WEBVTT - Drive Time - Ted Karras Feature 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:07.960 Fractors or part touchdown. What a win for this Miami 0:00:08.000 --> 0:00:13.640 Dolphin team. Wow? What is up? Dolphans? And welcome to 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:17.800 the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami Dolphins official 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:22.480 podcast network, covering your Miami Dolphins each and every day. 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:26.040 How's it going, everybody? I am your host, Travis Wingfield, 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:28.520 and I am here to bring you your daily dose 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:32.120 of Miami Dolphins football. And on today's show, it's kind 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:36.000 of Christmas Eve football fans, Chiefs and Texans Tomorrow a 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:40.239 tasty little appetizer three days ahead of Dolphins Patriots. We're 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:43.800 gonna hear from Coach Flores, some Dolphins players and roll 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.960 our exclusive interview are weekly Wednesday feature with new Dolphins 0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:51.960 center Ted Carris. All of that and more on this Wednesday, September, 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:59.200 the ninth edition of the Drivetime Podcast Dolphins. We're gonna 0:00:59.240 --> 0:01:01.880 get you injury sports later at the end of this podcast, 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:04.560 perhaps on Thursday show. We'll see when they come out. 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.280 When this podcast publishes, and if we don't cover on 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:09.720 the podcast, you can always check out Miami Dolphins dot 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.200 com the daily top news story to get caught up 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.839 on all the latest around this Miami Dolphins football team 0:01:15.000 --> 0:01:17.640 and with that. Today, let's go ahead and jump right 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:21.280 in to coach Flores is Wednesday morning media availability, now 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:24.200 just four days away from the opener in New England, 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:27.160 and we start here on a topic that coach mentioned 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:30.000 earlier in the week, maybe it was last week, about 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:32.480 the variety of players that are gonna see playing time 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:35.520 on Sunday compared to a normal season opener where you 0:01:35.560 --> 0:01:39.280 have four preseason games, an entire offseason program, and how 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:41.560 this year it's different. How this year you'll have a 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:44.520 handful of players that might see the full sixty seventy snaps, 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:46.560 but for the most part, guys are gonna work their 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:49.480 way into the lineup slowly. Yeah, I mean, I think 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:52.600 we kind of talked about this maybe last week. Um, 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:55.840 you know, given no preseason, no one's played a football 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:58.960 game in a long time, it's hard to think somebody 0:01:58.960 --> 0:02:03.040 can jump out there and play sixties seventy eighties snaps. So, um, 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:04.920 you know, there will be a handful of player guys 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:07.160 who we would expect to go go the whole way, 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:10.640 But for the most part, we are thinking along the 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:14.600 lines of somebody's probably gonna need a blow here. Uh so, Um, 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:17.360 and I think every team's you know, has that same 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:19.919 uh thought process. You know, I know, we got a 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:22.400 game tomorrow night, so we'll see how that one shakes 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:25.200 shakes out. Load management. I don't know if i'd call 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:27.800 it that. You know, the guys dealing with Nixon bruises, 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.040 try to take care of our players as much as 0:02:30.080 --> 0:02:32.960 we can. Kyle Johnson does a great job. The training 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:36.480 staff does a great job from that standpoint. So, um, 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:38.240 all those guys are working, They're trying to get back 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.000 as soon as they can, and hopefully we have them 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:42.760 out there for you know, as many players as we 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.399 need them on Sunday. That's coming up on Sunday. Last night, 0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:49.560 the Miami Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, taking 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:53.320 down the Milwaukee Bucks in Game five of the conference semifinals. 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:56.360 Here's Coach Flora's on the Miami Heat. But you know, 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:58.720 it was a good game last night. Happy for for 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:02.160 them and getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. It's a 0:03:02.160 --> 0:03:06.839 great accomplishment. Uh yeah, I was. I got I got 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:08.680 my Heat church for ready to go. And I want 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:10.639 to play this next clip for you because of one 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:13.960 little tidbit out of there that coach says about complacency 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:15.880 and what that can do for people and not just 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:19.359 a pandemic or an NFL season, whatever the case might be, 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:21.920 talking about complacency and how it can change your approach 0:03:21.960 --> 0:03:25.000 and change your behavior. Here's coach on heading into the 0:03:25.040 --> 0:03:28.760 season with such good news lately around COVID testing results 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:31.320 and all the negative results have come back in recent 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.560 testing rounds. I think it's well, I think you know, 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:36.800 our staff, you know, headed up by you know, Kyle 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:40.120 Johnston and our medical team. I think from a protocol 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:45.040 standpoint and a transparency standpoint and trying to get everyone 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:46.680 on the same page. And they've done a great job. 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:49.640 You know, the numbers, you know where they've been, they've 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:53.080 been positive. But you know a lot of times, you know, 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:57.200 good numbers are good. Uh, good reports may lead to 0:03:57.240 --> 0:03:59.720 some complacency, and that's that's not what we want. We 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.800 need to be vigilant about wearing masks and wearing the 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:08.360 tracers and keeping distance and being responsible outside of the building. 0:04:08.440 --> 0:04:11.320 So um, I'm not I don't want to put any 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:13.840 type of message out there like we're doing a great 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:17.880 job and uh, you know everything's you know great, because 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:20.159 you know, things can turn quickly, as we know with 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:24.080 this with the virus um. So we need to continue 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.400 to be vigilant. We need to be responsible. It makes 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:29.440 more decisions as a team. Uh, you know, guys who 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:33.840 are on the team, guys who are around the team. H. 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:36.320 I mean, I think that's if we If we're not 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.800 vigilant that way, then then it's only a matter of 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.520 time before it catches up to us. So it's been 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:44.440 good thus far. I'm gonna get that's gonna continue to 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:48.000 be my message too, to do the right things on 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:50.920 the field, obviously in the building, and then outside of 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:53.120 the building. These guys have a lot more time or 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:56.000 more time than they did in training camp. So I 0:04:56.000 --> 0:04:58.760 would say the first phase was, you know, we've got 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:01.560 good numbers. Um, we let's not take our foot off 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:04.440 the gas. And here comes my guy, Joe Schad once 0:05:04.480 --> 0:05:07.160 again of the Palm Beach post, dropping the question where 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:08.919 does he think tackling is going to be at for 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:11.440 the season opener, referring to the Navy B y U 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:13.839 game the other night. Here's coach on his level of 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:17.039 comfortability and where his defense is in week number one. 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:19.960 With the fundamentals, the tackling and all that stuff going 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:22.680 into a season without the benefit of a preseason and 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:25.880 an off season. I think in every first game. You know, 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:30.920 there's a lot of things that tackling, penalties, um, you know, 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:34.520 just overall understanding of rules. You know, without a preseason, 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:38.080 some of those things are aren't as up to up 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:40.640 to the standard that you would want them to be. Um, 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.279 really across the league. So you learned through experience. To me, 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.679 that's the best way most people learn really in whatever 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:49.960 field it is. So without those preseason games, um, you know, 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:53.520 the tackling, the throwing, the blocking, the defeating blocks. I mean, 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:57.080 talk about tackling, but there's a lot of other fundamentals 0:05:57.080 --> 0:06:01.279 that guys have not been able to do under you know, 0:06:01.560 --> 0:06:07.039 game game circumstances. So but we've practiced it. We practiced it, 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:09.800 practiced it to the best of our ability. Uh, you know, 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:14.560 giveing the you know, given the circumstances that we're in 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.160 and um, you know, we're like, we're not gonna sit 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:18.760 here and say make excuse, hey, We're not gonna we 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:21.120 missed a bunch of tackles because of this. So we 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.640 couldn't completely passed because of this. That's not what we're saying. 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:26.440 But to to your specific question, it would be better 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.279 if we had live games to actually tackle. Next question 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:32.080 here for coach talking about the defense there, and obviously 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:35.200 one of the hallmarks of this defense is the versatility, 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.120 is guys having different roles and different packages on this team. 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.640 He was asked about how that translates to the offensive 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:43.360 side of the football, and maybe to some surprise, coach 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:45.719 said it might be even more on the offensive side 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.480 than it is on the defensive side. I think it's 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:51.760 I think it definitely translates. It translates. I mean, you know, 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:54.440 if it's third and one, who do you which back 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:56.200 do you want in there? Which lineman do you want 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:58.960 in there? Which tight end do you want in there? Um, 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:00.880 it's third and led, and do you want to be 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:03.240 you know, do you want no receivers in the game. 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:06.760 I think it's very specific to the situation, maybe even 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:10.080 more so than defensively. Um, I think if you just 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:12.720 think about the different situations within a game, two minute, 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:14.640 you know, you want to run two minute with you know, 0:07:14.720 --> 0:07:16.440 three tight ends on the field. You want to running 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.800 with three receivers on the field. You want to run 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:22.040 you know, shure yardage with you know, hundre an eighty 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:24.000 pound back or two and forty pound back. I think 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:27.560 it's very specific to the situation. Uh. No different than defense, 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:30.040 No different than special teams. That's just kind of my 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:33.920 uh my thought process. Uh And honestly, you know, I 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:35.840 know you mentioned maybe some other people, but I think 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:38.800 everybody feels the same way. Um. I think we're all 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:41.080 trying to you know, as coaches, just you know, the 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:43.480 guys I've been around and talked to and like I've 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:46.520 talked to you know, really most of the coaches throughout 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:48.480 the league, just trying to pick their you know, having 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:52.600 conversations and talking football. It's offensive, defense, special teams. And 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:55.440 that's the one thing that continues to continually comes up. 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:57.560 You know, let's put our players in the best physicians too, 0:07:58.400 --> 0:07:59.920 for them to have success and for us us to 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:04.920 have success. And I think situationally, um, you know, this 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:06.880 comes up on a week to week basis, and I 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:10.760 think offensively probably more than defensively omar Um in my opinion. 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:14.200 Up next, coach was asked about defending Cam Newton, a 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:17.320 guy that has five thousand career rushing yards, almost four 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:20.760 hundred first downs on the ground, and sixty touchdowns if 0:08:20.800 --> 0:08:23.400 you include the playoffs on each of those stats. I 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:25.920 was going to ask coach about the difficulty of defending 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.640 Cam Newton in the question about how that might alter 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:32.200 your approach on defense. And one of the added elements 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.199 a running quarterback gives defenses is that, of course, if 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:37.920 you're in man coverage, things become much more difficult to 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:41.000 defend that running quarterback because if the defense has their 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:43.120 back turn to the quarterback and he breaks the pocket, 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:44.880 then all of a sudden, you've got guys with their 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:46.839 backs to the quarterback while he takes off and runs. 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.120 So that means pass rush and staying in your gaps 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:52.000 up front just becomes so much more important. Here is 0:08:52.040 --> 0:08:55.760 coach on defending Cam Newton and the running quarterback. Read 0:08:55.800 --> 0:09:00.480 your keys. They were good fundamentals and technique. I'll following rules. 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:04.760 I think that those are the main points that we're 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:09.160 talking about. You know, defensively every week communication, Um, you know, 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:14.120 the guy like Kim obviously, you know, extremely talented. He's uh, 0:09:14.200 --> 0:09:18.760 you know, can extend plays and make every throw. So, um, 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:20.480 obviously you want to contain them and keep him in 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:22.520 the pocket. That's easier said than done. You know, you 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:24.920 want to continue to be aggressive. He's a good player. 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:27.719 So you know, if you're too aggressive and uh he 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.440 slips through or finds a step up space, you know 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:33.080 he can he can hurt yourself. Um. Look, it's gonna 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:35.079 be a great challenge for us. But they're a good 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:39.160 team offensively, defensively, and then the kicking game, uh with 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:43.280 guys like Matt Slater from a special team standpoint, and 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:48.200 Gilmore mccordy, Adam Butler. I mean, they got good players 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.880 defensively and offensively, starwar Cam. I mean, it is a 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:54.040 solid team and the world coach. So this will be 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:56.520 a huge challenge and you know we're gonna have to 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:59.520 play well. We're gonna go up there and and and 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:02.120 play de penitive game. And we'll finish up here with 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:04.360 coach talking about the message he wants to give to 0:10:04.400 --> 0:10:07.360 the young players, the rookies, first, second, third year players, 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:10.160 guys that are coming into this thing somewhat fresh. What's 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:12.640 the message to those guys in their first game here 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:16.319 this season on Sunday, One play at a time. I mean, 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:19.400 I think that's that's always the mindset. You know, good play, 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:23.640 bad play, penalty, touchdown, give up a touch down, and 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:27.000 just want to the next play. Um every place and experience, 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:29.640 and I learned that early in my coaching career. So 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:33.320 good or bad, you know, you learn from it. Uh. 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:34.679 The only thing you don't want to do is take 0:10:34.720 --> 0:10:36.800 the good plays and you know, think about those the 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:38.600 entire game. You don't want to take the bad places 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:41.720 and think about those the entire game either. So let's 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:45.000 move on to the next play. Um, but learn from it. 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:48.199 We have to have our best communication, our best execution, 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:50.520 you know, late in the game. That would be my message. 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:53.440 So one more day down here on the week of 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:56.360 Game one, heading into Sunday against the New England Patriots, 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:58.680 and I just gotta say, man, it's a different feeling 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:00.720 in the building when there's a game aim coming up 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.920 from my own perspective, my own workflow, sitting here, going 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:06.560 into all the matchups, digging up all the numbers, looking 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:09.040 at the tape, finding out maybe what I can compel 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.520 or what I can tell you guys in a compelling fashion. 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:14.839 On the Thursday preview podcast that's coming out tomorrow, of course, 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:18.360 Dolphins and Patriots preview here on the Drivetime podcast will 0:11:18.400 --> 0:11:20.800 also have the three Keys to the game from John 0:11:20.840 --> 0:11:23.480 K Jemmy and he'll have his three takeaways on Sunday 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:25.880 night post game as well, in addition to my post 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:28.520 game works, so plenty of content here on the Miami 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:32.839 Dolphins podcast network, on the website, and otherwise covering this game. 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:35.880 I'm just I'm so excited, man, it's football coming up 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:39.200 around the corner. National Football League game, your Miami Dolphins 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:42.160 on the field now just four days away. And with that, 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.280 let's go ahead and talk to a player making his 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:47.400 Miami Dolphins debut on Sunday in a place where he 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.000 spent the first four years of his career. It's our 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:53.880 Wednesday feature, a weekly feature here on the Drivetime podcast 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:56.439 as well as on Miami Dolphins dot com as we 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:58.520 get to know some of these players away from the 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:01.319 football field a little bit more. And there is nobody 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:04.559 better to kick off this series than Dolphins center Ted Carriss. 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:06.760 If you don't know him by now, go check out 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.280 the article on the Athletic where it talks about his 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:12.280 many interest the level of respect he has in the 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:14.920 locker room throughout the course of his career on the 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:17.640 Athletic Ted Carress. I believe it's called the Genius Clown 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:20.280 is the name of the article on the Athletic. So 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:22.840 with that, let's go ahead and welcome in Dolphins center 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:26.680 Ted Carriss. And joining me now is Dolphins center Ted Carriss, 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:29.640 just a few days away from his debut here in Miami. Ted, 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:31.720 how you doing, man. You're feeling healthy, You're feeling ready 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:34.720 to go? Travis feeling great, man. We have a good 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:37.240 practice today and a couple more and then we're we're 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:39.960 heading up to Massachusetts's gonna be it's gonna be a 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:42.600 big week, last minute preparations heading up to the game. 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:44.400 But before we get to the game, I want to 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:47.120 talk to you about some non football stuff. And I've 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:49.559 been told that you know a little bit of everything 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:55.280 about everything. How would you respond to that claim? Maybe 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:57.520 just maybe just a nugget or two about it? A 0:12:57.520 --> 0:12:59.719 lot of things that I wouldn't say, no everything, but 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.560 you know, I am. I do like to have some 0:13:02.720 --> 0:13:05.800 unique conversations. The first one I saw that I had 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:08.200 to bring up because I fall asleep to it every 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:12.040 night is The Office? Now, who is your favorite character 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:14.160 on the Office? Because I have one that people think 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:17.880 is just disgusting. Really, I'm I'm a big Dwight fan. 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:21.360 I think Dwight hilarious. Obviously, Steve Carrell, Michael Scott carries 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:25.319 the show. But I that some of Dwhite's and takes 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:28.120 over the years are just so hilarious to me. The 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:30.440 way he like kind of bows down to Michael at 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:32.440 any step, It just it kills me. The acting he 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:35.199 does to do that, it's it's so good. They are 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:38.200 those all that cast is very talented. And what if 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:42.440 I told you my favorite character was Ryan? Ryan? You know, 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:44.640 well he wrote a lot of the show. That makes 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:47.480 sense that obviously, Like he says human that's funny, Like 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:49.480 that is You're probably the only person I've ever met 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:52.120 that says that. Yeah, he's so cringe worthy bad that 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:53.920 I find it hilarious. I just can't get enough. It 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:57.040 is very funny. So are you a little bit of 0:13:57.040 --> 0:13:58.840 an actor yourself? Like would you ever get in front 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:02.319 of the camera? I would, Yeah, I was. Actually I 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:05.320 had a walk on role in the production of the Office, 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:08.480 A musical last year, so that was pretty fun. What's 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.840 in the opening scene? Really? Yeah, I'm pictured you doing 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:14.960 like your gym face when he looks at the camera, Like, 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.480 what is that kind of something you do? It was 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:20.400 like it was a song and my role was really 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.960 I I joined in the song a little bit, but um, 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:26.000 I just had to pin something up on a piece 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:27.800 of paper. It was like the opening scene to the 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:31.000 musical was very very well done. Um it was, it was. 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:33.840 It was awesome. They incorporated just about every part, every 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:36.840 big milestone of the show and they sung it all too. 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:39.320 It was great. That's awesome. I've I've participated in some 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:42.040 office trivia before, so it's uh, it definitely has like 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:45.520 its own little subculture that show does. It does yeah no, 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:48.560 and they're taking it off Netflix, so it's from driving 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:52.200 people to the NBC streaming app this year. You just 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:54.080 broke my heart, man, Like I said, I have to 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:56.400 have that to fall asleep at night. I know, I 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:58.680 me too. It's it's it's turned in almost to a 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:01.920 complex for for me, my wife and I. It's too good, 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:04.000 too good. Well, I do want to try to change 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:06.320 gears here because you know we're not gonna get into football. 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:08.840 But I saw an article on the Athletic where I 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:11.560 think it was Dante high Tower called you a pit 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:17.000 bull and a meathouse. But you've got cats, right, I 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:19.760 do have two cats. Okay, I'm a cat guy myself, 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:22.360 and you know that's something that sometimes when when a 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:24.880 guy tells somebody that he's a cat person, it's kind 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.800 of agreed with some What like, what does that like 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:29.200 for you the locker room when you tell the guys 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:31.560 like I've got a couple of cats back home. Well, 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:33.120 I think there's a couple of reasons. I do love 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:35.360 my cats and think of them as companions, and they've 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:37.560 been great. And I know I've had cats growing up. 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.120 I also I had dogs, but for the stage in 0:15:40.160 --> 0:15:42.160 my life, one of the main reasons we got some 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:45.360 cats was we wanted some pets. But with our schedule 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:47.560 and the traveler in the off season and pretty locked 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:49.560 in for six months out of the year in season, 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:51.480 I don't I don't feel like I can give a 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:54.040 dog that is good a quality of life as they 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:56.760 deserve right now. Um, but what we know, when I'm 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.800 you know, hopefully down the road, uh long down the 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:02.000 road and I retire, I'll take it a dog. But 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:04.440 until then, I am a cat guy, and I'm I'm 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:06.480 proud of it. We need some of those photos, like 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:08.280 have you seen them? I think it's a meme online 0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:10.280 where the guys like holding the cat and then there's 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:12.160 a side picture up in the corner with the cat 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:14.080 like in the Christmas stalking hat or something like that. 0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:15.280 We need some of that with you, man. We need 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:17.680 a cat photo shoot for you. We need a cat 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:20.560 poll show. I'll throw one on the ground. My wife 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:22.280 has been telling me to put them on there more 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:25.280 so I guess I'll have to give to get that going. Yes, 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:26.960 please do. I'll share it like it's crazy, because that 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:29.440 just both I love it. I've I've always had cast 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:31.400 my whole life too, so right there with you, and 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:34.640 I'm a huge proponent of the they can nurture their 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:38.680 own independence. It's it's a beautiful thing, my man. So 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:40.600 one thing I wanted to ask you about was the 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:42.680 off season this year because it is such a unique 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:45.600 year in America, just in every single walk of life. 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:49.560 And you went out and got your master's degree this summer. Right. Yeah, 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:51.120 so I've been working on it for four years. I 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:53.880 actually one more class to go. Um. But they did 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:57.920 they would have let us walk. Um. Actually, uh, we 0:16:58.080 --> 0:17:01.520 did it with the left hard for the for the Patriots, 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:06.080 Joe Tuney. We did it together. Um and um, I 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:09.560 will finish up. I'll probably I'll probably get my machine 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:12.639 skin in March, so that'd be my second master's. I 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:14.280 guess I should have rephrased that you didn't get it 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:16.240 in one summer. Obviously, it's a lot of hard work 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:19.320 that goes into that, but congratulations man, thank you. Though 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:23.040 it's a great program tuition reimbursement UM through the NFL 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:25.200 and NFL p A. Obviously, it's one of the things, 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:29.560 sadly that got cut this year because of COVID, but 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:32.040 you know, and when they bring it back, I'm gonna 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:35.160 finish anyway. But I'm gonna continue to go until until 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:37.560 the until someone doesn't pay for my school anymore. So 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:39.520 it's it's a it's a great program. I encourage a 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.200 lot of younger guys to be going on it now. 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:45.320 That's really cool. Have you put any thought into I 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:47.240 know post playing career, like you mentioned, is a long 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:49.639 way away, but have you put any thought into what 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:53.280 that might look like for you? Yeah? I have thought 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:56.719 about it. I'm not not too deeply, just because you know, 0:17:56.800 --> 0:18:00.240 it really is all fantasy. I'm all football, and I'm 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:05.000 gonna be lotefully football for for a lot more seasons. 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:07.439 But um, you know, it's gonna be a decision my 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:09.919 wife when I make. I'm gonna, you know, see what 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:13.360 opportunities I don't. I try not to burn any bridges ever, 0:18:13.440 --> 0:18:16.160 and and keep an open mind, and and and we'll 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:18.840 see what happens. You know, post football play. Right now, 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:22.800 it's it's all about, you know, trying to win some games. Absolutely, 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:25.000 And you mentioned being all about football. That goes back 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:27.840 to our first conversation you and I had ted back 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:29.320 in March. I want to say it was when you 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:31.840 signed down here and you were working out in your garage. 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:34.439 What was that like in the entire offseason, kind of 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:36.480 having your own gym set up and and kind of 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:38.280 being you know, left to your own devices in the 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:41.280 in the garage gym. Well, it was great. You know. 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.200 I tried to get down here as soon as possible 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:46.680 after we signed in in March, and you know, with 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:49.000 with how crazy March was, the heat of it, um, 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.359 you know, we couldn't get down Um. But we we 0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:52.960 got down in May because I wanted to get down 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:55.359 here in the heat. And you know, it was really 0:18:55.359 --> 0:18:57.560 great to be able to to be around some of 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:00.320 the guys. So you know, when we walked into camp here, 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:03.120 you know, we had relationships that were already built and 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:06.240 we could continue growing together. I was talking to some 0:19:06.280 --> 0:19:08.160 of the guys here in the video department about how 0:19:08.240 --> 0:19:10.480 it was kind of like nice today because it was rainy, 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:13.160 a little bit colder. Man, I'm new to the area 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:15.400 to ted this heat hits you like something else. How 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:18.840 was that acclamation for you? You know, there's definitely been 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:21.959