Speaker 1: The offseason has officially begun here in Florida Park. While
Speaker 1: some players will visit the facility during the target period
Speaker 1: for workouts, the full group won't be together again until
Speaker 1: report day for training camp in late July, but the
Speaker 1: Official Podcast will remain and have a weekly cadence throughout
Speaker 1: the summer. We'll feed your football fix. Today, we'll chat
Speaker 1: with John Simpson, an underrated piece on an intriguing Jets
Speaker 1: offensive line, and meet anybody in the world.
Speaker 2: And I think we're gonna win.
Speaker 3: Next Sunday.
Speaker 2: Gets wonderful. Can't wait.
Speaker 3: Put your seat belts on and get ready for the ride.
Speaker 1: The Official Jets Podcast is presented by Kendra Scott, the
Speaker 1: jewelry company that's shining bright and doing good. Shop Game
Speaker 1: Day Ready, jewelry styles and so much more at Kendra
Speaker 1: Scott dot com. John Simpson is one of the strongest Jets.
Speaker 1: He punched out thirty four reps of two hundred and
Speaker 1: twenty five pounds on the bench process the twenty twenty Combine.
Speaker 1: After winning two national championships at Clemson last season, Simpson
Speaker 1: received a seventy seven point three great from Pro Football Focus,
Speaker 1: which ranked eleventh amongst guards in the National Football League.
Speaker 1: He's a very good player who's also loaded with great
Speaker 1: character and charisma. Recently, we caught up with John in studio.
Speaker 1: What's this all been like? You got a new coaching staff,
Speaker 1: You just completed every phase OTAs, Phase one, Phase two,
Speaker 1: phase three, today mandatory mini camp.
Speaker 4: Reaches his conclusion, Yeah, it's been fun, just learning the guys,
Speaker 4: figuring each other out, you know, having a new quarterback,
Speaker 4: new right tackle, a few other guys like sprinkled in
Speaker 4: there too, you know, just figuring each other out and
Speaker 4: figuring out what we like, what we don't like, and
Speaker 4: just getting that camaraderie together pretty much and just going
Speaker 4: from there, like kind of taking us that from where
Speaker 4: we were leaving off at today.
Speaker 1: So what were your expectations heading into the off season
Speaker 1: when you knew you were going to have a new
Speaker 1: head coach, a new GM, a new regime, a new direction.
Speaker 3: I didn't really have any like expect you know, crazy expectations,
Speaker 3: you know. I just wanted a coach that's gonna, you know,
Speaker 3: come in here with you know that that mojo, you
Speaker 3: know what I'm saying. And I think uh AG's done
Speaker 3: a great job with that, you know, and like I said,
Speaker 3: I didn't really want to want to come in here
Speaker 3: with any expectations. I just wanted to come in here
Speaker 3: and just try to be as helpful as I can be,
Speaker 3: just with my voice and just trying to be a
Speaker 3: leader amongst the guys.
Speaker 1: So when you found out it was a g what
Speaker 1: was your initial reaction.
Speaker 3: I mean, I don't I didn't really know much about coach,
Speaker 3: you know, I didn't really know much about him. So
Speaker 3: but like his first interview, I watched it and I
Speaker 3: was like, let's put that seat, bet all, let's go,
Speaker 3: let's go, let's go.
Speaker 2: I'm ready.
Speaker 3: So uh, I think, you know, just you know, like now,
Speaker 3: like being around him and like seeing how he does things.
Speaker 2: Man, he's a he's a leader.
Speaker 3: He's a true leader, and he's one of those guys
Speaker 3: that you want to get behind and like no matter what,
Speaker 3: just like us against everybody. That's kind of how I
Speaker 3: feel about it, and I'm gonna ride for him or
Speaker 3: you know, whatever happens, and let's go.
Speaker 2: That's how I feel about it.
Speaker 1: How does he go about leadership? Because we see the
Speaker 1: side of him where he's addressing the media, but you
Speaker 1: guys are in the room with him, behind closed doors
Speaker 1: and also out there on the field, of course.
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, he's he's one of those guys that kind
Speaker 3: of just keep it real. He's like, plain and simple.
Speaker 3: He don't want to give you anything that he's not
Speaker 3: gonna give you anything you don't want to hear, but
Speaker 3: he's gonna keep it straight up to the point. And
Speaker 3: that's I feel like as a coach, that's kind of
Speaker 3: what you need. You need a guy that's gonna cut
Speaker 3: it cut and dry and just give you the truth.
Speaker 2: And he's nothing but the truth.
Speaker 1: Is he a guy that is equal parts motivating, authentic, direct, intense,
Speaker 1: all those qualities? Is that the way you describe.
Speaker 3: Them on like, I don't I don't see it any
Speaker 3: other way. He's all those things, And I think I
Speaker 3: feel like plus some because he's he's got like a
Speaker 3: he's got he's got this like meaning when he walks
Speaker 3: in the room, you're like, Okay, let's let's lock in.
Speaker 3: It's his coach coach talking, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: So just having a guy like that up there that's
Speaker 3: that's addressing the team is just you know, it's huge, man,
Speaker 3: for sure.
Speaker 1: Do you consider yourself the old guy on that offensive
Speaker 1: line or what nah.
Speaker 2: Nah, I'm still I'm still I'm still.
Speaker 1: Young man, you still are you still are young. But
Speaker 1: when you when you look to the left, when you
Speaker 1: look to the right.
Speaker 3: You got still young guys around me for sure, for sure.
Speaker 3: But you know, I wouldn't say that the old guy.
Speaker 3: I'm want of a I'm like a big bro. Big
Speaker 3: bro ain't too old, too young.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 1: So what's the room?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 3: It's good, man, that the energy is like real good.
Speaker 3: It's it's super good. Like the the guys we've got
Speaker 3: in the rumors there. The work ethic is just it's crazy.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: You got guys that come in on days like the
Speaker 3: days that we have off, that just come do abs
Speaker 3: or come get some extra workout in Like it's just
Speaker 3: guys that like.
Speaker 2: We bring each other along pretty much.
Speaker 3: And like that's the kind of room I feel like
Speaker 3: you need as an offensive line unit. You got guys
Speaker 3: like Olu Balling, you know what I'm saying. He's a
Speaker 3: young guy, but he's got that confidence, that swagger, and
Speaker 3: you need that in a left tackle, specifically in the
Speaker 3: old line.
Speaker 2: So yeah, the boy's doing their thing. Man, We're grinding for.
Speaker 1: Sure, what's the difference between Olu now in this point
Speaker 1: last year.
Speaker 3: I think he you know, he's played those games. I
Speaker 3: think experienced, Like just one year of experience can take
Speaker 3: you a long way. He's got to get in there
Speaker 3: and and get down and get nasty. So he's, uh,
Speaker 3: he's definitely taking a big stride and knowing what it
Speaker 3: takes to compete at this level.
Speaker 1: What about a tip and then Josh Myers. The guys
Speaker 1: added a player and Josh who started for four years
Speaker 1: with the Packers before he signed here in the off season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, those dudes are competing, man, They're competing their asses off.
Speaker 3: And I'll give it to him. The boys are they
Speaker 3: They both smart as hell. They're they know, they know everything.
Speaker 3: And I'm like, damn, why you know that? You know
Speaker 3: that was coming like the safe dudes coming down? Okay,
Speaker 3: okay back, But they like they all they always like
Speaker 3: on top of their thing, like they're there, like they
Speaker 3: challenge each other because they're so smart, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying. And I think that's just like you need that,
Speaker 3: like you need that that competition, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2: Like, like every day I go me and we're in
Speaker 2: the weight room on the field.
Speaker 3: Me and colo Owl, me and ex New work in
Speaker 3: a competition, but it's like a it's like a brother
Speaker 3: lyague knowing there's no bad blood. It's like like we
Speaker 3: want we want each other to win, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying. So I think that's the biggest I think
Speaker 3: that's why our old line room is so it's so
Speaker 3: close knit, because it's like, yeah, there's competition, but we
Speaker 3: also want each other to beat the best that we
Speaker 3: can beat.
Speaker 1: How much appreciation do you have a for a guy
Speaker 1: like AVT who's basically played every position other than center
Speaker 1: so far in the National Football League, but now he's
Speaker 1: finally got a home across the way from you, a
Speaker 1: right guard.
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, he's he's the real deal man.
Speaker 3: He teaches me something new every day, like his his feet,
Speaker 3: his footwork, his hands, the elite and I'm so I'm
Speaker 3: just glad that he's able to, you know, be comfortable
Speaker 3: in a position and get used to it. He's gonna
Speaker 3: be He's gonna be one of those guys that you
Speaker 3: you gotta watch out for later on for sure?
Speaker 2: Can it soon? Yeah?
Speaker 1: What can you tell us about Armand he's selected number seven?
Speaker 1: Overall aut of Missouri. I tell people that he carries
Speaker 1: that weight quite well. He's six four three thirty, doesn't
Speaker 1: look like he's thirty.
Speaker 3: Nah, he's well put together. He's one of those guys
Speaker 3: that he's got it. He's like super quick twitch, Like
Speaker 3: it's like not common to see somebody that big be
Speaker 3: able to move.
Speaker 2: Like he does.
Speaker 1: Did you see his forty times?
Speaker 2: I didn't see it, But that's crazy, that's that's insane.
Speaker 3: But he's uh, he's also one of those those those
Speaker 3: young smart kids. He just can't come in and just
Speaker 3: they kind of threw him in there. He was like
Speaker 3: bad and he just worked. He's physical too. He got
Speaker 3: all the attributes to be great, and I think he
Speaker 3: can do it. I think he really can for sure.
Speaker 1: What's been like working for Steve Hyde.
Speaker 2: It's been great.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 3: He's he's super He's a coach that he kind of gets.
Speaker 3: He gives you like motivation based off of like I
Speaker 3: don't even know how to put it. He's he's like
Speaker 3: a I don't even know he's he's like a he's
Speaker 3: not he's super even cute. Yeah, but when you do
Speaker 3: something good, he'd be like, that's some good hit.
Speaker 2: Man, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: You're like, he was like, he'll circle something. He'll be like,
Speaker 3: how you how you feel about this rep? I was like, damn, coach,
Speaker 3: my past could have been lower. You know, I could
Speaker 3: have had a better drive on this. He's like, but
Speaker 3: this is exactly what I coached you to do. I
Speaker 3: was like, Okay, appreciate that.
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying, Like that.
Speaker 3: That gives you that that motivation I feel like to
Speaker 3: to want to go out and compete for somebody to
Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying. That that's I don't know
Speaker 3: in that position. You know what I'm saying, He's a
Speaker 3: he's a guy that.
Speaker 2: What is it?
Speaker 1: What does it say about him that he played tight
Speaker 1: end in the National Football League for ten years? Yeah,
Speaker 1: and he's coaching tight ends last year in Detroit. But
Speaker 1: he's like, no, I want him to be with these dudes.
Speaker 1: I want to coach off.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, I think, like, so he knows what he's talking Like,
Speaker 3: I think a lot of a lot of people were like, oh,
Speaker 3: he goes tight ends, what does he know? But he
Speaker 3: knows what he's talking about. Tight Ends is basically an
Speaker 3: extension of the offensive line. So you got to know
Speaker 3: what you're talking about. And you know he is any
Speaker 3: question that we ask, he knows what he's talking about.
Speaker 3: So I mean, like I said, he's one of those
Speaker 3: guys that I just I'll do whatever for it because
Speaker 3: he gives you that confidence and he gives you that
Speaker 3: swagger to let you know that you can play.
Speaker 2: He knows he knows we know what we're doing. And
Speaker 2: like whenever you.
Speaker 3: Know something happens, he's like yo, like walk in, yeah,
Speaker 3: let's go.
Speaker 1: All right, So tell me why the GoPros have been
Speaker 1: so beneficial, not just for the quarterbacks, yeah, but maybe
Speaker 1: even you guys up front.
Speaker 2: So for instance, we get up there, we do a
Speaker 2: whole lot of communicating.
Speaker 3: And so when you got the camera in the back,
Speaker 3: the big one, you can hear they got some audio
Speaker 3: on there, but you can't really hear everything. So for
Speaker 3: us with the quarterbacks, that when they're right behind us,
Speaker 3: you can hear all the calls. You can hear the
Speaker 3: point that the center made, you can hear what I'm
Speaker 3: talking about. I might be talking about something crazy, but
Speaker 3: you can hear anything. And so just that communication just
Speaker 3: to clarify things in the room when we're watching film
Speaker 3: or something like that, it could be beneficial for us
Speaker 3: and probably with the quarterback, he can see things that
Speaker 3: he probably didn't really see out there at first.
Speaker 1: What are some of the funny things that you hear
Speaker 1: going back and live that some of.
Speaker 2: The celebrations are crazy.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure with Justin celebrating, But I think that's
Speaker 3: the craziest thing though We've said some stuff.
Speaker 1: What's a relationship like with Justin? He seems like he's
Speaker 1: so respected in a room that such a steady dude,
Speaker 1: but you're just drawn to him.
Speaker 2: And he's kind of like coach Hyden as well. He's super.
Speaker 3: He's super even Q like don't say much until like
Speaker 3: it's time to say something, and that's kind of and
Speaker 3: that's kind of like the leadership you need, you know
Speaker 3: what I'm saying.
Speaker 2: Don't like they don't really.
Speaker 3: Say much until it's time to say something, and it's like, Okay,
Speaker 3: let's listen because it's like it's time to listen, you
Speaker 3: know what I mean.
Speaker 2: And he's one.
Speaker 3: Of those guys that, like I said, he might not
Speaker 3: say much, but he'll joke around every now and again,
Speaker 3: and he's a he's a good dude man For sure.
Speaker 1: How much does your experience help you in the case
Speaker 1: of blocking for a guy like Fields because you came
Speaker 1: here from Baltimore. Yeah, and you block for a dude
Speaker 1: who was the MVP that season, mar Jackson, two time
Speaker 1: NFL MVP. And there's only a few guys in this
Speaker 1: league who you can call elite dual threats, and I
Speaker 1: think Justin is one of those guys.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3: I think my experience, like playing with Lamars, it was
Speaker 3: crazy because I don't think I've ever played with a
Speaker 3: guy like that of that like that can.
Speaker 2: Run like he does.
Speaker 3: So I think I think that experience alone will help
Speaker 3: me a whole lot. And I've been trying to like
Speaker 3: preach to the old line, like yo, like we got
Speaker 3: a quarterback that can run, so we got to like
Speaker 3: hold up a little long, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2: It just if he if he sees something he don't like,
Speaker 2: you gotta he can get out and make something shape.
Speaker 3: So just that that experience alone can kind of help
Speaker 3: me talk to other guys and like tell them like
Speaker 3: share my experiences and stuff like that.
Speaker 2: So I think it'll help.
Speaker 1: What do you think about the stable behind you? Because
Speaker 1: I think there's gonna be an emphasis winning at the
Speaker 1: line of scrimmage, and they love these backs with Breese
Speaker 1: and Braylan and Isaiah Davis. What do you think about
Speaker 1: the guys and POTENTI what you guys could do on
Speaker 1: the ground this year, not only with those three, but.
Speaker 2: What feels as well.
Speaker 3: It's gonna be something to watch for sure. I'm excited
Speaker 3: for it. I don't know exactly all like what we're
Speaker 3: gonna do specifically, but it's gonna be fun for sure.
Speaker 1: You have such a positive demeanor. You're a fun guy
Speaker 1: to be around. What switches when you get on the
Speaker 1: field because you've been miked up before? Yeah, it ain't
Speaker 1: too nice, I think.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 3: I kind of like like on my day to day,
Speaker 3: I kind of channel my energy to be like positive
Speaker 3: as positive as I can be, just.
Speaker 2: Because I know, like.
Speaker 3: For me growing up wasn't the easiest, But like, if
Speaker 3: I can be that light for somebody else on my
Speaker 3: day to day and like and come in with a
Speaker 3: positive attitude every day and they see me in a
Speaker 3: good mood, you know what I'm saying, Like where I
Speaker 3: came from and stuff like that. I mean, I feel
Speaker 3: like I can make somebody else's day good. So that's
Speaker 3: kind of how I move my day to day. But
Speaker 3: on game day, like you know what I'm saying, it's
Speaker 3: all like it's it's a different.
Speaker 2: It's different. I don't know, man, I try to. I
Speaker 2: don't know. I go back for sure, go back, way back.
Speaker 1: And when you say you go way back, yeah, you're
Speaker 1: referencing what.
Speaker 3: Like, you know, childhood growing up, it wasn't the easiest,
Speaker 3: like like growing up where I came from and stuff
Speaker 3: like that, you know, like growing up when my post
Speaker 3: was in prison and stuff like that he home now,
Speaker 3: but Possle was in prison.
Speaker 2: So it was just like a single parent household and stuff.
Speaker 3: And so I just I go back to that time
Speaker 3: of me being that kid just by myself, you know
Speaker 3: what I'm saying, and trying to trying to always like
Speaker 3: I want to say, hold things together, and I'm like,
Speaker 3: you know, like it's time to let it out. And
Speaker 3: I feel like game day at that time where I
Speaker 3: just go to a different mode and I'm like, like
Speaker 3: I don't want to be back there anymore. You know
Speaker 3: what I'm saying. I don't want to be back in
Speaker 3: the position that I once was as a kid. I
Speaker 3: don't want to put my kid through what I went
Speaker 3: through as a kid, you know what I'm saying. So
Speaker 3: like when I get on the field, it's like that's
Speaker 3: like that's my motivation, Like that's why I'm out here.
Speaker 3: Like my motivation is so And I told the team
Speaker 3: is last year I talked to the team and I
Speaker 3: told him I was like, my, my, my, why is
Speaker 3: my struggle?
Speaker 2: My struggle when I was younger.
Speaker 3: And stuff like that, And a lot of people's wives
Speaker 3: like their mom and stuff like that. But once you
Speaker 3: once you help your mom out, then then what is it?
Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying. But my struggle is always
Speaker 3: going to be there, And so I use that every
Speaker 3: day is my motivation to to not not to necessarily
Speaker 3: look back, but to push me forward to not go
Speaker 3: back to where I was, you know what I'm saying,
Speaker 3: or where we were my family, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: So just game day is just that time where I
Speaker 3: can show the world like, yo, John ain't going back.
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: I might make a mistake, And I told I told
Speaker 3: the team, as I said, I might make a mistake
Speaker 3: here and there, but it's like mistakes happen, it's like,
Speaker 3: what you're gonna do after that mistake?
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying, It's.
Speaker 3: Like just dust it off and just get back up
Speaker 3: and get on your horse.
Speaker 2: Like it's time to go now. You know what I'm saying,
Speaker 2: it's battle time.
Speaker 3: So that's kind of how I look at it, and
Speaker 3: that's kind of how I've been looking at football.
Speaker 2: It's kind of been my outlet. You know what I'm saying,
Speaker 2: what's it.
Speaker 1: Like for you now? Being a dad? It's huge of
Speaker 1: a two year old.
Speaker 2: So I know it's it's huge. Man. My boy, he's
Speaker 2: my He's my world for sure.
Speaker 3: My wife, my wife men, but you know, he he
Speaker 3: he kind of like he definitely like changed my outlook
Speaker 3: on life for sure.
Speaker 2: I feel like.
Speaker 3: Life obviously was important, but like now it's like I
Speaker 3: got something that I got something to do it for.
Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying, Like I got something to
Speaker 3: I got somebody that's looking up to me. I got
Speaker 3: somebody that's like learning from me, learning how to be
Speaker 3: a dad, learning how to be a husband, learn how
Speaker 3: to be a you know what I'm saying, Like a human.
Speaker 3: So I try my best to put my best foot
Speaker 3: forward every day and like I said, I walk around
Speaker 3: with a smile on my face no matter what, no
Speaker 3: matter how long you had me up last night. But
Speaker 3: just to show him that, like man, no matter no
Speaker 3: matter what, you can, you can be happy, and you
Speaker 3: can and no matter what, you can make somebody else happy,
Speaker 3: you can make their day happy. And just try to,
Speaker 3: like I said, just try to be that leader that
Speaker 3: that my son needs. And I feel like people around
Speaker 3: me may need to.
Speaker 1: Let's get out of here with this. You see them
Speaker 1: be in such a great spot. How much do you
Speaker 1: embrace the position you are in with this team along
Speaker 1: this offensive line as part of you know, one of
Speaker 1: these foundational pieces for this new regime as you guys
Speaker 1: are about to set forth on training camp.
Speaker 3: No, I mean, I'm I'm excited for where I'm at. Man,
Speaker 3: and I'm and I you know, the Jets, they definitely
Speaker 3: like this organization and alone, like including last year. I
Speaker 3: know a lot of we don't want to talk about
Speaker 3: last year, but I feel like this organization like kind
Speaker 3: of change the trajectory of my career. You know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying, I kind of because I like the organization.
Speaker 3: People say it wasn't good or whatever for the last
Speaker 3: couple of years.
Speaker 2: Whatever. But it's like going back to my story.
Speaker 3: It's like I came from nothing, and I kind of
Speaker 3: want to I want to be here while.
Speaker 2: To turn this organization around. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3: I came from nothing like this, this whole organization. I
Speaker 3: feel like it's my story, and I feel like it's
Speaker 3: like a it would be great for me to be
Speaker 3: a part of something like this, to change this whole
Speaker 3: thing around. So I'm excited to be a part of
Speaker 3: something like this and I'm ready to work.
Speaker 2: Man, for sure.
Speaker 1: I appreciate your time. That's what Age said today. He
Speaker 1: said that you guys are going to have an opportunity
Speaker 1: to write your own story exactly, to create your own
Speaker 1: narrative exactly exactly.
Speaker 2: And I'm ready for it man for sure. For sure,
Speaker 2: Thanks buddy. Sure.
Speaker 1: Game Day and every day score a jewelry touchdown with
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Speaker 1: all the action and energy of Jets game Day this
Speaker 1: season with twenty twenty five season tickets. Lock in your
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Speaker 1: Time for my extra point, the Jets are going to
Speaker 1: flip the narrative next season Offensively. In twenty twenty four,
Speaker 1: they finished thirty second in rush attempts in thirty first
Speaker 1: and yards on the ground. It's feasible that they will
Speaker 1: be top ten in both categories next season. The Jets
Speaker 1: will continue to invest in the offensive line GM Darren
Speaker 1: Mougi and head coach Aaron Glenn's first draft pick was
Speaker 1: Arman Memble. The hope is the Jets will have bookend
Speaker 1: tackles for the next five to ten years in Olu
Speaker 1: Fashnu and Membo. The center position has graped up with
Speaker 1: Joe Tipman and Josh Myers, and Avt and John Simpson
Speaker 1: are a nice pairing at guard. And you can make
Speaker 1: the argument that the talented trio at running back with
Speaker 1: Breese Hall, Braylon Allen and Isaiah Davis is the team's
Speaker 1: top position group overall. Add justin fields to the equation,
Speaker 1: and the Jets are going to get after people on
Speaker 1: the ground. Glenn wants a tough, physical and violent team,
Speaker 1: and that will mean pounding the rock. Balance has returned
Speaker 1: to one Jets Drive, See you next week.