Speaker 1: It's another episode of Pats from the Past podcast Matt
Speaker 1: Smith along with Brian Moore, and we're pleased today to
Speaker 1: be joined by the latest member of the Patriots Hall
Speaker 1: of Fame. You know him is number ninety three in
Speaker 1: your school board. We know him is number one in
Speaker 1: our hearts, ladies and gentlemen, Richard big C.
Speaker 2: H Yeah, big C's here. Guys. How are you thank
Speaker 2: you for having me?
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Richard, Yeah, no, for.
Speaker 2: Sure, absolutely, I'll say this.
Speaker 3: I know we were supposed to do it about a week
Speaker 3: ago and just a quick story, yeah, no, no, no, it
Speaker 3: was my birthday, right, so I had a surprise where
Speaker 3: my wife surprised me, just with a few friends that
Speaker 3: came over. And you know, I'll say this, I wasn't
Speaker 3: expecting it. I know we had it. We were scheduled
Speaker 3: for that Tuesday morning to come on, but that night,
Speaker 3: one glass of wine kind of led to another and
Speaker 3: then before you know it, like the wine shifted to
Speaker 3: a little tequila and then it was like, you know what.
Speaker 3: So I didn't want to come on and not be
Speaker 3: able to give the fans the full Big Sea experience.
Speaker 2: So anyway, I'm here.
Speaker 3: I'm happy to be here, and it's been a long
Speaker 3: time coming, but I'm glad to be joined by you guys.
Speaker 1: So maybe what we should think about doing Brian is
Speaker 1: let's schedule this for his next birthday and do it
Speaker 1: and do it for the birthday. That might be the
Speaker 1: real big sea experience.
Speaker 3: I know that, you know what, We could go virtual
Speaker 3: and have cameras here and the whole deal.
Speaker 2: Right, love it. We should.
Speaker 4: You should have hit Tylav, You should have hit Ty
Speaker 4: Law for some v one vodcast.
Speaker 2: No, no, this is a true story. So last year.
Speaker 3: For my birthday, which was my fortieth, right, so I
Speaker 3: just turned forty one, but Thy Law, Dian Branch and
Speaker 3: the guys, they came down and we had a live man.
Speaker 3: Actually it's the exact same band that performed for a
Speaker 3: tile Lost Hall of Fame induction.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so it was. It was beautiful and all.
Speaker 3: The guys came and celebrated and it was a really
Speaker 3: great time. So next time we do something, I'll have
Speaker 3: to have the camera crew and give the fans a
Speaker 3: little experience.
Speaker 4: Right, And now you have a band for your Hall
Speaker 4: of Fame induction when that eventually comes with it better.
Speaker 3: Eventually eventually, and you know what, I don't want to
Speaker 3: say it prematurely because it's it's always a difficult deal
Speaker 3: to get in. But I'm I'm just I'm humbled in
Speaker 3: honor to even be mentioned among you know, the elite
Speaker 3: and the great to ever play the game. So you know,
Speaker 3: I humbly accept that. And when that time comes, I'm
Speaker 3: sure we're already and celebrate and you know, get to
Speaker 3: tell some really great stories and share, you know, because
Speaker 3: I look at it really like this, like to be
Speaker 3: honest personally, like I really myself, like I don't really
Speaker 3: like to reflect the whole lot. But I also think
Speaker 3: it's opportunity in time to really thank the people that
Speaker 3: has helped you along the way, just you know, from.
Speaker 2: Parent, coaches to teammates, just to really get.
Speaker 3: You to understand like it is that you accomplished, and
Speaker 3: it's the opportunity to tell them thank you, you know.
Speaker 3: You know, so that'll be what that's for for me personally,
Speaker 3: just because like I said, I don't I don't know,
Speaker 3: I kind of shout away from talking about myself a
Speaker 3: whole lot, but you know, I just have to look
Speaker 3: at it as you know, it's an opportunity for me
Speaker 3: to just tell you know so many thank you and
Speaker 3: and and what they meant, and how instrumental they work.
Speaker 4: Well, we'll certainly enjoy at least next year putting a
Speaker 4: red jacket on you if the goal, if the goal
Speaker 4: is still not there yet, well, the red one's nicer.
Speaker 2: Anyway, I've heard that.
Speaker 3: You know, here's the thing. I don't discriminate. I'll take
Speaker 3: the red, I'll take the goal. I'll say, you know,
Speaker 3: any jackets y'all want to throw on Big C at
Speaker 3: this point.
Speaker 2: I'll take it.
Speaker 4: When when Andre Tippitt said to me one day, he goes,
Speaker 4: why why did you pick red?
Speaker 1: I go, what do you mean, ren? I go, that
Speaker 1: jacket's way nicer than the gold.
Speaker 3: He goes, ship, that's the triple triple I always called Tip.
Speaker 3: I called him tipp and I called him triple triple log.
Speaker 3: You know, when I was drafted to doing you know,
Speaker 3: this was back in the old pro stadium, right and uh,
Speaker 3: tipically like.
Speaker 2: We used to have Meaty down in the dungeon.
Speaker 3: Uh it was like right across from the wait room,
Speaker 3: Tip coming out and had on my you know, karate
Speaker 3: suit and pants and kind of talking about past rush.
Speaker 2: And that sort of thing. So I've always called him
Speaker 2: a triple log.
Speaker 3: You know, that's always been our relationship, just because you know, he's, uh,
Speaker 3: he was always so great for so many years and
Speaker 3: you know, just a legend not only in you know,
Speaker 3: for the Patriots, but just a legend of the game
Speaker 3: of football.
Speaker 4: Well, and you know, Richard, I I talked him about
Speaker 4: you last year, and you know, he raved about you
Speaker 4: as a player in support of your Hall of Fame
Speaker 4: induction in Canton. And Coach Belichick also had as you know,
Speaker 4: flattering things to say, called you and Vince will Fork
Speaker 4: the two best linemen he's ever coached. And he's been
Speaker 4: in the league for forty five years. I mean, coach
Speaker 4: those sack pack teams of the Baltimore Colts in nineteen
Speaker 4: seventy five. So, I mean, what does that mean to
Speaker 4: you when Coach Belichick makes a comment like that.
Speaker 2: It's hard to kind of take it all in.
Speaker 3: You know, it really is, just because you know how
Speaker 3: much admiration and respect that I have for Coach Belichick,
Speaker 3: and you know, just just being a defensive minded guy
Speaker 3: like I learned so much under Coach Belichick just in
Speaker 3: terms of preparation and what it means to really prepare
Speaker 3: and what it means to be discipline and fundamentally sound
Speaker 3: and not just being a super talented guy.
Speaker 2: But you know, when you can add.
Speaker 3: Talent along with great work ethic, along with study habits,
Speaker 3: along with being a great teammate, you know, like that's
Speaker 3: when greatness truly happens. And I was just very fortunate
Speaker 3: that I was drafted by the Patriots because I was.
Speaker 2: The young guy coming in, right, Like it was a
Speaker 2: veteran lated team, you.
Speaker 3: Know, Willie McGinnis and Teddy and you know Rabel came
Speaker 3: in that exact same year that I was there. You know,
Speaker 3: Anthony Pleasant, Bobby Hamilton, Otis Oti. You know, Oti is
Speaker 3: like ty Low. You know, like I could just keep
Speaker 3: going because like those are my guys, and you know,
Speaker 3: like I was, but like I was the young talented
Speaker 3: guy that came in, but like I was just able
Speaker 3: to soak up so much knowledge. And you know, obviously
Speaker 3: when I went out to the Raiders, like it like
Speaker 3: I looked at it for me as it was an
Speaker 3: opportunity where I could just share.
Speaker 2: The knowledge that I've learned.
Speaker 3: Because then when I went to the like I was
Speaker 3: the older guy, right, I was the older guy, and
Speaker 3: I was still able to share the knowledge and experience.
Speaker 2: Like that for me, you know, really what the game
Speaker 2: is all about. It's about people.
Speaker 3: It's about relationships, and it's about sharing knowledge and so
Speaker 3: you know, they passed it on to me, and it's
Speaker 3: about paying it forward to others. And you know, like
Speaker 3: I said, Coach Belichick to be such a genius in
Speaker 3: terms of you know, his knowledge of the game. And
Speaker 3: you know, I remember when I was being recruited without
Speaker 3: even recruited, I'll say that, being scouted out of.
Speaker 2: The University of Georgia, right line on Vike Tel.
Speaker 3: He comes in and he was he was asking me
Speaker 3: like could you play the three four defensive end? Because
Speaker 3: I was an interior guy my full time at Georgia,
Speaker 3: and he was asking me, could you play the three
Speaker 3: four defensive end? And I was like, uh, yeah, sure.
Speaker 3: But at the time, I didn't know if I could
Speaker 3: play that. I didn't know like what they did. I
Speaker 3: didn't know nothing about to gaffing. I just you know what,
Speaker 3: if it's on the football field and it's on the
Speaker 3: defensive line, yeah I can do it.
Speaker 2: That's that was my mindset.
Speaker 3: But I really didn't know but he was like, would
Speaker 3: you want to come to a system that you know
Speaker 3: does that? And I told him like, yeah, of course,
Speaker 3: of course I could do that. Of course I'll be
Speaker 3: you know, but I didn't know. But like I was,
Speaker 3: you know, just able to learn so much from Romeo
Speaker 3: Cornell just about defense and you know, so you know,
Speaker 3: I don't want to keep going.
Speaker 2: I can get long windings. It's so fun to talk
Speaker 2: about with my guys, for sure.
Speaker 1: No, I mean, but one of the things we just
Speaker 1: brought up there Richard, that you know, just to help
Speaker 1: maybe educate fans a little bit, can talk about too
Speaker 1: gapping and I'll play any place on the defensive line
Speaker 1: line or whatever you guys want. The irony about that
Speaker 1: is is that you were asked to do something. You
Speaker 1: were asked to subjugate your ego. You were asked in essence,
Speaker 1: to play a position that wasn't going to provide you
Speaker 1: with a lot of statistics. And you know, we talked,
Speaker 1: we began this conversation about talking about Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1: So the guy, these stats aren't there, the flashy sack
Speaker 1: numbers aren't there. You've got to know a little bit
Speaker 1: about football to realize, well, this is what Richard Seymour
Speaker 1: was asked to do, and nobody was better than doing it.
Speaker 1: So you got to know a little bit about the
Speaker 1: game to realize what your skill level was and what
Speaker 1: you were being asked to do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely, I think you make a valid
Speaker 2: point there. You know I always say.
Speaker 3: This, like the real football heads and the real people
Speaker 3: who were close to the game, they really understand, like
Speaker 3: it didn't even something that we even have to discuss.
Speaker 3: But I will say this just in terms of like
Speaker 3: the overall stats and you know, we would always talk about.
Speaker 2: Like stats are for losers and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3: Not really, but like that was the mindset, like we
Speaker 3: really didn't care about who got the you know, the
Speaker 3: the Pro Bowls and who was recognized as you know,
Speaker 3: potentially up a defensive Player of the Year. Like we
Speaker 3: wanted to win, like we were like true champions, Like
Speaker 3: whatever it takes to win, whoever has to sacrifice what,
Speaker 3: Like that's.
Speaker 2: What we were all about.
Speaker 3: You can have a guy, just take a just take
Speaker 3: a I'll put it to most fans like this, like
Speaker 3: just take a prime time receiver, like they could be
Speaker 3: in the game and probably maybe have one or two
Speaker 3: catches that game. But the way they dictated coverage is
Speaker 3: the way that other teams had to game plan for
Speaker 3: what they brought to the table and how many other
Speaker 3: guys were able to succeed. Like those are the things
Speaker 3: that matter to champions day to day. Like that is
Speaker 3: absolutely but like in my mind, like you know, like
Speaker 3: I said before, like it's a difference between stats and impact,
Speaker 3: and you know, I think at the end of the day.
Speaker 2: Like, uh, you just want to win.
Speaker 3: And you know, I think at the end of the day,
Speaker 3: it's a privilege and the honors or play the game
Speaker 3: that we love and you know, you get it, paid
Speaker 3: money to do it, and you know, opportunity people that
Speaker 3: you've probably never come in contact with and have a relationship.
Speaker 3: So I'm just really grateful, to be honest, I'm grateful
Speaker 3: for all the lessons that I've had and everything that
Speaker 3: the game is afforded.
Speaker 4: Richard, I talked to you last year and you said this,
Speaker 4: and this is going back to Coach Belichick. His information
Speaker 4: was next level. He made me understand football as a whole.
Speaker 4: It wasn't just about playing my position. I understood how
Speaker 4: the pieces fit together. I understood why things happened. I
Speaker 4: even learned to understand what the offensive players on the
Speaker 4: other side were looking for on our defense. Right, can
Speaker 4: you can you give us an example or give some
Speaker 4: more detail on why that was important.
Speaker 3: I'll say this, just the terminology and how smart coach
Speaker 3: Belichick was.
Speaker 2: Like he would talk to the defense basically in the defensive.
Speaker 3: Language and you know, the deep line and the linebatterers
Speaker 3: know the secondary. Then he would talk to the offensive
Speaker 3: line and everybody. You know, languages is sort of different.
Speaker 3: It's almost like you're speaking French, Chinese and everyone else.
Speaker 3: And he's able to do it so effortlessly. But one
Speaker 3: thing that they stood out to me that I don't
Speaker 3: know if a lob uh no, it's purse a great
Speaker 3: motivator without hammering that point home, you know, like he
Speaker 3: would just say look and give him nuggets about you know,
Speaker 3: what the other team is thinking and how they're kind
Speaker 3: of preparing for you and and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3: But it was always enough that when game time came.
Speaker 3: I don't know if it gets enough credit. I know
Speaker 3: he gets a lot of credit for exits, right and
Speaker 3: fully so. But he was a great motivator of men,
Speaker 3: and you know he always left no stone unturned and
Speaker 3: in terms of preparation, like you know that obviously that's
Speaker 3: you know, he'll go down as the greatest.
Speaker 2: But he never let his foot off. And I think,
Speaker 2: no matter.
Speaker 3: Walk the life you're in the football, basketball, you know,
Speaker 3: all winners kind of have the same drive, have the
Speaker 3: same motivations and work ethic and disciplines and fundamentals, like
Speaker 3: all of those things are important. Brother, you're in business,
Speaker 3: in school, you need all of those qualities to really succeed.
Speaker 3: And you know, I learned so much and I'm able
Speaker 3: to not only you know, so I was blessed in
Speaker 3: that regards to play for a lot of great coaches,
Speaker 3: a lot of great teammates that I just learned from.
Speaker 3: So you know, I know I'm you know, repetitive and saying,
Speaker 3: but like I'm really truly grateful.
Speaker 1: I remember the team meeting room before the Philadelphia Super
Speaker 1: Bowl thirty nine because we put a camera up on
Speaker 1: like a stack of glasses, glasses in order to shoot
Speaker 1: it in the infamous. School will be out in Philadelphia
Speaker 1: on Tuesday. The kids won't be in school on Tuesday.
Speaker 1: The parade route for the parade in Philadelphia is going
Speaker 1: to be jets flying over cause you're interested in that,
Speaker 1: just just in case you're interested, just in case you'd
Speaker 1: be interested in that subtle way, but probably very effective.
Speaker 3: But yeah, no, absolutely, it's it's all of those little
Speaker 3: moments I remember kind of getting ready to go.
Speaker 2: And this was that year they uh, you know, would
Speaker 2: have had LT and had you know, all of.
Speaker 5: The guys and you know, merriment off the edge and
Speaker 5: you know, brand their prime and you know, it was
Speaker 5: kind of like they were already teeing up the tickets
Speaker 5: for you know, family members of getting what and how
Speaker 5: they kind of you know, making arrangements and that sort
Speaker 5: of thing.
Speaker 2: But it was just a way of just subtly.
Speaker 3: Your attension but having a holes of knowing how to
Speaker 3: make the hairs on the back of your next stand
Speaker 3: up because we're all competitors.
Speaker 2: At the end of the day, Like it doesn't take much.
Speaker 3: To say okay, they said this, okay, well all right,
Speaker 3: I know, I don't know how much I'm sleep tonight
Speaker 3: because I'm gonna be ready to go.
Speaker 1: But the thing is, the thing is about that, Richard,
Speaker 1: is that like it's not like you guys were six
Speaker 1: and twelve versus you know, six and ten, Like you
Speaker 1: guys are fourteen and two, fourteen and two, twelve and
Speaker 1: four and here's Rodney Harrison coming in after the game.
Speaker 2: They gave us no respect.
Speaker 1: They got like, what do you mean they didn't give
Speaker 1: you respect? You guys are like divisions.
Speaker 4: You you were nine point favorite, right, but it marked
Speaker 4: with guys like that, right.
Speaker 2: You gotta keep that, Edd, you gotta keep that.
Speaker 3: It just always like anytime you're just settling and you
Speaker 3: feel like, you know, we should we lay it out there,
Speaker 3: like it doesn't happen that way.
Speaker 2: It really doesn't.
Speaker 3: Like you have that mentality where some time we might
Speaker 3: have drum up some things. And but I think that
Speaker 3: always kept us at a level to compete, uh, year
Speaker 3: in and year out. It had us so ready to go.
Speaker 3: And you know, I think at the end of the day,
Speaker 3: I think it's a difference when uh, I think it
Speaker 3: was the female coach from Duke, you know, or in
Speaker 3: North Carolina. I forgot which one, but you know, she
Speaker 3: made an interesting point and I was just kind of like, no, she.
Speaker 2: Hit it on the head. You know.
Speaker 3: It was if you're getting ready to run a race
Speaker 3: and you know, or you gotta run sprints, or something
Speaker 3: like that, and and the coach told you to do it.
Speaker 2: Okay, you do it, and you know, you work hard
Speaker 2: and you kind of get it done.
Speaker 3: But you know, but the teammates out there with you
Speaker 3: and and y'all running them together, it's just an extra
Speaker 3: Like you're not gonna beat me. I'm gonna just let
Speaker 3: you know that. Like, and that's what we always had.
Speaker 3: Like it was just the ability to compete weekend and
Speaker 3: week out, and we always understood as a team what
Speaker 3: our ultimate goal was.
Speaker 2: And you never wanted to be the guy to let
Speaker 2: your brother down.
Speaker 3: And you know, it was a true bond, like we
Speaker 3: hung out together, we cared about one another. Like it
Speaker 3: was a culture that we created there when I got
Speaker 3: there in two thousand and one and we were coming
Speaker 3: off of five and eleven season. But from that point
Speaker 3: moving forward, we created a culture that I'm telling you
Speaker 3: that it's a bond that you know, we still talk
Speaker 3: to this day. And that's why I said, like the
Speaker 3: relationships that I have with Rodney and Willie and you know,
Speaker 3: you know Vince and like I said, Ty Warren, like Jarvis,
Speaker 3: like I mean like like those are lifetime relationships. But
Speaker 3: we all had that same commonality that we didn't want
Speaker 3: to let each other down, Like our families hung out
Speaker 3: together and our kids we would always you know, go
Speaker 3: to dinners and do you know.
Speaker 2: So it was like like the friendships.
Speaker 3: It was so authentic and so real and we cared
Speaker 3: about one another. And when you create something like that,
Speaker 3: like it's so special, and it's hard in life, you
Speaker 3: know to find that, Like you always in search of,
Speaker 3: you know, something to bring out that that monster inside
Speaker 3: of you, like just to compete at a level that
Speaker 3: is really unheard of, Like like I could, I could
Speaker 3: get really emotional about it, really so.
Speaker 4: Richard, I just one one follow up on Bill. So
Speaker 4: as great as he is, and you've talked a lot about,
Speaker 4: you know, the genius of Bill Belichick as a star
Speaker 4: player on a roster, on a football roster, how hard
Speaker 4: is it sometimes to be just treated as one of
Speaker 4: fifty three?
Speaker 1: Like does that wear on you?
Speaker 3: Well?
Speaker 2: I think at the end of the day, like.
Speaker 3: I look at it twofold right in one regards, I
Speaker 3: think it always keeps the edge, like it always keeps
Speaker 3: you raise your sharp in terms of you know what,
Speaker 3: like no excuses are going to be had, like in
Speaker 3: order for us to meet in order for you to
Speaker 3: maximize the talents that you have and also as a
Speaker 3: team to ultimately compete at the highest.
Speaker 2: Level week in and week out.
Speaker 3: Like I think you have to have that right so
Speaker 3: on one, like I totally understand it, and I always
Speaker 3: looked at it like this, I wanted you to coach
Speaker 3: me hard, like I wanted to know what if I
Speaker 3: did something wrong, tell me, and I want to correct it,
Speaker 3: because I would always say, like, help me, help you,
Speaker 3: you know what I mean, Like that was my mindset,
Speaker 3: Like I didn't want to leave in stone lift and
Speaker 3: turned either I prepared and I put in more work
Speaker 3: than my opponent, Like that's what gives you confidence. What
Speaker 3: gives you confidence at the end of the day is
Speaker 3: knowing that I put him more work than the guy
Speaker 3: in the across from me, so I should kick his ass,
Speaker 3: like and that's how I felt about it at the
Speaker 3: end of the day. I felt like I should do
Speaker 3: that because I'm prepared to do And I'll say this,
Speaker 3: like in my mind, the way that you show me
Speaker 3: that you value what I bring to.
Speaker 2: The table, Like that's why we all have contracts, Like
Speaker 2: you get you get paid to punt the value that
Speaker 2: you bring to the team.
Speaker 3: Like, so if we're compensated and all of that, like
Speaker 3: the business is handled and and done with, Hey, let's
Speaker 3: get to work, Like.
Speaker 2: That's my mindset. Let's get to work. All the business
Speaker 2: is taken care of, Like let's.
Speaker 3: Move forward in terms of what does it take to
Speaker 3: be the best period? Like you know, like I don't
Speaker 3: want to put no feelings and all of that stuff involved,
Speaker 3: would it like coach me hard?
Speaker 2: We could?
Speaker 3: And here's the deal, Like I might not agree with
Speaker 3: everything that went on, or you might not agree with
Speaker 3: everything that I want to do, but we have the
Speaker 3: same common goals, like to be the best and to win,
Speaker 3: Like that's why we win this business.
Speaker 2: That's why we want to do what we got to do.
Speaker 2: So you know, that's that's how I look at it.
Speaker 1: You can need more of that in life. By the way,
Speaker 1: we should be able to agree to disagree peacefully and
Speaker 1: respectfully and as long as there's a common goal at hand.
Speaker 1: But so Richard Seymour didn't mind being coached hard, and
Speaker 1: Willie McGinnis didn't mind being coached hard, and Lloyd mlloyd
Speaker 1: didn't mind being coached hard. But would you admit Richard,
Speaker 1: that that style that's not for any for everybody. And
Speaker 1: when you talk about the bond that you have with
Speaker 1: these people, the reason why it's a special bond is
Speaker 1: because this place isn't for everybody, and some people, quite
Speaker 1: honestly couldn't deal with everything that went into doing it,
Speaker 1: which made I think maybe what you guys accomplished and
Speaker 1: for how long the organizations has been able to be
Speaker 1: successful such an unbelievable achievement.
Speaker 2: No, it really is.
Speaker 3: And uh, you know, like you said, like I mean,
Speaker 3: I don't want to get speaking for other people, and uh,
Speaker 3: you know, but I just know in terms of speaking
Speaker 3: for myself, like you know, you're taking care of me
Speaker 3: on my business side.
Speaker 2: Man, I want to be coach Stard and I want
Speaker 2: to be prepared.
Speaker 3: So I'll leave it at that, But I also say
Speaker 3: that there was a point that I while you were talking.
Speaker 3: I didn't want to cut you off, but I kind
Speaker 3: of I'll follow back up and it'll come to.
Speaker 1: Well, listen, you just turned forty one. That's a senior moment.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you already forty one, and look at it's happening already.
Speaker 4: Well, I want to know what the coach's reaction was
Speaker 4: when you and a wide receiver showed up late for
Speaker 4: either coming off the buy or mini camp and what
Speaker 4: it was.
Speaker 1: You got to tell that story.
Speaker 2: Oh, David pat there you go.
Speaker 3: So me and David Patton, we're from South Carolina and
Speaker 3: we went to the same high school and you know,
Speaker 3: we were but we were all on by that week.
Speaker 3: So you know, we went home and you know, hanging
Speaker 3: out and I didn't even know it, but when it
Speaker 3: was time to come back, we were on the same
Speaker 3: flight coming back, but we had a stop in h
Speaker 3: d C.
Speaker 2: Right, And so I was.
Speaker 3: Like, so when we got on the plane, I'm sitting there,
Speaker 3: I'm chilling and then for you know, just like to
Speaker 3: see the cross from me, David.
Speaker 2: Oh we're on the same flight coming back. Oh cool.
Speaker 3: So we just got to talk and just kind of
Speaker 3: you know, uh, you know, just talking about whatever. And
Speaker 3: then so but during our stop to in d C,
Speaker 3: you know, and I lay over there, just a quick layover.
Speaker 3: But it was at night. But I don't know if
Speaker 3: it was a storm or I can't exactly remember why
Speaker 3: the what the delay was all about, but they canceled
Speaker 3: the flight going back to Providence, right, So we couldn't
Speaker 3: catch the flight. So David was like, man, let's get
Speaker 3: in the car. Like it's a I don't know if
Speaker 3: it's an eight hour drive or whatever the.
Speaker 2: Case might be.
Speaker 3: And I was like, well, Dave, like coach Belichick is
Speaker 3: gonna have to understand the flights are canceled, like we
Speaker 3: got to stay overnight and catch the morning flight. But
Speaker 3: David was like, this is what David said. See, you're
Speaker 3: a first round draft pick. I's it. I can't take
Speaker 3: that chance. I'm not gonna take that risk. If I
Speaker 3: got a drive, David was like, I'm gonna be there.
Speaker 3: So I said, uh, you know what, we're from South
Speaker 3: Carolina together. I understand. I won't let you drive alone.
Speaker 3: Been a good teammate, right, but he hey, let's go
Speaker 3: ahead and go. So I'm like, all right, we'll we'll
Speaker 3: we'll get a rental car and we'll we'll get on
Speaker 3: the road and head on up.
Speaker 2: We'll drive on them.
Speaker 3: So we get the rental car and you know, we
Speaker 3: set out to head on up to Boston that night,
Speaker 3: but so we moud have went I don't know, two hours.
Speaker 2: And David was like, well, you know what, let's just
Speaker 2: gas up again.
Speaker 3: Let's you know, get some you know, doughnuts and coffee
Speaker 3: and some snacks while we you know, we're going to
Speaker 3: the store. And I'm just like, well, I'm a little sleepy,
Speaker 3: so why don't you go.
Speaker 2: Ahead and take the first leg. I'll kind of catch
Speaker 2: up on some rests.
Speaker 3: Once I get rested, then I'll take over and then
Speaker 3: you can rest so we'll be ready to go. So
Speaker 3: David goes in the store and I'm kind of laying
Speaker 3: in the passenger seat, just kind of got my seat reclined,
Speaker 3: pumps the gas, he got it, snacks.
Speaker 2: He gets in the.
Speaker 3: Car, and I'm sleep At this time. I wake up.
Speaker 3: We're still at the pump. David's knocked out beside me. Right,
Speaker 3: It's like it's like five in the morning. We were
Speaker 3: sitting there for like four hours. But we got up
Speaker 3: and I'm just like, oh, David, here was the story
Speaker 3: that he told me. He was like a man, See,
Speaker 3: I can do this trip all by myself. Like you
Speaker 3: just my passenger. I'll get us up there. It's all
Speaker 3: good man. I look over, David's knocked out. I'm just like, oh,
Speaker 3: my good So anyway, we get on the phone to
Speaker 3: Bears and kind of let him know what's going on
Speaker 3: and told him, Uh, we'd be a little late coming in,
Speaker 3: but we anyway, we missed the meetings, but we made practice,
Speaker 3: so all was well, and Coach Belichick totally understood and
Speaker 3: was understanding. But every time I see David, you know,
Speaker 3: at the front I got inducted into South Carolina Hall
Speaker 3: of Fame and David was in the crowd, and I
Speaker 3: had to rhyb him about this exact same and his
Speaker 3: wife was there and everything. He got to telling me like,
Speaker 3: I'm a distance driver and I've done this before, so
Speaker 3: it was It was definitely a fun moment, and I
Speaker 3: always give him hard time about it.
Speaker 4: So I think I love that story. It's a classic,
Speaker 4: and it is something I want David to tell it.
Speaker 4: I want to hit David's side.
Speaker 1: His version of.
Speaker 2: It was.
Speaker 3: You gotta hit the side because I'm sure he'll have
Speaker 3: a flip side to the story, but this is the true,
Speaker 3: authentic side.
Speaker 4: So, Richard, one of the things you told me and
Speaker 4: and I go back, and I remember back in two
Speaker 4: thousand and three, after the lawyer had been cut and
Speaker 4: you guys got buried in Buffalo in week one and
Speaker 4: you went to Philadelphia for week two, and that was
Speaker 4: the week Tom Jackson suggested on ESPN that you guys
Speaker 4: hated your head coach, and that week, you know, you
Speaker 4: guys went out and hammered Philadelphia, And that week you
Speaker 4: really came out and took a strong stance in favor
Speaker 4: of coach and really showed some leadership. And when I
Speaker 4: talked to you last year, you mentioned that, you know,
Speaker 4: you were proud of being named a captain in your
Speaker 4: second year at age twenty two. Important was that? And
Speaker 4: how do you when you reflect back on your career.
Speaker 4: Does that have a different perspective now that maybe than
Speaker 4: it had that?
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, you know what I think, when you're playing
Speaker 3: and when you're in the game or anything, and like
Speaker 3: when you're trying to achieve success, you never really think of,
Speaker 3: you know, what you've accomplished, you know, because it's always
Speaker 3: about what's next, right, You never get a chance or
Speaker 3: you never really want to reflect.
Speaker 2: I mean, I mean, obviously there's some moments.
Speaker 3: Where you're kind of happy that you know, uh, you've
Speaker 3: had the success that you've had, but you know, you're
Speaker 3: always looking for that next uh thrill. You're always looking
Speaker 3: for that that next competition and challenge sou. But but
Speaker 3: now you know, I do have an opportunity to reflect
Speaker 3: because you know, I've been eight years now removed from
Speaker 3: the game, and you know, now I think about all
Speaker 3: the relationships and and everything that we've accomplished, and you
Speaker 3: know how special all of that really was, and in
Speaker 3: the ponds that I've created over the years. So you know,
Speaker 3: I will say that, you know, one of the most
Speaker 3: one of the most proudest accomplishments in terms of playing
Speaker 3: for me is uh, you know, obviously being named a
Speaker 3: team captain at like I said, at the age of
Speaker 3: twenty two, and it's you know, a veteran laden team
Speaker 3: and you know, and and you know, those type things
Speaker 3: don't happen if you don't you know, take your craft
Speaker 3: serious and your teammates respect you, and and and management
Speaker 3: respects you. And you can be an advocate for the
Speaker 3: players on the team. Uh and and because you kind
Speaker 3: of have a pulse of what's going on in the
Speaker 3: locker room.
Speaker 2: And you want to share.
Speaker 3: To management and to the coaches, like what what's that
Speaker 3: experience look like? And also to have management and coaches
Speaker 3: to trust you in terms of being one of the
Speaker 3: captains to kind of, you know, being an advocate and
Speaker 3: having a pose of the team. So it was a balance.
Speaker 3: But you had to be authentic and transparent in who
Speaker 3: you are as a person, for one, because I think
Speaker 3: all of those things matter. Like everybody around has to
Speaker 3: trust who you are, Like they have to see your
Speaker 3: work ethics, Like it's not always about the speeches and
Speaker 3: all of that stuff is great, but like they have
Speaker 3: to see.
Speaker 2: The day to day grind that you put in.
Speaker 3: And you know, I'm just very fortunate that, you know,
Speaker 3: my coaches and teammates respected that, and also being named
Speaker 3: to a member of the All Decade team, because that
Speaker 3: shows in my mind, it shows it's not just one year.
Speaker 3: It's not just one game or one play. It's a
Speaker 3: body of work over the course of a career. And
Speaker 3: those are the things in my mind that I'm most
Speaker 3: proud of. And I get a little chance to reflect
Speaker 3: on that, and you know, it's pretty cool just to
Speaker 3: you know, reflect on it.
Speaker 1: I want to go back to the twenty two year
Speaker 1: old elected captain and a team that has and I'm
Speaker 1: just naming a couple of strong personalities on the side
Speaker 1: of the ball that you played in in fifty five
Speaker 1: Willie mcguinnesson twenty fourth high Lot And what gave you
Speaker 1: the confidence Richard? As a twenty two year old kid,
Speaker 1: Now you're just coming off with Super Bowl, he had
Speaker 1: a good rookie year. What gave you the confidence to say,
Speaker 1: you know what, I can lead these guys. I can
Speaker 1: lead these guys.
Speaker 3: Well, I'll say this, like, you know, it's a collective effort.
Speaker 3: Like it isn't like you know, I was knocking on
Speaker 3: Willie's door, Hey, get up and let's get the workouts,
Speaker 3: you know what I mean, Like it wasn't really that,
Speaker 3: you know, but what it was is, you know, they
Speaker 3: just saw the dedication that you had, and they saw
Speaker 3: the talent that you had, and you know, you're you're
Speaker 3: a young guy and you're taking it serious, and you know,
Speaker 3: they just saw you coming off of a Super Bowl
Speaker 3: where you know, you had a really good game and
Speaker 3: made it, you know, some line in that Pro Bowl lineman.
Speaker 3: So it was a lot of respect that I had.
Speaker 3: And like I said, I mean, like I really took
Speaker 3: my craft serious. I had a drive to be to
Speaker 3: not necessarily compete against others, but I always wanted to
Speaker 3: get better each and every day. And that's something that
Speaker 3: I always tried to do it. I'll also tell you
Speaker 3: this little quick story as well. I remember it was
Speaker 3: before the Rams Super Bowl in two thousand and one.
Speaker 3: We were sitting in the cafeteria having pregame meal and
Speaker 3: all the d linemen, you know, we're together, and Romeo
Speaker 3: Cornell he's there with us, and uh, you know, he said, uh,
Speaker 3: you know obviously you know went through that season and
Speaker 3: and this is like we having pregame meal before we
Speaker 3: go and play the Great Show on Turf. You know
Speaker 3: who just beat us and the regular season. So you know,
Speaker 3: it's it's it's the moment, you know, it's here. We're
Speaker 3: you know, we're kind of gearing up, you know, mentally
Speaker 3: getting ready to go.
Speaker 2: And I remember we just got done eating and we just.
Speaker 3: In Romeo, you know some of the guys that kind
Speaker 3: of went and got on the bus and me and
Speaker 3: Romeo just kind of sitting there and uh, you know,
Speaker 3: just talking a little, and he was just telling me.
Speaker 3: He says, see, you know, he would always call me.
Speaker 3: See he says, see, you know if you see anything
Speaker 3: today that you know, any any holes or anything that
Speaker 3: you see on the sideline or why are you in
Speaker 3: the game. You know, I'm giving you the green light
Speaker 3: to kind of go and do what it is like
Speaker 3: within the defense, to go and to go and play.
Speaker 2: And I just remember having that conversation with him.
Speaker 3: It's like a shooter where in basketball that the coach
Speaker 3: is giving him the green light. And I just knew
Speaker 3: the team had a lot of confidence in what I
Speaker 3: saw on the field, just because of the preparation that
Speaker 3: we tried to put in, you know, uh during the year.
Speaker 3: So it's just little nuggets and little subtleties like that that.
Speaker 2: Let me.
Speaker 3: I knew that I had the full confidence of you know,
Speaker 3: the coaching staff, of the players. And like I said,
Speaker 3: I mean, I got stories for days. I don't want
Speaker 3: to be long winded.
Speaker 1: So no, but on that on that story, specific, on
Speaker 1: that story specifically, Richard, would you say that racks words?
Speaker 1: I mean, is it fair to say that was your
Speaker 1: best game of the year, your rookie season. I mean,
Speaker 1: if people don't know about Richard seymore before the you
Speaker 1: knew about Richard Seymour after watching that game. You were
Speaker 1: dominant that game.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, No, I definitely give coach Carnell a
Speaker 3: ton of credit.
Speaker 2: Just because uh, you know, I looked up to.
Speaker 3: Him, like I mean, you know, he was the defensive
Speaker 3: line coach, and you know, I think you know, he
Speaker 3: was always with coach Belichick brother.
Speaker 2: They were in Cleveland together and the Giants are.
Speaker 3: But he gave me the confidence to say, hey, you know,
Speaker 3: I mean it was almost like I mean, you're talking
Speaker 3: to your coach and he's like, if you see something
Speaker 3: like go take it. You know, you know obviously within
Speaker 3: the defense, but you know, I just want to let
Speaker 3: you just just go and play like you have the ability,
Speaker 3: you have the talent, you have the knowledge, we've put
Speaker 3: in the study. You know, if anything happens, we'll deal
Speaker 3: with that after. But today, just go have fun, be enthusiastic,
Speaker 3: and go play football. You know.
Speaker 2: And like what coach telling you know, you.
Speaker 3: Gotta think at that time, like like you said, I was,
Speaker 3: I was twenty one years old when when all of
Speaker 3: this took place.
Speaker 2: I was.
Speaker 3: I came in the league at twenty years old. I
Speaker 3: was twenty one at the Super Bowl and your coach
Speaker 3: telling you like it's giving you the green light to
Speaker 3: go and like that to me, like it was like
Speaker 3: the aha moment, Like Okay, son, Like you're ready to go.
Speaker 3: It was like that since in the Karate movie, like
Speaker 3: you go and do it, we got you, you know,
Speaker 3: so like I mean, I'm telling you, like I just
Speaker 3: remember riding to the game and just kind of thinking about,
Speaker 3: like you're prepared for this moment. You're ready for it,
Speaker 3: like whatever it takes to go and put your best
Speaker 3: foot forward, Like that's what I was willing to do.
Speaker 2: And you know, just think about it like I was a.
Speaker 3: You know, I was a first round draft pick, but
Speaker 3: like football was being in our family, like I knew,
Speaker 3: I got you think about I.
Speaker 2: Knew my family, I knew my friend.
Speaker 3: Teammates that I played with in high school and coaches
Speaker 3: like because I remember when I was a kid watching
Speaker 3: the Super Bowl and here I am starting in the
Speaker 3: Super Bowl as a rookie twenty two years old, well
Speaker 3: twenty one at the time.
Speaker 2: Like those are experiences and moments that you know, you
Speaker 2: dream of. You want to be in those situations.
Speaker 3: That's a player and to have it come to pass,
Speaker 3: like you know, you just feel so blessed and you
Speaker 3: just so like like as a competitor, you just want
Speaker 3: to be in those situations, especially if you have the
Speaker 3: desire to want to be the best.
Speaker 1: So can you believe twenty years have gone by and
Speaker 1: Rack is telling JJ Watt to just go out there
Speaker 1: and have done, Like you right, Like, you're not surprised
Speaker 1: if Bill's still doing it. You know, Bill's nuts, you know,
Speaker 1: and he's gonna do it. They're gonna have to drag
Speaker 1: him off the field. But are you surprised when you
Speaker 1: see that that Rack is still doing it and he
Speaker 1: was just named head coach the other day?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: No, you know, I think it's also a testament to
Speaker 3: who he is and his knowledge, and like, you can't
Speaker 3: stay around this.
Speaker 2: Game long if you know, you don't have the knowledge
Speaker 2: and can.
Speaker 3: Motivate guys, you know, have a have a clear understanding
Speaker 3: of what's going on in the National Football League. And
Speaker 3: you know, I think, you know, it's just a testament
Speaker 3: to who he is. You know, So that all story,
Speaker 3: Like I was in the Bahamas, uh like two years ago.
Speaker 3: But anyway, like so me and my wife was there
Speaker 3: and Bill and his and we didn't even.
Speaker 2: Know it, like we we U but I saw him.
Speaker 3: He was just sitting down and I kind of came
Speaker 3: up behind him and Baron hugged him and you know,
Speaker 3: we were staying in the same hotel and h and
Speaker 3: we went out.
Speaker 2: Dinner every night, like none of us was playing.
Speaker 3: Like me and my wife we went to go and
Speaker 3: like just have a great time and kind of get
Speaker 3: away from the kids for a little bit.
Speaker 2: But when we got there, had such a great time
Speaker 2: because Romeo and.
Speaker 3: His wife was there and we went and had dinner
Speaker 3: every night and kind of hung out. And it's funny like,
Speaker 3: uh so, Coach Cornell he's there, and I'm playing in
Speaker 3: a poker tournament down there as well, and I ended
Speaker 3: up finishing third overall in that tournament, but it probably
Speaker 3: was because Coach was there and giving me some advice,
Speaker 3: like just because like poker too, it's also like a
Speaker 3: game where.
Speaker 2: Like you have to be even killed.
Speaker 3: You can't be too high, you can't be too low.
Speaker 3: You kind of got to like if like bad things
Speaker 3: are going to happen. But it's also about like how
Speaker 3: you respond, and like, so I give Coach, I got
Speaker 3: to give Coach Probably he probably gonna say, well, just
Speaker 3: send me a check in the mail.
Speaker 1: So hopefully after you won, you bought him and his
Speaker 1: wife dinner that night.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm telling you, I did. We had. We had
Speaker 2: a really good bottle wine to go with it too.
Speaker 4: Good Richard, How the heck did you get into poker?
Speaker 3: You know, I played with my dad growing up, you know,
Speaker 3: just for fun. Not on the level that I play down,
Speaker 3: but I just played and just you know, just a
Speaker 3: fun hobby that we just did kind of like with
Speaker 3: you know, with the guys, you know, and you know,
Speaker 3: you just kind of got a chance to compete and
Speaker 3: that sort of thing. But you know, once I, you know,
Speaker 3: I stepped away from the game, you know, you just
Speaker 3: kind of like playing.
Speaker 2: With your buddies.
Speaker 3: And then like I just knew, like I just had
Speaker 3: a natural ability that probably was just a little bit
Speaker 3: better than the guys that are playing against And and
Speaker 3: then I kind of got a lot.
Speaker 2: More serious with it and ticket serious, and.
Speaker 3: I already had natural qualities that that can make you
Speaker 3: kind of good at playing pok with just in terms
Speaker 3: of attention to detail. And I was already groomed in
Speaker 3: a lot of the areas that I see so many
Speaker 3: really talented players just blow up in moments that and
Speaker 3: I'm just like, oh wow, they just giving away chips
Speaker 3: right now. Just well, you know, So so I had
Speaker 3: a natural and I have a natural talent, and you know,
Speaker 3: so I tried to hone in on those skills and.
Speaker 2: You know it didn't it didn't.
Speaker 3: Uh, And it's very competitive, so like it was just
Speaker 3: a great outlet for me to still.
Speaker 2: Compete, you know.
Speaker 3: And I don't have to compete physically, you know, because
Speaker 3: those days have past. I may I may have a
Speaker 3: snap of two left, but that's about it.
Speaker 1: But so when you said earlier, and I could I
Speaker 1: think I could see a little bit in your face
Speaker 1: and certainly could hear in your voice. You know, you've
Speaker 1: been out of the game for eight years and you
Speaker 1: know the camaraderie that you have that you know, it's
Speaker 1: hard to ever recapture that depending on whatever you're going
Speaker 1: to do next in life. And football was a big
Speaker 1: part of your life. But you have a lot of
Speaker 1: life still to live. Does does the poker Tour and
Speaker 1: being on that at least give at least give you
Speaker 1: a little juice Richard to compete, you know.
Speaker 2: And while you're.
Speaker 3: No, I think, yeah, no, I think that's why you
Speaker 3: see a lot of guys that played sports, uh, you know,
Speaker 3: kind of venture over to something competitive or still try
Speaker 3: to be an arena that they can compete.
Speaker 2: In, you know, because at the end of the day,
Speaker 2: like those.
Speaker 3: Feelings like that's what made that's what made you great,
Speaker 3: Like just that drive and you know, you just want
Speaker 3: that outlet in some capacity.
Speaker 2: And you know, poker is one of them for me.
Speaker 3: But you know it's also you know, you know, angel
Speaker 3: investing in companies and you know, just being able to
Speaker 3: kind of have your.
Speaker 2: Hands do it and dabble in.
Speaker 3: You know, so like all of those type little those
Speaker 3: little things are fun for me. So you know, but
Speaker 3: the most important thing for me at at this point, well,
Speaker 3: especially when I stepped away from the game. And I
Speaker 3: also I'll say this, I also think it's empowering when
Speaker 3: a player can step away on his own terms because
Speaker 3: in this business, like you really don't have control over
Speaker 3: when you can step away from the game.
Speaker 2: You know, it's very few guys that can say, you know, what.
Speaker 3: I think I'm done, even if teams are kind of
Speaker 3: calling and in well what's your interest and that sort
Speaker 3: of thing. But you're empowered and it's a sense of
Speaker 3: liberation when you can make your own calls about what's
Speaker 3: next and what the next chapter of your life may
Speaker 3: look like.
Speaker 2: And so.
Speaker 3: You know, it's such a blessing when you know you
Speaker 3: can you know, just kind of decide what it is
Speaker 3: that you want to do and how you want to
Speaker 3: do that, and structure and have the right you know,
Speaker 3: people around around you and have the right team around
Speaker 3: you to help facilitate, you know, some of your desire.
Speaker 3: So you know, like I said, man, like you know,
Speaker 3: a lot of times you just look at it like, man,
Speaker 3: I just don't deserve all the blessings that have been
Speaker 3: bestowed upon me. But I'm very grateful and honored that
Speaker 3: I've had so many people in my life to you know,
Speaker 3: help mold the person that I am. And you know,
Speaker 3: each day, as you know, you wake up with an
Speaker 3: excitement to continue, you know, making your your wife proud,
Speaker 3: making your mom and dad and all the the things
Speaker 3: that they've instilled in you as a as a young man.
Speaker 2: You know, you also want to make them proud.
Speaker 3: And so you know, like I said, you know, I
Speaker 3: have four kids that you know, I just want to
Speaker 3: teach and try to give them some of the same
Speaker 3: values that you know I've had.
Speaker 2: So it's you know, I'm like I said, I'm very
Speaker 2: blessed and very grateful. Richard.
Speaker 4: That would be remiss if I didn't ask you this,
Speaker 4: because I just read something the other day. You won
Speaker 4: three super Bowls in your first four years in the
Speaker 4: league and obviously had a great career here.
Speaker 1: I just read something.
Speaker 4: I think it was Sean O'Hara from the Giants who
Speaker 4: said the infamous David Tyree play that he just reached
Speaker 4: out and grabbed you by the throat.
Speaker 1: Is that accurate?
Speaker 4: He grabbed you by the throat on that play? As
Speaker 4: as as Eli was kind of getting away a little.
Speaker 3: Bit feederal, come grab me on the thought now now,
Speaker 3: I said, tell him to come grab me on.
Speaker 2: The throat now?
Speaker 1: But did he do that in the moment?
Speaker 2: You know what?
Speaker 3: Like I mean, it's the game of football. Everything goes
Speaker 3: on in the trenches. But like, like you know, to say,
Speaker 3: like exactly how the play happened, Like, but I know
Speaker 3: he was holding the heck out of me. I don't
Speaker 3: know exactly where. I thought it was kind of like
Speaker 3: on the collar area and that sort of thing. But
Speaker 3: I thought the roof was going to throw a flag
Speaker 3: because I also had Eli in the grass, and you know,
Speaker 3: they always protecting the quarterbacks, and I'm like Okay, I'm
Speaker 3: sure he's gonna blow it. But I do know I
Speaker 3: had a hand on him, Jarvis had a hand, and
Speaker 3: they were he was kind of trying to fight to
Speaker 3: get away, and you know, we had guys on our
Speaker 3: back and that sort of thing. So, like you know,
Speaker 3: it's in the field of play, that type stuff happens,
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 2: I'm sure that I think his.
Speaker 4: Quote was I think his quote was, yeah, I had
Speaker 4: nothing to lose. I mean, the game was on the
Speaker 4: line right there. I just grabbed him by the throat.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I that that could very well be true. But
Speaker 2: like I don't, I don't.
Speaker 3: I can't recall exactly how the play played out. Like
Speaker 3: you know, it's funny. It's a couple of games I
Speaker 3: just never watched. I don't even go through the film
Speaker 3: and look at them.
Speaker 6: So yeah, I just you know what, it's a no, no,
Speaker 6: it's a few games.
Speaker 2: It's a few games you.
Speaker 3: Don't even watch ESPN, like, uh, you know, a month
Speaker 3: after those type games are over, it's like, you know what,
Speaker 3: we're not going to do that.
Speaker 2: Let's let's just go outside and get the training and
Speaker 2: doing something else, you know. So that's what we are.
Speaker 1: So we've talked a lot about your Patriot experience here, Richard,
Speaker 1: understandably showing your experience with Bill, but you also had
Speaker 1: a chance later in your career to be paired with
Speaker 1: one of the true greats, another true great in the
Speaker 1: history of the profession, and that's Al Davis.
Speaker 2: What was it?
Speaker 1: What was it like, you know, in your experience with
Speaker 1: being around mister Davis for the short time that you
Speaker 1: were able to be there in Oakland.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I tell you, you know, I've played for two historic franchises,
Speaker 3: and I just go back and just say, you know,
Speaker 3: play for the Patriots, and then you know, also the Raiders.
Speaker 3: And I'll say this, like the Raiders were actually like
Speaker 3: a childhood favorite team growing up.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: You just think about the silver and Black, you know
Speaker 3: what I mean, and just the mystique of that Raid
Speaker 3: as you know what I mean.
Speaker 2: Like so.
Speaker 3: Especially as a defensive lineman, As a defensive lineman, you know,
Speaker 3: it's nasty, it's tough, like you.
Speaker 2: You like, we're the We're the like the D lineman.
Speaker 2: And I say this all the time, D linman, are.
Speaker 3: You have to especially if you want to be leaked,
Speaker 3: you have to be able to rush the passer you
Speaker 3: have to be able to stop the run. You have
Speaker 3: to be well conditioned in shape, Like it's like you're
Speaker 3: an elite box sir, Like you're using your hands. And
Speaker 3: I always say, like we're the toughest guys on the planet,
Speaker 3: Like I firmly believed that, like just in terms of
Speaker 3: like the size, the speed, the athleticism fighting against guys,
Speaker 3: but also have the speed and the agility to.
Speaker 2: Chase down running backs and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3: So you know, I just also want to give a perspective,
Speaker 3: like to play as a defense with the lineman in
Speaker 3: the black hole, like that was an experience in its
Speaker 3: own And you know, I always respected Al because when
Speaker 3: I got there, you know, he was like like he
Speaker 3: was older, but he recalled like plays that I had
Speaker 3: at the University of Georgia, Like he remembered like all
Speaker 3: of those things, and like so I just also just
Speaker 3: I felt like I was around such a wealth of
Speaker 3: knowledge in terms of being a pioneer and a legend
Speaker 3: in the game, in terms of you know, GM you know,
Speaker 3: head coach ownership, like like Alt embodied.
Speaker 2: All of those things.
Speaker 3: And you know, for me also like going to Oakland,
Speaker 3: like I also got a chance to share my experiences
Speaker 3: that I learned in New England and all of the
Speaker 3: relationships and everything that I learned, Like I got to
Speaker 3: bring all of that with me. And I was also
Speaker 3: an advocate for the players because they respected me when
Speaker 3: I got there, just because.
Speaker 2: The talent that I had.
Speaker 3: But also like at that point, like I'm coming with
Speaker 3: three Super Bowls, I'm coming with you know, at that
Speaker 3: time five.
Speaker 2: Pro Bowls, like all pros.
Speaker 3: Like all of those things are coming along with me.
Speaker 3: So like when I stepped into the room, like they
Speaker 3: felt the weight of He's serious, like this is you know,
Speaker 3: we gotta we gotta, we gotta rise to a new level.
Speaker 2: And I you know, as a as a player, that's.
Speaker 3: All I want at the end of the day, Like
Speaker 3: I want people to care just like I care, like
Speaker 3: in business or whatever it is that you're doing in life,
Speaker 3: like you want people to care just like you do.
Speaker 3: And so the players felt that, but also management, you know,
Speaker 3: they would also pick my brain and the coaches also,
Speaker 3: uh would call me up and because they knew I
Speaker 3: had a post of the team in terms of you know,
Speaker 3: what the players wanted and how things should be organized
Speaker 3: and that sort of thing. But you know, it was
Speaker 3: from the experiences that I had already learned from being
Speaker 3: in New England, right, And so you know that was
Speaker 3: really special to me because not only did I feel
Speaker 3: like a player when I was there, I felt like
Speaker 3: I was much more than a player, Like I felt
Speaker 3: like I was a part of of the culture and
Speaker 3: in terms of balancing the coaches and the players, and
Speaker 3: I was kind of in the middle, like trying to
Speaker 3: help facilitate getting us to the next level.
Speaker 2: And so.
Speaker 3: You know, like even now, like I still have a
Speaker 3: great relationship with Mark and you know we talk often
Speaker 3: just in you know, the direction of the team and
Speaker 3: that sort of thing. Yeah, no, it's super cool. Like,
Speaker 3: you know, here's the thing. You got to stop me
Speaker 3: now because I'll be long winning. I'll tell all the
Speaker 3: stories and we'll keep going and going. So just just
Speaker 3: if you want to go on to another subject.
Speaker 1: I just want to know.
Speaker 4: I just want to know when when Al Davis was
Speaker 4: remembering all those plays, if he ever brought up the
Speaker 4: tuck rule.
Speaker 2: Ah, you trust me.
Speaker 6: Everywhere I went in the Raiders facility, everybody, everybody at
Speaker 6: least once, they always talked about the tuck rule. And
Speaker 6: Richard all right, you can tell us now and that
Speaker 6: you know what I mean. It was always pretty fun.
Speaker 3: And you know, hey, I just I kept my lips
Speaker 3: closed and I just would always tell them, hey man,
Speaker 3: we focusing.
Speaker 2: On this game we got coming up this week, you know.
Speaker 2: But it was always fun. And I'll just say this,
Speaker 2: like I also respected.
Speaker 3: Out on so many levels because not only was Al
Speaker 3: Davis like the coach and that sort of thing, but
Speaker 3: he also ushered in, you know, just when we have
Speaker 3: all of the unrests in the country and social injustices,
Speaker 3: and you know, like Al Davis.
Speaker 2: Like he had you know, black scouts.
Speaker 3: He also had black head coaches, hat black quarterbacks.
Speaker 2: Like he was a pioneer for ushering in.
Speaker 3: He just wanted to win. He just wanted the right
Speaker 3: people in place. So it was like I had so
Speaker 3: much respect for him, like in like to Al, like
Speaker 3: like black lives matter, like before it was cool now
Speaker 3: to be a part of the movement, like he lived it.
Speaker 3: He invitied it. He wanted change for everybody back then,
Speaker 3: even his team that was around him, Like it was white,
Speaker 3: it was women, it was blacks, it was you know,
Speaker 3: everybody was there. So it was a culture of diversity
Speaker 3: and that really looks like America, and so like, I
Speaker 3: have a tremendous amount of respect for Al just because
Speaker 3: not only just football, right, it was so many other
Speaker 3: things that came along with it as well.
Speaker 2: So, you know, so kudos to him.
Speaker 1: Our guest has been Richard Seymour on this Path from
Speaker 1: the Past podcast. Richard, we could do this probably for
Speaker 1: hours and hours.
Speaker 3: I see you know what, like I don't got hours
Speaker 3: and hours left. I see my kids they kind of
Speaker 3: looking at the window.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I wanted I want to say thanks for
Speaker 1: your time.
Speaker 2: Though, really appreciate it, enjoyed it. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Sure, we can't wait until God willing this pandemic ends
Speaker 1: and we can move around the country a little bit
Speaker 1: freely and really really look forward to the day when
Speaker 1: we are putting a red jazz you knowing that a
Speaker 1: yellowjacket is coming very shortly after that. Richard, thank your
Speaker 1: time today.
Speaker 2: Thank you, Joe, absolutely no, thank you so much.
Speaker 3: And like I said, I've been I'm so grateful and
Speaker 3: happy to you know, to have put on a Patriot uniform.
Speaker 2: It's taught me so much.
Speaker 3: And to all the fans out there that's listening, like
Speaker 3: like I came to the Patriots at twenty years old,
Speaker 3: like I just turned forty one. Like it's a part
Speaker 3: of who I am. It's a part of my DNA.
Speaker 3: And I'm so grateful for you know, everybody that bought a.
Speaker 2: Ninety three jersey.
Speaker 3: You know, we need to do a signing up there
Speaker 3: and I'll sign them all for you. So thank you
Speaker 3: so much and thanks.
Speaker 1: For having me on Love it Be while Richard Boom.
Speaker 2: Thank you for downloading this podcast.
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