WEBVTT - #293 Packers Unscripted: This and that 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:20.320 Hi, everybody. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:22.840 I am Mike Spofford sitting next to the one on 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:25.120 only West Hodkowitz. Were coming to you here from our 0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:28.000 studios ed lambeau Field and we's one of the big 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:30.800 topics here with regards to the Packers and the defense 0:00:31.440 --> 0:00:34.440 since the draft is where are the Packers going to 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.760 get improvement in the pressure off the edge from the 0:00:37.880 --> 0:00:40.200 edge rushers Because they didn't draft one until the seventh 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:44.160 round with Kendall Donnerson. There wasn't one signed in free agency, 0:00:44.320 --> 0:00:46.280 like with a Mod Brooks being brought in at the 0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:48.400 end of training camp last year. We haven't seen a 0:00:48.479 --> 0:00:52.199 move like that. One guy that uh the coaches have 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:55.920 mentioned him GM Brian Goudacunst has mentioned him. The guy 0:00:55.960 --> 0:00:57.560 that is going to have a lot of eyes on 0:00:57.640 --> 0:01:01.240 him here is number ninety three, Reggie gil Albert. Um. 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:04.840 I guess technically he's still a first year player in 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:07.119 terms of service, but he's actually going to be going 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:10.920 into his third year now in Green Bay. Tell us 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:13.800 about Gilbert because his path to this point has been 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:16.080 a bit unusual. I don't like to get into the 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.360 whole hyperbo League game. I think I've said that numerous 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:22.440 times over the years on this show. Um, but Reggie 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:25.720 Gilbert has a chance, in my opinion, uh, to be 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:28.319 one of, if not the best undrafted edge Russia that 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:31.080 the Packers have had. And I don't say that lightly 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:33.399 because there have been guys that have come in and 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:36.720 made impacts. You know, you look at Frank Zambo, Uh, 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:39.520 you know, Desmond Moses, Jaron Elliott, some guys that came 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:43.640 in and in short intermediate spurts, Andy Maleomba, Yeah, that 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:46.959 came in, made the roster, made their presence. Felt. The 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:50.240 thing I like about Gilbert is this is year three, 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:54.240 that was rookie Camp number three, and he had such 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:57.560 a unique skill set coming out of Arizona, being a 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:01.240 you know, hand in the dirt rusher, working inside as 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:03.680 you know, that elephant type inside pass rusher on third 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:08.120 down situations that he seemed to align with what the 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:11.760 Packers like to do with their guys. It took time, uh, 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.760 you know that first year he pushed a little bit, 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:17.000 wasn't really in the conversation. Last year I thought he 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:19.560 pushed more. But they had so many of those guys, 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:21.760 uh that that were in that running and then they 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:25.320 claimed Chris owed him off waivers from Atlanta. But at 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:27.600 the end of last season he remained patient and he 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.919 really bawled out those last two games. Now the hay 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:33.200 is not in the barn for him. He needs another 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:35.959 good summer here to put himself in conversation for a 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:38.920 roster spot. If the Packers aren't going to go with 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.000 a high pick on an edge rushing position, I think 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:43.960 a guy like Reggie Gilbert looks at that and sees 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:46.200 that this is my opportunity to not only get a 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:48.200 chance at making the fifty three for the first time 0:02:48.200 --> 0:02:51.000 out of camp, but making an impact once he gets there. Yeah. 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:53.520 I do think if the draft had fallen a little 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:56.040 bit differently, I do think the Packers would have taken 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:58.400 an edge rusher earlier than the seventh round. But that 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:01.960 being said, the fact that they didn't it does speak 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:04.000 a little bit to a vote of confidence they're giving 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:07.280 to Reggie Gilbert and what they're seeing in his development here. 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:10.720 His his transformation in a sense has been pretty remarkable, 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:13.120 because you mentioned it. He was sort of an interior 0:03:13.200 --> 0:03:16.760 defensive lineman at times in college at Arizona. He's transitioned 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:21.399 completely to outside linebacker. He's dropped about twenty pounds from 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:23.680 the mid to high two seventies into the mid to 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.519 high two fifties in order to play the position. Mike 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.520 McCarthy has talked about, you know, the change in his 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:31.799 body and what he's done. I talked to him a 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:35.000 little bit about it for for a story on our website. 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:38.040 He really had to dedicate himself. He was kind of 0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:40.040 joking like, yeah, you know, I go back home out 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:41.880 West and there's in and out Burger and all this 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:43.960 kind of stuff, and you know, he really he had 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:46.520 to stay dedicated to the to the plan that that 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:49.640 the team's nutritionist, Adam Cores and had him on in 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.760 order to uh, to remake the body a little bit 0:03:52.760 --> 0:03:55.600 and everything. There's a lot that's gone into this for him. 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:57.400 And then, as it turned out, at the end of 0:03:57.480 --> 0:04:00.800 last season, Nick Perry needed had to miss some time 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:03.000 there with some injuries. At the end, he finally got 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.200 an opportunity to be on the active roster and then 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:07.520 wasn't just on the active roster, but was in the 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:10.400 game and then that entire I believe it was a 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.640 Saturday night game Week sixteen, against Minnesota, it was like 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:15.920 he was spending the whole game in the Vikings backfield. 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:19.280 I mean he he was. It was instant impact and 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.680 and then he went on to get his first NFL 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:25.240 sack the following week in Detroit in the finale. So 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:29.720 flashes of what perhaps is to come. But as you said, 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:31.280 the hey is not in the bar and there's more 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:34.240 development to go here. But definitely a promising guy to 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:36.119 keep an eye. And here's the thing. He has played 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:37.880 in two NFL games. I'm not trying to put this 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:39.880 guy in Canton or anything like that. I just think 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:42.680 it's important to remember this is not a new guy 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:45.159 on the block. He was waiting for that opportunity. He 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:47.520 finally got it. And I think from the Packers perspective, 0:04:47.560 --> 0:04:49.840 you have to be intrigued and touching on your other 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:52.679 point earlier, Mike, the Packers could have easily the first 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:55.720 and second round using outside linebacker draft pick on an 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:58.479 outside edge rusher. It was obviously in the cards, it 0:04:58.520 --> 0:05:01.040 was in the conversation you and I really speculated a 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:03.240 lot about it in the day's leading up. But no 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:06.599 matter what or where they picked a guy, whether it 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:08.680 was at number fourteen or in the seventh round, like 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:13.440 Kendall Donnerson. They needed this current group behind Nick Perry 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:16.200 and Clay Matthews to take a jump. That's where they're 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:18.960 going to get the biggest impact, regardless of what they 0:05:19.000 --> 0:05:21.640 did going into two thousand and eighteen. So I look 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:24.080 at Reggie Gilbert, I look at Vince Bagel now coming 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.320 back from both of those foot surgeries. Even a guy 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:28.640 like Kyler Fackrel still trying to, you know, fill out 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:32.080 his talent in that body. It's gonna be interesting to 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:33.960 watch even a guy like Chris Odom, you know, now 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:35.760 with the full off season in this program to see 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:38.200 what he offers. But as far as Gilbert's concerned, I 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:40.040 think what he proved at the end of last season 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:42.760 was that he should have been in that conversation for 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.240 a roster spot to begin with because of what he 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:46.680 put out on the field. And I think that's something 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:48.719 Packers are really gonna have to consider this summer. Yeah, 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:52.120 a player whose arrow is definitely still pointing up. With that, 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:53.600 we will go to a break back with more on 0:05:53.680 --> 0:06:15.839 Packers Unscripted right after this. H Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:18.320 Mike Spofford in this chair. Wes Hodkowits in that one 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:20.599 in West. A lot of times on this show, we 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:25.520 talk about the perseverance of players, and those paths can 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.240 take many different directions in terms of what players have 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:31.159 to overcome through their careers to get to a certain spot, 0:06:31.200 --> 0:06:32.760 to get to the NFL, or to get to a 0:06:32.800 --> 0:06:35.920 Pro Bowl, or whatever the case might be. I'm not 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:38.880 sure if I've ever seen or heard a story of 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:42.359 perseverance quite like that of the Packers new long snapper 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:46.159 and seventh round draft pick Hunter Bradley, because every time 0:06:46.200 --> 0:06:47.919 I hear his name, all I can think of is 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:52.240 one thing. Three A c l S. You've been working 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:54.479 on a story on our website. You've talked to some people, 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:57.719 including Hunter his father. What more do you know about 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.400 this story? Because it's awfully intriguing it is, and the 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.640 the hardest part of this is, you know, Hunters the 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:05.200 only son of a football coach. He has a sister, 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:08.080 but I mean growing up his dad, who was a 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.480 long snapper and offensive lineman at Delta State, Michael Uh. 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:14.840 They grew up football together every Friday night. Michael has 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:17.800 been on assistant football coach Uh in their community in 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:21.600 Collierville for twenty five years, so every Friday night Hunter 0:07:21.640 --> 0:07:23.480 was at his games and then ended up playing for 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:26.440 him once he got to high school. It was a 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:30.800 phenomenal tight end, terrific athlete, really good in baseball, but 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:33.720 long snapping was just always something he did along the way, 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:35.800 but tight end was the position he thought he was 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:37.360 going to be able to get to the next level. 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:40.160 His goal for so long, like so many kids growing 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:43.000 up in the southern portion of the United States, Southeastern 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:44.600 portion of the United States, wanted to play in the 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:47.880 SEC and he started getting recruited by Dan Mullen in 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:50.760 Mississippi State. The interest started to pipe up, and then 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:53.360 right before two days his senior year, he pops the 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:57.400 first A c L and that was just demoralizing one 0:07:57.680 --> 0:07:59.640 that the kid didn't get to play senior season high 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.360 school for the football team. He was gonna be everything. 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:04.320 He was gonna be tight end, he was gonna be fullback, 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:07.440 He was a really good defensive end. He played basically 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:10.840 every play of the game, and now he's gone. Um. 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:13.480 But the thing that I think, talking to his dad, Mike, 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:15.800 he mentioned is that even after he tore the A 0:08:15.920 --> 0:08:17.520 c L and then he ends up getting the preferred 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:20.240 walk on deal in Mississippi State instead of the actual scholarship. 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:22.960 He was up at five o'clock every morning, He did 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:25.520 all of his PT all of his rehab before school 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.040 at seven to make sure that he was doing everything 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:29.840 he could to get back on the right track. He 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:32.319 goes to Mississippi State, tears the left a c L. 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:34.600 Then what happened with the right one? Is he actually 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:36.280 at that time when he had done in high school, 0:08:36.280 --> 0:08:38.920 they were still using cadaver uh, you know, a c 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.840 L tendons at that point. History has shown that's not 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:43.680 really great for an athlete you want to do graphs, 0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:46.600 So then they redid that. Just a long path he's 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:49.600 been on, but really inspirational from the standpoint of this 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:51.680 is not a guy who had a scholarship. He was 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:54.160 paying his way through college and then, as it turns out, 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:55.920 now getting a chance to be drafted in the NFL 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:58.520 as the only long snapper taken in this year's class. Yeah, 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:01.400 and he'll be competing with Zach Trainer, who is the 0:09:01.400 --> 0:09:04.160 other long snap around the Packers roster. Here at this 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:08.080 stage of the offseason. We'll see how that competition shakes 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:10.440 out through O T A s, which begin next week. 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:13.320 And then into a into training camp this summer. But 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:17.480 going back to something that Bradley mentioned in his conference 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:21.600 call with the Green Bay Media when he was first drafted, Um, 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:23.680 I forget if it was after the second or the 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:26.080 third a c L or what was it after the 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.400 third one? The timeline where he's he's h he's in 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:32.440 the training room at Mississippi State and uh and a 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:34.800 player comes by, one of the star players on the team. 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:37.120 He wouldn't say who it was, but just looked at 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:39.280 him and said, you know, what are you still doing here? 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.680 Like basically, you know, you've all you've been is hurt you. 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:45.320 You've been basically useless, Like get out of here, and 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.120 you know, leave this to the rest of us. And uh, 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.760 he just kind of swallowed it, brushed it off, and 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.120 uh and lo and behold, look he got drafted. Well. 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:55.120 And it's something too. This isn't a kid that goes 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:57.600 home and cries to his mom and dad. Talking to Mike, 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:00.160 he said he never even Hunter never even mentioned to 0:10:00.240 --> 0:10:02.960 his parents that that incident had happened until way down 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:06.200 the road. Uh. The thing that is interesting there was 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:09.320 sort of the serendipitous sort of fate to this whole 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:11.800 situation though, because one of the things that became clear, 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.480 they certainly were very intrigued in Mississippi State. Dan Mullen 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:17.400 was with his athleticism and his ability to play tight end, 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:20.720 but there always was this underlying thinking that he could 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:22.840 play snapper, and they wanted him at some point to 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:25.520 play snapper for them. So once that last a c 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.320 L happened, he went home with his dad. They started snapping. 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:31.560 His dad credits Chris Bono, who's in a special assistant 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:35.800 Mississippi State, the former Cowboys kicker, for for really helping 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:39.760 him um and harnessing his technique. And as I don't 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:41.280 want to say his fortune would have it because it's 0:10:41.360 --> 0:10:42.800 terrible for the guy in front of him, but the 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:45.240 long snapper before him ends up tearing his a c L. 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.520 That's what gave Hunter the chance to get on the field. 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:50.600 He thought he'd only be doing it one year. He 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:52.680 ends up doing it for two and a half because 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:56.200 of that injury, ends up getting the scholarship, you know, 0:10:56.240 --> 0:10:58.800 and his parents traveled to every game that he played 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.480 in college just such an emotional I should say, every game, 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:05.160 with about two or three maybe exception South Carolina. They 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:06.839 missed because there was a football game Friday night and 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:09.359 then they played at eleven the next morning in South Carolina. 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:12.600 But whatever the case, maybe his kid's been through a 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:15.000 lot and he's fought through it in the nice thing 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:18.600 for him to put that injury history aside. He played 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:22.120 those games at Mississippi State without incident after he made 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:24.840 that transition to snapping. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:28.320 now as we go through the summer because it's been 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:30.720 a few years now. The Packers have been looking for 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:34.000 a long term replacement at long snapper for Brett Good, 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:37.000 who has handled the duty, been the primary long snapper 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:39.520 for about a decade now in Green Bay and done 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:42.600 the job phenomenally. But when things haven't worked out with 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:45.640 other guys, they have tried, whether whether because of performance 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:47.800 or because of injury, whatever the case might be. Brett 0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:50.880 Good keeps coming back over these last couple of years 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:53.360 and he is still available now. But the Packers have 0:11:53.400 --> 0:11:55.640 two long snappers in camp. They used a draft pick 0:11:55.679 --> 0:11:58.199 on one. Maybe this is the year that that they 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:01.160 find potentially that long term replace. I think they're gonna 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:03.760 let it play out. The nice thing too, as far 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:06.560 as what Bradley gives you. He's tremendous in coverage. If 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:08.240 you go back and watch some of his film. I mean, 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.760 he made a lot of tackles at Mississippi State as well. 0:12:10.760 --> 0:12:12.720 It's gonna be a little different because now you know, 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:14.960 the game changes for long snappers at the next level. 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.760 But his athleticism is through the roof. Alright, with that, 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:19.439 we're going to go to a breakback with more on 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:41.080 Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:44.439 Mike Spofford right here, West Hodko wits over there. West. 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:46.319 You mentioned earlier in the show you don't like to 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:49.480 speak in hyperbole, and I don't like to either. But 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:54.079 this weekend, yeah, this past weekend, we may have seen 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:58.680 the birth of a new trend, certainly a social media trend. 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:02.320 In the NFL. We saw a couple of Green Bay 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:06.480 Packers walk across the stage getting their college degrees, and 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:10.559 they were wearing their NFL jerseys, their Packard jerseys underneath 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:14.600 the graduation gowns. And it made a pretty big splash socially, 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:19.199 um across across the landscape with with football fans. I'm 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:22.680 talking specifically about Aaron Jones, the running back from U 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:26.719 TEP and first round draft pick Ji Year Alexander from 0:13:26.720 --> 0:13:31.400 Louisville UM. Alexander had his green number twenty three. Jones, 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:34.480 I believe had the white number thirty three. But they 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:36.960 were showing they were they were they were showing those 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:39.520 off and uh And I think I think this is 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.480 something that could catch on with NFL players who after 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:44.560 they're drafted, or after they've been in the league a 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:47.080 year or two, like Jones, go back to college and 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:50.120 get their degrees. Maybe this is the new fashion trend here. Well, 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:52.400 first and foremost, I love the fact that you look 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:55.640 at Alexander wearing his jersey underneath his his you know, 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:59.320 graduation goun He signed it to a signed jersey. I 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:02.160 mean that that takes him swagger to do that. I 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:04.360 know I've thrown that that we're out there a couple 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:06.640 of times now to describe him. But he just has it. 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:09.520 He has that in factor, he has that confidence. Uh 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:12.199 And and I'm impressive to him. I mean, you tipped 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:14.160 your cap to him. He graduated in three years after 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:17.199 being an early in role, after early rolling at Louisville, 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:20.400 getting his criminal justice degree. As far as Aaron Jones 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.680 is concerned, This is really emotional for him and his 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:25.160 family because he completed his degree. I believe he was 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:29.240 the last sibling of Elvin Sr. In Virgus his children 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:31.880 to to get his degree. His brother Elvin Jr. Got 0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:34.440 it as a graduate, not a graduate, but as being 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:37.960 a red shirt fifth year player at Tip. And when 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:41.600 he declared, when Aaron declared early last year, made that 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:43.680 commitment to his parents. I remember talking to his dad 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.280 last year, but how important it was for him to 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:48.280 go back to school eventually. I don't know if they 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:50.440 planned on him doing it in a year, but for 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:53.120 him to go back complete his degree, gets his degree 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:56.360 in Multidisciplinary Studies uh and and now going back to 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:59.000 focus on his NFL career pretty pretty emotional imagine for 0:14:59.040 --> 0:15:01.920 their family. Yeah. Well worked out conveniently for Jones. He 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:05.520 was able to work with an advisor um at U 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:08.960 TEP to essentially take the remainder of the classes that 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.040 he needed. He was able to take them remotely through 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:14.920 through u TEPS online system. Another um you know, another 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:18.240 another way in which technology changes changes the game in 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:21.360 some respects. But we also should mention ha Clinton Dix 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:25.000 recently a week or two ago, he also walked across 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:27.520 the stage at Alabama got his degree, something that he 0:15:27.560 --> 0:15:29.880 had been talking about, and we talked about his off 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.960 the field stuff with getting the internship at the Brown 0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:36.280 County Courthouse and the work that he's been, you know, 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:40.000 furthering his own studies in criminal justice while he's been 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:42.720 while he's been here in Green Bay. And then also 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:46.760 seventh roundraft pick Kendall Donnerson earned his degree from Southeast 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:50.560 Missouri and graduated as well. Always good to see these guys, 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:54.240 you know, taking um taking that step to finish things. 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.160 I remember even talking to uh to Casey Hayward after 0:15:57.240 --> 0:15:59.000 he'd been in Green Bay for a year, had this 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:01.600 great rookie season with the Packers, he went back to 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:04.640 Vanderbilt and and finished up. So a lot of these 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:07.400 guys they take it very seriously. Whether it's a promise 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:09.400 they made to themselves, a promise they made to other 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:12.800 family members, it's a big deal when when they do 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:14.480 it and they know they've always got that in their 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:16.840 back pocket no matter what happens with football. Yeah, and 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.000 and the Randall Cobb going back two years ago to 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:23.360 finish a Kentucky as well. Uh, the how Clinton dicksone 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:27.720 is is special because it was something that how Clintics 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:29.760 is gonna be really successful in the game of football. 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.840 I think he, you know, if health provided, he's going 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:35.120 to play for a long time in this league. And 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:37.480 I just thought last year doing that story on him 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:40.120 and his internship at the Brown County Courthouse, the fact 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:41.760 that he was coming off in All Pro year. He 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:43.960 was coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance, but it 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:46.520 meant that much to him to finish off that degree, 0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:48.800 a promise that he made to his mom, he made 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:51.600 to his friends, and obviously his coach, Nick Saban was 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:53.880 very adamant too about him going back as soon as 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:57.200 he completed or at least enrolled and declared early for 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:59.560 the NFL draft. UM. So for him to get it 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:01.440 done while he's in school, I think says a lot 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:03.880 about him. Kendall Donnerson, I didn't get a chance to 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:06.000 talk to him yet. We haven't had, uh, you know, 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:08.040 the access at O t As. I remember hearing him 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:10.639 speak at the rookie camp about how when he was 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.719 going out, I was trying to get into college, academics 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:15.080 were an issue for him. That's one of the reasons 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:18.280 why he landed at Southeast Missouri UM so I have 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:20.199 to imagine, just based on his Instagram and some of 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:22.000 those things, that was very emotional for him and his 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:24.040 family to be able to complete that degree and now 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:26.000 have that in his back pocket as well as he 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:28.439 tries to make the NFL dream come, no doubt about it. 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:30.280 With that, we're gonna go to another break back with 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:52.240 moren Packers unscripted right after this Welcome Back to Packers 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:55.760 Unscripted Mike Spofford joined by wes Hodkwits and West. There's 0:17:55.760 --> 0:17:58.320 some information we should get out there for fans because 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.720 if you cannot wait until the start of training camp 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:04.080 to get your Packers fixed and you want to see 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:08.080 some of these players in person. The the upcoming schedule 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:11.879 of o t a S, which stands for organized team activity. 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:14.320 If I'm not mistaken, I've been call him o t 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:16.560 as for so long you forget what it actually means. 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:20.639 But the Packers have a handful of those practices that 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:24.440 will be open to the public at UM I believe 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:30.280 on Clark Kinkle Fields actually gonna okay typically nik Field, Yeah, 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:32.960 behind uh behind the Don Hudson Center there and the 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:39.359 dates to keep in mind May May thirty one, June four, 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:43.240 and then also the mandatory minicamp from June twelfth to 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:47.240 the four Those are all days that the packers will 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:52.400 be on the practice field around midday. Hasn't been settled yet. Yeah, 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:54.720 eleven thirty for the O t A. So you know, 0:18:54.800 --> 0:18:57.160 if you're in the area, come on out to come 0:18:57.160 --> 0:18:59.200 on out to Nisky Field and and get a look 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.200 at your Green May pack whether permitting, just to throw 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:04.480 that out there, Yes, and there have been there have 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:07.520 been some spring rains that have moved those practices inside 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:09.520 in the past years, for sure. I was talking to 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:12.440 one of my beat writing friends who shall remain nameless 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.200 about this, and the nice thing is, I think probably 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:18.040 the beat writers get more excited about when these dates 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:20.960 come out than the actual fans to some extent, because 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:23.760 we can start to plan our summers a little bit. Yeah, 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:25.440 you can figure out how I'm gonna take a day 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.720 off here and get off here because because the practice 0:19:27.760 --> 0:19:29.479 is closed, I don't want to go when you need 0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:31.960 to be reporting back to Green Bay for training camp. 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:35.200 But be that as it may. Yeah, in training camp 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:40.360 starting July. Shareholders meetings is actually gonna be July now 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:43.080 with them doing that at night. Yeah, first time, first time. 0:19:43.119 --> 0:19:44.919 The shareholders meeting will be at night, and it will 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:47.720 be on the eve of the first practice of training camp. 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:50.960 Quick turnaround from Mike Spofford and West Hogcoitz. Yeah, we'll 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:53.240 off to see who ends up writing the story on 0:19:53.320 --> 0:19:56.560 deadline that night. But regardless, I think this is an 0:19:56.600 --> 0:19:59.399 exciting time getting a chance to you know, obviously, fans 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.200 usually the dissipation for these things, the amount of people 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:05.359