Speaker 1: All right, we got a special pod today. We were
Speaker 1: presented by when Bad betting as a team sport, but
Speaker 1: together at when Bat. I'm down in Mobile, Alabama, joined
Speaker 1: by a fan favorite for jetsination that of course is
Speaker 1: Leon Washington. Great, see anybody Eric Goods in you as well? Man?
Speaker 1: It's been a while, right, it has been a while.
Speaker 1: So that's where I wanted to start. What gave you
Speaker 1: the coaching itch? I didn't see this. What back in
Speaker 1: your playing days say hey, maybe down the line you'll
Speaker 1: be doing this. Oh. You know, ever since I started
Speaker 1: playing football, ever since I started playing football in chats,
Speaker 1: from part Warner to high school to college to the NFL,
Speaker 1: I always had the edge for it. So in the
Speaker 1: meeting rooms, you guys probably didn't see it because you
Speaker 1: know you were in there. But I was always trying
Speaker 1: to coach the young guys up, you know, trying to
Speaker 1: get back to the game. So for me, I always
Speaker 1: had the che for it. And then, you know, having
Speaker 1: three boys and a little girl at home, you know,
Speaker 1: my had opportunity to really get myself prepared for coaching.
Speaker 1: So I have a six ten year old son, a
Speaker 1: twelve year old son, and a ten year old Son,
Speaker 1: So I'm always coaching. So for me, UM, I always
Speaker 1: had the is for it when to get back to
Speaker 1: the game in a way. And really, honestly, Eric, all
Speaker 1: I know is football, you know what I mean, So
Speaker 1: I know the game. I grew up in Florida playing
Speaker 1: a game outside all the time, so for me, it
Speaker 1: was just natural to get back to the game in
Speaker 1: this way. But what led you to the jetson Upper today? Well,
Speaker 1: obviously I got into my internships. My first internship with
Speaker 1: the Jacksonville jack Walls, and I did one within Atlanta,
Speaker 1: and the previous two years before I got hired here,
Speaker 1: I was in Detroit. UM. And then once I left Detroit,
Speaker 1: me and Robert Salt I had a relationship dating back
Speaker 1: um to our days with the Seattle Seahawks two thousand
Speaker 1: eleven and also with my internship in jacksonph two thousand sixteen.
Speaker 1: UM I worked with him as well. So UM, I
Speaker 1: just hit him up and asked him for opportunity and uh,
Speaker 1: you know, gaming interview and get my opportunity. What was
Speaker 1: solid liking both those stops in Seattle, Jacks so awesome. UM.
Speaker 1: You can feel his genuine presence, you know when you're
Speaker 1: watching his meeting rooms with the linebackers during that time. Um,
Speaker 1: when he when he was a quality of control guy
Speaker 1: in Seattle, he was awesome. And then Jacksonpha. One thing
Speaker 1: that stuck out to me all the time that I
Speaker 1: remember was that, you know, we'll get in about five
Speaker 1: fifty five forty five and get in the weight room
Speaker 1: and work out and every single day. I expect him
Speaker 1: not to be there, but he was there every single day.
Speaker 1: So I know the work at that he'll put into this.
Speaker 1: I know, um, the genuine care that he has for
Speaker 1: the players. The players really want to play for him.
Speaker 1: And I know how smart he is as a coach.
Speaker 1: He's really really detailed. Um with that. So, Um, with
Speaker 1: that being said, it was just natural fit for me
Speaker 1: to come and help him out. It was it cool
Speaker 1: that it was the Jets though, the team that Yeah,
Speaker 1: it was awesome. I mean that was definitely a part
Speaker 1: of it. And uh, I remember he was recruiting me,
Speaker 1: um to come here, and we were talking and then um,
Speaker 1: the day before I committed, in a sense, he sent
Speaker 1: me in a video. Um the op did he something
Speaker 1: I'm coming, Oh, yeah, I'm coming home. Tell the world
Speaker 1: I'm coming home and that kind of steals the deal
Speaker 1: left for him out like I got to go back,
Speaker 1: I got to go back home. I love that, um solid.
Speaker 1: What was he like in the weight room? He said
Speaker 1: that you were an early rise for yourself. You're always
Speaker 1: in there. Um, guys in very good shape. But how
Speaker 1: do you get after it? He's the beast. Know I
Speaker 1: always kept out look at them, like what is he
Speaker 1: doing over there? He's getting after it. I mean he's attacking.
Speaker 1: And it's the same way here. I mean he gets
Speaker 1: there early in the morning, gets his workout in, you know,
Speaker 1: before he gets into his office. So I'm watching him
Speaker 1: and you know, guy really takes care of his body,
Speaker 1: understands that part of it. And you can see how
Speaker 1: that translates to the players because you have a coat
Speaker 1: that's activities. Take care of his body. He understands that
Speaker 1: part of it. So when he talks to the player,
Speaker 1: he can relate, you know, to the player like, hey,
Speaker 1: I take care of my body. You guys need to
Speaker 1: take care of your body. I understand that part of it.
Speaker 1: But you take care of your body big time as well. Man.
Speaker 1: How want you wear right now? You look like you're
Speaker 1: read your rock and roll. Yeah, I'm about one sixty
Speaker 1: five one seventy. I'm having around that. When I played,
Speaker 1: my weight was like one D five you know what
Speaker 1: I mean. So I'm a good twenty five pounds down. Um,
Speaker 1: I feel great. Um five eight. I don't need to
Speaker 1: carry two and your pounds anymore, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: I gotta be to keep up with my kids. But
Speaker 1: I feel great. You know. That's what's about nowadays, right
Speaker 1: to care. Your body is staying in great shape. But
Speaker 1: did you say after your playing career was over that, hey, listen,
Speaker 1: I don't have to have that weight, you know, like
Speaker 1: I want to go down. Why I knew it when
Speaker 1: I was playing. I'm like, man, I'm carrying too much weight,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Obviously, you know you need
Speaker 1: to be in the physical shape to take the pounding
Speaker 1: in this league, especially at the running back position and
Speaker 1: return the kids. But I always knew it because when
Speaker 1: you go to the doctor to give you the height
Speaker 1: weight chart and I'm looking at five eight and they're
Speaker 1: saying like one sixty five one seven, and I'm like, okay,
Speaker 1: at some point in to get down and this ain't
Speaker 1: health conscious? Want to be in better shaped? How would
Speaker 1: you describe your Jets career as a player coming in
Speaker 1: and all six, Uh, the main thing is that you
Speaker 1: want to win a super Bowl. Okay, So I didn't
Speaker 1: complish that. So I would say in that in that sense, uh,
Speaker 1: you know, it wasn't great. I would say it was good.
Speaker 1: From an individual standpoint, some of the accolades I was
Speaker 1: able to accomplish, you know, like you know, my first
Speaker 1: year two dollar sis, making big places down the stretch,
Speaker 1: getting us into the playoffs, alright. Then my second year, um,
Speaker 1: first team All Pro kick returner, a third year Pro Bowl,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So in that sense individually, um,
Speaker 1: you know, I appreciate that part of it, being able
Speaker 1: to help this organization. Now, but in the day, I'm
Speaker 1: a coaching now and I tell my kids this, I
Speaker 1: tell you know, other coaches, this is the only selfish
Speaker 1: thing I want as a coach, and I want to
Speaker 1: win a Super Bowl. Like it can sound selfish, but
Speaker 1: I just want to win a Super Bowl. Now. I
Speaker 1: know it's a process to do that, alright, but at
Speaker 1: the same time, I do want to win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1: Oh six, you came into the league and you got
Speaker 1: a new coach, new coach. That's right, And I think
Speaker 1: a lot of people are probably sleeping on the Jets,
Speaker 1: but you ended up in there as a wild carriage.
Speaker 1: Finished the season in New England. Right. Um, that draft
Speaker 1: class was awesome. Um me Niitman go to Britishaws, Ferguson,
Speaker 1: um Brad Smith, Eric Smith, Drew Coleman. Um, I think
Speaker 1: the linebacker from Ohio State. Um, I think, like, yes,
Speaker 1: like from Ohio State. I'm part missing one more guy.
Speaker 1: I think I'm missing the detackle. But that was a
Speaker 1: really good draft class. And then you get Revis David
Speaker 1: Harris and that draft class. So but I vividly remember
Speaker 1: that first year. It was Christmas night. We're playing Miami
Speaker 1: right down in uh down in Miami. I believe it
Speaker 1: was Monday night football if I'm not correct. Pouring down
Speaker 1: rain fourth quarter, I catch a screen pass, you know,
Speaker 1: make some sick moves like you know what I mean,
Speaker 1: mad like a bunch of guys miss it gets the
Speaker 1: field goal range. We keep the field goal. Win this.
Speaker 1: We played the Oakland Raiders. Um, we knew were favorite
Speaker 1: to beat those guys, beat the guys going to the playoffs.
Speaker 1: So in that sense, you know, um, that rookie year
Speaker 1: was special getting goose up goose bumps because I'm thinking
Speaker 1: about that game right now down Larre in Miami and
Speaker 1: the rain. No. I'm from Florida, so whenever I played
Speaker 1: down in Miami, I played well. But you know, just
Speaker 1: some things, like I said, I have a children now,
Speaker 1: and so they kind of look at that like that
Speaker 1: you never had it. You were never good, you were
Speaker 1: never good players. So I can show the film. Now.
Speaker 1: Win Better is now live in New Jersey and they're
Speaker 1: bringing the excitement of win Las Vegas to online sports betting,
Speaker 1: getting on all your favorite teams, players and sports from
Speaker 1: boosted parlays to live in game odds on every major sport.
Speaker 1: They have what you need to win. Sign up today
Speaker 1: to receive a special offer risk free five hundred dollar
Speaker 1: sports back. Download the wind Back app now, or visit
Speaker 1: w y and and bet dot com to start winning.
Speaker 1: Winn beat an official sports book and gave me partner up.
Speaker 1: The New York Jets offer something to change in terms
Speaker 1: of condition that win bet dot Com must be twenty
Speaker 1: one or older in the New Jersey. If you're someone
Speaker 1: you know has a gabling problem, veen one one seven.
Speaker 1: How about oh, eight man, what a weird year. Five
Speaker 1: comes in, right, you guys are tearing it up. You
Speaker 1: go down the Tennessee they were, that's right, just the
Speaker 1: millge time. Looked like the team to beat in the
Speaker 1: NFL eight and three and then it kind of fell part. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that was that was extremely tough and well I remembered
Speaker 1: vividly about that. Is that okay? Like you said, we
Speaker 1: were tearing and went down to Tennessee. Um, they were
Speaker 1: tending to know, you know, kind of renting down their throat.
Speaker 1: Had a really good game, um individually for myself down there.
Speaker 1: And then we're coming down the stretch, all right, and
Speaker 1: we go out to San France, right, and all we
Speaker 1: have to do is beat San France and we're in
Speaker 1: the playoffs. It regardless, I think that was the next
Speaker 1: to last game. Get to the fourth quarter. I think
Speaker 1: it's almost like I think it's the beginning of the
Speaker 1: fourth quarter from not mistaken right. They kicked the ball
Speaker 1: off to me, I run it back for a touchdown,
Speaker 1: but they called it back. They called their freaking touchdown back.
Speaker 1: And you go look at the play. I don't think
Speaker 1: it's a holding guy hands is inside. I think it
Speaker 1: was James a head of bow on, Michael Robinson hands inside,
Speaker 1: pushing away, Mike rob flails anyway they called the back.
Speaker 1: I just it's always stick into my head because if
Speaker 1: they don't call that play back, we go to the
Speaker 1: playoffs and like that. Man, you know, we got bread farther.
Speaker 1: We get bread farther in the playoff. We already want
Speaker 1: to super Bowl in Green Bay. We'll just get this
Speaker 1: guy into the playoffs. You know, history changes, so um,
Speaker 1: that really stits out to me. I think that touchdown
Speaker 1: getting called back, It's like one of my biggest disappointments
Speaker 1: in the league. Then on nine happens you get injured. Um,
Speaker 1: you got a new coach and Rex Ryan you're kind
Speaker 1: of watching that from afar. Two part would be how
Speaker 1: were you able to overcome the injury months and then
Speaker 1: then enter the second phase of your career? All right? Correct? Yeah,
Speaker 1: coming to that year, I mean, we're freaking loaded and
Speaker 1: we're ready to go. Retch Ryan comes in here, kind
Speaker 1: of has a new philosophy with the organization, um brings
Speaker 1: in the new system, obviously really good on defense with
Speaker 1: the changeups, and obviously having guys like weavers David Harris.
Speaker 1: I mean Chris Jenkins. I mean, you could go down
Speaker 1: the list a bunch of those guys down there, um
Speaker 1: have we During the season, we go play the Oakland
Speaker 1: Raiders and had a compound fracture. Um bone came through
Speaker 1: the skin and uh it. Obviously it was disappointing because
Speaker 1: I was in a contract year, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: So it was obviously disappointing. But what gave me comfort
Speaker 1: in a sense, So what gave me hope is that
Speaker 1: when I got to the hospital, immediately went to surgery,
Speaker 1: came out of surgery dogs like, Okay, all right, you're great.
Speaker 1: You have no ankle, damnas, you have no need damnage.
Speaker 1: You just you know, you broke your tip in your fear,
Speaker 1: you came through the skin. So the most important thing
Speaker 1: was that is that you know new infections means you
Speaker 1: rehab the right way to take care your body, take
Speaker 1: your cattle pills to your bone can heal up. And
Speaker 1: so as soon as I came out of the surgery
Speaker 1: the next day, I was on crutch and trying to
Speaker 1: move around, you know what I mean. And so for me,
Speaker 1: that's the resilience, um that my parents are still to
Speaker 1: me as a young kid, that you know, never give up.
Speaker 1: And so from that point on, you know, I knew
Speaker 1: I didn't have an ankle knee damage, so I was
Speaker 1: just waiting for my bone hill. And so a month
Speaker 1: later I was out of the boot, you know what
Speaker 1: I'm saying. Two months later I was in on the treadmill.
Speaker 1: Three months later I was kind of walking and jogging.
Speaker 1: About four or five months later, I was moving around
Speaker 1: and running, and so UM the draft came around, got
Speaker 1: traded to Seattle, and when out there my first year,
Speaker 1: UM made made All Pro as a kick returner, ran
Speaker 1: three back to the house. So you know, for me,
Speaker 1: it was just you know, going out there showing that resilience,
Speaker 1: being competitive, you know, knowing that hey, what the hell
Speaker 1: I'm gonna do about it now right, no complaining, just
Speaker 1: get out there and get it man. Amazing heart. And
Speaker 1: you know, people on the East Coast Jets fans for
Speaker 1: routing you on. Everybody who was within your presence or
Speaker 1: watched you play, talking about people within the organization as
Speaker 1: the fans, they gravitated towards you because you were a
Speaker 1: special game, versatile player who left it out there on
Speaker 1: the field, and you connected with the dudes inside the
Speaker 1: locker room. Uh, that was awesome. How proud are you
Speaker 1: of being an NFL record holder in terms of kickoff
Speaker 1: returns for touchdowns? Right? Um, it's special. And like I said,
Speaker 1: like everything, I kind of relate back to my kids
Speaker 1: because you know, they just don't see it in dad. Now.
Speaker 1: So we got YouTube. Now, we got YouTube and know
Speaker 1: so we got wikipediously you can read, you can beat
Speaker 1: up on it. And said, no, it's a special thing.
Speaker 1: And I'm glad that the Jets organizations are part of
Speaker 1: that because I ran back forward with this organization and
Speaker 1: ran back forward with the seahous But um that year,
Speaker 1: my second year in the league, with just the Milion
Speaker 1: win down that first game against Baltimore. The next game
Speaker 1: we play against Miami. Um, and that ran one back
Speaker 1: you know, um that next game. So it's good that
Speaker 1: from the Jets organization standport it could be a part
Speaker 1: of that. And it's just special. I mean it's down
Speaker 1: in the history books, you know what I mean. You
Speaker 1: have a favorite one of the eight, Um, I would
Speaker 1: say it's definitely with the Jets. I would say the
Speaker 1: one just the Patriots Thursday and Night Football in two
Speaker 1: thousand and eight. Um, we had that game Bread for
Speaker 1: beat out Matt Castle overtime, UM, yeah, over time, yeah,
Speaker 1: and overtime that game. Um. I think that one sticks
Speaker 1: out morning anything goes big time game. Um, playing against
Speaker 1: UH division opponent, and so from that standpoint, like all
Speaker 1: of them, specially with that one sticks out, you're bringing
Speaker 1: intensity on the field. We're taping this down in Mobile, Alabama.
Speaker 1: You are You've been elevated in your role here this week,
Speaker 1: So can you talk about your role that that might
Speaker 1: be a little bit different than the regular season. Well,
Speaker 1: I think it's it's a great idea that seeing both
Speaker 1: decided to do this. All right, a lot of assistant
Speaker 1: coaches kind of elevate, like you mentioned and move up
Speaker 1: to a different role. So I'm a special team assistant
Speaker 1: and so now I'm the head special team coach here. Yeah,
Speaker 1: special teams coordinate. And I would say it's been great
Speaker 1: getting opportunity to getting from the classroom getting Apple to
Speaker 1: the TCS guys um from some of the things that
Speaker 1: I learned from Brand. So I'm grateful for Brand for
Speaker 1: giving the opportunity. I'm definitely grateful for Coach Solid giving
Speaker 1: me the opportunity to step in from the classroom to
Speaker 1: get to learn to teach and coach and control my
Speaker 1: own room. So it's been great. So if you want
Speaker 1: to be according this lead, you've got to be to
Speaker 1: step into that role. So I look forward to going
Speaker 1: out there, breaking the intensity, bringing the juice, and we're
Speaker 1: out there making plays like like I told our guys
Speaker 1: and the Special Teams doing like we're gonna here to
Speaker 1: win this game and we want to make big plays
Speaker 1: just like we did this year. You're bringing the juice. Yeah, news, baby,
Speaker 1: that's what it is. I mean, that's what Special Teams is.
Speaker 1: At the end of the day, I'm trying as a coach,
Speaker 1: I'm trying to give you, you know, all the twos
Speaker 1: to get you from point A to point B. But
Speaker 1: after that, it's juice, it's a it's intensity, it's all
Speaker 1: those things. That's a player that the players right now
Speaker 1: when they hit me speaking to the room, and when
Speaker 1: they hit me out there on the practice field, they
Speaker 1: can feel it. And all I'm trying to demonstrate that
Speaker 1: to do guys and go out there and do the
Speaker 1: same thing. Oh, you're such a humble guy, but I
Speaker 1: think there was a moment out there where you came
Speaker 1: over to Tomlin or Tomlin came over to you and
Speaker 1: he said, up Lea on Washington. He said, I know
Speaker 1: who you are, right right, right right? I mean, you
Speaker 1: know that's just who I am. Like, I never assumed
Speaker 1: that anybody knows anything, So I just want to be
Speaker 1: respectful in that situation. Obviously, I got a great deal
Speaker 1: of respect for Mike Tomlin, what he's done in that
Speaker 1: organization in Pittsburgh, being so consistent for fifteen years straight.
Speaker 1: I think, what when this season every year? Right? So,
Speaker 1: being so consistent. And I always watched him from Afar
Speaker 1: but never had a chance to meet him, so it
Speaker 1: was awesome to meet him in person. And um, I
Speaker 1: got a great deal of respect for coach Thomlins. How
Speaker 1: about you announcing Michael Carter. You were a fourth round
Speaker 1: pick out of Florida State. Then you announced Michael Carter
Speaker 1: and the kid comes in, and I know you probably
Speaker 1: really appreciate his game because he's got it. He's got
Speaker 1: an old soul. I kind of think I think of
Speaker 1: you the way he approaches no question, because no question.
Speaker 1: I mean I was fired up when they had the
Speaker 1: opportunity to do that, and then obviously evaluate him in
Speaker 1: the pre draft process, and you know, and something the
Speaker 1: ways he's similar to me. You know with the size
Speaker 1: coming in, you know, being about five eight two hundred pounds,
Speaker 1: Um can great load, can break, Um, you know, a
Speaker 1: bunch of tackles. He's smart, extremely smart. Like you can
Speaker 1: tell he was well coached in college. And um, he's
Speaker 1: just a gamer. I mean you can feel its intensity
Speaker 1: on the field. So you know we're heading the right direction.
Speaker 1: Were bringing guys like Michael Carter, so it was a privilege.
Speaker 1: I tell them all the time. We both fourth round picks.
Speaker 1: You know we're gonna get it from the mud. How
Speaker 1: great of an opportunity is this for you guys as
Speaker 1: an organization. Last year was the start, start implementing the systems,
Speaker 1: people getting the feel. You've got system familiarity. Now this
Speaker 1: year you're gonna head into the aft where you have
Speaker 1: two top ten picks, four ton of you have four
Speaker 1: picks in the top thirty eight. That's the third time
Speaker 1: this franchise has had four picks that early since nineteen
Speaker 1: seventy nine picks overall, and that draft class that included
Speaker 1: Michael Carter last year has a chance to be It's good.
Speaker 1: Right now, I got a chance to be special down
Speaker 1: a lot. Yeah, you know, I'm not general manager. You know,
Speaker 1: I'm not a scout, but the way you want to
Speaker 1: build your team, in my opinion, you really want to
Speaker 1: build it through the draft brick and then you know
Speaker 1: young players that fix your system, fix your philosophy. And
Speaker 1: so being down here in the Super Bowl, I mean
Speaker 1: Super Bowl, being on the Senior Bowl, it's a great
Speaker 1: opportunity for us to evaluate these seniors in person. And
Speaker 1: Coach Solid talks about then all the time while he
Speaker 1: was out in San France. You know how they found
Speaker 1: Deebo sayings here, you know, finding players like that. So
Speaker 1: that's where I we're down here. We get a chance
Speaker 1: to you know, really evaluate these guys character, you know,
Speaker 1: see if they fit into our locker room, see if
Speaker 1: they fit on our team, and hope we can find
Speaker 1: some gems down here. Yeah, no, out about it. Speaking
Speaker 1: to Jem's how about the jacket you were sporting another day,
Speaker 1: you were the Jets jacket on that nobody in this
Speaker 1: organization has I don't know that that special assets right there.
Speaker 1: That Yeah, it's not customer I think everyone has it.
Speaker 1: But that's a sweet jacket. That moment song like Jack
Speaker 1: the sweet I mean with the Jets logo, you got
Speaker 1: the American flag on it, it's blacks and it's like
Speaker 1: but it's like a button off. But yeah, yeah, so
Speaker 1: it's so it's for me. Um you men as a player,
Speaker 1: when I played, you know, you really didn't appreciate, you know,
Speaker 1: warning the team gear at the time. But now I
Speaker 1: appreciate it more than ever. So I'm winning Jetz gear
Speaker 1: all the time. And finally I wanted to hand it
Speaker 1: over to you and say, hey, what would you tell
Speaker 1: some fans who are watching you from Afar right now
Speaker 1: about not only what you're up to, but maybe what
Speaker 1: they mean to you. Jets fans are awesome. They meet everything,
Speaker 1: Like I stay active on Twitter, I stay active on
Speaker 1: social media, and they're always coming to Like, man, you
Speaker 1: were my favorite player back then. I still wear your jersey,
Speaker 1: even them upstairs in the coaching boof. I look at
Speaker 1: in the crowd. I still a bunch of twenty nine
Speaker 1: jerseys Leon Washington. So I appreciate it so much. So,
Speaker 1: you know, guys hanging in with us, you know, it's
Speaker 1: a process. We're building this thing. But I promise you
Speaker 1: Coach Slid is going to lead us the right way
Speaker 1: and I'm gonna do whatever I can to bring this
Speaker 1: organization another Super Bowl. Appreciate you man, hope to do
Speaker 1: this again. Real appreciated man. Thanks like went bet is
Speaker 1: not live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement
Speaker 1: of win Las Vegas to online sports betting, getting on
Speaker 1: all your favorite teams, players and sports from boostep partlays
Speaker 1: to live in game odds on every major sport. They
Speaker 1: have what you need to win. Sign up today to
Speaker 1: receive a special offer risk free one thousand dollar sports bat.
Speaker 1: Download the wind bat app now or visit w y
Speaker 1: N and bet dot com to start winning. Wind Beat
Speaker 1: an official sports book and gave a partner of the
Speaker 1: New York Jets offers up to the change in terms
Speaker 1: of conditions at winbat dot com. Must be twenty one
Speaker 1: the older at President of New Jersey. If you're someone
Speaker 1: you know has a gambling problem called one seven zero
Speaker 1: seven one one seven