Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara

Episode: Roll Tide! With Mark Ingram on Bama GOATs, Saban Recruiting and Philip Rivers Comeback
Date: December 11, 2025

Overview

This lively episode brings NFL veteran and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram into the fold for an authentic, entertaining dive into college football legacies, NFL comeback stories, media antics, and sports culture. Hosts Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara (with Annie Agar joining for trivia) leap from the return of Philip Rivers to Mark’s days at Alabama under Nick Saban, sprinkle in fantasy drafts of Alabama greats, and dissect the unique brotherhood of sports locker rooms and studios. Expect a dynamic mix of personal stories, friendly ribbing, football insight, and signature show banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show Opener & Energy Check

• Matt and Jerry discuss recent NBA trash talk and the show's “locker room” vibe even during commercial breaks, setting the tone for a camaraderie-rich episode.
• Matt hypes Mark Ingram: "He's the star of our show. Everybody loves him everywhere we go. He treats everybody well. He's hilarious, he's fun." (02:39)

2. Philip Rivers’ NFL Comeback at 44

• The group is amused and intrigued by the news of 44-year-old Philip Rivers potentially starting for the Colts.
• Matt recalls, “He just coached his son's high school football team wearing a headset, drawing up plays—apparently drawing up the Colts’ plays, which is hilarious.” (06:00)
• “He doesn’t run. He doesn’t really need to be in shape. His arm needs to be in arm shape. That’s it.” – Matt (06:28)

Memorable exchange:

• Jerry: “Philip Rivers has a kid older than Riley Leonard.” (58:54)
• Annie: “That’s hilarious. Actually, he has ten of them.” (59:01)

3. Locker Room & Heisman Brotherhood

• The show highlights the deep bonds between athletes, especially former Heisman winners and TV colleagues.
• Matt on the show's culture: “It’s the closest thing to a locker room feel that we get as athletes... talk, make fun of each other, have fun, go on TV.” (02:39)

4. Mark Ingram: Would He Come Out of Retirement?

• Mark jokes about only returning for a true Super Bowl contender:

  “If I’m getting off this couch and going be picking up blitzes in the A gap… I need to be playing in The Super Bowl.” (13:02)

• Refuses hypothetical offers from teams he views as non-contenders:

  “I’m not going to Pittsburgh… They don’t have a shot, man.” (13:39)

• Admits if Sean Payton called from the Broncos, he’d “have to consider it.” (13:20)

5. Recruiting Stories & Early Days at Alabama

• Mark recounts being a late bloomer in recruiting, considering Iowa and Wisconsin before Saban enters late.
• Describes Saban’s eerie recruiting prophecy:

  “Saban called it verbatim – ‘First year will be pretty good, second year we’ll win the national championship.’ And that’s exactly what happened.” (20:11 – 20:39)

• Shares how Saban knew his parents from Michigan State days, showing the depth and oddities in big-time recruiting:

  “Coach Saban used to have to make sure my father and Andre Risen… went to class. He would call my mom, and my mom would tell on him.” (16:10)

6. Life With Saban – Famous Coach Stories

• Mark details Saban’s singular focus post-Heisman:

  "He didn't give two shits that you won the Heisman… ‘You can’t let this goddamn change... We got a championship to go do.’” (22:13)

• Mark felt “like did I just fumble on the damn goal line? I just won the damn Heisman Trophy!” (22:04 – 22:10)

7. Heisman Night Celebrations

• Mark reveals his post-Heisman NYC night:

  “Went to 4040 Club… Jay Z and them, the hostess comes down, man, she fine as hell, takes us up to the VIP. We drinking, we living. And I’m like, I’m kind of young, but I ain’t gonna tell nobody… I was 19, bro.” (23:18 – 24:09)

• Matt shares that back in his day, winning the Heisman meant “you have a key to the city.” (22:40)

8. Alabama Fantasy Draft (Wendy’s Fresh Take)

• Mark assembles his Alabama all-time college fantasy team:
  • QB: Bryce Young
  • RBs: Jameer Gibbs, Derrick Henry
  • WRs: Julio Jones, Devonta Smith, Amari Cooper
  • TE: Ozzie Newsome
  • Defense: 2011 Bama or Rolando McClain (as an individual pick)
• Mark: “2011 Alabama defense… National champions. Didn’t let LSU cross the 50 yard line.” (34:18)
• Matt: “That’s the scariest backfield I’ve ever heard.” (34:20)

9. White Running Backs: A Comeback?

• Mark’s Mount Rushmore of white RBs:
  • Christian McCaffrey
  • Mike Alstott
  • Peyton Hillis (with banter about the Madden cover)
  • “Scatter Boo” (Jack ‘Scatterboo’ from Arizona State)
• Brief debate about other white running back legends (Riggins, Zonka, Burkhead, etc.) (30:16 – 32:15)

10. RBs in the Modern NFL & Longevity

• Mark credits NFL split-back systems for extending his career:

  “The blessing of being in backfields where I had to share the rock was I was able to stay fresh and play a long time.” (42:17)

• Shares recovery routines: massage, acupuncture, stem cells: “Lots of body work, lots of money on body work.” (42:17)

11. The Famous Derrick Henry Photo Incident

• Mark recounts the viral image:

  “I go out to the coin toss… I’m like, ‘damn, this motherfucker huge’… five-ten vs. six-five & 250 in pads.” (47:06)

• The photo becomes an instant meme among teammates, with Landon Collins telling him, “Damn, they got you, bro.” (48:05)

12. Showdown: Alabama vs. USC & College Dynasties

• Fun banter over what would have happened if Saban’s Bama met Leinart’s USC.
• Mark: “That USC team was ridiculous... I grew up a big fan of that team.” (36:53 – 37:05)

13. Media, Crossover & Triple Option

• Mark previews going to Army-Navy with the Fox crew and shares excitement for playoff coverage.
• Discusses the crazy media cycle and trolling backlash when he critiqued Alabama before the SEC championship:

  “They were not happy with me... but if you go into a championship game and you look like shit, bro, you should probably be punished for it.” (50:35 – 51:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On only coming back for a true contender:

  “I need to be playing in The Super Bowl.” – Mark Ingram (13:02)

• Saban’s recruiting prophecy:

  "He called it verbatim… 12-2, 14-0. He called that." – Mark Ingram (20:39)

• Saban after the Heisman:

  “You can’t let this goddamn change the way you think… We got a championship to go do.” (22:13)

• On the viral Derrick Henry photo:

  “I’m looking at them, I’m like damn, this motherfucker huge… when I go to the grocery store I’m bigger than most people, but here… you go out here in the middle of the field with mutant alien.” (47:06 – 47:36)

• On white running backs:

  “We got some white boys now.” – Mark Ingram (29:56)

• Fantasy football misery:

  “I hated it, bro. Like, it made my Sundays miserable.” – Mark Ingram (32:43)

• On NFL running back longevity:

  “Lots of body work, lots of money on body work… always getting massage, acupuncture, stem cells.” (42:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Talking Philip Rivers’ comeback (NFL): 06:00 – 09:44, 57:03 – 61:13
• Mark Ingram joins & Retirement banter: 10:43 – 14:11
• Alabama recruiting stories: 14:17 – 18:05
• Nick Saban coaching stories: 20:11 – 22:13
• Heisman Night partying: 23:18 – 24:09
• Alabama all-time fantasy draft: 33:14 – 35:37
• White running back discussion: 29:38 – 32:24
• RB split systems & NFL evolution: 38:53 – 41:49
• Running back longevity: 42:05 – 43:56
• Derrick Henry viral photo: 46:15 – 48:11
• Alabama vs. USC dynasty debate: 36:01 – 37:50
• Alabama playoff/critique backlash: 50:35 – 51:18
• Trivia segment with Annie Agar (Chiefs/2014): 64:09 – 70:15

Additional Highlights

• Annie Agar Trivia:

  • 2014 Chiefs season, NFL MVP, and rookie-year questions drive a fun, competitive mid-episode segment between the hosts.

• Lockroom Vibes & Media Behind-the-Scenes:

  • Regular mentions of the behind-the-scenes fun and the parallels between locker room and on-set dynamics.

• Golf Talk:

  • Mark looks forward to picking up golf again post-college football season; Urban Meyer’s “sandbagger” reputation surfaces. (48:41)

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a blend of high-energy football talk, nostalgia, inside jokes, and in-depth stories from those who’ve lived the big moments. Mark Ingram delivers both humor and insight on topics from Nick Saban’s intense focus, the realities of NFL backfields, the joy/celebrity of Heisman nights in NYC, and the enduring Athlete Brother- and Sisterhood. The episode’s freewheeling style and deep sports knowledge make it both informative and warmly entertaining—even if you’re joining in for the very first time.