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Speaker 1: Welcome to everybody to a Friday edition of Texans All

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Speaker 1: Access from the Honday Texans Radio Studio, the mobile version

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Speaker 1: as it's been for almost a year. I'm your host,

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Speaker 1: John Harris alongside the voice the Texans Mark Van Mare

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Speaker 1: Marcus I bring you into this show. Do you know

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Speaker 1: what you were doing a year ago on this Friday?

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Speaker 1: Maybe not the exact Friday, but pretty darn close, Johnny.

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Speaker 1: Were we returning from Indianapolis and having a wonderful meal?

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Speaker 1: And yes, what is the place called ken Harry and

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Speaker 1: Izzy's Harry and Izzys Harry Airport? I mean they have

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Speaker 1: a good one at the airport that you know, India

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Speaker 1: is way more fun than people realize. We've talked about this,

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Speaker 1: like I think the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau should

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Speaker 1: you know, pay a little debt to Texans Radio because

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Speaker 1: we pumped up that city. As you know, when Texans

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Speaker 1: fans traveling Texans want to go to see a Texans

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Speaker 1: game in another city, I mean, Nashville's obviously great. That

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Speaker 1: speaks for itself. Jacksonville can be sneaky good, and certainly

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Speaker 1: Indianapolis is way sneaky good. It's a good place to

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Speaker 1: go see a game, and they have a lot of

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Speaker 1: other events there. Obviously, they have the five hundred there,

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Speaker 1: and they've got good restaurants. They do have good restaurants.

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Speaker 1: We're missing them all this week. And you're exactly right.

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Speaker 1: Here's the last part of your trivia question. On the

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Speaker 1: way out of our dinner date, if you will. Last year,

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Speaker 1: we saw a couple of people going out that were

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Speaker 1: very very important. Do you remember who they are? As

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Speaker 1: we were walking out last year, we saw Eric Winston

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Speaker 1: and Demorris Smith. That was a year ago. Huh. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: They were talking about the new CBA and it wasn't

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Speaker 1: done yet, right, it wasn't done, but they were there

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Speaker 1: and they were very nice. We met Demorris Smith. Winston

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Speaker 1: was great introducing both of us to him. I'd never

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Speaker 1: met him before and seen him up closing. Yeah, but

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Speaker 1: that was very cool. It's great to see Eric, and

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Speaker 1: I'm so happy they got that deal done. I think

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Speaker 1: it was a great deal for both parties. And I

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Speaker 1: know that with COVID they adjusted a lot of things

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Speaker 1: for twenty twenty and I think twenty twenty one they're

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Speaker 1: gonna have to just adjust some more things, Like we

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Speaker 1: don't even know what the offseason program really looks like

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Speaker 1: right now. I know everybody wants answers, but we don't

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Speaker 1: have them yet, right absolutely, And we didn't have a combine,

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Speaker 1: which is sad, very sad, because to your point, Indianapolis,

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Speaker 1: I think I remember going to Indianapolis the first time

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Speaker 1: in fourteen. It was my first trip down the sidelines there,

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Speaker 1: and I just remember walking around, going, man, this place

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Speaker 1: is great. And they're gonna play the entire NC Double

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Speaker 1: A basketball tournament March Madness there in Indianapolis at I

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Speaker 1: think four or five different gyms, how many ever different

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Speaker 1: gyms they have? What over at Uey Pooie, they've got

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Speaker 1: the Pacers former Market Square. I can't remember what it's called.

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Speaker 1: We even saw a game there, I can't remember what

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Speaker 1: it's called. But they're gonna do it all right there.

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Speaker 1: I'm very curious how this all goes, but I'll just

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Speaker 1: be glad to see March Madness come on back. That

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Speaker 1: would that be fun. That is a city where you

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Speaker 1: can do that. And the downtown area is kind of

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Speaker 1: like a bubble unto itself. Yes, right, yes, And the

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Speaker 1: Pacers new gym is a fantastic facility. I mean Toyota

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Speaker 1: Center is fantastic. This is fantastic in a different way.

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Speaker 1: Every bit of architecture sports wise in Indianapolis seems to

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Speaker 1: have a little tribute to Hinkle. Field House has that

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Speaker 1: kind of Fieldhouse looked to it, and that certainly does.

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Speaker 1: Lucas Oil Stadium does. And I bring this up whenever

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Speaker 1: we talk about this stuff. The Market Square Arena old

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Speaker 1: floor is at Ooey Pooey in their recreational facility and

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Speaker 1: you know, Johnny, I go there and do a hoop

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Speaker 1: pickup game every year. I did one last year there,

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Speaker 1: and you know, I'm playing with like people considerably younger

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Speaker 1: than me, trying to hang in there with them, and

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Speaker 1: they're like, who is this guy? But I, you know,

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Speaker 1: I hang in there. I get rebounds, I pass a lot,

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Speaker 1: I shoot very little, and I just try to fit in.

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Speaker 1: But it's pretty cool to see that floor. You see

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Speaker 1: Market Square Arena and somewhere on my social media feeds,

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Speaker 1: I have that. But it's always an enjoyable time. And

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Speaker 1: you know, hats off to Indianapolis because to have the

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Speaker 1: NCAA tournament there. We want to see it. We all

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Speaker 1: want to see that TV show, which is what it is.

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Speaker 1: For most of us, and I think that's a good

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Speaker 1: place to do it. Yeah, it's a great place. Banker's

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Speaker 1: Life Fieldhouse. I had to think about that for a second,

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Speaker 1: So yeah, Banker's a beautiful, beautiful facility. That was really fun.

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Speaker 1: We got a chance to see a game we wanted

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Speaker 1: to combine there, but no combine this year. A lot

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Speaker 1: of pro days, and we'll probably talk about those pro

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Speaker 1: days and the impact of them. Who can go, what

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Speaker 1: we'll be able to see that I'll be kind of

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Speaker 1: fun to watch as time permits down the road. We're

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Speaker 1: also gonna hear from Casey Keeler, head coach Sam Houston State.

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Speaker 1: They opened the season tomorrow, which just seems weird to say.

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Speaker 1: They were supposed to start it last week against Incarnate Word, However,

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Speaker 1: because of the weather, they pushed everything back a week.

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Speaker 1: And I have a chance to talk to Casey about

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Speaker 1: moving to the whack the season this year, So we'll

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Speaker 1: have an interview for you and yours truly will be

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Speaker 1: calling that game for sam Houston State against Southeastern Louisiana,

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Speaker 1: so we'll have that later in the show. But Mark,

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Speaker 1: there is a ton of news. Wait wait, wait, wait, wait,

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Speaker 1: You're you're bearing not the lead, but you're bearing part

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Speaker 1: of the headlines. Here your game that you're gonna call

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Speaker 1: with Sam. Yes, what's it on? Where can we see it?

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Speaker 1: ESPN Plus? It's gonna be on ESPN Plus. Yes. If

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Speaker 1: I plug my TV into my toaster, I get ESPN Plus. No,

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Speaker 1: I'm just kidding. It's but no, like so many college

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Speaker 1: games are on ESPN Plus. That's cool. I'm gonna check

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Speaker 1: it out, Johnny, I can't wait. You know, it's very

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Speaker 1: cool to be able to watch football this time of year,

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Speaker 1: this time of year. Last year, of course, we had

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Speaker 1: the XFL for fifteen minutes until they had to suspend

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Speaker 1: the season due to COVID. So I'm looking forward to

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Speaker 1: seeing you in action tomorrow. Call in Sam Houston. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and FCS games are all there on ESPM plus is

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Speaker 1: really really, really cool and weird, So I'm looking forward

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Speaker 1: to it. It's gonna be kind of an odd, different

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Speaker 1: sort of thing, but I'm looking forward to it. Sam

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Speaker 1: against Southeastern Louisiana and they've got some players for Sam

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Speaker 1: that one of them I almost put in the Harris

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Speaker 1: one hundred, but then Casey told me he's actually coming

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Speaker 1: back to play in twenty twenty one in the fall,

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Speaker 1: so he can be ready for the draft in twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty two. That being zai, I'm an call him a corner,

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Speaker 1: but that's for down the road. The current situation, Mark,

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Speaker 1: I almost feel like I can just read off the

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Speaker 1: Twitter timeline of things that have happened. But we'll kick

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Speaker 1: it off really with our gut reaction, get yours, and

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Speaker 1: then I'll build on top of it. Two moves officially

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Speaker 1: made today. I don't know that I was completely surprised

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Speaker 1: by either one, but Newsworthy nonetheless, because these guys both started.

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Speaker 1: One guy started every game from twenty eighteen on and

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Speaker 1: one guy came to Houston and really I think found

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Speaker 1: his way with the Houston Texans, although a lot of

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Speaker 1: people wanted to see him do a little bit more.

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Speaker 1: Starting center Nick Martin and running back Duke Johnson. We

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Speaker 1: just talked about running backs the other day. Both those

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Speaker 1: players now released, which is key released versus waive. They

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Speaker 1: don't have to clear waivers because they're vested veterans. But

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Speaker 1: those two players released, Nick Martin and Duke Johnson. Mark

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Speaker 1: your gut reaction to that news, Well, I know a

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Speaker 1: lot of people on the outside have commented that, you know,

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Speaker 1: Martin could have been more for this team, could have

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Speaker 1: done more for this team. Johnny truth Be told, I

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Speaker 1: am not the greatest evaluator of offensive line talent. I

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Speaker 1: could tell when someone gets you know, whipped, you know,

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Speaker 1: someone Matador as a block or whatever. But and also

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Speaker 1: that we talked about it the other day. I was

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Speaker 1: joking about it, the movement of the line of scrimmage.

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Speaker 1: You know, you're not moving people out of the way

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Speaker 1: well enough for these guys to run through these holes

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Speaker 1: that you're supposed to make. But Martin clearly did not

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Speaker 1: rise to the level that they envisioned. Because when O'Brien,

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Speaker 1: you know, and I know that we've had changeover in

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Speaker 1: GM and everything, but O'Brien really like Nick Martin. And

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Speaker 1: the idea is that Martin's gonna play for a decade, right,

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Speaker 1: and he's just gonna be the guy for so long,

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Speaker 1: and he's your anchor, and he's there and you can

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Speaker 1: count on him day in day out. I know everybody,

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Speaker 1: it's funny with offensive lineman because not that they only

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Speaker 1: make one mistake per game, but if you make a

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Speaker 1: big mistake and everyone sees it, particularly a center like that, snap,

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Speaker 1: the bad snap to Watson late in the Colts game.

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Speaker 1: Everyone remembers that, you know, I gotta imagine I'm not

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Speaker 1: watching the evening news tonight, but that highlight or lowlight

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Speaker 1: is going out a little bit on some of the stations,

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Speaker 1: like this is Nick Martin, so good riddance. But look,

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Speaker 1: Martin did some things for this team. I know this

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Speaker 1: last season was horrible, but the two years prior where

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Speaker 1: division titles had a playoff win, had some moments. Okay

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Speaker 1: during his time here, remember his rookie year, he didn't

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Speaker 1: play because he got hurt, so he I r Greg

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Speaker 1: Man's actually had to play center, did a pretty decent

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Speaker 1: job doing it. But my gut reaction is all right,

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Speaker 1: here we go. You know you're gonna see some not

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Speaker 1: that that's a surprise, Like you said, you're gonna see

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Speaker 1: some cuts here, and they're not nearly done. Get ready,

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Speaker 1: buckle up. They're gonna be a lot of cuts, a

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Speaker 1: lot of names you know, will be released from this team,

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Speaker 1: and they're gonna try to improve this roster in a hurry. Okay,

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Speaker 1: you want to hear my John Harris is not the GM,

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Speaker 1: but a move that I might consider as a GM

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Speaker 1: would make okay. So I always give you those sure

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Speaker 1: and it's off the wall kind of sort of hope.

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Speaker 1: I like that, though. I get on the phone. I

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Speaker 1: get on my phone and I call it Max Sharping,

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Speaker 1: and I say, Max, this is John, and I make

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Speaker 1: it very simple. Learn how to snap because when you

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Speaker 1: come back, you're going to be our center. Thank you, bye,

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Speaker 1: see and see it in July and hang up. That's

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Speaker 1: what I would do. I would make Max Sharping learn

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Speaker 1: how to play center. Now. He's dabbled with it the

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Speaker 1: last couple of years. We've seen him take second team

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Speaker 1: reps at center, even third you know, third team reps whatever,

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Speaker 1: after he's done his work at guard. I think you

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Speaker 1: could put Max shar Max Sharping to me, just from

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Speaker 1: a cerebral standpoint, just how smart he is, how much

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Speaker 1: he understands getting everybody the right page, communicating with quarterbacks

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Speaker 1: and everybody that he needs to communicate with. I think

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Speaker 1: Max Sharping might not be a terrible option at center now.

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Speaker 1: I say all that given the fact that he look

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Speaker 1: Zach Fulton still on the roster. Zach Fulton has played

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Speaker 1: center before, and maybe that's the thought that maybe Zach

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Speaker 1: steps over at center either way, I would think they've

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Speaker 1: we've got to be better at that particular position. And

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Speaker 1: maybe the thought is, look, maybe if one of those

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Speaker 1: guys could take over at center, then maybe it's I

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Speaker 1: don't want to use the word easier, but maybe you

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Speaker 1: can find some younger guys to play guard as you

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Speaker 1: did with Max Sharping, that you can put them in there,

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Speaker 1: and yeah, there's a lot to learn, but maybe that's

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Speaker 1: a little bit easier for transition and taking a guy

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Speaker 1: to play center and have him handle all the line calls,

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Speaker 1: work with the quarterbacks, all that, and if there are

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Speaker 1: some good young players that I think in this draft

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Speaker 1: could step in and give them a lot at center,

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Speaker 1: they can also play guard. Creed Humphrey from Oklahoma play center,

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Speaker 1: but he can also played guard. Quinn Myers from Wisconsin

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Speaker 1: Whywater played guard, has also shown you can play center.

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Speaker 1: Those guys I think would be great fits for this

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Speaker 1: organization at one of those interior positions. But I would

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Speaker 1: take Max Sharping and I would move them over to

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Speaker 1: the center and I would rock on and let him

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Speaker 1: be the guy for the next how many every years. Well,

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Speaker 1: that would be cool because you spent a second round

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Speaker 1: pick on him and I think the sad thing about

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Speaker 1: Martin getting cut is it's an admission that and look,

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Speaker 1: I know everything's changed over new coach, new GM and everything,

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Speaker 1: but it's an admission that we just didn't get it

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Speaker 1: right here in Houston on the old line, right that

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Speaker 1: the greatest line in the history of the team, which

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Speaker 1: was that vaunted five you know we talked about with

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Speaker 1: the twenty eleventh season with Dwayne and we just mentioned

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Speaker 1: Eric Winston in a different context. And he had Chris

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Speaker 1: Myers at center. You had the two guards, he had

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Speaker 1: Wade Smith, he had Mike Brizell, and that was the

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Speaker 1: greatest line they had and they were able to stick

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Speaker 1: together for the better part of three or four seasons

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Speaker 1: for the most part, and play well and paved the

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Speaker 1: way for Foster and everything they did in that system.

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Speaker 1: We just haven't seen the Texans be able to come

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Speaker 1: close to that. You know, they were it looked like

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Speaker 1: they were getting closer, but you know, last year things

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Speaker 1: slipped away. I mean, I know I said the other

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Speaker 1: day that you know, they they blocked for the leading

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Speaker 1: passing attack in the NFL this past year. But okay,

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Speaker 1: that's that's okay. You know, you cut down on some sacks,

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Speaker 1: but you had a quarterback and get away from the

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Speaker 1: sack as well and got rid of the ball better

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Speaker 1: and protected the ball better. And they weren't able to

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Speaker 1: run the ball at all under O'Brien in the in

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Speaker 1: the good years when you look at you know, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,

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Speaker 1: and then eighteen and nineteen, they ran the ball okay,

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Speaker 1: you know, and sometimes better than others, but they ran

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Speaker 1: the ball well. It was a commitment and they did

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Speaker 1: it all right, but they never they never got the

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Speaker 1: combo they wanted. They kept up trying and trying and trying,

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Speaker 1: and they haven't gotten there. And that's what's sad to me.

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Speaker 1: And you're talking about drafting players and everything. It's too

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Speaker 1: bad because we talked about the tackles and the interior

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Speaker 1: just needed work, and by work, we're seeing part of

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Speaker 1: that with the release of Nick Martin. Johnny tell me

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Speaker 1: quickly though, because it's it's hard for people to visualize,

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Speaker 1: and me too for that matter. Sharping alternative that guard

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Speaker 1: this year, right, there was a little bit of a

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Speaker 1: platoon going on, for lack of a better way of

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Speaker 1: describing it, the struggle or whatever the challenge was for

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Speaker 1: him to stay in there full time at guard. How

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Speaker 1: does that affect his ability to play center. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you have to handle that action up the middle if

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Speaker 1: you're the center, never mind the quarterbacking aspect of being

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Speaker 1: the center on a five man line where you're supposed

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Speaker 1: to be the straw that stirs the drink. Quite frankly,

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Speaker 1: with Max, I feel like you lost this confidence if

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Speaker 1: you want, if you want the honest truth, I feel

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Speaker 1: like you lost his confidence. And when Sene Callamette stepped

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Speaker 1: in there, he did a decent job. It was okay.

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Speaker 1: Then Max came in the last few games and you

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Speaker 1: can see him kind of working through some things that

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Speaker 1: he may have worked through earlier in the year, but

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Speaker 1: they decided that they were gonna move on. Max did

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Speaker 1: some things early in the season that we're kind of

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Speaker 1: odd in some sense given Max. Like one thing that

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Speaker 1: Drew and I talked about in the Baltimore Ravens game.

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Speaker 1: There's a key play in that game where we can't

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Speaker 1: remember how much we were down, but if we scored

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Speaker 1: on this drive, we're kind of back in the ball game.

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Speaker 1: And Brandy Cooks broke open on a deep, deep over

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Speaker 1: route and it looked like DeShawn was gonna throw the

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Speaker 1: ball that way, but Max stepped the wrong way, literally

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Speaker 1: went the wrong way. And the reason I know this

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Speaker 1: is when I went back and I watched the play.

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Speaker 1: He watches the guy go and that guy I think

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Speaker 1: it was Brandon Williams gives DeShawn you know, some grief

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Speaker 1: makes the movie can't make the throw. Max turns to

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Speaker 1: Nick and I can see Nick could put his hands

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Speaker 1: up like and he points in the direction and Max

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Speaker 1: points in the other direction, and then Nick puts his

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Speaker 1: hands up as if to say, no, you went the

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Speaker 1: wrong direction. I see Max like drop his head like

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Speaker 1: I messed up. Those are the kind of things Max

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Speaker 1: never did wrong, and I think it just sort of

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Speaker 1: got in his head a little bit and he lost

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Speaker 1: his confidence and hopefully he'll get it back before year three.

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Speaker 1: Are you telling me Nick Martin did a Lebron meme? Yes?

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Speaker 1: J R. Smith? What Kin? Yeah, kind of kind of

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Speaker 1: like that. Um, I will give Nick credit because after

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Speaker 1: Max time put his head down, Nick kind of put

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Speaker 1: his arm around and pat him on the head like

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Speaker 1: it will be all right. But really, I was a

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Speaker 1: player that needed to be made and it's just something

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Speaker 1: that Max just didn't do as a rookie just he

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Speaker 1: just doesn't do. Those are things he um you know,

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Speaker 1: his m a emmy however, you said miss assignment, miss

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Speaker 1: um mental air whatever. He you know, it was really

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Speaker 1: good as a rookie. Got in his head a little bit.

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Speaker 1: I thought he came back and fought when he got

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Speaker 1: back in the lineup the last few games of the

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Speaker 1: year and did some good things. I just think it's center.

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Speaker 1: I think he can handle guys at center, maybe a

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Speaker 1: little bit more face up than Nick Canny. He's bigger,

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Speaker 1: he's sticker. I think he pushed people off the ball.

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Speaker 1: I think he's a little quicker and people get him

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Speaker 1: credit forward too because he plays guard. I see he's

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Speaker 1: gotta get his confidence back. But I want my guards

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Speaker 1: to be I want my guards to be three hunt

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Speaker 1: twenty five, three hundred thirty pounds and they mash, they mash.

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Speaker 1: That's what I want to do. I want to run

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Speaker 1: the football, and we gotta do a little bit better.

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Speaker 1: But we're not gonna have Duke Johnson to be able

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Speaker 1: to do it. Mark. One other piece of news that

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Speaker 1: came out, Aaron Wilson also tweeted that amongst this news

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Speaker 1: that we got today with the running backs. A lot

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Speaker 1: of people have asked about David Johnson. It looks like

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Speaker 1: the Texans will try to work something out with David

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Speaker 1: Johnson to bring him back but lower his cat number

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Speaker 1: for twenty twenty one. What's your gut reaction to that one? Well, look,

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Speaker 1: the last three games of the year, David Johnson started

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Speaker 1: to come alive, right, averaging one hundred thirty yards from scrimmage.

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Speaker 1: He had the hundy plus in the receiving effort against

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Speaker 1: what was it the Colts on the road right, and

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Speaker 1: the last couple of games over one hundred against who

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Speaker 1: was the second last game the Bengals, and then about

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Speaker 1: about eighty four and somewhere in the mid eighties against

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Speaker 1: the Titans. So it seemed like something started to click

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Speaker 1: for him and for that old line. As they went

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Speaker 1: to a different blocking scheme and the back production running

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Speaker 1: game was coming around a little bit more, he was

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Speaker 1: coming around. You could see what they were thinking with

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Speaker 1: David Johnson. So I'm wondering if that's what they're thinking

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Speaker 1: right now, like that is kind of what we're gonna

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Speaker 1: get here with David Johnson in twenty twenty one. I

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Speaker 1: don't know, obviously we're gonna see it to have it

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Speaker 1: come true. I'm gonna say this though, if David Johnson's

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Speaker 1: part of this football team, they are not putting all

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Speaker 1: their eggs in that basket. I know Duke is gone now,

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Speaker 1: but there will be other options at back. It's not

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Speaker 1: gonna be David Johnson's our guy. And you know, look,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned it when we went over the running back position.

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Speaker 1: This is a buy committee kind of position in this league.

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Speaker 1: On most teams. You know, Derek Henry got it, okay.

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Speaker 1: You know you have certain backs around the league, you

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Speaker 1: know Dalvin Cook, who carry the bulk of that mail

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Speaker 1: for their franchise. I think here it's gonna be a

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Speaker 1: little bit different. They're gonna find other options in addition

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Speaker 1: to him, presuming that that report is true, that they

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Speaker 1: want to work something out, because you could see if

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Speaker 1: they released him, they'd save a chunk of money on

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Speaker 1: the cap, and obviously they're saving a little chunk with Duke.

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Speaker 1: I like Duke. I mean, what's not to like Duke.

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Speaker 1: It's a very likable guy. They acquired him for a

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Speaker 1: third round draft choice. They needed him that offset, or

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Speaker 1: that preseason, that training camp when every back was getting hurt.

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Speaker 1: They had to do something. They got him, then they

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Speaker 1: eventually got Carlos Hide. Look, that year worked out to

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Speaker 1: be a pretty good year. Hide with over a thousand

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Speaker 1: Duke the complimentary player. They had something good going on there.

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Speaker 1: And you know, they went to the divisional round, which

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Speaker 1: I know is not enough for anybody. But you look

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Speaker 1: back on that right now and you're saying, I enjoyed

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Speaker 1: going to the playoffs. You know, I know, I know

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Speaker 1: it didn't end well, but I enjoy winning during the

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Speaker 1: regular season, like winning more than you lose in the journey,

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Speaker 1: and then you get in and then you're wondering who

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Speaker 1: you're gonna play, and then you play them, and if

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Speaker 1: you win that one, then you know, we all know

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Speaker 1: what it's like. And you should never take those moments

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Speaker 1: for granted. Because this team, like I said, Johnny, has

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Speaker 1: not had back to back losing seasons in fifteen years.

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Speaker 1: And that's on the ropes right now. You know, they

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Speaker 1: know it, and I don't think they think of it

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Speaker 1: that way. You know, they just want to start winning.

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Speaker 1: But this is gonna be very tough, you know, to

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Speaker 1: put that kind of campaign together, and I'm really hoping

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Speaker 1: they can do it, no doubt. To be able to

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Speaker 1: put together a non losing season, the secondary is going

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Speaker 1: to have to play much better. Mark and I take

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Speaker 1: a dive into our position analysis, day number six next

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Speaker 1: right here in Texas or Axis. Welcome back to this

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Speaker 1: Friday edition of Texas All Access. John Harris here, Mark

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Speaker 1: Vanimer there, and Mark we tease the defensive backs going

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Speaker 1: into this segment. It's our positional analysis that we have

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Speaker 1: been going through. Now. If we did this a couple

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Speaker 1: of years ago, we would have talked about, you know,

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Speaker 1: ogs like Kareem Jackson, Johnathon Joseph. We don't have those

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Speaker 1: players anymore. In fact, we don't have a good number

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Speaker 1: of those players anymore. And there are a number in

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Speaker 1: this group that as I look at our lads, they

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Speaker 1: do it in red and red means free agents. Gary

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Speaker 1: on Conley, Bernard Hargraves, Michael Thomas, Philip Gains. Mark, I'm

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Speaker 1: agoin record right now and say that of all the

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Speaker 1: roster construction that goes on, this is the one. To me. Now,

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Speaker 1: quarterback is always just a different story altogether. But this

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Speaker 1: group right here needs a major, major upgrade in personnel

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Speaker 1: and it is going to go through the roster ringer

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Speaker 1: we just saw the other day. Cornell Armstrong is coming back,

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Speaker 1: I think on a one year deal. Bradley Roby is

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Speaker 1: also under contract. I think it's one year remaining. I

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Speaker 1: believe I could be running like one year remaining on

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Speaker 1: that deal he signed. It was a three year deal

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Speaker 1: he signed a couple of years ago. So Mark, what

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Speaker 1: is first of all, your gut reaction what I said

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Speaker 1: about secondary? And then secondly, how do you think the

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Speaker 1: Texas go about attacking this secondary going forward? Johnny, You're right,

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Speaker 1: this is the position group that's getting the most. You

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Speaker 1: mentioned those names. I mean six guys who played a bunch,

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Speaker 1: and I'm gonna throw Gary and Kindley in there as

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Speaker 1: somebody who should have played because he was penciled into

428
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:03,360
Speaker 1: play but he got hurt. Six guys are some kind

429
00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,920
Speaker 1: of free agent, whether it's restricted or unrestricted. Right, But

430
00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,480
Speaker 1: Cornell has already been re upped, so he's back. Of

431
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,480
Speaker 1: the other players, I can't tell you with any certainty

432
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:15,400
Speaker 1: that any one of these guys will be back. Right,

433
00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,560
Speaker 1: you have a new coach coming in here to coach

434
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,679
Speaker 1: the defense, you still have the same secondary coach that

435
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,679
Speaker 1: we know about Danton Lynn right, so you're gonna go

436
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,720
Speaker 1: like that. I haven't seen any reports on Dannon being

437
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,720
Speaker 1: changed out, but when I look at the secondary here,

438
00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,640
Speaker 1: I'm thinking, yeah, you're gonna get some major fortification draft

439
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,880
Speaker 1: free agents. I think you gotta sign two free agents

440
00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,400
Speaker 1: here that and look, you could pick a spot, certainly

441
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:44,919
Speaker 1: a corner, but maybe a safety too. And you know,

442
00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,119
Speaker 1: you talk about a player like Eric Murray last year

443
00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,359
Speaker 1: they signed a deal prior to the season. Great, but

444
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,159
Speaker 1: this is Nick Casserio's Texans right now. What does he

445
00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,680
Speaker 1: think of the situation? You know, who does he envision

446
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,960
Speaker 1: playing back there? Who does love he want because you

447
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,640
Speaker 1: know they're talking to him as well, and Lovey being

448
00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,360
Speaker 1: out of the league for a while is I don't

449
00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,280
Speaker 1: want to say it's a big concern for me. I

450
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,119
Speaker 1: think it's an interesting element of all of this because

451
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,120
Speaker 1: he's got to get reacquainted. And you could say, well,

452
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,639
Speaker 1: you've coached to Tampa. But now, listen, that's ancient history

453
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,000
Speaker 1: right now. The league rotates very quickly. If you've been

454
00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:19,640
Speaker 1: out of the league two years, you missed a ton

455
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,240
Speaker 1: of stuff. I'm sure O'Brien when he got back after

456
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,960
Speaker 1: coaching a Penn State for two years was thinking, oh, man,

457
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,200
Speaker 1: look at all the players that left the league since

458
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,320
Speaker 1: I've been in the NFL. So there's gonna be a

459
00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:32,960
Speaker 1: lot of work done here. It's so difficult to predict,

460
00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,439
Speaker 1: but I would say that you're gonna get at least

461
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,840
Speaker 1: a couple of first Now it might not be marquee

462
00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:43,480
Speaker 1: busting names, but first wave free agents. I would say two.

463
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,440
Speaker 1: And by the first wave, I mean March, okay, maybe

464
00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,200
Speaker 1: early April. And the second wave I don't know what

465
00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,280
Speaker 1: they do there because those are not often They can contribute,

466
00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,600
Speaker 1: but those are not exactly going to create major headlines

467
00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,640
Speaker 1: on Sports Center. But I got to see at least

468
00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,600
Speaker 1: that and go draft here because I don't know. I

469
00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,040
Speaker 1: still don't know if John Reid can play right as

470
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,800
Speaker 1: a rookie last year from Penn State, we didn't see

471
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:07,520
Speaker 1: enough of them. We don't know if he can play

472
00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,439
Speaker 1: in the secondary. Maybe special teams Keion Crossing good special

473
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,600
Speaker 1: teams player. Is he gonna play in the secondary for

474
00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,000
Speaker 1: this team? I don't know. I just think they have

475
00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:19,480
Speaker 1: a little This is the position group that needs the

476
00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,840
Speaker 1: most attention. Yeah, and I think from that that aspect,

477
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:29,119
Speaker 1: it's almost it's almost kind of a blank canvas. You know,

478
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,360
Speaker 1: you got Justin Reid back there. I think we've all

479
00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 1: seen Justin can play. I think the last I think

480
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,480
Speaker 1: it was that Patriots game where Justin, you know, coming

481
00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:40,800
Speaker 1: off that that tough Brown's loss, and Justin was like,

482
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:42,800
Speaker 1: you know, I gotta make up for the way that

483
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,159
Speaker 1: I was playing. And from that point on before he

484
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:50,240
Speaker 1: got hurt, man, he was exceptional. The next three or

485
00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,440
Speaker 1: four games, he was outstanding, and then got hurt unfortunately

486
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,840
Speaker 1: in the Bears game. In the next couple of weeks,

487
00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,840
Speaker 1: secondary just you know, really it really struggled at that point.

488
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,520
Speaker 1: I thought Kean Crossing showed something that he should be

489
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,920
Speaker 1: in the mix. He can run. I think he should

490
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,600
Speaker 1: be in a mix. The other night, I asked you

491
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:13,280
Speaker 1: about free agents William Jackson the Cincinnati Bengals, and you

492
00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,520
Speaker 1: said yes to that. Other cornerback free agents You did

493
00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,440
Speaker 1: say yes to that, Richard Sherman, No, I don't think

494
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,000
Speaker 1: that's what you're going for. Desmond King is more of

495
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,480
Speaker 1: a nickel. Mike Hilton was a guy that we both

496
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,560
Speaker 1: said yes to, even though he is not a big guy,

497
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,119
Speaker 1: but man, he plays he plays big. Let's be honest

498
00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,160
Speaker 1: with that. You got Shaquille Griffin thought that he's going

499
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: back to the Seahawks. He is a free agent. Troy

500
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,679
Speaker 1: Hill with La Rams kind of a longer thinner corner,

501
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:47,040
Speaker 1: Shouobi a Woozier from the Cowboys, also free agent, and

502
00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:50,440
Speaker 1: Brian Poole who's more of a nickel slash safety in

503
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,920
Speaker 1: his corner. But those are the guys that are listed

504
00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:59,439
Speaker 1: in PFF's top fifty free agents. Here's the one to

505
00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:03,320
Speaker 1: me that's a little bit of a curveball. But I really,

506
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:05,960
Speaker 1: first of all, I would love the player I just

507
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,679
Speaker 1: don't know if I can do it, and that is

508
00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:15,199
Speaker 1: jac Jackson, who is phenomenal with the Patriots. But I

509
00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:19,720
Speaker 1: believe he's a restricted free agent, so I believe that

510
00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,760
Speaker 1: it would cost you some draft picks to get him,

511
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:24,920
Speaker 1: and then you'd have to sign him to your contract.

512
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,800
Speaker 1: That might be that might be rough to do. But

513
00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,320
Speaker 1: going to your point of Nick Assaria bringing in players

514
00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,679
Speaker 1: that he would like, I know that's the guy I

515
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,520
Speaker 1: would like. He is as good a cover guy and

516
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,760
Speaker 1: has been phenomenal for the Patriots. Playing opposites to Fund Gilmour,

517
00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,560
Speaker 1: he has been excellent. Oh and by the way, JC

518
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,280
Speaker 1: Jackson goes out and gets the football. Mark. If there

519
00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,720
Speaker 1: is anything that we need this group to do more

520
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:56,120
Speaker 1: so than any at any other time that I can remember,

521
00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,680
Speaker 1: this group of dbs has got to go get the football.

522
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:07,399
Speaker 1: Three interceptions all year. Robie had one, Hargraves had one. J. J.

523
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,760
Speaker 1: Watt had one. The defensive backs accounted for two interceptions

524
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,640
Speaker 1: all year. They've got to find guys, whether it's those

525
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,399
Speaker 1: names I mentioned or others, a couple of names we

526
00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,520
Speaker 1: mentioned that are still here, or players they bring in

527
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,199
Speaker 1: through the draft. They've got to find guys that find

528
00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,240
Speaker 1: the football and bring it back and hand it to

529
00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:30,919
Speaker 1: David Colley on the sideline because they'd better turn teams

530
00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:32,720
Speaker 1: over in the back end or it's going to be

531
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:37,200
Speaker 1: even longer of a year than it was last year. Yeah, look,

532
00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,119
Speaker 1: that's unacceptable that number. I was talking with Paul Allen,

533
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,639
Speaker 1: our buddy from Minneapolis, the Boys of the Vikings. I

534
00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,199
Speaker 1: was on his show and he asked me what the

535
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,159
Speaker 1: biggest deal was about last year, and I said, not

536
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:48,919
Speaker 1: being able to run the football, not being able to

537
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,840
Speaker 1: take the ball away all right, So stopping them run

538
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:54,080
Speaker 1: was a problem too. But you know, you can cover

539
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,960
Speaker 1: up for so much. It's like a quarterback and throws

540
00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,240
Speaker 1: a bunch of touchdown passes. You know, that helps bring

541
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,240
Speaker 1: up some of the blemishes on offense. And obviously it

542
00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,240
Speaker 1: helped this team cover up some of the passing yards,

543
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,119
Speaker 1: to cover up some of the deficiency on the ground game.

544
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,000
Speaker 1: But the point is this, you can cover up a

545
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,879
Speaker 1: lot of defensive deficiencies by getting takeaways. The ultimate example

546
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,080
Speaker 1: of this was two thousand and nine with the New

547
00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,480
Speaker 1: Orleans Saints, who had a Brazilian takeaways, but they weren't

548
00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,879
Speaker 1: that great on defense. They just took the ball away.

549
00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,320
Speaker 1: Was that an opportunistic thing? Was it a luck thing?

550
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,880
Speaker 1: I don't think it's a luck thing. I think teams

551
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,800
Speaker 1: create their own luck. Yeah, you do get some lucky bounces.

552
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:32,920
Speaker 1: If you get four or five of them a year,

553
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,480
Speaker 1: that's huge. That would have put this team in double figures.

554
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,000
Speaker 1: At least they didn't get it. They gotta do some things.

555
00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 1: I mean, I am still curious by the way about

556
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:42,360
Speaker 1: John Reid going into year or two. It didn't get

557
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 1: a lot of playing time. And you mentioned cross and

558
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: look these but you gotta add, you gotta add to

559
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,640
Speaker 1: the equation. And I think Justin Reid can be a

560
00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,560
Speaker 1: real good safety on a real good defense. The question

561
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:55,360
Speaker 1: is are you gonna be able to build a real

562
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,800
Speaker 1: good defense quickly here? And it'll be interesting to see

563
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,400
Speaker 1: them put it together. The next two are gonna be huge, Yeah,

564
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:03,760
Speaker 1: no question, And you're right. I think also guys have

565
00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:05,520
Speaker 1: to fit too. You know, last year we're not having

566
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,440
Speaker 1: Gary on Conley. That forced Vernon Hargraves to move inside. Well,

567
00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,720
Speaker 1: then that took away opportunities for John Reid because he's

568
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,760
Speaker 1: probably gonna be inside, and it moved, it moved Vernon

569
00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,680
Speaker 1: Hargraves he had to play outside and John we should

570
00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,520
Speaker 1: have been inside. But if things get moved around because

571
00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,040
Speaker 1: injury and you didn't have the depth, I think you're right.

572
00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,200
Speaker 1: I think it's two free agents, a couple of draft picks,

573
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,080
Speaker 1: two or three undrafted guys, if not more, and you

574
00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,280
Speaker 1: just throw as much paint up on a canvas, because

575
00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:35,160
Speaker 1: really the canvas right now is Justin Reid, maybe some

576
00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,800
Speaker 1: Lonnie Johnson and John Reid and the rest and and

577
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,160
Speaker 1: Bradley Roby and hope he's gonna be around and then

578
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,320
Speaker 1: you try and figure it out from there. But that

579
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,800
Speaker 1: is a group that's got to take a massive, massive step.

580
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:49,760
Speaker 1: No doubt about that now one group that's taking a

581
00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,160
Speaker 1: big step tomorrow, that's the same he used to stay Bearcats.

582
00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,640
Speaker 1: They're playing their first game of the twenty twenty season,

583
00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:58,640
Speaker 1: moved to the spring of twenty twenty one. They'll play

584
00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,200
Speaker 1: Southeastern Louisiana Top twenty team. I'll talk to Casey Keiler

585
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,120
Speaker 1: about that and moving to the Whack next. Right here

586
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,360
Speaker 1: in Texans All Access, we want to fall site me

587
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:11,520
Speaker 1: to this Friday issue of Texas All Access from Monday

588
00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,480
Speaker 1: Texans Radio Studio. I am John Harris Football, anal sideline

589
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,320
Speaker 1: reporter for your Houston Texans, and I will be doing

590
00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:23,520
Speaker 1: the game analysis for tomorrow's game Sam Houston State taking

591
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,760
Speaker 1: on Southeastern Louisiana. Same Houston State ballad Potty Wood has

592
00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,600
Speaker 1: been a big, great partner of ours. Also going to

593
00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:33,520
Speaker 1: move to the Whack in the future. I have a

594
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,040
Speaker 1: chance to catch up with Casey Keeler a while back

595
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,200
Speaker 1: and talk about this team this year, what they've been

596
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,120
Speaker 1: going through, and then the move to the Whack in

597
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,720
Speaker 1: the future. So let's rock with head coach Casey Keeler,

598
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,640
Speaker 1: the same Houston State Bearcats coach. It's been a little

599
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:50,680
Speaker 1: while since I've seen your man. How you doing, my friend,

600
00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,840
Speaker 1: I'm doing good. I'm doing good, you know, getting excited

601
00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:59,440
Speaker 1: for upcoming season, excited about a new conference next fall.

602
00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,240
Speaker 1: So a lot of things happening in sam Mus State. Yeah, coach,

603
00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,880
Speaker 1: we're gonna talk about that new conference affiliation. That's really

604
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,720
Speaker 1: cool stuff. But I got to ask you because I

605
00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,640
Speaker 1: know you've been around ball all your life. I grew

606
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,280
Speaker 1: up a coach's kid. I've been around ball all my life.

607
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,360
Speaker 1: When it comes to fall, you just know football should

608
00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:20,560
Speaker 1: be played. How tough was it for you personally to

609
00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,840
Speaker 1: get to the fall and not have football? We didn't

610
00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:25,720
Speaker 1: understand the safety of COVID all that kind of stuff,

611
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,400
Speaker 1: But just from that standpoint of not having a game

612
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,360
Speaker 1: on a Saturday and what you're used to, how tough

613
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,680
Speaker 1: has that been? And how tough was it this fall

614
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,520
Speaker 1: to go through that? Yeah, you know you almost feel

615
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,760
Speaker 1: like you're little lost, like you're trying to make your

616
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,600
Speaker 1: way because there's a rhythm to the fall. You know

617
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,080
Speaker 1: what Saturdays are, yeah, and then you know what Sundays are.

618
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,200
Speaker 1: You know there's a rhythm to our weeks, and you know,

619
00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:53,600
Speaker 1: not having that rhythm was hard. Also, just dealing with

620
00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:58,320
Speaker 1: all the issues of you know, COVID and contact tracing

621
00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,280
Speaker 1: and trying to recruit a glass without letting them come

622
00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,200
Speaker 1: on campus. I mean, even if they were on campus,

623
00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:07,080
Speaker 1: we weren't allowed to see them because we had some

624
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:09,960
Speaker 1: players come on campus to see the you know the campus,

625
00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,239
Speaker 1: you know, through tours and things, and hey, coach them

626
00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,720
Speaker 1: on campus, I can't see. So it was just a

627
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,440
Speaker 1: strange way of doing business, like a little bit of

628
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 1: a new normal for us. But we thought we had

629
00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,000
Speaker 1: a great recruiting class and I think the things that

630
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:25,240
Speaker 1: we did in the fall have prepared our kids for

631
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,120
Speaker 1: this spring coming up, you know, some of the trials

632
00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:31,360
Speaker 1: and tribulations that some other programs have gone through, you know,

633
00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,720
Speaker 1: talking to the guys at Alabama. Kyle Flood was my

634
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,200
Speaker 1: offensive line coach, is now at Texas, you know, and

635
00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,640
Speaker 1: talking to Danny was with me here at sam Uson

636
00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,640
Speaker 1: as the coordinator of Georgia. Feel along with North Carolina

637
00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,320
Speaker 1: just kind of like picking their brains. How did you

638
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,320
Speaker 1: survive the season? And the mantra was all the same

639
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:49,760
Speaker 1: from all three. It was your kids are gonna go

640
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,480
Speaker 1: to school, your kids are gonna play football, and they're

641
00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:57,560
Speaker 1: going to hang with their roommates now their teammates, which

642
00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:02,040
Speaker 1: is so strange because in our world it's all about

643
00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,400
Speaker 1: the camaraderie and then those bonds. And now you'renna tell them.

644
00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,080
Speaker 1: The guys they stay away from each other. Yeah, you know,

645
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,720
Speaker 1: and if you're in the car together, make sure you

646
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,920
Speaker 1: have your masks up. And so it's been it's been interesting.

647
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,000
Speaker 1: You know. They they get tired of hearing me talk

648
00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:19,600
Speaker 1: about the bubble and COVID and all those kind of things.

649
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,520
Speaker 1: But I've warned him, I said, you know, that's not

650
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,760
Speaker 1: got fatigue on this because we've not you know, gotten

651
00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,280
Speaker 1: through this yet. And if we want to have a season,

652
00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:30,640
Speaker 1: and the great thing about Sam Musseuf, we've made a commitment,

653
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,840
Speaker 1: you know, to have this season. You know we need

654
00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,280
Speaker 1: to do all the right things. Yeah, no doubt. And coach,

655
00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:38,760
Speaker 1: having gone through it with the Texans, you're right. You

656
00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:42,000
Speaker 1: hit on a big thing, the exhaustion factor because of

657
00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,200
Speaker 1: just the things you constantly have to think about that

658
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:48,040
Speaker 1: everyday life you don't really have to think about. But

659
00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,440
Speaker 1: you're ten days away, you're getting ready starting off with

660
00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:53,600
Speaker 1: incarnent word, I believe. How do you feel about this

661
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,480
Speaker 1: year's team, which would have in the fall twenty twenty,

662
00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:58,360
Speaker 1: but it is the spring of twenty twenty one. How

663
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,240
Speaker 1: do you feel about the squad you have come up

664
00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,560
Speaker 1: this year? Yeah, I thought that, you know, the whole

665
00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:04,600
Speaker 1: key was us going to be, you know, rebuilding the

666
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:07,840
Speaker 1: offensive line. You know, if you look at the kids

667
00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:09,879
Speaker 1: we have back and we have great scale kids back,

668
00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:11,880
Speaker 1: I think we got it a couple. Uh. You know,

669
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,600
Speaker 1: we thought Schmidt is an All American level quarterback. You know,

670
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:17,680
Speaker 1: when he's healthy, he looks great out there. It just

671
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,080
Speaker 1: can we really build that offensive line? And I feel

672
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,640
Speaker 1: pretty good that we have some pieces of the puzzle

673
00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:24,879
Speaker 1: layer just a matter of figure out who the best

674
00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,640
Speaker 1: five are any one time. You know, we have an

675
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,360
Speaker 1: All American punter back. You know, we have a front

676
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,080
Speaker 1: line defense, you know, a front four that's as good

677
00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,520
Speaker 1: as any zeras in the country. Some great kids in

678
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,759
Speaker 1: the back end, Jayleen Thomas, the McCullum twins, so you know,

679
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,799
Speaker 1: and for me, there are so many players on this

680
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:49,239
Speaker 1: team that really deserved the red shirt year and you

681
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:50,719
Speaker 1: just couldn't give it to him because you're trying to

682
00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,719
Speaker 1: win ball games. You know, the twins both you know,

683
00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,720
Speaker 1: they played as true freshman Y Jayleen Thomas. I always

684
00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:59,000
Speaker 1: they might be the best freshman I've ever coached. He

685
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:00,960
Speaker 1: played as a true freshman. So you had all these

686
00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:03,640
Speaker 1: guys that could use a red shirt year, and now

687
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,880
Speaker 1: they're going to get that red shirt year, and so

688
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,200
Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be great for them for next fall.

689
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,279
Speaker 1: But you know the great thing about what we're doing

690
00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,120
Speaker 1: right now, the plan is that there's gonna be a championship.

691
00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:15,960
Speaker 1: And that's why Sam Houston decided not to play in

692
00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:19,640
Speaker 1: the fall. And you know, I think we thought playing

693
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,680
Speaker 1: money games in the fall wasn't the right direction for us.

694
00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,640
Speaker 1: It was really Moore, Hey, there's a championship out there

695
00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:29,080
Speaker 1: on the line. If there's one, we want to go

696
00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,680
Speaker 1: get that if we can. So that's been our mentality

697
00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:34,000
Speaker 1: and there are kids that have appreciated that. And you

698
00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,040
Speaker 1: know we're like ten days out now. Yeah. You and

699
00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,480
Speaker 1: I've talked a million times about a million different things,

700
00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:41,520
Speaker 1: as I've called a number of your games. And you know,

701
00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,480
Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of McCallum twins. I love Zion.

702
00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:47,400
Speaker 1: I think he's got NFL abilities. And over the years,

703
00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:49,920
Speaker 1: you and I from the first time that you and

704
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:53,120
Speaker 1: I talked, I remember coming to see a guy nam PJ. Hall.

705
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,120
Speaker 1: I watched him and I was just enamored with him,

706
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:57,520
Speaker 1: and I used to tell you the man I would

707
00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,520
Speaker 1: love him with us. Well, he finally ended up with

708
00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,160
Speaker 1: us at the Houston Texans and had a really good,

709
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,640
Speaker 1: solid season before he was injured. Coach, what was it

710
00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:10,440
Speaker 1: that you saw in PJ Hall that you saw translated

711
00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,680
Speaker 1: into his year this year with the Houston Texans and

712
00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:14,759
Speaker 1: really made it kind of a mark for he was

713
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:16,839
Speaker 1: one of our better interior defenders, if not the best

714
00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,120
Speaker 1: one we had. Yeah, you know, it's interesting. When we

715
00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:24,239
Speaker 1: got to sam Houston, they're redshirting PJ. And PJ was

716
00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,840
Speaker 1: on the offense with the tight ends for a period

717
00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:31,279
Speaker 1: of time as Kyle Sigler, the tight ends coach, was

718
00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:33,839
Speaker 1: trying to figure out, Okay, which one of these guys

719
00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,759
Speaker 1: that I'm going to take. He ended up taking a

720
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,239
Speaker 1: guy named Rob and Henderson got a phenomenal career for US,

721
00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,240
Speaker 1: and PJ went over to defense, and so my defensive

722
00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:43,920
Speaker 1: line coach, Philip Patitue came in. He was with me

723
00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,640
Speaker 1: at Delaware and actually got Rowan university. So Philip did

724
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,160
Speaker 1: with me every place I've been and after the first

725
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,960
Speaker 1: practice he goes, I don't think anyone knows how good

726
00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,600
Speaker 1: this kid could be. And you know, at the time,

727
00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:56,319
Speaker 1: I think PJ was about six one and a half,

728
00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,680
Speaker 1: about two thirty five, and over time we grew him

729
00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:03,120
Speaker 1: into about two seventy five. And then finally his junior year,

730
00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:05,759
Speaker 1: I realized he was a next level kid, like he

731
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:08,440
Speaker 1: was special. And I was like, you know, the problem

732
00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:09,959
Speaker 1: is if you do want to play at the next level,

733
00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,360
Speaker 1: you're not a defensive end. You know, we need to

734
00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:18,359
Speaker 1: put twenty five maybe thirty pounds on you and you

735
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:22,200
Speaker 1: need to play inside. And he didn't blinky. He's like, okay, coach,

736
00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:24,239
Speaker 1: that's what you think we need to do. So it's

737
00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:25,960
Speaker 1: gonna be the best thing for Sam Houston. It's also

738
00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:27,759
Speaker 1: going to be the best thing for you. And then

739
00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,080
Speaker 1: he put the weight on, and you know, I mean

740
00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:33,200
Speaker 1: he came became a real, you know, inside guy, and

741
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:35,920
Speaker 1: I thought it just was like, not that the Raiders

742
00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,040
Speaker 1: were the wrong fit, but you know, sometimes I always

743
00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:41,279
Speaker 1: said about this about Flacco. Joe was a guy that

744
00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,239
Speaker 1: it was good that he went to the Ravens or

745
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:47,160
Speaker 1: to Philadelphia or to a New York team. You know,

746
00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:49,560
Speaker 1: family is so important to him and you know, just

747
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:51,680
Speaker 1: having him in close proximity I did. It's the same

748
00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,440
Speaker 1: thing the PJ. I think PJ coming back to Texas

749
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,600
Speaker 1: was a perfect fit because how close family is to him.

750
00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:01,480
Speaker 1: And again and it was great to see him play

751
00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:05,120
Speaker 1: very well, you know for his time there with the Texas.

752
00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,719
Speaker 1: Unfortunately had that you know, peck injury. But you know,

753
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,080
Speaker 1: he sounds like he's ready to go. Coach. You mentioned

754
00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:16,280
Speaker 1: it early in our discussion, the new conference affiliation, the whack.

755
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:20,680
Speaker 1: And for people of my demographic, your demographic, when we

756
00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:22,440
Speaker 1: hear the whack, the first thing we think about is

757
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:26,399
Speaker 1: oh Man, Wyoming BYU, the shootouts, all that kind of thing.

758
00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:29,439
Speaker 1: And I kind of have that soft spot for the Whack.

759
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:33,080
Speaker 1: And that's where you guys are going. Tell me about

760
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:36,040
Speaker 1: your thoughts, give me your thoughts if you don't mind

761
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:40,040
Speaker 1: about making that transition and how it benefits all the

762
00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,240
Speaker 1: football program, but the whole University of Sam Houston State. Yeah,

763
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,359
Speaker 1: when I hear the WHACK, I think the Boise State

764
00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:50,560
Speaker 1: because Joe Blameyer was a walk on for me and

765
00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:54,160
Speaker 1: his dad was the athletic director at Boise State. That's right, Yeah,

766
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:57,520
Speaker 1: Blue Turf, you know, taking it from basically a Division

767
00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:00,640
Speaker 1: two three program to where it is now. And Joe

768
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:03,040
Speaker 1: actually just was in the Super Bowl as the assistant

769
00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:06,440
Speaker 1: quarterback coach with with the Kansas City Chiefs, and I

770
00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:10,000
Speaker 1: remember having so many conversations with his father about, you know,

771
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,000
Speaker 1: the great football they played in that conference and the

772
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,759
Speaker 1: shootouts and you know, the great the great parody that

773
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:18,400
Speaker 1: there was, you know, and kind of Boise was the

774
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:21,840
Speaker 1: one who kind of raised everybody up. And so we

775
00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:23,799
Speaker 1: know we're going to a great conference. And I love

776
00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,000
Speaker 1: the people we're bringing along with us, a lot of

777
00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,759
Speaker 1: like minded people. We've just put fifteen million dollars into

778
00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:34,000
Speaker 1: our facilities. Lamar has great facilities. A Belieen Christian has

779
00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:38,479
Speaker 1: great facilities. Stephen f Alston hired him all a coach

780
00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,040
Speaker 1: that won a national championship. He bring Southern Utah in

781
00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:46,040
Speaker 1: Tarleton has great facilities. So all of a sudden, you know,

782
00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:49,640
Speaker 1: you're putting together a pretty good football conference. And we think,

783
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:52,480
Speaker 1: you know, there's gonna be some growing pains, maybe the

784
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:55,600
Speaker 1: first year because we don't quite have enough teams. We're

785
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,799
Speaker 1: trying to figure out a schedule. But I think the

786
00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:03,000
Speaker 1: long term possibilities of this conference are incredible. Worst case,

787
00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:06,120
Speaker 1: we're gonna be one of the best FCS conferences in

788
00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,440
Speaker 1: the country. I think eventually this will be a Division

789
00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,759
Speaker 1: one conference, and I think, you know, once we get

790
00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:13,719
Speaker 1: in and once we kind of get our feet wet

791
00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:15,480
Speaker 1: and settle in, I think you'll see us through some

792
00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,360
Speaker 1: studies to see if you know, going Division one is

793
00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:20,520
Speaker 1: the best direction for the conference and for samue s

794
00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,120
Speaker 1: State coach. You mentioned Delaware and even rowing, but being

795
00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:27,680
Speaker 1: at Delaware and playing in that conference and then playing

796
00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,440
Speaker 1: in the south Land and now looking at what's potentially

797
00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:32,520
Speaker 1: there in the whack you said it a little bit.

798
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:33,840
Speaker 1: I want to go a little bit further with that

799
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,680
Speaker 1: about the strength of that conference or the potential of it.

800
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,319
Speaker 1: And I heard you mentioned Southern Utah and that it

801
00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:41,919
Speaker 1: also to just clicked the number of players Southern Utah

802
00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,440
Speaker 1: has actually put into the NFL the last few years.

803
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,360
Speaker 1: It really has the possibility of being a pretty strong

804
00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,840
Speaker 1: FCS conference. But you've been at other conferences. As you

805
00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:54,000
Speaker 1: look at the pieces that are there, you think it

806
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:57,600
Speaker 1: really holds up against the other conferences. Big Sky, which

807
00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,960
Speaker 1: you know obviously is going to be in that area

808
00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,080
Speaker 1: or at least part of that area with connections to Utah.

809
00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:05,120
Speaker 1: How do you feel overall about the strength of it

810
00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:08,120
Speaker 1: going forward on into the future. Yeah, I think that's

811
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:09,880
Speaker 1: why we made the move. I think we made the

812
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,720
Speaker 1: move because we saw a lot of like minded schools

813
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,640
Speaker 1: that wanted to make a commitment to a football conference.

814
00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:17,880
Speaker 1: And you know, it's exciting. And when I got to

815
00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:21,279
Speaker 1: the CIA, you know, my Dallware team played for three

816
00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:23,920
Speaker 1: national championships and one in two thousand and three, the

817
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,440
Speaker 1: another one a national championship. Richmond won a national championship,

818
00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,279
Speaker 1: James Madison won a national championship. William Mary was in

819
00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:33,520
Speaker 1: the final four main beat I think it was old miss.

820
00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:37,680
Speaker 1: I think so that conference top to bottom. New Hampshire

821
00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:40,520
Speaker 1: was in like twelve straight playoffs top to bottom. It

822
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,720
Speaker 1: was a war every single weekend. I see that happening

823
00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:46,759
Speaker 1: in the new ACC. I see with the commitment that

824
00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:49,520
Speaker 1: all the schools I mentioned you have made to their

825
00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:52,000
Speaker 1: facilities and the fact that we are like minded that

826
00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:54,279
Speaker 1: we want to have great football. I can see this

827
00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:57,600
Speaker 1: really development into a great football conference. I already taking

828
00:41:57,640 --> 00:41:59,880
Speaker 1: a look at that twenty twenty one schedule. Fact, I

829
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:04,239
Speaker 1: was on a production meeting call with Coach Keeler and

830
00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:06,800
Speaker 1: my guys Jason and Bend down at Sam Houston State

831
00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:10,920
Speaker 1: on Wednesday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and we were talking about

832
00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:13,840
Speaker 1: that twenty twenty one schedule. My goodness, Holy smokes, that

833
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,640
Speaker 1: schedule is tough because they're also going to get something

834
00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:19,319
Speaker 1: to help from the Atlantic Sun to kind of help

835
00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:21,520
Speaker 1: them fill out and maintain an automatic bid in twenty

836
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:23,680
Speaker 1: twenty one. So there's a lot of stuff, a lot

837
00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:27,319
Speaker 1: of moving parts. But tomorrow six o'clock Sam Houston State

838
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:32,600
Speaker 1: taken on Southeastern Louisiana on ESPM plus again six o'clock

839
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,040
Speaker 1: right there from Bowers Stadium. Looking forward to it, so

840
00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:38,239
Speaker 1: check that out. All right, It's been a great show.

841
00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:41,719
Speaker 1: Appreciate Mark, Appreciate coach coming by. Appreciate you guys for listening.

842
00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:46,720
Speaker 1: We'll see you next time. Everybody and has always go Texans, Texans, Texans,