The Audible Ep. 93 | Davon Godchaux

football three d and sixty five days. It seemed like that was I don't know, a career ago. I know it seemed like a long time ago. But let me tell you what we we have. We forward to some great friendships and a lot of a lot of memories, a lot of laughs, and uh, you know, so I'm happy to be here. Man. Yeah, that was fun. That was a lot of fun. Now we turned it into a podcast and we've got the audible going, and uh, the Miami Dolphins had it going early last week at

MetLife Stadium. They were ten seven and a halftime, did not get it done, didn't finish in the football game. Much like the Jets game the week before up in New York, but they end up losing thirty six to twenty. Uh. It was disappointing to the point where you know, early in that game, you get some turnovers, you get some sacks, you're in scoring position, you miss a field goal. There's a lot of things Troy that kind of you know,

built up to the Dolphins not winning. But yet when you go to halftime, you're up by three, you feel like, okay, we'll come out and get a stop and maybe you get a score and you extend that lead. Yeah exactly. I mean when you look at when you look at it from that perspective, I mean, it's real simple. But you know the thing that I think that went against

the Dolphins, like you have to do. You know, you turn the ball, all the balls turned over three times, you win the turnover battle, and you lose the football. There's many, not many games that end up like that right when you win it. So so you know, when you when you win the turnover battle, normally it goes the other way. If you're winning to turnover battle, you're

winning the football game. But this went against him to me Dolphins this time and so that means there there's other little issues that you that you have to make and you have to make those adjustments. And the Miami Dolphins just they didn't make those adjustments. Yeah, they didn't make the adjustments. And you know what, se Kuan kind of turned it on in the second half. That guy, you know at field level and I'm standing there, it's

a cold, raw, windy day. This guy's jump cutting his his first three steps are so explosive that he gets separation because he's so strong with his running style and his legs. It's just incredible to watch him in person. You know, he has such a low center of gravity and spending the time in Pennsylvania and those type of weather provisions and now in New York, like you know, I think he's he's just now starting to get back to a percent. You know, the high ankle sprains are

really tough injuries to come back from it. He came back early ankle sprain. But I think now he's in his element. You know, he's getting his strength back. He's able to now have confidence cutting on on the on those services but pretty much cutting on those ankles, and man, he's a low because he has a low center of gravity and he's able to make a cut on a dime. But I think what people underestimates his power and they

estimated underestimated speed. You know what. And I'm not gonna talk much more about the Giants, you know, because I just don't care to because you feel still feel like it was a game you should have won. But I have to pay respect, uh to Eli Manning and the way he played and the way that the New York crowd serenaded him, much like a Derek Jeter chant at a Yankee game. When they were where they were chanting Eli Manning. That I felt like, you know what, God,

that was good. That was good to see because that fan base can be brutal at times, and I'm sure that Eli has felt the wrath the other way. But just to give him props in his career. It might have been his final home game in front of the hometown fans, with Daniel Jones maybe coming back off of an ankle injury himself, but I thought that was great. I don't know how it looked or felt the way you saw it on TV, but I thought that was pretty special. I mean, New York is a brutal place

to play and he understood that going in. And you know, I think a lot of athletes have had a love hate relationship with New York. But you know, with their greatest athletes, there's always there's always that love, like there's he will always be in the minds and the hearts of the people in New York. And you know, that's a classy thing. And and when you talk about New Yorkers, they're they're rough and tough when it comes to their sports.

But you know, if there's people that they idolize and they have a lot of respect for, it's a guy like Eli and and and you've seen that reverber rate through the stadium. So great job by them. I mean it's a classy, classy move by the organization and by the by the fans of New Yeah, I thought that was really cool. I mean they tried to do it a few times and Eli is trying to quiet the crowd because the game was still at hand. But at the end, I think you let him go and and

it was great. It was great to hear. Let's talk a little bit about uh some Dolphins and we we talked about a former Penn stater in Sae Kwon Barkley. You obviously a proud Penn Stater. Let's talk about the way Mike Kasicki has really turned the corner. You played the position. The position kind of morphs itself every ten years and kind of changes into, you know, blocking more receiving a little bit of both. But I thought Mike this season and it was good to see him come

back and catch a few balls. But I just thought that his quickness, his strength, his awareness of where he is and in the routes and all those things have really come uh to light in his second season, and I just wanted to get your opinion on what you've seen. The difference is maybe in why he is maybe turned the corner in terms of there's only one way to go now and that's continued to get better. I think I like his maturation, and you know, see him from

last year to this year. I think it's confidence is just knowing where you are on the football field, making sure you you understand your surroundings, making sure you understand your role within the offense um. But if there's anything that I see is he's so confident now. I think before he was a little hesitant, so he was a half a step behind because he was still thinking. But now I think he understands his role in his offense.

He understands where he's out on the field, and the coaching staff has done a great job at preparing the tight ends and and and you know, one of I think one of his weaknesses was was his blocking. And it's coming around. I mean he's a big, tall guy. I mean that was not part of his you know, list of priorities in college. And that's what people don't understand is that he's learning while he's in the league.

He's learning in the NFL level. That's not the place that if you don't do anything else, well you know what. To be honest, I had that same transition, So I do understand it. I do understand it as a young l a Rams tight end. I made my transition blocking in the NFL as well, So I do understand the growing pains that you have to go through. And and you know, I wasn't asked to block. I mean block

a lot of Penn State. So me coming into the National Football League and blocking for a guy like Jerome bettis like you gotta you gotta bet Q. So I think he's understanding where he fits in he understands his strengths. And when you understand your strength and where you fit in in the offense and you have a true role, now you're starting to see that confidence flourish. And that's

what you're saying in Mica Seki right now. You know, it's really cool also to see a guy at thirty seven years old in a veteran quarterback and Ryan Fitzpatrick kind of laying it on the line every single week. And and that hit that he took from Ogletree in the game last week against the Giants, it was right in front of me and I'm going, man, get down, find some get down. And I knew. I knew Ryan was as soon as he's tried to stick that foot in the ground and go towards him, I'm like, oh,

this is gonna end back. And it did, you know. But but you have to you have to respect the way that he has played. You know, he had the first two starts, he gets, you know, out of the lineup.

He comes back in the fourth quarter against Washington and from that point on, I really only think there's been one non competitive game for the offense that you know, you didn't feel like, hey, this guy can find a way to get you back into the game or keep the lead, or you know, stay competitive so that you're a couple of plays away from winning or losing. You know what, I think he is the he's the tone

setter for the team. I agree with you, um and and most of the time you're talking about your tone set as the offensive line. But I think his moxie, all the things that he brings to this Miami Dolphin offense, that's that's defines who we are and it all goes through Fitzpatrick. I mean, he's a guy who's gonna take some risk, but you know though, some of those risks

are gonna pay off. And at the end of the day, when you when you see the risk that he takes, their calculated risks and those are those are risks at any other quarterback with a and you know quarterbacks who who have strong confidence in themselves there they're they're always gonna they're always gonna do what is necessary to get their teams to win. If Fitzpatrick has been and he has been an epitome of what this football team is. We're gonna do whatever it takes to win. And the

tone center on the offense is Ryan fitz back. Yeah, and a couple of guys that's staying on the offensive side. I really thought it was nice to see two guys that were in concussion protocol play such a big role in the game and and really be a viable targets all day. Devonte Parker had two big touchdowns. He only had four catches, but he had seventy two yards and two touchdowns. And then, uh, you know, what can you

say about Albert Wilson. The guy's been struggling all year to try to feel like, hey, am I a hundred percent or not? You know, you're coming back off of offseason injury, And that was the first time I think all year I've seen Albert kind of catch of football, and I feel like he's explosive enough to run away from people in traffic. I saw that quick burst that you haven't seen. You saw last year, but you haven't

really seen a lot of it this year. He had five Just just your take on on those two guys in the way they played. Let me say, I am so happy for DeVante Parker. Um. You know, it's taking him a while to get to the point of where he is, and I'm glad that it's it's on our watch because he's on the up and up. I mean, was watching him being injury prone up until this point. This is the healthiest time that he's had with the

Miami Dolphin organization. So um, and now you're starting to see the potential that we saw when we drafted him. So I'm so happy for him and an extension that he got because he's worked hard for it. Um. When you're talking about Albert Wilson, I mean, he's a guy that you know last year he was so explosive. Anytime he got the ball in in his hands, he was a touchdown waiting to happen. And he wasn't one of those receivers that you're just gonna hit up top and

you think you're gonna knock this guy down. He's very strong and he's got a lot of speed. So just to see him coming back and getting back to where he needs to be. I know, those injuries are are and those surgeries are of to come by, but the main thing about it is that you have to be able to gain that confidence. And now you're starting that confidence. See that confidence come back, Um physically, I mean, and ultimately,

when you're talking about athletes, you know, it's mental. It's the mental part of the injury that you have to get over. And right now you're seeing Albert Wilson starting to get over that those injuries that he's had, those surgeries, and he's coming back to a d percent. You know, speaking of injuries the Miami Dolphins this season, the defense has been decimated with injuries in terms of defensive backs. We there's guys on the roster. I'm going who is

that what? What number is that guy? And how do you pronounce his name? And there's been a lot of change, you know, but but the one constant, or actually there's been a couple of constants, but the one in the middle has been Jerome Baker. I mean, this guy every week, much like Fitzpatrick does for the offense, I think he's the tone setter on the defense, just purely by his example and the effort that he gives weekend and week out. I love our long young linebackers. I mean, those guys

are really playing top quality football. And when you look at Jerome and and all the things that he means to this defense, you're absolutely right he is the tone setter for the defense. Uh. And you know, we've we talked a lot about our linebackers in the past, but we've we've as we have some great linebackers. Kwan the way he's been punning around you, and they're young linebackers that can stay together for a long time. And that's

what you want. You want that core. And we have a great core linebackers that are no longer our weaknesses. These guys are our strength. So hats off to Jerome and Rey Kwan and and that whole linebacking corps. Man, they're doing a phenomenal job and um, you know they're the reason why, uh, this defense is the way that it is. Yeah, I think so. And then up front, you've got Christian Wilkins, You've got d Von god Chow, who's the Miami representative for the absolutely Man of the Year.

I mean, you've got, uh, some big time talent that's gonna stay with this nucleus of a football team that's gonna get better and mature together. And you know, I had a chance to earlier in the week to sit down with Davon Gotchaw. We mentioned he's the NFL Man of the Year in terms of the Miami Dolphins representative and he does so many great things in the community, and I had a chance to sit down with him and talk a little bit about on the field, off

the field and what it means to him. Always great to see a member of the l s U Tigers coming in the door. Number one in the country, number one in your heart, Davon got Chaw. I know that I see you every probably three times a week, and anytime sports centers on during lunch, I know where to find you, and that's checking out the TV, just just getting the latest news on your Tigers. How are you doing, buddy, I'm doing great. I'm doing great. You know, it's always good.

You know, once you got to you know, your on them out of school. You know, number one in the country.

You know, that's always good, you know what. And it's always nice to kind of kind of get the needle in your teammates a little bit, especially when you're going up against uh an Oklahoma team and then you may have one of one of the other two teams on the horizon, Clemson or Ohio State that you I'm sure you have guys in the locker room that you've already uh forecasted what may happen, right, Yes, Yes, I'm excited. I'm excited. You know, it's face Oklahoma. You know, very

explosive offense. You know, uh, Jayla Harrison doing a great job. You know, I'm a very solid defense. So I'm very excited for that matchup. You know, December twenty eight, you haven't said anything to Stephen uh to Parker in the in the back, have you? You know, we had some hers. You know, if he has some brds, I think he I think he's a little scared. But let me just say that, Okay, you had some more that you had some you had some action up on the field up

at Medlife Stadium. You know, you come out on the on the losing end, thirty six to twenty. But that was a game. Really I've felt devon a tale of two half. So I thought you guys defensively early in that football game, you came out kind of kind of slowed down in his explosiveness, really shut down Eli early in the game, and you end up getting three interceptions. Uh, you had some tackles for loss. I know that was your fifth consecutive game with at least five tackles or more.

What did you feel like going into the locker room you had a ten seven lead. What did you feel like the confidence level and what you guys were doing defensively. I thought the confidence level was very high. But at the end of the day, I just feel like as a defense, we just didn't close it out. You know. It's kind of like having that snake, you know, you kind of want to stomp on his head to finish it. You know, I think it's a defense. We didn't do it,

you know, no matter what the offense too. That gave us enough points to win the game, you know, they put you know, having any points on the board. I think it's a defense. You gotta stop the other team from scoring, you know, like that's the that's the main goal. So I think at the end of the day, in the second half, we didn't play our best defense. But the first half we played very explosive. You know, uh contains se Kwan Buckley for the most part, could contain

Eli Manning. So I just think the second half, you know, we just just didn't do a good job as a defense. How how are you messing with Christian Wilkins. I see you guys talking on the sidelines a lot, communicating a lot about what to expect or maybe what happened in the previous series, or maybe a technique somebody's using. Uh, you know, he's got forty nine total tackles on the year. That's the most by any rookie defensive lineman in the league. How are you guys messing number one? And how how's

that communication as it grown since the season has started? Oh? Very you know he's grown. You know, coming in, you know, he was a clips and tiger. I was the LSU tiger. You know, so it's kind of different different things there. But at the end of the day, I mean, he's a great guy man. He's a humble kid. You know, He's want to get better each and every day. You know, that's the thing you gotta love about him and his work at that. You know, he comes to work each

and every day. You don't want to get better. But I think at the end of the day, he's just gotta keep going and keep getting better, you know. And so it's me as myself, just keep getting better and at the end of the day, you know, Scott limmit, have you've been encouraged by um? You know, there's been a lot of change on the defensive side, you know, it seems like weekend and week out there's some new faces, but guys are kind of stepping up to the challenge.

Guys especially along the defensive line. You've had some different guys on on the edge, you know next to you. Is that is that kind of refreshing you just kind of, Hey, let's just go and play. Let's just you know, go throw a fit for sixty minutes and see where we are at the end of the day. You know, because floor always talk about the biggest thing, you know, it's it's trust, you know. So I think you know, you know, having a hard times in practice. You know what what

the coach pg hobby. You know, they're throwing your different fits at you, you you know, throwing different schemes that you know, trying to see how you're gonna adjust, you know, whether this coach flow you know and practice going temple on the defense, you know, trying to get us to jump outside, trying to get us, you know, not have the right play call. You know, I think things like that. You know, it's big, you know, when once you bring new guys in.

So I mean I can agree with coach flow, you know, I mean, you know, the biggest thing is having trust. You know, if I don't trust the guy next to me, then I might be self, which I might try to get out my gat to make a play that he's supposed to make, you know. So I think the biggest thing there is having trusting that guy. You know that he's going to make the play, that he's gonna set that edge. And I think, you know, once we have that, no matter who we bring in, I think it'll be

all It'll be all good. You know, you mentioned tempo, and that's something you guys practice as a defense, and it was really good that you do, because the Giants came out first series in the third quarter, they went tempo a little bit. They rushed the line of scrimmage, lineman, break the huddle. They're down, and you guys kind of, you know, withstood it. You got on your heels a

little bit, but then you kind of came back. Is that something that you could remember from a Wednesday or a Thursday when you get tempo at practice, that you can apply during a real game, because at the end of the day, I mean, New York is thirty degrees warted degrees down here is still like seventy eight degrees.

So a hundred percent. I mean, you know when Coach Flow doing that in the sun, you know, on the outside, I feel, you know, when we get in Temple, he's trying to hurt yourself, trying to make us, you know, make a bad adjustment, get out our gaps and things like that, bad coverage. You know. I think, you know, that's that's that's probably the best thing, you know, going into the environment, because you know, we saw the giants, you know, kind of what's going some Temple places, you know,

like theirselves. So I think, you know, when you hit it with Coach Flow, you know, each and every day and practice and I think we got on the film Sunday, it's pretty much easy. I I realized, you know, football is a team sport and and whatever the result as a team is number one. That's paramount. Your ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl and win games along

there to get to there. But you know, you have to be kind of feeling pretty good or proud of what you've accomplished, not only as a player in the National Football League, as a young player in the National Football League, but to be the Dolphins representative, you know, NFL Man of the Year. It just take me through when you heard the news and how you felt and how you reflected on your community stuff and what you are as a person and what that meant to you. I mean, I think a lot of people to get

you know, hit on that being a young player. I mean, I'm still a young plenty to leave. I've been a right here for three years. A lot of people come look at me like an older guy. But I mean to take your point to the Warts paid Man of the Year, I mean, I think you know, it's big, you know. I mean it speaks volumes, you know. I mean, just on and off the field, you know, doing for

the community, you know, doing back home, you know. I mean it just speaks big for me, you know, like I said, growing up, my mom my mentor always talking not to never forget where you come from. I mean, so I mean to me to get to this point to you know, have having the money in my pocket to be able to get back to the community, I think is it's big, you know because growing up, like I said, I never had no one do this for me,

come back in the community. Did I get back you know, like things like that, you know, so I think when I got to this point, it was a no brainer to get back to the community and to do it from and to do it from my heart, devon. What's the what's the feeling you get when you touch families that are maybe not as fortunate as others and you relate and you kind of go back in your mind to your family and and and doing things like that.

How does it? It's got to make you kind of swell up a little bit in your heart to say, you know what, you know, you're only here for a short time. I want to do what I can while I can and take advantage of those opportunities. I just want to see the smile. I mean, me just saying a smile on the kid's faces. It's always you know, it's big time, you know because because the smile says

it off of me. And like you said, you're dealing with kids just to change you know, if a kid you know not doing so well and if I could just to change them a little bit, you know, like that's so impactful. I did something. I did my job, you know, so I think you know, doing that, you know, seeing a change, saying that smile, it speaks volumes from from children to families, you know, like giving away three hundred turkeys back home, you know what I mean. I think,

you know, three hundred thanks giving meals back home. And I think that was so so big to see people coming there and just smile on the face, people who didn't have things giving dinners, who didn't have to go buy things giving dinners. I think that was big. I mean, that was so impactful to me. You know. You you talk about giving back and maybe cutting back in your end this year, about the way you've changed what you do in the off season, the way you change your

eating habits, the way you change different things. How has that improved you, maybe mentally physically as a football player, to keep you healthy all those things. Do you do you think that those changes put you in a spot where, hey, I'm on the right track to where I want to be. Yes, I mean, I mean, I think it's gotta deal with you know, just playing fast, you know, I mean limited, you know, putting wise things in your body. You know, I don't want to be injured, you know injuries. You know.

I think you know, it's all let's play a major factor. So I think anytime I get a chance to do the right thing, eat the right things, and the thing is always a key factor, not saying all the time when I go to everybody has a breakdown. It's always it's always kind of hard, you know, getting them on

the craw frees and corn, the potatoes. You know, So I think I think, you know, I just you know, just kind of you know, staying in the South Florida area is probably what's best for me, you know, going back home to the Wizana, you know, it's be kind of hecty down. Man, that's right. And you talked earlier about putting smiles on children's faces and families faces. This is your last home game in a hard rock stadium

against the Cincinnati Bengals. Man, it would be nice to smile Sunday about I don't know, four thirty forty five and in that locker room and celebrating. What does it mean for you guys as a team, As a player of the Miami Dolphins, knowing it's your last opportunity in front the home fans. Hasn't been a season that you feel like, you know, you you want to be able to get through and get onto you know, being zero and zero again and having another shot at it. What

would it mean for you guys? To close out with a w at home. How many means everything, you know, this twenty nineteen season, it means everything to get a win. You know, someday in Cincinnati Bengals, you know they're gonna be coming in looking for a win, you know. So I mean, like like coach PG said, you know, you gotta go take it, you know, Like I said, like like Sunday, I didn't think we took the game. I

thought we gave them the game. You know, no discredit to the New York Giants, but I thought we gave him the game in a second half though, So I think, you know, we gotta go take it, take it in all four quarters, you know, sixty minutes. So I think, you know, we have that mindset, you know, starting to morrow, getting in the building and getting that practice. You know, I think we have to go take the game, you know, because no, no team in the NFL is just gonna

give us a game. So it would mean everything to get a home win. Well, Devon, I really appreciate the time that you spent with us, and and and honestly, Gota is from you know what you guys doing the community is second to none, and and more respect about that you know, you're a great player and you're doing

great things in the community. And I think it's a great example for young teammates younger than you that are gonna be joining, you know, the Miami Dolphins in the next couple of seasons, and I think you should be you know, well commented, and I know you are for what you do in the community. Thanks for joining us again and we can't wait to see you with a

w on Sunday. Yes, sir, thank you appreciate it. Yeah, Devon gotchau he's proud to be from l s U number one Troy, and you're gonna hear him before you see him, because if you're talking college football, he's got the needle and he's he's got it out everywhere in the locker room. Oh man. He is so passionate about the Tigers and and I definitely understand where he's where he's coming from, being a poud, proud Penn State alumni and your team is number one team in the country.

But just just seeing all the things that you know his team is doing right now, he is If you ever talk to that man you start talking about college, bo're gonna you can you will see those odds light up and and and you know he might start perspiring a little bit, but you no, he I have to give him a big town to bring that out, right. Yeah, it's it's sixty degrees. I'm sweating like crazy, you know what.

You know what's cool to Troy. And you can comment about this because you're out in the community so much and doing your part, you know, representing yourself, representing the Miami Dolphins and all the stuff that you do. But de Von taking it to a huge level, another level. And he's only you know, he's only a couple of years into his career. You know what that that's somebody who truly truly cares and somebody who understands what it is to connect to the community. And you know, when

you start your foundations, you started that young. You know, he plans on being here a long time and you know, I understand how much how much this community means to got y'all and and uh his family and um into this Miami Dolphin organization. I mean, he's a guy that you put him out front, he is going to lead and uh, I can't say enough good things about him.

I'm watched this guy, you know, play alongside and Dominican sue and and play alongside some great talent and and now he's he's coming into his own as as as that big defensive guy in the middle, controlling in the middle of the defense for the Miami Dolphins. You mentioned, you know, there's so many young guys on the roster in terms of defense when you talk about god Chow and Wilkins and Baker and McMillan and Iguavin, And you've got Row with a little bit of experience that's playing

a new position. You know you're gonna get X back. You've got Parker at safety. It looks like he's coming into his own a little bit. You know. You you add with a little edge pressure in the off season, and you might you might have a nucleus of feeling pretty good about where the direction of that side of the football is going. Absolutely. I mean, when you look at coach Flores, I'm he's a defensive mind and he understands exactly what he wants and um he has his

team playing the way that he wants them to play. Now, when you look at the talent, you don't see a lot of a lot of a lot of names that stand out to you. But it really doesn't matter about those eleven names. What matters is is the fact that they're representing the defense, they're representing the football team. So and and that's that's that's how you want it, and that's how coach wants it. And those guys are playing sixty minutes of football, their their effort. Guys are not

making economistakes that we've seen him making the past. And you know that comes from great coaching, great attention to detail. And this team is gonna be a great football team. And and uh, I believe in and and the direction of coach Flores is going. Uh. He's a man that's proud. He's a guy that stands by his word, and he has not wavered and the most impressive that's what That's what I love about it because he knows, Hey, this how we're gonna build this team. I'm not wavering from it.

It may not look pretty now, but ultimately down the road, you're gonna thank me and and you're gonna thank me. And I'm gonna thank you by having that trust in me, by going out and winning football game. Yeah, there's definitely been you have to find a way to struggle through the pain this year to kind of get where you want to be. But you know who knows pain a lot worse than the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals. It's capital P A I and okay, because it's a one win

team that's coming to hard Rock Stadium. Uh. They have their own version of a first year head coach, a guy that used to coach quarterbacks here in Zach Taylor. Another guy with the first year defensive coordinator, lou Anna Rumoh is on the defensive side. So you've got guys that are familiar with the Miami Dolphins. You've got a guy that's a nine year veteran, and any Dalton that

has won his job back. Um, what do you what have you seen in terms of Dalton over maybe the last couple of weeks, the last h three or four weeks that he's back in the lineup. It looks like he's still anticipates wells. Looks like he still throws the football. Well. Uh, he's got you know, Geoe Bernard to hand it too. He's got a lot of weapons on the offense. But they haven't had any success this year, and you know

it's gotta be wearing on guys. That have been in the league that have had some sort of success, like Dalton, to come through a season like this where he's playing, much like Fitzpatrick, he's going to the bench and now he's back playing again. I think it's very humbling for Andy Dalton because when you when you're the you've been the guy in the franchise, and now you're on the bench and you're watching, that's a that's a point of

view that you're not comfortable with. So I think for him, it was just going back to the basics, continue to work, getting your confidence back, making sure that you know you haven't lost your edge. Um. And I think sometimes when you when you have when you're looking at it from a perspective that you've never seen before, you're you're humble. So it makes you go back and you start working harder. Um. They're really talented on offense. I mean despite their record.

I mean you've got Jio Bernard, you have you know, guys like Joe Mixon who was a running back. Uh, and you know that that one to punch, So you you have some talent. I think it's just coming together. It's just part of their growing pains and and and they're going through a different type of growing pain. Um. There, you know, you have a first year head coach in

Zach Taylor, who's a very brilliant guy. I mean, he's brilliant when it comes to um the offensive side, and he's an offensive mind, but he's also a quarterback whisper as well. So UM and then Lou out of Rumo, you already know where he brings. He's intense, he's pressure, I mean, and uh, you know he's a guy that he is going to make sure that his team plays

sixties sixty minutes of football. I think when you look at different teams and you look at the Bengals, Wolves, and then you look at a lot of other teams woes, every team is going through similar situations. UM, but I think some teams deal with it differently. And I think, you know, with the first year head coach UM and the organization not being comfortable with losing the way that they're losing. Um, it's just a transition that they're going through and and they have to figure their way out

of it. And you've got two guys coming back home to South Florida, and you mentioned one in Geo Bernard and Geno Atkins. Who's very destructive as a defensive tackle. He can line up on the nose, he can line up at the three technique between the garden and tackle and and just wreak havoc. So he is he is, he is. He is a special guy in the middle, and he's a he's a guy has been to a few Pro Bowls. As you know, you know who else

wreaked havoc. In terms of when the Miami Dolphins in the Cincinnati Bengals get together, our old friend O J. Mcdufflin, juice was loose and and and it was fun because he he was able to catch a damn Reno pass kind of put the game away. And you know, earlier in the week, Kim Bokan per and I had a chance to talk to O J about that particular game, about his career, about the Miami Dolphins, and his passion. So here's that conversation between Bo and I with O

J McDuffie. All right, Dad, your big day for us? Big Day's not that often you get to know O J McDuffie. No, this is awesome. Usually these guys that do this and they all call into the phone. Did you send J is a stand up. Got no, he got that Nissan Maxima from back in nine. That's right, oh, j great to have you man, Man, thank you guys for having honestly, Hey, so what are you doing with

yourself these days? Well, you know, doing a lot of things, you know, raising teenage boys seventeen eleven and my eleven year old thinks he's over older than my seventeen year old, you know, running the Foundation to Catch you One foundation, trying to be a part of the Miami Dolphins Alumni Advisory Board, and doing real estate with the wife. So we're just trying to stay busy. Man, cut your hands full.

And I know you were. You got a podcast going yourself. Yeah, The Fish Tank Man's Dolphin Tails and like from the Deep. It's a lot of guys you've been on getting Jimmy on at some point wink wink um, you know, to just talk about you know, the fun times. Yeah. We we had someone coming out recently coming out with Jim Kick, you know, and Jim Kick he has some great day Yeah, you know what I mean. So we've had some really

good guys on. You told some great stories bow and you know a lot of people don't don't realize that goes on behind the scenes. You only see the Sundays in the Mondays, but the fish tank gives you a little a little, very little bit, a little bit the guys that are willing that don't go too far. That's right,

that's right. Ju. You've had some uh, some some great games during your career with the Dolphins and uh and what a great career was opportunity to play with with Dan Marino and then I always caused you one of his favorite players because you one of the toughest guys

out there, and I agree with that. But we're gonna we're talking about we're gonna go back to uh October one, dophe win over the Bengals at that point, and you're an Ohio guy, so as you're playing the Bengals up there like almost in your in your backyard, what was it? How special was it to be able to play with the Dolphins and go up and play in uh close to home. Yeah, it's always always good getting back home,

it really is. Man. A lot of these guys, you know, you know, you you grew up somewhere, but you usually played professionally somewhere else, you know, and me personally, you know, I wanted to go back to high I really you know, the state of Ohio was divided. You got the Browns up north, you got the Bengals down south. So and they're in the same division, so you hate the Bengals if you're a Browns fan, which I was a Browns fan, so it was it was great to be back home. Um,

I've been there before. We played the Browns my my rookie year in Cleveland, which was nice to be back home, but to be in Cincinnati against the nasty Nati we called him back, you know, it was It was a lot of fun and more importantly, but both Johanna Carter, Yeah, just gotten drafted by those guys, played against those guys. Yeah, that's that's a nice I didn't know about that, right. Yeah, speaking about you know, come growing up up there, have a lot of family friends at that showed him for

the game. Absolutely, man in my high school teammates and coach, they all showed up. Of course, my mom. You know, one thing I did when I played for the Dolphins was every um time we played Indianapolis, which is once a year because they're in our division. You know, I'd rent a bus and everybody from Ohio will get on the bus. About forty or fifty people get on the bus and they go to Indianapolis for that game. So with it being in Cincinnati, I didn't have to rent

the bus that time. Everybody just drove in. So we probably had quite a few more at that game because they have to get on the spring for all the ticket I do, I did, I did? You know, And it's gonna cost me, It cost me later. It's always good to have a family around and juice going back to Ohio. There was another guy going back to Ohio and that was Don Shula, and he's gonna face his son,

David Schuler for the second year in a row. Do you ever remember coach during that week and preparing to go up against his son, you know, did he say anything? Was it? Was it special? What do you remember if anything about that? Well, you know, coach he tried to keep it business as usual. You know it it's just a just another game. But you know it wasn't just

another game for a couple of reasons. I mean, for one, you know, he doesn't want to obviously embarrass his son, but he still has to win games, you know, so it was a different like a business approach to the whole situation. That's how I think coach took that that week, and that's how we handled as well. You know, we didn't we didn't care about the Shola versus Shooler Bowl,

whatever it was. We cared about winning the game. You know, a team that was playing pretty well at that point, and we thought we were really good at that point, and so we're just trying to go on the road and win a game within the within the conference. And you know, I know that coach had a little special thing for his son at that point, but as players, you know, we just want to get in there and get a dub. But uh, you know, of course he didn't want to go into embarrassing. If we could have

put fifty spot on, I'm sure we would have. But they played. They played the hell of a game that Yeah, that was a tight game, and you guys were a very good team. As you mentioned, the Dolphins are three. You know going into that game, how how good was that team at that point? Did you know how good that team was? I thought that team was very good.

I really did. You know. When I came to the Dolphins in nine after they just came from the an f C Championship game and they lost at home against Buffalo. I mean that team was already stacked, you know, and and a lot of times in the first round. You know that I was blessed to be drafted in. If you get drafted late in the first round, you know you're going to a good team. And I went to a very good team, and we were still a very good team. We had a lot of offensive weapons, our

defense was stacked. Uh so we felt really good about the type of team we were. You know that that game was a little back and forth game. You take it down to three thirty lefs again, Bengal score a touchdown, they take a twenty nineteen lead, and and it's uh, it's down the business at that point. Yeah, it is man And that's you know, that was a fun time of playing with the great Damn Marino. You know, there were there were very few games that we felt we

couldn't come back and win. And now, you know, any game we get into we got the ball late. We got a great opportunity to go down there and put a drive together and win a and win a football game. And and that was one. The confidence level was amazing Danny's um you know, commanded the huddle in the situation

was amazing, and we we never won. You know, we couldn't even use a kicker in this situation, which is even a better situation because sometimes you know you have a kicker to come in and win a game for you're tied. For you we knew we want to go down and put it put in the end zone, and you know, everybody's ready to go because that's that's go time. And that's when thirteen thrives a lot of times. And you mentioned, you know how you felt confident going into

those types of situations. Crowds probably going crazy, the Bengals just score, But tell us about the ease and maybe the calm you guys went about it because of the confidence you had not only in Dan, but the guy next to you, and and and the way you would look in the mirror and say, hey, it may come down to me. I'm gonna be ready for my opportunity. You think about our team was stacked. I mean we were stacked, you know, having Danny's your quarterback, you know,

having myself and Urban Fryer and guys like that. You know, our our offensive lines where Richmond Webb and Keith Sims and me. I think that team had four pro bowlers on it as a whole, you know, and I think that you know, we we had confidence that they've they've been there and done that before. And when you got one train in the in the huddle, you know, he has that calm about him, but he also has that fire body and that's gonna make sure that you know,

we're ready to go. And we always wanted to go down and you know, we we practiced so much on two minute drill and you when you when you get those opportunities to actually you go down there and win games and that two minute drill, that's special. And when you got that type of leader, you know, you got that type of leader, man, it makes it a lot easier. And that calming factors there. You want to go out there, You want to be the guy that makes that play.

You want to be the guy counseling in the in the in the clutch, and that goes to you, you know, in those situations and uh and Danny spread it around. He was great about sharing the wealth and that was that was the fun part about it. You know, you you you finally get the ball, you have to drive, you're moving down the field. You got a third down situation, you catch a pass from Danny converted. Um, what what? What made you such an effective receiver on third down?

There's some guys that that they want they thrive ins third downs. The other guys that we are on the vine on third down, Well, you know what, I wasn't going deep bo, you know, so you know those intermediate conversions. That was that was my that was my gig right there. And the whole thing about you know, third down is

like knowing the situation. You know, preparation third down in certain situations, they play certain things and they do certain things, and you know, it's like everybody talks about it now. It's like analytics are so popular now. We they were there when we played as well. You know, so I knew or Danny would know where. We knew that chance and we're playing a certain coverage. But to think about with Danny, you know, be where you're supposed to be, be there own time and make a play. And that's

what it was all about. And you know, and that and it took a little time for me, you know, with that was my second third year. You know, it took a little time, you know, for me to even develop that rapport with Danny. And once you have that, no matter what the coverage is, you know, I could be double covered. Danny's gonna find a way to fit in and my job isn't make a play and that So you made a number of plays throughout your career, and your number was called again in this game on

the road against the Bengals. You catch the game winner, a sixteen yarder from Dan. What do you remember about the play, the route, the play call that went into it. Yeah, you know, it's it's it's funny because, um, you know, you think about it. It had to be some combination of forty one or forty seven. So I was on the left side, so those are all slant. You know,

it's a slant flat route combination. But I know Danny gave me a slant you know, not not a slanting goal, but he gave me a flat routing up signed giving a little hand signal, you know, because you know they've been biting on that slant in that combo the whole time. I'll been running old games a flat route, but he gave me, you know, the flat routing up you know sign and the dB didn't bite, he didn't bite at all. But you know, I still ran the route and Danny

has made a perfect throw and it's about me. Like I talked about going up making a play. You know, back shoulder. They do that a lot now, but back shoulder back then was not even a thing. You know, you throw it away or you you know, you throw it high. Threw me a light stole back, back shoulder throw and I was able to make a play. Man. It was it was just I mean, it was exhilarating.

You know, it's like, no know the magnitude game for one to shoe list, but you also know that your family and friends and you know, an opportunity for you. You know, how often do you get a chance to, you know, to make a potential game winning touchdown one of them in front of your family and friends, everybody, everyone's here. But you know there's still time left. Cincinnati gets the ball left, men and three, much like the Jets came with the Dogs, reminiscent of the Dolfins game.

This is a better outcome. Yeah, yeah, you're a three left and regulation. You're on twenty seven year. They're on their twenty seven yard line. Well, what are you thinking of the sideline? You got any superstitions or you're looking, you're not looking. They try to game time field goal, they missed it, so and you're thinking the ball here. What's going through your mind is this is gonna be You're either gonna win it or these guys arena come

back and and and put it through the upright. Yeah, you know, I had a lot of trust in our defense back then, man, but I was a little worried about him. I definitely was, man, And I think that you know the fact that we thought we were a much better team in Cincinnati at that point, the fact they were still in the game, And that's what happens when you encourage teams that aren't as good as you, You're gonna be in a dog fight the whole game. And we were in a dog fight the whole game.

And I think the fact that you know, defense was giving up yards, bending but not breaking, and actually, you know, held him to a field goal. I'm always nervous, but no matter what, they helped to a field goal. I figured, we get the ball back seconds, you got seconds, you gotta shot with him and alund that that's what that's what the fielding was. Yeah, it's a nice coming. It's always nice come with the big win. That's right. That's right. Hey, yeah,

well we got you here. Let's talk a little bit about about about the Dolphins this year, uh and what's going on with his football team and and what you see from this team uh as they're growing as a season gets on and and Brian Flores and I think he's done a great job with his football team. And I know you're a big fan. Uh. I just want to get your thoughts on on this team. Is it's is, it's moving forward. You know what. I love where we're headed. I really do. Man. I love the fight and and

he's dog man. I love that, you know, the rhetoric that I heard in the beginning season about this team and not being a professional team and all the ways they try to dog this program and organization out, you know. And I love what coach Flow is done. I really do. Man. He's got the guys here that want to be here, you know, and they've they've going on and they fought hard, um and you know, they're all professionals about it. Everybody says, you know, we we got a bunch of young guys.

But we got a lot of hungry and eager and and fighting young guys out there, man. And so I sit there and I watched every game. You know, we have so many people that have made their mind of what they wanted to They wanted to win. They want us to lose. You're not gonna teach these guys to go out there and find a way to lose. They're gonna go out there and play hard. And Coach Flow hasn't playing hard, man. And I love his fire in that last game, man, you know, I love his fire

that he's had all season long. And I love the fire and a lot of these guys bring to the table. I'm I'm a you know you said, but I'm a huge fan. I'll continue to be a fan. And we've got the right guy at the head of these young men. And I can't imagine what the future gonna look like, man, because being a Dolphin since you know, since April, I mean, it's it's just growing with this guy right here as

the headman. There's the only way to one way to go, Juice, because you're gonna add some talent to a coaching staff that coaches him every day and and that a guy that knows where he wants to get to and I

think he's got a good plan for it. So it's encouraging for everybody in South Florida that are passionate about the Dolphins that look for him to make strides that even though on a team that's lacking some some quality talent in in terms of depth, in terms of starters, and they're getting the most out of this roster and they're getting the most out of this team, and it's it has to be encouraging for a guy that has done it wearing the uniform to see where they're trying

to get to, knowing that they're gonna have to work a little bit harder than the rest this year to get where they want to be and maybe two or three years with with an influx of talent. Absolutely, man, you know what real quick man. I love Fits Man, Yeah, I'm I'm a huge Fits fan. You couldn't have asked for a better person to manage this young group of guys. Man with the heart and you know, and the way

he battles out there. Man, he does. Man, you know, and I think that that contagious man, because you think about these young guys. You know, see a guy you know up in age in the game, they got to realize that you gotta make some fun out of his game in order to make it work. And now fits does a great job of that man, And I think they they vibe with they do. You know, I see him every week. I'm there. I'm there early for every game. And you know, Joe Rose and I, you know, we

both get it early. And you know, I call him the pied Piper now because everywhere he goes, there's four or five guys. They all want to be around him. Yeah, and he sits down on the bench before a game, there's there's eight guys. Yeah, they all want to talk. They all want to be around him. And you know,

and they may not be talking about football. He may talk about other stuff, but but he feel feeds that in and and and these players just just how can you not like playing for a guy that that just lays it on the line ere we get and gets gets a snot knocked out, him gets up smiling and saying, hey, come on, guys, let's go do it again, you know, exactly right. And then you know, and I saw his interview last week, and you know, he is talking about that, you know, but when he gets in the hell he

can't let him know he got he got hit. You can't him. And as the leader, you know, and John you did as a quarterback, as a quarterback, you can't, you know, you gotta let him know that you're okay. You know, may We're gonna keep battling up in here. And that's that's fits all the time. But we've seen some other quarterbacks that don't let you know it's fine, you know. And that's why I love about him. You know.

The other thing, Juice, when when I look at it, um is, you know, because I've been looking at the coaching staff, you know, because you knew, you kind of knew going in it was gonna be a rough season. So I wanted to see how the coaching staff handled

these guys. And and and the one thing that I've seen, and I want to kind of touch on this with you too, the one thing I've seen, you know, my college programs guy comes in as a freshman, does he get better that by the time he's a senior junior or does he stay on the level on the level field. And this is in college, but I've watched through this year.

Not only the whole team get better and more competitive as a season goes on, but you've seen guys out there like the Nick need Hums and some of these guys that that you're going around, what's that guy? Who is that guy? You know what? That guy's not even you shouldn't even be on the But they've gotten better.

They've gotten good. They've gotten a lot of snaps, meaningful snaps, but they've gotten better along the way from the from the from the guys that are you know, the fifty second, third, fourth guys on the roster, to two guys like DeVante Parker Mike Gasecki. You know, here's two guys you know. To me, Parker has been here for this is fifth year. It was, you know, disappointed for four years, but all of a sudden they found a way to get the best out of him, right, and he's grown with them.

Gasecki came in last year, wasn't the kind of guy that that that you thought he was gonna be. But look at what he's doing now, and I think a lot of that comes from this staff and the way they've treated him, coached him and and got got everyone better from the from the fifty third guy on the roster to the number one guy on the roster. I think they've made him get better to me. That that, to me is a sign of of a good coaching staff. Yeah,

and I think you're right. But when I think one of things that you you have to do as a coaching staff is you gotta put guys in position to be successful. You know, don't ask guys to do things. They don't ask me to go deep. I'm not gonna get open deep, you know what I mean, So work me intermediately, you know. And I think they found that, you know, with DeVante Parker now is more like ball,

you know, so giving that opportunity. Same thing with Mike Mike Nicky, he's like I mean, he was, I think a two time state championship player in volleyball over for d vertical. You know, don't ask him to run certain rounds, throw it up, give an opportunity and give him a chance, you know. And I think that's part of coaching. We put guys in position to be successful, and you coach it up. Coaching up, coaching up and build that confidence. And going back to what we're talking about exactly, it's

giving that opportunity. Man Fitz is going to give him an opportunity to make a play for him, you know, and he's not gonna chew their butts when they don't make a play. You know, he's going to encourage them. Let him know, I'm coming back to you, and he's going down. He's going down giving those guys their best off. You know that that that's his options and that that's what's made him so good, I think is because he's putting guys in position to thrive and and they're making

him look good. And he's got the savvy to throw a guy open, not wait till he gets open. Right, you can't. Those two guys throw it up. You got either. They're taller than any of the dbs they've got, they can jump higher, throw it up and let them go get it. And that's what they've done it. So I

love it. Yeah, I just love I love We're aheaded man, and you know, everybody's talking about different things, but you know, play to play the season out when the games you you win, and then then go from whatever happens happen. And look, I'm you know, for for what I've seen of them putting this getting this team to where they are. I'm excited to see what they're gonna get. What's gonna happen when they've got a roster full of up Now,

I'm not I'm not down. I'm not saying anything disrespectful about these guys because I think a lot of these guys that are getting snaps now are going to provide the depth that you need next year. Correct, they'll have they will have played a lot of games, played a lot of snaps. They're they're economically you know, they fit into that that that bottom portion of your roster. Now, they may not be starting and maybe there are now,

but they may not be starting next year. But boy, the depth that you've gotten some of these positions is gonna it's gonna pay dividends as you move along to next year in the year after. Well, you know, that

mix is important. You have to have that mix of the guys that you know that are not the highest paide guys along with the guys that you're gonna pay a lot of money to in order for just salary cap reasons, but also let you talked about boy creates that depth and depth is important because a lot of teams, you know, when you get past the first level. They're in trouble. We gotta make sure we're not in trouble. And guys are getting valuable snaps are a lot of experience.

It really is valuable snaps, man, And it won't be a new day out there for a lot of guys when they when they numbers called, because guaranteed the number is gonna be and then they're gonna know how to how to be coached and how things are gonna want to be done in a certain way. And I think that can be passed along to the new guys. Yeah, that's exactly right. You're gonna be to teach the new guys. But they're gonna they're gonna know what it goes, what

it's all about. You know how it is you're walking ahead, what's this guy shot all about? What I'm gonna tell you what? Hey, do it this way, don't do it that. If you get the same thing exactly right, exactly Juice, Man, is always your pleasure away coming on to be on the on the program and talking about the game and just just wear at right now and man, and I always love seeing you and keep waiting be coming right in the pride that they always got you,