WEBVTT - Pats from the Past: Episode 31, Jerod Mayo 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:09.680 Time for another edition of Paths for the Past podcast 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:12.760 Matt Smith alongside with Paul Perillo, and we were pleased 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:15.280 to be joined by number fifty one on your scorecard, 0:00:15.320 --> 0:00:16.400 but number one in our hearts. 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:18.960 Yeah, I'm happy to be here. 0:00:19.000 --> 0:00:20.880 Thanks for having me, Thanks for being here, Gerard really 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:21.439 appreciate it. 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:21.680 You know. 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:24.480 We normally when there's an audience of Patriot fans and 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:26.680 that's who's listening to this, and you get somebody like 0:00:26.680 --> 0:00:29.120 a Kevin Flock, people don't necessarily know what he's up 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:31.440 to these days. I think most Patriot fans know what 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:34.320 Garrod Mayo's up to these days. Do you like it? 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:35.960 Oh? I love it? I love it. You know. 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:39.160 I feel like my calling is just to develop people, 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:41.839 and so whether we're talking about players, you know, to 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:45.320 help them become someone that they never thought that could become, 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:50.320 or an entrepreneur. I just like developing people. And that's 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:52.240 I feel like I'm in my calling right now. 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:54.319 Did you know that you were going to get into that? 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:55.680 You know, even as a player. 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:59.680 Man, let me say you, I always knew I wanted 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.600 to be around the game to a certain extent. Uh, 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:05.800 when I when I first retired coach actually asked me 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:07.240 to ask me to coach, and I was like. 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:08.320 Nope, I remember that. 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:10.920 Yeah, I said, I need a break, and so that 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:12.600 break was good and that's when I went and worked 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:15.280 in business for a few years. I worked that Optum 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:18.120 for three years, which is a great experience. I'm always 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:21.360 looking for opportunities to be uncomfortable. Uh, you're never comfortable 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:24.160 in this building. And so, uh, it kind of called 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:26.960 me back, and you know, Bill called me. He actually 0:01:27.120 --> 0:01:30.800 he actually convinced my wife first, uh, to get me 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:33.160 back into coach, well, to get me into coaching initially, 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:35.320 and then my wife and Bill kind of put the 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:35.920 pressure on me. 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:39.160 Something about that position. The linebacker's matt right. You know, 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:42.120 Mike Vrabel always talked about being a coach, wanting to 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:44.480 be a coach. I know Teddy Bruski has talked about it. 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:46.880 He's you know, uh, toys around a little bit with 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:49.560 the high school level. What is it about the position? 0:01:49.640 --> 0:01:52.920 It's it's so you guys are smarter than everybody, you. 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:53.920 Know what I think. 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:58.120 So honestly, you know, obviously on the offensive side, you 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:00.600 can say the quarterback or center, but you know, when 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:02.680 you think about the linebacker position, you know, they have 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:04.800 to tie everyone together, they have to tie the back 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.960 end to the front end. And we've been fortunate enough, 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.160 you know, around here in New England to have you know, 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:14.000 great linebackers. You know before me you mentioned a few, 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:16.640 you know, Teddy Brusky, Mike Vrabel. Those guys did a 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:19.680 great job passing the torch off to me. And I 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:21.560 feel like I did a good job passing the torch 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:23.920 off to a guy like Dante Hi Tower who you know, 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:26.160 they've they've kept, you know, kept the tradition going. 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:28.120 So, you know, I think when we talked to a 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:31.800 lot of people who played in your era, Gerrod and say, hey, 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:33.440 I have any interest in being a coach and everything, 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:38.360 Hell no, they can't tell me. You've got a young family. 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:40.960 You're certainly was much younger when you started than it 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:44.760 is now. It's a grind, man, that had to be 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.240 part of you know, if you're not all in, how 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:49.480 could you do this? That had to be at least 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:51.960 a significant point of your decision making. 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:55.240 Absolutely, you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't coach if I 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:57.680 didn't feel like I had the support of my wife 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.520 and kids. And so it is a grind and you know, 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:03.519 and saying that though I would say my family they. 0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:04.359 Enjoyed the process. 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:06.880 They enjoy you know, coming out to training camp, they 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.840 enjoy going to the games, and they understand I'm doing it, 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.440 you know, with a with a larger goal in mine. 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:13.480 You know. 0:03:13.520 --> 0:03:17.680 With that being said, there's there's nothing else that really 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:19.840 gets my blood pressure up then going out, you know, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.519 in a good way, is to go out in the field, 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:25.880 you know, in the practice field and just getting guys better. 0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:28.400 So that's why I do it. My family supports me 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.639 one hundred percent, and you know, I have a good 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:31.200 time doing it. 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.640 And you talked about, you know, Bruce Ki and Rabel 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:36.960 sort of laying the groundwork for you, And I'm just curious, 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:39.360 you know, Matt and I were talking before we started 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:43.320 just how quickly you became one of those guys like it. 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:45.360 It didn't seem like there was any transition at all 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:48.160 for a rookie. And you were kind of like, you know, 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:51.160 girod Belichick right away, like how did that happen so fast? 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:54.680 I remember Brady said, you know, oh you mean Gerard Belichick, Like, 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:56.280 oh you mean Belichick? 0:03:56.360 --> 0:03:58.360 Kevin fuck Belichick. 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:01.080 That year, you know, honestly, it just comes down to 0:04:01.200 --> 0:04:04.920 I think Bill enjoys the company of people who enjoy 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:07.280 football and not really what football. 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:07.440 Has to offer. 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:09.640 You know, obviously a lot of the players, they get 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:11.640 paid a lot of money. You know, they can get 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:13.320 in front of the you know, in front of the 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:15.800 line at the clubs early. But if you love football, 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:19.159 if you love just to study the game, whether it's offense, 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:21.800 defense or special teams, then you have a good relationship 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:24.120 with Bill and you know all of those guys. Honestly, 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:25.960 when I came in, I just wanted to be a 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:29.160 sponge and learned as much as possible. The year prior 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:31.840 they won every game but won the Super Bowl, And 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:34.560 so I wasn't coming into an organization, even though it 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:36.640 was a top ten pick, I wasn't coming into an 0:04:36.720 --> 0:04:40.560 organization where, you know, there is a whole overhaul of 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:42.880 the team. We had a bunch of leaders on that team. 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:46.320 You know, Rodney was on that team, Randy Malls, Tom 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:50.720 Brady Vrabel, Vince Wilford, Tye warn although Richard Seymour. I mean, 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:53.000 that team was loaded. And so for me to come 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:54.920 in it was more like, all right, let me just 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:58.240 learn from everyone else and not say anything unless. 0:04:57.920 --> 0:04:58.400 I have to. 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:02.240 But I I will say this, The reason I would 0:05:02.279 --> 0:05:05.720 say I gained the respect of the players is because 0:05:05.760 --> 0:05:08.120 I would go in there when Bill was on the 0:05:08.120 --> 0:05:10.760 computer and ask them, hey, man, the guys are tired. 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:12.839 You know, we don't want to be in pads today. 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:17.039 And you know, rookie in this year, no one really 0:05:17.080 --> 0:05:19.800 wanted to go in there, right because, I mean, Bill's 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.279 a tough guy. And so for me, my mom, I 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:24.360 was always raised you know, if the worst thing someone 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:26.599 could say to me is no, then go ask. And 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:29.280 so I would go in there and I would say, 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.400 you know, I always joked around. I was batting three 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:33.600 hundred at the time. I'm bating, you know, two fifty 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:35.880 four hundred at a time. Because I would go in there 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.839 and sometimes, you know, the request would be granted, and 0:05:38.880 --> 0:05:40.960 then other times he'd be like, hey, get out of here. 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:43.320 But when I would go back in the locker room 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:46.520 and tell guys, you know, we're not in pads today, 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:50.000 it was like a celebration and like literally like picking 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:52.120 me up on their shoulders. It's like this guy went 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:55.400 into the fire, went to the dragons the dragons layer 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:58.400 and asked for something and got it. And so That's 0:05:58.400 --> 0:06:00.440 how the nickname, you know, Derwi Belichick and all those 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:02.640 things started to come up. But I think the guys 0:06:02.640 --> 0:06:06.799 really realized that I cared more about them than myself, 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:08.800 than my ego or anything like that. Like I didn't 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:11.120 care about getting cussed out. Even to this day, you know, 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:12.840 I get cussed out. It's like, all right, whatever. 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:15.400 Do you think that you gained a little respect maybe 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.880 from Bill? Like who's this rookie that time asking me, 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:20.400 you know, can we not practice in pads this afternoon? 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:24.599 Like that's that's Rabel's job, that's bruised, this rookie's coming 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:26.520 in and doing it. Did you gain a little respect? 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:27.160 I think so? 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:29.560 I think so, And I would say even now to 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:32.279 this day, I feel like, you know, I tell Bill 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:34.760 I still call him coach, but for the purposes of this, 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.920 you know, I tell Bill what it is, like, this 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:40.000 is what it is. I don't sit there and agree 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:43.240 with everything he has to say. He doesn't agree with 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:46.560 everything I have to say. There's a mutual respect there where, 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:48.640 you know, I see things a little bit different. And 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:52.440 when we talk about diversity, not trying to segue or 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:54.960 jump ahead, but when we talk about diversity, most of 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:57.239 the time, people only talk about you know, black and white, 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:00.240 or they talk about skin color, but there's also, you know, 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:04.159 diversity of thought. There's also generational diversity, and I think 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:08.839 those things oftentimes get missed when people really talk about diversity. 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:12.120 I think Bill's done a good job getting guys around 0:07:12.200 --> 0:07:14.080 him that can relate more to the players, because now, 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:16.280 you know, he's not getting any younger, he's getting older. 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:18.640 But at the same time, we're carrying the flag and 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:22.280 carrying all the things that he's instilled in us as 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:26.040 coaches and me as a player prior. But you know, 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.000 we're trying to disseminate that message to the rest of 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:28.440 the guys. 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:31.000 You know, you brought up you know, your draft and 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:34.680 where as we're recording this, it's draft weekend. Just any 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:37.640 thoughts or memories of what draft night was like for you? 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:40.760 Yeah, Draft night? Yeah, Draft night for me was it 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:45.400 was great. You know, I didn't go to the draft. 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:48.080 I wasn't even invited back then, they only invited like 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:50.160 the top you know, three or four. I wouldn't have 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:54.120 gone anyway. I'm more of a I want to be 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:56.800 around my family with things like that, and so I 0:07:56.920 --> 0:08:00.160 was in Virginia with my mom and my grandparents, to 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:04.680 my brothers, my uncle, you know, and we were out there. 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:07.280 I was raking leaves with my mom. I was raking 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:10.200 leaves outside, and so my brothers, you know, when we 0:08:10.240 --> 0:08:12.800 get together, we rarely get together, but when we all 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:14.400 get together, we like to have a drink or two. 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:17.560 And so one of my brothers he was like, all right, 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:20.800 we're gonna do a shot every pick that goes by 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:21.760 that you're not picked. 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:23.000 And so I was. 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:27.200 Like, whoa, Yeah, I know if I would have went twentieth, 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.960 I wouldn't be here today. And so and that's why 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:32.040 I don't drink Patron to this day now, because we 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:34.440 were drinking Patron and I was the tenth overall pick. 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:38.000 So you do the math. You know, it's a good time. 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:39.959 Though it was a celebration. You know, there are a 0:08:40.000 --> 0:08:42.840 lot of tears because honestly, you know, these are things 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:44.439 you think about when you're a five year you know, 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:48.000 five six year old kid, Like, especially where I'm from, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:50.320 you know, you don't really see too many people just 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:52.280 get out of there. And even though in Virginia we 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:54.559 have a lot of professional athletes, but you know, per 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:58.040 capita at the same time, you know, it's tough and 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:00.280 like there's a lot of blood, sweat and tears go 0:09:00.360 --> 0:09:02.840 into it, you know, to any dream. And then when 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:05.720 you're finally able to realize that dream, it's it's a 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:09.000 very special moment. The hard part after that is resetting it. Right, 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:11.880 So now you get you know, you accomplish your goal. 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:15.040 You accomplish your dream. Now you got to move the flags, dick, right, 0:09:15.040 --> 0:09:17.480 we got to move it again. Now what's the next dream? 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:19.560 And so that's kind of how I think about it. 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.560 Did you have any inkling that the Patriots were interested 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:22.760 in you? 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:27.240 I had a little inkling because so funny story, I 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:30.920 wasn't even coming here on a thirty visit initially, and 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:33.040 I was on my way to another team. I won't 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:35.520 say the name of the team, but it's a huge rival. 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:37.720 They wear green. But I was on the way. I 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:40.439 was on the way with me and rhymes with Mets. 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:43.160 I was on the way out there, and the Patriots 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:45.319 called and said, hey, you know, can he swing through 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:47.840 here before he you know, just real quick before he 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:51.000 goes to New York. And I ended up coming here 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:53.240 spending a lot of time with Matt, Patricia and Dean 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:55.960 P's at the time. And then I was gone and 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:58.240 it was just that quick, you know, it was that quick. 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:01.280 And I went to New York and the rest was history. 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:03.160 That was the only thing, because when I went at 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:06.800 the Combine, this was the weirdest, weirdest Combine interview for 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:08.720 me that I had. I had a lot of them 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:11.240 as well, coming out as an underclassman. But I went 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:15.000 in the room and you know, everyone's in there. Bill 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:18.080 wasn't in there, I don't believe, but no one said anything. 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:19.400 So I go in the room. You remember how you 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:21.559 know the interview process works at the Combine. 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:23.040 Well, I've heard a little bit about it, Like you know, 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:25.520 there's a bloat horn that coach off in the hallway 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:29.000 to mad Dash with everybody that's going to everybody's room, right, 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:30.600 And you get in there and there's a clock. 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:33.800 You're on the clock, the clock that's right. And so 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:35.720 I go. I go into the Patriots. So you know, 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:38.280 this is right before, this is right after the Giants 0:10:38.320 --> 0:10:39.240 just won the Super Bowl. 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:39.800 So I go. 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:43.280 I visit with the Giants. They're having a party because 0:10:43.320 --> 0:10:45.719 they knew they weren't supposed to win that game either, right, 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:48.120 So like I go in their room and everyone's like 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:50.520 dancing like a ha ha ha ha, a whole bunch 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:52.520 of laughing and things like that. And then I go 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:56.840 to the Patriots room and it's like stone cold, like silence. 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:57.160 For two minutes. 0:10:57.400 --> 0:10:59.480 Now, if you ever, if you ever, just like set 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:01.680 your clock to two minutes and don't say a word. 0:11:02.200 --> 0:11:03.160 It is a long time. 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:04.000 It's uncomfortable. 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:06.080 Or do a plank. Do a plank for two minutes. 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:08.720 It is a very long time. Yeah, And no one, 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:11.200 like you said, we're on the clock. So I'm sitting 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:13.040 there like I just introduced myself and then no one 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:14.800 asked me any questions, and so I'm like, all right, 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:16.640 this is kind of weird. And then finally we got 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:18.520 into football. But I didn't know if they were trying 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:20.760 to figure out, like, you know, what I was thinking, 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:23.400 or you know, see how I dealt with uncomfortable situations. 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:26.000 But that I mean, I really didn't have like, all right, 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:27.760 the Patriots are really looking at me. I thought I 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:31.320 was going to go to Denver Detroit, you know, teams 0:11:31.400 --> 0:11:31.720 like that. 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:34.720 So and they originally had the seventh pick. Yep, they 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:38.480 traded down to ten. That's right, did that you know, 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:40.920 sort of put them more on the radar for you 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:42.239 or you still. 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:45.440 Really still still had still wasn't thinking Patriots. You know, 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:47.640 it's crazy, you know they trade back and still have 0:11:47.679 --> 0:11:50.160 a top ten pick, but at the same time, still 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:51.760 didn't really think about them. I thought I was gonna 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:55.480 go at twelve to Denver, and then Detroit had fifteen, 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:57.600 So okay, so we're gonna look at. 0:11:57.559 --> 0:11:59.360 This now, Matt. So I had a twelve at Denver. 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.600 The reason twelve Denver was twelve. Twelve for Denver was 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.640 pretty good, Ryan Clay, he had a really good career. 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:07.720 But if you go up that list though, all right, 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:08.960 let me let me do it, all right. 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:11.640 This is why I wanted to do this, because I 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.040 wanted to see how in tune you were. 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:14.160 I was. I was. 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:17.280 I was pissed because I can say that. Of course, 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:21.400 I was kind of pissed because Vernon Golston went at 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:22.199 six to the gym. 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:24.199 Okay, before you continue, I'm going to have to make 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:27.800 an admission. I was a big Vernon Goldston guy in 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:30.800 that drafted man. Was I wrong? Well, not the first time, 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:31.679 it won't be the last. 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:35.160 He absolutely looked the part. 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:35.720 As he was couldn't play. 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.000 He looked upon like they did everything they had, like 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:42.480 Lawrence Taylor working with him at one points, like he 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:46.320 went six, and then Keith Rivers went at nine nine. Yeah, 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:49.000 and so like when those two guys went, I was 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:52.600 just like, man, you know, no, no shot to those guys. 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:54.560 I just at that time, I had a little bit 0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:58.400 of confidence in my game. And I love football. I 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:00.560 love studying guys. And you know, is what it is. 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:01.319 It all worked out. 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:03.880 Do you walk? Did you follow the mark at that time? 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.520 Like yeah, and everything going, hey, yes, we're hearing, we 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:08.760 think you're going in the top ten. 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:09.200 Yeah. 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.400 The funny thing is the only person to get it 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:16.120 right was was Charlie Castley, Like the day before the draft, 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:20.199 Bill's favorite Charlie Hey, he was the only one that 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:23.360 got it right. Though Charlie Castlely got it right like 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:24.920 me going to the Patriots. 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:26.960 He had it at seven. And ye. 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.679 This is it's a strange first round this two thousand 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:32.000 and eight year, because I think there are a lot 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:35.080 of good players like you and Matt. I mentioned Clady, 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:38.960 Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco. This this good Keith to leave 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:40.880 is part of this first round. And then there's some 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.960 real busts. It's like no in between, there's no like, oh, 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:45.320 but he was okay. 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:47.480 Like both Goldstein because of the team. 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:52.400 Like Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Goldston, if you mentioned Keith Rivers, 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:56.120 you know this Brandon Albert wasn't wasn't great. 0:13:56.400 --> 0:13:58.080 It was okay. 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:02.199 For Shad Mendenhall Pittsburgh. There's a lot of like guys 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.640 that these are first round picks, but you know there 0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:07.720 is some good talent here to Dwayne Brown. 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:10.839 Dwayne Right, Virginia Tech. And I would say there's a 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:14.360 gold jacket in there though. And Matthew Slater, I'm putting 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:14.600 it all. 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:17.280 Well, now we're going down to the fifth round. He 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:21.240 did write that down. But another guy still playing, still 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:23.560 going playing, And how long you've been to coach now. 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:26.440 Man, I'm going into my fourth year, so still going. 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:30.960 And honestly, you know, I see Slaton there every single day. 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:33.880 And like you talk about a guy who takes you know, 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:37.000 takes care of his body, loves the game of football, 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.120 loves actually loves special teams, not like these other guys 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:42.360 who you know, they go on their visits and they're. 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:43.640 Like, oh, I love special teams. 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:45.200 Then you ask them like how many, I mean, how 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:47.440 many snaps of special teams you have last year It's like, 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:50.040 you know, coach didn't really want me on special teams. 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:51.280 But when you think about a. 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.200 Guy like Slater, a guy who who's really been the 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:56.560 glue for a long time around here, like I feel 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:58.720 like I was the bridge between like I only have 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:01.080 one super Bowl. Like I'm not complaining I have won 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:04.960 Super Bowl, but the bridge between that next generation. You know, 0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:06.800 I was the bridge between you know, myself and in 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:10.000 high tower of that whole world when they won. Slate's 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:12.360 been through through you know, through it since two thousand 0:15:12.360 --> 0:15:14.640 and eight and he's still going. So when you really 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:16.640 think about that, he's the glue and I was just 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:18.880 the bridge to go over there. But you know, he's 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:21.000 he's a Hall of Famer, in my opinion, a guy 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:22.880 you know, he doesn't go out there and play, you know, 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:24.640 thirty snaps a game, but at the same time he 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:26.280 makes a huge impact on the game. 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:28.520 I would just want to follow up on that about Slater, 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:31.960 and I think I think I've heard RKK at least 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:34.560 talk a little bit about this. In an organization with 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:38.720 so many great players like Teddy Bruski, really only he 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:41.080 only played for the Patriots, but as Bill said when 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:43.720 he retired, the perfect Patriot guys like Troy Brown, Hall 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.520 of Famer's Richard Seymour, maybe the greatest ever play the 0:15:46.520 --> 0:15:50.720 game in Tom Brady. Is here a better representative of 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:54.600 what the Patriots STANMD for than Matthew Slater? 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:56.320 I don't think so. I mean, I think that's a 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:57.600 that's a great point. You know. 0:15:57.760 --> 0:16:00.560 He he embodies everything you want, not only as a 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:02.720 player on the field, but also off the field, giving 0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:06.200 back to the community, also really caring about the guys 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:08.680 not as football players but as men and trying to 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.520 mentor the next generation. And who knows when his last 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:14.560 snap will be, you know, hopefully continues to play just 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:16.800 like Tom is doing. But you talk about a guy 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.440 who's just an all around great, you know, great man, 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:22.760 man of God and just a guy that I have 0:16:22.880 --> 0:16:24.800 no problem following, it's Matt Slayter. 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:30.440 Does he make you and I don't mean necessarily you girodmeo, 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:33.480 But does he make the coaching staff's job a little 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.640 bit easier knowing that you can lean on, Hey Slate, 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:39.000 get this guy straight? You know, Yeah, I don't have 0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:41.280 I don't have time to do it or however that goes. 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:44.320 But you know you can rely on him to help 0:16:44.400 --> 0:16:46.680 keep that to make the messaging what it needs to be. 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:49.640 Absolutely and I would say, you know that that's also 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:52.600 done by committee, right, And so you also have a 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.080 Devin mccorty, you know, Devin McCarty of the world, who's 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.880 also able to do those things and slate on the 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:00.160 and then on the offensive side of the ball, you're 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:03.040 gonna have some guys emerge here, right, some guys emerge. 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.000 As far as you know, we don't usually talk a 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:07.680 lot about leadership, but at the same time, you hope 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:10.800 it happens organically and that guys will follow a particular individual. 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:12.720 Most of the time that happens to be, you know, 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:14.919 a linebacker or a quarterback. At the same time, it 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:17.280 doesn't have to be. And so you know, when I 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:20.240 think about leadership, you know, sometimes people get slapped with 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:22.200 the title of leader but really don't deserve it, or 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:25.040 people don't want to follow him. And coaching as well, 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.360 So you think about coaching, it's like, all right, if 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:29.320 this guy's a coordinator, he's a good leader. That's not 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:31.800 necessarily true. Or if this guy's a head coach is 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.560 a good leader. That's not necessarily true, and so like 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:37.200 to go you know, to go into it with that assumption, 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:41.000 I think is crazy. At the same time, having a 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:43.200 guy like, you know, bringing this back full circle, having 0:17:43.200 --> 0:17:46.000 a guy like you know, Matt Slater and Devin mccordy 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:48.640 and those leaders like that, I mean they're second to nine. 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:51.200 So when you think back to that rookie year, you 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:54.119 head into O eight, you and Matthew and you know, 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:57.199 but first drive of the season, ten minutes into the season, 0:17:57.400 --> 0:17:59.879 you know, Tom goes down. What would do you remember 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:01.919 sort of what was going through your mind to like, 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:03.600 this is supposed to be this is the guy that 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.159 went to all these Super Bowls, you. 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:10.600 Know what, you know, personally speaking, you know, it hurt 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:12.240 me a little bit and I was just like, oh no, 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:15.399 you know, the season's over. But once again, that team 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:19.439 was so strong that the guys were like, doesn't matter, 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:22.680 next play and we ended up winning eleven games that year, 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:24.399 you know, with Matt Castle at the helm. But we 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:28.480 had a bunch of good players. And that's where I 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:32.000 really learned that next man up mentality because people talk 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:34.960 about next man up, but we kind of live it. 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:35.280 Here. 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:37.679 We live the whole, you know, whether it's a coach, 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:40.359 whether it's a player, like next man up, be ready 0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:42.480 to go. And you know, I try to prepare the 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:44.760 guys like that, Like it doesn't matter. I coach everyone. 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:46.280 You know, I don't want to say I coach everyone 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:48.639 the same. You know, I stole this quote, but I 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:51.040 treat everyone fairly. I don't treat everyone the same, like 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.280 I don't. I don't have to tell high Tower like yo. 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:54.680 Move over right here. 0:18:54.840 --> 0:18:56.640 But there are some younger players who are like, hey, 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:58.639 you got to move over and get into space. 0:18:58.680 --> 0:19:01.600 But you earned that. You earn that. And uh. 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:04.640 But going back to that team, man, that team was loaded. 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:06.960 You think about the guys who came off the bench 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:10.320 on that team, you know, the Jarvis Greens of the world, 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:12.480 even the Mic Wrights of the world, guys who had 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:16.320 these these roles that they'll never you'll never hear about 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:18.280 them as far as you know, the impact that they 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:20.440 had on the game. But when you think about just this, 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:23.840 think about the defensive defensive front. All right, Ty Warren 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:27.199 never made a Pro Bowl, right, but unbelievable defensive end, 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:32.480 no question. Vince Wilford, young, Vince Wilford unbelievable talent always, 0:19:32.520 --> 0:19:35.560 you know, doubled on every single play, Richard Seymour at 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:39.199 defensive end, the backers, myself and Bruski and then Vrabel 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:43.159 and then Dallas Thomas like that that front alone. Then 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:45.040 in the back end you had you know, Brandon Merriweather, 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:48.600 Rodney Harrison and those guys. But that team, and that's 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:50.760 only the defensive side of the ball, the offensive side 0:19:50.760 --> 0:19:52.879 of the ball as well. It's just crazy, right, And 0:19:52.960 --> 0:19:55.280 so you know, I look back on that team and 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:57.320 I'm just like wow. And then I look at the 0:19:57.359 --> 0:20:01.080 twenty nineteen defense, where we had a very good defense 0:20:01.119 --> 0:20:03.480 that year as well, And I always think about the 0:20:03.520 --> 0:20:07.359 differences between those two defenses, and even though they both 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:09.679 were very good, they you know, did a lot of 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:12.200 good things. In twenty nineteen, we had a very good defense. 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:14.800 You know, the Boogeyman were going and you know, we 0:20:14.880 --> 0:20:17.159 made a bunch of plays. But then I look at 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:19.879 the front. You know, everyone's like, how were you Rookie 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:21.360 of the Year in two thousand and eight? It had 0:20:21.400 --> 0:20:23.639 nothing to do with me. They had everything to do 0:20:23.760 --> 0:20:26.280 with No one knew who I was, right, They just 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:27.760 knew I was a top ten pick and we have 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:29.840 all these beasts around them, right, And so I was 0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:31.680 able to go out there and really just free flow. 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:33.639 You know what I remember about that twenty eighteen, and 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:37.119 I'm sure you've heard it is Belchick's busting your balls 0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:41.159 and San Jose during warm ups and he's asking you 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:43.880 why you have two trucks, right, right? 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:44.560 Yeah? 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:47.680 And Mass is sitting there going first round money, first 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:51.080 round money, right, And I just remember going, wow, like, 0:20:51.280 --> 0:20:54.680 here's Bill busting your balls as a rookie and everything 0:20:54.720 --> 0:20:57.439 like that. That to me really sort of said, you 0:20:57.440 --> 0:20:59.680 know that you were in a different relationship at that point, 0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:02.119 and you were probably I don't know, twelve games in 0:21:02.200 --> 0:21:05.199 or something like that in San Jose between playing I 0:21:05.240 --> 0:21:07.800 think it was between the Seattle and the Raiders West 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:08.800 Coast trips out there. 0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:11.720 Yep, and we had Sanford, we had two West Coast. 0:21:12.760 --> 0:21:13.480 Yeah, that's right. 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.840 But I remember that and going that's pretty interesting that 0:21:16.840 --> 0:21:19.800 that here's this legendary head coach and he's busting this 0:21:19.880 --> 0:21:20.840 rookie walls. 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:22.399 And but you it was. 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:24.159 It was normal, no doubt. 0:21:24.240 --> 0:21:27.199 And I would say the thing about Bill, you know, 0:21:28.280 --> 0:21:31.240 an interesting thing out there. I got benched going against 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:33.440 san Fran on third down, because he put me in 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:35.560 a position like I'm out there on third down and 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:37.560 I was messing up some calls. He's like, you know, 0:21:37.600 --> 0:21:39.800 forget it, you're not even playing on third down. But 0:21:39.840 --> 0:21:41.679 I didn't look at that as like a slap in 0:21:41.680 --> 0:21:44.239 the face. Obviously, when you get benched it hurts at 0:21:44.240 --> 0:21:47.840 the time, but that benching really made me into the 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:50.240 player that I was, because it was like, well, I'm 0:21:50.280 --> 0:21:52.359 not as good as I really think I am. And 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:55.560 so like the way he's able to get the most 0:21:55.560 --> 0:21:58.800 out of players, the way he's able to, uh, you know, 0:21:58.920 --> 0:22:01.040 pull a lever here and there to get a guy 0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:04.560 to respond. Everyone's everyone's different as far as what makes 0:22:04.600 --> 0:22:08.080 him tick. Right, So some people, you know, intrinsic versus 0:22:08.119 --> 0:22:11.159 extrinsic motivators. Right, So extrinsic being like the money and 0:22:11.200 --> 0:22:13.120 all that stuff, you know, a pat on the back. 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:16.800 The intrinsic motivator is like, I'm just disappointed in myself, 0:22:16.960 --> 0:22:19.359 like you know, getting a getting we call him at 0:22:19.480 --> 0:22:22.560 a boys. Getting an at a boy from Bill was 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:25.840 like it was a huge because he didn't just patch 0:22:25.880 --> 0:22:27.520 you on your back for doing your job. And we 0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:29.920 always talk about doing your job. If you're just out 0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:31.840 there doing your job and you make the tackle, make 0:22:31.840 --> 0:22:33.879 it sack, you're doing your job. He's not patting you 0:22:33.960 --> 0:22:37.960 on your back. It's expected. And so like it's just different. 0:22:37.960 --> 0:22:41.399 And we've had we've had vets come to this team, 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:45.400 and you know, multiple vets come to me and like, man, 0:22:45.560 --> 0:22:47.280 you know, I'm out here making plays and Bill's not 0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:50.199 saying anything to me. I'm like, bro, just pump your brakes. 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:52.479 That's not how you know, That's not how it operates here. 0:22:52.520 --> 0:22:54.639 And so now when I look at the generation coming in, 0:22:55.160 --> 0:22:57.800 it's almost like, wow, all these kids get pats on 0:22:57.800 --> 0:23:00.879 the back the entire time, and so when they come in, 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:03.199 that's how they grow up. Right, So whether it's you know, 0:23:03.280 --> 0:23:06.639 AAU and then college and especially with the transfer portal, 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:09.480 now kids can just like bounce around. They're not playing 0:23:09.520 --> 0:23:12.320 bounce around, and really that's like I don't think that's 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:14.480 you know, when I talk to my kids, I don't 0:23:14.520 --> 0:23:18.840 want them to run away or shy away from adversity, right, 0:23:18.920 --> 0:23:20.399 Like that can't be your first option. 0:23:20.560 --> 0:23:21.840 Like I'm leaving, and I know. 0:23:21.760 --> 0:23:24.000 Everyone has their own reasons and doing things like that, 0:23:24.040 --> 0:23:26.520 but at the same time, you only grow through pain, 0:23:26.840 --> 0:23:28.520 And so when I talk about that, I'm not talking 0:23:28.560 --> 0:23:31.119 about just physical pain. I'm talking about emotional and mental 0:23:31.119 --> 0:23:33.640 pain as well. That's how you get stronger and build 0:23:33.680 --> 0:23:36.960 the mental dexterity. That's how you get You know, your 0:23:37.040 --> 0:23:40.119 muscles don't grow unless they're sore the next morning, right 0:23:40.160 --> 0:23:41.960 if you go and work out. If you go and 0:23:42.000 --> 0:23:44.280 work out, if your biceps aren't sore the next morning, 0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:46.800 you didn't do enough. The same thing with your mind, right, 0:23:47.119 --> 0:23:48.720 Like if you come in there, if you haven't really 0:23:48.760 --> 0:23:52.800 pushed yourself or put yourself in an uncomfortable situation like 0:23:52.920 --> 0:23:55.400 every single day, Like, how can you expect to grow? 0:23:55.480 --> 0:23:57.520 It's just not going to happen if you're just sitting 0:23:57.520 --> 0:24:00.760 there doing the same thing over and over and over again. 0:24:01.359 --> 0:24:03.639 Like I mean, it's that's why I always talking about 0:24:03.640 --> 0:24:06.320 like imposter syndrome, always feeling like you're not good enough, 0:24:06.320 --> 0:24:09.320 because that's what really that's what really gets me going, 0:24:09.400 --> 0:24:11.800 and hopefully it gets the guys going where you always 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:13.679 feel like you're not good enough and so I have 0:24:13.720 --> 0:24:15.240 to do more, I have to do extra. 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:18.080 I love the Atta boy stuff. I remember Bill at 0:24:18.119 --> 0:24:19.800 a press conference. It was one hundred years ago. I 0:24:19.800 --> 0:24:22.680 don't remember when, what year, but yeah, we're not really 0:24:22.720 --> 0:24:26.399 big on positive. It's like one of those someone had 0:24:26.400 --> 0:24:28.960 asked him, you know, a question about that would maybe 0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:31.119 it was from a player. Yeah, maybe that's what sparked 0:24:31.119 --> 0:24:33.560 the reporter to ask the question. Yeah, we're not we're 0:24:33.600 --> 0:24:35.760 not really big on that around yet. And that that 0:24:36.040 --> 0:24:38.119 falls right in line with what you're talking about the 0:24:38.880 --> 0:24:41.040 three down. You know, you talked about sort of losing 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:46.040 some time on third down. How is that role changed 0:24:46.240 --> 0:24:48.920 or is it changing with linebackers. Do you see as 0:24:48.960 --> 0:24:51.320 many guys that can play on three downs or less 0:24:51.359 --> 0:24:52.840 guys coming out of college? 0:24:52.880 --> 0:24:55.320 And do you expect it as one who did like 0:24:55.320 --> 0:24:57.200 like I did it, Why can't you you know? 0:24:57.400 --> 0:24:58.000 You know what I mean? 0:24:58.119 --> 0:25:00.680 Yeah, I think I think there's still players out there 0:25:00.680 --> 0:25:02.960 that have the ability to play on third down, you know. 0:25:03.000 --> 0:25:05.280 And saying that, I would say a lot of these 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:08.400 kids coming out of college just aren't being taught like 0:25:08.480 --> 0:25:11.240 some like the some things that we consider base sation 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:15.320 at the professional level. No shot to the kids or 0:25:15.359 --> 0:25:18.200 the programs around around the country, it's just that are 0:25:18.240 --> 0:25:21.159 not being taught now. As far as you know, the 0:25:21.240 --> 0:25:24.840 game is obviously started to expand horizontally, right, so now 0:25:24.880 --> 0:25:27.880 it's like spread more spread, especially in the college ranks, 0:25:27.920 --> 0:25:29.960 and some of that stuff starting to leak over into 0:25:29.960 --> 0:25:32.359 the NFL. So I look at it as this, if 0:25:32.400 --> 0:25:34.359 a guy can run, all right, if a guy can 0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:37.080 run and stop, because that's another important thing, right, If 0:25:37.080 --> 0:25:40.119 you can't stop, that's a problem, then I'll work with you. 0:25:40.160 --> 0:25:42.280 And you have the ability to do it. Now, if 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:44.159 you have the want to and the ability, we got 0:25:44.200 --> 0:25:45.800 to go out there and actually, you know, sharpen our 0:25:45.840 --> 0:25:48.480 sword each and every day. But going back to your point, 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:50.520 I think there are two different buckets. Like if you 0:25:50.600 --> 0:25:54.000 play linebacker on third down, either you can cover someone 0:25:54.640 --> 0:25:57.679 or you can rush. I'll uh, you know, Dante Hi 0:25:57.800 --> 0:26:01.119 Tower playing you know, in that buck role as a floater, right, 0:26:01.160 --> 0:26:04.240 just floating around as that fourth fourth lineman. And and 0:26:04.280 --> 0:26:06.800 so I think this year though, I think, you know, 0:26:06.920 --> 0:26:08.960 just thinking about the guys that we have in the room, 0:26:09.359 --> 0:26:11.720 we have some guys that can rush and cover. And 0:26:11.760 --> 0:26:14.320 so we had you know, some guys that you know, 0:26:14.400 --> 0:26:17.240 past nation, they haven't even heard of problems, right, and 0:26:17.320 --> 0:26:20.680 so that's right, and so that and that to me 0:26:20.800 --> 0:26:24.320 is the exciting part. That is the exciting part, the unknown, 0:26:24.560 --> 0:26:26.760 and we're gonna go into it as a unit. We're 0:26:26.720 --> 0:26:29.879 gonna going into it together. And I would say, you know, 0:26:30.000 --> 0:26:32.639 even right now, not having some of those older guys 0:26:32.680 --> 0:26:35.800 in the room, it's beneficial for the younger guys because 0:26:35.920 --> 0:26:37.600 the older guys will be bored out of their minds 0:26:37.680 --> 0:26:39.679 with some of the things we're talking about. At the 0:26:39.680 --> 0:26:42.120 same time, it's forcing the younger guys to really take 0:26:42.119 --> 0:26:45.160 that step forward and really grow and develop without being 0:26:45.200 --> 0:26:48.919 hindered by any other uh, any other guys experience. 0:26:48.560 --> 0:26:51.160 When you became an older guy, Were you ever bored 0:26:51.200 --> 0:26:51.800 in the room? 0:26:51.960 --> 0:26:52.120 Oh? 0:26:52.160 --> 0:26:55.320 Absolutely, because it's human nature. 0:26:55.359 --> 0:26:57.560 But I guess I would never I wouldn't have guessed 0:26:57.560 --> 0:26:59.240 that that maybe you did a good job faking it. 0:26:59.320 --> 0:27:00.719 No, No, I would say this. 0:27:01.440 --> 0:27:04.280 I became more involved in the game planning, and I 0:27:04.320 --> 0:27:06.960 became more involved in what was actually happening on the 0:27:06.960 --> 0:27:09.960 field as a player. And so, you know, whether it 0:27:10.040 --> 0:27:14.040 was Matty p or you know, Pat Graham or whoever, 0:27:14.080 --> 0:27:17.879 it was like, we would have conversations, one on one conversation, 0:27:18.000 --> 0:27:21.679 so I didn't get bored, and so we exactly I 0:27:21.680 --> 0:27:23.920 got it in different places. Now, I was never disrespectful 0:27:23.920 --> 0:27:26.080 in the meetings or anything. I've fallen asleep or anything 0:27:26.119 --> 0:27:28.359 like that in the meetings. At the same time, like 0:27:28.760 --> 0:27:30.480 I want to get into the nitty gritty. I want 0:27:30.480 --> 0:27:33.119 to know the why. And so when a player is like, oh, 0:27:33.480 --> 0:27:35.800 you know, when I got into coaching, you know, people 0:27:35.840 --> 0:27:37.679 were like, you know, this guy, it was always a negative. 0:27:37.720 --> 0:27:40.600 This guy asked so many questions, and I'm like, no, 0:27:40.680 --> 0:27:43.280 that's a good thing. I want these guys to understand 0:27:43.359 --> 0:27:45.679 the why, why we're doing it, Why I want you 0:27:45.760 --> 0:27:48.520 to do it this way. Now, I always tell him, 0:27:48.840 --> 0:27:51.560 you know sports and in sports, and I would say 0:27:51.600 --> 0:27:55.040 football in particular is a very iterative sport, like you 0:27:55.200 --> 0:27:57.800 have to go out there and try things. And so 0:27:57.880 --> 0:27:59.399 I'm not saying to go out in the game and 0:27:59.440 --> 0:28:02.440 try things, but during this time during the spring, during 0:28:02.480 --> 0:28:04.679 training camp, like this is how I want you to 0:28:04.720 --> 0:28:06.520 do it. But if you're hard headed and want to 0:28:06.520 --> 0:28:08.520 try it that way, go out there and try and 0:28:08.560 --> 0:28:10.879 see what happens. Now, you can make a play here 0:28:10.920 --> 0:28:12.439 and there, but at the end of the day, like 0:28:12.480 --> 0:28:14.800 we're trying to make as many plays as possible and 0:28:14.800 --> 0:28:17.040 hopefully we come to some common ground. I'm not a 0:28:17.119 --> 0:28:19.840 guy who's stuck in my ways. I'm not static. I'm 0:28:19.840 --> 0:28:22.520 always looking for ways to grow. Even when I'm talking 0:28:22.560 --> 0:28:25.520 to these college kids, like virtually, I'm like, so, what 0:28:25.960 --> 0:28:27.240 did you guys call this? 0:28:27.440 --> 0:28:27.560 Right? 0:28:27.800 --> 0:28:29.919 I'm trying to listen to these guys and try to 0:28:29.920 --> 0:28:32.000 pick up a few nuggets as well, because I'm not 0:28:32.040 --> 0:28:34.000 sitting here saying like I have all the answers. I 0:28:34.040 --> 0:28:36.360 know I don't or that even Bill has all the answers, 0:28:36.520 --> 0:28:38.560 and I think he knows he doesn't have all the answers, 0:28:38.560 --> 0:28:42.640 which is a good thing. And I think just learning from, 0:28:42.800 --> 0:28:45.800 you know, other people outside this building is always beneficial. 0:28:45.960 --> 0:28:46.600 So you go. 0:28:46.520 --> 0:28:49.200 Ahead just getting to that, you know, not being set 0:28:49.240 --> 0:28:51.680 in your ways. You talked about maybe some of the 0:28:51.760 --> 0:28:55.760 changes in the game, you know, more horizontally spreading out. 0:28:56.400 --> 0:29:00.880 Have you seen a difference in the linebackers themselves? The linebackers. 0:29:01.160 --> 0:29:02.800 There's a lot of talk about the Georgia kids, and 0:29:02.800 --> 0:29:04.600 I'm not putting you on the spot boat. You know 0:29:04.680 --> 0:29:07.040 what the draft is going to unfold over the weekend. 0:29:07.080 --> 0:29:09.720 But you never would have thought of a two hundred 0:29:09.720 --> 0:29:11.600 and twenty five and thirty pound guy being able to 0:29:11.600 --> 0:29:13.000 play in the inside in the NFL. 0:29:13.040 --> 0:29:14.960 You'd have laughed at that when. 0:29:14.640 --> 0:29:16.560 You were coming out, right, do you see that change? 0:29:16.640 --> 0:29:17.040 Is it? 0:29:17.120 --> 0:29:19.240 Is it something that is happening or is it something 0:29:19.320 --> 0:29:20.320 that is just a fact? 0:29:20.360 --> 0:29:22.320 I think you're spot on. I think you're spot on. 0:29:22.400 --> 0:29:26.720 I think where people get in trouble, I think good teams. 0:29:27.120 --> 0:29:30.080 I also use the Titans as an example, like that's 0:29:30.120 --> 0:29:33.240 almost a contrarian way of playing offense in today's world 0:29:33.320 --> 0:29:35.880 by having the fullback in there by having a big 0:29:35.960 --> 0:29:38.560 running back, and so it's all good to have small 0:29:38.680 --> 0:29:41.040 backers that can run and do all this stuff. When 0:29:41.080 --> 0:29:44.160 you're playing against spread offices. It's like, all right, now, 0:29:44.240 --> 0:29:48.800 what happens when it's January in Buffalo or January and 0:29:48.960 --> 0:29:51.440 you know wherever, and they're going to run the ball 0:29:51.480 --> 0:29:53.480 fifty times with a twohundred and fifty pound running back, 0:29:53.760 --> 0:29:56.600 Like you have to have some answer to that. So 0:29:57.120 --> 0:29:58.560 I think that you know the answer is to have 0:29:58.600 --> 0:30:02.000 a combination of know, bigger guys and also small guys 0:30:02.000 --> 0:30:03.840 that can run. And you know, we say it all 0:30:03.880 --> 0:30:06.200 the time. We're a game plan defense. We change each 0:30:06.200 --> 0:30:09.000 and every week, and you know, should have changed for 0:30:09.040 --> 0:30:10.080 that Buffalo playoff game. 0:30:10.120 --> 0:30:11.040 But that's either here there. 0:30:11.160 --> 0:30:14.440 Okay, So you're talking about you're talking about difference of opinion, 0:30:14.480 --> 0:30:16.800 and we're going to try things a different way. I 0:30:16.840 --> 0:30:19.800 want to take you back to the super Bowl you lost, 0:30:19.840 --> 0:30:21.400 and I have a fall up question about that. But 0:30:22.200 --> 0:30:25.400 how against the grain is it? Because I'm going to 0:30:25.440 --> 0:30:27.520 assume that this happened. I think that's what it certainly 0:30:27.520 --> 0:30:29.880 looked like to the lay people. Heyg rod, we're gonna 0:30:29.960 --> 0:30:33.120 let him score on this play. How difficult is that 0:30:33.320 --> 0:30:35.400 as a player whose job it is to stop them? 0:30:36.000 --> 0:30:39.080 How difficult is that from a you're just not brought 0:30:39.160 --> 0:30:40.000 up to do that? 0:30:40.000 --> 0:30:43.120 That's right, But I would say here we talk about 0:30:43.160 --> 0:30:46.880 situational football more than a lot of other places. And 0:30:47.000 --> 0:30:48.920 the reason I know that is because when guys come here, 0:30:48.960 --> 0:30:51.760 they have no clue what we're talking about. And we 0:30:51.840 --> 0:30:54.800 had you know, that situation in particular, Like we talk 0:30:54.840 --> 0:30:57.680 about that when there's no stress. So when there is stress, 0:30:57.680 --> 0:30:59.520 it's not like why are we doing this right, It's like, 0:30:59.520 --> 0:31:02.440 all right, we've talked about this in a low stress environment, 0:31:02.720 --> 0:31:04.960 so when we get into a high stress environment, it's 0:31:05.000 --> 0:31:07.320 not a huge panic attack on the sideline. 0:31:07.400 --> 0:31:07.960 But it's tough. 0:31:07.960 --> 0:31:10.280 It's tough to do that, but you also have to understand, 0:31:10.320 --> 0:31:12.160 like we're trying to win the game at the end 0:31:12.160 --> 0:31:13.520 of the day, we're trying to win the game. If 0:31:13.560 --> 0:31:15.760 that's letting them score, then yeah, mean that's what you 0:31:15.800 --> 0:31:16.480 gotta do. 0:31:16.480 --> 0:31:20.520 Does that lost, Uh? Does that loss still bother you? 0:31:20.560 --> 0:31:22.320 Absolutely? Absolutely? You know. 0:31:22.480 --> 0:31:25.240 But honestly, when I when I think about that team, 0:31:25.640 --> 0:31:28.200 we weren't even even really supposed to be there, Like 0:31:28.240 --> 0:31:30.800 we probably weren't the bet. We were not the best 0:31:30.800 --> 0:31:31.560 team and. 0:31:31.720 --> 0:31:35.160 Lost to the You lost to the Giants that right, 0:31:35.240 --> 0:31:38.800 And that's like a similar kind of game. I'm not 0:31:38.840 --> 0:31:41.360 a I don't know anything about point spreads or anything 0:31:41.400 --> 0:31:43.080 like that, but I remember like going into the game 0:31:43.120 --> 0:31:45.400 and the Patriots were a touchdown favorite, and go, wait 0:31:45.440 --> 0:31:48.720 a minute, didn't the Giants beat the Patriots in the wing? 0:31:48.880 --> 0:31:49.040 Like? 0:31:49.240 --> 0:31:49.760 How are they? 0:31:49.920 --> 0:31:52.440 How are they under The thing that heard about that 0:31:52.520 --> 0:31:56.200 game is we had opportunities to win the game, as 0:31:56.600 --> 0:31:57.920 you know, as you know, we were in a but 0:31:58.200 --> 0:31:59.720 I would say we were a good team, just not 0:31:59.760 --> 0:32:01.400 a weren't a great team like I've been. 0:32:01.480 --> 0:32:02.200 We're a good team. 0:32:02.280 --> 0:32:05.680 We're a good team, and you know, we had opportunities, 0:32:05.680 --> 0:32:07.560 whether it was the cover two, you know, pot shot 0:32:07.600 --> 0:32:10.080 over there, you know over on, we're chung and those 0:32:10.080 --> 0:32:12.120 guys where, or you know, it's just a good throw 0:32:12.200 --> 0:32:15.080 byt Eli. It was a great throw. It was a perfect. 0:32:16.360 --> 0:32:18.800 One of the great underrated plays in Super Bowl history. 0:32:19.040 --> 0:32:22.160 And like even the you know, west On the drop ball, 0:32:22.320 --> 0:32:25.120 like everyone thinks about those plays. But at the same time, 0:32:25.160 --> 0:32:28.400 it's like, man, there's so many plays like the forced fumble. 0:32:28.400 --> 0:32:29.920 I forced the fumble on that game. We didn't get 0:32:29.960 --> 0:32:32.880 it back. It was just the ball wasn't bouncing our way. 0:32:32.920 --> 0:32:35.440 And I don't want to say it haunts me, but 0:32:35.520 --> 0:32:38.320 I do. I do think about that game, and as 0:32:38.320 --> 0:32:40.800 a player, you think about the next the super Bowl 0:32:40.800 --> 0:32:42.640 that I was a part of, I wasn't a part 0:32:42.680 --> 0:32:43.440 of I was. 0:32:43.480 --> 0:32:43.960 I was hurt. 0:32:44.000 --> 0:32:48.240 I got hurt in twenty fifteen, so lost to twenty eleven. 0:32:48.240 --> 0:32:49.920 Now I have to win one as a head coach, 0:32:49.920 --> 0:32:51.360 hopefully so. 0:32:51.440 --> 0:32:53.120 But you mentioned that I was going to ask you, 0:32:53.120 --> 0:32:56.080 you know, was the was forty nine bitter sweet for you? 0:32:57.000 --> 0:32:57.080 It? 0:32:57.440 --> 0:33:00.880 Uh? I don't want to say bittersweet because you know. 0:33:01.040 --> 0:33:02.920 You're do you do you still feel like a lot 0:33:02.960 --> 0:33:04.720 of people are injured, say men, I don't feel like 0:33:04.720 --> 0:33:07.360 I'm part of it. I was still and one of 0:33:07.360 --> 0:33:09.719 the rare things, correct me if I'm wrong in this. Like 0:33:09.840 --> 0:33:11.960 most of the guys that are injured, you are dead. 0:33:12.520 --> 0:33:13.560 You never see those guys. 0:33:13.600 --> 0:33:14.040 That's right. 0:33:14.280 --> 0:33:16.600 Bill knew that there was something special about you, and 0:33:16.680 --> 0:33:18.600 I was he one of the first people that this 0:33:18.680 --> 0:33:22.800 guy was on the sideline during I remember travel. That's 0:33:22.840 --> 0:33:24.240 a rarity at that point time, wasn't it. 0:33:24.480 --> 0:33:26.800 Yeah, it was, And I would say, and I was 0:33:26.840 --> 0:33:28.880 also a part of those you know, I was breaking 0:33:28.920 --> 0:33:32.120 down film and you know, getting with Steve and you know, 0:33:32.760 --> 0:33:34.200 you know, ever since I got heard it was and 0:33:34.240 --> 0:33:35.960 I did it three years in a row. You think 0:33:36.000 --> 0:33:37.920 about it, I was hurt three years in a row 0:33:38.200 --> 0:33:41.280 at various at various times. But I never wanted to 0:33:41.280 --> 0:33:43.520 be the guy who just bailed out on the team, 0:33:43.600 --> 0:33:46.320 especially after being voted captain you know, seven out of 0:33:46.360 --> 0:33:49.120 eight years, you know, by your peers. And so for me, 0:33:49.200 --> 0:33:51.240 it was always like I'm here to support as much 0:33:51.240 --> 0:33:53.560 as possible. I know, the coaches have a lot of 0:33:53.560 --> 0:33:56.360 things to do. I know, the defense probably just as 0:33:56.400 --> 0:33:58.680 well as some of these coaches, you know, not no 0:33:58.760 --> 0:34:01.120 shot to anyone, but I've done it for a while 0:34:01.560 --> 0:34:03.360 and you know, I would have those meet I would 0:34:03.400 --> 0:34:05.960 run meetings with those guys. I would you know, talk 0:34:06.000 --> 0:34:07.880 ball with them all the time. And it was it 0:34:07.920 --> 0:34:10.080 was sweet, it was there was no bitterness. You know, 0:34:10.160 --> 0:34:12.480 obviously I wanted to play the game, but it was 0:34:12.840 --> 0:34:13.839 it was good to get one. 0:34:14.680 --> 0:34:17.439 How about some of the players that you you went against, 0:34:17.600 --> 0:34:19.200 you know, some of the some of the teams, some 0:34:19.239 --> 0:34:21.040 of the rivalies. Just when you were talking about the 0:34:21.040 --> 0:34:24.279 eleven team, my mind went right to the Baltimore game. Sure, 0:34:24.880 --> 0:34:27.160 you know, like, what are some of the games that 0:34:27.200 --> 0:34:28.880 you remember the most? Some of the players that you 0:34:28.920 --> 0:34:30.120 remember most going against? 0:34:30.200 --> 0:34:32.839 Yeah, the ball, you know, anytime you play a team 0:34:33.040 --> 0:34:37.160 like that, whole division really is like Baltimore or Cleveland, Pittsburgh. 0:34:37.200 --> 0:34:39.520 It's like, you know, it's going to be a physical game, 0:34:39.640 --> 0:34:43.200 especially back then when teams have fullbacks. And that's that's 0:34:43.239 --> 0:34:45.440 back when the Jets were pretty good as well. So 0:34:45.480 --> 0:34:48.200 the Jets had great defense, they had you know, they 0:34:48.239 --> 0:34:50.479 also had a full back as well, So you knew 0:34:50.520 --> 0:34:52.359 that was going to be a tough game each and 0:34:52.400 --> 0:34:56.759 every week. When I think about players though, where I'm like, wow, man, 0:34:56.800 --> 0:34:59.759 that guy is very good. I think about Tony Gonzalez 0:35:00.320 --> 0:35:03.319 all right, when we played him down in Atlanta and 0:35:03.520 --> 0:35:04.759 we could not stop him. 0:35:04.880 --> 0:35:05.520 It didn't matter. 0:35:05.600 --> 0:35:08.040 It was like we put I want to say, we 0:35:08.080 --> 0:35:11.360 put Jamie on him and couldn't stop him. I was 0:35:11.400 --> 0:35:14.759 on him even when I'm in position, couldn't stop him. 0:35:14.920 --> 0:35:19.640 And so yeah, Talip ended up having to check him 0:35:19.680 --> 0:35:21.799 because this guy, this is I mean, he's an old 0:35:21.840 --> 0:35:24.279 man at this point too, but he was just a 0:35:24.320 --> 0:35:27.160 freak of nature. And at the if you watch the 0:35:27.280 --> 0:35:30.239 end of that game, Jamie and I are pretty much 0:35:30.320 --> 0:35:32.360 vising them like we're side by side. 0:35:32.400 --> 0:35:33.839 For That's why they changed the rule. 0:35:33.880 --> 0:35:36.719 Now you can't have, you know, two sets of hands 0:35:36.760 --> 0:35:38.440 on the guy at the same time. You can't just 0:35:38.560 --> 0:35:40.960 vice the guy up. But we just straight doubled him 0:35:41.239 --> 0:35:43.440 at the line of scrimmage on this at the same level. 0:35:43.680 --> 0:35:45.360 And so they ended up changing the rule after that. 0:35:45.440 --> 0:35:47.200 But man, that guy was. He was good. 0:35:47.440 --> 0:35:48.760 Another guy who. 0:35:49.480 --> 0:35:53.440 People don't often talk about but had a had an 0:35:53.600 --> 0:35:57.960 unbelievable year was Peyton Hillis remember that Cleveland and the. 0:36:01.640 --> 0:36:03.879 Pet It was I. 0:36:03.920 --> 0:36:05.920 Knew that was gonna be and look I played him 0:36:05.960 --> 0:36:08.080 before and it wasn't the same. It wasn't like that. 0:36:08.320 --> 0:36:09.920 He had one of those one of those days. 0:36:09.960 --> 0:36:11.720 I don't know what he had one of those years. 0:36:12.360 --> 0:36:13.440 He had one of those years. 0:36:13.560 --> 0:36:15.799 And you know, my thing was like, man, you know, 0:36:16.200 --> 0:36:20.000 Brandon Spikes one of the hardest hitting guys I've ever 0:36:20.040 --> 0:36:22.479 been around. Like if he was if he was gonna 0:36:22.480 --> 0:36:24.920 get you, he was gonna get you. And so a 0:36:24.960 --> 0:36:27.040 guy who wasn't strong in the weight room, but a 0:36:27.040 --> 0:36:28.760 guy who had a lot of pop on the field. 0:36:29.239 --> 0:36:31.560 And I still remember it was like the first quarter 0:36:32.080 --> 0:36:34.279 and Spikes had a clean hit at him, and I 0:36:34.320 --> 0:36:37.160 don't even think he saw Spikes. And I saw Spikes 0:36:37.200 --> 0:36:40.000 just fall to the ground. I was like, oh, shoot, 0:36:40.360 --> 0:36:43.200 it's gonna be along. I went in with a form tackle, 0:36:43.360 --> 0:36:45.440 just rolled him up, just like, you know, forget it. 0:36:45.640 --> 0:36:47.239 But I knew right there it was gonna be a 0:36:47.239 --> 0:36:49.080 long day. Then we got hit with the fumble Rouski 0:36:49.440 --> 0:36:51.759 in the same game. It was just that was tough. 0:36:52.080 --> 0:36:54.239 That was that was a bizarre game. It was very 0:36:54.440 --> 0:36:56.959 It wasn't often that you got blown out ever, No 0:36:57.160 --> 0:36:58.359 particularly by a bad team. 0:36:59.320 --> 0:36:59.799 I would say. 0:36:59.840 --> 0:37:02.719 All so, like anytime we played Peyton it was always like, 0:37:02.960 --> 0:37:04.399 you know, that game was a big deal. 0:37:04.800 --> 0:37:06.799 You know, Peyton manning guys. 0:37:06.560 --> 0:37:11.400 Just for you the quarterback on the defensive side and 0:37:11.480 --> 0:37:13.719 him on the other side. Could you get geeked up 0:37:13.719 --> 0:37:15.160 for that? Like, you know what, let me let me 0:37:15.160 --> 0:37:17.319 see what I can do against him, because this guy, 0:37:17.560 --> 0:37:20.120 he's the real deal on the other side. I want 0:37:20.160 --> 0:37:21.279 to try to match up with that. 0:37:21.320 --> 0:37:21.800 Absolutely. 0:37:21.800 --> 0:37:23.239 And I would say I had the benefit of going 0:37:23.239 --> 0:37:25.719 against Tom every day in practice, and Tom and I 0:37:25.760 --> 0:37:29.560 had multiple battles of you know, talking crap across the 0:37:29.600 --> 0:37:32.359 line of scrimmage and practice, and we had a lot 0:37:32.360 --> 0:37:33.280 of fun with it. 0:37:33.280 --> 0:37:37.040 It springs up a great I don't know if you'll 0:37:37.080 --> 0:37:40.400 remember this, but I know Tom does because Tom was 0:37:40.440 --> 0:37:42.760 mad at me for like two years. So during training 0:37:42.760 --> 0:37:46.839 camp one year, these two Gerard and Tom go ahead 0:37:46.840 --> 0:37:48.920 to head and they're in each other's face and we 0:37:48.960 --> 0:37:52.120 put it on the cover of the paper. You know, hot, 0:37:52.160 --> 0:37:54.720 hot hot, you know training camp, it's you know, tempers 0:37:54.719 --> 0:37:58.839 are flaring. Tom was not happy you you let I both. 0:37:58.920 --> 0:38:01.160 I went to both of them, Aulie and I apologize 0:38:01.239 --> 0:38:03.880 that I didn't mean nothing like that. You guys really fought, 0:38:04.080 --> 0:38:06.759 Like if you read this like we never once, you know, 0:38:07.400 --> 0:38:09.520 sort of implied that you guys were really fighting. It 0:38:09.560 --> 0:38:12.400 was just it was a great photo. It was you 0:38:12.440 --> 0:38:15.239 guys doing executly what you're talking about, getting the best 0:38:15.320 --> 0:38:18.640 of each other. From a competitive standpoint, Tom was not 0:38:18.800 --> 0:38:21.560 happening you. You did exactly what you just did. Right there. 0:38:21.600 --> 0:38:25.319 When I said, hey, I apologize, don't, Tom looked at 0:38:25.360 --> 0:38:27.040 me like he wanted to stab me, Like. 0:38:27.040 --> 0:38:29.520 He has he has that image to maintain the angel. 0:38:30.960 --> 0:38:33.200 I'll tell you a funny Tom story. Like you know, 0:38:33.480 --> 0:38:34.680 he's he's. 0:38:34.440 --> 0:38:35.440 A great competitor. 0:38:35.880 --> 0:38:39.760 And you know, the quarterback position is a very weird position, 0:38:39.840 --> 0:38:43.240 like you're you're protected by five three hundred plus pound guys. 0:38:43.520 --> 0:38:45.480 You're protected by play calls and you'll get the ball 0:38:45.520 --> 0:38:48.839 out quick, and you're protected by the referee. So it's 0:38:48.880 --> 0:38:52.439 a very interesting position. And usually those guys don't walk 0:38:52.480 --> 0:38:56.839 around like headbutting. This guy's pregame And so I'm sitting there, 0:38:56.880 --> 0:38:59.440 you know, and Tom and I always chatted up, you know, pregame. 0:38:59.719 --> 0:39:02.200 I'm on the sideline. No, you know how we do. 0:39:02.440 --> 0:39:04.239 We kicked the field goal at the end, yes, and 0:39:04.280 --> 0:39:06.000 so we're just out there. I have my helmet on 0:39:06.040 --> 0:39:08.719 this unbuckled, don't have my mouth pie saying I'm ready 0:39:08.719 --> 0:39:11.680 to go in and Tom, I hear my name, Mayo. 0:39:11.960 --> 0:39:15.160 I turn around and it's Tom and he head butts me, 0:39:15.640 --> 0:39:19.040 splits my tooth right down the middle. Right, I'm talking 0:39:19.080 --> 0:39:22.040 ten minutes before the game split. And I'm so pissed. 0:39:22.080 --> 0:39:24.319 I'm so pissed because my tooth is split down the 0:39:24.320 --> 0:39:26.840 middle and you know, going this way, going straight across. 0:39:27.560 --> 0:39:29.160 And so I'm like, you know, I go out there, 0:39:29.160 --> 0:39:30.920 I have a great game, right because I'm pissed off 0:39:30.920 --> 0:39:33.600 the whole game. And afterwards, I'm like, Tom, you're buying 0:39:33.600 --> 0:39:35.880 me a new set of teeth, and you're you're paying 0:39:35.960 --> 0:39:37.640 for it. And I want to go to your Dennis. 0:39:37.719 --> 0:39:40.759 I haven't. I haven't cashed in yet. I will though soon. 0:39:40.960 --> 0:39:43.520 So this is before your time a little bit. And 0:39:43.560 --> 0:39:45.440 I don't know if you've ever seen the footage. Paul 0:39:45.480 --> 0:39:50.040 will remember this. I certainly in Super Bowl thirty nine, 0:39:50.480 --> 0:39:52.760 and I think he did it for many regular season games. 0:39:52.840 --> 0:39:58.040 It was Tom and Daniel pregame and Tom would grab 0:39:58.160 --> 0:40:02.480 him by the face mask and they would repeatedly butt heads. 0:40:02.560 --> 0:40:04.880 Now clearly, at some point times we said dude, what 0:40:04.920 --> 0:40:05.520 are you doing? 0:40:05.640 --> 0:40:05.719 Like? 0:40:05.800 --> 0:40:09.000 This isn't like, this isn't great And he changed, but 0:40:09.080 --> 0:40:10.360 it was a pregame routine. 0:40:10.400 --> 0:40:12.279 He and Graham would literally remember it. 0:40:12.360 --> 0:40:15.960 Well, yeah, bang helmets before they read on the field. Man, 0:40:16.040 --> 0:40:17.200 you've never seen anybody do that too. 0:40:17.320 --> 0:40:18.440 No, that's crazy. Yeah. 0:40:18.560 --> 0:40:20.560 I wanted to ask you real quick. You mentioned the 0:40:20.600 --> 0:40:23.080 games against Peyton being a little special, and I just 0:40:23.600 --> 0:40:26.279 you talked about the situational stuff, the famous fourth and 0:40:26.320 --> 0:40:29.640 two I think it was nine o nine. Just as 0:40:29.640 --> 0:40:32.319 a defensive player. Was there even a part of you 0:40:32.440 --> 0:40:33.879 that was like, Bill, what do you do? We can 0:40:34.239 --> 0:40:35.799 we could stop them? What are we doing? 0:40:35.960 --> 0:40:36.160 Man? 0:40:36.320 --> 0:40:39.839 You know, honestly, like it's easy to second guess those decisions. 0:40:39.920 --> 0:40:41.880 You know that decision, you know whether to take the 0:40:41.920 --> 0:40:43.680 ball and not take the ball. It's easy to second 0:40:43.719 --> 0:40:46.440 guess those decisions. Sometimes we would go out there, we 0:40:46.480 --> 0:40:48.200 would you know, be on fire. It's like, this is 0:40:48.239 --> 0:40:50.799 why this is my problem. I shouldn't say problem, but 0:40:50.840 --> 0:40:52.799 this is like the pushback or other side of the 0:40:52.800 --> 0:40:55.160 coin with the analytics thing, which is a huge piece. 0:40:55.239 --> 0:40:57.360 Now all the owners want to talk about. 0:40:57.200 --> 0:40:59.560 Oh, everybody would go for it. Now, everybody would go. 0:40:59.560 --> 0:41:02.759 For that exactly, but there's also a flow to the 0:41:02.800 --> 0:41:05.520 game that you have to feel like who's you know exactly, 0:41:05.600 --> 0:41:07.440 who's playing well, who's playing poorly? 0:41:07.560 --> 0:41:10.360 Like where's the momentum? Like what's the weather? Like? 0:41:10.400 --> 0:41:12.920 All those things have to be taken into account on 0:41:13.000 --> 0:41:16.160 those decisions. And honestly, I never really second guess. I 0:41:16.200 --> 0:41:18.560 shouldn't say never, because there's always times when you get 0:41:18.560 --> 0:41:20.560 together with the group you're like, man, I wish I 0:41:20.560 --> 0:41:22.920 had the opportunity, especially if it didn't work out, like 0:41:22.960 --> 0:41:24.760 I wish I had the opportunity to go out. 0:41:24.600 --> 0:41:26.600 There and you know, make a play. But is what 0:41:26.680 --> 0:41:27.000 it is. 0:41:27.920 --> 0:41:30.520 So I got I got two here for you. Then 0:41:30.560 --> 0:41:32.920 we can wrap this thing up. You know you said this, 0:41:33.000 --> 0:41:35.120 you're going into your fourth year of coaching, right in 0:41:35.160 --> 0:41:36.880 your first year. Maybe if you're checond year, I don't know, 0:41:36.880 --> 0:41:39.360 maybe even today, when you see something go out in 0:41:39.360 --> 0:41:42.520 the field, do you ever have an inkling like, damn, man, 0:41:42.640 --> 0:41:43.680 I could still make that play. 0:41:43.760 --> 0:41:45.320 Let me go out there and make that. 0:41:45.680 --> 0:41:48.880 Was there a tough transition when you first started coaching 0:41:49.120 --> 0:41:51.800 to going I can give them fifteen snaps this morning 0:41:51.880 --> 0:41:54.000 isn't where I needed to be. Let me do it. 0:41:54.200 --> 0:41:56.480 I always you know, those those thoughts always come in 0:41:56.480 --> 0:41:58.640 my head. Then I'm like, man, I feel great on Monday, 0:41:58.719 --> 0:42:00.320 so they quickly go out out. 0:42:00.360 --> 0:42:03.000 Not like your buddy, your heart old buddy Vrabel putting 0:42:03.000 --> 0:42:03.360 the stuff. 0:42:04.080 --> 0:42:08.319 I do things like that. 0:42:08.400 --> 0:42:11.120 But as far as just you know, honestly, like on Mondays, 0:42:11.120 --> 0:42:13.480 it's just like, man, I'm kind of sore, like. 0:42:13.480 --> 0:42:14.239 I feel great. 0:42:14.320 --> 0:42:16.839 I feel great, and I work out, you know how 0:42:16.880 --> 0:42:19.000 I want to work out when I want to work out, 0:42:19.480 --> 0:42:20.480 not worried about anything. 0:42:20.560 --> 0:42:21.359 So and you. 0:42:21.360 --> 0:42:24.640 Mentioned earlier in this conversation, Gerard, you were talking about diversity, 0:42:24.680 --> 0:42:26.399 and you're saying, you know, it's not just a skin thing. 0:42:26.440 --> 0:42:30.359 You know, it's a there's generational diversity, there's everything like that. 0:42:31.200 --> 0:42:34.000 You're in a unique position where this is a big 0:42:34.040 --> 0:42:38.960 topic of conversation on an enormous platform. Do you feel 0:42:39.440 --> 0:42:40.839 this is my word so I don't want to put 0:42:40.840 --> 0:42:43.160 words in your mouth. Do you feel encouraged that this 0:42:43.280 --> 0:42:46.960 is being at least addressed and there's an attempt to 0:42:47.040 --> 0:42:50.440 try to do this to fix wrongs where yes, the 0:42:50.480 --> 0:42:52.520 focus might be on skin color at this point in time, 0:42:52.840 --> 0:42:56.640 but I loved what you said about generational diversity. Diversity 0:42:56.640 --> 0:43:00.680 of thought. Diversity of thought, like that phrase. We shouldn't 0:43:00.719 --> 0:43:03.560 dislike each other. If I say it's cloudy and you go, no, man, 0:43:03.600 --> 0:43:06.640 it's sunny. I'm entitled to my opinion. You're entitled to 0:43:06.680 --> 0:43:10.040 your opinion. Do you see that maybe it's only in 0:43:10.080 --> 0:43:13.319 the infant stages that progress is at least trying or 0:43:13.320 --> 0:43:15.000 there's an attempt at trying to make progress. 0:43:15.080 --> 0:43:19.439 Yeah, I definitely think, you know, the thought is definitely there. 0:43:19.480 --> 0:43:21.440 I think it's the top of mind, not only for 0:43:21.719 --> 0:43:25.640 coaches but also owners. There's still a lot of work 0:43:25.640 --> 0:43:28.040 that has to be done. And I would say some 0:43:28.080 --> 0:43:30.640 of these guys, and you know, minority coaches in general, 0:43:30.800 --> 0:43:34.360 even when they became head coaches, the stick was so short. 0:43:34.120 --> 0:43:36.000 That it was like the least was so tight. 0:43:36.360 --> 0:43:39.560 They really didn't have an opportunity like and this is 0:43:39.600 --> 0:43:41.279 why you're starting to see a lot of people go 0:43:41.360 --> 0:43:44.520 to this whole you know, forget the draft mentality, because 0:43:44.560 --> 0:43:47.839 the pressure to win right now is so high, no 0:43:47.880 --> 0:43:50.680 matter if you're white or black or it doesn't matter. 0:43:51.080 --> 0:43:54.160 It's so high that people are like, you know, like, 0:43:54.239 --> 0:43:56.000 forget the draft, we need to win now. But I 0:43:56.000 --> 0:44:00.719 would say, look at what happened in Sensi, right, you know, 0:44:01.160 --> 0:44:05.040 was Zach look at that situation versus whether like Vance 0:44:05.120 --> 0:44:08.839 Joseph or you know, any of those guys, like one 0:44:08.920 --> 0:44:12.319 year and it's like bum done. Now Zach, Zach's in 0:44:12.320 --> 0:44:15.760 the Super Bowl. It was sincy and so he had time. 0:44:15.960 --> 0:44:18.920 He had time and the expectation and Sensey obviously is 0:44:18.960 --> 0:44:21.880 a little different than other cities in the country. But 0:44:21.880 --> 0:44:23.480 at the same time, I would say the least was 0:44:23.520 --> 0:44:26.520 just different. My heart goes out more to Look, this 0:44:26.560 --> 0:44:28.560 is only my fourth year coaching, and I understand I'm 0:44:28.600 --> 0:44:31.239 very fortunate to even get the interviews that I've had 0:44:31.280 --> 0:44:31.840 to this point. 0:44:32.239 --> 0:44:33.040 I've had. 0:44:34.320 --> 0:44:38.040 Three interviews. I've had three interviews, uh in three years, Right, 0:44:38.120 --> 0:44:40.719 three interviews in three years. I feel very fortunate to 0:44:40.760 --> 0:44:43.719 have those interviews. I learned a ton, I met a 0:44:43.719 --> 0:44:46.799 bunch of great people. I feel bad for guys like 0:44:46.880 --> 0:44:49.839 Leslie Fraser, you know, I feel guys. I feel bad 0:44:49.840 --> 0:44:52.520 for guys even you know Todd Bowles. Now he's getting 0:44:52.520 --> 0:44:55.120 the opportunity, but I was feeling bad for him as well. 0:44:55.520 --> 0:44:58.359 Those coaches who it's like, what else do they have 0:44:58.440 --> 0:45:01.120 to do to prove? And look, I don't know these men, 0:45:01.680 --> 0:45:04.000 I've met them, but I don't know them off the 0:45:04.040 --> 0:45:06.600 field or anything like that. But if you were just 0:45:06.600 --> 0:45:09.760 to you know, strip strip the color all that stuff 0:45:09.800 --> 0:45:13.200 away and just put resumes up, like their resume is 0:45:13.200 --> 0:45:16.319 pretty sure they have some strong resumes, right, And so 0:45:16.400 --> 0:45:18.399 if you think about it that, when I know some 0:45:18.440 --> 0:45:20.880 Fortune five hundred companies, they have some you know, some 0:45:20.920 --> 0:45:23.959 things to kind of remove biases from applicants, like whether 0:45:23.960 --> 0:45:27.759 it's color or gender, age, they remove them from the resumes. 0:45:28.120 --> 0:45:29.960 You guys heard about this before, yes, yeah, so they 0:45:30.000 --> 0:45:32.240 remove them to try to, you know, try to remove biases. 0:45:32.640 --> 0:45:34.279 You know, you would hope that the league would get 0:45:34.280 --> 0:45:35.960 to a point where they're just going to hire the 0:45:35.960 --> 0:45:38.279 best person. And honestly, I don't want to be hired 0:45:38.320 --> 0:45:40.720 because I'm black. I've said this time and time again, 0:45:41.040 --> 0:45:43.040 like don't hire me and don't bring me in for 0:45:43.080 --> 0:45:45.080 an interview just because I'm black. 0:45:45.640 --> 0:45:48.839 Bring me in for an interview because you're curious. Bring 0:45:48.840 --> 0:45:49.279 me in for. 0:45:49.280 --> 0:45:51.560 An interview because you think I can lead your team 0:45:51.960 --> 0:45:53.360 to a super Bowl championship. 0:45:53.520 --> 0:45:54.879 And that's how I think about it. 0:45:55.760 --> 0:45:57.719 I feel like I feel like I'm a good coach now, 0:45:57.760 --> 0:45:59.120 I feel like I have a long way to go. 0:45:59.400 --> 0:46:01.040 I feel like I've long way to go as far 0:46:01.080 --> 0:46:03.160 as you know, the exendy knows. But at the end 0:46:03.200 --> 0:46:05.560 of the day, this game comes down to the players. 0:46:05.560 --> 0:46:07.920 And I always say it. You know, players win games 0:46:07.920 --> 0:46:10.160 and coaches lose games. So if you can't get the 0:46:10.160 --> 0:46:13.520 players to really perform for you, then it's on us 0:46:13.520 --> 0:46:14.120 as coaches. 0:46:14.160 --> 0:46:17.120 Did you enjoy playing? Did you enjoy your NFL days? 0:46:17.440 --> 0:46:20.319 Loved them? I loved my NFL days. Look I'm still 0:46:20.360 --> 0:46:22.720 in the league now, you know as a coach player, 0:46:22.840 --> 0:46:25.239 Oh yeah, yeah. As a player, I love those days. 0:46:25.280 --> 0:46:27.239 I love the camaraderie. I love being in the locker 0:46:27.320 --> 0:46:29.440 room with those guys. I love everything that we did 0:46:29.480 --> 0:46:30.360 on the field together. 0:46:30.719 --> 0:46:30.920 You know. 0:46:31.000 --> 0:46:33.759 Obviously there's sometimes where it's like, man, you know, it's 0:46:33.840 --> 0:46:36.239 ninety five degrees, I am tired. But at the end 0:46:36.239 --> 0:46:37.960 of the day, anytime you get a group of people 0:46:37.960 --> 0:46:40.680 together that have one common goal, it's a beautiful thing. 0:46:41.000 --> 0:46:44.440 Whether we're talking about selling, you know, on a sales team, 0:46:44.800 --> 0:46:47.480 whether we're talking about you know, a football team, a 0:46:47.520 --> 0:46:51.640 basket it doesn't matter. Anytime everyone is putting, you know, 0:46:51.680 --> 0:46:54.640 their ego aside, right because remember, like ego is the 0:46:54.760 --> 0:46:56.759 enemy of all this stuff, right if they put their 0:46:56.800 --> 0:46:58.440 ego aside. 0:46:58.040 --> 0:46:59.239 And go after a common goal. 0:46:59.280 --> 0:47:01.160 And that's one thing around here, Like you can't have 0:47:01.200 --> 0:47:03.840 an ego in this building, right, It's like one ego. 0:47:04.080 --> 0:47:04.440 That's it. 0:47:06.160 --> 0:47:12.120 You can't have an ego in this building. And and honestly, 0:47:12.120 --> 0:47:14.280 we're like, you got to think about ego in general. 0:47:14.320 --> 0:47:16.600 Ego lives in the past, and it lives in the future. 0:47:16.880 --> 0:47:19.319 Like we have to live for today. And that's what 0:47:19.360 --> 0:47:21.920 I'm all about, living for today and really just getting 0:47:21.920 --> 0:47:23.040 the guys to go out there and perform. 0:47:23.160 --> 0:47:27.080 Give me one signature Girod Mayo play that you remember 0:47:27.320 --> 0:47:27.759 as your. 0:47:27.680 --> 0:47:32.960 Favorite signature Jerrod Mayo play. 0:47:33.680 --> 0:47:34.759 That's a tough one. Man. 0:47:35.560 --> 0:47:38.359 There are so many plays where even if it wasn't 0:47:38.400 --> 0:47:40.960 a tackle or anything like that, where I just, you know, 0:47:41.680 --> 0:47:44.080 smack an offensive lineman because you know this guy was 0:47:44.120 --> 0:47:46.080 a Pro Bowl offensive lineman. They've been hyping him up 0:47:46.120 --> 0:47:49.600 the whole game, you know, knocking this guy like, you know, 0:47:49.680 --> 0:47:51.080 hitting them very hard. 0:47:51.200 --> 0:47:52.759 Or I'm trying to think I've had. 0:47:55.400 --> 0:47:58.200 My favorite game was that Washington game in two thousand 0:47:58.239 --> 0:48:01.399 and at Washington. 0:48:02.200 --> 0:48:04.360 And that's a game that I remember a specific play about. 0:48:04.160 --> 0:48:08.520 You, and ye I thought that, Hey, but but yeah, 0:48:08.520 --> 0:48:10.279 but I would say this, it wasn't even the play. 0:48:10.400 --> 0:48:13.359 The night before I signed my contract extension. Okay, so 0:48:13.440 --> 0:48:17.080 that whole weekend it was like, all right, fly to Washington, 0:48:17.120 --> 0:48:19.480 this is my hometown, like you know, the DMV area, 0:48:19.800 --> 0:48:22.319 Fly down there. I signed my contract the night before 0:48:22.360 --> 0:48:24.120 the game, I go out there and get a. 0:48:24.000 --> 0:48:26.360 Game, big hit to cause the turnover. 0:48:26.840 --> 0:48:29.600 I caught the pick. I caught the pick in the game. 0:48:29.640 --> 0:48:31.319 So that was a great That was a great time, 0:48:31.440 --> 0:48:33.440 you know, not just the game, but just that whole weekend. 0:48:33.880 --> 0:48:35.960 Fantastic conversation. Gard really appreciate you. 0:48:36.080 --> 0:48:39.839 I appreciate you guys having appreciate your curiosity. Appreciate your curiosity. 0:48:40.160 --> 0:48:42.200 Gerard may Or, our guest on this edition of the 0:48:42.200 --> 0:48:43.880 Pats in the Past podcast. 0:48:44.880 --> 0:48:48.760 Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple, google Play, 0:48:48.760 --> 0:48:50.160 and everywhere else you listen. 0:48:50.520 --> 0:48:53.760 Like the show, Please rate and review us. Listener comments 0:48:53.760 --> 0:48:56.480 and ratings help keep us high on the podcast rankings 0:48:56.560 --> 0:48:58.239 so new listeners can find us. 0:48:58.400 --> 0:49:01.560 Be sure to check Patriot Stuck for more news and 0:49:01.800 --> 0:49:02.799 more podcasts.