WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - Drew Petzing 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:07.680 Hey everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Davetash Podcast. 0:00:07.720 --> 0:00:11.840 I'm your host ESPN and Arizona Cardinals broadcaster Dave patsch. 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:15.800 Our guest this week is first year Cardinals offensive coordinator 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:19.160 Drew petsingh Drew's a young guy in his mid thirties, 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:21.680 but he's been in the league for a decade. Prior 0:00:21.760 --> 0:00:23.799 to that was in the IVY League. Get both Harvard 0:00:23.880 --> 0:00:27.480 and Yale. We'll talk about the experience with those schools. 0:00:27.680 --> 0:00:31.040 We'll also talk about the influences on his career like 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:34.920 Norv Turner and being a first year play caller. Drew's 0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:37.400 still uncertain as to whether he's going to call plays 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:39.480 from the field or from the booth. 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:41.520 I think I'm going to try both kind of flip 0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:43.479 flop during preseason to feel where I'm more comfortable, to 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:46.080 see where our communication as a staff is better, see 0:00:46.080 --> 0:00:47.959 where my communication with the players is better, and then 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:49.560 move forward in that way. 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:52.680 We'll also talk with Petsing about what to expect from 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:54.959 the offense in terms of how we'll look with Cole 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:58.520 McCoy as opposed to how it will eventually look with 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:01.680 Kyler Murray. As the team games quarterback. We are presented 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:05.080 by betmgm, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:08.920 and by Heila River Resorts and Casinos. Sign up today 0:01:08.920 --> 0:01:12.479 with betmgm, the official partner of the Arizona Cardinals. Use 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:14.840 code cards one thousand and get back up to one 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:17.200 thousand dollars in bonus bets. If you don't win your 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:20.680 first bet, visit betmgm dot com for terms and conditions. 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:23.480 Twenty one years of age or older to wager Arizona 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:27.320 only new customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem Call 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:29.720 one eight hundred, next step. All right, it's time to 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:33.080 chat with our guests for this week. Cardinals offensive coordinator 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:39.080 Drew Petsing, first coach, give me a sense of how 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:42.600 camp's been. Is it what you expected? I know we're 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.720 recording this in a day where we're in pads and 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:48.480 it's the first time we've done this. But is it 0:01:48.520 --> 0:01:49.600 what you thought so far? 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:51.160 Yeah? I think so. I think it's been a lot 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:52.720 of fun. I think these guys that really come in 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:55.920 and committed themselves to working hard and doing things the 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:57.880 way we want, and it's been fun to see that 0:01:57.960 --> 0:01:59.640 kind of play out on the field and obviously today 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:01.120 putting on the pads for the first time. I think 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:04.440 guys are pretty excited to go play football, and certainly 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:06.800 just in terms of getting into the hotel, getting used 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.320 to the stadium, the travel, the schedule has been new, 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:11.280 but I think for the most part, it's been what 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:12.679 we want it to be. It's been pretty fun. 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:16.000 Take me back to when you got offered the job 0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:18.960 three years in Cleveland. You were in Minnesota prior to that, 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.919 Cleveland even before then, but obviously the relationship with JG 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:27.360 was from Minnesota. When you got the phone call. Is 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:29.240 it something like you guys had already talked about, Hey, 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:32.320 if you get a gig, you know I'm gonna make 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:35.280 you mioc You're gonna call plays if I get a job. 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:37.480 I don't think it's anything ever like that. I think 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:40.040 it's more the conversations, especially when we were assistants in 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:41.679 the same building, of just like, hey, how would you 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:43.399 do this? What would you do there? Is this hard 0:02:43.400 --> 0:02:45.040 on a defense? Is that hard on an offense? Like 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:46.200 if you were going to do it, how would you 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:47.760 do it? So I think you have a lot of 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:50.440 those conversations as a young coach because it's fun. You're 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:53.640 around guys doing it different ways. You're seeing different systems 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:55.280 and things that you like and things that you don't like. 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:58.120 So you have a lot of those conversations. And then 0:02:58.160 --> 0:02:59.839 I think when we kind of went our separate ways 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:01.560 there when Jaju went to Indye, you just kind of 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:03.440 stay in touch. You're playing the same teams. We actually 0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:05.760 played them that first year when they were in Indie. 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:07.639 They came to Cleveland in twenty twenty. So you stay 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:10.000 in touch, you catch you up, you watch football together, 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:13.200 you see each other in the off season, and it's 0:03:13.240 --> 0:03:14.480 kind of one of those things. I think the year 0:03:14.520 --> 0:03:16.200 before when he started interview and he's like, hey, just 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:18.280 be ready to go, like have your system, be ready 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:20.280 to interview. Know what you wanted to be like, and 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:22.679 you know, you'd certainly be a high on my list 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:24.720 of guys I'd want to consider, and I would expect 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:26.080 you to be ready, and I you know, I would 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:28.400 have been ready before he said that, obviously, because it's 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.720 something you're always hoping to have the opportunity to do. 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:32.799 So I think it's it's more that than it is like, Hey, 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:33.960 if this happens, we're going. 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:36.920 So you get the call how did the conversation go? 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:39.120 It was it was exciting. I mean I was excited 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:40.400 for him first. You know, the first call is like, 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:42.200 hey man, I got the job, and I'm just like, hey, that, 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:45.200 you know, congratulations, That's obviously a huge opportunity, something he's 0:03:45.240 --> 0:03:48.200 worked extremely hard for and really wanted to take advantage of. 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:50.240 So it was fired up for him. And then I 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:51.840 think the next card goes, hey, here you know, here 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.160 are the next steps. Here's kind of the timeline, and 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:56.400 here's what you need to be ready for, and let's 0:03:56.400 --> 0:03:57.880 put your best foot forward and see what happens. 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:01.320 So when you got into this, are you a goals guy? 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:03.640 Like do you write things down to this is what 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:07.120 I envision for myself? Or are you a go with 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:09.240 the flow see what happens. 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:11.520 I think somewhere in between, I don't think I've ever 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:13.120 I don't have a list anywhere of like here's what 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:14.440 I want to hit, here's when I want to hit it, 0:04:14.520 --> 0:04:16.279 those type of things. You know. I know some people 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.520 do that, but I do think when you get into it, 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:20.800 I think your first goal, especially mine when I got 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:23.000 into coaching, was like can I make a living doing this? Like? 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.960 Is this a plausible career path, especially when you're first 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:28.440 coming out of college and then when it started to 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:29.960 look like it might be I think that's when you 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.440 start to see the guys that you're around and the 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:34.320 quality of life they have and the things they do 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.279 on the day to day and try to identify, Hey, 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:38.280 what do I want to do? How do I want 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:39.600 to do it? And you, I think in the back 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.440 of your mind you're always preparing for the next step, 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:44.320 but not at the expense of doing the job you have. 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:48.799 Are you what drives you? Is it the x's and o's, 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:52.600 Is it the relationships? Is it leading a team? Because 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.960 every coach is different. And I've seen guys like, for example, 0:04:56.560 --> 0:05:00.440 Cliff Kingsbury, who I've known for a long time, obviously 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:03.680 not just from here, but doing his games going back 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:06.520 to an M Johnny Manziel's year or even at Houston, 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:10.280 and Cliff x's and o's was his big thing, Like 0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:13.640 dealing with the boosters, that's not what he wanted to do. 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:17.920 He wanted to coach ball and to think about calling plays. 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:21.480 Some guys, you know, they're not as focused on the 0:05:21.640 --> 0:05:23.679 x's and o's. I mean, it's obviously part of every 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:30.240 coaching job, but relationships, communication, leadership, motivational speaking. A lot 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:33.680 of guys that's their strength. What would you say is 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:36.360 your strength? What's your passion? Yeah, it's a great question. 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:39.320 I think it's something that probably changes and tweaks itself 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:42.120 over the course of somebody's career in lifetime. You know, 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:44.440 I think one thing that always resonated me and I remember, 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:45.919 I can't remember the first time I saw it, but 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:49.039 it's a video of Brett Favre talking after his career about, 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:51.200 you know, his memories and some of his great moments, 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:52.640 and you know he's sitting there and he's like one 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:54.760 of the things He's like, the thing you never forget 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:57.080 is like the moments with your teammates, like celebrating with 0:05:57.120 --> 0:05:59.520 your teammates, being with your teammates. So I do think 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:01.760 they're relationship. Part of it is big because I think 0:06:01.960 --> 0:06:03.880 at the end of the day, the game will move 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:07.239 on without us. But I think a lot of those friendships, 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:11.200 those relationships, those connections are pretty special, and I think 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:12.960 those are what you really remember when you walk away. 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:15.599 When I look back at previous places I've been, Yeah, 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:17.280 I remember a couple games, but I remember the people 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:17.680 I work with. 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:19.240 I remember the people in the building. I remember some 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:21.200 of the emotions and the relationships that were developed. So 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:23.320 I do think that's a big part of my passion 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:25.680 and part of who I am. And I certainly love 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:27.960 the x's and o's. I think the scheme aspect of 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:31.240 the game, the chess match, the give and take, the 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:33.080 back and forth during the course of a game during 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:34.839 the week, the game planning is kind of fun. So 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:37.480 I'd say those two are the biggest components. But I 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:39.560 think everything you just hit on plays in a little bit. 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:41.000 But if I was to narrow it down to two, 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.960 i'd say the relationships one, and the game itself too. 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:46.000 And I want to get more into the x's and o's. 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.560 But I'm curious because I went to Syracuse, which is 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:52.200 widely known as the Harvard of Central New York. But 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:55.520 you actually were at Harvard and you were at Yale. 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.599 I can't imagine that there are many coaches to be 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.920 at both Harvard and Yale. What was that experience like 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:04.800 and how much did that impact you as a coach. 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:06.240 Yeah, I mean it had a big impact to me. 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:08.680 And it's funny, actually, the head coach that brought me 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:11.720 to Yale, was an assistant at Harvard. Actually went Yale, 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.280 Harvard Yale, so he did it multiple times. But I 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:16.160 would say it is pretty rare. Was on both sides 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:18.960 of the game, which was fun. It was my first 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:20.840 job out of college. So I you know, I graduated 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:23.360 in twenty two thousand and nine, and I think I 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:25.160 graduated on Sunday. I think I walked into a staff 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:27.560 meeting on Tuesday morning at Harvard. I was unpaid, but 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:29.000 it was twenty minutes from my house. It was an 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:30.360 opportunity to get my foot in the door. And I 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:33.520 hadn't been at football at that level, was very green, 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:35.800 and uh just I was on defense because that's what 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.720 I played in college, and just like immediately fell in 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:41.560 love with it. Just again, the relationships, the staff meetings, 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:45.120 the grind, the sport, it was it just it was 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:48.200 so fun and you were getting paid and at that 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:49.600 point I wasn't. I was like, Wow, if I could 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:53.000 get paid to do this, this would be unbelievable. And 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:55.000 I think that level was a great You know, played 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:57.400 D three ball where you know, very few people are 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:00.000 going to the NFL. Steve Houska, I came out of Milbury, 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:01.760 but other than that. It wasn't like everyone's like, Hey, 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:03.400 I'm going to graduate from Middlebury and then I'm going 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:06.760 to the league. So I think I you know, my 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:08.400 love of the game grew around guys that were in 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:10.160 it strictly for the love of the game. There wasn't 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:13.400 a monetary component tied to it. And that's very similar 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:15.280 in the IVY League. Like not that those guys don't 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:16.840 go pro, and there's some great pros that have come 0:08:16.840 --> 0:08:18.480 out of the IVY League, but a lot of those 0:08:18.520 --> 0:08:21.000 guys can make more money doing other things, and they 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.560 play the sport because they love it. They're very committed 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.080 to it. They're you know, obviously very intelligent players. So 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.400 the level of complexity of the game there is pretty high. 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:31.280 And so for me as a young coach to get 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:33.760 in there and learn from some great coaches, be around 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:36.520 some really committed players kind of suck me in. 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.559 How did you get in with Cleveland? Then it happened 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:42.319 pretty quickly twenty thirteen. If you graduate in two thousand 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:43.880 and nine, within four years or in the NFL, there 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:45.520 are a lot of guys who they want to get 0:08:45.559 --> 0:08:47.880 in the NFL takes twenty years. Sometimes never happens How 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.120 did you get in as quickly as you did. Yeah, 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:52.480 very fortunate, A really right place, right time. So I 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:54.280 was at Yale at the time. So I went Harvard 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.640 for a year, Boston College as a graduate assistant for 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:58.800 two which is right down the road, and then as 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:00.480 I talked about, one of the assistants Harvard got the 0:09:00.520 --> 0:09:02.679 head job at Yale. I went there and really had 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:04.960 like I had not, as you said, setting goals and plans, 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:06.719 Like certainly the NFL was there, but I didn't know 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:08.640 a lot of people in it. And at that point 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:10.320 I was, you know, it's my first position job. I 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.200 was recruit my own areas at Yale and it was 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:12.880 a lot of fun. 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:15.240 And I got a call kind of out of the 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:19.800 blue from one of the assistant coaches at Cleveland I 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:22.040 think he was an administrator at the time, and he 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:24.280 kind of said, Hey, we're looking to hire these type 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:25.359 of intern positions. 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:25.720 You know. 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:27.360 I think at the time New England had started them. 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:30.440 They were the twenty for twenty jobs. You work twenty 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:32.720 hours a day, year round, and you make like twenty 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:34.599 grand I think that was kind of how they sold it. 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:36.600 And he's like, is this something you'd be interested in 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:39.040 and it was a I think it legitimately cut my 0:09:39.080 --> 0:09:41.439 pay in half, and I was like, yeah, like absolutely, 0:09:41.480 --> 0:09:43.080 Like where do I sign it? Like didn't really know 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:45.160 how I got in the door at first, but I'm like, 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.240 did a quick phone interview. They're like, hey, we'll call 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.640 you back if we're interested. Were I'm like okay, and 0:09:49.760 --> 0:09:51.839 just kind of sat there and then it kind of 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:54.560 started to put the pieces together. So Ben Bloom, who's 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:56.960 now the D line coach at Cleveland, actually grew up 0:09:56.960 --> 0:09:57.520 my hometown. 0:09:58.000 --> 0:09:59.439 This could be a very long story. I'll try to 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:01.000 take your time. 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:03.920 So Ben Bloom was the assistant D line coach at 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:07.040 Harvard when I graduated college, and he was four or 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:08.720 five years older than me, grew up in my hometown, 0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:11.240 kind of loose family. Friends didn't know him that well. 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.319 And when I started networking coming out of college, I 0:10:13.360 --> 0:10:15.720 was like, Hey, I need a job. I want to coach, 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:18.040 and he's like, well, the head coach literally just mentioned 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:20.520 this unpaid internship at Harvard. He said, if I have 0:10:20.559 --> 0:10:22.400 a guy, you know, you barely even need an interview 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:23.720 if you want to come in and take the job. 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:26.760 So got me that first job at Harvard. He actually 0:10:26.840 --> 0:10:30.240 left before I got there and took a job with 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:34.880 the Browns with Mangini staff worked there, ended up in Dallas. 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:38.320 A guy named Dave Worganzi, who's now the linebackers coach 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:42.240 in Chicago, was at Harvard with Ben, stayed and worked 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:44.320 with me for a year. So we worked together for 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:47.199 a year I left for BC. He actually went with 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:50.080 Ben Bloom to Dallas in that twenty for twenty job 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:54.600 in Dallas. And again the random connections of the NFL show. 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:57.320 When Rob Jizinski got the head job in Cleveland that year, 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:00.600 the president at the time, believe was Alex I'm gonna 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:04.319 get his Like Alex Shiner and Alec had come from Dallas, 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:07.760 and Chud wanted to hire these positions, but he'd never 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:10.240 been in a building that had them, and Aleck had 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:12.520 just come from Dallas and they had kind of this 0:11:12.600 --> 0:11:14.600 program going. So Chud was like, Hey, can I reach 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.640 out to Ben and Dave about the program, how much 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:19.960 they made, what they did, what it looked like. And 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:21.680 I guess when they called these guys, they're like, Hey, 0:11:21.720 --> 0:11:24.120 if you're looking for names, there's a guy Yale who'd 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.120 be a great candidate. Give him a call. You might 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:29.760 be interested. So that started the process and then the 0:11:29.760 --> 0:11:32.520 interview was wild. I actually my wife I don't even 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:34.280 know she wants to hear this story again. But so 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:37.760 I was at Yale. It was like a Thursday morning, 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:39.720 at like nine am. I got a call from Cleveland say, hey, 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:41.760 we want to bring out for an interview, but there's 0:11:41.760 --> 0:11:44.160 a massive storm about to hit the northeast. Like if 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:45.760 we don't get you on an airplane the next like 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:48.120 four hours, like you're not getting out here. And I 0:11:48.160 --> 0:11:49.640 was like, well, I'm two hours from the airports. Just 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.480 tell me where I got to go. And they're like, 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:53.520 are you sure. Me and my wife were dating at 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:55.360 the time. She's long distance, She's like six hours away 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:58.719 in Rochester, New York. She was already driving to New Haven, Connecticut, 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:01.480 and I'm like at that point, I was like, yeah, 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:03.199 I got to take this job. So I'm like yeah, 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:05.240 like I'll be at the New What airport and I'll 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:07.240 get there. And so he's like, well, if you can 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:08.480 get on the plane, you got to flight at like 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:09.880 one o'clock. I think it was like nine am. So 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:11.640 I like walked into the head coach's office at Yale 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.760 and I was like, hey, I know you're not gonna 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:15.839 be happy about this, but I have an interview with 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:18.440 the Browns and I need to leave, and if I 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:22.520 don't get the job, please don't fire me. And so 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:24.720 he's like, yeah, he was great about he was really supportive. 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:26.400 He's like and he kind of knew. He's like, if 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:28.319 you go, you're you know, He's like, you're probably getting this. 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:29.680 I'm like, I don't feel that way, but I'm glad 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.280 you do. And I'm gonna go, so see you later. 0:12:32.480 --> 0:12:35.120 So I like I raced home. I threw like one 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:37.440 interview book in a bag with like a set of clothes, 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:39.760 and I like it was like a two hour drive 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:41.240 to this airport. I had a flight in like three 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:44.120 and a half hours. And I call my girlfriend at 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:45.800 the time. My wife now on the way, and I'm like, hey, 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:48.000 I know you're driving six hours to come see me 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.160 for the weekend. Like I'm gonna get on a plane 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:52.079 to Cleveland. They said i'd be back tomorrow, like we'll 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:54.840 have a great weekend. You know. There was a longer conversation, 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:56.120 but that was kind of the gist of it. So 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:58.560 she's like great. So I get off for the interview 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:00.439 and basically the interviews. You know, you go through a 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:02.240 couple of your meat people in the staff, they'll talk 0:13:02.280 --> 0:13:03.800 football with you, you do a little work for him, 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.400 you go home less than twenty four hours. Friday morning 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:09.880 flight got canceled, Saturday morning flight got canceled, Sunday morning 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.240 flight got canceled. At this point, my wife is literally 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.000 I think the I think we got almost four feet 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:16.560 of snow in New Haven, Connecticut. So she is she 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:18.920 can't leave my apartment. And it's like, look, I'm not 0:13:18.960 --> 0:13:20.760 making a ton of money. You know, she's living with 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:22.959 two other people she doesn't know in an apartment she 0:13:23.000 --> 0:13:26.520 can't leave. So I didn't earn a lot of points 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:29.800 on this one, and so at that point I just 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:31.440 was stuck there. So they just kept bringing me back 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:33.520 to the facility to do more work. And then I 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:35.680 think on Sunday afternoon they finally got me a flight 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:38.000 that left at like eight pm on Sunday, and like 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.240 at like five pm on Sunday, ched was like, well, 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:42.600 you've worked for us for three days, Like do you 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:45.760 want to just keep going? And I was like yeah, absolutely, 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:47.080 Like when do I start? And he's like, well, when 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:48.520 can you get out here? And I was like, well, 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:50.880 New Haven's a six hour drive. I could probably put 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:52.400 the stuff in my car in two hours. I'm like, 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:56.920 I'll leave Monday afternoon. So finally got on a flight Sunday, 0:13:56.920 --> 0:13:58.240 and my wife at that point already to go back 0:13:58.280 --> 0:14:00.800 to Rochester, so never saw her. They got the snow 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:03.800 out of there, she left. I landed Sunday night around midnight, 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:06.480 went into Yale, was like, hey, I took the job 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:08.560 with the Browns, thank you, and I need to pack 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:10.480 and I'm leaving in about five hours to go move 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.000 to Cleveland. And that was kind of it. So I 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:15.920 got there and I was I'd only been on defense 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:17.760 at that point, so like my first day day on 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:19.800 the job, you know, Ray Horton was the defensive coordinator. 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:22.600 I put his playbook from PowerPoint to visio and was 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:26.000 talking to the defensive coaches and then I honestly don't 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.280 know how it happened. Like Norv Turner was the offensive coordinator, 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:30.200 would just like yell my name down the hallway when 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:31.920 he wanted something, And at first it might be like, 0:14:32.520 --> 0:14:34.800 you know something n like a cut up on exos 0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:37.120 or like a college e val, or like hey, you 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:39.760 know whatever, it might be, and then like two weeks later, 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:42.640 I was just on offense, like never really talked about it, 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:45.040 Like Norv just wanted me to do things for him. 0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:46.240 And by the time I did it for a week 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:48.400 or two, I was on offense. And then obviously stayed 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:50.880 there for the year and we got to let go. 0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:53.000 Norv ended up in Minnesota, and yeah, that's a whole 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:56.760 nother wild story. But a lot of people took care 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:58.120 of me to get me where I am, and I'm 0:14:58.120 --> 0:14:59.440 obviously very fortunate for that. 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:01.920 It's amazing how all that stuff happens. Not to bore 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:04.040 you with a little bit of my story, but I 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:06.680 just couldn't help think when you start talking about a storm. 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:08.760 So I've been here doing the Cardinal since two thousand 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:12.240 and two. I've been at ESPN since two thousand and three, 0:15:12.560 --> 0:15:15.160 and that my second year there. I was just at 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.360 the time doing like some a little bit of college basketball. 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:20.320 I wasn't doing college football NBA. I was just doing 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:22.200 a little bit of college basketball. I did the Great 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:26.040 Outdoor Games, which was dog jumping. I did the sausage 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:28.680 eating contest, and I remember I was a Saturday in 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:32.440 February and I'm sitting at home because I had only 0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:34.560 at that point was doing like fifteen games a year 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:37.640 or something. I get a phone call, Hey, brad Nessler 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:42.240 is stuck in a storm and he can't get to Lawrence, Kansas. 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:46.400 You're in Arizona. The weather's fine, you're not working. Can 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:49.280 you get on a plane go do the Saturday primetime 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:53.720 game with Dick Vitale. And I'm thinking, first of all, yes, 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:57.640 who's playing? Who's playing? I got to prep in three hours. 0:15:57.680 --> 0:15:59.160 I got to get on a plane and get there, 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.800 and you know the rest kind of his history it 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:03.920 helped me in terms of, like they carry you with 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:05.640 the vitality, think you can do the job, and you 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:08.280 get a chance. It's just crazy how that stuff works. 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:11.400 So I can relate a little bit to your story, 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:13.720 and the rest is history. Obviously. You know you mentioned 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:17.960 NORV Minnesota and now here in Arizona after another stint 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:21.440 in Cleveland. So if I put on NORV Turner's tape 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:24.600 from twenty thirteen and watched his offense and then watch 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:28.320 the Cardinals this year, how similar would they look? 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:31.800