
not you not needing a lat episody, just che good at all. I'll
eat here sometimes. You know,it's may not be the best setup,
but they'll prepare your food. That'sthat's plenty, good man, Eric shout

(04:10:01):
out. No, they work harderthan literally anybody in the entire facility,
So they may not have the bestmeans back there, but they've they freaking
worked their butts off, and forthis offense, after like twenty years of
Breeze and just kind of how itwas just kind of built on top of
each other, on top of eachother, it is like kind of a
lot to kind of take in.Do you do you find that they kind
of turn it down to something newstarting at like zero with everybody, it's

(04:10:24):
just a little bit easier to kindof get everybody on the same Yeah,
I feel like it's way easier.Like you said, it was kind of
more of a Drew Brees style thelast playbook, so all credit to him
though he built that around him,around his players. But like I said,
is more this playbook is more formatchups, and I feel like it's

(04:10:45):
gonna be better for us or doyou think it's going to really take advantage
of just give sets just building aroundthe strengths that I have. You know
what I'm saying, things that Ican do and things that she can do,
things that our players can do.Is kind of focused on what we
can do and building on that.Uh. I feel like it's playing to
the player strengths, So I feellike it's gonna help us. A lot

(04:11:07):
has been around the way this offensewill have a lot more speed. And
how has that transition event so far? I mean, like I said,
it's building around the players strengths.So of course we got speed, uh
with me or she and ati receiver. So uh, just building around that,
like I said, playing to ourstrengths and be able to capitalize off
that. Feel like it's gonna helpus a lot most of like the up
tempo astract and getting a lot ofplays in the less time. Oh yeah,

(04:11:30):
yeah, yeah, that's definitely gonnaplay a big difference. Like I
said, coming from the West Coast, Uh, they bringing that stand for
an offense here. So I'm excitedto be able to be a part of
that. For you personally, whatwhat's what's the next level look like for
you? What do you what areyou trying to accomplish this year? Uh?
Just staying consistent, man, acouple of upside downs last year.
Just building off that. Uh,it's always you always gonna work on the

(04:11:52):
physical part, but being able tobounce back after a bad game the mental
mental aspect. Uh, just learningand learning that like this year and be
able to build on that this yearis a huge part. You know with
Mike Gon, do you take itupon yourself to kind of be that voice
in the room or to take astep forward even further. As I mean,

(04:12:13):
it's not really I mean, everybodykind of grown in the NFL,
so it's just on you to beable to have that standard. Like I
said, I just try to dothat, lead by example. I'm not
really outspoken, but just lead byexample, working hard, trying to dominate
every rep and hopefully they follow outto that that yards after the catch?

(04:12:35):
Is that you feel like that's thestrength of yours that maybe wasn't utilize.
I don't know if utilizes the rightword, but you could show more in
that kind of Yeah, it's offensethat is built around that, just catching
the ball in space, catching theball over the middle or even on the
outside with space and separation. Ifeel like it's built around having yards have

(04:12:56):
to catch. So I'm definitely proudto be in the system, like I
said, and I'm excited. Butis that is that a mindset too,
like being good at yards after thecatch? Like oh yeah, I mean
of course. I mean you don'twant to get tackled by the first person,
and my mindset is trying to takeevery take everything to the house.
You know every touch, So uh, I definitely got to do that more
and definitely try to work on thatin practice. Keep a great dude man,

(04:13:22):
Uh some some that I definitely needed. Something that he relates to me.
Uh, just from backgrounds, anduh he's a great coach, great
leader, Uh, motivational and uh. Like I said, I'm excited to
have him around and for him topush me is everything that I need.
So you're talking about like mentally bouncingback, you know, from tough performances

(04:13:43):
or whatever. Like, did youlike try to find your resources going to
help you figure out how to dothat? Oh? Yeah, I mean
it's older guys. Uh uh tellme that's natural. Just have bad games.
But uh, just having the standardthat I have for myself and the
expectations I have for myself. Uh, it's hard sometimes. So just be
able to be hard on yourself,but at the same time just let it

(04:14:05):
go and just bounce back for thenext game is something that I learned last
year. You one of those guysthat feels like you should always have a
certain level of production. Are youokay with those certain games where the defense
is so focused on you? Theother guys have great games and were just
running good routes and U yeah,I definitely was. It was like that

(04:14:26):
early in my career, especially incollege, but I found out it's just
about winning really. You know,I understand I came up a rough season,
but I don't think it's a stepdown of where I can play.
You know, I think when Iwas at the top of my game,
I'm still you know, top fiveplayer in my position. And you know,
I played a run in the pastand I bring leadership and that's not

(04:14:50):
anything I discome. Can you planto be here for mini camp and started
training camp? Yeah? How difficulthas it been the last two weeks to
not be here? I mean yousaid in your podcasts the first time you
never not been a OT. Yeah, it w It was difficult, But
like you know, the thing Igot very frustrated with was just when people
questioned my communication with the team.You know, I uh was communicating with

(04:15:13):
guys left and right, and youknow, front office, coaches, teammates,
and all I care about is howI am with my teammates. I
don't want them to ever think Idon't care about them or how I'm not
in it. And you know,you can say whatever you want about me.
But besides that, but I'll alwaysdedicate anything I can do do and

(04:15:35):
I don't want that to every question. Isaiya said that it felt like sometimes
you were pulled up somewhere watching film. You texted hy you missed this or
you want that. Well, likethe first day, he was batting all
up Russ's passes, so I hadto let him know, you know,
I, uh, you gotta takeadvantage of that. You gotta make sure
guys are you know, uh knowthat you you still care and you still

(04:15:56):
wanna be a part of this.Uh, you know, just watching practice,
there's a couple of the things we'redoing different, whether I'm communicating with
dumbbar or other people. You know. Yeah, so you're that You're also
talking with him and you you givinghim a pointers during the off season,
just a constant communication. How doyou see him girl as a person,
you know, as far as howhe's approaching things, how he's getting ready

(04:16:18):
for this season from his rookie year. Uh, you know, I think
the thing with Keanu is he's morecomfortable, you know, you know it
since his first time around the track. You know, it's actually like he
can you know, uh catch hisfeet under him. You know, I
always think when you're in your rookieseason, you're going from bowl game.
I don't even know Wisconsin played ina bowl game. Sorry Wisconsin, I

(04:16:38):
don't even know. But you know, personally, I just think when you
go from bowl game to training forthe combine to you know, rookie minicamp
to OTA's the you know mini camp, I mean the training camp the regular
season, you really don't get atime to really catch yourself. You know,
he understands the playbook now, hecan be more vocal, you know,

(04:17:00):
And I think when my absence,the other guys absence, you know,
you need guys like that to stepup and be ready for those opportunities.
What you had saying you had duringthe season was a more thorough What
was just tightening down everything, youknow on my left side because I was
overcompensating a little bit, but youknow it was it wasn't anything that lingers.

(04:17:22):
You know, I'll say this,A growing is not like an a
c L. It's not like anything'sever going to get afected again. And
you know, you know, I'mfeeling good, able to do everything squat
and heavy with power and speed,so you know it feels good to get
after Again, what do you thinkof what the team was able to accomplish?
Your shot usually turns to bring guyslike Russian and things. You know,

(04:17:45):
I think they're all good acquisitions.But you know, you never want
to be known as a paper champion, so can't win the off season.
I think the work gets done outhere on the field, gets done in
the classroom. Wow, it getsit's done training, Uh, you know,
and then you see where you're atin training camp, and then you
build on that. You know,I think we got the right guys in

(04:18:07):
the building. It's just about uh, putting a complete team on the field.
Cam how tip percales to separate thebusiness part of the game in the
actual football player. Uh, youknow, you you always wanna you you
always have to treat it like abusiness because you know one day it's gonna
end. Uh, and that's beenthe job. Uh. It's not like

(04:18:30):
in college where you know you gotfour years guaranteed. I don't know,
well now you you don't know whethern I an't know it's crap, but
the transfer portal portal, But youknow you have to you know, I
still have love for this game,and I still work my tail off and
I still put everything into it andthat's not gonna change. But you have

(04:18:52):
to know, uh what you bringto the team and what your what your
value is. Can have you didnapel to be out there with your teammates
today emotionally great. You know,we got a new uh, we got
a new training staff and still learningthe the warm up a little different,
but uh, you know I lovedit. Uh, you know, just
getting after it, learning new guys. Uh, going through the same drills

(04:19:14):
I've been doing by myself. Uh. I actually like having more people around
because like kind of go start crazywhen it's just you and another guy.
You're like, damn, I gottago back up for another rep already.
And so you know, it's niceto be up here and get a chance
to you know, be with myguys. Cam. Were you confident and
deal? We'll get done with youremotions. Oh, I'm gonna we'll try

(04:19:38):
to remain pretty neutral because you know, I don't wanna be too either way.
All I know is I want tobe here. But we'll see what
happens because my last year here,I I've had a great career here.
But we'll look forward to play nextyear with that second surgery, So this

(04:20:00):
time was on the left side.It was the first time around on the
right side, right side during theseason, left side, and that was
just tightening down my corner. Mycorma saw. It wasn't the same as
my ad doctor. You know,you can ask doctor Bradley, uh,
doctor doctor Zuckerbron who uh did thesurgery as well. You know, I

(04:20:21):
if anything's gonna help me and it'llmake me a lot stronger for hearing up.
Did you say you were training withanother guy? Who have you kind
of been Tyson? Oh? Uh, I've been training with him for the
last eight years. We've always trainedtogether. We got a trainer up north,
uh shadow of Cole Haley. He'smy guy, traded trained trained,
Uh, Heath Miller, Brett Keesel, the multitude of guys that I all

(04:20:45):
respect and we've just been getting afterit. Kim's very true. Guys historically
thirty five to get paid big contractthat do you k think that's held against
you. I think there's not alot of history behind it. But you
know, for me, I Ilook at as I'm not looking to be
like anybody else. You know,my game is different from everybody else in

(04:21:06):
this league. You know, Ilike to think, you know, I
can play the run in the past, and then that's where I'm different.
You know. I remember last yearMike t just brought to my attention.
You know. The thing that's reallycool is you watch powerlifters, and you
know, my game's built on poweringtechnique, and those guys go into their
forties and so you know, that'swhat kind of research I'm doing behind the

(04:21:29):
scenes. But you know, II we'll see what happens. There's there's
not a lot of history, butI'm here to make history and I'm here
to you know, win another SuperBowl year and you know, have a
great season. Do you have aset goal over yourself on how many years
you wanna play in the NFL?Or did you just take things yere by
the year? You know it?It was it was tough answering that question

(04:21:52):
right after the season. I willsay this, guys, I I can't
keep answering that question right after theseason. That is not fair to the
season, that's not fair to myfamily. Uh you know, but in
my mind, I got three yearsand I wanna maximize'em. I wanna
play at a high level, andI wanna go deep in the playoffs and
you know, we got a goodteam and I'm gonna do my part to

(04:22:15):
be ready for all those situations here. If you plan on practice soon when
you report to the trove, oris your possibility that you might fold in
and enforces I I have not eventhought that far. I've taken a day
by day uh you know uh uh. I told my agent and we talked
about it. I mean we werecool coming out here. You know,
I'll be here for many you know, and then I'll be there for training

(04:22:38):
parent you know, I don't knowwhat the work entails, but when we
get there, we'll we'll cross thatbridge or remain a stealer for those three
years. You know. There wasa conversation between me Omar and Mike T
And there's certain guys that are wanthelp of guys, you know, and

(04:23:02):
I want to be one of thoseone helmet guys. And you know there's
a there's a hunger and desire there. But that doesn't mean just hanging it
up and calling a career. Tome, I think, you know,
I got more bullets to fire,and you know I'm excited to do that.
One you and Russell Wilson are gonnabe out there with Walter Man.

(04:23:22):
Uh what Walter Payton Man of theYear had to I saw Russ's on social
media, but I haven't had achance to see it. Uh. I
let that surprise happens when it happens. But uh, you know, it's
it's cool to have another Walter PaytonMan of the Year winner, you know,
I think, Uh, it's anhonor to be there. And uh,

(04:23:44):
one, I'll say one thing,I won't be here. I'm just
telling you guys. So it's nota big deal. I won't be here
because I have to do a WalterPayton Man of Year thing on Thursday.
So it's not like I'm skipping,all right, But uh, you know,
it's an honor to be with Russ, and you know, you know,
it's in honor of doing things inthe community and doing great work.

(04:24:06):
And you know, the cool thingis as much as we get quarterbacks and
going through these fifteen practices, athow do you want to structure that?
I know that you and Ryan haveprobably talked about that a good amount,
Like what's the right way to setup a spring position battle? How many
reps does everybody need? What's sortof your plan just from a general perspective,
I guess yeah, you know,we're really detailed in what practice looks

(04:24:29):
like and how that's going to operate. But I also think you need to
let the players go, you know, So I don't think you need to
put shackles on them, so tospeak, and just keep them constrained.
I think you got to let themgo and you got to let them operate.
And we were rotating I think everybodyon every two snaps today just and
that was just what we're going todo on day one. You know,
we'll reassess it after we got throughit, get a chance to count up
all the reps of how many plays, how many plays each guy got,

(04:24:51):
and did they get more in sevenon than they did in eleven on?
You know, and we'll go throughthat whole thing and that'll be a constant
flow in terms of how we're doingit. But I think the the best
way people learn as they learn bydoing, you know. So they've been
great in the meeting rooms. They'resharp when you get him on the board,
they're really good when they're watching film. But you gotta go out and
you gotta play the game and sothe more we can put them in those
situations to play the game, thebetter we'll have an opportunity to evaluate them.

(04:25:17):
Uh. Ships thinking all of thesethings, uh go back. So
for with Ryan Day, you mentionedsince you've known him since she was a
kid, what were your first impressionsback then? And then you come full
circle to now, like how doyou how do you feel about that?
It's still the same way he youknow, even since he was playing little
league, he was the ultimate competitor, you know, and he was always

(04:25:40):
trying to find a way to win. He was great at a lot of
sports, baseball, basketball, football. You know. I got an opportunity
to recruit him, you know,so I coached him when I was at
New Hampshire. I recruited him outof high school and we all and we
grew up really close to each other, so the same elementary school, same
high school, same junior high,same college. You know. So I've
known him since for for a reallylong time. But that competitive fire burns

(04:26:02):
deep with him. And that's theone thing that I've always admired with him.
And he's got an amazing athletic brainin terms of how to process things
and how to put people in positionto make place. He's always been that
prototypical coach on the field, nomatter what sport he was playing. So
I knew he was destined to bea coach, you know. And I
was fortunate in my career as ahead coach to have him on my staff
at a couple of places, soI got a chance to see him work

(04:26:23):
firsthand, you know. I gotto see him work firsthand as a player
and then as a coach. Sothe success he had is not is not
surprising to me that there is therefor you seeing where the successes had.
Yeah, I think we all dothat. I think we come from a
unique place in a really small hometownin New Hampshire where we all take a
lot of pride to where we're from, and when anybody's successful coming out of

(04:26:45):
there, then you kind of takea little pride. That's it's the upbringing
that we all had, you know, in the UTH sports program that we
grew up in. In every aspect, whether it was football, baseball,
basketball, those coaches had an amazingimpact on us and that's why we are
where we are right now. Ryansaid he doesn't think of it as you

(04:27:06):
working under him. That's working withhim. The fact is he's the head
coach. He makes me call himsir though, and he just said can
you do that? Day one?And I was like, all right,
right now? But I mean heultimately it is the decision maker. You've
been a head coach. How doyou think that's going to work? Do

(04:27:26):
you think there'll be any as closeas you are, any kind of awkward
moments the right term. But whenhe's the ultimate decider and you are working
for him, Yeah, I certainlyunderstand my role. I'm not Alhaic like
I'm not. I'm not in chargehere. Yeah. Some people get that
reference. Other people don't get thatreference. But I'd certainly understand that,

(04:27:48):
and and I actually kind of relishit because I really love the scheming part.
I love the individual part. Ilove being in the meeting room of
the quarterbacks uh and trying to gameplan. But everything we do here is
collaborative. You know. The onething that that really struck me when I
walked in this place is there's anamazing coaching staff here, you know.
And if you get a chance totalk to Larry Johnson just about football,
or Tim Walton or Jim Knowles orBrian Hartline or any of these guys that

(04:28:11):
are on the staff here. It'sit's a very collaborative effort. I think
everybody's on the same page. Youknow, it's not our offense and their
defense and it's Ohio State. Youknow, it's it's Ohio State versus the
twelve opponents that we're going to playduring the regular season and then beyond.
So it's it's really collaborative. Andthat's the thing I like, just in
the short time that I've been here, is how collaborative everybody's been. You

(04:28:33):
know, we're all trying to makeeach other better and we're all trying to
develop this team. Touched on thiswhen you said, you know, you'd
like to do what you want todo and not My sense is you,
in your perfect world, you'd liketo scribble plays on a napkin and not
deal with boosters that deal with allthe stuff that coaches, head coaches have
to deal with. Now, howmuch of a factor was that in this

(04:28:53):
decision? You can just do football? No, that's not it. I
mean, I enjoy I mean we'vehad some amazing I've had an opportunity and
everywhere I've been to meet some amazingpeople that are associated with the program.
And there's people that from my timeat New Hampshire or my time at Oregon.
I was just with Phil Night twoweeks ago, you know, and
got an opportunity to spend some timewith him and his wife, Penny,

(04:29:14):
who are dear friends of mine thathave been great mentors to me in my
career. And there's a bunch ofpeople that at UCLA, Terry Donahue and
Andrea Donna who were awesome to me. Angela Mazzoni is a great friend,
Casey Wassman, Troy Yikman. Therewas a bunch of people at UCLA that
I really enjoyed, you know,being around and talking with. So I
think sometimes everybody wants to make anarrative of it's either this or that's it's
never that. It's never just allball, it's never just all recruiting,

(04:29:37):
it's never just all boosters. It'sa mixture of everything. But I think
the one thing that as this positionas a head coach kept moving on is
that if you look at a lotof them, they all become more CEOs.
You know. I can't tell youhow many coaches that have called me
since I made this decision that saidI'm two years behind you brother, you
know that are thinking the same exactway, and I think it's all part

(04:29:57):
of what we have to do.I think we all all need to protect
this game and promote this game.And I think there are some rules that
we need to get straightened out sothat people understand where what it's about,
because the game is still about theplayers, and I hope that never gets
discounted. You know, it's it'salways been about the players, and I
think if we can keep that atthe forefront the people that are making decisions

(04:30:17):
on this, and I think JeanSmith is one of the best influences in
in the NCAAA, is to makesure we keep that the main thing.
The main thing needs to be thestudent athletes. You know, you're coming
in at a time where you've beenthrough some places where the expectations are high.
I understand we're also coming into ajuncture where, you know, the

(04:30:38):
three losses to Michigan and not makingthe playoff last year, the urgency is
pretty high here. I guess justsort of what the perspective do you have
on kind of the stakes that thereare for Ryan this year and the decision
that then he makes to bring youin to kind of help solve that.
Yeah, I think the expectations canbe no harder than they are in your
own brain, you know. AndI think if you try to worry about

(04:31:00):
what other people are thinking in theirbrains, you're going to get screwed up
a little bit. So, youknow, I talked earlier the one thing
about Ryan that I know about himand has always been he's the ultimate competitor.
So he's got There's nowhere that hashigher expectations of Ohio State than Ryan
does, nor the rest of usthat joined him in are part of this
and that are working with him.So you know, I don't think.
I think sometimes you can spend toomuch time thinking about those things. You

(04:31:22):
know. What you really have todo is just as there's a big sign
as you walk into this place,it says when the moment, you know,
I think that's a real thing thatwe have to do as coaches,
is to make sure that our playersaren't worried about what's going on in the
future, or or aren't worried aboutwhat's going on in the past, or
worry about can they get a littlebit better today, you know, and
can we make improvement. And Ithink the one thing that I've seen here
and I've only been here for threeweeks, but there's a consistency to the

(04:31:44):
players approach when they walk in thisbuilding every day, which is it's unique.
It's not like that everywhere else.And it's one of the things that
I remark to Mick when I youknow, he said, Hey, what
do you think, And I waslike, it's impressive. It's impressive the
culture of the players that are inthis program right now. But I think
it speaks a lot to the leadership. There's there's a lot of older player
on this team, and they've setthe tone for the younger players, and
I think the younger players have donea great job of followship and getting right

(04:32:06):
in line with that never hit itover play calling to someone before. What
does it mean to you? Iguess he technically did it to Bill when
he was here for a couple ofweeks, But what does that mean to
you to kind of be getting thatresponsibility from him and he's calling essentially the
offense that you gave it. Iguess in some way. Yeah, I
still think the play calling part willbe a collaborative effort and by that,

(04:32:26):
I mean that if it's a goodplay, I called it, and if
it's a bad play, he calledit. Because the great part is an
assistant coach, you can just henpoint the finger a little bit and say,
hey, you know, I wantedto do this, but he tromped
me. So we haven't actually discussedgame day yet. You know, we'll
see how that operates. But everywhereI've been it's been a collaborative effort.

(04:32:47):
And all of a sudden, someonethat's calling the plays isn't isn't like pulls
one out of left field that youhadn't practiced and hadn't been part of your
offense and said, hey, let'sdo this. You know, we're not
running the annexation of Puerto Rico.You know we're not coming up something special,
you know in the middle of thefourth quarter that we haven't done.
But I think it's the key toreally being successful on offense is is how
you game plan, how you putit all together, and then how you

(04:33:10):
practice and train for that so thatyou get a chance to execute it.
Because the player's confidence comes become comesfrom their demonstrated ability that they've done this
so many times in practice that whenthey get out on the field that this
is like that to them. Youknow, it's not that they do it
so they do it right, it'sthey practice it so much so that they
can't do it wrong. So,you know, I think it's that whole
part of it that is really thekey to being a really good game planning

(04:33:30):
team, right, Doug Lane,Marie north Chip. When you had that
feeling when you were coaching the quarterbacksduring Bowl, did you consider at that
point maybe resigning as the head coachand thinking like this is this is not
where I am anymore. I'll leaveand then I'll look to see what else
is out there. No. Inever thought about quitting anything. So,

(04:33:52):
you know, I just is therean opportunity that I think I can that
fit. I think that's the youknow, it's no different than when you're
talking to a recruit about them makea decision on where they're going to go
to school. I think that wherethey should go to school is where the
best fit is for them. So, you know, I just entertained some
opportunities and I always felt I feltlike this was the best fit. But

(04:34:12):
I never thought about quitting or notcoaching. I'm gonna coach I'm gonna coach
and then I'm gonna die. ButI mean, that's how I think I
think about things. Is I can'tpicture that. I know someone I was
on the Nike trip and they like, how much longer are you gonna go?
When I said I I have togo another fifteen twenty years. I
don't think about I don't think aboutretirement. I don't think about any of

(04:34:33):
those things. That's just not kindof my mindset that you know. I
love football and in the as longas I can be part of this game,
then I'll be part of this game. Just the way things worked out
with your departure from UCLA, isthere anything that you wish you had done
differently, or anything you regret,or just that the circumstances that presented themselves.
Do you think that you handled thatdeparture the best that you could have.

(04:34:55):
Yeah, I mean I got anopportunity to tell my players personally.
You know, I think in thisday and age of the Internet where they
read it somewhere else and you haveto text message him, you know,
that was always important to me thatI wanted to make sure I talked to
my players and explain the reasons ofwhat I was doing. I wasn't leaving
to take a head coaching job somewhereelse. I wasn't thinking that the grass
is greener at another university. Wasjust in my personal situation, this is

(04:35:15):
what I wanted to do. Iwanted to take an opportunity to go be
a position coach and coordinator, andthat's how it fit. You know.
What I was happy is that Ialways thought to Sean Foster, I think
the world of them, and Ithink he's a special you know. And
the fact that that they were theygave him the opportunity to take over there
was you know, it worked out. I didn't have any say in that

(04:35:36):
decision. You know, I wasgone, But I always thought that de
Shaun would be a great head coachand I'm really proud of him and happy
that that he got the opportunity totake that job right behind him act you
have your reputation as innovator. Waspart of the appeal of this is that
you get to get in the weedsa little bit, uh maybe not mad
scientists, maybe too too strong ofa word. Could you're working within the

(04:35:59):
system, But was there an appealof you get to get my hands dirty
here? Again and innovate and getback to that side of things. It
was, but it was really moreimportant of who I get to work with,
you know, and so knowing youknow, I've got I know a
lot of guys on the staff besidesRyan also, so you know, when
I know what their mindset is andwhat their values are and how they do

(04:36:21):
things, and so I want tobe a part of that. But but
there's a part of that. Yeah. Yeah, how much of a teacher
you get labeled with the innovator.The teachings are part of this. How
much is it is a teacher?Are you? And how patient are you?
Yeah? I think we're all teachers. I mean, education is the
transportation of knowledge, you know.So it really doesn't matter what the coach
knows. It matters what the playersunderstand, you know. So you have

(04:36:42):
to be able to make sure thatwhile you're implementing things, is is what
resonates with them and how does thatcome back to them? So, you
know, a lot of our teachingstyles that we've learned is more the Socratic
method of there's a lot of questions, you know, and a lot of
check for understandings just to kind offind out where the players are coming from
because it's what they know that that'sultimately gonna win games, not what we

(04:37:03):
know. You know that we're notplaying the games. We're not stepping across
those white lines, you know.And your job as a coach is to
create an environment where they have anopportunity to be successful and then get out
of their way and let them godo it. So I think the teaching
aspect is huge, and we continueto research, you know, some of
the latest trends in teaching to makesure that we are transporting that knowledge to
our players. The second role leftSteve Hellwaggen twenty four seventh course. Yeah,

(04:37:26):
coach, just curious you got fivescholarship quarterbacks with differing levels of experience
from age and everything else. Notto annoyed him, but just want to
ask specifically about Will Howard coming inafter starting part of two years at kids
a stage. He just seems topromote this idea that he's a football player,

(04:37:48):
you know above all else. Justhow impressed are you with his makeup,
his experience, what he's bringing tothe table walking in here right now?
Yeah? Really impressed. You knowthat you don't have to talk to
Will for more than five minutes tokind of know where he's coming from.
He's really focused, you know,he knows he's got a short window left
in his college career and it reallywants to capitalize on what that is.

(04:38:11):
There's a maturity to Will, youknow. I really I've had experience.
My experience in this thing since thetransfer portal opened in college football is some
of the best players I've had anopportunity to coach. Award transfers. Sometimes
when you're a true freshman and it'sfive years out, you know, it's
like, hey, I got aton of time, you know. And
sometimes when you're a transfer, isthat I've got nine months, you know.

(04:38:32):
So there's a sense of urgency Ithink when you're dealing with with transfers,
and I think Will has exuded thatsince he's been here. But the
other thing that I just in theshort time that Will has been here is
how quickly he's fit in with theentire team, you know, and how
much the rest of the players respecthim. You know, he was one
of the Gold Award winners for hiswork in the weight room in this offseason,
so that says a lot for himcoming in here, as in a

(04:38:53):
short time being able to win aweight room award, you know, to
start off, you guys hope tohave the number one internally externally at the
end of spring or I guess justlet it out, how do I?
I think it always every time I'vebeen involved in these, I think when
they're organic is when it's the bestthat. I don't think you can anoint
somebody or force the issue because theplayers know the players would understand. They

(04:39:15):
see it every single day, youknow, and there's a team chemistry part
of this thing too, So we'renot gonna force the issue a but I've
always seen it play itself out.So I've been fortunate that there's always gonna
be some quarterback battles at at somepoint in time. At every school there's
a quarterback battle, you know.And then and really, yeah, I
feel like in the league, whetherI left or right, are still going

(04:39:37):
against premier guys. So obviously youhave high expectations for your left and right
tackle, but there's definitely, uh, like the the level of energy and
like the expectations definitely take and ahuman spect cause now connected to the blindside,
that's the as de tackle role,you know. So so yeah,
I would say in terms of communicationas far as just even outside the facility

(04:40:02):
and just stuff like that, likereally creating that tackle quarterback bond even more
off the field, I think hasbeen something that's even been cool. I
got a text one day he said, Hey, like you play left and
I was like, yeah, youknow, yeah, I've been training both.
I've been training both. You know. I asked after the season.
They're like, honestly, you know, we'll talk to you some play in

(04:40:25):
the season. And I just gota text me like, depending what happens
with with the free agency then.So I was like, you know what,
I had a whole season right tackle. So if I get the word,
I'm going I'm standing right tackle.I don't need to do what I
did before. I'm built on thatbus. I was like, I might
as almost trained the left tackle nowas if I'm going to be a left
tackle, and I'd rather do thatthan training on right tackle and get the

(04:40:48):
ko Hey you're the left tackle.I'm like, oh, I didn't switch
on my feet yet, you knowwhat I mean. So I'm like,
let me just prepare in the advance. I was like, yeah, les,
guy, you know, I thinkoccasionally on third down there would be
a lot of twists. I wouldjust know like it's automatically coming. And
I fact, that was my mindsetfor like the first half of the season,
like I didn't have to go toa game and with surprise like oh

(04:41:10):
my gosh, they did that.I kind of figured like, okay,
like this is this is the typeof rush minute gain, like this is
how this guy usually rushes. ButI get the vibe, this is how
the end's like the rush you know, tackles that are you know, first
year guys who got the premiere patchon. I already knew what it was
gonna be. Already knew every stuntand honestly just knowing that it's kind of

(04:41:30):
an advantage too, so you're notyou're not you're not old. They brought
the twist on my side. Again, it was never an Aaron donalick.
You know they're coming out of themines like three plays in a row and
two minutes. I knew that itwas the way to happen. So you
know what I mean, I'm watchingmore than everybody else and he rarely England
goes out there on occasional third downson the d N. I was like,
already know it's gonna be He's gonnapick me, you know what I

(04:41:52):
mean, So fact fact, it'skind of it's also kind of an advantage
in a way, but it's alsoexciting, like, Okay, I'm gonna
get the hardest. Look. Youknow, those are real, real reps,
you know, the bank. Soreally, I I don't know,
I really any kind of process thatI was like, hey, when they
tell me to let me know,but I'm I'm just gonna train it.

(04:42:15):
I was training all left to Ta's. I guess if I didn't hear anything
about Ta's, I would have camein like so you know what I mean,
cause just like I'm cool training bothcontinuing, I would have been cool
training both continually. But I stilldo not. What's it been like for
you just seeing just the early stagesof how he challenges people of how they
responded. I mean, yeah,I mean at the end of the day,

(04:42:37):
I think we're all grown men inhere, so you know, you
should automatically, you know, takeaccountability for you know, everything you do
in the field, whether it's somethinggood, whether it's something bad. And
I think everybody's responded well to that, so you know, I think that
does nothing but you know it makeseverybody better allowed to your teammates, to
you know, put more trust into whoever it is that's taken accountability at

(04:42:59):
the time. What I uh,what do you see the guy counted all
sea? Yeah, I mean he'squick. You know, he can create
a lot of space and yah uhsmall spaces, so uh it's quick,
you know, uh savvy with hisroute running, and you know, he's
just he's just a hard worker,you know. You know there's some plays
where he knows he's not getting theball and he's still still winning the route.
So you know, just to havethat player, uh a a player

(04:43:21):
like that give that much effort uhon the field every play, it's really
really good to see. And Ithink it's you know, really uh gonna
rub up on the other guys too. I'm good, I'm about to i'm'a
getting another what's it like working withuh some of the tight ends that you
guys happened to him there, Iknow after Smithy Street just talked about a
versatility that a lot of other guyshave, especially in that grove. Yeah,
I mean we have a different uhuh a lot of you know,

(04:43:42):
different guys in the tight end room. You know, Darnell he brings sides
to the room. Uh, RodneySpeed, Uh Connor, he has a
great awareness in the field. Patof course he's you know, he's a
great all round sight end. Andthen uh, you know, uh Crew,
he's a he's a bag. Hesmart, he knows what he's doing.
So, I mean just all theguys in the room, you know,

(04:44:03):
they're smart and uh attentive, andthey f I F I feel like
they've j a justice to the offense. Will So, what's been like working
with Tom or on? What's hebeen kind of working with you want?
Yeah, I mean Tola's been great. Uh just his at tis attention to
detail, the way he comes,you know, in each and every day,
comes in the same guy every day, and Uh, to be honest,

(04:44:26):
I haven't you know, I don'tthink I've had to coach that detailed
as Tom. You know, he'svery detailed in terms of you know,
practice review sending us uh the info, breaking down each and every play and
really just really just focused on thedetail. To be honest with you,
I think, uh that's the thingthat sets him apart. And you know
he's he pushed us to be hard. I mean our our indie periods are

(04:44:49):
you know, conditioning. So ofcourse that's good for us. But I
mean he's been great so far.So excited to uh you know, allow
that our allow our relationship to grow, and excited to work for you.
It's what he's doing kind of complimentwhat you're doing individually, you know,
when you're away from the facility,working with you know, coaches one on
one anything like that. You said, what is he what does he do

(04:45:10):
here? That kind of compliments whatyou do away from the facility when you're
troubling. I mean, I thinkhe does different stuff, So I think,
uh, that's a good thing aboutit. You know some stuff that
we do here. Oh sorry,I don't you know, usually do outside
of the facility. So it's goodgetting that different work in different drill work
that I can you know, implementinto my you know, off season program

(04:45:30):
and stuff like that. So it'sgood that I'm learned this stuff for surely
deep all of efficiency members in timethat was the last year what what what
what is this? Our smith inthe offense talk about you are trying to
make make that incorporate that into beinga big part of this offense. I
mean, yeah, Uh. Ithink we have fast guys, guys that
can get down the field with speed, Guys like Quiz Calvin, Scottie Van,

(04:45:56):
you know, me and Rust.You know, we've we've had a
lot of deep off success and alot of explosive plays in the past.
So you know that's just uh,you know what, I guess how our
offense is built. To be honestwith you, but I mean, our
job is to create explosives and youknow, push the ball down on the
field. So anytime we get thoseops, we definitely wanna capitalize on those.
Are your coach just resting any partof your mechanics in any way that
I mean? Yeah, Uh,I think there's always room to improve,

(04:46:18):
uh, mechanic wise and stuff likethat. So I think you know Matt
Baker, uh, he's a fourquarterback assistant. He you know, usually
stays on me the most about it, Okay, So I appreciate the fact
that he does that, and Iusually, you know, make sure he
doesn't make sure I just just stayon top of it, you know,
as a whole, and you know, make sure my mechanics are always clean.
Can you talk about one particularly elementthat they're distressing. It's it's different

(04:46:42):
areas. To be honest, Idon't think it's just one specific area,
but it's it's different areas. Justinin your opinion, was there something that
you wanted to work on, maybeget better at when you got here at
this point of your career. Imean, like like I said, there's
you know, no matter who youare, you know there's always stuff to
get better at, always different areas. Nobody's hurt in one area, So
I think you can continue to provein all are in my game, you

(04:47:03):
know me personally, so I'm justfocused on getting better. You never get
it. When we talked to Russyesterday, he said that rusted that he
personally felt kind of revived. Youbring it another staff in his career.
Is there any of that sense ofmaybe rejuvenation or feeling revived? Obviously you
haven't been in the league for thirteenyears, but is there a new energy
that you get being in a differentorganization, going through mini camp in a

(04:47:25):
different way for the first time.I think so, you know, just
being around a new team an organizationas players, but to stay on day
one that I think that our schemeis going to be this, this or
this, it's you know that's gonnabe a work in progress as we start
to get familiar with what the player'sskill sets are and then what we can
do. And it's always a combinationof what you have up front and then

(04:47:45):
what you have out back. AndI know we've got a couple of really
talented running backs behind him, soyou know it's something that we're gonna look
at. But I also know youcan't be one dimensional football. You need
to be able to throw the ballas much as run the wall. You
know, it's funny. Some peoplethink I'm an area guy. Some people
think I'm a wing tea guy.Some people think I want to run the
ball every down. You know,we're gonna we're gonna do what's best for
a house state, and that's that'skind of what our game plan is right

(04:48:06):
now, right Austin wore a podcast. When you think about your first evaluations
of the quarterbacks and going through thesefifteen practices at how do you want to
structure that? I know that youand Ryan have probably talked about that a
good amount, Like what's the rightway to set up a spring position battle?
How many reps does everybody need?What's sort of your plan just from
a general perspective, I guess yeah, you know, we're really detailed in

(04:48:30):
what practice looks like and how that'sgoing to operate. But I also think
you need to let the players go, you know, So I don't think
you need to to put shackles onthem, so to speak, and just
keep them constrained. I think yougot to let them go and you got
to let them operate. And wewere rotating I think everybody on every two
snaps today just and that was justwhat we're going to do on day one.
You know, we'll reassess it afterwe got through it, get a

(04:48:51):
chance to count up all the repsof how many plays, how many plays
each guy got and did they getmore in seven on than they did in
eleven on? You know, andwe'll go through that whole thing, and
that'll be a concert. Didn't flowin terms of how we're doing it,
But I think the best way peoplelearn is they learn by doing, you
know. So they've been great inthe meeting rooms. They're sharp when you
get them on the board, they'rereally good when they're watching film. But
you got to go out and yougot to play the game. And so

(04:49:12):
the more we can put them inthose situations to play the game, the
better we'll have an opportunity to evaluatethem. Uh ship a miss thinking all
of these things go back. Sofor with Ryan Day, you mentioned since
you've done him since she was akid, what were your first impressions back

(04:49:32):
then? And then she could comefull circle to now, like how do
you how do you feel about that? It's still the same way he you
know, even since he was playinglittle league, he was the ultimate competitor,
you know, and he was alwaystrying to find a way to win.
He was great at a lot ofsports, baseball, basketball, football.
You know. I got an opportunityto recruit him, you know,
so I coached him when I wasat New Hampshire. I recruited him out

(04:49:52):
of high school and all, andwe grew up really close to each other,
so same elementary school, same highschool, same junior high, same
college. You know. So I'veknown him since for for a really long
time. But that competitive fire burnsdeep with him, and that's the one
thing that I've always admired with him. And he's got an amazing athletic brain
in terms of how to process thingsand how to how to put people in
position to make place. He's alwaysbeen that prototypical coach on the field,

(04:50:15):
no matter what sport he was playing. So I knew he was destined to
be a coach, you know.And I was fortunate in my career as
a head coach to have him onmy staff in a couple of places,
so I got a chance to seehim work firsthand, you know, I
got to see him work firsthand asa player and then as a coach.
So the success he had is notis not surprising to me? Is there
for you? Seeing where iyan thesuccess he's had. Yeah, I think

(04:50:38):
we all do that. I thinkwe come from a unique place in a
really small hometown in New Hampshire wherewe all take a lot of pride of
where we're from. And when anybody'ssuccessful coming out of there, then you
kind of take a little pride thatthat's it's the upbringing that we all had,
you know, in the UTH sportsprogram that we grew up in in
every aspect, whether it was football, baseball, basketball, those coaches were

(04:50:59):
had an amazing and packed on usand that's why we are where we are
right now. For girl Bill Rabinwick, Columbus dispatched, Ryan said he doesn't
think of it as you working underhim, that's working with him. The
fact is he is the head coachwaiting off the quarter He makes me call
him sir though he just said canyou do that? Day one and I
was like, all right right no, But I mean he ultimately is the

(04:51:25):
decision maker. You've been a headcoach. How do you think that's going
to work? Do you think there'llbe any as close as you are,
any kind of awkward moments the rightterm. But when he's the ultimate decider
and you are working for him,Yeah, I certainly understand my role.
I'm not Alhaic, like I'm not. I'm not in charge here. Yeah,

(04:51:45):
some people get that reference. Otherpeople don't get that reverence. But
I'd certainly understand that, and andI actually kind of relish it because I
really love the scheming part. Ilove the individual part. I love being
in the meeting room of the quarterbacksuh and trying to game plan. But
everything we do here is collaborative.You know. The one thing that that
really struck me when I walked inthis place is there's an amazing coaching staff

(04:52:06):
here. You know, and ifyou get a chance to talk to Larry
Johnson just about football, or TimWalton or Jim Knowles or Brian Hartline or
any of these guys that are onthe staff here. It's it's a very
collaborative effort. I think everybody's onthe same page. You know, it's
not our offense and their defense andotherwise it's it's Ohio State, you know,
and it's it's Ohio State versus thetwelve opponents that we're going to play

(04:52:27):
during the regular season and then beyond. So it's it's really collaborative. And
that's the thing I like, justin the short time that I've been here,
is how collaborative everybody's been. Youknow, we're all trying to make
each other better and we're all tryingto develop this team. Touched on this,
you said, you know, youlike to do what you want to
do and not My sense is you, in your perfect world, you'd like

(04:52:48):
to scribble plays on an atkin andnot deal with boosters, dot deal with
all the stuff that coaches, headcoaches have to deal with. Now,
how much of a factor was thatin this decision? You can just do
football? No, that's not it. I mean, I enjoy I mean,
we've had some amazing. I've hadan opportunity and everywhere I've been to
meet some amazing people that are associatedwith the program. And there's people that

(04:53:10):
from my time at New Hampshire ormy time at Oregon. I was just
with Phil Knight two weeks ago,you know, and got an opportunity to
spend some time with him and hiswife Penny, who are dear friends of
mine that have been great mentors tome in my career. And there's a
bunch of people that and UCLA,Terry Donahue, Andrea Donna who were awesome
to me. Angela Mazzoni is agreat friend, Casey Wassman, Troy Aikman.
There was a bunch of people atUCLA that I really enjoyed, you

(04:53:30):
know, being around and talking with. So I think sometimes everybody wants to
make a narrative of it's either thisor that. It's never that. It's
never just all ball, it's neverjust all recruiting, it's never just all
boosters. It's a mixture of everything. But I think the one thing that
as this position as a head coachkept moving on is that if you look
at a lot of them, theyall become more CEOs. You know,

(04:53:52):
I can't tell you how many coachesthat have called me since I made this
decision that said I'm two years behindyou, brother, you know that are
thinking the same exact way. AndI think it's all part of what we
have to do. I think weall need to protect this game and promote
this game, and I think thereare some rules that we need to get
straightened out so that people understand wherewhat it's about, because the game is
still about the players, and Ihope that never gets discounted. You know,

(04:54:15):
it's it's always been about the players, and I think if we can
keep that at the forefront the peoplethat are making decisions on this, and
I think Jean Smith is one ofthe best influences in in the NCAAA,
is to make sure we keep thatthe main thing, the main thing it
needs to be the student athletes.You know, you're coming in at a
time where you've been through some placeswhere the expectations are high. I understand

(04:54:38):
it's also coming into a juncture whereyou know, the three losses to Michigan
and not making the playoff last year, the urgency is pretty high here.
I guess just sort of what perspectivedo you have on kind of the stakes
that there are for Ryan this yearand the decision that then he makes to
bring you in to kind of helpsolve that. Yeah, I think the

(04:54:59):
ex expectations can be no higher thanthey are in your own brain, you
know. And I think if youtry to worry about what other people are
thinking in their brains, you're goingto get screwed up a little bit.
So, you know, I talkedearlier the one thing about Ryan that I
know about him and has always beenhe's the ultimate competitor. So he's got
There's nowhere that has higher expectations ofOhio State than Ryan does or the rest
of us that joined him in ourpart of this and that are working with

(04:55:21):
him. So you know, Idon't think. I think sometimes you can
spend too much time thinking about thosethings. You know. What you really
have to do is just as there'sa big sign as you walk into this
place, it says when the moment, you know, I think that's a
real thing that we have to doas coaches, is to make sure that
our players aren't worried about what's goingon in the future, or or aren't
worried about what's going on in thepast or worry about can they get a
little bit better today, you know, and can we make improvement? And
I think the one thing that I'veseen here, and I've only been here

(04:55:44):
for three weeks, but there's aconsistency to the players approach when they walk
in this building every day, whichis it's unique. It's not like that
everywhere else. And it's one ofthe things that I remark to Mick when
I you know, he said,Hey, what do you think, And
I was like, it's impressive.It's impressive the culture of the players that
are in this program right now.But I think it speaks a lot to
the leadership. There's there's a lotof older players on this team, and
they've set the tone for the youngerplayers, and I think the younger players

(04:56:07):
have done a great job of followshipand getting right in line with that.
He's never handed over a play callingto someone before. What does it mean
to you? I guess he technicallydid it to Bill when he was here
for a couple weeks, But whatdoes that mean to you to kind of
be getting that responsibility from him andhe's calling essentially the offense that you gave
it. I guess itself yeah,I still think the play calling part will

(04:56:27):
be a collaborative effort. And bythat I mean that if it's a good
play, I called it, andif it's a bad play, he called
it. Because the great part isan assistant coach, you just hen point
the finger a little bit and say, hey, you know, I wanted
to do this, but he trumpedme. So we haven't actually discussed game
day yet. You know, we'llsee how that operates. But everywhere I've

(04:56:48):
been it's been a collaborative effort.And all of a sudden, someone that's
calling the plays isn't isn't like pullsone out of left field that you hadn't
practiced and hadn't been part of youroffense and said, hey, let's do
this. You know, we're notrunning the annexation of Puerto Rico. You
know, we're not coming up withsomething special you know in the middle of
the fourth quarter that we haven't done. But I think it's the key to
really being successful on offense is ishow you game plan, how you put

(04:57:11):
it all together, and then howyou practice and train for that so that
you get a chance to execute it. Because the player's confidence comes comes from
their demonstrated ability that they've done thisso many times in practice that when they
get out on the field that thisis like that to them. You know,
it's not that they do it sothey do it right, it's they
practice it so much so that theycan't do it wrong. So, you
know, I think it's that wholepart of it that is really the key

(04:57:33):
to being a really good game planningteam, right Doug Lane ma Reeth Kingdom
North Chip. When you had thatfeeling when you were coaching the quarterbacks during
Bowl that preparation, did you considerat that point maybe resigning as the head
coach and thinking like this is thisis not where I am anymore. I'll
leave and then I'll look to seewhat else is out there. No,
I never thought about quitting anything.So, you know, I just is

(04:57:56):
there an opportunity that I think Ican that fit, you know, And
I think that's the you know,it's no different than when you're talking to
a recruit about them make a decisionon where they're going to go to school.
I think that where they should goto school is where the best fit
is for them. So, youknow, I just entertained some opportunities and
I always felt I felt like thiswas the best fit. But I never

(04:58:17):
thought about quitting or not coaching.I'm going to coach. I'm gonna coach,
and then I'm gonna die. ButI mean, that's how I think.
I think about things. Is Ican't picture that. I know someone
I was on the Nike trip andthey like, how much longer are you
gonna go? When I said Ihave to go another fifteen twenty years.
I don't think about I don't thinkabout retirement. I don't think about any
of those things. That's just notkind of my mindset that you know.

(04:58:38):
I love football and in the aslong as I can be part of this
game, then I'll be part ofthis game. You have just the way
things worked out with your departure fromUCLA, is there anything that you wish
you had done differently, or anythingyou regret, or just that the circumstances
that presented themselves. Do you thinkthat you handled that departure the best that
you could have? Yeah, Imean I got an opportunity to tell my

(04:59:00):
players personally. You know, Ithink in this day and age of the
Internet, where they read it somewhereelse and you have to text message him,
you know that was always important tome that I wanted to make sure
I talk to my players and explainthe reasons of what I was doing.
I wasn't leaving to take a headcoaching job somewhere else. I wasn't thinking
that the grass is greener at anotheruniversity. Was just in my personal situation,
this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to take an opportunity
to go be a position coach andcoordinator, and that's how it fit.

(04:59:23):
You know. What I was happyis that I always thought to Sean Foster,
I think the world of them,and I think he's a special you
know. And the fact that thatthey were they gave him the opportunity to
take over there was you know,it worked out. I didn't have any
say in that decision, you know, I was gone, But I always
thought that Deshaun would be a greathead coach, and I'm really proud of

(04:59:45):
him and happy that that he gotthe opportunity to take that job. Right.
Actually have your reputation as innovator waspart of the appeal of this is
that you get to get in theweeds a little bit. Uh maybe not
mad scientists, maybe too too strongof a word, because you're working within
the system. But was there anappeal of I get to get my hands

(05:00:06):
dirty here again and innovate and toget back to that side of things.
It was, but it was reallymore important of who I get to work
with, you know, and soknowing you know, I've got I know
a lot of guys on the staffbesides Ryan also, so you know,
when I know what their mindset isand what their values are and how they
do things, and so I wantto be a part of that. But

(05:00:26):
but there's a part of that.Yeah, how much of a teacher you
get labeled in the innovators. Theteaching is a part of this. How
much is it is how the teacherare even how patient are you? Yeah,
I think we're all teachers. Imean education is the transportation of knowledge,
you know. So it really doesn'tmatter what the coach knows. It
matters what the players understand, youknow. So you have to be able
to make sure that while you're implementingthings is what resonates with them and how

(05:00:52):
does that come back to them.So, you know a lot of our
teaching styles that we've learned is morethe Socratic method of there's a lot of
questions, you know, and alot of check for understandings, just to
kind of find out where the playersare coming from, because it's what they
know that that's ultimately gonna win games, not what we know. You know
that we're not playing the games.We're not stepping across those white lines,
you know. And your job asa coach is to create an environment where

(05:01:12):
they have an opportunity to be successfuland then get out of their way and
let them go do it. SoI think the teaching aspect is huge,
and we continue to research, youknow, some of the latest trends in
teaching to make sure that we aretransporting that knowledge to our players. Yeah,
coach, just curious, you've gotfive scholarship quarterbacks with differing levels of

(05:01:34):
experience from age and everything else.Not to annoy him, but just want
to ask specifically about Will Howard comingin after starting part of two years at
He has a stage he just seemsto promote this idea that he's a football
player, you know, above allelse. Just how impressed are you with

(05:01:56):
his makeup, his experience, whathe's bringing to the table walking in your
Yeah, really impressed. You know, you don't have to talk to Will
for more than five minutes to kindof know where he's coming from. He's
really focused, you know, heknows he's got a short window left in
his college career and it really wantsto capitalize on what that is. There's
a maturity to Will, you know. I really I've had experience. My

(05:02:18):
experience in this thing since the transferportal opened in college football is some of
the best players I've had an opportunityto coach a ward. Transfers. Sometimes
when you're a true freshman and it'sfive years out, you know, it's
like, hey, I got aton of time, you know. And
sometimes when you're a transfer, isthat I've got nine months, you know.
So there's a sense of urgency Ithink when you're dealing with with transfers,
and I think Will has exuded thatsince he's been here. But the

(05:02:41):
other thing that I just in theshort time that Will's been here is how
quickly he's fit in with the entireteam, you know, and how much
the rest of the players respect him. You know, he was one of
the Gold Award winners for his workin the weight room in this offseason,
so that says a lot for himcoming in here as in a short time
being able to win a weight roomaward, you know, to start off,
to have the number one internally externallyindustry or I think it always every

(05:03:10):
time I've been involved in these,I think when they're organic is when it's
the best. I don't think youcan anoint somebody or force the issue because
the players know, the players wouldunderstand. They see it every single day,
you know, and there's a teamchemistry part of this thing too,
So we're not going to force theissue. But I've always seen it play
itself out. So I've been fortunatethat there's always going to be some quarterback

(05:03:30):
battles that at some point in timeat every school there's a quarterback battle,
you know, and then and reallyyou got to let them play it out
on the field, and that's whereit has to That's that's where it has
to be decided. Hey, welcometo new Very excited to ask you here.
I'm kind of to talk about theinnovative part. Ryan said that that
is something that he's always loved butworking with you and now he wants you

(05:03:52):
to bring that here and how itwould sit with Ohio stake. Do you
have any idea what that's going tolook like yet or is it just way
too I have no idea, youknow. I I think part of it
is is you're trying to put theplayers in position to make play. So
a lot of that comes from gettingto understand the players and what their skill
sets are and how we feature whattheir skill sets are, you know,

(05:04:14):
and and the the one thing afterday one, I can tell you that
there there's a lot of skill setout there, you know. So that's
that's what gets you excited, youknow, That's what That's what you jump
out of bed in the morning andyou're excited to go to work because of
the talent that you get to workwith. But the one thing that's the
most impressive is the work ethic thatgoes along with that talent. You know,
it's not just empty talent. It'sis you got some kids who want
to I mean all of them sinceI've been here, want to work.

(05:04:37):
So that that's what gets you excited. But I think assessing what the skill
set is, uh, you knowthat we have available to us on the
offensive side of the ball is isvitally important. And then our job is
to put those guys in positions tomake place made lots of pressure. I
mean, you've experienced what it's liketo coach national championship, how over teams
this program right now and moving intoa situation where got a win Quicken now,

(05:05:02):
So does that feel like pressure herefor you or is it a little
bit of excitement or both? Well, I've always subscribed to his pressure is
what you feel when you don't knowwhat you're doing. So if you don't
want to feel pressure, then youshould know what you're doing. So,
you know, I think it's it'spart of that, and I think part
of our job with our players interms of the education process is getting them
to understand that too. Is thatyou know, it's it's about your preparation.

(05:05:22):
It's about you and your development.It's not about that you can't be
governed by what other people say.It's it's what's my mindset and how am
I intrinsically motivated and then how doI really compete against myself on a daily
basis to get a little bit better. You know, we got a little
bit better today because we get outon the field today and got a chance
to do some football. And thenthe challenge is when we get back on
the field on Thursday. Can webe a little bit better than we were

(05:05:42):
on Tuesday? And if we're doingthat, then we keep stacking good days
on top of good days, andI think we'll be in good spot and
welcome. Thank you. I'm gonnaask about the pros and cons of coaching
from the box and coaching from thefield. It's interesting talk to some offen,
some coordinators, or Tom Herman talkingabout he swore he wanted to coach
from a box. Saw the gameso much better, sterile environment, not

(05:06:03):
all the chaos on the field.Some coaches you talk to the like,
I want to be on the fieldso I can look at my guys in
the in the eye. Where areyou at as a as a coordinator?
Honestly, And I've thought of thisa lot. I thought of it a
lot during COVID because we had theempty stands, you know, so I
had thought about just walking up intothe stands for a little bit because I
had a better advantage. I've alwaysbelieved you can see the game better from
up above, but I believe youcan feel the game better from the field.

(05:06:26):
So if there was any way wecould get a zip wire where you
could do both, you know,coach called from there and then zip down
of the field get a chance totalk to him, because it's a different
deal when you're talking to the quarterbackson a phone, you know, than
being able to look in their eyeand kind of see where they are with
it. And part of it isthe field part of it. I remember
when I coached Ryan once. Wewere playing Ukon and he got hit hard

(05:06:47):
going out of bounce and he justwalked by me, and I was a
play caller and he was like,run the next play, and I just
kind of looked at him. Isaw the look in his eyes because I
don't think he could have thrown it, you know, he was still trying
to get his win back. Butyou wouldn't know that if you're up in
the booth, you know, andyou call a pass play from up in
the booth and you're like, howcome we can't complete that? Well,
he just took a shot going outof bounds. So it's that fine line
and I don't have an answer,you know. I think I think it's

(05:07:10):
feel on the ground and it's seefrom up above. Maybe in this day
a technology they'll figure it out.But we'll see how that that that operates
and whatever Ryan feels is the bestfor the team is what we're gonna do.
So, Joe Coffin, your teamsat the Oregon were obviously Now we're
playing at this assid pace and runa bunch of plays per minute and yep,

(05:07:32):
maybe not by past pretty fast.What role do you see tempo and
having an offense and in the stayin college football and has maybe changed?
I think the game is always evolving, you know. I think when I
left in two thousand and twelve togo to the National Football League, Oregon
was the only team that was playingreally really fast and had shiny helmets.

(05:07:52):
And when I came back in twentyseventeen, everybody had shiny helmets and everybody
was playing fast. So I thinkthe game is always going to go up
and down, and there's gonna bedifferent cycles that it goes through. I
think tempo is part of when thosetwo kids, because I recruited on when
they was in high school. SoI'm up for the challenge and the responsibility
of it. Got right behind theDamn Hope eleven. It's just what is

(05:08:14):
your kind of coaching philosophy? Howdo you get the best out of your
running backs? I get the bestout because I love the young men.
My main focus is that changed thehearts and minds of them and they'll play
for me. I had just gotthrough reading Coach Trestle's Winners Manual, and
it's somethday that I took from thatbook. You have your purpose and you
have your goals, all right.My purpose is to serve and pourtant to

(05:08:37):
the young men. Now my goalsis a football coach. All of them
are take care of themselves. Sothat's one of the ways. I'm just
real relationship base in a very detailedat this position. I know y'all heard
me say before, and I'm gonnakeep saying. This is the worst coach
position in football. It's terrible.Guys hire anybody to coaches position and recruiters.
CARLS. Locker is not a recruiter. I'm an elite relationship build but

(05:09:00):
I coached this position. I'm aball coach, so that's who I am.
So I'm gonna pouring to these kids. I think they kind of seeing
it now and I jumped in dayone I'm ready to coach phrase another soft
batched cookies. Where did that phrasecome from? Kind of what was pass
boy. Let me tell you aboutthat boy. I've been called everything but
the name the child of God bythe people at the other places I left,

(05:09:22):
so that I been getting Pillsbury needto give me a deal because I've
been getting I've been getting some DMand textas some of it. Some of
them have been so funny. TheSaubat's cookie thing came from just having a
frame of mind, a mental toughness. It had nothing to do with guys
getting in the portal and anything.Now most people say I'm a salftbatched cookie

(05:09:44):
for leaving there, but actually I'mnot because it takes great strength to make
a decision to leave a place.No, a weak minded person wouldn't be
able to make the decision I made, So it took great strength to do
that. So I'm telling you byliterally in my DMS. It's some there's
some great comedians out here that havebeen sending me like tons of cookies out
like it's funny. Right behind him, Tony, how have you going about

(05:10:10):
the assessment of the talent in theroom? Uh over the past week or
two? How much is that unfieldoff field? Like, what's the process
of getting to know who you haveas players. Well, I broke down
well, me being a guy thatloves the running back position, and I
already broke those kids down because Irecruit him out of high school. You
know, Q is from where I'mfrom in Montgomery. I was one of

(05:10:32):
the first guys to offer him justwatching him, great contact balance, creative
runner, great hands and trey.I recruited him out of Virginia exceptional short
air, your bursting quickness and thingsthat I'm gonna help him get better on.
And then I recruited James Peeples outof t out of San Antonio,
Texas. I knew what he wasgonna what he was gonna be. TC

(05:10:53):
and Sam. Those two kids I'mgetting to know and I'm gonna help them
improve that game. But we gotdifferent runners in there. I like to
call myself, I'm in love withthis position, so I get the break
down runners and help their game.So talented, talented room, very talented.
Uh far back uh. Jeremy BirminghamPodcast, how do you swear the

(05:11:15):
fact that the South Past cookies areactually the best cookies? To Philip brittin
Nis and Boring, those are waybetter than the country Chips are White things
with Terman I mean, do yougo to the first find a balance there
or someone Well, for me,I'm actually not eating any cookies. Nah,
I'm just saying I'm not eating anycookies this year. I gave it
up for a fast or no sweetsfor me for the whole year. That's

(05:11:40):
something I gave up. So theythe term the south bast cookie term.
Look, guys, I actually tookthat from I represent the high school coaches
of meThe, Tennessee. I actuallytook that from a guy named coach Slocum.
He used to always say that softbast cookie. I actually stole that
from him. I give him creditfor it, and I tell him all
the time he said, you Ishould have branded that cause you don't take

(05:12:00):
it and ran away with it.But that's just where that comes from.
So that that now was standing asyou get to Ohio standing and you start
to look around the country, everyorgan's a big place, that's a a
a major job with How how doyou think that where you have to say
a logo under Jack ran blocko.When you get out out of living for
the trail, how does that changethe way that you feel you're either received

(05:12:25):
or or does it add a differentlevel to to just feeling like I could
go anywhere and get anybody in thecomtry. And that's the sagest thing for
me. This is a great place. Oregon is a great place too.
But guess what, whatever I puton, I know what I'm going to
represent for me. I N IN I know who who put me here?

(05:12:47):
Uh? I know I represent itsomething higher, you know. Like
I told you, I know whatmy purpose is. My purpose is to
poorting to people. So whatever logoI have on, I'm still gonna be
doing the same thing. So thisis a great logo, great log by
well another logo. Every day it'sacross I see around my neck. I
know what I represent. So that'sthe greatest logo I could ever wear.
So it doesn't matter what other logoI have on. I got that one

(05:13:08):
on. I'm going to any houseand be a recruit. Uh uh deep
Right to Cameratique Robinson. The aplaticfrom which you you mentioned the time at
Memphis and themnis four NFL Where backsyou mentioned there? Who you learned from
that time that we that you totake over to managing to grow and keep?

(05:13:30):
What did I learn from them?I just building a just teaching the
kids. We live in such aselfish world, though, and I can
tell the kids all the times,it's gotta be much more the football.
The ball gonna go flat one day. As I always say, what being
in that room there at Memphis is, it wasn't four five teaching them how
to be a b by being one. I tell you them, in all

(05:13:52):
time, it doesn't cost you anythingto celebrate another man's success. So teaching
them how to be one, andthen once they learned to be one,
they function in and they feed offone another. So that's what I learned
from being there at Memphis. FromButterman Road Cross started your career in the
law enforcement, kind of influence youas a coach and kind of shape where
you are. Ah well, Ijust got through talking to somebody about that

(05:14:15):
today. When I first got inthis profession and I got my own room
at Western Tech, I was aksed. No, how was I was gonna
be able to handle'em? M myroom? I said, Man, I
had a part with fifty one inmates. You talking about me having got six
or seven guys? Are you kiddingme? I'm talking about me having to
do traffic stops or going on domesticno vioence calls. It's d simple,

(05:14:41):
easy. No people donna know whatyou care. Also know, you gotta
have a certain demeaning about yourself.So when I walk into a room,
it's the reason why I go trainevery morning. This is when it's same
thing when I was a police officer. You look a certain way kind of
deter people from doing certain things.So the reason why I go train every
morning, i'm'a look just as goodas my boys look. So it helped

(05:15:02):
out a lot. In other wordsfrom Arrol Right Austin Ward the podcast Carls
Welcome to Columbus. What would itmean to I don't know, revolutionize the
way running backs are coach? Whatdoes that take? I ain't. I'm
not gonna say revolutionized. Just good. It's some good running back coaches out
here. Everybody's different. It's somegreat coaches out here. I just want

(05:15:26):
the head guys who say that onthese jobs to not just hire guys just
you know, all coaches on yourstaff should be great recruiters, not just
a running back coach. We coacha position. We developed players as well.
I just want the coaches to realize, hey, you know what,
let me look and be thorough aboutthis guy that I'm hiring for this job.
Is he teaching the position? Ishe development the position? Because you're

(05:15:49):
not gonna hire anybody just coach quarterbacks, are you. Well, it shouldn't
be like that for the running backposition either. And I'm only passionate about
it because I played it. Ilove it, so it's the only position
I want to coach cause I coachthe positions. Yeah, I played dB
in college too, but I lovethe running back position, so I just
wanted to see it coach well typodcasts. Yeah, a million questions.

(05:16:10):
All that's a couple number one.When you when you when your wife whatever,
you got the message stuff, Arewe moving again? What was?
What was her reaction? Nah?She she just new guy had give us,
gave us a new assignment, shew It was never like we're moving
again. Let me tell you guyssomething I grew up. My mom was
in the military, so I livedeverywhere. I lived in Panama of South

(05:16:30):
America. I'm used to picking upand moving. I lived in Fort Rodley,
Kansas, Montgomery's home if it wasmy second home, so I'm I'm
used to moving now. My wifeit was different for her but she just
knew guy that gave us a newassignment, So it's time to go.
What did uh? What did CoachDay tell you when you heard you that
he wants out of you? Thatmay be different. It's not slamming somebody

(05:16:51):
else. But what did he sayhe wanted you to bring to the running
back room? I think he didhis research on me. He said he
wanted to guy to to develop theposition. That's not taking a shot at
the coach that was here who I'mfriends with. He said, they want
somebody to really get the guys going. I can only be me and I

(05:17:15):
told him that coause I'm gonna beme every day now. Because see,
my mindset is when I step inthis building, I got one mindset.
That's to do my job so wellthat the living dead or unborn can do
it any better. So when Ileave it, that's what my mindset is.
Hopefully I'm here for a long time, but only God knows that.
So, but that's my mindset everyday that step into the Wizard Hate Son,
that's my mindset. I'm gonna domy job so well that living everyone

(05:17:37):
doesn't really know how to handle itproperly. You see it currently. I
mean, it's just it's a variablethat's new and how to handle it.
There's not a transcript on how tohandle that variable. So you just guys
just trying to do what they thinkis right. That's all they're really trying
to do. And I'm not sayingthat right or wrong. But he was
trying to do the same, andyou know, I think at the end
of the day he realized man thedecision and we connected on it, we

(05:18:02):
talked about it, and you know, it was a great opportunity to to
to right or wrong. And uh, obviously we're very glad he's here.
I've always believed in him. Webelieve in him, and he believes in
himself and that's part of the justtrying to understand what's my path, right.
So, uh but yeah, it'sbeen great steps have been made.
He's growing, but he's nowhere nearwhere he knows he's capable of being.

(05:18:26):
He's just probably oppressed in Ceremiah.I love the way he lives. I
love the way he approaches things.I love the way the questions he asks.
I love the way he makes mistakesand then correct mistakes. It's very
veteran, like I mean, there'sso much Ball he has to learn.
Like, he literally does things thatare good. I'm like, do you

(05:18:48):
know why that worked? He goescoach, I have no freaking idea,
So like, I'm trying to teachhim all of that why it worked,
so then you know the consistency atwhich it works just goes to the roof
and so but I'm very you know, excited and proud of the conversations we're
currently having, and I'm ex suitedit for them to keep going. Bryan,
what you like so powerful? Youworking with Keller? Oh? I

(05:19:08):
love working with Chip chip is.I love talking Ball, I love the
viewpoints I love I love the veteranthat he has, you know,