25W: Bobby Gets Honest and Vulnerable About His Gambling + Steve Smith Sr. on What He Remembers from Playing in the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Show + Beanie Wells Committing to USC Before His Mom Said 'No'

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show – 25W: Full Episode Summary

Episode Title: Bobby Gets Honest and Vulnerable About His Gambling + Steve Smith Sr. on the Memorable Justin Timberlake–Janet Jackson Super Bowl Halftime Show + Beanie Wells’ USC Almost-Commitment
Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones
Guests: Steve Smith Sr., Beanie Wells
Regular Crew: Eddie, Kevin, Brandon

---

Episode Overview

In this candid episode of "The Bobby Bones Show," Bobby takes listeners behind the curtain of his sports gambling results from 2025, revealing big wins and even bigger losses with total transparency. The show features two in-depth, football-heavy interviews: first, with former NFL star and current analyst Steve Smith Sr., who discusses NFL coaching changes, Super Bowl memories – including the infamous Justin Timberlake–Janet Jackson halftime – and playoff perspective from a player's view; then, with ex-Ohio State and Cardinals running back Beanie Wells, who recounts his own wild recruiting journey (including a secret commitment to USC his mom shut down) and weighs in on the chaos of college football’s transfer portal era. The crew also shares their own gambling stories, runs down the richest college athletic departments, and debates current hot topics from Michael Irvin's sideline antics to Travis Kelce's charity headlines.

---

1. Bobby Bones Gets Honest About Gambling

Full Transparency on 2025 Sports Betting

• Bobby opens the episode by revealing his real-life DraftKings gambling stats, owning up to a major loss for the year.

  • "My total for 2025 was minus $24,256. 24." (01:42)
  • Most losses came in the final two months (about $18,000).
  • Root cause: big bets, chasing losses, unlucky futures (especially big preseason parlays that didn’t hit).
  • "I never want to be the guy that acts like he wins all the time, because I don’t." (01:42)

• The group reacts:

  • Kevin marvels at the sum, Eddie and Brandon share their own tales about the “fun” and pitfalls of sports betting.
  • "You have to do it for entertainment...I was entertained the crap out of minus $24,000!" – Bobby (04:34)
  • Discussion about “chasing bets” and the difference between healthy entertainment and problematic behaviors.

• Notable Quote:

  • “Don’t do it unless you have it to lose. It’s entertainment only.” – Bobby Bones (04:49)

---

2. Richest Athletic Departments in College Sports

Bobby quizzes the group on the top-earning college athletic departments:

• Texas ranks #1, “I don’t know how they lose a single game at anything.” – Bobby (07:23)
• Ohio State is #2, with Texas A&M, Georgia, Michigan following.
• Oregon surprisingly outside the top 15.
• Discussion on how money is poured into various sports, especially in the SEC.

---

3. Interview: Steve Smith Sr. (10:08–34:12)

NFL Coaching Carousel & John Harbaugh's Exit

• Bobby asks for Steve Smith’s take after John Harbaugh leaves the Ravens after 18 years.

  • "18 years is a very long time...your message gets stale and that’s just part of business." (10:33)

• On whether Harbaugh makes sense for other teams:

  • “He’d be best for a place that has an established quarterback ... I don’t think he’s looking to rebuild.” (11:51)

• Steve clarifies the importance of fit and timing for a veteran coach.

Panthers Fandom and Training Camp Stories

• Bobby shares his bandwagon story: “I picked the Panthers...there was no wagon when I got on.” (13:55)
• Steve jokes about Spartanburg, SC training camps and saving money by using a luxury blow-up mattress.
  • “I pick up pennies and quarters off the street ... after six months I cash it in, go into the Coin Star, 4-500 cash.” (16:38)
• Saving money and early-career lessons: “My first check was...blew it. However, I learned a little bit after that and so I took care of my money.” (16:54)

Playoff Mindset, Byes, and Game Prep

• The mental and physical challenges of the postseason:
  • “It’s hard to be a really good team twice...third down conversions, keeping themselves on the field, not leaving points on the board.” (17:17)
• On playoff buoys: “I prefer to play the wildcard weekend so you just kind of have a flow and a feel.” (19:33)

Wide Receivers, Return Game, and Super Bowl Memories

• Intricate details of being a punt returner:
  • “It’s a mind trick. The outcome still happens: if you catch it, you know you’re gonna get hit.” (22:07)
  • On fair catching: “Yes, I sure did. I was a stat whore.” (22:43)
• On juke moves and trash talk: “I definitely would say some things...more inside my head than out loud.” (24:49)

Super Bowl Halftime – The Janet-Justin “Nipplegate” Show

• Steve recalls his Super Bowl experience:
  • “It was the infamous Justin Timberlake.” (31:12)
  • Did they know about the halftime controversy? “No, never want to cross our play sheet. No nipple talk.” (31:45)

Podcast Plug

• Steve is now hosting the “89 Show” on YouTube, talking film breakdowns, current NFL and college topics.
  • “I’m kind of a film nerd, so it lets me geek out, and I enjoy it.” (33:25)

Memorable Quote:

• “I mentioned every team; you’re covered...You can’t go on a sideline without them being like, Steve Smith, you said our team!” (34:09)

---

4. College Football Parlay and Betting Strategy (34:12–36:33)

• Bobby discusses his next parlay picks, aiming to avoid betting biases.
• General gambling philosophies: remove emotion, hedge bets, and entertainment value.

---

5. NFL Playoff Picks and Roundtable (38:14–40:46)

• The crew debates who will win the key playoff games (no spreads), discusses favorites and potential upsets.
• They collectively root for underdogs, debate the “heart vs. head” picks (e.g., all but Eddie pick the 49ers over the Eagles).

---

6. Interview: Beanie Wells (40:46–62:52)

Ohio State, Recruiting, and the “Almost-Commit” to USC

• Beanie’s podcast, “The Script,” covers Ohio State football.
• On recruiting, he shares a wild recruitment story:
  • “I committed to USC while I was still committed to Ohio State, but my mom shut that down so quick...She said, give Coach Carroll the phone. [He said] ‘Take you back to the airport immediately.’” (46:43)
• Only made a few visits (OSU, Michigan, USC), but family ties kept him a Buckeye.

Program Culture, Transfer Portal, and NIL

• Deep dive into Indiana’s program transformation, thanks to coach Curt Cignetti:
  • “They're a complete football team...He’s going to have a statue when it’s all said and done.” (48:09)
• On player movement and the portal:
  • “I think they should be paid as well, but...we have to get this thing reeled in a little bit.” (52:32)
• On players being “pushed out” of programs and the need for new protections.
  • “Nobody wants to be left in the dark...I don’t want my kid pushed out just because he isn’t producing right now.” (54:13)

Personal Reflections

• On being THE top running back as a high schooler:
  • “I wish I would have enjoyed it a little bit more because you never know how fast that time period goes.” (59:25)
• Advice to sons and new prospects: “Just keep working...there’s always somebody outworking you.” (60:45)
• NFL and Cardinals talk: “It’s hard to build a culture when you don’t have that continuity.” (61:11)

Memorable Moment:

• The wild story of Beanie committing to USC for about ten minutes, before his mom shut it down—"That was my short, brief, 10 minute commitment to USC." (47:03)

---

7. Hot Takes & Sideline Anecdotes

Michael Irvin’s Miami Sideline Antics

• The crew debates whether Irvin adds or subtracts from the broadcast.
  • “It annoys me a little bit. It just annoys me when...we’re watching the game, and I know Michael Irvin is a huge supporter, but I want to watch the game.” – Eddie (66:20)

Travis Kelce’s Charity “Scandal”

• Discussing accusations of mismanagement (majority of funds spent on admin).
  • Bobby's take: "I think it's unfair to judge him because he's differently because of the accomplishments and the success that he's had." (69:23)
  • Skepticism about the real significance, but acknowledgment that public scrutiny is high due to his fame.

---

8. Super Bowl Odds and Gambling Group Finances

• Bills are Bobby’s surprise “value” pick at +1100 (71:51).
• Seahawks and Rams lead the odds; debate why Seattle’s favored.
• The crew calculates their group pool’s $5,000+ loss, muses about needing the Patriots and Panthers to pull off upsets to reduce the deficit.
  • “If we get to $7,500, each of you guys will owe $1,800, basically. Just say the worst-case scenario: $2,000.” – Bobby (75:32)
  • Group jokes about starting a car wash or food drive to pay off bets.

---

9. Closing & Light Moments

• Brandon reminisces about opening for Taylor Swift on tour, insists she was always kind—“She got my name wrong a few times, but I didn’t care. By the end of it, she knew it.” (70:31)
• The team teases a March Madness “Calcutta” bracket betting pool for the spring.

---

Notable Quotes / Moments With Timestamps

• “My total for 2025 was minus $24,256. 24.” – Bobby (01:42)
• “Don’t do it unless you have it to lose. It’s entertainment only.” – Bobby (04:49)
• “A lot of people are saying [Josh Allen has to do it this year], and I’m not...I don’t think it’s fair.” – Steve Smith Sr. (20:31)
• “It was the infamous Justin Timberlake...No, never want to cross our play sheet. No nipple talk.” – Steve Smith Sr. (31:12, 31:45)
• “That was my short, brief, 10 minute commitment to USC.” – Beanie Wells (47:03)
• “I wish I would have enjoyed it a little bit more because you never know how fast that time period goes.” – Beanie (59:25)
• “It’s unfair to judge him because of the accomplishments and the success that he’s had.” – Bobby on Travis Kelce (69:23)
• “If we get to $7,500, each of you guys will owe $1,800, basically...just say the worst-case scenario: $2,000.” – Bobby (75:32)
• “Theme song written by Bobby Bones. That’s me. And performed by Brandon Ray...” – closing credits (78:19)

---

Key Takeaways

• Bobby leads with humility and transparency about gambling, offering a rare look at the real results behind the gloss of “big wins.”
• The Steve Smith Sr. interview offers genuinely insightful football analysis and rare insider tales from one of the league’s most intense former receivers—including the real feeling inside a Super Bowl halftime, and a methodical breakdown of the skill in being a returner.
• Beanie Wells brings stories from the wild world of college football recruiting, offers pointed opinions on the transfer portal and NIL, and provides encouragement to young athletes and parents alike.
• The show maintains its hallmark combination of humor, self-deprecation, and savvy sports commentary, touching on topics from sideline spectacle to charity finance scandals.
• The crew’s real-world gambling pool both warns and entertains—there’s camaraderie, but also real money at stake.

---

Recommended Segments

• Bobby’s Gambling Revelation – 01:23 to 06:39
• Steve Smith Sr. Interview – 10:08 to 34:12
  (Especially Super Bowl stories at ~31:01)
• Beanie Wells’ USC Story – 46:41 to 47:23
• Michael Irvin Discussion – 65:05 to 66:46
• Final Gambling/Pool Calculation Drama – 71:46 to 76:16

---

For more, follow the crew on social (especially Bobby at @BobbyBones), Steve Smith at @stevesmithsr89, and Beanie Wells at @beaniewells26. Check out Steve’s “89 Show” on YouTube, and Beanie’s “The Script” podcast on Ohio State football.

Transcript

[Steve Smith Sr.]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bobby Bones]

Guaranteed Human DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NFL makes every playoff moment feel bigger. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Use the code Bobby Sports. That's the code. Bobby sports to turn five bucks into 300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins in partnership with DraftKings, the Crown is yours.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler, New York. Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hope Hope and why Connecticut? Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boot Hill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through. May apply in Illinois. 21 plus in most states. Void in Ontario, restrictions apply. Bet must win to receive bonus bets, which expire in seven days. Minimum odds required. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng co audio.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

This is a podcast called 25 Whistles.

[Bobby Bones]

Talking football and they all wear a whistle yet stupid. But what did you expect?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

It's a podcast called 25 Whistles.

[Kevin]

Everybody. All right.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Blow it.

[Bobby Bones]

Welcome to the show. I do want to start off with. And I brought my stat sheet.

[Beanie Wells]

Oh.

[Bobby Bones]

On DraftKings, just full transparency with how much I lost last year or won last year.

[Kevin]

Let's go.

[Bobby Bones]

And I can tell you this. I was having a pretty good year up until about August. The last two months, though, really set me back.

[Eddie]

That's when things just started getting weird in both the NFL and college.

[Bobby Bones]

I was very open about my struggles.

[Eddie]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

So vulnerable. I never want to be the guy that acts like he wins all the time, because I don't. I do. Well, some years. I've had years where I've really come out ahead. This was not one of those years. My total for 2025 was minus $24,256. 24.

[Kevin]

Say it again.

[Eddie]

24,000. Oh, my. Oh, my goodness.

[Bobby Bones]

And 18 of that thousand was in the last two and a half months.

[Eddie]

Oh, my goodness.

[Bobby Bones]

I couldn't hit.

[Eddie]

Yeah, it was hard, dude.

[Bobby Bones]

And I was doubling up to catch up. And I was also doing a lot. I wasn't chasing, but I was doing a lot of.

[Eddie]

I think that's called.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, no. I wasn't chasing immediately. I wouldn't chase. And as my emotions were high, the next week I would go. Now I check my stat sheet. Let me try to climb back in this thing is that. That's a version of chasing.

[Kevin]

It is.

[Bobby Bones]

I think I've been chasing, but I don't like chase. I don't feel like that's chasing No, I don't.

[Kevin]

Chasing is like the night of a big loss. You're like, I need to make it.

[Bobby Bones]

Back into the west coast chase.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

And more deposits. More deposits or chasing?

[Bobby Bones]

I did a lot of bets, though, this year that were big bets, big futures that I did not hit.

[Eddie]

Those are all done.

[Bobby Bones]

I have one left. I have the 49ers I put 1000 bucks on.

[Kevin]

I can make it all back, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin]

What wasn't that pay, like 20?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, 23,000. But, like, I bet a future, and it didn't count as a loss until it hit. I bet at the beginning of the year, preseason, $2,000 on the Broncos and the Bucks to both make the playoffs. I thought that was easy money about week seven. So, yeah, I lost $24,000 in 2025, and most of it was in the last two months of the year. So there you have it. Don't say I'm not being honest with you guys.

[Eddie]

No, thank you. I had to. So you sent a bet, I don't know, a couple weeks ago. And I showed my kids and like.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Look what Bobby hit.

[Eddie]

And they were like, whoa, that's crazy. And then I was like, guys, relax. He loses a lot too. All right. Just so you know.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

I don't want them growing up.

[Bobby Bones]

That was a good one, though. I had like a seven game parlay for.

[Kevin]

Oh, yeah, 2400 bucks.

[Eddie]

Yeah, they were like, he hit all that?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I did, though. That was fun. But y. Yeah, it's been a rough year.

[Eddie]

It has been tough. Yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Dang, that's a lot.

[Eddie]

I've had to slow down a little bit. Yeah, yeah.

[Brandon]

Not a boy.

[Eddie]

Especially since our skits.

[Bobby Bones]

Brandon said same under his breath. I don't know if you heard him.

[Kevin]

Well, yeah, we haven't heard from Brandon about gambling in, like three months.

[Eddie]

I remember a lot of Brandon stories.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Of, dude, I hit five touchdowns, seven.

[Bobby Bones]

Parlays in a row.

[Brandon]

But I have to say, you guys were 100% correct. I don't know if you remember this, but I was like, oh, yeah, I'll get into it. I started winning, like, just that first time. And you're like, dude, you don't understand.

[Kevin]

Like, you're.

[Brandon]

You're. It's not going to last. I was like, I think it's pretty good. Like four or five weeks in. I was like, up. I was having. Oh, my God, dude. Bobby, you're not kidding. Like, this has been just the worst past, like, two months losing money.

[Eddie]

But how much fun has it been?

[Bobby Bones]

Well, you have to do it for entertainment.

[Kevin]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And I was entertained the crap out of minus $24,000.

[Kevin]

That sounds like a lot of fun.

[Eddie]

I think, like, what else it was.

[Bobby Bones]

Whoa, look how much fun it was. So. Yeah, don't do it unless you have it to lose.

[Kevin]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

It's entertainment only.

[Eddie]

But my wife. My wife thinks I have a problem because. And it's not a pro. I don't have a problem. Okay. And I know if I.

[Bobby Bones]

You know what someone without a problem.

[Kevin]

Says, I don't have a problem.

[Beanie Wells]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I can quit whenever I want.

[Eddie]

No problem here.

[Bobby Bones]

But black friends.

[Eddie]

No one said that.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, that's if you're called a racist.

[Kevin]

Got it. Get it mixed up.

[Eddie]

You guys had done that bet, you know, and, like, what was. It was Arkansas basketball parlayed with San Francisco.

[Bobby Bones]

Something, something.

[Eddie]

Okay. And I was at a basketball game, and I saw Kevin's text come in. Never saw your text come in until Kevin's came in. And I was like, oh, I want to jump in on this. And I was in a gym where there was no service during the basketball game. I'm going up to the top of the bleachers.

[Bobby Bones]

Attaboy. Putting my phone up high for entertainment with us, with your buddies.

[Eddie]

And my wife goes, you have a.

[Bobby Bones]

Problem trying to hang out with the Voice?

[Eddie]

I said, no, no. I'm just trying to place a bet so we can all be part of it. That's it. Yeah.

[Kevin]

Those ones are fun, though. Like, when all three of us get in on one, and then you're, like, hanging out, but you're not.

[Eddie]

Exactly.

[Bobby Bones]

And you know what that's worth to me? $24,000.

[Eddie]

Dang. That's crazy. It's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

I was a little surprised at it.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Because I don't look while playing. I'll look at the end of the month and just go, month. I think the stat sheet is great, too, because it really lets you know what you're doing, and if you're losing too much, you stop. And I looked into the year, end of the year, and it was like, oh, man, my last couple months were real bad on me. But it was a lot of those futures. I just never hit those futures.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Never.

[Eddie]

But it's. See, to me, the futures are fun because it lasts a long time.

[Bobby Bones]

A lot of entertainment there, you know.

[Eddie]

I couldn't find it back in my stat sheet, but I looked like in December or November, and I had placed 5,000 bets last year, nickel at a time. 5,000 bets.

[Kevin]

That's a lot. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, so we'll Start with low honesty there to get us started. I do have the richest athletic departments in college sports. Who has not seen the list?

[Eddie]

I have not seen the list.

[Kevin]

I have not.

[Bobby Bones]

You haven't. Okay. What do you think the richest athletic department is in all college sports?

[Kevin]

Texas.

[Eddie]

Texas.

[Brandon]

Vanderbilt.

[Bobby Bones]

Not Endowment for Education.

[Eddie]

That's as rich to go to.

[Bobby Bones]

That'd be probably like Harvard, too. Yeah, but athletic departments. So I'll let you come back on that one. You can also go with their answer.

[Brandon]

I'll go Texas.

[Beanie Wells]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

It is Texas. It's Texas at number one.

[Eddie]

We've seen it.

[Bobby Bones]

It is Texas.

[Brandon]

Oh, you saw it.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Eddie]

No, not the list. So we saw Texas. It was crazy.

[Kevin]

Oh, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And we've seen other rich schools. And then you see Texas.

[Eddie]

It's unbelievable.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know how they lose a single game at anything. That's the thing.

[Eddie]

Yeah. They shouldn't.

[Bobby Bones]

They shouldn't.

[Kevin]

Yeah, I missed out on that one.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Kevin]

You guys said it's better than even Oregon.

[Bobby Bones]

It is.

[Kevin]

Oregon was in Oregon, and that was.

[Bobby Bones]

The one that was like, wow, they have so much money. Then you go to Texas and you're.

[Eddie]

Like, oh, this is money.

[Bobby Bones]

This is money. Number two, by the way, Oregon does not make the top 15. That doesn't mean that their football doesn't have more. Yeah, because they could take and put a ton in football, which they do. I gotta guess this is college athletic departments. Go ahead.

[Eddie]

I'm gonna go Notre Dame.

[Kevin]

It's a good one. I got another guess.

[Bobby Bones]

What is your guess?

[Kevin]

Ohio State.

[Brandon]

I was gonna say Ohio State.

[Bobby Bones]

Ohio State at two.

[Eddie]

Oh, come on.

[Bobby Bones]

Notre Dame at number six. So we'll do. We'll go. We'll go to, like, ten. You. You guys have been on number three.

[Kevin]

Florida.

[Brandon]

Michigan.

[Kevin]

Oh, that's a good one.

[Eddie]

Michigan.

[Bobby Bones]

No. Texas A. M. Oh.

[Eddie]

Oh, dang. They do a lot of money in Texas.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Florida at 14.

[Eddie]

I thought they gave all that money to. Was that coach that left.

[Bobby Bones]

Jimbo's got all their money.

[Eddie]

He took all that money.

[Bobby Bones]

They had to hawk all their weights.

[Eddie]

Gotta sell the weights, guys.

[Bobby Bones]

Georgia at 4, Michigan at 5. So three of the top four are SEC, Michigan at 5, Notre Dame at 6. And they have Notre Dame listed as ACC because they are, except for football. Tennessee at 7. South. Southern California at 8, Alabama at 9, Nebraska at 10, Penn State at 11, LSU at 12, Oklahoma at 13, Florida at 14, and Kentucky at 15. It stops at 15.

[Kevin]

Wow. Kentucky's up there, huh?

[Eddie]

That's interesting.

[Kevin]

Basketball, I guess, is that much, huh?

[Bobby Bones]

And they Had a bad loss last night. Missouri, they keep losing.

[Kevin]

They're like, I was gonna say they're really bad.

[Eddie]

They're not ranked anymore.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

They spent eight. No, they spent a ton of money on a roster, which a lot of teams do. I think they spent more than average because that's a big part of Kentucky sports.

[Kevin]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

They're, they're playing terrible. I've reposted some of Matt Jones's clips of him being like, thank you for taking John Calipard from us. We love it. And I'm like, I reposted one the other day. I said, no, no.

[Eddie]

You, yes. Nice guy, from the bottom of my heart.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes, yes, no, thank you. So, yeah, that's what's up. We have a big show because we have two really cool interviews that we're going to do. We can go first to Steve Smith, which I think we'll do. Now here's our talk with former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith. He was drafted third round 2001 and he's just been that dude. Carolina's all time leader in receiving yards, touchdowns, all purpose yards. He was inducted into the Panthers hall of Fame, which is the hall of honor in 2019. Now he's doing a lot of work with the NFL, doing a lot of media. You can follow him at. Steve Smith, senior, 89. Here he is. Steve Smith. Steve, really appreciate the time, man. Big fan.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Oh, appreciate it, man. How you guys doing today?

[Bobby Bones]

Doing pretty good. You know, I was just looking at Mike McDaniel, you know, just got fired. A lot of coaches, it feels like in college football we just had this too, where it was more than I think I've ever seen. I feel like now in the NFL we're seeing this a bit, I guess. I would like to talk first because it's all just so new with John Harbaugh leaving with the Ravens after 18 years. Like, what are your thoughts on that situation?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

18 years is a very long time. I come in a little bit caught in between just because of being a former Raven, experiencing John Harbaugh personally, being in that city and in that organization, and then a little bit of understanding as a, as an analyst where when you hear reports or you hear things, not everything is true. However, enough discussion really kind of brings you to the conclusion. Anywhere you are for 18 years, there's a little bit, I don't want to say complacency, but your message gets stale and that's just kind of part of business. Every organization, every individual, when you have a long standing relationship or tenure year somewhere There are going to be people sad to see you go and there are going to be people unfortunately happy to see you go. And then there's going to be people in the middle like myself, where I'm not really sure if it's a good thing or bad thing because you got to start to see what the next steps are. And over time you'll say, hey, that was a good move or it wasn't.

[Bobby Bones]

If you were an organization and you were looking for a coach or let's say you had a coach kind of right on the fence and you didn't know, would you bring Harbaugh in to be your guy?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, you would bring him in because you know he's going to manage every aspect of it. You know, his background is special teams, so he's, he's not an offensive play caller, he's not a defensive play caller. So he allows his coaches to really do their job and he just kind of oversees and manages the aspect of the team. So I think it's good. I think John Harbaugh would be in a. Would be good for a place that has an established quarterback that has some things already established because he is 62 years old and you know, for him to start all over and be with a team that's going to rebuild and restructure and all that stuff, I think it's going to take a little bit of time. Right. I'm here in Carolina, so you've seen that it's taken a long time. They're in the playoffs for the first time in what, 10 years. So to say that is how long it's going to take to build up. I don't think John Harbaugh is going to put himself at his age and the experience he's had that he kind of want to go, go through that again.

[Bobby Bones]

We live in Nashville and the Titans are here. I'm not a Titans fan. It's hard to be a fan of a team that isn't good and you didn't grow up around, right? So like they haven't been good.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Who is your team there?

[Bobby Bones]

I'm from Arkansas.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I'm just sitting here, I'm just sitting here about to judge you.

[Bobby Bones]

So no, no, it's all about. This is absolute truth. I'm not pandering to you at all, but so I'm from Arkansas. We did not have an NFL team. So I'm a die hard Razorback fan and because I everybody in Arkansas was a Cowboys fan. So I refused to be a Cowboys fan because Jerry Jones is from Arkansas. So I, this year, before the season started, I said I'm going to pick a team, a team that does not. And I'm going to be a super fan, a team that does not have an easy culture, like an absolute winning culture. And I picked the Panthers and I've been a diehard fan of the Panthers. Why'd you do the face?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I don't know if that's a compliment. Well, because one, I said I was going to judge you. Yeah, you said Arkansas and use football.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I'm not sure where those two actually.

[Bobby Bones]

They don't. They have in a while. Yeah, they have it in a while. It's a great point. Yeah.

[Beanie Wells]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I did pick the Panthers and I got, I got to keep Jersey.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Well, thanks. Yeah, well, thanks for jumping on the bandwagon. We're a little crowded though.

[Bobby Bones]

No, there was no wagon when I got on. It was empty. It was before the season started. So I have been a die hard year one Panthers fan and so it's been real fun. And we went last year. I went last year to camp and you know, talk with. With Bryce Young and it was a lot of fun. We had a good time and so I've been rooting for the Panthers.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

When did you come to camp? I was, I was there a few times. I never saw you.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, you never. I was the, the normal, you know, goofy dude with a big head. You didn't see me walking around. It was at the college, I think.

[Eddie]

Was it Wofford?

[Bobby Bones]

It was at Wofford last year. Yeah, we went, we went at Walford.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

No, it wasn't last year was. Not at Wofford last year. It was in.

[Bobby Bones]

Not this year. Last year.

[Eddie]

Two years ago.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Two years ago. Because I was going to say they haven't been at Walford for two years now. So.

[Bobby Bones]

Two years ago.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I'm just trying to. I'm just trying to keep up with the story.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, me too. Actually. Wait, did you, did you have camp at Wofford? It didn't look. That, didn't look comfortable. Did you have that when you were with Panthers?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Oh, yeah. I spent the whole. I spent the full year of my life in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

[Bobby Bones]

That did not seem comfortable for players that had a comfortable life at home.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, I mean, that's what training camp is for though, right? Training camp is not. You're going to the Ritz Carlton. You got a bungalow over the, over the water. That, that's not the purpose of camp. Camp is to make you uncomfortable, to strip you away from all the luxuries and to get down to the nitty gritty, can you. And will you make this team and be able to focus? So you're staying at a college when you live in a house in dorms. So no, it's not very comfortable. But you can do some things to make it comfor. I, I had a, I had a luxury like blow up mattress with top and, and I, I had that for years because you can renovate or. So I bought a luxury from. I think it was Front gate or Sharper Image back in the day. And so I, I kept, kept it for about seven years. So I got my money's worth when it was like $300 a day to rent a good mattress down there. So I just bought, bought myself. You know, I'm, I'm very, as my kids were saying, I'm very frugal. So really that's my thought process. Oh yeah. I'm a, I'm a. I pick up pennies and quarters off the street. Off the street, bang. Put in my pocket. Then I get a coin thing and a coin collector and that after six months I cash it in going to the Coin Star. 4, 500 cash.

[Kevin]

Dang.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Right there.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you save a lot of money while you were playing? I sure did because I feel like, like I, I didn't grow up with any money at all. And at first when I made money, I bought all the stuff that I didn't, that I didn't have as a kid and then I got, then I got. Right.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, I, I mean I screwed it up. My first, my first check was. Blew it. However, you know, I learned a little bit after that and so I took care of my money and I'm, I'm pretty comfortable.

[Bobby Bones]

You think the Panthers can beat the Rams?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

This is a recorded line, I think.

[Beanie Wells]

Yes. Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

What do the Panthers have to do then? They have beat them before, but what.

[Eddie]

Do they have to do?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

So. Well, it's really tough because it's hard to be a really good team twice and it's even harder to beat a team where the team before they sustained some injuries. Just like the Carolina Panthers, but they're getting some players back and we aren't. So it's going to be tough, but eventually. But the biggest things is don't leave the field without scoring points because you know, Matthew Stafford is in Company. Sean McVeigh is not going to have the same game plan. And biggest part is third down. The Carolina Panthers are not great in the low 30s in third down conversions, so keeping themselves on the field, continuously going through drives and not leaving points on the board. I think they give themselves a chance. If they don't do those things, it's going to be very difficult to repeat exactly what they did last season and ultimately the playoffs. Everything you've done in a regular season, that's great, that doesn't. You get no brownie points and they don't give you a 4 second head start because of what you did in a regular season is now 00 and everyone has a clean slate. However, you know, we all know the records and the statistics and it's going to be a, it's going to be a tough game, but I'm excited to watch it and excited to, to talk about it after.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it possible to be too hyped up for a playoff game as a player?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yes. But no, you want to be hyped up. You want to have nerves. What where it can get you is probably in those first, first few series you're so hyped up, you have so much adrenaline, adrenaline running through you that you get super winded super quick because you're going 100 miles per hour where you probably should have been going 75 miles per hour.

[Bobby Bones]

How do you feel about a team getting a buy? Let's say it's not about injuries. Do you like the week off and would you take week 18 off if you were getting a buy last two weeks off then yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

It just depends on your team. I have had the buy that's been beneficial for me at the time because I had an injury. So yes. But I also felt the rust. It took me a few series to get back in a mix of things. I prefer to play the wild card weekend. So you just kind of have a flow and a feel and you can start to get in rhythm and hopefully you get in a rhythm and going all the way to the super bowl to be able to start, stop and then reignite after watching another team run around and make their mistakes and get the rust off. I think it varies for both for different teams and it really counts and people utilize it based on the outcome.

[Bobby Bones]

Josh Allen in the playoffs and there's not a Lamar, there's not a Patrick Mahomes and there hasn't been a Joe Burrow for a couple of years, but he's one of the elite guys over in the afc. Is this a year that he's got to do it?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I think a lot of people are saying that and I'm not, I'm not. I don't think it's Fair to say he has to do it because he's also playing Jacksonville Jaguars team who is pretty stout. Right. Offensively, they're doing what they're doing, but defensively they're holding a lot of running backs, really good running backs. And James Connor is one of Those guys below 75 yards per game. Jonathan Taylor, who's almost, I believe, the league leader for the running backs in yards, and they held him to like 75, 74 yards. Quarterback receivers, they're holding under 75 yards per game. So it's going to be tough to say that Josh Allen needs to do it where his supporting cast actually needs to do a little bit more and take some, some weight off of his back because he's been carrying that team very long time.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to talk about return yards because you have a lot of them, but when you're returning, are you approaching that different than if you're catching a ball? Meaning the players are running at you, all of them. Do you have to have like supreme peripheral vision when returning a ball?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

That's a great question.

[Bobby Bones]

Thanks.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Neither one is different and here's why. I would say when you're running a ball, when you're running a route, jump up and catch it. What's the outcome if you drop or p. Or you drop or catch the football?

[Bobby Bones]

If you drop it, I don't know. You still might get hit.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah. If you catch it.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I mean, if you drop it, you still might get hit too. If it's close, yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

But if you catch it, it's a guarantee you're going to get hit.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Home return, same thing. The difference is they have a head start and you just get to watch them. That's it. It's a mind trick. The outcome still happens only if the ball that's thrown to you in the route is uncatchable or if you fair catch other than that, you're going to get everything you're. You hope you don't get. When catching a punt or catching a route with the ball in hands, big guys try to knock the snot out of you.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you hate fair catching?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yes, I sure did. I was a stat whore.

[Kevin]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Could you tell on a punt when they're running down? Could you see the lane before the ball even got to you? Yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

That's where the film study comes, where the ball is going. So for me is catching a football. I'm looking up. As I'm looking up, I'm also. Because look, you're on a team with 53 guys, 46, that dress you eat breakfast with them, you're around them. Since you know in those dorm rooms two years ago though those dorm rooms where you're standing, staying next to each other, you're learning each other. You also know who, who has a tougher matchup. So if my gunner is singled or doubled, singled on the right side, doubled on the left side, I traditionally will go, okay, I need to be paying attention to my single side. But if the player, the gunner is extremely good and that's why they're doubling, I still have to pay attention to him. And then you're going to have an outlier where someone gets out of whack and maybe loses a little bit leverage. So I'm constantly looking at the ball, at the flight of the ball and while the flight is going, I'm looking at the football as it spins. Is the nose up which means it will continue to keep going or is the nose starting to go down which means it's going to fall, is about to fall at that depth that we know that the punter is usually hitting. And then is it a left to right, is it a right footed punter? A left footed punter, right foot upon it is spinning, it's going to go to the right, but when it's left it actually falls and it goes to your left. Most punters are right footed so that throws it off and it's a different spin. So it hits your hands a little bit different. So it's a lot of calculating it detailedness that that's why the couch folks that watch football think they could just get off the couch after a beer and some wings and go do it. It's not that easy.

[Bobby Bones]

Were you a guy that when you juke somebody out you went whoop? Yep, gotcha. Would you ever talk while doing, while making plays?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Oh, I, yes, I would. I definitely would. Would say some things. I, I said more things inside of my head than out loud. But then out loud would be after I make the play. But it was more psychological thing and just you know, going through my keys and going through all the little things I need to do. So on upon return I had to make sure that was 11 guys on the field, you know, so just 10 guys ahead of me because I would be the 11th. It took me a while to figure that out because when I first did it I almost called timeout because we were short and they said hey stupid, you, you need to count yourself. So that's the requirement of the pump returner. And then just kind of seeing everything is the return right Is it left? Am I on the 10 yard line? If I go more than a step or two and a half steps, that means I'm beyond the eight yard, eight yards which mean it's going to go on the, the ball is going to go on the end zone. So I have to be cautious of that and I gotta look up and try to distract the gunners who are trying to down it within the. Before it goes in the goal line, the end zone. And so I now have to trick them. So there's a lot of steps that goes into it that is less about what you're saying outside the people and it's more of how quickly can you go through your checks list before the play goes on and be able to. And have the right judgment call on the pump return or catching a football.

[Bobby Bones]

What quarterback did you have the best chemistry with?

[Beanie Wells]

The one, I mean the one I.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Was with the longest, I was with Jake Delome, I think probably about eight years. We grew up together, we made the playoffs together, we went to the super bowl together, NFC championships together. So athletically though, best quarterback obviously is Cam Newton. But you know, athletically gifted and spending time and growing into this game with. Man, it's hard to just exit. It's hard to just kind of cross out eight years of experience to say, hey man, I just had a more athletic quarterback for three years. I don't think that's necessarily fair.

[Bobby Bones]

Who's the team to beat in the afc?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Man, I was, I, I would, I want to say Jacksonville. I'm interested in seeing how the Patriots are going to do. I wouldn't be shocked if the Chargers win and then. But the Texans, The Texans are one of those teams that I'm really trying to figure out who are they? Because defensively they're top notch. Offensively, they've had a lot of hiccups, emotional roller coasters. So I would have to go with. I'm kind of favoring the Jags or the Patriots.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm going to ask you the same thing about the NFC because again, both sides, they're really. I don't feel like there's a team that's head and shoulders above everybody else, but I'm but from what you've seen, who's the team on the NFC side?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Surprisingly, I think the Bears can shock some people to. The packers were doing really good until Michael Parsons went down and they haven't been able to generate a lot of sacks so that their defense has changed dramatically. The Rams, let's see how they play the Panthers. Do they Play down. Is this another game where Matthew Stafford has two touchdowns and then they also give up a fumble so it gives more opportunity to the Carolina Panthers. And I'm intrigued to see which Eagles offensively shows up how Brock Purdy does against the top tier defense like the Philadelphia Eagles. So I'm, I'm leaning towards. I could see in the NFC Championship I could say the Bears and Rams.

[Bobby Bones]

You gave me like eight teams there. You basically said every team. You covered all bases there, man.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I'm an analyst. So I. And here. But here's why. Here's the real truth. The real truth is if I don't mention all these teams, the teams that I don't mention that are playing when I go to that game or I'm on the sideline reporting, they will say something to me, oh, I saw you picked one Philly in Arizona when Philly was playing Kansas City Chiefs. I have picked on like four different. A couple of different. One I would say, oh, I got the Eagles. Then the next one I got. I got the Chiefs. And I'm so, I'm doing some things at the super bowl of the game. Patrick strength coach and equipment manager saw you pick the Eagles. I said, come on, bro. I went on another show and I picked the Chiefs. He said, didn't hear that one. So from now on I'm on, I'm gonna make sure I hear every team so I can make sure I'm good because I still got to do my job, man. I can't, I can't have one team blackballing because I didn't pick them.

[Bobby Bones]

Whenever you're going into the super bowl and there's that two week break, does that feel like an eternity after you've been playing every week?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

It is. It feels like an attorney. But it also allows you to get everything ready. There's a lot of planning that that's involved and you still have to practice. So you have practice to get prepared for the Super Bowl. Biggest, our biggest event of the year. And yet you got family members chomping at the bit of trying to how they're going to figure out to get those tickets. And when you go to super bowl each player is allowed allotted so many tickets that you're paying for, not for free, you're paying for. So if you, they give you I think 10 tickets or you get to purchase 10 tickets, well, you know, it's the biggest game and our. And football is crazy popular, man. 10 tickets is a. It's not enough tickets.

[Bobby Bones]

So you're trying to.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

And so There's a lot of watering or willing and dealing going on amongst players on the teams that are going to see. Hey, are you going to use all the 10 of your tickets? No. How much you gonna sell them to you? Then you got a guy who starts to realize that he got a hot commodity, and so he starts to the price that he said for face value. Now he maybe tries to get extra 100 bucks. So it becomes a lot of willing.

[Bobby Bones]

And dealing going on with the halftime show. Making a longer halftime. Did you feel that during the Super Bowl?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

No, you don't. It goes by so fast. You don't feel any. In that. It. It seems short.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you remember who played your halftime show when you guys playing the Broncos?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

I do because it was umpteen years ago because it was the infamous Justin Timberlake.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, that was the halftime show then.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you now, do you even hear about that during the second half at all?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

No, we didn't. Unless you have. You're listening to the broadcast. No, man. And I'm on the field, so I don't. I don't have broadcasting ears to listen.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I didn't know if he did or not. I don't know if they.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, that's a great question.

[Eddie]

That was crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

That was such a cultural moment. I didn't know if maybe word got back like Janet Jackson's nipple was just shown at halftime.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

No, never, never want to cross our play sheet.

[Bobby Bones]

No nipple talk.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

When we're sitting in the nip. We sitting there in the huddle and they're going, hey, because you were having a halftime, that. That never happened.

[Bobby Bones]

But a little bit, though, let's say in a game, don't if something like, you see somebody in the stands, like you see Samuel L. Jackson's here, Adam Sandler's here. Like, you see him over in row three. You guys talk about that in the huddle, right?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

We may talk about the huddle. If you run out of bounds, it's really hard to see. And you kind of see the celebrities before the game. During the game, you're so locked in, you try not to pay attention to it. So when someone does say something, it's a big deal. In the huddle.

[Bobby Bones]

Talk about your podcast for a second. What are you guys talking about on Cut to It?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Oh, man. So Cut to It. I switched the name from Cut to it to 89 just recently, but we just talk about football. Everything that's going on currently right now. Talking about the Carolina Panthers and then John Harbaugh getting fired that we did that one on Tuesday night. Just because the news came Tuesday morning, because the news came so early and it was surprising. And obviously, like Today with Mike McDaniels. What does that look like? So we talk about everything about football. And then right now, when the playoffs start in the super bowl combine, I'll start getting in the nitty gritty of evaluating these wide receivers that are coming out. It's a ton of wide receivers, a ton of guys. So I'll do a little breakdown on them, what I like, what I think they need to work on. And that's been pretty successful. And I enjoy it. I love watching film still, so it kind of gives me a little niche, and I'm kind of a film nerd, so it lets me kind of geek out, and I enjoy it.

[Bobby Bones]

So it's called 89 now. You change your name.

[Beanie Wells]

Yep.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

The 89 Show. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, the 89 Show. That's much easier than just typing in 89.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah, either. No, it's the number 89. So we gotta. You know, we gotta. You gotta kiss. Keep it simple, Steve.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

So 89 on YouTube.

[Bobby Bones]

All right.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

And it's. And it's. It's yellow and has the number eight. Nine.

[Bobby Bones]

Like the number 89.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Absolutely.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Just making sure. 89. Yeah. You were there.

[Kevin]

All right.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, look, I appreciate the time we got. We mentioned every team. You're covered. You can't go on a sideline without them being like, Steve Smith. You set our team. We appreciate that. You can follow Steve at stevesmithsr89. Like his show, the 89 show on YouTube. All right, Steve. We really appreciate the time. A big fan. So thank you very much for spending some time.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Appreciate it, man.

[Bobby Bones]

All right. See you, Steve.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Have me on again.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, we will. All right, let's build the college football parlay here with DraftKings. Tonight, Miami minus three versus Ole Miss. I feel like my heart is weighing too much on me here. I really want Ole Miss to win because I want Ole Miss to win it all, because I want Ole Miss to win it all with a different coach. I don't even like Ole Miss. I don't hate Ole Miss, but I have no affiliation. I don't even root for the SEC because it's the sec. Like, that doesn't really happen as much as it used to. That's not why I'm rooting for Ole Miss. I'm rooting for Ole Miss because I love the disaster of they win a national championship without their coach who left them because he could win a national championship somewhere. Else. So I'm just going to go over 52 and a half.

[Kevin]

Oh, okay.

[Eddie]

Smart. Okay, good. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I feel like I have too much of a bias.

[Eddie]

And when you bet, that's kind of what you want to do. Take that bias out.

[Bobby Bones]

If I go to Friday night, Oregon and Indiana, I think Oregon wins the game straight up.

[Kevin]

Let's go.

[Bobby Bones]

Anytime in my life. Well, most times that people are. Well, this is a for sure thing in sports. Yes. It turns out not to be a for sure thing.

[Eddie]

Like when all the commentators pick the same team, it's not good.

[Bobby Bones]

Like when you say the Cowboys are for sure gonna win. They almost always lose.

[Eddie]

Not always.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm gonna go Oregon plus three and a half.

[Kevin]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm hedging my bet there.

[Beanie Wells]

But see the.

[Eddie]

In that one kind of a heart. That's a heartbeat.

[Bobby Bones]

No, because I don't have a heart in this. I really don't care.

[Eddie]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I think or I think Oregon can win that game, but I'm going to go Oregon plus three and a half. I think that's going to be the parlay. Do I need to do three?

[Kevin]

Well, you need to hit the. Was it 375, Mike?

[Bobby Bones]

Is that what it is? Plus 375 odds. You know what? Over 48 and a half. I never bet unders over 48 and.

[Eddie]

A half on the second game.

[Bobby Bones]

And Indiana's got a really good defense.

[Eddie]

Indiana, really?

[Kevin]

Yeah. So does Oregon.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, screw it. We're going overs on both.

[Kevin]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

And Oregon plus three and a half.

[Kevin]

All right.

[Bobby Bones]

That's the parlay. DraftKingsports book every drive, every play, every moment. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now. Use the code Bobby Sports. That is the code Bobby Sports to turn five bucks into 300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins in partnership with DraftKings, the Crown is yours.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler. New York Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text hopeny. Connecticut. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through may apply in Illinois, 21 plus in most states. Void in Ontario, restrictions apply. Bet bonus bets, which expire in seven days. Minimum odds required. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG CO Audio limited time offer.

[Mike De La Rocha]

A new year doesn't mean erasing who you were. It means honoring what you've survived and choosing how you want to grow. It means giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing. Knowing that it's okay to ask for help. I'm Mike De La Rocha, host of Sacred Lessons. This podcast is a space for men to talk openly about mental health, grief, relationships, and the patterns we inherit but don't have to repeat. Here, we slow down, we listen, we learn how vulnerability becomes strength and how healing happens in community, not in isolation. If you're ready to let go of what no longer serves you and step into the year with clarity, compassion and purpose, Sacred Lessons is your companion on your healing journey. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delaroche on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike De La Rocha and start listening on the free iHeartRadio app today.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. NFL wise, Saturday night. Rams at Panthers. No spread. Rams at Panthers.

[Eddie]

No heart. Just who's gonna win?

[Bobby Bones]

No spread.

[Eddie]

Rams are gonna win.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

That okay.

[Eddie]

No brainer.

[Bobby Bones]

Packers at Bears. What's surprising to me is that the packers are a favorite on the road. The Bears are healthy. The packers obviously aren't.

[Kevin]

Yeah, I agree.

[Bobby Bones]

Their best player isn't playing. Micah Parsons.

[Eddie]

Yeah, right.

[Kevin]

I think the Bears win.

[Eddie]

Same Bears. Let's go, baby.

[Bobby Bones]

What do they know? That the packers have been there before, at least played in the playoffs.

[Kevin]

Yeah. But hasn't played in like a month.

[Eddie]

But that's what I'm thinking. Like, do they know that?

[Bobby Bones]

But they're a favorite on the road.

[Kevin]

Yeah, they don't trust Caleb.

[Bobby Bones]

Sunday Chargers. I'm gonna take the Packers.

[Eddie]

Oh, really?

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. Yeah, I figured. I look at you three and I'm like, idiot. And I lost $24,000. Sunday chargers at Patriots.

[Kevin]

Let's go.

[Eddie]

Patriots. Die hard.

[Kevin]

Okay, we need them.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll go Patriots. Bills at Jags.

[Kevin]

I'm going Bills.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm going at Josh Allen.

[Kevin]

Yeah, same.

[Bobby Bones]

That's it.

[Eddie]

I feel like the Bills need this one. I feel like this is the Bills year, so.

[Kevin]

Yes. Just like Cowboys.

[Eddie]

No, I just feel like the Bills, for the first time, don't have the Chiefs in the way, you know, so they can do it this time.

[Bobby Bones]

49Ers at Eagles. I'm surprised. The Eagles. And again, I know we're not talking spreads here. I'm surprised. The Eagles are a 4 1/2 point favorite. I get it. The 49ers have lost their stars on defense, but they've been gone for a while. Their defense does suck. 49ers. The Eagles. I'm going 49ers.

[Brandon]

Yeah, same.

[Bobby Bones]

They could also have a massive future on them.

[Eddie]

Yes. So, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

So probably my heart talking there. Oh, that's what you meant by heart earlier?

[Eddie]

The heart.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Kevin]

Yeah. 49ers.

[Bobby Bones]

Really?

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Brandon, say 49ers.

[Brandon]

Niners.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Eddie, please pick the Eagles.

[Eddie]

This hurts me, but I want to pick the Eagles.

[Bobby Bones]

49Ers on one, guys.

[Beanie Wells]

Let's go.

[Bobby Bones]

We are all good then. Texas Steelers on Monday night.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Kevin]

Houston Texans.

[Eddie]

You got to go Texans.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm going with the Steelers. I feel like that's such a slam dunk Texans win that. I think. I think the Steelers can do it. It is in Pittsburgh.

[Eddie]

The Steelers got so lucky to be there.

[Kevin]

They're so hard to watch.

[Bobby Bones]

They won the games they needed to win.

[Eddie]

I know. It just. They wouldn't have been.

[Bobby Bones]

Ugly division. That's what it was. Same thing with the Panthers. That was the ugliest division.

[Eddie]

Ugly kick is what it was.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, that sucked. Now let's get over to former Ohio State and NFL running back Beanie Wells. Beanie played for Ohio State from 06 to 08. Had 16,000 yards rushing.

[Eddie]

That's.

[Bobby Bones]

That's right.

[Eddie]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

The comment was put in the wrong place on this, but it's 16,000 yards rushing, right? That's got to be it.

[Kevin]

Is that it?

[Bobby Bones]

Wait, 16? So no, there's no way. That's all.

[Kevin]

That's.

[Bobby Bones]

There's no way. Nope.

[Kevin]

That's a typo on me.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. 1,600,000 yards rushing.

[Eddie]

That's better.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, we got it. Now, how many yards, meaning Wells, have leave this in, by the way?

[Kevin]

Of course.

[Bobby Bones]

15 touchdowns. Maybe he just had 16. 1600 yards and 15 touchdowns in 20 2007.

[Kevin]

Yes, that's what it was. 1600 yards.

[Bobby Bones]

Screw it. He had 16,000 rushing yards. And he was drafted by the Cardinals. 31st overall. Set the Cardinals record with 228 yards in a game. You can now follow him on Twitter eniewells26. To keep up with his work. Let's talk with him now. Here he is, Beanie Wells. Hey, Beanie. I was checking out your podcast, which is. It's on Ohio State, right? Called the Script.

[Beanie Wells]

Yes. Yep.

[Bobby Bones]

So what's interesting to me is I went and played in this basketball, like, camp once as an adult. So it's like guys just trying to, like, relive whatever shred of athleticism they had back in the day. And your partner, Carl Jones was in it, too, and he dominated everybody. It was so annoying. He was dunking. He. That's.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

That.

[Bobby Bones]

I just wanted to say that. Tell him that when he came to Arkansas playing that basketball, he was dunking on everybody. And I Was like, man, you guys just don't lose it. Do you still have that twitch in you as well?

[Beanie Wells]

I don't. I wish I did. I can tell you one thing about Cardell. Anytime he's in any type of competition, you know he's going to go full force no matter who he's going against. There was a situation to where, you know, he was at the Ohio State James Hospital visiting kids that had cancer and one of the kids wanted to play him in Madden. In that Madden game, Cardell took no prisoners. He beat the kid like 70 to nothing. It's most ridiculous thing in the world.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I appreciate the time everybody. Check out the script. It's a podcast on Ohio State. Hey, what did you think? What were your takeaways from that game against Miami?

[Beanie Wells]

I mean, it was brutal. It was very brutal. I mean, the Miami, they were so dominant at the point of contact. You have to love the pass rush that they have in Ruben Bane and Akeem Messador. But for Ohio, Ohio State, you know, as a former Buckeye and as a Buckeye fan watching that game, I was kind of in dismay. The fact that we couldn't pick up the blitz, we couldn't figure out ways to get the ball out quick and manufacture some type of offense on a consistent basis, it was disheartening to see because I thought this was a year Ohio State was trending in that Georgia type direction to where they'd be making a statement as being back to back national championships and going on and, you know, making a run to create this dynasty. But unfortunately they came up short. But Miami played their tails off.

[Bobby Bones]

You played for Coach Trestle, but can you give me some, maybe some, some commentary on Ryan Day and why you think he is the guy for Ohio State?

[Beanie Wells]

I love Ryan Day. I think he's the perfect mix between Jim Trestle and Urban Meyer. He can be a feisty guy. He comes across as a very nice individual, but you know, behind closed doors he gets after his players. He makes sure that those guys are prepared. And you know, one of the things that he has that a lot of people don't get a chance to see is that edge. That edge to, you know, make sure guys are in the right mental space. Because he is, he's going to be. And he's preaching that to his players on a consistent basis. But then when you go looking at the ex's nose, you know, Ryan Day's teams are always prepared. And you know, him being a former offensive coordinator, he dials up offenses with the best. Now, unfortunately, Versus Miami, it didn't show. But when you go look at his track record, you know, he's always had Ohio State injury contention to win a national championship down the stretch at the end of the year. And I think that's what you want out of a coach, to have your team in it, in the thick of things when it matters most. And he's done just that.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to ask one other Ohio State question. You played with Brian Hartline, and then he obviously was coaching on the staff. He just took over the job at usf. What do you think about him as a head coach? What did you think about him as a player? Can you give me both of those?

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Beanie Wells]

No. The hard line is overachiever as a player. And he's one of those guys that's always going to have an edge. He always played with a chip on his shoulder. And that was the same way that you saw him coaching at Ohio State. You know, you saw him go out and be able to go and get the four and five stars, guys at the receiver position at an insane clip, but not only get those guys, but develop them. You talk about his track record of a who's who in the National Football League right now. You talk about a Mecca Buka. You know, the list goes on. Chris Wilson, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson. I mean, the list goes on and on. Marvin Harrison Jr. He developed all of those guys, and it's due in part to the edge and the chip on his shoulder that he always had and that dates back to high school. Heartline felt like he was a guy that was overlooked. Even though he did end up getting a scholarship to go to Ohio State, he felt like there were a lot of guys always talked about more than him. So he approaches the game from a different perspective, like his back is against the wall. And I think he's going to do a heck of a job down there.

[Bobby Bones]

Usf, what about you growing up in Akron, did you feel like you had to go to Ohio State initially?

[Beanie Wells]

I did. Growing up, I had family and there's a small portion of Akron that are Michigan fans. So, you know, you have people that are Michigan fans and that, you know, growing up in the 90s, Ohio State didn't fare well versus the University of Michigan. So me being a Buckeye fan, I was like, you know what? I gotta go and avenge some of this. So when I got the opportunity to go to Ohio State, it was certainly the case. That's where I wanted to go. Growing up a fan and not seeing them beat the arch rival, you Had a nasty taste in your mouth. But there was a situation to where, you know, as I'm being recruited, I take a trip out to Los Angeles and, you know, go visit USC when Pete Carroll is, you know, dominating college football. And there was a brief moment in me that was going to USC because, I mean, what 16, 17 year old kid doesn't love the lights of Los Angeles? Especially when you got the USC who's running the world out there. There's no professional football team. So those guys, Matt Leiner, Reggie Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, those guys were it in that town. So, you know, there was a small portion of me that was going to usc. When I went out there on my visit.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you ever commit to usc?

[Beanie Wells]

I did. I really did. Dang. So, crazy thing is I committed to USC while I was still committed to Ohio State, but my mom shut that down so quick. My mom got on the phone, I literally called my parents. We're out to breakfast with Coach Carroll and I'm like, I'm coming here. I'm telling him I'm going there. I called my parents, my mom and my dad and my dad, I tell them I'm going to usc. HE CHUCKLES he passes the phone to my mom and I say, I'm going to usc. And then she gives me an earful and says, give Coach Carroll the phone. And all I see is his face starting to turn red. And I'm like, well, what did she say to you? She said, take you back to the airport immediately. So that was my short, brief, 10 minute commitment to USC.

[Bobby Bones]

Where else did you visit?

[Beanie Wells]

So I didn't go to a lot of places. I went to the University of Michigan, went to Ohio State and usc. That was it. Once I committed to Ohio State, it was a kind of a deal between me and Coach Russell. Well, you can go to one more place to visit and see what you like. And, you know, I think he kind of knew my parents wouldn't let me go all the way across the world to go to college. So he was like, yeah, go visit usc. Go check out what LA has to offer. And that was the one other place that I went.

[Bobby Bones]

I still think I have a bit of brand bias unfairly against Indiana, even after watching them be awesome, be dominant. I've just seen them for so many years not be. I mean, I've not seen a coach like Signetti come in and completely shift a program in two years like he has there. Indiana, they are the favorite to win the whole thing. What do you see from them that makes them so strong.

[Beanie Wells]

I mean, they're a complete football team. You know, we talk so much about, you know, Fernando Mendoza, but you know, it's not just Fernando Mendoza and what he's able to do in the past game. They have a great offensive line, they got a two headed monster, you know, and Black and him be in the running back at the running backs position. But then on the defensive side, I mean they get pressure like no other team in the country. And they're not talked about because there isn't that one dominant pass rusher that you, you see winning all the college football awards. I mean, they're a complete football team. And you know, it's been nothing short of amazing to watch a coach come into a program that has been essential doormat for college football for so many years and resurrected, and not only resurrected, but resurrected to the point in which he's had them in the highest points in college football, the College Football Playoff the last couple of years. And I think they're probably going to win a national championship. I mean, this story, I mean it's. He's going to have a statue when it's all said and done outside in Bloomington, Indiana because of what he's been able to do there, that program. But, but I mean, it's been crazy. I mean, they're so good at every single position and it's due in part to one Kirk Senetti. But him going out and finding the right guys in the portal. You know, we hear so many people talk about the portal, but it's not an exact sign to us. But he most certainly has it figured out because he's getting the right guys to be able to come into his program and be able to deliver.

[Bobby Bones]

Right now they're killing it in the portal right now, but fairly because they've been really good the last couple years and they can now pitch that with money. But year one, you know, he brought a lot of his JMU guys. It wasn't that they had a ton of money. It wasn't that they had established a winning culture that people knew about. How the heck has he done this?

[Beanie Wells]

And I would say it goes back to the culture in which he had at jmu. He brought in guys that were familiar with the way that he did things, guys that were big time playmakers. Elijah Zarat is one of those guys that's still on the roster right now at Indiana. Killing it. But when you bring in guys that understand the way you want to do things now as a coach, you don't necessarily have to do it all Your own, because these players can speak to the locker room, they can speak to the other players, they can kind of galvanize and get those guys infatuated with the way that you do things and knowing that it's going to lead to the ultimate success. Because, look, he won at the other programs. And now if I'm a guy that was on JMU's roster, I can tell a newbie on Indiana's roster, like, all we have to do is listen and buy in and it works. And when you have other people in the locker room preaching that same message, I mean, that thing makes everything cohesively and it makes everything jail so much easier. But it's crazy. It's wild to see, because we haven't seen anything like it in college football, a guy to come in from a smaller program, go up to the big leagues essentially and dominate in the fashion in which he's dead. I mean, one of the all time great coaching stories that we'll see in college football history.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it's been odd, but refreshingly odd because, and I've compared it to, in a different way, Adrian Peterson bouncing back from injury so fast that it actually showed you could do it. And so then, fairly or unfairly, people were trying to match themselves to that standard. Like Adrian Peterson's back, he's running the ball months after he was injured and let people know. But now all these coaches are getting compared to Signetti, fairly or unfairly because he came in and changed that word that's thrown around so much culture. Have you been, and I don't want you to say any names if you don't want to, but have you been in bad cultures before?

[Beanie Wells]

Yeah, 100%. 100. You know, when you play football, we play any sport for a long period of time, you're going to experience it. And, you know, the one thing that you can't let happen with the culture is once you start losing the locker room, you start losing some of your veteran players, that stuff starts to trickle down and everybody starts to kind of, you know, start questioning the system and start trying to, you know, figure out their own way. And once, you know, people start figuring out their own way. I mean, nobody's yelling together, nobody's together. So that's the most awful thing that can happen to a program is you lose a locker room and you lose your veteran leadership. That can go south really quick.

[Bobby Bones]

Let's talk about the portal. I feel like it's the Wild West. I'm sure you do, too. The story that I was thinking about this morning was the Williams kid, the quarterback at Washington, and, you know, he signs 4 million bucks a year. They've pretty much said that's what it was now. I signed the paperwork, and then now it's like a. LSU's offered him six. So he wants to go to LSU now. And that is just. That's representative of kind of what's happening now. I mean, it is definitely on the polar side of it. If somebody who signs and then probably gets poached and said, hey, we'll give you even more money, like, what are your thoughts in general on what the Porter. I think players should be paid, first of all. I think absolutely, players should be paid, but there's got to be some sort of boundary, right?

[Beanie Wells]

100%. I mean, I honestly think they should be paid as well. But when we talk about, you know, guys, you know, agreeing to something and then, you know, all of a sudden boating, thinking they're gonna get more dollars and going to greener pastures, I mean, I think that's where we have to, you know, get this thing reeled in a little bit. And obviously, on one end, we see it with coaches, too, because coaches, you know, can leave and. And go to a different program for more dollars, I. E. Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. But nonetheless, I mean, when it comes to the portal, we don't necessarily even talk about the fact that a lot of these kids, if you don't pan out after that one year, you may be pushed back into the portal. So I think, you know, there has to be some collecting collective bargaining agreement that is in place for these guys to not only protect the players, but protect the university. Because if I shell out, you know, $4 million, I want to know that this guy is going to be committed to this program and not leave me after a year and after he has a great year, just because the program says we're going to give him two more million dollars. Now, let it be a situation to where I can come and necessarily up my contract that I'm offering a kid before he says, you know what, I'm leaving and going elsewhere. I don't like that standpoint of it. I think there needs to be some rules to rein it in on both phases to protect both the player and the university, because nobody wants to be left in the dark. And then in the flip side, nobody wants to be pushed out if I don't necessarily live up to the contract you gave me the year before.

[Bobby Bones]

You bring up something really interesting, and I think we saw it with the receiver at Texas who is now going to Oklahoma. He basically said, hey, I was pushed out. Like, it's. It's not all just players going, hey, I want to leave for more. Some players are getting in the portal because the coaches are going, we don't have a spot for you anymore. You got to get in the portal. And I think there has to be something there too, right? To protect players.

[Beanie Wells]

No question about it. I mean, just imagine if you are. You got a kid and you trusting. You're trusting a coach and a program to say, you know what? My son's going to commit to you and we're going to expect you to go develop, help my son not only to be a great football player, to be a great young man, to be a great student. And then all of a sudden, the program isn't winning. And we're trying to figure out ways as a program to go out and get players that are going to help us win. Right now your son is going to be exiled because he is a player that's making an impact right now because he didn't develop soon enough. Like, I don't want that. I wouldn't want that as a parent. I mean, nobody would. So, you know, you have to put in some rules and parameters to protect these student athletes. If we're still going to call them student athletes, right? If you're still going to have the expectancy for these guys to go to school and go to class and to be students, you still have to protect them some way, informal fashion. I don't want my kid to be pushed out just because he isn't producing right now for you, because he's still a young kid. He still needs time to develop. He knows he needs to figure out how to be a student athlete, but also be a young adult in the same sense. And it's not easy, especially in this day and age in this climate where it's become more about winning in dollars than anything.

[Bobby Bones]

The timing of the portal opening is terrible. I think everybody agrees on that. I mean, you have running backs at Oregon hopping in the portal. They're still in the tournament. If you were the commissioner of college football, like, what is the one thing you would do with the portal to at least give it some sort of semblance of it being collective and unified and working.

[Beanie Wells]

And not even just with the portal, but I think just with everything that we've experienced this year with college football, from the coaching changes to the portal to signing day, I think we need to bump this thing up. We need to move the schedule up to where It's a clear cut date to where we're going to be done by. To where the portal opens after the season and you can take a new job after the college football season, make this thing done in the early part of January, to where we're not faced with these situations, to where Elaine Kiffin has to decide on if I can finish up my college football season where I'm at Ole Miss and still be able to take a job elsewhere and finish up a recruiting class or go out and get the portal guys that I need to help me for the following season. So I think it's a, it's a whole college football issue. It's not just a portal issue. But they most certainly have to fix this calendar if they don't want these issues to continue to be a problem. And for us to face. We sitting here talking about these issues next year, we can't. It's too much money at stake. Is too much at stake for this to be an issue when it's a simple fix.

[Bobby Bones]

Ole Miss is playing with their new head coach, but obviously he wasn't the head coach all year and their old coach is at LSU right now. And that makes me root for Ole Miss. I would love to see Ole Miss when I'm not Ole Miss fan. Matter of fact, I don't like Ole Miss because I'm an Arkansas guy, but I'm rooting for Ole Miss because I would love to see Lane Kiffin leave for a team he thinks can win a national championship and watch his team win a national championship. As someone who doesn't live in SEC country, what are your feelings on Ole Miss? Are you rooting for them or against them?

[Beanie Wells]

Yeah, I'm rooting for Ole Miss. No question about it. I think it's like between Indiana and Ole Miss, they're the best stories in college football, right? I mean, I honestly couldn't believe Lane Kiffin decided to bolt and go to LSU when he shown right now you can win at Ole Miss, you can get the guys, you can get the players and they're essentially going to give you the money to go out and get more players and give you everything that you need at your disposal to win. And you decide to go to a program at LSU where the expectation is going to be so much higher. It didn't make sense to me. It didn't make sense at the end of the season this year he would have had a statue at Ole Miss and been riding high forever and then he would have been able to go out and get recruits at A high rate that he wasn't before at Ole Miss. I mean, it just made no sense. The, the. The issue that I have, especially with him going to lsu. If he doesn't win in three or four years at LS lsu, he's going to be on the hot seat and he's going to be scratching his head saying that I make the right decision. Hell, he may even be scratching his head at the end of the year if LSU or Ole Miss wins the national championship, saying, if I made the right decision.

[Bobby Bones]

Carnell Tate just said he's going to the NFL. What advice do you give new guys going in? From what your experience was?

[Beanie Wells]

1, enjoy the process. You know, you're getting an opportunity to live out a lifelong dream, so take it for that. But also understand that this is a business business. Understand that there's certain expectations of you that maybe weren't of you at the college ranks. And you're going into this, and you have to understand that it's a business first and you are the captain of your ship. Meaning you call the shots. Don't let you know an agent or, you know, some marketing guy kind of force you in a certain direction. Understand the narrative that you want for yourself and the path that you want to go with your career and that you are. Are at the ham. You're the captain of this boat, and you drive it in a direction that you want to go in.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to ask you a question just about you in high school, because I'm always so interested in guys who were number one. You were the top running back out of high school, which is awesome. And, yeah, congratulations on that. Retro. Was it just wild in the stands to see all the scouts or all the coaches always there or the fan? I mean, it had to be crazy, right? Was it about you a lot when you were in high school?

[Beanie Wells]

It was from my junior year to my senior year. It definitely was. And it was. It was a whirlwind. It was a crazy time. I mean, this is when, you know, recruiting magazines and recruiting pundits were really starting to get popular, right? So, you know, all of those guys were at the games. And, you know, I felt like after the game, I was doing, I don't know, six, seven interviews, and then obviously you had the scouts there. So it was a fun time. It was a wild time because it was all new to me, me and my family, for that matter. But nonetheless, it was a great opportunity. And looking back on it, man, I wish I would have enjoyed it a little bit more because you really Never know how fast that time period goes. I mean, you know, I was 20 some odd years ago, and it literally feels like it was yesterday. So I most certainly wish I would have taken a land in and enjoyed it a little bit more. But it was a fun time. It was most certainly, you know, fun seeing Jim Trestle, Lloyd Carr, the Urban Meyers of the world at your school, at your game, you know, walking through your halls and then all of the other kids in the school pointing and seeing, oh, they're talking to Beanie right there. It was an amazing time.

[Bobby Bones]

Was your mailbox just full?

[Beanie Wells]

Yeah, it definitely was. I mean, my mom still has tubs of, you know, the letters that I got in college, and now my sons get an opportunity to read them. And as they're going through the recruiting rings, they're comparing their letters to the letters that I was getting in college. So it's a fun time.

[Bobby Bones]

What advice are you giving them as they're going through the process?

[Beanie Wells]

Oh, man, just work. You know, I'm telling them all the time, just keep working. I mean, things will come and, you know, you'll end up where you're ultimately supposed to be, but you have to put in the work because without it, I mean, you're going to be nothing. And there's always going to be somebody outworking. You are working just as hard as you think you are. So just keep working.

[Bobby Bones]

Nonetheless, let me ask you one final question about the NFL. Obviously, you played in Arizona. You crushed it there. What's happening there? They just fired their coach. Like, is what you talk about culture, do they have it?

[Beanie Wells]

It doesn't look like it right now, most certainly. I mean, especially when you're in a situation to where you're running through multiple coaches, you're running through multiple GMs and people in the front office, that's a tough task. It's hard to build a culture when you don't have that continuity upstairs in the front office. And I think right now that's what we're seeing. I mean, they're not giving guys a lot of time to win. And that's how it is in the National Football League in general. They want to win right now. So you're getting two, three, two to three years to go out and develop a program, build a culture and expect it to win. And that's a hard task. But it starts in the front office. You know, I think when Steve Kahn was there, when he was at the GM position, they were winning games, they were doing a really good job and retaining players. And bringing players in from the free agency aspect. And right now they just haven't been able to get it done. And I think it starts upstairs. They have to figure out the right guy guys and the right pieces to the puzzle. And Bidwill, who's the owner? He's a great owner. He's willing to give, you know, the GM and the coaching staff whatever they need to win. But it has to, you know, start with whoever they choose at the GM position.

[Bobby Bones]

Over on Twitter, Beanie Wells, 26 hey, your CBS analysis is really good. I don't know how long you've been doing this, but we were coming on. I went to watch a lot of your clips. Like you're really coming into it. You enjoy that?

[Beanie Wells]

Oh, I love it, man. It's the best thing in the world for me. I mean, growing up, obviously I wanted to play in the National Football League. That was a dream of mine.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

But.

[Beanie Wells]

But secondly, it was to talk about the sport for a living, and I'm fortunate enough to be able to do that. It's something that's fun to me because I actually love college football. So it's not even like work to me whatsoever. That's why I'm always honed in and dialed in and what's going on across the landscape because I actually enjoy it.

[Bobby Bones]

Beanie really appreciate the time. Was a big fan of you when you played. And yeah, thanks for coming on with us. Hope you have a good rest of the day.

[Beanie Wells]

All right. Thank you for having me.

[Bobby Bones]

See you, Beanie. DraftKings Sportsbook an official sports betting partner of the NFL makes every playoff moment feel bigger. Playoffs are finally here. There's some awesome matchup this weekend. Looking forward to the packers and Bears Saturday night. It's going to be a rivalry game. It's going to be awesome. DraftKings has your back with early exit protection. If the player and your eligible NFL prop bet goes down at any point in the first half, you still get paid in cash. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Use the code Bobby Sports. That's the code Bobby Sports to turn five bucks into 300 in bonus bets. If your bet wins in partnership with DraftKings, the Crown is yours.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler. New York Call 877-8-Hopeny or text hopeny Connecticut Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through may apply in Illinois 21 plus in most states. Void in Ontario restrictions apply. Bet must win to receive bonus bets which exp minimum odds required. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG CO Audio limited time offer.

[Mike De La Rocha]

Every January, we're encouraged to start over. But what if this year is about slowing down and learning how to understand ourselves more deeply? What if this year is about giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help? I'm Mike Dellarocha, host of Sacred Lessons. This is a podcast for men navigating stress, emotional health, fatherhood, identity, and the unspoken pressures we're taught to carry alone. We talk honestly about mental health, about healing generational wounds, and about learning how to show up with more presence, presence and care. If you want a healthier relationship with yourself and the people you love, then Sacred Lessons is the podcast for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Dollarocha on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha and start listening on the free.

[Bobby Bones]

Iheartradio app today before we get to the games tonight. As far as actually watch them, what do you think about Michael Irvin and Miami? Because he's become a bit of the face.

[Eddie]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, with his antics.

[Eddie]

And I love Michael Irvin.

[Beanie Wells]

He's a Cowboys.

[Eddie]

Cowboys fan. Michael Irvin's a Cowboy man. Like, I love the dude. It's a little too much to me.

[Bobby Bones]

You mean the whooping? The belt.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Whooping.

[Eddie]

Belt whooping. I'm talking even, like, watching the games and between every play. Let's see what Michael Irvin thought about that.

[Brandon]

He has his own area on the field.

[Beanie Wells]

You're right.

[Eddie]

Because he runs back and forth, dancing, like, oh. And he's talks to the players. He's almost like Matthew McConaughey has been for the last. I don't know how many years has Matthew McConaughey been on that field?

[Bobby Bones]

With Texas.

[Eddie]

With Texas to Miami.

[Kevin]

So, yeah, he's way worse, though, his antics. I'm saying, like, he's much more visible out there, Much more noticeable. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

A little more polarizing, too, because he is active.

[Kevin]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

McConaughey's not. He's there and people put the camera on him because he's famous.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Michael Irvin's there and he wants the camera. So he's doing things to keep the.

[Eddie]

Camera on him because even Ray Lewis is there. And, yeah, he's chilling.

[Kevin]

He doesn't stand by.

[Brandon]

I'm out.

[Bobby Bones]

What do you think about him?

[Eddie]

Yeah, it kind of annoys me a little bit. It annoys me a little Bit. It just annoys me when they take, like, the Taylor Swift stuff was kind of annoying too. Like, we're watching the game and I know Michael Irvin is a huge. He went to Miami. He's a huge, you know, supporter of Miami, and he's the face of Miami.

[Beanie Wells]

I get it.

[Eddie]

But I want to watch the game. And I think Michael Irvin takes. Takes that away from the team that's actually playing the game.

[Bobby Bones]

You think Travis Kelsey's retiring?

[Eddie]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Brandon]

I don't think so.

[Eddie]

Why not?

[Brandon]

I just. I just.

[Kevin]

I don't know.

[Brandon]

I just don't think he'd go out like that bad.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, he goes that sour.

[Brandon]

Like bad.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, now he's also in the drama with his charity.

[Brandon]

I saw that.

[Kevin]

Oh, I didn't see that.

[Eddie]

They steal money, money laundering. That's where my mind goes.

[Bobby Bones]

So I'm not gonna say. And you may look it up, because I'm gonna give you what I know, and this is without reading the articles that I think when they did some investigating of his charities, like, 40% of it went to the actual cause, 60% went to the people that were running the charity. And the people that were running a charity were like his clothes. And that's not out of the ordinary.

[Eddie]

No, that's normal.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, but they're going, well, you're a really rich dude and it's your foundation. We think more money should be going to the charity. Other than just paying, like, your people that are your possible friends and family that are running the charity, there's nothing illegal happening. And with most charities, that's kind of how it goes.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I've dealt with. You pay for the infrastructure and you. Yeah, and the people running the charity, the people working for the charity needs to get paid, you know, and so that's kind of. It's a weird thought to think that, you know, you have money and some of it, not all of it, goes to whatever the cause is because people need to get paid.

[Bobby Bones]

I think it's really dumb and short sighted when people go, man, this CEO of a charity makes a million dollars a year. That shouldn't happen. But, okay, let's say you get somebody that makes $50,000 a year and the charity makes a million bucks overall. Or you get someone, you pay a million bucks that would be running another company, and that charity makes $700 million.

[Eddie]

Because they know what they're doing.

[Bobby Bones]

Because they know what they're doing. Like, do you actually care about the cause? Because if you did, you wouldn't so much care about how much money somebody makes if they're making more money for the cause. So I always think those people are idiotic. They complain about CEOs of a charity making money because if they weren't doing that, they'd be running a company. Yes, but they go and hire people that run companies well to run this charity. What do you see, Kevin?

[Kevin]

Yeah. It says about 41 cents of every dollar has gone to the charity raised in the last couple of years. 1.5 million and spending roughly 1.1 million.

[Bobby Bones]

And who is running the charity?

[Kevin]

Is it a. A management group? A firm co founded by Travis Kelsey's longtime business manager.

[Bobby Bones]

So that's connected to him too.

[Eddie]

Sure.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't think anything's wrong, but that's the controversy now.

[Eddie]

I don't think there's anything wrong either. I mean, yes, it's a little weird. It sounds weird, right? It sounds weird that more money doesn't go to the actual cause of the charity, but I understand it. So it's not weird to me.

[Bobby Bones]

It's amplified though, because it's Travis Kelsey and he's dating Taylor Swift and he's also a really rich guy. And you're like, well, why don't you just pay the, the people to run the charity? Because you have millions and millions of dollars.

[Eddie]

What do you think about that?

[Bobby Bones]

I think it's unfair to judge him because he's differently because of the accomplishments and the success that he's had.

[Eddie]

I agree.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I think they're running the charity as the charity should be run. From what I know, I know very little. I haven't been in the books. Give me the books. I'll get in the books.

[Eddie]

Give me a week with the books.

[Bobby Bones]

Give me the books.

[Kevin]

Let me dive in here.

[Bobby Bones]

We'll see how I come out. But yeah, I, I tend to think if Mahomes is healthy enough to come back at the beginning of next year, he'll come back. That he may come back as well. It is an ugly way to leave.

[Eddie]

Yeah. Yeah. Dude, this is a bad. This is a bad year.

[Bobby Bones]

Bad taste in your mouth. Sour out.

[Eddie]

When's the wedding?

[Bobby Bones]

Who knows?

[Eddie]

There's no date.

[Brandon]

My invitation says.

[Eddie]

Pull it up.

[Bobby Bones]

Brandon opened for Taylor Swift.

[Kevin]

Yeah, that's right.

[Eddie]

Yes, he did.

[Bobby Bones]

On the Red tour, right?

[Brandon]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

We're not kidding.

[Eddie]

No, no, not a joke.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, yeah, but you're making it sound like we're kidding.

[Kevin]

I know you want to.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, yeah.

[Eddie]

What was she like?

[Bobby Bones]

Dude, she was awesome.

[Brandon]

Yeah, I mean, everything everybody says, you know, sweet, kind Takes care of everybody.

[Eddie]

Would she talk to you in person? Like, look at you and be, hey, Brandon.

[Bobby Bones]

I.

[Brandon]

I think she got my name wrong a few times, but I didn't care. But by the end of it, she knew it.

[Bobby Bones]

Braylon. Hey, Braylon.

[Beanie Wells]

What's going on?

[Bobby Bones]

Braxton, Braden.

[Eddie]

That's cool, though. That's awesome.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Mike De La Rocha]

Every January, we're encouraged to start over. But what if this year is about slowing down and learning how to understand ourselves more deeply? What if this year is about giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay. Okay to ask for help? I'm Mike De La Rocha, host of Sacred Lessons. This is a podcast for men navigating stress, emotional health, fatherhood, identity, and the unspoken pressures we're taught to carry alone. We talk honestly about mental health, about healing generational wounds, and about learning how to show up with more presence and care. If you want a healthier relationship with yourself and the people you love, then Sacred Lessons is the podcast for you. Listen to Sacred lessons with Mike Delarocha on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike De La Rocha and start listening on the free iHeartRadio app today.

[Bobby Bones]

Who's the favorite to win the super bowl according to the odds? Eddie, I know you haven't seen it, so.

[Eddie]

I have not seen it. I'm going to guess. I'm going to guess the Bills.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Kevin]

Bad.

[Bobby Bones]

They're plus 1100.

[Eddie]

Dang.

[Bobby Bones]

That's a good deal. So you should bet on that.

[Eddie]

That's a really good bet.

[Bobby Bones]

I got a little bit on them as a future.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I did, too, like, a couple months ago.

[Bobby Bones]

The Seahawks are the favorite at plus 320. The Rams are second plus 400. And I think if the Rams win this week, that'll probably even itself out. I think the Seahawks are getting that slight edge because they have a buy week. Yeah.

[Kevin]

And the home field throughout.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. The Broncos at three, the Patriots at four. Plus 900. But the big gap is between the Rams and the Broncos.

[Kevin]

What'd you say? Three plus 300 to 900.

[Bobby Bones]

Plus 650 is the Broncos, Patriots, Eagles, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Houston, Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco, the Chargers, the Steelers and panthers are at plus 20,000.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Dang.

[Kevin]

Oh, that's a nice payout.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, what that. Just update, because I haven't seen it and you have. What are we owing our Skins League going to the playoffs, boys, you did the math.

[Kevin]

I. No, I didn't do the math.

[Bobby Bones]

Let Me?

[Kevin]

Just look at the math. 4900.

[Eddie]

That's what we're down before the postseason.

[Bobby Bones]

So basically five grand, which would mean I owe 25. You guys owe 1250 each. We need the Patriots to win, to only lose, like, 100 bucks this week.

[Eddie]

Okay, Just this week.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, but if they lose, we lose.

[Eddie]

Like, 606, 700 bucks, and then we stop making money.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, but we don't make money the first two weeks. We're just trying to stay even. They need to win so we don't lose money the first two weeks.

[Eddie]

Okay.

[Kevin]

The only thing that makes me feel better is we're not the. We don't owe the biggest.

[Eddie]

That doesn't make me feel better.

[Brandon]

What's that number right now?

[Kevin]

That's 7900.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Ay, yai yai.

[Eddie]

Oh, my goodness.

[Bobby Bones]

Dude, that would sting if the Patriots. Just doing some math for you guys so you can know if we're at 49 now and there are what, six games.

[Kevin]

This weekend? Yeah, Yeah, I thought you're talking about the Patriots.

[Bobby Bones]

So we could basically lose another thousand this week, another thousand the next week if the Patriots lose. So if we lose, Patriots win, we're probably even.

[Eddie]

Okay, so it doesn't matter now.

[Bobby Bones]

500. So I would say we could lose it. If they lose. Lose this week, we're going to be down a thousand more after next week. So we could lose another 15, 1600 bucks. If the Patriots lose immediately, we will.

[Eddie]

Okay, the Patriots lose this week, we're.

[Bobby Bones]

Going to lose another 15, 1600 bucks. So it's going to be.

[Kevin]

Basically, it's eight grand, right, just to be safe.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, probably seven.

[Eddie]

Okay. Seven for the season, I would say.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah, that's super conservative.

[Eddie]

Yeah. No, no, I want real.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I can't do the real because.

[Kevin]

I want worst case scenario.

[Eddie]

Worst case realistic.

[Bobby Bones]

7,500.

[Kevin]

Okay?

[Bobby Bones]

You. We need the Patriots to win, or that's going to be what it is.

[Kevin]

And the Panthers. Right?

[Eddie]

What about the Panthers winning? What if they win the whole thing?

[Bobby Bones]

If they win the whole thing, that's going to save us 400 bucks.

[Kevin]

Go.

[Eddie]

All right. It's already impossible, but.

[Brandon]

Okay, guys, I know it's January, but should we start a car wash? Should we.

[Eddie]

A food drive?

[Brandon]

Any offerings?

[Bobby Bones]

So we.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

We.

[Bobby Bones]

We could lose. Let's just. Let's just say.

[Eddie]

So bad.

[Bobby Bones]

What's up?

[Eddie]

That's so bad. Those numbers are bad. Like. Like, I. And I know every time you do something like this, you're like, oh, there's a chance. We can probably Owe a lot of money. But I. I didn't. I wasn't really ready for all that. I. I wanted us to be like, oh, my Gosh, we want $10,000 off this thing. This awesome.

[Bobby Bones]

And we definitely could have.

[Beanie Wells]

We could have.

[Eddie]

We didn't.

[Bobby Bones]

So if we get to 7500, each of you guys will owe 1800 bucks, basically. Okay, so just say the worst case scenario. $2,000. Okay.

[Eddie]

And why didn't Brandon jump on this?

[Bobby Bones]

Because he's smart.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

Yeah.

[Kevin]

Remember you wanted to go split in third to there?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

I was never asked.

[Kevin]

Good.

[Bobby Bones]

Here's the question for you guys.

[Eddie]

You want to jump in now?

[Kevin]

Brandon, take over for me?

[Brandon]

Maybe next year.

[Bobby Bones]

Will you guys want to get an extra? Nope.

[Eddie]

I have to think about it.

[Brandon]

I'll get in next year.

[Eddie]

Let's see. Let's see the damage this year, and then we'll think about it.

[Bobby Bones]

It shouldn't be that, though. You should already know based on what's happening.

[Eddie]

I got to know how much to save all year.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, I'll be in next year, without a doubt. Because if I lose a bunch this year, I'll probably be about even again because I had a couple good years in a row.

[Eddie]

There's got to be some conditions.

[Bobby Bones]

There will be no conditions. No, you can't make conditions.

[Eddie]

Hear me out. You can't blame me when Joe Burrow gets hurt.

[Bobby Bones]

We didn't. We made me feel like that for a whole. We said. We fought about it and if. I also said, if the Bengals win, it's your victory.

[Eddie]

Yeah, but that wasn't going to happen.

[Bobby Bones]

But it doesn't matter. I said before Joe Burrow got hurt. If the Bengals end up being a really good team, it's before Burrow got hurt. You're the one that was right the whole time. It wasn't just take the shots at you. It was. You also get to be the hero, too, because you fought for the Bengals over the Packers.

[Eddie]

Yeah, my crystal ball was foggy.

[Bobby Bones]

So we are going to do a NCAA Calcutta.

[Eddie]

I know. I saw that email. I don't think I can do that.

[Bobby Bones]

Those are awesome. And you don't close to the damage, but you don't. Yeah, maybe for you, maybe. Maybe. But you don't lose more. There's the limit on your losing. You bid on team, so you can bid 500 bucks and get a team.

[Eddie]

Dude, it's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

You don't lose any more than what you already pay.

[Eddie]

You can sit in the draft and then you're like, all right, I'm gonna do $20, and then you never have a chance to play. So you never team.

[Bobby Bones]

You get a 13 seed. But the more your team win, the more money you make.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

Yeah.

[Kevin]

Just like this NFL season.

[Eddie]

Let us breathe. Dude, I gotta breathe a little bit.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm not saying you have to be in.

[Eddie]

I know. I saw the email.

[Bobby Bones]

My favorite thing is the Calcutta. NCAA Calcutta.

[Eddie]

It's fun. March Madness. It's fun.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, we're done.

[Beanie Wells]

Think about that for a little bit.

[Bobby Bones]

What's up?

[Eddie]

Let's think about all that.

[Bobby Bones]

We need the Patriots to win.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

We do.

[Kevin]

Yes, we do.

[Bobby Bones]

Because it will save. Save us a bunch of money.

[Eddie]

Are there any other teams that we should be rooting for that people have as losers?

[Bobby Bones]

Well, yeah. One guy has the Seahawks as a loser, so he's lost a bunch of money. So if they eventually lose or if.

[Eddie]

They lose, they're gonna make money.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, they're not gonna lose it this week.

[Eddie]

No, no. The next week.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. Because they also get money for winning, if they're on a buy, it's a free money as well.

[Eddie]

Oh, really? So they gotta win.

[DraftKings/Gambling PSA]

Amen.

[Bobby Bones]

So they got a win.

[Kevin]

Dang.

[Bobby Bones]

They earned it.

[Eddie]

Yeah, sure did.

[Bobby Bones]

All right. All right, we're out. We'll see you guys next week. Eddie, blow the whistle.

[Eddie]

Here we go.

[Bobby Bones]

Theme song written by Bobby Bones. That's me. And performed by Brandon Ray. Follow Brandon on socials at Brandon Ray Music. You can follow the show on Instagram at Bobby Bonesports. Thanks to our crew, co host and at producer, Eddie, segment producer at Kickoff Kevin, and executive producer at Mike Gistro. But most importantly, thank you for listening. I'm Bobby Bones. We'll talk to you next time here on 25 Whistles.

[Steve Smith Sr.]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.