Quan Martin + Charles Mann on the NFC Championship & the Eagles | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL - podcast episode cover

Quan Martin + Charles Mann on the NFC Championship & the Eagles | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders | NFL

Jan 24, 202536 min
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Episode description

Our Next Man Up is Safety Quan Martin! He reflects on his HUGE pick 6 against the Detroit Lions and gets us ready for our NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Then Washington LEGEND and Super Bowl CHAMPION Charles Mann joins the show to talk about playing with Dexter Manley and what being in the playoffs means to this fanbase. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

Another special playoff episode of Next Man Up. Our safety Kwan Martin had a huge game out on Detroit.

Speaker 2

We talk all.

Speaker 1

About that and look forward to the Philadelphia Eagles. That's right, baby, we are in the NFC Championship. Then we have to have another Super Bowl champion.

Speaker 3

Pull up.

Speaker 1

Charles Man, one of the best defensive ends to ever play the game, pulls up and talks about why winning it's so important for this fan base.

Speaker 3

All that more right now on Next Man Up, command this family.

Speaker 1

For our Next Man Up, we had to bring on the player of the game from Mount in Detroit, had an incredible pick six. We want to talk about all that welcoming in our safety kwaldm Martin.

Speaker 4

Brother was going on, Man, appreciate you for having me.

Speaker 1

Man, I appreciate you taking the time to see with us. You know what I'm say, You're getting picked six is on a big stage and all that.

Speaker 5

Man, You're doing big things.

Speaker 3

Brother, Man, how great has this season been for you?

Speaker 5

Just overall?

Speaker 4

Man, it's been special, just from OTAs to to camp and you know everything that you know, we've really been through and uh, just a preparation, man, everything that went into it. Just new staff, new players, like building and bonding with those guys and it's just been fun.

Speaker 5

Man.

Speaker 3

And you use the word special. A lot of people have used that word special.

Speaker 1

What you know, you mentioned all those things, but what about it if you could hone in on something that has made this season so special for Qualm Martin, For.

Speaker 4

Me, man, just the guys around me, uh, Jeremy Chan Bobby Wagner, Mikey Sanders still like all those dudes, man, Just just being able to have a group of guys that you know you can depend on and you know that's going to depend on you. So just being able to show up for them dudes every day. And she was really the whole team, man. Just everybody's just been so hands on. And you know, talk about brotherhood all the time, but it ain't cliche man, like it shows

like on the field. Off the field, just the bonds is strong.

Speaker 1

Man, y'all got that real brotherhood. And you mentioned Bobby Wagner and that's a real leader right there.

Speaker 5

Man.

Speaker 1

I mean both of us we grew up watching Bobby Wagner. No, we know what he's able to do.

Speaker 5

Feld.

Speaker 1

What has he been like as a mentor and the leader to not only you but this entire defense.

Speaker 4

Man, he's been a lot, just that leadership. Just coming in here. Man, he like, you know, a coach on the field, So just being able to learn from him, man, just whatever, just takes stuff from him, and he's a great piece on that defense.

Speaker 1

You mentioned that coach on the field, but you also have a dog upstairs, that defensive coordinator, Joe with j Man watching everything you guys do, making those adjustments. Man, what has it been like, because this is the first time being a coordinator, what's it been like learning of the Joe with Junior and what.

Speaker 5

Makes him so special?

Speaker 4

Man, it's been fun, you know, just the way he schemed things up, the way he put us in position to be successful and make players. Man Like, it's been fun. And I don't think I ever had this much fun playing football.

Speaker 5

So what makes it so much fun? Though? Man?

Speaker 1

Because again we've had people sitting at the same chance say I've never had this much fun or this.

Speaker 5

Is the most fun I've had since college?

Speaker 1

What about it is so much fun and just working right because you've seen the NFL for a few years now.

Speaker 5

What makes this so much fun? Man?

Speaker 4

It's just guys out there who just loved a game of football. Man, Who's gonna go out and do anything to win? So you know when you got guys like that, man, it's hard not to have fun and just fly around and make plays. Man, And you know we all just celebrate each other.

Speaker 2

Man.

Speaker 1

You talk about making plays, brother, he made a huge play. Let's talk about the Troy got that big pig six.

Speaker 5

Man.

Speaker 1

In that moment you catch that ball, you start taking off, you start seeing that. When did you know you was gonna take it all the way to the crib?

Speaker 6

Nah?

Speaker 4

It wasn't even as soon as I caught it. It was after I made the second dude miss. Once I made the second dude miss, I looked up. I just seen a line of like white jerseys just blocking for me, and I was like, I don't know if you've seen the video, but I like put the ball out like four yards out, and I just seen the end zone, just the blue before I even got in there. I'm like, oh, yeah,

that's touchdown. So it felt good, man, Like my first career pick six and now just scoring a touchdown, man, And any game just feels good.

Speaker 5

How many times if you watched that highlight?

Speaker 4

I probably watched it I've been I've been trying to stop watching it. Yeah, I probably ain't watched it since. Nah, I'll watched it today.

Speaker 3

Hey, nothing wrong with that, man, Yeah.

Speaker 5

Man, Yeah, it's been fun.

Speaker 4

Just you know, you got a lot of people sitting there to you, and so it's hard not to see it.

Speaker 1

I think my favorite part of that pick six was louisvu that block at the exuse I don't even know what's necessary to do, but boy, look, good man, what did you say to lou when you saw that.

Speaker 4

We appreciate you from making sure I got in there. Man, I mean, you never know how to go to man, he might dive and trip me up, you.

Speaker 5

Know, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4

So just like that's what we talk about, man, like doing it for the guy next to you, Like it's he didn't have to make that block, but he did, you know what I'm saying. So gave me an opportunity to score.

Speaker 1

And that's been the coolest thing talking to you guys after these big plascause. Everybody say in the share that's had big plays talk about their favorite part of it is after the fact, after you make the play, because of the reception you're getting on the sideline because.

Speaker 5

Of the love.

Speaker 1

Man, what was that love like after you got that pick six? You even remember or was it just like white?

Speaker 4

Yeah, it was like white noise, man, Like I kind of blacked out. I did, Like, like the first thing I really heard was like the crowd just goes silent, and I can hear like our fans, like you know, they in the other area, Like I can hear them screaming from afar And I'm like, man, it was just crazy, like just complete blank in the crowd like it was. It was just crazy to see and I just you know, my teammates they came out, they celebrated me, man, and it was fun honestly.

Speaker 1

And you mentioned those fans, man, how great is it being so I think last time we spoke was in Arizona, and even out there they were they were in Cincinnati. We've seen our fans travel everywhere and even Introit. You can tell they didn't want us there. We were still there and we were still loud.

Speaker 5

Man.

Speaker 1

How cool is that being a player knowing that you have a fan base behind you like that?

Speaker 4

Oh man, It's it's been cool since you know, we've been able to see it, and uh, you know, just giving the fans some the cheer for it, really and just bring these these wins and continueing to, you know, just make the city happy, make the fans happy, and just putting ourselves in position to have that report from our fans. So it's been great all year.

Speaker 1

And it's great when you see these teams winning games, you see us doing these things. But it's one thing to beat the Eagles, we already beat them once, but to beat them in the NFC Championship. I don't know if you notice, but we have not been to the NFCY Championship game since nineteen ninety one.

Speaker 5

Yeah, he wasn't yet.

Speaker 1

I wasn't yet, So that's crazy, man. But Philly, that's something you are very, very familiar with. Do you feel like that gives you guys an advantage knowing that you guys have seen this team not only twice but also beat them before as well?

Speaker 5

It does.

Speaker 4

But Coach Witt actually said some of the meeting today and it kind of just stuck with me. He's like, yeah, like we played them, we beat him, blah blah blah, but we haven't played them in an NFC championship game. So just treating this game, like, you know, this is our first time playing, truthfully.

Speaker 1

What's the preparation been like, like, you know, I know it's still a game, but this is playoffs, is NFC Championship. How has preparation increased or amped up during this playoff run?

Speaker 5

You guys right?

Speaker 2

Yeah?

Speaker 4

Man, just gods trying to you know, whatever kind of preparation it is, like taking care of your body, rehab treatment, working out, like just getting stronger, and you know, just studying honestly and just being able to look at the details. Like like you said, we played them twice already, so Red just trying to find more, you know, just digesting their offense, defense, whatever it may be, but just trying to find more and just saying some things you can learn from.

Speaker 1

When dan Quinn talks to you guys during this time because him, but I'll be waggoning Jo, would you all of them have seen success in the playoffs. What has dan Quinn's been messaging not only to the team but to the defense.

Speaker 5

As a whole. Just stay in the moment.

Speaker 4

It's gonna be a lot of outside nos of this, Dad, whatever will come after, but just staying in a moment and just staying with our preparation and just taking it one week at a time.

Speaker 1

Someone who definitely seems to always stay in a moment is Jady Daniels.

Speaker 5

We were talking to Jonathan Allen off air.

Speaker 1

He was like, man, our defense just knows whenever win in the pinch, just get Jadon Daniels to the ball backuse that kind of the conversation you guys have.

Speaker 4

Man, we always talk about getting those takeaways, three plus takeaways a week, and just I mean, he's a bad man with the ball in his end. So whenever you can give him opportunities, actual opportunities at the ball with the ball in his hands, like he's special and he's gonna make play.

Speaker 5

And it's somebody that is in the secondary.

Speaker 1

You have to scout quarterbacks all the time, you have to play up and gets some of the best quarterbacks, especially this season. What does make Jade and Daniel so special in your opinion?

Speaker 4

I mean, you know, obviously, like we've been around to OTAs man, but I mean just his confidence, his poise, and I think that's what everybody talk about, you know, how he's just so calm. I knows big moments, but you know, you don't always see that from a guy that young. So just man, he's just a great player.

Speaker 5

Honestly, you talk.

Speaker 1

About calm and poise being young, you're young, yea true calm you are poised?

Speaker 5

Man? What kind of player is kwalm Mark?

Speaker 1

Because I know every time we talk You've mentioned to me before this you're not necessarily sure players really know who you are yet the fans really know who you are.

Speaker 5

Have you have to show who you are?

Speaker 4

I feel like, you know, as a season one man, I just you know, steadily uh getting better and better.

Speaker 5

Man.

Speaker 4

So I think this last game and that that picked six, man, that's just the opportunity for me to really just like you know, show everybody like this is what I'm capable of, and just being able to build off that, man that you know, come with extreme confidence.

Speaker 5

I mean, how do you build off with momentum? Right that? Right?

Speaker 1

Like, yes, it was only your first pick six, but you have just had incredible game after incredible games, incredible game. How do you continue to build off of that? Is that just something that's here or is it something you're doing in this facility that's helping us all the above?

Speaker 5

Right?

Speaker 2

Yeah?

Speaker 4

I mean every game is always perfect, so you know, It's always stuff to learn from and little details to pick up on.

Speaker 5

Like when you watching the.

Speaker 4

Film, Uh, you might feel one way out there, but when you look at the tape, it's like, dang, I could have did this better, or like my eyes could have been better in this situation. And you know that just really prepares you for the next game and the next game. So I think just always constantly just you know, not getting complacent, man, Just finding the low details and just something to learn from is always like, you know, gonna keep me going here, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1

And so when you prepare for a god like Hurts, right, Jalen Hurts Batman, just like Jade and Daniels when you're preparing for them, when you're looking for those little things that stand out to you, what are some of those things that stand out to you that make you feel, you know, what we can find success against a high powered.

Speaker 5

Offense like this.

Speaker 4

I think just knowing where God's going to bet on the field, you know. I think a lot of formations will tell you a picture. I mean it will tell you a story, and h teams kind of get to it in different ways. But you know, when you really look at it and lock in and you know, just you able to see the story that the picture is telling. I think that comes with confidence and just allows you to go out and make play.

Speaker 5

With kwal Man.

Speaker 1

We have nothing but confidence in your brother. We know you're gonna make plays. One more thing for me right there, man, that's your ISO cam. Talk to the Commanders fans because you know they're gonna pull up in Philly.

Speaker 5

You know they're gonna be there.

Speaker 1

Talk to them while they need to show up and show out. And how much they have meant to you guys this season.

Speaker 4

Yeah, man, I mean the Commander fans have meant the whole lot to us this season. The support has been there, has been strong, and uh, just comrade this thing out and see y'all in Philly.

Speaker 1

See y'all in Philly. Commandeds fans, We know y'all are going to show up and show out. Kwan, appreciate you, brother, Amanda's family on next man up, the Big Man out and Detroit Baby Kwan, Marik Kwan, good luck this son.

Speaker 2

Appreciate it.

Speaker 5

Command this family.

Speaker 1

Since we're in the playoffs, we're going to keep the trend going of having Super Bowl champions and legends pull up to next man up, and this one is one of the best defensive linemen to ever play the game. Now this for the Berkeley and Gold, but for the NFL historically one of the best. I believe, first and forced fumbles for Washington, second in sacks.

Speaker 3

Welcome in, Charles, man, Charles, how you doing, sir?

Speaker 7

It is good to be with you. Thank you for remembering the old days.

Speaker 1

Well it's not too old man, brother, and you looking the savings. I'm seeing us right next to each other. You look a little younger to me, honestly so so Tom has treated you up.

Speaker 7

Your time has been good to me. I like the gym, so I'm still over at the gym. I'm only in there for an hour, and I don't do a whole bunch of stuff, and I ain't got my phone looking at my physique and all that kind of stuff.

Speaker 2

Well, little work and get.

Speaker 1

Out agent gracefully is not easy then, but you are doing a great job of that, Charles. We like to do our next man up is talk about everything that comes in that has to do with these players, not necessarily so much on the field stuff, but really who that player is behind the helmet.

Speaker 5

So I want to start from jump.

Speaker 1

You were a third round pick by Washington when you came here out of Nevada. When you came here, what did you know about the DNV and this team? Did you know much about it when you got drafted.

Speaker 2

I hated them. I knew that.

Speaker 7

You know, I'm from Sacramento, man, so I was liking everything.

Speaker 6

La, La Rams, LA Dodgers, LA Lakers.

Speaker 7

So when I came here, I had to learn to like John Riggins and Joke Eisman. It didn't take but a second as soon as I landed and it got to know the guys and was in the locker room with Art Monk, and you know, just it was.

Speaker 2

It was neat to.

Speaker 7

Finally have my own likes because you know, as a kid growing up, you like everything your parents liked or your dad liked. So my dad was a big Laker, an LA fan, so I was a big LA fan.

Speaker 2

You know, I like everybody on the In.

Speaker 7

Fact, it was kind of funny because I got my first NFL safety against the quarterback and I'm trying to I'm drawing a blank on his name, the quarterback for the Rams, and I did it against Jackie Slater, an All Pro twenty year NFL veteran, I made an inside move on him and got a sack on Vince Ferragamo. Vince Ferragamo was the quarterback, and that was that was

pretty cool. So I quickly became a Redskin fan. And you'll hear, you know, there's probably a couple of tapes out there with me saying, when you sign on to be a Redskin, that's who I was at the time. You sign on to be a Redskin, you sign on to hate Dallas. And of course I immediately hate hated Dallas.

Speaker 1

So I got to ask that you brought it up, NFC East Riblesman, who do you hate more? Is it the Cowboys? Is that the Eagles? At the Giants? Who gets that number one hated most ranking in your mind?

Speaker 2

Dallas?

Speaker 7

Yeah, Dallas, because there's a there's a Dallas fan in every crowd. Man, wherever you go, you know, they'll raise your ugly head there.

Speaker 2

You know.

Speaker 7

They they always act out and they don't have nothing to talk about it these days, but they always find something to open their mouth about.

Speaker 8

And I have friends that are Dallas fans, which is crazy. It's like we all have friends that are Dallas fans. Like you said, every room seems to have one Dallas fan. And you talk about coming in you learn about, you know, the passion and love for this team, but you also learn about the rivalries.

Speaker 5

When you think about that rookie.

Speaker 1

Season, when you come in, you come into a team that's already build, that's pretty much established. What do you remember from that rookie and what did you learn? What are things that stand out?

Speaker 2

I remember everything, bro, everything.

Speaker 7

So the first thing is I walk into the locker room and guys are smoking cigarettes.

Speaker 2

Uh there's there's.

Speaker 7

Little there's little vials and little paper wrappings of some kind of peels on the ground.

Speaker 2

I'm like, okay, what is going on in here?

Speaker 6

You know?

Speaker 7

Uh my my rookie year, Tony Peters was handcuffed and walked out. Yeah yeah, Tony. I'm like, okay, welcome to the NFL. Welcome we were. And then we were just getting through the whole you know, substance substances being taken and them starting to start starting to do urine testing and all that kind of stuff. FU funny, they had random drug testing and I could have flore that maybe fifteen out of the sixteen weeks I was drug tested.

So they picked the young guys that weren't going to be having anything, and I was the one getting tested it fuf of your random but I always got tested.

Speaker 5

Hey, well they goodest man.

Speaker 1

You are all poy and acting right, and you did this nothing man, because what a career.

Speaker 5

It was for you to come into Washington.

Speaker 1

Now, I want to talk about Dexter Manny a little bit because the combo of you two. I don't know if we've seen a combo like that since, to me, the best pass rusher duo I think the NFL has ever seen.

Speaker 5

Do you feel that way?

Speaker 7

Well, I'm a little biased, but yes, me too. That's the first of all I walk in. Let me just take my day one day one. This is after draft April whatever, it was, right after the draft that day when they called my name on ESPN, first time I had heard that. And within hours I'm on a plane in first class heading to Dalla, I mean heading to Dallas, listen to that Freudian slip, heading to Washington. And I walk into the locker room. First of all, I see in the facility and I'm like, what is this? My

high school was bigger than this. Anyway, I said, Okay, okay, I'm not going to pay attention to that. So I walk into the facility and the first person I see coming out of the weight room was Jojacoby. I'm six ' six. Jojacoby is six to seven. I was at the time as a rookie. I was two hundred and thirty pounds. Jojacoby was three hundred and thirty pounds. So I walked past him in the hallway. It couldn't get past him.

I had to go sideways to get around him. And the next person I see is Dexter Manley's He's swoll up.

Speaker 2

He just bitching four hundred.

Speaker 7

And fifty pounds and doing all that he was doing, sweating profusely like he always does, and this big scar on his face. I mean, I'm like, big black, greasy brother. I'm like, oh shoot, this is I'm not gonna then. And then the guy that was walking me through there was Jay Burnetti, the equipment guy, said he said, you'll be going to begainst this guy that was Jo Jacobe every week in practice. And then when Dexter walked by, he said, and that's who you're backing up. You'll never

see the light of day. I said, oh, okay, thanks ladies for trusting me, you know, believing in me. That was my first experience. So it was so Dexter was not going to let me. He wasn't going to give me anything. He wasn't going to let me know what he did. But I just watched him. I watched him every day in practice. I watched him in the gym. I watched him the way he worked out, and I was behind him, and I knew.

Speaker 2

He didn't want to let me get in the lineup.

Speaker 7

But as I start building his confidence in me, and I start building confidence that year, he would say, hey, look if I throw my hand up, you run out on the field. Don't look at the coaches. You run out on the field and spare and spelled me. I said, okay, And so I remember the first time I did that. It was we were in a game. It was burning up hot, and Dexter went about two or three plays and threw his hand up and I come running on the field, and the coaches yelled at me, screened, get back here.

Speaker 5

What are you doing?

Speaker 2

And I just kept on running.

Speaker 7

I ran out there and I spelled Dexter, and and over the time I started learning how he did things.

Speaker 2

Watched his step. Watched how he got in his stance.

Speaker 7

His stance was this jet technique and it was his butt was high in.

Speaker 6

The air as his hand without far and it was like a hurdler's run, you know, getting ready.

Speaker 7

And I started mimicking everything he did. And eventually the second year they moved me to the other side. And now it's his competition and that's what it That's what it was.

Speaker 2

A game on Charles.

Speaker 1

I had to be tough as a rookie, right because you're coming into this team and you have no idea what to expect. But you do know that Dexter Manley's in that locker room. So as a working before you got a chance to meet him, were you did you have any expectations of him mentoring you or him welcoming you in and teaching you all of these things? Like was that kind of tough to deal with when that wasn't the reality when you finally met him.

Speaker 2

It wasn't the reality, You're right?

Speaker 5

Uh?

Speaker 2

And and it was it wasn't tough to deal with.

Speaker 7

I realized this dog eat dog, you know it was going to be. I mean, he was the he was the stuff he was. He wasn't Dexter Manley, he was mister D. So that's when he had the mohawk, and he was this whole alter eagle. He was mister D. So you didn't call him Dexter. You call him mister D. And uh he was. He was a bad dude, and so I was just trying to be anything close to him.

Speaker 2

I know I would have it. And then so they did everything with me.

Speaker 7

So I was the I was the release man on punt returns because the year before, Dexter was the release man on pump returns. That means I ran down there, took on these dif defensive backs, tossed them out of the way, and then tried to turn the punt returner into the rest of the group.

Speaker 2

You know, I wasn't ever making.

Speaker 7

The tackle because I was running too fast to slow down. And you know, all you have to do is give me a little hint, and I was running right past you. So but my job was.

Speaker 2

To turn to play in and I did that.

Speaker 7

But they had me do everything they had Dexter do the years before.

Speaker 2

Now it was my turn to do it because Dexter did it.

Speaker 1

In your opinion, what changed your guy's relationship because you said. Eventually, as a season kept going, he started letting you know, like, hey, you're the one I want you to come in. What do you think changed from him and his perspective that made him say, okay, yes, this is my competition. However, I know hoping this kid along will bring success to this team.

Speaker 7

I think he started respecting me as a player. See Dexter. When you talk to Dexter, and I'm sure you have or if you haven't yet, Dexter said they paid him to make sacks. That was what he was paid for. And I came in and I'm like, well, I don't think in my contract they were paying me to make sacks.

They were paying me to be a defensive end. So I got to play to run and the pass, and so I prided myself on being able to take on the double teams, the tight end and the tackle, being able to keep contained that means outside leverage, not letting the play get outside of me, and then also rushing the passer and being right there. You look at all the sacks that I made over my career, Dexter is always in the foreground getting it done to him, making the sack and vice versa.

Speaker 2

When I was getting.

Speaker 7

When he was getting the sack, I was getting a double teamed or whatever has happened to me.

Speaker 2

So it was kind of fun.

Speaker 7

We started being very competitive, and in that third year, he had fourteen and a half sacks. I had fourteen, and we were the top sacking defensive end tandem in the league.

Speaker 2

Everybody took pride to that.

Speaker 6

And I remember the day he ended up winning the sack lead that that we were playing the Eagles as a matter of fact, in Philly, and uh.

Speaker 7

And I needed a half. He was a half a sack on me and I could not get that that sack. I was trying to jump on the pile.

Speaker 2

I was doing everything I could do just to beat him.

Speaker 6

And I remember on the plane on the way back he was he was, he sat behind me and he was going at it.

Speaker 2

Charles, I got the sack lead. You can't catch me. It's over.

Speaker 7

You know, I'm going to wherever he was going going out to the club that night, because he was so excited, and I was sitting there like, hey, you know, at least he's recognizing me.

Speaker 6

He knows that I was a threat, you know, And that was all that I did. I wasn't trying to beat him. I was trying to get to the playoffs. I was trying to win championships.

Speaker 7

And a part of it came how good he and I were. The coach always said we have to get pressure without running a blitz, and Dexter and I took pride in that we got pressure. Even when we didn't send a whole bunch of guys.

Speaker 2

We got pressure.

Speaker 1

And it's funny to hear you talk about how you guys go from. You go from this person where he ain't given the time of day two because hey, you ain't never going to see the field behind me. Then you come to a guy that is starting to earn his respect. Then you get onto the other side of the field where you guys get to play together. And again it sounds like iron with shoppering iron there. Y'all

were very very competitive man. When you think about those times getting to play with him and being, you know, like I said, the most dominant past rusher duo that I think I've ever seen. When you think of those moments, what stands up to you most of playing with Dexter and y'all's relationship and like, what are some of those stories you can give us in those memories you have where y'all two were just locked in together and getting.

Speaker 5

It done well.

Speaker 7

First of all, the brother didn't like the heat. So I remember we're going out. We were in Arizona getting ready to play the Cardinals, and the brother was saying.

Speaker 2

It ain't hot out here. It ain't hot out here that minute high. I knew it was hot because I was in there too. It was hot.

Speaker 7

And he kept saying that in the warm up, said everything, he's sweating profusely. And then within about two or three plays, that brother went down with an injury and he was sitting over on the sideline with a towel on it with water and it wasn't hot.

Speaker 2

Then his brother shut it down.

Speaker 7

So Dexter was very very emotional and uh, and he always wore his his.

Speaker 2

His how he felt on his sleeve.

Speaker 7

I remember we were also playing a team and Dexter was was having words. Dexter was talking about the offensive tackle he was going to go up against, and I knew better. I felt like, look, I'm not trying to get these guys any ammunition, so I ain't saying nothing.

So they came up to me asking me stuff, and they and then after talking to Dexter, and Dexter said I'm gonna beat him up like this and that I'm going to tear him up, and I wouldn't say, hey, look, I'm just happy to play against the guy, the guys in all pro.

Speaker 2

You know, I don't know how I'll do, And Dexter was just going off, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 7

So of course in the locker room, the headings was Dexter Manley says this and that. Man they jack, They were all over Dexter in that game. I had I had a field day because they had him all himmed up and I was making plays.

Speaker 2

You know. So Dexter never did understand that.

Speaker 7

He always was going to talk his He's gonna say whatever he had to say, and I was always on the other side saying, you know, I'm just.

Speaker 2

Happy to be here. You know, I don't know how good I'll be.

Speaker 7

You know, I was setting them up all the time, where Dexter was just talking the way he wanted to talk.

Speaker 3

Got that like beat him my own nice combo.

Speaker 2

We were, We were a great combo.

Speaker 7

But you know, Dexter paid, he probably have had a few more sacks of being kept his mouth shut.

Speaker 5

Well, then whatever you guys were doing out there, it worked.

Speaker 1

You yourself have seen multiple Super Bowls and have been a part of some of the greatest teams we've ever seen in the NFL.

Speaker 5

So when you think.

Speaker 1

About your experience and the way you've been able to win games with these teams, then you look at this current team right now, this current commander's team. Do you see parallels there and things that make you say, you know what, this seems like a team that could go all the way as well.

Speaker 6

I don't see the parallels other than look, I played with Joe thisman. We went back to back Super Bowls, and the one I went to with them was in nineteen eighty three when we played against the who was that the San Diego.

Speaker 7

We Oh, I'm sorry, the Raiders. Of course, I know that's the only loss we had. Anyway, we're playing the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Joe Eisman was incredible. I watched him all year long just play his butt off as a quarterback. But then the second Super Bowl, the strike shortened one with Doug Williams against the Denver Broncos. You know we saw Doug, you know, play his butt off forty two points straight and then Mark Rippin against the Buffalo Bills in Minnesota, the weirdest place to have

a Super Bowl. I'm mentioning those quarterbacks for a reason.

Speaker 2

Jade and Daniels doesn't look anything like any of those guys except Doug in that one game.

Speaker 7

Doug in the one game, looks like Jade and Daniels in every game.

Speaker 5

I mean, it's crazy, that's true.

Speaker 2

That's true. I can't even explain it.

Speaker 7

And I'm you know, I think I'm pretty well versed at what I see, and I've been watching a lot of football. I've analyzed a lot of football. I can't explain this kid. He I can't explain him. He is the hottest quarterback playing right now, and it's.

Speaker 2

You can't factor that in. I don't know how to factor that into the game.

Speaker 6

But as far as the rest of the team, there's a belief, and that's what's so nice to watch.

Speaker 2

There's a belief that we can get down because winning.

Speaker 7

Is contagious, just like losing is contagious, and this team can get down, but they never think they're out.

Speaker 2

And that starts at the top. So that starts with Josh Harris, then it goes to Dan Quinn and his coaching staff, and then those players in that locker room know that they're all by themselves. The world is against them, and that is a good thing.

Speaker 6

When the team starts believing that it's us against the world, Oh my.

Speaker 2

God, you can do anything, you really can. And then you've got a quarterback that it's not gonna throw an interception.

Speaker 6

He's gonna make ninety nine percent of the right place every now and then he may have an.

Speaker 7

Off throw, but that's it. The off throw doesn't end up being an interception.

Speaker 6

This, I mean, it is just man, I'm starting already talking about Super Bowl and Buffalo Bills again, beating the cancer.

Speaker 2

I can't believe I'm going there.

Speaker 7

I would never if you would interview me over the last thirty years I've been in town, if you had interviewed me over these last thirty years.

Speaker 2

My wife says, you need to.

Speaker 7

Stop being so negative, and Pete, I said, I can't help myself that I kind of tell the truth all the time. Yeah, And so when people ask this, man, I know they don't have a chance. No, they're not very good at No.

Speaker 2

And do you watch them? Oh, I watch them every week, But do they have a chance. Oh, they don't have a chance. And now I'm saying, man, this is for real.

Speaker 1

It's for real, and that energy and that energy is not just coming from the legends. It's not just coming from the players, let us go from the coaching staff. It's also a belief that's coming back from this fan base. And you know better than anybody what this fan base is like when this team is winning. When this team is winning, suppers the way this fan base shows up. And it feels as if when I talk to these other legends that that's how this fan base is acting

right now. When you look at this fan base and everything they've been through. You've mentioned these last thirty years because you've been here as well, been a fan as well. How much does this team success mean, not only to this fan base, for the entire DMV.

Speaker 7

Well, it's it's incredible. Let me just say, I can walk. I'm in Ashburn, I'm I'm in you know, Loudon County. Man, the minute I get into the DC.

Speaker 6

Marketplace, even today, at sixty three years young, having had not played in thirty three years or so on this team, I walk into d C, I drive in my car.

Speaker 2

I can be walking down the street. People stop me.

Speaker 9

Even to this day, I don't look anything like I used to have a high top fade, you know, and I was pretty big, you know, and I look not like that, and these people will spot me a mile away, you know.

Speaker 2

I mean it's so that is you know. Do I ever get tired of that?

Speaker 5

Is that?

Speaker 7

No, that's respect, that's remembering, and and I love that. Look they would we win a game in Dallas after marching onto the marching off the off the plane on the tarmac, marching in fatigues to our bus, marching into Dallas, beating Dallas. We come back that night and it's one or two in the morning, and they were at Redskin Park waiting. Fans were at Redsland Park waiting for us.

Speaker 6

We beat We went another super Bowl, one of the many Super Bowls, and they're tearing down Georgetown. They're climbing up light poles and acting a fool.

Speaker 7

And I mean it's just that stuff. You don't miss that. I mean, you welcome that, you love that. That's the pride this town. When when we won Congress and and you know, the Republicans and Democrats got alone, you know, oh, and they may fight the rest of the week.

Speaker 2

But that brought people together.

Speaker 7

It was it was fantastic knowing that our winning meant that much to the to the fan base.

Speaker 1

There's no better place to be than the DMV, especially when Washington is successful. Man and so and closing, because we're running out of time here, Charles Man, I really enjoyed talking to you.

Speaker 3

We'll have to have you on next week. We'll prepare for the super Bowl.

Speaker 1

But we look at the Philadelphia Eagles first NFC championship game since nineteen ninety one.

Speaker 3

How important was out there to get that win?

Speaker 1

How special will it be to get that win over the Philadelphia Eagles knowing all of the history we have with that team.

Speaker 6

Well, first of all, you know, Jalen Hurts is a solid quarterback, much respect obviously. The running back is just the you know, he's special. He is special, and so it's going to take a lot to overcome that.

Speaker 2

But you know what, we're playing with house money.

Speaker 7

And when you're playing with house money, don't nobody think you can win.

Speaker 2

Don't nobody think you got.

Speaker 7

This or the man in their backyard with their nasty fans, their fans are the worst.

Speaker 2

In the league, no question, no question.

Speaker 7

To beat them in their own house. We're gonna go nuts. I'm gonna go nuts, and I ain't even there. I wanna go nuts. I can make sure I'd let the community know that if we win, there might be some ruckets going on over at demand household, because I'm gonna be fired.

Speaker 5

Up, Jonathan's just be you. It's not gonna just be you, fired them.

Speaker 1

I think the entire area will be they Honestly, you might be calling a complace because the fans might be a little louder you Okay.

Speaker 7

All right, Well this is this is exciting, Brian.

Speaker 2

I'm excited to talk about it. Thank you for having me on.

Speaker 7

This is a special time and I looked forward to this moment. I'm gonna have to find a way to the super Bowl. If we get in, I'm there. I'm there when we get in.

Speaker 1

I cannot wait to see you there, Charles, because I will be there too, bab We gotta get you.

Speaker 5

To come in the studio next time. Man.

Speaker 1

We got a lot more to chop it up about, but Charles, thank you so much for taking the time, man, and just remember, we do not get here as an organization without the things that you and the other legends did to pay the way that never changes. The name might change, but what y'all did on that field never changes. So Charles, thank you so much and thank you for bringing some of that Super Bowl energy here.

Speaker 5

The Next Man Up. I appreciate you. Brother.

Speaker 1

All right, Brother, yes, sir, command this family, our Next Man Up. One of the greatest to ever do it. Charles Man Command this family. We hope you enjoyed this extra special playoff edition of Next Man Up.

Speaker 5

If you want to check our previous.

Speaker 1

Next Man Up episodes, you could catch those on the Commander's YouTube page or stream the audio wherever you get your podcast. I'm your host, Brian Kobe Jr. This is Next Man Up. Catch y'all next week.

Speaker 2

ASPAS looks like a Sistas fo

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