1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. My guest Today has 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: had a legendary career as a college football coach for 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: forty years before being elected to the US Senate by 4 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: the people of Alabama. As a college football coach, he 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: held positions as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: the University of Miami and Texas A and M before 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: being named the head coach at the University of Mississippi. 8 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: In nineteen ninety eight, he was named head coach at 9 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He led the Auburn Tigers 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: to five Western Division titles and one SEC championship, and 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: he was named the two thousand and four National Coach 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: of the Year. He has also held head coaching positions 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: at Texas Tech and Cincinnati. After the two sixteen season, 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: he retired as one of the top fifty most winning 15 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: football coaches of all time. In two twenty he ran 16 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: for the US Senate in the state of Alabama and 17 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: one I'm please to welcome my guest Senator, coach Tommy Tuberville. Well, 18 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: I want to start by just asking you deep down, 19 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: which title do you like more, Coach or Senator? Oh? 20 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: Definitely coach who rings back over the years with what 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: I grew up really wanting to do is be a 22 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: football coach. I thought I was athletic, but I wasn't 23 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: near as athletic as I thought. It wasn't when I 24 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: got to places like Miami and Auburn and saw these 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: athletes come in and be around them every day, twenty 26 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: four hours a day, seven days a week. But I 27 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: enjoyed being a senator as competitive. It runs very slow. 28 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: Remember talking years ago when several people got into Congress 29 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,559 Speaker 1: and I talked to them about, you know, their thoughts 30 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: about it, said, well, it runs a very slow coach 31 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: osborne from the ask it Tommy, Tommy, it is going 32 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: to tear you up knowing that you just can't get 33 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: things done but the snap of your fingers like you 34 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: could as a coach. But it's good you're doing something 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: for people, And I really enjoy that. The folks who 36 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: were helping prepare for this weren't really sure. They were 37 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: a little concerned that chatting shortly after Georgia beat Alabama 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: might be a challenge. But I would think, is the 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: Auburn coach you did not mind that outcome at all? Well, 40 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: you know, I'm in politics now, nude. I was for 41 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: both really, to be honest with you, because growing up 42 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: in that state and being around coaches. I've been around 43 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: Kirby Smart for the last twenty five years as a player, 44 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: as an assistant and now as a head coach. Nick 45 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: Saban and I have been friends since I don't how long, 46 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: and so I'll pull for all of them. I don't 47 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: get on really anybody's side as a team. I kind 48 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: of pull for coaches as much as I do anything. 49 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: So I was kind of glad that Kirby won one 50 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: and got that stigma off his back of Hey, getting 51 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: close but not getting across the finish line. Nick's won 52 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: quite a few. Nick will win more championships. I promise 53 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: you both good friends, and I kind of stay out 54 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: that I talked to him about certain things. I'll get 55 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: him a call. But again, football was my first love. 56 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: Coaching was awesome. There's not a better job that if 57 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: you're competitives being a college football coach. I coached in 58 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: high school as a head coach. There never coaching the pros, 59 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: but being in a position that where you can build 60 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: something around kids or eighteen nineteen twenty years old, you 61 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: have a hundred million dollar budget. You're there to win games, 62 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: to educate kids, and there's nothing more satisfying than a 63 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: kid walking across the stage. When he got to you, 64 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: he was probably less than a sixth grade reading level, 65 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: and then he graduated from college. He took tutoring every 66 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: day to get his reading up. I mean, it was 67 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: a grind just at that point. And then to turn 68 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: around and do another full time job, which was college sports. 69 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: It is a grind, but it is satisfying to see 70 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: success owning off the field. Well, you know, in that sense, 71 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: the ability you have as a coach to recruit and 72 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: then to grow these people and to watch them as 73 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: they go on in life. As you look back over 74 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: your career, you must have a number of friends who 75 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: played for you and then went on to be remarkably 76 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: successful in part because of the lessons they learned on 77 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: the playing field. Yeah, and then that's the great thing 78 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: about it. You see people come to you. Like I 79 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: said earlier, you have some come that just education in 80 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: their schools is not very good and they have to 81 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: do extra just to be able to survive in college 82 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: and then to make it. You know, but one of 83 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: the toughest things I've had leaving sports for forty years. Nude. 84 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: I never saw color in people, and here in Congress 85 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 1: every day you hear people distinguish from color of people 86 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: of whether it's minorities, Hispanics or African Americans. I struggle 87 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: with that sometimes because I grew up in an age 88 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: of coaching where you brought people in and they were 89 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: your family everybody, and then their parents were your family, 90 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: and you pull for everybody, and you built a group 91 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: of people that came from all ideas in terms of 92 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: urban areas, rural areas, and then you had to build 93 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: that winning touch out of a team of all those people. 94 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: They had to do their jobs. So that's one thing 95 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: I've struggled with, is here, people up here just distinguish 96 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: Americans to color, and it's where you're white, black, read 97 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: It makes me no difference. I'm for everybody. And I 98 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: think that's one of the pasts that we've gone down 99 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: that's really gotten this trouble to this point. I had 100 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: a conversation a few weeks ago with herschel Walker, and 101 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: he said, you know all this talk about color, He said, 102 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: I want to make sure the other ten guys on 103 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: my team are good, and I don't care what their background. 104 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: As he said, if you're good, we're gonna win, and 105 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: if you're not good, we're gonna lose. So I'm looking 106 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: at who can play, not who they are. And I 107 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: thought it was a very useful way to sort of 108 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: approach all this. Well, you said a while it was 109 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: very important if young students out of poor backgrounds need tutoring. 110 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: How do we build a system where every kid is 111 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: treated as though they were a college athlete, and we 112 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: get them up to be able to read and to 113 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: be able to get out of college and to be 114 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 1: able to participate as opposed to dumbing down the system, 115 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: so nobody feels bad that they can't do anything. And 116 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: I think you're in a very important role in that sense. 117 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: I didn't realize that you actually were a golf athlete 118 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: as well as a football athlete. I've always thought that 119 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: there are remarkably different lessons in the two sports. Did 120 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: you have that same experience that golfing just requires a 121 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: totally different mindset than a team sport. Oh, well, there's 122 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: no doubt about that. And a very fortunate had a 123 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: dad that was he's military. At age eighteen, nude. He 124 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: landed at Normandy, he drove a tank across Europe. He 125 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: was awarded five bronze stars in a purple heart, and 126 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: he stayed in the military all of his life. In 127 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, he actually died on active duty 128 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: in a training mission at age fifty three, over forty 129 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: five years ago. But he was a gayfe structure and 130 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: he played a little bit off And I asked, day, 131 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: how did you get into golf? I mean, we live 132 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: in the country, You've been in the military, You've probably 133 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: had three or four different jobs. He says. Golf will 134 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: introduce you to more people in one day than you 135 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: can meet in a month. And you can find out 136 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: more about people playing golf in eighteen holes and you 137 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,119 Speaker 1: can in a month's time. And so I got into it. 138 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: It just helped me. My two kids, my two boys, 139 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: I've pushed that on them. One I'm like sitting. One 140 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: of them doesn't quite like it as much, but both 141 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: will be glad that they learned a little bit of golf. 142 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: Now they're not good, and I'm not real good, but 143 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: it gives you a chance to compete around people that 144 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: you'll get to know a lot better in any other 145 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: situation that you could be in. I find that it 146 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: teaches you if you'll love it, an immense amount of patience. Oh, 147 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: there's no doubt about that. Again. I've played for now 148 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: watched fifty years, and there's days I go out there 149 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: and I play like I've never played before. I've got that, 150 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: for some reason instilled in me that you can't beat me. 151 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: Sooner or later, I work hard enough and do the 152 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,559 Speaker 1: most I can to get better to have that little 153 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: age over you when I play you next time. It's 154 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: about being competitive. I'm gonna say, you really are competitive. Yeah, yeah, 155 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: and I'll go out there. My wife would say, what 156 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: are you going there? I said, well, I played some 157 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: bad yards day. I'm going out. I'm gonna hit five 158 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: hundred balls today. You're in your sixties. I mean, you know, 159 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: you're in the fourth quarter of life and you're still 160 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: worried about hitting a golf ball. I said, yeah, because 161 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: I do not like losing. I think that's a great 162 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: trait from my parents that I got my mom and 163 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,599 Speaker 1: my dad. Yeah, we were very fortunate. Recently did a 164 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: podcast with Jack Nicholas and talking with him about what 165 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: he'd learned and how he'd learned it, and he said 166 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: a very similar thing to you. He said, you will 167 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: learn so much more about a person, what they're like, 168 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: whether or not they'll cheat, what their personality is on 169 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: the golf course. He said, it's so efficient in that sense. 170 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 1: I'm curious, because the Senate is such a uniquely different place. 171 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: Is that competitive edge and advantage or a disadvance in 172 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: dealing with the Senate. Well, it's hard on me. You know. 173 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: I felt, for one of the few times in my 174 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: first year in the Senate a win last night when 175 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: we were playing defense. You know, we blocked the filibuster 176 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: and we got Joe Manchin and Christians Sentemon. You know, 177 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: I've used my skills as a recruiter since I've been here, 178 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: trying to talk people on the left of it. Don't 179 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: do this, you know, come over to us. You know, 180 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: understand what all people want in this country. I just have. 181 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: And that's what the filibuster is that you know, the 182 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: filibuster to me is it's not to pass bills that 183 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: people look at say it could help. It's to not 184 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: pass bad bills. It's to block it. And of course 185 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: that's what we're in the motive right now, being in 186 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: the minority and the Senate is to block a bad bill. 187 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:47,719 Speaker 1: And you know, I think we've passed a couple of 188 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: bills that we shouldn't have passed. But that's part of it. 189 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 1: I mean, you're gonna win some, you're gonna lose some. 190 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: But last night was a big win, not just for 191 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: the Senate, not just for Washington, the DC, but for 192 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: all people across this country and across this world that 193 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: we allow the minority to speak in the United States Senate. 194 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: I've been a little surprised at the stubbornness of the 195 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: left on this because when you pass things that we've 196 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: been through twenty years is now, when you pass things 197 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: by a very narrow margin, you sort of split the 198 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: country and it's hard to get them to then agree 199 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: that they are going to come together in the implementation 200 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 1: of whatever you just ram through. And in that sense, 201 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: the Senate rules, I say, this is a creature of 202 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: the House, but the Senate rules are a very important 203 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: balancing part of the whole system. But they also make 204 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: it more difficult and more challenging. You know, rules are 205 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: important in everything we do in family life, in going 206 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: to school, in sports. I kind of compare the filibuster 207 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: to the opportunity of both teams having four downs to 208 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: make ten yards, And what they wanted to do is 209 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: they wanted to change that and give the majority of 210 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: the party five or six downs to make ten but 211 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: leave the rest of us at four down to make 212 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: ten yards. And that's not how this country was built. 213 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: It was built on a foundation of all people having 214 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: a voice. And you know, ten votes doesn't sound like 215 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: a lot, but you know as well as I do, 216 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: ten votes in the United States Senate gives you a 217 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: big voice. But they wanted to do away with it. 218 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 1: And I was a little surprised that we only had 219 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: two Democrats that voted against it. I never dreamed where 220 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: there would be some of these people that I've talked 221 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 1: to that would want to do a way of the 222 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: rules to change them in mid stream, when just a 223 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: year or so ago they begged the Republicans not to 224 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: bust the filibuster. And you know, it's just it's sad 225 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: we've gotten to this point. And I think that's what 226 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: this pandemic's done to us nude. I think it's changed 227 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: a lot of things in all of our lives that 228 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: we're looking at it through different set of glasses in 229 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: the last two years, and the American people just need 230 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: government to get the hell out of the way so 231 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 1: we can get through this pandemic. It's almost like a 232 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: certain sense of desperation has grown up, particularly on the left, 233 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: that this is their last chance and if they can't 234 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,959 Speaker 1: somehow ram it through, they can't make it work. I 235 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: just sense, as I listened to them talk, because I 236 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: watched their maneuvers, that this is a very long process 237 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: of self government. And as I think Mitt Romney said 238 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: the other day, if we end up back in control, 239 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: you guys are going to really be very sad that 240 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 1: you took away your best defense at making us negotiate 241 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: with you. He said, you are any of you thinking 242 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: beyond this November? And I thought he would actually hit 243 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: the greatest weakness in their current strategy, which is playing. 244 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: And I think as a coach, you knew this because 245 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: you always knew there was a next game, and there 246 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: was a next season. No single event was decisive in 247 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: terms of ending history. It was just one more step. 248 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: Are you able to get any of that sense of 249 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: kind of calm continuity over We try to, I think, 250 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: even on both sides. You know, sometimes we can be 251 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: hard hited on our side, but I think at the 252 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: end of the day, if we all look at in 253 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 1: the eyes of the people that were helping, I think 254 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: if you look at last night, I think what you 255 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: were looking at was a group of Democrats that we're 256 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: looking at an election trying to get reelected. Instead of 257 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: helping all of the American people, they wanted to control 258 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: the voting rights, which get out of the way federal 259 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: government and let the states run it. That's what should happen. 260 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,199 Speaker 1: They know that, most of them know that. But again 261 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: they wanted to change the rules of the game. And 262 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 1: to me, the Senate is like for us right now, 263 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: we're both even, but the Democrats have the home team, 264 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: and they have the home team advantage. We're playing on 265 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: the road every day, but we still should have an 266 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: opportunity to win if we play well, we explain it well, 267 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: we communicate, and if we did away with that filibuster, 268 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: we wouldn't need to be on the field. I mean, 269 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: it'd be the home team. Had all the referees, had 270 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: all the fans, had the rules, they could change it 271 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: at any time, and so that's the way I But 272 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:02,719 Speaker 1: I think we're making some progress, and I'd sat down 273 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: with Joe Manchon last night after he made his speech 274 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: in getting ready to vote. He's obviously discouraged that some 275 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: more people didn't come with him when that happened. But again, 276 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: it only takes a few up here. It only takes 277 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: a few and you can make a real difference. And 278 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: he and Christis Cinema made a huge difference in the 279 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: lives of all Americans last night about ten thirty Eastern 280 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: time on the Cinate floor. Yeah, I was surprised that 281 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: Mark Kelly did not vote with Cinema. I think that 282 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: running for reelection this year, that gives Kelly a pretty 283 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: big extra problem to carry with him. And I think 284 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: she's very impressive. She's clearly much quieter than Mansion, but 285 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: she seems to me very solidly sure of who she is. Yeah, 286 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: she's very strong, she's strong willed. You can talk to her. 287 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: Her and I've argued about a couple of things that 288 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: I put on the floor and she put on the floor. 289 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, she wants to help people, 290 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: and I think she saw the here that helping people 291 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: the best here was to keep the Fellowbuster day, help 292 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: more people. We cannot bust the fellowbuster. You know, you 293 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: can help some, but you're not going to help as 294 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: many as you possibly could if you give them minority 295 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: of voice. It's part of this long story of America 296 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: that you've got to have a way to guarantee that 297 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: everyone can participate. And as President Washington supposedly said to them, 298 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: search Ary State Thomas Jefferson, you know, the center was 299 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: the cooling saucer to the hot cup of coffee coming 300 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: out of the house. Now, since I Speaker of the House, 301 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: I kind of favored the hot cup of coffee. But 302 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: I really came to believe in the balance of the 303 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: two legislative branches and the way that each played off 304 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: the other to produce better legislation. I mean, if you 305 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: can't write something good enough to get through the House 306 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: and to get through a fellowbuster, probably it shouldn't pass, 307 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: you know, probably it's not ripe. Yeah, and don't do 308 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: something just to be doing it. I've seen that here. 309 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: I've seen bills put up said, you know, why won't 310 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: we do that? Why would we even waste our time 311 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: doing that? It doesn't need to be done. I think 312 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: there's a lot of that up here. That we could 313 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: go back and look at. It's kind of like this 314 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: infrastructure bill that we did last year. I voted against it, 315 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: and of course a lot of people in my states. Coach, 316 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: you voted against infrastructure. Now, I didn't vote against infrastructure. 317 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: I voted against the Green New Deal. I voted against 318 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: wasting billions of dollars or your taxpayer money. If they 319 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: had come out and said, listen, put people back to work. 320 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: The best way to do this is past a trillion 321 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: dollar structure bill that's actually infrastructure as roads, bridges, water dams, 322 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 1: all those things that go along with it. Hey, I'm 323 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: all in, but ten percent of that monstrosity was for infrastructure, 324 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: and it's like putting a band aid on a ten 325 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: inch of gas in your arm. It's not going to 326 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,400 Speaker 1: do a whole lot, and it's just up here. We'd 327 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: do something to just make a statement, and we'll do 328 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: something this year. My thought after being here one year 329 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: nude is listen, instead of passing all these new bills, 330 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,360 Speaker 1: how about we fix the programs that we've already put 331 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: money into. Because I've seen programs out there that are 332 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: useless that we're flushing money down the drain. We keep 333 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: adding these bureaucrats here in Washington, DC and all over 334 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: the country and they're not working, and let's fix the 335 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: ones that aren't working before we add more to our system. 336 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: And again that's the Democrats want to do it, and 337 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: a lot of Republicans want to do that. They're in 338 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 1: on it as well well. I think that approach would 339 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: actually liberate an amazing amount of money. I mean, if 340 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: you could recapture all the money either being stolen or 341 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 1: being wasted, first of all, you'd be a big step 342 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: towards a balanced budget, but also you'd have a dramatically 343 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: better government. The oversight is what is amazing. As you 344 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: just said, the waste will spending, the money that's going out. 345 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: I saw something in one of our committees the other 346 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,440 Speaker 1: day that we received over four hundred b and dollars 347 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: of the money that we put in unemployment federal unemployed, 348 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,959 Speaker 1: four hundred b and has been stolen through fraud in 349 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 1: this country. I'm not talking about million, I'm talking about 350 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: four hundred billion. And there's no oversight who's looking into that. 351 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: California alone, at one point very early had thirty billion 352 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: dollars stolen and unemployment insurance, and we just kind of 353 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: brush it off, said, hey, we can print more money. 354 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: We're just going down the road. Don't worry about it. 355 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: But there's no accountability here of how we handle the 356 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: taxpayers money. I talked with the dist attorney in Sacramento 357 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: who has been digging in into the California theft, and 358 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: she said, it looks like most of the money in California, 359 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: the thirty two billion dollars it was stolen, was stolen 360 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: by criminals who were in the state prison, using the 361 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: state's computers to engage in identity theft, and then having 362 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,959 Speaker 1: friends outside the prison go pick up the checks. I mean, 363 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: to steal thirty two billion dollars, you have to have 364 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: a lot of people doing something. I don't know what 365 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 1: the total state budget of Alabama is, but thirty two 366 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: billion dollars is an amazing amount of money for one 367 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 1: state to have stolen, and yet nothing was done. In fact, 368 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: the person in charge of that program, who was promoted 369 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: by Biden to be the head of a federal program. 370 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: It's astonishing. I have to ask you because in a sense, 371 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: as you point out earlier, you guys have been playing 372 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: defense recently. But that sort of fit because early in 373 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: your career. I think you were the defensive coordinator of 374 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: both at the University of Miami and at Texas A 375 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: and M. You also when you became head coach at 376 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: Ole Miss I've been told that you were known as 377 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 1: the Riverboat Gambler because you were very aggressive a play 378 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 1: calling and including on fourth down. How do you, in 379 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: your own head, balance everything you learned about defense with 380 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: the fact that you were willing to be such a 381 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: risk taker once you were the head coach. Well as 382 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: people you learn from nude. I was very fortunate. I've 383 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: been in coaching high school and an assistant a small college, 384 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: and Jimmy Johnson hired me at University in Miami back 385 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty five, back when the good old days 386 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 1: in Miami. We were in the top one, two or 387 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: three every year for like ten fifteen years. And Jimmy 388 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: put me in charge of special teams as well as 389 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: working on defense, and he loved special teams. We'd work 390 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: on it, and one of the first impressions he made 391 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: on me was you can do two things. You can 392 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: give yourself a chance to win on special teams sometimes 393 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: when you don't think you do, and you can also 394 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: change the momentum. And so when I got to Old Miss, 395 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: we weren't very good. We had very few players, program 396 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: had been run down. I brought in a young staff, 397 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,920 Speaker 1: We worked card, we brought it up. But I pretty 398 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: much told the staff and the players early in my 399 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 1: career there, listen, we're gonna have tough time winning games, 400 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,919 Speaker 1: and we're gonna do things different. We're gonna to go 401 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: for fourth downs anywhere on the field. We're going to 402 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 1: kick on sidekicks, fake field goals, fake punts. But you 403 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 1: don't just do it to surprise them. You work on 404 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,679 Speaker 1: it in that week. What you do is you go 405 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,959 Speaker 1: into a team meeting and say, listen, here's what we're 406 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: gonna do, and this is why we're gonna do it. 407 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 1: And if it works, it works, and if it doesn't, 408 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:29,719 Speaker 1: defense you better. You know, if the fake punt doesn't work, 409 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:31,879 Speaker 1: you just got to know that, hey, this wasn't a gamble. 410 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: This was a preconceived notion that we had to change 411 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: the momentum and win the game. And you know, I 412 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: went for fourth down one game at Georgia and we 413 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: were headed at half time. We had no business being ahead. 414 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: Where were an average team and our kids played hard. 415 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: I loved everyone of them. And at half time I 416 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: went out and told the coaches, talk to them, make 417 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: your changes. I'm gonna make a speech right before we 418 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 1: go out. And so right before we go out, I 419 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: brought the team up and give them a few words 420 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: of advice. And I brought the punter up and I said, 421 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: take your uniform off. And he looked at me like 422 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,360 Speaker 1: us crazy, And I says, it's take a uniform off. 423 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: And I told the rest of the team we don't 424 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: have a punter. Offense, we're not punting. We're going fourth 425 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: down anywhere on the field. And defense you've got to 426 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 1: be prepared to go. And right off the bat they 427 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: kicked off to us Georgia did we're playing at Sanford 428 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: Stadium and run the ball out to bout the thirteen 429 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: yard line. Gets should have down an end zone, but 430 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 1: he didn't do it. We run a few downs and 431 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: it'd end up fourth in like two round her own twenty. 432 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: And I'm thinking, boy, you have stuck your foot in 433 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: your mouth. Now you know that, of course, eighty five 434 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: thousand screaming bulldogs. And I said, let's go. I told 435 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: the offense quarter to run your best play. We run 436 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: a playoff tackle, run about forty yards. We did it 437 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: four times in the second half and won the game 438 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: because Georgia very seldom had the ball. So it's something 439 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: like that that you have to do to sacrifice, maybe 440 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: go against the odds, but to try to win. Winning 441 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 1: at doing stuff that's a little bit different. Well, frankly, 442 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: the Republican Party could use a little bit of coaching 443 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: advice about that. I thought it was very interesting that 444 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: in his press conference. I mean, one of the themes 445 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 1: that Biden has figured out is you know, so what's 446 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: the Republican alternative? And I think, frankly, we're going to 447 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: have to come up with five or sex positive things 448 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: that the average American actually wants. Then say, you know, 449 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: let's talk about alternatives. You're for inflation, here's what we're for. 450 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: You know, you're for gasoline at a price. Here's what 451 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: we're for. I think we can win that argument. I 452 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: think what we can't do is win an argument of hiding. 453 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:32,880 Speaker 1: It'll be interesting to see how that evolves, because there 454 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: are some elements of the party that don't believe in 455 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: ever gambling. They would actually punt on second down if 456 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: they could. But I'm curious. I'm a movie buff and 457 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: I understand that you had a cameo in the film 458 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: The blind Side. What was that like? How did you 459 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: end up being a cameo? I learned a lot about 460 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 1: movies in about three days. I'd just gotten out at 461 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 1: Auburn and getting ready to go to work for ESPN. 462 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: Phone rang one day and Fred Smith, the CEO of 463 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: fed X, who's a good friend, oh I mean, said listen, coach, 464 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: I need you help. I need you to help in 465 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: getting a few coaches to work with me on a film. 466 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: And I said, well, what are you talking about? Said, 467 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: my daughter graduated from UCLA and she's got a production 468 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: company now, and I've got the rights of this book. 469 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: It was written out of Memphis. It's a sports book 470 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: and it's called The blind Side. I see, I know 471 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 1: about it. He said, Well, all of you guys that 472 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: were in this book, the original names of recruiting, Michael 473 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: or who was a player. I'd love for everybody to 474 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: be in it. I want the movie to be about 475 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: real life and real coaches and people kind of see 476 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: what goes on recruiting. So we got Nick Saban and 477 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: Philip Former and Houston Nutt and Edwards Anon. There was 478 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: a bunch of us, I think about eight of us. 479 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: It was in it Lou Holtz. So we went over 480 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: and we filmed it in Atlanta and for three days. 481 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: And I'd tell you the organization of a film, and 482 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: you talk about patients, you have to have a lot 483 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: of patients, because you might shoot one little scene of 484 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,120 Speaker 1: ten seconds thirty times. You might be there half a day. 485 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: But now we had a great time and learned a 486 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: lot from that. And actually the director of the film 487 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: was a football player that played at Baylor, and there 488 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: was a lot of sports connections. But we had a 489 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: fun time. Lou Holtz entertained all of us as we 490 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: sat around and talked and eight and had a good 491 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,640 Speaker 1: time for about three days. I think Holtz never runs 492 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:24,640 Speaker 1: out of stories. No, He's sort of his stock in trade. Yeah. 493 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:26,959 Speaker 1: One of my favorite games nude was I was at 494 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: Miami and we're going to play Lou Holtz in nineteen 495 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: eighty eight, and we'd beat Lou a couple years before 496 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: Lou had got there, and actually the coach got fired 497 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: and Lou got the job. And Jimmy Johnson Notre Dame 498 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,880 Speaker 1: was a big fan of his because of beating him 499 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: that bad. So we go and play them in South 500 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 1: Bend as called the Catholics Versus Convicts game. It was 501 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: an unbelievable game. We had a fight in a tunnel 502 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: before the game. It was a huge employ but Lou 503 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: Holtz he sent his players in run on type of 504 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: ours and he'll argue at that point, but he did. 505 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: We got out of the fight in the dressing room. 506 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: But it was the most well played. Wasn't a fifteen 507 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: yard penalty in the game. Players helping each other up, 508 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: and it was about winning and it's about whoever played 509 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 1: the best won the game. Unfortunate for us, we lost. 510 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:14,959 Speaker 1: We had to go for two with about ten seconds 511 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: to go. We didn't make it. We lost a game, 512 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: and Lou Holtz won a national championship, the last one 513 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: Notre Dame's won. Lou was an icon still is, and 514 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: you know, I've read every book and listened to every 515 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: speech that he's given, and I know all of his jokes. 516 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: He's a good person. He's remarkable and it's a little tough, 517 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: I think for a lot of teams to end up 518 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: at South Bend with touchdown Jesus at the end of 519 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 1: the stadium you feel like the game has slightly rigged 520 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,479 Speaker 1: against you when you're at Notre Dame, at true home 521 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 1: fill advantage. I promise you that that's exactly right. But 522 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: you know, on the other hand, I mean, you came 523 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: amazingly powerful tradition at Auburn. We have several friends who've 524 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 1: worked with me who can ye war Eagle pretty darn well, 525 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: and the loyalty that Auburn creates is amazing. Was that 526 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: the biggest single advantage you had when you decide to 527 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: run for the Senate? I think probably. So if you 528 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: go back and look at what's great about college football, 529 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 1: nude is separates itself from pros and pros of business college. 530 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: Hopefully we can work out these problems that we're getting 531 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: in college recruiting right now, paying players and transferring. But 532 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: that being aside. The difference in college and pros is tradition, 533 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: about the things that you have, the sayings, the loyalty 534 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: that fans have to their schools. I mean, you go 535 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: to Sandford Stadium in Georgia, you got to take you lunch. 536 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 1: You know, you know you're gonna get a rast going 537 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: in the stadium and out of the stadium. People are 538 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:38,479 Speaker 1: gonna rock your bus. The same thing at Tuscaloose, the 539 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: same thing at Auburn. But it's surprised people have and 540 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: it brings people together. There's no color in the stands 541 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: other than what your team colors are. People they laugh together, 542 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,120 Speaker 1: they cry together, they pull for their teams. And that's 543 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: reason I loved it so much. But unfortunately, this book 544 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: attitude that we're getting across our country right now is 545 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 1: creeping into athletics, especially college and we better be careful 546 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: or we're going to lose what we've had in college 547 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: sports for the last one hundred years. We're going to 548 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 1: lose that and we're going to become a NFL and 549 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: we don't want that. We don't want to be a 550 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: minor league team or a minor league program. We want 551 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: to have a college program that kids get a great education, 552 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: learn how to deal with other people, and obviously make money. 553 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 1: People don't know this, but really very few sports in 554 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: college make any money other than football. Football plays for 555 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: almost every sport, Olympic sports and women's sports. Are some 556 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: basketball teams that make a little bit, not many. So 557 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 1: that's why the importance of college football across this country 558 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: needs to stay. We don't need to be changing the rules, 559 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: and we're kind of changing them as we go. And 560 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: I've talked to some of my buddies and they are 561 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: very disappointed to what's happening within the college ranks as 562 00:28:52,400 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: we speak. You had a remarkable career and then he 563 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: decided to run for the USA. That must have been 564 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: a big decision. In twenty sixteen, I was coaching at Cincinnati. 565 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: My son was playing at Auburn. I had one son, 566 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: it was still in high school, and there was a 567 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: phenomenon back then called Donald Trump. And I love this 568 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: country new and I love all people. I don't care 569 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: whether the Democrat, Republican black by it makes no difference. 570 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: I want my kids to have the same opportunities I 571 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: had because I grew up in a poor family and 572 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: I end up making a lot of money and having success. 573 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: But I did it because what I learned from my 574 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: family and this country gave me that this country gives 575 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: you one thing, and that's it an opportunity. It doesn't 576 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: owe you one other thing. I used to tell my 577 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: players that don't look for a check, don't look for 578 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: a hand up, look for an opportunity to get knocked 579 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: down and then that opportunity to get back up. That's 580 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: what this country gives you. So I really enjoyed that. 581 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: I enjoyed working my way up and making things happen 582 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: and believing in people around me, but also putting people 583 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: around me that believed in the same things. And I 584 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: think that's a huge point. But college sports is one 585 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: of the things that makes this country thrive, and I 586 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: don't think people give it enough credit. Everybody doesn't get 587 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: to play college sports, but everybody can be associated with 588 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: it through working around college sports, or with the people 589 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 1: in college sports, or just being a fan of supporting 590 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: a certain team. So somebody said that you had commented 591 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: that running for the Senate was the hardest thing you 592 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: ever did. Right. Well, when President Trump went in twenty sixteen, 593 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: I retired from football work for ESPN. One day, my 594 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: wife while buy and she said, you know, this has 595 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: been my house for over thirty years years and it's 596 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: not gonna be years now. Don't be setting here reading 597 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: the paper and a cup of coffee. Go get you 598 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: a job. So I took her for a word. In 599 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: President Trump. I didn't know him at that time, but 600 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: I watched what he was doing, how he's bringing people 601 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: together and in a different way, like a football coach, 602 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: not like a politician, and what he believed in. Sometimes 603 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 1: he got a little bit harsh, but sometimes you have 604 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: to do that. Sometimes head football coaches have to do that. 605 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: I love Alabama and I said, you know, I'm gonna 606 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: run for governor of Alabama. I think I can win. 607 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: My wife said, well, I think he can too. As 608 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 1: I started looking around for about three months. After about 609 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: the third month, you know, I'm getting ready to maybe 610 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: announced or do something. Then then our governor got in trouble. 611 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: They moved him out and they moved Kive or president 612 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: lieutenant governor up at that time, to be governor. My 613 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: wife says, you're out. You're not running against her, and 614 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: as well, you know best. So I decided not to 615 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: do it. And then of course we elected a Democrat 616 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: for a first time in years in the Senate, and 617 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:58,600 Speaker 1: I said, well, this would be my opportunity. So for 618 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: two years nude, I went out and recruited. People knew 619 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: who I was. I walk into a room, I could 620 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: get a crowd, but I had to tell them why 621 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: I was doing it and why I should do it 622 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: and why they should vote for me. And so I 623 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: had to sell myself for two years. There's been somebody 624 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: that wanted to go help, not just Auburn fans, but 625 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: Alabama fans. I'd go to place in this a coach. 626 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:20,479 Speaker 1: You know, why should I vote for you? I'm an 627 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: Alabama fan. You beat us six times in a row. 628 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: You stuck thumbs up in the air and all that. 629 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: And I said, well, just think about this. If it 630 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: wasn't for me, you wouldn't have Nick Saban because I 631 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: got the rest of them fired. I beat them all, 632 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: and so I was kind of my go to you 633 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: know when I talked to Alabama fans. But we ran 634 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: hard and one fairly easy. I would beat a congress 635 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: munch off sessions and then I beat us setting senator 636 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: being a football coach. And so they gave me the opportunity, 637 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna make the best of it. And I 638 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: come every day with my work clothes on, going to 639 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: work here and Washington, DC, trying to make things better 640 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: for the people Alabama in this country. Well, you've got 641 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: for a fresh one some pretty impressive time. As you're 642 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: on armed services, health, education, labor and pensions, agriculture, nutrition 643 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 1: and forestry, and veterans Affairs. You got a pretty full 644 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: plate for a freshman. Yeah. Armed Services has been great. 645 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: We have five military bases in our state. We have 646 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: five thousand defense contractors. We make ships for the Navy. 647 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 1: We have NASA where we have the Missile Defense Agency 648 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: in Huntsville. I've traveled around the world twice in a 649 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: year now. I've been in Ukraine. I've set with the 650 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: President of Ukraine, talked to him about what's going on 651 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: right now. And I've set with the President of Taiwan 652 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: and We've talked about the future of Taiwan. I've talked 653 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: with all the commanders across the world. Admir Aquilino, the 654 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 1: head of the Indo Pacific, is a great guy, and 655 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: I believe he's the guy that's going to get us 656 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: through this mess with China and Taiwan. Right now. The 657 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: urgency is Ukraine. They need help. Zelinski told me and 658 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: John Cornyn four months ago, we need sanctions now. We 659 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 1: don't need to wait till they come, because they're coming, 660 00:33:57,960 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: and what are we going to do When they get here, 661 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 1: It'll be over for us. But I'd say Armed Service 662 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: is great. I've had five chances to interview doctor Fauci 663 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: and the Education Health Committee and doctor Wilinsky and trying 664 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 1: to help work through this mess that we're in with 665 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: this pandemic. I'm on the Veterans Committee that we have 666 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 1: four hundred thousand veterans in Alabama. I love veterans. My 667 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: dad obviously was a VET on the Agriculture Committee. And 668 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: you know, we're sixty seventy percent AGG in our state 669 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,440 Speaker 1: in Alabama as you are in Georgia, and we need 670 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: help in AGG. We need to be able to produce 671 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: our own food. And what's happening is China's coming in 672 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 1: farmland other ntcas or buying our farmland. We need the 673 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: small farmer to survive. We lose the small farmer in 674 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: this country. I'd hate to see the future because that's 675 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: the backbone of what we do, how we do it, 676 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 1: and that's why we're the free nation that we are. Well, 677 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 1: I think that's right. In the end, nothing replaces courage. 678 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:55,760 Speaker 1: I always remind people at the ending of the first 679 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: stands our national anthem, Land of the Free, home of 680 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: the break, and that without bravery, you're not going to 681 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,359 Speaker 1: stay free. And I think sometimes we forget that, and 682 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 1: we hope that the world will become soft, and I 683 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: think having people like you there who understand the reality 684 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 1: of being tough, and who understand from your father's experience, 685 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: the importance of being strong is a huge, huge asset. 686 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: I have to ask you one last question. If you 687 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: went to Auburn at a time you were following some 688 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 1: coaches who had been pretty famous. At some point, maybe 689 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 1: a half century from now, the universe of Alabama will 690 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: have to replace Saban, what would your advice be for 691 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: somebody who's showing up after a legend. Be your own self. 692 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:42,839 Speaker 1: You know so many people go into these situations new 693 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 1: and they try to be the former coach, or the 694 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,760 Speaker 1: former president, or the former senator or the former CEO 695 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: of a company. You gotta be yourself. You can't be 696 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:54,360 Speaker 1: anybody else. Don't try to invent the wheel. Do what 697 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 1: you know. And I'd be remiss if I didn't say 698 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,000 Speaker 1: this one of the reasons I got into this job. 699 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 1: I spent forty years going into high schools and colleges 700 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:05,719 Speaker 1: across this country. Nude, we're in trouble. You've heard me 701 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: say this before. Education is a key to freedom in 702 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 1: our country, and we're losing that. But I think you 703 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 1: learn a lot of things, obviously in education and on 704 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: your own. So to answer your question, whoever takes over 705 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:21,359 Speaker 1: for Nick, I don't think he'll ever retire. He's doing 706 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: so great. He's won the best I've ever been around. 707 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 1: But he's going to be hard to replace. But again, 708 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,239 Speaker 1: whoever does that, it's gonna have to go in and 709 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,719 Speaker 1: be themselves. It's amazing to watch him and in a 710 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,360 Speaker 1: sense to watch how calm he is. I mean, the 711 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: other night after the Alabama Georgia game, he just said, look, 712 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: we're really evenly match. He said, probably Georgia would win 713 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: seven out of ten games and we'd win about three 714 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: out of ten games. For these two teams, the question 715 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 1: is which game is it? And tonight was theirs. The 716 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 1: last time we met was ours. But he was so 717 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: calm about it that it's a mark of somebody who's really, 718 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: I think, very self confident. The great coaches, if you'll 719 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,360 Speaker 1: ever know this, and people in any kind of power 720 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: except reality, they don't live in another world. They don't 721 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 1: live on something that's not reality. As a coach, you 722 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 1: have to face reality of what you see and what 723 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: you can control. He had some bad injuries to some 724 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,920 Speaker 1: of his receivers. But he saw his players play their 725 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 1: heart out, and you don't want to lose that. With 726 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:24,279 Speaker 1: your players understanding how hard they played. They didn't lose it. 727 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: They just got beat. They did the best they could, 728 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:30,880 Speaker 1: and great coaches understand that. It's like President Biden yesterday. 729 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 1: You know, I want the guy to be successful. I mean, 730 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,879 Speaker 1: this is my country. Don't get up there and tell 731 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: me how great they've done. I mean, take some blame. 732 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:42,359 Speaker 1: Say this is what we've done. We're gonna change this, 733 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 1: We're gonna do different, We're gonna make some moves here. 734 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: If we continue down the path that we're going and 735 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,960 Speaker 1: nobody takes blame for this, we're going to be in 736 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: a world if we already are. And the same thing 737 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,720 Speaker 1: as any coach. If a coach like Nick, if somebody 738 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 1: else have been coaching, come out of well and start 739 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,439 Speaker 1: blaming other people and look in other directions, knee, then 740 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: you're not ever going to come to reality of what 741 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 1: it really is. You live in a fantasy world. So 742 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of correlation to you know, 743 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 1: what happened to Nick, the most successful coach I've ever 744 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 1: been around, A very good friend. He knows how to 745 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 1: get it done. But he lives in reality. Hey, they 746 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:21,359 Speaker 1: got beat. They got beat in a game that they 747 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,879 Speaker 1: had a chance, but they just didn't play well enough, 748 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 1: coach well enough. And the other team. You got to 749 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: give them credit. Well, the same thing with our country. 750 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: You can't hass blame off. You're the leader. We got 751 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: to have adults in the room over in the White House, 752 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,240 Speaker 1: and we don't have many, and we got to step 753 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: up and say, Okay, we're not doing very well in 754 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: some of these areas, and we've got to change course 755 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:44,280 Speaker 1: because we owe it to the people of our country, 756 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:46,799 Speaker 1: like Nick and the coaches owe to their players and 757 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 1: their fans. Listen, it's very refreshing to talk with somebody 758 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 1: who is as grounded as you are. And I hope 759 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: maybe a year from now we can come back and 760 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,680 Speaker 1: have another chat about what you'll have learned by then 761 00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: and what's your advice for the country. Will be truly 762 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:03,680 Speaker 1: very impressive to have you serving of the Senate and 763 00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: to have you bring to bear all the skills you've 764 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 1: acquired in a lifetime of recruiting and coaching and nurturing people. 765 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,320 Speaker 1: So maybe you conf you do enough recruiting and coaching 766 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 1: and nurturing of the Senate. It'll be a somewhat different 767 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:19,200 Speaker 1: and better place because you're there. Well, I've enjoyed it. 768 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 1: I hope this time next year we're going to go 769 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: through another year and try to get out of this 770 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: pandemic and try to solve the problems for the American people. 771 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:28,919 Speaker 1: That's the reason we're here. But hopefully this time next 772 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,320 Speaker 1: year that I'm on the team that's the home team 773 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 1: that has a little bit more power than what we 774 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,479 Speaker 1: have right now, where we play some offense but also 775 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,440 Speaker 1: work with the other side. I mean, we've got to 776 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: do that. We've got to understand that we're all Americans. 777 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:43,759 Speaker 1: And if we get away from that, and I see 778 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,920 Speaker 1: a lot of indications that we're moving the wrong direction 779 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,319 Speaker 1: with that, this country will not survive as you and 780 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 1: I had the opportunity to grow up in and know it. 781 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: And again, a lot of that starts with education. You know, 782 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 1: every day I try to give some kind of talker 783 00:39:57,880 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 1: speech or some kind of idea of how we can 784 00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 1: our education better. But again, what's education about. It's about people, 785 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: black football teams, it's about people's Senate, It's about people. 786 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: Right now, we're so divided Hopefully we can be less 787 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 1: divided this time next year when we're talk going in 788 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,759 Speaker 1: my third year, great look forward to it. Thank you 789 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: very much for sharing with us. Thank you, Newt had 790 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: a great time. Look forward to seeing him. Thank you 791 00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: to my guests, Senator Coach Tommy Tuberville. You can learn 792 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,440 Speaker 1: more about Coach Tuberville's work in the Senate on our 793 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:35,120 Speaker 1: show page at newtsworld dot com. News World is produced 794 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 1: by Gingwish Street sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is 795 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:44,759 Speaker 1: Garnsey Sloan, our producer Israebecca Howe, and our researcher is 796 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 1: Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the show was created by 797 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:52,960 Speaker 1: Steve Penley. Special thanks to the team at Gingwish Street sixty. 798 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,840 Speaker 1: If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to 799 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 1: Apple Podcast and both rate us with five stars and 800 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,960 Speaker 1: give us a view so others can learn what it's 801 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: all about. Right now, listeners of newts World can sign 802 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 1: up from my three free weekly columns at Gangwish Free 803 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 1: sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm Newt Gangwish. This is 804 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:13,880 Speaker 1: newts World.