Welcome in command his family. This is the Next Man Up Podcast. I'm Brian Corber Junior. And we will have Austin Eckler come in and talk about his tandem with b Rob. We will have the legend Clinton imports talking about what he's doing these days and what is so different about the things going on here in Washington. Then we had to get you an NFL insider with all the things happening. Adam Schefter joins the show. All that and more starts right now on Next Man Up too.
Comn his family. Welcome into the Next.
Man Up Podcast. I am your host, Brian Colbert Junr. And our next Man Up is our new running back and in the league for a minute.
It's only getting better.
His shirt even says it one percent better every day. Welcoming in Austin Eckler.
Brother, you having man I appreciate you having me on.
Yeah, compound and interest, that's what it's about, a little bit every day and it starts adding up, Yes.
Sir man, and last time we sat here.
So it's funny because as you guys can see, we are in a different room than the studio.
You know, we're getting some new things changed. But imagine last.
Time you will hear you were signing your contract right, yeah, sitting right over there.
Yeah, yeah, take it. Are but in in to the papers?
Yeah?
And then right after that you came to the studio and me and you had our interview when we sat and talked and you had just getting your feet wet in the DMV man, I mean you had just got here. So how has it been justin since?
Yeah, when we first talked, I don't I didn't have enough time to really appreciate the area or the culture. But been around a little bit, been to a community event, been around some of the fans as well at our home game now the preseason, so looking forward to to more of that during the season. Been down to DC a little bit as well, feeling the love from the community, taking a few pictures with fans. So I'm starting to
feel what people are talking about. And they're like, Oh, you're gonna love it out here because everyone that we've talked to, My wife's in the room as well, in the background for those of you who can't see it, They're like.
Oh, you're gonna love the East Coast. You're gonna love DC.
It's really clean, like a lot of history, great food, and it's definitely been that, so it's growing on us.
This is definitely the best place to be on the East Coast. Now people will say it might be the South. I don't feel that way.
I feel like this is the East just like you do. But this is definitely a great place to be. Mess.
We're happy you're getting acclimated in, you know, the next man up. We talk extras and those, but we talk a lot about the player behind the helmet. But before we do that, you mentioned preseason. Yeah, you cause a little trouble. I don't know if you really you caused
a little trouble what we did want. So we are doing our sidelines what me and you are doing our sideline interview, and I asked you about Jayden and how he was in the huddle in the pocket, and you revealed, because nobody else knew this, that Jayden checked out of a screenplay to make that.
To them, I gave away too much, gave away so good. So I was gonna ask, did you get any heat for that? But clearly you didn't hear about it. No, I didn't hear about that.
Well, but I tell you, I mean I didn't get no heat about it either. I was just making sure we were good. Okay, that's all me. That's how I think we're good. Yeah, No, I mean, don't worry.
We changed, We changed our plays, we changed our signals. That's what it is. We got you anyway.
Yeah, but I think that was a great moment and great insight because it would allow Dan Quinn allowed Jayden to talk about that moment and not a lot of rookies are going to check out us something their first NFL drive. Jayden did, then, I think that encompasses what we've seen from Jaden. You talk a little bit about what you've seen from not only that one Precon games.
I was the last time we talked, but since Yeah, something that I appreciate, you know about just any quarterback coming in is really the communication.
I want to see the communication be alive.
And that tells me a few things actually, But first of all, it tells me, Okay, you care enough to come and be on the same page with me, and you you want to see that that connection happen, and you're going out of your way to make it happen. And what also tells me, because he's a rookie, is that he wants to step into that leadership role as well, because he doesn't have to do that. He could easily behind hide behind the rookie. Oh I don't know, Like I'm just going to kind of, you know, let things
come to me. He's the one that actually out there making it happen, right, stepping up as a leader.
To go and communicate. So I love that about him.
And then as far as just his mentality of being on the field, wants to continue to compete, you know, we gotta get this.
Guy to slide, you know, things like that.
You know, he's learned be a pro, and so it's like, yeah, we love that fire in him, you know, and so he'll continue to learn, like I mentioned, how to be a pro and just continue to progress down this path. And the trajectory that he's going down is a pretty steep one right now. So I'm looking to see him continue to grow exponentially.
And he recently was named the starter.
What was that first conversation, like when you found out he was going to be your starting quarterback?
I'm sure you had an idea, but yeah, got that official.
You know how this league works, man, If you get drafted second overall, Heisman you're you're expected to be in that role. Man, So it doesn't mean you're gonna get that role. Like, you still got to go out there and earn it. Like, don't get me wrong, Like you don't just come in and walk in and get a spot. You got to make sure that you check the boxes saying yep, okay, he did that. He was a leader, He made good decisions, he did all the things he needed to do, and that's exactly what he came in
and has done. And so he still has a long way to go. Just because quarterback. I've been around some of the greats, been around Philip Rivers who had been there year seventeen, and I've seen what a true veteran quarterback with that many years of experience looks like. Also been around Jay Herb you know, out in LA and see him grow into you know, for four years we played together. And so I Jayden's on the right track based off of what I've seen from those other guys.
And we know you're gonna help to being here.
And like I said, we'll talk football a little bit, but I want to talk about the man behind the helmet, because there's a lot of layers to you there's.
A lot of layers to me.
I had a coach tell me one time that I'm probably the most unique person in the in the NFL.
That's a great compliment to have because there's a lot of personalities. There's a lot, there's a lot.
I mean, dude, you're you're an investor, you're a gamer, you're a businessman, you're a husband, you're all of these things. And I want to focus on that because we got wife here right now. So course we don't want to bury the lead, right You just got married recently. Tell us about the wedding. Where did you get married and tell us about your wife.
Yeah, yeah, so we got married recently out in Las Vegas, and so it was a beautiful wedding. Shout out to my wife for basically planning the whole thing. She's all small right now. So yeah, it was an amazing time. Got our families together, and we're continuing to you know, make this, make this journey a beautiful thing, and looking forward to spending some time together out here on the East Coast.
It's the first time we've really.
Been in the same place for a long amount of time now, and it's been it's been great.
So far.
Hey man, congratulations, appreciate that. And that's beautiful that I can see how she loves you and supports you. And so she's a dancer.
Indeed, she's a dancer, very talented dancer, very very talented dancer, tap dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, anything you name it, she got it.
What about you? You cut a rug a little bit. I cannot cut it. I am very stiff.
You know.
You know, I got a little rhythm sometimes, but it's in spurts. She says, she's a dancer, So I'm gonna take a work for in spurts. Though in spurts it's not maintained. You know, you know, everyone's got like a move or something. You know you're feeling.
I got a little too stiff, little movie, got a little little hot little job.
So with the wedding, right, like we know that there's that that first dance, that first moment. Yeah, marrying an actual legitimate dancer, did you have to learn like a whole choreograph thing?
Like what was that? Absolutely? So you know for us we choreographed something.
It was very basic, like there was some traditional dancing in there. But then when the chorus would come we'd have like our little routine that we do just to put a little flair on it, okay, and the flares continue to get a little bit bigger and bigger. But it was it was just enough for me where I was able. I was able to.
Wrap my head around it and actually nail it. It wasn't too technical, man. I wish hopefully.
I know you're not going too but I would love for you to send me that video so I can watch it because I'm sure you did a great job. And the way she's small and supporting you, man, that is a beautiful thing. So again, congratulations on that business now. Yeah, because the husband, you know, that's the most important thing. But now you have a businessman as well. Tell us
about that. Man, You do so many different things, not just for yourself, but you also work to inspire other athletes and other people to get into business.
Tell us all about it, man.
Yeah, for myself, you know, my journey to the NFL and I that conversation that I had with that coach where they told me I was really unique is because for me, I wasn't really aspiring to be in the NFL like that wasn't like my north star. Yeah, and that's because I came from a really, really small town and was grew up in the cowboy life. You know, have ridden bulls in my life, riding horses like that's me in the cowboy hat, like that was me out
there in the cowboy life. And then got into some traditional sports, but continued to progress through that and then you know, found a love for football. That was my best sport. Didn't have any Division one offers or anything like that. I grew up around around entrepreneurs. I grew up building barbier fence in the summers, and if you know anything about manual labor, it's not fun, you know, especially out in the summer. Barbarier fence will definitely teach
you how to work hard. And so that's that was a blessing in disguise. You know, hated every minute of it, but definitely learned how to work. And that mindset has stayed with me ever since, even still to this day. And so going into college, as I mentioned, I didn't have any Division one offers, went to a small school. So my anticipation for me in the future was, Okay, I'm gonna have to get some type of degree and
use my mind to get my next opportunity. And so I really focused on my education and also really took football seriously because I did have a small scholarship and that a Division two, you don't get a full ride, right, and so to increase your scholarship, you got to continue to get all conference, all Americans. So I'm hyper locked
in on football and my education. And that was what it was for me growing up, and that's kind of what has continued to progress me forward into different businesses and things like that, because that's I've always had a passion for it.
And I mean, you've seen so much success in nfol Yes they maybe that wasn't your initial dream, but you made it.
You have this success.
So let's talk about that. Yeah, because you know, going into college, you know, I start my first year. I actually left the day I graduated, Like I threw my hat up in there, and I'm like, I'm going to get acclimated to this team.
I'm going to go dedicate myself.
I'm gonna get up there in the summer and I'm gonna start going to work like I'm ready to work, Like let me get myself going, let me get my opportunity, let me get my life on its feet and start pushing it forward. And for me, it was like, Okay, football is the first thing I can get into. School doesn't start until the fall, but it's the summertime. So I'm up there working out. I got myself a summer job.
I was a rat guy taken down. You know, you want to go down the guns from river, I could take you down the river winnaissance.
Man, That's what it was at the time. Man, you don't have to get it how you live it, you know.
So I had to pay rent somehow, and I was up in the mountains, and so I'm doing that and I'm one of the strongest guys on the team already already lived in the weight room before then.
Like that was my passion.
That was my getaway, and that was my therapy, was getting in the weight room. And my work ethic just because of the upbringing that I had was a lot different than the guys around me.
Like for me, this it.
Wasn't just playing football, Like I'm not just playing football like this, this is my life in my hands right here right Like for me, this is the opportunity that's going to bring me to the next one.
So I can't let this slide. I can't just go about this casually. It's not casual.
There's so much that rides on this for me to have some type of success, because that's going to show and project the magnitude of my next opportunity.
I didn't know if it was gonna be in the NFL.
I thought I was going to be in the business route, so I wanted to make sure I didn't have a ton of debt coming out. So I want to continue to increase my scholarship, so I'm locked in school finally starts. I'm locked in making sure I'm getting good grades, all of that stuff as well. And then you know, my freshman year, there's only three seniors on the team, so leadership was terrible.
Seniors had left or transferred out or quit.
And I remember my freshman year, our first away game, we go on the on the road and everyone's messing around talking during meetings, on their phone during meetings, and our offensive ordinary gets up and he's like, hey, man, does does anyone have anything to say?
And I was I came from a.
Culture we never lost, We didn't lose games, you know, And like I said, this is more than just football to me. And so I was like, I got to say something, you know, and I wasn't really a leader at that time, but I got up in front of him. I hey, coach, I got something. I remember my voice just trembling because I'm so nervous. But I cared so much, and I'm like, you guys are treating this like a vacation. This is some bullshit, like we need to be locked in.
We're here, we're on a business trip, you know. And it didn't come out as as smooth as that, right, because I'm trembling, you know, like nervous. I'm starting to get to your eye because I cared so muchy since you know, I'm eighteen up there, I got some twenty year olds of the room. I'm the young guy, and ever since then, I was a captain. But then, like I just my emotion played into it so much because that was the intensity that our rot to the things
that I'm involved in. And it was no different for my business side as well, as I continued to build, you know, in the real estate. That was my first passion. That was my first thing that I was learning about. I was going to get into oil and gas.
That's what I went to school for. Energy management.
I was going to use capital from that to get into to get into real estate and start house hacking and start house flipping and get into a real estate portfolio.
So that was plan A. I was Plan A.
That was Plan A. I was planning, not a bad plan B or C being an Well, you know, the NFL wasn't planned B. It just wasn't necessarily in the plans at all. Right, it was like, okay, yeah, that would be great if that happened.
But I'm knowing for my school has ever gone the NFL.
So you're trying to use logic to plan out your life as any man is.
Right, thinking of, okay, what's what's a path that if I do well, I can see the most success at the earliest age for myself.
And I had never been around the atmosphere around NFL professional sports at all.
And so after my junior year, well, I had great year my freshman year, you know, Freshman of the year, great sophomore year.
Like there we were. We were terrible. We were terrible.
We want two games my freshman year, four games, four games, and seven games my senior year. But I still average two hundred yards a game and two touchdowns, right, And so I'm I'm out here dominating.
You're getting dominating.
And after my junior year, my coach comes to me and he's like, hey, man, like you have some NFL scouts asking about you.
I'm like, what the heck like NFL scouts. I'm blown.
I'm like, these are like mythical beings to me, right, Like you mean NFL scouts, Like they're calling, they're calling up to Western.
You know, I've never seen one on campus before.
And sure enough, after my senior year, they're on campus and they're watching me practice. And then it became real for me, Like okay, like this is a real opportunity for me. But you know, all throughout my my college career, like I lived in the gym, I do our morning
weight room. We're a team with the team, and then there's like three of us that after weights and after study hall and after school and everything, we'd be back in the gym and we're, you know, we're just being guys, you know, pushing each other.
You know, you gotta get your bigger you know, you can't.
Do that, you know, just just testostero boosting.
Oh yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.
And so that was what we did, and that's how I continue to get really strong and stay really fit in shape. And that was the mentality a year round. And when you're around that type of energy of just push better. It got to be better, it got to be better. Then it just brings in with the mentality
of myself that this is not just a game. This is way more than that, Like you immerse yourself into it, you know, and it's more survival instinct because it's not just I'm just doing this because it's fun and I want an opportunity. It's like, no, this is my life that's on the line. I got to get it done. And that continued to stay with me as I got into the to the league as well. So, like I mentioned, it wasn't that the NFL's Plan B. It just wasn't
in the plans. Until about my junior year it was like, okay, now that's Plan A because that's the bigger opportunity. Now that's on the table, and it's exactly how I treated it. And so for me it was okay, if this is a real thing. I finished my senior year, had another great year, was like one hundred ninety yards a game. Again, it was all right, I'm gonna drop out. I'm just gonna go for it. I'm gonna go for it.
I'm not I'm gonna take the semester off.
I'm just gonna go train because if this is really something that's an opportunity for me, I'm putting every ounce of my energy into it, so that at the end of the day, I can say that was everything. That was everything you could have got for me.
And that's clearly your personality. Your work ethic is everything to you. Right, You're gonna put everything into the main task. So with being an NFL player, you end up becoming one of the best to ever do it at your position. How do you stay that locked in on the NFL but still do all of these other things that you're also locked into.
How how do you jumble to Yeah, So that's kind of the blessing and the curse almost because I've been building myself the way I've been building myself it was business first. I still have built up my capabilities to be able to pursue things in the business world as far as my understanding of real estate. That was really where I first started. And so after I played my rookie year of NFL had some capital.
I had already had.
Plans to start getting into real estate through my business route. Now I had an earlier capital than I was expected. So now I started getting into some house hacking, started buying multi family houses back in Colorado and built up a portfolio there and started to build relationships.
If you've heard anything about.
Business, you know relationships are huge in business, and so I was already starting to accumulate these relationships even before I got into the NFL, And so once I got into the NFL, it just gave me more capital right away.
So now I'm able to deploy even more than I thought I was.
Going to be able to, and really started to build a portfolio of real estate in Colorado, and that just continued to feed my ability to learn and my capabilities to expand, and.
So continued to do that.
Then started my first real estate fund, and we bought a big portfolio out in Kansas City, Missouri. Moved a few house hacking crews or house flipping crews out there, about four of them, and we were flipping some houses ten thirty one and some saving some as well and keeping them in the portfolio.
And now we're looking at Alabama.
And so what the theme of it is, I've continued to expand the capabilities that I have by not only increasing my knowledge, but also supplying supplementing myself with team members that I can trust and put in place to help me build these portfolios up.
And this is all while trying to make it infol rosters, were trying to build a career, because again, you went undrafted.
This isn't the.
First round guy that just has all the time in this world. It's not somebody that just knows they're going to be a starter. You're doing all of this while still trying to make this dream come true.
And so that's why I say it's a blessing and a curse.
Blessing because it allows me to have some type of experience and a lot of different industries and actually go and actually move and actually deploy in those industries. But also a curse because I am I'm so just locked in on building things because I'm obsessed with it.
Like that is who I am.
Like I see an opportunity, I want to build around that because I know that it can it's going to be an opportunity for me to progress my life, to find fulfillment with that, and I want to continue to expand you know, they see I'm not sure at one percent better every day, like how can We continued to compound interest in different ways, and so real estate was the first one. Then started getting into the NFL and started to build a community, and so I started doing streams.
I built a company called Gridiron Gaming Group. We did a bunch of it was basically a bunch of athletes and entertainers I put together in a group and we would like do things around the super Bowl and around the Indy five hundred. We have a driver in there. We did stuff around. We had Alisha Gray from you know, the w W NBA. She went the Olympics, and so we had a good crew in there. Did a bunch of stuff in the streaming world. Learned some stuff from that.
Then I got into tech from that because I realized how hard it is for athletes to really set up their own tech or do fan engagement. So now I've started an app as well, and then I've done I've done a few shows as well, too big in the fantasy space. So the moral of the story behind me after putting a real estate aside is I've realized that there's so much power in community that I want to figure out. And I've been continued to build around communities.
How can I build either build a community, or help others build their community, or help others tap into their existing community. And so that's where my focus is off the field when it comes to my endeavors.
And you've done that.
You've not only done that for yourself, like you said, you've helped others as well. And I guess I talk to you all day also, but I know you're a busy man.
But there's definitely something we got to hit on, and it's experienced.
Yeah, talked about an app you create it tell us all about experience and how people can download, help people be a part of it, tell us all.
So I mentioned I started getting into the tech business, and what I really realized in the especially in the NFL, is that us as players have such a short bandwidth when it comes to things outside of football that we're not really passionate about. There's a few outliers that people are really passionate about something they'll do it all day.
But one of the things that we all have is a community, whether it's from the name on the front of our jersey right here, Washington Commanders or the name on the back.
We have some type of community.
Some type of fan base there, and there's so much value in that. You see that from all the brand deals that get done, and it's like that's great, like make your money on brand deals. But it's like, Okay, are those people really interested in a fifteen percent off you know, coupon.
Sure, maybe they are, but they're more interested.
In what you're doing right and being involved in what you have going on. And so I created Experience to allow outside fan bases to be able to tap into athletes. But knowing that athletes have a short bandwidth, so I made it as easy as possible to do different types
of engagements with people like myself. So if you want to get your jersey signed, or you want to get anything signed in the sports world, you can now go on to Experience and you can go to fan mail and then you buy the fan mail offering and send
in your stuff to get signed. So we have a few of our guys like Marcus Mariota's on there, Jonathan Allen, myself, Luke McCaffrey, So like right now you can go on there and get your stuff signed by our guys, or if you want to like a personalized video, right, if you want to root us on for the game the opener against Tampa, like you can go in there do that, you can have a video chat with us.
So different types of engagements that are on there.
We manage it for the athletes because we know, like I said, their bandwidth is short.
So it's an engagement platform.
So if you want to download it, it's experience and it's spelled e k S as my last name is Ekler, right, experience you know e k s p r uh and then the rest of experience. So yeah, definitely check it out if you want to get something signed. We have have some guys and we have like we have like ninety guys uh in professional sports on there right now, so we'll continue to expand.
All right, man, I'm gonna need my eckless signature to go need Well, you're here.
So the people on the West coast, how they can get their stuff right exactly now, they got to have to do it now.
They can get a sign because they can't come to training camp or be at the games, right, but they can download Experience and it's and that's Apple anywhere, right, Apple, Android, both of them.
Austin. Man, it's been such a pleasure to talk to you.
Man.
I could sit and talk to you all day.
I mean, why even talk exits and those when we got somebody like here, right, But I do have.
To get a man, I'll do it all. Let's do it.
What I do have to ask is my last question, because we do have Tampa Bay coming up.
Yeah, our first game.
When this is your first time we're in an NFL game wearing burgundy and gold, what can fans expect?
Hey?
Man, Look, we have a lot of new pieces in our in our offense, not just off as the whole team, from head coach to ownership to players. And when I was actually talking to Adam about this, I was like, man, like, it's it's really special to see what we've built here as far as guys who've been there, done that, veterans
that have had success in this league. Right, putting ourselves especially on offense around Jaydeen, with guys that have had like I've mentioned, a lot of success and our veterans leaders as well, and really can put Jaden in a great spot to lead us, you know, as a rookie quarterback,
even with Tyler up front at center. And so I don't know what the outcome is gonna be, but I'll tell you this, man, I'm super excited for what we've been seeing a practice and what we've been putting together because we've been putting in the results, are putting in the details, putting in the time to make sure that the results can hopefully be what we desire. We can't control results, but we control our inputs, you know. And
that's what I'm all about. It's it's about it's about getting better, continue to stay on the rise.
And so I can give you that I can give you.
We're gonna give everything we can to make sure that we're winning games out there and putting our best foot.
Forward one percent better every day. Also, that's all we could ask for.
Man. I appreciate you, man, it's been so cool. It's nice to me and wifey.
Man, you know you've got moves to may go explore the city a little bit, Austin.
Thank you so much for your time, brother, for having me on.
It's cerppreciated command this family. Our next man up is somebody extremely special. Nine years in the NFL over eleven thousand, all purpose yards with eighty touchdowns. Two Pro Bowls went to the U played here in Washington. Now, if you hear this brother's name, you think of Washington. When you hear Washington, you think of this brother's name. Our next man up is no other than running back Clinton Porters, Clint.
How you doing, Bro good Man? What's going on?
Oh Man?
Happy to have you here, man, this these are exciting times. And Bro, we saw you on the sideline of our last preseason game at the Crib. It was Commanders Field now it's Northwest Stadium. How they feel to be back on that field, man, I saw you got a lot of love.
Man, It's always good to be back at Let's say, man, you know, I think it bring back so.
Many memories and then just.
The feeling, you know, the smell of the football, the fall season, the fans, everything that we do. It for the stuff that you kind of miss when you retire, you know, not even the competition. It's just the love that you get from the people. So anytime myself on that field, it's always special.
And I saw you had your kids, which you brought the fan with you.
You know a lot of times when we're doing these things, that we're in it and our kids are watching us do it.
It's normal to them.
They don't realize how special their parents are the.
Things that we're doing.
Do your kids realize how special their dad was, and like, really what it is when they step on that field with you.
But you know, I think it's getting to that time now that they're involved in sports and they're having their moment, you know, to leave the field that you know, their juniors being recruited to leave the field and bring them to NFL State Stadium. I think the encouragement just to see like, oh, this is what it's like, you know, I think that was great for them.
So to be able to have them to bring them along.
You know, when their kids, you kind of want them shelter from it right that they're getting into their own and at the point of this could be you, you know, and the next year or two, you know, you step it on college fields and receiving a receptions. Just trying to make sure you understand like all this goes with it. It's not just on feel you know, you got to
be the people's person. You got to be for your fans, you know, like to see that twenty sixth jersey throughout the stadium and it's like people don't even know you there, but like, hey man.
You know what nice jersey.
Let me sign that or to see that one of that eighty nine, you know, like it's just one of those Like we ten fifteen years removed from doing anything and you're still getting to love. So just trying to teach them how to deal with people, how to appreciate the fans, how to make sure the fans know going above and beyond taking pictures, signing some autographs, like you know, like this comes with it.
Man, that's great to hear, and I'm glad you're getting the flowers you deserve because again, man, like if you asked me about Washington growing up, I'm thinking about Clinton Port it's off the rip or Sean Taylor, right, So you like, that's how heavy your name was, and that's how much you did for this fan base. Let's talk about the vibes and the energy of the actual facilities and the players and the coaching staff. You were around for a few coaching staffs. You got to see a
lot of things. How is this time different because we've heard from all of the ledgers about the energy is just different.
The energy is just different. How has it been different for you?
I think in talking to the players, you know, talking to Jonathan Allen, talking talking to Crowder, the expectations, you know, understanding what's expected of you, having it clear, it's already laid out. These are the standards. You know, you got a standard, this is what we'll buy by, this is
what we do and getting it done. So when you don't have that standard, when you don't have that discipline, when you don't have that identity, I think it's harder for players, you know, because everybody kind of and chaos and creative, and all of a sudden you got a voice and coach Quinn, you got a new ownership group with a different vision. You got so many intricate pieces
that want to see you. When you know, just the energy for the city to be back in position of like exciting, you know, to have energy to want to be at the stadium. Would it being no distractions and just about football? You know, I think it's been quiet for a couple of years and now it's like switching over to it's about football at the end of the day, wins and losses, and you want to see a winning product.
And I think what helps with that excitement, right is a rookie like Jaden Daniels, having a rookie quarterback like that that could come out and just be dynamic. What have you seen from Jaden and grown eyes and what have you heard from you know, coaches, former teammates about Jaden Dames.
Well, I think when you look at Jayden Daniels, just his has his path to the NFL. You know, I
saw him at Arizona State. Then seeing at LSU, you know, to actually be a fan, to see the progress, to see the work you put in, how your how your teammates started you at Arizona State compared to the appreciation and love you got at LSU, the elevation it took, you know, how you lifted the team, uh and carry the care the a story franchise, you know, and then you go out and you win the heism and then all of a sudden you're second pick in the draft.
You know, you come out in.
The draft with a lot of quarterbacks, you kind of jump, you know, jump through the hurts. I thought he was the best quarterback uh in college football. So to be able to land him and put weapons around him without the distraction. I think his play making ability and all that speak for itself, you know, having an opportunity to speak with him on the sideline. The advice I gave my sman, the city would love you. Just go out
and perform. This city would love you. You don't have to get into it back and forth, you don't have to listen to the nay sayers. Go out and perform the city. The city I love you. And you know, I think he was really receptive to that advice.
I mean, when it comes to rookies, I don't know if any rookie came into the league and had an impact like what you did, right, grinning offensive Rookie of the Year when you came in.
Talk about that advice you gave the Jaden.
What advice would you give to rookies as a whole on being able to be successful and find success in that first year in the NFL?
Man, You know, like for me coming in as rooky, I was the second round draft pick and that created the biggest chip on my sup of pine. You know a lot of these kids don't have a chip. They don't have it. I made it, you know, I made it. You haven't made a play for me, going in the second round was like a slap in the face saying four guys go in front of me that. I felt like, you gotta be kidding, you know, and aunt put the body of work together.
You know. It was like one of those.
Animosity like, Okay, every team I play, I got to make sure they understand they should have drafted me. I got to make them wish you know what, we messed up. We should have took this kid. And you know that's what I set out to do. It was all just, man, I'm proving people wrong.
You know.
For two years, I'm proving doubters wrong. I'm proving haters wrong. All the people who say, oh, this kid should have went in front of him, or oh this was the second round pick.
That used to fuel me.
So I think for guys now, you got to find something to fuel you. You got to go out and compete a lot of these guys. It's just hey, man, I'm here, I'm getting this paycheck.
You know, I've arrived.
Compared to playing for the name on the back of the jersey that used to mean something like you wanted for this to be a household name. You know, I think Sean T. Wanted Taylor to be a household name, saying Tanna wanted Moss to be a household name. It wasn't about the paycheck. We were all get to pay check, like all right, we got this check now what you know what I mean? So I think it was just
honest with self. When it comes to playing football, A lot of us just like man, I you know I played today, Well I called a pass.
The hell you play receiver?
They throw the ball, that's the standard, you know, Like I don't want to just be average. I want to be above above, you know, I want to be household name.
And in order to become a household name, especially that young right, it's not just a chip on your shoulder. It's also the people around you that give you that game, give you that advice, helping show you like hey man, listen, stay focused on the main goal. Who are those people that helped inspire you, that helped to lead you and just give you game while you were youngster?
Oh man, For me, I had the I had the pleasure of being at the youth and then going to the Broncos. So at the you, I think everybody, big dog was edged.
You know.
Then when you play with guys, the Dan Morgan's, the the Santana, the Reggie Wayne and Jeremy Shock and and Andre Johnson, like you kind of pick it up. Then when you get to the NFL, I got Rod Smith, I got Shannon Sharp.
Terrell Davis, like Al Wilson, Ian Mobley.
You know, you had so many players, Delta O'Neil, Like, you had so many leaders that came off of a Super Bowl team, so they were used to winning. They knew what the Sanders was, they knew what to expect, so it was easy for me to like faul nne You know, people always ask like, what was the difference in you and Denver and you in d C. And always I'm like, d C. I had to grow up d C be the fact, you know, I was faced
on the team of carrying an organization. It's kind of like year three, I get this opportunity in my expectations changed, Like you're the face of an organization in Denver, I'm like fifteenth on the totem pole.
You had so many guys there from you know.
Veterans that were leaders that had been in this community, that had won championships. Brian Greasie, you know, your fresh off of l Way. Tps still around, like Eden McCaffrey, Like you're talking about class acts. You got all of these guys, and then you come to a different situation. It's kind of like I got to take what I learned and bring it here. But everybody forget like I'm twenty two years old when I come.
Yeah, and you talk about that Denver to Washington transition. Let's talk about that for a little bit. Because you got traded. It was a big trade, probably one of Denver's biggest trades. When you ask the fans, what goes through your mind when you.
Hear that news?
You know, two years you're killing it out in Denver, then you get traded. Man, what's the first thing you think about when you hear that news?
Denver biggest trade I think is still one of the NFL's biggest trades.
For sure.
Me for Champ Bailey and what turned out to be Tatum Bill. I thought that was huge because I was a Champ Bailey fan. You know, growing up, Champ Bailey Charles Wilson were really like the last two going both ways in college. So everybody kind of had that vision, like, well, I want.
To be like Champ. I want to be like like would like and then to get trade of.
Him, of course as an honor, you know, and then everybody look at the careers like, oh well Denver won to trade or you know how it went. I would never say that, you know, I think the impact on the game. I think it worked out for both for what he took to Denver, for what he did and did in Denver to be able to go out was great.
But I think what I did in d C, what I was actually doing d C, the development I got uh to to have then honor plan for coach Gibbs, like Man, I was to go from Shanahan to Gibbs. You can't Shanahan is up here, you know, it's hard to find a better coach, and then you go to coach Gibbs, who probably one of the most humble, winning is people in life of all time.
You know.
So I thought it was great and you hit the ground running literally when you got here.
Man, I don't think anybody has had a debut for Washington like you had first carry housed sixty four yards to the crib. Take us back to that moment, man, because again you're you know, you have these expectations put on you that you said, right, you're here to be the face of the team, You're here to be this leader.
And then you go in housing like that. Man, take us back to that moment.
Man, you know, I just I think when you look at the Lavernius, when you look at Chris Samuels, when you look at LeVar, you know, just the team coming together, that was a moment, like the momentum that carried over from that first place. It was just, hey man, here go my debuty stadium rocking like many think.
You know, these people don't know who I am.
You know, like these people think, oh man, we just lost a great which you did, but you didn't. You didn't get no no shabby player in return. It was one of those like let's make make our stamp and everything open up, you know, the old line. That thing opened up and it was just like, oh, here here you go. You know, you couldn't have drawn that up. I don't think anybody in their right mind could have been like, hey man, this this is gonna happen.
You know.
It's a taken to the house just to see the reaction. Like if you look at the camera view of that, like it's Rocke you know what I mean, how often do you get that?
And that's gonna always be an iconic.
Like you talk about an iconic moment like that, But you had a lot here in Washington. What is your favorite memory when you sit back and look about your time with Washington, what is one of your favorite memories that you can share with us.
Man, that phone call on draft day to get Shanty. I think that tops anything that I've done on the field, you know, just that that steadiness, Hey, Shan te Shanty, we need Shan and and for it to happen, you know, I think for that to happen, and then we go
out in the phone call to get Santana. Just those moments, the stuff that you don't see wasn't really on the field, but once we started taking the field, when we're coming out of the tunnel, uh, and you just got you know which we had more guys, But just at the end of the day, we knew, hey man, it's gonna come down to how we play like we carry this We made this thing and go and it was just that bond, you know, when you think back, when you see it or when when people talk about it or
discuss it, it's like you can't mention one with doctor other, you know, and and uh, that's not often you look at teams that won Super Bowls, you have that before a team that you know, won one playoff game, you don't. So I think to create that bond was was really special. You know. That's one of those When you think of
Troy Aight, mean, you like Michael Hervey, Emmitt Smith. When you think of the Buffalo Bills, you like Jim Kelly, Thrman, Thomas Andre Reid, you know, Saning fran Montana, Young Rice, Roger Craig. You know, it's like it go hand in hand with winning. But most of the time, when you think of the Skins, unless you're thinking about the Super Bowl teams, uh, which which Gary and Art Monk and all those guys as Joe, you know, just Darryl Green, it's us.
You know, it's us, and it's hard.
To change it. Even fifteen years later. You know, Chanty died No. Seven, so seventeen years later, that's still may we go hand in hand.
And CP all the sacrifices, all the hard work you put in paved the way for so many others, Sean Taylor as well, all these guys that you mentioned, y'all paved the way for this new era that is the Washington Commanders, and we have some tough dogs in the backfield with b Rob and Austin Eckler from the OG himself. Man, how excited are you to see those two paired up because you know, back in the day, man, you had to just be the workhorse all carry it all the downs.
Now you see a different NFL where it's two guys working in tandem. What do you expect to see from them?
Well, you know, like it's crazy because I feel like back in the day as the workhorse. When I think of Ladell, Betts and rock Cart, Mike said, for what we did as a unit, you know, uh, the expectations amongst us, I feel like we were we were a group, like our relationship, like everything, we were a group. And then to go to see the form of the NFL where they it's kind of forced, like, hey, everything is a tandem, like I think we understood, like here go my moment, lead dog when I come out, here go
your opportunity. But to not be selfish, because I think Laddell still did his thing amongst me, having you know, the yards that I had Laddell when he got his opportunity, came in and capitalized, or Rock came in and capitalized. So now it's kind of like this running back by committee, and you don't really get the you don't get to
grind it out. You don't get to feel the effects of the running game like we used to just ground and pound, where you're gonna get consecutive carries and you move in the chain and you know you're getting the crowd into it. So now it's kind of like every down you're running on and off the field, so you don't really get it in simple So to be able to see b Rob and Austin come together, you know,
you gotta make the same work. It's not like Austin is just a third down back, Like right, this people making plays and he's here to make plays.
So to be able to see.
Them and how they're gonna one two or play off for each other, it's gonna be exciting. And then I mean, you forgot we got Terry, you know, you got you got Jade, so you got zach Ertz, you know, like these these people that made plays in the NFL, So you got weapons around you to go out and get it done.
And CP is so cool to see you when it's like man as the as the father, as the ogs, as the veteran mans, it's so cool to see this and talk to you and like any human being, right, we all go through our trials and tribulations, right, we all have life things that happen. But you been somebody that has said I am leaving my past in the past, and I want to move forward. That is something that all of us want to do. But it's so easier
sit and done. How have you managed to move forward in your life and be a father, be this old g vet for these guys? Man, what is advice you can give the people that are also trying to just get past trials and tribulations?
Man, that's life, you know, if you have trials and tribulations in life, doing something wrong, you know, I think the definition of icon, you know, you think of the people, you know, the story that overcome and adversity like you want to overcome, you know, like you don't want anything easy, although you know some of the things I experienced, of course I would love to erase. But at the same time, I'm not ducking those smoke. I'm not dodging it, you know,
like it's part of life, man. And you know, things went bad or things went good. You know, people, people celebrate, people sell break, you different, you know. So for me, it's just kind of one of those grounded, stand level head above water, making sure, you know, the next generation, the younger generation, however I can.
Help them avoid to do it.
You know. Everything else is like, man, A lot of people look at it as hey, man, you know what he dealt with this.
I look at.
Myself as like the stand up individual because the stuff I dealt with I shouldn't have been dealing with and I had nothing to do with. But at the same time, to be able to save your face, to be able to look yourself in the mirror, like man, I'm a stand up individual, you know what I mean. I'm a strong individual. I'm Laura Mississippi, bread born and raised. So amen, el I'm gonna walk through hell. Hey dash jack gasoline on me. Man to that last bro, I'm gonna keep doing it.
See p men.
I believe you in that, man, and thank you for being such a stand up guy and taking the time with us in of course, on that note, what do you got going on? And what do you work and on what the things that people can follow in and support you.
Man, you know myself, London Fletcher, Nate Clements, Antoine, but theay doctor Marty Connor. We got a youth, a youth movement going on here in the Carolina's. Carolina Prospect got by twenty five to twenty seven kids that we're trying to help get in college. I mean, these kids are blowing up right in front of our eyes. You know, we take these kids to college kind of hand deliver them to coaches, and the same caught on fire.
In one year.
You know, we went from zero offers and zero stars. So we got a couple, couple four stars, about eighty ninety offers amongst the group in one year. I think that's been ourstanding. And then you know out by Dallas Airport we're gonna drop this. Taco Chinos should be opened November. So man, we're gonna do our thing. Man, come out of support. We're gonna figure out how to get involved with the team, maybe get one in the stadium, so Taco Sunday instead of Taco Tuesday.
So look forward to that. Man that just keep on vibing.
I see pe man I live right next to ID so Man, I'm hoping I can get some free tacos.
Man, definitely can get some free tacos.
All right, CP, I appreciate you, man, Thank you so much for your time. Again.
Man, we're so happy to have you back in the fall. Man, don't be a stranger. It's great to see you, man, and good luck with all your endeavors. And yeah, man, talk to you soon.
Hey, all right, man, take care of appreciate.
You, command his family.
Our next man up is somebody extremely special that took the time out of his busy schedule to come kick it with us. He's driving through the hills of Connecticut, so don't judge him for his bad service.
But we got a very.
Special NFL insider as our next man up. Commander, Family, our next man up is no other than NFL insider, one of the best to ever do it, mister Adam Scheff Adam.
We appreci to Tom, sir.
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
Oh man, this is great. I mean, we're getting you in one of the busiest times of year for you. There's a lot of things moving on. I could tell you got their phone buzzing right now, So we appreciate your time. But I have to give you a little walk down memory lane real quick because we actually got to work together a few years back when I was at ESPN as a PA, and you are always so kind and nice and so professional. So I just wanted to start off by saying thank you, and it's great to see you again.
Ron, thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
And uh, it's great to be with you today.
Yes, sir, and you have been a busy man, especially with the Commanders. It seems anytime we have something breaking, Adam Schefter is the one on the case. What has it been like from you seeing this off season unfold for the Commanders.
Oh, there's been a lot of change obviously, when you change the coaching staff, when you change the front office, and then you change the quarterback. Those are the most important positions in an organization. And the Commanders it went three to three, there are in terms of making changes. So they brought in some people that I think have a chance to be really good. Dan Quinn is very well respected, very well liked. Adam Peters has got a great reputation as the general manager, has the chance to
do some great things for the Commanders. And if Jaden Daniels is what they hope and think he is, then rocket ship to the moon, because that's where it all starts. You have to have the quarterback. And if they've got the quarterback, then that franchise is going to be said. You know, I imagine it would be a little bit like when RG three came in as a rookie before
he got hurt. Everybody was really excited. He played well, went into the opening game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans and lit them up, lit them up and led the Commanders or Redskins to an upset victory. And obviously you guys are hoping now that Jayden Daniels.
Can do the same.
And Adam, like you said, right, I'm here and I see it. But you you're on the national media. You have gotten to see all of these different AFAL teams. You're covering them every single day. So in your perspective, where are the Commanders at right now? And what do you expect to see from them this season?
You know again, well, I'm expecting improvement and the question is how much improvement?
Right?
And I think anything is possible in Washington, this upcoming year, I think there's gonna be vast improvement. And look, the roster has holes. It's a new gene. The newsine just took over. It's gonna take some time, but it feels like with the three main pieces that they've assembled that we talked about, that you're on the pack to building what you want to build. That's what it feels like to me.
And you've seen so many different rookie quarterbacks come in and come out with a lot of expectations. What have you seen so far from Jayden Daniels that makes you think you know what he might be the one?
I haven't seen enough of him, to be honest with you. You've seen more of him than I have. I've seen him in a preseason game. So again, I just know what other personnel people were saying to me during the draft process. I had a couple of people who's opinion I respect independent of each other, both say to me that they felt like Jaden Daniels had a real chance to be Lamar jabs two point zero. Now that doesn't mean he will be, but it means he's got a
chance to be. And sports is about memories, it's about hope, and there's hope that Jaden Daniels can be exactly what other people believe he can be, which is Lamar Jackson two point. Now if he is that, If he is, what can this team do? And the answer would be anything, anything if he's not good, But we don't know that yet. We're wait in to see and that's the exciting, intriguing part of the upcoming season.
And we'll get a good taste of that in Week one when we head over to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. What do you expect to see from that game? And do you feel Tampa Bay is the proper test for a rookie or there will be still more questions because Tampa Bay isn't that you know, Green Bay Packer team, that's that premier playoff team that gives in.
Tampa Is it not?
Yes, sir, Any road game for a rookie quarterback is gonna be tough, toking with. So Jaden Daniels is gonna have all the kid no again, And I don't know how it's gonna work. If he is what they think, He's gonna go out and ball and what are we gonna see like that's one of the great exciting questions of week one, right, So we'll see how.
That works out.
And and we're gonna let you go because we know you're busy. We know there's a lot of breaking news coming up, but you are mister breaking news. So if you had to just give us a guess on what moves you see the commanders making in the near future, what would you say that would be?
Well, they just made a ton of him right today, they signed Noah Brown, the former Texans wide receiver who I've been alike. I think that guy can make place. He's gonna join their active roster. They needed some receiver help and they get it and Noah Brown. They traded John Ridgeway, the defensive tackle, to the Saints in a late round swap. They traded John Dodson last year. Like they've been busy and active. Like you know, you can't make all these moves every single day. So they've made
a lot of moves. They're gonna continue to make more moves, and they're gonna keep trying to build this the right way.
Adam, thank you so much for your time.
We appreciate you giving us a national perspective from a true NFL inside of animal.
I hope I'll talk to you soon. Good to see you again.
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate it. Have a great season.
You two have a great one and enjoy your rest of your day.
Thank you, my friend.
Take care.
Got to hear it twice