WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - Zaven Collins 0:00:02.160 --> 0:00:05.359 Everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:09.639 I'm your host ESPN and Arizona Cardinals broadcaster Dave Pash. Well, 0:00:09.640 --> 0:00:12.080 as you know from our first fifty one episodes of 0:00:12.080 --> 0:00:14.760 the Dave Pash Podcast, we have a variety of guests 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:17.120 on this show, but most of the time it has 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:20.520 an Arizona Cardinals spin. Well, today we get back into 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:25.120 the Cardinal space with Cardinals second year linebacker Xaban Collins. 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:28.840 Xavin has had an outstanding year for the Cardinals. He's 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:31.960 really coming into his own and currently he is just 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:34.840 one of nine players in the NFL with at least 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.320 seventy five tackles, eight tackles for a loss in two sacks. 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:40.920 He also has an interception for a touchdown and could 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:44.360 have easily had two more interceptions over the last two games. 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:47.680 We'll talk about how close Zaban was to getting another 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.160 touchdown in the game on Monday Night. We'll also talk 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:55.720 with Zaban about his childhood growing up outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:58.720 playing at a small school, and then what he learned 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:01.360 his first year in the NFL. It's not so much 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:04.440 like the game slowdown, like everyone's still fast as hell. 0:01:04.600 --> 0:01:06.280 Everyone's you know what I mean, Like the players are 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:09.680 all that are all fast. You know, it's the recognition 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:14.040 of things and you know, processing information. Also, Zaban will 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:17.000 discuss some of the players that he looks up to 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:19.640 on this team, what to expect from the Cardinals the 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:22.400 last month of the season, and what he hopes to 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.640 achieve next year as he continues to roll in his 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:28.200 role as one of the leaders of the defense. We 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:30.920 are presented by BETMGM, the official sports betting partner are 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:34.520 the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River Resorts and Casinos. 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.759 The bet MGM Touchdown Boost Token is here increase your 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:40.640 payout with every Cardinal's touchdown. You'll receive an extra ten 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:43.720 percent boost of every Cardinal's touchdown and your boost can 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:46.360 be used on the following week's game only at bet mgm, 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:49.080 the King of sports books and official partner of the 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:52.920 Arizona Cardinals. Visit betmgm dot com for terms and conditions. 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:55.640 Twenty one years of age or older to wager Arizona only. 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:59.280 All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Please 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:02.960 gamble response gambling problem called one eight hundred. Next step 0:02:03.320 --> 0:02:11.040 all right, time for our conversation with Cardinal's linebacker Saven Collins. Well, Saven, 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:12.680 this is actually the first time we've had a chance 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:14.600 to meet, so it's it's great to sit down with you. 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:18.400 Appreciate the time. Really enjoyed watching you this year. UM, 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:22.600 I'm curious from your perspective. I know it's tough when 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:26.320 things aren't going well for the team, but how do 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:29.320 you think you've played this year? Um? Obviously from last 0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:31.520 year it's a completely nine day difference, but you know, 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:35.200 from like an overall league standpoint, UM, you know, just 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:37.880 trying to I've played I think good, but just still 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:40.800 trying to get better every game. You know, produce, UM, 0:02:41.120 --> 0:02:43.080 make the plays I need to make, and you know, 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.880 UM play complimentary football for the defense and then obviously 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:50.239 the team. But yeah, it's been it's been good. I've 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:52.960 been robbed the last couple, you know, big plays that 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:55.680 you know, Chargers would have been a game ender, and 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:58.519 then obviously last week would have been seven points for 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:01.959 the defense. And it's kind of nice because getting to 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:05.360 do that with Isaiah's touchdown, my touchdown against the Seattle 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:08.560 we like, UM, I think the Cardinals defense like number 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:11.280 one for like touchdowns for a defense, I think, which 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:12.800 is you know what I mean, just trying to stack 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:15.240 those stuff like that, Just trying to put points on 0:03:15.280 --> 0:03:17.919 the board and do whatever as a defense is always fun. 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:21.079 Not only did you get robbed, but and I said 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:22.400 this on the air when you were doing the game, 0:03:22.400 --> 0:03:25.520 Wolf and I both I don't understand how replay in 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:30.080 the Chargers game overturns that because there's no way that 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:34.639 that was indisputable video evidence beyond all doubt. Yeah, that's 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:36.880 the thing that that that hurt me there. And then 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:41.520 last game, I secured that the ball on my shoulder 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:44.840 while falling, so it's not like it was fumbling around, 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:46.400 and they said it didn't even look like it hit 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:48.200 the grass, so they didn't really understand. The thing that 0:03:48.360 --> 0:03:52.360 confused me last game more than both games was I 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.080 caught the ball, fell ran into the end zone, went 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:57.080 to the sideline, and was already back onto the field 0:03:57.080 --> 0:03:59.520 because they'd overturned it that fast. I was like, Dan, 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:01.480 I was so fast because they had declared it a 0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:03.800 touchdown already, so they have to have like a you 0:04:03.800 --> 0:04:06.280 said again in disputed evidence. I thought they're just gonna 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:08.160 call me down by him touching me or something on 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:10.280 a knee while I was still on the ground, and 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:12.000 then when they overturned it all the way, I was 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:14.840 pissed off. It was like, damn yeah, because I think 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:18.359 looking back at it, had they still ruled in the 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.240 last game, had they still ruled that an interception, they 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:23.960 would have said you were down by contact. But the 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:27.400 league wants to let things play out because obviously if 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:30.279 they say you're down but then you're not, yeah, you 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:33.640 lose the runback. What happened to JJ Yeah exactly with 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.280 the forced fumble. Yeah, and they said it was incomplete 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:38.760 pass and he runs into the end zone and they'd 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:42.520 blown it dead and yeah, so those two plays, oh 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:44.800 so close. But you did have the pick six earlier 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.400 in the year. And what are the plays that stands 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:49.640 out to me? And maybe it's because it was fresh 0:04:49.680 --> 0:04:52.760 in my memory from Monday night. Was one of the 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:57.640 fifty screen passes they ran where you saw it, recognized it, 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:01.960 tracked and backed. Yeah. Yeah, we'd we'd been tipped off. 0:05:01.960 --> 0:05:03.320 I mean knew that they're going to come into our 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:04.760 game with a lot of screen. We've been getting a 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:07.560 lot of screen all year. So whenever I saw that 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:10.279 pump fake the other way and you can really tell 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:12.839 by the o liman like their eyes. Like, for the 0:05:12.880 --> 0:05:15.800 most part, when you're off the ball, like by five yards, 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.599 those o liman aren't staring at you. They're looking right 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:21.760 to left to see you know. For games, if it's 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.719 pass protection, pulling a screen, they're letting the rush go 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:27.360 by them and then they're climbing for the linebackers or 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.839 you know, second level. So whenever their eyes are locked 0:05:30.880 --> 0:05:32.640 onto you and your five yards off the ball, that 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:34.160 kind of just gives you a heads up right now, 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.440 like this is a screen. So then making that play 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:38.080 was nice. Yeah, there was a couple of screens that 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:40.440 I had. I had another tight end screen. That's the 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:43.839 one where each Max Jones scrambled around and they called 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:46.000 linman down the field. I'd actually grabbed that tight end 0:05:46.560 --> 0:05:50.039 before he could give him the ball. So is that 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:53.719 an area where you've grown when you think about going 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:56.760 from year one to year two? Is that what I 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.680 think when people say things have slowed down? Is that 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:02.040 what it looks like where you're able to recognize it 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:05.240 pre snap or as soon as the snap happens, what's 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:07.880 going on based on seeing the lyman's eyes. Yeah, it's 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:10.240 not it's not so much like the game slow down, 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:12.800 Like everyone's still fast as hell. Everyone's you know what 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:14.719 I mean, Like the players are all that are all fast. 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:18.720 You know. It's the recognition of things and you know, 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:22.359 processing information, you know, it's it's that And that's the 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:24.920 aspect that's slowed down the most for me being able 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:29.080 to recognize things listening to the DJ's call, and because 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:31.320 he gives us, you know, a giant call sheet each 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:35.159 week and it has like first and second down, these 0:06:35.160 --> 0:06:37.920 are the play calls this personnel, here's the play calls, 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:42.000 you know, passing situations. Here's what we're thinking. So then 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.680 if you take the call and kind of apply it 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.320 to the situation and down, that'll tell you what he's thinking. 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:49.560 And then you know, like ninety five percent of the 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.159 time he's right. So it's like it just gives you 0:06:52.200 --> 0:06:56.000 a little head step before and you know, obviously having 0:06:56.080 --> 0:06:59.159 him in the headset, it's like he'll tell tell me 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:01.719 to tell guys other things, so then I understand, like 0:07:01.720 --> 0:07:04.760 I am getting all the information even when he's not 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:06.719 even talking to me. I have to relay it. So 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:10.160 that's what it's like. So he'll call the play, Yeah, 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:13.280 he'll call the defense and then there may be instructions of, hey, 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:17.400 remind Isaiah about this, Like yeah, it's not so much 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:21.280 remind someone. It's more like, um, you know, show this 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:24.040 or show that, or you know, remember to tell the 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.920 these guys like right here in this situation, we're press 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:29.880 belling or we're you know, we're staying, we're pressing right here. 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:33.040 You know, it's more of the situational reminders rather than 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:38.160 a job reminder. Like the job reminder like that doesn't 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:40.280 really tell me much about the game. It's the situational 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:43.920 reminders that really, you know, help me too. How's your 0:07:43.920 --> 0:07:47.280 memory retention? So when good, So when he calls it 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:49.680 and he tells you, he adds something like, hey, we're 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:52.520 gonna show this or disguise this or whatever. You're boom 0:07:52.600 --> 0:07:54.880 telling guests. Ye, yeah, I mean it's just like if 0:07:54.920 --> 0:07:56.920 you're talking to me right now with this headset on, 0:07:57.080 --> 0:08:00.880 I'm talking to you. So whatever you're saying, you're talking 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:05.120 to Craig ray Lewis. Yeah, So I'm yeah, obviously, yeah, 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:07.360 just letting people know who I'm. So there's three people 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:09.680 in here, every Yeah, there's a third person here. So 0:08:09.760 --> 0:08:11.760 you're talking so one to two, and then two is 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:14.040 talking to two to three. But I'm talking to everyone 0:08:14.120 --> 0:08:16.800 while you're talking to me, because there's not enough time 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:19.200 most of the time for him to call the call 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:22.080 and meet a wait listen to everything unless it's like 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:24.600 a stop down or you know, a long play, but 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:26.600 like when teams are going hurry up. You know, I 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:30.120 gotta talk while I'm listening, which is kind of a 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:34.120 task that I've had to learn. Um sure so, but yeah, 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.400 and I don't get everything, like as far as like 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:40.120 the situational reminders stuff like that. I don't get everything, 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:42.600 but I mean I get most of it. Yeah, So 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.240 I don't know if you watch a lot of sports 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:49.680 on television, But so in a similar now I'm not 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.679 about to get run over or run over somebody, but 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:55.520 you know, in a similar way, like I've got somebody, 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:57.439 you know, we may have to get a promo in 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.200 or hey, there's an injured play or something happens. A 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:01.880 producer is telling me in my year, and I have 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:04.160 to talk while he's telling me something and then listen 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:06.800 to the analysts. So I get I have an idea 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:09.959 like what you're talking about. But obviously then uh, there 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:13.040 aren't you know, three hundred pound lineman running at me 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:16.480 right after its running sprints. You know, the worst part 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.400 is like having a twelve played drive, and then you 0:09:19.440 --> 0:09:21.960 get into the red zone and you know, red zone 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:24.240 everything has to be neat and you know, all all 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.240 eyes dotted, all tea's crossed to have a good red 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:29.360 zone performance. So that's like the you know, just trying 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.240 to get the call to everyone and can get hectic 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:33.920 down there sometimes. So I remember the year at Tulsa 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:37.120 when you won the bed Nerek and the Nagurski Awards 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:40.040 and obviously ended up being a first round pick. I 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:41.520 know it was a weird year because it was a 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:43.160 COVID year and I don't even remember if you guys 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:45.560 had fans at all at any of your games. Yeah, 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:47.439 we did a little bit, but not much. It was 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:51.280 like spread out, no front or bottom row, so it 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:53.600 was really weird. And then I mean Tulsa, we didn't 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:56.320 really have like a giant you know, Ohio State fan base, 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:58.920 you know it was it wasn't like that, but it 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:03.440 was a was spread out for sure. Quiet and so 0:10:03.800 --> 0:10:09.360 in in that league, are you in a similar situation 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.920 where you're in charge of getting everybody lined up, and 0:10:13.000 --> 0:10:16.800 are the calls similar, Is they're less furbiage? Are there 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.880 just a handful of defenses at that level or calls 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:22.600 at that level as opposed to if you were at 0:10:22.600 --> 0:10:26.120 a Power five school or the NFL. Yeah, so I 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:29.280 mean at that level, No, we didn't have a lot 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:31.600 of calls. I mean we had blitzs and pressures and 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.000 stuff like that, but we didn't have nearly as much 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.480 as you know what we do here. We have you know, 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:39.520 we have personnels for thirteen. We have personnels for twelve. 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:42.960 We have personnels eleven, you know, so eleven one tight end, 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:45.800 one on one back, you know, two tight ends, one back. 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:47.720 We have personnels for all of this stuff. We have 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.360 calls we're thrown in. We have such you know, situational 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:54.000 calls we're doing. We have you know, exotic pressures I 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:56.839 called zotics to where it means like the it doesn't 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:58.760 look like a normal defense, like we're kind of all 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:02.360 lined up in a really weird way, you know, like six, 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:05.080 six or seven men down on the line or you 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:07.439 know what I mean, like exact pressures like that. You 0:11:07.600 --> 0:11:11.240 got um goal line packages, you know, all this stuff. 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:13.520 Just because there's so much that goes into an NFL 0:11:13.559 --> 0:11:17.000 game like you're not just working. Like when you talk 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:19.240 about the NFL game, you know, there's been scouts that 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.960 have for the other team that are you know, three 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.000 games go that we're watching you to see what their 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:27.520 weakness is on the defense. They apply that to you know, 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:29.960 they tell the coaches that the coaches scheme you up 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:32.880 all week. They bring that to the players, the quarterback 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:35.400 for their team and scheming up. So it's like, you 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:37.480 know what I mean, there's so much stuff. And then 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:39.319 that's another thing that I've learned too while being in 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:42.520 NFL so far as like you know, going back and 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:46.160 watching film and seeing all this stuff, it really applies. 0:11:46.160 --> 0:11:48.600 It does apply to the field. But then an offense 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:50.920 is always going to have their change up to beat 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:53.000 you that week. Sure, and once you can catch on 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:55.880 during the game to what that is, then you kind 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.240 of start to stop that offense. There their m O 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:01.480 for that week, and and that's the thing. So you 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:03.880 kind of got to be prepared for that offense. But 0:12:03.960 --> 0:12:06.199 also in a general broad aspect of how are you 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:08.560 going to fix this? But yeah, I mean I've had 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:11.800 some situations this year where you know, hey, I saw 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:13.480 this on the field, I bring it to the sideline. 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:15.719 We look at the still shots and it's like, this 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:17.559 is where they're going to hit us if we don't 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:19.920 fix this right now. And then you know, we fix 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:21.439 it and you can see where they were trying to 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:23.560 hit us, you know, a couple of plays later. I mean, 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:26.600 you know, like they tried it and I think it 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.800 was one time as like a pressure. But yeah, it's 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:32.520 just in that kind of like it gives me confidence, 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:35.320 you know, to see like, hey, I saw this and 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:37.200 I was right, because you don't want to see it 0:12:37.200 --> 0:12:38.680 and then you know, make a big doubt of it 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:42.200 and it's like, damn, you're wrong, but you know, yeah 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:44.280 it's and it's not. This isn't like a week to 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:46.840 week thing that happened a couple of times maybe, and 0:12:48.000 --> 0:12:50.319 but it's nice, Yeah, just seeing it kind of all 0:12:50.400 --> 0:12:52.280 unravel and then just trying to be a professional in 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:55.200 the building and you know, study and know the plays 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:57.920 and you know, once I know my job description really well, 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:01.079 I can help other players that come in. So like 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:03.439 I've done the Cardinals for twenty one years, I've seen 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:06.200 a lot of guys come through here, and seeing guys 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:09.760 that you know, we're really good college players that didn't 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:12.400 make it. I've seen guys that weren't really good college 0:13:12.400 --> 0:13:15.560 players that end up being terrific NFL players. And some 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:18.080 of it is just the situation what's going on with 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:21.480 the team at that time. And you know, you came 0:13:21.559 --> 0:13:24.000 from a small school, but you're a mid first round pick. 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:26.559 I mean, you were going to get picked. Whether In fact, 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:29.120 I was told by several people that if Mac Jones 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:32.560 and you probably know this thing you're been it, would 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:34.640 you would have been a Patriot. Yeah, Mac, Mac was 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:37.120 number one on their board, and then I'm pretty sure 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:40.160 I was like, yeah, number two, So yeah, I figured 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:42.400 that out. Like I don't know if it was after 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:44.360 the draft or the day of the draft or what 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:48.280 it was. So you're sitting there watching like everything just unfolded, 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:50.880 you know what I mean, And like, you know, ninety 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:53.640 percent of the time, unless it's even like this year 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:56.280 it's draft or whatever it was last year's draft, the 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.080 only really certain pick kind is the first pick, and 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:02.120 then last year's draft, you know whatever that was. Twenty 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.320 twenty twos draft was kind of you know, after the 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:07.600 first pick, everyone thought it was gonna be this dude, 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:10.400 it wasn't and you know, you know, it's just all 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:14.400 over the place. So but yeah, it's a it's different 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:17.520 for sure. So how when you got here then how 0:14:17.600 --> 0:14:20.320 much of it was a new world for you? Something? 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:22.600 What we were talking about with with what you did, 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:24.400 what you were asked to do a tulsa based on 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.200 what you're asked to do at this level. The description 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:31.400 of you know, take charge of the defense and call 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:36.920 the plays was the same. The amount of plays and 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:42.280 knowing situational stuff and processing of information was so opposite. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:44.640 It was just like it was just so much stuff 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:46.200 for me, you know, trying to learn all that stuff 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:48.920 last year and you know, it just I just needed 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:53.160 time to understand it all because I'm when I know something, 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.040 I know in depth and know how what we're thinking, 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:57.800 what we're trying to do, how we're trying to operate 0:14:57.800 --> 0:14:59.400 this thing, you know what I mean, I just don't 0:14:59.440 --> 0:15:02.400 know it because it's the rule. You know. Billyde which 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:04.960 is my linebackers show, she's big on like know the why, 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.120 know the why why are we doing this? So then 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:09.000 out on the field, if he's calling this, then you 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:11.360 know the reason or the why behind it. You know 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:14.480 what I mean, So it's not it's it's it makes 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.320 things a little bit easier for me. And you know, 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:20.440 like this year, I've taken I think, for myself, big 0:15:20.480 --> 0:15:22.640 steps because I can like help other players fund need 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:24.880 to or like, you know, get people aligned if I 0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:26.680 need to, maybe not the right guys are in for 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:29.200 a certain call I can make. I can know the call, 0:15:29.320 --> 0:15:32.120 change the call. You know, if offensive hurry up, it's 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:34.080 third and one balls in the you know, on the 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:36.400 fifty yard line, what are we gonna run? Last year, 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:39.000 I wouldn't been able to do that, no shot, just 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:41.720 because the mental you know what I mean. Like last year, 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.480 I'm studying all these calls and then this year I'm 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.840 studying these calls for a situation more so it's just 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:51.880 a situational matter. It's just, you know, is big in 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:54.520 this league because you can get put into anything and 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:56.800 you got to know it and you're expected to know it. 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.760 So you're from hominy, Is that how you say it? So? 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:03.320 I was in Oklahoma a few weeks ago. I did Bedlam. 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:06.400 It's the first time I'd done Bedlam. Obviously it was 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:08.640 not a great year for Oklahoma, and I had done 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:11.400 Oklahoma State, Texas and Oklahoma State won that game and 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:14.400 then did not play well down the stretch, but obviously 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:17.160 that is the game in the state. You grew up 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:20.800 north of Tulsa, closer to Stillwater than Norman. Did you 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:24.000 grow up watching Bedlam? Were you recruited it all by 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:27.800 either school? Were you? Did you have a school that 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:31.040 you preferred if it wasn't Tulsa. Would you wanted to 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:34.280 be a Sooner or a Poke? Yeah? When I was 0:16:34.320 --> 0:16:36.760 growing up, it was all owe you everything, you know, 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:39.080 owe you over everyone, Oh you over Texas, owe you 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:43.440 over OSU. And then like I really didn't even realize 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:47.200 what Tulsa was when I was being recruited. I remember 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:50.360 I got one letter from OU and it was the 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:54.720 general information letter that they send regular students. So and 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:57.120 it just happened. It just happened to be, you know, 0:16:57.560 --> 0:16:59.680 it was something that I like thought was big at 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:01.800 the time. I'm like, oh man, I gotta leary from OU. 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:05.359 And it's like, you know, it was it was nothing 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:08.480 at the time, but for me it was everything. And thought, 0:17:08.560 --> 0:17:10.240 you know, I was gonna get offers, this and that 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:13.479 just grind and you know, never really got the offers. 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:16.399 And then obviously when I knew, and that was the 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:19.480 time when OU was getting you know, they were getting 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:22.200 five star after five star after four star, you know 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:25.480 what I mean, Like I would have been from a 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:28.600 prospect standpoint, bottom of the barrel. You know, They're coming 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:31.920 out of small school in Oklahoma, last eleven man before 0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:35.760 you go to eight man football. So and then the 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.240 very first college game, actual college game I ever went to. 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:41.439 I guess I would did go to OU when I 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:44.359 was younger, but you know that I clearly remember was 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:48.359 Tulsa versus Marshall for a church event type of deal. Really, 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.119 and then you know, two or three years later, I 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:53.639 got an offer from them, only Division one offer, and 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:56.520 I ended up playing you know, football there for four years. 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:59.679 It was I loved Tulsa. Tulsa coach Money, that whole staff. 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.840 Um Joseph Gillespie, he was my defensive coordinator. He's now 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:06.399 the defensive coordinator for TCU. UM so he's had a 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:10.399 big year this year. And uh, I mean, yeah, I 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:12.880 can't think them enough. They you know, there's the reason 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:15.680 why I'm here for sure. So going back to Oklahoma 0:18:15.720 --> 0:18:17.359 for a second, because you said you you did go 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:19.600 to some games as a kid to some games in Norman. 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.239 Who did you have a favorite player? No, it was like, 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:24.399 I'm pretty it was like Sam Bradford at the time, 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:27.320 and you were a quarterback some up in high school, right, yeah, 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:29.600 but this was like way before high school. Like this 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:34.120 is young, that's true. Yeah, like I was. I was young. 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:36.439 So it's like, you know, I'm just sitting in the stands. 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:37.719 It was like, oh you. I think it was oh 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:41.280 you versus Missouri, and I just remember sitting the stands 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.440 watching football. I thing, I want to play football one day. 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:47.240 And then you know, it's like it's crazy, you know 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:50.040 because as when you think back about being a kid 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:52.520 and watching football and saying, man, I want to play 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:54.639 football for the rest of my life, and then you 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:57.479 get so caught up and playing football for the rest 0:18:57.520 --> 0:18:59.439 of your life that you forget like this is your 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:01.960 dream job. You get you get paid to come and work, 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:05.200 paid to be around people like guys you know, complaint. 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:08.480 Oh I had to interview today about I mean, we're 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:10.040 really lucky to be able to do this. So you're 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:13.159 not going to complain about how those pasts good? Like 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:15.280