1
00:00:07,266 --> 00:00:09,706
Speaker 1: The Season with Peter Scheger is a production of the

2
00:00:09,786 --> 00:00:24,826
Speaker 1: NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. What's Up, everybody, This is

3
00:00:24,866 --> 00:00:28,066
Speaker 1: Peter Schreger and you're listening to the Season with Peter Schreger.

4
00:00:28,226 --> 00:00:30,946
Speaker 1: We are in the middle of July right now, which

5
00:00:30,986 --> 00:00:34,266
Speaker 1: is the NFL's quote unquote slow season. But if you

6
00:00:34,306 --> 00:00:36,426
Speaker 1: follow the league and you love the game like I do,

7
00:00:36,546 --> 00:00:38,826
Speaker 1: you know there is no days off when it comes

8
00:00:38,906 --> 00:00:41,586
Speaker 1: to an NFL season. This podcast has been a blast

9
00:00:41,586 --> 00:00:44,546
Speaker 1: this summer because we're getting coaches and gms in their

10
00:00:44,586 --> 00:00:47,746
Speaker 1: homes and we're getting them at their vacation houses that

11
00:00:47,826 --> 00:00:50,146
Speaker 1: we're getting them maybe a little bit off the clock,

12
00:00:50,186 --> 00:00:52,066
Speaker 1: which means they can be a little looser than they

13
00:00:52,146 --> 00:00:56,786
Speaker 1: might usually be. I say this with great confidence. I

14
00:00:56,786 --> 00:01:00,226
Speaker 1: don't think I've enjoyed a podcast more than the conversation

15
00:01:00,346 --> 00:01:02,626
Speaker 1: you're about to listen to since we've begun doing this

16
00:01:02,626 --> 00:01:06,426
Speaker 1: thing back last September. This is Brad Holmes, the general

17
00:01:06,546 --> 00:01:14,026
Speaker 1: manager of the Detroit Lions, with no further ado, really

18
00:01:14,026 --> 00:01:16,026
Speaker 1: excited about this guest and trying to get him on

19
00:01:16,066 --> 00:01:17,746
Speaker 1: for a couple of weeks and we got him, and

20
00:01:17,786 --> 00:01:20,506
Speaker 1: I'm excited and it's right before the start of training camp,

21
00:01:20,626 --> 00:01:22,986
Speaker 1: so I'm sure he's fresh as a daisy. This is

22
00:01:22,986 --> 00:01:26,866
Speaker 1: the Detroit Lions general manager, mister Brad Holmes. Brad, what's

23
00:01:26,946 --> 00:01:28,546
Speaker 1: up man, How you doing man?

24
00:01:28,626 --> 00:01:30,706
Speaker 2: Thanks for having me. Glad we'll be able to finally

25
00:01:30,786 --> 00:01:32,546
Speaker 2: get this together. I hope you to think I.

26
00:01:32,506 --> 00:01:36,226
Speaker 1: Waste No, you know what, it's funny because this is

27
00:01:36,266 --> 00:01:38,346
Speaker 1: like the off season, but it's also the only time

28
00:01:38,386 --> 00:01:41,106
Speaker 1: that people can get away. So it's yes, I'd love

29
00:01:41,146 --> 00:01:42,906
Speaker 1: to do your podcast, but I also have a family.

30
00:01:42,946 --> 00:01:43,706
Speaker 1: I'd like to see you.

31
00:01:46,426 --> 00:01:49,946
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, it's and you know, really like during the season.

32
00:01:50,026 --> 00:01:51,946
Speaker 2: I know we started talking about during the season, and

33
00:01:52,546 --> 00:01:56,506
Speaker 2: the season is probably the most like normal, lies regimented

34
00:01:56,546 --> 00:01:58,546
Speaker 2: part of the whole year because you kind of know

35
00:01:58,586 --> 00:02:03,186
Speaker 2: what's gonna happen. But when the season ends, that's when

36
00:02:03,226 --> 00:02:06,746
Speaker 2: it gets like crazy crazy and then we have actually

37
00:02:06,826 --> 00:02:10,026
Speaker 2: we do quite a bit after the draft preparing for

38
00:02:10,066 --> 00:02:13,746
Speaker 2: the upcoming year. So but you know, fresh off vacation, Uh,

39
00:02:13,866 --> 00:02:15,626
Speaker 2: you know, got a good little week at home and uh,

40
00:02:15,866 --> 00:02:16,746
Speaker 2: it's a great time. Man.

41
00:02:16,826 --> 00:02:19,146
Speaker 1: I think that's a good segue. So take us through,

42
00:02:19,186 --> 00:02:21,506
Speaker 1: and you are a general manager, what is the schedule

43
00:02:21,586 --> 00:02:25,146
Speaker 1: because I think most people think, all right, draft and

44
00:02:25,186 --> 00:02:27,546
Speaker 1: then kick your feet up and then free agency, you know,

45
00:02:27,706 --> 00:02:29,546
Speaker 1: but it's really year round.

46
00:02:30,306 --> 00:02:32,866
Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is. Man. You know, you have a

47
00:02:32,906 --> 00:02:35,306
Speaker 2: training camp and you go through that and you you

48
00:02:35,346 --> 00:02:39,186
Speaker 2: know a lot of rods reduction stuff. But after training camp,

49
00:02:39,906 --> 00:02:42,466
Speaker 2: you know, I say, the season. Everybody thinks like the

50
00:02:42,506 --> 00:02:44,746
Speaker 2: season is like that's the basest part, because it's the

51
00:02:44,786 --> 00:02:48,986
Speaker 2: football season. But from a GM standpoint, it's actually probably

52
00:02:48,986 --> 00:02:50,946
Speaker 2: the most regiment a part because you pretty much know, okay,

53
00:02:50,986 --> 00:02:52,746
Speaker 2: you got game day. Game day is going to bring

54
00:02:52,786 --> 00:02:55,946
Speaker 2: all your stress and emotions. And but after game day,

55
00:02:56,626 --> 00:03:00,186
Speaker 2: Mondays you're dealing with you know, injuries and medical stuff.

56
00:03:00,186 --> 00:03:04,146
Speaker 2: And then Tuesdays you're dealing with you know, roster management

57
00:03:04,346 --> 00:03:06,826
Speaker 2: and getting all your moves done. And then the week

58
00:03:06,906 --> 00:03:10,626
Speaker 2: starts and actually we actually kind of devote a lot

59
00:03:10,626 --> 00:03:14,346
Speaker 2: of that time for draft prep actually, so because you

60
00:03:14,426 --> 00:03:16,546
Speaker 2: kind of have the time, yeah, and then you kind

61
00:03:16,586 --> 00:03:19,586
Speaker 2: of just operate normally. But then after the season ends,

62
00:03:19,666 --> 00:03:24,026
Speaker 2: and that's when you're like full throttle, like you know,

63
00:03:24,106 --> 00:03:28,146
Speaker 2: you're head straight into you're balancing free agency and draft

64
00:03:28,146 --> 00:03:30,706
Speaker 2: at the same time, and then you're going all the

65
00:03:30,746 --> 00:03:33,226
Speaker 2: way up to free agency, So that's probably the most

66
00:03:33,266 --> 00:03:36,786
Speaker 2: hectic time. It's pre free agency because you're kind of

67
00:03:36,826 --> 00:03:40,546
Speaker 2: doing both. And then once free agency kind of like

68
00:03:40,626 --> 00:03:43,426
Speaker 2: that second or third wave kind of hits, you can

69
00:03:43,466 --> 00:03:47,586
Speaker 2: start downing more so towards straight draft, and then you know,

70
00:03:47,626 --> 00:03:50,746
Speaker 2: it's kind of just full throttle through the draft.

71
00:03:50,546 --> 00:03:52,706
Speaker 1: Because we're heading into the twenty twenty three season and

72
00:03:52,706 --> 00:03:54,426
Speaker 1: we're still just a couple of months removed. I want

73
00:03:54,426 --> 00:03:56,226
Speaker 1: to go back to that first round for you guys

74
00:03:56,226 --> 00:03:57,866
Speaker 1: in the Detroit Lions. We're going to get into your

75
00:03:57,866 --> 00:04:00,866
Speaker 1: story in a second, but I feel like just the

76
00:04:01,346 --> 00:04:04,026
Speaker 1: excitement about the Lions is real, and you've read all

77
00:04:04,066 --> 00:04:06,706
Speaker 1: the headlines. I'm sure you've blocked as many headline you

78
00:04:06,706 --> 00:04:08,546
Speaker 1: can't out about how this is like the hot team

79
00:04:08,546 --> 00:04:11,386
Speaker 1: in the NFC. But the draft, you know, right in

80
00:04:11,426 --> 00:04:14,506
Speaker 1: the days leading up to the draft, I had a

81
00:04:14,506 --> 00:04:16,626
Speaker 1: couple of birdies in my ear man, like I think

82
00:04:16,906 --> 00:04:20,346
Speaker 1: Jamiir Gibbs might go earlier than the mock drafts are saying,

83
00:04:20,346 --> 00:04:23,746
Speaker 1: and another one saying he might go before be Jon Robinson.

84
00:04:24,106 --> 00:04:28,226
Speaker 1: Sure enough, you guys, you get him early top fifteen,

85
00:04:28,386 --> 00:04:30,306
Speaker 1: and everyone around like, oh, I want a shot, But

86
00:04:30,386 --> 00:04:32,426
Speaker 1: like people that I was taught to say, that's not

87
00:04:32,466 --> 00:04:36,186
Speaker 1: such a shock. That's about where he was slated. When

88
00:04:36,186 --> 00:04:38,066
Speaker 1: did you fall in love with Jamir Gives and what

89
00:04:38,146 --> 00:04:39,106
Speaker 1: did you love about him?

90
00:04:39,346 --> 00:04:41,666
Speaker 2: Man, it's funny that she said you heard that about

91
00:04:41,746 --> 00:04:45,106
Speaker 2: him going that early, because I was sitting here thinking, uh,

92
00:04:45,946 --> 00:04:49,746
Speaker 2: I was like, nobody's going to do this. And then

93
00:04:50,666 --> 00:04:52,466
Speaker 2: and then after we picked them, and I heard all

94
00:04:52,466 --> 00:04:53,706
Speaker 2: these other gentlemen.

95
00:04:53,386 --> 00:04:54,906
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, that's what we wanted.

96
00:04:54,946 --> 00:04:58,626
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, right, I'm glad you picked them. He wasn't

97
00:04:58,666 --> 00:05:02,266
Speaker 2: gonna make it, But no, I first fell in love

98
00:05:02,306 --> 00:05:05,146
Speaker 2: with them. Obviously. I didn't know about him that much,

99
00:05:05,266 --> 00:05:08,226
Speaker 2: like its at Georgia Tech year before. So I went

100
00:05:08,306 --> 00:05:11,586
Speaker 2: to Texas Alabama game earlier in the year and I

101
00:05:11,666 --> 00:05:13,626
Speaker 2: kind of got tipped off about him, like right before

102
00:05:13,626 --> 00:05:15,266
Speaker 2: the start of the game. Man, I was like okay,

103
00:05:15,266 --> 00:05:17,626
Speaker 2: and I saw his body type and like this I

104
00:05:17,826 --> 00:05:19,426
Speaker 2: was intriguing. And then I kind of saw what he

105
00:05:19,506 --> 00:05:22,786
Speaker 2: was doing in both phases. Yeah, I mean he can

106
00:05:22,866 --> 00:05:24,746
Speaker 2: run it, but what he was doing as a receiver

107
00:05:24,946 --> 00:05:28,546
Speaker 2: and the explosiveness and everything about him, And we just

108
00:05:28,666 --> 00:05:30,746
Speaker 2: kept doing work on him and like I said, kind

109
00:05:30,786 --> 00:05:33,666
Speaker 2: of do some draft prep during the season and kept

110
00:05:33,666 --> 00:05:36,426
Speaker 2: doing work on him, and that was just kind of

111
00:05:36,466 --> 00:05:39,346
Speaker 2: it for me. I was like, this guy's uh and

112
00:05:39,706 --> 00:05:42,986
Speaker 2: he's he's a weapon. He's a weapon. And you know,

113
00:05:43,066 --> 00:05:46,706
Speaker 2: we talked about all the running backs going in the

114
00:05:46,746 --> 00:05:50,506
Speaker 2: first round and all that kind of stuff. You know,

115
00:05:50,786 --> 00:05:55,026
Speaker 2: I always say like, if he's a weapon, then forget

116
00:05:55,066 --> 00:06:00,826
Speaker 2: the RBS, Like that's how that's that's what he is. Like,

117
00:06:00,906 --> 00:06:04,346
Speaker 2: that's like he we thought he was a multi phase,

118
00:06:04,586 --> 00:06:09,186
Speaker 2: elite explosive, positionless weapon, and you know he was a

119
00:06:09,226 --> 00:06:12,346
Speaker 2: special player. You know, you have you have to combine

120
00:06:12,346 --> 00:06:15,546
Speaker 2: to confirm some things, you know, but he ran what

121
00:06:15,626 --> 00:06:17,786
Speaker 2: I thought he was gonna run. And you know, all

122
00:06:17,826 --> 00:06:21,346
Speaker 2: the testing and his workouts and we're just really excited

123
00:06:21,386 --> 00:06:23,866
Speaker 2: about him. I think you're gonna he's gonna bring another

124
00:06:23,906 --> 00:06:26,466
Speaker 2: dimension to our offense. That's as good as we were

125
00:06:26,506 --> 00:06:29,786
Speaker 2: offensively last year. You know, I think something even better

126
00:06:29,826 --> 00:06:32,706
Speaker 2: this year. But bottom line this is you just got

127
00:06:32,706 --> 00:06:36,106
Speaker 2: to get the guys that you want. And I kind

128
00:06:36,106 --> 00:06:40,106
Speaker 2: of look at especially this past draft. You know, everybody

129
00:06:40,146 --> 00:06:41,746
Speaker 2: was saying like this is a different draft, is a

130
00:06:41,786 --> 00:06:44,626
Speaker 2: different draft. Well, let's call it what it is. It

131
00:06:44,706 --> 00:06:47,466
Speaker 2: just wasn't as strong of a draft as it normally

132
00:06:47,466 --> 00:06:47,746
Speaker 2: has been.

133
00:06:47,906 --> 00:06:53,506
Speaker 1: And by that you mean blue chip guys top twenty yeah, yeah.

134
00:06:52,826 --> 00:06:56,026
Speaker 2: Yeah, Like you know, in a normal year you had

135
00:06:56,106 --> 00:06:59,506
Speaker 2: like true first round talent players, you might have about

136
00:06:59,506 --> 00:07:03,426
Speaker 2: seventeen or eighteen guys. I really haven't seen any higher

137
00:07:03,466 --> 00:07:06,146
Speaker 2: than twenty in all the years that I've been doing it.

138
00:07:07,226 --> 00:07:11,746
Speaker 2: This is we ended up with fourteen guys, and that

139
00:07:11,906 --> 00:07:13,986
Speaker 2: was at the very end. It was less than that

140
00:07:14,226 --> 00:07:16,226
Speaker 2: at one point, Like at one point we had like

141
00:07:16,346 --> 00:07:19,466
Speaker 2: nine or ten, but Jamiro was always one of those guys.

142
00:07:19,506 --> 00:07:22,346
Speaker 2: So I just looked at it as like, damn, look,

143
00:07:23,026 --> 00:07:24,906
Speaker 2: let's just get the who the hell we want and

144
00:07:25,266 --> 00:07:27,466
Speaker 2: let's get the hell out of there and let's see

145
00:07:27,466 --> 00:07:29,786
Speaker 2: you know, like like like one of my favorite movies

146
00:07:29,906 --> 00:07:34,106
Speaker 2: is Training Yeah, like me and my dad someone me

147
00:07:34,146 --> 00:07:36,426
Speaker 2: and my dad's favorite movie. And uh, there was a

148
00:07:36,466 --> 00:07:41,786
Speaker 2: scene in Training Day where have yeah, so like it

149
00:07:41,906 --> 00:07:44,106
Speaker 2: was one of the scenes where you know, he goes

150
00:07:44,146 --> 00:07:47,426
Speaker 2: into this you know, the rough area, and he goes

151
00:07:47,466 --> 00:07:49,226
Speaker 2: to his lady's house and takes his money and then

152
00:07:49,266 --> 00:07:52,226
Speaker 2: he goes out and him and even Hawker trying to

153
00:07:52,266 --> 00:07:54,346
Speaker 2: get out of the neighborhood and the girl comes out

154
00:07:54,346 --> 00:07:56,386
Speaker 2: there and rats him out and says, hey, this guy

155
00:07:56,426 --> 00:07:59,146
Speaker 2: just took our money. And then Ze just send his

156
00:07:59,226 --> 00:08:01,746
Speaker 2: shootout and he's just shooting out, trying to get out

157
00:08:01,746 --> 00:08:04,866
Speaker 2: of the neighborhood, and he's basically shooting his way out

158
00:08:04,866 --> 00:08:07,866
Speaker 2: of there. And I was like that rafts kind.

159
00:08:07,666 --> 00:08:08,666
Speaker 1: Of get me out of.

160
00:08:10,386 --> 00:08:12,866
Speaker 2: Get get who we want, and just shoot our way

161
00:08:12,906 --> 00:08:15,506
Speaker 2: out of here and get on out of there. And uh,

162
00:08:15,666 --> 00:08:17,586
Speaker 2: we were just ecstatic about how the whole thing went.

163
00:08:17,826 --> 00:08:21,266
Speaker 1: Would you say that you and Dan Campbell are Jay

164
00:08:21,346 --> 00:08:25,026
Speaker 1: Quoy and Alonso Harris in that film? Would you put.

165
00:08:29,226 --> 00:08:31,666
Speaker 2: You know? I don't, I don't want to have that,

166
00:08:33,266 --> 00:08:36,986
Speaker 2: but I will say we we work as a pair

167
00:08:37,266 --> 00:08:41,706
Speaker 2: very very well. We partner very very well. You know again,

168
00:08:41,786 --> 00:08:44,346
Speaker 2: I know a lot of people know now that we

169
00:08:44,426 --> 00:08:47,906
Speaker 2: didn't really know each other that much before we got hired.

170
00:08:47,986 --> 00:08:52,786
Speaker 2: But always give so much credit to Sheila and Rod

171
00:08:52,786 --> 00:08:56,426
Speaker 2: Wood and Chris Bilman and Mike Disne and everybody was

172
00:08:56,466 --> 00:08:59,826
Speaker 2: involved in that interview process of that. I guess that

173
00:08:59,906 --> 00:09:02,586
Speaker 2: they just knew that, you know, we would pair so

174
00:09:02,586 --> 00:09:05,546
Speaker 2: so well. And he's a joy to work with and

175
00:09:05,626 --> 00:09:06,626
Speaker 2: he's a hell of a coach.

176
00:09:06,786 --> 00:09:09,306
Speaker 1: He's cool and he's got a great personality, and those

177
00:09:09,346 --> 00:09:11,986
Speaker 1: players really rallied around him, especially in the second half

178
00:09:12,026 --> 00:09:14,226
Speaker 1: of the season. You look at that running backs room,

179
00:09:14,226 --> 00:09:17,546
Speaker 1: obviously it's it's Gibbs and now it's Montgomery. Last year

180
00:09:17,586 --> 00:09:20,546
Speaker 1: you had something fun with Williams and Swift. You know,

181
00:09:20,866 --> 00:09:23,306
Speaker 1: everyone might say the value of the positions devalued and

182
00:09:23,386 --> 00:09:25,186
Speaker 1: whatever you want to say about it. That's a pretty

183
00:09:25,186 --> 00:09:27,346
Speaker 1: big change for the running backs room. Considering you guys

184
00:09:27,386 --> 00:09:28,706
Speaker 1: were so red hot at the end of the season.

185
00:09:28,986 --> 00:09:30,506
Speaker 1: You feel good about where you guys are at with

186
00:09:30,506 --> 00:09:31,266
Speaker 1: that position group.

187
00:09:31,746 --> 00:09:35,706
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean overall, when you look at it just systematically,

188
00:09:35,786 --> 00:09:38,786
Speaker 2: I do think that we'll be better offensively. And that's

189
00:09:38,826 --> 00:09:41,666
Speaker 2: no knock on the contributions that that those other two

190
00:09:41,666 --> 00:09:45,546
Speaker 2: guys gave us, because Swift is a dynamic player and Jamal,

191
00:09:46,066 --> 00:09:49,106
Speaker 2: you know, he was a great leader for us and

192
00:09:49,266 --> 00:09:51,546
Speaker 2: he did he did so much for us. He had

193
00:09:51,546 --> 00:09:55,426
Speaker 2: a great season, awesome touchdowns. You know. Yeah, I mean,

194
00:09:55,506 --> 00:09:59,306
Speaker 2: but what we do think that Montgomery, You know, I

195
00:09:59,386 --> 00:10:02,586
Speaker 2: think we make Montgomery and Jamal are different backs. You know,

196
00:10:03,146 --> 00:10:06,026
Speaker 2: Montgomery does a little bit more in the passing game, uh,

197
00:10:06,146 --> 00:10:10,226
Speaker 2: and you know, adding being able to add Gibbs. You know,

198
00:10:11,426 --> 00:10:14,426
Speaker 2: I think he just he's so dynamic as a receiver.

199
00:10:14,746 --> 00:10:17,106
Speaker 2: And look, he's a home run hitter as a running back.

200
00:10:17,186 --> 00:10:20,026
Speaker 2: I mean that's the easy part. But what he does

201
00:10:20,066 --> 00:10:23,506
Speaker 2: as a receiver, I mean he runs routes like I

202
00:10:23,506 --> 00:10:25,226
Speaker 2: mean like a receiver. Is that right?

203
00:10:25,266 --> 00:10:28,226
Speaker 1: Because I you know, you get all this Alabama talent

204
00:10:28,346 --> 00:10:30,546
Speaker 1: and then here's another one and it's like, no, this

205
00:10:30,586 --> 00:10:33,666
Speaker 1: one's special and has his own skill set that maybe

206
00:10:33,746 --> 00:10:35,546
Speaker 1: because he's only there one year, didn't get the same

207
00:10:35,626 --> 00:10:36,786
Speaker 1: hype as the other guys.

208
00:10:37,386 --> 00:10:40,026
Speaker 2: Yeah, he was just different. He was just different. And

209
00:10:40,546 --> 00:10:42,426
Speaker 2: you know, going through that process, I was like, man,

210
00:10:42,986 --> 00:10:46,066
Speaker 2: how many guys have I seen that was like equally

211
00:10:46,106 --> 00:10:48,466
Speaker 2: as effective? You know, Like when I first got with

212
00:10:48,506 --> 00:10:51,426
Speaker 2: the Rams in two thousand and three, Marshall Fulk was

213
00:10:51,466 --> 00:10:54,546
Speaker 2: still there and I was a huge Marshall Faulk guy

214
00:10:54,826 --> 00:10:57,386
Speaker 2: just coming in and so just kind of seeing what

215
00:10:57,426 --> 00:11:00,386
Speaker 2: he does in both phases, and then just from a

216
00:11:00,426 --> 00:11:03,866
Speaker 2: scouting standpoint, when Christian McCaffrey came out, he was like

217
00:11:03,906 --> 00:11:06,186
Speaker 2: the last guy. I was like, Holy cow, like this

218
00:11:06,226 --> 00:11:09,866
Speaker 2: guy I can run routes like a slot receiver but

219
00:11:10,706 --> 00:11:14,386
Speaker 2: also run it and so you start getting reminders of

220
00:11:14,626 --> 00:11:17,066
Speaker 2: you know, some of those players. I'm not sitting here

221
00:11:17,506 --> 00:11:21,186
Speaker 2: those players, but you know, just a special weapon like that,

222
00:11:21,506 --> 00:11:24,586
Speaker 2: just you know, we have a lot of excitement otism.

223
00:11:24,706 --> 00:11:27,426
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think the offensive coordinator story is pretty

224
00:11:27,466 --> 00:11:30,626
Speaker 1: cool too. Had opportunities to interview for other head coaching

225
00:11:30,746 --> 00:11:32,466
Speaker 1: jobs and kind of withdrew his name and said, I'm

226
00:11:32,466 --> 00:11:35,266
Speaker 1: good here in Detroit with this group. Take us through

227
00:11:35,266 --> 00:11:37,346
Speaker 1: that decision from Ben Johnson and what that meant in

228
00:11:37,386 --> 00:11:39,746
Speaker 1: the organization as a whole man.

229
00:11:39,826 --> 00:11:41,706
Speaker 2: That was huge, And you know, look at the end

230
00:11:41,706 --> 00:11:44,466
Speaker 2: of the day, Look, it's it's hard to keep the

231
00:11:44,466 --> 00:11:47,746
Speaker 2: good ones, you know, I mean, eventually the cat gets

232
00:11:47,746 --> 00:11:51,026
Speaker 2: out the bag and you know there's there's just no hiding.

233
00:11:51,506 --> 00:11:55,306
Speaker 2: But you know then, you know, you saw it right

234
00:11:55,346 --> 00:11:57,186
Speaker 2: out the gate. You know, even when he was a

235
00:11:57,226 --> 00:12:00,106
Speaker 2: tight ends coach, and you know obviously Dan, you know,

236
00:12:00,226 --> 00:12:04,146
Speaker 2: had had prior experience with him, but you know, when

237
00:12:04,306 --> 00:12:07,666
Speaker 2: things got rough in that twenty one season and we

238
00:12:07,706 --> 00:12:10,666
Speaker 2: had to make that change from Anthony Lynn and you know,

239
00:12:10,866 --> 00:12:15,866
Speaker 2: Ben basically became the passing game coordinator basically, but Dan

240
00:12:16,146 --> 00:12:20,506
Speaker 2: was called in plays and Dan's plays before and and

241
00:12:20,746 --> 00:12:22,746
Speaker 2: Dan was just doing a great job and just having

242
00:12:22,746 --> 00:12:26,146
Speaker 2: fun with but Ben just added this other element was

243
00:12:26,266 --> 00:12:33,786
Speaker 2: just like, Wow, this dude's crazy. But you know that

244
00:12:33,906 --> 00:12:36,146
Speaker 2: that's another component of when I when you asked you

245
00:12:36,146 --> 00:12:38,746
Speaker 2: the question about the running backs about and I said,

246
00:12:38,826 --> 00:12:41,266
Speaker 2: I think will be better offensively this year as good

247
00:12:41,306 --> 00:12:43,906
Speaker 2: as the world last year. It is just that you know,

248
00:12:44,066 --> 00:12:47,026
Speaker 2: Ben going into his second year as THEOC, like I

249
00:12:47,066 --> 00:12:50,186
Speaker 2: think last year he showed everybody like I can do this,

250
00:12:50,466 --> 00:12:54,946
Speaker 2: like I'm legit, but going you know, having the experience

251
00:12:55,026 --> 00:12:58,826
Speaker 2: under his belt going into year two, having shared with

252
00:12:58,946 --> 00:13:01,146
Speaker 2: him going in year two, and then all the other

253
00:13:01,186 --> 00:13:04,186
Speaker 2: components that we had been creating in the draft. That's

254
00:13:04,186 --> 00:13:06,306
Speaker 2: why I feel better about William to be better.

255
00:13:06,866 --> 00:13:08,826
Speaker 1: Real quick, a couple more things Lions related, then we're

256
00:13:08,826 --> 00:13:11,306
Speaker 1: going to get more into your story. The Jack Campbell

257
00:13:11,346 --> 00:13:14,626
Speaker 1: picked that was one where if Gibbs was like okay Campbell,

258
00:13:15,106 --> 00:13:16,946
Speaker 1: that left people slack jawed and just being like, wait,

259
00:13:16,986 --> 00:13:20,866
Speaker 1: what not not a first round mock draft guy, whatsoever?

260
00:13:20,946 --> 00:13:23,346
Speaker 1: And yet I saw Jack Campbell, I turned to my

261
00:13:23,426 --> 00:13:25,426
Speaker 1: co host on nfn R like, well, that's Chris Spielman

262
00:13:25,506 --> 00:13:28,586
Speaker 1: just walking through the door again. That's what I who

263
00:13:28,586 --> 00:13:31,026
Speaker 1: of course works in your organization and has a great role.

264
00:13:31,066 --> 00:13:36,346
Speaker 1: But a linebacker another position not considered necessarily the same

265
00:13:36,386 --> 00:13:39,066
Speaker 1: as pass rusher, offensive tackle or quarterback in this league.

266
00:13:39,066 --> 00:13:40,906
Speaker 1: And you guys, you liked them, you took them, and

267
00:13:41,026 --> 00:13:41,626
Speaker 1: away we go.

268
00:13:42,306 --> 00:13:45,946
Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, you know, I think with these I

269
00:13:45,986 --> 00:13:51,106
Speaker 2: think sometimes it's almost like the draft's not that easy,

270
00:13:51,466 --> 00:13:55,626
Speaker 2: Like the draft is not Oh, you take these positions

271
00:13:55,986 --> 00:13:59,466
Speaker 2: and these players have played these positions, put them up

272
00:13:59,506 --> 00:14:03,146
Speaker 2: top because they got stats and they've been on the internet,

273
00:14:03,226 --> 00:14:05,026
Speaker 2: and put them up top. And then these players have

274
00:14:05,066 --> 00:14:08,026
Speaker 2: played these positions, put them at the bottom, and that's it.

275
00:14:08,266 --> 00:14:10,066
Speaker 2: And just working for a couple of months.

276
00:14:10,066 --> 00:14:14,866
Speaker 1: And Daniel Jeremiah says, Kiper says, take him there.

277
00:14:15,946 --> 00:14:18,666
Speaker 2: Like, come on, I give it a little bit more credit.

278
00:14:18,746 --> 00:14:21,666
Speaker 2: The drafts not that easy, and and he's going to

279
00:14:21,666 --> 00:14:24,506
Speaker 2: look me talking about building a defense, and me and

280
00:14:24,546 --> 00:14:27,506
Speaker 2: Aaron went to have very similar philosophies in terms of

281
00:14:27,586 --> 00:14:30,346
Speaker 2: like what does it take to really elevate you? And

282
00:14:30,426 --> 00:14:32,666
Speaker 2: you ever to have guys up front, you better have

283
00:14:32,706 --> 00:14:37,586
Speaker 2: guys that can cover, so you know, often the inside

284
00:14:37,626 --> 00:14:40,346
Speaker 2: linebacker or the off fall linebacker, like we took Malcolm

285
00:14:40,386 --> 00:14:43,906
Speaker 2: Rodriguez year before sixth round, and he had a great year.

286
00:14:44,306 --> 00:14:46,746
Speaker 2: You know he's gonna be He's going to be something

287
00:14:46,786 --> 00:14:49,186
Speaker 2: that's going to be contributed for us going forward. But

288
00:14:50,026 --> 00:14:51,466
Speaker 2: it was just that you got to look at the

289
00:14:51,586 --> 00:14:56,026
Speaker 2: player like, not not the position. We don't draft positions,

290
00:14:56,026 --> 00:14:58,546
Speaker 2: we draft players. And so when you looked at the

291
00:14:58,626 --> 00:15:01,946
Speaker 2: player of Jack Campbell and we saw it as like, no,

292
00:15:01,946 --> 00:15:05,706
Speaker 2: we're not drafting this linebacker. We actually went into after

293
00:15:05,746 --> 00:15:09,146
Speaker 2: we signed three, signed Alex Angeloni, and we feel really

294
00:15:09,186 --> 00:15:13,266
Speaker 2: good about, you know, the direction that Derek Barnes and

295
00:15:13,426 --> 00:15:17,386
Speaker 2: knocking Rod Driguez was heading. It's not like inside linebackers

296
00:15:17,466 --> 00:15:21,746
Speaker 2: like oh, you better get like it's not just like no,

297
00:15:21,826 --> 00:15:25,106
Speaker 2: but Jack Campbell was just a hell of a football player.

298
00:15:25,306 --> 00:15:27,786
Speaker 2: And I just think that like we're looking at it

299
00:15:27,826 --> 00:15:30,986
Speaker 2: as he's going to be an anchor in our defense,

300
00:15:31,346 --> 00:15:34,866
Speaker 2: not we're drafting an inside linebacker, Like no, we're just

301
00:15:34,946 --> 00:15:37,826
Speaker 2: taking an anchor that our defense. And we tell about guys,

302
00:15:37,906 --> 00:15:40,666
Speaker 2: we look at free agency, you look at inside linebackers.

303
00:15:41,186 --> 00:15:44,026
Speaker 2: You know, you might have this whole list, But then

304
00:15:44,026 --> 00:15:45,866
Speaker 2: when you're looking at guys I can actually wear that

305
00:15:45,906 --> 00:15:50,666
Speaker 2: green dot and really run the show. That list shrinks

306
00:15:50,746 --> 00:15:53,426
Speaker 2: down like this, like it goes from this and it

307
00:15:53,506 --> 00:15:55,586
Speaker 2: goes to this. And so then when you have a

308
00:15:55,586 --> 00:16:00,506
Speaker 2: guy like Jack Campbell that's six five, two fifty, that's

309
00:16:00,666 --> 00:16:05,466
Speaker 2: extremely instinctive. He's he's heavy in the run game, he's

310
00:16:05,546 --> 00:16:09,066
Speaker 2: extremely smart, and I just love how the kid is wired.

311
00:16:09,226 --> 00:16:12,026
Speaker 2: I mean, he's wired to fake what we're all about.

312
00:16:12,386 --> 00:16:15,866
Speaker 2: We're all about grit, doing it the right way, like

313
00:16:16,106 --> 00:16:18,866
Speaker 2: the truly earning it. And this guy just loves football.

314
00:16:18,906 --> 00:16:24,266
Speaker 2: He's he he's all business. And so it's about the player.

315
00:16:24,506 --> 00:16:28,146
Speaker 2: It's not about not about oh it's gone place. It's

316
00:16:28,186 --> 00:16:31,146
Speaker 2: notline it's got a place running back, No, like go

317
00:16:31,186 --> 00:16:33,986
Speaker 2: to Jamiri Gibbs's like, oh it got No, he's a weapon.

318
00:16:33,986 --> 00:16:37,586
Speaker 2: But Jamira Gibbs is really smart. It's not like you know,

319
00:16:37,626 --> 00:16:39,546
Speaker 2: oh yeah, he can align all these different places. You

320
00:16:39,626 --> 00:16:42,226
Speaker 2: got to be smart to lining all these different places.

321
00:16:42,546 --> 00:16:44,426
Speaker 2: You don't just align all these different places, No, Like

322
00:16:44,466 --> 00:16:45,986
Speaker 2: you got to be really smart. You got to be

323
00:16:46,066 --> 00:16:50,986
Speaker 2: really heady and instinctive. And so I thought Jack Campbell,

324
00:16:51,226 --> 00:16:53,106
Speaker 2: you know, had all the trades that we look for

325
00:16:53,146 --> 00:16:55,546
Speaker 2: in a football player. And so that's how we felt

326
00:16:55,586 --> 00:16:57,946
Speaker 2: really good about it. Again going back to what I

327
00:16:57,986 --> 00:17:00,946
Speaker 2: was saying about in one but a certain amount of

328
00:17:00,986 --> 00:17:04,706
Speaker 2: players that we had in that first round bucket, and

329
00:17:04,746 --> 00:17:06,986
Speaker 2: he was one of them. And but I say it

330
00:17:06,986 --> 00:17:10,226
Speaker 2: was only fourteen guys. Jack Campbell wasn't fourteen, you know

331
00:17:10,266 --> 00:17:13,466
Speaker 2: what I mean? So like it's that's that's why I

332
00:17:13,586 --> 00:17:15,026
Speaker 2: just it was it was easy.

333
00:17:15,066 --> 00:17:17,306
Speaker 1: I love it. You guys have your board, you have

334
00:17:17,386 --> 00:17:19,906
Speaker 1: your guys, and hey, if we can get this guy

335
00:17:19,946 --> 00:17:22,186
Speaker 1: at eighteen, and he was a top fourteen player of

336
00:17:22,186 --> 00:17:24,186
Speaker 1: ours and may even higher top ten, we're taking them.

337
00:17:24,306 --> 00:17:29,306
Speaker 2: Yeah, mock drafts be damned. Yeah, that's kind of what

338
00:17:29,466 --> 00:17:32,906
Speaker 2: that's that's our stance. We're just we do a lot

339
00:17:32,946 --> 00:17:35,986
Speaker 2: of work. We're very thorough, and I know I think

340
00:17:36,066 --> 00:17:38,346
Speaker 2: every team is going to say that, but we just

341
00:17:38,386 --> 00:17:42,226
Speaker 2: have a lot of conviction in our process in what

342
00:17:42,266 --> 00:17:45,506
Speaker 2: we believe, and we just stick by it. And that

343
00:17:45,346 --> 00:17:46,226
Speaker 2: that's what we did.

344
00:17:46,466 --> 00:17:48,706
Speaker 1: I love it. And last year not only had Hutchinson

345
00:17:48,746 --> 00:17:51,306
Speaker 1: step up, but you had so many rookies playing big roles,

346
00:17:51,386 --> 00:17:53,586
Speaker 1: especially on that defense, that it's hard not to say, Okay,

347
00:17:53,626 --> 00:17:55,066
Speaker 1: let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's see

348
00:17:55,066 --> 00:17:57,546
Speaker 1: before everyone starts giving them. You know b's and c's

349
00:17:57,546 --> 00:17:59,706
Speaker 1: on their draft grades based on what the mont Draft said.

350
00:18:00,786 --> 00:18:04,226
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I mean that's always say like it's such

351
00:18:04,266 --> 00:18:08,426
Speaker 2: a psychological component of like the mock drafts and look

352
00:18:08,786 --> 00:18:12,466
Speaker 2: it's no, I'm not looking at it. Look I know you, like, I.

353
00:18:12,386 --> 00:18:14,226
Speaker 1: Know you do much, yes, but take a lot of

354
00:18:14,226 --> 00:18:14,586
Speaker 1: pride in it.

355
00:18:14,666 --> 00:18:18,506
Speaker 2: But like, but I'll say this, I mean, stray you

356
00:18:18,506 --> 00:18:23,066
Speaker 2: you do football every seample day, Like that's what you

357
00:18:23,146 --> 00:18:25,026
Speaker 2: do all the time. You know a lot of people

358
00:18:25,106 --> 00:18:28,226
Speaker 2: you I mean, like, I like, I look at like

359
00:18:28,306 --> 00:18:29,906
Speaker 2: So I'm not gonna say like I don't look at

360
00:18:29,946 --> 00:18:32,946
Speaker 2: mock drafts. Yeah I look at him because people talking,

361
00:18:33,226 --> 00:18:36,386
Speaker 2: people do the research and all that. But you can't.

362
00:18:36,466 --> 00:18:38,906
Speaker 2: You just still have to have ultimate belief and openate

363
00:18:38,986 --> 00:18:43,306
Speaker 2: conviction in your own process. But but no, there's plenty

364
00:18:43,346 --> 00:18:45,786
Speaker 2: of guys that are doing that. I respect, And I'm like, man,

365
00:18:45,786 --> 00:18:50,066
Speaker 2: I know this guy knows people. You know, he's done

366
00:18:50,106 --> 00:18:52,186
Speaker 2: a lot of work, you know, and I think he

367
00:18:52,266 --> 00:18:54,946
Speaker 2: puts a lot of pride. But when it doesn't go

368
00:18:55,266 --> 00:19:01,026
Speaker 2: down the way you projected it, your your brain doesn't

369
00:19:01,066 --> 00:19:03,266
Speaker 2: really like that. And it's kind of want to right,

370
00:19:05,226 --> 00:19:08,386
Speaker 2: everybody wants to be right, and so then now you're mad,

371
00:19:08,546 --> 00:19:11,826
Speaker 2: and now you're like, damn it, no one said he

372
00:19:11,946 --> 00:19:14,026
Speaker 2: was gonna go that high. And then now you got

373
00:19:14,026 --> 00:19:16,586
Speaker 2: to sign a grade while you're still mad. So now

374
00:19:16,586 --> 00:19:18,626
Speaker 2: I was like, oh, no one said you're gonna go there. No,

375
00:19:18,706 --> 00:19:20,266
Speaker 2: And I'm just like and I was like, at the

376
00:19:20,346 --> 00:19:20,946
Speaker 2: end of the day.

377
00:19:20,786 --> 00:19:26,146
Speaker 1: I'm like, march, you know, because really the.

378
00:19:26,026 --> 00:19:28,546
Speaker 2: Only ranks that really matter is the thirty one other

379
00:19:28,626 --> 00:19:31,786
Speaker 2: general finishers and uh and and those are the rankings

380
00:19:31,786 --> 00:19:35,826
Speaker 2: that nobody has. And that's what makes the draft so fun.

381
00:19:36,026 --> 00:19:38,706
Speaker 2: And so when when when when I see people get

382
00:19:38,786 --> 00:19:41,946
Speaker 2: mad about uh, it didn't go the way, I'm like, look,

383
00:19:41,946 --> 00:19:45,186
Speaker 2: you should embrace the excitement of that, Like that's that's

384
00:19:45,186 --> 00:19:47,306
Speaker 2: the part. You don't know how it's gonna fall. And

385
00:19:47,346 --> 00:19:49,506
Speaker 2: you see a name that goes out and be like, whoa,

386
00:19:49,506 --> 00:19:51,746
Speaker 2: I didn't know that. It's like embracing it.

387
00:19:51,946 --> 00:19:55,306
Speaker 1: Is ultimate, the ultimate reality show. It's more than the

388
00:19:55,346 --> 00:19:58,066
Speaker 1: season even because it's so rapid fire. And I say

389
00:19:58,106 --> 00:20:01,346
Speaker 1: it before the draft, I beg my colleagues on Twitter

390
00:20:01,466 --> 00:20:04,506
Speaker 1: on ESPN, I don't tip the picks. It is such

391
00:20:04,506 --> 00:20:07,586
Speaker 1: a fun experience as a viewer. If you don't and

392
00:20:07,786 --> 00:20:09,946
Speaker 1: you guys in the war rooms and then trying to

393
00:20:09,986 --> 00:20:13,906
Speaker 1: manipulate the chessboard. It's it's war games and it's fun

394
00:20:13,946 --> 00:20:16,066
Speaker 1: to watch from outside, but I'm sure it's stressful as

395
00:20:16,066 --> 00:20:18,866
Speaker 1: hell in your chair, but it is.

396
00:20:18,906 --> 00:20:21,306
Speaker 2: You're right, it's fun. And and what I was I

397
00:20:21,426 --> 00:20:22,906
Speaker 2: was selling a lot of people out in the draft,

398
00:20:22,986 --> 00:20:26,746
Speaker 2: you know, I was like, Okay, this was the draft,

399
00:20:26,906 --> 00:20:29,266
Speaker 2: this was the draft season. This was you know, the

400
00:20:29,306 --> 00:20:32,426
Speaker 2: build up, and then when it's over, then it's over.

401
00:20:32,626 --> 00:20:36,026
Speaker 2: And then now now the ota start and guys start

402
00:20:36,106 --> 00:20:38,626
Speaker 2: get on the field, and now that's the thing. And

403
00:20:38,666 --> 00:20:41,306
Speaker 2: then now training camp is about to start, so that'll

404
00:20:41,346 --> 00:20:44,306
Speaker 2: be a thing. So it's like it goes in phases

405
00:20:44,386 --> 00:20:47,066
Speaker 2: where it's just like I was telling you about the movie,

406
00:20:47,386 --> 00:20:50,266
Speaker 2: you know, with Ethan Hawkins Denzel A. Wasshington. It's like

407
00:20:50,786 --> 00:20:53,946
Speaker 2: you do the shootout and the back windows shot out,

408
00:20:54,026 --> 00:20:56,026
Speaker 2: and you know, the cars kind of shot up a

409
00:20:56,066 --> 00:21:01,146
Speaker 2: little bit, but they got out. You gotta so you

410
00:21:01,226 --> 00:21:04,586
Speaker 2: gotta take the you know, the the D's and ALFs

411
00:21:04,666 --> 00:21:07,586
Speaker 2: of the mock Drafters and all that. Okay, all right,

412
00:21:08,386 --> 00:21:10,226
Speaker 2: you know it'll be it'll be back from home.

413
00:21:17,706 --> 00:21:20,586
Speaker 1: I love your story. I think it's a story of perseverance,

414
00:21:20,666 --> 00:21:24,426
Speaker 1: but also you've had a great career. Can can we

415
00:21:24,466 --> 00:21:27,506
Speaker 1: go back to your high school days. You're a star

416
00:21:27,626 --> 00:21:30,226
Speaker 1: player in Tampa, Florida. You were I want to say,

417
00:21:30,266 --> 00:21:33,946
Speaker 1: Homecoming King, Is that true? I did my research. Homecoming King,

418
00:21:34,626 --> 00:21:37,706
Speaker 1: captain of the football team. You go to North Carolina

419
00:21:37,746 --> 00:21:42,386
Speaker 1: A and T, and you're having a great freshman sophomore

420
00:21:42,426 --> 00:21:45,826
Speaker 1: here and then a major life moment occurred. I'm going

421
00:21:45,906 --> 00:21:48,186
Speaker 1: to say something and then you take us back and

422
00:21:48,226 --> 00:21:50,546
Speaker 1: explain what happened. But I'm just gonna say the Music

423
00:21:50,586 --> 00:21:53,546
Speaker 1: City Miracle game and then take us backwards and lead

424
00:21:53,626 --> 00:21:55,506
Speaker 1: up to what that game means in your life.

425
00:21:57,106 --> 00:22:03,546
Speaker 2: Oh man, So yeah, you know, I'm at home visiting,

426
00:22:03,786 --> 00:22:08,786
Speaker 2: you know, my my parents, Ampa, and you know, have

427
00:22:08,866 --> 00:22:13,786
Speaker 2: a you know, near fatal car accident, just get get sidelined,

428
00:22:13,866 --> 00:22:16,946
Speaker 2: and you know, I mean, I mean, I see you

429
00:22:17,026 --> 00:22:20,146
Speaker 2: for a week and it was it was I mean,

430
00:22:20,186 --> 00:22:23,586
Speaker 2: I'm just I'm I'm very blessed and lucky to pull

431
00:22:23,706 --> 00:22:26,866
Speaker 2: through that. But yeah, I was. I was in I

432
00:22:27,026 --> 00:22:30,266
Speaker 2: see you in Saint Joseph Hospital in Tampa, Florida, watching

433
00:22:30,266 --> 00:22:33,626
Speaker 2: the Music City Miracle and I never forget I was.

434
00:22:33,666 --> 00:22:35,826
Speaker 2: And then when I got released from the hospital, watching

435
00:22:35,866 --> 00:22:39,426
Speaker 2: the ninety nine Rams, you know, uh go their Super

436
00:22:39,466 --> 00:22:42,746
Speaker 2: Bowl when they played the Bucks, you know, and then

437
00:22:42,826 --> 00:22:46,266
Speaker 2: NSC Championship game, and uh it was. I mean I

438
00:22:46,306 --> 00:22:49,226
Speaker 2: was watching that just just kind of couch written when

439
00:22:49,226 --> 00:22:54,986
Speaker 2: I got released. But those moments kind of really resonate

440
00:22:55,066 --> 00:22:57,946
Speaker 2: with me because you don't you don't take anything for

441
00:22:57,946 --> 00:23:01,426
Speaker 2: for for granted. And you know what what that taught

442
00:23:01,466 --> 00:23:04,506
Speaker 2: me is that, you know, look, if you have something

443
00:23:04,546 --> 00:23:08,426
Speaker 2: that you believe, oh believe it, and don't let anybody

444
00:23:08,506 --> 00:23:11,466
Speaker 2: take your dreams away. Because I never forget that. My

445
00:23:11,586 --> 00:23:16,066
Speaker 2: college coach phil As visits in the hospital and you know,

446
00:23:16,106 --> 00:23:19,466
Speaker 2: he's he sees one of his players in ICU bed

447
00:23:19,586 --> 00:23:22,226
Speaker 2: mangled up, and I'm sitting there telling him that I'm

448
00:23:22,226 --> 00:23:25,466
Speaker 2: gonna play again, and he's like, all right, yeah right,

449
00:23:25,626 --> 00:23:27,506
Speaker 2: I mean, like you're lucky if you will walk around

450
00:23:27,546 --> 00:23:30,906
Speaker 2: like no, I'm gonna play again. And sure enough, it

451
00:23:31,026 --> 00:23:33,906
Speaker 2: just gave me time to get as healthy as I

452
00:23:33,946 --> 00:23:38,226
Speaker 2: could rehab. It was able to you know, join the team.

453
00:23:38,306 --> 00:23:41,746
Speaker 2: I had missed that whole spring, and I joined the

454
00:23:41,786 --> 00:23:45,306
Speaker 2: team during summer workouts, and a big part of my

455
00:23:45,386 --> 00:23:48,226
Speaker 2: rehab process was my grandfather coming down and my grandfather

456
00:23:48,306 --> 00:23:52,706
Speaker 2: played golf twice today and just driving his car really

457
00:23:52,826 --> 00:23:55,626
Speaker 2: kind of just or yeah, like just getting used to

458
00:23:55,666 --> 00:23:58,426
Speaker 2: even driving again. Stuff like that. And you know, you

459
00:23:58,426 --> 00:24:01,866
Speaker 2: go through all this occupational therapy and all that. But

460
00:24:01,866 --> 00:24:05,466
Speaker 2: but be able to join my teammates that summer and

461
00:24:06,466 --> 00:24:09,466
Speaker 2: felt actually stronger than ever was. I felt even better

462
00:24:09,506 --> 00:24:12,386
Speaker 2: in shape, and you know, and we we went on

463
00:24:12,586 --> 00:24:15,386
Speaker 2: and you know, I was able to finish my career

464
00:24:15,586 --> 00:24:19,786
Speaker 2: at North Carolina A and T. But that's definitely the

465
00:24:20,386 --> 00:24:25,066
Speaker 2: biggest adversity that I've ever overcome in my life and

466
00:24:25,066 --> 00:24:27,826
Speaker 2: and something that I'll never forget. And it sticks with you.

467
00:24:27,906 --> 00:24:30,106
Speaker 1: You went into a coma, you had a stroke, and

468
00:24:30,146 --> 00:24:32,066
Speaker 1: then what was it? How many how many weeks or

469
00:24:32,106 --> 00:24:33,386
Speaker 1: months in the hospital were you?

470
00:24:33,466 --> 00:24:36,186
Speaker 2: And yeah, so I was in I was in ICU

471
00:24:36,346 --> 00:24:39,426
Speaker 2: for almost two weeks. You know, it was like ten

472
00:24:39,506 --> 00:24:41,866
Speaker 2: days in ICU, and then I had almost close to

473
00:24:41,906 --> 00:24:45,266
Speaker 2: another week when I got released and moved from ICU.

474
00:24:45,426 --> 00:24:50,706
Speaker 2: But yeah, had a had a coma stroke, was paralyzed

475
00:24:51,146 --> 00:24:53,826
Speaker 2: all the way on my right side. And you know,

476
00:24:54,066 --> 00:24:57,226
Speaker 2: I still to this day, I still have like I

477
00:24:57,266 --> 00:25:00,826
Speaker 2: still don't feel like I have the exact same amount

478
00:25:00,866 --> 00:25:04,186
Speaker 2: of strength, you know, like in my right arm as

479
00:25:04,266 --> 00:25:07,026
Speaker 2: my left or you know, it's just it's things that

480
00:25:07,146 --> 00:25:10,146
Speaker 2: kind of just give you some reminders of that moment.

481
00:25:10,226 --> 00:25:16,106
Speaker 2: But having kids now, being a parent, I just can't

482
00:25:16,346 --> 00:25:21,506
Speaker 2: even think of you know, uh, my, my my parents.

483
00:25:21,546 --> 00:25:24,786
Speaker 2: Getting that call from one of my closest friends Gape Galagos,

484
00:25:24,786 --> 00:25:27,586
Speaker 2: who I just saw back when I was on vacation

485
00:25:28,346 --> 00:25:30,386
Speaker 2: that you know, he's the one that had to make

486
00:25:30,386 --> 00:25:34,386
Speaker 2: that call to my parents of what happened, and it

487
00:25:34,426 --> 00:25:36,506
Speaker 2: was I just can't even fathom me get in that

488
00:25:36,626 --> 00:25:39,626
Speaker 2: call when day just out of the blue, and you know,

489
00:25:39,666 --> 00:25:44,026
Speaker 2: I just I just have so much respect for my family, uh,

490
00:25:44,186 --> 00:25:48,226
Speaker 2: my closest friends. Uh and you know, I just I

491
00:25:48,386 --> 00:25:50,506
Speaker 2: just kind of it's just one of those moments that

492
00:25:50,666 --> 00:25:53,826
Speaker 2: lives with you in really a good way.

493
00:25:53,946 --> 00:25:55,786
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, is it almost in a weird way?

494
00:25:55,826 --> 00:25:58,226
Speaker 1: And they say this about survivors of traumatic events, but

495
00:25:58,266 --> 00:26:02,706
Speaker 1: also survivors of illnesses. It's almost liberating where you're like, wait,

496
00:26:03,266 --> 00:26:05,266
Speaker 1: I've been through that, I can do anything now.

497
00:26:06,186 --> 00:26:10,386
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, Like it's yeah, it's it's not a good

498
00:26:10,466 --> 00:26:13,826
Speaker 2: moment because it's life threatening, but at the same time,

499
00:26:14,266 --> 00:26:17,026
Speaker 2: It's one of those moments that shape for sure, and

500
00:26:17,986 --> 00:26:20,306
Speaker 2: those are one of those things that I think kind

501
00:26:20,346 --> 00:26:23,946
Speaker 2: of started my journey. Like I felt like I was

502
00:26:23,986 --> 00:26:27,026
Speaker 2: always a hard worker. I always felt like I always

503
00:26:27,066 --> 00:26:29,626
Speaker 2: had that mindset that was kind of overcoming the odds.

504
00:26:29,706 --> 00:26:33,106
Speaker 2: My father had taught me that a long time ago,

505
00:26:34,466 --> 00:26:36,746
Speaker 2: you know, he had he played in the NFL for

506
00:26:36,826 --> 00:26:39,626
Speaker 2: a short a while, and I never forget he bought

507
00:26:39,666 --> 00:26:41,346
Speaker 2: me a weight set, you know, when I was in

508
00:26:41,426 --> 00:26:45,306
Speaker 2: Lateth the seventh grade, and and he was like it

509
00:26:45,426 --> 00:26:47,026
Speaker 2: was no, it was in the eighth grade. I think

510
00:26:47,026 --> 00:26:48,826
Speaker 2: it was in eighth or ninth grade, but he bought

511
00:26:48,866 --> 00:26:50,586
Speaker 2: me a weight set, and I never forget he told me.

512
00:26:50,666 --> 00:26:54,386
Speaker 2: He was like, Brad, it's it's not about what other

513
00:26:54,426 --> 00:26:56,826
Speaker 2: people are seeing you do, and it's about what you're doing,

514
00:26:56,866 --> 00:26:59,346
Speaker 2: and about what you're doing when other people aren't watching,

515
00:26:59,626 --> 00:27:02,746
Speaker 2: about how hard you're working. And so I always felt

516
00:27:02,746 --> 00:27:04,946
Speaker 2: like I was a hard worker. But going through that

517
00:27:05,186 --> 00:27:08,666
Speaker 2: car accident and going through that process getting back on

518
00:27:08,666 --> 00:27:10,746
Speaker 2: my feet and not only having a chanced play football,

519
00:27:10,746 --> 00:27:13,466
Speaker 2: but having a chance to that life again, I'm just

520
00:27:13,746 --> 00:27:18,106
Speaker 2: forever grateful and fortunate. But I do think that that

521
00:27:18,306 --> 00:27:23,186
Speaker 2: did kind of spark that fuel of getting to where

522
00:27:23,226 --> 00:27:26,826
Speaker 2: I got to now because I had to take a

523
00:27:26,866 --> 00:27:31,666
Speaker 2: really long road. It was a very unconventional path in

524
00:27:31,786 --> 00:27:35,306
Speaker 2: terms of getting started and just you know, being told

525
00:27:35,386 --> 00:27:38,226
Speaker 2: no when I first shot to get into business and

526
00:27:38,706 --> 00:27:43,026
Speaker 2: just keep fighting at it. And I think it both will.

527
00:27:43,666 --> 00:27:45,826
Speaker 1: It's an amazing story. And I think what you're alluding

528
00:27:45,826 --> 00:27:48,546
Speaker 1: to with your career, I was looking in your bio.

529
00:27:48,746 --> 00:27:54,746
Speaker 1: You were in Atlanta Hawks public relations, you know, entry

530
00:27:54,826 --> 00:27:57,666
Speaker 1: level guy doing PR for the Atlanta Hawks coming out

531
00:27:57,666 --> 00:28:00,386
Speaker 1: of school for you, and then you were at the

532
00:28:00,506 --> 00:28:04,906
Speaker 1: Saint Louis Rams doing p R, which is yeah, setting

533
00:28:04,946 --> 00:28:07,666
Speaker 1: up interviews, which is working on messaging for the team,

534
00:28:07,706 --> 00:28:09,986
Speaker 1: which is helping the players you know, talk to the

535
00:28:10,026 --> 00:28:12,226
Speaker 1: media and arrange that kind of How do you make

536
00:28:12,226 --> 00:28:14,946
Speaker 1: that jump from PR to being an NFL GM twenty

537
00:28:15,066 --> 00:28:15,546
Speaker 1: years later?

538
00:28:16,746 --> 00:28:21,746
Speaker 2: Yeah? So my degree was in PR, and in credit

539
00:28:21,786 --> 00:28:25,626
Speaker 2: to my mother's been in the education field forever, and

540
00:28:26,186 --> 00:28:28,946
Speaker 2: like halfway through college, I started off as a business

541
00:28:28,946 --> 00:28:31,946
Speaker 2: and marketing major. I didn't even know why. I just

542
00:28:32,266 --> 00:28:34,106
Speaker 2: thought that was the cool major to be in. And

543
00:28:34,146 --> 00:28:36,546
Speaker 2: then my mom was like, right, you might want to

544
00:28:36,826 --> 00:28:41,146
Speaker 2: change that, dude. Like, you're more of a verbal writing person,

545
00:28:41,266 --> 00:28:44,266
Speaker 2: You're not a man. I was like, all right, So

546
00:28:44,426 --> 00:28:47,386
Speaker 2: I changed my degree to PR and uh, and it

547
00:28:47,866 --> 00:28:50,066
Speaker 2: was it was the best thing for me. And I

548
00:28:50,186 --> 00:28:52,706
Speaker 2: really like my grade to start to change. But anyways,

549
00:28:53,146 --> 00:28:56,266
Speaker 2: when I got done playing, you know, I knew I

550
00:28:56,306 --> 00:28:59,306
Speaker 2: wanted to get in the NFL and you know, try

551
00:28:59,346 --> 00:29:02,426
Speaker 2: to get into Scout again. I sent my resume to

552
00:29:02,466 --> 00:29:05,706
Speaker 2: all the teams like everybody else does. My dad had

553
00:29:05,706 --> 00:29:10,186
Speaker 2: a complics, but none of that fell through. So my

554
00:29:10,226 --> 00:29:13,066
Speaker 2: mom was basically like, dude, you got to come back home.

555
00:29:13,386 --> 00:29:15,466
Speaker 2: You know, You've got to come home and just figure

556
00:29:15,506 --> 00:29:18,426
Speaker 2: it out. And so I moved back home, and I

557
00:29:18,466 --> 00:29:22,306
Speaker 2: was ringing cars for Enterprise Rental Cars, and yeah, I

558
00:29:22,346 --> 00:29:25,266
Speaker 2: was rinting cars for Enterprise Rental Car. And you know,

559
00:29:25,266 --> 00:29:28,986
Speaker 2: I'm wearing the shirt and tie washing cars and rinting

560
00:29:29,026 --> 00:29:31,546
Speaker 2: cars and all I'm doing is I'm thinking about sports.

561
00:29:31,546 --> 00:29:35,146
Speaker 2: And that was a very psychological and emotional period of

562
00:29:35,186 --> 00:29:38,306
Speaker 2: my life because that was the first time that I

563
00:29:38,546 --> 00:29:41,386
Speaker 2: was not getting ready to play football. I wasn't like

564
00:29:41,466 --> 00:29:43,266
Speaker 2: I'm going through It's like in.

565
00:29:43,626 --> 00:29:48,026
Speaker 1: July, you don't have a training I don't have.

566
00:29:47,906 --> 00:29:50,786
Speaker 2: A training camp, awaiting for me, I'm not involved in football.

567
00:29:50,866 --> 00:29:54,466
Speaker 2: So I'm in that little branch that Enterprise rental car

568
00:29:54,626 --> 00:29:57,746
Speaker 2: just thinking about football all day and saying about sports.

569
00:29:57,786 --> 00:30:02,386
Speaker 2: And so finally an opportunity came about with the Atlanta

570
00:30:02,426 --> 00:30:07,506
Speaker 2: Hawks for a media relations trainee, and so I talked

571
00:30:07,506 --> 00:30:08,866
Speaker 2: to my mom about it and I'm like and my

572
00:30:08,906 --> 00:30:11,066
Speaker 2: mom was like, look, at least you'll be back to sports.

573
00:30:11,146 --> 00:30:13,826
Speaker 2: And I was like, yeah, you're You're right. And so

574
00:30:14,986 --> 00:30:19,586
Speaker 2: I got that opportunity with the Atlanta Hawks. And because

575
00:30:19,786 --> 00:30:23,226
Speaker 2: like I only could only work forty hours a week

576
00:30:23,386 --> 00:30:26,306
Speaker 2: with the Atlanta Hawks, it was a meat relations trainee position,

577
00:30:26,826 --> 00:30:31,026
Speaker 2: but because of my experience with Enterprise, Enterprise allowed me

578
00:30:31,106 --> 00:30:34,986
Speaker 2: to work part time at the Atlanta Airpe. So one

579
00:30:35,026 --> 00:30:37,226
Speaker 2: of the one of the greatest perks that the Atlanta

580
00:30:37,266 --> 00:30:40,106
Speaker 2: Hawks gave me was a free Marty card. Because I

581
00:30:40,106 --> 00:30:46,146
Speaker 2: didn't have the money to I lived way up in

582
00:30:46,706 --> 00:30:51,146
Speaker 2: Norcross and had this little one bedroom apartment and so

583
00:30:51,426 --> 00:30:53,186
Speaker 2: I would take the you know.

584
00:30:54,986 --> 00:30:57,026
Speaker 1: You're taking ups arena.

585
00:30:57,826 --> 00:31:00,026
Speaker 2: So I had to start up top at the Furthest

586
00:31:00,066 --> 00:31:05,586
Speaker 2: Normal station.

587
00:31:03,066 --> 00:31:07,146
Speaker 1: In the early two thousand. Yeah, you know about that's

588
00:31:07,186 --> 00:31:10,066
Speaker 1: not a yeah, all respect to the marks that ain't

589
00:31:10,106 --> 00:31:11,386
Speaker 1: the New York City subway system.

590
00:31:13,106 --> 00:31:17,306
Speaker 2: So you literally added take the door into the northernmost

591
00:31:17,306 --> 00:31:20,466
Speaker 2: stop and go down and then drop me off downtown

592
00:31:20,506 --> 00:31:23,666
Speaker 2: at to see an Inventor Center of building. And that's

593
00:31:23,706 --> 00:31:27,226
Speaker 2: when I would do my meat relations trainee job. And

594
00:31:27,306 --> 00:31:30,066
Speaker 2: then when I got off, then that's when I would

595
00:31:30,106 --> 00:31:32,666
Speaker 2: go down to UH. I get off and I take

596
00:31:32,706 --> 00:31:35,826
Speaker 2: the Marta down to the Atlanta Airport and then I

597
00:31:35,946 --> 00:31:38,666
Speaker 2: go to the Atlanta Airport and I would just work cars,

598
00:31:38,706 --> 00:31:42,186
Speaker 2: so probably about about eleven o'clock at night, and then

599
00:31:42,986 --> 00:31:45,386
Speaker 2: you know, the Atlanta air Force is the last time,

600
00:31:45,626 --> 00:31:49,986
Speaker 2: so I'd have to take that that Atlanta Airport Marta

601
00:31:50,106 --> 00:31:52,946
Speaker 2: all the way back up to that door bill station

602
00:31:53,146 --> 00:31:56,226
Speaker 2: up north and UH. And that's really what's the lesson?

603
00:31:56,266 --> 00:31:57,586
Speaker 2: What's lesson from Atlanta?

604
00:31:57,666 --> 00:31:58,586
Speaker 1: What's a lesson for kids?

605
00:31:58,666 --> 00:31:58,906
Speaker 2: Right now?

606
00:31:58,906 --> 00:32:01,066
Speaker 1: Who are I say? Kids? College graduate? I want to

607
00:32:01,106 --> 00:32:02,946
Speaker 1: get in sports, I want to be a GM. You

608
00:32:02,946 --> 00:32:04,866
Speaker 1: hear that story that that could be discouraging, but it

609
00:32:04,866 --> 00:32:06,546
Speaker 1: should also encourage.

610
00:32:06,746 --> 00:32:08,946
Speaker 2: It should encourage you. And again, like I said at

611
00:32:08,986 --> 00:32:11,986
Speaker 2: the beginning, man, look if you're confised on what you

612
00:32:12,066 --> 00:32:15,226
Speaker 2: want to do, don't let anybody ever tell you know

613
00:32:15,586 --> 00:32:17,986
Speaker 2: and people will tell you no, and you got to

614
00:32:18,066 --> 00:32:21,666
Speaker 2: use the those a's fuel to just keep going. And

615
00:32:21,706 --> 00:32:23,946
Speaker 2: you just gotta have you just got to be convicted,

616
00:32:24,106 --> 00:32:25,626
Speaker 2: and you just got to know that you're not going

617
00:32:25,706 --> 00:32:28,426
Speaker 2: to have the easiest path. Yeah. I had plenty of

618
00:32:28,506 --> 00:32:32,346
Speaker 2: friends from college that got these high paying jobs and

619
00:32:32,546 --> 00:32:35,186
Speaker 2: all this stuff, and it was it was, it was great.

620
00:32:35,306 --> 00:32:38,626
Speaker 2: But I was struggling. You know, I wasn't making I

621
00:32:38,626 --> 00:32:40,306
Speaker 2: think I was want to make like eight bucks an

622
00:32:40,306 --> 00:32:43,546
Speaker 2: hour as a relations trainee, and then maybe I was

623
00:32:43,546 --> 00:32:46,626
Speaker 2: making like nine dollars an hour renting cars. But I

624
00:32:46,706 --> 00:32:51,146
Speaker 2: had enough to survive, as you know, to pay for

625
00:32:51,226 --> 00:32:54,226
Speaker 2: my apartment and pay for my bills. But the great

626
00:32:54,266 --> 00:32:56,586
Speaker 2: thing about that year, though, in two thousand and three,

627
00:32:56,786 --> 00:32:58,426
Speaker 2: was at the NBA All Star Game.

628
00:32:58,506 --> 00:33:04,346
Speaker 1: I remember yet the contest that year. Just as a fan,

629
00:33:05,706 --> 00:33:06,346
Speaker 1: I actually.

630
00:33:06,106 --> 00:33:08,786
Speaker 2: Thought it was a cool job because one of my

631
00:33:08,826 --> 00:33:11,546
Speaker 2: main duties was I had to get the postgame quotes

632
00:33:11,906 --> 00:33:16,906
Speaker 2: for the opposing teams. So, like Jordan and everybody, they

633
00:33:16,946 --> 00:33:19,226
Speaker 2: would be coming in and I'm like in the locker

634
00:33:19,346 --> 00:33:22,786
Speaker 2: room and I'm like, holy cal, Like this is Tracy McGray, Like,

635
00:33:23,226 --> 00:33:25,386
Speaker 2: holy cal, this is like I'm saying like, this is

636
00:33:25,386 --> 00:33:29,506
Speaker 2: Shaquille O'Neil, Like what Like, I thought it was awesome. So,

637
00:33:30,386 --> 00:33:33,106
Speaker 2: but the NBA All Star Game comes and then my

638
00:33:33,466 --> 00:33:36,426
Speaker 2: boss at the time, Arthur Trish, he was a he

639
00:33:36,546 --> 00:33:39,186
Speaker 2: was a president communication for basketball for the House at

640
00:33:39,226 --> 00:33:41,786
Speaker 2: the time. He knew I wanted to get in the NFL,

641
00:33:42,026 --> 00:33:44,706
Speaker 2: and he said, hey, look, man, a lot of these

642
00:33:44,746 --> 00:33:48,106
Speaker 2: PR directors from the NFL come to the All Star Game.

643
00:33:48,346 --> 00:33:50,226
Speaker 2: You know, I can introduce you to some of them.

644
00:33:50,266 --> 00:33:54,626
Speaker 2: And so I met Dwayne Lewis and we just kind

645
00:33:54,626 --> 00:33:57,106
Speaker 2: of did a little kind of lunch interview and he

646
00:33:57,266 --> 00:34:02,266
Speaker 2: had offered me a PR internship and I was like great,

647
00:34:02,826 --> 00:34:06,346
Speaker 2: And so then I just did the PR internship for

648
00:34:06,506 --> 00:34:08,786
Speaker 2: the year and during that year, so I was starting

649
00:34:08,786 --> 00:34:10,186
Speaker 2: the two thousand and three season.

650
00:34:10,746 --> 00:34:14,266
Speaker 1: So you make the shift from Sharif abdur Rahim and

651
00:34:14,346 --> 00:34:18,466
Speaker 1: Dan Dickau and Dion Glover and my man Alan Henderson,

652
00:34:18,506 --> 00:34:21,066
Speaker 1: and now you're at where you're going, you go, do

653
00:34:21,186 --> 00:34:23,386
Speaker 1: you move everything? Go to Saint Louis for an internship.

654
00:34:24,426 --> 00:34:26,666
Speaker 2: Yeah, So I just kind of packed the U haul.

655
00:34:27,826 --> 00:34:31,106
Speaker 2: I just I just packed the U haul and drove

656
00:34:31,146 --> 00:34:34,506
Speaker 2: the Saint Louis and and I just started there.

657
00:34:34,586 --> 00:34:35,546
Speaker 1: Had you ever been there before.

658
00:34:36,746 --> 00:34:39,346
Speaker 2: I've never been the same. I've never been This.

659
00:34:39,186 --> 00:34:41,546
Speaker 1: Is the lesson. How many of these people that we

660
00:34:41,586 --> 00:34:43,786
Speaker 1: talked to are like, yeah, the opportunity, but I'm from

661
00:34:43,786 --> 00:34:45,346
Speaker 1: New York. I'm not moving to you know.

662
00:34:45,466 --> 00:34:49,666
Speaker 2: Like, no, I think it's easier when it's when you're

663
00:34:49,706 --> 00:34:52,986
Speaker 2: single with no kids a little bit. But but you know,

664
00:34:53,026 --> 00:34:57,306
Speaker 2: I'm now. I was twenty three years old, twenty two

665
00:34:57,386 --> 00:35:00,106
Speaker 2: years old at the time, so but yeah, I just

666
00:35:00,226 --> 00:35:03,666
Speaker 2: packed the U haul and just kind of drove drove

667
00:35:03,706 --> 00:35:07,586
Speaker 2: the Saint Louis. Uh it's about eight nine hour drive,

668
00:35:07,706 --> 00:35:10,706
Speaker 2: I think or something like that. You know. Then I

669
00:35:10,746 --> 00:35:14,186
Speaker 2: started my PR internship and back then the RAMS would

670
00:35:14,226 --> 00:35:19,466
Speaker 2: have training camp in Macomb, Illinois, Illinois. So uh, it's

671
00:35:19,546 --> 00:35:22,026
Speaker 2: like assume I get there and I'm there for like

672
00:35:22,266 --> 00:35:24,666
Speaker 2: maybe a week. And then I got to go to Macomb,

673
00:35:24,706 --> 00:35:29,266
Speaker 2: Illinois and start my PR internship, and uh it was

674
00:35:29,346 --> 00:35:32,786
Speaker 2: it was it was cool again. I was doing interviews

675
00:35:32,826 --> 00:35:35,586
Speaker 2: and with Marshall Faulk and stuff like that, and I

676
00:35:35,586 --> 00:35:39,226
Speaker 2: was like, this is great. But during that time, you know,

677
00:35:39,546 --> 00:35:43,906
Speaker 2: during that training camp, I see these guys that weren't players,

678
00:35:44,466 --> 00:35:47,186
Speaker 2: they were just regular guys. And they had their helping

679
00:35:47,226 --> 00:35:49,786
Speaker 2: out in practice and I'm like, what are those and

680
00:35:49,826 --> 00:35:52,026
Speaker 2: they're like, oh, there was a scouting assistance and I

681
00:35:52,106 --> 00:35:55,906
Speaker 2: was like scouting assistance and I'm like, they can like

682
00:35:56,146 --> 00:35:59,026
Speaker 2: help out in practice and walk through and stuff. And

683
00:35:59,106 --> 00:36:01,466
Speaker 2: it's like yeah, I'm like wow. So I'm like I

684
00:36:01,506 --> 00:36:06,306
Speaker 2: gotta get So, you know, I struck up a good

685
00:36:06,426 --> 00:36:12,106
Speaker 2: relationship with our running bass coach at the time, Wilbert Montgomery,

686
00:36:09,946 --> 00:36:13,826
Speaker 2: former Eagles.

687
00:36:13,906 --> 00:36:14,146
Speaker 3: Yeah.

688
00:36:14,346 --> 00:36:17,786
Speaker 2: I mean, and I think Wilburt just saw that, you know,

689
00:36:17,906 --> 00:36:21,146
Speaker 2: I was just a young kid fresh out of college

690
00:36:21,466 --> 00:36:24,586
Speaker 2: that I love football, and we would just taught football

691
00:36:24,786 --> 00:36:29,426
Speaker 2: and uh. Then as our relationship developed, I would start

692
00:36:29,426 --> 00:36:31,546
Speaker 2: helping him out with stuff. I would help him. I

693
00:36:31,546 --> 00:36:34,666
Speaker 2: would help him do his running back risk band things,

694
00:36:34,786 --> 00:36:37,706
Speaker 2: you know, I do that kind of stuff. And one

695
00:36:37,786 --> 00:36:40,906
Speaker 2: day he just asked me, He's like, man, why are

696
00:36:40,906 --> 00:36:44,306
Speaker 2: you in pr Like why are you not? I said, Wilburt, Man,

697
00:36:44,346 --> 00:36:47,706
Speaker 2: I don't know anybody. I don't. I try to get in,

698
00:36:47,826 --> 00:36:50,066
Speaker 2: but I couldn't. And so he was like, hey, look man,

699
00:36:50,066 --> 00:36:52,866
Speaker 2: I'm gonna talk to Charlie. Charlie Armers our GM at

700
00:36:52,866 --> 00:36:56,186
Speaker 2: the time, and he said, I'm gonna talk to Charlie.

701
00:36:56,266 --> 00:37:00,706
Speaker 2: And at the time, all the Scotting assistants kind of

702
00:37:00,786 --> 00:37:05,466
Speaker 2: had this It's called it like a nepotism kind of

703
00:37:05,746 --> 00:37:10,826
Speaker 2: everyone knew one yeah, like one uncle was the president,

704
00:37:10,906 --> 00:37:14,426
Speaker 2: another one, you know, his dad played quarterback for the

705
00:37:14,506 --> 00:37:20,066
Speaker 2: g another one is like his his grandfather used to

706
00:37:20,066 --> 00:37:22,426
Speaker 2: be the owner's park like all. And I'm just like,

707
00:37:23,026 --> 00:37:25,346
Speaker 2: I don't have any of that. And he was like, look,

708
00:37:25,746 --> 00:37:28,426
Speaker 2: I never this is Wilburt talking. Wilver's like, look, Brad,

709
00:37:28,786 --> 00:37:30,786
Speaker 2: I never go to Charlotte or anything. So he knows

710
00:37:30,906 --> 00:37:34,026
Speaker 2: it's real. It's real. So he talks to Charlie and

711
00:37:34,066 --> 00:37:36,066
Speaker 2: he comes back. And one thing that I had to

712
00:37:36,106 --> 00:37:38,706
Speaker 2: do as a PR internship is I had to print

713
00:37:38,706 --> 00:37:41,106
Speaker 2: out the daily clips. And I had to print out

714
00:37:41,106 --> 00:37:43,026
Speaker 2: the daily clips and pass them out to all the

715
00:37:43,066 --> 00:37:45,146
Speaker 2: coaches offices in the gym's office.

716
00:37:45,306 --> 00:37:48,106
Speaker 1: And so here's what Bernie milk Lass wrote about the

717
00:37:48,146 --> 00:37:49,186
Speaker 1: team this week.

718
00:37:49,026 --> 00:37:53,906
Speaker 2: Right is Thomas Bernie mclass like all of them and

719
00:37:54,026 --> 00:37:57,746
Speaker 2: so and so, and you know, now we get them

720
00:37:57,746 --> 00:38:00,466
Speaker 2: all and PDF and all that. I let I tell

721
00:38:00,546 --> 00:38:03,386
Speaker 2: these interns now, I'm like, we used to have to

722
00:38:03,386 --> 00:38:04,186
Speaker 2: print these things out.

723
00:38:04,386 --> 00:38:06,866
Speaker 1: You print out, You cut out the newspaper article, you

724
00:38:06,906 --> 00:38:08,866
Speaker 1: put it on a piece of white paper, you paste it.

725
00:38:09,026 --> 00:38:10,866
Speaker 1: Then you got to go to the copy machine, make

726
00:38:10,906 --> 00:38:13,226
Speaker 1: forty copies, and you gotta staple it. And this is

727
00:38:13,266 --> 00:38:13,986
Speaker 1: every day.

728
00:38:13,986 --> 00:38:19,866
Speaker 2: Sta it every single day. And so now on that again,

729
00:38:20,906 --> 00:38:23,746
Speaker 2: I can look at it as grunt work or but

730
00:38:24,066 --> 00:38:26,026
Speaker 2: I was looking as an opportunity. Like I had to

731
00:38:26,866 --> 00:38:31,546
Speaker 2: hand out some clips to Lovely Smith's office deep into Coordinate,

732
00:38:31,546 --> 00:38:34,026
Speaker 2: and I'm like, holy cows, love Smith, like you know

733
00:38:34,066 --> 00:38:36,026
Speaker 2: what I mean, Like I was able to meet So

734
00:38:36,306 --> 00:38:39,586
Speaker 2: after Wilfrid told me about that, he talked to Charlie.

735
00:38:40,586 --> 00:38:42,466
Speaker 2: I had to pass them out to the general manager's

736
00:38:42,506 --> 00:38:45,066
Speaker 2: office and I passed it. I gave the clips to

737
00:38:45,386 --> 00:38:49,506
Speaker 2: Charlie and Charlie said, hey, uh. I talked to Wilburt

738
00:38:49,546 --> 00:38:52,466
Speaker 2: and he said, you know you're interested, and so come

739
00:38:52,506 --> 00:38:55,626
Speaker 2: come come meet me on Friday in my office. And

740
00:38:55,666 --> 00:38:58,746
Speaker 2: so I'm like, holy count like this is it, Like

741
00:38:59,106 --> 00:39:03,186
Speaker 2: it's coming. So I didn't know, and this is being

742
00:39:03,226 --> 00:39:06,186
Speaker 2: a young kid and not knowing really how to communicate

743
00:39:06,186 --> 00:39:09,826
Speaker 2: a actively and handle business, right. So I didn't tell

744
00:39:10,106 --> 00:39:12,426
Speaker 2: Dwayne Lewis or PR director because I'm.

745
00:39:12,426 --> 00:39:14,106
Speaker 1: I'm not giving that job, am I supposed to?

746
00:39:14,346 --> 00:39:16,466
Speaker 2: Yeah? I'm like, what am I supposed to do? Like

747
00:39:17,146 --> 00:39:20,066
Speaker 2: tell him I'm about to leave, you know what I mean? So, so,

748
00:39:20,386 --> 00:39:22,706
Speaker 2: you know, and Fridays were like a dress down day.

749
00:39:23,106 --> 00:39:33,186
Speaker 2: So Friday, T shirt Friday, I'm sure going. So people

750
00:39:33,186 --> 00:39:35,666
Speaker 2: are looking at me like I just got dressed up.

751
00:39:35,906 --> 00:39:38,986
Speaker 2: And so I go up there, I meet Charlie Army

752
00:39:39,706 --> 00:39:43,226
Speaker 2: and it was him and his assistant Debbie Pollam in there,

753
00:39:43,426 --> 00:39:46,546
Speaker 2: and I just had a bunch of writing samples from

754
00:39:46,626 --> 00:39:49,786
Speaker 2: my time with you know, everything that I and I

755
00:39:49,826 --> 00:39:52,866
Speaker 2: wanted to show Charlie like I can write, Like I

756
00:39:52,866 --> 00:39:56,946
Speaker 2: can write. I have a passion for writing. I love

757
00:39:57,266 --> 00:40:00,586
Speaker 2: like I'm a grammar snob to this day. All my

758
00:40:00,626 --> 00:40:02,786
Speaker 2: staff kind of jokes on me all the time because

759
00:40:02,826 --> 00:40:05,426
Speaker 2: I'm like, man, why is he not a comment something

760
00:40:05,466 --> 00:40:07,666
Speaker 2: like that? But anyways, I want to show him that

761
00:40:07,706 --> 00:40:11,026
Speaker 2: I can write, you know. And so I'm in there

762
00:40:11,226 --> 00:40:13,506
Speaker 2: and I'm sitting at this table with Charlie and his

763
00:40:13,546 --> 00:40:18,626
Speaker 2: assistant Debbie, and then next thing, you know, my PR

764
00:40:18,746 --> 00:40:22,666
Speaker 2: director Dwayne Lewis walks into Charlie's office and I'm like,

765
00:40:24,106 --> 00:40:29,746
Speaker 2: and Dwayne's looking at me, and he's like, what the

766
00:40:29,826 --> 00:40:32,186
Speaker 2: hell did you just do? Like he's like, why is

767
00:40:32,546 --> 00:40:35,986
Speaker 2: why is my PR intern in the general manager's office.

768
00:40:36,506 --> 00:40:41,586
Speaker 2: And and so Charlie was on the phone and Debbie

769
00:40:41,586 --> 00:40:43,946
Speaker 2: tells Dwayne that was like, no, he's fine, he's fine,

770
00:40:43,986 --> 00:40:48,146
Speaker 2: he's fine. And so then Charlie gets off the phone

771
00:40:48,586 --> 00:40:51,506
Speaker 2: and he just tells Dwayne. He goes, hey, look, I

772
00:40:51,546 --> 00:40:53,626
Speaker 2: was talking to Brad here, and you know, he's interested

773
00:40:53,626 --> 00:40:57,506
Speaker 2: in getting the scouting So after he's done with your internship,

774
00:40:57,626 --> 00:41:00,506
Speaker 2: he's going to be by intern starting the draft prep process.

775
00:41:00,786 --> 00:41:02,066
Speaker 2: He hadn't even told me that.

776
00:41:02,066 --> 00:41:02,866
Speaker 1: That's how you found out.

777
00:41:02,946 --> 00:41:08,306
Speaker 2: I'm just like, I'm like, whoa, okay, right, and so

778
00:41:08,306 --> 00:41:10,066
Speaker 2: so then you know, I had a you know, I

779
00:41:10,066 --> 00:41:12,546
Speaker 2: had a sorry, yeah.

780
00:41:12,346 --> 00:41:18,826
Speaker 1: A quick lesson on what this guy takes president.

781
00:41:20,786 --> 00:41:23,826
Speaker 2: So so yeah, so that's that's that's how it got started.

782
00:41:23,866 --> 00:41:28,906
Speaker 2: And I got a shot to be, uh a scouting intern.

783
00:41:29,386 --> 00:41:33,826
Speaker 2: So when the season ended, you know, basically like January

784
00:41:34,026 --> 00:41:36,706
Speaker 2: through the draft and I was a scouting intern and

785
00:41:36,746 --> 00:41:41,506
Speaker 2: I was just you know, labeling beta tapes and you know,

786
00:41:42,306 --> 00:41:45,266
Speaker 2: entering reports and you know, you have to make profile

787
00:41:45,386 --> 00:41:48,946
Speaker 2: tapes we call profile profile tapes and you got to

788
00:41:48,946 --> 00:41:51,746
Speaker 2: write the time codes from the beta tapes and all that,

789
00:41:51,906 --> 00:41:54,906
Speaker 2: and every now and then they should watch these tapes

790
00:41:54,986 --> 00:41:57,746
Speaker 2: during the draft meetings. And so every now and then

791
00:41:57,866 --> 00:42:01,466
Speaker 2: Charlie would ask one of the scout assistants, you know,

792
00:42:01,706 --> 00:42:04,906
Speaker 2: to come in and talk about the player. And so

793
00:42:05,186 --> 00:42:08,706
Speaker 2: I never forget the first guy he could. They called

794
00:42:08,706 --> 00:42:09,066
Speaker 2: me in.

795
00:42:09,626 --> 00:42:10,866
Speaker 1: Oh, come on, give it to me.

796
00:42:10,906 --> 00:42:14,146
Speaker 2: I want to hear. God, I can't remember who it was.

797
00:42:14,186 --> 00:42:18,026
Speaker 2: I don't want to make some but but I probably

798
00:42:18,066 --> 00:42:21,786
Speaker 2: should remember it. But I never forget he called me in.

799
00:42:21,826 --> 00:42:24,226
Speaker 2: And it's like the room is like dimly lit and

800
00:42:25,026 --> 00:42:28,586
Speaker 2: projector screamed on and they're watching my profile tape and

801
00:42:28,906 --> 00:42:31,346
Speaker 2: it's a room full of scouts in the GM and

802
00:42:31,666 --> 00:42:36,986
Speaker 2: Lawrence mccut player personnel director, and I'm like, smokes, and

803
00:42:37,026 --> 00:42:40,186
Speaker 2: he's like, what did you think? And I just told him,

804
00:42:40,186 --> 00:42:41,626
Speaker 2: I said, I think he's this, I think he's that.

805
00:42:41,786 --> 00:42:44,186
Speaker 2: I think he's boomom boom, bom boom. And he was like,

806
00:42:44,226 --> 00:42:46,706
Speaker 2: all right, thanks, and I stopped out the room and

807
00:42:46,746 --> 00:42:51,546
Speaker 2: I'm like, I have no idea like anybody thought what

808
00:42:51,626 --> 00:42:55,426
Speaker 2: I said. But but you know, there was a scout

809
00:42:56,026 --> 00:43:00,146
Speaker 2: Big Daniels who's been been one of my mentors for

810
00:43:00,186 --> 00:43:03,146
Speaker 2: a long time. And I remember he came out and

811
00:43:03,186 --> 00:43:04,946
Speaker 2: he told me, he said, grad, you did a really

812
00:43:04,946 --> 00:43:07,706
Speaker 2: good job. And he was the one that really taught

813
00:43:07,746 --> 00:43:10,666
Speaker 2: me how to construct the scouting report and how to

814
00:43:10,826 --> 00:43:11,746
Speaker 2: kind of write a play.

815
00:43:13,106 --> 00:43:14,826
Speaker 1: Or a young kid come in like give me your

816
00:43:14,826 --> 00:43:16,706
Speaker 1: thoughts on Roscoe Parish.

817
00:43:16,386 --> 00:43:22,706
Speaker 2: Go and you're like, no, it was it was. It

818
00:43:22,786 --> 00:43:25,426
Speaker 2: was intimidating, man, and you just had to be right.

819
00:43:25,706 --> 00:43:28,426
Speaker 1: But guess what, it was just me and those PR skills,

820
00:43:28,466 --> 00:43:31,826
Speaker 1: the enterprise front facing salesman skills, all of it comes

821
00:43:31,826 --> 00:43:33,866
Speaker 1: into play because guess what you're presenting.

822
00:43:33,906 --> 00:43:39,266
Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely, It's almost like another one of my favorite

823
00:43:39,266 --> 00:43:44,506
Speaker 2: movies is The Karate. You know, the scene of when

824
00:43:44,666 --> 00:43:47,626
Speaker 2: he's complaining about you're not teaching meaning karate, you know,

825
00:43:47,746 --> 00:43:49,786
Speaker 2: like I thought I was supposed to be doing karate

826
00:43:49,906 --> 00:43:53,146
Speaker 2: and he's like, no, wax on, wax off paint the

827
00:43:53,186 --> 00:43:56,106
Speaker 2: house like he's doing. And he's like no, Like do

828
00:43:56,186 --> 00:43:59,066
Speaker 2: you get it now? Like you've been learning it this

829
00:43:59,186 --> 00:44:03,146
Speaker 2: whole time, you just now it's showing. So but yeah,

830
00:44:03,146 --> 00:44:05,866
Speaker 2: you're right, like all those skills just bode well. But

831
00:44:05,906 --> 00:44:08,666
Speaker 2: as a young kid, you don't realize that at the time.

832
00:44:09,346 --> 00:44:13,346
Speaker 2: So after I got done with that draft, I believe

833
00:44:13,386 --> 00:44:17,786
Speaker 2: that's when we drafted Steven Jackson in the first round.

834
00:44:18,546 --> 00:44:22,066
Speaker 2: And I'll never forget that. And then Charlie he hired

835
00:44:22,106 --> 00:44:25,786
Speaker 2: me on as a full time scouting assistant, and you know,

836
00:44:25,986 --> 00:44:29,066
Speaker 2: I did that for like three years and we're just

837
00:44:29,146 --> 00:44:32,066
Speaker 2: picking players up from the airport. Just a lot of

838
00:44:32,306 --> 00:44:35,106
Speaker 2: just you know, going to the combine, not watching players,

839
00:44:35,226 --> 00:44:39,506
Speaker 2: just grabbing lunch for the GM, you know, between workouts

840
00:44:39,506 --> 00:44:43,186
Speaker 2: and stuff like like that, and keep doing profile tapes

841
00:44:43,426 --> 00:44:46,626
Speaker 2: and you know, just enormous scouting assistant duties and did

842
00:44:46,626 --> 00:44:49,266
Speaker 2: that for three years and then that's when I became

843
00:44:49,266 --> 00:44:54,666
Speaker 2: a combined scout in NFS Combine scout and that, to me,

844
00:44:54,826 --> 00:44:57,386
Speaker 2: that's the best training that you can get from a

845
00:44:57,426 --> 00:45:01,426
Speaker 2: scout because you're always wrooking on the next year's draft

846
00:45:01,426 --> 00:45:05,146
Speaker 2: class and so like so, say it's the H five

847
00:45:05,306 --> 00:45:08,986
Speaker 2: draft and that March in April or February, March April,

848
00:45:09,026 --> 00:45:14,266
Speaker 2: whatever like that, will you're working on the six guest

849
00:45:14,466 --> 00:45:17,746
Speaker 2: raft And so what I think is the best training

850
00:45:17,866 --> 00:45:20,546
Speaker 2: is I'll never forget my first junior day. I just

851
00:45:20,586 --> 00:45:24,746
Speaker 2: had to go to University Missouri, and you know, I

852
00:45:25,506 --> 00:45:29,546
Speaker 2: met the pro liaison and he just gives me a

853
00:45:29,586 --> 00:45:33,266
Speaker 2: list and he was like, here's a list. He walks

854
00:45:33,306 --> 00:45:35,666
Speaker 2: me into the film room. I don't know anything about him,

855
00:45:36,106 --> 00:45:38,586
Speaker 2: and I just had to sort out that whole roster,

856
00:45:38,866 --> 00:45:42,346
Speaker 2: like I don't know what anybody is, I don't know

857
00:45:42,626 --> 00:45:45,706
Speaker 2: how good anybody is. And I remember I just grinded

858
00:45:45,826 --> 00:45:47,186
Speaker 2: like and some of.

859
00:45:47,106 --> 00:45:49,666
Speaker 1: That justin Smith first round pick, or it could be

860
00:45:49,746 --> 00:45:51,506
Speaker 1: a guy that has no chance of being drafted, but

861
00:45:51,546 --> 00:45:52,106
Speaker 1: you've got to do it.

862
00:45:52,186 --> 00:45:54,586
Speaker 2: Yeah, you just do. You don't know, and you don't

863
00:45:54,626 --> 00:45:56,746
Speaker 2: know until you watch him. And that's why I tell

864
00:45:56,826 --> 00:45:59,266
Speaker 2: my Scott's all the time, like You're like all these

865
00:45:59,306 --> 00:46:01,986
Speaker 2: free agents and all these guys that are undrafted guys,

866
00:46:01,986 --> 00:46:04,746
Speaker 2: and I'm like, well, you don't know if they're free

867
00:46:04,746 --> 00:46:09,306
Speaker 2: agents or guys you look at them. So but that

868
00:46:09,306 --> 00:46:12,986
Speaker 2: that moment right there kind of showed me like, look

869
00:46:13,066 --> 00:46:15,546
Speaker 2: and going through the whole spring, it's like it kind

870
00:46:15,586 --> 00:46:18,306
Speaker 2: of gave me the whole thing of don't worry about

871
00:46:18,346 --> 00:46:22,426
Speaker 2: what anybody else thinks, like just trust with your IOC

872
00:46:22,986 --> 00:46:26,746
Speaker 2: and and and that's all. I mean that that's kind

873
00:46:26,746 --> 00:46:31,066
Speaker 2: of a hard thing to kind of especially as a

874
00:46:31,106 --> 00:46:33,586
Speaker 2: young scout, because you got a lot of noise that

875
00:46:33,666 --> 00:46:37,146
Speaker 2: affects you, and you got group think and all this

876
00:46:37,226 --> 00:46:39,226
Speaker 2: stuff that affects you. And just like we were talking

877
00:46:39,226 --> 00:46:41,666
Speaker 2: about earlier about the mont dress up, you want to

878
00:46:41,666 --> 00:46:45,826
Speaker 2: be right. And so it actually takes a very special

879
00:46:45,946 --> 00:46:48,706
Speaker 2: skill to be able to say, look, I don't care

880
00:46:48,746 --> 00:46:51,586
Speaker 2: what anybody else thinks, this is what my But being

881
00:46:51,626 --> 00:46:54,186
Speaker 2: a combine scout forces you to be in that moment

882
00:46:54,386 --> 00:46:57,346
Speaker 2: of like you're riding all these players for the up

883
00:46:57,386 --> 00:47:00,706
Speaker 2: for the next year's draft class. And there is no

884
00:47:00,866 --> 00:47:04,186
Speaker 2: mock drafts out, there is no nobody's talking.

885
00:47:04,026 --> 00:47:08,426
Speaker 1: About change from the combine to the draft, and yet

886
00:47:08,466 --> 00:47:10,706
Speaker 1: you hear this guy's rising up aboard. But it's like

887
00:47:10,986 --> 00:47:12,506
Speaker 1: that's the group thing where it's like, well, maybe we

888
00:47:12,546 --> 00:47:13,426
Speaker 1: have taken another look at.

889
00:47:13,306 --> 00:47:18,386
Speaker 2: This guy exactly exactly, And so that's I've always been

890
00:47:18,506 --> 00:47:22,786
Speaker 2: big on the psychological part of the draft process and

891
00:47:23,306 --> 00:47:26,546
Speaker 2: still am. And so but those are the one of

892
00:47:26,586 --> 00:47:30,626
Speaker 2: the things of the group think. The it's a very

893
00:47:30,826 --> 00:47:34,066
Speaker 2: or just the whole conformity. Always look at the Solomon

894
00:47:34,146 --> 00:47:37,306
Speaker 2: Ash conformity experiment that you look at on YouTube, and

895
00:47:37,826 --> 00:47:39,426
Speaker 2: you know, it's all those guys in the room and

896
00:47:39,426 --> 00:47:42,946
Speaker 2: they're looking at these lines on this paper and it's

897
00:47:42,986 --> 00:47:46,546
Speaker 2: this guy. They say all the wrong lines, and then

898
00:47:46,866 --> 00:47:49,106
Speaker 2: the guy knows that he has the right answer, but

899
00:47:49,586 --> 00:47:52,906
Speaker 2: he keeps sharing something else and he's like, oh, shoot,

900
00:47:53,746 --> 00:47:58,506
Speaker 2: it's gotta be three, but everybody's saying two. So I

901
00:47:58,506 --> 00:48:00,786
Speaker 2: guess I'm gonna say two. But in your heart you

902
00:48:00,906 --> 00:48:04,466
Speaker 2: know that no, it was three. It's not it's not two.

903
00:48:05,026 --> 00:48:07,186
Speaker 2: And so those are the things that you know that

904
00:48:07,386 --> 00:48:10,346
Speaker 2: I'm always big one and try to eliminate that group thinking,

905
00:48:10,546 --> 00:48:12,906
Speaker 2: try to cut out that outside noise. But I think

906
00:48:12,946 --> 00:48:17,106
Speaker 2: that being a combine scout really really helped me out

907
00:48:17,306 --> 00:48:19,786
Speaker 2: with that. And you just kind of get training in

908
00:48:19,826 --> 00:48:23,626
Speaker 2: all aspects of scouting, of running a pro day and

909
00:48:23,666 --> 00:48:28,186
Speaker 2: having your own conviction and all that stuff. So doing that,

910
00:48:28,466 --> 00:48:31,906
Speaker 2: you know, or I did the Midwest and cross checked

911
00:48:31,906 --> 00:48:35,506
Speaker 2: the Southeast, and after that I finally got an area

912
00:48:35,626 --> 00:48:39,106
Speaker 2: job doing the Northeast, and you know, we had a

913
00:48:39,146 --> 00:48:43,706
Speaker 2: new regime come in, you know, fit Billy Devaney became

914
00:48:43,706 --> 00:48:47,386
Speaker 2: my general manager and began the Northeast area scout job

915
00:48:47,746 --> 00:48:49,626
Speaker 2: and then the rest of his history.

916
00:48:57,066 --> 00:48:59,506
Speaker 1: Fast forwarding to the you're rising up the chart with

917
00:48:59,546 --> 00:49:03,666
Speaker 1: the Rams go twenty thirteen rolls around. This kid out

918
00:49:03,666 --> 00:49:06,906
Speaker 1: of Pittsburgh is a defensive tackle. What was your initial

919
00:49:06,946 --> 00:49:10,106
Speaker 1: thoughts and feelings on Aaron Donald the prospect?

920
00:49:10,466 --> 00:49:16,186
Speaker 2: So, Aaron Donald, he's another great, great study in terms

921
00:49:16,226 --> 00:49:21,506
Speaker 2: of blocking out the outside noise. And because at the

922
00:49:21,586 --> 00:49:25,906
Speaker 2: time we had I think we had Michael Brockers and

923
00:49:26,586 --> 00:49:32,666
Speaker 2: Kendall Langford and you know, we had already drafted Chris Long,

924
00:49:32,786 --> 00:49:35,866
Speaker 2: So we had these big defensive linemen at the time,

925
00:49:36,226 --> 00:49:40,986
Speaker 2: and I'm going to pitt and I'm like, this guy's amazing,

926
00:49:41,066 --> 00:49:43,986
Speaker 2: but I'm like, the coaches are going to hate him

927
00:49:44,026 --> 00:49:46,946
Speaker 2: because he's not big. And I'm like, and then, so

928
00:49:47,066 --> 00:49:47,666
Speaker 2: now you're.

929
00:49:47,506 --> 00:49:50,786
Speaker 1: Battling sure, you know, going in, how high.

930
00:49:50,626 --> 00:49:53,346
Speaker 2: Of a grade do I give him? Because I get

931
00:49:53,346 --> 00:49:55,106
Speaker 2: this guy this high of a grade, But the coach

932
00:49:55,226 --> 00:49:56,706
Speaker 2: is gonna be like, what are you talking about? This

933
00:49:56,746 --> 00:50:00,666
Speaker 2: guy's only six foot and twenty five. So, but I'll

934
00:50:00,666 --> 00:50:03,466
Speaker 2: never forget. And this is why always say to this day,

935
00:50:03,586 --> 00:50:06,786
Speaker 2: be in tangibles are the separators of success. Is that

936
00:50:08,106 --> 00:50:11,546
Speaker 2: I knew the defensive coordinator at Hit the time, Matt Howise,

937
00:50:11,906 --> 00:50:16,106
Speaker 2: because he was working with Stagnola in that previous staff

938
00:50:16,266 --> 00:50:19,986
Speaker 2: under spags. And so I go in the pit and

939
00:50:20,066 --> 00:50:24,226
Speaker 2: I see Matt and Matt tells me, hey, Brad, are

940
00:50:24,266 --> 00:50:26,146
Speaker 2: you staying for practice? And I said, yeah, yeah. He

941
00:50:26,186 --> 00:50:28,946
Speaker 2: said come out about a half hour early. And he

942
00:50:28,946 --> 00:50:30,666
Speaker 2: didn't tell me why. He just told me to come

943
00:50:30,666 --> 00:50:32,866
Speaker 2: out of half. So I'm thinking as a scout, I'm like, oh,

944
00:50:32,866 --> 00:50:35,666
Speaker 2: he's gonna give me some more background information, some more intel.

945
00:50:35,866 --> 00:50:38,186
Speaker 2: He'll be out of practice earlier. So he didn't tell

946
00:50:38,186 --> 00:50:39,666
Speaker 2: me that. He just told me to come out of practice early.

947
00:50:39,746 --> 00:50:41,186
Speaker 2: So I come out to practice early. You know, they

948
00:50:41,266 --> 00:50:45,146
Speaker 2: practiced in that bubble at the Steelers, the Steelers, and

949
00:50:45,226 --> 00:50:47,666
Speaker 2: so I go out there and I walk out to

950
00:50:47,746 --> 00:50:53,106
Speaker 2: the bubble and it's the ball boys, the equipment managers,

951
00:50:54,026 --> 00:50:57,106
Speaker 2: the specialists, the kickers, the punter of the long snapper,

952
00:50:57,426 --> 00:51:00,426
Speaker 2: and Aaron Donald. Those are the only people in the bubble.

953
00:51:00,786 --> 00:51:04,426
Speaker 2: And Aaron Donald is sitting on this bag fully taped

954
00:51:04,506 --> 00:51:09,186
Speaker 2: up with this twis in his knee as if like, man,

955
00:51:09,186 --> 00:51:14,226
Speaker 2: I've been waiting all day, like where's everybody at because

956
00:51:14,346 --> 00:51:17,626
Speaker 2: I've been waiting on this all day? And so then

957
00:51:17,666 --> 00:51:19,306
Speaker 2: I see Matt House. He comes out with all the

958
00:51:19,386 --> 00:51:23,306
Speaker 2: coaches and Matt goes, Brad, you come out early. I

959
00:51:23,386 --> 00:51:25,426
Speaker 2: was like, yep, and he goes, did you see it said?

960
00:51:26,586 --> 00:51:30,826
Speaker 2: I was like nothing else needed to be said. I

961
00:51:30,866 --> 00:51:35,106
Speaker 2: was like, that's that's it. That's it. So yeah, Aaron Donald,

962
00:51:35,186 --> 00:51:39,426
Speaker 2: I mean, a very talented player for an explosive, very strong,

963
00:51:39,626 --> 00:51:42,146
Speaker 2: I mean all that, very athletic. I mean, he had

964
00:51:42,186 --> 00:51:47,026
Speaker 2: this rare combine. But it's his work in indangibles and

965
00:51:47,146 --> 00:51:51,186
Speaker 2: his passion for football that a lot of people just don't.

966
00:51:51,266 --> 00:51:55,026
Speaker 2: I mean they know now, but at the time, like

967
00:51:55,226 --> 00:51:58,186
Speaker 2: and that was my story that I told, you know,

968
00:51:58,466 --> 00:52:02,066
Speaker 2: less need and Jeff Fisher like, I'm like that said

969
00:52:02,106 --> 00:52:04,426
Speaker 2: it all to me, is that when Matt House told

970
00:52:04,466 --> 00:52:07,266
Speaker 2: me to come out there early, and and sure enough

971
00:52:07,426 --> 00:52:08,706
Speaker 2: he's always been that way.

972
00:52:08,746 --> 00:52:10,946
Speaker 1: When he starts slipping in the draft, are you in

973
00:52:10,986 --> 00:52:13,946
Speaker 1: the war room like, hey guys, Scott or is it understood, Like, hey,

974
00:52:14,026 --> 00:52:15,266
Speaker 1: if he's there, we're taking them.

975
00:52:15,386 --> 00:52:18,026
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was pretty understood. You know, we had two

976
00:52:18,066 --> 00:52:22,226
Speaker 2: picks that year, so you know we had we we

977
00:52:22,426 --> 00:52:28,826
Speaker 2: we took Greg Robinson and then and then you know

978
00:52:29,186 --> 00:52:32,066
Speaker 2: that's the that was the premium position, that was the

979
00:52:32,186 --> 00:52:35,306
Speaker 2: talented you know, what I mean, like, that's that's that's

980
00:52:35,386 --> 00:52:35,906
Speaker 2: what it was.

981
00:52:35,986 --> 00:52:38,626
Speaker 1: So and guess what, every mock draft had Robinson going

982
00:52:38,666 --> 00:52:39,306
Speaker 1: first or second.

983
00:52:39,466 --> 00:52:42,026
Speaker 2: There's no doubt it was himboy Sammy Watkins that I

984
00:52:42,066 --> 00:52:45,506
Speaker 2: think we were targeting, and then finally we just kind

985
00:52:45,506 --> 00:52:48,706
Speaker 2: of severed in on Greg Robinson. But that that was

986
00:52:48,746 --> 00:52:51,306
Speaker 2: a great draft. But I mean that was after that.

987
00:52:51,346 --> 00:52:53,826
Speaker 2: It was so then after that when we when we

988
00:52:53,946 --> 00:52:56,706
Speaker 2: when we got to that next pick, it's like, now, yeah,

989
00:52:57,266 --> 00:53:01,666
Speaker 2: Aaron Donald, you got you know, Mike Evans, you got

990
00:53:02,226 --> 00:53:06,106
Speaker 2: Zach Martin. It's just yeah, so many that was a

991
00:53:06,146 --> 00:53:10,986
Speaker 2: great Odell Beckham, I mean, c J. Bos like, you

992
00:53:11,066 --> 00:53:15,266
Speaker 2: got all these great players and so but you know,

993
00:53:15,626 --> 00:53:19,226
Speaker 2: the sites were said on on Aaron Donald. I never forget.

994
00:53:19,706 --> 00:53:23,586
Speaker 2: We got to that pick and a team called and

995
00:53:23,906 --> 00:53:27,946
Speaker 2: uh they offered a pretty tyson trade offer, and I'm

996
00:53:27,986 --> 00:53:31,786
Speaker 2: never Jeff thetheless was like, absolutely not, We're pitching this guy.

997
00:53:32,106 --> 00:53:35,666
Speaker 2: And that's just it. And uh, I'll never forget in

998
00:53:35,746 --> 00:53:39,346
Speaker 2: that draft meeting of our assistant gentle manager Ray Agne,

999
00:53:40,026 --> 00:53:42,786
Speaker 2: he was the one that really like in that draft

1000
00:53:42,866 --> 00:53:45,226
Speaker 2: meeting leading up to that draft because a lot of

1001
00:53:45,226 --> 00:53:47,866
Speaker 2: people are saying because of the size you know he

1002
00:53:47,986 --> 00:53:52,266
Speaker 2: was going to be a sub rush you know, specialized

1003
00:53:54,026 --> 00:53:57,226
Speaker 2: nickel sub rush guy. And I never forget. Rad was

1004
00:53:57,266 --> 00:53:58,666
Speaker 2: like no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no,

1005
00:53:59,346 --> 00:54:04,106
Speaker 2: he's every day like it is. No, it's no specialized nothing,

1006
00:54:04,346 --> 00:54:07,146
Speaker 2: And like he said it with the most passion. And

1007
00:54:07,186 --> 00:54:11,546
Speaker 2: you know Ray Agnew, you know Tompson Page like he's

1008
00:54:11,626 --> 00:54:14,746
Speaker 2: like when you hear Ray Agnew and Radnews, very salt

1009
00:54:14,746 --> 00:54:17,586
Speaker 2: smoke guy. But when he hit said, I was like, Okay,

1010
00:54:18,346 --> 00:54:19,106
Speaker 2: this is real.

1011
00:54:19,946 --> 00:54:21,826
Speaker 1: They played you guys played Tampa and it was a

1012
00:54:21,866 --> 00:54:24,666
Speaker 1: thunderstorm and I remember I don't know who the decordinator

1013
00:54:24,746 --> 00:54:27,306
Speaker 1: was at the time, as probably Greg Williams. They were

1014
00:54:27,386 --> 00:54:30,786
Speaker 1: lining airing up and outside linebacker in a three four yeah,

1015
00:54:30,786 --> 00:54:32,666
Speaker 1: And I was like, I've never seen this before and

1016
00:54:32,786 --> 00:54:34,626
Speaker 1: it was in a rainstorm and he was just out

1017
00:54:34,666 --> 00:54:37,706
Speaker 1: there sacking quarterbacks from the OLB position.

1018
00:54:37,946 --> 00:54:41,026
Speaker 2: He is he has rare I mean, if you look

1019
00:54:41,106 --> 00:54:44,306
Speaker 2: back at his combine, he had Shuttle times like he

1020
00:54:44,346 --> 00:54:48,106
Speaker 2: had dB Shuttle times, but he just had like thirty

1021
00:54:48,186 --> 00:54:50,986
Speaker 2: reps in two twenty five and ran a four to six.

1022
00:54:51,106 --> 00:54:53,826
Speaker 2: And because of the way he's built and he's still

1023
00:54:53,906 --> 00:54:57,706
Speaker 2: got long arms and he's so explosive, but again, like

1024
00:54:57,786 --> 00:55:01,026
Speaker 2: he's talented. I tell the story all the time about

1025
00:55:01,066 --> 00:55:03,346
Speaker 2: Aaron Donald and I say it about Cooper Cup as well,

1026
00:55:03,466 --> 00:55:07,426
Speaker 2: and I was like, yeah, man, like this guy loves

1027
00:55:07,666 --> 00:55:13,826
Speaker 2: football and he was hard like because that time where

1028
00:55:13,826 --> 00:55:16,026
Speaker 2: he was the first one in that bubble in practice,

1029
00:55:16,266 --> 00:55:19,866
Speaker 2: He's been that way a freaking old day. He's the

1030
00:55:19,866 --> 00:55:23,826
Speaker 2: first one out at practice every day. And I'll never forget,

1031
00:55:23,866 --> 00:55:27,106
Speaker 2: even his rookie year, before he was even starting, I

1032
00:55:27,226 --> 00:55:30,426
Speaker 2: never forget. I had to run to the facility real quick.

1033
00:55:30,466 --> 00:55:35,066
Speaker 2: It was. It was a Saturday Saturday night and I

1034
00:55:35,306 --> 00:55:37,586
Speaker 2: think I was heading out on the road somewhere the

1035
00:55:37,626 --> 00:55:41,386
Speaker 2: next day, and so I run the facility grab stuff,

1036
00:55:41,666 --> 00:55:44,146
Speaker 2: and it was Aaron Donald and he was in the

1037
00:55:44,186 --> 00:55:46,026
Speaker 2: world because I was like, there's no players here. It's

1038
00:55:46,106 --> 00:55:49,786
Speaker 2: like it's like eight nine o'clock at night, Aaron Donald

1039
00:55:49,826 --> 00:55:53,386
Speaker 2: in the whirlpool watching his iPad like he's not even

1040
00:55:53,386 --> 00:55:56,946
Speaker 2: a starter. He's not even the starter, but he's preparing

1041
00:55:57,146 --> 00:56:01,466
Speaker 2: like he's the starter as a rookie. And and it

1042
00:56:01,466 --> 00:56:03,466
Speaker 2: was it was the same way with with with Cooper

1043
00:56:03,506 --> 00:56:05,946
Speaker 2: Cup when you know he drafted him, and that's when

1044
00:56:05,946 --> 00:56:09,066
Speaker 2: it really it hit me. I'm like, look, man, if

1045
00:56:09,066 --> 00:56:12,386
Speaker 2: these players don't have the tangibles, in the passion, in

1046
00:56:12,426 --> 00:56:15,666
Speaker 2: the work ethic, in the football character, it's not gonna work.

1047
00:56:16,106 --> 00:56:17,826
Speaker 2: It's just bottom line.

1048
00:56:18,106 --> 00:56:20,226
Speaker 1: I love this stuff. We're gonna we're gonna do rapid

1049
00:56:20,226 --> 00:56:22,146
Speaker 1: fire and then we're gonna wrap this up. We'ven't been gotten

1050
00:56:22,146 --> 00:56:24,466
Speaker 1: into some of the Lions stuff I want to talk about. Jered,

1051
00:56:24,786 --> 00:56:26,786
Speaker 1: I thought it'll be another time. Yeah, I'm gonna go

1052
00:56:27,106 --> 00:56:29,826
Speaker 1: rapid fire and you just give me some answers and

1053
00:56:30,146 --> 00:56:33,466
Speaker 1: we go from there. Your greatest mentor as a football

1054
00:56:33,506 --> 00:56:36,946
Speaker 1: professional non life, but it's a football person in your career.

1055
00:56:37,026 --> 00:56:39,546
Speaker 1: Who is the person that kind of you look to

1056
00:56:39,666 --> 00:56:41,186
Speaker 1: and say, this guy showed me the ropes?

1057
00:56:42,506 --> 00:56:45,266
Speaker 2: And I have to say, Dick Daniels. I have to

1058
00:56:45,266 --> 00:56:46,106
Speaker 2: say Daniels.

1059
00:56:46,186 --> 00:56:47,626
Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know that name. So tell

1060
00:56:47,626 --> 00:56:48,106
Speaker 1: me who he is.

1061
00:56:48,186 --> 00:56:51,626
Speaker 2: Yeah, so so Dick Daniels. He was a Northeast scout

1062
00:56:51,786 --> 00:56:55,346
Speaker 2: at the time when I first joined the scouting apartment

1063
00:56:55,426 --> 00:56:58,746
Speaker 2: as a scouting intern. And he's the one that kind

1064
00:56:58,746 --> 00:57:01,986
Speaker 2: of took the time out. That's the that's the guy

1065
00:57:02,026 --> 00:57:04,506
Speaker 2: that told me good job after I winning that yark

1066
00:57:04,666 --> 00:57:08,746
Speaker 2: Rooman stilled my gut about this player on this profile

1067
00:57:08,826 --> 00:57:11,986
Speaker 2: tape I made, and and he just kind of told

1068
00:57:11,986 --> 00:57:14,346
Speaker 2: me like, hey, look man, like this is this is

1069
00:57:14,386 --> 00:57:16,346
Speaker 2: what you got to do. This is how you do it.

1070
00:57:16,386 --> 00:57:19,306
Speaker 2: And we went to this college All Star game called

1071
00:57:19,306 --> 00:57:22,146
Speaker 2: the Cactus Boll It was like this small school college

1072
00:57:22,186 --> 00:57:24,666
Speaker 2: all star game down in Texas. This is back when

1073
00:57:24,706 --> 00:57:26,986
Speaker 2: they saw like one forty yard dash and stuff at

1074
00:57:27,026 --> 00:57:30,026
Speaker 2: All Star games. And I remember it was just me

1075
00:57:30,066 --> 00:57:33,866
Speaker 2: and him and every morning before he went out to practice,

1076
00:57:34,266 --> 00:57:36,226
Speaker 2: we would sit in that lobby and he would just

1077
00:57:36,346 --> 00:57:40,026
Speaker 2: tell me just all the ins and outs of Rochster

1078
00:57:40,146 --> 00:57:44,306
Speaker 2: building team building. I mean like he was he was

1079
00:57:44,386 --> 00:57:47,906
Speaker 2: that guy, and you know he had been in the

1080
00:57:48,026 --> 00:57:52,226
Speaker 2: league for thirty years you know then there and he

1081
00:57:52,426 --> 00:57:55,186
Speaker 2: just would just give me so much knowledge and intel.

1082
00:57:55,346 --> 00:57:57,586
Speaker 2: So if I there's a lot of guys, That's why

1083
00:57:57,626 --> 00:58:00,506
Speaker 2: I kind of like that, because a lot of guys

1084
00:58:00,546 --> 00:58:03,106
Speaker 2: I can name. I can name Lawrensman, Cunson, I could,

1085
00:58:04,226 --> 00:58:08,506
Speaker 2: I can name less need but uh, from from the

1086
00:58:08,666 --> 00:58:10,626
Speaker 2: very gig go, I'd have to say the game.

1087
00:58:11,306 --> 00:58:14,826
Speaker 1: Who is the player that you remember being most convicted

1088
00:58:14,826 --> 00:58:18,226
Speaker 1: about and using your voice the loudest and maybe if

1089
00:58:18,226 --> 00:58:20,826
Speaker 1: you want to say, pounding the table to be selected

1090
00:58:21,026 --> 00:58:23,426
Speaker 1: in any any draft, any team you've been a part of.

1091
00:58:24,666 --> 00:58:25,026
Speaker 2: Hm hmm.

1092
00:58:27,066 --> 00:58:28,706
Speaker 1: Could be a late round guy who you're like, hey,

1093
00:58:28,786 --> 00:58:30,546
Speaker 1: let's take a shot on it. Could be a first

1094
00:58:30,586 --> 00:58:33,706
Speaker 1: round pick, someone that you were like, this is my dude.

1095
00:58:34,346 --> 00:58:36,026
Speaker 1: And I remember asking Jason Light about this and he

1096
00:58:36,106 --> 00:58:38,946
Speaker 1: was like, in Philly, Trent Cole was my guy. You know,

1097
00:58:39,066 --> 00:58:41,506
Speaker 1: like you just have this random guy like, that's my guy.

1098
00:58:41,746 --> 00:58:41,946
Speaker 1: You know.

1099
00:58:42,306 --> 00:58:49,386
Speaker 2: For me, it was John Johnson the BC.

1100
00:58:48,746 --> 00:58:49,706
Speaker 1: Talk about it. I love this.

1101
00:58:50,266 --> 00:58:54,026
Speaker 2: So it was funny that draft. I remember it was

1102
00:58:54,066 --> 00:58:58,266
Speaker 2: like that's when we first hired Sean McVay, and you know,

1103
00:58:59,226 --> 00:59:02,066
Speaker 2: we had a lot of new coaches and Less, you know,

1104
00:59:02,226 --> 00:59:06,866
Speaker 2: Less was in that whole hiring process, so you know,

1105
00:59:06,946 --> 00:59:09,666
Speaker 2: he usually is like deep diving and everything all the time.

1106
00:59:09,706 --> 00:59:11,986
Speaker 2: He didn't have that kind of time because we're doing this.

1107
00:59:12,226 --> 00:59:14,666
Speaker 1: No, he's interviewing Doug Maroon and guy.

1108
00:59:14,946 --> 00:59:20,626
Speaker 2: Regime makeover and so I'll never forget. We get into

1109
00:59:20,706 --> 00:59:23,226
Speaker 2: the third round and you get to those points in

1110
00:59:23,266 --> 00:59:28,026
Speaker 2: the draft where the board just looks kind of foggy,

1111
00:59:28,146 --> 00:59:32,506
Speaker 2: like no one's really standing out. No, one's really it's

1112
00:59:32,546 --> 00:59:37,066
Speaker 2: just kind of just static and staying and everyone's kind

1113
00:59:37,066 --> 00:59:41,186
Speaker 2: of staring at it, and you know, everybody started names

1114
00:59:41,266 --> 00:59:43,946
Speaker 2: and I just said, I was just like John Johnson.

1115
00:59:44,106 --> 00:59:47,026
Speaker 2: I said, just let's just pick John Johnson. And I

1116
00:59:47,106 --> 00:59:51,026
Speaker 2: never forget Wade Phillips. He looks over at me and

1117
00:59:51,066 --> 00:59:53,346
Speaker 2: he's like John Johnson. I said, I'm telling you, this

1118
00:59:53,386 --> 00:59:56,426
Speaker 2: guy's a starter, Like he's a starter. So Wade Phillips.

1119
00:59:56,466 --> 00:59:58,826
Speaker 2: I love Way Phillips. He just like, oh, he's a

1120
00:59:58,866 --> 01:00:04,346
Speaker 2: starter man. And so I just so I just kept

1121
01:00:04,386 --> 01:00:07,106
Speaker 2: on the table for John Johnson. I that I'm telling

1122
01:00:07,146 --> 01:00:10,026
Speaker 2: you John Johnson like, because I remember I went out

1123
01:00:10,066 --> 01:00:13,146
Speaker 2: the BC Yukon game saw him live, Like I just

1124
01:00:13,226 --> 01:00:15,586
Speaker 2: love what I saw out of him, like another guy

1125
01:00:15,786 --> 01:00:18,666
Speaker 2: just high and tangible is how working. I actually thought

1126
01:00:18,666 --> 01:00:21,146
Speaker 2: he was going to be more of a coverage player

1127
01:00:21,306 --> 01:00:24,226
Speaker 2: and then he actually transformed himself into more of a

1128
01:00:24,386 --> 01:00:28,106
Speaker 2: box kind of player. But I'll never forget. I just

1129
01:00:28,146 --> 01:00:30,746
Speaker 2: that that was the moment I think that I felt like,

1130
01:00:30,866 --> 01:00:33,106
Speaker 2: you know, I had just like a voice, and I

1131
01:00:33,106 --> 01:00:36,826
Speaker 2: think it was a needed voice because everybody was new,

1132
01:00:37,226 --> 01:00:39,506
Speaker 2: Like you know, he had a whole new coaching staff,

1133
01:00:39,586 --> 01:00:42,386
Speaker 2: you know, we did just a lot of change and

1134
01:00:42,546 --> 01:00:45,666
Speaker 2: you know, make over there and I'll never forget, you know,

1135
01:00:45,706 --> 01:00:46,546
Speaker 2: I just had a lot of.

1136
01:00:48,306 --> 01:00:51,146
Speaker 1: You're in New Orleans NFC Championship game a few years later,

1137
01:00:51,146 --> 01:00:52,466
Speaker 1: who makes the biggest play of the game.

1138
01:00:53,026 --> 01:00:57,466
Speaker 2: Oh well, you can say a lot of guys did,

1139
01:00:59,506 --> 01:01:02,026
Speaker 2: but I actually think Jared Golf played one of his

1140
01:01:02,106 --> 01:01:06,986
Speaker 2: best games there. Johnson made the big pig at the end.

1141
01:01:07,386 --> 01:01:10,666
Speaker 1: Yes, that Golf was awesome in that game, you know everyone,

1142
01:01:10,906 --> 01:01:13,466
Speaker 1: And I've worked with Sean Payton this past year and

1143
01:01:13,706 --> 01:01:16,546
Speaker 1: he's still sensitive about it because obviously the non call

1144
01:01:16,586 --> 01:01:18,626
Speaker 1: on the Nicole Roby Coleman thing. But I always said,

1145
01:01:19,786 --> 01:01:22,346
Speaker 1: you're up thirteen to nothing at home, you got you

1146
01:01:22,346 --> 01:01:24,706
Speaker 1: got the ball first in overtime, you got to close

1147
01:01:24,746 --> 01:01:28,506
Speaker 1: the door. But Jared Golf that day would not quit it.

1148
01:01:30,426 --> 01:01:33,026
Speaker 2: Like what people don't realize about the game. It was.

1149
01:01:33,866 --> 01:01:37,826
Speaker 2: It was the loudest thing ever. And it's like he

1150
01:01:38,026 --> 01:01:41,386
Speaker 2: literally he couldn't hear his headset win all these He's

1151
01:01:41,826 --> 01:01:44,906
Speaker 2: busting enough to try to run to the receiver before

1152
01:01:44,906 --> 01:01:47,586
Speaker 2: the PLAYFOD game to tell him to sit like that.

1153
01:01:47,946 --> 01:01:50,226
Speaker 2: It wasn't just about his stats, about him throwing. It

1154
01:01:50,266 --> 01:01:52,826
Speaker 2: was about the adversity came through. But it's funny saying

1155
01:01:52,826 --> 01:01:56,106
Speaker 2: that about Sean Payton because I talked about I talked

1156
01:01:56,106 --> 01:02:00,946
Speaker 2: to Dan about that game and this is sure. Yeah,

1157
01:02:01,066 --> 01:02:04,226
Speaker 2: And and you know Dan, like me and Dan are

1158
01:02:04,346 --> 01:02:07,986
Speaker 2: just we're so much like the same in person. Dan

1159
01:02:08,226 --> 01:02:13,066
Speaker 2: he never said anything about all that call was. You know, No,

1160
01:02:13,346 --> 01:02:16,146
Speaker 2: he was like, no, we shouldn't have put ourselves in

1161
01:02:16,226 --> 01:02:18,626
Speaker 2: position to actually get it up, you know what I mean, Like,

1162
01:02:19,386 --> 01:02:22,306
Speaker 2: you know, he like, we're all about accountability, Like that's

1163
01:02:22,386 --> 01:02:27,346
Speaker 2: just weighing so much in our building. And Dan was like, no, no, man,

1164
01:02:27,386 --> 01:02:30,546
Speaker 2: we shouldn't have put ourselves in the position to actually

1165
01:02:30,546 --> 01:02:32,506
Speaker 2: give y'all an opportunity to do that, you know what

1166
01:02:32,546 --> 01:02:35,826
Speaker 2: I mean. So you know, you gotta love Dan's response

1167
01:02:35,906 --> 01:02:38,266
Speaker 2: on that. This is like, that's such a Dan Campbell.

1168
01:02:39,226 --> 01:02:42,706
Speaker 1: Were you were you at Jared Goff's pro day at Cow?

1169
01:02:42,906 --> 01:02:43,826
Speaker 1: Were you there that day?

1170
01:02:44,106 --> 01:02:45,906
Speaker 2: No? I wasn't at the pro day.

1171
01:02:46,226 --> 01:02:49,106
Speaker 1: They speak, they speaking legendary. I mean, I think Mike

1172
01:02:49,146 --> 01:02:51,226
Speaker 1: Silver wrote a beautiful piece on it when it happened.

1173
01:02:51,266 --> 01:02:55,826
Speaker 1: But like the Rams, whatever its private workout or a private.

1174
01:02:55,106 --> 01:03:00,586
Speaker 2: It was a problem. Range. Yeah, we actually purposely didn't

1175
01:03:00,626 --> 01:03:03,226
Speaker 2: really send people out to his pro daye because we

1176
01:03:03,306 --> 01:03:06,066
Speaker 2: kind of, yeah, we kind of wanted to keep it

1177
01:03:06,066 --> 01:03:10,306
Speaker 2: close to the best. But no, I remember the private

1178
01:03:10,346 --> 01:03:15,066
Speaker 2: workout and I wasn't there, but I know less you know, Jeff,

1179
01:03:15,106 --> 01:03:18,226
Speaker 2: all those guys were there and you just heard it

1180
01:03:18,266 --> 01:03:20,826
Speaker 2: was just like man like because I think they did

1181
01:03:20,986 --> 01:03:26,146
Speaker 2: him and Carson Wentz like back to back, and I

1182
01:03:26,146 --> 01:03:28,826
Speaker 2: guess you know, it was all good for Carson Wentz

1183
01:03:28,866 --> 01:03:31,906
Speaker 2: in terms of the weather and the conditions, but Jared

1184
01:03:32,026 --> 01:03:34,386
Speaker 2: and I never I think we kind of gave Jared

1185
01:03:34,506 --> 01:03:36,906
Speaker 2: a choice to move the location.

1186
01:03:36,906 --> 01:03:37,586
Speaker 1: And he's like, no.

1187
01:03:38,866 --> 01:03:42,666
Speaker 2: Let's go, and and he was out there just whipping it, man,

1188
01:03:42,746 --> 01:03:47,186
Speaker 2: and he's extremely talented, and I'm so happy for him.

1189
01:03:47,506 --> 01:03:48,306
Speaker 2: Just kind of too.

1190
01:03:49,586 --> 01:03:51,306
Speaker 1: I mean, I've been covering Jared since he got in,

1191
01:03:51,426 --> 01:03:54,306
Speaker 1: but like for you, it's a personal connection where you know,

1192
01:03:54,706 --> 01:03:57,666
Speaker 1: you draft him in La then you yourself get this

1193
01:03:57,746 --> 01:03:59,426
Speaker 1: job in Detroit in the first big movie you make,

1194
01:03:59,426 --> 01:04:01,826
Speaker 1: because you trade their franchise quarterback. And it almost felt

1195
01:04:01,826 --> 01:04:03,346
Speaker 1: like it was a throw in, like yeah, we'll give

1196
01:04:03,346 --> 01:04:07,266
Speaker 1: you golf, but here's Jared Gofflinlast year as one of

1197
01:04:07,266 --> 01:04:08,666
Speaker 1: the best quarterbacks in the NFC.

1198
01:04:08,746 --> 01:04:11,506
Speaker 2: Well, I remember when we were hammering out the details

1199
01:04:11,506 --> 01:04:14,146
Speaker 2: of the trade. I mean, because you know, it was

1200
01:04:14,226 --> 01:04:18,186
Speaker 2: kind of that carousel of available quarterbacks that year in

1201
01:04:18,306 --> 01:04:20,226
Speaker 2: terms of like who was going to be available. So

1202
01:04:20,826 --> 01:04:24,466
Speaker 2: obviously you know Stafford was getting traded to the Rams,

1203
01:04:24,506 --> 01:04:27,266
Speaker 2: but I never, forget less asked me. He was like,

1204
01:04:27,946 --> 01:04:30,786
Speaker 2: do you want Jared in this trade? And I was like,

1205
01:04:31,346 --> 01:04:35,226
Speaker 2: hell yeah, like absolutely, Like it wasn't like, just give

1206
01:04:35,306 --> 01:04:37,106
Speaker 2: me any quarterback and I was like, no, I want

1207
01:04:37,226 --> 01:04:40,066
Speaker 2: Jared in this trade. And the reason why I'm so

1208
01:04:40,986 --> 01:04:43,266
Speaker 2: proud of him and I'm so happy for him is

1209
01:04:43,346 --> 01:04:47,586
Speaker 2: because that first year, man, like you know, look, it

1210
01:04:47,666 --> 01:04:51,266
Speaker 2: was almost like the guy as a starter in LA,

1211
01:04:51,546 --> 01:04:54,706
Speaker 2: Like we're out of five years, he's in the postseason,

1212
01:04:54,786 --> 01:05:01,666
Speaker 2: if not super Bowl, and so it's like the one

1213
01:05:01,746 --> 01:05:04,786
Speaker 2: year that he did. But yeah, so like we make

1214
01:05:04,866 --> 01:05:09,266
Speaker 2: the trade, and the way that the narrative was of

1215
01:05:09,346 --> 01:05:11,706
Speaker 2: how the trade went, it kind of went like up

1216
01:05:11,746 --> 01:05:14,386
Speaker 2: when Jared Goff came play, and I'm like, dude, this

1217
01:05:14,426 --> 01:05:17,386
Speaker 2: guy was just in the divisional playing with a broken hand,

1218
01:05:17,386 --> 01:05:19,946
Speaker 2: completing seven percent of its passes, Like why can't he

1219
01:05:19,986 --> 01:05:23,946
Speaker 2: play anymore? So then we start the season and me

1220
01:05:23,986 --> 01:05:26,506
Speaker 2: and Dan we tear the roster down to the stunt.

1221
01:05:26,706 --> 01:05:29,346
Speaker 2: I mean literally, the only thing we really had was

1222
01:05:29,386 --> 01:05:32,986
Speaker 2: an offensive line, and even all of those guys got hurt.

1223
01:05:33,026 --> 01:05:36,506
Speaker 2: I mean, besides Finny Sewell, all those guys are beat up.

1224
01:05:36,586 --> 01:05:40,786
Speaker 2: So we really didn't have much in the skill player department.

1225
01:05:40,866 --> 01:05:42,546
Speaker 2: We didn't really, I mean, we had a beat up

1226
01:05:42,586 --> 01:05:44,986
Speaker 2: offensive line. We didn't really have any weapons around him

1227
01:05:45,026 --> 01:05:48,066
Speaker 2: to throw to, Like we thought that we didn't have

1228
01:05:48,066 --> 01:05:50,626
Speaker 2: any money to play with in free agency really, so

1229
01:05:50,746 --> 01:05:53,946
Speaker 2: we kind of had to play the cow formula. And

1230
01:05:54,026 --> 01:05:56,986
Speaker 2: then we got Tyroll Williams number Shan Paarriman as like

1231
01:05:57,106 --> 01:06:00,586
Speaker 2: the y oh we have those guys, and then Tyler

1232
01:06:00,626 --> 01:06:03,386
Speaker 2: Williams kind of gets hurt. He's there. We cut with

1233
01:06:03,466 --> 01:06:07,146
Speaker 2: Sean Pairman. So now we have like this rookie Moners

1234
01:06:07,426 --> 01:06:12,466
Speaker 2: Brown and that like that's it and so and then

1235
01:06:12,506 --> 01:06:15,746
Speaker 2: we kind of claim but you know, everything that he

1236
01:06:15,866 --> 01:06:19,306
Speaker 2: went through that year. I mean, you know, you gotta

1237
01:06:19,346 --> 01:06:24,866
Speaker 2: think Detroit, you're talking about a football town, like this

1238
01:06:24,946 --> 01:06:30,066
Speaker 2: is a fan base that is unlike anything I've ever experienced.

1239
01:06:30,146 --> 01:06:35,546
Speaker 2: Like this fan base, they care about their football. I

1240
01:06:35,586 --> 01:06:40,426
Speaker 2: mean it's legit. I absolutely love them, but they're mad

1241
01:06:40,466 --> 01:06:43,346
Speaker 2: at Jared. I mean, he was getting the booze and

1242
01:06:43,386 --> 01:06:46,146
Speaker 2: all that, and I'm like, all right, we don't have

1243
01:06:46,226 --> 01:06:49,106
Speaker 2: any weapons for this guy. Offensive line is beat up.

1244
01:06:49,306 --> 01:06:53,746
Speaker 2: We had to make a mid season offensive coordinator change

1245
01:06:54,786 --> 01:06:57,306
Speaker 2: plays for the first time. Actually did a really good

1246
01:06:57,386 --> 01:07:02,146
Speaker 2: job at it. But and I'm like, what quarterback would

1247
01:07:02,386 --> 01:07:07,146
Speaker 2: be successful going through that kind of situation? Way Like,

1248
01:07:07,186 --> 01:07:09,466
Speaker 2: I don't I don't know what quarterback would be six

1249
01:07:09,586 --> 01:07:11,146
Speaker 2: I like, I.

1250
01:07:11,186 --> 01:07:13,226
Speaker 1: Tell you something also doesn't.

1251
01:07:12,986 --> 01:07:15,346
Speaker 2: Happen, doesn't have an offensive line, didn't have.

1252
01:07:15,306 --> 01:07:17,466
Speaker 1: A no c Like, do you know where I got

1253
01:07:17,466 --> 01:07:19,506
Speaker 1: my respect for him? The toughness and all that's great,

1254
01:07:19,506 --> 01:07:22,466
Speaker 1: and that's quarterbacks. And Yeah, didn't say a peep, didn't

1255
01:07:22,506 --> 01:07:25,066
Speaker 1: speak negatively about McVeigh once, even though there was rumors

1256
01:07:25,106 --> 01:07:26,946
Speaker 1: out there that like, oh yeah, McVeigh couldn't win within

1257
01:07:26,986 --> 01:07:31,666
Speaker 1: him just kind of put his head down, went to work. Okay,

1258
01:07:31,826 --> 01:07:33,626
Speaker 1: I'm a quarterback, let's go. And I know he's a

1259
01:07:33,666 --> 01:07:34,866
Speaker 1: number one pick and he makes a lot of money.

1260
01:07:34,866 --> 01:07:37,226
Speaker 1: And everyone says, well, that's what It's a lot easier

1261
01:07:37,266 --> 01:07:38,066
Speaker 1: said than done.

1262
01:07:38,386 --> 01:07:42,386
Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely, And that's I've always said about Yeah, like

1263
01:07:42,426 --> 01:07:44,586
Speaker 2: you said, like the toughness, Yeah, the quarter you gotta

1264
01:07:44,626 --> 01:07:47,986
Speaker 2: have that, but the mental and I've always respected Jared's

1265
01:07:48,066 --> 01:07:51,706
Speaker 2: mental toughness, Like he that's one trait of him that

1266
01:07:51,866 --> 01:07:54,506
Speaker 2: I think kind of goes under the radar a little bit,

1267
01:07:54,626 --> 01:07:59,186
Speaker 2: But he has like top level, elite mental toughness because

1268
01:07:59,186 --> 01:08:00,586
Speaker 2: I've seen a lot of things that he's been to,

1269
01:08:00,666 --> 01:08:03,986
Speaker 2: Like if something off that NFC Championship game first New Orleans,

1270
01:08:04,066 --> 01:08:07,426
Speaker 2: like people want to talk about, like the noise that

1271
01:08:07,506 --> 01:08:09,106
Speaker 2: he had to deal with and all that stuff, But

1272
01:08:09,466 --> 01:08:11,626
Speaker 2: he goes to that twenty one season and he does

1273
01:08:11,706 --> 01:08:15,386
Speaker 2: not complain. He just goes through it and it starts

1274
01:08:15,426 --> 01:08:18,546
Speaker 2: coming together late in the season and then you know,

1275
01:08:18,626 --> 01:08:20,986
Speaker 2: he has a year that he had last year, and

1276
01:08:21,066 --> 01:08:24,626
Speaker 2: now it's like, oh, Jared Golf's good, And I'm like, well,

1277
01:08:25,146 --> 01:08:29,226
Speaker 2: he's actually always been good. But everybody, like I talk

1278
01:08:29,226 --> 01:08:32,666
Speaker 2: about the psychology of the process, it's the recency box,

1279
01:08:32,986 --> 01:08:35,226
Speaker 2: and it's like, oh, well, the last thing we saw

1280
01:08:35,386 --> 01:08:37,506
Speaker 2: is Jared Golf got cast it off, so he can't

1281
01:08:37,506 --> 01:08:39,746
Speaker 2: play anymore. It the last thing we saw is him

1282
01:08:39,786 --> 01:08:42,066
Speaker 2: in twenty twenty one, so he can't play anymore. Right,

1283
01:08:42,226 --> 01:08:45,466
Speaker 2: Like I'm like no, he can't play. So when he

1284
01:08:45,506 --> 01:08:47,826
Speaker 2: had the season he had last year, I think a

1285
01:08:47,866 --> 01:08:51,786
Speaker 2: lot of people were like, oh, Jared Golf, and I'm like, no,

1286
01:08:52,066 --> 01:08:55,026
Speaker 2: he's He's always been a good quarterback. He's always been

1287
01:08:55,146 --> 01:08:58,666
Speaker 2: uber talented, you know, he's always had those traits to

1288
01:08:59,026 --> 01:09:02,506
Speaker 2: excel the football team. And so again I'm just super happy.

1289
01:09:02,906 --> 01:09:05,666
Speaker 2: But like what you're saying about him, not complaining him,

1290
01:09:05,706 --> 01:09:10,306
Speaker 2: not you know, saying this and that, Like that's what

1291
01:09:10,426 --> 01:09:13,906
Speaker 2: makes him pretty cool. He's a Detroit line like he's

1292
01:09:14,306 --> 01:09:18,986
Speaker 2: he's he's that, Like he's embodied what the city's about.

1293
01:09:19,066 --> 01:09:21,906
Speaker 2: And I think the toughness and everything that he's endured

1294
01:09:21,946 --> 01:09:24,466
Speaker 2: and I think everybody just has a lot more appreciation

1295
01:09:24,506 --> 01:09:27,426
Speaker 2: about him. Man. Again, i think we'll be even better

1296
01:09:27,666 --> 01:09:31,946
Speaker 2: offensively this year coming up, and I'm just I'm excited

1297
01:09:31,946 --> 01:09:32,266
Speaker 2: about it.

1298
01:09:32,266 --> 01:09:33,666
Speaker 1: All Right, we've been on for over now, we're going

1299
01:09:33,706 --> 01:09:36,546
Speaker 1: to wrap it here one last Yeah, it's been amazing.

1300
01:09:36,586 --> 01:09:38,346
Speaker 1: I could do I could honestly do an audiobook with

1301
01:09:38,386 --> 01:09:40,626
Speaker 1: you for six hours. I'm loving this. I want to

1302
01:09:40,626 --> 01:09:43,146
Speaker 1: talk about Tavon Austin. I want to talk about Steedman Bailey.

1303
01:09:43,186 --> 01:09:45,146
Speaker 1: I want to go I want to go deep I

1304
01:09:45,226 --> 01:09:48,226
Speaker 1: want to go deep, dude, I want to talk about

1305
01:09:48,266 --> 01:09:49,386
Speaker 1: what that was Another.

1306
01:09:49,186 --> 01:09:52,986
Speaker 2: One of those drafts though, man like that twenty thirteen drafts.

1307
01:09:53,026 --> 01:09:55,506
Speaker 1: Man, I know I want to talk Toby Dress for

1308
01:09:55,546 --> 01:09:58,386
Speaker 1: the next hour with you. Let's wrap it with this.

1309
01:09:58,546 --> 01:10:01,146
Speaker 1: Lions fans listening, this is the first time in two

1310
01:10:01,146 --> 01:10:03,466
Speaker 1: decades I'd say that they actually have a little pep

1311
01:10:03,466 --> 01:10:05,986
Speaker 1: in their step and there's actual some national media attention. Saint,

1312
01:10:06,026 --> 01:10:08,866
Speaker 1: the Lions could be the team. I know you're excited

1313
01:10:08,906 --> 01:10:10,346
Speaker 1: with what you've built. What would be your message to

1314
01:10:10,386 --> 01:10:12,026
Speaker 1: Lions fans as we head towards the start.

1315
01:10:11,826 --> 01:10:14,826
Speaker 2: A training camp, you know, just continue to stick with

1316
01:10:14,906 --> 01:10:18,226
Speaker 2: us and just continue to know that we're not done yet,

1317
01:10:18,466 --> 01:10:22,306
Speaker 2: and just know that we're always gonna work hard, keep

1318
01:10:22,346 --> 01:10:24,826
Speaker 2: our pedal to the metal, is going to stay aggressive.

1319
01:10:25,546 --> 01:10:28,506
Speaker 2: You know. I love the fact that it's a lot

1320
01:10:28,546 --> 01:10:31,586
Speaker 2: of this what they call buzz and hope, and I

1321
01:10:32,146 --> 01:10:36,306
Speaker 2: think this fan base and our city deserves that just

1322
01:10:36,706 --> 01:10:38,826
Speaker 2: through all that they've been through. But at the end

1323
01:10:38,906 --> 01:10:41,586
Speaker 2: of the day, me and Dan know that, you know,

1324
01:10:41,866 --> 01:10:44,826
Speaker 2: we hadn't made the playoffs yet, and so that's that

1325
01:10:44,826 --> 01:10:46,666
Speaker 2: that's what has to be. We got to get in

1326
01:10:46,746 --> 01:10:49,506
Speaker 2: the dance and uh, you know we we we have

1327
01:10:49,706 --> 01:10:52,226
Speaker 2: full faith and optimism that I think we have the

1328
01:10:52,306 --> 01:10:55,346
Speaker 2: right structure place, uh that that we can we can

1329
01:10:55,386 --> 01:10:57,426
Speaker 2: get that done. But uh, we got to go out

1330
01:10:57,466 --> 01:11:01,306
Speaker 2: and improve it. And that's that's how we're wired. We're

1331
01:11:01,306 --> 01:11:03,826
Speaker 2: We're all about accountability and earning it and do it

1332
01:11:03,866 --> 01:11:06,426
Speaker 2: the right way. And that's what the city of Detroit is.

1333
01:11:06,706 --> 01:11:10,346
Speaker 2: It's roll up to sleeves, get it done, no excuses,

1334
01:11:10,626 --> 01:11:14,186
Speaker 2: and just know that you know that your your your

1335
01:11:14,186 --> 01:11:17,466
Speaker 2: football team is doing the exact same thing. And I

1336
01:11:17,466 --> 01:11:21,346
Speaker 2: think it's a lot of reasons for the optimism and excitement,

1337
01:11:21,466 --> 01:11:25,346
Speaker 2: but I do think that you know, all the very

1338
01:11:25,466 --> 01:11:28,266
Speaker 2: healthy and all that. I do think that the fans

1339
01:11:28,306 --> 01:11:29,346
Speaker 2: would be really excited.

1340
01:11:29,386 --> 01:11:32,266
Speaker 1: And first game Thursday night kickoff.

1341
01:11:33,306 --> 01:11:35,266
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Brad Holmes.

1342
01:11:34,906 --> 01:11:36,826
Speaker 1: This was awesome. Honestly, I feel like we should do

1343
01:11:36,866 --> 01:11:38,586
Speaker 1: a weekly hour long show.

1344
01:11:38,706 --> 01:11:40,946
Speaker 2: Oh this is awesome. I didn't even know it's an hour.

1345
01:11:41,106 --> 01:11:43,386
Speaker 2: I'm like, you've been a good conversation.

1346
01:11:43,066 --> 01:11:45,426
Speaker 1: Out the clocks. I love talking to you. I think

1347
01:11:45,466 --> 01:11:47,586
Speaker 1: you're great at what you do. But I really honestly

1348
01:11:47,626 --> 01:11:50,866
Speaker 1: think you've got great perspective, not only on football, but

1349
01:11:50,906 --> 01:11:52,986
Speaker 1: on life. And it's cool your path.

1350
01:11:53,026 --> 01:11:53,106
Speaker 2: Man.

1351
01:11:53,106 --> 01:11:54,906
Speaker 1: I didn't know the enterprise running car stuff, but it

1352
01:11:54,986 --> 01:11:57,066
Speaker 1: makes a lot of sense to me. As well rounded

1353
01:11:57,066 --> 01:11:58,946
Speaker 1: a guy as you'll meet in the NFL. I love

1354
01:11:58,946 --> 01:12:00,226
Speaker 1: you coming on, Thanks so much for joining.

1355
01:12:00,626 --> 01:12:02,946
Speaker 2: Thanks a lot. You do it the right way man.

1356
01:12:02,946 --> 01:12:04,986
Speaker 2: I got a lot of respect for what you do. Man,

1357
01:12:05,066 --> 01:12:06,226
Speaker 2: And you know you.

1358
01:12:07,786 --> 01:12:09,826
Speaker 1: Hey, I had I had Jack Campbell in my top

1359
01:12:09,866 --> 01:12:17,866
Speaker 1: ten just so you know. In Brad Holmes, everybody thanks Brad.

1360
01:12:18,706 --> 01:12:24,506
Speaker 1: All right, all right, So if you're listening to that,

1361
01:12:24,586 --> 01:12:26,306
Speaker 1: you're like, all right, this is the guy. That's the guy.

1362
01:12:26,386 --> 01:12:27,786
Speaker 1: The Lions are in great hands.

1363
01:12:27,826 --> 01:12:28,066
Speaker 2: Aaron.

1364
01:12:28,106 --> 01:12:30,946
Speaker 1: I don't know if you had a great familiarity with

1365
01:12:30,946 --> 01:12:34,666
Speaker 1: with Brad Holmes, Aaron Kaufman, my producer. Your thoughts.

1366
01:12:35,066 --> 01:12:38,146
Speaker 3: I mean, I love hearing his like his stories from

1367
01:12:38,146 --> 01:12:40,506
Speaker 3: the draft room and and you know, it's such a

1368
01:12:40,546 --> 01:12:44,586
Speaker 3: real story. Everyone is talking about every pick and the

1369
01:12:44,626 --> 01:12:47,946
Speaker 3: Lions in particular had so many comments that you know,

1370
01:12:47,986 --> 01:12:52,546
Speaker 3: every draft pundit is talking about they took the wrong people.

1371
01:12:52,346 --> 01:12:53,306
Speaker 1: At each spot.

1372
01:12:53,466 --> 01:12:56,186
Speaker 3: And I love hearing him just being like, no, this

1373
01:12:56,186 --> 01:12:57,666
Speaker 3: guy was was like you.

1374
01:12:57,626 --> 01:13:01,506
Speaker 1: Said, yeah, who we want Amble as a top fourteen guy.

1375
01:13:01,666 --> 01:13:06,866
Speaker 1: So screw it, We're taking him Enterprise rental car to

1376
01:13:07,186 --> 01:13:10,146
Speaker 1: working as a as an assistant to the media coordinator

1377
01:13:10,226 --> 01:13:12,586
Speaker 1: with the Atlanta Hawks in a different sport, to working

1378
01:13:12,626 --> 01:13:15,906
Speaker 1: at the airport. Like I hear that stuff and it's like, yeah,

1379
01:13:15,906 --> 01:13:17,946
Speaker 1: there's there's it takes hard.

1380
01:13:17,746 --> 01:13:22,586
Speaker 3: Work, yeah, yeah, and his resilience and like sticking with

1381
01:13:22,626 --> 01:13:25,946
Speaker 3: it and just I also loved I was out in

1382
01:13:25,946 --> 01:13:27,786
Speaker 3: the field and I saw these guys that were over

1383
01:13:27,786 --> 01:13:28,826
Speaker 3: there helping with practice.

1384
01:13:28,866 --> 01:13:29,666
Speaker 1: I was like, what are they?

1385
01:13:29,826 --> 01:13:35,946
Speaker 3: Oh, I want to be that Yeah.

1386
01:13:34,026 --> 01:13:37,106
Speaker 1: Brad Holmes was awesome. If you're listening and you're an Alliance fan,

1387
01:13:37,186 --> 01:13:38,706
Speaker 1: I think you got to feel pretty good. If you're

1388
01:13:38,706 --> 01:13:40,386
Speaker 1: not a Lions fan, you gotta at least respect the

1389
01:13:40,386 --> 01:13:41,986
Speaker 1: hell of the guy who's calling the shots in the

1390
01:13:41,986 --> 01:13:44,666
Speaker 1: front office. This is the season with Peter Schrieger. Is

1391
01:13:44,666 --> 01:13:47,106
Speaker 1: what we do. We talk to men and women around

1392
01:13:47,106 --> 01:13:48,346
Speaker 1: the league and we try to get them in a

1393
01:13:48,346 --> 01:13:50,146
Speaker 1: different light than you usually see in front of a

1394
01:13:50,746 --> 01:13:53,386
Speaker 1: press conference or at a podium. It's produced by the

1395
01:13:53,386 --> 01:13:56,426
Speaker 1: great Aaron Wan Kaufman. I want to thank Chason English.

1396
01:13:56,546 --> 01:13:58,586
Speaker 1: I want to thank Kurt our editor who's going to

1397
01:13:58,586 --> 01:14:00,306
Speaker 1: do a bang up job on this, I want to

1398
01:14:00,306 --> 01:14:03,266
Speaker 1: thank Jack Rudd, our music maestro. I also want to

1399
01:14:03,266 --> 01:14:06,346
Speaker 1: thank over on the NFL side, the great Chason Kleinman

1400
01:14:06,946 --> 01:14:10,146
Speaker 1: and Matt Schneider and Meredith Batt and David Jurenka and

1401
01:14:10,186 --> 01:14:13,466
Speaker 1: their team at NFL Media having a blast. Gu season

1402
01:14:13,506 --> 01:14:16,826
Speaker 1: is rapidly approaching, but these off season episodes are some

1403
01:14:16,826 --> 01:14:18,866
Speaker 1: of my favorite. Hope you listen to next week's Got

1404
01:14:18,906 --> 01:14:30,106
Speaker 1: Another Good Guest Up Ahead the season with Peter Schrager

1405
01:14:30,226 --> 01:14:33,506
Speaker 1: is a production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio.

1406
01:14:33,866 --> 01:14:38,306
Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

1407
01:14:38,546 --> 01:14:40,666
Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.