1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: The following presentation of the Jaguars Podcast Network is presented 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: by by Star critic Tony Basselli is more than just 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: the first draft choice in franchise history. He's more than 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: just its best player. The massive six ft seven inch 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: offensive tackle owned a blend of size, length, agility, and 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: intellect the revolutionize the way offensive lineman played the game. 7 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: But Selli represented everything Tom Cofflin wanted in a football 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: player in his football team. He played the game as 9 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: he were made for it. This is Perspectives, a look 10 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: back at the first twenty five years of the Jacksonville 11 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: Jaguars through the eyes of the people who built the 12 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: NFL's thirtieth franchise from the ground up. This is Tony Boselli. 13 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: It's no exaggeration to say that Basselli was the personification 14 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: of the Jaguars. He wouldn't back down on the field 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: or in the locker room. He knew he was more 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: than just an offensive tackle. He was the heartbeat of 17 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: the jat Wars, a rarity for an offensive lineman. A 18 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: few years after his career was over, as he wandered 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: through the beginnings of a post football career, Dan white 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: Angie made a life changing decision that actually took them 21 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: back to where the journey began. It was interesting in 22 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: ninety five when we came here, you know, we made 23 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: the decision as a young married couple of Angie and 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,839 Speaker 1: I that we're gonna make Jack's Far home year round. 25 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: We weren't going to do something where we you know, 26 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: stayed in the season and then as soon as the 27 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: season when was over go back to California where she 28 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: was from, or Colorado where I was from. We kind 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: of made for whatever reason, I can't even remember why. Um, 30 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: maybe it's because Tom said you couldn't leave in those days. 31 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: But we even before I knew that offseason was important, 32 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: we had made that decision. Has something to do with 33 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: my wife being from the beach. We lived at the beach, 34 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: so she was happy, and you know, we had the 35 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: seven years here and then when they put me on 36 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: the expansion draft and I left, I said, I've never 37 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: come back because I was upset, in ad in angry 38 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: and all the different emotions that go into it, and 39 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: the whole thing with Houston went and how it did 40 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: and shoulder never had better, and so I retired and 41 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: I was sitting there, you know, thirty one years old 42 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: or whatever I was, and had no idea what I 43 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: was gonna do. And you know, normal emotions that you 44 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: go through as a player, I think, especially if you 45 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: get hurt and sooner you're depressed, you're confused everything else. 46 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: So I did a bunch of different things. We lived 47 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: in Houston for a while when to Austin was working 48 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 1: for sports Ministry, ended up in Nashville, and through those 49 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: all the different stops, we would visit Jacksonville and comes 50 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: to friends, the Brunel's and everybody else. And we had 51 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: our church here that we had kind of been apart 52 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 1: from the beginning. And I remember we came back one 53 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: time after being gone like two and a half years 54 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: or so, maybe three, and I was like, we were 55 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: renting a house at Jack's Beach. I'm thinking, what are 56 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: we doing? And I remember I went back to Nashville 57 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: and Angie didn't love Nashville, and we had four kids 58 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: at the time, and one day I walked into the 59 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: kitchen and said, hey, uh, we're moving back to jackson 60 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: but what do you think? And she literally had the 61 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: house packed up for sale sign in one week. We 62 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: sold the house two days later. It was right before 63 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: the housing you know crashes, I go five and we 64 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: packed up a U haul and moved back here. And 65 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: I think what it was is what I realized, and 66 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: what Angie realized, is when we came back and visited 67 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: and I saw people, and it was even just for 68 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 1: a weekend or a week at a time that this 69 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: was home. It actually became more home to us, especially 70 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: for me, than it was when I went back to 71 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: Colorado to see my family, or went to California and 72 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: saw her family or friends and back to SCA for 73 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: whatever reason. Um, we would come back to Jacksonville a 74 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: few times we did when we were gone, and this 75 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: just felt like home. And I said, what are we doing? 76 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: You know, by that time, the emotions and you kind 77 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: of realized, as you know, gosh, I feel old down 78 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: forty seven, uh, you know at thirty one, early thirties, 79 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: thirty three, whatever, that the business part of football stinks. 80 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: And what happened wasn't great, but it was business, you know, 81 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: and you get over it. And Wayne had reached out 82 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: and you know, and you kind of rebuild those relationships 83 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: and everything else. And so that I had kind of 84 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: healed itself as far as for me, and I love Jacksonville. 85 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: We love the area. It was where our friends were, 86 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: it was where the church we were part of. It 87 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: was just the people of Jacksonville. And there was such 88 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: a history of being a part of that first team 89 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: that kind of stuck deep at least in me, and 90 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: there's roots that it connected us here and we moved 91 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: back and it was the greatest thing ever. And I 92 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: look back now, I've lived here in Jacksonville with the 93 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: greater jackson Area prot of Edra longer than I've lived 94 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: where I grew up in both in Colorado, and so 95 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 1: people say all the time where you're from. We were 96 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: just I was just on a trip with my dad 97 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: and we're in my family and everyone's they asked, where 98 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: are you guys from? And they would literally say, we're 99 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: all from Colorado. He's from Florida, and like he lives 100 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: in Florida, and so this is my hometown. This is 101 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,119 Speaker 1: I mean, I grew up in Colorado, went to school 102 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: in uh in California. But if you asked asked me 103 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: where my hometown is, it's Jacksonville. I mean, we're Jacksonville people. Um, 104 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: I hope never to leave. You never know what life brings, Um, 105 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: but this is uh. It was a special place, and 106 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: it was confirmed after we left. You don't realize that 107 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: sometimes in your first year after we left and then 108 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: we visit. So this is where we want to come 109 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: back to. The choice to leave Jacksonville wasn't Tony's and 110 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: he wasn't happy about it. He left hurt and in 111 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: disbelief everything he worked for and everything he was planning 112 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: on had suddenly been taken away when he left. Neither he, 113 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: nor Angie, nor Tom Coughlin or jack War's owner Wayne 114 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: Lieber could have foreseen his return. So the emotions of 115 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: leaving here were really tough for me. Um. I remember, 116 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: you know, I've been the first pick and everything has 117 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: gone well, and then I got hurt, and so I 118 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: was going through that two thousand one season started the 119 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: season and the shoulders work had the surgery and was 120 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: rehabbing it and trying to get back, and it was 121 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 1: a tough rehab. And I remember the season it just ended. 122 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: It was probably January, so mid mid January, and I 123 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: remember it's a Saturday morning and at the time we 124 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: had three kids and they're all little, and we're sitting 125 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: there and he was actually making breakfast. I remember she 126 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,679 Speaker 1: was making pancakes. I mean I can literally remember that clearly. 127 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 1: And we get a knock on the door and so 128 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: I gon answer the door and it's uh, it's Coach 129 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: Coughlin and he had lived across the street, um kind 130 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: of catecorn from us there in marsh Landing at the time. 131 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 1: And he says, hey, can we talk And I'm like, okay, 132 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: something's not right here. And we sat on my porch, 133 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: on the stairs of my porch outside the door, and 134 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: he sat there and he said, hey, listen, UM, this 135 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 1: is the hardest thing, really hard for me, but we're 136 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: gonna put you on the expansion uh list. And I 137 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: said what He went through the whole cap and all 138 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: the different things, and you know, who knows it wasn't 139 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: because maybe it says I was hurt. I mean maybe 140 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: they knew that. I don't know why, but the reason 141 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: it was explained was CAP. And so immediately I remember 142 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: walking in to see my wife and I said, you 143 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: won't believe this. She was what I said, word leaving Jacksonville. 144 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: She was, what do you mean? I said, I'm on 145 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: the expansion list, and she goes, okay, and that started 146 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: a domino of events. That next thing I know, I'm 147 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: traveling to Houston back and forth because I get picked 148 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: and the whole long story that didn't work. I mean, 149 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: we tried. The shoulder was gone, and that was leading 150 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: to that emotion kind of exponentially made it worse because 151 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: now I felt like the place I loved let me go, 152 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: or let me be picked by the Texans. Texas were 153 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: great to me, but now my shoulder doesn't work. In 154 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: there's all these emotions. It's like, did they know something, 155 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: what happened? Was it a bad surgery, you know? Or 156 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,679 Speaker 1: was it just one of those things? And I remember 157 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: going through all those emotions and looked at every option 158 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: I had, what do I do? And and we went 159 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: through the series events, bouncing around and and when we 160 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: were coming back, I got a phone call one day 161 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,239 Speaker 1: and I almost want to say it was Dan Edwards 162 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: who called me and said, hey, Wayne wants to talk 163 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: to you. And so I talked to Wayne and he said, hey, 164 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: we'd like to for you to come back, and we'd 165 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: like to retire as a Jaguar, and we'd like to 166 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: put you on the UH in the stadium. Is the 167 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: first member of the Pride of the Jaguars and I 168 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: was like wow. And it was during that time kind 169 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: of the process of me reconciling what happened, and Angie 170 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: and I talked and I remember thinking, I said, at 171 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: some point, I gotta get over this. And this was 172 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: even before the whole Pride of the Jaguars. I said, 173 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: I could either be mad forever and look down at 174 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: the franchise and blame them, or get mad at Tom 175 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: or Wayne or whoever, or I can say that's kind 176 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: of how it goes, and be a part of the 177 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: franchise that I was the first pick of. And I've said, 178 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: you know what, whatever happened happened. I want to I 179 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: want to have some connection. And along those lines is 180 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: when Wayne called uh. And it wasn't exact timing, but 181 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: kind of all this was happening at the same time. 182 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: And when that happened, I remember coming back retired as 183 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: a Jaguar that day and then now it's I'm gonna 184 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: be putting into the Pride of the Jaguars. And in 185 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: that time we had started moving back to and I 186 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 1: remember the day when I went in we played the 187 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: New York Jets, and I had the whole family there 188 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: and you come down and to see them pull the 189 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: tarp down and my name was up there was a 190 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: little bit surreal for me, because growing up as a 191 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: Broncho fan, I remember going to Old Mile High and 192 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: seeing like the great Broncos that you would whether before 193 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: I was born, that I had heard about or when 194 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: I was little watched, And then I saw my name 195 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: up there, and I was like, man, this is amazing, 196 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:00,080 Speaker 1: And boy, I'm glad I didn't hold the grudge and 197 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: burn a bridge against the franchise that I love it 198 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: was a part of from the beginning because of of 199 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: slights or emotional reasons or whatever happened, it happened. It 200 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: was a business decision that it happened, and I'm glad 201 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 1: it didn't let that affect my long term relationship with 202 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 1: this franchise because now I sit here today, you know, 203 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: all these years later and now living here in a 204 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: part of it, and have been a part of the 205 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: team till at the end of when the Weavers owned 206 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: it too. Now with Shot and his family owning at 207 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: the cons being a part of the franchise, calling games 208 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 1: and being just a part of the entire fabric, not 209 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: just of Jacksonville, but the Jaguar community, it's a family 210 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: more to me, means so much to me. I mean, 211 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: it's a big part of my identity that I love. 212 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: I love being a part of the Jaguars. I love 213 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: when I called National Games going on the road and 214 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: people look down defending the Jaguars. I mean, this is 215 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: part of it. And I think back to the decision 216 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: by Angie and I made it says we want to 217 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: be a part of this, and then Wayne allowing me 218 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: to be the first person, uh in the pride of 219 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: Jaguars is a huge honor for me. And you know, 220 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: as long as the stadium's up here and my name's 221 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: up here, I guess they can't take that away from me. 222 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: And that's a it's a huge honor. And uh it's 223 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: fun for me. It's fun of my kids they come 224 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: to the game and their friends and everything, and uh 225 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: so it's pretty special. And and for me, being the 226 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 1: first pick is I've always taken a lot of pride 227 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: in that. And I felt the pressure when I was picked, 228 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: like I want to live up to being that first pick. 229 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: And I remember when Tom said, you know we're picking 230 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: needs me the cornerstone and all that stuff, and and 231 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: everyone joked about that as you're you know, as you're rookie, 232 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: making funny of you and everything. But that meant something 233 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: to me. And now to continue to have that legacy 234 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: with you know, the having the name up there but 235 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: still be a part of it. Now that uh, where 236 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: we are as a franchise with the coms onning it 237 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 1: and still being a part of it and needs a 238 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: lot more perspectives following this from BI Start Credit UNI. 239 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: We believe in are and that means treating people that 240 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: are with friendly personal service that's kept our members happy 241 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,319 Speaker 1: since nineteen fifty two, A smile and personal greeting when 242 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 1: you enter the branch, an online or phone chat for 243 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: those quick questions, and a call center that's open every day. 244 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: If you believe that great services better joined by Star 245 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 1: We never forget that it's your money, all loan subject 246 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 1: to approval insured by m c U. A coming home 247 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: meant to return to the place where some of his 248 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,559 Speaker 1: best football memories were made more important for Bisselli. Coming 249 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: back to Jacksonville rejoined him with many of the most 250 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: important people in his life. I think, as as you 251 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 1: look back on and well at least as I look 252 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: back in my career, obviously the the games and the 253 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: big moments and competing and walking on the field, you know, 254 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: or highlights. You know. I always joke people say what 255 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 1: do you miss about football? So I missed about I 256 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: missed game Day and pay Day? Those are really pull 257 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: two good days if you were here in the NFL. 258 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: But the thing I and then I, after joking, I 259 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: s so you know what else I'm this is the 260 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: locker room, in the relationships that I had in that 261 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: locker room. And and as I look, you know, at 262 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: the friendships I have now and that of guys I 263 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: played with and guys around the league, I mean it's 264 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: you're in a fraternity that because you played the game 265 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: of football that you have something common with him. And 266 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: then there's another level and then you have like your 267 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: close relationships. And I look at the you know, you know, 268 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: I think it's pretty much no secret in this community 269 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: now that you know, Mark and I are very close 270 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: and we're best friends. And I look back that the 271 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: first year, I don't think we probably said two words 272 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: to each other. You know, he was fighting for a 273 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 1: job and I was trying to figure out how to 274 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: play a left tackle in the NFL, and we didn't 275 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: have a lot of things in common. He had a 276 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: much deeper faith at that time than I did at 277 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: that stage of my life. And while we were friendly, 278 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: we were not friends. And the interesting thing was, it 279 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: wasn't football, per se the locker room where we became friends. 280 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: It was our lives. So Angie and Stacy became friends. 281 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: Angie told me we were going on a vacation with 282 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: the Brunel's, and I looked and I said, why are 283 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: we going with them? You know, Mark and I don't 284 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: really hang out that much. And and she says, we're going. 285 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: It's great. Stacy's great. I want to go. And if 286 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: you've been married long enough, you understand happy wife, happy life. 287 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: And if she says you're going, you're going. And so 288 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: I said okay, And we went to an island down 289 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: in the Caribbean, and we had a great time and 290 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: we really became friends. And through series events, you know, 291 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: I talked about the church earlier, Um, what's kind of 292 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: birthed out of a Bible study, we were a part 293 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: of that. He invited me to him my wife and 294 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: I engine I went and deep in my faith and 295 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: really became a became a Christian, and at that point 296 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: the bond even got closer, and then it just grew. 297 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: We ended up driving to work every day because we 298 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: lived in the same neighborhood. We ended up going in vacations, 299 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: our kids were the same age. We kind of just 300 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: did lie together as football players and that never stopped 301 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: and so that relationship has grown where we continue to 302 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: be really good friends, talk all the time, do do 303 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: life together. You know, he was the head coach at Episcopal, 304 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: I was the offensive line coach. Um We yell at 305 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: each other, we'd make fun of each other, and so 306 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: it's a special relationship. And then you look at the 307 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: organization greater. I mean I've mentioned you know, you talk. 308 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: You can't talk about the Jaguars without talking about Tom Coughlin. 309 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I remember the first time he came out 310 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: to USC to work me out, and him and Mike 311 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: Major came and worked me out, and afterwards they said, 312 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: we want to go to dinner with you. We wanna 313 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: take you to dinner, and they said bring your girlfriend too. 314 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: So they must have done the research knowing that she 315 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: was going to be my wife, and it was non negotiable. 316 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: It's like, you bring her with you, and it was 317 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: me him, it was Tom, Mike and uh Rick Reepers, 318 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: and we're at the dinner and I remember sitting there 319 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: at dinner with Tom and going through the you know, 320 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: the whole interview process us and and then playing for 321 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: them all those years wasn't easy. It wasn't always fun 322 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: playing for him. He was very difficult to play for, 323 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: especially those early years, and he you know, he was 324 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: trying to make a point, and boy did he make it. 325 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: But you know, I look back at the success we 326 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: had and a lot of that was, yes, because of 327 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: the players that he brought in, we were good, but 328 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: because the coach, the job he did as a coach 329 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: as a head coach, and his coaching staff, and in 330 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: that relationship as can do. I mean, they were neighbors. 331 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: I remember all the time I'd come home, you just 332 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: so mad and talk bad about Tom, and Angie would 333 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: stop me and say, how dare you talk about him 334 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: that way? He's such a nice man. Because I'm like, 335 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: wait a second, you think he's nice because you see 336 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: him on the weekends in the offseason. He smiles and 337 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: asked how you're doing. And because his wife, Judy is 338 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: a saint, one of the nicest people in the entire world. 339 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: That doesn't mean he is nice to me, and she 340 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: would defend him. So I'm fighting here with my wife 341 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: because of the views we have on the head coach. 342 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: But that's a special relationship. That's a relationship that will 343 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 1: mean a lot to me, Um, because of the position 344 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: in the place he had in my life as a 345 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: young football player and as my head coach, and the 346 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: and that we continue to have. I mean, him being 347 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: back in Jacksonville and a part of the organization I 348 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,679 Speaker 1: think is great. Um. It shows the power of what 349 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: happened here early and for him to come back and 350 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,880 Speaker 1: have a home here he always did and that would 351 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: be a part of it again, I think is really special. 352 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:30,360 Speaker 1: And so relationships are critical to me. I mean, it's 353 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: at the end of it. We're all gonna get old, 354 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: we're all gonna not be able to play football and 355 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: not be athletic, and all we do have is our relationships. 356 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: And the memories come from the relationships, in my opinion, 357 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: because what if you're by yourself, the memories are useless. 358 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: But when you have relationships that you can look back 359 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: and laugh. I mean, we will still get together and 360 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: laugh and tell stories about the old days. I mean, 361 00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: I look at the job I have now here on 362 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 1: the radio. I mean, Jeff and I were teammates and 363 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: you know in logs, and was the older guy, and 364 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: he was the leader of the team. I was a 365 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: new guy coming in and I kind of grew and 366 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: took that position when he left as one of the 367 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: main leaders of the team. And and now to work 368 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: with him together, I mean, him and I all the 369 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: time and laugh and tell stories, and there's a there's 370 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: a connection because of what we did back when we 371 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: played here and now we worked together and that's a 372 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 1: that's a special relationship, and that's fun. And in my 373 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,719 Speaker 1: hope is you know, I hope Shot and Mark Lamping 374 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: viewed the same way as that we do this forever 375 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 1: and we're seventy year old guys covering this team, hopefully 376 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 1: with a couple of Super Bowls by then telling stories 377 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:45,479 Speaker 1: and well everyone listening will be like, oh gosh, here 378 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: go Jeff and Tony again and the old guys telling 379 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: stories about the ancient days of and in those times. 380 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: So the relationships are great, They're very important to me. 381 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,360 Speaker 1: The memories I have here, Um are built around those 382 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: relationships ups and uh, you know, my best friend, you know, 383 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: outside my wife, my best friend is Mark Burnell. And 384 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: that's because I played football here with the Jaguars. Tony 385 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: instantly bonded with a slightly disconnected fan base turned off 386 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 1: by seasons of losing. He reminded Jaguars fans of the 387 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: early years now nearly a decade in the rear view mirror. 388 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: So you know, I looked back in that first year 389 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: and we're started in Steven's Point and which was just 390 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: a brutal camp. And I end up on a rainy day, 391 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: you know, Jeff log, my radio partner, decides that he's 392 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: gonna be an idiot and bull rush on a rainy day, 393 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: and my legs slips and my knee gets put in 394 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: a position I dis Okay, my kneecap knocked some cartilage 395 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: off and I have to have surgery. And that was 396 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: tough because the very thing I wanted to do is 397 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 1: to prove that they made the right pick. And now 398 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: in my mind, I felt like, my gosh, I let 399 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: everyone down, and having to miss the preseason, it was tough. 400 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 1: But then when I remember walking on the field for 401 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: the Houston game and walking out in civilian and just 402 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: street clothes because I couldn't play. My knee was still 403 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 1: and it was as exhilarating as it was to see 404 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: the crowd, I was as one of the more disappointing 405 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: times as well. And it was tough because you want 406 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: to be excited for everyone else and you're you don't 407 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: want the team to win, obviously, but INDIVIDUAL was like, man, 408 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: this is not what I was brought here to do. 409 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: I wasn't brought here as a second pick to sit 410 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: on the sideline and watch. And so the first couple 411 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: of weeks were tough. And uh, there was three games. 412 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: You know, you had Houston and then we had went 413 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,119 Speaker 1: to the Jets, and then we played Cincinnati, I think 414 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 1: or vice verstaid whatever the role was those three games, 415 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: and and then we had a Sunday night game against 416 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: Green Bay and my knee was not but I was like, 417 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: I'm playing and it was good enough. I got cleared, 418 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,400 Speaker 1: I passed the strength tests and but it was still 419 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,439 Speaker 1: swelling up a little bit and it wasn't great. And 420 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: I remember so I practiced that week and I remember 421 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: Tom coming to and he says, you're not gonna start, 422 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: and I'm like, what do you mean, I'm not gonna start. 423 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 1: He says, we're not gonna start. Jeff Novah's gonna start 424 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: because Jeff had played left tackle, and you talked about 425 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: relationships earlier. I mean, Jeff Novak to this day is 426 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: one of my best friends. I mean, he lives in 427 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: Texas and we talked about relationships. I mean, Jeff Novak 428 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: is as close as I am to anybody, and he's 429 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: the guy I backed up that first start, and we 430 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: used to joke all the time, and you know, and 431 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 1: we still to this day of him being the starting 432 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: left tackle for the franchise after they picked me. Those 433 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: first few games and and those are the we talked 434 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: about memories and relationships. I mean, I can't believe, you know, 435 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: Jeff is a guy that I think back to that 436 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: first night. I remember I'm sitting on the sidelines and 437 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:46,479 Speaker 1: he's out there and I'm in the I'm all dressed up, 438 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: I'm ready to go, and Tom says, you're gonna wait 439 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: two series. I don't know why too, but he decided that. 440 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: And the whole week leading up to that, I had 441 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: watched the tape and everything else, and you got Reggie 442 00:21:58,160 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: White on one side, I'm like, oh my gosh, this 443 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: guy is like the greatest ever. And then you know 444 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: Sean Jones on other side, at the time, you had 445 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: hundred six sacks, a hunter sack. I I'm thinking, my goodness, 446 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: I mean, Sunday Night football, hundred sack guy. You know, thankfully, 447 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: Reggie White's gonna stay on the other side, I have 448 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: to worry about him. And this is where I have 449 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,120 Speaker 1: no preseason nothing. Let's find out if you can play 450 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: or not. Kid. As I'm sitting on the sideline, I'm nervous, 451 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: and I'm watching Jeff. He's out there and he's doing 452 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: fine and whatever. And remember three and out, three and out, 453 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: And so before i know it, they're saying, you're going in, 454 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 1: and we get the ball, A jog on the field, 455 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: and the whole crowd like cheers because they and then 456 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: this has probably never happened in the history of the NFL. 457 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 1: The p A guy goes now entering the game at 458 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: left tackle, Tony or something like, I mean kidding, I 459 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: play left tackle, and the whole crowd cheers, and I'm thinking, 460 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: don't screw this up. And remember the first play, go 461 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 1: out there and I'm like Okay, I blocked him, and 462 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: I blocked him the whole night, and I'm like, at 463 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,920 Speaker 1: that point, it's funny. I'm like, I can play this game, 464 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: and I'll be you know, I just knew and early 465 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: in the game, I knew I could block him, and 466 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,719 Speaker 1: I remember the funny story about that game. So we 467 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 1: were we went. We didn't get a first down at 468 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: the first half. People, I mean, I was the most 469 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: crazy and not one. We were three and out, three 470 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: and out forever. We started getting going a little bit 471 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: in the second half and made a respectable game, and 472 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: I was so excited we lost. I'll be honest you 473 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: I didn't care. I was like, I played, I did 474 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: halfway decent, I didn't embarrass myself, and I'm now doing 475 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: what I was brought here to do. Um. And so 476 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: the next day I showed up to the facility and 477 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: we lost. So everyone's down, but I'm feeling Okay. We go. 478 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: We're sitting outside and waiting to go to the team 479 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: meeting room and you better be there early because everything 480 00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: is the start earlier. And so I'm they were early 481 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: sitting there and um, Tom walks up and he grabs me. 482 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: He looks at me says, how do you think he 483 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: did last night? And I was smart enough at this 484 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: point and I knew him enough not to say I 485 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: think I did pretty good. And I said, oh, I 486 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: think it was okay. And he looked at me and 487 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: he says, that didn't mean anything. That guy doesn't play 488 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: every snap and walked off. I'm like, nig can I 489 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: get a little bit of love Tom, just a little bit? 490 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: And there was no love coming from Tom. He walked off. 491 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: You know, the meeting, I sat down and said, okay, 492 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: And that was kind of the start of that season. 493 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,880 Speaker 1: And I think it was the next week we went 494 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,400 Speaker 1: to Houston and we got our first win, and that 495 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: was awesome. I mean, that was amazing because, you know, 496 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: it was funny because we had played pretty good. You know, 497 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: I don't think we really got blown out the Jets 498 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: game got a little bit away from us at the 499 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: end of the game. It wasn't like just embarrassing, and 500 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: but the Carolina Panthers were doing, you know better, and 501 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: you know, we were kind of fighting and trying to 502 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: figure it out. And we got that first win and 503 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: that was awesome. And then the next week we come 504 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 1: home and the Steelers are come in to town, and 505 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, oh, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers and they're one 506 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: of the best teams and we beat them. Now all 507 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: of a sudden, you're kind of thinking, like, we're pretty good. 508 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: Maybe this isn't that hard to do. Well. Everyone knows. 509 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: We won one more and then went on a seven 510 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: game losing the streets. So but that was a It 511 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: was a long first year, and it was a hard 512 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: first year for me because of the knee and everything else, 513 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:32,479 Speaker 1: and it was probably the most tired of ever been 514 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: after a football season, just from the draft, all the 515 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: expectations and injury and one of all the stuff. That 516 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: was a tough year. Didn't seem much different at first, 517 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: but by mid November, a different win began to blow 518 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: and it caught the Jaguars sales pushed them places no 519 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 1: one dared to dream of. When the season began. We 520 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 1: just started winning close games. We win one close game, 521 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 1: another close game, and and I never really thought about 522 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: the playoffs because we were four and seven, then we 523 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: were five and seven, six and seven. Get the seven 524 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: and seven. You're like, okay, we're doing better, and and 525 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: then I remember, all of a sudden one day like 526 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 1: they were like we were in the hunt and I'm like, 527 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,120 Speaker 1: oh wow, the chance and we got all the way. 528 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: One of the most memorable games for me was we're 529 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: playing the Atlanta Falcons. We're terrible. We're like, we're gonna 530 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: go to the playoffs. All we have to do is 531 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: beat the Falcons, who stink we're going to the playoffs. 532 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: And we played bad, and it was they were driving 533 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 1: down and it was the worst feeling sitting on the sidelines, helpless, 534 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: watching our defense not be able to slow down the Falcons. 535 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: And now we've done nothing offensively the whole day. They 536 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: played pretty good and then all of a sudden, now 537 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: they can't and I'm thinking, we're gonna screw this thing up. 538 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: We're gonna lose to the Falcons and not go to 539 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 1: the playoffs. And when Morton Anderson lined up for that 540 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: kick and like he's I mean, the greatest kickers ever 541 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: not missing it's like thirty some moon yards, and when 542 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,399 Speaker 1: he shanked it, I mean, that place erupted. And that 543 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,199 Speaker 1: if you think about it, for this franchise and for 544 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: a lot of us individually, me included, that shank kick 545 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: changed everything because we don't have the run in ninety six, 546 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: which I think really built our confidence for the years 547 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,439 Speaker 1: to come. If he doesn't shank it, I don't get 548 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,360 Speaker 1: to go play against the defensive player of the Year 549 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: and Bruce Smith and have the game I did if 550 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: he doesn't shank it, which put my career. I mean 551 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: I already you know, it was in the Pro Bowl 552 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,680 Speaker 1: already as it altered it uh that year, but that 553 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: took me to another stratosphere as far as nationally people 554 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: are like, wait a second, this guy can play. Um, 555 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: you know Mark Burnell like went crazy in the playoffs. 556 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: I mean that kind of launched him to another another, 557 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: another stratosphere, and that it just kind of kicked everything off. 558 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: And that game in the Denver game or two games 559 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 1: that I'll never forget Buffalo because of who I was 560 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: playing and the pressure I felt going in the anxiety 561 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 1: of thinking I gotta block this guy, and looking back 562 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: now is a huge compliment. But it wasn't like Gilbride 563 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: and Major had this great game plan like, hey, we're 564 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: gonna let's game plan Bruce Smith. It was like the 565 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: game plan is like Tony, you block him and maybe 566 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: we'll look over there every once, and we had no 567 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: slide protections. We had none of that. The night before 568 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: the game, Kevin Gilbert, I will never forget it we're 569 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: talking about and he goes at the end of the meeting, 570 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: I'm like waiting for someone to say, like acknowledge, like 571 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 1: this is not easy. And at the end of the 572 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: meeting says, hey, everyone knows Tony is a tough matchup tomorrow. 573 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, good, thank you. I'm glad we got 574 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: that out of there on the open and he said, hey, 575 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 1: Nate and James, if you get a chance when you're 576 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: going out for your routes, take a look. That was 577 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: our game plan. And so I always laugh now and 578 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: Bruce's oh they had a game plan. They slid, they 579 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 1: did all this stuff. I'm like, you should trust me. 580 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: They didn't, and um, but that game meant so much 581 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: to me, and you know, it's a longer story of 582 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: all the emotions and everything that went into it and 583 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: and and what you the feeling walking in the field 584 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: knowing what you know, I gotta face him. But the 585 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: next week was maybe even bigger for me individually, because 586 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: that was my hometown. I grew up a Bronco fan, 587 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: I grew up an Alway fan. I grew up going 588 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,479 Speaker 1: to those games in rooting for them. My entire family 589 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: still to this day lives in Boulder, Colorado. In that region, 590 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: I think I had eighty people go to the game, 591 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: all of them secretly were rooting for the Broncos to win. 592 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: And when we won that game, and I walked off 593 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: the field and looked up that corner of just the 594 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: Jaguar fans and the Bronco fans, heads down, hung walking out, 595 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: it was one of the greatest feelings in sports I've 596 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: ever had. And it's just too bad we couldn't finish 597 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 1: it off. The next week. We should have you know, 598 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: a team that we very should you should have beat. 599 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,239 Speaker 1: We probably no business beating the Broncos as good as 600 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: they were, but we did. Um, we couldn't finish it off. 601 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: But that was those games back then. We're we're amazing 602 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 1: and it was amazing. It was amazing run and I 603 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: look at there's so many other big games. That fourteen 604 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: and two season was bitter sweet for me because I 605 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: thought we were a team to go to the Super Bowl, 606 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: were one of the best teams in the NFL. I 607 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 1: blow my knee out and the game that we had 608 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 1: was over before we're going to the playoffs. I could 609 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: I missed that playoff run. So those are bitter sweet moments. 610 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: But man, the memories of those games and the emotions 611 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: that going to them ups and down. Um, if those 612 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: are simp with you forever. More perspectives following this from 613 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: BI Start Credit Union Advice Start. We believe in better, 614 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: better convenience, so members can bank anyway they want, whether 615 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: it's at a branch, on a mobile device, or at 616 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: one of more than twenty tho fee free a t 617 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: M s across North America. We believe that people have 618 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: better things to do with their time. If you believe 619 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: that convenience is better, join vi Star. We never forget 620 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 1: that it's your money. All loan subject to approval, insured 621 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: by n c u A. These days, the man once 622 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: touted as a future Hall of Famer, he's still on 623 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: the outside looking in, something that frustrates the jag Wars 624 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: and their fans, But not Beselli. He's grateful that all 625 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: of us care about who he was as a player 626 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: and who he has become as a favorite son of 627 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: the First Coast. It's humbling, and the Hall of Fame 628 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: will will truly be the highest individual honor I can 629 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: have as a as a football player, not as a person. 630 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 1: I mean my faith and my family, I mean those 631 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: greatly out way the Hall of Fame, but as a professional, 632 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,479 Speaker 1: there's nothing higher. And it's an elite of the elite 633 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: of the elites of football players. And so for me 634 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: individually would mean the world. I can't even describe what 635 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 1: it would mean. But I'll tell you what makes it 636 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: even more special for me and why. There's it's not desperation, 637 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 1: but a desire, like a desire more than I ever 638 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: would have thought like there was I always I mean 639 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: obviously I always knew would be a big honor, but 640 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: being a finalist of the last three years, what it's 641 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: revealed to me one of the desires for me is 642 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: I want to represent this organization and this fan base 643 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 1: because I know it's important to them as well, and 644 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: for them to care that much means a ton to 645 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: me and to hear fans. I mean just just the 646 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: other day, literally like two days ago, I was walking 647 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: to the airport and they said, it's some guy that 648 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: it happens all the time. A fan walks up to 649 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: me says, you are getting in and you deserve to 650 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: be in, and I'm like, I appreciate it. You don't 651 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: even know what to say. The support from the organization, 652 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: everyone from shot Kom to Marko Amping all the way 653 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: down Tom Coughlin, I mean, everything that they've done amazing. 654 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 1: Um My teammates that I played with, I mean, my favorite. 655 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 1: I mean I talked earlier about Jeff Novak, one of 656 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 1: my best friends in the world, like watching him on Twitter, 657 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: like go after people on my behalf or after I 658 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,120 Speaker 1: didn't get in, like just just going after the voters. 659 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm not sure this is helping me, but 660 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: it's like it always feels better when some other people 661 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: are fighting for you or you know, because I get like, listen, 662 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: my position has always been and it was. Hopefully one 663 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: day it won't be this way because I get in. 664 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: But the guys who all get in deserve it. They're 665 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: great players, and so I'll never talk poorly about anyone 666 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: who gets in when I haven't. But to have other 667 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: people like beat the drum, I mean, Mike Mazer wrote 668 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 1: a letter to Peter King that Peter King published in 669 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 1: Is call him. I mean that, I mean, come on, 670 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 1: I mean, that's when you're it's like you know that 671 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: not only are you love, but they care. People care. Um. 672 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,640 Speaker 1: I mean Mark Brunell, who was his was in the 673 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: room with me this year, uh, with my family and 674 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: everything else and him and his wife's stays. We were 675 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: there and one other couple of close friends, Dan Edwards 676 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 1: and Pee Cab and some of the guys here were 677 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 1: filming it. But Mark was in there, and he was 678 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,399 Speaker 1: more nervous than I was, and he made me more 679 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: nervous because he kept talking and laughing. And I finally 680 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: just sat off to the side waiting, because you sit 681 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: there and wait, it's likely am I getting in or not? 682 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: At the very end, it's like I'm gonna know in 683 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 1: the next ten minutes, and you just cut the you know, 684 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: you can feel the tension. And so I get the 685 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: phone call and just to give everyone, you know, if 686 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: you get a knock on the door, you're in. If 687 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,919 Speaker 1: you get a phone call, you're out. And the phone 688 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: rings in it's Dave Baker, the President Hall of Fame. 689 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: Tell me. He said, hey, listen, Tony, you're close. You 690 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:58,479 Speaker 1: didn't make it though, whatever, And and I look over 691 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: and you know, my wife's emotional. You know, everyone's upset, 692 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: and I look at Mark and he is emotional, he's upset, 693 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:12,800 Speaker 1: like he's like hurt for me in that And I 694 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 1: remember sitting there looking at him and I said Number one, 695 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 1: me like, thank you Jesus that I have people who 696 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: care that much about me and I have friends like that, 697 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 1: because it almost made it easier for me, because as 698 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: you look at the big picture of life, yes, I 699 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: want to be in the Hall of Fame, it would 700 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:38,720 Speaker 1: be huge, but the relationships that I've developed in this game, 701 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: and because through this organization that are that strong trumpet 702 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,919 Speaker 1: a little bit over like, it's like it's bigger, it's 703 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 1: more impactful, it's more important. And so to see that 704 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,320 Speaker 1: I gave you gave me a perspective. I was still upset. 705 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: Trust me, for about two hours. You didn't want to 706 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: be around me because they's something. She's like, keep your 707 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: mouth shut for the next two hours. You're not allowed 708 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,360 Speaker 1: to talk because you're gonna say something. And but it 709 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 1: helped me because I saw a friend there, and I 710 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: got phone calls from people and text messages saying this 711 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:16,360 Speaker 1: is you know, they're being mad, this is ridiculous. You 712 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: deserve and all the nice things to the dinner I 713 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:22,360 Speaker 1: had with you know, the team afterwards that they planned 714 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: with Seoan and Mark and and all the guys, Paul Harden, 715 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: all these people that have always supported me from the beginning, 716 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 1: some from the beginning of some sence over the last 717 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: number of years being there and being supportive. I mean, 718 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: come on, I mean that is so good. I mean, 719 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,359 Speaker 1: that's the true richness of life. I mean that you 720 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: can't trade for anything and for me, And it's one 721 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,279 Speaker 1: of the things that you know, not to get on 722 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 1: a soapbox when I hear people bad mouth the game 723 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: of football, and because of whether it's concussions or this 724 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: or whatever reason you want, a bad mouth football, it's 725 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,440 Speaker 1: like the it's like the thing that it seems popular. 726 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: At times, I get upset because I look at my 727 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: life and what football has done for me and the 728 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 1: ability to play in the NFL to be a part 729 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:14,720 Speaker 1: of this organization. The richness nothing to do with money. 730 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: Everyone says we are You're oh yeah, because you get 731 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,480 Speaker 1: paid a lot. No, No No, trust me, that's nice. That's 732 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: what I'm talking about, the richness of the relationships, the 733 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:26,400 Speaker 1: memories and the connections that I have because of the 734 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: game of football. In This organization is what true richness 735 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: and well just wealth of life is all about. And 736 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 1: it's because in because in April, I'm sitting in New 737 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 1: York and Tom Coughlan called the commissioner or however it 738 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 1: worked and says, we're picking Tony Baselli. The rest has 739 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 1: played out and the rest has happened, and I thank 740 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: god all the time. I thank god that I didn't 741 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,799 Speaker 1: leave early, because people say all the time, would you 742 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: rather have played for the Giants? Here? There's time that 743 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: someone said this third day, says, if you had to 744 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:08,400 Speaker 1: play for the Giants, where the Cowboys or the Packers 745 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: or some of these franchises, even though you had a 746 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:12,799 Speaker 1: short correct that, you'd already be in the Hall of Fame, 747 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,439 Speaker 1: don't you. Or you'd have being a big market, maybe 748 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: you'd be you know, doing national games or doing X, 749 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: Y or Z. And I said, yeah, maybe, but I 750 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't trade it for being a part of the Jacksonville 751 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:28,240 Speaker 1: Jaguars and living in this community. Tony understands how fortunate 752 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,200 Speaker 1: he is and how incredible his football story has been. 753 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:34,360 Speaker 1: He's clearly happy with how things have turned out and 754 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: hopeful for where the road before him will lead. He 755 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,359 Speaker 1: has no regrets, you know, it's it's such a big 756 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: part of who I am. You know, football has always 757 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: been a passion of mine, and there was always a 758 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:48,080 Speaker 1: huge identity with that um, whether it was growing up 759 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 1: and when the USC which I close to and love 760 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: as university and being the UH to be a associated 761 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: with the University Southern California football program. But then this 762 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 1: is UH. I don't want to say it's a yeah, 763 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: it probably does surpasses it for me because of the 764 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,360 Speaker 1: length of that I've been a part of it. And 765 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 1: when I walked in after being drafted, I remember we 766 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: flew down here and Angie and I walked into the 767 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 1: what the team meeting room is now the press conference 768 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:18,839 Speaker 1: to be introduced, and I was a twenty three year 769 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 1: old kid, um was about UH too much from being 770 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: married and had no clue. And all I remember back 771 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: then is like that, I want to prove to this organization, 772 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:34,719 Speaker 1: to Tom Conflin and to all these fans that they 773 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: made the right choice. Like that was all I cared about, 774 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:39,799 Speaker 1: and not off the field as a football player. I 775 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: wanted to be really good and and I had no illusions, 776 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:48,799 Speaker 1: or it's not an illusion, but those thoughts of what 777 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,759 Speaker 1: this could become as far as the role I have 778 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 1: now and it's been to become even a bigger part 779 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 1: of my um life. And so to say, like now 780 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,200 Speaker 1: you're an ambassador. I would never thought of that, because 781 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:04,040 Speaker 1: that's never crossed my mind. But it's something that I 782 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:06,040 Speaker 1: loved playing. If there was a pill to take right 783 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 1: now that I could go play this game again, I 784 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 1: do it right now. You know you're here today all 785 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 1: the time you guys like saying, oh football is too hard. 786 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: You know, I would want my kids a player, or 787 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: you know, maybe regretting playing the game because of an 788 00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:21,080 Speaker 1: impact on the body and everything else. I'm the opposite. 789 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm like, sign me up, because that's how much I 790 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 1: loved it and playing for this team. I mean, what 791 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: a good life, what a blessed life.