Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Logan Paulson here with a guy who's not as fast as he thinks in the Fred smoot and one of my favorite guys ever played with guy he is.
As fast as don't worry about it.
That's all right, Okay, we're gonna get there. So how was the weekend?
Ben?
Everything going good?
Man? Life is great?
Oh dude, how's your daughter doing? Because she's got that best.
She's ranked number seven in the state of Virginia as a point grade hid greater and she's ranked number seven out of all like out of twelfth grade, eleventh grade.
She is shooting guarder, she's a point going and she's five nine.
I bet she got more gain.
You could just swow you head man. Seeople need to understand. I played ball at Mississippi State.
Too, like you played basketball Missippi State.
They did the lie that they do it all us on sign and that right, we're gonna sign you to a dual scholarship.
You're gonna play a point going in ConA. Ben, you know how they do that.
They let me practice like I prayed, like two weeks after the football season.
I actually got to play against Arkansas.
A little bit, But yeah, I was a basket. I was always built like a basketball.
What did you uh, what position did you play?
Pot? Go?
And then like how did you play in that game? We get turkey, Well we think about it is.
I was a mixture between they used to call me Russell Curry. I was a mix between stiff Curry and you.
Can't be Russell Curry because they came after you're older than Fred.
No.
No, I shot the three.
Like my coach be like, why to hear you shoot so bit of three? I like this the quickest way to thirty points. I don't need to I don't need to take a ten shot.
You're ahead of your time.
I was ahead of my time.
Ninten, How you doing? Man?
Like I could believe everything you said? Yeah, the quickest way to thirty points?
Shots sun shots by man.
Look you know me, man, I keep it. Covid steading over Koba.
All right, So we just finished up with kind of OTA's mini camp off season. Right now we're gonna do some training camp Superlative Social Awards and then who we hope kind of wins. He's kind of looking at it based on Mini camp ot as looking to training camp what's going on? So the first one we got, it's got that swagger, It's got that swagger. Something about that guy, and you just you just fired up to see him in training camp. Who you got?
Who got? You know, I'm gonna stick on the offensive side. You know a guy that walked that walk. I don't have to talk that talk. It's something about Terry.
Something about Terry.
I'm a big Jahann fan when it comes to just his natural ability to be a receiver. I feel like that guy is just like if you say, if you had to pick Jahann and say name Jahann to be like one of your favorite artists or you know, you know musicians that has just like the it factor, he would be like Tupac to me, I'm gonna tell you why not not because of how how loud he was just charismatic, you know what I mean. Just he was so he confident in what he can do.
You know.
But Terry is just like it ain't even about swagger. It's just like he's laying up on the field. I got you like, Bro, you look at Terry and you can watch him all week in film and say, Okay, I see what he's doing on that together.
And then the game you can't no answer for it, you.
Still can't stop it. So I feel like his game swag. And we look at swag as how I got carried Ussel. He looks he's a tired. I'm talking about just a guy that just know I'm dominant. That's a swagger to to me, He's just a dominant person. He's a dominant human being that any any way possible, he gonna get the job done.
And he doesn't really have that like traditional like dominant swagger, you know what I mean. He's just he just does.
A cool, humble dude, but he's just confident and sure about himself, like he knows he's gonna dominate because he studied, you know what I mean. He's one of those guys he knows you before before you probably even know yourself, you know what I mean. He's going to study that guy he's going against and he's gonna he's gonna defeat him.
Every time.
Tell you who got this swag coming out of from the time he walked up in his building.
Then a man, you will.
Give you a hard time friend about that because you bring him up every time we talk. But I actually was gonna say Rod this year with.
A man, I'm just saying you you you see that swag.
I've been hearing Aboudy too.
I've been here him watching a guy like Terrry just talking about Tarry, him coming right in and saying, you know what, okay with Tearry in front of me, no problem. Put Johnson in front of me, no problem. Like that swagger is coming out of his poor as it stinks so.
Good, no, I think so. And for him to have all those like kind of one on one situations in o t is a mini camp with Terry, one with Johan one communication in the back end.
I mean, he just yeah, he's a pro. He's a It's I'm scared to say this because I don't like jumping the gun. He's a pro already.
Man, He's a pro.
Something about him that just it just it reminds me of Sauce Guard the same things. Like when he came in, I was looking at him. I was questionable to him. I'm like, boy, he dominated in cottage and I'm watching him over there last year with the jests and I'm like, God, this dude really came in his league and say I don't need I don't need a rookie season. I'm here today to take over, you know. So I'm hoping that we can get the same kind of you know play
out of forest. If we get that kind of play that you know show last year, ye, man, we're gonna win. We're gonna win.
So for me, because you took my pick, which I should have I should have anticipated you see, that's on me. So that's my I'm gonna actually say Montes sweat and it's more. It's more that I hope that he gets to that level.
You like Mississippi State though I.
Do like Mississippi State even though you went there. I do like it, but I do I think Montees, like you know, he didn't do a lot during training camp det his mini camp, but I feel like he's just poised, right, He's poised for a big year, contract year. You talk about the back end, all the stuff that they've been doing. I just think he's gonna come out in training camp and like kind of set the foundation for a big year.
It's funny you say that because me and London interview sweat.
His energy was just like it was. Man, I ain't thinking about all this old stuff. I'm just happy to go play football. He is there, and you're right, it's there, and it's set up for him to dominate.
Just to add to that too, if you watched closely these guys play last year, Sweat was so clod o every sack. Ye could have easily had so many more sacks. And when you have a guy that's just like knocking at the door and haven't really, you know, knocked it down yet, it's only it's only right for the next year to be that year from them. I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. I know he went home saying, damn what, I didn't do what? And then it was sometimes he missed a second hold on to a guy
and let him go. So I just I'm with you with that. I think he's a guy man that you know, this is his year, you know, making a break it. You know, this is the year. We don't give him a lot of you know, praise anyway, because so many other guys that we talk about, the guys in the inside talk about Chase Young and Sweats out there making plays every time.
So I agree, and I think you know you mentioned like the hits he led. He was fourth in the NFL. He had twenty three.
Quarterbacks right the number seven, the number seven edge Russia in the league right now through PFL number seven.
That says a lot.
He's he's ready, So hopefully he's got that swagger, and I hope we're talking about him getting paid here sooner rather than later. All right, Next one is hometown hero. This is kind of a tough one. I think started off front.
No, not not really.
I started out, Okay, of course, I'm.
Gonna tell you who it's gonna be. It's gonna be Chase Young.
Okay.
Actually truly, I like him the whole time, Hero.
I like him from here, born and raised, and I think when you look at Chase, I think we gotta stop forgetting that this dude has never seen hard times ever when it came to sports. He's six fifty pounds his whole life, he's just been huge, larger than life. Number two pick always been there, and now we are seeing him go.
Through some drama.
I think he comes out the back end of that ready to play some football.
I think he gets this fan base.
Yes, yeah, I think there everything says, all right, let me go out here and play some football.
Then you know I'm gonna go to Jay Allen's hometown hero. I mean, I could have put him in any spot on because he everything about him. Man, he just goes out there and play the game where it's supposed to be. And hell, he holds everybody accountable for what they're supposed to do. And you really get guys like we had Fletch and Flesh would speak out when it was time. But Johnathanna seems like he's just always in somebody's face, always letting guys know when they fall short, even it's
best of friends. When I saw him in paying go at it, I knew, I said, you know what this. I like that at the end of the day, you got those both those guys are dominant male after you know, uh males to go at each other and let him know and he the battle you ain't right or you didn't do what you're supposed to do. You need that because a lot of guys don't do that to each other.
They have those relationships and that those friends where I'm not gonna cross that line, you know, and and get on him about some I might say it to him, but it's not gonna be in the demeanor that he feels offended. Jay I don't don't care who you is. So you know, he's a guy. He's a home time.
Yeah. I like that, and especially he's such a good leader on the team, like you mentioned, and uh, Chase Young loved that one. I'm gonna go with one. It's a little bit of a reach, a little bit outside the box here for me. I'm gonna go Sam Howe. And it's more that it's more that I'm hoping, right, I'm hoping that he comes into training camp looks sharp. It looked pretty sharp throatas me. Camp had a couple up and down days, but it's.
Overall I want him to have those now.
Right, And I hope that people are chanting his name like there were chanting Taylor hanning his name last year. That he inspires this fan base, he gets us motivated. And again, like, we'll have to see what training camp looks like.
But that's what I'm the last quarterback that started for this team from the state of North Carolina with Sonny Jergerson, all right, and this kid can bring what Sonny brought to the organization.
So hopefully we can get that back.
Yeah, I'd be imagine it'd be awesome. You know, we talked about the arm, we talked about the quick release guys seemed to be spawning him as a leader, which I think is very important.
Enemy is the most important part of the day out for effect is a defensive player.
For the first month, defenses are not going to know how to play this offense.
Yeah, so he gonna have the element of surprise for the first month more than anything. So at the end of the day, I'm telling you right now, he's gonna start off fast. My big question with him what happens when they do study what you do and now what are you going to do to take it to the next one?
Yeah, when they get a feel for him. And I totally agree with you. I think that, like Eric b Enemy's relationship to that is going to be so critical. Right the screens r pos eliminating his is like really high leverage stuff.
But saying that, we are tear. We've been a terrible screen team for like the last five years.
But you know in the last in mini camp, right the hit it too. That would have been touchdowns like eighty yard touchdowns to Gibson and one a big play sixty yard played to b Rob. So it's there. It's happening. Yes, it's coming, all right. So road warrior, all right, guy that is just a dog on the road.
No, no, no, Cam curR would be my guy. He likes to play on enemy territory. I love like I was an enemy territory. Like when you talk trash, enemy territory brings out the best.
But a lot of trash does he do on so quiet?
No, Cam Curl is that guy that it seems to be like. And maybe it's an Arkansas thing when when they back against the wall he plays his best. So I'm gonna say my world warrior is Cam Curl. I think if we go back at the end of the year and compare his stats on the road to home, I think he will have better stats.
On the road.
Take a page from your book, Logan, and I'm gonna say who I hope to be a road warrior. I believe when you when you when you travel, you have to have especially offensively, you have to have a great run game. You gotta be able to slow things down and be able to control the football game. I need to be robbed to be warrior. I need him to be able when we need to slow all this other stuff. This misdirection, all the stuff we can do, especially with our skill guys, I need to have a pound that
that's gonna hit you in the mouth. I need our run game to show up. And that's what I believe. You know, b Rod would come in at because he's already showed us that he can play football. But I think when teams get to that level of seeing many postseasons bursts and you know, half potential Super Bowl hopes, it's when they can run the ball anywhere, and you need it on the road, when you have the fans
in your ear. You know, you can't sit up there be talking about checking out of the cadence and going to the past game. You need to be able to say, now you've been a pound this so we can shut y' all up and then we're gonna hit you deep down the field with great.
Great call on that one, because that takes me back to Philadelphia last year, Philadelphia when we went up there and beat them.
He was one of guys, why So that's great right there?
Lo, how you go back that one up, that's a tough one, because that's that's an excellent one. That might be a favorite one that we've said so far, I'm gonna say Johan Dotson actually, and I think in conjunction with that run game, in conjunction with that physicality, you got to step up and make big plays. And he just had a knack kind of for finding those big opportunities and making those big plays irrespective of where it
was at. But I think having that guy with Terry, who was always you know, Terry could have literally been every single one of these. But you know, like I think Johan kind of be that, you know, that that robbing to his batman kind of thing in those big games on the road we're gonna have, we have some tough road games this year. I'd like to see him step up and make some movie. All right, all right, So next one, and this one's interesting because I'm excited
to hear what Fred's got to say. Just a doll and we ain't.
Tell about Mississippi State down.
I guess what a dog is?
A dog?
Swet is just a doll. You don't understand me, Just a just a doll. And guess what, Not only is it contract year?
Not only was he an inch away from twenty sex last year?
Not only is he.
Just wow, look at this guy over here, no, if you look at PFL, yeah no, he was top five into the quarterback last year. I'm with you, but twenty's a lot of sacks, bro.
But guess what if he just hold on the people he would have had sem team last year, like.
They're not too far.
Also, I have to remind people we have the best and I'm not going on limb.
We got the best defensive line in football.
I think that we got the best defensive line in football, and I will repeat it with anybody. We have Chase Young at one end, Montel sweating the other with pain out of it.
We got the best offense, I mean defensive line. Why not?
I could easily say I can out of my starters. We could easily get forty sacks.
Yeah, absolutely, I mean that's I mean, okay, let's maybe let's talk about that for a second. So with regards to the defensive line, for me, after after that rousing speech, I would say, the whole d line is just a dog, like don't those guys don't Yeah, you got everyone there, Williams John Ridgeway had a Bridgeway is dead boy at Accellent's just had whole groups of dog. What is the actual expectation for that group this year? Is it ten sacks a guy? Is it forty sacks for the unit?
Like what? Cause you know they there's they've.
Under five sacks and the whole group.
And just kind of being a dominant group.
No, I'm talking about taking over ball gas.
Yeah.
I remember when I was playing in the Ravens had Sarah Gusa, they had to real sucks.
They had like the D line was it? This line reminds.
Me of them different different stylistically, but yeah, yeah.
Yeah, but I'm looking for them to go over and take like because the only thing they were missing was a back end that made the quarterback hold the.
Ball for one tenth of a second. Where they got that this year.
So I'm just saying, this could be the best defensive line ever assembled for one year. And don't forget you know how it's players played with his kind of track year both ends up on the It's true.
So I'm just saying, yeah, no, I agree, And it's lofty expectations, you know, but it's it's definitely possible because they are some talented sons of gun San. You got somebody after that. I mean, why don't we just stay with that just the defensive line.
The defensive line, and they are dolls of this group. They are special.
So I agree. I think like that whole group name we named all eight of them. You know, f a Obota is a guy that didn't get through. But that's that's a good group.
But I mean, we're gonna have to cut good players.
Yeah, he said the d lining and I was already talking about it, you know, I was. I was leaning towards Pain.
Yeah.
I believe just the way Payne plays the game. I mean, he's he's that dog. He's gonna go get his bone every time.
Yeah, and you know it's funny we talked about PFF of the defensive line had the highest pass rate pass rush Win Waight last year.
Yeah, so I haven't seen a guy that play inside be as dominant. And won't get me wrong, we got Allen on the same squad. But I haven't seen a guy in a single season be as dominant as Pain since Aaron Donald had that year where he just dominated everybody. I mean, they had the Super Bowl. I think the years before the Super Bowl he even played better. But but the year was one of those years that stood out, you know what I mean?
And they free each other up because you can't double team anybody like your officer line has to go into the game and say, you know what you got, John, You got to run like you.
Have to like single up and that's gonna get you beat every time.
No, I agree, Okay, So dogs d Lion, I love it. Just a hog, just a guy on the offensive line that you're excited to see.
Right.
And it's tough with the offensive line this year because they didn't do a lot in ots in mini caamp right, just because of how practice was structured a lot of past game emphasis. Is there somebody that you said, Wow, I'm really excited to see what they got going.
I'm jumping. I'm gonna jump the gun with this one. And I think it rightfully so that this guy deserves
a little recognition and attention. I think Chris Paul. Okay, Chris Paul showed me some last year when he got his little spot, he got his little chance to go out and saying to myself like, well damn, you had that in you all year alone, and so and just know how things was, you know been played, you know with the officer line, the musical chairs of the officer lineman I mean, it seemed like the revolving door of Lineman was the last few years what was going on
with Chris Paul to not get a nod, not get that opportunity to finally get it and to play well. So now you're a year removed from that. Now it's all the other guys have been added that can play your position. I want to see him be that guy. I want to see him be just the hog and say, guess what I'm here.
I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna.
Put my ten toes in the ground and I'm gonna let you know this is my spot. Now. You could come and play with me because I know how we do things that they might need me somewhere else throughout the course of the year. But guess what when when we when we kick off things, I'm the guy that you got to call.
It.
Ain't nothing like being down south and walking into a gas station and seeing that pickle pig feet.
Job right there on it. I'm right there, old on this death. So he could be if he I'm gonna tell you who I'm going with.
I'm going with Wiley, the guy we just signed, because he just was in the Super Bowl. He just proved that he can play at the top of the line football. He's a champion. He got a ring on his finger. The last hog we had here with a ring on his finger. That was Dare Green's days, that was Jacoby all the rest of those guys. So I'm gonna go with the one guy on the offensive line with a ring on his finger.
Yeah right, I'm going with.
Why Well, so just the hog guy. I think a guy who's tough. I think the guy who's smart, guy who likes football. And it's like gritty, got a little gritty like kind of rolling around in the mud. And that's Nick Gates. Me. Man, you watch him in OJ is loud. He is boisterous, he's getting the protection called he's got. And when you watch this film from last year,
he's a nasty dude. Yeah, he plays nasty place of an edge, and I think he's a guy that's gonna hopefully the young guys kind of gravitate to that personality and we get a whole bunch of kind of salty.
We need a lot of We need a lot of Gates because we need that nasty player the officer line. We need all officer line to be the national office and line ever get to the point to where the nasty and the team we win the championship.
Yeah so yeah, so I think if if that, if that happens, Chris Paul's isshowing, it's a I think it's another kind of compelling one because he's gonna started that get mean. Yeah, and he's a tremendous athlete. Lot of athletes so interesting. Okay, So based on OT's mini camp, who caught you sleeping? Who was somebody that you were like? Man, they had a really good period or whatever it was, and I'm excited to see what they got in training camp. Now.
I don't want to butcher his name.
What's his name, Kasmiir Allen, Kasmir Allen.
He got a twitch about him like it's a dB.
But he had a pulled hamstring.
So but when I look at guys, it's a dB. I have to look at wide receivers. Is who are threaded? Who is not all right?
When I looked at him, it's the quick twitch, the ability to stop and start. I told you the most dangerous ability to a cornerback for a wide receivers, the ability to stop the store like I don't checked so many.
Do they like they do the flip. He can't stop.
Yeah, like he can only run goal routes. It took him like seven stop, I mean step so stuff. So No, he I think is a guy that gonna help. He gonna he gonna get his bearings in return game. Then he gonna get his chance when somebody to get hurt. Yeah, and then I think we have never seen him taking out of the rotation again.
Wow, Well that's a that's a that's a you know, I'm gonna kind of hedge that a little bit. I think all those young receivers that they brought in, all those undrafted receivers, they did a great job. Brush in Tremaine, he's six five, he's two twenty contested catchability. Tinsley from Penn State had an excellent OTA period. A guy that has returned kicks, so gonna be in competition with Kashmir. But that whole group I think is really compelling and
our scouting department deserves a ton of credit. They found all these guys that can play, and we'll play. However, my guy that caught me sleeping was Kleet Hudson. That guy in camp or in any cam and Otis looked like a different dude.
I've been saying he didn't kids sleep because I seen.
Him do this, but I'm saying, yeah, but he's been a little up, up and down and consistent maybe, and for him just to come out every day, you know, beat the back on the blitz, sniff out a screen, run down a receiver, cover receiver in the slot, play that Buffalo nickel overhang player. I just was like, this is the dude that they drafted who was kind of that converted safety linebacker, and maybe this is the year
that he figures he turns into himself. And Jack del Rio, you know, in the day, was like, oh, you know, Jamion's better hurt and everyone's like, oh no, what's gonna happen? And Jack was like, dudekleis from doing a great job. And I was blown away when I watched every day he did like a nice splash play. Hopefully that continues and hopefully he's making plays for this defense. And who you.
Got this is gonna be a little surprised, y'all.
Okay, and.
The code reset, Oh all right, I mean only the reason why I said I didn't expect him to come in here and making no noise. Yeah, going into training camp, then that we can't just say that I got Sam. I am in the ter and we knew he's gonna come in here and beat a tutor and be a guy that's gonna be the veteran, the savvy better and that's going to show him some things in there. But for some reason whatever he's been showing Ron scratching his head like, I don't know if I want to go
ahead and stay. This guy is a guy. But I'm happy because I feel that, you know, if y'all can go back, remember we was on command center and y'all
ask me what quarterback we should bring it here? He was the guy that I mentioned, so now to get him here and just to see that he's a little more ahead of the curve dynamic, his dynamic level and then not even just talking about his skills set or what he can do as a QB, but for this offense, you know what I mean, Like if you think about it, Patrick Mahomes, the things that he did a lot of the stuff that he especially with was off schedule, you know what I mean, things that just you know, you
got to just have came by off you know what I mean, so to have a quarterback that can run the offense and get the ball out of his hands and still be that guy. I think he has all those capabilities. And I'm just scratching my head about what the coaches think about it, because right now they're not sure.
They're not that you just say, Sam, we know it's gonna probably end up giving the you know, being Sam's thing, but he showed them something this these o t as in mini camps and making these coaches say, hey, man, maybe you need to wait to train the camp and let these guys.
Pray to God.
As much as I love Jacob, I pray to God, he don't play a dime exactly.
And I'm I'm with you with that because I really do believe in Sam. But for what we're talking about right now, a guy who's sleeping, and I knew he was a guy that's capable. I didn't think.
The damn brother just wanting sorry, man did go to sleep? Happened?
Man?
All right? So this is that's what is a little little weird one, a little creative way to get to this. But the major Tuddy Award red zone threat this year, and I think there's a lot of potential candidates here, especially in this offense. Obviously there's the major ones you know of the Terrys Hans, But is there anybody that's a little off the radar that you're like, we need to keep an eye out for this guy.
I was gonna go Cold Turner.
Cold Turnate to me, is that dude that every team has this player that dominates it practice and you just can't wait to see him get in the game.
I think for my years it was Taylor Jacobs.
Okay, like Taylor used to give me a Champ Bailey hal it practice.
Get in the game.
But no, it knows about no one knows that.
Knows about it. So I'm gonna go Logan Thomas.
So happy you said that.
I don't like dudes name Logan, but I'm going with Logan Tilman because I didn't.
Logan is just gonna have their years. He stays healthy.
I agree because I you know, in many camp O t A's he's been the most consistent offensive weapon during that period. Right now, it's nine practices, so let's not everybody go crazy. But he, he and Sam seem to be in the same page. He looks good. You understand zones well, he's using that big body, So I think, yeah, man, I totally agree with.
That, and it's crazy because I was gonna go Logan too. But I think just to add to that, Sam should be dominant too, because Sam could beat in the air all and grunt. Yeah, and we've seen them time and time again when things got dicey, he just took off and made a play. So I think in the red zone it's great to have a part with that skills to point, you know, especially with this offense that's gonna have so much misdirection to have these skill guys out there that you got to check out I guy man
for man like you're gonna have to. Really, it's gonna be I see some of these games gonna be where the quarterback gon say, well, that's what they giving me. You're gonna have to have a man for man to really check our guys. And if you man up the way that I suppose these defenses have to, Sam should to be able to take off and hit his head on the go post. So Logan Thomas is number one, but I believe Sam's gonna be dynamic in the red zone.
Yeah. I think that's a great point that the run Russian ability in the red zone excellent. But you know with regards to Logan Thomas, like Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, Curtis Hodges, is it a great ota Minifi period? So like can he continue to develop? And you know during mini camp they're out there in fourteen personnel. There's not many teams that can get out there in fourteen personnel have Curtis and a cold play roide receiver and Logan in the slot. Yeah, like there's a lot of potential there.
But for me, a guy because we just sit for the Today Show, had to do a breakdown about running backs, you know, so I went back and watched all of Jared mckinnony touches. He had nine touchdowns last year. Yeah, a lot of them are on like that kind of that that pick play where you're running the receivers across the back sneaks out from the backfield. He had probably five touchdowns on that. I think that's gonna be Gibson
for US. I think Gibson's gonna get a lot of touches on those kind of pseudo pick plays where the backs off set away from the bunch and they can't get through the trash I have a whole bunch of touchdowns like that. So I think keep an eye on our guy, Gibson. You see what you think about that.
I believe Ghibby that's a good pick right there. I believe Gibbson actually is going to be in This might shock a lot of people because I think b Rob is dead boy.
Yeah.
I think Gibby is going to have more rushing yos, touchdowns and.
Receiving than that is a bull take. That's a bull take. You just think he's gonna be on the field more.
No, I just feel like it's the year go on and eb gets into his bag.
He gonna learn that Gibson. It's gonna be hard to take off the field. Yeah, Like you want to take him off the field.
Especially in this offense, yes, Like, like where are you running that offense they ran last year? B Rob's vision is the is the game changer, but in this offense, it's no, it's face And that's the other thing. So I thought, you know, oh my gosh, like you know, there's gonna be all these touches for the backs and like the slot and stuff. They do such a good job of creating that space running vertical the backs in the flat, and who do you want catching the ball with a ton of space in the flat?
Yep?
Absolutely? Okay, so I think that was a lot of fun. Kind of a surprise name not mentioned, Curtis Samuel. Where would he fit there? If you had to play some.
He would be my role warrior.
Okay, he would be.
My role warrior. And I actually think that this office is cater to him.
He a major toddy. I think I think that some of the things that he can do with the ball in the run game, in the passing game, he a major tuddy.
Okay, awesome, all right, So that does that. That was a lot of fun, guys. Okay, so this is a little bit of a personal get to know us. Yeah old people, Yeah, old people. Right, What is your favorite pastime? Now that you're not playing anymore, now that you're retired from football, what is your favorite pastime? What do you like? How do you spend how do you feel your day? I like to grow things that I did not expect
you to say that at all. Please elaborate. Do you have like a like a I have a garden.
I have a garden.
I've been growing a garden since I've been like out of college, I grew up. I had a towerhouse in college, and I grew a garden there. Did you like, I always grow my own tomatoes, my own peppers, my own q com is my own every day with them?
Yes, what you think I do? Put them on the side.
I don't know, Like like who gives them all of her.
Friends to my neighbors if it started to push out too much. I give them to my neighbors and people in the neighborhood. But I love to grow things. I'm from Mississippi. That's a part of me, and my grandma used to do that all the time. So it takes me back to those days.
I am a farmer.
So do you have one of those boxes that set up with like, well, you.
Only want to pick it off the ground because you don't want the insects to get like the reason you you you actually give it some some height to it, just to make sure you don't have to put too many pesticides on.
I got you. And then and then is it caged in because the deer or is it open?
No, you don't have to worry about deer. No, but the rabbits.
You will be shocked to how many rabbits, tike around water rabbits to come get it, stuff like that, which I let them eat for free.
I let you meet for free, like I don't hunt them or nothing.
Ain't going on, and allowed them to have this right.
Is Mississippi State School.
Would you have a Did you take agricultural class?
No? No, Actually I went for broadcast communication.
Oh look at you, man, right, So.
I had already I had already knew my minor was psychology. So I learned people, indeed, broadcast in case, I learned how to talk to them.
Just learn how to talk.
Man.
I feel like you didn't. I feel like you didn't need to go. I might spend the easiest degree for you. It was just yes.
Already, I had already finished school a semester. I was renting together.
Fast time. I mean, I hate to say it, bro, I'm not doing a lot of things fun. I'm just on the bike most of the time. Ride. I'm riding my bike, arm in the gym.
Are you on the road or you at like the peloton at the house.
So both So when it's crazy outside it's wet or you know, windy, I take the peloton on. And when it's a nice day like it is today. I want to see everything. I want to just ride, let my mind go just and and I don't like the trails. The trails, I would go on the trail just to stay off the street. But I like to be in the street. I like to see people, like to see
the I like to pass by new homes. Like I'm one of those guys I would ride fifty miles just to view, just to see stuff, you know, stuff, And it takes my mind other places and give me a chance to think about something I want to do in the future, Like I didn't know that, you know, it was that helpful to just escape sometimes on the bike and just get lost. And to me, my mind is always right. I'm like one of those guys never sits still,
so like to be places. And now that I'm not playing ball anymore, I'm sitting still most of the time in the house on the couch. So what's best to do then, you know, go out and ride bike. Go out and ride your bike, you know what I mean. So it keeps me, It keeps me calm. It's comfortable for me too. But at the same time, I'm killing all everything else with one stone, just by getting up and working out, making sure that I'm staying right, you know what I'm saying, and being in.
The same in shame on Virginia. Let me tell Virginia something.
Okay, what we got.
Because I also ride the bike trails. Why do they put breweries on breweries and barbecue talking about the worst stuff you can ever put on bike?
Like, I get a mile and a half and I'm like, damn higgo.
Old Ox Brewery and they have a beer while I'm trying to get this good.
So all I'm saying is b a keep beer and barbecueil away from the.
Yeah, offer the trad What about you because you ain't that old, but you just look out.
I look question how did you get into that ten? How did you end in the bike? Was that something that got you going right?
So you know, man, you know, I ain't never scared to share my story. Man. I went through something. Man, I was going through it mentally two years man, playing and it's crazy. I love to be able to talk about it. I'm not gonna be specifically what I was going through, but I'm specifically just knowing that I went there. And people deal with stress differently.
Like stressed out, you ate like a mother.
When I was stressed, and I mean I ate, and it.
Was it was.
I played in two thousand and ten at two oh five, came back in twenty eleven and played at two ten. Now remind I remind them years two out of ten, I went for a thousand, had had the most catches in my career and was and with snug for the Pro Bowl. I was a Pro Bowler and they didn't give it to him because of something that happened prior to that season with the whole doctor from Canada. I remember that story, and I was hurt because I knew that was my contract year, and that's great to go
into that contract year. Said I got a Pro Bowl, and now you got to pay me a little more. You know I'm thirty plus, but you got to pay me cause and I just played at two hundred pounds ten pounds overweight and still dominated, you know what I mean. And off a knee injury, they surgery rather, so I went through that and in twenty eleven I did it again, but got hurt. In like week five, I broke my hand and sat down, came back. I was a shutter myself. Just couldn't get back on track and Ray told me
Tanna an off season. Ray gave me to know. He said, hey, bro, we need you to lose some weight. And I said, all I needed somebody to tell me. I've been telling myself, but I needed to hear from somebody. And Ray called me and told me, man, I need you to lose some I say, Bro, I hate eating healthy. I need to eat something that I liked. It's all portions. I don't go outside the box geating salacks and stuff. I eat what I like chicken. I might eat pork, but
it's all lean and the small portions of it. So I got my nutrition is to kind of map map out something for me. And Ray told me ride the bike every day, Tannel until until we started OTA's. He said, I promise you're gonna lose a lot of weight. Bro. I came back so like I was one eighty five when I came back, and I remember Mike Shanahan saw me and say hey that Mike Shanahan was so happy to see how small I got. It brightened me up, just like knowing that he was waiting to see me
get back to my you know, my size. But it's crazy even getting back to that size. They changed my whole opposition that year and made me a slot guy. And I'm like, well damn, let me be dominating on the outside again this light. But that's what got me to ride the bike, man, and I and I stuck with it to this day, even though I don't probably partake in the healthy, the healthiest diet, you know what I mean. I enjoy myself now. Man, I'm forty four
years old. I might enjoy myself seriously, but I know how to get it off me. I go ride the.
Bike and that old face. So what I do? I coach a lot, man, I got I still got business. I got the chise couping business. But I also do personal training and I coach at the high school. And you know, when I got into it, I wasn't sure how I feel about it. But it has been super rewarding to take someone who's like maybe not the best football player and then teach him a skill and then watch how they you know, they progress, or get someone stronger,
or help them with their nutrition. Like that's been really fulfilling.
I think, you know, how does it feel with somebody bring you a child that you know day.
That is I talked to my wife about all the time because she's a teacher, she's a coach, and parents, especially in this area, they have like, yeah, I go in the NFL, go play the NBA, and I'm just like, man, your your son's five five to ten, yeah, and he's not good. And so you know, it's like I try to set expectations, be like hey man, you know, like, well, we're gonna work with him, but like you know, mom, daddy, god, I only gave him so much.
I can't teach him to be a football player, to be in them, you know what I mean. That's the thing I tell guys in my camp, Like I tell him, look, you can bring your kid in my camp all day. I can't teaching would be a ball. But now I'm assuring the things that we do to be we are the weapon. But it has to be in him, you know me.
So like this is one, right, there's a guy that I coached. He's an awesome kid, like you know, yes, sir, no, sir, like grinder, not not the greatest athlete today. Got him to run a four seven forty and he was running like a five to one.
You know what I'm saying, So that you should feel we war, so that.
That to me feel great changes everything, you know what I'm saying. All it makes all those like weird missus and bad ones like that's good.
Because he don't run a folk sale in the military and he will not be playing football.
So you just hit the America. You should have merchant. You should feel very good. Most lieutenant, who got you logan? I ran a and ask didn't asked your logan postes.
Sir, ohuys, guys got anything else?
We go?
We talked at all out.
Let your key grow up to be foot by.
All that does it for today. Make sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and check out Command Center every Wednesday on the Commander's YouTube page. Are you ready for some Commander's content, because here it comes rapid fire Monday Julie's one on one exclusive interview, Wednesday's Command Center, Thursday's Tannis Takes, Friday's the best show. Obviously, logan lives in the comments. We got something for you all week, so be sure to check it out on YouTube.
The views and opinions express by our podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington commanders or any of their representatives