WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - James Conner 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.920 Everybody, Welcome to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. 0:00:07.240 --> 0:00:11.240 I'm your host ESPN and Arizona Cardinals broadcaster Dave Pash. 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:14.160 We've had a lot of different guests, but mostly lately 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:17.079 Cardinal guests with the season right around the corner, and 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:19.759 we have a special guest this week, a guy that's 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:23.959 been through so much personally and professionally that he's become 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:26.200 one of the great stories in the NFL, and that's 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:29.360 Cardinals Pro Bowl running back James Conner. We're gonna get 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.920 into James story, talk with him about being a cancer survivor. 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:37.040 He was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma back in twenty fifteen, 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:39.920 what it took to come back from that, what inspired 0:00:40.000 --> 0:00:43.239 him to then write a book about his story, his 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:46.199 great twenty twenty one season when he was among the 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:49.240 NFL leaders and touchdowns and went to his second Pro Bowl, 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:52.680 and whether he can repeat that in twenty twenty two. 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:56.320 That's that's the standard. My mentality is do what he 0:00:56.320 --> 0:00:58.520 did last year and then so we'll also get into 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:02.200 his new contract, the running back room, in his relationship 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:04.959 with college teammate Aaron Donald, who's obviously one of the 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:07.840 best players in the history of the NFL. A lot 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:10.080 to talk about with James Conner, and we're going to 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:12.280 discuss it all here over the next thirty minutes. We 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:15.280 are presented by BETMGM, the official sports betting partner of 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:19.400 the Arizona Cardinals, and by Hila River Hotels and Casinos. 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.600 Get ready for football season like never before with bet MGM, 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:26.759 an official partner of the Arizona Cardinal. Sign up today 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:30.120 using code cards one thousand and get your first bet 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:33.759 risk free up to one thousand dollars. Visit betmgm dot 0:01:33.800 --> 0:01:37.160 com for terms and conditions twenty one and over Arizona only. 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:41.319 Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem called one eight hundred. Next 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.959 step All right, time to hear from our guest this week, 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:51.720 Pro Bowl running back for the Arizona Cardinals, James Conner. Well, James, 0:01:51.720 --> 0:01:56.160 you have such an incredible story personally, professionally, and I 0:01:56.400 --> 0:01:59.400 want to get into all that, but let's start first 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:03.400 with football. You signed a contract in the off season 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:06.240 to stay here for multiple years. First of all, what 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:09.400 did it mean to you to get that contract after 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.160 coming here last year for the one year deal? And 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:14.519 why did you want to stay here with the Cardinals 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:17.800 it meant a lot to come back and you know, 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.160 get locked in for three more years. I just wanted 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:21.960 to continue to build on what I did last year. 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:24.239 And I kind of feel like what I had started, 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:25.519 you know when I came here last year, I just 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:27.240 feel like I had a fresh start, you know, felt 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:29.239 brand new, like I said, and so I just wanted 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:31.079 to continue to build on that. And so it meant 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:32.960 a lot just to have a team believing you, you know, 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:36.160 believing your talents and the person you are and so 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:39.119 um yeah, and then just I feel like this organization 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.760 has everything we need to be successful. You know, everybody 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:44.440 in the building, everybody's on the same page, and we're 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:46.520 just you know, working day in and day out just 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:48.560 to build something special here, and I just want to 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:50.680 be a part of it. So yeah, it's just nice 0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:53.359 to have that. People leaving you. Obviously, you had played 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:55.400 in other cities, so it's not like you only played 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:58.320 in Pennsylvania, but you were in Pennsylvania for your life. 0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:01.919 So and my wife spent a lot of her childhood 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.280 and Lower Burrow, so very familiar with the Pittsburgh area. 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:07.360 And I know you were born an Erie, which is 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:10.720 north of Pittsburgh, but living here and being in the desert, 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:13.400 how different is it for you? Uh yeah, it's a 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:17.000 lot different, just the scenes, the views, all that, the mountains, 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:21.200 the human the heat, the dry heat. Yeah, um yeah, 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.919 it's a lot different. But um, I think I needed 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:25.840 it for my growth as a person, you know, just 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:29.080 to come out here, coming across the country, be on 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:32.280 my own and just uh just focused straight on football 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:34.639 and just have new surroundings and all that. So I 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:36.400 just felt like it was it was something needed for 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:38.320 my growth as a person. And so yeah, obviously the 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:40.960 desert is a lot different than Pennsylvania. Um, but I 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:44.360 feel like I adapted well, I got embraced and uh 0:03:44.640 --> 0:03:46.640 still rolling with it. And you know, it's nothing but 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:48.800 love ever since. And you're a big family yet, right, 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:50.960 So absolutely was it hard for you to be that 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:55.400 far away? At times? It was? But um, you know 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:56.720 it was that just came out here, you know it 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:59.400 strictly business, you know, and uh and I just wanted 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:00.920 to see it. I love I love to travel. Even 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:03.280 though I'm huge on family, I still love to travel 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:05.480 and experienced and see different things around the world. So 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:07.800 for me to come out here was it was totally 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:10.600 different and now. It gives my family opportunity, you know, 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:12.880 to come to games and to travel and for them 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:15.520 to experience something new and see new scenes and the 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:17.560 mountains and go for a hike, you know, and just 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:20.839 just try new things. So it was needed for my growth. 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:25.000 You had such an incredible year. How much of because look, 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:28.200 you had been to the Pro Bowl before. In twenty eighteen, 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:30.320 you had fifty five catches. I know everybody talked a 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:32.760 lot about your receiving last year, but it's not like 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:35.000 you had improven yourself as a receiver. You did that 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:40.760 in twenty eighteen. How much of your mindset last year 0:04:41.000 --> 0:04:43.520 was I want to prove to everybody who I am, 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:46.240 what kind of player I am. How much of it 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:48.320 was I'm just gonna do my thing, Like how much 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.120 do you think about that when you're in a contract year, 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:54.599 when you're on a new team and people aren't sure 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:58.640 what the next step is for you. Everything was just 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:01.600 based around a work and I feel like that's all 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:03.920 it was. I got some some some good role models 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:06.560 and people who who I can can come and talk to, 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:09.240 and they said, you know, you work hard, everything is 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:11.080 gonna take care of yourself. And I feel like I 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:13.159 had proved myself even when I was in Pittsburgh, So 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:16.840 I never doubted myself as you know, as a football 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:18.280 player or my talents. I always knew what I was 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:21.479 capable of. So I just wanted to come in and 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.159 work hard, to put my head down and just grind. 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:24.919 And I knew that, um if I was you know, 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.280 coming into shape. You know, I always trusting my hands, 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.040 my running ability, my past protection, and so I kind 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:32.760 of was just looking for that opportunity, um and and 0:05:33.200 --> 0:05:35.960 the Cardinals gave me that opportunity, and so I just 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:37.680 wanted to come in and uh, you know, I was 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:40.440 still rehabbing off of a foot injury and everything so 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:43.000 got tough at times, but I knew that was my 0:05:43.040 --> 0:05:46.000 work ethic, um and the talent that I already had, 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:48.159 you know, just make the most of my opportunities that 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:50.680 I had. I think of a one handed catch that 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:54.200 you made during the season, and you know everybody did 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:56.080 it bother you when people kept saying, oh way, I 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:58.719 didn't know that James Connor had great hands, because again, 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:01.040 you had that year a few years ago where you 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:05.280 caught you know, almost sixty passes. Yeah, that's every year 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:06.840 that's going to continue to happen every year. If I 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:08.720 make some nice catches this year, people are gonna be like, 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:10.080 I didn't know he could catch like, you know, because 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:12.600 not everybody pays attention, you know, But that's the game 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:14.159 of football, you know. You have to You have to 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:17.840 prove yourself every day even of practicing, especially on game days. 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:19.880 You know, they they judge you on what you've done 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:22.279 for him recently. So, um, you know, even though I 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:25.560 caught passes years previous, you know, they not everybody was 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:27.520 paying attention to it. So you just have to come 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:29.160 in and improve yourself every day. I'm still going to 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:30.960 try to prove myself even more in the passing game 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:33.560 and the running game as a football player in general. 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:37.120 So yeah, you just never stopped proving yourself in this league. 0:06:37.200 --> 0:06:39.360 You mentioned to me that there are some other guys 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:41.960 that you relied on, Guys that you would talk to. 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:45.720 Who were some of those people in your life either 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:49.760 outside of football or other players that you speak with. Uh, 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.840 my family for sure, you know, my family definitely. Um, 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:54.720 they always you know, whether I want to hear it 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:56.599 or not, tell them telling me what I need to hear. 0:06:56.920 --> 0:07:00.840 Um and just constantly instilling that confidence in me and 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:03.559 just knowing what I'm capable of, and guys from around 0:07:03.560 --> 0:07:06.000 the league, Um, you know, guys like Aaron Donald's the 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:07.839 guy from from Pitt that I got a chance to 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:11.240 play with, and you know, he talking to me and 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:12.760 and just knowing he said, you know, you take care 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:14.440 of your football things. Everything else to take care of 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.200 itself and stuff. So um, and that's one of the 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:19.240 hardest working guys I know. You know, so I just 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:21.480 kind of like following that league, following that hard work 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:25.160 pays off phrase and mentality, and it's been working for me. 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:27.760 I remember doing some of your games for ESPN when 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:30.080 you and Aaron were both at pitt. First of all, 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:31.880 I think at the time you might have been bigger 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:37.160 than Aaron. Well you're taller than for sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:41.000 and you played some defense. You were recruited to play 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:44.680 defense there. What was the most you weighed when you 0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:46.680 were at pet uh? The most, I wahed, I was 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:49.840 two sixty. I was two sixty at Pitt. Uh. That 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:53.200 was my sophomore year twenty fourteen. Um, you know, I 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.320 was just I was happy to be there. Man. I 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.480 was eating everything inside on training table and lifting heart 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:00.480 You know more than I was high school and my 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:02.920 body was still just growing, you know. So yeah, I 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.840 got up to that um. But yeah, it's been awesome 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.560 to play alongside him. And yeah, got recruited as a 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:10.360 defensive end coming out of high school. I went to 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:12.480 their prospect camp. They gave me a scholarship to play 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:15.600 defensive endum and I was going into my senior year 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:18.200 of high school. But then my senior year of high school, 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:21.040 that's uh, when I went to running back and then 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:23.840 coach Joe Rudolph that was at the University of Pittsburgh 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:26.320 at the time. He's at Wisconsin now, but he gave 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:27.880 me a call before training camp and he said, when 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:28.920 you get here, we want to try you out a 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:31.200 running back instead of defensive ends. So that's kind of 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.000 how that that switched. I'm from Madison, so I've known 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:36.760 Paul Chris forever and Joe rudolphs as you mentioned now 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:40.440 at Wisconsin. Uh, how involved was Paul too, Like, Man, 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:42.440 we gotta get this guy on offense. This guy's got 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:46.160 a ridiculous talent. We can use him on offense. Yeah, 0:08:46.200 --> 0:08:48.880 that whole that whole staff, they were all just awesome 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:52.560 with getting me to to come to the offensive side 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:54.319 of the ball, and you know, they all they loved 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:57.560 those big offensive linemen and that power running scheme, and uh, 0:08:57.679 --> 0:08:59.560 they just felt I fit for that, you know, and 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:01.160 I believeue I could fit for that too. You know, 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.320 running back was my first love. Defense kind of just 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:05.920 happened late in high school. But I've been playing running 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:07.840 back since I first started playing football, you know, when 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:09.840 I was ten years old, So that's what I wanted 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:12.160 to do. So yeah, they were all involved in getting 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:14.200 me to, you know, coming the offensive side. Did you 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:17.440 know being with Aaron Donald when he was that young, 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:20.280 that he would be this good? Because it wasn't like 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:22.040 the guy was a top five pick. And I think 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:26.080 one of the reasons, obviously was the quote unquote measurables. Right, 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.880 he wasn't six five and twenty five pounds on the inside, 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:33.360 but clearly he's one of the best defensive players ever, 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.400 right did you did you know that when you're around 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:38.960 him in college? U. I seeing how he worked in college. 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.320 I've seen flashes of it. You know, there's plays where 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.480 he you know, remember when we were playing vers Duke. 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:45.440 You know, he tackled the running back in the quarterback 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:47.480 at the same time, and you know verse Georgia Tech, 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:49.640 he took over that game. And in the Bowl game 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:52.040 versus Bowling Green, he took over. So it's like you 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:55.200 knew that he was dominant, but you just didn't know 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:57.680 you know that he was going to be this good, 0:09:57.760 --> 0:09:59.640 like he said, one of the best ever, so if 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:02.480 not the best ever. So yeah, that's just shows you 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:04.360 what that work ethic can do. But he definitely showed 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:08.679 flashes of it. You'd mentioned earlier in camp that I 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:10.959 think you said you were in dog shape? Was that 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:13.679 the was that the quote? What exactly did you mean 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:15.640 by that dogs shape? It's just, uh, you know, you 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:17.680 dogs flat, they can just run. They can't run all 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:19.440 the day. You know, it's hard. It's you really really 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:22.760 see dogs get tired and so um, you know that's 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:24.719 just my mentality is just to not be able to 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:26.319 not getting tired out there on that field, be able 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:28.959 to go four quarters over time if needed, and I'll 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:30.560 just being able to run all day. What are you 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:34.600 weighing right now? It's fluctuating throughout camp. You know, sometimes 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:36.680 I'm going but I'm still between two twenty five two 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.840 thirty And is that what you were most of last year. Yeah, 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:42.839 more at times, less at times. Um, you know, I 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:44.760 kind of just go off the field, go off how 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:47.120 I'm feeling, you know, if I need more or need less. 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:49.640 Do you think your role will be the same this 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:52.440 year or do you think now the chase the running 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.440 back rooms pretty deep and I want to get into that. 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:57.640 But Chase Edmonds isn't here, So do you think that 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:01.800 your role will be different? I feel like similar to 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:07.000 last year's role, except um maybe you know more, more, 0:11:07.200 --> 0:11:08.880 more or less in a running game or passing game. 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.400 I just want to be available first thing and be 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:13.760 able to just make the most of my touches, whether 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:16.520 that's in the running game or the passing game. So yeah, 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.440 my roller is just to bring intensity, bring aggression, run hard, 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:23.920 be available, protect the quarterback, and be you know, get 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:25.600 open in the passing game. And so I feel like 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:27.480 that's all my role, especially as a running back. So 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:31.080 everything is on the list. Everybody talked last year when 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:34.720 you got here about your leadership, uh, in just your presence. 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:37.400 Are you a vocal guy? Are you somebody that holds 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.880 others accountable? Do you lead by example? What type of 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:42.200 a leader are you? I feel like when if you're 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:44.960 a leader. You have to have all those qualities. Be 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:48.600 vocal when needed, lead by example when needed, pull a 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:50.920 guy off to the side, one on one if it's needed. Uh, 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:53.240 some everything, but just knowing the time in the place 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:55.600 and when to do that and what to say. So 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.760 I kind of feel like, UM, I have experienced in 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:01.640 all those categories. So UM, it's just when when it's needed. 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:04.320 I'm sure you're probably tired of being asked this question 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:08.120 because you've probably been asked by everybody. Oh, great numbers 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:12.199 last year, eighteen touchdowns, fifteen rushing. Can you do it again? Uh? 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:16.160 When you get asked that question, what's your reaction? Uh, 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:18.320 you know that's like that's the standard. Um, you know 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:21.440 you want to My mentality is, um, do what you 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:23.280 did last year and then so you know, that's how 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:26.120 you stay around in this league and continue to make play. 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:29.640 So the numbers, you know that eighteen touchdowns is awesome, 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:32.000 but I want to either match that or do more, 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.040 you know, for this upcoming season, and afeel like that 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:37.959 will be a successful season. What do you think about 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:41.000 the running back room? A lot of people have talked 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:44.360 about Eno Benjamin being one of the most improved guys 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:45.920 from the end of the the last season too. Now what 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:48.840 do you see with Eno, Uh, I would agree with that, 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:52.079 you know, definitely improved um And this is one of 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:54.120 the most talented running back rooms I've been a part of, 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:56.199 you know, with him, jay Ward, Darryl and then all 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.239 the three rookies, you know, t J, Ronnie and Keante 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:01.559 and so well, all those guys men are eager to learn. 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:04.120 They're listening, they're practicing really hard, which is good to see. 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:05.880 That's how you that's how you do it. You know 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:07.679 you pract that's hard, so the games can be easy. 0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:10.520 And so yeah, I would agree with that. These guys 0:13:10.520 --> 0:13:14.040 are all compete and hard and all making plays, all 0:13:14.120 --> 0:13:18.040 very capable, all great pass catchers run past blockers. So 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.720 I'm excited to see that competition to continue to just 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:23.840 play out. Is it is the running back position in 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:27.839 Cliff's offense? Is it difficult to learn? I mean at 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:29.920 pitt you were in a pro style offense with Paul 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:33.600 and in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, I assume mainly pro 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:37.560 style offense, right, not as much spread with Roethlisberger as 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:41.720 you have here. What is it difficult to learn? The terminology? Uh? 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.679 In the passing game or in terms of protections here 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:46.320 or is it something you were able to pick up 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:48.880 on quickly. I feel like I picked it up pretty 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:51.280 quickly quickly. I'm still I'm still learning it, but uh, 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:53.640 I don't feel like it's difficult if you love it, 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.160 you know, and I love a game, and so you 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:58.280 have to adapt, you know, if I wanted to, you know, 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:00.680 stay around in this league, I had to. And you know, 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:02.839 I can't be worried about if offense is difficult to 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:05.280 learn or not. I just need to learn it or else. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:06.839 You know, I wasn't gonna be on the field, So 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:10.040 that's just what it is. I like Cliff's offense, you know. 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:11.760 It's also we have a whole bunch of weapons out there, 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:14.200 and so I just gotta play my rolling. What do 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.400 you think the offense will look like? And I know 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:20.560 you can't get into specifics obviously, but in general, what 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:23.080 do you think without d Hop for those six games, 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:25.160 how do you think the offense might look different? How 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:28.760 might your role or zach Ertz's role be different without 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.960 d Hop. I'm not sure how the roles will be different, 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.720 But I just gotta continue to play my best football. 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:36.960 I know that, why, especially why while d Hop is 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:39.280 out for those six games, I'm just gonna have to 0:14:39.320 --> 0:14:41.840 do what I can and to just move the ball 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.040 offense to get a touchdowns and just try to do 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:46.920 everything I can to win games. I know the receivers, 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.240 you know, they'll be ready there coached will, the running 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:51.120 backs will be ready for coach well, and qbs will 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:53.360 be ready to their coach will. So everybody has to 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.520 do their job and then when we get d Hop back, 0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:57.880 we just gotta keep it rolling. Tell me something about 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:00.160 James Saxon. I know you guys are close. Obviously, he 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:02.880 was with you in Pittsburgh. He's a running backs coach 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:06.440 here with the Cardinals. Uh, what's that relationship like between 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:08.720 the two of you in terms of on the field 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:10.840 and you know off the field too, If you guys 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:13.480 are you know that close off the field as well. Yeah, 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:14.920 I feel like, you know, me and coach have a 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:19.160 great relationship, especially with having history in the past. And man, 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:21.200 he just coaches hard. He coaches hard, but that's because 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.239 he wants the best for us, you know, And he's 0:15:23.240 --> 0:15:25.720 played the position. He's been in our shoe before, he's 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:28.280 been through the grinds, of training camp, the grinds of 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:31.160 the season, and so he just teaches us what we 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:33.480 need to know and he knows we're capable, you know. 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:36.080 So he puts no expectations on us except for to 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:38.360 play hard and play with effort, and that's all he 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:41.840 can ask for. And so, um, yeah, I just you know, 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:43.920 I'm thankful for coach. You know, we got multiple Pro 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:45.800 Bowls together, and we want to we want to add 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:47.560 to that. We also just want to win. You know, 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:49.600 he doesn't have no Super Bowls. I don't have no 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:52.280 Super Bowls, and so we just know that we can 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:54.160 control what we can control and that's what the message 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:56.520 he preaches and for us to just do our job 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:59.320 and do our job well. Another guy that has multiple 0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.880 Pro Bowls is Kyler Murray signed the contract extension. I 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:05.880 know Kyler hasn't been around much because you know, I 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.640 got COVID, so wasn't around, uh, you know, a week 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:13.360 two of a training camp. But if you noticed anything 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:16.880 in the time you've been around him, that's different from 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:21.160 last year. I think his uh, his approach to me 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:22.920 as always, he came to he always come to work 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:26.480 and he's prepared. So um, if anything, he's just getting better, 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.760 you know. And he's already super super talented. So um 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:31.880 even you know to Tom and he was there during 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.040 the OTAs you know, he's making some great passes and 0:16:34.240 --> 0:16:37.120 uh earlier this training camp, and so he's in shape, 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.040 you know, And that's the first part of his game 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:41.160 is is to be in shape, you know, because fatigue. 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:45.360 He can't play your best football if you're fatigued out there. So, um, yeah, 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:48.120 he's he's getting better. And that's a scary thing just 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:50.120 because we know how talented he is. And so when 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.000 he gets better, um, it's gonna be special. You played 0:16:53.000 --> 0:16:55.040 with one of the biggest quarterbacks in the league, took 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:57.800 to now one of the smallest. Both obviously very successful 0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:01.640 and do it different ways. How is it when you're 0:17:01.720 --> 0:17:04.080 playing with a guy that you're taller than that you're 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:08.360 bigger than at that position. Um, I really don't think 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:10.600 of it much, you notice, because I'm doing my job. 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:13.400 But man, his feet are incredible, you know, and so 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:15.640 it's uh, I like it just because that's to keep 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:18.640 the defense honest, you know, especially anytime we are doing 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:21.920 any readoption like like plays and whatnot. And so man, 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:24.680 he's capable of extending to play. We've seen him Tennessee 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:26.720 last year, you know, running all over and the fielding 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:29.679 them back and making something special happen. So, uh, you know, 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.560 it's it's hard over height, you know, for him. So 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:34.440 we don't really pay attention to his size. We know 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:36.280 he's gonna come to play. But it is interesting when 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:38.800 you watch, like you said, in a read option situation 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:40.720 and it's the two of you back there. You know, 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:43.360 when you're behind, you know, if you're in the tailback 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:46.960 in the que position behind Ben Roethlisberger, it's maybe a 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:49.080 little bit easier to hide, even if your size. But 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:51.760 it is cool to kind of see the run game. 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:54.520 How do you think because I know that's something Cliff 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:57.800 has talked about it. Coach Cooler has talked about last 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:00.240 year things in the run game. Word is good second 0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:02.440 half of the season as they were in the first half. 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:05.359 Why do you think that is? And what are some 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:07.520 differences in the run game that we could maybe see 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:10.040 this year? Uh? Man, we just have to continue to 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:11.679