WEBVTT - Draft Stories 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:07.800 Welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast, an NFL podcast for 0:00:07.920 --> 0:00:13.039 the players, by the players. Here is your host, fourteen 0:00:13.160 --> 0:00:23.480 year NFL veteran and Hall of Famer Enius Williams. Hello, 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:27.160 and welcome to the NFL Legends Podcast. I am Enius Williams, 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:31.400 and today we're telling draft stories that cover diverse experiences 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:36.000 from successful legends, and I have a couple of them. 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:39.479 To Hall of Fame legends were radically different stories about 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:44.159 draft day and the expectations that went along with it. First, 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:50.280 we have Orlando Pace from the Ohio State University, who 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:53.520 was just this a little scrappy draft pick, barely made 0:00:53.520 --> 0:00:56.960 it through the first round. That's right, the first number 0:00:56.960 --> 0:01:00.680 one overall draft pick. That's right, my former teammate. Uh 0:01:00.880 --> 0:01:04.280 started the greatest show on turf and I later joined 0:01:04.360 --> 0:01:07.160 him in St. Louis. And then we have this guy 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:11.839 named John Randall that I must say talked the whole game, 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:17.080 who went undrafted out of the University of Texas, that's right, 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:22.800 not not Austin, Texas at Kingsville in but still made 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:26.800 it to Caton, Ohio. Welcome guys, so glad to have you. 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:29.279 Thank you for sitting down talking to us. About the draft. 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:33.360 All right, so give our players and alleges and idea 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:38.040 of the difference. Take us through each each of your 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:43.000 draft days. What was it like, John, come on with it. Uh, 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:47.040 draft day was you know back then? Back then it 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:50.680 was like what three days, three or four days? Was 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:54.320 sitting around, you know, waiting for the phone ring. So 0:01:55.040 --> 0:02:01.880 I was sitting there waiting cell phone. No just check, no, no, no, 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:05.160 you're at the house. Phone bick your phone, sitting there waiting. 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.160 Nobody called. First day. Okay, but who's in the house. 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:12.440 We gotta set the tone man. Nobody just me by yourself, myself? 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:17.160 No interested? Yeah, because this this journey, basically it was 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:20.720 my journey. There's something where for me, I was saying 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:23.040 that I wanted to try to play in the National 0:02:23.080 --> 0:02:25.880 Football League. I didn't really set out to do that, 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:29.160 but I said, my brother played, you know what, I 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:31.680 want to give a try. I remember when I ran 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:34.960 my forty I ran my forty grass party was about 0:02:35.639 --> 0:02:39.400 I felt like and like three ft high because you 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:42.760 couldn't even see his shoe. Said again, so so guys 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:44.760 like I wouldn't call her name Orlando Pace, who has 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:49.760 never experienced high grass. But you're gonna ask this a 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:54.079 scout here here at the combine, We'll run into him. 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:56.320 We'll asked him about he was there. He goes man, 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:59.440 you even running that company at that forty? I go yeah, 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:02.320 he goes man, that grass so tall we couldn't see shoot. 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:05.120 Go what did I ring it? I think he ran 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:09.240 like a eight something like that, like okay that you know. No, 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:11.639 it was back in the day. It was long and 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:14.200 slow process. But its process that I went through on 0:03:14.200 --> 0:03:17.120 my own. They sit around the old day watching TV, 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:21.200 you know, turn the TV on. Watch Uh, I'm talking 0:03:21.200 --> 0:03:24.440 about it. Nobody called every once. Somebody checked the phone? 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:30.560 Makes your phone working? Where's everybody? Nobody? Nobody really, I 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:33.760 mean nobody really thought that I was gonna make it, 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:36.320 you know really. Yeah, That's why I said this process. 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:38.800 But I always kind of was on my own something 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:41.760 to join you. I went down because and I'm coming 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:45.880 out of vision to school. I'm undersize. I'm only six too. 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:50.440 I'm two forty. You know, I'm not the typical uh 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:52.960 deepen linemen. Back then, everybody wanted you to be six 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:57.480 five six six. You had real g was six six five, 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:03.200 and then he had liked you. Clyde Simmons. Man, you 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:08.360 had these guys that were just just huge. Wait or 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:10.560 they were like to seventy five on one up and 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.640 I'm coming in at two forty six two leading two 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:16.440 is cool. And they were like, you know you underside, 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:19.080 nobody really thinks that you're going to be the guy 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.680 that it'sbody gonna take a chance on. So I sit 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:25.080 around for three days, man, wait somebody to call me. 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:27.560 Then soon the draft was over, I got a call 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:31.080 from Restking was like, hey, think about making a linebacker 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:35.480 And I was like, no, I'm not a linebacker. I'm 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:38.000 a defe line When they was kind of laughed at 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:39.600 the end of the phone call, you know, doing a 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:41.760 phone call. But so nobody's draft you. Now they're talking 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:45.680 about put you in lineback and defensive tackle. Yeah, and 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:51.720 just pounds and so to them all makes sense. This 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:56.599 too small. So from that standpoint, it wasn't gonna happen. 0:04:56.720 --> 0:05:01.040 So my brother was playing at Tampa. I went down, 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.240 had your brother been drafted? My brother got drafted. My 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:07.000 brother got drafted in the third round for Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:10.440 So this is like the late eighties. So I go 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.680 down of Tampa and they were trying to make me 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:17.520 a linebacker. You had Roderick Thomas down there, and you 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:22.840 had another uh linebacker who's from Alabama, and they were like, yeah, 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:26.080 you could be mic linebacker. We could put you on 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:29.080 like like a little practice squad. And I'm like, no, 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:32.400 I'm not lined back and defense lama. So then they 0:05:32.440 --> 0:05:34.840 put me in the medium room, trying to show me 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:37.920 that what I was playing against guys to name two 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:41.520 d pounds, they were six to one, got six three. 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:45.520 I'm like, man, I'm still a defeens a lama, And 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:47.120 and all of a sudden they were showing me the 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:49.960 front which they had their three man front and they 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:55.520 were basically running to me. Their defense up front was 0:05:55.560 --> 0:05:59.000 you know, had Alex and Alex on the left of 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:01.440 the left hand and in for the right end. And 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:03.760 they go, yeah, it's taking like two days and figures out. 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:08.599 I'm like, man, left hand is Lex right in and land? Okay, 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:11.240 what else we need? And so all of a sudden, 0:06:11.520 --> 0:06:15.360 if you want to leand that's the inside guy going first, Lex, 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:19.240 I mean outside guys going first, and it's Lex, then 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:22.520 you're gonna land. That's inside guy Rex outside in going 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:25.200 first and ran inside guy going first like Okay, I 0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:28.760 got this and maybe like nah, it's just not gonna 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:32.440 work out. So I leave there and uh go down 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.040 to the land. So you still have signed. These are 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:38.320 teams you're visiting, yep, visiting. So so hold that thought. 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:39.880 I want to go through the teams that you're going 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:42.760 through this process, because you you you're talking about the 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:48.320 free agent experience, which is very unique to Orlando's experience. 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:52.320 You know, Atlanto sitting there, he's hearing around Will talk 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:56.200 about high grass. I went to the Southern University and 0:06:56.240 --> 0:07:00.520 here Orlando first pick in the draft. First question I 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:02.840 want to know is where you're in New York. I 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:06.119 was in New York. Uh. My story is a little 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:12.560 different than John's. Obviously y'all can't see my hands right now. 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:18.120 I mean it's like from how far from the south right? Y? Yeah? Absolutely, 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:21.520 So Actually give me this real quick. What goes through 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:24.560 your mind as you hear John, Like, man, that's you know, 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:27.600 even to hear that story, like, man, I didn't realize, 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.520 you know, I know, guys that waited a couple of days. 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:32.240 But just going through the process of visiting teams and 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:35.520 being a free agent and kind of that whole experiences 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:38.680 is different. It's really respect to him to be a 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.560 Hall of Famer, to start off that his journey that 0:07:41.600 --> 0:07:43.480 way by in the in the house, by itself, and 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:45.720 then end up being a Hall of Famer. Man, that's 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:48.760 that's incredible. Man. So so who I was in New 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.320 York with you, So for me, my draft day kind 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:54.120 of you know, you know, obviously I was projected to 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:57.080 go number one pick. So I flew my entire family 0:07:57.120 --> 0:08:01.320 out there, so mom, dad, you know, since their uncles. 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.760 So we're out there having a good time. I think 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:05.680 I I started I started off in the league in 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:08.880 the hole, just just based off that experience. But the 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.240 funny thing about it, when I think about draft day, 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:14.320 it really started off in panic for me. And the 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:18.080 reason I say that is obviously you got Taylor's making 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:20.400 suits for you and all these different things. And I'm 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:23.040 a big guy. This happening in New York and New 0:08:23.120 --> 0:08:26.160 York draft day morning, so you got a whirlwind. I 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:28.640 got a whirlwind, and you know, I'm worried about getting drafted. 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:32.160 So my my tailor shipped my suit to me, but 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.559 he didn't have a shirt, something like, I can't walk out. 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:36.160 I don't have a shirt, and I'm a big guy 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:38.280 in New York. So I'm like, somebody needs to I 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.120 need to go find me out at the next a 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:44.840 football player who has to have helmet, shoulder pass jersey pans. 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.880 Your tailor makes your suit and does not send the shirt, 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:51.680 does not send the shirt. So you were in New York, 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:56.040 the first player drafted, and you were thinking about a shirt, 0:08:56.120 --> 0:08:58.679 a shirt. You know, obviously I'm sitting there because you know, 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:01.679 obviously everybody want to kind of bean walking state like 0:09:01.880 --> 0:09:04.280 I've been visiting this whole thing my entire career, like 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:16.360 the first and I'm like, I'm running around New York 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:18.400 for like somebody had a guy running around New York 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:20.680 for like two hours trying to find a shirt that 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:22.400 fits me. So that it was a little bit of panic. 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.120 They're a little disarray, but uh, you know, we end 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:28.600 up working it out. It worked out, and so so 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:31.640 sitting in the green room there in New York, you know, 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:35.000 obviously being the first pick, and you kind of hear rumblings. 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:37.480 And a week before that, I talked to coach Dick 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:39.400 for Mill. He said, hey, we're gonna take you with 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:41.000 the number one pick. But that was the last time 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:42.560 I heard from him. So you're sitting in the green 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:46.200 room and they used the entire clock. So in my head, 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:50.960 I'm sitting there thinking, no, I don't know. So don't 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:53.240 get me wrong. Fifteen minutes compared to your two days 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:55.840 is a little different. But you're still I'm like, hold up, 0:09:55.840 --> 0:09:58.040 I ain't gonna aren't gonna make a trade. They're gonna 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:01.160 do something different. And then uh. And then obviously they 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:02.800 made that pick with the number one pick, and it 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:04.840 was a great It was a goal of mine, and 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:06.840 everybody kind of rushed the stage and it was really 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:08.920 a dream come true for me. Did you cry? You 0:10:08.920 --> 0:10:11.200 know what? The funny thing I think I cried. I 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:14.240 had an opportunity that night before and me and my 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.440 mom was in the hotel room. We had a chance 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.360 to reflect a little bit, and she just couldn't believe it. 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:23.400 Obviously your parents are emotional, and she couldn't believe it, 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:25.360 and it was just kind of it was an emotional 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:27.800 time for us all because we knew where we came 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:29.920 from and now all of a sudden, to be the 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:32.000 first pick in the draft was it was a special 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:34.679 time for us. So from that standpoint, sharing that moment 0:10:34.720 --> 0:10:39.120 with family was awesome for me. Wow. Yeah. So you 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:42.160 hear your name called, you go up to the podium 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:48.559 the commissioner was it absolutely so as you walk on 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:51.840 that platform right with Paul with that number one jersey on, 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:55.280 what are you thinking on the stage? Wow? And I'm 0:10:55.280 --> 0:10:58.959 looking out and you see all these flashing cameras and York. 0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:01.359 It was in New York, So you see all these 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:05.400 these cameras and you're like, you're a little bit and all. 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:07.640 You're like, man, this is really happening. And you're shaking 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:10.040 his hand and we didn't do the hugs like they 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:12.480 do now at the draft day, but you know, obviously 0:11:12.800 --> 0:11:15.280 he's like, oh, you're lifting up your caps, so give 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:16.800 me a cap. Yea. They gave me a cat that 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:18.960 was a little worried. I'm like, dude, this this cat fit. 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:22.959 I know when I wanted to drift. I see their job. 0:11:22.960 --> 0:11:30.000 I like, is this cap? Because what I'm saying, like, 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.199 y'all know, I get drafted to make sure y'all makes 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:35.600 of adjustment. But John is hoping to get a call 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:44.400 this man thinking about yeah, yeah, so so that's my draft. Obviously, 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:46.880 after you after you meet the commissioner, for me, it 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:49.520 was a whirldwind from that point on because then you know, 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:52.040 you do your interviews and then and then they put 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:54.440 you on and obviously St. Louis wanted to see me, 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:55.920 you know, as soon as they could. So we get 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.720 on a flight and head to St. Louis and you know, 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:01.240 they roll out the red carpet, leave you that part. 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.560 They put you on the flight, see that. See I 0:12:05.600 --> 0:12:07.360 know they do private jets. Now I was on a 0:12:07.400 --> 0:12:09.880 commercial fla like, hey, we got a four o'clock flight, 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:12.040 you can make it. So but it was first class 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:14.680 and I was like perfect, this works. But you know, 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:16.320 obviously I get off the plane, didn't have to go 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.320 through the airport, you know, they had a limo waiting 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.839 there for me, and then you know, go to facility 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:24.000 and yeah, so yeah, so it was it was a 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:27.800 pretty cool experience. So yeah, yeah, you know, John, getting 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:29.560 back to you, you started saying us already, it's so 0:12:29.640 --> 0:12:32.680 much our rookie experience, how we treated the stems from 0:12:33.080 --> 0:12:35.000 you know, teams and how they invest in us. So 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:38.640 you start off telling us about your visits were they 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:41.000 were even trying to figure out what position you're gonna play. 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:45.120 Tell us real quick. How you ended up in Minnesota? Okay? 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:46.640 So I worked out. I went and worked out of 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:51.760 Tampa and then so like journey continued on to Atlanta. 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.720 Foul because with Jerry Glanville, it's one of the assistant coaches. 0:12:56.679 --> 0:13:01.440 It's like lett m'clock in the morning in Atlanta, and 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:03.960 he's got me out there running around doing all kinds 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:06.440 of stuff. He's got me running the mall. Then he 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:09.560 got me backpaling, He's got me going up the hill, 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:13.440 down the hill, and all of a sudden, he just goes, 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:16.080 he gets done. I might be stopped. He goes, and 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:19.640 I'm I've been working out every day, seven days a week, 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:21.960 and he goes, you know, out of shape. I'm like, 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:28.000 what I mean? I just mad you got me back down. 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:33.360 I'm like, if this was the maing football all about, Yeah, 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:37.120 maybe I'm not the right guy for this. I'm sitting 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:41.120 there and I'm all sudden, I just go, you know what, huh, 0:13:42.559 --> 0:13:45.840 I'm going home. So I go to the airport and 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:49.160 I'm sitting there. I'm waiting for my flight to go 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:52.800 back to Texas, and you know that some time to kill. 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:54.960 So I grabbed one of those football magazine and I'm 0:13:55.000 --> 0:13:57.760 thinking looking at the magazine, gonna, man, I guess it's 0:13:57.760 --> 0:13:59.840 where my dream ins there. You know this is where 0:13:59.840 --> 0:14:05.400 it's done. I'm just yeah, can you track teams? Bring team? 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:08.200 Only going you? Nobody else? Some say, look at the 0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:10.839 magazine and I'm going through it. I'm looking at different 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:14.760 defensive lineman. I'm going, man, I belong in the National 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.880 Football League. I know it. So there's a higher power 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:19.920 telling me that. So I'm looking at the defensive lineman 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:24.240 and I go to Minnesota. Minnesota had the smallest defensive line. 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:28.040 They had Henry Thomas, Chris Dolman. Doan was like to 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:31.640 sixty five. Henry Thomes was two sixty. Al Noga was 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:37.360 like two. And I'm two forty. And I'm like, I 0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:39.880 can make this team. I can make this team. I 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:45.440 called my agent and I go, hey, it's Minnesota. Interested 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:47.880 go yeah, Minnesota wanted team. I go, man, I want 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:49.880 to go to Minnesota. I changed my ticket. I go 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:54.240 to Minnesota. I get there that night and like eight 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:57.880 o'clock at night, I'm leaving Atlanta. It's hot and I 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:01.120 just look. When I left school, uh, Kingsville, it was 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:06.840 like palm trees, beautiful day at land in Minnesota's nighttime 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:10.600 and snowing. I'm in the hotel room looking at the window, going, 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:15.120 oh my god, is this the right decision? And like 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:18.800 then then I go, yeah, it is. This is part 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:22.320 of my journey Atlanta. Yours different coming from a big 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:26.640 school first pick. Different pressure. John is trying to select 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:30.240 the right team and obviously got to make a team. 0:15:30.280 --> 0:15:33.720 But yours tell us about the different pressure that comes 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:37.400 from the expectations. Wow. So being an offensive line and 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.760 being selected number one pick, normally fan bases are looking forward, 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:44.040 you know, you know, quarterbacks to change that helped change 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:49.000 their franchise around. So the pressure of going number one, uh, like, hey, 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:52.080 can an offensive lineman really change our fortune? Like the 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:54.520 Rams have probably won the average of two or three 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.360 games a year prior to the second worst team of 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:01.240 the decade of the night. Absolutely So obviously a couple 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:02.920 of years prior to the the team had just moved from 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:05.800 l A to St. Louis, and obviously they were looking 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.120 for a winner. Coach from mill had just got there. 0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:12.000 They had drafted Lawrence Phillips the year before, and they're like, dude, 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:14.080 why are they getting this offensive line? But Tony Banks 0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:16.320 had been getting beat up at the time, So you 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:18.280 know that was a gamble for dicker Mill to draft 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:20.800 me number one from that standpoint, because everybody wants that 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:23.400 big name quarterback to come into place. But you know, 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.440 obviously I was. I was one of those key pieces 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:28.280 that kinda that they brought in and they drafted well 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:31.080 during free agency, bringing Marshall Falk and all these different 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:33.800 guys in. But but that that the expectations to be 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:36.240 you know, for me to be the number one pick 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:38.400 was big because everybody's looking, you know, I've done. I 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:41.120 had a great college career, so everybody's looking for those 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:45.040 same results and that so the microscopes on you how 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:46.680 good is this kid? Is he gonna be what he 0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:49.120 was in college? But you know that was not put 0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:50.960 a lot of pressure on myself at the time too. 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.800 But it was very different from winning you know, ten 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.000 games a year to that first year, I think we 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:59.240 won three games and you started looking like, man, hold on, 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.520 is this the league? Like I would like we would 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:03.680 lose a game in college and it's almost like the 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.680 world and it and I hear, guy, you probably experienced 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:08.560 this when you first walking the league, that national people 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:10.479 are like they lose a game, they get beat by 0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:12.199 thirty guys in the locker room. Trouble. Hey, where we're 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.480 hanging out to night. I'm like, dude, hanging out, I'm devastate. 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:18.840 I'm devastated off these glosses, you know what I mean. So, 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:21.600 but you know, obviously that was a big difference, but uh, 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:23.840 you know, uh, you know, it was a great time 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:26.159 for you know, we developed that some chemistry over the 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.520 next couple of years and ended up winning the championship. 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.000 And maybe I'm not remembering as Orlando the big elephant 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:34.960 in the room. Did you sign right away? Oh? Here, 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:37.159 we got it. That's a big He didn't bring this 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:40.720 up as a rule, bringing this up just for the 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:43.520 legends that listened to this, got a big elephant in 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:49.240 the role to bring it up. Well, I knew. I 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:57.520 knew Orlando through the Post Brothers more at his agent exactly, 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:00.159 so very quick, and I'm glad you brought that up 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:03.399 in there, so as as I'm twenty one at the time, 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.439 and you learn so much about business, right because you 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:09.000 think you're just gonna you get drafted. You walk into 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:11.520 a situation and then all of a sudden you're like, hey, 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:13.680 I'm the number one pick. Let's, you know, let's get 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:15.320 this deal done. You think it's gonna be a very 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:17.720 simple process. Hey, you guys wanted me. You're drafted me 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:21.000 number one. Hey, let's open up the you know, let's 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:23.159 let's back in the brinks truck a little bit and 0:18:23.200 --> 0:18:25.919 let's get this thing done. And and that's when business 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:27.360 kind of hit you in the face, like, hold on, 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:29.280 there's some things we gotta work out here and iron 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:31.600 out here. And being a young kid, you kind of 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:33.760 obviously you want to get the most you can get. 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:36.240 And then my agents were all about that. The Posting 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.119 brothers and the Rams weren't so much about that, you know, 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:42.919 because the negotiations, so we're going back and forth. It's 0:18:43.080 --> 0:18:45.000 probably held out three weeks. So I didn't come out 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:48.680 to deal with that. Now man first, Piggy ready to 0:18:48.680 --> 0:18:52.600 get rolling. We had to dream mom and I crying, absolutely, 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:55.040 I'm gonna get my money, and all of a sudden, 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:59.080 like three weeks. Yeah. So so it's funny because the 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:02.040 more you I'm last guy to sign in the first round, right. 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:04.639 So I've seen all my buddies getting these contracts and 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:07.400 getting these deals, and I remember calling my agents saying, 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:09.199 just get the deal done. I'm tired of it. Just 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:10.760 get it done. I'm tired of holding I want to 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:13.359 play football. And he was like, no, hold on, hold on, 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:16.800 we're really close, We're really close. Three weeks later, I 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:18.400 don't get the camp. So it was one of those 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:20.760 things where it's like, man, the pressure, because I was 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:22.720 going through, all right, I want to, I want to, 0:19:22.840 --> 0:19:24.680 I want to get this big contract. Then all of 0:19:24.720 --> 0:19:26.639 a sudden, it was all right, I just want to 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:29.119 play football because the pressure is like, okay, where's the 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:31.960 Orlando page. He's just and then all of a sudden, 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:37.000 that deal didn't get done and there so so I 0:19:37.080 --> 0:19:39.200 walked into St. Louis and it was kind of bitter sweet. 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:41.000 I think some people were happy to see me, but 0:19:41.040 --> 0:19:44.600 there was a lot of fans and the organizations like, dude, like, 0:19:44.800 --> 0:19:47.320 you just wasted almost wasted your rookie year based on 0:19:47.359 --> 0:19:50.520 the fact you missed the entire training camp. So you 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:53.240 know you're going you're going into that situation. So I 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:55.480 didn't know if people liked me, if they didn't like me, 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:58.720 or what happened, because you know, just the psychology we're 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:00.879 talking about earlier, all of a sudden you didn't want 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:03.080 to psychologist where most people think. Then you're first pick 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:06.000 in the draft. Yeah, and then on your mind. Now 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:09.360 you introduced to the business. Then you got fans who 0:20:09.640 --> 0:20:12.600 bitter sweep who's this dude? Or the locker room. So 0:20:12.640 --> 0:20:14.280 you walk into the locker room and you see all 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:16.399 these vets and they're like, dude, what is this dude about? 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:18.280 Can he play? Can he not play? Wi? Is he 0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:20.760 holding out? And then you start making more money than 0:20:20.800 --> 0:20:22.959 other guys. You gotta and then you gotta come in 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:25.840 and really show your worth or prove your worth because 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:27.719 guys are and I probably done that to look man, 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:29.720 is he really that good? How is it? Can you play? 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:31.760 But you gotta earn your respect when you walk in 0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:33.639 that locker room because guys are looking at you like 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:35.959 you're making big money. Now let's see if you can fly. 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:38.360 You know. One of the things that that Orlando told 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:42.480 me the prior conversation was his coach Jim Haniffon and 0:20:43.280 --> 0:20:46.480 why don't you share with the legends with Jim told you, Yeah, 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:47.840 it was a couple of things. So when I that's 0:20:47.880 --> 0:20:49.520 the great thing and I owe a lot to coach 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:51.119 Hadding and what he's done for which is your de 0:20:51.240 --> 0:20:54.840 line coach? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So so what happened 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:57.080 is uh so, first of all, when I came in, 0:20:57.720 --> 0:21:00.639 it was he was probably the most uh well, he 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:02.680 helped me out the most for the simple fact he said, hey, 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:05.360 I know you've you've done great things in college. I'm 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:07.200 not gonna put you on the on the field until 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:09.879 you're absolutely ready. So I didn't start into my seventh 0:21:09.920 --> 0:21:13.280 game in the International Football League because he's like, hey, 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.520