The Red Raiders Who WON’T Be Denied

Summary

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Outta Pocket with RG3

Episode: The Red Raiders Who WON’T Be Denied
Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Robert Griffin III (RG3)
Guests: Baron Morton (Texas Tech QB), Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech LB/former QB)
Co-Host/Interviewer: (Name not provided; referred to as "Co-host")

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the remarkable ascendance of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football program, featuring candid interviews with quarterback Baron Morton and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. RG3 and his co-host also discuss major topics in college football, including the scrutiny facing Deion Sanders, the never-ending coaching carousel, Heisman frontrunners, and the Dodgers’ thrilling World Series win. The show closes with rapid-fire personal questions to reveal the personalities and motivations of the Texas Tech stars.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. The "Microwave Success" Fallacy in College Football

Timestamps: 01:31–04:39

• Arch Manning's Progress:
  RG3 highlights Arch Manning's standout performance and the unrealistic expectations placed on young quarterbacks for immediate greatness. “People think you put him in the microwave and boom, he's gonna be great just like his uncles.” — RG3 [01:48]
• Examples of Gradual Growth:
  RG3 compares Arch's journey to past QBs like Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, and himself, emphasizing development over time. “Stop thinking about young quarterbacks as if you can just put them in a microwave and it becomes greatness.” — RG3 [04:08]

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2. Deion Sanders and Colorado: Beyond the Scoreboard

Timestamps: 04:39–10:37

• Challenges Beyond Football:
  RG3 and co-host address Deion Sanders’ health struggles (cancer, amputations, surgery), the emotional burden of being a dad, and unfair media scrutiny. “He’s doing it because he cares...because he told their parents straight to the face, I'm going to make your son a better man, a better player.” — RG3 [09:46]
• Deion’s Motivational Response:
  Deion’s unwavering self-belief and challenge to recruits: “If you're a dog, you want to come here and right the wrong. If you're a cat, you look at the scoreboard and you run. Which one are you, a dog or cat?” — Deion Sanders [09:04]
• Support for Deion:
  The hosts urge fans and the university to stand by Sanders during adversity, positioning this as a defining test of “Prime Time.” “Now is the time for Colorado to stand tall with Deion Sanders.” — RG3 [09:43]

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3. The College Football Coaching Carousel Madness

Timestamps: 10:40–15:29

• Schools in Turmoil:
  Rapid-fire rundown of major programs (LSU, Penn State, Florida, Oklahoma State, etc.) changing coaches.
• Impatience and Lack of Strategy:
  RG3 questions hasty firings and the obsession with “big names.” Lauds coaches like James Franklin and Lane Kiffin but notes the pool of replacements is thin. “The grass is greener where you water it.” — Co-host [11:35]
• Outside-the-Box Hiring:
  Discusses ideas like hiring Tim Tebow at Florida for his leadership and recruiting skills, and fitting coaches to program culture. “All these teams need to hire the guy that fits their attitude of their program. That's what was wrong with LSU.” — RG3 [14:04]

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4. Heisman Frontrunners

Timestamps: 15:29–17:59

• RG3’s Top Seven:
  • Julian Sayin (Alabama QB)
  • Ty Simpson
  • Fernando Mendoza (Indiana QB)
  • Bear Bachmeier (BYU, Freshman)
  • Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech LB; leads in forced fumbles, former QB)
  • Haynes King
  • David Bailey (DE; leads in sacks)
• Defensive Players’ Struggles for Recognition:
  “It's really tough to get a defensive end to win the Heisman, but I think [David Bailey] could do it.” — RG3 [16:44]

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5. Dodgers Win the World Series: Memorable Moments

Timestamps: 18:10–20:58

• Key Highlights:
  • Kershaw retires a 3x champion.
  • Miguel Rojas’ clutch HR in Game 7.
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominates as World Series MVP.
  • Historic role of Japanese players (Yamamoto, Ohtani, Sasaki) in the title.
• Personal Pride & MLB Diversity:
  “They're making history for all the Blackanese and Japanese people out there. If y'all didn't know, I was born in Japan. So it's my Japanese Blackanese brothers and I appreciate them for putting on for the country.” — RG3 [19:48]

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6. The Texas Tech Red Raiders: Culture, Faith, and Hunger

Timestamps: 20:58–40:39

Inside the Program

• Transfer Culture Done Right:
  “The guys we brought in are genuine...they're going to be Red Raiders for rest of their lives.” — Baron Morton [21:38]
• Coach McGuire’s Unique Strength:
  “He's the same guy every single day. High energy, loves connecting with people.” — Jacob Rodriguez [22:41]
• Rapid Rise to Contenders:
  • Coach told players to believe: “Year four” is the year.
  • Players feel expectations have steadily risen as results followed.

Faith and Team Chemistry

• Identity Beyond Football:
  “Your identity is not in the game....all I try to do on the football field is play as hard as I can to glorify Him.” — Jacob Rodriguez [29:09] “At the end of the day, you know, your identity is not in football. It is going to end for everybody.” — Baron Morton [29:57]
• Faith’s Role on the Team:
  • Open locker room discussions across beliefs.
  • Team prayer led by Coach McGuire at every practice.
  • “Everyone knows...at the end of the day, it’s going to end. And I really do feel like people aren’t putting their identity in football and they're putting their identity in Christ.” — Baron Morton [30:49]

NIL—Blessing and Complexity

• Would They Stay Without NIL?
  Both would: “Definitely still be here.” [32:40]
  • NIL removes financial anxiety but makes “walk-on” stories less common.
• NIL Numbers and Motivation:
  “Some guys...are getting Rolls Royce deals, but they got Honda Civic numbers.” — RG3 [33:55]
  • Players use NIL stats as “chip-on-the-shoulder” motivation.

Home Field and Tradition

• Lubbock’s Unique Energy:
  Fans camp out days ahead, tortillas fly, atmosphere is wild.

Personality and Rapid-Fire Q&A

• Hardest Hits (Given/Taken):
  Baron: “My first start at Oklahoma State...I learned real quick.” [27:26]
  Jacob: “I caught [a receiver] and flipped him over on his head…slamming somebody into the ground is pretty fun.” [28:00]
• Playing with a Chip:
  Baron’s from a tiny Texas town, wants to prove he belongs. Jacob: “Why not?...my faith gives me a higher purpose.” [28:37]
• Pregame Hype Song:
  Baron: Country (George Strait, Riley Green, Parker McCollum). Jacob: “Whole warm-up, I’m listening to worship music...then something 50 [Cent].” [37:04]
• Favorite Player Growing Up:
  Both idolized RG3. Baron even pulled his baby tooth after RG3’s Heisman win. “If RG3 wins this Heisman, I’m gonna pull my tooth. And so RG3 won the Heisman. I pulled my first tooth.” — Baron Morton [37:36]
• Dream NIL Deal:
  Baron: Chick-fil-A; Jacob: Culver’s.
• Dream NFL Team:
  Baron: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (family history); Jacob: Minnesota Vikings (born there).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Deion Sanders’ Character:
  “Now is the time for Colorado to stand tall with Deion Sanders. Not to stand over him.” — RG3 [09:43]

• Baron Morton on proving his worth:
  “No, every Saturday I'm going out to prove to myself that, you know, I'm here for a reason.” — Baron Morton [28:37]

• Jacob Rodriguez on faith and football:
  “My identity is not in the game...all I try to do is play my heart out to glorify Him.” [29:09]

• Baron on faith as a stabilizer:
  “Your identity is not in football. It is going to end for everybody in the world.” [29:57]

• On NIL skepticism:
  “There’s some guys...getting Rolls Royce deals, but they got Honda Civic numbers.” — RG3 [33:55]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |----------------------------------------|---------------| | Microwave QB expectations | 01:31–04:39 | | Deion Sanders & Colorado’s struggle | 04:39–10:37 | | Coaching carousel chaos | 10:40–15:29 | | Heisman frontrunners discussion | 15:29–17:59 | | Dodgers' World Series win | 18:10–20:58 | | Texas Tech interview intro | 20:58–21:28 | | Program culture & McGuire's impact | 21:28–23:06 | | Faith, team dynamics, NIL | 29:09–34:42 | | Rapid fire & personal questions | 35:20–39:01 | | Closing reflections | 39:58–40:39 |

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Conclusion

This episode of Outta Pocket with RG3 paints a vivid picture of the Texas Tech football program’s ascent, powered by authentic team culture and strong leadership. Listeners are offered a rare glimpse into the roles of faith, resilience, and motivation in college athletics—along with topical analysis of major figures and issues shaping the wider college football landscape. The candid personalities and stories from Baron Morton and Jacob Rodriguez underscore why the Red Raiders “won’t be denied,” both on and off the field.

Transcript

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

And I don't think that people should be turning their backs on Deion Sanders now.

[Baron Morton]

Your identity is not in football. It is going to end for everybody.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Kershaw gets to retire as a three time World Series champ, but back to.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Back champion getting passed up on just because of the logo that you know they play for.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Stop thinking about young quarterbacks as if you can just put them in a microwave and it becomes greatness. Yo, yo, yo. Welcome to out of pocket with RG3 hosted by your boy and the lovely, amazing 94 time all American grate. Grr.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Fan.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

That's right. We got a very special episode for you guys today. But before we get to that, go ahead and make sure you like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Leave us a comment, let us know who you want us to bring on the show next and what you want us to talk about. And I promise you we will make that happen. Today. We got a couple gentlemen over at Texas Tech University. This football team is taking the college football world by storm. And ooh wee, we can't wait to get to that juicy conversation with them. But before we get there again, like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, go find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and also go follow us on social media. Throw on your notifications and we promise we'll have the good stuff coming your way. If you want to have fun talking about football and you want to get a little bit smarter about what really happens behind the scenes, go ahead and join the huddle. We can't wait to call you family. All right, before we get to this interview with the Tex Tech University guys, let's go ahead and get to the opening drive. Bab.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Manning is balling coming off of an upset win against number nine Vanderbilt and a QB Diego Pavia arch through for 338 yards and three touchdowns. What did you think of Arch's performance and just the entire story line around him the whole season?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Well, last time I checked, Arch Manning haters have been really quiet as of late. The young man is balling and I think it speaks to a bigger issue in sports right now, especially in college sports. Everybody wants there to be like microwave success. You know, you put the quarterback in the microwave, boom, comes out. Hey, he's the greatest of all time. Look, he's playing like his uncles Peyton and Eli. That's what everyone expect out of Arch. So the people who were hating on him early in the season because he started a little bit slow. Yeah, he didn't have as great of a start as Julian say and did over at Ohio State. But every quarterback is built differently. And history has told us that. You look at guys like Baker Mayfield, not just in the NFL, but also in college. He's a two time walk on at both Texas Tech and at Oklahoma. This guy turned into a Heisman Trophy winner. You talk about Joe Burrow. I mean, Joe Burrow started out at Ohio State, then went to LSU and didn't have a great season his first year there. But he eventually turned himself into the number one overall pick and a guy that everybody's saying, man, I'd love to start my team with that guy. So we all, all the fans and all the pundits, they, they build guys up to tear him down. And Arch Manning was a product of that. And I just think that people think you put him in the microwave and boom, he's gonna be great just like his uncles. We're in the trenches of the football season and teams are starting to make moves towards a playoff run. That's why I'm watching all my games on my radar on Fox Sports and other networks with just one subscription. With a pay TV provider, you'll get Fox NFL games on Sundays, big noon Saturday, and college football games on FS1, the Big Ten Network and more. With this football every weekend, honestly feels like a highlight reel. Plus, with the multi view feature, I can watch four games at the same time. It's like I'm running my own press box from the couch. So whether it's a cable that works for you or a streaming pay TV provider, get all the Fox Sports games and more in one place without the hassle of a bunch of apps. Don't wait till next weekend. Fox Sports can help you find a paid TV provider today. Come on, you can be the coach on the couch like RG3. Head to www.watchfoxsports.com backslash RG3 to find a paid TV provider that's right for you and your fandom.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

But what about. I have one more player for you. What's his name? It's Robert Griffin.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Third.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Oh, see, See, I knew. I knew. She knew ball. She knew ball. When I was at Baylor my first couple years, I wasn't a finished product either. But by the time I got two years under my belt as a starter, I was able to, to come out and be a much better player. So look at Dak Prescott, Mississippi State. All right, he led them to be the number one team in the country at one point in his college career. But he wasn't just out there Instant success. As soon as he got on the field, he wasn't a finished product. So stop thinking about young quarterbacks as if you can just put them in a microwave and it becomes greatness.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Moving on to viral spirit, viral spiral number one, Deion Sanders. Let's be real. Coach prime and Colorado are just absolutely going through it right now.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Oh, yeah.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

They're back to back. Losses by 35 plus points, a 3 and 6 record, and quite frankly, the energy just feels off. Different. Not sure how to put it. What do you think is going on in Colorado?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Well, I think with Colorado, it's. It's not as much about the X's and the O's, and trust me, there's some problems with the X's and the O's, but I think it's more of the human element of what's going on with them right now.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Okay.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Deion Sanders is going through a lot, especially with his health. Yes, his health. He, he. He had a cancer diagnosis. He's had, he's had. You know, he's given everything he possibly can to this university and to these players. He's had toes amputated, his bladder removed. His bladder removed. He. He. His son is in a terrible situation over there in Cleveland. And a lot of times what I don't understand is when we, when we see coaches go through something and. And they have a health scare, they have something that's wrong with their health, and they're. And they come back and their team loses. You don't ever really see people kill them for that because they're not taking pity on them. They just. They understand.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Exactly.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Hey, there's a lot going on here. It's not just all football, but with Dion. That's not the case with Dion. They're almost taking it as an opportunity to take a shot at him because he's so loud and confident and lets you know, like we believe in ourselves.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

He knows his worth.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

He knows his worth. And so for me, that is the problem. And it's so exemplified in the way that Deion Sanders reacted. I want you guys to watch this video of his reaction to his son coming to surprise him at Colorado during homecoming during his bi week.

[Deion Sanders]

Why are you here? Why are you here? I know you need your son.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

I know you need.

[Deion Sanders]

I know you need your dad. I know you need some love and affection. You playing today. Get yourself off. You playing today. I know you need some love and affection, D. I know you do, too. You do, too. You do.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

You see the excitement in his, in his being like he hadn't seen his son in so long, and everything he's done in the coaching ranks has been with his sons and helping them achieve their dreams. And now you can listen to him after their 52 to 17 loss to against Arizona. Listen to what he had to say about his son surprising him.

[Deion Sanders]

So these shenanigans put a damper on it. I haven't seen my son in a long time. Forget the game, forget this, forget that. I haven't seen my son in a long time. So that was quite emotional for me, him surprising me today in the office. And then, you know, that walk isn't about nothing but him. I'm praying for him during the whole walk. I'm making sure he's focused and locked in. He came and got treatment worked out, but that's beside the point. I'm just happy to see my kids whenever I get an opportunity to see them. I'm still his dad.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Can't you hear the emotion in his voice? Like, just how much he wants his sons to be successful, how what they are going through, especially Shadir and Cleveland going through, is impacting him?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yes.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

As a man, as a dad. He's still a dad first.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Exactly. That's what I was just gonna say. He's. He's a dad first. You can tell.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah. But what really was the kicker for me was his reaction after he answered that question about his son, because this, to me, is the true measure of who Deion Sanders is as a man and as a coach. Listen to this, coach. What is the confidence level you have.

[Baron Morton]

In yourself to do this job?

[Deion Sanders]

I never doubt me. I don't doubt me. Let's get that straight. I don't doubt me. So let's. Next question the confidence level of me doing this job. I'm built for this. I don't doubt me.

[Baron Morton]

How do you explain the past couple.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Of weeks to recruits and their parents?

[Deion Sanders]

I don't have to explain it. They saw it. See, you got to understand, if you're a dog, you want to come here and right the wrong. If you're a cat, you look at the scoreboard and you run. Which one are you, a dog or cat? Exactly. Let's go.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I mean, you can tell Dion is motivated to fix the problem.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah, he is definitely focused.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Exactly.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Focused on that. And. And. And I don't say it like, hey, man, like, take it easy on the guy. He's got a lot. No, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is now is the time for Colorado to Stand tall with Deion Sanders.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Exactly.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Not to stand over him.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Now is the time to realize that his sons aren't there anymore. So why is he still doing this? He's doing it because he cares about those young men in the locker room. He's doing it because he told their parents straight to the face, I'm going to make your son a better man, a better player, and I'm going to help him get an education. I'm going to teach him discipline. So to me, listening to what Deion Sanders said after that game in a 3 and 6 season, when it's not all pretty, that's the coach you want leading you. He took it on himself. Don't blame anybody else. I know what the problem is. I'm going to get it fixed. And I don't think that people should be turning their backs on Deion Sanders now. And I even saw some tweets from some of his recruits that are in his current recruiting class, and they are riding with him. Ride with Deion Sanders and I promise you, he'll take you to the promised land.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

This is not the end of prime time. This is the test of prime time.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Oh, I like that. And it's 100 true.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Viral spiral number two, college football coaching carousel and big time buyouts continue here. Is every single college looking for a head coach that have fired their head coach this season alone?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yep.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Lsu, Penn State, Florida, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Stanford, ucla, Oregon State, Colorado State, uav, Kent State. Okay. And I'm going to add Auburn after they just fired their head coach, Hugh Freeze, who has went 6 and 16 in SEC. And after losing to Kentucky, Auburn ended up falling 4 to 5. And he's starting a losing record. Staring. I'm sorry? He's staring a losing record in the face for the third straight year. So why are college football programs so eager to just move on and fire everybody?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

I. I think they think the grass is greener on the other side, but.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I. Grass is greener where you water it.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

That is also. That's a great. That's a great mic drop quote there. But I. I think they just think the grass is greener, but they don't have a plan. When I'm looking at all these schools and it's like there's no patience. And I'm hearing guys say, oh, they should go sign Nick Saban. Nick Saban is done coaching. Okay? He don't want to coach anymore. He said it on multiple occasions. Oh, what about Urban Meyer? They should go get him. Why would Urban Meyer give Up his great, cushy big noon job working 12 days a year. Pretty much like 12 to 18 days a year. Like, why would he do that?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Nope.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

When he can just do that? Like, why would he go coach 247 recruit, be in all these meetings rooms and be in all these houses? Like, do you understand what the toll on a coach in today's college football is?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Too much.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Transfer portal nil. You got to be a CEO.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

The days of just, like, yelling and screaming at kids and just collecting the best talent because you have a prestigious school are over. The depth is gone. The depth is everywhere else around the country playing. So I think there's no real plan. James Franklin might have been the best thing that ever happened to Penn State. And you could say whatever you want about his record versus Ohio State, his record versus Oregon, whatever. In the Big ten, in the big games. He couldn't. Whatever. They might be better off hiring him back.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Oh.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Because four or five of these schools, their number one guy on their list is Lane Kiffin. And Lane Kiffin could have the pick of the litter of wherever he wants to go, but he could also decide to stay at Ole Miss. And that's what we're seeing with all these coaches. They're getting new, new gigs, new, new contracts at the place that they're at.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Because everyone understands when you have this many openings, man, I better hold on to what's mine because the grass ain't always greener. So who is going to fill all these 27,000 openings that are actually high? Name individuals that you feel like, boom, we got them. Dan landing at Oregon. He said he's staying. I know coaches have said they stand and they've left, but why would you leave Phil Knight money at Oregon?

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah. Do you feel like they need to just, like, look kind of outside of the box for coaches or like, yeah, what's the strategy here for all of these? Because this list ain't even final because the season is not over. This list will most likely keep growing because there's multiple schools right there of firing their coaches.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Correct. I do think they need to look outside the box, and I think they need to understand that the head coach in college football has completely changed now.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Right. This is. Like I said, it's not the same thing, but, like, I'll give you a couple of suggestions. Like I've already said, I think that Florida should hire Tim Tebow. Why Tebow recruiting? Wise motivational speeches? Wise. Setting a curriculum. He can do that. Can he call offensive plays? Probably not. Can he Call defensive plays. Probably not, but that's what you go hire an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator for. But all these teams need to hire the guy that fits their attitude of their program. That's what was wrong with lsu. That was the issue. Brian Kelly was not an LSU type of guy.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

He faked it, though.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

He did fake it.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

He faked it until he did not make it.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

And. And that to me, is where you're looking at. Like I look at Mac Leftwich at Tick Texas Tech. He should probably get the Oklahoma State job. I look at Kendall Brows, the offensive coordinator for tcu. He should probably get the Arkansas job. Why? These guys are play callers. They were in the. Like, Mack understands what it takes to recruit in this Texas area, which is where a lot of Oklahoma State's players were coming from back in the day. The DEZ Bryants, the Kendall Hunters. All these guys are coming from Texas and then at Arkansas. Kendall Browse was there for, for I think three or four years as the offensive coordinator. So he understands the makeup of that school and can help you be accomplished. But I think there's some of these fan bases are going to say, who did we hire? Because all the big top level coaches are probably going to stay at the schools that they're at.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

So here are our Heisman front runners. And oh, oh, oh, it is juicy this week. And we got the top seven.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

It's a juicy list. Number one, we're going with Julian saying, I keep telling y', all, man, this young man just keeps making plays. Everyone wants to talk to me about what he's got around him. Well, what I know is he went 20 for 23 against Penn State for 328, 316 yards and four touchdowns. Okay, so stop talking to me about, oh, he's got two NFL number one wide receivers. I don't care. I care about what he does with those two number one wide receivers. And right now he is making them better, just like they're making him better. So he's number one. Number two, I got Ty Simpson again. They were off this past week. Love what he's been able to do since they lost their first game against Florida State. Man, I know you love that part of it. So he's there, too. Number three, I got Fernando Mendoza. I believe Fernando is the, he's the leading, the best team in college football. The Indiana Hoosiers are not just a basketball team any more. People. At number four, I got the freshman Bear Bachm at byu. I don't think there's a more exciting player in the country right now than this young man who wears number 47. And then at five, this is where the list gets juicy. Now, I'm telling y'.

[Baron Morton]

All.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Jacob Rodriguez, linebacker at Texas Tech, leads the country in force, fumbles, former quarterback, and he is balling. Texas Tech has the best defense in the country. He's the leader of that defense. So I got him at five. At number six. I couldn't let Haynes King fall all the way off the list. He's. He had 400 yards of total offense even in their loss against NC State. So I think if he can finish strong, he can still punch his ticket to go to New York. And at number seven, this is the wild card, okay? David Bailey. David Bailey leads the country in sacks, okay? And the thing about him is there's not a person on this list that's playing better than David Bailey this year. The problem is it's really tough to get a defensive end to, to win the Heisman, but I think he could do it. They got a big matchup this weekend against byu and if he impacts the game like he has impacted every other game, people are coming out of that one saying, hey, this guy's the best player in the country.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Oh, I was, I was gonna say, if he is the best player, why do you have him at number seven? But it's your Heisman list, I guess, so it makes sense. You're saying it's really hard to win as a defensive end.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. He's at 7 because I want people to, hey, man, he's coming.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Maybe he'll make some history.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

He's right there. He's right there. He's coming. And he could jump all the way to the top after this weekend. If he goes out there and has a bunch of sacks, which if they're going to win this game against byu, he's going to have to be a factor.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Okay, I like it. Our feel good story of the week. Los Angeles Dodgers repeating as World Series champions. What stuck out to you the most from this incredible seven game World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the LA Dodgers?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Well, I gotta say, there was so much that stood out, you know, you talking about Clayton Kershaw? If you don't know, I'm. I love baseball. Baseball is the first sport I ever played. Kershaw gets to retire as a three time World Series champ. But back to back champion. I mean, that was great. You got Freddie Freeman coming out there. Who gets another World Series title. You talking about Miguel Rojas? My man Miguel goes out there and if you don't know baseball, you never put a guy that you're like, hey, this guy's gonna hit a lot of home runs at the number nine hitter spot. So on the top of the ninth, when the game is on the line, Miguel Rojas hits a home run. And even Mookie Betts said, you know, we all believed in, in Miguel, but we didn't think Miguel was gonna hit a home run. Miguel hit a home run, people. And it was phenomenal just to watch the jubilation from that, that dugout. And then I gotta get to my guys. Yoshi Nobu Yamamoto from Okayama, Japan. This man is unbelievable. Pitched three times in the World Series, okay, back to back games, won him game six, finished the game in game seven. No rest in between those. And he was the World Series MVP because of how he performed. Unbelievable performance from him. All of his players, all of his teammates said he's the goat. And then you top that off with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. They became the first three Japanese players to ever be on the championship team's roster in MLB history. So they're not just making history for themselves, they're making history for all the black Andese and Japanese people out there. So if y' all didn't know, I was born in Japan. So it's my Japanese black Andese brothers and I appreciate them for putting on for the country.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

I, I, I, I think like a hundred players in the MLB are from the Dominican Republic, right? Or some sort of Dominican. You think the Japanese are going to take over?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Listen, Kanishiwa, okay, we're gonna go out here, do our thing. I don't know if they're gonna take over, but what I do know is them boys is boss. They are probably kings and queens Japan right now. It's, they love baseball in Japan. We love baseball here on this show. And that's the best game seven of a World Series I have ever seen.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Oh, it was exciting for sure.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

So now let's go ahead and get to our interview with our fellas. Baron Morton and Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech called this game for Texas Tech this past weekend and wanted to bring on Baron Morton and Jacob Rodriguez to the show. I mean, the rise of Texas Tech has been something that we've been fascinated with. And the Red Raiders yourselves will not be denied. So you talk about Baron Morton. He's a gunslinger from Eastland who's lighting up defenses. And Jacob Rodriguez is a quarterback turned Linebacker who hits like he's still mad that he switched sides.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Fellas, welcome to the show.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Texas Tech just feels different this year. What would you say is the one thing that people outside your building don't know about your team?

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Baron Morton]

You know, the guys that we brought in from the transfer portal, we brought in quite a few guys, you know, but the guys that we brought in are genuine guys that love football. They're not here for just one year. Get out, go to the league. You know, these guys are going to be Red Raiders for rest for lives. And, you know, that's hats off to Coach McGuire and the staff for, you know, recruiting this offseason to get those players here. Ma', am, it's been a really fun season. So I just have to say, the culture in this, in this place.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

How have you guys been able to bring in so many impactful transfers this year and still have like a really strong team culture?

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I think that starts at the top. I think, you know, our leadership with Coach McGuire and then his hires, top down. I think being able to bring in the right guys and then just the intention that we had the whole offseason to get to know each other and spend time with each other and break bread and do things that you need to, to be a close team. I think, you know, he jump shot that right from the start.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

And Coach McGuire has clearly been absolutely sensational. What's one thing that coach does that you think nobody else could possibly pull off?

[Baron Morton]

Energy.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I mean, he's the same guy every single day. I say it all the time. The same guy that talks to the media, the same guy that goes out and does all these things with our, our fans and stuff. He's the same guy in the building, you know, at 5 o' clock in the morning on Thursdays when we have walkthroughs. He's the same guy at Tuesday meetings, same guy at Sunday meetings. He's the same guy all the time. You know, high energy, just love seeing everybody. Loves connecting and getting to meet people.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah, you know, we miss at Baylor. I mean, me and him go way back to then and obvious his time at Cedar Hill in high school he had. My roommate in college was Romy Blaylock, who was actually a receiver for Coach McGuire. So I understand like how special of a person that he is. But in you guys mind, did you think that you would be here this fast as far as a national championship contender?

[Baron Morton]

Yeah. At the end of the day, I know when Coach McGuire came here, he brought in certain amount of guys and he kind of told, told us, hey, trust me on this. You know, we're gonna flip the ship around here and you know, we're gonna make it right. And from then on he's just kind of said, hey, trust me. And he has this saying, year four. So year four at Cedar Hill, they went 160 and he said we were at media days this year and he was like, hey, this is year four. And he was like, got a new coordinator. And he was like, this team feels different. And from that then, you know, we knew that this team was different. And you know, getting to go against these guys every single day at practice, I mean the expectations for Saturday, I mean it's every single week that we're going to come out on top.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Jacob, how did it feel having your quarterback back out there this past week against K State?

[Jacob Rodriguez]

It was so nice, I think. I mean when Will came in, he did a great job and I hate to see, you know, what happened to him and we love him and all that, but it's nice to have your quarterback out there and, and it's know it's a calming presence for everybody on the field and off the field, you know that, you know, if something's not going right, it'll be, it'll be fixed pretty quick. And you know, he came in and there was no, there's no hesitation at all. And he hadn't played it in, in a few weeks but you know, he was right there and ready to go and took it in stride.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

So when you look at this week with you guys going up against undefeated BYU, it's a top 10 matchup. Like everybody wants to, everyone's paying attention. Like we've been watching the entire year. I've had a chance to call two of you you guys' and I've been pretty adamant that I think you guys are the best defense in the country and one of the most high powered offenses. So Jacob, this is for you. Like how do you, how do you guys stop, you know, Bare Bachmeyer and this BYU offense this week?

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I think, you know, great defense stop the run and so they run the ball very well with, you know, they're really big running back and big quarterback. And so if we can stop the run and then we give our guys chances, we call it earn the right to rush the passes so you can stop the run. You get to earn the right to rush the passer. And so if we can get them into, you know, third and pass situations, second and pass situations, you know, that'd be great for us. But no, we have to start with stopping the run.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Also, you talked about your coach bringing no matter what time of the day is the Texas Tech game that you called that we went to, the energy in the city was absolutely insane. Like, I went to Florida State. So like, I'm used to the big energy. But like your guys's game and the tortillas flying and like.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Oh, don't mention the tortillas.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Never been to a Texas Tech game before. But that was absolutely. You guys have drone show going on. Like, how do you guys focus? Like props to Jason Sec. Like, that was amazing.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah. Talk about that game, that home field advantage that you guys have. I know the tortilla thing is like taking on a mind of its own and there probably won't be any throwing of them now, but just talk about the home fans and just how they're showing up for you guys, especially for you there and being a kid who's from love.

[Baron Morton]

Yeah, no, it's. I was getting there right as we got done walk through and I was walking over to our dinner facility and there's already tents outside of the stadium. Like guys are already camping out for Saturday and it's Sunday. I mean, the. Everyone loves Texas Tech. I mean, West Texas is, you know, there's not any other pro teams out here. It's kind of just us out here. So on Saturday, you know, everyone's gonna be wearing red and black and be at the game. But to add, you know, game day to this, you know, it's just going to take it to another level and it's going to be. It's going to be awesome this weekend.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Yeah. You know, one thing we love to do on this show is we got the boring stuff out of the way. Okay. We got the football out of the way, but we want the people to get a chance to know you guys a little bit better outside of just, you know, the helmets, but just the way that you think.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Baron, what's the hardest hit you have ever taken?

[Baron Morton]

Hardest hit I've heard taken, honestly. Had to be my first start at Oklahoma State. We were backed up. We were on like our own, like two yard line. They went cover zero. And young Baron Morton did not get into the right protection that he needed to get to. Got hit from the backside call for targeting. So he got kicked out of the game. But I learned real quick, hey, if there's no safeties back there, you better make sure that the, the O line knows which guys to block. So I learned that out real quick.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Exactly what's the hardest Hit you've ever delivered.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I think there's one that I was the most fun that I had. I. There was a played Oklahoma State last year, and they just ran just wide cross. The receiver came from the field, and he jumped for a ball across the middle, but I caught him and flipped him over on his head. And so I. I didn't get to spear or anything, but slamming somebody into the ground is. It's pretty fun. I'm not gonna lie. It's. It's pretty good.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Just over the years, like, I've followed you guys and what you've been able to accomplish, and both of you play with a chip on your shoulder. Why is that for each of you?

[Baron Morton]

I think for me, I come from a really small town. I graduated with 74 kids in my high school. You know, my dad was my head football coach. You know, played as a freshman. People probably thought I shouldn't be playing as a freshman. But then, you know, being a highly recruited kid out of a small town, there's a lot of people that don't think I should be in the position that I am. So that's kind of my. Why is the chip on my shoulder that. No, every Saturday I'm going out to prove to myself that, you know, I'm here for a reason. And, you know, every single Saturday, I'm gonna give it my best.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I think mine is just, you know, why not? I think I. I think there's no way you can play without a chip on your shoulder or at least have the opportunity to be successful at what you're doing. If you don't have a chip on your shoulder, you have to try to go, you know, the extra mile that other people can't. And so I think a big thing for it is, you know, my faith and, you know, my identity is not in the game. And so all I try to do on the football field is play as hard as I can, play my heart out to glorify him and, you know, show people how hard I play is because I play for, you know, a higher purpose.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

You play. You guys both play with such joy, and I would almost say, like, peace and, like, that's. That's really rare in college football. So are you. Are you guys believers? And if you are, like, how does that. How does your faith fuel you?

[Baron Morton]

Yeah, I mean, you know, from, you know, if you have a good day at practice, awesome. But if you have a bad day at practice, awesome. I mean, it's. It's just part of playing the sport that we play. But at the end of the day, you know, your identity is not in football. Like J Rod said, it is going to end for everybody in the world. So I mean, to have your identity not in the sport that you love, but in, you know, Jesus Christ and what he stands for. I mean, at the end of the day you can go home and lay your head down in bed and you know, know that you're going to wake up tomorrow and you're gonna have another day to, you know, do the same thing to get better.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

I love these conversations. How do you meet guys where they're at who aren't really faith driven guys on the team? Because every team is made up of people from all different nationalities and religions.

[Baron Morton]

Yeah, I think that we have a very unique team. You know, we can talk about this kind of stuff. You know, like last week we were driving back from the movies and we were just. Someone talked about it and we all just had like a 45 minute conversation about it and it was just like, that's really cool because, you know, I've been in past locker rooms here at Tech and it's not been that situation. And you know, every Saturday, I mean, from starting with Coach McGuire, I mean, every single practice we get up, we bring everyone up and the first thing we do is pray as a team. And I think that speaks volumes of, you know, this team, you know, the characters that we have on this team. And you know, everyone knows, you know, at the end of the day it's going to end. And you know, I really do feel like people aren't putting their identity in football and they're putting their identity in Christ. And I think at the end of the day, win, lose or draw, you know, if your identity is in God and what his plan is for you, you're going to be just fine.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

If NAIL did not exist, would you guys still be at Texas Tech?

[Baron Morton]

I know I would be for sure. My first two years, really a year and a half, we were making, you know, our stipend of $1300 and then rent was 800, 850. And then you're leaving yourself with a couple hundred bucks and then by the end of the month it's kind of like, hey, dad. And his dad's like, nope, that's on you. That's on you. So it is, it's a big blessing, I mean, to be able to help out with, you know, like parents traveling to Manhattan, you know, like paying for their gas or, you know, whatever it is, you know, like charity events. You know, I had a football camp this summer that I got to do that, you know, just I wouldn't have been able to do throughout nil. So I think there is a lot of pros, you know, but obviously there are some cons too with it, you know, but I think I'm very fortunate to be in this era of college football.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Definitely still be here, I think. So I left a scholarship position at the University of Virginia, and I walked on here and I actually had to take a loan out to be able to, you know, pay some bills and pay for my books and stuff to be able to play football. And so now, yes, I. I slept on the ground in my brother's apartment, you know, for a whole semester when I got here. And. And I was just trying to make it through. And I think that's. That was the biggest blessing with NIL is just being able to, you know, support everybody and, you know, being able to only have to focus on football and not have to go get a job and be able to spend my time, you know, trying to be the best, you know, student athlete I could possibly be. Now, I think, like, the only con I think of Nil, really is, you know, there's no more walk ons anymore. And that was, you know, a huge part of college football that made it great and, and made it special and made it different. But, I mean, I'm. I'm very fortunate for everything that's, you know, happened in, in my career in college, for sure.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Do you guys ever see a guy's like, nil numbers and then think like, you're getting paid that for that stat line?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Let's be honest. There's some guys that, you know, they're getting Rolls Royce deals, but they got Honda Civic numbers. So does that ever, like, roll around in the locker room? Maybe not for your own guys, because you guys are absolutely balling.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

That's a bar, by the way.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Appreciate that. Appreciate that. You can use that. But is that something that is ever the topic of conversation just amongst you guys and your friends and the players in the locker room from other teams?

[Baron Morton]

Yeah. I feel like in this area of college football, you see what people are kind of getting, you know, but that gives you an advantage, you know, on game day when you're getting to play against that guy. And it's like, I'm gonna prove that I'm a better. I'm a better quarterback than this guy, or I'm a better linebacker than this guy. So, you know, you kind of let the chips on the table and let the. Let the ball handle itself.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

What about you, Jacob?

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Yeah, I definitely, you know, especially now, I think even with, like, high school recruits that are getting like, the. The nil valuation or, you know, whatever number that they get, I'm like, goodness gracious. It's an absurd amount of money. And I mean, they haven't even played a snap yet. But I mean, I think it's. It's. I probably. If I had to guess the same thing at the next level, like, man, I know I'm better than that guy, but, you know, he's getting paid and. And so I think. I don't know. It's. It's interesting for sure, but it definitely has came up in conversation.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Rapid fire. What is the favorite play you have ever made on a football field? Any level.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

Peewee.

[Baron Morton]

I remember my first year ever was second grade. I was playing up in division because second graders weren't allowed to play tackle football. You had to be third grade. So third grade, I was playing second grader. First snap. I take it around the corner, and I take it 80 to the house. And I was like, man, this is. This sport's easy. Like, this is easy. So, yeah, that was. That was my favorite play.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I was in seventh grade. I actually went to holiday where, you.

[Baron Morton]

Know, playing my high school.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

And, you know, I was playing running back at the time because we ran a wing tee, so I didn't, you know, have to play quarterback. And so I was playing running back. I got a toss to the right. I think I broke. I switched fields like twice. I think I broke like 13, 14 tackles and just jogged my way into the end zone. It was. I was gassed. It was. It's like when you had huddle, you couldn't fit the whole clip on huddle because it was too long.

[Baron Morton]

And it was awesome. Because the next year I moved to that high school and the first thing they told me were like. I was like, how was Yalls record last year? I was pretty good. But we lost to one team, and it was like there was this one guy that we could not stop. And sure enough, look at that.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

We just realized that Jacob had literally played every position on the football field. All right, what is your pre game hype song? Something you have to listen to.

[Baron Morton]

I'm anything country. Anything country. It kind of keeps me calm. I love George strait. I love Riley green. I love Parker mccollum. I like the red dirt country. I like all sorts of country.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Gosh. Well, for the whole, like, warm up part of pregame, I'm listening to worship music the whole time. And I'M just having a blast. And then I feel like as soon as we come in, after we put our pads on and do, like, our whole, you know, actual pre game, I think I come in and it's like, it's got to be something 50. So it's. It's a. It's a weird switch up, but it's. You know, when it's time to go, we gotta go.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

What player did you study the most growing up?

[Baron Morton]

Actually your husband. Yeah, when. When I actually. So funny story. We were in Ruidosa. We were on family vacation, and it was the Heisman ceremony, and I had a loose tooth, and I said, if RG3 wins this Heisman, I'm gonna pull my tooth. And so RT3 won the Heisman. I pulled my first tooth. And that's the true story. And then after that, I got the Superman socks with the cape, and I wore them every Friday at my dad's game, being the ball boy on the sideline.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

So, big fan.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

That is awesome.

[Deion Sanders]

I love that over here.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Black man blushing. What about you, Jacob? Who did you study the most growing up?

[Jacob Rodriguez]

It was. It was. It was YouTube. It's like, as a. As a Texas high school quarterback.

[Baron Morton]

Yeah.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Wearing number 10, no doubt. Yeah. Like, I had to throw everything on my left arm. Nothing on my right arm. I had to have the same. The same drip, everything. It was. Yeah, for sure.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

That's really cool. Just because, you know, I enjoy the game. I enjoy, you know, telling you guys stories the right way. So you did have. Definitely didn't have to say that, but it's pretty cool. I had said it in the. During the broadcast, Jacob, that there's just something about those guys that wear number 10, you know, I don't know. But that makes it even more special for me now, knowing that. That I'm a big part of that for you. What you guys is dreaming. Il deal.

[Baron Morton]

Oh, that's a good question. Chick Fil A. Oh, really?

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Okay.

[Baron Morton]

That would be. That would be awesome.

[Co-host or Interviewer]

You heard it. Chick Fil A. Come through.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Come on. Make it happen, please. Watching Shake up, he is thinking hard. He's like, I want this out there.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Like Culver's. Yeah, we don't have a Culver's in Lubbock, but great spot to eat.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

If it was your dream opportunity, who would you want to play for in the NFL?

[Baron Morton]

It's easy for me. I'd love to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. My pop played for them for a couple years. I'm a big fan of Baker Mayfield. I love the way he plays the game. So, yeah, that would be. That'd be mine.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

No doubt.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Yeah, I'm. I'm a Minnesota Viking at heart, was born in Minnesota, and my whole mom's side is from there. And, you know, we got a big win today. I'm very, very happy for.

[Robert Griffin III (RG3)]

Well, I can tell you guys right now, any NFL team out there would be lucky to have you. We appreciate you guys coming on the show. This has been a really fun. Obviously, the. The audience gets to know you guys on the field with how amazing you are, but your conversations and your openness with us about your football journey, your lives and your faith is something that we'll cherish forever. And anybody out there, you heard it. You heard it from Baron Morton, Jacob Rodriguez themselves. Two absolute savages on the football field. But they're proven that the Redditors, the Red Raiders aren't. Yeah, it was pretty good, right? They're proven that the Red Raiders aren't just here to play, they're here to stay. Appreciate you guys checking in the out of pocket with RG3, and we'll see you guys next time. Peace out.

[Baron Morton]

Thanks for having us.