Calen Bullock on Houston Texans Expectations, Pro Bowl & More | Exciting Mics Szn 2 Ep. 32

Summary

Exciting Mics – Season 2, Episode 32: Calen Bullock on Houston Texans Expectations, Pro Bowl & More

Release Date: July 23, 2026
Hosts: Cooper DeJean & Reed Blankenship
Guest: Calen Bullock, Houston Texans Safety

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of Exciting Mics, Eagles defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship welcome their first-ever Houston Texans guest—Calen Bullock, one of the NFL’s most promising young safeties and 2025 Pro Bowler. The trio explores Calen’s rapid emergence on the Texans, expectations for Houston’s defense, lessons from an early playoff exit, and plenty of locker room camaraderie. Bonus: fans get a taste of what it’s like behind the scenes with stories, playful banter, and rapid-fire food and football debates.

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Key Topics & Discussion Highlights

NFL Top 100 and Recent Sports Headlines

Timestamp: 02:47 – 08:36

• Cooper and Reed kick off with what’s exciting them: NFL Top 100 rankings.
  • “Kyle Hamilton came in at 63, down 12 from last year… Trevor Lawrence was balling last year, not gonna lie.” (Cooper DeJean, 03:37)
• Golf talk: discourse on Bryson DeChambeau’s British Open controversy.
  • “He came off wrong, like, a few years back, and now he's kind of winning everybody back over… I think he's making golf fun.” (Cooper DeJean, 05:35)
• LeBron James’ future speculated: Philly, Cavs, or Heat?
  • “I still think Philly's in play. I think it's gotta be in play.” (Cooper DeJean, 08:12)

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College Football Catch-up & Fanatics Fest Review

Timestamp: 09:11 – 12:39

• Cooper discusses Iowa’s tough opening Big Ten schedule.
• Reflections on their first-ever live podcast show at Fanatics Fest featuring Julian Edelman.
  • “We passed out some T-shirts… If you weren’t there, you missed out.” (Cooper DeJean, 11:19)
• Both hosts express excitement (and nerves) about upcoming training camp.

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Welcoming Calen Bullock: Texans Talk & Pro Bowl Recap

Timestamp: 13:11 – 17:58

• First impressions: Calen praises Reed for fitting in as a new addition to the Texans secondary.
  • “Once he came in, he fit in… he got the swagger to him.” (Calen Bullock, 14:46)
• Breakdown of Pro Bowl game competitiveness:
  • “We let our foot off the gas, and them boys came back and won. I was really mad… it was a real game.” (Calen Bullock, 14:04)
• Locker room culture, team nicknames, and setting a “vibe” in the secondary.
  • Praise for “Agent Zero” (Aziz) and “Terminator” (Will Anderson).

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Calen’s USC Journey & NFL Draft Experience

Timestamp: 18:31 – 26:42

• Transition from USC to Texans: The COVID college season, sudden first start, and multiple role changes.
  • “Thursday night, I was in gaming class… Coach text me… he told me… you starting? I was like, oh, snap.” (Calen Bullock, 19:05)
• Head coach change at USC midseason, followed by Lincoln Riley’s arrival and recruitment connections.
  • “He didn’t give off the head coach [vibe]... real cool.” (Calen Bullock, 21:21)
• NFL Draft: Houston trades up to snag Calen, surprising even him.
  • “I was thinking the Raiders was getting me at first, but then it showed that the Texans traded up…” (Calen Bullock, 25:27)
• First impressions of Houston: “I wasn’t watching Houston football before that… just excited for the opportunity.” (Calen Bullock, 25:56)

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Early NFL Impact & Defensive Mindset

Timestamp: 26:42 – 31:50

• Immediate on-field success: picks in Weeks 1 and 3 as a rookie.
  • “Usually it takes a little bit to get going as a rookie, but you came out and you got your first pick.” (Host, 26:59)
  • Bullock’s wild card interception: “A-Rod threw it right to me… made sure I caught it.” (29:12)
• Totaling 10 picks in two seasons:
  • “10 picks in two years... Stacking them right now.” (Bullock, 30:17)
• Open-minded coaching staff: “Always asking us... how we feel about certain stuff… lets us play fast.” (Bullock, 30:59)
• Notable team infrastructure: “We got a guy for everything—legit everything.” (Host, 32:31)

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Texans Fan Culture & Playoff Outlook

Timestamp: 33:00 – 35:59

• Calen on Houston fandom: “Our fan base is passionate… they love the Texans.” (33:00)
• Playoff hunger & expectations:
  • “We got a chip on our shoulder… We feel like we’re this close [to the Super Bowl]… just adding Reed to the secondary, he knows what it takes.” (Bullock, 34:37)
• Health and depth as major keys: “You gotta be able to play at a high level… It’s one game, too.” (Cooper, 36:30)
• Talking contract extensions and market pressure:
  • “I just try to be consistent… focus on my job and what I gotta do.” (Bullock, 37:21)

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Looking Ahead: Week 16 at Philadelphia & Inside Player Mindset

Timestamp: 38:11 – 39:40

• Facing the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field:
  • “I heard Philly is a… crazy stadium. They throw stuff at you, all type—it’s snowing… but I’m ready.” (Calen, 38:28)
• Contrasts in pre-game energy; Reed serious, Cooper keeps it light.

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Rapid Fire: Food Takes, Covering Receivers, and Locker Room Dogs

Timestamp: 39:53 – 43:32

• Calen's bye week meal: In-N-Out > Whataburger or Shake Shack, plus his mom’s tacos and enchiladas.
  • “My first stop always is In-N-Out…. Sorry, Shake Shack is good, but I’m taking In-N-Out.” (Bullock, 40:28)
• Toughest Texan to cover: “Nico Collins… route running, big body, fast… his casual.” (42:01)
• Biggest dog in the locker room: “Kamari Lassiter—K3. Walks in blasting YoungBoy with a shiesty on.” (42:56)
• Christmas Eve (Eagles vs. Texans) predictions: “We just gotta play it out, see what happens.” (43:28)

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Fan Q&A – Get Dialed In

Timestamp: 46:03 – 53:11

• Thoughtful fan suggestions and playful hypotheticals (aliens choosing which host to abduct).
• Hydration and recovery strategies for training camp:
  • “Pickle juice and Drip Drop… and the Normatec boots.” (Cooper DeJean, 52:15)
• Friendly food debates: the In-N-Out vs. Whataburger rivalry.
• Heartfelt voicemails from fans in Iowa, Texas, and beyond, plus encouragement for Coop and Reed as camp approaches.

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Notable Quotes & Standout Moments

• “We let our foot out the gas, and them boys came back and won… I was really mad. Like, it was a real game.” – Calen Bullock on the Pro Bowl (14:04)
• “Once he came in, he fit in… he got the swagger to him.” – Bullock on Reed Blankenship joining the Texans (14:46)
• “You gotta come up with a nickname for Reed…” – Cooper DeJean (18:02)
  “It started off Ghost. People call me Ghost my rookie year.” – Reed Blankenship (18:12)
• “I just try to be consistent day in, day out, focus on my job and what I gotta do.” – Calen Bullock on contract/extension talk (37:21)
• “Our fan bases are passionate… when that stadium close Sunday, the fans, they gonna show out.” – Calen Bullock (33:00)
• “We feel like we’re this close… just the Super Bowl being this close. Last year, we felt like we had it.” – Bullock about Texans' playoff hopes (34:37)

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Structure

1. NFL headlines & rankings (Kyle Hamilton, Trevor Lawrence, British Open, LeBron news)

02:47 – 08:36

2. College football & live event stories

09:11 – 12:39

3. Texans-focused conversation w/Calen Bullock

• Secondary chemistry, Pro Bowl memories, team nicknames
  13:11 – 17:58

4. Calen’s football journey

• USC beginnings, coaching changes, NFL Draft, Houston impressions
  18:31 – 26:42

5. Early impact, coaching staff, and Texans culture

26:42 – 32:31

6. Playoff drive, extension talk, and looking to the season ahead

33:00 – 39:40

7. Rapid Fire Q&A (food, hardest matchups, locker room stories)

39:53 – 43:32

8. Fan Q&A & hydration tips

46:03 – 53:11

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Final Thoughts

This episode delivers an insider’s view into the mindset of rising NFL stars adjusting to new teams, handling the pressures of expectations, and building camaraderie on- and off-field. Calen Bullock’s perspective underscores the hunger in Houston’s locker room, while Cooper and Reed’s chemistry and lighthearted banter make for another highly entertaining—and informative—installment.

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For More:

• Follow @ExcitingMics on all platforms
• Suggest your own questions or nominate an athlete for “Cooper Sharp Player of the Week”
• Texans, Eagles, and NFL fans: subscribe and tap in for more unfiltered stories straight from the league’s most authentic player-hosted show.

Transcript

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[Reed Blankenship]

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[Cooper Dejean]

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Na I'm Kiana, and I leveled up my business with Shopify. Once I figured out that Shopify was a thing, I never turned back. I can create a site with my eyes closed. Shopify thinks ahead of us, you know, and it thinks about the customer more than anything. Every day I'm thinking about some other new business, but Shopify is doing it to me because it's so easy to use. It's like, I can't stop. I'm addicted.

[Reed Blankenship]

Start your free [e-mail] a great play call for our defense, actually. And a rod threw it right to me. Thursday night I was in gaming class. It was like 9pm Class. I got a call from my.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You said, hold on. Time out, time out, time out.

[Caller/Listener]

Yes.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You said gaming class.

[Reed Blankenship]

Gaming class. A video game class. I say, he's a dog. Just saying, you playing. I know, like, what you bring to the game, the swagger you play with. And I can tell that you're a smart football player out there.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Hey, white boy got swagger, bro. Let's go.

[Cooper Dejean]

Welcome back to another episode, another exciting episode of exciting mics connected with Xfinity.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I'm replaying Ship.

[Cooper Dejean]

And I'm Cooper Dejean. And we're back with another great episode of exciting Mics.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So make sure you, like, comment, share, and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast and be sure to follow us on socials at exciting mics. Let's get it.

[Cooper Dejean]

It's our special. Special guest today.

[Caller/Listener]

Either.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Very special guest.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Gotta watch it. You have to watch it. Berries fans, you're gonna love it.

[Cooper Dejean]

If you're in the Houston area and you're a Texans fan or a Texans fan all over anywhere, make sure you tune in. We got a ball player. All right, we're going to start this episode off how we do every single freaking week with what's exciting us this week. More NFL top 100 rankings have came out. We got our boy Kyle Hamilton. The highest was.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Well, NFL still.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, still.

[Cooper Dejean]

He's up there. He's getting paid a lot of money to play football, which is awesome.

[Exciting Mics Host]

We got Trevor Lawrence.

[Cooper Dejean]

Oh, Kyle Hampton came in at 63, down 12 from last year. Yeah. Once again, I really don't know how they pick these.

[Exciting Mics Host]

The ranks, mostly players.

[Cooper Dejean]

Trevor Lawrence wasn't on the list last year. Came in at 62 this year. Trevor Lawrence was balling last year, not gonna lie.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, whatever division.

[Reed Blankenship]

KB.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Kevin.

[Cooper Dejean]

Kevin.

[Exciting Mics Host]

61. He's back. Back on the list.

[Cooper Dejean]

Reed. Reed's old teammate.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Well, yeah, we played together in Philly and then he actually went to the same college.

[Cooper Dejean]

Went to the same college. Didn't play that same time as you didn't. Great dude, though. Meet him at the. Gotta meet him at the Pro Bowl.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Possible. Possibly we can get him on the. On the pod.

[Cooper Dejean]

I'm sure we could.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You might have to. And then my boy, Nico Collins, and at number 58. And like, our special guest today said that he's. He's a dog baller. He's a baller dog.

[Cooper Dejean]

We just had the British Open this past weekend.

[Exciting Mics Host]

A little controversy on the Open too, man.

[Cooper Dejean]

Little controversy with Bryson DeChambeau.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh.

[Cooper Dejean]

Which was interesting to watch.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Very interesting.

[Cooper Dejean]

Did you watch the video of when

[Exciting Mics Host]

he was going to his ball?

[Cooper Dejean]

Yes.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yes. I mean, yes. It looked like he stomped around. Are you a Shambo fan?

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah. I like Bryson.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So, dude, like, people don't like him.

[Cooper Dejean]

I know a lot of. A lot of people used to not, like, he used to not be, like, as nice of a guy as he is now, I guess is maybe.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Or he might have put him off wrong.

[Cooper Dejean]

He came off wrong like, a few years back, and now he's kind of winning everybody back over. He's doing a lot of YouTube golf and stuff, you know, interacting with the fans. I think he's making golf fun.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I do, too.

[Cooper Dejean]

Awesome.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I do, too. But I Don't, dude. I just don't. Did you. Do you really think that's a penalty, bro?

[Cooper Dejean]

If it's. I don't think it's a penalty. I don't understand why that's a rule anyway.

[Exciting Mics Host]

But, like, if.

[Cooper Dejean]

So as long as you don't move your ball, like, why shouldn't you be able to.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So what's the difference of me, right, If I'm picking up, like, if. If I can throw, like, little twigs and stuff out of the way, that's. Is that.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah. How's that different?

[Exciting Mics Host]

Legal how?

[Cooper Dejean]

I understand how that's different.

[Exciting Mics Host]

And people are saying, like, if it was anybody else, then he wouldn't have. There wouldn't have been a penalty or anything. I don't know. But obviously Rory has things to say. Rory, let it go. Rory, yeah, let it rip on him.

[Cooper Dejean]

But he did.

[Exciting Mics Host]

And then Scotty. Scotty held back, but, yeah, I don't know, man.

[Cooper Dejean]

I don't.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I don't know what the problem is.

[Cooper Dejean]

But we had a. We had a new winner that I've never heard of, actually. Ryan Fox finished 10 under and was the winner at the British Open. So it's a big payday.

[Exciting Mics Host]

It is a big payday. I'm sure. All of them for him. Good payday.

[Reed Blankenship]

I mean.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah. Yeah. But good for him. Bryson, though, you want to be ready

[Exciting Mics Host]

to swing a club.

[Cooper Dejean]

Hold on. Bryson DeChambeau, if you want to come on here and address the controversies or even just to talk golf, let us know. Be our guest.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Let us know. Please let us know. And other news. LeBron has still yet to make his decision, so allegedly, Allegedly, Allegedly, everybody, he.

[Cooper Dejean]

Allegedly. He is looking to go to go East. Oh, that's what they're saying.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So did I'm. I'm. Didn't everybody think he was going to say it at Fanatics Fest?

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, I think they did. I think Pat Beverly said he was going to make the decision on Monday, but that never. Never happened. But, yeah, I think it's. It's got to be the Sixers, the Heat, or the Cavs. I think.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I think he might go. I think he might go back to the Cav, just. Just sell off into the sunset.

[Cooper Dejean]

I don't know, bro. I still think Philly's in play. I think it's got to be in play.

[Exciting Mics Host]

What do you think the percentages of that?

[Cooper Dejean]

I think it's pretty high. I mean, look at the squad we have. Like, I know it makes sense.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I don't know. I mean, it'll be. It'll Be fun to watch.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see. I just hope it happens soon because I'm trying to. Trying to figure out what's. What's going on here.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You got somebody. You got something in the background? Dragon?

[Cooper Dejean]

Oh, yeah. I'm just playing around my desk right here. Sorry.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I mean, goodness, dude.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah. LeBron, let's. Come on. Come to Philly, bro.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Put the whole world to rest and

[Cooper Dejean]

just put that red, white, and blue on, you know, saying tight.

[Caller/Listener]

All right,

[Cooper Dejean]

now we're gonna talk about something that exciting that's exciting me personally. Iowa's Big Ten schedule coming up this year. We start off three out of conference games. Northern Illinois, Iowa State, and you and I, I believe, obviously some big games in there. Iowa State is one of them.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Wait, y' all play Iowa State that early?

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, we always play in week two every year.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Cooper Dejean]

Because they're not in our conference, so we have to play them early.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, yeah, I didn't know that.

[Cooper Dejean]

At least you don't have to. But. But then our first three Big Ten games, we got at Michigan, first Big Ten game, then we play Ohio State at home and then at Washington on a short week. It's going to be a good challenge for him early, but, yeah, I'm. I'm excited for it. They'll be ready for the. For all the challenges, I'm sure. I know we'll find out.

[Exciting Mics Host]

He knows it best.

[Cooper Dejean]

Let's talk. What's exciting us? Reed Blanket ship. We were just at Fanatics Fest this past weekend, our first ever live show.

[Exciting Mics Host]

A little bit of nervous. I was a little.

[Cooper Dejean]

A little bit.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I was. I was a little nervous, dude.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, we were. We were both a little nervous, but I think it went better than. Better than expected. We had a. We had a great guest on. Obviously.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That's what I think. Also having him. Adelman.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Made it a lot smoother, too, because he was cool. He was good, too.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Just kind of flowed.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah. A lot of great stories from. Oh, thank you. We had a. We had a lot of great stories from. From Mr. Julian Edelman and hearing about him playing with Tom Brady legend, him and Gronk, what he's doing off the field, how we can, you know, elongate our careers. Yeah, he had a lot of good.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Pretty much everything.

[Cooper Dejean]

It was fun to talk to him about that. And there was a good audience, too. We passed out some T shirts.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

If you weren't there. If you weren't there, you missed out on some cool T shirts. Just saying.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Very cool. T shirts. Just saying. It's some of the best T shirts I've ever seen before.

[Cooper Dejean]

And, yeah, maybe they'll be on sale, maybe they won't. Maybe you missed out, maybe you didn't. So who knows? But only time will tell.

[Exciting Mics Host]

But, Cooper, you know what else? This is the last week before we get shipped off the camp.

[Cooper Dejean]

Shipped off.

[Exciting Mics Host]

How we feeling?

[Cooper Dejean]

I'm excited, bro. I'm excited to get back to it, throw the pads on again. Feel something, you know? Feel a little something,

[Exciting Mics Host]

right?

[Caller/Listener]

I.

[Cooper Dejean]

How you feeling? I'm a little nervous. Excited. Both.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Not nerd. I'm not nervous. I'm excited. I guess I'm more anxious or more nervous about the heat.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Down here. But I. We got plenty of people that. That have our backs and stuff, and we'll.

[Cooper Dejean]

Take me. It's gonna be hot and humid up

[Exciting Mics Host]

in Philly, too, so people don't understand that. It was. It was always hot and humid in Philly, too, but, yeah, it's a little. It's a little bit hotter down here, so.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, I'm excited, though, Coop.

[Exciting Mics Host]

We're making history today. Got our first Texans interview on this.

[Cooper Dejean]

I already got replaced. Already got replaced? That's crazy, bro.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Sorry. No, it's not like, already replaced. It's just, hey, we bring them along. We're good. But obviously, you're gonna love this guy. I think you. Y' all have some history together. I'm not sure, but want to give him too much credit because he's right here, but he's an absolute dog. Obviously. He runs the middle of the field like he owns it. He was in. Oh, obviously. He was in the Pro bowl last year, so. Nfc, afc, you know. You know how it goes. He started all 17 games last season on the number one defense in the country.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yes, sir.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Now I'm a part of it. We got to go. Let's go.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's crazy.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Four. Hey, no, listen. Team high. Four interceptions. Tied with three. Three other guys on the team. Yeah. My new running mate, Kaylin Bullock, AKA cb, baby. Let's go.

[Reed Blankenship]

Cb.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yo, hold on. Can we. Can we talk about the Pro bowl, though?

[Caller/Listener]

That.

[Cooper Dejean]

All these. These guys on the afc, they were up like, two, three scores. They. They thought they had the money in the bank, and all of a sudden,

[Reed Blankenship]

we let our foot out the gas, and them boys came back and won. I was really mad. Like, it was real game.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So y'. All. Y' all were really, like, after the game, playing, y'.

[Reed Blankenship]

All.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Real deal. Playing. Trying to win the second half.

[Reed Blankenship]

The second half.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

Towards the end, we started playing for real. The beginning. It was like we was just joking around. Goofballing.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

I was so mad when we lost.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, no.

[Cooper Dejean]

I need your. I need your honest answer On. On this here.

[Caller/Listener]

Has.

[Cooper Dejean]

What is. Has the room changed since Reed Blankenship walked into the building? No, it has gotten better, gotten worse.

[Reed Blankenship]

Like, he fit right in. Once he came in, he fit in. He got this. You know, he got the swagger to him. So everybody was just. Yes, he just came in.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Hey, white boy got swaggered, bro. Let's go. No, but the thing is, like, we love them, though. Appreciate you. See, dude, they already had a dominant secondary, so it's just like, oh, here I am. I'm just. That's the only thing. I just want to be a vibe setter. I just let everybody know that I'm cool.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, yeah, but you're supposed to come

[Cooper Dejean]

in and make the secondary better, though.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You know, they're already. They're already ranked number one.

[Cooper Dejean]

I know, but what's better? Hopefully they don't drop off with you back there.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You're right.

[Reed Blankenship]

You're right.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Dang, we gotta cut that one out. That's crazy.

[Caller/Listener]

I'm kidding.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That is crazy. But. But what did you actually hear? Did you hear anything about me before I got there? Or was it just, like.

[Reed Blankenship]

Just talking to Steve. You know, I'm. I'm always talking to Steve, Our. Our safety coach. And I kind of figured by just watching film on you guys. And, you know, I always watch for some. I always watch. Sorry, sorry, coupe. Like, I've been watching his games because, you know, we train together, but just saying, you playing. I know, like, what you bring to the game, the swagger you play with, and I can tell that you're a smart football player out there. And, you know, we had a formal teammate also who joined us last year who just was awesome, who talked about, you know, like, just talk about you on the field, how you always communicating. I can see that the first day we got on the field, you communicating, you always asking questions. So I just knew.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Just trying to learn it, man.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah,

[Exciting Mics Host]

it's okay. I'm still gonna turn around and ask you questions, man. Be like, what I got right here.

[Reed Blankenship]

But, like, even that. Like, you know, some guys, they get in there and they. They be shy to ask, or they'd be scared to ask you. Just, like, what I got. Always making sure we're on the same page and that we need. We need back there. So.

[Exciting Mics Host]

See, I love that. Good answer.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yes, bro. That's a great answer. So we're gonna talk a little nicknames here. Do you guys. Do you guys have a nickname for Mr. Reed Blankenship yet?

[Reed Blankenship]

I don't. I just call him Reed.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Not yet.

[Cooper Dejean]

What. What's your nickname?

[Reed Blankenship]

What's it.

[Cooper Dejean]

What's everybody call you?

[Reed Blankenship]

Bull or CB Just my initials.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, I call him CB CB dude, there's so many nicknames on this team. There's so many. Like J. Night, like Jaden Jay, whatever.

[Reed Blankenship]

I'm like Jalen's.

[Exciting Mics Host]

We got like five Jalens.

[Cooper Dejean]

Who's got the best nickname, you think?

[Reed Blankenship]

Probably Will. The Terminator.

[Cooper Dejean]

Will Anderson.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, I didn't know that was his nickname.

[Cooper Dejean]

What you call him?

[Reed Blankenship]

The Terminator.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Terminator.

[Cooper Dejean]

Terminator.

[Reed Blankenship]

Will is.

[Cooper Dejean]

Damn.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, I got the best nickname.

[Exciting Mics Host]

He's tough, though.

[Reed Blankenship]

Trying to think. Yeah. Just will terminate. I mean, that our agent Zero.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Pretty well Agent Zero. Aziz.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's tough.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That is tough.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, I give it to Aziz. I give it to Aziz for sure.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Agents here, we never really.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Agent Zero is nice.

[Caller/Listener]

Crazy.

[Reed Blankenship]

We got nicknames.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, you got to come up with a nickname for. For Reed. I called him Reed.

[Reed Blankenship]

You have a nickname? It started.

[Exciting Mics Host]

It started off. It started off Ghost. Ghost is my call.

[Cooper Dejean]

You that.

[Exciting Mics Host]

People call me Ghost my rookie year, but what else? I think. Yeah, I'm just a generic. Generic. Whatever. Re.

[Reed Blankenship]

I ain't calling you.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Let's.

[Cooper Dejean]

Let's talk a little college ball here. So you made. You made your first start during COVID Was it during COVID Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

2021. Yep.

[Cooper Dejean]

So there was someone in front of you who caught Covid, and then it was. It was your turn to start. Did. When did you find out that was. That was going to happen? Was it the day of the game or during that week?

[Reed Blankenship]

Thursday. Thursday night, I was in gaming class. I was like, 9pm class. I got a call from my.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You said, hold on. Time out. Time out. Time out.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yes.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You said gaming class.

[Reed Blankenship]

Gaming class. A video game class, man, ain't no way. I promise you. I was in video game class. Gaming class. Coach text me like, are you free? And I walked out the class, and he called me, and he told me he was like, you starting? I was like, oh, snap.

[Cooper Dejean]

That was it. Were you playing corner then?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, I was playing corner and nickel. So our safety, Isaiah Paloma, he got covet. So they moved me back to safety. So I'm like, dang, the whole camp and everything. I've been corner, nickel. So now I got to go back to the playbook. And tap back.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That's crazy.

[Reed Blankenship]

And then I went out. I went off that first game.

[Cooper Dejean]

So from then on, you. You just stuck at safety.

[Reed Blankenship]

From there on, I was playing safety. And then I would probably go to corner some games, but guys push me off corner and safety during the game.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Dude, that's wild. So did they. Did they end up replacing your head coach that year too?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, during the season, probably three games into the season.

[Exciting Mics Host]

How did that. Like, I've never had that. Well, I've had a DC change, but how did it. Like a head coach change? How does that. How did you feel?

[Reed Blankenship]

It was crazy. Like, especially coming in as a freshman, this the guy who recruited me, I'm like, I'm thinking everything good. Then he's gone. Week three. Then everything in the building, coaching jobs changing, people gotta move up. So then our corners coach, coach Dante, he got moved up to the head coach, and he's part of the reason why I came to usc, went to usc. So when he got the head coaching job, I would. It kind of felt weird. Now. It was like, okay, he's no longer in the room with us. Now he's a head coach. He's not watching this. He got to walk around and practice all day. But it felt pretty normal, like they didn't try to change nothing up for us, for the guys, like, make us uncomfortable. So it was good.

[Cooper Dejean]

So after that, Lincoln Riley came in, right, for your last. Last two years?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, my last two years.

[Cooper Dejean]

What was that like playing for him? Because he's. He's really an offensive coach, right? Yeah, it was exciting, though.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, he is.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

Link, he's a. He's a very chill, chill person coming in. He jokes a lot. Like, he didn't give off the head coach. Like, you know, you be seeing your head coaches like, oh, dang, I gotta straighten up, like, posh. Yeah, it's like he didn't get that off. He was like, real cool. Like, Lincoln was cool. Always joking around. But say when he came in, brought his staff in, they recruited me at Oklahoma also. So I kind of had a connection with the. With the staff, with the defensive coordinator who came in also. So I remember they first. First day, got in, we was in the weight room and the corner coach was at Oklahoma. He like, I told you, you gonna end up with me one way or another. That's wild. Yeah, it was crazy. I'm like, yeah, we ended up with each other. But it was good. When Link came in, of course, he brought in the sighting offense. Caleb Williams came in, Jordan Addison it was. It was good.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, yeah. Dang. I forgot all about that.

[Reed Blankenship]

You know, that year, stuff like that.

[Cooper Dejean]

Jordan Addison came over. Who else did you guys have a receiver?

[Reed Blankenship]

Mario Williams, Brandon Rice.

[Cooper Dejean]

You guys did. Were you there when Makai was there?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah. Why are you laughing like that? Yeah, he's such a chill. He's so chill. But if you know him, he cool, he cool, he cool. He's funny. But I was there when Lim came in his freshman year. It's crazy cool. We had him at corner. Our corners went down. A lot of corners got hurt. A lot of people don't know. Lim had to come play corner for a game.

[Cooper Dejean]

During the game. He was in the game at corner?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yes, Limb played.

[Exciting Mics Host]

What game was that? We gotta get. We gotta get a video of that.

[Reed Blankenship]

What kind of thing. What game was. But Lynn was out there.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Don't worry about it, because we. We're gonna get a clip of that. There's a clip somewhere of him playing.

[Reed Blankenship]

A lot of people don't do that. He was playing receiver then, of course, he was an athlete. Coming in, like, high school, he played both. So we moved. We was like, we need some corners. So he came over there and played corner.

[Cooper Dejean]

I didn't know that.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Cooper Dejean]

Did you. Did you line up against him in practice at all? What was he like as. As a receiver? What do you think? What do you think he's gonna do? And what do you.

[Caller/Listener]

What are.

[Cooper Dejean]

What should these Philly fans be excited about the most? About Makai? Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

I say he's a dog, bro. Like, even, like, when he came into college, like, you could see, like, from day one, like, just his work ethic and him just, you know, always trying to learn going out there. Like, he had some injuries coming in his freshman year, so I didn't really get to go against him like that. But just over the years, seeing him grow and develop, it was, like, very exciting just to see. He gonna come in there and he gonna change around and they gonna. They have to PR for him.

[Cooper Dejean]

You. So when you were at. When you're at SC, did you guys play? You played in the old PAC12. You didn't play in the. In the PAC12 with the Big 10?

[Reed Blankenship]

No, I played PAC12.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, so you didn't get to play against Iowa?

[Cooper Dejean]

You didn't? I wouldn't play in Iowa City.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I think y' all would too. I think y' all would too, at home.

[Cooper Dejean]

Hey, hey, hey. Kenneth. Stadium's crazy, though. We didn't have. We didn't have much offense? We didn't have much offense.

[Exciting Mics Host]

But look, I. I know when I played there, we played mt, played against them. Boy, it was a long day, let me tell you. It was a long day in office.

[Cooper Dejean]

It's also Middle Tennessee.

[Caller/Listener]

We were just.

[Exciting Mics Host]

We was just ready to cash that check, bro. It was bad. But I didn't know this. Today the Texans traded two picks to the Eagles to move up a draft. And they drafted you in the third round?

[Caller/Listener]

Yep.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Did you know those two picks turned into what? I mean, four total. Four total picks or players after trading? Like, did you know anything about that?

[Reed Blankenship]

I did not. I really didn't. It's crazy because when I seen, like, when I was watching the job, the Raiders was on the board, so when I got the call, I was thinking the Raiders was getting me at first, but then it showed that the Texans traded up and then I seen the area code and I'm like, I'm going to Houston.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, you like?

[Cooper Dejean]

I mean, were you excited when. When you called to go to Houston?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, I was excited.

[Cooper Dejean]

Did you know anything about Houston before you got drafted there?

[Reed Blankenship]

I did not. I've never been to Houston. Honestly, I wasn't watching Houston football before that, honestly, so drafting me, I was just. I was just excited just to get the opportunity. Just, you know, just my dreams coming true. That's all I was worried about.

[Cooper Dejean]

What. What's it been like, your first. First couple years there? Treated you great.

[Reed Blankenship]

It's been great. The guys. The guys great. Our room, the coaching staff, they. They love me. They give me the opportunity just to go out there and play my game, play free. That's one thing about our. I'll say our coaching staff, they put guys in a position where. Where they succeed, like what we're comfortable at. So I think they just let us go out there and just have fun. And that was one thing about this staff they let us go do.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I mean, obviously, because you, what? Week one, rookie debut. Debut. You get your first big pick, right?

[Cooper Dejean]

First pick.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I mean, usually it takes, what, a little bit to get going as a rookie, but you came out and you got your first pick.

[Reed Blankenship]

Who is it against the Colts.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, at the Rivals.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Who's the quarterback?

[Reed Blankenship]

Arkansas ar.

[Listener/Caller]

They are.

[Cooper Dejean]

Was the quarterback, Anthony Richardson. That's great.

[Caller/Listener]

Ah.

[Cooper Dejean]

And then. And then week two, you got another one against New England.

[Reed Blankenship]

That was week three.

[Cooper Dejean]

Week three.

[Reed Blankenship]

Week three.

[Cooper Dejean]

We played week against New England and you had a pick and a fumble recovery.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, yeah, I did, man.

[Exciting Mics Host]

He's living right.

[Reed Blankenship]

Bless.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That's crazy.

[Cooper Dejean]

It took me, like, I don't even

[Exciting Mics Host]

know how long it took you to the super bowl on your birthday.

[Cooper Dejean]

22 weeks.

[Exciting Mics Host]

To get a pick six in the biggest game of your entire life. And I always say that's the most dramatic pick.

[Reed Blankenship]

Super bowl, and it's crazy. Takes our group chat before the game.

[Cooper Dejean]

I. I didn't even think about that.

[Reed Blankenship]

Texas. I'm like, cool, all eyes on you. Let's go get paid crazy.

[Exciting Mics Host]

But you didn't like. Does that. That don't count towards your stats, though, right? Only crazy regular season.

[Reed Blankenship]

See, I hate that.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So what, you. You have what, one pick, two pick, coup. Right now, like, the regular season, you have three.

[Reed Blankenship]

Two. Yeah, two.

[Cooper Dejean]

Two in the regular season. It's actually crazy.

[Reed Blankenship]

I picked the ball off.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I know. He's got to know, bro. You ain't got no hands.

[Cooper Dejean]

I've been trying. I've been trying. But then wild card round, your rookie year, you picked off a legend, Aaron Rogers.

[Exciting Mics Host]

A Rod.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, last year.

[Cooper Dejean]

And you took it to the house. Oh, that was last year.

[Reed Blankenship]

Last year, yep.

[Exciting Mics Host]

But it was crazy, though. Like, I was watching film on it, like, before I met you and everything. And were they doing that route or that kind of concept a lot?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yes, they was. So when we was in, it was a great play call for our defense, actually. And a Rod threw it right to me.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I mean, right to.

[Reed Blankenship]

You threw it right to me. I made sure I caught it. I fell with it and everything. I was making sure I caught that ball.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You know, that was my first pick ever was against a Rod when he was at Green Bay.

[Reed Blankenship]

It's crazy because we are crazy proactive when we was training. Cool. Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

I'm like, I gotta pick off a Rod.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Ain't it wild, though? Like, to. To pick off a guy like that where people know his name?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yes.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Like, he's legit gonna. Like he's a legit. A legend.

[Reed Blankenship]

Facts.

[Exciting Mics Host]

It's crazy.

[Cooper Dejean]

You still got the ball.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, I got all the balls right here in front of me.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You gotta hang them up, man.

[Reed Blankenship]

I am. I am. One day.

[Cooper Dejean]

Wait, how many? So how many total? You got?

[Reed Blankenship]

10.

[Cooper Dejean]

10 picks.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You got 10 picks in what, three years, four years, two years.

[Reed Blankenship]

This year.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's insane.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That's crazy, man.

[Cooper Dejean]

Read how many picks you got in your career?

[Exciting Mics Host]

I think I got nine.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's insane, bro. 10 picks in two years.

[Exciting Mics Host]

10 picks in two years.

[Reed Blankenship]

Crazy stacking them right now.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Hey, keep going, man. Or give some to me at least. Geez.

[Reed Blankenship]

Hey, we go, we're gonna both get out there and pick the ball up. We're gonna both get paid.

[Cooper Dejean]

I love that.

[Exciting Mics Host]

See, I love that energy. You're just gonna go out there and have fun, man. So obviously I'm a new guy on the block, whatever. And I've been around the coaching staff a lot, but not around some other guys, I guess. I hope. Like, I've been around Steve a lot. Like how, like, how is the staff? Like, how. How are I already. I kind of already know my, like, know about them. I just want to hear your perspective because you've been there a little bit longer than I have, obviously. So what do you like most about the staff?

[Reed Blankenship]

The staff, I would say they're very open minded. Like from the strength staff to all the way up to the head coaching. Like, everybody's open minded, so they always wondering what we're thinking, like how we feel about certain stuff. So I think that's what I like the most because I'm not used to that. Like a lot of coaching is not like that. Like I would say a lot of coaching is kind of close minded, I would say. But our staff, they're very open minded. Always ask us, like, how we feel about certain things, like what we see if we call this. So I think that allows us to go out there also and just play fast, especially on defense. We out there thinking too much during the week in practice, they feel like we thinking too much. They gonna, we. Ain't they gonna take that play out? Like, we're not gonna, like, they just want us to go out there clear minded and like just go play fast and go play.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, and I've kind of noticed that. But like, obviously OTAs, you're trying to install all your, your whole playbook so you can't really pick and choose about that. But I have started to see and notice there's a lot of. Speaking of like the strength training and fit like the pts, there is so many people in that building that I've, I've never. How many was there? How many were there in Philly? Like eight.

[Cooper Dejean]

What, like strength coaches?

[Exciting Mics Host]

Like, well, you had the strength coaches and you also had your like athletic trainers, like, as a mix. We have so many here.

[Cooper Dejean]

There's probably like eight.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, we got a lot. We got a guy for everything.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Legit everything Legit everything. I. I don't even know.

[Reed Blankenship]

And I was like, oh, playroom. We got a guy for everything.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Like, it's insane, dude. It's nuts. And I like that. I like, you know, being able to go up to whoever and just Ask questions.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, you know what, what about the, what about the fan base? Obviously, Reed, being in Philly the last four years, you're not.

[Reed Blankenship]

Our fan bases are passionate. They get loud. Especially boy when that, when that stadium closed Sunday, the fans, they gonna show out. They love their players. I would say even like when you out in public in the city, they love, they love the Texans.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I love that dude, I can't wait. I. That's why I'm glad that you're on this podcast now because it was obviously a big Philly following. Hopefully we'll get some more Texans fans in here now because they want to see the, the almighty cb, you know, hear him talk, hear what he has to say.

[Cooper Dejean]

Damn, you're hyp.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, come on, man. Sorry. Say Coop's actually getting jealous right now because I don't anymore.

[Reed Blankenship]

All right, Coop's hilarious.

[Cooper Dejean]

Let's talk about a little bit about the playoffs. Last year you guys lost in the divisional round to Patriots. What your rookie year were you guys, you guys were in the playoffs?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yep, we lost to, I'll say Hulu Superior. Was it Kansas City?

[Exciting Mics Host]

What was that? Wild card?

[Cooper Dejean]

No.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Was that 2323? Yeah, it had to be KC, right?

[Reed Blankenship]

Az?

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

Right?

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Do you think, do you think there's a, there's a chip on your guys shoulder going into this season knowing that you guys, obviously you guys have a great all around team but haven't, you know, reached the goal you ultimately want? Do you think there's a chip on, on your shoulder with everybody in that locker room trying to take that next step?

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, of course. I would say we got, I feel like the past two years we didn't got to the same spot the second round of the playoffs and we lose, we come up short. So I feel like this year I think Wiz is going in there with that chip on our shoulder. You know, we hearing all the talks and especially like our defensive mindset every week we, yeah, we hear we're the number one defense, but we still gotta go out there and show it. All that is erased now like coming into this season, we're no longer the number one defense. We gotta go out there and prove it again. And offense, they feel the same way. We feel like we got a chip on our shoulder. So we like we be feeling this close. We know the things that we have to do especially to get what we need to get to and that's all we've been focusing on. And especially like for us, our DB room, we got a guy who's Been to the super bowl like Briggy Reed in. So I think that was a big key point, big key piece for us, like adding him to our team because he's been all the way to the Super Bowl. He knows what it takes to get to that next step and what it looks like. So I think just us is also picking from his brain and, you know, knowing the things we went through and having that feeling of, you know, coming up so short of just the super bowl, being this close to going to the super bowl. Because last year, we felt like we had it. We felt like we had it. And then, you know, things happen in the season.

[Exciting Mics Host]

It's tough.

[Cooper Dejean]

I think staying staying healthy is the biggest part about getting to that point, because we had. We had, like, one starter out, I think, in the Super Bowl, I think.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Did we.

[Cooper Dejean]

We might add everybody start, but I

[Exciting Mics Host]

think we might have had everybody.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's what helped us, I think. Which was.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Which was crazy to think about, dude. Like, you don't understand how, like, impactful that could be when you have everybody. But.

[Cooper Dejean]

And it's one game, too, so you gotta. You gotta be able to play at a high level.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

You know, every game during the playoffs. It's not like the NBA Finals or NBA playoffs where you get multiple games. Yeah, but. No, it's crazy.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, but speaking of everybody. Yeah, speaking of that, I guess everybody in Houston is talking about maybe an extension, and even you've been paying attention

[Cooper Dejean]

to that safety market.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah. I mean, you did retweet Derwin James when he reset the market, but og

[Reed Blankenship]

OG we have the same.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Okay.

[Cooper Dejean]

Oh, you guys got the same agent. Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

David Mulaguetta. That's. That's my. That's OG I'm always. I always talk to dj. He kind of gave me a heads up what he was gonna do, just talking to him.

[Cooper Dejean]

What? Is that something you think about or.

[Caller/Listener]

Or.

[Cooper Dejean]

Nah, not really.

[Caller/Listener]

No.

[Reed Blankenship]

I don't. I don't necessarily think about it. I kind of just try to just be consistent day in, day out, focus on my job and what I gotta do. Cause I feel like when I'm at my best and if I keep playing the way I play the game of football, it's gonna come. So I don't try to just look forward to that and try to stress myself out about that, because I know when you probably looking at that and looking at the safety market and those numbers, it could stress you out, and you probably out there chasing plays and, you know, you trying to do extra stuff because you worried about that. But I kind of not try to focus on that. I try to just stay focused on my job, be consistent.

[Exciting Mics Host]

No point, man. God got you.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

Facts is going.

[Cooper Dejean]

I got it.

[Exciting Mics Host]

God's hands.

[Cooper Dejean]

Now let's talk a little bit about wheat week 16 prime video.

[Exciting Mics Host]

You already look, you're already looking forward to that, Coop.

[Cooper Dejean]

Hey, I'm just. I'm just asking the questions that people want to hear. You know what I'm saying? What do you. What do you know about Philly fans though, is what I, I want to hear. I know anything about.

[Reed Blankenship]

For the away team. I heard Philly is a. Is a very crazy place. Crazy stadium. They throw stuff at you all type, it's snowing.

[Exciting Mics Host]

If it's snowing, then watch out for the snowballs, bro.

[Reed Blankenship]

But I'm ready for the. I'm ready for the atmosphere. I'm ready.

[Cooper Dejean]

No, I feel like that's what any, like any competitor wants to go into. Hostile environment.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I love win the game. It is. It is a cool place to play. Play though. Yeah, it's really cool.

[Cooper Dejean]

It'll be middle of December, end of

[Exciting Mics Host]

December, so it'll be jumping.

[Reed Blankenship]

It's gonna be sweet. I'm be pumping him up.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Don't. Don't say anything to me. Just like, hey, let me do my thing, man.

[Cooper Dejean]

This dude, this dude. Read on.

[Reed Blankenship]

This dude.

[Cooper Dejean]

Read on game day.

[Reed Blankenship]

I'mma back him up. You said what? Hey.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yes. That's what I'm talking about, man. Man.

[Cooper Dejean]

Read on game day is like a completely different person. I. I got him to lighten up a little bit.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, he.

[Cooper Dejean]

He's so serious. Like he don't talk to nobody.

[Reed Blankenship]

He talk.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Should be. We be like, dude, Coop's over here like cutting up laughing. Listen like five songs and he's good.

[Cooper Dejean]

Hey, I like keep things light, bro. You know it helps you. Everybody's different.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Everything.

[Cooper Dejean]

Let's. Let's close it out with a little rapid fire questions. Reap Blankenship.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I got it.

[Cooper Dejean]

Kinda.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So you're known. What you're known for going back and forth with fans about food takes online. I didn't know this. So. Yeah. So what's the correct bi week meal and don't play it safe.

[Cooper Dejean]

Correct bye week meal.

[Reed Blankenship]

Mm. Like am I eating out?

[Exciting Mics Host]

It's. It's whatever you eat, man. Yeah, whatever you want you don't have.

[Reed Blankenship]

Look, if you want five week, I'm most likely gonna be in California, back home with my family.

[Exciting Mics Host]

He's eating good.

[Reed Blankenship]

My first stop always is in and out.

[Cooper Dejean]

Really in and out over water Burger.

[Reed Blankenship]

Sorry, Tate. Sorry. Safe shack is good, but I'm taking

[Cooper Dejean]

in and out over Shake Shack.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah.

[Cooper Dejean]

Dang. Dang, that sounds crazy.

[Reed Blankenship]

First off, and rip off, in and out. Then mom's gonna probably cook something. If I ask her, most likely she gonna make me up. Want her to make me? She always does it. Make me some tacos. Oh, tacos and enchiladas.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So in and out. Tacos, you say? And enchiladas.

[Cooper Dejean]

Is this true, though? You actually be going back and forth with people about their food tags online?

[Reed Blankenship]

It's in and out in Whataburger. I was just.

[Cooper Dejean]

Okay.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, that's like real beef.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah. Because Texas people, they love a water burger.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah.

[Reed Blankenship]

I'm such a kid. I love in and out.

[Exciting Mics Host]

They put one in Tennessee and I don't. I feel you on that.

[Reed Blankenship]

So it's not me.

[Cooper Dejean]

All right, next question. Hardest guy to cover in your building?

[Reed Blankenship]

In our building. I kind of regard the outside people, so I wouldn't say Nico Collins. Just watching Nico day in, day out, tough to guard.

[Cooper Dejean]

What do you think makes him so good, Nico?

[Reed Blankenship]

Could he do everything same, like, route running and then. He's a big body. He's fast. People don't think he's fast because he's such a big body, but he's really fast. And he getting out his breaks. His casual.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, he's different.

[Reed Blankenship]

Yeah, he. He's amazing. And then I would say probably Jay Noah, a sleeper. Jay knows a good, good receiver.

[Exciting Mics Host]

And then I don't give him too much now. Okay.

[Cooper Dejean]

I played. I played against. I played against Jalen in. In college, so. But, yeah, he's. He can move.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Facts.

[Cooper Dejean]

All right, who's the biggest dog in your locker room?

[Reed Blankenship]

The biggest. I mean, we're all going to say ourselves, so. Okay, put ourselves in it. Biggest dog, Kamari Laster.

[Exciting Mics Host]

K3.

[Reed Blankenship]

K3.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I'll tell you one thing. First day. Listen, before we go on first day, he. Well, every day he walks in, he's blasting young boy with a shisty on. So I'm like, okay,

[Caller/Listener]

all right.

[Exciting Mics Host]

K3. Black forces with black horses. I gotta get a pair of those. But I don't. I'm not in predictions, but real prediction. Christmas Eve, what's it going to be? We don't got.

[Cooper Dejean]

I mean, you're obviously gonna say yourself, yeah, us.

[Exciting Mics Host]

So, yeah, whatever. We can move.

[Cooper Dejean]

We just gotta play it out, see what happens, you know, that's all we can do.

[Exciting Mics Host]

That's all we get out. All right, but that's. That's a wrap.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's all we got. We appreciate you joining us, man.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Appreciate you take care of my boy Reed.

[Cooper Dejean]

I know you will. He'll be good for you guys, I'm sure. Hopefully not on Christmas Eve, but.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, here we go. Don't give me bad juju, but appreciate you, cb.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yeah, appreciate you joining us, bro.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Means a lot. Hopefully you get some more Texans fans in here, but, man, just ready to start this training camp with you, bro.

[Reed Blankenship]

Let's do it, man. I'm excited.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Let's do it.

[Reed Blankenship]

Appreciate y' all for having me.

[Cooper Dejean]

All right. Appreciate you, bro. It's time. Drum roll for Cooper Sharp.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Sharp Player of the Week.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yes. Our Cooper Sharp Player of the Week is Indiana Fever point guard and Iowa alum Caitlin Clark made WNBA history. 45 points in a single game. 40 points and 10. It's the first WNBA player to have 40 points in 10 assists in a single game. She had 45 points, 10 assists, four steals, two blocks. Set an Indiana Fever franchise record. Most points in the game with 45. Which is insane. Crazy. But I've been watching her do this since college, so it was only a matter of time before she, you know, had one of these. One of these games. She's fun to watch. And one on one. Coop, don't do this, bro. Don't do that. Anyways, that is this week's Cooper Sharp Player of the Week. When you're building your own game day lineup, make it Cooper Sharp. Visit Cooperceese.com to learn more for next week, we want your nominations for our Cooper Sharp Player of the Week. This could be a professional player or maybe a high school or a college athlete that has the skills, smarts and clutch performance worthy of the spotlight. Submit your standout athlete nominations to the link in our bio DM or in the comments. It's time for our favorite segment and that is get dialed in Connected with Xfinity. Let's hear what you guys have to say to us this week.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Hopefully, it's nice.

[Listener/Caller]

Hi, this is Bristol Hemer and Blair Ties. We hope you are having a great day. Your podcast is amazing. We know you didn't ask for this, but we made a few suggestions for upcoming episodes. You do not have to use them, but here they are. Your future goals. Favorite childhood memory. Favorite memory you guys had made made together. Where is your favorite place and why? That is all we could come up with today.

[Caller/Listener]

Bye.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, that's some good suggestions. We might have to take one of those.

[Cooper Dejean]

What's your favorite childhood memory?

[Exciting Mics Host]

I got plenty of them, man. Well, you can Just say that for next week or whatever.

[Cooper Dejean]

Maybe we'll add one of those to exciting picks.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, that's a good one. Thank y'.

[Caller/Listener]

All.

[Exciting Mics Host]

We might.

[Caller/Listener]

What up, boys? What up, Coop? What up, Reed? How y' all doing? I'm from New York. Go, Bird. I have a crazy question for the both of y'.

[Listener/Caller]

All.

[Caller/Listener]

Y' all ready? All right, y'. All in the middle of a few of both of y', all, right? Night sky, whatever. Y' all hanging out. Aliens, like this ufo, they come down, it lands right in front of you, this ufo, right? And staircase drops out of it, and out comes, like, one of the aliens. And they look at both of y'. All. The alien goes, I need one of you for experimenting. We going up there.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Cool.

[Caller/Listener]

Crazy question. I know.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I like this type. Look. I like these type of questions.

[Caller/Listener]

It is what it is. I don't know, man.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Have a great day. I like these type of questions. I think it'll be cool. Me, I think it'll be you.

[Cooper Dejean]

Why? Just because.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Athlete. Freak athlete, man.

[Cooper Dejean]

So he. They need to experiment with me.

[Exciting Mics Host]

They might try to make a team out of it or something, man.

[Reed Blankenship]

Wow.

[Cooper Dejean]

You're just sacrificing me.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I'm not sacrificing you, man.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yes, you are, bro.

[Exciting Mics Host]

They'll get good intel from you. You're about it.

[Cooper Dejean]

I'm glad you're a team player, bro. That was sarcasm. But you know I would do it, you know?

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, I know.

[Cooper Dejean]

My teammates want me to do that. I'll do it. But you're no longer my teammate, so of course you're gonna sacrifice me. It's insane, bro.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Please play the next thing next.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, Reed, I gotta talk to you, man. Oh, you're exciting gigs for the best fast food chain restaurants. Joe, man, I want to say you have not tried Whataburger yet because you haven't been in Texas that long. But you need to go to Whataburger. Try it out. Coupe. Whenever you're in town in Texas, you visiting the Reeds, y' all go to Whataburger. Try my favorite. Check this out. It's the Patty Mill with grilled jalapenos and bacon. Delicious, brother. And you got to get a water size. Get that bigger cup and the large fries and get the spicy ketchup.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Dang,

[Caller/Listener]

I. I've had water like drown, baby. Let's.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Let's go, man. Appreciate you. Sorry about my pick. Sorry for not putting water burger in there. I haven't really had it as much as the ones I picked, but

[Cooper Dejean]

everybody In Texas.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Loves. Yeah, it's. I might as well. I need to go try it. It might be better here in the home state.

[Cooper Dejean]

Never had it, but maybe I'll try it out. Maybe I'll try it when I come visit my buddy Reed.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Might as well

[Caller/Listener]

Coop. Mr. Watt magic himself. Your dog, my guy. You are really an inspiration to everybody in this world who thinks that they can't do it.

[Reed Blankenship]

Your dog, my guy.

[Caller/Listener]

Walk the in this season. Walk the in and do great things.

[Cooper Dejean]

Hell yeah, brother. Thank you. I'm gonna try it for sure. I'm be locked in, you know, in one week be dialed.

[Listener/Caller]

Reed, bro, why you leave the team? I miss you.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh man. Sorry man. Appreciate the love though.

[Listener/Caller]

Hi super. And Reed, this is sue from Urbandell, Iowa. A long time Iowa Hawkeye and a Cooper fan. Cooper, I've been watching you since high school. Anyway, first, congratulations Reed, on being a parent. It's such a blessing.

[Caller/Listener]

You will love it.

[Commercial Narrator]

Thank you.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Thank you.

[Listener/Caller]

This week I am riding my bicycle across the state of Iowa in the extreme heat, humidity and the hills. To do that I have to concentrate on hydration and recovery. My questions for you two are what is your go to for keeping hydrated during those hot training camps, practices and games? And what is your favorite muscle recovery method? My favorite hydration is pickle juice. Not those pickle shots in a bottle, but the pickle juice right from the jar and electrolyte. My favorite muscle recovery is a cold plunge that can't really get that on Ragbrai. So I settle for a cold shower, foam roller and massage gun. Anyway, good luck to you both at training camp and for this season.

[Cooper Dejean]

And thank you.

[Listener/Caller]

Go birds.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Go birds.

[Listener/Caller]

Can't root for the Texans. But I do hope you have a great season though.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Thank you. First off, did she just say that she was riding a bike across the state of Iowa?

[Cooper Dejean]

Ragbrides, what they call it.

[Caller/Listener]

Wow.

[Cooper Dejean]

Yes. Everybody rides their bike across the state. I think it's a week long thing. Not really sure. But I think you like. It's like a. You just tag off. Like you ride from town to town and tag off people ride to the next town. But my favorite hydration tactic is pickle juice. I like pickle juice and drip drop. Big drip drop guy. That's what works for me. And obviously the cold plunge. I like to do the contrast.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Love contrast contrast.

[Cooper Dejean]

Hot and cold in the hot and cold tub. And the boots.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Oh, the boots. Do you like the boots? The boots are underwear underrated.

[Cooper Dejean]

The Normatex Normatec boots. Yes.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Yeah, those are underrated, that is our

[Cooper Dejean]

Get Dialed in Connected with Xfinity Sports are unpredictable, but your Internet price shouldn't be lock in 5 years of predictability with the Xfinity 5 year price guarantee. No contract needed.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Xfinity. Imagine that.

[Cooper Dejean]

That's it for this episode of Exciting Mics Connected with Xfinity.

[Exciting Mics Host]

Make sure you like, comment, share and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast.

[Cooper Dejean]

Don't forget to check out our broadcast channel on Instagram. Texans fans, especially Texas fans, link, lock

[Exciting Mics Host]

in, link in, whatever. You'll be seeing some back behind the scenes stuff of me and Coop, you know, just having fun with it.

[Cooper Dejean]

Me and Reed are actually going to hang out soon so you can see what we're up to.

[Exciting Mics Host]

I might be going live to show everybody how Coop reacts to Lucy. So yes, if anybody wants to tap in, tap in, tap in.

[Cooper Dejean]

And be sure to follow us on all socials at Exciting Mike's Instagram, Tick Tock, Twitter, Facebook and as always, we

[Exciting Mics Host]

appreciate your love and support. H Town till we drown. Go Birds.

[Commercial Narrator]

Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, Filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-granger-clicker.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Exciting Mics Host]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with Popping

[Reed Blankenship]

Boba to crafted sodas like the Sprite

[Exciting Mics Host]

Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam.

[Reed Blankenship]

Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fun?

[Cooper Dejean]

Fire six all new drinks are here now at McDonald's. Refreshers contain caffeine.