Strap on the boots and scrape up the knuckles ahead.
He got jacked.
This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert Terry's.
Gonna score touchdown Slamm to the ground by Buddha Baker Like a torpedo, he keeps flying into the back deal.
The Rage is brought to you by santan Ford and Gilbert Right on the Price, right on the corner of the sand Tan two to two Freeway.
In Valvest Want a crab by Tray McBride that was spectacular.
And by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit Azycardinals dot Com Slash podcast.
All Right, Seats, Rising Uard, jump you, Rising Vision, Flurry Rage, take it over.
Here's Paul Calvic.
I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. I'm telling you I'm ready.
And Ron Wolfley, it doesn't get any better than that.
Here we go, burg Gang, Come on now, let the twelve Syria kidding me? Can I point out off the top here? Breaking news earlier today? Wolf did you see where roughly halfway between Phoenix and Seattle? Did you see what happened? No, Paul, magnitude seven point zero earthquake.
Oh I did see that?
Sorry, Yeah, coincidence, I think not. It's a precursor to what happens when the two football teams, the two football cities on either end of those tectonic plates, when they meet on Sunday. Wolf, that is just a little indication of what is going to happen on Sunday hashtag Richter Scale.
Yeah. I like that, Paulie.
Where you're going with that one right there, especially if you're talking about the Arizona Cardinals offensive line in James Connor lining up in hammering that box and getting better and actually doing it to Seattle the way Seattle shut us down in the last game.
So anyway, that's just a precursor to what we have going here on the Bigge. Maybe a little later, Wolf, after the show, I'll tell you about how I lived through a seven point on earthquake.
Of course, Oh no, you're not gonna tell that story, gut. Actually, I do want to hear that, Paul.
It's the big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert Ron Wolf. Were there, Paul Kelby c here, But this show, the star of the show, no doubt, is the guy who rocks that in his name, Starling Thomas everywhere.
So what's up y'all?
By the way, what does it take for us to actually call you star as opposed to starling? You're You're because in the locker room, right, you mainly go by Star.
Do you know?
Star go by Star?
Man, I'm gonna starting to make him Man is in my name. I go by that every day, So I just I just wait on my sleeves.
You know.
I couldn't name sort as soon as I got to the NFL, because that's what I want to be one day.
That's what you want her to be one day.
Now. Now, obviously your parents named you that, and what's behind that.
I'm actually a fifth though, believe it or not.
So man, it was ran in the family, and I got five strong Starlings, you know, pushing me for it every day. Man, So I appreciate them to giving me the name. And I'm gonna keep rock. And you know that's really cool.
It was cool.
Generations that goes back like over one hundred years.
It has to, right, I get I can't be the one that ends it. So my son, don't get ready, his name is gonna be starting too.
That is outstanding, all right, So look, let's just start here. We like to say we're the original Thursday night football. Okay, Okay, you look up here, you see Packers Lions. For anyone who knows his story, Starling came out of UAB last year, all right, and you were picked up by the Lions originally, yep, and you got to go against him earlier this year. We'll get into that a little bit. But when you look up in there at the screen, you see guys like I'm on Ross Saint Brown, and you see some
of the receivers. I mean, those are guys you battled not too long ago in practice, right.
I did, Man, I did, And it's kind of crazy seeing those guys up there because I kind of built a relationship with him when I first came into the league, being in my first team, so the bun was kind of deep there. So I still talk to some of those guys till this day.
Man. I wish them all the luck, honestly.
Yeah, you know, I want to talk here, if it's okay, Paul. I want to talk about the last two games right now, specifically, and where you're at with these last two games, right How about you individually before we start talking about the team collectively, How about you individually over the last two weeks. These last two games were tough. They're going to leave a mark these last two games. What kind of mark is that on you?
I feel like they have came down to the last two minutes of the game, and you know, as a dB, we want to put that on our shoulders to perform in those moments and two minute drills. There was a money downs for us, and you know, we didn't get the job done in those last two weeks, but this week we're gonna get it done, and we just continued to ready to move forward.
What do you think the aftermath is in the locker room? There seems to be a little bit of an extra edge this week. Would you agree with that.
I would definitely say that.
I would definitely say that they got the one up on us, knowing that we are the better team and we kind of let it slip through the cracks in you know, this game kind of means something to us as a playoff game for us, and we're excited to go out there with energy in front of the home crowd and man, just let it loose.
So you guys right now, Yeah, you know what, Honestly, there's a lot of clapping going on for that. I would agree, Man, just six and six at this point of the season right now, you guys have been competitive in almost every game that you guys have played, whether you win it or lose it, Finishing is so important, of course, right and you guys haven't been able to do that. We weren't able to do that against Minnesota
or Seattle. But having said that, I would imagine the confidence level still inside that locker room, knowing that you guys can compete and have pretty much with every team you've played, It's got to be pretty high in there.
Yeah.
I feel like our company is very high, and I feel like these games that we kind of let slip away is going to help us in the long run, knowing that we've been there before and next time we get those same positions, that we're not going to let it slip because we've seen those moments and the moment's not going to be too big for nobody on the team. And we excited for this game. I can't explain how
much we're excited. You could feel the energy in the locker room that we just overady to be in front of our home crowd for these last two home away games that we had and getting all the buze, So we just ready for the cheers now and come out of here with the W.
Star Thomas is our guest here on The Big Red Rage live from Trophy and Chandler located on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson, and what you're hearing right now is been echoed by virtually every single player, including the quarterback. Here's what Kyler Murray had to say to the media yesterday.
We get another opportunity to kind of rewrite the wrongs of going to Seattle and getting beaten, not playing our best. We came out this week and I think we played better football. We didn't finish. With that being said, we have another opportunity to go out there and do it again and you know kind of avenge or loss.
Well, if you mentioned confidence, right, I mean Star when I tell you that the five teams that you've lost to and I'm not counting Seattle, Okay, we'll see what happens in the rematch. Buffalo, Detroit, Green Bay, Washington, Minnesota. Their combined record this year is now forty eight and thirteen. Yeah, think of the strength schedule there and I mean for example, the Detroit game, one score game, et cetera, down the line.
But I mean it is a mat when you guys are watching the film, for example, how often you say, oh, man, that's correctable.
Yes, every time, every time. And it's all little things. It's nothing that super big that we see on film. Everything is that small minute details that is easily fixed in the film room. So that's why I say in the loan round, we've been in those moments. We're just gonna be excited to see those moments show up again. And when they show up, we're gonna be ready.
So much of the time, you know. I talked to my older brother Craig. Of course, he is a Pittsburgh Steelers radio analyst. He played twelve years in the NFL,
and he played with some great players. I'm talking about Steelers that had won four Super Bowl rings as a matter of fact, and that we're talking about, man, the process of getting good where you put yourself into position, you put yourself into situations where you have a chance to win the game, and more times than not, if you win those close games, that puts you over the
top collectively with a confidence level. I think that's what we're looking at right now as well, Pauly looking at a team that is trying to find itself, a team that is still developing. I think of this guy right here, Star Thomas, and we're going to continue to talk about this all show long, but to me, I think, here's a guy that is making his way in the National Football League and developing. Have you gotten better this season?
Star, I definitely feel like I've gotten better, seeing that year one a year two jump and from myself being able to just be more comfortable and play the game that I know how to play. And I'm just so excited to continue to put it out now on Sundays, you knowing that sometimes you can be the underdog or take the long road, but you know the cream rises in.
I'm excited.
This team is loaded with young players. I'm talking about thirteen guys. If you go ahead and you start looking at it, how many young guys like Star Thomas that is in the process of developing from year one to
year two. The jump that you make right now, that's one of the reasons why I think we've seen some inconsistencies overall from top to bottom with the Arizona Cardinals and how they're playing right now at six and six because they got a lot of young guys that are learning and developing and getting better.
Well, it was last year's rookie class who came up with a moniker. Let the rooks cook. Yeah right, because no rookie class and you were part of it. Last year, No rookie class in the NFL started more games, No rookie class played more snaps in the regular season than the Arizona Cardinals. We know how many key rookies are contributing this year, but then you have, you know, a sprinkling of those key veterans as well, the team captains, guys like James Connor, who just sets the tone. It
just goes unsaid, the sort of presence he is. He got a two year contract extension here in the past week, and here's James Connor just talking about that and the responsibility of a new deal.
I just realize that you got to earn it, and you know that you're always being evaluated. So it's just no a great responsibility, you know, to be called as a leader, be called as a captain.
You know, this had great mentors, you know.
I remember asking Cam Hayward when he sounded like a sixty million dollars deal in Pittsburgh, and I'll just say, you know, I asked.
Him, how does it feel?
And he says, I got to show him I'm worth it, you know.
And it's just like.
Fluck my whole mindset just because they give you the money. It's still a huge challenge a head.
So I just.
Realized, man, that being a leader, that everybody's looking towards you, and you got to do the right things day in and day out, and also keeps myself accountable.
And now James Connor is that guy. What does that say to locker room when a team captain like him gets rewarded.
It's seen shows that hard work made a big paid off, you know. And it's just it's motivation for his younger guys to see James every day come in and work hard and you know, put the extra effort for it and just following his lead. He always tell me every day, follow the arrow, start, follow the arrow. And I'm just following his lead and hopefully, you know, one day I get to be rewarded like James did.
Man, I talk about it all the time. James Connor is a guy who challenges every man that is around him challenges if you just watch James Connor play the game of football again and I talk about it all the time, but back me up on this.
It challenges you as a.
Man how hard he plays, it does and how talented he is, and if he's playing that hard, just like Buddha Baker as well, if he's playing that hard, it challenges you to do the exact same thing it does.
It does you don't want to be that guy that they point out and say, oh, you got to pick it up. If your best players are playing hard every snap, why can't you? So that's that's kind of accountability that we take in that locker room right now.
Do you ever sit on the bench and you watch James Connor, who, by the way, has spent most of the season leading the league in mistackles, force, broken tackles. Do you ever sit on the bench with a gatorade and look at the jumbo tron and just laugh because you watch other GB's trying to tackle.
It is amazive because you see it at practice, so it's like it gets routine, But trying to see the other team do it as a layers because you know a lot of times corners don't want to tackle in Wednesday, see James coming around at corners of freak chase.
They tend to get out of the way of him.
And look this team, this Cardinals team went into Minnesota and ran for a buck fifty four against the number one Rundee. But what happened last time the Cardinals played at Seattle. He was held to his lowest rushing output since his rookie year twenty seventeen. I'm guessing there's gonna be a motivated James Conner out there Sunday.
Yeah.
Let me just say this. Against Minnesota, they handed the ball off to a running back twenty four times for one hundred and six yards to a running back. Now with Kyler Murray to a running back that's over four point four to two yards against the number one rush defense in the league.
That's getting it done.
Paul.
Yeah.
He also said this week we got to come out swinging first. Maybe coming off the bye. We got a bit of a slow start in Seattle. Can let that happen this time around. We're just getting off and running here on the Big Red Rage. Star Thomas is our guest, all presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert. We are santan Ford live from Trophy and Chandler on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson.
Be right back, yeah, to the off side of the end zone, and it is incomplete. Starling Thomas had good coverage.
It's one on one on the outside and that is excellent coverage by Starling Thomas.
Piers right sideline, Thomas docks it down. Good play by Thomas who is on Dobbs that time.
Excellent coverage right there by Starling Thomas.
Obviously, they have some really talented young players and they're all showing up deep ball near side and it's incomplete. What a jump by star Thomas in cover John Gibson in the twenty yard line.
He turned around to defend the ball and drunk up the pass.
That is just so heads one by Thomas. This young guy is developing and has been all season long.
Star Thomas. The star is short for Starling. The star is short for starter. I like that about all twelve games this year. You started a handful of games last year. I reference the Lions original team. They released you at the end of camp. It took the Cardinals twenty four hours to claim you. They did not hesitate Starling Thomas is our guest here on the Big Red Rage Presentybody, santan Ford and Gilbert. Let's just go there. Let's talk about your background. You have less than two years in
the league. Like I said, you've already started the majority of the games you've played in. So what was that like camp with the Lions and then that twenty four hour period where you changed teams? Tell us about that.
It was a quick turnaround. Once I got released by the Lions. I went back home to Birmingham, got around family for at least probably five hours before my agent began calling me. Santine's was calling asking about me. It was a Wednesday, I remember, like yesterday. It was Wednesday, around twelve thirty. I got a call from the Arizona Cardinals saying that hey, your flight leaves at three thirty man. So I hopped on the flight three thirty, got to Arizona.
The next day.
I was practicing. The next day, I was practicing in Arizona. Them set for five weeks, I would say, to learn to playbook, get used to everybody, and I think bround week six, week seven, I was starting in Seattle.
So it's amazing. That is amazing story, right, there stars.
So there's a lot of people that have actually compared the culture and the mentality of the Detroit Lions with the Arizona Cardinals.
So do you see that? I definitely can see it. We play a form of bullyball. We out physical opponents, We are smarter than our opponents, and we just take the fight to them most of the time. And I could see that in the way Detroit played. They play a lot of swagger, just like us, and we just have fun with the game of football.
And look, Dan Campbell and Jonathan Ganner are different guy's, different styles, but the energy is there. It's got to be similar, right.
Is there? Is there? Their energy is top notch.
You know, if you're feeling down in team me, as soon as the coach walk in, you're gonna be piped up ready to play for him. The pregame speeches for JG Man you want to run through the wall form.
So I love playing for him.
What's it like in the team meetings when you know Jonathan Gannon can call on anyone in the room at any moment.
Oh my goodness, all you hear is everybody rumbling through their noteble is because you never know what kind of question he may act. So just being able to be ready at any time, it gives to coach a lot of confidence in you that you know, he knows that you're on your stuff and you know on your p's and q So, just being able to get your coach that trusting you and he can call you at any time and you will only answer okay.
So that rookie season of yours, you played twelve games. You played in twelve games, Yeah, seven starts. You're a rookie season right now? What did your rookie season teach you?
Ah man, There's a lot of ups and downs being a cornerback in the NFL. I must say it's the hardest position to play, and I agree with them.
Being able to run with the best athletes backwards, it has to be pretty hard.
But being able to just hold my own and it gave me confidence knowing that I was able to play in this league and that you have veteran guys that actually push for you. So being able to just stay here and have your coaches believe in you and push you to be your version of yourself meant a lot.
The fact that you had five years at UAB and you started forty games in college. How much in hindsight, how much did that prepare you to get right into the FRAY.
I felt like it was prepared me. Well.
I went in with all the companies in the world knowing that I can play football. While I was at UA B, we played against Texas A and M Georgia LSU. Can I go Tennessee and every game, every game that I kind of balled out against the SEC talent, and they say that that's the best of the best. So when I prepare myself against those guys, I wasn't afraid of coming into the NFL being ready to play.
So what says here that you went to Ramsey High School?
Yeah?
Where is that is?
In Birmingham, Alabama.
In Birmingham, Alabama, Ramsey High School, the Ramsey Rams Is Okay, what positions did you play in high school?
I was all over played quarterback, running back, receiver, quarterback, Yeah good. Sometimes sometimes you play long snappers, so I could be the first person that on the field and make the tackle.
So I was just all over the place.
That's hilarious. So wait a minute, somebody told me you were the punter.
Yeah, I could play. I could do everything. So your I can do everything.
I don't know if you know it. But Wolf played ten years the league, went to four Pro Bowls as a special team's assassin. But Wolf, I don't see long snapping or punting on your resume. You know that that's pretty good. There was no punting. Okay, So here's my question. One of our favorites of all time, and this is going back a few years. Carlos Stansby.
Oh yeah, yeah.
Do you know the name because he's a Birmingham native.
Oh yeah, definitely, no name, our girl. Going to his football camps. They used the whole have a legion field all the time. That's serious, going to his football camps. Carlo Dansby. He's a Birmingham legend.
So you know what you gotta do next time you see him, if you do see him in the future, just say, hey, what's up?
Lows Dirty.
It's one of the most terrible nicknames. I just don't do that.
He doesn't like it.
Okay, let's talk about Budda Baker. But first let's hear a Buddha Baker talking about you and where he thinks you have grown the most all around?
You know, man? Sorry, you know he had he's very fast.
He's always been very fast, but just that quick twitch and just being able to, you know, stay glued on a receiver. Definitely done a great job. And the zone techniques and all the techniques. I honestly say, nine and day he's done a great job. And he's going to continue to do a great job. You know, just take it one by tell him all the time, taking one play at a time. When the balls in the air go get it.
That's one thing we should ask him about.
Time.
One thing to ask him about, ask him about what music he likes.
Yeah, yeah, okay, all right, so we're asking why did music come up with Buddha.
Because I always trying to make him listen to a little country music me and from.
So that's awesome.
Yes, today I had the OSCO so I had all of them listening to Tennessee Whiskey.
Well, Chris, I love it.
That's good.
You know, it's good for Buddha. You know, he's a Seattle guy. You know, it's too much grunge. Probably he's listening to from back.
In the day. It's good.
He needs it.
He always piped up. I gotta kill him out a little bit sometimes.
That's good.
Talk to me about that because when I was young, of course in the NFL. Boy, how many years ago that really was? There were a lot of guys that would mentor these young guys in the league, right, rookies like me.
How about you, man, you got mentors?
Yeah, Buddha, Buddha, he took me under his wing. Man, I can't think of that God enough.
Man.
I really loved that guy when I first got here last season. A lot of people don't know that. So I was out here by myself. Man, he invited me over for Thanksgiving Thanksgiving with him and his family, and me and him has been glued to the hip ever since.
You can't let me.
I sitting next to him in meetings, everything, our lockers are next to each other. Man just been together ever since this summer. I trained with him all summer from the off season, and it shows on the field when we use it on the same side together. So man, so man, you know that that all feel connection to me and him have his man's a brotherhood.
Man, I love it.
Guy. That is awesome.
Now.
So if you want to make your way in the NFL, that's a pretty smart strategy. Attach yourself to Buddha bakery. Yeah, not bad right as a mentor, and it makes a lot of sense.
Can I also say too, though this is just man.
You could ask Buddha. But I'm sure Buddha saw something in Star too. I'm sure that he saw something in you. This kid has got a chance and probably like the fact you came from some humble beginnings in terms of how you got into the NFL as well. Yeah, that probably appealed to a guy like Buddha, didn't Man.
I think so, Man, because me and him kind of played with the same aggression on the field. We love a game of football, Man, Me and him play with both a passion. Man, that's no match, Like we compete in everything we do. So Man just had that connection to it. It's like there's no other I can't even explain it right now.
You guys were also sprinters in high school. He won state titles in Washington and uh and you ran tell us about your forty because you didn't go to the combine. Yeah, but I'm guessing one of the reasons the Cardinals jumped on you was just your speed.
Yeah, Man, speed demon guy. Man.
I was a four two eight guy coming out of college man for eight Yeah, four two eight man?
It was it was official. All thirty two teams is there?
Man? That is amazing. So what was it a pro day or something?
You were and my pro day? I had a pro day, All thirty two teams came there. I had ran a four two eight man and it kind of skyrocketed my draft stock at that moment.
Absolutely unbelievable right there. But yet you didn't get drafted.
Correct, No, man, you ran four eight and you.
Did not get drafted.
It it was pretty socking to me. It was pretty socking to me.
I'm going into it thinking maybe it'd be a Day three guy, early Day three, got late Day two guy. From what I put on the film and from what I did at the All Star Games and what I ran at my Pro day, I was thinking it would be a day two, Day three guy, and it just didn't happen that way. I had other plans for me.
So I saw a quote this week for those who don't know, it's my cause, my cleats, and this is a player's chance to showcase causes and charities that are important to them. I saw a quote recent story Zach Gershman accardinals dot Com where you said my mom helps me run fast. Explain that to everyone in the story because she lost your mom.
Yeah, my mom passed away in my freshman year of college. She was a fighter. She got diagnosed with breast cancer my senior year of high school. They gave her only six months to live, which is crazy, but she ended up living a whole another year and a half and was able to see me play football in college for six games. So I always say, I write her name on every pair of cleats that I have, So I always say she helps me run fast, jump high, and play football.
Real good?
Did you bring those?
Yeah?
I actually brought them in great bread right all right, man, they did pretty.
Good with these. Man, I love them. Manna have to frame these.
It is really well done.
We have to frame these right here. That's uh.
And so, so cancer awareness is your cause obviously, and then the organization is Virtue.
Virtue, Yes, it's a company, nonprofit organization back home and Burmingham. So just being able to go back home and give back to my community and do something that I care about, you know, being able to try to help find a cure for whatever kid may be out there so they don't have to go through what I went through.
Man, that is truly incredible. Star, It really is. What do you think you take from.
Your mom being able to just persevere through anything, you know, whatever life throws that you, just being able to withstanding oning that is a better side at the other side. So just being able to see her fight, Just knowing that I can't give up whatever I'm doing, even though it's gonna be.
Dark days, hard days, whatever it may be.
Just know I got to keep going because that's what she wants, and she's pushing me forward in I got brothers and sisters looking at me.
So when you put those on on Sunday, that's gonna be a special moment, isn't it.
When you lay those up, it's gonna be a great moment.
Look how beautiful they are. I know I'm gonna do good. I know I'm gonna do good with these on.
Well, And look to bring this full circle back to football. The position you play, you better be mentally strong, right, you have.
To short term memory, you know, short term memory.
Playing cornerback, you know those guys over there, some of the best athletes that play receiver, and being able to just cover those guys and try to dominate them. As much as I can. You have to be mentally strong because they're gonna make players, but I just have to make more than them.
So it says here, your dog is named Mook.
Okay, I love her.
What kind of dog?
I have a pit bull? And crazy thing about that? Man? I named her after my mom?
Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah. My mom's nickname was Mooky. So I ended up showing my dog's name to Mook, so I treated like a kid.
Well that's outstanding. That's really good stuff.
Man.
Uh, I tell you what it's it's gonna be neat because there's over three dozen cardinals who are going to be representing on Sunday with all the cleats under you guys wear them in a at practice and just really cool initiative by the NFL, and it's really taken off I think the ninth consecutive year. And uh, did you get a chance to test drive those and practice?
Yeah? They feel crazy. That's good. I feel the picking thees man taking these.
How many practices have you warned those?
One?
Just one?
That's all you need.
One man, they create the shoe today. We're just one and it breaks in, ready to go.
One, It forms to your feet.
Back to my day, Star, you had to break those in for two weeks.
You know, they got the stretches.
Now.
Welf used to put like iron pieces in his shoes, you know, just to weigh him down, and they all season that kind of stuff. Used to pull buses with chains just to work on the legs, you know, that kind of stuff. It was the old school strong man stuff. We continue. Star Thomas is our guest Cardinals cornerback on the Big Red Rage, presented by Sandann Ford and Gilbert Live from Tropi and Chandler.
Snap to Donald three step drop, looking left, all the way up in trouble, stepping up and sacked hell J. Collier with the takedown. Donald takes the snap, drops back in trouble. Kaisier White back there first and down goes the quarnerback.
Copper zero coming from death.
Snap to Donald pre step drop pressure on mac Wilson sacks him back at the thirty eight yard line. Donald takes three step drop, hit and sacked get slammed to the ground by mac Wilson back at the twenty two the fourth sack of the day for the Cardinals, about five.
Sacks each of the last two games. An Arizona Cardinals defense. That is an absolute It's just an absolute heater right now with some of the stats, just the uptrends, the ascension, and we got to imagine that if you're a corner, you're loving the pass rush and then some it's a big red rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. I say that because our guest is Star Thomas Cardinals starting cornerback here live from Trophy and Chandler right on Queen
Creek Road between Price and Dobson. So you tell us, I mean, if the guys up front are getting home, what does that do for you as a corner?
Ah, it makes mind the way easier.
I don't have to cover as long and that means the ball is in the air fasts, so plays to be made. Man, So shout out to the big guys up front forgetting home a lot.
You know, I talk about this a lot, Polly. There are basically three ways you can actually get pressure on a quarterback. You can be better then where you got four guys, you line up and you're better than the five guys trying to block those four guys, and you can drop seven, or you can scheme your weight actually getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, or you can have coverage, great coverage down the field that ultimately results in coverage sacks.
Right now, just the way that the Arizona Cardinals are combining the scheme sack in particular with the coverage sack as well. Do you know they are number nine in the National Football League in sacks per attempt number nine, Paul. When you think of that coming into this season right now, there were two big concerns, two big concerns with the defense in my opinion, will they be able to stop the run and will they be able to get pressure on an opposing quarterback.
Based on last year?
Based on last year, Man, those two things have improved dramatically, especially over the last five six weeks. Right now, they're number thirteen in rushing yards per game allowed, and they're number thirteen in rushing yards per play allowed, number thirteen, Paul.
They're creeping into the top third in the National Football League in that regard, and to be number nine in sacks per attempt, which is even more specific than just saying sacks sacks per attempt, the Arizona Cardinals are right there. It is amazing the transformation this defense has.
Gone through it is man, just being able to see those big guys there just take the challenge on seeing what everybody was saying about them and just seeing them go out there every Sunday just proving everybody room.
Man.
So also having for those guys just going out there making those plays and like I said, they make my job easier. I don't have to cover as long as then they get those tip pass so that means the balls in the air for the defeat to make. So it's all a collective effort.
And then you think about the injuries you lost Paul Nichols, Justin Jones, your two starting d tackles, You lost two starting edge guys PI Joe Jilauri and Dennis Gardex. So think about that and then think about since Week seven, only the Eagles and Broncos have more sacks than the Cardinals. So I guess my question is where, why, how has
the Cardinals defense improved? Because I hear it said by some of the opposition opposition that you guys are disguising a lot as well, and just some of the looks that the Cardinals present. Our next level on helping the entire defense.
Yeah, like I say, like I said, this is a collective effort on that part. Shout out to Nick Rolins, he coordinated for you know, calling the right players at the right time. Shout out to all the dbs with covering as long as they do. And shout out to the big guys of a friend getting back home. And like I said, we all working together and they're accepting the challenge. Like you said, everybody want to come in and try to run the ball on us, and he they are going out there and stopping the run.
So he's all together and a great sign of any great team or any great unit. Different heroes at different times. This last game, Mac Wilson really stood out, yes, really productive, and you know after the game he said, look, this is on Monday actually after watching the film, and here's what he had to say, and this is what we're talking about. We say there's a little bit of an edge this week in the locker room. Mac Wilson Senior.
No, you just want to win, honestly, you know, with them being whatever the team it was nine to two, you know, high power offense, high power team, good defense, and you know you just want to go out and win that game so bad, and you know, just the fall short. It's tough, you know, but it's learning experience for all of us, and it lift fire under all of us.
You know.
I feel like you know, I know Guy's going to bounce back for this one, and you know, we're just gonna see what we can do.
We talk about the word, In fact, it's JG's word, finish. Finish drives, finish games right, finish the season, finish because it's all right in front of you, isn't it.
Everything we're working for, everything, all those OTA's off season workouts is right therefore is to take and all we have to do out there is just go out there and do it. Just got to go do it. He always say, we got to act on it. So we're gonna go act on this Sunday.
So you star.
How about you personally in regard to the defense, what do you like to do? You like to play man? Do you like to play press? Do you like to play in a zone room? What do you prefer?
Man?
I just love to play football. I just love to play football. Whatever he calls, I'm happy to play it. Like I said, I don't feel like there's nothing that I can't do out there. So whenever he calls the zone or he calls man or even if he allows me to blitz who said is like, i'ma be happy to do it, and that's what I love to do.
How about tackling, who's the toughest tackle you find so far?
Man?
All those guys are pretty good.
I don't.
All those guys are pretty good. It's so hard to say, so hard to.
Say, man, But how do you think your tackling has developed? I mean, it's your rookie year.
I feel like my tackling has become way better. Watched Boodle and how he tackled. Watched Jat and how they tackled. We're all about the same size, so just going in there with their ferocity and just violence of just running through those tackles and running my feet and I'm just gonna get up the next play, you know, regardless of what happens. So making sure I'm out a cornerback that's gonna not tackle, so they don't want to. I don't want to have that on there.
Have you always had a motor, like a high motor of intensity level?
Have you always had that?
I feel like I've done I always have. Especially playing corner you always have to be super mellow. Yeah, you can't get to how you can't get too low. But you always have to play with an edge, and me being a shorter corner, as they will say, I always have to play with the edge and be more scrappy than usual.
Well, I'm just looking at some of the game logs. Right, six solo tackles against Chicago. Yep, you had five tackles for solo against the Jets. Wolfson always asking about the physical part of the game. I want to know when you go against some of the elite receiver units in the league and in a row. I mean, you went against Miami Chicago, the Jets, DeVante Adams, right, Garrett Wilson. Then he got Justin Jefferson just last week. What is that like when you're going up against the best of the best.
As an opportunity to put your name out there and to show what you can do and to build your confidence. Like you said, you just missed all of those receiver cords that we went against in the past few weeks. And I feel like us as a secondary has shown up week after week after week, and our confidence is so high that we don't feel.
Like we can be stopped.
How different a challenge is it to go against Tyreek Hill one week, Keenan Allen the next week, DeVante Adams or Garrett Wilson. Just mean, all those guys are really unique in their own ways, aren't they.
Yeah, they're so unique, so you have to have a different game plan when you go on against them. Like, you know, Tyreek Hill, he's pretty fast, so you would like to make him stop his feet a little bit more and run shorter rouse than what you would think. But you can't be scared of this speed. I feel like there was a key for us going into the week. If you watch, we pressed him a lot. We wasn't
We wasn't too afraid of his speed. We was also in the room like we run for it too too, So let's see, you know, so we wasn't scared that week. But when you go against DeVante Adams and Garrett Wilson, you know, those guys are a little bit more shifty, so you have to play with a little bit more of your feet and better eyes, you know, and not playing with so much on top. You just gotta play on body.
Okay, So maybe not the technique, maybe not the technique processor or man or man or all for whether you're gonna play in his own room? What about the coverage? What's your just the call? What's your favorite call if you have one?
I don't know. Man. I love them all, man, I love them all.
Every coverage, every coverage that we have, every call that Nigroage calls. I feel like it's a great call for that play. Man, regardless of when he called, I feel like we're gonna win that play.
His demeanor, like Nick Rowlis.
I feel like he's he's a very mellow guy at the beginning, but once you hit the field, he puts his shades on, and he puts his paper over his lips, over his mouth, and he's very he's very tapped in and locked in.
Man, he puts his shades on. What do you think he does that?
I guess it's an alter ego or something. I guess he turns into a different person.
That It's true. Remember the preseason puts the hood on there you go. Yeah, he's a former inside linebacker in college. He sort of goes into that assassin.
Mode, you know what I mean, different mode.
That's good stuff.
Yeah.
Have you had some good battles with Marvin Harrison Junior in practice.
Oh yeah, definitely, Paul can't believe me and Hill was battling. So that was pretty good.
Okay, that's great.
Uh.
You know what, maybe when we come back here, we'll get some of maybe what you've told Darius Robinson in terms of advice and rookie year. He's going into a second game.
Uh.
Check out the latest episode of the Day Past podcast. You can find an Apple podcast Spotify and the Cardinals official YouTube page. That's YouTube dot com slash ac Cardinals. We continue Star Thomas Cardinals cornerback here on the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are santan Ford. We're live from Trophy and Chandler every Thursday night, located on Queen Creek Road between Price and Dobson. Back with more from Star Thomas. Right after this.
Third and six on the Cardinals eighteen yard line. Great receivers right one left, Gino Smith in the gun. Will the Cardinals come after him? On a must stop third down shotgun snap back to throw. Smith steps up, moves to his right, being chased far side.
Now throws. Oh we've been a pickoff in the end zone. Oh what a gorgeous play.
My Garrett Williams to pick off Geno Smith in the end zone.
Oh what a great way to start the fourth corner. Right here, turning over Geno Smith in the red zone, you rush five and Garret Williams mates a play.
It was two weeks.
Ago in Seattle. Now the Seahawks come to the AC and we have Star Thomas as our guest on a big red rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are santan Ford. And if we're talking about cornerback play man, you cannot ignore Garrett Williams this season, guys. I don't know if you saw the next Gen stat this week. He currently is allowing a passer rating under forty nine, which is the second lowest among all corners who have
enough snaps to qualify. Think about that, Think about what he's doing in the yards per target is the lowest among all corners. So from one corner to another, what is Garrett Williams doing really well right now?
I mean, man, he's found the ball, he's playing his technique, great, great man. I see him every day watching film. He he's as a student of the game. Man, he's a real student of the game. And I just try to take something. Whatever I see G's doing, I try to do myself because he's doing something right.
And well, if you know, well another guy who's way ahead of the curve in terms of being a young guy and watching film as Darius Robinson. Yes, I mean we knew that the moment he was drafted. He he did that interview when he's talking about his film work. Here's Darius Robinson after playing his first regular season game last week at Minnesota, and here's what he had to say.
Sometimes I feel like I know exactly like my brain was going, but my feet wasn't matching. I don't know if I was too excited or what, but I'm just really gonna fix that in practice this week and just keep earning reps as far as like technique fundamentals, like JG always says, alignment, assignment, key technique, So that's all it is.
So I'm just super excited to get better.
Can you relate to that? Considering it was about a year ago you went through that point in your first regular season game, you must have been pretty amped up.
Definitely, It's like you see something but just like this can't be happening right now.
It's too good to be true.
So I understand exactly what he's saying. But Dee Robb is going to be a great player for us.
I could see it.
Man, he's already he already cared itself like he's been the league for a long time.
Man, he's gonna continue to grow. What was your first Seattle? Was that was my first start? Excuse me? My first game?
Yeah?
It was Cincinnati Bengals. I played Cincinnati Bengals only special teams. Okay, then we went to l A.
Rams. I played corner a little bit, and then Seattle was the first start.
Actually, okay, Seattle was the first start. Was there any difference. Did you have a lot of anxiety with that first start?
Oh?
Man, yeah, yeah, yeah, It's like, okay, like, man, it's a dream come true right now, and I'm living in it, you know. You know, always ask gods for those glimpses, and I was living in that glimpse in that moment. So during that that game, it was probably one of the best games I probably played. I felt like I was tackling, I was covering everywhere.
It was. It was amazing playing see.
You, did you have the NFL moment?
You know?
Did you?
Oh?
My goodness.
You know, at what point did you have that NFL moment, Whether it was in the previous games you were playing or whether you were starting, did you have a moment where you said to yourself, I can play with these guys.
I felt like I feel like I had that NFL moment and like training, trading and training camp site. Oh you seeing those guys and it's like, bro, I'm hanging with him, like I'm making plays against I'm in my Saint Brown or Jameson Williams, like when I was in Detroit, and then I get to Arizona and like, I'm still making play. That was Hollywood Brown here. So you know, I was being able to make plays and to see that your captains were coming to you and saying good job.
So that's really important, though, isn't it. I mean for your own development to have that kind of confidence where you can sit there, Paul at night, You're laying there and the shadows are creeping across the ceiling and you're thinking yourself, I can do this.
I can do this. That's so important you have that moment, isn't it.
Yes, you have to have that confidence in yourself. You can't be your biggest creating in your biggest fan, so you have to pick one. So being able to believe in yourself is everything.
Yep.
I mean even when you're the fourth pick overall. Marvin Harrison Junior sited his touchdown against Jalen Ramsey huge confidence builder for him. It's important Trey Benson. You know that's talking to James County about Trey Benson. I think it happened, you know, sort of mid season. He started making plays and breaking tackles and refusing to go down, and he and James Connery is talking about he has that confidence he can make plays just like he made him at Florida State.
I think, honestly, there are so many fans that are out there, Well, what are you talking about? You know these guys are are hyper competitive alpha metals. Of course they're confident, are.
You kidding me?
Yeah, you're right about that. They are for the most part. But man, you gotta see yourself do. You have to see yourself do? And that's so important that you do because now all of a sudden, that's where that development and that confidence really comes from.
All Right, I'll do what I do best. I'll ask the dumb guy question here star. I know, I know, you study film on receivers, what about quarterbacks? And what about Geno Smith? Because he just pulled another game out on the road at the Jets, and nobody has more game winning drives engineered than Geno Smith over the last two and a half years. It's he's right there with mahomes.
Man, kind of kind of nerve recking when you think about it, like come on, it's like it's right there. But he he has a certain kind of web of using his legs and when the game's on the line, he kind of makes some big time throws. So shout out to Geno Smith. May he's playing really good football right now. He makes really good decisions and taking control of their offense.
If you're a cornerback and you're playing in his zone room, Okay, if you're a corner and you're playing zone, do you ever pick at the quarterback?
Do that hopefully he throwing he throws me the ball.
Okay, if you're ever playing man off, do you ever peek at him?
Again?
Do you ever peak at the quarterback? Because back in my day that's called cluing. I don't know what you call it.
Yeah, you do.
You do take a quick peek to see you know, maybe you getting three step drop or five step drop. You just and being able to dictate what comes off those drops that he may give you.
But cluing gets a little dangerous.
He can it really can't?
People? What's that? Where that danger is?
If your eyes stay on the quarterback too long, you receiver mic run past you and all you know, you just gotta use knees and elbow. You know you gotta keep going the balls over your head. But you know, if you do it right, you make a play.
What's the toughest part about a quarterbacks skill set for a corner?
Would it?
Would it be accuracy?
What is it?
You know that? Okay, you know this? This really makes this guy formidable if he's able to do this.
I feel like if the quarterback is able to use his legs, being able to throw in extend plays outside, I gotta feel like that is a big attribute for quarterback. And then that means the corner has to cover Instead of three seconds, it's six seconds now and chase the guys all over the field.
Fuddy, we really enjoyed them.
Thank you, guys. Man really enjoyed it.
I can't wait to see it out there, especially with the cleats.
Thanks, thank you guys for having me.
It was amazing And let me tell you it's time. It's time. You know, everyone's sick and tired of being sick and tired of the Seahawks at this about it. Yeah, a special thanks executive producer Jim Amahundro, Cody Fincher, Wald Ellis, Lawrence Ellis, Matt Lazarus for Ron Wolfley on Paul Ca WC Star Thomas our guest on The Big Red Rage presenti by Santan Ford and Gilbert live from Trophy and Chandler Jaw.
You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert right on the Price, right on the corner of the Santan two oh two Freeway in Valvesta. The Rage is brought to you by Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Visit Azycardinals dot com slash podcast.
We're gonna see a little big Red Rage football right here.
This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals Football Club