Shawne Merriman joins Up On Game with LaVar Arrington, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Plaxico Burress

That's what I'm talking about. So Sean, what's up? What's up? Brother? You got Plex and t J on the line, man, and we got Sean Merriman on the line and we Sean, we we had a very very spirited conversation taking place about what's going on in Houston. And I'm I'm curious from your perspective because in a lot of ways, you are one of the most beloved players to ever play

for the Chargers. Before they switched up to being l A, they were the Diego Chargers, and you were one of those guys that picked up the mantle where where uh where Junior left it? And if there was anyone who carried it the way it was supposed to be carried it. After he did it, it was you, but you didn't finish and and and with the Chargers. You didn't finish

with the organization. Or do you find there to be any similarities to what J. J. Watt just had take place with a mutual uh parting of the ways from from Houston after representing so much and having so much value with the market. What what is your what's your take on this? Like was it handled the right way

or could have been done differently? Well, you know, var the the situation that's similar and and a little different at the same time similar because you know, you you've done one thing for organization, um, you know, multiple multiple multiple Pro Bowls and a lot of accolades and winning games,

and then you move on somewhere else. So you always have that um you know, you all you always have that thing where it's like, Okay, these guys don't want me here or I've done so much for the organization. Then they clicked back in. Then you know, you start thinking about it's a business and that's just where how

it goes. I don't care who you are. There's very few players that ever remained neat like these days with one organization the entire time, and you know, you take it back to Joe Montana and Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and the list goes on. It's really hard to stay in one organization. Now, the problem I've seen that is when there's somewhere mutual, it means that he also

wanted to go, you know. So I wasn't shocked by that because if we look at what's going on down in Houston, it's like, okay, well there might be a serious problem with j. J. Watt wants to get out of your organization. You know, wasn't like they let him go, released him or told him to leave right there, was like, you know, this is a mutual situation where he also wanted to leave. He didn't fight to stay. So you know, when there's what we said all the time where they're smoke,

there's fire. There's a lot of fire down in Houston right now. Now when when you let's let's talk, let's stay in the quarterback position. What what's your take on Russell Wilson coming out talking about criticizing this offensive line, and we got LaVar saying he should have a big say and decision making one. What do you you're just gonna put words in my mouth? How Yeah, it should be negotiated in this contract if you want to have that role, Like, why not negotiated? I'm sure, I'm sure

Mr Light's out. No, that's illegal, that's why. What what's your what's your take on that, Sean? So this is my thing. I think that especially nowadays, this the quarterback position. They're the CEO of your organization, right, I mean, it wasn't like that, and I've seen what uh you know, Brett Farb and some of the older guys come out and talking about this, Sean, and the times is different. They wasn't making you know, four years or five year

a hundred fifty million dollar contract. So the quarterback nowadays you're just talking about business and not try to use this equation because so like the normal people understanding, oh why is the quarterback and playing it? Well, what owner of any company don't talk to their CEO about what

they're planning on doing. It just doesn't happen, right, So if you're plan on making moves and you're CEO is the person who's running your organizations, because that's what the quarterback position is nowadays, that's the one that's going to decide on how how that franchise, how that organization is gonna do you know any percent of what goes on nowadays on the office side of the ball is starting

to finish with the quarterback position. So if that's the case, you have to give him a seat at the table. And look, you're owner the team, right, So I tell anybody, if you've got any real input or problem with how owners operate, go buy your own damn team. Go do

what you want to do. But at the end of the day, at the quarterback position, when you're asking them for so much and paying them this type of money, you have to sit out and give them a seat at the table and at least get their thoughts from things moving forward. I agree, you know Sean man. First of all, Man, I just want to jump out there and say, man, you you probably uh might be the

toughest light skin dude. I know that funny. He has a tough black So I told, I told, I said, outside of iced tea, I might be the toughest life to get hard. Ain't no downe about at least we agree on that. But check it. Hey, So the whole J J. Watt, you know situation him wanted to be

released from the team. You know, you you was a cornerstone, you know, uh, franchise player for the for the charges and and and and so was he like, I don't know, I didn't know your your contract situations with with the with the charges back then. But wouldn't you rather have stayed because y'all had a great team? Oh five, we went out there and play. Y'all put our lights out, you know, something like football, the last first game after

you know, the world, the whole business. Yeah, yeah, So would you rather have stayed in San Diego and win a championship on that great team instead of leaving and going somewhere else? And it all depends and I think in J. J. Watt um and I want to say that then go back to Matthew Stafford anybody else who

has a mutual way out the door. Right You you've seen with that grass and like they always tell you, the grass isn't always greening on the other side, walk you walk that grass, you felt that grass or turn for whatever you've been on and you're like, okay, I know what it is here, I know what it's gonna be And it started with DeAndre Hopkins and some of the other bad decisions, and you know with uh Bill, coach O'Brien and just just so much bad blood going

in the organization. And J. J. Watton has been there and he's seen enough, right, He's seen enough to say, you know what, it's my time to go somewhere else where. I'm actually gonna have an opportunity to win a championship because I know it's not gonna be here. M Sean Merriman on the line. That's the voice you hear. Subscribe to The lights Out Podcast with Shawn Merriman on I

Heart Radio, iTunes or wherever you get your podcast. Dude does some super phenomenal podcast shows, great topics, great guests. It's an up and coming show. I support it. You should go support it as well. Tell the friends subscribe. Sean, you just mentioned O'Brien and the coaching and the lack of leadership. Now this week one of our our some uh someone we share in common, passed away and coach

Marty Schottenheimer. Tell me what what is your um your feelings on how important the leadership at the coaching position is for success. But then when you have a coach that that has that it factor about them, how much does that play a part and and how much is that relatable to your time with with coach Schottenheimer. You know, VARs you said it. I mean, I think Marty is one of the greatest leaders in in in sports history,

not even just a football um. And I'm a big believer that you're head coach and the leadership reflects the team. You know, it's it's almost in a sense of trickle down effect. So if you got a coach that isn't a great leader, um, you know, allowing guys to walk in late can't really get anybody fired up. The team is going to reflect that. And you know, looking of course in Marty's career and the guys coaching, including yourself, And you know, I'll be the first one to tell you, um,

he as hard as it come. And he also if he played hard for him, you're loving the death and he's gonna love you. You know, he you know, he he's the type. And I'll give you, uh, you know, two examples. One is, uh, in training camp my rookie here, you know, he seen that I was practicing hard and my body I was starting to get camp body, and he'll come up behind me and practice and tell me to take you know, nine on seven off or whatever, drill off. And you're like a damn coach is cool.

And then the next day he'll line you up to Oklahoma drill. But I didn't get that, Marty. But but I love that he adjusted with you. He saw that fifty six in Washington. I had to do that now on something. But go ahead. He babied you a little bit, but go ahead. But that's what happened. That's what it was. I was out there and that now one, go ahead. But see, you know, the next day he'll line me back up in line in Oklahoma drill with what what? What are the aligneman? You know. So it's just that's

the type of leadership. And I'll give another another example. My rookie year. I went out and I had a big game against the Kenna City Chiefs. I knocked out priests homes and you know, I'm celebrating, I'm screaming, I'm a rookie. I'm trying to make a name for myself coming into the NFL and live up to, you know, the hype I had coming out of college and I'm celebrating, I run on the sideline. Priest's homes is still down

on the ground. And while I'm celebrating, Marty shotting, I'm gonna grab my face mask and said, hey, don't forget that this guy's family and his friends are watching and in that in that moment and it's excited and you know, going crazy as I was. I stopped and I was like, damn,

he's right. But that's that was Marty Man, And um, you know, I missed him and I was, I was really close with him all the all the way U until he had a really big decline in talking to Miss Schottenheimer in the family and uh, he's gonna be missed man and the football coach, which just as a man in general. Indeed, let me give you one of

my stories. And it's interesting because my rookie or my my second year coming out of my rookie year, when Marty came in, he totally transformed the culture of our team. We went from a finesse team with with Norv which is so funny because we both had the same coaches at a point time in our in our careers. And you know, if you know North Norvis is soft. He's he's finesse. That's like you know, taking you know, take days off. It's not going to be a hard nosed team.

Is going to be a finesse team. And coming off of the North deal, you know, we ended up getting Marty and and we turned into a hard nose football team. Now fast forward, they get rid of him after a year because his hard nose was way too hard nose. Well, we end up playing a Marty Schottenheimer led San Diego team with my baby on the other side on the on the sideline. And this is one of those moments. You got old fifty six, you got young fifty six, and on one of them plays, I'll never forget it.

I'll never forget the sound of it. I'll never forget the look of it. But we ran some type of stretch play, a pitch, a toss, something it was, was it a screen, it was something. And when it got ran my man, the biggest lineman on our team, Derek Dockery,

I'll never forget it. Out of Texas, big, big, ginormous, dude, strong athletic, was a super super great football player, gets out in into the open field to come block Shawn Merriman, and I heard the equivalent of a small car accident take place when you hit him and he lifted this six ft seven, three hundred and pound man off the ground. And I said, my god, I got it, retired, This this is it. I love him. Um. What he's doing

is different than what I'm capable of doing. And I really see um that I'm to the end of my career and I'll never forget that. And all I could think about was that's Marty ball. That that that right there was when you come out as a Marty Schottenheimer team, it is pure bus you and your mouth. Hit you in your face and if you can handle what we're bringing your way for four quarters, God bless you were

supposed to win this game. Bar and and as you said that, Marty Schottenheimer played that uh that clip in the team meeting room because that was one of his favorite places. He told me one of his favorite plays of of ever you know him, all his years of coaching. And the reason why I remember that play because people asked me all the time and said what was my hardest hit? And the first thing they say is Creas Holmes. But I was like, no, no, no, doctory was a.

It was this this this dude. If you've seen him walking on the street, you moving to the other side of the street. It's like, it's not somebody you want to see. And I remember the screen. I think CP. I think Clinton caught a screen to something not to back and I and I was thinking to myself, I said, if big Doc stay up for me, I'm twenty yards away. So I'm running full speed and I know he's three thirty plus. And I said, if he stay up with me and don't cut me, I'm gonna send them to Heaven,

is what I'm thinking in my head. And so I literally when I hit him, it was the hardest deep thump. And I don't know if you guys hurt on the sideline bar, but it was just such a He got up and he dropped back to his knees. He got up and dropped back to his knees, and then he walked off into the syleline. I don't know if he came back in or how long he was out, but that was that was my probably my hardest hit that

I guess it really wasn't talked about. That was one hard hit and and obviously the idea of it being based upon the leadership and the culture that was created. R I P to one of the greatest ever. We love you, Marty, you are the Man. Prayers and thoughts to your family. Subscribe to The Lights Out Podcast with Sean Merriman on I Heart Radio, UH iTunes or wherever you get your podcast from UH. You can get plenty

of great stories from Sean. Sean, we gotta have you back on man this This segment went way too quick