The offseason has officially begun here in Florida Park. While some players will visit the facility during the target period for workouts, the full group won't be together again until report day for training camp in late July, but the Official Podcast will remain and have a weekly cadence throughout the summer. We'll feed your football fix. Today, we'll chat with John Simpson, an underrated piece on an intriguing Jets offensive line, and meet anybody in the world.
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The Official Jets Podcast is presented by Kendra Scott, the jewelry company that's shining bright and doing good. Shop Game Day Ready, jewelry styles and so much more at Kendra Scott dot com. John Simpson is one of the strongest Jets. He punched out thirty four reps of two hundred and twenty five pounds on the bench process the twenty twenty Combine.
After winning two national championships at Clemson last season, Simpson received a seventy seven point three great from Pro Football Focus, which ranked eleventh amongst guards in the National Football League. He's a very good player who's also loaded with great character and charisma. Recently, we caught up with John in studio. What's this all been like? You got a new coaching staff, You just completed every phase OTAs, Phase one, Phase two, phase three, today mandatory mini camp.
Reaches his conclusion, Yeah, it's been fun, just learning the guys, figuring each other out, you know, having a new quarterback, new right tackle, a few other guys like sprinkled in there too, you know, just figuring each other out and figuring out what we like, what we don't like, and just getting that camaraderie together pretty much and just going from there, like kind of taking us that from where we were leaving off at today.
So what were your expectations heading into the off season when you knew you were going to have a new head coach, a new GM, a new regime, a new direction.
I didn't really have any like expect you know, crazy expectations, you know. I just wanted a coach that's gonna, you know, come in here with you know that that mojo, you know what I'm saying. And I think uh AG's done a great job with that, you know, and like I said, I didn't really want to want to come in here with any expectations. I just wanted to come in here and just try to be as helpful as I can be, just with my voice and just trying to be a leader amongst the guys.
So when you found out it was a g what was your initial reaction.
I mean, I don't I didn't really know much about coach, you know, I didn't really know much about him. So but like his first interview, I watched it and I was like, let's put that seat, bet all, let's go, let's go, let's go.
I'm ready.
So uh, I think, you know, just you know, like now, like being around him and like seeing how he does things.
Man, he's a he's a leader.
He's a true leader, and he's one of those guys that you want to get behind and like no matter what, just like us against everybody. That's kind of how I feel about it, and I'm gonna ride for him or you know, whatever happens, and let's go.
That's how I feel about it.
How does he go about leadership? Because we see the side of him where he's addressing the media, but you guys are in the room with him, behind closed doors and also out there on the field, of course.
Yeah, No, he's he's one of those guys that kind of just keep it real. He's like, plain and simple. He don't want to give you anything that he's not gonna give you anything you don't want to hear, but he's gonna keep it straight up to the point. And that's I feel like as a coach, that's kind of what you need. You need a guy that's gonna cut it cut and dry and just give you the truth.
And he's nothing but the truth.
Is he a guy that is equal parts motivating, authentic, direct, intense, all those qualities? Is that the way you describe.
Them on like, I don't I don't see it any other way. He's all those things, And I think I feel like plus some because he's he's got like a he's got he's got this like meaning when he walks in the room, you're like, Okay, let's let's lock in. It's his coach coach talking, you know what I'm saying. So just having a guy like that up there that's that's addressing the team is just you know, it's huge, man, for sure.
Do you consider yourself the old guy on that offensive line or what nah.
Nah, I'm still I'm still I'm still.
Young man, you still are you still are young. But when you when you look to the left, when you look to the right.
You got still young guys around me for sure, for sure. But you know, I wouldn't say that the old guy. I'm want of a I'm like a big bro. Big bro ain't too old, too young.
You know.
So what's the room?
Like?
It's good, man, that the energy is like real good. It's it's super good. Like the the guys we've got in the rumors there. The work ethic is just it's crazy.
You know.
You got guys that come in on days like the days that we have off, that just come do abs or come get some extra workout in Like it's just guys that like.
We bring each other along pretty much.
And like that's the kind of room I feel like you need as an offensive line unit. You got guys like Olu Balling, you know what I'm saying. He's a young guy, but he's got that confidence, that swagger, and you need that in a left tackle, specifically in the old line.
So yeah, the boy's doing their thing. Man, We're grinding for.
Sure, what's the difference between Olu now in this point last year.
I think he you know, he's played those games. I think experienced, Like just one year of experience can take you a long way. He's got to get in there and and get down and get nasty. So he's, uh, he's definitely taking a big stride and knowing what it takes to compete at this level.
What about a tip and then Josh Myers. The guys added a player and Josh who started for four years with the Packers before he signed here in the off season.
Yeah, those dudes are competing, man, They're competing their asses off. And I'll give it to him. The boys are they They both smart as hell. They're they know, they know everything. And I'm like, damn, why you know that? You know that was coming like the safe dudes coming down? Okay, okay back, But they like they all they always like on top of their thing, like they're there, like they challenge each other because they're so smart, you know what
I'm saying. And I think that's just like you need that, like you need that that competition, you know what I'm saying.
Like, like every day I go me and we're in the weight room on the field.
Me and colo Owl, me and ex New work in a competition, but it's like a it's like a brother lyague knowing there's no bad blood. It's like like we want we want each other to win, you know what I'm saying. So I think that's the biggest I think that's why our old line room is so it's so close knit, because it's like, yeah, there's competition, but we also want each other to beat the best that we can beat.
How much appreciation do you have a for a guy like AVT who's basically played every position other than center so far in the National Football League, but now he's finally got a home across the way from you, a right guard.
Yeah, No, he's he's the real deal man.
He teaches me something new every day, like his his feet, his footwork, his hands, the elite and I'm so I'm just glad that he's able to, you know, be comfortable in a position and get used to it. He's gonna be He's gonna be one of those guys that you you gotta watch out for later on for sure?
Can it soon? Yeah?
What can you tell us about Armand he's selected number seven? Overall aut of Missouri. I tell people that he carries that weight quite well. He's six four three thirty, doesn't look like he's thirty.
Nah, he's well put together. He's one of those guys that he's got it. He's like super quick twitch, Like it's like not common to see somebody that big be able to move.
Like he does.
Did you see his forty times?
I didn't see it, But that's crazy, that's that's insane.
But he's uh, he's also one of those those those young smart kids. He just can't come in and just they kind of threw him in there. He was like bad and he just worked. He's physical too. He got all the attributes to be great, and I think he can do it. I think he really can for sure.
What's been like working for Steve Hyde.
It's been great.
Man.
He's he's super He's a coach that he kind of gets. He gives you like motivation based off of like I don't even know how to put it. He's he's like a I don't even know he's he's like a he's not he's super even cute. Yeah, but when you do something good, he'd be like, that's some good hit.
Man, you know what I'm saying.
You're like, he was like, he'll circle something. He'll be like, how you how you feel about this rep? I was like, damn, coach, my past could have been lower. You know, I could have had a better drive on this. He's like, but this is exactly what I coached you to do. I was like, Okay, appreciate that.
You know what I'm saying, Like that.
That gives you that that motivation I feel like to to want to go out and compete for somebody to you know what I'm saying. That that's I don't know in that position. You know what I'm saying, He's a he's a guy that.
What is it?
What does it say about him that he played tight end in the National Football League for ten years? Yeah, and he's coaching tight ends last year in Detroit. But he's like, no, I want him to be with these dudes. I want to coach off.
Yeah.
No, I think, like, so he knows what he's talking Like, I think a lot of a lot of people were like, oh, he goes tight ends, what does he know? But he knows what he's talking about. Tight Ends is basically an extension of the offensive line. So you got to know what you're talking about. And you know he is any question that we ask, he knows what he's talking about.
So I mean, like I said, he's one of those guys that I just I'll do whatever for it because he gives you that confidence and he gives you that swagger to let you know that you can play.
He knows he knows we know what we're doing. And like whenever you.
Know something happens, he's like yo, like walk in, yeah, let's go.
All right, So tell me why the GoPros have been so beneficial, not just for the quarterbacks, yeah, but maybe even you guys up front.
So for instance, we get up there, we do a whole lot of communicating.
And so when you got the camera in the back, the big one, you can hear they got some audio on there, but you can't really hear everything. So for us with the quarterbacks, that when they're right behind us, you can hear all the calls. You can hear the point that the center made, you can hear what I'm talking about. I might be talking about something crazy, but
you can hear anything. And so just that communication just to clarify things in the room when we're watching film or something like that, it could be beneficial for us and probably with the quarterback, he can see things that he probably didn't really see out there at first.
What are some of the funny things that you hear going back and live that some of.
The celebrations are crazy.
Yeah, for sure with Justin celebrating, But I think that's the craziest thing though We've said some stuff.
What's a relationship like with Justin? He seems like he's so respected in a room that such a steady dude, but you're just drawn to him.
And he's kind of like coach Hyden as well. He's super.
He's super even Q like don't say much until like it's time to say something, and that's kind of and that's kind of like the leadership you need, you know what I'm saying.
Don't like they don't really.
Say much until it's time to say something, and it's like, Okay, let's listen because it's like it's time to listen, you know what I mean.
And he's one.
Of those guys that, like I said, he might not say much, but he'll joke around every now and again, and he's a he's a good dude man For sure.
How much does your experience help you in the case of blocking for a guy like Fields because you came here from Baltimore. Yeah, and you block for a dude who was the MVP that season, mar Jackson, two time NFL MVP. And there's only a few guys in this league who you can call elite dual threats, and I think Justin is one of those guys.
Oh yeah, for sure.
I think my experience, like playing with Lamars, it was crazy because I don't think I've ever played with a guy like that of that like that can.
Run like he does.
So I think I think that experience alone will help me a whole lot. And I've been trying to like preach to the old line, like yo, like we got a quarterback that can run, so we got to like hold up a little long, you know what I'm saying.
It just if he if he sees something he don't like, you gotta he can get out and make something shape.
So just that that experience alone can kind of help me talk to other guys and like tell them like share my experiences and stuff like that.
So I think it'll help.
What do you think about the stable behind you? Because I think there's gonna be an emphasis winning at the line of scrimmage, and they love these backs with Breese and Braylan and Isaiah Davis. What do you think about the guys and POTENTI what you guys could do on the ground this year, not only with those three, but.
What feels as well.
It's gonna be something to watch for sure. I'm excited for it. I don't know exactly all like what we're gonna do specifically, but it's gonna be fun for sure.
You have such a positive demeanor. You're a fun guy to be around. What switches when you get on the field because you've been miked up before? Yeah, it ain't too nice, I think.
I don't know.
I kind of like like on my day to day, I kind of channel my energy to be like positive as positive as I can be, just.
Because I know, like.
For me growing up wasn't the easiest, But like, if I can be that light for somebody else on my day to day and like and come in with a positive attitude every day and they see me in a good mood, you know what I'm saying, Like where I came from and stuff like that. I mean, I feel like I can make somebody else's day good. So that's kind of how I move my day to day. But on game day, like you know what I'm saying, it's all like it's it's a different.
It's different. I don't know, man, I try to. I don't know. I go back for sure, go back, way back.
And when you say you go way back, yeah, you're referencing what.
Like, you know, childhood growing up, it wasn't the easiest, like like growing up where I came from and stuff like that, you know, like growing up when my post was in prison and stuff like that he home now, but Possle was in prison.
So it was just like a single parent household and stuff.
And so I just I go back to that time of me being that kid just by myself, you know what I'm saying, and trying to trying to always like I want to say, hold things together, and I'm like, you know, like it's time to let it out. And I feel like game day at that time where I just go to a different mode and I'm like, like I don't want to be back there anymore. You know what I'm saying. I don't want to be back in the position that I once was as a kid. I don't want to put my kid through what I went
through as a kid, you know what I'm saying. So like when I get on the field, it's like that's like that's my motivation, Like that's why I'm out here. Like my motivation is so And I told the team is last year I talked to the team and I told him I was like, my, my, my, why is my struggle?
My struggle when I was younger.
And stuff like that, And a lot of people's wives like their mom and stuff like that. But once you once you help your mom out, then then what is it? You know what I'm saying. But my struggle is always going to be there, And so I use that every day is my motivation to to not not to necessarily look back, but to push me forward to not go back to where I was, you know what I'm saying, or where we were my family, you know what I'm saying.
So just game day is just that time where I can show the world like, yo, John ain't going back.
You know what I'm saying.
I might make a mistake, And I told I told the team, as I said, I might make a mistake here and there, but it's like mistakes happen, it's like, what you're gonna do after that mistake?
You know what I'm saying, It's.
Like just dust it off and just get back up and get on your horse.
Like it's time to go now. You know what I'm saying, it's battle time.
So that's kind of how I look at it, and that's kind of how I've been looking at football.
It's kind of been my outlet. You know what I'm saying, what's it.
Like for you now? Being a dad? It's huge of a two year old.
So I know it's it's huge. Man. My boy, he's my He's my world for sure.
My wife, my wife men, but you know, he he he kind of like he definitely like changed my outlook on life for sure.
I feel like.
Life obviously was important, but like now it's like I got something that I got something to do it for. You know what I'm saying, Like I got something to I got somebody that's looking up to me. I got somebody that's like learning from me, learning how to be a dad, learning how to be a husband, learn how to be a you know what I'm saying, Like a human. So I try my best to put my best foot forward every day and like I said, I walk around with a smile on my face no matter what, no
matter how long you had me up last night. But just to show him that, like man, no matter no matter what, you can, you can be happy, and you can and no matter what, you can make somebody else happy, you can make their day happy. And just try to, like I said, just try to be that leader that that my son needs. And I feel like people around me may need to.
Let's get out of here with this. You see them be in such a great spot. How much do you embrace the position you are in with this team along this offensive line as part of you know, one of these foundational pieces for this new regime as you guys are about to set forth on training camp.
No, I mean, I'm I'm excited for where I'm at. Man, and I'm and I you know, the Jets, they definitely like this organization and alone, like including last year. I know a lot of we don't want to talk about last year, but I feel like this organization like kind of change the trajectory of my career. You know what I'm saying, I kind of because I like the organization. People say it wasn't good or whatever for the last couple of years.
Whatever. But it's like going back to my story.
It's like I came from nothing, and I kind of want to I want to be here while.
To turn this organization around. You know what I'm saying.
I came from nothing like this, this whole organization. I feel like it's my story, and I feel like it's like a it would be great for me to be a part of something like this, to change this whole thing around. So I'm excited to be a part of something like this and I'm ready to work.
Man, for sure.
I appreciate your time. That's what Age said today. He said that you guys are going to have an opportunity to write your own story exactly, to create your own narrative exactly exactly.
And I'm ready for it man for sure. For sure, Thanks buddy. Sure.
Game Day and every day score a jewelry touchdown with Kendra Scott. Shot Fashion to find jewelry fit for another winning season at your local store or Kendri Scott dot com. Shine Bright Do Good with Kendri Scott. Get ready for all the action and energy of Jets game Day this season with twenty twenty five season tickets. Lock in your seats to be there for every snap of exciting matchups at MetLife Stadium. At ny Jets dot com slash season tickets. Time for my extra point, the Jets are going to
flip the narrative next season Offensively. In twenty twenty four, they finished thirty second in rush attempts in thirty first and yards on the ground. It's feasible that they will be top ten in both categories next season. The Jets will continue to invest in the offensive line GM Darren Mougi and head coach Aaron Glenn's first draft pick was Arman Memble. The hope is the Jets will have bookend tackles for the next five to ten years in Olu
Fashnu and Membo. The center position has graped up with Joe Tipman and Josh Myers, and Avt and John Simpson are a nice pairing at guard. And you can make the argument that the talented trio at running back with Breese Hall, Braylon Allen and Isaiah Davis is the team's top position group overall. Add justin fields to the equation, and the Jets are going to get after people on the ground. Glenn wants a tough, physical and violent team,
and that will mean pounding the rock. Balance has returned to one Jets Drive, See you next week.