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Richard Deutsch
We have the tech to get food delivered in 15 minutes. But we all have horror stories about buying tickets. The GameTime app gives fans the advantage. Get amazing tickets in just a few taps. Fees are included, so what you see is what you pay. And the gametime guarantee means authentic tickets at the best price every time. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets to concerts, sports, comedy and more with GameTime. Download the GameTime app and create an account for $20 off your first purchase. Hey, this is Richard Deutsch, the host of the sports media podcast.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
If you're interested in what's happening with
Richard Deutsch
all the places where you consume sports, the sports media podcast has you covered.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
I've been turning down interviews all week. Koda Kapi reached out. Oprah, George Stephanopoulos. So I said no. I was booked on the Deitch podcast
CJ Stroud
before the Taylor Swift phenomenon.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
I must live up to my responsibility.
Richard Deutsch
Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
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Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
All right. The NFL Network was in town yesterday. Good seeing our friend Jane Slater out there.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
We talked to Jane Slater for a little bit before practice when we were done with our show. Yeah, I got excited to find out that Kurt Warner was going to be interviewing C.J. stroud.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Yes. Yeah. The two of them sat down with CJ Stroud. Good interview. If you want to go find it, it's up there. It's on YouTube.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
You and I bet on Kelsey which Bible verses they would discuss.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
They were heavy. They were playing.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
I figured they would be.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
They were playing dueling Bible verses there.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
For sure. Kurt Warner is going to. Of C.J. stroud. It was, however skeptical he might be for whatever reason. Once they get. Once they get onto the old. The old bibliotech, it's gonna be. It's gonna be on.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
There was a lot of faith talk, no doubt about that. Here was C.J. stroud on the. Kind of just doing a rundown almost of the. Of how things are going offensively. All the weapons in the different rooms on that side of the ball. How's he feeling about that group?
CJ Stroud
Nico, of course, is, you know, the one on one guy. He can do everything. He can get in the slide, go outside, you know, big playability big yak ability. And then, you know, the other guys, I think they're very talented. You know, some guys who played a lot of college ball, you know, played together in college with Hutch and Higg and Jay Noel. And then you got Tank, you got J. Watt. Coming from a championship mentality, I think he has three rings, you know, so he has that mentality and that work ethic. And then also our tight end room, I think we brought in Marlon, rookie from, you know, that team up north. He's doing very well. Then we got Dalton. You know, of course our ace had tight end Cad Foster, running backs doing well. So we, and then my biggest thing is we're tough up front. You know, we got some tough guys, some, some young guys who are pushing everybody else. Like, Keelan's doing great. Wyatt from the Browns got a lot of experience. I can go on and on. Everybody's doing really well. So I'm very excited for the group we have offensively.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
That's kind of echoing what I said in the open, Seth. Like, I found myself as I was talking about this offense with other. Another radio station yesterday, I'm like, wow, I'm. And I'm generally a positive person, but I'm like, I feel decent about the direction of these rooms right now.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Yeah. And I think the. Wyatt Teller is the guy that I've been watching and you know, it's hard to see during play sometimes all the individual stuff, but when you watch him. But I've been pleased with him so far in the team periods, but then in the one on one pass rush, he's just such a technician. It's really fun to watch him work with his hands. And you know, for a young offensive lineman, same as it is for young defensive linemen, the, the biggest thing that guys maybe realize real quickly when they get to the NFL is how precise you have to be with your hands. And Wyatt Teller is one of the best in the, in the league in the last decade at that, and he's still very much that way. So the, the, the. The level of veteran expertise and then the promise of Keelan, Rutledge and Betchi, we woo. Honestly is I, like, I haven't been blown away, but it's hard to get blown away by interior offensive linemen. But the, the just how solid and strong that he is, like, you can totally see that he might develop into something.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Yep. Clowney was on with the folks on NFL Network yesterday as well. And oh, real quick before we move
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
on, just because another thing that the CJ had said in his interview with Kurt Warner that I really liked was that, you know, he talked about maturing as a quarterback and, you know, taking the. Taking the easy throws and everything. But he said a key thing in there, which is it's a. It's a great way to frame it, is that you got to trust your teammates to make those plays. Because sometimes it's kind of an insult to the other players when you don't throw the running back early in the down. You know, when you realize, okay, the coverage isn't right, instead of hanging on, let me throw it to the running back and let him get some yak. Like, you're insulting your running back if you don't think he can do that.
Jevon Clowney
Right.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Like, if you learn that, yeah, no, that can be a really, really vicious weapon if you don't do it. And he framed it almost that way, is like, yeah, trust your teammates. It doesn't have to be the circus throw downfield. You can turn a boring route into a good one if you trust your teammates to do it.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
I thought the. One of the really interesting things he said in there, we don't have the audio, so I apologize. But when they asked him about kind of changing his mentality of taking plays like that, taking what the defense gives you, is that he's like, yes. Since I've been in height since I was in high school, every other coach before this coaching staff or before getting to the NFL probably really was like, yeah, man, you can make all the throws. Yeah, yeah, you should be zipping it all over the place.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
It's like, yeah, dude, you too can be the next Jay Cutler in the NFL if you so choose.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Right? Yeah, it was interesting. It was good. It was a good interview. It was a good sit down with those guys. Here was Jadevian clown.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
I mean, that and just like, yeah, be so. Just so hungry for the deep ball that you don't actually develop as a genuine quarterback.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
That's right. Here's Jevon Clowney when he was asked by Jane Slater and Kurt Warner why Houston?
Jevon Clowney
I didn't like how I went the first time, and I felt like we had a good team to win when I was here the first time. And I kept watching them after I left, watched d' Ameco put this team together. And I was like, I've been living here. My kids go to school here. If I had to pick to come here or somewhere else, I might as well stay home and help the team that I got drafted to. And I was looking forward to this. They got a lot of great players up front. I said, if I can get in the mix with that group, it can be special for us this year. And I was looking forward to that.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
All right, so it's, it's interesting, it's funny because I've heard d' Ameco make comparisons, or not make comparisons, but mentioned Daniel Hunter in the same answers. Yeah, which deviant Clowney, because of the Houston angle to the whole thing. You know, Daniil wanting to come back here and do something special in his hometown. This isn't Jadevian Clowney's official hometown, but it's his football hometown. This is where he started his career. Like the. It's funny to me, like how this defense is such a walking advertisement for itself. Daniel Hunter, when he signed here, brought up the fact that he was at that Cleveland playoff game, the game, the playoff game against Cleveland back in D' Amico's first year, CJ's rookie year. He was at that game and he watched that defense and was like, damn, I want to play on that defense and I can do it in my hometown. It's almost an identical story from Clowney. Right?
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Clowney had inside sounded a little bit in that particular slice he talked about when in his introductory press conference, he talked a good amount about the environment that's here with d' Amico and how
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Richard Deutsch
We have the tech to get food delivered in 15 minutes, but we all have horror stories about buying tickets. The GameTime app gives fans the advantage. Get amazing tickets in just a few taps. Fees are included, so what you see is what you pay. And the gametime guarantee means authentic tickets at the best price every time. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets to concerts, sports, comedy, and more with GameTime. Download the GameTime app and create an account for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.
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Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
it's different that that particular answer sounded a little bit more like convenience, that it was part of it. I feel like that one wasn't as. Didn't. It wasn't as much full bore into like, yeah, this is the spot that it needs to be. But like, in fairness to him, he has given that other answer a couple of times.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Yeah, for sure, for sure. This is what his phone call, how his phone call went with d'. Amico. Ryan's.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
What was that call with d'?
Shannon Maldonado
Amico?
Jevon Clowney
Like, I was just really speaking to him like, hey, I see. I like what you done did with the culture. I can tell the energy in the locker room for watching you guys on tv. And I, I was like, hey, I'd like to be a part of that. You know, I'm here, I can help the team. And just reached out to him and that. And he was like, hey, we can work on that. And the next week he made things happen. Got me in the building now and it's been up from here again.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
That, like, that's a, that that's a significant thing that Clowney's doing. The one making the phone call.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Yeah, yeah. And that dynamic happens. It's. It's always interesting because you wonder exactly what, like, what would they have reached
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
out to him eventually?
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Sometimes I hear stories from front offices where I'm like, man, what's the harm in a phone call? Just to see if somebody. They'll assume that somebody isn't interested or so they might have been planning on talking to Clowney's agent at some point anyway. Clowney also has been a guy that has routinely waited until late in camp or when the regular season has begun to make his decision. So then maybe they're just kind of slow playing it and not. Not wanting to look desperate. So it was nice when they got a call from.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
I think it's really interesting just how motivated is probably the wrong word because I think Clowney is a motivated player, as you pointed out several times. And you've got the cuts to prove it on your computer over there. That effort and motor on the field is not an issue with Clowney. But he has had this sort of strange reputation that's followed him about being, you know, like, doesn't do training camp, you know, like that. Stuff like that. Little things like that. He's still a very, very good football player, obviously. That's why I thought that was really. That he's doing the reaching out to d' Ameco that he saw these things again. There's a convenience factor, too. He lives here in Houston. But that and the fact that, as he pointed out, I wanted to get into a training camp so I could finally get into a scheme and not turn to the guy next to me and ask what I'm doing. It just seems like a much. It seems like a really rounded out, mature version of Clowney.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
No, he's a different guy than when he left. And he's still, like. In terms of personality, he's not. He's not Will Anderson because There's only like 4 or 5 Will Anderson type guys in the league, but he's definitely just. He's not the young kid whose head was spinning when he first got here.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Okay, so he played for the Cowboys last year. He was their best defensive lineman, probably until they traded for Quinn and Williams Is. Did Dallas take the old Clowney for granted in their approach with him this off season? Because they asked Clowney yesterday, why didn't you go back to Dallas?
Jevon Clowney
I was shocked myself. I reached out a few times, like, hey, what y' all thinking? I think they wanted to go through training camp. I was like, that ain't my mindset right now. I think I deserve to be signed right after the season was over. I felt like. And when they didn't sign me, I was just like, I'm not gonna go crazy, far off to play. I'm not going to a team that can't win. I want to go to a team that can win and gonna be in position to be in the playoffs come December time. And why. Why not do it here while I started it?
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
It. I mean, that sounds to me, Seth, like they were like, nah. Clowney always signs in in late August anyways.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Yeah, the Cowboys.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
That's how I choose to.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Well, it's tricky. The Cowboys are trying to massively overhaul their defense, too. So it was good last year for them. Right, right, right. But I mean, they already. They've got six, seven new starters potentially on defense, and maybe just for. For whatever reason with an older player, they just didn't want too many older guys on there.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
They obviously didn't prioritize him or he'd
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
be a Dallas Cowboy, probably. I mean, yeah, they, they prioritize Rashawn Gary last year. That, that seems like I would rather have Clowney.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Yeah, I would too. We got some texts rolling in here. What does Clowney's contract look like? Very team friendly. Base salary of five and a half million, maxing out at eight million with incentives. Yeah, that's a really good deal for the Texans.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Yeah, no, and it's, it's, it's not that much more than they paid EJ Speed or Dominique Robinson. You know, it's a, it's a few million more. But I do think Genevion probably would have had better offers, especially if he'd wait. You know, part of him just, it's not like it's not fair, I think, to say, oh, he just doesn't want to go to training camp. Part of it is that he's in that category of guy that he's probably going to get his best deal at the end of camp when teams realize, okay, we don't have, we need a guy or one of our guys got injured and that's probably where the best deals have been. So if he had, if he had followed the same strategy at some point, somebody would have come along maybe with a much more lucrative deal in this. Maybe that a good team who loses a starter to an ACL and is a contender or what have you. There's somebody that might have played him, paid him a lot more.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
He's in a couple of practices. I mean, he was disruptive yesterday.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
No, no, no. Yesterday it was. No, it was immediate. He came in and he did a speed to power against Braden Smith and just destroyed him. I think Braden might have gotten his feet tangled up with somebody. I couldn't see from the sideline, but it was pretty damn impressive. And then he immediately had two really nice reps against Trent Brown.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
There is gas in the tank there.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
And I know when I mentioned this yesterday, a couple people said, well, is that actually good? Because that's against our offensive lineman. Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. Like they're. He's doing it against proven offensive linemen and that's what Clowney is going to do in one on ones at time. I had a conversation with somebody yesterday about like, well, what? Like why would they just not chip them and. Because you can't, you can't chip somebody every single play, you know. Oh no, that was a question about Will Anderson. But like, because you can't still true though. You can't chip everybody every single play. And especially if you trust your tackles. Yeah, they're going to be a one on one and sometimes they're going to get beat.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
Hey, real quick along those lines. Text message Anybody had eyes on Ursary so far?
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
Yeah, Ursari has had, he's had some bad snaps versus Daniel Hunter, which is fine like everybody else in the league. Yeah, I think, I think he's looked generally where I'd expect him right now. He hasn't blown me away, but I think he's, he's an improved, I think he's an improved player over where he was at the end of last year, you know, without seeing him in an actual game yet. That's my expectation in Week one.
Host 1 (Sports Media Podcast Host)
All right, let's get to headlines. Coming up next, the Astros lose yesterday, still leading the division. We've got more audio from training camp coming. Signing of a former Texan has found a home. We will tell you who that is as well. We'll do all that in headlines.
Susie Welch
Have you ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that. More dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life? Because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming you. People think okay, an A plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming youg wherever you get your podcasts.
Richard Deutsch
We have the tech to get food delivered in 15 minutes, but we all have horror stories about buying tickets. The GameTime app gives fans the advantage. Get amazing tickets in just a few taps. Fees are included, so what you see is what you pay. And the gametime guarantee means authentic tickets at the best price every time. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets to concerts, sports, comedy and more with GameTime. Download the GameTime app and create an account for $20 off your first purchase.
Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
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Jevon Clowney
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Host 2 (Sports Analyst)
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Susie Welch
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Shannon Maldonado
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This episode dives into the Houston Texans' recent exposure on NFL Network, focusing on CJ Stroud and Jadeveon Clowney’s interviews with Jane Slater and Kurt Warner. The hosts dissect Stroud’s comments on the offense and personal QB growth, while Clowney’s homecoming story and motivations are explored in detail. Additional insights into the Texans' roster, Clowney’s disruptive return to camp, and broader reflections on Houston’s building football culture provide a comprehensive look at the team as preseason intensifies.
“Everybody’s doing really well. So I’m very excited for the group we have offensively.” – CJ Stroud ([02:23])
“It’s kind of an insult to the other players when you don’t throw to the running back early in the down... You’re insulting your running back if you don’t think he can do that.” – Seth Payne ([05:18])
“Since I was in high school... every other coach... ‘yeah, man, you can make all the throws. Zip it all over.’” – Host paraphrasing Stroud’s interview ([05:33])
“If I had to pick... I might as well stay home and help the team that I got drafted to. I said, if I can get in the mix with that group, it can be special for us this year.” – Jadeveon Clowney ([06:20])
“I was just really speaking to him like, ‘Hey, I like what you done did with the culture... I’d like to be a part of that...’ and he was like, ‘Hey, we can work on that.’” – Clowney ([09:39])
“Why not do it here where I started it?” – Jadeveon Clowney ([12:05])
“It was pretty damn impressive... two really nice reps against Trent Brown.” – Seth Payne ([14:16])
“Nico, of course, is, you know, the one on one guy. He can do everything. He can get in the slot, go outside, you know, big playability, big YAC ability…” ([02:23])
“You can turn a boring route into a good one if you trust your teammates to do it.” ([05:19])
“If I had to pick to come here or somewhere else, I might as well stay home and help the team that I got drafted to.” ([06:20])
“I was shocked myself. … I think I deserve to be signed right after the season was over.” ([12:05])
“No, no, no. Yesterday it was. No, it was immediate. He came in and he did a speed to power...” ([14:16])
“It just seems like a really rounded out, mature version of Clowney.” ([11:27])
The conversation is sharp yet laid-back, rich in context and relatable banter. Both hosts combine insight as analysts and former players with a conversational Houston sports radio energy. Their discussions blend deep football knowledge with humor, candid critiques, and obvious passion for the Texans’ progress under DeMeco Ryans.
For Texans fans and NFL followers, this episode gives a revealing look at how the franchise’s key personalities are embracing growth, leadership, and an increasingly competitive culture in Houston heading into the 2026 season.