What's good, Commanded Family, this is the Next Man Up Podcast. We have some great guests on for you. We have our guard who just got the bag, Sam Cosmy joins the show to talk about this season and how building chemistry has been with this new look team. Then things get real with our guys, super Bowl champion Brian Mitchell. We talked about the things that motivate him to be great and it is such a great conversation. All that
now on Next Man Up. Commander Family, Welcome into the Next Man Up Podcast.
I'm your host, Brian Cooper Jr.
Here with the very special guest, our guard Sam Cosey. Man, that's what we call you, bag man right now. Man, it's crazy because last time I seen you, it was the last season. The season was just starting. I think the last time we talked.
Right, No, I uh, it was towards the end of season.
Towards the end of the season.
If you look at the like weird was like out here?
Oh you remember?
Yeah? Yeah, I looked rough.
Man.
I feel like that's a look you got to have when you're like a big brag.
Well I didn't, I didn't cut it the whole season.
What was that for? Why?
It was playing good, and I just didn't cut it. It was just kind of like superstitious.
Okay.
I haven't cut my hair either since then, too, So.
Yeah, is that the only ongoing superstition you have right now?
Yeah? The hair, Yeah, for sure, if he makes phe me.
But I haven't cut my hair in like twelve that's a.
Years, so we all have the same man.
Well, I brought that up because, man, this is the last time we spoke. You got you some little money, maybe got you a nice bag man to me, I want to bring that up, not to count your pockets, but you got that right before the season started. So much it changed new ownership, new coaching staff. You were
one of the last man standing from last season. How great was that to get that vote of confidence from a new coaching staff, a new front office before you even hit the field for a regular season game.
Yeah, you know I I they went back and watched my tape as as they did with everybody else. You know, they said early on that they saw something and they really enjoyed what they saw on tape, and so you know, they they wanted to do something, and you know, through training camp and through all that, I still proved myself each and every day. You know, that was the process of its own and you know, just gave them confidence
and showing them who I really was. Uh and uh, you know, honored and privileged that they were able to make me one of the first guys to extend or the first guy to extend under this regime, and super super thankful.
And you're such a driven and hungry guy now that you got the money.
Is that even extra motivation now to just go out there and give it everything you got?
Yeah, for sure. Like it kind of takes a little bit of a weight off my shoulder, and like I could play free, like I was playing free, but like there's still that like thing in the back of your head, like I'm working towards something now just I just get to let it all go, you know. And it's been fun.
These past three games have been really really fun, and you know, I've just been able to just play care free and that's that's the best way I play football, is kind of you know, not having to worry about that and just just go out there and play football.
Then you hit it down and yeah, sure, And you're such a humble and like down to earth guy. Have you had like one of those crazy first bag purchases.
Yet, Like, have you.
Done anything to where you're like, you know what, almost floris on myself just a little bit.
I haven't done anything for me, but when I first got here, I bought it home. I grew out of real quick with two dogs and a baby and my wife. I mean I'm six six, she's six ' three.
Wow.
Our clothes are very big.
Good for y'all.
We have a very small closet right now. So I got a new new spot. That was one of the first things that I want to do is just be comfortable. But nothing necessarily for me yet, so maybe something I don't know, we'll see somehow.
That doesn't surprise me at all. But congratulations on the new crib man. I know that I know you loved your family so much and that's a part of your life. So let's just give it to a little bit of football, man, because before we move any further, we got to talk about.
Monday night football.
What a game.
Yeah, you guys showed so much and I feel like you guys answered a lot of questions. Man, How great was that moment to be able to go out there and perform on the biggest stage.
Yeah, you know, kind of going to that game, we're very prepared and when you offensively, we have to fire on all cylinders. Just because of the week before, we shut ourselves in the foot a couple of times, especially in the red zone. If we didn't do that, that game could have turned out completely different in a good way.
Yeah.
I mean, we still won the game, but it wouldn't have been as close. And so being able to be able to go back and clean those things up and be able to do it the next week was really cool to see, like, hey, we knew we went in, we sat down like, hey, these are the things we need to do, blah blah blah blah. You know, obviously eliminate the penalties, and we were on the same time. We're just we were just working as one. It was
really cool to see. I've never been I was probably one of the first games I've ever been a part of where I'm like, I don't I don't think anything they could do just can stop us right now. Wow, you know, we were just in sync, and so it was really cool to be a part of, especially in the light like in the jungle and doing all that versus you know, everybody's the crowd and everything like that going against you and being able to shut them up and do that. I mean it was just so cool to do.
And everybody's counting you out right.
You have those moments where you know people you know you have nothing to lose out there. What is that moment when you say, like you said, you said your guys are hitting on all cylinders?
Was it a particular play?
It was just something you felt when you wake up, like, what is How did you know that it was going to be something special that day?
I think off the first drive, Wow, you know we were we were moved down the field pretty well the first drive and then you know, honestly, like I said, kind of going back for the week before, we were able to move down the field really easily. In the aspect of just getting down to the red zone, we weren't able to capitalize, but you know, we have a lot of weapons.
Uh.
Jayden is a tremendous young quarterback. I'm happy everybody can kind of see that now. I mean we all knew that, but you know, being able to see him take control of the offense well and his confidence back there really just seeps into everybody else.
On the offense.
You know, QB is the highest paid position in the league for a reason. You know, a lot of people say they get the keys to the to the team essentially, and that's for a reason, you know, because they are a big part of how far your team can go, you know, and with having him back there and with having him have his confidence, his swagger doing his thing, like I said, it seeped into everybody else. We felt that and uh yeah it was. It was, like I said, we did something special.
So it was definitely some special man. That's so great to see. And it's not an easy thing to do. Like I don't think people.
Realize like this, there's a lot of excitement going on. It's a new look offensive line. There's a lot of things. You guys got to build chemistry, new center, new guard, rookie tackle. How has it been building that cambaraderie with these new guys, because again, like you said, it seems like you guys kind of clicked right away.
Yeah, I mean.
We, I mean we just we're like the same guys. It's like taking a cloth and just making smaller pieces. We fit in really well together and you know, really humble guys, really hard working guys, easy to talk to when it comes to over communicating, smart guys, smart smart line. We I always say, it's like we're all when there's a play or something like that, we kind of all like something's messed up. We kind of are antennas, all of us. You know, it's not like just one guy.
You know, it's like it's kind of cool to see just how in tuned we are all on that old line. So we're all trying to be five guys working as one.
Yeah, and then with a rookie, I'm sure it's a little tougher because they haven't had to do this before, right, they're learning from your guys. Your guys example, Brandon Coleman had a heck of a game. How great is it to be to see him develop so quick and get comfortable with you guys.
Yeah, you know he's a quiet, quieter guy, but as being a rookie, that's where you need to be exactly. You know, he's starting to let his personality out a little bit more. But he's a hard working guy. Just you know, he listens to us. He's very smart, very in tuned, and you know, has a really good foundation, has a lot of good tools on his belt technically, and uh, you know, props off to him for for having a great game. And you know, I think everybody's
able to see that, and I'm excited. I mean, he you know, he could be really really good, really good.
And and you guys are going to ironshops, iron right, and you guys going up against a new look defensive line. You got a couple of returning people, but a lot of different people as well. You're going up against them training camp, So you could talk about it, who's been the toughest person to guard so for through training camp, through practice, who's been the toest person to the block?
I mean I primarily go against Pain, So me and Pain always have a lot of battles. I mean, he gives me a great looks. I give him great looks. It's it's it's every every reps a battle with me and him. So I don't really go against anybody else in a sense, it's just me and doron the majority of the time.
I'm sure that makes an interesting relationship between.
You two training camps. It's not like training camps we don't really talk to each other. We kind of know just after once we're in a team sitting, you know, setting, and the season is more relaxed than that aspect, but it's it's a it's a it's a constant battle between.
Us be Robin Austin Eckler getting so much love do you take pride in that as alignment when you're running backs? So getting that recognition and getting these plays, does that like kind of like a little badge.
You know.
The thing I love about those two is you know they understand the aspect of like showing love up to the online and you know, we we kind of go based off each other.
You know.
How however, you know, good he's doing is kind of like how good we're doing type of things. So we got two guys back there, we know a really special one can make big plays and so like that just makes us want to block even harder for those guys to to do that. And h two really good guys and like I said, love ball run really hard and you know takes multiple guys to take them down. So yeah, we have a really good relationship and well you know, we we know what we want to do for those
guys and and vice versa. So it's it's from from QB Wide Receivers running back to us like it's just it's all like Gelling and I love it.
We love that.
Man.
We can't wait to see you guys this Sunday.
So last question, we could fans expect to see when y'all take on the Arizona Car.
Yeah, I mean we've been training and preparing all week.
You know.
I think we're gonna bring some of that stuff from Monday to Sunday and just keep riding on that. And so you know, I think you're gonna see an explosive offense again, you know, and when it comes to defensively and everything like that. I mean, they've been on top of their thing too, So I'm excited to see what we could do on on Sunday. I think we're still working on things and and doing that, but we have the right guys, the right coaches, uh to make things happen.
Sam Man, We can't wait to see it. Man.
Thank you so much for your time. And we know you're a busy man. As you can tell. It's laid out here. We are burning the midnight oil. But this is what it's all about, Sam, Thank you so much. Command is family. This is your next man up, Sam Cosmic appreciate it. Areciate now, Command and his family. We're gonna go a little earlier in the day. We're in the dark right now. We're gonna go a little early in today. When we caught up with Super Bowl champion Brian Mitchell.
For this next man up. It's a legend.
The Pride of Louisiana played quarterback, honestly, played every position in the book. Holds the record for most point return yards, most kick return yards, most total yards to Super Bowl champion. He's a broadcaster here him on the radio. I could go all day about this brother, my guy, Brian Mitchell.
What do he appreciate you being on him?
Man?
Yes, sir, yes, sir man.
And so you know, we talked exits and those a lot post game, pre game, we out.
Here to do that.
I gotta talk to you about the man behind the helmet, because man, like I work with you all the time, bro, and like I feel like the thing that made us bond real quickly is just our love not only for what we do in broadcasts.
But I love for the game of football.
So my first question has to be where did you get your love of the game of football.
I grew up with I'm the youngest of seven kids, and my street it's one way in, one way out, and all my it was all relatives.
And you know, I've always played with people that were older than me.
And then when I started to finally find my little way, you know, they were five six, four years older than I was. And uh, you know, my dad one day watched us play on I had like a two acre lot on side of my house and we were playing and he was like, man, you're kind of good.
At this thing.
He said, all those guys are older than you. And he said, man, if you score a touchdown today, I'm a cook for y'all.
My dad's a chef.
And my dad did a spread for us and he was like, he said, I'm really doing this for my son, you know, my baby son, because I was handling it, and you know, I just loved it. But you know, he instilled in me in the early age, like, you know, you can play sports if you have your grades, you know, and he talked about that student athlete thing, and it just made me like, I loved it so much because I was able to level the play and field with gods that were bigger and older. But also, you know,
I saw as I got a little older. It made me realize, discon take me somewhere, and I put all my effort I could into it.
When was that moment when you realize, like, oh, I'm gonna I can do something with this football thing.
Well, when I got in the ninth grade and I was at blackmin Junior High School eight and ninth grade and the senior high school across town ten eleven twelve, I was the starting quarterback for the eleven twelfth g eighteen. They had to take me over, and it made me at that point realize that I know I could play this game with them, you know. And the thing about it like, just like we were watching our quarterback right now.
Jaden a young guy who came in and he puts so much work into it that nobody was giving him a problem a byt being young, they were giving him respect and credit from being a worker. And in the ninth grade, I was that guy, you know, because I've always had to work. I'm five and a half years younger than my brother next to me, and I used to want to be with him everywhere, and the things I did around him, I had to do a little bit more to keep up, and when I got into.
Ninth grade, I was ready to go.
And the guys realized that and they saw it, and then you know, the rest is history. Because I already knew if I didn't have a three point ohor better, it wasn't two point oh in my house, three point oh A bet, I wasn't gonna play football. And then when it did, it made me become you know, I love sports, but it made me also become a better student as well, because my dad was like, look, dude, if you could do that, you could definitely do the easy thing.
Because nobody was trying to hit you in the classroom.
And you are so athletic. You did so many things. I think you told me the other day on pregame that like you had played off, it's a lot. And then at one point, so what makes you realize, Okay, I want to be a quarterback. When you have rushing ability, when you can catch, you can do all these things. What made you stick to quarterback?
I wouldn't want to be the quarterback. Oh the coach said, I'm going to be quarterback.
Because when I was in the so in the sixth grade, I was a center, and then midway through they moved me to a running back, and they're like, man, you fasting everybody on team. Because there was ae hundred and thirty pounds league. I was five seven and a half hundred and thirty pounds. I wasn't fat. I was just big at that size. And then as I moved move up, so I get to eighth grade, I mean, I'm a running back, and every time we had to throw a
deep pass, we threw a half back pass. He said, you know why, I would just move you to quarterback. And he moved to the quarterback in the eighth grade. The ninth grade. Boom, I'm doing what I told you earlier. And I just kept playing it. I played it all the way through college. And then I began to look at it in a way like I was I realized earlier.
I'm like, I'm not gonna be that tall.
I'm probably not gonna play quarterback in the league, but I could run the football at quarterback because they're gonna look at the quarterback everything. I'm gonna touch the ball every snap. And I just looked at it like that, I'm gonna go out there show him I have. I have the ability to pass the football. But I'm gonna be durable, i'mna run the football, and it worked.
It's funny.
I talked to Doug Williams about this about how much the league has changed. You see all these black quarterbacks and leave it. When you were playing, especially in college, that was a rarity, especially for being an athletic black man. You know, was it tough being a black quarterback and.
The soulf No, it wasn't.
I had seen the come through, you know, so that was part of the reason I wanted to play, watching Warren Moon do the things he did. But my coach Don Jones, the white guy, he came to me and said, that guy over that eight ninth grade tell him report to the varsity field.
We want him to play over here.
And coach Jones basically people wouldn't believe this, but you know, you hear they questioned guys today about being able to call their own plays and things of that nature. I played the ninth grade year, then my tenth grade year. He said, I need you to really learn the offense. I said, what do you mean. Remember Willie Satellite Toddon in the Missippi Valley That's where Jerry Rice went. He said, we're gonna do that. I'm like, what do you mean, Coach,
I say, they don't go all up. He said, yeah, exactly. So in the tenth grade, I went from the sideline to the football and I called the plays starting in the tenth grade. So if he had that much confidence in me, why do I give a damn what the other people say. You know, you got people in the stand saying what their son, my son should be playing this that, and you know, no, he shouldn't be.
He can't play. He sucks. He on the bend. And Coach put me out there.
And one thing I've always been, I've been a guy where this is what I think God gave me talent. My thank you to God has take my talent as far as I can. My daddy always believed in me. My thank you is to make sure I go out there and make him proud. Coach Jones decided that I was the guy. So I want to prove that he made the right he made the right decision.
I got.
I went to college Nelson Stokey. He said, you out guy, you know, so why would I go out there and do nothing but try to make him see that he made the right decision And then when I got drafted. I didn't play part return ever in my life kick return over in my life. But the fact that Joe Gibbs and Wayne Severe thought I can do it, become good at it, and say thank you to him by making sure that everyone believed that they made the right decision. That's just the way I live.
It was it tough in that moment, though, because you're a college quarterback, you're a very successful college quarterback. You said, you know that maybe he didn't have the height to play quarterback. But was it a hard transition knowing that, Okay, I'm gonna have to give this position up and try something else in the NFL.
I ran the ball one hundred and fourteen times my freshman year, probably one eighty the next year, right around two hundred my junior year, and like two thirty my senior year. I scored five nine, fifteen nineteen touchdowns. I knew those numbers like that were gonna be looked at as a runner, and I had no problem with it, no problem at all, Because I tell people this, my dream wasn't to play quarterback. My dream was to play
in the NFL. If I wanted to play quarterback, I was offered a one million dollar guaranteed contract for three years. That was more than what I signed for in the NFL my first two years. But I ended up making more money after those first three years because we did win a Super Bowl. I want a lot of damn and centives. But I could have gone to Canada. Saskatchewan rough Riders had my rights and I could have gone to Canada if I wanted to a quarterback. But my
dreams would never CFL. It was always NFL, you know. And my family got a chance to see me play in the NFL. My dad passed away right after my rookie season, you know, and then I was able to go on to the Super Bowl. My mom and all of them saw that, and my sister would always say, you know, I wish Daddy was here to see it. I said, he sees it. Yeah, he lives through me, you know. That's the whole thing about it. And I
get teary eyed. My dad, My dude. But I knew when that man told me I was a Metro, I can do anything, and I began to live by that.
I was gonna do whatever the hell I wanted to do.
See, man, that's so cool.
Man, the way that our parents impacted, especially your fathers, and you could tell you got a lot of love for your dad. And when did you know, because you had all these people that believed in you, had these coaches that believe you, had your father that believed in you.
When you get out.
There in this new position, when did you know I can do something with this return thing, Like I'm special at.
This well, God has this great sense of humor, because, like I told the Saskatchewan rough Riders, I'm going to try the NFL if this new thing don't work out, I'm coming to Canada. And I forgot the exact date, but it's August nineteen ninety. We're in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, playing against the Atlanta Falcons. First kickoff, catch it, touchdown. At that moment, I guess if I was doubting myself. The man upstairs gave me a message that you can
handle this, dude. And then I come off the field and Wayne Severe said, you haven't done a damn thing yet. You don't kick off covering, you better be on the tackle. Okay, I was on the tackle, But I love like these coaches and they used to come at me and my stuff they did nothing my daddy didn't do.
But there as a military guy, you know, I grew up that way.
You know, it's hot as hell out here today, But if my pop was here, I probably would have been up by five thirty outside feeding out chickens and ducks, cows, all that stuff we had.
I was on the farm. I did everything I had.
To do because if I wanted to play football, I had to take care of all that stuff early, you know, And I did it. So I knew at that moment for sure the new position would work. And then I had guys on my team, Joe Howard Johnson, Walter Stanley, guys who took a lot of big interest in.
Me and helped teach me the game of return.
Mel Gray, who played for the Detroit Lions, helped teach me the game of the return. So I got to the point where Meil and I had a conversation. We say, look, this position has been just a throwaway position forever. Let's make it sexy. Let's make people have to get it done. And I would have to. I would like to believe that I had something to do with Devin Hester coming along. Mail had something to do with Devin heskirt. Because we were so good at it, teams had to go look for something like.
Us mentioned your father, you're losing in me your rookie year. What was the last game he saw you play?
Ooh, man, he wasn't at the game. He saw the playoff game. We had a playoff game on TV and he saw that. And but I'm gonna take to go back and it's is show you how tough my dad was. My dad had a heart attack around December of my rookie season, and I go home, thinking I'm going to be there, be caught for him me. I walk in in the hospital. He said, what the hell are you doing here? I said, man, you had a heart attack.
I'm coming to check on you. He said, boy, you better get back and do your job before somebody take your job. He said, where am I at? I said, you're in the hospital. Say I'm where the people can help me. You can't help me. Go back and do your job. And that mindset stuck with me, dude, because I saw it in him while I was growing up, and when I got to the league.
Can you start to question things a little bit when little things go bad?
And when that happened later I'm like, I can't complain about nothing else, you know. So he saw me after the in the game. He was probably not when he's me in and then he in up passing away in February, so.
You know, but he left me. What's uthing? I tell you that. I can tell you that he.
Left you with a lot, man.
You tell just by the way like hearing you talk, it's so funny, like how similar our fathers were and growing up like that. So I really appreciate you sharing that. And then he got to see you win a super Bowl. He got to watch you from above win a super Bowl? Man, how special was that moment? Knowing that all the hard work you and your dad laid out comes to this moment and you hear now winning the super Bowl?
All right?
It was great, man, because when we get there, I was We we stayed in the little nice hotel area, but we were close to everybody. But the night before the game, Coach Gibbs took us out into this All I saw was snow for days and then all of a sudden, boom, a hotel popped up. I'm like, we're gonna get some quiet. I'm here, and when those things happened.
I always found myself thinking, and I just sat there and went through my whole life, like the times that I was in the yard running around that when I told you he cooked to When I had a game in college, I think I had two hundred and seventy one yards rushing, two hundred and five yards passing, and I.
Walk off the field like I was the stuff.
I was it, And that dude told me you should have had over three hundred rushing, over three hundred passes, but you wanted the showboat instead of that. And he was able to tell me the exact place and for people out there and may think, oh he was too No, he wasn't hard on me. He knew me. And then I had a game. I had about one hundred and twenty yards total. He said, you couldn't have got nothing else out of that game, and I didn't believe him. And when I got to the film, my coach said
the exact thing my dad said. So he was the one that when they was when I started to get too high on myself, he knew how to constructively make me realize I could have done better. And when I thought I was not good enough, he was constructively. He was able to constructively let me know that dog, you couldn't have got nothing else out of that. And everyone everyone says, my whole family, all my brothers and stuff. They don't have to call it. They don't have the
round head. Me and I have a round head, and my dad they all took out of my mom. It's weird. My oldest sister has the same round head. And then I have it the beginning and the end, you know the rest of it in between. You got my mama head. So we always said we got big brains over we got big heads.
It's funny your grass that looks just like you too too. You mentioned Devin Heston, yep, and you mentioned being you feel like maybe like you're doing it humbly. I feel like maybe I'm one of the guys that changed the game. Well, Devin Heston this all Fame speech said it. He said, guys like Brian Mitchell changed the game for me. Being revered like that by someone that's this moment, that's Devin has this moment, that's his all Fame moment.
And he shouted you out. How did that feel?
That felt great?
You know, I talked to so many people about the Hall of Fame, and my whole thing is my resume is done. I can't do nothing else on it. So either I am or I'm not, you know what I mean. And when a guy like Devin on his moment, takes that chance and shout out myself and Josh crib that's a lot of other guys out there. Like you heard me just talk about Mel Gray, you know. Mel Gray really got me going. And Mike Mike Neahms when I sat there and learned everything I could about returning. I
watched Mike Nailms. But the ultimate thing is when a guy takes that time, you're humble.
You know.
I am a person who totally believe in myself, but I never ever just go past someone taking their time to say thank you or I'll put you out there, because not everybody does.
That, and especially on their moment, you know.
So it made me feel terrific, and I would always say that. I remember Miguel sais is a look hard and I got to it, says Brian Mitchell could have played in our day, bet Miguel Sayers, and I was like, well, Gail Sairs said that to hell these voters. And then now Devin going into the hall. He says it. Yes, I feel that makes me a arrive, you know what I mean. But that may not be good enough for
some people around me. But I've had enough. People said when I played football games, they kicked away from me.
I was with the Eagles, whatever I was let go.
But John Gruton said, we were worried about one person, Brian. They kicked the first off, I go seventy five. They squib kicked the rest of the day. That shows you that when people try to say you weren't that coach thought I was.
He got ready for three phases. Worried about me.
Should Ryan Mitchell be in the Hall of Fame?
Hell yeah, because all the things that are being finally reached are broken. You think about it. When you look at the record books, they're breaking my stuff. I know a lot of people return and things like that. But when I left this game, I was at the top of almost everything special teams wise, and then on top of it, I went down to tackle people.
I was able to play quarterback.
I was very effective at running back, but you know what the coaches said, I was more important as a returner. So my thing is, But when you look at the actual return stuff. I left in charge of all of that, and a lot of them still sit and a lot of them won't ever be broken.
Well, and this is somebody that never returned a kick.
I got to the league. That is what you start paying me. Boy, I got to be good, he said.
Listen, I gotta keep this back coming in. Now you look at the game. Now it's different again. The returns are so much different. Now, what would Brian Mitchell do in today's NFL.
I would have to be acting just like the young buck wearing number thirty. Right now, I'll be returning on them. Listen, man, you remember you and I had a conversation before the season started, preseason I think it was, and then training camp. I say, it's gonna take running back tights. You to be good at this because right now it looks more
like an offensive play running through the line. The first touchdown this year was DJ Dallas, Yes, running back then Austin and they called it back but then he had a big one again, Yes Cincinnati, because they hit the line, full speed receivers, defensive backs that return, they hit the line of scrimmage and they worry about the big people. Yeah, they start to stutter, and then when you stuttering, you allowing people to run to you.
When you hit and go.
People don't like it, they say I would love it, because I'm gonna tell you I have twenty three, three hundred and thirty. I might have twenty eight thousand and three thirty if I ran through that stuff right there. You don't have no momentum to come and hit me. Please, Barb, I'm about to give you a damn headache. I'm serious because I use this thing, and I used the biggest show to pass and running back a where and I did not mind sharing them with people.
And you mentioned number thirty watching Austin Eckler do that and somebody like you, of course, like we talked about this too. I was actually surprised your jersey wasn't retired, just to all the things you had done. But I feel like you take pride and seeing that number thirty out there, especially when God's out there balling.
I take pride when someone plays well yeah, because we've had some guys in number thirty, I kind of felt that they were just trying to shut me. But the ultimate thing, I remember when Austin got the number, and I would say finally I could be proud. Yes, and people like, well, man, he didn't play well last year. I said, look, man, that dude had injuries last year. Now you find out he had two high ankle springs. I watched him play. See this is the difference between
me and a lot of other guys. I look at the league and I look for guys that are someone that you may not think or someone that probably came from He wasn't drafted, he's late, a guy that went to a smaller school. I pull for those guys, you know, people that are a little small like Tanner. I was always a friend of I mean a fan of Tenne
before he came to Washington. But when you see Austin and I used to watch how much he lived and the work he put into and then you look at the level of success he had, you have no choice but to respect that dude.
And then when he came here, I'm like, oh, cool, cool. And I asked some.
Guy on social media where it was with your number? I said, I don't care if my number or not. I have a right, yes to feel comfortable or not with somebody wearing it. When I see somebody put it on and they don't make plays, and that don't make you feel good, you know, because people don't understand when you get a number and you're good at it, it becomes a part of you. So you always want to see it elevated. And I think arstin elevation like hell,
and it ain't got nothing to do with me. It's because that's who he is.
You know.
You gotta love guys like that man squad over six hundred. I did that bench over four hundreds did that?
You know?
I love seeing that type of thing. And you know why I started doing it because Barry Sanders did it in college.
And this is in lip service because when we're watching these games, b Mitch, when when number thirty has the vall, he's Volain Beevich is excited. It's so happy, and it's so interesting to me, like when I talk to all the legends, because you would play for multiple teams, like a lot of the guys like Wonton Fletcher.
Right, but you chose to make this home.
You chose to stick around because you could have went back to where you're from, Right, What made you decide to stick around here and stay closer to Burgundy.
And go Well, I think When I got my chance, it was here in Washington, and the fans always loved me.
They didn't want me to go anywhere.
But like when you cut your teeth and you become a man, somewhere, that's where you establish yourselves. Like success has always been, you don't don't become something and then just go back and be and go back to what you were. You go somewhere, establish yourself and then your people come visit you. And Washington gave me an opportunity,
you know. And I just say this. When I went to Philly, people say they want by Philly fans, but you know what those fans said, Yeah, man, if you would go in the Hall of Fame, you deserved to go in as washing it if you were that longer, they understand it.
And I went back to Washington.
You know, I went back to Washington because the love I got there from people that didn't know me, but they saw me grow up. And when I left, they didn't want to see me leave. And I left because I was kicked out of the door. But I watched people with tears in their eyes when I was leaving, and chrome men no cry.
For no dude, But that kind of little man at that game admitted a lot to me. So and then you make another transition. We talk of all these transitions you make from offensive line in a quarterback, from quarterback to returner and doing everything else, and then you make a transition into media, and you've been doing this a very long time as well. What made you make that transition and was it tough?
Well?
When I first started, I saw somebody on TV saying what they would or would not do, and I got pissed off because I'm like, of course you wouldn't You're not an athlete. And I started to look for an opportunity and I just remember I was I was invited to.
A w h R event.
I went there and the lady, Jeanette Tye happened to tell me that they were looking for someone to do a like a three to five minute sports talk on Monday and Friday. Monday to say did you all do what you wanted? And Friday, this is what we're planning to do. And I was like, I'll do it. Could it gave me a chance to have a voice, because when you look back to back in nineteen ninety, wasn't a ton of athletes really in the media.
It was a few of them, but not a ton.
And then five weeks into that to be tem which is the station I was working with, that they're there now. They they offered me a Monday night football show and a little bit later and Channel nine rolled in. I started doing like a TV thing on Sunday nights after I got back from the games on road trips that
we got back early and after home games. And the toughest thing was everyone thought that I was going to allow someone to make me say something I didn't want to say, and it was gonna cause friction in.
The locker room. I'm not that stupid.
So what I would do after a game, the guy that played well, the guy that didn't play well, I asked them what they were thinking, what was going through their minds. So when I got to the thing the next day, you know the question I'm gonna be asking, oh man, so and so, they never get what you think. What I talked to him after the game, this is what he said, and then I could build off of what he said. But I don't mind voicing my opinions when I have to. And I talked to James Brown
and Donnie Simpson, two good friends of mine. James Brown said, don't change anything about yourself. Just know what you're talking about. And Donnie Simpson was like, yo, man, I said, Donnie, what should I change?
He say, just hone in on your skills. Be you.
I could be that, and I kept. I just kept being myself. And you know, I learned that in life, everybody's not gonna like you. But one thing I get constantly. I don't always agree with you been, but you always say what you truly believe. It's all I care about hearing.
You don't have to believe in everything I say, but give me the respect that I am willing to voice my opinions even if I don't, we don't agree, or if you don't like it, but you give me, give me the level of respect because I'm gonna say what I believe.
I'm not gonna say what you believe.
And it's been nice seeing you be a broadcaster because you put in all that work. I've heard you about you on the football field. I feel like you put that work into your broadcasting. And the way we were raised, our father's man, they raise us to have the mentality worry. Yeah, this is good, but it's not good enough. Right, Yeah, this is good. Black can do more. Yeah, this is good. Black can do better. So you've accomplished all these things. Man, you won your Super Bowl, you made it to the NFL,
You're an accomplished broadcaster. Have you been able to shake that or do you still carry that this is good?
But I can do better?
Oh no, No, that's gonna be there, be with me the rest of my life. You know, when you get kids, You know, my I wanted to be great for my son. I could be better for the next and I had three daughters after that, so I want to be great for them. And then now I got grandkids. So and that's the best job I've ever had in my life. Father and grandfather. But what you do, you always want to improve it because like my dad told me, he said, you make sure my grandkids lies are easier than yours was.
So I had to tell my kids the same thing.
And if we can build that type of culture in our family, we can always have somebody looking up instead of having a phase where people aren't doing good.
So I try to keep pushing.
That and be you know, I lost my father as well, and I think a lot of times about what our conversation will be when I see him again, and what we'll talk about and what he'll say to me, What do you think your father said?
When you guys finally get to have that conversation.
He would probably say job well done, but he'll find one thing to say, well, you could have done this a little bit better. I would probably bust out laughing because I know it. I know what he'll tell me, because as he always said, I don't ever want you to get complacent. I'm always gonna be trying to push you and put is because I love you, and that
saying sticks with you. You know, people do things sometimes out of spite or whatever else, but when someone is doing something out of love, you just accepted and move on.
Because I also know that that love is the thing that pushed me and guided me to get to where I am and all the things I accomplished because I knew that that dude believed in me, and he pushed me and made sure everywhere I needed to be or what I needed to have something or to accomplish it, I had it no matter what, you know, so I wouldn't worry about that. But I know he'll be like you did, good man, but.
It's great to hear the way that your father mentioned you and these coaches will and now you do that as well. You stay closer to the facility. You see these guys. You're looking at this team. Now you've seen a lot of Burgundy and gold teams, but this is a little different. Talk about what you're seeing right now. Why there's so much new energy around the building.
Well, this team went through years where it was like down. And I tell people over and over again, no matter what people say, we don't listen to it outside, we don't worry about this. Well, that's not us.
You can't help it.
The way media is today, no matter what negativity is around, you're gonna it's gonna get to you.
And things subconsciously affect people.
And now when you look at this thing, it looks like nothing but newness. A lot of energy is here because with Josh and Mitch and Magic and all these guys bring in a lot of energy is here because of how Dan Quinn and Adam Peters are working this thing. And then when you look at it, you have a veteran, veteran players like you know Wagner, who probably is going into the Hall of Fame, but it's a worker. Yes, you know, uh, you have guys on this team, h
young guys. Okay, I'm awesome, awesome to another one because he's a guy who's gonna probably do some unbelievable things. But then you have a young guy who's coming in here to lead this thing, who has the mindset of a veteran old player. I want to work, i want to get better, and I'm not satisfied with anything. And if I've always said this, if the star of your team, Tom Brady, Alex Reveshkin, Michael Jordan, if those guys are working the hardest, nobody else has an excuse. Nobody has
an excuse. So Jade and Daniel rolls in, Heisman Trophy winner, second und second pick in the first round, comes into your team, whether he thought or whatever, he's a face of your franchise. And people say he's in there at five something in the morning, he's last to leave. And then you look on what happens. You got another little guy in mikel Serren Steel.
He starts doing it.
He's basically doing stuff on the defensive side that young guys don't only do. And then here we go Luke McCaffrey. He shows up every time Jamee's there, here's gonna be more people. So if the whole mindset of the team is to put the work in, you're gonna have success. So and I think the players see it now. The fans are starting to get a little bit of what we get a chance to see at practice and things of that nature, and we get to we get you get to see what the players are talking about. A
rookie season is gonna go like this. But we've already seen in three games that this kid's special. And I think, you know, when you put the work into things, you get great things out. And I think he's done what he needs to do. So let's sit back and relax and get popcorn ready.
Get the popcorn ready. So many things to be excited about with the Burgundy and gold and you know, be missed. I just want to say thank you, man. You laid the groundwork for a lot of us, even in this broadcast thing. Man, you've been an o g to me and you're gonna help me out a lot. So like, I appreciate you, man, I appreciate you can in this brother, and yeah, man, appreciate you jumping on the show, get about It. Appreciate you, Command his Family. Thanks for watching
Next Man Up. You can stream it wherever you get your podcasts, or find it on the Commander's YouTube page every Friday until next time.
Command His Family. I'm Brian Coble JUNR and this is Next Man Up. Stood Up.