WEBVTT - Big Red Rage - Cardinals Hope Xavier Thomas Can Become X-Factor In Defense 0:00:01.840 --> 0:00:04.880 Stramp on the boots and scrape up the knuckles. Hold 0:00:04.920 --> 0:00:06.680 it ahead, he got jacked. 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:12.000 This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford 0:00:12.039 --> 0:00:13.360 and Gilbert Barry's. 0:00:13.000 --> 0:00:16.400 Gonna score touchdown Slim to the ground by Buddha Baker. 0:00:16.600 --> 0:00:19.400 Like a torpedo, he keeps flying into the back deal. 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:25.000 The Rage is brought to you by santan Ford and 0:00:25.040 --> 0:00:28.200 Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:31.760 the Santan two oh two Freeway in bal Vista Seek 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:36.760 your Ticket to Great Seats, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:40.360 visit Azycardinals dot Com Slash podcast. 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:43.320 A Red Sea is rising up. 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.920 Due you Rising vision Flurry Rage, take it over. 0:00:49.159 --> 0:00:52.800 Here's Paul CALVICI I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:56.080 I'm telling you I'm ready. And Ron Woolfley. It doesn't 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:57.320 get any better than that. 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:06.440 Tis that time of year, twas the night before rookie 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:11.000 Mini camp, where every draft pick, at least at this 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:16.160 point is a starter right heck on paper, every pick 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:21.600 is a pro bowler. The NFL is the oyster, as 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:26.360 the saying goes, until it isn't until a ten year 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:30.559 veteran sea otter comes and grabs your oyster and serves you. 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:31.319 Up for lunch. 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:34.480 Indeed, ball that is life in the NFL. Eat or 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:37.479 be eaten. That's the way it works. As we start 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:40.200 this drive for the final fifty three, the Fight for 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:42.679 fifty three, it is the Big Red Rage, presented by 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:46.520 santan Ford and Gilbert Well Santane Ford, and soon enough 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:50.680 we will be joined by Xavier Thomas, the Cardinals, big 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:53.920 time rookie out of Clemson. I mean, you talk about 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:56.600 a guy's resume, there is a lot to talk about 0:01:56.640 --> 0:02:00.800 with and two Xavier Thomas about But first Wolf here 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:03.480 we are Big Red Rage right this week it's the rookies. 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:06.080 Next week it's the schedule release. There ain't no such 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.680 thing as a stinking off season. It's always something around 0:02:08.680 --> 0:02:09.720 here in the Big Red Rage. 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:12.080 Yeah, Paulli, there's no doubt about it right now. But 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.880 I will tell you just the fact the rookies are 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:17.800 here for the Rookie Mini Camp. It brings back an 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:19.400 awful lot of memories, Paul. 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:20.600 Okay, so tell me about that. 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:22.560 All of them are good. 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:24.880 Round four Once upon a time pick one oh four, which, 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:26.600 by the way, I don't know why tip Ryman is 0:02:26.639 --> 0:02:29.200 your favorite player. It should be the Rabbit. It should 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:31.960 be Dadrean Taylor Demson because he was also picked one 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.280 oh four in round four. We'll get to that a 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:36.680 little bit later, but tell us about Okay, we heard 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:40.000 your draft day story, but what about your first arrival 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:42.280 on NFL soil back in the day. 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.280 Oh, it was so tough, PAULI. Of course I was 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:47.240 drafted by the then Saint Louis Cardinals. Of course, Bush 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.639 Stadium is where they literally had their locker room and 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:53.240 where they worked out their weight room, and everything was 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:56.000 set up in Bush Stadium for the most part right there. 0:02:56.520 --> 0:02:59.840 And I'll never forget back then, Pauli. After you were drafted, 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:03.840 I would say a week after, two weeks after, some 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:07.040 somewhere in that window right there, they would bring everybody 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:10.160 together for a three day mini camp. A three day 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:13.240 mini camp. That's what you had, was a three day 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:15.920 mini camp, and then they'd say goodbye to you until 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:19.440 training camp. That was the off season, now, Pauli. Some 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:22.799 guys hung out in Saint Louis. Some guys lived in 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:25.440 Saint Louis, and of course they would work out together 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:27.960 in Saint Louis because they wanted to live in the 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.760 city in which they played, of course, so it was 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:35.480 a little bit different back then. But I'll never forget 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:38.680 my first day walking into that locker room right there, 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:41.920 and I mean, you're looking at Otis Anderson, You're looking 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:46.880 at Stump, Mitchell, Neil Lomack's Roy Jetstream Green. You know, 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:50.320 You're you're looking at some guys that you knew their 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:52.880 names and you knew how good they were. But I 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:58.440 walked in there and I was this sheepish rookie from 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:02.400 West by God, Virginia, And suddenly I had the offensive 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:04.960 coordinator walk up to me. I had been in the 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:11.480 locker room maybe seventeen minutes maybe, and I had Dick Jamison, 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:15.520 the offensive coordinator for the Saint Louis Cardinals, walk up 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:18.920 to me and said, are you Wolfly? And I said yeah, 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:21.159 and I shook his hand and he looked at me, 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:23.840 Paul up and down and said, I thought you were 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:27.760 bigger than this. Geez. That's what he said to me. 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:32.039 Can you That was my beginning in the National Football League. 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:34.400 So that was your welcome to the NFL moment. Yes, 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:36.920 off the field, and then sure enough you found out 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:39.080 about on the field. Okay, So there you go. There's 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:42.040 a moment and I'm going to bring up the following 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:47.040 because on the most recent Pash Pot the Day Pash podcast, 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:49.760 Mani Assiboord the GM was the guest. It's known in 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.320 the business as a good get. Okay, we're gonna hear 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:54.320 from Mani in a moment, But do you know what 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.720 last year's rookie class heard from the general manager one 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:00.560 or two days after last season. I have it from 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:03.200 good sources that Mani ausen for it, got his first 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:05.760 over Arizona Cardinals draft class, and it was a stellar 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:09.400 draft class. Absolutely let the rooks cook. Nobody got more 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:11.800 snaps and more starts out of the rookie class in 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:14.159 the Arizona Cardinals a year ago. In the NFL, he 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:17.440 got everyone in that room and he said, gentlemen, my 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:22.239 job as an NFL general manager is to replace every 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:26.080 one of you. And I'm told you could hear a 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:28.479 pin drop every one of those guys who thought, Okay, 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:30.400 I just made it through my rookie year. I've arrived. 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:30.920 I'm the man. 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:34.360 I got an NFL career straight ahead, not so fast, 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:37.960 not so much. None of this is guaranteed. He made 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:40.200 it clear you're going to have to compete for your 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:44.600 job every single year, and so I just thought it 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:48.360 was really interesting because it goes into the culture. Yes, 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:51.560 does it not going to compete and prove yourself on 0:05:51.640 --> 0:05:52.440 a daily basis? 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:55.480 Yeah, absolutely, Pauali. You know, once again, forget about the 0:05:55.560 --> 0:05:57.640 daily it's just prove it, Paul. That's what it is 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:02.080 right there. But it does veal the culture the Arizona 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:06.040 Cardinals have here. Listen, guys, we love you. We drafted you, 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:08.719 we're bringing you in here. We signed you as a 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:11.440 free agent, whatever it may be, because we think you 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:15.479 fit our culture that is here right now. But never 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:18.640 forget just because we may have signed you as a 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:23.159 free agent, just because we may have drafted you, never 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:27.320 forget that you can be replaced. And that is something 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:31.240 that I remember Ken Wizenhunt when he first started here, Yes, 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.880 go all the way back his first year as a 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:37.960 head coach man. He made it known this is going 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:41.279 to be about competition. I don't care what your last 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:43.680 name is on the back of her jersey. This is 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:47.039 going to be about competition. I think Manti asen Fort 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:49.200 believes that, and so does JG. 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:51.600 Speaking of last names on the back of a jersey, 0:06:51.960 --> 0:06:52.760 it's a good segue. 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:54.080 Ron wolf Lee, thank you both. 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:56.800 We saw Marvin Arrison Junior post this week to his 0:06:56.839 --> 0:07:00.839 Instagram account he's going to be number eighteen. Yes, interesting 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:04.599 because on draft night word was o Jelai was pretty 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:09.080 shall we say, vested in that number. So some sort 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:11.880 of serious negotiations we presume happened behind the scenes. 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:14.240 So what do you think it was, Polly? Honestly, right now, 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.480 it had to be something where Marvin Harrison Junior had 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:19.920 to walk up and say, you know what, bej how 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:22.640 much do you want me to donate to your favorite charity? 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:23.600 How much? Was it? 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:23.840 Right? 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:26.320 Sure something happened or charity? 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:28.120 And what are you going to donate into my garage? 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.080 It's one of the other or both. We'll see. But 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:34.720 speaking of names, look, he's got everything. He's the son 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:37.080 of a Hall of Famer, right. Yes, he has a 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:40.440 production at Ohio State. He was a Heisman finalist bullet 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:42.320 and a Cough Award winner as a top receiver in 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:45.080 the country. But to your point, it's more than just 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:46.560 what you put on film and what you put in 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:49.560 the box score and Mantia support talked about that in 0:07:49.600 --> 0:07:52.920 regards to Marvin Harrison junior the number four pick overall. 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:53.760 With Dave Pash. 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:56.560 One thing that's really unique about Marvin, and it's not 0:07:56.800 --> 0:07:59.960 surprising based on where he's come from and his day 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:02.800 and seeing his dad, but just the plan that Marvin 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.000 has and the plan that Marvin has had since high 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.160 school and he carried that into college and I know 0:08:07.200 --> 0:08:09.200 he's going to carry it this week when he comes 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:11.320 in here for the first time on Thursday. Just the 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:13.320 plan on how to get better and the way he 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:16.960 takes care of his body, the rehab, the prehab, the 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:20.000 plan he has for catching extra balls on a jugs machine. 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:24.240 Marvin's a very talented individual, but Marvin doesn't rest on 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:28.360 his talent. He's pushing himself. He's working to get better. 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:30.600 He wants to be great. 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:32.640 And then Money I'll support added with Dave Pash that 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:36.280 after the thirty visit, Money could definitely see him in 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:39.040 an Arizona Cardinals uniform. Yes, And if the Cardinals were 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:40.920 to stick and pick at number four, he was pretty 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:43.720 darn convicted Marvin Harrison was worthy of that selection. 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.400 Just absolutely love the draft class. And you know what's amazing, Paul, 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:49.719 I know you've talked to some of these guys as well, 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:52.960 these rookies right now, and we're getting some exposure to them, 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:56.480 whether it was over the phone interviewing them or whether 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:59.640 it's in person right now. To me, the big takeaway 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:03.080 I have it doesn't matter if you play corner or 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:06.680 if you play a free technique on the defensive line, 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:10.599 you're basically the same guy. They appear to be drafting, 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:14.960 the same type of personality, the same type of individual, 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:18.840 and I absolutely not only love it, endorse it one 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:19.600 hundred percent. 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:24.280 Is it capsualized in their term all ball all ball, 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:27.360 that's what it is. They are seeking guys who are 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:31.679 deadly serious about the game and the business of football. 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:35.000 And guess what one feeds into another. The new draft 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:37.320 picks feed into the team. The team sets the culture 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:39.960 for the picks. In fact, Maniasiford talked to Dave about 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:40.880 that this week. 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:44.040 When our new players get here, that's the responsibility of 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:46.160 them to look around and say, well, this is how 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:47.839 we work, this is how we meet, this is how 0:09:47.840 --> 0:09:50.559 we practice, this is how we lift, this is how 0:09:50.559 --> 0:09:53.439 we eat. That's when the culture starts running itself. When 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:56.120 we have the people in the building that are operating 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:59.280 at a high level and doing it consistently. That's how 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:01.280 a culture gets to established, and that's how a culture 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:01.960 gets sustained. 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:06.839 Or when the veterans are modeling that yah poling, they're 0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:10.599 not just talking about it, but that's their actual behavior, 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:14.040 and that's what they're doing behind the scenes. And you know, 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:16.880 we'll first hand when when the veteran guys are holding 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:20.280 the younger guys accountable to those actions. Oh yeah, then 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:22.800 all of a sudden, okay, you know, it's turnkey at 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:23.520 that point. 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:26.240 It really is. It just makes so much sense right now. 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:30.839 It's one of the reasons why culture starts with a philosophy. 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:34.480 It's an idea, it's how you want to do things. 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.720 Now you have to go get human beings who totally 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:40.400 agree with that and will not only agree with it, 0:10:40.679 --> 0:10:43.199 they'll live it in front of everybody else. And to 0:10:43.320 --> 0:10:47.160 Moni's point, now that you've got guys like that inside 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.320 that locker room here, it is now you're just gonna 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:54.480 draft more guys who are like minded, draft more guys 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:57.360 like that and bring them in and they'll just watch 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.240 the other guys and the older guys and how they 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:03.400 do things because you've already established what it is you 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.280 want your culture to be and now they'll model it 0:11:06.320 --> 0:11:08.280 for everybody else. Just brilliant. 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:11.280 And when I hear about players like that, I think 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:14.560 of instant impact. I think they're equipped to come in 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:18.600 and actually contribute right away. They're not kids, they're professionals. 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:22.800 I'm still gonna take a prove it rookie mentality, Sorry. 0:11:22.480 --> 0:11:25.680 Paul, Hey be the first among the first to buy 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:30.360 Cardinals single game tickets. Register now and get single game 0:11:30.440 --> 0:11:34.400 ticket purchase link sent to you directly as the schedule 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:37.600 is released right now. That's gonna be next Wednesday. Okay, 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:41.120 go to Azycardinals dot com slash first to buy, Azycardinals 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:44.079 dot com first to buy for all the info. Once again, 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:46.200 they're gonna send you a link. You could be among 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.080 the first take a look at the schedule. There are 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:51.760 some stellar matchups coming our way. Azycardinals dot Com slash 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.440 first to buy all right out of high school. He 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.880 was ready to ahead of Micah Parsons. Xavier Thomas's next 0:11:57.920 --> 0:11:58.720 on the big red. 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:03.760 Rage empty sent for Martello on the third down and 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:08.160 sad and he gets Thomas. Savior Thomas the first Tiger 0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:13.640 in there. It's the twenty five yard line by Savior. 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:18.160 Thomas inside the ten and Thomas out of bounds inside. 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:18.640 The five yard line. 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:20.560 The thing that stands out with his speed is his 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:23.760 get off, and he really stresses tackles to have to 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:27.240 kick to get out to him right. So one thing 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:30.000 I loved about that his speed brings to his game, 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:33.200 specifically his pass rush as his ability to win with 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.120 speed and then transition to power. 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:36.480 For a rookie. 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:39.160 I thought his pass rush technique was pretty polished up. 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:45.280 As Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rowless and in a twelve 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:50.559 player draft class marked by intrigue, I mean just dripping 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:56.720 with potential and production, athleticism and accomplishments. Ron Wofully, my 0:12:56.760 --> 0:13:00.120 eye keeps going back to one scout and report. I'm 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:03.440 just wondering about what's under the hood, what's in store. 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.240 And he happens to be our special guest tonight on 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:09.640 The Big Red Rage presented by sand tan Ford and Gilbert. 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:13.920 Xavier Thomas guest tonight, And uh, you know, let's just 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:17.040 start with that. Okay, I've heard XT, We've heard Z. 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:18.840 What do you like to go by Xavier? 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:19.920 Definitely? 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:21.959 Then I got the nickname next once I got to 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:24.760 college and I just ran with it. That's what the 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:27.080 Climpton fan base gave me, and teammateson coaches and things 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:28.880 like that. But I grew up being college but so 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:32.040 it's really whatever, whatever everybody prefers, I don't really mind whatever. 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:34.280 So, Jay, I've got to ask you this right now. 0:13:34.760 --> 0:13:37.360 Mid Draft day is always a special day. I played 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:39.439 ten years of the NFL. I was telling you, I 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:43.560 think back to that day I got drafted. Man, just 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:48.160 an incredible experience. Give me your draft experience. What was 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:49.360 it like? Who were you with? 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:51.520 That was with all my family and my friends that 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:54.080 I grew up with. I did in Charlotte, North Carolina, 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:55.480 because I'm from Florence, South Carolina, and it was the 0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:58.200 most nutrous spot for family and friends to be at 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:01.240 and just sitting there just waiting to hear my name called. 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:04.800 It was actually crazy how it happened because I had 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:06.880 went on Twitter as soon as right before the fifth 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:09.439 round started, about ten minutes before, I tweeted out come 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:11.480 get a dog, And ten minutes later that's when I 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:13.720 got the call for So it was it was a 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:15.079 crazy time. And I don't know if they saw the 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:17.839 tweet or what, but it was some crazy time in there. 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:19.600 If we would ask you before the draft, all right, 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:21.640 Arizona Cardinals. Did you have a gut feel did you 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:23.200 think it might have been Arizona. 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.840 I didn't think it was gonna be Arizona. The only 0:14:26.880 --> 0:14:29.920 gut fill I had was Houston. I had a few 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:32.840 Top thirty visits with and obviously Cardinals was one of them, 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:35.400 and I knew there was a possibility. But my gut 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:37.720 feeling was Houston, and because I knew that they had really, 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.240 really wanted me based off the conversation I had with them, 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:41.920 and that's why I felt like it was going to 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:43.920 grab me. But then obviously I got the call. I 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:46.760 saw Arizona under the call log when I was it 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:48.400 was ringing, and that's the call I got. 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:53.200 So is that you grew up in South Carolina? Correct? Yeah? 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:54.840 Where did you go to high school? 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:57.800 I went to Wilson High School and for my first 0:14:57.800 --> 0:14:59.400 three years of high school, and then I transferred to 0:14:59.400 --> 0:15:01.480 IMG for my senior year. So I went to IMG 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:03.440 Academy for my senior year just to It was a 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:05.640 bad coaching situation back in and I wanted to prepare 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:07.400 myself for college more so that's why I decided to 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:08.080 go to I MG. 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:09.960 Okay, did you play any other sports? 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:12.160 I played base baseball. I was actually my first sport 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:14.680 growing up. I was a really good baseball player. But 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:16.640 I stopped playing in my freshman year of high school 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:19.320 because my high school football coach convinced me to stop 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:21.280 playing because I started getting recruited football. I wish I 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:22.720 didn't stop, though, because I was really good. 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:23.680 Yeah, what did you play? 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:26.200 I was an outfitter in first basement, but especially was 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:30.200 definitely you tried a little pop saying I was. I 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:32.160 was home run derby champion for five years in a row. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:33.200 Wow, pleasure. 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.640 Hey Cardinals Round five rookie Xavier Thomas, our guest in 0:15:36.680 --> 0:15:39.480 the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:42.040 So the fact that you ended up being the number 0:15:42.280 --> 0:15:45.640 three ranked football prospect in the country by the time 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:48.120 you were senior in high school, yes, there obviously the 0:15:48.120 --> 0:15:50.840 coach saw something in you. And then you go in 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.960 and you were freshman All American at Clemson. Name some 0:15:54.000 --> 0:15:56.120 of the guys who were on that defensive front your 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:57.720 first year or two at Clemson. 0:15:57.480 --> 0:15:59.080 Yes, sir, So those those guys that I was in 0:15:59.120 --> 0:16:03.840 front of me, you got Cleveland Farrow Austin Bryant, Dexter, Lawrence, 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.840 Kristen Wilkins, and then watching those guys, watching those guys 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.120 play and just not even play, but the way they 0:16:09.160 --> 0:16:11.840 worked weekend, week out because they have returned that year 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:13.640 because they wanted to win a national championship, which is 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:15.760 what we did my freshman year, and being to be 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:17.640 a part of Being able to be a part of 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:20.120 that and learn from those guys was just such a blessing. 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:22.440 Just being able to pick up the things that they 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:25.160 would teach medium regards to how you prepare for the 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:26.840 game and how you respect the game, and how you 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:30.000 respect these opponents each week, and just learning from them 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:31.480 was definitely a blessing in this guys. 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:36.120 So zay, how what's your way at right now? You 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:38.600 want to be? There are two fifty It's okay, Yeah, 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.040 so you're you're in shape right now, You're right where 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.640 you want to be when you're gonna play right How 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:48.240 would you describe your edge play in the game of football? 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:50.600 I would say, really, just a relentless effort is what 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:52.920 I bring to the table. I'll treat every play like 0:16:52.960 --> 0:16:54.840 as my last, and I'm always just being relentless to 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:57.400 the quarterback, no matter where. If I'm away from the ball, 0:16:57.400 --> 0:16:59.240 if it goes away from me, if it's a screen pass, 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:00.800 I'm running to it. I'm trying to track it down. 0:17:00.960 --> 0:17:02.680 Just trying to make a play at all times and 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:04.960 just be an impact, impact player, whether the ball is 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:06.000 away from me or coming to me. 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:08.240 Was there anything about your scatter report? You know, there's 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:10.840 all these scatter reports floating around for months leading up 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:12.760 to the draft. Anything that irked you? He said, you 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:15.280 know what, that's not accurate because you're a lot of 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.840 guys say they never forget some of the things that 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:20.120 were said about them coming out of college and it 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:22.359 drove them. Was there anything out there that you're like, 0:17:22.359 --> 0:17:24.800 you know what, No, and I'm gonna prove that wrong. 0:17:25.200 --> 0:17:25.880 Yeah, I would say. 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:27.720 I mean the number one thing I hated seeing with 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.600 people would say like, oh, he was always injured and 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:33.080 blah blah blah blah. But I've only had one injury 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:35.719 and which I suffered in twenty twenty two. Outside of that, 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:37.320 I was going through different things that I had to 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:38.960 set out a couple of years. I only played three 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:41.040 years in college because I was I had a reset 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:42.639 after that twenty twenty years. So that's part of the 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:44.480 only thing that I don't like seeing is the injury 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:46.520 thing because I've only had one injury. Like, I've been 0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:49.159 healthy my whole career outside of those a couple of 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:50.560 years that I had to sit out, and those were 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:52.960 due to things I was going through back at home, 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:54.480 that type of thing, so when I had to reset 0:17:54.480 --> 0:17:57.560 on life. So just coming through out of that and 0:17:57.600 --> 0:18:01.120 then when I hate seeing I guess some people are 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:02.560 like big on stats and things like that, but they 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:04.359 don't understand the game of football and high it works 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:06.439 and how you impact the game as an age rusher. 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:09.080 So I'm ready to really make my mark and how 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:10.120 the card Excuse. 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:13.000 Me, your head coach at Clemson Doabo Sweeney told USA 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:16.320 Today quote, I'm super proud of xt because he got 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:19.159 to a place that a lot of people don't recover from, 0:18:19.200 --> 0:18:22.560 but he communicated and sought out help. What's the best 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:24.880 way to summarize what you went through and then how 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:25.480 you got out. 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:28.359 Of it, Yes, sir, so coming out of college, like 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:30.120 you said, I was a number three recruit. I had 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.040 a lot of success early on as an eighteen nineteen 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:34.959 year old kid and had a freshman all American win 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.399 a national championship. Sophomore year, we went back to the 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:39.639 national championship, and then junior year was going to be 0:18:39.680 --> 0:18:41.679 my third year, and everybody was telling me I'm a 0:18:41.680 --> 0:18:44.160 three and out guy, first rounder, all that type of thing, 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:47.680 and that COVID year hit, which was my third year, 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:49.480 and we all were sent home and things like that, 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:51.800 and I had got about I was going through some 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:54.200