1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Back. It's one Bills Line PRESENTI by Collat of Health. 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: John Murphy's team tasker on the line and on the 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 1: line with US now joining US defensive line coach for 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: the Iowa Hawkeyes, Aj Epinessa's coach last year with the Hawkeys, 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: Calvin Bell joined US. Hello coach Bell, John Murphy Here 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: he'll say, those steep taskers? Are you guys doing? I 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: had to be on doing great? Right? Did I read 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: this right? You are a Bills fan who actually told 9 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: Epine said that the Bills are gonna pick him? Is 10 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: that is that right? Well? Yeah, correct? I am a 11 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: Buffalo Bills fans, been a fan be the early nineties. Um, 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: you know, and yes, uh I wouldn't say I told 13 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: aj that I was gonna that they were going to 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: draft them. It was more like I really wish that 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: they would pick you. Um what got you into being 16 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: a Bills fan twenty years ago? Coaches? Um, you know 17 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: when I started to pay attention to football, the Bills, 18 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, were they were, they were hot, they were, 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: they were up and coming, and uh so I just 20 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: stuck with him. I you know, the personalities on that team, 21 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: all the Hall of famers that were playing I mean, 22 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: you know, I really love the offense, love the defense, 23 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: special team, steve past, the whole nine. So I just 24 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: stuck whether it looks good, give us an idea of 25 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: what the Bills can look forward to. And aj Epaneza, 26 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously he's a big body dude. I actually 27 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: had the privilege of watching year Iowa Hawkeyes take on 28 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston this past season. You had 29 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: a number of guys that were really good players, But 30 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: what can you tell us about f and Ezza? Um 31 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: Just first off, a humble guy, you know, and that's 32 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: why I think he's a really good fit, you know 33 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: for Buffalo. Just a low a low maintenance kid from 34 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: that regard, but you're getting an extremely, extremely gifted athlete. Um. 35 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: He was a three three sport athlete in high school, 36 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:01,279 Speaker 1: excelled at everything, extremely coachable, guy, won to learn. Probably 37 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: the most important things to Aj are his family is 38 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: very tight knit family. And second would be the opinions 39 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: of his teammates. Um. You know, he's a true team 40 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: guy that didn't want to let him that. You know, 41 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: it's not a me guy, a team guy, didn't want 42 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: to let anybody down. But just the ability that he 43 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: had and just you know, just god given strength and 44 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 1: talent um. He's just an exemplary a young man on 45 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: the line with AJS line coach at University of Iowa. 46 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: Before you were there, you were a recruiting coordinator for 47 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: a couple of years, Coach Bell, and I would imagine 48 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: Epinesa might not have been the most difficult recruit. He 49 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: told us Friday night, he always wanted to go and 50 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: play football for you, University of Iowa. Hunh right, and 51 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: that you know I've said this before about aj uh. 52 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: You know, he was a five star recruits, which you 53 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: know in right now in college football, those guys there's 54 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: not many five star recruits that are looking at the 55 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: University of Iowa. You know, we've we've got a great 56 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: tradition of offensive defensive line play, got great to tradition 57 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: of putting guys in the NFL. But it's not a 58 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: sexy spot to land for a lot of five star recruits. 59 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: And it was just a perfect match for us to 60 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: get that type of kid because he fitted in, he 61 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: fit in with our culture. Obviously, he's got family history 62 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: with the program, and we're just really excited not only 63 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: to get a guy, his character, of his caliber, but 64 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: the character fit was so important for us. It was 65 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: just a great match. Tell us a little bit about 66 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: when he his development. He was like a third down 67 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: guy his first couple of years there at ILA. This 68 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: past season he was on the field every down. Tell 69 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: us about his progression from the time you first got 70 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: ahold of him until now as a senior. Is a 71 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: draft pick? Yeah, well, you know, it's not. It's hard 72 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: to transition from high school to college. I don't care 73 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: what position or whatever it is. You know, and Aj 74 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: physically physically, he was absolutely ready to play. But you know, 75 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: the way that we played defense, it's it's complicated. It's 76 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: not you know, we don't run around a lot of things. 77 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: There's a lot of fit, there's a lot of technique 78 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: that was involved that he just didn't have. He had 79 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: raw ability, which is why we used him on third 80 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: down because those were situations where he could play fast 81 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: because he knew exactly what he was supposed to do. 82 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: But you know, again going back to AJ's character, the 83 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: way that he the way that the older guys in 84 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: the room really gravitated towards him, helped him out, told 85 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: him what it took to be, you know, an Iowa 86 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: defensive linement of college defensive linement. And he wasn't resistant 87 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: to that. He understood that there were some things that 88 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: he needed to get better at before he could be 89 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: a full time contributor. And you know, just with those 90 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: older guys helping him, you could see him grow a 91 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: week by week, and as a coach, I was more 92 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: and more confident to putting him, put him on the 93 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: field in more than just those past for us situations. 94 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: And then this year, it all, it all came to 95 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 1: a head. He just kept getting better week after week. 96 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: In the back cast of the season, he probably he 97 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: played his best football rely on the line with Calvin Bell, 98 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: Iowa defensive line coach. Hey, coach, what do you think 99 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: all that production that? What do you think happened to 100 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: a j at the combine? You didn't test well, didn't 101 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: run well, didn't test real well at the combine? Any 102 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: theories on why that happened? You think? Well, you know, uh, 103 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: you know, when I recruited when we recruited him in 104 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: high school, we didn't take the stopwatch down at Edwardsville 105 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: High School to run him in the hallway to figure 106 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: out whether or not we wanted them or not. Like 107 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: it's you know when you say don't test, well, you know, 108 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: for me, from my evaluation standpoint, when I'm looking at 109 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: a defensive lineman, I'm not checking the forty. I'm not 110 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: checking any of the stop watch. I need to watch 111 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: the tape and then I need to have that guy 112 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: in camp. Ultimately, you know, with the COVID nineteen situation, 113 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: not being able to get him, not him not being 114 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: able to have him have a pro day where someone 115 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: could actually, you know, put hands on him and see 116 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: and feel what we experienced for the past three years. 117 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: That that that that hurts. But from a combined standpoint, 118 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: I can't put my finger on it. All I know is, 119 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: you know, from my evaluation standpoint, we don't put a 120 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: lot of stock in it. We don't run a forty 121 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: at Iowa, so you know, I don't. I just don't 122 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: put a lot of stock into it. I get you. 123 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: And I was thinking about how without a pro dame, 124 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 1: without really their chance to get their hands on AJ 125 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: there wasn't much contact that Bill's hand with a JUP 126 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: and that's a I think they probably have a lot 127 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: of faith in what you're doing in Iowa, right as 128 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 1: a defensive lineman or other lineman as well. The bills 129 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: probably for you're, well, he's an Iowa d lineman. We 130 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: know what we're getting. You think that was part of it? Yeah, 131 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: I would think so many. You look at the track 132 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: record of the guys who we've put in the NFL, 133 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: the Adrian Clayborne, the Mike Daniels. Uh. And that's that's 134 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: only defensive side of the ball, car cool Christian ballad, 135 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: the listing go on. But you know, on the offensive 136 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: side too, we put in a lot of offensive I'm 137 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: in the NFL as well. And who do you think 138 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: they're going up against every day? Like iron sharpens iron 139 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: like that's something that we think is important here and 140 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: we feel really good about the product that we put 141 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: on the field, both on the offense and defense beside 142 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: of the ball up front, Kevin, I gotta ask you, 143 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: he said, Epinezza, you characterize him as a five star 144 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: athlete with a two star work ethic. Did you have 145 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: to teach him how to work hard? Did he get 146 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: that appetite to be better? Did he show up a 147 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: little bit timid? Or how do you give us an 148 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: evaluation of him? Now? Well, you know the thing that 149 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: he was always willing. That's that's one thing he was 150 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: never never resistant to, never resistant to coaching, never resistant 151 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,679 Speaker 1: to hey, you know, getting getting sued out. But again, 152 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: like I said, there's always an adjustment. The high school kid. 153 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: They all think. If you ask any high school kid, hey, 154 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: do you work hard? All of them are going to say, yes, absolutely, 155 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: I work hard. But they have no idea what it takes, 156 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: especially at the you know, at the FBS Big ten level, 157 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: what work and what working hard is. So that's one 158 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: thing that you know, it was an adjustment for him, 159 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: is working hard just wasn't a Monday thing or or 160 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: a Friday night thing. It was an everyday thing. And 161 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: it goes with the way you live your life, both 162 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: on and off the field. So yeah, I mean, but again, 163 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: he could have came in thinking that he had everything 164 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: figured out. Hey, I'm a five star kid, I had 165 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: thirty plus offers. You don't need to tell me what 166 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: I need to do, And he was it was quite 167 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: the opposite. He wanted to learn, He was hungry to learn. 168 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: And I'm excited for him in this situation going to 169 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: Buffalo because he's going to be surrounded by, you know, 170 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: some older guys, and he's just going to continue to 171 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 1: soap that up and continue to continue to thrive. I'm 172 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,960 Speaker 1: really really excited about the fit of that place. One 173 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: area he seems to fit. Coach, And we talked to 174 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 1: AJ Friday night. Was you know, we talked about how 175 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: he liked hanging with his family. Our family was important 176 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: to him, and you know it's different up here in Buffalo, 177 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 1: small towns. It's kind of a family atmosphere. He might 178 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,439 Speaker 1: like the atmosphere, right, he's not looking for bright lights 179 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: or in nightlife. Right, Yeah, that's that's I totally agree. Um. 180 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 1: You know, last summer I was at the Buffalo Bills 181 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: training camp at Saint Lawrence and up in Pittsford, and 182 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: you know, I just went up there, got an invite from, 183 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: you know, a guy who was on the scout, the 184 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: area scout, and I went and I was just surprised. 185 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: And I know Pittsford is in Buffalo, but just the 186 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: vibe that I got from one of the fans that 187 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: were there, and then too just uh, you know, just 188 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: the it wasn't a glitz and glam place. It wasn't 189 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: a real big showy place, and I thought, this is 190 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: not just perfect for a j it's perfect for our guys. Yet. 191 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: I Buck Gerers there, there's Nick Easley, there's Micah Hide. 192 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: Those are those are Iowa guys and they fit really well. 193 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: And I think, you know, it's a perfect culture fit 194 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: for uh. I think Iowa kids, all right. Coach, congratulations 195 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: on producing an NFL second round draft pick, and I 196 00:09:58,280 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: think it's gonna work out for the Bills. Saints coming 197 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: on the show with us today. Thanks for coming on, Calvin, 198 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: Thank you guys. Go Bills.