Super Bowl: The Full Experience Part One

We'll hear about Prince Springsteen, The Stones, among others. So imagine this movie script. Twin brothers playing football together. They're not highly recruited. They end up at a program that is really struggling, not even thinking about the NFL, but they helped resurrect their home state team, and on draft day they each hear their name called except one. Twin brother is the first round pick of an elite franchise. He plays with the greatest quarterback ever, wins a couple

of Super Bowls. The older brother suffers through losing season after losing season, including the unthinkable that owen sixteen years. Then suddenly the twins are reunited as starters in the same defensive backfield and together they share in a Super Bowl triumph. All right, that sounds maybe a little too far fetched, except it happened to my guests, Devin and

Jason mccordy. No one would have thought, you know, those two kids coming out of high school would be sitting on a set in the Super Bowl talking about being Super Bowl champions like it was just it was unheard of.

So I think for us, you know obviously to go through college then our NFL journeys and to be there together when my mom who has been the driving force, and us being football players men, Dace has like everything to share that, you know, I think was I think why athletes chimp pete while we go through the different things, Why do we play through injuries? To me, it is for those moments be able to share them with the people you love, And that was our mom, our wives

and our kids. Yeah, my mom was in the confetti doing confetti angels were all of our grandkids. We still we still have that video. So that that was kind of the the vibe of everything now was going on after the game, how they arrived at that amazing moment, all that went into it, the winding paths that each of them took. Make sure of some great stories beautifully told in one of the most enjoyable sports conversations I've

ever had. They'll also tell us what the Bengals and Rams should know about playing in Super Bowl fifties six and get some predictions. No surprise, these very competitive brothers pick different sides. You'll love this. The mccordy twins, Devon and Jason, well, Devon and Jason, appreciate your time. This is fun. I'm fascinated by brotherly relationships, especially twin relationships. So your guys journey through football is I think really unique.

We have we have this in common. Two thousand and six, you guys are early in your careers at Rutgers and for those listings have don't understand. Rutgers was good. Rutgers had good teams, and you guys were kind of there at the beginning of that in the Big East. In the two thousand and six in came Louisville ranked number three.

Scarlet Knights were having a great season, undefeated at the time, and we were hyped to call this Thursday game and it was neat to be at the birthplace of college football and the energy around that and you guys as Jersey kids. I remember they were all hyped up. These two guys from Jersey. Not big recruits, but man, they're ballers, they can play, and they're twins. And we had gotten

we had gotten coached up on that. So you guys being a part of that game, um which I call pandamoney and piscataway, Jason, take take me through that experience of kind of being a part of building Ruckers football. Man. It's funny because we just got a chance to talk to Harry Douglas last week. Cool was on that Louisville team was a wide receiver and then I'll play with Harry and Tennessee. Uh when the Tians and we always joked about that game. He said it ruined his life.

But that was kind of our moment Rutgers. You know, a big game. I go Thursday night football. Always used to joke when I got in the league that in the Big East we have prime time games because we played on Thursday night and everybody in the country was washing because there was no other game on. So for us to win that game in that fashion with Eatle hitting that kick and not only was the kind of

Rutgers coming out party. But I think about coming into Rutgers with a guy like Ray Rice, that was kind of his coming out party that really put him on the map and in turn kind of helped the entire university. So I can just remember how much fun that game was, all the fans storm in the field at the end of it. Like you said, it was pandemonium that night.

So that'll be one that we always remember. Yeah, Devin, you guys were just getting started, but have some some really solid years of Rutgers, which but at that time wasn't necessarily known as a place to go play if he wanted to play in the NFL. But but being a Jersey guy and just be a part of the early teams that had to be gratifying. It was funny, you know, going to Rutgers. That's when they used to joke that Rutgers was a hundred and twenty out of

a hundred and twenty universities in Division World football. So um, and I think, like Jason, I think for us in that time period, you know, the Kenny Bridge to Taekwon Underwoods, us playing Jeremy Suits, Like, we had so many guys who left Rutgers and ended up having you know, pretty good NFL careers. UM at that time, we didn't know anything about the NFL really. We all just were, Hey,

we're at Rutgers. We're trying to make history and we did and we all shared a lot of fun and you know, coach Hanno really put something together back then that was special that, like Jay said, a lot of us will remember that moment, but a lot of those

moments with those guys on those teams. You guys obviously got to the league two different paths, and we'll get to that will backtrack, but I want to start with because super Bowl is on everybody's mind right now, the super Bowl after the two thousand and eighteen season, the super Bowl fifty three, when you guys finally get a chance,

you know, play together. And what's special about it is what goes into it, right and the past that these guys take to get there, I think, or what draws fans in and and Jason, your path was a winding one. So before you joined Devon with the Patriots, you're on the team that didn't win any games in Cleveland. Man, I hate to bring up a bad memory, but it sets the stage right how sweet. It was once you got to the Patriots and played in the Super Bowl.

So what was that like, you know, navigating from from this situation in Cleveland to joining Devon in New England. How that came about? Man, you can't write it up any better. I usually tell people I don't talk about my ninth year in the league because I was down in Cleveland. I kind of just used that as just a blank year, like it didn't exist. But I mean it was incredible. I remember going from Cleveland and New England. That first game we played the Houston Texans at home.

Deshaun Watson was coming off his a c L the year before, and when we won that game, I was fired up in the locker room. And I remember talking to Josh McDaniels after that game at Saint That was the first game I won, and over a calendar year, because it had been since I was in Tennessee with the tie that had won a game. So, I mean, just that was kind of the startup of it all, and just kind of throughout the course of that year.

Like you just said, my career was kind of a windy role and that season was the first game versus Houston I played five plays in that game, and then things happened and ended up playing more and was kind of up and down and ended up kind of solidifying myself on the other side of step with J. C. Jackson and John Jones that year and just going on to the Two Bowl myself. Josh Gordon wasn't playing in the game but was on the roster, and Danny Shelton.

Us three were all in Cleveland the year before, and I remember taking a knee on the sideline as the confetti's falling and hugging it out with Dev and then looking at Danny Shelton and just saying, like, Yo, we made it from where we were last year, we're that season. And to think that we'd be standing on the field with confetti on the floor around us, uh, crowned as champions. I mean, none of us would have thought at that point that was gonna be in the cards for us.

Just a year later, looking back to the confetti because that's a sweet moment. But but Devin talking about the conversation with Bill Belichick just to try to convince him that your twin brother could also play and help the team. Yeah, man, I think it comes with old agent and being in the NFL for a while. I still remember Um at the end of his season, I'm like, what are you

gonna do? Like, you can't, you can't stay in Cleveland like it's about to be a year or ten, like you just there's no point of still playing football and not trying to win. And I remember the day he called me and he was like, yeah, I just talked to the GM. Uh They're gonna release me. Uh so I'm out of here. And I was like all right, um, all right, let me see what I could do. So I actually called Brian Flores, uh call Flow and I'm like, hey,

J just told him he's getting released. Uh what you think? He was like, Um, I said, should I just call Bill? He said yeah, called Bill? So of course I text Bill Modern Technology Tech Bill and was like, Jay's getting released. I just think too, McCarthy's are better than one. And then like forty five minutes ago by I had already take Jay, like I guess Bill disagrees to report it

might not be better than one. And then he actually ends up calling me almost like an hour later, and I was like, yeah, we're just gonna trade for him. Where you get this thing done now? I'll get him on the team. And I was the first person. I faced time Jay right after then we faced time my mom and was like I told jess, hey, welcome to the Patriots, and he's looking at me like what are you talking about. I was like, man, we just tried a three. You come into the Patriots and the rest

was kind of history. That's all s It wasn't one of those trades that kind of blows up the bottom line on ESPN. I was swapped a couple of late round raphics. But the the the offshoot is, Jason, you get to go to an organization where not only the winning games, you're expected to win Super Bowls. Right, so before we get to know all the fun in Atlanta at the end of the season. Now you're coming on

board with Devon and the expectations are totally different. And and you know, what was that like coming into a group of guys that you already had a couple of rings at that point, Evin as it all, I mean, bray at it. I don't know how many five or six at that point. What was it like coming into that locker room and just being so starving for a win,

being surrounded by dows it have already achieved a lot. Yeah, I remember talking to my wife and saying, this is gonna be a fun and a challenging year because I know for myself, I've been in Tennessee for eight years, Cleveland for one, and throughout my years there have been a team captain, had been one of the best players on my team, have matched up against the other team's best receiver for some of those years, and I knew I was a player that can compete and was one

of the better cornerbacks in this league, and that upcoming season at that point from me was gonna be really telling, because I said to myself, like, now you're gonna have to do it on a good team. What an expectation is to win, not like we're just going out there to see where we're gonna end up. And I think that brings a totally different pressure. And I remember talking to Dev about it. It's different being on the Cleveland Bronze where you're owing sixteen and you're going to every

game and if you win, everybody's surprised. Opposed. Every time you show up on Sunday, everybody's giving you their shot because you're the top dog. You're at the top of the hill, and I remember talking to Bill when the trade happened, and I flew up to Foxborough and had a meeting with Bill, and one thing he said to me was, Hey, you'll be able to bring a very

unique perspective on this team. It was just like, we have some guys that have been here for I think at that point it was maybe the last two or three years. That day I went to the Super Bowl back to back to back years, He's like, we have some guys here that doesn't They don't they don't even know what it's like not to win, and they think is all because of them. He was just like, your perspective coming in. I was in a season in Tennessee where we were two and fourteen. Another year we were

three and thirteen. I've never made it to a playoff game. And I think it all kind of fell in at the right time, me being there, being able to bring some leadership, and being able to bring a perspective of hey, fellas, we can't take this for granted and you have to make the most of each moment because you don't know when you're gonna get your opportunity to be back here. So it was challenging and exciting at the same time,

and I'm just happy it worked out. Devin the previous year that when we're talking about two thousand seventeen season, guys, super Bowl fifty two to the Eagles. It was a wild, high scoring game that they scored in the Philly Special. So coming into eight team, you're coming off that stinging loss where um, you guys are close. I do want to get to what it's like to lose the Super Bowl game, because to get to that stage and win it is sweeter, but to come short, especially in the organization,

it's one a couple. Wasn't the first time you you were part of the team that lost to the Giants? The Manningham catch that drive late? So what before we get to the glory, what was it like to walk off the field second best on Super Bowl Sunday when you're you know, this close to another one. I is devastating. I listened to Tom's post game UM news conference after they lost to the Rams, and that's the reality of it.

Like he said, he said, you know when you make the playoffs, each time one of the team's seasons come to an end, and it's like a car crash. It's terrible. It's a horrible ending, and then the next week it's even worse, and then that and then ultimately you make it to the super Bowl and one of those teams is gonna have one of the worst endings that you can think of. And that's exactly what it's like. I remember, I still vividly remember losing to the Giants. This is

my second year in the NFL. We make it all the way to the super Bowl, and the whole time, naturally as a competitor, as a player, you're just like, all right, we're competing. I'm doing all of this, and then we're gonna be super Bowl champs, Like that's all you think about, Like gonna be Super Bowl chaps. And then that that as that last play falls and we throw to Hail Mary and the confetti starts shooting out, and you know, all of the Giants players are running

on the field. You like, I remember just sitting on the bench like wait, the game's over, like what, like what now? And and then Philly the same thing. You get in the locker room and it's just a terrible ending. You know, guys are crying, it's dead silence, like it's just something that was so special. You know, I always tell guys, when you don't win that that last game of the year, however specially you thought that team was,

that team will be forgotten. You know, no one really ever talks about the teams that won the a f C R NFC championship. And that was it. Um. And that's what the kind of ending is. It's you take a lot of times, you take a week or two to kind of get back into a routine with the rest of the world. You kind of hide out. Um. You just you just feel like you let yourself down and everybody else around you down when you lose that game. And eventually you kind of build back up and you

get ready to go to next year. But it's a it's a tough couple of weeks when you lose that last game. Yeah, I don't know what it's like to lose. I don't know what it's like. I got you. But but you come onto this team and and and Devin, how much did you want it for Jason? You want it for yourself, You want it for everybody that's coming up that stinging pain. But going into eight team season, now you got your your brother alongside as you said,

you've not you didn't get close to it. How much did you want one for him as well as yourself? I mean, honestly that last game, you know, especially as we want in the confess, like I felt like I was kind of outside, you know, almost like outside the house looking in at him, just because of everything he had went through and you know, just the purity of it all. Like after we win the NFC Championship against Kansas City, we come back the next day and we

have our Super Bowl meeting. And the Super Bowl meeting is probably like fifteen minutes in total, Like we're going over hotel to like, we're going over everything, and it's still only fifteen minutes, and we all walk out and Jay's like, wait, wait, wait, wait what happens to He was like like that meeting was way too short, Like my bad, because all you guys have gone to four Super Bowls, but like nobody answered any of my question.

And we cracked jokes on him from the time we won the nc Championship game all the way to the end where we won the whole thing, because he just media day, media, the big media day, then the media that you have to do every day. He was just always chipper excited and ready to go um and it was great. I think, you know, we did. Obviously, we have a lot of spoiled guys on our team. You know, I've played in five super Bowls, like that was my fifth super Bowl, playing in uh in my ninth year,

Like that's just ridiculous to think about. And he brought that sense of like, hey, guys, like this isn't every day. Like I'm gonna show you guys how you need to take full advantage. And he did just that. How do you remember, Jason, Yeah, very that that logistics me and he said fifteen minutes. It was probably five minutes. They got up there, and was just like, I mean, this is our third year going and most of you guys,

you know, you know the drill. If any of the new guys have questions, just come fine, man, I'm just like that's it. That's all we're gonna do. And he's right though the meet any and everything that had to do with the Super Bowl those two weeks leading up, I was all in for it. I told my wife, we talked about I'm gonna enjoy every single moment of this super Bowl, whether it's we get there on Monday and we go out with the guys. I'm gonna enjoy it.

Whether it's the practice were on Georgia Tech campus and the whole nine with everything, I'm gonna or the bus rides from the hotel to the practice space, I'm gonna enjoy it. I'm gonna make the most of it, especially because at that point I got traded. I only had a year left on my contract from Cleveland, So this was not only a chance to win the Super Bowl, but this is also a chance to play alongside my brother, where I didn't think that it was gonna go past

that one season. So man, I I took it all in. Leading up to that game, I was fired up. Uh told family, every my my mom, everybody was there, and I just told him I was gonna enjoy it because I knew and I think to what he said. That was his fifth super Bowl. It was my fifth super Bowl as well the previous four. I went to all

of them, and I hosted the family. Uh just try to go down for the entire week, and I would be in constant contact with deav where just like, Hey, whatever you need me to do to help you focus on the game, just let me know like, this is what I'm here for, and like we always kind of explain it is just like you're that kid who doesn't have the family atmosphere that you want, and Christmas comes around is one of your favorite holidays, but you've never

been able to celebrate it with your family. But you have neighbors that they have the biggest and the best family, and it's like Christmas morning, you just stand in their driveway and you just look through the window and you're watching them celebrate Christmas, and you've always wanted it for yourself. And that's what a sad sense I mean that that's brotherly love. You. You're doing unselfish stuff. You're just looking

through the window at other people having fun. Guilty In a way, I was like, man, I hope you I hope he gets to do this one day. But I was like, man, also in a way, I want to just keep doing this. If he could come on board, he can, But if not, I don't want to stop losing for him to win. That's for sure. You get into the game. It's the Rams have hyped their offenses,

one of the top scoring offenses in the league. Jared Goffs pitching around like Bays calling these ball plays and then you guys go in and you absolutely smother holding to a field goal. Um, it's not the kind of super Bowl people expected or wanted to see unless you love defense to your Paris. It was a boring as dud of the Super Bowl. But it's beautiful for you guys playing defense because all the hype had been the Rams offense coming in right, And I don't know for me.

The year before, like you just said, Chris we I played in a Super Bowl where it was five yards from Brady, four seventy from full Like I played in that game where it was like everyone you know, lead the game. It was like, oh my goodness, I'm sorry you lost, but what a great game. Where I'm walking away like this was one of the worst games we've ever played as a defense because you couldn't stop anything.

So like I left that that next year, I was head high, like proud, like you know this is I think they were scoring thirty something points a game, and like we held them to three. It was awesome, but you know, I get it. Everybody else was so disappointed. But you know, you you kind of fast forward one year to be back in that game. We get an opportunity to play against the offense like that and to play how we played defensively, one of the best feelings that you can have. J C may have played the

end and you broke of the past. I think Brandon Cooks was the receiver. It was a big play in the game because you do keep him out of the ends on the whole game. But it's the kind of play that, like you said, Devin, if it's a high school in Super Bowl, nobody's remember the past broken up in the first half. But to be a part of that and make a play and to know when it was over that that was a touchdown saving play that was was enormous after what you've been through. Had to

feel pretty cool. Oh for sure. I mean to be able to play in that game and play every single play in the game and have an impact and make plays throughout the course of that game, it was. It was everything. Like Dev said, they were such a high powered offense going into that game. For us defensively, kind of the chess and the behind the scenes and the strategy that goes into it for me was what was

so much fun. Because we had been Austraightian man and man team throughout the second half of this season in the playoffs, and we're going too that game, and we played predominantly zone on first and second down and only man them up on third down, and they really had no answer for that. And just to be a part of such a dominating Super Bowl defensively and to have

a key playing that game. For sure, I look back at my career and I was gonna be one of the best moments, probably the best moment of the of my career. I've seen the postgame interview. The confetti's all over the place. You guys are on a set talking to announcers, and people have at least at least one of your kids. I think each of their your your mom was there. I mean that, Devin, What a moment to get to share that with Jason after all that, and Just and and the next generation of mccordy's, by

the way, we're there too. That's pretty cool, yeah, man, And like you like you started off saying that we were high recruits, Like you know, I had no stars until I committed to Rutgers and they gave me to Like, all right, he's got a DVO scholarship. We'll give them too.

So I think for all of us, you know, between us to my mom, my older brother, like all of the people that were there in that journey, like no one would have thought, you know, those two kids coming out of high school would be sitting on a set in the Super Bowl talking about being Super Bowl champions

like it was just it was unheard of. So I think for us, you know obviously to go through college then our NFL journeys and to be there together when my mom, who has been the driving force, and us being football players, men, dad's husband, like everything to share that, you know, I think was I think why athletes compete while we go through the different things. Why do we play through injuries? To me is for those moments to be able to share them with the people you love.

And that was our mom, our wives and our kids. Yeah, my mom was in the confetti doing confetti angels where all of our grandkids we still we still have that video. So that that was kind of the the vibe of everything that was going on after the game. Devin Seid's Gotta out of body experience, Jason, for you was a second for tacking down and and and the reality is sinking in that you're gonna be a Super Bowl champion for the first time. What what what do you recall

about that? About those feelings, I couldn't believe it. I mean, uh, they missed a field gold and I remember me and Death kind of running and jumping on each other at that point, and then we go back on offense, and so we win the game. While we're sitting on the bench, and when the clock hit zero, I just dropped to a knee and just kind of just took it all

in and uh, just such a surreal feeling. And I remember once the families got down on the field hugging and give him, my wife a hugging a kiss because we have been we've been together since my sophomore year in college. So I always joked that she became my therapist once we got in the lead because she would have to listen to all the frustration and everything I had gone through from Tennessee to Cleveland and onto New England.

So I was just like, Death's a very awesome moment for ourselves, but more importantly for our family and the people kind of in the background. I have fought with us and done everything to help us get to where we were. Yeah, definitely say, you know, the first time is special, but what was different about this one even though it was your third to be able to share it with him? What what? What what felt different about you is as you as you took it ll in,

you know, walking off the field with the ultimate high. Yeah. Man. And I never thought anything would top that first one in Arizona when we beat Seattle. UM, just because you know, guys like Vince Wolford and uh Matt Patricia, they would always tell me of what it felt like when you wanted and then I finally got that feeling. But this time around it was different because Um, usually after the game, you get a couple of field passes for the family that gets to come down and you celebrate with them,

but it's never like your full family. And like this time with Jay being there and women, you know, it wasn't you know, Jay coming down and giving me a hug and saying congrats. It was like our whole family being down there celebrating together. It was like being back in high school and Pop one or like all of those great moments where your whole family is and that's what this was. So, you know it, I thought no one,

nothing would top that first one. But you know, once we've won that, you know it's it's my favorite super Bowl win, which feels great to even be able to say, but it was. It was definitely special, Devin. You talked about that that special when over Sela that ended a ten year Super Bowl drought of the Patriots. They hadn't want a bunch early with Grady. It had been ten years.

So for those of us that don't understand what it's like to be in those moments and playing the ultimate game in the sport you love and playing a game that great because you know the Seahawks, you're driving, Russell Wilson's got the ball, and people remember Malcolm Butler, a guy that you're you're in the defensive secondary with him, makes a goal line interception to seal it. One of

the great players that's ever happened. What is it like in the huddle in your head as the defender and one of those kind of final drives and you know you've got to get a stop and then and then it happens. I'll never forget Flow Flows used to say this Rye Floores and he's my position coach. You should always tell us when we got into the big playoff games.

He should always tell us there's gonna be moments in the game where it's going really well and you're gonna start saying, like, man, when that confetti falls, or like when I grabbed the trophy, you're gonna start thinking the head. He says, It's gonna be bad moments where you're sitting there like, oh, man, I can't believe we blew this. Like and like all of those moments happened in that Seattle game. You know what, Jules scores that go ahead

touchdown and you're like, man, we're about to win. And then uh, Curse makes the crazy catch down the sideline and I'm like, man, I can't believe again, another crazy catch. About to lose. And he used to tell us, but just just remember next play, next play, and that's what it was. You kind of just keep going next play, and you know, they Marshawn Lynch runs the ball somehow High Tower spins back and like gets a shoulder on Marshawn Lynch's need to even get them down at the

one yard line. And then Malcolm you know, jumps a play that uh he got beat on in practice a few days before, and here you got a guy who's a tryout player who ends up being like our fifth or sixth corner on the team back in training camp, ends up being the star of super Bowl forty nine, and then I'll never forget the next year in O T A s. Brady starts just getting on Malcolm one O T A practice about you ever heard of guys that went Super Bowl m v P or make key

plays in the Super Bowl? Yeah, because we never hear about him again. It starts just challenging Malcolm. And the best part is Malcolm ends up going on to be a Pro Bowl player, UM, and just a great corner in this league. UM. And it all started from him making that great play. UM. Really just going next play at his hime. That's awesome. That's a great recollection. All right, Bengals and Rams, Devin, I'll start with you because the Bengals players, a lot of them have not been in

this situation. A lot of them were young, a lot of them have been on some really bad teams. Now they get their moment. Do they not yet know about the Super Bowl experience, whether it's a lead up to it or playing in the game, that they're gonna need to find out Um. One of the biggest things I'll say is football's football. So once they get out there, they'll just play and be fine. Um. But I think one of the things that you always need to realize is there's a football game at the end of all

of this. There's a lot I mean when I say a lot, there's a lot of hoop lah, you know, interviews the whole week before you even get down uh to l A. You're gonna be talking about the past games that just happened the season, like, you know, talking about so many things, and there's gonna be companies asking me to do stuff, and there's just gonna be so much stuff between now and game time that it's so easy to forget. Man, what do I usually do on Tuesday?

As far as getting ahead of my film study? What are the cut ups I watched? Hey? Do we usually meet as a group? Like all of those little things that you usually do because you're week is already kind of in routine for you, those are the things you

need to do. Those are the things the new things that you might need to do when you get to l A. Hey, guys, like, let's get together Monday night, let's get together onesday, like some of those small things are always I mean, every game I've ever played in is the difference of winning the Super Bowl and losing. The first time I went no idea about any of this, and um as I went, you know, a couple more times. A second time, you kind of realize those are the

things that you can do to separate yourself. Because both teams are going through it, so hopefully they do those things and give them themselves a chance to win the game. Jason, in this Bengals Rams matchup, you can relate probably more to the Cincinnati side of things, because you know, you you didn't come into the super Bowl of a bunch of success. The Bengals are an organization have been kicked around for a long time now. Even probably after doing a great job in the playoffs, you go to aarra

ahead and you come from an eighteen down. I mean, what do those guys, having stored what are they get to experience for being in the ultimate that they don't realize yet, Man, you're gonna experience what it feels like to now be on top. For so long you've had to fight, you even for them in the playoffs, they've

been the underdog. They had to go to Nashville and beat the Italians, the number one team in the a f C. Then they had to go, like you said to Alha, and be the Chiefs, the number two team on the a f C. And now you're going into a game where you may still be the underdog, but at the same time, everybody is now celebrating and no one's talking down on you. Everybody's telling you now how good you are. And I think for me, my advice

would be to them is man, take it all. And I'm not saying you believe in the hype, but enjoy that process. Enjoy those two weeks like deaths that enjoy the hooplah, enjoy the media, all of those things. Will still be able to focus on the game and know the task I had. But man, have fun. Man, it's a special moment. We grow up for all of us at love football. You grow up as kids. I remember watching the Cowboys and the Steelers and the Super Bowl and having a fun wage of five dollars on a

bedding for the Cowboys with my mom. You grow up watching this game and halftime performance, everything that goes around to the commercials, and you're actually going to be playing and it don't take that too lightly, uh, and don't make the moment way bigger than you have to have to make it. Just enjoy that process and enjoy each moment of it. And devon on the Rams side, you can relate more if we just talked about the game where you you stop them, smothered them few years ago.

So some of the veteran players Aaron Donald and others have been this close and you gotta shut them down. Now they come back and it's a different kind of hunger as you as you went through losing one before you finally got to win one. Yeah, that they're gonna

be a determined group. I still remember and two thousand and four team when we beat the Colts in the NFC Championship, UM and our whole sideline, you know, you had guys celebrating, going crazy, and there was a group of us that was just sitting there like this isn't what we want, you know, And you know, like Jay said, you want to enjoy the moment. But I think you're

gonna see two sides of this. You're gonna see a team like since he doesn't joined the moment, and you're gonna see some of that leadership of the Rams really kind of shutting down probably some of the celebrations and saying, hey, we only want to celebrate this one game. We want to win this game to celebrate because if not all of the celebration we're doing leading up to it, it's

not gonna matter. And I remember that because, like I was that guy in fourteen after losing in the Super Bowl in two thousand eleven and losing and back to back an f C championship games, I was that guy that was like, man, it's only gonna matter if we win this last game. UM. So I think you're gonna see Aaron Donald, You're gonna see some of those other guys that Robert Woods even though he's not out there, the Cooper Cups who couldn't play against us, those guys

that experience being at the top and falling short. I think they're really gonna take that team and say, hey, we've been there before. This only matters if we come away with the ring that we want. Um. And it's gonna be interesting to see that battle of kinda wills go ahead to head as this teach you guys. First of all, Devin, you got a picture of you and your brother. I believe that you guys are together in a frame over your left shoulder on the wall. I said,

it's nice background for this. Uh, I see some other member, b I see a football back there. But when you guys sit around, you know, in the rocking share decades from now and your your kids are all grown, what do you think, Jason, you're gonna reflect on on that moment, you know, going back to Atlanta and with the confetti on the ground and being able to share a Super Bowl championship. What do you think you'll say? Man Oh, I think that will be a lesson of overcoming adversity.

And I think that that would be the perspective that I would talk to him about of you just never know what's on the other side, if you can put your head down and continue to be in the moment and continue to work. And I would say that was

what my journey and what my process was. Uh. Pick of the draft in two thousand and nine, go to a Tennessee team that just came up a thirteen and three record and think, I'm just joined a hot franchise and we're about to just continue to take all and just have losing season after losing season, but in the midst of a losing season, being able to continue to work on myself as a pro and as a player and just continue to be at the top of my game.

And then, like you how we started, you go from Cleveland on sixteen to winning the Super Bowl a year later. And it's almost like those little pictures you see where there's a farm or something. He's working. He's working on the ground. He's working on the ground, and he can't see any success or he can't see what he's doing it for. And they show underground the roots of that tree or the roots of what he's working on. Is Doug so deep because that's the success on the other side,

and we can't always see it. And I think that's what I would use that Super Bowl victory for is sometimes in the middle of the storm, in the middle of adversity, you can't find your way out. But if you kind of stay in a moment, even to take it back to the two thousand and six Rutgers team, and you continue to chop in the middle of the forest, tree by tree, the next thing you know, you'll be ashore and you'll be exactly where you want to be.

Man that's a powerful message. It's perfectly delivered. Um, Devin, When you think about those those four hours of your life that so much in your life goes into and you have a lot of life after that, what do you think you'll reflect about when you sit on the rocket chair. Well, first thing, I tell my kids, I was better than my twin brothers. So I'll tell his kids and my kids I was the better one. Um. But I'll get a chance to reflect on um having

the opportunity, uh to come into a pressure situation. I always say, you know, there's a core group of guys that got there around a two thousand ten times, you know, myself, Grunt, Julian Edelman, Patch hung High Tower. Um, we came in there and you know, like Jay said, we got to New England so it was like all right, guys, we just jumped on board and win a super Bowl and here we go. And like you said, Chris, it was

a ten year drought. So you know we were a part of a lot of those seasons of getting close and failing. UM. And I just remember, you know, having that core group of guys of all of us kind of looking at each other saying like I don't I'm having conversations with Matt Slater like we don't want to be to have group that everyone looks and it's like, hey man, those other guys won before you, and you,

guys just you weren't good enough. Um. And to me that that was the definition and define me as a professional and my professional career was we found a way through losing, through being close having the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. It was really up to the

rest of us, like we already knew Tom could do it. Um. And for me it was how can I got to see how a group of guys can come together to lead different groups and men on offense, defense and special teams and will ourselves to to win by learning from guys above us, the Vince Wilford, Sir Tom Brady's, the Logan Mankings, and then ultimately transforming and becoming something and making something of our own because of the guys and the giants above us who did it before us, and

we got to talk to them and learn from them and then do something special after. UM. I'll always be able to reflect on something, UM that you know it's hard to do, go and play with the greats. To Bill Belichick's to Tom Brady's the Mr Crafts and have to define and pitch out your own role with something out.

A group of us got to do that. I really enjoyed, and uh, we'll always miss those guys getting chest compete when when it's all said and uh, I wonder if guys you played in Super Bowls watch them in a different way. Jason, think you'll watch the Bengals and the Rams and reflect and be happy for the group that gets to experience that, or like, screw it, We're not in there, so I don't care. I got something if to do on Sunday. I mean, do you have a

prediction in the game. Yeah, I always watch a different man, And that's any championship. I remember after we want watching the NBA Finals and watching I think I might have been I think it was the year maybe Toronto one and watching and like, man, I know exactly what it's like to know that that ring is coming or you just I feel like now I can relate. And I think some of it was just my trash talk to different people that I was finally a champion in that aspect.

But yeah, I'm I'm going for the Rams and it's more because I think for years of going against Matthew Stafford, I've always thought he was one of the better quarterbacks in our league, but didn't do a ton of winning, so didn't really get his flowers and his credit the way he should have been. It's been fun for me just as a competitor having to compete against him and now watching him go to l A and go to Rams and getting his chance to play in the Super Bowl.

I'm rooting for those guys and will be excited to see him when Burrow. He has years to come with, he'll get there. That's that's well said. See, you would have gone for the dude who got knocked around Patius dudes and every right, I get that. I get that, Devin, what about you? Yeah, it's fun watching games too. Was always think about like the notes and stuff that we talked about. So I'm always interested in how the first half goals can pair to the second half, like it's

usually a lot of times to go. It's two totally different games a lot of times when you watch, so it's very excited I'll be watching. I love watching good football, and um, I'm gonna go with I'm gonna go with Sinsei because one of the reasons I can't pick with j just pick so um. I think since you know, I think everyone is gonna worry about experience, UM, but I don't think it matters once you go out there and play football. And I think since he has enough um,

just drive and determination. I think they're backed by a city like you spoke about, that's hungry to win UM. And it's gonna be fun to see some of these young dogs get out there and just go and have fun. And I think hopefully it lives up to the rest of these playoff games we've watched, because I mean we've gotten to watch them great football, so hopefully it's another great game. So well Sunday, You guys have been forged by a lot of experiences, deliver powerful messages, great role models.

I appreciate that very much. You use the platform that you've got from success in the NFL to do things like mentoring kids, and I was some portant to both of you Jason and raising awareness for sickle cell so um, you know, being well rounded and using football to to do good for people. I know it's important to both of you. Yeah, without a doubt. Something I think our mom is still done us at a young age, and

it's something that we've been very passionate about. Whether it's free football camps or blood drives or five K walks to benefit Single Cell, or just going to donate your time to be able to talk to somebody or spend time with somebody has been tremendous. I think for us kind of individually to watch one another continue to get

out during the community. I know when I got to New England watching death with all the social justice stuff, step in front of the team and be able to lead a group, a group of men in the direction that everybody didn't know which way to go, but people having a desire to want change and to be a part of that change, and him kind of leading that and pushing people in inspire and really challenging everybody to

get involved and not only to talk about it. It's been fun to watch each of us not only grow on the field, but watch us grow off the field as we try to impact our communities far less important. But Devin, who's gonna be the best broadcaster? You guys are both incredibly so when when it's all said, now it's time to make that step into the booth, who's gonna be the better announcer too. Well, I'm gonna take being better at football and knowledge and then just you know,

I mean, leave him and a dust. But I'll keep bringing him along. I got him one Super Bowl ring, why not help him get something else. I love brother, the relationships, Jason, You're no, there's no way. I mean, like he said, he's the one who has the All Pros and Pro Bowl. We're going whatever we're going to after football, I'm gonna make sure I'll come out on it, but on the better end, so I can say he had that. But hey, for longer amount of time, I

was the one that was better than that. That football stuff only lasted a little over a decade. It was the rest of our lives before I was winning competants to the end, man, I love it, but the love comes through as well. You as have been enormous this This is a been a hell of a lot of fun and people are gonna jil listened to it very much, So thank you for taking the time, guys. I appreciate it. Thanks Alvan's Chris, he appreciate you man that I enjoy that.

Very grateful to Devon and Jason not just superb players, but great examples role models. They each were given honorary doctorates from Rutt Gerry's, where they delivered a combo commencement speech. Both were named captains for the Patriots in the season.

How cool is that? And Part two of our Super Bowl Experience, I've got Super Bowl Head referee John Perry, who takes us behind the scenes of the officials world leading up to Super Sunday and tells us about the spiritual night that led him to call his only perfect game. And also my good buddy Charles Coplin, who was the NFL executive in charge of six Super Bowl halftime shows.

He'll take us backstage for great stories about Prince Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Tom Patty, Paul McCartney, Jay Z, YouTube, and more So keep an eye out for that. As always, thanks to my co executive producer Jennifer Dempster and ad Jason Whitehelt for his editing skills. I'll talk to you very soon for Part two.