Why Jayden Daniels’ Story ISN’T Like RG3’s

Summary

Outta Pocket with RG3

Episode: Why Jayden Daniels’ Story ISN’T Like RG3’s

Date: November 10, 2025
Hosts: Robert Griffin III ("RG3") & Grete Griffin

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Overview

In this packed episode, RG3 and Grete tackle high-profile stories in football and beyond:

• Why Jayden Daniels’ path with the Washington Commanders is not the same as RG3’s storied— and turbulent—distant past with the franchise, despite uncanny parallels.
• The uniquely terrifying presence of Lamar Jackson for NFL defenders compared to all-time greats like Tom Brady.
• The wild USC “double number” rules controversy and clever coaching gamesmanship.
• The 2025 Heisman race, with love for a defensive standout’s underdog story.
• A refreshingly vulnerable segment on the crisis of men’s mental health, in light of tragedy in the sports world.

NB: For brevity, the summary omits promotional material and other non-content sections.

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Jayden Daniels & Washington Commanders: Not the Same as RG3 (01:03–08:56)

Key Points:

• The Commanders’ catastrophic season following their NFC Championship run and Jayden Daniels' repeated injuries (01:03–01:35).
• Social media comparisons between RG3 and Jayden Daniels—both Heisman winners, both injured in eerily similar ways, same stadium, yard line, and opponent (01:35–02:10).

RG3’s Three Reasons Why the Situations Are Not the Same:

1. Organizational Health:

   • “There’s no infighting in this organization. The head coach and the owner aren’t fighting about who they want the quarterback to be…That was something going on when I was in Washington in 2012.” (02:11–03:12)
   • New leadership: owner Josh Harris, GM Adam Peters, OC Cliff Kingsbury—positive, culture-building presence; veteran leadership (Zach Ertz, Bobby Wagner, “Scary Terry”) for support (03:13–04:00).

2. Toxicity (or Lack Thereof):

   • “All I hear from the local media is concern for Jayden Daniels...and support of the quarterback.” (04:49–05:25)
   • Media narrative now about moving forward and caring for players, instead of the “leaked stories, blame game” of RG3’s day.

3. Coaching Stability:

   • “The coach isn’t on the hot seat. When a coach is on the hot seat, they make desperate decisions…Oftentimes, coaches on the hot seat will not do what’s in the best interest of the players.” (04:09–04:48)
   • Praises Dan Quinn’s “I take full responsibility” approach versus the legacy of deflection under Mike Shanahan.

Notable Quotes:

• “Jaden Daniels’ story is not like mine. There’s so many other factors that go into what made my experience in D.C. a very unique one…Jayden Daniels isn’t experiencing that.” (06:57–07:24)
• On similarities: “It’s Twilight Zone, deja vu-ish stuff, but it’s not the same. And it’s because of the organization.” (08:28–08:56)

Recommendation:

• RG3 believes Daniels should be sat for the rest of the year, especially if there’s nothing to play for postseason-wise (08:28–08:56).

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Viral Spiral: Why Defenders Fear Lamar Jackson More Than Tom Brady (08:56–14:19)

Key Points:

• Lamar Jackson instills “fear” far beyond classic QBs: it’s embarrassment, not just being out-schemed (09:16–10:28).
• “When Lamar beats you, you could be right and still be wrong because he can attack you from inside the pocket and also outside the pocket.” (09:37–10:07)
• For defenders, the terror is going viral: “Lamar makes defenders sweat harder than a cat in a dog park…If he embarrasses me as a defender… I’m going to be on a highlight for the next 100 years.” (10:14–10:28)

Memorable Moment:

• RG3 recounts watching Lamar’s legendary spin move vs. the Bengals live from the sideline: “My jaw was on the floor… Guys were looking at me left and right like, ‘Hey, did you see that?’” (12:00–12:10)
• “He hit a spin move that would have made Michael Jackson say, ‘I’m serious, him.’” (12:30–12:40)
• “He is the greatest dual threat quarterback I’ve ever seen.” (12:45)

Conclusion:

• It’s psychological warfare: “With Lamar, you can be wrong even if you’re right. That is a very, very—it’s psychological warfare and Lamar Jackson is always winning.” (13:49–14:19)

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The USC Double Number Controversy (14:19–18:27)

Key Points:

• USC executed a trick play by having both their punter and a third-string QB wear number 80, confusing the defense and TV/radio crew (14:19–16:23).
• RG3: “If you’re not on USC’s team, you think it’s bush league. If you are on USC’s team, you’re saying to yourself, Lincoln Riley is the Bill Belichick of college football when it comes to exploiting the rules.” (14:59–15:22)

Memorable/Entertaining Moment:

• RG3 and the broadcast team analyzed the “punter’s” technique in great detail—only to find post-play that it was the quarterback in disguise, not the punter: “We went through this whole thing not knowing it wasn’t Sam Johnson… I even quoted Shakira.” (15:46–16:24)

Is it legal?

• “According to our rules analyst Mike Pereira, it is against the rules. But USC got away with one.” (18:10–18:16)
• “If this happened in the third quarter, they couldn’t do it. But because it happened in the first punt situation, USC got away with one.” (17:29–17:43)

Bottom Line:

• Smart gamesmanship or loophole abuse depends on your team loyalty and interpretation.

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2025 Heisman Trophy Race: Defensive Standouts & Special Moments (18:27–23:45)

Key Points:

• Can a defensive player win the Heisman? Absolutely, says RG3—Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech linebacker) headlines his Heisman list (18:41–20:03).
• Rodriguez's incredible story: He left his QB scholarship at UVA, walked on at Texas Tech, slept on his brother’s floor, took out loans, and now has dominant stats leading an elite defense (20:00–20:55).

Notable Quote:

• “[Rodriguez] is the best linebacker in the country, leading the best defense in the country…You telling me you can’t sell that story?” (20:29–20:55)

Other Heisman Candidates:

• Fernando Mendoza (Indiana QB) with his own “Heisman moment”—a game-winning drive at Penn State, capped by Omar Cooper Jr. making a “gravity-defying ballet act” catch in the end zone. RG3 gushes about the difficulty and artistry of the play (21:35–22:54).
• Other nominees: Julian Sayin (Ohio State QB), Ty Simpson (Alabama QB), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M QB) (23:30–23:45).

Quote:

• “If there was ever a Heisman moment that I’ve seen, it was that moment right there for Fernando Mendoza and his brother Omar Cooper Jr. hitting him with that HBO—help a brother out.” (22:54)

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Men's Mental Health: A Critical Conversation (23:45–30:16)

Context:

• The segment’s occasion: Marsha Nealon, a young Dallas Cowboys player, took his own life days after scoring a touchdown (24:20–24:21).

Key Insights:

• Athletes, especially men, are rarely encouraged to open up emotionally—seen as “soft” if they do (24:52–25:47).
• “Our job is to entertain and try to make your day brighter, but what’s going on in someone’s life never shows up on that field.” (26:05–27:25)

Viral/Social Commentary:

• The hosts address how fans treat players as objects—judging them solely for performance, gambling, or fantasy sports (25:48–26:04).
• “You love my talent but don’t want to hear about my trauma.” (28:40)
• RG3: “Real men cry. Real men are not afraid to show their emotion and share their stories.” (29:00)
• “Men should not always need to be tough, always need to be strong, always need to just hold it all in because otherwise you are soft…That needs to go. Because things like this happen.” —Grete (27:49–28:06)

Message to Listeners:

• If you need help, ask for help. “Your life is worth living, and no matter what you are going through, it’s never time to give up… There is a light at the end of the tunnel.” (30:16)

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Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• “There’s no infighting in this organization… [it’s] not built off of toxicity.” (02:11–03:12) — RG3
• “When Lamar beats you, you could be right and still be wrong because he can attack you from inside the pocket and also outside the pocket.” (09:37–10:07) — RG3
• “He hit a spin move that would have made Michael Jackson say, ‘I’m serious, him.’” (12:30–12:40) — RG3
• “Our job is to entertain… but what’s going on in someone’s life never shows up on that field.” (26:05–27:25) — RG3
• “You love my talent, but you don’t want to hear about my trauma.” (28:40) — RG3

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Episode Structure / Timestamps

• [01:03]—Jayden Daniels’ injuries; uncanny connection to RG3’s past.
• [02:11–08:56]—RG3 on key differences between Daniels' situation & his own.
• [08:56–14:19]—Lamar Jackson’s psychological warfare power.
• [14:19–18:27]—USC’s double number controversy.
• [18:27–23:45]—Heisman update, underdog stories, best moments.
• [23:45–30:16]—Men’s mental health and the crisis in sports.

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Tone and Takeaways

The episode blends RG3’s football insight, personal vulnerability, and the duo’s humor with real moments of gravity—especially on the subject of mental health and the humanity of athletes. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of:

• The complexities and unseen pressures in professional/college football.
• How leadership and culture can profoundly alter a young player’s career.
• Why superstars, despite their fame, are not immune to pain.
• The special, often-unexplainable magic that makes certain football moments legendary.

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Summary by topic, clear and timestamped for easy listening reference, preserving the voice and candor of the hosts.

Transcript

[A]

Yo, yo, yo. Welcome to out of pocket with RG3 hosted by your boy and the lovely, amazing 94 time all American Grete fan. That's right, people. We got an interesting episode for you today. We're gonna talk about Jaden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. Why defenders fear Lamar Jackson more than they fear Tom Brady, the college football double number controversy at usc, the Heisman list, and of course, the importance of men's mental health. So if you are interested in all that, make sure you go ahead and subscrib and subscribe to our YouTube channel. That's right, move on over. Move it on over. Click, click, click, click like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Go follow us on social media and find us on Spotify and App Bull podcasts. Almost lost my breath there. But guess what? You guys have made all this possible and we can't wait to continue to bring you these great stories and these interesting perspectives. If you want to learn more about football and have fun doing it, go ahead and join our huddle. But let's go ahead and get this bad boy cracking.

[B]

Opening drive. Jada Daniels and the Washington Commanders are having an absolutely terrible year after coming off of the NFC Championship game appearance last year. This year honestly could not have gone any worse. For them so far. And honestly, especially for Jaden Daniels, injuries have just been an issue. Last year he played through a broken rib, but this year he has missed two games with a left knee sprain, one game with a right hamstring strain, and now he's out indefinitely with a dislocated elbow. So is Jada Danish, his career going to be shortened by injury?

[A]

Nope. I am a positive thinker, okay? I believe that he will bounce back as long as they give him the proper amount of time to fully heal. And everyone keeps mentioning me on social media going into all these diatribes about how they're comparing my situation to Jaden Daniels, but they're really not even close to the same.

[B]

Okay, okay. But Jaden Daniels's injury literally occurred in the same stadium on the exact same yard line, both on the second down against the exact same team.

[A]

Yeah, that's one hell of a coincidence.

[B]

You can't overlook that.

[A]

I mean, it's one hell of a coincidence. But let me. You're right, you can't overlook it. And it's kind of like some weird Twilight Zone type of thing happening. But let me tell you why Jaden Daniels injury and his situation are completely different than mine. I got three reasons for you, all right? Okay. This. The. The. The Organization is in a completely different situation than they were in when I was the quarterback of the Washington Redskins at the time. So, number one, there's no infighting in this organization. The. The. The head coach and the owner aren't fighting about who they want the quarterback to be, how they want the offense to be run, who's supposed to be in charge. And that was something that I didn't know coming into Washington in 2012, that that was something that was going on. The organization right now is not built off of toxicity. You're talking about Josh Harris and I spoke about this when Jaden Daniels was drafted. The fact that he had a new owner, a new head coach, a new gm and Adam Peters, a new offensive coordinator in Cliff Kingsbury who knows how to work with mobile quarterbacks. I thought that was a benefit, and it made Washington one of the best places to go. Not to mention that they had scary Terry at wide receiver. They brought in Zach Ertz, they brought in Bobby Wagner. They had all these leadership pieces in place that were not there before other than scary Terry, but weren't there to experience the downfall and all of the toxic, backbiting stuff that was going on in D.C. before they got there. That's the second reason. And number three, the coach isn't on the hot seat. You see, when a coach is on the hot seat, they make different decisions. They know, like, desperate decisions. Man, I gotta. We gotta win at all costs. We gotta figure out a way to make this work no matter what. So oftentimes, coaches on the hot seat will not do what's in the best interest of the players. They'll do what's in the best interest of themselves. And that is what happened in my situation in Washington. When you're a young quarterback and you come into a situation, how the environment is built around you matters. Of course, we won in 2012 in Washington, and that glossed over a lot of issues that were going on. But the second we started to lose in year two, it became a blame game. Whose fault is this? Whose fault is that? Leaking stories in the media. And that's where I've been most impressed with this new Washington regime. Josh Harris understands that it starts from the top.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it trickles down. What I mean by that is you don't see a ton of stories in D.C. anymore about backbiting or who doesn't like who on what side of the ball or who likes who in the locker room. And to me, that that's a testament to how the organization is structured. It's not Just, well, they just don't like each other. Well, they're losing this year. This might be like from going from the NFC Championship game to what they're at now with their starting quarterback out. This might be one of the worst falls that we've seen from a team going from that high and overperforming, which I think we all agree they overperformed last year to now performing the way that they are now. And all I hear from the local media is concern for Jayden Daniels, how is this team going to build towards next year, and support of the quarterback. Yeah, and one, there's one signifying moment that I thought really shined a light on this for me and it was Dan Quinn's response the day after the game. And the reason it hit me so hard is because when I was in D.C. mike Shanahan's response after the injury was to take responsibility for the injury. But then weeks later it was leaked stories in the media to NFL insiders about different things that were going on to try to shift the blame. Dan Quinn came out the second day right after the game and said, I take full responsibility for leaving Jaden Daniels in the game. I haven't seen an article, I haven't seen a leaked media story. The people covering the team now are way more positive than and way more understanding of the totality of the issue than they were when I was in D.C. and I think it's because even they don't want Jaden Daniels story to end up like minded. And that's why I don't think the stories are the same. I can understand the concern and the injury and how that makes Washington fans have PTSD about what happened in 2012 going into 2013. But Jaden Daniels story is not like mine. There's so many other factors that go into what made my experience in D.C. a very unique one for a young kid at 22, 23 years old. But Jaden Daniels is an experiencing that.

[B]

But I guess for a regular fan it's really easy to not know that or not know the behind the scenes stuff or just kind of take out the fact that it was the organization and all of that and just look at it at face value. Yeah, hey, this is what happened to RG3. This is what's happening to Jaden R. Argentina was rookie of the year. Jaden had an incredible rookie rookie season. This is the second season. Both are injured, both got hurt. Same game, same yard line, same stadium. Like it's really easy as a fan to only look at that and be like, he's right here, right? It looks the same to me.

[A]

Yeah. And that. And that to me is why it's. It's so important to know the nuances. And I haven't spoken too much on my. My time in depth in D.C. even scrapped a book because I didn't feel like it was the right time to have that conversation. Eventually there will be a time to have that combo, but just know that my situation in D.C. and Jaden's outside of the surface level. Black quarterback, second pick, Heisman Trophy winner, hurt on the same yard line, same game against the same team.

[B]

Oh, my God. You guys were the same pick too, huh?

[A]

Yeah, it's not. But it's not the same. It's. It's. I'm. Trust me, it's wild. It's. It's like some. It's Twilight Zone, deja vu ish stuff, but it's not the same. And it's because of the organization. So I tip my cap to Josh Harrison. This team, I think they should sit him out. They should sit Jaden Daniels out for the rest of this year. I know they're going to reevaluate him after the bye week, but if this team isn't playing for a playoff spot or anything that's substantial, they should hold him out for the rest of the year. Wow.

[B]

Moving on to viral spiral, foreign Lamar Jackson. And the Baltimore Ravens may have a losing record, but now that they are more healthy, no one wants them to make it to the playoffs. Why do you think Lamar Jackson is such a nightmare for the defenses?

[A]

Yeah, it's because Lamar Jackson strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents that they, that fans really can't quite fathom. You know, I believe defenders are more afraid of Lamar Jackson than. Than they've ever been afraid of Tom Brady. When Tom Brady and Peyton Manning beat you. Let me, Let me take you through this. It's. It's because you're wrong. Right? You're wrong in your coverage, you're wrong in your assignment. They know where you're going. They're going to. They're the soft spot of the defenses. So they beat you with ball placement and you're like, oh, man, okay, well, next time I'm. I'm going to get him back. I can correct my mistakes against those guys. But when Lamar beats you, you could be right and still be wrong because he can attack you from inside the pocket and also outside the pocket. Let me take you even deeper. When it comes to fear for a defender in the open field, I don't think there's a player that anyone fears more than Lamar Jackson, and it's because he can put you on a highlight reel. All right? I think he makes defenders sweat harder than a cat in a dog park. Now, why do I say that? I know that if Lamar Jackson embarrasses me as a defender in the open field, I'm going to be on a highlight for the next 100 years.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

Okay, Now, Tom Brady might be able to go out there and throw 35 for 43, 300 yards, five touchdowns, and I might not even be on the highlight. It might just be the wide open receiver, Julian Edelman, Randy Moss making a play. All right? But when Lamar does it, Lamar can do the same thing. He can go 35 for 43 for 300 yards and five touchdowns, and then he can also put you in a blender and shake your ankles off and have you be on that same repeating highlight for the next 50 years. That, to me, is what defenders fear. They don't just fear getting beat, they fear getting embarrassed. And when you talk about that, that one two that Lamar has, I think his one two rivals out of Allen. I person.

[B]

I'll never forget the spin movie hit in Baltimore in midfield.

[A]

Cincinnati Bengals. I was on the sideline for that game, and as a dual threat guy and a guy that was pretty dynamic in my own right, you know, I. I'm not very, like, amazed by anything. I was on the sideline and Lamar broke out on the run and I saw the defender's conversion on him, and my first thought was, slide, slide, Lamar, don't get hit. Come on now, be smart. We talked about this in the locker room. We talked about this before the game. Just slide.

[B]

Don't get hit, okay?

[A]

And this man hit that spin move that you're talking about. And my jaw was on the floor. Guys were looking at me left and right like, hey, did you see that?

[B]

I think the entire stadium was like, ah, like that whole stadium just gasped.

[A]

And it wasn't just the spirit spin move. It was the spin move and the fact he scored a touchdown on that play. Yes, it was the spin move. A lot of guys, you see spin and then they slow down, they lose all their momentum and they get tackled. He hit a spin move that would have made Michael Jackson say, I'm serious, him. It was such a good spin move, y', all, that it was. He kept his speed going, almost full speed, and then was like high stepping into the end zone. And I sat there on the sideline and I said, yeah, this guy's. This is one of one. He's the greatest. He is the greatest dual threat quarterback of all time. He's the greatest dual threat quarterback I've ever seen. And for him to make those types of plays, this was like two, six years ago. Yeah, that was 20, 2019. He made that play and we're talking about it like it happened yesterday. Imagine the guys that were involved in that play, they know they're going to be on that highlight reel when he gets inducted into the hall of Fame. And that's why to me, defenders fear Lamar Jackson more than they fear Tom Brady. They know no matter what I do, I can be wrong. With Brady, you can be right. And yeah, he might beat you with ball placement, but he's not going to beat you with ball placement 9 out of 10 times. Peyton, man is not going to beat you with ball placement 9 out of 10 times. But Lamar Jackson in the open field can embarrass you. Now you got to go home to your wife and kids.

[B]

Shut up.

[A]

Now you got to go home to your mama, your daddy. That's that. That to me is the fear factor that Lamar Jackson brings to the table. That I don't think the average fan understands. That is why he's so dynamic. That is why no teams want them to make it to the playoffs. Because they know with Lamar you can be wrong even if you're right. That is a very, very. It's psychological warfare. And Lamar Jackson is always winning.

[B]

My spiral number two, USC and Northwestern's double number controversy. Now USC's punter, Sam Johnson, who wears number 80. So had their third string quarterback Sam Hewitt show up in the game wearing number 80.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

The second quarter on fourth and six, they had a 10 yard completion due to new kinds for the first down that they tried to fake it off as a punt because everybody thought that the person on the field was Sam Johnson, the punter. But it ended up being Sam Hewitt, the third string quarterback. So was USC using double numbers to trick the defense? Bush league?

[A]

I don't, I listen. If you were. If you're not on USC's team, you think it's bush league. If you are on USC's teams, you're saying to yourself, Lincoln Riley is the Bill Bell at check of college football when it comes to exploiting the rules. Now this is even more funny, this whole situation because Sam Hewitt is the nephew of Brock Hewitt, who is my play byplay, Jason Benetti's former teammate in the booth. So you guys called the game, we called the Game. I, I've never met Sam Heward, but, but my guy Jason has. And even with his helmet off, and the guys congratulated him on the sideline, we didn't realize that it was the third string quarterback. So we go through this whole thing of like, oh my gosh, they tricked them. This is great. The, the punter, Sam Johnson should be entering the transfer portal as a quarterback because he's got great form. And then we broke down his form, talked about how he was taking a good front step, talked about how he got his hip through on the throw, talked about how his off arm was in the right position it's supposed to be in when you make this throw. And then how he flicking her wrist. And we went through this whole thing not knowing that it wasn't Sam Johnson. I even quoted, I even quoted Shakira.

[B]

Oh, yeah, you did.

[A]

I said, you know, Shakira says the hips don't lie. You're good. And then we found out that it was Sam Heward. One of the most hilarious situations I've ever been a part of. And to get to the nitty gritty of it, our rules analyst at Fox, Mike Pereira, said that technically it should have been a 15 yard penalty because by the rules, two guys with the same number cannot line up at the same position on the field during the same game. During the same game. Now the caveat to that is Sam Hewitt was the first punter on the field. So Sam Johnson coming in later in the game to punt the ball away. Technically you could have said that should have been a 15 year old penalty when the new punter, the actual punter, came in the game. And that Sam Heward should have been the punter for the rest of the game since two players at the same position can't play in the same number at the same position during the same game.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

So it's an exploitation of the rule. Now, if this had happened in the third quarter, I think Lincoln Riley knew, hey, if this happened in the third quarter, we can't do this, guys. Right? But because it happened in the first punt situation, USC got away with one.

[B]

Yeah, they did.

[A]

And I saw a lot of reactions online, people saying, oh, this is bush league, this shouldn't be allowed. And I, I just, I just say if you're on USC's team, you love it. Bill Belichick used to exploit the rules all the time. Special teams, offense, defense, everything. And Patriots fans loved it. Everybody else hated it. So Lincoln Riley certainly didn't gain any more fans that didn't like him already. But for his team, they did it by the rules. He was number 80 on the. On the game sheet for. For that game and had been apparently for the last three games.

[B]

He's like, it's your fault for not looking it up or not seeing that we changed his number from number seven to number 80.

[A]

So is it bush league? I don't think so. Is it against the rule? According to our rules Analyst Mike Pereira, it is against the rules. But USC got away with one.

[B]

I love it. Hey, we are about four weeks from the Heisman Trophy ceremony, so let's hear our Heisman list for this week. Also, quick question. Do you think a defensive player can win this year?

[A]

Yes, I do believe a defensive player can win the Heisman this year. So let's go ahead and throw all five of our Heisman lists. Actually, six. Six of our Heisman list guys on the screen right now. And you asked it. Can a defensive player win the Heisman this year? Absolutely. Yes. Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech, he's number one on Heisman list guys. And you can be like, oh, come on. How can he win the Heisman? Manta Teo didn't win it and he went to Nordic Aim. Well, let me tell you why Jacob Rod re Guest can win the Heisman. The Heisman isn't just about numbers. But Jacob Rodriguez has the numbers, okay? He's got 88 total tackles, seven force fumbles, five past deflections, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. So we got the numbers. And those numbers rival the numbers of Manta Teo when Manti Teo was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy. But the Heisman is also about being the best player in the country.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Right. That's why Travis Hunter won it. Yes, that. That's why Mark Ingram won it. That's why Derrick Henry won it.

[B]

That's why Robert wanted.

[A]

I appreciate that. Appreciate that.

[B]

Look, it's right here, guys. Right here.

[A]

Just. Just love her.

[B]

Right here.

[A]

So when you talk about it in that way, is Jacob Rodriguez one of the best players in the country? Absolutely.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

He should be in New York at The Heisman ceremony.

[B]

100.

[A]

The other thing about the Heisman is the story. And Jacob Rodriguez's story is so phenomenal. Okay, baby. His wife is a Army Blackhawk pilot badass. He was a quarterback at Virginia on scholarship that decided to leave his scholarship and walk on it. Texas Tech.

[B]

Talk about believing in yourself, because I'm not doing that.

[A]

And then he's sleeping on his brother's floor, okay, for an Entire semester, takes out a loan to pay for his books and to pay for his education. And now he's one of the best line, the best linebacker in the country, leading the best defense in the country. And has Texas Tech looking at a Big 12 title and a college Football playoff perf. You telling me you can't sell that story?

[B]

They just blew up byu. I mean, BYU is the hottest topic in all of college football.

[A]

So I can sell that story. Yeah. So Jacob Rodriguez is very deserving to be at number one on our list for the Heisman Trophy. And at number two, we gotta put the man, Fernando Mendoza, at number two from Indiana. He just had a Heisman moment too. Jacob Rodriguez had a heism moment. Fernando Mendoza had a Heisman moment. You want to talk about a fourth quarter drive, game winning drive against Penn State. I don't care what Penn State's record is. You know how hard it is to go play there. You know how hard it is to get a win on the road at Penn State when you don't have your number one receiver, your receiver who leads you in touchdowns to write, you don't have him on the field and you got to go make it happen. And not only that, did you see the catch?

[B]

Oh, I saw the catch.

[A]

Did you see the catch?

[B]

We all saw the catch.

[A]

Did you see the catch by Omar Cooper Jr?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

I mean, what did we just witness? People? Go watch the video. Let's watch the video. Okay, what did we just witness? This man didn't just catch a pass. He performed a gravity defying ballet act in the back of the end zone. I mean, how did he get his left foot down before his right foot but then got both feet in? And it would have been good in the NFL just like it would be in college because the college only in one foot. He said, look, my two feet.

[B]

The funny thing is, I was just talking to you about it last week. I was talking about how hard it is to even catch any ball on any NFL, right? But to catch a football with a helmet on where you can't see half the, half the field and then while you're catching it, you have to consciously think about the fact that you gotta get your feet in like that is way too much. Like while you're in a high pressure situation and try to think about the fact that, oh, now I caught the ball. But I also have to think about getting my feet in. Like football players gotta be some of the best athletes in the world for them to literally think about everything they have to think about and Catch the ball with the freaking helmet blocking division. Like, I have so much respect for you guys.

[A]

No, we, we appreciate that. We appreciate your respect for us as football players. And it is very difficult. If there was ever a Heisman moment that I've seen, it was that moment right there for Fernando Mendoza and his brother Omar Cooper Jr. Hitting him with that HBO help a brother out. Okay, I'm getting hit in the face. I'm going to make this or I'm going to give you a chance. Can you make the play? And they made the play beyond impressed with what I saw from them. Fernando Mendoza jumps up to number two. I know some people have him at number one and I wouldn't fight you if you put him at one. But I got Jacob Rodriguez and Mendoza one and two. And then we got Julian saying quarterback from Ohio State, Ty Simpson, quarterback from Alabama and Marcel Reed from Texas A and M closing out our list. This Heisman Trophy is coming down to the wire, people. It's going to be an exciting one for weeks. Let's go.

[B]

All right, normally in this part of the episode, we give you guys a feelgood story of the week, but today we kind of going to switch things up and want to talk about men's mental health that is probably not taken seriously enough. Yeah, we're. We're talking about Marsha Nealand who ended up unfortunately taking his own life this past week and who was a star Cowboys player. You know, everybody thought he was up and coming star. He had just. Did you just score a touchdown in his previous game?

[A]

Block punt, scooping score for a touchdown.

[B]

Yeah. And from outside looking in, we always look at athletes and like everybody that you look up to as just super, like, they got it all, they must be so happy and they got it all going on. And then we hear news like that and that makes you think that we're not taking the mental health of the athletes, of the superstars, and especially men seriously enough.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So what do you, what do you think about that? Do you think men's mental health is taken seriously?

[A]

I don't. I don't think it's taken seriously enough because in our society we still have overwhelming majority of men who feel like they, they don't just have to be tough, but they have to hold it on in. And when you look at athletes, you know, this isn't about gossip. This is about a young man's life who you would think was on top of the world.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Just scored a touchdown, got the star on his helmet, playing for the Dallas Cowboys and Then a blink of an eye, he's gone. Because he took his own life. Because there was something going on in his life that wasn't representative of what we saw on that football field. And I saw a number of players come out and put out tweets, and we'll put those tweets on the screen. And they're talking about how fans and how people outside of the sport don't see players as human.

[B]

They don't. So true.

[A]

They see them as, did you help my team win the game? Did you help me win my bet? Did you help me win my fantasy football league? And players are human, too. It's why when demar Hamlin got hurt and. And literally died on the field, they canceled the game.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because the impact that has on the psyche, the psychological impact that has on a player is immeasurable. So when guys are sitting there and they're saying, hey, I'm not worried about this game or what happened or the fact that you lost your bet or the fact that you have to go to work the next day with pie in your face because your team lost, I'm focused on the fact that my brother just died.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

A guy that I bled and sweated with and told stories with and have life experiences with and tried to accomplish a common goal together with is gone. And I think for. For athletes, for the fans out there who watch these games understand that the athletes are human. They are people. They're just not objects for your entertainment. And I know we are entertainers. Yeah. Our job is to entertain and to try to make your day brighter by winning football games. But what's going on in between someone's ears and what is happening in their life never shows up on that field. And. And Marshawn Nealon was the perfect example of that. How can a guy who you thought would be on top of the world do what happened to him in evading the police and taking his own life in a Porta Potty?

[B]

Yeah. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, deserves to die alone in a Porta Potty while texting or calling their loved ones goodbye. Like, this is such a heartbreaking situation. And I do feel that men's mental health should be taken so much more seriously, and men should not be looked at this. That always needs to be tough and always needs to be strong and always needs to just hold it all in because otherwise you are soft.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, that needs to go. Because things like this happen. And athletes and celebrities and superstars and whatever you want to call them need to be looked at. As real humans. So the nasty social media comments of go kill yourself after the games and all of that, like, you can't.

[A]

That.

[B]

That absolutely just needs to go. It needs to stop. Because, like, these are real human beings with real lives. They are not just here on this earth for your entertainment. That's just. That's their job. Outside of their job, they're human beings, and they don't deserve to be treated like that. So, yeah, I hope. I truly hope, like, in a crazy world that we live in today that men will be taken more seriously and more when they talk about their trauma or open up about their mental health, that people will actually care.

[A]

A lot of players feel like you love my talent, but you don't want to hear about my trauma. Yep. And to me, that speaks volumes, because when men do become vulnerable, a lot of times in our society today, they call them simps or they call them soft. Oh, he. He's crying. Why is he crying for? Listen, man, real men cry.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Real men are not afraid to show their emotion and share their stories. But it's the reaction to those stories when they. When they don't win the bet for you or they don't win the game for you. And now all of a sudden, they're just a meme. They're just another means to your entertainment. And listen, the NFL is a business, right? It's built on strength, violence, and control. But off the field, a lot of players are dealing with depression, anxiety, cte, the trauma from their childhood, injuries that changed not only their life, but maybe their brain chemistry, pressure from their family, money, stress, the fear of. Of not having what they have right now. At any moment, it could all be gone. And you say to yourself, well, what makes them any different than what every human being on the face of the earth is dealing with? And my answer to you is, that's exactly the point.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

They're just like you.

[B]

Exactly. I don't know. That's. That's just such a horrible tragedy that didn't have to. Didn't have to go that way, you know? And I. I. Like I said, I truly hope that if you need help, ask for help.

[A]

Yes. And we pray prayers up for. For Marshawn Neal and his family, everybody that's impacted by this. As Greta said, if you need help, ask for help. If you need to talk to somebody, talk to somebody. Hell, we'll. We'll set up a line if you need to talk to us, just about what you're going through. Because in this life, you gotta be able to have the hard conversations with people about what is going on in your life and not feel like you're being judged for it. So to all the players out there, to all the people out there who are watching this, just understand that your life is worth living. And no matter what you are going through, it's never, it's never time to give up. The people who don't quit, the people who don't give up are the ones who find success. And no matter what you're going through, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You don't have to run away from that. Run towards the light. Run towards talking to people about the issues that you're going through. Because this situation is so illuminating, not just for players, but for everybody. So that is our show for today. We just want to say thank you guys for sharing this time with us. We hope you learn more about football, you learn more about the things that are really going on in the league and the things that are really going on in the mindset of players. Men's mental health is serious. We love you guys. Like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Make sure you go watch any of our previous interviews, whether it be about Lamar Jackson, about Jaden Daniels, our previous interview, talking to Jacob Rodriguez and Baron Morton from Texas Tech. That, that, that went live last week. We thank you guys for supporting us. As we said, we love you. We'll see you guys next time. We appreciate you for joining our huddle. Peace out.