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Speaker 1: And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.

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Speaker 1: What's up everybody, DJ Bucky here, and we are focusing

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Speaker 1: today on the running back position. This is our prototype

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Speaker 1: series buck where we take one position per episode and

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Speaker 1: we go through it. We go through our evaluation at

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Speaker 1: the position, what we're looking for. We have special guests,

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Speaker 1: and then we wrap things up with who we feel

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Speaker 1: is the prototype in today's NFL watch. Tell the folks

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Speaker 1: who we've got on the show today. Man, we have

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Speaker 1: a star stud in lineup. We don't have Hall of

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Speaker 1: Famer Torrell Davis is going to join the program, Maurice

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Speaker 1: Jones Drew who is a u c. L A Hall

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Speaker 1: of Famer, And we're also gonna be joined by Tennessee

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Speaker 1: Titans general manager John Robinson. All of those guys would

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Speaker 1: give us insights on the running back position as it

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Speaker 1: goes for Prescott under center, hand off Elliott, big hole

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Speaker 1: up the middle to the fifteen, Mate a man miss

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Speaker 1: to the ten to the five walk do down, touchdown Elliott.

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Speaker 1: Really the catch of the fifteen, that's ten, the five

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Speaker 1: gets of block. Curly goes in for the third time today. Touchdown,

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Speaker 1: top Curly, touchdown, l a hand off, Barkley runs up.

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Speaker 1: He's gone real, He's up to the forty fifty. It's

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Speaker 1: a foot race to the Redskints thirty. No, he's gonna

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Speaker 1: catch Barkley. He raises his hand and celebrates touch down.

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Speaker 1: Giants seventy eight yards for the Rookie Sensations Take one, Barkley.

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Speaker 1: All right, Let's let's start this thing off here with

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Speaker 1: what you're looking for at the position, and then we'll

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Speaker 1: kind of bounce some ideas off of each other and

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Speaker 1: we can talk to not only what we're seeing now

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Speaker 1: and how the game has changed a little bit at

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Speaker 1: that spot, but Buck, when you're when you're watching the

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Speaker 1: tape and uh, and you pull out the notepad, what

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Speaker 1: are the things you're looking to discover when you're looking

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Speaker 1: at the running back position? Man, the first thing that

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Speaker 1: I'm looking for is a guy that has outstanding feat.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he has balanced, he has body control, he

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Speaker 1: has ability to get in and out of traffic. He

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Speaker 1: does a great job of kind of slithering through holes.

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Speaker 1: And then he also brings what I call that that

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Speaker 1: physicality that pop I like to have a tone center

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Speaker 1: in the backfield coming from the Carolina Panthers and watching

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Speaker 1: how we're able to kind of ride a physical running

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Speaker 1: game to the super Bowl super Bowl thirty eight. I'm

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Speaker 1: just a big believer in watching running backs that can finish.

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Speaker 1: And finally, I love to see the explosive plays, but

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Speaker 1: more importantly, I want to see a guy that can

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Speaker 1: do something when he gets to the next level. Can

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Speaker 1: he get past the linebackers. Can he work one on

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Speaker 1: one all safeties? Can he make those special plays happen?

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Speaker 1: If he can do those kind of things, I believe

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Speaker 1: he's a guy that I can build my office around

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Speaker 1: as a running back. Yeah, those are great points to me.

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Speaker 1: I start when I put on the tape and I

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Speaker 1: have a kind of a checklist that I need to

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Speaker 1: see it. For me, it starts with vision, because I

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Speaker 1: can get the biggest, fastest, strongest, most explosive guy in

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Speaker 1: the world, but if he's running the back of his

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Speaker 1: offensive lineman, he does me absolutely no good. And on

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Speaker 1: the other side of things, we've seen plenty of running

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Speaker 1: backs who are going to rip off a four four,

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Speaker 1: but they play in the NFL forever buck because they

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Speaker 1: have a set of skills that start with vision. So

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Speaker 1: to me, that is number one if you don't have vision,

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Speaker 1: I don't really have time for you. That's where it's

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Speaker 1: got to start. And then another area that I like

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Speaker 1: to look at is what do you do against the freeman?

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Speaker 1: Because times it's gonna be blocked up and you're gonna

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Speaker 1: get to go through a hole. And you can find

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Speaker 1: a whole bunch of backs that can make things happen

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Speaker 1: when everything's clean, But nine times out of ten there's

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Speaker 1: a freeman, And so how do you beat him? That's

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Speaker 1: what I'm trying to discover. I'm not partial to one

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Speaker 1: way or the other. But are you gonna drop your

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Speaker 1: shoulder and run through him? Are you gonna be able

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Speaker 1: to make him miss? Or you just have such bursts

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Speaker 1: that you're gonna be able to get right by him.

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Speaker 1: So that to me, when you're scouting, what does a

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Speaker 1: running back do against the freeman? And that's in between

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Speaker 1: the tackles, and that can also be Hey, you flip

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Speaker 1: them the ball out in the flat and he's one

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Speaker 1: on one, what does he do one on one to

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Speaker 1: make that defender miss? Because in my opinion, that's what

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Speaker 1: defines the great running backs, uh and separates them from

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Speaker 1: the good ones. Yeah, I think what they're able to

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Speaker 1: do in space plays heavily in the evaluation. And I'm

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Speaker 1: also gonna have one more tip it I believe what

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Speaker 1: they do in the passing game. Uh. We will talk

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Speaker 1: about blocking, but I'm gonna say as a receiver in

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Speaker 1: today's game that number one running back has to be

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Speaker 1: a hybrid. He has to be able to handle all

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Speaker 1: the duties that are respected, that are that he's responsible

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Speaker 1: for in the run game will also being a factor

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Speaker 1: in the passing game. The best running backs in today's game,

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Speaker 1: they not only are runners, but they're outstanding pass catchers.

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Speaker 1: You have to be able to do both in today's game.

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Speaker 1: My favorite scouting term over the last few years is

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Speaker 1: contact balance for me. Uh we talk about that as well.

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Speaker 1: Can you absorb contact? Can you get through tackles that way?

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Speaker 1: Are you always falling forward getting those extra one or

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Speaker 1: two hidden yards? Contact balance to me is a huge

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Speaker 1: part of that when you're looking at the running back position,

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Speaker 1: and then buck you mentioned in the passing game, there's

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Speaker 1: different levels of that. You know, as somebody just catch

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Speaker 1: the ball. First of all, if you just catch the ball,

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Speaker 1: get me what's there, that's fine, And then I've got

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Speaker 1: somebody that can catch the ball and then he can

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Speaker 1: do something after the catch. He can make you miss.

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Speaker 1: And then you get to the graduate level stuff, which

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Speaker 1: is somebody I can deploy out in the formation. I

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Speaker 1: can put him in the slot, I can split him

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Speaker 1: out wide. He can run legitimate wide receive EVA routes.

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Speaker 1: We've talked about Marshawn Lynch a bunch when he was

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Speaker 1: coming out of Cow and that was the comparison, right,

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Speaker 1: was Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. And while Peterson blew

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Speaker 1: us away with the size, speed, power breaking tackles, and

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Speaker 1: the home run speed, Marshawn we had. We've seen in

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Speaker 1: the college level what he was capable of doing. Putting

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Speaker 1: him in the slot, are really deploying him as a

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Speaker 1: wide receiver, not just as a running back. And that's

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Speaker 1: one of the things you're looking into the evaluation. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you are looking into those things into the evaluation because

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Speaker 1: you have your traditional RB one, your guy that is

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Speaker 1: kind of the hammerhead. He can run solidly inside the tackles,

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Speaker 1: he can get on the perimeter. And then you have

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Speaker 1: the hybrids who can do those things plus add something

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Speaker 1: to the passing game. If they have size, they certainly

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Speaker 1: in my mind go to the front of the table,

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Speaker 1: to the front of the line. But it's one of

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Speaker 1: those situations. Depending on how your office is built and constructed,

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Speaker 1: you may like different style running backs, but prefer to

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Speaker 1: go with one because he gives your team the best pop,

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Speaker 1: the best chance to go from good to great. All right,

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Speaker 1: But I want to ask you this question because we

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Speaker 1: use the phrase, um, a guy has natural hands or

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Speaker 1: he has easy hands, and I think sometimes we take

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Speaker 1: it for granted. We say these things, we know what

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Speaker 1: they mean, We've we've talked and spoken that language for

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Speaker 1: so long. But for somebody that's just watching game on

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Speaker 1: a Sunday, just a fan that's listening to us talk

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Speaker 1: right now, define what that looks like a guy has

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Speaker 1: natural hands as a running back, What does that look like?

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Speaker 1: Natural hands? To me is a guy catches the ball

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Speaker 1: like a wide receiver. When you watch him, he's able

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Speaker 1: to watch it all the way in and he doesn't

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Speaker 1: have a sense of panic or anxiety when the ball

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Speaker 1: is coming his way. He just easily takes it. So

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Speaker 1: if we think about going to the baseball, he's a

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Speaker 1: guy that can easily make catch his own pop ups,

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Speaker 1: easy catch to pop up, puts it away, and makes

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Speaker 1: things happen after he has the ball in his hands.

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Speaker 1: I want the natural pass catcher. And if the natural

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Speaker 1: pass catcher also has some upper echelon route running schools,

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Speaker 1: now you have someone that can be really be a

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Speaker 1: dangerous playmaker, uh in your offense. When I running back position,

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Speaker 1: that's well said. I also look at can they frame

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Speaker 1: the football? Meaning can they can they put their hands

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Speaker 1: like a wide receiver to get the nose of the

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Speaker 1: ball between their hands. UM are they are they comfortable

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Speaker 1: catching the ball outside their frame because a lot of

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Speaker 1: times with running backs they don't trust their hands. I

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Speaker 1: think to uh Andre Williams when he was coming out

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Speaker 1: of Boston College, everything's off the chest. He did not

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Speaker 1: feel comfortable extending his arms. So those are some of

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Speaker 1: the things from a scouting perspective you're looking at it

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Speaker 1: with these wide receivers. UM. In the passing game, you

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Speaker 1: mentioned the explosives, the home run ability. A lot of

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Speaker 1: times you're trying to document that, you know, twenty plus

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Speaker 1: yard runs. As you have some you get it blocked up.

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Speaker 1: There'd be nothing more discouraging than have everything blocked up

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Speaker 1: and not be able to pay that off, so you're

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Speaker 1: trying to track that as you're going through the process.

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Speaker 1: And truthfully was my only hang up with a guy

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Speaker 1: like Josh Jacobs, who I thought was the best running

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Speaker 1: back in this draft UH this past year. But the

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Speaker 1: explosives that would be the one drawback. It wasn't the

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Speaker 1: number of touches of the production UH. To me, this

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Speaker 1: this past year specifically didn't have the explosive that you want.

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Speaker 1: You know, it's tough because we all are kind of

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Speaker 1: fixated on one little thing. For me, I'm I'm always

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Speaker 1: looking at the production and performance and the numbers. Can

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Speaker 1: you carry a full workload? Um? Because look, they won't

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Speaker 1: be asked to carry twenty more times a lot in

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Speaker 1: the pros. But if I'm selling someone as a number one,

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Speaker 1: I want to be able to confidently say, hey, this

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Speaker 1: guy can tody, he can toe the mel he can

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Speaker 1: give us twenty to twenty five times. So to me,

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Speaker 1: it's the stamina to conditioning all that comes with being

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Speaker 1: a number one running back. Can you stand the test

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Speaker 1: of time because you're able to get up, down, in,

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Speaker 1: down out and be a consistent producer UM and not

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Speaker 1: have issues with durability all right, Well, there's some good

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Speaker 1: thoughts there from us on scouting the running back position.

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Speaker 1: Now let's get to our guests. We're gonna be able

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Speaker 1: to speak on a whole another level about what's important

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Speaker 1: and what to look for at the running back position.

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Speaker 1: Let's start with our first one. Our good buddy Maurice

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Speaker 1: Jones drew a fantastic career at u C l A

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Speaker 1: and quickly emerges one of the top running backs in

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Speaker 1: the NFL over his strong, strong career mainly there with

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Speaker 1: the Jacksonville Jaguars as well as the Oakland Raiders. Here's

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Speaker 1: our chat with m j D. First question from me,

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Speaker 1: if we go back and look at your career, which

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Speaker 1: was a phenomenal run that you had, and I had

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Speaker 1: to just kind of narrow it down to the two

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Speaker 1: or three things that you would say made you what

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Speaker 1: you were as a player attribute wise, what would those be? Uh? Well,

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Speaker 1: first of all, let me say this, I listened to

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Speaker 1: the podcast all the time, so when Bucky starts taking

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Speaker 1: a shot, to know that I hear that. And secondly,

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Speaker 1: I need some like underwater earbuds so I can listen

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Speaker 1: so I can swim when I swim in the mornings,

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Speaker 1: because it's tough to do that and get lecture. So

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Speaker 1: trying to figure out that thing. There we go. We

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Speaker 1: gotta find out. But for me as a running back,

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Speaker 1: I think the first thing you have to do is

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Speaker 1: be a great open field runner. And so for me

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Speaker 1: that was something that I was able to utilize in

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Speaker 1: the screen game from my my days in high school

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Speaker 1: and college. Returning punts and kicks is being putting me

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Speaker 1: in open field, get me in space, allowing me to

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Speaker 1: you know, use you know, some moves, or being able

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Speaker 1: to set up blocks. Though, those are some of the

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Speaker 1: great things, especially as with the way that the way

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Speaker 1: the game is changing right now, where you know you

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Speaker 1: can throw a little swing pass or screen pass us

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Speaker 1: to a bag, put him out in space and kind

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Speaker 1: of create things. I think contact balance is another one

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Speaker 1: that that you see being able to take hits and

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Speaker 1: still stay on balance and keep running um. And lastly

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Speaker 1: it's it's short area quickness UM and that kind of

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Speaker 1: goes with being creative. So I think you look at

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Speaker 1: Shady McCoy um. So many times everyone thinks that play

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Speaker 1: is gonna be blocked perfectly all the time. That's never

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Speaker 1: the case. So, uh, there's someone in the backfield fire

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Speaker 1: and through you gotta be able to stop, make that

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Speaker 1: person miss trying to get back to the line of

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Speaker 1: scrimmage and get yards after that. And and that's where

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Speaker 1: the creativity, UM and the short area quickness comes from

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Speaker 1: for the back. Those three things to me or what

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Speaker 1: kind of you're starting to see the game go to

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Speaker 1: and and I was lucky and fortunate enough to play

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Speaker 1: with a guy like Fred Taylor who had that at

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Speaker 1: two thirty six to UM. But then also watch you know,

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Speaker 1: other players as well that that did those things. I'm

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Speaker 1: glad you mentioned Fred Taylor because I want you to

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Speaker 1: kind of discuss him. I think his name kind of

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Speaker 1: gets lost. And we're talking about these great running backs

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Speaker 1: all throughout the last maybe twenty years, and and we

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Speaker 1: see guys like David Johnson what he's been able to do,

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Speaker 1: Left Bell, what he's been able to do. I don't

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Speaker 1: know if there's ever been a package in terms of

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Speaker 1: the size, speed power that that Fred brought to the table.

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Speaker 1: Go on a little bit about your former teammates or

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Speaker 1: DJ listen, Um, I thought I was fast, right, Uh,

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Speaker 1: I felt like U I ran ten five in high

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Speaker 1: school in the hundred I've run anywhere from four three

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Speaker 1: UM low to four three high. So I was like,

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Speaker 1: I'm fast. At Fred at twenty six or twenty seven

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Speaker 1: was rolling past me. I mean he was still running

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Speaker 1: low four two's at that point, so um to beat

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Speaker 1: two hundred thirty pounds to have that and to be

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Speaker 1: you know, the one part that a lot of people

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Speaker 1: didn't understand is his mind of football. The way he

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Speaker 1: thought about the game is kind of that took me

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Speaker 1: to the next level. We had a running back coach

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Speaker 1: by name at Kenney Pulled that would challenge us to

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Speaker 1: do that. And so I remember one time Fred uh

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Speaker 1: took a run plate I supposed to go to the right,

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Speaker 1: He cut all the way back left and took it

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Speaker 1: to the house. And I was like, why did you

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Speaker 1: do that? And he was like, well, the safety wasn't

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Speaker 1: where he was supposed to be in the linebacker. And

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Speaker 1: so when you have a guy that has the ability

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Speaker 1: to do all those things and think and understands what

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Speaker 1: he can do, uh, you know, athletically and all those

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Speaker 1: different deals, it was crazy to see. And so every

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Speaker 1: day not only was I learning, I was competing to

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Speaker 1: try to obviously match him or be be better than him,

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Speaker 1: and so I had to kind of help me grow.

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Speaker 1: But you know, if you look at his stats and

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Speaker 1: what he was able to do, and and people have

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Speaker 1: to understand, like, this is a physical game, so you're

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Speaker 1: gonna get hurt. You know. I hate one of the

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Speaker 1: people who just call him fragile Freddy because he was

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Speaker 1: playing through multiple injuries. Everyone gets banged up, but still

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Speaker 1: to a mass ten thousand yards, uh to do all

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Speaker 1: the things that he did a violent r I mean

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Speaker 1: he runs people over, he doesn't shake everyone, and so

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Speaker 1: his thought it was crazy. We actually had a conversation, um,

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Speaker 1: much like a couple of months ago, just about you know,

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Speaker 1: a lot of stuff that we did because you know,

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Speaker 1: we're doing the twenty fifth anniversary thing for Jacksonville, and

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Speaker 1: I mean there was times when we we would go

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Speaker 1: on the cold and I never played in snow before

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Speaker 1: at this point, um, and he was like, well, look,

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Speaker 1: there's only one way to run, just through somebody and

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Speaker 1: the so I was like, all right, well let's do

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Speaker 1: it like that. That's how we do and so he

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Speaker 1: I mean, I think he end up rushing against Pittsburgh.

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Speaker 1: He averaged in his career against Pittsburger had like a

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Speaker 1: couple of big games like that. So you're talking about

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Speaker 1: a guy who against one of the most bondage, one

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Speaker 1: of the best defenses in the league in the history

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Speaker 1: of the game, just destroying him because of his running style.

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Speaker 1: We talked a lot about Um, the different characteristics that

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Speaker 1: that made you such a great player, and other ones

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Speaker 1: you were around UM. But I want to touch on

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Speaker 1: three different things. Just give give me kind of your

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Speaker 1: thoughts on these three different areas. Vision, um touch on

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Speaker 1: that you've touched on balance, so you can go quickly

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Speaker 1: on that one. But the next one, I think maybe

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Speaker 1: the most underrated. And you you kind of briefly mentioned

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Speaker 1: it with Fred and it kind of goes with vision.

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Speaker 1: But just intelligence. You know, you get a chance to

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Speaker 1: to talk with a guy like Marshall Falk and how

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Speaker 1: he understood the leverage of a defense and and how

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Speaker 1: that all plans together. I think a lot of people

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Speaker 1: when you're watching on TV as a casual fan, you think, Okay,

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Speaker 1: you're running back, Look, you're running you just know the

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Speaker 1: whole number, you run that way and and then let

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Speaker 1: your natural ability take over. I think that's an underrated

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Speaker 1: aspect of the position. But just you know, vision, balance

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Speaker 1: and intelligence your thoughts there, Well, I think the vision

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Speaker 1: and intelligence could go on hand in hand, right, So

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Speaker 1: you have to know where to look, what to look for,

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Speaker 1: why people are gonna be where they're supposed to be.

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Speaker 1: And when I got to the NFL, one of my

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Speaker 1: biggest issues that I had to deal with was like

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Speaker 1: widening my vision. Right in college, it was we just

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Speaker 1: did half field reads. So if I'm running outside zone

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Speaker 1: to the left, if the guy went out, you cut

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Speaker 1: up and you stay in that lane. You don't cut back.

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Speaker 1: You don't do those type of things. If I did

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Speaker 1: cut back, Eric being me would jump down my throat. Um.

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Speaker 1: So when I got to the pros, because everyone is

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Speaker 1: so much faster, so much smarter, you have better coaches,

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Speaker 1: you have guys who are you know, diving into the

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Speaker 1: game and really trying to break give their guys the

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Speaker 1: best advantage. You have to widen your vision and you

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Speaker 1: have to be more intelligent. And so there's times where

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Speaker 1: we'd be playing teams and they load the box and

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Speaker 1: you know there's guys like Shady McCoy who who would

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Speaker 1: be able to get the all stop on a dime

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Speaker 1: Because he knows a guy is out of position on

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Speaker 1: the backside, so he gets back and gets a huge

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Speaker 1: gain or and so those two things are huge. Um.

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Speaker 1: The intelligent part comes into watching film, and that's something

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Speaker 1: that a lot of people really don't understand. Throughout the

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Speaker 1: week in DJ you know this, you're studying probably seventy

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Speaker 1: hours worth of film because you only could be on

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Speaker 1: the field for six hours, seven hours a week. So

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Speaker 1: the rest of it is all mental preparations, studying, you know,

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Speaker 1: studying film, Watching your opponent, how they tackle, how do

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Speaker 1: they run, how do they cover? Um? How do they

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Speaker 1: fit their holes? Does he close his eyes when he

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Speaker 1: gets to tackle? Um? Does he keep his head up?

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Speaker 1: Like all the different thing? Is he a lunger when

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Speaker 1: he tackles? All these different things? Go into intelligence? Touch

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Speaker 1: on this because I love what you're saying there. When

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Speaker 1: you're when you're studying an opponent, not only you're looking

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Speaker 1: at scheme, but you're looking at the individual personnel. Is

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Speaker 1: there examples I mean, not name names anything like that,

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Speaker 1: but you knew, Okay, hey, if I get in the

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Speaker 1: open field against this, will the big safety who he

365
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Speaker 1: doesn't have the strength to get me? Or he doesn't

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Speaker 1: have or he's not didn't have the lateral quickness. I

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Speaker 1: can make him miss. Who is the big safety that

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Speaker 1: came out of SC that went to the Bengals, Taylor

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Speaker 1: mays a great example. We were playing them, Um, and

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Speaker 1: I remember, like you watch tape, you can see him

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Speaker 1: drop his head and close his eyes every time. And

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Speaker 1: so we just knew that we had to get within

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Speaker 1: a yard or two and he was gonna do and

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Speaker 1: you could just slide to the side, Um, And so

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Speaker 1: you know I'm throwing the shot at SC Anyways, but

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Speaker 1: I'm just saying like that, So you would study taping, right,

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Speaker 1: you still you studied tape, and you continue to just

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Speaker 1: to pick up things there were we were playing Zach Taylor. Um,

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Speaker 1: not not Zach Taylor, Zach linebacker for the Dolphins, Thomas,

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Speaker 1: Zach Thomas. Yes, so Zach Thomas. We found a tell

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Speaker 1: in his store and his when he blitz, he put

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Speaker 1: his hands on his knees. If he wasn't, if his

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Speaker 1: hands weren't on his knees, he didn't blitz. Right, So

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Speaker 1: you start to learn all these little things. And now

385
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Speaker 1: I know his pass rushing movie, So now I can

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Speaker 1: be more prepared for it, and I've taken all the

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Speaker 1: guessing out of the game. We you know, I played

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Speaker 1: against Damiko Ryan's, I played against Keith Bullock, played against

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Speaker 1: him with one of the toughest guys to go because

390
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Speaker 1: he had such long arms. James Harrison. I mean, we

391
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Speaker 1: played against all these guys and everyone has a tail,

392
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Speaker 1: and so you just want to study tape to try

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Speaker 1: to find it. And really for me, it was the

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Speaker 1: big three things I study. Where one was pass pass routes. Right,

395
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Speaker 1: so because I was a third down back, so I'd

396
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Speaker 1: be able to block guy. So how do they pass rush? Um?

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Speaker 1: How do they cover? And then how do they tackle?

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Speaker 1: And if I can tell that you're a leg tackler,

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Speaker 1: I know I have to pick my feet up to

400
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Speaker 1: get over you. Uh. Bob Sanders, for example, a big

401
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Speaker 1: time leg tackling lunder, but he was great at it,

402
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Speaker 1: so you had to make your move a little bit

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Speaker 1: further away. Um. But then there's every now and then.

404
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Speaker 1: I can you know, if I was going against my

405
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Speaker 1: boy Antoine Bethea, I knew that he was more of

406
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Speaker 1: a safe. He's like a corrawler. He's gonna grab you,

407
00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,679
Speaker 1: catching catch rap. He's a catcher. So I would like

408
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Speaker 1: shake him up and then just try to run through them. Right,

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Speaker 1: And so we just had you just learned as you played.

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Speaker 1: You know, there's different guys that you do different things

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Speaker 1: with each week, each game, each possession. Um, there's times

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Speaker 1: when we play the game within the game, and I

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Speaker 1: don't know people know about that, but the game within

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Speaker 1: the game is you know, the first quarter, I may

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Speaker 1: run you over, and the second quarter I may shake you,

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Speaker 1: and the third quarter I may shake you again. In

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Speaker 1: the fourth quarter, I'm just gonna try to run past you.

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Speaker 1: So now I have you guessing and not not understanding

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Speaker 1: what I'm gonna try to do. And we'd have people

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Speaker 1: on the sideline to tell us like, all right, it's

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Speaker 1: a second quarter. Throughout the week, you said you want

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Speaker 1: to do this, and then you go in the game

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Speaker 1: and do that, and a lot of that when you

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Speaker 1: talk about that. The one thing we haven't harped on

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Speaker 1: his balance. I did ballet as a kid, So I

426
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Speaker 1: was a gymnastics ballet kid as a kid, and a

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Speaker 1: lot of people didn't really was that a comfortable experience

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Speaker 1: for you as a young kid. Well, you're five or

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Speaker 1: six years old, so everybody's doing it. But um, well, now,

430
00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,920
Speaker 1: well yeah, my grandma's she she I think she said

431
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:32,680
Speaker 1: lyn Swan did and she so they put me in

432
00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:34,679
Speaker 1: there for a year. But it really taught me how

433
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,919
Speaker 1: to control my body and so when I would get hit,

434
00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,080
Speaker 1: I knew how to, like, you know, tighten my core

435
00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,560
Speaker 1: up or different things to be able to bounce off spin.

436
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,439
Speaker 1: You know, you just learn more of what you can do.

437
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:47,720
Speaker 1: And I've done that with my kids actually, to start

438
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,800
Speaker 1: putting them in gym knats, gymnastics and different tumbling things

439
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:52,760
Speaker 1: so that they can learn their body because that that

440
00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:54,320
Speaker 1: was something I had an advantage over a lot of

441
00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:56,280
Speaker 1: guys who never did it and didn't know what to do.

442
00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,119
Speaker 1: I love it. And the way you're talking about, you know,

443
00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,720
Speaker 1: setting up your moves throughout the throughout game. It's exact

444
00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:02,280
Speaker 1: same thing as a pass rush. A lot of times

445
00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:04,679
Speaker 1: you want your young your pass rushers coming off the edge,

446
00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,000
Speaker 1: hit him with power early. That sets up everything else.

447
00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:08,720
Speaker 1: Then you can get them with the counter. Then then

448
00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:10,840
Speaker 1: you've got them guessing you can beat him with pure speed.

449
00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,680
Speaker 1: It's really the same exact thing you're talking about carrying

450
00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,480
Speaker 1: the football, setting up defenders in the exact same way

451
00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,479
Speaker 1: uh MJD. You started two thousand six and when you

452
00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,720
Speaker 1: entered the league. From from where we are then to

453
00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:23,520
Speaker 1: where we are now, and if we're kind of looking

454
00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,720
Speaker 1: and forecasting the next five to ten years, give me

455
00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,600
Speaker 1: one thing that maybe at this point in time, uh

456
00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,639
Speaker 1: is different, that maybe is more valued. And then on

457
00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:33,960
Speaker 1: the other side of it's something that maybe it was

458
00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:35,840
Speaker 1: a little more valued in two thousand six that maybe

459
00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,879
Speaker 1: not as valued as we go forth. Well, that's a

460
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,520
Speaker 1: tough it's a tough question because you have certain teams

461
00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:42,800
Speaker 1: that do certain things right. So the Patriots, for example,

462
00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,439
Speaker 1: they went on a playoff run literally going back to

463
00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,720
Speaker 1: two thousand six, turning around hand the football off, you know,

464
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,200
Speaker 1: throwing short passes, slowing the game down, um and wearing

465
00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,280
Speaker 1: down the opposing defense. But when you look at the

466
00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,720
Speaker 1: NFL now, if you can't catch out of the backfield

467
00:19:57,720 --> 00:19:59,960
Speaker 1: as a running back, you can't play. And I think

468
00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,840
Speaker 1: that is something that I came in with a little

469
00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,560
Speaker 1: bit of an advantage in certain situations, but not the best.

470
00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,600
Speaker 1: And so I remember going to Jacksonville in two thousand

471
00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,000
Speaker 1: and eight or after our two thousand seven season, and um,

472
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:14,159
Speaker 1: and I don't know if a lot of coaches. You

473
00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:15,520
Speaker 1: have to let me know if a lot of coaches

474
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,000
Speaker 1: do this, but are running back coach at the time

475
00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,440
Speaker 1: and said, you know, I want you to work on

476
00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:21,359
Speaker 1: pass routes this offseason because we want to throw you

477
00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,040
Speaker 1: the ball, so you gotta be a receiver. I want

478
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:25,639
Speaker 1: you to learn how to run routes every day. Just

479
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,359
Speaker 1: work on your craft. And I did that, and then

480
00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:31,600
Speaker 1: the next year I caught sixty two passes um, which

481
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,240
Speaker 1: to me was like wow, Like that's crazy. Now I

482
00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:34,720
Speaker 1: know how to run routes. I can do different things

483
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:36,920
Speaker 1: that could be a different weapon. But when I when

484
00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,000
Speaker 1: I look at the rams and the way they've they've

485
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,600
Speaker 1: like used Todd Gurley in certain situations, line them up

486
00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,480
Speaker 1: on linebackers, Um, you know, getting that one on one

487
00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:46,840
Speaker 1: matts have been taking advantage of it. I think now,

488
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,720
Speaker 1: if you're running back and you can't catch, there's no

489
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,359
Speaker 1: place in the NFL for you. And I want to

490
00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,320
Speaker 1: say the Giants took a guy from Boston College a

491
00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,960
Speaker 1: couple of years ago that will yeah, he couldn't. He

492
00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,720
Speaker 1: didn't have a catch his whole college career and literally

493
00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,800
Speaker 1: played two years in the NFL. That's not his fault.

494
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,639
Speaker 1: But that's the league is changing, right, So you have

495
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:08,720
Speaker 1: to be able to be a versatile, valuable weapon. Um

496
00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:10,320
Speaker 1: And if you look at all the top guys, if

497
00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,960
Speaker 1: you you know, say Kwon Barkley, Alvin Camara, Todd Gurley,

498
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,920
Speaker 1: Joe Mix, Zeke Elliott, all these guys can go line

499
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,920
Speaker 1: up at wide receiver run routes which I think is

500
00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,719
Speaker 1: receiver routes, which is crazy, and catch the ball. And

501
00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,119
Speaker 1: so that's the new The fat is you have to

502
00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:26,960
Speaker 1: be able to not only run it, but in between

503
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,399
Speaker 1: the tackles like Christian McCaffrey and those guys. But you

504
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,280
Speaker 1: have to be able to be a weapon outside that

505
00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,480
Speaker 1: we had that check down ability or be the first

506
00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,840
Speaker 1: reading uh passing concept and so if you can do

507
00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,639
Speaker 1: those things, that's where the game is changing. To me,

508
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,080
Speaker 1: it's it's fun. This is what was really enjoyable for

509
00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,960
Speaker 1: us going through this prototype series is because there are

510
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,680
Speaker 1: developing some absolutes. If you're a defensive lineman that can't

511
00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,920
Speaker 1: rush the quarterback man, your value is plummeted. You're running

512
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,800
Speaker 1: back that can't catch the ball out of the backfield,

513
00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:55,680
Speaker 1: your value has plummeted. So I mean it's interesting to

514
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,320
Speaker 1: see how this game has kind of evolved. And I

515
00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,359
Speaker 1: love your feedback that you gave us on the position

516
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,400
Speaker 1: mg D last question for me, then I'll let you run. Um,

517
00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,359
Speaker 1: I've always wanted this sometimes. You say, when you hit

518
00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,879
Speaker 1: a home run and to go back to just playing

519
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,200
Speaker 1: high school baseball, if you just hit it sweet, you

520
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,480
Speaker 1: don't feel anything. I mean, it's just the most beautiful thing.

521
00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:13,960
Speaker 1: You swing right through the ball. You don't even feel

522
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,439
Speaker 1: the contact when you hit Sean Merriman. Um, did you

523
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,240
Speaker 1: feel anything or was it just like hitting the fast

524
00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,960
Speaker 1: ball right in the barrel. It was a little bit

525
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,720
Speaker 1: heavier than a ball. I think. Uh. We had said

526
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,480
Speaker 1: him up, he I gotta let me break, let me

527
00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,280
Speaker 1: break the truth. He had. Guys set up that whole

528
00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,040
Speaker 1: drive we had, we got we had our tight end blocking.

529
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,480
Speaker 1: One time we had a crackback hit him. Our fullback

530
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,639
Speaker 1: Greg Jones blocked them. We double teamed him, and then

531
00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,359
Speaker 1: we got on the you know, we got into the

532
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,800
Speaker 1: red zone or to the goal line. You know, everyone

533
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:45,879
Speaker 1: runs that same turn protection where you let the d

534
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,960
Speaker 1: n come free. And Um, but all week we had said,

535
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,760
Speaker 1: like you know, and again, this is all from the preparation,

536
00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,119
Speaker 1: like you have don't cut him because he's waiting for

537
00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:55,679
Speaker 1: the cut. He's gonna put his hands down because you're

538
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,680
Speaker 1: a smaller guy. So once he puts his hand down,

539
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 1: to hit him right in his chest. And so, uh,

540
00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,160
Speaker 1: they called the play and I come through and Greg

541
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,520
Speaker 1: does a great job of like bluffing him and shooting

542
00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:07,320
Speaker 1: out to the flat and he's sure enough put his

543
00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,280
Speaker 1: hands down thinking I was gonna cut him, and I mean,

544
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,280
Speaker 1: you know, hands down, man down is what they like

545
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,639
Speaker 1: to say in basketball, and uh, that's what happened, you know,

546
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,800
Speaker 1: So a little cross over there for yeah, one of

547
00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,200
Speaker 1: the best blocks in in NFL history. If you haven't

548
00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,399
Speaker 1: seen it YouTube, trust me, it's it's a it's a

549
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,320
Speaker 1: good one. I love Sean too, shot a nice grain,

550
00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,320
Speaker 1: but man, that was nasty doing m m A. Now

551
00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:30,840
Speaker 1: he's got like a whole mma. And I'm not trying

552
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:32,560
Speaker 1: to mess with that shot. I had nothing against you, man,

553
00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,440
Speaker 1: I'm not trying to mess with you. He keep bringing

554
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,000
Speaker 1: it up like he's gonna try to m A me

555
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:38,639
Speaker 1: and I don't have time for that. I'm trying to

556
00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:42,199
Speaker 1: do this TV thing, you know. Uh, I hear you,

557
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,600
Speaker 1: I hear you. Hey, I know your time's valuable, buddy.

558
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:46,720
Speaker 1: I appreciate you taking some time for us today. No problem,

559
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,359
Speaker 1: no problem at all. Alright, Black, Look, he's he's your

560
00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:52,520
Speaker 1: good buddy. You and Maurice Jones, you have known each

561
00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,200
Speaker 1: other for a long time, go back to the days

562
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,920
Speaker 1: we were both scout him. So I'm sure you didn't

563
00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,080
Speaker 1: hear anything in that conversation that you didn't already know.

564
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,480
Speaker 1: But I did find it fat stating him talking about

565
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,600
Speaker 1: Fred Taylor. You know, it's interesting because m j D

566
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,480
Speaker 1: has talked about Fred Taylor for so long being kind

567
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,680
Speaker 1: of the prototypical running back, the way that he's able

568
00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,360
Speaker 1: to run inside, finish, have big playability, catch the ball

569
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,320
Speaker 1: out the backfield, and it's just the overall tough dude

570
00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,120
Speaker 1: that you want as the workhorse runner. I'm not surprised

571
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,720
Speaker 1: to hear him speak about number twenty eight with such reverence,

572
00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:23,960
Speaker 1: no doubt. And uh, our next guest, Hall of Famer

573
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,320
Speaker 1: Terrell Davis, you're also gonna hear him mention something about

574
00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,320
Speaker 1: Fred Taylor during our discussion. I think you'll get a kick.

575
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 1: How to listen to our good buddy t D. Let's start,

576
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:35,840
Speaker 1: first of all with the gut to have its the

577
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,000
Speaker 1: non negotiables. If you're gonna be a successful running back

578
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,160
Speaker 1: in the NFL, you've got to have what, oh, that's

579
00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,560
Speaker 1: a good one. Well, you've got to have the to

580
00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,840
Speaker 1: me the mentality, right. It starts with that. It starts

581
00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 1: with that. You gotta believe that you're the best out there. Um,

582
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:52,640
Speaker 1: and then you have to have I think the second

583
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:54,679
Speaker 1: thing is that you have vision. We're talking about some

584
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,760
Speaker 1: of the tangibles there and vision um, you know, is

585
00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,119
Speaker 1: to be able to see things. Just not have that

586
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,719
Speaker 1: tunnel vision where you're just locked onto the block right

587
00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:03,479
Speaker 1: in front of you. You've got to have sort of

588
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,199
Speaker 1: that wide screen so that you can see everything in

589
00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:07,720
Speaker 1: front of the front side and the back side. And

590
00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,440
Speaker 1: then instincts right, the instincts and have spatial awareness where

591
00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,320
Speaker 1: you're out there, and certain certain things happen where back

592
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:15,919
Speaker 1: Max and cut, you're like, well, how did he know

593
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,200
Speaker 1: that opening was there? He didn't see it. It wasn't vision,

594
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:20,840
Speaker 1: it was just his instincts took him there. And so

595
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:22,879
Speaker 1: some of the things I would be looking looking at

596
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,360
Speaker 1: are those um. And then someone of a a disposition,

597
00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,720
Speaker 1: maybe a linebacker's disposition or somebody who's physical and know

598
00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:33,720
Speaker 1: that it's going to be a grind. You can't be

599
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:35,480
Speaker 1: a guy that taps out when you get hit hard.

600
00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:37,960
Speaker 1: So I want to see the toughness from a back

601
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,440
Speaker 1: as well. So some of the things that I would

602
00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,280
Speaker 1: look for and running back to those So so toughness

603
00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:44,440
Speaker 1: really matters that the running back position. When it comes

604
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,600
Speaker 1: to being kind of that every down workhorse, you've gotta

605
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,520
Speaker 1: be able to not only physically be able to withstand

606
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:52,800
Speaker 1: the pounded, but mentally you have to be able to

607
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:54,840
Speaker 1: kind of grind it out. How do you acquire that?

608
00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,600
Speaker 1: Can guys acquire that? It's tough? I can't tell you

609
00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,440
Speaker 1: how many times that I've I've thought about happening out

610
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,119
Speaker 1: in games. It is real because you are you know,

611
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,160
Speaker 1: you're a hundred and another thing, you're two hundred pounds,

612
00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,159
Speaker 1: but you're constantly being battered, you know what I mean.

613
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,840
Speaker 1: So it's it's not like, you know, you go through

614
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,920
Speaker 1: a hole, you get hit and sometimes you take some

615
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,800
Speaker 1: some really tough shots and you gotta mentally get yourself

616
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,640
Speaker 1: ready for that. That pounding. Now, how do you get

617
00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,439
Speaker 1: ready for that? It's just practice. It is just doing

618
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,520
Speaker 1: it over and over again, getting to a point where

619
00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:31,320
Speaker 1: you feel like it is a breaking point for you.

620
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,199
Speaker 1: But then you have to mentally say, all right, I

621
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,920
Speaker 1: know that it was a tough hit, but I gotta

622
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,000
Speaker 1: mentally get my mind right to go ahead and fight this.

623
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,320
Speaker 1: And that's why I want. Somebody's gonna be tough. Who's

624
00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:43,840
Speaker 1: gonna be a Fighter's not gonna back down from a challenge.

625
00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,480
Speaker 1: And that's part of the process of a running back.

626
00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,280
Speaker 1: The stuff out there, I'm telling you, it's hard. It's

627
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:54,240
Speaker 1: hard out there. They see it all. You know. People think,

628
00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 1: you know, they look at the yards and they think, oh, man,

629
00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,080
Speaker 1: you know twohund of yards rushing. He had a two

630
00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,639
Speaker 1: thousand yards season. You know this guy had a you know,

631
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,520
Speaker 1: a hundred yard game, But they don't see the play

632
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,359
Speaker 1: in and play out. It is just it's physical and

633
00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 1: there are some shots that might not look like they

634
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,960
Speaker 1: are that tough or they hurt, but those are the

635
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,480
Speaker 1: ones that hurt the most. So when I was hurt

636
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,760
Speaker 1: the most is run. They'll get you a little bit.

637
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:19,679
Speaker 1: I've been I've been wanting asking this question a long time.

638
00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,840
Speaker 1: We've known each other forever, but I've never asked you

639
00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,040
Speaker 1: this one. Well, when you're evaluating running backs. There's times

640
00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:26,800
Speaker 1: where this can be a positive. You talking about a

641
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,679
Speaker 1: guy being patient, there's also times where I give a

642
00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,040
Speaker 1: guy credit because I say he's decisive. Now, those are

643
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,440
Speaker 1: two kind of feels like opposite things. But when you're

644
00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,560
Speaker 1: looking at that position and you're a great running back

645
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:40,159
Speaker 1: other great running backs, how did you find that balance

646
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,159
Speaker 1: from no on when to be patient let things develop

647
00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,080
Speaker 1: versus know when we gotta hit it one cut and go.

648
00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,400
Speaker 1: That is That is a great question, and it all

649
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,760
Speaker 1: starts with situation. You gotta know down a distance, you

650
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,800
Speaker 1: gotta know what you're trying to have trying to accomplish. Now,

651
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 1: I can be patient if it's early in the game

652
00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,280
Speaker 1: and it's first intent and you know we're just kind

653
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:01,280
Speaker 1: of getting things started. I could be a little bit

654
00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:04,800
Speaker 1: more patient there. But if it's third and one, third

655
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,840
Speaker 1: and two, the game was on the line, we need

656
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:09,679
Speaker 1: to we need a first down, or we need to

657
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,640
Speaker 1: score a touchdown. It's not a whole lot of patients

658
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,119
Speaker 1: that that that I could have there. You know, I've

659
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,479
Speaker 1: got to be north and south. I gotta go get it.

660
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,720
Speaker 1: And part of it to DJ is when the back

661
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,600
Speaker 1: is getting the ball twenty five times a game. I

662
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,600
Speaker 1: could be a little bit more creative with it. In

663
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,480
Speaker 1: the first quarter, I might decide, Okay, I'm not gonna

664
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,399
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna bounce everything. I'm gonna take everything up

665
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,359
Speaker 1: the middle, but I'm setting it up for later in

666
00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:34,280
Speaker 1: the game. So now I know that if they keep

667
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,960
Speaker 1: condensing in the box and bringing backers down, I got them.

668
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:39,600
Speaker 1: I just gotta I'm setting them up for something later

669
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:41,760
Speaker 1: in the game. So then I could be patient, but

670
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,160
Speaker 1: then I'm a break I'm gonna break out. So you

671
00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,120
Speaker 1: you have to kind of just know you. You have

672
00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,800
Speaker 1: to know situation football, and each situation requires you to

673
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,600
Speaker 1: just be different and knowing when you can be patient

674
00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,320
Speaker 1: or nor one when you have to speed things up

675
00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:58,920
Speaker 1: and just be downhill and just go get the positive yards.

676
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:01,800
Speaker 1: So I've never told you this, but I'm gonna blame

677
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:07,160
Speaker 1: you for something. I'm gonna blame you for. And the

678
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,440
Speaker 1: reason why I'm gonna blame you is because, one, you

679
00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,520
Speaker 1: were found in the sixth round and you're going to

680
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,520
Speaker 1: have a Hall of Fame career. So now everyone believes

681
00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,040
Speaker 1: I can find a running back anywhere in the draft too.

682
00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:19,239
Speaker 1: You played in a system where Mike Shanahan felt like, oh,

683
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,480
Speaker 1: I can just plug anybody back there and they can

684
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,120
Speaker 1: have success. So to the naked I we have all

685
00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:25,600
Speaker 1: of these people that are saying, oh, I can find

686
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,240
Speaker 1: a running back anywhere. I want you to explain the

687
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,600
Speaker 1: difference between those at least at the position and then

688
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,600
Speaker 1: the guys that are just the guys at the position.

689
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,880
Speaker 1: What's the difference. Well, there's a huge difference. Um. So

690
00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,960
Speaker 1: just back to when I played and the every day

691
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,440
Speaker 1: you know, six round draft pick. Yeah, I was drafted

692
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,800
Speaker 1: in the sixth round. But if you look at me

693
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,680
Speaker 1: before college and the way I grew up, and I

694
00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:49,760
Speaker 1: would say that Georgia didn't go to California to get

695
00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:54,000
Speaker 1: me because I was just a six round you know

696
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,440
Speaker 1: you Georgia didn't come to California to get me because

697
00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,560
Speaker 1: of that. So that kind of gives you an idea

698
00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,280
Speaker 1: that it was that that my skills were a six

699
00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:05,480
Speaker 1: round draft pick. My circumstances were I went to a

700
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:10,520
Speaker 1: school where yeah, I didn't play well there, I got

701
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,160
Speaker 1: hurt and it just wasn't you know, things just weren't

702
00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,400
Speaker 1: in my favor there. Um. The second thing, as far

703
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,440
Speaker 1: as the system we had in Denver, it was phenomenal

704
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,479
Speaker 1: because it it really just emphasized a very simple model,

705
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:23,800
Speaker 1: and a model was north and south and it was

706
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,360
Speaker 1: a four yard run. We just practice four yard runs.

707
00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,880
Speaker 1: That's it. And if you can get a four yard run,

708
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,240
Speaker 1: that's now you're talking about second and six. You do

709
00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,440
Speaker 1: it again and tell my third and two, and so

710
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,720
Speaker 1: it's a chain moverer. We wanted to stay on schedule once,

711
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,000
Speaker 1: so they just said give me four yards. But after

712
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,800
Speaker 1: the four yards, it's on you. And that's where I

713
00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,120
Speaker 1: think the difference comes when you talk about elite backs.

714
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,440
Speaker 1: So a coach might say, hey, I want you to

715
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,040
Speaker 1: give me my three or four yards, But then what

716
00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,360
Speaker 1: can you do that's more than just a three or

717
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,240
Speaker 1: four yard run? And I believe that's where the elite

718
00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,200
Speaker 1: backs give you. They're the ones that you look at,

719
00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,640
Speaker 1: you watch him say I can't do that. And so

720
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,800
Speaker 1: when you put that over, you know, a couple of games,

721
00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,640
Speaker 1: a couple of seasons, then it becomes a guy who

722
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,800
Speaker 1: was constantly producing at a higher level. And that's the

723
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,640
Speaker 1: difference from you know, the Hall of Fame backs to

724
00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,000
Speaker 1: a guy that's that's pretty good. And that that's what

725
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 1: I would say, I want to get to the passing

726
00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,560
Speaker 1: game with you. Yeah, we see Bucky. He's he's he's here.

727
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,479
Speaker 1: I want to talk about the passing game. I know.

728
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:24,800
Speaker 1: I want to talk about the past game, but not

729
00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:26,920
Speaker 1: catching the ball. I want to talk about the blocking

730
00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,280
Speaker 1: aspect of it. And and when when I kind of

731
00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,240
Speaker 1: go through my checklist when I'm watching guys, I know

732
00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 1: Bucky has his checklist. He goes through. I want you

733
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,959
Speaker 1: to help me out t D and tell me if

734
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,760
Speaker 1: I'm on the right path here or if there's another

735
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:39,560
Speaker 1: area I can focus on. Because I'm watching a back

736
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,920
Speaker 1: and past protection, I really try and pay attention to

737
00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:43,800
Speaker 1: four things I want to see. Is he aware? Does

738
00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,000
Speaker 1: he know who he's supposed to block? Um? Does he

739
00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,280
Speaker 1: have balance? Does he have punch? And does he have sand?

740
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,760
Speaker 1: And you can explain what I mean by do they

741
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,720
Speaker 1: have sand? What is saying? You tell me what saying

742
00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:56,880
Speaker 1: is being able to sink, being able to drop your way.

743
00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:58,680
Speaker 1: You've got to saying you've got some base too, you know,

744
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:00,960
Speaker 1: and like you're not you're not gonna be You're not

745
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,960
Speaker 1: to drive through window. You can be able to anchor

746
00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:04,600
Speaker 1: down a little bit. You gonna have some sand. Yep

747
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:09,200
Speaker 1: yep um a lot of times it's it's really just

748
00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,840
Speaker 1: your willingness to block. And you talked about d J.

749
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,000
Speaker 1: It is obviously knowing who you have to block, but

750
00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,720
Speaker 1: I'm looking for somebody that has the willingness to block.

751
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:20,720
Speaker 1: You may not be the best blocker, aren't there, But

752
00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:22,360
Speaker 1: are you willing to just go throw your whole body

753
00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,520
Speaker 1: in there just to make because you're you're not gonna

754
00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:26,920
Speaker 1: probably knock somebody over, But are you willing to stop

755
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,160
Speaker 1: the momentum of a linebacker or somebody that obviously it's

756
00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,960
Speaker 1: bigger than you. Sometimes we get paired up on the

757
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:37,360
Speaker 1: defensive end. A pure edge rusher, a middle linebacker is

758
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:41,280
Speaker 1: two fifty and you're talking about somebody's only two pounds.

759
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,080
Speaker 1: I want to see if you're if you're willing to

760
00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,720
Speaker 1: stick your face up in there. And the guy that

761
00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,520
Speaker 1: was really good at that was Clinton. Porter's my wife

762
00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:51,640
Speaker 1: Clinton Clinton. Sometimes it wasn't technically sound, you know, didn't

763
00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,240
Speaker 1: sink his hips a lot of times, but Clinton would

764
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,720
Speaker 1: go up there and give you all he had. And

765
00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:58,520
Speaker 1: you have to admire that from a running back, cause

766
00:32:58,520 --> 00:32:59,720
Speaker 1: a lot of times that's what we're asked to do.

767
00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:05,200
Speaker 1: Just go basically commit suicide with your facing the fan,

768
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,880
Speaker 1: go go go throw it open there. And it wasn't

769
00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,280
Speaker 1: a part of my game that I enjoyed doing, but

770
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,280
Speaker 1: it was something that I've learned in college because I

771
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:14,880
Speaker 1: didn't run a whole lot in college. But when I

772
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,440
Speaker 1: got to the pros that kind of separated me from

773
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,720
Speaker 1: the other guys where I felt like I was a

774
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:23,800
Speaker 1: willing blocker. I actually learned how to run the block

775
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:25,240
Speaker 1: because I was a full back in high school, so

776
00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,560
Speaker 1: I had run blocking ability, which is a different blocking

777
00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,840
Speaker 1: technique altogether, because that one is you're coming five yards,

778
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:36,160
Speaker 1: I mean you're you're like battering around mentality. That is

779
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,040
Speaker 1: a mentality. So I had that, um yeah, so and

780
00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:41,920
Speaker 1: blocking it was one of the things. We'd have a

781
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:46,040
Speaker 1: game and I come out of the game and people

782
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,280
Speaker 1: say TV had a great game, and I go back

783
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:49,800
Speaker 1: and I watched the table and the only thing I'm

784
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,040
Speaker 1: looking for my blocks. I'm looking to see if I

785
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:53,600
Speaker 1: had the right blocks. Number one, I can said, DJ

786
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:55,880
Speaker 1: did I did I have the right assignment? And then

787
00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,440
Speaker 1: number two, how did I do on my blocks? And

788
00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,120
Speaker 1: I would base my the way I felt about my

789
00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 1: game on how I blocked, because I took pride in blocking,

790
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,480
Speaker 1: and if you have, I would think if you ask

791
00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:09,080
Speaker 1: my coach, they would say the same thing that that

792
00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:12,879
Speaker 1: was the one thing that they felt like that meant

793
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,279
Speaker 1: a lot to me to be able to protect because

794
00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:17,239
Speaker 1: I had to protect him A seven back thead, So

795
00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:20,759
Speaker 1: I can't get that man hit? Yeah, sure way to

796
00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,360
Speaker 1: get fired. So it's funny we're talking about the passing

797
00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:26,879
Speaker 1: game and blocking has been prioritized by DJ. I'm gonna

798
00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:29,560
Speaker 1: talking about route running. How important is it for in

799
00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,719
Speaker 1: today's game the running back to be a factor in

800
00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,399
Speaker 1: the passing game, being able to get open, win one

801
00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,799
Speaker 1: on one matchups, catch the ball, and do things when

802
00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,080
Speaker 1: he has the ball in his hands. Yeah, today more

803
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,520
Speaker 1: so than when I played, because we ran the ball

804
00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:48,120
Speaker 1: quite a bit, and today's passing game, um, it's required

805
00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:53,560
Speaker 1: for running backs to be part of that. Otherwise, you know,

806
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:57,800
Speaker 1: could you play today? Though? Like your style translates today's

807
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,080
Speaker 1: games a little bit. Now you guys didn't go I

808
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:04,279
Speaker 1: can watch the I'm just I've I played against you.

809
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,479
Speaker 1: I'm just saying, like I mean, we were never talked

810
00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:08,880
Speaker 1: about in the scounting before a watch out for number thirty.

811
00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:12,040
Speaker 1: He didn't. We just talked about number thirty coming downhill

812
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,880
Speaker 1: and how all you guys are gonna cut everybody illegally

813
00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:19,800
Speaker 1: right of attack you. No, I wasn't certainly a marshal

814
00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:21,799
Speaker 1: fault when it game to catching out of the backfield,

815
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,279
Speaker 1: But I think I surprised some people when you talk

816
00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:26,160
Speaker 1: about catching the rock out of the backfield. You know

817
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:27,839
Speaker 1: a few times we had a game plan and I

818
00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,480
Speaker 1: hated it. We go through our first fifteen plays and

819
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,520
Speaker 1: I remember we had our first play. They motioned me

820
00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,879
Speaker 1: out of the backfield, and then they make me run

821
00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:36,480
Speaker 1: a slat route and they throw the ball to me

822
00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:39,000
Speaker 1: every time. This is this is our first fifteen plays.

823
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,200
Speaker 1: We're starting the game. We go through the week, and

824
00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,760
Speaker 1: that's the play Sleepless nights. I can't sleep on Saturday

825
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,239
Speaker 1: night because I don't know. I don't want the game

826
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:49,759
Speaker 1: starting off with me running a slat route. I just

827
00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:52,080
Speaker 1: that's just not that, that is just not work my

828
00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:54,839
Speaker 1: comfort zone. Quick fast. We're just trying to get you loose,

829
00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:57,040
Speaker 1: trying to get you in the mix. Do you realize

830
00:35:57,080 --> 00:36:02,560
Speaker 1: what happens the backs that trying to run slant They're

831
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:06,160
Speaker 1: going to sleep. They go to sleep night night, and

832
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:10,319
Speaker 1: sure enough, I don't believe I've ever caught that. A

833
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,200
Speaker 1: matter of fact, I try to sabotage and every time

834
00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:13,759
Speaker 1: we'd run in the practice, try to drop us so

835
00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:16,560
Speaker 1: they're taken out the game plan. But then they think,

836
00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,359
Speaker 1: so yeah, I mean you gotta be able to right now, Listen,

837
00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,000
Speaker 1: you don't have a lot of chances out there. It's

838
00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,960
Speaker 1: back to to go back there and you're not running

839
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,760
Speaker 1: the ball a ton of time. So it is about

840
00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:31,160
Speaker 1: you being more versatile nowadays because they want that versatility

841
00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:34,839
Speaker 1: with the way the offenses UH spread spread out now,

842
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:36,920
Speaker 1: they need a back that can go out there and

843
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:38,680
Speaker 1: then maybe he's a slot guy. Maybe he can go

844
00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:40,320
Speaker 1: all the way out and you get matched up with

845
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,520
Speaker 1: a linebacker one on one. So there's more, there's more

846
00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:45,840
Speaker 1: of that going on. We we were kind of you know,

847
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,879
Speaker 1: we we we were kind of who we who who

848
00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:50,759
Speaker 1: we were. I mean, we were we were gonna change

849
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,040
Speaker 1: too much. We did some stuff, but we didn't do

850
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,719
Speaker 1: a whole lot of me out of the backfield because

851
00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:59,120
Speaker 1: that's just too much energy, man, too much. I got

852
00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:00,759
Speaker 1: I got ask you this on man. Yeah, I want

853
00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:02,600
Speaker 1: to go back to your era and and see if

854
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,680
Speaker 1: you can give me a name of somebody that maybe

855
00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:07,480
Speaker 1: over time we kind of forget about. Maybe it's not

856
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:09,520
Speaker 1: a Hall of Famer, but who do you feel like

857
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:13,120
Speaker 1: was were some of the underappreciated backs during your era?

858
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:17,640
Speaker 1: I got one Fred Taylor was the most underappreciated back

859
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:24,040
Speaker 1: in the history of running backs. He um obviously watching

860
00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,200
Speaker 1: Fred Well, you know how every week you get you

861
00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,360
Speaker 1: get the game tape in, you're watching the defense and

862
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:33,040
Speaker 1: they're playing against Jacksonville and you just can't help every

863
00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:37,440
Speaker 1: time Fred Fred was, Fred had Fred had the checklist

864
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:39,640
Speaker 1: of things you dream about. It's back. If you wanted

865
00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:45,880
Speaker 1: to build the prototypical running back, it was Fred Taylor. Size, agility, speed,

866
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,000
Speaker 1: he had the patients, he had some you know, he

867
00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,920
Speaker 1: had the quick the quick start, stopping start. He had

868
00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:56,000
Speaker 1: everything that you can want in the running back. And

869
00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,920
Speaker 1: he just no one. No one talks about Fred Taylor

870
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,480
Speaker 1: as at as a great running back um, and I

871
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:04,200
Speaker 1: think there there needs to be more of that, because

872
00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:07,359
Speaker 1: he certainly was when he played. I know he had

873
00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,600
Speaker 1: some injuries, but when you talk about just pure skill

874
00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:16,120
Speaker 1: and a man that was seven thousand yards seven thousand

875
00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:19,800
Speaker 1: yards season says, I'm looking at seven freaky as he was.

876
00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:21,960
Speaker 1: He had some numbers too, He had some numbers to him,

877
00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:24,200
Speaker 1: some numbers there. There is a bit of a campaign

878
00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:27,719
Speaker 1: with the Jacks tying too. So now I want to

879
00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:30,520
Speaker 1: take that same, like, the same scope that you viewed

880
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,480
Speaker 1: for Fred Taylor. Give me someone who is undappreciated in

881
00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:39,600
Speaker 1: today's game and today's game underappreciated. Well, he's probably I mean,

882
00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:41,200
Speaker 1: he's probably on his way out the door. But it

883
00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:45,759
Speaker 1: will be Frank Gore. You know, Frank Gore is Frank.

884
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,640
Speaker 1: He just he just he just been a consistent back

885
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:53,120
Speaker 1: since he stepped into this league. And there's never been

886
00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:55,040
Speaker 1: talking about Fred Gore ever being the best back in

887
00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:56,960
Speaker 1: the league and any of his years, we don't you're

888
00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:58,759
Speaker 1: really going to a season saying Frank Gore is the

889
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:04,000
Speaker 1: best back. Frank has defied all you know, the injuries,

890
00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:06,799
Speaker 1: he's defied really he's not even supposed to be in

891
00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:10,480
Speaker 1: football at this point, but he's still going. He's as

892
00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:12,560
Speaker 1: consistent as you can get in the running back and

893
00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,879
Speaker 1: he's been that way for how hard years? How hard

894
00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:19,440
Speaker 1: is it to be that consistent. It's it's almost impossible,

895
00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:23,440
Speaker 1: it really is, because it's just there's so many variables

896
00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:27,720
Speaker 1: about how a running back has success from the system

897
00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:31,440
Speaker 1: you run in coaching your offensive line obviously, whether you

898
00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:35,560
Speaker 1: have you know, a quarterback that can get people out

899
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,560
Speaker 1: of the box. There's so many variables. And then to

900
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,920
Speaker 1: do it every single year like Frank has done it,

901
00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,240
Speaker 1: you just you just look up and say, how how's

902
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,359
Speaker 1: he doing it? And how's he you know, how long

903
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:50,600
Speaker 1: can he can he do it? Because it doesn't seem

904
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,279
Speaker 1: like he's stopping at any any anytime soon. And it

905
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,239
Speaker 1: was in Buffalo right now. That's gonna be interesting with

906
00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:57,839
Speaker 1: him and Shade McCoy and Buffalo and and see how

907
00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,320
Speaker 1: that all pans out. But yeah, Frank is probably the

908
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,640
Speaker 1: one that I would say, that's a heck of a

909
00:40:03,719 --> 00:40:06,200
Speaker 1: career there, Uh for Frank, or give us give us

910
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,440
Speaker 1: a tip here TV when we're talking to these running

911
00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,160
Speaker 1: backs are coming through the process and uh, the teams

912
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:12,799
Speaker 1: are talking to him at the combine. If you if

913
00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,640
Speaker 1: you had just one or two questions, you only got

914
00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:16,920
Speaker 1: to spend a couple of minutes with the running back prospect.

915
00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:19,359
Speaker 1: What's a good question to ask these guys? We get

916
00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:23,080
Speaker 1: to get a feel for them and how they translate. Uh,

917
00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:26,560
Speaker 1: probably just I know it's probably a generic question, but

918
00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:30,120
Speaker 1: it's about do you love the game? Like like how

919
00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,600
Speaker 1: do you how do you do you like the game?

920
00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:34,160
Speaker 1: Or do you love this game? Did you play with

921
00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,520
Speaker 1: guys that didn't because I think people think everybody's in

922
00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:39,480
Speaker 1: the NFL. No, no, and that's no. I have I

923
00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,560
Speaker 1: played with guys who didn't love football. They love what

924
00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:45,319
Speaker 1: football could provide for them. They love what football, they

925
00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,360
Speaker 1: love the idea of being in the in the NFL.

926
00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:52,560
Speaker 1: You know, you're driving nice cars. You know, it's it's

927
00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,719
Speaker 1: it's the top. But there's a lot of guys who

928
00:40:55,719 --> 00:41:01,279
Speaker 1: didn't love football from Monday to Saturday. And even I

929
00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:02,960
Speaker 1: had some guys I played with didn't love it on

930
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,359
Speaker 1: Sunday and they were just good enough. They were just

931
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:08,480
Speaker 1: good enough to make the roster and they kind of

932
00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,919
Speaker 1: found like, that's where I wanted to be because here's

933
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:14,200
Speaker 1: the here's the truth. To be able to be a

934
00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:19,399
Speaker 1: guy that every Sunday that you have to perform, you've

935
00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:22,840
Speaker 1: got people are depending on you to deliver the burden

936
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:27,800
Speaker 1: of that. It's it's it's enormous, you know, unless you accept,

937
00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:29,960
Speaker 1: unless you open up and say, I want that burden.

938
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:31,800
Speaker 1: I want to I want that weight on my shoulders.

939
00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,680
Speaker 1: Some people don't want that, and I've seen it firsthand.

940
00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:37,920
Speaker 1: Not calling on names out, but I've seen it firsthand.

941
00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:43,080
Speaker 1: They didn't love it. So last one for me, as

942
00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:45,960
Speaker 1: we think about the position going forward over the next

943
00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:48,040
Speaker 1: ten years, how do we respect the running back position?

944
00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:52,160
Speaker 1: To eve Off, I hope it it would be rebounds. Yeah,

945
00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:54,000
Speaker 1: and and and and it might because I'm looking at

946
00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:57,319
Speaker 1: so you look at more to say, younger quarterbacks coming

947
00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:00,279
Speaker 1: in now. And as a younger quarterback comes in and

948
00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,040
Speaker 1: they're being I want to say forced, but they they're

949
00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:07,120
Speaker 1: expected to play earlier. What helps a young quarterback immediately

950
00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:09,160
Speaker 1: is you've got to have balance. You've better have an

951
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:12,080
Speaker 1: offense that can run the football. And that's gonna take

952
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:14,120
Speaker 1: a lot of pressure off any young quarterback. And that

953
00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:16,759
Speaker 1: any quarterback would tell you that. So the more and

954
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:19,800
Speaker 1: more we're starting to see quarterbacks who are being drafted

955
00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:22,440
Speaker 1: one and two and no longer can sit on the

956
00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:26,280
Speaker 1: bench and wait behind a starter. They're being forced to play. Yeah,

957
00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,879
Speaker 1: I think the running backs are coming back. And so

958
00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:32,040
Speaker 1: now you're seeing the se Kwon Barclays, you know, being draft.

959
00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:34,600
Speaker 1: I know this year we didn't Josh came in Jacob

960
00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:37,120
Speaker 1: was pretty late in the draft. But I don't think

961
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:38,920
Speaker 1: that's going to continue. I think the backs will get

962
00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:43,000
Speaker 1: drafted higher and get leaned on a lot more, especially

963
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,040
Speaker 1: in the first a couple of years for our young quarterback.

964
00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:50,040
Speaker 1: I'm gonna bring this thing full circle here from the

965
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:52,799
Speaker 1: beginning when we began talking to the end, because when

966
00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:54,840
Speaker 1: Buck was talking to you about your career t D

967
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,920
Speaker 1: and you use the phrase, uh, look, you gotta scout

968
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:00,560
Speaker 1: the skills, not the circumstance, and you talk about a

969
00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:03,200
Speaker 1: guy like Josh Jacobs, it was the same discussion me

970
00:43:03,239 --> 00:43:05,560
Speaker 1: and Bucky were having where people were saying, well, the numbers, this,

971
00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:07,879
Speaker 1: that and the other, but it's our job to say

972
00:43:07,920 --> 00:43:11,200
Speaker 1: what skills does he possess and the circumstance where you're

973
00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:12,640
Speaker 1: blowing people out and you've got a bunch of other

974
00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:15,000
Speaker 1: running backs to get the ball to. As a scout,

975
00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:16,960
Speaker 1: you've got to be able to sort through the circumstance

976
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:18,759
Speaker 1: and find the skills. I think that kind of is

977
00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:21,799
Speaker 1: exactly what you were talking about in your situation. Yeah. Absolutely,

978
00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:23,439
Speaker 1: And there was there was a lot of talk about

979
00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:25,960
Speaker 1: Josh and not having I mean, has to have a

980
00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:29,840
Speaker 1: thousand yards season, in college and the numbers weren't gaudy.

981
00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:32,600
Speaker 1: But I like that, you know, I like the fact

982
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:34,920
Speaker 1: you've got a guy with low mallage on his on

983
00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:38,680
Speaker 1: the tires and because you all devalue value, you just

984
00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:42,320
Speaker 1: get anybody just throwing that out there. Now, you know,

985
00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:45,160
Speaker 1: you don't even believe you're not even saying that, But

986
00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:47,640
Speaker 1: that's what that's that's that's what the comment thought is, like,

987
00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:49,839
Speaker 1: I can find anybody off the street. No, I think

988
00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:51,759
Speaker 1: I think it's a balance between that two. I think

989
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:53,880
Speaker 1: when the when the running back started to sort of

990
00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:56,680
Speaker 1: go down, there was an attachment to the salary cap.

991
00:43:57,160 --> 00:43:59,280
Speaker 1: And when you have a back that is making tens

992
00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:02,560
Speaker 1: of millions of dollars and he goes down. We talked

993
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:05,319
Speaker 1: about how a quarterback could ruin the franchise if you

994
00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:06,719
Speaker 1: miss on him in the first round. But if you

995
00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:09,000
Speaker 1: put money into a running back and he goes down,

996
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:11,400
Speaker 1: So that's what I was saying, So I should drop

997
00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:14,399
Speaker 1: him out and never pay him a second contract. Well

998
00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:17,879
Speaker 1: that's well, I'm not saying that either. I'm not. I know.

999
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:20,279
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is that that's what happened. So then

1000
00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,040
Speaker 1: instead of putting money into one back, they started saying, Okay, well,

1001
00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:25,480
Speaker 1: you know what, Let's not pay this back a lot

1002
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:27,640
Speaker 1: of money. Let's get a second back who's kind of

1003
00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:31,080
Speaker 1: a complimentary piece, and then we can sort of and

1004
00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:36,640
Speaker 1: then we can devalue him by making sure that his yeah,

1005
00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:39,120
Speaker 1: it's production comes down. And then it was like a

1006
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:43,600
Speaker 1: negotiating em ploy But no, backs pleave. I need backs

1007
00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:47,000
Speaker 1: need to be paid as much as quarterbacks need to

1008
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:51,520
Speaker 1: be paid. Yes, I'm not. I said that when left

1009
00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:53,440
Speaker 1: Belle was holding out, I said, he needs to be paid.

1010
00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:56,239
Speaker 1: How is it that you got a receiver who makes

1011
00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,600
Speaker 1: more money than a running back and he he touches

1012
00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:00,520
Speaker 1: the ball maybe eight times a game because he's all

1013
00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:02,640
Speaker 1: the way out? Did he say eight times a game?

1014
00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:06,080
Speaker 1: So so that his eight times a game is gonna

1015
00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:08,440
Speaker 1: have a greater impact than someone who's touching it twenty

1016
00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:10,680
Speaker 1: times a game? Well, I mean, how do we measure that?

1017
00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:12,560
Speaker 1: Do we measure by you? I think they're thinking length.

1018
00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:15,640
Speaker 1: I think they're there's a lot more. There's a lot

1019
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,479
Speaker 1: more thirty three year old wide receivers still floating around

1020
00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:20,560
Speaker 1: out there, the thirty three year old running backs. That

1021
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:22,640
Speaker 1: would be my my only counterpoint, But I'm with you

1022
00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:24,359
Speaker 1: on the running back get there, go get your money.

1023
00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:27,279
Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not against that, thank you. I like

1024
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:33,680
Speaker 1: running backs, just the conversation running running backs. Hey TV,

1025
00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:36,280
Speaker 1: thanks for your time. Brother. We appreciate you, man. Thank you. Guys,

1026
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,600
Speaker 1: Well Buck Look Terrell Davis, he lights up a room.

1027
00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:42,560
Speaker 1: You talk about quarterbacks having a presence. He has a presence.

1028
00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:45,360
Speaker 1: You definitely feel that you're around a Hall of famer.

1029
00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:47,360
Speaker 1: And I love his insights at the running back position.

1030
00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:49,800
Speaker 1: Love his insights. Love the way that he described the

1031
00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,000
Speaker 1: must have the traits that you have to have to

1032
00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,960
Speaker 1: be a high level back. You talked about the attitude, uh,

1033
00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:58,440
Speaker 1: the willness to be all in love with the football game,

1034
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:00,640
Speaker 1: to toughness that you have to exhibit. Yes, you have

1035
00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:02,880
Speaker 1: to have to balance and and the other stuff, but

1036
00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:05,960
Speaker 1: a lot of it was mindset and mentality. I think

1037
00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:08,120
Speaker 1: those things are critical to being a guy that can

1038
00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:10,600
Speaker 1: really handle the load each and every week. We're talking

1039
00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:13,759
Speaker 1: about twenty thirty cares a game, no doubt. Good to

1040
00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:15,720
Speaker 1: catch up with t D. Now I want to get

1041
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:19,080
Speaker 1: a front office perspective on the position. We talked at

1042
00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:21,920
Speaker 1: the top of the show about our evaluation. UH anxious

1043
00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:24,560
Speaker 1: to hear what some of the top evaluators say about

1044
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:27,120
Speaker 1: the position. That leads us to our conversation here with

1045
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:31,680
Speaker 1: Tennessee Titans general manager John Robinson. Let's talk a little

1046
00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:34,200
Speaker 1: bit about the running back position and and John, when

1047
00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:36,520
Speaker 1: you just start with a very simple question you in

1048
00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,080
Speaker 1: the evaluation process doesn't have to be anybody on your team,

1049
00:46:39,080 --> 00:46:42,279
Speaker 1: but just in general, the best running back you saw

1050
00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:45,080
Speaker 1: in a college football field that you evaluate was who, Oh,

1051
00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:47,479
Speaker 1: that's a really good question. Um, I would say, there's

1052
00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,839
Speaker 1: there was several Um, Adrian Peterson's up there, Marshawn Lynch

1053
00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:53,680
Speaker 1: for he's he's up there. Um, you know there, there,

1054
00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:55,319
Speaker 1: there's a lot, there's a There's been a lot of

1055
00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,040
Speaker 1: good ones that that I've been able to, uh to

1056
00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:00,000
Speaker 1: look at over the course of my time. What about

1057
00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:01,960
Speaker 1: those guys that kind of set them apart to put

1058
00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:05,040
Speaker 1: them on top of the hill. Yeah, I think you know,

1059
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:07,719
Speaker 1: every back is different, just like just like our you know,

1060
00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:10,440
Speaker 1: our stable backs that we have here, Derrick Derrick Henry's

1061
00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,560
Speaker 1: run style, it's it's different than than than Dion's run style.

1062
00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:17,720
Speaker 1: Is Um. The one thing that I tell our scouts

1063
00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:19,680
Speaker 1: and I press up on our scouts is is when

1064
00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:21,399
Speaker 1: they have a chance to have the ball in their hands,

1065
00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:24,799
Speaker 1: whether it's it's handed to them or thrown to them. Uh,

1066
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:26,759
Speaker 1: do they make yards with it? You know? Are they

1067
00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:30,080
Speaker 1: competent in in blitz pick up or is that something

1068
00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:31,560
Speaker 1: where you're really gonna have to get them out of

1069
00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:34,160
Speaker 1: the backfield and throwing the ball because they just struggle

1070
00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:36,799
Speaker 1: and past protection for whatever reason. You know, I'd say

1071
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:38,560
Speaker 1: with both of those guys, both of those guys were

1072
00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,359
Speaker 1: difference makers with the with the ball in their hands,

1073
00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:43,520
Speaker 1: whether you you handed it to them or through it

1074
00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:45,360
Speaker 1: to them, and you had that you had to account

1075
00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:47,120
Speaker 1: for those guys on a on a weekend and week

1076
00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:50,800
Speaker 1: out basis. So John, the way the game has changed,

1077
00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:54,359
Speaker 1: how much of what they're able to do in terms

1078
00:47:54,360 --> 00:47:56,440
Speaker 1: of impact in the passing game, how big of a

1079
00:47:56,520 --> 00:47:58,520
Speaker 1: road is definitely in the evaluation when you looking at

1080
00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:01,680
Speaker 1: running backs. Yeah, you know it's become tougher and tougher. Um.

1081
00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:06,640
Speaker 1: You you see um less and less twenty one personnel packages.

1082
00:48:06,719 --> 00:48:10,040
Speaker 1: It's more spread offense now and and where the quarterbacks

1083
00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:12,279
Speaker 1: looking to the sideline and he's getting the playoff of

1084
00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:17,439
Speaker 1: a poster board and um, but you still have to fundamentally,

1085
00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:19,680
Speaker 1: it's iribli. If you've gotta be able to run the football,

1086
00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:21,839
Speaker 1: you've gotta be able to put your hand in the dirt.

1087
00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:25,200
Speaker 1: Uh move guys off the line of scrimmage with a lineman.

1088
00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:28,080
Speaker 1: Back's gotta get downhill, he's got to find his run lanes.

1089
00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:29,960
Speaker 1: He's gotta get behind his pads, and he's gotta he's

1090
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:31,799
Speaker 1: gotta be able to move the chains. And that just

1091
00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:34,399
Speaker 1: sets up and allows you to build uh your play

1092
00:48:34,440 --> 00:48:37,240
Speaker 1: action game, your screen game. It opens up the downfiell

1093
00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:40,279
Speaker 1: passing game. But I think foundationally, when you can really

1094
00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:42,920
Speaker 1: establish the run game, it um it allows you to

1095
00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:45,759
Speaker 1: really build and open up the offense. How challenging is

1096
00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:48,640
Speaker 1: it from an evaluation standpoint when you're not going to

1097
00:48:48,719 --> 00:48:50,800
Speaker 1: get a chance in some of these offenses to see

1098
00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:54,360
Speaker 1: what you're gonna ask these guys to do in your offense.

1099
00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:56,840
Speaker 1: And let's just take the past protecting thing for example.

1100
00:48:56,880 --> 00:48:58,799
Speaker 1: You can watch um. You know, I think the little

1101
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:00,640
Speaker 1: running back from Washington State East Year is a pretty

1102
00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:02,560
Speaker 1: good example. I Mean, they's release him every single time.

1103
00:49:02,560 --> 00:49:03,920
Speaker 1: They threw him a million balls, so you know the

1104
00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:07,160
Speaker 1: kid can catch. There's no evidence whatsoever on tape that

1105
00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:09,400
Speaker 1: this guy knows how to pass protect. Now, can you

1106
00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:12,719
Speaker 1: extraculate anything from just how a guy runs from you know,

1107
00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:14,960
Speaker 1: how physical he runs, or is there something you can

1108
00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:17,799
Speaker 1: gain from the workout process in the spring or you

1109
00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:20,840
Speaker 1: can get yourself to be comfortable selecting a player and

1110
00:49:20,880 --> 00:49:23,319
Speaker 1: ask him to do something you've never seen him do. Yeah,

1111
00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:25,600
Speaker 1: it's it's it's hard. It's I mean it's hard at

1112
00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:28,360
Speaker 1: a lot of positions. You know, whether it's an offensive

1113
00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,040
Speaker 1: line that you know they asked him to kind of

1114
00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:32,680
Speaker 1: slide left or slide right. They're never asked to, you know,

1115
00:49:32,760 --> 00:49:34,600
Speaker 1: to come off the ball and try to move anybody

1116
00:49:34,600 --> 00:49:36,839
Speaker 1: off the ball in the run game. And it's hard

1117
00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:39,239
Speaker 1: for for for running backs when they're where they're never

1118
00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:41,800
Speaker 1: asked to, you know, to to read and where the

1119
00:49:41,840 --> 00:49:44,480
Speaker 1: secondary pressure is coming from and get themselves in position

1120
00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:46,880
Speaker 1: to pick up the blitz. Um. But you make a

1121
00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:48,560
Speaker 1: great point, you know, you have to you have to

1122
00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:53,120
Speaker 1: really analyze the physicality the style that they that they

1123
00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:56,440
Speaker 1: run with. Uh. Do they welcome contact at the end

1124
00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:58,640
Speaker 1: of and at the end of runs? Uh? And then

1125
00:49:58,680 --> 00:50:00,719
Speaker 1: that's where in the spring process, as the pro day

1126
00:50:00,760 --> 00:50:04,480
Speaker 1: and in the private workout settings UM with the installation

1127
00:50:04,719 --> 00:50:06,759
Speaker 1: of what you're going to ask them to do. Are

1128
00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:09,040
Speaker 1: they going to be competent enough to to you know,

1129
00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:12,399
Speaker 1: siphon through the calls, the checks that the quarterback might

1130
00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:14,680
Speaker 1: make so that they can ide who they're supposed to

1131
00:50:14,760 --> 00:50:17,680
Speaker 1: pick up. Uh, and then and then be withholding a

1132
00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:21,200
Speaker 1: bag or or sending a couple of pressures. Um, try

1133
00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:23,000
Speaker 1: to put them through a scenario to see if they're

1134
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,920
Speaker 1: gonna be able to handle it. Jay, Right, you talk

1135
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,360
Speaker 1: about you guys being a bit of a throwback franchise

1136
00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:31,080
Speaker 1: in terms of still believing that you gotta be able

1137
00:50:31,080 --> 00:50:32,600
Speaker 1: to put your hand in the dirt, you have to

1138
00:50:32,600 --> 00:50:34,600
Speaker 1: be able to run the ball. So I'm gonna ask you,

1139
00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:37,360
Speaker 1: I'm gonna assume that you still believe that running backs

1140
00:50:37,640 --> 00:50:41,800
Speaker 1: are still marquee players. Why they running back still marquee

1141
00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:45,000
Speaker 1: players in the league that is trending towards the passing

1142
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:49,160
Speaker 1: game and the quarterbacks. Well, I mean, I think there's

1143
00:50:49,239 --> 00:50:51,600
Speaker 1: I mean there's a lot of players on on an

1144
00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:54,719
Speaker 1: offense and defense that are that are premium players. We

1145
00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:56,719
Speaker 1: just try to get as many good football players on

1146
00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,319
Speaker 1: our team as as possible. But you know, I think

1147
00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:01,680
Speaker 1: if you were to uh uh, to ask thirty one

1148
00:51:01,680 --> 00:51:03,719
Speaker 1: other gems that are running the football is It's an

1149
00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:07,560
Speaker 1: important part of what every offense wants to be about it.

1150
00:51:07,320 --> 00:51:10,759
Speaker 1: It just like I said earlier, it really opens up

1151
00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:13,200
Speaker 1: the playbook. When you can establish the run game, you

1152
00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:17,120
Speaker 1: can um, you can control what defenses are doing somewhat.

1153
00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:19,839
Speaker 1: So I think all of us, you know, every team

1154
00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:21,600
Speaker 1: in the National Football they wants to have a sound

1155
00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:24,399
Speaker 1: run game so that they can build the past game

1156
00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:26,840
Speaker 1: off of it. What where does uh last couch question

1157
00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:29,279
Speaker 1: from me here? But where do you see analytics fitting

1158
00:51:29,320 --> 00:51:31,920
Speaker 1: in all this? Because I know the analytic folks get

1159
00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:34,640
Speaker 1: upset when you talk about running the football and establishing

1160
00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:36,759
Speaker 1: a physical identity and they, oh, you know that's not

1161
00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:38,919
Speaker 1: the way it's you know, that's our chic. And look

1162
00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:40,880
Speaker 1: at the yards per attempt when you look at passing

1163
00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:44,120
Speaker 1: the football versus running the football. What's your answer to that?

1164
00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:46,040
Speaker 1: Because I know there's a place for analytics. I know

1165
00:51:46,120 --> 00:51:48,719
Speaker 1: you guys Incorporated use it here there. But what's your

1166
00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:52,560
Speaker 1: answer to that when you get hit with those questions? Uh?

1167
00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:53,960
Speaker 1: I think what we try to do is on a

1168
00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:56,840
Speaker 1: weekend and week out basis, try to build build the

1169
00:51:56,880 --> 00:52:00,920
Speaker 1: game plan. Uh. Strategically so that we can maximize our

1170
00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:03,680
Speaker 1: opportunities to move the ball down the field and score.

1171
00:52:03,719 --> 00:52:06,480
Speaker 1: There's gonna be, um, we're very game plan specific. That's

1172
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:08,200
Speaker 1: gonna be games where we run the ball more. There's

1173
00:52:08,200 --> 00:52:09,799
Speaker 1: gonna be games where we might throw the ball more,

1174
00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:12,160
Speaker 1: depending up on you know, how how the how the

1175
00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:16,160
Speaker 1: defense UH plays us, and that's gonna dictate what we

1176
00:52:16,320 --> 00:52:19,479
Speaker 1: what we do. And there's certainly an analytic component that

1177
00:52:19,480 --> 00:52:22,080
Speaker 1: that plays into to a lot of this. There's you know,

1178
00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:25,320
Speaker 1: there's some stat driven theories. UM. At the end of

1179
00:52:25,320 --> 00:52:26,920
Speaker 1: the day, we try to watch as much film as

1180
00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:29,759
Speaker 1: possible and try to UM come up with players that

1181
00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:32,839
Speaker 1: are gonna put our offense UH and defense when we're

1182
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:37,400
Speaker 1: playing defense in the most um advantageous position possible to

1183
00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:39,799
Speaker 1: play winning word. Can't thank you enough for your time

1184
00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:43,480
Speaker 1: and and UH we appreciate you. You got it all

1185
00:52:43,520 --> 00:52:46,439
Speaker 1: the best. You guys have a great summer. Always great

1186
00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:48,799
Speaker 1: to to catch up with Jay rob there Buck Yeah,

1187
00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:51,600
Speaker 1: always great And I think the Tennessee Titans are an

1188
00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:54,960
Speaker 1: interesting study because he talked about having multiple running backs

1189
00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:57,640
Speaker 1: that can occupy a role and if you don't have

1190
00:52:57,719 --> 00:52:59,480
Speaker 1: one bag that can do everything and you have to

1191
00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:02,560
Speaker 1: have multiple backs that can be positioned uh to him

1192
00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:04,920
Speaker 1: the responsibility and so I like what they have. I

1193
00:53:05,040 --> 00:53:07,000
Speaker 1: like how they do it. I think he is really

1194
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:09,640
Speaker 1: intent on going from good to great, and it really

1195
00:53:09,680 --> 00:53:12,680
Speaker 1: starts in their running back room and trying to assemble

1196
00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,680
Speaker 1: enough pieces to field a great running game, no doubt great.

1197
00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:17,840
Speaker 1: To to catch up with him and get his perspective.

1198
00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:19,400
Speaker 1: I think as we kind of wrap this thing up,

1199
00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:22,080
Speaker 1: we've had great guests, We've mentioned what we believe is

1200
00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:24,200
Speaker 1: important at the position, I think to just kind of

1201
00:53:24,440 --> 00:53:27,080
Speaker 1: pull it all together, why don't we limit ourselves to

1202
00:53:27,160 --> 00:53:29,640
Speaker 1: one and let's come with who you believe is the

1203
00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:32,000
Speaker 1: prototype at the running back position for the way the

1204
00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:34,920
Speaker 1: game is played today. Buck, If I only give you

1205
00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:37,359
Speaker 1: one name, who was? If you gave me one name,

1206
00:53:37,360 --> 00:53:40,239
Speaker 1: I'm gonna take Ezekiel Elliott from the Dallas Cowboys as

1207
00:53:40,239 --> 00:53:43,759
Speaker 1: my prototypical running back. It's the size, the toughness, to

1208
00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:46,719
Speaker 1: finish ability, and the ability to catch the ball out

1209
00:53:46,719 --> 00:53:48,520
Speaker 1: the backfield. If you had to give me one trade,

1210
00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:51,120
Speaker 1: it's all about the finish because in the fourth quarter,

1211
00:53:51,160 --> 00:53:53,680
Speaker 1: when everyone knows that the ball has to be run,

1212
00:53:54,080 --> 00:53:56,920
Speaker 1: Zekiel Elliott finds a way to finish the game, and

1213
00:53:57,000 --> 00:53:59,239
Speaker 1: that is what a big time work worse running back

1214
00:53:59,360 --> 00:54:01,000
Speaker 1: is supposed to be able to do. He is a

1215
00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:02,920
Speaker 1: great player, and I think we're in an error right now.

1216
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:05,840
Speaker 1: We have a handful of guys that deserve mention. But

1217
00:54:05,920 --> 00:54:08,360
Speaker 1: if I have to choose one, I'm gonna stay in

1218
00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,120
Speaker 1: the division. But I'm gonna go Sae Kwon Barkley. I

1219
00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:12,279
Speaker 1: know he's only one year in now, but I saw

1220
00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:14,360
Speaker 1: everything that I saw at Penn State. I saw it

1221
00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:16,759
Speaker 1: at the NFL level, which is his ability to run

1222
00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:20,000
Speaker 1: between the tackles, to run outside, to be able to

1223
00:54:20,040 --> 00:54:22,480
Speaker 1: have a major impact in the passing game as a

1224
00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:24,880
Speaker 1: route runner, as a receiver, and what he can do

1225
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:27,759
Speaker 1: after the catch. And uh, I just don't know there's

1226
00:54:27,800 --> 00:54:30,840
Speaker 1: another package that he has. When you talk about the heightweight, speed,

1227
00:54:31,200 --> 00:54:34,640
Speaker 1: the instincts to balance the home run ability, I don't

1228
00:54:34,680 --> 00:54:37,719
Speaker 1: know what skill he doesn't possess. In my opinion, I

1229
00:54:37,760 --> 00:54:39,719
Speaker 1: think he has everything. To me. He's the prototype. He

1230
00:54:39,719 --> 00:54:42,000
Speaker 1: certainly is the prototype. He's a new school. We talked

1231
00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:45,160
Speaker 1: about you can't measure him with one hundred yard rushing games.

1232
00:54:45,400 --> 00:54:47,920
Speaker 1: You have to measure him on scrimmage yards. And his

1233
00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:51,360
Speaker 1: ability to compile not only rushing yards but receiving yards

1234
00:54:51,600 --> 00:54:54,920
Speaker 1: makes him a tough challenge for defense coordinators around the league.

1235
00:54:55,080 --> 00:54:57,560
Speaker 1: He to me, is a new school running back that

1236
00:54:57,640 --> 00:54:59,719
Speaker 1: we all will be seeking when we're trying to build

1237
00:54:59,760 --> 00:55:02,279
Speaker 1: our tea. I was this. I was tempted to say McCaffrey.

1238
00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:03,719
Speaker 1: I didn't do it, but I do want to give

1239
00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:07,320
Speaker 1: Christian McCaffrey a love there because he's a unique, unique playmaker.

1240
00:55:07,840 --> 00:55:09,480
Speaker 1: But I like the two names that we came up with,

1241
00:55:09,520 --> 00:55:12,480
Speaker 1: their Zekiel Elliott as well as see Quon Barkley. There

1242
00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:15,160
Speaker 1: are prototypes at the position. Well, I hope you've enjoyed

1243
00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:18,600
Speaker 1: listening to this episode. As we go through our prototype series,

1244
00:55:19,040 --> 00:55:21,640
Speaker 1: we're gonna have every position covered, so keep an eye out.

1245
00:55:21,640 --> 00:55:24,880
Speaker 1: We're gonna have wide receivers, quarterbacks, are gonna have defensive

1246
00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:27,480
Speaker 1: players as well. Hopefully you'll get a lot out of that.

1247
00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:29,919
Speaker 1: I enjoy talking with our guest Buck, and I feel

1248
00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:33,160
Speaker 1: like I learned something as we've gone through this series. Yeah,

1249
00:55:33,200 --> 00:55:35,760
Speaker 1: absolutely have learned a lot about the running back position

1250
00:55:35,800 --> 00:55:38,000
Speaker 1: having the guys on it we had today. I am

1251
00:55:38,040 --> 00:55:40,759
Speaker 1: just fascinated by what I'll be able to do when

1252
00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:43,319
Speaker 1: it comes to eve and running backs going forward. There

1253
00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:45,279
Speaker 1: you go. That's gonna do it for us. Here on

1254
00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:48,880
Speaker 1: this episode of Move the Sticks, the prototype series, the

1255
00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:51,840
Speaker 1: running back position is in the books. We appreciate you listen,

1256
00:55:52,000 --> 00:55:54,160
Speaker 1: and we'll catch you next time. Right here, I'll Move

1257
00:55:54,200 --> 00:55:58,040
Speaker 1: the Sticks. Thanks for downloading Move the Sticks with Daniel

1258
00:55:58,160 --> 00:56:03,120
Speaker 1: Jeremiah and Bucky Books. For more, go to NFL dot

1259
00:56:03,160 --> 00:56:13,719
Speaker 1: com Slash Podcasts ye