Bryce Young & Adam Thielen on Building Chemistry and Trying Raccoon Meat

Welcome to the to the pod.

You know what time it is. It's off the edge of me, your host Cam jordan' oh man.

We're getting blessed. We're getting blessed with two for. Here we go, We're getting blessed with a two for.

You know about Adam Thielen is a pro bowler, you know, just just a guy who was a stable for the Minnesota Bike is now with Carolina Panthers Wide receiver one for real. I mean when you talking about possession receiver, my guy is fris Is Stack.

Put it loon one. Bryce, We're gonna talk to you too. It fell the come on.

We were sitting next to Bryce Young showing a miss talent and mist growth this year. I mean, what you overcame this year was nothing short of amazing, just because you know, there was a stint where uh you know, the red rocket came in.

And was out there throw a red rocket rifle. I've always messed that.

Up, but anywhere.

Yeah, but Andy Dalton, you know, and then you took over and you came back with a vengeance.

My boy appreciation.

What's your mindset like?

Uh, just just.

Want to keep stacking, you know, just want to be consistent. While I was doing I was gravy for the opportunity. And then I just want to be be consistent, lean on guys like this, uh, which which helped, you know, just lean on the team, and yeah, I just want to be.

A picture of consistency.

Adam feeling, come on, man, wherever they put you, you show out and you don't get the process that you deserve. So I'm just gonna give your flowers now. Boy, it's always it's always pleasure to see you. You take the field and like, no, Adam feeling like he's getting older. You can guard them, and yet you snag everything. I'm like, bo, stop disrespecting people that don't need to be disrespected.

Man, Well, we and I talk about a lot. You know.

I'm just really good at finding zones, you know, find holes in the defense.

Not fast enough to beat man the man cover just.

You know, wow, tell them I'm white without saying craft, you understand the defensive spot. I don't like it for you, bro, No, I've seen I've seen the burners on. You know we're not doing that. But I mean, just you guys, chemistry, how did that? How did that go along? This last two years?

Now?

Yeah, well for me, honestly, just just coming in his rookie not knowing how to you know, not know what you expect, not knowing what what everything was trying to find my footing. Having a guy like Adam who has had so much success for so long he was I appreciate he was super super communicative.

Is that how you say that communicative communicator? I appreciate. I see what I was like.

I just go over it.

But he communicated super well about He was super open about about talking, Hey, this is how I see things?

How do you see things? Just want to be on the same page.

And having that urgency about it for me as a young guy coming in was super beneficial. And I was always wont to hear his opinions on stuff because you know, he had seen a lot more He's seen a lot more NFL ball than I had one to hear that, and him making himself available and then obviously that translates to the field of you know, it's a lot gets open a lot, So it's always just crafty.

Yeah, exactly exactly his own covers man.

So I'm always uh, yeah, he he makes it makes it a lot easier for me to be a position.

Look, you with Obama. You you've been to Carolina. You guys have ran in some country, you.

Know, like, but you got a receiver to you didn't want sc right, Yeah, I mean Bama of the North.

I guess.

About they think about Mankato. Uh, it's a southern Minnesota. Wow, we can just call it's Minnesota state. It sounds a little better.

I mean, I was born to eating prairie.

But what we're not gonna do is ever say Minnesota anywhere is country. It's Canada. It's the very nice, polite people. But I mean, let's talk about the kid Xavier. I'm not even leg leget Okay, yeah that makes sense. When he talks, I cannot like. And I've been I've been to Opelousas, I've been to Lake Charles. I mean, I'm throughout Louisiana. No, it's he's one of those like New Iberia types.

My favorite thing is in receiver meetings is no one knows what he's saying except for me. So so Coach more will literally ask me a question, Xavier will respond and then Coach will immediate look to me like what did he say? And I have to translate and then everyone's like why are you the one who's translating. It doesn't make any sense, but for some reason, I just understand what he's saying.

Ah, got it, got it? Hints why is the south of the North? Yeah?

Exactly.

So in a huddle, yeah, you called out a play.

Yeah.

In practice he comes to you when he starts talking to you. Hey, I mean I've.

Gotten better too.

I honestly I feel like at first adjustment, but like I think, going to Bama, we had a couple of guys that I'm not gonna lie. He's he's the most egregious, but we've had a couple of guys that were closed. So I've gotten better. And when we have union meetings to this day, like he'll say something. Whenever he says something in union meeting, he'll say, you know, something like normal, I'm gonna try to do his voice, but something like okay, so I got an outside released on that and legit

Yes?

So I think I've adjusted a little bit.

It's just yesterday I seen him, Uh and it was like a little loud where we were at and it was dark. So I'm like, all right, bro, I'm not gonna lie man, like I can't Like normally I do better, I know, but like not right now, Like I can't even reach your lips.

I'm not gonna lie this. We can't have a conversation.

I just want to know.

Like, like we saw the viral clips of like Thanksgiving came around and he came in with the.

With the coon. He tried it right there with the raccoon. There we go.

I was like, I was like, yo, who actually, Like I've ate some wild stuff, Like I've gone to Japan, I've ate some wild stuff. I've gone to Korea. I've gone to you know whatever, Egypt. I've had some some some random meats. You know, I've gone to Liberia and had some bush meet pauls wild And then when I think about just like so he comes in with you know whatever whatever it was, it was raccoon right tried it.

Well, here's the deal.

So SO built a pretty good relationship with him over over the year, you know, and he's my guy. I mean, I love that kid. He's a great kid, works hard. He tried to do things the right way. So when you have a guy like that, you just kind of root for guys like that, right as you know.

And so anyways, we build up a strong relationship.

So over the season he's like, hey, man, like raccoon is so good, Like you'll like it, I promise you. I'm like, all right, like you know, we got a good relationship. I'll trust you. I'll try it. So, you know,

Raccoon. You tried it and I tried it.

Did you try it? That's my last question. I did not try it.

I have super spece.

I appreciate it.

Tap out and uh yeah, yes tomorrow I got nothing so I'll see them all. So anyways, I took a little pinch of it and I tried it.

It was like it's like a pitch of dip and he.

Swears that it's like good, and it's not good. Yeah, it's not good. It's just like super well they obviously his I think it's his uncle who makes it and is like he swears, but oh, he's the only one that can cook, the only one I'll eat it from. And so I think they just put so much seasoning on it. It's like you're just tasting tasting seasoning, got it, you know, but like the actual meat is like it's disgusting.

Ah, yeah, I figured, you know, I'm not I'm gonna lie like I get it. They say, like raccoons wash their hands for the eat. What is the guy to do what they're eating? You know, Like I'm I'm savage. I'm glad I tried it though, cause it's like, you know, you now know you never want any raccoon again.

Yeah, and like it's it's kind of cool, like how many people have actually eaten raccoon?

Okay, I mean yeah, it's not gonna be me.

And I've had like random foods now, like I think I've had horse and I didn't like wow, yeah, you know, I hope I have never had dog.

But then again, I've gone to some places where I never asked.

I think it just makes it worse that you like, know what a raccoon is, you know what I mean, Like if it was just like here's some meat, like try it.

Yeah, you might partake. Yeah, I'm like, you've had that rabbit before, right, Yeah, I've had rabbit. That's fine with that, Like rabbits. Rabbits are fine, right, you know in my mind like eventually I'll have armadillo one day. I've had snake multiple times, crocodile, crocodile.

Absolutely.

I think I've even had like shark somewhere blue whale, which will probably get me struck by peda. But of course, come on, my my six year old, no, my yeah, my six year old loves octopus. Goes out of her way to say, yeah, dad, give me the give me the legs, and I know exactly what she's talking about.

I'm like, baby, Okay.

We also lived in Spain for three months, so like I've opened up their minds to other things, you know, lived in Spain and somewhere she became a fan of of poopo, which is octopus, and she's.

Like, yeah, give it, that's funny. Yeah, monsters not what I was eating when I was six.

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, absolutely not.

I'm trying to figure out how to create a chip for these kids, cause these kids are growing up like the NIL era college kids, Like what do they actually have to want?

Like the video game? Yeah they get those, like, you know, don't have to worry about a food. I was going to be there. Yeah, Like what where is their chip? Their house? Amazing?

I know, I I often think about that.

I'm like, maybe when I'm done playing that we should like move into like a you know, I don't know, yeah, small little place just yeah, like hey, this is this is like it's not just like you don't get to just do whatever you want and have this cake little easy, easy way in and out. But you know, I think you just try to install those those that foundation and and make sure that they understand, like you know that you have to work hard and work for the things you want, right, But it's hard to do.

It's hard to do, Like you can work hard and do everything else, but you expect now to be rewarded.

I know, I know, I agree, it's it's tough, but it makes you think differently when you have kids, right man.

That's all I'm like, I said, I'm trying to figure this part out. I'm like, man, I've never had jay. So I got to college and I bought them. My kids came out like Jordan Brand athletes.

Yeah, every year they got a new pair every year, like every three bucks.

Like oh man, like we got the family set, you know, like it's it's a beautiful, awesome thing to do. But I'm like, where's their chip? Anyways, I'm thinking, I'm thinking in my in my line of working, I've seen you start to grow in the space, which.

You never really did.

When I say space, the media space, Like, so you see a future in the media, I mean the last few years you started you started dabbling.

Yeah, no, I I really enjoy it. Definitely see a future. I don't know what that looks like. But yeah, I love talking.

About the ball.

I love meeting you guys talking about how they got to where they are. I love all sports. So I grew up playing four sports all the way through high school.

So yeah, so.

What's that Minnesota will be soccer?

We I never played soccer.

I was a soccer guy.

I don't know what it was.

I went to one soccer I have a soccer story, but I went to one soccer practice when I was probably five six years old, and my mom drops me off.

I get there.

The first thing we did was run laps around the entire field, and I immediately never went back, never went back to ever went to a soccer practice. Cover again, like that, that's not me. Like, give me a ball and give me a goal. I'm good, okay, But like so the four sports football, basketball, baseball, and golf.

Oh wow, yep yep.

All the way through high school and then even even my first year of college, came back and played summer baseball just because I just I love to like I love the.

Change of scenery. You know, I got a little add you know.

Yeah, nobody's ever said, oh man, yours focus is so strong. No, no, no, it's it's fleeting.

Yeah and so and so I just wanted to change the pace. And then that made me excited.

You know.

When it went from football to basketball season, it was like a whole new challenge and got to lock in and you got to practice, and like you have this urgency to get better quickly because you have like two week break between football season and basketball season to like get your skills, you know, freshened up. Where most of the kids are just playing basketball. So they've been playing

For sure.

It's the competitive in you. Like that's how we stay competitive. I love the idea of like not singlely focusing on one sport. Yeah, kids these days are like oh yeah, like thirteen years old, like, yeah, I'll just play football, tackle football.

How do you just play one sport?

I I have parents come up to me all the time, like, you know, at watching my kids play sports.

Hey, what do you what do you think of them? Yeah?

What do you think about Like, well that too, but you know, you get to like what do you think about multi sports?

Do you think they should be specialized or not?

You know, but I always think it's like I wouldn't be where I am without the sports I played, like without basketball, Like most of what I do is from basketball, right, body control and you know, being able to feel the game and like feel the space around you is mostly from basketball.

High pointing the ball and stuff like that.

Social awareness Yeah, yeah, absolutely. In soccer, you driven on the ball, you have to be aware of not only with the defender in front of you. But who's coming for you? Yeah from the side, wow, crazy from you know, from whatever the attack it is. I mean basketball, the same way as you're drilling up, dribbling up the court, you could have a trailer headed your way. You could have, you know, a guy that you you try to pass to, but oh man, you know you can't make a cross

How shifty are you going to be?

Not so shifty if all you do is grow up as a wide receiver. Yeah, you're gonna be fast and catch, but like, are you gonna be able to be physical?

Yeah?

I always say like if I'm if I'm a scout or if I'm a GM. Yeah, the first thing I'm I'm watching is like, what what what they do in high school basketball? Like were they scoring points where they Like I don't want a guy that was a rebounder. Yeah, I want a guy that was like dog getting the paint, scoring points right, And like, that guy's gonna be good receiver probably, And I want to I.

Want to know his mentality. Speaking of that, if you're if you're a GM, right, are you gonna be like the Ravens GM Eric da Costa, who who said they use Madden ratings as part of their player of euation.

I am not using Man ratings for sure?

What next? Pff?

Uh definitely not pff no offensive pff people, But but uh no.

I am.

I I just feel like there's so much of the feel is gone from scouting. It's all numbers and all the analytics, which some of that stuff is great, great, but like there's no feel anymore.

You have some feel.

Guys, get guys, get get put up on this draft board, gets after a combine, like he's got ten games worth the film, and he gets excellent combine numbers, and next thing you know.

It's like, oh man, he's jumped the leaderboard, Draft Stock Rising Draft.

He's gonna lock in for top fifteen. You're like, excuse the hell?

Right?

And then and then a year later you're like, oh man, we had such high hopes for him. Don't give up now, No, no, you chose this man.

Well, I also love the like oh yeah, like, well, we got good coaches, we'll coach them'll coach them, he'll, he'll, he'll.

Learn the game.

It's like, if you don't know, if you haven't like figured out the game by the end of your college career, like probably not going to just like magically fast out in the NFL. Absolutely, and the coaches are I mean obviously coaching.

Coaching matters.

Coaching matters officially now that I know, I was.

Like, oh, no, you can always overcome coaching.

I have officially had coaching in a position where I was like, you can't overcome this. Yeah, there's there's there's guys that try to outthink themselves in this game, and sometimes you have to let people be great with they're great at.

And I think I think it depends on where you're at in your career too, Right, it's a bummer for guys to come into the league and not have any direction.

Yeah, not have like.

Solid mentorship and coaching, because if you put your energy in it in the wrong direction, Uh, it can really it can do.

Absolutely.

You could be like if you if you had a coach that understood technique, formation, recognition and help you in those ways, you could become a better player. I'm I'm now one hundred percent confirmed. I appreciate you tapping in with me. In the pod. Thank you for being the player you are being consistent and crafty. I could keep keep on balling. I'm not going to ask you how many years are going to have left. Guy, I see you're gonna play in this game as long as you

Yes, sir, Yeah, no, it's uh.

You know how it is like towards the end of the year, you're like, man, I don't know if I can do this anymore.

I don't know. I got rebirth towards the end of the year. I was like hell yeah, I was like, give me all these reps I had for mine.

Anyways, I had two weeks after the season. I'm like, oh this is I could play easy. My body's starting to feel good. I got my energy back.

Uh.

You know it's like the end of the season es actually, you know, like you have kids, like you have no energy and you get home and you're like, I got nothing for you. And so like having those two weeks after the season, like you just like boom, like oh this is awesome.

I forgot what it's like to like be able to, like you get used to it, yeah, but anyways, appreciate it, yes, sir. What a blessing to be a blessing to people you know, Yes, sir. I hope, I hope you listeners are tuning in.

My guy Adam feeling is the epitome of what it is to be a probe m m hm m m m m m