Hangin' With The Boys: Justin March, No Lillard?

got to hit somebody that's not on your team. What's that like the first day back at uh? Back in I guess action act Initially it's always kind of like different. You know, you're trying to adjust to the speed of a game. You're trying to, you know, just kind of handle your assignment and just kind of get those first few hits out of the way. But like I said, once you make contact, it kind of all settles back down. Yeah.

Any trash talking go on during preseason or is it? Yeah, there's always I guess anytime there's you know, man verse man, there's some type of trash talk, but it's always fun. Yeah, So what aspect of the game do you like the most. I know, you play, you play special teams, you play some linebacker you what do you what do you like to do? I guess anything that involves hitting somebody, But uh, I kind of like them both. Evenly he's been out

there on defense is different. You know, you're able to be out there, have a chance to, uh, you know, make a big play, have a chance to contribute in that way. And uh, just obviously growing up as a linebacker, you know, just anytime I get a chance to play it in a game and stuff like that, it's always fun. But just as equally, been on special teams and being out there, you know, kind of separate from offense and defense.

We kind of say, you know, we're part of both, so we can set our offense up for a good field position or defense on the other side. So just being able to out there and uh, you know, give some effort and compete, just being on the field is a tremendous, you know deal, especially for me. So um, I kind of enjoy doing both. Yeah, And it seems like this year you guys, you know, have a really special group of linebackers and then you got some young

guys that look like they got some talent. You got some guys that you know, were fairly new to the game. Is anything seem different this year than it did last year? Is it just kind of business as usual? I say, we're probably a little bit closer now than we were last year. Um, probably because like most of us were, you know, we're back in the defense together. Um, a lot of guys has you know, they all you know growing up. Ladon's not a rookie anymore, obviously been a

Pro Bowl player. Uh, you got Jalen who's you know, one of the best linebackers in the NFL. And Uh obviously you got Sean who who's the leader, Um who you know, make sure everybody's on the right page on the entire defense. Um shans out there on special teams, you know, just as far as like just being on the side and just kind of you know, you know, just telling us, you know what he sees from outside

looking in. Uh. So it's always fun when you got someone like Sean that's kind of you know, around and uh, just you know, he just loves football. So he'll even give you, you know, a tip on on defense on special teams as it correlates the defense and vice versa. UM. And they obviously we got some young some young linebackers. That's uh man, there's some some great guys, UM, great athletes, great players, and uh most importantly, you know, they want

to they want to learn. They're not afraid to ask questions. They're not a ray to um, you know, just kind of show show us who they are. Ye. So, UM, I feel like we do a good job as you know, being older guys in the linebacker room that uh, you know, we welcome to young guys to come in. Just be who you are, Um, don't be afraid to ask questions. And then uh, obviously getting the practice together it makes a big difference. Yeah, Um the game Sunday obviously you

mentioned you got some some young talented guys. Luke Gifford's kind of a guy that that kind of stood out a little bit now, Yeah, and then he then he

got hurt. When you're when you're in a game and somebody gets hurt and you don't know the severity of the injury, does it do you think about it or is it kind of like you think about it in the moment and then it's right back to football and you and you're so focused that you kind of block everything out and something Yeah, definitely, um, definitely when you when you see something like that happened. Uh, it's tough, especially especially for Luke who's been doing a great job,

even all the way back in OTAs. I mean, the guy has just been you know, kind of signment sound. Uh. You know, he asked questions. Uh. You can almost ask him to do anything, whether it's in football side of football, and he'll get the job done. Whether I say, hey, can you run to the store and pick up some seeds for the linebackers. You know, he's gonna take care of it. Uh so seeds some flower seeds, yes, okay, sir. So just being able to uh, you know, him been

out there and him obviously making a huge play. You know, it was just great, too great to see, you know, such a great person and great player to be able to make a play. And then, uh, on the other side, when he goes down, and you know, it hurts, you know it hurts, uh, you know, obviously the entire team and then just the linebackers in general, because you never

want to see one of your guys go down. But then right after, you know, right after he gets up and he's off the field, it's time to lock back into football and just kind of get the job done. Yeah, so you were fifty three, right, Yes, sir? What is

there a story behind your number? You just, oh, you know what I was now, it's not really a story behind it when I had when I got picked up by the Dolphins in twenty seventeen, I was just a number I was given and it just happened to be open when I when I came here, and I was a number that gave me. And you've been around a while, You've been league what five years? Yeah, it's my fifth season this season, and you've been a few different places.

We're all what had you? What's your journey to hear? H? Yeah. So in two thou fifteen I had. I was undrafted. Uh, came from University of Akron, went to Kansas City. Um, I was there, played. You know, I had a great training camp that first year, great first game and uh, you know, I ended up having a knee surgery. So I had microfracture, which kind of like a big big knee surgery. Um, and I was able to bounce back

from that. So I was on I R that year bounced back and UH, two thousand and sixteen was still in Kansas City. Started for the first I want to say, five games, broke my hand against the Raiders, got put on injured reserve, and then I was designated to return, so I came back the last regular season game. Then we end up losing to the Stillers in the playoffs.

So I was going to another year starting, UH, and then the general manager had got fired and then M the new gym kind of made some trades for for some linebackers, kind of put me on the outskirts and UH. And from there, when they released me, I got claimed by the Dolphins that would have been with two thousand and seventeen. I was there for the first I want to say, three games. We actually came out the auction ard during the hurricane, so it was like funny because

I've just been out here. It was like some familiarity there. So then I was there and then UH, from there, I end up getting released. They had wanted to put me on practice squad for a few weeks and brought me back up, and once they released me, Seattle came and claim me. They had just had a lineback go down, so I went there, end up starting on four phases on special teams for a week. Yeah, for that next week, my brother passed away that night with my first game.

I ended up going back to Illinois for his funeral. Theyre like, hey, we're gonna, you know, release you and bring you back and go home, spend time with your family, will bring you back. And then got picked up by the Cowboys and just kind of been here ever since. So that was all in two seventeen, man, sir, been through a lot, yea, So how do you for young people that are grid or hell even even older people that are that are you know, maybe it's not football,

it's just life in general. I guess you've been cut, waved, you know, stuck with it, grinding it out. You know, you seem to be a guy that's willing to do you know, if you're not starting to find tell me what I can do to fit in? What can I do to contribute to the team, Like what what's your mentality as far as like this is what I want to do, and I'm gonna do anything I have to do,

and I'm gonna stick with it until I can anymore. Yeah, A lot of it has to do with uh, you know, believing in yourself and kind of you know, focusing on yourself and kind of what you want to do and then just getting a job done and uh knowing that sometimes it might not work out. Um, but that's that's kind of like the beauty of life. I mean, you got ups and downs. But as long as you know who you are, as long as you know um kind of what you're living for and what you're working towards you,

you won't let anything stop you. So that's something that kind of motivates me every day, is just knowing who I am and knowing you know, what I what I want to do, and uh, you know, no matter how many times I get knocked down, you know I'm gonna keep getting back up because it's just what I do, just how I was raised. And uh you know, like I said, once you once you find out what you want, you know you'll work extremely hard for it. Yeah you're a Midwest guy, right, Yes, sir, grew up in Illinois

partner Danville, Illinois. So I'm about two and a half hours from Chicago and about an hour and fifteen from Indianapolis. Okay, did you play sports your whole life? Just football? Do you play everything? I played basketball and baseball. Uh yeah. I played up there in Cooperstown, New York. I was collecting baseball pans doing all that stuff. Baseball was kind of like my first love. Yeah. Yeah. When I got to uh high school, I end up playing varsity as

a freshman for football, but not with baseball. So I kind of figured it was this is the way to go. This is the way to go. Did you just did you play linebacker throughout high school or did you play I played running back, I played some wildcat, quarterback and linebacker on defense. Okay, which one did you like best? Uh? I'd probably say have from uh. I had to go with one. Uh definitely linebacker. Uh. I wanna say, my junior year, I probably had like over two hundred tackles. WHOA.

So just being able to run around and hit people was just kind of, you know, just something I love to do. And see, you're one of the nicest, most mild mannered guys on the team, and you meant that's about the fifth time you mentioned I just like to hit people. I just want to hit some Yeah. Yeah, see it's a little different when I put some pads on you. Is there a switch that flips. Yeah, yeah, it is for sure, That's what I mean. All my teammates know that. So outside outside of football, you know,

I'm just kind of, you know, mellow chill. But once once football kind of starts and not get to hit somebody, it's like a different switch. Yeah, what what do you a typical offseason? Everyone always asks me what do the guys do? And from the outside looking in, it seems like whenever football is over, you guys kind of get away for about a month or so and just you know,

just step away for a little bit. But then usually, you know, if the season ends into January, usually it seems like about you know, you take February off, maybe March, and then you're right back at start training again, getting in shape. Is that kind of how you guys do it? Or oh yeah. Everybody kind of has their own different

routine when it comes to that. But most of the time in March, most of the guys are back, We're doing some captains workout, so it's you know, just kind of organized by the players and kind of getting stuff done. I mean, right out the season, the first thing I do, uh, you know, I'll take a week or two often I'll just eat like crap and just sit around the house and just try to you know, just I mean that's just kind of like my routine. Then when I get

back into it's always kind of rough. But uh yea, I'll take like a work or two just to eat whatever I want, you know, snack. I'm not eating vegetables. I'm not eating anything grand there at that time. And then uh, I mean some guys like to take trips and stuff like that. Um, I don't know. I just like to work out and you know, just kind of stick around and obviously I'm not where I want to be in my career, so um, kind of for me, my my outlet is kind of just working out and

working on my craft and stuff like that. Early in offseason then you know, I'm just kind of waiting around to the guys to get back. Yeah, where do you want to be in your career? For me, I find myself you know, being being at least special teams player, um, and obviously want to be a big contributor on defense. Um, that's kind of what I want to be. And you know that's where I see myself doing. So however, I got to get there. UM. At the end of the day, I just want to be the best player I can

be in the best teammate I can be. Yeah, So I just work towards that every single off season. Yeah. And some new members of your family, right, yep, yep. So I got a got a two year old son, and I got a little girl on the way and she'll be here in January. That's awesome, man, sir, What are you gonna do when we go on this long playoff running You have a child right in the middle of the trip of the way to the Super Bowl.

Mother in law, that's that's one person that will be uh you know, all kind of be uh hanging onto a lot. So yeah, my mother in law anytime, uh you know, we kind of have anything going on. She comes in town for training camp, my father in laws back in Texas, just kind of hanging out. So U my in laws doing will do a great job of, you know, kind of holding everything down with my wife. Okay, any are you done with kids? You're gonna have more? Uh you got one of each? Yeah, I got one

of each. But uh so the households even. It's gonna be even now. Yeah, two women and two men. You're gonna throw the balance off going forward. You know what, I kind of want two boys. Uh, me and my wife. We both grew up in a family of five kids on each side. Wow, at first I want to five, but then after after one, you're just kind of like, kind we'll just kind of think about it. So right now we're leaning towards three, maybe four, So we'll we'll kind of get through this next one and see see

where we're at. See all right, the hair it's getting getting longer. You've always been a really short haired guy. You show back up in the building and you're letting it go. What's what's the goal with the hair and you're just letting it? Yeah, I'm just just letting it go. Ok just uh you know, it just kind of is what it is. So what about the chin hair, letting it go to you know what? I trimm it every now and then kind of uh yeah, I'll just I'll keep my face hair kind of clean and okay, go

from there. I think I might. I was talking to Darius about this, he was on the show beginning to camp and and I think I'm gonna trim this way down right before the first game against the Giants and then I'm not going to touch it until we're out of football, so it hopefully and if we and if we happen to get to the big Show and win that thing, I may not trim it until the next training camp. So I may I may have this. You'll you'll definitely be James Harden for sure. Yeah, I'm interested

to see how you look once it's trimmed down. Right before I'm gonna do I think I'm gonna knock it way down. It's been a while since it's been that short. So, um, what listen, I'm gonna let you go here because you gotta you gotta get out there and get ready for practice. But um, anything else, what's you know, what's what's going on with you? Anything else you want to talk about tell the people or tell me? Is oh yeah, so uh yeah, as you know, we talked about the you know,

the back of the jersey. Yeah, stuff like that. So my legal last name is just March. Just want to clarify for a lot of people, because a lot of people think that I have two last names. I only have one. My legal last name is March, my wife's last name is March, and my son's last name is

March and the Lillard part came from my dad. You know, he had his fifth heart surgery when I was a senior in uh college, so I kind of put on there to you know, honor him and stuff like that, and then, uh, when I was a rookie, it wasn't on my jersey. So then uh, my next year, he I got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he only had about six months to live. So I was like, hey, you know, I'm gonna put this on my jersey, back

on my jersey, kind of honoring for that. And then as soon as I did that, the NFL kind of like tagged it online and stuff like that as far as like that was my last name. So you know, then after I was just bouncing around, every team had it as that. Um so I think I think finally I'm able to you know, just kind of go back to just March on the back of my jersey. That's something that uh, you know, I've been contemplating constoplating for a while and you know, just having kids and stuff.

I was able to honor you know, my father in that way and wearing his last name on the back of my jersey. But now that I have kids and you know, a family of my own. I would kind of want, uh, you know, my legacy to begin. And uh so I'll be going back to back to just march on the jersey, so so it won't be all the way across the back of the right in the middle, so to be uh back to you know, just kind of how how I grew up and stuff like that. So that's a cool story, man, that's a cool story. Well,

I'm gonna call it right now. It would be the perfect Cinderella story if if we go all the way to the Big Show and that winds up being in Miami, a team that that that lets you go and let you get away and you that would just be the icing on the cake. And plus I want to go to Miami. I've never been in Miami. I've only been to Fort lauder Day. I've been to that stadium, I think in preseason or actually during the season when it just it rained like crazy. Were you here then? Oh?

I was not. No, I think that was maybe four years three or four years ago. But yeah, so I'm gonna call it. That's that's my prediction. We're gonna do it. We're gonna do it big in Miami. Gonna take you back there and then and that's where they were in the season. That's it, man, that's it. Well, hey, appreciate it. One of my favorites on the team. Man. I'm always rooting for you. Um good things this year. Got a great group of linebackers and y'all just keep doing what

you do. Man. We'll get you on during the season when we get back to Frisco. So I appreciate you hanging out, you beatman. We'll hopefully have another show or two before we get out of here. But that's it for now. Hang it with the boys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Clock.