WEBVTT - Fins Flashback 2001 Dolphins Raiders with Jay Fiedler 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:16.720 Field touchdown, Miami Run. What is up? Dolphins? And welcome 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:20.040 to the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:24.279 official podcast network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins, each 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:27.840 and every day. How's it going, everybody? It is Monday, 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:31.640 a special edition here of the Drivetime Podcast. I am 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:34.319 your host, Travis Wingfield, and I'm here to bring you 0:00:34.320 --> 0:00:37.880 your daily dose of Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:40.479 we're gonna welcome and Jay Fiedler on this podcast to 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:44.160 talk about the two thousand one victory over the Oakland Raiders. 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:45.960 As the Dolphins head to Las Vegas and take on 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:49.840 the Raiders on Saturday for a special primetime game. We'll 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:52.800 hear from Jay on that very unique and special game 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:56.000 and big time Dolphins win, coming back after nine eleven 0:00:56.240 --> 0:00:58.920 his touchdown run to win that game late against the Raiders. 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:01.040 Let's go ahead and jump right into that here on 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:04.360 this Monday, December the twenty one edition of the Drive 0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:10.800 Time Podcast. We already had the earlier podcast for you 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:13.759 guys today talking to Kyle van Noy. Let's go ahead 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.479 and jump right into this interview with Jay Fiedler talking 0:01:16.480 --> 0:01:19.920 about two thousand one, the victory over the Oakland Raiders, 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:23.120 and I'm thrilled to be joined now by former Dolphins 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.039 quarterback a man that needs no introduction thirty six and 0:01:26.080 --> 0:01:28.800 twenty three as the Dolphins starting quarterback from two thousand 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:31.480 to two thousand and four, The last Dolphins QB to 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:34.840 win a playoff game, Jay Fiedler. Jay, what's up man? 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:38.160 Welcome back in Dravis. Thanks man. How you doing. I'm 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:40.560 doing good, better than you, apparently, because I heard you're 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:43.399 stuck in some snow up there in the northeast. Yeah. 0:01:43.400 --> 0:01:46.959 I just I just finished shoveling the driveway and had 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.680 a little hot Coco get ready for you. Hey, the 0:01:49.880 --> 0:01:51.960 hot coco part, I will envy a little bit. I 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:54.360 don't miss the cold weather, but you know, those those 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:58.559 techniques to get back to being warm, those are certainly missed. Yeah. Well, 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:00.280 we we needed them when we had a all up 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:03.280 the Buffalo and New England in December every year. Yeah, 0:02:03.360 --> 0:02:06.120 there you go. I was actually watching a YouTube clip 0:02:06.440 --> 0:02:07.640 the other day. I think it was like one of 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.400 those Twitter vintage accounts where they showed you on the 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:12.839 field pregame up in Buffalo, and I want to say 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.600 it was maybe two thousand and you were saying beautiful 0:02:15.680 --> 0:02:19.519 day out here, and it was like probably twenty degrees. Yeah. Well, 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.640 you know, I played college up at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:25.120 so I was used to the cold, you know, going 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:27.040 up there. I think the old line loved it when 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:31.119 I went out there in shorts and just a lightweight 0:02:31.240 --> 0:02:34.320 long sleep T shirt for warm up. So uh yeah, 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:36.720 I definitely got the guys fired up, and uh we 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:38.600 had a great game that day. Yeah, you're a little 0:02:38.600 --> 0:02:40.640 bit ahead of your time. I recall seeing some some 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:42.720 of the college kids these days, they'll they'll make it 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:44.480 a point to go out their shirt lists and get 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:46.359 like some push ups and stuff like that to try 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:48.160 to I guess set the tone. But you did it 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:50.560 on your own, in your own way back in those days. 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:52.639 But um, you know, the last we talked, j And 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:55.840 we were on the same season, or not the same season. 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:58.200 Rather we were in the two thousand season talking about 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:01.160 the finale against the Patriots and cold weather game. But 0:03:01.200 --> 0:03:03.639 today we're gonna go to the beginning of the two 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:05.919 thousand one season. And as I can see in your 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:08.720 background there, you still have the poster up. Now, last 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:11.200 time we talked, it was your your sun shade from 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:14.880 the window. But now it's a little more prominently displayed there. J. Well, yeah, 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:17.440 you know, I used to do the zooms up my 0:03:17.520 --> 0:03:20.920 office where my computer was, and uh, I just decided 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.280 that that shade in the background kept giving a glare, 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:25.880 kept giving a glare, and uh, you know, rather than 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:31.240 taking taking the poster to block the shade, rock block 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:33.760 the sun, I think I'll just take my computer and 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:37.320 come downstairs, you know, to the basement. Well, I'm glad 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:39.360 to see that it still looks great because there's obviously 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:41.640 no sun spots on it. It looks fantastic. I think 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.520 most Dolphins fans remember that game and that Sports Illustrated 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:46.280 cover with J and the end zone kind of pumping 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:49.000 the fist after a game winning touchdown run. But you know, 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.160 I'm sure Dolphins fans remember this game for that reason, 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:55.360 A big reason why, but also a major, major, you know, 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:58.480 life changing period in our country here. And I think 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:00.360 to start off here, Jay, and you know, if this 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:02.720 is a tough transition to make, I'd like to kind 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:04.040 of just give you the floor. Maybe we can go 0:04:04.080 --> 0:04:05.960 back and forth, but I want to know, like, what 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:08.240 was that week like leading up to this game? Because 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:11.480 you know, the nine eleven tragedy had just happened. You guys, 0:04:11.760 --> 0:04:13.240 I want to know, like, how did you find out? 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:16.320 What was the scheduling, like the communication as far as 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:17.800 what you're gonna do? What was it like when you 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:19.919 guys first found out about you know, nine eleven and 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:23.599 the schedule afterwards? Yeah, well, you know, I remember it 0:04:23.680 --> 0:04:26.120 was you know, we had two weeks because they actually 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:29.360 canceled the week of the season. Uh. You know when 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.240 after nine eleven happened, and and we didn't know what 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:34.400 was you know, what was going on, what was going 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:37.800 to happen. Uh. Uh you know nine eleven ended up 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:41.680 that year coming on an off day on a Tuesday. 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:45.599 So you know, I remember being at home and uh 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:47.480 uh you know, waking up to to to get up 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.000 to go into the facility to to watch some film 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:52.880 and get prepared for uh for the next week, and 0:04:53.120 --> 0:04:56.360 uh you know, turn the TV on and see what's 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:58.919 going on, and uh, you know it took me a 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:01.920 while to get in that. Uh. You know I had 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:05.080 uh you know, being from New York and uh growing 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:07.200 up in the area. You know, I knew one of 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:09.640 my best friends from college actually worked in the world 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.520 trade Center at CANi fis Gerald, Uh, you know, up 0:05:12.560 --> 0:05:16.200 on the hundred something floor and uh, you know, if 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.960 you if you remember anything about you know, nine eleven 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.680 Candor you know, was one of those companies that that 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:28.360 lost you know, probably of the company there and uh, 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:31.719 you know, luckily he was still working some overnight hours 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:34.040 and uh got out of there in the morning. But 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.240 I didn't know that, you know, so you know, I 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:38.679 spent a good part of the day trying to connect 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:41.360 with him or or you know other people friends and 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:44.880 family that uh uh you know, can can find out 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.640 what was happening. And you know, the phones were all 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:51.599 messed up that day, uh, with everyone trying to communicate 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:54.920 with with with their family and with their friends. Uh. 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:57.680 So it took a while to to finally get the 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:01.760 good news that that he wasn't there and uh and survived. 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:04.840 But you know, over the next day or two, you 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:08.279 find out stories of other people and other friends who 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:12.359 you know, friends of friends or or you know, people 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.359 that are connected with with with with close friends and 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.800 family that uh, you know, it was just such a 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:23.360 tragic day and uh and aftermath beyond that, so you know, 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:25.960 after after it happened, you know, we Actually we had 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:27.920 to go in you know, the following day for practice 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:31.000 on Wednesday, and you know, there was a somber mood. 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:36.559 No one really felt like practicing. Uh. I don't recall. 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:39.920 I think we just did just cancel that practice that day, 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:41.960 and we were kind of waiting for the NFL and 0:06:42.000 --> 0:06:44.920 make a decision on uh, you know, on what they 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:47.640 were going to do uh with the week. I think 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:52.320 every sports organization during that time period was was trying 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:56.600 to figure it out. Um. You know, I know Baseball, 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:00.000 you know, it was getting towards the end of their season, 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.039 and you know, they didn't know what was going on. 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:04.599 Football didn't know what was going on. And took a 0:07:04.680 --> 0:07:07.760 day or two to the NFL to finally say, you know, 0:07:08.040 --> 0:07:11.440 let's cancel this week and you know, we'll we'll let 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:13.720 you know, and and uh ended up coming back the 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:17.840 following week, uh to play the game. So uh, you know, 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:21.080 it's definitely a surreal time and you know, and then 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:25.760 the preparation getting back uh, you know, even a couple 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:30.120 of weeks later after after it happened. Uh, Um, you know, 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:33.000 you still had you know a lot of things going on. 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:38.040 You know, air travel was was different. Uh. Um, you 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.600 know everything. You know, it was a bit different that 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:43.760 at that point. You know, I know my dad used 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:45.640 to make it down to every single game and mine 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.800 uh uh you know, he traveled whether it was home 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.680 or away. Uh, you know, and he he hopped on 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:54.640 a Jet Blue flight to come down, uh for the 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:56.880 Radar game, and he said there were about four people 0:07:56.960 --> 0:08:00.120 on the flight, you know, and it was you know, 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.160 the people were that scared of of getting on planes 0:08:03.240 --> 0:08:05.800 and uh, you know, I didn't want to resume you know, 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:09.160 the travel, so uh, you know, it was it was 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:12.880 just a crazy time. But you know, as as an athlete, 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:16.920 you always you know, use uh you know, use your 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:20.280 sport and use your your profession as a way too, 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:23.840 you know, for for a few hours a day, and 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:27.240 you know, to to kind of get away from, you know, 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:30.760 the distractions of life. And and it allows, you know, 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:33.920 it allowed us as as athletes to you know, be 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:37.040 able to to you know, get our focus away from 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:39.439 what was going on in the tragedy that was happening 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.000 and uh, you know realize that life does move on 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:44.360 and and you know you have to keep pushing forward. 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:47.520 And you know, we translated that into you know, coming 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:50.440 back on the field and and really allowing America to 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:54.480 heal and uh uh you know, give them, you know, 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:57.920 a bit of normalcy again after a couple of weeks 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:01.120 of grieving. I'm glad you mentioned that because you know, 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:03.640 I wasn't. I mean, I was in sixth grade, Jay, 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.880 so I didn't really you know, have the full grasp 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:07.800 of the concept of what was happening as far as 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:10.960 the gravity of the situation. But you know, I do 0:09:11.000 --> 0:09:14.080 remember watching sports as a kid that only really cared 0:09:14.080 --> 0:09:16.280 about sports at that time in my life. And remember 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:18.480 like the Andrewsie brothers for the Patriots coming onto the 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:20.839 field with the American flags and uh, you know, Rudy 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:22.839 Giuliana throwing out the first pitch of the Yankees game 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:25.040 in the playoffs and they came back to play, or 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:27.440 even even this game they showed John Gruden on the 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.440 sideline and he was, you know, he was tearful as 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:31.679 an emotional moment for him and I'm sure everybody else involved. 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:34.120 I was wondering you mentioned, because you had that connection 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:36.680 back to New York. Did the coaches ask you or 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:38.600 maybe anybody else to kind of get up and address 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:40.520 the team, like what was there some some type of 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:42.959 therapy session coming back in because you know, like you mentioned, 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.319 this is so unprecedented, maybe you have to find a 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:48.199 new way to approach it. Yeah, you know, we we 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.520 we did talk about, you know, as a team. Uh 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:54.320 uh you know, I mean we were talking about whether 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.079 you know, we even you know, before the NFL made 0:09:57.120 --> 0:10:00.439 their decision, you know, whether we even you know I 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:03.560 wanted to go back and play. And you know that 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:07.160 was a team discussion on you know, what we would 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:10.520 recommend to the NFL and uh you know, even uh 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:13.920 you know, even getting back out the practice was a 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:16.800 discussion that that we had when was the right time 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:21.840 to you know, to to return and uh, you know 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:26.599 it was you know, I mean for me, I remember, 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.280 you know, because of my New York connection and and 0:10:29.440 --> 0:10:32.160 uh you know connection there. Uh you know, and also 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:34.640 just being a team captain. You know, it was an 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:38.720 honor for me when the team came out, when we 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:42.040 were announced in the pregame, you know, to to be 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:44.640 out front with the American flag and uh you know 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:48.360 lead the team out from from the locker room, uh, 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:51.600 you know, right before the national anthem. And you know 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.080 there was a time that again, like I said, you know, 0:10:55.120 --> 0:10:57.960 the country was really coming together and everyone you know 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:01.760 was was patriot out of at that time, you know, 0:11:02.000 --> 0:11:05.079 feeling for you know, whether it was New York or 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:07.520 or d C that got hit or you know, the 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:10.880 Pennsylvania crash. Uh, you know, it really affected everyone across 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:13.800 the country. Uh uh you know it was a time 0:11:13.840 --> 0:11:17.440 that you know, the the US came together to unite 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:21.840 and uh uh you know, united around uh you know, 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:24.040 sports and uh, you know that was kind of the 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:27.760 big catalyst for you know, returning like I said, returning 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:30.559 to a normal activity. Yeah, I was gonna say that 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:32.360 had to have been a motivation for you guys, right, 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:34.920 like kind of not taking the honest to be the 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:37.400 ones that you know, turned things back to normal. But 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.840 you had to take some pride in that, right. Oh yeah, absolutely, 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:43.840 you know it was it was, like I said, an 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.400 honor to to to be in that situation, to be 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:50.079 in that in that moment, uh uh, to to show 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:54.200 the country that, uh, you know, we're we're going up 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:57.400 against the raiders and you know we we can't stand them, 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:01.000 but you know we're all together and uh, you know 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:04.839 and bringing America back together, you know, back to normal. 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.040 So we do want to talk about this game at 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:08.679 some point, I'll kind of I guess trying to make 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:12.560 this relation in the transition. Was there like kind of 0:12:12.559 --> 0:12:14.520 a sluggish feel to it at the beginning, or did 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:16.440 you have a moment where you kind of got back 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:18.320 into the game or was it once the ball kicked 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.000 off you're ready to go? Like was how had you 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:23.520 been different to start that game off? Uh? Yeah, you know, 0:12:23.559 --> 0:12:26.880 the the emotions of the of the national anthem definitely 0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:29.960 hit a chord with a lot of people. Um, you know, 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.400 just uh, you know, being back out on the field. 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:36.280 I think they had a big flyover for for that game, 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:41.520 uh you know, which was you know, energetic and emotional 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:44.000 at the same time that the huge you know, American 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:47.240 play got them out there and uh you know, I 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:51.080 think they invited some some first responders you know, down 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:54.400 to the game and military to be out there. So 0:12:55.120 --> 0:12:57.480 you know, there was definitely a lot of pageantry around 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:02.520 uh you know, the Patriots is of coming back and playing. 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:04.440 But you know, like you said, I think you know, 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:07.480 you get that fly over in the national anthem and 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:12.280 uh and uh you know the energy that's that's built 0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:14.800 from all the emotion you know that that went through 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.120 getting to that point. You know, once the game starts, 0:13:18.240 --> 0:13:20.840 you know, there was a lot of built up emotion 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.440 to to to get into the game. And so you know, 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:25.760 that was the first thing I learned in podcasting j 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:28.480 was to play the hits, talk about the most pressing 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:30.760 issues first. I think that was obviously first and second 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:32.760 would take us all the way to the very end 0:13:32.800 --> 0:13:34.160 of the game. So I think most people remember this 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:36.559 game for obviously at the nine eleven return, but also 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:38.960 the game winning touchdown. This post right behind you here 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:41.840 where you're lying in the end zone celebrating game winning touchdown. 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:44.040 Rush I had, I had one question I'd love to 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:45.920 get an answer on here, but I think that's kind 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:48.600 of part of the larger equations. So it's it's third down, 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:50.840 which means you've got to plays to get across the 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:52.840 goal line. And you know what, let's let's go ahead 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:55.080 and do this chronologically. So you're in the huddle, it's 0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:57.080 third and goal from the two yard line, no time outs. 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:58.920 You've got no time out in your back pocket, so 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.600 Chan the offensive arditor has to be in your ear 0:14:01.679 --> 0:14:03.959 telling you, hey, if it's not there, throw that thing 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:07.680 away right Well, yeah, you know, I mean I knew 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.200 the situation. Uh you know I knew I knew what 0:14:10.320 --> 0:14:14.960 was involved. Uh and what I did make that decision 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:17.200 to to run for it. You know, I knew the 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:20.560 consequences if if I wasn't able to get there. Uh 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:23.200 So you know in the back of my head, you know, 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:26.200 going into that play coming out of the huddle. Uh, 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:29.280 you know that was really like our two point play. Uh. 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:31.640 You know that that that we worked on, you know 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:34.920 for a two point situation. Obviously we're down in that 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.160 uh in that part of the field, uh to to 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:40.400 do it, and you know when you when you think 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:43.080 about it, you know your two point play is you know, 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:46.480 really going to be your best play for that situation. Uh. 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:49.040 So you know we dialed it up at at that point, 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.880 and uh, it really gave me a lot of options 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.360 on that play. You know, it was a full bootleg, 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:59.080 but you know there were three four receivers. Uh you 0:14:59.120 --> 0:15:01.400 know that that we're in my line of sight for 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.920 that play in addition to the run and uh and 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:08.960 a throwaway option. So uh, you know all all were 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:12.160 available to me. Uh. You know I came out, I 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:14.440 think I saw a Hunter Goodwin kind of flashed in 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.600 front of me. Uh, you knows as a first option, 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:20.479 he was covered. Uh. You know, I kind of continued 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:25.200 out out towards the sideline and Trace Armstrong kind of 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:29.480 you know, mirrored me out there, started rushing to me. 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.520 I looked in the end zone, no one was open. Uh. 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:36.560 And as I ducked inside of Trace, I just saw, 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:40.400 you know, plenty of green grass, uh and enough room 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:43.160 for me to to to beat whatever defender was gonna, 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:45.720 you know, come off of their man to get there. 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.560 So you know, made that decision to uh to take 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:51.520 off and run and uh and uh you know, thankfully 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.920 it was the right decision. And uh, I was able 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:57.800 to dive and get that ball over the end zone 0:15:58.160 --> 0:16:00.400 before anyone came to hit me. Yeah. I took a 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:02.040 bunch of notes here, and I know a lot of 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:03.880 the things that you just talked about their twenty one 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:07.280 personnel offset. I play action. You'd fake the toss, sweep 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:09.440 to the to the strong or to the field side, 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:11.840 and you rolled naked to the to the boundary and 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:13.960 the clamped I think it was. Was it Rob Conrad 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.680 in the flat? I have to it was a fullback 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:18.560 and so that was that. The first reader was a 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:22.240 Hunter good one. Uh, you're you're actually right. It was 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:25.000 Rob Conrad in the in the flat was the first read, 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:27.960 you know, it was him coming back to Hunter, and 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.200 then uh, I think it was a Rhanda in the 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:33.400 back of the end zone. Uh, you know it was 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:36.520 was probably third read. But you know, I remember, I 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:38.880 know I came off a robb real quick and Hunter 0:16:39.040 --> 0:16:40.960 was kind of the guy that was, you know, iffy 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:43.800 whether I could get it to him and uh uh 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:46.480 you know, and then coming off of him to make 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:48.800 the decision to run. So I'd love to just go 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:51.200 further intode the mind of the quarterback for someone that's 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:54.120 never gonna experience, you know, I think the closest experience 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:57.240 fans have to the NFL experience is that old Michael 0:16:57.320 --> 0:16:59.760 Vick commercial the roller coaster that takes the kid around 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:02.520 for the Michael Vick experience. But I'm curious because you 0:17:02.560 --> 0:17:04.399 mentioned Trace Armstrong and I had to go back and 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:06.960 look up. I was like the neck roll that looks 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:08.320 like it might be Trace. I had to go look 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:10.240 at ninety three on the roster card and sure enough 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:12.640 it was him. And like you mentioned, you you made 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.280 a split decision where you're kind of angling towards the 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.600 pylon and then he's gonna try to get the outside 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:20.400 pursuit angle on you. And you made a decision like snap, 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:22.840 once you cut back inside you that was it, like 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:25.400 you had to commit at that point. How how fast 0:17:25.440 --> 0:17:27.159 does that happen? Like you actually have a chance to 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.040 sit there and be like, okay, I'll if I cut 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:30.800 inside hearing me that can throw it away, maybe I 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:32.480 can find a target somewhere else. Or does it just 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.520 kind of happen instinctually for you? Uh? You know, I 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.679 think it happens instinctually. I think you know what, like 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:39.840 I said, in the back of my mind, I knew 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:42.840 all the decisions that that that I had to make, 0:17:43.160 --> 0:17:46.600 uh and those of flashed decisions, and as an athlete, 0:17:46.880 --> 0:17:49.160 you know, you gotta take all that process it and 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:52.080 uh and it happens just you know, just like that, 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:54.719 the snap of the snap of a finger. And uh. 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:57.760 Uh you know, when like I said, you know, when 0:17:57.760 --> 0:18:01.200 I did cut inside, you know that split this second 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:05.400 decision was you either throw it away or you see 0:18:05.440 --> 0:18:07.560 green grass, you can get it, get it, get into 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:10.120 the end zone and you go uh you know, and 0:18:10.119 --> 0:18:13.800 and and hesitation is what really causes, you know, mistakes 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:15.720 out on the football field. So you know, you gotta 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:17.520 make that decision. You gotta commit to it, and you 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:19.520 gotta go with it. And you know, you learn as 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:22.119 a quarterback, you know when it's time to pull the trigger, 0:18:22.160 --> 0:18:24.520 you gotta pull it. Uh, you know, whether it's throwing 0:18:24.560 --> 0:18:27.040 the ball into a window, or whether it's you know, 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:29.960 making that decision to to to to to run for 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.520 it and and and go for a touchdown or a 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.159 first down or whatever this situation might pay. When you 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:37.679 made the decision, was there ever a point in your 0:18:37.720 --> 0:18:39.560 mind we were like ship, I might not get in. 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:43.800 You know, I don't think so. I mean I I 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:46.080 saw the goal line as as clear as day. I 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:49.359 saw a clear path to it. Uh. You know, it 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:53.280 probably looked a lot closer on the film, but uh, 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:55.280 you know, I knew in the back of my mind 0:18:55.320 --> 0:18:57.440 that that that that I was gonna be able to 0:18:57.480 --> 0:18:59.679 get there. So you do you do? Dive in get 0:18:59.720 --> 0:19:01.919 across us the goal line. We have again the image 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:04.439 behind your right shoulder there is is you lying in 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:06.159 the end zone. Can you take us through your thoughts 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:10.800 in that moment? I don't know if I had anythings 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:14.040 you four. Yeah, I guess, uh, you know you dive. 0:19:14.480 --> 0:19:17.879 You know, I was, you know, just looking up, you know, 0:19:17.960 --> 0:19:21.800 to make sure that the referee gave the touchdown signal. 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:24.640 And as I'm looking up, you know, everyone's jumping all 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:27.320 over me, and I think when my hand goes up, 0:19:27.359 --> 0:19:30.080 it's when I see the referee you know, actually make 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:32.840 you know, come in and give the touchdown signal. You know, 0:19:32.920 --> 0:19:35.600