WEBVTT - LISTEN | CB Bless Austin on Growing Up in Queens & Acting Aspirations (9/15) 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:07.920 Welcome to another edition of the Official Jets Podcast powered 0:00:07.960 --> 0:00:11.280 by Amazon Web Services. Ethan Greenberg, Eric Allen here in 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:15.160 the bed MGM studios and today we're joined by none 0:00:15.200 --> 0:00:18.439 other than Queen's native Bless Austin. I just saw across 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:20.919 the all the lights are going down, but we are 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:26.920 still powered by a WUS and the podcast goes on here. 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:29.280 Chris Hogan was a great guest last week. And I'll 0:00:29.280 --> 0:00:31.120 tell you what I think fans are really gonna like 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:33.479 this spot with Bless Austin. I like that you referred 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:35.680 to him as the King of Queens, not in the interview, 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:38.599 but Bless Austin, for those who don't know, is from Queens. 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:41.519 And then he goes to Rutgers. He's a local guy, right, Like, 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:44.680 how do you not love a local guy, especially with 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:48.520 the story of two A c l tears six round 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:51.800 pick starts on the physically unable to Perform list as 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.400 rookie has a halful of starts. Last season Flashed gets 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:58.639 benched and now the starter for the Jets. New York Kid. 0:00:58.760 --> 0:01:01.880 He went to high school campus Magnet that used to 0:01:01.880 --> 0:01:05.240 be Andrew Jackson of course in Queens, and he played 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:09.600 a lot of positions there at Rutgers. NFL. Folks were 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:12.560 talking about him early in his career, but you mentioned 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:15.199 he had a couple of knee injuries, worked so hard 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.480 to overcome, uh that, and then he gets drafted in 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:20.920 the sixth round. And then he comes in his rookie season. 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:25.840 He starts a number of ball games, flashes, experiences a 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:29.000 couple of lows, but he is a different player this year. 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:31.920 I think he brings a New York mentality to the edge. 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:37.160 He's tough, he's in your face. He's also supremely intelligent, 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:40.880 and he's a gifted ballplayer who's gonna take advantage of 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:44.560 his talent and his opportunities. And he was responsible for 0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:48.120 one of two force fumbles on Josh Allen on Sunday. 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:51.120 I think it was pretty nice tackle up ends him. 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.480 Then we've talked about this with him, but I don't 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:56.520 know if you see it, but on the broadcast for you, 0:01:56.920 --> 0:01:59.840 you start to see Bless Austin like crawl upfield on 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:03.760 all fours. So I think he's pretty physical cornerback. And 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:06.560 he had that hit on Hunter Renfro last year against 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:09.839 the Raiders. Oh my god, we were watching that hit 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:15.200 against the Raiders Renfro. I was worried about him. A 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:19.639 monstrous shot, a body shot, and like, oh man, I 0:02:19.639 --> 0:02:21.359 don't know if he's gonna be able to get up 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:25.799 from that, but hey, that's what you want from anybody, 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:30.280 and to have that kind of physicality and outside you 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:35.040 like it because he's rangy, he's fast, he's physical, and 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:39.080 he's tenacious. He just gets after and he loves to play. 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:42.800 So blessed Austin could start for him, and also great 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.160 start for Marcus may I thought he played his best 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:48.520 professional game against the Buffalo Bills. They're gonna need those 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:53.160 guys this weekend against a San Francisco forty Niners team 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:56.400 that is coordinated by Kyle Shanahan, and he throws a 0:02:56.440 --> 0:02:59.880 lot of different things at you, a lot of more 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:04.320 ships and formations, and he loves his athletic lineman and 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:07.720 his fast running backs. So the Jets have to tackle 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:11.960 and be on point this weekend against a Frisco team 0:03:11.960 --> 0:03:14.400 that's going to be coming in here with an adject 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.440 they're losing their opener real quick. On the forty Niners, 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:21.880 did you see Trent Williams absolutely demolished a middle linebacker. 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:24.519 That doesn't surprise me I didn't see the man. I 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:26.640 I gotta show you to play. Let's let's just say 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:28.639 I saw Raheem. Most of you can get in the 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:31.320 open field on a pass route, and he got into 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:34.920 the end zone in about three seconds seventy six yards. Yeah. 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:37.640 So the good news for the Jets secondary and Bless 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:40.800 Austin is that the forty Niners are pretty banged up 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:44.360 at receiver right now. Samuel on I are their first 0:03:44.440 --> 0:03:48.760 round pick. Brandon I, you did not play. So those 0:03:48.800 --> 0:03:52.480 guys kind of similar to the Jets, maybe more banged 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:54.760 up at receiver than the Jets are right now. Yeah, 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:58.080 and you can make the argument at this point in 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:02.160 time that Bless Austin is the Jets top outside cornerback, 0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.320 especially after one week. We'll see what happens. It feel 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:07.720 bad for Pierre to see her because he's a guy 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:09.800 who's had success in the national football He was but 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:13.440 was battling that hamstring injury for most of training camp 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:15.560 and came back against the Bills. He was replaced in 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:19.600 the lineup by Nate Harriston. So some movie pieces back there. 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:23.440 But Bless Austin is a guy who's progression. We're going 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:27.280 to continue to track here in year two, and I 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.000 think the arrow has really pointed up, and like you said, 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:32.880 I think he's gonna become a fan favorite. Yeah, I 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:36.719 definitely think so. And enough talking about Bless Austin. That's 0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:40.320 here from number thirty one, now joined by the Pride 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:43.520 of Queen's Jets quarterback Bless Austin. Blessed. Thanks a lot 0:04:43.520 --> 0:04:47.919 for joining us here on the podcast. So I just 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:50.239 want to start off with a kind of a lighthearted question. 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:54.760 I spoke to fellow Queen's native Fullronzo Fatakasi about this 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:58.440 last season. What do you say to people that don't 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:03.440 fold their pizza? As a native New Yorker, I mean, 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:06.559 don't I don't place people in boxes. I'm a pretty 0:05:06.600 --> 0:05:10.840 open dude, So I don't say much of them rock 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:12.920 out how they want to rock out. That's pretty nice 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.320 to you. Well, how do you rock out when you 0:05:15.320 --> 0:05:19.200 go back to Queens and maybe you see people you 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:24.120 want to school with? It campus magnet? Uh, what is 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:27.279 it like? What is the reaction when Blacks Austin goes home? 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:30.160 I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and say it's 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:33.760 like a whole big parade, you know. You know, I'm 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:35.680 pretty normal to the guys I went to school with. 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:37.760 They don't kind of put me on the pedal school. 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:40.919 So it feels real good going home just because of 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:43.640 that alone. You know, it feels like home as it should. 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:47.000 So I love going home. I love being the Queen's. 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:51.239 So who was your team growing up? I'm not gonna 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:53.400 lie it with the Giants, Like I went to the 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:55.680 Giants parade when they want the Super Bowl and I 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:59.599 was younger and everything, so that was a squad. And 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:03.560 who were your favorite players? I was a big fan 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:08.960 of my Brashel and I like Antonio piss Man. He 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:10.480 was such a dog on the field and his r 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:13.080 Q was amazing. So I just love, you know, watching 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:15.479 him buill out too. You know, I know I'm a DV, 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:17.839 but I like watching all the other positions as well. 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.599 Bless from where you're from in Queens, is there like 0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:26.039 a split Jet Giants or is it just random? Because 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.200 obviously certain parts of the five boroughs are split, but 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:33.520 Queens is what, Like, I know, it's Mats, but it's 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:37.440 a football split. I mean it's so it's so yeah, 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:40.000 it is exactly splits me. And it's so diverse. Man. 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:41.919 You've got people that moved from all over the place 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:44.920 and moved to New York City. So I'm telling my 0:06:44.960 --> 0:06:47.760 I've seen Philly fans watching some redskin fans. I've seen 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:51.679 chards of fans in New York City. I mean it's weirds. 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:55.719 Like it's it's crazy. It's so weird because you know, 0:06:55.760 --> 0:06:57.560 everybody just comes from all over the place in New 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:00.719 York City. Bless, you played some core her back in 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:03.720 high school. What were you like as a QB A 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:08.039 signal caller say. I like to say, like I was 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:12.720 Lamar Jackson before he really burst, Like I really believe 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:14.520 I was like that. You know, I was able to 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.080 really drop back, let it go, and then screamble out 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:20.240 the pocket whenever it was necessary. So I mean that's 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.040 how I like to think of myself. I'm not gonna 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:24.320 say that's the case, but when I think of myself 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:26.600 when I did it, that's what I think. How much 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:30.080 did you love having the ball in your hand? I 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:33.840 mean sometimes I love this, sometimes I disliked it. I 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:36.280 mean for some reason, man, at QB, you you take 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:39.160 the craziest shots. Man. I mean when I played any 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:42.120 of the positional offense, I didn't take as bad as 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.840 hits as I did when I played quarterback, So that 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:48.800 was fun while I lasted. You seem like a guy though, 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:52.240 who definitely loves the physicality of the game. That's interesting 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:54.560 that the guy you looked up to growing up was 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:58.960 a linebacker, Antonio appears. Do you think you play like 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:03.040 a linebacker on the outside. I mean, Lin'm back, that's 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:04.720 a that's a different type of beasts right there. So 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:07.880 I'm not gonna disrespect that position at all. But um, 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:11.080 I definitely do having physical component to my game, no 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:14.040 doubt about it. That's something we brought ourselves in, brought 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.560 ourselves on in the dB room. I mean, just going 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:19.360 off of that though. Last season against the Raiders you 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:21.800 had that hit on Hunter renfro and then even against 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:25.800 the Bill you up end Josh Allen and then I 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:27.440 think you liked it a little bit because I saw 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:32.280 you crawling up the field on all four. Yeah. Man, 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:34.480 I just when I'm out there, I'm a different person. Man. 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:38.240 I really invite vite violence, man, to be really honest 0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:40.720 with you. So when I'm out there, I'm a different person. 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:43.840 I can't really explain it, but some things when I 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:45.640 get out there on the in between the white lines. 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:48.559 Are you a talker on the field, I gotta imagine 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:51.240 you have to be if you're playing the cornerback position 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:53.760 and you know a lot of one on one and 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:56.160 that quarterback you were playing early in the season a 0:08:56.160 --> 0:09:00.400 week one Josh Allen, he doesn't mind talking and blesses 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:02.680 from queens, so he definitely knows how to talk on 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:06.360 the field. I'm not gonna lie, man, he kinda uh. 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:08.880 I loved it. I love the fact that he was talking. 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:11.520 Man gave me a little he gave me a little 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:13.760 rock star bob to him. He was talking trash back 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:15.559 to me. So it was like, well respect when he 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:19.640 started talking to trash back. I loved it. Bless Um 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:23.760 and high school, though didn't fifty Cent and LLL cool 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:25.719 J both go to your high school but back in 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:29.600 the day, yeah, they definitely do. And are you a 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:32.440 fifty guy or you an LLL guy? Or do you 0:09:32.600 --> 0:09:35.960 more so when to go to somebody else that I 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.079 don't even know when to your high school? I mean 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:41.040 that that's two different errors of music and two different sounds. 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:44.079 So I love both. But I feel like it's a 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:46.000 time and place for both of them, you know, to 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:48.280 fit in. So I can't really side with one or 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:50.240 the other. It's just a different vibe with both of 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:53.719 those guys. What about jay Z? Where does he fit 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:56.840 in the equation jay Z? Jay Z is from when 0:09:56.880 --> 0:09:59.360 you really want to, you know, sit back and get 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:01.600 get legs it and get taught something. When you want 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:04.440 to get educated. That's what jay Z for, you know. 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:08.280 He he's one of those guys that he rapped about 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:10.960 every different phase in his life, even though to now 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:14.559 is it's just successful entrepreneurs. So he's definitely one of 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:16.240 those guys you want to listen to when you're feeling, 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:19.680 when you feel like being motivated. Bless, when did your 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:23.320 love of like the arts come into play? Because not 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.079 only are you big music guy, but we had talked 0:10:26.080 --> 0:10:32.840 before last season about your post football career acting aspirations. Yeah, 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:36.079 I mean, I'm just like, I love aesthetics, I love 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:38.160 I love the artists of everything, the beauty of everything. 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.840 So you know, acting, I feel like that's something that 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:43.200 everybody has a natural skill of. They just don't want 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:45.800 to admit to themselves that they do. Because at every 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:48.880 point of somebody live their life, they live before and 0:10:48.920 --> 0:10:52.040 they sold the whole act and nobody wants to, you know, 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:53.960 admit that they have the ability to act. But I 0:10:54.000 --> 0:10:56.320 feel like we are doing something that we should tap into. 0:10:57.160 --> 0:10:59.360 But did you do any of that in high school? Maybe? 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:02.160 It was definitely, um, not high school. High school. I 0:11:02.200 --> 0:11:05.360 didn't go to the high school that specified and like arts, 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:09.480 so you know, I went to a business entrepreneurship you know, 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.439 high school, so we we just learned more about entrepreneurship 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:14.640 and in the business realm of things, which I loved. 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.880 But I didn't go to high school that categorized in that. 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:21.200 But in like junior high and elementary, I did act 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:24.480 in some plays what place. Yeah, we got to know detail. 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:28.640 The issue is it was so long ago and I 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:31.600 was young. I can't really remember the content, like the 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:34.200 context of those plays, like what it was about and 0:11:34.200 --> 0:11:36.960 who I was supposed to be, Like, I can't remember it. 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:38.920 So I just don't want to go throwing out things 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:44.640 that's you know, inaccurate. Okay, all right, that's fair. Um 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:49.360 what about what about a deal like though? And if 0:11:49.400 --> 0:11:52.560 you or somebody that likes the arts, do you have 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:56.559 a couple of favorite movies? Um? I like Wolf of 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:59.160 Wall Street. I love Wolf of Wall Street. I mean 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:02.559 I love to act in in there. I love the scenery, 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:04.680 I love the you know, you feel like you're in 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:07.880 the movie when you're watching it, you know. Um, So 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:10.320 that's definitely one of my favorite movies. And the then 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:13.440 motivates you too somehow, some way, you know, just the 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.640 fact that you see guys really trying to, you know, 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:17.840 do whatever they can to make it to the top. 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:19.959 It's like, you know, they got a little hit and motivation, 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:21.760 and then you kind of got a scene in a 0:12:21.800 --> 0:12:24.160 positive way though, don't do what they did, of course, 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:32.760 but yeah, yeah, let's keep it, Let's keep it clean. 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:37.840 What is he just talked about it? You're such a 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:41.720 positive guy. What was your favorite scene in The Wolf 0:12:41.800 --> 0:12:46.679 of Wall Street? Uh? I love when he um when 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:49.080 he told the business he was leaving and he decided 0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:53.920 to stay. I love that part because like he wasn't 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:56.560 he didn't decide to stay out of his own interest. 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:59.040 It's because how much love he actually had for the 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:01.400 works who was working for him. So it's kind of 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:04.640 cool to see him like make that sacrifice, even it 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:06.600 was for even though it was for a bad reason, 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:08.839 it was kind of cool to make. It was kind 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:10.480 of cool to see him see the bullets make that 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:14.640 sacrifice working. You know in the uh, in the unfiltered 0:13:14.760 --> 0:13:16.880 version of this podcast, E A and I are gonna 0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:23.000 need your rendition of that scene that maybe after or 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:25.280 done recording here you can give us a rendition. But 0:13:26.120 --> 0:13:28.520 moving on to the football field, you know, and you 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:32.640 mentioned jay z as like a form or a music 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:34.640 to listen to when you want to be educated. And 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:37.719 so much has been made, uh that Steelers game in 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:41.240 your career about that teaching moment. Can you tell us 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:44.520 just more in detail what was going through your mind 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:47.560 at that time and then now how you look upon 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:51.200 that moment. Yeah, so basically you know your rookie. Yeah, 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.959 you know sometimes when you when you study the game playing, 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:56.920 you can become a robot if you don't be critical 0:13:56.960 --> 0:14:00.280 and um aware of certain situations. So you know, within 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:02.320 that play, you know what I was thinking was, you know, 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:04.640 you had split rules, you know what the receivers lined 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.280 up and based off the formation where rowdies running. But 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:09.440 what I didn't think of was the situation in the 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:12.080 game in which they needed to score. So you know 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:14.240 that's something that as a rookie, you know, you're not 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:17.640 thinking of You're not thinking of situation in the game, 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.000 You're just like, I gotta make sure I don't make 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:22.640 this mistake, you know, and I'm trying to make this play, 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:25.520 but you're not thinking of I gotta make make sure 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:28.680 that this play don't happen to stop myself from putting 0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:30.600 my team in a bad position. So that's the certain 0:14:30.640 --> 0:14:32.360 things that that I don't go through your mind as 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:35.880 a rookie, and that got exposed that play. So you 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.360 know that was a learn unless it no doubt I 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:40.240 didn't see it as that then, of course, you know, 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:43.960 but you know, reflecting on it shortly after I saw 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:46.040 it is then and took advantage of that moment and 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:48.160 learn from it. You put the word in you were 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:50.680 one of the jets of best players in the season 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.280 opener against the Buffalo Bills. There's no doubt about that. 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:55.600 But what was that moment like in training camp the 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:59.880 big boy fade during the high red zone and they 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:04.560 eight line the offense lines upper shot Perriman inside and 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:07.600 you're all over it and you get the interception. Was 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:12.760 that a play that occurred for you in slow motion? Um, 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:15.400 no doubt about it. You know from the split, you 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:17.560 know where he was lined up. You know and and 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:19.880 the receiver and received. You know, he was lined up 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.320 at three. You know, that's not somewhere way. He traditionally 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:25.160 lines up as an X. So just knowing that to 0:15:25.280 --> 0:15:27.440 understanding the situation where he was that on the field, 0:15:27.920 --> 0:15:30.360 I kind of felt the play coming. So I was 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.440 able to already determine how I was gonna look for 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:35.200 the ball based on how you ran the route in 0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:36.880 a position I was gonna be, and so it kind 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:38.600 of put me a step ahead and make the play. 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:40.440 E A just said that you were one of the 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:43.960 best Jets on Sunday against the Bills. How would you 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:47.320 evaluate your season opener and what was it like for 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.000 you to go from a six round pick to start 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:52.760 on the physically unable to perform list your rookie year 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:55.640 to starting week one for the New York Jets in 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:58.520 your second year. Um, I kind of don't get I 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:01.160 don't honestly when I say boxes, I keep it moving. 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:04.240 I don't really get too settled on it. So, you know, 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:07.200 even after when I was drafted, pretty much was all right, next, 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:10.000 like you know, next, and then after no getting back 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.720 and practicing, it was, you know, practice, make the roster. 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.320 The next you know next move, so I don't get 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:17.600 too you know, soaking on the on the moment. I 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:20.200 just you know, check the box and move on, because 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.200 it's just so much more than I'm trying to do. Hey, blast, 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.040 I think a lot of people might have said, hey, 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:29.160 football is not for me, this is not bound that 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:32.680 happened for me after those two knee injuries at Ruckers. 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:36.240 But what kept you going and how did that path 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:41.720 help you actually to where you are today? So I 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:44.440 mean on the first one definitely was kind of catastrophic 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:47.320 to my mental because I just didn't know how my 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:49.440 body was gonna react after surgery. I never had a 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:52.640 surgery before up to that day, so I was just 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:54.280 trying to confuse on you know, how I was going 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:56.800 to react, and I just couldn't foresee myself at the time, 0:16:57.520 --> 0:17:00.200 you know, running and cutting as well as I did 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:03.360 before the injury. So it was some some like I was. 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:05.760 I was nervous at the time the first time around, 0:17:06.160 --> 0:17:09.280 but after recovering and bouncing back. Honestly, the second time 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:12.199 it happened, it it was kind of, uh, just like 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:14.760 wiping sweat off my forehead as far as like thinking 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:16.520 about me bouncing back, I had no doubt in my 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:18.240 mind I was gonna be able to do it, just 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:21.640 nona understanding my body more after the first time around. 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:24.160 So I didn't really have a down in my mind 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:27.800 about continuing to play. The only the only understanding was like, 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:30.040 all right, uh, did I shave it a year or 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:33.399 two both of them after having them surgeries. That was 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:37.200 my only concern. I'm one of those guys I wish 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:39.879 I could play tims forty something like, dang, I have 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:44.919 to now pack it up at thirty six. So hey, listen, 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:47.880 Tom Brady's doing a trough praise is doing it your 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:51.320 teammate Frank course dirty seven years old playing running back, 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:55.760 So why not bless Austin playing cornerback at forty Acting 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.280 will always be there, blast You know, you can go 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.199 as long as you want in football and then can 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:04.879 transition to acting whether you're forty fifty however, old rightly 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:09.600 um for you, though you had talked about checking off 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:12.560 boxes and one after the other, whatever is right in 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:14.960 front of you. What's next for you? Though? Entering this 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:19.320 season a week too, you know, we got san Fran 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:22.119 this week, so I'm just literally paying sense into the 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.640 days and how much work at plenty each day because 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:26.479 after at the end of the day, when that adds up, 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:29.680 in affects how you play on Sunday. So that's that's 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:32.560 how I usually do do my business. I just pittens 0:18:32.560 --> 0:18:34.159 on one day at the chum. What do you know 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:36.720 about the forty Niners here at this stage of the week. 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:41.280 It's early a non traditional opponent for the New York Jets. 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.480 But I'm sure you watch the Super Bowl, and part 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:47.080 two of this is you are a local guy. This 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:50.120 is the Jets season opener. How odd is it going 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:52.800 to feel being at my life stadium without those fans 0:18:52.800 --> 0:18:56.520 in attendance? I mean, to be pretty honest with you, man, 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.000 when I'm out there, I'm so locked in. Honestly, forgot 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:01.520 the fans was that they on Sunday. You know. I 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:03.520 was so locked in and pumped up and and and 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:06.359 just happy to be playing the game period that I 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:09.480 couldn't even remember that the fans weren't there until the 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:13.320 game was over. So, um, it's definitely gonna be different, 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:15.400 no doubt. I'm not gonna say that the fans don't 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:17.359 make a difference at all, because they definitely do. And 0:19:17.400 --> 0:19:20.080 it's definitely I mean energies is different when they're there, 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:22.960 but I'm quite sure when the game starts, it's gonna 0:19:23.000 --> 0:19:24.840 be you know, the thought is gonna be out my mind. 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:30.959 What about the Niners, Yeah yet, um what I do 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:33.719 know of them, They're very complex offense, and they got 0:19:33.920 --> 0:19:37.359 a genus in the offensive coordinator, coach Shannon so And 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:39.600 they got some very athletic players on it with the 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:42.240 offensive side of the ball. Man. You know George Kittle, 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:45.000 you know, I know Debo, you know he got banged 0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:47.000 up a bit in the off season. But you know, 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:49.360 they got some other guys that I went against Pettiston 0:19:49.640 --> 0:19:51.480 in college, so you know, I know he's there. You know, 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:54.960 he's a great dude. Man. They got some rohem moster man. 0:19:55.160 --> 0:19:56.520 You know, they got a lot of talent on that 0:19:56.600 --> 0:19:58.960 side of the ball, and just you know guys that 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:01.080 well and tagged. They played with each other for a 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:04.159 long time. Super Bowl team. I mean, let's lose a 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:06.119 great football team, man. So I'm just happy to be 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:07.959 able to go against those guys, you know, I just 0:20:08.280 --> 0:20:10.040 I love this game, be able to play against the 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:11.680 best of the world. Hey, Plus, we wish you a 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:13.920 lot of luck this weekend. But I wanted to ask. Yeah, 0:20:14.080 --> 0:20:16.200 I remember just talking about Levian about coming back to 0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:22.280 camp and great ship us body fat BLUs. Austin looks 0:20:22.320 --> 0:20:25.760 like he put on muscle and this offseason, and I 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:29.120 want to know what your body fat is. It's four. 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:35.840 It's actually it's four. Did you put on a couple 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:39.680