1 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans 2 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: plan on Farm Bureau Health Plans making it easy to 3 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: get the healthcare coverage you need for less than you think. 4 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: Visit FBHP dot com with Rhett Brian and also Dave McGinnis. 5 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: I'm Keith as we wind up the Senior Bowl week 6 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: with a look at um kind of what we saw 7 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: it was it was thought to be a running back 8 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: strong class coach Dave McGinnis, were you impressed with the 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: running backs in Mobile? I was impressed with a couple 10 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: of them. You know, dude, we've already we've already talked 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: about you know. I was impressed with Eric Gray from 12 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: day one. From day one, just the way he carried 13 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 1: himself and and then just just how he was, how 14 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: he is able to run. This is a jump cut guy. 15 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: That's that's very very impressive. And then Rehet's guy, ty 16 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: Jay Spears from Tulane. I was very very impressed. Why 17 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: did you like thy Jay Spears as a player. He 18 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: just has a burst out of his first couple of 19 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: steps that is explosive. I saw him weave through traffic 20 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: and obviously this is practice, but doing that, he's the 21 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: one thing he told me in the interview I did 22 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: with him is he wants to work on his skills 23 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: receiving out of the backfield. But a guy hadn't scared 24 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: of anything. Alpha mentality and he carries it the way 25 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: he carries himself on the field. I mean, you're talking 26 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: about a guy that just absolutely destroyed Southern cal in 27 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: the in the Cotton Bowl when nobody expected. He had 28 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: four touchdowns and he just he's built load of the ground, 29 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: you know, which is say five nine, two oh five. 30 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: He's the kind of back a lot of teams are 31 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: going to be looking for. Let's take a listen to 32 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: Rhet's interview with ty Ja Spears, running back from Tulane 33 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: five nine and a half two oh four. Here is 34 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: that talk on the o TP. Taj Spears running back 35 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: tu Lane. You have got the smoke, man. I mean 36 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: the way you finished your career, you had but eight 37 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: straight one hundred yard games and then you got shocked 38 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: the world in the Cotton Bowl. You had two hundred 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: and five yards four touchdowns over Southern col What was 40 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: that like through that last you know, several weeks of 41 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: your your college career, it was just like grind time 42 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: I knew. I knew I was kind of against the wild, 43 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: kind of my back, kind of against the wall. So 44 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: I had to It was fight a flight, so I 45 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: had to fight. I can't, I can't, I ain't running 46 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: from then I had to fight. So you are, in 47 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: my opinion, one of the most interesting running back prospects, 48 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: not only here in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, but 49 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: in this draft process because you got a great skill 50 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: set in this I thought you had a really nice 51 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: first day of practice. What was your takeaways from practice 52 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: number one heading into this week? I kind of wise film, 53 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: but I want to do better with like route running 54 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: and stuff. But I'm in a good spot. But it's 55 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: all about me being in a good spot. But it's 56 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: all about what I'm gonna do today to make sure 57 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: I'm in a better spot today after the second day 58 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: of practice. I want to continue to keep on improving, 59 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: you know, climbing up the ladder, coming up you know 60 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: the board. Receiving skills out of the backfield is something 61 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: that NFL backs are asked to do more and more. Say, 62 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: it's clearly a place you said you're working on. What 63 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: are some of the other things maybe that you're trying 64 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: to improve your craft with as you go on this 65 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: process just being all around complete pair, which I am. 66 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: But it's either I'm trying to perfect it. So I 67 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: don't want refinement, that's what we're talking about. I just 68 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: want to, Like I'm already a complete pair, so I 69 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: just want to I just want to touch everything up 70 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: and just keep on getting better in every area. And 71 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: that's that's what That's how you go from good to 72 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: grade and from great to Listen to these running backs 73 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: invited here to this Senior Bowl week, I mean there's 74 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: some gray you're standing out in this but Eric Gray 75 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: from Oklahoma camera, people's from Appy State. I mean there's 76 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: some really good talent here. You're already making a mark 77 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: for yourself here like you did to finish out your 78 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: college career. You got that belief in yourself. You're the 79 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: only one that can do it right. Yeah, you got to. 80 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: You got to the ball in my hands. I'm I'm 81 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: a different person man. Like all those guys you said 82 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: they probably had they had a great practice yesterday, but 83 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: like like not just being like disrespect for nothing. Like 84 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: I don't like wake up worrying about them. I just 85 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: work up worrying about what I got going on. So 86 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: today I'm trying to turn it up a whole another 87 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: nice Today. College is in the rearview mirror. The process 88 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: is just beginning for your future. What's the thing you're 89 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: most excited about in this process? The draft starts and 90 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: mobile like the most thing. The thing I'm most excited 91 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: about is running being here of course, being here, of 92 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: course practicing the hall. But when we get to Indie, 93 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: running the fast forward and turning heads, but just living 94 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: in a moment, man, take on one day at a time. 95 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: Just appreciative for everything I got, all right, for everybody 96 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: that loves a good forty time like I do. I'll 97 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: be at the end combined and Indie, what do you 98 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: think you're gonna run? Give me an idea in full 99 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: football park area. But I'm you know, I don't like 100 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: making promises. Yeah, yeah, I'm not gonna I'm trying to 101 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: not try to bunch in a spot. Yeah. I'm a 102 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: run fast though, man, I'm a run fast rat. Brian 103 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: tag Spears, running back from Tulane so thought to be 104 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: a strong tight end class along with a strong running 105 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: back class. Did the tight ends impress you? Coach? Tabm gannets. 106 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: Yes they did, and the one that stood out among 107 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: among all of them was Luke Musgrave. Luke Musgrave came 108 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: into this thing with a lot to show people because 109 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,679 Speaker 1: of what his history has been, and for our listeners, 110 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:38,559 Speaker 1: his history was he only played two games at Oregon 111 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: State before he suffered a knee injury. And I think 112 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,239 Speaker 1: he did over and above even what he probably thought 113 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: he could do down here. He impressed me. But there 114 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: were a bunch of guys, a bunch of guys at 115 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 1: that spot. Cameron Lattu from Alabama, who's going to be 116 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: a good inline blocking tight end. And then there's one 117 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: from Clemson that I think people are gonna need to 118 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: take a look at as well. Davis Allen is his name, 119 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: A talented guy who maybe he's not that top end guy. 120 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: There's there's talk that there could be five tight ends 121 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: taken in the first round of the draft on April 122 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: twenty seventh in Kansas City. Don't know if Davis Allen 123 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: is one of those, but he may be a guy 124 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: that you grabbed down the line who could help somebody 125 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: pretty quickly. There's my talk with Clemson tight end Davis Allen. 126 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: They say this is the year of the tight end 127 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: in the draft overall? Does it make this the Singer 128 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: Bowl even more important? Yeah, I'd say so. Um, I 129 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: think this is really just an exciting opportunity for me personally. 130 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: I'm extremely thankful to be here with so many great 131 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: tight ends both on the national and American team. You know, 132 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: the tight end room is loaded on both sides, which 133 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: makes things more exciting. So for sure, you know the 134 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: talents through the roof right now, and I'm just thankful 135 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: to be here. How would you describe your game? I say, 136 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 1: I'm a guy that prize himself and being able to 137 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: do both block in cash the ball. I'm not afraid 138 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: to shy away from a block and I'm not afraid 139 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: to stick my nose in and block whoever. And I'm 140 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: confident that whenever the quarterback does in my way, I'm 141 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: confident that he's confident me to make the play. Where 142 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: do you see your growth potential as you go into 143 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: the league. M everywhere? In all aspects of my game. 144 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: I think I need to improve in both aspects. There's 145 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: so much room for improvement from here. That's Clemson tight 146 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: end Davis Alan. Another thing we were watching during the 147 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: weekend mobile is offensive lineman coach Mac because the Titans 148 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: are obviously going to have a lot of work to 149 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: do in the offensive line, whether it be draft or 150 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: free agency, but we're starting with draft talk here. Overall, 151 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: were you pretty impressed? Okay? Both both groups of both teams. 152 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: I mean to me overall collectively, as a group of 153 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: players they assembled for both teams. The offensive line stood 154 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: out to me. Osireus Torrence from Florida is a guy 155 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: that really stood out to me. I liked what I 156 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: saw from Warren McClendon from Georgia. You know, I just 157 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: looked at him, Mike, How do you say Cody's last name? Mauk, Mauk. 158 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: That's why I asked. It's Mauk, Cody moutin. He's from 159 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: North Dakota State, big red headed kid with no front teeth. 160 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: That's gonna be the story that's gonna come out of 161 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: the week, Cody Mauk. He's made a really good week 162 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: for himself here. He did some snapping too. He's played 163 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: off He's played all five positions in the offensive line, 164 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: which may make him valuable. Of course, we were a 165 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: little bit partial to the story of the Chattanooga offensive 166 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: lineman McClendon curtis, because we have a Chattanooga offensive lineman 167 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: on the Titans roster and Corey Levins McClendon curtis a 168 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: Chattanooga native. One of our favorite places and rhet you 169 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: had a chance to talk to him, one of your 170 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: very favorite interviews. He is a infectious person to talk 171 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: to with his attitude and he says in the interview 172 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: right here you're going to hear he's a people person 173 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: and you can't see it, but he's got a million 174 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: dollars smile and man, is he a large human being. 175 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: Here's Rat Bryant with McClendon curtis, offensive Lindman chat a 176 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: new Gov Mox on the oppos So here we are. 177 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: You're on your draft path in this and I feel like, 178 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: and we're gonna get into your game in a second, 179 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: but I feel like with cool Strange and how he 180 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: rocketed up the charts and was a pick in the 181 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: first round by the New England Patriots, it can't help 182 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: but help a guy like you in this whole process 183 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: to kind of put a spotlight on the university. And 184 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: obviously your play will further that. Yeah, almost definitely cold 185 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 1: kind of opened up the door for all of us. 186 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: And uh, I mean even before call Ye had Corey Levin, 187 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: he was want to help help it out, so close 188 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: us you know recently, just been that guy to help us. 189 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: And even when he got to the Pagris, I talked 190 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: to somehone like he's going through training, Cavia and stuff 191 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,959 Speaker 1: like that, he was just like, man, you know, I'm 192 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: running with the ones, but like, gotta keep it going, 193 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: you know, never never being complacent. That's one thing I 194 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: feel like for us as FCS guys. Personally, I grew 195 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 1: we just never were complacent. So I think personally that's 196 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: just all I gotta do, you know. And it's funny 197 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: you say that because I have covered the NFL for 198 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: twenty five years and I feel like guys who are 199 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: both undrafted or late late picks just feel like they 200 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: give a little more. And that's no knock against the 201 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: guys that picked high. But you gotta keep grinding. That's 202 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: the mentality, right Yeah, most definitely always gotta keep grinding. 203 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: It's always a way to get better. There's always an 204 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: opportunity to get better. For you as a player, you know, 205 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: you never reach your max potential unless I mean, I 206 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: don't think quarterbacks do, but everybody, you know, there's always 207 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: some room to get better. So that's how I feel 208 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: about it. Cold strange. You talked about him being a 209 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: sounding board. Is it good for to have his ear 210 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: through this process since he's kind of been there and 211 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: done that before you, Yeah, pretty much it is. Uh. 212 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 1: He talked to me, I want to say, Monday before 213 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: I went to do our open interviews and stuff like 214 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,719 Speaker 1: that with NFL teams, and he just told me to 215 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: be myself. You know, I love people. I enjoyed being 216 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: around people, so he would just like, do you, you know, 217 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: tell them the truth and have fun with it. So 218 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: you're a D lineman, switch to the offensive line. What 219 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 1: do you find yourself in a preference as far as 220 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: where you line up along the line? Do you have 221 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: a preference you like? I guess, I mean I like where, 222 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: I like guard. I like where I'm at. I mean, 223 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: if I was a D lineman, I'll be a nose guard. 224 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: That's what I used to play. I enjoyed the nose 225 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: guard part, but guard just because I enjoyed being inside 226 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: and it actually happens a lot faster. Tackle you gotta 227 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: be a little more patient. So um, but you know, 228 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: whatever it comes to, you gotta adjust. You've got a 229 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: practice under your belt against this other top talent invited here, 230 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: what's it Liking the one on ones yesterday? All those 231 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: guys are really good. Um, getting the chance to go 232 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,319 Speaker 1: against them and seeing like the different strengths they have 233 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: really helped me in Like let me understand, Like, all right, 234 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: you need to make sure you'd be really good with 235 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: your hand placement and then my sets. So I'm looking 236 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: and improve that today in practice. Any other areas you're 237 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: looking to improve this week and as you go through 238 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: you know, the draft process more so like my run game, 239 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: say my first few steps off the ball and run, 240 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: and also just like my flexibility as a position and 241 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: as like on my body, So working on that. When 242 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: you visit Mobile, Alabama, you meet not only prospects like 243 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: McClendon Curtis from Chattanooga, but there are a lot of 244 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: superstars in our business walking around because ESPN's here covering 245 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: the draft, NFL networks covering the draft, all of the 246 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: major print and online outlets are covering the draft. Stefania 247 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: Bell was walking around. She is ESPN's injury expert, and 248 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: unfortunately the Titans have a little too much experience with 249 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: that in the last two years. So Rhett was kind 250 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: enough to ask her to come chat with us and 251 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: coach Max Stefani. A. Bell is fascinating. She is tremendous. 252 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: You know, I knew her a little bit, but never 253 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 1: to have sat down and talked like we did. And 254 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,079 Speaker 1: when she started talking and opening up, first of all, 255 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:28,199 Speaker 1: she's brilliant, Oh gosh, but she is so spot on 256 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: and so you know right directly understands the National Football League, 257 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: and not only national but just professional athletes injuries and 258 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: where they are. It was it was probably one of 259 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: the most fascinating interviews I've ever set in on just 260 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: how relevant it was, how informative it was. And then 261 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: as she started talking, you know, when she first first 262 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: she first sat down, she said, look, I'm not down here, 263 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: don't ask me who's who. And Mike said, well, that's 264 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: not what we're gonna do, and she didn't want to 265 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: quit talking. She was really enjoyed. It was a fabulous interview. 266 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: She first of all ot people, she's not just the 267 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: kind lady that you're checking to see who's injured and 268 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 1: what she says about your fantasy football team, which I 269 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: also love to follow her for. She is Princeton educated, 270 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: finished her education at University of Miami, was a physical 271 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: therapist for over twenty years. She has a serious background 272 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: in this, she tells us she goes to all kinds 273 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: of medical conferences. She keeps it in the loop. She 274 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: has people on the ground in the medical profession that 275 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: she has network too. She has a trusted voice by ESPN, 276 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: and it's so interesting to hear her story of how 277 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: she developed that role for the Big four letter network. 278 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: Stefania Bell is somebody who will play prominent role as 279 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: you watch all of the Combine coverage, because so much 280 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: of that has to do with injury situation, and she 281 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: can take the language of it that we may not 282 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: understand is layman and convert it to a way that 283 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: you can understand. We were thrilled to get her. Here's 284 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: that conversation on the Friday. Oh t Pete. Stefani A. 285 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: Bell is ESPN's injury analyst. Thank you for taking time 286 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: with us. Oh, thank you for having me. Okay, so 287 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: we've had injury issues. As you know, the Titans have 288 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: played one hundred seventy seven players in the last two years, 289 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: ninety one in twenty twenty one, eighty six this past year, 290 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: and a lot of the injuries have been injuries of 291 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: just play, you know, things that are completely understandable, but 292 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: the lower extremities, those sorts of injuries seem to be 293 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: more common around the league. Is that a fair statement. 294 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: It's totally fair. You're actually hitting on something that is 295 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: really of concern to the Health and Safety Committee in 296 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: the NFL, and there is a Lower Extremity task Force 297 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: within that group that is looking at these lower extremity 298 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: injuries because they're so problematic round the league. You probably 299 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 1: noticed them all in Tennessee because of course you do. Well, 300 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: you know, there are people who would say that, you know, 301 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: Kansas City had had a pretty significant one just in 302 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: the last couple of weeks that threatened their their championship quarterback. 303 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: But you guys know because actually Ryan Danehill had the 304 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: same injury that Patrick Mahomes had and ultimately went tried 305 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: to play through it and was injured again and ultimately 306 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: required surgery. So this is definitely a concern because it 307 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: gets into you know, just the way for quarterbacks in particular, 308 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: that tackling of the quarterbacks. It gets into the field surfaces, 309 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: it gets into the footwear, the ship, it gets into 310 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: the type of tackling. They're actually looking at what they 311 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: call these hip drop tackles. I think that's going to 312 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: be a topic of conversation in the off season. That 313 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: was Ryan Tannehill got taken down on one of those. 314 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: Not necessarily a dirty play, but just the mechanism of 315 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: the tackle that forces the leg into a position where 316 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 1: it's vulnerable. These are all things that are being discussed. 317 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,879 Speaker 1: So you guys are You're not wrong by any means. 318 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: There are people who are looking at It's just a 319 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: question of how do you how do you legislate the game, 320 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: how do you better protect the players? Is it equipment again? 321 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: Field surface has been a topic. It's it's tough because injuries. 322 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: I say this all the time as a pt you know, 323 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: it's it's a multi factorial situation, and so it's really 324 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: hard to replicate all the conditions that constitute one injury 325 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 1: to another. And so sometimes it's hard to look at 326 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: high ankle spraine, for example, and say well, this is 327 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: the reason they're happening, because it's usually a multitude of things, 328 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: and that's research and it takes time, and time is 329 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: not what we have a lot of when we're when 330 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 1: we're watching these players. You know, as a I coached 331 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: in this league for three decades, over thirty years, the 332 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: high ankle sprain, explain that to us a little bit 333 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: because that has that has become more and more, you know, 334 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: a focal point. And as a coach, I mean, you 335 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: used to cringe when you got the soft tissue injuries, 336 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: right because you never knew how long that recovery was. 337 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 1: The high ankle sprains, now it just explain that injury 338 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: to our listeners. So you know, the garden variety of 339 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: ankle sprain, as we call it, is the basketball ankle 340 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 1: sprain that everybody's familiar with. You go up in the air, 341 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: you land on other players foot, You roll your foot 342 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: so that the soul of your foot points in word, 343 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: and that the outside of your ankles what's injured. That's 344 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: the typical ankle sprain that we've all thought of as 345 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: the most common injury. But in the NFL in particular, 346 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: we're seeing all these high ankle sprains, as you mentioned, 347 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: and it's not down low. So the basketball sprain is 348 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,160 Speaker 1: what we call low ankle sprain ligaments on the outside 349 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: that attached basically the lower leg bones to the foot. 350 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: The high ankle sprain is up higher at the roof 351 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 1: of the ankle, so right in the center where the 352 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 1: two lower leg bones join together and they meet over 353 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 1: the top of the ankle joint. And those ligaments are 354 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: are very strong and they're actually reinforced on the front 355 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: side and the backside of the joint. But when they tear, 356 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: it creates a separation between the two lower leg bones, 357 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: if you can imagine that. So every time you take 358 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: a step as an athlete, it stresses that it kind 359 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: of opens up that area, makes it impossible to have stability, 360 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: makes it hard to wait bear fully because as you 361 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: place that weight, you're continuing to stress those ligaments that 362 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: are there to try and protect the ankle. It's typically 363 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: caused by rotation of the it outward, So if you're standing, 364 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: it's very hard without a visual but if you were 365 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: standing and you rotated your foot so your toes pointed 366 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:11,119 Speaker 1: outward relative to your shin, that's the mechanism of injuries. 367 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: So if you go back and look at any of 368 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: the video of these players getting hurt, you'll see usually 369 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: their foot's planted and they get twisted and then you 370 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: see their toes are pointing away from their shin and 371 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: that wind up mechanism. It's torsional, it's rotational and it 372 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: pops the ligaments, and if the force is enough, it 373 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: not only can go up through there's a little membrane 374 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,719 Speaker 1: between those two bones, it can tear that. It can 375 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 1: also crack the fibula the outer leg bone. If you 376 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: think about Tony Pollard who just got hurt, had a 377 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: high ankle sprain, but also a fibula fracture. So and 378 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: then if it's really bad, it can take out the 379 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: ligaments on the inside of the ankle as well. And 380 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: in surgery they may have to fix both the medial 381 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: ankle or inside ankle, and the high ankle. So it's 382 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: a complex injury a lot of different presentations. You could 383 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,199 Speaker 1: be even mild sprain. Some guys will be better in 384 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks because it's just enough to stress 385 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,239 Speaker 1: the ligaments but not create a complete disruption. But if 386 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: you have a complete disruption totally unstable, it becomes a 387 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: surgical situation. Stefani belt, what is a standard recovery from 388 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 1: just the garden variety high ankle spray. You know, typically 389 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: if it's mild, it's going to be a two to 390 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: four week injury. Anything more significant, and then you get 391 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: into what's the player positional demand, because you know, high 392 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: cole sprains are also pretty common in the trenches. You 393 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 1: get lineman with these and it gets very tough to 394 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: get into their stance position because of what I was 395 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: just talking about with that gapping and stressing across the 396 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: top of the ankle. So depends on what they have 397 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: to do. Do they have a lot of rotation in 398 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 1: their play? Are they a skill position player where they 399 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: have to cut and pivot because that rotation is going 400 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: to bother them. And that's why we see anything that's 401 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 1: more significant than a very mild rain is usually in 402 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: the four to six week variety before you're even thinking 403 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: about coming back. Obviously, if it's surgery, that becomes a 404 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: several month recovery stefania we saw Patrick Mahomes looks like 405 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: he reaggravated that in the AFC Championship game. Is that 406 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: what you saw in terms of some of the torsional 407 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 1: movements that you were talking about, and when you already 408 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: have a high ankle spring. I think it's a really 409 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: good question because it comes down to did you aggravate 410 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: it and make it worse or were we just seeing 411 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: that he was playing through a painful injury. I think 412 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:39,199 Speaker 1: it was the ladder. It's going to be uncomfortable. He 413 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: was only a week out from the injury, so you 414 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: knew it was going to be uncomfortable for him to play. 415 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: And if you again go back and look the very 416 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 1: specific times where he was forced into that rotation and 417 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: you can see him WinCE or he hobbled right out 418 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: of it, because every time that stresses it. But it 419 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: didn't necessarily in my definition of aggravate, It didn't necessarily 420 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: make the injury worse than what it already was. The 421 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: big concerns are the physical takedowns, the contact, the tackle, 422 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: and he was pretty good about being able to avoid 423 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: that or get his foot up if he did. I mean, 424 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:19,199 Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes is another level among the quarterbacks because of 425 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: his ability to throw even when he's not planted through 426 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: that foot, which you know with it being his right 427 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: leg and trying to drive the ball. He's a guy 428 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: who throws in the air and does it really well, 429 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: so it didn't have as much of an impact on 430 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: his game other than his mobility. We didn't see him 431 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: no design runs for him. We saw him run at 432 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:39,360 Speaker 1: the very end when he needed to make a play. 433 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: But you know, in his mind he's like this is 434 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 1: you know, the clock's running out, He's got a few seconds. 435 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 1: He could sort of overpower and he discomfort. But I 436 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 1: don't think he set himself back. And I think he's 437 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: going to look better by the time he gets Super 438 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 1: Bowl because he'll have two more weeks of treatment, two 439 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: more weeks of basically recovering and working towards that. So 440 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 1: look out, Philadelphia. Can you plane to people that, like myself, 441 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't understand this, but it's you hear this and people 442 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: want to know what is the tight Rope surgery? Oh? 443 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: I love talking about this. Yes, UH, And tight Rope 444 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,640 Speaker 1: is a brand. So when you see it, you'll see 445 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: like the capital T the capital are because it's a kit. UH, 446 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 1: it's a surgical kit. It's that is made for this 447 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: specific procedure developed by surgeons in conjunction with arth Rex, 448 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: the company that makes some of these UH surgical implants, 449 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 1: and they essentially drill a couple holes um through the 450 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: outer leg bone and then they thread this synthetic fiber 451 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:48,120 Speaker 1: through them. It's hard to explain without the visual. I'm 452 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: like drawing with my hands with people. But basically they're 453 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:57,360 Speaker 1: pass this through and it's it's a it's a braided rope, right, 454 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: So it's a synthetic um rope for lack of a 455 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:04,199 Speaker 1: better word, and it comes through in a braided fashion. 456 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: It basically they tighten it so they pull it through 457 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: and then they cinch it. And you know how I 458 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: was talking about. When the ligaments are disrupted, those two 459 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: leg bones will gap. That rope is in there to 460 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: bring them to approximate those two bones together so that 461 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: they are they're normal width. So it's creating a normal shape, 462 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: if you will, for that ankle joint, so that you 463 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: can have normal mechanics. Why does that matter so much 464 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: because abnormal mechanics leads to arthritic changes in a joint. 465 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: So if you have that gapping, you can picture the 466 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 1: ankle bone underneath it is sort of rocking around in there, 467 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: and that can wear down the cartilage and lead to arthritis. 468 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: And that's what we used to see in players who 469 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: would come back from these high ankle sprains before we 470 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: understood them as well, they'd either come back too soon 471 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: or probably needed surgery that they weren't getting and they 472 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 1: ended up with an arthritic ankle and that was the 473 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: end of their career. Now, if you store normal joint mechanics, 474 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: you can actually prolong the life of the athlete's career 475 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: because you're allowing that joint to maintain normal motion. That's 476 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: why the tyrope has been such an advance is because 477 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: it's less hardware in the ankle, normal joint mechanics, and 478 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: it's a bit of a myth. The surgeons who do 479 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:24,400 Speaker 1: this the most will tell you that they get frustrated 480 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: when they hear that players are having this so that 481 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: they can come back faster, because that is not the 482 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: goal of the surgery. The goal of the surgery is 483 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 1: to restore stability and to create normal joint motion, and 484 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: yes along the way, once you do that, it does 485 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: often help the athletes to be able to return more quickly, 486 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 1: but that's not the primary motivation. I want to talk 487 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: about soft tissue injuries. Mike Vrabel, the Titans coach, called 488 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: out a couple of his players in his season ending 489 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: Prescottference for hamstering injuries and made it clear he felt 490 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:58,639 Speaker 1: like there were more things that they could do to 491 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:03,239 Speaker 1: train in order to control soft tissue injuries. Thoughts on 492 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: soft tissue injuries and what can be done in training 493 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: to possibly help prevent, Yeah, the hamstring strain, Like, finding 494 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: a way to prevent hamstring strain is like the holy 495 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: grail of athletic injuries across every sport because it affects 496 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 1: every sport. And we know that it's a problem in 497 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 1: football because again every position, no one is immune to 498 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 1: a hamstring strain, whether you're a speed skill position player 499 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: or again someone in the trenches, they get them as well, 500 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: and we don't know how to prevent them. That's part 501 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 1: of the problem. In medicine. There's a lot of preventive 502 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: medicine research being done, but not anything that's led to 503 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: any real conclusions. The NFL was so concerned about hamstring 504 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 1: injuries that they awarded a research grant last year to 505 00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 1: a group. It was an RFP and people applied and 506 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: a group out of Wisconsin, an excellent sports medicine research group, 507 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: i would say, and Wisconsin won the award, and it's 508 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: a four million dollar grant to study hamstring injuries basically 509 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 1: to look at hopefully understand causes. They're looking at collegiate players, 510 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: getting some baseline data when they come in. I was 511 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: up in Wisconsin this summer. I actually saw some of 512 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 1: the initial testing. So they're doing things to get some 513 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,640 Speaker 1: baseline data on the players they come in and then 514 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: see what happens if they sustain an injury. How does 515 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: that data change? What are they're looking at MRIs after 516 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: the injury so they can see is there an imaging 517 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 1: correlation to the severity of what they see functionally and clinically, 518 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 1: and then as they return and they go through rehab, 519 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: how do they do and how do they fare? And 520 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: it's going to take a while. I mean it's I 521 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: think it's a three year study before we're going to 522 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: see any real results out of it. But it's a problem. 523 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: Everyone acknowledges it. There's no great solutions. Appreciate what Mike 524 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: Rabel is saying, because people want their players to take 525 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: care of themselves the best they can. You know, are 526 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: you eating properly or you hydrating properly? We know lack 527 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 1: of hydration can lead to soft tissue injuries? Are you 528 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: doing the appropriate things that aren't football related, you know, 529 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: do you have I don't know if cross training is 530 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 1: the right word, but are you doing the other things 531 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 1: that you need to keep your body healthy. It's tough 532 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: because there may be a genetic component as well. You know, 533 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: are some people more predisposed of these type of injuries 534 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 1: than others. Some guys don't do any of you know, 535 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: quote unquote the right things, and they they're fine, they 536 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: don't get the injury. Other guys do everything in their 537 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 1: power to stay healthy, and they're still susceptible. And we 538 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: know that after you have one, at least a significant 539 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: hamstring injury, you're more at risk for another because of 540 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 1: the presence of scar tissue. There's actually research being done 541 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: in sports medicine looking at how do you potentially change 542 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 1: what we see scar tissue? Looking at are there stem 543 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: cell you know, stem cell treatments and things of that 544 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: nature that could influence what scar looks like so that 545 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: it's more a pliable. I mean, there's so much work 546 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 1: being done looking at this, but I don't know that 547 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: it's going to change anything in the immediate, like the 548 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: near future in terms of what we're seeing on the 549 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: football field. It's a really tough area. They are not 550 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: great answers, but you're certainly identifying the problems we all 551 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: look at, and the league is well aware, and between 552 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: the NFL and the NFLPA, I think that's why they're 553 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: dedicating resources to it. But there just aren't any good 554 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: answers Stefani. A lot of guys might, like myself, follow 555 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: your timeline because they all want to know about their 556 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: fantasy lineups and how that stuff is going. But it's 557 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: clear well for everybody, absolutely, but your licensed physical therapists 558 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: for over twenty years, you clearly know what you're talking about. 559 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: Just you've talked way over my head for the last 560 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: few minutes of this. But how much of your time 561 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: in what you do is studying things, just like you 562 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: were talking about with the grant on trying to do 563 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: research on hamstring injuries. I mean you you must not 564 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 1: have enough hours in the day. I don't. Thanks for noticing. 565 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,479 Speaker 1: I feel like there's there's not enough time to do 566 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: everything that I want because I still do. You know 567 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: the PT in me is that's my love right is 568 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: studying this and it's relevant. It translates to fantasy. It translates, 569 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: you know, because fantasy is an extension of real football. 570 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: I believe, you know, we're all watching the same sport, 571 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: We're all looking at the same things. But the offseason 572 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 1: and I spend a ton of time. This is where 573 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: most of my time is spent is looking at I 574 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: go to conferences. I'm talking with a lot of the 575 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: folks who are working in these areas in sports medicine. 576 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: I'm listening to what are sort of evolving trends in 577 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 1: terms of treatment rehab. I spend time with surgeons and 578 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 1: we talk about surgical technique and some of the differences. 579 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: You know, the guys who pioneered the tightrope procedure. I 580 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: mean we heard a lot about it because of doctor 581 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 1: Norm Waldrop at Alabama, so it got you know, blown 582 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: up because he was doing it. He's certainly one of 583 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: the best. But talking to the folks who were doing 584 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: the procedures, what are they seeing, what are the outcomes like? So, yeah, 585 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 1: I don't know. I can't give you a number on 586 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: how much time, but that is what I do in 587 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: the off season. I love it because it brings me 588 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: to events like this and then I get to talk 589 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: to more and more people and see what's going on 590 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: and hopefully bringing back in the fall. Yeah again, as 591 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: a lifetime coach in this league. The devastation that an 592 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 1: ACL injury used to be and where it is now, 593 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: How did that evolve so well? Because it used to 594 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: be a massive scar, and it used to be a 595 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: huge cast and really the dude was probably done. Now 596 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 1: it's amazing, It's so true, and you're I'm gonna give 597 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: away a little bit and date myself by saying, when 598 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 1: I just finishing grad school University of Miami, people who 599 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: had ACL injuries were still being casted. And even then 600 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: it seemed intuitively from what I was learning as a 601 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: PT that that didn't make sense. And we often over 602 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: constrain things or when we're worried about like too much 603 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: motion might disrupt something. It might disrupt the new graphs. 604 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: That's what they were afraid of. And then you realize that, Okay, 605 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 1: the graph's not going anywhere, but all the other tissues 606 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: are being so compromised by immobilization. We know, anybody who's 607 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: had a cast on knows when you take the cast 608 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: off it is skinny, the skin looks bad, the joint hurts. Well, 609 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: that's because you're immobilized. And we do it to allow 610 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,240 Speaker 1: the bone to heal, but it comes with some associated 611 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: consequence as well. In the ACL the knee joint was 612 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: getting so compromised by being casted that it took a 613 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: brave surgeon with physical therapists to decide, I'm going to 614 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: go ahead and move the knee. And we just lost 615 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: doctor Steadman, who was known for having the ski clinics. 616 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: I think of his veil was where he had, you know, 617 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 1: so people would ski down the mountain Terry Racial you 618 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 1: could get surgery right there. But he really was one 619 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: of the pioneers in early motion and I think when 620 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 1: people started seeing the results, like anything in sports medicine 621 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: really is, nobody wants to be the first, and people 622 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:28,439 Speaker 1: wonder sometimes why professional athletes aren't getting something that they 623 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: know is out there that other people are doing. Typically, 624 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:33,799 Speaker 1: nobody wants to be the first to do it on 625 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:37,359 Speaker 1: a pro because of the consequences if something goes wrong. 626 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: So it's something has to develop in the larger sports 627 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:44,600 Speaker 1: medicine world get enough data before they'll transfer it to 628 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: a pro. And what they started saying was there were 629 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:50,759 Speaker 1: enough people who were doing better with early mobilization that 630 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 1: they sorted it started to swing that way, So now 631 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: you go into a brace to protect the knee when 632 00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: your first your quad is not working well after surgery, 633 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,120 Speaker 1: so you have to be protected. But the quicker you 634 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 1: get the motion, the better the overall outcome is. And 635 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: when they started seeing that, that's what changed it. Hendon Hooker, 636 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,720 Speaker 1: you know he has an ACL that he's recovering from, 637 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 1: not and I don't know the specifics of his a CL, 638 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 1: but just say it's a basic one. Teams are not 639 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: marking him down significantly because he has an ACL. They'd 640 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: like to see him work out and it's going to 641 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 1: hurt him that he can't throw for them. But no 642 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: longer is he marked down because of this injury. It's 643 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: almost like kids coming out in baseball with the Tommy 644 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: John surgery. Now, yeah, and it's crazy. There's so many 645 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: layers to what I how I would talk about the 646 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: kids and the Tommy John surgery. That's another conversation. But 647 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 1: you're right because the ACL surgery has become so common. 648 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: Race that being said, I always still caution people it's 649 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 1: still a big surgery and we know that there's still 650 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,879 Speaker 1: a range of outcomes, and you're right, it depends on 651 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: the individual and the specifics of their injury. Was it 652 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: an isolated ACL tear, Did they also have a meniscus injury, 653 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:09,799 Speaker 1: Did they have any other ligament damage, and on and 654 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:11,279 Speaker 1: on and on. Did they have a history, Do they 655 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 1: have any arthritis in the knee, because sometimes there's arthritic 656 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: changes already. And so to your point, most player, most 657 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: teams will see a player who comes into the draft 658 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:27,239 Speaker 1: with an ACL injury and it's noted. They might get 659 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:28,920 Speaker 1: a little ding on it depending on where they are 660 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,480 Speaker 1: in the recovery, but it's not they're not off the boards. 661 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:35,399 Speaker 1: And what they want to see when they come into 662 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: the combine and they're going through the medicals, are they 663 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 1: progressing according to plan? That will be something that they 664 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: look at, like where are they on the recovery scale? 665 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,760 Speaker 1: Like Jeffrey Simmons when he came through with the Titans. Okay, 666 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know the specifics of what happened 667 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 1: when he came through, but I'm trying to think of 668 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: who was like the biggest one that everybody would remember 669 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 1: when it happened. It might have been Todd Gurley, Okay 670 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:02,479 Speaker 1: that because everybody he was such a high prospect, And yeah, 671 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 1: I think that we we researched that hard. I think 672 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: that was in Saint Louis. Yeah, I was with the 673 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: RAMS firm. Yeah, okay, And we researched that hard. And 674 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: I can remember Todd standing next to me in practice saying, 675 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: I knew I brought that up for a reason. Well, 676 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 1: but Todd would stand next to me going, coach Mac, 677 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,839 Speaker 1: I feel better, Can we go? Can? Can we go? 678 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 1: Can we go? And we really had to pull him back, 679 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: you know, to save him from himself. But we researched 680 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,520 Speaker 1: that extremely hard and came out with a favorable and 681 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: he had a nice career, yes, and and and look 682 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 1: that with that, that was that was a good decision 683 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: for you all. I mean Todd Gurley was to me. 684 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:50,360 Speaker 1: I think he kind of stands out because there was 685 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:52,840 Speaker 1: so much attention on him. It was a big issue 686 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: during the draft. And that was also the year that 687 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:57,880 Speaker 1: they have a medical meeting at the combine. There was 688 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:00,879 Speaker 1: some research presented at that meeting, and it's all all 689 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: the physician and athletic training staffs get together and have 690 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,720 Speaker 1: a medical meeting right before the rest of the combine 691 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 1: starts because they're all in the same place and they 692 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:14,280 Speaker 1: had done you know, it was like an internal study 693 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: and looked at data of players coming into the NFL 694 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,840 Speaker 1: having had an ACL reconstruction, and I don't have the 695 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: numbers at the top of my head, but they basically 696 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,000 Speaker 1: found that they went on to do very very well. 697 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,839 Speaker 1: There was an increased risk for a tear of either 698 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,479 Speaker 1: either a retear less risk for that or a tear 699 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:41,799 Speaker 1: on the opposite side within the first I think three 700 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:45,200 Speaker 1: to five years. But other than that, the metrics have 701 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: as far as their performance and returned to peak peak 702 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: performance were basically the same equivocal, so that I remember 703 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:57,839 Speaker 1: all the attention on Tagrah. I remember that combine and 704 00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:59,880 Speaker 1: I remember him coming out and having the career that 705 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:02,880 Speaker 1: he did, and people were like, oh, okay, Like this 706 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:07,720 Speaker 1: is really not something that's going to derail a player's 707 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 1: career before it ever gets started. And I think that 708 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:12,920 Speaker 1: the biggest thing at the combine will be are they 709 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: on schedule relative to the procedure that they had. Is 710 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,919 Speaker 1: Adrian Peterson still to benchmark on a guy coming back 711 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,840 Speaker 1: like that, No, And he shouldn't be because he was 712 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 1: such an outlier, and unfortunately, I mean I has twelve 713 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: years I think since that happened, and yet people still 714 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 1: talk about him like, oh, well, you know, Adrian Peterson 715 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 1: did this in six months or whatever it was that 716 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: he came back, and I say, how many A sales 717 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:44,439 Speaker 1: have there been since Adrian Peterson. You have to look 718 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: at that and say that was an outlier. If somebody fails, 719 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: you know, if there's an extreme failure or an extreme success, 720 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: it's probably an outlier and you want to see where 721 00:39:56,360 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: the norm lies. He was an incredible athlete. Just his 722 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: performance before he had the ACL injury was remarkable. He 723 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 1: even had later after that a lateral meniscus tear and 724 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 1: did very very well after that. So he was just 725 00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 1: an unusual specimen, probably really good genetics on top of it, 726 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 1: and had the ability to come back and do what 727 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: he did. But it's remarkable, and I think it's not 728 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 1: fair to other players to say, wad Rain Peterson did this, 729 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 1: because then players put pressure on themselves enough already you're 730 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,120 Speaker 1: talking about they want to come back, they want to 731 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:37,719 Speaker 1: do more, but they're not necessarily seeing the long term 732 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:41,800 Speaker 1: consequences of coming back too soon. And we've seen players 733 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 1: come back and look great out of the gate, but 734 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,440 Speaker 1: then they're doing too much and they end up with 735 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:50,160 Speaker 1: a secondary injury, usually a hamstring. Dalvin Cook is a 736 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:53,560 Speaker 1: player who looked great when he first came back, and 737 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: I think the Vikings got really excited and he was running. 738 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 1: He was just being utilized so much, and he immediately 739 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: had a problem at a hamstring terror that then was 740 00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 1: recurrent through the season and really took him out for 741 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:08,719 Speaker 1: most of that year, and he didn't perform that well. 742 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,120 Speaker 1: But he came back the following year and was fantastic. 743 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:15,800 Speaker 1: So again, it's there's a lot of nuance with these injuries. 744 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 1: But just what I've sort of made a career out 745 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 1: of talking about that, it's really hard because we tend 746 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 1: to put people in buckets like, oh, you've had this, 747 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:27,640 Speaker 1: it'll be two to four weeks, and you should be 748 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:31,120 Speaker 1: back and you should be fine, and little do we know, 749 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:34,440 Speaker 1: there's some other variable that we haven't accounted for in 750 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,279 Speaker 1: that is altering their rehab course and makes it more 751 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:40,920 Speaker 1: difficult for them to come back and not necessarily any 752 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:44,000 Speaker 1: fall of the player. Do you expect changes in how 753 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:48,640 Speaker 1: the NFL deals with concussions in twenty twenty three, You know, 754 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:52,920 Speaker 1: I think I don't expect anything in particular. I think 755 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:58,239 Speaker 1: they modified the language after the situation with Tua where 756 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:01,319 Speaker 1: he returned to the game had not been diagnosed with 757 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:05,920 Speaker 1: a concussion, but had the stumbling that everybody saw, and 758 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,040 Speaker 1: so they just made it clear that if anything like 759 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:11,399 Speaker 1: that was visible, the player would not return, whether they 760 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,160 Speaker 1: cleared the testing or not. That was essentially the nuts 761 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:16,840 Speaker 1: and bolts of the language change that happened in the season. 762 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,400 Speaker 1: I think what they would tell you from the NFL 763 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:23,239 Speaker 1: and NFLPA side is that it's a fluid document, the 764 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:26,920 Speaker 1: one that outlines the concussion protocol, and that anytime they 765 00:42:27,239 --> 00:42:31,799 Speaker 1: see something that warrants a change, they will change. One 766 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: of the things I felt like I said a lot 767 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: in the aftermath of the t A situation was the 768 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:40,680 Speaker 1: problem we have when it comes to concussions is we 769 00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:45,160 Speaker 1: don't have great objective testing in place. And it's an 770 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:47,760 Speaker 1: area that's been heavily researched in the last few years, 771 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:51,600 Speaker 1: and there are sort of different feelings on how solid 772 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 1: the data is around some of the objective measures that 773 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:58,239 Speaker 1: are being utilized by some groups, whether it's outside or 774 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:02,560 Speaker 1: inside the NFL, but league wide, there has not been 775 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:05,560 Speaker 1: anything that has meant the standards for them to adopt 776 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:09,319 Speaker 1: it as part of their standard objective testing. So it 777 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:13,760 Speaker 1: relies on information from the athlete, the communication back and forth, 778 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:16,439 Speaker 1: some of the testing that they do in the blue 779 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 1: tent or in the locker room, but really the neurologic 780 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,239 Speaker 1: testing other than if you're looking at the pupils or 781 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 1: some of the what we call cranial nerve testing. Things 782 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:28,920 Speaker 1: they can look at if there's a clear if something's awry, 783 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 1: they can note that, But much of it is based 784 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:36,920 Speaker 1: on player response, and so that puts subjectivity into the 785 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:42,840 Speaker 1: equation and they're looking at blood biomarker testing, saliva biomarker testing. 786 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:46,960 Speaker 1: Is there anything with eye tracking. I know there are 787 00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:49,799 Speaker 1: eye tracking devices out there that are being utilized as 788 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:55,800 Speaker 1: adjuncts for determining concussion or diagnosing whether a player should 789 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:58,440 Speaker 1: be removed from play or able to return to play, 790 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:03,839 Speaker 1: and certainly another sport. But those things need to come 791 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:07,600 Speaker 1: along in order to remove this burden from people who 792 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:10,160 Speaker 1: are making decisions based on you know, I really don't 793 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:13,959 Speaker 1: believe there's malintent out there by anyone on the medical side. 794 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:15,960 Speaker 1: It's just not worth it to them. I mean, this 795 00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:19,920 Speaker 1: is not contrary to what people may believe. It's not 796 00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:23,960 Speaker 1: a highly reimbursed position. A lot of it is donated time. 797 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:28,680 Speaker 1: I mean, people are this is something they do and 798 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:31,640 Speaker 1: I think they enjoy it. The medical professionals who work 799 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:34,280 Speaker 1: with the teams would tell you, but they're not employed 800 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:37,960 Speaker 1: by the teams other than the athletic training staff. Physicians 801 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:41,080 Speaker 1: are not employed by the teams. The uncs. They have 802 00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:45,480 Speaker 1: an arrangement, but they're the compensation is not worth the time, 803 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:50,120 Speaker 1: the stress and the drama. So they're doing They're everybody 804 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,000 Speaker 1: I believe is trying to do the right thing. But 805 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 1: we're operating in a space where we don't have the 806 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:56,799 Speaker 1: best tools and there's still a lot we don't know 807 00:44:56,840 --> 00:45:00,440 Speaker 1: about head injury. You know, when you first set down here, 808 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 1: you've said some tremendous things, but you did not tell 809 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:06,840 Speaker 1: the truth when you first sat down here, when you 810 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 1: said that you didn't know if you could explain things. 811 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 1: This has been absolutely fabulous. Oh thank you. I want 812 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:16,760 Speaker 1: to wrap up with this. How did you get on TV? 813 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:24,439 Speaker 1: How did you become ESPN's injury expert? Because I'm gonna 814 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:25,879 Speaker 1: tell you something. I'm not just saying this because you're 815 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:28,160 Speaker 1: here when you come on the television. If I have 816 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:30,080 Speaker 1: it on in my office, I turn up the sound 817 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:32,760 Speaker 1: because I don't always have the sound up because people 818 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 1: be coming in and out and you're working. But I mean, 819 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:38,399 Speaker 1: because what you're saying is important to people. So that's 820 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:41,520 Speaker 1: certainly a compliment. Well thank you, But how did you 821 00:45:41,600 --> 00:45:46,439 Speaker 1: go from doing PT to this role? I think people 822 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:48,960 Speaker 1: would be interested to know. And it's funny, it was 823 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: not a linear path. Let me tell you that. I 824 00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:54,320 Speaker 1: just you know, I was always fascinated by I was 825 00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:58,719 Speaker 1: always a sports fan and always fascinated by when a 826 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,360 Speaker 1: big injury happened, wasn't really anyone to talk about it 827 00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:05,080 Speaker 1: or people were kind of guessing. But the more I 828 00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:07,279 Speaker 1: learned and the more I knew, the more I, oh, no, 829 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: that's not it. Don't say that, you know, yeah, And 830 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:12,719 Speaker 1: I would get frustrated on the fan side of the TV. 831 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:15,880 Speaker 1: Why don't they have somebody who could explain this a 832 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:19,759 Speaker 1: little bit better or give you some perspective, you know, 833 00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:23,360 Speaker 1: from the medical standpoint. And you know, I think around 834 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:25,880 Speaker 1: the time was getting interested. You start seeing a lot 835 00:46:25,920 --> 00:46:27,799 Speaker 1: of legal analysts on TV, and that kind of gave 836 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:30,799 Speaker 1: me the idea of you know, here's some people who 837 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:33,440 Speaker 1: are educated in the law, but they're not inside this trial. 838 00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 1: But you know, we had a whole station in Court 839 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 1: TV that was dedicated to people who were not part 840 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:41,239 Speaker 1: of that trial but could still talk about it and 841 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:45,400 Speaker 1: lend their perspective because they were lawyers who had trial 842 00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:48,560 Speaker 1: law experience and they were talking about it. So I thought, well, 843 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: why couldn't you do that for sports if you had 844 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:53,520 Speaker 1: people who work in sports medicine who understand I've worked 845 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:56,319 Speaker 1: in training room all through college. I you know, I 846 00:46:56,360 --> 00:46:58,880 Speaker 1: was working with D one Sports when I was at KU. 847 00:46:59,040 --> 00:47:03,280 Speaker 1: I've worked in all these environments. I've treated these athletes. 848 00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:07,480 Speaker 1: I treated athletes from high school to professional for all 849 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:11,759 Speaker 1: the years before I came here to ESPN, So why 850 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:14,960 Speaker 1: not me? And I also was a teacher, so I 851 00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:17,440 Speaker 1: was used to having to explain things I taught. I 852 00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 1: taught a KU and then I taught in post professional 853 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 1: fellowship training programs and physical therapy. So the combination of explaining, 854 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:28,920 Speaker 1: loving sports wanting to do it on a different platform 855 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:31,760 Speaker 1: led me and that And then I played fantasy football, 856 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:34,200 Speaker 1: and then people were asking me all the time about 857 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 1: injuries to help with their teams, and I said, you know, 858 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:40,160 Speaker 1: this is how I do it because if people if 859 00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:43,680 Speaker 1: information is valuable, somebody's going to pay me to do it. 860 00:47:43,719 --> 00:47:45,920 Speaker 1: And everybody said, oh no, it's nice what you did 861 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:47,560 Speaker 1: when I first was talking to people, but no one's 862 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:49,400 Speaker 1: going to pay you to do that. And I said, well, 863 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:52,880 Speaker 1: sure you are, if the information is valuable enough to you. 864 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:56,160 Speaker 1: And eventually I beat down a few doors, and actually 865 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:59,000 Speaker 1: the company wrote a wire who still supplies a lot 866 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,320 Speaker 1: of the player card in formation for us at ESPN, 867 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:05,240 Speaker 1: and it was there. It was Peter Schenky, their CEO, 868 00:48:05,400 --> 00:48:08,879 Speaker 1: basically who who said come right for us. And I 869 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:12,359 Speaker 1: started writing for their magazines when everybody did magazines at 870 00:48:12,360 --> 00:48:14,879 Speaker 1: the time, and then got on the radio with them 871 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:17,160 Speaker 1: when they developed a radio deal and that got me 872 00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:21,239 Speaker 1: talking on air, and then ESPN. Matthew Berry had just 873 00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:24,800 Speaker 1: gone to ESPN was tasked with building the fantasy group 874 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:27,200 Speaker 1: and they brought me out for an audition and I 875 00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:29,960 Speaker 1: thought for sure after that audition I would never be 876 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 1: going back, but instead I left with the job offers. 877 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:38,680 Speaker 1: So since gambling became legal, you know, I don't know, 878 00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:42,359 Speaker 1: you'd probably have to ask the gamers, but somebody asked me. 879 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:45,960 Speaker 1: I did an interview with my friend Jeff Moht, his 880 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:49,480 Speaker 1: podcast at the process just a week ago, and he 881 00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:52,560 Speaker 1: was asking if my process had changed, and I said, no, 882 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:55,600 Speaker 1: not really, because the information is the information still the same. 883 00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:58,560 Speaker 1: I might have a different sort of audience that's listening 884 00:48:58,600 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 1: to it. I'm not telling you how to place your bets. 885 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:05,279 Speaker 1: I'm just telling you information that I would share with 886 00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 1: anybody else. So how that information he's utilized that that 887 00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:12,520 Speaker 1: goes beyond my scope. But I'm just happy to talk 888 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:14,880 Speaker 1: about it. Obviously, I like talking about this stuff. We 889 00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:18,600 Speaker 1: probably talk to you much. This is fabulous. We feel 890 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:21,200 Speaker 1: like we've taken advantage of your time. We apologize you're 891 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,160 Speaker 1: a rock star. Stefani A Bell, ESPN. Thank you so 892 00:49:24,239 --> 00:49:26,120 Speaker 1: much for being with us on the OTP. Oh, it's 893 00:49:26,160 --> 00:49:36,600 Speaker 1: my pleasure. Stefania Bell knows your stuff. She is so impressive. 894 00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:40,160 Speaker 1: And if I had any more adjectives, I mean, wow, 895 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:45,279 Speaker 1: I'm not smart enough to have any more adjectives. She's amazing, 896 00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:49,440 Speaker 1: so impressive. Introducing the new Duncan Rewards program. These are 897 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:54,040 Speaker 1: rewards you can really use. Free donuts, coffee, breakfast, sandwiches. 898 00:49:54,719 --> 00:49:57,759 Speaker 1: Joined Duncan Rewards today, Save them, stack them, use them 899 00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:00,160 Speaker 1: however you want. America runs on duncan get them on 900 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:04,840 Speaker 1: the app. All right, So final takeaways from the week 901 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:08,400 Speaker 1: in Mobile Coach Dave McGinnis. I'm gonna let you go first. 902 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:12,040 Speaker 1: I've been about thirty five of these. I enjoyed this 903 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:14,440 Speaker 1: with you two more than any of them. Oh wow, 904 00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:18,520 Speaker 1: very kind, how nice, because I mean, just watching you 905 00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:21,800 Speaker 1: guys work and ret this is your first one. Correct, 906 00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:24,279 Speaker 1: watching you guys work. Mike's a pro at it, but 907 00:50:24,360 --> 00:50:27,080 Speaker 1: watching you guys work and all the work that you 908 00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:29,319 Speaker 1: put into it. Look, I was a head coach in 909 00:50:29,320 --> 00:50:31,040 Speaker 1: this league. I was an assistant head coach. I was 910 00:50:31,080 --> 00:50:34,239 Speaker 1: in charge of people, and I observed people down here 911 00:50:34,320 --> 00:50:37,040 Speaker 1: to see what I mean, The work that you guys 912 00:50:37,040 --> 00:50:40,239 Speaker 1: put in down here was amazing and I enjoyed. You know, 913 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:42,239 Speaker 1: we set together up there in the stands, and of 914 00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:44,239 Speaker 1: course a lot of coaches would come to talk to 915 00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:47,000 Speaker 1: me and and I would immediately introduce you to them 916 00:50:47,040 --> 00:50:50,719 Speaker 1: because you guys legit down here. I'm just telling you 917 00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:54,080 Speaker 1: that that was a part one of my takeaways. It's 918 00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:56,880 Speaker 1: just being around coach like like we go when we 919 00:50:56,920 --> 00:50:59,840 Speaker 1: go to the combine. Here we are in the stand 920 00:51:00,280 --> 00:51:04,359 Speaker 1: and first couple of days of practice, there's somebody coming 921 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:06,680 Speaker 1: by to say hello to coach Maga. Rayagg Knew, the 922 00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:09,319 Speaker 1: assistant general manager of the Detroit Lions, who work with 923 00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:12,480 Speaker 1: Mac in the RAMS organization, knows Ran Carthon very well. 924 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:16,560 Speaker 1: And here's Don Wink Martindale walking by and came over. 925 00:51:16,680 --> 00:51:21,680 Speaker 1: I witnessed the whole thing. Wink Martindale, former Ravens defensive coordinator, 926 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:26,359 Speaker 1: current Giants defensive coordinator, came all the way over just 927 00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:30,000 Speaker 1: to see coach Mac. He's beloved by all, he's the 928 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:34,160 Speaker 1: mayor of everywhere. But this the way Jim Naggee and 929 00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:38,759 Speaker 1: his crew have this setup. It's impressive. Well, it is 930 00:51:39,040 --> 00:51:42,880 Speaker 1: not work to be taken lightly. They take it seriously. 931 00:51:42,960 --> 00:51:45,719 Speaker 1: They do an excellent job. I was blown away by 932 00:51:45,719 --> 00:51:49,520 Speaker 1: the University of South Alabama's campus at Hancock Whitney Stadium. 933 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:53,839 Speaker 1: What a beautiful facility that is. And I'm excited to 934 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:56,520 Speaker 1: take this first step on what will be some really 935 00:51:56,560 --> 00:51:59,240 Speaker 1: good draft coverage at Tennessee Titans dot Com and certainly 936 00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:03,040 Speaker 1: on Titans who good group of tight ends. I liked 937 00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:06,959 Speaker 1: the offensive line talent here. Running backs was a good group, 938 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,120 Speaker 1: but I think that's just something to build off of us. 939 00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:13,839 Speaker 1: We head towards combine and draft. My takeaway started with 940 00:52:13,960 --> 00:52:18,520 Speaker 1: Jim Nagee's opening press conference when he said that he 941 00:52:18,680 --> 00:52:21,320 Speaker 1: did not he thought it was quite possible that for 942 00:52:21,360 --> 00:52:25,000 Speaker 1: the first time in seven years, the Senior Bowl will 943 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:28,879 Speaker 1: not produce a first round pick. This is a very 944 00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:34,399 Speaker 1: interesting draft from the standpoint that the COVID draft last 945 00:52:34,480 --> 00:52:38,400 Speaker 1: year was very thick because so many guys stayed around 946 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:42,600 Speaker 1: for a twenty one season, and then in twenty two 947 00:52:43,239 --> 00:52:46,319 Speaker 1: the draft was thick in terms of numbers. There were 948 00:52:46,320 --> 00:52:48,279 Speaker 1: a lot of good undrafteds, there were a lot of 949 00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:52,879 Speaker 1: good late picks. You know, you've seen that. Overall, this 950 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:56,800 Speaker 1: draft is probably a little less thick than normal because 951 00:52:56,840 --> 00:53:01,640 Speaker 1: that one was so thick. In discussing Jim's point with 952 00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:05,680 Speaker 1: other people, there are folks that feel there will be 953 00:53:05,880 --> 00:53:10,600 Speaker 1: less first round grades this year than are normally given. 954 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:12,680 Speaker 1: And what would you say, coach, on average, most teams 955 00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:16,920 Speaker 1: will give twenty to twenty five first round The feeling 956 00:53:17,080 --> 00:53:20,880 Speaker 1: is this year there will be somewhere between fifteen and 957 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:25,800 Speaker 1: eighteen first round grades given by the average team. There's 958 00:53:25,840 --> 00:53:29,160 Speaker 1: always been talk that that the real draft is twenty 959 00:53:29,200 --> 00:53:31,719 Speaker 1: to seventy five, that that's where you make your hay. 960 00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:36,000 Speaker 1: There's some feeling this year that that draft that that 961 00:53:36,400 --> 00:53:39,239 Speaker 1: you know where you get the really good players is 962 00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:42,960 Speaker 1: not twenty to seventy five, it's fifteen to fifty, and 963 00:53:43,040 --> 00:53:46,200 Speaker 1: so I think for the Titans to be picking higher 964 00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:50,960 Speaker 1: this year. It's not fortunate in the way that the 965 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:54,600 Speaker 1: season ended, certainly, but it fits. You know, you're going 966 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:56,920 Speaker 1: to be able to claim one of those guys with 967 00:53:57,000 --> 00:54:00,839 Speaker 1: a true number one grade at a leven, and then 968 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:03,000 Speaker 1: you're going to be able to get a really really 969 00:54:03,120 --> 00:54:06,840 Speaker 1: quality player at forty two. That's in that sweet spot. 970 00:54:08,120 --> 00:54:13,000 Speaker 1: But for me, the final takeaway is rounds three through seven. 971 00:54:13,520 --> 00:54:16,960 Speaker 1: You have got to be so discerning about what fits 972 00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:20,160 Speaker 1: you and how these guys can fit you quickly. The 973 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:24,360 Speaker 1: two class was excellent for the Titans. They need another 974 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:27,839 Speaker 1: one just like it. And as the Mike Vrabel ran 975 00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:32,680 Speaker 1: Carthon marriage comes together in figuring out what a Titan 976 00:54:32,719 --> 00:54:35,200 Speaker 1: looks like and what the needs are, it's going to 977 00:54:35,239 --> 00:54:38,319 Speaker 1: be fascinating to watch that develop, not just through the 978 00:54:38,360 --> 00:54:41,640 Speaker 1: next two and a half months to the draft, but 979 00:54:41,800 --> 00:54:45,560 Speaker 1: also what they decide they need in free agency because 980 00:54:45,600 --> 00:54:47,680 Speaker 1: they don't think they can get it in the draft. Well, 981 00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:50,040 Speaker 1: that's the beauty of draft preparation. Yeah, and again I 982 00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:53,839 Speaker 1: go back to that's why it's so vital, and that's 983 00:54:53,840 --> 00:54:57,320 Speaker 1: why Titans Radio goes over and above. Now I'm serious 984 00:54:57,360 --> 00:55:00,400 Speaker 1: to be he's say crazy, right, No, it's a lot 985 00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:04,640 Speaker 1: of worse crazy. I'm here for the draft. The draft 986 00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:07,120 Speaker 1: prep is a lot of work. I've done it all, 987 00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:09,960 Speaker 1: you know, for over half my adult life. But this 988 00:55:10,040 --> 00:55:12,719 Speaker 1: and the combine and that's why I said what I 989 00:55:12,719 --> 00:55:15,279 Speaker 1: said at the beginning of it. And the more that 990 00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:17,200 Speaker 1: you're able to dig on it and just to give 991 00:55:17,239 --> 00:55:21,120 Speaker 1: the perspective that you just gave. I mean, if for 992 00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:23,879 Speaker 1: people to listen that really want to understand what's going on, 993 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,759 Speaker 1: it's not always about who the first rounder is, right, 994 00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:31,040 Speaker 1: That's not what the draft is. And so as I said, 995 00:55:31,080 --> 00:55:32,520 Speaker 1: that's why I said what I said to begin with, 996 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:35,840 Speaker 1: just this is work down here, and this is work 997 00:55:36,280 --> 00:55:39,520 Speaker 1: and I've been a coach here for a long time 998 00:55:39,560 --> 00:55:41,239 Speaker 1: and you know the people that work. But the work 999 00:55:41,239 --> 00:55:44,719 Speaker 1: that was put in here and this content is really good. Well, 1000 00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:49,640 Speaker 1: thank you for saying that. And I just think as 1001 00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:52,839 Speaker 1: we delved into it. On the surface, New GM coming 1002 00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:57,440 Speaker 1: off a losing season, the salary cap stuff, the decisions 1003 00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:00,680 Speaker 1: about veterans that have to come, all of these things. 1004 00:56:00,719 --> 00:56:03,560 Speaker 1: You just say on the front end, it's gonna be 1005 00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:07,040 Speaker 1: the most interesting Titans offseason in seven years since John 1006 00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:10,560 Speaker 1: Robinson came in in twenty sixteen. I think after being 1007 00:56:10,600 --> 00:56:13,960 Speaker 1: in Mobile this past week, it's gonna be even more 1008 00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:18,080 Speaker 1: interesting because of what this draft really is. Well, and 1009 00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:20,280 Speaker 1: it's going to be more interesting once we get the combine. 1010 00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:23,120 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, because this was one hundred and twenty players 1011 00:56:23,160 --> 00:56:26,840 Speaker 1: down here. We've got three hundred and thirty at the combine. Well, 1012 00:56:27,160 --> 00:56:33,000 Speaker 1: and the whole thing too, is that the overall with 1013 00:56:33,040 --> 00:56:37,560 Speaker 1: this is for six weeks, you know, because you think 1014 00:56:37,600 --> 00:56:42,880 Speaker 1: about the fiscal year starts March fifteen, three pm Central. 1015 00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:46,239 Speaker 1: You've got to be under the cap, so you've got 1016 00:56:46,280 --> 00:56:48,799 Speaker 1: a lot of decisions that you've got to make. The 1017 00:56:49,320 --> 00:56:54,120 Speaker 1: legal tampering period starts on Monday the thirteenth, where will 1018 00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:57,920 Speaker 1: Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabeill go free agency wise, what 1019 00:56:58,400 --> 00:57:01,840 Speaker 1: will be their targets, because it's going to change a 1020 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:05,919 Speaker 1: lot of the calculus towards this draft. And listen, it's 1021 00:57:05,960 --> 00:57:09,680 Speaker 1: gonna start with It has to begin with what you're 1022 00:57:09,719 --> 00:57:12,640 Speaker 1: doing at quarterback. Sure it does. I mean they've got 1023 00:57:12,640 --> 00:57:15,520 Speaker 1: to make a decision on quarterback, and it begins with 1024 00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:18,400 Speaker 1: what you're doing with your present roster, right, That's what 1025 00:57:18,440 --> 00:57:21,320 Speaker 1: it brightens with, right, And that's been what ran Carthon 1026 00:57:22,120 --> 00:57:26,120 Speaker 1: has been having to jam on so hard. Is you 1027 00:57:26,160 --> 00:57:28,120 Speaker 1: don't just come in and say, well, I'm getting ready 1028 00:57:28,120 --> 00:57:30,760 Speaker 1: for the draft and I'm looking at the present roster. 1029 00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 1: I mean, they've got to figure this puzzle out with 1030 00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:36,280 Speaker 1: the present roster fast. And that's what you have to do. 1031 00:57:36,320 --> 00:57:39,280 Speaker 1: Because you understand, Rand knows this draft, but just because 1032 00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:42,200 Speaker 1: of the positions he's held with the forty nine ers, 1033 00:57:42,200 --> 00:57:45,360 Speaker 1: he knows these players, and as he said very well 1034 00:57:45,440 --> 00:57:48,240 Speaker 1: in his first press conference, I know him on tape. 1035 00:57:48,320 --> 00:57:51,360 Speaker 1: I don't know the people that's important. But yeah, I 1036 00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:54,360 Speaker 1: mean you're one hundred percent right that they're over the cap, 1037 00:57:54,400 --> 00:57:56,640 Speaker 1: and so there's going to have to be some wrangling 1038 00:57:56,640 --> 00:57:59,480 Speaker 1: and figuring out before you ever get and while the 1039 00:57:59,560 --> 00:58:03,040 Speaker 1: draft process goes on. Through all that, I mean there's 1040 00:58:03,440 --> 00:58:06,360 Speaker 1: ran Carthon has a lot of work to do well, 1041 00:58:06,400 --> 00:58:10,680 Speaker 1: And for the ot people, you read the numbers about 1042 00:58:10,720 --> 00:58:13,960 Speaker 1: what the Titans are over the cap right now, and 1043 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:17,120 Speaker 1: whatever those exactly are, We don't know. It's over twenty 1044 00:58:17,120 --> 00:58:22,200 Speaker 1: million whatever. They can get there with not a lot 1045 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:25,040 Speaker 1: of moves. They don't have to wipe everything out like 1046 00:58:25,080 --> 00:58:27,600 Speaker 1: the Titans did after the two thousand and four season. 1047 00:58:27,640 --> 00:58:32,480 Speaker 1: It's not that, but that's your top fifty one salaries. 1048 00:58:33,160 --> 00:58:36,160 Speaker 1: That's what the cap is based on in the off season. 1049 00:58:36,560 --> 00:58:39,040 Speaker 1: When you get to the regular season, it's all of 1050 00:58:39,080 --> 00:58:43,360 Speaker 1: your salaries fifty three, it's all of your practice squad, 1051 00:58:44,040 --> 00:58:48,360 Speaker 1: it's anybody who's on ir So you can't just get 1052 00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:53,880 Speaker 1: a dollar under, you know, on March the fifteenth, especially 1053 00:58:53,920 --> 00:58:55,480 Speaker 1: if you want to sign free agents. You got to 1054 00:58:55,520 --> 00:58:59,280 Speaker 1: sign your draft class. So you're gonna maneuver all of 1055 00:58:59,320 --> 00:59:03,040 Speaker 1: that to start working towards September. No, sure, I mean 1056 00:59:03,440 --> 00:59:08,040 Speaker 1: it's you. You call it operating income, right, you have 1057 00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:11,400 Speaker 1: to have during the Season's that's what it is. And 1058 00:59:11,440 --> 00:59:13,480 Speaker 1: based on the numbers that they've had to come in 1059 00:59:13,480 --> 00:59:16,120 Speaker 1: and out of the roster the last two seasons, that's paramount. 1060 00:59:16,200 --> 00:59:19,680 Speaker 1: It is paramount. It is paramount. Indeed. Okay, coach Mack, 1061 00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:21,560 Speaker 1: thank you for all your work this week. We certainly 1062 00:59:21,600 --> 00:59:23,600 Speaker 1: appreciate it. Do you know how much I love it? 1063 00:59:23,640 --> 00:59:26,160 Speaker 1: I know you reet Brian, thank you for joining us 1064 00:59:26,360 --> 00:59:28,880 Speaker 1: the first one. I hope won't be the last one 1065 00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:31,280 Speaker 1: because this is fun. Follow him on Twitter at Rhett 1066 00:59:31,360 --> 00:59:35,160 Speaker 1: b Tennessee. Amy Wells is somebody that you can follow 1067 00:59:35,200 --> 00:59:38,720 Speaker 1: for every picture of Coach Mack from forever Coach Mack's 1068 00:59:38,720 --> 00:59:43,920 Speaker 1: photo gallery at Titans Amy. That's at Titans A m 1069 00:59:44,200 --> 00:59:48,320 Speaker 1: I E at Titans Amy. To follow Amy Wells on Twitter. 1070 00:59:48,720 --> 00:59:52,800 Speaker 1: For all of our content from mobile, go to Tennessee 1071 00:59:52,840 --> 00:59:55,280 Speaker 1: Titans dot com. Jim Wyatt was down here earlier in 1072 00:59:55,280 --> 00:59:57,080 Speaker 1: the weekend. He's gonna have some great stuff from the 1073 00:59:57,120 --> 00:59:59,960 Speaker 1: Pro Bowl as well, and then onto the Super Bowl. 1074 01:00:00,480 --> 01:00:02,880 Speaker 1: But we've got a lot of video content and always 1075 01:00:02,880 --> 01:00:07,080 Speaker 1: the OTPs. We appreciate Farm Bureau Health Plans sponsoring us 1076 01:00:07,160 --> 01:00:10,600 Speaker 1: as always, and please tell your friends ot people let's 1077 01:00:10,600 --> 01:00:14,040 Speaker 1: expand the family, especially as we move forward. We're going 1078 01:00:14,080 --> 01:00:18,640 Speaker 1: to try to have OTPs as regularly as possible as 1079 01:00:18,680 --> 01:00:21,880 Speaker 1: we go through all of this process together. For the 1080 01:00:21,960 --> 01:00:24,760 Speaker 1: coaching rhete I might Keith thanking you for listening to 1081 01:00:24,800 --> 01:00:28,600 Speaker 1: the O t PE. Welcome to the Big Sho where 1082 01:00:28,600 --> 01:00:33,480 Speaker 1: the legends go. Everybody knows it's our house. Finding thoughts 1083 01:00:33,480 --> 01:00:37,040 Speaker 1: Tennessee making three. Greenness is be