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Speaker 1: I'm Peanut Timan. This is my guy, Roman Harper, and

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Speaker 1: this is the NFL Player Second Acts podcast. We're here

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Speaker 1: in Phoenix, Arizona at the NFL Annual Meetings and it's

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Speaker 1: been a great time. We've had tons of interviews, tons

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Speaker 1: of coaches, former players, head coaches, gms, got some golf,

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Speaker 1: we got sunshine. I mean, keep going with the list man,

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Speaker 1: you name it, we got it, and we kind of

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Speaker 1: did it all here today. Also, before we get started

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Speaker 1: and going too far, I want to make sure we

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Speaker 1: tell all of our listeners to continue to tell a friend,

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Speaker 1: to tell a friend, to tell a friend to go

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Speaker 1: out there, give us a life, give us a review.

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Speaker 1: Anywhere you listen to your podcast, whether it's Apple podcast

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Speaker 1: or iHeartRadio podcasts, make sure you can find us on

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Speaker 1: any one of those place platforms, and make sure you

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Speaker 1: give us a like, a review in a comment. This

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Speaker 1: next guy we had coming up, I mean, I can't

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Speaker 1: say enough about them, Um, one of my favorite people

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Speaker 1: in the world. Yes, Um has poured a lot into

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Speaker 1: my life, a lot in your life personally. An amazing man.

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Speaker 1: This is the head coach of the Washington Commanders, Ron Rivera.

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Speaker 1: Take a listen I appreciate. It's good to be here.

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Speaker 1: Good to see two of some of my favorite players

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Speaker 1: too as well. You know, very fortunate to have coach

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Speaker 1: guys like you. I mean, guys that epitomized what football

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Speaker 1: is really about. I mean they play the game the

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Speaker 1: right way, do things the right way. But really it's

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Speaker 1: about team and family. Yeah, it really isn't uh you

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Speaker 1: know a coach. I'll just tell a personal story. Um,

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Speaker 1: I remember it my first year coming to you guys.

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Speaker 1: I would have been with the Saints for eight years,

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Speaker 1: so I was a rivalry and I kind of heated

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Speaker 1: up that whole thing with some of the plays and

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Speaker 1: things that we did back then. But I remember being

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Speaker 1: in that room on that team and we lost eight

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Speaker 1: straight games at one point in time in twenty fourteen,

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Speaker 1: and you were the most consistent. You never batted an eye.

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Speaker 1: You continue to push forward, continue to have this this

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Speaker 1: self belief that I had. I had major doubt, but you,

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Speaker 1: there was no wavering in you. And that is what

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Speaker 1: a true leader does. Is when it's start outside and

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Speaker 1: when it's cold and nobody else wants to come to work,

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Speaker 1: I'm the first one there and I'm the first one

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Speaker 1: leading the charge and being in front of that room

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Speaker 1: and telling us to why. And so you came up

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Speaker 1: to me after we played the Saints and you said

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Speaker 1: you would talk to my former staff. And I had

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Speaker 1: not had a great relationship at that time and that point,

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Speaker 1: and you said, Roman, you're one of those guys that

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Speaker 1: you should have retired with that team. They know that

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Speaker 1: they miss you, but I couldn't be more happy to

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Speaker 1: have you in my locker room now. And that special

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Speaker 1: relationship of bond with players, I know you share that

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Speaker 1: with so many of your players. How do you get

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Speaker 1: to that point and being that open and honest with them?

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Speaker 1: I think the biggest thing is is if you're upfront

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Speaker 1: with the guys, you tell them the truth about why

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Speaker 1: you do the things you do, I think it makes

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Speaker 1: sense to them. And I learned that because when I

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Speaker 1: played for Mike Dick. I'll never forget it was it

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Speaker 1: was nineteen eighty it was it was training camp of

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Speaker 1: eighty eighty eight, and we had gotten beat in the

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Speaker 1: first round of the playoffs a couple of times, and

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Speaker 1: so we go into training camp that year and he

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Speaker 1: is just killing us. I mean, he is writing us.

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Speaker 1: He wouldn't back down one ounce and the players are

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Speaker 1: getting frustrated. And I was one of the one of

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Speaker 1: the captains, and so a couple of guys came to

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Speaker 1: me said, Chico, man, you got to go talk to Iron.

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Speaker 1: There's something up with him. Man, he's gotta he's got

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Speaker 1: he's got to calm down. So I said, all right.

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Speaker 1: So we had practice that day. We finished practice and

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Speaker 1: we're walking off the field and I put myself close

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Speaker 1: to him. And we were in Plattville, Wisconsin at training camp.

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Speaker 1: So I put myself close to him, and so he says, hey, Cheek,

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Speaker 1: what's going on? And said, well, you know, I'm glad

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Speaker 1: you asked. And I said, look, I got to talk

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Speaker 1: to you. And he says, what's wrong? I said, coach,

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Speaker 1: why are you kicking and you know, kicking the shit

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Speaker 1: out of us? I mean, you're on us, You're pushed something.

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Speaker 1: We've had two days, we haven't had a break. The

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Speaker 1: guys are getting frustrated, getting angry with you. What's going on?

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Speaker 1: He said, Ronnie, He said, you know, I would never

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Speaker 1: ask you guys there's anything I didn't do. You know,

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Speaker 1: I wouldn't do anything make you guys do something that

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Speaker 1: I think that I thought was impossible. I know you

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Speaker 1: guys can push through. I know you guys can get

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Speaker 1: through it. I said, but why, He said, Ronnie, We've

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Speaker 1: been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round

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Speaker 1: two years in a row. That shouldn't have happened, not

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Speaker 1: with the teams that we've had. In eighty six, we

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Speaker 1: were a better defense than we were when we went

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Speaker 1: to the Super Bowl, which choose statistically we're better. So

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Speaker 1: I said, wow, I said, all right, it makes sense.

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Speaker 1: It really made sense to me. So I went back

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Speaker 1: to old the guys said, guys, all's he doing is

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Speaker 1: he's trying to push us to reach our potential. He

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Speaker 1: said to me, said we've been We've been knocked out

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Speaker 1: of playoffs two years in a row in the first round.

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Speaker 1: He said, that shouldn't have happened, not with this team.

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Speaker 1: I said, that's all he's doing. But it made sense

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Speaker 1: to me, and I think it made sense to a

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Speaker 1: lot of the guys. And that year we went to

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Speaker 1: the NFC Championship unfortunately lost well, we lost to the

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Speaker 1: great Joe Montana and the forty nine ers that year

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Speaker 1: and then eventually on the Super Bowl, and it was

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Speaker 1: just one of those things that you learned by his example.

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Speaker 1: And that's so That's kind of what I've always thought,

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Speaker 1: is if the players understand the why, Okay, the why

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Speaker 1: that I think is very important to guy. So I

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Speaker 1: don't think I've ever truly thanked you for this. Um.

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Speaker 1: Obviously we have a relationship. When we were in Chicago,

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Speaker 1: Chicago together and amazing career. When you were there, we

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Speaker 1: went to a Super Bowl unfortunately lost. But in twenty thirteen,

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Speaker 1: twenty fourteen, I was miserable in Chicago. I hated football.

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Speaker 1: I thought about retiring. It just was like a bad time.

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Speaker 1: And I get a call after that twenty fourteen season.

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Speaker 1: I thought about retirement, and then you gave me a call.

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Speaker 1: I come down do like the recruiting trip thing whatever,

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Speaker 1: and you bring me into Carolina and you literally saved

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Speaker 1: my life from the sense of or my football life

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Speaker 1: because I was just so down and out about being

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Speaker 1: in Chicago. It wasn't fun anymore like when you were there.

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Speaker 1: And I get to Carolina being a I don't know,

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Speaker 1: a thirteen year VET guy in the locker room, the chemistry,

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Speaker 1: thieves Alley, I'm sorry, thieves Avenue, like just everything that

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Speaker 1: everything that that the culture that keep pounding. It was

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Speaker 1: just like, I don't know, I felt like rejuvenated. And

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Speaker 1: we had, you know, the Christmas that that Ryan would do,

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Speaker 1: the Christmas stories, Christmas stories. I just love that legend. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: he just he gave He gave great Christmas stories. I'm

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Speaker 1: believe it at that. He gave great Christmas stories. And

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Speaker 1: we just had a We laughed so much. We never

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Speaker 1: got tight or tense. And like, what are some of

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Speaker 1: the funny memories or stories that you remember about that

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Speaker 1: that twenty fifteen Carolina Panthers season. First foremost to your

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Speaker 1: point about about your last few what we were looking for,

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Speaker 1: it was we were looking for some veteran leadership in

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Speaker 1: the secondary. That's the one thing we never had. And

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Speaker 1: in my entire time in Carolina as the head coach,

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Speaker 1: you know, we never had the same starting five dbs,

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Speaker 1: you know, for Bass or Nickel. We never did. We

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Speaker 1: were always trained changing for whatever reason, we just couldn't

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Speaker 1: keep everybody, and so finding some veteran guys I thought

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Speaker 1: would be real important, just because I thought we were

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Speaker 1: real close. I really did, in spite of the fact

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Speaker 1: that the year we wanted seven to eight and one

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Speaker 1: in twenty fourteen Roman. I just felt like we were

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Speaker 1: closer than people thought. So finding guys like you and

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Speaker 1: you made the big difference. It really did. And my

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Speaker 1: biggest regret as far as that team was concerned, is

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Speaker 1: that we played the best game of the year in

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Speaker 1: the championship game when we beat Arizona the way we did,

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Speaker 1: and we didn't maintain that. And it's one of those

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Speaker 1: things that I wish we'd saved it for the right time.

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Speaker 1: But anyways, but some of those hilarious things, and I

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Speaker 1: got the fricking proof right here, and I'm looking at

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Speaker 1: it all right. It's this fricking alligator you put in

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Speaker 1: my in my bathroom, and it's it is something you

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Speaker 1: need to tell the story and I'll jump in on it.

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Speaker 1: But here's the picture. Here's the alligator. Oh you got it?

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Speaker 1: Oh the camera here look look, look closing nice and tight.

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Speaker 1: I imagine it's in the morning, walk in all right,

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Speaker 1: the first thing you always do it in the morning,

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Speaker 1: you're taking shower. That's where I was headed. I think

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Speaker 1: Charles knew that that's why you put in fer. So

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Speaker 1: I stripped down, wrapped the towel around myself, walk into

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Speaker 1: the bathroom, turned the light on and there's this vicious

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Speaker 1: three and a half four foot alligator looking right at me.

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Speaker 1: I throw the towel at him, jump back into my

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Speaker 1: office area. Unfortunately was naked and thank god. Oh and

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Speaker 1: I heard he wanted to put a GoPro in there.

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Speaker 1: He did almost try to recorded That is true too.

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Speaker 1: That would have been bad, I trust me, that would

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Speaker 1: have been one thing you would not have wanted to see. UM.

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Speaker 1: And so I'm standing on and all of a sudden

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Speaker 1: it hits me that's can't be real. It cannot be real.

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Speaker 1: So I look back in there and I realize it's

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Speaker 1: not real. So grabbed the towel wrapping around. I run

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Speaker 1: back to the locker room on the far side near

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Speaker 1: the meeting rooms. And who do I see But I

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Speaker 1: see Charles and he's talking to a couple of players,

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Speaker 1: and I scream at him. I'm screaming, I got my

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Speaker 1: eyes on you, Charles, I owe you. And I walked

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Speaker 1: back in my shower and um and put some clothes on,

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Speaker 1: and then Charles came in and everybody started laughing, which

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Speaker 1: I didn't think it was, but it was. I'm not

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Speaker 1: gonna lie. I was like really scared, like you you

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Speaker 1: signed like my dad when you you had you had

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Speaker 1: like shorts on and his shirt. Your shirts always sucked in,

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Speaker 1: always a professional. And I remember I was talking or you.

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Speaker 1: I was talking to Rome and I was talking to Kurt.

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Speaker 1: Yeah it was Kurt. That's right. That's right. I was

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Speaker 1: talking to Kurt and I went up and I was like, yo,

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Speaker 1: I just get the coach very y'all. I'll put this

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Speaker 1: alligator in his shower. And I think he and I

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Speaker 1: was like, oh snap, and I was like, oh damn,

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Speaker 1: I'm in trouble. I might get fine conduct detrimental to

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Speaker 1: the team. I'm cut, I'm fired. I think I damn

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Speaker 1: I went too far with this joke. And he walks

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Speaker 1: over with that mean aggressive wall and then I was like,

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Speaker 1: he was like, did you put this damn alligator in

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Speaker 1: my shower? And then for for like a split second,

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Speaker 1: I was gone, I gotta lie because I was like none.

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Speaker 1: I was like, I can't. I gotta be a man.

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Speaker 1: It's not good. Uh uh yes, And I said it

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Speaker 1: like in such a coward voice, like I was so scared.

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Speaker 1: I was like, uh yeah, yes, sir, And he was like, well,

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Speaker 1: god damn minute thing scared to hail it, mate. It's

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Speaker 1: funny as hell he does. This was the funny he

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Speaker 1: really did. But you guys, remember where'd you get the idea?

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Speaker 1: So uh, the coach told a story then maybe the

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Speaker 1: night before, the week before, week before, about to send

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Speaker 1: me two dolphins. He got in front of the team,

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Speaker 1: he told a story in front of us. He told

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Speaker 1: a story about one of the players, and send me

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Speaker 1: two dolphins. Something was going wrong or they needed a

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Speaker 1: good laugh. So one of the players or a few

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Speaker 1: of the players, they took a real alligator, taped the

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Speaker 1: mouth shut. They taped the mouth shut with this real

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Speaker 1: out of alligator, and they threw it in Don Shula's

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Speaker 1: shower and he's flipping out or whatever. So he tells

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Speaker 1: us that story the reason I put the alligator in

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Speaker 1: your shower. We had just lost our first game. I

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Speaker 1: think we had just lost to Atlanta in Atlanta, tough game, whatever,

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Speaker 1: it was. Finally our first game, we were what fourteen

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Speaker 1: and one and one, and I felt like everyone just

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Speaker 1: got like real tight, and the building got tight. And

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Speaker 1: the only thing that that proved was we weren't gonna

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Speaker 1: be perfect. We weren't going to have the season like

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Speaker 1: the Sydney two Dolphins. We weren't gonna be undefeated. So

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Speaker 1: I was like, I need to lighten up the mood.

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Speaker 1: I need to get everyone just to laugh and just

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Speaker 1: need anybody else. Yet I just got everybody for everybody,

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Speaker 1: see everybody to Woosa one time, and then I put

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Speaker 1: that alligator in and then it just hey man, we

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Speaker 1: just had a couple of laughs, and you know, we

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Speaker 1: were good. But that's what what made that season so

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Speaker 1: great that I remember we were on the bus going

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Speaker 1: somewhere at one time and you didn't like the attitude

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Speaker 1: of the team, and you called everybody off the bus

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Speaker 1: before we headed to the airport. You called an emergency

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Speaker 1: team meeting. And then it was like what are y'all doing?

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Speaker 1: And then I mean the message was super clear, like look,

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Speaker 1: we're on a mission. We gotta play games, you gotta win,

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Speaker 1: we gotta pack it. And it was just like whoa okay,

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Speaker 1: because I think we started to fill ourselves, like our

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Speaker 1: stuff didn't stink, and you checked us and we received

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Speaker 1: it and we received it well. Because we were getting

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Speaker 1: off the bus, I was like, damn, what do we do?

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Speaker 1: Did someone did someone say something? And maybe someone forgot

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Speaker 1: a suit? And it just was a bunch of little things,

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Speaker 1: but before it could have a snowball effect for the

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Speaker 1: whole team, you checked us real quick. And that was

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Speaker 1: kind of my way of checking us, was like, look,

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Speaker 1: we just need to have a quick laugh for real quick.

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Speaker 1: I think one of my favorite moments too, was the

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Speaker 1: Thanksgiving game when we played Dallas and Dallas. Yeah, we

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Speaker 1: had the night before Stephanie had to arrange for Thanksgiving

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Speaker 1: dinner and we put it out to the players. But

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Speaker 1: the whole topic, if you remember, remember that was the

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Speaker 1: game Tony Romo was returning, yep. And the whole thing

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Speaker 1: was they were undefeated and David favored. Yes, they were favorite.

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Speaker 1: We were the only thing. We were ten and oh

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Speaker 1: or eleven oh at the time, and they were favored.

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Speaker 1: Were the only undefeated team to be to be an

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Speaker 1: underdog to what were they They were six and six

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Speaker 1: or five something like that. Yeah, oh, and that was it,

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Speaker 1: and and and and I brought that to your attension

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Speaker 1: and then turned it loose and you guys fell off.

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Speaker 1: I mean it was amazing, you know. I think some

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Speaker 1: of the things coach one thing in particular that I

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Speaker 1: still lived my life by every day now, I tried

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Speaker 1: to and uh, it was a it's a thing that

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Speaker 1: you talked about all the time that team, and uh,

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Speaker 1: I appreciate. I would like to know where you got

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Speaker 1: it from. But it's be where your feed are at. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: well you know when you're when you're at home, be

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Speaker 1: with at home, when you're with the team, be with

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Speaker 1: the team. Um, I don't know where you got that from,

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Speaker 1: but it's so genuine and true. There's a actually a

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Speaker 1: sports psychologist guy that I had to work with when

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Speaker 1: I first started coaching in the NFL. While we started,

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Speaker 1: we started to get on a roll and I started

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Speaker 1: noticing that we were drifting a little bit. Kevin Elko,

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Speaker 1: That's who it was, doctor Elko and I so I

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Speaker 1: called doctor Olka. I said, look, my guys are a

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Speaker 1: little kind of drifting off here and there. He said,

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Speaker 1: I said, what what? What kind of you to keep

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Speaker 1: the focus? He said, ron simple, just telling them to

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Speaker 1: be where their feet are. Ye, be where your feet are.

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Speaker 1: And it's it's the most simplest thing because what happens

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Speaker 1: is it's really about wherever you are being that moment.

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Speaker 1: If you're with your family, be with your family, If

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Speaker 1: your work be at work, if you're on the on

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Speaker 1: the field playing the game, play the game, but wherever

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Speaker 1: you are, just be there. And so I've I've lived

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Speaker 1: with that, and that's something I share with you know,

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Speaker 1: all the players or people that ask me about stuff

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Speaker 1: like that. I share that. And I give doctor Elko

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Speaker 1: the credit because I learned it was such a simple lesson,

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Speaker 1: but it makes it makes so much sense. And you know,

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Speaker 1: and and it's to me, if you if you can

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Speaker 1: keep your focus just for that moment, you give yourself

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Speaker 1: the best chance to be successful. So being a military brat,

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Speaker 1: I moved around a lot, and I know we have

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Speaker 1: that that one thing in common is a your dad

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Speaker 1: was he was the Air Force, Army, he was arm Okay,

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Speaker 1: your your dad was in the Army and military, Bret.

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Speaker 1: You move around a lot, and I think my Mount Rushmore,

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Speaker 1: my dad is my dad is like I thought my

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Speaker 1: dad was g I Joe. I thought my dad was

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Speaker 1: like roll Block, you know, he was rolled Block on

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Speaker 1: Gijo as a kid, like, I loved everything about my

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Speaker 1: dad and what he did in the in the military

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Speaker 1: and it was awesome. And with that there was a

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Speaker 1: lot of leadership qualities that my dad learned about when

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Speaker 1: he was in the military, and he would bringing those

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Speaker 1: things home. Wordy, I applaud you for your leadership skills

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Speaker 1: and how you lead your coaches. One of the things

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Speaker 1: that I noticed about you in twenty fifteen that I

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Speaker 1: still haven't really seen another coach do is you would

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Speaker 1: let a quality a quality control coach get up and

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Speaker 1: stand in front of the team the night before a game,

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Speaker 1: and you would give that, uh, that coach was a

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Speaker 1: Cameron Turner, you would give him the lowest man on

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Speaker 1: the total pole at the time, quality control. You would

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Speaker 1: give him ten minutes in front of the whole team

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Speaker 1: and kind of preparing him, grooming him into a better position,

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Speaker 1: you know, as he progresses with his NFL career, Like,

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Speaker 1: where does that leadership come from? It comes from my father.

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Speaker 1: You know a couple of things he did for me

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Speaker 1: when I first got the head coaching job in Carolina. Okay,

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Speaker 1: he brought me into our garage, our family garage. I'd

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Speaker 1: come home to visit him, and he said to me,

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Speaker 1: he says that, he said, you know, Ronnie, sometimes when

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Speaker 1: things are going bad, it's going crazy, and it's kind

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Speaker 1: of like in combat, everybody turns and looks at THEE

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Speaker 1: the commanding officer for direction, and he says, if you're

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Speaker 1: out of control, if you're not in control, if you're

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Speaker 1: not calm and confident, your team won't be He said,

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Speaker 1: in Vietnam, we were being attacked one time and everybody

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Speaker 1: looked to the CEO and he was unbelievable. It's Ronnie,

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Speaker 1: You've got to be like that. And he said, I

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Speaker 1: want you to stay in the garage for a second.

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Speaker 1: He walked out, close the door and he paused for

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Speaker 1: a second and he came back in. He says, just

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Speaker 1: remember sometimes you're gonna be all alone making that decision.

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Speaker 1: You got to make it. So he gave me those

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Speaker 1: little life lessons stuff like that just before I took over,

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Speaker 1: and Caroline, I mean I literally just gotten the job.

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Speaker 1: I'd come home to see mom and dad, and you know,

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Speaker 1: Dad always had these messages, and that was one of

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Speaker 1: the messages he gave me. Um. The other thing that

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Speaker 1: I learned from from from military personnelis everybody has to

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Speaker 1: be ready to lead, and you, as a leader, have

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Speaker 1: to make sure they're ready, find opportunities for them. And again,

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Speaker 1: it's just little things that I've I've gotten from, you know,

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Speaker 1: having grown up military, been in that in that household,

360
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Speaker 1: been around you know, colonels and generals for that matter,

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Speaker 1: and just listen to them talk. So I try to

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Speaker 1: take those those messages I've learned and instill them in

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Speaker 1: everyday life. Tell me this, coach, Uh, it's another thing

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Speaker 1: that you did for me that I think is special. Um,

365
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Speaker 1: I've never been had a coach do that before, and

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Speaker 1: that is you wrote me a hand and letter thanking

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Speaker 1: me for being a part of the team in the organization.

368
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Speaker 1: How often do you do that with certain players? And

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Speaker 1: where did you pick up that? Because that is a

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Speaker 1: skilled debt or something that I've never seen. Um. It's

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Speaker 1: interesting because when I was a kid and we were

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Speaker 1: playing I was playing basketball and I played on a team.

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Speaker 1: And on this team, we had some some younger guys

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Speaker 1: that had never played. I was fifteen at the time

375
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Speaker 1: and these kids were eleven and twelve. And you know,

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Speaker 1: I was playing, you know, in ford order at the

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Speaker 1: at the at the base gym, at this youth league,

378
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Speaker 1: and there were these two little kids that were actually

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Speaker 1: pretty good, and so they moved him up to UM

380
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Speaker 1: I was playing. I was think was thirteen to fifteen,

381
00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:44,119
Speaker 1: and I think they were twelve year old, so they

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Speaker 1: moved him up to play for more competition. Yes, well,

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00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,919
Speaker 1: because they were younger, they didn't get a lot of opportunities.

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Speaker 1: And so, you know, I was one of the bigger kids,

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Speaker 1: one of the older kids, and so we were winning

386
00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,600
Speaker 1: this game and they put these these this one young

387
00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,359
Speaker 1: kid in and he looked a little awkward and stuff

388
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Speaker 1: like that. So I want to to him. I said, hey,

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Speaker 1: you're gonna be fine. Just throw me the ball and

390
00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,879
Speaker 1: we'll play. So he throws me the ball right and

391
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:08,199
Speaker 1: then he goes like gets out of the way. I

392
00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,760
Speaker 1: throw it back to him and he catches it, and

393
00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:13,600
Speaker 1: I look at me, said shoot and he shot made it.

394
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Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden he's like he's got

395
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Speaker 1: this confidence. Yeah. Well, his dad was a colonel and

396
00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,160
Speaker 1: they literally lived two houses from us. Colonel Jababbi, that's

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Speaker 1: I'll never for his last name. And so a couple

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Speaker 1: of days later, there's this note for me, a little

399
00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,399
Speaker 1: you know, not cardinal. You know, I opened up Colonel

400
00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,280
Speaker 1: Jabobby at the top, I said, Ron, thank you for

401
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:39,199
Speaker 1: instilling the confidence in my son to play, and he

402
00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,840
Speaker 1: signed it. So a couple of days later, I run

403
00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,520
Speaker 1: into the colonel and I said, wow, thank you for

404
00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:45,600
Speaker 1: the note. He says, no, No No, thank you for the

405
00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,800
Speaker 1: confidence you gave my son. And I never forgot. So

406
00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,320
Speaker 1: whenever I get certain special moments, I'll send somebody a note.

407
00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,479
Speaker 1: I'll give somebody a note and just tell them, Hey,

408
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,199
Speaker 1: I really appreciate what you've done for us. Because the

409
00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,360
Speaker 1: other thing I've learned too is is leaders ship. It's

410
00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,840
Speaker 1: not about me. It's not about whoever the lead. It's

411
00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,879
Speaker 1: not about that person, but it'll start with that person.

412
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Speaker 1: So if you're a leader, just know it. It's not

413
00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,959
Speaker 1: about you, but it's going to start with you. And

414
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,760
Speaker 1: so I've kept that in mind, and so I've tried

415
00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:14,840
Speaker 1: to find the right moments to do the right things.

416
00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:19,200
Speaker 1: So in twenty nineteen, when when things ended in UM

417
00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,159
Speaker 1: Carolina and you're no longer the head coach and you

418
00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,439
Speaker 1: got to move on and go to another team, do

419
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Speaker 1: you do you have any doubts within yourself as far

420
00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:32,280
Speaker 1: as like up didn't work out? Well, maybe I did

421
00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,359
Speaker 1: something wrong where I wish I would have did this right,

422
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:35,960
Speaker 1: I wish I would have did that. Well. I hope

423
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Speaker 1: I get another opportunity to coach again, Like, do you

424
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,920
Speaker 1: ever have a doubt in the sense of like why

425
00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:42,600
Speaker 1: that team lets you go? And then I hope I

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Speaker 1: get another opportunity to coach again. Absolutely, I mean the

427
00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,679
Speaker 1: only doubt I had is is is what did I

428
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,480
Speaker 1: miss right? What didn't I what didn't I do right?

429
00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,040
Speaker 1: And then try to correct that. Um. I knew I

430
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:59,000
Speaker 1: would coach again. And and I love coaching. Um It's

431
00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,720
Speaker 1: one of the things that that when when I left

432
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,800
Speaker 1: my only honestly, and I reflect on it because I

433
00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:07,560
Speaker 1: think it's one of the things that Mike Dicka did,

434
00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:09,480
Speaker 1: and it was one of the things that he and

435
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,960
Speaker 1: I talked about. One of the things I asked coach

436
00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,320
Speaker 1: Dicka one time, you know, after he had got let

437
00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:16,959
Speaker 1: go in Chicago. We were talking, is when he had

438
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,159
Speaker 1: been coaching in New Orleans and I just started my

439
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,320
Speaker 1: coaching career. And he says to me, I said, so, coach,

440
00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:24,920
Speaker 1: what do you think? He said, Well, Ronnie, I gotta

441
00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,840
Speaker 1: be honest, you know, he said, you know, at the

442
00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:29,600
Speaker 1: end of the day, I might have been too loyal.

443
00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 1: I said, I'm not sure I get I followed a coach.

444
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,000
Speaker 1: He said, Look, he said, the hardest thing sometimes you'll

445
00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,920
Speaker 1: face it is when to move on. When to move on?

446
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,560
Speaker 1: You never there's never really the right time to move on,

447
00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:45,920
Speaker 1: or at least in your mind you think it. But

448
00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,000
Speaker 1: but there really is. But you have to find it.

449
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,080
Speaker 1: You have to determine that as a coach, he said,

450
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,680
Speaker 1: it's it's sometimes people look at it as a cold decision,

451
00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,960
Speaker 1: but sometimes just the right decision. He said. You bring

452
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,320
Speaker 1: people in for a specific reason. It's like when I

453
00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,560
Speaker 1: was in when we were in UM in my first

454
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:10,080
Speaker 1: year in Washington, and I had brought Thomas Davison. And

455
00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,560
Speaker 1: you know, Thomas and I both knew he wasn't the

456
00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,679
Speaker 1: player he was at one point, but the reason I

457
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,760
Speaker 1: brought him in was so that he could share with

458
00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,480
Speaker 1: the guys to trust in me, to believe in me.

459
00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,359
Speaker 1: And we got in the same situation. The division was

460
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,800
Speaker 1: down UM, but we had a chance. And that's and

461
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:29,560
Speaker 1: I one think that I I always said, if you have

462
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,320
Speaker 1: a chance, that's all you need. And we had a chance,

463
00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,600
Speaker 1: and and and Thomas said a few things to these

464
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,399
Speaker 1: guys about trusting it and believing it because this is

465
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,520
Speaker 1: a team, remember, had been down for a few years

466
00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,280
Speaker 1: and needed to find something to believe in. And we

467
00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,440
Speaker 1: got them to rally and we end up winning the division.

468
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:48,120
Speaker 1: Then we got the playoffs and we were the only

469
00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,560
Speaker 1: team that almost beat Tampa Bay. You know, if you

470
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,480
Speaker 1: go back and look at we lost by a score

471
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:54,919
Speaker 1: and technically we had a chance all the way to

472
00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,960
Speaker 1: the end. And so that's the thing. That's why you

473
00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,919
Speaker 1: have guys sometimes that are past their time, but you

474
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,280
Speaker 1: know they can bring something special. They can bring them

475
00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,840
Speaker 1: the experience. I mean, I know you had gone through

476
00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,280
Speaker 1: a Super Bowl and want a super Bowl, and so

477
00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:10,800
Speaker 1: you could sit there and tell the guy, hey, this

478
00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,200
Speaker 1: is what it's supposed to look like. Yeah, those things

479
00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,560
Speaker 1: are missed. I've always believed this, and I've said this

480
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,800
Speaker 1: to the league. Our greatest natural resources and we don't

481
00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:22,320
Speaker 1: tap into enough are our former coaches and our former players.

482
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,919
Speaker 1: I mean, the wisdom you guys bring, the practicality you

483
00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,720
Speaker 1: guys haven't understand, needs to be shared with today's players.

484
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,280
Speaker 1: These guys got to understand just what it means to

485
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,119
Speaker 1: be an NFL player. One of the things that I

486
00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:36,919
Speaker 1: always talk about is, you know, I want guys that

487
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,840
Speaker 1: love playing I don't want guys that love being NFL players.

488
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,760
Speaker 1: I want guys that love playing NFL football. You want

489
00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,280
Speaker 1: guys that are out there doing their jobs, playing the

490
00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,720
Speaker 1: game the way they should play it, and then representing.

491
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:52,199
Speaker 1: You know, you only have one name, and it's right

492
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,000
Speaker 1: in the back of your jersey. Yeah, you got to

493
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,439
Speaker 1: do honor to that name. Whoever I can speak to

494
00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,320
Speaker 1: that you when in twenty fifteen, I was on my

495
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,439
Speaker 1: way home and I was pulling in the driveway and

496
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:03,760
Speaker 1: he was like, Hey, what are you doing. I was like, Oh,

497
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,800
Speaker 1: I just left the building. I'm gonna wait home. He's like, yeah,

498
00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:07,960
Speaker 1: come back to the stay right now. I'm like, I

499
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:09,800
Speaker 1: got scared. I was like, damn, they gonna cut me on.

500
00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,960
Speaker 1: I thought I was. I thought I was doing something good.

501
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:15,399
Speaker 1: And then he was like, yeah, when you get here,

502
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,000
Speaker 1: just come right to my office. And you didn't say

503
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,479
Speaker 1: nothing else. I was just like, we're having this great season.

504
00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:21,679
Speaker 1: I fit to get cut during the season, Like what

505
00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,960
Speaker 1: in the hell did I do? And I get there

506
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:25,800
Speaker 1: and you close the door and you just say, Hey,

507
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,440
Speaker 1: what kind of guy is Jared Allen? You know, how

508
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,240
Speaker 1: would he mess with our locker room? Is he a

509
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,640
Speaker 1: good guy? And I was like, oh my god, absolutely,

510
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,280
Speaker 1: he is gonna fit right in. And then I really

511
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,679
Speaker 1: appreciated the fact that you tapped into me as a

512
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,080
Speaker 1: resource of having or having played with him a year

513
00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:46,400
Speaker 1: ago in Chicago, and when we brought him in, oh,

514
00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,560
Speaker 1: he fit right in. He was immediately amazing locker room guy.

515
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:54,320
Speaker 1: But the think everybody understand players know players. It's like,

516
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:58,800
Speaker 1: you know what I've gone through recently in Washington is

517
00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:00,920
Speaker 1: I've been trying to fin find out about the guys

518
00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,600
Speaker 1: we have. And it's one of those things that players

519
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,679
Speaker 1: when when things are right, players will tell you what

520
00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,679
Speaker 1: you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Right, Okay.

521
00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:13,840
Speaker 1: And that's another thing that you know. I try to

522
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,000
Speaker 1: get across to peoples that tell me the truth. If

523
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:17,959
Speaker 1: you don't tell me what's happening, I can't fix it,

524
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:19,840
Speaker 1: I can't correct it. I can't make the right decisions

525
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,359
Speaker 1: because I'm trying to gather information. And the more information

526
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,120
Speaker 1: I get that makes the most sense. And so that's

527
00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,000
Speaker 1: what you look for is, Hey, what kind of guy

528
00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 1: is he? Does he does he fit? How about a player?

529
00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:32,080
Speaker 1: Can he be a player? Does he have that ability?

530
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 1: And so I think, like I said, that's a resource.

531
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,800
Speaker 1: That's that's that's why I did it, because I knew

532
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,160
Speaker 1: you would know I know you would, and I knew

533
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,640
Speaker 1: you would be honest too, and that's what you look for,

534
00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,960
Speaker 1: you know, Coach, yesterday you saw us Panut and I.

535
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,040
Speaker 1: We're sneaking out, we're playing some golf. You're just put

536
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,440
Speaker 1: the stup and literally after a thirty seconds, he literally

537
00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,760
Speaker 1: looked at us and was like, nothing has changed with

538
00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:56,160
Speaker 1: you too, Nothing has changed. Just want to let everybody

539
00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,879
Speaker 1: know nothing has changed with you too. So I appreciate that.

540
00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,560
Speaker 1: Number One. I remember you would always tell us in

541
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,960
Speaker 1: twenty fifteen you said, guys, you're a great team. You're good.

542
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,639
Speaker 1: That said another, the best thing you have going for

543
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,200
Speaker 1: you is who you are. Don't ever stop being who

544
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,840
Speaker 1: you are. And I think that's so unique because everybody

545
00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,680
Speaker 1: tries to mold you, they don't want you to be this.

546
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,600
Speaker 1: That team was so unique for me because I really

547
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,560
Speaker 1: thought that you encouraged everybody to be whoever or whatever

548
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,000
Speaker 1: they wanted to be. And I also want to say,

549
00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 1: did you have that connection because of your experience with

550
00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,520
Speaker 1: the Chicago Bears and that team was so full of

551
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,639
Speaker 1: all these charismatic, these different characters, and you a lot

552
00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,360
Speaker 1: of personality and it works. Yes, you would always say

553
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,520
Speaker 1: I love you for who you are to me in

554
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,119
Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, we had a lot of personalities, yes, and

555
00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,960
Speaker 1: I really appreciated that. You know, that was one of

556
00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:50,840
Speaker 1: the things I think that people miss because for all

557
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:54,720
Speaker 1: the way you guys celebrate it. Okay, you guys did it,

558
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,760
Speaker 1: in my opinion, for the most part in a respectful manner.

559
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,119
Speaker 1: You guys were doing things on our bench. Yeah, not

560
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:06,080
Speaker 1: directed at the opponent. You guys were handing footballs after

561
00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,520
Speaker 1: you score to the kids. Did you guys ever see

562
00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:10,320
Speaker 1: the article they wrote about all the kids they got,

563
00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,359
Speaker 1: all the touchdowns that were handed to I mean as

564
00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,480
Speaker 1: an unbelievable article. I mean, it really is, and it's

565
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,240
Speaker 1: one of those things that we did do things the

566
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,359
Speaker 1: right way. And I got a credit Coach Shula with that.

567
00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: Mike was the one who had at one time told Cam, hey,

568
00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:24,200
Speaker 1: don't do it, just give it to one of the kids.

569
00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:27,040
Speaker 1: So he started doing it, and then everybody feed off

570
00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,800
Speaker 1: at everybody, and it was an amazing thing. But then

571
00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:31,600
Speaker 1: you look at some of the celebrating we did, but

572
00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:33,840
Speaker 1: most of it was on the sideline, on our bench.

573
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,639
Speaker 1: And now look at us today in the league. Okay,

574
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,399
Speaker 1: I don't understand it. Because we were getting killed for

575
00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:42,399
Speaker 1: doing it, and now today they want more of it.

576
00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,679
Speaker 1: And it's like, come on, let's be we were doing

577
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,399
Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen. We get no credit, you know. And

578
00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,679
Speaker 1: it's it's one of those things that not not it's

579
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:52,800
Speaker 1: about the credit, but just the recognition. And I've always

580
00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:54,480
Speaker 1: felt this too, and I don't know if you noticed it,

581
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,320
Speaker 1: but I've always thought it was about you guys. It

582
00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:58,640
Speaker 1: was never about me. I mean, you know, we would

583
00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:02,400
Speaker 1: go out and they would introduce you guys. I would

584
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,720
Speaker 1: walk around the side and go to the bench because

585
00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 1: to me, it was about you guys. You guys are

586
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:08,800
Speaker 1: the one that playing. You guys are the ones that

587
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,879
Speaker 1: people wanted to see. So keep your personalities, be who

588
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,840
Speaker 1: you are, but live within a certain standard, right, Okay,

589
00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,120
Speaker 1: live within those those five core values that were put

590
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,040
Speaker 1: up of hard work, harmony, teamwork, listening, respect, and if

591
00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:23,520
Speaker 1: you live your lives that way, you can play for us.

592
00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,920
Speaker 1: And it's a lesson. I learned twofold, one from mister

593
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,560
Speaker 1: Richardson who just recently passed away, and the second one

594
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,800
Speaker 1: was from Cam Newton. What had happened was and and

595
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:35,879
Speaker 1: and I know, you know, the story is about the

596
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 1: rivalry that we had for those years. But um, it happened.

597
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,520
Speaker 1: I think it was during the twenty fourteen season and

598
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,200
Speaker 1: something happened. I was mad at him, and so he

599
00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:49,240
Speaker 1: and I were talking. I said, you know, and I

600
00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:51,760
Speaker 1: I don't wanna call it a mistake, but I said, Tom,

601
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,000
Speaker 1: I said, why why just can't you? Why why can't

602
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,440
Speaker 1: you just be like like? And he looks at me,

603
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,880
Speaker 1: goes like Tom Brady, like Drew Brees, like Aaron Rodgers.

604
00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,640
Speaker 1: He's a coach. I can't. I gotta be who I

605
00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:09,880
Speaker 1: am for one reason, that's it coach, because because if

606
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 1: I do it my way, okay, the way that represents

607
00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,480
Speaker 1: who I am, then others behind me will know. And

608
00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 1: that's when it made me realize, Man, he understands. It

609
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,240
Speaker 1: feels that burden. And so it also made me realize

610
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,360
Speaker 1: that I can't take away from who he is. I can't.

611
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,120
Speaker 1: And it really was because it hit me pretty good.

612
00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,000
Speaker 1: And you know, I mean, I'm I'd like to believe

613
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,840
Speaker 1: I'm a practical guy, but that was something I really

614
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:41,800
Speaker 1: truly learned. And so other than doing something physically violent

615
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,760
Speaker 1: against somebody else, I wanted the guys to be who

616
00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,880
Speaker 1: they are play to their ability so people know who

617
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,360
Speaker 1: they are. And and it was something that I think

618
00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:55,240
Speaker 1: that as I reflected on it, we did that in

619
00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,680
Speaker 1: nineteen eighty five with Mike Dicka. He wanted us to

620
00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,680
Speaker 1: have that personality, want us to play free and loose

621
00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:03,880
Speaker 1: and have a good time and enjoy it and appreciate it.

622
00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,280
Speaker 1: And and I really, I said I as I go

623
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,479
Speaker 1: look back, that you know, other than than than than

624
00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,200
Speaker 1: not winning that game, you know, that's super Bowl fifty.

625
00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,600
Speaker 1: Everything was what I thought it should have been. Yeah,

626
00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,440
Speaker 1: and unfortunately we want we played the best game two

627
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:34,600
Speaker 1: weeks before. Yeah, that's that's that's my biggest regret. A

628
00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:37,160
Speaker 1: few years ago, my dad gives me a phone call.

629
00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,200
Speaker 1: And my dad and I were super close, and he

630
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 1: calls me and he's like, yeah, you know, uh, I

631
00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,800
Speaker 1: just wanted to let you know. Um, I wanted a

632
00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,680
Speaker 1: doctor and I got prostate cancer and I'm getting the surgery.

633
00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:49,560
Speaker 1: Everything will be good, and I love you. I talked

634
00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:51,240
Speaker 1: to letter By and he got and I was just like, wait,

635
00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,160
Speaker 1: what what just happened? Like he didn't really want to

636
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,840
Speaker 1: he was vulnerable, but he was vulnerable for like, I

637
00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,600
Speaker 1: don't know, maybe sixty seconds and he wanted to hurry

638
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:02,920
Speaker 1: and get off the phone because I think he had

639
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,920
Speaker 1: a really hard time telling me. And I was just

640
00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,720
Speaker 1: like more shocked than anything. And he had already had

641
00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,680
Speaker 1: it for maybe a month, and he just waited for

642
00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:15,400
Speaker 1: a while to call me and tell me. And you

643
00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,600
Speaker 1: know the process he went through. He's grade, he's healthy now.

644
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,120
Speaker 1: And I know you had it recently and a few

645
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,640
Speaker 1: years ago. And one, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad

646
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:32,080
Speaker 1: you're healthy. You only miss like three practices, like you

647
00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:38,280
Speaker 1: are a freaking iron man, and I just won again.

648
00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:43,000
Speaker 1: I'm happy here. But you why only mystery practices? Why

649
00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,200
Speaker 1: not maybe take time off for like what was that process?

650
00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 1: Like it was an accident. So this true story. So

651
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,240
Speaker 1: we go, we're going through the process. We're meeting with

652
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,560
Speaker 1: the doctors, to meet with the oncologists, meet with my radiologists,

653
00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,280
Speaker 1: and we're talking about what I should do and how

654
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,440
Speaker 1: I should do things. And they kept saying, you've just

655
00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:04,320
Speaker 1: got to manage your treatments. You just got to manage

656
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,080
Speaker 1: your treatments. You just got to manage the treatment. And

657
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,640
Speaker 1: I mean every time we talked, that's what they're telling

658
00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:11,720
Speaker 1: Nobut that's part of the advice, but that's one of

659
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,200
Speaker 1: the things. But the thing that stuck in my mind

660
00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,680
Speaker 1: was they kept saying, you have to manage the process.

661
00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,480
Speaker 1: You have to manage it. And so finally, when we're

662
00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:22,160
Speaker 1: getting ready to start, Stephanie and I were sitting there

663
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:24,960
Speaker 1: and look at the docs and Stephanie gelo, should he work?

664
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:29,000
Speaker 1: It was absolutely? I mean, the majority of the patients

665
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,080
Speaker 1: end up in the hospital. You gotta you know. So

666
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,080
Speaker 1: I'm thinking to myself, I have to must, I got,

667
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:36,880
Speaker 1: I got no, I have no choice in the matter, right,

668
00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,560
Speaker 1: So I constantly would try to just try to just

669
00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,320
Speaker 1: keep going through just you know. So what happens is,

670
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:48,240
Speaker 1: it's the It's the Tuesday after my second cycle of chemo.

671
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,280
Speaker 1: I just went in had to check up radiation and

672
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,400
Speaker 1: all that stuff. I just got in radiation that morning,

673
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,920
Speaker 1: and so they take me to see my my my oncologists.

674
00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,040
Speaker 1: And as I finished my treatments, you know, I had

675
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:02,280
Speaker 1: to I had to wear one of these masks that

676
00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,120
Speaker 1: they bultch you into the into the table so you

677
00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:07,840
Speaker 1: can't move, and then the machine gets The machine is

678
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:11,280
Speaker 1: literally about nine inches from your face and it makes

679
00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:15,160
Speaker 1: all this noise and then you know, as I finished,

680
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:17,200
Speaker 1: they get him out. I go to get up and

681
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,560
Speaker 1: I can't move, I mean just and I was really weak,

682
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,120
Speaker 1: and I really literally had to roll myself off and

683
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,719
Speaker 1: the and the technicians catch me, and so they get

684
00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:28,880
Speaker 1: a wheelchair and it's the only time I got into

685
00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:32,160
Speaker 1: wheelchair during that whole process. And they wheel me up.

686
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,480
Speaker 1: You know. I do my check up with the doctor

687
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,360
Speaker 1: and he said, well, you know what, you should get

688
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:43,120
Speaker 1: some IV fluids. So we I call we call r V.

689
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,960
Speaker 1: Stephanie calls RV, the head trainer at the time with

690
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:49,240
Speaker 1: with with Washington, and tells him. So they say, all right,

691
00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:52,040
Speaker 1: well bring him to the facility. This was Tuesday, it

692
00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,200
Speaker 1: was it was so the players were off. Um. So

693
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,200
Speaker 1: she drives me there and so we get to the

694
00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:58,960
Speaker 1: front door and I gets Stephanie, I can't There's no

695
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,880
Speaker 1: way I can get So she says, well, let's I said,

696
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:03,160
Speaker 1: let's go to the back door. So the back doors

697
00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:04,960
Speaker 1: on the other side and it is down the level.

698
00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:06,960
Speaker 1: So she drives it all the way around. He comes

699
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,400
Speaker 1: out and the two of them carry me into the

700
00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,719
Speaker 1: room and the players are there. They're working out. We

701
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,920
Speaker 1: had about twenty five thirty guys. They're working out, are

702
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,719
Speaker 1: getting treatment and they see me and it went, I mean,

703
00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,600
Speaker 1: it went from all this noise to dead silence yea.

704
00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:24,600
Speaker 1: And so they walked me in really slowly, get me

705
00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:27,440
Speaker 1: into their I get treatment and then I looked at

706
00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,160
Speaker 1: I says, I can't work today. You gotta take me home.

707
00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,680
Speaker 1: So she takes me home, and it was it was

708
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:36,840
Speaker 1: one of those things where they tell you you have

709
00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:42,279
Speaker 1: to eat, you got to eat and um, and it was.

710
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,320
Speaker 1: It was one of those things that that you know,

711
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,960
Speaker 1: Jonathan Stewart and his wife sent me this bone broth

712
00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,160
Speaker 1: and Stephanie had made this soup for me, and I

713
00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,600
Speaker 1: couldn't get up to eat at lunch and so I

714
00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:57,480
Speaker 1: hadn't eaten all day. And Stephanie says, the one job

715
00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,319
Speaker 1: she had was I was she was to make sure

716
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,719
Speaker 1: I ate. And I wouldn't eat. I wouldn't get up

717
00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,640
Speaker 1: to eat. So she calls our doctor team doctor. He

718
00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:06,880
Speaker 1: starts yelling at me over the phone. You gotta get up,

719
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:08,160
Speaker 1: your must you gotta eat. So I get up and

720
00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,800
Speaker 1: I eat. And as I'm getting up, and you know,

721
00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:14,400
Speaker 1: Courtney was living with us at the time because of

722
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:18,160
Speaker 1: the pandemic, and she sees me she's really upset, and

723
00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,960
Speaker 1: you know, so she leaves me. Stephanie gets she leaves me.

724
00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,600
Speaker 1: Then our dog he looks at me and he's you know,

725
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:26,880
Speaker 1: he leaves me. And the only one left is our

726
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:28,840
Speaker 1: other dog. And she's sitting there staring at me, and

727
00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:30,880
Speaker 1: I figured, oh, at least I got one friend. And

728
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:34,959
Speaker 1: I realized she just wanted the toast. Give her the toast.

729
00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:38,399
Speaker 1: She leaves. So I'm there by myself and I begin

730
00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,920
Speaker 1: to eat, and the more I started eating, more started

731
00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:42,840
Speaker 1: thinking I gotta do this. I can't do this just

732
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,799
Speaker 1: for me. This is my family. Yeah, And so that's

733
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:48,919
Speaker 1: what pushed me on. So then there were a couple

734
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:50,920
Speaker 1: of practices where I had that moment where I started

735
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,160
Speaker 1: to feel that way. So I said, you know what,

736
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,719
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna stay in. And so the team went

737
00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:57,520
Speaker 1: out and practice on their own a couple times. That

738
00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:00,239
Speaker 1: me just because of that fact that I just knew

739
00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,440
Speaker 1: that I needed to rest, so I did, but I

740
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,160
Speaker 1: was able to get through it. So I finished a

741
00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:07,239
Speaker 1: long story. So I finished, I finished treatments, and I

742
00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,239
Speaker 1: ring the bell and the docs come in and we're

743
00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:14,399
Speaker 1: sitting there talking and they sit there and and they said, well,

744
00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,840
Speaker 1: you got you know, you know, what you did was

745
00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,359
Speaker 1: an amazing thing. And I said, well, what do you mean.

746
00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:22,360
Speaker 1: He said, well, you got through all the treatments. You know,

747
00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:24,560
Speaker 1: right now everything's fine or you're healthy and all this

748
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:29,880
Speaker 1: stuff said, and yet you didn't miss a game. You barely,

749
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:31,960
Speaker 1: you only miss a couple of practices. I said, well,

750
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,759
Speaker 1: I thought, I that's what you guys told me. He said, no,

751
00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:36,319
Speaker 1: you could have gone to the hospital for a week

752
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,080
Speaker 1: if you needed to. And I had no idea that

753
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,000
Speaker 1: that was an option. When he said you got a

754
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:43,960
Speaker 1: work or you know, I took that as I had

755
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:49,719
Speaker 1: no choice. And the matter, yes, that's exactly what it was.

756
00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,480
Speaker 1: It was. It was mind over matter, you know. And

757
00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,120
Speaker 1: and again a lot of you guys, I appreciate the

758
00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,480
Speaker 1: text message you guys sent stuff like that. It was great.

759
00:36:57,520 --> 00:36:59,759
Speaker 1: It really was because I you know, I tell people

760
00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:02,520
Speaker 1: that now, because it's crazy. I have people reach out

761
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,839
Speaker 1: to me from all walks of life about hey, would

762
00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,520
Speaker 1: you mind sending a text message to my brother he's

763
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:09,759
Speaker 1: he's he's getting treatments right now, or you want to

764
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,000
Speaker 1: you mind you know, giving a call to somebody I have.

765
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,120
Speaker 1: And the reason I do that is because I'm telling

766
00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:19,360
Speaker 1: you when you go through it. Every morning, my youngest

767
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,719
Speaker 1: brother who was in California, Courtney or Stephanie would get

768
00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:24,200
Speaker 1: up with me at five thirty the morning, get me

769
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:26,400
Speaker 1: ready to take me to the hospital. And my youngest

770
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:29,280
Speaker 1: brother at seven o'clock would send me a text message

771
00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:32,600
Speaker 1: because he was getting ready to go to work in California.

772
00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:34,759
Speaker 1: It was just four o'clock in the morning. But and

773
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,000
Speaker 1: it was all right, Ronnie, we got this, let's go.

774
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,000
Speaker 1: Or my brother Steve, when he would wake up, you

775
00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,480
Speaker 1: know he's retired now, and he would he would get

776
00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:44,080
Speaker 1: up as soon as he got to send me a text, Hey,

777
00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:46,080
Speaker 1: how to go. Everything good, I mean every day, and

778
00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:48,480
Speaker 1: it meant something to me. So when people ask, I

779
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,120
Speaker 1: just try to pay it forward. But you know, the

780
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,880
Speaker 1: long story shortest, I didn't realize it, and so you're

781
00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,560
Speaker 1: absolutely right. It was mind over matter. And the one

782
00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,400
Speaker 1: thing that got me too is several you guys sent

783
00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:00,919
Speaker 1: me messages about, hey, you got control it now, Coach,

784
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:04,960
Speaker 1: you gotta control your ape. You got yeah. Yeah, So

785
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:08,480
Speaker 1: that was that was it. You know that that that

786
00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:10,120
Speaker 1: was one of the things I also helped me get

787
00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:12,520
Speaker 1: through that. That's got to feel great. Though, because the

788
00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:17,040
Speaker 1: bond that you've had with your players and then they

789
00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:19,480
Speaker 1: come back and they reach out to you, like, that's

790
00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:22,120
Speaker 1: just to me, that's a testament of who you are

791
00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,239
Speaker 1: as a as a person. Forget coach, that's just a

792
00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,719
Speaker 1: testament to who you are as a person. And I

793
00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:32,520
Speaker 1: don't think enough people know that about a lot of coaches.

794
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:35,439
Speaker 1: You know, like you were your men first, and you're

795
00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:38,360
Speaker 1: trying to instill in us. Yeah, I want to be

796
00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,640
Speaker 1: better players, be Hall of Fame players, win a championship,

797
00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:43,680
Speaker 1: but you're also teaching us how to be men. Yes,

798
00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:47,480
Speaker 1: you know, Um, I grew up in Chicago at the

799
00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:49,680
Speaker 1: age of twenty two, and I grew up in front

800
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:52,279
Speaker 1: of like cameras and interviews, and I retire when I

801
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,000
Speaker 1: was thirty four, and I learned a lot from coaches

802
00:38:56,040 --> 00:39:01,280
Speaker 1: like yourself, Lovey Smith, uh, Steve Wooks, By Babbage, John Holk.

803
00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:03,920
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, Like, you guys instilled a

804
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:09,759
Speaker 1: lot of men quality, leadership, character skills within us. I

805
00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,239
Speaker 1: don't I don't think people really realize the impact that

806
00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,919
Speaker 1: you guys have on on young men. During this league,

807
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:18,960
Speaker 1: people ask me about you know, my my my best

808
00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:21,560
Speaker 1: coaches and I always tell everybody my first coaches were

809
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:26,880
Speaker 1: my parents. My next coach obviously, and a lot of

810
00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,520
Speaker 1: us bond with him is our high school football coach. Yes,

811
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:32,920
Speaker 1: a lot of us do. Um Mine was was an

812
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:37,279
Speaker 1: amazing man. He was from Texas, from southern Texas, um

813
00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:42,239
Speaker 1: African American, I mean just and he didn't see color.

814
00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,759
Speaker 1: And it was one of the most great lessons to

815
00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,120
Speaker 1: learn because it didn't matter who you are, or who

816
00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:50,279
Speaker 1: you were, where you came from, or what rank your

817
00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:53,000
Speaker 1: dad was. He was going to treat you the same way.

818
00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,839
Speaker 1: And I learned so many messages. In fact, he came

819
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,640
Speaker 1: to the to the Dallas game. You guys remember that, Yeah,

820
00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:03,160
Speaker 1: because I introduced to you guys coach Stevenson and a

821
00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:06,759
Speaker 1: tremendous man, and I learned so much from him. But

822
00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:08,960
Speaker 1: the biggest thing less I learned was you treat everybody

823
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:13,040
Speaker 1: the same. So what happened was we played a game

824
00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,279
Speaker 1: in high school and you know, I played both ways.

825
00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,400
Speaker 1: I was a quarterback, I was a linebacker, so I

826
00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,000
Speaker 1: mean just and it was one of those games that

827
00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:20,840
Speaker 1: I was really sore the next day at practice and

828
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,600
Speaker 1: so I was kind of, you know, run, you need

829
00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:26,520
Speaker 1: to what's wrong. I said, well, I'm really sore. We'll

830
00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,840
Speaker 1: beat up today. Said okay, start running. I said, what

831
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,560
Speaker 1: you should? Start running? So I start jogging around the

832
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:37,719
Speaker 1: practice field and I kept going and just kept going

833
00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,960
Speaker 1: and kept going. I jogged around a practical for an

834
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,720
Speaker 1: hour and a half and you know, and didn't say anything.

835
00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:46,319
Speaker 1: He didn't say anything to me. And we got done

836
00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:49,440
Speaker 1: and he said, how'd you do? I said, what do

837
00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:51,200
Speaker 1: you mean? How do you do? So? We got to

838
00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:53,040
Speaker 1: work out, didn't you? I said, yeah, I said, okay, good.

839
00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:54,960
Speaker 1: That's what was that all about. He says, well, hey,

840
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:56,480
Speaker 1: if you weren't going to do this for work, you

841
00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:58,399
Speaker 1: had to do something for work. So I had you run.

842
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,600
Speaker 1: And it was just showing everybody didn't matter who who

843
00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:03,520
Speaker 1: I am. Yeah, I'm gonna treat you the same way.

844
00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:05,160
Speaker 1: He's not gonna be out here, but he's gonna be work.

845
00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:06,839
Speaker 1: He's gonna be workd You need to see it. That's

846
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,360
Speaker 1: exactly what it was all about. That it really is.

847
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:13,239
Speaker 1: I'm glad you to make us do that, because talking

848
00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:16,759
Speaker 1: about treating everybody the same, um one one coach or

849
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,920
Speaker 1: one person that has come up the last few coaching cycles,

850
00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,399
Speaker 1: and everybody's always asking what's it? What Eric B Enemy?

851
00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:24,160
Speaker 1: Why isn't I getting a job? He's a oc here,

852
00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:26,640
Speaker 1: you know for under Andy reading everybody else to be

853
00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:29,399
Speaker 1: able to move up in this That another what made

854
00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:33,440
Speaker 1: Eric b Enemy the right fit for the Washington commanders

855
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:36,960
Speaker 1: and for your offense going forward. What I what I

856
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:41,160
Speaker 1: kept noticing about Eric was as I watched and I

857
00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:43,080
Speaker 1: called Andy Reid coach ree and I talked to he

858
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,160
Speaker 1: was he was tremendous, gracious. But then what I did

859
00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:47,239
Speaker 1: too is I talked to a couple of coaches that

860
00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:51,880
Speaker 1: I had worked with U and on Andy Reid's original staff. Yes, okay,

861
00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:55,120
Speaker 1: Steve Spagnolan Dave tub were two guys that I played with.

862
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:57,520
Speaker 1: We grew up in the league, we started together, so

863
00:41:57,600 --> 00:41:59,440
Speaker 1: I knew I could trust those guys. And they said

864
00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:01,719
Speaker 1: same things, Ron, You're gonna love this guy. The way

865
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,440
Speaker 1: he works with people, the way he connects with players,

866
00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,400
Speaker 1: his his his imagination, his play calling. He's learned so

867
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:12,000
Speaker 1: much from coach. And it's funny because because when I

868
00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:14,279
Speaker 1: first would do the interviews, when I first got an

869
00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:17,560
Speaker 1: interviewed for head coaching jobs, and I had done seven

870
00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:20,760
Speaker 1: of them prior to getting my job, I finally asked

871
00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,360
Speaker 1: the folks at Detroit and the folks at Pittsburgh, what

872
00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:27,919
Speaker 1: was it that I could do better? And they said

873
00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,200
Speaker 1: your problem coaches you come in and they both said

874
00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,880
Speaker 1: it independently. Was you talk about Andy Reid, what you

875
00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,040
Speaker 1: learned from him? You talk about Lovey Smith what you

876
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:39,680
Speaker 1: got from him, You talk about North Turner, you talk

877
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:41,960
Speaker 1: about you talk about what everybody else, tell us what

878
00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:46,880
Speaker 1: you're gonna do, talk about you, why you? And all

879
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,080
Speaker 1: of a sudden at Dawn's on me. So I've never

880
00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:51,720
Speaker 1: been in Eric's and I wonder if everybody thinks, okay,

881
00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:54,400
Speaker 1: you know, does that what he talks about instead of saying, hey,

882
00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:56,480
Speaker 1: this is what I'm gonna do. Yeah. So when Eric

883
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:58,040
Speaker 1: came in and we sat down and we talked, I said,

884
00:42:58,080 --> 00:42:59,680
Speaker 1: what are you gonna do for us? He says, look, coach,

885
00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:02,919
Speaker 1: I like your personnel. I mean he knew our personal

886
00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:05,279
Speaker 1: We talked about the offense line, we talked about tight ends,

887
00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:07,960
Speaker 1: running backs, quarterbacks, why. And he had a plan for

888
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,759
Speaker 1: everybody and how he wanted to use them, how he

889
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,239
Speaker 1: wanted to do it. And what it happened was is

890
00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,080
Speaker 1: I was going through the process and I was looking

891
00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:17,840
Speaker 1: at all the different candidates, and I got some wonderful candidates,

892
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:20,360
Speaker 1: and I wanted to treat everybody to saying. So I

893
00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:24,000
Speaker 1: brought everybody in, We flew them in, we sat them down,

894
00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:27,640
Speaker 1: they met with everybody. They got to interview him. You know,

895
00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:31,320
Speaker 1: only one candidate I couldn't. And and what happened was

896
00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:33,680
Speaker 1: I actually was out in California. So I went up

897
00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,720
Speaker 1: and saw him in San Francisco and we met in person.

898
00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:38,360
Speaker 1: But I wanted to make sure everybody understood that this

899
00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:40,880
Speaker 1: was what I really wanted to do and do it

900
00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:43,480
Speaker 1: the right way. So when I sat down with Eric

901
00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:47,200
Speaker 1: and just listened to him, and I kept thinking to myself, Okay,

902
00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:49,319
Speaker 1: so I really wondered and he and I haven't talked

903
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:50,800
Speaker 1: about this, and I should talk with him about it,

904
00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:53,800
Speaker 1: just so we understand. Is that I wanted to know

905
00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:55,880
Speaker 1: what he wanted to do and I wanted to do it.

906
00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:58,200
Speaker 1: And I heard that. And what it did was it

907
00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:00,840
Speaker 1: matched up to the way they were using their talent

908
00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:04,800
Speaker 1: in Kansas City. Yeah, it was unbelievable because it's the

909
00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,279
Speaker 1: ball was spread around, I mean, to the receivers, to

910
00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:09,560
Speaker 1: the tight ends, to the backs that they were utilizing

911
00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:12,360
Speaker 1: these guys quick throws, making explosive play, stuff like that.

912
00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:15,200
Speaker 1: But listening to him tell me what his plan was

913
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,480
Speaker 1: for everybody and what he thought we needed to do

914
00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:19,440
Speaker 1: and how we needed to do it was great. It

915
00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:21,600
Speaker 1: was a lot of good information that just told me

916
00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,759
Speaker 1: he's right. He and one of the things that Andy

917
00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:27,800
Speaker 1: felt and he did the same thing with coach McDermott,

918
00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:30,480
Speaker 1: was he felt coach McDermott had to get out from

919
00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:33,800
Speaker 1: under the shadow of Jim of Jim Johnson. Yeah, and

920
00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:37,400
Speaker 1: so when he came, he came to me and I

921
00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:39,800
Speaker 1: hired him. One of the things I said to Shaun Sean,

922
00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,640
Speaker 1: let's build this, okay, you build it, okay, so we

923
00:44:44,719 --> 00:44:47,200
Speaker 1: can say at the end of the day, you did this. Yeah, okay.

924
00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:48,960
Speaker 1: And that's what I wanted to make sure everybody and

925
00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:51,160
Speaker 1: look at him today, Look what Shawn's done. Well, it's

926
00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:53,439
Speaker 1: the same thing with Eric. He felt and he called

927
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:55,520
Speaker 1: me and we talked and he gave me a lot

928
00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:57,960
Speaker 1: of you know, insight into Eric and I talked to

929
00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:01,400
Speaker 1: the coaches, got great insight and he's right. Eric needs

930
00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:04,879
Speaker 1: this opportunity just so everybody knows he's his own man. Yeah,

931
00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:07,279
Speaker 1: and he's capable so I'm excited for him, I really am,

932
00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:09,520
Speaker 1: and I think this is this is what Eric needs

933
00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,160
Speaker 1: and this is what we need. I'm excited, coach Man.

934
00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:16,360
Speaker 1: I'm super excited me too. And I love that, you know,

935
00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:20,600
Speaker 1: continue to provide opportunity, continue to, you know, help build

936
00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:24,080
Speaker 1: upon others careers. You know, Peanut really talked about how

937
00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:27,080
Speaker 1: you do that in other different ways. And I want

938
00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:31,240
Speaker 1: to know a good story, like what's your best Peanut

939
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:34,000
Speaker 1: Tilman's story, because I know you have a lot you

940
00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:36,920
Speaker 1: already shared with us. The crocodile, I mean the alligator,

941
00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:42,359
Speaker 1: croc alligator saying, well, crocodile's a lot bigger clear would

942
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:46,279
Speaker 1: have been an alligator, all right, So what is your

943
00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:49,120
Speaker 1: best Peanut Tilman story that you could actually share with us?

944
00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:51,320
Speaker 1: This will be good now I'm trying. Man. There's a

945
00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:52,840
Speaker 1: lot of them, but one of my favorites one he

946
00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:57,160
Speaker 1: tells a story about his rookie year in Chicago. I

947
00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:00,000
Speaker 1: wasn't there yet, so he's telling me his rookie year.

948
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,480
Speaker 1: They had a big defensive linement that that liked to

949
00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,480
Speaker 1: pick on the young guys a little bit, and Peanut

950
00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:07,840
Speaker 1: talks about how he had to get into the dirty

951
00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:11,279
Speaker 1: clothes hamper and pretend he was a car driving through

952
00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:15,120
Speaker 1: the streets of Chicago. He had to make car noises.

953
00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:17,480
Speaker 1: He had he had to pretend he was making turns,

954
00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:20,839
Speaker 1: using a blinker and just basically driving it. And when

955
00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:22,879
Speaker 1: you hear it, tell the story. I mean, that's that's

956
00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:25,080
Speaker 1: who he is. It's a great story to hear it

957
00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:29,640
Speaker 1: really is. Yeah. So this big defensive lineman is Ted

958
00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:34,680
Speaker 1: Ted Washington. Oh. Ted Washington was huge. He was he

959
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:39,080
Speaker 1: was massive. This is really my welcome to the NFL moment. Okay, um,

960
00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:41,879
Speaker 1: I just did the cold tub. They all the vests

961
00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:43,960
Speaker 1: just dunked me in the cold tub. I got taped up.

962
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,640
Speaker 1: They dumped me in the cold tub. Whatever. And the

963
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:50,640
Speaker 1: next day or two days later, Ted comes in there

964
00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:52,839
Speaker 1: and we were supposed to go the long way around.

965
00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:55,160
Speaker 1: I went through trying to take a short cutch hon

966
00:46:55,239 --> 00:46:59,960
Speaker 1: be sneaky. I get caught and Ted says, hey, listen up,

967
00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:03,400
Speaker 1: I need you to get into the dirty clothes hamper.

968
00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:05,839
Speaker 1: He says, any he tells you. He was like, hey,

969
00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,080
Speaker 1: get in there, and I'm gonna push you around and

970
00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:11,200
Speaker 1: I need you to make all the noises. And my

971
00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:14,880
Speaker 1: pride kick stepped up right, I'm just like aait man. Man,

972
00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:16,960
Speaker 1: I'm a I'm a grown ass man. You're not. I'm

973
00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:20,239
Speaker 1: gonna make me getting this dirty, dirty clothes hamper. Like

974
00:47:20,320 --> 00:47:22,640
Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm, I'm, I'm a tin woman, I'm I'm,

975
00:47:22,719 --> 00:47:26,239
Speaker 1: I'm peanut, I'm you know. So then I look at

976
00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:27,759
Speaker 1: all the other vets start to stup up and I

977
00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,880
Speaker 1: was like, yeah, all right, and I'm trying to like

978
00:47:31,000 --> 00:47:33,279
Speaker 1: be pulled. I'm like, big tang, you just got me

979
00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:36,160
Speaker 1: the other day. Man, Like, I'm I apologize, I'm sorry

980
00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:39,600
Speaker 1: if I'm being disrespectful, I'll go the long way. Apologies

981
00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:42,759
Speaker 1: to all you veterans. Like, hey, I apologies, brother, my

982
00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:46,200
Speaker 1: my bad. Get your ass in there. I was like,

983
00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:49,880
Speaker 1: so I get I get in this this hamper, right,

984
00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:54,880
Speaker 1: it is dirty clothes stuff. Oh my god, why am

985
00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:57,719
Speaker 1: I doing this? So I swallowed my pride. I get

986
00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:00,440
Speaker 1: in there, and all the vets they're take off their

987
00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:03,799
Speaker 1: paths and whatnot. So they all come around and he's

988
00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:09,360
Speaker 1: pushing it around. I'm like, and then he starts s

989
00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:12,799
Speaker 1: ramming it into the locker in the wall and I'm

990
00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:16,000
Speaker 1: just hearing boom and he's like pushing it into the wall.

991
00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:19,879
Speaker 1: Then he bags it up and I'm making I'm making

992
00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:23,399
Speaker 1: all these sounds and everybody is just laughing. Right, I'm

993
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:25,759
Speaker 1: just like, man, this is a bad day. So after

994
00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:29,640
Speaker 1: about I don't know, fifteen thirty seconds of pushing me around,

995
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:33,480
Speaker 1: he clearly doesn't have stamming or cardio. He's about three thirty,

996
00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:36,080
Speaker 1: so he's all cardioed out from pushing me in this

997
00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:39,720
Speaker 1: damn laundry basket. And then he picks up the laundry

998
00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:42,960
Speaker 1: basket with the laundry and me in it. Yeah, and

999
00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:44,800
Speaker 1: he picks it up and then he just threw it

1000
00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:47,800
Speaker 1: and I fall out of the thing and I was like,

1001
00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:49,680
Speaker 1: appreciate your big tit. And then I walk out the

1002
00:48:49,719 --> 00:48:51,719
Speaker 1: locker room was like, man, I hate this dude. And

1003
00:48:51,840 --> 00:48:54,399
Speaker 1: then they traded him like three days later to New

1004
00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:56,480
Speaker 1: England and he goes and went to the Super Bowl

1005
00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:59,799
Speaker 1: with Belichick when they played Carolina in Super Bowl whatever.

1006
00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:02,360
Speaker 1: But I was so I was so happy they traded

1007
00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:04,879
Speaker 1: Big Dead. Oh my god, that was Oh yeah, that's

1008
00:49:05,239 --> 00:49:07,680
Speaker 1: definitely my Walkers. I've never heard of this thing. Yeah,

1009
00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:11,480
Speaker 1: that's my that's my welcome to the NFL moment. Speaking

1010
00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:14,719
Speaker 1: of NFL moments, as a head coach. I know we

1011
00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:17,800
Speaker 1: all have them as players. What was your welcome to

1012
00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,560
Speaker 1: the NFL moment as a head coach. We've heard some

1013
00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:23,040
Speaker 1: interesting story from other Yeah, today I think it's been

1014
00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:28,160
Speaker 1: welcome interest. Yeah, to like something was like, damn, I

1015
00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:31,279
Speaker 1: did not see that happening, Like you know, I mean,

1016
00:49:31,719 --> 00:49:33,239
Speaker 1: there are a lot of things that you guys been

1017
00:49:33,239 --> 00:49:37,320
Speaker 1: a while, but I know, well, I'll never forget my

1018
00:49:37,520 --> 00:49:42,600
Speaker 1: first NFL season. What happens is there as a coach

1019
00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:45,879
Speaker 1: a player as a coach. Okay, there's a lockout. Oh yeah,

1020
00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:49,640
Speaker 1: there's a lockout. I don't get to meet my team

1021
00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:55,080
Speaker 1: until we get to training camp. So I had no OTAs,

1022
00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:58,600
Speaker 1: no mini camp, no first team meeting. First team meeting

1023
00:49:58,680 --> 00:50:03,439
Speaker 1: I have is my my first day. So so bring

1024
00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:05,960
Speaker 1: the team in. They do the conditioning test, which we're

1025
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,120
Speaker 1: not you're not allowed to watch anyway, so that at

1026
00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:10,240
Speaker 1: the time you weren't. So they did all that stuff.

1027
00:50:10,480 --> 00:50:12,759
Speaker 1: So I really don't get speak to the guys as

1028
00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:17,160
Speaker 1: a group until that first meeting. So speak to him.

1029
00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:20,640
Speaker 1: Come down to practice the next day, first practice in

1030
00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:24,520
Speaker 1: the morning, full pads. Okay, Steve Smith's on the team,

1031
00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:27,279
Speaker 1: one of the all time, and I really know, I

1032
00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:29,080
Speaker 1: really believe he is a Hall of Famer, but one

1033
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:31,560
Speaker 1: of the one of the really great wide wide receivers

1034
00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:35,719
Speaker 1: in this league. And so we start practice and and

1035
00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:40,719
Speaker 1: Steve is just goes at it one hundred percent. Well,

1036
00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:45,799
Speaker 1: I've never been around Steve, and so start his team drilling.

1037
00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:47,920
Speaker 1: I'm watching the team drilling. Also here's this ruckass over

1038
00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:50,080
Speaker 1: to the wide receivers and I look out, so this

1039
00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:53,640
Speaker 1: one on ones And okay, so now we finished one

1040
00:50:53,680 --> 00:50:56,600
Speaker 1: on the drills. We start team pass. We're doing the

1041
00:50:56,640 --> 00:50:58,680
Speaker 1: team pass drill and he's out there in the corners

1042
00:50:58,719 --> 00:51:00,880
Speaker 1: on them and they start back and forth. I think

1043
00:51:00,920 --> 00:51:04,640
Speaker 1: I said, okay, this is getting ready. This is gonna

1044
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:10,279
Speaker 1: be on. So I start walking over there and the

1045
00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:13,719
Speaker 1: ball gets snapped and within a second of the ball

1046
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:17,440
Speaker 1: being snapped, there's an all out fight and it's the

1047
00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:21,640
Speaker 1: team he's fighting with the dB and the defensive guys

1048
00:51:21,719 --> 00:51:24,000
Speaker 1: come over, the offensive guys come over, and I mean,

1049
00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:26,800
Speaker 1: this is the I mean, it's been less than a

1050
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:30,520
Speaker 1: full day and I'm with this team and they're fighting

1051
00:51:30,719 --> 00:51:33,520
Speaker 1: and beating each other up, and I'm blowing the whistle

1052
00:51:33,640 --> 00:51:38,640
Speaker 1: trying to get him calmed down. I'm blowing the whistle.

1053
00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:40,840
Speaker 1: I'm you know, and I'm one of those coaches that

1054
00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:43,960
Speaker 1: realized I'm flying in the middle of that. I'm not

1055
00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:47,279
Speaker 1: because I had a fellow coach get knocked out one

1056
00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:51,320
Speaker 1: time when I was coaching on Andy Reid Staff. We

1057
00:51:51,440 --> 00:51:55,520
Speaker 1: were in training camp and the offensive line coach, his

1058
00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:58,800
Speaker 1: offensive lines got they're fighting with my linebackers. So he

1059
00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:00,440
Speaker 1: comes out and get in the middle. Yeah, and he

1060
00:52:00,560 --> 00:52:02,960
Speaker 1: and one of the offensive linement throws a haymaker which

1061
00:52:03,040 --> 00:52:05,239
Speaker 1: catches him and he goes and you see it. He

1062
00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:09,279
Speaker 1: gets hit, pops up and falls over. So I stay

1063
00:52:09,320 --> 00:52:11,600
Speaker 1: out of the middle of it. So this thing starts

1064
00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:13,200
Speaker 1: and I'm blowing the whist, so I'm trying to get

1065
00:52:13,239 --> 00:52:15,480
Speaker 1: guys back. I'm kind of you know, and then it

1066
00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:17,120
Speaker 1: just it just goes. And I'm telling you what I'm

1067
00:52:17,120 --> 00:52:20,400
Speaker 1: saying myself, Oh boy, this is something else. And I

1068
00:52:20,480 --> 00:52:22,279
Speaker 1: can't remember, just sitting there looking. I just got to

1069
00:52:22,360 --> 00:52:26,399
Speaker 1: some believes what if I got myself into day one,

1070
00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:30,160
Speaker 1: that's a good story. That's not what I was expecting.

1071
00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:33,439
Speaker 1: Was a player fighting day one. And the situation, being

1072
00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:38,680
Speaker 1: in the lockout season, where very very unique situation for

1073
00:52:38,760 --> 00:52:43,640
Speaker 1: those that had to go through it and play through it. Um. So, coach,

1074
00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:47,240
Speaker 1: we always like to ask everybody, m just one question,

1075
00:52:47,600 --> 00:52:51,719
Speaker 1: and so it's about your mount rushmore so who would

1076
00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:56,800
Speaker 1: be on your mount rushmore of life influencers, not just

1077
00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:00,400
Speaker 1: football but overall in life. You get four mm hm,

1078
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:04,040
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna count my parents was one first and foremost.

1079
00:53:04,120 --> 00:53:08,879
Speaker 1: What was that person to do that doubt? In my mind?

1080
00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:12,320
Speaker 1: Mom and Dad had had the most unbelievable impact on

1081
00:53:12,960 --> 00:53:15,480
Speaker 1: me and my three brothers. Um, they'd be at the

1082
00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:16,960
Speaker 1: front of it, just like you said about your dad.

1083
00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:18,759
Speaker 1: My parents would be at the front of it. Um.

1084
00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:23,800
Speaker 1: Carl Stevenson my high school football coach, because again you

1085
00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:27,560
Speaker 1: know you make that connection. Um. You know my dad

1086
00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:31,120
Speaker 1: was sent to Korea. Uh. It was my junior year

1087
00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:35,800
Speaker 1: in high school, and coach stepped in. He checked in

1088
00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:37,479
Speaker 1: on my younger brother. And now my two older brothers

1089
00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:38,759
Speaker 1: were out, you know, they were they were living on

1090
00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:41,160
Speaker 1: their own, and so it was just my younger brother

1091
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:44,359
Speaker 1: and I am a mom and mom was a nurse's age,

1092
00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:46,560
Speaker 1: so she was at the hospital, you know, working a lot.

1093
00:53:46,920 --> 00:53:49,359
Speaker 1: So coach I always checked in. He checked in my mom,

1094
00:53:49,480 --> 00:53:51,480
Speaker 1: Hey everything, how the boys? You know that I mean

1095
00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:54,879
Speaker 1: and and just just he was there for us while

1096
00:53:54,920 --> 00:53:57,359
Speaker 1: my dad was gone. So that's why he made such

1097
00:53:57,400 --> 00:54:00,239
Speaker 1: an impact on me. And and I never forget Coach

1098
00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:04,319
Speaker 1: he recently passed away at the age of seventy eight.

1099
00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:07,000
Speaker 1: Just a tremendous man. I mean, just somebody that I'll

1100
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:10,879
Speaker 1: never forget the impact that he made on my life. Man,

1101
00:54:11,200 --> 00:54:13,520
Speaker 1: there when I when I now, when I think about it,

1102
00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:15,640
Speaker 1: there's so many other people that had that impact on

1103
00:54:15,760 --> 00:54:18,760
Speaker 1: me that now I try to figure out what point

1104
00:54:19,120 --> 00:54:22,040
Speaker 1: did they impact me? How did they impact me? And

1105
00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:24,520
Speaker 1: it's just it's hard to say at that it really

1106
00:54:24,680 --> 00:54:29,480
Speaker 1: is gosh. I had an uncle, Larry, who was my godfather,

1107
00:54:30,239 --> 00:54:32,960
Speaker 1: and he played football, and he was one of those

1108
00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:34,920
Speaker 1: guys that you know he got he got hurt in

1109
00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:37,759
Speaker 1: college and back then, you got hurt in college, done,

1110
00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:39,759
Speaker 1: you were pretty much done. He was a knee injury too.

1111
00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:45,279
Speaker 1: But growing up he was a guy that everybody talked

1112
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:48,080
Speaker 1: about it in the community because he was a great

1113
00:54:48,120 --> 00:54:52,400
Speaker 1: an athlete. Goes into college and gets hurt and the

1114
00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:56,160
Speaker 1: career ends, but his legacy carried on. And he had

1115
00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:59,480
Speaker 1: this way of saying things to me like if I

1116
00:54:59,560 --> 00:55:01,520
Speaker 1: ever got myself in trouble, you know, he was there.

1117
00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:04,399
Speaker 1: He always tell me up because see your mom faced

1118
00:55:04,400 --> 00:55:06,800
Speaker 1: the music, get it over with, trust me, you'll be okay.

1119
00:55:06,840 --> 00:55:08,840
Speaker 1: I mean, he was that kind of voice for me.

1120
00:55:09,000 --> 00:55:10,680
Speaker 1: So I would put my uncle Larry up there just

1121
00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:15,120
Speaker 1: because throughout throughout this whole time he made that kind

1122
00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:19,600
Speaker 1: of impact on me as well. And then my mom's dead.

1123
00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:24,160
Speaker 1: My grandfather he was a he was never a naturalized citizen.

1124
00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:29,440
Speaker 1: He had his green card throughout his life, and he

1125
00:55:29,560 --> 00:55:32,320
Speaker 1: worked the fields as fleeing as valley as as a

1126
00:55:32,640 --> 00:55:36,640
Speaker 1: farm worker. And he used to always show up at

1127
00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:39,520
Speaker 1: all of our sporting events that he could get to,

1128
00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:42,880
Speaker 1: and sometimes he would he would literally come out of

1129
00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:50,160
Speaker 1: the fields wearing those big rubber boots, just caked in mud, overalls, gloves,

1130
00:55:50,440 --> 00:55:53,120
Speaker 1: you know, everything dirty, and he'd watched it. He'd sit

1131
00:55:53,239 --> 00:55:56,279
Speaker 1: off to the side and he'd watched the games. And

1132
00:55:57,040 --> 00:55:59,640
Speaker 1: you always wanted to see if Grandpa was there. And

1133
00:56:00,520 --> 00:56:02,479
Speaker 1: and it was one of those things because you knew

1134
00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:04,759
Speaker 1: that in his mind it was about the American dream.

1135
00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:07,680
Speaker 1: And the one thing I never forget was that he

1136
00:56:07,800 --> 00:56:12,200
Speaker 1: had bought his house. Okay, he came. He actually came

1137
00:56:12,239 --> 00:56:15,560
Speaker 1: from the Philippines, worked in the fields and his whole

1138
00:56:15,640 --> 00:56:18,600
Speaker 1: goal was to buy his own house. And I'll never

1139
00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:21,120
Speaker 1: forget when he had bought his own house and we

1140
00:56:21,239 --> 00:56:24,719
Speaker 1: were over visiting and I was I just turned fifteen,

1141
00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:27,879
Speaker 1: and he said I was just turned. He said, Ronnie,

1142
00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:31,160
Speaker 1: I want to show you something and he pulls it out.

1143
00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:36,320
Speaker 1: It's a deed to his house. He said, I owned this.

1144
00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:39,319
Speaker 1: And that made an impression, just thinking, man as wow,

1145
00:56:39,600 --> 00:56:42,000
Speaker 1: I mean, and I really didn't understand it till I

1146
00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:44,520
Speaker 1: got to college and he got sick and passed away,

1147
00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:47,600
Speaker 1: But just thinking about what he had done, you know,

1148
00:56:48,040 --> 00:56:50,759
Speaker 1: raising the family he raised, making the impact he had

1149
00:56:50,840 --> 00:56:54,080
Speaker 1: on us. I mean, mine's you know, my Mount restaurant

1150
00:56:54,719 --> 00:56:57,920
Speaker 1: is really family oriented. And I think that's what you

1151
00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:02,040
Speaker 1: know for me, that that that was important, It really was.

1152
00:57:02,120 --> 00:57:04,600
Speaker 1: I mean I got to go to Puerto Rico see

1153
00:57:04,680 --> 00:57:07,360
Speaker 1: my dad's family, not as much just because you know,

1154
00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:09,640
Speaker 1: getting to Puerto Ricos isn't as easy as you like to.

1155
00:57:10,239 --> 00:57:13,200
Speaker 1: And I can remember going to the family farm and

1156
00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:17,680
Speaker 1: seeing it, and I can remember the original farmhouse is

1157
00:57:17,720 --> 00:57:20,520
Speaker 1: in the middle of this forty something anchors that they

1158
00:57:20,560 --> 00:57:22,800
Speaker 1: had and it's still there and they keep it there

1159
00:57:22,840 --> 00:57:25,200
Speaker 1: and they keep it up. Some of the cousins keep

1160
00:57:25,240 --> 00:57:27,360
Speaker 1: it up because they think it's important for the whole

1161
00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:29,720
Speaker 1: family to know where we all came from. Yes, so

1162
00:57:29,840 --> 00:57:32,520
Speaker 1: when you see this, it started off as this originally

1163
00:57:32,600 --> 00:57:36,560
Speaker 1: was just one room hut, and then it became two rooms.

1164
00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:38,880
Speaker 1: And the second room really was was the bedroom from

1165
00:57:38,880 --> 00:57:41,600
Speaker 1: my grandparents and everybody else. You know, they had this

1166
00:57:41,680 --> 00:57:45,160
Speaker 1: little area where they slept, this kitchen that they had

1167
00:57:45,240 --> 00:57:46,960
Speaker 1: and just like this family room and that was it.

1168
00:57:47,120 --> 00:57:49,240
Speaker 1: That was the size of it. And it's there. And

1169
00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:51,440
Speaker 1: when you when you get up on the hill and

1170
00:57:51,480 --> 00:57:53,320
Speaker 1: you look down and you see that, and you see

1171
00:57:53,600 --> 00:57:55,320
Speaker 1: all the stuff that they had, you said, and they go,

1172
00:57:55,800 --> 00:57:59,320
Speaker 1: that's all they had. Then you realize that's all they needed. Yea,

1173
00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:01,760
Speaker 1: And so you know, so that's why I think for me,

1174
00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:03,920
Speaker 1: you know, that would be more of a family thing.

1175
00:58:04,560 --> 00:58:06,960
Speaker 1: We're living our second acts via you know, our our

1176
00:58:07,040 --> 00:58:12,280
Speaker 1: our next job. Since playing football, What advice would you

1177
00:58:12,360 --> 00:58:17,479
Speaker 1: give a player going into retirement or their next act

1178
00:58:18,120 --> 00:58:22,880
Speaker 1: of life? Oh, have a plan, have a plan. I

1179
00:58:22,960 --> 00:58:26,040
Speaker 1: didn't have a plan for the most part really because

1180
00:58:26,040 --> 00:58:27,840
Speaker 1: I kind of wanted to find out what I wanted

1181
00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:32,160
Speaker 1: to do, and I started working in the real world,

1182
00:58:33,240 --> 00:58:38,360
Speaker 1: and I hated what do you consider the real world? Coach? Oh,

1183
00:58:38,480 --> 00:58:41,640
Speaker 1: it was it was a real estate job. Okay, okay,

1184
00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:45,800
Speaker 1: And when you have to work on somebody else's schedule

1185
00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:51,520
Speaker 1: that doesn't impact you the way it should, it's bothersome.

1186
00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:55,280
Speaker 1: You know. I hated having people dictate to me, and

1187
00:58:55,400 --> 00:58:57,240
Speaker 1: I thought, you know what, this isn't for me. And

1188
00:58:57,400 --> 00:59:00,840
Speaker 1: I was struggling. I really was. I mean, things were

1189
00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:04,040
Speaker 1: going well, I was making money, but it wasn't. I

1190
00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:07,680
Speaker 1: wasn't happy. And more importantly, my wife knew that. And

1191
00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:09,840
Speaker 1: I know, you guys know Stephanie. The first thing she said,

1192
00:59:09,920 --> 00:59:12,560
Speaker 1: she said, you gotta get back into football. I said, wow.

1193
00:59:13,400 --> 00:59:16,840
Speaker 1: She said, I don't care what you do, but you

1194
00:59:16,960 --> 00:59:20,160
Speaker 1: got to get back into football. Yeah. And so it

1195
00:59:20,400 --> 00:59:22,720
Speaker 1: drove me to a situation where I was talking with

1196
00:59:22,840 --> 00:59:26,080
Speaker 1: Walter Payton. I was actually doing some radio and TV

1197
00:59:26,160 --> 00:59:27,440
Speaker 1: like a lot of guys do when you get out,

1198
00:59:27,640 --> 00:59:32,280
Speaker 1: and I got to do the pregame, sideline, halftime and

1199
00:59:32,480 --> 00:59:35,960
Speaker 1: postgame show for the Bears opener and I believe it

1200
00:59:36,160 --> 00:59:40,680
Speaker 1: was twenty nineteen ninety six, I believe it was, and

1201
00:59:40,800 --> 00:59:43,640
Speaker 1: they were opening up against Dallas and I'm watching it

1202
00:59:43,720 --> 00:59:45,520
Speaker 1: and you know, I'm talking about the game with Walter

1203
00:59:45,640 --> 00:59:47,800
Speaker 1: and Walter looks at me, goes, how come you're not coaching?

1204
00:59:47,920 --> 00:59:49,240
Speaker 1: I said, Walter, I don't know how to get in.

1205
00:59:50,280 --> 00:59:52,320
Speaker 1: I don't know what to do to get in. And

1206
00:59:52,440 --> 00:59:54,360
Speaker 1: he looks at me, says, come see me tomorrow. Come

1207
00:59:54,400 --> 00:59:56,880
Speaker 1: by me, Come by my office, let's talk. So the

1208
00:59:56,920 --> 00:59:58,840
Speaker 1: next day I show up at his office and we're

1209
00:59:58,840 --> 01:00:01,680
Speaker 1: sitting around and we're talking and just having a great time,

1210
01:00:01,760 --> 01:00:04,960
Speaker 1: and Walter looks, He goes, you should be coaching. He said,

1211
01:00:05,000 --> 01:00:06,840
Speaker 1: I listen to you talk about the game, and I

1212
01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:09,560
Speaker 1: remember when you were a player. He said, Ron, you

1213
01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:11,440
Speaker 1: need or he said, cheek or you need to you

1214
01:00:11,560 --> 01:00:15,240
Speaker 1: need to get into it. And I said, well, I

1215
01:00:15,320 --> 01:00:17,600
Speaker 1: gotta figure out how. He goes, I'll talk to Ed.

1216
01:00:17,880 --> 01:00:20,720
Speaker 1: He was talking about Ed McCaskey. I said, I'll really

1217
01:00:21,040 --> 01:00:23,720
Speaker 1: you see. Yeah, So he talks to Ed McCaskey the

1218
01:00:23,840 --> 01:00:25,480
Speaker 1: next day. Because Walter at the time was on the

1219
01:00:25,560 --> 01:00:27,960
Speaker 1: board of directors for the Chicago Bears. So he talks

1220
01:00:27,960 --> 01:00:31,200
Speaker 1: to mister McCaskey. He calls me up. He says, hey, Cheeks,

1221
01:00:31,840 --> 01:00:34,600
Speaker 1: Ed wants to see you tomorrow. It's okay, So I

1222
01:00:34,680 --> 01:00:37,160
Speaker 1: think by then it was either Wednesday or Thursday. So

1223
01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:40,360
Speaker 1: I drive to the Bears facility. I sit down with

1224
01:00:40,440 --> 01:00:43,440
Speaker 1: mister McCaskey. He says, Look, Ron, he says, we already

1225
01:00:43,480 --> 01:00:46,680
Speaker 1: started the season. So next year, I'll make sure you

1226
01:00:46,760 --> 01:00:50,720
Speaker 1: connect with Dave, you know, coach Wanstead, and we'll go

1227
01:00:50,840 --> 01:00:53,360
Speaker 1: from there and we'll see what happens. I said, okay,

1228
01:00:53,840 --> 01:00:56,920
Speaker 1: so lo and behold true to his word. February comes,

1229
01:00:57,240 --> 01:00:58,920
Speaker 1: I get a phone call from Dave. Hey, Ron, why

1230
01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:00,640
Speaker 1: don't you come down and see me? Okay, So I

1231
01:01:00,760 --> 01:01:02,720
Speaker 1: come down, We sit down and we start talking. I said, look,

1232
01:01:03,400 --> 01:01:05,160
Speaker 1: I think I want to do this. In fact, I

1233
01:01:05,400 --> 01:01:06,920
Speaker 1: don't think I know I want to do this. It

1234
01:01:07,040 --> 01:01:09,480
Speaker 1: really he said. Okay. Well, he says, you know we

1235
01:01:09,600 --> 01:01:12,280
Speaker 1: have we have mini camp coming up pretty soon and

1236
01:01:12,360 --> 01:01:14,520
Speaker 1: then otis and I'd love for you to be part

1237
01:01:14,560 --> 01:01:17,360
Speaker 1: of it. And so sure, Well, while they were doing that,

1238
01:01:17,440 --> 01:01:21,480
Speaker 1: they had just started the Bill Walsh Pro Coaching Internship

1239
01:01:21,760 --> 01:01:24,640
Speaker 1: program Minority Internships, and so he said, we'll get you

1240
01:01:24,720 --> 01:01:26,680
Speaker 1: in on that program. So they get me in on that.

1241
01:01:27,240 --> 01:01:29,240
Speaker 1: So my whole goal in doing this was to make

1242
01:01:29,320 --> 01:01:31,240
Speaker 1: myself so needed that they were going to hire me

1243
01:01:31,320 --> 01:01:34,840
Speaker 1: for real, okay. So I started showing up five thirty

1244
01:01:34,840 --> 01:01:38,240
Speaker 1: in the morning. I'm making copies and I'm making coffee.

1245
01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:41,840
Speaker 1: I'm taking coaches cars and getting washed and get gas

1246
01:01:41,960 --> 01:01:44,960
Speaker 1: for him. I mean everything, I mean nothing. Nothing was

1247
01:01:45,040 --> 01:01:48,280
Speaker 1: beyond me. And then I learned to do all the

1248
01:01:48,360 --> 01:01:51,200
Speaker 1: computer work, okay, and back then it was the Avid

1249
01:01:51,320 --> 01:01:56,320
Speaker 1: system UH, inputting games, doing the analytics back then where

1250
01:01:56,360 --> 01:01:58,600
Speaker 1: you would get the readouts from all the statistics, and

1251
01:01:58,720 --> 01:02:00,560
Speaker 1: I was breaking them down. I was trying to find

1252
01:02:00,640 --> 01:02:02,720
Speaker 1: the stuff that was important in writing little reports on

1253
01:02:02,840 --> 01:02:06,320
Speaker 1: him and getting ready for Bob Slowik, who was the

1254
01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:10,000
Speaker 1: defensive coordinator at the time his son. His son's now

1255
01:02:10,040 --> 01:02:13,240
Speaker 1: the offensive coordinator at Houston. So I started learning all

1256
01:02:13,280 --> 01:02:15,920
Speaker 1: this stuff and I started putting us all together. And

1257
01:02:16,120 --> 01:02:20,440
Speaker 1: then halfway through training camp, I wrote a job proposal.

1258
01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:24,760
Speaker 1: It was a two year internship. And one of the

1259
01:02:24,840 --> 01:02:26,440
Speaker 1: things that I did was I wrote, one of the

1260
01:02:26,560 --> 01:02:30,440
Speaker 1: greatest natural resources you have are the former players, and

1261
01:02:30,560 --> 01:02:34,240
Speaker 1: yet there's nothing to help them get into football. And

1262
01:02:34,480 --> 01:02:37,080
Speaker 1: that was one of the lines that mister McCaskey thought

1263
01:02:37,120 --> 01:02:39,640
Speaker 1: was important, and so he said, We're going to give

1264
01:02:39,640 --> 01:02:41,720
Speaker 1: you an opportunity. And so that's how they hired me,

1265
01:02:41,960 --> 01:02:44,080
Speaker 1: and from that point on I got started. So I

1266
01:02:44,120 --> 01:02:46,240
Speaker 1: have a plan, know what you want to do? You know,

1267
01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:50,800
Speaker 1: I've talked to several your guys former teammates. Um. Remember Benum,

1268
01:02:51,280 --> 01:02:55,680
Speaker 1: I'm drawing brank on Ben's last night. Yeah, yeah, last name.

1269
01:02:55,680 --> 01:02:57,880
Speaker 1: But yeah, I know I should because he works with me.

1270
01:02:58,200 --> 01:03:00,560
Speaker 1: But I told him, I said, look, that's something you

1271
01:03:00,560 --> 01:03:02,560
Speaker 1: should think about. I mean, you're a smart guy. You

1272
01:03:02,680 --> 01:03:04,720
Speaker 1: played the game. You played it, you know with him

1273
01:03:04,800 --> 01:03:08,520
Speaker 1: with motion Ben Jacobs, And I said to Ben, what's

1274
01:03:08,560 --> 01:03:10,640
Speaker 1: your plan? Afterwards he's I really haven't thought about it.

1275
01:03:10,640 --> 01:03:11,960
Speaker 1: I said, well, I there's something you want to do,

1276
01:03:12,560 --> 01:03:14,160
Speaker 1: let me know and we'll find a way to do

1277
01:03:14,200 --> 01:03:17,760
Speaker 1: an internship. Well, sure enough, lo and behold he calls me.

1278
01:03:17,880 --> 01:03:20,080
Speaker 1: I said, yeah, absolutely, came in, did an internship for

1279
01:03:20,120 --> 01:03:22,200
Speaker 1: a couple of years, and then when I got this job,

1280
01:03:22,680 --> 01:03:25,120
Speaker 1: I called him and says, you want to keep coaches absolutely,

1281
01:03:25,120 --> 01:03:27,840
Speaker 1: so we're gonna have to move from Carolina now. I mean,

1282
01:03:27,960 --> 01:03:29,400
Speaker 1: you know, see that was one of the things that

1283
01:03:29,480 --> 01:03:32,000
Speaker 1: when I first started coaching, I wasn't sure how Stephanie

1284
01:03:32,040 --> 01:03:34,919
Speaker 1: was going to react to coach. The first thing she said,

1285
01:03:35,000 --> 01:03:37,640
Speaker 1: let's go there's another chapter. Let's go. I love it.

1286
01:03:37,760 --> 01:03:39,720
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, she was. She was all in. I love

1287
01:03:39,800 --> 01:03:41,720
Speaker 1: she's been all in. She really has. I love it.

1288
01:03:41,840 --> 01:03:44,960
Speaker 1: So last question. You know, this is an uncle head

1289
01:03:45,000 --> 01:03:47,960
Speaker 1: for a while. I've known him a while. He's older

1290
01:03:48,000 --> 01:03:50,360
Speaker 1: than me, where he looks older than me. Give me,

1291
01:03:50,600 --> 01:03:52,920
Speaker 1: give me, give me a good Roman story, give me,

1292
01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:55,120
Speaker 1: give me a good a funny. I would love to

1293
01:03:55,200 --> 01:03:57,960
Speaker 1: do this myself. Yeah, give me a good Roman Harper

1294
01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:01,000
Speaker 1: Deacon story. But Deacon, well, you know, the biggest thing

1295
01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:03,240
Speaker 1: I could always say is that that every now in

1296
01:04:03,280 --> 01:04:07,080
Speaker 1: the Roman, I would have this conversation about Carolina versus

1297
01:04:07,160 --> 01:04:10,640
Speaker 1: New Orleans, and even even you know, what I was

1298
01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:12,800
Speaker 1: trying to do is get him a completely buy in,

1299
01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:15,920
Speaker 1: one hundred percent in US. And he did for the

1300
01:04:16,040 --> 01:04:18,400
Speaker 1: most part, except for I knew he still had that

1301
01:04:18,560 --> 01:04:21,200
Speaker 1: that that love and respect for what he did in

1302
01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:23,600
Speaker 1: New Orleans. And I don't blame because they want a

1303
01:04:23,640 --> 01:04:26,440
Speaker 1: Super Bowl and you have those teams that are special.

1304
01:04:27,120 --> 01:04:29,240
Speaker 1: And we would talk about stuff, and there were certainly

1305
01:04:29,400 --> 01:04:32,959
Speaker 1: some things he would refuse to talk about, and he knew.

1306
01:04:33,040 --> 01:04:36,040
Speaker 1: I knew that he knew, okay, and he would just

1307
01:04:36,120 --> 01:04:37,840
Speaker 1: give me that glance and I said, Okay, that's all

1308
01:04:37,840 --> 01:04:40,640
Speaker 1: I need to know that I didn't say anything. I

1309
01:04:40,720 --> 01:04:42,600
Speaker 1: did say a word. I know he did, but I

1310
01:04:42,760 --> 01:04:45,560
Speaker 1: know I know. But we had some great robber we

1311
01:04:45,640 --> 01:04:48,080
Speaker 1: really did. And and Rome was one of those guys

1312
01:04:48,160 --> 01:04:50,920
Speaker 1: that you loved to hate because he wasn't on your team, right,

1313
01:04:51,560 --> 01:04:53,880
Speaker 1: but you loved him because the way he played. And

1314
01:04:54,000 --> 01:04:55,400
Speaker 1: I told him a story. I said, when we were

1315
01:04:55,520 --> 01:04:59,840
Speaker 1: we were watching you and um Demiko coming out, that's

1316
01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:02,640
Speaker 1: and we saw Mark Anderson. Yeah, because we were writing

1317
01:05:02,680 --> 01:05:04,840
Speaker 1: these guys up, you know they were gonna be first

1318
01:05:04,920 --> 01:05:07,480
Speaker 1: round picks. We knew these guys were for real. Um,

1319
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:10,640
Speaker 1: but we saw Mark Anderson the defensive end, and we

1320
01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:14,240
Speaker 1: just kept saying, who's this guy. I mean, he's playing

1321
01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:16,760
Speaker 1: left in they run the ball to the right side

1322
01:05:17,000 --> 01:05:19,800
Speaker 1: and he goes thirty yards and makes attack on the

1323
01:05:19,880 --> 01:05:22,880
Speaker 1: sideline and you sit there. So that's how you know.

1324
01:05:23,160 --> 01:05:25,000
Speaker 1: But but we knew who I knew who he was.

1325
01:05:25,680 --> 01:05:28,320
Speaker 1: And just knowing that, you know he was in New Orleans.

1326
01:05:28,480 --> 01:05:30,240
Speaker 1: You know, like I said, you love to hate him

1327
01:05:30,680 --> 01:05:32,560
Speaker 1: just because of who he was. But you know, he

1328
01:05:32,920 --> 01:05:36,480
Speaker 1: was one of those the thing I respect more anything else.

1329
01:05:36,520 --> 01:05:39,040
Speaker 1: So was the way he handled himself right. You know

1330
01:05:39,080 --> 01:05:40,960
Speaker 1: a lot of guys come from different teams and they

1331
01:05:41,000 --> 01:05:43,560
Speaker 1: won't buy in at all. He bought in, but I

1332
01:05:43,640 --> 01:05:46,160
Speaker 1: knew he had he had this passion for what they

1333
01:05:46,200 --> 01:05:48,440
Speaker 1: had done in New Orleansons. That's what you want because

1334
01:05:48,480 --> 01:05:50,800
Speaker 1: when you're part of something that was special, you don't

1335
01:05:50,840 --> 01:05:53,440
Speaker 1: forget it. You really don't, no matter what you can

1336
01:05:53,480 --> 01:05:55,960
Speaker 1: say all you want, but deep down you have that

1337
01:05:56,120 --> 01:05:59,800
Speaker 1: and I knew he did. We still talk about twenty was. Oh,

1338
01:06:00,160 --> 01:06:03,560
Speaker 1: it was special, even though we didn't win. I think

1339
01:06:03,600 --> 01:06:05,240
Speaker 1: that that's one of those teams that you sit there

1340
01:06:05,280 --> 01:06:08,360
Speaker 1: and you have to respect, you know. Our biggest mistake was,

1341
01:06:08,400 --> 01:06:10,240
Speaker 1: like I said, you know, we couldn't get past the

1342
01:06:10,360 --> 01:06:12,880
Speaker 1: way we played the championship game were you know, and

1343
01:06:13,160 --> 01:06:15,560
Speaker 1: it's probably my fault and trying to find a way

1344
01:06:15,600 --> 01:06:17,800
Speaker 1: to get past that. That was the one thing we

1345
01:06:17,880 --> 01:06:22,240
Speaker 1: didn't do. Yeah, it's crazy because I played against Peyton

1346
01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:24,880
Speaker 1: Manning and two Bow forty four and he was electrifying,

1347
01:06:25,080 --> 01:06:29,280
Speaker 1: he was so good and we beat him, yes, and

1348
01:06:29,360 --> 01:06:31,320
Speaker 1: then we played him six years later and Super Bow

1349
01:06:31,400 --> 01:06:34,320
Speaker 1: fifty and he was a shell of himself and we lost.

1350
01:06:34,560 --> 01:06:37,560
Speaker 1: And it's just like you just never know, and the

1351
01:06:37,640 --> 01:06:40,200
Speaker 1: best team doesn't always win, and like you say, the

1352
01:06:40,360 --> 01:06:43,040
Speaker 1: team that plays the best that day is the one

1353
01:06:43,080 --> 01:06:45,560
Speaker 1: that wins the game. And we were not that team.

1354
01:06:45,600 --> 01:06:48,640
Speaker 1: And if we played that team ten times, we'd win eight.

1355
01:06:49,120 --> 01:06:51,920
Speaker 1: And there's no we were that good. We were that

1356
01:06:52,160 --> 01:06:55,600
Speaker 1: dominating all year long and literally played our worst game

1357
01:06:55,640 --> 01:06:57,400
Speaker 1: in the biggest game in season. I still think too,

1358
01:06:57,640 --> 01:07:00,880
Speaker 1: if men in term I could, I gotta I just

1359
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:05,480
Speaker 1: would Oh. I mean, I'm I'm I'm not pointing to

1360
01:07:05,480 --> 01:07:07,480
Speaker 1: finger out myself, but I think I could have been

1361
01:07:07,560 --> 01:07:09,800
Speaker 1: more of an asse set well. I think I could

1362
01:07:09,800 --> 01:07:11,800
Speaker 1: have helped us out. Well. I won't call you a lawyer.

1363
01:07:13,040 --> 01:07:16,600
Speaker 1: I'm just you know, you say love to hate, I hate,

1364
01:07:17,960 --> 01:07:21,480
Speaker 1: I love to hate, I hate you your whole journey.

1365
01:07:21,680 --> 01:07:24,880
Speaker 1: I just think it's amazing to hear because listening and

1366
01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:27,280
Speaker 1: talking with some other coaches, like we spoke with Doug

1367
01:07:27,320 --> 01:07:30,280
Speaker 1: Peterson earlier, and talking about his journey and now he

1368
01:07:30,480 --> 01:07:32,400
Speaker 1: never took a break, He didn't do the real estate

1369
01:07:32,440 --> 01:07:35,440
Speaker 1: thing like you. Literally went from playing to high school

1370
01:07:35,480 --> 01:07:38,880
Speaker 1: coaching to coaching and moving up in the ranks and

1371
01:07:38,880 --> 01:07:42,160
Speaker 1: all of a sudden getting fired at Philly and then

1372
01:07:43,120 --> 01:07:46,959
Speaker 1: it was bitter was angry at what football, this whole player,

1373
01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:49,640
Speaker 1: he said, taking all this long journey and now he's

1374
01:07:49,680 --> 01:07:53,360
Speaker 1: mad at it, hates it, gets away, does real life things.

1375
01:07:54,240 --> 01:07:58,320
Speaker 1: People lose lives, son gets married, Like you actually get

1376
01:07:58,440 --> 01:08:00,960
Speaker 1: joy from other things, and you see, like, man, like

1377
01:08:01,120 --> 01:08:02,960
Speaker 1: I get out of this this darkness, I get out

1378
01:08:02,960 --> 01:08:05,040
Speaker 1: of my own way, and now I'm back happy again.

1379
01:08:05,080 --> 01:08:07,440
Speaker 1: I'm able to actually be a better version of myself

1380
01:08:07,560 --> 01:08:10,040
Speaker 1: in the reset button. Yeah. But but for me, you know,

1381
01:08:11,120 --> 01:08:13,680
Speaker 1: I couldn't imagine taking a break from it because I

1382
01:08:13,760 --> 01:08:16,400
Speaker 1: love it so much, but also the realization of what

1383
01:08:16,520 --> 01:08:18,800
Speaker 1: it's done for me and the platform it's put me on.

1384
01:08:19,400 --> 01:08:21,280
Speaker 1: I mean, I feel that there is a lot of

1385
01:08:21,360 --> 01:08:23,640
Speaker 1: things I have left to do, and that's why I

1386
01:08:23,760 --> 01:08:28,120
Speaker 1: do it because of the platform, but also because I

1387
01:08:28,320 --> 01:08:31,880
Speaker 1: want to win. I mean, I don't care about losing.

1388
01:08:32,120 --> 01:08:34,360
Speaker 1: I don't think about it. I don't sit there and

1389
01:08:34,400 --> 01:08:35,559
Speaker 1: get in front of guy as well. You know, if

1390
01:08:35,560 --> 01:08:37,280
Speaker 1: we lose this game, we gotta play this game win. No,

1391
01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:39,599
Speaker 1: I get to say, we gotta This is about winning.

1392
01:08:40,080 --> 01:08:42,760
Speaker 1: And so that's what dry, that's where the passion is

1393
01:08:43,320 --> 01:08:46,840
Speaker 1: is because it really is and and my big disappointment

1394
01:08:46,960 --> 01:08:50,080
Speaker 1: is when we do lose and then get a chance

1395
01:08:50,160 --> 01:08:52,080
Speaker 1: to watch it realize that we shouldn't have lost this.

1396
01:08:52,400 --> 01:08:56,160
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, And so coach Man, I'd be so honest

1397
01:08:56,200 --> 01:08:58,719
Speaker 1: and just canding with you, like I love your coaching style.

1398
01:08:58,960 --> 01:09:02,120
Speaker 1: I had two coaches in the league at Sean Payton

1399
01:09:02,200 --> 01:09:05,800
Speaker 1: and Ron River, and they couldn't be so far different, right.

1400
01:09:06,120 --> 01:09:08,559
Speaker 1: Sean's this fiery, kind of crazy one game date. Ron

1401
01:09:08,720 --> 01:09:11,439
Speaker 1: is just like this even killed and I loved it.

1402
01:09:11,600 --> 01:09:14,800
Speaker 1: I appreciated it. And you know, to see you get

1403
01:09:14,840 --> 01:09:17,400
Speaker 1: up there in front of the room empower other people

1404
01:09:17,439 --> 01:09:20,400
Speaker 1: around you, and you learn that it really is more

1405
01:09:20,439 --> 01:09:24,320
Speaker 1: than one way to skin a cat. And it's been

1406
01:09:24,560 --> 01:09:26,479
Speaker 1: an honor to get to know you. It's been an

1407
01:09:26,520 --> 01:09:28,920
Speaker 1: honor to see you grow. It's been an honor to

1408
01:09:29,040 --> 01:09:31,599
Speaker 1: say all the other successes that you've had from being

1409
01:09:31,640 --> 01:09:34,160
Speaker 1: a coordinator to all of a sudden now moving up,

1410
01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:37,679
Speaker 1: and you understand what it's like to be to look

1411
01:09:37,760 --> 01:09:40,200
Speaker 1: at the way you do, to come from the background

1412
01:09:40,960 --> 01:09:44,160
Speaker 1: that you've come from and be at this this platform

1413
01:09:44,280 --> 01:09:46,880
Speaker 1: that you have. I tell anybody that said, look, man,

1414
01:09:46,960 --> 01:09:49,960
Speaker 1: my first training captain Carolina, we had a team meeting

1415
01:09:50,120 --> 01:09:53,880
Speaker 1: and we talked about like kind of nullified and using

1416
01:09:53,920 --> 01:09:56,400
Speaker 1: the N word because what it did for our locker room.

1417
01:09:56,760 --> 01:09:59,800
Speaker 1: I had never heard anybody have this conversation. I thought

1418
01:09:59,800 --> 01:10:02,639
Speaker 1: of was amazing that grown men are in this room.

1419
01:10:03,040 --> 01:10:05,400
Speaker 1: And when we most coaches are only so focused on

1420
01:10:05,560 --> 01:10:09,040
Speaker 1: building what play we're running, what we're doing. Coach's like, no, no, no,

1421
01:10:09,280 --> 01:10:12,479
Speaker 1: We're gonna build from within on each individual player, and

1422
01:10:12,520 --> 01:10:14,880
Speaker 1: we're gonna talk about experiences. We got a couple of

1423
01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:17,400
Speaker 1: white guys up there. Ryan Khalil was awesome, you know,

1424
01:10:17,479 --> 01:10:19,439
Speaker 1: being from California's like, dude, I don't even really know.

1425
01:10:20,000 --> 01:10:23,000
Speaker 1: And then you know, we got some African American players,

1426
01:10:23,120 --> 01:10:25,120
Speaker 1: one user for terms of endearment, others are like, you

1427
01:10:25,160 --> 01:10:26,479
Speaker 1: know what, I actually need to be better about this.

1428
01:10:26,840 --> 01:10:28,600
Speaker 1: And then I was sitting back and this is my

1429
01:10:28,760 --> 01:10:30,840
Speaker 1: first training came with this team. I'm like, this is

1430
01:10:30,920 --> 01:10:33,680
Speaker 1: the most interesting team and dynamic I've ever been a

1431
01:10:33,760 --> 01:10:36,320
Speaker 1: part of. And I've only been here for like six days.

1432
01:10:36,920 --> 01:10:39,720
Speaker 1: And so when I saw that, I really bought in

1433
01:10:39,880 --> 01:10:43,559
Speaker 1: more so those other things that you did that lets

1434
01:10:43,640 --> 01:10:46,800
Speaker 1: people like me that were an outsider who kind of

1435
01:10:47,000 --> 01:10:49,080
Speaker 1: kind of struck up even more of this rivalry thing

1436
01:10:49,479 --> 01:10:52,840
Speaker 1: between the teams and like makes me buy him because

1437
01:10:52,880 --> 01:10:55,439
Speaker 1: I see you guys are doing it differently than anybody else.

1438
01:10:55,920 --> 01:10:58,120
Speaker 1: But I want a piece of that in my life

1439
01:10:58,160 --> 01:11:00,680
Speaker 1: because I'd never had that. Yeah, well, I'll tell you

1440
01:11:00,680 --> 01:11:02,439
Speaker 1: it was. It was a good group of people that

1441
01:11:02,520 --> 01:11:05,000
Speaker 1: we had there. Um, I can't take all the credit

1442
01:11:05,040 --> 01:11:07,639
Speaker 1: for that. That was Mark Carrier. Yeah, and and Tony Porter.

1443
01:11:08,120 --> 01:11:10,160
Speaker 1: Tony Porter is an activist who works with the league,

1444
01:11:10,720 --> 01:11:13,760
Speaker 1: and they came to me with that idea, and I thought,

1445
01:11:13,840 --> 01:11:16,400
Speaker 1: you know what, there's some social issues out there that were,

1446
01:11:16,800 --> 01:11:18,479
Speaker 1: you know, kind of lingering and we need to talk

1447
01:11:18,520 --> 01:11:21,000
Speaker 1: about it. So that's why I felt compelled. Yeah, yeah,

1448
01:11:21,160 --> 01:11:23,519
Speaker 1: it's beautiful. I thought it was amazing. It was changing

1449
01:11:23,600 --> 01:11:25,960
Speaker 1: for me. I'd never been in a dynamic like that

1450
01:11:26,040 --> 01:11:28,280
Speaker 1: where we could all just openly talk and discuss about

1451
01:11:28,439 --> 01:11:31,920
Speaker 1: our emotions, upbrings about different things. And you're right, social

1452
01:11:32,040 --> 01:11:34,519
Speaker 1: things we're going on in the world that uh, that

1453
01:11:34,600 --> 01:11:36,719
Speaker 1: can kind of rip at people in I know, inside

1454
01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:39,320
Speaker 1: of a locker room, we act like you know, once

1455
01:11:39,360 --> 01:11:41,840
Speaker 1: we're in here, nothing else matters, but sometimes it does.

1456
01:11:41,960 --> 01:11:45,280
Speaker 1: It does. Yeah, well, coach, we appreciate you blessing us

1457
01:11:45,320 --> 01:11:48,479
Speaker 1: with your time and and and just stuff. And we said, Hi, yeah,

1458
01:11:48,479 --> 01:11:50,519
Speaker 1: I know she's whooped you in golf. Yes, yeah, she did,

1459
01:11:51,160 --> 01:11:53,680
Speaker 1: believe me. I BlimE me. I I can knowne up

1460
01:11:53,680 --> 01:11:55,439
Speaker 1: to that though. She's she's really as a good ladies

1461
01:11:55,479 --> 01:11:58,000
Speaker 1: player and she enjoys it. But I appreciate you guys

1462
01:11:58,080 --> 01:12:01,360
Speaker 1: having me on Roman and Peanuts Pie cast talking about

1463
01:12:01,560 --> 01:12:05,960
Speaker 1: your second act. I appreciate thank very much. And I

1464
01:12:06,120 --> 01:12:08,320
Speaker 1: was dope, like I love I love me some Chico.

1465
01:12:09,000 --> 01:12:12,120
Speaker 1: I love Chico, Riverboat coach, rivera, he got it. He

1466
01:12:12,200 --> 01:12:15,160
Speaker 1: got so many names like, I love that dude. He's amazing.

1467
01:12:15,320 --> 01:12:19,720
Speaker 1: I love him for his leadership, his character, just the

1468
01:12:19,880 --> 01:12:22,240
Speaker 1: man is off the field like he is just he's

1469
01:12:22,240 --> 01:12:24,800
Speaker 1: an amazing man. I love that dude. He gave us

1470
01:12:24,840 --> 01:12:27,640
Speaker 1: a lot of different nuggets in that interview and his

1471
01:12:28,000 --> 01:12:31,320
Speaker 1: life aspects, some of his mantras that he lives by

1472
01:12:31,400 --> 01:12:33,200
Speaker 1: every day, that he walks by some of the most

1473
01:12:33,240 --> 01:12:35,840
Speaker 1: influential people, and his wife, that he's really been that

1474
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Speaker 1: it's poured in him that now he's able to pour

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01:12:37,680 --> 01:12:41,280
Speaker 1: into so many others. And he really helped change my

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Speaker 1: whole life and outlook on a lot of different things.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I live in Charlotte, North Carolina now because

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Speaker 1: he brought me in. So I'm very thankful of him

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Speaker 1: and his wife, his family and everybody at that organization.

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Speaker 1: And Ron, he's he's a plus with me and really

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Speaker 1: hope on my board a plus individual. I'm Peanut. That's

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Speaker 1: my guy Rome And this is the NFL Players Second

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Speaker 1: Acts Podcast. Thank y'all for tuning in.