The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2

Episode Title: Seth Wickersham, Famous Quarterbacks
Date: September 9, 2025
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show by iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this engaging second hour, Dan Patrick and his crew discuss the rise of the quarterback as football’s most important and celebrated position. Seth Wickersham, ESPN senior writer, joins to talk about his new book American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback. The episode features conversations about why and when the quarterback supplanted the running back as the NFL's focus, the psychological toll of quarterback stardom, and the evolution of football celebrity. The hour also includes lively banter, listener calls, a fun round of “Rhyme Time,” sports analysis, and reflections on NFL legends.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. From Running Backs to Quarterbacks: When Did the Shift Happen?

• [04:56–05:52]
  • Dan reminisces about when running backs like Jim Brown dominated football conversations.
  • He wonders when the “marquee position” switched to quarterback, noting that QBs are now the biggest sports celebrities.
  • Sets up the later conversation with Seth Wickersham about the quarterback’s ascendance in football’s cultural mythology.

“It used to be the focus of the NFL was about the running back. It wasn’t about the quarterback... when did that happen?...being a quarterback for an NFL team… That is the marquee position in all the sports.”
— Dan Patrick (05:15)

2. Vikings-Bears Game & Quarterback Analysis

• [05:52–09:03]
  • Rapid-fire “fill in the blank” segment on the Vikings (“Contenders”, “Dangerous”) and Bears (“Disappointing”, “who we thought they were”).
  • Discussion pivots to J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams:
    • McCarthy “took advantage” of freedom in the fourth quarter and led the Vikings to a comeback.
    • Dan references a scout’s perspective of McCarthy as “a winner”—one who delivers when needed.
    • Caleb Williams “shows glimpses” but Dan longs for full-game greatness.

“That’s what separated Brady from everybody, Patrick Mahomes from everybody. Game on the line. We got that guy. And you saw that last night with J.J. McCarthy.”
— Dan Patrick (08:37)

Noteworthy Quote

“Where else would you rather be? … This team showed a lot of poise and responded very well.”
— J.J. McCarthy (09:13)

3. Listener Calls: NFL Reactions & Sports Talk

• [09:29–16:30]
  • NFL Chatter: Colts praise, Daniel Jones shoutout, Hall of Fame campaigns (Steve Smith Sr.), team nicknames (“Tommy Clam Chowder”), Browns heartbreak, etc.
  • Fan Disappointment and Fandom: Dodgers meltdown, Cal Ripken game nostalgia, holiday party awkwardness at ESPN.
  • Entertaining and personal; the crew shares stories and jokes about the perks and quirks of working in sports media.

“For every worst side, there’s a best side. … That was an amazing win for the Orioles. I could certainly understand the disappointment of a Dodger fan.”
— Todd Fritz (16:31)

4. Reflections on Quarterback Celebrity: Nostalgia, Culture & Fame

• [26:46–37:17]
  • Seth Wickersham Interview
    • American Kings looks at the origins, rise, and off-field realities of the position.
    • Wickersham pinpoints the 1980s and Bill Walsh as the turning point; the West Coast offense elevated QB importance and reshaped football from Pop Warner to the NFL.

“It happened in the 80s… Bill Walsh… developed an entire offense based on the pass, first as a substitute for the run. And really, you know, he revolutionized football all the way down to Pop Warner.”
— Seth Wickersham (28:00)

• QB as Celebrity:
  • Story of Bob Waterfield and Jane Russell as America’s first football power couple (Hollywood meets NFL).
  • Joe Namath as the “first to offer quarterback as lifestyle”—moxie, fashion, New York bravado.
  • Contrasts Johnny Unitas (bedrock, establishment) vs. Joe Namath (rebellion, cool).

“Namath...was the first one, you know, to offer quarterback as lifestyle. I mean, he told boys, you know, and girls everywhere that, like, this is what throwing a football, well, can get you.”
— Seth Wickersham (34:40)

• The Psychological Toll:
  • Retirement leaves QBs like Joe Montana and John Elway searching for new meaning—“the sadness that... you talk about with Montana was with him too.”
  • Elway as the archetype: #1 high school, #1 draft pick, Hall of Famer. “You have to hardwire yourself in a particular way to survive that winnowing.”

“Quarterback is such a unique job and it has such unique responsibilities... you have to hardwire yourself in a particular way to survive that winnowing and to pull that off and to live up to expectation.”
— Seth Wickersham (31:00)

• Modern Legacies:
  • The complicated exits of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick from the Patriots; lingering fallout between Belichick and Kraft.
  • Wickersham: “I think you can’t underestimate how pissed [Belichick] is at the way things ended in New England.”

5. Rhyme Time & QB Fame By Eras

• [48:57–51:45]
  • Todd leads “Rhyme Time”—a signature wordplay segment with clues capitalizing on sports rhymes (e.g., “Caitlyn Clark, groin = Clark, Stark”).
  • Afterward, the crew reminisces about the most famous quarterbacks from their own childhoods:
    • Dan: Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach—emphasizing their cultural impact over statistical greatness.
    • Crew: Phil Simms, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady.

“He [Namath] wasn’t the best quarterback. I thought Lenny Dawson was a better quarterback. But what Joe did...he’s such a nice person too. He just had charisma. He had it.”
— Dan Patrick (45:16)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “When you need me the most, that’s when I step up. That’s what separated Brady from everybody, Patrick Mahomes from everybody.”
  — Dan Patrick (08:37)

• “It happened in the 80s… Bill Walsh… developed an entire offense based on the pass, first as a substitute for the run.”
  — Seth Wickersham (28:00)

• “Quarterback is such a unique job and it has such unique responsibilities... you have to hardwire yourself in a particular way to survive that winnowing.”
  — Seth Wickersham (31:00)

• “Joe Namath was rebellion…and he was the first to offer it as lifestyle...he’s up there with some very, very, very famous Americans.”
  — Seth Wickersham (36:32)

• “Who should be more upset with their exit? Brady or Belichick?”
  — Dan Patrick (39:09)

Other Notable Segments

• Listener Calls: Spirited fan base shares triumphs and gripes about their teams and legends.
• Sports History Trivia: No-hitter stats, holiday party stories, gifts for ESPN staff.
• Cigar Chat: Dan’s offbeat recommendations for Cuban and non-Cuban cigars.
• Light-Hearted Banter: Jokes about quarterback names, holiday party etiquette, and gifts received during ESPN tenure.

Episode Structure

• [02:30] – Dan sets up the quarterback discussion & poll question.
• [04:56] – Vikings/Bears reaction; what makes a great NFL quarterback.
• [09:29] – Listener calls on NFL best/worst, Hall of Fame debates, sports heartbreak.
• [26:46] – Seth Wickersham joins for a deep dive into quarterback culture and history.
• [48:57] – Rhyme Time game: crew solves pun-based sports clues.
• [52:03] – Cigars, tequila, and more listener calls.
• [53:32] – End of hour; set up for next hour.

Takeaways

• The quarterback’s journey—from high school prodigy to NFL icon to post-retirement struggles—is the central saga of modern football.
• The cultural mythmaking around quarterbacks began in earnest with the West Coast offense and stars like Joe Namath.
• Fame in the NFL has always been about more than play; lifestyle, image, and media matter.
• Legacies hang on late-career decisions and exits—Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the question of who gets to write the final chapter.
• The Dan Patrick Show’s combination of sports insight, humor, nostalgia, and fan interaction remains as lively and unpredictable as ever.

Recommended for listeners who love:
NFL history, in-depth journalism, sports culture, witty banter, and analysis of how the myths around famous athletes are born and transformed.