1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:01,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to bus with the boys. 2 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 2: We have an absolute legend with us, Troy Polamalu, Man, it. 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: Is it is an honor to have you. 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, outstanding Obviously here on behalf of Freedo Lace Right, 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 3: Freedo Lace. 6 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 4: Cool Ranch Cool. 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Wherever the fund wants to take you, it is Freedo 8 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: lay Right. 9 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 2: Before the pod, I was kind of asking him off 10 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: like us, like what have you been up to? Like 11 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: you've always done a very good job of staying under 12 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 2: the radar. And he was getting into uh, his two 13 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: boys fifteen and thirteen, Uh, they're starting getting to think 14 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: of it with sports and and what I wanted to 15 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 2: ask is what's it like being like, ah, you know, 16 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: being like one of those sport fathers, being those sport dads, 17 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 2: like navigating that you're talking about teaching them hard work 18 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: and everything else. 19 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 4: Well, to tell you the truth, like once sports are 20 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 4: over with and you know, like you get into the stands, 21 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 4: you become no different than any other dad. That's what 22 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 4: I realized. Like, first of all, for my children, they 23 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 4: don't give it. They don't care what I say, whether 24 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 4: it's about football or not. 25 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: Really. 26 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 4: Secondly, is I don't like, you know, the crazy sports. 27 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 4: That thing is, I've embodied that completely. I've tried my 28 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 4: best not to be that person. So it's it's pretty funny. 29 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 4: I've been all that. I've been the sports that I've been, 30 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 4: the coach, I've been all that, and that's that's kind 31 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 4: of been my experience since it's football. To be honest with. 32 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 3: You, we had Ed McCaffrey on here. He's talking about 33 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 3: obviously his son Christian, he's playing in the Super Bowl 34 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: and all that. And Christian was on last year talking 35 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 3: about all the crazy things his dad would do during 36 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 3: the recruiting process, putting weights in his sock so we. 37 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: Weighed more IV during in the middle of school, pick 38 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 2: him up for a night and get an IV. 39 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: He went to a private. 40 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 3: School and he had to wear jeans and his dad 41 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 3: be like, jeans a little heavy for game day. 42 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:43,839 Speaker 1: Huh. 43 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 3: Do you catch yourself like obviously having the success you 44 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 3: did in the NFL and you see your young boys 45 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 3: like playing yeah, no soda, no carpetation, had the belly 46 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 3: like you see your your own boys like starting their process. 47 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: Is do you ever catch yourself. 48 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 3: Being like if you know, hey, sleep routine, diet, all that, 49 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 3: Because when I mean all men didn't play in the league, 50 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 3: but you know, we just kind of ate whatever. 51 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: Right, it was high school. You kind of just figured 52 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 1: out as you win. 53 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 3: But you having that knowledge, have you tried to put 54 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 3: that on your kids at all? 55 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, but then you but then you evolve towards doing 56 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,679 Speaker 4: with the most optimal for your body and for your health. Yeah, 57 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 4: it's kind of tough to be honest with you. I'm geared. 58 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 4: I'm geared very much type A, although I may not 59 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 4: act that way, you know, so I am very regimented 60 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 4: and how I view things and how I do things, 61 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 4: so funny enough is yeah, absolutely, I've watched that Ed McCaffrey, 62 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 4: like his his inside the NFL and everything that he'd done. 63 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 4: That's how I obsessed I am. I study other fathers to 64 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 4: make sure like. 65 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 3: Dad. 66 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 4: So so aside from that, you know, a very infamous 67 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,799 Speaker 4: father and who I think is unfortunately characterized that way. 68 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 4: Marv Marinovich was my trainer, so he was kind of 69 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 4: like seen as the ultimate sports stat and you know, 70 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 4: bestowing all of his knowledge on his son. So yeah, 71 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 4: there is a certain balance there, absolutely, but without a doubt. 72 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 4: You know, as you know and you learn in the 73 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 4: in the NFL is it's always the little things. 74 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 3: You know. 75 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 4: Everybody does the big things with always the little things 76 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 4: and the accumulation those little things that kind of make 77 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 4: the big difference in those inches that are millimeters that 78 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 4: you try to gain throughout the sport. And for my 79 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 4: son it's it's it's a little bit of that, you know. 80 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 4: I'm not telling them, you know, wear jeans or not 81 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 4: wear jeans or any of that sort of stuff without 82 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 4: a doubt. I tell them how important sleep is. How 83 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 4: important I'm saying this for all the other kids out 84 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 4: there is, you know, the most important thing for kids 85 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 4: and for any athlete is sleep, hydration, and then the 86 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 4: diet and then the therapy and then the training. So 87 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 4: the things that are under your control or the sleep, 88 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 4: the diet, you know, and the hydration. So that's one 89 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 4: thing that I am very you know strict on is like, no, man, 90 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 4: you got a hydrate if you want to play too sports, 91 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 4: you want to play five sports, whatever the case is, Like, 92 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 4: these things are really important. So I am pretty strict 93 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 4: Aboyut some of those things. 94 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: Are they both are? They both very different? 95 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: Is one more type A is one more like you 96 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 2: that you feel like Okay, I can coach him this 97 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: way and coach the other one this way. 98 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, absolutely, they're They're exact opposite ones, very geared towards, uh, 99 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 4: trying to please everybody, and one of them is very 100 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 4: much about himself. 101 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: Yeah they do, they understand, I'm sure they do. 102 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 2: But finding like that interest of like, oh my my 103 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: dad played at this high level. He's this hall of 104 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 2: fame guy, like the things he says, I'm more of 105 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 2: a sponger. 106 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: Is it very much that? 107 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,720 Speaker 2: Uh? You know, since you're the dad one, you're out 108 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: the other at times, and then their coaches something like 109 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 2: I've been trying to tell you this the whole time. 110 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 4: To be honest, I joke that my kids are like that. 111 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 4: But they aren't. They're very there. I'm very blessed. They 112 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 4: listen really well. They do. You look up old highlights 113 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 4: and things like that, but you know, they I'm very fortunate. Again, 114 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 4: we have a very a very great relationship with my 115 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 4: two boys. 116 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 2: Do you love looking back at usc and and and 117 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: watching that hit you put on Old Boy? 118 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: What was it on Special Teams? 119 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 3: Yeah? 120 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 4: I don't even know what you're talking about. 121 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: Man. 122 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 4: And funny enough, funny enough, My on that hit. It 123 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 4: was Aaron Locket, Yeah it was. 124 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: It was. 125 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,239 Speaker 4: It was an ill timed hit. But what I always 126 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 4: tell people is that was the third one. The two 127 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 4: before that we're perfectly timed. So if you were to 128 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 4: watch the whole game, you want to saw the two 129 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 4: before that. But uh, my wife was like I had 130 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 4: met her at that time, right before, and she was like, man, 131 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 4: that guy's a cheap player. I hope I never meet 132 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 4: that guy. I'd say something terrible to Hi'm like, yeah, 133 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 4: I wouldn't want to meet him. There is a piece 134 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 4: of crap that she's later found out it was obviously me. 135 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 4: But yeah, with. 136 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 3: The kids, like sticking on that for just one more, 137 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 3: like it was wherever a point in your life as 138 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 3: your kids get older, they discover they go to school, 139 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 3: their kids are talking about your your kids friends are 140 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 3: talking about their their dad, and like tempering those expectations 141 00:05:58,279 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 3: as they kind of go to sports, like, hey, you 142 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 3: don't don't have to Like the goal is not to 143 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 3: like achieve what I did. It's like to be the 144 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 3: best version of yourself. Did you ever have like were 145 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 3: they ever struggling with that anything? 146 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 4: Yeah? I think naturally they I me and my son 147 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 4: plays football and they both they both be playing tackle football. 148 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 4: So I think naturally they're going to deal with that. 149 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 4: And I mean, you guys have been in this all 150 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 4: We've been all the same circles. You know, these things 151 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 4: aren't to it an advantage to anybody right in our circle. 152 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 4: But I I I tell them to embrace that. You know, 153 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 4: that's only going to harden them, make them even better, 154 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 4: you know, in a lot of ways. And also is 155 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 4: you know I've I've also been on the other side 156 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 4: of where I've always been the jealous athlete, always trying 157 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,799 Speaker 4: to knock down the who's ever on top, and and 158 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 4: you know, there was a lot of bad characteristics that 159 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 4: I had growing up because of that. So you know, 160 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 4: I try to coach my son like how to deal 161 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 4: with people that have similar character of how I was, 162 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 4: you know, growing up very jealous, very competitive, very alpha type. 163 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 4: So what they do have is they have, you know, 164 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 4: somebody who's got a lot of life experience, you know, 165 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 4: that's able to impart a lot of knowledge. And to 166 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 4: their credit, they're great listeners. 167 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: Who are some of those safeties that you were jealous of? 168 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 4: Oh, all of them. To be honest with you, but 169 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 4: are there a couple or. 170 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: Is there one that you're just like? 171 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 4: So every year, every year, I watched five safeties and 172 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 4: I would literally watch every single one of their plays, 173 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 4: and I would make a highlight tape and a low 174 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 4: light tape of all of them. So that's what I 175 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 4: did throughout my whole career. Ed was somebody I watched 176 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 4: every I watched every single one of his plays. So 177 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 4: obviously Ed is somebody who I admired. But there's a 178 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 4: bunch of guys like Donnavan, Darius, Bob Sanders, a lot 179 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 4: of guys that don't get a lot of credit that 180 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 4: you know, were Hall of Fame type caliber players that 181 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 4: didn't have length. And to be very frank man, I 182 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 4: was in the most beautiful situation in Pittsburgh. I have 183 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 4: a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator, hall of Fame head coach. Man. 184 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 4: You could put any of these players in my position 185 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 4: and they would have been just as successful as I am. 186 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 4: I studied, I was obsessed with the game. I broke 187 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 4: downies in this way and even cornerbacks in this way. 188 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 4: So I don't say these things humbly. I see I 189 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 4: study these guys. I studied everything about them. You know, 190 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 4: I studied father, I studied MacCaffrey, I studied Marinvi. I'm'm 191 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 4: telling you, so these sort of things aren't aren't. Like 192 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 4: that's obviously who I am. Maybe a part of my 193 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 4: success as a football player, but it's it's it's just 194 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 4: who I am. It's the things of how I view 195 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 4: you know, trying to be a father or trying to 196 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 4: help train athletes or whatever the case is. 197 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 2: Were you very were was all this this uh student 198 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 2: of the preparation? Did you have all this in usc 199 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 2: and it helped carry you into the league or did 200 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 2: it obviously develops over time? But did you kind of 201 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 2: have that sense of urgency in preparation at college? 202 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: No? 203 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 4: I absolutely developed it over time. And what I did 204 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 4: is I studied the greats. Like if anybody at this 205 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 4: period of time knows, like saw how Ed Reid how 206 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 4: much he talked about how important film was, and he 207 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 4: didn't listen to that, you know what I mean? Like 208 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 4: this he was talking in college about this stuff, and 209 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 4: I'm listening to him in college and so so like 210 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 4: all of these sort of things became habits for me. 211 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 4: You know, here you hear here and there about what 212 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 4: Tom Brady is doing and all these guys about health, wellness, longevity, 213 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 4: and you know, how to keep a sharper edge. And 214 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 4: you know, you hear about how other athletes rob you know, 215 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 4: like Gilbert Rene is talking about how he watched Kobe 216 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 4: Bryant play and how he learned from these guys. And honestly, 217 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 4: it's very simple in that way. You know, you got 218 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 4: to have a student mindset in the sport. You nothing, 219 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 4: You're not going to be original in anything. There's a 220 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 4: lot of great players that have done a lot of 221 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 4: great things, and and and and you guys have walked 222 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 4: in these shoes. It's no secret, man, It's it's sacrifice, 223 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 4: it's grit, it's hard work. It's no special talent that 224 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 4: anybody else has. So you know, as long that to 225 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 4: me is it was my mindset. So that's why I 226 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 4: learned from guys like Ed, guys like Donovan Darius. A 227 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 4: lot of safeties that I studied that aren't quite very 228 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 4: famous out there. 229 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,839 Speaker 3: When you were talking about like Hall of Fame decordinators, 230 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 3: Dick Lebeaux, he was with the Tennessee Titans for a year. 231 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 3: And this is a guy who like walks into a 232 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 3: room and you're like, holy shit, dude, that's Dick Lebow 233 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 3: and he's a legend, and there's so many things that 234 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 3: we went and played the Steelers on thursdayight football. 235 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: We got destroyed. 236 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 3: It was like it was ab catching the ball in 237 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 3: the back of his head. It was just an absolutely 238 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 3: they molly waffed us. But like he bought all these 239 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 3: other players in these Hall of Fame dudes is a 240 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 3: Kessel Kesel. Yep, he bought him and a bunch of 241 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: other guys, and they had conversations with us. But one 242 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 3: of the things they always would tell amazing stories about 243 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 3: Dick and I there was one time for Christmas, right 244 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 3: around Christmas time, we'd have a team meeting and I 245 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 3: don't know if he did this with you guys. He 246 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 3: sat and he read the night before Christmas in front 247 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 3: of the whole team. 248 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: No he didn't. 249 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 2: Didn't. 250 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: He cited the entire. 251 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 3: Book or story like verbatim, and so like, are there 252 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 3: any like some Dick loboisms that maybe the world doesn't 253 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 3: know about as much? 254 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 4: Well for to extend on that story, though, this is 255 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 4: something he did every year. So it was like a 256 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 4: tradition on the last game before Christmas and to me, 257 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 4: I always look forward to that every year because I mean, 258 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 4: you experienced it, you understand like the level of like 259 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 4: you kind of look around here like, dang, man, like 260 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 4: this guy's reciting the whole poem. He writes an intro 261 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 4: and you know, an intro to it that he wrote 262 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 4: himself that like it is perfectly in line with the 263 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 4: entire poem. And then you to me what I would 264 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 4: love to what I loved At those moments, I would 265 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 4: look around at all the younger guys and then they 266 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:31,959 Speaker 4: that's when they like would really start to say, Man, 267 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 4: I'm part of something special and very different, Like they 268 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 4: don't do this normally different at you know, in the NFL. 269 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 4: So to me, that was always really special thing that 270 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,720 Speaker 4: he would always do. In fact, even to this day, 271 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 4: on the night before Christmas, I'll pull up the video 272 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 4: on YouTube and my family will watch it as well. 273 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 4: But Kosa bo Is he's I mean, you experienced them 274 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 4: for a year. But in my career he was everything 275 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 4: to me. I mean he was came in my second 276 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 4: year and we left the Steelers together. Man. Every every 277 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 4: day was like a like a like a like a 278 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 4: like a there was like a wi sage moment with him, 279 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 4: it was like whoa, that was profound, Like thank you 280 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:12,559 Speaker 4: for that. 281 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 3: You know. 282 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 4: It was just like every day was that. And and 283 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 4: you don't get that from coaches that you like, you 284 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 4: know what I mean, Like coaches you get different type 285 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 4: of wisdom from he got gave like sage advice. So 286 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 4: and it came like at like like he was never 287 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 4: a yell er, He was never a custer, you know. 288 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 4: But so it was just just came like in a 289 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 4: very real sense, and especially the fact that he's a 290 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 4: Hall of Fame player, you know. The funny things that 291 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 4: he would always do is like he'd come to dB 292 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 4: line he just walked down you go twelve, fifteen, twenty seven, 293 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 4: fifty five, He's like, all of you guys don't amount 294 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 4: to the amount of interceptions that I have. He would 295 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 4: literally just go like that, like yep, that's fifty five. 296 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 4: All you guys come buy sixty three over early. So yeah, 297 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 4: he was he was awesome. 298 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 3: Was his was the beauty of his coaching, The consistency. 299 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 3: Consistency like having him from a year two toll when 300 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 3: you finished, did he ever kind of waver. 301 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 4: And absolutely absolutely not. But also like you know, he 302 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 4: I think that's one thing is is his consistency. But like, 303 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 4: I don't know, like it wasn't like he changed his messes, 304 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 4: it got stale, none of it. Never did that. But 305 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 4: he always kept us excited and happy. I don't know why. 306 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 4: It was just that that level of respect that we had. 307 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 3: For him, such a unique like way to go about things. 308 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 3: I feel like the coaching world, at least when we 309 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 3: grew up in was like more yelling, more intensity, and 310 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 3: there was like such a calmness about him. Everywhere he walked. 311 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 3: He comes, see you, he remember everybody's name. Tap you 312 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 3: on the shoulder as he left, gentle tap on the shoulder. 313 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 3: You're like, man, we had a moment. 314 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 2: I feel the first time you experienced somebody like that too. 315 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 2: You're just thinking like, Okay, there's another way that goes 316 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:57,560 Speaker 2: about it. And I'm kind of receptive to this. 317 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 4: Like he's he like told me one days, like he's 318 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 4: like he just for the heck of it, he went 319 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 4: like four hundred days eating a cheeseburger every day. So 320 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 4: you tried to do something like that with like you 321 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 4: know what I mean. 322 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 2: But I'm so fascinated with the way you were talking 323 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 2: about your preparation and being kind of obsessed with like 324 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 2: watching everybody else and kind of adding those parts of 325 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: the game. 326 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: I know we talk about doing things like that and. 327 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 2: Just that that that level of of detail. Could you 328 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: you have your style of play of like being up 329 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 2: on the line of scrimmage, rolling to the middle of 330 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 2: the field, jumping over the line of scrimmage, like doing 331 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 2: all these. 332 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: Like unique things. 333 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 2: And uh, was there a time Because I feel like, 334 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 2: when you're a player and you want to go make 335 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 2: a play, right coach coach will be in the film 336 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 2: ro I'm like, yeah, you make the decision, you better 337 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 2: make a play or it wouldn't work out. Like, was 338 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: there a time where you're studying these other guys and 339 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 2: you're thinking, Okay, Ed Reed just did this or this 340 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 2: this guy just happened, Like I'm going to start adding 341 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 2: this wrinkle to my and then when that moment did happen, 342 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 2: you're like, Okay, the leash of Palamolo gets longer because like, hey, 343 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 2: he's going out here and making these. 344 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 4: Plays, so oh yeah, there's there's absolutely a lot of 345 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 4: things for ed in particular that he would do that 346 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 4: I'm like, oh man, I need to incorporate that, and 347 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 4: and funny thing is that's what I would use Scout 348 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 4: Team for. To be honest with you, I'm like, I 349 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 4: want to I want to do Scout Team. I want 350 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 4: to do Scout Team because I'm like, oh, well, you know, 351 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 4: I want to try some of the things I've seen 352 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 4: how some of these other safeties do you know? One 353 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 4: thing that that I try to tell people about football 354 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 4: is it's a it's it's a hard sport to get 355 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 4: really good at in a sense because we spend our 356 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 4: off season working out. So like the mentality is every 357 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 4: off season the only way that we can get better 358 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 4: is to get bigger, stronger, and faster. You know, it's 359 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 4: not get better at our skill development. So for me, 360 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 4: I realized that, man, in order for as this for 361 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 4: a safety to become better, I need to get more 362 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 4: reps at practice. So I needed, like seemore, I need 363 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 4: to just continue to see it. So that's where that's 364 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 4: where I really started to change my practice habits to 365 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 4: like get more reps on the field so that I 366 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 4: could I could see see more. I actually learned that 367 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 4: from a book of the ten Thousand Hours book I 368 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 4: forget yeah outliers and just talking about like that, maximize 369 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 4: that rep. So I was like, man, I need to 370 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 4: maximize reps on the field. So whenever I would go 371 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 4: and do scout team, that's where I was maximizing the reps. 372 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 4: But then I would also incorporate the things that I 373 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 4: saw on film, like oh Man, ed disguis cover one 374 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 4: this way to make it look like cover six. So 375 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 4: he baited that front side post that they wouldn't throw 376 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 4: and cover three, but they would throw and cover six. 377 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 4: You know that he would do these genius type things 378 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 4: like oh man and maybe oh they call cover one, Hey, 379 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 4: let's make it look like six. And you know, these 380 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 4: sort of things that you could practice and Ryan would 381 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 4: be out there or Chris Hope, you know, the other 382 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 4: safety would be out there, so we'd be, you know, 383 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 4: practicing these guys together. The other thing was at Pittsburgh, 384 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 4: the unique thing that I hadn't as a role was 385 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 4: my rookie year. They maybe play safety, they may play 386 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 4: safety both safeties, which were two different positions at the time, 387 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 4: and then both nickel and the dime so end cornerback. 388 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 4: So I was end up being like the big safety 389 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 4: on corner. So I literally played almost every position on 390 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 4: defense and then on sometimes on three man rushes, I'd 391 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 4: be the fourth rusher, so I could run a text. 392 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 4: I can run the X game with some with the 393 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 4: with the d N. 394 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: So you could literally. 395 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 4: Say I played every position. What was really cool about that. 396 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 4: Terrible about that was I had to learn them all, 397 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 4: which was terrible because my whole rookie year I gave up. 398 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,239 Speaker 4: I promised, I gave up a touchdown a game and 399 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 4: it was I'm serious. What's funny about that is my 400 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 4: second year, if any rookie it would have come in 401 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 4: and done that, I would have been like, get him 402 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,919 Speaker 4: out of the game. Like my standard had been crazy different. 403 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 4: But anyway, when you look at an offense and then 404 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 4: you see, hey man, they attack you in this way, 405 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 4: and I'm a safety, I'm like, I play every position. 406 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 4: I know what everybody's doing. If I know the ball's 407 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 4: going there, coach, I'm just gonna switch with him. I'm 408 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 4: gonna say, all right, you know, linebacker, you play safety. 409 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 4: I'm gonna play linebacker because I know if I if 410 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 4: you play it right, but I know the play, I'm 411 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,439 Speaker 4: gonna play, blow it up. So for me, it was 412 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 4: that's that's that's kind of where I started really developed. 413 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,239 Speaker 4: It's hard as seeing. Man, I'm knowing everybody's role, and 414 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 4: if I know that the ball is gonna go there, 415 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 4: I'm just gonna switch positions with him. 416 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: So you would do that in real time in the game. 417 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 4: In real time in the game. 418 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 2: This when they wouldn't be a practicing, you'd be like, okay, 419 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 2: I have a really good inclase. 420 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: It started. 421 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 4: I started getting smart enough to know that when I 422 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 4: would do this and practice, the coaches would say you 423 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 4: can't do that. I'm like, all right, I'll just wait 424 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 4: for the game to do that. And then during the 425 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 4: games I'm like, oh, but you know I'm not talking 426 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 4: about I'm also giving up blitz this. I'm also saying, hey, James, 427 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 4: you'd be better and this was this blitz than I 428 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 4: am because I know you're going to get the running back. 429 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 4: I won't. I'll get the running back too. But you 430 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 4: know the same thing, like the same thing you know, 431 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 4: like I know I'm gonna get to tie it end. 432 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 4: Let's switch positions because I'll rush a d gap, you 433 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 4: rush your rush, contained I'll get the tackle, you get 434 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 4: the tight end. So like you know these little nuances 435 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 4: that you can make everybody better. Everybody didn't think like, 436 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 4: oh well, why would you switch the place? Are you 437 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 4: kidding me? James versus the tight end and me versus 438 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 4: the tackle. Of course I'm gonna lose. He's gonna win 439 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:15,959 Speaker 4: one hundred percent of the time. Yeah, So that that's what. 440 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,880 Speaker 4: That's what. What what started to make our defense really 441 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 4: roll together, and what's started to hurt our defense late 442 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 4: in my career is you get rookies out there. I'm like, 443 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 4: hey man, you got curl of flight. He's like, what's 444 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 4: curl the flat? 445 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 1: You can't be doing that. 446 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, man, do you remember the first play 447 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,120 Speaker 2: where that worked out? Where you just kind of went 448 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 2: out of the box and and and took a shot 449 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 2: and it happened to work well to where it's like, okay. 450 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 4: You know it was more or less that happens in 451 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 4: like coverage. You know, coaches will be yelling me, hey, 452 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,199 Speaker 4: it's covered two, it's covered two, it's covered two. You 453 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 4: be in the half and I'm showing cover three. But 454 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 4: I'm telling the corner, hey, you got the half, I'm 455 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 4: gonna take the flat. So I'm showing cover three the 456 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 4: whole time, and coach is yelling at the side. Hey, hey, 457 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 4: you got to be back. You got to be back, 458 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 4: And I'm like trying to ignore him, and then all 459 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 4: of a sudden it's like, you know, I'll get to this. 460 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 4: Sound like coach, I just inverted with the corner. I 461 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 4: let him play the half. I played the you know, 462 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,120 Speaker 4: I just want to give the quarterback a different look. 463 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,239 Speaker 4: They've been calling this and cover three every time, So 464 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 4: those little things is what Coach Lebo started to allow us, 465 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 4: Like yeah, man, here's the call. Make it right, you 466 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:26,680 Speaker 4: know what I mean, like just giving us that level 467 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 4: of flexibility in a lot of ways. We're talking about 468 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 4: how coach Tomman does too. 469 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 3: How long did it take for a coach Bow to 470 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 3: be like, all right, I understand you think it's going 471 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 3: to be a point where you're supposed to be a 472 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 3: Cover two, but you're showing Cover three and you go 473 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 3: to sideline and it's like, you can't do that. How 474 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 3: many times did it work? How many times I have 475 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,119 Speaker 3: to work before they were like maybe he's onto something 476 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 3: like yeah. 477 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 4: I'm I'm a little bit of a politician too, you know, 478 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 4: like I I would tell him you told me this though, 479 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 4: If you tell me it's one hundred percent run, then 480 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 4: I'm going to play one hundred percent run. Don't tell 481 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,239 Speaker 4: me it's going to be something that it's not. And 482 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 4: that's what I try to tell the players, like just 483 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,200 Speaker 4: don't study film to study film. You know, if Ed 484 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 4: taught us anything, man, it's like you make plays studying film. 485 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 4: Believe what you see is what he would always say. 486 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 4: I'm like, all right, I'll believe what I see. So 487 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 4: all of these like anyway, Yeah. 488 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,479 Speaker 2: It's like for all the kids out there listening, make 489 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 2: sure you understand your install first, know what to do, 490 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 2: know how to do it. 491 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: But no, that is it's just cool like hearing those stories. 492 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 2: Like I remember I got to play with Ryan Clark 493 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 2: in his last year when he was in Washington and 494 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 2: I was starting to come into the hull and get 495 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 2: some play and everything else, and Ryan at practice like 496 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 2: he was somebody that was such a student of the game. 497 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 2: And you'd be out a practice and you know how 498 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 2: it is. It's like you want to be a situational 499 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,360 Speaker 2: master and like whatever down in distance it was, you'd 500 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 2: hear Ryan back their chirp and like how pivotal was it. 501 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 2: I'm sure that's what made your defense great. Everybody having 502 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 2: that level of standard of kind of knowing every situation, 503 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 2: know how to talk about it. But as the huddle breaks, 504 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 2: as the formations coming out, emotion happening. But how beneficial 505 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 2: was it to have like a back end like that 506 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 2: and somebody likes you, like Ryan Clark. 507 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 4: It's everything's I meant, it's absolutely everything. And it may 508 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 4: not be like that in every organization, but it's absolutely 509 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,440 Speaker 4: everything to me and everything to our defense because the 510 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 4: level of trust and exposure that we would consistently put 511 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 4: each other in is you know, it takes a lot 512 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,199 Speaker 4: of takes a lot of like cohesiveness to do that. 513 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 4: I meant, when we do some of this manipulation on 514 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 4: the back end, you have to understand you're completely exposing 515 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 4: somebody else. Oftentimes that was Ike, you know, like hey, Ike, 516 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 4: we're doing this over here. Sorry you're man and man 517 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 4: cover zero with their Chad o Cho Sinkle or Brandon Marshall. 518 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 4: You know, So we were always like we that was 519 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 4: the only reason why we were allowed to do what 520 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 4: we do is because you know, Ryan's communicating Ike cornerback 521 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 4: Brian McFadden there cover zero oftentimes where you know, we 522 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 4: want to do some cowboy type stuff. But they they 523 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 4: hold their own. They're the reason why we were, you know, 524 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 4: as successful as we were. 525 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 3: Man, Mike Tomlin just I was had the opportunity he 526 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 3: coached me at the Pro Bowl in twenty sixteen, and 527 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,199 Speaker 3: just being around him and his presence was very like 528 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 3: Dick lebo esque. Yeah, just more of a calming, more 529 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 3: like positive and confident. Can you just like elaborate on 530 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 3: him and his legacy as a Steelers head coach? 531 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 4: Man, I really enjoyed his podcast with Ryan. Ryan Clark 532 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 4: did a podcast with him, and I was just like, man, 533 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 4: I'm so happy people get to see coach Tomlin like 534 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 4: like who he really is, because he's he's not he 535 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 4: that's who he is. That's who he is as a coach, 536 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 4: you know what I mean? Like I guess, I guess 537 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 4: maybe like press conference, like the it's like the he's 538 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 4: like the Bill Belichick in the press conference, you know, 539 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:46,400 Speaker 4: like completely the opposite. But man, it was really cool 540 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,360 Speaker 4: to see that level of who he is because when 541 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 4: I mean, he was thirty four when I when he 542 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 4: came to coach the Steelers. I mean, it's it's amazing 543 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 4: that he was that young. And aside from that that 544 00:23:57,760 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 4: he had a family and had young children. So like 545 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,239 Speaker 4: these kids that grew up in the locker room now 546 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 4: now that you like kind of see him, So I 547 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 4: don't know's he's an amazing father, Uh, Coach. I meant 548 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 4: later in my career he would we would have dB sessions. 549 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 4: I learned so much from him about protection routes based 550 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 4: on protections and all these different things. So he's incredible. Actually, 551 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 4: it's so fortunate to have him. Coach Kaward Dick Lebow. 552 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 4: That's why that's why I say humbly, but I say 553 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 4: in all sincerity, Man, you put anybody in my position. Man, 554 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 4: these guys are you can't do nothing but be a 555 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 4: Hall of Famer. To be very frank with you, how 556 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 4: was it that I know? 557 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 2: And we're getting the wrap up signal, but I have 558 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 2: to ask, like, how sick is it knowing that you 559 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:48,119 Speaker 2: pulled off all those line of scrimmage plays. I mean 560 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 2: you're getting to watch back like diving over the line 561 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 2: of scrimmage, timing up snaps like that's pretty bad because. 562 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: If it didn't work, yeah it's called. 563 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 4: Yeah it's funny it is. It didn't work sometimes, but 564 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 4: you know it goes back to the outliers. Thing what 565 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 4: I realized is that a safety needs to see everything, 566 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 4: and that means like not only the formation, not only 567 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,959 Speaker 4: the personnel, but like how they break the huddle. And 568 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 4: you know this, You know the difference between zero, silent 569 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 4: count or onto and the urgency that offensive lineman comes 570 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 4: to you. It's all on zero. Man, they're gonna get 571 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 4: up there and then to get ready or if you know, 572 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 4: these sort of sort of game situations. So the funny 573 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 4: thing about it is that's where I started to develop 574 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 4: this because I was like, man, everybody breaks the line 575 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 4: very differently. When offensive line they come it's on two, 576 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 4: they break with different sense of urgency than when it's 577 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 4: quick snap or silent count. And when you start to 578 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 4: see that, you also see it when they run back 579 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 4: to the huddle. So I would always tell people watch 580 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 4: the full length of the play, as in like how 581 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 4: long the call it takes to make the call, how 582 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 4: long it takes for them to run through the line, 583 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 4: and all these things mean something. So the funny thing 584 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 4: is when it started to happen. I say started to 585 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,120 Speaker 4: happen is I was just reacting. I had never thought 586 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 4: about it. I was just like, oh, jumping and then 587 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 4: to doing it, I'm like, oh man, oh wow, that worked. 588 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,400 Speaker 4: It wasn't until I was like, okay, is this game situation? 589 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 4: Oh you gotta you gotta jump it. And then that's 590 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 4: when I would actually jump off side. So I started 591 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 4: to really understand how I was as an athlete that 592 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 4: I'm like, okay, you have to overly prepare so that 593 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 4: you can just be instinctial and be free rather than 594 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 4: like be a student out there that's always like you 595 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 4: know what I mean. I really just had to go 596 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 4: out there and be free. So when I did jump, 597 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 4: you know, blitz and do those sort of things, man, 598 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 4: it was I swear to you, pure instinct. It was 599 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 4: just like afterwards, I make it play like, oh man, 600 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 4: it was like it was a crazy ride. But it 601 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 4: wasn't when I was thinking that's when I would jump 602 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 4: offside and do it wrongly. So it was funny. Well, 603 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 4: I know, we got to one one, one last, This 604 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 4: is it? 605 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 2: This is it? 606 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 3: Right? Like you as you became more famous and more 607 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 3: established as a player and all that, Like the hair 608 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:04,879 Speaker 3: was always a thing that people were like, that's how 609 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 3: we know it's Troy Paul Ballow. Did it ever get 610 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 3: to the point for you were like, I literally can't 611 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 3: change his look up ever, because this is this is 612 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 3: me now, I'm a mustache guy. 613 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 4: But you're saying you can never say success. This is 614 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 4: my identity. 615 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 2: I love it. 616 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 3: I love it so much, But there's got to be 617 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 3: a point where're like, you know, maybe you wake up 618 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:24,120 Speaker 3: and you had a little bed head. You're like, man, 619 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 3: it'd be so much easier if I just kind of 620 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 3: bicked it and let it go on a little bit. 621 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 4: A better way to put it is, it was always 622 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,119 Speaker 4: part of my identity before yea. So it wasn't like 623 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 4: it's something that had to hold on to. So it 624 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 4: was more or less like it was always my identity 625 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 4: before I even had it, and it was like it 626 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 4: was a specific identity. You know, like my my mother 627 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 4: in law, who's a classic as a classicist, very Greek classicist, 628 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 4: would always say all the greatest warriors through all time 629 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 4: had long hair. You know, you talked about Samurais, Native Americans, 630 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,880 Speaker 4: the ancient Hebrews, to you know, all of them Polynesians, 631 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 4: they all had long hair. So I was like, oh, okay, 632 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 4: I like that. Probably they probably had mustaches to the. 633 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 3: Long haired mustache well, thanks so much man. 634 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 4: This is awesome. 635 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: This is awesome. 636 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 2: Man. 637 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: It's making great having you. 638 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 2: Make sure to subscribe, comment, Thank you, thank you. 639 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: Yeah.