← House Rhules
House Rhules
Who Wants to Hear Adam Devine & Coach Matt Rhule Sing a Pitch Perfect Duet? | Ep. 11
00:59:31
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- [00:00]
Matt Rhule
You know, sometimes they have, like, the. The. The. The. What do we call it? The Sports Illustrated curse. Like what. How about. How about we did Javen right On office hours, my man picks the ball off in the game. We do. Kenneth Williams comes up there. I make him podcasts with me. Takes one back last time, 85 this time to the house. I'm just saying there might be. There might be reverse. It might be the luckiest place in the world if you come here and do this.
- [00:26]
Todd A
Express your fans. House rules, baby. Here's the toast. Let' in, special teams. All right, here's my outlaw beer and a little toast to special teams. And our man starting the second half, Kenneth. What? Up to the house.
- [00:47]
Matt Rhule
Hey, you. You know. You know, sometimes they have, like, the. The. The. The. What do they call, like, the Sports Illustrated curse? Like, what. How about. How about we did Javen Wright on office hours, My man picks the ball off in the game. We do. Kenneth Williams comes up there. I make him podcast with me. Takes one back last time, 85 this time to the house. I'm just saying there might be. There might be reverse. It might be the luckiest place in the world if you come here and do this.
- [01:13]
Todd A
Everybody, all of our potential guests. Hey, I. I don't know what was more exciting, watching Kenneth take it to the house or Eckler go wild on the sidelines. It. It was awesome, man.
- [01:26]
Matt Rhule
Well, he comes running up to me, and I put my hands out, and someone got the clip. And so it's on social media. So I have a bunch of people texting me, like, are you and him okay? I said, he's a madman. He literally thinks he's running down. Okay, he's gonna. He tackled me one game, he punched me another game. I'm 50 now. I gotta get through the second half. So that's my guy, though, man. What he's done has been awesome. And those kids are bought. You can tell how bought in they are.
- [01:49]
Todd A
Oh, my God, I love it. What a joy to watch. I love that. Energy is just so infectious, man. So here's to six wins before Halloween. I mean, that's all right, brother.
- [02:06]
Matt Rhule
Yeah. You know me, I'm still mad about, you know, I'm still mad about the one two weeks ago. I'm still mad, you know, But. But. But to your point, anytime you're in October, you know, you're both eligible and you can go fight for something greater. I mean, that's why we do this. And the big thing, man, is like college football, you know, parody's Here. Now, college football is different. You know, it's different and anybody can meet anybody on any given Saturday and so you better show up every week. We had a 15 point lead and it evaporated like that because they're playing too, they want to win too. And you got to make enough plays and go win the game in the fourth quarter.
- [02:41]
Todd A
Well, I, you know, we touched on a little bit last week, but one of the things you mentioned, the parody angle, the football is great, it's competitive, Nil is, he's a great evener. And yet coaches are, are getting fired left and right. Like we just saw Brian Kelly and lsu, that's the three blue bloods. Imagine this for a second, right? Lsu, Florida, right, Like you're talking and Sark is upset about stuff going on in Texas, I mean, Penn State. It's unbelievable that this season we've never seen this before.
- [03:18]
Matt Rhule
I don't know if the college football landscape outside, I think everyone's enjoying the cool stories. The Indiana, the, the, the Vanderbilt, the teams in the top, there's three teams in the top seven that are not traditional. Georgia Tech, they're enjoying seeing these teams rise, but on the flip side of it, because there's parity, there's going to be other teams that are going to go through highs and lows and as a result, you know, coaches are getting blamed and guys are getting fired in year three, year four, you know, that's, it's becoming more like the NFL. The NFL is built on parody. And as a result, seven or eight coaches lose their job every year. And so it's a challenging time as a coach. But there's also a pathway now to get players at places that never would have gone there before, but there's only so much money. And the rules have changed, the rules of acquisition and retention have changed and you know, you have to adapt to them.
- [04:06]
Todd A
Most of the time in the NFL, barring like collapse, it happens that last weekend and Monday is, is when the Turk comes. But why middle of the season, is it the public hue and cry, the pressure?
- [04:21]
Matt Rhule
Probably a good bit of it. College football, such a passionate fan base. There's more outrage, there's more people upset. And honestly, like a lot of times you're asking these people for money, for donations, for donations for your stadiums, for donations, for Nil. So I just think it's really, always really important to look at teams who are winning and say why? To look at teams who are losing and say why? And make sure if you're not winning at the level you Want, if you're losing that, you address the actual issue. Like, what is it? Are we not putting enough money in nil? Are we. Do we not have good enough facilities? Do we not have good enough coaches? Like, but don't just overreact, because anytime you do what 90% of the population wants you to do, you're probably not doing the right thing. If you want to be different, you want to be bold, you've got to do things that no one else would have the guts to do. And so those are good coaches. I mean, you got the guys who have, who've won at high levels. But with all that being said, I think, you know, you'll see Brian Kelly, if he wants to, he'll get a job again this year. Because this is going to be a record breaking year in terms of the amount of jobs that are open and how many candidates are there that are accomplished. I mean, you got a guy in Coach Kelly who, you know, played for a national championship. So if it wasn't right at lsu, then there'll be somewhere else. It'll be right for him. James Franklin got to the semifinals last year like, it wasn't right at Penn State. It'll be right for him somewhere else. And Billy Napier has won on a real high level. He won his last game at Florida. And so sometimes, you know, I've learned this in my life. Sometimes you're a fit somewhere, sometimes you're not. I got to tell you this story. David Cutcliffe was a guy that I really respected. I still do respect him. And I'm at Baylor, it's my first year. We're playing Duke. At Duke, he says, you know, Matt, I know your dad was a high school football coach and teacher. I know your dad was also a pastor. He's like, baylor seems like a really good fit for you. You seem really happy there. He said, you know, Coach Paterno told me years ago that if you ever find a place where you're a fit just to stay there, you know, he could have gone to the NFL, he could have gone to the Patriots, but he stayed at Penn State because he was a fit at Penn State. And he said, you know, I was at Ole Miss, I got fired at Ole Miss, been at Tennessee, I got to Duke and we won. And I could have gone to a lot of different places, but I was a fit at Duke. And so I then left Baylor and went to the NFL. That didn't work out. I remember always saying to myself, like, man, I should have listened to Coach Cutcliffe. I was A fit at Baylor. But then I got here and getting here, I remember my wife saying to me, like, hey, this is like what the vibe you had at Temple, the type of fan base, the people, the gritty, tough nature of Nebraska football, just a higher stage, you'll be a fit there. And whether it's my daughter's going to school, my son being a student here, my wife opening a business, my parents moving to Omaha, or just me and these guys, you're a fit. And so I think when you find a place that you're a fit man, stay there. And if you end up somewhere where you're not a fit, as painful as it might be, hey, get ready for the next thing. And so hopefully Coach Kelly, a man I really respect, hopefully he finds the next thing and it's a great thing for him and LSU will find their guy.
- [07:06]
Todd A
When you think about fit, I mean, is it, I mean ultimately it's got to be a two way street. Like, you might love a place, but the, the expectation of win, win, win, win, win is the other side of it.
- [07:20]
Matt Rhule
I think the word I always use is alignment. You know, I used to hear Urban Meyer use the word alignment a lot. Like in these jobs now, especially state universities, everyone from like, from like the head coach to the athletic director to the provost on campus, to the chancellor or president, to the board of trustees, to the chair of the board of trustees, all the way up to maybe even the governor in some states, like having alignment and everyone wants to win. Is everyone willing to do what it takes to get you to win? Are they willing to have the patience? Are they willing to go through the ups and downs? How many programs have fired a coach because they thought they could do better? And they end up doing, they end up going to periods of peril. And so, you know, I think alignment, not just, hey, we all want the same thing, but hey, we're going to support you and we're going to do the hard things it takes to get to where we want to go. Because if you've been losing, you've been losing for a reason. And we love to just blame it on a coach. Ah, it's the coach, it's the coach. But usually it's much deeper than that. There's a crack in the foundation, there's a crack institutionally. And you know, when I got here, they said, hey, Matt, we're going to do what it takes. And so they've done everything. It takes everything from like, hey, this policy doesn't make sense, or this procedure is harder and Just, you know, Troy, dan and our AD and Dr. Gold, they get out in front and they block and tackle for you so that you can go do your job. And you know, not everything's going to be an overnight success. And so you have to put the pieces in place. And I think alignment, man, you better find a place where you, you want to be there and they want you there. And when you find that, stay there.
- [08:47]
Todd A
So when you were decided to take Nebraska, what did you talk at length about the concept of, hey, look, it's going to be painstaking. We want to make sure that we do things the right way. We're not, it never works out when you skip steps. I mean, how deeply did you go in that process, that conversation?
- [09:07]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, we went deep into it. So at the time, Trev Albers was the AD admiral, Ted Carter was, was, was the, was the president, you know, and there were, Ronnie Green was the chancellor here on campus. So all three of those guys are now gone. That's a scary place to be as a coach, you know, when you have that kind of change. But the great news is there's been tremendous alignment from so all the stakeholders. Maybe this is wrong, but I did not want to come in and just clean, shop and run kids out. Like, I just think, I think at the end of the day we're still in an education based business and a lot of these kids, like, this is the thing that can change their life. And so to come in and just run guys off and get rid of them because you didn't recruit them and you know, that just, it might be right for some people. It just wasn't right for us. We wanted to come here and we wanted to embrace these kids and you know, some left on their own, but man, you know, Ty Robinson's there in Philadelphia. Like, you know, like, you know, you got guys that are successful in the National Football League, successful in life, and I wanted to be their coach. And so we made the decision to do it that way and I had to feel secure that that's how they wanted me to do it here. And that's the biggest thing I felt about Nebraska is the Nebraska way is not to, you know, use kids as commodities, is not to just buy and sell kids, not to just get rid of kids. It's education development, having high standards and accountability in the community and being a team that the whole state can be proud of, win, lose or draw. And so it's been slow, it's been methodical, but it's been purposeful. And we only came here with that because we wanted it to be that. I think one of the hard things, cuz, is when you take over a job and, you know, it's a rebuild, you struggle to say to yourself, should I call it a rebuild? I think it's one of the things I wish I would have done differently in Carolina. Like, you know, it was coming to the end of an era. Luke Keakley retired, Greg Olson retired, you know, Cam had left. And it was just like, I should have probably called it a rebuild, but, you know, you don't want to tell your guys on the team, hey, you guys, this is rebuild. So that's always a fine line. This is a rebuild. And I was more open about it here, like, hey, guys, we're have to rebuild this thing. And the first, you know, put down a foundation. Now here we are to your point. We're going into November with a national game on TV and a chance to go play really good football and four great opponents left. So I'm happy with where we are.
- [11:10]
Todd A
I never forget Andy Reid was like, I'm not going to throw my players under the bus. So my press conferences may not be exciting, but I'm not doing it because I don't believe in it.
- [11:21]
Matt Rhule
You know, I believe that leadership is about standing out front and taking arrows in times of. In times of peril, so that the people behind you can feel safe. Like, you know, there's a. There's a great poem I share with our guys all the time from one of Simon Sinek's books. And it starts off with, like, leaders run headfirst into the unknown. And I just think that that's. I think about that. So you asked earlier about alignment. It's, you know, hey, are the people that you're reporting to, people that decide your fate, are they. Are they bold leaders? Are they going to stand up for you even when everyone's calling for your head because they know you're doing the right things? Are they going to have your back in tough times? Because, I mean, it's part of, like, at the end of the day, like, as a coach, you're just, you know, you're just a. You're just like an avatar, really. I mean, people see you on tv, it's like, hey, fire him. How Good job this week. Hire him. Like, and that's okay. Like that. If they got to know you as a person, it wouldn't be that way. But you need people who actually know you, who are here all the time to have your back in tough times. And do they have the courage to take on the masses, to take on the mob, to take on the pressure to take. And I think then you, if you want that as a coach, then you better do the same thing for your players. When everyone's focused on, like, let's go after the O line, let's go after the quarterback, let's go after that. Like, no, no, no. I'm the head coach here. Come after me. And you know what I think when you do that, you model leadership. So then what you start to see is your players standing up for each other, standing up for taking accountability. The best teams I've been on is when I said, hey, this is on me. And a player says, no, it's not on you, coach. It's on us. And when everyone feels like, hey, it's on me a little bit, then we can all get a little bit better. And pretty soon you start to win.
- [12:52]
Todd A
There's a lot of noise. And I don't think we look at the people, players, coaches. You're right. We see them almost as avatars, not as people with families. And look, that's the nature of the beast. So you accept it and you're compensated well, but it's still, you know, a little off putting.
- [13:12]
Matt Rhule
You know, at the end of the day, even when you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death, like, it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean that, like, you don't feel it. You know what I mean? So, yeah, yeah, I think, you know, like I said, like, there was a clip of coach Franklin in his last game and, you know, people were yelling at him and, oh, there's this dog. Like, you know, that's not right. I mean, what are we talking about? Like, my little girls after a loss. Like, you know, what's probably going on inside them. So, yeah, rip me on social media, yeah, yell at me, say we should get a better coach, but go after somebody's kids. That's, you know, there's some things are. Some things are a no, no. Right. And so. And my point is always about coaches. I don't care who they are. I don't care if they're. If they're 1 and 11 or they're 11 and 1. I can promise you they're working 18 hours a day trying to get it right. Like, it's like yelling at the heart surgeon because he didn't do your heart surgery. Correct. Well, you. The one with. You the one with high cholesterol, got a heart attack, man. Like, I'm just trying to fix the situation. I didn't cause the situation. But, yeah, you're 100% right, man. But it's also part of entertainment. And as you said, there's a lot of noise. Like, think about, like, you know, if everyone's playing the trumpet and you want someone to hear you, you. You got to play louder than everybody else. So if I want people to watch my podcast or view my account, I just have to be louder than everyone else. So the more inflammatory you are, the more people listen to you. And then, as a result, we start to think, well, that's what the. That's what everyone thinks. But I can tell you this. My wife, Julie Rule, and my daughter, Vivian Leona, they walk home from my office to our apartment downtown after every game with our dogs. Win or lose. Like, what happens on social media, that isn't real. The people here in Nebraska, they say, there's no place like Nebraska. I can tell you that's true, because win, lose or draw, I walk into my apartment building, and people say, hey, tough game, coach. Hey, good game, coach. Lately, it's been more good game than tough game, so I'll take it. So, you know, but the people. People are kind. And I think that's the one thing in our world right now. Like, hey, let's. Let's all just find the way. Even if we disagree, we have different views, let's have. Find a little bit of a way to treat people well. I mean, that's what makes the United States of America the greatest country in the world, is that we treat people well. And I think it's. You know, I think it's. That type of empathy is something that could be pretty good for all of us to think about. And I have to remind myself, because, you know, you put me into another sport, and I'm yelling at. I'm a Knicks fan, right? I'm yelling at the Knicks. Ah, come on. You know, and then all of a sudden, they fired Tom Thibodeau, and I'm like, didn't we just go pretty far? Like, it's just a different world. But. But you know what it is. I understand that I'm in the entertainment business, but I'm also in the education business, so can't sell out one for the other. It's winter in Nebraska, and that means Husker Football is in full swing. But we know a lot of businesses tend to slow down, which makes it the perfect time to upgrade your company's fleet of trucks. The crew at Revolution Wraps has you covered. They've been powering up brands for over 20 years, inside and out. Since 2004, they've been serving the Midwest with everything from custom vehicle wraps to interior and exterior graphics to security film and more. And now they've added Revolution upfitting. That means adding shelving, ladder racks, partitions, lighting, and so much more. One drop off one pickup and two great upgrades from the family owned business right here in Lincoln, Nebraska. Get started on minimizing your fleet's downtime by visiting revolutionwraps.commention house rules in your online quote requests and you'll get 20% off our full power fleet package, which includes a vehicle wrap and a custom upfit kit built to your brand's needs. Power up your brand@revolutionwraps.com Our guest today is a writer, producer and actor who you may know by a few different names. Bumper Allen, Kelvin Gemstone. Adam Demamp. But I know him as a native Nebraskan, a die hard Husker, maybe Dylan Rayola's new best friend. And of course the recipient of the 2013 Teen Choice Award and 2016 MTV Movie and TV Award for Choice movie villain, Omaha's own Adam Devine. Welcome to House Rules, Adam Devine.
- [17:10]
Adam Devine
Thank you.
- [17:11]
Matt Rhule
Wow. Thank you, coach.
- [17:13]
Adam Devine
Now that's an intro.
- [17:15]
Matt Rhule
I, I, I'll be honest with you. I'll be honest with you. I heard you were coming to a game a couple weeks ago. Dylan told me. And you know, like, everyone knows you're a Husker fan, but I haven't met you. And like, I, I live with young daughters. I have seen you on my screen on my YouTube algorithm. I've a thousand times seeing you in person on the field. I think you were like, were you doing the horn or you're doing, obviously we were doing something.
- [17:43]
Adam Devine
I did the horn. Yeah. I had a crocheted corn mask that I got from Walmart, weirdly. And I whipped it off and then did the the horn for people. And then they put me on the back of the the truck and they're like, and now you get a blast out T shirts to the student section. And then all you have to do is yank this thing and push a button. So I yanked the thing, I pushed the button and the thing farted out one T shirt and the whole student section is going to more, more. And I'm like, I don't know how. So I felt like a real goon. But I'm sorry that you had to see my fat dumb head for so many years there, coach. I run into like dads in airports that are like, how dare you? I see you all the time.
- [18:28]
Matt Rhule
I. So this is. I just have to tell you this, and I'm going to admit this. I'm the type of person that, like, if you go to my YouTube, I'm probably twice a week, and this is true. Probably watch like a mashup of Pitch Perfect songs. I love going all the way back to Glee. I love music. And so besides being a great. I love your stand up. But. But. But you have a great voice. If only I could sing. If only I could sing. I might not be doing this.
- [18:55]
Adam Devine
If you want to put it on. As the guys are working out to give them an extra pump. I know it worked for the packers back in the day. That's why we had them in the the second Pitch Perfect. But, yeah, those movies were fun, man. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, I swear. And I've told this story a million times. And I'm sure some listeners are like, he tells this story all the time. But I truly did. I thought I was auditioning for a baseball movie. It's called Pitch Perfect. And so when I go to the audition, I was doing Workaholics, and I see Pitch Perfect, and my agents are like, they want you to audition for this movie, Pitch Perfect. I didn't have time to look at the sides. So I get there, I'm. I'm able to memorize pretty quickly because I'm a genius, and I'm able to memorize pretty quickly. So I'm looking at it and I'm like, this doesn't seem like a baseball movie at all. And I go in and I realize everyone's singing. I'm like, that's not going to help you with the baseball movie. You know? And I go in and I do the audition, and. And they were like, do you have a song prepared? And I didn't. So the only song that. That I had that I knew all the words to was whatever happened to predictability? The Milkman, the Paper Boy, the Evening tv, which is the Full House theme song. And somehow I got the movie. I don't. I don't know how I was. I was wildly unprepared. But.
- [20:25]
Matt Rhule
The fact that that's the only song you know is. First of all, the fact that you know the words is.
- [20:29]
Adam Devine
Yeah.
- [20:29]
Matt Rhule
Is impressive.
- [20:30]
Adam Devine
Well, it was just.
- [20:31]
Todd A
They.
- [20:31]
Adam Devine
They go, well, sing a song that you know a lot of the words to. And I was like, oh, man. What? You're just kind of on the spot, you know, because I wasn't prepared and they go, just a song, maybe something from your childhood. We just have to know that you can carry a tune and, you know, we can't just take your word that you can sing. And for whatever reason, that was the, in the, you know, wrinkly back part of the brain. That's what popped out. And I sound like an 80 year old jazz singer. I don't sound like I should be singing Rihanna in the opening scene of Pitch Perfect, but. But apparently, apparently I did and they cast me as it and it changed my life, honestly.
- [21:08]
Matt Rhule
Did you know, did you know growing up that this is like, that you were gonna be an entertainer, you're gonna be a performer? Like, was this always you?
- [21:15]
Adam Devine
Yeah, I mean, kind of. I mean, I, I didn't know if I would be successful at it, obviously, but because I. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, and I was hit by a cement truck when I was 11 and I couldn't walk for two years before I was like, I'm a freak athlete. You should see me on the flag football field. You should see me on the baseball time. And I'm in freak out there. I'm going pro2 sports, baby. And Dion and Bo. Yeah, exactly. That's me and Divine. And then I was hit by the cement truck. I couldn't walk. And so I started to call into the local radio station and doing different characters and impressions and it just sort of took off and they like, I became like a little mini hit on the radio in Omaha and on the the Edge, which was a station in the 90s. Rip the edge. And. And then from then on I was like, oh, I can actually duke comedy. Like this could be a real thing.
- [22:14]
Matt Rhule
I get up in press conferences, I get up in front of a team, I go speak different places. The only thing I can, I, I. Little known fact, I actually sang at Radio City Music hall when I was a child. I used to go sing a little bit.
- [22:25]
Adam Devine
Dancing. Yeah.
- [22:27]
Matt Rhule
Maybe we could do something, you know, we get a little something later.
- [22:30]
Adam Devine
Okay, I would love that.
- [22:31]
Matt Rhule
But when I think about the scariest thing in the world to me would be to get up and do stand up comedy. Like the thought of bombing and not knowing what I would do up there, like even now, if you go up there, if you go do a set somewhere, like, do you. Are you nervous or is it just like second nature?
- [22:47]
Adam Devine
It's been a while since I kind of got busy doing acting stuff. So I put stand after my special, I put stand up on the back burner. And then the pandemic happened. And I haven't really gotten back to it. So. Yeah, I bet I would be pretty damn nervous to go back to it right now. But yeah, it's just sort of a muscle that you work. I mean, I also would be wildly nervous to go on the, on the football field. You know, you have to prepare for these things and get your, your in. In the case of stand up, get your mind right, but in the case of football, get your body and mind right. It's just reps. So doing the. What I love about standup, that isn't the case with acting. Because acting, you could just be like stunningly beautiful and they're like, you're a star now. Which is not the case for me. But in standup, you do have to start. No matter who you are, no matter who's your dad or your mom, you have to start doing open mics in Chinese food restaurants and in laundromats and bowling alleys and in people's backyards. And you have to start at the lowest of the low and climb your way up step by step. And that's, that's something that I always thought was really cool about stand up.
- [23:57]
Matt Rhule
I always think about like the first time, you know, I mean, like just like the first time someone goes out and does that. And so over the years, Julie and I have become friends with Steve Heitner, who played Kenny Banya on Seinfeld, right? So he was coming through, coming through Lincoln and he was doing a show right down the Haymarket, and there were these young, budding aspiring comedians going first. And then he gets up there, he's got reps upon reps. Like the way he just committed to it, the way it was like, hey, I don't know how this is gonna go, but man, I'm going all in. It's like, it's really a lot like football, right? Like, you don't know how the game's gonna go, but man, you better go all in if you want to even have a chance. And so like, that's right. That courage is. That courage is pretty cool. I mean, it's just like you're out there. It's just you versus you versus the world.
- [24:37]
Adam Devine
Well, I started, I was lucky because I started so young. I was just delusional. Like, the first time I ever did stand up, I was 17 years old and I drove from Omaha to Kansas City. Me and my buddy, we told our parents that we were sleeping at each other's house. My buddy Austin Anderson, who's still a stand up and he lives in Omaha and we drove down to Kansas City. We performed at a common Sanford and Sons down there in Kansas City and we performed there and then we slept in his car afterwards. But. And then I moved out to LA and I started to do standup and everything and I was just, I was 18 years old when I moved out and I think I was too young to know how scary it was because if you see an 18 year old kid bomb, for the most part, I mean, there's horrific people out there that will boo a child basically. But you see, and I looked so young when I was like 17, 18 years old. I looked like a 13 year old is getting on stage and like, oh, poor little guy. I didn't even know they had let him in here. And then, and then even if I did bomb, there'd be like one little kernel. I'd get like one little laugh somewhere and then, you know, for the most part people would encourage me and be like, hey, that, that one part, the rest was horrible. But that one part was really good and that. And I was able to take that to the bank, you know.
- [25:57]
Matt Rhule
You know, it's. So Julie and I, I started coaching and I was a GA and I got promoted to full time at Buffalo and we got fired. And so we're like 22, 23 a year in and we have a chance to move back to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, an hour from our house. And I also get a chance to go to LA and be a GA at UCLA. Our rent was 1400amonth, I made 700amonth. And we sold everything and we drove out there and like I worked, she drove an hour to work. We had one car, she dropped me off. I finally got like a little Honda 250 and would ride around town. And it's funny, like as I look back on that, we had no money, we didn't. We couldn't even turn on the heat in our house. Thankfully you don't really need it. But we always talk back to those times, like, hey, that was like the greatest time. Sorry to our kids, but that was the greatest time. It was just, it was just her and I and we had nothing but we were like fighting and scratching and building, like trying to like just get started in coaching. And now that you're a star, do you ever miss those times?
- [26:56]
Adam Devine
Thank you for saying that, coach.
- [26:57]
Matt Rhule
Oh, you're a star, bro.
- [26:59]
Adam Devine
A star. Totally. I mean, I had so many roommates and what was kind of fun and cool about my story is I was going to go to ucla, but I wanted to get in state tuition, so it was cheaper. And so I started at a community college in Orange county called Orange Coast Community College.
- [27:20]
Matt Rhule
Pirates.
- [27:21]
Adam Devine
Go Pirates. I like that you know that. Of course you do. And so we started there and I met Blake and Kyle Nechek, Blake Anderson, Kyle Neuichek, who I created Workaholics with. And we met day one of improv class. And then I moved up to LA and at the Second City, which is a improv school, I met Anders Holm. Day, day two of improv. And then we sort of formed our unit and became roommates. And, and from then we just were cranking out sketches and that was right when YouTube was being born in like 2006. And we just started cranking stuff out and then we all kind of came up together. And so we created the show, it became a hit, and we were all living in the Workaholics house as the show was getting made. And we decided that we wanted to shoot the show in our house because we were convinced it was gonna get canceled and we at least wanted to get our rent paid for a year. And then the show became a big hit and we did seven seasons and very quickly we moved out. And I remember when we moved out and all bought our own houses, I was like, I think I was the only one. But I was calling the guys, being like, I miss you guys. Should we just like, you guys want to come over and play video games? Like, we're good. We have our own houses now. We could do our own thing. And I'm like, okay, yeah, no, no, me too.
- [28:42]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, I know you're busy. Have you had a chance to watch the John Candy documentary?
- [28:45]
Adam Devine
I haven't yet, no. That's on the list. I have a less than a two year old, so that takes a lot of time, turns out.
- [28:52]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, well, it's really cool because just hearing you talk about doing Workaholics, like, like, you know, he was, he was in Second City in Toronto. And then just you watch all the people that came through there, you know, as opposed to Chicago, like when they did it there and just how they all, there was like this epicenter of all these great minds and like this fusion of people that just came from different backgrounds and they just, they did beautiful work together and then they, then they then went on right to whether it was to Saturday Night Live or SCTV or whatever they did. But like, it just, you get great people in a room and really cool things can happen.
- [29:23]
Adam Devine
Well, that's what I, I, I totally agree with you. And also like, it's sort of the crew that you have, right? It's like, with us, it's the fact that we each had each other to lean on and to push each other farther. And when I would see Anders do something really funny, it would elevate my game. Or when I'm working with Rebel Wilson, who we had on Workaholics, really early on, she would do something funny, and then I was like, okay, on the next take, I'm, like, racking my brain for something to do to. To be at that level. And I think when you work in close proximity with those people, it makes you want to elevate your game. And much like football, it's like, you might be right next to someone who's more talented than you, but you see that they're more talented than you, so you work harder to be on their level, right?
- [30:13]
Matt Rhule
That's it. You walk in our weight room, it says, iron sharpens iron. And it's. It's. It's. But it's. It's. With people use the word culture in football all the time, you almost want to throw up. You're like. But what it really is is, like, you get a bunch of people who, at the end of the day, we're competitive and want to outdo each other. And, like, the standard keeps getting raised. Like, if you're. If you're the funniest guy in the room or you're the best player on the field, every single day, you need to go find a different room because you're not being challenged. You're not. And that's why, like, people, Alabama, great players and great coaches, great mind. Like, Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart were coordinators for Nick Saban. Like, think about how confident Nick Saban had to be that that didn't bother him. You know what I mean? Like, I have to remind myself of that all the time. I'm like, don't be a narcissist. Don't be a narcissist. Get good people in the room. But that's. I think that, like, to your point, like, like, and when you trust them, you feel comfortable to, like, be vulnerable and take a shot. Because, like, hey, these are your guys. Like, you're living together, you're working together. It's kind of what a football staff is, man. What's your favorite part? Do you like. Do you like. Do you like making people laugh? Do you like writing? Like, you know, you love it all? What's your favorite part?
- [31:20]
Adam Devine
I think my favorite part out of everything would be acting. I Think acting, to me, it just was my dream. That's what I wanted to do when I was a little kid. To me, when you are able to create a performance and it's not just about making someone laugh, you know, it's about conveying an emotion or making someone feel something. And then at the end of the day, you put it together and it actually all works. And they put the music to it and they put the score to it and it. It's a beautiful scene or it's a fun, funny movie. That's probably the most rewarding. But really, it's everything put together. It's the writing of it, the producing of it, the taking an idea from, you know, I'm sitting on my toilet and I'm like, bing. It's a beautiful idea that I have. And then taking that through and it's a movie or a TV show, that's. That's the most rewarding. I just say I have to stop real quick and just say how cool this is. I'm such a fan. I think you are so great. I don't want your listeners to be like, he's just asking, who cares about this Hollywood guy? You know, we're talking football here. I just want to say, I love. I think you are so great for the program and the culture. I think you're fantastic. And this is so cool for me. And before we got on, I was like, you're just so approachable that I was like, hey, man. And immediately I was like, I'm so sorry, coach. Should I. Should I bow? Like I don't know what to do. You're so. You're so awesome. So thank you for having me on.
- [32:55]
Matt Rhule
I'm grateful. You're. If it makes you feel any better, I'll be wearing a Labubu costume with my kids and doing Trunk or Treat here in a couple hours. So. Yeah, Your honor, it will not be happening at five o'. Clock.
- [33:05]
Adam Devine
Yeah, I'm going to be dressed as a race car here pretty soon, too.
- [33:09]
Matt Rhule
I love that. I love that. I don't want to make this about me, but I do have to tell you this. Okay. I went out to Hollywood this year. I'm under NDA, so I can't say what it's about, but they needed a coach in a show and so they asked me to come out and play. Play myself. So I get out there and I take my family out there, take my kids out there, and I thought, like, I'll just be no big deal. I do things like this all the time. First of all, I had no idea it takes eight hours to film a three minute scene. It felt like. I mean, I was there till like four in the morning. It was just over and over and over again. But I went into makeup, and they're like, I'm playing myself. And I'm like, here I am.
- [33:51]
Adam Devine
And they're like, this will not do.
- [33:56]
Matt Rhule
They're like. They're like, is this what you normally look like? I'm like, yeah, this is it, guys. And they're like, well, there's nothing. We don't have anything for you. I said, I'm that helpless. And the guy got nervous. He's like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No, no, it's okay. This is. This is how I look. And I went out there and all these people are counting on you. I had two lines, and my daughter's made me say these two lines 100 times. And I got out there and like, I froze the first time, the second, and pretty soon I kind of worked my way into it. But I tell you what, I think it might be easier to give a pregame speech than say the same two lines 47 times in a row, hoping to get it right one time.
- [34:28]
Adam Devine
Well, you. I mean, your pre game speeches and post game speeches are so eloquent. They're like. I mean, you're able to just. And you speak from the heart, and it's so earnest. And I find that to be the hardest thing for me whenever I have to be. I work with the Children's Miracle Network because I spend a lot of time in a children's hospital. So I work with the Children's Miracle Network and they. They have 170 children's hospitals across the country, and they're the fundraising arm basically, for these hospitals to. And then 100% of the donations go to your local children's hospital. And so I have to give, like, heartfelt speeches about it. And I always come off like an idiot. Like, I don't quite know what I'm saying or doing because it has to be heartfelt. And I always want to, like, throw in a little joke or a little jab at myself or like, take myself down a peg or something. So I think what you do is very hard. And I think if. If suddenly it was a role reversal and it was like a Freaky Friday type movie and we had to switch places, I would be very bad at what you do.
- [35:32]
Matt Rhule
No, you'd crush it. You'd crush it. That's really cool that taking your life experience and then now paying it forward. Just the impact that you can have. I mean, I can't imagine the impact you've already had working with the Children's Miracle Network and advocating for those.
- [35:48]
Adam Devine
It's, I feel like, almost guilty. You leave these children's hospitals and you just see, like, the joy on these kids faces and the parents faces. I mean, half the time these kids are pretty young and they have no idea who I am, or they might know a cartoon that I've done or something. The joy on everyone's faces and to kind of bring some levity to a situation that is pretty horrific most of the time. So it's, I, I, I always feel so much better about myself after leaving. I'm like, yeah, I am a good guy.
- [36:18]
Matt Rhule
If I feel guilty, I feel guilty.
- [36:20]
Adam Devine
About how good I feel afterwards.
- [36:23]
Matt Rhule
So, so what's, what's, what's fatherhood been like? You know your son, Bo, he's about a year and a half now.
- [36:28]
Adam Devine
Yeah. No, he's, what, is 20 months now?
- [36:30]
Matt Rhule
20 months. Okay.
- [36:31]
Adam Devine
Yeah. So I feel weird. You talk to people that have kids and you say 20 months, though, huh? And then you talk to, like, a friend of mine that doesn't have kids, and you say 20 months, and they're like, oh, 20 months, who cares? But it is a big difference between, like, no doubt, 16 months and 20 months. Like, they're doing a lot more stuff. He's the best, man. It's so fun. I, I, I thought I would like it. I really did. I thought I would like it. And I love it. I love it way more. It made me wish I would have started younger and had more because it's the best he's doing. He did his first joke the other day, which I thought was fun. He goes, he goes, points to my wife. He goes, mama. He points to me. He goes, dada. And then he points to himself and he goes, car Bus. Calls himself Car Bus. And I go, your name's Beau, not Car Bus. And then he just laughs. He thinks that's the funniest thing. He's like, I got you, you idiot. And I'm like, solid joke, buddy.
- [37:33]
Matt Rhule
Is he gonna be a Husker fan? Are you gonna raise him a Husker fan or.
- [37:36]
Adam Devine
Oh, yeah, I do. I have a video that I wanted to post. My wife's like, do not post that. That looks like child abuse. And I'm like, okay, but it was last year around this time, and I is sitting on my lap, and he's just a little nugget at this point. You know, and he's decked out in his Husker gear, and I go, go, Big Red. And he's like, startles and. And then he's looking at me, and then I do it again, and I go, go, Big Red. And he looks at me and just.
- [38:05]
Todd A
Goes.
- [38:07]
Adam Devine
And starts bawling, like, tears streaming down his face because he had never heard me yell before, you know? But then now, this year, he is. He's all about it. He claps his hands and thinks it's very fun.
- [38:18]
Matt Rhule
So what are your top two or three moments as a fan?
- [38:21]
Adam Devine
I mean, watching Tommy Frazier the run as a kid, that was. That was unbelievable. I remember exactly where I was. I was jumping out of my socks. And it.
- [38:35]
Todd A
Just.
- [38:36]
Adam Devine
After we won, I moved in 94. I moved to Omaha 94 from Iowa. And so my dad was a Hawkeyes fan, right? And then we moved to Nebraska, and I'm meeting all these kids that are huge Nebraska fans. So I was like, you know what? I'm a Husker fan, dad. Sorry about it. I'm choosing my own destiny. And then we just crushed all of the 90s, and I got to lord that over my dad. And then he. He came around pretty quickly. He's like, okay. And the Huskers are pretty cool. I like them, too. And just I remember we won, obviously, we won in 94, 95, and. And then in 97. 97. And I remember 1997. I'm in seventh grade. We go to. We go downtown after we won, and everyone's, like, in the streets and holding up signs, and. And it was crazy, right? And I saw a woman flash the crowd in the seventh grade. And I know this is a family friendly show, but, Coach, it changed my life.
- [39:43]
Matt Rhule
It's the greatest day of your life.
- [39:44]
Adam Devine
It was the greatest day of my life. I was like, could life get any better? This is a dream come true. Go Huskers, right? Go, Big Red.
- [39:54]
Matt Rhule
Go, Big Red. Oh, that's awesome. It's funny sometimes when people say to me, like, I don't know if I believe in Nil. And I'd say, okay, I say. I say, let's go back. Let's go to the Tommy Frazier run. How many people are there in Nebraska? Let's say there's a million people. Like, you think everyone. That they would have given 10 bucks to Tommy, 100 bucks for that run. Like, just for that run, would everyone have given 50 bucks? Think of how much money Tommy Frazier would have made.
- [40:17]
Adam Devine
Absolutely.
- [40:18]
Matt Rhule
The Nil ERA on that one run. He would have had a Gatorade commercial. Oh, yeah, he would have had. He would add a Beats commercial. Like, just. That was one of the most iconic plays in football history.
- [40:29]
Adam Devine
Well, yeah, and the nil stuff, I don't know how you feel about, but I'm like, these kids, they, I, I mean, it makes so much money for the program, and some of these kids are going to have a great, great college career, and then it won't work out in the pros. Right. And they deserve to make some money for their contribution that they've given to the program and to the, the fandom, you know, And. Yeah. So to me, it makes a lot of sense.
- [40:55]
Matt Rhule
Sometimes kids get nervous talking about it with me. Like, I know I'm not doing enough of the money. I'm like, hey, just so we know. But just so you know, buddy, like, I don't work for free. Like, it's okay to be compensated for what you do, as long as that's not the only reason why, you know, why you do it. But Teddy Prohaska, our right tackle, tore his ACL for the third time on Saturday. Like, I have an insight into seeing them in their, in their tough times and in their dark times and their hard times. And so, you know, you hear all these stories about there's no Lamborghinis in our parking lot. Our kids are taking their money and some send it home, some invest in, you know, they get some nice things for themselves. But I think it's such a good thing. And to your point, like, not everyone's going to go to the NFL. You know, it's nice to have a little money for your future. Go, go, go invest in your future.
- [41:34]
Adam Devine
That's right. And, and then, you know, you can launch whatever career you want to launch with. And, you know, some, everyone just sees, like, the top line of it, that they're like, they're making millions. They're not all making millions. You know, some of the very lucky and the very few are, but some aren't. And some get a local car dealership commercial, and they have an extra 10 or 20 grand in their pocket to then start their life when they're, you know, done with school. So I think it's a pretty cool thing.
- [42:06]
Matt Rhule
We played Maryland two weeks ago, and Kenneth Williams, who's literally paying for his classes, he's a walk on, takes a kickoff back 85 yards. We give him a scholarship afterwards. You know, now the question was like, hey, is it same the scholars at room and books? Is it this? And they, you know, I hadn't gotten to it yet? They asked me the question, and they takes it back the second half, opening kickoff of this game, and I was like, give him everything. I went in for the media, I said, hey, I don't own a business, but if I did, I might would do an nil deal with this kid because he's going to be an All American. But, you know, there's. There's all kinds of guys. It doesn't matter where you start, it matters what you're doing. And he. Those guys are producing, so why, why not. Why not invest in the future? They're not all making a million is a great way of saying it. There's a lot of people struggling and grinding.
- [42:48]
Adam Devine
That's right.
- [42:50]
Matt Rhule
So how about. How about who's your. Who's your Mount Rushmore? Of. Of Husker Oscar football players? You know, who, who, who's on that. Who's on that mountain for you.
- [43:04]
Adam Devine
Tommy? Brooke Barringer, Eric Crouch? I mean, I have a soft spot for. I have a soft spot for, like, Amon Green. How many is there? Four. Four on the mountain or five?
- [43:20]
Matt Rhule
Hold on one second, let me get the chat. I've been dumbed down by chat. GPT4.
- [43:27]
Adam Devine
You know, I just, those, those 90s guys, I just have such a soft spot for. So they're all from, from that era, basically.
- [43:35]
Matt Rhule
But Mount Rushmore football coaches, Oof.
- [43:41]
Adam Devine
You coach, you coach. You're there, you're there. You know, I'm not a New England fan, but Belichick, you know, Tom Osborne, obviously, and who. I mean, I guess I'll just stick with Nebraska coaches. Even though he scared the living bejesus out of me, I. I truly. I liked Polini a lot. I thought he was a great coach. I mean, he was a terrifying man. The one time I met him, I was shaky to my boots. And I. I think I told you this right before we got on, but I said, I met him and said, hey, man. And he looked at me like, how dare you say hey, man to me? And then. And then my dad said, coach, I'm with my dad. And he goes, coach, it's an honor. And then bows. And I'm like, should I have bowed? I messed up, man. I should have bowed. But, yeah, I don't. Yeah, I don't know. I. That's probably not the best list, but.
- [44:41]
Matt Rhule
That'S a great list. I think what I love about Coach Coach Polini is every player that I met. Will Compton, Amir Abdullah, Prince of Mukamar, all the guys that like Dominic and all the Guys I know that played for him love him, and he was so tough and tough love, and they just, to this day, like. Like, they would kill for him. And it's like, as a coach, like, deep down inside, every coach wants to be loved by his players, even though you have to be the bad guy sometimes, like, you want to have that level of devotion. And the fact that he always stood up for his guys, I think, is, like, something like, I can aspire to. And, you know, you don't want to become, like, oh, Coach Will's doing a podcast. You want to be in the mix with him all the time. And so he was the best at that, I think.
- [45:24]
Adam Devine
Yeah, I think he was. It's us, like, the actual team against the world, and I think that's why Husker Nation. I think that's why we love you so much. It's obviously us, but it's also Nebraska fandom against the world. And. And you're obviously, you are for the players, and you are for the team, but then you bring the rest of us in with open arms, like, hey, we're. We're all doing this. We're doing this for. For Nebraska, and I think that's why we love you so much.
- [45:54]
Matt Rhule
Well, thank you. I. I mean, it's humbling, like, you know, because, you know, I've done different places, and I've coached different places, and they've all been great. But I tell you what, like, you come out and you see our student section, or you see, like, on Fridays, we run the stadium. There's a stack with a bunch of staff. Now, I say run the stadium. I'm the oldest. I walk it, and the young guys run it. But, like, you get up there underneath, like, the upper decks above you, and you see some of those seats, and you're like, man, someone's paying money to sit around a pole to see me coaching us play, man, we better play pretty dang good.
- [46:25]
Adam Devine
Those seats suck. Where? It's like, they might be in. It's like, when you buy the tickets, like, could be obstructed. And then you get there, and you're like, I can see, like, this much of the field, and you're just watching on tv, but it's about being in the building and. And that. That place is so special when you're there. I mean, I was just there a few weeks ago for the Michigan State game, and just when you walk in, and especially, like, when you're down on the field and you look up and just see the sea of. Of red and white. It's. It's. It's pretty damn special.
- [46:57]
Matt Rhule
I can't tell people enough. Like, you know, when you have jobs like this, as, you know, like, there's good moments, there's bad moments, there's pressure, there's all these things, but there will never be another feeling like doing that tunnel walk and walking out and they open those gates and you can see. You can see the south end zone. You can see just a sea of red. And you're like, my goodness, I get to go out here today and be a part of this. It's humbling and it's a drug. It's like nothing you can ever, ever, ever get. And, you know, I. I was coaching a temple in front of, like, 15,000 people sometimes, and I love those 15,000 people, but there's not many places like this. I'm glad you had a chance to come back and experience it with us. That was. That was awesome to have. Have you there.
- [47:35]
Adam Devine
I love it. My God. Yeah. I mean, if. If my. If my wife would allow, I would be at absolutely every game, but she's like, you get one, you get.
- [47:46]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, Pick one.
- [47:47]
Adam Devine
I'm going to the UCLA game. I'll see you at the UCLA game.
- [47:49]
Matt Rhule
I love it.
- [47:50]
Adam Devine
I'll beat. Well, probably won't see you, but I'll be in the stands here in. In la, so that'll be fun.
- [47:56]
Matt Rhule
I think we'll have a lot of red in that stadium that day. I think. I think a lot of Hustler fans are excited to get out there. Well, it's an honor. It's an honor to have you on. It's. For me personally, I said it's. It's surreal to be talking to. Talking to someone that I have so much respect for what you do professionally, and then getting to know you personally. It's really cool. So thank you so much.
- [48:13]
Adam Devine
Thank you so much, Coach. It's an honor, man. Go big Red.
- [48:17]
Matt Rhule
Go big Red. You know, it seems like every day I get a text from someone asking where they can get the best deal in Huskers tickets. That's why I want to give the sponsor of today's video, SeatGeek, a big shout out. With over 35 million downloads, SeatGeek is the number one rated ticketing app. There are more than 70,000 events listed on SeatGeek, including concerts, sports festivals, and more. College football and the NFL are in full swing. MLB playoffs are here, and the NBA isn't too far behind. We're going to have Northwestern coming up. We're Going to have USC coming up in football, we're going to have Iowa Black Friday. Make sure you get to SeatGeek and find your seats. SeatGeek is the official ticket marketplace of Nebraska athletics, and all Nebraska tickets on SeatGeek are authentic and secure. I love using seatge. Just the other day I got my son and my wife and kids tickets to Eric Church when he comes right here to Lincoln for his birthday. Mumford and Sons is coming to Chi. The one, the only Ella Langley's coming. There's so much happening in this area and you can get it all right here on SeatGeek. SeatGeek has your back. Each ticket is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. So you know you're getting a good deal. So look for the green dots. Green means good, red means bad. Plus every ticket is backed by the buyer guarantee. And of course, we have a code for you guys. Use code Rule10 for 10% off your next set of tickets at SeatGeek. That's 10% off any tickets with promo code Rule10. Make sure you click the link in the description to download the app and have the code automatically added to your account so you can use it later. Thank you, seatgeek. You've been cheering behind their work for years, Literally. Empire netting and fence built the iconic tunnel walk gates at Memorial Stadium. And the netting that keeps every foul ball and fan safe nationwide. Even in my own backyard at the Waverly High School fields and Haymarket park, home of the Huskers and Salt Dogs. And just down the road from the stadium, they took on one of Nebraska's most impressive projects yet. Building the Sandhills Global Youth Complex from the ground up, transforming the future of youth sports in our state. And here's the cool part. They're not slowing down now. They've added something brand new. Hot Coat powder coating. It's a state of the art, fully automated line setting a new standard for powder coating in the Midwest. From race cars and high production parts to those iconic tunnel walk gates. Hot Coat's got you covered. Empire and Hot Coat are not just powder coating building fences, gates or netting. They're building a culture rooted in grit, integrity and pride. And they're looking for good people to join the team. So next time that tunnel walk music hits and those gates swing open, think of Empire, a Nebraska company doing big things.
- [51:01]
Todd A
Timeout. Anything but football. And this is where we give coach anything but football because he's got very taste. He is a renaissance man. All right, so Todd A on Facebook says that my son and I have been working on a cool project together. So we're putting together a collection of, of memorabilia. You could see the picture. What's the coolest piece of memorabilia that you've ever signed or you've had someone give to you?
- [51:30]
Matt Rhule
Well, I, so I. When you said memorabilia, I ran over here and grabbed this. So my buddy Fletch Fletcher Adams came in from Australia, came all the way from Australia to watch the game this past weekend. And like when he's here, man, he makes me watch hours and hours of rugby and cricket and footy and all sorts of. I'm becoming more cultured. So he brought me, I had a frame, he brought me. This is a vintage. I mean it's the old cotton 25 year old wallaby jersey. So dude, you know, like I've had some cool moments in sports and got some cool footballs and some different things. In my office at home though, I have Vince Lombardi. Vince Lombardi signed paycheck to one of his players. So it has his actual signature on it. So I would have said Vince Lombardi signing. That would be one. And then getting this, getting, getting this wallabies jersey. Pretty, pretty cool for me too because. Because it's something that you don't come by very often.
- [52:22]
Todd A
That is awesome. That's such a cool jersey.
- [52:25]
Matt Rhule
I'm glad we signed those gloves. So those gloves, that's. That's pretty cool. That's a cool project my man's doing.
- [52:30]
Todd A
Yeah, it is. You know what I was thinking about it. I'm like, I should do that with my boys. It's. It's a great idea because it's something that's fun, you do together and you can build it together. Like I, I don't have any skills of building like engines, right? So I know sports.
- [52:48]
Matt Rhule
That's it. Yeah, but that's right, you know sports. So you should think about it like someday, like I always think about someday when I'm dead and gone. You know, my, my three kids will sit around and they'll see something. It'll remind them of me hopefully and remind them of a good time or a good memory or a good moment. So besides like the Taylor Swift eras tour tickets they got, you know, which I didn't even invite me to, but that's another thing. But I just. But you know, like you said like having something you share together and not everything can't be digital and virtual. Some things have to be able to touch them and bring.
- [53:18]
Todd A
Yeah, man, roll your sleeves up. Get to get like it's, it's the best, man. I. I spent a weekend, dude, Friday night, my oldest had a high school game. Saturday morning, I did my fox. And then I come in and we had a baseball tournament in Delaware. Then we, with my little one, rush home so he can get his football uniform on. Drove an hour the other way for a football game. Then the big one wanted to go to the movies, took him to the movies. Then Sunday morning, Woke up at 6 because day two of the baseball tournament, my wife goes, wow, you had a busy week. I said, you know, but I love it. Like, I like you. Like, when you get a chance to do that and spend that kind of time up and back to games, it's the greatest gift in the world.
- [54:07]
Matt Rhule
There's a great message for parents watching your kids have fun and have success. Also watching your kids struggle, watching your kids learn. You know, watching kids sit the bench every once in a while, watching your kids, you know, just being there for them through all that, and then them seeing that when they have success and. And when they don't have success, that you don't change how you feel about them. That's the greatest gift you can give your kids. Now I'm a little bit of a trash talker. Like, Leona. Like, she's a pretty good little basketball player, and she's dribbling up the court, like two years ago. And I'm at the game, I'm sitting, like, in the first row, and she picked it up, and then she started dribbling again, and they called double dribble. I started laughing at her. Her eyes welled up. I was like, oh, I'm sorry. I thought, like, like, we're out. Like, we were out back shooting on the hoop. I was like, sorry. Julie was like, shut up. But you know what? Like that. You got to learn how to deal with everything. And that's what, that's what makes sports so great, man. You know, we're not all going to go pro and everything, so let's, let's learn some lessons. But being there for them, the car ride, you know, all that stuff, man, like, that's so, so cool.
- [55:01]
Todd A
It was funny. The. During the game, football game, my little one, he comes off the field, I'm like. And I help coach. I'm like, dude, you gotta, like, set the edge this way. And right away, be quiet. I'm like, yo, man, I'm on the field. I'm not ripping. Yeah. I'm just trying to help you. Like, dude, Daddy cares about you. I'm not trying to rip you or anything.
- [55:22]
Matt Rhule
If another coach came over, said, do it like this, he'd be like, yes, sir. It's just being dad. That's all. That's all.
- [55:29]
Todd A
It's amazing. All right. Speaking of games, wow, we got a monster coming up Saturday night under the lights. NBC, Huskers and usc. Oh, I got chills, brother.
- [55:47]
Matt Rhule
Think about that. Nebraska versus USC is a conference game, and that. Hasn't the world changed, you know? Oh, my God.
- [55:53]
Todd A
Right?
- [55:53]
Matt Rhule
The world's changed so much. But not. Man, I mean, what. What a. What a great opportunity for us to have a chance to play a team of this. This caliber. Lincoln Riley's a great coach, great friend of mine. And, you know, they're five and two. We're six and two. We're both fighting, scratching, and clawing for our seasons. And NBC, you know, it'll be. It'll be. The whole country will see it. We're gonna go all black, you know, on the black shirt culture that's here. And honor.
- [56:16]
Todd A
Yeah.
- [56:16]
Matt Rhule
So much more. So it'll be hopefully nice and cold and be like true November football weather.
- [56:23]
Todd A
That's the best. Listen, they're all important. You look forward to all of them, obviously, but how important? All the. The nationally televised Saturday night. The whole nation will be watching. How important is that for the program?
- [56:36]
Matt Rhule
Just think about the impact in recruiting. You know, I mean, I think. I mean, when you're here and you see our fan base and you see our facilities and you see the juice in the stadium, it's palpable. There's not many places like it. And so to have a nationally televised game, like we did it last year with Colorado, and I'm out recruiting in January, and people are like, hey, I saw your Colorado game, coach. That was all unbelievable. You know, it's like, you only have so many moments to brand and rebrand the program and show people what's here. And so that's one of the great things about what the Big Ten's done with these. With these network windows, man. You have a chance to go out there now. We had a chance two weeks ago on a Friday night, and we didn't play very good. So my thing to our guys is make it all football. But there's no doubt the impact on recruiting. There's no doubt the impact on even just kids wanting to come to school here. Like, what a great place to come get an education, man. It's a great cost of living. It's a safe place. It's a beautiful campus. I mean, it's easy to get to, like, these Opportunities are like infomercials for your university and for your football program, and two great teams will go battle it out.
- [57:35]
Todd A
All right, before we get there, it's Halloween. Now, I know you're doing something today. What's going on at the facility?
- [57:45]
Matt Rhule
Yeah, you know, Monday nights, we do a family dinner every Monday night, so people can bring coaches, stabs, and wives can bring their kids. And, you know, my kids do volleyball usually on Monday night, so I don't ever. I'm up here working the whole time. Halloween every year, we do a trunk or treat along with family dinner, and so I even did it in the NFL. I got a picture of me. I'm Fred Flintstone. The whole family were the Flintstones. Great picture. You'll never see it.
- [58:09]
Todd A
How was that for the pot?
- [58:11]
Matt Rhule
But, yeah, so every year we're something different. Last year, we were the. What's that movie with all the emotions in it? Oh, yeah, yeah. So, like, I. I was a rage or anger or whatever. I don't know why they picked that for me. It's ridiculous. But this year, man, we're Labubus. So were those little Boo Boo dolls, so.
- [58:28]
Todd A
Oh, that's awesome.
- [58:30]
Matt Rhule
I tried to fight it for a year. I've just given up. I'm gonna be there at 501. I'm gonna sit down, put my costume on. All the little coaches. All the coaches, kids, and staff will go around and trick or treat at all the different tables. I'll hand out county. And at 559, I'm ripping it off, going back to work. So 59. 58 to 59 minutes of me in a costume.
- [58:49]
Todd A
We need that for the pod.
- [58:50]
Matt Rhule
All right. That's for sure.
- [58:52]
Todd A
You get your hour of Halloween. That's great.
- [58:55]
Matt Rhule
Like, 35 minutes after the kids get the candy, they all just run off and play. And, Julie, I really need to work on third down, so that's awesome.
- [59:02]
Todd A
All right, brother, get ready. Big one. Gonna be fun. Whole world's watching.
- [59:08]
Matt Rhule
Can't wait. House rules. House rules. Well, that's it. Another episode in the can. Please remember to, like, share or subscribe on YouTube or wherever, get your podcasts, and please follow house rules on socials until next time.