WEBVTT - LISTEN | An Offseason Conversation with C Connor McGovern (4/22) 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:06.760 Official plot is presented by when Bett Betty is a 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:09.680 team sport but together at win Bett Eric Ellen here 0:00:09.680 --> 0:00:13.840 inside the studio, joined by Jets center Connor McGovern Connor, 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:16.560 thank you so much for joining me today. First off, 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:19.439 a lot of additions for the Jets here in the 0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:24.319 off season, but you have a special one yourself, don't you. Yep? Yeah, 0:00:24.360 --> 0:00:26.840 My wife and I had just brought home our for 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:29.680 our first baby. Oh we had a baby girl on 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:34.040 four fourteen. Um got home from the hospital on on 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:37.760 Saturday and uh, you know, just doing the doing the 0:00:37.840 --> 0:00:40.040 dad life right now. I'll be back in Jersey and 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:43.479 uh in the building next week. What's her name? And 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:47.400 how is everybody doing? Mom and baby are great. The 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:51.680 baby's name is Dylan Lucy McGovern um. And she was 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:56.120 a big girl, measuring eight pounds fifteen ounces, so she 0:00:56.240 --> 0:00:58.360 was an ounce short of being a nine pound baby. 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:03.360 So but happ being healthy. Yep, yep, big girl. Now 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:07.200 you're out west right now. The Jets offseason voluntary portion 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.000 of the program started. But you have a good excuse 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:12.320 here not to be here right Yeah, I got I 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:14.920 got the blessing from the coaches to uh to to 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:17.600 postpone it a week. It was actually, so we came 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:20.240 over with the hospital on Saturday, and then it was 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:23.960 Easter Sunday, and uh, I'm from North Dakota and a 0:01:24.000 --> 0:01:28.240 blizzard rolled through on Sunday. So even if I tried 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:30.000 to get out on Sunday, there's no way I was 0:01:30.040 --> 0:01:32.920 getting out of here on Sunday. Um. And then Monday 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:34.840 it was still pretty bad, so I wouldn't been able 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.440 to get there till you know, tonight anyways. And the 0:01:37.480 --> 0:01:39.680 coaches were like, you know what, enjoy being a dad 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:42.760 for a week, um, and we'll see you next Monday. 0:01:42.760 --> 0:01:45.240 So they were the Jets were awesome about it. So 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:49.160 a guy from North Dakota, what is your definition of 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:52.920 a blizzard? Uh? You know, it was only about two 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:55.560 or two or three inches, which isn't a lot of 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:59.640 snow volume. But it was windy, you know, like thirt winds. 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:02.840 Then it was blowing my crazy. Your visibility you know, 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:04.880 it's like a quarter of a mile or half a mile, 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:08.160 so it's not great visibility. Um. So it was a 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:10.920 it was a you know, if it was February, it 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:15.480 would have been a pretty normal snow light blizzard, but 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:17.880 for April it was it was a pretty big one. So, 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:21.200 but you're hanging out with your parents right now, so 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:25.800 everybody's to celebrate the new addition to the family. And also, 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:27.480 you guys are gonna have a new home. You're working 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.560 on that, right Yep, yep, working on building a new home. 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:33.360 So we Uh my dad likes to joke that his 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:36.640 NFL son moved back home. Um, we just kind of 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.880 did the classic millennial thing. And we're living with our 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:42.400 my parents right now while our our house is getting 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.760 built here at Park. Hey man, it's been a busy 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:48.720 off season for you on multiple fronts. What can you 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:52.440 tell me about your participation in the Able Games and 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:56.920 what are the Able Games? Yes? The Able Games is 0:02:57.000 --> 0:03:00.560 something that uh myself and Kim Platt some over at 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:02.760 T and T Fitness Year and Fargo came up with 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.400 UM and it's a platform for people with all abilities 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:09.799 to compete UM in a physical competition. You know. Being 0:03:09.840 --> 0:03:13.520 an NFL football player, competitions kind of my life. You know, 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:16.560 it's it's something that I love and I find something 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:19.480 to compete in every day. UM. I think everybody on 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:21.760 the team or in the NFL is a is you 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:24.120 know what you classify as ultra competitive and you just 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:27.760 you just love it. And UM, so I got involved 0:03:27.760 --> 0:03:31.720 with the Special Olympics our special needs athletes through the 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:35.920 Special Olympics in college. My good buddy Mitch Morris, who's 0:03:36.000 --> 0:03:39.200 a center in the NFL, UM got me involved with 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:42.120 the Special Olympics that in Missouri, who has as a 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:45.880 state has a phenomenal special needs are Special Olympics program. 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.080 And so Kim was a family friend compliants as a 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:49.960 family friend of my family, and she reached out to 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:51.160 my mom was like, hey, it just kind of have 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:54.680 any interest UM and working with TNT coming and spokesperson. 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:57.520 And she didn't even know that I I wanted to 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.760 start work with people's special needs. So I was a yeah, 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:03.000 I love to. We kind of you know, brainstorm came 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:05.760 with the ABLE Games UM and so it's the second year. 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:08.400 Uh you know, we raised a ton of money both 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:11.400 the first year in the second year UM and then 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:15.600 actually organically through the competition and and the classes that 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:19.000 T and t UM does for athletes with special needs. 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:23.919 UM we have now started ABLE which is UM a 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:27.480 pe curriculum that the State of North Dakota UM is 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:30.760 pretty much adopting as a whole it'll be a PE curriculum. 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:35.679 A student and a enable body and especially needs student 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:40.400 can both UM get their required PE credits for a 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:43.320 semester because they partner up and then they go through 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.480 our curriculum um AT in a school year. UM So 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:48.920 it's a way for us to get into and help 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:51.440 as many people as we possibly can. We don't have 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:54.160 to have everybody come to T and T to help 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:57.080 them UM. So we're bringing the curriculum to the schools, 0:04:57.560 --> 0:05:00.200 also to gyms, So whether you're a cross the gym 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:02.800 or UM any sort of fitness center, you can take 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:06.719 our curriculum and and and have fitness classes for people 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.000 especial needs. And everything is partnered because it's a great 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:13.000 way to you know, get people working with UM people 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:15.279 especial needs. You know, sometimes it can be intimidating. You 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:17.440 don't want to, you know, do the wrong things, say 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.000 the wrong thing, But when you get working with them 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:23.159 and and and really being around people, especially needs, you 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:25.880 really see the love that they bring and and how 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:27.840 special they are. You know, I don't think I've ever 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:31.200 seen anybody I love the way a special needs person does. 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.200 So and then when they get to compete, you know, 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:36.160 to have a parent come up to you at the 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:38.920 ABLE Games and say, you know that you know who 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:42.039 have You know, they've always wanted their son or daughter 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:45.800 to to compete in in you know, just like everybody 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.520 else does UM, and to come up and you know, 0:05:48.560 --> 0:05:50.400 tears in their eyes, saying how awesome it was to 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:53.320 finally get to see their child, who's now maybe in 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:56.160 their twenties, finally get to compete, finally get to see 0:05:56.160 --> 0:06:01.000 the smile on the special needs athletes face from competing. UM. 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:04.039 It's been truly special. And the final piece actually it's 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:06.840 it's crazy how fast this has grown in two years 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:11.039 is able vocation UM. So right now in a special 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:14.200 needs UM person I like to call my athletes because 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:19.039 the ABLE Games. But when especial needs person is done 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.600 with high school, they kind of just go to medicaid 0:06:21.720 --> 0:06:23.880 right now, and there's not a great path for him, 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:25.680 you know, like everybody else you can go to You 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:27.960 go to high school, then you go to college where 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:31.120 you go to a vocation school UM, and there's no 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:33.760 real path for or for special needs people. So we're 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:37.000 trying to build that path because a lot of them 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:40.000 are able to do a lot of things and through 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:44.440 the competition has really shown how able these people are 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:48.680 and this demographic is. Um. So it's been amazing. Um, 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.640 it's been incredibly fulfilling for my wife and I too 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:53.920 to be so involved in this and and to see 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:56.320 the way to see the way it's growing. UM. So, 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:59.279 you know, hopefully ables in in every state and every 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:03.360 pe class um and able vocation is is in every 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:06.000 state to help help bring a bring a workforce with 0:07:06.040 --> 0:07:08.800 the people with special needs and allow them to to 0:07:08.839 --> 0:07:13.400 live that fulfilling life through competing, through physical education, and 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.760 then through vocations. We're just trying to, um, yeah, give 0:07:16.800 --> 0:07:20.040 them the most fulfilling life we possibly can. You mentioned 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:24.240 Mitch Moore's back at Missouri. Was there a specific child 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:29.480 or specific event or experience that you had in college 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:34.280 where you said, hey, not only did I like participating 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:37.600 in this and being involved, but this is something that 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:41.840 I want to continue to do down the line. Yeah 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:48.960 we uh um we. So during this competition, it was 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:53.320 a it was a weightlifting um meet for the Special Olympics, 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:58.080 and this athlete came up. Um. The individual had to 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:00.960 have been I don't know, a hundred eighty, a hundred 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:04.760 fifty pounds. The coach helped walk them to the bench. 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:06.760 You know, they couldn't get to the bench on their own. 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:09.800 They laid down and I was on one of the 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:15.360 sides loading weights and helping spot and they it was 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:17.920 like to seventy five, so it was like double their 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:20.480 body way easily double their body weight on a bench. 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:24.600 And you know, the coach they laid down the bench, 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:25.960 it was like, all right, are you ready? And they 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:27.600 like they like kind of give them a head shape 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:31.680 and lays down and absolutely smokes like a two x 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:34.800 body weight bench. And I was like, holy moly, that 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:37.480 is incredible. And that's kind of what did it for me, 0:08:37.600 --> 0:08:40.040 Like just to see, you know something where like I 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:42.199 was like, there's no way this athlete is getting this bench, 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:44.760 and then they just came down and absolutely smoked it. 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:47.400 I was like, Okay, this is this is really cool 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:49.479 And I think a lot more people need to experience 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:52.280 this because it's something that I had no idea that 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:55.000 was there. And and and you know, I think the 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:56.960 word able comes because I use it all the time 0:08:57.000 --> 0:08:59.199 about how able these athletes are, and I think that's 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.440 kind of where we got a name from. But to 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:03.920 see that that athlete was able to do that was 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.400 was phenomenal. It was it was, it was life changing. 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:11.240 So so how many days was the most recent able 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:15.480 games and how many events were the children able to 0:09:15.480 --> 0:09:19.840 participate in? The kids? So we had a Friday morning 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:23.760 we had like a Place sixty type event for children 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.719 young children with special needs UM. And then Friday afternoon 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:29.920 we did this thing called the Celebrity Face Off. I 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:33.400 had some my NFL friends and CrossFit friends UM in 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:35.400 town and it was kind of like a Pep rally. 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:39.960 You just did fun things UM with sponsors, and each 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:43.200 sponsored team had a special needs adult and a special 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:46.760 needs UM teenager and they got to compete in fun 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:49.319 games like a relay with an egg on a spoon 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:51.719 and kind of like a dodgeball type thing and a 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:54.160 tug of war that kind of stuff. Kind of just 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:58.640 to allow the sponsors to get their employees around people 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:01.199 especial needs and and how to work with them and 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:03.520 all that kind of stuff. And then Saturday Sunday was 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:06.640 the competitions. It was all they said, all day Sunday. UM. 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:09.160 It was five events UM, so we had four or 0:10:09.160 --> 0:10:14.959 if we had uh five classes In fitness competitions, r 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:18.160 X is like the top tier and then you have scaled, 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:21.400 then you have novice, and then you had special needs 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:25.160 adult and special needs child, which is essentially teenagers. So 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:29.760 there's five five groups, five events apiece. We had, um, 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:35.280 you know, you know, almost two hundred athletes, UM, at 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:37.959 least it was I think it was ninety athletes with 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.680 special needs in almost three d athletes total. So it 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:45.880 was awesome. Wow. So how emotional has this last couple 0:10:45.920 --> 0:10:47.920 of weeks ben for you? As far as the strides 0:10:47.960 --> 0:10:52.760 are taken with the kids they're back home the Able Games? 0:10:52.760 --> 0:10:56.760 How much this has grown and how you're a dad? Yeah, 0:10:56.800 --> 0:10:59.480 it's it's it's been. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. 0:10:59.520 --> 0:11:02.839 You know. Uh. We had set the deadline or the 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:06.920 uh the date for the Able Games a year in advanced, 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:10.560 and then a couple of months later we found out 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:12.720 we were pregnant. It was gonna the due date was 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:15.160 the Monday after the Able Games. So my wife, who 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:18.240 was full term nine months pregnant, she went to the 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:22.720 gall on Thursday night, both things, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. UM, 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:25.240 she did amazing. She was she was a rock star 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:28.439 and everybody there, you know, I just couldn't believe how awesome. 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:31.520 She did. And then um, Monday came and our our 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:34.520 daughter didn't quite come yet, and she was about four 0:11:34.600 --> 0:11:36.960 days late. So then we got a couple of days 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:39.960 to catch our breath and and kind of reset and 0:11:40.000 --> 0:11:43.000 get ready for our baby girl to come. It's o Connor. 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:47.280 How important was it not only to get the games off, 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:50.960 but now this thing is expanding, Like you talked about 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:54.880 getting into the schools now, yeah, I mean that's to me, 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:57.360 that's the cool like even the coolest parts. It came 0:11:57.400 --> 0:12:00.719 about so organically. It was just a need that was 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:03.079 there and and and a niche that T and T 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.120 and um our idea can kind of fit. So um 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:09.920 it worked out. It was just it And I think 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:12.240 that's the coolest part of just organic. Nothing was forced. 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:15.040 It was just a need that we saw and we 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.599 kind of capitalize on it and and really fill in 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:20.320 that need to help as many people as possible. And 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:24.520 you said how many kids participated? You said, like three hundred, right, 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.040 We had feudered athletes that range from r X to 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:31.800 uh you know, kids with special needs, the special needs 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:36.280 kids and adults. We had ninety um, I think nineties 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.120 special needs athletes competing. 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Must be on the older 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:04.920 at President of New Jersey if you have someone you 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.559 know has a gambling problem on sevens or seven one 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:09.760 one seven? All right, So I wanted to get back 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:13.640 to you a little bit as far as your day, 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:16.920 like you used are you still a killer in the 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:21.280 weight room? Because it's funny you mentioned somebody in terms 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:24.840 of back in Missouri getting on the bench. Didn't you 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:30.520 once tear a peck trying to bench five plus? I did, Yeah, 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.080 I was on my way to set the school record, 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:36.760 and um I got a little cocky and uh, I didn't. 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:39.400 I didn't quite get my back right to to do 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:41.440 a heavy bench and I I thought I was just 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:43.840 gonna bench five hundred pounds like it was nothing, and 0:13:44.160 --> 0:13:46.240 I was wrong, and I tore my pack. But I 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:48.559 did manage to get the squad record for for the 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:52.160 universe for the UH weight room. And what was the 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.920 squad record? Uh? So we did five rep maxes and 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:58.840 I did six nine five reps, which if you do 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:03.480 the algorithm or whatever mathematical you know, to figure out 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:05.400 your one rep max, that came out to about just 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:08.440 over eight hundred pounds. But I have I've never put 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:10.839 eight hundred pounds on my back. I've done over I've 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:14.040 done about seven fifty I think is my best one rep. 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:18.600 That's legitimately crazy. You said six nineties? So how many 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:22.040 plates on each side? So we had a bigger bar, 0:14:22.160 --> 0:14:25.160 so is a you know, a big seventy pound bar, 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.560 so it's a lot thicker, so it wouldn't bend quite 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:33.120 as much. And I had, um, three hundred pound plates 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:36.240 on each side, um, and then a forty five on 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:40.480 each side and some smaller ones, so um, it would 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:44.960 it would have been six ninety would be would that 0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:49.440 be about eight plates on each side if you did 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:53.040 it like just forty pretty sure, that's right, quick, quick 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:57.160 meathead math. In my head, I think it's a plates man. 0:14:57.320 --> 0:14:59.960 That is ridiculous because I was thinking when you're talking 0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:03.600 six maybe once, but you're doing it five times. Yeah, 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:06.480 I did it for five reps. I uh yeah. Then 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:08.360 I got excited. I thought I was cool. Went to 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:10.800 rip my shirt off and I like ripped my shirt 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:12.800 off and my bell was too ted, almost passed out. 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.240 It was a it was a whole deal, but it 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.040 was it was fun. It was exciting. I had the 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:19.480 whole football team in the weight room. Um, it was 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:22.280 a Friday. We've been getting hyped. It was. It was 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.920 a really cool experience. Hey, let me ask you how 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:30.480 painful the torrent peck was. It wasn't too bad. Luckily 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.240 had great coaches. Um. One of our coaches had trained 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:35.880 out west side bar bell Um And as soon as 0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:38.320 the bar hit my chest and he saw my elbow 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:41.400 kind of tweak out and said the bar go up. 0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:43.680 He knew instantly that I had started tearing my pecks, 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:46.200 and he grabbed the bar um and saved me from 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:48.080 a lot worse, and which was a great two. Didn't 0:15:48.120 --> 0:15:51.560 have to have surgery. Um, just got a peck half 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.760 held on by some scar tissue right now. So um, 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:56.600 but no, it could have been a lot worse, but 0:15:56.640 --> 0:16:00.120 I didn't have such great spotters there and coaches. Oh 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:02.520 my god. How much time off do you give yourself 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.960 during the off season? I, you know, I like to 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:08.760 I I love to work out, so I kind of 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:11.600 you know, maybe a week this year is a little 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:14.520 different with with my knee, but normally I take about 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:17.400 a week of not really doing anything, um, and then 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:21.000 kind of slowly build back in um and do you know, 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:23.720 more of a forty five to an hour workout and 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:27.840 then just kind of slowly add add exercises and sets 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:31.160 on as I go um through the off season. But no, 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:33.840 I love it. I love working out. I love I 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:36.640 love the grind. So it's it's you know, my getaway. 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:39.600 It's it's, uh, you know, I need that part of 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:41.880 my day, so I I don't take too much time off. 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:46.200 What are you listening to when you're working out? Depends? 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:48.920 It depends on the day, you know, if it depends 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:50.960 on the exercise I'm doing at the time, it depends 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.200 on the mood I'm in um. You know, if I'm 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:57.760 doing heavy squats, it's you know, heavy metal, some god smack, 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:01.960 you know, like kind of what I call like. You know, 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:06.320 it's more like a Little John, like the high tempo wrap. 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:09.640 There's nothing like so in Missoo and your max aout squats, 0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:13.080 they just played throw it Up by Little John for 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:16.040 all day. All day it was on. So that that 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:20.480 song comes on, it's it's time to squat some heavyweight. Hey, 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:24.080 what do you attribute your durability in National Football League? 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:25.800 We're gonna get to your knee in a second, but 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:29.359 seven eight career games sixty seven stars. You played in 0:17:29.359 --> 0:17:33.800 fifteen games last year. Uh, you had an amazing durability 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:36.359 ron before missing a couple of games. What do you 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:41.240 attribute that too? Uh? Well, one, uh, you know, a 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:44.879 little bit of luck, uh, some good genetics and then 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:47.280 um taking care of your body. You know. The kind 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:48.960 of the way I train is to try to make 0:17:48.960 --> 0:17:52.080 it so that is anything that I can do in 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:54.639 the off season to really build my body and build 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:58.600 that durability aspect of it. Um I do. I kind 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:00.520 of try incorporate that in my trade as much as 0:18:00.520 --> 0:18:03.720 I can, And I think a big aspect that UM 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:08.720 A lot of younger athletes don't understand is the mobility aspect. 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:12.080 It's not being truly flexible, the big mobile UM. So 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:14.000 I do a ton of mobility work and try to 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.760 do everything I can that way to UM. You know, 0:18:16.800 --> 0:18:18.760 if you get in those odd positions where you might 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:21.400 get hurt, UM, you should you should have the mobility 0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:25.200 to be able to withstand that and uh UM to 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:28.120 a to a point obviously UM to to not get 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:29.840 hurt and just kind of try to do that with 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:33.560 the training. Interesting you say mobility work. When you're talking 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:36.960 about mobility work, what are some important exercises for you 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:40.879 as an offensive linement? To me, the biggest are are 0:18:40.920 --> 0:18:43.680 a full snatch and a full clean, you know, really 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:46.600 catching it in the bottom of that position bottom of 0:18:46.600 --> 0:18:50.400 the squad you're able to beat. Have your ankles at 0:18:50.400 --> 0:18:54.000 full flat or full doors reflection, your knees at fully 0:18:54.040 --> 0:18:57.280 fully flexed position, your hips at a fully flexed position, 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.760 and handle a lot of weight UM, and then snatch. 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:01.920 It's the same thing for your knees, hips and ankles 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:05.680 plus and your back, but you're adding your shoulders into it. UM. 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:08.399 It's a movement that you know posted on Instagram and 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:10.920 you get people commenting, Oh, it's so bad for your 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:13.199 back at this, that and the other, but you can 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:15.320 see it on film. I'll get in an odd position 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:17.520 where I'm a you know, maybe a little bit bent 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:21.040 in a weird angle, and I'm able to have the 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:23.920 strength and an odd position, um to kind of come 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:26.520 out of that, you know, withstand the block and and 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:28.199 and at the end of the day, you know, for 0:19:28.240 --> 0:19:30.760 the most part, uh, come out a little bit you know, 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:36.959 injury free. Obviously you can't prevent every single injury, but um, 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:39.440 you know, it's it's it's there's a lot and there's 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:41.560 a lot of other things too, just you do you 0:19:41.560 --> 0:19:43.400 need to stretch, You need to do all that kind 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:47.240 of stuff too, But um, yeah, it's it's snatches and 0:19:47.280 --> 0:19:49.960 cleans have been been the biggest thing in my opinion, 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:52.040 to to help me be at where I am in 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:54.480 my career and and stay injury free. Wouldn't Bed is 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:56.600 now live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement 0:19:56.600 --> 0:19:58.960 of wouldn't Las Vegas to online sports bidding getting on 0:19:59.000 --> 0:20:00.840 all your paper teams play There was in sports, from 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:03.800 boosted parlays to live in game odds on every major sport. 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:05.880 They have what you need to win. 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I'm a hundred percent ben ronning, been squatting, jumping, cleaning, snatching. 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:38.760 I'm back to uh, back to to be able to 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:41.000 play a game. If I I, uh you know, if 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:44.680 it was season, I would be practicing every day and 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:47.960 playing every snap. So, um, I feel really good. Um. 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:51.320