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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Drive. I'm dal Ali. He is

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Speaker 1: Matt Williamson. We are live at Steelers Ota Sessions here

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Speaker 1: for our number two of today's show on ESPN nine

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Speaker 1: seventy and Steelers Nation Radio. And you just heard the

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Speaker 1: horner that should end today's OTA session. We are hopeful

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Speaker 1: to get our guest today, Brendan Braden for Hoko.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that'd be great.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Getting these new guys fon.

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Speaker 1: Steeler's nose tackle. That's an interesting position.

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Speaker 2: I wanted to ask him about that.

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Speaker 1: The entire defensive line right now, if you look at it,

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Speaker 1: obviously got Cam Heyward and Larry Ogan Jobi.

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Speaker 2: They're making the team, you know what I mean, They're

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Speaker 2: making team.

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Speaker 1: Marvin lel Yeah, should be good.

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Speaker 2: And I think we should expect to step forward from

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Speaker 2: him this year.

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Speaker 1: You know, obviously they spend a second round draft pick

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Speaker 1: on Keanu Benton. So there's that's your four. There's four spots, yeah, right,

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Speaker 1: they typically keep six. They've done seven, and.

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Speaker 2: I can see seven this year. Yeah, especially consider inside

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Speaker 2: linebacks a little lighter.

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Speaker 1: Because you got for Hoko, you got Montravius Adams.

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Speaker 2: Do you think both those could make the team.

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Speaker 1: Man with with the addition of Benton, I don't see it.

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Speaker 2: I don't either. I think the writing's on the wall

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Speaker 2: that that's a you know, two dogs one.

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Speaker 1: But typically they don't cut a guy that they signed

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Speaker 1: in fast.

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Speaker 2: It doesn't bode well for Adams, right right.

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Speaker 1: But then you got guys like Jonathan Marshall, Isaiah louder Milk,

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Speaker 1: armand Watts and wats.

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Speaker 2: The guy they just signed signed, which I didn't I

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Speaker 2: took as a bad sign for louder Milk.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know. And then there's some you know, some

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Speaker 1: other guys there that are you know, more depth pieces.

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Speaker 2: But Marshalls on to throw away though Marshall don't.

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Speaker 1: Really He's played a good number of games in the

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Speaker 1: NFL as well, Like I think he gets paid to

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Speaker 1: pay for play football this year somewhere.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: So you start looking at that that room and you're like, okay,

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Speaker 1: they've you're talking, you know, now maybe two bones and.

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Speaker 2: Six dogs, yeah, I mean four are guaranteed. Yeah, and

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Speaker 2: your core guy, which is nice. Two of them are young,

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Speaker 2: one of them is your big time leader, and the

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Speaker 2: you know, the best player of the group by far,

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Speaker 2: and I expect a lot more at Oakunjobi too, you know, like.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it wasn't healthy.

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Speaker 2: Last year I wrote this past rush article and he

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Speaker 2: was one of many that had two sacks or less.

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Speaker 2: His history shows he's more productive than that, and we

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Speaker 2: often talked almost every Wednesday, every Thursday.

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Speaker 1: He practicing stuff.

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Speaker 2: Just get him the Sunday. Even when they signed him,

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Speaker 2: he was one hundred percent. So I don't think he's

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Speaker 2: going to be stuff on to it, but I think

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Speaker 2: he's going to be a more productive, useful player in

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Speaker 2: making tackles for loss and plays in the back.

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Speaker 1: So I think their their their plan is that Leal

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Speaker 1: or Benton become stuff onto it right right right? You know,

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Speaker 1: that's the that's the I praise. I mean, I mean,

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Speaker 1: I don't know if they can to. It was really good,

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Speaker 1: the height of his powers. But you drafted these guys

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Speaker 1: in the second and third rounds with the idea that

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Speaker 1: this is that's your future.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and Leale to me, he's really interesting and I

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Speaker 2: don't know that he'll be a huge snapcount guy. But

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Speaker 2: he was asked to do some different kind of things

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Speaker 2: last year too. I mean, he did some stand up,

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Speaker 2: which was nice because he can. But I think this

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Speaker 2: year they're going to say, you're a hand in the

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Speaker 2: dirt between the tackles, interior pass rusher and different package player.

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Speaker 2: You're not going to be standing up and moved all

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Speaker 2: over the place. So there's a couple of dudes on

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Speaker 2: this team. I mean I noticed this with Kendrick Green,

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Speaker 2: where it's just put them in one place and go

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Speaker 2: excel and Leal flashed last year. I mean, the end

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Speaker 2: of the season was pretty strong for him, so I'm

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Speaker 2: warming up to him being more and more productive. Him

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Speaker 2: and Benton are very different players, and I think their

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Speaker 2: snapcounts might change based on opponents and whatnot. Where Ogan,

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Speaker 2: Jobi and Heyward are going to be constance.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you've got a mix of different kind of body

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Speaker 1: types there, different styles, Guys who can play the nose, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: guys who can play outside, Guys who can play the

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Speaker 1: nose and play outside, which I think I think I

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Speaker 1: could be Bent and.

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Speaker 2: That could be Benton. Yeah. Yeah, and Cam can do it.

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Speaker 2: Of course. You know, you realize most snaps this group

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Speaker 2: we're talking about, there's only two of them on the field.

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Speaker 2: Not always, but mostly there's.

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Speaker 1: Two at least sixty five percent of the time.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and if those top four are eating up a

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Speaker 2: lot of those. That's a pretty good foursome. Yeah, and

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Speaker 2: if Benton's still learning, okay, well we'll give you fifteen

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Speaker 2: snaps in week one and by week five you have

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Speaker 2: twenty five. You know. Yeah, I mean that's the plan.

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Speaker 2: That's a good plan. Or an injury comes in, it

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Speaker 2: doesn't wreck things.

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Speaker 1: Yeah right. I mean you've got again more depth, depth, depth,

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Speaker 1: depth across the board. When you make a trade for

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Speaker 1: a guy like Armani Watts, who's played a lot in

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Speaker 1: this league, and you're like, well, I don't know if

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Speaker 1: he makes his team.

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Speaker 2: He's easily forgotten. But if that's your six guy, yeah,

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Speaker 2: I mean that's a lot better than it's Ben. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: it's a quality. I think he's a warmly.

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Speaker 1: Again if yeah, right, you know, you get into November

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Speaker 1: and you're going down to you know, Cleveland, you're going

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Speaker 1: to Cleveland, You're going down to Baltimore, and those guys

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Speaker 1: have to play a lot of snaps. You're like, okay, yeah,

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Speaker 1: you're not gonna be overwhelmed this. So we just brought

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Speaker 1: up warmly.

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Speaker 2: I mean, there's been a lot of games, a lot

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Speaker 2: of stints during his time here where he was the

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Speaker 2: third guy in that pecking order, yeah, you know, and

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Speaker 2: he probably should be the fifth, right where Watt's almost

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Speaker 2: the same player to me in terms of value, and

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Speaker 2: he's right now the sixth or maybe even seven, you know,

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Speaker 2: So the Warmly of two years ago to me, would

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Speaker 2: probably be sixth right now with this group or fifth,

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Speaker 2: you know, And that's what that's what you're looking.

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Speaker 1: For, right I mean, you're talking about a guy who

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Speaker 1: a couple of years ago got seven sacks.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, right, right now. I'm not discrediting his contributions. He

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Speaker 2: was a valuable guy. But you know, I think Watt

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Speaker 2: can do the same thing, but he's lower on the

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Speaker 2: depth chart, which just speaks to what they have right now. Yeah, again,

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Speaker 2: it's it's it's I love that Beton pick too.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, if we went over position by position, we did that,

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Speaker 1: we'd have the same discussion almost everywhere.

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Speaker 2: Almost everywhere, right right. I mean some off the ball

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Speaker 2: linebackers a little goofy, but even like Marcus Golden would

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Speaker 2: have been so valuable last.

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Speaker 1: Year, you know, I mean during the core of the year,

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Speaker 1: TJ's out for okay, well he's plugged this guy in

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Speaker 1: and yeah, he's going to give you, you know, during those

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Speaker 1: six games or seven games, whatever it was, He'll give

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Speaker 1: you three sacks, quality player.

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Speaker 2: Okay, that was more than you got at as an

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Speaker 2: NFL starter.

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Speaker 1: You know, now, maybe Alex high Smith isn't getting the

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Speaker 1: tag team double teams that he was getting.

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Speaker 2: Right, and can't stress us enough. I mean, they were

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Speaker 2: remarkably fortunate that none of the old linemen went down.

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Speaker 2: But if any of the old linemen go down this year,

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Speaker 2: I'm not saying they won't miss a beat, but they're

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Speaker 2: way better chance to make up for that than they

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Speaker 2: would have a year ago. Yeah, for sure. And that's

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Speaker 2: true all over the roster right now. I'm just looking

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Speaker 2: so true quarterback. It's true everywhere.

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Speaker 1: Did our guys sneak in and we miss him? Here?

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Speaker 2: I haven't seen him, but I haven't been good.

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Speaker 1: At a lot of the defensive linemen have gone off.

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Speaker 1: I'm looking across the field. There is he still out there.

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Speaker 1: He's wearing number ninety six.

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Speaker 2: Let's get the eyeballs out on.

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Speaker 1: Some of these guys take their their stuff right practices.

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Speaker 2: Obviously, it's don't see a lot of gold jerseys out there.

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Speaker 1: They might be over there hitting the Yeah, it.

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Speaker 2: Looks like some big bodies hitting the sledge over there. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: so I think Leal's over there, and it's hard to

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Speaker 2: a bunch of o linemen in the way. They're better

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Speaker 2: doors and windows, right, very big men standing in our instructing.

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Speaker 2: That's what they do. That's what offensive their job.

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Speaker 1: Man.

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Speaker 2: That's kind of the picket fence.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what they do. But yeah, once again, a

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Speaker 1: lot of guys, even though practices has been over for

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Speaker 1: ten minutes now, still out there getting working.

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Speaker 2: Is it harder today than the spend? I mean it's

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Speaker 2: not bugging me or anything, but it seems stickier. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you think it's cooler.

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Speaker 1: I think there's a little bit of a breeze.

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Speaker 2: Today, Okay, I mean, but it's a hazy though. They

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Speaker 2: aren't anxious to get off the field. That's one thing

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Speaker 2: I've noticed already this week, week three of OTA's I

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Speaker 2: think more bodies have stayed on after than the first two.

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Speaker 2: And I was commending them the first two weeks.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. So that that defensive that defensive line room, it's

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Speaker 1: a good one, a very good again. Two premium picks

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Speaker 1: are the last two years. Obviously they have some intent there.

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Speaker 2: I mean, frankly, if only one hit and they both

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Speaker 2: look promising. You'd be happy. Yeah, I mean that's it's

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Speaker 2: a good hit rate. I mean, and it could be

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Speaker 2: an impact guy.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I look at that defense and again you mentioned, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, the addition of Marcus Golden. You know, now

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Speaker 1: you're you're looking at a situation where Nick Herbig doesn't

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Speaker 1: have to play. Yeah, you know, now he can. He

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Speaker 1: can be a special teams guy and and do those

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Speaker 1: kind of things if he if he hits, great great, right,

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Speaker 1: you know, if he doesn't, you can you can do

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Speaker 1: something you know, different stuff with him. Uh, maybe you

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Speaker 1: slide him inside at some point, but you don't need

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Speaker 1: him to play.

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Speaker 2: Right, And we talked to Herbig and liked him a

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Speaker 2: lot going into the draft, not knowing he was gonna

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Speaker 2: be a Steeler, And in all the mock drafts we did,

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Speaker 2: he ended up on our team. Fairmounts. Yeah, Fairmounts. I

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Speaker 2: mean we were fans. But frankly, when the draft ended,

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Speaker 2: I thought he worries not he worries me. That worked me. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you know what I mean, count on a fourth round rookie,

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Speaker 2: right right, right right, And it doesn't sound like much,

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Speaker 2: but I mean Jami or Joe was out of the equations, Like,

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Speaker 2: I know, I can at least throw him out there

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Speaker 2: and he won't embarrass himself for ten to fifteen snaps

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Speaker 2: a game. And you're gonna count on this fourth round

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Speaker 2: rookie that's a little undersize and maybe in the end

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Speaker 2: ends up on the second level for that stuff to

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Speaker 2: do battle against Orlando Brown, you know what I mean, Like,

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Speaker 2: I don't love that situation. You can just see where

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Speaker 2: it would go wrong.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, I look at it's cornerback.

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Speaker 1: You got Peterson, you got Porter, you got Pierre, you

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Speaker 1: got Levi Wallace, you got Corey Trice.

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Speaker 2: I mean it's a crowded room too.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a crowded and then they've already moved on

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Speaker 1: from which Yeah, they like Duke Dawson.

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Speaker 2: You know he's not a throwaway name either.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. So I mean they got some guys there that

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Speaker 1: you look at it, you okay, they get quality depth there.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean you're hoping one of them becomes a star.

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Speaker 2: But if they don't, I can live with it. I mean,

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Speaker 2: corner to me is a corner and no line to me. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I want to have all pros. Of course, you want

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Speaker 2: them every where. But if I don't have holes, I'm

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Speaker 2: pretty happy.

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Speaker 1: If I rush the passer, well, you know which the

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Speaker 1: Steelers should this year.

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Speaker 2: And Minka makes up for a lot of faults too, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I mean just him. Roaman on the back end is

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Speaker 2: very valuable. But yeah, if you have a corner room

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Speaker 2: that goes four or five deep of dudes that aren't bad, yeah,

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Speaker 2: that's rare in this league right now. It's kind of

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Speaker 2: like an OH line room that goes eight or nine

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Speaker 2: with dudes that aren't bad.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know it's you know, I look at safety.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned Fitzpatrick, you got Kean O'Neil, you get the

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Speaker 1: monte k z get. These guys have played a lot

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Speaker 1: of football in this league.

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Speaker 2: They have, and Neil's an easy guy to forget about,

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Speaker 2: right Yeah, I mean I bet he ends up contributing

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Speaker 2: every week.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and you look at Trey Norwood. There you got

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Speaker 1: Miles killer Brew's making his team. Elijah Riley is a

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Speaker 1: guy who's on their practice squad. Last year, he started

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Speaker 1: a fair number of games in this league as well.

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Speaker 2: And so he's another name that's not a throwaway. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: they probably have who's the lineback? I should know this

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Speaker 2: because it's not really proved my point so well because

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Speaker 2: I forgot his name, but the linebacker they picked up

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Speaker 2: from the Giants.

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Speaker 1: He's gone, hey, cut it?

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Speaker 2: Oh did they Okay? Okay, I say there's a handful

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Speaker 2: of those dudes that aren't projected to make the team because.

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Speaker 1: He's really not going to make the team.

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Speaker 2: Now, well, he's a bad example, Matt.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, but you look at that inside linebacker position. It's

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Speaker 1: uh focos coming over here.

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Speaker 2: You want to go to break?

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Speaker 1: You're gonna take a break here so we can get

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Speaker 1: all of Braden Fojko. He is Matt Williams and I'm

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Speaker 1: dal Lallie. You're listening to the Drive on Steelers Nation

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Speaker 1: Radio ESPN nine seventy. We'll be back with more right

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Speaker 1: after this.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back.

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Speaker 1: I am Dale Lowly. He is Matt Williamson. This is

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Speaker 1: a special edition of the Drive here on Steelers Nation

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Speaker 1: Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We are live from Steelers

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Speaker 1: Ota Sessions, and we're pleased to be joined now by

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Speaker 1: Steelers Nose Tackle Braiden Forojko and I probably mispronounced it

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Speaker 1: for Hokojoko for Hako Hoko focos okay on we'll get

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Speaker 1: it right. We'll get it right for Hoko and Braiden.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to Pittsburgh. We haven't had a chance to have

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Speaker 1: you on the area yet here, but uh uh you

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Speaker 1: like in Pittsburgh? What do you what do you like?

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Speaker 1: You know it's a different You've been with the Chargers

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Speaker 1: for a few years, but you know you making a

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Speaker 1: little different environment.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's very different. You know we talked about earlier,

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Speaker 3: you know, before we went live. Is just the tradition

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Speaker 3: of the city. They really love football here and they

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Speaker 3: appreciate it. You know, you see it from Otash. We're

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Speaker 3: out there competing. You know, Coach t is trying to

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Speaker 3: tell us to calm down a little bit, which is

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Speaker 3: a good which is a good thing, you know, in

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Speaker 3: our profession. But just seeing the guys, I mean to

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Speaker 3: turnout everybody's here, you know, you don't see that everywhere,

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Speaker 3: you know, where guys are one hundred percent buy in

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Speaker 3: in voluntary workouts. So you know, I'm happy to be

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Speaker 3: a part of this culture. I'm happy to contribute in

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Speaker 3: any way possible, shape or form I can and you know,

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Speaker 3: ready to hit this thing rolling in the troll.

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Speaker 2: I think you enjoyed Latrow. But I was really impressed

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Speaker 2: these couple of weeks with all the energy here at OTAs.

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Speaker 2: That's not unusual year to year, but a lot of

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Speaker 2: new faces like yourself, We've been fortunate enough to sit

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Speaker 2: down with a bunch of them. But media pit being

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Speaker 2: next door, there's just a lot of buzz here at

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Speaker 2: these OTAs. Is that the feeling you get to.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's it's very cool right that the

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Speaker 3: University of pitt is right next door. When we walk

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Speaker 3: out for field, walk out to the field for practices,

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Speaker 3: you know, we see the young college guys practicing and

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Speaker 3: you know, it's that that football culture you develop here

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Speaker 3: and it just builds over time. And it's cool because

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Speaker 3: you know, you see everybody's kind of bought in. You know,

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Speaker 3: like I said, you really don't see teams have one

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Speaker 3: hundred percent buy into a voluntary workout. You know, when

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Speaker 3: you got guys like Cam Hayward and t J. Watt

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Speaker 3: and Minka Fits out there going full speed, you know,

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Speaker 3: it's like, all right, keep up, it's time to go. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: it's time to go.

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Speaker 2: What's Cam like in that D line?

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Speaker 3: A leader, a season veteran, one of the best players

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Speaker 3: to play the position in the game, and I'm very

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Speaker 3: fortunate to you know, be in a meeting room with

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Speaker 3: him every day, be on the field working with him,

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Speaker 3: grinding with him, and just picking his brain whenever I can.

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Speaker 3: You know, he's always a player I've looked up to

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Speaker 3: since I've been in high school. You know, I don't

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Speaker 3: want to I don't want to say that. You know,

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Speaker 3: we were talking lockers. I was like, can what years

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Speaker 3: is for you? And He's like, going to your thirteen?

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Speaker 2: I was like, wow, imagine it'll be that good in

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Speaker 2: your thirteen.

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Speaker 3: I know he's still in the of is playing ages

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Speaker 3: like fine one.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned culture. You come from an LSU program

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Speaker 1: that uh you know, we won little Natty championship there

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Speaker 1: just a little bit. Yeah, I'm gonna play against that quarterback.

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Speaker 1: You're gone, what's uh? What's it like? You know when

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Speaker 1: you when you go to a program like that and

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Speaker 1: you're part of that culture. Can can that carry over

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Speaker 1: to the NFL?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, without a doubt. You know, you really don't learn

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Speaker 3: to appreciate and love football until your limits are tested.

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Speaker 3: And that is one hundred degree Faull camp Weather in

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Speaker 3: Baton Rouge Louisiana and so you know, during my early

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Speaker 3: years in LA you know, in southern California where it

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Speaker 3: was seventy one and we were practicing in the morning

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Speaker 3: with nice cool breeze and you know, the oceans about

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Speaker 3: five miles away, you're not really tested on how to

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Speaker 3: love and appreciate football as much. So, you know, my

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Speaker 3: earlier as at LSU really taught me on you know,

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Speaker 3: do you really love football you want to give it

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Speaker 3: your all? Well, this is what you've got to sacrifice.

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Speaker 2: Not to mention the competition is great and you're eighteen years.

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Speaker 3: Old and right at all, but I think we have

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Speaker 3: we produce the best players.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Patrick Peterson's some good things to say last week.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's speaking of Pat and Pat Peters and can

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Speaker 1: that same draft. So are we going to get to

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Speaker 1: see the hawka in the training camp this year?

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Speaker 3: That's the that's the plan. I mean, they just have

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Speaker 3: to catch me on a day off, you know. Uh

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Speaker 3: the hawkahs. It's a it's such a traditional war cry.

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Speaker 3: You know, I do it with so much passion energy.

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Speaker 3: We call it mana in the Islands. You know, it's

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Speaker 3: the it's the life force within you, the energy, your

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Speaker 3: body produces from your ancestors. But as far as before practice,

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Speaker 3: knowing how long the practices are and how are we

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Speaker 3: grind on, You're gonna have to catch me on a

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Speaker 3: day off.

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Speaker 2: There's some energy you haven't been there yet. That that's

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Speaker 2: that's that whole place. You talk about tradition. I bet

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Speaker 2: it brings it out of you. That's all I'm gonna say. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I think you're gonna enjoy camp quite good traditions.

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Speaker 3: But I for sure, for sure would love to, you know,

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Speaker 3: share my culture with with the guys, the coaches, and

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Speaker 3: you know, the fans as well.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure it's a coincidence, but it seems like the

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Speaker 2: Steelers all of a sudden have this infusion of Island culture.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you don't know the before of it, but

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Speaker 2: a lot of you guys have come from the Islands

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Speaker 2: and I can feel the energy there. It's a very

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Speaker 2: different way of viewing the sport, and you know, it's

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Speaker 2: new to USh. I think it's phenomenal.

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Speaker 3: It's so funny. You know, when I signed here back

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Speaker 3: in April, hm, you know, when I came on my visit,

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Speaker 3: I the first thing we talked about, you know, with

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Speaker 3: Omar and Andy and those guys. Was not about football

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Speaker 3: but about the police.

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Speaker 1: Wow.

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Speaker 3: You know they you know, signed Isaac, they signed Nate Jaalen.

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Speaker 1: Warren was already here the draft Nate's brother. You know.

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Speaker 3: Not only that, but we talk about the history of

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Speaker 3: the Pollies that have been here. You know, Troy, I mean,

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Speaker 3: you gotta start with Troy first, kent to Chris Wa Matamofala,

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Speaker 3: all these guys that I know personally, I mean, just

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Speaker 3: because growing up in Hawaii.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I'm sure Troy is a legend. Is a legend.

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Speaker 1: Troy and Chris and.

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Speaker 3: Tyson, you know. I mean I need to slap for

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Speaker 3: not mentioning that's a real that's a real we up

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Speaker 3: in that we grew up in the same city.

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Speaker 1: Really, you know, he's been.

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Speaker 3: Been a huge mentor of mine, been a huge just

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Speaker 3: you know, a guy that always reached out everyoneever. I

403
00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,840
Speaker 3: was in college and you know, hey, b this is Tice.

404
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Speaker 3: You ever need anything, you know, advice or whatever, Here's

405
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Speaker 3: my number. And you know, even when I signed here,

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Speaker 3: and you know, he reached out. He's like, you want

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Speaker 3: to come over, you know, have a barbecue or something.

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Speaker 3: You're still here leting They all reach out. So it's

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Speaker 3: been awesome to have other Polynesians here, you know, because

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Speaker 3: you know, the organization understands your culture. They understand the

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Speaker 3: type of atmosphere we as Polynesians bring to the table,

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Speaker 3: and it's just so awesome to be embodied by that.

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Speaker 1: You know, what is it about the Polynesian culture, which

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Speaker 1: it seems like football is such a big part of it.

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Speaker 3: It's all we have. I wouldn't say it's all We're good,

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Speaker 3: but it's it's like a way out for our community,

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Speaker 3: especially being in Hawaii. You know, we come from such

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Speaker 3: a small island, and even if you go to the

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Speaker 3: Pacific Islands, you know, throwing some more Fiji, Tahiti, you know,

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Speaker 3: New Zealand, you know where rugby is kind of the

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Speaker 3: main source of like the.

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Speaker 1: Main sport similar.

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Speaker 3: And so football has been the way out for Polynies

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Speaker 3: that have come before me, you know, the Troy's, the

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Speaker 3: holoit Nadas, the junior sales. It's been a way out.

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Speaker 3: It's been a way for the rest of the world

427
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Speaker 3: to appreciate. I think the embodiment of our physicalityticism, not

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Speaker 3: just Polynesians being able to play offensive line of defensive

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Speaker 3: line right you know, it's just a way for people

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Speaker 3: to just understand it. Then outside of football, what football

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Speaker 3: brings is now you see guys like myself doing the hawka.

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00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,080
Speaker 3: Now you see you know me and Isaac, you know,

433
00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:57,600
Speaker 3: we always we like drinking copa. It's a traditional Polynesian drink.

434
00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,760
Speaker 3: It's not alcoholic, non alcoholic, but it's a traditional drink.

435
00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,960
Speaker 3: We partaken and you know, we get to share with

436
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,760
Speaker 3: each other. We share stories, we sing, we laugh, we

437
00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,520
Speaker 3: play cards. But things like that is what football has

438
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,320
Speaker 3: granted and gifted us as Polynesians to share with the world.

439
00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,000
Speaker 2: I'm really expecting the Polynesian influence to show up in

440
00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,439
Speaker 2: La Trobe. Everybody's in the dorms and dog days, and

441
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,040
Speaker 2: I think it's really gonna surface there. Yeah, they energize team.

442
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,200
Speaker 1: It's interesting. You know. I my wife and I went

443
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,880
Speaker 1: to Hawaii, we visited last summer, and we drove to

444
00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:34,560
Speaker 1: the road to Hannah And as we're driving back, we

445
00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,639
Speaker 1: get that to the backside of the island and I

446
00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,199
Speaker 1: see a sign along the road for football sign ups.

447
00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,840
Speaker 1: I'm like, who do you playing when you're all the

448
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,560
Speaker 1: way out here? Yeah, you can't get a bus here.

449
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,120
Speaker 3: No, it's it's it's genuine.

450
00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,119
Speaker 1: You know, it's genuine. You've gotta love the game to

451
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:51,399
Speaker 1: do that.

452
00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,960
Speaker 3: You have to because there's there's no you know, big

453
00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,040
Speaker 3: media outlets out there that are going to cover it

454
00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,239
Speaker 3: right right right, you know, not as much exposure as

455
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,399
Speaker 3: you would get into cal California, Texas or Florida, you

456
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,439
Speaker 3: know type of atmosphere. So kids really love ball in

457
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,960
Speaker 3: the Islands. And every time I have a chance to

458
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,600
Speaker 3: give back, whether it's you know, go donate to a

459
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,480
Speaker 3: camp or you know, send my old gear back to

460
00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:15,040
Speaker 3: you know, the kids at the high school back home,

461
00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:16,720
Speaker 3: I always do it because I know they appreciate it,

462
00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:18,880
Speaker 3: and that's like the biggest thing to them.

463
00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,800
Speaker 2: I'm sure colleges are catching on compared to ten years ago,

464
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,639
Speaker 2: fifteen years ago, and they're recruiting the Islands a lot more, right.

465
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think I think what Polynesians bring

466
00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,640
Speaker 3: to the table, what they lack for in like speed,

467
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:36,760
Speaker 3: is the density of our bones. It's scientifically proved, right,

468
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,520
Speaker 3: real dense, thick bones.

469
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:46,040
Speaker 2: And you know, if.

470
00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:47,440
Speaker 3: You're ever not sure if somebody is a polygon, but

471
00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,679
Speaker 3: it's it's cool, you know, we we bring a different

472
00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,280
Speaker 3: type of physicality to the sport, and I think that

473
00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:53,600
Speaker 3: it's a.

474
00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,239
Speaker 2: Body types translate very well, very well, very well.

475
00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, we leverage and it's and you need it.

476
00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,920
Speaker 3: You know, it's today's day and age. So I'm excited

477
00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,359
Speaker 3: that there's more. There's other guys that look like me

478
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:06,040
Speaker 3: in the locker room.

479
00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:07,440
Speaker 2: It's really cool.

480
00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,000
Speaker 1: You mentioned Tyson. He's one of the guys you were

481
00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,960
Speaker 1: kind of brought into to replace. Is that how do

482
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,440
Speaker 1: you approach as a kind of bittersweet that like you're

483
00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,400
Speaker 1: replacing the guy that you've known for a long time.

484
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:23,119
Speaker 3: I think it's very full circle. You know, he's one

485
00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,080
Speaker 3: of those guys I watched since his early days at

486
00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:27,240
Speaker 3: cal you know, even when he was drafted to Jacksonville,

487
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:29,080
Speaker 3: even in his high school days when he went to

488
00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,320
Speaker 3: Saint Louis. You know, Tyson was one of those guys.

489
00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,600
Speaker 3: He played against my older brother, who was offensive lineman,

490
00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,280
Speaker 3: and so it was played it they was one against

491
00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:39,600
Speaker 3: each other, and Tyson was was a guy that, you know,

492
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,480
Speaker 3: very humble man a few words, but you know, he

493
00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,240
Speaker 3: played his heart out and left everything out there. And

494
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:46,560
Speaker 3: so you know, I only hope to be, you know,

495
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,560
Speaker 3: half the player he was here there's that's very big

496
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,359
Speaker 3: shoes to fill and what he was able to do

497
00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,680
Speaker 3: here and so you know, hopefully I'm able to carve out,

498
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,320
Speaker 3: you know, my own role of myself and uh, you know,

499
00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:58,600
Speaker 3: but just add to the list of great Paul News

500
00:21:58,640 --> 00:21:59,480
Speaker 3: that I've come before.

501
00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,879
Speaker 2: Me here, as you know, I mean, and Tyson was

502
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:03,960
Speaker 2: the epitome of this. There's a lot of the nose

503
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,480
Speaker 2: tackle a gap players don't get the big stats, don't

504
00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,159
Speaker 2: get you know, they do the dirty work and what

505
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,000
Speaker 2: they do is greatly respected. You know, what's your take

506
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,919
Speaker 2: on the nose tackle position now around the league? You know,

507
00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:16,679
Speaker 2: it's not glorified, you know, you.

508
00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:19,840
Speaker 3: Know, it's it's kind of turning into the old fullback position.

509
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:21,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, kind of thinking the same thing.

510
00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,439
Speaker 3: You know, you don't know you need it until you

511
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:26,800
Speaker 3: need it, and so, you know, I think it's a

512
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,119
Speaker 3: it's a fallen art. I think everybody just kind of

513
00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,919
Speaker 3: recruits tackles nowadays. When you throw nose in front of

514
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:36,399
Speaker 3: the tackle, everybody thinks of like a bigger body and

515
00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:42,760
Speaker 3: you know, wide type of vince you know. But the

516
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:44,919
Speaker 3: general embodiment of nose tackle is to make sure that

517
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,399
Speaker 3: they don't run the ball. In between the tackles from

518
00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:50,639
Speaker 3: U B gap to B gap. You want to make

519
00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,199
Speaker 3: sure the lanes are technically clogged, but you're playing your

520
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,200
Speaker 3: blocks well. And so you know, I take a lot

521
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:56,440
Speaker 3: of pride in that. I take a lot of pride

522
00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,159
Speaker 3: in making sure there's no running between the tackles. I

523
00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:01,800
Speaker 3: take a lot of pride and you know, putting my

524
00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:03,520
Speaker 3: hands in the center making sure he doesn't climbing to

525
00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,879
Speaker 3: the linebacker. And you know, watching the Pittsburgh tee this

526
00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,000
Speaker 3: for years one of three four, I mean since Casey

527
00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,680
Speaker 3: was playing those guys, you know, getting to watch guys

528
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,960
Speaker 3: like Brett Keiso and I'm not even naming those tackles,

529
00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,000
Speaker 3: but just a defensive line that's playing the three four. Here,

530
00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,280
Speaker 3: you watch the embodiment of how they play football in

531
00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,359
Speaker 3: a three four. It's all very gritty, hard nosed. Nobody

532
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,000
Speaker 3: runs between the tackles, and we take a lot of

533
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,000
Speaker 3: pride in playing.

534
00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:24,680
Speaker 2: Football, and the linebackers really appreciate it.

535
00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,560
Speaker 1: Oh best money steak dinners.

536
00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, Deserve showed me you love me by getting

537
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:31,119
Speaker 3: me some steak dinners.

538
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,840
Speaker 1: So you're twenty six years old and you're dropping these

539
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 1: names from the past, like it's just nothing. You have

540
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:37,719
Speaker 1: to be a football junkie.

541
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,119
Speaker 3: I'm a sports junkie. I love sports in general. I

542
00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,520
Speaker 3: grew up watching sports, but football is my passion.

543
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:45,359
Speaker 2: You know, I love it.

544
00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,160
Speaker 3: Me and my brother we always collect the football cards

545
00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,320
Speaker 3: as kids. I mean, I said, we went back home

546
00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,520
Speaker 3: to Hawaii this past summer and in our old storage,

547
00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:56,000
Speaker 3: I mean, I have like six of those home depot

548
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,480
Speaker 3: toes just filled of just Panini cards and Tops cards,

549
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,480
Speaker 3: all types of you know, we'd always test each other

550
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,520
Speaker 3: on Oh, what did this guy go to college? You know,

551
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,040
Speaker 3: what did he play? What was his stats? What do

552
00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,520
Speaker 3: you have touchdowns that year? And so I love this game.

553
00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,480
Speaker 3: It's brought me so much joy. It's brought me so

554
00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,840
Speaker 3: much highs and lows. But more than anything, it's taking

555
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,480
Speaker 3: me places that I would never imagine i'd be.

556
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,840
Speaker 1: It's kind of crazy you mentioned that, because, as Matt

557
00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,080
Speaker 1: just said, you play a position where you don't get

558
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:20,719
Speaker 1: a lot of stats.

559
00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:22,480
Speaker 2: In the back of your football card doesn't look as

560
00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:23,639
Speaker 2: good in front of it.

561
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:25,480
Speaker 3: My front doesn't look that good.

562
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:28,520
Speaker 2: You said it, not me.

563
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,359
Speaker 1: I don't know. You get those arms are like tree trucks.

564
00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:34,320
Speaker 1: Shoot your arms like my legs.

565
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,359
Speaker 3: I need to slim down the stomach and we'll start talking.

566
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,480
Speaker 3: We'll start talking Sports Illustrated Magazine.

567
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,200
Speaker 1: Well, we will let you get going here, Brad, and

568
00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,080
Speaker 1: we don't want to hold you up very much longer.

569
00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,560
Speaker 1: But yeah, our guest has been braidon for HOKO, the

570
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,040
Speaker 1: Steelers News Nose Tackle. We welcome you to Pittsburgh. I

571
00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,120
Speaker 1: wish you all the luck in the world and looking

572
00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:53,240
Speaker 1: forward to seeing on the field.

573
00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:54,720
Speaker 3: Appreciate you guys, Thank you.

574
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:54,879
Speaker 2: Thank you.

575
00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,240
Speaker 1: Matt Williams and I am Dale, Lallie. You're listening to

576
00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:59,680
Speaker 1: the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. We'll be back

577
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:06,640
Speaker 1: with more right after this. We are back. I am

578
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,240
Speaker 1: Dale Ali, he is Matt Williams, and we are live

579
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,200
Speaker 1: at the Steelers Ota Sessions here at the up mc

580
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,720
Speaker 1: rooney Sports Complex. And uh, what a fun interview with

581
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:16,640
Speaker 1: Brandon Foco.

582
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,800
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely a lot of energy, extremely well spoken, smart,

583
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 2: great background. I love the LS Yeah, I'd love the

584
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,840
Speaker 2: LSU stuff. I mean, he's been around. We had a

585
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:29,920
Speaker 2: really good talk with him before we hit record while

586
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,280
Speaker 2: we were break. To be honest with you, and you know,

587
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,359
Speaker 2: not to jump in front of you here, but what

588
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,439
Speaker 2: stood out to me was like, there's not a history

589
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,159
Speaker 2: test when you get here. You don't have to know

590
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,560
Speaker 2: the history of the nose tackle position in here or

591
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,320
Speaker 2: the history of the Polynesian folks that have been steelers.

592
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:47,080
Speaker 2: But boy, he was.

593
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,200
Speaker 1: All over rattled them off like nothing right.

594
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,919
Speaker 2: I would have maybe forgot Kumotu or Fu or you know,

595
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:54,679
Speaker 2: and needed a second to think about it, and he

596
00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,639
Speaker 2: just nailed him. It's great. He's gonna be a great addition.

597
00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,240
Speaker 1: The only one thing thank you forgot was toss say

598
00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:04,080
Speaker 1: a foul movie. I'm going way I'm going way back

599
00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,359
Speaker 1: on that one was very early, you know, in early

600
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:07,040
Speaker 1: in the color.

601
00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,480
Speaker 2: Years, and I didn't realize you had a relationship with

602
00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:11,240
Speaker 2: Tyson before getting here too.

603
00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,760
Speaker 1: That's the one thing you do find with the guys

604
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,800
Speaker 1: from the Islands because it is such a small community. Sure,

605
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,199
Speaker 1: you know, they do know each other and they go

606
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,480
Speaker 1: to camps together. He mentioned his brother played against you.

607
00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,280
Speaker 2: Know, yeah right, he was an offensive lineman trying to

608
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,640
Speaker 2: block Tyson, right right, Yeah, you're gonna know them, Yeah,

609
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:28,960
Speaker 2: you're gonna know you know them, of course. But it's

610
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:29,760
Speaker 2: interesting that they.

611
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,639
Speaker 1: People look at like the whippiel you know, that's basically

612
00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:34,560
Speaker 1: what the islands are.

613
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:35,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good point.

614
00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,600
Speaker 1: You know, you've got you know, these twenty five high schools,

615
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,600
Speaker 1: and that's who they play against. They don't there's nobody

616
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:40,840
Speaker 1: else to.

617
00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:43,840
Speaker 2: Play against, right, But it sure seems like that he's

618
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,000
Speaker 2: not alone, but he's certainly involved of the guys that

619
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,160
Speaker 2: have made it of giving back, you know what I mean,

620
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,200
Speaker 2: they all do that. Yeah, that's really cool.

621
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:55,399
Speaker 1: You understand again that I have such a respect for that,

622
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:59,480
Speaker 1: for the Polynesian culture and what they do. In fact,

623
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,080
Speaker 1: as you know, my wife and I did the whole

624
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,159
Speaker 1: White trip last year and I'm like, we got to

625
00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:06,600
Speaker 1: go to a lu al and I want I want

626
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,440
Speaker 1: to alul and the one that we went to had

627
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,560
Speaker 1: showed all the different dances they brought. They you know,

628
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:14,439
Speaker 1: this is this is the dance. You know, this is

629
00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:17,160
Speaker 1: the this tradition of traditional dance, and this traditional dance.

630
00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:19,480
Speaker 1: Because all the you know, the different cultures of different islands,

631
00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,400
Speaker 1: we think them all is the same. They're different dialects

632
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,280
Speaker 1: and right right, and they all have their different dances.

633
00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:26,719
Speaker 1: And I thought that was just fascinating.

634
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:28,800
Speaker 2: I bet, I bet, And I'm sure they explained it

635
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,240
Speaker 2: to you and all that and you could tell how

636
00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,240
Speaker 2: important it is to him and how proud he is

637
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,880
Speaker 2: of it. And the same is true with Isaac And

638
00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:37,399
Speaker 2: you know, I mean, I think that's going to be

639
00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,760
Speaker 2: a theme. And it amazes me how much Polynesian infusion

640
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:43,800
Speaker 2: all of a sudden this team has. And I can't

641
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:48,520
Speaker 2: help but think that's a good thing. Brings toughness, toughness.

642
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:49,600
Speaker 1: Love of the gameality.

643
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,679
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I love that he recognized too that

644
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,400
Speaker 2: I mean, not all walks of life are built the same.

645
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,800
Speaker 2: He's like, our bones are denser, we have bigger calves,

646
00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,880
Speaker 2: you know. I mean, there's some leverage issues and things

647
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:01,199
Speaker 2: are very football related.

648
00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, and you know you see that they're like,

649
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:09,560
Speaker 1: you know, Jaylen Warren is a shorter guy, but he's built.

650
00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,399
Speaker 1: He's pretty thick. He's pretty thick the way, right. You

651
00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:14,880
Speaker 1: know that that Polynesian background.

652
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,600
Speaker 2: Is Detroit the same way. Yeah, very muscles on muscles

653
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,160
Speaker 2: and you know the rounder build, you know what I mean.

654
00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, so, uh yeah, looking forward just to seeing him

655
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,360
Speaker 1: on the football field and.

656
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,720
Speaker 2: See that taka. Oh that's gonna come out, man. I

657
00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,480
Speaker 2: think it's gonna be the peak of camp, the dog

658
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,640
Speaker 2: days of camp, he's gonna light everybody up and they'll

659
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:34,040
Speaker 2: get the whole thing going. And you can see it's

660
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:34,879
Speaker 2: really important to him too.

661
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:36,680
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I mean, well his dad, that's what his dad.

662
00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,520
Speaker 1: It's a traditional miority dance, and that's what his dad

663
00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,440
Speaker 1: does for a living, right, I mean I believe so

664
00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,360
Speaker 1: so very interesting, very interesting guy and I think another

665
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,040
Speaker 1: get another good addition to that locker room.

666
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,800
Speaker 2: And good football player too. I think he understands his

667
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:53,720
Speaker 2: role and hey, I don't need the back of my

668
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,600
Speaker 2: football card doesn't need to be littered with sacks and numbers,

669
00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,360
Speaker 2: and if I can do my job between the b gaps,

670
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:01,160
Speaker 2: it's going to be valuable to.

671
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:03,320
Speaker 1: I do think it's interesting that when you look at

672
00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,959
Speaker 1: both he and Montrevius Adams and people might look at

673
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,280
Speaker 1: that and go, well, these guys are spend time on

674
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:12,719
Speaker 1: practice squads. Sure, because, as he mentioned, the nose tackle

675
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,440
Speaker 1: position is not one that all teams feel like they

676
00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,720
Speaker 1: need it. It's much like the fullback position.

677
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,880
Speaker 2: Yeah exactly. I mean like if he were as good

678
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,920
Speaker 2: as his job as he is as a nose and

679
00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:26,280
Speaker 2: was a left tackle, he wouldn't spend a second on

680
00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,080
Speaker 2: a practice No.

681
00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,720
Speaker 1: You're mean you're not gonna expose that guy to somebody

682
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,200
Speaker 1: signing him. But because teams now.

683
00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,600
Speaker 2: Feel not a huge demand, we don't need a nose tackle,

684
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,360
Speaker 2: and some teams don't even use one, right, you know,

685
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:37,880
Speaker 2: you just.

686
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,920
Speaker 1: Don't have one on your roster and you don't know

687
00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:42,640
Speaker 1: you need them until if you're standing there in the

688
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,440
Speaker 1: fourth quarter of a game and it's you know, you're

689
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,800
Speaker 1: down three points and that team's running the football on you.

690
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:48,760
Speaker 2: I think how he said it, and it was really

691
00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:50,880
Speaker 2: well said, as the whole interview was was you don't

692
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,840
Speaker 2: know you need us until you need us. And I

693
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,640
Speaker 2: remember Casey Hampton vividly, and you'd remember even better than

694
00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,680
Speaker 2: I do. Was teams would either game it up so

695
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,360
Speaker 2: he doesn't play and sits there and holds his helmet

696
00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,400
Speaker 2: on the on the sideline because they're just gonna throw throw, throw, throw,

697
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 2: or you're gonna put him in the game and try

698
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,680
Speaker 2: to move them and then it goes your run gig,

699
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,200
Speaker 2: you know what I mean? Right, It was kind of

700
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:15,920
Speaker 2: a catch twenty two and even he had great value

701
00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,640
Speaker 2: even when he played ten snaps of games. In some instances.

702
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I can remember having that conversation with Casey,

703
00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,880
Speaker 1: you know, with games where he played fourteen snaps and

704
00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,840
Speaker 1: he's like, you know, they're throwing every down now in

705
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:27,960
Speaker 1: case he thought he could rush the.

706
00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,600
Speaker 2: Passer and there, yeah.

707
00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:32,880
Speaker 1: He could some, but not as well as some of

708
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,360
Speaker 1: the other guys that you're gonna put out. Sure, but

709
00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,440
Speaker 1: I'm sure it's frustrating for those guys.

710
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,400
Speaker 2: That in a way, right when I play football, I

711
00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 2: can scheme away to get you off the field if

712
00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,000
Speaker 2: you're really good at what you do, but it's also

713
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:44,640
Speaker 2: a compliment.

714
00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, But at the same time, if if you don't

715
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,000
Speaker 1: have that guy, then they just gosh, now they're gonna

716
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:51,680
Speaker 1: line up in their big package and they're gonna run

717
00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:51,880
Speaker 1: the ball.

718
00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's actually what I meant to say. More so

719
00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,760
Speaker 2: was what if you cut Hampton there, didn't give them

720
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:58,360
Speaker 2: the money, Well, then all of a sudden, you're going

721
00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,920
Speaker 2: six yards of carry snap after snap. People, they can't

722
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,320
Speaker 2: stop the run, right, right, right, right, So your presence

723
00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:05,920
Speaker 2: has felt even when you're not out there.

724
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:11,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, and as you mentioned to him, the linebackers.

725
00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,640
Speaker 2: I think he's gotten a stake dinner or two in

726
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:12,520
Speaker 2: his career to.

727
00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,200
Speaker 1: You love having that that kind of you know that

728
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,800
Speaker 1: guy in front of you, eating up quite literally two

729
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,680
Speaker 1: or three even sometimes three blockers.

730
00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:22,520
Speaker 2: There were so much good stuff to talk to him about,

731
00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,000
Speaker 2: but I wanted to take the nose tackle conversation farther

732
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,640
Speaker 2: because we're seeing so much too high, and we're seeing

733
00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:32,160
Speaker 2: so many linebackers that are athletes that aren't take on players.

734
00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:35,200
Speaker 2: I mean the Doldavan Kirkland's obviously, or Homes or those

735
00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,640
Speaker 2: type of dudes. I don't think that those tackles going

736
00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:40,760
Speaker 2: the way a full back. I think it did in

737
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:42,800
Speaker 2: the history, but I think it's coming back the way.

738
00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,760
Speaker 1: The league is now coming full circle with running the

739
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,560
Speaker 1: football and teams running, the Steelers being one of them, right,

740
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,920
Speaker 1: you better have a those tackle better, or at least

741
00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 1: you're going to want. Even Cincinnati, you're gonna see. Sure,

742
00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:59,120
Speaker 1: you know some times where they're gonna they're gonna line

743
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,720
Speaker 1: up and most of the time they're in eleven personnel.

744
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:04,600
Speaker 2: But it's a blocking tight end and it's a big back,

745
00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:07,320
Speaker 2: and you know you're still playing with lighter boxes. I mean,

746
00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:10,680
Speaker 2: if people are defending the run with fewer players, so

747
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:12,760
Speaker 2: I think you need more beef. I mean, I think

748
00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:16,160
Speaker 2: the three and twenty pound guy that gets a sack

749
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:21,160
Speaker 2: a year, but does that a gap responsibilities isn't going away,

750
00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:25,080
Speaker 2: and maybe they're the history of that position dipped, but

751
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:26,760
Speaker 2: I think it's about to come back well.

752
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,480
Speaker 1: And the interesting thing about it for this particular defense,

753
00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,840
Speaker 1: in this particular team is when they do get no

754
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,520
Speaker 1: situations where they line up in their three four defense,

755
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,160
Speaker 1: it's really a five man line.

756
00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:39,080
Speaker 2: It's a five man in front right right right, and

757
00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:40,680
Speaker 2: you got to deal with that. You deal with that,

758
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:41,920
Speaker 2: and that's actually a big trend.

759
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,000
Speaker 1: If you're going to double TJ. Watt or you're gonna

760
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,600
Speaker 1: double Cam Hayward, but this guy can eat up to

761
00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:49,719
Speaker 1: you know, two blockers as well. That's going to get

762
00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:50,560
Speaker 1: somebody free.

763
00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,240
Speaker 2: No doubt. And it's another huge trend you're seeing in

764
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,320
Speaker 2: the league too, is five man fronts. And people call

765
00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,479
Speaker 2: it a three four whatever you call it. Everyone, it's

766
00:32:58,480 --> 00:32:59,320
Speaker 2: a five man front.

767
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,000
Speaker 1: And I mean linebackers don't drop like they used to

768
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:02,640
Speaker 1: know they.

769
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,000
Speaker 2: Drop some right, you know, right, I mean you're putting

770
00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,720
Speaker 2: five pass rushers on the field like the Eagles are

771
00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:09,320
Speaker 2: a perfect example, and Wan looks something like that are

772
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,280
Speaker 2: strict four to three. You got hard Grave next to

773
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,840
Speaker 2: Cox with a reddick standing up and five men across

774
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,360
Speaker 2: the front that can all rush the passer and stop

775
00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:22,680
Speaker 2: the run. And in a way, it's not phasing out linebackers,

776
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:26,640
Speaker 2: but you're seeing fewer true second level guys on the field.

777
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,360
Speaker 2: If I have a five man front with a two

778
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,120
Speaker 2: high shell, well that's seven dudes.

779
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:31,680
Speaker 1: Right there, you know.

780
00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:33,680
Speaker 2: And that's not even talking about the corner the corners.

781
00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,360
Speaker 2: Usually three corners, that leaves one guy, you know, So

782
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:42,640
Speaker 2: linebackers are hard to find, and there's so many wealth

783
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,040
Speaker 2: and different body types of d lineman coming in the

784
00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,400
Speaker 2: league that you play with the five your best five

785
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:48,960
Speaker 2: out there on the front, you know, and have one

786
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,280
Speaker 2: linebacker times.

787
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's it's you know, Mike Tomlin likes

788
00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:58,000
Speaker 1: to call positionless football. There are in such a bit

789
00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:00,280
Speaker 1: of a misnow mark in some ways there are who

790
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:01,280
Speaker 1: are positionless.

791
00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,440
Speaker 2: But you still have to have the specialists. Yeah right right,

792
00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:07,680
Speaker 2: I mean, you know, yeah, someone's had to cover the back.

793
00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 2: I mean, they all got to do their own thing.

794
00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:13,040
Speaker 2: And offensive coordinators and minds are just too smart that

795
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,920
Speaker 2: if you don't have that nose tackle or you don't

796
00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:19,440
Speaker 2: have whatever player X, that's how they're going to attack.

797
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,319
Speaker 1: There's only one queen in the chess game. They can

798
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,680
Speaker 1: do everything. Yeah. Yeah, those that's the that's the rare piece.

799
00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,480
Speaker 2: I mean, that's what that's Donald, that's Warner. You know,

800
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:29,680
Speaker 2: there's guys like that, but those are rare players that

801
00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,360
Speaker 2: are doesn't matter what scheme it is.

802
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, so you again, I think, you know,

803
00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:40,080
Speaker 1: if that was a very underrated signing. I think for

804
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:43,200
Speaker 1: the Steelers, I think you go into this, you look

805
00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,680
Speaker 1: at you always look at your schedule, what you need

806
00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,160
Speaker 1: to do to beat the teams in your division first,

807
00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:50,680
Speaker 1: but then you look at you start, you know, you

808
00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,640
Speaker 1: start looking at your schedule and go, okay, we played

809
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,719
Speaker 1: we play these four teams this year that are gonna

810
00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,720
Speaker 1: try They're gonna line up and try to run the football.

811
00:34:57,719 --> 00:34:59,520
Speaker 1: We believe that's what we think going into the season.

812
00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:00,560
Speaker 2: Tennessee, the Colts.

813
00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're playing the Titans, you better have a nose tach.

814
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,360
Speaker 2: Sure, and some of them are lesser teams, but you know,

815
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:12,200
Speaker 2: the voluminous running is the Giants, the Bears. I mean,

816
00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,400
Speaker 2: these teams that are just going to be dedicated to it.

817
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,320
Speaker 2: I mean, but you got to stop that first and foremost.

818
00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:22,680
Speaker 2: So I do think it's interesting. Lumping him with Adams

819
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,680
Speaker 2: is interesting to me. And I'm not picking on Adams,

820
00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,160
Speaker 2: but I think he's in trouble in terms of the

821
00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:34,560
Speaker 2: roster spot. And I think Adams is less nosy than

822
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:38,800
Speaker 2: Branden is. I think, yeah, I mean, even I remember

823
00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,320
Speaker 2: Adams coming out of school. He played some more three technique.

824
00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,880
Speaker 2: He would try to win with quickness and get.

825
00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:45,400
Speaker 1: Up the field.

826
00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,960
Speaker 2: And it's not exactly which you one, you know. I mean,

827
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,279
Speaker 2: I think he's reinvented himself as a nose. But he's

828
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:55,440
Speaker 2: not as stout or as wide, or as thick or

829
00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:57,440
Speaker 2: as hard to move with a double team. But he

830
00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,600
Speaker 2: might make a play in the backfield more for you,

831
00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:02,399
Speaker 2: you know. I mean was a big dude. He's a thick,

832
00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:03,040
Speaker 2: strong Yeah.

833
00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,600
Speaker 1: I mean again, sitting here across the table from his

834
00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:07,160
Speaker 1: arms are bigger than my legs.

835
00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,560
Speaker 2: Right right. He was certainly impressive. And it's older guys.

836
00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,359
Speaker 2: All the new guys are bigger than Big, bigger than

837
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 2: the big wire.

838
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:16,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, It's it's like they're going back to

839
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:20,560
Speaker 1: the days of the dinosaurs. The difference is now these

840
00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:24,399
Speaker 1: guys can all run. It's crazy, yeah, the way this goes.

841
00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,480
Speaker 2: But uh, there wasn't a new addition that was undersized

842
00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:28,640
Speaker 2: or even average sized.

843
00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,880
Speaker 1: Yeah. The interesting thing about Brayden as well, and we

844
00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:33,080
Speaker 1: didn't get a chance to ask him this, but he

845
00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:34,479
Speaker 1: started his career at Texas Tech.

846
00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:38,440
Speaker 2: I forgot he transferred LSU huh. Yeah, so okay, you know,

847
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:40,359
Speaker 2: different Enviro.

848
00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,360
Speaker 1: I assumed he was a Texas Tech with Pat Mahomes.

849
00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:48,879
Speaker 2: I was thinking about bringing up Mahomes with Joe Burrow. Yeah,

850
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:49,640
Speaker 2: how about that?

851
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:50,160
Speaker 1: Wow?

852
00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:51,319
Speaker 2: Pretty good?

853
00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:52,040
Speaker 1: That's pretty good.

854
00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:55,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty good. Herbert wasn't too shabby either. Yeah, and

855
00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,080
Speaker 2: maybe his picket guy's next. Yeah, what do you see there? Yeah,

856
00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,200
Speaker 2: right right, Maybe he's the king maker of all that.

857
00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,760
Speaker 2: They couldn't have done it without it.

858
00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:07,400
Speaker 1: There's a commonality, there's a theme.

859
00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:09,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, and develop good quarterbacks.

860
00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:13,759
Speaker 1: Yeah, but interesting, Matt, they eight is about in the

861
00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,640
Speaker 1: books here and one more of these, one more of these.

862
00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,400
Speaker 1: Then we're back next week for the real thing, the

863
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,680
Speaker 1: mini camps. I can't, I can't. I saw that the

864
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,480
Speaker 1: Jets canceled their mini camp. That's shocking.

865
00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:27,839
Speaker 2: I don't understand that. I mean, if you want to

866
00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:31,960
Speaker 2: not get Aaron Rodgers in harm's way or some of

867
00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,440
Speaker 2: your injured dudes, the Breese Halls of the world coming

868
00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,560
Speaker 2: back fine, But how could not getting together be a

869
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:38,040
Speaker 2: good idea?

870
00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:38,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't get it.

871
00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:40,360
Speaker 2: I don't get it. I mean, and you have the

872
00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:41,480
Speaker 2: ability to do it.

873
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,919
Speaker 1: For a team that's in many ways kind of young,

874
00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:44,720
Speaker 1: and they got a bunch.

875
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:45,160
Speaker 2: Of new guys.

876
00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:47,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, incleanding a quarterback.

877
00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:51,400
Speaker 2: I mean, their rookie class was phenomenal, but couldn't another Now,

878
00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:53,759
Speaker 2: don't care how good your rookie year was, year two

879
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,160
Speaker 2: should be better, and you know, give me some more time.

880
00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:01,480
Speaker 2: They're big aspirations. I don't get that. I mean of

881
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:03,799
Speaker 2: the NFL coaches complaining we don't have enough practice time.

882
00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:06,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know.

883
00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:07,120
Speaker 2: I'm in that camp.

884
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,200
Speaker 1: I mean I get you know, maybe you're feeling the

885
00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:11,359
Speaker 1: pulse of your team and the team's like we got

886
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:12,880
Speaker 1: we got a good amount of work in here, and

887
00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,200
Speaker 1: maybe you feel pretty good about everything he did. Or

888
00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:17,760
Speaker 1: maybe it's the fact that Rogers is nursing a little something.

889
00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:19,320
Speaker 1: I think he had an ankle or something.

890
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:25,239
Speaker 2: But you know, I mean still, I mean, I understand, Hey,

891
00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:29,280
Speaker 2: you're in training, can practice number eighteen and the team's

892
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,920
Speaker 2: dragon and you know, we'll cancel it, uplift spirit.

893
00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:34,600
Speaker 1: It's a little something different.

894
00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,120
Speaker 2: Right, But if you're at that point now in the

895
00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:39,880
Speaker 2: first week of June, I mean, I don't not implying

896
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,560
Speaker 2: the Jets are, but you should be in. It's optimism

897
00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:45,120
Speaker 2: time right right right, especially it's got a new quarterback,

898
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:49,439
Speaker 2: you know, and you're in New York. You want that media, right.

899
00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:51,640
Speaker 2: I don't understand that at all. I mean, I don't

900
00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:53,600
Speaker 2: think the Steelers are even considering such a thing.

901
00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:54,160
Speaker 1: They're not.

902
00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:56,600
Speaker 2: They will be here next week.

903
00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,200
Speaker 1: They will be here next week as well. We will

904
00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:02,480
Speaker 1: get back tomorrow. Mat just mentioned having fun with these.

905
00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,799
Speaker 1: These they were fire interviews. They've been great, Yeah, have

906
00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,399
Speaker 1: been great. I mean I understand the rules. I wish

907
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,399
Speaker 1: we could talk about more of what's happening in front

908
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,160
Speaker 1: of us. But still, I mean, the player interviews have

909
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:16,879
Speaker 1: been great. I've been blown away by the weather, the atmosphere,

910
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,160
Speaker 1: the energy, I mean all the above. Hanging out with

911
00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,399
Speaker 1: me with you, how about that and.

912
00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,719
Speaker 2: CJ talking to all our listeners.

913
00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:28,359
Speaker 1: Talking to all of our listeners, all both of them. Wow,

914
00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:30,560
Speaker 1: we know that's more than that. We do appreciate you

915
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:30,920
Speaker 1: all this.

916
00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:33,040
Speaker 2: And many of you were very kind yesterday to extend

917
00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:35,839
Speaker 2: a birthday wish to me, and hey, the Steelers had

918
00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,600
Speaker 2: had birthday cake in the cafeteria. That was nice to

919
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:42,640
Speaker 2: them as well, blas for somebody else, though they didn't specify.

920
00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:44,480
Speaker 2: I didn't see the cake before they cut it, so

921
00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:47,080
Speaker 2: it was either me or Picket. I'm not sure the two.

922
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:49,239
Speaker 1: So you guys both carry the same gravitas.

923
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,719
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna say it was fifty to fifty me

924
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:55,640
Speaker 2: and the started quarterback stakes for lunch too, right, right, right,

925
00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:56,759
Speaker 2: and I requested that.

926
00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:57,120
Speaker 1: Yeah.

927
00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:01,280
Speaker 2: Nice. That has been a blast.

928
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,640
Speaker 1: It has been a blast, and we're going to continue

929
00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,319
Speaker 1: to do this well through next week, through the through

930
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:09,000
Speaker 1: the mini camp sessions as well. But having lots of

931
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:12,040
Speaker 1: fun here. Micka Fitzpatrick was over there holding court.

932
00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:13,680
Speaker 2: I wonder you to say yet.

933
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:17,840
Speaker 1: So here's here's how dedicated Mink is. So the media,

934
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:20,080
Speaker 1: you're allowed into the locker room until twelve thirty. You

935
00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,160
Speaker 1: get from twelve basically or a little after twelve to

936
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:25,640
Speaker 1: twelve thirty. Okay, Minka hasn't talked at all during these

937
00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,360
Speaker 1: Ota sessions. Now they don't have to talk, sure, sure,

938
00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:30,719
Speaker 1: but he doesn't talk because he's still out of here.

939
00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:32,239
Speaker 2: Working on the fun twelve.

940
00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:34,799
Speaker 1: He's not done. Yeah, he's still He's still out here

941
00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:37,360
Speaker 1: getting work done. So, I mean we talked about that

942
00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:38,560
Speaker 1: last week that.

943
00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,239
Speaker 2: It was like twelve forty and there were still a

944
00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:41,520
Speaker 2: bunch of.

945
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:43,400
Speaker 1: Dudes out there accident. That guy's good.

946
00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:45,920
Speaker 2: Oh no, some of it. I don't wanted to reveal

947
00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:47,920
Speaker 2: some of his drills, but you could see him really

948
00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:52,080
Speaker 2: doing specific things after practice, you know, with a one

949
00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,040
Speaker 2: other person, isolated stuff that he really wants to work on,

950
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:56,920
Speaker 2: and that's infectious. I mean, that was one of the

951
00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:59,960
Speaker 2: first things Braden mentioned is Yeah, Hayden, you know he's

952
00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:03,080
Speaker 2: to Hayward, Watt, Minka out here working harder than anybody

953
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:03,960
Speaker 2: you know like that that.

954
00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,520
Speaker 1: You do that and that's what you know. Those guys

955
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:08,919
Speaker 1: set the tone, you know, Mike Tomlin sets the tone.

956
00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:11,759
Speaker 1: But then you know, you expect your leaders to also

957
00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,080
Speaker 1: set the tone. And if they're here, you're gonna be here.

958
00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,040
Speaker 2: Right right right now. I think that's one of the

959
00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,200
Speaker 2: best assets this the whole organization has.

960
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:21,200
Speaker 1: Absolutely but that's going to do it for our show today.

961
00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:24,080
Speaker 1: So for my partner Matt Williamson for CJ here insighte

962
00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:25,839
Speaker 1: keeping us on the air. We also want to thank

963
00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:29,359
Speaker 1: Brave Fojoko for stopping by Steelers pr for grabbing him

964
00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,680
Speaker 1: for us great I'm Dale Lollie. We appreciate you listening

965
00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:36,319
Speaker 1: to this edition of the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio

966
00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:37,640
Speaker 1: and ESPN nine set