Luke Kuechly Opens Up About Why He Walked Away & His Football Obsession + NFL Votes To Ban Tush Push

Summary

Bussin' With The Boys: Luke Kuechly Opens Up About Why He Walked Away & His Football Obsession + NFL Votes To Ban Tush Push

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Introduction

In this electrifying episode of "Bussin' With The Boys," hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan dive deep into the interplay between collegiate basketball excitement during March Madness and evolving NFL strategies. The episode not only dissects the recent debates surrounding the NFL's potential ban on the "tush push" play but also features an in-depth, two-and-a-half-hour conversation with the esteemed former NFL linebacker, Luke Kuechly. Kuechly shares candid insights about his departure from professional football, his enduring passion for the game, and the mental and emotional challenges he faced due to concussions.

Opening Banter and Sports Betting

The episode kicks off with lighthearted banter between Will and Taylor, discussing the utility of PayPal for pooling funds—be it for a graduation gift or team outings. This segment sets a jovial tone as they transition into the core topics.

March Madness and Sports Betting Insights

At [02:46], the conversation shifts to March Madness, where the hosts lament the struggles their brackets have faced. Will reminisces, "Our brackets have basically just taken a beating by a torpedo bat," injecting humor into their sports betting anecdotes. They discuss their betting experiences with FanDuel, highlighting both wins and losses, and emphasize the unpredictable nature of sports outcomes. Taylor adds, "It's baseball. Keep swinging. Eventually you make contact. 50 Cent Friday, I like."

Torpedo Bats and NFL Rules

Transitioning to baseball, at [09:00], the discussion centers around the introduction of "torpedo bats" and their impact on the game. Luke Kuechly comments on the legality and efficiency of these bats, stating, "It's insane to me that that is legal. Legal." The hosts debate the implications of such equipment, drawing parallels to past eras where performance-enhancing methods were prevalent. This segues into broader NFL rule discussions, particularly the "tush push," with Kuechly expressing his stance, "I think if anything, they need to be very detailed on the offense, like false starting."

Final Four Analysis

By [17:25], the focus shifts back to March Madness as Will and Taylor analyze the Final Four teams. They commend Duke for their exceptional performance, noting, "They look incredible. They just operate too." The conversation highlights key players and coaching strategies that have propelled these teams into the elite stage of the tournament. Taylor reflects on individual talents, saying, "He has teams... their team is the most scoring Duke team on points per game in the tournament of all time."

NFL Topics: Tush Push and Defensive Strategies

At [27:18], the hosts delve into NFL rule changes, specifically the vote to ban the "tush push." Kuechly voices his frustration but acknowledges the necessity of adapting strategies: "I get frustrated watching it, but at the end of the day, you gotta line up. You got to figure out a way to stop it." The discussion highlights the complexity of NFL rule-making and its impact on game dynamics, with Will adding, "It's an extremely hard play to get past. There's no doubt."

Interview with Luke Kuechly: Why He Walked Away, Concussion Impact, and Beyond Football

The heart of the episode unfolds with an extensive interview with Luke Kuechly, beginning at [41:37]. Kuechly recounts his illustrious eight-year NFL career, emphasizing his dedication and the mental fortitude required to excel as a linebacker. He shares, "He is somebody that gets really comfortable in that chair because we'll talk to the Cowboys," highlighting his strategic mindset on the field.

Early Football Career and Mindset

Kuechly reflects on his early years, detailing his high school and college experiences. Taylor asks, "When did the bug hit you? Because everything," to which Kuechly responds, "I was like, we play so many games in the span of three weeks that if you don't play lights out the whole time, you're going to get got." This underscores his relentless approach to the game from a young age.

Preparation and Leadership in the NFL

At [65:00], Kuechly delves into his preparation regimen, emphasizing the importance of film study and understanding opponents' strategies. He notes, "I understand the game at a different level than everybody else," attributing his success to comprehensive preparation and leadership. Kuechly discusses the influence of veteran teammates, saying, "It's important for those guys that are 9, 10, 11-year vets to help the young guys out."

Concussions and Mental Health

A pivotal part of Kuechly's narrative revolves around his struggles with concussions. At [127:09], he shares, "I wish I would have learned from an earlier age to be more honest with them," highlighting the challenges in recognizing and addressing head injuries. Taylor adds, "The faster you can get back to playing football," illustrating the delicate balance between passion for the game and personal well-being.

Life After Football and Legacy

As the conversation progresses, Kuechly explores his transition into life post-football. He discusses his ventures into scouting and broadcasting, reflecting on how these roles have allowed him to stay connected to the sport without the physical toll. Kuechly asserts, "I feel like that is part of the game," emphasizing the mental shift required to move forward.

Conclusion and Wrap-Up

In the concluding segments, Will, Taylor, and Kuechly celebrate the enduring legacy of white linebackers in the NFL, referencing legends and current stars alike. They reminisce about memorable plays and express hope for the future of the position. Taylor closes with a heartfelt dedication, "Anything that I've missed with Luke, I mean, this. This is the all American man right here."

The episode wraps up with appreciation for Kuechly's insights and a nod to the vibrant community surrounding the podcast. As Will aptly puts it, "This interview is presented by the one, the only Bud Light," linking back to their brand partnerships while ensuring listeners are left with a comprehensive understanding of the topics discussed.

Notable Quotes

• Will Compton [05:03]: "This conversation. This is football porn with Luke Kuechly."
• Luke Kuechly [27:29]: "I think if anything, they need to be very detailed on the offense, like false starting."
• Taylor Lewan [127:09]: "The faster you can get back to playing football, then after we be like, I'm good and like, and you're not."
• Luke Kuechly [36:41]: "It was awesome. I mean, it's Luke Keakley and having him on too. It's like getting to talk to him about all the concussion stuff."

Conclusion

"Bussin' With The Boys" delivers a multifaceted exploration of sports, blending the thrills of March Madness with the strategic intricacies of NFL play. The episode stands out for its candid and heartfelt dialogue with Luke Kuechly, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the mind of one of football's most respected linebackers. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual listener, this episode promises to enlighten and entertain, capturing the essence of being truly "for the boys."

Transcript

[Will Compton]

PayPal lets you pay all your pals like your graduation gifters.

[Taylor Lewan]

Who's paying for the mattress topper? You mean the beanbag chair? Aren't we getting a mini fridge? Can we create a pool on PayPal? It lets us collect the money before we buy. Ooh, yes, that's smart.

[Will Compton]

Glad we can agree on something easily. Pool split and Send Money with PayPal. Get started in the PayPal app. A PayPal account is required to send and receive money. A balance account is required to create a pool.

[Luke Kuechly]

Welcome to another episode of Busting with the Boys. We are a show that brings the locker room to life through awesome conversations with incredible guests, a little bit of emotion, of emotional trauma. But most importantly, we are a podcast about being for the boys. And I want you to be for the boys too. A way that you can be for the boys. Wherever you're watching, wherever you're listening to this podcast right now, make sure you are subscribed. We're on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube, rumble. We're on all the platforms. Make sure you're subscribed to the boys. And we also launched our merch store last week. Our website is live. That is bwtb.com you can buy these hats, you can buy our merch, you can buy whatever to be for the boys. Just go shop at our merch store, bwtb.com I am your host, Will Compton, some would say the CEO of how in the hell did he play in the league for that long? Alongside me, as always, is the boy, Taylor Lawan. Built like a Greek God. Brain of a toddler, but God, we love him. We are the boys. On today's episode, we get in a little bit of March Madness talk. At the top, we talked about how fried our brackets are, how our brackets have basically just taken a beating by a torpedo bat. Speaking of torpedo bats, we also dive into the torpedo bat conversation in base and we also sprinkle in a little bit of NFL talk because the coach's picture came out. We throw a couple fun jabs at Vrabel. We talk about his fit. We also talk about the tush push rule that is being decided today as you watch this episode. Then the main event, a two and a half hour conversation, I believe. Is it two and a half hours, Mitch, with Luke Keakley, your boy as a linebacker, I aspired, I aspire to be a poor man's Luke Keakley. This conversation. This is the smartest, scariest and most respectful psychopath to potentially maybe walk on the football field on the defensive side. We get a deep dive into how incredible he was. He's like a Hollywood director watching film. That's how much film do you watch. We dive into the mind of Luke Keakley, what got him out of the league with concussions. And we talk about his post football life. This conversation is everything you want. This is football porn with Luke Kuechley. Wherever you're at, buckle up. This is a banger episode. Whether you're in the gym, you're in traffic right now, or you're sitting in a meeting and you have one airpod in trying to listen to the boys talk while you're boss talks. Wherever you are, dial it in. This is a fun episode. Big hugs, tiny kisses. Let's go.

[Paul Swan]

All right, we're good.

[Unknown]

Be like busting with the boys.

[Will Compton]

Hanging with the fellas.

[Luke Kuechly]

Betting on a game.

[Will Compton]

No woman's gonna tell us what to do. And I've been over here just drinking.

[Luke Kuechly]

Beer and making that noise, baby.

[Will Compton]

I'm hanging with the fellas, busing with the boys, bro. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Bus with the Boys. It is episode 322. We have a massive guest. The greatest white linebacker, maybe the second greatest white linebacker ever walked this entire earth. As always, we are presented by the wonderful and powerful FanDuel. Bus with the Boys is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel is America's number one sportsbook. We did a couple of parlays this week. Thursday and Friday. Thursday plus 600 odds. What happens?

[Luke Kuechly]

Will Dinger hit it?

[Will Compton]

Banger. See ya Hepatitis. See you later. Friday. Optimism. You're feeling as good. This is literally you just history in the making. We stream two days. First day bets go well. Second day we're like, it's gonna go great. He's gonna go amazing.

[Luke Kuechly]

Another plus 600 banger. We had ready, locked and loaded.

[Will Compton]

Plus 600 banger. We had Michigan in there. We had a couple overs in there. Guess what? Not one of them hit. But if you were on that Thursday parlay, you might have made yourself a little bit of coin.

[Luke Kuechly]

I want to say, too. It was like the first over, under one. I think it was like over 143 half. And somebody won. It might have been Michigan State. Maybe it was. I can't remember. But they won. 73 to 70. Arkansas, Kansas, 73 to 70.

[Will Compton]

That is sickening. And how does Vegas know? I just don't understand. I don't.

[Luke Kuechly]

So we keep. We keep the lights on for him.

[Will Compton]

We're gonna sandwich this whole thing with positive, negative, positive. My Futures parlay that. A couple of people thought I was jinxing. And. Hey, let's give that a round of applause real quick.

[Luke Kuechly]

What do you mean, hey.

[Will Compton]

Oh, hang on.

[Luke Kuechly]

We thought you were James.

[Will Compton]

It.

[Luke Kuechly]

We get one of those. That's it.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's what we did.

[Luke Kuechly]

That's going in there.

[Will Compton]

I didn't know about basketball. I didn't know nothing about basketball. I said, let me just put my on the floor right here. Let me flop this thing on here. And guess what happened? We. We knocked it out of the park. And that is. What a feeling. What a feeling to know nothing and just go, how about these four? Hey, I heard Houston's pretty good. I'll put them in the elite eight. Hey, Florida's pretty good. Put elite eight, Sherm. This is the phrase I keep hearing in my head. No one's going to be surprised if Michigan makes it the sweet 16. Let's plop them in there. Right there. And then your boys in Arizona, boys. So what are we gonna do? We're gonna put them in the sweet 16 as well. Yes, all of them hit. Yes, all of them hit. Thankfully.

[Luke Kuechly]

Thankfully. Because you were on pace to jinx it. Fortunately. I threw in a little prayer for you.

[Will Compton]

I appreciate that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

I was like, I appreciate that. There was talks about chickens hatching eggs.

[Luke Kuechly]

He's just trying to. He's trying to do the same thing. Like, hey, let's not get. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[Will Compton]

It's all. It's all in the brain of looking out for your boy. I love it, and I actually appreciate doing that because it allowed me and Sherm to cook up a nice little video that I truly enjoyed. I enjoyed making that sitting on the train tracks. You, me, and Jared, shirtless. Jared was filming that, also shirtless.

[Unknown]

Arrested by Homeland Security.

[Will Compton]

Right. Guy pulled up on us right after. Right after we finished. He goes, hey, we're just three pasty white guys sitting by train tracks. He goes, hey, don't do that again. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We all, like, piled back into my truck. Just one bench seat. We just got to pull off out of there. But it was fun to make. It was fun to do. It's nice to have those things happen. Home run parlays. We had a nice little one Friday. Didn't even get close.

[Luke Kuechly]

193,000. 93 million.

[Will Compton]

Million. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

198 million odds.

[Will Compton]

So we learned a couple of things. About 50 cents.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

51 cents to win. 900, I think. $96,000.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And so we. We get in the Office. What? Friday morning, we're kind of hanging out.

[Luke Kuechly]

And we're right now because the home run jackpot parlay. Like, everybody was in dingers on open day.

[Will Compton]

Everyone. Especially the Yankees.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Going nuts. Yeah. Those torpedo bats, which I kind of love. We'll get to that in a minute. But Sherman put together. No. Coop comes over to me and goes, my boys who love baseball. These are the three right here. And it was like, plus 800 or plus a thousand odds. And I just was like, yeah. I. I mean, your boys say, I'm going to bet it. So I bet it. Then Sherman goes. I think I'm gonna get a little crazy. Puts nine legs together.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yep.

[Will Compton]

With, you know, a number that I've never seen before in my entire life. Go. To put in, like, 100 bucks.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

To possibly win 100.

[Luke Kuechly]

Was walking around. He was walking around with the FanDuel app, and he just. You the phone and say, pick a guy in this game.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. This has worked for me in the past.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And I find out on FanDuel, the Max bet you can win a million dollars. So it all. We all had to bet, like, I think the max was 56 cents on that. Jared had a great little idea. Bet it four or five times, and then you can start cashing out periodically. But I. I told him I was. I think. I'm pretty sure, like, that would get flagged. Something. Something would happen with that. But I still. But I fell. I did the same thing. I got. I bet, like, four or five times. I'm kind of hyped up. I go. Look at. I go home. I literally tell my wife, sweetie, we're gonna win a million dollars today. There's an opportunity for us to win a million. She goes, how much did you bet? I go, two quarters and six cents. That's what I did. And at the first leg. Nope. Second leg. Nope. Nope.

[Luke Kuechly]

Because we were all optimistic.

[Will Compton]

One. One hit, right.

[Luke Kuechly]

A few of these will hit, and we'll cash out.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yeah. Get up to a couple thousand.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

A couple thousand. Kind of just pop that thing in there. No problem. But I think that's a thing we should do. Fridays. Ungodly parlays. Put 50 cents on it, because eventually you keep swinging. Right. It's baseball. Keep swinging. Eventually you make contact. 50 Cent Friday, I like.

[Luke Kuechly]

And we might have to. We might have to start looking at the few cats on the Yankees because they've just been going yard.

[Will Compton]

There's a video that came out. There's this guy sitting in, like, right field. Yankees fans get the Yankee shirt on, Yankee hat. And he goes I had a dream last night that the top three in the first inning all hit home runs and it shows him reacting to all three guys hitting home was like the first six guys right start just going off.

[Luke Kuechly]

Wait, wait.

[Will Compton]

All of them at home run 6.

[Luke Kuechly]

Home runs in a row?

[Will Compton]

No, I don't think it was in a row but I think the the first three guys hit home runs right back to back to back home runs because these vortex bats which I kind of love the torpedoes. Yes.

[Luke Kuechly]

Before before we dive you got to visit Listen dinger Tuesdays all FanDuel customers get a home run profit boost. That means when you bet on moonshots, you can take your winnings to new heights. So whether it a big blast or an oppo taco, FanDuel is your home. For betting home runs. Visit FanDuel.com Bussin and gear up to go yard all season long. FanDuel is America's number one sportsbook and the official sports betting partner of of Major League Baseball.

[Unknown]

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[Taylor Lewan]

Extra 50 off plus and present in select states. For Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star.

[Luke Kuechly]

Casino or 18/ and present in D.C. opt in required bonus issued as non.

[Taylor Lewan]

Withdrawable profit boost tokens restrict including any.

[Luke Kuechly]

Token expiration and max wager amount.

[Taylor Lewan]

See [e-mail] gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org ChattanConnecticut Hope is Here gambling helplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts, visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org. in Maryland, call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 in New York.

[Luke Kuechly]

And again, maybe use that home run token. Your best bet would be with with a cat from the Yankees, Aaron Judge. I mean he's just hitting bombs. He's amazing. What was I think I Saw a stat that was like, he's hit. He's on pace to hit over 300 home runs right now in a season. And he's hit how many home runs in like. Like five home runs and seven at bats or something like that. At one point yesterday, it was four.

[Unknown]

Home runs at nine at bats.

[Luke Kuechly]

In nine at bats, I mean, the dude is just going yard.

[Will Compton]

Yes.

[Luke Kuechly]

And you learn about this. What is it? Some MIT guy, some cat that they hired a new Moneyball. We need to get another money ball movie in the works. Get Brad Pitt back in there. Do it over this MIT guy averaging.545.

[Will Compton]

That is incredible.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. With four home runs.

[Will Compton]

Four home runs already.

[Unknown]

Two games in.

[Will Compton]

Crazy. 11 RBIS is crazy, too. Yeah. That's helping his boys out is.

[Luke Kuechly]

So what does anybody. We don't have coupe on the bus. So it sounds like they're taking some wood near the handle and they're putting it around the sweet spot.

[Will Compton]

My understanding of the bat thing is that it has to be a certain weight, and so there's distributing more weight from the handle to the barrel of the bat, essentially giving us all our little league vortex bats back.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

But if you look at the shape, the tor. Like, how it, like, builds up and then goes back down, the end of it's like the same size of a normal bat, but they're, like, just compressing the amount of wood that's in that one sweet spot.

[Luke Kuechly]

So if it hits, it's juicing that one spot of the bat.

[Will Compton]

Juicing it.

[Unknown]

And if you miss it, like, by a little bit, like, you'll still hit a good ball. But basically their. Their focus is on this one spot of impact, and you should have success.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's insane to me that that is legal. Legal. But I will say this. I personally enjoy it. Yeah. I think it's like, let's just hit home runs, right?

[Will Compton]

Is there anybody here that's like, I'm against the back. Is anybody on this bus?

[Luke Kuechly]

Let guys take steroids. Let guys juice the bat and let's.

[Will Compton]

Could you imagine TRT with this bat?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

It'd be. It'd be insane. Everyone always talks about in baseball. I don't follow a whole lot of baseball, but they're like, bring back the Mark McGuire, the Sarah Sosa era of the steroids. Everyone was just hitting dingers all the time. You're always, like, tuning in to be like, this guy's gonna hit one. I know it's gonna be amazing.

[Luke Kuechly]

Records every year.

[Will Compton]

Records every single year. And now you bring in this bat without the needle, it's like you're kind of getting what you're asking for. Everyone's kind of getting back to whatever that time frame was. And I don't.

[Paul Swan]

I one, I don't know why it took so long because clearly it's allowed by the rules.

[Luke Kuechly]

Isn't that insane?

[Taylor Lewan]

Right?

[Paul Swan]

And if you're a team, how have you not already chased that edge for it? And then now, if you're a team and you're seeing the Yankees, why wouldn't you immediately hire a staff and create these bats for your team?

[Luke Kuechly]

Like the next. Like this week.

[Taylor Lewan]

Right?

[Luke Kuechly]

Every team should have these vortex, these torpedo bats.

[Unknown]

Me and my boys were saying the Yankees should just somehow trademark patent, make.

[Will Compton]

Sure no one else can.

[Unknown]

No one else can do it.

[Will Compton]

That's when it gets canceled.

[Luke Kuechly]

That.

[Unknown]

That is when it gets canceled. But at least for this first, like month of baseball, just be like, oh, you didn't read this fine print right here.

[Will Compton]

Sure enough, go ahead and stop production.

[Unknown]

We'll actually take those.

[Will Compton]

Yoshi owes a hundred million dollars now for even trying. Sorry.

[Luke Kuechly]

I do think it's nuts how that loophole was found.

[Will Compton]

I want to see the first guy on the other team that noticed that bat. That. The first up at bat, the guy holding the bat. I mean, like, I don't. Can they do that?

[Unknown]

I don't think I knew that teams made their own bats.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Unknown]

I just thought it was Louisville Sluggers.

[Will Compton]

I thought we all just go to Dick's Sporting Goods in the corner and be like, all right, yeah, we'll get a MLB baseball bat. It's not how it works at all.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Amount of money that's in baseball, especially Moneyball, you see all. Everyone's always trying to find that 1%. Like, how is this happening now?

[Luke Kuechly]

It took this long. And the fact that that's. That's even allowed, it's like, yeah. What was the holdup?

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

And I want to know. I would love to know how that conversation went down and where this MIT guy sparked this idea.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. I have an idea. Slowly stands up nervous. That is crazy. Makes. Makes baseball more exciting.

[Unknown]

People on Twitter like, making it bigger. Each, like, yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

So funny.

[Will Compton]

Each photo it is. That's kind of dope. Yeah.

[Unknown]

The size of Aaron Judge using that bat is just. That's unfair.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Six, seven. What is he, 260?

[Unknown]

He's enormous.

[Will Compton]

He's a unit.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Like me on the wiffle ball field.

[Will Compton]

Hey, Wolfle ball is a different game now. You see those, some of those cats out there pitching the way they do just crazy. Yeah, baseball's. Baseball's getting interesting again now that we're.

[Luke Kuechly]

Down to the final four. Who are you guys? I mean is this, this. It feels like a no brainer. Duke, right?

[Paul Swan]

I'm Duke.

[Will Compton]

I have Florida in my bracket but I think Duke's gonna pull it off.

[Luke Kuechly]

They looking incredible, man. They look incredible. They just operate too. It's like I saw to where they're the highest scoring like Duke team on points per game in the tournament that of all time.

[Unknown]

Impressive. You know it's hard to for Bama to have a showing like that against a team like Duke. You want to at least you know, you think you slow momentum down a little bit with Cooper flag. But they have guys everywhere. Their center is insane. Yeah, seven. What's his name? Knipple. Knipple something. He's lights out. Proctor's lights out. I think he's the most underrated guy on their team. But to have a night like Bama did on Thursday to then that was just highs and lows in truest form.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean Tennessee was struggling too. Jack, how. Jack, how is your mental. How was your mental yesterday watching that game?

[Will Compton]

I mean, you know. Well, I don't know where, where we're gonna go with this. Tennessee got their ass whooped. They played horrible. They were over 14 from 3. They were 2 for 22 or 2 for 23 from field goals in like the first 13 minutes. It. It was horrible. And then Houston was playing lights out too. So I was just happy that we put hands on Kentucky on Friday night. That's a big one. I mean like it makes how horrible the performance was yesterday feel a little better. But yeah, you know, just what happens, man. You play so many games in the span of three weeks that if you don't play lights out the whole time, you're going to get got. And Tennessee got got. But to any of the Kentucky fans out there. Sorry, sorry. Got the last laugh, didn't you?

[Luke Kuechly]

The Kentucky fan.

[Paul Swan]

I think what's cool about this final four is that it's two OG coaches versus two young coaches and. But the style of basketball is very similar, you know, amongst everyone and. And with for John Shire, if they win, he could be the first ever guy to win as a player at his school and as a coach at his school. And he's extremely young and I don't know if y'all heard Pat Bev talking about him or if y'all remember watching John Shire playing. He was a dog in college, set records in high school. And I can't remember if he was from Ohio. He's from Illinois. Luke Kennard is from Ohio. That broke LeBron's record. But John Shire was like, the guy in Chicago. Pat Bev's talking about him. Like, man, this dude, he would pull up to any gym. Everybody feared him. And this is in inner city Chicago. John Shire pulls up, they're all like, we don't want any part of it. And the only reason he stopped playing in. In the NBA was because he got poked in his eye. And he's legally blind in one of his eyes.

[Will Compton]

No shit.

[Paul Swan]

Yeah. So he is. He was. He was such a beast. Watch. And he was like, peak college basketball fandom when we're. I think they won 2010, so we're like freshmen in high school talking at the lunch table. Yeah. So it's cool to see him in the. In the championship.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, it. I don't know who beats them. I mean, I guess, you know, any. It's anybody's game. But just watching Duke thus far. Thus far, like, they just seem to be operating at a different level when they're on the floor.

[Paul Swan]

Yeah. Houston, I mean, the fact that they are the team with the lowest turnover rate in the country, you always have a chance with that. But Duke, they just get easy buckets. Every other team, I feel like, has to get hard buckets. And every single one of Duke's baskets on Alabama seemed like it was wide open.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Cooper came to the paint on Grant Nelson.

[Paul Swan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Gary Nelson caught his update on our brackets. I learned in the pre production meeting that Garrett is now the leader in the clubhouse with our brackets throughout. Was it 99 percentile?

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah. One seeds, baby.

[Will Compton]

One seeds.

[Paul Swan]

None of this.

[Will Compton]

God. Straight to the point. Saw the board.

[Paul Swan]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

You're in the right 99 percentile. Yeah. I mean, top 300,000. I had to take my guys out for, you know, the betterment of the bracket.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. You understand. You understood.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You understood better than I did. I got a little too generous with Michigan.

[Unknown]

But the futures hit.

[Will Compton]

Futures hit, though we put it right where we need him in that futures bet.

[Unknown]

I do think the best matchup is Florida. Duke. Just because Florida has bigs that can try and guard Duke. Florida's got a point guard that's lights out. And Duke is proven that they're.

[Will Compton]

And do you have Duke and Florida in your final two?

[Unknown]

I do. So I'm a little biased.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yeah. Because I got Houston and Florida in my final two. I wonder if I can catch you.

[Paul Swan]

Garrett is ranked in the top 10,000 brackets.

[Will Compton]

No.

[Luke Kuechly]

Top 10,000.

[Paul Swan]

Yes.

[Luke Kuechly]

Let's go.

[Paul Swan]

99.9.

[Will Compton]

God bless. One seat. Yeah. This weekend. I just see JP tweeting about next year. I'm only going. Well, you're auto drafting, bro. You thought every upset in the world was going to happen, didn't you?

[Taylor Lewan]

It's March.

[Paul Swan]

It's March, man. That's how it used to be. And that's how you used to get paid. Yeah, not anymore, but now I just hold on to it and. Yeah, I mean, there was only one upset in the first round. Obviously we're in the elite eight. It was all ones and twos except for 13 seed. Yeah. So it's, you know, tough year, but.

[Will Compton]

There'S always next year for the upset.

[Paul Swan]

Yeah, but it seems like the best.

[Will Compton]

The best.

[Luke Kuechly]

They laid it out for us pretty.

[Paul Swan]

The best days of March Madness are behind us.

[Will Compton]

I hope not.

[Paul Swan]

As far as upsets go, the quality of basketball is very good.

[Will Compton]

But I don't know. Do you guys watch the Michigan, Auburn game at all? I mean, it was like there was quality basketball going on, but there was a five minute span in that second half where it was just turnover after turnover. Everyone just running down to the other side of the court, losing the ball and someone grabbing and then losing the ball on the other side.

[Paul Swan]

Well, the ball in this tournament, there was a lot of complaints in the beginning that it's like over inflated. So a lot of guys were having trouble ball handling and.

[Will Compton]

Over inflated. Yeah, a little opposite of Tom Brady. Deflate gate.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Will Compton]

Something going on. Okay. All right, dude.

[Paul Swan]

Auburn all connected. Tom Brady, Michigan.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Paul Swan]

Over inflated, deflated.

[Will Compton]

Let's see what's going on here. Michigan, always a common denominator in those things. When during the SEC tournament, G said he went to the game and he saw Florida and Alabama and Florida just wiped the floor with Alabama to the point where G's like, I just got to sit here. Well, I'll get to a point here. He's like, I got to sit here and basically just watch great basketball take place. And so when I'm watching the Michigan, Auburn game, like Michigan's down by one at the end of the first half. In the second half, they go up seven. I'm thinking, holy, the boys are gonna do it. My bracket's looking fantastic. And then Auburn, this center goes crazy and then zero. This freshman starts going nuts, like just basically closing his eyes and throwing the ball in the air. It goes in every single time to the point where they just started to run away with it. And I thought I was in the same position. I thought about you and I was like this is. I just got to watch Auburn do incredible things right now because they were not missing nothing Michigan can do.

[Unknown]

I'm going to let JP say his two cents about the center but Auburn.

[Will Compton]

He, he is a little demonstrative with his hand gestures. He loves to be seen. I don't hate that.

[Unknown]

0 Pettiford's nice. Auburn's still ass Auburn but Pettiford is nice. I'm gonna let JP talk about four real quick.

[Taylor Lewan]

Dude.

[Paul Swan]

Broom I tweeted it out but he is the most over dramatic player in college basketball. Yes, he is a beast but he's also like 23 years old and he carries himself like he is LeBron and I want him to do, I want him to have, I want him to get rich after school. I don't wish any, I don't want him to have a horrible career in the NBA. But I can't see him in the NBA doing his thing. And the way he carries himself, you would think he's. He's a number one draft pick. But last night in the game, did y'all watch it? This guy bro it now he went down and like it looked like he kind of messed up his knee and so it's like oh snap, that's obviously not good. But then you start hearing it's his shoulder or something, his elbow and he's like sitting there on the ground with that look of like man, my tournament's over. And so you're feeling for him. He's walking by his teammates, he hugs his mom, he goes to the locker room, told coach, he goes, I'm done. Tolls yes Mouse the coach, I'm done. I'm like dang. And you know, he bought. He battled through some injuries earlier in the year that were also kind of overhyped when it first happened. But he goes to the locker room, come back, comes back out, gets to big cheer and then immediately gets grabs a one handed rebound and then goes and knocks down a three and is like juicing everyone up. I'm like, we. This is not. You can't do this. This is not allowed. And Taylor likes it.

[Will Compton]

He went in there, got that Blue Mountain State shot, bro. And they got that needle out and they just.

[Paul Swan]

I can't wait till he's done this basketball.

[Will Compton]

I didn't know he did that. Listen, he overcame an injury. I guess he overcame an injury. I mean I hated that he was doing it to Michigan, but I loved like his physicality in the paint, like he was bodying cats, you know, like him in there and then hooking.

[Luke Kuechly]

Everybody grew up playing sports like you all, you know, you know those teammates that were like, dude, are you even that injured right now?

[Paul Swan]

I know. And he is that teammate. And now he's getting. And he's up for national player of the year too.

[Will Compton]

Oh, you would hate that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Oh, you just the way you said he's up for. You would despise.

[Paul Swan]

I need the flag broom. Dude, this guy, man, I've been hating on him for, for a while now.

[Will Compton]

Oh, really? So I brought up a sore subject.

[Paul Swan]

I mean, he'll be doing it. Like, he'll put it on South Carolina even though we should have beat them this year.

[Taylor Lewan]

Lost at the end.

[Paul Swan]

But yeah, he's been, he's been bothering me for a while.

[Will Compton]

Damn.

[Paul Swan]

Hope the best in the NBA.

[Will Compton]

He does got talent.

[Unknown]

Auburn has 10 seniors.

[Will Compton]

And don't you want your players to be like overconfident in their abilities? Don't you want, like, if this guy's on South Carolina, you would love him.

[Paul Swan]

No, no. Yeah, I mean, I would. I love anybody that wears garden black. But the Pettiford guy, he's a perfect example. Like, he runs his mouth. He thinks he is one of the best point guards ever to touch the basketball court. And he's fun to watch. And he doesn't give off the vibe. That broom does. Like the Auburn point guard, he has this, his tape from high school where he's just finding every camera before the game. Like, I'm killing these. I'm doing it to everybody. Then highlights roll, putting on a show. And I'm about that. He done fake injuries.

[Will Compton]

This kid zero was insane.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's a beast.

[Will Compton]

Unbelievable. He's a freshman, right?

[Paul Swan]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Drive into the paint on you guys, drove into the paint, stopped, turn, spun out of it and hit like a fade away jumper at the elbow. And it was.

[Will Compton]

We had that seven footer. He like somehow got like the exchange, like someone tried to do a pick. And so the seven footer went on him and he like just stuttered him real quick and put that feet and just went around, laid that thing up, no problem. It was crazy to watch. And anywhere he was, dude, anywhere on the court he was. He put that ball in the air. Either went to somebody, got an assist or he just. It went in the net. It was crazy.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Tough slip.

[Unknown]

There were good games over the weekend, but then there were some really bad ones.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yeah. All of our team just got murdered. You, me, Jack, Weird.

[Luke Kuechly]

Paid Though.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that bracket shout out. That bracket shout out March Madness. Dude, it's awesome.

[Luke Kuechly]

What do we think to an end? Do we have any, any, any football topics? I know the, the NFL is officially voting on banning the tush push.

[Will Compton]

Why your vote be? My vote be no ban?

[Luke Kuechly]

Well, it'd be no ban. Like, I, I, it's like I get frustrated watching it, but at the end of the day, you gotta line up. You got to figure out a way to stop it.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Luke Kuechly]

I think if anything, they need to be very, they need to be very detailed on the offense, like false starting. Because there, it's just such a different looking formation when everybody's like on all fours and I feel like there's false starts that kind of happen before the ball is snapped.

[Will Compton]

I've been more focused on getting that kickoff reversed back to what it was.

[Taylor Lewan]

Right.

[Will Compton]

Like that we got bigger issues out there than the toast push. Like you just have man on man. You have dudes on dudes. How tough are you versus how tough am I? And we're going to find out who's better in this moment. Yeah, it's, it's a extremely hard play to get past. There's no doubt. I mean, they've done it for a couple years now and just have had a insanely high success rate. And other teams have tried to mimic it and can't do it, but no one's stopping anybody else from doing this formation.

[Paul Swan]

It's the torpedo bat.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, it's the torpedo bat.

[Luke Kuechly]

Is the torpedo bat.

[Will Compton]

But yeah, you brought up the Bills. The Bills did it, but they do it differently. Like Josh Allen takes a step to the left and goes to the B gap. They just do it differently.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right. And you're saying and not have success. I'm saying the Bills, like, if you're going to do it, you just need to go all out and do it.

[Will Compton]

Like the Eagles do it exactly like the Eagles do it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Have to.

[Will Compton]

I mean, no, it's not like they patent it and they're like, hey, nobody else can do this play. Anybody else can do that play and get it done. Sorry. The Eagles quarterback squat, 650 pounds.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Get you a quarterback in the way. Yeah. Behind that old line and you have three guys pushing like, I don't see anything wrong with that at all. I see nothing wrong. It sucks. It's. Especially when your team's playing the Eagles and it's four to one. You know, hey, they're gonna get it.

[Unknown]

When you're the commanders and God making you jump and yeah. Then they can award you a free one.

[Will Compton]

But it's just. I think it's almost ridiculous to even, like, outlaw this.

[Luke Kuechly]

Do you see. Do you see the coaching photo? Do you see our boy Brave?

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Shows a little stiff in there, huh?

[Luke Kuechly]

He looks a little silly. He's got that funny. He's got that little. That little grin, that smile where he's actually giving a smile.

[Will Compton]

I saw a zoom in on the photo of the. The four guys in there. Callahan's in there. It's like when you have to hang out with your ex. Your girlfriend's ex boyfriend. It's kind of just kind of sitting there and rapes is over above him in that. That is. Rape has got to feel good. Walk into that building right there, be like, oh, I'm back, boys.

[Luke Kuechly]

You know, he's got it back. You know, he's got his little walk in.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, he's just owning the room.

[Luke Kuechly]

But that, right, the. The strut, the confidence and swag that we know Vrabel has, none of it.

[Will Compton]

None of it is in that photo. He's doing the Will Compton flex is what he's doing. He's got this little thing going.

[Luke Kuechly]

You see his pegs kind of pop. Has he been in the weight room a little?

[Will Compton]

No, no, he's been hitting that. He's been hitting that little bag real slow with stretching the corner. Him and Frank.

[Paul Swan]

You think he was salty? They had him at the end?

[Will Compton]

Maybe, yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Who knows?

[Paul Swan]

Maybe I just pictured the person in charge of the photo like. All right, everybody line up, please. Single. Single file line. And you just got Andy Reid in the front. Yeah, like, I. I just pictured that whole behind the scenes process being hilarious.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. I wonder if rape, like, tried to walk towards the midd.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like.

[Will Compton]

Oh, could you mind actually.

[Paul Swan]

Hey, Mike, over here to the right.

[Luke Kuechly]

Some.

[Will Compton]

A little farther.

[Luke Kuechly]

I've only won a few Super Bowls.

[Will Compton]

At some point, he's like. He's like, away from everybody else. There's like a big space. Good. That's good. That's perfect.

[Luke Kuechly]

To himself, too. Like, I've only won a few super bowls and played 14 years.

[Will Compton]

How many. How many years in the NFL these guys play. That's crazy.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like the one time, you know, too, that you can look at this photo and kind of laugh, knowing you can kind of goof on them.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

I feel like, yo, Brave, I would whoop your ass in this situation, but knowing, like, this is the only moment, but outside of it, it'd get a little too physical.

[Will Compton]

Big.

[Luke Kuechly]

All right, bro. We're around.

[Will Compton]

Relax. Put your little. Little chest pad on and go. Go to practice. Go to ota.

[Luke Kuechly]

Trust me, we know you're a psycho.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, he's got to feel good. Walking in. Patriots head coach. They spent, like, $140 million this offseason. They're just getting all. He's getting all his guys, Harold, Landry, Spillane, all these things. He's getting everybody he wants. He's got Drake May, who people are kind of whispering like, this kid's a lot better than people think.

[Luke Kuechly]

They brought on two digs.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Brought digs on. Which interesting.

[Paul Swan]

Ravel Diggs dynamic.

[Will Compton]

That is going to be interesting. Yeah, that is going to be. But I feel like he can handle it.

[Taylor Lewan]

He needs this guy like that.

[Will Compton]

He needs his guy. Yeah, he needs a dog. I thought. I thought for a minute they're gonna get A.J. i thought for a moment they're only going to snipe AJ Away from the Eagles.

[Luke Kuechly]

I don't know Diggs whatsoever. Just on headlines.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Luke Kuechly]

And gossip and everything else. But again, it's like Rabes was. Was working raves, worked with a lot of different personalities on the Titans. I feel like Braves is somebody that gets. It gets that out of those guys.

[Will Compton]

He's got that Tomlin S kind of vibe where he can take multiple personalities, make them work together.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like we were built around the run game, and you had a. A savage like A.J. brown on the outside who, you know, was frustrated at times.

[Will Compton]

But, I mean. I mean, AJ Was going off. Corey Davis was going off. As soon as AJ Got there, you had. Who else? Johnny Smith. Like, you had so much talent on some of those teams. Khalif Raymond, just burning cats in Baltimore.

[Paul Swan]

It's like, in the right amount. Those guys want to be challenged, and they don't. They don't want to coach that. They can say everything they want to. They want a guy that will sort of check them. And, yeah, I feel like they bring. It does, like you said, bring out the best.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. There's definitely a respect factor that needs to be. Needs to happen with some of these personalities.

[Luke Kuechly]

And whether or not, as a player, you. Whether or not you want that or you like that.

[Paul Swan]

Right.

[Luke Kuechly]

It. It does. It ultimately, like, lifts you up, and then you kind of look back on, like, oh, this guy was good for me.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, this is where. This is where variables. 14 year comment is gonna probably go a long way with Diggs.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like, he did do it for a long time. Yeah, it'll be nice. He'll always be tripping about how many touchdowns he has and all these different things. How many you got this year? At school? I had this man one year.

[Luke Kuechly]

Those types of deals, bringing up legends, like big personalities. Look, Randy Moss walked through here. I don't know if he played with Randy, though.

[Will Compton]

No, I think he'll be.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like being able to play as a team. Yeah. When did frames retire?

[Will Compton]

Scoot down a little bit. Sure. Yeah, he played with Randy. Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

What's a year?

[Will Compton]

I said 2017.

[Luke Kuechly]

I know. I was walking around. I can. I can picture myself walking around my high school hallways spouting off about how I have Randy Johnson on my fantasy football team. So I don't.

[Will Compton]

Randy Johnson's a pitcher for the.

[Luke Kuechly]

Randy Moss. Found off about how I have Randy Moss on my fantasy football team, but I don't know. He might have just missed. Was it 08?

[Will Compton]

No, he was still in it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Oh, it was his last year.

[Will Compton]

07 was that season, right? 07. 08 Super Bowl. Or was it 08 season? 09 Super Bowl? I think it was 07. 08.

[Luke Kuechly]

Oh, yeah, he played.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, There it is. Good research, sir. Nice work. But, yeah, shout out. Raves being back in there, man. We got to fix that photo, though. Braves. Let's take care of that. Next time you go in there, let's get a shirt that's a little more fitted, a little more customed out.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, we got to get out to Fox, bro, too. We got to sit down.

[Will Compton]

We got to see him walk around like we own the place. And then we see him. We just curl up. Hey, my bad, Brace. My bad. Say put our feet on his desk, he walks in. Oh, no doubt. Look at him in shape. What a beauty.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

What else we got, boys? We feel good. I mean, we have a massive guest today.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Do you want to. I'll let you have the floor. This is a big moment for Will Compton.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean, I was ecstatic when he was about coming to Nashville because he was wanting to come on when we were going to the Super bowl, but it was like, bro, we got to get you on the bus. If we can find him, if we can find time, because we've been. We've been going back and forth with Luke since maybe November, October last year, because Paul Swan. Shout out Paul Swan. He kind of hooked it up, put us in a group chat, and we were going back and forth. He was all, you know, Luke would be out hunting. He's an outdoorsman. He'd have a lot of different things going on. He was requesting to come on during, during the super bowl, but again, it's like, bro, we got to get you on the bus so we can find a moment. And I think he came out and worked with Vanderbilt. Like he was out with Vanderbilt earlier that, earlier that, when he came on the bus, it was in the afternoon, but he was at Vandy all morning, I think just helping with the staff, maybe talking to the players, working with the linebackers. But yeah, get Luke Keakley on. I mean one of the most accomplished. How long did he play?

[Taylor Lewan]

Eight.

[Luke Kuechly]

Was it eight years?

[Will Compton]

It was eight years.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean one of the most accomplished careers in that short amount of time ever.

[Will Compton]

Ever.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean he's one of the best.

[Will Compton]

And if you're a guy that like truly loves ball, like, like loves the X's and O's of what's going on, you're going to love watching Luke Kuechley dissect all these things. We go into some of the play, had his back to back picks against the Lions, how he. They were in a blitz. They check out the blitz. I'll let him tell a story. But the way he went about the process of the game is a re. A massive reason why he was so successful. Talks about the players he played with, the leadership that was in the rooms. It shows how important a young guy, it is for a young guy to get leadership in a room that he walks into. And how important is for those guys that are 9, 10, 11 year vets to help the young guys out. Because it seems like, like he had great habits before, but getting in with them and them teaching him how to be a pro, just send them to.

[Luke Kuechly]

A whole new level.

[Will Compton]

Yes.

[Luke Kuechly]

Empowering him, like, hey, you are the guy surrounded by guys that are older than you and had like cut their teeth in the league and was very, like very respected players that were ahead of him.

[Will Compton]

Absolutely.

[Luke Kuechly]

But dude, it was awesome. I mean, it's Luke Keakley and having him on too. It's like getting to talk to him about all the concussion stuff because he's somebody who played his, his career and he doesn't really go on much or he hasn't necessarily talked about it a whole lot. So getting to kind of dive on what the insecurities were like. Like what, what was popping up like when those concussions were starting to, to create a pattern, like being at peace with retirement.

[Will Compton]

When did he know he was going to retire?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. And him jumping into scouting the year after, I thought was insane.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

You're just curious. A guy at that level. Why would you want to go into potentially being a scout in the NFL? Like, are you trying to be a gm? Are you trying to be a coach? And just dabbling in his life after ball since retiring and just hearing him talk about it was awesome. It does seem like he's. He's super. He. He was super at peace with everything, which I was kind of like, you know, like as a backer, knowing that he played at the highest level every year that he was on the field, it's like, man, do you ever think about, like, you know, are you bummed that you didn't get to play like 15 years or put up a career or play as long as, like, Ray Lewis did, like, knowing where his stats probably would have fallen?

[Will Compton]

Yeah. It's the only player I've ever seen in my entire life go from being a physical backer and then a little more heady finesse and still have the same amount of productivity.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because he just understood the game at a different level than everybody else.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. And, and, and just his, like, the dude ran a 4, 5. I want to say he jumped extremely well in all the combine stuff. Like his physical capabilities, like, paired with all that mentality and that preparation and everything else, you just got to see he was a stud on the field, man. And his closing speed the way he could. Again, we're talking about at the time Julio Jones dunked on him. But he's covering Julio Jones. Julio Jones, which, yeah, like, we were Talking about COVID 4 breaking down, how he has to run with Julio Jones. He wasn't really getting a whole lot of help. He had some, like, late safety help. But we're talking about him running and covering and competing with Julio Jones. Like when he unfortunately got dunked on. Yeah, but he's just.

[Will Compton]

Dude's a Julio.

[Luke Kuechly]

And getting to break down the cow the Dallas Cowboys plays and him turning his head around and getting that pick. Like his ability was jumping out of.

[Will Compton]

COVID two because he knows that that's. That's covered. He's probably Stafford gone from his read to somewhere else. Having his back to a play and knowing what a person behind him is thinking and able to turn. Yeah, it's just incredible, dude. Yeah, it's amazing. It just shows, like, the capability of some football players in their brain that just allows them to operate at that level is just nuts.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Just wild.

[Luke Kuechly]

Dude's a legend.

[Will Compton]

Legend. Let's get into this episode. Before we do, let's talk about Tick tock. What do you say, Willie?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes. What the. Hey, Taylor. I have a question. What does a mechanic and auto shop owner in Georgia, a taco restaurant operator in Arizona and a life saving medical medical innovator in Tennessee all have in common?

[Will Compton]

Are they all in small business owners and they're all thriving on Tick Tock.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes bro. Across the US over 7 and a half million businesses from family owned shops to entrepreneurs are using Tick Tock to compete and grow. In fact boys, get a load of this. 74 of businesses on Tick Tock say Tick Tock has allowed them to scale their operations, increasing sales and expanding into new locations.

[Will Compton]

What does that kind of growth mean?

[Luke Kuechly]

It means jobs.

[Will Compton]

What?

[Luke Kuechly]

Today There are over 7 and a half million U S businesses on Tick Tock employing more than 28 million people people. And that number keeps growing. Small businesses thrive on Tik Tok. Learn more about Tik Tok's contribution to the US economy at TikTok economic impact.com.

[Taylor Lewan]

Struggling to get out of Bed? It might be time for an upgrade. Lisa makes exceptionally comfortable mattresses designed for every body and budget. But what truly sets them apart is their commitment to giving back. Since 2015, they've donated over 411000 mattresses nationwide. Elevate your sleep and your space with Lisa. Go to Lisa.com for 20 off their award winning mattresses plus an extra 50 off with promo code I HEART. That's L E-E-S A.com promo code I HEART for an extra 50 off.

[Will Compton]

And also you can go find Bert's new special Lucky Only on Netflix. Shout Out Bert Kreischer Shout Out Bert Kreischer. Let's get to this episode. You guys enjoy it. Subscribe Unsubscribe, Resubscribe and Rate five stars for us.

[Luke Kuechly]

Big hugs, tiny kisses Ladies and gentlemen.

[Will Compton]

This interview is presented by the one, the only Bud Light. Something about that Bud Light baby. Bud Light is always brewed with four simple ingredients for a clean, crisp, refreshing taste. Stock up on Bud Light now and head to bud light.com forward/locator to find a store near you. Bud Light is the official beer sponsor of the NFL. The NFL draft tied in you with Bud Light partner George Kittle. The UFC Shane Gillis 2025 Tour Bud Light partners include Will Compton, Peyton Manning, Taylor Lawan, George Kittle, Baker Mayfield, Emmett Smith, Shane Gillis, Post Malone and Dustin Poirier. Our guest today, quite possibly the greatest white athlete to ever be on this earth. A man who has been said got an apartment his rookie year, had a bed, no tv just for his iPad so he could be the Greatest somehow went to Boston College. Should have gone to the University of Michigan or Nebraska. Ladies, gentlemen, give your. Give a round of applause for Luke Keakley.

[Luke Kuechly]

When it.

[Will Compton]

Also Paul Swan.

[Luke Kuechly]

When it drops one day. Hall of Fame, all White teamer.

[Taylor Lewan]

Here we go.

[Will Compton]

Gotta be starting backer, bro.

[Luke Kuechly]

Welcome to the bus.

[Taylor Lewan]

I appreciate it. It's good to be on here.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, dude. So how do you want to start? How do you want to do this?

[Luke Kuechly]

Heart's pounding.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hey.

[Will Compton]

Yes.

[Taylor Lewan]

A lot going on. Right?

[Will Compton]

Right. Okay, I'll take this.

[Luke Kuechly]

Go ahead. Because I'm just looking at. That's.

[Will Compton]

That's him.

[Luke Kuechly]

That's. That's Luke Keakley.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Do you want to start early in his life, or do you think he's.

[Luke Kuechly]

Younger than the middle? That's what's even crazier.

[Will Compton]

I know.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, that's.

[Will Compton]

Did you tell Luke that you actually played two more years in the NFL than him?

[Luke Kuechly]

No, I figured we'd get to that point.

[Will Compton]

That's a fact. I can't run from that situation.

[Luke Kuechly]

We get to that point.

[Will Compton]

You get to that point eventually.

[Luke Kuechly]

But, yeah, you can go ahead and start it off. You can go ahead and kick it while I start to gather my thoughts.

[Will Compton]

Luke, how's it feel to be the best white linebacker to ever live?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my gosh. I don't. So Brian Erlacher was the guy that I grew up watching. Him and Zach Thomas are pretty dag on. Good. And then Chicago guy, Dick Buckus, I feel like he kind of. Kind of got it all rolling a little bit. Can you hear me?

[Luke Kuechly]

Get it close?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, get that. Yeah. But no, it was fun. And the game of football is special. And the guys that I grew up watching, black Zach Thomas, Derek Brooks, Ray Lewis, those are the dudes that, when I was growing up, I want to. I want to be like those guys.

[Will Compton]

When did the bug hit you? Because everything. I know this is obviously the first time we've met, but playing against you, practicing against you. One time when you was that brutal, terrible practices. We went. We did joint practice, and I was always told this guy, Lou Keakley, like, he is a football guy. He's a machine. The way he operates. He calls out plays. You have so many clips of guys saying, oh, we would be sitting there, we checked to a plan, and you would call out the play. It was no difference. When we were in practice, I actually don't know if you remember this. I walked up to you in the middle of practice between plays and said something to you. You were like a goddamn robot like, you were so dialed in.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was hot and trying to get off the field.

[Will Compton]

So when did the bug hit? When did you realize, okay, football is what I want to do with my life?

[Taylor Lewan]

I think growing up, I. I wanted to play football. Probably start in like second or third grade, you know. You grew up in the Midwest, I grew up in Ohio. The first game that, that pops on is at noon. So you wake up on Saturday. We always would us have football practice on, I don't know, Saturday mornings. We play on Sundays. And then you'd watch college football all day. So I think for me, it was started as a young age. That's the one game that I wanted to play. And we didn't have an opportunity to play until I was in fourth grade because just how the school was set up. My dad didn't play football. We weren't really a football family growing up. So by the time I got involved with it, I was in fourth grade and my brother was in fifth grade. And we just played on the local school team. It was a group of, I think it was St. Mike's Our lady the Sacred Heart is where I went to school, and then St. Xavier. Those are the three team, three schools that made up the team. So it was really like third grade that I want. I knew I wanted to play. And then fourth grade is the first year that actually played.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Why Boston College? Like, how many were you, Were you an offer guy coming out of high school?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So I knew, you know, when you're, when you're coming up, you never expect you're gonna play in the NFL. I think for me it was always, what's the next logical step for me? So when you're in grade school, you want to play on. So it was third and fourth, fifth and sixth, seventh and eighth. So when you move up to fifth grade, you're on the fifth and sixth team. You want to play on that team team. And then as a sixth grader, you play. And then on seventh grade, you go back in the same situation and then you get to high school. We had a freshman team, a JV team and a varsity team. So my goal in high school was to play on the varsity on the varsity team as a junior, which is a crazy. It's crazy. We just had. We had so many. We had. I went to a private all or a Catholic Jesuit all boys school in Cincinnati. That's kind of one of the reasons I went to BC. But there's 1600 boys and we probably had had, you know, three to 400 kids. In the football program?

[Will Compton]

Oh yeah, huge.

[Luke Kuechly]

Three to 400.

[Will Compton]

So your school is one of the reasons why Ohio is looked at as such a big.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, we were southwest Ohio, so we had like 135, 140 kids on the freshman team. The JV team was just sophomores. And then that was probably 70, 80 kids. And then on the varsity team was like 140 kids again. So those numbers get big quick. I went to BC because academically was really strong. That was one thing that my parents talked to me a lot about, was go somewhere that you wouldn't be able to get into without football. So I wasn't getting in the Boston College. I looked at Stanford, wasn't getting anything in there. Duke and then Virginia were the schools that I was looking at. And I was like, I can't get in to any of these schools without football. And I'm like, if I can get a scholarship to one of these schools, I got an opportunity to get a five year education, a master's for free and go play football. So that's kind of what you're thinking coming out. And Tom O'Brien was a St. Xavier guy. That's where in high school he, he went to St. Xavier and then he ended up coaching at Boston College and started pulling kids out of the high school to go play football at Boston College. So we probably had a kid there for, I don't know, 20, 20 years in a row from the high school, just overlapping. And the guys that went to school up there had a ton of success. A lot of them were team captains, a lot of them played really well. And it was a really, how that program was run was very similar to how the program was run in Cincinnati at St. Xavier High School of just toughness, playing hard, doing the right thing. We didn't always have the best athletes, but we played really well as a team. And when I was being recruited, Matt Ryan was there, so they were, they got as high as number two. They beat Virginia Tech and Blacksburg on that pass across the field from Matt. I think, I think Andre Calendar caught that ball. And there was just ton of hype around them when I was being recruited. And, and it was good academically. It was outside of Boston. I knew guys that were there as a Jesuit school, just like my high school, and they were playing really, really good football at the time.

[Luke Kuechly]

So were you an overachiever? Like, were you a beast in high school as well? Like, do. Are any guys in that school, that three to 400, are there any freshmen or guys playing varsity no.

[Taylor Lewan]

So, I mean, you know, my. My freshman year, I didn't play a whole lot. We had. We had. Since the team was so big, we had an A team and a B team team. So the A team would play, like, on a Wednesday, and the B team would play on a Thursday. So we'd play the other.

[Will Compton]

This is freshman.

[Taylor Lewan]

Freshman team. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So when did the JD team play? Then?

[Taylor Lewan]

They played on. On, I think on Saturdays. Varsity team played Friday nights, and then we played Saturdays. Typically, I think, is what happened. So freshmen don't play on varsity? Typically, I don't think. I don't know the last time it's happened. Occasionally you'll get like two or three sophomores play varsity, but they got to be dudes. Yeah. But I would say that 85% of guys don't. Aren't on the varsity team until they're juniors, so.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. So that's why your goal was varsity as a junior.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I mean, I just thinking you.

[Will Compton]

Like, if you had the bug, if you had this kind of drive, the way everyone sees and talks about this kid must have been a freshman on varsity. But this school you're at seems like an absolute powerhouse.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. And I loved. I loved the game of football. That was small. So my freshman year, I played outside linebacker. My sophomore year, they moved me to tight end end because the backers that we had, they were bigger than me. They're. They're just better. So my sophomore year, those guys all played backer, and then I played tight end. And then my junior year, I was a good blocker.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll tell you what, I'm so glad I didn't have to play offense because all formations and trades and shifts, you play Mike backer, you just line up in the middle of the field.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

You don't got to go anywhere.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. But you're also calling out all those trades, formations and ships.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, it's. It's. But offensive formation guy. There was a guy named Ryan Long. He played right tackle, and he played tight end in the year before. And then I think in like, training camp, and then they moved me to tight end and they moved him to tackle. So he knew all the formation. So I'd line up next to him in the huddle. They call the play. I'm like, hey, where do I line? Where do I line up?

[Will Compton]

No.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I. Ryan Long was like my. My life support playing tight end. And then I switched back to linebacker as a junior, and then I played like a hybrid safety as a senior, so.

[Will Compton]

So as a junior on Varsity. Were you starting at that point?

[Taylor Lewan]

I did, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Okay. That's when it was.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I started to grow. I started to grow a little bit. I got a little bigger.

[Luke Kuechly]

How big were you going into bc?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, man. So I played my senior year at like 212 and then I got to BC. I was probably like 218. So I played, I don't know, 218, 220 as a freshman, and then like 228 as a sophomore. And then as a junior, I played like 231, 232.

[Will Compton]

Just a thick.

[Luke Kuechly]

When did you know in college that, hey, I might have something. I might have a future in the NFL.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I think, you know, you. So in college it was interesting because Mark Herzlick, you guys remember him?

[Luke Kuechly]

Monster.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So Mark Herzlich was a junior. I went to spring game. He was a. No, he was going into his. What was it?

[Luke Kuechly]

Because he got done with his junior year.

[Taylor Lewan]

Right.

[Luke Kuechly]

He was like a first round potential pick. The cancer thing happened.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

He fought his way. Sat out a year. So yes, way back.

[Taylor Lewan]

I go to. I go to spring ball going as. When I'm a senior, Mark's gonna be a. He's. He's gonna be a senior in college. So it's his spring ball before his senior year. And they'd been telling me like, Mark's got like a low back hamstring thing. He's probably not going to play a lot in the spring. Ammo's bummed because I wanted to watch him play. So he goes and plays a couple snaps, comes out, out, and then like a couple weeks later, it's. He's got Ewing sarcoma, bone cancer. So. Oh, I get there. I get to school. Mark's out the whole year. Essentially. He red shirted as he was dealing with cancer. I don't know how the guy did it. He was there all the time, worked out every day, was still big and strong, was in all the meetings. He was fantastic. As a young guy's fighting cancer ball. Yeah. He had gone through chemo, radiation, everything. But he was a great older guy to have at BC As a freshman, he wasn't playing. So there was like no stress of. I mean, he was dealing with cancer, obviously, but.

[Will Compton]

That is a. That is a football thing to say.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

Like, the stress of playing is crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

So. So then mark's out. Mike McLaughlin was our Mike linebacker. He's like the prototype from Massachusetts. He had the. He had the cowboy collar neck roll. He had the little bull ring.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

He wore the diaper chin strap. No, he didn't. He had a diaper chin strap but then he switched over to the padded one. But he was like the prototype. Yeah, he was coming back from Achilles, so he was going to miss the first couple games of the season. And then, I don't know, a week or two in the training camp, our starting mic backer, Will Thompson gets like a shoulder stinger. So I'm over with the freshman doing inside run, get my teeth kicked in, and they just needed a mic backer so they called me over and I had to go over as like little skinny 220 pound Luke and play against the older guys and just get my teeth kicked in. I was like, this is awful. And my coach came up to me after the, after that period and he's like, I was pretty terrible. You got to figure it out because you're going to play week one because we don't have anybody else. I was like, what about this guy? And he's like, well, that guy, that guy got popped for a drug test, so he can't play either. So I go to, you're looking at.

[Will Compton]

The coach saying, hey, you're being told you're gonna play week one, but you're like, hey, hey, what about that guy?

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm like, yeah, that's where your confidence level. I'm like, I'm. My confidence is zero. So Herzlick's out, max out. Will Thompson gets hurt, guy gets popped for a drug test and then before you know it, your top four guys are out and so there's really no one left. So like, hey, week one, you're just gonna have to figure it out. So the first couple games of season are disaster. Go down to Clemson. We play in Death Valley against C.J. spiller. And that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

At the time they had Daquan Bowers and they had another, they had an.

[Luke Kuechly]

I forget, another cat. Cat.

[Taylor Lewan]

They had another cat.

[Will Compton]

He's back there gritting his teeth. JP's a South Carolina guy, he hates Clemson.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Every time they're mentioned they have, they have to be trashed off. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So. But then you make a couple plays in those games, you're like, ah, you know, I got a chance. And then I remember my sophomore year was when I was like, okay, you played against, in Clemson against, you know, C.J. spiller. And then you just start going through the guys that you play against. You're like, these guys are all getting drafted in the NFL. Like, this might actually be an opportunity for me. So it's, it's just interesting how you go from high school, you want to play on the varsity team to as a freshman. Like, you're. You don't. I don't really have a choice. You get in there and play and then you're like, man, I'm. This is fun. I'm starting to have some success. And then you fast forward. You kind of. The next thing you look forward to is like, I love the game of football. I've had a ton of fun. I'd love to keep playing this as long as I can. So you kind of look back as probably. Probably three quarters of the way through my sophomore year, you look back and you're like, these are the guys that I played against. This has been their career in the NFL. Like, maybe I got a chance.

[Will Compton]

So there wasn't like a specific play in mind that you made a big play and you're like, oh, okay, I can do this. It was a reflection period for you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That you're to look back and kind of be like, all right, all these guys are playing the NFL. This means I can do X, Y and Z as well.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. I just think you, you know, you look at it and you're like, I've played in, like, big games. We played at Clemson, we played at Florida State, we played at Notre Dame. And you're like, these are the, these are the teams and the situations that you grew up watching, and now you get a chance to be in them. And it's something I always tell guys, like, you need to enjoy the game because when it's gone, it's gone. So I was. So when I was playing so laser focused on football in the process that you don't ever take a second to really look back and say, damn. Like, that was. That was pretty cool, you know?

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Because you're sophomore, junior year, correct me if I'm wrong, but you led the NCAA in tackles.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, yeah. We just, we were on the field a lot. Lot. We were on the field a lot. We didn't. You kind of. We kind of really didn't have a choice. You know, you played 80, 90 snaps. Like, you. You got more opportunities. Especially, you know, the other thing too is like, we. We weren't ahead a lot late. So you know what happens at the end of the game? Their team's running four minute, they're going to run the ball and they got right at you. They got five or six run plays and they're going to run power. They're going to lead and they're going to run, stretch it's like, perfect. All right, here we go, buddy.

[Luke Kuechly]

Every time he, like, you'd see a stat sheet on, like, league leaders, and he's sitting there every week averaging, like, 15 tackles a game.

[Will Compton]

That is.

[Luke Kuechly]

I'm thinking, who is this Luke Keakley guy from?

[Taylor Lewan]

He must be on the field a lot. Yeah, he must have a lot.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like the excuse the. The competitor makes, like, oh, they gotta be on.

[Taylor Lewan]

Well, you know what's funny is you look at all those things and, like, people are lying if they don't look at that stuff, Right? So then I went and looked at it one time, and I had number of snaps played, and it was like we had a gazillion. And then you go look at, like, Alabama. The guy, like, Dante Hightower was at Alabama. He had, like, half the amount of snaps played that we did. Borland at Wisconsin, Chris Borland had a million dog.

[Will Compton]

You were here.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's 2013, 2012. That linebacker class was strong.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, you guys had. Because I was 2013. Well, I was undrafted, but 23rd, 2012, you guys said it was you.

[Taylor Lewan]

So it was Dante Hightower.

[Luke Kuechly]

Hightower.

[Taylor Lewan]

And then Bobby got drafted in the second round. Wagner, Levante, David, Demario, Davis. Yeah, there were some. I'm sure I'm. And I'm probably missing some guys, but those.

[Luke Kuechly]

But those top four that you just said tomorrow, Davis, Levante, David, yourself, and Bobby Wagner.

[Taylor Lewan]

Three of those guys. I mean, Demario's still playing with the Saints, and that dude, he. He's a. You look at his stats, and it's like, oh, my gosh. Like, what he's been able to do.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Same thing with Bobby. The guy that I never feel like gets enough credit is Levante.

[Will Compton]

You're on the right.

[Taylor Lewan]

I love Levante. Look at. Go look at his. His sacks, his force fumbles and his fumble recoveries. It's unbelievable.

[Luke Kuechly]

Dude. He is always around the football.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's a great dude.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, he's phenomenal.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yesterday, the Bucks, their profile posted, like, his stats. He has 1600 tackles right now. There's only eight guys in the history of the game that have over 1600 tackles. Him and Bobby Wagner are both still doing it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Unbelievable.

[Luke Kuechly]

Guys who have those numbers.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. And they're not slowing down. Bobby had over 100 last year. He. I think he just resigned. And then Levante signed another deal with Tampa, which is cool, because, you know, as great of a career as he's had, he's been on the same team the whole time.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. There's something to be said about that.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's cool, man.

[Will Compton]

The longevity that he's had.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And not get jaded over kind of being overlooked by so many guys yourself at points.

[Luke Kuechly]

Bobby Wagner, I was telling JP he has one Pro Bowl, I believe, and it was as an alternate. But it's such. Because he's like one of the most underrated players of all time.

[Taylor Lewan]

Well, the thing that hurts him is that he, he's classified because they were 4, 3. He was an outside linebacker.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So pro. Like the prototype outside linebacker is like, you know, the, the Russian. The guy's got 15 sacks and.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Will Compton]

That's where. Yeah, those, those salmon wheels kind of get screwed over in the Pro bowl because.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

The guys with their hand in the dirt when.

[Taylor Lewan]

The funniest part about the Pro bowl is that they, those off the ball backers, they're listed as outside linebackers. The only rush, it's only a four down look. So those guys have to play off the ball.

[Will Compton]

Ball. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

They're playing a 4:3.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes. Like Justin. Justin Houston is playing off the ball at five yards. Like, what are you doing?

[Will Compton]

Yeah, you know the, the. At the fourth quarter of the game. If it's tight, though.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Will Compton]

Because it is. It is a little bit of a war.

[Luke Kuechly]

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[Will Compton]

Were you you at IMG training for the combine?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Is that where you were?

[Will Compton]

Yeah, that's where I went as well. And that was like, I think my first introduction to the Luke Kikley. You had like, yourself a little mural.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, gosh.

[Will Compton]

On the wall. And they're like, you know that guy. Overall pick.

[Taylor Lewan]

That was so fun.

[Will Compton]

Dude, IMG really is an awesome place because there's no, like, I was a big time partier in college and then, you know, got a little straight As I got into the league. But, like, when you're in Bradenton, Florida, there's like newlyweds and nearly deads. There's no in between. There's no nightlife or nothing. So it was me and like the 30 other guys that were training.

[Taylor Lewan]

Awesome.

[Will Compton]

That's all we had. We had like a small little shitty. Those little apartments are just off of the img.

[Taylor Lewan]

You had the golf cart.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, the golf cart.

[Taylor Lewan]

You rip it around, use the first time you had a little freedom. Yeah, it's got a golf cart in your own place.

[Will Compton]

But it's also well regimented. I. I loved it there. Was that. Were you thinking about between there and exos?

[Taylor Lewan]

No, because the guys. So Mark, hers, like. And then Anthony. Costanzo Costanza's a gangster, so.

[Will Compton]

Boston College guy, too.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So he. They were the year. Year ahead of me in the draft. So Anthony got drafted first round by the Colts, and then Mark. Mark was. Went to the Giants, and those guys trained at img and. And I went to school with them and I was like, guys, EXOs or IMG? And they're like, just go to IMG. We went there. It was sick. We enjoyed it. It was awesome. It was sick.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Their entire spa, jp.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, because img, I feel like they do it better than anybody else as far as, like, getting guys ready for the combine because they don't just do the weightlifting and the running, but they're also. They have a. Classrooms to go over. Media stuff.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Almost Improv improvisation classes. Okay, you're throwing off with this. What do you do now? What do you say to X, Y and Z? They bring up maybe some things that aren't so great about you, like, how are you going to attack this situation? So I think IMG was such a great experience.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's so funny. You do all that work. And then when I worked with the team the first year I got done playing, I worked with the team. In the scouting department and you can pull up all your profiles of, you know, combine and you know, every.

[Luke Kuechly]

Report.

[Taylor Lewan]

Written on you and height, weight, speed, and all your tape. And so I was like, got bored. One day I looked at it and I looked at my combine interview with the Panthers. It was a disaster.

[Will Compton]

Really?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. I was like sitting, had my glasses on. I was nervous, I was probably sweating and I was super like, they'd ask me a question like, yes, that's cover four. And I'm like, gosh, you suck. You sound so bad right now.

[Will Compton]

That's how obviously getting drafted like you. I met with the Titans and I was probably the same way, but a year removed. Seeing those same familiar faces now in that room. Look how timid you are.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, you're so scared, man.

[Will Compton]

Because the train station is no joke.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like that, that combine experience was your. Did you have a good combine experience?

[Taylor Lewan]

I really. Yeah, I really enjoyed it.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think that first night of those interviews because you have the train station which is like they can just come and grab you, obviously. And then the one on ones where they put you in the room where it's only 15 minutes and half the first two minutes, three minutes of them introducing themselves and the last two or three minutes of them leaving you leaving.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

So it's only like a 10 minute window. And then they're peppering you with questions and I'm nervous. You're in. It's your job interview and you're trying to.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Put your best foot forward. And I was just nervous and I was sitting in there just. And I was like, I would not draft that guy.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Well, with the combine is so crazy is everyone sees what happens when you're running and benching and jumping, all that. But really all the scary happens.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, that's three, four days prior the runnings.

[Will Compton]

When you get to go run, you're finally like, thank God it's over.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because you get there the first day and it's like kind of introductions. Hey, this is how it's going to happen. This is your lanyard. This is how the train station works. This is how your official meetings work. Work. 4am you have a piss test.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So it's like the number one rule is like, just do not miss it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And make sure you don't pee. So you. I remember I was roommates with Zach Martin.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And we took shoes and we put it on top of the toilet seat just in case you wake up in the middle of night and try to go pee. And we would like like little accountability buddies. Make sure we're all up together.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Which is nice, though. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's what you need because you're nervous.

[Will Compton]

Because you're up at 4am for a drug test, and then it's meetings all day. MRIs, the middle of the day, and then back to the train station, everything else.

[Taylor Lewan]

Were you a weight guy? Did you have to keep weight on?

[Will Compton]

I was always a guy that had to gain weight.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So, you know, they get you there, and then you can't eat as much as you typically do. There's no scale. So then when you have to go weigh in, you don't know how much you weigh.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

And they're like, luke, you need to be over £240. So you're just in there chugging.

[Will Compton]

And they have the worst snacks. Like, it's all like Reese's cups and Skittles and. Yeah, I guess this is what I'm doing.

[Taylor Lewan]

I gotta do it. I gotta drink. I gotta eat something.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, you did a great job having, like, food waiting for you. Oh, they have himself a little area. You go.

[Taylor Lewan]

They had a backpack in the. Just stuffed it with everything. I'll tell you what the combine was. I loved it. It was so cool. Because you grow up watching it. You don't really grow up watching training at img. Like, you don't really understand that, but you grow up and you watch these guys run the 40 and jump and bench and do all that stuff. And then you get there and you're like, this is sweet. I get to do. It's like your first step to the NFL.

[Luke Kuechly]

Do load of MRIs.

[Taylor Lewan]

I had to do it. I had to do them on my knees, and I had something on my elbow, but, like, not a. Not a ton. I was pretty lucky.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's funny too, how much everybody. Because I know Levante, him being like, an undersized guy, guys just obsessing over hitting a certain weight.

[Will Compton]

Got to.

[Luke Kuechly]

To weigh in just so you hit the metric. Like, Levante always played, like, in the. Like. Like 220 to 225. But he's like, I have to be like, 233 pounds.

[Taylor Lewan]

Isn't that crazy? I never weighed 240 ever again in my life.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. But on that little stat sheet says 240, 242.

[Taylor Lewan]

And you're like, every.

[Luke Kuechly]

Don't.

[Taylor Lewan]

Don't skip me a pound right there.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. When you step on the skateboard, too, and you saw 242. How juiced.

[Taylor Lewan]

Well, that thing kept ticking up.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I was like, yes, dude.

[Will Compton]

You know what? Another thing that's kind of a sleeper. Did they have the little egg pods?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. You do that afterwards?

[Will Compton]

Yeah. So we would do those IMG like, every couple of weeks. Like, I said, if anything's gonna change. But my body fat would be, like, I don't know, like, 20 or 19 or something like that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Okay.

[Will Compton]

But it had to be in those rooms. They had to have a certain pressure for those that read correctly.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So when I got to the combine, they had, like, this open room where it was, like, being opened and closed a bunch. So my body fat was right at, like, 15.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

I'm like, oh, my. I made a 4% jump in a week.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's crazy.

[Will Compton]

I thought I was killing you.

[Luke Kuechly]

I've been on my.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, I've been on it. What was the most nerve wracking part for you at the combine from. From the, like, athletic standpoint?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, man, the. Probably the 40.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because that was. The question was, how. How much are you gonna weigh and what are you gonna run? So I actually had to run it. I ran. I ran the 43 times.

[Will Compton]

You mess up on one.

[Taylor Lewan]

So the first one I run, it goes really well. Second one, because, you know, you can't see it. You got to find ways to, like, get it. You know, you look at your phone and somebody texts you.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

But it's not.

[Will Compton]

They don't do that anymore. Do you watch it now?

[Taylor Lewan]

No.

[Will Compton]

Now they have people in the stands, and they show your 40.

[Luke Kuechly]

Show it on the board.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, that's kind of nice, because it.

[Will Compton]

Was the same way for me too, where you go up and, like, a couple of the guys are like, hey, what? I run like, they're saying X, Y, and Z. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So then second one comes up, and, you know, when you get in that 40. Start, start. There's holes because everybody's been there. So everybody takes, like, the same, like, first two steps. So there's kind of an indentation in the ground. And I was off just a half step to the left. And I took my first step out, and I stepped kind of in the hole sideways, and I turned right real fast and almost ran into the. The laser reader and then straightened it out. And I ran like. It was. I ran, like, four, nine, and I was like, oh, gosh, that was terrible.

[Luke Kuechly]

You said that was the second one.

[Taylor Lewan]

That was the second.

[Luke Kuechly]

What was the first one?

[Taylor Lewan]

The first one was, like, four or five, and then I go, four, nine, and this guy comes up to me all of the same, and he's like, yeah. He's like, hey, you're gonna probably have to run another one. We got a bad reading on either the first or the second one. And I was like, oh, no.

[Luke Kuechly]

Did you know at the point too that you'd ran a 4 or 5 in the first one?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I knew I ran well. And then the second one, I knew I stepped in the hole. And I'm like, okay, this kind of makes sense. So then everybody had to go run their second one. So I was the last guy after the last guy in the. In the line to go run again. And I ran it again, and I looked at a guy, I was like, how was that? He's like, you're gonna be good. I was like, all right, perfect.

[Will Compton]

You'll be good. So you're in the 4, 5 range.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. He's like. He's like, the middle one must have got messed up, but it was. I stepped in. I stepped in a hole or I stepped. My step was bad or something. But, you know, it's so nerve wracking. That's like the only thing that matters either. What's that?

[Will Compton]

You didn't want to focus on getting a tan before the combine? Of course not.

[Taylor Lewan]

You look faster.

[Luke Kuechly]

Did you ever test. Did you ever test in the. In the four fours?

[Taylor Lewan]

No. At img, I don't think we ever really ran. I think we ran a 40 the, like the first week we were there.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And then everything was just segmented out.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you work on starts flying 20s, you know, flying 40s. So you never really get a true number for what you're gonna run. But you have an idea. Like, I felt good. I felt strong. I felt my starts were good. And then it's like just go. I look so stiff running it, but.

[Will Compton]

I know because it will, and I am.

[Taylor Lewan]

You're trying to do everything when you're training.

[Will Compton]

Like, you're like, elbows and this and that and relax your face. I remember we. I ran a 40 when we first did the 40 IMG, and I was like, a 5 one?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

I was like, there's no way. I'm a. I'm like, I'm a sub 5 guy. No doubt. But I was like, trying to, like, mechanically do exactly what they were saying the whole time to where it was just awful.

[Taylor Lewan]

Part of me thinks that they click it a little bit slower.

[Will Compton]

I thought the same.

[Taylor Lewan]

So they're like, oh, you ran. You ran 5, 4. So then when you run 4, 9, they're like, look what we did.

[Will Compton]

Half second faster. We're the Greatest thing.

[Taylor Lewan]

They were unbelievable. Lauren Seagrave. Was. Was he there? He was unbelievable.

[Will Compton]

Older. Older guy, right?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, he was. Always wore orange.

[Will Compton]

Always orange. He had the really shiny shoes. And then. Who was the chick from London? Did you have the girl?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, she was a. Yeah, she was a gangster. Awesome.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, she was a great running coach. I can't remember her name right now, which kind of sucks.

[Taylor Lewan]

It was. I had a ton of, like, everything that they did, there was a reason why they did it. It's not like we just showed up and they're like, all right, you're gonna do this, and.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I remember running, like, the short shuttle. It was footwork. It was like seven or eight steps.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's all down to.

[Will Compton]

You're talking about the 525 or the.

[Taylor Lewan]

And the 510. 5.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Because the 5105 was like, 2, 3, 2 or something like that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Something like that.

[Will Compton]

They had, like, numbers to it. You're like, okay, if you're somebody who.

[Luke Kuechly]

Could, like, skip over to the first five and just get in, like, two steps, you're, like, dialed in.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

This was amazing. Like, all that stuff that you put in for, you know, there's Lawrence Seagrave right there.

[Will Compton]

That. Yeah, he is awesome.

[Taylor Lewan]

He was great.

[Will Compton]

Dude. So I don't know if you felt this way, but after I ran the 40 and I got the time that I wanted, it felt like everything else was just cake after that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because it's so stressful when you're standing up because we had. What. What number were you. Do you remember for the combine?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, I don't.

[Will Compton]

So what?

[Taylor Lewan]

I. I was 13, maybe. I don't know, 19.

[Will Compton]

19. I was 23.

[Taylor Lewan]

Okay.

[Will Compton]

And my whole thing was like, I just don't want to go first.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So I was like, oh, I'm 23. Last name's Lawan. I'll be. I'll be solid. Well, they broke it up.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So it was 1 through 22. So I was the first guy to go in the second group. And they're like, we're all kind of warming up. Everyone's so stressed out. Yeah, that's my Beyonce walk. And you see that tan?

[Taylor Lewan]

You look. Yeah, you look like you're. You look like you're about 15 right there.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, yeah. That's what the body comp said. But that chick that. I can't remember her name, the one from London, she's like, hey, when you run, go to the back of the platform and have your Beyonce walk, like, every. Like, the whole combine, everyone. You're waiting on everybody.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But once you do that, it's now your time. You take as long as you need, whatever. And so I took all the time in the world because I was. My heart's racing right there. My little gazelle.

[Taylor Lewan]

How good did you think?

[Will Compton]

You see step on the back, too.

[Taylor Lewan]

How'd you think your walk was? You give it a thumbs up.

[Will Compton]

I was. So I was thinking about. Okay steps. You're moving your little feet back, and you're just thinking, please don't get called back on this start.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

That was. I was most nervous about, because learning from img, they basically tell you, like, your first starts can be your best one or your first two. After that, you kind of like your brain that up like CNS or something. So it was once I ran that, and I got back to the boys and, like, hey, they're saying, four, nine right now. I'm like, all right, I know. I'm solid. Yeah, I feel. I feel good about it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Is there a. A team you felt like you knocked it out of the park with in the interview process?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, man. You know what? Not really. I don't. Really. I don't. That was. I don't remember that. I thought the stuff with the Panthers went really good because. So Ron Rivera obviously played with the Bears. My high school road roommate was Mike Morrissey. He was two years older than I am. I was. And he was a great older guy. So when we. When we went on trips on the road, he was my roommate for away games. His dad played with the 85. On the 85 Bears. He played with the Bears, like, 10 years, and he played linebacker with. With Rivera. So I remember going to the combine and be like, I don't know any of these guys, but I know that Jim Morrissey and Mike Morrissey have said really good things about Coach Rivera and his experience with them and their friendship and playing together in Chicago. So I'm like, at least I have one guy that I kind of have a connection to. So that one was out of all of them. It was probably the easiest one after I said how bad my interview was on that video. But, yeah, I felt probably the most comfortable with them because I feel like there's a little bit of a connection there.

[Luke Kuechly]

Did you know. Did you feel really confident that it was going to be the Panthers that grabbed you in the first round?

[Taylor Lewan]

I thought there was a chance. So you kind of looked at, like, teams that I took a visit to Carolina, so I met with them at the combine. I Took a visit down there pre draft, and I kind of knew, like, 9 to 15 to 20, because 15 was Seattle, and they drafted Bruce Irving, Bruce Irvin, and then they ended up with Bobby in the second round. So they were going to draft a linebacker. I thought Buffalo was at 10. I think they drafted Stefan Gilmore from SC, and so I thought it was going to be one of those teams. I also took a visit to Tennessee, so I think it was.

[Luke Kuechly]

Oh, man, that was. Yeah, but they did draft a linebacker, and it was Zach Brown.

[Taylor Lewan]

Zach Brown.

[Will Compton]

He was the second round.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, he gets the second run, dude.

[Will Compton]

Trent Richardson.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. I don't. I don't know where they drafted. What point.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, scroll down a little bit. I want to see who they took.

[Luke Kuechly]

Who you talking about? The Titans.

[Taylor Lewan]

Kendall, right?

[Will Compton]

Kendall Wright.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Damn.

[Luke Kuechly]

They would have got him anyway.

[Taylor Lewan]

You knew who was.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, true. Should have traded up.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But. Yeah, so you. Do you. Did you have any. Did you have a place you wanted to go? Like, you looked at.

[Luke Kuechly]

I like room.

[Taylor Lewan]

I thought Carolina would have been cool. I had some family that was down there. I was familiar. I liked it because Iran.

[Will Compton]

Okay.

[Taylor Lewan]

That was the biggest thing that. That was cool, was that I knew him and they spoke so highly of him. And he was a linebacker and he coached like Erlacher and Briggs. Yeah, he's with San Diego and he's with the Bears. It just. It felt. I was like, that'd be a cool place.

[Luke Kuechly]

How was it when you first got there? How. How was he as a. As a coach? Because I'm sure he's probably hard on you since he was. Since you were a backer.

[Taylor Lewan]

He was phenomenal. He was like. He did a really good job of separating being the head coach, but also, like, he wanted to be a player again. So he'd be in the locker room, he'd talk to guys. He was. He'd have you over to the house. He just made you feel very comfortable. So I always felt like, you know, he was obviously the head coach, but he felt like a guy that he just wanted. He wanted to help you. He wanted to put you in a position to be successful. It was awesome. I couldn't have been in a better spot as far as just the people that were there. Sean McDermott was a defensive coordinator. I don't think that I could have ended up in a better system for. To play linebacker with that four down. Look, I played Mike, which was if I was playing Will. I struggled because in space, you're matched up on receivers. It's just bad news.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, but you can run.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, you can run straight, but.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, Julio Jones did, you know, he did what he did. But that's. Everybody's getting.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, there's.

[Will Compton]

I'm sure. I'm sure.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm sure they can pull a picture of that up.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Paul Swan]

Yeah, sure.

[Luke Kuechly]

Won't be back there working.

[Taylor Lewan]

There it is. It's. Yeah, the right. No, that's. That's not even the best one. There's one that's like two pictures, three pictures to the right on that search. That one looks better. That one looks okay.

[Luke Kuechly]

Actually, matter of fact, take.

[Taylor Lewan]

Look how much higher he is there.

[Luke Kuechly]

Take me.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm not even off the ground.

[Will Compton]

He not even. He just high pointed it. He just high pointed.

[Luke Kuechly]

So you got play because you're running with them.

[Taylor Lewan]

So it's quarters and you're competitive on the ball. Three by one. So it's quarters. And if you have speed at number three, which Julio definitely accounts for that, you get a backside. The backside quarters defender on the hash helps you out.

[Luke Kuechly]

Get you a 3X.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, we called it. We called it a fax call, but yeah, same thing. I was like, great.

[Will Compton]

Two bonding right now.

[Taylor Lewan]

I said, great. You know, you understand my struggle. And they motion the empty and I'm like, oh, oh, man.

[Will Compton]

For the people listening when they motion empty, why.

[Taylor Lewan]

So now there's no more facts or.

[Will Compton]

Or there's no more help from.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, they motioned to. They motioned two weeks ago.

[Taylor Lewan]

This looks so. This look. You know what Matt Ryan's saying right here is my guy's just better than all of you because he looks like he's covered right now.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, you're. You are covering.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I'm running down the field. I'm like, man, I am in good shape. They throw that ball and I'm like, I am in great shape. I can't see him, but I know he's behind me. I reach up and all I hear is. And it's the ball hitting his hands and me falling down and my face hitting the ground. And I just hear the crowd explode.

[Will Compton]

Oh, and I.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I run and I. And I remember I picked my head up. And the only thing I remember him seeing is like, you know when these guys used to score and they. They go like this as they run through the end zone. I just saw him do that. Look at me. Just face, face, face down. And I'm trying to. I'm hearing the crowd scream right now. And then I pick my head up. Did you. And they. Right at the end, they show him kind of right There, that's what I see when I look up. I see that. I see. It says, I can't even see the name Jones because he's tilted forward like that. And then I get to the sideline and my coach is like, hey, you know you're supposed to be on him, right? I was like, brother, I was on. I know I was.

[Will Compton]

That is the craziest comment a coach can make. You're a Mike linebacker.

[Luke Kuechly]

You're coaching Kely and Julio Jones and scores on a competitive ball and you're.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, like, I mean, a competitive. Competitive. Competitive is a nice way to say it. I mean, it looked competitive and then when the ball got thrown that the. The competition kind of went out the window a little bit.

[Will Compton]

Let this play a little bit.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm running. He's running like three quarter speed. I'm running literally as fast as I can, and he's still running away from me.

[Luke Kuechly]

Your safety over top was trying to get in on the action.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I was just.

[Will Compton]

I mean, he looks covered right there. It's.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's covered in Matt, right?

[Luke Kuechly]

He just throws the ball up for him.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, look, I'm trying to pull through the. I'm trying to pull through the pocket.

[Will Compton]

Stab for the pocket.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm trying to pull through the pocket. He just kind of big boy me there a little bit.

[Will Compton]

God. I mean, you see a guy like Julio Jones.

[Taylor Lewan]

You don't have to give me. You don't have to give me. Excuse. You just say that you got.

[Will Compton]

You got.

[Taylor Lewan]

God, you got that. That was on Randy Moss's. You got Moss the next week. So you always want to be on. You got Moss as a little kid, but not for that reason.

[Will Compton]

Not that way at all. Was that what is like the. Your toughest play? Like the worst moment you've had? The worst, mom. Was that it?

[Taylor Lewan]

No, that wasn't it. Because I kind of felt like it. The best I could have done.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. You know, I give 100 effort. The results.

[Taylor Lewan]

My effort was strong. It's just kind of like, hey, hey, man. Like, she made a place just better than you.

[Will Compton]

He was better for that moment.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So he's. Yeah, he's just better. I remember my rookie year, we were playing Seattle and it was Russ. Russ was a quarterback back. Russ and I trained together at the combine. For the combine. Remember, he breaks contain. He's running to his right. He breaks contain. Obviously he's running down the field. I'm in coverage. So he crossed the line of scrimmage. I'm. I was like, I'm gonna crush him. And he's running, and he's running, like, almost straight at me. I've got a great angle, and he's running like this. And I'm running like that. I'm like, I'm gonna crush him. The last second, right before about the hit me, puts his left foot, left foot in the ground and cuts back this way. And I'm getting ready to just like, fall into the tackle. And I turn and look. Guess who was running Mach 5 at my face that Russ set up? Mike Robinson. You remember him? Penn State guy. He. He hit me. He hit me so hard that I don't really. I didn't even feel it. It wasn't a dirty hit. He didn't mean the head. He just hit me, and I just crumpled to the ground. And I remember, like, looking up and he just smiled at me. And I was like, you got me. He's like, I know, I know. So it was. That was. That was. You talk about, like, welcome to the NFL. Your rookie moment. Yeah, that was one of them. And then we played. Played Tampa, my rookie year at home. It was an. It was. We were up at the end of the game. We were probably up six or seven points. They ran a vertical ball, three verticals in cover four. And I was matched up on Vincent Jackson. And Josh Freeman throws this great back shoulder ball to him. And I thought I had him covered in college. You. He. You're close to him. He's covered.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I didn't know. I didn't know what a back shoulder ball was.

[Luke Kuechly]

See the eyes.

[Taylor Lewan]

And so I'm running with him, and then all of a sudden he spins, he opens up up, and he puts his hands backside, and he catches this football. I was like, how'd that happen? Like, some of that stuff. You scored a touchdown. They tied it up. They go to overtime. We lose in overtime.

[Will Compton]

Oh.

[Taylor Lewan]

So it was just like one of those things where you don't. You're just naive, and then something happens in a game and you're like, oh, that's what they were. Yeah, that's what a back shoulder ball is. And that ball. I was. I mean, I felt like I was in great position, but the ball was literally perfect. My awareness was zero. And he just put it on his back shoulder. Vincent Jackson opened up and caught that ball, and I was like, damn, that sucks.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

So did you really not have a TV in your apartment, your rookie?

[Taylor Lewan]

That's so. No, I. I had. I had everything. I had.

[Will Compton]

Oh, no.

[Luke Kuechly]

The lure of socks. He's all B.O.

[Taylor Lewan]

So what happened? So what happened was you lied.

[Luke Kuechly]

So.

[Taylor Lewan]

No, it happened going into my, the, the rumor was going into my second year, I moved apartments like in end, end of July. So then, you know, going into July, I. You're going in the training camp for the first like three or four weeks of the season. And I just, it was on the back burner for. To set up cable. I had my Internet set up, but I was like, I don't need cable for this first like six, eight weeks because I'm never going to be here.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I didn't have it set up and somehow one of my buddies got wind of it and it just turned in this. It just turned into this whole thing where.

[Luke Kuechly]

So that came from one of your.

[Will Compton]

Buddies somehow in the locker room?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, it came in the locker room. Like, hey, did you watch? Like somebody's like, hey, you've been watching whatever. I was like, no, I don't have, I don't have the cable set up in my TV in my, in my apartment yet. They're like, why not? I was like, I just moved. I didn't have time to set it up. Like we just went to training camp. Like, like not here very much. Anyways, so when I get back from after training camp, I'll get it set up. So that was like what had happened. Everyone's like, you didn't have tv. I'm like, I'm not a psychopath.

[Will Compton]

It was very much framed like that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Which is, you know, I just pictured you in a carpeted room with a blow up mattress.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Maybe a hyperbaric chamber.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Just paper plates in a microwave and macaroni and cheese and ramen.

[Will Compton]

Never microwave. It takes out too much nutrients for you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, there it is right there. There.

[Will Compton]

God. Yeah, that is, that is one of the things that like, look at that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean, that's an insane throwing catch.

[Taylor Lewan]

And then they went for two. They're down, they're down, they're down eight. So then they got the two point conversion afterwards.

[Will Compton]

God.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I ran into the goal post and that was like insult the injury. Like, I just got, I just got worked and I just got crushed by the post. Watch this. Oh, look at my leg. God. Sucks. And then you turn around and then you turn, then you look up and you're like, he definitely caught it. And look at the official. Yeah, it's like he was waiting to do that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Looks like.

[Will Compton]

Make sure you're taking a peek.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he scored.

[Luke Kuechly]

I was like, nobody touched that ball.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, dang. Look at me, I'm like, gosh, I suck.

[Will Compton]

Good hip flexibility, though.

[Taylor Lewan]

21. So it didn't really matter, dude.

[Luke Kuechly]

Defensive player, rookie of the year, though.

[Taylor Lewan]

Luckily they didn't see that play.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, but how awesome is that?

[Taylor Lewan]

That it was cool. It was fun. I mean, it was. You just to have the opportunity to play like that as much as I did as a rookie was so cool.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

In a great system, it was. That system was set up for linebackers to just run around. It was cover three, cover four, a little bit of man. We had really good guys in front of us. Our defensive line was sick, and they called plays that highlighted the linebacker. So it was Thomas and I guy. So John Beeson, talk about who's a thumper, who I talk about, like, so go back to college with herzlich and Mike McLaughlin, like great older veteran guys that had no. Their pride, never got in the way. They were just there to help you. Mike Morrissey, the guy I talked about, that new Ron. And those guys were so helpful. And then when I got to Carolina, it was the same way. So when I got there, it was. James Anderson was coming off her career year. Beast was coming back from an Achilles, All Pro Pro Bowler, like the dude in the middle, like, stud. And then Thomas was coming back from his 30 ACL. Thomas at full speed was what Thomas was for 16 years in the NFL. And then me. So there was four of us. I was the rookie. Beast and TD were coming back from substantial injuries and Achilles and an acl. And then James, excuse me, was going to play, obviously healthy, had a great year, coming off a good year. So I remember I showed up, my rookie, one of my first days there, TD comes in, and he's like, hey, I'm Thomas. Here's my number. Lock me in. You need anything, let me know. And I was like, that's just an older guy coming in and, like, checking a box and doing all this stuff. But it was. He was the best helpful, talked you through things, taught you stuff, where to. Who to talk to, to, you know, chiropractors, where to. But just where to do everything. In Charlotte, he was fantastic. How to practice, how to be tough, how to play hurt, like all that stuff. And then Beast was. Beast got hurt. Beast got put on ir, I think after the Atlanta game, my rookie year, which was like week or week two or three. And so then I slid from outside linebacker to inside linebacker at Mike Beast's spot. And all Beast ever did was help me. Sat next to me in meetings, talked to me, watch tape with Me, hey, this is how I, this is how I played cover two and this is why. This is where my eyes looked like. There was never, there was never any sense of like, you're playing Mike, you're a first round pick. Like, I'm hurt. I've been hurt two years in a row. Maybe I, There was never like, I'm worried about my job. It was, how can I help you? So I think, you know, I was always very fortunate to have guys like that through my football career. High school, college, and then Beast and Thomas and James and a guy named Jordan Sen who was played with us for a long time. He was like a. Could play all three spots, big time teamer, but was very smart, very intelligent, great with his body. He sat right next to me in the locker room and he would just, all he ever did was just help me. So I was just great coach with Ron and McD was a D coordinator. And then those guys around me was like a perfect situation.

[Luke Kuechly]

Dude, TD had a hell of a career. I mean, three ACLs and able to.

[Will Compton]

Come back and play the way. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

And I, I met him out at one of the NFL, one of the NFLPA meetings and this dude's just eating like burger and fries and.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, that's how he was.

[Luke Kuechly]

Whatever. And he sits there, he sits there. I'm like, hey, are you eating like this throughout the season? He's like, oh, I eat whatever I want all the time. Which is like, why, buddy, how in the do you do that?

[Taylor Lewan]

I think some of those guys, like that's just, they're more, that's just what they're, they're best at that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like this is what he plays, this is what he's. How his body reacts the best and that's what he's gonna do. But his like 6 inch snap was unbelievable. He was so fast.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So explosive snap, ultra physical and just a great guy to watch as far as how to do things.

[Will Compton]

Just a dangerous linebacker room.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just tough, high effort, ultra competitive. You know, like all those things that require no athletic ability. It's all like decisions like, you know, you are what you are athletically, you are how height, weight, speed, whatever. You make a decision how tough you are, how physical you are, how hard you play and how much it matters to you. Like those are things that you control. And he was, it was great to see that from an older guy as a young guy. Like, these are non negotiables that you make the decision when you walk on the field. You're going to do it a Certain way.

[Will Compton]

Way.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. It sounds like you had great leadership.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Walking and helping you out on that road immediately.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That's unreal. When you. You. Obviously, there's such a conversation revolved around you about, like, calling out plays. Did you already have that capability to break down film, or did those guys. Were they a big part of teaching you that stuff?

[Taylor Lewan]

So I was fortunate. In high school, our high school coach would bring us down to his office during lunch, and he'd put on a VHS tape, and we'd eat lunch down there, and he'd put the tape on. The tape would just run, and we could, like, rewind it if we wanted to.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

But then you don't really understand why you're doing that until you know you're in the game and you're like, oh, I saw that in. And when we were watching tape with coach, and usually it's after the fact, so it's like very, like, retrospective. But you start to figure out, like, oh, I can get a real advantage by watching tape. So we kind of did that in high school. And then I got to college, and there's a guy, another guy, Wes Davis. He was a safety, California guy, super smart, intelligent, big tape guy. So when you get to college, you know, it's like, you can. You can watch whatever you want. You can sort it however you want to watch it. Personnel formation, down a distance. You know how it is. Whatever you want.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I go in there, and I'm like, this is too much for me to handle. I got to figure out how to do this. So I would go watch tape with Wes. This is as a freshman. And, you know, Wes would be in there, and he'd be like, all right, hey, imagine we're playing cover four. And you get this. Like, how you playing it? So you start to figure out, all right, I can match my call up with the play. So when I watch. Watch. When I watch tape, I can envision myself in that situation. So that was kind of like the first step. And then the second step would be Wes would be in meetings and say, all right, he's like, this. This gives us problems in cover three. And in my head, I'm like, I don't really know what that means, but, like, sure. So he'd be like, this is why it gives us problems. He's like, if I see this look in a game, I'm gonna let you know. And then we'll just kind of play it like this. You know, you kind of play the play a little bit. And he's like, all right, I'm gonna give you a heads up in the game when we're gonna get it. He's like, I'm gonna tell you when I played a certain way and we'll be in good shape. I was like, all right, great. So then comes up in a game, west gives me, like, a nod, and I'm like, hey, this is what he's doing. No, I give him a nod back, hey, what's up? Like. And the play would happen, and I would just be aloof and be like, I gave you a nod. I was like, I gave you one back. He's like, no, that was the. That was the plan.

[Will Compton]

That was it.

[Taylor Lewan]

So then just slowly, over time, you're like, okay, now I understand why he's watching tape. So you watch tape, you understand situations, and you pick stuff up and you accumulate knowledge. And over time, you just understand, like, this is how teams really want to run the football. This is how it matches up against our defense. These are the top formations. I mean, you know how it is. It's like if it's two by two and the tight ends on the line of scrimmage, their top wrong concepts are probably this, this, and this, right? And once you know that, then it's like, all right, so if we're in an overfront and they run that first run play and we're in this defense, who's gonna block me? Okay, this guy's gonna block me. All right, say they run the other play in the same defense, same front, boom. This. Now this guy's gonna block me, and you go through that. And then when practice rolls around, you get it. And then when the game rolls around, it's like, all right, here's my formation. Here's my, my, my, my, my call on defense. This is how we're lined up. The ball gets snapped, I get my one read from whoever I'm reading. Boom. Now I know who's going to block me. I know where the ball is going to go. I have to beat that guy in the run game, whoever's going to block me. And then I'm clean to the football. You know, one guy is blocking you on each play. So if I know top run concepts, I know how it fits within our defense. I know where I line, I know where my stressors are. The ball gets snapped, I read, boom. Now I know who's going to block me. Now I have. Now I already have a plan of attack on how I'm going to get after him before the ball gets snapped. So then you're playing the game before the ball gets snapped, and then everything just slows down as the ball gets snapped. So it was just because you gotta, like, you know how it is. You gotta. This is a bad play right here. So I remember exactly this play.

[Will Compton]

I like to see this one.

[Taylor Lewan]

So Andy Galax, the center you guys ran, it was like a split zone. Look, split zone. Hang on. We're in man coverage and we're in. It's an in and out.

[Luke Kuechly]

So it's safety down here.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So TD and I are like the in and out guys. So my guy goes. Goes back across formation, the tight end. I gotta fall back in a pass in pass game.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

But if it's a run, I gotta stay front side. So it was a run. I see the guy go back across the formation, I fall back and this ball stays front side and look where it hits. I get blocked by, I think Andy Galax, the center is a BC guy looks where it gets hit. Probably right where it should be. Kind of a disaster. Who's. Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

So probably disaster.

[Taylor Lewan]

This was a touchdown.

[Will Compton]

I mean, there's a long hole.

[Taylor Lewan]

Dexter McCluster on this touchdown here. Year.

[Will Compton]

So what is this, 2015? Yeah, we were bad then, too. How would you 3 and 13 year for us?

[Luke Kuechly]

How did your prep develop, like, in the league? Like, are you.

[Will Compton]

Are.

[Luke Kuechly]

How are you breaking down each day? Like on Monday, are you first, second down?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, so. So like Monday was. So, you know, Monday you come in, you get a workout, flush, watch the. Watch the game from the night before and kind of day before, whatever, make your corrections. And then I'd always watched two first halves of the team that we were playing and just get like, general feel. And I always feel like first halfs are better because you got to. You got to feel for who they were, Right. So I think about falling or like, think about, like, say we're watching. We're watching the Titans. And I watched the whole game. Maybe in the second half, you guys are up big, and so now you guys are running the ball a little bit more. Maybe the past game's not as aggressive. They're different than what they want to be coming out out.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Versus in the first half, like your first 15, your first probably 25 plays or things that you guys have really thought about, your top concepts, stuff like that. So I'd watch two first halves and just get a feel for like, you know, what do they look like up front? You know, are they like. For example, we play the Falcons, right? Alex Mack, like, big, athletic, smart, Rangy, really good player. Like, damn, I got my work cut out for this guy. And then you go, you know, in the backfield, it was Tevin Coleman. He's like, big, kind of a slasher. Like, one cut, wide zone type guy. Devonte Freeman is like a little bit of shake, good burst, could run physical. Not a real big guy, but gets lost. And, like, is a firm. Really good. I thought he was really good. And if he could speed you up, slow you down, run through you, and then you look on the outside. Austin Hooper was the. The tight end. And then it was like Roddy White and Julio Jones. You're like, all right, boom. So, like, this is how they look up front. This is what they look like in the backfield. Like, you know, we play the Falcons. You don't really need to watch Matt a whole lot because you got a really good feel for. We played him twice a year.

[Luke Kuechly]

He's.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's Matt Ryan, you know, Like, I don't. You don't need to take a ton of notes on that, but you get a feel for. All right, Kyle Shanahan, wide zone shifts and motions. They're going to try to get you in a compromised position. They want to run the ball to the bubble. So that's Monday. And just. It's like, click through. Like, click through stuff real quick. Quick Tuesday.

[Luke Kuechly]

Now, are you a big notes guy.

[Taylor Lewan]

Or are you just notes? Because that helps me. If I write it, then it helps me remember.

[Will Compton]

And this Monday, you're not necessarily taking notes. You're just feeling the game.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Feeling the process of the game.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. And feel them. And, like, I'll write down some notes. Like, if they've got a dude that I'm not used to playing against or I haven't seen a lot of, I'm like, this is. I'll be like, offensive line moves really well. Center 51 is a really good player. Running backs, this is how these guys feel. Because I always felt like with running backs, if you don't play against them a lot, you don't know how they, like, feel on contact. And I didn't like that. Like, I want to know early in the game, how do you feel? Are you firm? Like, stuff like that? And I felt like that was one thing I always wanted to watch during the week is how do they run? How do they take contact? Do they like contact? Like, are they a stiff arm guy? Are they. What do they like doing? Because then in the game, you got to have a plan. I mean, you'll play Marshawn lynch you can't just, like, run in there and. And hope you're going to get them on the ground. So then I would take light notes on that, just get a feel. Because mentally, I was like, Monday was a day where I'm like, I need to kind of break it up a little bit. So if I took a ton of notes, I'm like, this is just too much mentally. So then Tuesday, you come in, hit a little workout. And then I'd watch run game. So our coaches did a good job of breaking down run game based on, like, formation down in distance. Excuse me, top concepts. And then I would go and highlight, like, four games. And then, you know, you can sort everything. So I'd sort it by, like, personnel. So, like, all right, I want to. I want to see all their 12 personnel runs. And, like, how do they run the ball to 12 personnel? So three by one? Is it two by two? Do they like running 12 personnel and putting the tight. The tight end in the backfield? Because if. So now it turns into, like, two back run versus, like, if they're in a wing or double, like, ace, both on the line of scrimmage. Now it's like one back run.

[Will Compton]

It's like 21 instead of 12.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So it's like a completely different concept. So I want to know what they do. And then I would break it down by, like, personnel, group, then formation, and then top concepts inside the formation. I take notes on all those and just chart it because, like, it took a lot of time, but I felt like if I could write it down, then I would remember it better. So then. And by Tuesday, I usually had. I usually had the game plan, like, first and second down game plan. So then I'd watch all that, chart everything, watch those games. And then I'd watch a full game after that and then see how it fits. So, like, when do they run it? Like, when are they 11, when are they 12? What are they, like, doing out of 13? When do they do it in a game? And, like, what's the game flow? And then you could call. I could call defenses within that. Within that, watching that game. So, you know, first and 10, the first quarter, like, all right, I'm just gonna play cover three. So line up and cover three. See my overfront, See where I got a line, see where rotation is, and then kind of go through it that way, and then, you know, just kind of buzz through it like that. So then you get a feel for how they want to run the ball out of formations. You get a good feel for what they are and then you see how it applies to the game and how they get to stuff. And then I can apply our first and second down game plan to that and just run through that. And then Wednesday after practice I do the same thing, but with first and second down pass. So break it down the same way and see how the run game matches with pass game, what conflicts you could potentially what conflicts. And then like you start to figure out like, are they a formation based team in the sense of do they run plays, run plays and pass plays out of formations? So regardless what the personnel is like, if it's three by one wing, they could run that at 11, they could run it at 12, they could run at a 13, they could run it at 10 if they wanted. But it's the same run concept and they're just looking for the best matchup within personnel groupings that run that run play.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Or are they a personnel group team where in 11 these are their top five run concepts. And then in 12 they want to run this and in 13 they start getting heavy. It's like short yardage. They're going to play too heavy. A wing and a backside tight end and it's going to be like load, power, counter, o y three pullers going somewhere. Or are they just, like I said, a formation based team? So then as the week goes on, you get a feel for what this team wants to do, why they want to do it, how they get to it. Are they a shift motion team? Do they build sets? Because the only thing that matters in football is what's the final formation. So are they stagnant or do they line up in three by one and then shift to two by two and then motion this guy across to three by one? I don't care about any of that. I just want to know what's the final result? What's the final result of the formation is what I want to get to and how do they do it? So, so when the game comes around, you're not like, oh well, it's three by one. But I didn't anticipate them getting to it. Like, no, I already knew that they're gonna be a heavy shift, heavy motion. My brain's already turned on to it. So when they get to, when they start to move, guys, it's like, I've already prepared myself for this. And then third down, you just watch it by, you know, down a distance.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right, right.

[Taylor Lewan]

And then watch, watch another game and see kind of how it all ties together. And then Friday was red Zone and specials. Like, if we were playing, you know, Cal or Alvin Camara, like, you get a lot of matchups one on one with him. If we play man coverage, like, I don't. I don't like that matchup.

[Luke Kuechly]

Are we able to get the rat in this situation or, like, stay in the box?

[Taylor Lewan]

And if I get put in a bad situation, I need to have a plan of attack of, like, right. Does he, like, moving off a certain foot? How does he stem. Where does he get uncomfortable? Where's his move area? Out of the backfield? Where does he, like going? And then. So when you get in that situation, if it's man, you're like, all right, like, he's better athlete than me. He's gonna probably make me miss a bunch. But, like, here's my plan of attack that I've already thought about on Friday. So when it comes around in the game, you're like, all right, I'm good. Like, yeah, this is my plan of attack, and, like, I feel good about it, and I'm gonna go attack him, and if it works, great. If not, like, I feel good about what I did going into the game.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. How big of a role did the TV copy love?

[Taylor Lewan]

TV copy?

[Will Compton]

Yeah, the TV copy. Is that where you found getting on the checks?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yes.

[Will Compton]

Stuff like that.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you just. I would just watch, like, the all 22, and then anytime the quarterback comes in line of scrimmage, you turn on the TV copy and see what you got to everything that he says, you got to listen to it and write it down, and then you got to check it a few times, you know?

[Luke Kuechly]

Do you remember any teams that were changing their verbiage because they essentially knew that they were playing against you?

[Taylor Lewan]

No. If I didn't. If I didn't. If I didn't know a word. I never guessed, but, like, you always have to. It's always just like a.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's probably like, salt, Pepper.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Did I tell you lacquer, Briggs?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, Salt and pepper. So that was. Was used in the super bowl. And I thought salt was left and pepper was right because salt is an L and pepper was right.

[Luke Kuechly]

No, because they had white, black. You got. Well, they had background there and a black line. Background. Salt, salt, salt, salt. Hey, you're white. Hey, they're gonna be blocking my ass. Luke's like, hey, left, left, left.

[Taylor Lewan]

They're going left and td.

[Will Compton]

Hey, what's crazy? I'm on the same page with you because inside.

[Taylor Lewan]

Inside that game. So inside the game, they said, like, Tiger and Paradis Matt Paris was his center, and he. And he said, tiger, Tiger. And one of the offensive linemen was like, huh? And he said, tiger. I was like, ah, you're going to the right. So I took that forward to Salt and Pepper. And I remember having an argument with TD about it. And we get in the sideline, and I'm like, I don't know why they called Pepper. And they. And they went to you. I was on the right side or whatever, the left side. They're right. And he's like, no, you missed the whole thing. Salt, you're white. Pepper. I was like, oh, it makes sense now.

[Will Compton]

Even the crafty of. Crafty of the minds get caught.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my gosh. It was so funny, man. Dude.

[Will Compton]

I mean, yeah, there's definitely, like, a crazy amount of you calling out those plays. Like, what do you think your batting percentage was on those?

[Taylor Lewan]

I think if you feel good about it, like, I remember we played Tampa in 2015, and they had a toss play, and it was Tulsa. And I remember we were. It was a check they talked about. We were. It was like on a third down maybe, and we were all mugged up. So Thomas and I were both mugged up. We had a safety mugged up, so we were, you know, if they had. And they had a. They had a front side bunch. And so if they. If you just down, block pin and pull the. Off the ball, defenders that are supposed to make the play are never going to get there. It's like throwing a screen out of a mug. Look like a wide receiver screen. And I remember he gets there, and James comes up and looks around, and he's like, all right, we got double mug. All these guys are in line of scrimmage. Safety's down, showing off the backside. The rotational guy and the nickel showing up because it's a bunch, because he's got to press the point, and he checks Tulsa. And I'm like, oh, my gosh. Perfect.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And so we pull. We pull everybody out and bump everyone. Plus everyone, front side, just totally get out of the blitz. We were supposed to be dropping defensive tackles. It was like a sim pressure. And we just told all the defense linemen, like, go, don't drop. It's a run, it's a toss. Go. And one of the guys, I think Jared Allen, made the tackle. And I just. I was so happy. It was like, it all worked. You know, you get that one play. Get that one play you make based on film, and you just like, yeah, it's all worth it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You know, all the Preparation was worth.

[Taylor Lewan]

It for sure, and TD was great at that. TD Watched a ton of tape, too, so we had a good little combo.

[Will Compton]

When you get to those games, the amount of preparation you put in, knowing, like, Alvin Kamara, when you're like this, I'm gonna attack him. So I know, regardless, like, my process has been correct.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Did you have nerves before the games, or was it like haze in the barn?

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, oh, I was always nervous.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, you want to. You always want to get in the flow as fast as you can of the game. Game. And the longer you're out of the flow of the game, the less you feel like you're a part of the game.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So you can prepare all you want, but you. You want to get into the flow of the game as quickly as you can. And if you're not in the flow, you feel like you're floating, and I hate that. So you're always nervous to go in the game because you don't know. Each game feels different. Like, it feels different from, you know, the surface is different. How the team you play is different. The coordinators are different. How they want to attack you is different. The players are different. The run game's different. The. The re. Like, everything feels different each game. And you were always like. I don't know about nervous or you're anxious.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

To, like, feel. Feel the game and be. And feel like you're a part of the game. And until you do that, you're kind of like, damn, like, I need to. Need to get in there.

[Will Compton]

I need to get in there, need to feel something.

[Taylor Lewan]

I need, like, a little action early in the game with.

[Will Compton]

With that thought process, this. Was it better for you in your mind to go three and out your first defensive drive? Like, oh, boys, we got them. Three and out. Or like, a nine, eight, nine play, gritty drive where maybe they come up points, but, like, you know, okay, this next drive, I'm. I feel like I'm immersed in this game now, so I feel a whole lot better.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think it depends on if you get. If you get a piece of something early. Yeah, yeah, you got to get a piece.

[Will Compton]

Explain to me the piece of something.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, if. If you make a good tackle, like, on first or second or third down or like, first or second down, you make a. You make a good play. Like, around the line of scrimmage in the run game, you're like, all right, I got, like, kind of first hits.

[Will Compton]

Out of the way.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm good. Or, like, you get a. Like, you make a Good play. On third down, you get a stop or off the field in like a three and out or, you know, you just. You're in the mix or, like, you feel to say they run power and you like, you like, stick a guard and you force a guard, you're like, all right, I'm in good shape. But if it's like, pass, toss, run away incomplete on third down, you're still like, like itching a little bit. Yeah, you need to get, like, you need to get up. You need to get a piece of something. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You need to feel somebody.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Talk about the pain from. From the super bowl.

[Will Compton]

And have you forgiven Cam Newton for not jumping on that phone?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my gosh. It was it. The further you get away from it, the more you appreciate it. Like, how special that year was, how much fun we had, how good our locker room was. Like, all the games that we played in that were so fun. The. The city of Charlotte was awesome. Like, the media coverage of that season in the locker room, it was like anybody that was. Anybody reporter wise was in the locker room every week. We didn't lose a game until Christmas. We played on Thursday. We played. Yeah, here we go. Played on Thursday night in Jerry world down in Dallas on Thanksgiving.

[Luke Kuechly]

Oh, buddy, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Yeah, that was my favorite game to watch of you.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm like. I'm like, you're like a proud father and I'm your son. It's like you just got, like, super.

[Will Compton]

Comfortable in that chair because we'll talk to the Cowboys. He usually has a dim light on it, so it's nice to see him light up with the Cowboys just as.

[Luke Kuechly]

A backer and appreciating and respecting the game that we played. Like, watching. Getting to watch that Thursday night football game because again, you're not like, watching everybody else, like, when you're playing on Sundays, but knowing that you had there was dedicated time, like on holidays to where it's like, oh, these teams are playing today and watching you against the Cowboys, those two play, those two picks you had back to back. I've sat there and I was trying to get everybody in the room enthralled. Like, do you guys understand what just happened? You being a Tampa 2 player and them trying to run you out, clear you out for that deep dagger by one, and you coming down to pick it off after you already have your responsibility taken care of. That is art.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, you're coming back.

[Luke Kuechly]

Kind coming back the next series and knowing you're in a Cover 4 responsibility with wit as the tight end, and they're trying you over the top without any safety help, and you picking that ball off, getting your head around, that's art. And I just want you to know.

[Taylor Lewan]

That I need you to hang around me and talk me up a little more.

[Will Compton]

I.

[Luke Kuechly]

Obviously, you have all the accomplishments in the world, but just, like, some of those plays and you just talking through Tulsa, knowing you're mugged up and everything else, I appreciate the art that you put on display.

[Taylor Lewan]

It was. It was. I appreciate that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I'm getting really juiced up right now. But these plays right here, boys, like, you guys need to lock in.

[Taylor Lewan]

The guy that made the play was Thomas. So we were in a sim pressure. So basically, what was supposed to happen is TD was supposed to blitz, and we were supposed to drop the defensive end to the field. So Romo saw the pressure, so he's like, all right, the hook player. It was just simp pressure. Cover 3. The hook player is a defensive end. So I'm gonna throw this dig right behind the defensive end. So Romo. Romo checks protection, swings, everything. And so Thomas is like, do we need to get out of this? They just push protection to me. It's a bad matchup. So he checked. Thomas looks at me. Hey, we need to check cover two. I was like, all right, cool. Let's do it.

[Will Compton]

So who's at the green dot?

[Taylor Lewan]

I did, but Thomas and I and, like, Roman and Kurt Coleman, it was like. It's just a discussion. It's a discussion.

[Will Compton]

Crazy that you guys have enough time to have a discussion as well. That's wild to me.

[Taylor Lewan]

TD And I have had, like, a. Hey. He's like, he just miked it. You want to go to cover two? And I was like, you want to? He's like, yeah. I was like, all right, cool. Check cover two. So, like, you've got time. And then this play is, like, one of those plays that you talked about. Like, you always want to get this play in cover two, and it never works out that way, right? Like, either you're a backside hook player or you're blitzing, or it's man coverage, and it's just one of those plays where it's just right place, right time.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, it happened, and you're taking a shot.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah. You're like.

[Will Compton]

You're.

[Taylor Lewan]

You're.

[Luke Kuechly]

You're trusting.

[Taylor Lewan]

Whitten, look at Whitney's.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, he's wide open. Yeah, but again, you're trusting. You're. You're trusting. Can you go back to the top of the play.

[Taylor Lewan]

And a lot of it starts too, with.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like you starting high and trusting that. All right, Romos went through this progression to where now I'm going to take a shot and leave the middle of the field to go pick off and then stagger.

[Taylor Lewan]

The other thing is, so Bennett Benwickery is playing. He was one of our corners. He's playing at the. I think this him at the bottom of the screen. I mean, if you don't get a good jam on that guy, then I can't see the release. So the release by one. If he inside releases and you get a clear out and then a sit look at the jam. Do you see the jam by Benet?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So the jam slows it down.

[Will Compton]

This is what we're talking about.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Down low at the bottom.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, he. He gets the good jam, pushes him inside and. And puts those two guys on levels and slows him down. So the progression for Romo is slower.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

So he doesn't get to dot that ball when he wants to, but I get to see inside release by 1. I can see the sit by 2. And then once he puts his foot in the ground, I'm like, all right, I'm clean. Like, I'm good. Because I know that once his inside release is coming, he's probably going to run an in cut, and that's going to push Roman to that over.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

So then you're like, all right. But then you're like, you said you're kind of. You're kind of taking like a calculated chance.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah. So that's the mic backer. You have the middle of the field.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. You see how to bail out and you're deep.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah. And his backs to the quarterback. So again, he's taking like a calculated risk just coming out of the middle of the field.

[Will Compton]

And so why.

[Luke Kuechly]

You know, he's. It's like you're jumping the fat lady when the pretty one's behind you.

[Will Compton]

Why at that point are you like, okay, I'm safe? Because, you know, your safety is now coming back over the top to help you out.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. And you kind of know. You kind of know where that ball is meant to be thrown. The ball is meant to be thrown to the dig.

[Will Compton]

Got you. So, like, Romo in his mind is still thinking. You guys are in a simulated pressure where the ends gonna drop and that guy's covering him.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think he probably knows it's this point that we're not. I just think he probably is like, all right, I got. I Got Tampa the. The hook player jumped the. The little in n out route, the whip route. So I'm just going to throw it behind.

[Will Compton]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

So I had a little bit more time to kind of feel it out because Benet got such a good jam. He slowed the progress of that guy, really got him inside. So like it's. It's one of those things like you don't just make the play by yourself. Really good jam, right. We had really good pressure that whole, that whole game. We hit him a bunch. So like that clock gets sped up and then Thomas great awareness by him of like getting out of that.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. You have incredible quarterback answers of, of shouting out the team throughout the entire.

[Will Compton]

Of course.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean he's right.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like when what Romo scene is like he knows as the hook player sitting there, he's like, oh, this is 100 out of 100. I'm gonna hit this clear right. Hit this dig over time.

[Will Compton]

Because you can see right here, even with you covering the standby, like that almost seems a little open to me. But he's holding right here.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And that where him. He's like, oh, there's no one. Because he's expecting you to still go up because.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, cuz avoid in the middle of the field.

[Taylor Lewan]

Nickel is moving out towards that whip. So that ball is supposed to get thrown between the numbers in the hash. Right? That dig. That's the dig window. So he's like, I'm in good shape, you know.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

And I'm sure we're not able to show the screen like during the YouTube. So anybody that's curious, it's Tony Romo throws an interception to Luke Kikley. Look that play up.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

You'll be able to show stills. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because that is. That is art. Like that's the beauty. That's the game within the game. That kind of like people see and like, wow, Luke Kely is amazing. But for you to like give us what TD was saying. The. The jam, all of that, like that is. That's good football. That's 11 guys getting say it's so.

[Paul Swan]

Funny how he's like, yeah, you know, we had time. He bumped him and put him inside and gave me more time. It's like this is happening in four seconds.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Yes. Which is just so crazy because you're not supposed to be anywhere near that ball. Ball when it's thrown.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. It just, it just all. It's cool. It just all fits. It like all fits together, you know.

[Will Compton]

Was there and I hate to bring this up Again, any chatter about Cam Newton not jumping on that fumble?

[Taylor Lewan]

Honestly, no.

[Will Compton]

No one ever. No one ever whispered.

[Taylor Lewan]

No. His. His toughness. We never questioned it. The guy never, never complained. He the first guy in every day. He worked so hard. Never. Never yelled at guys, never threw guys under the bus. Like, you talk about a dude that just. All he wants to do is play football, and it's just a. That was just a bad game for us. We just didn't play. We didn't play our best game that, bro.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Seeing Cam Newton on the field, there's like. There's like a few guys. Calvin Johnson comes to mind, but seeing Cam Newton dressing on the field, he.

[Will Compton]

Looks like a creative player.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, he's like an action figure out.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's like all of six five, everybody.

[Will Compton]

Well, he's taller than six five. We saw him at Power Slap, and he was eye to eye with me. I felt like he was taller. Must have got that.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's got the hat, he's got the hair. He's like. He's like. He's like 7ft tall with all that.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, no doubt. He's not getting any rides. But that's interesting you say that because the way he's portrayed in the media is that, like, he's a cat. That seems like a very much an eye guy. Well, that, like, when he's. When he's on espn, he's saying, I would rather have my. My MVP trophy than a Super bowl trophy. I'm not getting that same vibe as I'm getting from you. We're like, oh, he's a team dude.

[Luke Kuechly]

Would you give up your defensive player of the years for that Super Bowl?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, dude. Super bowl is like the Mecca, man.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know, that's all you want.

[Will Compton]

It's not even a quacky.

[Taylor Lewan]

You just want to win a Super Bowl.

[Will Compton]

But he looked at you like you were dumb right there. He's like, what are we talking?

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll tell you what. Toughness, competitiveness, love of the game of football, love of the Carolina Panthers. Like, Cam, just tough. You never questioned, is he gonna play hard? Like, you never question that. You might question, like, what is he gonna wear? But the dude competed. He played so hard, loves football. Just tough and competitive.

[Luke Kuechly]

And it just. It also. Clearly, he knew what was going on. But it's like that. What is it? That clip of that play where somebody's trying to call out something and somebody's trying to call something. I see what you're trying to do.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Oh, you like that? Watch this.

[Luke Kuechly]

Oh, that Was Clay Matthews.

[Will Compton]

Cuz Clay's like, watch that wheel route. Watch that wheel. Oh, you watch film. Me too. Watch this.

[Taylor Lewan]

And he threw that ball to McAffrey. But like, it's interesting. So Cam, it's like he. He can. He remembers, like, everything. So they had a signal. Him and Greg had a signal for like, it was like a route that he ran.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And Cam's like, hey, dude, like. Like, we got to switch it up. We've run this too many times. Like everybody knows what it is. And Greg's like, all right, what do you want it to be? And Cam's like, ah, I don't know. We. We did this like four years ago against Atlanta, and it was like the third quarter and you know, it was like 10 minutes ago in the game and third. 10 minutes ago in third quarter. And I gave you like this signal. Like, I don't know. That's cool. We just want to do that. Greg's like, whatever. Yeah. And like I like went and looked it up and I was like, whoa.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, he was spot on.

[Taylor Lewan]

He was like, pretty daggone close. Yeah. So. But him and Greg had a really good connection. Like, Greg has such a great feel for, you know, space and timing and windows and just. He had. He was really good at a lot of things. Great. He was big. He'd catch everything, could run block never came off the field. But he had such a good feel for, like, where to be, how to get there. Had a stem. Guys, like, he was so good at that. And Cam and him had such a great connection that they could just kind of look at each other and they both knew what was going on. They'd line up in this set. It was a three by one set. So Greg, they called it one by three. Greg was backside and you could line up and cover three, cover four, it didn't matter. It was basically, man. Because it was just Greg in a corner or a safety by themselves, and they just look at each other and figure it out. And. And it was really cool to watch. But a lot of it was just. Cam's super smart, remembers everything, tough, competitive. And it was fun to watch him and Greg play with each other.

[Luke Kuechly]

How was it being in the mix of the Odell Beckham and Josh Norman?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my gosh. That was like peak Josh Norman.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And that was part of Josh's game. I remember when we played Dallas, him and Des are going at it the whole game, and that was part of Josh's game.

[Will Compton]

And.

[Taylor Lewan]

And you know, it was. We were in it and they let. And I tell you what, they let those guys play a little bit until there was a cup. There was, like, one or two instances where, like, they had to separate them.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Odell went head to head. Missile shot after a play.

[Taylor Lewan]

That one. That one was.

[Will Compton]

That was.

[Taylor Lewan]

That one. That one wasn't great, but that Josh was another guy. Josh, great feel, great feel smart. Unbelievable ball skills in ultra competitive, ultra competitive. So that was a great matchup for them. Josh played fantastic that year. Josh was exactly what we needed in our defense. Like, long, rangy, great ball skills, could compete competitive. He was really good. And that. That was a interesting game. We were up a million points, and they came all the way back. Odell actually caught a ball there at the end of the game to tie it up, and then Cam went down and gonna kick the field go to win it. But it was like we were there. Josh and I have a good chat here.

[Luke Kuechly]

You try to tell him to keep his cool.

[Taylor Lewan]

I said, hey, keep doing you, man.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, we had him at Washington. He's his ability to punch the ball out. The Peanut punch.

[Taylor Lewan]

He learned it from Peanut.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So Josh. Josh was always around the ball. Then Peanut came in 2015, and Josh was like, his Josh, I think, saw that and he's like, huh? Like, I can do that. And he just had. It's a timing thing. You know, it's a timing thing. It's an opportunity thing. He was just really good at it. So.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, he was a stud at it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Peanut was awesome.

[Will Compton]

He.

[Taylor Lewan]

Would you talk about a teammate? Oh, my gosh. Great teammate.

[Luke Kuechly]

Peanut Tillman.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my gosh. I love that guy.

[Luke Kuechly]

You guys had some dogs.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's super bowl year, so it's cool. I mean, you.

[Will Compton]

You.

[Taylor Lewan]

You always.

[Will Compton]

Jared Allen, too.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm like, oh, we had Jared Allen and Peanut that in that 2015 year. And then Roman Harper. So Pep came in. I remember the first time I met Pep, I was like, oh, my gosh, that's Julius Pep.

[Will Compton]

He is a monster, too.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's big, but he's very. He's proportional.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So, like, when you see him from a distance, you're like, oh, he's big because he's so proportional. And the closer you get to him, you're like, oh, yeah, he's pretty stout.

[Will Compton]

I was so happy when we played y'all. And he was just. I think he went back, right? He played and then he went to the Packers.

[Taylor Lewan]

When he played us in 15, he was in. He was in Green Bay. So he went Carolina, Chicago, and then Green Bay and Then at the end.

[Will Compton]

He came back to us because when he. That was like, his last year, right?

[Taylor Lewan]

His last two years.

[Will Compton]

Last two years. So when we played, I mean, he put his hand in the dirt. I'm looking at my form and his form, I'm like, this is not something. We're not playing the same game.

[Taylor Lewan]

Him and are just equal.

[Will Compton]

But he was in that. He was in that mode of. Of I'm gonna pick and choose my shots to kind of window really go hard. But he was, like, playing the game, and it was love.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just.

[Will Compton]

I'm so happy.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just so talented, man.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, him and guys like Suggs, too, like, just kind of, like, understood the game at a level where, like, they knew when it was time to turn it on and not, like, on that older age was just so cool to.

[Luke Kuechly]

See another guy that was a freak athlete. Shaq Thompson.

[Taylor Lewan]

Shaq.

[Luke Kuechly]

So you're mentioning all those vets and. Yeah, Shaq Thompson had the ability to. He had a lot of range.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my gosh. So it was interesting. They bring Shaq in, and he played running back, linebacker, safety at Washington, and we bring him in, and Thomas was playing Will, I was playing Mike. So, like, there's not a ton of room, but we're like, we need to get this guy on the field because he's so talented. He does everything well. And he was super smart from the day he got there. Like, you tell him at one time he got it. And there's guys that can, like, memorize, and there's guys that just have great feel for the game of football and how to play and competitive and effort. Shaq showed up in the day that he got there. He had all that. And so, like, we need to find a way to get him on the field. So we would play him at nickel, right? And we called it Buffalo. And it was just like a. It was just a package we had. It was like a big nickel. So we could play all of our nickel calls but have a bigger body in there so we could, like, blitz him. We could play five down with him on the line of scrimmage. We could play zone coverage. So then there was really no matchup issues, but we were able to get him on the field and highlight what he was able to do, and it was just awesome. Yeah, he's a great. He's a great. He took so much pride in being the. Because our room was good. So it was like Thomas, AJ Klein was a really good player because he.

[Luke Kuechly]

Was a fourth rounder that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, he was Iowa State kid.

[Luke Kuechly]

Was he 2013.

[Taylor Lewan]

13. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah. He was my year. Because he sat behind you. But anytime, like, you would be down and he'd come in, he'd light it up. Like, he got to go on and take a contract to get bigger money. Yeah, with New Orleans, right? Yeah, with New Orleans.

[Taylor Lewan]

So AJ would play, Shaq would play. But our room was, like established older guys, and he came in, and it was like, his mission. Like, I'm not gonna let any of you guys down, down. So, like, that's how he prepared. That's how he practiced.

[Will Compton]

That's so awesome.

[Taylor Lewan]

He plays special teams. Never complained, ever. Just a good guy that, like, got it. So that's all. He's got a great career.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. It fires me out.

[Luke Kuechly]

You guys did have just a hell of a room. Yeah, I'm sure, like, aj, you know, you just got to be itching to get on the field at times, like playing behind somebody like yourself or just knowing you're not going to be seeing the field unless an injury or something like that happens. Because AJ was a stud at Iowa State. And again, anytime he came in during a stint that you'd be out, like, he'd light it up. Like, he was a hell of a middle linebacker.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

I tell you what, you give those guys a lot of credit, too, because he was, like, the. The first guy in wherever. So if his need to be Will, he could play Will. If he needed to play Mike, he could play Mike. If we were playing, you know, three backers in, like, a bass, look, he could play Sam. And, you know, you don't get reps at practice, right? Like, you don't get any. So he had to show up in and lock in in meetings and go to practice and, you know, do his thing there and then go run down on teams, and then, oh, hey, somebody. Hey, Luke's out. Like, go play Mike Backer. All right, well, that next week, TDs out. Luke's back in. All right, now you gotta go play Will Backer. And it's like, it never. He never lost a step or, like, had a mental blip. He's just. It's impressive, like, those guys that are able to do that at a high level.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, dude. What was so fascinating to me is watching your career and, like. Like, when you. When you started, like, four, five, six, started to sustain a couple of injuries, your ability to kind of take your head out of it but still be so productive. How did. How is that, like, transition for you? Because it seemed, at least for me, on film, obviously. Okay, this guy's not putting his face in as much, but he's still finding ways to manipulate blocks and be just.

[Taylor Lewan]

As productive, which you kind of nailed it. Like, you. The older you get, like, you physically, you slow down. Right. But it's like. Like, physically you slow down, but, like, mentally you. You learn more.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You surpass your physical ability with mental ability.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So then you're like, all right, well, I don't need to. I don't need to go smash that guy. Like, I know where his point of attack angle is. I know where mine is. Can I speed him up? Can I slow him down? Can I get him playing at my speed? Like, my advantages are I'm quicker, I'm faster. I might be a little bit. I might have a little bit more, like, quick pop than he does. If I get a dog fight with him, he's bigger, he's stronger, he's more powerful. I'm going to lose, like. Like, nine out of ten times. So it's like, how can I manipulate a block in the sense of, like, if I need to get there and I can get you to slow your feet down or stop your feet now, I can speed up faster than you. I can slow down faster than you. I can speed up faster than you. So instead of, like, trying to run through your chest, if I can get you to stop your feet doing boom, I can just get past you that way. So it's like, how can I. You don't want. You don't want to hit a million guys in the game. That just wears you down.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. So. But there's an ego element to it. Like, Mike linebacker being a thumper. Like, you could hit like. Like, was there ever a point where, like, I don't want to give up this part of me, but I know it's the best for my longevity.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, you just, like, you gotta. You love the game of football. You better figure out how to play it as long as you can. And that's just kind of part of the. Like, just kind of part of the game.

[Luke Kuechly]

You know, talk to us about how when you were first starting to sustain the concussions, like, if I'm a teammate of yours and you get ding the first time, oh, Luke, he's got a concussion. Second time, Luke's got a concussion. Third time, when a pattern starts creeping up and then you're coming into the cafeteria or something, and. And it's like, hey, what are you learning? Like, talk about that time as. As a pattern starts to show itself with your head injury.

[Will Compton]

Because there's always a Point of feeling, like, vulnerable, like, almost like mortal.

[Luke Kuechly]

And too, like, when you're getting stuff like concussions, you know, there's a part. Anytime you have an injury and you're coming in the room, you're. You're. You feel like you've let everybody down. Or, like, if you have an ankle, right. Or a high ankle sprain, and guys might be like, you know, they're not questioning, can you go? But in your mind, you're so. You're insecure enough to where you're like, I hope these guys know this, that I am facing something pretty bad right now. I'm just not able to be on the field. Right. But, yeah, talk about your. The head injuries.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think a lot of it is what you learn. And, you know, like, you said, you're 25 years old. You're like, I'm. I'm fine. I think a lot of it is with the concussion stuff, it's like, you need to be as honest with. You can't with. As you can with yourself and with everyone taking care of you, because if they don't know how you feel, they can't help you. So, like, the more honest you are with them, the better and the quicker you can come back from whatever you have going on concussion wise. And that's what I learned. You know, probably the hard way is like, our doctors are phenomenal. They took great care of me. They did everything they needed to do. And I just wish I would have learned from an earlier age to be more honest with them, because you got to get all the way back before you can go play again, right?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, there's no, like, like, say you have, like, a wrist that's bugging you. You can, like, tape it and like, like, okay.

[Will Compton]

It's kind of like a badge of honor when you're like, you just, like, figure it out.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like. Or you do something to your finger. Like, all right, bud. Like, you don't really. You're gonna be fine.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Versus your head. It's like, you can't really tough it out. And the more you try to tough it out, the worse it gets. And then you start to realize, like, why do I. Like, like you said, you want to play. And, like, you want to bring value to your team, right? And then you start to realize, like, all right, if I'm not honest and I go back out before I should and I get dinged again, I'm providing less value to my team because now I'm going to be out for longer. So it's like, all right, Maybe it takes me, you know, two weeks to come back. I'd rather be honest and take those full two weeks and come back. Then after we be like, I'm good and like, and you're not, and then you get dinged again. Now it's five weeks. So instead of it being a two week injury, it's a six week injury. And it's all because you didn't take care of yourself. Like, that's really, I think what I learned, you know, probably not as quickly as I should have, but what I learned was the more honest you are with yourself and the more honest you are with the, the guys that are. Their job is to take care of you, then the better it is for you, for them, for the team, for your, you know, I just want to play football.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

The faster I can get back to playing football. So it's like, like, everything gets better the more honest you are.

[Luke Kuechly]

Now when you had the first one, like, how many do you would. Do you think that you had before that first?

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't think I had zero. Zero, like, for sure. Like 100. Because you always wonder, like, well, I know if I get one. And then the first one I got was in 2015. And I was like, yeah, that's. That's one.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So.

[Luke Kuechly]

And did that one you come back earlier from, like when you're saying, I wish I learned it sooner so. Because if you did, if you feel like you didn't have any before that first one one, was there some of those early ones that you're like trying to in your brain toughen?

[Taylor Lewan]

No. So that one was the first one and I was like, I was like, I need to like, get my. I need to get better. And it worked out literally perfectly. So that was week one. And then I think we played. Yeah, we played three games and we had a buy. So, you know, you got to two weeks into it and our trainer's like, dude, he's like, you need to relax first of all, because you're putting all this stress on yourself, so. Which just. You're not gonna play next week. How about that? And I wasn't, I wasn't gonna be back anyways. But he, like, I'd give him a lot of credit. Ryan Vermilion. He took all the, the pressure off me and was like, we're just. You're not gonna play next week. And then the following week's a bye week. So like, you have two weeks, so just like kind of relax. And that happened. And I was like, like, okay. So then I remember I went home for the bye week, and I. I. I knew how to aggravate it. Like, I knew how to give myself. A lot of it was, oh, exercise based. Like, heart rate base. Like, if I got my heart rate up, then I'd start getting, like, headaches. And I was like, all right, I feel really good. It was, like, Thursday of the bye week. Thursday or Friday, I was back in Cincinnati, and I wrote up, like, a really hard workout, and I was like, all right, this is, like, it. Like, either I'm gonna be good or I'm not gonna be good. Good. And there's, like, no in between. Either I'm gonna feel like crap or I'm gonna feel really good.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And I hit that work, and I was like, all right, I'm good. And then. And then I had a full other. A full. Another week of practice. So essentially, you had, like, five weeks. You know, you're not really hitting anybody in practice.

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Will Compton]

Especially at that point.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

So usually that third week of the.

[Taylor Lewan]

Mark season, that was probably the best I could have handled it. And then moving forward, you just have a couple, and you want to play, and. And so maybe you don't. Like, you just. I didn't handle it as probably well as I could have. And, like, it just. It was a. It was unfortunate, but, like, now it's like, you go talk to guys, you're like, dude, if you get one, like, you have to be smart, and you got to be honest with yourself.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. It's such a difficult game you're talking about, though, because you have the hindsight of, like, looking back. Like, when these guys, like, Will and I talk about all the time. Like, when you're in it, there's, like, these blinders that are on your eyes, and you're solely focused on this thing, and this is the main storyline of your life. But everything else, like, the next 40 years of your life, you're not even concerned about.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, well. And you're also, like, the only thing I want to do is play football.

[Will Compton]

Right?

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, that's it. Like, I just want to play football. I want to be on the field with the guys. Like, I love playing football on Sundays. And then this prevents you from doing it. So you're like, I just want to play football. Like, I just want to play. I just won't play. I just want to play. And that clouds your judgment more than, like, really anything else is like, I just miss Wake up on Sunday during football season. And, like, just, like, watching from your. My house.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, we played Tampa then 2015, and I remember sitting in my apartment, like, the team went down there, and I was just watching it at my house. Like, this freaking sucks.

[Will Compton]

There's no. There's no lonelier feeling than when a team. You're injured and the team goes on an away game.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And you watch the buses leave, and you're like. You feel. You feel so isolated from everybody in your life. Life.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

It's terrible.

[Taylor Lewan]

But then it's like. It's good perspective. It's like, what do you take from it? And it's like, all right, well, when other guys are missing games, like, you got to have, like. Like, you got to check on those guys. Like, dude, how you doing?

[Luke Kuechly]

Right.

[Taylor Lewan]

Because, you know, it's eating them up. Yeah. He's like, dude, I feel you, man. Like, just get better.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, get better.

[Luke Kuechly]

So how many did you end up getting throughout your career?

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't. I don't know. I mean, I missed some time and obviously 15 in 16. I missed a game in 17, and then, like, nothing. That was, like, really nothing, like, big after that.

[Luke Kuechly]

When was retirement starting to come into.

[Taylor Lewan]

The fold into that 2019 season? Because you just, like, clip a guy and you're like, dang. Like. Like, I don't. It wasn't like, you know, I used to just go smack dudes.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And have no issues. I would go hit a guy, and I'm like, yeah. Didn't really feel great. And so then once you make the decision in your mind, like. Like, you know, I'm not all the way in it once, like, mentally.

[Luke Kuechly]

Were you starting to think about it a lot in 2019?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, like the. Like, the last. Like, the last game of the year, I was like, I'm. I'm done. I'm done.

[Luke Kuechly]

So that's when you made your decisions, that last game of the year after.

[Taylor Lewan]

So it was week. It's week 16. So obviously, week 17's last week. Week 16. I remember being like, yeah, probably done.

[Will Compton]

So really, was there a process of, like, talking to anybody or was it feeling.

[Taylor Lewan]

I just remember after that game, like, I was like, yeah, you don't. You don't got it anymore. Like, you just. You don't. You don't have. Like, you don't have it.

[Luke Kuechly]

What's your. You don't have it because, like.

[Will Compton]

Like, you would still be playing right now.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Like, you know, you can't play. I would have been fine if, like, I physically slowed down. Like, can't run as well. Like, not as fast. Maybe I'm not as Physical, maybe, Like, I don't have the same, like, fire. I would have been fine with that, and I would have, like, kind of just probably milked it out a little bit more. Like, man, I love playing, but once I knew it was my head and I'm like, like, mentally, I'm like, dude, it's either yes or no. Like, if you slow down, you can, like, physically, you can still play football hard and, like, play it fast and play with great efforts. Effort. But once I knew in my head, mentally, like, it's not any of that. It's, like, your head stuff now. You can't. You can't. In your brain. In my brain, I couldn't rationalize. Like, I can't play as hard as I want to. My effort's not going to be there. I can't be as physical. And once I knew that, I'm like, man, it's not fair to the guys in the team, and it's not fair to the coaches, and it's not fair to, like, the fans and myself and my family for me to go out there at, like, mentally 75. Like, if I gotta thump a guard and push a guy back to Shaq to make a play, and I'm like, yeah. And, like, I get widened and then. And then the shack. The tackle's really hard on Shaq. Like, that's not fair to Shaq. For me to, like, know, especially mentally, I know the reason why I'm not stuffing that guy. Once I knew that, I was like, okay, versus, like, I'm, you know, Sam's still playing right now, and I'm 33 years old, and I go to stuff a guard, and, like, that dude's 25 years old, and he just mauls me. Like, I'm like, I mean, I did everything right. I tried hard. I prepared in the off season. Like, I gave it everything I had. That guy's just a young dude and just beat me. Versus, like, in my head, I'm like, I didn't take him on as, Like, I didn't hit him how I should have. Like, I'm not with that. Like, I couldn't. I couldn't do that.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Knowing that your effort wasn't 100.

[Taylor Lewan]

My effort wasn't there. And, like, that's not fair to, like, the guys on the team. So I was like, all right.

[Luke Kuechly]

And yourself, too. Like, you have to stand in your head of how you play the game and how you want to play the game. And, you know, like, not that you're half assing, but if you're thinking about that, trying to smash a guard, and you're like, I didn't do this because of X, Y and Z.

[Taylor Lewan]

In my mind, it's just not fair to anyone.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know, so.

[Luke Kuechly]

So I love that you're sweating on the bus with the boys right now.

[Taylor Lewan]

This is like, we need to have this outside.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, well, we've had it out. We actually started in gravel parking lot in the middle of May. Yeah. Dude, it's. It's. It's so impressive to me because, like, when I talk to you, when I listen to you talking like this. Loves ball.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

You could just tell he's not just about himself. He's about the team. He's about everybody. Everybody else's job. And I can. I can feel that from you. And then you sit there and say, week 16, I knew I was done. And that was it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, it's.

[Will Compton]

What was that transition like for you? Because now you're going from a guy that I have no doubt was 100 in on football his entire life.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, yeah.

[Will Compton]

To now.

[Taylor Lewan]

Your service, white glove service bus brand right here.

[Will Compton]

You're 100 in. And now you're waking up in the fall.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And it's like, okay, you wake up in August and I know you're feeling. We've done it for a few years now. It's like you wake up in August and you're like, it's great. Like there's a place if you. It's like, all right. Like, I know all them boys 15 minutes down the roof of my house are dying right now. And I just woke up my kids. You know, I might grab a little breakfast with them. There's so many positives, but then there's those Sundays where you sit there and it's like 2:30 and the noon slates ending and you see your team catching a big win.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And it's like, I miss what that locker room is going to feel like when they go back in there.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. So my first year out, I worked with a team in the scouting department, so that was cool. And then on game days, I was in the booth with the offense and I was the personnel guy. So like the. They'd come out and I'd. And I'd be in charge of like, are they in nickel? Are they in base? What kind of base are they in? All that kind of stuff. So that was. Hell, yeah. Look at that. We upgrade and we go from paper towels to pre towels. It's great. I felt. I felt like a little air come in too.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Talk about your concussion. Concussions.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Sweat my ass off. So it was cool. I got to be at the games on Sundays. And the first year was. The first year was like, damn, man. Like, I still think I can play. And so that part was hard. And then the further away you get from it, you're like. Like, I do the radio with the team now. I do the radio broadcast, and I go on the field before the game, and you see these guys run by you, and you're like, I'm good.

[Will Compton]

All set.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm good, man.

[Will Compton]

Appreciate you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like. Like Tristan Wurfs, he comes running by, and you're like, I'm all good.

[Will Compton]

There was a video two days ago on Instagram of him squatting five plates for like, three or four reps with ease.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's, like, the nicest guy in the world.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, he's a great human. The Iowa cat. Like, he's just a great dude. And you just. He is the athletic ability of a linebacker.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But can squat 700 pounds.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean, we were filming that a couple years ago when we were at the. That Arizona bowl, and you're just seeing the guys kind of warm up and practice and pop the pads a little bit beforehand. And you're just sitting there thinking, like, what the.

[Will Compton]

We were like, yo, what psychopath would do this?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because once you get out of it, like, you get soft quick.

[Taylor Lewan]

You want to be the guy that's, like, on the team, but they put you on season ending ir, so you're like, you get to show up. Like, you kind of have a job, but, like, you don't have to play. You can still travel.

[Will Compton]

You're stress.

[Taylor Lewan]

No stress. You, like, walk out to practice, you drink some coffee, but you're on the team. So, like, your way of life is, like, socially acceptable, you know what I mean? Versus, like, if you get done, you're like, I can't just, like, go hang out in the locker room and, like, lift. Like, you can't do that.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, here comes this pro scout, Luke.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. You just want. Yeah, you're like, the.

[Luke Kuechly]

Trying to replace us, right?

[Taylor Lewan]

Dude, they got to go bring a guy upstairs to get cut.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, yeah.

[Will Compton]

That year.

[Luke Kuechly]

Did you ever have to do that?

[Taylor Lewan]

Brought one guy up. No, it was the worst. Talk.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, talk the year. Being in the pro scouting department.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll tell you what, you learn a lot about. About the NFL. Like, what plays types of guys in the NFL. Like, you learn a ton. And it was super cool. Like, I learned a lot, and it was super beneficial. But it wasn't something I wanted to do long term. But, like, you really get to see, like, what plate, like, the difference between personnel and a three, four versus personnel and a four, three. Like, body types, like, length, what guys are looking for, what plays, what doesn't play, types of running backs. Like. Like, you don't have a feel for that while you're playing, because all you do is studying an opponent you're not studying, like, you know, height, weight, speed, size, how they play, what kind of football player they are. And you learn, like, the whole league by doing that. Because we did. We had to watch all the free agents for that season going into the next year. So then, like, now, moving forward, like, you watch a guy and you're like, man, like, we watched that guy for 25 minutes and graded him and wrote a report on him. And, like, it's. It was really cool. Cool.

[Luke Kuechly]

What was it, like, cutting or bringing him up?

[Taylor Lewan]

I just remember going up there.

[Will Compton]

What was his name? It probably was a linebacker.

[Taylor Lewan]

I remember it was a corner. And I remember just walking up there, and I remember I walked into the GM's office and I'm like, hey, look, like, I'm down to do a lot of things. Like, kind of don't want to do that. Like, after.

[Luke Kuechly]

After the fact that you did it.

[Taylor Lewan]

I was like, guys, like, I. I'd rather just like, not do that. Bad. I feel bad because I'm like, I know how hard it is to play and, like, and make the roster and feel like you're on the roster and then get cut. Like, you see all your buddies do that throughout your whole career, and you're like, man, like, I'd rather not be that guy that has to do that. And they're like. They're like, yeah, sorry, we. We don't have to do that anymore. I was like, all right, cool.

[Luke Kuechly]

Like, damn.

[Will Compton]

You know, you got pull in the gym. Apologizes to you.

[Luke Kuechly]

Luke's a grim reaper.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, you're that guy. You don't want to be that guy. No, because, you know, you're. You're standing at the door waiting for them to come in from practice, and everyone's like, like, luke, what's up, man? You're like, hey, can I talk to you? And they're like, dang.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. And one year removed.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Like, all, like, 80% of that roster knows you as teammate.

[Taylor Lewan]

As a teammate. So I got up. I got up there, and they're like, hey, we're sorry. Like, it's cool. I just rather not do that again.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Was this a guy that was on the team the year before?

[Taylor Lewan]

No, but he was a dude that's like. He's. He was like a dude. Like a dude in the league for a while. Oh, so.

[Will Compton]

And when you, when you said something to him, was there any like, like, comment, like, man, you're the grim reaper?

[Taylor Lewan]

No, I think he. I think he probably knew it was coming. Yeah, but it doesn't make it any easier.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, but he's a. He was a vet. He understood the game.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's been in the league for a long time and, like, was a dude, so I think he's probably like, yeah, yeah, I get it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Luke's trying to study on how to cut guys. He's just throwing on money ball.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. I mean, dude, that's. At any point during that season of you being a scout or doing whatever you were doing, did they ever approach you and be like, hey, could you. You play a couple more games for us?

[Taylor Lewan]

They always joked about it, but I was like, guys, like, you know how quickly you tighten up, like hamstrings, quads.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

That low back.

[Taylor Lewan]

Crazy. You know those videos the guys like running and looks like they get shot. Yeah, that would have been me. Like, first time they run, you know, a scene ball, I gotta chase a guy down the middle of the field.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, but you know, the first game, the first game that Michael linebacker didn't have a great one, and someone made a joke. Joke to you, if you would have been like, yeah, I'd give it a go. They'd be like, are you for real?

[Taylor Lewan]

My injury waiver would have been like this long.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, huge. I mean, that paycheck, though, it would.

[Taylor Lewan]

Have been a league minimum.

[Will Compton]

No, no, no, no, no. You would have got yourself a little bag, pull that hamstring IR the rest of the season. That have been nice, bro.

[Luke Kuechly]

Thinks he's on the team still with that guy.

[Will Compton]

Dude. Yeah, that is. That would suck to be.

[Luke Kuechly]

Now, did you. Were you in a point too mentally to where you're. You're juggling or trying to figure out what you're wanting to do long term? Like, how's everything shaking up now? You mentioned your youth football coach with. With Greg also. Shout out the boy. Greg, you do radio stuff, but was there a moment to where you're like, man, I kind of don't. I have no clue what I want to do, and I'm kind of chasing some dead ends.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think you. Yeah, I think there's. You don't know what you want to do. Obviously, like, you get Done. And, like, I like. Perfect word. I would. I would have loved to have kept playing. So, like, I probably happened earlier than I wanted it to. And so then the process becomes like, you have to just continually try stuff until you find stuff that you like. And then once you like it, then just keep doing it. And then if you don't like it, then you stop doing it. But, like, you have to. There needs to be a concerted effort to. If you're going to go do something. Like, you got to go all the way in, because if you tiptoe around it, you're not going to get the full experience and you're going to waste your time. More importantly, you're. You're using somebody else's time, too. Like, if somebody's going to help you try to dive into something and you. And you don't go all the way in, you're wasting their time. So it's like, all right, I'm gonna go all the way in on a couple things. I'm gonna try certain things out. I tried the scouting. Just wasn't my thing. It was fun. It just, like, I'm not doing this long term.

[Will Compton]

And then the hours are crazy, too.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, it's just busy. Then the next year, I did the radio with the Panthers radio broadcast. Like that. That's awesome. Like, I really like that. So that's pretty much the whole season. And then the. The youth football stuff with Greg. So his son Tate's in that picture, and that's his dad, Chris. His dad Chris coached high school football in Jersey. And just look him up. They didn't lose a game for, like, five years in a row.

[Luke Kuechly]

Look them up.

[Will Compton]

Google them.

[Taylor Lewan]

Look them up. Just look them up. So we've been doing that for. This will be our fourth year. So it's been awesome. Like, we have a ton of fun with it. We coach at a. A school in Charlotte. Charlotte Christian is a school. Check us out. Okay. And this. Our first year coaching at Charlotte Christian was last year because Tate, Greg's oldest, was in seventh grade. So we did coach Pop Warner for two years, and then Tate got in the seventh grade. So then we coach at the grade school, which is attached to the high school, and then we'll coach again at the high school this year.

[Luke Kuechly]

So what happens to the current staff?

[Taylor Lewan]

That's like, you know, so they kind of bounce back.

[Luke Kuechly]

They're kind of like, hey, Greg Olson, Luke Keakley, they're coming in.

[Taylor Lewan]

So it's awesome. So it's really.

[Luke Kuechly]

We got a new staff.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, yeah. Right. The two guys that, like, make it run it are Greg and his dad. Like, they're phenomenal. And then the other. We've got two or two or three other guys. Three other guys. So it's Stu, Jonathan Stewart.

[Luke Kuechly]

Okay.

[Taylor Lewan]

Coaches are running backs, which has been phenomenal.

[Will Compton]

It's just a crazy.

[Taylor Lewan]

And then Todd Blackledge. So Todd Black is quarterback at Penn State national championship. Won a. Was a first round pick. Now does NBC. I think it's NBC College with Noah Eagle, Iron Eagle son. So that he does. He does college football on Saturday. Big, big, big game. So he did Ohio State, Oregon last year. He's like a. He's legit. And he lives in. And he lives in Charlotte, so it's so much fun because, I mean, Greg and Stu were like some of my best buds when we were playing, so I get to hang out with them. Greg's dad's awesome, Todd's great, and we just have a ton of fun with it.

[Will Compton]

Would you ever want to call games like Greg does or rap like Greg does rap?

[Taylor Lewan]

Right? The. I think so. The radio. The interesting thing about radio and tv. So radio, you really just talk about, like, what's happening in the game and, like, why it's happening. What I think's cool about TV is you, like, Greg does a phenomenal job of, like, setting games up. And like, what I mean by setting it up is like, like talking about what he anticipates going to happen in the game, why it's going to happen, what, you know, say it'd be like if, say, Tristan Wurfs has missed the last couple weeks and he's back in the lineup. Greg will talk about, you know, Tristan Wurfs is back in the lineup. This is how it affects him in the run game. In the past game, this is where Tristan Wurfs is really good in the run game. So maybe they're going to double. Like, Greg does it way better than that. But you can really lay out a game doing TV because you don't have to explain what's happening every play because the viewer can watch the game and Greg is able to set it up early in the game and then really talk through situational stuff and get into, you know, really why things are happening and why it. Why it worked, why it did. He does a great job with that. I think that part would be really cool. But I just have a ton of fun with the radio stuff. And like, I told you guys, like, I just try to do things that I enjoy and I enjoy the radio. I think The TV would be really. Would be really fun as well. So we're just kind of see what happens, happens.

[Luke Kuechly]

Do you ever write you got out to Buffalo? Yeah, for some. For some Coaching. Do you ever see yourself coaching in the league one day or trying to coach at a high level?

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, I think it'd be a ton of fun. It's just those hours are like, bro, they're nuts. It's. It's.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's like, take what players do when they're studying all week long and. Yeah, coaches, man, it's. It's like around the clock.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's just all the time. And, like, I'm just not ready to give up that much time, so. I mean, the answer, probably not a lot.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. The hours are crazy. I don't. I mean, you the boy. Might I.

[Luke Kuechly]

There's like an itch. There's an itch in there.

[Will Compton]

It's somewhere.

[Luke Kuechly]

I don't know if it'll ever be.

[Taylor Lewan]

Scratched, but I thought a lot about doing. Is doing it during OTAs.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

So get out there in OTAS and, like, and be like, hey, these next six weeks, like, I'm in. Like, every day I'm in whenever you guys are. And just do it. And then you'll know by the end of that of, like, yes or no.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. But OTAS is such a different vibe than camping season.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

OTAS is so light. The coaches are. Are feel good. Everyone's kind of joking around the minute you walk in the building. July 25, or whenever that, you know, everyone goes into camp. Buttholes are tight.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Not only that, but if you get behind the eight ball in the season.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. You start coming, you know, 2 and 2, 1 and 3, people just pissed off. You're trying to navigate bad attitudes everywhere. It's difficult.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

That's, like, one thing you don't miss is, like, the bipolarness of coaches and teammates.

[Taylor Lewan]

You miss, like, that. That, like, not stress, but, like, that pressure of, like, we gotta go. Like, we gotta go.

[Will Compton]

It's a big one right here.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like, we gotta go make this, like, this a big game. This is for a lot of reasons. Like, you miss that, like, the urgency. That urgency, that pressure.

[Will Compton]

Those week, like, week 14 on when your team's, like, on the bubble, like, are we gonna make the playoffs? Are we not? What do we control in our destiny? What teams have to lose? And it's like, you're kind of with your little. Whether it's a linebacker group or me with the offensive lineman's, like, we gotta do X, Y, And Z to make a wild card game happen for us.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's why you play the band of Brothers December, like you want to be. You want to. You want your season the matter in December?

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know, I mean, you obviously wanted to matter in, like, September, October, November. But, like, if it comes December and you're like, hey, like, you're in the hunt. We're in the mix.

[Will Compton]

And then anything can happen in January.

[Taylor Lewan]

It doesn't even matter. Like, you're in the mix. Like, you're in the mix. That's all that matters. And now you got to just go play your best ball. It's. That's the best part about it.

[Will Compton]

That is the worst feeling in the world is December and nothing matters.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

And you're like, you hear the older guys. In my first two years, we won five games my first two years. And I'm hearing older guys talk about Cabo and all these things are going to go on, and you're just still so involved. Like, you think every game still matters. Yeah. What's going on here, guys? Have some prize feeling. Yeah. Have somebody exactly.

[Luke Kuechly]

Play for the name on your back now.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, anything.

[Taylor Lewan]

Just find it. You gotta find it somewhere.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, you gotta find it somewhere. You get those coaches to where. Hey, you know, might. They might be on the outs where they just start giving the play for the name on your back. Whatever you play for, whether it's your.

[Taylor Lewan]

Family, just find it.

[Luke Kuechly]

And you just know, hey, we're all in December.

[Will Compton]

We're no.

[Luke Kuechly]

Nobody making the playoffs.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, we're done.

[Luke Kuechly]

Whether it's the name on your front, your family at home, maybe the cash of the bank account, name on your back. Let that heart turn black when you walk out there.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, man. You just gotta find it, though, though.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. Yeah. This has been awesome.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, it has. I was just gonna ask if you have any hobbies outside of, like, the football world.

[Taylor Lewan]

I love. So I love to bow hunt.

[Will Compton]

Really?

[Taylor Lewan]

That's my favorite thing. I get a little jealous you guys are out there catching some real hunters with. With Venella.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, dude.

[Will Compton]

He's a real man, too, bro.

[Luke Kuechly]

They'd have you out there in a. You know, I love.

[Taylor Lewan]

That's. That's another reason I want coach. I love to bow hunt, like.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Whitetail, elk, anything with the bow. That's like, my jam. Am you.

[Luke Kuechly]

I'm assuming you go out there to Montana, so.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I love to hunt elk in Montana. And then New Mexico is a really good state, too.

[Luke Kuechly]

I'm just saying, since we're on the Airwaves right now. Garrett, Cal Rinella, whoever's listening from Meat Eater.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Get your boy. Get your boy.

[Taylor Lewan]

I got a great concept. There's. I hope you guys had fun.

[Will Compton]

There's so much fun.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Because they're missed.

[Luke Kuechly]

But it was a blast. Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

But that's part of it.

[Will Compton]

But you pulled the trigger.

[Luke Kuechly]

I did pull.

[Will Compton]

A lot of guys would stiffen up a knife and pull that trigger. So you did something at that moment.

[Taylor Lewan]

Moment. The moment you showed up.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, I know. And it's fun, too, because Will and I, like, we don't. I look in your eyes and you talk about bow hunting. I just don't. I don't have that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

But to go out with them and then, like, work us through, like, long range rifle shooting. Like, I went. Sat down and I went 1 for 5 on my first five shots, and I was like, this is going to be the longest couple of days of my life. But then Gary starts sitting there working with me, and he's like, try this, this, and this. He's lining me up. They're great coaches. They don't make you feel stupid. Even though they're like, such bigger, better men than you are. It's just awesome, man.

[Taylor Lewan]

When it's like they're those. These animals live in beautiful areas.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

You go hunt elk, you're gonna be somewhere sweet.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

The mountains. The weather's beautiful. It's in the fall, and it's just. That's like my favorite time of year. And they go do that stuff. It's just sweet.

[Luke Kuechly]

What's been your longest, like, elk hunt to where you're. You're tracking it down. We did so climbing mountains.

[Taylor Lewan]

I usually hunt out of, like, a. An outfitter, and it's usually. I haven't done, like, the full, like, 9 miles, 10 miles in on a horse, and then you. Oh, set up spike camp. I haven't done that. I like, that's what they got. I'm wake up. I'm gonna wake up early in the morning. I'm gonna be out all day, and then.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

And then I'm gonna probably come home.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes.

[Will Compton]

Is there one more.

[Luke Kuechly]

Do we. Do we have that. You don't have to read that. You can just read the question. Okay, perfect. We do have a Bud Light question for you.

[Taylor Lewan]

Okay.

[Luke Kuechly]

People would do anything for a Bud Light. What would you do anything for?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, my. Probably my parents. I think. Probably my parents. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

I mean, that's a wholesome answer, dude.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's an like, you think about your parents and like what your parents have done for you. Everything from growing up to high school to college out all my games in college, it came to down to Carolina. It's like your parents. My parents were fantastic. They set you up for everything. Everything was about my brothers and I. And so. Yeah. You do anything. Anything for them. They do anything for you. You do anything for them.

[Luke Kuechly]

I love that.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's a short answer.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes. That's a good heart.

[Will Compton]

Awesome. Beautiful.

[Luke Kuechly]

So my parents. How many. How many brothers you have?

[Taylor Lewan]

I got two brothers. So there's a picture, bro. Older brothers on the right. That's John. He lives in Cincinnati. There's my dad, my mom, and then my younger brother Henry.

[Luke Kuechly]

Were they some dogs?

[Taylor Lewan]

John played football in lacrosse through high school and then Henry was a basketball player there.

[Luke Kuechly]

Okay. So.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Nice.

[Luke Kuechly]

I love that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Do you. I'm sure you have. Who's that? That profile that has the Luke kikley video where he's going Psych. Where he's going.

[Will Compton]

Who's next?

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, that. Somebody sent me that video.

[Will Compton]

That is awesome. That guy.

[Taylor Lewan]

That guy.

[Luke Kuechly]

Who's next?

[Will Compton]

Danny or something like that. He's all time.

[Taylor Lewan]

That guy's hilarious.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, he is.

[Luke Kuechly]

Paul, anything that we've missed, we do have Paul Swan. It's sitting in the back with the boys right now. Grinding it out.

[Will Compton]

Out.

[Luke Kuechly]

Paul was very pivotal in getting the boys in a creatine and intangibles group chat with Luke Keakley and myself.

[Will Compton]

Creatine and intangibles.

[Taylor Lewan]

Do we got creatine on the bus right now? Can we. Can we take a house?

[Luke Kuechly]

But I don't know if I have some.

[Taylor Lewan]

I actually have some of my suitcase. We can take some later on when.

[Will Compton]

We get done here.

[Luke Kuechly]

Just put some up.

[Will Compton]

That kind of creatine.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, get some going, boys. Not the real creatine. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Anything that I've missed with Luke, I mean, this.

[Taylor Lewan]

This is the all American man right here. And that answer right there, I mean, that's just. That's gold.

[Luke Kuechly]

The parents one.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Yeah. So I actually just got done hearing him talk about most of this when we were talking to Coach Lee over at Vanderbilt.

[Luke Kuechly]

So he's been talking about it a lot.

[Will Compton]

Oh, yeah. Just diving in. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

He was breaking down all the players too. How to watch film. How to break down film.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'll tell you what, that Diego Pavia, he's. He's dog. Got it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Like. Like it? I like.

[Will Compton]

He's a savage.

[Luke Kuechly]

What do you love about him?

[Taylor Lewan]

He's like. He walks into a room and he's the dude without trying to be the dude. And he can talk to everybody. He can talk to offensive coaches, defensive coaches. He understand he's got great, his football IQ is great. Ultra competitive. He's just, he's that dude. Like he's got it.

[Luke Kuechly]

I love it.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know what I'm saying?

[Luke Kuechly]

You can tell Luke's got his, his pro scouting background too. So he can like talk about these games. Snap his sin snap.

[Taylor Lewan]

I. Yeah. If guys come talk to him, they'll be like, we need to find a way to get this guy around us.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Cuz he is, he is electric.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's a football dude, football guy.

[Will Compton]

He just loves ball.

[Taylor Lewan]

He loves a game. He embraces it. It's. That's all he, you know, he's all about football. And you know those guys, they. They're hard to come by. You know, you still.

[Paul Swan]

I was going to say, did CMC have it when he first came.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh my gosh, that dude was born with it. That he is talk about a guy that loves football and all he wants to do is just be a good teammate, play hard. Christian, the og Incredible white. Yeah, he's the og.

[Luke Kuechly]

Another hall of fame, first ballot hall of Fame.

[Taylor Lewan]

You talk about a guy.

[Will Compton]

That's a tough photo for CMC though. I mean CMC is a built cat. That is a tough angle.

[Taylor Lewan]

But yeah, I'm so excited for him this year. Come back. Back rip. You're gonna be a daddy too.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes. Shout out cmc.

[Taylor Lewan]

Let's go have a great year. So hey, I'd be, I'd be remiss to say, you know, listening to Luke is art. Listening to his football knowledge. But your ball knowledge is. It's phenomenal.

[Luke Kuechly]

I appreciate it. I gotta say, I do pride myself on some iq, some good linebacker out here. You might not think I played in the league a long time, but from I was a neck up.

[Will Compton]

You are.

[Taylor Lewan]

I mean, you were looking thin.

[Luke Kuechly]

Nine years, 10 years.

[Will Compton]

What are you wearing right now?

[Luke Kuechly]

I was there for the 10th year, but you know the league.

[Taylor Lewan]

Did you get a credited season?

[Luke Kuechly]

No, because I had a gambling show so they wouldn't let me play.

[Will Compton]

Look, did you ever come across Will Compton film at linebacker and ever take anything from his game?

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, absolutely. Effort, toughness, instincts. Try hard.

[Will Compton]

Try hard.

[Taylor Lewan]

Blue collar guy.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Tell you what, it's. It's those plays you break down.

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't like. I don't like that shirt you have on.

[Luke Kuechly]

But yeah, it's. I hear you two talk about plays happening that you don't Necessarily make like being mugged up in the eight gaps. They got you in a bunch. They're checking Tulsa, putting you in a toss situation. Any type of situational ball awareness, it's. It's music to my ears.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. Hey, we'll do.

[Luke Kuechly]

Appreciate that.

[Taylor Lewan]

We'll get you that year 10 if.

[Will Compton]

You want to come pit some race cars.

[Luke Kuechly]

That seems like a different life, too. That's. Do I have to be just a gambling show? Yeah, you can do it.

[Taylor Lewan]

I think you can do it.

[Luke Kuechly]

Will they let me play?

[Will Compton]

Yeah, they'll let you play.

[Luke Kuechly]

I was down there to sign and rip there to sign and contract wouldn't go through because they're like, let's hold up the NFL.

[Will Compton]

Goodell, shut it down.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, Goodell shut it down.

[Taylor Lewan]

Dang.

[Will Compton]

When's Goodell gonna come on the bus?

[Luke Kuechly]

I don't know. He's got an open invite.

[Will Compton]

Does he.

[Luke Kuechly]

He can come. Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

Apologize to Will for.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. Scrapping your 10.

[Taylor Lewan]

You had a good. You had a good number, too.

[Luke Kuechly]

5:1.

[Will Compton]

Oh, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's a great white linebacker. That Sam Mills number. That number wasn't available available.

[Luke Kuechly]

You see that pick right there? Keller Moore, week 17.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, we'll cover what covered you in.

[Luke Kuechly]

We were in Tampa there and we had somebody dropping low hole nice because we knew he was going to try to work whitting over the middle. Kellen Moore air mails it right with the bread basket.

[Taylor Lewan]

But, hey, you know what you had the hardest thing about doing interception is you got to catch it, buddy.

[Luke Kuechly]

That was. That was my first one. And when that ball was in the air, it's something I could make the play on it. I was like, you better catch this. I kind of just put the hands out there, too, and was just so hype.

[Will Compton]

Praying to God you got sticky gloves or those offensive line gloves.

[Luke Kuechly]

What's up?

[Will Compton]

Those gloves you're wearing right there, Those stickies?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

We don't wear offensive line gloves.

[Will Compton]

You never know.

[Luke Kuechly]

I'm rocking the stickies. I could never get on board with the Keakley wrist. With the wrist braces, though.

[Will Compton]

Wrist guards were money. Were you a wrist taper? Oh, way better.

[Luke Kuechly]

I was a wrist taper.

[Taylor Lewan]

It's a little swaggier. Yeah, it's a little better.

[Luke Kuechly]

You brought up Jonathan Stewart earlier, too. I did put him on skates in our game. It was late game. We were getting.

[Taylor Lewan]

You put him on skates.

[Luke Kuechly]

Oh, I murdered him coming through the A gap.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, gotcha.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. Not put him on skates. Juked him out. Put him on skates. Like put him in the air. Oh, put his ass. He put his ass to the grass to the ground. Late in the game, we were getting our backs blown out by the Panthers, but your boy, we're still playing for pride at the end of the day.

[Taylor Lewan]

Was that black heart when you go out there?

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, yeah. The heart was black in that play. Ran right through the B gap, right through the A gap, and just murdered.

[Taylor Lewan]

I want a rematch.

[Luke Kuechly]

After listening to this, I know he's going to want line. I don't got it anymore. But if you find that clip, I will show you guys and, you know.

[Taylor Lewan]

I'm sure we can find it.

[Luke Kuechly]

But this. Hey, Luke, this has been awesome.

[Taylor Lewan]

Thanks for having me on.

[Will Compton]

Thank you. Coming on a long time coming. This is big for W comp. It's big for myself as well to see you two together. It's beautiful.

[Luke Kuechly]

It's great to get a Hall of Fame white linebacker. Just. We've had our lacquer on.

[Will Compton]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Dude would love to get Ray.

[Will Compton]

He's got to get.

[Taylor Lewan]

Got to get you.

[Will Compton]

Got to get you started this process out of a Hall of Fame white linebacker.

[Luke Kuechly]

I'm just saying, like. Like just the linebacker appreciation that we have on this bus. You got to get Ray Luc on here.

[Will Compton]

There's no better position.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah, we've had Fred Warner on that dude.

[Taylor Lewan]

That dude is a monster.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes.

[Taylor Lewan]

You should get Ron, bro.

[Luke Kuechly]

Roquan is a monster.

[Taylor Lewan]

Monster.

[Luke Kuechly]

Who are some of the guys right now? You just named a couple? Roquan, Fred Warner.

[Taylor Lewan]

Oh, man.

[Luke Kuechly]

You got Levante still doing it.

[Taylor Lewan]

Now you put me on spot here.

[Luke Kuechly]

And I got Demario.

[Taylor Lewan]

Demario Davis has been doing it a long time.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. Zach Bond had a great year and him going too, from transition, from on the ball to off the ball. I feel like is a. Is a heady transition for. For Zach Bond.

[Taylor Lewan]

You know who I like? Nick Bolton.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yes, bro. He just resigned with the Chiefs.

[Taylor Lewan]

The Chiefs. So I like Spain just to Bobby.

[Luke Kuechly]

He just signed with the power with Braves.

[Will Compton]

Come on, baby.

[Luke Kuechly]

Guys, that's a Braves guy.

[Taylor Lewan]

We should get him in here.

[Luke Kuechly]

We love Bobby.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, we can explain for sure. He had his. His third and one stop on Derek Henry.

[Luke Kuechly]

2020 on the goal line.

[Will Compton]

Put him on the map.

[Taylor Lewan]

How about Cooper De Jean stick on Henry. Wow.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. Great form tackle.

[Will Compton]

I mean, it was. It was. It was nice.

[Luke Kuechly]

Textbook Iowa guy. I would just produce some corners if are you could.

[Will Compton]

If you could go anywhere else besides Boston College. If you. If this is all going to end the same exact way, you couldn't Go to Boston College. Where would you go?

[Taylor Lewan]

Probably. Probably Big ten school.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Which one would that be?

[Taylor Lewan]

I don't know. You know, would have been fun team up north. I mean, I'm not. I'm not gonna say Michigan. I'm not gonna say Ohio State. Those are the two easy ones.

[Will Compton]

Okay.

[Taylor Lewan]

I feel like playing.

[Will Compton]

I love that.

[Taylor Lewan]

Playing linebacker at Penn State.

[Will Compton]

Oh, yeah.

[Taylor Lewan]

With like a. Like a sick. What are those sick?

[Will Compton]

Like cowboy collars.

[Taylor Lewan]

Paul plus Leslie.

[Will Compton]

Butterfly collar sticking out.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Sean Lee.

[Taylor Lewan]

Sean Lee was a monster. Puzzlesny. Levar Arrington, Michael Parsons. They got the kid now. Abdul Carter.

[Luke Kuechly]

Yeah. They had some freaks there.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

You could have wore a black shirt.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Will Compton]

Is that.

[Taylor Lewan]

How is that helmet the game used back there?

[Luke Kuechly]

No.

[Taylor Lewan]

Is that Nebraska a nice one?

[Luke Kuechly]

Nebraska just reps the classic. The classic.

[Will Compton]

I love the car.

[Luke Kuechly]

Luke knows we stopped a mud hole in their ass for. What was it? The new strike bowl. Pinstripe bowl.

[Taylor Lewan]

He's waited the whole podcast to say.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, just wait. Big bad mowers bowl, whatever it's called. And he tried to pretend like he didn't know the name of it.

[Luke Kuechly]

He's been.

[Will Compton]

He's been preaching that for three months.

[Taylor Lewan]

They put that on the board up there.

[Will Compton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Because I waited to. I waited till we were up to hit the group chat.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

To talk.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah. It's all right.

[Will Compton]

Well, you like Bill O'Brien.

[Taylor Lewan]

Yeah, I like him a lot.

[Will Compton]

Yeah. Big fan of him.

[Taylor Lewan]

She just. He. He is Boston College football. Tough, physical. Run the football. He's great. Really. He did a great job last year. I'm excited for. For this year for him, so.

[Will Compton]

All right. Okay. Yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

I see we got a standing round.

[Taylor Lewan]

Of applause for Go.

[Luke Kuechly]

Hats off.

[Taylor Lewan]

Hell yeah.

[Luke Kuechly]

Appreciate it. Hey, this is awesome.

[Taylor Lewan]

Thanks for turn. Hey, thanks for turning the air conditioning on.

[Luke Kuechly]

We were waiting for you to get up.

[Unknown]

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