WEBVTT - #392 Packers Unscripted: On board 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:20.400 Hi, everyone, Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:23.000 I am Mike Spofford. He is the one and only 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:25.840 wes hodko Wits. We're coming to you here from our 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:28.160 studios at lambau Field and West. A little bit more 0:00:28.920 --> 0:00:32.720 coaching staff news to talk about here on the set today, 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:35.440 and that is because the Packers and new head coach 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:39.600 Matt Lafleur make an official this week. Offensive coordinator for 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:44.440 the nineteen Packers will be Nathaniel Hackett, most recently from 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:47.200 the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why don't you give us the brief 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:51.440 rundown on Mr Hackett? Yeah? What's interesting, Mike, And you 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:54.200 wrote this better than anybody our five things on the 0:00:54.240 --> 0:00:57.040 website right now in reducing the Packers fan base to 0:00:57.080 --> 0:01:00.720 their new offensive coordinator. It's interesting all these things work 0:01:00.720 --> 0:01:04.600 at times because Nathaniel Hackett, the son of Paul Hackett, 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:08.959 a mentor from Mike McCarthy uh in another disciple that 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:12.560 Bill Welsh uh coaching tree. Yeah, that West Coast office, 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:14.960 the West Coast scheme that he did, and now he's 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:17.200 here in Green Bay, thirty nine years young, same exact 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.759 age as Matt Lafour at this point in time. Haven't 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:22.039 had to get an official comment yet from Lafour as 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.480 far as what his thinking was here with his first 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:28.480 official outside higher but when you look at his resume 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:31.280 where he's been, I think the exciting thing is is 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:35.160 that he's accomplished some stuff with quarterbacks that aren't quite 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.600 at the level of Aaron Rodgers. And seeing now with 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:39.600 him getting a chance to work with someone like that 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.039 so fresh ideas coming into this building and what that 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:43.760 partnership is going to be like, I think it's gonna 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:46.280 be fun to watch. Yeah, it's interesting. You want to 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:49.360 go down a rabbit hole, so to speak. You start 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:52.280 looking at all these coaching connections and how small a 0:01:52.320 --> 0:01:55.560 world this can be. Paul Hackett at the University of 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:58.559 Pittsburgh when Mike McCarthy really gets his first big break 0:01:58.600 --> 0:02:02.440 into coach back in the I believe it was nine 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.520 the late nineteen eighties, Paul Hackett was the was the 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:09.280 head coach at that time for pit and uh, now 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:14.560 here we are basically twenty years later and Paul Hackett's 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:18.040 son is the offensive coordinator for the head coach who's 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:21.160 replacing Mike McCarthy Green Bay. So go figure it's one 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:23.560 of those things, and they are all kinds of connections 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:25.680 like that. That's why I set out an inbox. When 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:29.160 someone asked about how many former head coaches kids, I'm like, man, 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:33.280 there's too many. It's a it's a it's a league, 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:35.360 and it's a game where you're gonna see a lot 0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:38.840 of those bloodlines. Yeah, it's a it's a small world, certainly. 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:42.079 But when you look at Nathaniel Hackett, what stands out 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:44.880 the most is obviously his work with the Jacksonville Jaguars 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:47.840 in sen Obviously, that is a team that made it 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:49.880 all the way to the a f C Championship Game, 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:54.079 and many would say if not for a somewhat inadvertent 0:02:54.120 --> 0:02:57.000 early whistle on a fumble play, they might have beaten 0:02:57.040 --> 0:02:59.360 the New England Patriots and gone to the Super Bowl 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:03.760 last year. But with Blake Bortles and a rookie running 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:06.639 back in Leonard four Nett in seventeen with Jacksonville, the 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:09.079 Jaguars had one of the best offenses in the league. 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:11.680 I believe it was fifth is at fifth in points 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:15.000 in sixth in yards um, and the number one rushing 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:17.760 offense in the league. They certainly leaned on their rookie 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:21.400 running back in four net considerably There, things didn't go 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:25.320 as well in the reports were a lot of regression 0:03:25.400 --> 0:03:28.440 from Blake Bortles. He wasn't living up to his standards. Obviously, 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:32.440 injuries can affect anybody. Um, Nathaniel Hackett ends up getting 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.560 relieved of his duties there in Jacksonville, But it sounds 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:39.120 like Matt Lafleur is pretty excited to bring another I 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:41.440 guess I would say fairly young, up and coming coach 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:44.120 on board. Yeah, I think so. And in looking at 0:03:44.200 --> 0:03:46.400 where he's come from and in the road he's taken 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:48.960 to get here, it's also interesting we're talking about how 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:52.080 how small the coaching circles can be. Well, look at 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:54.600 the fact that Nathaniel Hackett was the offensive coordinator for 0:03:54.640 --> 0:03:57.120 the Bills in two thousand thirteen. Who was the defensive 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:00.400 coordinator that year for Buffalo, Mike Pett. So, I mean, 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:02.360 it just goes to show you that you know, these 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:04.560 relationships that you build over the course of time and 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.680 then getting those opportunities. The thing that I like though, 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:10.920 looking at this scenario now, is you you see la 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:14.320 Fleur coming from being the play caller uh in Tennessee 0:04:14.360 --> 0:04:16.159 hack and getting the chance to do those sort of 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:20.000 things with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and obviously, as we both mentioned, 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.120 Aaron Rodgers wasn't the head coach or wasn't the you know, 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:26.960 the quarterback for either of those teams. But what they 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:29.680 did with the running game to set things up for 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.839 their passing game. That's why the Jaguars, ultimately we're able 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:35.039 to get as far as they did last year, was 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.120 with Havin Leonard for net being able to develop that 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:40.719 and playoff that. And then you look and see the 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.520 success that the Titans had during down the stretch this season, 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:47.960 it was Derrick Henry opening that door. So I think 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:50.159 that's gonna be one of the big hallmarks of this duo, 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:53.880 and and it's obviously gonna be a big point of 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:57.360 emphasis for any head coach, any offensive coording to establish 0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:00.480 the run. But you have Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams 0:05:00.480 --> 0:05:02.520 and being able to get those guys going to make 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:05.400 Aaron rodgers life easier. Mike, how many times have I said, 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:08.599 over the last three years of doing this show, when 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:11.520 you look back to Aaron Rodgers strongest seasons, he's always 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:15.080 had a complimentary running game back or just somebody that 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:17.440 can make impact plays out of the backfield. I think 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:19.320 the Packers have that. It's gonna be up to Hacket 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:21.000 in La Florida get the most out of that. I 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:23.360 think that is the most interesting part of this as 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.000 as we're going to see and obviously talk plenty about 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:29.400 the evolution of this Packers offense and where it's going. 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:31.880 When you look at what Hackett did with for Net 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.560 in Jacksonville, you look at what Matt Lafleur did with 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:38.320 Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Packers have Aaron Jones, they have 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:42.040 Jamal Williams. Maybe they'll add some others this this offseason 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:44.320 to that depth chart at running back. We'll have to see. 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:48.000 I I think that's a very interesting um part of 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:51.240 this as as we follow it moving forward with regards 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:53.240 to the running game. The other thing I'll say, and 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.320 this is interesting because I saw the question in Insider inbox. 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:58.200 I believe you were the one who answered it. On 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:00.960 your day. There was a and who wrote in and said, 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:03.760 you know, a lot of Packers fans are are kind 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:06.360 of on edge, a little bit disappointed or upset that 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:09.400 you know, Matt Lafleur is coming from Tennessee with an 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.040 offense that was ranked in the twenties and now Nathaniel 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:15.120 Hackett's coming from the Jaguars after being relieved of his 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:18.800 duties mid season in ten. But if you actually go 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:22.279 back a year, Nathaniel Hackett with what he did in 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:26.120 Jacksonville in seventeen, and then Matt Lafleur as Sean mcveigh's 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.320 offensive coordinator with the Rams in seen if this were 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:31.520 a year ago, these would have been two of the 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:36.039 most talked about offensive candidates to UH to move up 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:41.200 or to move on in their NFL careers. So this 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.719 is what the Packers are banking on, essentially, that that 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.520 both of these guys are um are going to be 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:50.240 able to UH to continue what they had done in 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:53.599 the past, and that the rankings and just the flat 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:57.039 out numbers of teen obviously don't reflect the types of 0:06:57.160 --> 0:06:59.560 coaches that they are. Yeah, and I think it's important 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:03.159 to remember too in this business, very rarely are you 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:06.520 going to find a coach at any level that has escaped, 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:09.560 you know, being fired. At some point in time. They're 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:11.480 hired to get fired. I mean, that's the that's the 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:14.800 old saying, right. Bill Belichick fell into that. Andy Reid 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:17.520 experienced it with Philadelphia after he had built all that. 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.000 Even I think the story always is of Sean Payton 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:22.320 and where things were heading with the Giants when he 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:24.600 got hired away. You know, whether or not he would 0:07:24.640 --> 0:07:27.400 have been there long term, that's just the way this 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:30.440 game goes, and there's so much parody sometimes it's inescapable. 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:34.000 So I think the important thing when you look specifically, 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:35.600 not that la Fleur has bet well, he has been 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:37.320 on that side, but if you go back to Washington 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:41.400 but now with Hackett, is trusting yourself, trusting your principles, 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:44.200 trusting your system, and being able to implement that in 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.840 a new place. This is gonna be a really important offseason. 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:48.440 And you know, in the next couple of weeks here 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:50.920 Matt Lafleur will be finalizing that coaching staff. I'm sure 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:52.800 there's gonna be a lot of back and forth conversations 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.400 with Hackett, with Mike Petton whoever comes in as their 0:07:55.440 --> 0:07:58.840 special teams coordinator, to figure out what that was gonna 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.240 look like. But once that staff is finalized, you and 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.800 I have been around this long enough, Mike, they're gonna 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.280 be spending two months developing that playbook. They're gonna be 0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:09.720 spending time getting those players, getting their preparation ready for 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:11.960 when the players get back in the building on April one, 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:15.000 because it is the Packers haven't experienced the off season 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.320 like this in the new CBA environment of being able 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:21.040 to you know, change up the head coaching, you know, 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:23.760 stint and and look at a new program here in 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:27.559 Green Bay. So I think for Nathaniel Hackett again, without 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:29.840 having spoken to him at this point in time, you 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:31.960 have to imagine he's energized by this idea of working 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:34.400 with Aaron Rodgers, challenging Aaron Rodgers and trying to get 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:37.440 this Packers offense back on track. Yeah already, um quickly 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:41.040 west here before I forget the powerful noise canceling technology 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:44.640 that helps NFL coaches block out eighty thou screaming fans 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:46.920 can get you closer to the music you love. Learn 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:51.280 more at www dot bos dot com, Slash Packers Bows, 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:55.160 the official headphones of the Green Bay Packers, and at Homer. 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:56.920 Here in the stands, we all know that Green Bay 0:08:56.920 --> 0:08:58.640 fans give it their all and that takes a lot 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:01.320 of energy. So grab a warm bowl of Campbell's Chunky Soup. 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:04.200 It's meaty goodness fuels the greatness of Packers fans everywhere. 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.600 Try to try the delicious classic chicken noodle soup. Just 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:10.679 visit your local supermarket and ask for Campbell's chunky soup. 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:13.800 Official sup partner of the Green Bay Packers. Okay, you 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:17.760 said it, West. There's a lot of machinations here to 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.120 figure out with regards to how this coaching staff is 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:23.440 going to come together, but I think it's worth mentioning 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.439 one assistant coach here in particular, who has left Green 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:30.719 Bay after a very long and prosperous tenure. He has 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:34.000 moved on to the Cleveland Browns. I'm talking about long 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:37.760 time offensive line coach James Campon. And for those who 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:41.000 don't know coach Campon's full story. First of all, as 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.440 a player, he was a center for the Green Bay Packers. 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:48.160 And if you look back in uh in when Brett 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:52.839 Farve began his consecutive start streak, that NFL record that 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:55.880 I don't think we'll ever be broken. Um, when he 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.560 began that consecutive start streak at quarterback in Green Bay 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:03.240 in his entner was James Campon. Um. Fast forward from 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.200 there to two thousand and four, James Campon returns to 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:10.199 Green Bay as an assistant coach on Mike Sherman's staff. 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:12.840 He's with coach Sherman for the final two years of 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:16.240 his tenure and then for the entirety of Mike McCarthy's tenure, 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:19.760 um starting out as an assistant offensive line coach and 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:22.480 then taking over as the offensive line coach in two 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:26.200 thousand and seven when Joe Philbin was promoted to offensive 0:10:26.240 --> 0:10:30.880 coordinator and boy fifteen years as an assistant coach in 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:33.760 one place. That doesn't happen very often in this league. 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:37.400 And I can't say enough about what a great guy 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:41.680 James Campon is, let alone a very very accomplished football coach. 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:44.000 It's interesting because now with his new title with the 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:47.600 you know, Cleveland Browns's associate head coach, offensive line coach, 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.240 and you know, and there's so many different ways to 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:52.640 rise up the ranks. You know, you look at what 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.840 Matt Lafleur has done, you know, being a quarterback driven 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:58.360 type coach and and being able to go from one 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:00.439 spot to another and kind of have that gradual incline. 0:11:01.080 --> 0:11:05.000 What's interesting about James Camping story is he basically became 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:07.719 a high school coach once his playing career was done. 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:09.640 He was settled out I believe it was in California, 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:12.680 and then he got an opportunity to come to Green 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:14.840 Bay and he started from the bottom to get where 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:17.880 he's at today over the last fifteen years. The thing 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:21.280 that was really special with him when you dealt with him, 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:25.280 whether it was professionally personally, he always was that high 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:28.480 school coach. If you could take out all the layers away, 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.680 you know, take off the packers hat, just put on 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:35.440 a regular starter jacket James Campon, you would have thought 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:37.959 he was the Bayport high school football coach, just the 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:40.800 way he carried himself, how personable he was. Even in 0:11:40.840 --> 0:11:43.280 the interactions with the media. You and I covered our 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:46.679 share of high school football games, and in interactions with 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.320 the media and interviews, it was he was still that 0:11:49.400 --> 0:11:51.719 high school football coach. When you'd ask him questions, the 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:54.400 way he talked about his players, the way he would 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:58.520 he would answer those questions and interact just um a 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:01.079 tremendous guy on a personal level. I'm certainly going to 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:03.440 miss him a lot. I know you will too, but 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:06.520 certainly wish him the best and hope that he continues 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:09.120 to find a lot of success in Cleveland. Yeah, two 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:11.400 of my favorite stories about Campy. One goes back to 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:13.840 two thousand twelve, my first official year on the Beat. 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:15.800 This is back when the Green Bay Packers, the way 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:19.280 they handled assistant coaching availability, they would you'd sign up 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:21.720 for specific coaches, you go interview him in the hallway 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:24.880 outside the locker room. Offensive coaches on one day, defensive 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.920 coaches on the other. So I'm going around with Rob Demowski, 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:30.839 my former colleague who now works at ESPN dot com, 0:12:30.920 --> 0:12:33.480 and we basically I'm just making the rounds, introducing myself 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:37.600 and I introduced myself to Campy and right away and 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:39.600 he wasn't joking. He's like, oh, so is this is 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:42.240 this your intern? He says, Rob, mind you. I was 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:44.760 twenty four years old at the time. I still tend 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.120 to be a younger looking fellow, especially on the days 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:50.560 I decided to shave uh And so I go and 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:51.920 we had a good laugh about it. I'm like, no, 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:54.960 I'm actually the new guy that's coming in for Kareem Copeland. 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:57.160 I'm gonna be the third beat writer here. And we 0:12:57.160 --> 0:12:58.720 had a good laugh about it. I put it out 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.959 on Twitter, and I don't know how. I don't know 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:03.920 if camp he had Twitter I don't know if somebody 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:06.280 from the PR staff had learned it to him, but 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:09.160 you know, next interactually had with him like, oh yeah, 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:10.560 so you go and you know put that out there. 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:14.160 And I looked like the dumb but you know, a 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:16.000 coach that doesn't know that you're an intern or not. 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:18.640 We had a good laugh about it. The second story 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:20.840 I want to tell very quickly was after I came 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:24.680 on board here in two thousand sixteen. Um James Camping 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:26.480 was one of the guys that I, you know, kind 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:28.760 of had bounced some stuff off of about all this stuff, 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.040 and I was at a I wrote about this an 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:33.000 insider ran box. I was at a local pizzeria that 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:34.720 I don't think I could actually say the name because 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:38.160 of sponsorship deals, but I can't be just happened to 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:40.120 be up at the bar waiting for his pizza. I 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:43.400 was waiting for mine. And this was probably, I want 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:45.280 to say, a couple of months into the job. And 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:47.000 and the thing about James camp and I'm sure you 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:49.839 have experiences like this too. He had a way of 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:52.600 listening to you, and I think his players experienced this too. 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:55.160 It wasn't waiting for his turn to speak, It was 0:13:55.240 --> 0:13:58.400 really clearly listening to what you were feeling. And and 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:00.720 I think he knew my reservations when I came over 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:03.200 here with this position, and he knew, you know, some 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:05.600 of the it's difficult. You did it too, going from 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:09.160 a journalism background to to working for a website team website, 0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:12.280 and he had a way of kind of seeing through 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:15.320 me to have those conversations on a deeper level. I 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:18.680 will always appreciate it, and and just being able to 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:20.840 get that feedback from him at times. I don't know 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:23.960 if there's anybody in this building that made me feel 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:27.400 more welcome about joining the Green Bay Packers and James Camping, 0:14:27.440 --> 0:14:29.640 and I doubt he's watching this, but if he is, 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:32.000 I have to say thank you to camp Be for yeah. Absolutely, 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.960 And I'll say this about his coaching tenure here as well. 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:38.600 A lot of teams spend first round draft picks on 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:43.480 offensive life, and throughout Mike McCarthy's tenure here, James Camping 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:45.720 only had two first round draft picks to work with. 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.720 One was Derek Sharad, whose career unfortunately didn't work out 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:51.520 because of a really nasty leg injury at the end 0:14:51.560 --> 0:14:56.000 of his rookie season, and unfortunately, UM that ended things 0:14:56.040 --> 0:15:00.320 for Derek prematurely, the other one being Brian Bulaga. But 0:15:00.440 --> 0:15:03.760 James Campon has whether you've given him fourth round draft 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.960 picks like Josh Sitton, T J. Lang and David Baktari, 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:10.280 whether you've given him undrafted guys like Lane Taylor, whether 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:13.960 you've given him second round picks like Darren College. He's 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:18.680 always had this Packers offensive line in UH in tremendous shape, 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:23.080 ready to adjust, UM guys, being cross trained at multiple positions, 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:26.320 all of that, and I just think he deserves a 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:28.800 ton of credit for what he accomplished. Now people may 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:30.640 be wondering, well, well then why isn't he staying with 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:32.720 the Packers. Well, a new head coach comes in, he's 0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:35.320 gonna have his own ideas. He's going to have ideas 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:37.920 of people he wants to bring in and ways he 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:39.880 wants to do things. This is I mean, the fact 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.800 that James Campon is leaving is nothing against him and 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:45.480 UH and I wish him all the success in Cleveland, 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:48.360 but his tenure here as an offensive line coach. You 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:51.000 talk to any player who was in that offensive line 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:54.920 room with him, they have nothing but respect and glowing 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:56.560 things to say about him as you and I do 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:58.200 as well. Yeah, and I'm glad you brought up the 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:00.120 Sharad thing because it actually does lead me to one 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:02.800 more story. I don't so it's it's obviously you get 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:05.240 Brian Balog in the building. He ends up becoming the 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:08.160 youngest right tackle or whatever it was, or starter in 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:11.120 Super Bowl history at one years old in two thousand 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:13.960 and ten. But I don't you look at Derek Sharrod 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:18.000 for example, Sharrod had a devastating injury. I don't know 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:21.840 if there was anyone anywhere in any profession that was 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:25.640 more invested into trying to get Derek Sharad back on 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:27.480 the field and make him the player that they thought 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:30.920 he could be than James Camping. H just I know 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:33.600 how much he cared about Derek, how much he cared 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:36.400 about him as a person in trying to help him. Now, 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:38.600 ultimately it didn't work out, but I'll say what. I'll 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:40.440 say this, it wasn't for a lack of trying from 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:43.880 either Sharad or James Campin's perspective that meant a lot 0:16:43.920 --> 0:16:46.080 to him to be able to get him back on 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:49.920 a roster whatever the situation may be. However, long he 0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:53.240 may have lasted. That was a difficult injury, an injury 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:56.080 that required two separate surgeries for Sharade to come back. 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:59.920 And those are the stories you don't hear about. Whereas 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:03.240 you look at David box Tr, David Botr was a 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:05.720 fourth round draft pick in a draft where I believe 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:08.600 it was seventeen or eighteen different offensive lineman, guards, tackle 0:17:08.680 --> 0:17:11.120 centers that were taking ahead of him. You go back 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:13.760 and look at his scouting page, as NFL dot Com 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:15.800 scouting page, people saying that this guy needs to move 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:20.920 to guard. James Camping helped make a franchise All Pro 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:24.359 Pro Bowl left tackle out of David box Tr, a 0:17:24.400 --> 0:17:26.840 position that if you redraft that box Tr is a 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:29.320 top five picks maybe a top three pick. Yeah, he's 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:31.800 absolutely a top five draft pick if you if you 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:35.439 re select from. And that was where I know a 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:38.480 lot of people things went a certain way nor near 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:40.960 the end with Ted Thompson and in you know, in 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:46.240 frustrations about things. But that was the draft in developmentality 0:17:46.280 --> 0:17:50.080 at its finest, especially that two thousand thirteen draft. JC Treader. 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:54.680 You know Eddie Lacy, the players, the Packers personnel department 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.520 in and Thompson was able to identify and given him 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:00.479 to someone like James Campon that was able to develop them. 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.040 It's a great story. I think Campi is going to 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:05.240 go down as one of the all time best assistants 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:07.600 that this organization has had. And as you said, though, 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:09.600 you wish him luck in the next phase, because that's 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:12.560 what this game is. It's moving and shaking, and now 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:15.600 he has a good opportunity in Cleveland, which last for him. Well. 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.000 Before we go west, I know, we've got the conference 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:21.240 championships in the a f C and the NFC coming 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:24.040 up this weekend. For those who want a little bit 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.960 more of a breakdown. Our previous episode, we talked a 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:28.720 lot about what was going on in the playoffs through 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:32.080 division a weekend looking ahead of these conference championships. So 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:35.040 quickly here before we go today, I'm just gonna put 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:37.000 you on the spot. Who are you picking. I'm gonna 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.520 go with the Saints and I'm gonna go with Kansas City. 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:42.480 And I know the stats, I understand how good Tom 0:18:42.520 --> 0:18:45.080 Brady has been in Cold Weather, But as I said 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:48.840 on our previous episode, there's just something about this Kansas 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:51.920 City team. Even though Pat Mahome the The coldest game 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:53.760 he's ever played in was twenty seven degrees and it 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:57.000 happened once. There's still something about the way that that 0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:58.920 team is structured. I think they're going to find a 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:00.960 way to win. It will not be easy. You're gonna 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:04.800 be playing the Patriots and all Pro mode, all Madden Mode, 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:08.360 but it's gonna be exciting to watch. As far as 0:19:08.359 --> 0:19:11.120 New Orleans, I've said it all along. Why change the statement? 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:13.159 Now you have to beat them in the Superdome. Nobody's 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:16.119 been able to do it. Yeah, I'm with you on 0:19:16.200 --> 0:19:18.920 both games. I've I've been bullish on the New Orleans 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:21.280 Saints since last January when I thought they were the 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:23.040 best team in the playoffs, and I think they might 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:25.640 have won the whole thing if not for that Minneapolis miracle. 0:19:26.040 --> 0:19:27.920 I think the Saints are going to the super Bowl. 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:30.800 I don't see them losing in the Superdome. With regards 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:32.560 to the Chiefs and the Patriots, I agree with a 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:34.959 lot of things that you said with regards to the 0:19:35.000 --> 0:19:39.840 cold weather and Mahomes young quarterbacks, when they get into 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:42.840 that freezing cold weather, and even if they're not used 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:44.639 to it, it doesn't seem to affect him. As much, 0:19:44.680 --> 0:19:48.119 at least from what I've seen as as the older quarterbacks. 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:51.080 Not that Tom Brady is any stranger to cold weather, 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:54.280 certainly coming from New England. But I'll also say this, 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:58.760