Speaker 1: Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maller
Speaker 1: Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven p m. Pacific.
Speaker 1: If you thought four hours a day, minutes a week
Speaker 1: was enough, I think again. He's the last remnants of
Speaker 1: the old republic, a sole fashion of fairness. He treats
Speaker 1: crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich
Speaker 1: pill poppers in the penthouse, to clearinghouse of hot takes,
Speaker 1: break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben
Speaker 1: Maller starts right now. Yes, it is in the air everywhere,
Speaker 1: the Fifth Hour, each and every week. And about this time,
Speaker 1: well it really when you download the podcast, not about
Speaker 1: this time, because you can listen to the podcast any point.
Speaker 1: This is the Friday podcast because four hours a night
Speaker 1: or not enough. This is a spinoff of the overnight show,
Speaker 1: The Ben Maller Show. But you already knew that we
Speaker 1: do this eight days a week, but this being Friday,
Speaker 1: we try to bring somebody in, uh that we we
Speaker 1: like or somebody that we know, and and this is
Speaker 1: an interview podist. We're joined again by David guestcon this
Speaker 1: week he's back. He's decided to show up this week.
Speaker 1: It was um yeah, and I'm I'm excited. I think
Speaker 1: they're gonna get a lot of downloads. I think this
Speaker 1: is gonna be a popular podcast and it will have
Speaker 1: nothing to do with us. It will have nothing to
Speaker 1: do with us. Not a single man, woman, or child
Speaker 1: that finds this podcast is gonna want to hear a
Speaker 1: word that we have to say. But that's my prediction.
Speaker 1: But we get to reminisce a little bit about the
Speaker 1: year two thousand seven, and we're thousands seven, Where you were,
Speaker 1: where I was, and what was going on? Because I'll
Speaker 1: tell you this much, Las Vegas sports books clean fucking up. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it is one of the defining moments as a sports
Speaker 1: fan in in my life. I did not expect this outcome.
Speaker 1: I was very upset with this outcome. Yeah, well yeah
Speaker 1: I was. And when we're talking about the Super Bowl
Speaker 1: forty two, and if you remember, that was the Giants
Speaker 1: playing the unbeaten, big mighty New England Patriots, that great
Speaker 1: Patriot team that had run the table and they played
Speaker 1: the Giants in Super Bowl forty two. And the person
Speaker 1: we are going to have on here is gonna join
Speaker 1: us in a second, is the player that caught the
Speaker 1: game winning touchdown and Super Bowl forty two with less
Speaker 1: than a minute to go. Plaxico Birst, who's now our teammate.
Speaker 1: Guest guys, this is our teammate here at Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1: Plaxico host the show on the weekends with LaVar Arrington,
Speaker 1: t J. Houshman Zada. It's called up on game. I
Speaker 1: believe it's what it's called, right and for the Saturday's
Speaker 1: on Saturday's right has one to three eastern. Yeah. And
Speaker 1: for the record, he was wide the fuck open in
Speaker 1: the end zone. I still gotta catch him. I still
Speaker 1: gotta catch him. But it was It was wild because
Speaker 1: working with Plexico a couple of weeks ago, he actually
Speaker 1: said this live on the show where he was watching
Speaker 1: tape the week prior to the Super Bowl and just
Speaker 1: prepping on the coverages and what the alignments were gonna be,
Speaker 1: and he knew in that given sequence that he would
Speaker 1: be open in the corner of the end zone because
Speaker 1: the corner he was going up against typically sat on
Speaker 1: the goal line, so he knew if Manning made a
Speaker 1: perfect throw to him, he'd be why the funk open?
Speaker 1: And he was, I mean, there's plenty of room. It
Speaker 1: wasn't like a Santonio Holmes catch against Arizona. But man,
Speaker 1: hell of a play. Yeah, it was in insane and
Speaker 1: I just did not I thought, there's no the Pictures
Speaker 1: might play a close game, but they're not gonna lose.
Speaker 1: I mean, they're not gonna lose the Giants. And sure enough,
Speaker 1: Blaxico's team got it done. And so congratulations to them.
Speaker 1: All these years later, and he's now he's a talk
Speaker 1: show host at Fox Sports Radio, so he's he's in
Speaker 1: our little world here. And I got to ask him
Speaker 1: at some point about because when I was a kid,
Speaker 1: you know, fat kid, you know, I tossed the up
Speaker 1: all up and you imagine it's like in basketball, hit
Speaker 1: the game winning shot, right game when you're shot in basketball,
Speaker 1: baseball game winning walk off home run like a Joe
Speaker 1: Carter moment in the World Series and or Max Munsey. Uh.
Speaker 1: But or in football's it's either throwing the game winning
Speaker 1: touchdown or often catching the game. For me, it was
Speaker 1: like catching the game winning touchdown back in the end zone,
Speaker 1: you know, do a little toe tap and that whole thing.
Speaker 1: And Plaxico got to live that out. So I got
Speaker 1: to ask him about that at some point. But why
Speaker 1: don't we begin, Plaxico. Welcome in, Plaxico Burrs here joining
Speaker 1: us our colleague at Fox Sports Radio. So why don't
Speaker 1: we start with the fact that you are a sports
Speaker 1: talk radio host. How is the sports talk radio life
Speaker 1: treating you, Plaxico? Oh man, it's fun. Man. I enjoy it. Man, Um,
Speaker 1: you know, I'm just you know, I'm grateful for the
Speaker 1: volume tej and reaching out to me and the wanted
Speaker 1: to include me, and you know what those guys haven't
Speaker 1: have going on, and you know, it's just you know, uh,
Speaker 1: I love it, man, just getting on the radio and
Speaker 1: and and speaking the truth and and you know, just
Speaker 1: just trying to remain relevant out here and give people,
Speaker 1: you know, the you know, the knowledge of what we
Speaker 1: have experienced over time over our careers, which have well
Speaker 1: obviously teaching myself and meet me playing thirteen years and
Speaker 1: and being able to accomplish some special things. You know,
Speaker 1: it's just good to reach out to the audience and
Speaker 1: just speak to him. Now, were you guys friends when
Speaker 1: you you played obviously a long time in the NFL.
Speaker 1: Were you you guys, what kind of relationship did you
Speaker 1: have with those guys when you were playing in the NFL.
Speaker 1: Oh Man uh meil of We were drafted together back
Speaker 1: in two thousands. Obviously came a Penn State. I was
Speaker 1: at Michigan State, and and in me him developed a
Speaker 1: pretty special bond, even though that we didn't play together,
Speaker 1: and you know, just recognizing the talents and read and
Speaker 1: I as in, uh, you know, the work ethic of
Speaker 1: you know, what we possessed, and we just kind of
Speaker 1: just came together. And me being in Pittsburgh and competing
Speaker 1: against t J. Obviously I didn't get a chance to
Speaker 1: tackle him or get an interception, but just a respect
Speaker 1: factor of him, you know, watching him, how he went
Speaker 1: about his business, how he conducted hself owner off the field.
Speaker 1: You know, he was a tremendous competitor that I had
Speaker 1: nothing but the most respect for him. Now, I have
Speaker 1: to ask you, as a former professional athlete, Plexico, I'm
Speaker 1: a lifetimes I'm a lifetime sports radio guy. So did
Speaker 1: you did you listen to sports talk radio when you
Speaker 1: were younger, when you were playing or is this all
Speaker 1: the new world to you? Well, uh, I think you're
Speaker 1: older than me. Correct, So there wasn't a lot of
Speaker 1: sports talk radio growing up, especially when I was growing
Speaker 1: up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I think, one of the
Speaker 1: few states that doesn't even have a professional team. But
Speaker 1: from a from a sports radio perspective, it's just, you know,
Speaker 1: you speaking from experience. I think that's the best teacher
Speaker 1: for for myself. And obviously Lava has been in you know,
Speaker 1: TV and sports radio talking and along with t J.
Speaker 1: But you know, for me, it's just really just getting
Speaker 1: out there speaking from personal experiences. Uh, you know what
Speaker 1: I've learned and the people that I came to come
Speaker 1: in contact with, my friendships, relationships, which I take, you know,
Speaker 1: very seriously, and it's just been a culmination of all
Speaker 1: those things that's coming together for myself and the show
Speaker 1: up on Game You can check it out on Saturdays
Speaker 1: between one and three pm. And uh, it's a new
Speaker 1: avenue for me. But at the same time, it's just
Speaker 1: it's just me speaking from personal experience. Other than that album,
Speaker 1: I don't have a story to tell. I got you,
Speaker 1: I got you, you know, I just I Over the years,
Speaker 1: I've heard for some guys and when you were when
Speaker 1: you were playing, you were in the the arena, as
Speaker 1: they say, and you know, some guys would listen and
Speaker 1: get you know, lathered up by the stupid stuff people
Speaker 1: on sports radio would say or the hot takes, and
Speaker 1: other guys just kind of kind of ignored it, you know.
Speaker 1: So it was it was. It was that kind of deal. Now,
Speaker 1: I want I want to get into some of the
Speaker 1: stories you got. You had a great career in college.
Speaker 1: You were at Michigan State for a couple of years,
Speaker 1: in the NFL and all that, But but at Michigan State,
Speaker 1: you played for Nick Saban at Michigan State, and at
Speaker 1: that time, he was not you know, football royalty like
Speaker 1: he has become, you know the years since then, he
Speaker 1: was on his way to becoming that. What was What
Speaker 1: was it like back in those days at Michigan State
Speaker 1: with with sa was he was he the same way
Speaker 1: he apparently is today? And what was that relationship like
Speaker 1: from the coaching standpoint? Uh, you know, I've said on
Speaker 1: countless of cages that he's one of the He's one
Speaker 1: of the best brilliant football minds that I've ever came across,
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I would never back down for that.
Speaker 1: But at the same time, you know, me and him
Speaker 1: has to run in But I was going in college
Speaker 1: and I didn't agree with some of the things that
Speaker 1: that that that he Uh, you know, I was coming
Speaker 1: from a different place. But I've always had a great
Speaker 1: mind of respect for Nick and uh, you know, I've
Speaker 1: always said, you know, he's never been a people person
Speaker 1: to me, you know, coming from a different environment, and
Speaker 1: you know he was he was one of those coaches
Speaker 1: that always yellow yellow Aaron screaming. And I came from
Speaker 1: a coach in Virginia, Virginia who my high school coach
Speaker 1: just retired a few like a week ago. You know,
Speaker 1: he was more of a teacher. He was more pulling
Speaker 1: to the side, put your arm around you in really
Speaker 1: just you know, you know, tell you certain things that
Speaker 1: you were doing wrong. Not much, not less, not more
Speaker 1: of the screaming. But you know, going back to Nick Saban,
Speaker 1: I think when when I was in Michigan State that
Speaker 1: he was laying his foundation. If you look at the
Speaker 1: records that we have my first year ninety eight, we
Speaker 1: went six and six, and then we came back in
Speaker 1: ninety nine and we went nine and two, and you
Speaker 1: look at the teams that we beat. We beat Oregon, Uh,
Speaker 1: we beat Ohio State, we beat Notre Dame, we beat
Speaker 1: Penn State and we beat Florida all in one season
Speaker 1: and those are all top ten programs. And we're talking
Speaker 1: about back in nineteen so obviously, you know he ended
Speaker 1: the end of the season, uh, not coaching us and
Speaker 1: leaving to go to l s U and Bobby Williams
Speaker 1: was our coach and the Citrus bowling when the sable
Speaker 1: in two thousand. But I think he was laying his
Speaker 1: foundation then, you know, back in ninety nine and at
Speaker 1: one time we were I believe number four or five
Speaker 1: in the country in and uh, you know, uh, and
Speaker 1: his record just what he's accomplished has just uh you know,
Speaker 1: you know, it's been it's been phenomenal. Absolutely. So what
Speaker 1: did he played with a lot of different coaches? You
Speaker 1: I think you've kind of let the cat out of
Speaker 1: the back. You like the coach who's not a Lohard
Speaker 1: oh type, right, more of you If you were to
Speaker 1: make the perfect coach plastical for a football team, what
Speaker 1: would that what ingredients with that coach? Half? Um, you know,
Speaker 1: I came across so many great coaches and great minds
Speaker 1: and and great teachures and coaches. Uh. I had a
Speaker 1: great opportunity to play for Mike Tomlins for two years.
Speaker 1: I had a great opportunity to play for Bill Kaward
Speaker 1: for five years, great opportunity to play for US Cofflin
Speaker 1: for four years, and my high school coach Nick Saban,
Speaker 1: and a couple of games under Bobby Williams. But just
Speaker 1: those culmination of people I've all learned from. They've They've
Speaker 1: all taught the game from a different perspective, which you
Speaker 1: have nothing but the utmost respectful because why you were
Speaker 1: trying to pursue your dreams or after raches or whatever.
Speaker 1: You learn something along the way from each one. And
Speaker 1: I think that's the that's the thing that sticks out
Speaker 1: to me most about them all, you know, Mike Tomlin
Speaker 1: and Bill Cole and coach Couflan, Nick Saban. I learned
Speaker 1: something from them all that I would take with me
Speaker 1: throughout life beyond football. And I think it's pretty special
Speaker 1: that I got the chance to learn a little. Guys.
Speaker 1: And I'm not gonna take Rex Ryan out of the
Speaker 1: picture either, because he's a great, great coach, great personality.
Speaker 1: You know, he loves his guys, he's loyal to him,
Speaker 1: great defensive coach, and when you put all those guys
Speaker 1: into a bag and say that you can you learn
Speaker 1: from all of those great man and personalities. You know,
Speaker 1: it's been none but a blessing for me. Black. So
Speaker 1: what about your favorite teammate or guy that you played
Speaker 1: with in the league during your tenure in the National
Speaker 1: who's your favorite my favorite team? Man? I can't single
Speaker 1: one guy out. Man, Come on, you know I played
Speaker 1: with so many characters. Man, you know, wow, what do
Speaker 1: I begin? Well, let me ask what was your relationship
Speaker 1: with the guy like I don't know, like Steve Smith
Speaker 1: or somebody like that. SMI yeah, oh, man, Smithie was
Speaker 1: Smittie was one of the and I'm and I don't
Speaker 1: vote these words around, you know, kindly, Smithie was one
Speaker 1: of the greatest like ball actors that I haven't been around.
Speaker 1: You put the ball up in the air and he
Speaker 1: will find him, will come down of his hands. But
Speaker 1: you know, he was just you know, he was a
Speaker 1: goofy guy from from usc where. I can say that
Speaker 1: because he understands that. And he was a young cat
Speaker 1: coming in, but he was so smart and he could
Speaker 1: get out of a break like no other. And our
Speaker 1: relationship in the locker room was just you know, it
Speaker 1: was incredible. Obviously you know human your and you know
Speaker 1: Earl Holmes and uh, you know straight hand and just
Speaker 1: a plethora of guys that was just incredible to me
Speaker 1: as people Antonio piss and when we went out and
Speaker 1: we you know, we put the chanch drop on. It
Speaker 1: was all about business. But you know some of these guys, man,
Speaker 1: that you get that you get to know on a
Speaker 1: personal level off of the football, Richie Soy but who
Speaker 1: was probably arguably the funniest teammate, I don't play with
Speaker 1: the mind tired of life and uh, you know, this
Speaker 1: is a lot of guys. Man. I can't say I
Speaker 1: have a favorite, but you know those are some of
Speaker 1: the guys on my list. Well, you played such a
Speaker 1: long period of time in the NFL looking back now
Speaker 1: on it, and I know it's it's kind of you know, hinds.
Speaker 1: If you were to give yourself advice from when you
Speaker 1: got into the league with what you know now, what
Speaker 1: would that be, Oh man, you know to the young
Speaker 1: guys just coming in, just don't be afraid to say no.
Speaker 1: I think that's one of the things that as a
Speaker 1: young man you try to, you know, make everybody happy
Speaker 1: and put it and put us some on everybody's faces.
Speaker 1: But a lot of people in your corner that don't
Speaker 1: have your uh you know, your best for you and uh,
Speaker 1: perfect your craft, work out, train, understand what you're doing,
Speaker 1: because you know, if you're not playing at at full speed,
Speaker 1: if you don't understand what's going on, then you then
Speaker 1: your full potential as as the player as an athlete
Speaker 1: won't be able to show. And you know, take care
Speaker 1: your body. I was in I was in a ice
Speaker 1: tub every day for twelve years, and I think that's
Speaker 1: one of the main reasons why I was so lucky
Speaker 1: to play so long. Take care of your body, To
Speaker 1: take care of yourself, don't be afraid to say no,
Speaker 1: perfect your craft, whatever that may be, and and uh
Speaker 1: you know, just take care yourself. Yeah, I want to
Speaker 1: ask you about that plaques when you say say the
Speaker 1: word no, did you have a sense coming out of
Speaker 1: college or even when you got after your rookie deal,
Speaker 1: your first big paid day, did you get the sense
Speaker 1: that there'd be some quote unquote new friends and new
Speaker 1: people hanging on your little you know, sense of it
Speaker 1: because it's right there in front of you, and and
Speaker 1: you as the person has to be the one to
Speaker 1: different deventiate between you know, the people who really cared
Speaker 1: about them that people have really don't And you know,
Speaker 1: I kind of I fell into that situation a little
Speaker 1: bit coming out of the draft, and and uh and
Speaker 1: and different people. But you know, I think today that
Speaker 1: a lot of these guys are a lot smarter, and
Speaker 1: a lot of these guys are doing great things in
Speaker 1: the community and you know, building their brands and different
Speaker 1: things of that nature. But uh, yeah, I think a
Speaker 1: lot of these guys today are doing a great job
Speaker 1: with themselves. And and Brandon twenty years ago, I got
Speaker 1: drafted in uh two thousands, myself and Tom Brady were
Speaker 1: the last two guys playing for my draft. There was
Speaker 1: just me and him, and two thousand and thirteen there
Speaker 1: was nobody left but me and him, so I called
Speaker 1: him ball. But uh so it's just me and him,
Speaker 1: and I was lucky to fortunately pay that long. And
Speaker 1: I think the uh, a lot of young stars in
Speaker 1: this league right now who are going down the right
Speaker 1: path and doing the right thing. And actually, when I
Speaker 1: was a kid, most you know, kids, when they're growing up,
Speaker 1: they you got to live something out that pretty much
Speaker 1: every kid imagined at one point or another, where you know,
Speaker 1: I was a fat kid, but I was like, I'm
Speaker 1: gonna catch the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl
Speaker 1: and it's gonna be the crowd's gonna go wild. You
Speaker 1: did that, though, You did that, and it was when
Speaker 1: you were a kid. Did you did you imagine kind
Speaker 1: of play that on your head? And and if you did,
Speaker 1: did it live up to what you thought it was
Speaker 1: gonna be when you were growing up? I mean, you
Speaker 1: can't even write the story because I think every kid
Speaker 1: that is nine, ten, eleven, twelve years old, like myself,
Speaker 1: walking down the street with a football, talking it up
Speaker 1: in the edge, just counting down the clock, saying three
Speaker 1: to one. You know, you win the game and you
Speaker 1: just take off running with the ball in your hands.
Speaker 1: And and you know how many kids can actually say that,
Speaker 1: you know, they were fortunate as myself to live out
Speaker 1: that kind of dream. And it's still surreal to me
Speaker 1: every day. And you know, for me to be walking
Speaker 1: down the street talking that ball up in and applies
Speaker 1: the park manship Peak and gardens and Twinket Nail and
Speaker 1: all these neighborhoods that I lived in. But I a'll
Speaker 1: be fortunate, love, you know, to live out a dream
Speaker 1: and and to me, you know, all dreams can come
Speaker 1: true as long as you just you know, you stay
Speaker 1: focused and you really believe it and and go out
Speaker 1: and chasing what it is you want to do. And
Speaker 1: you know, obviously you know, I'm in the New Jersey area,
Speaker 1: and you know New York Giant football is, uh, it
Speaker 1: is very prevalent in this area, so to speak. And
Speaker 1: I don't think that there's one day that I go
Speaker 1: by where you know, I have a kid who was
Speaker 1: you know, twenty one or twenty two or three that
Speaker 1: were in ten eleven years old at that time saying
Speaker 1: that you know, it was the greatest moment of life,
Speaker 1: and you know that it's one of the things that
Speaker 1: you know, is just a part of me. And uh,
Speaker 1: you know, it's it's just a dream come true for
Speaker 1: any kid. Now. When you were doing it, though, plaxically,
Speaker 1: did did you know you see in the movies you
Speaker 1: hear stories like kind of things slowed down? Did they
Speaker 1: slow down? There was there was like thirty something seconds
Speaker 1: left in the game when you caught the game winning touchdown,
Speaker 1: Like what do you remember was it? Did it seem
Speaker 1: at the time you were doing it, did you realize
Speaker 1: in the moment what you were doing, or was it
Speaker 1: like later on where it kind of all hits you. Absolutely,
Speaker 1: you know it's on the line. The ship is on
Speaker 1: the line, so you know what, you know that whole
Speaker 1: drive we want to too many drive. And I could
Speaker 1: promise you that every body on on that on that
Speaker 1: office side of that ball, all other and others, we
Speaker 1: were so dug tired, but it never mattered. You never
Speaker 1: felt it because the adrenaline outweighed the fatigue. It was like,
Speaker 1: you can't let your guys down right now, this is
Speaker 1: the this is the biggest moment in life at this time.
Speaker 1: And I don't even think I even breathe during the
Speaker 1: whole thing that's going on. But obviously you know what's
Speaker 1: going on because you're trying to win the World Championship.
Speaker 1: All the fatigue goes out of the window and you're
Speaker 1: just trying to have success, you know, down in and
Speaker 1: down out to get to win the World Championship, and
Speaker 1: and and you know, when the player is called, I
Speaker 1: think everybody is just so focused and just locked in.
Speaker 1: You're not even thinking about anything that's going on on
Speaker 1: the outside. You know, you just want to win the game.
Speaker 1: Blacks was there. I mean, the conversations after that beating
Speaker 1: New England, was that like around the league amongst the players,
Speaker 1: because obviously social media, sports, talk, radio, and television we're
Speaker 1: all completely different animals. But you know what I really
Speaker 1: did know because you know, obviously there wasn't a lot
Speaker 1: of social media. I believe the Twitter had just came up.
Speaker 1: We were on my Space, then we were on my Space.
Speaker 1: There was no Twitter, there was no Instagram, there was
Speaker 1: no social media like uh, you know camophones that just
Speaker 1: became popular. Yeah, this is back in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 1: But the talk of the league was just, you know,
Speaker 1: we hadn't just went out and did something that nobody
Speaker 1: in the world but they need to do. They didn't
Speaker 1: expected against bad as Green Bay, so let alone go
Speaker 1: in and beat the the the eighteen and old Patriots
Speaker 1: who had the best offensive NFL histories of that year.
Speaker 1: Moss and and Brady and all of those guys are
Speaker 1: what they accomplished. But I think after Week sixteen, after
Speaker 1: they beat uspout three, I think the school with five
Speaker 1: our model going to that game without to turn the
Speaker 1: ball over, we'll win the game. You know. Rodney Harrison,
Speaker 1: rand the Lama on a seven route and the ball
Speaker 1: the field when they won by three. But I really
Speaker 1: don't think they wanted to play us again because we
Speaker 1: didn't care about none of the you know, we didn't
Speaker 1: care about the spotlight. Uh And I think it showed
Speaker 1: we were tougher than they were. They were the better
Speaker 1: football team, and I would say that they were a
Speaker 1: better football team skilled from a skilled position, wise from
Speaker 1: a skill point, but they weren't physically tougher than us.
Speaker 1: And uh, you know, our team displayed that and we
Speaker 1: got the Tom Brady and sacking them and doing all
Speaker 1: these things that without even blitzing, And I think that
Speaker 1: they carried the law football team. We didn't really care
Speaker 1: who your name was on the back of your jersey,
Speaker 1: and that was our motto and that was one of
Speaker 1: the things that it still remains with us today because
Speaker 1: we didn't care about uh, you know, individualism or you know,
Speaker 1: who got the most touchdowns, who got the most sex.
Speaker 1: We just wanted to win because we had that much
Speaker 1: respect for they got next to us. Plexico. I was
Speaker 1: doing sports radio in those days. I remember the lead
Speaker 1: up to that Super Bowl, didn't you I don't know
Speaker 1: if you guaranteed the win, but you had made a comment.
Speaker 1: I remember we talked about it about how a few
Speaker 1: points the Patriots were going to score in the lead up,
Speaker 1: and I remember, didn't Tom Brady get upset? It's like
Speaker 1: that kind of a weird respect. I remember we talked
Speaker 1: about that, like Tavy didn't get up set? You know,
Speaker 1: he can't. He got on TV and made the comment
Speaker 1: he said, you know, I wish Plexico would have give
Speaker 1: us a little more respect. Uh. I wish he would
Speaker 1: have said forty five to forty two. But going into
Speaker 1: that week, we literally just get off the bus at
Speaker 1: the hotel and we walked in the hotel. This guy
Speaker 1: walks by me. I got my suitcase in my hands,
Speaker 1: you know, dump a bag on my back, and he
Speaker 1: said Plexic was going to be the score. I said,
Speaker 1: a seventeen fourteen, We're going to win. And I just
Speaker 1: keep on walking. But you know, unbeknownst to it, I
Speaker 1: wake up in the morning and this guy is a
Speaker 1: part of the national media and I have no idea
Speaker 1: who the guy is. And you know, I go to sweep,
Speaker 1: I wake up. My phone is off the hook, ringing crazy.
Speaker 1: I turned to television and it's like, oh, he guarantees
Speaker 1: the wind. It's on like on the front page of
Speaker 1: the New York Post. I'm like, I didn't do this.
Speaker 1: Who said this? Oh? I was like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1: The guy that walked by me in the hotel. I
Speaker 1: said it, and I had to live up to it.
Speaker 1: And I was like, you know what, that's where the
Speaker 1: score is gonna be at seventeen. The four team, We're
Speaker 1: going to win the game. And then when Tuesday hit
Speaker 1: straight straighthand got on the microphone and said, listen, I
Speaker 1: love his attitude. Nobody wants to lose this game, and
Speaker 1: we're gonna try and do everything our power to keeping
Speaker 1: the key points. And my guys backed me up, and
Speaker 1: we went out there and we played like plaques. What
Speaker 1: was better the New York media or the or the
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers media that that group in Pittsburgh. Well, hey, listen,
Speaker 1: I love Pittsburgh, but uh, you know, well I left
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh to go to New York. I thought the media
Speaker 1: day in Pittsburgh was something else. And then I stepped
Speaker 1: into New York. John Locking Room is thirty thirty forty
Speaker 1: reporters on any given day Pittsburgh, that's seven eight I
Speaker 1: mean let's be real, the seven eight reporters and and
Speaker 1: you know, I had a few running with reporters, you know,
Speaker 1: not really printing the exact words that I was saying.
Speaker 1: And so you know, uh, I stopped giving God's features
Speaker 1: for that reason because they weren't printing what I was saying.
Speaker 1: And I still know who they are to this day.
Speaker 1: But I would say that the New York media, Um,
Speaker 1: everybody has a job to do. And I understand that
Speaker 1: now being on TV and being on radio on the
Speaker 1: BN and be there. Everybody has a god job to do.
Speaker 1: But at the same time, you know, uh, it can
Speaker 1: be brutal, you know, it can be it can be
Speaker 1: cut through, you know, so to speak. And that's one
Speaker 1: of the things that I've learned through it. And the
Speaker 1: media is our only outlet to the people because we
Speaker 1: can't speak to the people. So what you put out
Speaker 1: and what they write is what people are gonna think.
Speaker 1: And that's one of the biggest things that I've realized,
Speaker 1: you know, being in media right now, is that what
Speaker 1: you put out to the media, that is what people
Speaker 1: are going to perceive you as. It's unfortunate, but at
Speaker 1: the same time, it can be the greatest asset. So
Speaker 1: does that mean that you're more inclined, like just from
Speaker 1: a professional like where are you at now in radio
Speaker 1: and media television? Does that mean that you're more comfortable
Speaker 1: being transparent about everything that's happened in your life we're
Speaker 1: talking about from the NFL to your personal life to
Speaker 1: where you're at now. Do you do you use that
Speaker 1: all as as just tools for you know, getting knowledge
Speaker 1: out to younger players and athletes and even students or
Speaker 1: do you kinda do you kind of hold some of
Speaker 1: those things back and and give them a little bit
Speaker 1: of that. No, No, I don't hold back because I
Speaker 1: don't speak on hearsay. I speak off of what I've
Speaker 1: been told, what I've learned, earned personal experience, and the
Speaker 1: knowledge and the whisthom that has been passed on down
Speaker 1: to me from coaches, uh, you know, players, and put
Speaker 1: in real life experiences into what I speak. And that's
Speaker 1: the beautiful thing about me being on radio is that
Speaker 1: I can speak from a personal perspective that is influential
Speaker 1: to the young players and to people throughout there listening.
Speaker 1: Is that I don't little I don't just get him
Speaker 1: make up stuff well I heard or someone so told me,
Speaker 1: I can pick up the phone and talk to the
Speaker 1: source and and and ask them how do you want
Speaker 1: your story to be told? And that's one of the
Speaker 1: things that a lot of people missed out on is
Speaker 1: that when you and pick up the phone and talk
Speaker 1: to these people first and forem host and be like, Okay,
Speaker 1: how do you want me to get your messos across?
Speaker 1: And my playoff or whoever made me. They don't have
Speaker 1: a problem with that because they get the methods across
Speaker 1: just the way that you want them to. Ye. Plus
Speaker 1: you your Giant royalty and all that because the touchdown
Speaker 1: catching the Super Bowl, but you played with the Jets. Also,
Speaker 1: what is the what is the difference you're you're you're
Speaker 1: in Jersey. What is the difference from playing for the
Speaker 1: Giants and playing for the Jets? You just said the
Speaker 1: difference between the Giants and the Jet You just said.
Speaker 1: You just said it. Man. Uh, you know, uh uh
Speaker 1: shout out to Direct Ryan, who was one of my
Speaker 1: you know, one of my biggest supporters for me, you know, uh,
Speaker 1: you know, coming home and you know, trying to get
Speaker 1: my feet back on the ground and resume my career.
Speaker 1: And you know, I'll always be father, grateful for Rex
Speaker 1: and you know Woody Johnson and the whole organization over
Speaker 1: there and from Park, New Jersey. But m just it's
Speaker 1: it's a different feeling. It's a different aura of walking
Speaker 1: in the building each morning, going to the Jets and
Speaker 1: going to the Giants of just you know, uh supreme
Speaker 1: and the order and for the walking into the Giants
Speaker 1: is you know, we're gonna kick somebody this week, and
Speaker 1: the Jets is I hope we can win a ball game.
Speaker 1: That's just the mindset of the player walking in, which
Speaker 1: it shouldn't be. But that's just how I felt, you know,
Speaker 1: walking into the building. Obviously I had the great opportunity
Speaker 1: to play with the Damien Commins and was one of
Speaker 1: the greatest from on it back all time. Santonio Holmes, Uh,
Speaker 1: you know, Super Bowl m v P. And you know
Speaker 1: we came from organizations and you know, from from winning
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Giants and get to the Jets, and it's hard
Speaker 1: to accept losing going to work every day and not
Speaker 1: win a game. It's it's it's hard to accept, and
Speaker 1: you know you kind of look at yourselfing and what
Speaker 1: am I doing wrong? What can I do more to
Speaker 1: help us to help us win. You with that, for
Speaker 1: me all being said, I sent prayers the Brian shot Naimer,
Speaker 1: who was my offerersive coordinator during that time, you know, obviously,
Speaker 1: is father Marty Shotnamer just passed away a few days ago.
Speaker 1: So I send my condolencens ou to Brian and his
Speaker 1: family shot family. But yeah, with all that being said,
Speaker 1: giants all day solo, take us through this real quick,
Speaker 1: because you obviously had a unique circumstance in two thousand
Speaker 1: with the shooting and you were out of the game
Speaker 1: of football for a long period of time, like one
Speaker 1: season is battened up but a couple. But how did
Speaker 1: that how did that relationship with Rex evolved? Like how
Speaker 1: was it established for you to get back in the
Speaker 1: game And what were you thinking during that time off?
Speaker 1: Were you couldn't get on the field And now I'm
Speaker 1: sure you were wondering, Hey, am I ever going to
Speaker 1: play professional ball again? You know, to be honest with you, up,
Speaker 1: I had not met Rex Ryan and damn my life
Speaker 1: before you know, meeting him when I when? When? When
Speaker 1: I signed um, I was a long way to see
Speaker 1: the San Francisco forwarda Anas and was the coach and
Speaker 1: he wanted me to come way out in San Francisco,
Speaker 1: and obviously I was still living in New Jersey at
Speaker 1: the time, and Rex gave me a call. And if
Speaker 1: my memory seys me correct, the New York Deaths had
Speaker 1: just went to the a f C Championship game twice
Speaker 1: and they weren't able to get over the over the hurdle.
Speaker 1: And you know, I don't have to relocate. They have
Speaker 1: a great defensive team and I can go back to
Speaker 1: New Jersey, living my same home and play football. And
Speaker 1: you know, Rex was just great, and you know, he
Speaker 1: brought me in in a situation I've never met him.
Speaker 1: You know, he was, you know, the deepest coordinator in
Speaker 1: balstomore when I was playing against him in Prisburg and
Speaker 1: that was the only way that I really knew him.
Speaker 1: And you know, he brought me in. You know, we
Speaker 1: didn't necessarily do as well as everybody wanted to do,
Speaker 1: but you know, for Rex man just to you know,
Speaker 1: just to you know, stick his neck out there from
Speaker 1: me on the line. And and so you know what
Speaker 1: I want this guy and he and he and he
Speaker 1: helped me, you know, turn everything around. You know, I
Speaker 1: feel it would be grateful for and the reality is
Speaker 1: if you went to California, you still would have been
Speaker 1: fucked on taxes anyway, whether it's California. I know, I'm like, yo,
Speaker 1: I'm not going to California to the same place. I mean,
Speaker 1: I might well just say a new Jersey. Yeah that's
Speaker 1: a smart move. And yeah, even all these years later,
Speaker 1: because it's it's still a smart movie. It hasn't changed.
Speaker 1: It's it's the same thing. But you know what I
Speaker 1: want to say this, So the first team that went
Speaker 1: missall was a giant and I went to see the
Speaker 1: sounds good four to Nina, and it just so happened
Speaker 1: at both of those teams end up in the NFC
Speaker 1: Championship game. Look at that unbelievable. Hey, who is the
Speaker 1: toughest defensive back that you went up against? Is the
Speaker 1: one guy that you cannot get past? Or did you
Speaker 1: mean it's gotta be somebody, right? Who would it be?
Speaker 1: You know, I would say it's three guys that always
Speaker 1: just you know, just kind of just pissed me off
Speaker 1: a little bit. Why you wouldn't even believe was a
Speaker 1: Samari role. Samar role was just incredible. You know, his
Speaker 1: feet was so quick and you know he was a
Speaker 1: long He was a long, long guy, but he really
Speaker 1: wasn't that strong. But he could run with you. And
Speaker 1: you know, uh, he had great ball skills and he's
Speaker 1: like a little mosquito. You just couldn't, you know, really
Speaker 1: get rid of him. And obviously going through New York
Speaker 1: Jets and you know, seeing all this stuff Rievers Island,
Speaker 1: Rievers Oland, and then going to practice and having to
Speaker 1: compete get them every day and one on one, and
Speaker 1: you'd be like, Okay, this dude right here at the
Speaker 1: real deal. You know, he wasn't fast, he was you know,
Speaker 1: he was sound. His technique was flawless, and he just
Speaker 1: you couldn't beat him at the line of scrimmings. And
Speaker 1: he was patient and you and once you got the
Speaker 1: opportunity to play against him on a on a day
Speaker 1: and day off basis, you understood you know how good
Speaker 1: he was. Plaques. Thanks for the time and again Fox
Speaker 1: Sports Readio, our colleague. We're we're teammates here, plaques. Saturday Man,
Speaker 1: all right, we gotta go you LaVar Arrington. T J.
Speaker 1: Houshman's out every Saturday on Fox Sports Radio. If you
Speaker 1: haven't tried to show check it out. Thank you Plaxico.
Speaker 1: We'll talk to again. Thanks Man. Be sure to catch
Speaker 1: live editions of The Ben Maller Show weekdays at two
Speaker 1: am Eastern eleven pm Pacific