Big Red Rage - Larry Fitzgerald Joins 600th Show

to you by satan Ford in Gilbert. Are you Santanford State Farm talk to an agent today at eight hundred State Farm, And by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts Visit acy Cardinals dot Com, Slash Podcasts, The Red sne rising Ud, Temperaturizing Vision, Flurring Rage, take you over. Here's Paul Calveci. I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. I'm telling you I'm ready. And Ron Wolflee, it doesn't get any better than that. Unleash the Far. It's certainly early, but I'm thinking I'm

projecting that the original Thursday Night Football here. We should fit right into this brand new Jonathan Gannon culture Ron Wolfley, because like JG said today, there's gonna be a lot of quote back and forth between coaches and following up saying hey, quote in this building, we're going to challenge each other than Quo. And that's exactly what we've been doing around here for over two decades. I mean, think

about that if you've been scorn at home. This is season number twenty two and wait for it, show number six hundred in the History of the Big Red Rage, presented by santan Ford and Gilbert we are santan Ford. That's something else. Pay right there. And this is actually the child metaphorically speaking of Jim Almahundro. Is it not

Big Red Rage? Is this his baby? And and we have to credit him for the big get on the Big Red Rage because guests who Tonight's very special guest is this same guest we had for show number four hundred, Go for it, Wolf present our special guest tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we give you Larry Fitzgerald. And I'm also known as the Japanese Fighting Fish. Paul. No, absolutely not.

Let's leave that out when we talk to Larry next segment. Okay, so Larry's on deck, can't wake got a lot of stuff to talk about, just Larry being Larry and winning a life as everyone likes to say. And then what he sees in the Arizona Cardinals going forward? What needs to happen. Of course, he's been part of that ESPN Monday Night Football crew. So okay, we'll get all his thoughts, but right now, give me your thoughts just on what

you've seen so far of the Jonathan Gannon era. And it's not so much what you see, it's almost palpable. It's what you feel. Is it not just the ultra high energy that looks to be more the norm than the exception. Yeah, first of all, Paul, I'm gonna have to get used to going with JG. I mean, you know what I mean. I mean, you're you're, you're down to the initials. I just Jonathan Gannon. I don't know if I can go JG. Just ye had Paully having said that, Um, this is a young staff that is

being put together right now. I don't know. There's there's a couple of guys. Well, I do know, as a matter of fact, at least from the coordinators, there are two of their coordinating coordinators that are under forty years old.

In that Polly, I don't know if that sets a record and the National Football League, I don't know where else that's been the case where you got a thirty five year old and Drew pet Sing and then you've got Nick rawlis at twenty nine years of age, and the only thing that offsets it a little bit is Jeff Rogers coming back as you're special team coordinator. This is a young staff that has been put together, Paully, Jeff Rogers, a venerable forty four years of age. Right, Yes,

at this point, think about that. Yeah, Nick row is the NFL's youngest coordinator, the defensive coordinator the Arizona Cardinals. He was introduced yesterday. We'll hear from him a little bit later. We'll get into that. True Petson was introduced today. We'll talk all about the Cardinals offense a little bit later. We'll hear from the new OC along with the head coach who was alongside for both of those press conferences. Yesterday,

Wolf we heard from the owner of Michael Bidwell. He was on the Dave Pass podcast and we learned a lot, a lot of really good insight. Highly recommend dialing up the Dave Pass podcast. And here the owner of Michael Bidwell, who, as Dave said, the busiest man in sports over the last month or so, hosting the Super Bowl, filling the GMA head coach spots in fact, speaking to the GM. Here's Michael on his conversations with Mannie Asenford about this

Cardinals roster number one. We spent a lot of time talking about Kyler and what type of offense we should be running, and how to protect him, and where we should be spending our money. We've got a lot of money tied up in a couple of different positions, and so I think you're gonna see that change. We're gonna I think you're gonna see us beefing up the offensive line, the defensive line. We've got to get help at corner.

We've got to get them just more protection for Kyler, and then we've got to be able to rush the passers, especially in the NFC West. So and well, you've talked about it at length. We talked about it all last season. You got to win to the line of scrimmage before you can win on the scoreboard. And it looks like

the Cardinals and the new decision makers have identified as much. Yeah, Polly, you know, my first thought here is, of course they've talked about the offense, the type of offense that Kyler Murray's got to be in. You know, how I feel about this. Polly been talking about it for years now, but I'd love to see Kyler Murray more under center. And that is something that Jonathan Gannon already has talked about. I'm sure. I'm sure Drew Petsingh did not like that.

It did not like them out there actually talking about it, because why would you talk about it at all? You don't ever want to let the opponent know what it is that you're thinking. Yet at the same time, I think it's it's important that you manage expectations. And it's not only the expectations I think of your coaching staff, it's also more importantly of your players. And that's what

I liked about JG. I like the fact he did come out and say we're going to put him under center more and you know it's going to be shotgun of course, and under center. I think you need that. Paul. I think you need to blend the old and the new, and that's why I was glad to hear Michael actually talk about the fact they talked a long time with Mannie Asenford about what kind of offense he needed to

be in. Look, the reality is, you can't put Kyler under center, basically any less than what they've done, right, So I don't know how we're revealing it really is. When the stat I saw on ESPN today was that on six of four hundred and thirty seven dropbacks last year, Kyler was under center. Think about that. So it was the lowest percentage in the NFL. What's intriguing is the second lowest percentage of being under center as a quarterback

on dropbacks was Jalen Hurts. So yes, we'll see what that means exactly, because Jonathan Gannon has said that is a very specific idea in mind of how he wants to play offense. So he will be involved with Drew pet seen in the construction and the calling of this offense, the philosophy as for Kyler, who's Michael Bidwell in the Day Pash podcast just on Kyler's return. You know, I think it's gonna be earlier than you know this mid season,

so hopefully it's towards the beginning of the season. But you know, I don't want to put any specific dates because there could be setbacks, there could be the progress could slow. But I think right now, I mean, he's a young man. It looks like he's a fast healer. Things are going well. Let's hope that keeps going the way it is and then that there are no setbacks. Yeah, no timetable. In fact, Jonathan Gannon said as much again today. But I think both are bullish optimistic that it doesn't

have to be mid season. It could be earlier, It could be towards the beginning of the season just as easily. Yeah, Pauli, you know, once again, I like to use a nine more when you're talking about an ACL I like to use a nine month window right there, that's right in the middle. There are guys where it does take longer than nine months, Paulie. There are guys that does take shorter. They recover quicker and they're out there before that nine

month mark in terms of rehab. But using that right there would put him when he did it, right in the middle of September for the most part. And you know, I think that's a good place to start. Now. It could be sooner, it could be later, But I think you've got to manage expectations to some degree on this. And yet the mid season stuff that I agree with Michael on that, I think that's really being pessimistic. Well, and everyone's different obviously, and also he had some meniscus damage,

so how does that factor in. That's an unknown. But when Jonathan Gannon tells the story of leaving the building the other day at nine o'clock at night and there's a really nice car park to his and he did a one eighty when back into the building and was Kyler Murray still rehabbing nine o'clock at night. So from all accounts, he's really attacked this process, and I think that's why there's definitely some optimism. And then when they

get back to playing offense. You heard what Jonathan Gannon or may have seen the quotes to Peter King, and he said, among other things, quote this offense will look much different. And we got maybe a little bit more in terms of elaborating on how and where. When Michael Bidwell was talking about just making things easier for Kyler, well, I think what we're gonna do is try to take

some of the pressure off of him. The way the offense was before, he had a choice on almost every play we ran, and so we were making him think too much and we were making him put too much pressure on him. And what we need him to do is to play faster and to play with that confidence that will come with Okay, I don't have to get every first down. I can hand the ball off. I know they're going to put him under center quite a bit and that's going to take some of the pressure off.

By the way, we're going to see some of these conversations here, these four ourselves. We're gonna see Kyler behind the scenes rehabbing tonight. Cardinals Flight Plan the debut episode twenty twenty three, seven o'clock tonight. You catch it live right after the Big Red Rage, or on demand later via YouTube dot com slash as Cardinals Cardinals flight Plan the Emmy Award winning But based on what Michael said right there, I mean wolf translate, what are you expecting?

Oh my goodness, I love what he said right at the end, Polly about the under center a little bit more and take the pressure off of Kyler Murray. That's exactly what you do when you put you when you put that quarterback under center. Man, here it goes. Snap the ball and guess what, Polly, you run to that mesh point. You run to that mesh point with James Connor, and you hand the ball off to James Connor. You hand the ball off to the running back, and you

let the running back attack the line of scrimmage. You let him do what he does. You let that offensive line eat. You let them come off the ball with a dark heart and a painted face and try to drive somebody into the ground. When you run the ball with a quarterback under center, you're taking the pressure off him.

Because now also too, when you run bootlegs off that which you know, okay, you're going to fake the handoff and now you're going to bootleg, you're going to roll out to the strong side, or a waggle is rolling out to the weak side, whatever way it is. There's an immediate read on that. So much of the time, if the guy in the flat is open, put it on him, dump it on him right now. It's there. There is no decision. It's like one simple decision, you know.

And I think that's something that they want to do. They want to take the pressure off of Kyler Murray by putting him under center more and I oversimplified all of that, Paul, But I can just tell you right now, I know what Michael is saying, and I believe it's going to work in terms of alleviating a lot of the stress on Kyler Murray. There was a Browns beat writer.

I don't know if he's on with you, but it's on ninety eight seven FM Arizona Sports, just talking about how he fully expects Drew pet seem to really special. Lies in the bootleg a lot of play action moving the pocket, so it's intriguing. It's definitely intriguing how the Cardinals are gonna use Kyler Murray. And you can catch all of Michael's comments. And I highly recommend the pash Pod wherever you get your podcasts. It just dropped the owner with Dave pash up. Next, how about the legend

Larry Fitzgerald. We talk all thing Cardinals and the future with fitz Next on the Big Red Rage with the third Choice and then two thousand four NFL Draft the Arizona Cardinals. Just like Larry Fitzgerald wide receiver, University of Fitzgerald's wandered to pass with time, fires over the middle of the fits caught in the forty five five day fitzst thirty good Bye five Cardinals Land put down Larry Fitzgerald. You gotta meet hid a sixty four yard touchdown passed

by Warner to Fitzgerald and the Cardinals lead. Super Bowl forty three. Palmer setting up, He's in trouble. He's hit, gets out of there and rolls right, throws back to the left, fits us White open one of the thirty five bow. He's there. He's at the forty at the fifty, turns up field in the forty five ten the forty thirty five stiffis thirty twenty five twenty fitch to the near side, ten to the five and tackled there staffed

the Palmer rolls off pit. It's a pitch the fitz Triennis Rady ahead, hit of the ends, out of the shovel fast, but a touchdown of the windows. But Cardinals at dance to the NFC Championship game on a shovel pass, of all things, and one of the craziest games ever. Still love the no look stiff arm love it. Show number six hundred Wolf you gotta go big or go home?

And uh yes, that's foreshadowing right there. Yes. He was also our guest for show number four hundred and if memory serves, that was the show on site on location where he gave away one of tim Hovick's cars, unbeknownst to Tim Hovec, who was having a beer and then realized he was giving away one of his cars up on stage. Yea. In fact, most recently you might have seen our special guest tonight as the frontman of the Super Bowl Host Committee, Wolf Big Title, Executive Chair of

the Super Bowl Host Committee ESPN Monday Night Football. We've seen him there always got a podcast with Tom Brady by the way right and a multi sport athlete these days, golf, chess, pickle ball, and he played a little football along the way. Yes, we're introducing Larry Fitzgerald here on the Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert Larry, how is you? I'm doing great, man. I hope Tim is listening so we can make sure we'll be giving another car away.

And for some reason, I'm going back to my text message. I don't see the text for show, but I'm glad I could be back foots man. It's so good to hear you. How's everybody doing. Everybody doing okay, everybody's great. Then Devin got a lacrosse game later, so you know, just doing the daddy duty, you know, how it is what kind of parent are you on the sidelines, Larry, Come on, be honest. Now, Wolf Wolf has to control

himself on those flag football sidelines, how about you. No, I try to keep a little profile and trying not to make it about myself. Man, it's I just want to support them. I don't want to put any pressure on them and just you know, just make sure they're having a good time. That's most important, and staying healthy. But I don't get too involved. I try to ask me a question, and Devin asked me a question, I'll answer it, but I don't try to interject too often.

So fits to you. It is your first year in broadcasting. Are you enjoying it? My brother, Yeah, it was a lot of fun this year. I enjoyed you know. They asked me initially to do a little bit more, but I wanted to take a little bit more, you know, scarce approach, to make sure there's something I really enjoy it, and I did. I enjoyed the camaraderie, not only in studio, but you know, being um you know, they're alive for

the games and Monday night was really cool. And it'll be able to be that close to the games and be able to interact with, you know, Steve Young's and RG threes and Booker McFarlane, some very knowledgeable guys that I got. I learned a great deal from anything. Surprise you about the broadcasting business now that you're in front of the camera and you see what's going on behind the scenes, surprise me. Um, anything you learn, maybe you're like, okay,

I didn't quite realize that. Now you can really differentiate yourself, you know, if you put in the work and do the homework in terms of studying right. Um. I think a lot of guys, you know, when they play the game, they think like, what if you can attest to this, you know, you think that you can just walk off the field and do the media at a high level by just just because you played. But that's not that's

not realistic. There's a reason that there's people out there been doing this for twenty five and thirty years at the highest level is because they have a look commitment and dedication that makes them special. And you have to take that same level of dedication that you took when you were you know, a professional athlete and take that same motivation to broadcasting or to whatever media platform you're you're going to be in and you know, there's no shortcuts.

If you want to be good, you got to put the work in like anything else in life. What was the hardest part about that, Larry specifically, what was the hardest part about broadcasting? Uh? You know, I mean, like you guys are on radio, right, so you get a chance to be on air, um, you know, regularly, and you have a lot of time that you have to feel Like on TV, you know, you literally have you know, four or five segments, so you don't have a whole lot of things you can talk about. You just have

to high level thoughts. You know that that the audience can really understand and relate to it. I can't go out there and talk X and os and you know, depths on certain routes and this coveras because most of people are listening don't have any idea what I'm talking about.

So billing condensed down to make you know, valid points that are facts, will you know, utilizing you know, the relationships that you have around the league with coaches and players, etc. To be able to have and also using analytics to be able to tie those all in to make you know very tight you know, valid points. You know that the audience can resonate with Yes. Larry Fitzgerald is our guest here on The Big Red Rage presented by Santan

Ford and Gilbert. By the Way, if You're Scoring at Home is thirteenth all time appearance on The Big Red Rage going back to OH four. Cardinals have a brand new head coach, Jonathan Gannon. He's talking about accountability, something Michael Bidwell's cited in the offseason as what's needed in this rebuild, trying to establish a culture. What's a common trait in your experience and having an effective culture? Larry, And what do you think is part of that accountability?

Where does it start? What does it look like? Well, I mean you look around the league and you look at the best teams, right, you know, accountability is something that I hear a lot of people talk about, but it has to be something that the players, because the

players police a locker. You know, when I got to Arizona, you know, our record wasn't wasn't great, but you know, the way Emma Smith went about his business, the way Adrian Wilson went about their business, it was something that I could look to and say, look, these guys are doing it at a high level, not only professionally on the football field, but they're doing as a high level

as men and individuals and leaders. And so you have to develop that leadership, like like the players that you draft, the free agent that you bring in have to embody a lot of those characteristics because then then the coach doesn't have to talk about why you like to practice that the energy and practice needs to pick up, like those things not even happened to be addressed. You know, I look back to when Kurt came and you know how he really shifted, you know, how things were going. Um,

you know, I thought I was practicing hard up. I thought I was putting in the work. But no, Kurt said, Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt or doing it at this level. And if you want to be at that level, these are the things that you're gonna have to do. And so it's a trickle down effect. And I don't know it's necessary. I don't know if it's always on the coaches to bring those type of things. It really comes down to the players. And I think about the great

leadership they have in that locker room. You know, Bude Baker, if you have fifty three Bude Bankers. You would never lose a football game ever because the guy is build but he has made of all the greatest things that you can ever have and a football player. I mean, the work ethic, you know, all the intangibles, the intelligence, willing to play through injuries for his brothers. I mean,

all of these things are our model. Like you could you could build a model with that guy, right, So, you can't tell me that that there's not wonderful leadership in that in that locker room, Yeah, Larry, you know Jonathan Gannon was talking to Peter King about using Kyler Murray under center a lot more right now. Your thoughts on that, Larry, how do you think that might help

Kyler Murray? And and theory you would like him to be able to do it because, um, you know, it opens us some things that weren't possible, you know, in previous years. But it's something that he's had to work on. I mean, I can't even tell you, you know, just looking back in college this wally last time he's actually taking a snap under center. You know, Um, that's not

something that you just you know, get right into. Mean, you need you need lots of practice with the center that you have a great rapport with, so that that's gonna take time. What's this ceiling? You saw Jalen Hurts, you know, take a hugely forward second team All Pro this year. How much more potentially than Kyler has in this offense has well? I mean you look the Eagles, I mean they're just they're a really well solid built teams. Lan Hurst did not have to go out and win

every single game. Um. You know those games of the Philadelphia Eagles rush for three hundred and fifty yards, There's games that they threw for over three hundred and fifty yards. There's there's games where they had you know, double digit sacks where the defense you know, really was dominant. Now they could beat you in a play for a different ways. Um. I think Kyler has to play or had to play at a much higher level. Um, you know than Jalen

Is has had to. And you know, to explain it, like, there's more that's required a Kyler for the Cardinals to win than there is for Jalen for the Equals to win. Um, you know, just because of how the team is built, fact that Jonathan Gannon is a defensive minded head coach. Now, I don't think there's a problem with with having that, um,

you know, badest things. It's important to be able to have somebody that can communicate UM effectively, what the expectations are offensively, because you know, often when you have a defensive coach, they they spend you know, the lion's share of their time with the defense, and when you hired offensive staff, usually they spend the lion's share of their

time focus on the offense. And I think that, you know, to to really develop, you know, a young team like the Cardinals are, um, you know, you have to be all hands on, and you know, I just hope that he really, you know, can surround Kyler with the things he needs, you know, so he can so he can be effective. Do you remember Ba's first training camp. Early in camp, he yelled at you in front of everyone.

When you look back at that, do you think that was by design that he said, you know what, if I'm holding the superstar layer for his should accountable, then everyone's gonna have to fall in line. Yeah. I had no problem being coached like whatsoever. Like in you know, I think the best I ever was is when I had guys who were really really hard on me. I mean Todd Haley. I mean he was, he was, He was miserable to be around. Mostly he was the bad cause I'm not saying that as in a negative way.

But he knew what I needed to take me to the level that I was trying to go to. And often players don't know what you need. Um. You know, when you're really good and you've had success in every single level, you don't always have an understanding of what you really need to take yourself to that to that next level. Right. Um. And you know Todd was able to extract, you know, every ounce of that out of me,

and it was by any means necessary. I didn't necessarily like the way he did it, but he brought the best out of me. And like, you know, you need to find that out from your players, like what can they take? What can they tolerate? Before you know, they become despondent and unwilling to learn and participate any longer. Right, And everybody has a different leash, right, Um, you know I could. It didn't matter what you said to me,

as long as it wasn't like a personal thing. You know, you said, I was playing like crap and I need to be better, like I had no problem with that, And I had no problem with it being done loud, because if because everybody can see the tape, if I'm not making the plays that you expect me to make, that's not like you're telling me something that everybody else in his locker room, everybody else in the world can't see. You're not getting open and you're not making the play.

It's not it's just not personal. This is just business, right, UM. And I think you know, guys need to be you know, held accountable. You need to be talked to, UM and held to a high standard. You know, Larry, you were involved obviously in the Super Bowl host committee. UM, what did you do and did you enjoy that? I love UM And I think Michael Bill will for you know,

connecting me and getting getting me involved in it. You know, I remember the call, you know, a year and a half ago when he called me and asked me, Um, you know that the host committee was considering offering me a position, and I kind of asked him what it what it would entail. He gave me a you know, a lengthy explanation of what exactly will happen and how how it will go, and it went exactly the way he explained it to me, I was really really privileged

to be a part of it. You know. I told a story and an introduction press conference, you know, when the Super Bowl kicked off on Monday, about how when you're a player playing any game, you have no idea about how any of these things are happening. You get off the plane and the buses are they're waiting for you. You're not telling the bus where to go. They know exactly where to go and drop you off at a designated location. The room keys, they're sitting there waiting for you.

When you get off the bus, you go up to your room, the bags are waiting. They come up in a few a few minutes after that, Like you really don't have to think about any of those things. But now being a part of such big how the Sasage was made, Like there's a lot of planning and meticulous detail that goes into that, you know, in terms of the money that's raised to go to all these wonderful

causes and charities around in the city. You know, to make sure that the financial impact is not just the one weak financial impact, that it has a trickle down effect to a lot of the wonderful things that you're joining those communities and the planning that goes behind that. And so it was great to be able to see that, to be able to meet some some prominent business associates and see how you know government, you know from every level to corporate America, I can work together to create

such a magnificent event. Last question for Larry Fitzgerald. He might be busier now than he was as a player. Part of it is you're a part owner and a pickle ball team. Well, what intrigues you about pickle ball and what sort of future do you see for the sport? Well, I see, I see a really big future for it. It's the fastest growing sport in the game. It's one of the few games that I've ever seen and played that you can in ten minutes, you know, four people

start playing they've never played it before. You explained the rules, the dudes and the don'ts, and in ten minutes those four players could be having a great time. If I told you I handed you a golf club, I said, I want you to be able to hit this golf club straight, and I want you to be able to hit to draw tomorrow and a cut the next day. It would take that person seven eight months of hitting

balls every single day. You know, if I gave you a tennis racket and say, look, I want you to be able to have an effective serve, it would take you a year a practice for you to be able to go out there and have a serve that you can win with. You know, those games are really hard to pick up and adopt. You know, pick a ball is very different from that. And also, my six year old son can play, and so and so can ninety

ninety year old grandmas. They can have fun. You know, it's not many games where you can see that they can span that um that larger of an age gap. So I think it's a really really great game, wonderful way for people to get together and and be a part of the community. And I think there's a there's a lot of out of where the game can continue to grow. Know fits a from what I hear, Pitt's

pickleball team sucks, butterball is that true. I'm I'm there that that Pity even has a pickleball team, but I'm pretty I'm pretty sure if they do, it would be wester Larry. We know you got stuff to do. You gotta pick up Devin Man. We thank you seriously, thank you for the time. Appreciate it us. I was good to hang with you guys. And congratulations on six hundred and I hope for another six hundred. Absolutely appreciate it. And we're gonna blame five hundred on COVID or Wolf

one of the others. So thanks, Larry. I know, I know is West Virginia roots. I understand a buffalo alert. Thank you. There you go, Larry Fitzgerald, who retired without ever using the word retirement. It's it was a masterful plan. There's no doubt about it. We'll be back with more of the big Red rage right after this. The vision of how I want to play defense and how I want defensive players to act and the coaches to serve the players. He had that vision. He shared that vision

with me. Very high capacity, very high character, which were those were the two most important part of pieces for me hiring coaches. And he has those and complete faith in Nick to run the defense, and he will run the defense. Jonathan Gannon confirming, Then Nick Rowlis will call the defense. So the Cardinals new head coach will be a CEO overseeing the defense. And the offense, but he will not be the play caller on defense like he

was with the Eagles. In fact, you're talking about the Eagles linebackers coach Nick Rowlis, who is now on board at age twenty nine, the NFL's youngest coordinator in the league. It is the Big Red Rage presented by satan Ford and Gilbert. We are Satan Ford, Paul kelbc, Ron Wolfley's special thanks to Larry Fitzgerald, the Legend for joining us in the last segment and hitting all things Arizona Cardinals and look, it's a young staff. Wolf I don't know, you know to what degree you view that as a

concern at all. It was brought up during the press conference and it was a question posed right to Nick Rowlis and his answer was exactly what Jonathan Gannon has told him over the years, and they almost recited it together and wrote fashion when they said, and I'm quoting, experience is not synonymous with knowledge. In other words, capability, not birth certificate. Just can you do the job? And to what level? And Jonathan Gann it feels like he's

identified a lot of high performers. Yeah, you know what, Polly, I love that attitude I really do, because it chose an awful lot of confidence in yourself. And I'm not disagreeing with anything that he implied or he said there, Polly, but I will tell you right now, the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Going out and getting it done on the field. That's the only way to do it. And you know what I love, Paul. I love this because the NFL, as you know, I've said

this many times, PAULI, it's a meritocracy, man. It's the ultimate of meritocracy. It really is. You got to prove yourself. I don't care if you're a holder on extra point field goal ball. You've got to prove yourself that you can actually catch that ball, put that ball down, and hold that thing perfectly for the kicker so he can kick the ball through. I don't care what position you're playing. I don't care if you're a coach, a player, a trainer, I don't care what it is. If you don't know

what you're doing, you will be exposed. You will if you do, you will be glorified. There's no doubt about that. And it's a prove it league, Paul, through and through. And what I love about this is. Nick Rawllis knows that better than anybody else. JG knows it better than anybody else. Drew Petzing knows it better than anybody else. It is a meritocracy that wouldn't have it any other way. Let me prove to you what it is that I know well. Nick Rowlis had interests from the Broncos before

he took the Cardinals job. In fact, you might have seen the Broncos today made it official advance. Joseph is a defensive coordinator to the former head coach of Denver and former Cardinals defensive coordinator. Obviously, Philly had interest in retaining Nick Rowlis after Jonathan Gannon came to the Cardinals. But there he is. He's on the Cardinals staff. He's

running the defense. And he was asked about keys defining success as a DC being adaptable and more specifically, be adaptable to the players that you have right, being able to utilize our guys skill sets that puts them in the best position to win games. Ultimately, what do we have to do on a week tweek basis to beat the opponent? And there's a whole other component of it's as far as serving the players right and that's everybody in the organization doing what their job is in order

to truly maximize the players ability and potential. Your reaction to that, Wolf and Paul, I'm loving this when I'm hearing from Jonathan Gannon, of course, and from Nick Rawlis. I love this approach right here. They're not being ideologues, Paul. They're not being dogmatic. They're not saying there's only one way to skin a cat. There is not just one way to skin a cat metaphorically speaking, of course, there

are many ways you can actually do this. I love the fact that they're not saying there is only one way to do it, and I happen to know how to do it. They're using the adaptable word, Paul. We're going to be adaptable offensively and defensively, and in transition, we are going to adapt. I love that approach. And you know what, there's a reason, I think and you're

onto it. There's a reason. That was the first word he listed in his opening press conference, Jonathan Gannon, when he was asked about the four pillars of his coaching philosophy, he said adaptable, violent, explosive, and smart in that order, and he went on to elaborate later that if you are of the mindset that there's one way and it's your way or the highway, you're d o way. You're dead in the water because you are predictable and you

better be able to evolve. And let's face it, especially in twenty twenty one wolf after the seven and oh ten and two start, how many times in December and January did we say about the Arizona Cardinals they needed to adjust to the adjustment A season is a constant evolution, and I think we can look at that and cite that as one of the culprits of the fact that Cardinals have lost eighteen to the last twenty three and why there was a house cleaning after this campaign. Yeah, no,

you're right on that, Paula. You really are. One of the other things I want to say quickly about the Nick Rowllis presser. In one answer, Paul, he used the V word violence three times in one answer. He reference that in Paula, you know, we all know we're talking about the white lines, the paradigm of the football field and being out on a football field and dog gone at Paul. One of the great things about the game of football is you can actually be violent in between

those white lines. And then Paul, you walk outside those white lines, you love people, respect him, and treat him better than yourself. It doesn't get any better. It's a grown man, I'm telling you. And they're using that word, and not only Jag using that word, but Nick rawleis his defensive coordinator, is twenty nine years old. He's using that word. Why because they're gonna demand you play that way, Paul.

That's something Rallis even pointed out. He said, we're going to demand that they play violently out on the field, with a lot of explosiveness. I'm paraphrasing him, but that's what he said, Paul, And that, to me, that's how you play the game of football. I'm sorry, let's playoff football personified. The most physical team typically wins. It's the NFC West against the Aaron Donalds and Nick Mosas and now you got to try and tackle a Kenneth Walker

in Seattle. So it's all that, and it's all wrapped in this energy that is palpable when you're around this coaching staff. In fact, the new DC Nick Rowlis was asked just about the energy that comes with Jonathan Gannon and company. Being energetic is not the same things as being emotional. You know, one thing that I always strive to be and that I expect from my staff defensively is to be highly emotionally intelligent and to be the

same person every single day. And I kind of refer to it often as emotional intelligence of ultimately being in a state of mind where you are optimal to solve problems. And that is not the same thing as being energetic. I think you have to have both. Wolf. Here's a little anecdote for you. In the one week the Jonathan Gannon has been head coach, just walking around the Dignity Health Training Center of the Cardinals headquarters. You can hear him.

You can hear him from the other side of the building. You can hear the enthusiasm. When you came into the press conference yesterday to introduced Rowlis. We had our backs to the door and all of a sudden, all you hear Wolf. It's like, guys, okay, all right, let's go here we are and everyone turns around the media and there's the head coach and he's talking about how the meetings are gonna be very interactive, that he doesn't want

guys regurgitating. He's gonna be calling on guys and he wants input in feedback, and so it's you know, when he says buckle up, he means it, and I think you'll get a sense of that Tonight on Cardinal's Flight Plan, You're gonna be on that plane flight from Philadelphia to the az with Jonathan Gannon and his family. You're gonna be with Michael Bidwell. A Day in the Life at

debuts tonight at seven, the Emmy Award winning series. Catch it live on the Cardinals YouTube channel that's YouTube dot com, slash as Cardinals, or on demand thereafter. As Cardinal's Flight Plan debuts, We'll talk offense with a brand new offensive coordinator next on The Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert. I structured everybody that interviewed around Kyler. The questions I was asking about philosophically, how we're going

to play on offense. What I think is really hard for defenses moving forward into twenty twenty three and beyond, a lot of those had to do with Kyler. In my opinion, that's the number one of the number one jobs of the offensive coordinator is to maximize the skill set of the quarterback and the other positions as well, but we know that's the position that makes it go. So that was very centric around all the interviews, and

I liked his answer. That is Jonathan again and hours ago during the introductory press conference their new offensive coordinator, Drew Petsn just done Kyler Murray being the focal point of those offensive coordinator interviews and that's usually where it

began and ended. And well, it's a good example as this show is so what you like to talk about blending the new and the old, right, the traditional and the innovative, because here on this episode of The Big Red Rage, it is show number six hundred, thinking about that right, going back more than two decades, and we're introducing a brand new coaching staff and hearing for the

first time from the new coordinators. So in that way, we're sort of blending the new and the old here on The Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. Where earlier we heard from Larry Fitzgerald, Larry Legend himself and now look Larry played with Kyler. We heard some of the comments about Kyler, and I think everyone agrees there's still a lot of upside, wouldn't you say, Wolf that needs to be unlocked with Kyler Murray. Yeah, oh, no doubt about that, Pauli. And again I've been saying

this and I'll continue to say it. I think Kyler Murray needs to fall in love with the game of football all over again. He's got to learn the old,

if you will. He's got to learn how to play from under center, learn that package of plays that the Arizona Cardinals I think are going to have him run and master those plays, and if in fact he does, that allows himself to fall in love with the game all over again, not just what he's already experienced, not what he knows just now with a new offense, the New Age offense, but also blending it with some of the old elements that to me gets me all fired up.

And one of the one of the things that fires me up about Drew Pets and Polly just gotta say this right now. Hired as the new offensive coordinator at the age of thirty five, the Cleveland Browns quarterback coach. I love the fact that he's coming from an offense that I think blends the old and the new better

or as well is anybody that is out there. When you look at Nick Chubb and how they use Nick Chubb where they would put their quarterback under center, and they would use Nick Chubb attacking the line of scrimmage and then the bootlegs and the waggles that come off of that, and the play action that comes off of that as well. Paul, they were in two back in Cleveland. Now, that's not going to happen here, okay, but they were in two back in Cleveland twenty two percent of the time.

And rundown situation, they're typically an eleven personnel team. Fifty percent of the time, they were in eleven personnel. But this is a team, the Cleveland Browns, that blended the old and the new. And I'm really jacked up because I'm hoping Drew Petsing is definitely going to bring that here. No,

it's a great point. You're absolutely right. In fact, he was asked about Kyler Murray just whether he can still be expected to be a running quarterback, and Drew Petzing said yes, that that will continue to be a big part of Kyler's game and E quote doesn't expect that to change. So I have to be Paulie, I think there's absolutely going to be those aspects of that Brown And by the way, the Browns, by the way, we're without Deshaun Watson for two thirds of last season, which

might be real similar to where the Cardinals are. We'll see on the timetable for Kyler Murray. But he's been there and done that, missing his franchise quarterback and having to figure something else out. And you know, because Kyler's rehabbing. In fact, Drew Pets and the new OC was asked about how Kyler can just learn the offense while he's in rehab, A lot of that's going to come from the meeting rooms. Certainly, you know, expect him to still

be involved in the meetings that walk throughs. I know, it's something you know, we'll meet with him and he's you know, he puts in time to make sure that

he's ready to go. So a lot of it may be more oriented to the classroom, whether it's quizzes or watching tape or asking questions, what do you think, well, the learning curve and yeah, what kind of challenge is that going to be when he's going to be limited obviously physically, Yeah, you know, and I don't know, Paul I don't know what to say on that, because you do want to get out there and you do want

to wrap it. You want to know what that bootleg is like and what that what that seventh step drop is gonna be like. Um, I don't know. He's going to be able to see it real after real after reel on tape, he's going to be able to see it. But I don't think we're really going to know Pauli until he gets the opportunity to do it. And it's just the way that it is. It's the nature of the beast right now is he's trying to rehab. He's

got to get himself right, number one. But so much of getting yourself right physically is also about overcoming mentally. And it's also interesting to note that Colt McCoy is dealing with injury right now as well, and yeah, it will impact his offseason to a certain degree. So as if the Cardinals weren't already in the market for a quarterback, we'll see exactly what happens. A lot of people speculating already Jacoby Brissette Fright could be headed to the ac

from Cleveland. Obviously, that direct connection to Drew Petsing, and not only that, PAULI, here's a guy, if it were to be Jacoby Brissette, that you would bring in here and say, okay, you know what, just in case, we're gonna bring him in here knowing that Kyler is going to miss probably at least a few games in the beginning of the season, and Colt McCoy should be okay for that, but still you're going to bring somebody in with experience. And the Cleveland Browned offense once again, is

a blending of the old the new one. Jacobe Pursat could really help the other quarterbacks in that room absorbed this offense, Paul, especially if he knows the language right. Yeah. I don't know if Drew Petsy is going to use the Kevin Stefanski system, you know, verbatim, but that could be a real asset in that room if that guy knows. You know, for example, a Drew Stanton was brought in with Bruce arians way back in the day, why because he knew be a system and he actually taught it

to Carson Palmer. So it's a great example, Paul. Hey, once again, Cardinal's flight planned. Don't miss it. Top of the hour here moments away. You're gonna get a day in the life of Michael Bidwell, the owner during Super Bowl Week that plane flight the gain In family from Philly to the az It's YouTube dot com slash Azy Cardinals, and we would be remiss if we didn't mention that show number six hundred. The Big Red Raid show itself

is all about our executive producer Jim Almahandro. Yep, he has been the identity to the show for twenty two seasons. Show number six hundred, prop and plaudits to our own Jim o'mohundro executive producer Cody Fincher. Thank you for Ron Wolfley on Paul Calvisi's special. Thanks to Lara Fitzgerald on show number six hundred of The Big Red Rage Chaw number one kilin. You've been listening to The Big Red

Rage presented by Santanford in GUILDA. Are you Santanford State Farm Talk to an Agent today at eight hundred State Farm and by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts Visit Acy Cardinals dot Com slash Podcasts. This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals football Club