1 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,559 Speaker 1: Hi, get everybody on Dan Hord and thanks for downloading 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:11,159 Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast, the Got a Whole Lot of 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: History edition, as Hall of Famer and former Bengals coach 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: tick lebou joins me to discuss his remarkable life in football. 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, 6 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by 7 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: business and community to a new level, and by Kettering 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's 11 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or 13 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the 14 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: greatest thing since efficient use of dishes. I've joked on 15 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: this podcast before about some of my unique skills. For example, 16 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: I consider myself a world class whistler. If they ever 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: come out with American whistling idol, I'm a number one seed. Also, 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: I am an expert at pouring the perfect amount of 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: milk into a bowl of cereal so that the cereal 20 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: and milk end on the same spoonful. Well, let me 21 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,839 Speaker 1: add another thing to the list. I have a genius 22 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: level ability to cook a meal with the minimal amount 23 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: of dirty pots, pans, utensils, dishes, et cetera. Part of 24 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: it is cleaning as I go, but when I'm finished, 25 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: there's generally very little cleanup required. In contrast, when my 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: wife makes dinner, and in fairness, she is a vastly 27 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: superior cook who makes dinner most of the time, the 28 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: sink looks like she's an army chef that just finished 29 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:58,279 Speaker 1: serving the troops. You can probably tell who does the dishes. Now, 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: let's get to football. Dick Lebau played his first NFL 31 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: game in nineteen fifty nine as a twenty two year 32 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: old rookie for the Detroit Lions. He ended his coaching 33 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: career in twoenty seventeen as the eighty year old defensive 34 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. In between, Dick spent fifty 35 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: nine consecutive years in the NFL as a player or coach, 36 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 1: and while he's best known nationally for the great defense 37 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: as he built in Pittsburgh, he actually spent more years 38 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: in Cincinnati than anywhere else, eighteen, including two plus years 39 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: as the Bengals head coach. Dick lives in the Cincinnati 40 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 1: area in retirement and joined me to discuss his remarkable career. Dick, 41 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,119 Speaker 1: I think most people listening to this podcast know that 42 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: you spent your entire Hall of Fame playing career with 43 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: the Detroit Lions. But you were actually drafted by Paul 44 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: Brown in Cleveland in nineteen fifty nine. He was about 45 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 1: fifteen years old at the time, he had already won 46 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: seven championships. What do you remember about that training camp 47 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: under PB and fifty. 48 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 2: Nine, Well, coach Paul was an innovator from the word 49 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: to go and many of the things that were firsts 50 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 2: for the National Football League in terms of training camps 51 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 2: and off season schedules, in season schedules, note books, they 52 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 2: all go back passing game, if you want to, they 53 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: all go back to Paul Brown. And he was just 54 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 2: he wasn't a very big man. He was a good 55 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 2: college quarterback, I think at Miami of Ohio, and he 56 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 2: was a guy that when he came into the room, 57 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 2: there was no question who was running the meeting. And 58 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: he just was a born leader with a tremendous acumen 59 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: for athletics and football in particular, and judge, he just 60 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 2: had an innate judge of talent, and he could almost 61 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 2: I think it was almost osmotic, because he would look 62 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 2: at somebody and he'd say, Oh, I don't think he's 63 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: going to make it, you know, And most of the 64 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: time he wouldn't, or he would say, this guy is 65 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 2: going to be a good football player. And that's how 66 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: he built his team and his records. I have a 67 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: particular oddity that I like to throw to the Brown 68 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 2: family whenever I get an opportunity. I was released from 69 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 2: my position three different times in the National Football League, 70 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 2: all of them by the Brown family. But in between there, 71 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 2: I have eighteen years of employment, and you know something, 72 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 2: and every time that I went to the bank, they 73 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: cast a check, and anything that any Brown family member 74 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 2: ever said to me that they were going to do 75 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 2: or weren't going to do for that matter, it was exactly. 76 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 2: You could go to the bank on their word, and 77 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 2: they were as good a people to work for as 78 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 2: you could ever hope for in any walk of life. 79 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: Did Paul ever express regret that he didn't keep you 80 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: as a player in fifty nine. 81 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 2: Oh, that's one of my favorite stories. Several years later, 82 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 2: Paul was up to my hometown, London, Ohio, and he 83 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: was speaking at a men's club banquet at the London 84 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: Country Club, which is no big deal at all because 85 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 2: at that time there were only about eight thousand people 86 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 2: in the town. But Paul married a London girl, so 87 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: he was I think out of just respect for her 88 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 2: and her where she came from, I agreed to go 89 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: up there and speak to him. Well, there are quite 90 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 2: a few of my friends in there, and I had 91 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 2: made several all pro teams. But then, you know, and 92 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 2: my buddy started to kind of giving Paul a little 93 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,239 Speaker 2: the jam, you know, when he was doing the question 94 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 2: and answer, and one of one of my good buddies says, well, 95 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: you know, he said, you guys, cut dick lebou. And 96 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 2: now he's he's going into his thirteenth year and he's 97 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 2: three times in the Pro Bowl and he is leading 98 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: the league in interceptions, and don't you think that you 99 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 2: made a mistake there, Coach Brown and Paul he just 100 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: kind of shoveled his feet a little bit and he said, oh, 101 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 2: he said, I've let a lot better players than dick 102 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 2: lea bou Go, which was classic Paul. But you know, 103 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 2: when you look back at it, you know he traded 104 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 2: Willie Davis and through two or three other guys that 105 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 2: are in a Hall of Fame. He either cut him 106 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 2: or trade him. He knew where he was going and 107 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 2: he knew what his plan was, and if you didn't 108 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 2: exactly fit it, he we're on down the street now. 109 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 2: And then in those days, I was like to tell 110 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 2: the story, there were thirty one players on the squad period, 111 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 2: and you didn't worry about special teams. If you were 112 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: on the team, you played, if you were capable, you 113 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: played punt team, punt return team, kickoff team. The only 114 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 2: thing I didn't play on was the extra point team 115 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 2: field goal team. I wasn't big enough for that. But 116 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 2: there were five defensive backs on the final roster, and 117 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 2: that was pretty much true throughout the whole league. And 118 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: at that time there were only twelve teams, so there 119 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: were only sixty guys making a living playing professional football 120 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 2: unless you wanted to go to the only other option 121 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: was Canada, which I didn't want to do, but so 122 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 2: to get released from a team, me and the guy 123 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 2: but the name of Farrell Funston, who was a really 124 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 2: good wide receiver from a College of Pacific. He had 125 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 2: about an eight or nine year professional career. We were 126 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: the last two guys cut from the Cleveland Browns that year, 127 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: and it was after the last preseason game. We played 128 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 2: six at that time, So to go to the last 129 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 2: cut out of training camp, you didn't have to hang 130 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 2: your head. You just hoped that somebody else would have 131 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 2: a spot for you, and it worked out for me. 132 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: The Browns were a perennial contender that as well, so 133 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: it was a tough roster to make. How grueling was 134 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: that training camp in fifty nine? 135 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,959 Speaker 2: Training camp then was truly training camp. Like all things, 136 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 2: the science of football has advanced tremendously. Guys didn't do 137 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 2: that much in the offseason, and because they knew that, 138 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 2: the training camp was literally almost two months long, and 139 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: you were going two times a day for that first month, 140 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 2: and you had plenty of time to play yourself into shape. 141 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 2: And that was kind of the statis qurow throughout the 142 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 2: league at that time. But it was you were hunting 143 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,719 Speaker 2: for that bed at lunch. After lunch, you jumped in 144 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 2: for a nap. I don't care if you were twenty 145 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 2: one years old or not. But Coach Brown had an 146 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 2: interesting way of doing things, and he was not going 147 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 2: very too much over the years because it worked. He 148 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 2: put in one offensive play a day, one play a day, 149 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 2: and well actually too because we practiced twice a day 150 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: that first month. But the first day we actually would 151 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 2: go out on the field and the only play that 152 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 2: he had in was a quarterback sneak and we would 153 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 2: line up for team period for twenty minutes anyway running 154 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: quarterback seat. But that's how thorough he was. He was 155 00:09:55,440 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 2: the first one to universally, universally apply the notebook, and 156 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 2: the players took their own notes. So when you would 157 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 2: go into the team meeting, he would speak to you 158 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 2: and then you'd break them to the position meetings and 159 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 2: the position coach would draw up the lesson for the 160 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 2: day up on the board, and you as a player 161 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: would sit in the classroom and draw it up in 162 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: your notebook, which you took with you, and you could 163 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 2: you had it there to study, and if your notes 164 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 2: weren't good, then you had no one to blame but yourself. 165 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 2: But that was the way he did it. Stuff like that, 166 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 2: Like I said, he. 167 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 1: Really customized football we're visiting with Hall of Famer Dick Lebow. 168 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: Let's go from Paul Brown to another coaching legend. You 169 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: went from your small Ohio hometown to Ohio State, played 170 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: a big role in a national championship team in nineteen 171 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: fifty seven, and of course played for the legendary Woody Hayes. 172 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: What did you respect most about coach Hayes. 173 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 2: Well, you're talking about two of the greatest football coaches 174 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 2: that ever stepped in the coaching room. But I also 175 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 2: as a professional football player for fourteen years, Don Shula 176 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 2: was one of my earliest defensive coordinators. I went to 177 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 2: three Pro Bowls. Vince Lombardi was one of them. Shula 178 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 2: was the So I was lucky enough to be I 179 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 2: always wanted to be a coach myself, and so I 180 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 2: kept a pretty good eye on the people that were 181 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 2: the head coaches and my position coach for that matter, 182 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 2: because I just you know, I would evaluate to myself, well, 183 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 2: you know that's probably a good way to do that, 184 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 2: or I might say I don't think I would do 185 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 2: it that way. And I was trying to prepare myself 186 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 2: for a life of coaching. And when I was with 187 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 2: the toy like I say I had Don Shula was 188 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 2: one of our very first coaches there. Shula had played 189 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 2: for Baltimore and then came over his coaching job with us, 190 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 2: and we led the league for two years and nobody 191 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 2: was close to us. And actually, when the Baltimore job 192 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 2: came open, Don went back and that's how he got 193 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 2: his first head coaching job. And so I found this 194 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 2: to be true in watching these guys like Lombardy and 195 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 2: Woody and coach Paul Brown, there was something different about them, 196 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 2: about their personality, about the delivery of their material. I 197 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 2: felt when I would go away from that experience, whatever 198 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 2: they would have chosen to be professionally for the rest 199 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 2: of their lives, they'd have been a huge success. Like 200 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 2: they were a coach, they had they had it, you 201 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 2: know how they put the quotation marks. But wood he 202 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,959 Speaker 2: was I think one of only two men and maybe 203 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 2: only one man who rose to the rank of captain 204 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 2: and the Navy from the enlistment ranks, and he had 205 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 2: his own ship, and he was just special. And you 206 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 2: know there's an old Saint Dan, if it doesn't kill you, 207 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 2: it's good for you. Well, I'm still here talking to you. 208 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 2: So what he was fairly demanding, but so was coach 209 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,679 Speaker 2: Brown for that matter, and Coach Shule. I mean you 210 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 2: kind of if you demand excellence, I should say perfection. 211 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 2: I guess some of them were, but I curtailed it. 212 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 2: I don't think anybody's perfect, but if you seek that, 213 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 2: you're going to get pretty good. And you get pretty 214 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 2: much what you accept as a coach, and these guys 215 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 2: accepted nothing short of getting the job done. 216 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: Did I read correctly that you developed a friendship with 217 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,080 Speaker 1: Bobby Knight when you were students at the same time 218 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: at Ohio State. 219 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, I had my first two years in the 220 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 2: business accounting, and then I realized that it wasn't going 221 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 2: to work for me. I had to be a coach, 222 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 2: and I got back into physical education, and which was 223 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 2: the degree of teaching degree, and in doing so, I 224 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 2: piled up all these hours credits, but I didn't have 225 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: enough for major so I went back two years my 226 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 2: first two years of playing professional football, and these guys 227 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 2: were all one or two years behind me and the 228 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 2: great Ohio State National championship basketball team. I became friends 229 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: with all of them. I played basketball with them all 230 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 2: the time. They would always put me on mail nole 231 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 2: because I would foul him and they got a big 232 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 2: kick out of that. But everyone off that team we 233 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 2: played three or four times a week really in the 234 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 2: off season, everyone but Jerry Lucas. He was too dig 235 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 2: I'm good, and we didn't want to play with him anyhow. 236 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 2: But I got to be friends with Habilchek and night 237 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 2: and stuff like that, hanging out with him at the 238 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 2: man's gym because if I wasn't playing football, I was 239 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 2: getting my body ready to play football. And one of 240 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 2: the best ways I always told my defensive backs play basketball. 241 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 2: Only play defense and keep your position on your guy 242 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 2: and stay between him and in the basket all the time, 243 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 2: which is what you got to do on the football field. 244 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 2: You got to stay between that guy and the goal 245 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 2: line because once he gets over there, schools out. And 246 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 2: I was a good basketball player, I could play with 247 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 2: those guys. I maybe played a little rougher than they played, 248 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 2: but they were That was one of the trademarks of 249 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 2: that great Ohio State team. They were a physical team. Uh. Bobby, 250 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 2: he would drive me crazy because he would say, let's 251 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 2: go see Woody. He was. He was a very adamant 252 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 2: admire of wood He hates and Bobby wanted to be 253 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 2: a coach too, And Bobby and I would talk about 254 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 2: defensing our different sports all the time, keeping pressure on 255 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 2: the ball, and it ended up working out for both 256 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 2: of us. Now, he wanted to held a lot more 257 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 2: games than I did, but I won my share too. 258 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 2: But that was kind of what we came up with. 259 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 2: For me, it was you got to get the quarterback. 260 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 2: You know, you can't let him go in there and 261 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 2: have all day to shave or whatever back there passing 262 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 2: the ball. He's going to cut you up. And with 263 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 2: Bobby it was they have all these intricate patterns and 264 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 2: shot screens and posting drives and everything. He said, you 265 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 2: got to disrupt that with pressure on the ball. So 266 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 2: between the two of us we got along great. But 267 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 2: Bobby wouldn't say, let's go see Woody. Let's go see Woody. 268 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 2: I said, Bobby, we just were down there two days ago. 269 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 2: He's running up football team. And it wasn't the off season, 270 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 2: of course, when I could go back to school and 271 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 2: get my degree. But we became good friend and Bobby, 272 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 2: in my way of thinking, is probably the most misunderstood 273 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 2: a great coach in any sport in any Land. The 274 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 2: media perception of Bobby is all you hear now and 275 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 2: people you know that was a long time ago when 276 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:35,400 Speaker 2: we were playing basketball together. But I wrote Bobby when 277 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,440 Speaker 2: when he had his biggest problems, I said, Bobby, if 278 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 2: my son is ever good enough to play basketball, that 279 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 2: was my son's favorite game. I said, I'm going to 280 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 2: send him to where you are, wherever you are, because 281 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 2: I want you to coach my son. That's what I 282 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 2: believed that Bobby Night. And I'm not too sure that 283 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 2: I helped him at all. By exposing to the wood 284 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:07,199 Speaker 2: he becaut. Some of Bobby's coaching techniques paralleled Woody, but 285 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 2: they both won a lot of games. 286 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 1: I was part of the Syracuse University broadcast team in 287 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,880 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty seven when they played Indiana in the championship game. 288 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: Had lost on the famous Keith Smart last second shot. 289 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 1: The day before the game, the head coaches did a 290 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: news conference. I still have the cassette recording. I don't 291 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: know if I have a cassette player to play it, 292 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: but I still have the tape of Bobby Knight speaking 293 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: reporters that day because it's the most impressive public speaking 294 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:39,400 Speaker 1: appearance I have ever seen in my life. It was brilliant. 295 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 2: Bobby was a smart guy and he was a tremendous competitor. 296 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 2: You know, Bobby was They told him the greatest six 297 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,360 Speaker 2: man in basketball. But he played as much as any 298 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 2: of the guys. He never missed. He had a jump shot, 299 00:18:55,400 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 2: it was poison. But he was great team player. Those 300 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 2: guys didn't care who was playing. They just all played 301 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 2: and they were tremendous. But Bobby was smart. He was 302 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 2: driven like all of us. You know, that end up coaching, 303 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:20,160 Speaker 2: and sometimes his techniques were more befitting a football coach, 304 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 2: I think than a basketball coach. And it was a 305 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 2: different time, a different era, and I think that Bobby 306 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 2: would have altered a great deal of that in today's world. 307 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 2: But unfortunately a lot of the stories that have come 308 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 2: down from him, and he gave them plenty of material. 309 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 2: You hear about the wrong things that he did, and 310 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 2: Bobby did so many great things, and he was great 311 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 2: with the kids. 312 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: We're visiting with tickleball. Ted Carris joined the Bengals a 313 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: couple of years ago. He is the great nephew of 314 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: one of your Detroit teammates, Hall of Famer Alex Carris, 315 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: and as I chatted with Ted. Through our conversations, I 316 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: decided to read the old book Paper Lion, which focuses 317 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: on Detroit's training camp in nineteen sixty three. You come 318 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: off in that book as the coolest guy in the NFL, 319 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: guitar playing slick dancing ladies man. What do you think 320 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: of the book and your portrayal? 321 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 2: That was all George Plimpton, the author, he was writing 322 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 2: a book. He had he picked up a stick. He 323 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 2: would go and work out with various accomplished professional athletes, 324 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 2: and then he'd write the books about him. And he 325 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: had a particular style that caught the fancy of the 326 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 2: United States, the American reading public. And he was a very, 327 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,919 Speaker 2: very successful author. And he had started out He's an 328 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 2: ivy league guy, and he started out in Europe as 329 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 2: the editor of a big fancy I mean, he was 330 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 2: a very erudite guy, you know. So he was entering 331 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: a different area when he went into the wrestlers and 332 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 2: the boxers and the football players. But it worked for him, 333 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 2: and I guess that was the character that he wanted 334 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 2: me to portray in his book. This story kind of 335 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 2: goes like we didn't know as a team that he 336 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 2: was not a legitimate candidate for the football team that 337 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 2: he was actually trying out for quarterback in our training camp. Well, Dan, 338 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 2: it took us three minutes to know this guy. He 339 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 2: can't walk in chew gum. You know, this guy is 340 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 2: not a quarterback. But he became a good friend of 341 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 2: mine also, and they actually they sold the rights for 342 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 2: the book for a movie. He made a pretty good 343 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 2: movie out of it, allan all and I think played George. 344 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 2: But they show you the difference in the way the 345 00:21:55,920 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 2: league has changed. After the book came out out, he 346 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 2: actually spent two weeks with us and training camp, went 347 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 2: to meetings with his hate with us. He did everything 348 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:11,399 Speaker 2: with us, And I think it was probably it was 349 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,439 Speaker 2: after the book or after the book was a movie. 350 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,360 Speaker 2: They wanted to do a television special on him running 351 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 2: one series of downs at a at the NFL preseason game, 352 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 2: and so the I think it was the Cowboys. No, no, 353 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 2: it was the Colts. They said, yeah, you can, you 354 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 2: can do it, and so they couldn't get anybody to 355 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 2: do it with them, you know, so they they came 356 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 2: back to Detroit where he wrote, you know, his book, 357 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 2: and Joe Schmidt was our head coach. And George was 358 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 2: a player when Joe was a player, when George Plimpton 359 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,360 Speaker 2: was trying to get back in there and do this 360 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 2: cut this TV series. So it wasn't serious, but it 361 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 2: was a you know, thirty five to forty minute the show. 362 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 2: And Joe said, yeah, come on, he can come on 363 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 2: in and play. So he actually came back to Detroit 364 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 2: practice with us a week and they gave him four 365 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 2: plays and we were playing. And so I think the 366 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 2: only pro game it's ever been in ourbor Stadium in Michigan. 367 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 2: We went up there and played a preseason game and 368 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 2: at halftime we went out there in the arsses. Our 369 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 2: number one defense went against their number one offense. But 370 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,120 Speaker 2: Climpton was a quarterback. Now can you imagine any franchise 371 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 2: in today's world, Okay, in anything like that, But that 372 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,479 Speaker 2: actually happened, and it was it was about one hundred 373 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 2: degrees and it was down you know how that's a bowl. 374 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 2: That stadium's a bowl. It was about one hundred and 375 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 2: twenty down there on the field. So we all said, 376 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 2: I don't know if this was a good dear not 377 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 2: planning this extra series of now, but I just thought 378 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 2: to myself, well, this is great. And I said, I'm 379 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,400 Speaker 2: going to get out here on national TV and George 380 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 2: Plimpton's going to complete a pass against me. I said, Plympton, 381 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 2: don't you ever even think about throwing the ball? Run 382 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 2: it three times and we'll get out here. Well, he 383 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 2: passed it naturally, but unfortunately it wasn't He didn't get 384 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 2: the ball hardly in the air. But I could see 385 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 2: myself being the only one that Plimpton ever committed a 386 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 2: passing with. 387 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 1: All right, let's move to your Cincinnati years. You join 388 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 1: the Bengals coaching staff as a part of Forrest Gregg's 389 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 1: first staff in nineteen eighty. Was Forrest Gregg as tough 390 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: and no nonsense as his players make it sound. 391 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, Forest was a task master. He was great. 392 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 2: He was He was exactly what that team need with 393 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:04,240 Speaker 2: people forget because that air of Bengal football. One loss, 394 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 2: maybe it was not reflective after it was all totaled up, 395 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 2: was maybe not that good. But we went to the 396 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 2: Super Bowl twice, and we had some great teams and 397 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 2: always had great offenses and defense. If we could have 398 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,239 Speaker 2: just gotten a little bit better, we would have won 399 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 2: a couple of those Super Bowls. And we could have 400 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,160 Speaker 2: won both of them. It was just one play game 401 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:29,159 Speaker 2: type of thing. But Forrest was I think exactly what 402 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 2: Paul was looking for. Paul had started coaching the team 403 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:38,880 Speaker 2: when he got the franchise, and he put him right 404 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 2: in the playoffs. It was amazing what he did with 405 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 2: that team. But he then he hired Forrest, and I 406 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:57,199 Speaker 2: had applied for employment with Paul both times that they 407 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 2: were of course they became a franchise, I was still playing, 408 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 2: but he always had had the position before I didn't 409 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 2: get there. So I had some guys that had played 410 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:15,479 Speaker 2: with Forest at Green Bay, I had worked with in 411 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 2: Philadelphia was my first coaching and they said you should 412 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 2: get this. Well, I'd gone to Green Bay and worked 413 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,440 Speaker 2: with Bart Starver and then but they and they all 414 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 2: said to Forrest, you should get this guy to coach 415 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 2: your dvs. And uh, that's how I was lucky enough 416 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 2: to get to Cincinnati because I'm a high guy, Dan 417 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 2: and I'd never wanted to leave Ohio and I probably 418 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 2: never would have Ohio. But professional athletics and professional coaches 419 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:51,679 Speaker 2: often change addresses, and as they say, don't send your 420 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 2: underwear out to the dry cleaner of me because you 421 00:26:55,040 --> 00:27:01,679 Speaker 2: may not be here to claim it, but uh, it 422 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 2: was like manna from heaven for me when Forced said 423 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 2: that he would like to talk to me. And Green 424 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 2: Bay is not a good place for a golfer. Man. 425 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: I grew up near Buffalo. 426 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 2: It's about the same are I've spent a year there too. 427 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 2: This April the first before you know if you got 428 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 2: any grass on your yard because it's all snow. But 429 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 2: Force grag was Will Lombardi said he was the best 430 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 2: football player he ever coached. And I have nothing but 431 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 2: good words to say about Forceth grade as a player, 432 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 2: as a coach, and a man, a boss, someone to 433 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 2: work for. He was perfect and he did a great 434 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 2: job with that team. We were a good team. 435 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: The first of those Super Bowl appearances that you referenced 436 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: was in your second year of the nineteen eighty one season. 437 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: I asked Mike Brown once to name his most painful 438 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: loss of all the years that he's been associated with 439 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 1: the Bengals, and he said super Bowl sixteen because he 440 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 1: believes in his heart of hearts that the Bengals were 441 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: the better team. You committed four turnovers in that game. 442 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: Do you feel the same way where the Bengals the 443 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: better team and Super Bowl sixteen. 444 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 2: Well, super Bowl games are almost always nip and tuck 445 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,880 Speaker 2: and they go down to the last possession generally speaking. 446 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 2: If you you know football historian, you can check it 447 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 2: and it's just true. It's it's a one play game 448 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 2: usually because both teams are excellent and they've beaten a 449 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 2: lot of excellent teams to be there. And that game 450 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 2: was a typical Super Bowl game. We moved the ball 451 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 2: well and the turnovers and we had a couple of turnovers. 452 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 2: Ken Anderson was maybe the most accurate quarterback that I've 453 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 2: ever been around, and he and this group of receivers 454 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 2: were outstanding. They just they didn't have any turnovers, and 455 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,239 Speaker 2: yet in that game we had several of them. They 456 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 2: were down in the red red zone, which were points. 457 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 2: And I know I remember one drive. We had a 458 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 2: great running back, a powerful full back from pay Johnson 459 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 2: from Ohigh State, and it was unstoppable. Well, the forty 460 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 2: nine ers stopped him four times, and ut I didn't 461 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 2: think anybody could do that, but they did. So you 462 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 2: got to give credit to the forty nine ers on that. 463 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 2: But percentage wise, I would say ninety nine point ninety 464 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 2: nine percent of the time, we're going to score from there. 465 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,479 Speaker 2: And the game was just a three or four point game. Uh, 466 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 2: we had every chance to win. But the interesting thing 467 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 2: about that, and I think I would use this story 468 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 2: quite often my coaching career. Both of those both of 469 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 2: those teams record the year before were three wins and 470 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 2: the rest losses. And those both of the franchises did 471 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 2: the enough job and coaching wise and everything. It flipped 472 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 2: it around, and there they were, both of them playing 473 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 2: in the Super Bowl. And it can happen in one year, 474 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 2: and I would you know, sometimes you get off to 475 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 2: a bad start and you just have to have some 476 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 2: concrete examples to give the guys to say, keep grinding, 477 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 2: we're getting better, and this game can flip. 478 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: You became defensive coordinator in eighty four and you're widely 479 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: credited for developing the zone blitz or the fire zone defense. 480 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: Did you literally dry it up on cocktail napkins. 481 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 2: Yes, that's true. That's a true story. And it did 482 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 2: originate in Cincinnati, Ohio, and coach Sam Wise was the 483 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 2: head coach. And I was very fortunate there because Sam 484 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 2: was an innovator too, and he was one of the 485 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 2: first guys to no huddle, strictly no huddle and anything. 486 00:30:55,200 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 2: He would try anything, and probably most of the coaches 487 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 2: that were the head coaches at that era, particularly, but 488 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 2: even today, if I came in I said, look, here's 489 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 2: what I want to do. I want to blitz the 490 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 2: little guy and drop the big guy back into past coverage. 491 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 2: He would say, maybe when you become a head coach 492 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,479 Speaker 2: you can try that, but not on my watch. But Sam. 493 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 2: I drew it up for Sam and went through what 494 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 2: I was talking to him, and he said, yeah, let's 495 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 2: take a look at it. He didn't even blink an eye. 496 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 2: So that's how we got to practice time and to 497 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 2: start doing it. Probably the spark that lit the fire 498 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 2: i'd been thinking about. I'm always been a stats guy, 499 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 2: and I kept the results of every play that I called, 500 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 2: every defense, and we all made our own reels in 501 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 2: those days, and I would study and see which plays 502 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: were the most beneficial for us and which were caused 503 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 2: the most disaster for us. And what I found out 504 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 2: was the pressure place had seventy five percent of our 505 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 2: huge place came off of pressure on the Dagham quarterback, which, 506 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 2: as I said earlier in this discussion, of Bobby Knight, 507 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 2: and I had that figure it out before either one 508 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 2: of us were coaching, but the other the flip side 509 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 2: of that was the biggest damage place where these pressure 510 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 2: plays and everybody blitzed in man coverage in those days, 511 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 2: and if one guy slipped and they picked up the blitz, 512 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 2: somebody was wide open. And it was never for a 513 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: twelve yard gain, it was for a sixty or seventy 514 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 2: yard game. So I al said, I would like to 515 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 2: find a way to keep this pressure on the quarterback 516 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 2: but still have a guy or two with his eyes 517 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 2: available to see, Oh my buddy slipped down over there. 518 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 2: I better get the hell over there and help him out. 519 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 2: And we found a way to a safer way to blitz. 520 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 2: And that is not my quote. Bill Rangebarker was a 521 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 2: great defensive coach. He has a great Ohio background, and 522 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 2: I wouldn't say we were friends, but we're definitely closer 523 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 2: than acquaintances because if you were from Ohio, you were 524 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 2: a good friend of mine. And Bill had retired from 525 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 2: coach and he he was the coach of the great 526 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 2: Miami Dolphins defense. Yeah, and he was he was the 527 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 2: guy that he was a great contributor. Let's say to that, 528 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 2: to that record. In fact, they'll be the only undefeated 529 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 2: professional team ever. But I would I would look him 530 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 2: up because he got into education and was an athletic 531 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 2: director and several different schools. And in those days, as 532 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 2: as scouts or as coaches, we played a much bigger 533 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 2: role in the in the draft than they do now. 534 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 2: And we did a lot of the scouting of our 535 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 2: which I liked. You know, you learned the people coming 536 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 2: out of college and you thought might fit with your 537 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 2: style of defense. And you had to do a lot 538 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 2: of traveling, but I at leastwise and they were going 539 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,720 Speaker 2: to listen to what you had found, and you would 540 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 2: have an input. Would you have the final say no, 541 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,400 Speaker 2: I'm not saying that, but you could really impact the 542 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 2: thinking of the team, which I liked. But I would 543 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 2: look up. When I was anywhere close to friends of mine, 544 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 2: I'd go in and see him. While I was working 545 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:44,720 Speaker 2: a kid out for the draft, and Arnsbarker was in Florida, 546 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 2: I think pretty sure the University of Florida, Gainesville, not 547 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,840 Speaker 2: Florida State, but it's one of the others sometimes, Stan, 548 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 2: I'm right there with you. The synopsis don't quite hook, 549 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:02,439 Speaker 2: but I think he was at Florida and I spent 550 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 2: a little time, and I said, Bill, I watched everybody's film, 551 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 2: and I watched yours a lot, and I said, I 552 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 2: like some of the things you did. And I've been 553 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 2: trying to find something that would apply in today's game 554 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 2: versus particular pass offenses that we're playing against now, a 555 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 2: pressure on the quarterback without giving up the big, big place. 556 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 2: And Bill looked at me across the desk and he said, Dick, 557 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 2: all I was looking for was a safer way to blitz. 558 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 2: And soon soon as the words came out of his mouth, 559 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 2: I said, oh, that's exactly what I'm looking for. And 560 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 2: Bobby and I used to have our cheeseburgers and dying coach, 561 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 2: you know, after playing basketball for three hours, and we'd 562 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 2: be talking about the same type of stuff and how 563 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,880 Speaker 2: could you do it? So I then, because I was 564 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 2: on the road scouting, I was going from Florida to 565 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 2: Los Angeles, which is you know, somebody I told me 566 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 2: just the other day said, well, didn't you just draw 567 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 2: that up in our flight or something on him. I 568 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 2: said no. It was a four and a half hour 569 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,479 Speaker 2: flight and we ran out of cocktail nap, but that's 570 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 2: when I started it had his birth there, and the 571 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:25,719 Speaker 2: hard part was linking it up with the coverage. And 572 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 2: the idea was pretty easy that would work, you know, 573 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 2: pressure from the quarterback, and yet he doesn't have the 574 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,399 Speaker 2: quick outlet right away any place. And what they were 575 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 2: all trained at that time was if this guy's blitzing, 576 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 2: this guy breaks off, he's going to be wide open. 577 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 2: And they had it down. Walsh was one of the 578 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 2: big motivators in that way to attack the blitzers, and 579 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 2: so I spent a lot of time on it. And 580 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 2: if it hadn't been for coach, weis saying, yeah, go 581 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 2: ahead and do it, because there were several times we 582 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 2: went off the diving board into an empty pool because 583 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,279 Speaker 2: it was hard to sink up. And in fact, you 584 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:13,440 Speaker 2: never quit coaching it, and actually until I retired, because 585 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,440 Speaker 2: somebody would come up with a pattern that hurt what 586 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 2: you were doing and you had to get the patch 587 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 2: on the leak in the tire. So that's coaching though. 588 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 2: And it did come from Cincinnati and we were running 589 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 2: it in eighty four. I would say it was when 590 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,040 Speaker 2: we started running it and I just crossed my fingers 591 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 2: the first time I called it in a preseason game, 592 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 2: and the quarterback took his hot hot key and throw 593 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 2: it to the tight end broken out and Ray Griffin 594 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 2: intercepted it and ran back sixty five yards for a touchdown. 595 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:50,919 Speaker 2: I said, I think we got something there. 596 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,279 Speaker 1: It occurs to me those cocktail napkins would be worth 597 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:57,880 Speaker 1: a lot of money if you had held on to them. 598 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:03,359 Speaker 2: I think they're all in the toilet, old for Southeast Wyoming. 599 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: Now much more with Dick to come, including something he 600 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:12,439 Speaker 1: would do for Zach Taylor if asked. But first, here's 601 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought 602 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals 603 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:22,240 Speaker 1: official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber 604 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:25,520 Speaker 1: Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to 605 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 1: a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care 606 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,760 Speaker 1: for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare 607 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: provider of the Bengals. So David Fulcher joined the team 608 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,359 Speaker 1: at eighty six. How much is he responsible for what 609 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:43,120 Speaker 1: the zone Blitz or the fire Zone ultimately became. 610 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:49,320 Speaker 2: Oh, he was a prime mover once I kind of 611 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,280 Speaker 2: had the formula worked out, and the formula was pretty 612 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 2: sim simple. Mathematically, you could four as a normal rush. 613 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:01,160 Speaker 2: Sometimes people rush three and at the extra cover guy 614 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,440 Speaker 2: and in red zone now they're even rushing to Now 615 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 2: it's something I would never do. I'd i'd rush eight 616 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 2: before I ever rushed too. But they do it in 617 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 2: today's game. Uh. But uh, I saw what what we 618 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:21,680 Speaker 2: were working with, and I said, well I can. I 619 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 2: can take five from anywhere as long as I get 620 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 2: containment on the side away from them, and I'm going 621 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:35,280 Speaker 2: to overload protection and and then I can do whatever 622 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,920 Speaker 2: I want with that pressure and still have an area 623 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 2: of situation in behind it. So uh, expressing them on 624 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 2: a piece of paper mathematically is easy. But in actual 625 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 2: getting to match up what the offensive coordinators are doing 626 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:56,319 Speaker 2: with their routes and picks and stuff, it was. It 627 00:39:56,360 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 2: was a task. But when you started getting special athletes, 628 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 2: and I always tried to match our defensive scheme with 629 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:15,280 Speaker 2: the athletes that we had. I I wasn't a strong 630 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 2: proponent of here's the way we're going to do this, 631 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 2: and you learned how to do this wellll not. People 632 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 2: were all different, and we all backpedal different, and we 633 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:29,400 Speaker 2: all turned different and we have different strengths and minuses. 634 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,040 Speaker 2: And my thought was, aren't we going to be the 635 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 2: best defense we can be if I'm asking them to 636 00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 2: do the things that they do the best? So that 637 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:41,359 Speaker 2: was always was a guy named Force on that. So 638 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,320 Speaker 2: but once you got a guy like Folcher who actually 639 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:46,840 Speaker 2: the closer you could get him to the ball, the 640 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,319 Speaker 2: more places he was going to make. He was a 641 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:52,879 Speaker 2: fine safety and good in space. One of our best intercepted, 642 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,800 Speaker 2: believe it or not, but you put him close to 643 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage, he was going to cast a problem. 644 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 2: And that's the guy that got me thinking, I can 645 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 2: do anything in the world with this guy and protecting 646 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 2: behind with an area concept, and we can cause some problems. 647 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:16,919 Speaker 2: In the Super Bowl that we lost in eight, that's 648 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:21,640 Speaker 2: not right in eighty eight thinking, I think it was 649 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:24,319 Speaker 2: three to three and a half against the forty nine 650 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:27,600 Speaker 2: ers again and Volture had made ten plays in the 651 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 2: first half. But I had another guy like that in 652 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 2: Pittsburgh by the name of Paula Mala. But see, I 653 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:41,560 Speaker 2: had already been down that road. And those kind of 654 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:45,320 Speaker 2: guys are perfect for this because the opponent's not expecting 655 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,879 Speaker 2: the safety to come that much, you know, and when 656 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 2: he does, the other safety had to go to get 657 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 2: over and get his coverage, and then they would just 658 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:56,400 Speaker 2: break him away. That was the way they answered the 659 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:00,160 Speaker 2: safety blitz because they couldn't they couldn't account for everybody 660 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,239 Speaker 2: faking around up there and here comes a corner, here 661 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 2: comes a safety. So it's not rocket science, but getting 662 00:42:08,719 --> 00:42:11,040 Speaker 2: it put together it took me a little while. 663 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:14,360 Speaker 1: That eighty eight Super Bowl, super Bowl twenty three, he 664 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,840 Speaker 1: only gave up three points through three quarters to Montana 665 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: and Rice and that great forty nine ers offense, and 666 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,360 Speaker 1: then unfortunately they scored two touchdowns in the fourth including 667 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,160 Speaker 1: the game. Whether we're thirty four seconds to go, it's 668 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 1: been thirty seven years. Is there anything about that game 669 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,319 Speaker 1: that sticks under your craw to this day. 670 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:36,439 Speaker 2: Yeah. I had a defense Coach Weis told me, said, 671 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,520 Speaker 2: I know when they're going to go to Rice, and 672 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:42,399 Speaker 2: he said, whatever you do, I want you to get 673 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:46,240 Speaker 2: me a defense that'll stop Rice on a particular play. 674 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:50,239 Speaker 2: And I said, okay, coach. So I got it. This 675 00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:52,200 Speaker 2: thing where I had three guys on him. One guy 676 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:54,839 Speaker 2: whacked him at the line of scrimmage and another guy 677 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:59,759 Speaker 2: worked outside to the boundary and another guy worked over 678 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 2: in side to the middle of the field. I said, 679 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 2: there's no way they can get a ball in there 680 00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:07,600 Speaker 2: to him. So in that last drive that they had 681 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:11,160 Speaker 2: after we ran to kickoff back to take the lead, 682 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 2: we got them either a penalty or a sack, and 683 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:18,160 Speaker 2: they were in first or second down and long and 684 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 2: and coach Weis says, Dick said, this is this is 685 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:25,720 Speaker 2: going to Rice. I said, okay, Coach, I said, because 686 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 2: if I had to put that menu on him, everybody 687 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:30,040 Speaker 2: else had to go man to man, you know. So 688 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 2: I kind of crossed my fingers and I said, here 689 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:36,120 Speaker 2: we go. It's my boss said, And we had them 690 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 2: all bracketed. There were so many Bengals over there, and 691 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:43,400 Speaker 2: one guy broke and hit the other guy, who knocked 692 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:45,799 Speaker 2: the other guy off, and all of our guy fell down, 693 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:48,399 Speaker 2: and of course Rice picked it off and ran over 694 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 2: the middle of the field and got down the bout. 695 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:53,080 Speaker 2: That's how they got down there to get their points. 696 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 2: So I wouldn't call that. I would have dissipayed my 697 00:43:57,160 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 2: boss's instructions. But it shows you that those types of 698 00:44:03,239 --> 00:44:07,080 Speaker 2: games are one play games, and a bounce here or there. 699 00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:11,839 Speaker 2: I mean, you could run that play into that defense 700 00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:16,319 Speaker 2: fifty times, and maybe Rice would make a fantastic cat 701 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:21,399 Speaker 2: for a twelve yard game. Well he ran it forty yards. 702 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 2: I do remember that Rice was special. He was special. 703 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:28,759 Speaker 1: You got your head coaching opportunity in two thousand. I 704 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 1: know you didn't win as many games as you would 705 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: have liked, but are you glad you got the chance 706 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:33,239 Speaker 1: to run the show? 707 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 2: Definitely, because I ended up with a forty five year 708 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:43,239 Speaker 2: coaching career and it was getting pretty late at that time, 709 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:45,560 Speaker 2: you know, and I said, well, I'm just gonna have 710 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,640 Speaker 2: to be a good defensive backfield coach because that's the 711 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 2: way it is, because it's probably not going to get 712 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 2: my opportunity. And let's face it, when you go into coaching, 713 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:56,279 Speaker 2: you want to be the guy that runs the whole thing. 714 00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:01,600 Speaker 2: And so I've always been grateful for that opportunity, and 715 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,520 Speaker 2: I think we had things started in the right direction. 716 00:45:04,719 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 2: They drafted Palmer the next year and went on how 717 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:11,080 Speaker 2: many straight years that they made the playoffs, so they 718 00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:15,280 Speaker 2: didn't inherit a completely empty food locker. 719 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,800 Speaker 1: Your first win as a head coach was October twenty second. 720 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,279 Speaker 1: Two thousand had featured one of the most incredible individual 721 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:26,239 Speaker 1: performances in NFL history, as Corey Dillon ran for two 722 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:29,040 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy eight yards on a day where the 723 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:32,600 Speaker 1: team only completed two passes. You played and coached in 724 00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:35,480 Speaker 1: the NFL for nearly sixty years, was that the best 725 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: example of the other team knowing what was coming and 726 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:41,319 Speaker 1: not being able to stop it. 727 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. I remember that game. We'd had a terrible start 728 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:52,440 Speaker 2: to the season and we were losing by huge margins, 729 00:45:52,560 --> 00:45:56,520 Speaker 2: and it was a pretty dismal locker room, to be 730 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 2: honest with you, and our head coach, Bruce Couslin, I 731 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:04,279 Speaker 2: went came back. I was lucky enough to be a 732 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:06,640 Speaker 2: good friend of Bruce's and I came back to coach 733 00:46:06,719 --> 00:46:12,279 Speaker 2: for him with him, and uh, he resigned early in 734 00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:15,839 Speaker 2: the year. I think after the second game, the third game. 735 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:21,359 Speaker 2: We've been traumced in all of them, and I said, well, 736 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:23,640 Speaker 2: we're gonna we gotta have something that we can get 737 00:46:23,680 --> 00:46:27,280 Speaker 2: our sink our teeth into, at least, I said, because 738 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:30,960 Speaker 2: everybody's down. And uh, I knew we had a good 739 00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:33,359 Speaker 2: running back and Corey Dillon and I knew we had 740 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:36,680 Speaker 2: a pretty good offensive line, and uh, you know, the 741 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:39,840 Speaker 2: NFL's a passing league. I said, we're not going to 742 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:42,560 Speaker 2: pass that much. Fellas, we're going to run the football. 743 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 2: We're going to run it down their throat. We're going 744 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:48,239 Speaker 2: to establish what we're going to be. And uh that 745 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:51,640 Speaker 2: team fought that whole year and uh, I think we 746 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:56,440 Speaker 2: got the maybe six did we get the six wins? Uh? Uh? 747 00:46:57,120 --> 00:46:59,799 Speaker 2: And uh I was proud of that, the way that 748 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:07,319 Speaker 2: they they battled through that situation. But that day we 749 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:11,520 Speaker 2: played Denver and they were good. They had a tremendous 750 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:14,839 Speaker 2: record and they had only the only video they had 751 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:17,960 Speaker 2: of us. We were throwing the ball forty forty five 752 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,280 Speaker 2: times a game, so that's what they were preparing to defend. 753 00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:24,440 Speaker 2: And here they came up with this massive off tackle 754 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:28,920 Speaker 2: pound ground and you know, we got some good bounces 755 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:32,600 Speaker 2: and stuff like that, but it fit what we could do. 756 00:47:33,719 --> 00:47:37,359 Speaker 2: And a lot of times when the team is going 757 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:43,120 Speaker 2: bad and they lose their coach, the players will come 758 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:46,600 Speaker 2: together and say, hey, this ain't the coach. You know, 759 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:50,160 Speaker 2: this is a group situation. We got to do better, 760 00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:55,040 Speaker 2: and it brings home to us how far off the 761 00:47:55,080 --> 00:47:58,880 Speaker 2: mark we are, and that group as a whole said, 762 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:04,319 Speaker 2: we're better than than With that point, differential shows. So 763 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 2: we did the best we could do and we only 764 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:12,359 Speaker 2: got two years. As I remember, So got me back 765 00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:15,279 Speaker 2: to working on his own blitz, which was pretty good 766 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:15,600 Speaker 2: for me. 767 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:19,040 Speaker 1: We're visiting with Hall of Famer Dick Lebow. When former 768 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:22,200 Speaker 1: players talk about you, there's a combination of love and respect. 769 00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:25,839 Speaker 1: I don't hear very often from players when they talk 770 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:28,880 Speaker 1: about their coaches. How did you manage to connect so 771 00:48:29,040 --> 00:48:30,480 Speaker 1: well with your players? 772 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:34,840 Speaker 2: I don't know the answer to that. I always wanted 773 00:48:34,840 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 2: to be a coach, which I've spoken to you about, 774 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:46,560 Speaker 2: and I watched coaches, but I said to myself, I 775 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:49,959 Speaker 2: was blessed enough to play fourteen years in NFL, four 776 00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:54,319 Speaker 2: years at high State, four years in high school. That's 777 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:58,080 Speaker 2: twenty two years of playing football. I'd seen a lot 778 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:02,280 Speaker 2: of coaching situations. I'd seen a lot of interaction between 779 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:07,200 Speaker 2: coaches and players, and I knew I'd been on the 780 00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:10,440 Speaker 2: receiving end of some great coaching and receiving end of 781 00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:12,840 Speaker 2: what I thought was not the right way to do something. 782 00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:14,719 Speaker 2: But you know, when you're with the team, you do 783 00:49:14,880 --> 00:49:17,920 Speaker 2: you got to do it. That's that's step number one. 784 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,239 Speaker 2: Everybody does the same thing. It's for the good of 785 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:26,840 Speaker 2: the team. But I said, I know this, when I 786 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:30,560 Speaker 2: get my chance to coach, I'm going to coach the 787 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:33,400 Speaker 2: way I wanted to be coached and the type of 788 00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:37,080 Speaker 2: coaching that I reacted to the most. So I had 789 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:40,279 Speaker 2: on the job training all those years of planning. I 790 00:49:41,160 --> 00:49:43,840 Speaker 2: was thirty five years old when I started looking for 791 00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:45,680 Speaker 2: a job, and they would say, well, you don't have 792 00:49:45,719 --> 00:49:48,040 Speaker 2: any experience. I said, oh, well, wait a minute, Wait 793 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:51,080 Speaker 2: a minute, I've been in the factory for thirty five 794 00:49:51,520 --> 00:50:01,600 Speaker 2: years here. But that's Mike McCormick, who I met in 795 00:50:01,960 --> 00:50:05,719 Speaker 2: the training camp at Oberlin College, I think is where 796 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:08,600 Speaker 2: we trained in Cleveland for the Cleveland Browns, and he 797 00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:13,680 Speaker 2: was an All Pro tackle for the Browns offensive captain, 798 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:17,120 Speaker 2: and he was taking his first year as the head 799 00:50:17,120 --> 00:50:21,759 Speaker 2: coach at Philadelphia Eagles and he hired me, and I 800 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:25,000 Speaker 2: of course interviewed for a defensive backfield coach, but he 801 00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:29,520 Speaker 2: hired me as a special teams coach, which I did 802 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:32,279 Speaker 2: for him, and I was grateful because at that time 803 00:50:32,320 --> 00:50:35,439 Speaker 2: it was an entry position and I got my foot 804 00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:39,160 Speaker 2: in the door at least. And after that three years, 805 00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:41,560 Speaker 2: I don't care if I ever see another punter kick 806 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:44,799 Speaker 2: off as long as I lived, but that's how I 807 00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:45,840 Speaker 2: got into coaching. 808 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:51,480 Speaker 1: You were recently a guest on Cam Hayward's podcast. Despite 809 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,840 Speaker 1: loathing the Pittsburgh Steelers, I enjoyed listening to it immensely. 810 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:58,680 Speaker 1: You shared a story that's probably well known in Pittsburgh, 811 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:02,560 Speaker 1: but I had never heard it. It's two thousand and five. 812 00:51:02,640 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 1: You're the defensive coordinator of the Steelers. It's the final 813 00:51:05,239 --> 00:51:07,839 Speaker 1: game of the regular season. The team needs a win 814 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:10,800 Speaker 1: to clinch a wild card playoff berth and that day, 815 00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:17,319 Speaker 1: your defensive players showed up wearing throwback number forty four 816 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:21,879 Speaker 1: Detroit Lyons jerseys, your old jersey, as a tribute to you. 817 00:51:22,239 --> 00:51:25,120 Speaker 1: I think they paid three hundred bucks apiece to get them. 818 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:29,080 Speaker 1: They were the legitimate jersey. Were you flabbergasted when you 819 00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:30,959 Speaker 1: saw your defensive players wearing those? 820 00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:35,960 Speaker 2: Oh well, they didn't wear them that evening, but I 821 00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:41,759 Speaker 2: was completely overwhelmed. And what they did was, with the 822 00:51:42,719 --> 00:51:48,680 Speaker 2: assist of the equipment managers, they took these fine wood 823 00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:54,400 Speaker 2: hangars and they hung my jersey outside of all their lockers, 824 00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:58,080 Speaker 2: And when you walked into that locker room to get 825 00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:01,799 Speaker 2: ready for the game, could just see forty four La 826 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:06,719 Speaker 2: bau in Honolula blue and silver all around the room, 827 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:10,600 Speaker 2: and it was a it was like something off a 828 00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:13,799 Speaker 2: movie scene, you know. And I looked at it and 829 00:52:13,880 --> 00:52:18,080 Speaker 2: it's done me and I said, oh my god. I said, 830 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:22,279 Speaker 2: this is so flattering, you know. And I went and 831 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:25,719 Speaker 2: I didn't do it. I just stumbled into my locker room, 832 00:52:25,760 --> 00:52:28,799 Speaker 2: coaches locker room back in the corner, and I sat 833 00:52:28,840 --> 00:52:31,000 Speaker 2: there for a minute. I said, oh, I said, I'm 834 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:34,839 Speaker 2: not sure this is real good. So I went down 835 00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:40,760 Speaker 2: and I got our our captain's Larry Foot and James Fergir. 836 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:45,160 Speaker 2: I said, get everybody together, so all the defense came in. 837 00:52:45,239 --> 00:52:48,880 Speaker 2: I said, man, I said this this is overwhelming to me, 838 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:51,359 Speaker 2: and it's just such a great honor. But I'm going 839 00:52:51,440 --> 00:52:54,360 Speaker 2: to tell you one thing. We better win this damn game. 840 00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:00,799 Speaker 2: I said. I may not even have a job, but 841 00:53:04,320 --> 00:53:07,840 Speaker 2: I wrote a book about the eight defense that set records. 842 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:09,800 Speaker 2: I don't think are ever going to be touched because 843 00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:11,759 Speaker 2: of the way they played defense and the rules of 844 00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:16,200 Speaker 2: the game in today's NFL, but that particularly a group 845 00:53:16,239 --> 00:53:18,719 Speaker 2: of guys. They were just strong in every position and 846 00:53:18,760 --> 00:53:20,879 Speaker 2: they gave up no big plays. I don't think it's 847 00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:25,600 Speaker 2: going to happen, happen again. And there were a lot 848 00:53:25,640 --> 00:53:29,640 Speaker 2: of quotes in that book from the guys that I coached, 849 00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:34,040 Speaker 2: and it was the same feeling I got reading that 850 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:36,480 Speaker 2: that I got that night when I saw those jerseys 851 00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:42,360 Speaker 2: sitting around there. And I can say this, all I 852 00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:46,360 Speaker 2: ever wanted to do as a coach was to have 853 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:51,359 Speaker 2: my players accept me the way they did now. The 854 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:55,080 Speaker 2: age differential. I never gave that a thought because I 855 00:53:55,160 --> 00:54:02,640 Speaker 2: knew I had to back the background and the exposure 856 00:54:03,239 --> 00:54:07,120 Speaker 2: to instruct people on defensive football. I mean, that's all 857 00:54:07,160 --> 00:54:11,960 Speaker 2: I'd done all my life, and I was always confident 858 00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:16,400 Speaker 2: that I could help any player that I saw. I 859 00:54:16,400 --> 00:54:20,880 Speaker 2: would study him athletically. They're all fairly gifted athletically, or 860 00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:24,520 Speaker 2: they wouldn't be in training camp in an NFL football team. 861 00:54:25,239 --> 00:54:28,640 Speaker 2: But we all have strength and we all have weaknesses, 862 00:54:28,680 --> 00:54:32,480 Speaker 2: and I would try to get everyone in a position 863 00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:36,560 Speaker 2: where they could apply their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. 864 00:54:37,080 --> 00:54:41,040 Speaker 2: And I over the period, I mean, just think how 865 00:54:41,080 --> 00:54:45,440 Speaker 2: many plays and movies and game films I'd been through. 866 00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:50,399 Speaker 2: I could help kids. And I found out that when 867 00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:54,560 Speaker 2: you're helping an athlete, he didn't care how old you are. 868 00:54:55,160 --> 00:54:57,960 Speaker 2: He wants to be better, he wants to get his 869 00:54:58,280 --> 00:55:03,520 Speaker 2: turn in the spotlight to So that's my only answer 870 00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:06,600 Speaker 2: for my longevity. That I could help them. I could. 871 00:55:06,719 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 2: I knew when I was telling them, and generally speaking, 872 00:55:09,719 --> 00:55:15,000 Speaker 2: in a game, after getting burnt enough myself personally on 873 00:55:15,040 --> 00:55:20,240 Speaker 2: the field and getting beat a lot in those years 874 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:25,160 Speaker 2: with the Bengals and those we lost quite often, you 875 00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:29,200 Speaker 2: learn a lot, and you, if you're smart enough, you 876 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:32,480 Speaker 2: just learned from what you can learn from and forget 877 00:55:32,560 --> 00:55:34,840 Speaker 2: the rest of it and go on to the next game, 878 00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:39,320 Speaker 2: the next play. And that stood me in good stead 879 00:55:39,360 --> 00:55:43,720 Speaker 2: because almost anything they were doing that hurt us. I knew. 880 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:45,960 Speaker 2: I knew, I'd seen it before, I'd been hurt by 881 00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:48,920 Speaker 2: it before, and I knew how to stop it. I 882 00:55:49,040 --> 00:55:51,640 Speaker 2: just didn't have it prepared for that game because it 883 00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:54,520 Speaker 2: was by surprise, so I could adjust it pretty quick 884 00:55:55,160 --> 00:55:57,680 Speaker 2: and it kept me employed for a long time. 885 00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:01,440 Speaker 1: So for the record, you did win regular season finale 886 00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:03,680 Speaker 1: with the Jerseys in two thousand and five, and then 887 00:56:03,680 --> 00:56:07,279 Speaker 1: the following week you beat the Bengals with Pittsburgh in 888 00:56:07,320 --> 00:56:10,600 Speaker 1: the playoff game in Cincinnati where Carson Palmer got hurt. 889 00:56:10,960 --> 00:56:13,560 Speaker 1: I've got to ask you about something. After that game, 890 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:18,320 Speaker 1: Bill Kawer mockingly did a Woday chant in the locker 891 00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:21,440 Speaker 1: room celebrating the win for Pittsburgh. Was that a little 892 00:56:21,560 --> 00:56:25,040 Speaker 1: uncomfortable for you just because of your Bengals ties? 893 00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:32,680 Speaker 2: Well at that particular time. No, because when my paycheck 894 00:56:32,840 --> 00:56:37,240 Speaker 2: came out on Monday, it had a Rooney not Brown 895 00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:46,000 Speaker 2: on the bottom line. But I still favored today the 896 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:51,440 Speaker 2: Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Cincinnati Bengals. Those are 897 00:56:51,520 --> 00:56:56,279 Speaker 2: my three teams. I root equally hard so much in 898 00:56:56,320 --> 00:57:01,320 Speaker 2: my life in those three low cows. When they play 899 00:57:01,360 --> 00:57:06,719 Speaker 2: each other, I can't lose, and that's the only way 900 00:57:06,800 --> 00:57:12,680 Speaker 2: I know, because they were all so instrumental. And what 901 00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:16,960 Speaker 2: ended up. You know, I still can't believe it to 902 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:19,760 Speaker 2: say this, but by golly, I do every now and then. 903 00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:23,040 Speaker 2: I'm in the Hall of Fame. Man. I can't believe it. 904 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:27,000 Speaker 2: And it's all a product of where I've been, in 905 00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:30,280 Speaker 2: the fact that the Good Lord gave me a memory 906 00:57:30,320 --> 00:57:32,200 Speaker 2: that I could remember when I screwed up. 907 00:57:33,680 --> 00:57:36,280 Speaker 1: A few more questions for Dick Lebow. I was playing 908 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:38,720 Speaker 1: in a charity golf tournament a couple of years ago, 909 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:40,960 Speaker 1: and I was on the same team as Jimmy Burrow, 910 00:57:41,720 --> 00:57:44,400 Speaker 1: and when he heard that you were playing in that event, 911 00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:47,880 Speaker 1: he stepped down the accelerator on that golf car. We 912 00:57:47,920 --> 00:57:51,120 Speaker 1: went racing over several holes so that he could catch 913 00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:54,640 Speaker 1: up with you. Tell me about your connection with Jimmy Burrow, 914 00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:57,560 Speaker 1: and then obviously what you think of his son, Joe. 915 00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:02,640 Speaker 2: Well, I think the most accurate passer that I've ever seen, 916 00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:07,880 Speaker 2: and I go back to the nineteen fifties in Norm 917 00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:12,080 Speaker 2: Van Brocklin and Johnny Uniteds and those guys that they 918 00:58:12,120 --> 00:58:14,320 Speaker 2: couldn't move to get out of their way, but they 919 00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:17,480 Speaker 2: could throw that ball through the eye of a needle. Again, 920 00:58:17,800 --> 00:58:21,480 Speaker 2: there were thirty one players on the teams, and there 921 00:58:21,480 --> 00:58:25,040 Speaker 2: were two quarterbacks on There were twelve teams, so there 922 00:58:25,040 --> 00:58:28,520 Speaker 2: were twenty four quarterbacks in America that could pass the 923 00:58:28,560 --> 00:58:32,760 Speaker 2: ball accurately enough to have a job. Those guys were fantastic. 924 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:38,000 Speaker 2: Burrow as the most accurate guy I've ever seen, and 925 00:58:38,320 --> 00:58:43,520 Speaker 2: that college team that won the national championship, it was 926 00:58:44,280 --> 00:58:49,320 Speaker 2: unfair and Joe would just put that ball and those guys, 927 00:58:49,440 --> 00:58:54,320 Speaker 2: they were all gifted, and that was I'm glad I 928 00:58:54,400 --> 00:58:57,439 Speaker 2: didn't have the assignment of trying to Curtail, and let's 929 00:58:57,440 --> 00:59:01,200 Speaker 2: put it that way. I've always been a huge fan 930 00:59:01,800 --> 00:59:05,760 Speaker 2: of Joe Burrow, and I've never got the meeting. Every 931 00:59:05,800 --> 00:59:09,200 Speaker 2: time it's going to happen, something comes up, but I'll 932 00:59:09,200 --> 00:59:13,280 Speaker 2: get a meeting before it's over. I know, Jimmy is 933 00:59:13,360 --> 00:59:17,520 Speaker 2: one of my favorite players that I ever coached. Like 934 00:59:17,600 --> 00:59:22,400 Speaker 2: I said earlier, in the National Football League, the coaches 935 00:59:22,840 --> 00:59:25,480 Speaker 2: did a lot of the scouting. They didn't have the 936 00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:27,800 Speaker 2: staffs that they had, they didn't have the money that 937 00:59:27,840 --> 00:59:30,800 Speaker 2: they had to pay all the people they've gotten now. 938 00:59:31,520 --> 00:59:34,240 Speaker 2: And when the season was over, you got a week 939 00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:36,960 Speaker 2: and then you started getting ready for the draft, and 940 00:59:37,000 --> 00:59:40,560 Speaker 2: you traveled once once you got closer to the draft 941 00:59:40,640 --> 00:59:44,600 Speaker 2: time and work these players out. And that's how the 942 00:59:44,640 --> 00:59:47,720 Speaker 2: combine came about. That people were spending all this money 943 00:59:47,760 --> 00:59:50,160 Speaker 2: flying all around the country was bring them in to 944 00:59:50,280 --> 00:59:55,600 Speaker 2: the Central's point and that's how that happened. But I 945 00:59:55,840 --> 01:00:00,080 Speaker 2: would look at video and see the players that I 946 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:03,840 Speaker 2: wanted to go see, and Jim Burrow was a safety 947 01:00:03,880 --> 01:00:09,080 Speaker 2: for Nebraska, and he wasn't very big, and he was 948 01:00:09,320 --> 01:00:14,840 Speaker 2: tougher nails and smarter than tomorrow. And those are just 949 01:00:14,840 --> 01:00:17,280 Speaker 2: the kind of players that I found that you win 950 01:00:17,360 --> 01:00:21,880 Speaker 2: with you win with players that are unselfie tough and smart. 951 01:00:22,360 --> 01:00:25,640 Speaker 2: And I don't mean that they can split an atom 952 01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:29,000 Speaker 2: or anything like that. They're football smart and they they're 953 01:00:29,080 --> 01:00:34,400 Speaker 2: intuitive and they can react to range of motion and angles, 954 01:00:34,560 --> 01:00:38,000 Speaker 2: and that's all the secondary play is. So I went 955 01:00:38,040 --> 01:00:43,840 Speaker 2: out and met Jim Burrow and he's just a very 956 01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:48,560 Speaker 2: impressive person. And I knew what his coaching staff thought 957 01:00:48,600 --> 01:00:53,120 Speaker 2: of him. And he was maybe not big, but he 958 01:00:53,200 --> 01:00:57,040 Speaker 2: never missed his tackling. He was such an aggressive player 959 01:00:58,240 --> 01:01:00,880 Speaker 2: and he went after it with so much aff. He 960 01:01:00,920 --> 01:01:04,640 Speaker 2: always got his sky down. So going back and getting 961 01:01:04,640 --> 01:01:06,280 Speaker 2: ready for the draft and everything, he said, why are 962 01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:08,560 Speaker 2: you Burrow? You got him up here up here? I said, 963 01:01:08,960 --> 01:01:11,960 Speaker 2: I think he can play, and I think he just 964 01:01:12,000 --> 01:01:15,040 Speaker 2: played one year in America, but he played like nine 965 01:01:15,120 --> 01:01:19,120 Speaker 2: or ten I think in up in Canada, and I 966 01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:21,520 Speaker 2: think he could have played. I never was in a 967 01:01:21,560 --> 01:01:26,520 Speaker 2: position enough to give him another job. But when Jim 968 01:01:26,720 --> 01:01:33,520 Speaker 2: retired from playing, his former college coach came to IIU 969 01:01:33,560 --> 01:01:36,880 Speaker 2: in Athens, and Jim went down there to run his 970 01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:40,720 Speaker 2: defense for the coach's defense for him. And that's how 971 01:01:40,920 --> 01:01:44,600 Speaker 2: Joe Burrow as a youngster a toddler, came to grow 972 01:01:44,680 --> 01:01:48,400 Speaker 2: up in Athens, OHI and become mister football for Ohio. 973 01:01:48,920 --> 01:01:54,640 Speaker 2: So I knew Joe long before Joe knew anything about 974 01:01:54,680 --> 01:01:58,440 Speaker 2: Dick Lebo because of who his dad was. And I 975 01:01:58,560 --> 01:02:03,320 Speaker 2: followed Ohio you and Jimmy was a fantastic coach and 976 01:02:03,800 --> 01:02:08,520 Speaker 2: had great defenses. And then Joe went to Ohigh State 977 01:02:09,440 --> 01:02:14,280 Speaker 2: and they lost him to LSU and he became I 978 01:02:14,320 --> 01:02:17,880 Speaker 2: think the best college quarterback passer that they would ever be. 979 01:02:17,960 --> 01:02:20,480 Speaker 2: I mean, he never threw a bad ball, and the 980 01:02:20,640 --> 01:02:25,200 Speaker 2: more important it was, the more he produced. So I've 981 01:02:25,200 --> 01:02:28,280 Speaker 2: always had a family interest in that group, and I 982 01:02:28,400 --> 01:02:31,920 Speaker 2: want to meet Jim's wife also because I only know 983 01:02:32,120 --> 01:02:34,240 Speaker 2: Jim and the whole day Gum family, but I love 984 01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:34,640 Speaker 2: them all. 985 01:02:35,360 --> 01:02:37,960 Speaker 1: All right, Robin and Joe, if you're listening, Dick Lebeu 986 01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:40,960 Speaker 1: wants to meet the both of you. Dick, you famously 987 01:02:41,080 --> 01:02:44,280 Speaker 1: used to recite the poem Twas the Night before Christmas 988 01:02:44,320 --> 01:02:47,560 Speaker 1: by memory for your players in Pittsburgh for many many years, 989 01:02:47,640 --> 01:02:49,600 Speaker 1: and the whole thing so it takes like six or 990 01:02:49,600 --> 01:02:54,200 Speaker 1: seven minutes to recite. You live in Cincinnati now. If 991 01:02:54,280 --> 01:02:57,520 Speaker 1: Zach Taylor called you in December and asked you if 992 01:02:57,560 --> 01:02:59,880 Speaker 1: you would be willing to share that with his players, 993 01:03:00,440 --> 01:03:01,320 Speaker 1: would you consider it? 994 01:03:02,480 --> 01:03:04,720 Speaker 2: Oh, I'd do it in a minute, I do it. 995 01:03:05,400 --> 01:03:08,400 Speaker 2: That's a that's a poem for my family. When I 996 01:03:08,440 --> 01:03:13,960 Speaker 2: was a kid growing up, most our family was matriarch driven. 997 01:03:16,160 --> 01:03:19,240 Speaker 2: My dad was a great dad, but the women were 998 01:03:19,280 --> 01:03:24,440 Speaker 2: the organizers and the planters. And he had three sisters 999 01:03:24,480 --> 01:03:29,400 Speaker 2: and my mom and Christmas was we didn't have anything. 1000 01:03:30,040 --> 01:03:33,240 Speaker 2: But you would have never believe that when Christmas came around, 1001 01:03:33,240 --> 01:03:36,760 Speaker 2: you thought we were the Rockefellers. I mean, the women 1002 01:03:36,840 --> 01:03:41,320 Speaker 2: would go into dead all year long so that they 1003 01:03:41,360 --> 01:03:46,200 Speaker 2: could buy presents for the kids. And I wanted to 1004 01:03:47,440 --> 01:03:51,360 Speaker 2: thank them for instilling the spirit of Christmas and the 1005 01:03:51,520 --> 01:03:54,480 Speaker 2: goodwill to men, and and hey, it's a big planet 1006 01:03:54,520 --> 01:03:56,320 Speaker 2: and there's a lot of people on it, but there's 1007 01:03:56,400 --> 01:03:59,760 Speaker 2: room for everybody if we'll just take consideration for each other. 1008 01:04:00,520 --> 01:04:03,600 Speaker 2: And I wanted them to know that I got the message. 1009 01:04:03,720 --> 01:04:06,280 Speaker 2: And I said, well, I know what I'll do. I'll 1010 01:04:06,360 --> 01:04:10,200 Speaker 2: learn the poem the night before Christmas. Well, I didn't 1011 01:04:10,240 --> 01:04:14,360 Speaker 2: realize how many verses there where. It took me a 1012 01:04:14,400 --> 01:04:18,360 Speaker 2: long time, but I started saying it for my family, 1013 01:04:19,080 --> 01:04:23,520 Speaker 2: and then I always preached to our players that a 1014 01:04:23,600 --> 01:04:25,680 Speaker 2: team is a family, and the family is the team. 1015 01:04:25,760 --> 01:04:28,480 Speaker 2: I said, I should say the night before Christmas for 1016 01:04:28,600 --> 01:04:30,560 Speaker 2: my defense. That's the only thing that I had the 1017 01:04:30,640 --> 01:04:36,080 Speaker 2: authority to mandate, so I would do it for the defense. 1018 01:04:36,680 --> 01:04:41,560 Speaker 2: And Bill Cowher said to me, he said, Coach said, 1019 01:04:42,640 --> 01:04:44,920 Speaker 2: I heard that you said the night before Christmas for 1020 01:04:45,000 --> 01:04:47,320 Speaker 2: the defense. I said I did. He said, why didn't 1021 01:04:47,360 --> 01:04:49,760 Speaker 2: you do it for the whole team. I said, well, Coach, 1022 01:04:49,800 --> 01:04:52,800 Speaker 2: I didn't think that was probably my call. He said, oh, 1023 01:04:52,800 --> 01:04:55,840 Speaker 2: I want you to do it again, Okay, I said yeah. 1024 01:04:55,920 --> 01:05:00,479 Speaker 2: So I started doing it actually for the old team 1025 01:05:00,520 --> 01:05:05,960 Speaker 2: in Cincinnati and then in Pittsburgh also, and most of 1026 01:05:06,000 --> 01:05:08,760 Speaker 2: those kids that I coach that you know, you drop 1027 01:05:08,800 --> 01:05:10,840 Speaker 2: out of sight, they go all over the country, but 1028 01:05:10,920 --> 01:05:14,800 Speaker 2: when you meet eventually the first question out of their 1029 01:05:14,800 --> 01:05:17,240 Speaker 2: mouth are you still seeing the night before Christmas? And the 1030 01:05:17,440 --> 01:05:21,960 Speaker 2: answer is yes, I still am. It's just a family thing. 1031 01:05:22,360 --> 01:05:28,520 Speaker 2: I love Christmas, I love consideration for your fellow man. Basically, 1032 01:05:28,600 --> 01:05:30,800 Speaker 2: that's how I look at it, all, right. 1033 01:05:30,880 --> 01:05:33,600 Speaker 1: Final question. I do a segment every week on the 1034 01:05:33,600 --> 01:05:37,520 Speaker 1: pregame show called fun Facts that ends with this question, 1035 01:05:38,800 --> 01:05:44,120 Speaker 1: if you could meet anybody in history, living or deceased. 1036 01:05:44,880 --> 01:05:53,040 Speaker 1: Who would that person be? It might be Ben Hogan. I 1037 01:05:53,120 --> 01:05:55,720 Speaker 1: got to say hell oh to him one time. He 1038 01:05:55,840 --> 01:05:58,480 Speaker 1: was notorious for being focused on the golf course. He 1039 01:05:58,520 --> 01:06:00,600 Speaker 1: never even spoke to the guys he was playing with. 1040 01:06:01,440 --> 01:06:05,800 Speaker 2: And when they first built the golf course in Akron 1041 01:06:06,280 --> 01:06:09,760 Speaker 2: that there's still a hole major League golf tournaments on. 1042 01:06:10,800 --> 01:06:14,640 Speaker 2: I drove up there to see him, and I ended 1043 01:06:14,720 --> 01:06:17,360 Speaker 2: up before it was over. I followed him, I think 1044 01:06:17,400 --> 01:06:21,080 Speaker 2: four different rounds on four different golf tournaments, but on 1045 01:06:21,120 --> 01:06:26,959 Speaker 2: this particular one on the thirteenth hole, he never missed 1046 01:06:27,000 --> 01:06:29,160 Speaker 2: a fairway, but he drove this ball over into the 1047 01:06:29,240 --> 01:06:32,360 Speaker 2: rough on the right, and you know the fairways and 1048 01:06:32,600 --> 01:06:37,560 Speaker 2: Russ roped off at PGA tournament. So I saw there 1049 01:06:37,560 --> 01:06:40,280 Speaker 2: was nobody going down the right side of this road 1050 01:06:40,640 --> 01:06:42,880 Speaker 2: this hole because it was so far out of the 1051 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:46,120 Speaker 2: way from where the course pattern went back to the left. 1052 01:06:46,880 --> 01:06:49,280 Speaker 2: And I took off. I saw where the ball ended up, 1053 01:06:49,320 --> 01:06:52,520 Speaker 2: and I said, I'm going down there because he's got 1054 01:06:52,520 --> 01:06:54,800 Speaker 2: to do something. That ball's right at the rope. So 1055 01:06:55,400 --> 01:06:58,640 Speaker 2: I was about three feet away from his golf ball, 1056 01:06:58,880 --> 01:07:01,400 Speaker 2: and I was the only person over there and there 1057 01:07:01,520 --> 01:07:05,200 Speaker 2: was a rope in me and Hogan and his caddy 1058 01:07:05,200 --> 01:07:09,600 Speaker 2: can walking up and the ball was ugly down in 1059 01:07:09,640 --> 01:07:12,120 Speaker 2: this rough down. Behind him, he was in the middle 1060 01:07:12,120 --> 01:07:13,760 Speaker 2: of a bunch of trees and he had a little 1061 01:07:13,800 --> 01:07:15,920 Speaker 2: tree in front of him, and then a higher tree, 1062 01:07:16,320 --> 01:07:19,200 Speaker 2: oh about seventy five yards on up the fairway from that, 1063 01:07:19,960 --> 01:07:22,920 Speaker 2: and in this in this day and age, it was 1064 01:07:22,960 --> 01:07:25,840 Speaker 2: like a four hundred and sixty yard part four, which 1065 01:07:25,880 --> 01:07:29,000 Speaker 2: is today's only driving an ad arm for him, but 1066 01:07:29,480 --> 01:07:32,960 Speaker 2: it was more than that then. So I'm not moving 1067 01:07:33,120 --> 01:07:35,000 Speaker 2: and I know they're going to move me. But so 1068 01:07:35,400 --> 01:07:38,360 Speaker 2: he walked up. I could see in his bag and 1069 01:07:38,480 --> 01:07:40,520 Speaker 2: I saw the club he took out. But he as 1070 01:07:40,520 --> 01:07:43,440 Speaker 2: he walked up, he looked at me and he said, 1071 01:07:44,240 --> 01:07:46,720 Speaker 2: that's not very good, is it? Looking at his lie 1072 01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:50,360 Speaker 2: And I said, no, sir, mister Hogan, it's not very good. 1073 01:07:50,800 --> 01:07:54,440 Speaker 2: I baby. It wasn't like a conversation or nothing. He 1074 01:07:54,560 --> 01:07:56,720 Speaker 2: just turned away and he walked up. Because there were 1075 01:07:56,760 --> 01:07:59,360 Speaker 2: people on the green. He smoked a cigarette all the 1076 01:07:59,440 --> 01:08:02,720 Speaker 2: time then, and he's up there smoking a cigarette and 1077 01:08:02,720 --> 01:08:05,880 Speaker 2: waiting until they got off the greame. It took maybe 1078 01:08:06,440 --> 01:08:08,960 Speaker 2: seventy eight minutes before they could clear the green. He 1079 01:08:09,000 --> 01:08:12,480 Speaker 2: walked back to that golf ball. He took out this 1080 01:08:12,640 --> 01:08:17,000 Speaker 2: little dinky ass five wood type club. I don't know 1081 01:08:17,000 --> 01:08:20,559 Speaker 2: what it was, but of course I said, Hogan on it, 1082 01:08:20,960 --> 01:08:24,839 Speaker 2: and he just threw that cigarette on the ground, stepped 1083 01:08:24,880 --> 01:08:28,559 Speaker 2: up there. He wired that golf ball out underneath the tree, 1084 01:08:28,600 --> 01:08:31,040 Speaker 2: out of that long rough underneath the tree in front 1085 01:08:31,080 --> 01:08:34,040 Speaker 2: of him, over the tree up and there was a 1086 01:08:34,160 --> 01:08:38,040 Speaker 2: little walkway up between two big bunkers up to the green, 1087 01:08:38,400 --> 01:08:40,599 Speaker 2: right up through that walkway, right up on the green. 1088 01:08:41,200 --> 01:08:44,640 Speaker 2: He didn't look back, sake back, picked up a cigarette, 1089 01:08:44,960 --> 01:08:53,559 Speaker 2: took off that. But he for golfers, he's probably the 1090 01:08:53,680 --> 01:08:58,360 Speaker 2: greatest mystique character of all, at least wise in my 1091 01:08:58,439 --> 01:09:01,080 Speaker 2: mind as a golf fan. 1092 01:09:01,200 --> 01:09:04,840 Speaker 1: That gives me chills just picturing Ben Hogan pulling that off. 1093 01:09:04,880 --> 01:09:07,560 Speaker 2: You should have seen a shot. Yeah, it was unbelievable. 1094 01:09:08,240 --> 01:09:11,920 Speaker 2: When he hit a golf ball I'd been watching mom up. 1095 01:09:12,520 --> 01:09:15,799 Speaker 2: It made a different sound than anybody I've ever heard, 1096 01:09:15,880 --> 01:09:18,720 Speaker 2: and I've heard a lot of great players hit golf. 1097 01:09:18,439 --> 01:09:20,679 Speaker 1: Balls sweet spot of the club every time. 1098 01:09:20,680 --> 01:09:25,040 Speaker 2: I swunk every time, It's just a different sound. Dick. 1099 01:09:25,160 --> 01:09:28,080 Speaker 1: This has been such a pleasure for me. I can't 1100 01:09:28,120 --> 01:09:30,320 Speaker 1: can't thank you enough. It's just been a joy to 1101 01:09:30,320 --> 01:09:32,000 Speaker 1: talk to you. I really appreciate your time. 1102 01:09:32,040 --> 01:09:35,360 Speaker 2: Thank you, Dan. I've admired your work and you're working 1103 01:09:35,400 --> 01:09:37,720 Speaker 2: with one of my very very dear friends, and Dan 1104 01:09:38,680 --> 01:09:41,599 Speaker 2: Dave Lapham and the two of you guys. You just 1105 01:09:41,640 --> 01:09:45,519 Speaker 2: do a great job and I know that you have 1106 01:09:45,640 --> 01:09:48,639 Speaker 2: the same loyalty to the Brown family and the Bengals 1107 01:09:48,680 --> 01:09:51,040 Speaker 2: that I have. So good luck to you this. 1108 01:09:51,000 --> 01:09:54,280 Speaker 1: Year, Pal, I hope you enjoyed that as much as 1109 01:09:54,320 --> 01:09:56,040 Speaker 1: I did. And that's going to do it for this 1110 01:09:56,120 --> 01:09:58,680 Speaker 1: episode of the Bengals Booth podcast brought to you by 1111 01:09:58,760 --> 01:10:02,960 Speaker 1: pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, 1112 01:10:03,360 --> 01:10:07,360 Speaker 1: by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed elevate your home, 1113 01:10:07,720 --> 01:10:11,120 Speaker 1: business and community to a new level, and by Kettering 1114 01:10:11,160 --> 01:10:14,400 Speaker 1: Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health 1115 01:10:14,479 --> 01:10:18,000 Speaker 1: is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you 1116 01:10:18,000 --> 01:10:21,080 Speaker 1: haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and 1117 01:10:21,160 --> 01:10:22,880 Speaker 1: if you have a minute, give it a rating or 1118 01:10:22,920 --> 01:10:26,800 Speaker 1: share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. 1119 01:10:27,280 --> 01:10:30,560 Speaker 1: I'm Dan Hord and thanks for listening to the Bengals 1120 01:10:30,600 --> 01:10:31,840 Speaker 1: Booth Podcast