Big Red Rage - Cardinals RB Michael Carter Embraces Role

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Now that everyone has received everything on their Santa wish list at this point, right right, Wolf, you finally got that official Red Rider Carbine Action two hundred shot range model air rifle be beating a gun, didn't you?

Yeah? I will shot my eye off too, Paul. It's good Wolf.

I didn't expect to actually be that quick on the draw there.

The Red Rider right now, that's great movie. We all know that ball.

I meant quick draw on the retort. You know it's vacation for you. It's good though. You're ready to go, You're ready to broadcast, ready to come off the ball. That's good. Now it's time to get greedy, is it not. It's time to triple dog dare the Rams? You go in there on Saturday night and after it wasn't just beat LA was beat down La in week two? You know what, pack the broom. How about that? Let's go to LA and get the series sweep against the Rams.

Yeah, that'd be nice right there, even up the series. When you think of Sean McVay, of course, he has done very very well against there was on the Cardinals U thirteen and three. As a matter of fact, PAULI I think in the last sixteen games thirteen and three, Sean McVay right now, it's one and two. Jonathan Gannon first, Sean McVay right now. So you'd love to even that series up, no doubt.

And whenever the Cardinals play a game, you think of Kramitt vertical, and you think of what is now the fifth ranked rushing attack in the NFL. And that is our setup for the big introduction here on the Big Red Rage. Michael Carter, Cardinals running back. Welcome to the show. Thanks for having I'm a holidays going for you so far, Michael.

How's it going?

They've been great. I got some new shoes yesterday. Oh no, I gotta start going to give car for twenty five dollars for my mom.

Okay, oh that was nice right there? Starbucks? So if you're gonna go to Starbucks, what are you going to get?

Uh, usually get a frappuccino.

Okay, frappuccino. Yeah, well how many shots do you have in that thing?

It doesn't really matter about the shot. It's about the uh, it's it's the frap.

It's about the cream full motkay yeah, I say yeah.

The real gift though, said, Mom's in town.

Yeah, Mom's right there, say hey, mam.

And who else who else is in from my is my brother Joshua Carter.

Uh just ran for twelve fifty and fourteen touchdowns Eastern Kentucky.

Go Cardinals, ro Cardinals, Right, on. That's right.

And I got my girlfriend Brianna right here.

Brian, how are you going? Okay? Wonderful?

Yeah, there we go.

That's outstanding. Uh So Michael too. I mean you got two games to go, and based on what I've seen our practice this week, nobody's letting these two opportunities go. Yeah, guys are ready to bring it, aren't they.

Absolutely, there's no reason to. It's a bless them to play in the NFL and in any capacity. So the last two opportunities are are obvious. Obviously they can be momentum to a new season. But you know, also with that being said, we have our own lives that.

We have to play for at the at the at the forefront of things as well.

So and you are, you are your film. You know, you are what you put on tape. So, uh it means a lot to us individually and as a team.

So, Michael, talk a little bit about your season right now. This is your fourth year, correct, yes, your fourth year. Talk a little bit about how this season has gone for you personally, if you don't mind.

It was hard.

It's been hard because I want to play a lot more than I have been. But I'm very blessed to be in Arizona. And what a time to no better time than the president. They go get the job done, you know what I mean? Like on a Saturday night primetime game. Kyen Williams is one of my good friends. I trained him in the off season in Florida, so it'll be a fun matchup ATLA is one of my favorite places right now. It's for my girlfriends from so I kind of like it over there, okay by sunset.

So and when you get into games, I mean, I'm thinking to this time a year ago at Pittsburgh against the Niners at Philly in particular. I mean, you don't lack for confidence, even though it's late in the season. But I mean what you did last year and what you put on film this time a year ago, how does that sort of bolster the way you're thinking in your confidence level this year.

Yeah.

Confidence, at least on the field. Confidence, it's never an issue. I feel like, well, you know, we're all, you know, workingfield.

I think that, well, I know that I'm a good player.

I know I'm a good player, and I've shown it time and time again from the time that I was a little baby to and in spurts last week, you know what I mean. So it's it's about the mental game. I get my.

Confidence from first.

Knowing that that you know created, you know, God's image, And after that it's about the work I put in the offseason.

I work harder than anybody, I really do.

So all you can do is work hard, and then you know, when the opportunity to meets the preparation, you know, something good happens.

Yeah. No, I'm with you on that one. Right there. Talk a little bit, Michael, if you will, about where you feel your game needs to evolve and what you feel like you do well right now.

Yeah, I think I think you know, there's a stereotype when I when I left New York, somebody said I couldn't block. So whoever said that, whatever, But uh, I feel like it's something that I really I really even honed it on now this year because.

I love it. I really love the block. I love pass protection. I love to do it. I always have my tape says so as well.

So that and along with them, there's also another stereotype that I wasn't like really open to be like returning kicks and stuff like that. That's something I've always did, you know, until I got to the NFL, because I was never asked to, because I was always the starter. So now I'm in Arizona, it's it's a it's a new it's a new gig, you know what I mean.

So you kind of have to adapt to what you're actually doing.

I've done that, so I feel I feel as though the biggest part of my game is being versatile and whatever I'm actually do, whether it's run cat's block or return or run down and I have to freaking go block somebody on a punt return team or anything.

Yeah, I just love it playing.

You know. That is one of the things I really appre about you a lot. I've seen you develop in terms of blitz pick up and you being a kind of a diminutive running back compared to some of these guys, some of these blitzers that are coming out, I've seen you stick them right in the face, as.

You're saying, And I love to And that goes back to all the way back to where I went to high school, at where I grew up at. You know, it's a it's a we appreciate physicality and violence, you know what I mean. So just being able to carry that and you know, carry down my shoulder. In the NFL, where not everybody gets to go to and play, I get to represent the people that to help me get.

When you get in against Carolina like you did last week, right, five carries, five catches on five targets, you had a long of eighteen. Just how much more into the flow do you get from the first quarter to the fourth quarter? And you know, what's that feel like to get that first action of the year. And what do you feel like by the end of the game.

Yeah, beginning of the game, I tried to I guess I was calming myself down so much because I just didn't want to be anxious, you know what I mean. But it's been a minute since I played ball in a in a game capacity. But I felt great because my family was at the game, and so I always just look up in the section one seventeen wherever I put him out. I get my confidence from from whenever I see him. When I do this right here and

So we talk a little bit about that exchange right there.

I don't think there was anything that I had to do with like lack of reps or anything. You don't think so no, because me and I, me and me and Kyler, I didn't have a million reps of that due you know, So it's not even It wasn't even. That was really probably my far was a little bit a little bit antsy to get going. I've seen a huge crease, so I it was probably my fault.

Do you do you do you think you reached for the ball? Is that? Is that what you're saying?

Or yeah, well not reach. I think that maybe my pocket wasn't big enough, wasn't big enough with your.

Yeah, like, oh my gosh, it's amazing, what a great opportunity.

And then I look crazy because.

Yo, you know right, well, look there's two games ago and Jonathan Gannon, who always raised about your game, he calls you an energy giver. Whenever we bring up Michael Carter, he says energy giver and then he goes on from there. But here's the big picture on the big red Jonathan Gannon and the fact you have two games to go.

I'm excited for these two opportunities, one on the road versus a playoff team and then one a team that's been winning our division for a long time. So you know, last year we weren't playing for anything, right, We made a lot of hay and got a lot better and it and we did a lot of good things. You know last year that I thought that we built on and followed us a little bit into this year.

Look, yesterday you saw the Christmas games, right, those teams had the whole Nations TV window to themselves. You guys have that on Saturday night, right, And and I never played, So you tell me how much does that amp up things when you when you know you're in the national spot.

But yeah, you know, the coaches, I've had multiple coaches, you know, they say that primetime games and games that are you're the only one on TV. They don't they don't mean any less, They don't mean anymore than just another game.

But that's coach talk, you know what I mean.

Yeah, anytime that you get the chance to play in front of not only fans, but all your peers, because they have nothing to do except for watch you. It's a big deal because not only do you want to put your best forward for all the time.

You know, when you put on a show in front of.

Your peers, it it allows them to see you in a different light maybe than what they did before. You know, the casual fan is gonna say, oh, this fan or this player is good, this player is not. Well, you have a good game on the prime time and they think you're like the best player in the world. Now they kind of have fans work so and your peers is always a respecting when it comes to playing. So you want to play the hardest and you know, have your player reflect that you love the game.

Where do you think this team you're just listening to JJ right there. Where do you think this team has gotten better from last year? Where have you seen this team grow?

You know, what I really like about this team is that we're really violent. We're violent, like really violent, and we're we're assignment sound and we played together.

We've gotten really close over the year.

Adversity always, you know, strengthens the group, and I feel like that's where I feel like we've.

Probably grown in the most, Like we've gotten closer.

Are you a believer that the run game wears down a defense. Yes, and do you see it in the third and fourth quarter, Yes, because.

It hits the hits.

They don't be as hard towards the end of the game. Whenever you whenever you, you you leaning on them instead of being leaned on.

So, I mean you see it just down the film sometimes right all of a sudden, Oh, maybe some of those guys aren't getting off black earlier.

It's something that we call it in the running back room, turned down service. So I see you on the film turn it down, hits it, or you could have made the big hit, or but you backed up and you let your teammate make it.

That's turned down service.

You played bigger than you are too.

Yeah, because I didn't know I was. I was undersize to someone else told me, I love it.

I love that.

All right.

We continue just getting rolling. In fact with running back Michael Carter is the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Forrn and Gilbert live from Trophy and Chandler located on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson.

Carter the loan back Murray takes bakes the hand off setting up in the pocket checks it down to your side. Caught by Carter at the forty, slips and tackle half the fifty and has a first down to the forty four yard line of the Panthers.

Check the ball down to Michael Carter. How many times do we see Michael Carter make a play for the Amazona Cardinals when he gets the opportunity the blood.

Mike's just a professional, That's what he is. Man, He's expected to be ready to go at any time, and that's what he did. And so, uh yeah, first of all, Mike's faith is what drives him. And then again, he's just a professional. I mean, he's been around, he knows how it goes, and he's always ready to go. So he is a professional professional. That's the best way I could describe Mike.

So.

Autrey Denson, Cardinals running backs coach. Earlier today here on the Big Red Rage, Michael Carter is our guest, all presented by santan Ford and Gilbert We are santan Ford Live, a Trophy and Chandler located on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson. Audrey Dentson is still like one of the leading ball carriers in the history of Notre Dame football.

Number one all the time?

Is he really?

Yeah?

Okay, so it sounds like he's made you guys aware of that fact.

Well, actually, I think James was the one that made me wear He doesn't like to talk about him, so I'll call him a d but for sure.

But we also call him at for all time.

So he's so he's not talking any trash about Notre Dame right now.

Okay, they be Indiana, he's feeling good, I guess. But Georgia is a different team, so listen. I personally think Notre Dame's gonna be Georgia too, though, oh you do.

Why do you think that's gonna happen?

Because I think that Georgia had a hard time with the zone read against Georgia Tech.

Their defense is also really good. Notre Dame's defense really good.

Okay, there you go.

This is this a good time to ask him about the Bill Bellichich and uh.

College football runs through Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Oh no, oh no, okay, So Bill Belichick, get your your thoughts. When you heard Bill Belichick was going to be the head coach at North Carolina.

You might as well just start signing us for the rings now, you know what I mean?

Like college football, College football runs through Chapel Hill, Bill, Baby, Let's go.

You think he's gonna transition to the college game.

I know he is.

Let's go, Baby, Taboo Tapple Hill, North Carolina Tar Hills. You know, we don't need to transfer portal. We developed the young cast, and we developed the young cast and they don't hit the portal because we got the type of campus that you don't ever want to leave whenever you enroll.

Well, it is beautiful Chapel Hill, There's no doubt about that.

That is beautiful right there. But it's interesting because Bill Belichick was my head coach for two years in the NFL back in Cleveland. Yeah, okay, I know right now, he did, and he was actually young back then, right, But so it it hits me in a weird kind of way when I think of him being a college football coach and not an NFL coach. An NFL coach to me was the quintessential NFL coach.

It was.

He was a bit of a sociopath in terms of, you know, I'm not going to ask you about your family. I'm not going to pretend like I like you. I'm not gonna bring coach. He was just about football. I'm just going to coach football. That's what I'm gonna do right there. And I expect you to do your job. That's what he was all about. There's got to be a little bit of relationship building when you're talking about at the college level. Do you not think so much?

I think so? I think so. I think how do you think he's gonna do it?

All that?

I think he's personable guy. I feel like we've seen him on TV, you know what I.

Mean, which I gotta tell you his his image on TV. I'm like, coach, who are you.

To say that I was running us after practicing?

No, So I think that he's gonna have to take some of that media personality his true personality. And I got kind of transferred into the recruiting and but his girlfriend's keeping him young.

So okay, oh man, you know what, this might be a good time for a SoundBite. Here's Jonathan Gannon how Michael Carter has handled his role this year.

He's got really good character and he's a team first guy. So and that's the guy that he loves to play football. So his role of being where he was at this year. I thought he took it in stride and maximized his role, you know what I mean. And I'm grateful we have him. But he's a really good teammate. He's a co editor, you know what I mean. So if he can put the helmet on, and he wants to put the helmet on, what do.

You think JG sees in you as a player as a running back? We know is he wants guys who are deadly serious about football right first and foremost. And what do you think you've shown him or hope you've shown him this year?

Yeah, I think that's the first thing we have in common, is that were both very serious about the game and also he caused me the energy give He definitely is as well. So I think, you know, we probably have more coming than we've talked about before. But I think, well, I know I've shown him consistency since I've gotten here. I've been able to not only in the games, but in practice, in the meetings, and you know just how I move every day with my teammates, coaches, the janitors, Armando, Armando.

Uh, everybody.

You're not sure everybody would respect and I get I do you give me a job?

I'm gonna get it done, and I'm gonna do it well.

So how much opportunity do you think, Michael, you're gonna get over these last two games? How much opportunity do you think you're gonna go?

I don't know. I don't know. I definitely can't see the future.

But I hope it's like a lot, like a lot to make up for the last few weeks.

So I hope it's a lot.

Because when we look at your background, I mean, there's no doubt you can play. There's little doubt as to why you believe you can play when you were what all acc first team, right, you are thirteam All American. I mean you go back to high school. Let's just talk about high school for a minute. Is this a type out? Was this really your senior year or is this your whole career? Twenty five hundred rushing yards, thirty

Yeah.

I didn't do it alone. Though I didn't do it alone. My little brother was right there and he was making sure I was. I was staying locked in. You know, A funny story, quick story. So we're in the state final four game to stay in the semi finals. Yep, and the rest are kind of hosting us who playing leg gifts and right, so.

To throw a flag on my little brother, right, guess what he does with the flag? Throw? Was it back at Durro?

Oh no, but this is wider. But this is because my brother. Great guy, let's not painting with the ode.

Okay, did somebody else throw a flag? Is he threw the flag?

Oh?

He threw the fla He threw the flag of my brother because you know, my brother was up sick. Because you know, let the players play, you know what I mean, the players play, and the rest want to get involved.

You know, the.

Volunteer stripes and you know it's a high school game that the kids play.

So let me ask you this what those kind of numbers right there? We got this from our producer right here, Jim Omund. He said, you were the Florida offensive player of the year. That was according to USA Today. I was okay, So who were you recruited by Michael?

A lot of teams, a lot of schools. I be crazy. My first offer was in ninth grade.

I'm was the ninth grade.

I'm on the way to a baseball game. I was good at baseball.

Everybody batted three ten as a freshman, Okay, but.

They weren't offered in baseball, right, Nah?

Football, yeah no, I was.

Everybody know I wanted to play football, so it was just no reason to recruit me for baseball.

So but.

I get offered right before a baseball game Tennessee. I got off the phone. Robert good lets me, who ended up being my running back coach at North Carolina.

Okay, my junior year.

Okay, that small world, but he called me of me and I was just I couldn't even think about baseball. So I was pretty much just like I probably want to go to Tennessee so bad.

But then they were kind.

Of running out. They were kind of running weird operation there.

Right, Okay, what about so how many offers.

A twenty five or something like that. I had a twenty five, but they were just hitting out offers.

Like when I was in high school, we had one dude had one hundred offers in my class, Like, oh.

Yeah, like, what are we doing. We're not even scounting this kid?

Did he ever make it to the NFL?

I don't know, I don't know, Okay, I don't know. I hope so you know what I mean.

Of course we all do.

So I'm seeing here. You grew up Navar Okay, and Navarre Beach is where they filmed some of the scenes from Jaws to Yeah.

Yeah, they used to have a Jaws like a little Jaws billboard right at school. But uh, kind of an irrelevant fact though, but shout out everybody who enjoys that Jaws movie.

What what? What was?

What was life like? And what is it like in thevar Because you were born in Japan?

Yeah I was.

I was.

My parents are an air force Wow.

Oh there it is right there, Paul, That's what it was.

Yeah, Okinawa, Japan, Condina Air Force Base.

Okay, now you have you have you were a toddler though, right, you have no memory of Okinawa whatsoever? No, just the pictures, okay, just the pictures right there. Have you ever been back to.

No, I'll go sometime.

You do have a desire to go back there?

Okay?

Cool?

So I know you've been asked this before. Florida heat versus Arizona heat. What do you think comparing contrast?

I think one? Do I desire more?

Sure?

I think? Uh, well, just because I'm used to it. I think the humidity is like I feel.

More comfortable with the heat here is alright, because it's like you just walk outside and you may not sweat, but like you're just gonna start getting dry and like chap. Your lips are chapped, and so I have three sticks of chepstick in my room right now.

So yeah, that is one of the things I love about it though, just the fact he can go it's.

So dry, yeah, so dry. It is bright. It's so bright here.

It's so bright, of course, But at the same time, I love the This is a weird sensation that you get and you know you were in Arizona when you get it because of how dry it is, and you get that cool sunshine on your skin. It's an awesome feeling.

I don't mind it at all. I would rather be here than.

Flowing partner, Jersey, I'm gonna ask you about your high school running back coach, but first let's hear from your NFL running back coach again. Here's Autrey Dnson. This is from The Big Red Rage back in February of this year, when we asked him what he likes about you as a player and a person. Michael Carter.

Michael Carter has a passion for playing the game, and when you watch him, he's fun to watch because he's having fun. And so one of the things I did for the guys I don't want saying this is I got him a frame picture each of them, just something to remember and my wife. The first thing that jumps out on him is as he's running, he has a smile so big on his face, and so that's it's funny that that is Mike. He smiles and plays like

Is that happened with frequency?

Yeah, a lot.

Like I'm probably like one in every three or four pictures I'm smiling in on the field though.

Yeah.

Yeah, you don't see a lot of that. You don't see a lot of guys smiling.

Yeah, because we have some fun. Surely competing, they don't be having fun out there. Well, I feel like some guy, you know.

I've never been like a raw, raw guy, like you know that the big circle everybody makes like we gotta step on that.

No, I'm goreoad.

Just let's just have fun. Let's line it up and see who's the best, though, We're always gonna do that.

Yeah, first, does that sort of does that mess up defenders at all? Like mentally? I mean, does that freak him out a little bit? But this guy's smiling. He's just ripping off a nine yard run.

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it hurts.

Okay, I've got to ask you this right here. Our producer gave us this question right here as well. I'm going to read you this. This is you. This is a quote you said, I really love football, and I don't play for what it could give me. I play because I really enjoy it. And I know that because I've been tested. That's from you right there. That was a quote. What did you mean by that?

Yeah?

The game is full of highs and lows, ups and downs, and it's a it's very let's do It's very similar to life, right, So, I think that it's the ultimate team game and you can't do anything alone, just like life.

And I was everybody plays for the you know, we're not everybody.

There's a lot of guys I played with teammates that really are like, Okay, well, I want this out of it. I want to make this much like as soon as I get this much, I'm done, And you know, in my eyes, I was I was like, I always was like, what are you all talking about? Because I don't Ever, I didn't really play for that. I played because when I was young, I just love to go outside in the yard and play my paws put me in the

And then.

I just I just it's the adversity that you know, when you get something taken away from you, like say it for example, this year, you know, I had like a big bonus that I would have had, I would have made a team initially, and you know there's conspiracies out there, but I gotta take it away from me, right, So do I love the game? If I didn't love the game, I wouldn't have played the shop, probably to throw up or do something else.

But then it's like, for what you know, it's.

Kind of like football is such a great game. But they say this all the time. Football is a great game because it truly is a metaphor for life. I mean, how many times the game? How many times in life do you get knocked down and you got to get back up? Right, Michael? I mean, there's a better metaphor than that than playing the game of football. It's one of the things I love the most. You literally are getting knocked down and you got to get up and do it again and again and again and again. That

Sounds like your dad kept coaching you all the way through your career through high school and.

My dad my dad was deployed when I was a little younger, but my dad coached me in high school, maybe not my last two years.

We had this dude I won't say his name.

Sophomore year in high school, he was a liar, and he wasn't a good coach. And uh one time he told me when to State championship with Gang Green in his foot, So I kind of kind of school.

I went to, Yeah, you need the school system, you need a lie to that what you're saying, Yeah.

I mean, I wouldn't want to go into a private school. They don't play roof football over there.

So I was trying to tell you how tough he was.

He was, Oh, I played with Gang Green in my foot in a toy miniscus two rushing touchdowns.

Oh okay, that's yeah.

Kind of school.

I went to, you know what I mean, don't need coach Coach Smith, Coach Adams, that coach Adams.

That that prepared you for New York City probably in some ways, right, you know, with the whole Yeah.

Yeah, with the Gang Green order line.

So earlier, earlier, you mentioned Kyron Williams. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, Kyron Williams, the court Boys. He having a great year, my brother. He is having a fantastic year. He's getting the opportunity just like he did last year as well, and he is capitalizing on that. Over thirteen hundred yards rushing right now, Pauli Kyron Williams just off the charts. Yeah, tell me a little bit about the friendship that you have with him.

Yeah, I played him in college, so we couldn't start off as like you know, ops right, you know I wasn't like his friend at first, I didn't know him.

Yeah, but whenever he got down.

I trained in South Florida, so I came out of get in front of him, and then whenever he came out obviously, you know when you're playing ball, you know you're familiar with other people's game, and so when I met him, it was like instant. And what actually like kind of like got us off on the right foot was that we both are worth at like our work. We both love to work, we both love to Grindlet's stay after and do this and that, and here you go against me and is drill.

So we can compete, and you know you better when.

You competing, you know what I mean, no doubt.

Obviously, you know everybody can do a workout by herself, but you know, when you have that person right next to you that wants the same things in life that you want and is willing to help you go get that, you should be able to help them go get what they want in life. So he's an awesome friend, and he's a he's having a great year.

It's awesome.

Last three games, everyone talks about the Rams and you know Pooka, Nikoa and Cooper Cub and Matthew step rightfully so, but the last three games he's run the ball twenty nine times, twenty nine times, twenty three times. Yeah, they're a run first offense in a lot of ways.

No doubt about it. Probably they get into eleven personnel right now, seventy seven percent at the time there are an eleven personnel. It's one of the reasons why they're tight ends.

All of them.

Block first, Yeah, block first, tight ends guys who can actually do it because they're gonna sling it. But they're gonna run it out of eleven personnel as well. Pistol shotgun under center. They're gonna run.

It real quick. What's the best part about his game? If you could take one thing from Kan Williams game and put in your game, what would it be?

Think about it?

Stiff on, He gotta go stiff on. Yeah, he gotta go stiff on.

Maybe you can demonstrate that on Wolf when we come back. It's the Big Red Rage, presented by Santane Fort and Gilbert live from Trophy and Chandler between Queen Creek Road. Grays and Dobson.

Snapped to Murray pass play Murray with times fiers deep middle end zone for Harrison, and Harrison made the catch. Ben got his feet down for the touchdown. First NFL score for Marvin Harrison Junior, the first of many to come.

Throw the tweaky into the toaster. Kyler Murray, Oh, my goodness, right on the money to Marvin Harrison Junior.

Play action of boot to the right. Murray looking downfield, now loves it deep here side. Harrison caught it at the twenty, hit the ten. Harrison dies for the end zone.

He's in touchdown, like a tear falling from your cheat, baby. That ball came straight down out of the sky. Kyler again drops a dime and Marvin Harrison Junior stretches out and the pig breaks the plane.

Oh that is awesome.

So that was Week two. Once upon a time when Marvin Harrison Junior had an entire game, an epic game. In the first quarter four for a buck thirty and two touchdowns, including that sixty yarder were a lunch for the pylon. That was just outstanding stuff. Cardinal's going to take on the Rams again, this time in the second to last game of the year. It is the Big Red Rage, presented by Santan forty Gilbert live from Trophy and Chandler and our special guest, Cardinals running back Michael Carter.

Guys, Yeah, that's a lot of rookies in one class. And you know, my I sit right next to Marvin team and we you know, I asked him, you know, I asked him what We were just talking to the other, just chatting, and you know, your rookie season is kind

Michael, what about you your rookie year? What was it like for you? What was the hardest thing about being in the National Football League your rookie year.

My rookie year was probably.

Was it? Was it the scheme? No? Was it?

The yeah, okay, okay.

Playbook was probably the easiest part because I wanted to learn it so bad.

Okay, so you were in it, you were, yeah, ross.

So deep into playbook. I feel like some points I could play quarterback. I can can and do all the type of other stuff.

You know. The scheme is is not it's not a problem.

It was being out like week one we played the Panthers and I look across the field and it's like, oh my gosh, that's Jack Thompson. Yeah, or like, oh my gosh, that's so and so, Like I remember we played uh when we played the Bucks. We played the Bucks my rookie year. And for those who are football fans. So that's the game that Antonio Brown takes his stuff off.

That was that was your rookie year.

Rookie year. That's my rookie year.

So I'm like and mind you, I just I just got I'm in concussion protocol because I got hit and I had like.

I had to look twice.

I said, I know my head doesn't hurt that bad man, like the shirt on, you know what I mean. It's like the it's like football in the NFL is like not only football, but it's kind of like an entertainment deal and like a business. And that kind of bothered me to be to start my career because.

It's like everyone cares the same way I care, like but control that.

Yeah, it's like, you know, it's almost like script like prog.

It felt scripted.

It felt scripted, but it's it's the juggling with the wow, I can't believe I'm here, and then all right, well I got a job to do, so let me let me perform. And then, just like I was saying earlier about like I went on like a three four week stretch as well where I probably led the league in total yards over three four weeks. And it's goes back to the routine where you don't want to get too high on the performance.

If you don't play as well as you.

Wanted to, you don't want to get too low on it. And then you just have to keep going and keep going. By a good friend, Elijah Moore says, you only lose if you quit. So that's that's the only thing like that that always sticks with me, Like even when I'm going through a hard time, so you just gotta get through it.

Yeah, I like that. I love my man. That's my guy.

Give us a quick word on meeting Aaron Rodgers. You talk about being starstruck. What was it like when Aaron Rodgers joined the Jets.

Yeah, I couldn't well, I thought it was propaganda news when we signed him, because I couldn't believe we got them, you know what I mean. They talking about Derek Carr, Matt Stafford, we might sign whoever we actually got. We actually got the the goat, you know. Like growing up, I was a huge Aaron fan. Like that wasnt starstruck. I was nervous because I wanted to go well, because I wanted my quarterback to.

Like me, you know what I mean.

Yeah, that's always a good thing, you.

Know, because you know your quarterback is fond of you. You will find you, He'll find you, and then everybody wins. So it was such a cool It was cool, and he was like, he's such a good teammate and people, you know, people may say he gets a bad rap for this and for that, and sometimes I was telling I was saying earlier that he's very misunderstood, but also he's kind of hard to understand. So but I mean, I think we're all going through our daily our daily

Teammate, one of the best teamates I've ever had.

Actually, well, you guys already played the Jets and Aaron Rodgers the In fact, it was Max Melton told us in this show when Aaron Rodgers came running too the Cardinals sideline, he.

Was a starstruck.

That was a little bit of a welcome to the NFL moment. But here's Marvin Arrison Junior just on the Rams. So you're gonna play next in their improvement since the first time you played.

Them, I think early on, like a lot of teams, kind of trying to find your identity. So you're kind of doing a bunch of different things, trying to stare out what works, what doesn't work. Nanny kind of slidify and this is what we do really well, this is how we're trying to attack teams. Then, as I learned throughout the year as a division team, things are always a little different, and you kind of played division opponent, So I think that's.

Probably the biggest difference. They slidfy what they really want to do.

You know, they're one of the four teams that are actually younger than the Arizona Cardinals. They have a defense, I got a really young defense.

Man. Tell me what you see on tape when you watch the Rams defense, I am. I am mesmerized with how many guys they have that are year three and under that are really playing well.

Yeah.

I think they said in one of our meetings that they played like fifteen rookies.

Wow. Wow, that's a lot. That's probably like record setting and stuff. So Verse Jared, I met Jared at the casino actually.

Jared, Yeah, Well he's friends with Trey Benson.

Yeah, right, so I'm supposed to link up with Tray in Miami and he's supposed to come train me. He leaves when I get there, and then I'm just left with Jared Verse, you know what I mean.

Like so, but but I met him. He's a great guy. Uh, he's a heck of a player.

I don't know if it's the kid inside, but my mom happens to be a Florida State fan, so.

I know a little bit about Florida State.

So he's a he was a great player and all along with trade, you know you can Novale can think the portal for those guys.

So no doubt.

Well here's your offensive coordinator, Drew Petsyen on what he sees from the Rams defense.

That front has. I mean, they had two first round rookies that are obviously playing at a really high level and have only gotten better as the season's gone on. They've gotten healthy. I think, like a lot of teams that make a late season push, I think they've kind of locked in on what they do well and how to protect it. So you certainly see that. But I think the effort and the energy really stands out with that front group as it did the first time we

Then they have Kobe Turner, they have Byron Young though they were rookies last year, a year or two, those guys are really let me ask you just about the dynamic though of beating a team forty one to ten in week two. Now you turn around, you play them again, But it almost seems like last season that was so long ago. So I mean, how does that play into anything?

Yeah.

I think when you're playing a team twice a year that you're always seeing and the rollovers.

Kind of like minimal. You know, you're kind of seeing the same guys.

You get familiar with your opponents and there's only so much you can do to try to trick somebody.

Mm hmm.

So it's just about lining up and being more physical and running faster and trying to get a mental edge through the weekend things like that. Obviously they are different, They're gonna be a different team than when you play them, and what we you played them in week two? Yeah, put them too, But and you know, I don't think they had either one of the receivers playing on offense, so it's kind of it's gonna be easier to stop a team when you know they're missing that many guys

Trueball.

And then that that's funny because it's like, you know, they try to take the run out of out of the game and the passwords league, and it's to be that it's always going to be run for his league with elite quarterbacks e lage quarterback play will get you over the hump.

But I made the mistake of asking your head coach a question on his TV show this week. I said, coach, how often have you ever lost the line of scrimmage and won the game? And he looked at me like that's got to be the dumbest question ever. I said, next, so just like right now, we'll come back here, we'll

It's just this season to knock somebody into the new year feeling pretty merry and jolly right now.

Although it's fun to say fa la la la la la la la la.

I can guarantee it's a whole lot more fun to deck the halls with balls of bloody hopefully.

Clause is that what.

You called me?

One minute?

You know, your brave heart storming the battlefield on your white stage, and you know the next thing, you know, one helmet later, your little Jack horner and you're eating a Christmas pot.

And I think on that last play Jamie Martin was.

Eating some Christmas pot.

They're gonna feel like they ate a four pound holiday cheese.

B This is like nightmare before Christmas.

He went north and got lit up like Rudolph on a power line lit up big time like.

Scrooge on a high ball.

God bless us everyone.

So that montage there, Michael, is a titled Christmas Wolflysm's okay, that's Ron Wolfley in the booth one of your games right there. In fact, Wolf, was that the year you actually wore the Santa suit into the booth?

Was that the year it wasn't? And by the way, Paul loaded my sleigh, thank you.

He doesn't. He doesn't, let you know. Wolf for a lot of years until he lost weight. Recently made a lot of good money during the holidays. He was a backup malsanna. All right, how's it been going in the locker room? With a gift giving? You know, back in the day some of the all time you know, quarterback gifts for the old line. Carson Palmer once got the O line like these, uh these automatic bows and arrows,

Yeah, it's been good. Uh.

Color actually got everybody, uh well not everybody, but all the office of Linemen. Uh, go yard, go yard satchels. So those are expensive bags for anybody that knows what those are. But everybody else has been doing great with a gift given. We actually haven't done it yet, but you know, we're late, you know, the running back room. We're late, but we are planning to do it. The problem is Trey Benson didn't get us a tree for

You know, young guy, You know, young guy, he'll learn. He learns life is by learning.

Well, you were gonna find him or something like that. I mean, you know, I don't know that happened.

Is a thing in the past. We don't do that, Okay.

Is that hazing? Though? I mean, is that is that hazing? Isn't it just treating a rookie the way he deserves to be treated?

You know, that's the way I see. That's yeah.

But last year I vividly remember last year Starling Thomas rookie got a treat for the room and they said, no, no, no, we need a real tree, not the fig tree, and they sent him out to go get a real tree.

That's that's hazing.

Okay.

But but uh, and everybody, I mean everybody else got each other, you know, great gifts.

The dbs. I just spend the most money.

So Buddhas said. Buddhas said that Rabbit they did. They did like a secret senate and rabbit got someone a sauna, got someone a sauna. Okay, Rabbit, come on, man, that's what Buddha said. He said everyone had gift envy at that moment.

Must be the n Il money.

All right, oh all right, well Michael, we really enjoyed it. Wolf finds you to introduce him Aaron Rodgers by the way, so you know, trying to deflect that a little bit.

Yeah, thank you, Michael, appreciate you.

Special thanks as always, Shamama, Hunter, Cody Fincher, Wald Ellis, Lawrence Ellis, Matt Lazarus, Ron Wolfley On, Paul Calvc, Michael Carter, everyone, Cardinals running Back our guest on The Big Red Rage. Cardinals heading out to l A, trying to make it a season sweep of the Rams.

Sweet where the.

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