Cooper Kupp and AJ Barner Are Super Bowl Champs & Drew Brees Talks Hall of Fame | EP 179

Summary

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New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Episode 179: Cooper Kupp and AJ Barner Are Super Bowl Champs & Drew Brees Talks Hall of Fame

Release Date: February 11, 2026
Podcast Host: Wondery
Featuring: Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner, Drew Brees

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Episode Overview

In this stacked post-Super Bowl episode, Jason and Travis Kelce recap Super Bowl 60, celebrate the Seattle Seahawks’ championship with guests Cooper Kupp and AJ Barner, and dig deep into football greatness and legacy in a reflective, funny, and insightful conversation with newly-minted Hall of Famer Drew Brees. The Kelce brothers do what they do best: provide inside perspectives on football, riff on brotherly dynamics, and bring out the real personalities of their guests.

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Key Segments & Timestamps

• [04:03] NFL News and Show Updates (“New News”)
• [13:19] Super Bowl 60 Recap (“Bold Topics”)
• [18:11] Cooper Kupp Interview: Being a Two-Time Champion
• [37:16] AJ Barner Interview: Inside the Game-Winning TD and Rookie Stories
• [66:13] Drew Brees Interview: Hall of Fame Reflections & Career Deep-Dive
• [53:23] Super Bowl Parties and San Francisco Recap
• [60:08] Coaching Changes & Team News (“Stamps of the Week”)

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

Super Bowl 60 Recap: Seahawks Win Big

• Seattle Seahawks defeat Patriots 29-13 for their second title.

• The brothers reflect on the game and what made this Seahawks team special—depth, chemistry, and the absence of glaring weaknesses.

• Quote (Jason, 14:44): “Seattle is just loaded across the board. Like, they don’t, it’s a team that really doesn’t have a weakness, which is kind of why I thought they would prevail.”

• Sam Darnold praised for resilience and performance.

• “He didn’t do that by being conservative. He was still taking his chances, still being aggressive through the air.” (Jason, 14:44)

• Mike McDonald, the Seahawks’ young head coach, gets a shout-out for his leadership at just 37 years old.

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Cooper Kupp: Life After the Big Win [18:11]

“Net Positive” Champion

• Kupp jokes about being sleep-deprived:
  “My left eye is not working great. It’s been, you know, not a whole lot of sleep the last couple days, but it’s been fantastic as it should be.” (Cooper, 18:36)
• Celebrates not just with teammates but at home, wrangling his kids postgame.

On Team Chemistry and Coaching

• Calls the team a “force multiplier”—credit to coach McDonald’s humility and collaborative style.
  “From Mike, there’s been a humility that I think is really special… The accountability is a big part of that… Collaboration is where football lives.” (Cooper, 24:24)
• The emotional aftermath is about the whole journey, not just the win:
  “If you’re living for this week… What you’re going to remember is, you know, the training camp, like, the grind of things… those moments.” (Cooper, 28:54)

The Big Parade and “Almost Disaster” Play

• Teases his upcoming parade outfit: “Do I get an Ichiro jersey? You got an idea, send it to me.” (Cooper, 30:24)
• Dives into the game’s near-disastrous, improvised TD play with Barner:
  “The call ended up being like, the formation was backwards… I see AJ running towards me, I’m like, oh my gosh. I’m about to run the wrong route, so I change it on the fly.” (Cooper, 31:17)

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AJ Barner: Rookie Tight End, “Swag Champ” [37:16]

Touchdown in the Super Bowl

• Describes scoring as a blackout, slow motion moment:
  “Everything just becomes slow motion and then just all the boys find you...” (AJ, 38:39)
• On miscommunication: “I heard yada, yada. Why scissors? I’m like, alright, bet I know the play… You boys line up. Let’s get this damn play called.” (AJ, 39:19)
• Walks through the TV replay of his TD, giving props to Sam Darnold for toughness:
  “Sammy’s a dog, man… Played linebacker in high school, so if you’re playing ball for the Seahawks, you better be able to lower some pads.” (AJ, 42:59)

Rookie “Welcome to the NFL” Moment

• Hilarious story about splitting his head open on a bathroom hook before a game:
  “I get up in there. I go to lean forward and sit back, crack my head on this hook… blood rushing down my head… [but] I go back to that same stall… Just to let that stall know it’s not gonna have power over me.” (AJ, 47:09–49:28)

Mantras, Celebrations & Culture

• Explains his O-line rallying cry:
  “Grind meat, carry water. We get it done in the trenches, baby… When you’re wearing on a team, you’re grinding fricking meat.” (AJ, 51:20)
• On celebration advice: “If you stick with the light beer, you’re gonna be good. The moment you start pouring the shots down… You’re gonna be bad. You gotta. It’s a marathon.” (Jason, 44:45)

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Drew Brees: Hall of Famer’s Journey [66:13]

Learning of His Hall Induction

• Emotional family moment as Dan Fouts knocks on his door:
  “I shared a birthday with my oldest son… The knock at the door and I’m a little… fired up… And then there’s Mr. Supercharger Dan Fouts himself in the gold jacket.” (Drew, 68:09)

Reflections on Leadership & Career

• Walk-on to first-ballot Hall of Famer: “I played so much longer than I ever thought I would… I did it because I wanted my kids to remember what dad did.” (Drew, 68:53)
• Relentless recall of not just triumphs but traumatic football moments.
• On “people forget… was a problem”: JAHRI EVANS and Carl Nicks, elite but often unsung Saints linemen. (Drew, 99:04)

Building Trust and Collaboration

• On his bond with Sean Payton: “It got to the point where I knew what he was going to call, when, how, why… That whole play caller’s intent. We were just so much on the same page.” (Drew, 98:28)

On NFL Quarterbacks and Team Development

• Theory: QBs need about 50 high-level starts to be really “ready”:
  “Start looking at the guys like Brock Purdy… 50 college starts… He comes in and you’re like, ok, he’s got some experience.” (Drew, 88:01–88:53)
• Rips quick-leash culture: “We do most of them a disservice. The fans want a winner now…” (Drew, 85:41)

Life’s Pivot Points

• On signing with the Saints over Miami: All signs pointed to Miami, but doubt from team doctors and New Orleans’ faith in him—plus post-Katrina purpose—made the difference.
  “We get to be a part of… the resurrection of one of America's greatest cities. Like, this is God's calling in our life.” (Drew, 93:08)

Memorable Moments

• Greatest hit: Zach Thomas, Miami, 2003.
  “He hit me so hard, I think I did, like, a double back flip landed on my head.” (Drew, 102:27)
• Praises Darren Sproles: “Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes. Now, that dude did not have to say a word, right? Like, you just watch the way he works…” (Drew, 103:02–104:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Cooper Kupp’s Locker Room Calm:

“It was just like the silence of us being able to hold my boys, have my wife right next to me. Like, that was all I wanted.”
—Cooper Kupp [20:03]

On Winning’s Meaning:

“The journey is everything. Because if you’re living for this week… What you’re going to remember is… the grind of things and being like, man, I remember … the conversation we had in the locker room. Those moments…”
—Cooper Kupp [28:54]

AJ Barner, Rookie Realness:

“I go to lean forward and sit back, crack my head on this hook… get up in there… my hair… they cut a little patch, which I still have a little bald spot…”
—AJ Barner [47:09–49:28]

On Modern Quarterback Development:

“There is something to sitting for a period of time because you will glean a ton… when it is your time, a little more of feeling like you’ve earned it.”
—Drew Brees [86:48]

Ultimate Brotherhood:

“If I feel like you genuinely want me to be a better football player… I will follow that guy wherever… if he’s honest, authentic, all that stuff.”
—Jason Kelce [24:54]

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Additional Highlights

• Waste Management Open: Travis shares his “super bowl of golf” experience and the nerves and community behind the iconic 16th hole at the Phoenix Open.
• San Francisco Scene: The brothers rave about Super Bowl week events, city culture, parties, and Jason’s “tourism chug-a-beer” challenge at famous SF spots.
• Future Guest Teases: Big-name guests teased for upcoming episodes (Troy Aikman, Randy Moss, Chris Stapleton, Workaholics, AJ Brown).
• Heartfelt Goodbye: Jason’s emotional shoutout to retiring Eagles O-line coach Jeff Stoutland.
• Football Philosophy: Room for both veteran wisdom and youthful energy in coaching ranks—NFL getting younger with head coaches.

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Tone & Style

The episode is exuberant, fast-paced, and heartfelt—bursting with brotherly banter, inside jokes, genuine admiration for guests, and deep love of football. The language is lively, peppered with player lingo (“grind meat, carry water”), and marked by bursts of emotional sincerity in conversations about family, legacy, and what winning really means.

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Bottom Line

If you missed this episode:
You missed inside access to the Seahawks’ historic Super Bowl win straight from the stars’ mouth, fresh Hall of Fame tales from Drew Brees, and all the camaraderie, celebration, and honest football insight you’ve come to expect from Jason and Travis Kelce. Family, football, and fun—this is New Heights at its best.

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Transcript

[A]

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But prepping this podcast does in fact take time.

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Every weekend we've got hours of highlights and game notes to go through from.

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Every game over the weekend and between group chats, slacks. It takes a lot to coordinate all this, right? But with PDF spaces, the New Heights team can drop files or paste text.

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With all of our notes, links, articles.

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When recapping all the weekly NFL games To help build out the show rundown. Acrobat Spaces gives us the ability to.

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Consolidate all the content from across the Internet and lets our team pick only the best stuff to keep in the show.

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Check out Adobe acrobat studio at adobe.com/do that with Acrobat.

[B]

We gotta get to the question everyone wants to know. Have you slept? Has it just been a non stop party?

[A]

His eyes not working. Travis, we already went over this eye is not working.

[D]

So sleep hasn't been. Sleep hasn't been great.

[B]

Come on now.

[D]

I woke up this morning at 6:00 clock wide awake. I'm in a great place. I mean, I've got so much gratitude for this journey, for what, what this year's been. And King of the Castles, you just can't have. You can't have a meaningful moment with him. You just. You know what I mean. Jason.

[A]

Yes, I'm hearing you.

[B]

Welcome back to new Heist. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, of all over the world, the 92 percenters, we love you and we can't wait to get into this post Super Bowl Sunday conversation. New Heights is a wondery show brought to you by Xfinity where your host, I'm Travis Kelsey, is my big brother Jason kelsey, representing the US of A. Subscribe on YouTube laundry plus wherever you get your podcast and follow the show on all social media at new height show with 1s for fun clips throughout the week. Jason, we have one of my favorite shows of all time. It is the end of the season. It is the end of the NFL season. Today should be one of those made up holidays that you absolutely hate. But can you just tell the people what we have coming up?

[A]

Well, it's kind of crazy, Trav. This is actually the first year we've done this show where the Eagles or Chiefs haven't won the Super Bowl.

[B]

That's.

[A]

How nuts is that? That is wild.

[B]

That's insane.

[A]

So because neither one of us are in any way a part of our teams winning the super bowl, we have decided to invite two of the Super Bowl 60 champions on this show today. That's right. Cooper cup and AJ Bonner are on the program today and we're gonna get into everything else we got into in San Francisco as well as get into an incredible conversation with first ballot hall of Famer Drew.

[E]

Alrighty.

[A]

It's an absolutely stacked episode. But before we get to any of that, we're going to get into what we always get into. And that's a little bit of that. New news. New news is brought to you by American Express.

[B]

How about it, man?

[A]

We got some scheduling updates for you guys. That's right, 92 percenters. We got a lot of guests coming up. We have been hot.

[B]

We've been working. We've been working.

[A]

That's right. We've. We've. We've been talking to all the people we've always wanted to talk to, and we're looking forward to bringing those conversations to you guys. We have a short little break, but the episodes will be coming out. Don't worry. We've got some doozies. We got Troy Aikman, Randy Moss, Jon Hand, Chris stapleton, the workaholics, A.J. brown. We're gonna let you know when all these guest episodes are releasing and if you still need more Kelsey in your life. Travis finally appeared on Not Gonna Lie. That's right, Kylie. Kelsey's podcast, Not Gonna Lie. Trav, how was it?

[B]

Not Gonna Lie? It was kind of more fun talking to her than you. I'm not gonna lie. I understand why you married her a long time ago, but she asked me one question that was like. I. I sat there and I thought about it, and I wish I would have answered it better. My first impressions of her were that she was such a sweetheart. And I said this at your guys's wedding when I. When I did the wedding speech, but I was like, she is such a sweetheart. She's so nice. She is. But I was like, you don't just win Jason's love and you don't. You don't win him over in terms of, like, doing things, getting him to do the things that you want him to do, like, be a, like, respectable human being. You don't view those kind of things by just being a sweetheart. So I knew there was an underlining, like, toughness to her that I hadn't. And then we went to the shore, and she started talking, but. But she saw water. She started talking. I can't even fucking do the Philly accent.

[A]

Like.

[B]

Like it needs to be done. But I saw her in her element, and that's where I knew. I was like, oh, she's got hidden wrapped up around her finger. This dude is lost in the. So he doesn't know anything but Kai. And from that point on, it's just been that. And I've loved having her as a. As a sister in law, and it's been so cool to see her take off in her own right. And Not Gonna Lie was a blast.

[A]

Dude, that's awesome. Yeah, I. Dude, the episode turned out great. You and Kai's chemistry In anything that you do, you just like have like a. I'm serious, you guys.

[B]

Second child, man. The second child, dude.

[C]

No doubt.

[B]

We rel. We relate well.

[A]

You also admitted that you have never read a rundown, which I'm sure the producers of the show love, that they were very appreciative.

[B]

What's a rundown already?

[A]

Kylie also adopted an otter in your name, apparently. Something I didn't even know.

[B]

Uncle Travs over there in the Philly Zoo, man. We got to get over there, man. I got to meet this. This. I think it's a. It's a wild or like a. A great river otter. I forget the. The actual name of this otter. It's not the honor that's in my dreams, but it is an honor to be a part of the Philly Zoo like that. So I got to get over there and say what's up?

[A]

We'll get over there next time you come into town. That'd be a great out of the house segment. We also got to talk about Travis dominating in front of thousands of people over at the Waste Management.

[B]

Dominating.

[A]

I mean, at least on hole 16, we don't need to look at all the other stuff. The biggest hole in the whole friggin thing. The part three in front of the grandstands. The thousands of people's eyes are on Travis Kelce.

[B]

It felt like I was walking into the Coliseum. There's like a little tunnel and I got a cool video. Chris Pearson was. Was kind of following us around. He got a cool video of us like walking into the. Dude, it is such an epic, like, you have to do it. Golf lovers everywhere, you have to go to this hole. The 16th hole or at Waste Management at the Phoenix Open is un. Believable. Is such a unique like experience. And it. Honestly, it's not just the 16th holes. The 17th and 18th is the. Is how you finish it off. It's like nothing I've ever been a part of in my life. But you walk into that 16th hole, it's an arena. It's an arena of just people that will either boo you or get high or get excited over like you getting close to the fucking pen. I was in my element. You give me a bunch of drunk people with an opportunity to get them fired up. I feel like that's like my. That's like my home. That's like my home. And I felt very comfortable. I will say this though, my God, my caddy, Patrick Bacon, he's taking a lot of credit for this. I went last. Everybody that went had. The number was short. They all went short. And I'm looking at this too, and I'm like questioning in my mind, should I club up or should I just trust my strength over theirs? Like, I'm whole. I'm in my head about this. And Patrick Bacon comes up to me and says, hey, what do you got in your hand? You should probably rethink this and go get a club off. And not that I wasn't already thinking that, but he gave me the reassurance. So I'll give Patty Bakes the. The whole. He called. He called me off and told me to club up. I'll give him the compliment there. But he's. He's taking full credit for it.

[A]

He's not shying away from talking about which he should.

[B]

Which you should. That's what caddies do, you know, I mean, they're part of it. It's a team game.

[A]

Well, I don't think a lot of caddies do take credit, but Bacon does for sure.

[B]

It was a 1:50 shot and I. Or 155, whatever it is. And I went from holding a pitch pitching wedge to holding a nine iron. And the nine iron stuck two feet from it. And when I tell you I stood over the ball for I don't even know how long, somebody sent me a video and I was. I was like, I was staring at the ball this long. I don't remember doing that.

[A]

It's intimidating. It really puts it into perspective for like these guys, like Rory and these guys making these like, putts to win the entire tournament. And way more is at stake. That's gotta be crazy.

[B]

That wasn't even the hardest part.

[A]

Oh, what was the hardest part?

[B]

Standing over the two foot putt. That's what I'm saying was the hardest part, dude. Though, when I was back there holding the nine iron, I'm like, I'm just going to give this thing a run and throw it up there. And the thing drew over. I felt like I hit it further up in the air than I hit it further in distance. That thing went high. That thing went so high in the air. The first thing, the guy on the mic that was doing the. The entire like 16th hole, he was introducing everybody. As soon as I hit it, he was like, whoa, look at that. Thing went high up at the. Everybody's like, like waiting for that thing to fucking come down. And then it just stuck. It didn't do much after. After it hit and it was perfect, man.

[A]

So are you saying you probably actually hit the wrong club? You probably hit it a couple groups high, which made it actually the right club.

[B]

It was the perfect club.

[A]

All right, all right, all right.

[B]

I didn't catch any grass. That thing was teed up just a little bit, and I hit it smooth. And it was. It was so much fun just being at that event, though. I got to hang with Scotty Scheffler. I got to hang with Brooks Koepka. Shout out to Brooks for. For being such a good dude and being back into the madness. And Scotty, he was over there with his kid, and it was such a fucking unique event. And these pro ams are so fucking cool. And I had that as a bucket list item in my mind of like, yeah, there's unbelievable courses all over the world, but if I could ever get a shot at the 16th hole at waste Management, I can't pass that up. I was telling Dan, it's like, no, sweetie, I have to go. I'm sorry. I have to do this. This is the Mecca. This is, like reaching the super bowl of, like, golf world.

[A]

And.

[B]

And it was. And it didn't disappoint. Waste Management crowd is so fucking. They're so lit and so excited and so there for those moments that it didn't disappoint, man, it was so much fun.

[A]

Well, that's awesome, brother. It was an incredible shot. I loved watching every bit of it. Where do you think it ranks in your athletic achievements of all time?

[B]

I mean, it's of my golf achievements, for sure. There's nothing that even comes close. That was the closest I've ever gotten to a hole in one. Like, that was. It was like, the perfect shot for the perfect time that. That I'll. I'll live through forever. I'll be able to watch those videos forever. I had Jim Nance talking about it during the Friday broadcast or the. The Saturday Sunday broadcast. If Jim Nance is talking about my golf, I'm doing something right.

[A]

All right. Well, once again, new news is brought to you by American Express. Let's keep this thing moving.

[B]

Let's get to some bold topics. Super bowl edition. How about a bold topics is brought to you by Pepsi, one of our favorites. We were a Pepsi household growing up. I'm a wild cherry Pepsi fan myself. Big guy. Kelsey likes a nice little diet Pepsi, but shout out to all the Pepsi out there. Seahawks are your Super Bowl 60 champions, and we love the old northeast Ohio ball player Mike Vrabel and a lot of the Patriots over there. But the Seahawks, they had the juice going into it, man. And they defeated the Patriots 29 13. I'm not gonna lie. I kind of imagined this would happen.

[E]

And.

[B]

And it definitely was a good game. And there was a point there when Drake May started getting the juices going in the. Yeah. Late third, early fourth. And. And they started to make a run at it. But, man, the Seahawks just had too much, man, with Kenneth Walker, with our guy, AJ Barner and Cooper cup, man, they just had the juice. And I couldn't be happier for the guys over there, because a lot of the guys are guys you can root for, man.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, listen, it's. It's the Super Bowl. All. Both of these teams are very good. Both of their defenses had been playing, you know, out of their minds all postseason, and Seattle is just loaded across the board. Like, they don't. It's a team that really doesn't have a weakness, which is kind of why I thought that they would prevail. Like, it felt like they were the more talented group across the board, but you never know. I mean, the Patriots were such a good team. So well coached.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

By Coach vrabes and Josh McDaniels. Like, all year, they just had been overachieving. And, yeah, Seattle just proved to be a little bit too much. Man, they're unbelievable on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, they didn't make the mistakes that, you know, they kind of been prone to. Right. Like, Sam Darnold had a bunch of turnovers in the regular season, doesn't have any in the postseason. And he didn't do that by being conservative. He was still taking his chances. He was still being aggressive through the air. And you gotta give some love to the kicker. How about this? We're giving love to the kickers, pinning some guys down inside the five, making field goals. I am Jason Myers. I mean, through the first half, it was only field goals. This guy was nailing everything.

[B]

This guy went over with Pat McAfee trying to kick a field goal, and all of a sudden, he has appreciation for the kicking game now.

[A]

I mean, listen, it's the biggest game of the year. We're freaking nailing kicks. Those are huge.

[B]

Trailed for 1 minute and 35 seconds Total this entire playoffs. How fucking insane is that?

[A]

That is crazy. So they just got off to the jump and just freaking were leading all the way. I mean, they blew out San Fran. Then the big one was the Rams game, which. That was the team they had struggled with and had the closest battles with all season. So, Yeah, I mean, it is surprising. I mean, they were the Best team in football this year. The reality was like, if you look at it across the board, it was really them in la. Those two teams in that division were the most consistently great teams all season long. And like, yeah, the Patriots had an incredible season on the, in the afc, so did the Broncos. But I thought that those two teams in particular were the best all year. They continued that throughout the playoffs and they continued in the Super Bowl. And it's a credit to Sam Darnold for where he's come in his career. All the ups and downs and being with five different teams. Cooper cup gets cast out in la, comes back, resurgence in Seattle and, and it's just a remarkable story of a team. It really is. And how great they ended up being across the board. It reminds me a lot of, you know, our 17 season and I mean, a lot of super bowl teams, but you get like just the right group of guys that all come together, man, and it feels like everything's clicking. The chemistry's there. I mean, Sam Darnold is. Now everybody's talking about being a star, but certainly not while the whole season was happening. You know, it doesn't have that like star studded MVP quarterback. I mean, I think Leonard Williams is unbelievable. Doesn't have the, you know, the Aaron Donald or like the Miles Garrett. Like, they're just so all really, really good across the board. They were a great team and it's an incredible year for that city and that franchise. And Mike McDonald in his second year in Seattle, and how about that, man.

[B]

Mike McDonald's the same age as Jason Kelsey.

[A]

We just hired an offensive coordinator, 33 years old. It's nuts, man. I mean, teams keep hiring these younger coaches and I think it's for a reason, man. I think these young guys come in and they're, they're very smart, but they have a, they have a mindset that's open. They're, they're eager to prove themselves. Not though. I mean, listen, the old ball coaches have great strengths and what not too. A lot of experience. But I think it's interesting that it appears that, you know, the league keeps going younger and younger with a lot of these coaching hires. Congrats to Mike McDonald's. He finally gets to see his son.

[B]

Nice, man.

[A]

All right, you've heard enough of our thoughts on the game. Let's get to someone who actually played in it. Please welcome back to the two time super bowl champion and the first ever in NFL history to lead two different franchises of receiving yards and a Super bowl win. Mr. Cooper.

[D]

Thank you guys.

[A]

Coops.

[B]

Congrats, big guy.

[D]

Thank you.

[B]

That was a hell of a game.

[A]

How are you feeling?

[D]

Yeah, you know, net positive. We're in a net positive state right now.

[B]

Let's go.

[D]

Yeah, it's been incredible.

[B]

Tordell still, still hanging on right now or what?

[D]

Yeah, we're doing great. We're doing great over here.

[A]

There we go.

[D]

Yeah. You know, my left eye is not working great. It's been, you know, not a whole lot of sleep the last couple days, but it's been fantastic. Been fantastic as it should be.

[A]

Is the left eye not working a result of the game or not sleeping?

[D]

It's just not sleeping.

[A]

It's just not his commitment to party. Way to go.

[D]

This is the thing, guys.

[A]

Seeing I'm partying with my boys, I.

[D]

Wish I had a great story for you guys, but this is what happened. Our boys, you know, I got three little boys and when I'm with the family after the game, you know, they, they had a long day. They were pumped. They were out there screaming their, their lungs out. They started crashing around 12 o', clock, you know, and so. So it was really what the issue was, getting them ready for bed. You know, I was, I'm. We're changing diapers, we're getting pajamas on. Pajamas have holes in them which obviously aren't going to work. They're not going to work from that time. You got to get those pajamas. It was, it was. It's the family stuff, man. It's the family stuff. Life goes on. You win a championship, you won a Super bowl, all this stuff, but, man, life goes on.

[A]

It is funny because I was fortunate to win one in 17 before I had kids. And it was a non stop party for like four or five days. And then the super bowl, we lost the super bowl, so that was part of it too. I didn't. I mean, I was with my family the moment the game was over and you're just like basking in that. So I'm sure you've. You've experienced it a couple different ways at this point, right? Like, pretty awesome.

[D]

Yeah, it is. It's amazing. And that's what I mean. You have your moment in the locker room with the guys, and that's such a special thing. But then it's like, how quick can I find my family? Be with me, with my boys, be with my wife. And that was, I mean, Sharon, this. It was like when we're not, we're not jumping around the room screaming. It was just like the silence of us being able to hold my boys, have my wife right next to me. Like, that was. That was all I wanted.

[A]

That's awesome, brother. Congratulations.

[D]

Yeah. Thank you.

[B]

Congrats again, brother. The two time Cooper Cup. The. The first time is always the sweetest, man. The. The second time has to be epic for you right now, especially because it's. It's with a team that. That it seemed like you guys just had the. Like you guys just had the juice, man. And it's. And it's such a unique thing when you see the team loving each other. Like, it was like you told us the stories last week and it was just. You could tell how close you guys were.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Mike McDonald, your coach, after the game, even said, Cooper is an absolute force multiplier. An absolute stud of a person, stud of a teammate. Have you been called a stud this many times in your life?

[D]

It's a lot of. It's a lot of stud. It's a lot of stud.

[A]

Here we go. It's a net positive guy.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[B]

Can't look past this, though.

[C]

This.

[B]

This should cement him in the hall of Fame, in my opinion. Super bowl mvp, two time champion, all time teammate. The guy was just loving you up at the end of it, man. It just shows how close you guys are, man.

[D]

Yeah. And we got. We got a great group. Real quick, you gotta plunge that. Plunge that French press for me. Yeah, plunge the French press for me.

[B]

Yep.

[D]

There we go. Pour yourself. You just. Okay in the future. You just a nice slow. Nice slow press.

[C]

Nice slow.

[A]

Is that too much? Was that too fast?

[D]

It was. It was a little fast, but it's.

[B]

Okay in the future. There we go.

[E]

Yeah, look at that.

[D]

Look at that.

[B]

Oh, that's a good color.

[D]

Yeah, that's a good looking cup of coffee. Yeah. This was this. This group. This group. It was so much fun to be a part of. I can't.

[A]

This is unbelievable.

[B]

It's still going out, but yeah, this.

[D]

Group was so much fun. It was so much fun to be a part of this, this team. And, you know, I've appreciated working with Mike. He's been unbelievable. And I mean, all those things he said you don't get. You don't go to the hall of Fame for being a great teammate, but you don't go to the hall of Fame for winning six Super Bowls either. We just learned. Right? So, I mean.

[B]

That'S a tough bit.

[A]

Go to the hall of Fame. Georgia.

[B]

What exactly are the credentials to get me in the Hall?

[D]

Yeah, it's up for debate right now, apparently. But you'll be in. You'll be in. Sorry, I just had that one. Just popped in my head as I was talking.

[B]

I feel like you've only had coaches under the age of 40, which is insane. Like, what is the everyday like? Because I've literally only been in a building where it feels like my football dad or like my fucking, like, uncle is like looking at me like, you need to pick this shit up. And it's like there's like an authority figure that's like there, that's like, has like the years of wisdom through like the, like Brett Favre and like the, the legends that we grew up playing. Like, I only have that understanding through. Through that. Like, what is it like playing for a guy that's like young, high energy? Like, not to say that Andy's not, but go ahead.

[D]

Oh, yeah. No, I mean, it is. It's. That's all I know. So, you know, I've had young coaches. Yeah. Basically my entire life. I mean, same thing in college. So I don't know any different. Energy and all that stuff is fantastic. And there's no. There. There's never been an issue in terms of the like, wisdom piece or the authority piece, lack of wisdom. But I think what I've appreciated is there's a. There's, there's, like. From Mike, there's been a humility that I think is. Is really special. And, you know, I think the accountability is a big part of that. Being able to admit that you don't know everything. And that's a, That's a huge part of being a leader that is, you know, undervalued. And, you know, if you think you know it all, it's tough to. It's tough to collaborate. And collaboration is where football lives, you.

[C]

Know, and.

[D]

He'S been awesome about that. And. Yeah. So I've really enjoyed being with Mike.

[A]

Dude. I can't agree more. Like, I've had young coaches, I've had old coaches. And don't get wrong. Andy reads a one on one, Trav. But I find a lot of the times these young coaches that are hungry and really trying to make it do have this growth mindset just inherently like, they're. They want knowledge, they're trying to grow as much as possible, and they don't think they have everything figured out. And that's certainly one of their advantages.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And as far as, like leading anybody, like, don't get me wrong, if you've done something before, it's. You get that initial buy in easier. But at the end of the Day players. Just if you. As a coach or a leader, as a player in the team, if I feel like you genuinely want me to be a better football player, not for any ulterior motive of, like, career furtherment or like, whatever other bull crap gets in the way, like, if you genuinely. I can tell that you just want what's like me to be the best version of myself I can be, dude, I will follow that guy like, wherever. Like, he's honest or, like, authentic, all that stuff. And it feels like Mike has that in spades. Obviously, you guys had that, like, incredibly all year round. You could feel the tightness to this team.

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Let me, let me get this back to the game, though.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Did it. Is this what, how the game was expected to go? Like, what. What did you guys think as the game was going around?

[D]

Yeah, I mean, we expected to go out there and win the thing.

[B]

You know, we expected to go out there and.

[D]

But there's, but, you know, you're playing against a really, really good football team. You're on this. You don't get to the super bowl regardless of all the storylines around. Like, they had to navigate the storylines about, you know, whether they deserve to be there. All this stuff. And that's just, it's all, it's all baloney, right?

[A]

It's all nonsense.

[D]

They are in the super bowl for a reason. They're a good football team, they're well coached, there's good players over there. So, you know, you're playing against the best in the world. It's the best in the world. You're in the NFL, you're playing against the best in the world. But the expectation was to go out there and win. And I thought they had a really good plan early on, I thought offensively, you know, we were uphill on a lot of plays early on where it's like, man, they've, they've got a good feel for stuff. They're. They're putting their players in really good positions and. And we were making some mistakes that allow us to finish drives and luckily, you know, JMI was unbelievable, finishing drives and field goals for us. But then what. I mean, end of the day, the defense just played lights out and that's. That gives you so much confidence offensively when those guys are just like, stop after stop after stop. And you just know that, hey, guys, some, some of these drives, like, like an eight play drive that eats up clock and flips the field is a win offensively at this point in the game. Right?

[A]

Like, right.

[B]

It's Crazy, man.

[D]

We play this game, we just do the things, right? Like, we don't need to play outside of our own stuff, that they've got a good plan for us. Let's make some plays. Let's finish these drives. The defense is going to get us into a short field and we're going to go finish it, get score a touchdown and put the game away. And I thought as the game went on and that became clear, this is a game that we can be in that space. We did a good job adjusting and being able to be in a place where it's like, hey, we can just. We can grind this game out where it's not even a chance. You don't give him a chance to do anything.

[A]

Amen, brother. And you guys did just that.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you have any idea what's. What's in store for the future? Have you thought about that? Are you still in reflection mode, at least for the next foreseeable few days?

[D]

I mean, Yeah, I think you take a couple days and enjoy this. It's. It's the NFL. You know, like this, this team that we had this year is not going to be the same. And so I'm enjoying, you know, we got today, tomorrow's the parade, and we get, you know, our last two days to be with this team and what this 20, 25, 26 CL Seahawks team was about. But then it's. Then it's going to be look forward and, you know, you love to. I love to be a part of this organization and what these guys are doing and, and what. What's been being built here. And then the, the goal is then, like, hey, you've got, you got six weeks until, you know, six weeks until I. Eight weeks until. Okay, start. So.

[A]

Right.

[D]

You know, how are you going to start building for what this organization is going to do for the next year? And it doesn't be. It doesn't stop. Time keeps going on and we got, we got like Seattle Seahawks of 20, 26, 27. It technically starts now, you know, and so we're already. We're behind.

[A]

I love it. I love it. Isn't it crazy? You win the freaking super bowl and then immediately you're already thinking about what do we do to get back there?

[B]

But that doesn't stop.

[D]

That's why you have to enjoy. I have to say, you have to enjoy the journey. The journey is everything. Because if you're, if you're living for this, if you're living for this week, like, this is one. This is one week you get to enjoy the game, be with your family, reflect on it. The parade happens, and it's like, you got to move forward. And this is. You're not going to find everyone's. Everyone here is going to be like, man, it hasn't hit me yet. It's not going to hit you. It's not like a moment that's like, oh, suddenly it's going to happen. It's like, no, what you're going to remember is, you know, some of this. Some of this week. But what you're going to remember is, you know, the training camp, like, the grind of things and being like, man, I remember the. When we were exhausted, so the conversation we had in the locker room. Guys are so tired that they're laughing, they're, like, giggling because they're just so delusional, you know? But it's like, man, those are so. Those moments. Is all this. All of those things that are going to be so valuable, all the adversity that you deal with, all those things.

[B]

How.

[D]

How low did we go? How. All these moments that were like, man, you're at the bottom, that make the top feel so much better. And you're going to remember that journey. And. And that's. That's. What's the most valuable piece of this whole thing.

[B]

Dude, you're gonna be fired up, right?

[A]

Seriously, I'm getting goosebumps.

[B]

That shit's epic, man.

[A]

We do got a wrap. I got one more question. Parade tomorrow. What. What are we rolling with for the parade? You got an outfit selected?

[B]

You.

[D]

I'm talking to the costume. I'm actually talking to the outfit. I want to do something. I want to do something cool. You know, I want to do. I've had thoughts like, do get. Do you get an Ichiro jersey? Do you do, like, something like that? You know, there's.

[B]

I don't know.

[D]

Listen, Jason, if you've got an idea, you. You send it over to me and we can maybe make some. If it aligns, we make something happen. You know what I mean?

[E]

All right.

[D]

Okay. You let me know.

[A]

Let me. I'm going to get this coffee in me. And then these ideas just start flowing. That's how it works.

[B]

Going to grow up some ideas. We got our guy, AJ Barter, pulling up after this.

[D]

Let's go. So pumped for Barnyard, man. And that play was almost a disaster. It was almost a disaster.

[A]

How?

[D]

Oh, we were. We were all on it there. Look, there was a. There was a problem. I think it was on the wristband, but we called the play Jackson Is out at the time. He's going through his protocol to get back out. The call ended up being like, the formation was backwards to what the play call was. And so we ended up, like, me and Rasheed end up on the same side. I'm like, dude, we're like, no, you're on the other side. But then formation is backwards. I see AJ Running towards me. I'm like, oh, my gosh. I'm about to run the wrong route, so I change it on the fly. We almost had a.

[A]

Let's go.

[D]

We got it done. We got it done.

[B]

Ball player.

[A]

Unbelievable. Teammate decision making when it needs to happen.

[C]

I love it, man.

[A]

Way to go.

[B]

That's so epic, man. We got him up next. That's the banger. I was about to ask you what should we ask him? But you just told us everything, so I can't wait to tell.

[D]

He'll. I don't know if he'll even be aware of it, but he'll even know. He might not even know that it was that. I almost ran right into him because.

[B]

I was about to run the wrong route.

[D]

And at. Literally at the snap, I'm like, oh, I have to fix it.

[B]

That was a great play too.

[E]

Whoever.

[B]

Whoever put that together. That was an awesome play.

[C]

Oh, no.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

We lost him.

[B]

Just come back. Come back.

[A]

What an electric story, though.

[B]

That's epic.

[D]

The E cord has been found. We're in business.

[A]

Coop, I believe you were talking about the. The play. A.J. barner play, and you're saying he might not know? Might not even.

[D]

Oh, yeah, yeah. He might not. He might not be aware of what was happening on the outside and the consternation that was happening between me and Rasheed knowing that we were told the play was being run the opposite direction, you know?

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Yeah. But who knows? Maybe. Maybe he's so dialed in out there that he was aware and was gonna make it happen, you know?

[B]

So did you go from, like, running like a backside dagger to, like, a. Like, a hitch?

[D]

No, I went from running a backside basic to a take two post.

[B]

Oh, take two. You cleared it out for him.

[D]

Yeah, but I don't know that the coverage really. My job on that job. At the end of the day, my. I just need to get out of the way. Like, the coverage we got. The coverage we got was perfect. I just had to get out of there. But it would have been bad if I was running a bit. If I was running a basics. There's a chance I'm just collisioning AJ Coming out of the out of that wing spot, who knows?

[B]

A ball player, man. Just a ball player.

[A]

Either way, that's why it pays to have smart players, man.

[B]

That's what pays. To have guys that work with the QBs at 6am and are in the blitz meetings.

[D]

Exactly. We had said, if this ever gets called backwards, remember, you guys gotta be really.

[A]

All right, Coop, we're not gonna keep you any longer, man. We appreciate you coming back on.

[D]

Of course.

[B]

Congrats again, brother.

[D]

Thank you, guys.

[B]

So happy for you, man.

[A]

Enjoy the parade. Enjoy being a champion king of the castle. King of the castle.

[D]

This is the favorite saying of the day. Saying of day.

[A]

All right, thank you to our presenting sponsor, Xfinity.

[B]

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[A]

Imagine that restrictions apply. Select plans only. Thank you to our partner, American Express.

[B]

All right, now, 92 percenters. Question for you. What's the number one most stressful part of traveling?

[A]

I mean, it's got to be the airport, right?

[B]

Bingo. You could have it all planned out, then find yourself running through the terminal, coat half on phone at 3%. It's chaos.

[A]

But after years of constant travel, I've learned something very important. Travis.

[B]

Oh, here we go. Jason, hit him. With that veteran wisdom, rushing to your.

[A]

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[A]

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[A]

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[B]

Thank you to our partner, Raising Canes.

[A]

Coming off the big game in San Francisco, we wanted to give a big shout out to Raising Canes and founder Todd Graves for coming out to the new Heights party.

[B]

Good food, good times. Two things Canes and Todd know a thing or two about.

[A]

That's right. We had some chicken fingers, some cane sauce all at the party and God dang, those things are good.

[B]

All right now. And this week, Canes is hosting a fan event that Seahawks. Sam Darnold is going on a Super bowl quarterback shift at Canes. That's right. He's going to be working at registers, serving up box combos in the kitchen, making cane sauce. I didn't even know they made that sauce. I thought that sauce was already made. And obviously he's going to be celebrating a championship with the fans.

[A]

Well, this is going to be a fun partnership. Cane's does and we can't wait to see it. Shout out to Todd Graves and shout out to Raising Cane's delicious chicken finger meals. Well, that wraps up Cooper Cup's interview. Let's move it on over to our next guest, our next champion.

[B]

Oh, man, I can't wait. That's right, guys, to meet old barnhouse.

[E]

Cleveland boys. Come on, Jason. I never met you, bro. AJ Good to meet you.

[A]

Good to meet you, AJ Always good to meet a fellow Northeast Ohio guy.

[E]

Yes, sir. We stick together, dog.

[B]

Just a ball.

[E]

Play ball.

[B]

Let's go.

[E]

We just play ball. Rain, snow, parking lot, cement, turf. Pick the place. I'll be there.

[A]

Let's go. And you got a tutty in the game, man.

[E]

Needed that. Needed that.

[A]

Well done. Well done. All right, we're gonna do an intro and then we're gonna get right to it.

[E]

Sounds good, AJ sounds good.

[A]

All right, 92 percenters, we are not done. We've got one more world champion Seattle Seahawk for you. Our Next guest is 6 foot 6 tight end from Aurora, Ohio. He's won a national title at the University of Michigan and now he is a Super bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks. 92 percentage, please. Welcome to the show swag champ AJ Barnyard Barnard.

[B]

Ball player. Yeah, the tutty in the Super Bowl. Dude, did you black out before you hit the autumn, dog?

[E]

Man, you know how it is. Just. Yes. Blacked out. Slow motion Everything just becomes slow motion and then just all the boys find you and it's just like. It's hard to collect yourself after that and be like, all right, like, let me finish this game and be ready to go make another play, dude.

[B]

So epic, dog. And it was a big time touchdown. The only touchdown, man.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

We had Cooper on this thing talking about how. How he heard the play might have been flipped or there. There might have been just like a. A little bit of like a miscommunication on where. Yeah. Did you know that that was going on?

[E]

I just caught wind of that. And, like, you got. You know how it is.

[B]

I heard.

[E]

I heard yada, yada. Why scissors? I'm like, all right. Bet I know the play.

[A]

Like, air this thing out.

[C]

Not.

[B]

L know where to line up.

[E]

You boys line up. Let's get this damn play called. Yeah.

[B]

So good, dog. You came through. So it's a great play design, by the way. Awesome. I'm sure you guys had ran the run to that where you got. You're helping out to the. The outside zone to it and everything. I've ran that play once or twice in my day from the backfield. Being from the backfield or running a corner, the hardest part is getting through the linebacker coming to meet you. And you. You just slid him just a little, bro. If he wreck, like, if he collisions you. That plays a completely play.

[E]

No doubt.

[B]

Walk us through it, man. You saw him coming through the wall or what?

[A]

Let's hold on. We. We got it on tape. Let's play it. And then. Do you want to talk over it? If you want. A.J. sounds good.

[B]

Let's hear.

[A]

Break out the broadcast in the guy.

[D]

Let's go.

[A]

Breaks down the tape.

[B]

I'm about to have this at TEU next year. You're gonna be on the drawing board, dude.

[E]

Facts. I was gonna bust your balls a little bit. Trav. I was gonna say, man. Like, people. People don't say that. Trav blocks. Trav does block, for sure. But some of the DNS be working with Trav a little bit. Like, I don't know what we gotta do, but they show love a little bit good union. Union work.

[B]

You already know. Yeah, you good. But.

[E]

So we run out. We run this out of outside zone. This is Zorro concept, but I'm sure you guys know Zorro.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

And like, this combination is two tight ends. Zorro blocking an end big to, like, usually the corner. The safety who's down, who's this guy who's down? Linebacker.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

So obviously we're going two for two there. We've ran the hell out of it. And like Trav said, pre snap, like, I'm looking over there. I guess the formation was messed up, and I'm trying to get a peek, like, all right, who am I going to have to navigate here to get out? And again, like, it's like, I feel like the route is what it is on the paper, but it's like, all right, like, how can I get out and just get free?

[B]

Get free.

[E]

So, yeah, if you run it, just navigate it out of there. And as soon as I seen Coop clear, I was just off his hip and then. Could have been a little bit smoother, but.

[A]

Could have been smoother. What are you talking about? You got a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

[B]

Nah, bro. Are you kidding me?

[E]

No, no, no. For sure, for sure. Maybe could have stayed up, but I'll.

[A]

Get out of here.

[E]

I'm just, like, running, bro.

[B]

When you got through second level clean, were you like, I'm open, I'm open. I'm open, bro. It's like the way the mind works is just like, yeah, yeah.

[E]

It's like, where's this ball at? I'm trying to find it, track it.

[B]

I know it's coming.

[E]

And you know how it is, too. Like, I'm looking for the quarterback.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

I'm trying to find the quarterback's eyes and, like, where he's at in the pocket. You see it in the air, the trajectory of it. Finally, like, once you locate the quarterback, and then it's just like, all right, let me go glue this.

[A]

There we go, baby.

[E]

And then, boom, the world stops. Slow motion. Yeah, but I feel like you live those moments out before they happen.

[A]

Like, the only reason I wanted to play this back is you guys do such a good job of selling this. The backers actually run through, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's why I want to give Darnold some props here. He stands there and delivers this with it. He knows he's about to get crushed.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Linebacker is coming down right on top of him.

[E]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So it's like right in front of him. Doesn't bat an eye, knows that you're going to be there.

[E]

Sammy's a dog, man.

[A]

Just well done by both of you guys.

[E]

Sammy's a dog. Physical cat, too. Played linebacker in high school, so if you're playing ball for the Seahawks, you better be able to to lower some pads.

[B]

You just spoke to Jason's soul when you said he played linebacker in high school.

[A]

Damn straight. Damn straight.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Well, how you feeling, bud? Super bowl champion?

[E]

Feeling really good. Feeling really good. Our team's a little, like. We got some vets on the team on our offense. I'm definitely a young cat swag champ, though, baby.

[B]

You already know. You bring the juice?

[E]

Yes, sir.

[B]

You bring the juice for the old cats dog. You already know.

[E]

Got to. Somebody's got to do it. Somebody's got to do it. I'm going to enjoy it for sure, but quite honestly, I'm just trying to take it all in.

[B]

Dude, I'm so happy for you. Have you slept yet?

[E]

Yeah, bro. After the game, I was honestly just with the fam. Like, we were in San Jose, like, way outside the city, so we got after a little bit, but, like, you guys know how it is, too. Like, the peak is that confetti falling down. Like, is the club in San Jose gonna do it for me after that? Like, probably not trying to, but eventually I'm gonna celebrate in the right way.

[A]

Well, you better be. Your. You got a parade tomorrow, right?

[E]

For sure.

[A]

You know what you're wearing.

[E]

I might channel my inner Jason on the mic.

[B]

Let's go.

[A]

Can't wait to hear this.

[E]

Oh, yeah, it's gonna be awesome.

[A]

Have you thought about what you're gonna say if you're gonna get on the mic?

[B]

No, let's let it go.

[E]

But I'm one of the guys, too. Like, Coop. Let's get Coop on the mic. Let's get Sammy on the mic. I'll vibe with the crowd. I'm gonna live life and just enjoy the moment and see where it takes me.

[A]

Are you. Are you more of a. A beer or liquor guy? What are we going.

[E]

Beer for sure.

[A]

If I could tell you one advice.

[E]

Midwest beer.

[A]

If I could give you one bit of advice, dude, if you stick with the light beer, you're gonna be good.

[B]

Good.

[A]

Right. The moment you start pouring the shots down, everybody's. Oh, we want to do.

[B]

Yeah, no, yeah, I want that.

[A]

You're gonna be bad. You gotta. It's a marathon.

[E]

Yeah, no doubt. Yeah. You know when the beers are. When the beers are starting to kick.

[A]

Yes.

[E]

And the liquor, dude, the liquor will hit you out of nowhere.

[A]

Sneaks up on you. Yeah. Give you that right hook.

[E]

For sure.

[B]

This guy's won a title before. How does this feel compared to. To when you want it in Michigan?

[E]

I just feel like when you have a team, like, the ingredients are there. Like, y' all have won championships before. Like, there's a lot of similarities between championship teams, and I felt that with this team, and I'm a little bit spoiled because, like, I've had the confetti and reached the pinnacle at that level. Obviously, it's different, but to have that experience just two short years ago, it's been incredible. And obviously, like, the super bowl is a whole nother level, but, like, quite frankly, I feel like the vibe that you get with this team is, like, we just kind of expected to be here, and now it's happened, and it's like, holy. Like, we did it, you know? So I think it's just going to continue to settle in and be better and better, but, you know, we're gonna enjoy it, and then next year is gonna roll around and. Or we'll have a target on our back.

[B]

That's how it goes, baby.

[A]

Well, you'll definitely have to target on your back, but that's what you want. It's. It's good to have the target on your back.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

It's an honor to have the target on your bed, man. It's the best ever.

[E]

Facts, bro, facts.

[A]

Well, in your first year, do you have a. You have a welcome to the NFL moment. I mean, this is winning the Super Bowl.

[B]

That's a hell of a man.

[E]

All right, man, I've been saving this story for a great podcast.

[A]

Let's go, let's go. Here.

[B]

Bless us, please, here.

[E]

And I got. Look at my guy Rich here, because I've been saving this one, and we'll see where it goes. But okay, so Cooper cup mentioned that, like, I'm like, you know, just. You never know what you're going to get. Coop had mentioned in the media this story about me being captain hooked up so many different directions. So many different directions.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

If you know me, like, I' ma have fun always. But, like, I'm always being control, and that's besides the point. But. But y' all will figure that out. But anyway, okay.

[A]

All right.

[E]

Week six, Jaguars away.

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[E]

Pull up to the stadium. Normal routine. Y' all know how it is. Like, gotta go to the bathroom before the game. And you know that bathrooms got to. And you know that bathroom is going to be a nightmare the longer you wait.

[A]

Oh, for sure.

[B]

Multiple ways.

[E]

So I get up in there. I get up in there. I'm one of the first people to get in the locker room. Like, bet I'm go do my thing. Whatever.

[A]

Yeah, man.

[B]

Do my thing. Dude, aj, you're hilarious.

[E]

Get down to the bathroom. Big. Big guy. Big guy. Y' all know how it is in the stall. I go to lean Forward and sit back, crack my head on this hook.

[B]

That'S, like, on the back of this wall, bro.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

And it's one of those moments where, like, you. You kick your dresser like, something in the house, and you're like, mother. Like.

[A]

Yeah, I sit down.

[E]

I sit down, blood rushing down my.

[B]

My head.

[A]

No.

[E]

I'm like, yo, so I get up. Don't do my business. I get up and, like, my teammates know me. I'm like, where's the training room? Like, the. I just split my head open, bro. Like, looking around the training room, bro. Finally make the training room. I get up in there. They're obviously like, bro, what just happened? And I'm, like, trying to elaborate to them. I'm trying to get ready for the game. There's blood rushing down my face. The next thing they hit me with is, we're gonna have to cut your hair.

[B]

I'm like, not that.

[E]

Not the lettuce, bro.

[A]

Anything but that.

[E]

Anything but the lettuce.

[B]

I just got it trimmed. Are you kidding me?

[E]

Yeah. Yeah. They. They cut out this little patch, which I still lowkey. Have a little bald spot. No stitches. Thank God. Thank God. No stitches. We put a piece of gauze in it. I wear. I wear a skull cap. I go back to that same stall, finish my business in that stall. Just to let that stall know it's not gonna have power over me.

[A]

Assert my dominance.

[B]

He had to let that stall know who the. Had to let it misses Captain Hook.

[E]

Had to let the stall know the barnyard was there, and then went out, won the game, had my season high in receiving yards, basically off one catch. That, and we won the game, and I cracked my head open, and that's it.

[A]

Captain Hook. Captain Hook. There we go, baby.

[E]

Crazy.

[B]

That's so crazy, dog.

[E]

But y' all can only imagine, like, just getting in that frame of mind for the game, and next thing you know, you just cut your head open and just blood. I was like, bro, like, what are we doing? So it was epic.

[A]

I've only known one story from that. In college, we had a guy. I won't say his name. Everybody from the university will know him, but he would bash his head through the drywall right before the game. We all assimilate in this, like, one area, one guy. Yeah. And he would bang it, and there were just wall holes in all the walls. Well, we go. We go. We go to the. The bowl game in Canada, the International bowl, and my. My guy goes to do it again, and he hits a stud, and, gosh, this is the tire couldn't play in the game.

[E]

He didn't play.

[A]

Couldn't play. Damn, dude.

[E]

I figured that that would be the guy that'd be like, hey, I'm still playing.

[A]

But I think he wanted to. They didn't let him.

[E]

He definitely wanted to. He definitely wanted to. Everyone knows that guy.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

You need one of them on the team.

[E]

And if you're from Cleveland, you may or may not have been that guy.

[A]

I've been there. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. There you go.

[E]

Been there, bro.

[B]

I've been there.

[A]

All right, one more, one more. Before we let you go, we gotta ask about this quote, blocking for Kenneth Walker. All right. Grind meat, carry water. We get it done in the trenches, baby. All right.

[B]

Now that's a banger, right?

[A]

Where did this come from? It sounds like something out of, like, Keanu Reeves. This sounds like something like I would have heard in, like, the Replacements or something like that, bro.

[E]

Like you guys said, like, sometimes the boys need a little pick me up on offense. I play tight end. I'm next to the O line. Like, I kind of got my cred for being a blocker, even though.

[B]

Yeah, you got, dude, you know. Oh, yeah.

[E]

I get after in the trenches, and I love my old line. I love running the rock. And I played in Michigan, and we run the piss out of the ball.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

And when you're wearing on a team, you're grinding fricking meat. When it comes down to the. The end of the game, you need a four minute drill. Grind meat. So it just became like, some of the guys at first, you know how some of the guys are. I'm like, man, let's grind this meat. Grind meat, carry water. So it just became a thing. Like the O line. Loves it.

[A]

For 60 minutes of your life.

[B]

We're about to fucking grind this goddamn meat, God damn it, for the Super Bowl.

[A]

I love it.

[E]

We're about to grind me and just run the piss out of the bowl and just, bro, like. Yeah. So that's what it became. And I feel like everyone knows the saying, like, chop wood, carry water. So it became grind meat, carry water. And that's just the mentality that the Hawks play with. Like, we play volleyball. We want to get after in the trenches. And yeah, that's what it is.

[A]

I love. I love it. I'm stealing it, too. I love it.

[E]

Grind me, grind meat.

[B]

Dude, AJ not enough time with your dog, but we're gonna let you go, bro. You know, I know you got some celebrating to do, bro. It's so such a Honor to be able to get you on the pod. You already know Northeast Ohio ball player, bro. Since I missed you, I knew you were gonna keep doing great things, man. So happy for you.

[E]

I appreciate that, bro. We gotta, we gotta tap in. I just want to pick your brain on some, on some ball and obviously, you know, talk ball and all that. So great to meet you too, Jason. Appreciate you guys having me on here, man. It's been an honor and got a lot of love for you guys, man.

[A]

Honors all ours. Congratulations, brother.

[E]

Appreciate you guys.

[B]

Captain Hook.

[A]

All right, Captain, ladies and gentlemen.

[E]

Yes, sir.

[A]

All righty. Thank you to Cooper cup and A.J. barner. Let's hit on some non football super bowl stuff. How about that?

[B]

I just love those dudes, man. Both of them A1 people. Ball players. God damn. It's got to be a fun team to be on right now.

[A]

I can't wait to see the parade tomorrow.

[B]

Oh, it's going to be epic.

[A]

We got out of the house, San Francisco at the super bowl this week.

[B]

Yes, we did.

[A]

What was the best party?

[B]

The New Heights party. It was the, it was the best, dude. And I may be biased because New Heights is New Heights. But we had everybody that I could have ever wanted to come through. We got to play some arcade games. I never get around arcade games enough. Like, I left that play. I left that party being like, man, I wish I could just play a few more games. Like, why did they have to just end the night like that?

[A]

You're right. Everybody that was there, there were so many incredible people. I. I don't even want to start listing them just because it's like, where do you stop and where do you start? But it was, it was star studded. It was a ton of people that helped put the show on. Shout out to everyone in the New Heights production and with Wondery and Amazon and it was just a. It was awesome on every single level and we had a blast.

[B]

Oh, best place you chugged a beer, dude, you were all over the place.

[A]

Listen, I like going to places whenever we get into these cities and checking things out and getting a good feel and doing the tourist thing and had an idea to. I'm going to drink a beer at all these places like that. I've always wanted to visit and be at and have a beer at. So, you know, we avoided getting any fines for open containers because I just drink them as fast as possible before the cops can show up. And then it's, you know, so we're just having a good time. All right, now this Jacket that I wore to the night's party is from a store called Love on Hate. Gotta shout them out.

[B]

Over in the Love on height. Yeah.

[A]

Of San Francisco where the hippie movement basically started with the really bad Janis Joplin. Yeah, man. A lot of freaking awesome. Oh yeah, man. Pretty cool. It's a tie dye shop apparently. Will always be a tie dye shop.

[B]

I love some good tie dye, man. The thing is epic.

[A]

San Francisco was an awesome city. Probably drank about 60 to 70 beers throughout the whole week. So recharge it had a blast. Did you DJ anywhere?

[B]

No, I'm not. I'm not a DJ quite yet. But I am a. I am a like proud supporter of DJs everywhere. I am a big, big music guy and I'll go everywhere. I saw two of my favorites over in loud luxury at the tight ends of Friends party with George and Claire and hung out with the chain smokers. Saw my guy disco lines.

[A]

Did you see Shaboozi?

[B]

I did. I dapped up Shaboozi.

[A]

He came over to the hotel. I was like, I was just with your brother. I'm like, oh, okay. So.

[B]

So it was like a drive by dap up, man. Love you. Yeah. The best.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And Kevin moving, man. But Shaboozi is fucking awesome, dude. Yeah, it was. I felt like that was. That's of my conversations at the Super Bowl. I never get a good like hang with anybody. Even if I've known you my entire life. It's always just like a quick like, how are things? Yeah, great. We gotta catch up. I. I gotta keep moving.

[A]

There's a lot of.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. But it was. It was awesome to see them. And I ended up catching a Stapleton live. Man, that was the coolest performance I think I've ever seen at a Super Bowl. Seeing Stapleton in person in a venue like that, it was very. I won't. I don't want to say it was intimate, but the whoever's event that was, which I just showed up because it was Chris Stapleton, but whoever's event that was was they. They played it perfectly. Stapleton went up there and rocked the stage as he always does. It was just such a vibe, man.

[A]

Kylie and I've been to a number of Stapleton shows at this point. I mean he does not disappoint in any venue. But there is something. We saw him last year's super bowl and it was a similar environment where it's not like small small, but there's something about it where it's like intimate. He's like, right there. And he's just got so much character and feel to his voice and the songs. Well, we got the interview coming up with him that we, that we got that we'll be releasing at a later date, but awesome. Chris is the man. Best show I've ever been to. Still, like, love going to his shows. Shout out to Stapleton. Shout out to San Francisco. Awesome. Did a great job hosting the Super Bowl.

[B]

It's the second time I've been to San Fran for a Super bowl, man. And both of them were so much fun, man.

[A]

The only negative is, like, how far the stadium is away from the San Francisco, like, city area. Like, you're driving to go to it. But most of the stuff throughout the week is centrally located in San Fran, which isn't that bad.

[B]

We grew up in a, in an era of, like, fandom, and Cleveland did this to us. Cleveland had all sporting events in one located area. The Gateway district in Cleveland was that. It was the. You had the Tribe, you had Jacob's Field, you have Gunderina, you had Gunderina. You know what I mean? They kept it all downtown right there, and it was just, it was, it made it easy and it made so much sense in our minds. The owners, they, they get so much more opportunity getting to the outskirts of the city and it just. It.

[E]

Yep.

[B]

But it's hard to argue with those opportunities. And we're dealing with it right now in Kansas City. Like, we're, we're going over to Kansas. But at the same time, it's like, if you look at that deal in terms of a owner, like, that's one of the greatest opportunities you could ever get as an owner. And I think it's going to be unbelievable once it's finally set in stone. But it is going to be kind of heartbreaking knowing that the Chiefs are going to move away from Arrowhead and that, that, that side of like the Missouri side of Kansas City. And it'. It's. Yeah, it's just a part of the old, you know, professional sports. You know, it is a business at the end of the day. And I think a lot of circling back to the San Fran deal, man, it was still awesome to be around the city of San Francisco, feel the culture, feel the excitement that was going on all week inside that city. And then it's still a beautiful stadium that, that they played the super bowl at.

[C]

So.

[A]

Well, listen, I, I hear what you're saying, and if I was an owner, I might feel differently, but that keep those stadiums in the cities I know you guys want to make all your money and you want to have your shows and you want to do all this stuff.

[B]

I hear you, man.

[A]

The fans pay a lot of the money for you guys to have all these things and for the NFL to exist. And I just. I don't like the stadiums moving. I don't like the Cleveland's moving out of Cleveland. I don't like that. Well, the Arrowhead's already outside of Arrowhead, so I don't really care that much whether it's in Missouri or Kansas, but, like, I don't know, man. These. These cities. There's something awesome about going downtown into the heart of Cleveland to go see a Browns game, and they could figure out a way to build a new stadium downtown. Like, you could build a big, beautiful stadium right down there, and you can do the same thing in Kansas City. You could do the same thing in all these places, and then it wouldn't be an hour and a half drive out there. I get that these owners want to make money.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But at the same time, I don't know why. I don't like it. I don't like it.

[B]

I hear you, dude. I hear you. We're both on the same train in that regard. It's just kind of how we're built, man. Once again, Bold Topics is brought to you by Pepsi. Let's move on to some Stamps of the Week. Stamps of the Week is brought to you by Raising Canes. Yeah, but our friends over at Raising Canes threw a bunch of fucking parties.

[A]

I met Todd Graves for the first time.

[B]

Nice. You actually got to say what's up to him.

[A]

He's at the New Heights party.

[B]

Nice, man.

[A]

I don't need to read any other nominee. I know where I'm going. Stamp of the week goes to Jeff Stoutland. Listen, Jeff Stoutland resigned from his post with the Philadelphia Eagles this past week. You know, after 13 years. The offensive line coach, I mean, just coached a ton of incredible players. Jason Peters, Todd Harman's, Evan Mathis, myself, Lane Johnson, Jordan Malata. Turned him from a rugby player into an all pro left tackle. Got Cam Juergens do a Pro bowl last year. Landon Dickerson do some Pro Bowls. Isaac Seomalu. Like, he's just. He's done such an incredible job within the Philadelphia Eagles organization, and he's been such a mainstay throughout. Multiple head coaches at this point, you know, it just sucks to see him go. Selfishly, as an Eagles fan and as somebody who played with them and somebody that I still Goes to the, you know, still goes to the facility. I still go to NovaCare on a regular basis and. And I'm not going to be able to see Stout anymore. And that just, you know, it's frustrating for me and I think frustrating for a lot of people in that building because he was. He was a personality that was, you know, a lot of people gravitated towards and, you know, this is the reality of the business. Coach, I love you. I. I don't know what's next, but whatever it is, whether it's coaching or whatever, I know you're going to be great at it as you always are. And, you know, I get that the team is trying to move forward and really embrace this new system and, you know, really redesign what this offense is. I wish Stout could have been a part of that, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. And anyways, love you, coach. Couldn't be more happy to have been coached by. And 27 Pro bowl linemen were with Stout over that 13 years. Wild.

[B]

You already know, man. We. We got so much respect for him and I. He's one of those guys that you meet and cross and crossing just because you were playing for him and. Or I got to meet in crossing just because you were playing for him. And he's one of those guys that you would just know you'd love playing for, man. And it's across the board. Anybody that runs into him knows you're going to get everything this guy has. And on top of that, he's going to be real about it. And. And we're going to get done. One of the best ball coaches that. That I've known from afar and could it be. Could be more proud to say congrats on. On, you know, everything that your career has gotten to this point. Coach, stop. Man, we. We love you over there. And at the same time, if you ever want to come on a podcast and talk some ball with some old has beens, man, come on over, dude.

[A]

Always welcome.

[B]

Always howdy.

[A]

What else do we want to get into?

[B]

Who do I want to give a shout out to? The quarterback of the Super Bowl, Sammy Darnold, man, you get my stamp of the week. Stamp of the year, man.

[A]

Here we go.

[B]

We're so happy for you, man, and the world is happy for you. You've weathered the storm perfectly to where everybody's rooting for you. And I'm so. I'm so just, you know, ecstatic for you, dog. Stamp of the week because you fought through the. And you're the crown champion, man. You're at the top of the mountain. Couldn't be happier for you, man. And that wraps up step of the week brought to you by raising canes. Get to your raising canes. Enjoy some chicken and some Texas. Some toast. Some toast. Don't forget the toast. Thanks to our partner, Expedia.

[A]

When we travel, we like to keep things simple.

[B]

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[A]

It does. And that's easily the best thing about using it, is that it is all right there. You don't have to go to 15 different sites and yada, yada, yada, but a bing, bada boom, you can package it all up in one bundle on Expedia. That's what I've always enjoyed about it. And listen, especially when you're doing it with a big family trip or a trip with the guys, it gets complicated if you're having to go to all these different things, right? So that's where it really comes in handy for me.

[B]

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It just makes sense. One place, everything you need. No bouncing between apps.

[A]

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[A]

Thank you to our partner, Pepsi.

[B]

Oh, I love a good wild cherry Pepsi. Over the weekend, you probably saw Pepsi's new spot with the polar bear doing the Pepsi Challenge. And look, we got to talk about it because it's actually kind of wild.

[A]

It is. It's the Pepsi paradox. Basically, when you take the labels off and just go by taste, people choose Pepsi every single time.

[B]

Everybody knows this. They brought back the Pepsi Challenge. And get this, 2/3 of people said Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes better than the competition.

[A]

And Pepsi Zero Sugar won in 100 of the markets they tested. That's not just winning, that's dominating.

[B]

Break out the brooms, because that's what I call a clean sweet.

[A]

Don't trust us. Find Pepsi Zero Sugar near you and let your taste decide because you deserve taste.

[B]

You deserve Pepsi. Thank you to our sponsor, Allstate.

[A]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates in Northbrook, Illinois. Let's get to the hall of Fame portion of today's show. That's right, first ballot hall of Famer Drew Brees. We had a chance to talk to him over in San Francisco and it did not disappoint.

[B]

Point.

[A]

Get ready. Oh, quick shout out to Chase Daniels. Sorry in advance. It was not us. Our guest today is a former walk on quarterback from Purdue. He is a five time All Pro, 13 time Pro Bowler, two time NFL offensive Player of the Year, NFL Comeback player of the Year, the second most passing yards in NFL history, Super bowl champion, super bowl mvp, and also now officially a first ballot hall of Famer. Please welcome Drew Brees.

[C]

I made him.

[A]

Cheers to that baby. Drew, you're the man, brother. Thank you so much for coming on.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

I guess we got to start with the hall of Fame. It just happened.

[C]

Yeah, it's fresh.

[A]

Dan Fouts. That's how you found out.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. That knock came about three weeks ago. It was a great setup himself. I know. So I, I share a birthday with my oldest son, Baylon, so he's born on my 30th birthday. So we, we, we had a birthday weekend. It's always Martin Luther King weekend. So really the weekend's about him just doing whatever he wants to do. So then Monday rolls around and my daughter, who's 11, is like the light of my life. Just says, dad, I want to take you out to eat.

[B]

I'm like, oh, nice.

[C]

Oh, this is the greatest. So my wife, my daughter, they're ready to go. Five o'. Clock. Be ready. We're going to take you out to eat. So I'm ready, and the boys are messing around, doing something upstairs. I'm like, boys, let's go. You know, Rylan wants to take dad out to eat. Let's go. And they're messing around. So now I'm starting to get a little fired up. I'm like, yo, Rylan said five o' clock, we're leaving the house. I'm like about to get in the car and leave and leave them. All right? And then all of a sudden, here's the knock at the door and I'm a little. I'm like, who's knocking the door now? We're trying to Leave. You know, my daughter set this up. I just want this to be special for her. And then there's Mr. Supercharger Dan Fouts himself in the gold jacket.

[A]

That is incredible.

[C]

Me into the hall of Fame. So it was.

[B]

They had me.

[C]

It was a good setup.

[A]

What happens when you feel that, like, do you, like, think about your career? Like, you think about, like. I don't. It's. It's got to be crazy in that moment, right?

[C]

Yeah, it was. Like I said, like, my mind was totally elsewhere, so it was such a. It was such a shock. And I mean, obviously, cameras, know, in NFL films and everything, too, and. And then all of a sudden, it is. It's the rush of emotion and just thinking about getting to that moment and just everything that's transpired, and. And I immediately look at my family, and, I mean, honestly, I. I played so much longer than I ever thought I would, and in many cases, I did it because I wanted my kids to remember what dad did.

[B]

So cool, man.

[C]

And then I'm looking at them and, you know, I see their eyes welling up and just, you know, lost it.

[A]

That's awesome, brother.

[B]

So beautiful family. Walk on to hall of Famer, brother.

[C]

Not.

[B]

Not many can say that. Know one that may have a chance.

[A]

Will you shut up? So what's the process now? Have you already thought about, like, what picture you're going to use for your bust? Like, are you. Who's going to introduce you?

[C]

I know who's going to introduce me, but I can't say, because I want.

[B]

To make it special, but. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, it's. You start thinking about those. I mean, literally, each moment since then has. Has gotten me a little closer to reality, you know, at that time, it's still so surreal, and you just want to pinch yourself, and you're not sure if this is just a dream, but I'd say yesterday, before they announced it at honors, a couple hours before, all our class of hall of Famers, you know, got into a room. So. Larry Fitzgerald. Yeah.

[A]

Roger Trav.

[B]

You gotta tell, we're sitting there, we got a front row seat to the whole thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we're seeing everybody come out. You're the last one. He taps me on there. I was like, dude, this is a great class. I'm like, yeah, Jason saying it's the hall of Fame. Did you expect to not know anyone?

[A]

They were saying, but how many first ballot guys? Like, I don't know. It does feel like a special class.

[C]

I would say this.

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

The last time you actually went and looked at each class of hall of Famers. It's been a while since they started doing this.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

But literally every class, it's almost like each one is like, whoa, that was a great class.

[B]

Whoa.

[C]

Seriously, like, that was great. I mean, every one of them, it just. Just makes you realize just how elite it is. And. And I think that the feeling last night after we were called onto the stage and then all the hall of Famers start matriculating out of the crowd and coming up on stage, I mean, it's like this indoctrination, like, welcome.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, it's like, wow, man.

[A]

So do you go in. I know you retire as a certain franchise usually. Do you go into the hall of Fame as a specific one organization? Yeah.

[C]

Oh. I mean, it's Saints, obviously.

[A]

Nothing against fouls, but that was a little thing that was surprising to me. Is there, like, a personal connection there? Like, why Chargers and not like a former saint?

[C]

So he was one of the first guys that I spoke with when I was drafted was Dan Fouts. Obviously, his legendary status.

[B]

Did he tell you to just throw to the biggest guy on the field or what?

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

He had, like, the beginning of, like, this era of tight end. Oh, man.

[C]

Charlie Joyner and Chandler, and they were. They were some dudes, you know, he was. He's been great to me ever since I signed, you know, first signed in the league and. And obviously a Charger legend. Ironically, that Coryell offense was one that we ran when I was first in. In San Diego. Yeah. So there was a connection there, too. So that was. That was pretty unique.

[B]

Giving you all the ins and outs. Man, that's awesome, dog.

[A]

You're going in with a division rival. Luke Keakley, did he give you as many headaches as he did to me trying to free. He was calling out our plays like. I'm like, what, are you stealing this? How are you this good? And knowing what we're about to do, I'll be honest.

[C]

I think again. And you never know how the class is going to shake out, but especially Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Keighley. Like, I've always had a real special bond with Larry.

[B]

He's the best dude.

[C]

Funny, because you see each other from afar. I know he was never going to get out of Arizona, and I was certainly never going to leave New Orleans. Only time we had a chance to play together was in Pro Bowls. I mean, how awesome are Pro Bowls? You have a chance to be with these guys that you just have so much respect for.

[A]

I Still remember you calling out the mic at one of my Pro Bowls. Drew Brees is out of. Yeah, you wired, man. I only know one way. I know he's like, where we sl.

[C]

Just take it easy, man.

[D]

You know?

[C]

Lee Ray Lee.

[B]

Let's.

[C]

Let's go over here.

[A]

Hey, we'll get you a double on.

[C]

Aaron Donald over here real quick. That was so. Like, my first Pro bowl touchdown pass was Larry Fitzgerald. Like, we.

[A]

We.

[C]

So we've had a bond our whole career and really leaned on each other for a lot of things. And then, honestly, Luke Kechley, I. Best defensive player I've ever, ever played against.

[A]

Seriously.

[C]

And he was in the division, obviously. And, like, so when I truly say, like, an iron sharpens iron, guys, that just make you better, like, because you have to be like, you knew going into that game, like, I have to be my absolute best against this dude.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so he just brought out the best in me, in us.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so I really appreciate that. That about him. Such an unbelievable competitor, but, like, off the field, like, the most genuine dude. Like, I've spent more time with him. Him over the last 24 hours.

[A]

Cincinnati.

[C]

I'm like, dude, I love this guy.

[B]

I like my Ohio ball players and my. My Texas gunslinger.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know what I'm saying? Texas cattle ranchers.

[A]

The biggest surprise with Larry Fitzgerald, to me, was that he found a pair of corduroy pants that fit him. I mean, that thing. He is thick on the bottom half now.

[B]

I guarantee you he can move to the tight end room right now and still go for a thousand yards. Solid genetics. No, Larry's the man. What I still remember my first college experience was Larry Fitzgerald playing Notre Dame over in pit, man.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Making freakish catches.

[B]

Watching him in, like, just, like, routes on air or pack and go. And I'm just sitting there, I'm like, man, this dude is the man.

[A]

It was before the same thing. It was insane.

[B]

It was just like, man, this dude's.

[C]

He's different.

[A]

But even honestly, the play that I remember the most from his career, which is stupid, that he probably will hate that I say this. The James Harrison interception.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

He is, like, completely out of the play.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Running out of bounds, like, over woods and tree trunks and doing anything he can to try and make this tackle. I'm just like, dude, that's amazing. Like, that is the effort and, like, what makes somebody different, like, who is going to give that amount of effort and not just like, a special teams guy who's trying has to kind of do that to survive a Hall of Fame level, like best receiver of all time.

[C]

I actually, when the class was announced, I started just reflecting on all the plays that I can remember all these guys making. Obviously that super bowl stood out. And we've all had those moments where, look, you're in a game like that, there's a ton of exceptional players on the field, but then there's those times where like one just rises above the rest and you're just like, for this entire game, that is the best player on the field. That game was a moment like that.

[B]

That.

[C]

Yeah. Where you like that play. And then the one where they took the lead at the end before the Steelers went down. It's like two man. And he beats the corner inside on like just a little delay route, splits the safeties and gone. You're like, yeah, this dude is the best player on the field.

[A]

Seriously.

[B]

Right.

[C]

He was still young in his career. I mean, it was only like year five, maybe.

[A]

Yeah. 08, something like that. Yeah, he was young.

[B]

What a guy, man.

[A]

So we did have a potential hall of Famer come out of retirement this year. Was there, was there a call when Bo Nix went down?

[B]

You have had to.

[C]

Dude. I would say I've had some conversations and I've had some moments. Yeah, I've had some moments. I would say this, like, my body feels great. My mind sharp as ever.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Shoulder, wrist, not having it. And like to the point where there was a moment this year where literally I was drinking a tequila and something happened where I thought there might be a chance I would play that week. And I literally switched to water and I started thinking about going to bed early and getting up the next day and like getting my body nice and loose and going out and throwing to see if I could even pull it off.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And boy, I was like so mentally right. And got up, got the body loose, went out there, grabbed the ball, threw a couple. My. My 13 year old son was catching for me.

[A]

Let's go.

[C]

And it was just like, like.

[A]

I.

[C]

Would have been able to like break that glass 10, 10ft away.

[A]

You got to take the tortoise first. You forgot the tor.

[C]

The good stuff is not in the system.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[C]

The good stuff is not in the system. But no, I, It's. Honestly, look, I would, I just, I really think I'd still be playing if. If I. If the shoulder and the wrist wouldn't have. Wouldn't have started to let me down.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

I just, I started to lose quite a bit of pop, you know, and it's One of those things where you know where to go with the ball, but can I get it from point A to point B and the amount of time that it needs to get there in order to be effective and.

[B]

Unfortunately, yeah, that left, man, oh man. Dude, you played with some fucking legends in the tight end room, obviously. Tonio, Jimmy Graham. The years that I was turning into a tight end in college were you and Jimmy just going absolutely nuts, man. And that really changed those years with like Gage, Jimmy being those basketball guys and like really being able to be that mismatch. And then you obviously Gronky throw into the fold. Do you feel that, Jimmy? I don't know. I don't want to say this the wrong way. I feel like he's never gotten the true respect that he deserves at the tight end position. I want to give Jimmy some love because what he's done to change the game, I don't think is talked about enough. Okay, I agree and a thousand percent.

[C]

Jimmy was so rare. I mean, here was a guy who played four years of basketball in Miami, right? Had a fifth year of eligibility and it was just like, ah, you know, I, I played a little high school football. I'll go out here, see if I can, you know, run some red zone fades, you know, which I think he caught 11 balls, seven tuddies. Is senior. Your fifth year? Senior year. And, and at that point, look, I, I credit, I credit Sean. I credit our scouting department. Like those guys had a knack for seeing like some raw talent and. But even seeing through that to like this guy, once we polish him up and like get him in the system and he's going to be exceptional. So we brought Jimmy in as a third round pick in 2011. We had Shocky.

[A]

That was Travis Favorite.

[B]

Dude, you already know, man. You want to talk about attitude, man?

[C]

Yeah. And we were doing some interesting things with Shock that, that honestly like we did with Gates in, in San Diego. But it was kind of like this. At any time, just displace them, split them out to the single receiver side. We had this whole system of signals. You know, we try to get. We tried to do it in man's situation. So we got some favorable matchup and then we just go to town over here, right?

[B]

Yeah, I can, I can relate.

[C]

That became Jimmy's thing. But man, Jimmy was just a gazelle. He was just kind of. He was a deer at first it was like, man, he could run, but.

[B]

He had sinking his hips coming out.

[C]

No, no, he, yeah, he had an edge. He had something to prove. Like, chip on his shoulder big time. But it was. It was a great first year opportunity for him because Shocky was the guy and then Jimmy was kind of like the bring him in in certain situations and just bring him along. And by the time 2011 came around, it was like he was ready. And then that was out.

[B]

Here we're literally him and Gron, bro.

[C]

Like, you already know going into that last season, that last game we were playing Carolina, I can't remember who New England was playing, but they were fighting for. I think it was most yards by a tight end.

[B]

And touchdowns.

[C]

And touchdowns. Right?

[B]

They both ended up with over 15 that year.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Crazy.

[C]

But literally, like, from drive to drive, it was. I'd come over the side and be like, where's gronk? Like, he's 10 yards ahead. Okay, well, let's run.

[A]

Let's do this.

[C]

Jimmy, right?

[A]

That's a good teammate right there, baby.

[C]

Unfortunately, our game ended first, so Ron got the record. But literally it was one of those.

[A]

Like, I wonder if they were doing the same thing.

[C]

Oh, totally.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, they're keeping track.

[E]

Exactly.

[C]

For sure.

[B]

That's the best, man.

[C]

Honestly, the. The most unfortunate thing. And literally when I say, like, Jimmy and I cried on the phone together when we traded him, man. Cried on the phone together. He was with us for five years. And could you imagine what five more years would have been like, right? You know, at a point where we were just so, like, the chemistry was so strong, right?

[B]

You guys created a whole new play. Like, there was like the goal line fade, and then there was the Jimmy Graham. Just fucking throw it to him. This dude would literally just go and post up, like, in the paint. And it was. It was like. It was a fade, but it wasn't a fade. It was more just like a jump ball.

[C]

We had five different back shoulders.

[B]

That's crazy, right?

[A]

It's crazy.

[C]

It was the DB's here. Back shoulder or I'm just gonna stand in front of him and you throw it up. There's. The bottom line is if you're 672 7, you're. There is nobody. A dude could be standing right next to you. There's still a place I can throw.

[B]

The ball to you, man. My 270 looks way different than that 270.

[A]

This does bring up something to me that I do want to. I have never understood why, like, why doesn't every team just have one guy that's a monster. That is a guaranteed touchdown. Like, think about, like, the Tush push, right? It's a Guaranteed first down every time you're first. There are so many goal line stands throughout a year that happened inside the five. If you could every time. No, you got a six, 10. Just get an NBA guy that wasn't quite good enough in the NBA and just throw him a jump ball. I don't know. Is it harder than I make this?

[B]

Yes, it's way harder than what you're making it.

[A]

Are you kidding me? Okay, well, I don't. That's why I'm asking. I'm asking two guys that would know. I don't think it looks that hard.

[C]

And maybe have him rush on kick block too, so he can be, you know, got a little special teams value.

[A]

There you go.

[C]

That's all you need.

[A]

You just got, Just bring Shaq out of retirement and throw him the ball. He's still going to catch it. Right.

[C]

But to your point, I, I think, I think there was like, I, I think Gates revolutionized the game in a lot of ways. I mean really before that you went Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, right? These kind of basketball guys that came over and applied a lot of that skill set to what they were doing as, as, as tight ends. Jimmy was all heart, man. All heart. And I really wish we would have, could have had five, seven more years together.

[B]

Yeah, I know. I had to show him some love, dog.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, Appreciate that.

[A]

So hall of Fame, but it wasn't always roses, right? It wasn't always the easiest thing mentioned earlier. Walk on. At Purdue early in your career, like a lot of turmoil coming from the Chargers to the Saints. What was that? That like, like a lot of people, you had the injury and you know, what's going on with the shoulder, all this stuff. What was that like for you at that moment?

[C]

The, the injury was devastating in San Diego because I, I really. There was a moment where I thought I wouldn't play football again. Um, I mean I, I had been through a lot with the Chargers. I got drafted there in the second round to back up Doug Flutie, which was the best thing that ever could have happened to me because Doug Flutie was my style of quarterback. We were both undersized, right? He was five, nine and a half, a buck 80, right. But the guy had played 22 years of professional football, right.

[B]

Four different leagues.

[C]

He was Mahomes before Mahomes. From the perspective of like the niftiness, magic making, just making it happen outside. And we would do a lot of under center stuff because it was kind of a bit more pro style. Two back, I backfield Running power, running different weak lead schemes and lt, Right. And Lorenzo Neal as our fullback.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Dude, Low, low.

[A]

Yeah, man.

[C]

And Doug Flutie at times would backpedal a seven step drop from under center. When's the last time you saw that? This is like Fran Tarkenton stuff, you know, but like he was just an old school dude. Yeah, he did push ups, sit ups, ran hills and played basketball. That was his, that was his like strength and conditioning program. And just threw the ball, just played ball. It was, he was like backyard ball. But he was, he was the epitome of, oh, I got to get the ball out a little bit sooner than normal. Just put a little air under it.

[D]

Right?

[C]

Throw that little two ball, man.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Lay it over the wheel in front of the safety to that end. Cut before he's out of the grade. So like his level of timing and anticipation was second to none. So I learned so much just from observation and watching him. Had a chance to compete against him. My second year, won the job and then he backed me up for three years after that. Now I was benched three times in those three years with Marty Shinheimer. The first one, I deserved it. The second one, kind of. The third one I didn't think I deserved it. And I was pissed. And had a knockdown, drag out, screaming match with Marty Schonheimer on the sidelines in December in Pittsburgh and then in the hallway after, and then in his office the next day. And at the end of the day, like I, I, I knew this, he, Marty was always making decisions that he thought were in the best interest of the team, even if I didn't agree with him. Yeah, but I love the man. And he, he developed me in so many ways. Character, leadership. But I, I love and respect that man so much. But finally kind of got to the point where through those ups and downs and through that adversity, I'd earned the starting spot, made my first Pro bowl in 04. Kind of team goes to the playoffs. Even though they drafted Philip Rivers, Flutie was still there. Like I was the guy and I kind of established myself. And then last game of the season in 05, going into an off season where I didn't have a contract, but I was hoping to get like that long term commitment. And I go down with a dislocated throwing shoulder, right? Literally arms stuck like this, walking off the field. I get to the sideline, they pop that thing back in and I'm just going, man, I'm probably never going to put a charger uniform on again. And it's like, like I'm going to play football again. Some doctors told me I had a 25% chance of coming back and playing again. So like just absolutely devastating. And yet, I mean, tested me in so many ways, but also I think strengthened just my faith and in, in the unseen and unknown that, you know, God's got a plan for me and that's awesome, man. It may not be in San Diego and, And that's okay. I just have to trust it. And that's. That's how New Orleans, the out New Orleans opportunity came along.

[B]

No doubt, sailor. From there, I. Dude, do you. Do you think the. The QBs in today's game are.

[A]

Are.

[B]

Are on a real short leash? Does it feel like that or do you think it's fair still that, you know, you gotta, you gotta show up when. When you're called upon?

[C]

I think we do most of them a disservice. I mean, look, there's high expectations, right? And I think it's. The coaches are on short leashes. You know, the, the fan bases, you know, want. Want a winner now.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, you look at Sam Darnold and everything that he's overcome, I think it's. It's a highly inspirational story and journey and there's a few others like that. Baker Mayfield, you know, kind of a similar, similar situation. I think there's. There's so much to play in this position as you know.

[B]

You know, that's why I got out of there, dude.

[A]

Former. Former.

[C]

Former Q.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

Always ready for the double pass.

[A]

Always whenever.

[C]

Always ready for the double pass.

[B]

So, you know, I don't know if I could get it there anymore. So I'll just lateral it. I can still pitch at five yards.

[C]

I'm good. Yeah, I think there's in. In most cases to these high draft picks are going to teams that obviously have. Have a lot of holes to fill as well.

[B]

You know, I think. Who was it Aikman was saying?

[A]

Aikman had a very good quality.

[B]

Organizations are failing these QBs more than they're. They're failing the organization. Yeah, it's true. I mean, when you play the game long enough, you can pinpoint it. You can see which ones that are, you know, maybe getting that disturbance that you're talking about and others that are just, you know, need to make those strides.

[C]

I would say this. I mean, look, I sat for a year behind Flutie. So valuable for me. Mahomes sat for a year behind Alex Smith. Smith, I'm sure, so valuable for him. Brady sat for A year behind Bledsoe. Aaron Rodgers sat for three years. Jordan Love sat for three years behind him. There is something to sitting for a period of time because you will glean a ton and then when it is your time, a little more of like feeling like you've earned it too, you know. And this is my opportunity. I've been preparing for this opportunity. Here we go. As opposed to if you're going to throw a guy in the fire right away, man, there's gonna be ups and downs you just gotta be ready for and you gotta be patient with it.

[A]

No doubt. And I think it's also like when you go into a room with a guy that's been doing it for a long time. So many of these guys, like the coach is one thing, but seeing a player playing the position and how they prepare, like, I do remember this vividly when we drafted Carson Wentz, they purposely went and got Chase Daniels because he was with you in New Orleans. And like they were doing. He's like showing Carson how you prepared.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

He's like, we're getting at 6am we're going to do this. This is how Drew prepared. And like all that, like, it's so important to have that perspective of it for some of these young Qs as well.

[C]

I have, I have, I have two, two theories around when a quarterback's going to be ready.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Number one is having a great veteran backup or veteran starter who starts in front of you for a period of time before you then have the opportunity, which is kind of what we just talked about.

[A]

Right.

[C]

The second is I think you need, need roughly 50 high level starts before you are really like there and ready. Those high level starts could, could be college. Okay. Like plenty of times we've seen this potential drafted, but they only had 15 college starts. Well, if that's the case, it's going to take them three years before they're ready. I'm just telling you. Right? So then start looking at the guys like Brock Purdy. Brock Purdy, a undersized, all these things, like 50 college starts at Iowa State. So I can tell you most of the times when they step foot on the field, they were the underdog. He was having a, throwing a lot of balls, having a punch well above their fighting weight.

[B]

Oklahoma, Texas, still in the conference, everything. You know what I'm saying?

[C]

So he comes in and you're like, okay, he's got some experience. Like he's got something to him. Hence why maybe this success happened a little bit quicker and he's playing for A really good team with some good players. Right. There's some other examples of that. But, yeah, I think it's. The number of starts really has a lot to do with their readiness. Yeah, I think, to step into that role, too.

[A]

Okay, I like it.

[B]

How about I got Chase Daniels making a hell of a fucking living in the NFL.

[A]

All three of us played with him.

[C]

I know.

[A]

I love Chase.

[C]

Lives down the street from me in.

[A]

San Diego right now.

[C]

I gotta bust Chase balls. I think the last stat I saw, the most money earned per snap in the NFL than any man in history.

[A]

I've heard that same stat. I think it's got Chase.

[C]

Well done.

[A]

Well done. Hacked it. Hey.

[B]

But to his credit, always ready. Always ready, always prepared. First one in, last one out, guys.

[C]

You talk about, like, chip on the shoulder. I. I messed with Chase.

[B]

I'm like, dude, him and Mizzou was fun to watch. Him and J. Mac.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

I was like, I've never seen a quarterback in the NFL shaped like high school nose guard, bro.

[A]

But you did it, yo. You did it, huh?

[C]

You made it. Oh, my God, you're here. You did it.

[A]

That's great. That is Chase.

[C]

The best. I love you, Chase.

[B]

That's so good.

[A]

Back to your career. You go from the Chargers and you end up in New Orleans. How, first of all, how close were you to me ending up with Miami Dolphins?

[C]

Yeah, close. I mean, on paper, like, that was a. That was an obvious decision. It was Miami all the way. Miami had Nick Saban. They had just come off a nine and seven season where they won, like, the last seven in a row. So they. They kind of had it figured out. Defense was lights out. Zach Thomas, Jason Taylor. Oh, yeah. Their offense, I loved all their coaching staff. Mike Malarkey was the oc. Jason Garrett, quarterback. Coach Hudson Halp was our line coach, who had been our line coach the year before when we had won the division. Loved hud. They were running the same offense that we were running, like Miami Dolphins. I'm sitting there eating dinner on Wayne Huizenga's yacht. He's there at dinner talking about, hey, we're going to go. We're going to go play golf in Scotland Every. Every summer with Dan. I got out of the helicopter over there. We're just going to hop around. No state income tax. I'm like, dude, this is all paper. Miami, here I come, right? And then on the flip side, you got New Orleans, right? Six months post Katrina, some unknown head coach named Sean Payton, right? Is this guy right? And ironically, five years previous, When I was being, when I was being like in the draft, Tom Condon, my agent, I had probably 15 teams that I thought might draft me. And he's like, we're going through that list leading up to draft day. And he's like, man, you got all these great possibilities. He's like, man, you know, honestly, the only one I would really not want you to go to is the New Orleans Saints, like, kind of dysfunctional party town, this and that, that, like, so I had that ringing in my head as well, right? So again, on paper, it's like, this is so obvious and I'm not leaving anything to chance. I'm going to go and I'm going to give each one, like, it's fair opportunity. And like, the Miami trip was amazing, with the exception of they put me through the ringer, like six hours of these, this medical testing because I was only two, like eight weeks post op on an eight month rehab. So I was nowhere close. I mean, my arm, I'm still kind of in a sling, you know, and I can't do anything thing. And they're, they do the, you know, the saline solution, the contrast mri. So I'm like in an MRI too, for two hours, just aching, right? I get out of that. They stick these big needles in my shoulder to test nerve endings. They're, they're wanting to test everything. So I just, I got this feeling of like, doubt. Like, they don't really. And. And then their doctors were the ones who told Saban, we think he's got a 25 chance of ever coming back and playing again.

[A]

Holy cow.

[C]

And I go to New Orleans and it's like, you are our guy. Like, Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis, you're our guy. We're building this offense around you. They did everything they could to kind of roll out the red carpet. Despite all the circumstances, I mean, New Orleans was still destroyed, right? Like, and the epic story is Sean Payton, after this great visit there, gets lost in the Lakeview neighborhood. And we're driving through there and houses are off of foundations, Chevy truck upside down, a living room. All of a sudden, car stops, there's a tugboat in the middle of the road. And I'm looking at my wife like, are you seeing what I'm seeing? But it was also one of those moments, like, man, this is so much bigger than just football, right? Like, we get to be a part of one of them, you know, the resurrection of one of America's greatest cities. Like, this is God's calling in our life. And so that was the determining factor.

[B]

There's so much beauty down there that got restored through you guys bringing that happiness to him, man. Fucking kudos, brother.

[C]

It's amazing.

[B]

That's a crazy story, though. You went from literally being like, that's what free agency is.

[A]

Like.

[B]

You get to go on yachts and, like, get told you get to golf all over the world with everyone to, like. Like, sitting in an mri, dude, for two hours. That's crazy, man.

[A]

You end up with Sean Payton.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What are your first impressions of Sean? What was it like to be coached?

[C]

Yeah, I would say this.

[A]

I.

[C]

There were moments. And look, this. This stayed true for 15 years where I thought Bill Parcels was standing in front of us, you know, really well, he was a. Like, I would say, look, his biggest. Biggest influence is Jon Gruden. Bill Parcells, like, when he would get up and start installing offensive players, football, you know, run through here, it was like John Gruden.

[A]

Right.

[C]

But then when he would get pissed off and like. Like, go try to go toe to toe with somebody or challenge somebody or get confrontational. Dude, it was Parcels, man. Yeah, it was all Parcel. Yeah. Like, in fact, there were those moments where I could tell he would get up in the team meeting. I could just watch him walk in. I'd be like, ah, he talks. Just. I could feel it, you know, and we were gonna get it, you know? But it was good. I mean, it was always just. It was wisdom.

[B]

You see him and Bo. Nick's relationship and see a little bit of the.

[C]

Oh, yeah, there's some fire. Yeah, there's some fire.

[A]

Both throws it back at him, too, dude.

[C]

Absolutely. And I think Sean appreciates that.

[A]

That's what I was gonna. I was gonna say the same thing. We had a Howard Mudd early in my career in Philly.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And I felt like he used to sometimes just yell at you to see what your response would be. And I think that sometimes it's, like, more even mental. Like, he. They want that, like, fire out of a guy. And, like, if you're willing to answer that, you're willing to stick up for yourself, like, no, coach, I think that this is what you told me. And you know what? I mean, that goes a little bit with those guys.

[C]

What I appreciated so much about Sean was he had an ability to order the chaos, like, to. To. To. To block out all the noise and just give you a very key into a very defined, like, keys to victory.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And. And narrow it down to the point where, hey, man, this is our vision. Like, this is the path to get there. And now let's go execute. He instilled confidence in guys. He had a way to motivate guys through kind of humor. You know, his coaches just have a knack. Like, I give an example. It was like, we had a safety one time who was getting all kinds of interceptions, but he wanted to bust his balls in practice just to kind of keep him honest. So he's like, hey, you know, DB's like he's going to intercept it, but we got to block everybody because he's. He's slow. He's slow as molasses. He's. They're going to hawk him before he gets the end zone. So we got to block everybody in order for him to get in. Like, he would just make comments like that. Like, just. Like, just. Just in case you started, you know, getting a little pretty good about yourself, you know?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, you just keep you honest, hold you accountable, you know, so he had an act for that. And then I would say, just like his open and honesty to you. He was always open door policy. Come see me anytime you want if you want to talk about anything. You may not like what I have to tell you, but I'm always going to be honest with you.

[B]

Come on, now, listen.

[C]

So guys, come up there. I'm not happy about my playing time or this and that. He's like, okay, well, let me tell you why. But now let me tell you how we can rectify that or how we can fix it, how we can get better than that. And he would give you that path and that vision, and he was amazing at that.

[A]

That's awesome.

[B]

Those are the kind of guys you want to play for, man.

[A]

I gotta ask this to, like, very opinionated guy, offensive genius Sean Payton, hall of Famer, one of the most brilliant minds in the game.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What was it like, game plan with you guys? Like, there's like, who's. Are you getting plays? Like, how does that go?

[B]

Was it full trust or were you throwing in your. Your. Your input on. On the Mondays and Tuesdays, getting up to the Wednesdays, I'd say, I mean.

[C]

It was very collaborative. It's funny, I went back and looked at a 2006 call sheet, which was our first year, and this in 2020, I was like, hey, pull up an 06 call sheet. And, bro, it was like third grade compared to where we had evolved to.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

In 2020. And a lot of that, though, was because we had been together so long that it's not like you really eliminate. You just kind of like add little layers to.

[B]

Oh yeah, little wrinkles there.

[C]

It's just little wrinkles. His ability just to walk and be like, hey, you remember in 2010 we're playing the Eagles and we're down there in the red zone and it's like, oh yeah, coach. Like, it's amazing the recall you have. I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, but I can recall a game 15 years ago right in the red zone.

[B]

I can recall more of the times that it didn't happen though. So if somebody says, oh, it. Because those little ones I sit there and I think about for the next three days on how to defeat it if I get it again.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So those are the ones that just get like implemented in my brain.

[C]

It's. It's trauma. I've thought about this a lot. It's literally like I. You have these traumatic experiences on game day because it's either something that was like a disappointment that then just lingered and you just like hyper analyzed for the next week.

[B]

Dude.

[C]

Right. Or it was kind of like one of those, like a bit of fear and it was like some chemical reaction in your brain that just like seared.

[A]

It in your brain thinking about this. Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Seriously. Yeah, for sure. Trauma. I liked it.

[C]

No staring at the ceiling. Why didn't I go left outside, release this.

[B]

That's all I had to do.

[C]

No, but you're right there. I wonder what it would be like as a then a young quarterback coming into a system though, that was literally like a 15 years worth of, you know, PhD work to get it to that point.

[A]

Right.

[C]

And then all of a sudden it's like kind of having to go back to, you know, square one.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Because we did evolve so much and there was such a level of trust. Like it got to the point where I knew what he was going to call when, how, why. Right. That whole play caller's intent. I mean, we were just so much on the same page. That's awesome. And then the communications on the sideline were awesome. Like fourth down, you got to play. You like. Hell yeah, Coach, I got one. All right, let's go.

[B]

The best kind of moments, man.

[A]

All right, we gotta ask you this. We been asking this one a little bit. Fill in the blank. People forget that blank was a problem. Kind of like somebody that like, we already kind of did a little bit with Jimmy, but he's not really that forgotten.

[C]

Yeah. Listen, I'm gonna get a plug for my guy, Jory Evans.

[B]

You know, you gotta teach us a little something. Yell.

[A]

I Always thought it was Jerry Evans, so. I'm sorry, Jari, but yes, future hall.

[C]

Of Famer, he was, he was in the top 15 this year. Was top 15 last year.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like, he was Philadelphia native.

[C]

Philly native, exactly. Five time all pro, like, I think for a, a long period of time. Best guard in football.

[A]

Well, it was him and Carl Nicks, both of those guys.

[C]

Absolutely. Having those two dudes believable. You want to hear a good call, Nick story?

[A]

Please, please.

[C]

So we draft Cronix out of Nebraska, like, fifth round, which I was a steal, just, like, because he was one of the most giant human beings you've ever seen, right? Like 6, 4, 3 or something. So we, we have a bunch of injuries. All of a sudden he's starting at left guard. This is.08 his rookie year, like, week two or three. So, like, dude, he's fish out of water. And we're short now at O line, too, because the guy had gotten hurt. So we're hot practice outside New Orleans. And he's taken every rep, first team, second team. So he's like 35 consecutive plays in, and he's just dragging, sucking air like it's thick outside. And O line coach Doug Marrone is just on and on and on and, and like, I'm stepping up into the huddle again to call a play, and Carl is just kind of bent over, just sucking air. And Marone, just to kind of make a point, he goes into the huddle to grab Nicks, to, like, you know, stand him up. And I don't know what came over me, but, like, I, I just have a rule that when I step in the huddle, it's my huddle. I want all eyes on me. I'm leading this.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so when Marone stepped into the huddle, I, I, I didn't even think about it. I just reacted. I grabbed Doug Marrone throne and I threw him out of the huddle.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

And I said, I got him.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And I looked at Nicks and I was gonna kind of help him up and be like, come on, big fella, let's go. You know, 10 more plays, whatever.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And Nick's just kind of stood up, like, bowed his chest down. He looked at me, he's like, man, nobody's ever gonna touch you. Like, you got my back, boy, I got you for life.

[A]

Awesome. Awesome. Holy cow, that's great.

[C]

And then four years later, highest paid garden football.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Unfortunately, one with us, we went to.

[A]

The Bucks, but both of those guys Together were.

[C]

Oh, they were. They were a problem.

[B]

That's badass. We always end it with. With one question. We got to take it back to the early days, dog. What was your welcome to the NFL moment?

[C]

Oh, dude, I'll tell you the hardest. The hardest I've ever been hit was Zach Thomas, 2003 in Miami. Again, one of these, like, trauma moments. So we run. We run like this. This little fake counter. We weak play action, play. You know, the line is slamming it down. Here comes the guard to kick out the end back. Just kind of chipping off the edge out in the flat. And then you have some, you know, exotic down the field route concept. And so here's Zach Thomas. He reads this guard pull. So he just kind of comes over here. And I come off this play action fake. And my eyes are, you know, trying to look down the field, but I see it was like the parting of the Red Sea. And then it's me and Zach Thomas, but he's like 15 yards away, four running, and it's zone. It's zone. Zach, you're supposed to be like, deep middle or, like, hook over here, right? But it's one of those, like, oh, nobody's accounting.

[A]

I see it.

[C]

And he just starts hauling ass. And it's one of the last, like, oh, no, I. I mean, I. I got time. He's got to take, like, 15 steps to get to me, right? He closed that gap so fast, and I had to cut this ball loose so much earlier than I wanted to. And I just felt like, this is going to be bad.

[B]

Had.

[C]

And I threw it and just kind of tried to, like, spin, turn. He hit me so hard, like, I think I did, like, a double back flip landed on my head. Now, they did throw the flag because he did. He hit me squaring the side of the head.

[A]

Yeah, dude.

[C]

I under throw the ball by, like, 15 yards, gets picked or one of those guys and. But they throw the flag, so we get the play. But I was just like, oh, my God. Like, is that how hard these dudes hit? Yeah.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

That's amazing. I do want to ask you, Darren Sprouls, we didn't talk about him. What was spro. I mean, one of my all time.

[C]

Favorite team, all time favorites. So first thing I'd say is, like, you know, leadership comes in all shapes and sizes.

[B]

All right?

[C]

Now, that dude did not have to.

[A]

Say a word, right?

[C]

Like, you just watch the way he works and watch the way he approached his craft. Like, every rep was a Super bowl rep. A full speed rep. Like I, I love that dude so much. He was my workout partner in San Diego forever, like just in the off seasons. And actually the story goes, 2011 is the lockout. I start to get the feeling as we're working out that off season that Reggie's going to get traded, right. And we're all on our own, like we're not back at the facility. So there's a lot of just craziness. And right before the season start, we trade Reggie the Miami Dolphins and in the meantime, like I'm calling Sean Payton and I'm like, we have to get Sprols. Like I'm sitting here throwing with him every day and he was having a little riff with the Chargers and I was like, if we're trading Reggie, we have to get this guy. So sure enough, that happens. We have him for three years. Like we were together. He was drafted to the San Diego Chargers in 05 when I was there. Okay, so our running back room was Ladanian Tomlinson, Mike the Burner Turner. You remember Mike Turner? Yeah, Big Mike T. And then, and then Darren Sprols. And Darren Sprouls was our little scat back. But he, he's a generational player.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[C]

I think if you're going to watch like a choice route reel, like how do you just arc, release out of the backfield, set a linebacker up with a vertical stem and then break out cross face, hook it up.

[A]

It used to drive me crazy. We, anytime we would get. And this is before they started doing like the five man fronts where they're running zoo zone. Every other time they bit a bear front, it was man cards. I'm like, why the hell are we not just throwing it to Darren Sprouls? Every. I'm dead serious. It used to make me mad. Like nobody's going to guard this dude in space. Just throw him the ball. Who's going to tackle him? Like I just used to. I was furious.

[C]

Here's my other spozy story. We're on a two minute drive, 2013 against the the Niners. That Niners defense was stout, right? So here you are. Navarro, Bowman, Patrick Willis. Okay, studs, we're kind of approaching midfield. All we need is a field goal so they start trying to light us up, right? And I, I remember at one occasion, I know it's going to be man and here these two guys are lined up in the A gaps and they're going to hit it. And I know I got Jimmy Graham matched up on the matchup. I want, but I Also know we're going to have to hold up for a second. So I remember just like looking over at Spros and I just be like, it's going to be like, you know, Navarro, Bowman, I'm like, hey, hey, bro, just blow up just one time, homie, please.

[A]

He was an underrated blocker. Seriously, let this low center of gravity.

[C]

Was freaking all hard, man.

[A]

All effort.

[C]

I love the dude. Like, he would step up and do that whenever you needed. He was a stud. One of my all time favorites, man.

[B]

That's awesome.

[A]

Drew, you're the man. Thank you so much.

[B]

Congratulations, legend dog.

[A]

All right, that wraps up another episode of New Heights. Thank you to Drew Brees. Oh, my Drew.

[B]

He's so, so electric.

[A]

Did not disappoint for one second. It's incredible. Oh, let's also not forget about A.J. barner and Cooper Cup super bowl champions. Can't wait to see what you guys do in the big parade tomorrow. Thanks for coming on the show Reminder, we are off next week but we will be back with fresh New Heights starting February 25th. Make sure you're subscribed to the New Heights channel on YouTube and follow new Heights in the Wondery app or wherever each podcast. You can listen to new episodes of New Heights ad free right now by joining one, three plus and the one rep or on Apple podcasts.

[B]

Once again, New Heights, a wondery show and brought to you by Xfinity. Xfinity's got a crazy five year plan where you don't got to pay a dollar more throughout the entire five years. It's crazy stuff. You guys should look into it. Follow the show on all social media at new height show with 1s for fun clips throughout the week. We're gonna have a bunch for you after this one. And thanks to new heist production crew for always making us look way better. And thank you guys for throwing a hell of a party. Hell of a Super bowl week. We love you guys and also the 92 percenters for always tuning in. You guys make this thing possible. So we got a bunch of fun stuff coming up, but I'm gonna go get some sleep. I love you guys.