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Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, Welcome into the Fisher Jets podcast. Eric Allen

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Speaker 1: here at One Jets Drive. If you are listening, please subscribe,

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Speaker 1: rate and review. If you're watching there on YouTube, we

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Speaker 1: appreciate you, but smash that like while you're there. The

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Speaker 1: Jets selected seven players during the twenty twenty four NFL Draft,

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Speaker 1: With the headliner Bean Penn State tackle Olu Fashionu. The

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Speaker 1: Jets actually moved back one spot and a trade with

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Speaker 1: the Vikings were able to grab one of the most

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Speaker 1: talented tackles in an elite class, acquiring additional assets in

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Speaker 1: the move as Minnesota landed Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy. Fashion

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Speaker 1: New will begin his career, of course, on a rebuilt

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Speaker 1: offensive line as Jets GM Joe Douglas began the offseason

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Speaker 1: with the free agent signings of John Simpson and Tyron Smith,

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Speaker 1: and he also traded to bring back Morgan Moses from Baltimore.

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Speaker 1: It's a great situation for Fashionu as he's going to

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Speaker 1: learn from a guy who used to study in Tyron Smith.

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Speaker 1: We caught up with Olu on draft weekend, but before

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Speaker 1: that we wanted to start the pod with Olu fashion News.

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Speaker 1: College coach Penn State's James Franklin. James, thank you so

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Speaker 1: much for being with us today. I want to start

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Speaker 1: with a quote that you post on social media after

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Speaker 1: Olu was drafted by the Jets. You are an incredible

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Speaker 1: young man, a football player. We couldn't be happier for

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Speaker 1: you and your family. Your love for the game, dedication

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Speaker 1: or hard work will continue to stand out in your

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Speaker 1: professional career. What does he symbolize to your program?

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Speaker 2: Well, to me, he's the model Penn State football player.

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Speaker 2: You know, this guy could have left last year as

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Speaker 2: probably a first round draft choice from all the reports

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Speaker 2: that I got, decided to come back to school to

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Speaker 2: be an All American, to compete for a championship, to graduate.

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Speaker 2: You know, he had the highest GPA in one of

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Speaker 2: the best schools in the country Are Business School, had

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Speaker 2: like a three point seven gpa.

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Speaker 3: Just just wanted to do everything right.

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Speaker 2: He's he's really I think one of these guys that

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Speaker 2: literally whatever he wanted to do, he could be successful in,

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Speaker 2: whether that is business, whether that is football. He's just

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Speaker 2: that type of guy. Uh, tremendous leader, tremendous family. You

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Speaker 2: guys are gonna love him on the field because there's

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Speaker 2: no doubt in my mind he's going to get the

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Speaker 2: job done. But I just think you guys are going

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Speaker 2: to spend some time around him and get to know

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Speaker 2: him and his humility and his intelligence. I think the

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Speaker 2: people you know in the city are going.

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Speaker 3: To fall in love with him.

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Speaker 1: On the recruiting trail in twenty twenty, what did you

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Speaker 1: see in the young man at Gonzaga High School in Washington,

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Speaker 1: d C.

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Speaker 2: Well, Well, he was kind of a raw football player

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Speaker 2: at that time. He wasn't highly recruited. He ended up

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Speaker 2: being a fairly highly recruited player by the end of

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Speaker 2: the process in terms of rankings and things like that,

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Speaker 2: but he wasn't really at the time when we first

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Speaker 2: started recruiting him. He's really a basketball player that had

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Speaker 2: just started playing football the last couple of years.

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Speaker 3: Being in New York. You know better than me, there's.

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Speaker 2: A ton of six or four basketball players that should

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Speaker 2: be playing football, and Olu made the switch and just

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Speaker 2: really kind of flourished once he arrived on our campus,

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Speaker 2: you know, really flourished. He's one of these guys. He

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Speaker 2: trusted the process, he trusted the coaches. He was super coachable.

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Speaker 3: He was going to do.

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Speaker 2: Whatever he had to do to grow and get better

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Speaker 2: and be an impactful player in our program, and just

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Speaker 2: got better every single day and every single year.

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Speaker 3: Parents were very involved in.

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Speaker 2: The process, not from a negative standpoint, I don't want

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Speaker 2: that to come off the wrong way, just very supportive

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Speaker 2: of us as coaches as well as their son.

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Speaker 1: Can you speak to his mindset and his progress during

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Speaker 1: those first two years where he was a red shirt

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Speaker 1: and then the following year he got some snaps as

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Speaker 1: a reserve and also playing special teams, well.

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Speaker 2: I think he was also you got to remember too,

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Speaker 2: he was also behind the guy who's starting left tackle

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Speaker 2: for the Green Bay Packers now, so it's not like

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Speaker 2: you know, he was behind somebody that obviously wasn't also

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Speaker 2: an impressive player, and that's what Rashid Wallace, but just

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Speaker 2: again a guy that just punches the clock and has

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Speaker 2: just gotten better and better and better in really every

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Speaker 2: area football, IQ fundamentals and technique. I think the thing

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Speaker 2: you guys are gonna find with him is his play strength,

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Speaker 2: especially in past protection. He has the ability where maybe

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Speaker 2: a guy gets on his edge and he's able to

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Speaker 2: overcome bad positions and get back into powerful, dominant positions

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Speaker 2: at the end, you know, I think that's where his

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Speaker 2: strength is. I think in the run game, I think

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Speaker 2: it's an area where I think he can take the

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Speaker 2: next step. He was a dominant player for us, but

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Speaker 2: I still think there's room for growth there. I just

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Speaker 2: think you guys are going to absolutely love him. I know,

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Speaker 2: talking to the coaches in a GM, you know they're

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Speaker 2: fired up about him as well.

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Speaker 1: What were those conversations like for you guys Following the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty two season when the NFL Draft Advisory Board said, hey, Olu,

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Speaker 1: if you come out, you could be a first round pick.

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Speaker 2: Well, I sat down with his family. I'm probably different

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Speaker 2: than a lot of college coaches. I actually advised Olu

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Speaker 2: and his mom and dad that he should leave and

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Speaker 2: kind of went through all the presentation, all the evaluations

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Speaker 2: that I had, and Olu's mom took her hand and

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Speaker 2: put it across my chest and said, thank you very much,

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Speaker 2: Coach Franklin. We appreciate your recommendations. But Olu always planned

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Speaker 2: on being college for four years. He has not graduated yet,

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Speaker 2: He's not leaving without his degree, and we appreciate all

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Speaker 2: this information.

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Speaker 3: It's really valuable information.

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Speaker 2: But Olu's coming back and I said yes, ma'am, Yes, ma'am,

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Speaker 2: you know, and then we just got to work. And

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Speaker 2: then it was kind of the pressure really had switched

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Speaker 2: to me at that point because I had to put

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Speaker 2: Olu in a position where he could get better, continue

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Speaker 2: to grow. So now go from being a first round

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Speaker 2: pick to a top fifteen pick graduate and also keep

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Speaker 2: him healthy. So what is that fine line of how

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Speaker 2: much work he needed to get. He got no live

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Speaker 2: reps in spring ball, he got no live reps in

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Speaker 2: training camp.

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Speaker 3: He just he was at a different point in his career.

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Speaker 2: So we came up with a plan that Olu was

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Speaker 2: very comfortable with and so was our coaching staff, and

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Speaker 2: it really worked out in everybody's best interest, which is

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Speaker 2: really what you're trying to create a win win situation.

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Speaker 2: This is a win for Olu and his family, but

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Speaker 2: it's also win for Penn State.

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Speaker 1: Can you talk about how he improved as a player

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Speaker 1: last season and also another element to this I think

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Speaker 1: is very important is he talked about embracing maybe a

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Speaker 1: different mindset as far as being more of a leader.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I would say the leadership is the thing that probably

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Speaker 2: stood out the most. Being more comfortable to have challenging

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Speaker 2: conversations with his teammates, holding people accountable. But I also

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Speaker 2: think when you're a guy like Olu who does everything

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Speaker 2: right and people see that, they're open to hearing that

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Speaker 2: from their teammate, when they know this guy does everything

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Speaker 2: right and has.

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Speaker 3: For four years.

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Speaker 2: I think the other thing is for me at major

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Speaker 2: the major college level, or whether it's in the NFL,

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Speaker 2: it's all about consistency, right, whether you're a first round

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Speaker 2: draft choice, a top fifteen pick, or whether you're a

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Speaker 2: second round draft choice. All those guys have first round potential,

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Speaker 2: but who are the guys that can do it game

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Speaker 2: in and game out, quarter in and quarter out, and

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Speaker 2: doesn't matter who the opponent is. And that's where I

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Speaker 2: think Olu continued to take a step. He just was

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Speaker 2: putting top fifteen film together, game after game, rep after rep.

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Speaker 2: And then obviously, you know, being able to go against

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Speaker 2: guys like Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac a practice every

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Speaker 2: single day that iron sharpens iron, I think is a

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Speaker 2: really important thing as well, and I think the NFL

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Speaker 2: scouts come into practice and being able to watch those

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Speaker 2: guys go against each other and one on ones and

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Speaker 2: then for us to send the film as well. It's

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Speaker 2: really it's about consistency, and that's that's who Olu is

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Speaker 2: from the day he stepped on our campus.

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Speaker 1: What were those matchups like that you had a chance

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Speaker 1: to watch every day because Olu first time he walks

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Speaker 1: into the building here, he says, you know, under coach Franklin,

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Speaker 1: everything was about competition. You just mentioned chopping Adisa. What

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Speaker 1: was it like those guys going after each other.

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Speaker 2: Well, I don't think it's just for Olu and Chop

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Speaker 2: and that that's that's obviously important in their development, but

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Speaker 2: it's also important for our whole team to watch. Here's

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Speaker 2: two of the best two players in college football at

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Speaker 2: their positions, and they are going at each other like

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Speaker 2: they are going at each other, and everybody's watching, all

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Speaker 2: eyes on them, and that's how we start practice every

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Speaker 2: single day.

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Speaker 3: But I think, you know, those types of.

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Speaker 2: Things are important for Olu and Chop, but it was

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Speaker 2: just as important for our entire team to see our

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Speaker 2: best players go at each other every single day. And

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Speaker 2: then what was really cool is after practice you'd see

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Speaker 2: him talking.

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Speaker 3: Like, Hey, you know, you got me here? How did

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Speaker 3: that happen?

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Speaker 1: Hey?

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Speaker 3: I got you here?

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Speaker 2: This was the tip or this was some of the

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Speaker 2: things I was reading in your pre snap alignment or

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Speaker 2: whatever it may be. So it's really cool to watch

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Speaker 2: those guys be supportive of one another as well.

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Speaker 1: You've mu in all those family multiple times. Can you

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Speaker 1: speak to his character and the influences they've had on

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Speaker 1: him as far as his approach and everything he does?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, just mom, dad, sister, all very very successful. I

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Speaker 2: think the values that he was raised with. Again, you know,

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Speaker 2: there's not too many times you sit to have a

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Speaker 2: conversation and a family tells you a coach, all that

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Speaker 2: money you're talking about is great in the first round,

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Speaker 2: but Olu doesn't have his degree yet and he's coming

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Speaker 2: back and finishing it. Just I would say they're about substance,

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Speaker 2: and I don't want that to come off being critical.

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Speaker 2: Guys that leave school early to get drafted in the

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Speaker 2: first round, I get it, But I'm just saying they

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Speaker 2: are a family that really is about substance and not

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Speaker 2: chasing shiny things. Consistency, substance, being able to have hard

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Speaker 2: conversations with each other.

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Speaker 3: You know, their parents.

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Speaker 2: You know, it's been my it's been my experience that

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Speaker 2: this generation, some of these parents are their kids' friends,

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Speaker 2: not really their parents. And these are two strong parents

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Speaker 2: a strong older sister that you could tell there was

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Speaker 2: a lot of love in the home, but there was

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Speaker 2: also a lot of tough conversations and holding each other accountable.

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Speaker 2: So when he got to Penn State and when he

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Speaker 2: gets to your organization, it's not the first time he's

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Speaker 2: been putting challenging, tough situations before, which is also why

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Speaker 2: I think he'll thrive.

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Speaker 1: What was draft night like for you personally? And can

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Speaker 1: he talk about your travels that some of us were

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Speaker 1: able to follow there on social media?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, we were fortunate, right. We had two

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Speaker 2: guys drafted in the first round out of the state

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Speaker 2: of Maryland. One was in Waldorf, which is where Oulu is,

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Speaker 2: which is like southern PG County, And then we had

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Speaker 2: about an hour drive to get the Chops house, and

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Speaker 2: I didn't know if we were gonna make it. So literally,

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Speaker 2: we're celebrating with Olu. I'm hugging him, telling him I

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Speaker 2: love him, and then I gotta go. We're like running

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Speaker 2: out of the house going ninety five miles an hour

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Speaker 2: on the Beltway. I think it was And it's funny

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Speaker 2: the guy's in the car with me, like, I hope

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Speaker 2: we get there before Chop gets drafted. I'm like, I

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Speaker 2: hope we don't. Like, I hope he gets drafted as

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Speaker 2: thing as possible. That could be six million dollars. What

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Speaker 2: are we talking about? But it ended up working out

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Speaker 2: really well and it timed up great. You know, I

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Speaker 2: wish I could be there for all of our players.

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Speaker 2: We had eight players get drafted. I wish I could

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Speaker 2: have been there for all of them, but those worked out.

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Speaker 2: It's not too often you get two guys drafted in

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Speaker 2: the first round from the same state within an hour

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Speaker 2: from each other.

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Speaker 1: What do you think about the situation that Ola walks

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Speaker 1: in here. I'm not asking you to analyze the DUPB chart,

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Speaker 1: but just from Afar, he's talked about, Hey, Tyrone Smith

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Speaker 1: is a guy that I grew up studying as far

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Speaker 1: as the film is concerned. And the Jets also brought

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Speaker 1: in another veteran tackle here this offseason, reacquiring Morgan Moses

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Speaker 1: in the trade with Baltimore.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I can't speak on that.

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Speaker 2: I don't I don't study the NFL as as closely

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Speaker 2: as as I would like. Obviously we do for scheme

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Speaker 2: and cut ups and things like that. You know, I

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Speaker 2: was with Aaron. Me and Aaron were together in Green Bay.

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Speaker 4: You know.

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Speaker 2: I think it was Aaron's rookie year. I was there

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Speaker 2: for his you know, his first year in the NFL.

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Speaker 2: So I know he's happy, you know, So it should

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Speaker 2: be it.

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Speaker 3: Should be a great situation. But I don't study it enough.

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Speaker 2: I just know the type of player he is and

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Speaker 2: the type of character he has that those are guys

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Speaker 2: that you can't have enough high production, low maintenance guys

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Speaker 2: in your locker room.

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Speaker 3: And that's what he is.

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Speaker 1: Speaking of the high production. Uh, can you speak to

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Speaker 1: how unique it was as far as what he did

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Speaker 1: in past protection, because if you look at the various sites,

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Speaker 1: some people said zero sex give up throughout his college career.

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Speaker 1: I don't know how you guys address that in the

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Speaker 1: film room or maybe one It depends who you talk to.

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Speaker 2: Well, yeah, it's it's interesting because there's a lot of

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Speaker 2: people that do these studies and I don't know completely

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Speaker 2: how they do it because they don't know the rules

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Speaker 2: of our protection and who's responsible for the end or

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Speaker 2: blitzing outside linebacker coming off the edge or a corner

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Speaker 2: and things like that. I don't have the stats the

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Speaker 2: way we did it, but obviously when you're when the

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Speaker 2: number is zero or one, you feel pretty good about

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Speaker 2: it either way.

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Speaker 1: And lastly, let's get out of here with this. Really

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Speaker 1: appreciate your time. What do you think is ahead for

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Speaker 1: Olu as far as his professional career that's concerned.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously there's so many variables that goes into a

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Speaker 2: player's success. You know, there's so many factors, especially when

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Speaker 2: you're talking about the NFL. But I just you know,

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Speaker 2: I feel very confident. I feel very comfortable when you

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Speaker 2: got a guy with his physical traits, god given traits

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Speaker 2: that that that he has, and you and you put

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Speaker 2: those and you combine them with the character that he has, uh,

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Speaker 2: and those things are usually a winning combination for a long,

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Speaker 2: successful career. And I also know, like I'm very very

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Speaker 2: confident that he's always going to represent the Jets in

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Speaker 2: the right light in the community, uh, in interviews, and

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Speaker 2: he's going to be the type of guy you want

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Speaker 2: in your locker room. So when you when you take

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Speaker 2: those traits and you and you combine them that they're

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Speaker 2: usually you know, they're usually you know, a winning you know,

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Speaker 2: a winning recipe, and uh, I couldn't be more confident

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Speaker 2: about the young man. I'll be looking forward to talking

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Speaker 2: to me in the future after you've gotten to know

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Speaker 2: him better. And I'm hoping you're saying, hey, coach, you

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Speaker 2: are exactly right. This this Olu guy is is phenomenal.

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Speaker 4: Thanks so much, coach.

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Speaker 1: We appreciate your time today.

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Speaker 3: Thank you so much.

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Speaker 1: Thursday night, what was that experience like for you in

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Speaker 1: Maryland as far as the draft is concerned.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it was.

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Speaker 5: It was amazing, you know, just to celebrate such a

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Speaker 5: special night with the group of people who've been in

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Speaker 5: my corner for the last four years and for you know,

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Speaker 5: all of us to be gathered and for one special occasion,

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Speaker 5: and you know, it met the world. Like obviously, it'd

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Speaker 5: be nice to go to Detroit, you know, walk across

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Speaker 5: the stage, you know, shake the Commissioner's hand and everything,

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Speaker 5: but I wouldn't be able to have everyone with me.

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Speaker 5: So again, to just have that opportunity, it was.

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Speaker 4: It was awesome.

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Speaker 1: But how did you decide who was going to be

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Speaker 1: at your place? Because it was a huge crowd.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it was.

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Speaker 5: It was a huge crowd. I mean it was it

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Speaker 5: was pretty simple. We just had a little conversation with

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Speaker 5: my parents, just you know, a list of people. Then

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Speaker 5: obviously I got people asking me like, Yo, are you

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Speaker 5: going to Detroit?

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Speaker 4: Are you not? Then obviously I'm like, no, I'm not.

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Speaker 4: Then asking can we pull up? Of course?

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Speaker 1: So what about your teammates though, Yeah, a lot of

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Speaker 1: you had a lot of guys from Pennsville.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I had a lot of guys there, and.

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Speaker 5: All the guys that were there, I'm like extremely tight

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Speaker 5: with there, So you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't have

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Speaker 5: wanted any any differently, And I'm super appreciative that they

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Speaker 5: were able to make that drive up because that drive

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Speaker 5: is it's it's a pretty brutal drive.

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Speaker 4: It's it's four hours and some change.

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Speaker 5: And typically at that time of the day that they left,

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Speaker 5: you know, you're hit with a lot of traffic in

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Speaker 5: that area.

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Speaker 4: So for them to you know, still make.

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Speaker 5: It out to to to last night, you know, it

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Speaker 5: meant the world to me.

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Speaker 1: What was the afternoon like, like the build up to

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Speaker 1: the Kreshno.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, so the days the days before, I was a

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Speaker 5: little bit nervous, but I think honestly, like all of

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Speaker 5: yesterday and the day before. I was just excited, you know,

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Speaker 5: I was really just excited to you know, to start

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Speaker 5: this new chapter. And when I got that call and

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Speaker 5: I saw and I saw the new Jersey number, I

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00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:05,400
Speaker 5: was I could not believe it. I was like, no way,

349
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Speaker 5: like this is actually happening, Like I'm I'm going to

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Speaker 5: be a Jet.

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Speaker 1: So but but you made it clear you wanted to

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Speaker 1: be a Jet. Now, a lot of guys after the

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Speaker 1: drafted say, you know, that was the place I wanted

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Speaker 1: to be, But you say it was such conviction.

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Speaker 4: Because it's true, Like honestly, it is true.

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Speaker 5: I out of all the top thirty visits and the

357
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Speaker 5: and the formal visits I had at the Combine adjust

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Speaker 5: by far the best. And I had such great conversations

359
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Speaker 5: with mister Douglass, Coach Sala and Coach Carter, and for me,

360
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Speaker 5: after the visit, I just knew that this was the

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Speaker 5: place for me.

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Speaker 1: Did you tell your parents that after you left here?

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Speaker 3: Yeah?

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00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:45,400
Speaker 4: I did, But they're the only people I told.

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Speaker 1: Oh really, yeah, So what were the conversations like, like

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Speaker 1: take us behind the scenes.

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Speaker 4: I mean it was pretty simple.

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Speaker 5: It's just like Bob Dad, like I really, like I

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Speaker 5: really liked this team really like what they have going

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Speaker 5: on here. Beautiful facilities, great people, great coaches, great staff,

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Speaker 5: and it was just a very good vibe during my visit.

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Speaker 1: How many teams did you meet with in the pre

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Speaker 1: draft process as far as the visits?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I met with six teams, sir.

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Speaker 1: And where did you expect to go?

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Speaker 4: And all?

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Speaker 5: Honestly, I was thinking somewhere in the teens. I don't

378
00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,879
Speaker 5: look at mock drafts, but obviously all my friends do

379
00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,199
Speaker 5: and family. So for a couple of weeks, you know,

380
00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,200
Speaker 5: people were telling me that I was probably going to

381
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Speaker 5: go to the Saints. So I was just like, Okay,

382
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Speaker 5: I mean, oh really yeah, I mean I'm still in

383
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Speaker 5: I'm still I'm still fortunate to be in this, to

384
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Speaker 5: have this opportunity, so I'll go wherever. But I'd be

385
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,320
Speaker 5: lying to you if I told you that, you know,

386
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Speaker 5: in the bottom of my heart, I was like, dang,

387
00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:45,600
Speaker 5: you know Jets.

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Speaker 1: But so when did the Jets call you draft night?

389
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Speaker 1: Prior to does anybody call like is the pick start

390
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,359
Speaker 1: going on? And say hang on here?

391
00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,920
Speaker 4: Yeah? Sorry, what do you mean? Like, so.

392
00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,119
Speaker 1: When did you get the sense that, okay, we're coming

393
00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:04,919
Speaker 1: up the Jets?

394
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:06,119
Speaker 4: Yeah?

395
00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:07,560
Speaker 1: And this could be real.

396
00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,200
Speaker 5: Yeah, so I think first when when the Vikings traded,

397
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Speaker 5: when they had the trade with the Vikings, I was like, okay,

398
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,040
Speaker 5: you know this, something could happen, you know. So I

399
00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,320
Speaker 5: was just I made sure I had my phone on

400
00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,879
Speaker 5: my lap just to make sure I was just locked

401
00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,280
Speaker 5: in and dialed in in case something ranged. Then when

402
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,520
Speaker 5: the phone rang, I was just like, oh my goodness,

403
00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:30,840
Speaker 5: like it's it's happening.

404
00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:33,879
Speaker 1: So have you gone back and looked at the video

405
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,639
Speaker 1: as far as what's my posted on social media? And

406
00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,760
Speaker 1: also I don't want you just to tell us about

407
00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,080
Speaker 1: who was in the room, but also can you talk

408
00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,960
Speaker 1: about people very important to you, whether that be across

409
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,960
Speaker 1: the pond in London and then also in Nigeria as well.

410
00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,399
Speaker 5: Yeah, there's a lot of people staying up across the

411
00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,680
Speaker 5: world to see it. I have family in Nigeria, family

412
00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:01,520
Speaker 5: in London, and I wasn't aware of it, but my mom,

413
00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,400
Speaker 5: my mom told me, you know, they're all staying up

414
00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,280
Speaker 5: waiting for me. So again, not only to have all

415
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,119
Speaker 5: the support in the room, but to know that, you know,

416
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,159
Speaker 5: family across the world stayed up for me and and

417
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,440
Speaker 5: waiting until they heard my name be called it. I mean,

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Speaker 5: there's not there's not much more you can ask for

419
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Speaker 5: than that.

420
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Speaker 1: What time was it in Nigeria?

421
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Speaker 5: You know, so I want to say Nigeria is either six,

422
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:28,159
Speaker 5: it's between either it's between five to seven hours ahead,

423
00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,200
Speaker 5: so it was late. So that's quite early in the.

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Speaker 1: Morning, quite early in the morning.

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Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah.

426
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Speaker 1: Can you talk about you as far as your childhood

427
00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:45,040
Speaker 1: is concerned and how much influence your parents had on you?

428
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Speaker 1: Of course your upbringing in Maryland.

429
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Speaker 4: Yeah, of course.

430
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Speaker 5: So with me, you know, family wise, it's me, my mom, dad,

431
00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:58,639
Speaker 5: older sister were raised in Waldorf, Maryland, a small, small

432
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Speaker 5: little town about thirty and it's from DC. We're all

433
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,080
Speaker 5: in Nigerian. My parents were born and raised in Nigeria.

434
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Speaker 5: They moved here in the late eighties, got married in

435
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,919
Speaker 5: the late nineties, and had my sister and I in

436
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,920
Speaker 5: the early two thousands and it's just been the four

437
00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,639
Speaker 5: of us ever since. And growing up in that household,

438
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Speaker 5: it was great.

439
00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:16,600
Speaker 4: You know.

440
00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:18,840
Speaker 5: My parents made a lot of sacrifices growing up. They

441
00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,440
Speaker 5: made sure to make sure that my sister and I

442
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,359
Speaker 5: had the most enjoyable childhood as possible. But while doing that,

443
00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,080
Speaker 5: they also made sure that We grew up on the

444
00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,960
Speaker 5: basis of love, respect, and discipline, and I really felt

445
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,399
Speaker 5: that the discipline aspect really helped carry me, you know,

446
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,720
Speaker 5: this far into my life in terms of just taking

447
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,320
Speaker 5: care of business no matter what.

448
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,119
Speaker 1: What did your dad tell you as far as hey,

449
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:48,239
Speaker 1: if you are going to do something, what did your

450
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:49,119
Speaker 1: approach have to be?

451
00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,320
Speaker 5: Yeah, he would have his saying it's a little foggy,

452
00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 5: but it was something along the lines of, you know, everything, everything,

453
00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,840
Speaker 5: everything you do is worth doing well. And that's something

454
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,400
Speaker 5: that that's really stuck with me all throughout my life.

455
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,200
Speaker 5: And I think that's why I put in so much

456
00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,600
Speaker 5: effort into my school work. I mean with football, obviously

457
00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:14,600
Speaker 5: I was putting in a lot of effort, but I'm

458
00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,360
Speaker 5: having fun doing it because I love I love football,

459
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,679
Speaker 5: So it was never it was never any any you

460
00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,880
Speaker 5: know stress to me, you know, putting an extra time

461
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:23,240
Speaker 5: to do.

462
00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,960
Speaker 4: Stuff for football. But with school, I.

463
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,000
Speaker 5: Think that's kind of what carried me, you know, the

464
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,000
Speaker 5: fact that you know, I am a student athlete, I

465
00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,679
Speaker 5: am in high school, I am in college, so you know,

466
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:35,840
Speaker 5: I gotta gotta do my best to you know, get

467
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:37,080
Speaker 5: the best grades as possible.

468
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 1: Gonzega High school in DC.

469
00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:40,760
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, what was.

470
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,480
Speaker 1: A routine day like for you as far getting up

471
00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,480
Speaker 1: in the morning and take me through what you're doing

472
00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:48,760
Speaker 1: at school and when you finish.

473
00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,800
Speaker 5: Yeah, So it really just depends on the time of

474
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:55,919
Speaker 5: the year. So I'd say the most the most strenuous

475
00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,119
Speaker 5: time of the year definitely was not during the season.

476
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,960
Speaker 5: You know, I have fun during the season, but during

477
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,679
Speaker 5: the off season it could get pretty The schedule can

478
00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,520
Speaker 5: get pretty intense, just because we have early workouts in

479
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,840
Speaker 5: the morning, and you know, we would we would have

480
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,880
Speaker 5: seven am workouts, which don't sound too bad, but when

481
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,960
Speaker 5: you factor in that I live forty minutes away without traffic,

482
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:23,360
Speaker 5: without traffic again, factoring that in, it could it got

483
00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,000
Speaker 5: a little bit. It got a little bit crazy at times.

484
00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,679
Speaker 5: So having to wake up at you know, like five,

485
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,600
Speaker 5: five fifteen am every day during the off season, just

486
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,000
Speaker 5: so we leave early enough to the point where we're

487
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,080
Speaker 5: not stuck in traffic and you know, to be able

488
00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:43,520
Speaker 5: to get there for seven am workout, have workouts then

489
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,080
Speaker 5: you know, really you know, really buster tail, trying to

490
00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,960
Speaker 5: take a quick shower before first period, you know, go through.

491
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:51,639
Speaker 4: A full day of classes.

492
00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,320
Speaker 5: Then right after you're you're doing even more workouts in

493
00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,479
Speaker 5: the afternoon. But I mean, that's that's what that's what

494
00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,480
Speaker 5: high school football is all about. So I mean I

495
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,120
Speaker 5: wouldn't sa a single thing about it.

496
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,920
Speaker 1: But you were a bit different because you took some

497
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:09,560
Speaker 1: time during your day to study pro players, like literally

498
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,439
Speaker 1: look at their film while you were in high school.

499
00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:12,159
Speaker 4: Yeah.

500
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,400
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I think that for me was more

501
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,840
Speaker 5: so just trying to learn the position more just because

502
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,639
Speaker 5: I didn't grow up playing football. I grew up playing basketball.

503
00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:25,359
Speaker 5: So during that time, I would just any any free

504
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,280
Speaker 5: time I would have, and I'm not hanging out with

505
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 5: my friends, I would at the time, like I just

506
00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,280
Speaker 5: go on YouTube and just search up you know, Tyron

507
00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:37,840
Speaker 5: Smith highlights there or like Cowboys, like full games, just

508
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,800
Speaker 5: because I knew like Tyrone was playing back then, and

509
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:43,960
Speaker 5: just you know, watching watching his film, watching the way

510
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,080
Speaker 5: he moves, watching the way he maneuvers himself on the field.

511
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,440
Speaker 5: And for me, I mean it was it was pretty entertaining,

512
00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,600
Speaker 5: but I was also watching it to see if I could,

513
00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,119
Speaker 5: you know, find any ways that I could get better.

514
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,439
Speaker 1: You were a basketball player first, and you were traveling

515
00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:02,400
Speaker 1: all over to play, Yes, sir, Yes, sir, aau. So

516
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,800
Speaker 1: when did that love change? Does basketball remain your first

517
00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,919
Speaker 1: love or once you got to the football field and

518
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:10,400
Speaker 1: you started embracing that contact.

519
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:14,480
Speaker 5: What if I'm being honest, I mean I liked basketball

520
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:16,920
Speaker 5: a lot, but I wouldn't say it was my first love.

521
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,480
Speaker 5: Football is for sure my first love, and that's that's

522
00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,639
Speaker 5: a sport I've been passionate about since the day I

523
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,359
Speaker 5: started playing With basketball, it was more so like I

524
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,960
Speaker 5: had fun playing the game. I did it to, you know,

525
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,040
Speaker 5: to as an extracurricular outside of school and to keep

526
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:34,760
Speaker 5: myself busy and in shape.

527
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,640
Speaker 4: But football, by far, by far the first love.

528
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,679
Speaker 1: And you didn't start playing until freshman year of high school. Yes, sir, So,

529
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:47,080
Speaker 1: do you consider yourself right now as a guy with

530
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,040
Speaker 1: tremendous upside Because a lot of players coming out of

531
00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:55,400
Speaker 1: the draft maybe they started playing flag football whenever six

532
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,280
Speaker 1: years old? Where you started playing football? Where you're what

533
00:26:59,359 --> 00:26:59,840
Speaker 1: thirteen four?

534
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:00,520
Speaker 4: Yeah?

535
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,680
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, I like to think about

536
00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,320
Speaker 5: it that as I have, like I have a tremendous upside.

537
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,919
Speaker 5: But I feel like that that should be a mentality

538
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,320
Speaker 5: from every from any rookie. You know, you're you're entering

539
00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,520
Speaker 5: a completely different environment than college football, and you can

540
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,560
Speaker 5: only get better. So with me, I'm always gonna have

541
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,639
Speaker 5: the same mentality every day, you know, I'm gonna do

542
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,320
Speaker 5: things out of lign with winning and improving myself day

543
00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:24,760
Speaker 5: by day.

544
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:26,280
Speaker 1: How do you get better at Penn State?

545
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,920
Speaker 5: At Penn State, for me, it was just competing. It

546
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,200
Speaker 5: was all about competing, you know, competing with myself, trying

547
00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,679
Speaker 5: to out do myself every day and also trying to

548
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,160
Speaker 5: I'll do my teammates. But we we all we all

549
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,320
Speaker 5: have the same mentality of trying to out do each

550
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,040
Speaker 5: other because we all knew, you know, our coach would

551
00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:45,560
Speaker 5: always tell us, you know, the more you compete with

552
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,399
Speaker 5: each other, you know, the more you're gonna, you know,

553
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,760
Speaker 5: improve each other's skills. And that was the same type

554
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,760
Speaker 5: of mentality that we had every single day, every single lift,

555
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:53,680
Speaker 5: every single practice.

556
00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:54,000
Speaker 4: All right.

557
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:58,920
Speaker 1: So speaking about competitions, how were there those on feel

558
00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,640
Speaker 1: practice battles between you and Chop Robinson, a fellow first

559
00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:03,160
Speaker 1: round pick.

560
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,160
Speaker 4: There are wars, Yeah, it was it was a war.

561
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,119
Speaker 5: I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to battle

562
00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:14,160
Speaker 5: against not only Chop but adisa a Disa Isaac who

563
00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:16,760
Speaker 5: who's most likely going to be a second round pick tonight.

564
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:19,919
Speaker 5: You know, just getting that opportunity to go against two

565
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,200
Speaker 5: of those guys every day, honestly, I mean, it was

566
00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:24,160
Speaker 5: fighting for my life.

567
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:25,560
Speaker 4: But honestly, I'm so.

568
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,920
Speaker 5: Glad I had that opportunity to go against them because

569
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,560
Speaker 5: they definitely got me better. I got them better. You know,

570
00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,479
Speaker 5: obviously everyone knows the term iron sharpens iron, and they

571
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:35,880
Speaker 5: truly made games a lot easier for me.

572
00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,880
Speaker 1: As far as the stats thereup at the State. You

573
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:39,800
Speaker 1: never give up a sack.

574
00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:44,440
Speaker 5: I think it's between me not giving up any sacks

575
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,680
Speaker 5: or giving up one sack. Like if I did give

576
00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:49,600
Speaker 5: up a sack, I don't think it was clean, but

577
00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,480
Speaker 5: you know, it's whatever that person thinks it is.

578
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,240
Speaker 4: Well, we gotta let you go. It's been a heck

579
00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,200
Speaker 4: of a week. Or really want to.

580
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:03,440
Speaker 1: Express our congratulations to you and your family and welcome

581
00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:04,040
Speaker 1: to Jeff.

582
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:09,120
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, happy to be here. M m m