Time for another episode of Pats from the Past, our podcast, Matt Smith alongside with Brian Morey. We're not outside anymore, Brian, since you've bailed. We're like the Red Sox twenty eight players, twenty eight caps, but we're pleased to be joined by number fifty nine in your program, but number one in your heart, Roosevelt Colvin live from Indianapolis, Rosie, How you doing, man, good Man?
Just finish cutting my grass? So sunny day here in Indy, So doing well, man, blessed?
Did you ever so like listening to those dulcet tones again brings back so many memories when we used to have you do vo work back in the studio.
Did you like?
I know you're very busy and why we want to let fans know what you're up to these days. Did you ever pursue a voiceover career, man, because you should have.
I did not, But if there's anyone out there that is looking, I'm open to it.
I did a series for Purdue football here recently.
The five hundredth game in ross A Stadium was their their season opener against It was Oregon State, and my daughter, who is a freshman volleyball player, at Purdue. Moved in over the summer, so they asked me to do sort of a recording and a taping of her moving in, and then they asked me to do some voiceovers for Purdue football. And I enjoy it, man, you know, it gives me an opportunity to show my personality. My mom was a was a small time actress here in Indianapolis
for years and did plays. Actually was in one of the plays with the Helen Keller story. And it allows me to dabble in my in my acting mode. I don't know if I would never be an actor, but I think I could get away with it on some small roles.
And I think, if memory assures me right, we are Trell Hawkins. I think we opted for him after you had done a year or so. Ar Trell Hawkins. That's a nice voice, man, Remember his voice?
Yeah, Treil has a really masculine, deep monotone voice. Last time I saw was man, I want to say it was at a super Bowl.
I don't know if it was a super Bowl here or maybe it was the Combine here.
In Indianapolis, and he had he was doing a radio show. I can't remember who was doing it with, but it was either the Bangles of the Brown, it was the Ohio radio show that he was.
Doing and voices the same man.
The dude is he now if anybody needs to be getting paid all state commercial.
Of that dude, he's the guy I am up putting.
If anybody is watching or watching the podcast, man reach out to me.
I have I have ample time on my hands. If you need me.
Well you really don't.
No one's ever told me, Matt, I have Dulton tones.
I don't think you really don't, Rosie. So let's let's refresh, Patriot fans what it is that you're up to these days? And you are a very busy man.
Yeah, Man, being a dad is and a husband is always a number one on my list. So me and Tiffany are still happily married and joined life here in Indy. My oldest son and moved is moved to Chicago. My oldest daughter is here in Indy. My youngest daughter, Raven, she is as a freshman at Purdue now playing volleyball. And then our youngest Miles, which he you know he was he was four or five when we are my last year.
In New England. He is now a sixteen.
Year old junior and he's committed to play basketball and Purdue in a couple of years. So outside of you know those things, going up and down sixty five to Lafayette to watch raven Or with Miles on a visit, or you know basketball entity situation. But outside of those things, we still own and operate to five UPS stores here in the area, which have been you know, great for us. Those are going well. And then we still have the bakery.
I know you guys. I hope you guys have the opportunity to taste a couple of the treats that came from Swedi's Gonna May treats my wife's bakery. She's expanded to two locations now, and we're I think.
We're going on twelve years in business. It's years.
It's two chater twenty one, yes, so yeah, we're going on twelve years in business. And I still coach middle school sports at Herit's Christian School here in Indianapolis. I enjoy that a lot, just because it's it's my ministry allows me to pour into kids that I think are going to be the pillars of our communities here in the city and help them understand what they can learn from sports and athletics, the bonds that they can have
from their teammates. And then ultimately, if there's some kids that can go Division one and play you know, athletic, play Division one athletics and ultimately go pro, you know, try to help those parents, you.
Know, make those a and as well.
And then the last thing, which is probably one of my busier things is my basketball club, which you know, Miles is probably the future player and now it's the Indian's Basketball Club. And again, just trying to help mentor young kids and families to get the opportunity and chances that I had when you know, I was, you know, when I got the chance to go to Purdue and then ultimately to the NFL.
So wait a minute, now, the recruiting violations with poster kids going to Purdue, I mean, you've got to be.
A booster, right, I mean, what the heck I want in the blind side?
They gotta they investigated Michael orr for going and missus Ole miss.
Hey so that there aren't any recruiting violations I have. I try not to donate any front money at all, but no, seriously, uh uh my, you know Raven has you know, she did a great job of working herself into that opportunity to Purdue and coach Seandale and the pretty volleyball program have been a pillar in national volleyball across the country for years the Shandeale family, so him acknowledging and seeing her as a talent to come on board was huge for us, obviously being Purdue.
And then Miles.
You know Miles's and I hate to say sixteen year old feet now and that kid he is, he's a much better athlete than I am. It's much a better basketball player. I would say that probably I'm probably better a football player. But for Purdue to recognize who he was at the early age, he was offering a scholarship at fifteen, So you know, for that situation to develop the where it is now, I took my hat to them and they work hard.
I push them.
You know, my years there in New England have given me opportunities to help them understand what it takes to be.
The best or if not the best and a part of the best.
And so they're they're soaking that up and you know we're moving forward with them.
So Rosie, can you elaborate I want you just said a little bit because you cited your years in.
New England, I'd like to know what that how.
That translates to what you're talking about now about helping other kids win.
Yeah, you know my forgetting, you know, not forgetting, but you know put putting kids, my kids and the kids that I mentor side. You know, my years in New England helped me every single day when it comes to running my businesses, being able to to watch mister Craft and Bill Guys, I, Scott Poli, you know, everybody that was in the UH, in the scouting department, all the way down to you know, the training room staff, to equipment room staff, to you know, those that prepared food
for us. You know, all those entities and operations that contributed to championship seasons and not every year was a Super Bowl year. But as I look back on my years in New England, I think every year we were you know, you know, we were above five hundred. I think the worst year that I had when New England was the year that I came back, which my last year when down and Matt Castle was a quarterback and we missed the playoffs, you know, to the Dolphins.
I think it was five too. By the way, yeah, yep.
Eleven five and that was that was sort of like an anomaly. And so for me, I take those situations on how bill can you know, I just said manipulate, but handle different egos, balance the cap Those are real life situations and people don't really understand that. You know, every day regards of what you know, what entity, your situation you're in. You know, there are egos in every workplace. There are you know, different pay scales in every workplace. And so for me, I have a model. There's a
budget that I have to balance. There's a certain amount of funds that I can pay certain individuals that are in certain roles.
And so those those.
Lessons that I saw, those lessons that I learned soaked up as you know, my five to five and a half six years there in New England, we're huge, or are huge now because it helps me, you know, balance those things with my current staff.
You know, people ask why or how and I say, man.
I I have some some some on site lessons that I learned in in in Foxborough that you know I could you know, I couldn't learn anywhere else, So that those were big and then I'd say, you know, when you transfer that down to or dumb it down to, you know, my everyday activities. When it comes to you sports, you know, there's a truth in youth sports that some parents don't see or don't want to hear. And you know, my my son goes to a small two way school.
There are a lot of kids that go to that school, a lot of parents that feel entitled, not even you know, not forget the school. But you know, we play, we play travel basketball, We go around the country and play and kids try out for club teams and they feel like they're better than the next person. And a lot of times parents don't understand this. Takes a lot of work.
To be elite. It takes a lot of work to be the best.
And I was able to participate on teams that were elite, that were the best, you know, time and time again.
And the reasonings why, the reason, the.
House, the twos, the how tos, the whares, the wins, you know, getting the edge, you know, I know you guys remember that that term that you know, big back and you know Woody and all those guys that used to say brew and we used to get the edge on your opponent. Those are those are terms and mindsets that I pass on to my kids, my blood. You know, kids that are you know, raving in miles as they're continuing their athletic careers, but also kids that I coach
and I can able to touch. So my years in New England are priceless to me at this moment in my life.
So I think a lot of Patriot fans probably forget that you didn't start your career New eng when you started in Chicago, and Brian mentioned recruiting, you know, as far as produce concerned. But I think Patriot fans would be interested to know, Rosie, what your recruitment was like when you became a free agency. You know, how did that go down the eventual path to a here to New England.
Man, I've told this story many times and I don't know people believe me. But I didn't want to come to New England. I I was a free I was in Chicago. I loved the Bears, love the Bears organization, mccaskey's the you know, great people, and one of the one of the reasons why I became a free agent was because of the infamous check box situation. I have yet to be able to ask if this was done purposely or not. But when I was drafted, there were
three linebackers, myself, warhol and Karrie Samuel. My second year that drafted Brian Urlacker, which I tell people all the time, I'm the reason why Brian is in the Hall of Fame, which I'm not never going to back down for that.
But anyway, so.
Myself and war Holeman's contracts were coming up at the same time Brian came on, had a hell.
Of a rookie year.
So after my third season, you know, my my rookie year contract expires to sold his Ward Holman's for some strange reason. You know, teams had to not strange reason, but teams when they when they send in their restricted free agents, you know all that stuff back in that CBA you had to check certain boxes and so on wars contract, there was a box that was unchecked where that if he went out and got a contract, he
was not getting matched. So there was a potential situation that I was gonna be a free agent, Work was gonna be a free agent, and Brian url was gonna be treated free agent, and they were going to lose the whole linebacking corps. And so they ended up signing War to an extended deal, sort of put you know, lift the fuse on, you know, my time in Chicago and so, uh.
We played the Patriots my free agent year in Champagne. Uh we got cheated. I don't know how.
They called a catch at the back of the.
David Patton was out of bounds.
I don't know how. David, Yeah, David Patton was out of bounds. Late great David Patton got rested, so was out of bounds.
No way, matt Light wast light was holding me the entire drive.
I was off.
The ball so fast that drive. I go back and watch the other time. I was off the ball so fast. There's no way that Tom got the ball off.
Uh.
Tom threw a pass to David Patton the back of the end zone. They claimed he scored tests and we lost the game. But anyway, that was my audition, I think for Bill. And so all season came. I had I had, you know, I had injured my shoulder at Purdue my last game in the Alimable and I never got it fixed. And so my I literally played three years, three and a half years in Chicago, which just went on.
I would go out hit people my shoulder would dislocate, it would go numb for the rest of the game and I would just be out to tackle and went on. So I had surgery, didn't go. I was supposed to go to the Pro Bowl that off season. Didn't go to the Pro Bowl. And my agent calls and said, hey, man, well you know, here's the plan. Here's what we're gonna do. And I say, hey man, look, this is what I want. I want to be somewhere warm arm or indoors on turf because I was a past rush guy.
And I said, I.
Don't want to go like I'm in Chicago, Like if they're not gonna sign me back, then I want to go somewhere where I can control, you know what, my stats and getting indoors.
So Detroit was on.
My list, Tampa was on my list, Jacksonville, San Francisco, you know all one with other times. He called me and said, hey man, Bill, Bill Bill wants wants you, wants.
To bring you out. I'm like Bill, who said Bill Bell?
I said, that's the dude that used to coach with Bill Parcells, right, He's like yeah. I said, nah, man, we'll talk to him later.
Let's go to Jacksonville.
You know, let's go to Detroit, Arizona, Mary Mary Jad just got the he either guess you got the job.
And I can't remember.
I think Arizona offered you a deal.
They did, and so I'm on plane, like, I go to Detroit and Detroit lays it out.
They give me a joy. I got it in my basement. They got fifty nine Jersey. Go to dinner. I think that's where married you was. We go to dinner.
My my agent call said, hey, man, Bill wants to talk to you. I said, I don't want to talk to Bill. Okay, I'm not going to New England because New England is colder than Detroit. I mean, I'm colding in in Chicago. So he says, okay. So my next stop was Arizona. And at that time, I can't I didn't even remember who the coach was in Arizona. But Arizona was the next stop. And I get to Arizona through the whole thing with Arizona. You know, they got me on the billboard and on stuff. And so we
fly back, no deals in place. And so the next stop was Jacksonville. So I go to Jacksonville, visit with Jacksonville. Have a great time. Like, man, I love the Jacksonville small town. You know, one climate. Ready to go, got a little nice turf, you know, and get back to the hotel room. He's like, you know they're talking by Detroit's got you know, I got Detroit online. YadA YadA, he said, Man, Bill called again. I said, dude, I
don't want to go to New England. So uh he says, he said, Rosie, you gotta go.
You gotta go.
I mean, he said, he said, this is Bill Belichick. You know they just came off a super Bowl. You know you gotta go. I said, Okay, I a I fly into flying the logan never, I'll never forget this. They picked me up scout I can't remember. I think his name was Sean. Picked me up in a Ford Tours like every other every other visit Limo like stretch Limo, right five star hotel. They picked me up in a four Tours and this dude's got scouting papers and stuff in the car.
Old McDonald's back. We drive, We're going down the highway and.
I'm just looking at I'm just looking outside the car and I'm looking. I'm like, there's trash everywhere, Like do they not clean up the highway like is going on? Because you know, I'm coming from Indiana, Indiana, you know, highway everything it's trash, it's it's gloomy as an overcast. We pull up to the stadium, nobody's there, walk in, lights are off, Bills in there in his office. Bear shows up, right, my first time ever beating Bears. Bears shows up and saying, hey, I'm Bears and Jaring. I'm
you know, Bill's you know, assisting, YadA YadA. Okay, he said, Bill be ready for you in a second. Take you a little tour, a little quick tour. Bears walks me down the main hallway, get to the locker room. Lights are off in the locker room and say, hey, this is the locker room. Doesn't even turn the lights on. This is the locker room. And so I'm gonna take you upstairs.
It takes me.
It takes me to an elevator. It takes me upstairs like on the club suites or something like that. It has like it has like some pictures some guys on the wall and said, this is the club suit, you know, YadA YadA. Take you back down the bill. I get back down the Bill's office. We sit in the office and we watch film.
Like, man, what are we doing? Man Like, let's go out to eat. No, where's the State dinner? You know, we're in Boston. Give me some lobster or something. Nothing.
Uh, talk to Bill, you know, he shows me some film. This is how we want to use you watching my old film in Chicago.
What are you thinking here? What was you thinking here?
I'm like, dude, what are we in there talking about? And then get to the end of the visit and they take me back.
To the what's the team hotel doing training camp?
Well?
Now the four points was at the foot had No, I'm.
At the residence in Yeah, yeah.
I think, And I may be mistaken, but I'm at the residence in and I called my I say, man, can you get me a ticket home? A sat Okay, so ms Nancy. I don't know if miss Nancy is still there.
Yeah Nancy.
Yes, Miss Nancy gets me the first flight out.
She says, Hey, Rosie, thanks for coming and get your I said, give me the first because they wanted to do something the next day.
I'm like, man, give me the first flight out here.
And so that either I don't know was that night that morning shot picks me up in the same four tours. I think it was a ninety five. It had to be in ninety five, so you know it's seven years old. Ninety five four towards taking the logan dropped me off. I'm like a man, appreciate it them out at the end of the day, man, they offered me the best contract out everybody, and uh, it worked out to be the best situation for me, So I don't regret.
So wait a minute, tremendous story have you and Rodney Harrison shared your freezing stories?
Because he signed the same year, right, and they they took him to eat at the ground round.
They took him by the ground round.
I don't I don't even know what the ground is.
That No, it's like, what's the place downtown and shake shake burger or something like that.
Like a burger place.
It's what it is. Kind it's like a night like an apple, beet apple, It's like apple.
It's okay with that.
But at the end of the day, Uh, I don't think I've talked to Rodney, but I do remember, I'm trying to think. I don't know if me and Rodney signed at the same time, I think we signed either the within.
This close way and Tyrone Pool too.
Yeah, so that that experience just showed me, you know, you know, as as I look back on my time and winand just told me what they're all about. It's all about winning. There's no there's no fancy, there were no fans and no, I don't know if Bill has adapted his his model and his thought process. But you know, for me, uh, it was fine because you know, I'm never I've never really been that guy anyway to be you know, you know, wind and dying out.
It really was, man, how much money do you have?
And I hate to say that, how much money do you have? And they offered me the best contract, and uh, and I appreciate it.
Well, a lot of people around here with short memories Rosie, you know, and every we're all like what happened in the last hour. Nobody has Nobody can remember everything, short attention span and everything like that. So they spent a lot of money this offseason in free agency, and you know, people going, oh wow, look at the Patriots. They never in free agency, they never signed top of the market guys, they never never never ended We're going do you guys
don't remember Rosie Clovin and O three? Do you guys not remember Rodney Harrison and O three? Bill will do it if it makes sense. And his guys out there, and you were You and Rodney were his guys.
Yeah, And I think at that time, you know, Big Mac was, you know, at the point where they were trying to figure out what what was gonna you know, what they were gonna do with him over the next year or two. You know, Vrabel, Mike Micha had just came in the year before to the I don't know if he was different. Michael was there for the first
two bow wasn't Yeah, yeah, yeah, So Michael was. Michael was sort of in that role of he was a free agent guy coming in being a special team guy and kind of worked his way into a playing role.
You know, all the other backers were older.
You had Fife, you had Big Ted, Big Mac Brew, Uh, Chatham Iszo and then Tully came in and I was the eighth guy.
And I walked in that room, in that linebacker room, and I was the.
Second youngest guy in the room to Tully Band the King as a draft pick. Everybody else was six seven years in the league, and you know, building and they spend, Like you said, they spend as long as it's a value that they feel. I mean, at that time, I'd signed the biggest ridge In contract in Patriots history. Uh. But I also think at that time the CBA wasn't to the point where one the cap was really.
High and you had to spend all your money.
I think that changed in four or five or six years later where they said, you guys can't hold onto the money.
You gotta pay. You gotta pay guys the money. And so I know a couple of.
Years later was when the DALYs came in and the dailies, I mean made my contract.
Look like a like a like a like a like. I was an undrafted free agent.
So I think Bill spins where he wants to spend, and you know, it just creates a dynamic of you guys in the media.
I want to talk about, Hey.
Matt, I got a funny story though, so his after Rosie signs here in the off season, used to go down and meet with Coach Belichick to Coach's corner for a Patriots Football weekly. So I'm sitting outside Bears's office waiting to meet with Bill, and here comes Rosie and he sits down and he's eat a sandwich from the player dining room and he says, man, I'm getting so sick of this food, and I like this.
There's like plenty of restaurants just getting your car and drive goes, well.
This is free.
Yeah, he designed the biggest contract in Patriots history and he's sick of the food, but it was free.
So he was eating it.
Well, I remember vividly. I remember vividly the first time, so I started in four. I remember the first time on a team flight and seeing Rosie and he looked like he was going away for like a three weeks hibernation. It was gatorade bottles, it was bags and everything. And I said, what's with Rosie taking everything off the plane? And somebody goes, what's the price of the food? I said, smart man, smart man, smart man.
I'm if it's free, give me three. And I've tried to teach my kids to take advantage of those situations like Ravens that Purdue right now and college sports is totally different than it was when I was a college athlete. I mean, it's just ridiculous what they with the kids. Are offered and given now, but they have like a whole fool but like a full blown moviie bar and
snack bar in the in the weight room. For these I'm like, ray Man, you need to make sure that you're get because when I was in college, we used to come off for three days uh head training to produce Danny Miller.
He would only allow us to get one juice. That was after practice. That was after practice. We'd get one juice. And so I would go back and back and I'm taking a whole six pack. I'm taking a six pack.
And I'm drinking all of it right now, and he would get mad and come take it back out of my locker. And so over the years, as I've gone through the process of being a professional athlete, and I'm able to, let's say, take advantage.
Of the free merchandise. And you know I've taken full advantage, smart man.
So let me ask you this, right, you know, Rosie, here you come. You know, rebuilt Patriots defense, disappointment in their mouths, you know, not making the playoffs, a new two after winning the Super Bowl. Bill's gonna reload. He's hungry for beer, and here comes Rosie Colvin terrible Week one. I know Brian wants to look at that for a second. But but when you get hurt in Week two against Philadelphia, what's going through your mind at that point in time? Like what must you have been thinking?
Uh?
It was devastating, you know. I think back to that time. That's that was a life changing.
Moment for me.
And I don't know if, if if I would rather go through it again or not. I know, in hindsight, there are some things that I probably that I did probably four or five years.
Ago, that I wish I would have done right after that situation happened.
But you know, free agent signing, biggest free agent in Patriots history, you know, you know it's I remember the paper. I remember the front page of paper, the second coming of LT. Right, I'm like, man, they compare me to l T. I used to I'm playing Techmo Bowl with LT and and I get there, you know, try in camp because I'm coming.
Off the shoulder surgery, so I can't do a whole lot.
Got a red jersey on the training camp and OTA's and all that stuff, and I'm just I'm used to if I'm off the ball in Chicago, I was mostly in coverage, but if I was on the ball, typically I was rushing, and so going to a three four defense, man, I'm geaked.
So I'm like, every play is a blitz for me. I can just just get it because for me, it's all about get off on the ball.
So I would literally just key the ball and get off and it would just be regular defense. And Bill would he would rip me in practice, like, man, you can't do that because you're just creating a gap.
In a lane. I'm like, well, I'm making the play though, I'm right here. I'm tackling this guy in the backfield.
I said, I know we don't have pads on them, but you let me do that in a game and I'm gonna have forty tackles for loss. And halfway through a season He's like, no, you for the integrity of the defense, you can't do that. And I learned a lot in training camp and going up to that first game we got our face kicked in in Buffalo, and I think I did okay.
I didn't do bad. I didn't do well enough obviously to help the team.
When and then going to Philadelphia, Uh, that injury was it was just it was it was.
It was surreal. I mean, I literally I'd never forget to play.
I came around on the stunt, you know, Big Ted calls the fumble.
One on Donovan McNabb. Ball rolls out.
I'm coming around to the left side and I take a peek up the field and I see nothing but daylight. And I bend over and I, you know, to do something I've done thousands of times. I bend over to grab a football and I miss it and I have to reach back over my hip and I hear the click.
And when I do that, I go to.
Take another step and my leg gives out. I just collapse and first person on top of me was Brew, and then every you know, ten out, everybody else just jumps on top of the pile. Because I got the first turnover the game. You know, everybody was excited, you know. And and I can't get up, and I and I get myself up. I Brew helps me up, and I kind of loot over to the sideline. I still see the picture. There's a picture of me kind of grimacing walking past one of the chains.
And I get to the sideline and get over to the bench, and I'm like, man, this doesn't feel something doesn't feel right.
I called Joe man Allen over and I said, Joe, man, I don't feel right. Man, I said something, my hip doesn't feel right. And he says, what do you mean? I said, man, it just feels funny. And I kind of leaned forward and it slides out and I feel sharp pains, pain I've never felt before my life. I was like, oh my god, and I try to I straightened my leg. I'm sorry me, get back to the mic. I straightened my leg out. It slides back in. I said, Joe, man, I don't I don't think. I don't think my leg
my leg is right. And so they put me on the back of a cart. They take me in the locker room. I sit on the train table again. It slips out again. I said, man, I don't know what's going on, but man, this is the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. And so I sit there for about thirty minutes trying to figure out.
What is going on.
Get dressed, Get on the bus, you know, get back. You know, we headed back, you know to Foxborough from Philly.
Get on the plane.
And I'm sitting on the bus and we're getting ready to get off right in front of on Patriot Place, right in front of the door that we go in, and it slips out again, and I said, hey man, I don't I don't know what's going on.
But I don't. I don't even know. I can't even walk right now.
And so I get into the locker room, you know, my wife comes, gets me, I get to the house, get home, and then slips out again. I'm like, we're on this is like the fifth time, and it's and every time it's it feels worse and worse.
And so they want me to go get a m ride. I'll get to the m my ride.
They said, it looks like you know, you you know, broke off, chipped off some bone and it's like, you know, the hip joint is loose. So we're trying to have a slight surgery, trying to see if we can repair it. Get to to to mass General.
Is it master, Yeah?
Yeah, And I go to sit down in the chair and it slipped it out again, and I tell the doctor. I said, hey man, I don't know what you're gonna do, but if you're not gonna fix it, then but let's not even do anything. But if you're going in there, going there to fix it and fix it down because
I can't take this anymore. And that was that right there, turned me into a two hundred and you know, forty five pounds professional athlete that just signed the biggest contract in Patriot's history, the second coming to LT.
Then we played the Bears in the preseason.
And I came off the edge one time and it was it was the same place and everything I was telling build and practice.
I was like, man, you just let me go. I'm I'm gonna go tackle the quarterback every time.
I'm gonna be there so fast I tack a quarter steward before he can even hand the ball in the backfield. I said, Man, this is how it's gonna be. Man, I gonna set a record for sacks because I'm gonna.
I'm blazing. Just give me. I went.
I went from that too, and I couldn't even use the bathroom by myself. It was a very humbling situation. I was bedridden for September October and over for three months.
You know, I didn't even I didn't even go.
To the facility because I was so down and disappointed that I couldn't play football.
But I didn't even play football.
But I just felt like it was the greatest opportunity I had to display my talents. You know, I was I've always been to the person that was second guest. I was always been a person that was he's not that good and this was my shot and.
Uh, and that that was. It was devastating.
So took the next three months man to get a little bit closer in my in my spiritual.
Life, my walk with Christ.
You know, I was able to spend more time with my wife, my children, and got the chance to eventually get back in to the facility and see the guys. Brew came by. I never forget you know, Brew, you know, he would come by. We played chess. To this day, we you know it. Brews holds a special place in my heart because he was one of the the only people that you know, you know, was you know, extended
itself outside of the locker room. And not that everybody anybody else you know, should have or I wanted them to, but you know, it was just a special opportunity and I appreciate him for that.
And and the grind began. Man, it was hard. It was really really tough.
But that that was that was that was devastating for me, and I think that I probably could have played more years, you know, after that, you know, with the way the CBA, you know, they changed the CBA, and I mean they barely out there and passed.
Probably you know, twelve times a year and stuff like that. Man, that that would have saved my body.
But it was a it was a tough It was a tough road to get back to just being noticeable and.
Just being a resemblance of myself.
And I felt like, you know, I got to the point where I was, you know, making some plays. It just was some things that I couldn't do that created the dynamic of not being that guy anymore.
You know, ROSEI you've talked a couple of times about how Bill wouldn't set you free a little bit. You know, you think that he made you a more complete linebacker.
I think he did.
I was young, you know again, I was I was young for my age, just regardless. I mean I was, I turned twenty one my senior year at Review. I hadn't I didn't go to a bar until my senior year in West Laviette.
So when I got to the NFL, you know.
There were guys, most most of the guys I got drafted were twenty three, twenty four years old, two three years older than me. So I think from the standpoint of what I learned in New England, uh, from what I you know, where I came from in Chicago, it was a tremendous opportunity for me to grow as a player. I just think that I wasn't able to maximize that because of the injury and.
So watch of explosion. Was that fair, Rosie that you lost him exposure? Is it fair that you lost him exposure?
Lost I lost?
The instinct was there, but the second and third step, being able to bend on that hip wasn't there, you know. And somebody said, well when you switched the other side, Well no, because you got to push off the other side. I couldn't dip on the right side and I couldn't push on the left side.
So I had to, you know, I had to figure it out.
But I thought I did, Okay, I thought I made a couple of plays after the fact and the bounce back.
Floor started the Super Bowl then yet yeah I did. That was that and that was huge for me.
I don't know, you know, missing the first one, after missing the first one.
Which had been very tough. That had to be Like you're sitting there talking about mental and you know, down in the dumps, you signed the biggest reagent contractors, you're saying, and now you watch that team go fourteen and two and win the Super Bowl. That had to be tough too.
And the crazy thing is I predicted that record too. I predicted the fourteen to two as Joe. And now I know Joe doesn't work for the Pages anymore, but I told Joe in the training room, I said, Man, I'm I'm thinking fourteen and two.
And the next year I predicted record the undefeated season. I predicted. I'm talking about every time. But you know, yeah, it going back to SUP to the Super.
Bowl that that next year was really really huge because then it allowed me to feel like I earned it. You know, I got a ring, but you know it was a group project. The next year, I got a ring and I earned it. And then I started that game and and made a couple of plays infamous, myself, Matt Light and Brandon going to all infamous for being the most penalized university in Super Bowl history.
But outside that band, we came up with the win.
Now if I'm correct, Correct me if I'm wrong on this.
You guys play a four to three all year in O four and then switched to a three to four for the Super Bowl or was it vice versa?
It was vice versa.
We played, We played a three to four all year and then in the Super Bowl we go to a four to three look and that put I think it was tied in the middle along with Big C and then you got Raves and and Brew and Fife, you know it was. It was called Dolphin or something like that. But it was a whole new defense we had never never ran before. And we got down to Jacksonville and was like, oh, this is what we're gonna run. All we go on, lie bat, I get an opportunity to
get on the field. I can play defensive end, I don't have to worry about dropping any coverage.
Let's go and uh uh it was. It was a good situation, man.
I really, I really am am am appreciative to mister Craft and Bill for sticking with me, you know what I'm saying.
Because that that's a big injury. That was the other thing they played.
In my mind was as soon as I knew what it was, it was the same injury as Bou Jackson.
Jackson.
Here we go back to tech Mobile, right, I'm playing with LT. Now I'm supposed to be the next LT. I'm playing the year before and with the Bears. My last year we played San Francisco and I played against Jerry Rice. I'm like, man, Jerry Rice is the greatest receiver ever. Right and now I'm going, uh, I'm going to New England and I'm supposed to be the next LT. And I get an injury of Bou Jackson, who I will always us in Techmo and super tech Mobile because
he was a beast. And I got the same injury and he never came back from I'm like, man, this is this is my is my career over?
And that really is what Gota started with the guest stores.
So and by the way, Bo Jackson couldn't be caught in tech Mobile like that exactly. You used them because you couldn't lose.
Right, Yes, you know you're sitting there talking Rosie about Brew and Willie and Rabes and you know that group that you guys had and then in seven you had Junior. You remember the cover shoot for s I is that memorabilia?
I hope hanging someplace in your home, because like, if you think back at that, I mean there was like, of course Taylor was on the cover of s I, but s I wasn't really there for a lot of linebackers and that group you guys being on the cover that season, that had to be a pretty special deal for you guys, wasn't it it?
It was obviously I had never been on the cover Sports Illustrated. I think Junior probably had been maybe once or twice. Who else is in there?
Willie's on the cover after they beat the Rams in the first Super Bowl. He's ear holing uh, Kurt Warner I think on the cover is what was.
Yep so for for for most of it is me Brew Braves a d H.
I can't remember who else was on there.
I think there had to be another linebacker on it or Yeah, but Junior had been on the cover.
That was the first time we had been on it.
But for me it was huge because you know, I grew up you know, everybody, I think everybody you know as a young kid grew up collecting Sports illustrateds if you were a sports fan, but you know, my mom would get them and being that you know, again, everybody always I was always second tier to most people to be on the cover Sports. I told my kids, my kids I coached the other day, I was like, man, I was on sports and they.
Were like, what, Like, yeah, Sports.
Illustrats, I gotta bring I gotta take some of those in before football seasons away.
But that was huge, man, it was big.
And that whole season, the things that were going on that whole season were just just crazy, just bananas, and and I appreciate it.
I mean, well Brew, I think never would have.
Thought I was been on a corver cover Sports Illustrated, but I was.
Well Brew made it a point then, and I think he still talks about it while he's on TV today and just if you could comment about that, his fraternal discussion about the position, the backer hood and you know how you guys that group is just a special group. And I think he still lives and breezes that today. He's probably looking to see if there's any linebackers at ESPN that he can, you know, have a bond with. But that was a really big deal to him, wasn't it.
It was?
It still is.
I think he's got Roberberry at ESPN now. So they can have some type of power.
Wow. But it was special and unique.
I mean I think you look at you know, positional groups to who the build Belichick, you know sort of Tree is the Bill Parcelles Tree we talking about We're in a meeting room with Pepper Johnson, Like you know what I'm saying, Like that dude's a legend again another techmobile legend.
These are guys that I'm sitting around as a kid.
And so when you talk about the dynamics of who's in the room, the personalities, I mean, it was our meetings. It was hard for a guy like Maddy Patricia to come in there as a young guy to like what we did to Matty P was what Pep and LT and those guys did the Bill when he was coming up under Parceles like matty P. I mean like Raves would totally you know, make Matty P feel like a three year old because we knew more than he did. It's like, Matti, pe why would you even think that?
Why are you even here talking about this right now? Like we're all bets, like we.
We know more than you do. Why are we even needing so?
And then you throw this thing about then Junior comes in the room. Right, that's just like okay, what what what do you what do you gonna do?
What are you gonna do with Junior? When Junior says, Man, I'm not doing it. So it was it was a very unique situation. I've really really cherish. I have a I don't know where it is. I gotta find it. I have a I have a notebook.
You know, everybody has a notebook, but I had a notebook, and at that point my.
Career, you know, wasn't really talking about taking notes. I was just writing.
Down quotes that Bill would say and Junior would say back to Bill, or what what Raves would say or what Brew was. I literally have notebooks full of, you know, one liners that I need to publish one that I need to publish that book.
Did or call you Rosie? Or did he call you buddy?
Because so he called everybody buddy. Everybody was buddy, but he did call me rosie. I appreciate that. But you know, uh, man, Junior was that's a special dude.
Man, I don't know, I don't I've been very fortunate man to play with some great guys. I think, I mean a lot. There's been a lot of guys in New England that are great too.
But I think everybody will say that too if they were fortunate to be in the NFL.
But man, I just played with some great guy.
I had the opportunity to sit next to some great guys in the meeting, like Junior saying, Richard Seymour, Willie McGinnis, Mike Raybooth, Teddy Bruce.
I'm talking about legends. These dudes are.
Unfortunately I didn't make the cut for Hall of Fame. I didn't make the Hall of Fame cut the day announced the other day. But I got I got five guys that I played with, you know, just in New England that are on the Hall of Fame with so you know it.
New England's is a special place and.
I want to ask you about that. But first I want to ask.
You about the chairs being replaced in the Linebacker meeting room. You remember that because Teddy has brought his rock and chair into the Hall of Fame.
Yes, do you still have your rock and chair?
I didn't get a rocking chair. I didn't know you were too young. I didn't. Yeah, I was too young.
So because like I said, when I got to New England, I was twenty I was twenty five. Everybody else was like thirty years old. So all the guys got rocket cheers except for me. And I'm like, okay, that's fine me and tell mentally to get chat him. I don't think Chattam got a rocketeer, and I'm not sure if it got one, he might have. But but man, just just the the pure joy to be there and what we did on a daily basis, you know, in our room alone. But then we get out on the on
the practice field. You know, me and Ella's Hods talk about all the time our stretch lines. We never stretched. We just it was we either you know, we either you know, recited coming to America or you know, listen to Matt Light, you know, do his impersonations.
And then we got ready for practice. But and just you know, I've been very very.
Blessed that my time in New England was a was a great.
I compared her to Chicago.
I had to I had to be in prayer pre practice in Chicago because it was so hard because I had.
You know, great guy. I love him. The death name is Dale Lindsay was the linebackers.
They actually was Junior's linebacker coach and Sandy, but he was our linebacker coach and because we were so young, man, he would run us into the ground. And I said to myself, man, there's no way I'm playing more than four years. And so I got to New England. I was like, man, these dudes are having fun.
They're they're laughing and talking to each other, so let me let me join in. So you know, it was some really really great times.
So let's get back to the Hall of famers. You mentioned the Hall of Fame nominees. You know, Richard's obviously been.
A multiple time finalist.
I'd like to ask you about Richard Rodney and now maybe a Santi Samuel is on that list, and what you think of those guys in their prospects of being inducted into the throw Football Hall of Fame.
I think, you know we're talking about Richard. Let's go with him first. I think his career was tremendous. I think he had a or the size of a person human being that he was, and what he did on the football field, it was phenomenal. I think it was unfortunate, you know, that he couldn't finish his career or more years here in New England.
I think that would have.
I think that would have solidified it and given him a sooner bid uh to go in along you know, earlier on. But I think, you know, he has a great opportunity. You think about Rodney and what he did in San Diego to moving to New England and that opportunity UH to play there and solidifying those dynasties. I think he has a great opportunity as well as he's creeping up there just because of his numbers, right, A lot of guys that he compares to from a corner standpoint,
they are similar. All three of those guys are fighting with guys that are coming along that are just phenomenal, you know, like you know, like once in a lifetime players.
You know not to knock against.
You know, those three guys, I think Richard is probably one, you know, a guy that you can look at and say, hey man, this this dude is different. You know, there's not a lot of guys like him, you know, but there's a lot of really good safeties, a lot of really good corners. But then you talk about guys like you know, Megatron, you know, it's hard to hard to say you can't throw that dude in the Hall of
Fame right away. You think about guys like Peyton obviously, you know, so what they're going up against, you know, the linebackers that are that they're going up against, it's tough, the corners that they're going against, it's.
Tough, the safeties, you know, it's tough. So I think, uh, time will.
Tell if they get that opportunity to be in, and I think eventually it will happen. I think definitely for you know, guys like Richard. I think definitely for a guy like Rodney. You know, I think, what's the uh uh lynch.
That's uh John.
Got in and he go in you know every you know, right when he was eligible.
But I think his body of work showed.
So I think I think Rodney des definitely has the opportunity to get there, So rooting for him. Man. You know, cam is only about a four and a half five hour drive here. I'd be I'd be up to take the drive. I got a TESTA so I could just put it on auto pilot and the movie.
See. The thing that's frustrating for people around here, Rosie, is what you you're talking about, Richard. You know, Richard doesn't have those stats, because that's wasn't you know, he wasn't asked, as you well know, to just pin your ears back and go. You know, he's being asked to gap and do all the things that don't generate st statistics. And then you get these slobs in these rooms who just look at stats and not to put you in
a tough spot. But like I think people here in New England go wow Erlacker over Seymour and I don't. It's not It's not an either or sort of a thing. And Erlacker is a great player, but we sit there and go, well, look at what Richard did over the body of his career from a teen standpoint, championship standpoint. But that's hard to get you into the Hall of Fame. And I think that that's what Richard's facing now, which seems to be a shame.
Yeah it is.
I think just to jump on Brian's back and real quick, you know, he was an anomaly.
He was.
He was a unicorn being sixty five six four sixty five playing middle linebacker, move the way he could hit, the way could make play. So I think that situation was was was different in that who he was playing for as well.
Again, you gonna have the.
Fortunate opportunity to play for a couple of different organizations. And Bill's thought process on football is totally different than Great Blosh's thought process. You know, like I said, when I came into New England, I was, Okay, I'm on the line. I'm going to get it every single play. And Bill's like, no, buddy, they know you're coming to get it. We're gonna they're come, They're sending to your way.
We're gonna drop you out here Underreggy Wayne and we're gonna send Ragle from the other side and he's gonna get the ten sacks. And I'm like, okay, thanks. But at the end of the day, you know which one would you rather have? Would you rather have the Lombardes or would you rather have the stats?
And I think you know, that's why Bill's able to.
Lure guys to to New England and guys that want to stay in New England for that purpose.
And you know, at the end of the day, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
I think you know, Bill's just been in the game so long that he's he's got multiple ways to figure.
It out, Rosie.
My last question for you.
I remember standing in the locker room with you one day, and it might have been, you know, it was probably the year after you were injured, and you were talking about the next man up mentality in New England and how it was very different in New England than it may have been in other places, and certainly where you had come from, where a guy gets hurt and there's this oh no feeling, whereas in New England that didn't exist. Can you maybe elaborate on that a little bit?
Well, I think, you know, there's a lot of there's been a lot of adoption of principles of what I learned in New England when I got there. I think a lot of you know, social media attention to it.
You know. I remember, not not to get off topic, but I remember the Saints and Sean Payton having a mantra and I'm like, bial's been saying that for years. I don't know what's the big deal about that.
But when I got to New England, I think I saw what the.
Process was to be able to have a next man of mentality.
You can say next man of all you want to, but the guy that that goes in there may not be qualified. Bill, you know, actually takes the time to figure out can this.
Guy do X, Y and z? And if he can do X, Y and Z, then.
We're okay, because if this guy has to miss a game for this or miss a game for that, then
we don't lose much. You add that to him being in the psyclopedia of football and formations and schemes and what you need to be successful or competitive on any given down, and now the next man of mentality is exemplified because a guy that was really just a special teams guy or a free agent for that year can now go in and feel because I remember, I distinctly remember watching the game after I got hurt the next weekend. I can't remember who they played, but Chatham was out there, right.
Chatham was out there outside linebacker. Big Mack was out there outside linebacker. If you don't remember in the Super Bowls, every Super Bowl that I was a part of, well take him back the first two Super Bowls.
I was a part of the first one. Rodney breaks his arm.
And and uh, I can't remember who the young guy. The guy's name as it goes in has the number forty two.
I can't remember his name, Sean Mayer. Was it Shawn Mayer?
No, it wasn't Sean Mayor. But he he goes into the I can't remember his name. He goes into the game and feels in for Rodney towards end the game. He actually gets beat yes on.
The takedown in the in the game, but we end up winning the game.
The next Super Bowl Geno breaks his arm, and maybe that was the one that maybe that.
Was one remembers the one.
The next Super Bowl geno breaks his arm and the and the young guy number forty two goes in the field for his spot.
The first Super Bowl Rodney breaks his arm.
I can't remember who winning the field the spot, but the next guy mentally played his role in that.
I mean it goes on to all the way down to the Seahawks Super Bowl.
I literally literally would jumped off my couch, like I'm sitting here in my house watching Super Bowl and I'm like, there's I mean, I don't a lot of dudes run the ball. They throw the ball and this dude picks it off and I jump.
I literally jump off my couch and say, there's no way that happened.
And it happened, and they go back and they show the practice film or the play, the play that he picked off in practice. I mean, it doesn't work if you don't have the proper preparation. And so it's a mantra. But you know, if you I mean, you gotta, if you got to slappy out there, it's not gonna you know, the next man up doesn't mean anything other than man, you just got beat with the next man up.
But in New England, I think it it's.
Exemplified because they take the time to scout and to get the right guys that are able to do those specific things.
Far from a slappy is this man, Rosie Covin always a favorite at this address. Rosie, this has been really on a little reminiscing and going down memory lane. Thank you so much, Best of luck with your kids, best of luck coaching, and really thanks for your time. And be healthy man, yeah.
Man, thank you. I appreciate that. Very blessed to be healthy and very blessed to.
Be in my family. I wish what's that on you guys as well.
I hope that many more podcasts are are transmitted through this microphones.
I'm talking to that right.
It's great to speak to you today, Ruggins, no problem, Thank you.
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