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Speaker 1: Hey, Vikings fans, been over here. I'm so excited to

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Speaker 1: be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.

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Speaker 1: They love the tennis, the pickaball, the basketball, and of

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Speaker 1: course the yummy cafe. Check them out at Lifetime dot

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Speaker 1: life to find a club nearest you.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to School Stories, presented by three M, the official

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Speaker 2: science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight, we're joined by

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Speaker 2: Vikings legend Fernando Smith.

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Speaker 3: Thanks again for tuning into another episode of School Stories.

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Speaker 3: Tonight's guest was a member of the Formidable Vikings Defense

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Speaker 3: in the mid nineties. Nowadays he's fulfilling a promise and

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Speaker 3: living down in Orlando, Florida. Please enjoy tonight's conversation with

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Speaker 3: Vikings legend Fernando Smith.

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Speaker 2: Well, Fernando Smith, it's great to see you. Welcome to

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Speaker 2: the show, Welcome back to the Twin Cities. Here in

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Speaker 2: studio at the TCO of Orthopedic Studios. Give the fans

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Speaker 2: a quick update. How you doing these days?

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Speaker 4: And I'm doing wonderful. Thank you all for having me man,

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Speaker 4: and I truly enjoyed the game last night.

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Speaker 5: Bro, Yeah, tell us about that. What do you mean?

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Speaker 4: What your what?

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Speaker 5: What? Besides the result. What what struck you about the

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Speaker 5: US Bank?

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Speaker 4: The atmosphere and the US Bank is incredible, Like it's

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Speaker 4: my first time seeing the stadium. Really, man, it's incredible.

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Speaker 3: A little nicer than the Metrodome, a lot nicer than

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Speaker 3: Did you get a chance to go in the locker room?

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Speaker 4: No, I didn't get a chance to do that, but

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Speaker 4: dig it opportunity to come to the facility and hang

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Speaker 4: out for a little while and check out everything here.

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Speaker 3: And it's amazing right up there with Winter Park, isn't it.

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Speaker 3: Back on you know, yes, sir, we had training camp

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Speaker 3: and you'd have all the new bodies and you wodn't

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Speaker 3: have any room. The lockers would be all stacked on

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Speaker 3: top of each other, yes, sir, And then you got

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Speaker 3: this the taj Mahon. It's it's you.

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Speaker 2: You.

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Speaker 3: We played at the wrong time, didn't we.

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Speaker 4: It's just it's just that part of the life, you

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Speaker 4: know what I mean, life, keep life.

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Speaker 3: And right exactly. That's even the food.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think about the little truck that used

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Speaker 2: to park outside of the back of back in there

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Speaker 2: in Winter Park and you get sandwiches or whatever.

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Speaker 5: Now they got big gym, big gym, big.

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Speaker 3: Gym, sandwich and and what I mean it was it

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Speaker 3: was soul food. I mean it was it was, you know,

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Speaker 3: some grains everything. That's what we had. Lunch was, That's

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Speaker 3: what dinner was. I mean, well, we didn't even have

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Speaker 3: dinner whatever those days. So sure I got to ask

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Speaker 3: you this for after bat just because I heard the story.

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Speaker 3: Is it true that you taught Dave Dixon how to drive?

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Speaker 3: Is this is this a true story? Is this is

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Speaker 3: that fact?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, it's a fact. They were talking about that yesterday.

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Speaker 4: Man like when he first got here from New Zealand,

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Speaker 4: then he told me to take him up under my wing,

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Speaker 4: and so he didn't know how to drive.

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Speaker 5: He not do that.

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Speaker 4: So we went to the we went to the parking

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Speaker 4: lot over at the mall out there in the Egan

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Speaker 4: who was practiced in the parking lot late at night.

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Speaker 4: Everybody was shoving up the snow out in the parking

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Speaker 4: lot and we was just practice, man, just practice over time,

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Speaker 4: that's all, until he got it.

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Speaker 2: That's a scary thoughts to think about Dave Dixon learning

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Speaker 2: how to drive.

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Speaker 3: Well, these two guys, that's seven that's seven hundred pounds.

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Speaker 3: A man who truck of some.

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Speaker 4: Sort that's what we had to you come.

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Speaker 5: Man.

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Speaker 4: It was riding the thing everywhere, man Dave. But once

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Speaker 4: he got it down, he got it down.

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Speaker 2: He had no problems, Okay, especially in the winter time.

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Speaker 5: That chat.

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Speaker 2: Yes, sir, Well you grew up in in Flint, Michigan.

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Speaker 2: There's so many stories about Flint, Michigan and the number

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Speaker 2: of great athletes that came out of there.

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Speaker 5: What was your early life like?

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Speaker 2: And uh, well, did you have the talent to play

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Speaker 2: football at this level the highest level?

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Speaker 4: Well? I got opportunity to grow up on the Pepper

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Speaker 4: Johnson and then I'm Carl Banks. So watching them play

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Speaker 4: and watching them go to the league and come back home,

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Speaker 4: it just motivated me, you know what I'm saying. So

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Speaker 4: I got opportunity for some good legends to teach me

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Speaker 4: a little bit, and I took that advantage of it

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Speaker 4: and work hard and got here.

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Speaker 3: Now you had you had competition though with your brother Robert.

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Speaker 3: And I don't know off the top of my head

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Speaker 3: if he's younger or older. He's a baby boy, He's

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Speaker 3: a baby So put the two of you together. I

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Speaker 3: mean that had to have been motivating to have a

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Speaker 3: little brother to beat up on make him tough.

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Speaker 4: Well that and you know, and then I had my

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Speaker 4: brother that played Mission State. They played basketball, Antonio. It

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Speaker 4: was a group of us. I got opportunity to motivate

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Speaker 4: him a little bit of motive. Then they know they would.

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Speaker 3: Be I'm gonna ask you this question, are you better

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Speaker 3: at basketball than he is?

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Speaker 4: Oh? Yeah, I would tell somebody, man, I should have

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Speaker 4: played with the with the Timer Woods when I was here,

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Speaker 4: Man I was. I always tell Danny like, man, I

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Speaker 4: think I'm gonna quit playing football. Man, I'm going to

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Speaker 4: play basketball.

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Speaker 5: Listen. They could have used you back then. I got

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Speaker 5: news for you.

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Speaker 2: Could have been the sixth first man off the bench,

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Speaker 2: probably the way things were going for the Wolves of that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you were. I mean think about you were the

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Speaker 3: draft that year with Todd Stoucy, Dwayne Washington, and then

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Speaker 3: I believe you were second round or third.

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Speaker 4: Second round. Second me and David Palmer came.

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Speaker 3: That's right, you and David Palmer in the second round.

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Speaker 3: And I remember, I think I remember you claiming and

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Speaker 3: he's like, yeah, I'm the third number one pick.

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Speaker 4: First stuff like that, something like that.

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Speaker 3: You know how it was, hey, But and you showed up.

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Speaker 3: I'm trying to remember the D line coaches name at

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Speaker 3: the time.

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Speaker 4: Lever.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, we had coach Lever. Yeah, and what was he?

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Speaker 3: What was he like when you first got it? What

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Speaker 3: was it being walking in room with guys like John Randall?

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Speaker 5: And I mean when we.

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Speaker 4: Had John Turtling like we had Yeah, that's crazy.

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Speaker 5: Yeah we had.

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Speaker 4: John Randall, Harry Thomas Doe was there because they came back,

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Speaker 4: and yeah we had locker room for Ezra.

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Speaker 5: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: What was it like being in the room with those

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Speaker 3: guys That had to have been romper room? And how

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Speaker 3: did that meeting room? Had to have been just an absolute.

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Speaker 4: He was a whole bunch of missfisht. They put us

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Speaker 4: together and made one un hear me and JT let

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Speaker 4: us be ourself, you know what I'm saying, more than anything.

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Speaker 4: And I think this's worked out because everybody else it's

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Speaker 4: like a cake. Everybody else din't meant it together.

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Speaker 3: And it worked definitely. I mean, And and last night,

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Speaker 3: I don't know if you had a chance to see

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Speaker 3: Tony Dungee at all.

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Speaker 5: I did get up.

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Speaker 3: I got a chance that had him and dain but

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Speaker 3: being able to come into the league and play in

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Speaker 3: that system, I mean Tony. Playing for Tony was awesome,

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Speaker 3: wasn't it. I mean, just having Terry Lincoln and Monte

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Speaker 3: Kiffin's Tony.

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Speaker 4: Every now and then he'll let me going to the

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Speaker 4: defensive meetings and he was like, should put me a

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Speaker 4: blitz up there? And I'll join him listening, and every

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Speaker 4: now and then he'll throw it into like the third

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Speaker 4: down package or something like that. But we're gonna call

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Speaker 4: this the chug Blitz.

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Speaker 3: Okay, that's always And that was the thing that you

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Speaker 3: naming the blitz after player is a good thing because

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Speaker 3: you'll never forget, you know, your call. When you're being called,

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Speaker 3: you're being called.

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Speaker 2: Well, you still hear so much about we met Pete

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Speaker 2: and you guys were talking about some of your teammates,

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Speaker 2: and Johnny Randall always stands out. He's still a big figure,

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Speaker 2: imposing figure here in the Twin Cities, loyal to you know,

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Speaker 2: to the Vikings, to the bitter end. Tell me a

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Speaker 2: more about his personality and what made him such a

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Speaker 2: I mean Hall of famer, a free agent.

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Speaker 4: No one signed him that engine, that the engine that

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Speaker 4: he had, and everybody knew that he can go probably

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Speaker 4: about eight quarters when everybody else can't do nothing, maybe

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Speaker 4: maybe two or three. And then with the work that

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Speaker 4: day that he had at practice that he took home

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Speaker 4: practice like the games. He always told me that I

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Speaker 4: should I play the games like I played.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, he didn't. He didn't and he didn't talk

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Speaker 3: to people back then, how about not?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, Yeah, I talked talked to him about two or

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Speaker 4: three times about the week still because he's supported my daughter.

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Speaker 4: I got a daughter that played tennis down there, and uh, okay,

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Speaker 4: he always coming through Orlando. He stopped buy, hang out,

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Speaker 4: play a little golf right around with cards player.

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Speaker 5: Go.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but isn't an amazing the transition?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I remember when he was speak to no one.

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Speaker 4: I think I was the only one that he would

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Speaker 4: speak to everybody. Man John didn't even know he owned one. No,

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Speaker 4: he ain't. He just want to he want to win.

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Speaker 3: Do you remember his bit when he would walk in

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Speaker 3: the locker room, you know, prior to a game, and

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Speaker 3: we would go in and we'd have stools at all

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Speaker 3: of our lockers and we'd all have a program, and

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Speaker 3: he would walk in and pick up his program and

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Speaker 3: like it was diseased and drop it in the trash.

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Speaker 3: And then he'd walk around and pick all of them up.

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Speaker 3: You know, he's like, you know, you walk over to

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Speaker 3: like say Stuicie's locker and pick it up and go, man, no,

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Speaker 3: I'm not feeling this one and put it down. And

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Speaker 3: then he'd go and then he would find one that

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Speaker 3: was feeling good, and then he would bring it over

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Speaker 3: and put it on his chair and and you know,

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Speaker 3: it's like and you sit there and watch this and

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Speaker 3: you're like, this is this ain't right?

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Speaker 4: And then he knew everything about everybody on that team.

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Speaker 4: Hear me, he knew about the I mean everybody everything.

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Speaker 4: I was like, how did you do that? Man? Like

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Speaker 4: I couldn't.

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Speaker 3: He would he would sit because you know, as a

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Speaker 3: d lineman, you know, and you you play over under

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Speaker 3: hockey or whatever. It's it's pretty basic. So when we'd

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Speaker 3: be doing installs and stuff, he would read media guys

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Speaker 3: right most definitely, and so he would read about the

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Speaker 3: guys that he was going going up against, what their

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Speaker 3: wife's names were, every kids and animals.

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Speaker 4: He knew everything. That's crazy. He'd be out there talking

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Speaker 4: to him. Do it like doing the middle of the huddle.

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Speaker 4: Where do you find information there? Man? I just looked

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Speaker 4: it up there. Tell me something to Hey, tell me

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Speaker 4: something about Willie Roave.

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Speaker 2: You were talking to Fernando Smith before the vikings. He

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Speaker 2: went to a little school UH called Jackson State, And

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Speaker 2: just hearing Jackson State, first name of course comes to

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Speaker 2: mind is the great one sweetness Walter Peyton. But what

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Speaker 2: was that experience like and walking into the hallowed halls

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Speaker 2: of Jackson State with that reputation they had.

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Speaker 5: There, Man, it was amazing.

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Speaker 4: Man. Just to know that he set the temple for

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Speaker 4: that school, you know what I mean? And then have

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Speaker 4: his brother Eddie played today was just amazing. So back

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Speaker 4: here I got an opportunity running now. It was just

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Speaker 4: good man.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, what'd you what was?

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Speaker 2: What did you learn from your time there at Jackson

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Speaker 2: State about being a professional and and just sort of

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Speaker 2: how to carry yourself as a man black college.

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Speaker 4: You got to push yourself a little bit more harder

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Speaker 4: because you're not gonna get their repetitions. You're not gonna

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Speaker 4: get all the pub that all the other big schools get,

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Speaker 4: so you got to overwork yourself. Yeah, that's what I

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Speaker 4: was talking.

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Speaker 2: Pete mentioned you were drafted the second round and UH

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Speaker 2: head coach was Denny Green and h there's there's a

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Speaker 2: man that you know, had a long career at both

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Speaker 2: at the college level and the pro level. What struck

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Speaker 2: you about Denny and your relationship with him and how

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Speaker 2: as a leader, as a head coach of this football responsibility.

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Speaker 3: I mean he treated Yeah, that was But you know,

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Speaker 3: it's here's the thing with Denny. It's like I can

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Speaker 3: say something, I bet you can finish it, he said.

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Speaker 3: He would say stuff like I'm not going to find you,

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Speaker 3: but I will cut you.

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Speaker 4: Will you but I will cut you.

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Speaker 5: But he'll tell you that.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, he treated he treated you like a man.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, your man's man.

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Speaker 3: And I think everybody responded to that, don't you.

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Speaker 4: Yes, sir, yes, sir, most definitely. I never he called

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Speaker 4: me up to the office. He says, Sugar, you ain't

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Speaker 4: my captain, but you my locker room captain. Take care

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Speaker 4: of the boys. Really, that's all I had to do.

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Speaker 4: It was my job being on out.

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Speaker 3: How did you get that? How did how did you

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Speaker 3: get the nickname shug?

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Speaker 4: I was growing up, man to call me sugar bear, okay, yeah,

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Speaker 4: and I shortened it up as okay, but man, you

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Speaker 4: sugar bear, sugar bear, No, sugar that's what Mom used

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Speaker 4: to call me sugar bear though though.

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Speaker 3: Okay, because I didn't know where we always called you that, right,

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Speaker 3: and then I had no idea where you got that from.

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Speaker 4: She put it on one of my rookie cars too,

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Speaker 4: And I think when I was signing there last night,

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Speaker 4: one of your man's had I was like, man, Mom

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Speaker 4: talked too much.

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Speaker 5: You push sugarparde on it.

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Speaker 2: There are no guarantees in this league, and you sign

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Speaker 2: a contract, you know what's guaranteed is your signing bonus

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Speaker 2: and whatever you get paid that first year. So you

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Speaker 2: went went around the league a little bit after the Vikings,

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Speaker 2: did you have it in your mind you wanted to

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Speaker 2: play this game as long as you were healthy, as

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Speaker 2: long as you had your mindset the right way that

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Speaker 2: I want to take advantage of this short opportunity I

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Speaker 2: have in my life.

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Speaker 4: I think we all go into and want to play

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Speaker 4: long as we can. We don't nobody to know what

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Speaker 4: year or how many years we're gonna get, and you

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Speaker 4: just do the best while you're there, and what advantage

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Speaker 4: you've got, you take up it. You know, you take

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Speaker 4: care of that wipe mean while you there. And why

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Speaker 4: you can't because I never thought I would break my

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Speaker 4: neck to retire, but I knew I wanted to go

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Speaker 4: into coaching. It was a combination of both being prepared.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, stick around for more school Stories presented by three

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Speaker 3: M from the field to the roof and everywhere in between.

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Speaker 3: Three AM, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings

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Speaker 3: is Here is it vikings dot com slash school Science

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Speaker 3: to learn more. We'll be right back with more from

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Speaker 3: Fernando Smith. But first Unreal is back with their limited

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Speaker 3: edition Vikings. Drop had to nurl dot com for more details.

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Speaker 2: Ready to have your spirits lifted? Then the laugh out

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Speaker 2: loud comedy Ghosts is for You. Ghost is all new

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Speaker 2: every Thursday night at seven thirty Central over on CBS.

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Speaker 2: And welcome back to tonight's edition of school Stories, presented.

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Speaker 5: By three M. Let's get back into our conversation with

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Speaker 5: Fernando Smith.

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Speaker 3: I want to hear the story about how you got

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Speaker 3: to Orlando.

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Speaker 5: The story to.

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Speaker 4: Orlando is we send that practice doing two of days

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Speaker 4: down in Macato, Me and Corus Stringer or Randall McDaniel

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Speaker 4: playing around the CORKO say, man should when we retire,

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Speaker 4: we're gonna be Orlando with Fernando he was, and then

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Speaker 4: the whole day he just kept saying it, Orlando with Fernando,

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Speaker 4: Orlando with Fernando, that's what we're gonna retire at man,

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Speaker 4: So I always kept my word to him when he

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Speaker 4: passed or been there ever since.

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Speaker 3: Then, Why how about what about him?

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Speaker 5: Man? What a guy?

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Speaker 3: What a man?

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Speaker 5: Amazing?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you know funny. You remember his rookie show, Man,

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Speaker 3: come on, man, I was the show was.

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Speaker 5: A stand up absolutely, Yeah.

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Speaker 3: His rookie show consisted of him walking out with a

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Speaker 3: beat box more than nothing but Jock, imagine that picture

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Speaker 3: in your head, that ingrained in your memory.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, you never forget that one when he walked in there.

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Speaker 4: Then he was like, what just went crazy? Man? But

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Speaker 4: that was him though, you know I missed him though,

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Speaker 4: man missing?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you must have learned a lot about other football organizations.

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Speaker 2: What make some more successful than others? You played with

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Speaker 2: the Jags, the Ravens, the Rams, the Panthers, and came

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Speaker 2: back to the Vikings again in the year two thousand

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Speaker 2: and what was He could probably do a diary on

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Speaker 2: what and what was that like to go through all

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Speaker 2: those organizations and what makes That's why I.

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Speaker 4: Went through all the organization was, I promise Jack diale

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Speaker 4: Real wherever he went, I will go with y. And

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Speaker 4: he kept moving up with the latter every time he moved.

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Speaker 4: This happened. I was a free agent. I was moving

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Speaker 4: with him like big dog. I'm going to get the

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Speaker 4: job in Baltimore with with Brian. You're coming, yes, Shirt,

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Speaker 4: I'm getting the job down in Carolina. You're coming, yes, sir.

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Speaker 4: One of Jacksonville, You're coming, yes, sir. Whenever he needed

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Speaker 4: me eight that was my middle linebacker. So that's what

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Speaker 4: it was, because you you played. He was two seasons

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Speaker 4: I think with Jack when he was here.

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Speaker 3: How about that? I mean that? And that goes back

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Speaker 3: to to Tony Dungee, Yes, and Danny with got I mean,

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Speaker 3: I mean Brian Bellick and the number of assistant coach

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Speaker 3: coaching tree that he established in this league.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, all the guys, yeah man, right, yes, sir, I.

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Speaker 3: Remember Jack getting back then when you see get our

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Speaker 3: paychecks on paper, right, And so every you know, a

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Speaker 3: Wednesday or whatever, every other week you go in and

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Speaker 3: it'd be sitting in your locker after lunch and he

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Speaker 3: would open his and look at it and show it

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Speaker 3: to me and go man, I make more in two

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Speaker 3: weeks than you do all year. Yeah, okay, yea, yeah,

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Speaker 3: yeah yeah, those are the good old days.

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Speaker 5: Sir Fernando.

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Speaker 2: You eventually got what an honor, inducted into the Greater

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Speaker 2: Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame twenty twenty three.

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Speaker 5: Uh what does that mean to you? To be recognized

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Speaker 5: in your whole city, especially in that level in.

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Speaker 4: The world, with everybody that then came through that from

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Speaker 4: Muhammad a leone that then came through that. It was amazing, man.

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Speaker 4: So I got opportunity to meet some of the events

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Speaker 4: and just enjoyed the whole moment. Man, it was worth

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Speaker 4: a while, you know what I'm saying. So I'm looking

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Speaker 4: at you right now. You're you look like you're in

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Speaker 4: really good shape, but not football.

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Speaker 2: What was your weight when you played here? And it

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Speaker 2: looks like you've got yourself. You shed a bunch of pounds,

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Speaker 2: I'm sure, just for real longevity in the health.

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Speaker 5: And so tell us about that process.

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Speaker 4: Well, playing way between like two ninety five and three

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Speaker 4: and a quarter and then, like I said, Ola set in,

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Speaker 4: I slimmed down. I'm about two fifty two sixty.

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Speaker 3: So feeling better I'm sure at two years to three hundred, Yeah,

378
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Speaker 3: the times were different.

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Speaker 4: I needed you know, so, but I feel real good. Man.

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Speaker 3: How's the family? Tell us about tell us about the family,

381
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Speaker 3: and it's great.

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Speaker 4: Son just graduated from UF I had twins, and then

383
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Speaker 4: my daughter, she's the ad down in Salmon University in Alabama. Yeah,

384
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Speaker 4: and then I got a little nine year old center

385
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Speaker 4: home playing tennis. She's a tennis star. Okay, that's it.

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Speaker 3: So how do you how do you someone like you

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Speaker 3: sit there and watch tennis because you're supposed to be

388
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Speaker 3: all you know, you can't tennis.

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Speaker 4: When you got a daughter, you you do a lot

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Speaker 4: of stuff different, man, all that most be off the wall,

391
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Speaker 4: and you just concentrate on that for them.

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Speaker 5: Man.

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Speaker 4: So that's that's the only thing that breaks me.

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Speaker 2: What are your thoughts about kind of today's game, the

395
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Speaker 2: Brian Flores defense, the way he's running things, and the

396
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,800
Speaker 2: way the defensive end position is now being used. It's

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Speaker 2: a whole different level.

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Speaker 4: Well, Pete, no, Like I know, when we play, they

399
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Speaker 4: weren't throwing the ball where they throw the ball now.

400
00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:50,560
Speaker 4: I couldn't fandom having thirty pass rushs in one game. See,

401
00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,680
Speaker 4: you know when we play most we probably will have.

402
00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,080
Speaker 4: It's like ten pass wrestler games. So to have that

403
00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,840
Speaker 4: many and be able to put your put your work together,

404
00:16:58,320 --> 00:16:59,600
Speaker 4: I would have loved it. I would have loved to

405
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Speaker 4: play this ere that probably would have had about twenty.

406
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Speaker 3: Five six maybe maybe thirty maybe you don't sell yourself short,

407
00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,680
Speaker 3: shut got thingbout and you had only been in the

408
00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:13,960
Speaker 3: game half the time, right, because these guys, you know

409
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Speaker 3: how many what when you were starting? What percent of

410
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Speaker 3: the snaps did you get in the game? Yeah, because

411
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Speaker 3: now it's on the high end, it's sixty sixty five.

412
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Speaker 3: They rotate these dudes. Now, think about that.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, that's totally different too.

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Speaker 3: You mentioned you could have been just third down show.

415
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Speaker 5: That would that would have been so special, but paid

416
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Speaker 5: like an every down player.

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Speaker 3: That's oh yeah, compared.

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Speaker 4: It, right, Jo, I never looked at it like that.

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Speaker 3: Bro, how many years you end up getting in ten

420
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Speaker 3: man five will get you ten?

421
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Speaker 4: Right to get you to I'd always been that was

422
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Speaker 4: the rule, wasn't it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and you play back to that, they're going to flash.

424
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Speaker 2: I mean you look at your life right now and

425
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Speaker 2: big players today, I want to appreciate where they are

426
00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:01,959
Speaker 2: and how difficult. It is not just to get here,

427
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:02,880
Speaker 2: but to stay here.

428
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Speaker 5: I think they do.

429
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Speaker 4: But to stay here part coming when you get a

430
00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,000
Speaker 4: little older and used to understand what you're really here for.

431
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,520
Speaker 4: Now you know you you got the big money and

432
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Speaker 4: you took care of the family. You're the one what

433
00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:14,920
Speaker 4: you need to win, and now it's about can you

434
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Speaker 4: get that ring? That's the next thing.

435
00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:17,959
Speaker 5: That's everything.

436
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:19,800
Speaker 4: Yep, you go, so you go chasing for it.

437
00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,240
Speaker 3: What's the furthest you got along those lines?

438
00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:28,320
Speaker 4: That's cry Off talking to being AFC Championship, NFC Championships.

439
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:28,200
Speaker 5: The fathers. Yep.

440
00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:30,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've only been to five NFC Championships.

441
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Speaker 4: Well three well three went three here and then one

442
00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:39,720
Speaker 4: in Jacksonville. We lost twelve thirteen. Oh this and what

443
00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,679
Speaker 4: Steve McNair had the ball thirty five seconds left. They

444
00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:44,200
Speaker 4: take it all the way down the field to the

445
00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,879
Speaker 4: thirty seven full second left, they get ready kick the

446
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:48,760
Speaker 4: field goal. I split them. You can see you on

447
00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:50,440
Speaker 4: the feel them. I tipped the ball and when I

448
00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,720
Speaker 4: tipped it, it must have gave it the extra whoop woop.

449
00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,200
Speaker 4: And when they hit the gold post and fell in

450
00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,720
Speaker 4: and they went to play the Rams that same year

451
00:18:57,840 --> 00:18:58,879
Speaker 4: talking about close.

452
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:01,240
Speaker 5: Up.

453
00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:02,760
Speaker 3: I think that's I think that's kind of part of

454
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,760
Speaker 3: it that people don't realize. Is that all a lifetime

455
00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,240
Speaker 3: of work right to get where you are, to do

456
00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:12,000
Speaker 3: the whole thing, and you're a fingertips away. Oh boy,

457
00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:14,159
Speaker 3: it's kind of it's it's kind of the insanity but

458
00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:15,480
Speaker 3: the beauty of it at the same time.

459
00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:17,399
Speaker 4: But I took that with me. Nice to tell my

460
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,040
Speaker 4: son he played at University of Florida, Well, no, we trained,

461
00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:24,000
Speaker 4: Hey man, we trained for sixty minutes in overtime. Don't

462
00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:25,920
Speaker 4: never you be sent out there cheering and think that

463
00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,520
Speaker 4: is over with. If the clock don't say sixty minutes

464
00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,520
Speaker 4: and you ain't got that. W don't you be sitting

465
00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,040
Speaker 4: there think it is done. Anything can happen?

466
00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:33,480
Speaker 5: Wow?

467
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,119
Speaker 2: Or sitting here to Tco and Fernando Smith, or if

468
00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:39,560
Speaker 2: you had a chance to walk through the hallways. They

469
00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:40,920
Speaker 2: get all the pictures of different eras.

470
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:41,440
Speaker 5: It's amazing.

471
00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:43,360
Speaker 2: So when you look at the ultimate kind of high

472
00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,440
Speaker 2: school reunion, you're looking at pictures of your former teammates,

473
00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:50,440
Speaker 2: and it must spring back, just wash a wash with memories.

474
00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,800
Speaker 5: And relationships really which ultimately.

475
00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,159
Speaker 2: Mattered the most when it's all said and done, right,

476
00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,880
Speaker 2: I mean, what comes to mind when you talk about

477
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,720
Speaker 2: Johnny Randall. I cried date of the day when I

478
00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:05,280
Speaker 2: walked through the hallway. Yeah, because just hit you that way. Yeah,

479
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:09,000
Speaker 2: out of love for your teammates or just the memories everything.

480
00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,920
Speaker 4: Yeah yeah, yeah, that's special because you you come in

481
00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:14,200
Speaker 4: as young man that you leave them in.

482
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,159
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. Doing one on ones against random mcdanie'll have

483
00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,760
Speaker 3: a way of making a man pretty darn quickly done that.

484
00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,840
Speaker 4: He knocked the water off you. Man, We're gonna hit

485
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,159
Speaker 4: me so hard, knocked the sweatback was off me.

486
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:27,440
Speaker 5: Man.

487
00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,200
Speaker 4: Yeah, he made it look easy. Oh yeah, oh yeah.

488
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,880
Speaker 4: And then when we got Chris hitting, it was oh lord.

489
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,160
Speaker 4: I thought I knew everything. I didn't know nothing until

490
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:37,920
Speaker 4: I ran up on that man. He taught me something

491
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:38,840
Speaker 4: totally different.

492
00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:39,640
Speaker 5: Really. Yeah.

493
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,600
Speaker 3: I got a ride. He gave me a ride of

494
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,720
Speaker 3: the airport my my rookie year. I had to go back.

495
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,000
Speaker 3: At the first weekend of training camp, I had a

496
00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,960
Speaker 3: friend that had passed and we're driving up to you

497
00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:50,720
Speaker 3: were driving up to the cities, and he said that

498
00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:56,639
Speaker 3: he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, the Baltimore Cults

499
00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,480
Speaker 3: because that was probably years thirteen fifteen for him.

500
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,080
Speaker 4: Yeah, because he was open Canada. Oh my ball.

501
00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,520
Speaker 3: I mean, man, that's that's it. Chris Hinton was a

502
00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:11,960
Speaker 3: man good dude too. I mean one woman, two good dudes.

503
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,440
Speaker 3: Man Warren Moon. Warren always said, don't get too high,

504
00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:19,080
Speaker 3: don't get too low, say just stay right about here.

505
00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:21,399
Speaker 5: Was I appreciate that.

506
00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,240
Speaker 3: You glad you know my name.

507
00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,639
Speaker 4: Look man let men techno bo man Man. He was

508
00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 4: doing technical So yeah, you can tell.

509
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,119
Speaker 5: For Noando, it's been it's been a pleasure.

510
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,760
Speaker 2: Thanks for sharing some of your school stories and uh

511
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,480
Speaker 2: welcome back to the Twin Cities and t c O

512
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,879
Speaker 2: and kind of reminiscing about some very very special times.

513
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,600
Speaker 5: In your life. Sir, Thank you so much for y'all

514
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:43,920
Speaker 5: having me.

515
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:45,320
Speaker 3: Man, it's great to see you.

516
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:45,560
Speaker 5: Man.

517
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,920
Speaker 3: You built this this building we're sitting and you built

518
00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:51,720
Speaker 3: you know out. But I'm saying you're part of it.

519
00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,720
Speaker 3: And it's just it's this team needs a Super Bowl, man,

520
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,719
Speaker 3: I mean, if this organization they're doing what they need

521
00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,200
Speaker 3: to do. You had, you got the history. It's it's

522
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:01,840
Speaker 3: it's it's gonna happen.

523
00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:03,800
Speaker 4: It's gona come at the right time. Yeah, It's come

524
00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:04,879
Speaker 4: at the right time, trust me.

525
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:05,320
Speaker 5: All right.

526
00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,600
Speaker 2: Thanks Fernando, it's been great catching up with you today

527
00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,840
Speaker 2: and thank you for sharing your skull stories with us.

528
00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:15,119
Speaker 5: Oh, David take care man. Thanks well.

529
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,480
Speaker 2: Thanks again the Fernando Smith for joining the show. It

530
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,080
Speaker 2: was great to get him back in studio with us today.

531
00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:21,320
Speaker 3: All right, Pete.

532
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,399
Speaker 2: The Vikings were able to get out of Jacksonville, as

533
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,760
Speaker 2: you well know, the twelve to seven win old school football,

534
00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:31,440
Speaker 2: thanks in part to a newly signed leg of Parker Romo. Yeah,

535
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,280
Speaker 2: who thought he'd be responsible for all the scoring. Romo

536
00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,320
Speaker 2: came in clutch when they needed him and was perfect

537
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:36,800
Speaker 2: on the day.

538
00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:38,000
Speaker 3: Overall.

539
00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's just say Sam Darnold and the offense didn't

540
00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,160
Speaker 2: play like we expected, but the Jaguars were really sitting

541
00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,520
Speaker 2: in both Justin Jefferson in particular and Jordan Addison all

542
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,320
Speaker 2: day and this allowed the tight ends. It's great to

543
00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,240
Speaker 2: see TJ. Hockinson get more of a volume of work. Defensively,

544
00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,359
Speaker 2: the Vikings barely worked up a sweat. They kept the

545
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,560
Speaker 2: team in the game, came up and clutch of course

546
00:22:57,600 --> 00:22:59,760
Speaker 2: in the fourth quarter, with three turnovers.

547
00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:00,600
Speaker 5: To help deal.

548
00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:02,600
Speaker 2: So we look at positives in this game, I guess

549
00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,280
Speaker 2: we start with that defense because they barely I can't

550
00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,199
Speaker 2: call a team that barely played on the game as

551
00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:09,760
Speaker 2: which as they did.

552
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,560
Speaker 3: Yet no, I mean I have never seen a forty

553
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:16,160
Speaker 3: three forty two minute you know, they were thirty Now

554
00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,359
Speaker 3: the Titans were. I'm sorry that the Jaguars were thirty

555
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,800
Speaker 3: first in a league in time of possession and so

556
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,480
Speaker 3: going into this game. So the fact that they only

557
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:31,600
Speaker 3: had the ball for less than twenty minutes not totally

558
00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:33,560
Speaker 3: out of character for them, But you can't. It's just

559
00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 3: an unbelievable, unbelievably good job by our defense. I mean,

560
00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,040
Speaker 3: it's complimentary football, meaning if the offense for whatever reason

561
00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:44,320
Speaker 3: doesn't have it, the defense was still good enough for

562
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,440
Speaker 3: the Vikings to win a game. And you're gonna if

563
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,320
Speaker 3: you want to be a winning team and a playoff team,

564
00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,320
Speaker 3: that has to happen, you know, from time to time

565
00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,520
Speaker 3: when not every aspect of your entire team is firing

566
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:57,400
Speaker 3: on all cylinders, and to do it on the road.

567
00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,480
Speaker 3: And the Jaguars were. They're a better team at home, right. Yeah,

568
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:06,040
Speaker 3: They've had some some road some road blowout games, but

569
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,440
Speaker 3: overall they play they play better football at home. And

570
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:12,960
Speaker 3: you know, get a win on the road in the

571
00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,480
Speaker 3: NFL not easy to do. So you found you just

572
00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,240
Speaker 3: found a way to get it done. I think that's

573
00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,040
Speaker 3: you know, you get to kick her straight off the street. Fine.

574
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,080
Speaker 3: Long snapper hasn't played since the NFC Championship game last year. Fine,

575
00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,359
Speaker 3: bring him in. You know, they just just find a

576
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:28,800
Speaker 3: way to do it.

577
00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:29,760
Speaker 5: What should the.

578
00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,760
Speaker 2: Level of concern be over quarterback Sam Donald right now?

579
00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,480
Speaker 2: I mean, Jared got through five interceptions. The Lions overcame

580
00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,600
Speaker 2: that on Sunday night, managed to win in the last

581
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:43,199
Speaker 2: second field goal. But Donald's uh, not exactly hitting at

582
00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:44,520
Speaker 2: all soldiers the last three weeks.

583
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,960
Speaker 3: Well, here's the thing, and they didn't watch what happened

584
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,280
Speaker 3: with GoF. They didn't stop throwing the football, right Like,

585
00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,000
Speaker 3: this is what we do, this is how we play.

586
00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,080
Speaker 3: We're gonna keep doing it. I think Kevin O'Connell has

587
00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,800
Speaker 3: done the same thing. He's saying red zone, we're throwing

588
00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,120
Speaker 3: the football. You know, we're ver passing team, So we're

589
00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:05,960
Speaker 3: not changing what we do and who we are. You're

590
00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:07,920
Speaker 3: just gonna have to turn around and play better. And

591
00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,040
Speaker 3: if you when you listen to the postgame speech that

592
00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:17,720
Speaker 3: Kevin O'Connell gave. You know, I don't see Bill Belichick

593
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,600
Speaker 3: saying something or Bill Parcells looking at his quarterback after

594
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,520
Speaker 3: a game like that and saying, you're our guy, we

595
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,280
Speaker 3: love you, You're the best, and you know it's a

596
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:34,480
Speaker 3: different time. But yeah, the for Donald, he's he you know,

597
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,720
Speaker 3: this is it for him, right, he has to prove

598
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,760
Speaker 3: that he can work his way out of this, because

599
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,040
Speaker 3: every quarterback goes through it. He Inaccuracy is the part

600
00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,720
Speaker 3: that I'm worried about most, because there were a number

601
00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:49,760
Speaker 3: of uncontested throws to outlets, one to Oliver for sure,

602
00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,880
Speaker 3: one to JJ where the receivers really had to make

603
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,200
Speaker 3: what should have been a routine play making it a

604
00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:01,359
Speaker 3: great catch. So what's that all about? And we'll you know,

605
00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,480
Speaker 3: we'll see, but we don't what's the other We don't

606
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 3: have another option? You know, we are who we are.

607
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,480
Speaker 3: We have one of the best receiving cords. Yes, it

608
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,640
Speaker 3: was great to see, you know, the uh tight ends

609
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,720
Speaker 3: and Hockinson step up, and you know, the short passing game.

610
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,840
Speaker 3: Those kinds of things turn turn turn, turn, or give

611
00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,760
Speaker 3: a defense another thing to worry about. Right, It's like

612
00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 3: you're gonna worry about j JD. And you're gonna worry

613
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,040
Speaker 3: about Addison, Well, then you know they can beat We

614
00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,000
Speaker 3: can beat you with Hockinson too, right. So it's it's

615
00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:35,399
Speaker 3: it's just the ability to do all those things. It

616
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,000
Speaker 3: gives defenses just absolute fits.

617
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,240
Speaker 2: Among the positives. I think we saw the domino effect

618
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,120
Speaker 2: that Blake Cashman has on this defense when he's in there.

619
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,000
Speaker 2: He's just not only just disruptive individually, but he seems

620
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,320
Speaker 2: like he has an effect on everyone else, especially the linebacking,

621
00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:53,359
Speaker 2: whether it's Grenard van Ginkel, everyone seems to pick up

622
00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:54,800
Speaker 2: on his presence on.

623
00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,520
Speaker 3: That defense, right, And I think the main thing, another

624
00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:01,440
Speaker 3: big part of that too is just when when Cashman

625
00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,159
Speaker 3: was out, how did we replace him? Well, you know,

626
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,480
Speaker 3: in the Detroit game, you sprinkled in a little Dallas Turner,

627
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:11,280
Speaker 3: you sprinkled in some Josh Mattelis maybe a little grew

628
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:15,400
Speaker 3: Jay Hill, uh, you know, And now that he's back,

629
00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,240
Speaker 3: all those other guys are playing in their normal positions,

630
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,119
Speaker 3: and I thought Mattelis played a sneaky He played a

631
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,720
Speaker 3: really really good football game. You know, Van Ginkle obviously

632
00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,440
Speaker 3: playing very very well. He's back, and so these other

633
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,680
Speaker 3: guys are kind of back to doing what they've been

634
00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,760
Speaker 3: doing and what they're comfortable with. So yeah, it was

635
00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,760
Speaker 3: it was a It was not replacement by a single guy.

636
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,920
Speaker 3: It was replacement by committee. And you know when you

637
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,640
Speaker 3: have Van Ginkle playing off the ball linebacker, yeah he'll

638
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,240
Speaker 3: do it, but that's not that's not what he does.

639
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,440
Speaker 3: And the ability for also for for he and and

640
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:54,919
Speaker 3: for IV and pace to the pass rush. They really

641
00:27:55,320 --> 00:28:01,359
Speaker 3: really just gave Bigsby and Etn just a handful in

642
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,320
Speaker 3: pass pro. And again when we found a weakness, we

643
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:08,440
Speaker 3: just wore it out. So our linebackers just absolutely out

644
00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:12,400
Speaker 3: physical them in the pass rush. So great job.

645
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,120
Speaker 2: Well, it's on the road again for the Minnesota Vikings.

646
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,840
Speaker 2: They hit this time in Nashville, take on the Tennessee

647
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,159
Speaker 2: Titans at Nissan Stadium. It's a noon start over on

648
00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,240
Speaker 2: CBS here in the Twin Cities, so be sure to

649
00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,960
Speaker 2: check your local listings for details. You can also of

650
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:31,040
Speaker 2: course check and catch Paul Allen, Ben Lever and Pete

651
00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,119
Speaker 2: Versuch with the call right here all across the Vikings

652
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,479
Speaker 2: radio network. The Vikings Football Sunday pregame show starts at

653
00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,080
Speaker 2: ten am on Kfan, so be sure to tune in

654
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,640
Speaker 2: with host Mike Mussman and the rest of the crew

655
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,240
Speaker 2: leading up to kick off. Pete's always a pleasure, and

656
00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,200
Speaker 2: again thanks again to Fernando Smith for joining the show,

657
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,600
Speaker 2: and thank you fans for tuning into another edition of

658
00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,800
Speaker 2: Skulls Stories presented by three M, the official science partner.

659
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,200
Speaker 5: Of the Minnesota Vikings. We'll see you all again next week.

660
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:00,360
Speaker 5: D