September 11, 2025 • 27 mins
NFL Hall of Famer Warren Moon joins Jimmy to talk about his remarkable path from being overlooked by NFL teams to winning five straight Grey Cups in Canada and eventually starring for the Houston Oilers. He shares why he chose the CFL out of college, what it meant to become a trailblazing Black quarterback in the NFL, and the pride of being enshrined in both the Canadian and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Warren and Jimmy dig into leadership and longevity: the mindset that carried him through 23 seasons, how he led locker rooms without the “rah-rah,” and why ownership–coach–QB alignment matters most. They revisit the infamous Bills comeback, the grind of short-week Thursday games, old-school Astrodome turf burns, and how today’s rules, 17- (soon 18-) game schedules, fantasy, and betting have reshaped football.
You’ll also hear fun throwbacks—Tecmo Super Bowl rockets, an NBA Jam cameo—and a candid look at player safety: concussions, CTE awareness, and the gear and practice changes Warren wishes existed in his era.
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Early days, CFL success, and making it to the NFL
06:30 Breaking barriers as a Black quarterback & handling pressure
10:30 Houston Oilers years, playoff battles, and leadership lessons
15:30 Evolution of the NFL: rules, fantasy football, and betting
20:00 Player safety, concussions, and the cost of the game
23:00 Memorable moments, tough stadiums, and the Bills comeback
26:42 Outro
Warren and Jimmy dig into leadership and longevity: the mindset that carried him through 23 seasons, how he led locker rooms without the “rah-rah,” and why ownership–coach–QB alignment matters most. They revisit the infamous Bills comeback, the grind of short-week Thursday games, old-school Astrodome turf burns, and how today’s rules, 17- (soon 18-) game schedules, fantasy, and betting have reshaped football.
You’ll also hear fun throwbacks—Tecmo Super Bowl rockets, an NBA Jam cameo—and a candid look at player safety: concussions, CTE awareness, and the gear and practice changes Warren wishes existed in his era.
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Early days, CFL success, and making it to the NFL
06:30 Breaking barriers as a Black quarterback & handling pressure
10:30 Houston Oilers years, playoff battles, and leadership lessons
15:30 Evolution of the NFL: rules, fantasy football, and betting
20:00 Player safety, concussions, and the cost of the game
23:00 Memorable moments, tough stadiums, and the Bills comeback
26:42 Outro
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to another episode of The Jimmy Rech Show.
And today on the podcast, we sit down with NFL
legend one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game,
mister Warren Moon, and such a pleasure. He ended up
going to nine Pro Bowls. You guys, this is one
of the best players in my youth. I remember watching
Warren Moon and playing him in Nintendo, and we get
into that a little bit on the podcast, but he
really was one of my favorite players. He just the
(00:23):
way he played the game, just an amazing NFL career.
In nineteen ninety he was the Offensive Player of the Year.
But also he's been doing a lot of cool things
since Anna, So it was really fun to sit down
and just have this conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
With the one and only mister Warren Who.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Today's podcast is brought to you by Bucked Up Supplements.
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(00:58):
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Speaker 2 (01:17):
Warren. Great to have you here, Thanks for having me.
Really appreciate it. What a beautiful day. It is a
beautiful day. It's funny we actually met along. You wouldn't
remember it.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
It was at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, probably in
two thousand and seven or a.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You were throwing a big party, a lot of parties.
I learned very quickly that Warren Moon is in charge here.
I threw a lot of parties.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
There were mainly fundraisers, but I did it at the
Pro Bowl all the time, and it was a lot
of fun. And I loved going to Pro Bowls. I
played nine of them, and I always thought it was
an honor to be selected and definitely should play if
I'm selected, So I always went, and Hawaii became like
a second home for me. So when I stopped going,
I still went over there and gave fundraisers for my
(02:01):
foundation and let people have a great time but also
raise some money for some very good causes.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Yeah, it was fun for me. My buddy was playing
middle linebacker for the Seahawks. He was a backup, but
he got a chance to go and so we went
to this party and he had the NFL player's card
and everything, and we didn't. I mean, you're kind of
just a little starstruck. I was twenty four maybe, but
also you're kind of just seeing how everything works.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And it was just funny.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I remember you and Tony Gonzalez kind of just had
this ultimate respect from all the other guys, and so
it was like that day, I'm like, all right, Wardman's
a dude in charge.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I had it going on pretty good in those days.
That's pretty cool. Another funny story when I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
I mean, I'm sure you get asked this all the time,
but Techmo super Bowl, they just favored you.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Could.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I would play my older brothers and they'd beat my
ass no matter who I was.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
But if I was the.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Oilers and I would rear back, you know, I could
play you and you just throw these like eighty yard
bombs all day long.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You couldn't stop it. For whatever reason, the game was rigged.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
They must have been Oilers fans, but you'd always catch
it if you were a Warred you know.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I was never into video games growing up, but my
kids had them.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I had a game room in our house that had
mispacked man all the different video games in there, and
they always told me that I was pretty good on those.
And then as I would be out in the public,
people always say, you know what I want with you
on tick my boat or whatever. So as I guess
I was pretty.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Good, it was like you could put you in and
it was a total cheek cub. Well for me, I
grew up.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
You know, when I was a kid, I was an
Oilers fan, and so it was fun for me. I
don't even know how I picked the Oilers. I think
I liked your guys' logo or something. But you know,
I remember crying when the stupid Bills game that obviously
you know, I was a little bit of a tricky one.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
But you know when I when I got more of
a kick out of than anything because basketball is my
favorite sport, okay, and I got put into NBA jams somehow.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Did you really and they.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Had me doing flip dunks and everything, and I got
a kick out of that because they had NBA jams
in the playroom too. I actually watched on that one
just to see what I was all about. I was
pretty impressive, amazing. I wish I could do one of
those dunks for real.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I love it well people, I mean, you made the
playoffs seven out of ten years with the Oilers. You
had such an incredible career, and I think a lot
of people don't don't even realize that you kind.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Of got a late start. Yeah, how come what exactly?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Because I know there's a lot of different reasons for
things going on at that time, But how did you
end up playing?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
It was Canada, I believe for the first five years.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Yeah, I wasn't going to get drafted as a quarterback
by most teams in the league, so I didn't want
to take a chance of that not happening. So I
went where somebody was going to give me a chance
to play quarterback, and that was Canadian Football League. So
it was a big decision for me to make because
as a young kid growing up, you know your goal
and your dream was to play in the NFL. One
day and I thought I had put myself in a
(04:41):
good enough position by how I played in college to
at least get drafted at the position that I was playing,
and that wasn't going to happen, and I had to
decide whether I wanted to give up that opportunity or
go with the opportunity that I knew was there for me.
So I ended up going with the opportunity that was
put in front of me, and I think it worked
out pretty good for me. I enjoyed my time up there.
(05:03):
We won a lot of championships, and then I still
got a chance to realize my dream and come back
and play in the National Football I wish it could
have happened earlier, but I don't regret anything that I did,
because those years up there were unbelievable years. When you're winning,
you know, five championships, and when you win that cup
up there in Canada, it's a big deal. We don't
(05:25):
we probably don't reference it as much down here because
we're you know, the Super Bowl is the biggest event
there is in sports, but for up there, that is
a big time thing to do, and to do it
five times I was I was really honored to have
done that, and that's something that no other team has
done in professional sports since then. Win five straight to
(05:46):
do it in anything? Yeah, I think. I think Montreal
Canadians did it in hockey before us, but we were
the last ones to do it. So that's something that
I'll always have. There's a feather in my camp.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
You're also the only football player, I believe ever to
be inducted into the Canadian and American Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I am along with you know, Bud Grant and Marv
Levy is two coaches. Okay, so it's the three of us.
And again that's another honor. I know, a lot of
guys don't play in the in the CFL, so they
wouldn't get that opportunity, but I did, and I got
a chance to experience both and I played at the
highest level in both.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, how did you? So?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Did you Eventually just they were like, man, this guy
just keeps winning.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
We'd better give him a shot. Or how did you
get discovered to find that?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You're know, there were always scouts up there at our
games all the time, and I was under contract for
most of you know, my career up there, so we
heard the rumblings. My attorney heard the rumblings. The teams
were interested in me, you know, even after my second
season up there, but because I was under contract, they
really couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Much to it.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
They actually tried to get me out of my contract
early a couple of teams, but just weren't able to
do it. So when it finally ran out after that
sixth season, that's when I was able to come back
down here. And there was a time up there because
I did sign a second contract when I was up there,
because I was enjoying it so much. I felt like
I was going to play my whole career up there.
(07:10):
But then in the back of my mind, I'm watching
NFL games every week, you know, when our season was
over or whatever, and I'm still going, you know, I
think I could play in that league. You know, I
think I'm as good or better than that guy right there.
And so it was that burning desire inside of me that, Okay,
how good am I really? And the only way you
can kind of really say how good you are is
(07:33):
to play against the best. And so that was one
of the things that brought me back.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
How many the guys that were playing up there could
have played in the league.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Quite a few the ones I think that really felt
like they could. They tried it, and some of them
made it, some of them didn't. But most guys up
there knew the two games are so different, you know,
as far as the personnel that you have up there,
because of the wide field. There's certain players that play
well up there. And there's certain players that have come
(07:59):
from in the United States up from the NFL that
tried to go up there, like Vince Ferragamo and Tom
Cuseno and all these different people that tried to make
transition from down here up there weren't able to make
it because their game just didn't fit in. But one
of the things that was good about my game, I
had a lot of versatility in my game. I could
(08:19):
do you know, I could throw on the run, I
could throw a drop back, I could I could play action,
I could run the ball if I needed to.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So there was a lot of versatility to my game.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
So that really helped me as far as being able
to adapt to different either styles of play were Canada
and in the NFL, or different offenses that I was in.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Even when I was in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, well, I mean, I feel like you were one
of the big trailblazers too, and kind of breaking the stigma.
You know, before you that was like, now half the
league the quarterbacks are black, But when you came in,
it was you know, Randall Cunningham and you and and
that was about I mean, you came in though, and
really did a great job, and I feel like you
really trailblazed to remove some of that stigma so that
(08:59):
these quarterbacks today now it's you know, seems like it's
probably preferred.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, that's something I was aware of and did that
play when I want you to switch positions when I
of course, you know, when I came into the league,
I was the only one. I was the only starting
black quarterback in the league. The only other black quarterback
in the league was our third string quarterback guy by
the name of Brian Ransom.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
That's pretty crazy.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
From Tennessee State. Doug Williams had gone to the USFL.
I think Vince Evans had gone to the USFL. So
I was it until those guys came back after the
USFL folded.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And yeah, there were a lot of eyes.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
On me because when you come down from another country
and people really didn't know, you know, kind of who
I was. You lose sight of people when they haven't
seen you play, So now all of a sudden, I'm back.
They're hearing all these things that I did up there.
I'm paid a ton of money and they want to
see what you're made of. So I know I had
a lot of pressure on me because.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Of that, And was that difficult to deal with that
pressure just knowing how many people were probably vulteering.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
For you to fail but also trained for you to succeed.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
You know, I never really let any of that get
to me, but I was aware of it, There's no
question about it. But I you know, I had a
chip on my shoulder too, from all the different levels
that I had come through playing football to play quarterback,
whether it was going to high school and coaches not
wanted me to play it, whether it was having to
go to junior college before I went to major college,
(10:23):
it was because of going to Canada before I came
to the NFL. It was there was always these doubts,
and so I was. I was used to it, and
like I said, I had that chip that I'm going
to show you. But I'm gonna do it my way.
I'm not going to boast about it. I'm just gonna
let my play do all the talking for me, and
then you guys make up your minds after that.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now, when you were with those Oilers teams, I mean,
you guys, you know, got close a couple of times.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
We had some really good teams. At least two of
those teams. We probably should have went to the super Bowl.
We just didn't finish out our playoff runs. But man,
we had some talented teams. And it's really hard to
say the reason why. But I think a lot of
it starts from the top. A lot of it starts
from the ownership, and they've got to be totally committed
(11:09):
to that.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
They totally committed in your case, or is there a
couple of things that they do.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
You look at like what Jerry Jones is doing right
now in Dallas. Our owner had a lot of that
and just kind of rubbed people the wrong way and
and just created a bad feeling sometimes.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Within the negotiations.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
You know, so even though you get a deal worked out,
that doesn't mean you have all these great feelings for
the organization that you just want to give everything you've
got for it, because they made it so tough for
you to get what you probably deserved anyway. So those
types of things happen, and I think owners have to
realize that. And you see the ownership of these teams
(11:48):
that do win championships, the ownership is usually pretty solid
and pretty supportive of it.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's like you have to have, like the NFL especially,
it's like ownership, head coach, quarterbacks.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Those are the three things you got right.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah, you got to get that right. But again it
starts at the top.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I mean you see a lot nowadays with the game,
the way that they left them play. Do you ever
think about, I mean, how many yards you could have
thrown for in today's game versus.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
When you play, Yeah, it would have been scary. I mean,
you look at myself or Dan Marino or John Elway
or you give us these types of rules and this
type of freedom and this type of protection. There's no
telling how many yards we were through four you know.
I remember I had a chance to break five thousand
yards back in nineteen ninety when we only played sixteen games.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
These guys are playing seventeen. They're getting ready to go
to eighteen.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
So the numbers are going to really get outrageous here
when they expand the schedule again, but I got hurt
in the second and the last game of the season.
I would have broke the all time single season record
the next week, but I ended up having a dislocation
open dislocation of my thumb on my passing hand, and
that put me out for not only that last game,
but also the playoffs. So that was a devastating blow
(12:58):
for me to send that season. That was one of
my best seasons in the league.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Yeah, it's interesting nowadays a lot of the things that
you know, where the NFL's gone, and so many things
they've done right as far as getting people interested, right,
I know, with me and my buddies, I don't even
have a team. Like honestly, when I was a kid,
I was the Oilers and I kind of had some
buddies in the league, so I kind of cheered for
whoever they were playing for.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
But I don't really have a team.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
But I love watching the NFL because they've made it
so far between I mean sports betting and then you
also have fantasy.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, that's really brought a lot of fans to the game. Yes,
it just gives you reasons to watch it, right, you.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Know, women are really have become big fans because of fantasy,
because not only are you rooting for the player on
that team, Like you might have twelve guys on your
fantasy team, they might be from twelve different teams around
the league. Right, So now I was said, and you're
rooting for twelve teams as not just twelve guys.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Like when I pick my team, I literally try to
find guys on teams I want to watch them play,
So I'll get somebody on the Chiefs and someone on
the Packers, someone on the Ravens, you know, just because
it makes it more fun to watch those games.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
And it would see the to show the change of everything.
When I was playing, fantasy was just coming in, and
the league didn't want nothing.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
To do with fantasy.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
They didn't want us to have anything to do with
fantasy because it was like a form of gambling, and
they didn't They wanted to stay as far away from
from gambling.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
As you could as you could be.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But as soon as they figured out a way to
make money on it, all of a sudden, here we
go with the NFL fantasy football sites.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Do you think it's a slippery slope where you got,
you know, they can bet individual stats and games and everything.
You saw in base bottom and saw that the closer
for the Indians he got suspended for, you know, throwing
on purpose balls on the first pitch. Because you can
do so many prop bets now, and it's like it'd
be really easy to cheat that stuff.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And it's too bad it gets to that.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You know, the game should still play with a lot
should still be played with a lot of integrity. Players
shouldn't get involved in that. I just don't think they should.
I don't think you should be able to vote up.
I mean bet on your own sport.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Now.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
If you want to bet on other sports, that's a
little bit different, Brad. You have no way of affecting
a game if you're not betting on your own own sports.
So anybody who does that, you know, I frown on that.
But betting is a big part of what's going on
right now. It's huge. I mean they make it so
easy too. You can do it on your phone, when
you can sit in the stadium. They're going to have
(15:13):
like probably a little boat voting boot, I mean betting
boosts right there at your seat here pretty soon.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So, like I said, they.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Found out a way to make money at it, and
they're making tons of money, and that's why the game
continues to keep growing, and that's why these players continue
to keep making the money.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It feels like of all the sports, it's just the
healthiest one. You know, it's just in a good spot.
And they have made some things to make the game safer.
In some of those things, I look back. I remember
when I was watching, you know, when you guys were young,
or playing them when I was younger, and I mean,
it was a little bit too brutal, Like you know,
it was a physical game.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
But I think that's what football is all about. But
I understand why they're why they're protecting the players the
way they are now because of the long term effects
of what.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
This game can do to you. And you know, we
were kind of the guinea pigs of.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
That they get any concussions when you played, I had sick. Yeah,
So every day I wake up, I wonder, you know,
am I feeling the same? Can I think? Can I
remember this? Can I remember that? Is it because of
my age or is it because of the concussion. So
those are things that you worry about, But I'm I'm
in pretty good condition that way. And I've had some
(16:19):
some of those psychological testings and stuff like that done
so so far, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I mean I've talked to a couple of boxers I've
done podcasts with and you can tell like they got
hit too many times.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Like, you know, you seem like you're pretty pretty very
well where well.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
You know, you look at the amount of guys that
have taken their lives and different things like that. Like
a really good friend of mine, Junior, say.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That was really the one that woke everybody out. Yeah,
he took his life.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
And he's a guy that played middle linebacker for what
nineteen years and never had a diagnosed concussion.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
There's something wrong there. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
For the average fan, I don't think they realize just
how intense and brutal the game is, just.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
How hard the guys are hitting.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
You know, I think about the best player I played
with when I was all didn't even make a college squad.
And those guys, you know, so few of them make
the NFL squads, and I mean they really are you know,
just it's such a physical game.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
It really is, and you know, one half of one
percent of the guys to play the game make it
to the NFL. So you know, it doesn't matter if
you make it that far or not. Those you can
still have those concussion problems just from playing high school
or playing high school to.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
College or whatever it might be.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Is the repetitive hits to the head is what causes it.
So yeah, that's something I think they have a better
handle on now. You see the players in practice now
wearing the extra extra padding on the helmets. But it's
still it's a collision game. The players keep getting bigger,
they keep getting stronger, they keep getting faster, so those
collisions are going to be just as hard. And yeah,
(17:48):
you just have to pray every time you go out there,
and and hopefully the equipment and the way you play
the game, you know, helps as far as as far
as the head to head poundings.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Well, do you have a favorite moment from your career
when you were playing, Wow, when you played twenty three years.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You have a lot of favorite moments, A lot of moments,
a lot of favorite moments. But I think the biggest
one for me was when I went to Houston. You know,
I knew it was going to be a rebuilding process
and kind of reminded me of when I went to
the University of Washington and we ended up, you know,
getting to the Rose Bowl. In my senior year, same thing, rebuilding,
(18:26):
new coach. I go to Houston, rebuilding, new coach, and
we finally get to the playoffs. And when that first
playoff came at home, that that was probably one of
my biggest highlights because of what we went through to
get there.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
You know, you always feel.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Like you really earned what you got when you when
you go through you know, those tough times when you
go through that adversity and how you deal with as
a team and all those different hurdles you get over
until you finally get to where you want to get to.
So that was probably one of my biggest moments, finally
getting to the playoffs, take in a team that was
a perennial loser, and to win.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
That's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
What is it like being in that locker room or
in the huddle and knowing you're the leader, Everyone's looking
to you, You're the guy. I mean, how did you
what did you do to try to lead the group
or try to you know, be the best.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Leader that you could be at the guys, you know,
I'm not a big, raw raw guy or anything like that.
I'm not a get up in your face and yell
and scream at guys, because we're all professionals out there, right.
But I led a lot by example. And then when
I did talk, I talked to the team everybody at once,
or either I talked to one individual at a time.
If I felt like that guy needed to be talked to,
I pulled him to the side. Didn't want to show
(19:37):
him off, didn't want to show him up. I wanted
to just let him know what was on my mind,
whether I thought he needed to have an attitude adjustment,
whether he needed to step it up, or or give
him a little encouragement because maybe he did something that
he felt down about. I did it that way. And
I also led a lot by example. Just how I
(19:57):
carried myself in the building. You know what time I
got there, what time I left. You know how I
worked in the in the in the in the weight room.
You know I left weights with the lineman. You know,
stuff like that, just to show those guys I'm in
there working and putting in just as much time, if
not more than themselves. So those are the things that
kind of enhanced leadership. And then of course you got
(20:20):
to get on the field and make plays too, that's
what they're really looking for.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah, I mean it's hard to lead if you're not
no unless right the NFL especially, I mean, it's one
of those things. It's almost crazy how much the quarterback matters. Yeah,
and especally now, yes, it's literally you can look at
the playoffs and every single team it's the quarterback, and
you know, and then from there they figure out the
rest of the people.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Right.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
The game was a little more balanced back when I played,
but today it's starting to come back that way a
little bit now to a more balanced game. But the
quarterback is really dominated the play here over the last
i'd say ten years or so.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, if you were the commissioner, what's something you would
do different with the league right now?
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Wow? I would?
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Well if I was, they wouldn't do this. I'd take
away those middle of the week games, you know, to
be all right when you have to come back on
four days after a game on Sunday and play again
on Thursday. I don't know how the players continually do that.
They don't make them do it a ton, but they
do it more than what we did when I played.
(21:27):
We only did it if you had a Thanksgiving game,
that was the only time you played on a Thursday.
But now they have a Thursday game every week, and
I think they only make one team do it per season.
I'm not sure, but some teams play on Thanksgiving every year,
like the Cowboys and Detroit, and I'm sure they also
have another Thursday game in there somewhere. So those types
of things, and if when they go to eighteen games,
(21:48):
it's either going to make the season that much longer
because they're probably gonna have to have another buy or
there's going to be some more of those short week games.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Well, one of my buddies that played in the league,
he said, I mean he's like Monday to day, you're
barely able to practice Wednesday because you're just recovering till then.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
And and I know how I feel as a quarterback,
and I know how those I mean, I don't know,
but I do know how those offensive and defensive linemen feel.
And the guys that are really doing the banging in
there on Sunday afternoon, you know what their bodies have
to be like by by Wednesday to get ready to
play again.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Especially if you have to travel.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Yeah, I mean you have you have to get on
airplane on Wednesday and go go play in the city
on Thursday. On top of how you feel after that
last Sunday game, it's it's tough on the body. And
those are the things that even though they've made all
these these improvements and the equipment and the hitting all
that different stuff, when you start having those types of
(22:43):
games like that, it almost says why, Yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Look, did you guys have to use to play in
the Astrodome at all? Or did you have your own
stadium when you were in Houston?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Oh, we were in the Astro. You were on that turf.
How bad was that on the body? Brutal? Is it?
It was like playing of men. Got burns all over
my body from that. From that they used to play
on that.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, and my first I think it was eight years there.
We only played on one surface, so the baseball team
played there too, the Astro, right, So you had the
bass pads, they had to be they had to be
taken out, so they have dirt there for the for
the bass pads and the pitching mound and home plate.
And then when we played they put the grass back in.
(23:26):
There were the fake turf back in there. And zipped
it back up, so you had these big seams all
over the field and guys were ripping their knees up
like crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
On that stuff. That's crazy that they used to do
going out acls.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
And they finally my last two years, got another turf
just for football, and then the turf just for baseball.
But yeah, it was the damage had already been done.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yeah, no, I think about some of those.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I remember watching the Niners play a candlestick and you
got the dirt infield.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
To some of these things that they did. It's just
crazy to think.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
I played in a lot of those games too. The
Raiders were that way, The Rams were that way in Anaheim.
San Diego was that way, depending on when it was
during the season, early part of the season, if they
were still playing baseball.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
You played on the baseball time, did you That's crazy.
Did you have a least favorite place to play just
because either the fans or the environment or just whatever.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Probably Buffalo, Yeah, man, that was a tough place to
play weather wise. And their fans were amazing, you know, yeah,
they just they really supported their team.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Like I said at the beginning, that was I was.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
I was an Oilers fan that was the team I
cheered for, and I just remember, obviously that was a
game that go down and infamy or whatever. From your standpoint,
how devastating was that when they came back and beat
you guys in that second half.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, I I never thought we were gonna lose. For
a minute. I just kept saying on the sideline, why
are we making this so hard on ourselves? You know,
you know, as they kind of made their little comeback,
but I'm like, why, why can't we just put this
game away? And because we had had some other games
like that in the season too, where we got out
and then teams kind of slowly crept back, but we
still won those games. And I just didn't think we
(25:02):
were going to lose that one. But for that to
get into an overtime game and the things that happened
down the stretch, I started looking back at it and saying,
you know what, I think we were just destined not
to win that game. I mean, we had some plays
where our defense, some balls went right through our linebacker's
hands for an interception that probably wouldn't away and goes
right through his hands into their receiver's hands behind him. Uh,
(25:25):
you know, a receiver stepping out of bounds on their
team and coming back in and not being called just
different things like that happened throughout the second half.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
They kept their their momentum going.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
So when you look back at it, you're like, God, hey,
were we meant to win that game?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yeah? They were destined to lose four in a row.
I guess whatever. Well, it's so crazy how football works.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
And when I was watching the highlight the other day
of the Giants Patriots game when the Patriots were undefeated,
and you know, the guy catches the ball on his hell, just.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Like what is going on? You know, it's just everything
is such an inch here, an inch there.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
But I think so funny lot that catch made David Tyreee,
you know, famous to this day. I see him at
Memorybillia shows because he made that catch.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Well, I appreciate your time, war and it's a it's
a pleasure, you know, always fun to watch you play
and just really played the game the right way. And
I really believe you were a huge trail bazer for
the game that we have today.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
So thank you, well, thank you. I had a great
time doing it. You know, it wasn't always easy, but
I had a pretty interesting journey, but I was proud
of the way it ended up, except for not winning that,
you know, that one elusive title. Other than that, I
did way more than I ever thought I would do
in the game of football, especially at the quarterback position.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, I mean it goes to a show just how
difficult it is to get a title, and thankfully you
have the ones in Canada.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I guess I at least got to do that. Pipe well.
Thank you again, already good to see you.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Thank you again for listening to the Jimmy Rex Show.
And if you liked what you heard, please like and subscribe.
It really helps me to get better guests, to be
able to get the type.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Of people on this podcast. It's going to make it
the most interesting.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Also, wanted everybody about my podcast studio, The Rookery Studios,
available in Salt Lake City and or in Utah. If
you live in Utah and want to produce your own podcast,
we take all of the guests, work out of it for.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
You and make it so simple.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
All you do is you come in, you sit down,
you talk, and leave. We record it, edit it, even
post it for you. If interested in doing your own podcast,
visit our Instagram and send us a DM Rookery Studios,
or go to our website, The Rookery Studios dot com
Hello, and welcome to another episode of The Jimmy Rech Show.
And today on the podcast, we sit down with NFL
legend one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game,
mister Warren Moon, and such a pleasure. He ended up
going to nine Pro Bowls. You guys, this is one
of the best players in my youth. I remember watching
Warren Moon and playing him in Nintendo, and we get
into that a little bit on the podcast, but he
really was one of my favorite players. He just the
(00:23):
way he played the game, just an amazing NFL career.
In nineteen ninety he was the Offensive Player of the Year.
But also he's been doing a lot of cool things
since Anna, So it was really fun to sit down
and just have this conversation.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
With the one and only mister Warren Who.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Today's podcast is brought to you by Bucked Up Supplements.
You guys, doing these athlete podcasts, it can be a
little bit draining sometimes because I usually do five or
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stay hydrated, but I'm also trying to stay in shape,
and so Bucked Up Protein they come with me. I
(00:58):
actually found them at a gas station out there and
took a few every single day while I was doing
these podcasts. So as you listen today's podcast, just remember
that it is sponsored by Bucked Up Protein Anywhere Bucked
Up Products for Sola.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Warren. Great to have you here, Thanks for having me.
Really appreciate it. What a beautiful day. It is a
beautiful day. It's funny we actually met along. You wouldn't
remember it.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
It was at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, probably in
two thousand and seven or a.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
You were throwing a big party, a lot of parties.
I learned very quickly that Warren Moon is in charge here.
I threw a lot of parties.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
There were mainly fundraisers, but I did it at the
Pro Bowl all the time, and it was a lot
of fun. And I loved going to Pro Bowls. I
played nine of them, and I always thought it was
an honor to be selected and definitely should play if
I'm selected, So I always went, and Hawaii became like
a second home for me. So when I stopped going,
I still went over there and gave fundraisers for my
(02:01):
foundation and let people have a great time but also
raise some money for some very good causes.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Yeah, it was fun for me. My buddy was playing
middle linebacker for the Seahawks. He was a backup, but
he got a chance to go and so we went
to this party and he had the NFL player's card
and everything, and we didn't. I mean, you're kind of
just a little starstruck. I was twenty four maybe, but
also you're kind of just seeing how everything works.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And it was just funny.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I remember you and Tony Gonzalez kind of just had
this ultimate respect from all the other guys, and so
it was like that day, I'm like, all right, Wardman's
a dude in charge.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
I had it going on pretty good in those days.
That's pretty cool. Another funny story when I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
I mean, I'm sure you get asked this all the time,
but Techmo super Bowl, they just favored you.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Could.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
I would play my older brothers and they'd beat my
ass no matter who I was.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
But if I was the.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Oilers and I would rear back, you know, I could
play you and you just throw these like eighty yard
bombs all day long.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You couldn't stop it. For whatever reason, the game was rigged.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
They must have been Oilers fans, but you'd always catch
it if you were a Warred you know.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I was never into video games growing up, but my
kids had them.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I had a game room in our house that had
mispacked man all the different video games in there, and
they always told me that I was pretty good on those.
And then as I would be out in the public,
people always say, you know what I want with you
on tick my boat or whatever. So as I guess
I was pretty.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Good, it was like you could put you in and
it was a total cheek cub. Well for me, I
grew up.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
You know, when I was a kid, I was an
Oilers fan, and so it was fun for me. I
don't even know how I picked the Oilers. I think
I liked your guys' logo or something. But you know,
I remember crying when the stupid Bills game that obviously
you know, I was a little bit of a tricky one.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
But you know when I when I got more of
a kick out of than anything because basketball is my
favorite sport, okay, and I got put into NBA jams somehow.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Did you really and they.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Had me doing flip dunks and everything, and I got
a kick out of that because they had NBA jams
in the playroom too. I actually watched on that one
just to see what I was all about. I was
pretty impressive, amazing. I wish I could do one of
those dunks for real.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
I love it well people, I mean, you made the
playoffs seven out of ten years with the Oilers. You
had such an incredible career, and I think a lot
of people don't don't even realize that you kind.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Of got a late start. Yeah, how come what exactly?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Because I know there's a lot of different reasons for
things going on at that time, But how did you
end up playing?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
It was Canada, I believe for the first five years.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Yeah, I wasn't going to get drafted as a quarterback
by most teams in the league, so I didn't want
to take a chance of that not happening. So I
went where somebody was going to give me a chance
to play quarterback, and that was Canadian Football League. So
it was a big decision for me to make because
as a young kid growing up, you know your goal
and your dream was to play in the NFL. One
day and I thought I had put myself in a
(04:41):
good enough position by how I played in college to
at least get drafted at the position that I was playing,
and that wasn't going to happen, and I had to
decide whether I wanted to give up that opportunity or
go with the opportunity that I knew was there for me.
So I ended up going with the opportunity that was
put in front of me, and I think it worked
out pretty good for me. I enjoyed my time up there.
(05:03):
We won a lot of championships, and then I still
got a chance to realize my dream and come back
and play in the National Football I wish it could
have happened earlier, but I don't regret anything that I did,
because those years up there were unbelievable years. When you're winning,
you know, five championships, and when you win that cup
up there in Canada, it's a big deal. We don't
(05:25):
we probably don't reference it as much down here because
we're you know, the Super Bowl is the biggest event
there is in sports, but for up there, that is
a big time thing to do, and to do it
five times I was I was really honored to have
done that, and that's something that no other team has
done in professional sports since then. Win five straight to
(05:46):
do it in anything? Yeah, I think. I think Montreal
Canadians did it in hockey before us, but we were
the last ones to do it. So that's something that
I'll always have. There's a feather in my camp.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
That's pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
You're also the only football player, I believe ever to
be inducted into the Canadian and American Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I am along with you know, Bud Grant and Marv
Levy is two coaches. Okay, so it's the three of us.
And again that's another honor. I know, a lot of
guys don't play in the in the CFL, so they
wouldn't get that opportunity, but I did, and I got
a chance to experience both and I played at the
highest level in both.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, how did you? So?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Did you Eventually just they were like, man, this guy
just keeps winning.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
We'd better give him a shot. Or how did you
get discovered to find that?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You're know, there were always scouts up there at our
games all the time, and I was under contract for
most of you know, my career up there, so we
heard the rumblings. My attorney heard the rumblings. The teams
were interested in me, you know, even after my second
season up there, but because I was under contract, they
really couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Much to it.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
They actually tried to get me out of my contract
early a couple of teams, but just weren't able to
do it. So when it finally ran out after that
sixth season, that's when I was able to come back
down here. And there was a time up there because
I did sign a second contract when I was up there,
because I was enjoying it so much. I felt like
I was going to play my whole career up there.
(07:10):
But then in the back of my mind, I'm watching
NFL games every week, you know, when our season was
over or whatever, and I'm still going, you know, I
think I could play in that league. You know, I
think I'm as good or better than that guy right there.
And so it was that burning desire inside of me that, Okay,
how good am I really? And the only way you
can kind of really say how good you are is
(07:33):
to play against the best. And so that was one
of the things that brought me back.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
How many the guys that were playing up there could
have played in the league.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Quite a few the ones I think that really felt
like they could. They tried it, and some of them
made it, some of them didn't. But most guys up
there knew the two games are so different, you know,
as far as the personnel that you have up there,
because of the wide field. There's certain players that play
well up there. And there's certain players that have come
(07:59):
from in the United States up from the NFL that
tried to go up there, like Vince Ferragamo and Tom
Cuseno and all these different people that tried to make
transition from down here up there weren't able to make
it because their game just didn't fit in. But one
of the things that was good about my game, I
had a lot of versatility in my game. I could
(08:19):
do you know, I could throw on the run, I
could throw a drop back, I could I could play action,
I could run the ball if I needed to.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
So there was a lot of versatility to my game.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
So that really helped me as far as being able
to adapt to different either styles of play were Canada
and in the NFL, or different offenses that I was in.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Even when I was in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, well, I mean, I feel like you were one
of the big trailblazers too, and kind of breaking the stigma.
You know, before you that was like, now half the
league the quarterbacks are black, But when you came in,
it was you know, Randall Cunningham and you and and
that was about I mean, you came in though, and
really did a great job, and I feel like you
really trailblazed to remove some of that stigma so that
(08:59):
these quarterbacks today now it's you know, seems like it's
probably preferred.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Yeah, that's something I was aware of and did that
play when I want you to switch positions when I
of course, you know, when I came into the league,
I was the only one. I was the only starting
black quarterback in the league. The only other black quarterback
in the league was our third string quarterback guy by
the name of Brian Ransom.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
That's pretty crazy.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
From Tennessee State. Doug Williams had gone to the USFL.
I think Vince Evans had gone to the USFL. So
I was it until those guys came back after the
USFL folded.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And yeah, there were a lot of eyes.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
On me because when you come down from another country
and people really didn't know, you know, kind of who
I was. You lose sight of people when they haven't
seen you play, So now all of a sudden, I'm back.
They're hearing all these things that I did up there.
I'm paid a ton of money and they want to
see what you're made of. So I know I had
a lot of pressure on me because.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Of that, And was that difficult to deal with that
pressure just knowing how many people were probably vulteering.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
For you to fail but also trained for you to succeed.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
You know, I never really let any of that get
to me, but I was aware of it, There's no
question about it. But I you know, I had a
chip on my shoulder too, from all the different levels
that I had come through playing football to play quarterback,
whether it was going to high school and coaches not
wanted me to play it, whether it was having to
go to junior college before I went to major college,
(10:23):
it was because of going to Canada before I came
to the NFL. It was there was always these doubts,
and so I was. I was used to it, and
like I said, I had that chip that I'm going
to show you. But I'm gonna do it my way.
I'm not going to boast about it. I'm just gonna
let my play do all the talking for me, and
then you guys make up your minds after that.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now, when you were with those Oilers teams, I mean,
you guys, you know, got close a couple of times.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
We had some really good teams. At least two of
those teams. We probably should have went to the super Bowl.
We just didn't finish out our playoff runs. But man,
we had some talented teams. And it's really hard to
say the reason why. But I think a lot of
it starts from the top. A lot of it starts
from the ownership, and they've got to be totally committed
(11:09):
to that.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
They totally committed in your case, or is there a
couple of things that they do.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
You look at like what Jerry Jones is doing right
now in Dallas. Our owner had a lot of that
and just kind of rubbed people the wrong way and
and just created a bad feeling sometimes.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Within the negotiations.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
You know, so even though you get a deal worked out,
that doesn't mean you have all these great feelings for
the organization that you just want to give everything you've
got for it, because they made it so tough for
you to get what you probably deserved anyway. So those
types of things happen, and I think owners have to
realize that. And you see the ownership of these teams
(11:48):
that do win championships, the ownership is usually pretty solid
and pretty supportive of it.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
It's like you have to have, like the NFL especially,
it's like ownership, head coach, quarterbacks.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Those are the three things you got right.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah, you got to get that right. But again it
starts at the top.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I mean you see a lot nowadays with the game,
the way that they left them play. Do you ever
think about, I mean, how many yards you could have
thrown for in today's game versus.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
When you play, Yeah, it would have been scary. I mean,
you look at myself or Dan Marino or John Elway
or you give us these types of rules and this
type of freedom and this type of protection. There's no
telling how many yards we were through four you know.
I remember I had a chance to break five thousand
yards back in nineteen ninety when we only played sixteen games.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
These guys are playing seventeen. They're getting ready to go
to eighteen.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
So the numbers are going to really get outrageous here
when they expand the schedule again, but I got hurt
in the second and the last game of the season.
I would have broke the all time single season record
the next week, but I ended up having a dislocation
open dislocation of my thumb on my passing hand, and
that put me out for not only that last game,
but also the playoffs. So that was a devastating blow
(12:58):
for me to send that season. That was one of
my best seasons in the league.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Yeah, it's interesting nowadays a lot of the things that
you know, where the NFL's gone, and so many things
they've done right as far as getting people interested, right,
I know, with me and my buddies, I don't even
have a team. Like honestly, when I was a kid,
I was the Oilers and I kind of had some
buddies in the league, so I kind of cheered for
whoever they were playing for.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
But I don't really have a team.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
But I love watching the NFL because they've made it
so far between I mean sports betting and then you
also have fantasy.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, that's really brought a lot of fans to the game. Yes,
it just gives you reasons to watch it, right, you.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Know, women are really have become big fans because of fantasy,
because not only are you rooting for the player on
that team, Like you might have twelve guys on your
fantasy team, they might be from twelve different teams around
the league. Right, So now I was said, and you're
rooting for twelve teams as not just twelve guys.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Like when I pick my team, I literally try to
find guys on teams I want to watch them play,
So I'll get somebody on the Chiefs and someone on
the Packers, someone on the Ravens, you know, just because
it makes it more fun to watch those games.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
And it would see the to show the change of everything.
When I was playing, fantasy was just coming in, and
the league didn't want nothing.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
To do with fantasy.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
They didn't want us to have anything to do with
fantasy because it was like a form of gambling, and
they didn't They wanted to stay as far away from
from gambling.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
As you could as you could be.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
But as soon as they figured out a way to
make money on it, all of a sudden, here we
go with the NFL fantasy football sites.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Do you think it's a slippery slope where you got,
you know, they can bet individual stats and games and everything.
You saw in base bottom and saw that the closer
for the Indians he got suspended for, you know, throwing
on purpose balls on the first pitch. Because you can
do so many prop bets now, and it's like it'd
be really easy to cheat that stuff.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And it's too bad it gets to that.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You know, the game should still play with a lot
should still be played with a lot of integrity. Players
shouldn't get involved in that. I just don't think they should.
I don't think you should be able to vote up.
I mean bet on your own sport.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Now.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
If you want to bet on other sports, that's a
little bit different, Brad. You have no way of affecting
a game if you're not betting on your own own sports.
So anybody who does that, you know, I frown on that.
But betting is a big part of what's going on
right now. It's huge. I mean they make it so
easy too. You can do it on your phone, when
you can sit in the stadium. They're going to have
(15:13):
like probably a little boat voting boot, I mean betting
boosts right there at your seat here pretty soon.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So, like I said, they.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Found out a way to make money at it, and
they're making tons of money, and that's why the game
continues to keep growing, and that's why these players continue
to keep making the money.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It feels like of all the sports, it's just the
healthiest one. You know, it's just in a good spot.
And they have made some things to make the game safer.
In some of those things, I look back. I remember
when I was watching, you know, when you guys were young,
or playing them when I was younger, and I mean,
it was a little bit too brutal, Like you know,
it was a physical game.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
But I think that's what football is all about. But
I understand why they're why they're protecting the players the
way they are now because of the long term effects
of what.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
This game can do to you. And you know, we
were kind of the guinea pigs of.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
That they get any concussions when you played, I had sick. Yeah,
So every day I wake up, I wonder, you know,
am I feeling the same? Can I think? Can I
remember this? Can I remember that? Is it because of
my age or is it because of the concussion. So
those are things that you worry about, But I'm I'm
in pretty good condition that way. And I've had some
(16:19):
some of those psychological testings and stuff like that done
so so far, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I mean I've talked to a couple of boxers I've
done podcasts with and you can tell like they got
hit too many times.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Like, you know, you seem like you're pretty pretty very
well where well.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
You know, you look at the amount of guys that
have taken their lives and different things like that. Like
a really good friend of mine, Junior, say.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
That was really the one that woke everybody out. Yeah,
he took his life.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
And he's a guy that played middle linebacker for what
nineteen years and never had a diagnosed concussion.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
There's something wrong there. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
For the average fan, I don't think they realize just
how intense and brutal the game is, just.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
How hard the guys are hitting.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
You know, I think about the best player I played
with when I was all didn't even make a college squad.
And those guys, you know, so few of them make
the NFL squads, and I mean they really are you know,
just it's such a physical game.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
It really is, and you know, one half of one
percent of the guys to play the game make it
to the NFL. So you know, it doesn't matter if
you make it that far or not. Those you can
still have those concussion problems just from playing high school
or playing high school to.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
College or whatever it might be.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Is the repetitive hits to the head is what causes it.
So yeah, that's something I think they have a better
handle on now. You see the players in practice now
wearing the extra extra padding on the helmets. But it's
still it's a collision game. The players keep getting bigger,
they keep getting stronger, they keep getting faster, so those
collisions are going to be just as hard. And yeah,
(17:48):
you just have to pray every time you go out there,
and and hopefully the equipment and the way you play
the game, you know, helps as far as as far
as the head to head poundings.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Well, do you have a favorite moment from your career
when you were playing, Wow, when you played twenty three years.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You have a lot of favorite moments, A lot of moments,
a lot of favorite moments. But I think the biggest
one for me was when I went to Houston. You know,
I knew it was going to be a rebuilding process
and kind of reminded me of when I went to
the University of Washington and we ended up, you know,
getting to the Rose Bowl. In my senior year, same thing, rebuilding,
(18:26):
new coach. I go to Houston, rebuilding, new coach, and
we finally get to the playoffs. And when that first
playoff came at home, that that was probably one of
my biggest highlights because of what we went through to
get there.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
You know, you always feel.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Like you really earned what you got when you when
you go through you know, those tough times when you
go through that adversity and how you deal with as
a team and all those different hurdles you get over
until you finally get to where you want to get to.
So that was probably one of my biggest moments, finally
getting to the playoffs, take in a team that was
a perennial loser, and to win.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
That's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
What is it like being in that locker room or
in the huddle and knowing you're the leader, Everyone's looking
to you, You're the guy. I mean, how did you
what did you do to try to lead the group
or try to you know, be the best.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Leader that you could be at the guys, you know,
I'm not a big, raw raw guy or anything like that.
I'm not a get up in your face and yell
and scream at guys, because we're all professionals out there, right.
But I led a lot by example. And then when
I did talk, I talked to the team everybody at once,
or either I talked to one individual at a time.
If I felt like that guy needed to be talked to,
I pulled him to the side. Didn't want to show
(19:37):
him off, didn't want to show him up. I wanted
to just let him know what was on my mind,
whether I thought he needed to have an attitude adjustment,
whether he needed to step it up, or or give
him a little encouragement because maybe he did something that
he felt down about. I did it that way. And
I also led a lot by example. Just how I
(19:57):
carried myself in the building. You know what time I
got there, what time I left. You know how I
worked in the in the in the in the weight room.
You know I left weights with the lineman. You know,
stuff like that, just to show those guys I'm in
there working and putting in just as much time, if
not more than themselves. So those are the things that
kind of enhanced leadership. And then of course you got
(20:20):
to get on the field and make plays too, that's
what they're really looking for.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Yeah, I mean it's hard to lead if you're not
no unless right the NFL especially, I mean, it's one
of those things. It's almost crazy how much the quarterback matters. Yeah,
and especally now, yes, it's literally you can look at
the playoffs and every single team it's the quarterback, and
you know, and then from there they figure out the
rest of the people.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Right.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
The game was a little more balanced back when I played,
but today it's starting to come back that way a
little bit now to a more balanced game. But the
quarterback is really dominated the play here over the last
i'd say ten years or so.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, if you were the commissioner, what's something you would
do different with the league right now?
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Wow? I would?
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Well if I was, they wouldn't do this. I'd take
away those middle of the week games, you know, to
be all right when you have to come back on
four days after a game on Sunday and play again
on Thursday. I don't know how the players continually do that.
They don't make them do it a ton, but they
do it more than what we did when I played.
(21:27):
We only did it if you had a Thanksgiving game,
that was the only time you played on a Thursday.
But now they have a Thursday game every week, and
I think they only make one team do it per season.
I'm not sure, but some teams play on Thanksgiving every year,
like the Cowboys and Detroit, and I'm sure they also
have another Thursday game in there somewhere. So those types
of things, and if when they go to eighteen games,
(21:48):
it's either going to make the season that much longer
because they're probably gonna have to have another buy or
there's going to be some more of those short week games.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Well, one of my buddies that played in the league,
he said, I mean he's like Monday to day, you're
barely able to practice Wednesday because you're just recovering till then.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
And and I know how I feel as a quarterback,
and I know how those I mean, I don't know,
but I do know how those offensive and defensive linemen feel.
And the guys that are really doing the banging in
there on Sunday afternoon, you know what their bodies have
to be like by by Wednesday to get ready to
play again.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Especially if you have to travel.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Yeah, I mean you have you have to get on
airplane on Wednesday and go go play in the city
on Thursday. On top of how you feel after that
last Sunday game, it's it's tough on the body. And
those are the things that even though they've made all
these these improvements and the equipment and the hitting all
that different stuff, when you start having those types of
(22:43):
games like that, it almost says why, Yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
Look, did you guys have to use to play in
the Astrodome at all? Or did you have your own
stadium when you were in Houston?
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Oh, we were in the Astro. You were on that turf.
How bad was that on the body? Brutal? Is it?
It was like playing of men. Got burns all over
my body from that. From that they used to play
on that.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, and my first I think it was eight years there.
We only played on one surface, so the baseball team
played there too, the Astro, right, So you had the
bass pads, they had to be they had to be
taken out, so they have dirt there for the for
the bass pads and the pitching mound and home plate.
And then when we played they put the grass back in.
(23:26):
There were the fake turf back in there. And zipped
it back up, so you had these big seams all
over the field and guys were ripping their knees up
like crazy.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
On that stuff. That's crazy that they used to do
going out acls.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
And they finally my last two years, got another turf
just for football, and then the turf just for baseball.
But yeah, it was the damage had already been done.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yeah, no, I think about some of those.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I remember watching the Niners play a candlestick and you
got the dirt infield.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
To some of these things that they did. It's just
crazy to think.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
I played in a lot of those games too. The
Raiders were that way, The Rams were that way in Anaheim.
San Diego was that way, depending on when it was
during the season, early part of the season, if they
were still playing baseball.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
You played on the baseball time, did you That's crazy.
Did you have a least favorite place to play just
because either the fans or the environment or just whatever.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Probably Buffalo, Yeah, man, that was a tough place to
play weather wise. And their fans were amazing, you know, yeah,
they just they really supported their team.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Like I said at the beginning, that was I was.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
I was an Oilers fan that was the team I
cheered for, and I just remember, obviously that was a
game that go down and infamy or whatever. From your standpoint,
how devastating was that when they came back and beat
you guys in that second half.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, I I never thought we were gonna lose. For
a minute. I just kept saying on the sideline, why
are we making this so hard on ourselves? You know,
you know, as they kind of made their little comeback,
but I'm like, why, why can't we just put this
game away? And because we had had some other games
like that in the season too, where we got out
and then teams kind of slowly crept back, but we
still won those games. And I just didn't think we
(25:02):
were going to lose that one. But for that to
get into an overtime game and the things that happened
down the stretch, I started looking back at it and saying,
you know what, I think we were just destined not
to win that game. I mean, we had some plays
where our defense, some balls went right through our linebacker's
hands for an interception that probably wouldn't away and goes
right through his hands into their receiver's hands behind him. Uh,
(25:25):
you know, a receiver stepping out of bounds on their
team and coming back in and not being called just
different things like that happened throughout the second half.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
They kept their their momentum going.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
So when you look back at it, you're like, God, hey,
were we meant to win that game?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yeah? They were destined to lose four in a row.
I guess whatever. Well, it's so crazy how football works.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
And when I was watching the highlight the other day
of the Giants Patriots game when the Patriots were undefeated,
and you know, the guy catches the ball on his hell, just.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
Like what is going on? You know, it's just everything
is such an inch here, an inch there.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
But I think so funny lot that catch made David Tyreee,
you know, famous to this day. I see him at
Memorybillia shows because he made that catch.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Well, I appreciate your time, war and it's a it's
a pleasure, you know, always fun to watch you play
and just really played the game the right way. And
I really believe you were a huge trail bazer for
the game that we have today.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
So thank you, well, thank you. I had a great
time doing it. You know, it wasn't always easy, but
I had a pretty interesting journey, but I was proud
of the way it ended up, except for not winning that,
you know, that one elusive title. Other than that, I
did way more than I ever thought I would do
in the game of football, especially at the quarterback position.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah, I mean it goes to a show just how
difficult it is to get a title, and thankfully you
have the ones in Canada.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I guess I at least got to do that. Pipe well.
Thank you again, already good to see you.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Thank you again for listening to the Jimmy Rex Show.
And if you liked what you heard, please like and subscribe.
It really helps me to get better guests, to be
able to get the type.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Of people on this podcast. It's going to make it
the most interesting.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Also, wanted everybody about my podcast studio, The Rookery Studios,
available in Salt Lake City and or in Utah. If
you live in Utah and want to produce your own podcast,
we take all of the guests, work out of it for.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
You and make it so simple.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
All you do is you come in, you sit down,
you talk, and leave. We record it, edit it, even
post it for you. If interested in doing your own podcast,
visit our Instagram and send us a DM Rookery Studios,
or go to our website, The Rookery Studios dot com
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