1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Hello Texans, and welcome to the program that gets you 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: inside the building NRG Stadium. It's Texans All Access. Mark 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: Vandermaer and John Harris with you, and we have some 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: visits with assistant coaches for you tonight, including but not 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: limited to Jacques Cesaire defensive line coach. We'll hear also 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: from Ben McDaniels, receivers coach and passing game coordinator, and 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: close out the show with Miles Smith, linebackers coach. That's 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: all coming up, including thoughts from Johnny on various things 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: around the NFL and beyond. So we'll get to that 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: in just a few moments. But first, Jacques Cesaire, former charger, 11 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: coached with them, coached with the Buffalo Bills on the 12 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: d line, and now he's your defensive line coach for 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: the Houston Texans, and he reacts to being in Houston. 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: It's been absolutely fantastic. The people have been extremely nice 15 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: and very welcoming. The organization has been incredible. I've met 16 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: a few of the players of his see the opportunity 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: to work with Lovey Smith was It's just been incredible. 18 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: So I'm extremely happy to be here and I can't 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: wait to get to work. I said, I was just 20 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: gonna call you coach because that was that was easiest. However, yes, 21 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: I'll ask you this, How does it feel to be 22 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: called coach? You played the league for what a decade 23 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: or more? Now you're a coach? What does that mean 24 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: to you? To be able to not only just say, 25 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: but to live in an occupation as a coach? Right? Um? 26 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: To me, that means to first and foremost, to be 27 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: a teacher. I think all coaches need to be teachers. UM, 28 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: master your craft, understand how to you know, disseminate information 29 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: to these guys as much as possible so you can 30 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,279 Speaker 1: put them in the right situation and they can make plays. 31 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: That's what it's about. And um and and that's what 32 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,759 Speaker 1: I expected from my coaches. That's what I hope though 33 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: I can give those guys as well. UM and uh. 34 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: I take that job very seriously. So. But when you're 35 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: playing right and and you play at a certain level, 36 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: and then there you are coaching, how hard is it 37 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: to translate what you know and what you can do 38 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: to guys who maybe can't do it as well, or 39 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: maybe some are exceptional talents. How do you apply all 40 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: of that? Um? You package it in a nice neat 41 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: UH presentation. I'm big on presenting to the guys and 42 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: UH just helping them understand situational awareness. UH, really teach 43 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: them the game of football, really teach them their position 44 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: fundamentals and what they need to do to be successful. 45 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: So UM, like I said, UH, it's it's it's unique 46 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: how I do it, um, And I learned from some 47 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: of the best, Eric Washington, who's now the uh the 48 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: Buffalo Bills defensive line coach, And it starts off with 49 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: teaching and caring about the guys and getting those guys 50 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,399 Speaker 1: to play their absolute hardest and best for you every 51 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: single play. One of the things about teaching, and I 52 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 1: think it applies to a defensive line in particular, because 53 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: when you look at a defensive line, you're like, OK, 54 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: at that guy's three thirty five, that guy's to sixty five, 55 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: that guy's fast, that guy's slow, that guy's strong, that 56 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: guy's short. You got all kinds absolutely like you would 57 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: walk into a room. So you have to teach it 58 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: differently in some sense to some guys as you would others. 59 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: How do you go about getting that done? Coach? The 60 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: fact that you will be around guys that you know what, 61 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: I can show him this move and this guy's gonna 62 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: get it. I can show this other guy the same 63 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: move he gonna get I gotta teach him something different. 64 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: How important does that become to coaching a group of 65 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: diverse defensive linemen. Well, you know, first of all, it 66 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: comes down to what are we doing as a system? 67 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: What's our philosophy? Okay? And and once I established that 68 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: with the guys, everything else kind of falls into place. 69 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: You know, we're not doing eighty different things. And you know, 70 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: but at the same time, it's not paid by the numbers. 71 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: You know, there's gonna be some some leeway. But the 72 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: guys will never go into a situation where they don't 73 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: know what they're they're they're doing. They'll never leave a 74 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: room and say I didn't understand it, I didn't know 75 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: what what I was getting myself into, or anything like that. 76 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make sure that they know everything that they 77 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: need to know about the opponent, about who they're playing again, 78 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: what situation they're going to be involved in, so they 79 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: can go out there and play fast with their hair 80 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: on fire. That's that's what I want. I want guys 81 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: that are coming off the Rock sixty plays sixty times 82 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: without any compromise, trying to disrupt anything that getsn't did 83 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: away Texans history here in twenty eleven, Texans go to 84 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: a three four and there are three four basically, and 85 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: everything's multiple and you change it up or whatever, but 86 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: all the way through until Lovey Smith comes in last 87 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: year and goes to four to three. And I know, 88 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: again there are adjustments along the way. But got so 89 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: much pressure on the quarterback last year with four guys. 90 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: How it does it vary or differ here from what 91 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: you were running in Buffalo or San Diego? What are 92 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: the similarities and differences, right? I mean obviously you know 93 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: we had a four man front in Buffalo when I 94 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: was there in Buffalo, and very similar as far as 95 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: you got four guys generating pressure on the quarterback every 96 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: every snap. And so that's what we're going to try 97 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: and continue to do this upcoming season. I love what 98 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: I see on film, so are like I said, I 99 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: got a chance to sit down with some of the 100 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: young guys on the team already, and they seem excited 101 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: and very open to what I'm about to teach them. 102 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: And you know, we're just ready to go and I'm excited. 103 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: I am really excited about the twenty twenty two season 104 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: for the Houston Texas. So we've talked. You played for 105 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: the Chargers, you coached the Buffalo Bills. You grew up 106 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: in the Northeast. Do you have any ties to Houston whatsoever? 107 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: Is this the first time in Houston? Have you ever? 108 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: Have you ever spent in August in Houston? No, I 109 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: have not, And a lot of people are telling me 110 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: about the humidity. You know, I'm not afraid of anything 111 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: like that. And I do have a friend down here 112 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: from Gardeners him as Jerry Gayton. I think he uh 113 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: coaches at Sino Ranch. And you know, I was able 114 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 1: to go hang out with him. Travis Johnson, one of 115 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: your Yeah Yeah Texans first round picks in the past. 116 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: I played with him in San Diego. I have an 117 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to hang out with him. So I got a 118 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 1: couple of ties to the Houston area. I'm just kind 119 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: of just learning my surroundings right now and driving around 120 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: trying to figure out a place to stay. Well, we're 121 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: saying we're sorry about trap Jay. We're sorry that guy. 122 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: We love We love him though, because he's got the 123 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: one thing you talked about, that's the passion as he 124 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: always had. He always had the passion for the game 125 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: and still does. I mean you start talking ball with 126 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: him and and that passion still comes out. And I 127 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: would imagine, like you said, you take sixty times in 128 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 1: a game time seventeen, that's a lot of car crashes 129 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: that your dudes have got to put up with and 130 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: deal with to still have that passion in week seventeen. 131 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: I would imagine that's something that you're looking for in 132 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: guys that you want to bring here, being rookies or 133 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: free agents or whatever the case might play. Yeah, I 134 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: mean we got to have high rush energy, we got 135 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: to be in great rush conditioning, and and we have 136 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: to have a mindset that there's nothing that's gonna stop 137 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: us from getting a quarterback. And so, uh, that's that's 138 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: what we're hoping to establish day one. And whoever comes 139 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: in here, uh, that's that's what they're gonna get. Boy, 140 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 1: you played for the Chargers through some really interesting times. 141 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I know you're on the d line, but 142 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 1: there you are looking at Drew Brees being the quarterback 143 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: right and making that switch to Philip Rivers. What was 144 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: all that like as a player and watching that unfold, No, 145 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: it was it was fabless. I mean, Drew and Philip 146 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: did a great job as far as leadership is concerned. 147 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: And they never looked at it as you know, I'm 148 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: not trying to help this guy out or anything like that. 149 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: They were both leaders in the classroom, weight room. On 150 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: the field when Drew was playing, Philip was was the 151 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: look team quarterback and he was trying to dice us 152 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: up and uh and and you know, they just led 153 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: by example and they were probably one of the hardest 154 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: working individuals I've ever been around. And um, and so 155 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: once Drew left, it was an easy transition for Philip 156 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: to come in. So um, you know that those guys 157 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: are true professionals. You see the career that they've had 158 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: over the years, and and you know, seeing it from 159 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: the genesis in the beginning, and and how it unfolded 160 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: was it was incredible. When Philip was Look team quarterback, 161 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: was he squawking all the time too? He just taught 162 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: steady talking. Philip Rivers is the best trash talker I've 163 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: ever been around in my entire life. And and you know, 164 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure people have talked about this before in the past. 165 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: He never he never cusses at all. You've never heard 166 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: a cuss word coming out of his mind. But his 167 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: trash talking his legendary, and he really knows how to 168 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: get under your skin. Now. Philip ended up being a 169 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: high school coach after we retired it, went to the 170 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,239 Speaker 1: culture for a year and then ended up retirement. Became 171 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: a head high school coach down in Alabama, which seemed 172 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: perfect for him. His dad was a coach. Who is 173 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: the inspiration for you to get into coaching? Oh, I 174 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: have tons of him from right inspiration. I'm always I'm 175 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: always looking for an inspiration. I'm inspired by your story 176 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: the other day and how you communicate with people and 177 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: how you just had a passion for the Houston Texans 178 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: and being the voice of the Texans. That that inspires me. 179 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: But the record Shawan Radio, he's talking to me right 180 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: by the way. You're trying to make me feel that kid, 181 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: I've been riding for a walk, yes, but I've remember 182 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: that I've had quite a few uh uh. You know 183 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: great teachers in my day. UM sided with my high 184 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: school coach, Walter the Dubzinski from Gardner, UM my college 185 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: coach Rich Cavanaugh, my Dodge. Um. Obviously being in the 186 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 1: NFL with a guy like Marty Schnheimer, North Turner, Ron Rivera, Um, 187 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: you know Eric Washington, my d line coach that that's 188 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: at uh in Buffalo right now, Sean McDermott, Leslie Frasier. 189 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: I mean, you're talking about some of the best coaches 190 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: that have ever you know, coached his game, and just 191 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: being around them has has always inspired me. They were 192 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 1: they were teachers first, they were leaders of men. They 193 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: were passionate at what they were doing. They did things 194 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: the right way, and UM, that's that's what I hope 195 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: that my legacy could be, uh moving forward. When you 196 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,559 Speaker 1: were playing, you see all the hours the coaches are 197 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: putting in. Did that obviously didn't scare you went into 198 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: the profession, But it scares a lot of guys or 199 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,839 Speaker 1: concerns them, I should say, as they're deciding whether or 200 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: not to be a coach. Right. You know my mother, Uh, 201 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, she she worked sixteen hour days as as 202 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: an r end in Massachusetts and I saw her doing that, 203 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: you know, almost every single day. So I'm not afraid 204 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: of hours and long word to me when I come 205 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: in here, this is not work. Okay, that they're playing 206 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: me to paying me to coach football, to to motivate guys, 207 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: stimulate guys, teach guys. That that's not worked. To me, 208 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: that's fun and so um you can lose yourself in 209 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: that office and you could be there for hours on 210 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: end and then all of a sudden you look up, 211 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: it's it's midnight. You like, I gotta get out of here. 212 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: But uh, to me, the long hours and things like that, 213 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: that's that's not work for me. Growing up, did you 214 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: have a favorite player and who wasn't? I did have 215 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: a favorite player, Uh John Randall, and uh he is 216 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: only yeah, yeah, he is the He is what a 217 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: three technique is in this system. Uh, a single gap, penetrating, 218 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: disruptive force. Uh be able to be able to make 219 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: the inside move and collapse the depth of the pocket, 220 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: get get pressured on the quarterback every single snap. That 221 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: that is the type of three technique that I wanted 222 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: to be and that I'm hoping that I can coach 223 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 1: these guys to be. One thing about John Randall, he's 224 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:12,319 Speaker 1: not prototype size. He was six one, maybe he was 225 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: not prototype size. And because you love John Randall, I'm 226 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: not saying that every single guy you bring in here 227 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: is going to be six foot one. But it kind 228 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: of goes back to the other question, that being, I 229 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: know we just talked to coach Warhop. You're talking about 230 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 1: length and things that you want to have an offensive line. 231 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: It's just something a physical trait that you know, your 232 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: defensive linemen have got to have that have to they 233 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: have to have to be able to play for you 234 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: and for the system. You know, obviously they need some 235 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: explosive first step ability, initial quickness. But for me, I 236 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 1: don't look at anything. I need to see what's in here. Yeah. Okay, 237 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: if you got a passion to play and you want 238 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: to get after the quarterback and you're willing to do 239 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: anything and everything to do that, then I'll coach you 240 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: and I'll give you the tools and the information that 241 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: you need to be successful. You know, the Buffalo Bills 242 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: have a three three tech by name Ed Oliver. He's 243 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,599 Speaker 1: about six one two and eighty pounds. Not the protypical 244 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: guy that you'd want as a three technique. He paid 245 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: you to say he's sixth one. He paid you. I 246 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: watched Ship coaching his pro day one right by right 247 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: by the measurement He went right by it. He's like, 248 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: nothing done. Just tell him I'm six one. Yeah. But 249 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: what people don't know about Ed is that he's he's 250 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: probably seven five and hard. Yeah, okay, And that's what 251 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: that's what we're looking for. I just want a guy 252 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: that is passionate and wants to play every single day, 253 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: wants to practice every day, wants to play every day, 254 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: isn't too cool to school. Wants to come out here 255 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: and and and and play the best ball that he can, 256 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: and and and do it for the fans, you know, 257 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: do for his team, do for his family members, due 258 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: for himself. What's the Gardner Massachusetts big rival. What's Gardner's 259 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: biggest rival? The oak Mont Spartans. Okay, was that the 260 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving game? Thanksgiving? That's what they do, Johnny. They play 261 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: on Thanksgiving and that's like a game still to this 262 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: to this day. I don't like them. Okay. We would 263 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: hope no, we listen, We would hope no, no other 264 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: We play our Thanksgiving Day games in here. That's what 265 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:11,839 Speaker 1: we do. We play our games in here. And there 266 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: will be buttson seats in here. And you can see 267 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: him pointing to the Energy Stadium. That's where we play 268 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: our Thanksgiving Day games, right, but they're playoff games by that, Yeah, 269 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: they're playing these are It doesn't matter what the record is, right, 270 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: the Thanksgiving Game in Massachusetts is your bowl game. It's 271 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: big time tradition. Yeah, all right, if you're about that. 272 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: If you're I'm just saying, coach, you go to your 273 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: buddy Cinco Ranch games. Yeah, I'm just saying you a 274 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: little different now. You couldn't do it here. You couldn't 275 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: do the thanks Game. I'm definitely gonna check out some 276 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 1: Friday night lights. I've heard a lot about Texas high 277 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: school football and I'm extremely excited to enjoy that as well. 278 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: Jacques Says air defensive line coach for the Texans. We'll 279 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: get to Ben McDaniels and Miles Smith in a few 280 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: moments as well. But Johnny reaction to says, are being 281 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: the defensive line coach here, and you know, coach to 282 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: four to three. Try to get pressure on the quarterback 283 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: like the Texans did last year. Bobby King did a 284 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: solid job here and it's up to cesare to make 285 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: sure they continue to grow, to progress here, to continue 286 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: to get pressure. And I know it's all coordinated by 287 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 1: Lovey Smith. And we're gonna have Miles Smith on a 288 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: little bit later and he'll talk about that some more. 289 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: But man, getting pressure, stopping that run. The fundamentals certainly apply, 290 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: no doubt. The first thing that stood out was he 291 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: likes you way more than me, So we got we 292 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: gotta work on that a little We gotta work on 293 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: out a little bit. I'm not I'm not envious. Well, 294 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: you know what he was talking about, and just hold off. 295 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna press pause on that. I did talk on 296 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: the history of the Texans for the new employees and 297 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: football operations, and we have a video that we roll 298 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: that's really for internal purposes, and I talked about the 299 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: history of the team. That's what he was referring to. 300 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: You weren't in that session. I'm sorry, my friend, but 301 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: it was. It was a quickie, no quick no, I 302 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: understand it. I kid um. I just listening to the 303 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: coaches that we had a chance to talk to. The 304 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: one thing that really stood out to me, especially about Jack, 305 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: was his passion, like you could see it, you could 306 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: see it come forth and I it's funny. I was 307 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: thinking about today walking into the building. I don't know 308 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: why I was thinking about Dwayne Brown, and I was 309 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: thinking about why I missed on Dwayne Brown, and he 310 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: still are haunted and I'm still haunted by this. But 311 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: but here, but here's I here's what I learned. And 312 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: I was like, here's the lesson that I've learned, and 313 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: that is, if a guy has the tools, he has 314 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: the traits, he has the assets, and he has the 315 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: passion for being great, like it drives him every day 316 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: to be great, that guy's gonna end up being a 317 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: really good football player or whatever sport a you're talking 318 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: about in football in our case. And that's what I 319 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: missed about Dwayne. I looked at a guy at a 320 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: particular moment in time and thought, no, I didn't forecast 321 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: what he could be given those things that he has traits, 322 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: he has assets, and by the way, he's gonna work 323 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: his tail off to get better and better. The reason 324 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: I bring that up is I was thinking about that 325 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: as we were talking to coach, because here's the guy 326 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: that came from southern Connecticut state, so he had a 327 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: grind at a school nobody's really ever heard of. He 328 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: gets the NFL, he grinds to stay in the league 329 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: for a decade, he then goes into the coaching routes, 330 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: so now he's doing the defensive assistant thing. So he's 331 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: got a grind and all the while, you know he's talented. 332 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: You know he's got the ability. Does he have the passion? Well, 333 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: if you're doing it the way he's done it and 334 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: you're getting to this point, a guy doesn't do it 335 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: and isn't successful without having a passion for the game 336 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: and having a passion for people and have a passion 337 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: for coaching. And that came out as we were talking 338 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: to him, and I thought, a guy like that will 339 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: not fail as a coach because he's got all the 340 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: traits you're looking for in a coach. Obviously, he's played, 341 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: so he's got a lot of technique thing that he's 342 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: learned along the way. He's been around some great mentors. 343 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: But you can tell he wants it. He wants to 344 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: be a great coach. He wants to be able to 345 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: share with his guys and those of the coaches that 346 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: ended up sticking around a long time and being ultra 347 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: successful because they've got a passion for coaching. They come 348 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: from a background in which they had to grind a 349 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 1: little bit so they can talk about that part of things. 350 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: They weren't. You know, five star recruit, went to Alabama, 351 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: got all the accolades, first round draft pick, it was 352 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: all easy for him. It wasn't easy for him, but 353 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: the fact that he then went from a playing career 354 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: to then grind through the defensive assistant role for a 355 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: number of years before he became the defensive line coach. Here, 356 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: that's a guy I'll think, you know, money and effort 357 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: in all day long, because I know he's gonna put 358 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 1: in whatever it takes to be successful. I can look 359 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: at that guy, you know he's gonna be successful. Yeah, 360 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,360 Speaker 1: he's going to be a successful football coach because he's 361 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 1: got the passion to be great on top of the 362 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: fact that he's got all these other assets that come 363 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: with being a former player, being you know, a good player, 364 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: being a guy head to grind for spotted his roster 365 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: being around the NFL for a while, and you can 366 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: just tell listening to him, he he's excited about coaching 367 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: this this defensive line. Not just the other coaches aren't excited. 368 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: But there's some coaches that are like, all right, you know, 369 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: I'll put up with the time in I'll do what 370 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: I have to do. But it's just, you know, it's 371 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: what it is. It's a job. And when he said 372 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: I mean I get to come work here, I mean 373 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: that's yeah. That's dude, that's pretty huge. That's how I feel. Yeah, 374 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: all right, So before we get to our other coaches 375 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: here in this evening show, we'll have more as the 376 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: week goes on here scouting Combine next week. Shortly after 377 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: we were done with our conversation on the topic, yesterday, 378 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: news broke that the bubble had burst. There would be 379 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: no bubble at the combine for the players. They're gonna 380 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: take certain precautions, but they'll be able to function as 381 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,920 Speaker 1: relatively normal human beings in Indianapolis next week. Your reaction, 382 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: I think that's important obviously. I think the other one 383 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: is will they make any adjustment to the bench press 384 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 1: schedule and the combine workout itself. They have planned to 385 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: do that. They wanted to change things. I guess over 386 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: the years to combine people have talked to the players 387 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 1: and the prospects and ask them and they said that 388 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: a lot of the information they got was put it 389 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,199 Speaker 1: on one day. We're there one day longer than we 390 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: need to. To me, I don't. As an NFL staff, 391 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: I kind of want to see them over an extended 392 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: period of time. Yeah, because you know, short sprints great, 393 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: but what about that extended marathon type thing that the 394 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: combine really puts you through the rigors of all that. 395 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: And so I get the thought that, yes, a pro 396 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: day you have to bench and then go out and 397 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: do your work. I get all that, but you haven't 398 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: spent two or three days doing all these other things 399 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: prior to that. So we'll see how that goes. But 400 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 1: I like the fact that the NFL said, or the 401 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: Combine people who am iver made decision. Let them, let 402 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: them live, let them be, let's get let's get back, 403 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: let's get this thing back to what it was and 404 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: twenty and let's go. But I get them credit for 405 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: standing up and saying, hey, we think it should be 406 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 1: done a certain way, and if it's not, then we 407 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: don't think it's gonna behoove us to be there. So 408 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: we'll see how it goes. I'm glad that part of 409 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: it's kind of put to the side, and hopefully we 410 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: can go. I'll go to Indianapolis, and look, we don't 411 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: we don't get a ton if any prospect interviews or 412 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,679 Speaker 1: anything like that. I mean, we don't know who we're 413 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: gonna get at that point, So I mean we get 414 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: our interviews, and those interviews are gonna happen, and that 415 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:34,200 Speaker 1: work was gonna happen regardless. But the reason for the season, 416 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: if you will, are those prospects. Yeah, that's the reason 417 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: we're there, and that's what you know. It's grown into 418 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: something different, But the main thing is what are these 419 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: guys doing a testing setting in a physical setting and 420 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: being able to be there to see that is is 421 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: hugely important. So I was glad to see that people 422 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: common sense, let's talk about this, let's think this through. Okay, 423 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: let's do this, and not gonna say that all things 424 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: shouldn't be that way. I understand some things are more complicated, 425 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: but I'm glad that everybody came to their senses and 426 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: hopefully we can see those hundred and fifty players that 427 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: maybe weren't gonna be there. We're gonna quote unquote Poycott 428 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: that they'll be there and go through the testing and 429 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: do whatever they gotta do. All right. Coming up next, 430 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: Ben McDaniels, receivers coach and pass game coordinator. Let's hear 431 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: from Ham his thoughts on Nico Collins, Davis Mills, among 432 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: other things here on Texans Radio. Moving right along on 433 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: Texans All Access, Mark Vanderman, John Harris with you the 434 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: Hyunday Texans Radio studio. Let's get to Ben McDaniels. You 435 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: know his brother, Josh is the head coach of the 436 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: LA Raiders, former Patriots assistant. Well, Ben's been around the 437 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 1: league and then some over the years, and last year 438 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: was an assistant wide receivers coach here. Now he's the 439 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: wide receivers coach and the passing game coordinator, and he 440 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 1: reacts to the changes in the building. It's been awesome. 441 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: A lot of moving parts, some new faces obviously that 442 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 1: we've added to the building, which is great. But then 443 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,679 Speaker 1: on the other side of that, there's plenty of familiar faces. 444 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,360 Speaker 1: There's a bunch of us that there were a part 445 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: of it a year ago and and grateful to be 446 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: to continue to be part of it. Coaches, the game 447 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: has evolved, and I know you've been around it for 448 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: a long time. We've seen positions run game coordinator, pass 449 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: game coordinator. I think we're a lot of fans what 450 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 1: does that mean to be pass game coordinator? What does 451 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: that What does that allow you to do, be it 452 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: during the week, game day, et cetera, to be the 453 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: past game coordinator. What does that allow you to do? Yeah, 454 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: I think it just puts my focus on the passing 455 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: game for us offensively. UM and Pap and and Lovey 456 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: have you know, put their trust and U in me 457 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,880 Speaker 1: to you know, UM, use my expertise and in my uh, 458 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: my vision and and UH to be able to help 459 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: our our our passing game and in numerous ways, um, 460 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: both through the weekend, on game day. All right, So 461 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: wide receivers in the off season, they it felt like 462 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: there were forty seven receivers in the building, and you know, 463 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: and I know it whittled down you got to the 464 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: regular season. But let's focus on Nico for the moment, 465 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: because he's entering a so called sophomore campaign in the NFL. 466 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: What did you make of his progress throughout his rookie campaign. 467 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: I thought he made great progress. UM. I was really 468 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: impressed with how he came in. Uh. You know, first 469 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: and foremost, I had a past with Nico. UM I was. 470 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: I was with Nico at Michigan UM for a handful 471 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 1: of years. So I had a familiarity with him, um, 472 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: and even saying that I was that much more impressed 473 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: with how he came into the building. Um, his readiness, UM, 474 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: his his his physical shape um, and just uh and 475 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: then from there really all the traits that he already 476 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: is kind of took over. He's uh, he's a great person. Um. 477 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 1: He works as hard as as you could possibly wanting 478 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: to work. Um. He wants to be great. Um, you know, 479 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: and and a lot of those things contributed to his 480 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: success a year ago. He opted out in twenty twenty. 481 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: Did you see any sort of rust that he had 482 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: to sort of bang off, if you will, to kind 483 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: of get ready for twenty No, I mean that's kind 484 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: of where I'm going with that, you know. I mean 485 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: he didn't he didn't have a twenty twenty season, so 486 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: I had missed a year uh, you know watching him play. 487 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: So Um again, I give him a lot of credit 488 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: for how he came in. Um. Last year. At the 489 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: other end of the spectrum is a crystal vet Brandon Cooks. 490 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: What do you see with Brandon last year? What did 491 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: he mean to this offense? And what can he mean 492 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: going forward? Yeah, he's uh, he's a pretty pretty special person. UM, 493 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: really important to our building. Um. He's a great professional. Uh. 494 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: He's a great leader both in uh in the receiver room, 495 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 1: in our locker room. Um. Uh he's he's a he's 496 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: a vital piece to all the young guys that that 497 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,639 Speaker 1: need to look for somebody to follow. UM Brandon for 498 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,959 Speaker 1: sure is that UM, and uh it was it was 499 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: it was special for me to be around him. Um. 500 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 1: He's got a lot of years in this league and 501 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: has had a significant amount of success. So UM, uh 502 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 1: it was. Uh he's a vital piece. Ben McDaniels joining 503 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: us on Texans Radio coach tell us about the Pep 504 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: Hamilton offense and how it's gonna be different if at 505 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,640 Speaker 1: all this year the system. Yeah, I'll let everybody else 506 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: UM either talk about that or watch that whenever that 507 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: becomes the case. UM. But uh, but I know Pep 508 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: does a great job of organizing who we want to 509 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:24,119 Speaker 1: be UM. And really UM, utilizing our our people is 510 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: really the truth. UM. Utilizing the skills of our players 511 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 1: and and letting our our players talents UM shine within 512 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: the within the system and within the offense. And and 513 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: that's obviously the goal, UM, you know, to help us 514 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 1: scores make points as we can. Growing up, did you 515 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: know coaching was it for you? Like? Did you think 516 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: coaching that like it was it was written in stone 517 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: you were going to be a coach. Did you know 518 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: that growing up or just kind of evolved that way? 519 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: I think so. UM, I think so. There was a 520 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: period of time I think, UM probably in my college 521 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: years where UM, I wondered what avenue that is? Um? Um, 522 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: especially within sports yea, UM, but I grew up in it. 523 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: I'm grateful to have grown up in it. I grew 524 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: up in a place where you learn how to love football. UM. 525 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 1: That has never left me. And um that's that's really 526 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: what has driven me into the into the profession and 527 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: and uh and allowed me to love what I do. 528 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: You could probably write a book on the differences of 529 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,399 Speaker 1: coaching high school athletes, college athletes, pro athletes who are 530 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:31,120 Speaker 1: at Canton McKinley quarterbacks coach Warren G. Harding, that's where 531 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 1: you started your career. And also you've been numerous NFL 532 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: teams in Michigan. You were just mentioning that what are 533 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: the key differences here? Coach Um, I think uh, I 534 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,360 Speaker 1: think every level of football, UM, the uh, the maturity 535 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: of the player changes obviously, UM, both physically and mentally. UM. 536 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 1: I think Uh, I think as you continue to grow 537 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 1: into college in the NFL game, UM, your expectations for 538 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,880 Speaker 1: what the players can and can't know, UM changes great 539 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: and in your ability to push push who they are mentally, 540 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: push who they are physically. UM. I think that just 541 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: continues to grow as you get older and play at 542 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: the different levels. I've always been on a mindset you 543 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: can coaching, coach. If you can coach, I mean, you 544 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: can coach little guys, you can coach big guys. I 545 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: mean I've always been of that mindset, UM, that you 546 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: can do that. Now, receivers are always tied into one 547 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: particular position that everybody wants to talk about. Coach, what'd 548 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,479 Speaker 1: you see with Davis Mills and how did he create 549 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: that synergy with your receivers, especially when he came back 550 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: in the lineup to start back in December. Yeah, I 551 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: just I think he has a great confidence about who 552 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: he is. UM. He's very comfortable in his own shoes, 553 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 1: and UM, he does a great job communicating with the 554 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:48,359 Speaker 1: receiver group. UM. I think he got more and more 555 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,919 Speaker 1: comfortable a year ago. And uh, and I think the 556 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: production on the field showed that. Um but um, yeah, 557 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,479 Speaker 1: he you know, he has a great demeanor about how 558 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 1: he goes for ball. Uh, goes about football both in 559 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 1: the building and out on the out on the practice field. 560 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: What are some of the tougher things about coaching receivers 561 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 1: Because look to the lay person, all right, you're running 562 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: a fifteen yard out. Well, if you're starting at the 563 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: forty three or whatever, count fifteen yards and run the out. 564 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,479 Speaker 1: So how much of it is timing that you have 565 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: to work on versus feel, versus whatever. Coach that's all 566 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 1: of that. It is, it's all of that. Um. We're 567 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: doing some math every once in a while, yeah, um 568 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: but uh, but there's it's really developing habits and developing 569 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: a rhythm, um with how you go about um, kind 570 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: of getting yourself open. Um. There's there's a lot of 571 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: pieces parts to go into that, both at the start 572 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: of the route uh and at the top of the route, um, 573 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: and then before before any of that, um, you know, 574 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: it's my job to help them anticipate what what is 575 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: it going to be post snap? You know, based on 576 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: what it looks like pre snap. So there's a lot 577 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: of things that go into that in the passing game, 578 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: receiver or otherwise. Just because your coach the position doesn't 579 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: mean that you grew up loving that particular position. But 580 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: did you have a player or two that you looked 581 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:10,959 Speaker 1: up to and thought those are my guys? Um? Uh 582 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: you know I was in Ohio in um and this 583 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: is this is blasphemous in some ways. Um, but I 584 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: really wasn't a Browns fan. Um. Okay, I was from 585 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: northeast Ohio, so you know, um, Cincinnati really wasn't a 586 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: part of it either. Um. Um. I probably was a 587 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: Joe Montana forty nine ers guy growing up as much 588 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: as anything, but more than anything, uh, I grew up. 589 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: I grew up loving high school football. My dad was 590 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: high school head coach my entire life. So my favorite players, 591 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: my favorite teams, um, are all high school teams and 592 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: high school players from my childhood. So give us one. Uh, 593 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: well you coachy? Yeah, yeah, you know Ryan Henry, Um, 594 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: you know Jeff Richardson. Um, guys that came up through 595 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: the eighties playing for my dad when I was just 596 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: a little boy. Um. You know, just just I mean 597 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: the names are endless for me. Um. You know, being 598 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 1: on sidelines, run around Uh, the huddle and run around 599 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: and practice and those things. But yeah, the names are 600 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: endless of all those great Ken McKinley teams. All right, 601 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 1: so you go to Kent State, all right, So we 602 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: were talking about your brother and how hey you have 603 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: d one here. Okay, Golden Flashes Kent stayed all the 604 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: way but an American conference. I used to be in 605 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: the back too as an announcer. So I feel that. 606 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: But tell us why why you go there? Um? I 607 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: think Uh, I think being um, being close meant something 608 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: to me more than I even realized then. Um, it's 609 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 1: not far from Kenton and so uh so I appreciated that, 610 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 1: and I think that was um something that was inviting 611 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: to me. Um Dean ps Um. I was excited to 612 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: go play for him. Um. He's been around this league 613 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: for a long time, UM in different capacities, and um 614 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: he was phenomenal to play for and and be a 615 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: part of his program. Um. I had teams that went there, 616 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: um from my high school team. UM. So it was 617 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: really a a pretty easy fit for me. And and 618 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: uh it was a good place for me. So when 619 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: people want to visit and they come visit you in 620 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 1: canat or they meet you, like, let's go to the 621 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame? Is that some place they all want 622 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: to go? I mean, how many times have you been there? Uh? Yeah, 623 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: I've been there an uncountable amount of times. Uh really honestly, um, 624 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: multiple times a year most years of my life, especially 625 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: growing up. Um. Uh yeah you should if you know, 626 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: if you're if you're going to Canton. Um, there's there's 627 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 1: there's no reason that you shouldn't go to the Hall 628 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: of Fame. It's a special place all right outside. By 629 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: the way, before I get to this next question, working 630 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: at Michigan being from Ohio, that had to be a 631 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: little bit weird, right, I mean that uniform you have, 632 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: you were conditioned to not like those guys. Again I 633 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: I say this again. I you know, my dad was 634 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 1: a head football coach at Ken McKenley High School. And 635 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: that's really all that mattered to us growing Yeah, okay, Um, 636 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: we didn't grow up Buckeyes. We didn't you know, we 637 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: didn't grow up Browns fans. We grew up you know, 638 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 1: fans of my dad's teams. And uh. And that probably 639 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 1: disconnected me from all the things that you're talking about, Mark, 640 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 1: because and and to be honest, I probably uh was 641 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 1: as much of a Michigan fan growing up as as 642 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: as anything um and and UM. I don't particularly even 643 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: remember all those reasons. UM, but I yeah, I grew up. 644 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,479 Speaker 1: I grew up a Canton McKinley Bulldog fan, and then 645 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 1: everything else was just kind of on the outside. It's 646 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: interesting hear you say that, because I was a Marinette 647 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: Marine fan forever, and just like you, I can I 648 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: can remember the guys that played for for my dad. 649 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: I can remember being the same like you talked. I 650 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: was gonna ask you about that run around on the 651 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: sideline as a little kid. I mean, I was just 652 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: doing that all the time. Those are the guys that 653 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: I grew up. I wanted to be like Marinette Marines. 654 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: And it wasn't until I can't be Houston that I realized, 655 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,280 Speaker 1: holy cow, there's another world of there's another world of 656 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,040 Speaker 1: of football out there. But your time at Michigan and 657 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 1: just being at the Big House, being with Pep there 658 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: at Michigan, I can't remember if you were on the 659 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: staff they went to Rome, where you on the staff 660 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: they ended up. That was a year that was a 661 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: year ahead of ahead of me being there. Jim was 662 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 1: always kind of pushing the envelope with different things. What 663 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: was it like to work for Jim and to be 664 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: there with the Wolverines. Um, it's uh, it's what you 665 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: just said. He pushes the envelope. He's uh. He thinks 666 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:21,520 Speaker 1: outside the box on how he approaches the game, how 667 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 1: he approaches the program and and uh and does a 668 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: great job building the program. Um, you know, for the 669 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: players to coaches. Um. And obviously he has done a 670 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: great job at the university. All right. So after a 671 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: living in ann Arbor, Denver, suburban New York, when you're 672 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 1: at Rutgers all these different places, how you're leaving out 673 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: a bunch of places. Yeah, I know, I can't go 674 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 1: through them all. But what do you think of Houston 675 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: being here being a resident? Love it? Love it? Um. 676 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,960 Speaker 1: More importantly, my wife loves it h She's a warm 677 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: weather girl. Um. She's from Denver, which wouldn't suggest she's 678 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 1: a warm weather girl, but um, she went to school 679 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: at Arizona UM. And I think she's been stamped that 680 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: way since. So more importantly, she loves it here. We've 681 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: really enjoyed the community, really love the people, really love 682 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: all the things that we get to do with our kids. 683 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,879 Speaker 1: Are our kids are young almost nine six and one, 684 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: So as a million thanks for us to do with 685 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: our kids and for the most of our we get 686 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: to do it outside. All right, coach, thanks a lot 687 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 1: for joining us school bas guys appreciate. There's Josh McDaniels, 688 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: Wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for your Texans 689 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 1: Miles Smith coming up linebackers coach. Let's talk to him 690 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 1: about his group next here on Texans Radio. Final guests 691 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: tonight on Texans All Access. As we're catching up with 692 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: assistant coaches. Is Miles Smith, linebackers coach, the coach's son, 693 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,080 Speaker 1: his boss. His job pretty much remains the same in 694 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two. Well, with me personally, I don't think 695 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 1: there's a whole lot of change. You know, we still 696 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: have the same defensive coordinator as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, 697 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 1: we're probably gonna keep doing the same things we've been doing. 698 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: And it might be a guy you know for a 699 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:59,360 Speaker 1: while that might help a little bit. It does. I 700 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: asked him this question, and having been and having been 701 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 1: a coaches kid, I always wondered what I knew what 702 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:08,239 Speaker 1: it was like to play for my dad. I don't 703 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:10,080 Speaker 1: know what have been like to coach with my pops? 704 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: How is it for you? Does that even come into 705 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 1: play at all? I know when we talked, he was like, 706 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: Miles and I were talking about twenty four seven, How 707 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: is it coaching with your pops? Well, first off, I 708 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: did not know you're a coach's kid. That's awesome, he 709 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: went up in my book. You know, coaching with him 710 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,600 Speaker 1: has been an absolute blessing as much as anything. I'm 711 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: able to work with somebody who is well known for 712 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: linemacker play, defensive play. So before I even go to 713 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: the familial thing, I think that that's the biggest thing 714 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 1: that six out to me. Yea, what made you decide 715 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: to get into the profession, Miles? I mean, obviously you 716 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: had somebody to look up to and to inspire you, 717 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: but what else? You know? I just love ball, you know, 718 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: every fall of my life it's been about football season. 719 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: And when I got older, started thinking about what I 720 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 1: actually want to do with my life, and I couldn't 721 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,720 Speaker 1: think of anything better than coaching football every day. Miles, 722 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,760 Speaker 1: You're at University Illinois coaching college. Come to the NFL? 723 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: Was the biggest difference from college to the NFL as 724 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 1: far as coaching gameplay. Imagine the games faster. I know 725 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: when I go watch college games now, I'm like, wow, man, 726 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 1: the NFL is really that much faster. What were the 727 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 1: differences like for you going from college coaching college to 728 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 1: coach in the NFL. Well, the first thing is now 729 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,280 Speaker 1: having to recruit. You know, you have a lot more 730 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:22,760 Speaker 1: time just to focus on the ex's nose. Gameplay wise, 731 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,400 Speaker 1: the game is definitely a lot faster. Players are faster, bigger, stronger, 732 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 1: all that kind of stuff. So that is something that 733 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: comes into play. But ultimately, when it comes down to 734 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 1: a football, still football, So I don't think there's that 735 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 1: much of a difference. What was the welcome to the 736 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,160 Speaker 1: NFL moment back to the NFL, because you were with 737 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,399 Speaker 1: the Bucks before. Then you go to Illinois, but you're 738 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,440 Speaker 1: back in the NFL. And then was there a certain 739 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 1: time where you just said, wow, this is different. I 740 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 1: know you said football is football, but it had to 741 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:50,719 Speaker 1: be really interesting to you to be out here for 742 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,920 Speaker 1: OTA's last spring. Absolutely. I think the first thing was, 743 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: you know, I mean I was used to spring ball, 744 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: where you know, you have to be there and dealing 745 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 1: with a situation where you know things all Ary kind 746 00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: of had to attack it a little bit differently. You know, 747 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: maybe it can't be as hard as you may want 748 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:07,239 Speaker 1: to be you want to scare guys off. But other 749 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: than that, again, I just don't think there's a whole 750 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,560 Speaker 1: lot of difference Biles. Last year it was an interesting 751 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 1: group because in training camp I think there were eight 752 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:17,320 Speaker 1: linebackers in training camp from remember correctly seven of them 753 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 1: grizzled vets, if you will. Then you add a rookie 754 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: and Garrett Wallow kind of trying to merge that group 755 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:25,760 Speaker 1: together and coach that group. What was it like coaching 756 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:27,719 Speaker 1: that group last year in particular, because you did have 757 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: so many vets and yet then you had this green 758 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 1: Garrett Wallow coming from TCU. What was it kind of 759 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:36,319 Speaker 1: like coaching that group last year? Well, I think things 760 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: were a little different last year because we might have 761 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:39,840 Speaker 1: had a lot of vets, but we didn't have a 762 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 1: lot of vets that were here the years prior to it, 763 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: so everybody learned the system for the first time. There 764 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: really wasn't a huge difference at first. Obviously, being a VET, 765 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: you kind of know a little bit more about what 766 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:51,840 Speaker 1: to expect, and Garrett kind of had to figure a 767 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: little bit more of that out as he went, but he, 768 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,080 Speaker 1: you know, he kind of has a a vet mentality, 769 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: I should say, so he attacked it and by the 770 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:00,799 Speaker 1: end of the sea and there really wasn't a big 771 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: difference between Well, we talked to Como and people like 772 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: Dak Christian Kirksey and they loved the system. So what 773 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 1: is it about this system that players love and that 774 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,880 Speaker 1: you love to coach. Well, once you give them the 775 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 1: base rules that they have to go with on each play, 776 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,799 Speaker 1: it allows linebackers to play fast and there's a lot 777 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,319 Speaker 1: of I guess they had the freedom to do a 778 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 1: lot of different things where they could put checks on plays, 779 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: they could do a lot where our linebackers really are 780 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: the quarterbacks of the defense. So if you're somebody that 781 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: wants to take charge and wants to really lead linebackers 782 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:33,200 Speaker 1: a way to go in our system. And I think 783 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 1: over the years we've shown that Miles last year about 784 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:38,040 Speaker 1: this time, we're still trying to figure out what the 785 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 1: linebacker crew is supposed to be. And that obviously is 786 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 1: one difference from college to the NFL. I guess the 787 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,839 Speaker 1: transfer portal has changed a little bit, but you sure 788 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:46,839 Speaker 1: know by this time what you're gonna have in your 789 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:49,920 Speaker 1: stable of linebackers once you get ready as your approach 790 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,839 Speaker 1: spring ball. Right now, you're going, well, I don't know 791 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: where we're gonna sign this guy. We do know Garrette here, 792 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:57,600 Speaker 1: you know Guarretteer. That's a that's a good start. But 793 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: is it disruptive for you at all? And sense the 794 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,880 Speaker 1: fact that I don't know, we don't know who we're 795 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: gonna have, and we're probably not gonna know until obviously 796 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 1: the draft comes by, maybe there's a draft pick, maybe 797 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: there's some guys sign. Is it disruptive at all or 798 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: how does it change things for you kind of knowing 799 00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 1: what your stable of linebackers is heading into the season. Well, 800 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 1: I think at this point it's not too big of 801 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:19,360 Speaker 1: a big deal, just because you know, we're not really 802 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:21,879 Speaker 1: working one on one with the players yet. So by 803 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: the time we're really getting gonna get going, there's gonna 804 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 1: be a stable of linebackers and whoever we have, we're 805 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 1: gonna go with. Yeah, obviously we're gonna have a little 806 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 1: bit more, you know, a little bit different of a 807 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 1: room probably next year. But hopefully we're gonna have some 808 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 1: continuity there. All right, So what about Houston? What do 809 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:39,600 Speaker 1: you think of the city? Living here, being here, of 810 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. I would say the first thing 811 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,440 Speaker 1: that comes to mind is this winner was awesome. You know. 812 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:47,120 Speaker 1: I used to you know, shoveling driveways and that type 813 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,200 Speaker 1: of thing. And you know, my wife and I we've 814 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:52,040 Speaker 1: never lived in Texas, so just the weather aspect has 815 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,240 Speaker 1: been something that, uh, I'm not looking forward to, uh leaving. 816 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:56,799 Speaker 1: What is it like for you when you hear your 817 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:00,399 Speaker 1: dad talk about Texas with the love that he has 818 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: for the load Star state, and here you are describing 819 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:05,680 Speaker 1: being here for the first time long term? You know, 820 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:08,120 Speaker 1: I it was hard for me to really understand before 821 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:10,280 Speaker 1: I came down here. I've always heard the stories about 822 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:13,240 Speaker 1: Texas and just to be a Textan what that really means. 823 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:15,000 Speaker 1: And I kind of, you know, I'll roll my eyes 824 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:17,440 Speaker 1: at it. But being down here now, there's just a 825 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,319 Speaker 1: it's just it's just different down here. It's it's hard 826 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: to put words on it, but just you know, everybody, 827 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 1: when you say you're a Texan, it means something to 828 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 1: other Texans. You know. He'll talk about you know, apparently 829 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,840 Speaker 1: there's a there's some song they all sing in school, 830 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,800 Speaker 1: and all these deals that you know from Illinois, I 831 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,920 Speaker 1: I'm just not used to, so it. Uh, there's definitely 832 00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 1: just a you know, a common element to that. Whereas 833 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:45,279 Speaker 1: pledge of allegiance, Yes, that's what exactly exactly. So where 834 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,840 Speaker 1: do you claim home? Chicago? Where you play home? Absolutely? 835 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:51,320 Speaker 1: I went to college up there as well, so definitely Chicago. 836 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 1: So like Lake Forest? Right? Lake Forest? What is that? Like? 837 00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: Lake Forest is one of the best places out there 838 00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:59,240 Speaker 1: that is home. You know, I went to high school 839 00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 1: in college there. You know, it's just different, you know, 840 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,320 Speaker 1: obviously as close as Chicago, but it's far enough away 841 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,279 Speaker 1: and right on the beach like Michigan. There's really nothing 842 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: better than that. Okay, you your dad skirted this question, 843 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 1: and I can understand why. But I asked him one time, 844 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 1: was there a player that he enjoyed coaching more than 845 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: the other? And I understand the fact he just want 846 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,080 Speaker 1: to say, because you know, he said at one time 847 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:24,480 Speaker 1: and then the guy called him like, hey, coach, what 848 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 1: about me? But growing up, was there a player that 849 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,640 Speaker 1: you loved watching more than any other? Whether you played 850 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:32,880 Speaker 1: for your dad or not. Was there a guy that 851 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: you loved watching more than the other? Yes, absolutely, you know, 852 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: um Brian Urlocker. There's something about Brian. Obviously he's a 853 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer now, but he wasn't a Hall of 854 00:41:42,719 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 1: Famer because he was the best athlete out there. He 855 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:47,160 Speaker 1: was a pretty good athlete, but he was able to 856 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:49,720 Speaker 1: rise his game up just because he was an intelligent 857 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 1: football player, and it showed that being the quarterback of 858 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,480 Speaker 1: the defense, you could impact a game more than any 859 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:58,000 Speaker 1: guy that could jump fifty inches and run a four 860 00:41:58,080 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 1: three forty. You bring up a great point with r 861 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:03,040 Speaker 1: Locker because I think when people watched Irlocker from Afar, 862 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,759 Speaker 1: knowing the defense that y'all run, you look at it 863 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,720 Speaker 1: go Erlocker was a great fit. But that fit for Irlocker. 864 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 1: How important is fit for a linebacker into your defense, Miles, 865 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 1: I would say it's more of a mental fit than 866 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 1: it is a physical fit. Yeah, we want to have 867 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 1: great athletes. Coach Smith always talks about that, but you 868 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:24,600 Speaker 1: have to be an intelligent football player to play in 869 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,399 Speaker 1: our system. You have to know the ins and outs 870 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 1: of it, and you really have to be a coach 871 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:29,879 Speaker 1: on the field. I think that's the biggest fit there is. Yeah, 872 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,000 Speaker 1: how do you tell if a guy has that or not? 873 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:36,560 Speaker 1: Does that surface at a young age or can it 874 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:38,919 Speaker 1: be developed? Does it need to be developed? I'm sure 875 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:41,160 Speaker 1: that's a loaded question, but tell us about that part 876 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,319 Speaker 1: of it. Because when you say that Brian Urlacker was 877 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:45,600 Speaker 1: not the greatest athlete in the world, yet you look 878 00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:48,279 Speaker 1: at what he did, that's incredible stuff right there. I 879 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 1: don't want to be disrespectful of the Brian. Yeah, I 880 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:55,560 Speaker 1: think there's an element of both of those. Um, I 881 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:58,319 Speaker 1: think you have to have a natural intelligence. Obviously in 882 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:00,719 Speaker 1: the world you can't you know, just can't wing it 883 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:02,919 Speaker 1: like that. But I do think there's the other side 884 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 1: of it. If you are a hard working player and 885 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:07,480 Speaker 1: you're willing to grind your butt off, then you're going 886 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:10,160 Speaker 1: to be able to develop a certain understanding of our 887 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:12,960 Speaker 1: defense that somebody who may be more naturally intelligent isn't 888 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:15,200 Speaker 1: going to be able to develop. Miles, great stuff, Thanks 889 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:17,319 Speaker 1: so much for joining us. Good luck, I appreciate it. 890 00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me. There's Texans linebackers coach Miles Smith 891 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:22,920 Speaker 1: joining us on Texans All Access. Thank you everyone for 892 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:26,120 Speaker 1: listening tonight. Thank you Austin for producing have a great 893 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,280 Speaker 1: night everyone. Tomorrow night we'll have Nick Casserio on the show, 894 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 1: Go Texans,