JC Latham on Titans Rookie Year, Cam Ward Hype, Will Levis, Alabama Memories & DeBoer Era | Bussin'

Summary

Bussin' With The Boys Episode: JC Latham on Titans Rookie Year, Cam Ward Hype, Will Levis, Alabama Memories & DeBoer Era

Host Information:

• Hosts: Taylor Lewan & Will Compton
• Guest: JC Latham, Offensive Tackle for the Tennessee Titans
• Release Date: May 27, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of Bussin' With The Boys, hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton dive deep into the journey of JC Latham, a formidable Offensive Tackle for the Tennessee Titans. As a top 10 draft pick out of IMG Academy and the University of Alabama, JC shares his transition from high school stardom to the rigors of the NFL, his experiences during his rookie year, and his reflections on Alabama's storied football program.

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JC Latham's Journey to the NFL

High School and IMG Academy

JC begins by recounting his turbulent teenage years, which led to a pivotal move from Wisconsin to IMG Academy in Florida. [00:62:16]

"I was kind of like, demon at the house. But being at IMG showed me I needed to better myself."

At IMG, JC emphasizes the strict structure and high level of competition, which molded him into the disciplined athlete he is today.

Transition to Alabama

After excelling at IMG, JC received numerous scholarship offers, with a significant interest from Alabama. However, unforeseen circumstances, including a COVID-19 outbreak and a critical injury, delayed his official commitment. [01:19:20]

"Being at IMG in Florida, learning from elite competition, was a major blessing even though I needed that structure."

Once at Alabama, JC switched from Defensive End to Offensive Tackle due to team needs, showcasing his versatility and dedication to the sport.

---

NFL Draft Experience

Pre-Draft Visits and Experiences

JC shares his extensive pre-draft journey, including visits to multiple teams and interactions with key NFL figures. A standout moment was witnessing teams like the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals expressing strong interest in him. [02:00:00]

"When Tennessee picked me, I was ready to say, 'This is it,' but seeing the cameras around was intense."

Despite the pressure, JC remained focused, believing in his abilities and the training he received at Alabama.

Being Drafted by the Titans

The culmination of JC’s draft journey was being selected by the Tennessee Titans. Although initially disappointed that Coach Harbaugh of the Chargers didn’t select him, JC redirected his focus to join a team that valued his potential. [02:01:05]

"When Tennessee picked me, I was like, 'This is the perfect fit for my growth and for the team.'”

---

Rookie Year with the Titans

Performance and Key Games

JC’s rookie season was marked by both triumphs and challenges. Starting all 17 games, he quickly adapted to the professional level, contributing significantly to the Titans' offensive line. A memorable moment was his performance against the Houston Texans, where his adaptability and resilience were on full display. [03:00:00]

"Playing on both sides of the line taught me invaluable techniques that improved my game daily."

Challenges and Improvements

Transitioning to the NFL wasn’t without its hurdles. JC faced a particularly tough game against the Michigan Wolverines, where his assignment on a critical play led to a significant turnover. [03:16:00]

"That play against Michigan was a learning experience. It taught me the importance of technique and mental focus."

Through these experiences, JC emphasized the importance of continuous improvement and mental fortitude in overcoming setbacks.

Work Ethic and Learning from Coaches

Drawing inspiration from Nick Saban and his coaching philosophy at Alabama, JC applied the same rigorous work ethic and attention to detail in the NFL. [04:00:00]

"Nick taught me that self-discipline and structure are key to success. Bringing that mentality to the Titans has been crucial."

His dedication extended beyond the field, focusing on weight management and mastering new techniques to excel in his role.

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Personal Anecdotes and Traits

Overcoming Personal Challenges

The conversation took a light-hearted turn when JC shared personal stories, including an incident where he jumped into a lake during a dare, reflecting his growth and resilience. [07:00:00]

"Jumping into that lake was terrifying, but it taught me to face my fears head-on."

Fitness and Training

JC also highlighted his commitment to peak physical condition, humorously discussing impressive feats like bench pressing 505 pounds and squatting nearly a thousand pounds with resistance bands. [08:00:00]

"I always push my limits in the gym because being strong is essential for my role on the offensive line."

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Conclusion

Bussin' With The Boys offers an insightful look into JC Latham's path from a disciplined high school athlete to a promising NFL player. His experiences underscore the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and mental resilience in achieving success at the highest levels of football. As JC continues to develop his game with the Tennessee Titans, his journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes striving to make their mark in professional sports.

Notable Quotes:

• JC Latham at [00:62:16]: "I was kind of like, demon at the house. But being at IMG showed me I needed to better myself."
• JC Latham at [01:19:20]: "Being at IMG in Florida, learning from elite competition, was a major blessing even though I needed that structure."
• JC Latham at [02:01:05]: "When Tennessee picked me, I was like, 'This is the perfect fit for my growth and for the team.'"
• JC Latham at [03:16:00]: "That play against Michigan was a learning experience. It taught me the importance of technique and mental focus."
• JC Latham at [04:00:00]: "Nick taught me that self-discipline and structure are key to success. Bringing that mentality to the Titans has been crucial."

---

Subscribe to Bussin' With The Boys:

• YouTube: Bussin' With The Boys
• Platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play
• Social Media: @busnwtb

Stay tuned for more episodes featuring top NFL talent, insightful discussions, and exclusive stories from the trenches of professional football.

Transcript

[Ferris State University Ad]

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[Taylor Lewan]

Welcome to another episode of Busting with the Boys. This is episode 330. I hope you had an incredible Memorial Day weekend. The boys we shot this episode last Friday because everybody's out of the office this week. A little vacation. But I hope you had an incredible Memorial Day. You might be driving into work right now. You might be in the weight room, you might be at work currently, maybe in the bathroom, maybe in a team meeting right now with one AirPod in listening to the boys. If you are watching, if you are listening right now, make sure you are subscribed to our channel on YouTube. If you're listening on audio, Apple, Spotify, Google Play, doesn't matter. Make sure you are following our channel. Subscribe to our channel. And we are also on social media at busnwtb we have an awesome episode today with JC Latham, top 10 pick for the Titans a couple years ago. Massive, massive, massive human being. What are we talking like 6 6, 6 7, 300 and at 1.60 pounds now he's down to like 340 but a unit of human being and he has an incredible personality for the show. A lot of storytelling, a lot of vibes. He's very close with our boy JP Hovey in the they were both at IMG Academy together. So we talk about his journey, his story and it's a lot of fun. You guys are enjoy it, are going to enjoy it. We also did our intro this week is about an hour long so if you're here for J.C. you can always skip an hour if you want to. I, I would encourage you to stay because it was a very fun intro. We cover all things going on in our world of busing right now. We talk about college football headlines, NFL headlines and also we have Father's Day merch dropping. Father's Day is approaching on our website. BWTB.com is our new Father's Day line, our Father's Day merch. So go ahead and go get that for your old man, get that for your husband. Whoever is listening to the boys right now, we appreciate you. We love You. Big hugs, tiny kisses. Enjoy this episode and again, make sure you are subscribed.

[JC Latham]

All right, we're good. Be like busting with the boys, Hanging.

[Will Compton]

With the fellas.

[JC Latham]

Betting on a game no woman's gonna tell us what to do.

[Will Compton]

And I bet over here.

[JC Latham]

Just drinking.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Beer and making that noise, baby.

[JC Latham]

I'm hanging with the fellas. Busting with the boys, bro.

[Will Compton]

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to another wonderful episode of Bustin with the Boys. My name is Taylor, Taylor Lawan. To my right is the always beautiful and wonderful William Compton. This is episode 330. A lot of stuff to go over today before we get to the JC Latham episode. Got ourselves a birthday. Got ourselves a birthday.

[Taylor Lewan]

Happy birthday, Sherm.

[Will Compton]

And then obviously Memorial Day weekend where the brave men and women of this country have sat, made the ultimate sacrifice so we can all take a day of pause and enjoy barbecues, the sunshine and the breaking into the summer. Thank you to all those brave men and women who made this freedom free. With that being said, let's get into our present.

[JC Latham]

Silence.

[Will Compton]

Moment of silence.

[Taylor Lewan]

Moment of silence.

[Will Compton]

Beautiful.

[Taylor Lewan]

Thank you.

[Will Compton]

Good moment of silence too. That one. Did you? Yeah, I heard Toby Keith the whole time. Will Compton, who's our presenting sponsor.

[Taylor Lewan]

You already know who it is. Big bro or little bro.

[Will Compton]

Bust a lyric. Like read a line on a script with the boys.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, you already know what it is. Big bro. How'd they type that in there? Busting with the Boys is presented by the Fanduel sportsbook. Fanduel is a number is America's number one sports book. And we are this much closer to to crowning an NBA champion. There's already been some crazy moments this postseason, some choke jobs, and Fanduel's holding it down. Through it all, we've seen blowout victories, overtime comebacks and everything in between. But fanduel is always here to make your next w even sweeter. Because FanDuel has NBA profit boosts for every day of the NBA playoffs. Whether you're riding with the New York Knicks or rolling with the OKC Thunder. FanDuel's got a profit boost token for you every single day of this postseason and a no sweat same game parlay token on on the weekends. Just cook up your bet, drop your boost and shoot those big time payouts. Head to FanDuel.com Bussin to download America's number one sports book and get in on the action. Fanduel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA.

[Will Compton]

Ah, love you, fanduel.

[Taylor Lewan]

Love you.

[Will Compton]

Fanduel did some fun Stuff with Fanduel. Earlier this week, we did some dope. So we did so much dope that people actually thought we cut the bus in half.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, people. People actually thought. We are now operating out of a. A studio of the bus versus being on the bus.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, people are begging for us to fail. Yeah, people are just begging for us to go and switch up all of it.

[Taylor Lewan]

They forgot to realize it. We had to shoot a commercial. Yeah, we had to shoot ourselves.

[Will Compton]

Commercial.

[Taylor Lewan]

Shoot a commercial.

[Will Compton]

You guys want a little taste of that commercial? I'll tell you right now. Oh, yeah. I said that for about 45.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's electric.

[Will Compton]

That's electric. You ready for this? Those are just a couple.

[Taylor Lewan]

Will now be going live. Cannot say.

[Will Compton]

Cannot say.

[Taylor Lewan]

Cannot say.

[Will Compton]

Daniel is now live. Cannot say.

[Taylor Lewan]

Say it.

[Will Compton]

But damn.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm thinking of all the ways we could ride that.

[Will Compton]

I know.

[Taylor Lewan]

Don't want to.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, don't want to do it.

[Taylor Lewan]

But listen, great news coming soon, though.

[Will Compton]

There was a. There was a lot of shooting going on. Gronk was in the building. That episode you guys have already seen, if you haven't seen, you can go Back to episode 329 and go check that out. But Fanduel was here. We do a whole bunch of stuff with him. We have ourselves a little content coming out with Gronk as well. A nice little skitsky that's coming out. Think snl. Think the best writing you've ever had in your entire life. Think original idea for the first time ever in Bustle with the Boys history.

[Taylor Lewan]

Set the expectation.

[Will Compton]

Would you like to talk about it at all? Do you want to give people anything at all or do. I'm just await. Good.

[Taylor Lewan]

Remember right now we were shooting on Friday.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

23Rd. This will be Tuesday, so maybe it's already out.

[JP Hovey]

It might be already out. It is proven to be a tall glass of water. Yeah, it has been, but it's been a busy week and we're gonna get through it. So ideally it should be out, but if it's not, then when it comes.

[Will Compton]

Out, you're gonna love it.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, you're gonna love it. Gronk. Gronk is. He's a pretty good actor. And you know who's even better actor? Garrett Hargis.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Garrett Hargis, ladies and gentlemen.

[Will Compton]

Type in dudes.

[JP Hovey]

But yeah, it's fun. I'm excited. That's pretty much all I want to give you. Just think Twitter mixed with.

[Will Compton]

All right, all right, that's good. That's good, that's good. That was. That was Spot on. All you need to say. Speaking of dudes hyping dudes. Hate to bring it back over on this side of the bus, but the boy, Theo Vaughn had some nice words to say.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hang on before we jump in the. Because we had a great couple days with fandom when they were here. We had, we did a lot of like production work with them in the shop. But also shout out FanDuel because Jackie boy, you saw his. His tweet bought a house thinking fanduel. So shout out fan closing on his first house.

[JP Hovey]

Thank you. Thank you. Last night was that. So this is Friday, Thursday. I signed in the a.m. moved in yesterday. Had I had a little bit of an issue. I bought this couch. It's amazing and it's really deep and I. We couldn't get it through any of the doors in the house. So today we have a guy coming to the house removing this big back window and we're going to try and put it through the window because the couch, it's. It's too good to pass up on. But other than that, I got my like whole living room set up in the kitchen, my back patio furniture. So it's a work in progress. Thankfully, this next coming week we will not be in the shop. So thank you guys. Great timing. I get to really just kind of settle everything in, get organized, feel good about the decision. But yeah, shout out to fanduel. Man, being a homeowner is sweet. It's something I've always wanted to do and especially in Nashville, a city where I grew up in, it feels really cool. So thank you guys. Thanks, fanduel. Thank you.

[Taylor Lewan]

God, that was, that was something too. I feel like it's always. That's been a goal of yours. I feel like since you've been with.

[JP Hovey]

Buss, it absolutely has been.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean anytime you, anytime there's a renegotiation going on with your contract, it's the, the goal that Jack I want.

[Will Compton]

To buy a house someday. Yeah, I want to be a home.

[JP Hovey]

And to put a little context too, I moved directly next door to where I live currently. My easy haul. Yeah, a real easy haul. One of one of our best friends, Matthew Broadband. I live with him for a long time. He bought a house in October. Renters right next door, they move out. Owners live in California, they put the house goes pre market. We slide in there real quick, got the house right where we want it to be. And now I live directly next door to one of my best friends and then the directly next door neighbor to me on the Other side is another one of our best friends, Griffin. So we're taking over the block. If you're looking, join our street, contact me individually. I'll give you the address. I won't give you mine. I'll give you broads. But yeah, the one next door. Yeah, but yeah, seriously. Thank you, Fanduel. Thank you guys. It's sick to be a Homeowner.

[Will Compton]

Homeowner. Jack McPherson, Nashville, Tennessee.

[Taylor Lewan]

Boy, thank you. Debt.

[Will Compton]

Debt is good, dude. Grant Carthon, right? You're just 10xing your life right now.

[Taylor Lewan]

Did you say Carthon?

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Is it Grant Cardone.

[Will Compton]

Cardone. Who's Carthon? Grand Carthon. R I P. You find yourself too.

[Taylor Lewan]

Now being a homeowner. You're looking at the layout and everything. You're doing a little bit more particular.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Versus being a renter.

[JP Hovey]

Well, what hit hard was my credit card statement this month. I just kind of forgot about it and I was like, oh, fuck. Thankfully, the first month, I don't have to pay my first mortgage until July 1st. So like, kind of slid out with that one. But yeah, I got to be a little frugal for the next few months, you know, decide what I want to spend money on, eat in, go back.

[Taylor Lewan]

To the tree houses.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, I'm going to try and build a. I have a beautiful magnolia tree in my backyard. So once we get a little stability back, I think a tree house is in order. As a kid, you always want a treehouse, and now as an adult, you own a tree. Like, I own that tree legally, which is sweet. And I. It's my God given right to build a tree house.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yeah, it is zipline.

[JP Hovey]

Zip. Maybe. Yeah, zipline into Broads's house. It'll be awesome.

[Will Compton]

I. I need to get over there, put my butt in that chair.

[JP Hovey]

Ye. Once I get set up, I'm gonna have everyone at the shop over, we'll do a cookout. My realtor bought me a grill as a housewarming president. So sweet little back porch. So we'll. We'll get all the fellows over there, share a couple ribeyes, couple. Couple parlays on Fanduel.

[Will Compton]

Play a little spike ball.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Keep the championship going.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, yeah. Keep the dynasty running.

[Will Compton]

The dynasty running. Seriously.

[JC Latham]

Thank you guys.

[JP Hovey]

And thank you, Fanduel.

[Will Compton]

Actually, that was tough. Remember that?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I remember. It wasn't. It was me and jp. But I'm. I'm very confident in JP and I's ability that that championship run will come to an end.

[Will Compton]

I mean, once we started getting the served. Yeah. Yeah. That's a lot of talk. Everyone's a champion in the off season, man. But speaking of dudes hyping dudes hyping dudes about buying houses, about being actors and actresses, Theo Bond had some nice things to say on his podcast this past weekend.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And Ocho Cinco, which, by the way, he just age backwards. He's handsome boy. Handsome boy. His skin routine's got to be crazy. Something the McDonald's burger is just making him. It's like, don't crack. Yeah. Don't crack.

[Taylor Lewan]

That black don't crack, man.

[Will Compton]

Never does. Man.

[Taylor Lewan]

Never does. I feel like he will always look like he can play a few snaps in the NFL.

[Will Compton]

No doubt. As you and I get older, you can just tell more and more these guys how they even play.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

How they even play. Ojo single's like, eight years older than us, dude.

[Taylor Lewan]

I. I mean, remember when he came on the bus?

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

The anxiety and everything that I had just wanting to be on the bus, because that was during COVID too. I. I want to say it.

[JC Latham]

Covet where we were.

[Taylor Lewan]

He was coming in.

[Will Compton]

It was around Covet. It was in the back of the church parking lot.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And he came in, had a cigar. You were fired up. I think that was your first or.

[Taylor Lewan]

Second cigars, because he signed my cigar Ocho Cinco. Like this, man from Chad. It's from Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinko, one of my favorite players of all time growing up. And just to know that we've had him on the bus and hear him say some nice words about the boys, busting with the boys, whether or not he knew and was just agreeing with the conversation.

[Will Compton]

Right. Right. But for Theo to say the nice things he did.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

For Ojo single to be like. Yeah, for sure.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Basically, he said the same thing.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

He basically just said the same thing, man.

[Taylor Lewan]

But yeah. Big shouts by Theo. Theo. We got. We got to get Theo on the bus.

[Will Compton]

I know. I know.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's been somebody we've been. We've been wanting for the longest time that we don't press too hard. You don't press too hard.

[Will Compton]

You ever see, like, the bird videos when they're, like, trying to mate with another. Another bird?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like, we're. We've been doing that for a minute.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

We've been out, and we've known, too, that we can't Feeling them out.

[Taylor Lewan]

We can't push too hard. You push too hard. That the evidence is out there.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

You get the.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. With him, a balloon in your hand. He'll helium around you. Theo Bond's gonna choke your ass out.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So you gotta watch out for those types of things. But, yeah, we gotta get Theo on the bus, hang out a little bit.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know, really catapult his career.

[Will Compton]

Get him going.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, we gotta get him.

[Will Compton]

You got boys elevating boys. That's what we got to do. That's what we're in the position to do for Theo Vaughn. We're gonna do those things, man.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Because he's. I mean, he's crushing it.

[Will Compton]

He really is, dude. He's become like. People are talking like Howard. There was Howard Stern, right. Who was like the Mecca, the be all, end all of radio and all that. Then that kind of Joe Rogan hit the new Howard Stern. As Joe Rogan's hitting the new Howard Stern. Theo seems like he's the new Joe Rogan.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And they're kind of hitting up these new. These hitting these new levels, dude. And it's awesome to see. It's also me, this dude who was in real world 15 years ago. Yeah, right.

[Taylor Lewan]

And just the climb he's had just in comedy. And like you were just saying with this podcast, I feel like he's getting so many dynamic, wide range of names on his podcast. His podcast is crushing it.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Andrew Scholes, too. I feel like he's another one, buddy.

[Will Compton]

He is murdering.

[Taylor Lewan]

They have on these passages from all different walks of life.

[Will Compton]

Has great chemistry with their group.

[Taylor Lewan]

You're always going to say the Joe Rogan esque, but it's like, yeah, that's kind of like Joe started to have on the. All these different people. I mean, you don't even know you're going to sit on. There's gonna be an author, there's gonna be a scientist, it's gonna be an atheist, it's gonna be a Christian. There's gonna be all these different things.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like you look at, like, NFL coaches, like, great coaches. Like, these guys are coming out of the Joe Rogan tree. We're finally starting to see those little eggs get fertilized and become what they are now.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And it's special. It is very special out there. We brought up at the beginning of the episode, Memorial Day boys. Let's just have a little think tank here. It is Friday, when we're feeling. When we're filming this weekend's coming. What are we bringing to the cookout? What's one thing. If you could bring anything to a cookout, your boys hit you up. Jack McPherson's having a housewarming party. You want to show up in a big way. What you bringing? I know what Will's bringing, but what you guys bringing?

[Taylor Lewan]

What am I bringing?

[Will Compton]

If you're bringing just a side beans.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, if I'm. If I'm getting in the kitchen, I'm bringing. I'm bringing that mama's batch of baked beans.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Mama's batch of baked beans.

[Will Compton]

You do slay them beans, too. And those ribs. Those ribies.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Don't sleep on the ribbies. You can smoke out, too.

[Ferris State University Ad]

If I'm bringing just. If this is all only sides. Yeah, I'm probably bringing potato salad.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was thinking that, too.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I love potato salad. On Memorial Day and fourth of July.

[Taylor Lewan]

It is something that's been kind of climbing my charts is macaroni salad.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I'm with you. With age, it gets better.

[Taylor Lewan]

It gets better and better, man. And if you can get away with, like, you know, you don't have to cook or something. You're just, like, bringing a dish like a bag of chips, some macaroni salad, or potatoes.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Family size at Publix.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, family size. I'm here for the vibes.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I'll bring it in the bowl. I take it out of tub where you made this.

[Will Compton]

Put in for this to happen.

[Taylor Lewan]

Grab the bottom part of the bag and just kind of dumping it out in the big bowl.

[Will Compton]

That's a good pull. That's a great pull.

[JP Hovey]

I. You know, I mentioned the grill. Gotta be using the grill. And I'm bringing the franks. Those hot dogs on Memorial Day weekend.

[Will Compton]

Come on.

[JP Hovey]

A little ketchup, little mustard, maybe some relish. And I know this is. This is America's holiday, but I love a good brat. I love a good cheese stuff, bro. You see the cheese kind of just like, hit one of those once it gets real hot.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Start spraying. Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

You put some of the buns on the grill.

[Will Compton]

God forbid there's some jalapenos in there with that cheese. Don't even get a little spice.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. So I'm bringing. I'm bringing the dogs.

[Taylor Lewan]

You hit the g. You hit the G spot on a bra, and it just starts squirting on you on the ground.

[Will Compton]

And it's just past the point of scolding hot. Where the back of your throat doesn't get absolutely burned.

[Taylor Lewan]

You start yelling.

[Will Compton]

When you do at the same time, that is the most American thing ever. Cheese bursting your mouth while you're bursting all over the party.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Climaxing with the bra.

[JC Latham]

Speaking of jalapenos, and brats. I would bring some jalapeno poppers.

[Taylor Lewan]

Bacon wrapped with some cream cheese. Cream cheese?

[Will Compton]

Damn. You talking about Texas Twinkies?

[JC Latham]

Come on now.

[Will Compton]

Let's go. Babe. There's a little bacon on there, huh?

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And when it's later in the summer.

[JC Latham]

You get some dove in that and it's crazy.

[Will Compton]

Dove.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah.

[Will Compton]

G. Yeah. For some reason, I was thinking of the soap right away that threw me off. I'm back.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah. The way the string is just grabbing Sherman's face, right?

[JC Latham]

I don't even know. Is it. Is it just right there on the double chin?

[Taylor Lewan]

It looks like you got some, like, plastic surgery.

[JC Latham]

Jack did a unreal edit on me. Unreal, that is.

[Will Compton]

Hey, that's a jalapeno pop. Hey, that might be number one, but those gonna go so quick.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, that's why you gotta make a bunch.

[Will Compton]

You kind of gotta stand around like, what's the gift that keeps on giving?

[JC Latham]

You gotta make a bunch. And I cut mine in half for that exact reason. You just like you cut the jalapeno in half and do it long ways because everybody's gonna be grabbed.

[Will Compton]

Always want to do it. Sherm's doing long ways. Will's got cheese bursting in his mouth while he's bursting all the place.

[Taylor Lewan]

He might not he come. Mitch is going to bring an empty stomach. That's for damn sure.

[Will Compton]

That's.

[Taylor Lewan]

Mitch is for damn sure he's going to bring an empty stomach.

[Will Compton]

And just in case I got a bag of Ritz crackers in his pocket. He's going to have something just sitting there. What you bringing, Mitch?

[JC Latham]

Are we, like, bringing food?

[Will Compton]

What?

[JC Latham]

Because I was going to bring plates and silverware.

[Will Compton]

That is the perfect Mitch answer. Don't even elaborate.

[Taylor Lewan]

You don't even need to. I love how you said silverware, too. With plastic.

[Will Compton]

Like, Jack's going to have a party at his house and he's going to be like, I hope they bring silverware and. And plates.

[JC Latham]

Well, like the pl. Like the plastic wear. Not actual, like, silverware. Because I. I find china. Yeah. Jack. Jack just moved into his new house. You don't want him to be doing all these new dishes, Right? Just get. Just get the paper plates, napkins, plastic wear.

[Taylor Lewan]

That way.

[Will Compton]

He couldn't think through that.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah. That way. That way you can just throw it out. Jack doesn't have to do dishes. And we're not. I mean, we're gonna have potato salad and all that. That stuff. You need somewhere to put it, you.

[Will Compton]

Know, Doubt eat it with Your fingers, no doubt. So big brain thinking, big brain thing.

[JC Latham]

I feel like I should have gone.

[Ferris State University Ad]

After Mitch just because it was a classic Mitch answer.

[JC Latham]

But we got a bunch of food that's gonna fill you up. We got the appetizer.

[Will Compton]

We got the franks, we got the salads. Say it.

[JC Latham]

What did you bring?

[Will Compton]

I haven't told you yet.

[JC Latham]

Okay, I'm gonna bring something sweet.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, some dessert.

[Will Compton]

Hot or cold? Hot or cold dessert?

[JC Latham]

Cold.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, keep talking to me. Keep talking to me.

[JC Latham]

It's juicy.

[Will Compton]

Let's go. Sometimes you can cut it in half.

[Taylor Lewan]

Watermelon. Yeah, I'm gonna bring that watermelon.

[Will Compton]

Let's go.

[Taylor Lewan]

Dummy.

[Will Compton]

This cookout is going nuts. Great choices. We got all the appliances we need to make everything happen. We got the Texas Twinkies. We got the beans. I'm gonna add to the dips. Actually, I don't even think we have really dips right now, do we? We have no dips. So now that I'm seeing that we have, we have a lot of things going on. We need multiple dips. I'm gonna bring myself some guacamole for the boys housemate. Don't worry, I'm not making it. Somebody else is going to make it on my package. I think I'm gonna bring it to you guys. And then also seven layer dip. I think seven layer dip goes a long way, but I know sometimes you go, you bring the seven layer dip, but you don't have the chips to go with it. So we're bringing scoops as well.

[Taylor Lewan]

You have to.

[Will Compton]

We got to bring scoops. That way everybody can get all the fixings they want on that seven layer dip and the guacamole. We might have the best cookout of all time. Yeah, well, yeah, but all we have is we got to make this one actually happen.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, that's.

[Ferris State University Ad]

If you could only bring one meat to a Memorial Day party, which one would you bring? You only get one ribeye. Ribeye is crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's crazy. If you're putting effort into it. I would love to say ribs, right?

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Some apple jalapeno ribs.

[Will Compton]

Oh, damn. I'm so horny for food right now.

[Ferris State University Ad]

So you're a ribeye Taylor.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, Some sort of steak.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Just like 40 ribeyes.

[Will Compton]

It for the boys, man.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Fair enough. Yeah. If I'm not picking ribs, it's ribs.

[Taylor Lewan]

And broads for me.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Yeah, for sure.

[Will Compton]

Let me get a T bone, actually. Something about a T bone.

[JC Latham]

Well, thank God Mitch is bringing plasticware.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, you got the plastic. Wear everything Else.

[Taylor Lewan]

And those boys. That's the. That's the worst situation is having a steak and trying to cut it on a. On plastic, wearing a paper plate.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. But on Memorial Day, everything's finger food. That's why I got the T Bone Renaissance.

[Ferris State University Ad]

If ribs are off the board and hot dogs are off the board, I think I would pivot to wings. Yeah, I'm bringing a bunch of wings.

[Will Compton]

Strong choice.

[JC Latham]

What about the, like, those sausage with.

[Taylor Lewan]

Cheddar, little meatball type looking things. A little sausage ball, if y' all.

[Will Compton]

Know what I'm talking about. Yeah. Talking about boudin, maybe some little salads.

[JP Hovey]

It's just like sausage balls.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But it's got, like, jalapeno cheddar in it. Talking about meatballs.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Sausage ball.

[JP Hovey]

Sausage ball.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you just do sausage and cheddar kind of.

[Will Compton]

I mean, I'll that up.

[JP Hovey]

Spice. Maybe a little jalapeno.

[Will Compton]

It's fire. Anything with a little jalapeno in it, man. Anything. A little jalapeno, and you got me rolling. Willow calls. Jalapenos. Jalapenos right now. And it is something. I never want to go away.

[Taylor Lewan]

I know.

[Will Compton]

I never want. Their words start to develop.

[JC Latham]

I was thinking about it. I was like, how do you do steak at a cookout? Because I feel like I've had steak kebabs, chicken kebabs, any type of, like, steak kebab. But you get, like, a pineapple chicken kebab with, like, some kind of, you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Know, mango habanero, like, sauce, some teriyaki sauce on the chicken with the pineapple.

[JC Latham]

It's easy to eat. I would just bring burgers.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's a good choice, though.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. You bring the buns?

[JC Latham]

No, I bring both because can't eat a burger without a bun. Yeah. There's a reason Taylor looks as much of a unit as he does.

[Will Compton]

Oh, all right. Mitch, it's very nice of you.

[JC Latham]

Very.

[Will Compton]

I'm gonna take that. I'm gonna receive that. I just received that compliment.

[Taylor Lewan]

I hate it for everybody listening right now, because Memorial weekend has already happened.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. But their tummies are full, and they know what we're talking.

[Taylor Lewan]

However, with cookouts coming in full, full season.

[Will Compton]

It's coming.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Get motivated. Get inspired.

[Will Compton]

Crack a Bud Light. Get after it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

I might even do that this year. I probably won't, but I'll think about it a lot.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll think about which one part?

[Will Compton]

Cooking out. Grilling.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, you know, you have, like, five grills.

[Will Compton]

I know they're out there. They get used but you know me, I'm kind of worthless. I'm kind of worried you figured out that.

[JC Latham]

That flood situation, though.

[Will Compton]

Thank you. That was a big weekend for me. So maybe you try again on Memorial Day. Look at me just fishing.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Memorial Day. We're about to be jacked.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah, we're about to be jacked because sore necks is coming and outfitting the boys.

[Will Compton]

Should we get around?

[Taylor Lewan]

A plus round of applause for soreness. The greatest strength equipment. Yeah. In the world. Honestly, Sorenex is.

[Will Compton]

Is around and doing the right thing, too, because they're really. They're not necessarily a sponsor of the bus. They're like, hey, we're gonna come give you guys some and see if it works for us. While they're kind of. They're in the whole. The bird mating process with us right now.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. They're gonna get some content.

[Will Compton]

They're gonna get some content out of that. Sora.

[Taylor Lewan]

Next bar, the boys, Jeremy and duty. Duty. Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I didn't get to meet him.

[Taylor Lewan]

Mitch looked at me crazy.

[JC Latham]

I was like, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Dobby.

[Will Compton]

It is Dobby.

[Taylor Lewan]

Duty. I'm sorry, Dobby.

[Will Compton]

I mean, duties are tough. You would remember that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Jeremy, Ebert and Joshua. Dobby. Sorry. My fault, Dobby. But the boys came through. They're outfitting the shop. They're. They're basically, the approach is like college campus. Mini. Mini version of a college campus. Get the stuff branded. We're going to be. We're going to be sitting in an awesome spot.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

They're coming to our houses. Outfitting our houses.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. I cannot wait for that, buddy.

[Taylor Lewan]

I've been obsessing over it. Obsessing.

[Will Compton]

Oh, for the last 24 hours. Just diving in.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Since they've came and left, like, I've just been on my iPad, trying to jot down all the things I want, how we can be efficient in the space. What I'm looking for in the space, I'm starting to look at, like, you know, mural art to where I might have a painter come in and get on the walls.

[Will Compton]

Oh.

[Taylor Lewan]

Some LED lighting, like, make it a spot.

[Will Compton]

Just a Muhammad Ali, Max Crosby.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Limitless.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm kind of thinking, like, you know.

[Will Compton]

You just seen on your wall. More is required.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. The wolf den approach. Have, like, two wolves get painted a split down the middle, like a white wolf, a black wolf, and then have, like, the. The. The tale of two wolves maybe written on the side. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You know, strong. Elevates the minute you walk in the room, you just Talked about.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

The minute you walk in, you get.

[Taylor Lewan]

The quote, if we die, we die painted on the wall.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because they do these engravings, too, where you can customize. And I think I'm gonna put, like, leave no doubt, because my dad, growing up in our little garage gym, he would always have in chalk written leave no doubt. So maybe do, like, a pay homage legacy in chalk.

[Will Compton]

That's a line, right?

[Ferris State University Ad]

You know, where soreness started?

[Taylor Lewan]

I know.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Greenville, Carolina, South Carolina. Lexington, 803, right near Columbia.

[Taylor Lewan]

They are right down the road. They're talking about how awesome a relationship they have with the. With the staff over there in South Carolina.

[Will Compton]

I mean, you go to Sorenex's website, the first thing that pops up is Nebrask.

[Taylor Lewan]

That market.

[Will Compton]

That looks nice. I mean, we were there. Coach Lou was there. We were getting after it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, bro. Because I want to say that they were telling us, clump's not on here, but they're, like, in 60, 70% of college campuses, like, 80, 90% of, like, the NFL and the MLB.

[Will Compton]

It's nuts.

[Taylor Lewan]

They're big with the military. They've obviously. They've outfitted Rogan, Jocko willing, Cameron Haynes.

[Ferris State University Ad]

And it was started by a school teacher.

[Will Compton]

Dude, it's so crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

You know, he was just jacked.

[Will Compton]

You imagine that school teacher. He had to be sure that's one size too small.

[Ferris State University Ad]

He had to be pe, Right?

[Will Compton]

It could. Yeah. I mean, I feel like that's the easiest thing, but I just feel like he had to be in something weird. Like, why is this dude so jacked?

[Taylor Lewan]

Right.

[Will Compton]

Or is that because they come up with a business model, like soreness?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. And anybody.

[Will Compton]

There's a lot of jack P teachers out there, right?

[Ferris State University Ad]

It's true.

[Taylor Lewan]

You aspire to have a gym of your own, and you go on their website, like, you just. You get lost in the sauce. They have so many different. They have so much equipment, so many attachments, so many things. Like, if you have, like, a small garage, you can build things out because they're very efficient with the space. If you don't get one of those massive power rigs that, like, all the college campuses have. But, dude, fired up, man.

[Will Compton]

It's gonna be.

[Taylor Lewan]

Remember when Clone came up, he's like, would you guys. Do you guys want to work with soreness at all? It's kind of like, are you kidding? Yeah.

[Will Compton]

100.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's like, I know you guys can, you know, say no to sponsors, like. Yeah, but we're talking about soreness.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

We're talking about core Value in our lives. Things we grew up just being like this would be sick to have it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Having our gym, like, right next to throw up the garage door in the summers.

[Will Compton]

Come on. You know, we need to get. Now we got to figure out Cold up situation. Yeah, we gotta figure out. And I think I got somebody and a sauna. And a sauna.

[Taylor Lewan]

I've had a, like, a sauna company reach out about, like, getting one in the. In the shop. But it's like one of these, like, a tent sauna.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Oh, the one Jared has.

[JP Hovey]

Jared has a sleeping bag song.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, not that one. Not.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Not like, I know which one you're talking about.

[JP Hovey]

Gross me out.

[Will Compton]

The sleeping bags on us.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. I mean, they just don't get hot enough for me. Like, I want to be in there. I want to talk to God.

[JP Hovey]

Amen.

[Will Compton]

I want to question why I made the decision to walk in here 20 minutes ago.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah.

[JC Latham]

Leave no doubt.

[Will Compton]

Leave no doubt Leave no doubt. Yeah. It's been a minute since I've been in the song too. I'll look up. I'll look up. There's a company I was DMing with because they had some content. I followed them because they have, like, an alkaline system in their. Their little thing that, like, cleans the water for you, which I'm thinking to myself, like, it. It sounds so much easier. I followed them. They DM me like, we need to get a custom one of these in the bus and shop. And I think that's kind of where we left it. So we gotta probably jump on that a little bit.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Head of partnerships, Taylor.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

But, yeah, the soreness stuff's gonna be sick.

[Ferris State University Ad]

We gotta have some competitions going. We'll have a lot of content.

[Will Compton]

No doubt. We gotta get a board. We don't even know why we should get a. A chalkboard.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

We have just.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

The bench reps. All of it.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Dude, Jared might. He might steal that money from you once. Sorry.

[JC Latham]

Next.

[Will Compton]

He might. Yeah. Or a comedy career. He'll have one of the two. He'll have one of the two. And it's a good thing that we're getting the Sorenex in there before fall because we got to get jacked up because new heights out there talking crazy about the Nebraska Cornhuskers. And you saw how they ramp themselves up a little bit.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You see?

[Taylor Lewan]

I enjoyed it.

[Will Compton]

You see Will's coming out saying this. I'll be ashamed if we beat your ass in your home stadium. That's funny. And they just get more and more. More and more amped up, and they start to realize what I realize every time Michigan plays Nebraska. It's personal. That's what. That's what they're starting to realize. Like, when it comes to Nebraska cornhosters, you better come correct. When it comes to Will Compton.

[Taylor Lewan]

We have to do something. We have to do some type of collab with them when we're out there.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Travel already be out there. Because that arrowhead. We got to get Jason out there. We got to get. We got to get this cranked up. We got to kick off college football season. Right. And I will say they're in a world of trouble.

[Will Compton]

Can I tell you something?

[Taylor Lewan]

I want them to build this up, but I'm just thinking, at the end of the day, this is one where I'm not thinking about, like, if it's Michigan coming up and these. These ball clubs we got, they're going to be tough on the schedule. I'm thinking, like, yeah, we're going to whoop these Bearcats. Yes.

[Will Compton]

Cincinnati has credibility because in, like, 2018, 2019.

[Taylor Lewan]

Right. They've had a couple.

[Will Compton]

They had a couple of good Kelsey brothers. Like, for some reason, people just remember that time five, six years ago.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. But when it's there coaching that football team.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Now he's at Wisconsin.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Having his own bag of issues.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

When. When it's all said and done. The clock strikes zero in that fourth quarter. Kelsey brothers will be crying.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Kelsey brothers.

[Taylor Lewan]

It'll be, you know, hat off, give a nice handshake.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Great game.

[Will Compton]

I'll be the alter ego in the background. Double birds. Yeah. You guys thought.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You thought you'd come and around Matt rule and not get your ass beat.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That's what's gonna happen. And then only to switch up three weeks later.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's gonna be like, hey, great content. I thought, like, this is fun, entertaining.

[JC Latham]

And they.

[Taylor Lewan]

You see that they're taking it kind of hard that they lost. It's like, oh, you really thought you had a chance. That's what. That's the feeling. That's a bob.

[Will Compton]

I feel like I caught most of that, but then I just. I caught my ear eavesdropping on Jack and JP having a full conversation on the bus.

[JP Hovey]

One new heights pod. They rule. They are so cool to our social team, and they give us great collabs, but we need to put a bet in. Got to put a bet in. And I'm thinking, loser. At least for us. Jason and Travis have to come on the bus together here in Nashville.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think That's a great bet. But they know weights.

[JP Hovey]

New Heights has also proposed a bet and I'm gonna let JP share this one. And it's pretty.

[JC Latham]

They.

[Ferris State University Ad]

They commented on the collab yesterday and they said the bus and winner. The winner gets custody of Jets Jake. Loser gets jp, which kind of seems crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

Wait, wait, wait, wait. So if. If Cincinnati loses, they get you.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Correct.

[Will Compton]

No, that's how I'm reading it.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. What's Jets Jake?

[Ferris State University Ad]

He runs all there like he does a lot of their social.

[Taylor Lewan]

Whoever loses gets jp. That's insane.

[Will Compton]

That's crazy.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Crazy Sounds like Jake just.

[Taylor Lewan]

We wouldn't let you. We wouldn't let you go that easy. Jp. No. For a week.

[Ferris State University Ad]

So I can undermine the operation.

[JP Hovey]

I think loser just has to go on the winner's podcast in person, pay their own way. And maybe. Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

They need us on there.

[Taylor Lewan]

They need us more than we need them. Right. But Travis, Jason, we'd love to have you on the pod.

[Will Compton]

Whenever you would like.

[Taylor Lewan]

And maybe that's what we do. We get out there if we can get. Because Jason will be, I would assume available. He might. He could get out there early. We rip a power Jason, talk about these parameters. And next off season, home and home. Whoever loses has to pay their way and go on the other show.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. And then the winners get paid forward to go on the other show and their teams. You're talking about a home and home.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah. Okay. Doing both.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Doing both.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Separate times. But also not to bring up super bowl, but we'll be an arrowhead right before the season starts. We gotta curse it. Why don't we get Patrick Mahomes on?

[Taylor Lewan]

That would be phenomenal.

[Ferris State University Ad]

We gotta go to midfields are better.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Go to mid. Oh yeah.

[Will Compton]

Was midfield.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just stop. Stop it. Do it in the moment for. Against the Bearcats. But just knowing it's. It's calling back to when we got our ass beat by the Chiefs.

[Will Compton]

If you're not holding a Nebraska and flag running the team out in Arrowhead Stadium. Matt Rule. Up, up.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think he was very much. We could make that happen.

[Ferris State University Ad]

We need you on the gill. You need to be the gilly of Nebraska.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that would be. Coach Lee will be there.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm trying to like. I don't know who the home team is, but I'm still. I'm trying to get a video up on that Jumbo Trump for kickoff star.

[Will Compton]

Get him dialed in.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Big week for busting with the boys. A lot of was going down also.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I think that'd be all. Everything that we're talking about would be sick. Just to, like, kick off. Help kick off college football season. But the fact that the College Football Playoff is now structured, pure the way it should be. 12. Yeah, the way it should be. You know, so, you know, some of the coaches are back there. You know, you got to let. You got to let stuff in the past be in the past. But, you know, I like to assume Laning sitting there just these.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because if they would have had that. If they would have had a different draw, they probably would have been. Nobody's probably beating Ohio State, but you get a different draw. The way the layout was set up.

[Will Compton]

Right now, maybe Oregon's in the national championship against Ohio State. Who knows who wins that game? I mean, you're assuming Ohio State after the way they. The way they were playing the playoffs.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, because how would it have went then? Because how it was last year is if you win a Power 5 conference, you're automatic automatically in the top four seeds, you get an automatic buy.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Boise State had a buy. Arizona State had a buy. Oregon had a buy. And who was it? Georgia. Yeah, Georgia had a buy.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

The way it would. The way it would have worked out last year would have been Oregon would have been the one. Would Georgia have been the two? I know it had been Georgia, Texas, what? Notre Dame.

[JC Latham]

If you look on the left up on the screen, it said, that's the first 12.

[Taylor Lewan]

Got you, got you, got you, got you.

[JC Latham]

So Arizona State would have played Notre Dame. Like, the top four would have been Oregon, Georgia and Penn State. Arizona State would have played Notre Dame. SMU would have played Ohio State.

[Will Compton]

Bodied.

[JC Latham]

Boise State plays Tennessee. And I don't know who would have played Indiana. Oh, I think Clemson would have played Indiana.

[JP Hovey]

Tennessee would have won if this was the case.

[Will Compton]

Dude, your quarterback, doesn't he have video out or audio out of him saying, how are we going to throw this game?

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, but he was going up against Ohio State. If it's Boise State, he's tapping back in.

[Will Compton]

And by that, they beat up Boise State, it's like you've gone too far at this point.

[JC Latham]

You.

[Will Compton]

You might as well win it all.

[JP Hovey]

Might as well. Might as well.

[Taylor Lewan]

We'd be.

[Will Compton]

We'd be in a much different world right now if this was set up. Nico's still at Tennessee.

[JP Hovey]

Thank God. Him?

[Will Compton]

Yep. Even if he's celibate. Dude.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Dude, I like it, but it's. And I'm glad it's the. It should be the 12 best teams that Go. But I'm still a little bit nervous because some of these teams even on here have such easy schedules. It's so much easier to be ranked in the top 12 if you're an SMU or a Clemson.

[Taylor Lewan]

But optimism, taking the optimism approach. It's like college football as we know it. They've made a step to make it.

[Ferris State University Ad]

100 to make it better.

[Taylor Lewan]

We're going in the right direction.

[Will Compton]

There's always going to be a complaint. 13, 14, 15. They're going to want to be.

[Taylor Lewan]

They should be 12 because they're also wanting 16 now.

[JC Latham]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Coach rule is he's won 40, 40 and I want to match it up to 64. Like let's just March.

[Will Compton]

Madness.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, dude.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. And they also. The next step is the, the schedule of this is like as soon as conference championships are done the next week, we need to be in playoff. We can't have this two week buffer.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And then it's got to get right into it. And then we finish January1, January10, whatever it is. Right. Right in the break of the new year. That is the perfect college football season.

[JC Latham]

Like the top four seeds get that that week by. But the first round of playoffs should be that week. Right?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because there's top four seeds probably won their conference as well. There's going to be one or two every once in a while that play back to back. But it's like that's the cost of doing business. You shouldn't have lost in Michigan. Right. That's how it works.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Next step after that is wiping the current committee because the video from last year of watching all them in that room when they're watching.

[Taylor Lewan]

But haven't. Haven't the college football playoff. Don't they have. Haven't they like added seats? So they've built like this newer committee that Saban is now on that's a.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Part of like the government.

[Will Compton]

Okay.

[Taylor Lewan]

But they're doing something branch.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Possibly start figuring out the nil.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Here's what they didn't do.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just again with optimism. I feel like, you know, we're heading.

[Ferris State University Ad]

In the right way.

[Taylor Lewan]

Everything is being heard.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Put Josh paid on the board.

[Will Compton]

They're listening. They're listening.

[Taylor Lewan]

Starting to listen.

[Will Compton]

Here's the thing. This might ruffle feathers in the BCS category. I think we need to do away with the bowl games be. And let's just listen to this real quick. You play all the games based on ranking. So like if you're a one seed, you have a home all the way to college football. Super bowl. And then every year it would go between Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Orange, all the, you know, Sugar bowl, all those things. Like, that's what we're kind of move around so you still get a touch and a taste of those historic BCS games.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you're saying just.

[Will Compton]

Just a first, second, third round needs to be.

[Taylor Lewan]

You want no more bowl games. And the only bowl game that's taking place is the championship and they rotate the bowl.

[Will Compton]

I'm glad you repeated it back to. That is not correct. I want. I think bowl games are fine, but when it comes to the College Football Playoff, I think the home field advantage should play all the way until the final game. The college football championship. College football championship. Neutral site. You're playing in Pasadena, you're playing in New Orleans, wherever. Like, you pick a spot, they bid for that spot, they go play there. And every year kind of switches like.

[JC Latham]

The super bowl and those home field, like, played on college campus. It can still have the branding of the VRBO Fiesta bowl or the. Like, they can still get their promotion dollars. But it's played on campus.

[Will Compton]

It's on campus. Yeah. Like, if you're ASU and you're in the position you were last year. Home game. You're having a home game in Tempe, Arizona.

[JC Latham]

I don't.

[Will Compton]

Or you gotta fly to Oregon.

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't hate it. But what.

[Will Compton]

Let's do this. What don't you like about it?

[Taylor Lewan]

Just that it would be fully under the same format as like the NFL to where these teams are getting all their home games. And obviously in this format, they've earned that. But I do like earning your way to the Fiesta bowl and neutral sites as it gets closer to the championship just because, you know, just helps level the playing field.

[Will Compton]

I think that's the idea of, like, be on the same neutral site as.

[JC Latham]

The national championship or another neutral site. But to go off of what you're saying, I agree.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because Ohio State hosted and then they played Oregon.

[Will Compton]

If Oregon was to host, then it's.

[JC Latham]

Like, okay, so you're Ohio State, you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Get to host the first round, but then you're away game for the second.

[Will Compton]

Round instead of a neutral site. Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think that would be cool.

[Will Compton]

I think some people are gonna.

[Taylor Lewan]

To where you're saying then the bowl games would just be the semifinals and the championship.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't hate that because they got a bye weekend. They're having a home.

[JC Latham]

Well, one team could host every round until.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[JC Latham]

But for Ohio State, for the example.

[Taylor Lewan]

They host and then they're away. You know, you have some teams. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Flopping back. I love the NFL structure. I think about when I think about January football in the NFL, and you're going up to Green Bay and there's. There's snow on the ground.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And then Miami's coming down or a Texas team's going up, and they're just, like, having to duke it out. They're talking about the elements. Talking about, well, these guys are used to this. These are not used to this. I think it'd be so sick to see college football uniforms. A team from the south go up to the north and vice versa, and just.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

People talking about elements, like all, like, true football.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

It's like. Like, you know, people always. If people in Minnesota or wherever are like, you got to be. You got to be built a certain way to live here. And it's like now when on the gridiron, you get to prove that, like, we're tough because it's the winter time in X, Y, and Z. I think G's right.

[JC Latham]

With, like, the. The semi finals and the championship should be at a neutral site. Because I feel like they're like the New Year six. That. That's what. Those are, like, the really big bowl games. I think it should just be like the New Year's three or whatever and just have, like, your three biggest. Like the Rose bowl and then probably the cotton ball and then like, pick one more, and then those are, like the cream of the crop bowl games, and those are the semifinals and championship games. Because I feel like at this point, 6 is just kind of. That's a lot.

[Taylor Lewan]

And if you do the semifinals to it, it'd almost be a callback to the. To that short stint where you had the College World Playoff when it was four teams. And it's like, to your point, if you're earning yourself a bye week, then you should. That. That would be sick if they got to host a home game because they've earned the bye week.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't hate that at all.

[JC Latham]

All right.

[Will Compton]

I'll be on the board.

[JC Latham]

All right.

[Will Compton]

Garrett's on the board.

[Taylor Lewan]

You got to get Josh paid on the board.

[JC Latham]

Have to.

[Taylor Lewan]

Gotta get Josh paid on the board. Yeah, we gotta get Josh paid on the bus. He is in Nashville. He is in Nashville. We gotta get Josh.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, he is. Yeah. Yeah, he is. Hell, yeah. After Memorial Day, what's next, boys? Father's Day? Let's get around Applause for all the fathers out there. And if you're looking on my head, you're Looking at the. This little centerpiece we got here, we got new Father's Day merch coming out. You can go see that bwtb.com all great stuff. All fun stuff. It's exciting. It's great. Garrett, you did a phenomenal job with this. The quality, the texture, the graphic, everything. It's just. It's. It's a level up from what it used to be, man. It looks awesome. Looks great.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So get that. BWTB.com we're also wearing a couple. Wearing a couple.

[Taylor Lewan]

Got these look for the dads before the dad's guy. Now big for the dads. Well, we all.

[JC Latham]

Aren't.

[Taylor Lewan]

We all.

[Will Compton]

We're all for the dads.

[Taylor Lewan]

A little something special coming. Something in the works. It's been getting worked on.

[Will Compton]

Okay.

[Taylor Lewan]

Little surprise coming soon. But Father's Day merch.

[Will Compton]

Let's go.

[Taylor Lewan]

We got our combine getting lined up. Our Father's Day combine got all the dads flying in. I believe we got everybody's right. Oh yeah. No, Steve, jacket pains me that Steven's.

[Will Compton]

Can he just get.

[Taylor Lewan]

Is Delaney gonna be your dad?

[JP Hovey]

I. I'm down for it. My dad, like I'm telling you, my dad is more disappointed that he can't attend than we are that he won't be there.

[JC Latham]

He.

[JP Hovey]

He.

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't think he is.

[JP Hovey]

Should I call him right now and see?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, you can call him because I'd love to ask why he's choosing his niece and nephew over his son.

[JP Hovey]

Let's see.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, some content.

[JP Hovey]

Let's see. He's a pretty punctual answer. Hey, Steve, you are live on busing with the boys, so don't say anything crazy, but we're good. We are.

[JC Latham]

At the damn usual deal.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

All right. So we're talking dad combine. And Will and Taylor need to know why you will not be attending.

[Taylor Lewan]

Steve, we are buckled that you're not going to be at the dad combine this year.

[JP Hovey]

What's the date? June 11th.

[JC Latham]

What's the date again?

[JP Hovey]

June 11th.

[Taylor Lewan]

What do think? You.

[JC Latham]

It kind of stems back to. I didn't get to push a lawnmower number one.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm not much to sit on the.

[JC Latham]

Sideline and watch somebody else compete was my. Nah, we're gonna be out of town. We're gonna be at the beach. Jacksonville Beach?

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Why. Why are you going to be at Jacksonville Beach?

[JC Latham]

Well, we got a. Jack's uncle has his five year checkup for bilateral double lung transplant. And Kathy, Jack's mom and three sisters are going to. And they've had it planned a while. I hate to miss it, man.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was just asking, Jack. I was curious to know why you were choosing. You know, it's your immediate family, but it's. You know, you also got Jack, who's your son. Why you were choosing your niece and nephews over your son. But just hearing the uncle story, you've already kind of put me in my place.

[Will Compton]

Well, it's.

[JP Hovey]

It's not nieces and nephews, but, yes, I get it.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

You're married, right? Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. You gotta go where you gotta go sometimes. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You gotta go where you gotta go, then.

[Taylor Lewan]

Love you, Steve.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

We're gonna miss you, Steve. I'll. I'll call you later.

[JC Latham]

Oh, so. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[JP Hovey]

Sorry. They're playing the music.

[Will Compton]

So this wasn't.

[JC Latham]

This wasn't a call to say we're gonna reschedule it because Steve can't come?

[JP Hovey]

No, no, you're not that important.

[Will Compton]

Oh.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, well, I wish, but I. I'm.

[JC Latham]

Back to working on your gate door that's broken. Appreciate it. All right.

[Will Compton]

See you, man.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. So hopefully I can get Delaney or someone. We're gonna miss him, but hopefully. This is going to be a year in, year out thing, so I know next year he'll make sure all of June is cleared.

[Will Compton]

All of June. Has to be.

[Taylor Lewan]

I love how you're like, he's a pretty punctual answer the phone guy. And there just wasn't even a ring.

[JP Hovey]

No, he answered the damn call. He's my emergency contact for a reason, dog.

[Will Compton]

I love that Steve is one of one, man. Yeah, we'll have to get Delaney. It's gonna be weird for you guys to do the. The questions this year.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, you know, we might take a loss in that category, but it'll probably prove for some good content.

[Will Compton]

You guys gotta wear matching outfits.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, 100.

[Will Compton]

100. Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Or. Yeah. Or I do with clay, but I feel like I. I'm tighter with Delaney. Without a doubt, so I don't know.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I think he is.

[JP Hovey]

That's awesome.

[Will Compton]

We can just go find a dad in the neighborhood, too.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, just knock on a couple doors.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Get James.

[Taylor Lewan]

Neal, one thing that will be at the dad combine. Neutral. We were brought to you by neutral vodka seltzer. Have you tried neutral? If not, you're missing out. Neutral is so much better than any other seltzer that the boys have tried. It's made with real vodka and real juice. Juice. And that's what makes it delicious. Neutral comes in a variety of flavors. Our Personal favorites. Watermelon. You know what's been making a come up for me and that's orange. Orange in the. Yes.

[Will Compton]

Can I say something? Lime.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes. One of their newer flavors. Yes. Lime and strawberry.

[Will Compton]

Lime is awesome.

[Taylor Lewan]

Neutral is the perfect drink to bring when hanging with friends. And it's such a crowd pleaser. Whether you're watching at a watching a game, at the bar, in the backyard with friends, at a tailgate, or at your own little dad combine. Drink neutral, keep it tasty.

[Ferris State University Ad]

While others are sitting in lecture halls, you're already building your future at Ferris State University. Hands on training starts from day one. With real world skills that lead straight to careers in construction, engineering, automotive tech and more. You're not just learning, you're earning. Building a life you can be proud of. And with in state tuition for out of state students, success is within reach. Ferris State University, unleash your potential. Register now at Ferris Edu. That's Ferris Edu.

[Will Compton]

We got one more. Couple more things I guess. Boys, we officially have interns. Big clapping podcast.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Big clapping.

[Taylor Lewan]

Summer internship. Summer internship program going on. We had a great trial run with the boys from Michigan.

[Will Compton]

Good boys.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, good boys.

[Will Compton]

Good boys.

[Taylor Lewan]

And now we're doing a little summer internship program with on the production side, on the social side and operation side, the people who will be coming in, should we shout them out. So we wrote them up there. Jack Hanning, Carson Edelman, Matt Malone. Oh, Ryan Nolan and Cade McConnell.

[Will Compton]

Stoked to have those boys in here, man.

[Taylor Lewan]

They'll be here with us for what, two months?

[Will Compton]

Yep.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. They actually get here that Monday that we're back. So.

[Taylor Lewan]

So after our, after our break, they're.

[JC Latham]

They'Re immediately just tossed in the fire. And that week we get back is was supposed to be a doozy. So thrown right in the fire.

[Taylor Lewan]

Good, good. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Jump in, have a little fun.

[Taylor Lewan]

Shout out. Jared Demon.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, the Demon.

[Taylor Lewan]

Our head of the intern program.

[Will Compton]

We did everything he's. Yeah. All I hope, I just hope these interns show up dressed appropriately for work.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

On their first day. They better be right. Like this is a professional job.

[JP Hovey]

This could be a good test to see if they listen to our content. And you can tell them to wear it and you get a little bonus point action if you wear whatever you guys tell them to wear. And I think it should be a three piece suit. But that's just me.

[Will Compton]

I like suit. I like suit.

[Taylor Lewan]

We'll tell them wear whatever you want. But if they're listening to this pod and they know they're Hearing this voice right now. Wear a suit.

[Will Compton]

Let's go. And just to add a couple more little details, bring a pack of Sour Patch Kid Watermelons. Walk up to Jack McPherson and just say, magnolia tree. They check those boxes. We got some solid cats.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

You might. You might earn yourself a actual career.

[Will Compton]

Maybe.

[JP Hovey]

Maybe not.

[Will Compton]

But maybe.

[Taylor Lewan]

And it's important we don't tip them off.

[Will Compton]

Can't say nothing.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hopefully they're just listening to this episode.

[Will Compton]

We know. And we know demons. Well, demon's not gonna watch the episode, so he's not. He's not even gonna know. We should do something for Jared.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. We should have him say something crazy to Jared.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Call Jared a little. Yeah. What would they say?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, you're Jared. What's up?

[Will Compton]

What's up? I don't. I don't understand. Like, they're always welcome to me calling me a. I don't. I don't know what to do. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because we need Jared to be able to drop the hammer on him. We can't put him behind the apron.

[Will Compton]

No, no. Jared is their boss.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

They report to Jared.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

No one else. Get your head to Celsius.

[JC Latham]

There you go.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Every day. And get Jared an empty bottle so he can spit his nicotine in there.

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Oh, he needs an empty water bottle to spit his nicotine. And no one's gonna talk to Jared.

[JC Latham]

But I think we're good.

[Will Compton]

No one's gonna talk to Jared about this. Just let it be. Just let it be.

[Taylor Lewan]

What? Do we have anything else before we dive into to jc?

[Will Compton]

I mean, Tush Push survives. I. I think it would have been that have been some candy ass to do to take that out of the league. Did you feel like it should be gone?

[Taylor Lewan]

I didn't care.

[Will Compton]

I thought it was just like, yo, figure out a way to stop it. There's been so many developments. We're gonna be less focused on the Tush push. We're gonna be more focused on getting the kickoff rules back to normal.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That's what we need.

[Taylor Lewan]

Didn't they. Didn't they change up something?

[Will Compton]

They changed with the kickoff. The. The onside kick. You can onside kick at any point during the game.

[JC Latham]

But you have to be trailing.

[Will Compton]

You have to be trailing and it goes. But you don't have four yard line. Not the 35 yard line anymore.

[Taylor Lewan]

Okay.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Which is. I thought was ridiculous.

[Taylor Lewan]

Insane. Like, hey, we're gonna be doing an on site.

[Will Compton]

Like that's. It's like. But it's like also It's a. Why? Like what? Like there's. Is there any reason at all?

[Taylor Lewan]

I also think that on the onside.

[JC Latham]

Kick you're like a yard closer.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. It's on the. You're on the 34 instead of 35. 5.

[JC Latham]

Which.

[Will Compton]

Which is a. Just a. A tell.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like it's just kind of dumb.

[Taylor Lewan]

Teams. Teams were always kind of privy to when somebody's going outside. Unless you hit like a surprise on side. That would work every. Like every so often.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Like the McAfee when you see the guys all go out towards and then it leaves the middle of the field open.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. But usually there is a tell. I do like the one yard detail because I. There are there. There seem to be quite a bit of onsides. I would love to see the data on this to where the team might recover the ball, but it's just right before it gets to the 10 yard line.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So just that extra yard might just.

[Will Compton]

You know, around and mess up. Mess some stuff up.

[Taylor Lewan]

Make it a little bit more entertaining.

[Will Compton]

I don't like the whole. You got to be trailing. It's like just be able to onsite kick whenever you want.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like be part of the game. It's part of the game.

[Will Compton]

It's part of it. You have to be aware.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like don't take our onside kicks away.

[Will Compton]

That's part of the coach's job is to make sure the guys are aware. Like you're. You're going on a kickoff return. Like it's not just. It's not. You don't take that playoff. Who cares if they kick at the back of the end zone?

[JC Latham]

Onside kicks when you're up is electric.

[Taylor Lewan]

Electric. Just steal a possession.

[Will Compton]

Right. Also.

[JC Latham]

Or.

[Taylor Lewan]

Or yeah. I'm just. I'm having PTSD from when old Scott Frost in Nebraska did it over in. That was tough over in Ireland on Northwestern then we lost.

[Will Compton]

You guys have never been a Week 0 team.

[Ferris State University Ad]

The most memorable.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Maybe we need to rethink this Cincinnati bet.

[Will Compton]

Oh, that is week zero, isn't it?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Oh, my God. One more rule that I'd like to throw out there that I like to. To change. I don't think we need to have ineligible numbers report. I don't think that should be a thing. I think if you line up as an eligible number, you're eligible. Adds a new element to the game. Adds a new element.

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't know if I agree.

[Will Compton]

I know. Because you're a defensive guy.

[Taylor Lewan]

I know I am. At the end.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Like when I, you know, when I scored my touchdown in the NFL, when I had my reception for 11 yards, is all this, like, half of the play was trying to sneak over to the ref with Dennis Kelly to report them. Thinking it was Dennis reporting was really mere. And then hopefully they're not listening over the loudspeaker when they say 77 instead of 71. And it's like, I think it'd be. It's just a new element of, like, you're going into battle. All's fair in love and war. Like, you've got to be so privy to how people line up and how things. It's like a new fun element to the game that I think will make it much more exciting for the viewers.

[Taylor Lewan]

I just see it as another thing that the offense gets.

[Will Compton]

I don't listen because you.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean, with the offense almost has like every advantage, whether it's in penalties, whether it's. And like, this is just another wrinkle that it would just favor the offense.

[Will Compton]

Will one of those guys back in the 40s when they're like, you know what? Offensive linemen should use their hands, not just their elbows.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Ray Lewis would be sick to hear. Will right now.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, like, answer the call.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, not. Leave no doubt you're battling for the defense.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Leave no doubt.

[Taylor Lewan]

Leave no doubt you're battling for the defense. That's what I'm trying to do.

[Will Compton]

I think it'd be a fun little switch up. I think it'd be a fun little thing. We should look into that. No one's really talking about right now when it happens 10 years from now. You heard it here first. What would be an advantage you would.

[Taylor Lewan]

Want for the defense? Yeah, there you go. An extra guy.

[Will Compton]

I think you gotta. If you're looking at advantage you would want.

[Taylor Lewan]

You would want the. You'd want targeting and hitting the quarterback back.

[JC Latham]

Hell yeah.

[Will Compton]

I mean, stay in the work.

[Taylor Lewan]

Not like, not like targeting. Not like saying, like, you get targeting back. But the, the shots that these defenders are giving guys, whether it's over the middle, all of the, like those types of. That type of physicality of the game.

[Will Compton]

Where you're like, let me set the tone.

[Taylor Lewan]

You're not like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like, you gotta.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, he. He wants to come over the middle, you want to give him a kiss and you want to be nervous coming over the middle, not be protected. Like the offense is protected in absolutely every rule.

[Will Compton]

Two wheels point. Dude. There was a time when you have those slot receivers that are like, this guy's not afraid of going over the middle. And that's a huge quality to have.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Now that doesn't really have to be a fear because you gotta lay him down, give him a pillow and read him a little bedtime story before you put him down.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So much.

[Will Compton]

And I do, I do mess with the quarterback thing. I. But I understand why that rule is because that's your money maker. You're tuning in to watch your team's quarterback dominate. That's awesome. But if you're talking about keeping it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Equal and if I'm strictly talking about what would I want the defense to have.

[Will Compton]

Right. I think a quarterback.

[Taylor Lewan]

Some defensive football.

[Will Compton]

I think the quarterback should be fair game. I think the, the low. The low tackling, we can look at that a little bit. But if it's. If he's tripping into it, because if he trips into it, it's still a flag no matter what. If you hit him at the knees, if it looks like an accident, which I hate, adding gray area to the rules, then you let that thing slide. You let it slide. Yeah. I think the quarterbacks need to get roughed up a little bit. Boys are getting a little too comfortable.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, Agreed.

[JC Latham]

All right.

[Taylor Lewan]

You can have the eligible.

[Will Compton]

We're just making the rules.

[Taylor Lewan]

Let's dive into this.

[Will Compton]

Let's dive into simply safe Real quick. Let's talk about keeping people safe out here. Whether it's our cars or a house, hell, our dog in a kennel while we're away on vacation. That's what you want to keep safe. Traditional security systems only take. Take action after someone has already broken in. By that time, boys, it's way too late. Simplisafe is setting a new standard in home security with active guard outdoor protection simply saves monitoring. Agents can help prevent break ins before they happen. AI powered cameras backed by live professional monitoring agents monitor your property and detect suspicious activity. If someone's looking around or acting suspiciously, those agents see and talk to them in real time. Activating spotlights and even contact the police, helping to proactively det threats before they can escalate into a crisis. You can get 50% off your new Simplisafe system with professional monitoring and your first month [e-mail] Bussin Again, that's simplisafe.com Bussin. There's no safe like Simplisafe. Just do it. Just do it, boys. That's what we got at the shop.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just do it, boys.

[Will Compton]

We got it at the shop. We feel safer every single day we shoot this. A lot of people starting to Find out where we're at. But we have Simplisafe to keep us safe.

[Taylor Lewan]

I have it at the house now.

[Ferris State University Ad]

While others are sitting in lecture halls, you're already building your future at Ferris State University. Hands on training starts from day one. With real world skills that lead straight to careers in construction, engineering, automotive tech and more. You're not just learning, you're earning. Building a life you can be proud of. And with in state tuition for out of state students. Success is within reach. Ferris State University. Unleash your potential. Register now at Ferris Edu. That's Ferris Edu.

[Will Compton]

As you should have seen those text messages last night.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Crazy, right?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gotta stay on alert out there. Shout out the boy Blossi.

[Will Compton]

Shout out the boy Boss Hernandez. He's the best.

[JC Latham]

Where's boss? Where's Ross?

[Will Compton]

Boss should just come to the dad combine. Just hang out.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

Do what will be on the back of the bus pod.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, go check out the back of the bus pod. That's been out for a couple weeks now. And it's also on our YouTube subs.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, let's go.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. The boys are on our YouTube channel.

[Will Compton]

Gannon subs Also you want to intro Vegas vlogs out now.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Check that out. I think spelling bee. Spelling bees just started running down all of our videos.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, our clips.

[Taylor Lewan]

We got a lot of clips out there. Go check out the clips.

[Will Compton]

Let's jump into this episode with J.C. latham. Played left tackle for the Tennessee Titans. Started all 17 games last year. He was a top 10 pick the last year. Great guy. Came from IMG Academy. He's got a big background with JP Hovey. We get into all the stories with him. Him thinking he was a great swimmer ends up not being a great swimmer. Has to get saved. Someone has to fireman carry him over his shoulder. The life. Getting into the game of football where he needs to get better. How the Titans can get better. If you are a Tennessee Titans fan and if you love the game of football, the X's and O's and knowing the nitty gritty of the trenches, you are going to love this podcast. Guys, myself personally sitting back watching a young buck who was playing the position I played.

[Taylor Lewan]

Young buck, big boy.

[Will Compton]

Young buck, big boy unit. Also some of the weights he was talking about putting up. Yeah, we need to look in that. We need to fact check that. We need to get make sure all that is real because that is some scary numbers right there. Hands are terrifying. His hands are absolutely terrifying. Great personality for the phenomenal personality for the show shows up in a Ferrari. Good for him. With that being said, let's get to J.C. latham.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Go buy Father's Day merch. Father's Day merch out on our site. Fellas. This interview is brought to us by Bud Light. Bud Light is always brewed. Four simple ingredients for a clean, crisp taste. Bud Light is the official beer sponsor of the boys, the NFL. They sponsored the NFL draft tight end university with Bud partner George Kittle. The UFC, Shane Gillis, 2025 tour. You got Baker Mayfield, Peyton Manning, Emmett Smith, Shane Gillis, Post Malone, Dust and Poirier. All partners of Bud Light. We have a very special guest today. JC Latham. He was the seventh overall pick to the Tennessee Titans. Went to IMG Academy, went to the University of Alabama.

[Will Compton]

Number one tackle coming out of high.

[Taylor Lewan]

School, went to the national championship, I believe, in 2023. But, boys, let's welcome JC to the podcast.

[Will Compton]

Very special time and also give a shout to jp. JP was at img. Yeah. With JC and JP put this whole thing together. I know. Hey, I. I don't want to. Maybe we can start on that. Dude, tell me what JP was like at IMG.

[JC Latham]

Man, he was an amazing mentor. I got to IMG, I think, when I was 15. So having. Having guys like him over there and a lot of other guys over there, really just, like, when you get to img, you know, there's kind of a structured thing that you're not really going to be used to. You know, you're going to have curfews, and you're going to have, you know, like, waking up, for example, playing football. The first thing we did in the morning every day was, like, football practice. Like, we always practice, and then we have school, and we had guys like JP to kind of keep us in check, to let us know, like, hey, if you guys kind of want to do this, you got to run it by certain people and, like, do it the right way so we can really enjoy our free time, you know, because, you know, some guys got a little antsy and wanting to, you know, do whatever it was, sneaking off campus or, you know, jumping the gate, whatever.

[Taylor Lewan]

But, I mean, it's high schoolers.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. No, it was. Yeah, it's the hard part about it, too, but, you know, having JP over there just kind of regulating everything. As my dog.

[Will Compton]

Go ahead.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was gonna say, how do you get to. Because you grew up in Wisconsin, right. How do you get down to img? Like, how does that process even start or kick in? Or. Are you getting recruited?

[Will Compton]

Yeah, I Mean, look at the build. You know, IMG saw the building.

[Taylor Lewan]

They're like, holy, that's a big boy.

[Will Compton]

These guys in Wisconsin, bring them down here.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah. So I actually didn't have social media when I was growing up. My dad ran my Twitter account mainly because my coaches were like, he didn't want me to have none of, none of that. But then my coaches were like, you're gonna have to have Twitter to kind of, you know, engage with the coaches, the college level coaches and, you know, the counts, whatever it might be. So my dad started my Twitter account, I think like 8th grade and then going into high school. IMG reached out then, but I had no idea. And so that I played a whole freshman year and sophomore year at Catherine Memorial, which is where I went to high school at. And then shortly after that, it was a crazy, the way I got to img. Like, it wasn't like a, a planned thing. Like, I actually, I was in a lot of trouble at home. Like, just like when my pops, like we got into a big argument and then one day he told me, he's like, he's like, don't worry about going to school today, right? So I was kind of like throwing off. I was like, to me, that's a reward. Like, if you tell a kid you don't gotta go to school. Like, I'm like, I'm chilling. Like, so he says, like, pack your bags, get like three or four days worth of clothes and, yeah, we're gonna catch this bus down to the airport. So I'm just like, all right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just spontaneously.

[JC Latham]

Spontaneously, yeah. Like, I have no idea. It was a Tuesday. I remember. Cause I left officially January, February 27th. So whatever day I made that Tuesday beforehand, that's when I had, when I had left. So, you know, I ended up. Because he did tell me. He was like, he was like, he wanted structure in my life. So he was like, if you don't obey the rules at the house, you're gonna go to a boarding school. Right now I'm thinking like, it's military esque, whatever it might be. So he's like, pack my baths. I'm like, am I really going? Like, Boris, like, I'm kind of, you know, a little bit freaking out because I don't really know what's going on. And then I get to Florida, I'm like, shit, I'm going down here. I'm chilling. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it was a, it was a great, it was a great, great, great place to be. And then when I found out it was IMG and I got to be around, you know, elite level competition and talent and also like go play against elite level competition and talent guys who are in the NFL now. You know, at the time I didn't realize it, but now, now I understand. Like, my pops was really just looking out for me and that was a major blessing like, that he was doing for me. Even though, like, I needed that structure part to it, but also to elevate my game on the field, like to be around that. Nothing wrong with, you know, Wisconsin, all that stuff, but it's especially for one state, I think, only, like, really maybe Texas, Georgia and Florida are kind of those only states that can replicate the talent level that you're going to really see going into the next level on a week to week basis. You know, so being at IMG in Florida, like going. Being able to go to Texas and play, you know, Duncanville or Maryland and St. Francis, you know, guys who, who are in the NFL now, on NFL rosters, actively playing, like, you know, you really just can't get that in most high schools, you know. So after, you know, that trip, you know, I came back and he told me, you can make the decision to go there if you want to. You can go back right now. You can leave. It was Saturday, I remember, and that was when, you know, I made the decision to head down there. And from there everything just kind of.

[Taylor Lewan]

Are you guys still butting heads when you were coming back home?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, we were for a little bit, but it was kind of more so like of a, of a coming of age type of thing. Like I was kind of, you know, not even 16 yet, but turning 16. And I just remember like I was kind of just like demon at the house. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like also like being at IMG showed me like I didn't know how to run, like be an adult yet, but I was learning and I really didn't like to be told what to do too often. So coming home, having to do all these, you know, crazy things, I was just like, you know, now it's like I don't have an issue with doing it. Cause it's like now I realize, like, it's his house, like, let him have it. But being 16, I didn't get that. So. Yeah, it was a lot of. It was a lot of headbutts growing up for sure.

[Will Compton]

What was the experience like when you get down to Bradenton, Florida, like, are they like, is it kind of like a recruiting trip? Like they're going and be like, this is all we do. We have all this because, like, I. I've been down to Bradenton. I did the combine training there, and I was blown away.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

By the facilities and all the things they have, the access, how you talk to media, the weight room, the programming, the meals. Like, truly a state of the art facility.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it was all. Yeah, I mean, it was just like a recruiting visit. You know, I went down there and I got there right before practice. So I got to watch the practice, see how everybody operated. Got to, you know, visit the schools, portions of it where guys went to school at, and just see the, like the life of not only, you know, the campus, but also what's to offer outside of it, and then see where I will be living at and stuff like that. So, you know, just. I mean, it was kind of. It wasn't like a college, a real college visit, mainly because, you know, it's just a high school, so it's not. Not too much, but it's definitely a structure, like. Like the closest thing you'll get to a high school. I mean, not high school at college, at the high school level. So, yeah, I mean, it was really impressive of how everything went down.

[Will Compton]

So were you. Was there a level of intimidation coming from Wisconsin, going and watching that practice at img? Like, these are all four or five star guys, like backups are getting scholarship offers.

[JC Latham]

No. Yeah, Seriously, it wasn't. No intimidation. I did have a. I guess I would say it was a confidence kind of like shake up, up. Because I remember I think I had like, like a little over 100 tackles and like 12 sacks because I played defensive end. So, you know, I'm thinking, like, I'm thinking I'm the guy and then I get down there and one of the guys had like, like 20 sacks or something like that. And I'm just like, damn, like, you know, these guys be balling for real. You know, I mean, I thought I was, you know, doing my thug, so. But finding out that there was a lot of other guys out there and then some of these guys didn't have, like, at the time, like, no recognition. So I'm like, dang, like, you know, I really got to up it, like, up it a notch. But like, so. But it was, at first, it was a little confident shake. But, you know, once you get out there, it's all. It's all the same thing, no matter how good they are. So how you go about handling everything when you have.

[Will Compton]

When you go back to Wisconsin, is there a piece of you that's like, because you and I have similar parallels. And I didn't go to IMG Academy, but I was up at one school. My junior year, I transferred down to a school in Scottsdale, Arizona. Two Playoff. It's a tackle. So there was, like, I had. I had an issue with, like, leaving my friends, like, for the last three years. Like, these are my best friends. It's high school. Did you ever, like, have that problem at all? Like, man, these are the kids I grew up with. I'm gonna have a hard time leaving them. Do you have a. Did you ever struggle with that?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, honestly, no, not as much. Because I remember when I was growing up, I was in middle school, elementary, I can't remember which, but there was a tryout for this AAU team. I love sports. I play AAU basketball. Eybl, all of it. So. And, you know, starting off, my dad told me, he was like, yeah, we got these tryouts, but it falls like, like Saturday morning at like 8am, right? And obviously for a kid, Saturday is like a really big deal. So he was like, you can choose to sleep in, you know, with your cousins and enjoy the day, or you can, you can go to this work workout and try out. Try out for the team, you know, and like, without hesitating, I want to try out, you know, I mean, ever since then, like, whenever it came down to, like, hanging out with my friends or, you know, going to work out, I always chose working out. So when, like, summer would come, my dad was a teacher at a. At a school called Bayview. So in the summer he would hold summer classes. So he told me, he was like, yeah, if you want to, you know, I got to be there at 8am you can get up, I can let you go in the gym and work out. Like I said, I played basketball. So I do a lot of basketball workouts at the time. So I was able to work out with like, the high schoolers in middle school and stuff like that. But he's like, yeah, you make the decision. It's your summer, so you can sleep in all day and go play with your homeboys and, you know, homegirls, whatever it might be all day, or you can get up with me at, you know, you work out, but you will be here till like 3 o' clock, you know. And every. Almost every single day I chose to go work out. So when I had to leave for img, I kind of already knew, like, as far as leaving one environment to go kind of better myself, I kind of knew that was coming down the Line regardless, because it was college eventually, so it just happened sooner than I expected.

[Taylor Lewan]

Now, you were a beast on the D line. Like, were you anticipating that being your future? I assume, because what happened for you to go to the offensive line? Guys got hurt.

[Will Compton]

Injuries.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Nah. So that definitely. It was crazy. So Tyler Booker, actually, the. That's my brother.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. With the Cowboys now, we were both D lineman. He was on 3 Tech Nose, and I was a defensive end.

[Ferris State University Ad]

And yeah, it was just them at practice. It was insane.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it was. And then we had also Warren Brinson, he was at Georgia, Demonte K Park. He went to Clemson. Yeah, we had a lot of guys all in the league, right? Yeah. So, yeah, it's crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

It is.

[Will Compton]

IMG is disgusting.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it was a lot of guys over there. And then. So literally one week. One week it was. I think it was like two and a half weeks, three weeks before our first game. Like, two guys to their ACL playing basketball.

[Taylor Lewan]

And this year, junior.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, going into my junior year. So I did the whole spring, all summer workouts. Straight D line, like, straight defense. Like, learn the whole playbook for defense, all of it. And then, like, a couple days after that, someone toward their meniscus. So, like, all. All offensive linemen. So then they go, yeah, we're going to need a couple defensive line, defense, linemen to play O line. Right. So, you know, me and Book, you know, being the guys we were, we were like, all right, we'll play online. They're like, yeah, if you want to play D line after this, go back over there after the season. Like, be our guest. You know what I mean? But this is, like, for the team. We don't got nobody who can play O line right now. Like, we didn't even have backups. Like, I think we went to games, like, six linemen. Like, so if anybody got hurt, we were kind of just kind of screwed. So. But, yeah, so that's where we, you know, decided to go play. And immediately, like, me and Book saw a lot of traction from a lot of college coaches about, you know, what we could be as far as being a offensive tackle. And he was a tackle, too, at the time. So, you know, just hearing everything that we could be playing O line, you know, we kind of, like, at the end of the year, we were just like, we'll ride it out, you know, see how this takes us. Yeah, it was pretty.

[Taylor Lewan]

Do you miss D line?

[JC Latham]

I definitely do.

[Taylor Lewan]

I feel like you get to be a little bit more disruptive.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it's not a Lot of control over there. Like, I look at guys who like, like Jaylen Carter for example. He's a freaking dog, right. I saw one play where he played a double team and he like swam out of both like the guard and the tackle. But he was able to get all the way back into the gap and make the tech, like make the play for like a tackle, tackle for loss or like a one yard game, whatever it was. But like playing O line, you can't really have that kind of fail, failure in your technique. It really wouldn't work like the play. Like you have to have perfect technique for the success of the play, you know, and seeing D lineman out there, they just like ram through gaps. It's not a lot of like, I mean, obviously some technique to it, but like you put your head down and run through a guy's face. Like it don't take too much else.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, I know it would be nice as an offensive lineman if dudes just stayed exactly where they were.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And you didn't have to worry about them like moving in the B gap, C gap. Biblitz is coming off the edge. It is how long when you move to offensive line, obviously that's like a huge, huge team guy move to go from a position you've been playing your whole life now to a new position. How long did it take you to like.

[Taylor Lewan]

And it seemed like he was gonna be a scholarship guy and could potentially still be in the league just on the other side of the line.

[Will Compton]

Right? Yeah. Playing DN too.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like, that is. That's the most terrifying thing I've ever seen in my entire life. How was it for you, like picking up the playbook, understanding that stuff? Because I'm assuming IMG is like a mini college, the way they understand blitzes, understand coverages, you guys protections are probably similar to what you even started at Alabama with.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, no, definitely. It was, it was a lot of similarities from like the college aspect of it. Now in college it was just more variety of what you could do and like expanding on that. But yeah, no, it definitely wasn't your typical, typical playbook. Like, honestly, the number system, what we go by at img, we go by here with the Titans in the league. So now obviously we developed a far larger system being in the NFL. But yeah, it was definitely hard at first, you know, just trying to figure out like, like, you know, some plays, you know, it'll be designed to go this way. The other plays be designed to go this way. But then you have kind of the, like the Fakes or whatever, the reverse, whatever it might be. So just trying to pick up on all that, all those nuances. And then obviously, like you said, like, you got to learn, okay, well, this is my responsibility if he's here, but if he's over here, it changes my responsibility. It changes my technique. So learning all of that and then being able to make those adjustments, because one thing defenses do, like, they make late move calls or, you know, they like to kind of disguise things or, you know, they might take it or, you know, slant pirate, whatever. It might be learning all those adjustments on the go, like, because they're not just going to stand still. So that definitely took a lot longer than I expected it to take. But I mean, honestly, that playing offense, offense is a lot more mental than anybody kind of thinks about. So.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. How quickly. When did you see the traction from the coaches? Like, you talked about, like, how, like, a game took place and they're like, hey, this guy's getting an offer from a smaller school.

[JC Latham]

It was. We had our img. We had like a summer spring game or not summer spring game. A summer game to where, like, right before the season, they kind of just like showcase, like, like the team and all that stuff. And like, immediately after that, when, like, the college coaches were all there, like, they saw I was at tackle and like, my coach said he had phone calls non stop for the whole day about, like, you know, me and T book and all of us. So, yeah, right after that, that's when I was like, okay, I guess, you know, this might be my future factory.

[Taylor Lewan]

Football factory.

[Will Compton]

Right. So who are you looking at top five at this time. So you get all your offers?

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Who were your top five?

[JC Latham]

I'm not gonna lie, I was real heavy on Michigan.

[Will Compton]

That makes me sick because I obviously was going to try to find a way to weave them in this conversation.

[JC Latham]

I was definitely heavy, but I was from a defensive standpoint, like, I love Rashad Gary. Like, that was like, I love looking up to him, watching his tape when I went there. Like, you know, like, just being around there. But I ain't gonna lie. Them and Ohio State, like, it was like right hand in hand.

[Will Compton]

Like, honestly, I feel like that's understandable.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Outside of those two, the only other team really that was up there. Cause at the time, Bama didn't talk to me yet. Like, they talked to me for defense, but once I flip, they stopped talking to me. So, like, I didn't know what the situation was. So LSU offensive line coach coach Craig, he's Actually with the Raiders now, yeah, I really respected them. And I thought, like, honestly, like, because I said I wanted to play with Michigan as a defensive guy, I didn't know as much as the O line how that went. So when I was looking at lsu, I was like, you know what? I'm kind of liking what they got going on over there. But the only thing was that was back when they had had Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, all those guys. So I was like, I want to see how this kind of turns when those guys aren't there. So it turns. Yeah, no, I definitely did. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So.

[JC Latham]

But, yeah, no, those are. Those were the three teams, honestly, that I was looking at now. When Bama came in the picture, it definitely shifted everything.

[Taylor Lewan]

But was that. Was that. Was Bama kind of your favorite growing up?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I definitely had a lot of interest. So I was born in Mississippi. So being from Mississippi, they don't have a lot of major teams. Obviously we got, like, ole Mississippi State. State. But the team over there was Alabama. So everybody, like, knew of Alabama, heard of Alabama. They loved them. But at the time, because I moved to Wisconsin when I was 8 years old, so at the time, I really wasn't too much into sports. All you hear is about is Alabama. So once I started getting into sports, my respect for, you know, the Bamas and the organizations that really just built their dynasty and who they are kind of grew and elevated because it's not easy to do that. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nah, just like, from a. From a young age, Bama was like, something I really love, but I never saw myself there, obviously, since, you know, being a little kid.

[Taylor Lewan]

So, yeah, I was gonna say between lsu, Michigan and Ohio State, did one of those teams feel insanely confident about landing you? And then you. Ultimately, when Bama came into the picture, they probably felt a little slight.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Which one of those coaches were the most mad walking into the head coach's office, being like, we lost them.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

So Michigan, they offered me my freshman year. So.

[Taylor Lewan]

Freshman year.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So we had.

[Taylor Lewan]

You guys were on the scent.

[Will Compton]

No loyalty.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So we had it. Like, I mean, when I went to img, like, they followed me there. They were, like, keeping up the communication. Like, we were tight when I made the switch. That's kind of when we grew a little distant because I didn't know any of the offensive coaches or the O line coaches. LSU came in there after the switch was made. So when they came in there, I really got, you know, Coach O was over there at the time. Like, I said, coach Craig.

[Will Compton]

So the most LSU coach of all time.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So I really got to talk to them all, and I actually told him. I remember it was after. I can't remember what game it was, but, you know, he called me, and I was just like. I was like, yeah, man, I think I'm commit. Like, I told lsu, like. Yeah, to lsu, like. And I think about that all the time because I told him. And my coach was like, he was pissed. Like, I thought he would be happy he was pissed. He's like, what the hell are you doing? Like, you haven't even, like, sat down and really thought about this. And I'm like, I just like. Like, I rock with him. Like, this is it. Like, you know what I mean? And he's like, have you been to a game yet? So that's the craziest part about it. So one week. Img. This is crazy. I don't even think you know this. So. Img, I got suspended. I was supposed to get expelled on the craziest thing. So my homeboy, real tough guy, like, don't cry, don't show no weakness, none of that. So he comes to me, he's like, yeah, man, I'm scared. And, like, as soon as he said that, like, you know, I perked up. Like, what you scared for? And he was like, my wrist ain't moving the same, and my knee's not moving the same, and this is our junior year. I don't got too many offers, you know? I mean, if they find out I'm hurt, I feel like they're gonna pull my offers. I gotta go to the hospital to get the MRIs and stuff to see what's going on. And, you know, I was like, all right, well, you know, I'll go with you. You know, I'll be there for you, you know, so if anything goes on, you know, I'm there for you. So I go there and come back, and IMG's like, yeah, where were you? Like, did you sneak off, Woody? Whoop. And I'm like, I was at the hospital. Like, I got the cameras to see, you know what I mean? So, technically, I did sneak off. And the rule is if you sneak off, you get expelled. So they were like, like, yeah, we're gonna have to expel you. X, Y, and Z. And I'm just like, for going to the hot, Like, I'm. I'm pissed. So, yeah, so all the coaches, you know, talked it over.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know, that was JP's call, too. He wasn't in the room. He wasn't in the room at 8:00pm.

[JC Latham]

JC so, yeah, they ended up. The coaches ended up convincing them, just suspend me for a week. So they suspended me for a week. And it was against some. They got to choose the week. So they chose, like, a weak team that we were playing. It wasn't really a big deal.

[Will Compton]

So they're like, you're suspended for a week. Yeah, we'll do week five.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So they chose. It was like a weak team. Like, so I forget who they were, but some weak team. And so I chose. I was like, you know, I'm going to lsu. They had a night game at the time. So I had everything set up. I'm supposed to fly out Saturday morning, get there, night game, supposed to be electric, right?

[Taylor Lewan]

And is this after you've told coacho.

[JC Latham]

That you're probably going to commit, like, right after that?

[Taylor Lewan]

So I'm like, yeah.

[JC Latham]

So my dad's in Wisconsin. He drove down from Wisconsin to Louisiana with my uncle. They're already checked in. They're loving it. They had dinner with coach the night before. Like, they're. They're static, right? So I get to the airport and it's like 8 in the morning and we. We fly out, right? So on flights, like I said, I don't have social media, like, none of that stuff. So I just took a nap. So I take a nap, and when the plane lands, I open the window and I see palm trees and stuff, right? So I'm like, damn. Like, L.A. looks just like Florida. Like, I'm a love it here. Like, I'm excited. Like I'm ready. And then all of a sudden, I hear the pilots like, yeah, we just landed back in Florida because Louisiana had. They had a blackout. The whole airport got shut down. So they're like, yeah, we weren't safe to land over there, so we had to turn around mid flight and land back in Tampa. So I'm like. I'm kind of like, is this like a sign to me? Like, should I not? I'm like, nah, I'm tripping, so I ain't gonna, you know, really worry about it. So we rescheduled the visit. And I'm supposed to come in the spring now. Now. And right when I'm finna come covet hits, shuts it all down. So I'm just like, all right, maybe I should just take a step back, like, assess all my options, because I don't know what the Going on now. Covid's over here. So it kind of. I didn't actually. I was never able to go to any official visits because of COVID So it kind of took everything away. And then Bama got into the picture, so now I was like, yeah, that is wild. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And it's wild, too, that, like, Florida and Louisiana listen to Covid. Things, they weren't just like, yeah, fuck it, dude. We're gonna do whatever.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So I think, honestly, like, part of me feels like had Covid never happened and had that flight never, like, turned around, I honestly think I might have committed to lsu, like. Cause, like, I was already on board. I loved coach Craig. I loved how he, like, the relationship from. With him was so much different than other coaches. Like, they. Like. I'm not trying to say coaches kissed ass, but it's a recruitment process, so you want guys to come. But he was kind of, like, letting me know, like, hey, I thought you could have did this better, or, hey, I thought you could have did that better. Or, see what we're doing here in college, like, this is things I want you to work on. You know what I mean? So I was, like. I was all bored. I was all on board because he was, you know, invested into me. Like, he was, like, communicating what I need to do better. And, you know, big thing at IMG is like, iron sharpens iron. So, like, hearing that from him, I was like, it seems like I'm gonna fit right in over there. So I think, honestly, if, like, I made that game, like, I. I probably would have went there. So. I think about that a lot, though.

[Will Compton]

And Alabama comes and swoops.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

We were talking before the show about how, like, how Alabama is and how, like, on the field, off the field, how you guys are just, like, as tight as you guys are. What. What was your first experience stepping in that locker room with those guys?

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was definitely crazy. So we got there. I got there January 13th, and I remember, like, they just won the national, so savings thing, like, right after the season ends. It's kind of messed up. If you, like, lose, you get, like, a week off. Like, season's over. We just lost in an addie. Get a week off. We'll be back here next week. If you win, it's like, a week and a half, two weeks, Right? So they just wanted Natty. So, like, there's no workouts going on. There's none of that stuff going on. But once it started back up, like, that was my first taste of, like, understanding, like, why Alabama became what they were. Like being in that weight room in the fourth quarter program. And I remember, like, like, to this day, like, anybody who sees it or like, has ever went through, like, any Alabama guy, which is why the bond was so close. Like, that, like, really shaped you. And I think, like, why I hate the transport portal, especially for that situation, is because in my opinion, you can kind of like, oh, I don't want to do this no more. You know what I mean? You could just kind of run away from the ground and like. But over there, like before the transfer portal was really a thing. Like, like you were locked in. So it's like. And then you were bought in. So like you were helping no matter who it was, whether he was a starter, backup, whatever, freshman, older, like, whatever. Like, you were really there to like, not only compete but to like, pick your brothers up. And I remember like the first time we had our workouts, like the dynamic portion, you're going for 30 minutes. It was. It's literally an hour long workout out with. I think it was like a 30 second break, like in the middle of it, like a 30 second or a minute break. But like, even the break, like, you're not. You're. You're supposed to grab your water and keep walking. Like, you can't stop, can't put your hands on your knees, can't. Hands, no hands on head. Like, you're just supposed to just keep going. So like, the 30 minutes of like the dynamic stuff is like just crazy movements. Like, you'll do like speed bounce for like 60 yards or high knees for 20 and burst for 30. Whatever it might be like, like it's just insane. And then while you're doing that, the other group's like, running all around the field. Like, whether. Whether it's speed weaves or just 100 yard sprints or, you know, running three fourths of the track, whatever it is. And then when that 30 second break comes, y' all grab y' all water, keep walking and switch. And you're doing it four times a week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, lifting Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And it's just like, Jesus Christ. Like, going through, right? Like going through, like going through all of that. And then you transition into the spring and it's like you're going into spring ball. And like, that was never easy because, like, like in spring, they break it up into four groups and most of the time all the groups got enough for four groups. But O line, we only had like, I think it was like 13 guys. But like, Saban wasn't like, oh, we got to break it down because O line doesn't have a lot. So the starters will get two backups and like the third string would get two backups. So we're doing like, I remember, like even T Book, like T Book and I, we would have days where we'd be going like 30, 30 reps in a row. 30 plays in a row. Like 30, 30, 40. It was like insane. And like the next day it'll be somebody else going 30 plays in a row. And it's like you're doing all of that and then you get three weeks off in May and you come back and you start the summer program. And that's insane. Like, you got like, hell, the hell square thing where you're outside in, you know, 9500 degree weather doing conditioning and stuff. So it's like doing all of that and then when you get your free time, like, nobody else knows what you go through. So being with your homeboys who just did all of that, that like, y' all on the same page as what y' all finna do. So it's like, that's why, like, even after the NFL, like anybody, like when, as soon as I got to Tennessee, like, Ridley was like one of the first guys I was talking to because, like, he knew, you know, what it was going through, all of that. So. But nah, that, that being over there was just, honestly, it was insane.

[Will Compton]

It sounds like a war veteran.

[Taylor Lewan]

And they're just looking at each other like.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, we made it.

[Taylor Lewan]

You've earned it.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Finally, you finally come into it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Alabama, I want to say you got there in 20, 21, which is the first year Nil kicked off.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

How was that, like, learning process? Like when you recruit, going into Alabama.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And you're like, okay, so there could be money involved. Obviously it's gotten way, way bigger now. But how is that going from you're getting recruited when there was no Nil era yet to where you were the first year? How was that dynamic?

[Will Compton]

Let's make this a two part question. How many SEC teams did offer you money even before the nil?

[JC Latham]

So. All right, so here's the thing. Honestly, I ain't trying to get nobody in trouble, so I don't remember too many teams offering. Like I said, my dad, all of that. Now I do remember, like, now we in the league now, so I ain't really going. You know, the coach who was there at the time, he ain't there no more. But I remember he had called me, he was like, yeah, man, anything you need, like, we'll get it done for you. And I'm thinking like, this is a test of character. Like, I'm thinking he's like, trying to test me or something. So then he's like, I don't think you're understanding. So I'm gonna give it to, you know, Evan to explain it to you. So Evan's like, hey, man, like, anything you want, like, you can get it. I'm like, all right, what you. I'm like, I can get some clothes like you want. I can get some clothes. So he's like, nah, nah, nah, like, anything you need, bro. And I'm just like, I'll just take a shirt or something like that. You know what I mean? I kept it pushing, but nil, like, it started right when I got there, and it was crazy because nobody knew what it was or they were just really, honestly, we 18, so we just care about the money if I'm just being completely honest. So that's what we were really just trying to figure out, like, how can we get a deal to get some money. So. But yeah, I told myself because everybody's.

[Taylor Lewan]

Probably ecstatic in the locker room.

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah, for sure. And then, like, I was like, like, you know, Bryce Young and Will Anderson, you know, those guys were eating. You know, they're best players in the country and everybody wants to do something for. I remember, like, the day it happened, Saban, you know, made the mistake. But, you know, I guess Cash App gave Bryce like a million dollar deal or something like that. So, yeah, I mean, just like, seeing that kind of like, was just like, oh, this is what we live in now. But yeah, no, so I definitely. I told myself not to touch the nil portion until I became a startup starter. And then I guess, like, we, like in October, that's when I was like, all right, I'm not gonna start, like, not my freshman year at least. So I'm like, all right. I guess I could just like, because it was deals, like, presented to me, agents, all that stuff, and I'm like, not listening to it. I'm trying to start. But then, you know, after I realized, I'm like, all right, this year is not my year to start. And then I'll just focus on, you know, at least making money while I'm just chilling right now, basically. So, yeah, so that was kind of my thought process with that. And then it worked out because my sophomore year, when I became a starter, everything was kind of just. Just, you know, handle all together.

[Will Compton]

So with Saban, obviously, he's been super vocal in the public about it when this Nil stuff Is starting. What's he saying in the team meeting rooms with you guys?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, so honestly, I think, personally, I think that was one of the reasons why he did retire because his original thought process was like, like, not everybody deserves equal pay. Like Will Anderson. He used Will Anderson, Bryce Young as a like, specific, like, like example. Like, you shouldn't make as much as Will and Bryce, like, like in like the backup or third string, whatever, shouldn't make that much because, you know, we play Auburn and we go down the field 99 yards and Bryce is leading that charge. Like, you think you deserve just as much as the guy who just took us, basically willed us to the playoffs. Like, that's not, you know, he was right. And then, you know, after a while seeing guys, you know, some guys, like I said, mentally weren't able to handle Bama and they were like, you know, what if I can transfer here? And that's how kind of teams kind of made it more legal. Like, hey, if you transfer over here, we can get you a house with a nice car with a, you know, I mean 300,000 on top of it. So. And you're looking at that and you're thinking about all the stuff you have to go through if you're at Bama. And it's like, some guys are like, I don't want to do it no more. So they would end up transferring. Then eventually saving changed his mindset to, well, let's make sure everybody gets a baseline of salary. So where, you know, we all make at least this much. So no guys getting unpaid basically, while the next guy's getting a million. So. So, you know, he did change in that aspect, but I think, you know, it was just the amount of pressure on a kid to like, perform and then also worry about if he was getting paid or something like that. Like, I don't think Saban was really. Because Saban was like a hard hat. Like, he. He just wanted you to do the. Do your best on the field and, you know, let everything else handle itself. But, you know, some guys weren't really as wired to that.

[Taylor Lewan]

So Were you ever poached? Like, as you go, you got three years in this world. Were you ever poached going into your last year to like, go elsewhere?

[Will Compton]

Were.

[JC Latham]

Nah. Saban, he told me straight up, he was like, you're gonna be a first round pick, so you should. You should like go make your money. You know what I mean? So that's basically what that was. That is crazy. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And being around it too. Like, I'm sure You probably experienced guys transferring and hitting the portal. Like, the examples that happen, you being in the locker room and you being around it, how many of those are like, all right, that's actually a good situation for him, or a better situation versus guys that are like, hey, man, you just. You're not embracing the suck as much. You're just wanting something easier, something nicer and leaving.

[JC Latham]

I think, honestly, probably, like, 95% of those guys, it wasn't a good idea because, like, you really don't hear about them no more. Like, the guys at Bama who were kind of coming up, who were kind of doing their thing, the guys who left, like, you really don't hear, like, the only guy who I can think of, and I'm probably forgetting a couple more, but actually, like, Caleb Downs, he was the guy who left, but his situation was a little bit unique because. Because, you know, Sabre retired and the defensive coordinator left, so he wasn't going to let somebody kind of experiment on him like that. He knew his words. Trey Amos, the guy, he just got drafted by the commanders he loved to be to go to Ole Miss. But outside of those two guys. And like I said, I'm probably forgetting somebody, but, yeah, I mean, it was really hard for, like, for the traction of your name to be able to perform in Alabama, to get that same attention somewhere else. You really don't get that type of light.

[Taylor Lewan]

So are you ever, like, with the leadership, are the captains or guys that you see as, like, mentors, the younger guys who might be thinking about transferring, were there ever moments where a guy might be thinking something? You're thinking, hey, we gotta go get our arms around him, or we gotta try and talk to him about it before he makes his move.

[JC Latham]

Honestly, Saban made it, like, real clear. My sophomore year, when we weren't making it to the playoffs, the portal opened, like, after, like, all the games were set. So we were playing, I think it was Kansas State in the Sugar or in the Cotton bowl in Louisiana, and the portal opened, and basically, Saban was like, anybody who doesn't want to be here, y' all can leave. And, like, honestly, like, that game that week, that preparation was, like, the most fun you've ever. I've ever had, like, in a while at Bama, because all the people who didn't want to be there left, so you didn't have to deal with the negative energy. The guys who were like, oh, I don't want to be here. I'm elite. Like, they were all gone. So, like, everybody who was there were bought in 100%. And it's like, that's kind of like the mindset like, we had over there. Like, if you kind of thought about leaving or you want to leave, like, leave, like, we'd rather have you gone and wherever you think you're better success at than here. Because we're bought into this, and we're bought into this culture and the dynasty that we're trying to build and continue to build and expand upon, rather than, you know, you're one foot in and one foot out. So, you know, we kind of. We're just like, if y' all want to leave, like, don't. Don't try to convince us to, like, make you stay, like, leave, like, stand on your business.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that's really how we felt with where Alabama was when Nick Saban there compared to where they are now. Like, what steps do you think they need to take to get back to, like, the Saban era?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, honestly, man, I really just think last year was just kind of like a. Like a filling out process. Honestly, what Deborah is doing over there, I mean, I. I love it. I'm all for it. He's running it more, a lot more professionally. Sabin was like a. A real hard hat. Like, he was really like. Like, I played through, like, a broken toe. Someone else played through, like, a broken hand. Like, and it's like you're putting your body and your. Your. Your career on the line for your brothers, and you had no issue doing that over there, you know, but at the end of the day, you were kind of shaving off a little bit of your game and your play because you're playing through injury, you know, so it's like, like. But like I said, you had no issue doing that. Deborah is kind of more so of a. Like, let's run this professionally. Let's practice in the morning, do a walkthrough at night so we can, you know, retain the information. Let's make sure they get an off day from this so they can actually rest and recover. And I think guys just kind of. Kind of got caught up in it a little bit. I honestly think that's really just what it was being with Saban. I remember, like, people would tell me they'd be like, yeah, we had off days or walkthrough days on this day before the game. Like, we practice. Game will be Saturday. We were practicing Monday through Thursday. And the walkthrough, it wouldn't even really be a walkthrough, but walkthrough will be Friday, and on Sunday, you're coming in and get a lift and do whatever it might be. So, you know, to go from that to, hey, we're gonna have Sunday off. Monday is going to be a walk through. We're gonna go hard Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is going to be a light day and Friday's going to be a walkthrough. Like, guys were kind of caught up. I mean, I saw guys like wearing long sleeves. Saban never let long people wear long sleeves. Like, guys were wearing long sleeves and hats. And I'm not going to be a old head being like, oh, that's different, whatever. Like, I'm not one of them. But, you know, I just think you're getting caught up in the culture shift, you know, that's all it is. And I think they did a pretty good job at handling it, but, you know, still, still wasted.

[Will Compton]

It sounds like a. Guys who came from like a bunch of structure, an insane amount of structure. And then you give them a little bit be like, all right, we're going to treat you as professionals. You're getting paid. We're gonna let you do X, Y and Z. And guys just sound like, take a little, little too much advantage of that.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I say just a little bit. I can't really say too much because I know like Jalen, Miro, Malachi Moore, Tyler Booker, Deontay Lawson, those are the captains at the time. I know all of those guys put. And then everybody else around them put an unwavering amount of faith and effort into making, to living up to the standard every single day. I mean, you saw it when, you know, we lost to Vanderbilt and you see Malachi kicking the ball. Like, that wasn't out of like, like an immaturity. Like, in my opinion, like I told, I remember telling my teammates couple weeks before that game, like I was, I specifically told him, like, he plays with such a passion. Like Malachi Moore plays like, like every play as his last play. Like, no matter what injury he's playing with, no matter what it is, like, he will go out there and leave every ounce of energy on the field. And I, I respect him to this day. Like, he, that's the guy you want to play with, you know, So I know it wasn't like they took advantage of it too much, but I definitely, like I said, I mean, I mean, if you're in such a structured organization and you get a little bit of leeway, you're kind of like, like a dog going outside for the first time. You're just kind of exploring everything and seeing what's up. So.

[Taylor Lewan]

20, 23 national title.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Seems like Michigan kind of got the.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

The last laugh as far as the recruitment goes. And then. I don't know if you guys want to.

[Will Compton]

We can start that off. Like, when you played that game and the ending happened, that happened. Did you ever think to yourself, man, maybe I should have gone to Michigan? Michigan.

[JC Latham]

I thought actually when we played or when we got called that we were gonna play them, I was like, damn, I was gonna play Alabama or play with Alabama one way or another. Like, you know, I thought about that. Honestly, I thought we were gonna beat the hell out of Michigan. I'm just being completely honest.

[Will Compton]

I think everybody on this bus actually had money on Alabama.

[JC Latham]

And then the worst part of. The worst part about it, like, that whole year, our theme was, like, we started so slow. Slow. Like, no matter who we played against, we would always start slow. And then at the end, we catch fire and game over. We never play with energy to begin the game. Like, we were always trying to feel it out, whatever it might be. And I remember, like, the first play, I think it was an interception, but they ruled it.

[Will Compton]

We're gonna do it again.

[JC Latham]

I was like, yeah, we're gonna beat the hell out of these guys. Like, we're. We're lit, like, you know what I mean? But, yeah, and then we come out as on offense and we. We're, you know, doing really good. And I'm like, yeah, I think. Because we never had this much energy to start a game, so I'm like, yeah, I think it's. I think it's over with for. I mean, to their credit, they did a. Had a great game plan. They had some trick plays in there, double passes that caught us off guard. And then in that overtime, they schemed it really well. I remember because at the time, I was 360 and we had a six, eight. I think. I think that's how tall he is. Kaden Proctor, he was.

[Will Compton]

Well, you said 360. Did you had a.360, huh?

[Taylor Lewan]

He was weighing 360.

[Will Compton]

Oh, you were weighing.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, big boy. And Kaden Proctor, I think, was like 375. But Kaden Proctor, he was 6. He was like 6 8, like 375. And then our right guard was insanely strong, like, one of the strongest people I've ever met. And we had a play. We called it, like, Rhino, right? We basically brought Proctor next to me.

[Will Compton]

Me.

[JC Latham]

And that was probably well over almost 700, 800 pounds of, like, just weight right there. And we just Ran duo right there. And nobody ever stopped it. It was never, you know, so we were like, game on the line. What are we going to do? And that was what we were going with. So he was like, let's say we need another play. What we're going to call. And we had a. A tight end who was from Florida, and, you know, the Florida guys are some freaks. So he was really like a receiver, but he was 6 4, so we put him at tight end. So we were like, what we're going to do is we're going to. I don't know if I should be saying this, but I don't think it's going to matter. But we're going to run a pick route. We're going to line the tight end up wide, line up our tight end slash receiver at the tight end spot, and we're going to run a pick route. And basically someone's going to be open because it's two tight ends, and one of them is going to be guarded by DB and one's going to be guarded by linebacker. They're both mismatched, basically. And that's what we were going to run. And they were like, if it ever comes down to three plays that we need, let's just pray for the best. Because we never thought it'd come down to three plays. And we line up in that first play and like Mason Graham and everybody else is like, like, what should we do? How should we line up? Boom. Timeout. Like, they called the timeout. Couldn't show up in that formation again. And then we went to the next play. I don't know if it was a penalty or what. I think we lined up wrong and we had to call a timeout. So we were on a third play and I'm thinking, I'm like, fuck. Like, we did not go over three plays. Like, I have. I have no idea what we're going to call. We ended up calling like a. A. A halfback swing route. And if it didn't work, Jalen could just take it up the middle. And it was just. It was a disaster on that play. So. But yeah, ball got snapped low.

[Will Compton]

That made me.

[Taylor Lewan]

So your confidence had to be high. I think it was fourth and one.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean, but I'm saying even before the game, it's like when the announcement came out on if Bama was going to get into the playoff, because it was like, damn, that's when Florida State was undefeated, but they had lost. Maybe they're top. I know they lost Jordan Travis, but maybe Even their backup at the time, too. And I remember the reaction video of when it was announced that it was Bama and the Michigan room was kind.

[JC Latham]

Of quiet, kind of like. So, like, from there, I was like.

[Will Compton]

I felt. I was like, God damn it, it's gotta be Alabama.

[JC Latham]

It's crazy, too, about that game because I actually played Blake Corum when he went to St. Francis my junior year. And I remember he, like, he was just like, he's not the tallest back. Like, he's kind of short. And I remember Pitbull, bro. Right? And I remember, like. Like I said, we had Warren Brinson, demonte K Part. We had guys who were going to, like, D1 colleges, obviously. Elias, Ricks, like, all these guys who are in the NFL. And I'm like, like, we're gonna mutt this guy. Like, he's so. Like, we're gonna kill him. And, like, every single time, he would just put his head down and run and boom, five yards, seven yards, pop one off for 20. And I'm just like, why the hell can we not tackle this guy? And, like, we play and I'm. He's with Michigan now, and I'm just like, I swear to you, if I lose to him again, like, we got guys who I know are like, can tackle him. And he did exactly. I mean, that last play where he ran, I think for what, 20 yards? He broke through, like, four tackles. I'm like, he's been doing that since high school. And I'm like, I was just so upset about that because I'm like, dude, he did this twice, bro. Like, I was so pissed off about that, man. But, nah, shout out to him. He. He was an amazing player, so I'm happy for him. But, yeah, no, I just. It was unfortunate after that.

[Will Compton]

Now, that played with JJ.

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah. JJ McCarthy.

[Will Compton]

Oh, you played.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, that was Saying that was a crazy, like, game for me, like, going against JJ again, playing Blake Corum again. I was with T Book. It was like. It was a really big deal for all of us.

[Taylor Lewan]

Wanted to kind of go to Michigan. They were high on your.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Then you end up playing the maze in blue, that fourth and one. I don't want to open old wounds too much.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But did you execute your assignment on that play?

[JC Latham]

No. So seriously, I can admit, like, I. Looking back at it, it was a. So I don't know if the guard was put. I forgot what it was, but I had a hinge. And you know just as well as anybody, when it's a two. Look, guy Outside the dn, you know, the DN spiking. And the number one rule against that is, like, you really can't hinge because you're just absorbing everything.

[Will Compton]

Protect your B.

[JC Latham]

Right? So basically, you just got to meet him at the point and attack him. And for whatever reason, I did a great job at always seeing the coverage, like, seeing the two look, whatever. It was like picking up stunts, all of that. For whatever reason, in that moment right there, I didn't see the tulip. So when I saw. When I went down into the B gap and I saw him crash, I was like, all right, I'm basically just anchor down. And then, yeah, like I said, everything just went downhill from there. So, yeah, that was terrible. Terrible play for me. I hated it.

[Will Compton]

That. I hate that for you, man. I hate that you had to relive that. I'm sorry.

[Taylor Lewan]

Is that a play that gets brought up, like, in your, like, draft meetings?

[JC Latham]

The New York Jets, I think, brought it up. They have brought it up, and they.

[Taylor Lewan]

Bring it up how? Like, let's. What's a. What's a play? Yours?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, they wanted. They wanted me to do, like, a media training. They were like, yeah, when you're over here, like, New York has a really big media and fan base, and, you know, if you don't handle it right, you know, the. They'll kind of eat you alive. So we want you to do a media training and understand, like, the rough questions and like. So I went to, like, a pre. Kind of media room, and it was like, 20 reporters there. And the first question that someone asked is like, yeah, a lot of teams had you as, like, the number one, number two tackle coming out, and then you had a really bad play on the last play, and you're not top five. What's your thoughts? I'm like, shit. Like, that was like, the first question, but, yeah. Nah, I mean, I know my tape speaks for itself. You know, I don't try to. To try to humbly speak about myself, and I know I did a really great job all throughout college and, you know, all throughout the circumstances. I mean, in this game alone, I had a. I still had the broken toe, and then I had nerve damage in my left hand, so I couldn't feel my left hand for real. And. Yeah, I mean, I still. I feel. I know I could execute a lot better on just every play in general. But, yeah, now that last play, I don't think it defines me as a player or anything.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. One that definitely haunt you.

[JC Latham]

No.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, we all have A play just.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like if I would have just.

[Will Compton]

If I could have just done X, Y and Z different. Playing right tackle. Now at img, were you right or left?

[JC Latham]

I was left.

[Will Compton]

You were left. So you get to Alabama.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And they put you at right immediately.

[JC Latham]

So that was the only, like, little bit of disorganized part. When I got there, they were like our coach, Doug Marone, he. So Kyle Flood, who was originally there, he's with the Texans now, but he had left. So for a brief period, I didn't have like offensive line coach. So when our coach ended up coming, he was more so laid back, mellow. Like, he literally was like, you guys line up in the positions that you play or you want to play and we'll figure everything else else out from there. So Evan was at right, and then he was like, I'm going to left. And like, you know, top 10 pig. We're like, all right, we're not saying nothing to him. So like, he went to left. So then I'm thinking, I'm like, all right, well, they don't got nobody at right. So I was like, all right, I'll go to right. You know what I mean? So obviously the old heads was in front of me, but, you know, that was my first time ever playing right. Like, no training, no nothing. So, you know, I started playing right like that year. So. And that's kind of where everything just happened.

[Will Compton]

Break that down a little bit though, because for me personally, like, the only position I could play is left. Like, I was in a right handed stance, like probably five times in my entire life from high school, all the way through my career, and it was the most uncomfortable. I felt so disorganized. It's like riding with your opposite hand.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like, how long did you feel that or did you even feel that at all before? I was like, okay, I'm starting to feel comfortable.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it was definitely some uncomfortable portions to it, but I mean, I kind of just focused on like, at first I was like, all right, what am I really good at? So, like, I found it like just moving obviously to my right. I felt really comfortable with. I felt a lot comfortable with that. And then as far as, like using my hands go, I felt more comfortable using my right hand. So that made everything a lot better. And then learning, obviously, the drive hand, playing offensive line, like when you got a, when you got a guy, like, you're coming down on a three technique, like your right hand is going to be your drive hand. You know what I mean? So like having that kind of comfortable, you know, everything else that I need to work on, I was just telling myself, like, you know, we can work on it. So. And I worked on it with the coaches, you know, until I became. Even after I became a starter, but just kind of weave all that out my game.

[Will Compton]

I love it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Rumored 4, 4, 8, 5, 4 40. Is that true?

[JC Latham]

I don't know.

[Taylor Lewan]

340.

[JC Latham]

So, yeah, I was 340. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because Taylor, my boy over here, he ran a 487.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. But I was 309, so. So Sherm writes a little sheet, a little, like, fact sheet about the guys that are coming on the show. And I see 485, and I just look at it. I'm thinking to myself, no way this cat was faster than me. So I go to the combine.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And it says. It says dnp, dnp, dnp and all that stuff. Stuff. So I'm like, where are we getting 485 from? Because it did. I did have a little. I had an ego flare up for a second.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was, like, damn sure meant to write rumored on there.

[Will Compton]

So, no, I asked him, and he was actually writing it. As I was asking him.

[JC Latham]

He said, actually, it is rumored that last play from that Michigan game, I got a high ankle sprain. And I didn't know, like. Like, so much going on, like, realizing, like, honestly, like, the Rose bowl as a whole, like, was such an amazing experience. Like, I didn't even notice until, like, the second quarter, there was a blimp flying over the game. So, like, I'm on the ground, I'm grabbing my ankle, and I just see, like, all the Michigan confetti come down, and I'm just like, like, realizing, like, this is my last game. Like, I just lost. Like, we're not going to the Natty. Like, everything we fought for, beating Georgia to get here, like, just to go out like this, I was. I was devastated. So then, you know, I come back and I'm telling him, like, yeah, I can't really move my ankle. Like, you know, something's not right. But then I'm also declaring, sharing. And being in the playoffs, you're kind of late to combine preparation because, you know, it was like, January 10th when the natty was so. Everybody's like, I've met guys who are over there training since, like, December 4th. So I went over there. I gave myself, like, three weeks to recover from this injury. And then I ran. And I remember, like, my split. Whatever. I'm not gonna say I'm fastest Train was, I'm, I'm not gonna say that, but it was like, I think it was like 0.1 or like 0.15 or something like that off from his and that we did the 10 yard split. So then eventually like we worked a couple weeks after that to like to do the 40. And I remember he was like, yeah, like as soon as your ankle heals, like, we're understand, like this is going to go down like way more like all this other stuff because you're not 100%. And that's when I was just like, yeah, I'm not, I'm not going to run, like, I'm not going to run and risk whatever it might be. So. But I really don't know what it might be. I don't know if it'll be a four or five. I, I, I want to say I doubt it, but I don't know.

[Will Compton]

So, so we're definitely sub five.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Oh yeah. I definitely know I can get a sub 5.

[Will Compton]

So who do, what reporter did you reach out to to say, oh, I probably would have ran a 485.

[JC Latham]

You know, I honestly don't remember saying that. Like, I, I remember. Here's the thing, I do remember one of my homeboys, I'm not gonna say who, but he had called me, he was like, yeah, man, you think you're gonna run less than a 4 9? I'm like, oh, hell yeah. Like, you know what I mean? Because I knew I could run that. And then like, that's when, after I found out, like, I'm not running. And I'm like, why did he ask me that? That's a random question. Like, you don't even play online. And then I found out they had like the over unders and on the 40s. So that's when I was like, oh. So like, I guess, I don't know, like, someone must have asked me another like over under or whatever it must have been, I, I must have said something about it. So.

[Will Compton]

But that is wild. What was, what was the combine experience like? Because it was a, it was kind of like you, Joe Alt and then one other guy, right?

[JC Latham]

Olufashanu.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, Olufashanu from Penn State.

[Taylor Lewan]

State.

[Will Compton]

And so everyone's kind of talking about this Joel guy. He seems like he was like the most put together at the time. Yeah, Olu had the highest ceiling and then you were fitting somewhere in the middle, like one and two. Yeah, obviously massive frame, a lot of athletic ability. Like this guy could be a perennial pro bowl type guy. Would. When you're at the combine and seeing these guys, are you doing the. What's this posturing game like with these three?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, honestly. So how I went, my name fell. Because obviously, when you go to, like, combine, they sort it out by name. Like, I. Alphabetical order. So my name fell outside of those two guys. So I wasn't able to, like, be around them for much because how the schedule was, like, they were in group one, and I was in group two. So I wasn't able to see them, really, until we. It came to, like, being on the field. So when we did field workouts, Joe surprised me a lot. Like, he moves really well. Like, forgot of his stature and size.

[Will Compton]

But a white guy out there moving along. He can run. Yeah.

[JC Latham]

You know what I'm saying? He was. He was moving, though. I don't remember Olu if he ran or not, but I just remember, as far as, like, athletic ability goes, like, they were a lot more athletic than I thought they were. So, I mean, that's pretty much it. But I. I still felt, obviously, as a man, I felt better than both. So. Yeah, you know, I'm never gonna sit up here and say anything else.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, you're always gonna play that game. What was. How many official meetings did you take at the combine?

[JC Latham]

Line? 24.

[Will Compton]

24. And that's the 15 minutes, right? Not including the train station.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

What was the most intense meeting you had?

[JC Latham]

The Broncos. They had some pretty. Like, the Broncos, as soon as I got in there, like, they were like, sit down. Don't doubt nobody up first, play the Lions.

[Taylor Lewan]

Who's running that? Is that.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Like, I. As soon as I got in there, like, he wasn't joking. The Lions, they weren't as intense, but he added, like, a crazy amount of pressure where he was like, yeah, nobody ever got this play right, like, at the whole combine. So I was like, oh, shit. So I'm trying to figure out what's so hard about it. And I ended up messing up, like, one assignment on it. But, I mean, fell in the category not getting it right. But outside of those two teams, there wasn't really a lot of other teams that were kind of like. The Vikings were actually kind of a pretty. Same way. Like, they kind of threw me out. Like, as soon as I got into there, they threw me a ball, and then they were like, all right, sit down. Like, we're gonna talk about this. Like, don't. Don't shake nobody's hand. So, you know, that's how a couple teams were. Like, they didn't care about the greetings, the how you doing, whatever it might be. They were just like, like, let's get right to it, you know what I mean?

[Taylor Lewan]

So, yeah, what team was the most friendly, was the friendliest, honestly.

[JC Latham]

The Titans and the Dolphins. That's what. I didn't think I was gonna get picked by the Titans because, like, when I got there, one of the coaches were like one of the guys. That's why I thought it was like another test of character. He was, was like, hey, man, like, so these are the coaches because coach must have went to grab a snack or something like that. I forget what happened, but he's like, hey, these are the coaches. Just, you know, be casual.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

X, Y and Z. Yeah. I'm like, he's trying to set me up. He don't give a about me. Like, so that's what I thought, honestly. Yeah. So, you know, Titans were kind of just really relaxed and low key about it, so there was no pressure added to it. And the Dolphins, you know, he was telling me, he's like, yeah, yeah, you probably won't get taken by us, but let's just have a conversation, see whatever happens. So, you know, we were talking actually, what position I play, like Madden and like that. So it was really, it was pretty chill.

[Taylor Lewan]

What, what pick were they in the draft, the Dolphins?

[JC Latham]

I can't even remember. I think they were like anywhere from like 15 to 20 or something, maybe. But I honestly can't be a good feeling.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, yeah. What did that, what's that feeling like when they're like, hey, we probably won't be able to pick you.

[JC Latham]

But I mean, I, at the time, honestly, like, I've seen guys drop and I've seen guys like, go way higher than expected. So I was kind of like, I don't want to believe nothing until I get my phone call, you know what I mean? Like, until it's like official. Because, like, even like when I met with the Chargers, Harbaugh was like, yeah, we're taking you like you're our guy. You know, we want you at right time. So I was like. I was like, all right, cool. And then I'm thinking, like, it's gonna be low key because they told me, they were like, they were like, no coach is going to say they're going to take you if they're going to take. Take you. So when he said that, I'm like, all right. Well, I don't, I don't think he's being for real. And then as soon as I left Mel Kuiper, like, tweeted out, oh, yeah. Charges say they're taking JC at 5x, y, and z. So I'm like, all right. Well, now I'm kind of like, I don't know if he's gonna take me for. If he's joking. He's trying to, you know, pull traction away from who he really wants. And then the night before, my agent gets a call, and he's like, yeah, they're saying, you know, the guys, the reporters over there are saying, word around the building is that they're taking you. You know what I mean? So, like, Chargers. Yeah. So when the fifth pick came up, I'm in the green room, and, like, I'm a lot. This is the only time I felt, like, some crazy pressure. Like. Like, 30 cameras came right in front of me. Like, just right in front of my face. Like, phones in my lap like this. And I'm just like, oh, like, this shit, like, really finna happen. And then they pick Joe up. So, like, all right, no big deal. Like, you know what I mean? Then Neighbors gets picked, and then Tennessee's up, and everybody's like, oh, they're going to pick J.C. and I'm. I'm like. I'm like, please don't embarrass me again. Or, like, y' all come over here.

[Taylor Lewan]

What was the feeling when you were thinking the 30 cameras are around? Then Joel gets chosen?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I mean, I was. I was pissed. But, I mean, you know, it is what it is. I'm not finna sit up here and hate on somebody. You know, happy for him, but I was a little bit pissed, like, with Harbaugh. Cause I was like, oh, you tell me you gonna take me, you take the other guy. What's up with that? So, you know. But honestly, I want to find out. Because I'm always a guy who's like, I want to get better. So I want to know, like, what reason kind of. Were you serious at that point to, oh, well, we didn't like this, so let's change this. You know, we don't want JC no more on him. Right? So. Or did he do something better than me? So, you know, I always, like, stay up thinking about that. So my teammates actually just told me yesterday I gotta let that go. So.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, it's a tough thing when you think somebody's gonna pick you right there, and then they take somebody in the same position as you. Yeah, that was a major question mark. We were doing the draft show.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was gonna say you were kind of involved. Like, was There also thoughts that Joe Alt was going to go higher than the. No, more like, hey, he's going to want to right tackle. But Joe.

[Will Compton]

So my conversations with Joe, I was at the combat fine. I got. I got to see you guys do your thing for a little bit. But I talked to Joe all. I think Joe was represented by Pat Collins, my. The same agent as me. And I talked to him. I was like, what do you want it? Like, kind of like, you know, hey, what do you want? And he's like, I want to play left tackle. And I know the Chargers are interested in me, but they obviously have. Who's the kid from the north from northwest. Rashad Slater, who like had a Pro bowl years, rookie year. I think he tore his bicep his second year. But he was like going to be the left tackle. So obviously the Chargers needed a right tackle goal. And so when this was coming up, knowing that you were at Alabama, you played right the entire time. I'm like, you are the obvious fit to go in there and play right away. Because Joe is similar to my thought process with it when it comes to switching sides is like very uncomfortable, feels very unnatural as opposed to being in the position that you feel is best for you. So when that happened, I was like, kind of blown away. I was impressed by the way he played this year.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Switching, switching sides, he played really good. But yeah, the, the feeling of a team saying, we're going to take you, you, and then taking somebody else your position. The same thing happened to me in 2014. The Falcons told me, hey, if you're there at 6, be ready, blah, blah, blah. All these things. I'm like, oh, I'm going to be a Falcon. And then I'm taking Jake Matthews.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And so that is like, you got to get over it. It's been 12 years for me. I'm still not over it.

[Taylor Lewan]

So, like, he might have just started.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. I'm now working through a process. I gotta. Yeah, my doctor. We're talking about the whole thing. We're figuring it out.

[Taylor Lewan]

Matthew's part of the family now.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Clay. Matthew's a part of us with the boys. I got. I got. Gotta be cool with Jake. But it's like, it's. It sucks. It's an ego shot for sure.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, definitely lucky.

[Will Compton]

You'd have to wait too long. You wait two picks and Tennessee calls and you were, you were thinking, yeah, it's not even gonna happen. Right.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Nah, I didn't. I didn't know what was going on. I mean, like, who was.

[Will Compton]

Sorry, who was the next team in your mind? It's like, okay, it's not the Chargers. This is the next scene.

[JC Latham]

That pitch, honestly, that night was such a blur. I can't remember. I don't know who came after. I think the Jets. The jets had nine, I think. I think they were at 10. So where were the Vikings at 11?

[Will Compton]

They're at 11.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So I know the jets for sure told me they'd take me if I was at 10. They were like, yeah, like. Like, they told me when I went to there, I had a top 30 visit with them. They're like, yeah, if you're here at 10, you probably won't be here at 10, but if you're here at 10, we'll take you. You know what I mean? I forget who was at 9, but. Because I think it went. Yeah, the Bears are also up there. They were saying, you know, like, yeah, we're gonna. We want to get Jet, obviously, because everybody knew they were getting Caleb. So they're like, yeah, we want to get you right now. We don't think we're going to get you. The jets kind of confirmed that the Bears kind of wanted me when they were like, you won't be here at 10, so, okay, so I can go to Chicago or I'll, you know, be a Jet. Same way with the Vikings. When they were saying, yeah, you're. You're not even going to be here if we ever trade up, you know, that's the only logical way.

[Taylor Lewan]

You got to be hoping the Vikings right out of that.

[JC Latham]

I mean, honestly, I. Like, I said, I really didn't. I just wanted to play ball. Like, I had so many things going on. I was just like, I just want to get back on the field because, like, the one thing about. About the combine process and, like, college is, like, after a season, like, you're almost basically right back into it with spring ball, you know, And I felt so distant from football that, like, you know, I honestly hated the combine, like, looking back at it, because I didn't get a chance to really work on what I wanted to work on. I had to prepare for the combine and basically a showcase. I couldn't really just sit down, like, over this. Over this off season, like, really master my craft and, like, going to, like, Duke and guys over there, being around Slater and guys like that, to really master my craft. I didn't have that opportunity coming out of college, so it kind of felt like. I wouldn't say I was bullshitting, but it's just. I Didn't. I couldn't get too much done. Like, I was doing everything I could for the combine and, you know, the traveling with the teams on 30 visits. But, like, I mean, you're going from team to team, it's like you can't really get no work in. You can't really, you know, stay true to your diet, whatever it might be. So, yeah, no, I mean, I. I didn't like it at all. So I was just like, man, let's just get back on the field and just like, play ball, you know? Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So when you are going on these top 30 visits, though, are there teams that you're obviously having better chemistry with than others? Like, what was the team that you were like, yo, this team? Yeah, I can see myself fitting in here.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Honestly, every team was like, so, so cool. So grateful. Like, I was so grateful to be there. It was really cool being around teams that, like, had other players. Like, I remember when I was with the Cardinals, Malik Neighbors was there. It was pretty cool because they had like a simulated offensive walk through. It's like me and Malik were in the same huddle, like getting the plays and stuff. So I was like, okay, this is kind of cool. You know what I mean? So being over there with the Cardinals, the Bears were really cool plays. My mom's from over there, so, you know, I got to see them and all that stuff on that visit. Honestly, I think the Lions and. Yeah, like I said, Lions and Vikings, they had like the. Probably like the most chill. Like, I think the Vikings had like a beanbag chair in their room. So he was like, hey, just take a sit in the beanbag chair. We can watch some film and just relax.

[Taylor Lewan]

So, like, he's sitting on a massive love sack.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, watch a.

[Will Compton]

Try not to fall asleep.

[JC Latham]

Right. So it was. It was real chill. I remember our visit got done early. The driver took me to Mall of America. You know, I got some clothes and I mean, I was probably just really chill. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Rode the roller coaster, got out of there.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So I was chilling. Yeah, it was. It was a vibe.

[Taylor Lewan]

So, man, I. I love to play the mental gymnastics of do they intentionally have the bean bag to see if they'll get tired and fall asleep? Not fall asleep, but, like, be checked out.

[Will Compton]

Right?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I don't. They. Apparently what they said was it was for the O line guys and they were finna get rid of it. I. I don't know, man. I was just. I was chilling. I don't know.

[Taylor Lewan]

Imagine the entire line room. You just get love sex to watch film it.

[Will Compton]

You're falling asleep.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That would be brutal.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that. What is that? What room is that? Sherm?

[Taylor Lewan]

Is that the vi. Is that the room?

[JC Latham]

That's a movie theater.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh. Oh, we just throwing up a movie theater.

[JC Latham]

Beanbag.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hang on.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Is that the Vikings team meeting right there?

[Ferris State University Ad]

No, no.

[Will Compton]

Say if that was Green Hills. I be there all the time.

[Taylor Lewan]

I know you're grateful for all the visits you got to do with teams, but honestly, it's like experiencing the business and everything else and different teams and different staffs that you can be with. I know you guys had it down a year last year, but for your position in particular, I feel like you're with one of the best O line coaches in the game.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because you could be in some shitty situations, bro.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Nah, honestly, that was the one thing I was, like, worried about a little bit. Because. Because hearing about how some coaches are and I talked to, like, you know, Jamar Gibbs, Bryce Young, will guys on other teams, you know, like, hey, like, how is this going to go? Like, what is going to happen? Like, you know, when you get drafted? Like, what's the structure? What's the, you know, culture? Like? And all of them said a lot of different things, but the main thing boiled down to, like, it's all about the coach that you get with. You know, if your coach is about the right stuff or he's about, you know, what can make you successful, you know, you'll be. You'll have a great, great season, great career. You know what I mean? So. And that was kind of my biggest thing. So hearing about Tennessee having him, I was just like, dude, like, if I fall to Tennessee, like, not even fall, if I get drafted by Tennessee, like, that'll be a amazing blessing because I'll be with a coach who's, you know, legendary. And then being with him and, like, hearing his style, honestly, like, we played the jets and it was a play, it was a jump play where basically I had to jump set him and I got beat inside and got the quarterback hit. And then another play later on in the game, I messed up on something. But we were talking, he was like, dude, if you would have just fixed those two plays, you would have had a perfect game from top to bottom. And it came from the techniques that he. Every single play he coaches has a specific technique, like how you're supposed to do something, how it's supposed to get done, run whatever it might be, you know, and like, he tells you, like, hey, like today, like, the installs he'll be like, hey, you want to aim for this point on the linebacker? Because if not, he can shoot up the gap and he'll make the play. You aim for this point, he won't make the play. We'll be up the seams, you know, I mean, it's like he teaches you every single day. He's like, hey, scoot up on the ball more for this play because you want to cut off that angle from the defense. So now all you got to worry about is that, you know, so hearing about all of that stuff, it's just. It was. It was amazing. So, yeah, I feel better. Bless.

[Will Compton]

That's awesome.

[Taylor Lewan]

You done any hot yoga with him?

[Will Compton]

He's a hot yoga guy.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah. I'm talking. Yeah, yeah. When we went there and visited the facility last year, like, when I saw him, because he was our O line coach in Washington.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I was like, hey, have you found a yoga spot out here yet? Because in the off season in Washington, we'd all be at the same yoga spot, and he'd be, oh, Will.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Great spot. Charlotte Avenue. I forget what it's called.

[JC Latham]

Bro. How.

[Taylor Lewan]

How. How awesome is he? In the meeting room, I just get to hear war stories. I'm almost like. At times I'm like, yeah, you feel bad for the old line because they're doing the most drills.

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Most meetings.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hey, fellas. Like, I know we only get two hours. Four hours.

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

But, like, Sean Laval would back. He'll have us in the. In the. In the weight room afterwards. I know. Film. Cut off the film. Yeah, we're over the time, but we're gonna work on this technique, right?

[JC Latham]

That is exactly. Like I told. Because Dan Moore, the guy we just signed, I told him. I was like, dude, like. Because the one day, the first day we were there, he thought it was kind of hard. And I was like, dude, we haven't done anything that we're supposed to do. And then I was like. I was like, dude, we. Like, honestly, like. And I don't think anything about, but, like, the things that we do, like, before practice and after practice. And then, like, I told him, like, one time, he. He's low key. Getting, like, a little bit more, like, now. Like, he was like, yeah, man, what time I gotta be out here? And, like, 9:30. All they gotta do is warm up. We'll be okay. Like, we go a little bit longer, you know, and, like, that's what we'll do. But, like, now he's awesome to be in the meeting room. With like, he. Because coming from Bama, like, it's really just a list. Like, hey, this is what we're gonna go over and that's it. You know what I mean? And, like, I talked to him because I asked him, like, hey, why do you, like, joke around the way you do? Or why do you do this? He's like. He told me, he's like, when you're in a meeting for two hours, like, guys are gonna get kind of zoned out, so you kind of got to keep. Keep it. Keep guys on their toes. Like, today, I can't even mimic how fast he. He talked. But, like, one of the guys must have messed up, like, one of the rules on, like, what a tackle is. So then, you know, he. We're talking. We're talking. He goes, yeah, so this runs in defensive. Ryan, what are you going to do when he goes over here? He goes over here. I'm like, yo, what? Like. But he's doing that jokingly to get everybody up, like, to, like, you know, I mean, sit up in the meeting, but yeah. Nah, he's awesome to be around, though. He's a. He's a funny guy. Guy. He's a funny guy for sure.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's got all, like. It was always fun to sit in the cafeteria with the old line because it's like the way he explains bam. And the guys coming together and embracing the suck. Like, you almost have that experience with. With Coach Callahan because he's a great coach, but he's hard. He Technician meetings. You got to be ready to go because he'll jump on you if not.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And so you'd always hear some nice, funny stories, and usually there's one guy who can imitate him real well to where they're kind of like running through his voice.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, he. And, you know, like I said, amazing guy. Amazing guy. Guy. Like, anybody anywhere would have nothing but nice things to say about him. But the funny story I tell about anybody, like, what type of guy he is, like, when he's really serious. I remember Peter Skansky. He must have messed up on the play. I forget what play it was, but he must have messed up on one of these plays. And you know his grandpa played in the NFL, right? So, you know, Cali, he's not. He doesn't spare. No. If you mess up, he's on you, like, whether you're starter, backup, you just got signed.

[Taylor Lewan]

You're you.

[JC Latham]

He doesn't care. So he goes to Peter. He's like, I mean, what is this? Do we even coach this Your grandpa played in the NFL, right? Was he at the game? Peter goes, my grandpa's dad, coach. So he goes, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Well, what about your dad? He was there, right? He just keeps going. It's like the funniest thing ever. Yo. Like, we, for a brief second, we thought we finally had a joke right back at him because he really, he did. Did pass away. His grandpa did pass away. But nah, he just kept going. He just kept going, man. Like, but that's type of guy having the vibes.

[Will Compton]

Having the vibes in offensive line room if they're top. Like, you can't.

[JC Latham]

You can't beat.

[Will Compton]

You can't beat a room like that, man. Yeah, it's awesome that you're with a guy that was drafted top 10.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

The year before with you. You guys get to play the next 10 years together in the same offensive line.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Kyle Long had a story, like, I want to say he did like a draft interview with coach Khalil Land and he was going something with him. And Kyle had some answer. He said, oh, no, can't play for me. He can't play for me. He's like, the minute kind of stopped after like five minutes.

[Will Compton]

Really.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because Coach Callahan, he'll like, say that type of stuff. Yeah, he's all time, man.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

What is.

[Will Compton]

What is the thing you were just pulling up that Big Bertha. What's that thing called?

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah, no, that's viral on it.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Talk to me about this. This thing, this disgusting device. It scares me.

[JC Latham]

That's. Yeah. So that is. I remember he sent me up too. So he.

[Will Compton]

Oh, jc.

[JC Latham]

Yes. He's like. He goes right before you. He's like, yeah, I know. You're going to mess up on it. Yeah. Because you're going to think you're so strong you could just power your way through it. And this is not that type of sled. So I'm like, in my head, I'm like, you just don't know how strong I am. Like, I'll be okay. And yeah. So the point of it is, like, the weight is tilted forward. Just like, you know, as a D lineman, if you were to buckboard, you. Right. And if you stand it straight up, you're not going to be able to move it because, like, you can't. You have to have it at the right angle and your foot speed has to stay matched up. You have to have it basically tight, like with your body, because if you kind of lean one way or the other, then it starts to spin so you have to have everything tight. You have to have the right angle, the right foot speed, all of that, because you can't. You can't move a D lineman if he's standing up straight. And you're standing up straight, you really can't move him. You have to have a forward lean and good leverage and hand position. So. And that's everything that this sled is. And then it weighs, like, I think, like 380something. So, like.

[Will Compton]

No.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it's not. Yeah, it's not a light. It's not a light sled.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that thing does not look fun at all, ma' am.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, so it's pretty tough, huh? Jc yeah.

[Will Compton]

When. When you. When you first get drafted, you go through OTAs and all that. What was, like, the biggest. This is such a cliche, like, NFL, what was the biggest transition moment for you when you're like, oh, like, this is the NFL.

[JC Latham]

I have to make sure, honestly, like, really just like the. The freedom that you get, you know, coming from Bama, everything is told. You're told what to do on every single level. Even as far as when you eat and go to sleep. Like, they're telling you, like, hey, you guys need to go to bed at this time. You guys need to drink this before you go to bed so you can, you know, hydrate. And X, Y and Z. You guys. You guys need to. After practice, we have meal stations. Like, all this other stuff you guys got to do, we have chefs that come in, like, so being in the NFL, where it's like, when you're done, you're just done, like, you know, I mean, you. You show up to, like, honestly, if you wanted to, like, not do the extra stuff to be great, like, if you want to show up right. Ten minutes before the 8 o' clock meeting and as soon as practice over with, leave, like, that's it. You know what I mean? So it's like, right. So it's like to have that self discipline, that structure, to really stay on top of everything, you know, that's like. That was my big, like, okay, this is the NFL. And I, I saw why guys kind of like, you know, you might see a guy who might not last as long because that self discipline is, like, critical to anybody's success. So.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Jumping through. What about the facilities?

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Were you just blown away? Like, Titans facility has gotten a whole lot better. We don't want to take anything away from that, but it does not compare anything to any college facility.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Nah, that. I was a little shocked at that. But it kind of made sense because, like, at Alabama, we shared our facility with like the swim team, the soccer team, whatever it might be. You know, our facilities just afford a football team. So it's like, you really don't need all of that. I think our facility honestly is a really good facility in comparison to, you know, everything else I've seen. But yeah, I mean, Alabama, I think they said they're getting a jumbotron in there, like, you know, to do like. Because every week before the game we do like a highlight reel and stuff like that. So yeah, you can't really. You can't really compete.

[Will Compton]

You can't compete. I think college football, man, it is. It's so difficult. Different when you go ahead when you're so like this year you started all 17 games. You played every single snap. Like, that's a massive accomplishment for a rookie in the NFL. Like, you got thrown in the fire immediately. You started at left tackle after playing three years at right tackle. If you are unbiasedly looking at your film right now in your head, what's the number one thing you think you need to work on to elevate your game from year one to year two?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, well, off the field, like my weight, Honestly, I remember specifically.

[Will Compton]

What are you pushing right now? Now?

[JC Latham]

Oh, well, now I'm 340. I'm good. Yeah, like, well, I'm not gonna say I'm good, but I want to get down like 3, 325, 330. But then because I was 360 and they were like, hey, we want you to get down 345. And honestly, I wouldn't say it's kind of cocky, but I kind of say just like coming from Bama, I remember Saban saying the same thing when I hit 360. And all the strength coaches were like, well, he put on 15 pounds of muscle, so it's like, you know what I mean? Like, he's going to be okay, you know. And then they saw how I was moving out there and Saban was like, okay, he's to going good, you know, so having the thumbs up approval from Saban, I was like, okay, I know how this is going to go. They're going to say I need to lose weight. As soon as they see how I move out here, they're going to say I'm good. And then after a while I was like, you know what? Like, this is a different speed, so I definitely should lose weight. But I was. I'm not gonna say I was playing good, but I Was playing, like, relatively, like, honestly good. Like, you know what I mean? So I was like, thinking, like, well, I don't think my weight's that much of an issue. And I remember thinking that, like, after we played the Chargers, like. Cause I did a really good job in pass pro. And the only sacks that I remember, Bud Dupree had two. And it was like, off of, like, a late spin when Will tried to escape the pocket up. And. Yeah, that's where his sex came from. And I remember I was like, man, I just played Bosa and, you know, Bud Dupree, and, you know, I've been doing good up until this point. I don't think my weight's an issue. And like, from there just. Yeah, it was really bad. So getting that weight under control for sure. Like, isn't it crazy?

[Will Compton]

Like, the moment you feel like you're good in something, like, yeah, you get humbled immediately.

[JC Latham]

Because I think shortly after that, we played Houston and I played Will Anderson and, you know, Daniel Hunter. And that's when I was like, yeah, I gotta. I gotta lose all this weight. So, yeah, now that was. I mean, because it affected everything. Like, you know, my get off my finishes down the field, whatever it might be. And like, you know, obviously we're in OTAS now, so we're watching the film from last year, and, like, everybody knows I lost weight, but we're just looking at that shit kind of just like, laughing, like, like, what the fuck? You know, it's just so blatant that I was too big.

[Will Compton]

When you. When you play a guy that was. Was, you know, a top guy, a captain on your team when you were a freshman in Alabama, and you play him a few years later in the NFL, like, is that anything mental for you? You're like, yo, this dude was the man. And probably Loki ran. Ran through me a few times in practice.

[JC Latham]

So actually, that's real funny. His coach in spring, Will didn't do spring because he had a shoulder injury. And honestly, like, he proved himself well enough. Like, they were like, hey, because you honestly, like, no guys have ever been able to take off from spring. Like, I don't even think Bryce Hunter took off from spring. Like, you know what I mean? So Saban was like, hey, Will, like, rest your shoulder. Get everything right. Be ready for the season. So everybody's telling will, like, yo, JC's got so much better. Like, X, Y and Z was like, I don't care. I don't care. Woody. Whoop. And the coach, like, told the defense, like, there's like, anybody who can, like, beat jc, like, is going to get paid basically, right? So, like, that's what it was from the spring. Now, obviously, Will wasn't a part of that. So everybody's like, oh, yeah, jc, all that shit shut down when Will gets back, like, woody whoop. So now we didn't. Yeah, so we didn't do a lot of, like, reps against Will, but we did have. Every Wednesday would be like a. It would kind of be like a seven on. But we do like a. Like a right guard, right tackle, left guard, center, left right guard, and then like a left tackle, left guard type of thing. And you go against the three Tech in the end, you know, where they can rush, they can rush straight, they can run stunts, whatever. It might be just to give the quarterback a little bit of pressure, but nothing too crazy. And I was doing really good, you know, against Will. So our coach, me and him made a bet, like, whoever wins the day gets $100, you know, so we'd have probably anywhere from two to three reps. And for, like, a majority of the time, I would win, like, all of my reps. Right now, out of everybody I know, like, obviously your game intensity and your practice intensity are two different things. Even if you try to not make it to this, it's probably going to be different. Will was probably the only guy who can practice just, like, the game, like, unconsciously. So, like, going against him, I was like, okay, I know I can block this guy the game. Like, I've blocked him well enough in practice, and I get to the NFL and everybody's making it, like, a really big deal. Like, hey, you're going against Will. Do you think you can block him? I'm like, absolutely. Like, he can show you the tape. I have the tape. I have the money from it. Like, you know what I mean? We get to the game and that's when I was like, like, yeah, this motherfucker's gotten so much better. Like. Like, he always had a Katie for like. Like going one with the ball, like, coming off with the ball. And he wasn't as good as he is now compared to college because, like, he would get flat for it, you know, being having, like, all his, like, penalties for it. But in the league, like, he's mastered that so much. He uses his hand at the top of the rush so much better. He has a lot more counters that he does now than he did in college. He's not just trying to bully the lineman. Like, he's learning how to get around them. He's learning how to persevere suit use the right angles, the five, the five line and all that. So yeah, that's what I was like, yeah, this.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, it's different.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, for sure. So who got the better of who last year? Oh, he definitely got the better of me for sure. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it or whatever the case may be. Like, he, he had a sack and like two or three pressures off of me. He could have had like a sack in the end zone. It was like been a safety. We had like a quick play, whatever it might be. And like, usually on quick play, he's like, I got to worry about nothing because the ball, you know, comes out quick. And he beat me clean inside. And Will held the ball extra long because the route wasn't open. And I was like, yo, like, I just gave a fucking sack. Like, oh my. I was fucking pissed. But, you know, luckily Will got the ball out right before he got hit. But now Will was definitely. Yeah, he definitely won that matchup for sure.

[Will Compton]

The feeling you get of giving up a sack and having enough that you get beat cleanly and turn around, you look and you get to watch your quarterback get act is the loneliest feeling in the entire world. It is the worst.

[JC Latham]

It's like watching your mistake, like realized.

[Will Compton]

Like, this is the result. This is the result of all the things you just didn't do just now. And not being inside out on a three step drop is crazy, by the way.

[JC Latham]

Not. That's the thing. I would say I was. You got to see this.

[Will Compton]

You said he beat you clean inside.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, he beat me clean, but it wasn't like I overset. Like when I went to throw my hands, like, he just stopped, went inside. Like he, he. The motherfucker was really good. Like, that's all. That's all. Like seeing that.

[Will Compton]

Oh, yeah. And you have to go get them twice a year.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, no, yeah, I was, I was so ready to play them again when we played them at the end of the year. And like all we heard was like, because obviously they were making a playoff run. So they were like, are they playing their starters? And their coach was like, yeah, we'll play all our starters. Like, we're not holding nobody out. And right before the game starts, we're in the locker room, they're like, yeah, so X, Y and Z aren't playing. I'm like, what the fuck?

[Will Compton]

90 minutes goes by, man.

[JC Latham]

I geared up the whole. I remember because my girlfriend was like with me and I told her, I was like, I was like, hey, I gotta get. I gotta get all my rest. I gotta get my hydration. So no funny stuff all week. Like, we gotta, like, stay locked in and focused, man. He just turns up, not playing. I'm just like, you know, what the fuck?

[Will Compton]

Yeah, There's a piece of you, though, that's like, all right. My day just got a little bit.

[JC Latham]

Easier, you know, I definitely got a little. Got a lot easier for sure. So. Yeah, and I knew that was our last game, so, you know, me and my coach already had conversations exactly how to attack the off season program. So. Yeah, I mean, my mind was fully into that game, but, you know, I was just so ready to, like, focus and correct and right my wrongs from year one going into year two.

[Will Compton]

So what is. What is it like being a rookie and being on a team that, like, around November, it's like, we're not making the playoffs, it's pretty much over.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And then you're Alabama before, it's like you're playing for hopefully a playoff berth, national championship every single year.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Nah, the shock hit me week four because we got our bottom five. Yeah. And I remember we were 03. And I've never. Last time I was 03 was like, elementary, elementary school. So I was 03. And like, I was like, I told everybody, like, we had to have an offensive meeting. Like, so, you know, I told D Hop and Rid and all the other guys, like, get their guys together. Let's have, like, offensive unit meetings. Like, we can really set a standard for ourselves because, like, 013 isn't what we thought. And honestly, like, it wasn't like, guys were like, like not caring or whatever the case may be. Like, we had a lot of mental issues and errors that we needed to correct, but guys were coming in early to, like, work on, like, the jug machine and, like, staying late to do everything. So, like, the talent and what we needed to do was there. But just like, the mental issues, like the penalties and lining up in the wrong place or not executing the right assignment, but the effort, honestly, like I said, nobody could have imagined we'd be 03 from our group because it wasn't like we were doing the wrong things. You wouldn't hear much about guys getting in trouble. We held each other accountable. So we were trying to figure out what was going wrong. And then D Hop was like, hey, we need to start bonding more. You know what I mean? Like, we gotta do things more together. And we won week four. So I remember, like, telling myself, like, I was like, I gotta mentally Go back and figure out, like, what I'm doing wrong and correct and all that stuff. And I remember we. The games that we kept losing, like, outside of, like, I remember the Commanders, they beat us pretty bad. And I think maybe like, one more game. But outside of those games, like, all of our games were, like, close up until maybe like the third quarter where, like, things just pulled away or whatever it might be. And it was like we're looking at, like, we played, I remember, played the Colts and it was like a fourth quarter game like, that we lost. And it was similar to, like, week one and week two. Both games were close up until the fourth quarter. And then we played the Bills and we were actually having a chance to go up by two possessions. And I forget what we did, but they ended up coming back and, you know, just running away with the lead, you know, Same with the Lions. Lions, it was 2814, and we didn't execute on the one yard line going into the half, and we got the ball back at half. So we could have potentially tied the game up and really set a tone, right? Even teams like, like, a lot of the teams that we played would tell us, like, they'd be like, you guys are a lot better than what we thought. Like, you know what I mean? So, like, truthfully, like, I remember, like, someone on the jets was like, like, we don't know how we beat y' all, you know, like, that's what they said. And the Lions were like, yeah, you guys are way better than what we thought you guys were going to be. Like, your record doesn't require reflect, like, who y' all are as a team. And that's when I had to realize, like, you look at the Chiefs and a lot of their wins came from one possession games. And you look at the Jaguars and a lot of their losses came from one possession games. But one team's in a Super bowl and the other teams with the, what, second overall pick or third overall pick? So it's like, you know, I mean, that's when we really had to understand. And what we're emphasizing now is like, like, the mental aspect of the execution of what you have to do can be the determining factor of. Of, like, wins and losses. Like, and it can solely come down to that. So that's solely, like, what we're focused on now is, like, eliminating all the, you know, the penalties, the assignments, the everything else, because, like, the effort and energy from our team is going to be there, but we need to make sure we're putting guys in the right place to, you know, do their job and making sure we're all on the same page and communicating, executing, you know, recognizing what we got to do. So, you know, but yeah, and that was definitely, like, what we were missing from last year because we. Our team was. Ain't like, oh, they don't got nobody. Like, we had guys who can play ball. We had the number two defense in the league. Like, you know, I mean, so is it.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Like, everyone always preaches, like, four to five plays a game can dictate, you know, the outcome of what. Of what happens.

[JC Latham]

Absolutely.

[Will Compton]

And in the beginning of the year, obviously, like, a lot of guys in the back. I play for Titans. We'll play for the Titans. Like, we're all, like, we're Tennessee guys. We want to see you guys be successful. And then you watch the first game, you should have beat. You should have beat the Bears to start. Owen. 3. 3. Will Levis is in a meme every single week, and he's. He's starting to fall into this kind of pushing a little too hard to make things happen. Where. Where do you see his mental going as the season progress? Because it's. It's. I'm not trying to, like, shit on Will. It's a very difficult position to be in when you're in. When you're the quarterback of the team and you're pushing a little hard and those things aren't working out for you, and you're playing backyard football and, you know, all these possessions, possession issues are happening, and a lot of it is falling in Will's hands. Like, what are you seeing from him as a rookie? Just watching your quarterback?

[JC Latham]

Yeah. I mean, I stayed connected with him through. Through the jump since I got there. And honestly, like, his mental. He did a good job at really just trying to block out the outside noise. And I remember he told me a lot that he'd be around his family a lot. And I know that helped for sure. I think the hardest part for him was I remember that win that we got got against the Dolphins happened with Rudolph. So kind of like looking at that, like, I was like, I can only imagine, like, if I'm 03 and I'm like the head guy of the team and I get hurt and the backup wins the game. You know what I mean? I can only imagine how that would make me feel. So, yeah, I mean, that kind of. I knew what he was going through, and I knew he was really trying to fight his way through it all, and he was trying to be that light for our team. Team to make that extra play and sometimes it would cost us. But he was never. He was never a negative energy in the building. He always had his head up and was always working to always be better. And like, as the year go on, like, I'm developing more routines on how I can be great watching film and, you know, staying on the field, whatever it might be, like, he will always be the last guy there watching film with his coach, figuring out, you know, what he could execute better. So, I mean, like I said, the effort and the energy from everybody was there. So. So, yeah, I mean, he always did his part to always just try to.

[Taylor Lewan]

Do better, staying in it for like a long season. Was there anything you learned first year in the NFL just culturally or just being in the locker room, coming from the Alabamas of the world, because it's like we had Josh Jacobs on and the one thing that got to him was just like how you lose games. He's like, how people feel okay with, like, losing because you come from a world of college where you're winning all the time. And again, the great teams, the good teams, lose very few games at college.

[JC Latham]

College.

[Taylor Lewan]

Was there something that you learned culturally or as the season went on to try and stay in it personally and then also as a team?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I think it was always important to establish, like, your passion for, you know, what you're doing and what you're like, trying to pursue, for sure. But honestly, like, the one thing I had to realize, like, you know, you look back at our Alabama teams or the Michigan teams that won or whatever, it might have been like, a majority of those teams were like, stuff stack to where it's like they're just better than the other teams and they're going to go out and prove it, you know, and being in the NFL, like, you know, you're going to go against a guy like that or a team that is just might not be better or might be equally as skilled as you. And like we said, it's going to come down to that execution part, that mental error, like, who makes more mental errors and who capitalizes off of it more. And that's what it really boils down to. Like, so it's like, yeah, you kind of create that facade in your head, like, oh, I'm used to winning. I'm used to winning. But also in the same time, you also probably have just better players than other teams. So, like, you know, look at my Alabama team and I kind of like, that realization kind of hit me. I was like, we really never should have lost to anybody because we just, from top to bottom of our roster, had better teams. You know what I mean? So it's like. But that's when it's like, okay, this is important to do because, like, you're going to go be in an environment to where everybody's going to have that guy on the team that Miles Garrett, Max Crosby, you know, Nick Bosa, whoever it might be. Be. You know what I mean? Every guy, every team has that for them. So they. The playing field is a lot more equal now than college. So, you know, you can't expect to be perfect. I mean, you can push yourself to be perfect all the time, but, like, expecting to be perfect in that sense of like, whatever it might be, because that guy over there is arguably, like I said, Miles Garrett is one of the greatest of all time. You know what I mean? So you have to understand what it is. Even, you know, Tom Brady speaking on that when he talks about. About, you know, looking at, like, trying to locate Ed Reed and not throw to him or Ray Lewis and, you know, making like, you know, I mean, you can't just say, oh, my receiver's stronger than Ray Lewis. Like, you get him put out the game. You know what I mean? So just having that understanding of the league is a lot more level playing field than, you know, any other. Other sport.

[Taylor Lewan]

Very small.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

What's the energy been like with Cam War, Cam Ward getting in the building?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it's been great. Great kid, humble kid, outgoing playing. He's only been here for. Because they started their rookie minicap Thursday, last Thursday. So he's only been there a couple days tomorrow mark a week. So he's real quiet, but definitely pushing himself to learn the system. He's a leader, you know, takes accountability for, you know, himself and whenever he, you know, makes a mistake before, you know, anybody can ever say anything about it. So, yeah, I mean, I'm really excited for him. I think he has an amazing future ahead of him, so I'm super static for that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So what should the expectation be for Titans fans that are watching this right now? Fired up.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I mean, about the season, everything that we are doing right now is pushed to be the best. Like, it's not a. It's not a, oh, we want to win a couple more games or, oh, it's none of that. Like, you know, I talk to my people, like, about the areas that I needed to fix and the areas that as a team, we needed to fix.

[Will Compton]

And.

[JC Latham]

And, you know, we. I've addressed my areas and the Team addressed our team areas. And it's like we're trying to establish our culture here and our identity and who we are as a team. So, you know, being. Having. Getting Cam Ward and getting the other guys as well, it's like we're establishing that, like, that is what it is. Like, this is our culture, you know, and we sat down and went through everything as far as, you know, what it means to be a Tennessee Titan, what it means to be here, what it means to the fans, what it means to everybody, you know, so it wasn't just like a on the field thing. It was like everybody being connected with the community and everybody. So, you know, pushing ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves and be excellent is exactly what we're striving to be.

[Taylor Lewan]

Well, I got you on my parlay of five plus wins, so there you go.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Everything you just said, you're thinking. Yeah, it's a. That's an obvious over.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's what I'm hoping. That's what we're hoping for.

[Will Compton]

But I know you about to do Bud Light question.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, no, no.

[Will Compton]

Are you worried about too?

[Taylor Lewan]

No, I. I know at some point I want to ask him about this. Thousand pounds squatted with resistance bands.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

We should talk like, Sherms got on here. Reports that Latham benched 505 pounds for two reps and squatted a thousand pounds of resistance bands. Is that a thousand pounds? Like, assuming the resistance band pulling down, or you got a thousand pounds on the bar with resistance bands.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So it was 950 with 50 pound resistant bands or 50 pounds. I don't know how the power, buddy.

[Taylor Lewan]

950.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. But here's the thing. Because I had to. I had to tell somebody this, and somebody got it confused. It wasn't like just a regular, like, straight bar, like, whatever. It was the. The safety bar where you were holding on to the handles in the front. So that's what it was. Yeah. So.

[Will Compton]

Oh, yeah. It changes everything. Now you're 950. That is disgusting.

[JC Latham]

But I actually. I actually just texted my coach about this two days ago because none of the guys believed it. Like, none of, like, getting to the lead. They're like, no way. You did. And I knew that it might happen. And I told the guy who was filming, I was like. I was like, hey, like, film this. Like, this is a really big deal. I'm posted later, like, film it. And the motherfucker filmed my face. And like, nothing else. And I'm like, yo, have the weight in there, guys. I had like, I just went back to the day that I made the tweet and the day that, you know, it happened and stuff. And I just texted him like, hey, because, you know, we got the iPads now. So I was like, hey, go back in the file and pull up the video of login of me squatting this much and just show and just send me the video. Just screen record it on your phone and whatever it might be and send me the video so I can have it. Because like, like nobody believed it. It was like I was kind of.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you got a video?

[JC Latham]

I'm waiting for. He said he's out of time right now. So I'm waiting for him to respond.

[Will Compton]

We're gonna see that.

[JC Latham]

We're gonna need as long. I gave him the date. And also he said when he gets back, he'll get it squared away.

[Taylor Lewan]

But yeah, hopefully we can run it 950.

[JC Latham]

Oh yeah, you definitely crazy.

[Will Compton]

That is insane.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, so you'll be able to.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, you said yeah, dude. Like how much.

[Taylor Lewan]

How much are you able to put the. Do you put the straight bar on your back?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, we didn't. We didn't do much of that at Bama. Like. Yeah, it be like cuz we come after the game and throw like 500 on so everything will be safety bar. So that's all. Yeah, we did too much of the game.

[Will Compton]

Put 500 on.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean 505 on bench for two reps. Yeah. That's crazy. That's real.

[Will Compton]

Did you do the bench at the combine?

[JC Latham]

No. No.

[Will Compton]

What do you think you would have got?

[JC Latham]

Honestly? So I wanted to set the record. That's honestly what I wanted to do.

[Will Compton]

What's the record?

[JC Latham]

No, it was like 48, 49.

[Will Compton]

Is it?

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That is insane.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I was in like 30 when I was training at it, but then they were like, they're like, that's a good number. But then they were like, you are a lot stronger than that, so you're gonna have to build your muscle endurance up. And then I was like, yeah, I'm not gonna do this. Hey, I'm not. It's no point of proving my strength at that point. So I don't know.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, you're not a cat. You got to look at and be like, I wonder if he's strong.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Like, and then on top of it, like, regardless of what happened, my. My. What you call it? My film, it. It just spoke all on, in my opinion. Humbly speaking. Like, I just felt like it did a lot of talking parts.

[Will Compton]

Dudes, all over the yard.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. So I thought I did a pretty good job at, you know, not having to represent.

[Will Compton]

That's huge. So at the combine you're just sitting around in underwear doing drugs.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

The next MRI that he might.

[JC Latham]

It really, it really was like, like literally like I was just chill. I was reading the book. I was reading 48 laws of power. Like just reading that on the side until the drill portion came.

[Will Compton]

Hit him with the LeBron James that first on the bench too. That's awesome.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, so, yeah, that's where I was at with it.

[Will Compton]

Don't do that. Can we compare him? Don't do that.

[Taylor Lewan]

What's he saying?

[Will Compton]

Don't do that.

[Taylor Lewan]

You got 11 inch hands. You gotta do it.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, let's do it. I want you guys to know I'm not happy. Oh, let me get in there.

[JC Latham]

Hold on.

[Will Compton]

Look at that thing.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's a big Paul.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hey, bro, your thumb.

[Will Compton]

We play the same position. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Let me see that.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You know when you go to like basketball games and you see people with their handprint inside the basketball, you see like little kids put their hands in there. That was us just now. We were the little kids.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hey, does Taylor have a crazy thumb? Put, put, put your hand up.

[Will Compton]

Well, that one.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, no, like, you know what I'm talking about. Just how it kind of like comes out the side. Yeah, you kind of have like a. Yeah.

[JC Latham]

What happened?

[Taylor Lewan]

Curve and his kind of just like.

[Will Compton]

I'm just more evolved than y' all pokes out. Yeah, this is. Yeah, it should be like this. I have a little more. Too much webbing here. Yeah, like, you know, that should go down a little bit.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I did have. Let me see here.

[Ferris State University Ad]

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[Taylor Lewan]

Just to fill the space. Favorite color?

[JC Latham]

I guess. I don't know. I like white.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Fan calling.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, get the fans.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

We got of a couple, couple. We had a couple fans. I wanted that questions for you. It's kind of a first time that we've done this on Bustle Boys, but we do think you'll like and appreciate it.

[Ferris State University Ad]

So we've got. We've got three questions.

[JC Latham]

Come on, jc.

[Ferris State University Ad]

For those that don't know, he went to Japan recently. And so this kind of along the lines of Japan, y' all know I'm monster in Japan.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Which had to be crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yo, what's up, jc?

[Will Compton]

How you doing?

[Taylor Lewan]

I hope all is well.

[JC Latham]

I do have a question for you. You, though, since you all in the anime now, I think I can ask you this question. What is your top five animes? And there are wrong answers. Okay. All right, that's. I'm big in anime. I'm trying to get bigger into it, but I. Naruto is obviously. I'm literally watching that right now. Like, I rewatched it. It's amazing to me. Jujutsu Kaisen. I love that. Classic Dragon Ball Z, obviously, man. It's. It's so many you can name, honestly. But that. Those are, like, my three main ones right there. I want to get into Demon Slayer here. Seven Deadly Sins was a really good one. Josh actually put me on the Seven Dead, bro.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Demon Slayer.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I wanna. I wanna watch it. Yeah, we gotta go to the movie.

[Ferris State University Ad]

The premiere.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. I mean, it seems awesome. Only one I haven't watched out of the big three. I haven't seen One Piece. It's like, if someone say, if you started from start to finish, it'll take, like, your whole, like, high school, like, time to finish it. Like, Jesus.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that's so.

[Taylor Lewan]

I've only heard of Dragon Ball.

[Will Compton]

Same. Yeah, same. It's just like, three episodes of Dragon.

[Taylor Lewan]

Ball Z. Pokemon, Pokemon, Anime.

[JC Latham]

No, I mean, anime is kind of like. Yeah, like, it's all the same thing.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Avatar, Last Air.

[JC Latham]

The same thing, in my opinion.

[Will Compton]

You said what?

[Taylor Lewan]

Rugrats? Rockabyer. You said, like, cartoons.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that's. I can get on that.

[JC Latham]

I mean, if you have a cartoon that has a superhero in it, doesn't it qualify as an anime? Like, is.

[Will Compton]

Hey, Arnold a superhero? Yes. His empathy was different than any other kids.

[Taylor Lewan]

All right, jp, Question number two.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Question number two. If you want to hold that up to the camera, to the mic as well.

[JC Latham]

Yo, what's up, jc? How you doing, man? What's up, Busting bull boys? All right, my question is, J. Well, not even a question, but jc, I need you to explain the events that led up to you jumping in the lake.

[Taylor Lewan]

Explain the events. Jumping into the lake.

[JC Latham]

Oh, man. All right, so look. All right, so like I said, I wasn't as disciplined, you know, now as I was as a kid. I was really bad. I got into Trouble. Like I wasn't. I just didn't listen.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, I didn't know where you at at this time? Paint us a picture.

[JC Latham]

I just turned 16. February, it's my birthday, so I just turned 16. It's Florida, so it's sunny year round. So, you know, I mean, my dad, there's something on iPhones now that like you can have a parental lock on stuff and the parent, the owner of the device or whatever it might be, can control it from their phone. So my dad, like, he didn't like how my grades were looking. He was big against Cs, you know, I mean, so he locked my phone for that. And then like, obviously I get in trouble in class, stuff like. Like that. So I didn't have a phone, right? Like, just didn't have a phone, right? So I was like, you know, I was always a kid who liked to go outside. So I was like, you know, I'm just start going outside more. So this is one girl. No, it wasn't, it wasn't like that. But it was like, she was just like, she did these, this YouTube thing and she was like, yeah, you guys should be in my YouTube video. Like, I'm gonna do like some truth or dares, right? So I'm like, we can get this shit jumping, like, you know, let's do it. So one of the dares was like, she wanted the quarterbacks to run around the girls dorm in his underwear, right? So boom, he did it. So then, you know, kept getting higher and higher. She's like, the final dare, you guys got to swim across the pond. So now, mind you, I thought I could know how to swim pretty good, right? And then on top of it, she wants to swim the long way, which is insane. I was like, I don't even know. I can't swim along. I swim a short way from side to. So we get in and I remember I was taking steps and like to this day I really don't know how. It's not even like possible, but the pond was going. Like every step I took, it just like sunk like one extra step, right? So I'm taking these steps and I'm thinking, I'm like, okay, I guess I can trick the camera to think I'm swimming. If I get to the middle and I can just swim halfway and I'll be good, you know? I mean, I can walk, swim, prank over.

[Will Compton]

Cool.

[JC Latham]

So I get to the middle and I'm like, all right. Like the ground's kind of fading away. I gotta jump and figure out where the other ground starts and, you know, swim.

[Will Compton]

He starts this conversation with, I thought I could swim pretty good.

[JC Latham]

So I get. So I get in the pond. I get in the pond, and, you know, I'm finna like, say, like, squid. I'm just gonna swim. And being the clutch that I was was like, I click my legs together. So I'm like, all right, no big deal. Like, I'll just go down, touch the ground, bounce back up, and finish swimming. And I go down, and I don't feel the ground. So now I'm like, all right. Well, you know, worse come to worries. You know, the ground's probably. You know, I'm six. Six grounds probably, you know, maybe seven feet, eight feet. No big deals upon, you know, I mean, that's what I thought. So I go down again a little bit further. At this point, like, the water.

[Will Compton]

Water.

[JC Latham]

The water gets, like, right here. Still don't feel the ground. So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna take one deep dive and see if I can feel the ground. I get fully stretched out underwater. Don't feel the ground. So I jump back up, and I'm like, all right. Like, I started. This is the only time I really ever panicked in my life. I'm like, all right. Like, you know, I'm kind of, you know, like.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, you know, you're standing at the deepest part you can before you have to actually go. So I'm in the deep kind of questioning everything, right?

[JC Latham]

And this is my pride, because to this day, I would never do this again. But I told myself, I was like, you can't call for help because girls are watching. So I was like. I was like, someone better come save you. And I could just be like, don't save me. I was good. Whatever. Like, I was really, like. I was really, like, yeah. Like. Like, yeah. So I live. My homeboy has the video. Actually, he sent it a while back, but I was in there for, like, a solid, like, 30 seconds, like, just struggling, like, trying to swim. And then I went under for, like, 10, 15 seconds. And then everybody's like, oh, my gosh, he's serious. He can't swim. And, like, literally, Josh Griffiths, the only guy on camp, like, in high school, he benched, like, £500. Like, uncle was a professional, like, lifter, whatever it might be. He trained people. So, like, Josh was the only person. Like, he literally jumped and put me on his shoulders and took me out the water. Water. And. Yeah, but that was like. Yeah, it was. It was.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my God.

[JC Latham]

He came to it.

[Will Compton]

We gotta see that video.

[JC Latham]

No, it was definitely crazy though. It was. Yeah, it was. It was an experience for sure. Since then I was like, nah. But I'm. I'm petrified of water now. I'm just like, I. I got Derek's house now and he has a pool there. And I'm trying to learn how to swim now, but I. Me and water don't. I don't like it coming near my face no more. I don't. I don't like none of that.

[Taylor Lewan]

What do you should do?

[Will Compton]

I just think you, you had Derek's old house.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You just got stuff. Somebody in the pool holding it. There you go.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Jc. I used to be a swim coach.

[JC Latham]

Come on. I'm, I'm.

[Will Compton]

You should do that.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I'll get you dialed in.

[Taylor Lewan]

In the summer, he just has like an isr.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Coach come over.

[Will Compton]

He dives in, flips him on his back. He's holding his head armor. Let go. Hey.

[JC Latham]

Nah. Yeah, I freaking hate the water. I'm. I'm just now learning like to like, you know, because I just got. I just got in the pool like a couple weeks ago and I told myself, I was like, I right, let's put your hand under the water for the first time. Because I couldn't. That should mess me up.

[Taylor Lewan]

Where in your mind did you think you could swim? Pretty good?

[JC Latham]

Because we. So we had a pool at img. This is great. I don't know why we did this in the fucking pond.

[Taylor Lewan]

Standing in the four foot water, being like, hey, swim pretty good.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I was good at this. And they walked. They had a deep end over there that was actually like, like where the swimmers actually swam for a little. So like occasionally like we go over there, swim, grab the wall and come back. You know what I mean? So I'm like, okay. If it ever came down to it, I think my adrenaline me, you know, make it out of this alive.

[Will Compton]

So.

[JC Latham]

You know, that's what I was thinking. But yeah, no, it was. It was crazy though.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I couldn't shout out Big country.

[JC Latham]

No, shout out Big country for sure. Cuz that. Yeah, man. I, I don't.

[Taylor Lewan]

You got one more, jp.

[Ferris State University Ad]

You have one more answer. Preface this one. We have somebody on the bus that was. I kind of started this wrong. JC was not a bed wetter, will he. He was a bedwetter for a little while. I don't want him to feel embarrassment by this story. It's a funny story, but this is the other one.

[JC Latham]

Yo, J.C. what's going on? It's Ant, you know, I hope you're doing well. What's up, Bus with the boys? Jc, I don't have a question either, but I do need you to explain when you were at IMG and we were talking about doing laundry. Oh, no, I can't explain that. No, I can't explain that one.

[Taylor Lewan]

Doing laundry.

[JC Latham]

No, he.

[Ferris State University Ad]

He doesn't have to explain if you don't want to.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, no, it was. I ain't gonna. No, I can't see it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Did you went to bed?

[JC Latham]

No, no, I didn't went to bed. No, no.

[Taylor Lewan]

So where was the bed?

[Ferris State University Ad]

I'm just saying because I didn't want him to feel a certain type of way about it. Like will wet the bed till he was 15.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah, I went to bed twice last night.

[Ferris State University Ad]

This is, this is not. This isn't near as bad.

[Will Compton]

Hey, that is a true story, by the way.

[Taylor Lewan]

Barely. Some came out. Some came out. I woke myself up in a dream from the first one. Went to the bathroom and. But then the second night, it went like halfway on my boxes, like halfway on my briefs to where I got up. There's probably like a, a wet spot on the edge of my bed, probably like this. And I went to go to the bathroom. I'm sitting there, my man, this is kind of wet over on my left side. And it was wet enough to where I went and changed boxer briefs in my closet at like 2, 2 in the morning. And then I go back and I just kind of put a towel. I put a towel on that wet spot and then just went back to sleep. But I was, yeah, 35 years old, I like to think so. Yeah, I like to think something was going on.

[JC Latham]

On.

[Taylor Lewan]

But that was the second night in the row I was telling Taylor. I was like, hey, it kind of my bed problem kind of back up on me, bro. Yeah, I did. I like wet the bed pretty consistently until about 14. Like staying over at your boy's house, like, you know, you're trying to blame the dog. You're trying to like, put your clothes in like a Walmart bag and throw it away. And the panic you would. I would have staying over at a friend's house was, was real. My anxiety would be through the roof. Like, all right, do we actually have to go to bed now? Boys would be staying up playing, playing video games till like 2 o' clock. And I, you know, try to go pee before bed and everything and wake up, like, It'd be like 6 in the morning. I got, I'm like, where the paper towels I'm trying to dampen. I'm like, they're all sleeping on the floor. Yeah, they're all sleeping. All right, what's going to be my story if somebody does figure this out?

[Ferris State University Ad]

Yeah, it should just be rising grind like I'm trying to make it to the league. Man, I had to get up.

[JC Latham]

That would have worked. That would work for sure.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you can't explain the laundry?

[Will Compton]

Laundry.

[JC Latham]

All right. So it was basically what happened was someone told us that there was automatic laundry detergent in the machine. So they're like, yeah, they're like, yeah, you don't got to worry about, you know, getting X, Y and Z. Just throw your laundry in there. It'll wash it for itself. So I'm like, that don't make no sense. I never heard of that. Now actually there are machines that have smart dispensers. Right. Found out that at Derek's house. But back then I was like, yeah, but that. Back then I was like, like I was like, man, I ain't never heard of that. So I washed my clothes. This is one side thing. So I washed my clothes. And I remember Ant was like, because, you know, back then, like, you had to pay for laundry. It was like $2 for the wash, $2 for the dry. So usually when people ask, you know, JP and whoever it might be for their laundry cart, they asked for some laundry detergent. You know what I mean? Whatever it might be. And he was like, you don't need a laundry detergent. I'm like, nah, man. Like, I already, I already used the machine. He's like, what you mean use machine? I'm like, y' all got automatic, right? Like it's automatic. Like, how long have you been doing this? I'm like, I mean, I was just told about it. You know what I mean? So I had a whole pile of dirty ass clothes that I folded up.

[Taylor Lewan]

In the water. Got out pretty good.

[Will Compton]

That's so that's good.

[JC Latham]

I had to go through my all over. I was pissed. But yeah, no, it was pretty. It's pretty up experience though, for sure.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I mean, it is crazy. Like they. The unlike jc, there's like middle school kids that are there too. Like you send your kids there, there. And most people don't learn how to do laundry until right. Middle school or high school.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

And it's like, it's not like IMG puts you through like a life skills test.

[JC Latham]

Oh yeah, for sure.

[Will Compton]

I still get confused about laundry sometimes.

[JC Latham]

Up all my.

[Ferris State University Ad]

You don't do your laundry.

[Will Compton]

I'VE done it. I have done laundry before, but it does when I. Every once in a while when I have to go up there and do it, I get confused.

[Ferris State University Ad]

All my white clothes have all this picture. Pinking them.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Is that still a thing, by the way?

[JC Latham]

No, no.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Actually it did happen to me last year.

[Will Compton]

Really?

[JC Latham]

If you do it with hot water. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

I always done cold water because I was told that it doesn't shrink.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So I guess I do do whites.

[Taylor Lewan]

Your play clothes.

[JC Latham]

I didn't know that.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. Thank you for being honest about your winning the bed situation from last week. Because when you were telling me that last week, I thought, thought, this is my best friend. I'll take this to the grave with me.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean, I am 35 and that's crazy and I'm a grown ass man. But I'm thinking I, you know, I can.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I'll have you washed the sheets since.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll be honest, I don't think Charl knows that I did. I think I kind of told her about it until like I had a wet spot at the end of the bed.

[JC Latham]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's kind of one of those things you find out when you take off.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Take off the sheets, the mattress. When you take the.

[Taylor Lewan]

You look to the side. Hey, what the hell is that?

[Ferris State University Ad]

That roof it up here, bro.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I had my sleep mask in. My sleep mask. My sleep mask was like down by that area cuz it always falls off my face at night. And so I got a little on the sleep mask. Face mask, mouth tape. Oh, I do it all. Got the nose expansion, got the mouth tape, got the sleep.

[JC Latham]

How long you been on the mouth tape?

[Taylor Lewan]

I've been on the mouth tape for. Oh, it is 1,000.

[JC Latham]

Before the little. The. The one dude who started blowing up over here. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I. Dude, I'd swear by the mouth tape. I swear it worked.

[JC Latham]

Okay. Okay.

[Taylor Lewan]

And. But anyway, I kind of went on that. My sleeping mask. And on Saturday I was telling y' all before Mother's Day that we had a sleepover. So Rue was in the bed and before I got in, like I was out finishing up something in the living room or finishing out something in the kitchen. And she's messing around with dead ass sleep mask. And she's like got it on, sitting there. And you know her and Charl laughing Charles, like taking photos. I'm just thinking to myself, she's just got my piss sitting on her face. Hey, sweetheart, put that one over here. Use this one of that badass Pull out another one.

[Ferris State University Ad]

But I'm just picturing Will asleep. Sleep mask. No strip mouth tape and then just pee.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, bro, you should get on the sleep. The. The sleep.

[JC Latham]

I thought about it. I just got a. What's the I thing called? The sleep mask. That's what. Yeah, yeah, I just got that. I sleep better with it. Yeah. But I don't know. I feel like that's a little. I don't know. I couldn't get into it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Do you. Do you use a wearable. Do you use whoop or anything like that?

[JC Latham]

See, I ain't gonna lie. I still have to learn about all. Because apparently, like, the NFL has, like, a lot of, like, connections.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

And I have no idea, like, you know what I mean?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Because I think the NFL has a partnership.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Because, like, almost everybody in the facility wears it.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know, the guys will just tape it over there.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. I thought it was just like a wristband or something like that, but, yeah, I guess it's like a legit thing, so. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

But that does really well at tracking your sleep. And what I. What I was going to say is, like, you'll just be able to tell the difference in your data, like, when you start taping your mouth.

[JC Latham]

So what does it do?

[Taylor Lewan]

Crazy, bro. Well, it helps you breathe through your nose because a lot of times, like, the majority of us are like, mouth breathers.

[JC Latham]

So you'll breathe light breathing through your mouth.

[Taylor Lewan]

You'll just breathe more into your chest. So you'll breathe more top heavy versus, like, nasal breathing. You'll get down in your stomach more. So if you have, like, in Washington, I had, like, some mild. I had mild sleep apnea. And so when you tape your mouth, it helps your jaw not fall. Not fall like, back into your neck or open up. So that way you're training yourself to nasal breathe a lot. A lot more. So we get more like diaphragmic deep breathing and. Which will help your sleep.

[Ferris State University Ad]

I heard it's also nasal breathing helps your brain.

[JC Latham]

Really?

[Ferris State University Ad]

It's like, better oxygen to the brain. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Oh, yeah.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

It's like what, your nose is for breathing or your mouth is for eating.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You should never breathe through your mouth. And unless you like talking stuff.

[Taylor Lewan]

If you do, like, reading. I know you brought up 48 laws of power, but there's a book called Oxygen Advantage that you read that you'll be like. You'll be. Yeah, you'll be dialed in, bro.

[JC Latham]

Amazon.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Yeah. You can get all that or just at the facility, if you get that little Micro tape. The white tape. You can just. I'll use that sometimes when I run out.

[JC Latham]

Oh, just like the.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like the two inch, like, mic. The white tape.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll just tape it over my mouth.

[Will Compton]

It doesn't come off easy.

[JC Latham]

That's. Yeah, that's like.

[Will Compton]

I have to use, like, the hostage. Like, extra sticky. I go under the mustache.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But even then, I'll get, like, a little. It's always my right side. I'll drool a little bit, and it'll slowly just kind of by the morning. It's like, over here.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, I mean, mine. Mine stays on pretty good. But that's a really good. Like, that's like four actual. If you want to tape your mouth. And then I did start doing what I saw that video with Ashton Hall. He's got this magnetic. Because I'll use, like, the nasal strips that hostage has. He was. He's got. He's got this magnetic one. I forget what the company's called Intake. No free shout outs to intake. But it'll have, like, these little magnets on the side of your nostrils, and then it's like a thick next, like, nose.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And it'll, like, magnetize and spread it out for you.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I definitely thought about that because I do have issues, like, sleeping like that for sure, so.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, bro, you gotta get.

[JC Latham]

Hey. I just. I didn't see the, like, legitimacy in it. Like, if you do it, like, what does it improve? Like, what's the difference in it?

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm gonna get your number from JP And I'll just start shooting you some.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. You told him about Ben Greenfield? Andrew Huberman.

[Taylor Lewan]

He says he's got a sleep mask. He's like. Do you actually think the mouth table.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. The sleep mask.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes.

[JC Latham]

I feel like it keeps everything dark. Like, perfect.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

So I can stay asleep, so. But yeah, as everything else, though, I didn't. I didn't. I don't know. I haven't got into it much, so.

[Will Compton]

Dude, biohacking world is. That's, like, kind of where our bond started. He came over in 2018, and then we had this accountability buddy thing where we do, like, sauna cold tub protocols together. He was always on the red light. He put me on red light therapy, and it just kind of steamrolls. The scary thing about it is, is, like, when you get into it, it. You realize there's, like, always a new layer. There's always, like, something, and then it's like, how much of my life is just gonna be consumed about.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Figuring out what more Can I do?

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Being the best I can possibly be.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And when you're playing, it's like you'll do anything it takes.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Speaking of doing anything, we know people do anything for an ice cold Bud Light. What would you JC do anything for?

[Will Compton]

Cancel your family.

[JC Latham]

So I'm like, for what, like, specifically?

[Will Compton]

Like, anything would you do anything for? Bro, I do anything for this. Clay Matthews was on, I guess a couple weeks ago, if you're watching this, and his was to win the lottery.

[Taylor Lewan]

And he said he would do anything.

[Will Compton]

Anything.

[JC Latham]

Damn. I don't want to be cliche and be like, win a Super Bowl. You know what I mean?

[Taylor Lewan]

But, like, what would you do for a Super Bowl?

[JC Latham]

I do a lot. I do damn near damn near anything. I can't.

[Taylor Lewan]

Would you let him take a testicle?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Wait, wait, wait.

[Taylor Lewan]

What comes with one testicle?

[JC Latham]

But what comes with that surgery? No, no, I mean, like, I mean.

[Will Compton]

Like, like white anesthesia.

[JC Latham]

No.

[Taylor Lewan]

Fill out all the paperwork.

[JC Latham]

Is my health going to be like, I'm going be good. Like, I.

[Taylor Lewan]

They'll keep the one that Jen produces your sperm and stuff.

[JC Latham]

Oh, yeah. I'm good. Yeah. I'll give it to for sure. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Would you give up both if I.

[JC Latham]

Just want to have kids? So I don't, I don't know if I can go.

[Taylor Lewan]

You can freeze your sperm.

[JC Latham]

Freeze your sperm.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hypothetical came to play. Hey, you're going to win a Super bowl ball. We're going to remove your testicles, however you can get them into a cup. We can freeze your sperm.

[JC Latham]

I would definitely give up my testicles for that. Yeah, that's definitely.

[Will Compton]

Would you. That's cut off your piece.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. Huh.

[Will Compton]

Cut off your piece. Super Bowl.

[JC Latham]

I don't know.

[Will Compton]

What about the hall of Fame and Super Bowl?

[JC Latham]

I don't think I can do that one.

[Will Compton]

Just walking around like a Ken doll, dude.

[JC Latham]

Nah, I don't know if I could do that one.

[Taylor Lewan]

I, I. Super bowl hall of fame, 15 years of peak. Trent Williams, his best year. But you replicated for 15 and you.

[Will Compton]

Have a net worth of $500 million at the end of it.

[Ferris State University Ad]

Oh, you can always adopt.

[JC Latham]

Nah. Because part of enjoying my, like, my life is like, yeah. So, like, I can't, I can't. Nah. I want to sit down after the super bowl and just me and my girl, just. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

What do you want to do again? Kiss, Man.

[JC Latham]

What? I'd be mad.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hey, I feel like we built, we built up a good hypothetical. Like, that's when you kind of have to think about.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, yeah, Jump in. Just step by step. What would we have to add to the pot for you to say yes to cutting your piece off? Man, we're talking about hall of fame, 500 million dollar contract, super Bowl. You. You freeze your sperm so you have all the kids you want.

[JC Latham]

See, that's. That's the thing, man. My coach told me, he said there's, like, only three things in life that's undefeated, and that was one of them. You know, like, women, like, been there since the dawn of time, and men kill for it. Men do anything for it. So it's like, I don't see a Super bowl outweighing that. Like.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, but you could be the one to win. You just give all that up.

[JC Latham]

I don't know. Because I'm 40. I still can't. Nah, man, you do.

[Taylor Lewan]

You got much more life to live.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I got much more life to give. I don't see myself. I can't sit up here just. Yeah, nah, I gotta.

[Will Compton]

I understand. That's very understandable. Yeah, Very understandable.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

G, you're Bama. You're a Bama cat. Do you have any question for JC Anybody in the back? Do you guys have any question for.

[Will Compton]

JC I got one more, too.

[Taylor Lewan]

Okay.

[Will Compton]

What do I have to do to.

[JC Latham]

Get that tattoo on my arm, man? Go through. Well, you can't go through that fourth quarter program, but you went through that fourth quarter. Yeah, I respect that. For sure. Yeah. No, I appreciate it. I'm glad you're a titan, so. Man, I appreciate that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hell, yeah.

[JC Latham]

So, God, left side, Big dog.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Who? Trench King. When you. Yeah, Trench King. How'd you get that nickname?

[JC Latham]

Yeah, so after. Right after, you know, the guys got hurt, I moved O line. I really. I didn't want to be forgotten. Like, I didn't want to, like, oh, what happened to J.C. oh, he had to move positions, you know, we don't know what happened. You know what I mean? I. Look, I love Deion Sanders. Like, you know, my. That, like, I admire. I admire him so much. Like, it only got enhanced because the online coach, George Hageman, who is now at Colorado, he's best friends with Dion. So, like, I walk in the meeting rooms, and he'd be on the phone with Deion Sanders. So, like, being 16 years old, hearing, like, you know, the legend, you're the guy you look up to on the phone, like, the Persona that he created with Prime Time, you know, I mean, like. Like, I was like, I want to hold myself to a standard, you know. So I was thinking of names, I was like, well, what can I go by? You know, I want to go tkj, Trench King. Yeah. So. And yeah, that just being the best in the, you know, we call O line, D line, the trenches is being the best in that. So, you know, I want to not only hold myself to that, but I wanted to literally make it known to other people. So like, when they ask like or when they see me, they're like, yeah, you're not living up to your name. You know what I mean? Like, you're not doing this. So, you know, that was something I want to like hold myself accountable for for sure.

[Will Compton]

So what, when you watch film now of guys like who do you try to model some of your game after you brought up Trent Williams a couple times, you know, Lane Johnson, he's a stud. Like, there's a lot of Larry Tunsil, there's a lot of guys out there.

[JC Latham]

You're like, yeah, I mean there's just. So there's a plethora of guys out there. One guy who I think doesn't get as nearly as much attention, Spencer Brown with the Bills.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, right tackle for the Bills.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, he, I mean, I remember, remember we were watching them in the game and he went against one of our ends and our coach calls it the zero handle, getting it on the, the pillar of the neck. And he got the zero handle in and they tried long on long arming him and he snatched the long arm off, snatched the zero handle down, you know, finished him on the ground and he ended up getting a cut up tape of like his, his best plays. And I see him like not only dominate the block, but you know, Josh Allen will roll out, out and he's literally sliding out right in front of him with anybody in front of him like looking like freak of nature, you know what I mean? So, you know, to be able at that level, you know, put Nae Sewell, like I remember, put Nate honestly is like a lot more realistic of a like player, especially for anybody because like you look at his technique and he's, he's really good in this technique. I don't take that away. But you know, he'll get beat, like, and you'll watch him get beat and like he won't sulk or sully about it. Like, I remember one time he played the Jags, he got beat on the play. They were running mid zone his way. He got beat and it forced the running back to cut back early. And you know, the Big thing about, you know, running zone, you got to stress the defense out to. For the cutback lanes, whatever it might be. So running back cut back early, had to make, you know, dirty run, run through a couple of guys, you know, to get, like, you know, seven, eight yards. And Panay just hauled ass right to him and pushed him for another, like, five or six yards. And it's like looking at stuff like that, turning a play, like, minus into, like, a positive play, you know, seeing guys like him. So it's like. Like playing online. Like I said, it's a mental thing. Like, you know, obviously it takes talent to do a lot of the things that NFL players do, but playing online, like, you have to know exactly what's going on at all times just to be able to execute it. So, yeah, looking at guys like that, obviously, with the Larry Tunstalls and the Trent Williams and Lane Johnson, I mean, there's so many guys. Guys I try to, like, take something from and see how they do this and then learn, like, well, he does this because this works with him, you know. Trent, yeah, really fast feet, really, really fast hands, you know, I mean, so that's why he does this, you know. Lane Johnson, extremely strong, so he can give guys his chest because he knows he can shut it down. You know, Jordan Malata, you know, even Joe all too, you know, six, eight. So, you know, they can play extremely long and run guys around the hump all day, you know, so figuring out what works for you and how you can take something from everybody's game, kind of add it to yourself. Like, Larry Mutunsal is amazing at staying square. Like, he won't break being square until.

[Will Compton]

His feet are crazy. Too crazy.

[JC Latham]

Like, it's like. It's insane. But, like, that's something that you can model your game after Penne's effort, you know, the way he works, you know, like, the way he's always. Every single play, he sets the tone. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it's just. It's amazing, really, watching the Lions play ball. And I know my guys, like, are tired of hearing about it because our coach just raved about him during the year when we got ready to play the Jags. But, you know, the way these guys. It'll be a. It might be a pass play, it might be a run play, whatever, but you're going to see every lineman with them 20, 30 yards down the field, just running, looking to either push the ball or go get another block, you know, I mean, protect the ball. So, I mean, it's so many guys you can name and pick from just to emulate off of.

[Will Compton]

Dan Moore signs a contract for four years, $80 million deal. He played left tackle at the Steelers. You played left tackle last year for the tackle Titans. Has there been a conversations taking place about you possibly moving to right or he taking right?

[JC Latham]

That was already that. I knew that, like, right when it happened.

[Will Compton]

Really?

[JC Latham]

Yes. I was actually training with him in March. And it was funny because he was talking like the week before week, two weeks before about his contract. So I'm like, you know, I'm, you know, like, to each his own. Whatever you got to do is what you got to do, you know, go get your money. And I'm happy for him. And, you know, the time comes where he's like, yeah, I'm actually meeting with Tennessee. I'm see, you know, what's up with there. I'm flying out, whatever. And he comes back and he's like, yeah, something to play left. Yeah. And all the other guys were like, shit. Yeah, like, shit, you play right at college, you can play right. So, like, shit, you play right, you'll play left. And I'm just. I'm hearing it from the guys I'm training with. You know what I mean? And then Callahan called me. This is actually the head coach, Brian. He was right when he signed Zeitler. And they were like, yeah, stuff. So we're going to put you up right. Right next to Zeitler, and you guys are going to man down that side over there. We got Dan playing left right next to Pete. And then Lloyd's coming back. So, like, I'm a team player, so I'm all for it. Like, you know, I'm not going to be one to be like, oh, no, I want to play. Because I mean, like I said, we addressed the issues. You know, I mean, we needed to do better at the right side. So, you know, we got a left tackle and I can play both. So it's like they moved me over here. Now we got Zeitler. So, you know, I think we have a complete, you know, line from top to finish and no discredit to the guys who were there last year. You know, they worked their ass off to, you know, do their best to get the job done. But, you know, having what we have now, you know, I feel really secure about, you know, our future, especially, you know, trying to protect, you know, whoever who's ever had quarterback Cam Ward or whoever.

[Will Compton]

So, yeah, yeah, hell yeah, dude. Being a team player is awesome. Like, that is. I'm very impressed by you, the way your, your thought process, how you handle things, things, the work ethic. I mean, JP had a lot of great things to say about you even when you're at img. So, like, titans are in good hands, man. You seem like you're really taking over and doing a great job.

[JC Latham]

Thank you.

[Will Compton]

Happy for you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hell yeah, man. I'm thinking, like, man, that would be funny. And also kind of like when you're at training with your boy and they're signing a deal.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, we would have handled that differently for sure.

[JC Latham]

That you. Yeah, yeah. No, because I was, I was. I'm real quiet when I don't like, you know, knew who I'm around and stuff like that, so. And like that they obviously we talked a little bit, dapp each other up, you know, saying, what's up? What you doing for the weekend? But that was the most. They started talking like as soon as the contract happened. They're like, yeah, you finna play, right? And I'm like. At first I'm like, maybe I'm not hearing them right because like, we don't talk much. So maybe they meant to say something else and they're like, no, they just paid him like 85 mil. Like, you're going to play right now. Like, that's the price of doing business.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[JC Latham]

You know, I mean, you got a guy on 85.

[Will Compton]

The good thing too is like, you don't live in a world anymore where it's like the left tackle is like the guy who gets paid. The right tackle is more of the run blocking guy. Like everybody, they have people have rushers everywhere now. So like, there's really no like pay discrepancy between one or the other.

[JC Latham]

Yeah. And like I said, man, like, honestly, like, what's. Whatever is best for the team. Because even though I know, like the NFL is different as far as the playing ground and who you go against and you know, level of competition. But you know, what happened last year, I mean, our coach said it and you know, we all knew it to be true. Like, if the pain is so great, it's going to force you to change, you know what I mean? And just, you know, only three wins. And honestly, like, seeing how that went, like, we know we're so much better than that. I'm not going to sit up here and oh, I want to play left. I'm not playing right. Like, we just went through a whole chaotic, terrible season. Like, I don't think anybody body unless you're like, you know, Jeffrey Simmons, whatever has the right to really say you know what you're gonna do. Like if it's for the team, it's for the team. So that's what it boils down to. So.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, you're impressive, dude. I know, I know. I'll be rooting for you. I know the bus will be hoping the Titans like make some noise this year, but. No, it's been a fun conversation.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, I appreciate it.

[Taylor Lewan]

And the laundry thing, like that's a small embarrassment moment. I thought we was gonna get something juicy from that.

[JC Latham]

That was. That was the. Yeah, that was.

[Taylor Lewan]

And shout out D hand letting you get that.

[JC Latham]

The yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Then you get the house.

[Will Compton]

He give you a good deal.

[JC Latham]

Yeah, it was like 3 mil. So it was really okay. Yeah, it was really. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

All right.

[JC Latham]

No, I'm just saying in my opinion, it's a really good deal. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Nice spot.

[JC Latham]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Good area too.

[JC Latham]

Great area. See, I'm still. Still adding some stuff to it happened during the season, so I didn't do too much, but. Yeah, no, it's. It's amazing though. Like you said, it's great spot. It's like five or six bedrooms, pool, pool, house, weight room.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like got everything you need?

[JC Latham]

Everything you need? Everything. Yeah, sometimes I think it's like too big, but yeah, no, it's definitely enjoyable for sure.

[Will Compton]

That's awesome, man. Stoked for you. Appreciate you coming on, man.

[JC Latham]

For sure. I appreciate that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Big hug. Styny kisses.

[Will Compton]

Subscribe Rate 5 stars.

[Taylor Lewan]

That was awesome.

[Will Compton]

Appreciate you man.

[JC Latham]

Thank you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Get my phone to get up there and.

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[JC Latham]

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[JC Latham]

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[JC Latham]

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