WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - J.J. Watt 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:07.280 Welcome to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. I'm 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:11.600 your host Dave Pash ESPN and Arizona Cardinals announcer. Our 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:15.640 guest this week is JJ Watt, Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman 0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:19.160 and future Hall of Famer. We talk a ton about 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:22.000 the twenty twenty one season as well as the twenty 0:00:22.040 --> 0:00:25.320 twenty two Arizona Cardinal season, but we also get into 0:00:25.400 --> 0:00:29.920 JJ's background growing up an elite hockey player, being a 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:34.239 Milwaukee Bucks fan, what JJ would like to do after football, 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:38.240 also all of his philanthropy efforts, as well as a 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:41.760 time this offseason, JJ went to a bar just to 0:00:41.800 --> 0:00:45.760 hang out with sports fans in Arizona. Boys very close 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:48.880 there for about two hours and just had some beer, 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:52.080 hung out, took photos with them, sign autographs wherever they wanted, 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:54.480 but also got to just got to hang and just 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:56.480 talk with a few of them and got to play 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:58.600 a full round of Golden Tea, which was great. We'll 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:02.000 discuss what the next step is for Kyler Murray, JJ's 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:04.679 thoughts on some of the offseason moves by the Cardinals 0:01:04.720 --> 0:01:07.800 as well. We are presented by bet MGM, the official 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:10.720 sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals and by Hila 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:14.760 River Hotels and Casinos. Sign up for BETMGM today using 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:17.600 code cards one thousand and get your first bet risk 0:01:17.640 --> 0:01:20.880 free up to one thousand dollars. New customer offer paid 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:24.360 in free bets. Visit betmgm dot com for terms and conditions. 0:01:24.600 --> 0:01:28.720 Twenty one and over Arizona only. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:33.120 problem call one eight hundred. Next step. All right, here's 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:35.960 our guest for this edition of the Dave Pash Podcast, 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:41.640 j J Watt. So JJ. First of all, I'm sure 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:44.680 Cardinal fans want to know how's your health because obviously 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:49.440 you had an incredibly significant injury last year that remarkably 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:53.760 you came back from the play in the postseason. You're 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.640 here now for OTAs and workouts. How do you feel? 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.000 I feel great. I feel great. Obviously I was able 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.200 to come back for that. Haven't had any issues whatsoever 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:07.320 and fully normally functioning. How significant really was that injury 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:09.640 because a lot of people at the time were saying 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:11.440 it's shoulder, and then there was reports that it's a 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:15.920 lot more ye shoulder. No, it was pretty bad. Thankful 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:19.119 it's behind me for sure, but it was pretty bad. 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:22.320 Initially they were only supposed to open up one big 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:24.480 scar and then do like a scope on the back, 0:02:25.760 --> 0:02:27.920 and then when I woke up, there were two huge 0:02:27.919 --> 0:02:31.560 scars and two scope holes. So there was a little more, 0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:34.880 a little more than they expected, and it was pretty 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:38.080 much a total loss in there. But they put it 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:41.320 back together extremely well, and I'm very thankful they have 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:43.519 great doctors and great people helped me to get back, 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:46.200 and a little bit of luck as well. How did 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:49.720 you stay motivated during that time because I remember you 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:52.040 saying early on in the process that you wanted to 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:53.919 be back for the playoffs and that was your goal, 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.919 and athletes say that all the time and sometimes it's 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:58.800 not realistic, and a lot of people thought it wasn't 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:01.560 realistic for you. So how did you stay motivated and 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:04.840 persistent to make sure that you got back for that game? Yeah, 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:06.640 I mean when you're in the building every day, it's easy. 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:08.799 I mean you see the guys, you see them work, 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:11.800 and you watch them practice and go to meetings, and 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:14.000 you want to be a part of it as a competitor, 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:16.720 as an athlete, you want to be a part of that, 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:18.440 and you see it in front of you every day 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:21.320 and not every day is easy. I mean it's extremely difficult. 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:24.760 Some days are depressing, some days are tough, some days 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:27.400 the rehab doesn't go as well as you'd hope it would. 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:30.560 And those guys seeing them every day and them coming 0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:34.080 through and tapping you up and wishing you the best 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:36.560 every day and just chatting with your shooting the breeze, 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:38.680 it just makes you want to get back out there 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:40.320 and once it makes you want to work that much harder, 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:42.560 makes you want to do everything the right way so 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:44.280 you can get back on that field and help them out. 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:46.880 So all that than this podcast, which I do for 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:50.720 the Cardinals and in the offseason, it's not regular. My 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:53.880 season ended last week. My last game was Game six 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:57.480 of Philly Miami, so I'm technically I don't have to 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:00.800 do another game until preseason. Like for me, when my 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:04.520 season's over, I watch the NBA playoffs, but it's not 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:06.520 like I'm sitting around watching baseball. I'm kind of get 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:11.160 away from sports and do other things. When the Cardinal 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:13.960 season ended, what were your thoughts? What did you do? 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:15.480 Did you want to get away from it? Did you 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:17.240 want to go back and watch the tape and talk 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:19.200 to guys about it? Or did you just want to escape, 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:23.400 you want to work. I think, especially the way it ended, 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:26.680 and especially for myself having been injured up until that 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:30.000 last game and then coming back, I mean I wanted 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:31.320 to get right back to work. I mean I was 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:34.200 unable to do anything for the second half of the season, 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:36.080 so I was ready to immediately get back to work 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:40.320 and put that loss behind us and do whatever we 0:04:40.360 --> 0:04:43.680 could to be ready for the next season. But then 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:45.599 you also, you do try and find your spaces to 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.760 get away, try and find your time to relax, reconnect 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:50.880 with family, get as much time with the wife as 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:52.960 I can. And we took a couple of trips here 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:54.840 and there, but for the most part, I mean I 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:56.440 was back in with Buddy the next day. We just 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:58.240 wanted to We just want to get back to work. 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:02.360 Speaking of the NBA Playoffs, the Bucks, so I did 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:05.160 Game three Boston Milwaukee, and I don't know if you 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:06.920 remember that game. That was a game Horford, who was 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:09.640 on his hand. Yeah, I thought after that Milwaukee's gonna 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:12.160 win the series. Obviously they didn't win the series. It 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:14.440 could beat pretty baddling in Game seven. I know you're 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.960 a Bucks fan. Peewaukee, is what west of the City Milwaukee. 0:05:20.080 --> 0:05:23.200 What was your reaction to Game seven. I mean, it 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:25.320 was a rough weekend for me. It was a rough 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:30.560 weekend for me. I had Chelsea Liverpool on Saturday, Chelsea 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:33.560 took the Allen Pek's and then I had the Bucks. Obviously. 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:37.000 I mean, it's tough when you got a guy like 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:39.120 Milton out for the whole series and Jannie is trying 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:41.599 to do everything in his power to put the team 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:44.039 on his back the whole series, and he was incredible, 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:46.880 but it's just kind of inevitable that at some point 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:49.799 it's he can't keep doing it the whole time. And 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:53.320 and then on Sunday had the Suns and it was 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.880 rough as well. So it was pretty tough sports weekend 0:05:56.920 --> 0:05:59.320 for me overall. But at sports, I mean, that's the 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:01.200 beauty of sport, you know, Like you go on Twitter 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:03.840 after the games, and I saw somebody put up this 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:07.040 thing of Yannis and it was saying, like the Bucks 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:09.599 last seven years with the honest and it was like 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:13.280 first round playoff exit, second round playoff exit, first round 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:18.599 playoff exit, Eastern Conference Finals, NBA Champions first round playoff exit, 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:21.839 and they they were they were listing these things like 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:24.880 it was a bad thing. And I was thinking to myself, 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:28.040 there's an NBA champion like you literally have in that 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:32.599 list NBA champion at the way I mean, and you're 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:35.200 just like we're just all of a sudden, just breezing 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.479 past that, Like it's like this guy's had a failure 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:40.080 of a career, Like it's it's just funny to me 0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:43.400 in today's world, how it's so we're just trying to 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:46.640 find ways on people and it's just we we we 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.160 were so quick to do that and not nearly as 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:51.560 quick to lift people up and to give them the 0:06:51.600 --> 0:06:54.799 praise that they deserve. And so it's just it's always 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:56.680 funny for me to watch that type of stuff. So 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:00.560 more on Yannis, because I remember the first time I 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:02.840 met you, and I'm sure you don't remember because you've 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:06.080 met thousands of broadcasters and reporters over the years, but 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:10.160 it was two thousand nine and then two thousand and ten, 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:12.000 which was your last year at Wisconsin. It was really 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:13.760 when you were taken off in ten, and I was 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:16.200 working at the time with Chris Spielman and Bob Greasy, 0:07:16.720 --> 0:07:19.280 and I remember even Chris when I met you, looked 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:23.000 at you like Wow, that's a big dude. And Jannis 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:24.840 is one of those guys like you and you're in 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:27.880 that category. I don't think people realize how big you are. 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:30.720 And I don't think people realize like what Jannis looks 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:33.760 like when you see him in person, it's different. Are 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:36.240 there any professional athletes and maybe you just stick with 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:38.320 NFL where like when you first see a guy that 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:40.840 maybe you didn't know very well or you didn't see 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.640 him in pads, you when you see him, you're like, man, 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:47.800 that dude's a lot bigger than I thought. I don't 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.160 know too many in the NFL. I think of most 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:52.040 in the NFL have been about what I thought. But 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:54.640 I mean I met Yeaman when I was in Houston, 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.120 and I mean that, Yeah, it just blows you away. 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:01.400 Like we went out to lunch and watching him sit 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:05.040 in a chair at a table like is mind boggling. 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.080 It's you're trying the whole time we were eating, I 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:08.720 was just trying to wrap my head around and like 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:10.440 his life. I was just trying to think about how 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:12.320 he fits into cars and how he buys clothes and 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.800 all these things. So, um, I think NBA definitely is 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:17.680 like that as well, Like when you go sit courtside 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:19.200 of the game and you're truly up there and you're 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:23.760 seeing the guys, and it's pretty incredible even us. I mean, 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:25.920 I'm a pretty big guy, but you watch those guys 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:30.040 and they're seven foot and they're doing things that are unbelievable. 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:31.680 So you have a lot of respect for that. In 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:35.280 the NFL, I'm no, I can't. I can't really think 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:36.920 of one guy that I was like, Oh man, that 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:41.559 guy's gigantic. That's because you dwarf most guys, So I 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:44.640 get it. It's funny because y'all, what you know, he's 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.000 not just tall, he's thick, like his lower body's thick. 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:48.920 And Jeff Van Gundy's a buddy of mine, and Jeff 0:08:48.960 --> 0:08:51.640 coach him. It's hilarious back when Jeff was coaching him. 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:53.920 And I assume you know Jeff from Houston because he's 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.160 a huge Texan fan, and it was like having and 0:08:56.200 --> 0:08:59.520 Costello with with Jeff and yea, yeah, he's well proportioned. 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:01.520 He's not. It's not like he's just tall and lanky. 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:04.800 He is. His body looks like it fits his height, 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:08.120 and it's I mean, I just I can't figure out 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:10.520 where he buys his clothes and how he goes about 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:12.920 his daily life. I don't know if people realize you 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:15.880 were a great hockey player growing up. Do you still 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:20.040 watch Stanley Cup playoffs? Yeah? Yeah, I admittedly don't tune 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:22.640 in too heavily until the playoffs, but the playoffs. I 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:24.280 was talking to my wife last night about it. The 0:09:24.280 --> 0:09:26.840 Stanley Cup playoffs are my favorite playoffs and all sports 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:32.160 to watch. Just everything about it is so intense. And 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:33.960 obviously last night you had a couple of games and 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:36.040 you had the Rangers Penguins go, it's overtime, and it's 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:40.280 game seven, overtime, winner takes all, and just those moments 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:42.319 where it's one goal wins it, and you know that 0:09:42.360 --> 0:09:44.400 there's gonna be the elation of winning, and there's gonna 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:47.600 be the devastation of losing, and it's you just you 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:51.840 can't beat that. Were you on a traveling team growing up? Yeah? Yeah, 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:53.880 I played on a team. Yeah, I played on a 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:58.880 trip a team that played all over Wisconsin, Canada, Minnesota, Michigan. 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:02.400 And then I also played on another team that went 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:05.560 over to Germany and played in Germany and a couple 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:07.680 of tournaments over there. So yeah, it was it was 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:11.000 pretty cool. Can you stopped playing because of football? No, 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.160 I stopped playing. It was just extremely expensive. We were 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:16.079 a middle class family and I was fortunate to be 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:17.720 able to do it for a while. But three boys 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:21.200 playing on traveling teams are our parents kind of said, 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:23.679 we can't afford anymore. If you want to play on 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:26.400 the local local team, you can, but we can't afford 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:29.160 to be on the travel teams anymore, and so we 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:32.040 kind of turned our attention to the other sports. Did 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.760 you know about the tradition of Wisconsin hockey like when 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.840 you went there? Yeah, because I grew up in Madison 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:41.280 and I was I went to football and basketball games 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:43.079 growing up. I never went to hockey games. Yeah, no, 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:47.240 I have it literally might still be somewhere in a 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.679 box somewhere, but like in my childhood bedroom growing up, 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:55.120 I had we like when I was probably somewhere eight 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:56.920 to ten years old, we would go skate with the 0:10:56.960 --> 0:10:58.880 Badgers like they have like a skate you could skate 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:01.400 with the Badgers, and we went with them and I 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:03.440 got all their autographs on their team picture and it 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.640 was hanging up on my wall for shoot probably until 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.520 like five years ago. So it was yeah, no, I 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.760 knew all about it. The Coal Center the interest, Like, 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:16.079 I think hockey has the best introductions in all of sports. 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:17.840 I think that they do the best job with their 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:22.000 audio visual in terms of the intros and the music 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:25.160 and the announcers and shutting off all the lights and everything. 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:28.120 I think it's incredible. So I was always attracted to that. 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:29.880 And the Coal Center does a really good job with 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:32.600 their presentation as well, so I love going to games 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:34.760 there when I was in college. I'm sure a lot 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.880 of people are enjoying this conversation, but they're they probably 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:39.520 feel like we're burying the lead here and not talking 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:42.240 about the team. So let's let's talk about First of all, 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:45.040 I guess your thoughts on the off season so far 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:47.480 and what you think of the moves that the Cardinals 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.239 have made, whether it's free agency, the trade with Hollywood 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:54.600 and the draft. Yeah, I mean I obviously paid attention 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.080 to it a little bit, but I also just control it. 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:00.760 I can control and do my job right to have Hollywood. 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:02.280 And I saw him the day that he signed and 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:05.400 or the day that he got traded or however however, 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:07.360 and all went down, but he was in very quickly 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:11.160 after his trade and got a chance to meet with 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:15.079 him and looking forward to him very very fast. It'll 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:18.320 be great far offense, open things up even more. Can 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:20.240 never have too many weapons on that side of the ball. 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:23.400 And then the Draft. I mean, we'll see how it 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:25.720 all plays out. You never know, you know, with the draft, 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:29.560 it's people love it, people hate it, people nobody knows, 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:32.080 nobody knows, and we all hope it turns out incredible. 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:34.360 So looking forward to seeing these guys work, looking forward 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:36.679 to see how they go about their business, and helping 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:38.520 them in any way I can. So I was doing 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:40.320 a lot of interviews leading up to the draft and 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:44.080 during the offseason locally nationally, people asking about the Cardinals 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.000 and a lot of people saying, well, they're not doing anything. 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:51.440 And obviously a lot has changed since then, the Hollywood 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:53.360 Trade being one of the moves that was made. But 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.280 also just in general, you guys were seven and oh 0:12:56.520 --> 0:12:59.120 and ten and two. It's not like there needed to 0:12:59.160 --> 0:13:01.760 be a rebuild. So my question to you is how 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:05.040 close do you feel this group is? Because I'm you know, 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:08.920 Adrian Wilson's been on this pod, Steve Cliff, Quinn, Harris, 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:13.199 and everybody seems to think like you guys are close. 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:18.040 You could feel twenty two and contend for a championship. Yeah, 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.480 I mean wouldn't be much of a point in playing 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:22.240 if we didn't think we could make it happen. You know, 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:25.720 I'm looking forward to the opportunity. I'm looking forward to 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:27.280 getting back out there with the group. I mean, we 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:30.440 started out seven and oh last year, and unfortunately it 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:32.120 didn't end the way that we wanted it too. But 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:36.320 that feeling and that the way that we were rolling, 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:39.439 in the way that we were going about things, there's 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:42.200 no reason that that shouldn't have continued. And there's no 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:45.360 reason that we can't make that happen again and continue 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:47.920 it and sustain it. As you look at the room 0:13:48.360 --> 0:13:51.320 and you think about the possibilities, do you see some 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:55.000 similarities to some of the teams you're on in Houston 0:13:55.000 --> 0:13:59.359 that won the division. I mean, I have bigger aspirations 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:01.400 than I've ever had in my own career. I mean 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.000 I've obviously won division titles and things like that, but 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:06.440 i want to win the super Bowl. I mean that's 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:11.280 the goal. So I'm done with any small goals. I'm 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:13.560 done with any moral victories or anything like that. I 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.480 mean I'm here for one goal and one goal only, 0:14:15.480 --> 0:14:17.800 and that's to win a trophy. So that's what I'm 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:20.320 working towards, and I think we have a good group 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:23.240 who's capable of doing that, and it's just a matter 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.600 of putting it all together and doing it consistently week 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:27.800 after week and making sure that we put in all 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.720 the work. And as you know, the quarterback position is 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:34.360 the one that's most scrutinized, obviously, and you played with 0:14:35.280 --> 0:14:38.080 some really good quarterbacks in Houston. You played with a 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:41.520 great quarterback, and you played with some quarterbacks that you know, frankly, 0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:43.480 weren't very good, and you guys still were able to win. 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:48.120 Kyler obviously has an elite skill set and he clearly 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:50.680 has grown since his rookie year before you got here. 0:14:51.400 --> 0:14:55.000 What do you think's the next step for him? I mean, 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:57.960 I think that just playing it up. He's done it. 0:14:57.960 --> 0:14:59.800 He's played at extremely high level. I think it's just 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:01.840 obviously we need to finish out of season better. I 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:04.280 think that's but that's not just him, that's on all 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:06.840 of us. I think that it's being able to do 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.120 it take us to where we need to go from 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.960 a playoff standpoint, and like I said, to go win 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:15.600 a Super Bowl. And every year in the league, you 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:18.840 get better, you mature, you have you learn the game, 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:21.120 you play differently year to year because you have more 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:25.320 knowledge based, you have more experience, You're you're mature and wiser. 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:28.160 So I'm looking forward to seeing his progress and looking 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:31.240 forward to seeing the step that he takes this season. 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:34.840 How involved are you in his life in terms of 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.640 having conversations, whether it's in person or via text, you know, 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:41.720 because a lot of times you have, you know, the 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:43.880 offenses on one side of locker and the defense on 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:46.480 the other end, there's not much conversation going on even 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:49.080 you know, a way from football. But I know, just 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:51.240 based on your history, you're a guy that you know 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:53.720 you're invested in your teammates. So I'm just curious that 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:56.800 relationship with Kyler. Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's there. 0:15:56.840 --> 0:15:59.400 I mean we tex text message and FaceTime and things 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:02.560 like that. I mean we're not we're not having dinner 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.640 every single night, but we're definitely talking all the time. 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:07.840 I mean, that's the nature of the team. You understand 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:10.000 the leadership of the team, and you understand that the 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.000 quarterback is such a vital role to the team, and 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:14.720 any way that I can support, any way that I 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:18.800 can help and try and make his job easier is 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:20.920 what I'm here to do. I know it's maybe a 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.400 hard question answer because you were hurt for a good 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:25.600 part of the year, so you weren't out there every 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.760 week with a lot of the guys. But who were 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.080 some of the young guys on defense that stood out 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:33.440 to you last year that you're really high on here 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:36.800 going forward? Yeah, I'm I'm I'm just I'm looking forward 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:38.200 to seeing them all. I mean, I think that we've 0:16:38.240 --> 0:16:39.960 got a lot of a lot of guys. I think 0:16:40.000 --> 0:16:42.160 Marco's got a lot of potential. I think Byron obviously 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.280 played extremely well. I mean when I look around, I 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:48.960 try and when you say young guys, they're most of 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.480 the room is young in my eyes, so I look 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:54.600 at everybody. I'm looking forward to seeing the progress. I mean, 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:57.040 you look forward to seeing what's Avin is able to 0:16:57.080 --> 0:16:59.960 do with the bigger role and with a full off season, 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.880 an actual offseason program, and Isaiah having a chance to 0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:05.879 have an off season program and being able to have 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:09.840 that year to grow and mature and learn. And then 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:11.240 on the D line, you got a bunch of young 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:15.360 guys who you're looking to flourish and take that next 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:19.560 step and see what they can do. So it's exciting. 0:17:19.600 --> 0:17:21.800 I'm looking forward to it, and then obviously the draft 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:24.080 picks and we'll see what they can do. You're rare 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.119 and that I mean you were a hit right away. 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.399 Not many guys come in and have the kind of 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:33.760 impact that you did, winning multiple Defensive Player of the 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:37.520 Year awards early on in your career. I'm curious, what's 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:41.920 the key for guys like Xavin Isaiah, the younger guys 0:17:41.960 --> 0:17:45.440 that you know have flashes moments where things are great, 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:49.520 but getting consistently good. What's the key for those guys, 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:52.159 do you think? I think it's all about time you 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:57.080 put in, and I think it's about repetition and just consistency. 0:17:57.240 --> 0:17:59.159 I think that the more time that you're able to 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:01.280 commit to the job and that you're able to learn 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:03.040 and grow, and the more time that you have to 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:06.040 learn the playbook and the plays and see as many 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:09.320 looks as possible, whether it's walk throughs, whether it's practice, 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:11.879 whether it's offseason program, training camp, whatever it may be, 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:14.040 and being able to do those things over and over 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:16.840 and over again. That's when you really get good. I 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:19.679 think that having an offseason program is going to help 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:22.400 him a lot, because we haven't had one true offseason 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:24.320 program for a few years, especially since they've been in 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:26.760 the league. And then it's just going out there and 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:29.080 flying around and playing football. You know, at some point, 0:18:29.600 --> 0:18:32.480 this game comes down to making plays. It comes down 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.119 to being on the field and just making plays. And 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:38.320 I think that you're gonna make mistakes. Guys are gonna 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.959 make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time, but I 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:43.119 think that you have to make those mistakes one hundred 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.040 miles an hour, and you have to make them with 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:49.040 an intent and a focus to be trying to make plays. 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:51.840 I'd rather a guy be doing everything in his power 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:54.520 to make a play and screw up that way than 0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:56.879 be thinking and inside of his head and screw up 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.800 because he's too slow. So they got to go out 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:02.200 there play and when you do make those mistakes, you 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:05.320 got to learn from them. But it's all about repetition 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:08.879 and consistency and work. When the schedule came out, was 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:11.200 there anything that stood out to you? I know for me, 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:15.679 the bye week being in December. Now, as a player, 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:18.080 maybe you don't care you want to go every week. 0:19:18.119 --> 0:19:20.960 I don't know, um. I mean, the first couple of 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:22.760 things you look at as a player is obviously who 0:19:22.760 --> 0:19:25.679 you're playing first, and then you look at the Thursday 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:27.320