Speaker 1: Well over the official Jets podcast. Eric Ellen here inside
Speaker 1: the studio, joined by Jets tight ends coach Ron Middleton.
Speaker 1: It's great to finally have you up here. It's great
Speaker 1: to be here. I'll tell you. When you told me
Speaker 1: about this the golf turner, I was like, huh, I
Speaker 1: didn't know anything about it, but thank you, thank you
Speaker 1: for inviting me. Hey, so we played golf together. And
Speaker 1: for those of you at home, I gotta tell you
Speaker 1: Ron Middleton is a great golfer out there. And of
Speaker 1: course it was a fun day. Bears are colden so
Speaker 1: that helps. That helps, Yeah, it certainly does. Hey, um,
Speaker 1: how do you leave off your golf game at the
Speaker 1: end of summer? Um? You know, my golf game is
Speaker 1: like a roller coach. I think I was having a
Speaker 1: good day that day with you. Um, I think the
Speaker 1: next day it went down. So it's the roller coach
Speaker 1: and I left it at a down, um angle. When
Speaker 1: I put him in the trunk, it was unfortunately, But hey, listen,
Speaker 1: you as a head coach in the National Football League
Speaker 1: though two and old records, so no roller coaster there.
Speaker 1: How about over the past calendar year? How about that? Yeah,
Speaker 1: that'll tell you what both of those were we're really fun. Um.
Speaker 1: The one against the Jaguars was with the Jaguars for
Speaker 1: eight years, and I'll tell you to get that opportunity,
Speaker 1: you know. Um, Coach Solid gave me that opportunity, man,
Speaker 1: and it was outstanding. And then for the Singing Bowl, Um,
Speaker 1: I'm I'm. My hometown is fifty miles away from Mobile,
Speaker 1: so I had a bunch of family and friends there,
Speaker 1: so that was that was great too. So on a
Speaker 1: roll must be, but I love it. What do you
Speaker 1: think about the social reaction out there from some of
Speaker 1: your clips speaking to the team, whether it be the
Speaker 1: Jets or some of those college prospects at the time.
Speaker 1: Did you get any text messages from a lot of
Speaker 1: your friends and family friends, Um, family, my daughter, my
Speaker 1: five year old daughter, she um, she can recite the
Speaker 1: the the the um um just hit him deal before
Speaker 1: the Senior Bowl. She she loves that. She tickles me
Speaker 1: when she says that deal. But you know, it's all genuine,
Speaker 1: is from the heart's you know, it's just say what
Speaker 1: I feel at the time. And they've seemed to work
Speaker 1: out pretty good so far. So everybody wants to go
Speaker 1: to heaven, but nobody wants to get there? Did you
Speaker 1: think about that one before those came out of your mouth?
Speaker 1: That phrase? When I went to Duke in um oh eight,
Speaker 1: Coach Cutcliffe and we after our first practice brought the
Speaker 1: team up and whatnot. I was a social head coach
Speaker 1: there and um and and we broke it down. And
Speaker 1: that was the first time I said that back then.
Speaker 1: I've said it several more times, um um since then,
Speaker 1: but that was the first time I said back in
Speaker 1: oh oh eight, you know. But so yeah, it's it's
Speaker 1: in the repertoire. I guess I did think of it,
Speaker 1: but it's it's it speaks volumes, you know, um Um.
Speaker 1: I mean that, that's so real to me. I want
Speaker 1: to go to heaven, but you know, I want to die,
Speaker 1: but I can't get there unless I do. And these
Speaker 1: guys they they you know, we won't success. We won't. Um.
Speaker 1: We want to win the game, but we got to
Speaker 1: put the work in so that that's basically what that's saying.
Speaker 1: You know, we want to finished product, but there's steps
Speaker 1: to get to the finished product. How about your steps? Still?
Speaker 1: Undrafted free agent played more than ten years in the
Speaker 1: Show Football League. You've been coaching for more than twenty years.
Speaker 1: You coached a lot on the collegiate level before you
Speaker 1: started rocking and rolling in the National Football League. How
Speaker 1: did he get to the spot? Um? You know when
Speaker 1: when when I retired from ball, the whole plan while
Speaker 1: I was playing, the whole plan was to go back
Speaker 1: to law school. You know, I was done. I was
Speaker 1: gonna go back to law school. And I started taking
Speaker 1: prep classes for the l S, A T and all that,
Speaker 1: and I'm like, man, this ain't for me. And I
Speaker 1: just missed ball. I wanted to be around ball. And um,
Speaker 1: I had done a few camps. Some of my teammates
Speaker 1: had summer camps and I would do those and and
Speaker 1: they would say, oh, man, you just seem like a
Speaker 1: natural coach. You know, you ever thought about coaching or
Speaker 1: what not? Really? But and I said that that's the
Speaker 1: best next best thing to play in his coaching. So
Speaker 1: it worked out for him. I was blessed. And um,
Speaker 1: it's you know, it's been going pretty good so far. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he's seen so. But at Harvard you were pre law,
Speaker 1: that was your major, Yes, And why were you so
Speaker 1: interested in law at that time? You know it was big,
Speaker 1: big Mattlock guy. Yeah, Mattlock got really related to him. Um,
Speaker 1: I kind of thought I had a little country wisdom
Speaker 1: to me. Yeah, I didn't know, and I just loved
Speaker 1: the way he did. Um. Para Mason was a was a.
Speaker 1: I was a fan of Para Mason too, and UM,
Speaker 1: I don't know. I just at that time, I UM,
Speaker 1: I would just infatuated with with law. But looking at
Speaker 1: the overall picture, you know, UM wanted to get there,
Speaker 1: but didn't want to die. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: I wanted to get to that Hellvin, but didn't want
Speaker 1: to put the work in. I can see you up
Speaker 1: there making a closing argument. Uh you know that or
Speaker 1: or or the other other thing? Was um a preacher?
Speaker 1: You know they a lot of people thought I was
Speaker 1: gonna go into the pulpit and preach. UM tell him,
Speaker 1: I don't know, I'd get up there and just catch
Speaker 1: a fire. You know, I don't really want a chance that. Well,
Speaker 1: we gotta have you up here again because you got
Speaker 1: limited amount of time here in the preseason. There's so
Speaker 1: many things that I'm gonna get to today, but down
Speaker 1: the line that we'll get to as well. David cuck Cliff,
Speaker 1: what did he mean to your career. Oh my gosh,
Speaker 1: tell you what. Cut cut was the one that um
Speaker 1: really gave me my first break. And UM, I tell you,
Speaker 1: I tell people all the time he's he's a heck
Speaker 1: of a coach, but he's an even better man. Um.
Speaker 1: He never walked on water, nor has he raised anybody
Speaker 1: from the dead. But he's a heck of a man
Speaker 1: first and foremost, and UM, super super smart coach learned
Speaker 1: a lot from him. I owe him a whole lot,
Speaker 1: David Cutcliffe, a whole lot. You were in Mississippi that
Speaker 1: he brought you to do. That's right, that's right. He
Speaker 1: gave me my break. He gave me my first break.
Speaker 1: Out of that Troy with coach Blakeney and coach Cutcliffe
Speaker 1: got Eli manning. It was Eli Eli's freshman year. Recruited him,
Speaker 1: We signed him as freshman year, and um, coach Cutt
Speaker 1: got that job and he, um, he brought me along
Speaker 1: with him on that deal. It was funny because we
Speaker 1: actually took the job. He took the job, and we
Speaker 1: had like a week or so to prepare for a
Speaker 1: bowl game. Okay, so I drive up to Old miss
Speaker 1: and he tells the story all the time. I jump
Speaker 1: out the car and UM, go straight to the practice
Speaker 1: field and start coaching. You know that that meant it
Speaker 1: and the other coaches or anything. Just give me a
Speaker 1: script and a whistle and a hat and go get it,
Speaker 1: you know. And we hit the ground running literally at
Speaker 1: this did Well it's not like I'm speaking and I
Speaker 1: shouldn't speak in past times. But why does he have
Speaker 1: such a gifted offensive mind? Oh? Man, I think he
Speaker 1: understands um. First of all, he understands the quarterback position.
Speaker 1: You know, it was Payton's coach and mentor the Lord
Speaker 1: Eli Um. But he he's not afraid to to try
Speaker 1: new things. Um. But he's always grounded. You know. It
Speaker 1: starts with the run. Game, starts with the play action.
Speaker 1: And you don't need a whole lot just be good
Speaker 1: at what you do. You know, we didn't have a
Speaker 1: whole bunch of plays, Um, but the kids could could.
Speaker 1: They knew the position, they knew the plays for each position.
Speaker 1: And I think that that goes along way. Alabama two
Speaker 1: thousand seven, then Alum two thousand seven. Nick Saban's first year.
Speaker 1: This was before he became possibly the greatest head coach
Speaker 1: in college football history. What was the experience like because
Speaker 1: you were on the staff. Did you see what was ahead?
Speaker 1: Nobody could have predicted what was the Well he kind
Speaker 1: of could, did I. Um. The day the morning I
Speaker 1: went in to tell him that I was leaving, I said, Um, coach,
Speaker 1: you're gonna you're gonna win, and you're gonna win soon. UM,
Speaker 1: but I just can't do it with you and m
Speaker 1: for for whatever reason, you know, I wanted to leave.
Speaker 1: I wanted to go. And well he gave you that
Speaker 1: chance to yeah, and and and and next year you
Speaker 1: won the national championship. But I wasn't shocked at all
Speaker 1: about it. Um that year that I was there for
Speaker 1: one calendar year, one season and whatnot. And UM, I
Speaker 1: learned so much from that man during that year. Um.
Speaker 1: He was so meticulous and and and and organized and
Speaker 1: um just a different way of doing things, you know
Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Um, But just there's no accident. He's
Speaker 1: who he is and whatnot. He's driven now, he's driven. Um.
Speaker 1: Somebody say to a fault, but you know he's he's
Speaker 1: excellent what he does now. I owe him a lot.
Speaker 1: And I think Coach Saban um for for for that year,
Speaker 1: I really do. How deep does that rivalry run somewhere. Yeah,
Speaker 1: we're sitting here in New Jersey. I've hours you grew
Speaker 1: up in Alabama. I've seen families break up, fall apart
Speaker 1: because of that Alabama alban deal. Um the first shill
Speaker 1: talking about over seven. Coach Coach Saban and I were, Um,
Speaker 1: we were out recruiting and UM, I was driving a
Speaker 1: car and whatnot. He was sitting out. It was like, um, coach,
Speaker 1: you do understand the depth of this Auburn Alabama rivalry.
Speaker 1: And he was like, he goes, he goes in one
Speaker 1: of his rants and tirades and whatnot. They've been in
Speaker 1: big games before, Michigan statements you all that. I said, Okay, okay, cool.
Speaker 1: Well we played them, of course the last game, well
Speaker 1: the last regular season game, and Alban beats I think
Speaker 1: that was the thumb game or whatnot. Okay, so after
Speaker 1: the game, you know, he calls us up and whatnot.
Speaker 1: He's like, um, for the next three hundred sixty to
Speaker 1: four days, where we're gonna think about this and we're
Speaker 1: gonna get ready for this. And I was sitting back
Speaker 1: then my locker thinking, I was like, I told you this.
Speaker 1: You know, we first started back in the spring coach.
Speaker 1: This thing is real now, it's real it. I love
Speaker 1: Alburn and UM that day, I mean they even irked me. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I was on that I was coaching at Alabama, but
Speaker 1: Alburn me that day it was I could feel it, man,
Speaker 1: I could feel it. Yes, of course I was trying
Speaker 1: to beat them, you know, but but they they me
Speaker 1: that day. But that's that's still gotta be so weird
Speaker 1: for a kid who grew up in Alabama, played there
Speaker 1: and you're coaching with that's right, you know your coaching.
Speaker 1: I mean you're growing up an Auburn guy, right right. Well,
Speaker 1: but yes, UM went alb Yeah, but but it was
Speaker 1: no strattling defense. You know, you either Alburn or your
Speaker 1: Alabama was no straddling defense. And for a while I
Speaker 1: was Alabama, but UM coachd started recruiting me my tenth
Speaker 1: grade year. So I I flipped the flipped the script
Speaker 1: big time, um uh, and went fully alban But you
Speaker 1: know I coached it, old miss. We we have gone
Speaker 1: into UM that old miss. I've gone into alban and
Speaker 1: coached against Auburn there, and they've come to UM Oxford
Speaker 1: and coached against him to So I've asked them some
Speaker 1: some some um games against alban But the Alabama game,
Speaker 1: you know, coming, I mean, that was that's gotta be different.
Speaker 1: Got to be like a three our experience that, Yeah,
Speaker 1: it was. It was different. So Jacksonville in your NFL career,
Speaker 1: you spent a lot of time there. We discussed that
Speaker 1: you've been the interim high coach last year when the
Speaker 1: Jets pulled off a thriller against the Jags at my
Speaker 1: life staying very cool, I think yeah, and Jets Nation
Speaker 1: really appreciated it. What was Robert sala like from your
Speaker 1: standpoint as an assistant coach when you started getting those
Speaker 1: first interactions with him? Oh? Man, he's first of all,
Speaker 1: very intelligent. Um. He would come by my office and
Speaker 1: show me, show me the tips and reminders that he
Speaker 1: give his linebackers. Um, he's a big ryn. Let me
Speaker 1: let me show you this is what and and go through.
Speaker 1: I still have some of them, you know. Just impressive,
Speaker 1: just impressive. Um, great football mind, um, um, very passionate,
Speaker 1: I think. Um. I think players really relate to him.
Speaker 1: It's believable. You know there are some coaches excuse me,
Speaker 1: that fake the funk. You know, this guy doesn't fake
Speaker 1: the funk. He's definitely a player's coach, um, but he
Speaker 1: doesn't mind. I mean he will jump their ass to
Speaker 1: excuse me, and he would jump their ass man. And
Speaker 1: that's what I mean. He's a great guy first of all, um,
Speaker 1: and he's a player's coach, and he understands their point
Speaker 1: of view or whatnot. But hey, he believes in a
Speaker 1: certain way that it's done and he's gonna he's gonna
Speaker 1: expect and demand that from them. And um, you know
Speaker 1: what they said, well, and a heck of a golfer.
Speaker 1: See that's how that's how we game. Okay, So we
Speaker 1: were at Jacksonville. He and I would go and play
Speaker 1: golf together. Um, when no one else would we get
Speaker 1: any free time. Boom, Robert, let's go. You know, we'd
Speaker 1: go play golf. And was the competitive son of a
Speaker 1: gun on the golf course as well. Yes, he always
Speaker 1: tell me that. Yeah, Ryn rebuyed me launch because of business.
Speaker 1: Yes he Uh. I've I beat him once. Now he won't,
Speaker 1: he won't admit to it. But I did beat him
Speaker 1: once and um it was it was in Florida. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 1: he's too good. Now I can't I can't touch m
Speaker 1: Plus you got these nice clubs and stuff, not know,
Speaker 1: the head coach money and you can buy a game too,
Speaker 1: you know, so I've seen you play. I know those
Speaker 1: are he I mean we talked about apples and eggs.
Speaker 1: Mine compared to he is. Uh, it's it's no comparisons. Really.
Speaker 1: Can you make them break a couple of smiles on
Speaker 1: the golf course? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, no question.
Speaker 1: He's usually playing good, so it's easy for him to
Speaker 1: smile then, you know. Um, but I've I've I've seen
Speaker 1: him frustrated to a couple of times. But he's um,
Speaker 1: He's a heck of a golfer. I'm sure he will
Speaker 1: hear that. So, um, what's he like when he is frustrated?
Speaker 1: Because we do see him, you're talking to the media
Speaker 1: and obviously he's a gentleman, he's positive and just to
Speaker 1: see him in those glimpses, what is Robert? Well, you
Speaker 1: know what, you know, he's upset, Um, something's really irking him. Um,
Speaker 1: but he's so in control. I've never seen him out
Speaker 1: of control. You know, he's um and and and it's genuine,
Speaker 1: you know, his emotions are genuine or whatnot. But I've
Speaker 1: I've never seen him out of control or just I read.
Speaker 1: I wish I could say the same about myself. But
Speaker 1: you know, he's he I told somebody, Um, he was
Speaker 1: ready to be a head coach. You know. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: I think some people are are just luck out and
Speaker 1: got the opportunity or whatnot. But this this guy prepared
Speaker 1: for it. He prepared to be a head coach. And UM,
Speaker 1: he was ready when he got I'm just glad he's
Speaker 1: got he got a shot. I'm not gonna ask you
Speaker 1: for players, that wouldn't be right. But how does he
Speaker 1: get after players? Asses? As you just said, there are
Speaker 1: times how does how does he do it? Didn't? Oh yeah,
Speaker 1: he'll call him out in the team room, but he'll
Speaker 1: have video evidence of what he's saying. Um, we'll be
Speaker 1: on a team meeting and he's, hey, dog, this this
Speaker 1: this isn't. This ain't it. This ain't it. You know,
Speaker 1: the sain't how we do things, This ain't what we
Speaker 1: about whatnot? And m he doesn't mind, you know, but
Speaker 1: he appointed he had pointed out there. And I think
Speaker 1: the players appreciate that. You know, we we have a standard.
Speaker 1: No one, no one has above those standards. Um, everyone
Speaker 1: has to adhere to the standard, and he holds them
Speaker 1: accountable to that. UM coaches too, now you know, hey, coaches, Hey,
Speaker 1: get your get your guys right, you know, because he's
Speaker 1: he says all the time, we all are replaceable. So
Speaker 1: don't get it twisted. Yeah, Ron Milton doesn't have a twist.
Speaker 1: And let's talk about your group, don't real quickly? Total
Speaker 1: transformation from last year? Yeah? Yeah? How about how about
Speaker 1: these free agent facts? How are they fitting in? And
Speaker 1: how much of you enjoyed being around C? J. Zama
Speaker 1: and Auburn alone? And I'll tell you what, I don't
Speaker 1: know if the football world was sleeping on Tyler Conkling,
Speaker 1: but him playing in New York, I don't think they're
Speaker 1: gonna be sleeping on him anymore. No, he's I'll tell
Speaker 1: you what, this guy, Tyler, he's hit the ground running.
Speaker 1: I felt good about this guy when he was coming
Speaker 1: out of college. You know, I've looked at look back
Speaker 1: at my notes, um, just to see exactly what I written.
Speaker 1: I knew what I knew, what I felt about it.
Speaker 1: But you know, I'm not surprised. This guy's hard work.
Speaker 1: He shows up every day. UM, he's talented. UM, it
Speaker 1: means something to him. And he takes advantage. Um. And
Speaker 1: he makes the most of every opportunity he has. And
Speaker 1: the guy appreciates it, you know, he really does. C J.
Speaker 1: C J is um. You know. C J is is
Speaker 1: is I think a natural leader, you know. And he's
Speaker 1: and he leads by example. Um. Nobody works harder than
Speaker 1: c J um Um. And he don't mind calling people
Speaker 1: out of being vocal and whatnot. And and and you
Speaker 1: need that. I think I think a team needs that.
Speaker 1: And he's uh, he does a heck of a job
Speaker 1: doing that. Um. He and Conk, I mean they get
Speaker 1: along really well. Um. I think they have the same
Speaker 1: agent or something to it. But they get along real well. Um.
Speaker 1: There's no there's no riff for no ego or anything
Speaker 1: like that. Both of them are They just want to win,
Speaker 1: you know, they want to win. And I appreciate that
Speaker 1: about them. Sure, from what I've seen so far in practice,
Speaker 1: there's gonna be a lot of times when they're on
Speaker 1: the field together. Jeremy Rockert obviously you guys liked them
Speaker 1: after him in the third round. He's a local kid.
Speaker 1: He's got a good head on his shoulders. But with
Speaker 1: all that being said, it's a big learning curve right now,
Speaker 1: right after the time he messed in. And he's gonna
Speaker 1: have to be patient with himself. That's the big thing
Speaker 1: right there. And you know he and I talk every day.
Speaker 1: You know what where you had that today? You know,
Speaker 1: if I see him looking looking at you, Okay, what's
Speaker 1: going on? Because he's so competitive um and and he
Speaker 1: wants to be that's so bad. But you know it's
Speaker 1: it's a it's gonna be a process. He's got to
Speaker 1: get well. And but you can see the few snaps
Speaker 1: that he's gotten so far. You can see why you
Speaker 1: like the kids. You know, he's um, he's got all
Speaker 1: the tools man, and and and the biggest thing is, um,
Speaker 1: he loves ball. He loves ball and um that's gonna
Speaker 1: get him, um to where he wants to be a
Speaker 1: whole lot faster than anything else because the talent is
Speaker 1: there to who's are there? Um and he and he
Speaker 1: loves he wants to be great. You know, I think
Speaker 1: it's a cool group. Let's to sound on this that
Speaker 1: he got guys like kind of your boy flashed last
Speaker 1: year the summer of course, and whole benefit from another year.
Speaker 1: And then Lawrence Cager is the guy that I don't
Speaker 1: think people talk about. But I mean that speaks to
Speaker 1: his mentality too. Hey, maybe you should transition over the
Speaker 1: tight end. That's right, it's been done before, you know. Um,
Speaker 1: I think he has the right attitude. He's not scared
Speaker 1: at all. UM, And I keep it reminding him that
Speaker 1: the standards and the mentality in the tight end room
Speaker 1: is it's different. I'm gonna say totally different, but it's different,
Speaker 1: excuse me, than the receiver room. And he's buying into that.
Speaker 1: And you know, I've just been took ain't you know.
Speaker 1: He's he's a guy never been on three point stance.
Speaker 1: That teach him how to be on a three point stance.
Speaker 1: And um, just some of the calls he's never heard,
Speaker 1: some of the just generic terms u UM, blocking terms
Speaker 1: or or combinations with the tackles or past setting, you know,
Speaker 1: and hands left all those things. You know, it's he's
Speaker 1: done great. He's worked his butt off to him get
Speaker 1: to where he now. He's got a long way to go,
Speaker 1: but UM very pleased with where he's at right. And
Speaker 1: Trayvon Westcoe is a guy who's never seen a body
Speaker 1: that he hadn't like the head He's gonna be out there.
Speaker 1: You got the little westco man he played. He's old school,
Speaker 1: he's throwback. Um. I heard a bunch of the guys
Speaker 1: say he's just a young mid what not said, No,
Speaker 1: he ain't as tough as I was. He thinks he is,
Speaker 1: but he's not as tough as I was. So you
Speaker 1: gotta go young that, Um, Scottie, report what you were
Speaker 1: in the NFL. I never saw a block I didn't like.
Speaker 1: I love blocking. UM that was my wheelhouse. UM. If
Speaker 1: you threw me the ball, I caught it. Um, But
Speaker 1: I knew, I knew what paid my bills. Um. I
Speaker 1: followed that offense. You know it was in college and
Speaker 1: um blocking for both Jackson um the motion tight end,
Speaker 1: the the I stayed in that offense. I excelled in,
Speaker 1: Like I said, paid my bills for a long time.
Speaker 1: I wasn't disillusioned by any means. You know that that
Speaker 1: I was gonna line up out wide and run deep
Speaker 1: routes and all that that that wasn't That wasn't my deal.
Speaker 1: But UM, I won a lot of games. Um um
Speaker 1: made some money, not a lot of money, but made
Speaker 1: some money doing it. Ten your career and wanted me
Speaker 1: a super Bowl, So you know, I'm very proud of
Speaker 1: my product, what I put on tape, very proud of.
Speaker 1: Not too bad. I appreciate the summer visit. We're gonna
Speaker 1: try to get you back into studios again. You are
Speaker 1: my favorite golfing partner. Here one Jet Strive we have.
Speaker 1: We had fun that day. I'll tell you we have fun.
Speaker 1: Thanks for Thank you,