← House Rhules
House Rhules
Nebraska Head Football Coach Matt Rhule on Football & Leadership with Author, Jon Gordon | EP 1
01:04:07
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- [00:00]
Matt Rhule
I know what you're thinking. Why are we doing this? Why are we taking the time to give an inside look to each and every one of you into all the great things happening here at the University of Nebraska? Man, we're so proud of what we're doing with our players, what we're doing with this program. And we want to give you an inside look behind the scenes, behind the curtain at a college football program. We want to talk about all the things that matter to you. College football, pop culture, young people. You know, I've been hired and fired in my life. I've been through a lot of things. And one thing I know is I'm not afraid to speak the truth, be authentic and just be who I am. I'm Matt Rule, and this is house rules. So this is house rules. And what we want to do here is, man, we just want to get together and talk about sports, talk about life, talk about everything that affects you and me each and every day. And so I couldn't do this by myself and unbelievably excited to have one of my just great friends, not. Not just in sports, but in the world. Anthony Cuz. Gargano. Yo, Cuz. Yo, Matt. Man, it's good to see you, brother.
- [01:13]
Anthony Gargano
Dude, I love you, right? And here's why I love you. All right? It has nothing to do with your coaching accomplishments. You have great taste in food and you are the greatest person to hang out with.
- [01:27]
Matt Rhule
You.
- [01:27]
Anthony Gargano
I would pick you up when you were coaching Temple. I would say, matt, come do hang with me during the show. I was doing a morning show. I would pick you up at your step at 4:30 in the morning, and you were there. No matter what. You were always on that step, ready to go, brother.
- [01:47]
Matt Rhule
I read. I was reading the paper because I don't know anything about hockey. I don't know anything about basketball. And I know for four hours what a show name. The show's name was the Meat Locker. Like, how. How can you be a football coach and turn down a show called the Meat Locker? So I'm over there. I know bald, he's going to be. Vi is going to be there. But you're going to run the show and you'll start asking me about, like, the Sixers, the Phillies. So I'm scanning through the pages. Oh, I know it's football, but those were unbelievable days. And you know what? I go back to Philly, people still like Coach Rule. Not Temple, not the Meat Locker.
- [02:20]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
The best.
- [02:21]
Anthony Gargano
They love you wherever you are. It's just your passion for life, for sports. It's why we love you. I have to ask you, though, why this podcast? So why do House Rules, all the stuff you got going on? What. What's the purpose of it?
- [02:38]
Matt Rhule
Well, I think the first thing is, man, there's 24 hours in a day, and, and so I hit 50. I said, you know what? Like, this is the best time of my life. And I, I want to do things I've never done before. And so I think two things really hit me, man. Like, as part of this job, I get asked to do a lot of podcasts, get asked to do a lot of media, and I'm happy to do it. I'm going out and I'm. I'm answering other people's questions. But, you know, I. I'm the one behind the scenes here. I. I know what's happening here. I know what's happening in college football. I know what's happening in sports. I'm connected. So I got questions too. And I just said, you know what? It's time I start telling our story. You know, a thing that happened to me because is like, when I, you know, I took the job here and my family was still back in Charlotte. And every day, you know, I'm old school, man. I'm like Joe Paterno. Like, get the cameras away from me. Like, we don't need any of that stuff in here yet. I watch NFL films and I love the behind the scenes stuff. So I'm a. I'm a kind of on one side. Get the cameras away. But I love watching other people behind the scenes. I love watching Hard Knocks and all that, right? So my family's there and they don't know what it's like. And they're like, we put out a video. They're like, oh, my gosh, dad. And we put out a TV show. Oh my gosh. And I started realizing, like, how many people love Nebraska? How many people love college football? And they don't want to see the buffed up, cleaned up version. Like, they want to see the raw, they want to see the uncut. And as I let myself start doing that, which is uncomfortable, you know, I gave a speech one time about breast cancer. You know, my mother had breast cancer. I lost my mother in law, Donna, to breast cancer. And I spoke from the heart. They posted it, you know, whatever. And I'm telling you, there's not a month that goes by I'm not walking through an airport and a woman comes up and hugs me, or someone comes up and says, hey, and I realized, like, instead of hiding, let's get out front, man. Let's be part of telling the great things here at the University of Nebraska. Now, like you, you haven't been here yet. You can't believe what's here. And I'll tell you this, when I take you over to Casa Bovina, we get a nice bottle of Italian, like in Sandrone from Barolo, and I order a little tajerine. You'll think you're down on Patsy and you'll think you're at Amore or the Saloon. So it's a great place. And I just want to make sure the world sees it.
- [04:43]
Anthony Gargano
I love that. And you know, sports and congregation, it goes together, right? I mean, sports builds churches, it brings communities together. And I love the fact that you're doing this. So it's real, right? Like, we get to see you, hear you. We're all fans, man. We love the game, we love the sport, but this is people together. And I love the fact that you're going, hey, man, let's just all get together. And I want to tell you what it's like. I want to show you what it's about and what's important to it, and it brings people together. And that place, I haven't been there since the 90s. That place was magical. I remember going on a game day and just being a gog in the sea of red. It's amazing.
- [05:35]
Matt Rhule
You know, it's funny, when I went to take this job, I'll never forget my wife, we actually met with. He's no longer here, but the chancellor, the president of the home university system was at Navy Admiral Ted Carter. And he sat down with Julie and I. We came out here to visit because I was out of work. So you can actually, you know, most places you just take the job in the middle of the night, right? Well, I got to come here and walk around. And I'm walking around downtown Lincoln and my wife thinks this is the job. And I'm kind of nervous. I'm like, we'll see you guys. I got to take the right job, you know, a little beat up. I just got fired. And she's, you know, you know Julie, she's talking trash. We're driving down O Street, there's going by all the restaurants. She's like, oh, you can't recruit here. We go down to the hay. Oh, you can't recruit here. Like, look at the state. You can't do that. Well, we go meet with Admiral Carter and here's what he said, cuz he Goes, I was on the Navy sidelines when Temple came to Navy and you beat us up to win the Conference Championship, 2016. He said, I just want you to come to Nebraska and build the same type of team here that you build at Temple. Blue collar, tough. I still, I remember sitting there as a young coach without golden and watching Coach Cheney come in to talk to the team. And I mean, cussing and fussing and passion. So much so people won't believe the story. But this is true. The legendary, the legendary coach John Cheney, he's telling a story about when he was coaching at Westchester and he walks up, he has our team captivated. He's talking about making this foul shot and they call timeout and the guy has to make a second foul shot to tie the game in the playoffs. And Coach Janey walks up, he says, and I looked at him and you know what I did? Now you can't do this today, but you could do this in the, you know, the 2006, 7. Whenever Coach Algolden was head coach, you know what I did? And the whole team sitting there and Anthony Furler, who's now deceased, God rest in peace, he smacked him across the face. He said, I smacked him and told him to go make the foul shot. And the team was like this and Anthony, and they went, that's Philly. But you know what, that's Nebraska. Good people, blue collar people, tough people that like football, played a certain way. I see that Eagles jersey and when people say to me, what's it like being the head coach in Nebraska? Like, like in Philly, like if you wear a Giants jersey, like, you might as well be dead, you know, like it's a, it's a Eagles town. It's a, it's, it's a one team town. That's what it's like here. And so there is no Nebraska State, Nebraska Tech. And so it's been amazing to be here, but I think that's part of it, man. This is like, we know what we have here, man. I want you guys to know we have here. And then also, like I said before, man, I got nothing to lose. This is my fourth head coaching job. You know, when the time comes, I'm going to go back to Cape May, sell flip flops and sit on the beach so I don't have to be politically correct in terms of like saying what people want me to hear about football. I can, I can, I can speak the truth because that's how we move the game forward. Is, is telling, is telling the real stories. Behind this game of football?
- [08:27]
Anthony Gargano
Well, it's, it's also how you teach people because truthfully, we need, we, it's such a passion, but we don't know there is such a difference of what really happens behind the scene on a sideline that the fan just doesn't know.
- [08:45]
Matt Rhule
Matt and so many, the show, so many of the behind the scenes stuff we're getting nowadays, it's, you know, hey, we got, we got editorial control. It's user content. Like, you know, the Giants did one, you know, the behind the scenes in the off season and it was raw. It was, I mean, they said some things like I was looking at the TV screen like, oh, no, they didn't. And those are great people. I know those people. The Merrill family, I worked at the Giants. Right. The Mara family, the Tisch family, Joe Shane. But they, Brian Dable, they were raw and uncut. And you know what? It was so raw that they didn't do it again this year. There's no one did it this year. No one did a Hard Knocks off season show. And so I think, you know, you, me, the way, the relationship we have, you know, neither one of us is going to, you know, BS the other. We're going to keep it real.
- [09:30]
Anthony Gargano
You think you have to. And I know you, you wouldn't have it any other way. One of the things that it stands out so much about Nebraska and I think why you translate there is I saw you do the Temple tough and it wasn't just a slogan. It was, you made it a reality. You made kids. Mana Cavic.
- [09:53]
Matt Rhule
Right.
- [09:53]
Anthony Gargano
Like, you made these kids Dion Dawkins. You made these things became tough. And having been to Nebraska and been to Lincoln, I think these are hardworking people and that toughness is a part of work. Work is an ethos and it becomes, that's what football's about. And I think that's why America has fallen in love with it. It's because it mimics kind of how we are in this country.
- [10:22]
Matt Rhule
Yeah. You know, there's some mornings, man, when I get up and I'm like, oh, I'll put on like David Goggins. I'll put on Jocko Willing. I'll put on these motivational guys, right? And like they're not like sitting on their couch just saying, hey, guys, take, take a recovery today, today and feel good about yourself. And that's how you be great. Like, they're running 200 miles. They're talking about extreme ownership. Like somewhere along the way we started thinking that hard work was punishment like, somewhere along the way, like, we started saying, like, sometimes, you know, injured guys here for us to practice, go all the way back to Temple, man. Like, no one just sits around and watches. Like, we go over. We're gonna get a workout in. I tell our guys all the time, man, like, there's people paying 69.99 to go down to the local. What do you call it? CrossFit. Go the CrossFit thing and do the same things you guys are doing. Like, let's not be embarrassed or scared to work hard. Like, the only way you can win on North Broad street at Temple, the only way you can win coming out here to Lincoln, to playing in the Big Ten. I got to go to Penn State. I got to go to ucla. We got to fly all over the country is to get a bunch of dudes like the guys you mentioned, Dion Dawkins, Tyler Mattakevich. Both guys went to prep school and had no scholarships. No scholarships. And guess what? They're now Deion's 42nd in the NFL in terms of best players in the league. And that's not me. That's just the work that they put in. And so, man, we want to celebrate work. And I tell you, I love watching those guys as they move on and they dominate. And you like our guys here because this is a cold place in the winter. There's wind blowing. We go outside, we practice the old school way. And you know what? We're getting better and better and better. We'll see how good we are this year, though.
- [11:54]
Anthony Gargano
I heard Cam Ward talk the other day. I fell in love with Cam Ward. And it's because he said this. He said, I watched my dad get up at 4:30 every morning to go to work, a job that he hated. He said for me to get up at 4:30 to work out and to work on my craft of football, he said, that's a joy. And I thought about that. And first of all, I fell in love. As a father of two, two football players, I fell in love with that kid. And it reminded me of something that you've always talked about, which is, look, there's people doing real work, all right? Doing hard jobs, hard labor. For me to get up at 4:30 to do something that I love to do, this it. Well, that's not a chore.
- [12:46]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, no. I got to know Cam a little bit last year in the recruiting process because he was leaving Washington State. And I'm so excited for the things that he's done. And I think it brings up another thing that, you know, I'd like to this podcast, what I want it to be about, it's, it's not just about sports. Like, it's about this next generation. Like our kids, the people that we're hiring, you know, Gen Z, Gen whatever, whatever the next one is. Like, we talk about all the thing, ah, they don't do this, they don't do that. You know what, man? Like, there's some special kids doing some special things. But, but Cam Ward is inspired by his father and fatherhood and coaching and mentoring. Those things matter to me, man. Like, how do we reach these guys? And so think about Cam Ward. Like, anybody can get on the mic and say, well, I've been getting up since 4:30. You can talk about like, how hard you work, you can edit that. But Cam Ward's resume speaks for itself, man. The guy unrecruted out of high school, goes to Incarnate Word, makes himself a good player. No stars next to his name. No nil money, no Lamborghini. No, just a football guy playing football because he loves it. And Incarnate Words. A great program down in Texas, but like SCS dominates there. Follows his coach, goes to Washington State, sets the world on fire at Washington State. Draft. No draft. Goes back, goes to Miami, sets records at Miami. And everywhere you go, you're hearing him saying all the right things, but his actions back it up. So now you say to yourself, like, is he going to be a good player at the next level? Absolutely. Because he's a winner and he's been winning every step of the way. Nothing's been handed to him. Nothing's been handed to them. And that's why you like those teams at Temple, because nothing was handed to those kids. They had to earn it. And that's why I like my team here, because you know what they earn the things that they get. We had one of our players, I don't know if you saw our punter got up and talked this week.
- [14:29]
Anthony Gargano
I, I gotta talk about a bit. Archie. I mean, God, Archie Wilson, what a guy. I, I, I immediately felt I fell for right away. Yes, from Australia, right? Tell the story about him, Matt.
- [14:43]
Matt Rhule
So we hired Mike Eckler. He comes in, he goes, hey, I got this punter out in Australia and you should see this guy, bro. He rolls left and kicks with his left foot. He rolls right, he kicks with his right foot. He walks across campus and he's just kicking the ball to himself all the time because he played Australian Rules Football. We're going to play our first game at Arrowhead vs. Cincinnati. A great football team. It will be the first ever football game he's not only has he played in, he's attended or seen live. Think about that, bro. So the courage of this kid to come over and as an 18, a lot of these guys that come over as punters, they come over at 28, 25. He's 18. He leaves his family. He leaves his two younger brothers. And he's here and he's doing media, and he gets asked a great question, you know, how's the adjustment? And he just breaks down. And I was talking to one of the guys as he walked off, and, you know, he said to me, he said, oh, I. I'm probably a meme now. And just that fear of, like, oh, you know, I was vulnerable. So I got up in front of the team, I played the clip. Now, if anybody knows about being a meme, it's me. I've been a meme 20 times over. So I was like, hey, trust me, guys. It's not the worst thing in the world, you know, take it. You can send it to your wife every once in a while. And I asked the team, I said, guys, what do you think? He was worried about being a meme. And like, these guys, man, I'm talking about Marquis Buford with senior safety, two acl, tears, leader of the team. He's like. He was courageous. Other guys are like, he was vulnerable. I mean, the outpouring of support. But I took it a step further. I said, should he be embarrassed? They said, no. I said, you know who should be embarrassed? I should be embarrassed. Because I never thought to say, like, what's it like being away from your family, bro? Now, Coach Eckler's been doing that, but I'm, you know, I'm day to day. We got to get this. We got to. I never took the time to say, man, how are you doing? And so it hit me. It's like, if he's feeling that way, how do I think this guy's feeling? How do I think this guy's feeling? So just taking the time every single day, man, with our kids, with the people we work with, so many people got something right behind their chest they're dying to get off of it. Just Archie reminded me of that, like, checking in and, hey, how you doing? You good? Like, I asked my son the other day, I said, what's something about? What's something about being a teenager or 20 something now that in this generation that I wouldn't understand. And, man, some of the answers I got. Blew my mind. So I told all our coaches today. I said, hey, take your kids to school yesterday. Today were the first two days of school here in Lincoln. Said, but ask your kids a question like this. So it was a great reminder. Now Archie's going viral right now. Australia's calling him the Today Show. Everybody loves them. Some Archie people are like, hey, can I fly his family over? I told him, I said, you know, that that only lasts to the first punt, bro. If that first punt goes 20 yards and out of bounds, it's over. No, but. But we have great fans. But it's not just been Husker fans. It's been people all across the world that resonated with. That's what we want. We want to get to know you. Not the pretend you, the mask. We want to get to know Arch. And I'll tell you, man, you'll love them.
- [17:24]
Anthony Gargano
Well, you know, you. What you said was so true is that we're given. They are given constant visions of utopia. Look at my wealth, look at my celebrity, look at where I live. And, you know, it's impossible for kids to live up to this stuff. The fallibility that we all have as human beings comes to the forefront. And I. I love the fact that that's on your mind. Like, I. I think that as a football coach, how do you balance knowing that, right, and then striving for success?
- [18:07]
Matt Rhule
It's such a great question. So I had a player earlier this year that was really struggling, learning, and he didn't know how to say, hey, I'm struggling. So he acted out, not like, in a bad, bad way, but in a way that didn't make sense. And so, you know, 10 years ago, bro, if we were back on North Broad street, man, the lion would have met the lion and we would have gone at it. And as I get a little older, a little more perspective. I mean, I tell our guys, I've had to give the eulogy at players I've coached. I've had at their funerals. Like, you know, things happen in life. I've been doing this for 27 years, 13 years as a head coach. Like, I've seen a lot of things slowing down and taking the time to say, hey, what's going on? Like, what's going on? And, like, that kid that's acting out that, like, I think I have to, you know, put him in his place, just asking him, and it's just like, coaching, struggling with this. I'm struggling with that. And so it's about helping, because each of Us has something we have to overcome. I mean, it might be anxiety, it might be your health, it might be your family, might be your job, might be whatever it is, we got, maybe we got some problem. Whatever problem we have, we have to deal with it. But we still can't lower the standard of, you know, hey, you can't go on the field till you learn all this stuff, so you have to learn it if you want to play. We can't. And that's what we've done as adults too much now. We've. We've lowered the bar to make it easy for guys to jump over young people. Really, all of us as people, we will. We will rise to the level that we're being asked to rise to. But sometimes we need help rising. So with him, it was like, hey, you know what we're going to do? We're going to meet every day at lunch with so and so, and then we meet every day at lunch with so and so. And then, hey, you're getting a three out of 10 on your test. Let's get to four, let's get the five, let's get to six. Let's have a plan. I believe when you feel powerless to change your situation, man, it. That's what eats at you. And so pushing people to be their best, but listening to them, to their fears, their struggles, and helping them come up with a plan, that's the, hey, in this new generation, in this new iteration of me, you know, I tell our players all the time, like, hey, guys, I was 2019. I was, you know, I won some coach of the year awards, National Coach of the Year awards, got got, you know, head coach in the NFL, NFL networks there. I got 5,000 congratulation texts like, you couldn't talk to me, man. And then all of a sudden, two and a half years later, I'm sitting in my house telling my kids I'm fired. And my phone ain't really ringing off the hook, but I was the same guy, I was the same person. But now that I've been through the highs of the highs and the lows of the lows in this job, in this space, now I have that perspective. And so instead of saying, you need to do this, you need to do that, taking a second like, hey, bro, tell me what's really going on and having a plan, but we can never lower the standard for our kids and the people we deal with of what's.
- [20:40]
Anthony Gargano
Important, man, that sounds exactly like why this podcast is going to be really important and a lot of fun.
- [20:50]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, like I said, I think that perspective, I think going through everything that we've been through, I think it just lends to us being like really authentic, really real, you know, saying not, not saying, not being guarded, but just taking some chances to try to do the right thing. And I think we're gonna do some awesome things, bro. Like we're gonna sit here and talk about football, we're gonna talk about the state of the game, we're talking with some of our players, like the stories like Archie and all the guys, the things that they bring. We're gonna bring in all types of people from, from pro sports, college sports, business, like just really pop culture. Just try to hit on all these different things that I think people will find interesting. Talk about the, the games as we get ready for the games in season. So it's really a chance, I think, to give people an inside look into this program, into this mindset, but really into all of sports and I'm really, really excited.
- [21:40]
Anthony Gargano
LFG House rules.
- [21:48]
Matt Rhule
All right. One of my favorites, Javin Wright.
- [21:51]
John Gordon
What's up coach?
- [21:52]
Matt Rhule
Or Buddha? They call you Buddha? Why?
- [21:55]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
So when I was fat, when I was a baby, so my grandma called me Buddha cuz I was like a big Buddha doll. So I was super chubby. So my, my dad and my mom kind of stuck with the name and it's been there ever since.
- [22:06]
Matt Rhule
And you like the name? You don't like the name or it's just you?
- [22:09]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
I love the name. It is just me. So like I go by Javen, I go by Buddha. It really doesn't matter to me, but I think Buddha kind of fits with during this time. Yeah, I love it.
- [22:21]
Matt Rhule
So you talked to the team the other night, right? And you got voted in single digit and kind of blown away listening to your story. Like seven seasons of college football, four season ending injuries, two blood clots. You basically have put your life a little bit at risk to continue, to continue to play. Three position changes.
- [22:41]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Right.
- [22:42]
Matt Rhule
What is different about you that has allowed you to endure all this?
- [22:47]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Just figuring out who I am as a person for one. That's how I started out with that and then having a good support system here and with my family. So when I was down during those tough times, I was able to lean on a teammate or lean on like a, like my dad or something like that to be able to like give me the motivation to keep going and the self belief that I had in myself to start, keep starting back at that bottom stage and do it again and do it again and do it again and keep going. That's. That's what pushed me forward, to be in the spot where I am right now.
- [23:22]
Matt Rhule
Are you glad you did it? I mean, it's hard. Are you glad you did it? Yeah.
- [23:25]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
I would do it all over again.
- [23:25]
Matt Rhule
Really?
- [23:26]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
I would do it all over again.
- [23:27]
Matt Rhule
So when you're talking to the young guys in the locker room, they're like, I'm anxious. I'm nervous. Like, can you, can you help them, you think? Or is it just something they have to go through?
- [23:36]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Yeah, I think it's just growing pains of college football. I mean, you're. You're going to have. You're going to be anxious, you're going to be a little scared to mess up at first. I mean, it's college football, but once you get a hang of it, once you learn to master your. Your emotions and the way you think about things, it's easy to suppress the anxiousness. It's easy to suppress the. The fear. And you just breathe through it and you just. You just stay calm. And after, after you master all that, you can probably go through anything.
- [24:04]
John Gordon
I love it.
- [24:05]
Matt Rhule
So you, you and I, we get along? Good, Bad. What's our. We. We get along okay?
- [24:08]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Yeah, we're going to get along.
- [24:09]
Matt Rhule
So there's been one thing that's been constantly an issue between that. That's this shirt. Okay, so. So I've asked for. This is your brand.
- [24:16]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Yeah, this. This is my brand. This is my brand.
- [24:18]
Matt Rhule
And so what is that on the back? Let's do.
- [24:19]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
This is a Sabud doll with the. With a crown on it. Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
- [24:24]
Matt Rhule
It's a Buddha doll with the crown on it. And walk me through the significance of the crown.
- [24:29]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Okay, so the crown is, is like what we just learned about our higher self. So all the good that you receive, all the positive thoughts, all the, all the things that you claim that you are chosen for. Everyone's chosen. So even as a kid with all these positive thoughts, you look at the world so bright. You. You're not, you're not. You're not clouded by all the society's judgments yet. So I wanted a Buddha doll with a crown on it just like, to let you know that your dreams are still attainable and you should still chase those childhood dreams that you always had.
- [25:07]
Matt Rhule
So football, whenever football's over, you know, play 20 years in the NFL, you play 10, whatever, what are you gonna do?
- [25:14]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Big aspirations. So really haven't really thought about that. That plan A has to happen, but plan B Plan B is I wanted to start a child leadership group and with, with my, my brand and I want to do like, sports stuff as well. So I want to mix all that together and have my own land and, and host these kids to achieve their, their dreams basically so they, they can know that there's someone out there that believes in them and knows that there's someone by their side that they can lean on.
- [25:51]
Matt Rhule
But what fuels that, what makes you, what makes you interested in that?
- [25:53]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
My dad, My dad back in the day, he, it was just, we had a big gym and I remember it was cultivated by all these, all these influential guys back, back in Arizona who played football, who played other sports, who helped them even in academics. That my, because my dad, he wasn't that big bright at academics. Don't tell him I said that. Don't tell him I said that. Said that.
- [26:21]
John Gordon
Don't tell him I said that.
- [26:22]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
But all these people that helped him, he, it, they poured into him. So he poured it out to other people. So when I was a little kid, I was around people that aspired and had so much inspiration to give me. From pro athletes, which I was around all the time, to college athletes, to high school athletes. I was just a little kid budo, just running around, just, just like seeing all these influential and big name people and influenced me to be who I am today. And so I love that you took.
- [26:57]
Matt Rhule
A little shot at your dad. So, Toby, I got your back here. Your dad played the national, Played here, played the National Football League one on one, like, like in the hole, you versus him. I know, I, you know, one guy's got to knock the other guy back, right?
- [27:10]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
That's easy. It's me, it's me. You can say it right now. All the old timers will say it's him, but it's me for sure. So, dad, if you're, if you're here, if you're seeing this, I know you're seeing this, you're getting dealt with. I'm sorry.
- [27:24]
Matt Rhule
One of the things I love, really, both your parents, but I remember the first time I met your dad. We were in the old, old building. You know, I'm a new coach. You had, you had a sling on at the time, right? And I didn't know much yet. I'm just trying to figure out like, how to get to Omaha, right? How to get to the training table.
- [27:40]
John Gordon
Right.
- [27:40]
Matt Rhule
I remember your dad, dad just, you know, you had the surgery, he was speaking positivity into you. But he's also like, coach, he needs to Move his position. He's. He still has dreams of being a corner, right? And. But he supported us. And it's, it's really cool when like coaches, families and players all come together and say, you know what, this might be scary to try this, but, like, let's walk through this door and see what's the best thing for you. And I think since moving to linebacker, you've been, you've been a heck of a player and this year is going to be. This will be your crowning achievement.
- [28:08]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
Yes, sir.
- [28:09]
Matt Rhule
To make it a crowning.
- [28:11]
John Gordon
Make a crown.
- [28:11]
Matt Rhule
Yeah. So when you leave here, you know, one of the things we obviously we say is, you know, leave a place better than you found it. What will your legacy. If you get just one thing, what will your legacy be?
- [28:23]
Javen Wright (Buddha)
I have a couple things, but I'm narrow it down to one. I want to be known for perseverance and being able to lay down my college career for the others on the team. So having gone through all the stuff that I went through on and off, media, camera, football field, even on the football field, I wanted them to know that I was always there for them and I was always a shining light to know that if you keep going, good things are going to come out of it.
- [28:53]
Matt Rhule
I have to say too, and also when you get on camera, man, your smile, seriously, your smile, man, lights up the room. It's like we talked about today, like, being positive is a skill and that's what lets us be forever teammates. And so I'm proud to coach you coach. Except he hasn't got me a shirt. So we're gonna be okay.
- [29:12]
John Gordon
It's coming.
- [29:12]
Matt Rhule
I mean, like, let's go. It's my pleasure today to have acclaimed author, best selling author, speaker, a person that motivates me in my life. It was about a just over a year ago today that I met John Gordon. And the positive things that have been entered into my life since meeting this man. I've been reading his books for years, but to get to know him has been unbelievable. So just so grateful to have you here today.
- [29:41]
John Gordon
Thrilled to be here, Matt. That's awesome. Thanks so much.
- [29:43]
Matt Rhule
So what's a couple of guys like you and me from New York City, from Long island and Queens. What a couple of guys like us doing here in Lincoln, Nebraska? Why are you here, man?
- [29:50]
John Gordon
I'm here because you're here. I'm here because I want to speak to your team. I want to encourage them. I want to give them some, some juice, some, some life, some thoughts about what it takes to have a great season, everything you would teach them, I just want to reinforce all the things you're doing here. You've been building such an incredible culture, and I just want to add some fuel onto that fire.
- [30:11]
Matt Rhule
I think the scary thing for me is that they're going to be like, wait a minute, John wrote that. Coach, you say that all the time. I'm such a thief. But no, like. Like you do this, you go around. I just saw you up at the Vikings with Kevin. You know, we were all together at your training camp. I mean, what an amazing. First of all, what an amazing experience for me to be around Ben Newman, Sean McVay, Dabo Sweeney, Matt Brown, Kevin O', Conn, Chantel Just. And all everyone else. Like. Like what? When you talk to teams, what do you think? Teams, what do you think? This generation, young people, what do they need right now to hear?
- [30:46]
John Gordon
I think so many of them are dealing with just a lot of negative thoughts with. With self doubt, with fear, with identity. Am I enough? Am I good enough? We live in a social media world, so so many of them are getting their identity met through social media. And I often say, look at social media for information, not validation, because they're going to it for validation. And I think we have to teach them about. It's inside out, not outside in. Stop looking at the outside world. You just create from the inside out. The power is within you. I think we need to remind them of their power, which you talk about, right? You talk about being a lion.
- [31:19]
Matt Rhule
That's it.
- [31:20]
John Gordon
Not a sheep.
- [31:21]
Matt Rhule
That's right, Right.
- [31:21]
John Gordon
The power of a lion. Like, we were meant to be lions. We weren't meant to be house cats as well.
- [31:26]
Matt Rhule
What I often say, exactly, right.
- [31:27]
John Gordon
We're meant to be lions and bold and adventurous and going after things and chasing things. Reminding a man of his power that he has to not only thrive on the field, but more importantly, as you teach, thrive in this world. And by the way, I learned from you as well. That's what was so cool about training camp, right? It was like all these coaches together and me and other speakers, and we're learning from each other. And you realize, wow, I learned that from Matt. I learned that from Sean. I learned that from Dabo. Well, guess what? He also learned that of what he said from me, you know, as well. And I think sometimes he forgets what I taught him years ago. And then I go, well, he's been taking my stuff. I'm gonna start taking his stuff. So now I actually take his stuff. And I think and now I take your stuff, too.
- [32:08]
Matt Rhule
Oh, well, I'm taking yours. I think the cool thing about training, I think one of the great things about you is it's like, I mean, you don't have to go out and speak all these places. You don't have to, like, bring all these people in, but you're such a connector. You like. It wasn't. The sessions were amazing. Like, Matthew west, hearing him sing, like, the spirit that was in that room was amazing. I felt like transforming me. And I think sometimes when we get to be like, you know, middle aged, 50, I just turned 50, it's like kind of settle into, hey, this is who I am. And that time being around those people was like, I want more than this. But it wasn't just the sessions. It was listening to Tim Tebow talk about fighting against human trafficking. It was. It was sitting down with Sean McVay and his dad, you know, Kevin OConnell, talking about the stress of being a coach in football. You just connect people. Is that something that you've always done? And how. How has that played a role in your career, the being connected with others?
- [32:59]
John Gordon
To be honest, that wasn't what I had done. What I was about was speaking and writing. For years, I was out there huffing it, you know, speaking everywhere and anywhere. So I would spend time in all these training camps, speaking to all the different coaches and their teams, and then getting to meet them and then pouring into them, and they would have challenges and we would talk on the phone, and I was just an ear for them, you know, to listen and to offer a thought. Because I have been working with teams now since Jack Del Rio brought me into the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007. So I've spent time with a lot of coaches. God just put me into this position. I didn't choose it. It put me there. And then Mike Smith and then all these different teams and coaches. So over the years, I. I'm out there speaking to them, and then companies and corporations and school districts. So I'm gone like 200 nights a year. When I'm home, I'm with my family. So I really had no relationships. But then the pandemic hit, and after Covid, everything changed. Because during COVID I realized relationships were everything. And I did not have a lot of great relationships besides my family. So it was really about investing in relationships. I got back with my old teammates from college. We played golf during the pandemic and hung out, and it was like nurturing. It was healing during that time of just spending time with each other. And then I was getting together with Ed, Milette and other speakers, and we were having these, like, little masterminds during that time, hanging out and talking. And I'm like, man, this is important. So I had in my heart to do a training camp event for a while, but then it was about, okay, I want to bring together these kind of business leaders who are strong business leaders, but also have faith, and then bring together these coaches who are going to share, not exitos, but their life and their culture and their leadership and. And their struggles and challenges and also their faith. And we spoke life into a lot of the people that were in that room, which was cool. And as you said, the best part was all the coaches said, man, I needed this. I got so much out of this. I mean, Sean loved hearing from you. Kevin o' Connell said he loved hearing from you. Daba loved hearing from you. Everyone loved hearing from each other, even Billy Donovan, who's going to be inducted into the hall of Fame. Coming up was like, hey, man, I got to stay. I have to take notes. Like, I got to take some notes. And he was taking. Billy Donovan's taking notes on how to get better, to be a better human, a better person. And look at you since, man, you've gotten fit. You look healthy. You look better than ever since that time.
- [35:10]
Matt Rhule
You know, it's funny. Billy Donovan was there, and I walked up to him, I said. I said, hey, coach, now I know everybody. I know you're a Hall of fame coach, but, man, I loved watching you play back at Providence back in the day.
- [35:18]
John Gordon
Like, I did, too.
- [35:19]
Matt Rhule
I'm a kid in New York City, and I'm, like, at the playground, like, Billy, Like, I was like, it's so cool to see you. Like, I grew up like, Rick Patino, Billy Donovan, the Providence Friars. Like, that was, like, that was who I thought I was. But, like, those are bucket list moments. I'm sitting there, and the guy walks up to me, and Tyler's his name. He's the head coach of the Savannah Bananas.
- [35:37]
John Gordon
Yes.
- [35:38]
Matt Rhule
And I connect. Next thing you know, I'm in Boston. I got my family and some friends, and we're watching the Savannah Bananas, which is perfect for a guy with add they start the clock at two hours, and they just go down. And I'm looking at my kids, like, 15 minutes, guys, 12 minutes. But, like, connecting with all those people, and I think it's a very valid point. It kind of brings up Covid. There's a time right now in college sports where so many of us are a little bit burned out. Like, there were some assistant coaches I knew from Baylor volleyball and the new women's soccer coach, and it was like this new era. We don't really know what the rules are. And everyone just getting a little burned out a little bit. Sort of like, ah, this isn't what it used to be. And times like this. Times like Covid. Times like this require people that are gonna step up, stand in the gap, and be like, hey, I'm here for this moment. I think a lot of us left feeling energized. And I think that's the power of word. It's also the power of reading. Like, you brought up the I am not a sheep. That's Og Mandino, the greatest salesman in the world. Right. You know, the scroll mark 3. And it's like, when I came here, I said, it's my fourth head coaching job. If I could put one thing on the wall, it's the scroll mark 3. I am not a sheep. I refuse to walk, talk, act, think like a sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. Cause I look at these kids, I look at my kids, and they're so afraid of failure, and it's like I reject it.
- [36:52]
John Gordon
Yep.
- [36:52]
Matt Rhule
And that. That was what. That was. What brought it. You might not want to answer this, but, like, of everything that you've written, what do you think? What do you think? They're all wondering, what do you think? If people could read one thing, what do people need to read that you've written?
- [37:08]
John Gordon
Wow. I would. I would say the one truth now more than ever, because the one truth explains what we're dealing with. The disconnection, the separation, the isolation, the. The feeling of powerlessness. And the answer to that is connection. Relationships. Connection with yourself and connection spiritually with God. We got to say it, because it's true. Like, look at the world and look at the brokenness, and look at how many people are dealing with mental health disorders. And it's because you have a world that is disconnected spiritually. And they're trying to do it themselves, and they don't have relationships. So it's about getting people back into that connection. Look at your team. If you look at guys on a team, why do most people thrive when they're in this setting? Because they have a mission, a team, and a school board. Everyone needs a mission, a team, and a scoreboard. Then look at people who are lost. No mission, no purpose. They don't have a team. They feel very disconnected, and there's no scoreboard they don't know what they're chasing. They're not building something, they're not creating something. So I would say the One Truth is all about that explains that. But my favorite book is Training Camp because it's about overcoming your fear, finding your faith of, of who you're meant to be. And it's the winning habits that separate the best from the rest. But again, I'm being promotional here, but, but I love the newest, the newest one I love because it's the seven commitments of a great team. It's like, for me, like, I just love this new one because it's like you, you live with these commitments as a team, you're going to be a stronger team. And it's, it's a fable. So it's about the idea that teammates are forever. And I really believe that we need to actually create forever relationships.
- [38:35]
Matt Rhule
So if you don't mind going back to the One Truth, because that's a book that for me really helped me. You know, again, like I said, like, I'm hitting 50 and I'm in my mind, I'm still 8, I'm still 18, I'm still 22. Like, until I get on FaceTime with a recruit and I see my face, I'm like, who's the old guy? Like, what happened? But like, when I'm around these guys, I feel so energized, but they're going through something so different than I'm going through. And I thought the courage when you wrote the One Truth, but also the empathy, because you wrote it in a way that has a secular component where you connect to passion. And then the entire second half of the book is if you're a spiritual person, this is what this means. And so it's an invitation to everybody. And if you've read the first half, then maybe you'll read the second half and maybe you'll dive into something deeper. But you talked in there about working with the golfers and athletes and like, who had kind of lost their way and reconnecting to the passion because we're so outcome based and finding the passion, you know, finding, as Ben Newman says, the burn, finding the thing that you love. But I love the courage it took for you to write that. Is that something that you had to think about or does that just happen?
- [39:49]
John Gordon
No, I was intentional in terms of, like, I wrote the book in third. So the first third is I said, okay, I want every coach, every leader, everybody to be able to read the first third and say, all right, I can get to A high state of mind. Because it's about high state of mind versus low state of mind. And even if you don't have any faith, you read that book, you do those things, you will get to a higher state of mind. So it will be great. So I said, okay, people could give this to their teens and say, all right, I'm not allowed to share this because it might be spiritual. Just read the first part of the book. So we have a lot of people, 80% of males have dealt with trauma in their life. So how do you heal? And here we are trying to give these solutions and all these kind of man made strategies. And you'll never solve a spiritual problem with man made strategies. And so once you understand the truth of it, that's why the one truth is then that's going to solve a lot. So that's why I wrote it in the thirds. But for the person who wasn't a faith. You're right. I wanted just to help that even that person who, who never wants to read more and wants to read that first part. All right, let's make a difference there. But if you do want to read more here, if you want to know where the real power comes from here. And I was resistant. I was the kind of guy that, if you're listening and you're that guy, I was there. And then guess what? I was miserable, negative. My wife almost left me and that's what led me to do this work. So I had to share my story of transformation because you look at me and you go, wow, look at this guy. Guess what? My teammates cannot believe what I'm doing now. They're like, you were a mental wreck in college. You were seriously, like, you were like so weak and fragile and like, had a lot of mental health challenges, which I did. And I healed it over time. And that's the whole goal. Everyone could heal over time, become more powerful, become stronger. This is not about healing and being weak. No. Powerful in this world to take on this world to win the battle and fight for the good. That's what it's about.
- [41:30]
Matt Rhule
So, so you're on the road 200 days a week.
- [41:33]
John Gordon
Not anymore. Not as much anymore.
- [41:35]
Matt Rhule
But. But you're on the road. Yeah, you're, you're, you're, you're being pulled. You got guys like me, hey, can you come talk to the team? You got, you know, you have all these different things and I find these challenges in my life. Like, you know, I want my kids someday to say, you know, my dad did his best. He Tried so hard. He loved me. I want my wife to feel that way. I want to. I want to give back to, you know, charity. I want to come to training. So as you're getting pulled in all these directions, you know, I don't know, balance is the right word. Juggling, rhythm. Rhythm. Talk to me about that. How do you, how do you find rhythm?
- [42:05]
John Gordon
I believe it's rhythm. Like, I've spoken to training camps now the entire week and spoke all last week to education conferences and one business event, which is August, is usually like that. So there is no balance these last two weeks, but there's rhythm. So I'm working my butt off these two weeks, and then next week I'm taking my wife to Cape Cod.
- [42:23]
Matt Rhule
Oh, nice.
- [42:23]
John Gordon
And our daughter's gonna join us. Our son's not invited, but. But, but that's a whole other story. But no, we love our son, but she's coming and so we'll spend time in that way. My daughter's now 27. My son's 25. My daughter said this, and this is a great lesson for parenting. She said, dad, I don't remember you gone. I remember you being home. Because when you were home, you were so present. See, when I was home, I was so engaged. I was taking my daughter to practice. I was going to her games during the summers. I had a lot of time off. Usually during July, we would go to club lacrosse games all over to watch her play and support her. So I was doing all of that and she remembers those moments. So I think the key is be engaged. Where you are, you're at work. Be engaged, you're at home, be engaged. When you do that, guess what? You feel great in both places, you feel energized and so do the people that you're with and love. The problem is when you're home and you're thinking about work and then you're at work and you're thinking about home, and now you have a double dose of guilt, a double dose of misery.
- [43:19]
Matt Rhule
So, like, I deal with that like I'm home because my life is different. Like, you know, my life is dependent on 18 year old, 17 year old kids. Like, hey, coach, what's up? Like, hold on, girls. Like, okay. And some of that I have to do. There's no but. How do you, how do you stay in that moment? Like, what are the practices that. Do you read? Like that. Keep your mind where you're kind of in the present at all times. How do you stay there?
- [43:40]
John Gordon
Well, I don't think you can Be in the present moment all times. There's gonna be an ebb and flow of highs and lows, high state of mind, low state of mind. But I have found, like, walking in the morning, you're working out now in the morning.
- [43:51]
Matt Rhule
That's right.
- [43:51]
John Gordon
You probably feel a whole lot better, and you feel you have greater capacity to handle all your challenges. So I walk in the morning, I practice gratitude, and I pray in the morning. And when I do that, I create a fertile mind that is ready for great things to happen. You increase your capacity for leadership to overcome challenges. You can take on so many more things. I've been saying recently, I've been speaking to a lot of groups. I've been being very honest. I'm saying a praying leader becomes a more positive leader and a more effective leader because it gives you greater capacity. And that's what I found in my life. The guy who couldn't handle anything now could handle a lot. And as you know, you're dealing with problems all the time. The fires are. You're having to put out fires a lot, and you're always on guard. But you learn over time, right? All right, here's another one. All right, let's take care of it. All right, here's another one. Let's take care of it. And I believe, like, you're with your kids, okay, you're in that moment with them, and then, okay, you get a text, all right, you got to take care of it. And they know that. And I think it's about explaining to them, hey, so. And so is dealing with something. I got to deal with that. And you explain to them what's going on. So they're learning, and they know that daddy is helping someone right now and making their team better. They're going to see that, and they're going to learn. What I've learned is that your kids are watching, even though you don't realize they are, and they're watching everything. My daughter's now a speaker, and she thought I was annoying growing up, and now she's a speaker, but she was watching, and now she's doing this.
- [45:06]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, I think. I think the battle for me has always been, like, you know, almost a guilt of, like, I got to put in 18 hours, and you come in like, it's selfish of me to. Selfish of me to go exercise in the mornings. And, like, to your point, like, I found myself. So I started Ben's workout, right? You know, I signed up for your training camp, and an email comes that says, which workout you want to Go to Ben Newman, the Standard, or Justin with breathing. I've become great friends with Justin too. He's been helping me, like. And so I go to Ben's. Well, I didn't realize that was just for the, it wasn't for the speakers, it was for everybody else. But I started.
- [45:42]
John Gordon
I think you were the only speaker that showed up, which is awesome.
- [45:44]
Matt Rhule
Well, McVay was walking by to go work out on the gym where he just grabbed him like, no, you're here, let's go. And then, and then Chantel came out, four time Olympian. So I'm in between an Olympian and Sean McVay. And I'm like, what am I doing here? But it was, it was meant to be. And, but then, then Ben's like, hey, let's get you rucking. So I start, he gets, he buys me, he sends me, I'm on vacation, my family. He sends me a 45 pound plate. I'm like, what do I do with this? He goes, you walk with it. But you said something earlier. I started walking without music.
- [46:10]
John Gordon
Yep.
- [46:11]
Matt Rhule
And it's amazing. We talk about stillness, meditation. So two things I've started doing again. I've started walking. It might be 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Even the sports science guy, he said, take your shoes off, walk around the field ground. I'm like, come on, man. You know what? I feel better. My mind is racing. There's no music. And then I read at night and I forgot how much, like I read during the day. But reading at night settles. My brain gets rid of the anxiety, the stress of like tomorrow. And it's been amazing. But I had to get past the guilt of, you know what, Matt? It's okay to take a few minutes for yourself.
- [46:44]
John Gordon
The most, the most unselfish thing you can do is actually take care of yourself in order to help others. I was with the school district the other day. I said, okay, you're a big union, that's great. You want to take care of teachers, that's great. But let's remember why we want to take care of teachers so they can better serve the students. Because it's about the students. So you're taking care of you to be a better husband, a better father, a better coach. And when you take care of you, everyone benefits from you taking care of you.
- [47:09]
Matt Rhule
I also find like, you know, you get to this position, like in my mind, I'm just Matt, you know, you're John. Yeah, but when people said, I saw you at practice session, I'm like, it's John Gordon. Like, oh, John Gordon's. At practice, my whistle held my whistle a little tighter. I was like, don't do anything stupid. But I mean, that's, that's how I feel. For me, it's Matt, but like for the players or for maybe some people, oh, that's coach rule. And so when they see me downstairs doing one of Ben's like a 4 minute and 44 second plank and I'm struggling and they get to walk over and start yelling at me the way I yell. And it's just brought connection. And so, hey, I'm thankful for that. But I think it's, I think it's one of the things that I think people my age sometimes get stuck where we're like, well, this is it, you know, whatever it is, like, start a new business, start a new. Like when, when I was taking this job, people were like, what are you doing? Like, you have three or four years left on your contract. But I love to coach. Like, I look at you like, you could stop right now. Like, but, but what keeps driving you to keep going and doing it better than you did it before?
- [48:03]
John Gordon
The other day I was at the school district speaking and Alvin isd, and I'm at this hotel like that, you know, not a great hotel, and I'm walking around the hotel getting some exercise. I'm like, you know, what am I doing? I don't need to be doing this anymore. Like, I don't even ever have to work again, thank God. I mean, I've sold 6 million books, and so I'm very thankful. It's all God. But I'm like, I don't need to be doing this. But then I'm like, you know what? But I know I'm doing this to make a difference. I am still meant to do this. And I look at my age, 54, and you know what? I'm getting better. I'm getting stronger. I am not slowing down. Like, the finish line, I believe, is far away. And even if it isn't, I'm gonna make every day count. Every day matter. So John Maxwell says, when you can afford to quit, you can't, because that's when you can make your greatest impact. Wow. And I feel like now is my time to make my greatest impact at this age. So why would I quit when I can make my biggest impact? If it was about the money, I would quit, but it was never about the money. Now that just gives me a greater opportunity to live my mission and purpose. And you're in a place where you can actually be bold and Say what really needs to be said and make an impact. And so I go. Now I'm like, I'm going to say what needs to be said to make these people better. If they don't want to have me back, that doesn't matter. I don't need that. But I'm going to say what needs to be said to help people. So I actually feel more bolder. And I think I'm just getting started. Like, we just started a whole certification, whole training. Now we're developing people to do this work. So for me, I just started Certified Positive Leader, where we're teaching. I'm giving you everything I've learned over the last 20 years in a program to help you be a better and more positive leader. And it's very inexpensive, and it's going to allow people to. Now it's like going to university to do that a year with me and study and train with me. It's going to be awesome. So that's like my newest thing, and I want to have thousands of people as a part of it. So I'm excited about it. I'm, like, just moving forward. So, yeah, I feel like we just. I'm going to tell the team, I played pickleball with Tim Tebow not too long ago.
- [49:48]
Matt Rhule
Wow.
- [49:48]
John Gordon
So I go there to play, and I think we're playing doubles because we usually play doubles, and whenever we played and I show up and I go, hey, where are the two other guys? He goes, no, it's just me and you.
- [49:57]
Matt Rhule
Oh, wow.
- [49:57]
John Gordon
Singles. Who won singles? So anyway, no, I don't want to make Tim look bad, you know, like. No, no, no, no, no. He won the first game, okay? And that's the point. The part of the story is he won the first game. How many games you play? Three. So it's 90 degrees. It's 90, 90 degrees. It is hot. It is 3pm in the afternoon in Florida, and we're sweating and we're battling. And first game, I was winning, and he came back because I got tired, because we were like. I mean, we're going back and forth, and it's. And I'm not a singles kind of player. I play doubles, play doubles, and I work out. So second game destroys me. Third game, though, I reset strategy. Just, like, he would make adjustments. He's lefty. I kept hitting it to his forehand, thinking it's his backhand, because when I play righties all the time, I would go to a backhand. So now I start going to his backhand. Coming in, put away, put it away. I win the third game I love. And he's so nice. A couple shots I think were out, but he called them in. He said, so we get done. I can't walk, but he is. But he is sprinting up and down, sprinting. And it taught me that there's another level.
- [51:01]
Matt Rhule
Yep.
- [51:02]
John Gordon
Adversity and competition are your partners in growth. So after that competition, what did I do? Start sprinting. So next time we play, you'll be ready. Oh, I've been texting, like, when we play it again, when are we playing again? And he had a baby, so he hasn't been able to play. But I'm like, let's play again. And I'm ready to play again. And I'm sprinting now to be stronger. And what I'm going to tell your team is, guess what? You have faced the tough competition. You know what it looks like. You know what the battle looks like. So now you're prepared for it. You're going to be stronger because of it. Let that competition raise your level.
- [51:32]
Matt Rhule
I love that. You know, you said 54. I spoke this morning at the governor summit. I told them, I said, you know, I turned 50 this year, and I was so nervous about 50. Like, the whole week before, I was walking around like, 50, 50. And I woke up the morning of the 50, I turned 50, and I was like, I'm gonna kick my 50s butt. Let's go. And it was just a shift in perspective. And I like what you said about, like, hey, you go talk to people, you talk about what you believe in. If they don't want your back, so be it. And that was this. When I took this job, I was like, I'm gonna do this my way. If this is the end, this is the end. But that's why we did this podcast, too. It was like, you know what? You know, when I was coming up in coaching, it was, like, well trained, under Tom Coughlin, Joe Paterno. I was very careful, you know, and then when I took this job, I was like, well, I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say what I think I need to say. And I think college sports and sports in general are at a point where, like, we need people who aren't afraid to speak the truth and who aren't afraid to speak real out there. Like, we can have people. And so, like, man, I've been crushed for it. I've been. You know, Paul Feinbaum's come after. Three people come in, and Paul's a great. Him and I are great friends. You Know, but, like, you know, a lot of what's on TV is. It's media. It's a show. We need truth. And you need people who are in the spot that you're in. The spot that I'm in, where we're comfortable enough in terms of, hey, if this shuts me off, so be it. But I have a responsibility because we got here because of a lot of other people, people that bought your books and poured into you. The players that played for me, man, I got to tell the truth. And that's why I was like, you know what I mean? I'm gonna do this because it's a chance for me to, like, have people on that who I believe in, who speak the truth, and for me to say something maybe every once in a while, that matters. So.
- [53:12]
John Gordon
And your most powerful self, when you're your authentic self. So that actually is what resonates most. So when you're authentic, people connect to you so much more. Your players connect to you. Fans connect you. They may not always like you, but they will connect you because you're being authentic.
- [53:26]
Matt Rhule
And I always tell the guy, hey, there's Coach Rule and there's Matt. Coach Rule's got to say, like, stay off the ground. Coach will got to yell at you if you miss a class. Matt. Matt's kind of a cool guy. Like, you know, you can make your. And so I get to be Matt with the guys. And this year, I could feel a different. Feel, like, a lot of nervousness, like, what's going to happen? Am I going to get drafted? And I remember telling him, I said, you know what, guys? I'm 50. I've got a great family. I've had amazing experiences. This is my fourth head coaching job. But I refuse to believe that my next 50 years or 20 years, that the next part of my life isn't going to be better than the previous one. So, like, stop worrying about it and let's just go attack it. Let's go enjoy it. Let's go live it. And I just have to say this to you as a friend. Like, going to training camp and being with you and hearing all those people speak, being in that community of people, meeting Ben, meeting you, it encouraged me to stop enjoying my life and start really living my life, getting out there. Like, don't just go through it, like, just on dopamine, like, you know, watch this. Go out there and make a difference, impact people. And I think I was doing it to some degree, but I'm on, like, overdrive right now. So I Hope you invite me back.
- [54:28]
John Gordon
Definitely.
- [54:29]
Matt Rhule
But I know what you're going to pour into these guys today, and I think our young people need it more than anything else. So I'm very grateful that you're here.
- [54:34]
John Gordon
I'm thrilled. And, yeah, I've admired you for so long. And it's funny, when we were at the A1 coaches conference, that's where we met. I wanted to sit there with you and talk to you. And I sat down, like, I knew I like this guy. And I knew he'd be friends. I just knew, like, watching you all these years, I'm like, I know I'd get along with him. I really would. Sure enough, we did. Maybe it was the New Yorkness, you.
- [54:52]
Matt Rhule
Know, that's exactly right.
- [54:52]
John Gordon
And that's the other thing. Being from New York, we're a little more direct.
- [54:55]
Matt Rhule
Yeah.
- [54:55]
John Gordon
People don't know how to handle that sometimes because we're just direct. We say it like it is, but that's not how the rest of the world does it.
- [55:01]
Matt Rhule
And I talk really fast sometimes. Sometimes people in the staff mean, they're like, I'm sorry, Coach, I didn't get anything. You just said. Susan, who's, Who's. Who's my assistant AD for football. She's from. She's from Austin. She's from Waco and Austin. Sometimes she's like, matt, that was too darn fast.
- [55:12]
John Gordon
Yeah.
- [55:13]
Matt Rhule
So the New York comes out every once in a while, but I wouldn't trade it for. For a million years.
- [55:16]
John Gordon
No, it's a great place to be from. And it. It makes you who you are, Gritty New Yorkness and. Yeah. So. So thanks so much for having me.
- [55:23]
Matt Rhule
Thank you. John Gordon, best of the best.
- [55:30]
Anthony Gargano
Hey, the season's close. Matt, what are some of your goals?
- [55:36]
Matt Rhule
I want to get to the College Football Playoff. I mean, that. That's why we're doing all this, right? Like, you're doing all of this to have a chance to get to the College Football Playoff. And so I think what's really unique, what's interesting is like, like you look at Ohio State last year, my boy Ryan, former Temple Al Ryan Day, right? Yeah, that's right. We were, we were both on North Broad street together. Al Golda will make us work from. Al's the best. But we work till like an early night was. Hey, guys, 11 o'. Clock. Get out of here. Him and I used to run down to the Bishop's Collar on Fairmount and just, wow, what are we doing? And next, you know, we're out there coaching against each other. But you think about what Ryan Day did, man. Like, you know, when was the last time you lose the last game of the regular season and you can make it into the playoffs? It's never happened before. You could finish, you know, you could finish 10 and 2. And with, you know, with all that and the great job he did of getting them into the. Into the playoffs. And so for me, what I saw last year was like, hey, just get your guys to the tournament. So that's our goal, man. Like, I mean, we want to be a great team. We want to win every game. We want to make people proud. We want to play the game the right way. And there's a lot of other things. But, you know, I'd be. I'd be lying to you if I didn't say that we want to go to the cfp. Because once you get in, man, you know, who knows what can happen? It's the team that's the hottest that makes it happen.
- [56:47]
Anthony Gargano
When you look into the start of a year and let's look at this year and you look at, say, Dylan, right? So you look at Raiola, do you have any expectations? And again, they're all based off of, you know, you're going to win games, right? But how do you look at it from a macro level when you're addressing, say, the quarterback?
- [57:08]
Matt Rhule
Well, I think, you know, I mean, like, if you're a Big Ten team right now, you're not saying when you want to make the cfp, then, like, you know, you might as well fold it up and go home, right? So everybody's saying that. To me, it comes down to, like, who does it day in and day out, you know, who does it when it matters, who's going to go, you know, that one game where you're a little bit off, you know, where you. Where somebody goes down, you need it, where you're behind. Like, championship seasons are made with those kind of moments, right? Like where you show your mettle. And so I think the game of football starts and ends at the quarterback position, man. Like, your quarterback has to play great. I think Dylan, you know, the one thing that bothers me when people look at Dylan, like the Mahomes comparisons, that's just cheap. And who he is, like, I mean, so, yeah, he follows the. One of the greatest court, the greatest quarterback playing the game right now he's 19 years old. Why wouldn't he, right? Like, he knows the guy. But this kid, man, I'm telling you now, he's. He's a grinder. He's a tough guy. I told him when I came here, I said, hey, let's. This league, one of some of the worst teams in the league, are going to draft you someday to be the savior. So come help me. Come help me, you know, reclaim and get this thing back going again. So he's a. He's a worker. So, you know, from that macro level, I think it's about making sure your quarterback is coming on, making sure the offense. We've had a good defense, man, we got to score some points. We got Dana Holgerson, the skill guys we have, man, I expect us to be pretty darn good. But. But it's going to be a battle. This Big Ten, man, West coast, east coast, and we're flying to LA One week, we're flying to DC the next week, we're flying to State College the next week. Like, this is not, you know, this is not the old Big Ten west where you're busing everywhere.
- [58:43]
Anthony Gargano
So I remember a guy who used to follow Michael Jordan and who used to mimic Michael Jordan.
- [58:48]
Matt Rhule
That's right.
- [58:49]
Anthony Gargano
And his name was Kobe Bryant.
- [58:50]
Matt Rhule
Like, don't we tell our kids all the time, like, hey, stop hanging around those guys. Go. Go be like, so and so. So, yeah. I mean. I mean, do you know how many times I dropped back in my backyard and I thought I was Dan Marino with that quick release. I thought I was, you know, Randall Cunningham. I had that big long release. I punt up. That's what we're supposed to. I used to get up there, you know, I get up there to bat. One time I'm Jose Canseco. Next time I'm Keith Hernandez. You know, playing. That's what growing up is. But, yeah, that's greatness, everything. But with all that being said, like, this guy. This guy's authentic to who he is. He walks through this building every day now. He's authentic. That's just a. That's a storyline. That's what we're here to do, right? We're here to dispel the fake ones and let you people know, like, it's Mother's Day. My wife, first text she gets is Dylan, my kids are still asleep. Dylan, texter Emma Johnson texts her. So these are real guys, and they're competitors. You know, he came to Nebraska because this is in his blood and he wants to do something special. Like, I wish we all had those kind. I mean, I wish we all had that kind of courage to do something that everyone says, what are you doing? Because, you know, it's what you're meant to do. And I think that's a great thing for us as fans. We should celebrate those guys. Not. He did something courageous.
- [60:00]
Anthony Gargano
I. I love it. But, you know, some people don't know. And I love this because you're a defensive guy, but you also were an offensive line coach. You made it sure that you wanted to know both sides.
- [60:14]
Matt Rhule
I've been in my career before I was a head coach, I've been a special teams coordinator, I've been an offensive coordinator, been a quarterback coach, been a tight end coach, been an O line coach, been a D line coach, been a linebackers coach. You know, never coached the secondary, never coached the wide outs or running backs. But as I kind of, instead of moving a bunch, I stayed on the same staff at Western Carolina and at Temple, and I just moved positions. So I went from. I literally went from being the D line coach at Temple. I had Junior Galette, great NFL player. I had Terrence Knighton, great NFL player. I had Andre Neblick, great NFL. He had a really good NFL career. I had a bunch of pros. We weren't very good because we were young. And then I flipped over. I went from D line coach to quarterback coach, quarterback coach to OC and you know what I knew? Like. Like, I love the lines. I love the physical play. I want to coach the backers, the D line, the O line. So I found what I like. So I have to hire people who know the things that I don't love as much or I'm not as involved in, but I feel like, because I can walk around, I can put my arm around a D line. I put my arm around some guys and be like, hey, you know, let me just, you know, give me. Give a pointer. Because they need to know that coach rule. You know, I know he's the head coach. He could still coach a little ball if needed. And so that's the fun part, you know, being a position coach, having your guys. And I got to do it a lot of different places.
- [61:28]
Anthony Gargano
All right, last thing we got Cincinnati, Arrowhead Stadium. Close your eyes for a second. What's the start of this new. This every season's a book. And what's the start of chapter one? Like, leading you in. What are you feeling? What are you thinking going into this Thursday night?
- [61:50]
Matt Rhule
You know, when I think about Arrowhead Stadium, you know, for our kids here, right? You know, they're in Nebraska. It's the closest NFL team, the dominance that they've had. I think about Andy Reid, you know, I think about A man that meant a lot in my life. You know, when I was in Philly, he was in Philly, got it. Guy that his second act was his best act. You know, got fired and, you know, got fired at one NFL job. Goes on like, I got fired in a job. I want this act to be my second act. So there's a lot of parallels in my life. You know, Julie will tell you, his wife Tammy, you know, taught her how to be a head coach's wife. She would call her and say, julie, do this. Julie just a. Just someone that's important to me. But it's an amazing opportunity. You know, Cincinnati is an excellent football team. We played them all the time when I was at. When I was at temple. I've got so much respect for them. So to go out there, to have the hype, to have the stars out, I'm sure the Kelsey brothers are going to be there. I know Will Compton will be there. You know, like, you know, it'll be just a fun night, you know, 9 o' clock Eastern, 8 Central. The whole country gets a chance to see two teams that love to play the game, go out there and compete, play for 60 minutes. And what we believe here is we believe that, like, you know, we don't want things to be easy. We want it. We want to play against great competition and strive and become a better team when we walk out of there. So it's gonna be cool. We're gonna bust down, like, you know, no private jet down there. We're gonna get on a bus, we're gonna drive down there the old school way. And I mean, I just think it's a. It's an excellent start to the season. That's fantastic.
- [63:12]
Anthony Gargano
I love the fact you're busing down there.
- [63:14]
Matt Rhule
Yes. I coached Dion Dawkins. I get on the bus, he'd have like 200. The plane have 200 honey buns in his backpack. So I have no honey buns. But, you know, the days of we used to go stop at the Golden Corral and let the team go out. We won't do that, but we'll get on that bus, we'll give a little. Give him a little Chick Fil. A, maybe a little Primo's hoagies, Who know, Maybe a runza out here, who knows? But we'll get them. We'll get them, right? And at the end of the day, you know what? When a ball snapped, it's about the team that plays the best. And that's what's great about college football. Any team can win, so we gotta make sure we play the best. That's it. First episode in the can. Now don't forget to like share and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to follow ouserules on social. First episode. I hope you liked it. I know I had fun. Can't wait to see you next time.