Deebo & Joe - Part 1: Big Ben Talks Steelers Offseason, Aaron Rodgers' Future, Favorite Teammates

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Deebo & Joe - Part 1: Big Ben Talks Steelers Offseason, Aaron Rodgers' Future, Favorite Teammates

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Hosts: James "Deebo" Harrison & Joe Hayden
Guest: Ben Roethlisberger
Date: March 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, candid conversation with legendary Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Joined by hosts and former NFL stars James Debo Harrison and Joe Hayden, the discussion covers the Steelers’ offseason moves, their new head coach, the possibility of Aaron Rodgers’ arrival, favorite teammates, draft philosophy, and some football culture. The tone is humorous, insightful, and refreshingly unfiltered, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at both football strategy and locker-room camaraderie.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Intro and Banter (04:43–07:00)

• Hosts’ chemistry: Deebo and Joe set the tone with playful banter, reminiscing about college football and Harrison famously sacking Roethlisberger in college.
  • Ben: "I thought for sure one of those stats was gonna be how many times I was sacked by you in college." (05:48)
  • Deebo: “The little boy came up there to Kent State University, and you know what we did? We put them dictators on him.” (06:18)
• They joke about college years, with Roethlisberger telling the (possibly embellished) story of Harrison’s dominance in a long-postponed, cold-weather game.

2. Steelers Head Coach Hire – Mike McCarthy (09:01–11:15)

• Initial reaction to McCarthy: Roethlisberger admits he expected the team to pursue a young, defensive-minded coach in keeping with the franchise’s history, but was ultimately happy with McCarthy’s local ties and offensive credentials.
  • Ben: “Pittsburgh revolves around... defense first and then running the ball second. I played quarterback here 18 years... that’s what it is… But, when the McCarthy name came up, I actually liked it... Offense guy, a Pittsburgh guy.” (09:19)
• Hosts’ agreement: Joe and Deebo echo Ben’s views, supporting the need for more offense and reacting to McCarthy’s passionate and emotional introductory press conference.

3. Steelers Offseason Moves (12:08–15:02)

• Key signings: Discussion centers on additions like Michael Pittman Jr., Dowdle, Dean, Brisker, and their potential impacts.
  • Ben: “I think the Pittman pickup is huge... If you don't have someone opposite [DK Metcalf], there's a lot of attention that goes there.” (12:31)
  • Concerns: Losing Kenny Gainwell as a versatile back, but optimism about the young talent replacing him.
• Defensive upgrades: Excitement about an interior defensive lineman from Tennessee to help shore up the run defense.
  • Deebo: “Interior—got a big... run-stopper, that's what he's known for.” (14:40)

4. Defensive Depth and Execution (18:34–23:18)

• Defensive pieces: High praise for depth at linebacker (Watt, Highsmith, Sawyer, Herbig). Harrison points to improved communication and discipline as key to getting the most from talented defenders.
  • Joe: “As long as everybody’s on the same page, it’s not a skill thing, it’s a discipline thing... bring in the other corner, Jalen Ramsey—fire.” (19:02)
• Secondary strategy: Debates about where to play Ramsey (slot vs. outside), with consensus that his intelligence and versatility makes him a threat especially inside.
  • Ben: “He makes me more nervous in the slot, because of his mind... you can blitz him more, love him stopping the run... cancel their best tight end.” (22:28)

5. The Quarterback Situation: Aaron Rodgers or Will Howard? (23:18–27:46)

• The Rodgers watch: Discussion of Michael Pittman’s comments hinting at Rodgers returning, but the team not pressuring him.
  • Deebo Reads Pittman: “The fact that he's still out doing flag stuff, I think he wants to play.” (23:18)
• Ben’s take: Roethlisberger hopes for Rodgers’ decision before the draft but thinks the team should not reach for a quarterback in the draft. He supports giving Will Howard a chance, building the team first, then plugging in the right QB.
  • Ben: “So many teams nowadays, they get a quarterback and try and build around their quarterback. I think that’s backwards… You should build a team and plug a quarterback into it.” (25:27)
  • Points to his own experience joining a veteran, established squad.

6. Steelers Draft Philosophy (27:46–30:40)

• O-Line focus: All agree the offensive line needs to be the first priority, then receiver if needed; Ben advocates for “best available” but with a strong preference for linemen.
  • Ben: “I don't think you can ever have enough O-linemen… If I'm the GM, I'm taking the best lineman… then maybe receiver in second.” (28:08)
• Flexible approach: If an unexpectedly high-value player falls, you still have to consider “best available.”

7. Building Around the Quarterback (30:40–37:13)

• Team before QB: Again echoing his own story, Ben explains how Pittsburgh’s past winning formula was running the ball, having a strong defense, and not forcing the QB to play superhero from the outset.
  • Ben: “It's not a bad thing... You're running the ball… you're getting into good situations… Now we're going to throw the ball four or five times a game.” (36:29)
  • Joe: “You don't have to be Patrick Mahomes... just don't lose it for us.” (30:40)

8. Favorite Teammates and Receivers (37:38–41:22)

• Ben’s pick: Despite a legendary group, Ben singles out tight end Heath Miller as his overall favorite.
  • Ben: “Heath was the guy that... was always in the right place. Receivers... I’d be like, ‘Hey, were you open?’ and Heath would say, ‘No.’” (37:54)
  • Shout-outs: Names Hines Ward, Antonio Brown (AB), Mike Wallace, Jericho Cotchery, and Juju Smith-Schuster as special receiver teammates.
• On Antonio Brown: Ben and Joe both discuss how the Roethlisberger-AB connection was nearly impossible to defend, especially on scramble plays.
  • Ben: “There was a lot of ad libbing going on with AB and me… we were on the same page a lot… especially on the sideline.” (41:22)
  • Joe: “I was so glad I got to practice against you guys, because a good ball and a good route is always going to beat great coverage.” (40:27)

9. Fun & Personal: Rookie Splurges and Favorite Stadiums (42:45–47:02)

• Spending habits: Joe gets roasted for owning both a black and white Rolls Royce. Ben humbly admits his rookie splurge was a (comparatively modest) Denali with TVs in the headrest.
  • Ben: “A car that I didn’t need… Denali… with TVs in the headrest.” (43:26)
• Favorite opponent stadium: Ben calls Cleveland his favorite away field due to his record there, teasing Joe, a former Brown.
  • Ben: “It was Cleveland… Won a lot of games there.” (44:30)
• New Cleveland stadium debate: Good-natured argument over whether a dome in Cleveland breaks AFC North tradition; playful shots taken at Browns’ playoff history.
  • Deebo: "The reason they want a dome... is because it’ll be the only time they get to see and watch a Super Bowl." (46:16)
  • The conversation closes with more playful ribbing about team loyalties and stadium design.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Deebo Harrison, recalling his college game:
  • “The little boy came up there to Kent State University, and you know what we did? We put them dictators on him.” (06:18)
• Ben Roethlisberger, on Steelers tradition:
  • “Pittsburgh is about defense first and then running the ball second... I have no bones about that.” (09:19)
• Ben, on roster-building:
  • “You should build a team and plug a quarterback into it... I was blessed to come to a team that was already established.” (25:27)
• Joe Hayden, on Roethlisberger-AB chemistry:
  • “A good ball and a good route is always going to beat great coverage. It made me feel... either he can catch it or nobody's going to catch it.” (40:27)
• On Heath Miller:
  • Ben: “He was my comfort blanket… when he dropped a pass, it was like a record screech.” (37:54)
• Ben, on AB’s sideline talent:
  • “If there was a ball on the sideline, the ref was like, out of bounds. I'm like, ‘Hey, I want to challenge that, because there's a really, really good chance that he was in bounds.’” (42:07)
• Deebo, on Cleveland getting a dome:
  • “The reason they want a dome... it’ll be the only time they get to see and watch and be part of a Super Bowl.” (46:16)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:43 – Show officially starts; banter between Deebo, Joe, and Ben
• 09:01 – Steelers’ new head coach discussion
• 12:08 – Offseason signings & their fit
• 18:34 – Defensive upgrades & execution
• 23:18 – Aaron Rodgers speculation
• 27:46 – Steelers draft strategy: O-line or WR?
• 37:38 – Ben’s favorite receivers/teammates
• 42:45 – Rookie spending stories
• 44:10 – Favorite away stadium: Ben’s “home” in Cleveland
• 46:16 – Debate on Cleveland stadium dome/Super Bowl

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Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for Steelers fans and football junkies. It mixes deep football knowledge, high-level player perspective, and the kind of locker room banter that only comes from years on the field together. With Roethlisberger’s candor on topics like roster building and quarterback development, the episode offers rare insight that goes beyond standard sports talk. The rapport among Roethlisberger, Harrison, and Hayden keeps the energy high and the laughs rolling throughout.

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Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[James Debo Harrison]

With the times.

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

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[Joe Hayden]

Doing great brother Debo. It's a great day to be on the Deebo and Joe Show. You know we got special guests here. Good great friend of mine. Great friend of yours.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yes, yes yes yes. Look here. Look here people people. We have a a a special special guest with us today. We have former AP NFL Rookie of the Year, youngest quarterback to ever won a Super bowl, two time super bowl champion, six time Pro Bowler, two time NFL passing yards leader, the first quarterback to throw six touchdowns in back to Back weeks.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes.

[James Debo Harrison]

Distillers all time leading past yards, passing, touchdowns and wins by a quarterback. Also, future hall of Famer.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes.

[James Debo Harrison]

We have Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger, Junior. Y' all call him Big Ben. I just call him.

[Joe Hayden]

How you doing, Government.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

That's. That's my son. Son's Junior.

[James Debo Harrison]

I thought.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I thought.

[Joe Hayden]

My bad.

[James Debo Harrison]

Senior. Sorry.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I thought for sure in there you were gonna.

[James Debo Harrison]

I'm used to saying junior because of me.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I thought for sure one of those stats was gonna be how many times I was sacked by you in college.

[James Debo Harrison]

Hey, I mean, you can. How many. What's the most number of sacks that you were sacked by somebody in. In one game in your career? Probably college, bro. How many?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Probably you.

[James Debo Harrison]

How many was it?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Two.

[James Debo Harrison]

Two. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. Hey, hey, Joe. Joe, Joe. Five. Yes, five. Joe.

[Joe Hayden]

Five.

[James Debo Harrison]

Say five. Joe who?

[Joe Hayden]

You sacked him five times.

[James Debo Harrison]

Hey, the little boy came up there to Kent State University, and you know what we did? We put them dictators on him, you know?

[Joe Hayden]

See, Ben, I'm not.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I'm.

[Joe Hayden]

I'm. See, you sign. You didn't sign up for this. You just walked into the craziness. See, that's why. That's what I have to deal with every day, Joe.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Can I tell? Can I tell? Am I allowed to tell the story or not? Is it not a shot?

[Joe Hayden]

Please, please.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So it's kind of a two. It's a twofold thing, really. It was one of those things. I'll tell. I'll tell the real story. But. But what kind of happened was I had received a letter about this undersized outside linebacker, defensive end slash guy that was trying to make the league. And we had a mutual friend. And so he kind of said, listen, if you could help him out, the only chance of him making the league is to get it, you know, have a really good game like this. So I said, okay, I'm gonna help him out. And so leading up to that game. This is a true story. Now, that was 9, 11. Okay? That season was when 911 happened. So we were supposed to play them when 9, 11 happened. So they can't obviously postpone the game.

[James Debo Harrison]

That's a true statement.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

This is. This is from now on. I mean, I haven't stopped telling the truth, but.

[James Debo Harrison]

So I'll tell you when you stop.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So anyway, the game got postponed to the last game of the season. Right? So, yes, the last game of the season for us. This is my redshirt freshman year, I think. Debo, is that your. This is your seventh year of College.

[Joe Hayden]

I forget what year was for dude, Old Man Depot.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So we, so our last game of the season was, was in Hawaii that year. Okay. So yes, we go out to Hawaii and, and then they end up putting us at Kent State after Hawaii in was. That would have been like back then it was like less games. You're still talking November. December is miserable. Right. We all agree on this weather.

[Joe Hayden]

Terrible.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Terrible. So we had enough coming from Miami. Same thing as Kent. We're not like you Joe, where everybody ends up going to the pros from your school and you guys get paid in college and all that.

[Joe Hayden]

Okay? Yes, yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So we go to the small school. Not a lot of guys go to the pros from, from the Mac.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

And so there were some guys that were seniors on that football team that were linemen that were like we're not going back to Kent State. We're going to stay out here in Hawaii after the game.

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

So we go to Kent State and we got some guys that never played football.

[Joe Hayden]

You got your backups playing backups.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Backups even going against James. So, so there's the story. And then he did. He got me. But he got me. He got me.

[Joe Hayden]

He got you. He got the reserves for Mac player trying to undersize, help him out for sure. Then that's, that's you looking out.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

That's right. But he got me.

[James Debo Harrison]

He, he wouldn't even have helped you none. You know this.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So yes, that's our, that's our story.

[Joe Hayden]

Good stuff.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah.

[James Debo Harrison]

Brother, brother, brother. Let's look, look here man. Let, let, let's talk a little bit of steeler football. Been a lot of things going on transpiring around. Of course the, the, the hiring of a new coach. Mike McCarthy. What was your initial reaction and then how do you feel about it currently?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah, I mean I thought honestly I know that there's a lot of people in Pittsburgh that wanted the kind of the young gun, the new up and comercial offense or defense. Really. I think, I think as you guys know, being defensive guys, I tell people all the time that Pittsburgh revolves around when, when you talk about football, Pittsburgh is about defense first and then running the ball second. That's. Listen, I played quarterback here 18 years. I, I have no bones about that. That's what it is. So I really thought that they would go with a defensive minded young coach. There were some names thrown out there the shoe like I don't know all the names. I really would have liked to have seen an offensive mind. Again this is all pre coach I would have liked to have seen an offensive minded head coach for the first time. I assume I didn't know Chuck. No, I assume Chuck Noel was a defensive minded coach. I assume I don't know. We know Coach Coward was defensive minded. We know Coach Tomlin was defensive minded. And so I just felt like, man, let's mix it up a little bit. Let's, let's get an offensive guy in here that can, you know, we can lean on. Because nowadays you've got to, you got to keep up, you've got to score points. You need a fresh mind in here. So I know it was young I. When the McCarthy name came up, I actually liked it. I felt like it was a, it was an offensive guy, a Pittsburgh guy. So he can kind of keep on the Pittsburgh tradition in the sense that, yeah, he never coached here, but he grew up here and it ran in his blood. He understands what it is to be a Steeler. Understand what it is to be a Pittsburgh. So I like the, I like the pick. I like the pick up the higher. And so now, I mean, you know, he's, he's adding staff and doing all the stuff he's doing. And, and obviously we'll, we'll. The results are to be seen still. But, but all in all, I was, I was pleasantly surprised with the pick and I liked. I know people weren't happy right away, but I think after his press conference and the emotion that he showed and I think this guy, he's coaching other places. But, but you can't tell me, you guys both know Pittsburgh. You can't tell me he hasn't, deep down, bled black and gold the whole time.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. So I think you're speaking the same language as us. Debo was speaking actually hilarious when we watched the press conference and you said about the emotion that he showed, Debo was like this, man, this is crying. Like, I'm like, Debo. I was watching it like, oh my goodness, yes. This is what we do. Yes, that's what really cares. It's passion, you know what I'm saying? But that I think Debo took a little time and came around too. So. Okay, I'm with the offense too. I think offensive mind. I want us to start. You're right. Defense is what Steelers are known for, running the ball. But the way that the league is going, we gotta score some points, you know what I'm saying? Defense, we need to be not having people running wide open alignment assignment technique, you know what I'm saying? Just not have people Run scot free so that we got to fix the defensive coordinator. But scoring points, I felt like was a big thing that we needed to do. So what you think, Deebo?

[James Debo Harrison]

Oh, all the way. I mean, we got to get points on the board. No question about it. But at the. At the other end, like, we weren't stopping nobody either. And, you know, with the moves that we've made, you know, in the off season, actually being like the moves that we made in all season, what Omar is doing. What do you think of that? You know, the guys that we picked up, I think we had Pittman, Dowdle, Dean and Brisker. What do you. What do you think of those signings, brother?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Well, I think. I think the Pittman pickup is huge.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I think. I think fans, people watching the games have been saying, where's our number two receiver? You went. You went and signed DK this huge deal, and DK is a great football player, but, you know, if you don't have someone opposite him, there's a lot of attention that goes there. And I don't, you know, I really like what they. What they have at the tight end position. And both Darnell Washington, I like Pat Fryermouth, obviously, I don't. I think those guys were all under use the last couple of years because that's another way to free up a receiver, is to utilize the middle of the field, you know, bring safeties in and whatever. So now adding a second receiver, I. I think, you know, it's still, you know, what are we doing with Roman Wilson? Like, is there something going on? Why has he not been on the field? You know, obviously Calvin Austin is now gone, and so I, I love the Pittman pickup. I think it's something that screams, hey, Aaron Rodgers, come on. Like, like we're giving you. We're giving you these. These weapons. I think losing Gainwell, Kenny G, the team MVP last year, is a. Is a big loss in the sense of what he was able to do. Opposite of Jalen Warren, you know, especially going to. He went to Tampa, I believe. Right. For not. Not even. It wasn't a crazy deal, but it seemed like he wanted to go to Tampa. I think his comments were, you know, Tampa's kind of. Or Tampa was maybe where I wanted to go all the time. Yeah, something like that. But. But. But what he brought last year was. Was. Was pretty special. So we'll see what the. The young man from Carolina can do, you know, opposite Warren. But. But I. I love the pickup. What's that? Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Hayden]

Love Rico.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

And so I, I think that offensively you're, you're telling yourself like what you've done in free agency so far is like, hey listen, we know we've got the defense. We're going to add some pieces in the, in the secondary obviously with, with the safeties and the corners and opposite JPJ and Ramsey and there, there. I don't think the issues were as big on defense. I know you guys as defensive guys talk about guys running wide open and this, that and the other. But to me watching again from you know, 30,000 foot view, the defense looked like it was just pieces. Like let's fill a piece here, fill a piece there.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yeah. And so interior got a big, we got it. We got a big feel. I think right there with the interior D lineman we got a guy that is a run stopper. You know he's going to clog up the middle. That's what he's known for. So that's something that I, you know, I was real excited about.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

That's that guy from the, the new, the new young man from Tennessee. That guy. So pair him and Harmon together, right? Because Harmon coming off running a business

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for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosure is available at public.com disclosures

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

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[James Debo Harrison]

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

rookie season A little bit of injuries but I, I think you're, you're, you're adding some youth into the the age. I think what I like Debo obviously your position is obviously you know what you have in Watt and Highsmith but behind them like what I my personal like again as a quarterback. The growth that I saw in Sawyer, I think he's got a chance to really Learn and be a. Be a good player. And obviously Herbig on the other side going into his final year, you got four guys there that, that you can rotate in. Probably feel pretty comfortable with, I would think.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah, yeah, I like that. I think the, the main thing we were saying too, was me and Debo, when you're saying that, it's just pieces that we needed to fill in. I know that we have the skill, we have the talent. So we're just saying execution, communication. As long as everybody's on the same page, it's not a skill thing, it's a discipline thing. So it's just a. Watch the tape, make sure everybody's on the same page. People are going in motion. We already know what we're going to be in. So with the defense skills, good. Bringing in the other corner, opposite JP opposite Joey Porter Jr. Jalen Ramsey, fire. Like, everybody's good at the positions. Patrick Queen, if we have the D lineman play better, when we talking about being able to take two to where he can run freely, he's not scared. He's a hitter, so he's going to be able to like, be able to run free, make those tackles. So I think that's going to be good. When you talk about Wilson in the slot, I. Do you think he's a good slot receiver? Because Pittman being there, great having dk, taking some pressure off, him being the one. Like, I think that those are three really good receivers.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah. I mean, we don't know really. I mean, we didn't get to see enough of Roman Wilson. I think he could be, you know, McCarthy's offensive philosophy, that west coast is a lot of big receivers that like to run. You got to have four and five receivers on the roster. I'd like to, you know, see, you know, if you're asking me, I do want to come back to what you guys said. I'll finish the statement. I'll have a question for you to. Especially you, Joe. I, I think, like, what needs to happen is you're still missing a couple pieces at receiver, which I think can be filled in the draft. Like, I, I'm not opposed to them going with the second third round pick at a receiver if you got a guy that you really like. So I, I still think you could fill another spot, a receiver in the draft. It wouldn't be. I wouldn't go there like the first round, but I would definitely consider it in the second round. So what I was, what I was going to ask you on the secondary is, would you now that you you know, I think what you see from JPJ on the outside, you got to feel pretty confident that he's a guy that can lock it down. He's a guy that's coming into his own in terms of you potentially could let him go all over the field if you want. I think, you know, I would say the only concern that I see as a quarterback is, is getting handsy, as, you know, the penalties. But again, you like the physical play, so I think you're willing to take some of that with the, with the physicality. Would you. And then you end up getting the new players. Would you. What would you do with Ramsey? Would you put him back in corner or would you put him in the slot?

[Joe Hayden]

No slot. And I would have him at free or slot. So he's still going to be able to guard tight ends now because the speed isn't there at corner. At the outside, you got to be young, you still got to be able to run. I think when you talk about the handsy part with Joey Porter Jr. I think that's still with the game still being a little fast, the slower it slows down. He's using straight athletic ability. When he knows what's going on, he's going to be able to read the come out of the huddle. Okay, we got, man. Now he's, he's reading, is over split, you know what I'm saying? He's like, okay, boom, boom. He's going to run a slant. I'm like, film study, I think, is going to be a really, really big thing for him now to make his next level of his game because he's just been doing this, getting a little bit like last year, he wasn't as handsy. He's being grabby, he's learning, he's knowing, just getting in his bag, getting a lot more comfortable out there. So I think him getting his feet wet, knowing I can stay with these dudes, I can play him. I was guarding him, not knowing what's going on. He's doing one on ones just versus the best receivers out there and holding his own. So when you start being comfortable knowing what's going on, coming out the huddle, you and your safety communicating, y' all know what, y' all know what the play is happening. I think he's going to be a lot more comfortable. So I think he's going to be. I think he'd be good to go.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah, I like Ramsey in the slot too, as a quarterback. He makes me more nervous in the slot. I mean, he's Making me nervous. Anyway, you got to know where he is, but in the slot because of his, his mind, right? When you're, when you're in the, in the slot, it's all about your mind. And we talked about, you know, when I was, when I was here in dyu, too. And you know, Deshay Townsend, right? Deshay was an outside corner, good corner, and then they moved him inside and he was so good in that nickel slot. And I also like him in there because I think you can blitz him more. I love when Ramsey blitzes. I love him stopping the run. You know, you can put him on a tight end and say, okay, this Titan is not touching the ball. You know, I don't want that tight end to touch the ball.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

All right, you got him. And then you go one for one, take him out. You could put JPJ on their best receiver. You go one for one, Cancel those two guys, you know, their best tight end, their best receiver. Cancel them out and just play ball from there.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah, Yep.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yeah, I'm 100 on that. I like that. Plus the pickup with the safety brisker. That's. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, that's. That's another good pickup. But I guess Stiller fans, they trying to decipher what Michael Pittman Jr. Said in a little interview. I guess he appearance he did on, on the show, talking about Aaron Rodgers. He said, so I'm trying to give him a space, you know, because Aaron's a guy that likes his space. I don't want to just get signed and then blow him up like, hey, Aaron, like, what's the deal? But, you know, I just give him his time, you know, him and his wife, like, they got to handle some things. And then, like, he would decide if he wants to come back or not. And he continued to say, but the fact that he's still out doing flag stuff, I think he wants to play. Like, just knowing Aaron prior to this, I just think he's going to try to try and play as long as he can, man. What do you think of the whole Aaron Rodgers situation? Do you think we should wait on him? Do you think we should go and say, you know what, let's run and see what will can do and then see what happens from there. And if it doesn't work out next year, we look at getting a quarterback? Like, what's your thoughts on the whole quarterback situation?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of. There's a lot of factors, a lot of layers involved with, with this whole thing, you know, I I would think and hope that Aaron would give a decision by the draft. Not that it, not that it's going to change anything in the sense that I don't think the Steelers should draft a quarterback early in this draft by any means. If you want to try and grab one in the fourth round or somewhere just to add someone. Here's. Here's something that I would consider that happened recently. Josh Dobbs just got release. New England.

[Joe Hayden]

Okay.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I would, I would strongly. If Aaron. Again, this is all about Aaron. If Aaron is not coming back, I would love to bring a veteran guy in like Dobs who's been here. Obviously new system, not the same coaching staff, but bring a veteran guy in. Because I'm a big Will Howard fan. I, I would love to give Will Howard a chance. I think he's a guy that's a proven winner in college.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I think that he can come here and do it. And I think if you. I've been very adamant on my show and talking about like, I think it's important. So many teams nowadays, they get a quarterback and they try and build around their quarterback. I think, I think that's backwards. I think you should build a team and plug a quarterback into it because then if the quarterback doesn't work, I mean, look what Kyler Murray, number one overall pick. He didn't even last through. I mean there's, there's a lot of guys. I know we're just. I'm using him because that's the most recent news, but it's all the time. But, but if you build a team and you put Will Howard into it, well, if it doesn't work, we'll go draft a guy, put him into it. You have a team. I was blessed to come to a team that was already established. Veteran line, veteran offense, veteran defense, great defense. And it really was just about let's plug a quarterback in. And I was able to get plugged in and play and so. So again, I know I just gave you a bunch, but I think that Aaron. I think I might. Deep down, I feel like Aaron's gonna play. I mean, they're surrounding him. They're giving him some great weapons. I think the McCarthy factor. I know there's been some reports of them like button heads in the past, but I think they've made up. So I don't, I don't know the, the true there but what's going on there. But I would. Deep down I feel like Aaron's going to come back. I, I would hope that he would let them know by the draft, just for the simple fact of if you want to grab a guy late round, but anytime you can have a Hall of Fame guy on your team, I think it's important for the leadership and for what he can do. You saw, you saw times last year when he kind of just took over. It felt like, you know what? This is, this like I'm. Listen, here we go. Let me call this blah, blah, blah. And it felt like they were driving and doing things. So just with his familiarity with this offense, I, I feel like it's a smart thing to do. And if not, I would absolutely ride with Will Howard if Aaron comes out today or tomorrow, whatever, and says I'm, I'm retiring, I can't see him playing anywhere else. Let's say that, yeah, I think it's here and nowhere, but if he decides, hey, I'm done, I'm going to go do my thing, whatever. I would absolutely still not draft a guy in the first round. I would ride with Will Howard for a couple years, give him a chance, keep building this team around him. I think the line, I would go line first, O line first in the draft, get a line to just get a guard into your guy. And I would just absolutely build this team around Will Howard right now. And if it doesn't work, guess what? In two years, the draft is, is loaded with quarterbacks. Go get you guys, get a guy in the first round. Because it didn't work with Will, you're probably going to draft him higher.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yeah, that, that was going to be my next question. Put you put your gm. Put your GM head coach had on. And, and who you getting with the first, with the first round pick? Who, who would be your target? Do you have somebody in mind? Do you, do you know of someone? You said you would go offensive line. Do you have somewhere.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I, I don't. Listen, I can't tell. I don't. I don't study enough to know.

[James Debo Harrison]

Okay. Yeah, that's all I was wondering. You definitely going O line though.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I would, I would absolutely go line. I don't think you can ever have enough O lineman. Like I like. It's just too valuable because when a guy goes down, if you lose that, if you lose like a legit guy, you've got to be able to plug him in and not just a plug and play guy. What if it's for the season? What if it's, you know, you've got to have a guy and so I think that there's, there's two philosophies when you go, if I have my GM coach hat on, there's two philosophies in the draft, okay? If I know, like, if I'm the GM of this team, I'm saying I want o lineman and I'm going to pick a lineman at the 21st pick. I'm taking the best lineman. I don't care if he's a center and you have a great center. If he's a. I don't care what it is. I'm taking the best guy. Because you can move things around.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Like right now. Right. What's going on? Broderick Jones, there's been reports of him maybe not coming back. The injury's a little worse. So people would say, okay, right, left tackle, we got to get left tackle. No, get the best lineman available. Don't. Don't go out on a limb with a left tackle that you think, get the best lineman and move things around. Now, the second thing is always I think that there's a board, right? Your board says, okay, we're going line first. And then there's always that best available category. Like, so. So what if, like, what if the best available at 21, all of a sudden you're your number five best available for whatever reason is like a corner or something, you know, like, I'm just trying to think of, like a position you don't necessarily need. You have to, you have to take a strong look. Like, man, that's. We have him as the fifth best available. We got it. We might have to consider. But it has to be like a really high best available, not like our 15th best available guy is an outside linebacker. Like, well, we don't need that. We got four outside backers. Let's go. So I'm going line first, and I would, I would consider going receiver in the second round.

[James Debo Harrison]

Personally, I ain't gonna lie, man. I think. I think I would go line, line first answer.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

And you wouldn't be wrong. You wouldn't be wrong.

[Joe Hayden]

I think I would be with you. I think I would go line receiver. I think I will go line receiver.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

The other thing is you've got a lot of draft capital, right? You've got a lot of picks. You've got, I think two third. Unless again, I don't know what we've given up with some of this stuff going on, but there's a lot of picks available and maybe you could get two, you know, get rid of some stuff and get two second rounders or third, you know, I don't know. There's a Lot of things that could happen. But line. Line is not a bad move either ever.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yeah. I just feel like we can get, we can get better value at the O line with those, those first two picks that we have as far as talent.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah.

[James Debo Harrison]

Then we would, you know, going after a receiver that made it all the way down to the second round, especially what we just, you know, the receivers we have and what we just signed.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah, I like the way you went about the. Aaron Rodgers and Will Howard. I feel the same exact way. If Aaron Rodgers does want to come back, I would like for him to give us his decision as early as possible just so the organization could do what we got to do, knowing moving forward. But he doesn't owe nobody nothing. So that's how I just look at it, like a rod. If you want to come back, please let us know early. But if you, if you don't, you know what I'm saying, it's cool because we just need to figure out what's going on. Will Howard love him also and build a team. If you just get a good line that, like you said, you can run the ball well, you have good receivers, we got good tight ends. He doesn't have to come do too much, come in there, hand the ball off. You stand ahead of the sticks. You're not putting them in positions where he has to go out there and just create. Create craziness. No, he's under control. Third and shorts, you know what I'm saying? Slants and stuff like that. So I'm with the building a great team because you can just put a quarterback in there, competent. You don't have to go out there and. And B, Patrick Mahomes, you don't have to be out scrambling, doing things crazy. Run the offense right. Don't lose the game. You don't got to go out there and go crazy. Just don't lose it for us.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah, it's the same thing. Like I said when I came in, we had a great defense and we, we ran the ball and we ran the ball a lot. Now, we had Play, we had Plex, we had Hines, we had Randall. We made our plays in the past game, but that wasn't what we.

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

Your bill, ladies.

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[James Debo Harrison]

I got it.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

No, I got it.

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[James Debo Harrison]

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[Ben Roethlisberger]

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[Podcast Host]

Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Rock, paper, scissors.

[Podcast Host]

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[James Debo Harrison]

No, the Wells Fargo active cash credit card.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Visit Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply. They're predicated on, you know, we went out and people came up to stop the run, and that's when we hit them over the top with the big boys. And that's when we used Hines doing his thing and Antwan. And so you. You take the pressure off of a young quarterback, like a Will Howard, if you can, if you need to. Again, this is all depending on what a rod wants to do.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

If you need to, you can take all the pressure off him and just let him. Like you say, don't lose the game. And it's not like, I think quarterbacks sometimes they get frustrated when you say, hey, you know, they're a game manager.

[Joe Hayden]

It's not. That's fine.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

It's not a bad thing to do. Listen, you're running the ball. You're getting. You're getting yourself into good situations. Good plays, you're taking, eliminating the bad plays. Hand the ball. Handoff. Handoff. Handoff. Guess what? Now we're going to throw the ball four or five times a game. Look at us, Indianapolis. When we went that first super bowl, we went to Indianapolis and threw the ball the first, like, eight plays of the game. Indy wasn't ready for it. Heath Miller. Heath Miller. Heath Miller. I mean, you've got to. You can do that just as well, too, as a young guy, but you got to build the line and build a team that can sustain that.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah, you got to be able to get that safety to come down when it's single high. They're not just standing back There too

[Ben Roethlisberger]

high, you notice, you know, what if safety comes down and then you got DK and Pittman going.

[Joe Hayden]

That's what I'm saying.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yeah.

[Joe Hayden]

Mount Washington. What are we talking about?

[James Debo Harrison]

That's the same thing I was telling them last week, like how you came in. I'm like, yo, they're. They're building the team right now. And then we go have a quarterback, we'll get the quarterback we need to plug in. I'm like, ben came into the same situation. That's the same thing I was telling everybody last week. I am so glad that you went on ahead and told them exactly what it was, you know what I'm saying, to justify that, you know, your boy know what he talking about, you know, for sure, for sure.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Super smart.

[James Debo Harrison]

Appreciate that, brother. Look here, bro, I got another question for you, okay? Favorite receiver to play with. I think I know who it is.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

My favorite receiver to play with was Heath Miller.

[James Debo Harrison]

Heath Miller, okay.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yes. And I know he's a tight end. Heath Miller.

[James Debo Harrison]

Listen, Heath was that.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Heath was the. Heath was a guy that. And listen, I could go down a list of some great receivers I play with. I, I played with some unbelievable receivers, guys that should be in the hall of Fame in, in Heinz. And I think, you know, I play with one of the most talented guys that I've ever been around in my life in Antonio Brown. Guys with amazing. I mean, listen. Yeah, and, and guys with speed like Mike Wallace. I mean, like we. I've, I've gotten, I've been blessed with a lot of great guys. And, and one of my favorites that I play with, that is probably people would know about that I only play with for a few years. Jericho Katri, Jeremo. Katri was in the right place all the time. Hard nose. Like, I loved playing with him. And then, I mean, Heinz Ward, I mean, again, the list, Plex. I mean, the list goes on and on. And I'll juju when he was, you know, juju early on, juju's still going. I mean, he was a stud when he was playing early on and still, still doing it. But Heath Miller was different. Heath Miller was a guy that,

[James Debo Harrison]

you

[Ben Roethlisberger]

know, was, was when he dropped the pass, it was like a record screech, right? What happened? You know, he was always in the right place. Receivers are known to, to, you know, when you come off the field. Remember back in the day, we used to look at the pictures, right? We flipped through the note with the three ring binder, look at the pictures and then come off the field and the receiver's like, man, I was wide open. Or. Or to ask, hey, were you open? Yeah, wide open. Look at the picture. Three guys around them, not even close to being open, Right. Heath Miller was the type where I'd be like, hey, Heath, were you open? And he'd be like, no. I think there was guys. I look at the picture known around him. You know what I'm saying?

[Joe Hayden]

Like, selfless. No. You didn't make the. Not trying to blame it on you.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

No. And. And. And did if you go back, Keith Miller tape. Yeah, he made some great plays, but it was never really flashy. It was just hard nose. He run people over. He wasn't hurdling people. He wasn't doing spin moves, stiff farming. He just did the work. And he was blocking. He wasn't afraid to block. He was always in the place. And I always tell people, like, listen, when I. If I wanted to play backyard football, right, where there's no, like, you just. You're just playing ball. You. You see this guy's here, I'm gonna. I'm do this. I'm gonna do this. Heath Miller was gonna. Was gonna win because he just had the ability to just be on the same page with you, read things. He was my comfort blanket. So I will. I will take Heath Miller in a game of flag football any day.

[Joe Hayden]

Respect. Respect. Y' all definitely went crazy, because I don't know Heath. Heath for sure. But I know you. And like you said, I knew Debo was going to say. Absolutely. I had to say AB because you and AB Put me through the worst times. AB had his routes, because that's when I came to Pittsburgh. I was so glad, though, I got to practice against you guys, because a good ball and a good route is always going to beat great coverage. And it made me feel. Because I'm like, no, you in the right spot. But you were just. You're going to put the ball where either he can catch it or nobody's going to catch it. I couldn't get my hands on you. Just put the balls in great spots, and then your scrambling ability to be able to extend the plays and throw people off of you. If I'm covering a five and out, and I really think I have that five and out, I'm going to look, oh, I'm in a good spot. Ben's going to throw somebody off, and AB Is turning that thing up. And that was a five out and up, and now I'm beat. So y' all made it very, very, very difficult for me with that with,

[Ben Roethlisberger]

like, the scramble drill there. There was a lot of ad libbing going on with Abni, and it seemed to always. I mean, there were. There were very few times when it didn't work, right? When. When you. When you ad lib and it. And it's. And it's bad, right? Quarterback goes a throw, he thinks, does the receiver turns up or does something, bad things happen, right? Pigs. It looks really bad.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah, those.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Those things were few and far between with. With him. For whatever reason. They just. We were on the same page a lot. And, I mean, a super talented guy. One of the things I tell people a lot, like, he. He worked his butt off. We all know that. He caused everything. But where he was probably at his best was on the sideline. If there was a ball on the sideline, the ref was like, out of bounds. I'm like, hey, I want to challenge that, because there's a really, really good chance that he was in bounds.

[Joe Hayden]

Yes, yes.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Thousand percent.

[Joe Hayden]

Being able to.

[James Debo Harrison]

It looked like he'd be all the way. No, no way.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

And he barely ever went to the ground, right? Like, he never dove for balls. He ran through everything on the sideline. He would stretch out so far, and then somehow he would just stay on his feet. His balance and creativity was. Was unbelievable.

[Joe Hayden]

Tony toe tap. He was. Tony toe tap. Now that's in. If it's by the sideline, I tap. I tapped that.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yep.

[James Debo Harrison]

Yes. It's a good bag, man. Look here, bro, let's get into some little other stuff, man. Let's. Let me. Let me know. Joe's a spender Joe.

[Joe Hayden]

Like, oh, no.

[James Debo Harrison]

Joe's a spender Joe. Joe got two. Two different cars. I don't know. Sorry. What? Different. What car? He got one black, one white. They look the same. What is it again?

[Joe Hayden]

Wow. Back. That was when I was playing for the Steelers, Debo. I had a Cullinan and I had a Ghost.

[James Debo Harrison]

They looked the same to me. He had a black one and a white one. He couldn't decide on which color. You know what I'm saying? So he said, you know what? I'm gonna get the black and the white. They're the same car. To me, that. That's all I'm seeing. What's your biggest thank you, thank you, thank you. Made like on your. On your. Say, let's say your rookie did. What was it? Yeah, let's say waste house.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Oh, man, I don't know. Probably. Probably a. A car that I didn't need. Like, you know, I got. I think I got my first car ever. One. It was like a Denali or one of, you know, one of those cars with, you know, with, like, the TV's in the headrest or what, you know,

[James Debo Harrison]

you ain't get a Wraith and a ghost.

[Joe Hayden]

No, Ben, is.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah. I don't even know what that is,

[Joe Hayden]

man. I'm. See, look, I don't know. It's a Rolls Royce.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Okay.

[Joe Hayden]

You know, it's a car, man. Yeah. You know, kind of car is it trying to bring out crazy. Don't Debo. It doesn't matter. It's a Rolls Royce.

[James Debo Harrison]

All right. Oh, Lord.

[Joe Hayden]

All right, look, let's. Let's switch. Let's switch gears.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Moving on.

[Joe Hayden]

What was your favorite stadium. Away stadium to play in, Ben?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Well, I. I enjoyed. You know, as crazy as it is, it kind of coincided with each other. Anybody in the AFC north was pretty fun, right, because you just. They were all over you, and I was very successful. But I would. I would probably say my favorite stadium, Joe. And this is not. You're not gonna like this because it's home away from home. It was Cleveland.

[Joe Hayden]

I don't set myself up.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah, I mean, I just. I've been going through emails with them because they're doing a new stadium, you know, which seems crazy to me with. I heard it's gonna be a dome, which seems. Or maybe retractable. I don't know. That doesn't seem right to me.

[Joe Hayden]

You just say, okay, yeah.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Going through emails and stuff.

[James Debo Harrison]

They're.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

They're asking me for naming rights. Like they want. You know, I was gonna put my name. No, I don't know.

[Joe Hayden]

That's where you're going with this.

[James Debo Harrison]

That's where they. Dude, I'm trying to tell you, like, I'm looking at it.

[Joe Hayden]

Okay, okay. They're gonna call Rothfs Burgers, Rossberger Field, Roethlisberger Field nuts. Okay.

[James Debo Harrison]

I mean, it's kind of. He kind of. He kind of up in the air with it because when he going to the hall, he don't really want his name sitting in Cleveland like that. You know what I'm saying? But they speak it so much. I mean, look at you, right?

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Won a lot of games there. Won a lot of games here.

[Joe Hayden]

You know, I can respect that, though, man, because, you know, I went from there to Pittsburgh. I played, you know.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

So let me ask you, Joe, as a Cleveland guy, like, what do you think about that being a dome or like a. Like a. Like a roof over. That feels like that doesn't. Like, isn't right. Like, part of Being in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, it's grass.

[James Debo Harrison]

Before you answer this, let me interject. Before you answer this. What? Listen, the reason they want a dome band is because it will be the only time they will get to see and watch and be part of a Super Bowl.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Super Bowl.

[Joe Hayden]

That's crazy.

[James Debo Harrison]

But go ahead, Joe, I. I'll let you go.

[Joe Hayden]

I'm not mad at it because I really think. Well, the owners is. It's full of money. You know, the. Has. It's all they're building, this whole little town out there. They're going to have parking, the hotels, the restaurants. It's a business move. And I'm not mad at them. They're putting money into the city, into the stadium. It's going to be beautiful. I know. It's gonna be nice.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Yeah.

[Joe Hayden]

They don't. They don't. They don't.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

It just doesn't feel right, though.

[Joe Hayden]

I know. Which is. I hear you, Ben. I hear you. Honestly, I love the downtown. Downtown. It was perfect. I love where the stadium was. It was beautiful. But I'm looking at it from. I guess the owners, they tried to do that because the dollars and cents.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I'll say this. And. And I. And I hear it's probably going to be beautiful. And it. Yes, I assume. Are they moving it out of where it was? Like, it's gonna be a. Yeah, it's

[Joe Hayden]

gonna be by the airport.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

Oh, okay.

[James Debo Harrison]

But, yeah, I guess I used to always drive.

[Ben Roethlisberger]

I know that's true. No, it just feels like the best chance. And again, and I mean this with sort of all due respect, it felt like the best chance that Cleveland had was when bad weather came in when

[Joe Hayden]

it's slippery outside, and you know what I'm saying, they can't get the root.

[James Debo Harrison]

That's really.

[Joe Hayden]

That's.

[James Debo Harrison]

And really. That didn't really give y' all a chance. That just kind of. I don't know, it depends if y' all was playing a warm weather team,

[Joe Hayden]

like, y' all need me here right now. Honestly.

[James Debo Harrison]

Excuse me.

[Joe Hayden]

Do y' all need me here right now?

[James Debo Harrison]

I'm. I'm just talking. I'm talking. It's Debo and Joe.

[Joe Hayden]

Okay. All right.

[James Debo Harrison]

We talking. We got. We got special guests like this. Sometimes it's going to happen. There's nothing wrong with it.

[Joe Hayden]

Yeah. All right. Yeah.

[James Debo Harrison]

All right. But, yeah, calm down. Like, you come out here with all the Cleveland stuff on and then expect not to get Cleveland questions.

[Joe Hayden]

You're correct. You're correct. I did this one to myself. I did this one to myself.

[James Debo Harrison]

You got two, three Browns helmets on your like left side right there. What are we talking about?

[Joe Hayden]

Joe and the right side got the same amount of helmets and Steelers like

[James Debo Harrison]

and he told you it was kind of respectfully so he did kind of.

[Joe Hayden]

You always when you say that that means the bad stuff's on the way.

[James Debo Harrison]

You already know, but it was respectfully, kind of respectful.

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the novel

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