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Dan Patrick
This is an iHeart podcast. America is changing and so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Thursday Night Football is on. Tonight, the AFC north takes center stage as the Pittsburgh Steelers battle the Cincinnati Bengals. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern and it's only on Prime Video. Not a Prime member. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details. Hello, America's sweetheart. Johnny Knoxville here. I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crimeless Hillbilly Heist. From Smartless Media, campside media and big money players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist. Kind of like Robin Hood, except for the part where he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous. It's a damn near inspiring and true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing. They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help him escape. So we're sitting like, oh God, what do we do?
Paulie Fusco
What do we do?
Dan Patrick
That was dumb. People, do not follow my example. Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new Snafu Every single episode. 32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
Carson Palmer
What?
Dan Patrick
It's gonna be a whole lot of.
Paulie Fusco
History, a whole lot of funny, and.
Dan Patrick
A whole lot of fabulous guests. Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna, Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper.
Paulie Fusco
Listen to season four of SNAFU with.
Dan Patrick
Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it. They actually Lose it. They sort of went nuts until one night everything spins out of control. Listen to hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Final hour in this Thursday. What a crowd. Weather's warming up. Crowds warming up. We're ready to go. Busy final hour. Notre Dame and USC both represented. We'll talk to Carson Palmer, former USC corporation quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner and Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame's head coach, will join us here on our set. Baseball playoffs, Blue Jays rough up the Mariners 13 to 4. They play game four tonight, Dodgers, brewers, game three and Steelers and the Bengals. Steelers are favored by five and a half. Stat of the day is always brought to you by Panini America, the official trading cards of the Dan Patrick show. Good morning. If you're watching on Peacock, that's our streaming partner. Sunday night, it's an NFC showdown. It'll be Bijon Robinson and the Falcons taking on Christian McCaffrey in the Niners primetime Sunday 7 Eastern on NBC. And Peacock, Seaton poll question for the final hour of the program. Yeah, we got up there right now. Would you rather play football in Notre Dame or usc? Notre Dame is still barely leading this one ahead. I think that says a lot. Notre Dame, you know, USC is a great place to live obviously and unbelievable program. But Notre Dame beating them out, it's pretty good. I think that the line is like eight, eight points. Notre Dame over USC seems like a lot after what you like. USC roughed up Michigan, although they got a tough schedule. They got Oregon coming up as well after this. But this, this is a feels like an elimination game for Notre Dame. You have to win this game if you have any hopes of being in the playoffs. Yeah, Paulie and Notre Dame, they started.
Paulie Fusco
Really tough with their schedule and it.
Dan Patrick
I wouldn't say it eases up, but there's some a lot of winnable games in the back half. Since 2000, Notre Dame is 22 and 17 against ranked teams at Notre Dame Stadium. We're sort of in the shadows of Notre Dame Stadium here. Beautiful day. Although weather could be an issue on Saturday. It looks like they're calling for rain as well. 8773 DP show email address dpdanpatrick.com Twitter handle @dpshow we welcome in the Heisman Trophy winner in 2002. And now the head coach at Santa Margarita Catholic just beat modern day Carson Palmer on the program. Look at you, big successful head coach there. When I Say, Notre Dame. First thing that comes to mind is what phenomenal memories.
Carson Palmer
You know, I was. I was Notre Dame recruit, really wanted to go to Notre Dame, went on a trip there, went on an official visit, went to a camp there, kind of fell in love with it. So it was a special place to me. And, and then at the end, just. USC won my heart and got me. But we had some great battles against them and obviously one of the best. One of the best, you know, traditions in all of. All of college football.
Dan Patrick
Wait, how did they win your heart?
Carson Palmer
They were Notre Dame, you know.
Dan Patrick
No, how did USC win your heart or steal your heart?
Carson Palmer
Well, coach, you know, the coaching staff. I got really close to the coaching staff. I was close to home. I was only an hour, hour and a half away. So I got a chance to spend some more time at SC on campus, got to talk to a bunch of the guys that were part of that recruiting class and just at the end of the day, wanted to stay close to home where my family could watch me play.
Dan Patrick
Do you have to call certain coaches to say, I'm not coming to your school?
Carson Palmer
I did. I did. That was tough. That, that was. That was the first kind of big boy moment of my life because I got, you know, I got close to. To coaches throughout that process. And I remember when I had. I remember the day I had to call Rick Neuheisel. Rick Neuheisel was at University of Colorado. I loved Colorado, spent some time there as well. And, And Coach Neuheisel recruited me hard and, and often. And I had to make that call. I had to let him know. And I could hear the disappointment in his voice. And so that is a part of it. That is a big part of it. I know. I feel like the public doesn't really understand that. They think, oh, whatever, everybody's up for grabs now. But you create these relationships, you create these connections. They come and watch you play, they come and watch you practice, you spend time with them. And there is a real genuine connection. And it's hard for these kids to have to do.
Dan Patrick
You got a wild recruiting story. You don't have to have any names, but.
Carson Palmer
I'll tell you what, Rick Newheisel knew how to recruit. We had a blast at Colorado. We. In one recruiting weekend, we went paintballing. We floated down the river and inner tubes and ended at a barbecue. He rented out a bar and let only the football recruits and girls from campus in. We.
Dan Patrick
And you turn that down?
Carson Palmer
No, you couldn't turn any of it down. It was Phenomenal. The food we ate, you know, he was flying in lobsters from Maine and crab cakes from, from Baltimore. It was amazing. He knew how to recruit.
Dan Patrick
Dang. And you passed that up. Well, you probably got that at USC too, right?
Carson Palmer
It was pretty good at sc.
Dan Patrick
Now you're a high school coach. I'm curious about the quarterbacking position and what is being taught and it just feels like everybody's in shotgun and nobody's under center. And you know, we keep repeating these patterns, these habits. These guys are going to get to college and kind of get away with things or try to get away with things out of the shotgun. How does it work with your quarterbacks?
Carson Palmer
Well, we spend time in shotgun, but if you look at the college game, there's a lot of kids in the shotgun in college as well. We also spend a ton of time, especially in spring ball. We spent a majority of spring under center just to learn it and understand it. But you know, we're running the same stuff that I was running in the NFL. All the stuff that I was taught and you know, all the plays and concepts and reasons why you throw into this coverage and away from this coverage. But I was taught from all the amazing coaches I was able to play for. So we're, we're running an NFL style system. We're definitely in shotgun. We're, we're under center a bit, but that's where the college game is. And, and you know, I don't think it's that much easier under center because what people don't realize is, or I'm sorry, in shotgun, what people don't realize is when you're in shotgun you have to take your eyes off the defense. When you're under center you get to see it all unfold. So you see the pre snap, you see the pre snap coverage and then you see the snap, post snap coverage unfold after the snap as it's developing where in shotgun it's hard because you got to look up, see the defense and then find that ball and then look up and the picture is a little bit different. So you know, I don't, I don't think it's a crutch. I think it makes a little bit easier on the center quarterback exchange. But again, you still see it at the high school level and at the college level, snaps flying over guys heads and bouncing on the ground. So you know, we spend quite a bit of time in both and I think you see a bunch of kids in college playing in the shotgun.
Dan Patrick
But I love under center and I always Go back to a conversation I have with Joe Montana. He said, you know, he sees shotgun. But he said, I loved under center because I'm getting the ball and everything is in real time. So as I'm moving, defense is moving. And he said it helped me kind of sync up when I was going to throw up. Like I got in rhythm, it allowed me to get back in the pocket and then step up in the pocket. And I think these quarterbacks now, they're back in the pocket and then they either scramble right or left.
Carson Palmer
That's a big piece of it. Another big piece of it too is the run game. So when you're under center and you have a run to the right and it's a bad look, there's too many guys on the defensive side on that side of the ball. When you're under center, you can throw the ball on these quick slants and quick hitches and get the ball in receivers hands much quicker than you can from shotgun because it takes a minute from the ball to get from center to the shotgun. So from, from the run game perspective, I think there's some advantages as well. The quicker you get the ball in and out of your hands and in your playmakers hands, the better. So I think, I think it goes both ways with the run and pass.
Dan Patrick
We're talking to Carson Palmer, Heisman Trophy winner, 2002 and college football hall of Famer. You got Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers in their 40s. How's that possible in today's NFL?
Carson Palmer
In some different colored jerseys too, and some different looking helmets. It's pretty amazing. I don't think, you know, in 2017, any of us were thinking that Rogers will be wearing the black and gold and Flacco would be wearing the stripes. It just, it doesn't, you know, it doesn't feel right. But it also shows you, you know, where the game is in the development of these young quarterbacks. There's just not, you know, there's not enough good young quarterbacks going around that the Bengals can't, can't rely on somebody other than a Flacco and the Steelers can't rely or develop somebody other than a Rogers. So I think it's, you know, it's also a good illustration of where the state of the game is as far as quarterbacks and young quarterback play is.
Dan Patrick
But it still comes down to doing something from the pocket right at the.
Carson Palmer
End of the day. You know, I've been asked this. There's been so many great quarterbacks that have come into the Game and been elite runners and great outside the pocket. At the end of the day, you still, in order to play late into December and into January, you still, in order to get there, you got to be able to stand in the pocket and deliver the football accurately downfield when you're getting hit in the face and. And I know it's fun to watch quarterbacks drop back and scramble and, you know, run 35 yards to get seven, you know, on third and six, and you see him flying all over the place. But at the end of the day, you know, you look at what Tom Brady did and his accomplishments, he was standing in the pocket and delivering the ball accurately down the field when he was getting hit in the mouth.
Dan Patrick
But you see these quarterbacks now who have that first read, and then they pass up the first read. It's almost like it's there now I'm looking for something else. And then all of a sudden, you scramble out of the pocket and you take away half the field when you do that. We've seen this with Caleb, with, you know, camp, like these young quarterbacks. As much talent as they have, you got away with that in high school and college. You can't get away with that in the pros.
Carson Palmer
Dan, you sound like me in all of our offensive meetings, talking with our quarterbacks and receivers in my line. I say it to them over and over again. If you don't throw it, they won't cover it. We're talking about the flat, the quick out. Yeah, well, if you don't throw the flat, they won't cover it. So when it's open, you got to take it. You can't go from your first read into your second read and then go, oh, no, shoot, it's covered. And then go back to your first read. And so I, you know, you sound a lot like me. I'm preaching that every day in meetings. You know, we're seven weeks in our season. Santa Margarita, and I'm saying the same thing. It doesn't matter if you're in the NFL, if you're in high school, if you're in fifth grade playing peewee Pop Warner football. It's so much more fun to throw the ball downfield. It's so much more fun to thread the needle. But what's effective is taking that first read and getting the ball out of your hands and making the defense all sprint over there, run, and then have to get that guy on the ground.
Dan Patrick
What is that feeling like when, you know you got a receiver open and, you know, you're Going to get crushed. But you have to stand there, take it, and then you're able to deliver that pass.
Carson Palmer
Either love it or, or you hate it. And I, I loved it. I kind of took that as a badge of honor. You know, nothing felt better than, than letting the ball go. And right when you let it go, you get crushed. And then you feel that defender breathing down your neck, talking trash. And as you're getting up, you just say, oh, they're moving the chains. Here we go. So that, that feeling. And you know, those, those aren't the ones that hurt. The ones that hurt are the ones that you're ready for and you're absorbing and you're trying to tense up. Kind of like being in a car crash. They say, you know, when, when somebody's, you know, drunk behind the wheel, they never end up getting hurt in the crash because you don't. You're not ready for it. It's much like that when you're, when you're focused downfield and you're getting ready to let the ball rip and you throw it, your body isn't anticipating that contact, so you kind of just absorb it as opposed to tense up and fight it.
Dan Patrick
Is there one that stands out that maybe still hurts?
Carson Palmer
Yeah. You remember, you remember Sean Big Baby Rogers?
Dan Patrick
Yes.
Carson Palmer
University of Texas defensive lineman.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Carson Palmer
He was in, he was in Cleveland, and I don't know how it happened his last game of the season, but he landed up or he ended up. I was on my back and he sat on me. He fell from the sky, butt first, right on my chest. And to this day, I, I, he dislocated my sternum from my rib cage. And to this day, I still feel that big, Big Baby. Sean Rogers, phenomenal player. Unreal player. I think he's in Detroit and Cleveland as well. But he landed right, and I just felt almost like a CPR when you're getting CPR, those compressions. He did his compressions with all 370 of of himself.
Dan Patrick
Are you, is your high school team the, the Fighting Margaritas? Like, it's Santa Margarita. Okay. Like you have, like, a cocktail.
Carson Palmer
Eagles. Oh, the Eagles.
Dan Patrick
Oh, the Eagles. Okay.
Carson Palmer
Football, baby. There it is.
Dan Patrick
Okay. All right, all right. Do you want to coach in college?
Carson Palmer
No. But do you want to come and watch us play? Can you fly out and watch it? We got St. John Bosco at home. Homecoming, it's a big game for us. We're both two and, oh, in the training league. You should leave South Bend, come out and cover the game Friday night and Then get back to South Bend on time for Sunday.
Dan Patrick
Let me see. With Fritz, do we have. Can we get the corporate jet? I want to make a couple of calls. Thank you. I think the least we can do. He took time to be on the show. We should go support his team. I mean, if I. If I can get the corporate jet, I see no reason why I wouldn't go out and root for the Fighting Margaritas. The Fighting Cosmopolitans are playing.
Paulie Fusco
We're in.
Carson Palmer
Let's do it. Fritz, thanks, man. Appreciate you.
Dan Patrick
All right. Do you have a. Like, are you a tough pep talk guy? Like, how do you get your guys all fired up?
Carson Palmer
No, I'm not. You know, I. I give a quick speech pregame, but you know, the haze in the barn at that point, we. We spend a lot of time Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, getting. Getting our work in, getting ourselves ready, getting ourselves battle.
Dan Patrick
Wait, but you don't you that use the haze in the barn, like. Yeah, that's old guy stuff. Like.
Carson Palmer
No, I just. That's just for you.
Dan Patrick
For me being an older guy. Yeah, that's.
Carson Palmer
I would never say that to a 17 year old. They would. They'd look at me like I was crazy.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Thank you for dumbing it down.
Carson Palmer
Yeah. I don't need a ton of. A ton of hype speeches. We got a very focused group, very intense. I give a little bit pregame, but these guys do a good job firing.
Dan Patrick
Themselves up the Fighting Margaritas. Great to talk to you and thanks for joining us, Carson.
Carson Palmer
I'll see you tomorrow night. Thanks, Dan.
Dan Patrick
What time's. What time's game time?
Carson Palmer
7:00Pm PST.
Dan Patrick
Okay. All right. All right, sounds good. All right, who's with me? Let's go. I'm in high school football. Yeah. Yeah, dude.
Paulie Fusco
Santa Margarita.
Dan Patrick
Santa Margarita 11. Heck yeah. Yeah. Little cocktail, walking around with salt on the rim. Sounds lovely. Good for him. Yeah. Being a high school coach, giving back to the community. I love that beat.
Paulie Fusco
Modern day.
Dan Patrick
Whoa. I know that that was always a big day. Didn't they had a bunch of. What Barkley. Did Leinert go there as well? Yep. They always churn out some great players. All right, let's take a break. We'll talk to Marcus Freeman and we'll do so right after this Dan Patrick Show. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.
Paulie Fusco
Paulie Fusco here with Tony Fusco.
Dan Patrick
Yo.
Paulie Fusco
As everybody knows, we're the hosts of the award Winning Paulie and Tony Fusco show. Yeah, but instead of us telling you.
Dan Patrick
How great we are, here's how Dan Patrick described us when he came on our show. Quick, knowledgeable and funny. Opinionated. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing? You're interrupting our promo. Yeah, he wasn't talking about you. You took those clips totally out of context.
Paulie Fusco
Oh, yeah?
Dan Patrick
Well, after this promo, I'm gonna take.
Paulie Fusco
You out and beat you.
Dan Patrick
Let me put this into context. Shut up. Yeah. Anyway, just listen to the Paulie and Tony Fusco show on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah. When it comes to great meat, quality, freshness and care make all the difference. That's the heartland difference. Heartland Steak Cove. You're getting premium Midwestern meats hand cut, hand picked and delivered right to your door. Juicy USDA prime and choice beef, all natural pork tender chicken. Heartland Steak Co. Brings that true Midwest flavor right to your table. Perfect for backyard barbecues, weeknight dinners, or sending gifts of great taste. They've got you covered. Heartland Steak Co. Choose from grill master packages, freezer filler bundles, or holiday gift boxes. Everything flash frozen at peak freshness, so it's ready when you are. Right now, you'll get free shipping and $25 off your next order. Promo code DAN25. When you spend $199 or more. Heartlandsteakco.com, your one stop shop for premium Midwest meats delivered right to your door. Taste The Heartland Difference. HeartlandSteakCo.com use promo code DAN25. Today, America is changing, and so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Thursday Night Football is on, and it's only on Prime Video. Tonight, the AFC north takes center stage as the Pittsburgh Steelers battle the Cincinnati Bengals. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party, TNF tonight presented by Verizon. Not a Prime member? Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Steelers and Bengals tonight at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details. Hey, it's Ed Helms. And welcome back to Snafu my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu every single episode. 32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
Carson Palmer
What?
Dan Patrick
Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s basketball player who still wore knee pads. Yes. It's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny, and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow, Angela and Jenna, I am so psyched you're here. What was that like for you to soft launch into the show? Sorry, Jenna. I'll be asking the questions today. I forgot whose podcast we were doing. Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's, let's, let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of SNAFU with.
Paulie Fusco
Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple.
Dan Patrick
Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Paulie Fusco
What's up everybody? This is snacks from the Trap Nerds podcast. And we're bringing you the horror every week all October long.
Dan Patrick
Kicking off this month, I'll be bringing you all my greatest fear inducing horror games from Resident Evil to Silent Hill. Me and Tony bringing backfire team on Left 4 Dead 2. And we just gonna be going over some of the great stuff. Also in October, we'll be talking about.
Paulie Fusco
Our favorite horror and Halloween movies and figuring out why black people always gotta die first.
Carson Palmer
The Umbral reliquary invites any and all.
Paulie Fusco
Fooling brave enough to peruse its many curiosities.
Carson Palmer
But take heed, all sales are final.
Dan Patrick
Weekly horror side quests written and narrated by yours truly with a full episode read and a commentary special. And we will cap it off with.
Paulie Fusco
Horror movie Battle Royale. Jason versus Freddy. Michael Myers Vers thing with the little tongue Monster. October, we're doing it Halloween style. Listen to the Traverse podcast from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan Patrick
Paulie has this bad habit of whenever we have current or former football players on, he wants to know what it feels like to either be blocked or tackled by them. Last time we had Marcus Freeman. Marcus shows up and he says, you're the guy I hit last time. And. And Paulie's sizing him up and he goes, looks like coaches lost a little bit of weight there. You know, we're not doing that.
Carson Palmer
I'm retired.
Dan Patrick
You're not going to put a. So is he not going to put a helmet on?
Paulie Fusco
Yes, Marvin the scariest part was it was a slow motion demonstration. And I could hear.
Dan Patrick
That was a slow motion. He's Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame head coach, his fifth season and played, of course, at Ohio State. The Ohio State drafted by the Bears, your Bears, in the fifth round of 2009. As we make way for Marcus Freeman back on the program. Look at you. How you doing? I'm doing great, you know, nice to talk to a fellow Buckeye here.
Paulie Fusco
Ohioan. Yeah, Ohioan.
Dan Patrick
Oh, I'm sorry.
Paulie Fusco
That's what we say around here.
Dan Patrick
How would you come compare? Because it came down to Notre Dame and Ohio State for you. Right. What was it about Ohio State that made you, even though you're from Ohio, but that you chose Ohio State over Notre Dame?
Paulie Fusco
Really getting into this, huh?
Dan Patrick
Let's just get the tough questions out of the way and then we'll have the easy ones.
Paulie Fusco
I think they always come down to relationships. A lot of decisions, especially for young people, are about relationships. I just went through this with my son who committed to Cornell for wrestling. And as a parent, you have your reasons for why you make decisions, but young people still base a lot of their decisions off of relationships. And I think that was probably the 18 year old Marcus Freeman that made that decision based off relationships.
Dan Patrick
Compare and contrast usc, Notre Dame versus Ohio State, Michigan.
Paulie Fusco
Very similar if you're in one of the schools, Right. If you're in it. So Notre Dame, usc. When you're a part of this football program, there's nothing bigger than that rivalry. And I think the same thing is if you go to Ohio State or Michigan, you're from Ohio. There's probably nothing bigger than that rivalry. And so for us, when we talk about this, this rivalry versus usc, the longest intersectional rivalry, meaning inner conference.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, right.
Paulie Fusco
And I mean, I'm sorry, not interconference, but not in the same conference. And that's what makes it special. It's kind of the foundation of Notre Dame and, and the ability to go and say, hey, we'll play anywhere in the country, we don't have a conference. And that's how this, this program was built. And that's why it means a lot. I mean, it's been going on for many years.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but why is it in jeopardy?
Paulie Fusco
Listen, I don't, you know, do you.
Dan Patrick
Want to talk about Ohio State?
Paulie Fusco
Look, you know, there's decisions that that institutions make based off conference, you know, scheduling and things like that. And I know that's playing into some of the discussions that USC is having. I'm sure with our Administration and the higher ups, I'm sure, are, you know, going back and forth on maybe little details. I think so. I don't know.
Dan Patrick
You know, it feels like usc. It's tougher to throw in another great opponent when you're in the Big Ten, when there's quality opponents and, you know, you can't have three losses and be in the playoffs. Like, let's just look at the business side of this. It feels like USC means more to Notre Dame than Notre Dame means to usc.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah. I don't know what we mean to them, but I know it means a lot to us. It does. The rivalry, the quality of opponent, the respect for the program. It is a. It does mean a lot to. To this university and this football program, and we want to see it continue.
Dan Patrick
What was it like first time you took the field as the head coach at Notre Dame?
Paulie Fusco
Man, it's a. It's a blur. I know it was in Phoenix, Arizona, Scottsdale. We were playing Oregon. No. Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. And you don't know what you don't know. You know, it's adrenaline rush. You're running out there. I'm used to being a defensive coordinator, and then all of a sudden, there was moments in the game like, I got a call, time out. I'm like, oh, somebody call timeout.
Dan Patrick
It's me. You know, and so all the things that you. You kind of weren't involved in.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah.
Dan Patrick
Now you're involved in.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah. Amen. Now you have to be the one to make those decisions, and so you learn through experience. But that first one was a. It was a blur.
Dan Patrick
But how important was it to make your debut in a bowl game as opposed to starting your career during the regular season? Did it matter?
Paulie Fusco
You know, I. Did it matter? I don't know what it would be like to not start a career, not in a bowl game. You know, so it's hard for me to compare what that's like. You know, we played Oklahoma State. We had time to. To get ready for that opponent. But you wanted to say, I mean, you had transition. You're a new head coach. You had some guys that didn't play in the game. You had to put, you know, who's playing. It was a unique time, and there's unique times and challenging times that today. But I know in that moment, it was just a whirlwind of different things trying to figure this thing out, but.
Dan Patrick
You'Re navigating, and this is nil and transfer portal, and it's just not coaching football like if it was just coaching football, you'd probably have a Saban, would probably still be coaching. But you throw in all the other stuff here.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah, you're leading a program. You. You have to be adaptable people. You're not just. Yeah, as you said, a football coach, or you're a person that wears many hats, and you have to figure out what's important at that given time. And I think that's what leadership is, is that if it's a recruiting hat, if it's an nil hat, if it's a football hat that you got to wear all those different things, it's the ability to put one on, take one off, and really focus on what needs to be, what needs to have your focus at a given moment.
Dan Patrick
It's almost like practice or games are the best part of all of this, because you're not worried about all the other nonsense.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah, you enjoy that. That's probably the. The time you really get to be a part of what attracted you to this profession. Right. The being around the players, leading them, but also football. Like, you love the game of football and you love the competition, and, you know, Saturday is a reflection of how you practice. And so, yeah, you enjoy that probably the most.
Dan Patrick
We're talking to Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame head coach and of course, hosting usc. We had Brady Quinn on first hour. He said, your quarterback's best quarterback in the country.
Paulie Fusco
He said that?
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Paulie Fusco
Appreciate it. He would know. I mean, he's. He's. He's a quarterback.
Dan Patrick
He says he's playing better than everybody, anybody. And he said. But he said, the tape doesn't lie. Now, I know he's your quarterback, but tell me how you got him and. And what did you think you got when you brought him in?
Paulie Fusco
Yeah, I mean, it's a unique recruiting experience. Talking about the grandson of Lloyd Carr. I actually played in some games against Lloyd Carr. And, you know, you have his grandson that has interest in Notre Dame, and it's real interest, and then. And you're able to grow a relationship and convince him. And he felt that this was the best place for him. And I knew at that moment he was different.
Dan Patrick
Right.
Paulie Fusco
A kid that grows up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has legacies of Michigan ties. And to say, I want to come to Notre Dame, that showed you he's a leader. He's. He doesn't follow trends. And then you get him here, and we got him here for bowl practice. We were getting ready for. I can't remember. I think it was two years. I can't remember who we were getting ready to play, but he comes in, he's supposed to be in high school, and he starts practicing with us for a bowl game. And he was a scout team quarterback. And I'll never forget, like, there was a time.
Dan Patrick
So he graduated early from high school.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah. And it was this new rule that if you graduated early, you could come in and practice with a college team, but you couldn't participate in the bowl game. But I just remember there was one time he gets yelled at by our defense coordinator at the time for not throwing the ball, maybe somewhere he was supposed to throw it. And to see him respond, most kids would melt, right? And to see him respond is say, yes, sir, next time, and just go and go. And I mean, I was like, this kid should be in high school. He's different men. And now, two years later, he has a unique. Yes, he's a really good quarterback. He's blessed with great skills, but he has a unique trait that not many people have, and that's that competitive spirit, that's that leadership mentality that he has, and he's pretty special.
Dan Patrick
The schedule, I don't think know if you had any say in the schedule to start the year. Did you have any say in playing Miami at Miami or.
Paulie Fusco
I don't know when that game was scheduled, but I wouldn't have said no.
Dan Patrick
Okay. Yeah, but those are two tough games right out of the. Right out of the gate. Yeah, but can you have good losses? You ever had a good loss?
Paulie Fusco
No. Loss is good loss. Losing is awful. But I always say, be grateful for the pain of loss because that pain is there to help you grow. It's uncomfortable. It's no different than physically. When you have a cut on your arm, you want to do things to stop the pain. Right? The same thing when you lose a game. The pain is there for you to learn from it, to get better and to make that pain go away. So always it stinks to lose. Nobody wants to lose, especially if you're a competitor. But you have to utilize that pain to help you grow. And so, yeah, it's a. It's. It's a good loss in that sense that the pain was there to help us get better. And I believe we did.
Dan Patrick
What do you remember about being drafted by the Bears?
Paulie Fusco
It was a lot. The weight was always. I always tell our guys the weight's going to be longer than you expect.
Dan Patrick
Right.
Paulie Fusco
Because you always hear a range of slots that you can go. And it was a long couple days for me, and. But when you get the call it's that childhood dream. I got drafted into the NFL and then Lovey Smith was the head coach at the time and they had Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs and Jay Cutler was a quarterback. I mean, you were living a dream. And then you get there and you say, oh, this is a job. It's not, not as much a dream, it's a job. And it was a great experience, one that I'll cherish. And it was short. I wouldn't, I wouldn't. I wasn't there for too long, but it was a great opportunity.
Dan Patrick
But when did you realize there was a difference between you and Brian Erlock or Lance Briggs playing linebacker?
Paulie Fusco
Well, when you see Brian Erlock, you realize right away like, oh, there's a big difference between us, you know, but the knowledge that they had so the how fast they played the game because the knowledge they had clarity in terms of what was being asked of them. And that was a huge transition for me to learn a Tampa 2 defense, something new and to try to play fast. Like everybody you recruit. Here's how I use it in college. Everybody you recruit is really good in high school. Why? Because, because they're playing fast. They have clarity in what they're being asked to do. The guys that come here and can learn the, the playbook and what they're being asked to do and play with that clarity, the guys usually play earliest. And so that's probably what I realized more than anything is that, hey man, those guys understand the ins and outs of everything they're being asked to do.
Dan Patrick
But you bring up something really interesting is we look at guys who are quick and fast, but if you know where you're going, you're even quicker and you're faster. Right. And I think that that's underrated. Sometimes we go, boy, that guy's got God given ability. But if Erlocker knows I have to go there and I'm already fast to get there, I'm even faster. And that that's where they disrupt plays on defense 100%.
Paulie Fusco
We always, we have a saying, clarity equals velocity. And so the more clarity you have, the faster you're going to be able to play. And that's what we have to do as coaches, is create clarity for our guys to go out there and play fast.
Dan Patrick
How far is your office from here?
Paulie Fusco
A couple hundred yards.
Dan Patrick
Okay.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah, not too far.
Dan Patrick
What is it like, did you ever walk this campus by yourself when you first got this job? Like you can't help but see history. Oh yeah, but I don't Know how that it. It impacts me every time I walk this campus. But it's like West Point when you're there. I mean, you're in a whole different world, and there are very few campuses like that with this history. But I didn't know if you ever found yourself. You just walk in the campus and really letting it sink in of where you are.
Paulie Fusco
I do it often. I still do it to this day. I remember when I came here when I was looking at potentially being a defensive coordinator, and I was with my wife, and I remember saying, this is the most beautiful campus I've ever been on. And it. It was just perfect, Right? It's a hard way to describe it, but I still do it to this day. I run on campus. I walk early in the morning and sometimes go by the Golden Dome. In a sense, it's a reminder of the gratitude that you have for this place, the history of this place, the people that have come before you. And I think from. For me, it's the responsibility to continue to make it better, to elevate it. And it's a.
Dan Patrick
A.
Paulie Fusco
It's a great responsibility, but a great reminder. As you look around this place.
Dan Patrick
Did you cry when you got the head coaching job?
Paulie Fusco
No. No, I didn't. That doesn't mean I wasn't emotional.
Dan Patrick
Your players were emotional.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah.
Dan Patrick
I mean, it's a great video. That video is wonderful, but it's a testament to you. It's a testament to. They got the right guy.
Paulie Fusco
I'm. I hope so. You know, I don't. You know, I look at that moment, and I was just as excited to go greet them as. As the video showed they were to greet me. I think it's. It's a reflection of a group of players and a coach that have either earned trust or choose to trust each other. Right. Like, they trusted me to be the head coach, and I trust that I'm going to help them reach their goals. And so we're in this together. Like, that's how I view this thing, right? That. Yeah. You're the head coach. You have to lead. You have to have the vision and the plan and the process. But we're in this together. We succeed together. And when we have difficult moments, we have those together, and we all have to own it.
Dan Patrick
Good luck on Saturday.
Paulie Fusco
I appreciate it.
Dan Patrick
Great to talk to you again.
Paulie Fusco
Appreciate it. It's always a.
Dan Patrick
Do you want to hit Paul? Do you want to hit Paulie again? It's your home game coaching. You know what I mean? It's very tempting When's the last time you hit somebody? Like in practice? Do you ever?
Paulie Fusco
No, I used to.
Dan Patrick
Oh, you did?
Paulie Fusco
My year's defense coordinator probably was the last time I put on the little, little chest pad and let them hit me. They, you know, they would try to go a little bit extra. But you know, with, with four boys at home, sometimes you, you, you know, there's wrestlers, there's football players. We, we have some pretty good matchups.
Dan Patrick
You don't want to mess with the wrestler. You don't want to mess with the rest.
Paulie Fusco
I don't mess with the 18 year old, but the 12, the 10 and the second six year old, I can still take them. Yeah, I can still take them.
Dan Patrick
He's Marcus Freeman. We'll come back after this Dan Patrick show. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. When it comes to great meat, quality freshness and care make all the difference. That's the heartland difference. Heartland Steako. You're getting premium Midwestern meats hand hand cut, hand picked and delivered right to your door. Juicy USDA prime and choice beef, all natural pork tender chicken. Heartland Steak Co. Brings that true Midwest flavor right to your table. Perfect for backyard barbecues, weeknight dinners, or sending gifts of great taste. They've got you covered. Heartland Steak Co. Choose from grill master packages, freezer filler bundles or holiday gift boxes. Everything flash frozen at peak freshness so it's ready when you are. Right now, you'll get free shipping and $25 off your next order. Promo code DAN25. When you spend $199 or more. Heartlandsteakco.com your one stop shop for premium Midwest meats delivered right to your door. Taste The Heartland Difference. Heartlandstakeco.com use promo code DAN25. Today, America is changing and so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Thursday Night Football is on and it's only on prime video. Tonight, the AFC north takes center stage as the Pittsburgh Steelers battle the Cincinnati Bengals. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with football's best party, TNF tonight presented by Verizon. Not a Prime member. Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. It's the Steelers and Bengals tonight at 7pm Eastern only on Prime Video restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details. Hey, it's Ed Helms.
Paulie Fusco
And welcome back to Snafu, my podcast.
Dan Patrick
About history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu. Every single episode. 32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop. What? Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s basketball player who still wore knee pads. Yes. It's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny and a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good. I'm like, oh wow. Angela and Jenna, I am sorry. So psyched you're here. What was that like for you to soft launch into the show? Sorry Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today. I forgot whose podcast we were doing. Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich. So let's see how it goes. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Paulie Fusco
What's up everybody? This is snacks from the Trap Nerds podcast and we're bringing you the horror every week all October long.
Dan Patrick
Kicking off this month I'll be bringing you all my greatest fear inducing horror games from Resident Evil to Solid Hill. Me and Tony bringing Back Fire team on Left for Dead two. And we just going to be going over some of the greats. Also in October we'll be talking about.
Paulie Fusco
Our favorite horror and Halloween movies and.
Dan Patrick
Figure out why black people always gotta die first.
Carson Palmer
The umbral reliquary invites any and all.
Paulie Fusco
Fool brave enough to peruse its many curiosities.
Carson Palmer
But take heed, all sales are final.
Dan Patrick
Weekly horror side quests written and narrated by yours truly with a full episode read and a commentary special.
Paulie Fusco
And we will cap it off with Horror Movie Battle Royale. Jason versus Freddy, Michael Myers versus the Alien Thing with the Little Tongue Monster. October. We're doing it Halloween style. Listen to the TR Podcast from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Dan Patrick
Alrighty, last call for phone calls. What we learn what's in store tomorrow. We had burgers over there. What else did we have on the menu from Heartland Steak, A huge pork tenderloin, three Ways. Okay, thrice. Who has it better than we do? No, that doesn't go over well here. Why? Well, that. Those people up north. Oh, Jim Harbaugh. They kind of did that, too. Oh, yeah, yeah. But he's not up north. He's not in Michigan anymore. Yeah, but. Takes a while to get that off you, you know? Are you bothered by Jim Harbaugh saying, who has it better than we do?
Paulie Fusco
No.
Dan Patrick
You're supposed to say nobody. They said yes, they are bothering. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Paul, I think there's a lot of college football fans that are happy Harbaughs.
Paulie Fusco
In the pros, you know, they're perfectly.
Dan Patrick
Fine with the situation now. All right, last call for phone calls. What we learn what's in store tomorrow. By the way, I just got this from Fritzi. Let's see. Mike Golick senior is going to join us, and Jerome Bettis is going to join us as well. So busy show here. Beautiful day. Beautiful day. I wish the game was played today. And Marvin, you did well. Marvin ran into somebody. Her name is Shelby. And Marvin, of course, was cozying up to her so he could get a discount at the. At the bookstore.
Paulie Fusco
Smart.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Next thing I know, he comes back with his gorgeous Notre Dame sweatshirt there. Got 20% off, didn't he? Got a hat, the full 20 off, too.
Paulie Fusco
I saw this hat on hatland.hatclub.com. i was like, oh, let me grab that. Marvin, you didn't go to Notre Dame.
Dan Patrick
My wife says, thank you.
Paulie Fusco
I know that, but I'm going to Notre Dame. So when in Rome.
Dan Patrick
No, you were at Notre Dame.
Paulie Fusco
Yeah, and I. And we spoke at Notre Dame.
Carson Palmer
So look, we're kind of like.
Dan Patrick
We're kind of like faculty now. By the way, that bookstore, that is. You can get lost in there. It's ongoing. Like, it's hard to go. Okay, I'm just going to get one thing, but I know Paulie is going to get the same sweatshirt tomorrow or. No, right after the show.
Carson Palmer
Yeah.
Dan Patrick
Today, Seaton, Fritzi and I are doing.
Carson Palmer
The pilgrimage over to the big bookstore.
Dan Patrick
I did tell Marcus Freeman, I said, do you recognize what Fritz he's got on? And he goes, no. I said, that's Brian Kelly's. He goes, what? I said, yeah, Brian Kelly. When he left Notre Dame, we said, what are you doing with all your gear? And he goes, I don't know. I said, why don't you send it? So we got this big box of Brian Kelly Notre Dame gear, and this stuff would be a nightgown on him.
Paulie Fusco
But for me, I could squeeze it, too.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. And I said, I can't wear that. But Todd, Todd.
Paulie Fusco
Okay, we established.
Dan Patrick
Okay. I'm just saying, you and Brian Kelly are similar in size.
Carson Palmer
Fair enough.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Let's talk some sports. Final. Final results of the poll question, Satan. Yeah, we got up there. Where would you rather play football, USC or Notre Dame? Notre dame. Still about 52% of the vote right there. So we've been pretty close all day. I had a couple of phone calls here before we exit stage left. Jeff in Los Angeles. Hi, Jeff. What's on your mind today? What's up, BP? Amen. Six, six, three and a softening 235. So with. With Carson Palmer on.
Paulie Fusco
This reminds me. You know, back when he was in high school at Santa Margarita, he was.
Dan Patrick
Also on the basketball team and they used to hold the CIF Southern Section championships at the Pond in Anaheim, now the Honda Center. Right. So we saw him play as a senior. He was starting shooter, shooting guard for Santa Margarita. They won the CIF inspection championship for their division. However, the other players we saw that day, Baron Davis for Crossroads High School, Tyson Chandler and Tayshawn Prince on the same team at Dominguez High, Jason Capono at Artesia High School, Casey Jacobson Glendora, and Josh Childress at Mayfair High School, all at the section that day. So pretty wild. And. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you for opening up your scrapbook there.
Paulie Fusco
Rare Bob desean Stevenson went there also.
Dan Patrick
Moving along. I was in the 4H club. I didn't know if I told you that. Yeah. Barb in Wisconsin joins us. Good morning, Barb. What's on your mind? Good morning. First time, long time. I'm calling today just because I need to defend Fritzi. This morning I was walking eyes listen to in the morning when I'm exercising and working out. And I did not hear the car that drove in. But Todd's comment that just because a car is loud can be very annoying. I totally, 100% agree. Having grown up with muscle cars, being a woman who enjoys a good muscle car has a nice sounding. A car has to have that sweet, sweet, deep rumble that you feel in your blood. And then it's a sexy car. Okay, so did you like the car that was here in South Bend making the noise? I couldn't hear it. I. I listened to you on Sirius as I'm working out, and so I didn't hear it. Okay. But Todd didn't like the car in the rumble. It was less of a smooth rumble to me. It was more of a Like, oh, you better go get that checked out. There's something going on with your car. You know so little about cars. Look at me.
Paulie Fusco
Look at me.
Dan Patrick
As someone that needs attention, I can respect that. But still, we don't need to hear that. While we're doing the show, he's making circles so we could all check out his red sports car. Yeah, but Barb is talking about the rumble of the car and how sexy that is. Right, but there's two kinds. That what I heard was not like a smooth rumble. That was. Check me out. Look at me, look at me, look at me. I'm overcompensating. Which sounds sexier. Barb. That what Fritzi did is impersonation or the. The rumble of a car, a great engine, and muffler. Well, there are a lot of guys who, I agree, are trying to overcompensate and think that a real loud, noisy car is all it takes. And I'm just saying that's not what it is. It's got to be that deep rumble. And I'm sorry. I just couldn't hear that one today. How about my voice, Barb? Is there a deep rumble there? Have an amazingly sweet deep rumble, Dan. And what's it do to you? It makes me feel very good. Great. Thank you, Bar. Let's keep this decent. You guys need a minute? My goodness.
Paulie Fusco
Deep rumble, Danny.
Dan Patrick
Wait, are we on the air? Yeah, we're still on. We are blacked out there. Notre Dame. Yeah. Yeah, Bar. Thank you. I would. Marvin. I'm just saying, it's magic. I mean, I hear you. God gave this to me.
Paulie Fusco
Deep rumble, Danny.
Dan Patrick
I hear you. That's my. That was my nickname in high school. Was it, though? Deep rumble, Danny. Was it what? They don't need to fish for compliments. Just let her say on her own, I really like your voice. What do you think of my voice? But she didn't say that, Todd. Todd, she didn't say that. I had to offer that up. Maybe she was nervous of saying that because then it would feel forward. That's quite. I tried to help.
Paulie Fusco
I think you're overthinking.
Dan Patrick
Thank you, Todd. How about we go around the room, see if we learned anything on the program? Todd, you learn anything? I did.
Paulie Fusco
It's a little rude when you thank.
Dan Patrick
A caller for opening up their scrapbook.
Paulie Fusco
With their long winded stories.
Dan Patrick
Slightly rude.
Paulie Fusco
You don't mean to be. But it's like.
Dan Patrick
It's like when I say something to you and you're like, thank you, Todd. Or that you Move on to a call, Satan like that. What did you learn as a dog? Yeah, I know. She was great. I like her. Paul, what you learned today. Hannah Hidalgo nicely wants to rip her opponent's heart out. Marvin, what did you learn today?
Paulie Fusco
Rick Newel knows how to recruit.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, he does. That sounds like a hard thing to turn down at Colorado. What did I learn, Todd?
Paulie Fusco
I'm going.
Dan Patrick
Hannah Hidalgo also. She didn't meet him yet, but she watched a lot of Kyrie Irving growing up. Still driving that trusty old ride? Maybe with a loud muffler. Keep it looking sharp with Mako from dents, dings, faded paint. They got you covered. Get a free estimate today. Uh oh, better get Mako. Thanks for joining us. Our pleasure to serve you for Fritzi Seaton, Marv, Paulie, yours truly. We'll talk to you tomorrow. America is changing and so is the world. But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story. Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Johnny Knoxville here. Check out Crimeless Hillbilly Heist, my new true crime podcast from smartless media, campside media and big money players. It's the true story of the almost perfect crime and the nimrods who almost pulled it off. It was kind of like the perfect storm in a sewer. That was dumb. Do not follow my example. Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of Snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu. Every single episode. 32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.
Carson Palmer
What?
Dan Patrick
Yeah, it's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny.
Paulie Fusco
And a whole lot of fabulous guests.
Dan Patrick
Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna. Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper.
Paulie Fusco
Listen to season four of SNAFU with.
Dan Patrick
Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream. A nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it. They actually lose it. They sort of went nuts until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The Rich Russians Falling out of Windows podcast is back. Sad oligarch season two. Since we left you in 2023 after season one, many politically motivated Russian millionaires have continued to die in suspicious circumstances. Season two gets very weird. Listen to Sad Oligarch on the iHeartRadio.
Carson Palmer
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dan Patrick
This is an iHeart podcast.
Date: October 16, 2025
Guests: Carson Palmer, Marcus Freeman
Host: Dan Patrick (with Paulie Fusco and show crew)
In this lively hour, Dan Patrick hosts a conversation-heavy episode live from the "shadows of Notre Dame Stadium", with college football top of mind. The show features in-depth discussions with former USC star and Heisman winner Carson Palmer—now a high school coach—and Notre Dame's head coach Marcus Freeman. Themes include the significance of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry, recruiting memories and challenges, the quarterback position’s evolution, college athletics today, and the pressures and joys of leading a storied football program.
[03:10–04:40]
[04:45–17:44]
As a high school coach, Palmer discusses under-center vs. shotgun snap development:
Dan references Joe Montana’s preference for under-center for rhythm:
Palmer expands on under-center advantages, especially in run/pass options:
[23:46 – 40:01]
Freeman discusses the daily awe and responsibility of leading at Notre Dame:
On being named head coach and player reactions:
Carson Palmer on choosing USC:
"At the end, just, USC won my heart and got me. But we had some great battles against [Notre Dame] and obviously one of the best traditions in all of college football." (05:30)
Carson Palmer on the physical toll:
"He [Sean Rogers] landed right, and I just felt almost like a CPR... He did his compressions with all 370 of himself." (16:08)
Dan Patrick, on big moments in the pocket:
"What is that feeling like when, you know you got a receiver open and, you know, you're going to get crushed, but you have to stand there, take it, and then you're able to deliver that pass?" (14:13)
Marcus Freeman on head coaching at Notre Dame:
"Sometimes go by the Golden Dome... reminder of the gratitude you have for this place, the history... the responsibility to continue to make it better, to elevate it." (37:08)
Marcus Freeman on “good” losses:
"No loss is good loss. Losing is awful. But I always say, be grateful for the pain of loss because that pain is there to help you grow.” (33:21)
Marcus Freeman on trust with his team:
"It's a reflection of a group of players and a coach that have either earned trust or choose to trust each other. Right? Like, they trusted me to be the head coach, and I trust that I'm going to help them reach their goals. And so we're in this together." (38:14)
Conversational, warm, and full of insider anecdotes, the hour blends light humor with thoughtful takes on college football’s traditions, the intricacies of player development, and the realities of modern coaching. Dan’s signature playful tone invites the guests to open up, leading to both reflective and funny moments that will resonate with diehard fans and casual listeners alike.
For listeners wanting tradition, nostalgia, humor, and real talk about the evolving landscape of college football, this hour is a home run.