1 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome in. I'm got godlie Ben, the s is 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: all ball. You've downloaded it. Uh, you're gonna really love. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: We have a three part series, a three part series 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: with Justin Plente and I you know, look, I watched 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: Justin play when he was at OU as a quarterback 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: before he transferred to to Murray State. I've obviously watched 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: him grow as a coach, and who didn't love those 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: TCU teams with Andy Dalton and he's the offensive coordinator. 9 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: Then he became the head coach at Memphis, right, and 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: then he had Paxton Lynch's quarterback, and then he went 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,959 Speaker 1: to Virginia Tech. And I thought, for sure, like it's 12 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: harder replaced Frank Beamer, but you know, you keep Bud 13 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: Foster and you bring in a brilliant offensive mind and 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: it just works. And Covid really kicked him into you 15 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: know what, and they could never get over that hump. 16 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: But they were close, felt like they were close. And 17 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: now you know, uh, Hendon Hooker, his old quarterback, is 18 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: starring for a national championship contender in Tennessee. So all 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: of that stuff going on. The granular details are what 20 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: I enjoy about doing the podcast and so many of 21 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: you enjoy about listening to the podcast. I don't want 22 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: to get into Kyrie Irving stuff. We do that enough 23 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,199 Speaker 1: on radio and um on uh in the Bonus pod 24 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: which is which is the radio extra our podcast. I'm 25 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: I'm more. We start college basketball Monday. By the way, 26 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: I have after this three partner, I had a great 27 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: sit down with with Greg McDermott, the head coach of Creighton. 28 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: They got a top ten team. But I want to 29 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: offer this up to you as you get ready to 30 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: watch the college basketball season. Obviously there's a ton to 31 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: get to with the NBA college basketball. We've always said 32 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: it's about guard play, right, Like analysts that don't know anything, 33 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: they do two things. They always say it's about guard play, 34 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: and then they start listing off the names of people 35 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: on the roster, like that's a great defense mechanism. When 36 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: you first get started into broadcasting, what not to do 37 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: is not to show off that you know the correct 38 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: pronunciation of names. Tell me I know the names of people. 39 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: Tell me give me, give me something substance, here's something substantive. Yeah, 40 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: you have to have guard play, and obviously the logic 41 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: behind it is you handle pressure, guards break pressure. Um, 42 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: that's some of it. What do we have more of 43 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: now than we've ever had before? Three point shooting correct, Well, 44 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: you're gonna shoot threes better the more guards you have 45 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: on the floor, not just because UM guards tend to 46 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: shoot the basketball better than big guys, but they pass better, 47 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: they handle better, they deliver the ball better on rhythm, 48 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: on time. So guard play is important, but so is 49 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: and I think the second most important position in college 50 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: basketball is the four spot because a stretch flour opens 51 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: up the floor. But also you want to be able 52 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: to play that uh switch one through four. Defensively, you've 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: gotta be able to rebound because again, if you're playing 54 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: smaller players, you've gotta be The four spot is and 55 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 1: it's creeping up on the most important. Guard play is 56 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 1: always going to be the most important, but the one 57 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: in the fourth. That's why I love U. C. L A. 58 00:02:58,240 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: I don't I don't love some of the other piece 59 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: is I don't love their lack of depth. They're gonna 60 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: have to replace Johnny Jusanger was a go you know, 61 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: a bucket getter, Jules Bernard as well, But what do 62 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: they have They have a four year starter at the four, 63 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: They got a four year starter at the point, doesn't 64 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: mean I think the Bruins is gonna win the national championship, 65 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: but think they'll be very competitive and that's a big 66 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,679 Speaker 1: reason why. All Right, more of that genius analysis to 67 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: come on the pod, but I gotta get to this. 68 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: Justin Flente, former head coach at Memphis. Incredibly successful there. 69 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: Of course, they won the American Athletic Conference and uh, 70 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: he was the offensive coordinator for TCU. But his career 71 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: started in high school in Oklahoma at a Union high school, 72 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Union High School. We'll take the tale from there. I 73 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: think you'll enjoy it. Well, uh, coach, There's a lot 74 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: of things I want to get to, um, but let's start. Okay, 75 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: growing up were you in Tulsa, Oklahoma? Were you always 76 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: just a football guy or you all sports guy? Um? Yeah, 77 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma with awesome experience. You know, 78 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: basically my life centered around sports football, basketball, baseball, and 79 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: my parents basically used that for academy as leverage for 80 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: academic performance, you know, like they knew that when it 81 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: was basketball season, I wanted to play basketball and baseball season, 82 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: baseball and football football, and that's all I wanted to do, 83 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: and so they used that as um, Okay, we'll let 84 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: you do as much of that as you want, but 85 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: it needs to have um, you know, basically all a's 86 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: on your portcard. So school is important to my family, 87 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: which indirectly made it important to me. And all I 88 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: cared about with sports being outside, playing outside, um, you know, 89 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood, in the in in the you know, 90 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: pe It was my favorite forty five minutes in elementary school, 91 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: Like I just that was just what loved. And um, 92 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: I'm jealous now of kids these days because they have 93 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: so much access to so many more so many more 94 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: videos like we were just thirsty for any information on 95 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan's or um, you know, the Dallas Cowboys. So 96 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: so we're we're we're so we're about the same age. 97 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: But you were in Oklahoma. I was in southern California, Okay, 98 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: So what I remember out here was like everybody and 99 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: eighties Los Angeles sports scene was pretty incredible, right. We 100 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: had the Lakers, Dodgers were good, raiders actually won uh rams, 101 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: and actually bad Angels were actually pretty good as well. Um. 102 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: And then my infatuation with college really came from my 103 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: parents because they were. My dad was in Ohiose stay 104 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: at lum and then as a former college coach in Tulsa, 105 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: the Cardinals everybody's baseball team. Yes, for the most part, 106 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: they used to have a um. The Tulsa Drillers years 107 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: and years ago used to be a farm system for St. Louis. 108 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: They're not. And then everybody loved ou football, right, Cowboys, 109 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys. We saw the Cowboys in the Chiefs every Sunday. 110 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: So the a f C game was the Chiefs. The 111 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: NFC game as the Cowboys and the NFC East was 112 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: unbelievable at the time, right, Lawrence Taylor was playing, and 113 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,119 Speaker 1: you know you had it was Randall Cunningham, the Randall 114 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: Cunningham with the with the Eagles, right John Riggins and 115 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: uh and just counter trade football with the with the 116 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: with the Redskins and who's who's the other team? And 117 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: one of the Cowboys and who are not thinking of 118 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: the Giant? Oh and then the Giants of course, right, yeah, 119 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: my dad, my dad was a huge Giants face in 120 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: New York, big Jet. So okay, when did now did 121 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: you grow up in the Union District or did you 122 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: get kind of because I know in Oklahoma for a 123 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: long time. They recruit even for high school football, even 124 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: even public school. Yeah. No, same school system, entire life 125 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: K through twelve. Uh, really a cool experience. I had 126 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: a great experience there, and I had a balanced house. 127 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: My my mom went to oh you, my dad went 128 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: to Oklahoma State but finished at Tulsa. So like the 129 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: one thing, the one thing that it wasn't, which I 130 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: think was pretty cool. It wasn't the house that if 131 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: if a college team lost and everybody's day was ruined, 132 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: because we really didn't care that much. It was pretty balanced, 133 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: so it was just all about the sport and uh. 134 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: But Union High School, my sister and I my sister's 135 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: tears below me went to Darnabe Elementary all the way 136 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: up to to Union High School. It's an incredible, incredible 137 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: athletic and academic experience. They're just a fantastic school. So 138 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: you go to Union and I didn't know it back 139 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: back then. Now it was still like the biggest school 140 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: and it was working its way towards that. Like it 141 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: wasn't um. Tulsa was still moving south. It's continued to 142 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: move south since I've left, but at the time there 143 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: was UM over on seventy one and Mingo, there was 144 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: Union High School and Sam's and that was it, and 145 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: one nine nine only went to fifty one, and then 146 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: eventually it came all the way to seventy one. And 147 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: now obviously it wraps all the way around, but um, 148 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: it was a little bit on. It was on the 149 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: edge of Tulsa of you know, of being in south 150 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: South Postal, Okay. And so then again, my experience with 151 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: Oklahoma didn't start until I got there. In college, Union 152 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: and Jinks were the two big football powers we were 153 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: coming on. Edmund was the school when I was. Edmond 154 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: only had one school at the time, and they were 155 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: they were kind of the school in all the sports. 156 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: You know, Marcus Nash went to Tennessee. They had a 157 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: big time player every single year. But they were on 158 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: the verge of dividing up into multiple schools, which then 159 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: kind of thrust the next two biggest schools or our 160 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: best funded schools with the best demographics became Union and Jinks. 161 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: So we were right at the end of Edmund and 162 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: right at the beginning of of Union Jinks and what 163 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,719 Speaker 1: that eventually became. Yes, this is fascinating because now so 164 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 1: uh now kids are in eighth grade. It's all about like, okay, 165 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: do you hold him back? You hold him back. You 166 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: find the right high school for the best coach the team, 167 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: can they play right away? So none of that. You 168 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: were doing, none of this right, none of this. You 169 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: enter high school, UM with the intended mind of playing 170 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: all three sports. Yes, my ninth grade year. Yeah, so 171 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: I was fortunate. My ninth grade year, our football team 172 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: went to the state semifinals, and I had the greatest 173 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: year of my life in ninth grade. In ninth grade. 174 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: Uh and at the time, the ninth grade wasn't in 175 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: the high school, so we were in the I or whatever. 176 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: But I played UM ninth grade football. I got called 177 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: out to play a couple of jv football games, and 178 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: I was the backup quarterback on the varsity football team. 179 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: So I don't know how many games I played that year. 180 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: And our varsity team was really good, so they blew 181 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 1: a bunch of people out. So I got to play 182 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: a bunch of varsity games. All my buddies would be 183 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: up in the stands, you know, watching cheering me on. 184 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: And then I went to basketball and played ninth grade basketball. 185 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: I joined it a little bit late because I had 186 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,599 Speaker 1: been playing varsity football and had a wonderful experience that 187 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: we had a great team, great deal. I went to 188 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: baseball and got called up to play varsity baseball. We 189 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: had a really good baseball program. So I was and 190 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: in the process of having a really good experience, and 191 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: then in the middle of my baseball season, I had 192 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: to have ankle surgery and um, well it's a long story, 193 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: but basically I had some stories I did. It wasn't 194 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: a one time thing like I would literally I remember, 195 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: like yesterday going to the movies with my parents and 196 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: I and I was fine, and I and I couldn't 197 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: get out of the car. I couldn't put any weight 198 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: on my There were bone there was bone spurs and 199 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: bone chips in there that they would float in and out. 200 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: And when they would float out, yeah, I was done. 201 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: Like I couldn't do anything. So I was in the 202 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: middle of a baseball game, I would just be done 203 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: like I couldn't. It wasn't swelling, it wasn't big. So 204 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 1: anyway they had to go in and still up all 205 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: that planning out. So baseball was over. Um, and the 206 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: one of the biggest sporting mistakes I've ever made or 207 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: one of the biggest regrets I would say is after 208 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: my ninth grade year, Um, I stopped playing basketball. I 209 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: don't regret it because I was good. I regret it 210 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: because I loved it. I really, really, really enjoyed playing basketball. 211 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: But I became a little bit I had a little 212 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: bit of feeling about myself and my own town. Like 213 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: I was playing varsity football at Union High School in 214 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: ninth grade, at varsity baseball in high school ninth grade, 215 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: and I there was a little ego in me that 216 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: didn't want to go play tenth grade basketball, you know, 217 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: the next year, because I wasn't gonna be a varsity 218 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: basketball player. I stopped playing, which was stupid, you know, 219 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: which was dumb, And I really wish I hadn't done 220 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 1: that because it was I mean, I like, I get it, 221 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 1: but but it's it's like it's like when you go 222 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: to a really good buffet, You're like, man, I like this, 223 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: but I can't fill up on all that because then 224 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: I don't get to appreciate, you know, my my ninth 225 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: grade you were similarly, I was only basketball and baseball 226 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: and I met again. Imagine you're in California at baseball. 227 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: It's like February one, it really starts. So we go 228 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: to we go to the we go deep into the 229 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: playoffs in basketball. By the time I came out to baseball, 230 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: everybody's kind of already got a spot, you know. And 231 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: I love baseball. I really love playing baseball. And I 232 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: was okay at it, but I truly enjoyed it. But 233 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: then you know, after one year, you're like, what am 234 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: I doing? Like these guys all they do is by 235 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:00,599 Speaker 1: baseball and it's not gonna happen. And you know, the 236 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: other part is it's not just the ego of playing 237 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: sophomore JB or whatever. It's the it's that I don't 238 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: I don't really want to sit and watch somebody else play. 239 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 1: Once I get to be a upper classes like, I'll 240 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: sit and watch the varsity play like that dude is 241 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 1: bigger and better than me. But I think it watched. 242 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: You know, that's just that I'm that's not my jam Um. Okay, 243 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: So your sophomore years, you start at quarterback. I did, 244 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: and we had a pretty good team. And your who's 245 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: your coach? Bill blanket Ship. This is Bill blankets Ships 246 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: first year? So wait, so he was at Union, he 247 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,959 Speaker 1: was and he came from Edmund because I was getting 248 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: ready to divide up and Union was going to be 249 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: the next big school. Um. He replaced Rick Jones, who 250 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: went on to a legendary career in Arkansas. Great coach. 251 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: He's in Missouri right now helping helping the head coach 252 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: there with football. But um too, great human beings. But 253 00:13:57,559 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: Bill was our coach. There was the coach. It was 254 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: his first year and um so so okay, So if 255 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: you can't remember back like and and I think people 256 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: in Oklahoma that listen to this will understand, but I'm 257 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: not sure people outside of Oklahoma will understand. Like, uh, 258 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: whatever iconic high school football coach you can think of 259 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: in terms of success, that's Bill Blanket, you right, I mean, like, yeah, 260 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: he's the guy. So but but and Union High School 261 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: after he got there became a much bigger thing. But 262 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: this are these are big things locally. So he gets 263 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: the job, do you meet with him? Does he have 264 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: a team meeting? How does it work at that level 265 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: in that time? So I can't remember how it worked out, 266 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: But I was on crutches, uh from my ankle, exactly 267 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: how you want to meet your new kids? And like 268 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: I went up there like on one leg and threw 269 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: the ball around and um, you know, I mean, I'm 270 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: trying to throw the ball as hard as humanly possible 271 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: in front of coach blanket ship. I want to make 272 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: a great impression and I'm literally on one leg and um, 273 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: he comes over and we talked for a little bit 274 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: and he says, you know, if you'll listen to me, 275 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: you know, which I was gonna listen to anybody, like 276 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: my parents weren't gonna let me not listen to the coach. 277 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: But he said, if you listen to me, then I 278 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: can help you be a really good player, basically is 279 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: what he said. And I was like, tell me what 280 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: to do, you know, like I'm in like I've always 281 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: I was kind of that was our house, right, Coach, 282 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: tell you what to do, you go do it. And um, 283 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: So then we go to tenth grade and like nobody 284 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: it was weird and this hurt me in the long run, 285 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:54,119 Speaker 1: but nobody in the grades above me. I wanted to 286 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: go be the They just like handed me the job. 287 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: They just as a tenth grader. It was like, Okay, 288 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go play safe. The Justin's going to be 289 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: the quarterback, Like there was no no competition, which was 290 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: unfortunate and ultimately kind of hurt me, I think in 291 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: the long run, because I never really got into a competition. 292 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 1: But um, I was. I was just the starting quarterback 293 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: in tenth grade, and we had a really good team 294 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: and we were we were kind of coming together. And 295 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: in the last regular season game, Um, in the game 296 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: we won, like fifty one to seven, I broke my 297 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: collar bone. Um, I broke it badly. Are you in 298 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: the game? Well, we weren't up yet. It was early 299 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: in the game, early in the game. But we went 300 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: on to beat beat the brakes off of them, which 301 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: was stupid, you know. Um, But I I I was 302 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: moving to my right running the ball, and I put 303 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: my shoulder down, got hit just right on the right spot, 304 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: and I broke it in a Z pattern. So I 305 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: broke it really bad, and so they carted me off 306 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: the field. And um, there's no backup quarterback because everybody 307 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: wanted to play to right. It was a receiver in 308 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: our class, like our slot receiver. UM was in tenth grade. 309 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: A good friend of mine played baseball and basketball toget 310 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,479 Speaker 1: we grew up, you know, playing sports together. He had 311 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: to move over to quarterback as a tenth grader. So 312 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: Bill in his entire time at Union never started a 313 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: tenth grade quarterback except for me, in his entire time there. 314 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: And then when I got hurt, he had to replace 315 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: me with another tenth grader because none of the kids above, 316 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: you know, wanted any part of it. So, um, I 317 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: had to have surgery. I had have two surgeries. They 318 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: put a plate with five screws on my shoulder and 319 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: and did a bone graph because it was broken pretty badly. 320 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: And um so then they months later they had to 321 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: take that plate back out. I was cleared for football, 322 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: I mean, excuse me, I was cleared for baseball. But 323 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: I had a really bad baseball season. I just I 324 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: was coming off the injury and I wasn't into it. 325 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: I was still probably you mad that I was. You 326 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: missed the end of the season, and I was worried 327 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: about my next season, quite honestly because of the severity 328 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: of the break. And I had a bad baseball season. 329 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: And after tenth grade, um, you know, I met with 330 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: coach b and all that sort of stuff, and I 331 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: decided that I was gonna see if I could be 332 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: basically coach Blankotship told me. Then he said, you you can. 333 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: You're gonna get his college scholarship. I didn't even know 334 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: I was gonna a scholarship. I had no idea. You know, 335 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: it's not something we talked about at my house, you know. 336 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: Um he said, but where that scholarship is will be 337 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: up to you, meaning how you work over the next 338 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: several years, how you train, how you dedicate yourself. Um, 339 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: we'll determine whether that's at you know, a junior college 340 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: or a Division two school or Division one school or 341 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: you know what now becomes known as Power five and 342 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: all that sort of stuff. So that was the end 343 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: of baseball, and I became the football quarterback for They're 344 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: on out. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk 345 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 1: lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at 346 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: Fox sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart 347 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: Radio app. Search f s R to listen live. So, okay, 348 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 1: that time in Tulsa, Oklahoma, what do you do in 349 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: the off season? Now, you go to a quarterback guru, 350 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 1: you go to the Elite eleven. You know, you have 351 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: a trainer, You do this, you do that. What do 352 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: you do? We? Well, I went to football offseason with 353 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: the school and then Bill sent me to track, which 354 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: was awful. And I went to track not to run 355 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: in the Yeah, I mean the first day. I'll never 356 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 1: forget the first workout. I mean, these guys can really run. 357 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: I can't run, yeah at all. And the first day 358 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: we ran ten two hundreds and you had to, you know, 359 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: you had to. You had to spread the two hundreds 360 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: and jog and the rest of the two hundred. And 361 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 1: then I mean I couldn't walk. I was done, like 362 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: I was smoked. I've never been a part of anything 363 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: like that. And I stayed in track and it really 364 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: helped me. It was hard and miserable. But you can't 365 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 1: give him my track story real quick. This this is 366 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: I have one track story. So I get done my 367 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: senior year at in high school and I had wanted 368 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: to play football. I played football growing up till high school. 369 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: And then my program, the program became very good after 370 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: I graduated. They hired the guy Myron Miller and they 371 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: were in the wing tea. They had to Sean Foster 372 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: and Frosty Brook. They had a bunch of pros. Sam 373 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 1: Baker was an offense lineman. Um. But my senior they 374 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: were awful. Different coach. They're bad, and they need a quarterback. 375 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: And I played quarterback all growing up, but never played 376 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: like real big boy football quarterback anyway, they wouldn't let me, 377 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: so they said, hey, we're not gonna let you play football, 378 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: but we want you to run track. When basketball's like 379 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: really like yeah, you know, it's just speed, quickness and endurance, 380 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: a little different sort of athleticism, all right. So talking 381 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: to the track coach, we get them playing football and 382 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: I go over to run tracks. So they're like, hey, 383 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: we have a meet tomorrow. You'll be fine, all right, 384 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: right and fine right, so you know, I'm like warming 385 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: up with the guys. And I had um, I had 386 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: had a running coach when I was a kid. Uh 387 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: And then Mark Vish was my trainer, so we had 388 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: done like in terms of my my form was excellent, 389 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:32,640 Speaker 1: and we actually worked on like explosive the explosive techniques 390 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: of getting off the blocks as part of like our training. 391 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: So I'm like, I got this, and then I got 392 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: the blocks. I'm past, I got running for him, you know, 393 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: I know that like my thumb to my middle finger, 394 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: you know. So, and I'm going and the two D 395 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: you know, you go around the turn right, so you 396 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,880 Speaker 1: don't really have a feel for where you are. But 397 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: it was feeling pretty good. And I'm like, these guys, 398 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: I got this, I got this, and I and I 399 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: go past that turn and I'm in the lead and 400 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: you see the finish line, and I swear to god, 401 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: somebody took it moved it back because all of a sudden, 402 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, I'm like a stalled car on 403 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: the day, Like I didn't know. You don't run all 404 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: out right away right like I had no idea. There's 405 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: an art to it. I got smoked, smoked, so I know, 406 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: you know, like there's like so I don't know much. 407 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: It was tracked. H did you run in meats? No? 408 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: I did not. I mean no, I was nowhere close 409 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 1: to being anything those guys were. But I mean every 410 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: day I remember sitting in fifth period, in sixth period 411 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 1: was track, and I'm just looking at that clock thinking, 412 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: you know, I'm twenty four minutes away from just getting pasted. 413 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: You know, I'm twenty three minutes away from tasted like 414 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 1: this is. But it was so good for me, it 415 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: was so good. I'm sure. I'm sure. I'm sure football 416 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:11,159 Speaker 1: is like that too, though, because because I played for 417 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: a guy. My fresh year in high school. I went 418 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: to Tustin High School because there's a guy named Tom 419 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 1: McCluskey was a coach. And Tom played at Penn State 420 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,880 Speaker 1: under a guy named Dick Harder S where he got 421 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: his name. So Dick is Dick was actually on Larry 422 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: Bird's staff. He's an old school fanatic defensive coach. Okay, 423 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: and then he crazy drills and like stuff you can 424 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: never get away with now and I never forget. McCleskey 425 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: told me the story. He's at Penn State and and 426 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: I don't know if you did this when you're a 427 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: head coach or I'm sure some coaches they put the 428 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: schedule up, you know when you walk in, so you 429 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 1: walk in the locker room and look and you know 430 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: everything you're doing that day. So every sudden didn't do 431 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: that like it was we didn't. He had the he had, 432 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 1: he knew what was doing. Everybody else knew what that 433 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,640 Speaker 1: except the players. John McCloud, we walk in at Notre 434 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: Dame and you'd have the whole schedule. So he said 435 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,479 Speaker 1: that guys would walk in and they would look at 436 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: some of the drills and they would go sit in 437 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: the locker and just start crying. They're like, man, that's 438 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: the worst, that's that's the way. Okay, So, um, at 439 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: what point did now, so this is Oklahoma, Gary Gibbs 440 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: is the coach, right, and at what point did they 441 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: begin to recruit you? Well, recruiting obviously was different than 442 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: than it is now. And it was my senior year. 443 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: My junior was just okay. My senior year was really good. 444 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: And about halfway into my senior year, things things began 445 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:54,880 Speaker 1: to pick up dramatically, you know, like I really got 446 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: a little you know, for me. They got to be 447 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: fairly Oh you got involved, Um, Kansas State, who are 448 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: the other quarterbacks in the state? There was, Um, I 449 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: don't know that there was another guy in Oklahoma that 450 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: was a Division one guy. Brian Pressley was a really 451 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:20,119 Speaker 1: good one at at Jinks but he was um short, 452 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:25,920 Speaker 1: real short. But um his son's actually a really good 453 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: player now. But um, so there wasn't another like Division 454 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: one guy that I can remember. So you're the you're 455 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: so so in the Tulsa World, the Daily Oklahoma in 456 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: the preview, Max like, you're the guy. R W mcquarters 457 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: was a senior that year at him and Demon Parker 458 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: like in Tulsa those three Jason Freeman was at with 459 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 1: Skogee was a really really good player. But Demon and 460 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: in our w were I mean they were big time, 461 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: really big time. So what what what? What was? I mean? 462 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: What is that like? And you're in a football town, 463 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,959 Speaker 1: football school and year three year starter and you're you know, 464 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: you're being recruited like I'm picturing kind of Johnny be Good. 465 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: Yeah it was. No. I went through the longer hair 466 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: phase like in the in junior high you know, a 467 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: little bit of a mullet, but I did grow the 468 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,639 Speaker 1: hair out on top. My kids see pictures of me 469 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: my senior year. There's one that was on the front 470 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: page or like the daily. Oh Coleman, it's just awful. 471 00:26:27,359 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: Like me and our w our w has got his 472 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: hair nice and tight, you know, it looks good, and 473 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: I mean I look like a complete loser. You know. 474 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 1: My hair is like shaved on the side and like 475 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: flopped over that. It's just the worst ever. So yeah, 476 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 1: my hair was terrible, but it was good. Life was good, 477 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: you know, like you still have but she used to 478 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:50,679 Speaker 1: have good hair, so you can still go back to it. 479 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: I don't have nearly this good of hair. So I 480 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: go back. I kicked myself like that was so cheap. 481 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: I wouldn't get a good fade. I cut my own hair. 482 00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: Have when of my buddies cut my hair? You know, 483 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:01,159 Speaker 1: now you got a little money in your pocket and 484 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: you don't have the hair to get a good hair. 485 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: It doesn't You should get to live your life backwards, 486 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: you know you really should. Yes, yes, well that's that's 487 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: why you have kids. So um, okay, was there any 488 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: choice other than Oklahoma? Yeah? So I didn't. Um. So 489 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,959 Speaker 1: the weird part of this whole deal was I really 490 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 1: liked Um. I really liked Tulsa and Dave Raider was 491 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: the head coach there. I really liked. And they were 492 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: the only one that really threw the ball, like even Gary, 493 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: you know, the end of Gary Gibbs's deal, Like they 494 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: weren't really throwing the football. Tulsa was throwing the ball, 495 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,120 Speaker 1: and like you know, had good quarterbacks coming through there. Um. 496 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: It's it's really interesting because because again as I'm picturing 497 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: all this, I'm wondering, like, Bill Blankenship, are you guys 498 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: running power? I guys back U we were ahead of 499 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: our time, like we were in eleven personnel, No huddle, 500 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: and you know, we didn't move as fast as some 501 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 1: of those places do now. But I mean it was 502 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: pretty cool system Like he was really pretty far ahead 503 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: of his time. But you can't it's hard shown in 504 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 1: Oklahoma when you're in the state of Oklahoma. Right. Well, 505 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: they both state schools fired their coaches my senior year, so, um, 506 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: was it before your senior he was during that during 507 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 1: that fall. So Garry Gibbs got fired and Howard Snoimberger 508 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: got hired. So Howard Snoimberger is gonna come run a 509 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: pro style offense at the University of Oklahoma for the 510 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:52,479 Speaker 1: first time ever done. Like okay, I get to go 511 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: two hours and you know he built Miami's program, right yeah, Bernie, 512 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: those are like he was at Louisville, had won at Louisville, 513 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: which nobody had ever done. Like this is this is 514 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: a no brainer. That's when it became I was going 515 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: to you, Now, did you go there in the spring 516 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: or did you graduate? No? I stayed, and I stayed 517 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: in the spring. There wasn't a lot of that mid 518 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: term graduate stuff going on at the time, not that 519 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: I knew of. Um. I mean, if I would have 520 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: if that was a thing. I would have done it, 521 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: you know, because I didn't have a spring sport. I 522 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: was really serious about so anyway, I did not want to. Um, Now, 523 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: did you guys win the whole thing? We lost in 524 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: the finals? Big time? Big time disappointed Midwest City for 525 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: a long time. That was nineteen whatever. That was the 526 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: fall of ninety four, because I graduated in the fall 527 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: of nine. Yeah, that was the long That was the 528 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,239 Speaker 1: last time a team from the West I want it. 529 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: There's a lot of conspiration. There's a lot of a 530 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: lot of things that have been going on about about 531 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: that game, about our signals and about them scouting us, 532 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: and they stole your signals semi final game. That's them. 533 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: I don't want to accuse anybody of anything, but this 534 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: is okay, this is great thirty years later. I mean, 535 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: I'm still bitter about it. I'm not gonna lie. Like, 536 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:41,400 Speaker 1: this is what people who are not athletes are competitors, right, Like, 537 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: do you remember the losses way more than you remember 538 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: the winds. You remember everything you know, and you like, 539 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: when you're around normal company, you don't want to blame anybody, 540 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: but when you're around private company, you're like, no, I mean, 541 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:55,720 Speaker 1: we tell people we we have this discussion all the 542 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: time with um with my Oakland. Say, guys, where we 543 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: lost the last game in Gallagher and we had a 544 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: nine point lead and coach freaked out and suddening me 545 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: out because he thought they were gonna hack a got lea. 546 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: We lost all momentum and then we lost to Florida 547 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: in the early eight I love my coach, but he 548 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: freaked out over their press, and he took us out 549 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: of our secondary break, which is we scored all our 550 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: points off of and we just never couldn't establish a rhythm. 551 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: They're probably better than us, but we played really tight 552 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: and a style that we hadn't played all year. So yeah, 553 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 1: I mean that's what happens. So I guarantee you know. 554 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: We also got he also got a technical foul early 555 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: in the game from an official who killed us every 556 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: time heat, so yeah, I get it. So he stole 557 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: your signals? Huh, Yeah, that's the word. We actually ended 558 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: up getting in the huddle for the first time all 559 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: year in the second half and started just mowing them 560 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: down and then got the game to be really close 561 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: and basically they they held the ball for the last 562 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:58,719 Speaker 1: several minutes and we didn't get them. If we had 563 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 1: gotten the ball back, I think we scored, but yeah, 564 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: there were in a fifth quarter, you would have won. 565 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: But oh well, so you show up to play for 566 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: Howard Schellenberger, right, he coached that because he only was 567 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: only one year. Was that us your freshman year? I've 568 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: read that. Okay, So you want to have about legendary 569 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: stuff that people have forgotten. The story goes, there's other 570 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: stories that I want you. I'd love you to share. 571 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: He didn't let you guys get water, that's correct, during 572 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 1: one five minute water break in the middle of practice. Now, 573 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 1: did you guys have an indoor back then? So you're 574 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: practicing outdoors in Oklahoma in the heat, and you got 575 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: one water And I'll tell you. I'll tell you this 576 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 1: after the first day, the first practice, so we had 577 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: two days at the time. He calls us up after 578 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 1: the first practice and says that one didn't count. We 579 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: still have two practices left today. So we had three 580 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: practices on the first day, three practices on the second day. 581 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: I think by the third day we got down to two. 582 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: But I mean it was legendary, I don't know how long, 583 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: Like it was incredible, like guys would have to get 584 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,719 Speaker 1: so much water in them that they could hardly make 585 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: it through stretch without having a p So like I mean, 586 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 1: like you're just guzzling water to get ready to go 587 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: out there to practice, and like guys you would look 588 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: up and stretch and everything. You know, they had those 589 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: bushes over there by whatever that street is right in 590 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: front of the deal. And like guys would all be 591 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 1: upsetting their peeing in the bushes because like they were 592 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: set because they knew they weren't gonna get but one 593 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: five minute water bread and well and so like the 594 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: best part of the best part of college sports is 595 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 1: when you were sitting around the locker room afterwards and 596 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: or beforehand and they're talking about you know, guys are 597 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 1: talking about each other or crazy the coach. Are guys 598 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: revolting on this thing? Like what is was there? I 599 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't say back there? Again, this is also back then, 600 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:08,320 Speaker 1: like you said, like dudes did not question coaches. You would, 601 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: but it wasn't the same as now. Right now, it 602 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,359 Speaker 1: could never happen because social media and you go to 603 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: your parents or whatever. What was it like, well, it wasn't. 604 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 1: And again I was a freshman, so like people would 605 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: have happen to know, but correct, people haven't played sportsn't 606 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,359 Speaker 1: understand like this is get in line and stay out 607 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:29,879 Speaker 1: of the way, right, like this is don't screw this up. 608 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: So but yeah, it wasn't a real positive locker room. 609 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,279 Speaker 1: I mean it was. It was pretty rough. Like the 610 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: older dudes, the real guys, you know, the real players, 611 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 1: they're like, you know, what are we doing? And but 612 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: there was also a group of guys that were there 613 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: were there were really dedicated, badass guys that like we're 614 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: kind of like, let's go we can you know, let's 615 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: take this channel, let's go this is this is what 616 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 1: it takes for us to be better. Let's let's go 617 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: do that. But you know, it was, uh, whatever day 618 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: it was that he finally we went from three practices 619 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: the two that was that was that was a good day. 620 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: I like the greatest day of that. I don't know 621 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: if it could have got another one of those were 622 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 1: the practicing quarterbacks. What were you guys doing? That was 623 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: so other than being out there knell for us, it 624 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 1: was no big deal, you know. And for me, like 625 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: I wasn't even in the competition, so you know, it 626 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 1: was Garrett McGee and uh Eric Moore. Basically we're competing 627 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: for the job, and so I mean I wasn't getting 628 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: very many reps and so so here here's my recollection 629 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: of my first a couple of weeks of practice in 630 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: college where I had my dad was a former college coach. 631 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 1: He had coached me grown up in my two high 632 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 1: school coaches where college level coaches, former college players really good. 633 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 1: So I thought, I'm ready for whatever, you know, and 634 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: then I just got my proceed to get my ass 635 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:58,399 Speaker 1: kicked for like three weeks straight, just like to where 636 00:35:58,400 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm never going to play in college. 637 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 1: I stink um. What was your experience? Like, you're coming 638 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: from an incredibly decorated high school coach, you're the best 639 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 1: high school quarterback in the state, You're supposed to eventually 640 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: be the guy. What was what was your practice experience 641 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: like outside of the water break stop. Yeah, So we 642 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 1: had freshman two days to start with. So this was 643 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,600 Speaker 1: back in the days when the freshman came in early 644 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 1: and practiced before the varsity practiced, and so like I 645 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 1: remember freshman two days or freshman camp or whatever they 646 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: called it. I remember like going out there to throw 647 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: the ball, and I can't throw the ball, Like my 648 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: shoulder pads don't fit right. You know, I've had the 649 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 1: same pair of pads for three straight years. They don't fit, 650 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: like it's up against my helmet. The ball is like 651 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,759 Speaker 1: they're all brand new and they're hard, and like we're 652 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 1: doing drills I've never done, and I mean, I look, 653 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: I'm I'm terrible. I'm like this is this is this 654 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:55,360 Speaker 1: is not good, Like what's the matter with me? You know, 655 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: why can't I? And I'm you know, anxious and nervous 656 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 1: and amped up and all that sort of stuff, And 657 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:03,360 Speaker 1: so I did not throw them all very well to 658 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: start with. And then I was like, I don't remember 659 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 1: how many days we had a freshmen two days, maybe 660 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 1: it's five or something like that. I'm like, there's me 661 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 1: and one other quarterbacks. I'm like, how many reps are 662 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: we going to take? Like my arm is gonna fall off, 663 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 1: you know, like like there's nobody else here to share 664 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:28,240 Speaker 1: the reps. Like it's just one one rep after another. 665 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, like, I'm never gonna make it. Well. Then 666 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 1: the varsity shows up and I realized, like those reps 667 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,479 Speaker 1: go straight to zero now, and now you're now you don't. 668 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: You don't rep so, um, I realized pretty quickly that 669 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,719 Speaker 1: I had a lot of work to do to to 670 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: be able to to play. When did you realize that 671 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: Snellenburger thing wouldn't make it? I don't know, Like I 672 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 1: think when um we were we lost to Oklahoma State twelve, 673 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: did nothing in Norman, and I don't know if we 674 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: had a hundred yards of offense, I had no idea. 675 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,000 Speaker 1: Like again, like I was a bread shirt, but I 676 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:18,279 Speaker 1: got to dress out. And when I walked in the 677 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,760 Speaker 1: locker room after that game, I mean, all hell broke loose. 678 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,760 Speaker 1: I've never seen the locker room like that in my life. 679 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 1: And I mean it was coaches, it was players, it 680 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:38,240 Speaker 1: was this, it was it was crazy, and I remember thinking, 681 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:40,759 Speaker 1: this is not how this is supposed to look like 682 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: it finally occurred to me, this is probably not really 683 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: how this is supposed to low So um, okay, so 684 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:55,799 Speaker 1: where were you? What do you remember about when he was, 685 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: when he was let go, when when resigned whatever? When? 686 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure it wasn't the exact day, because it seems 687 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,399 Speaker 1: a little odd that it would be the exact day. 688 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: But I the way I remember it is driving home 689 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: to Tulsa for Christmas break, and I remember getting home 690 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: and nobody being home, like my parents were at work 691 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: or whatever, and and sitting around and the phone just 692 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,240 Speaker 1: starting to ring off the hook and it was local 693 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 1: obviously we didn't have cell phones at the time. It 694 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:34,719 Speaker 1: was the local news media calling to want to talk 695 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:41,600 Speaker 1: to me about UM coach number being fired. And that's 696 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:43,320 Speaker 1: the way I remember it. I don't think it was 697 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,480 Speaker 1: actually the day I came home from Christmas break, but 698 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:47,720 Speaker 1: the way I kind of remember it was just sitting 699 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 1: at the house and the phone ringing and um it 700 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,719 Speaker 1: being his phone call after you know, call, waiting and 701 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: beeping in on the other end, and you know, just 702 00:39:56,239 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 1: like constantly um that he'd been he'd been let go. 703 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:05,400 Speaker 1: So what in those moments, because now, if you were 704 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:08,440 Speaker 1: an exact same position, you know, you'd huddle with your 705 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:12,839 Speaker 1: quarterback guy, maybe your high school coach, you know, somebody else, 706 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:15,280 Speaker 1: your parents, You try to make a decision. Do I stay, 707 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:17,799 Speaker 1: do I put myself in the portal? What did you do? 708 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,319 Speaker 1: I was just anxious to see who they were gonna hire, 709 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 1: you know, like I mean I went there, you know, 710 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:27,319 Speaker 1: I was a little worried and a little taken back, 711 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 1: but I was almost too young to have an opinion, 712 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: you know, Like it was like, you know, I felt 713 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:37,359 Speaker 1: like deep in my heart that something wasn't right with 714 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,720 Speaker 1: the way things were going there. So you know, somebody 715 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 1: obviously above above us made that decision, somebody above coach 716 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: Noingberger made the decision to move in a different direction. 717 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:51,359 Speaker 1: And I was curious to see, um, you know, what 718 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: was gonna happen. And I don't think it was very long. 719 00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: It seems to me it wasn't much later that Blake 720 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: was named her coach. Now, his reputation is was that 721 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 1: he had great personality, you know, great recruiter, super warm, 722 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 1: obviously not totally involved in the open side of the football. 723 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:20,399 Speaker 1: So he gets the job. Did he call you did? 724 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:23,799 Speaker 1: How did it work? He did? He did? Um, it 725 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: was a pretty quick conversation, but they did. I remember 726 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 1: talking to him in my house and UM on the 727 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,759 Speaker 1: phone and UM, just him saying, man, we're gonna go 728 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:36,000 Speaker 1: get a good coordinator. You know, I want you with us, 729 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:38,040 Speaker 1: you know that kind of deal. We're gonna do great things, 730 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,640 Speaker 1: you know, just a brief introduction, certainly wasn't a very 731 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:46,080 Speaker 1: long phone call, and Um, I said, awesome. I can't 732 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: can't wait to get back and get to work. So 733 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 1: you get back and what was elected? So they hire 734 00:41:54,880 --> 00:42:01,680 Speaker 1: Dick Winder and um, Dick Winder was from Texas hack. Um. 735 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:06,600 Speaker 1: If you can imagine, what's somebody that looks like, you know, 736 00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 1: had been in the West Texas Sun for years on end, 737 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:16,160 Speaker 1: you know, just I mean rough, like leather faced, uh 738 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 1: dip dribbling off the chin. Um, just like almost a 739 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,759 Speaker 1: cartoon character, to be honest with you, and just a 740 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:33,160 Speaker 1: really rough, grizzled voice. And they hired him. And I 741 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 1: had seen them play in the game. Zebie Lethridge was 742 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 1: their court was their quarterback, and I had seen him 743 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 1: play in the bowl game and it was pretty cool 744 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:41,600 Speaker 1: what they were doing. It was a little bit different. 745 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:43,640 Speaker 1: They were like breaking the huddle and sprinting up to 746 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 1: the line of scrimmage, um throwing the ball quite a bit. 747 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:51,399 Speaker 1: I was. It was kind of interesting. So they call 748 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: I get back to school and they call me and say, 749 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,640 Speaker 1: coach Winders here and he would like to meet you. 750 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:01,160 Speaker 1: And I said great, So I, um, I think I 751 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,200 Speaker 1: was in the dorm at the bud just across the street. 752 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:09,759 Speaker 1: So I came over, I came upstairs, which again like 753 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:13,640 Speaker 1: I didn't go into coach's offices right, Like it was 754 00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 1: terrifying to be in the coach's offices. I didn't want 755 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 1: to be in the coach's officers, like that's where you 756 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:22,799 Speaker 1: win if you're in trouble. But UM, I meet uh 757 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:26,320 Speaker 1: coach Winder and he sticks his hand out and he says, 758 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 1: I've I've heard a lot about you. And I said 759 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:36,440 Speaker 1: that's awesome, coach. Uh, me too, and he said I 760 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:42,960 Speaker 1: didn't say any of it was good, and I was like, wow, 761 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:50,359 Speaker 1: I didn't know what to say, but I should tell you. Um. 762 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 1: And this all circles back later. But as the neatest 763 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 1: human being I've ever been around. UM, I absolutely loved him. 764 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:03,359 Speaker 1: And he was completely opposite from Bill boy Kidship. You know, 765 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:09,759 Speaker 1: Bill was this very polished, very measured, UM very calm 766 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:14,160 Speaker 1: quarterback coach and Dick coach. Winder was the roughest, toughest 767 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:18,319 Speaker 1: mena s ob you've ever met in your life. And 768 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:20,239 Speaker 1: I would have jumped in front of a train in 769 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 1: front of for both of them, you know, like, and 770 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,960 Speaker 1: it was really cool. It was hard at first because 771 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,800 Speaker 1: Dick was on me so hard. It was really really difficult. 772 00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,080 Speaker 1: I've never been talked to like that. I've never been 773 00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: I've never been coached like that before in my life. 774 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 1: I've always been the guy that did things the right way, 775 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, like the pleaser, and he 776 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 1: was all over me right from the start. But I 777 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:49,480 Speaker 1: absolutely adored and adored demand. What I remember about that 778 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 1: team was you guys came into Stillwater and I felt 779 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,520 Speaker 1: like you were in three different offenses in one game. 780 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:03,000 Speaker 1: You know, it's the old like in basketball. You played 781 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,640 Speaker 1: three different defenses and that means not of them are 782 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:07,400 Speaker 1: any good. You're just trying to hide the fact the 783 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 1: end of good. But I remember like you ran some 784 00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 1: like kind of old school you got like power of 785 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:15,840 Speaker 1: eye formation sort of stuff. And then I want to say, 786 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:19,520 Speaker 1: more played and you guys ran like wishbone and then 787 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:21,640 Speaker 1: there was somewhere you were running shotgun. It felt like 788 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,640 Speaker 1: a totally different It just felt like a mishmash of 789 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: of like a confluence of styles. But what was it 790 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:32,760 Speaker 1: from from your perspective? Well, he had a very clear 791 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:38,520 Speaker 1: vision of what he wanted offensively, and it all fit together. 792 00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:47,480 Speaker 1: The problem was there were some other people working behind 793 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:52,239 Speaker 1: his behind his back the powers that be to try 794 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:55,759 Speaker 1: and influence things in another way. And what compounded that 795 00:45:55,960 --> 00:46:01,480 Speaker 1: the problem was that we did not have much success 796 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:06,440 Speaker 1: with the way you know, coach was trying to do 797 00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:13,399 Speaker 1: things because the quarterback play, myself and Eric it wasn't 798 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:16,960 Speaker 1: very good. And so that made it look you know, 799 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:20,480 Speaker 1: so then they then some other people started searching for 800 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:24,000 Speaker 1: some different answers. I was a freshman and I was playing, 801 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:26,520 Speaker 1: and I wasn't playing because I was good. I was 802 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:29,480 Speaker 1: playing because there's nobody else to play. And I was 803 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:33,280 Speaker 1: playing before I was ready. And Eric to some extent 804 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:35,400 Speaker 1: was only a sophomore and he was playing to some 805 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:39,439 Speaker 1: extent before he was ready. And and Eric, Eric would 806 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: have been and you tell him, Abron because you lived 807 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:47,839 Speaker 1: in the way people play now, incredible, right, he'd be great, 808 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: you know, in terms of allowing him to move and 809 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:53,920 Speaker 1: run and throw right and the kind of some of 810 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:57,480 Speaker 1: the simplifications of the reads. Right. But you know, if 811 00:46:57,520 --> 00:46:59,920 Speaker 1: you put a guy in a wrong style and he's 812 00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:03,520 Speaker 1: and he's not ready, yeah, it's hard, it's right. So 813 00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:07,120 Speaker 1: as things went, it was kind of a weird, a 814 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:10,279 Speaker 1: bunch of elevators going on, Like as the next two 815 00:47:10,360 --> 00:47:14,200 Speaker 1: years passed. My knowledge and understanding of what we're trying 816 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:18,840 Speaker 1: to get accomplished started to increase to where I started 817 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:22,239 Speaker 1: to become a guy that started to actually know what 818 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 1: the heck was going on as my as my eligibility 819 00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:29,760 Speaker 1: went down, like my knowledge went up and I started 820 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:34,200 Speaker 1: to figure it figure it out well. But the influences 821 00:47:34,239 --> 00:47:37,920 Speaker 1: on our offense started to become more influential and we 822 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:41,440 Speaker 1: started to change. And you know, we moved Brandon Daniels 823 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:43,719 Speaker 1: to quarterback and he didn't even want to play quarterback 824 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:46,799 Speaker 1: and it was just a total mess. That was the 825 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:49,880 Speaker 1: one that he was the guy who was like and 826 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: you guys try to run option with him. I mean 827 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:54,839 Speaker 1: it was it was ridiculous. I mean, Brandon has this 828 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:57,320 Speaker 1: is this is but this is a little bit interesting 829 00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:02,160 Speaker 1: for in your coaching career. Right where you right, and 830 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:04,600 Speaker 1: you tell me if you see the parallel. And I've 831 00:48:04,600 --> 00:48:06,640 Speaker 1: seen this at plan of places when you're trying to 832 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:10,640 Speaker 1: replace some legendary dude, some Ledgary and you know Switzer 833 00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 1: and those guys, it's also their style becomes ingrained. And 834 00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:16,919 Speaker 1: Nebraska has gone through this where they it's like this 835 00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,399 Speaker 1: is the only way in which we can win. This 836 00:48:19,480 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 1: is how you win football games, and and it it 837 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:26,520 Speaker 1: felt like constantly trying to jam that triple option, you know, 838 00:48:26,560 --> 00:48:30,839 Speaker 1: down everybody's throats, like yeah, I don't know. Well it's 839 00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:35,480 Speaker 1: not a sometimes thing either, right, Like I mean, you 840 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 1: don't you don't do the you can't put in a 841 00:48:40,600 --> 00:48:43,439 Speaker 1: you can, but you're wasting your time, like you can't 842 00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:46,320 Speaker 1: run it, like the adjustments in the practice it takes. 843 00:48:46,920 --> 00:48:48,680 Speaker 1: So I mean it was a total waste of time 844 00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:52,360 Speaker 1: and totally but you know, it totally gotten out of 845 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 1: Dick's hands and gotten into other people's hands. And it 846 00:48:57,880 --> 00:49:00,239 Speaker 1: was frustrating for me because here I was at the 847 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:03,840 Speaker 1: end of my which would be my third year in college. 848 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 1: I was two and a half years in red shirt, 849 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:09,200 Speaker 1: played and played, and I'm in the middle of this 850 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:12,760 Speaker 1: red shirt sophomore year and I'm like the light bulbs 851 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:15,600 Speaker 1: starting to go off for me, like I'm starting to 852 00:49:15,600 --> 00:49:19,520 Speaker 1: figure it out, and then but we are deviating so 853 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:23,160 Speaker 1: far away from what we started off to do that 854 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:30,120 Speaker 1: it really doesn't matter. Basically, Um so, your your last 855 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:34,240 Speaker 1: game was a game still it was in Texas Tech EXE. 856 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:39,719 Speaker 1: So my last game I hadn't been playing much and 857 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:41,760 Speaker 1: there was a lot of rumors that coaches were getting 858 00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:44,360 Speaker 1: fired and all sort of stuff, and Dick comes to 859 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:50,120 Speaker 1: me all week and he says, be ready, be ready, 860 00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:53,760 Speaker 1: And I'm like, I got your coach, I got you, 861 00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:56,560 Speaker 1: you know. But I'm thinking to myself, ready for what? Man, Like, 862 00:49:57,280 --> 00:49:58,680 Speaker 1: I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do with my 863 00:49:58,719 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 1: life because this thing is going a toilet and um, 864 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:06,400 Speaker 1: he says, I'm just telling you be ready. So we 865 00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:12,480 Speaker 1: go to Lubbock and uh, I can't remember if Eric 866 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:15,480 Speaker 1: was playing or Brandon was playing. It might have been Brandon. Anyway, 867 00:50:15,960 --> 00:50:19,040 Speaker 1: they go through about the first two series and don't 868 00:50:19,080 --> 00:50:23,000 Speaker 1: do anything, and we're like, I think tech I think 869 00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,239 Speaker 1: at the time zebbie Lethrid's was the quarterback his senior year. 870 00:50:26,560 --> 00:50:27,839 Speaker 1: I think if they win, they go to the Big 871 00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:30,160 Speaker 1: twelve Championship and I think I think they win the 872 00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:35,680 Speaker 1: South that year. Um, so they're twenty something. My point 873 00:50:35,719 --> 00:50:40,480 Speaker 1: favorites to beat us because we're what year this is? Uh, 874 00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:46,920 Speaker 1: let's see here, Uh this is the Fall of nine. Okay. Um. 875 00:50:47,040 --> 00:50:50,439 Speaker 1: So after two series, Dick turns me and says, get 876 00:50:50,440 --> 00:50:52,680 Speaker 1: in there. He called me bucket. He says, Bucket, get 877 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:56,000 Speaker 1: in there, because he said I had a bucket ass. 878 00:50:56,440 --> 00:50:59,440 Speaker 1: So he called me bucket all the time. I don't know, 879 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:03,960 Speaker 1: that's just coach winder Man, like he called me a 880 00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:07,840 Speaker 1: lot of things. You can't call anybody anymore. Um but anyway, 881 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:11,480 Speaker 1: so he so we get in there and like yeah, 882 00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:15,920 Speaker 1: and like I mean, we go throw the ball around 883 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:19,959 Speaker 1: and I have a great game, like we beat Texas Tech, 884 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:24,000 Speaker 1: and um, it was kind of sad, you know, because 885 00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:27,400 Speaker 1: you know, I think Coach winder and several other coaches 886 00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:30,120 Speaker 1: got fired the next day. I knew it was probably 887 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:33,479 Speaker 1: my last game at OHU, but I played really well. 888 00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:36,439 Speaker 1: I stuck with the team through the season. I've used 889 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:41,360 Speaker 1: this example with my players, you know, like when we 890 00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:44,200 Speaker 1: talk about what is quitting me, you know, because I 891 00:51:44,200 --> 00:51:47,279 Speaker 1: think it's a pretty blurred line that I think has 892 00:51:47,320 --> 00:51:50,520 Speaker 1: shifted a lot in the last several years and college sports. 893 00:51:51,400 --> 00:51:54,040 Speaker 1: Um but it stuck it out and played that last 894 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:57,200 Speaker 1: game and you know, played pretty well. Like it was 895 00:51:57,239 --> 00:51:59,360 Speaker 1: like Big twelve Offensive Player of the Week or what 896 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:02,680 Speaker 1: you know, some corny deal like that. But um, but 897 00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:05,720 Speaker 1: it was my that was my last game, and um 898 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:13,000 Speaker 1: I left that winner for Murray State. Um. There's a 899 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:15,960 Speaker 1: there's a there's a bunch as. So if you don't remember, 900 00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:20,520 Speaker 1: it's okay. Do you remember what that was like? Packing 901 00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:24,360 Speaker 1: up your stuff? Familiar year sucked, it's awful. Had a 902 00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:29,480 Speaker 1: little apartment off campus and my uh I got a 903 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:33,640 Speaker 1: little rental U haul deal and hooked it up to 904 00:52:33,680 --> 00:52:37,080 Speaker 1: my truck. My sister helped me, and uh, I just 905 00:52:37,120 --> 00:52:40,040 Speaker 1: remember thinking, you know, this thinks for a long time, 906 00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:42,840 Speaker 1: I was really angry about the whole situation. To be 907 00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:45,920 Speaker 1: honest with you, Um, I got a hard time sleeping, 908 00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:50,960 Speaker 1: and I just felt like somebody else was controlling my 909 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:53,560 Speaker 1: my life, you know, somebody that wanted to go to 910 00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:56,000 Speaker 1: school there. I felt like I was just figuring things out. 911 00:52:56,920 --> 00:52:58,879 Speaker 1: I didn't you know. I felt like if we were 912 00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:01,640 Speaker 1: given a chance to on what coach Winder wanted to 913 00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:05,279 Speaker 1: run through a little bit of time, that we could 914 00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:08,640 Speaker 1: get it figured out, you know, like and I felt 915 00:53:08,680 --> 00:53:10,719 Speaker 1: like I was about to be the guy that could 916 00:53:10,760 --> 00:53:14,440 Speaker 1: go do that and and and be productive. So I 917 00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:17,680 Speaker 1: was mad and sad, and like I said, like I 918 00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:20,560 Speaker 1: really had a hard time sleeping, Like I would lay 919 00:53:20,600 --> 00:53:23,000 Speaker 1: in bed and just start to think about it and 920 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:30,600 Speaker 1: get really angry about about the situation. I will bet 921 00:53:30,719 --> 00:53:34,080 Speaker 1: and again I don't none of the stuff I know. Um. 922 00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:36,480 Speaker 1: The other part that's weird about it is like you 923 00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:40,319 Speaker 1: said that you weren't a one school family even going 924 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:43,880 Speaker 1: into it, but once you become O US quarterback and 925 00:53:43,920 --> 00:53:47,320 Speaker 1: you signed there, your whole family can all become about ou. 926 00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:50,880 Speaker 1: But like you just you adopt all the traditions and 927 00:53:50,920 --> 00:53:52,920 Speaker 1: now all of a sudden you're like, yeah, I'm not, 928 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:56,359 Speaker 1: that's not me anymore. It's a very. It's a very 929 00:53:56,400 --> 00:53:58,000 Speaker 1: because you know, when I want to know tore Dame, 930 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:01,319 Speaker 1: I remember, you know, my my parents, but everything notre Dame. 931 00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:03,880 Speaker 1: I have always like, yeah, always closed what I do, 932 00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:07,319 Speaker 1: always close what I And then you're in the you're 933 00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:11,640 Speaker 1: also you're in the state of Oklahoma, and you know 934 00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:14,400 Speaker 1: some people would deem it a failure. And what you're 935 00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:16,600 Speaker 1: saying is like something, we didn't even get a chance 936 00:54:16,640 --> 00:54:19,359 Speaker 1: to try it, let alone fail at doing it, and 937 00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:21,840 Speaker 1: that that I think that's what reads the anger is 938 00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:24,799 Speaker 1: like I'm not actually angry that I didn't succeed. I'm 939 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:26,359 Speaker 1: angry I didn't get it. We didn't get a chance 940 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:27,799 Speaker 1: to do it the way it should have been done. 941 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:33,640 Speaker 1: Like I felt like I felt like it was somebody 942 00:54:33,680 --> 00:54:36,400 Speaker 1: else controlling it, you know, like you've always felt like 943 00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:39,399 Speaker 1: you've been able to make make your own decisions, or 944 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:43,520 Speaker 1: like I developed a really close relationship with coach Winder, 945 00:54:43,680 --> 00:54:45,960 Speaker 1: you know, and it was just like I really believed 946 00:54:45,960 --> 00:54:47,960 Speaker 1: in what he was doing and how we're going to 947 00:54:48,040 --> 00:54:51,839 Speaker 1: go do it, and um, it was just I tell you, 948 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:54,680 Speaker 1: I haven't heard time for a while, and it manifests 949 00:54:54,719 --> 00:54:57,640 Speaker 1: itself at night, you know, like I'd lay in bed 950 00:54:57,680 --> 00:54:59,520 Speaker 1: and I started to think about it. And a friend 951 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:03,200 Speaker 1: of mine gaming a book that, Um, it's kind of 952 00:55:03,200 --> 00:55:07,040 Speaker 1: an ironic title, but it's that I don't believe in. 953 00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:09,600 Speaker 1: It's called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. But in that 954 00:55:09,640 --> 00:55:13,719 Speaker 1: book there is an article on that very thing, on 955 00:55:14,120 --> 00:55:16,719 Speaker 1: like your mental makeup when you when you lay in 956 00:55:16,760 --> 00:55:18,560 Speaker 1: bed to go to go to sleep, and the mental 957 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:22,200 Speaker 1: snowballs that occur that affects you start thinking about what 958 00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:23,960 Speaker 1: you have to do tomorrow. You start, I think, and 959 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:26,719 Speaker 1: and it literally is just a snowball that that rolls downhill. 960 00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:30,359 Speaker 1: And I kid you not. I read that book when 961 00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:33,640 Speaker 1: I was twenty one years old, and for no real 962 00:55:33,719 --> 00:55:38,200 Speaker 1: reason was that small chapter in there, Like it wasn't 963 00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:40,920 Speaker 1: given to me to help me sleep. But I think 964 00:55:40,920 --> 00:55:43,000 Speaker 1: it was given to me to help me learn to 965 00:55:43,080 --> 00:55:46,160 Speaker 1: let some things go. And I'm telling you, like those 966 00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:48,759 Speaker 1: three pages in that book changed my life in terms 967 00:55:48,760 --> 00:55:52,640 Speaker 1: of my quality of life and sleep. Like I've I've 968 00:55:53,200 --> 00:55:55,520 Speaker 1: gone to bed the night before the Rose Bowl, I've 969 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:58,440 Speaker 1: gone to bed before games and and all sorts of 970 00:55:58,440 --> 00:56:00,680 Speaker 1: stuff and slept like a baby. As those couple of 971 00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:04,400 Speaker 1: pages I read in that book. So Murray State you 972 00:56:04,440 --> 00:56:06,480 Speaker 1: had to go to because you'd already burned your red 973 00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:08,719 Speaker 1: shirt here correct, Yeah, so I had two years left. 974 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:11,040 Speaker 1: I was in a weird situation. First of all, I 975 00:56:11,040 --> 00:56:14,840 Speaker 1: didn't know anything, Like there's no one Double A football 976 00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:19,040 Speaker 1: in Oklahoma. So at the time, I don't know the 977 00:56:19,120 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 1: difference between Division two, Division one, Double A, Division three. 978 00:56:23,239 --> 00:56:25,600 Speaker 1: I have no idea. I don't know the difference between 979 00:56:25,680 --> 00:56:28,400 Speaker 1: U c O and Missouri State. And I've got no 980 00:56:28,520 --> 00:56:31,920 Speaker 1: clumb completely ignorant of the whole situation. And what I 981 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:35,080 Speaker 1: really wanted is my year back. What I really wanted, 982 00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:39,040 Speaker 1: you know, Like I was close to graduation, Like I 983 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:40,640 Speaker 1: was a pretty like until we said earlier, I was 984 00:56:40,680 --> 00:56:42,960 Speaker 1: a pretty serious student, and so I have been getting 985 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:44,880 Speaker 1: after it in the classroom and summer school and all 986 00:56:44,920 --> 00:56:48,280 Speaker 1: that sort of stuff. So I was pretty close to 987 00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:54,440 Speaker 1: to getting my degree in business and finance, and you know, 988 00:56:54,480 --> 00:56:56,879 Speaker 1: I thought about sticking it out, but I couldn't make 989 00:56:56,920 --> 00:56:59,200 Speaker 1: it in a year. I couldn't graduate any you know, 990 00:56:59,360 --> 00:57:02,000 Speaker 1: I couldn't make it in three years. I could have 991 00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:04,759 Speaker 1: made it in three and a half. So anyway, I 992 00:57:04,800 --> 00:57:07,719 Speaker 1: was in a weird situation with only two years Agogabilly left. 993 00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:10,680 Speaker 1: We tried to ask the n c A to give 994 00:57:10,719 --> 00:57:15,360 Speaker 1: me my year and that didn't work. So um, you know, 995 00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:17,560 Speaker 1: I had an opportunity. I could have gone back to 996 00:57:17,640 --> 00:57:20,600 Speaker 1: Tulsa and not played a year and tried to play 997 00:57:20,640 --> 00:57:23,840 Speaker 1: for one year. But it's like I told my parents, 998 00:57:24,600 --> 00:57:28,120 Speaker 1: you know, when we were having this discussion, Like Mom, Dad, 999 00:57:28,120 --> 00:57:30,720 Speaker 1: I only got two more years of playing this game, 1000 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 1: you know, like I may never play another down after 1001 00:57:33,320 --> 00:57:35,560 Speaker 1: I'm done, and I can't give up one of those years. 1002 00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:38,800 Speaker 1: You know, we only get twelve games or whatever it is. 1003 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:42,800 Speaker 1: So um. Denver Johnson was the head coach at Murray 1004 00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:46,040 Speaker 1: State and he had been the old line coach at 1005 00:57:46,080 --> 00:57:50,240 Speaker 1: Oklahoma for one year under John Blake, and he had 1006 00:57:50,240 --> 00:57:56,000 Speaker 1: been their college roommate of Bill Blankets Ship so um, 1007 00:57:56,040 --> 00:57:59,280 Speaker 1: I went to Murray and showed up the day before 1008 00:57:59,360 --> 00:58:03,680 Speaker 1: school started. Um and twenty one years old and moved 1009 00:58:03,720 --> 00:58:06,280 Speaker 1: into a dry county and moved back in the dorms 1010 00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:12,400 Speaker 1: and um, and you've been in Oklahoma night. And I 1011 00:58:12,520 --> 00:58:14,080 Speaker 1: tell you this was where I had to grow up 1012 00:58:14,720 --> 00:58:16,840 Speaker 1: because I went went to Union High School my whole 1013 00:58:16,840 --> 00:58:19,000 Speaker 1: life and then went to Oh You. And I'm not 1014 00:58:19,080 --> 00:58:21,480 Speaker 1: saying I was the most popular person, That's what I'm saying. 1015 00:58:21,480 --> 00:58:22,960 Speaker 1: What I'm saying is I knew a lot of people, 1016 00:58:23,560 --> 00:58:26,600 Speaker 1: you know, like it was easy. Social interactional was easy. 1017 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:29,640 Speaker 1: A bunch of kids from Union went to to Oh You, 1018 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:31,920 Speaker 1: like I just I knew a lot of people. And 1019 00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:33,920 Speaker 1: I walked into the merche stand I didn't know all 1020 00:58:34,000 --> 00:58:39,040 Speaker 1: one person. And my coach tried to do me a 1021 00:58:39,080 --> 00:58:42,840 Speaker 1: favor and he got me hooked up in the dorm 1022 00:58:42,880 --> 00:58:44,520 Speaker 1: because I showed up the day before. I didn't have 1023 00:58:44,560 --> 00:58:46,640 Speaker 1: time to get an apartment or anything. I should literally 1024 00:58:46,680 --> 00:58:49,080 Speaker 1: showed up the day before they put me in the dorm. 1025 00:58:49,120 --> 00:58:51,840 Speaker 1: But they put me in the dorm by myself, so 1026 00:58:51,880 --> 00:58:55,240 Speaker 1: I had no roommate. So he's trying to hook me up, right, like, yeah, 1027 00:58:55,320 --> 00:58:59,800 Speaker 1: you know, well, I was worse, and I don't know anybody, 1028 00:58:59,800 --> 00:59:02,480 Speaker 1: and I remember that the cafeteria was just out our 1029 00:59:02,640 --> 00:59:05,240 Speaker 1: outer window. Like for three days, I didn't go into 1030 00:59:05,200 --> 00:59:07,200 Speaker 1: the cafeteria because I didn't want to sit by myself. 1031 00:59:07,760 --> 00:59:10,200 Speaker 1: I was too embarrassed to go sit by myself. But 1032 00:59:10,240 --> 00:59:12,840 Speaker 1: I got hungry enough that I went in after to eat. 1033 00:59:13,720 --> 00:59:17,880 Speaker 1: But my point is I had never been that person. 1034 00:59:18,600 --> 00:59:22,200 Speaker 1: I've never been. I've never been uncomfortable before. I've never 1035 00:59:22,240 --> 00:59:25,160 Speaker 1: been the new guy. I'd never I've never I never 1036 00:59:25,320 --> 00:59:29,000 Speaker 1: had to go introduced myself for like start a conversation 1037 00:59:29,040 --> 00:59:31,640 Speaker 1: with somebody. It was a completely new world for me, 1038 00:59:31,680 --> 00:59:34,680 Speaker 1: and I really had to grow up socially in order 1039 00:59:34,720 --> 00:59:37,400 Speaker 1: to It was really a good developmental thing for me 1040 00:59:37,440 --> 00:59:39,280 Speaker 1: that I don't know if it would ever happened had 1041 00:59:39,320 --> 00:59:42,400 Speaker 1: it had it not happened there. It's interesting because so 1042 00:59:42,560 --> 00:59:47,080 Speaker 1: I I held back in eighth grade, grew then went 1043 00:59:47,120 --> 00:59:48,800 Speaker 1: to a high school in a different districts. So I 1044 00:59:48,840 --> 00:59:53,360 Speaker 1: went through that then, Uh, Notre Dame. You meet a 1045 00:59:53,360 --> 00:59:55,240 Speaker 1: couple of people before you go, but went through it 1046 00:59:55,320 --> 00:59:57,680 Speaker 1: with Notre Dame, went through it with I went to 1047 00:59:57,720 --> 00:59:59,680 Speaker 1: a bunch of different schools, kind of growing up just 1048 00:59:59,720 --> 01:00:02,720 Speaker 1: for myriad of reasons. So but I so I know 1049 01:00:02,840 --> 01:00:05,000 Speaker 1: that feeling, and I do think it's actually a really 1050 01:00:05,040 --> 01:00:11,000 Speaker 1: healthy thing. It's just it's it's tough for him. Yeah, 1051 01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:13,320 Speaker 1: I mean, like my first, my first this is how 1052 01:00:13,360 --> 01:00:15,720 Speaker 1: I met Matt Holiday, how we became friends, was my 1053 01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:18,320 Speaker 1: first day in still Water. I just I was so 1054 01:00:18,360 --> 01:00:22,240 Speaker 1: excited to get out there that I drove to Lake 1055 01:00:22,280 --> 01:00:23,880 Speaker 1: have a Sux and had a buddy that was out 1056 01:00:23,960 --> 01:00:26,360 Speaker 1: Lake have a suit Sweetwater skiing jet ski for a day. 1057 01:00:26,360 --> 01:00:28,760 Speaker 1: I was supposed to stay the weekend and then you know, 1058 01:00:28,840 --> 01:00:32,120 Speaker 1: like Sunday, like take off for Oklahoma late Saturday night 1059 01:00:32,200 --> 01:00:34,560 Speaker 1: or something. I just I took off on like a Thursday, 1060 01:00:34,880 --> 01:00:37,560 Speaker 1: drove straight through, got there, went up and saw a 1061 01:00:37,640 --> 01:00:40,560 Speaker 1: coach and he was just like, you know, nobody's around, 1062 01:00:40,680 --> 01:00:42,720 Speaker 1: so maybe you want to go to the high school game. 1063 01:00:42,760 --> 01:00:45,880 Speaker 1: They got a kid, daddy's the baseball coach is gonna 1064 01:00:45,880 --> 01:00:48,240 Speaker 1: be the quarterback. So I went and saw him play 1065 01:00:48,280 --> 01:00:50,480 Speaker 1: and help people grab me. I went down and met 1066 01:00:50,520 --> 01:00:52,000 Speaker 1: him and he kind of blew me off. Whatever. We've 1067 01:00:52,040 --> 01:00:53,920 Speaker 1: been friends ever since. But it was the same thing 1068 01:00:53,920 --> 01:00:56,640 Speaker 1: where I was in you know, small town US A 1069 01:00:56,800 --> 01:00:59,640 Speaker 1: kind of like Muric Kentucky and you don't know anybody. 1070 01:00:59,720 --> 01:01:01,600 Speaker 1: You just like went me in direction to somebody who 1071 01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:06,560 Speaker 1: likes sports, and I'll be your friend. And it's like, uh, like, 1072 01:01:07,000 --> 01:01:08,760 Speaker 1: I think one of the challenges. And I deal with 1073 01:01:08,800 --> 01:01:10,680 Speaker 1: this with my kids because we've moved a little bit, 1074 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:14,360 Speaker 1: you know, and like trying to encourage them and tell them. 1075 01:01:14,440 --> 01:01:16,640 Speaker 1: I think they're much more empathetic to other people now 1076 01:01:16,760 --> 01:01:19,360 Speaker 1: having been through that, you know. Like I listened to 1077 01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:21,440 Speaker 1: the girls, my girls when they come home and they 1078 01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:23,440 Speaker 1: talk about a new student showing up in their class, 1079 01:01:24,080 --> 01:01:26,240 Speaker 1: and I think they just have a better understanding of that. 1080 01:01:26,520 --> 01:01:28,920 Speaker 1: It's like probably about anything, some of it's good for you, 1081 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:32,080 Speaker 1: build some character. Too much of it's probably not good 1082 01:01:32,120 --> 01:01:36,120 Speaker 1: for you. But um, trying to stay true to yourself 1083 01:01:36,720 --> 01:01:38,560 Speaker 1: while you're trying to fit in a totally new group 1084 01:01:38,680 --> 01:01:41,960 Speaker 1: is an interesting dynamic, right, Like not getting into some 1085 01:01:42,040 --> 01:01:45,840 Speaker 1: other things that you normally wouldn't get into just to 1086 01:01:45,880 --> 01:01:48,320 Speaker 1: fit in with the new group. I think is, you know, 1087 01:01:48,400 --> 01:01:52,280 Speaker 1: in an important dynamic and all that stuff. What was 1088 01:01:52,280 --> 01:01:55,040 Speaker 1: the football like, Emory? It was great. I loved it, 1089 01:01:55,200 --> 01:01:57,640 Speaker 1: I mean I really did. I Mean we had really 1090 01:01:57,680 --> 01:02:00,000 Speaker 1: a pretty good team. We had a bunch of Division 1091 01:02:00,120 --> 01:02:06,280 Speaker 1: one transfers. Some of them were convicts, Um most of them, Um, 1092 01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:09,520 Speaker 1: we're all of them were good guys that I enjoyed 1093 01:02:09,680 --> 01:02:12,920 Speaker 1: being around. Um I had to. I had to really 1094 01:02:13,680 --> 01:02:17,360 Speaker 1: a really good, good experience there and a lot of 1095 01:02:17,400 --> 01:02:22,040 Speaker 1: fun and UM, you know, I am not proud Murray 1096 01:02:22,040 --> 01:02:26,440 Speaker 1: State alone. That place was there for me when I needed, um, 1097 01:02:26,480 --> 01:02:29,800 Speaker 1: a place to go and something to do, and really 1098 01:02:29,800 --> 01:02:34,000 Speaker 1: where I grew up. You know, like I became at 1099 01:02:34,040 --> 01:02:38,760 Speaker 1: least less at least more socially comfortable person through through 1100 01:02:38,800 --> 01:02:43,560 Speaker 1: going through my experience there. Why when is Murray football 1101 01:02:44,000 --> 01:02:48,600 Speaker 1: generally good? Uh, it's okay. You know they're basketball team. 1102 01:02:48,720 --> 01:02:50,760 Speaker 1: Why why have they been able to make it work 1103 01:02:51,000 --> 01:02:54,160 Speaker 1: in basketball? I don't know. They've been good for so long. 1104 01:02:54,240 --> 01:02:56,240 Speaker 1: I've I had so many good coaches there. They've got 1105 01:02:56,240 --> 01:02:59,320 Speaker 1: a nice facility there. I don't know why they've been good, 1106 01:02:59,680 --> 01:03:01,760 Speaker 1: um for so long. I don't know what the secret is, 1107 01:03:01,800 --> 01:03:03,840 Speaker 1: but they mean they were good when I was there, 1108 01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:08,040 Speaker 1: and they've been obviously jobs. It's interesting cause now we're 1109 01:03:08,080 --> 01:03:09,680 Speaker 1: I want to get to it. You get into coaching, 1110 01:03:09,800 --> 01:03:12,920 Speaker 1: because one of the things you mentioned about Oklahoma is 1111 01:03:12,960 --> 01:03:15,680 Speaker 1: something and I know it's not going well for jimbo 1112 01:03:15,720 --> 01:03:18,720 Speaker 1: at A and M, but I I thought something he 1113 01:03:18,760 --> 01:03:22,360 Speaker 1: said when he got the job is noting we both 1114 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:24,200 Speaker 1: know to be true. But you proved to be true 1115 01:03:24,200 --> 01:03:27,919 Speaker 1: with what happened to Oklahoma where he talked about you can't. 1116 01:03:28,040 --> 01:03:31,440 Speaker 1: It's so hard to win in any sport, football, especially 1117 01:03:31,640 --> 01:03:35,160 Speaker 1: unless everybody's pulling the same direction. Everybody's got the same agenda, right, 1118 01:03:35,960 --> 01:03:39,680 Speaker 1: And almost every story you'll hear about when things went 1119 01:03:39,760 --> 01:03:44,800 Speaker 1: bad was just too many chefs in the kitchen, multiple agendas, right. 1120 01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:47,600 Speaker 1: And the hard thing now for college sports is a 1121 01:03:47,600 --> 01:03:49,680 Speaker 1: lot of these kids don't have the we we went 1122 01:03:49,720 --> 01:03:52,240 Speaker 1: to college, it was just about beating your arch rival, 1123 01:03:53,280 --> 01:03:56,600 Speaker 1: winning a league championship, maybe competing for something bigger than that. 1124 01:03:56,720 --> 01:03:59,120 Speaker 1: Right now it's about a million other things other than 1125 01:03:59,160 --> 01:04:04,320 Speaker 1: that and some of that um. But it's always interesting 1126 01:04:04,360 --> 01:04:07,320 Speaker 1: on how if if you look at each school that 1127 01:04:07,360 --> 01:04:12,240 Speaker 1: has been successful with people pulling in the same direction. So, so, okay, 1128 01:04:12,600 --> 01:04:14,920 Speaker 1: you did did you or did you not play? Was 1129 01:04:14,920 --> 01:04:21,400 Speaker 1: it irinaly? You're gonna pay I graduated in December and 1130 01:04:21,840 --> 01:04:26,840 Speaker 1: finished my last year, and I had good seasons. Was 1131 01:04:26,880 --> 01:04:29,800 Speaker 1: a finalist. Walter Payton award and that sort of stuff 1132 01:04:29,880 --> 01:04:35,680 Speaker 1: and then got invited to the combine. So, um, I 1133 01:04:35,760 --> 01:04:38,280 Speaker 1: went to the combine and who is in my group 1134 01:04:39,600 --> 01:04:45,680 Speaker 1: but Tom Brady and so all of those pictures and 1135 01:04:45,720 --> 01:04:49,800 Speaker 1: everything that you see every year, Like I I'm standing 1136 01:04:49,920 --> 01:04:54,720 Speaker 1: right off to the side watching that whole thing, and um, 1137 01:04:54,840 --> 01:04:56,120 Speaker 1: do you have a room? Do you have a comment? 1138 01:04:56,200 --> 01:04:58,760 Speaker 1: You have a roommate? I did? It was Tim Lester 1139 01:04:59,640 --> 01:05:01,560 Speaker 1: who went on to be the head coach. He played 1140 01:05:01,560 --> 01:05:03,600 Speaker 1: at Western Michigan and he went on to be the 1141 01:05:03,640 --> 01:05:08,840 Speaker 1: head coach there. Um um, so we we did, we 1142 01:05:08,880 --> 01:05:13,640 Speaker 1: did the did the combine and how how did you do? Oh? 1143 01:05:13,760 --> 01:05:15,800 Speaker 1: I was terrible. I was. I mean for me, I 1144 01:05:15,840 --> 01:05:18,320 Speaker 1: was great, but compared to everybody else, I was not. 1145 01:05:19,040 --> 01:05:23,640 Speaker 1: You know, I was yeah. Like so Tom Brady is like, 1146 01:05:24,200 --> 01:05:26,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm six too, and he's three and ath 1147 01:05:26,920 --> 01:05:28,640 Speaker 1: inches at least taller than I. But I mean, this 1148 01:05:28,720 --> 01:05:31,480 Speaker 1: is a this is a long, tall person. And I'm 1149 01:05:31,480 --> 01:05:34,640 Speaker 1: just gonna tell you, like, nobody knew he was gonna 1150 01:05:34,680 --> 01:05:40,440 Speaker 1: be what he what he was, Okay, nobody, But like 1151 01:05:40,520 --> 01:05:45,320 Speaker 1: when I went through at the combine, and um, we 1152 01:05:45,320 --> 01:05:47,760 Speaker 1: were throwing two receivers that we've never thrown two, and 1153 01:05:47,800 --> 01:05:49,680 Speaker 1: you're throwing a slant route and you're throwing an end 1154 01:05:49,760 --> 01:05:52,200 Speaker 1: route and all this first stuff. And let's just say, 1155 01:05:52,240 --> 01:05:57,400 Speaker 1: on paper, hypothetically, let's say let's say I was nine 1156 01:05:57,480 --> 01:06:02,000 Speaker 1: for ten in completions, and let's say Tom Brady was 1157 01:06:02,120 --> 01:06:05,919 Speaker 1: nine for ten and completions at the combine. I'm gonna 1158 01:06:05,960 --> 01:06:13,520 Speaker 1: tell you my nine we're like here, here, here, and 1159 01:06:13,560 --> 01:06:17,760 Speaker 1: here in His nine were like right there. I mean 1160 01:06:17,840 --> 01:06:23,920 Speaker 1: it was it was pretty remarkable accuracy. Um. But anyway, 1161 01:06:24,040 --> 01:06:27,880 Speaker 1: so I didn't get drafted, and I knocked around trying 1162 01:06:27,880 --> 01:06:30,640 Speaker 1: to play. I played arena ball, and then the next 1163 01:06:30,760 --> 01:06:34,240 Speaker 1: year I got a call from the Giants and I 1164 01:06:34,600 --> 01:06:37,680 Speaker 1: and I flew to New York. Sean Payton was the 1165 01:06:37,720 --> 01:06:40,760 Speaker 1: offensive coordinator. And I think they were gonna send a 1166 01:06:40,800 --> 01:06:42,680 Speaker 1: guy to the World League. I think is what they're 1167 01:06:42,680 --> 01:06:44,320 Speaker 1: gonna do. They want to sign a quarterback and I 1168 01:06:44,360 --> 01:06:46,880 Speaker 1: think they're gonna send him to whatever it was called 1169 01:06:46,880 --> 01:06:50,240 Speaker 1: at the time. I think it was the World And 1170 01:06:50,280 --> 01:06:53,920 Speaker 1: so I worked out for the Giants, and I mean 1171 01:06:53,960 --> 01:06:56,480 Speaker 1: I had been training, I mean I have. I was 1172 01:06:56,520 --> 01:07:01,120 Speaker 1: in great jade, and I ran and I threw and 1173 01:07:01,160 --> 01:07:04,680 Speaker 1: I remember thinking, and this is this is me. This 1174 01:07:04,760 --> 01:07:08,000 Speaker 1: is the best that I got, you know, And they 1175 01:07:08,080 --> 01:07:12,720 Speaker 1: gave me my plane ticket home, and I remember, literally 1176 01:07:13,760 --> 01:07:16,760 Speaker 1: I can't remember, like sai yesterday, sitting on the bus 1177 01:07:17,040 --> 01:07:19,000 Speaker 1: with a couple of other players that come to work 1178 01:07:19,000 --> 01:07:22,680 Speaker 1: out on the way back to the airport, and I 1179 01:07:23,000 --> 01:07:26,520 Speaker 1: remember the song that was on the buses radio when 1180 01:07:26,560 --> 01:07:30,320 Speaker 1: I realized but that I was no longer a player, 1181 01:07:31,200 --> 01:07:34,400 Speaker 1: and it was Zapp and Roger I Want to be 1182 01:07:34,480 --> 01:07:38,640 Speaker 1: Your Man was playing on the on the deal and 1183 01:07:38,640 --> 01:07:41,000 Speaker 1: and I released. It wasn't some at least was some. No, 1184 01:07:41,320 --> 01:07:43,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't like some sad, sad deal. But I remember 1185 01:07:43,800 --> 01:07:46,000 Speaker 1: taking this is it. I'm gonna have to go do 1186 01:07:46,120 --> 01:07:50,360 Speaker 1: something else, and um so that was kind of the 1187 01:07:50,480 --> 01:07:53,440 Speaker 1: end of the football dream there. So I gave it 1188 01:07:53,480 --> 01:07:56,479 Speaker 1: about a year before we get the way Wait you 1189 01:07:56,480 --> 01:08:02,080 Speaker 1: you you you really glossed over Arenaly Okay, what was 1190 01:08:02,240 --> 01:08:08,560 Speaker 1: su Arena League is incredible? So um it was. I 1191 01:08:08,600 --> 01:08:11,240 Speaker 1: loved it. I thought I was like the greatest job ever. 1192 01:08:11,360 --> 01:08:13,240 Speaker 1: So they pay all your bills and put you up 1193 01:08:13,240 --> 01:08:17,000 Speaker 1: in a furnished department. For me, We're in Oklahoma City, 1194 01:08:17,280 --> 01:08:19,080 Speaker 1: which was cool for me because I went to Oklahoma 1195 01:08:19,160 --> 01:08:22,360 Speaker 1: City and now all my friends that stayed at oh 1196 01:08:22,400 --> 01:08:27,519 Speaker 1: You are graduating. So I graduate Marie State, basically go 1197 01:08:27,600 --> 01:08:30,200 Speaker 1: to the Combine, live in California, little By, go to Combine, 1198 01:08:30,880 --> 01:08:34,200 Speaker 1: and and then end up in Oklahoma City playing for 1199 01:08:34,240 --> 01:08:39,080 Speaker 1: the Wranglers, and um, all my buddies are graduating from college, 1200 01:08:39,080 --> 01:08:44,960 Speaker 1: so it's perfect. So um we practiced in Edmund and 1201 01:08:45,000 --> 01:08:47,360 Speaker 1: the practice was like an indoor soccer deal. I don't 1202 01:08:47,360 --> 01:08:51,280 Speaker 1: never forget this. It was right next to a dog 1203 01:08:51,400 --> 01:08:58,840 Speaker 1: food processing plant. Everything smells like marina. Yeah, you just 1204 01:08:59,080 --> 01:09:01,800 Speaker 1: it's just if you can imagine just open up a 1205 01:09:01,800 --> 01:09:04,120 Speaker 1: fresh backa dog flot and stick your head inside of it. 1206 01:09:04,200 --> 01:09:08,840 Speaker 1: That's exactly what everything smells like. Your clothes smell like that. 1207 01:09:08,920 --> 01:09:11,320 Speaker 1: We practiced in there every day. Every day was practice 1208 01:09:12,280 --> 01:09:14,960 Speaker 1: and I walk in there and I'm not even on 1209 01:09:15,000 --> 01:09:17,800 Speaker 1: the active roster. I'm just I'm on the team and 1210 01:09:19,479 --> 01:09:21,960 Speaker 1: like the third day were there. Bob Quirtis is the 1211 01:09:22,040 --> 01:09:28,320 Speaker 1: head coach, and like the the thirty five year old 1212 01:09:28,360 --> 01:09:31,479 Speaker 1: defensive end who's been in there in ren League for 1213 01:09:31,560 --> 01:09:33,439 Speaker 1: I don't know how long, married and got three kids. 1214 01:09:33,560 --> 01:09:35,800 Speaker 1: I'm twenty four years old. I'm like, you know, we're like, 1215 01:09:35,880 --> 01:09:37,559 Speaker 1: let's go play golf and you know, what are we 1216 01:09:37,600 --> 01:09:41,360 Speaker 1: doing tonight? And he's like standing in the locker room 1217 01:09:41,400 --> 01:09:44,519 Speaker 1: just mf ing the head coach. The head coach just 1218 01:09:44,960 --> 01:09:49,240 Speaker 1: m finging back. I'm like what, like what are we doing? 1219 01:09:49,360 --> 01:09:55,000 Speaker 1: Like what is this deal? So um yeah, like holy God, 1220 01:09:55,040 --> 01:09:58,280 Speaker 1: he's calling him Bob, He's not calling him coach, you know, 1221 01:09:58,400 --> 01:10:01,000 Speaker 1: And I'm like, holy craft. But I played a lot 1222 01:10:01,040 --> 01:10:04,040 Speaker 1: of golf. Um, I think Silver Horn is where we 1223 01:10:04,080 --> 01:10:08,120 Speaker 1: played golf. Little right there, we played golf every day. 1224 01:10:08,680 --> 01:10:13,479 Speaker 1: Power the power lines like yes, yes, yep, yep, so 1225 01:10:13,560 --> 01:10:16,120 Speaker 1: we got free golf at Silver Horn. We played golf. 1226 01:10:16,200 --> 01:10:19,880 Speaker 1: I actually got a little bored, like um, they the 1227 01:10:20,360 --> 01:10:22,320 Speaker 1: head coach kept me there in the off season, which 1228 01:10:22,360 --> 01:10:24,519 Speaker 1: was kind of cool. So I got to stay in 1229 01:10:24,640 --> 01:10:27,200 Speaker 1: train in the off season and that's when I got 1230 01:10:27,560 --> 01:10:30,479 Speaker 1: to work out for the Giants. But I started going 1231 01:10:30,520 --> 01:10:33,439 Speaker 1: to to grad school at night, which is kind of 1232 01:10:33,439 --> 01:10:35,640 Speaker 1: fun for me. My parents helped me pay for it 1233 01:10:35,640 --> 01:10:38,040 Speaker 1: because I don't have any money, so we had UM. 1234 01:10:38,280 --> 01:10:41,120 Speaker 1: I started to work on my m b A at night, 1235 01:10:41,960 --> 01:10:44,519 Speaker 1: um at o U and down in downtown Oklaoma City, 1236 01:10:44,520 --> 01:10:46,559 Speaker 1: so I would come in there. It was pretty cool, 1237 01:10:46,640 --> 01:10:48,439 Speaker 1: like I would come in there and all these people 1238 01:10:48,479 --> 01:10:51,639 Speaker 1: had real jobs, so these people were like bankers and whatever. 1239 01:10:52,400 --> 01:10:54,960 Speaker 1: And I would come in like in foot flops and 1240 01:10:55,000 --> 01:10:58,320 Speaker 1: a T shirt and go suit in the class and 1241 01:10:58,400 --> 01:11:01,400 Speaker 1: really really enjoyed it. And I did pretty well and 1242 01:11:01,640 --> 01:11:05,840 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. But I didn't finish because, Um, after about 1243 01:11:05,840 --> 01:11:08,920 Speaker 1: a year, I got a call from Denver Johnson had 1244 01:11:08,960 --> 01:11:11,120 Speaker 1: been my coach at Murray State, and he was the 1245 01:11:11,160 --> 01:11:14,519 Speaker 1: head coach at Illinois State, and he was asking if 1246 01:11:14,520 --> 01:11:17,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to come to the quarterback coach. So so 1247 01:11:17,920 --> 01:11:20,519 Speaker 1: you okay, So you're on your You're on your way 1248 01:11:20,560 --> 01:11:24,200 Speaker 1: home from the giants. It's funny remember that song, because 1249 01:11:24,200 --> 01:11:32,120 Speaker 1: so my my story is this. Um. After after college, 1250 01:11:32,120 --> 01:11:33,920 Speaker 1: I played the USB L. Then I played the NBA 1251 01:11:34,000 --> 01:11:36,360 Speaker 1: Summer League that I was supposed to play in Italy, 1252 01:11:37,160 --> 01:11:44,040 Speaker 1: playing an Israeli passport. Long story anyway, Uh, I come 1253 01:11:44,080 --> 01:11:48,400 Speaker 1: back and I go to the camp with the Idaho 1254 01:11:48,400 --> 01:11:51,719 Speaker 1: Stampete and C B A. And the reason I chose 1255 01:11:51,720 --> 01:11:54,760 Speaker 1: Idaho was my USBL coach, Dannim Brian Gates now a 1256 01:11:54,760 --> 01:11:58,759 Speaker 1: long time NBA assistant, and he was assistant under Rory White, 1257 01:11:59,720 --> 01:12:02,000 Speaker 1: and he's like d G don't worry. I know you'll 1258 01:12:02,000 --> 01:12:05,080 Speaker 1: make this team. So I go to Boise, Idaho for 1259 01:12:05,120 --> 01:12:10,559 Speaker 1: training camp and there's thirteen other point guards mine and 1260 01:12:10,720 --> 01:12:14,240 Speaker 1: they drafted one of them actually from Murray State, Aubrey Reese. 1261 01:12:14,400 --> 01:12:19,360 Speaker 1: Very good play, um, and then they had Darry McClinton 1262 01:12:19,400 --> 01:12:20,960 Speaker 1: who had been there year before. They had a bunch 1263 01:12:21,000 --> 01:12:23,479 Speaker 1: of other really good guards, but eventually got weeded down. 1264 01:12:23,520 --> 01:12:25,680 Speaker 1: Was the three of us, and Aubrey got hurt, so 1265 01:12:25,760 --> 01:12:30,240 Speaker 1: then there was only two of us, and Um, I 1266 01:12:30,280 --> 01:12:31,960 Speaker 1: had I thought I was gonna make the team. They 1267 01:12:32,000 --> 01:12:33,120 Speaker 1: kind of told me I was to make the teams. 1268 01:12:33,120 --> 01:12:35,760 Speaker 1: And we used to every day to go to practice. 1269 01:12:36,560 --> 01:12:39,040 Speaker 1: We get on this like hotel bus, you know, like 1270 01:12:39,080 --> 01:12:42,040 Speaker 1: one of those short bus deals, and we'd open up 1271 01:12:42,080 --> 01:12:45,439 Speaker 1: the Idaho American Statesman and on the back of it 1272 01:12:45,479 --> 01:12:48,960 Speaker 1: was to remember the transaction wire. And so NBA camps 1273 01:12:49,000 --> 01:12:51,360 Speaker 1: were coming to an end, and they would have guys 1274 01:12:51,360 --> 01:12:54,080 Speaker 1: that would get released, and so it would be a 1275 01:12:54,120 --> 01:12:57,880 Speaker 1: massive ball busting session of like, oh man, look who 1276 01:12:57,960 --> 01:13:02,479 Speaker 1: got released. He's gonna take someone a joke. But so 1277 01:13:02,880 --> 01:13:05,200 Speaker 1: I never get this, like when like the last day 1278 01:13:05,200 --> 01:13:10,920 Speaker 1: of camp and we opened it up and there's a 1279 01:13:11,960 --> 01:13:15,599 Speaker 1: there's a guy named Randy Livingston. So Randy Livingston, when 1280 01:13:15,600 --> 01:13:18,080 Speaker 1: I was a high school junior, was the best player 1281 01:13:18,120 --> 01:13:20,920 Speaker 1: in America. He was six ft four since five point 1282 01:13:20,960 --> 01:13:23,880 Speaker 1: guard from New Orleans. He tours a c L in 1283 01:13:23,960 --> 01:13:26,479 Speaker 1: the camp as a counselor. So he didn't have a 1284 01:13:26,479 --> 01:13:29,160 Speaker 1: great college career. L s U only two years. I 1285 01:13:29,200 --> 01:13:31,880 Speaker 1: think he played for like thirteen NBA teams. So I'll 1286 01:13:31,880 --> 01:13:34,160 Speaker 1: never get like, We're in the back of this bus 1287 01:13:34,160 --> 01:13:37,559 Speaker 1: and we're looking at the paper and we're busting everybody's balls, like, oh, 1288 01:13:37,640 --> 01:13:41,479 Speaker 1: Randy Livingston, and it was like DJ boy Guard go get. 1289 01:13:41,520 --> 01:13:44,880 Speaker 1: I was like, dude, Randy Livingston in coming to fucking Boise, Idaho, 1290 01:13:45,439 --> 01:13:50,320 Speaker 1: you know. So sure enough, the next day we're doing um, 1291 01:13:50,439 --> 01:13:53,840 Speaker 1: we have media day and we're in the arena where 1292 01:13:53,840 --> 01:13:55,880 Speaker 1: they actually play, and I've never been in the arena. 1293 01:13:55,920 --> 01:13:58,400 Speaker 1: I actually played, so it's cool, and I made the team. 1294 01:13:58,920 --> 01:14:02,120 Speaker 1: The assistant coach comes over and says, hey, you're you're 1295 01:14:02,680 --> 01:14:05,519 Speaker 1: h I had gotten married to your wife, my girlfriend. 1296 01:14:05,560 --> 01:14:07,719 Speaker 1: They should take a you haul together making all these plans, 1297 01:14:08,560 --> 01:14:11,320 Speaker 1: and right at the end, I looked down and you know, 1298 01:14:11,360 --> 01:14:13,160 Speaker 1: I don't know what they call it on a football stadium, 1299 01:14:13,160 --> 01:14:15,200 Speaker 1: and the basketball's a vomitory and rights the tunnel that 1300 01:14:15,280 --> 01:14:18,640 Speaker 1: leads to the locker room. We look down and I 1301 01:14:18,680 --> 01:14:21,160 Speaker 1: see a guy in raying Livingson is a very distinct 1302 01:14:21,200 --> 01:14:23,840 Speaker 1: looking dude. He's six forces five, black dude, bald head, 1303 01:14:24,360 --> 01:14:27,200 Speaker 1: has kind of a weird shaped head neck. And I 1304 01:14:27,200 --> 01:14:29,320 Speaker 1: swear to God, I saw him, and I and like 1305 01:14:29,400 --> 01:14:31,400 Speaker 1: they were Then they started fucking with me. Then they're like, 1306 01:14:31,840 --> 01:14:35,479 Speaker 1: you're just seeing ghosts. You know, you're just all messed up. 1307 01:14:35,479 --> 01:14:38,040 Speaker 1: We're finally in your head. It's like, no, dude, I'm 1308 01:14:38,080 --> 01:14:42,360 Speaker 1: telling I saw him. I saw Jesus, I saw the bigfoot. 1309 01:14:42,400 --> 01:14:45,840 Speaker 1: I saw him right. So we have a scrimmage that 1310 01:14:45,920 --> 01:14:49,880 Speaker 1: night with College of Southern Idaho Junior College, and again 1311 01:14:49,880 --> 01:14:52,559 Speaker 1: on the bus and then we get we warm up 1312 01:14:52,960 --> 01:14:54,760 Speaker 1: and I'm the only guy who doesn't play, and I 1313 01:14:54,800 --> 01:14:56,559 Speaker 1: thought I was competing to be the starting point guard 1314 01:14:56,560 --> 01:14:58,920 Speaker 1: and I'm the only guy doesn't play, and they don't 1315 01:14:58,920 --> 01:15:00,960 Speaker 1: say anything to me, and then you know, it became 1316 01:15:00,960 --> 01:15:03,320 Speaker 1: obvious by the time I got home. You know that 1317 01:15:04,000 --> 01:15:08,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get cut, and sure enough, Brady Limison was 1318 01:15:08,120 --> 01:15:10,759 Speaker 1: the guy. So I and so I don't remember the song. 1319 01:15:11,160 --> 01:15:14,080 Speaker 1: I remember the paper, I remember where we were sitting. 1320 01:15:14,360 --> 01:15:16,680 Speaker 1: I remember that moment where like, holy sh it, I'm 1321 01:15:16,720 --> 01:15:24,360 Speaker 1: getting all right. That's part one. Wait do you hear 1322 01:15:24,439 --> 01:15:27,040 Speaker 1: part two? It gets better and better. My thanks for 1323 01:15:27,080 --> 01:15:29,200 Speaker 1: Coach fent Day, for join us, thanks for you to download. 1324 01:15:29,200 --> 01:15:31,519 Speaker 1: You remember the Doug Gottlieb Show is daily uh that 1325 01:15:31,720 --> 01:15:34,000 Speaker 1: is uh three to five Eastern time, and we have 1326 01:15:34,080 --> 01:15:37,320 Speaker 1: a bonus podcast which there are no rules for it's 1327 01:15:37,320 --> 01:15:40,400 Speaker 1: called in the bonus. But my thanks for you for listening. 1328 01:15:40,439 --> 01:15:45,360 Speaker 1: Don't forget to write a review, download review and tell 1329 01:15:45,400 --> 01:15:47,160 Speaker 1: a friend about it, all right, tell a friend about it. 1330 01:15:47,160 --> 01:16:03,120 Speaker 1: I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is all ball number Timber, the 1331 01:16:03,400 --> 01:16:07,600 Speaker 1: Timber Temper Temper