25W: 2024 NFL Season Preview Special!

We had the appetizer last week. Now it's time to eat college football's back. Don't miss anto the Action Draft Kings Sportsbook Finally a full slate of games for Week one, including the big matchup in Atlanta between the preseason number one and number sixteen. This is going to be DraftKings' biggest college football season to date, so I'm excited. Enjoy the ride now all the way through the expanded playoffs, plus all newbies getting into the college spirit or something extra.

It's a podcast call twenty five wists stuck full and they go a whizz. So yeah, it's too bad, but.

What did you expect.

It's a podcast call twenty five Whist twenty wine.

It's a big NFL preview show, brought to you by Draftking Sportsbook, Buldi West Letty. All right, let's talk in NFL. So what we'll do is we'll go through each division, Eddie, Kevin, myself, we'll pick the division winner, and then we'll celebrate ourselves because we'll obviously be very wrong. This is kind of how it works, you know. Someting not team that audio playoffs that did in the year before will start AFC South, which traditionally the last few years has been a very

Do you think it's they got Robert Woods too?

Well?

No? And also they just got uh yeah, and he's already complaining. Nico Collins Dix is complaining every play already, like even preseason. Hey, I'm here, I'm hoping throw the ball, like if the camera stays on him, just lecturing Stroud the whole time. So, uh, Texans, Jags, Colts and Titans. Probably I'm going to assume I think the Texans won the division?

Right?

Does anyone not think it's the Texans?

No?

No, I mean I want to hope maybe the Colts and Anthony Richardson can kind of turn that thing around, But I don't see.

I would think the Jags is more than the Colts another year. Doug Peterson, Trevor Lawrence, who I still think is really good. We've seen him win a playoff game, We've seen him be almost great at times, where Anthony Richardson he was like lightning in a bottle for a few games and he got hurt, Like we're really I'm gonna go Texans, Jags, Colts, Titans. But the I don't know if the over unders on the Titans, but I do feel like they may win a few more games

Losing Derrick Henry. I mean, they did.

Their offensive lines a little better, but with Derek they're terrible. No quarterback, no offensive line. They have a whole new offense though Derrick Henry would not have fit in the offense because you got the offensive corner. For the Bengals, they need pass catching running back, so they have two spears and your boy from the Cowboys.

Yeah, you got Pollard.

Yeah, so they got some weapons though. Yeah, and especially if Hopkins comes back healthy, it's.

Five and a half wins, total wins.

Five and a half. You gotta go over that.

Yeah.

I would think over too. But it felt so easy that I have to be wrong, I know, because anytime I think, oh for sure, I'm so wrong. Right, So we're all going Texans.

Yeah, you have to.

What's the headline for the Texans? Can they do it again? That's the headline. Can they surprise because it's not a surprise. But can they can they prove? Can they prove us? Prove them right? That's the headline. What's the headline for the Jaguars. You just paid them a bunch of money and you got a Super Bowl coach, so now win?

Yeah, can Trevor Lawrence?

That's what I'm saying. Pay Yeah, prove everybody right? Yeah, he's What about the Colts? Is it all Anthony Richardson?

All Anthony Richardson?

Yea, because Gardner almost took him to playoffs?

Gardner didn't make the Pro Bowl, but so did die exactly.

Everyone Richardson just has to be pretty good.

I don't think pretty good as a floor. I think awful is the floor. And I don't think he can play and be pretty good. I think he's either awful or a freaking amazing with just his style of play. Like, I don't think he's just gonna sit in the pocket and throw twenty two balls. So it's can Anthony richards stay healthy? Who is Anthony Richardson? Yeah that might be the headline? Who is anything like that?

Yeah?

Well stand up, see you went too far?

Well, the real Anthony Richardson please stand up.

Please stand up and not be injured. Yeah, without crutches. But Jonathan Taylor, it is like he's part of the team as the season starts. For last year, it was all dramatic, like he wanted his money. And I'm always for everybody getting paid because their live spans, their careers are very short. The AFC North last year, the Ravens were thirteen to four, the Browns were eleven and six, the Steelers ten and seven, and the Bengals nine and eight,

Period.

If Burrow stays healthy, we're going to remove that from our vernacular because the same thing if Lamar stays healthy. And sure, Burrow has a history of the last couple of years of not being healthy, but Lamar had a run and not being healthy. I mean, all these quarterbacks have injury seasons that they've been through. So everybody's healthy in this perfect world. Okay, we're in a vacum. Everybody's healthy. Ravens, can they get Lamar to the Super Bowl? That's the

Say Flowers. So we got receivers.

The Ravens are gonna be lethal. So I'm gonna go with the Bengals winning the No, dang, what a ropid dope, I'm gonna go with the Bengals winning the division. So I'm picking the Bengals.

Eddie, I'm going Ravens. I think the Ravens are too stacked to not win that division. Oh yeah, the Bengals are gonna be a threat, for sure. It's gonna be tight, but I think at the end the Ravens are gonna take it.

Kevin, Yeah, I'm gonna go with the Ravens too. I want to say the Bengals, but I just trust the Ravens a little bit more.

The only person to look down my homes and beat him Joe Burrow, I know, and he's healthy.

Are you guys just riding off the Steelers? But oh yeah, no, we can get there because it is a two man race. I think we can get there. I think the Browns are gonna be pretty good. Yeah, they got a shot to make the playoffs. Yeah, I don't know they're gonna win because remember, everybody's healthy.

Guys's healthy. I don't know that they can win the division. That this is a really strong division, like all four of the teams could have winning records. Again, the thing about the Steelers, I just feel like they're going to be quarterback issues all season long because I think the players like Justin Field's way better and Fields has a much higher upside for longer than Russ than Russ.

You think they're going to be switching them back and forth.

No, but every every quarterback gets hurt now at some point of the season. Yeah, Like really, when you say, like seventy percent of the quarterbacks have some issue during the season, some much smaller than other, or they miss a few games where they miss a game or or so or half or like I feel like now you kind of have to have a pretty good backup that can come in and be serviceable. But I want to go Bengals, Ravens, Browns Steelers. Steelers have a very tough schedule.

Yeah, Sam, is you? But I'm switching Bengals and Ravens. Ravens number one, Kevin, same as Eddie. Ravens, Bengals, Brown Steelers.

What's the headline for the Ravens Henry? Henry runs hungry?

You're a terrible headliner.

Can Lamar get as far as the super Bowl with this squad? It's a super Bowl? When super Bowl? Can Lamar get that far?

I like it?

Something like that. What will Lamar raise the bar?

Fair?

No, that's fair.

I really wanted to hate. That's a pretty good one because if they don't get to the super Bowl, that's kind of a bus for them. I don't think they have to win it. I don't think they have to win it for to be a bus they should get there, but I think for them to have a successful season, they need to get to the Super Bowl. The Bengals can they claw their Oh you one with a tiger Burrow makes to hear where you guys go with this?

Go ahead and Joe Burrow himself back to help to health.

There you go.

Good, that's good?

All right? I like that.

But isn't Burrow down?

Go down? Can you borrow.

Burrow out of Okay?

Yeah, I need to shut up.

I'm just the reader man. It's not making sense to me.

But uh, Deshaun Watson, anyone to a headline, you know, like three step out.

Of that one?

I got a lot there.

Yeah, probably gonna we'll move off. Anc West Chiefs were eleven to six last year, Raiders and Broncos both at eight and nine and Chargers five and twelve. I would assume we're all okay. Can the Chiefs three p? That's that headline? We don't have to rhyme, by the way, it's's fine to do that. It is, yeah, but that's that's it, right. Can the Chiefs do it again? That would be super cool if they did. Nobody hates the Chiefs.

Mhmm.

You can be annoyed at what the coverage is doing, but you're not really annoyed at what they're doing. Like, what's Travis Kelcey done that would make you not like him other than be overexposed, which is no. Nothing that he did.

He does he throws some temper tantrums.

On the field, Yeah doesn't Yeah, you just see him more. I'm saying, yeah, of course he did not like Kelsey. So let's say we think the Chiefs are gonna win it?

Yes?

Do we think the Chargers like they've got like one receiver?

Who is that?

Drone Brown? Is he their number one? I would even looked that up. Josh Okay, got it, Josh Palm, you're right, that's tough. Hm.

Quentin Johnson, will you do it?

Oh?

Quinton?

Yeah?

Now was he a rookie. He's a rookie second year and they were calling him a b TCU like Crush the TCU. They were calling him a bust. But can you fully bust after one year and there's a coach firing when when Stalley was a defensive coat. So Jared Rice is kid still. It's his first year to play. He was drafted seventh round last year. He's a big, big guy, a thick guy.

You met him, big old butt.

Really you know my big butts?

You do?

Playing football with the Broncos and the offense that they run, they might have found their quarterback Old Bo Yeah Bo Nicks And maybe just because he's white and small, we're all like Breeze Part two.

The same Bill. Yeah.

So I'm gonna go cheat Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, heang Raiders last.

Uh yeah, what do they got going over there?

I was listening to a guy tell me a story about interim coaches because with the Raiders, their coach was an interim coach. Right, so last season those last season right?

Yeah?

So he goes in the team loves them. They win a little bit. And the reason that a lot of owners will let their teams with their main coaches ride out and die and not fire them is because they don't want an interim coach to bring new energy that's pretty temporary into a locker room, have some winning, and then everybody's fighting for that guy to be the coach.

That's fair.

But sometimes you can find a star like that, and they might have I would.

Say ninety five percent to the history of time of interim coaches. They did not find the star. If we're playing odds, but also I just made the odds up so that sounded good. AFC East Bills are eleven and six, Dophins eleven and six last year, Jets seven and ten, Patriots four and thirteen. What's interesting about this is do the Patriots do they get to field a full eleven players?

Right?

Yeah, I mean, well they who knows, you know, do they get do they all get pads? You know, it's gonna be an interesting dynamic to see how bad they suck.

I mean, the rough season they are like one of the contenders to be in last next year.

Right, they could finish last.

They could have the number one pick again, yeah, or not again, but they could have the number one pick overall. They had a top with four pick, yeah, Slasher.

Yeah, And I'm alright with the top pick next year because we need offensive line so bad and I don't want to put me behind that offensive line and it'd get ugly.

It's gonna be a tough year for you.

Yeah, it is.

It's okay. You want a bunch of games and Exast championship.

And the Celtics just won, so we're good.

That makes you feel better.

Yep. Bills, Dolphins, Jets, those are your thre who wins the division?

Eddie Man, we're playing that whole Everyone's healthy here, and I'm assuming that if everything's right for the Jets, this could be the year that the Jets win that division. I know it's the battle between the Bills and the Jets. I for some reason just think that this is the year.

The Bills are going to struggle. Don't know why.

I feel like Josh Allen was kind of on the struggle bus a little bit last year.

He came out of it. He finished strong.

But I think this is the year where the Bills struggle a little bit and the Jets take the division.

I mean, I think if there's a reason that he struggles based on what we know now, he doesn't have anybody to get the ball to. Ye, he's no wide receivers that have been proven at all. We've seen Mahomes, Peyton Manning. We saw those guys win without wide receiver ones. Basically a bunch of wide receiver threes. But that would be why I think if they're not able to score a bunch of points, it's because they don't have the

That's kind of why I went Jets.

Well I'm going Dolphins.

I mean, yeah, there's a lot, there's a lot there.

But you do know that.

It's winter when the layoffs happened. Yeah, you got to get to a coat or something, But does that really matter?

What do you mean?

But you're saying to pick the division, not the super Bowl not Yeah.

Yeah, at the end though, you know they do matter.

I had a solid month of cold weather at the end there.

It wasn't great for him.

But but like, say, you.

You grew up in like Minnesota, but now you live in Miami, Like you can still play in the cold even though you've only lived in Miami.

A year or two two.

I grew up in Minnesota.

No, no, no, why?

But yeah, that's like the worst example of Tyreek.

Come on, turry, where's Tyree from?

I think it gets Where we live now is pretty temperate. It gets kind of cold, but god dang, we go somewhere super cool. It hurts. It hurts more than people who live there. I'm taking the Jets too, because the offensive line is heavily improved. If Aaron Rodgers can be a seven out of ten, If Brece Hall, who had to catch a bunch of balls last year because they were always behind, they didn't have a quarterback, Brestall's awesome. He doesn't have Let's he two years in, but he

I thought you were going to still.

Taking the Bills. But I do think the Jets are gonna be fun and they're gonna.

Win and Miami only because of temperature.

And Miami's gonna win a bunch of games, but towards the end they're gonna stru They gotta get him a coat. How they trying north Face. There's a couple of brands he should really focus on. Team sponsor. Yeah, Kevin you.

Yeah, I'm gonna go to Dolphins. I want to go out on a limb here a little bit. The top three is gonna be tough, and then my Patriots gonna be bad. But I'm gonna say the Dolphins, it's the year they take that next step. Two, it takes that next step. He got paid and he's ready.

What's a success for you as a Patriots fan? With the Patriots, It's taken me some time to adjust. I'm not gonna lie because I think the over under is five games, and I'm like, easily over. And then I look at the schedule last year and I'm like, oh my gosh, I really won.

Four games last year.

You'll w four games?

Yeah?

You cut Bailey Zappy.

Yeah, they probably will.

I mean, like, you have two quarterbacks, they both need snaps because you're not really trying to win. I guess unless they're both just so overwhelmed.

Yeah, I'm gonna go with that over under. If we win five games, one more than last year, it's a success.

Oh boy, so five wins because you have you don't have a quarterback yet, he's so raw loicking.

Yeah, and you don't have an offensive line and I don't care if he doesn't play at least half the year.

And Juju don't even jew there anymore.

Yeah, Juju, you're gone.

Yeah. Who's who's gonna get the ball?

They got some weapons, Hop, Douglas caj Osboyne, Jalen Polk, Romandre Stevenson. He's a stud but sucks.

Yeah he's good. Yeah, his all line sucks. Yeah, that's tough.

That's tough.

Okay, that's the that's the entire AFC. We're gonna take a break, we're gonna come back and get into the NFC right after this. If you're new to the show, just a little parlay talk here. You'll hear us go what here's the parlay. So we'll do a little basic because until somebody explained it to me. I did not know what a parlay was. So when we bet a parlay, let's say we're gonna make three bets and we say we're gonna take Arkansas to win, We're gonna take LSU

Stuff to pick a winner.

I don't I don't feel I feel like I am comfortable betting a large amount of sum some of money on who wins this division with your boy.

You think your boy can do good in Tampa.

Why why don't you pick who you think is going with the division.

I'm gonna go with Kirk Cousins.

I would go with two.

But there is Tampa though, and there is Baker Mayfield, and.

I would say Kirk Cousins one, and I agree, but I'm not going to pick it and then fight for the other one. It's a weird argument.

It is weird, but I am going with the Falcons.

I would say Atlanta has more weapons as well as a more proven quarterback. At the same time, Kyle Pitts might actually be a tight end that can catch some balls.

Is this the make or break here?

It has to be to be. I've drafted them over your fantasy Drake London like, who's legit? But you can't be legit if you don't get the ball. And Kirk Cousins is if if that Achilles is good, and it seems to be, they're going to be a solid, maybe ten win team. I don't. I think ten and seven's probably pretty good number for them to chase. But I'll go Falcons as well. Falcons then Bucks. I think the pant Give me that Panthers over under because I do think they win more games this year for sure than

Yeah, I don't think he's getting taller.

Oh you under down, Oh dang. I think the Panthers are a little better. I think the Panthers are back in. They're in that chase though, a like number one pick again four and a half, same as Patriots. Yeah, I'd probably go over though, because they play up weaker teams in the Patriots generally probably go the over on that one, but I would go Falcons, Bucks, Saints Pants. Who are you picking to win it? Kevin?

Yeah, it's Falcon's here with Kirk, They're back to get on top. Butt Pendix did look good. He's slinging he did NFC North. This is going to be a super fun division to watch. Yeah, just because of all the stories and all the places the Lions could win the Super Bowl. I don't think they need to actually win the super Bowl for it to be a successful season. I think getting to the super Bowl is that bar for them. They get to the super Bowl, that's big. I want to see that city.

I think about Detroit though, and God bless them. If they have a great run, they may burn it down in happiness. It's one of those we won, burn it down or we lost. Burn it down. They need to go to the super Bowl, probably even for themselves, for us to feel like that that was a great season. We're not talk about super bowlre but feel like it's super Bowl or Bus, not super Bowl winner bus for them. The Packers. Jordan Love just got paid. They love Jordan Love.

I don't know.

It's gonna be fun to watch though.

It's got a big butt, love his butt.

Do you think the Bears finished ahead of the Vikings?

Yeah?

Probably. I think the Bears have too many weapons and the Bears defense is pretty good too.

That's a tough one too. That division.

They all could be yeah, five hundred or better. I have decent expectations for the Bears because they have so many weapons all Kayleb Williams has to do is be pretty good. Yeah, so I'm gonna but I'm still gonna go Lions then Packers. But I think the Bears could possibly win nine or ten games. That's a lot. That's a lot for a rookie quarterback. Though. Oh yeah, Eddie.

I'm gonna go with Lions win the division. I mean, they're going to be good again this year, I think. And then and Jordan Love I think is just he ended strong last year. I mean, I think the Packers are going to be good. Unfortunately, I remember that I suck.

I remember that.

And then Yeah, I think Bears Vikings.

Kevin Yeah, same, same exact order, all Lions all time.

Yeah, all right, forty nine Ers, Rams, Seahawks, Cardinals, NFC West Cardinal will be different because Kyler will be back for a full year.

Yeah, well that matter.

Yeah, I think So. I mean, has there been a new Call of Duty patch put out?

It's funny, are we good?

New one is coming out?

It is thanks for Reid.

It's not the Seahawks because I don't think Geno's that guy. I think Geno is a guy, pretty good guy. I don't think he's that guy though, I think the Rams are going to be stat Wins Daffor is healthy. Man, They're really good. And if both if Cooper, Cup and Pookah, we're all healthy, right, we're all healthy. We're in the bubble, We're in the vacuum. Vacuum.

That's what.

I still think.

It's the forty nine ers, but the r I think the Rams are gonna be really good. So I'm gonna go Niners then Rams, Eddie.

Yeah, Niners for sure.

Unfortunately again, Rams, I man, you got Stets and Bennett back there, just in case Garoppolo and Stafford gets hurt. Then then I hey, I love Stet's and Bennett. I only want good things for steps.

You know, Jimmy g goes in there. He's not lasting all.

Seasons, correct, Okay, And then I'm gonna I mean, I guess Cardinals, Cardinals, and then that's always solid, Yeah, solid.

I do like Pete Carroll, what.

Do you got, Well, he's not there anymore, he's done.

No, I just mean like Seahawks like he's like I do, like, okay.

Yeah, okaya, mode I got the same as Eddie. Actually, I'm gonna put the Cardinals ahead of the Seahawks and then forty nine Ers to win it and the Rams coming in second.

NFCS Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Commanders, easy is it?

Yeah?

Simple? Well for you, because Sam, you're talking with your heart not your head. No, no, go ahead, this is this all knowledge. Cowboys want so much contract talk? Yeah, dude, what's happening? How do they have it? But again, some of the stuff will be settle by the time this.

Air is sure, hopefully. I mean CEDI took all his stuff down social media. He's not a cowboy to social media. Why do they do that? Though, Let's just stop all this. The DAK contract talk is going to be all season long. Yes, but man, i mean watching Trey Lance in the preseason. No, I'm not saying that Trey Lance is the dude, but when he runs with the ball, I'm like, gosh, this is what the Cowboys need, someone that has legs.

This is the problem with the Cowboys fans because they'll end up with Trey Lance. Yeah, no, that's that's they.

Gotta respect him.

So Cowboys or Eagles basically is what what it is. And obviously you're going Cowboys Cowboys, Kevin.

Yeah, I got Eagles, then Cowboys, then Commanders.

And Giants.

Giants are gonna be bad.

Oh Giants. Daniel Tels look pretty good with that beard.

So you think the beard is gonna win the conference.

He looks like a different dude, like neighbors. That means the beard, the neighbors Beard, Neighbors. It's weird that the Commanders might actually be pretty good, because the Commanders are just they just suck. I have to take the Cowboys because I bet let's go hundred bucks on the super Bowl for twenty thousand.

Dude, you think you think you think that old line is gonna be good without Kelsey, They're missing a big part of that old line. And then you're gonna have Hurts running for his life every single play. They're gonna be terrible.

No offensive coordinator.

Yeah, they don't have to learn a whole new scheme, like not really okay.

Yeah, defensive coordinator for egoys.

Yeah, yeah, they gotta learn a whole new scheme.

He's the head coach of the Vikings. He's a good dude.

Dude, you're on DC those at the Commanders now.

I know, I know he's gonna be trouble when we go to Washington.

What do you mean he's gonna be trouble.

Because he's gonna know us. He's gonna know what the d He's gonna know what MacCarthy's doing.

I think everybody does.

Now you're talking crap, all right, This is our talk with Jaguars all time leading rusher Fred Taylor. Fred played thirteen seasons after he was selected number nine overall back in the nineteen ninety NFL draft. A lot of people think you should be in the Hall of Fame. I hope he gets there one day, especially because I'm at him.

I mean, yeah, that'd be cool.

I'd be like, I'm at a Hall of Famer. That's really the reason. You can listen to Fred on his podcast that he does with Bryan Clark and Channing Crowder called the Pivot Podcast. Seriously, it was awesome. Here he is Fred Taylor. Whenever you're walking, let's say you're going back to a game, what do you what are the fans yell at.

You for the most? What do they yeah?

Or what are they Because we're watching people walk by different athletes and they'll be like intercept shit too, Like what is it that people will scream at you or remember for what they're like kind of get an autograph and they want to share a memory with you.

Oh, that's a tough one. Because I spent a lot of time in Jacksonville. I'm part of the game day production right there in the stadium. I get all sorts of stuff. I mean, the ninety yarder from Freddy you retired Dann Marino, you know when we beat him sixty two to seven. I love that game, or even the Pittsburgh game from the two thirty four. They're still a killer and the Dolphin killer.

And that's cool to have a killer, any killer.

What's it like to break one?

That's like over seventy eighty ninety when you see a lot of green ahead, Like do you in your mind can you outrun everybody on the field the whole time?

Oh?

Yeah, for sure, Because I would always like something, you know, that was always the easy part for me, Like I'm like, you're in trouble if I get an open I've never been run down, so I wasn't ever worrying about them catching me. And go back to that ninety yard touchdown against the Dolphins and the playoff, which is still a playoff record since ninety nine. I was laughing on my way to the end zone because I know I had Brock Marriyon behind me, the same guy my rookie year.

I was just thinking about how you would run the boxes again. You are a physically you have a very physical present because Jack a big dude. I just wouldn't think that you'd be able to fly like you. People realize you're able to fly on the field at times. Would some of those guys be like, right, we can't. We had no idea you were this fast.

So I did on purpose. What I would do is I would go and stand by the biggest lineman so it would make you a smaller look smaller. And then on game day I would run through the defensive backs warm up drill, so when they would see me in person, they would go, whoa this kid, that he's really big, Like I didn't think you were that big. I was six' one to twenty eight when I played. When I was younger four to two, like four to eight. So yeah, that that fast catching catching him off guard a little bit.

What were you like in high school?

I was a one hundred meter guy. I ran one hundred meter like to twelve.

What size were you in the like twelfth grade?

Six feet six one to twelve?

Was it so like man amongst boys that.

I was cheating? Yep. I have some games I have three carries for you know, buck fifty, buck eighty, and my coach would take me out. Yeah, try to rest me for the next game. Rare that I would play past halftime.

What about when you went to college and that's a level jump obviously, was it were you still a bit fast for the game.

Everybody's fast then, but I still had elite speed at my size and the position I played out, I just didn't know how dominant I could be, you know. So I would always practice hard, and I would look at my teammates and go, why do they look like they're practicing in slow motion? So eventually the difference became you were ready for the next level and they weren't. And there's no knock on them, but they didn't make it

So the Pivots the podcast, right, yep, yeah, yeah, and it's really cool becaure's a lot of NFL perspective. It's not just you, right, So if people listen to the Pivot, what like, what are they hearing.

What are you guys talking about?

What what motivates you guys as ex players to still talk about something like do you feel like your perspective is still fresh and needed or is it more like more like old school like this is how it should be back in the day.

No, No, it's really just a locker room vibe. Then we kind of you know, integrate like culture and real lifestyle, Like we try to be as transparent and authentic as possible. We believe we have a lot of a lot of messages and gyms to share, especially with you know, younger athletes or anybody that's a fan of sport. So sport sort of is what leads people to our doorstep and then the conversation, the things that we talk about in

You play football for so much of your life and then it's over playing football is over.

It's time to pivot. Yeah, it's time to pivot.

I mean, what's that thought process of when it's over, You're like, oh crap, what am I going to do?

You know what? So you have to put in the preparation and the planning before that moment come. Some guys never know when that moment's going to come, so you know, they're just hit with it abruptly. Myself, fortunately I was able to thirteen years. So towards the end of my career as it started winding, now it became you know, an exciting It became a competitive moment for me in my mind, like what's to come? The unknown? Like that

I've pulled this from the collection.

Oh that looks like a rookie car?

Yeah? Would you? Would you? We're gonna record you signing.

You know, I don't. I don't sign rookies. I gotta charge you for this.

Never mind, hold on, and oh there's the charge.

No, I'm just kidding.

No, no, it is any anytime I got a black chin strap, that's a rookie car or is that true? Yeah, because the league banned the black chin straps after that year, So since ninety eight? What reason the league reasons?

And who knows? They didn't give you that reason?

No, you know, but they're a bit more lenient now on a lot of things, and I love it, you know, like the clique thing. You know, when they're able to go and get these the cleek calls for your cleeks for calls and then you can see the cancer cleaves and the you know, sickle cell like different reasons why guys where they're clicking there able to paint them and

We appreciate yourselffing by I think chanting is switching out. He's gonna hop up. Is he helping them now? But you have to take this twenty now, no, no.

He paid that. You have to read if my signature is only worth twenty dollars without a problem.

We were just using it for our context.

But yeah, I know the Starbucks, I'll give this, I'll take it under the table. I know. I appreciate what good.

To see you. Thank you.

We had the appetizer last week. Now it's time to eat college football's back. Don't miss anto the Action Draft Kings Sportsbook Finally a full slate of games for Week one, including the big matchup in Atlanta between the preseason number one and number sixteen. This is going to be DraftKings'

Right, Yeah, it's lovely to be here in California. I mean I came from USC right now, and I guess to be thankful. Man, Like I'm here each day in and day and I'm looking up in the sky and it's seventy degrees all the time, and I'm just like, Wow.

I'm blessed. Some of these guys.

I would walk to the locker room and you know, they got two star, three star and not rated, you know, up on the lockers for a reason. Why do you think that culture has started here with you guys?

Honestly, them stars never met anything even coming out of high school. The culture is, we want the nitty gritty guys, the one that's gonna get down and put their fingers down in the mud and go ahead and crawl through the trenches with us.

That's all we want. What does coach look for out there in this practice, this far in camp.

This feign practice, in this camp, he was looking for dogs, man, He's looking for guys that are really hustling and going ahead and putting forth to effort each day in and day out, and see are you making progress towards your goals?

Can you be a dog in this part of camp if you're not hitting each other?

Oh yeah, oh yeah, I can physically and mentally dominate you every play.

Are you studying before practice? Of course? And what are you studying some of my awards? My fast place?

Maybe just like certain how he wants to routes or techniques of other players.

In the past.

What's been the biggest change with the coaching from where you were last year at USC to here with the Chargers.

I would have to say the details are the only things here. Everything matters because at this point in time, time is of the essence in this game is so much faster. The d linemen are getting off the ball so much quicker. You're gonna have to go ahead, get in and out that route. So justin go ahead and put you in the right direction.

You guys have had practice with the rams already, right, What was that like actually playing against those other guys?

You don't practice every single day.

I thought the speed was gonna be like a big jump in the NFL, But our coaches have put us in the right position, that the game actually slows down because of how fast we're going to each shit and every day.

Do you have somebody on this team that has been a bit of a mentor to you just in your brief time here, or that you look up to if you have questions about playing in the league.

Well, there's plenty of guys. Of course, Herbert even Stick in our all receiver room, josh Palmer, Joshua Palmer. There's plenty of guys, even Derwin James and Khalil Mack. It's just I would like to go ahead and see how they lead so I can go Hey, when my time comes, I can do it in the right way.

Give me your mount rushmore favorite players growing up when you were watching football, those.

Four were your absolute favorite.

Julio Jones, Megatron, Davonte Adams, Antonio Brown.

All receivers, Larry fitzher Of course, why would I say anything, I don't know.

Maybe there was a question did you always play wide receiver as a kid, or you ever the premier athlete.

They wanted to put every were on the field of who I.

Was everywhere I was running back, I played lineman, quarterback.

Yeah, why who put you in line? Was a dog.

I'm sure you were.

Oh, I know, I just can't believe they'll put you a lineman.

Kid.

You healthy. I really appreciate the time. I have a great shoat. Yeah picks.

Here's day On Henley, second year player, middle linebacker. He'll be starting this year. He played mostly special teams as a rookie. Last year you said Don Henley, no day on day on the Eagle.

It's like, oh, he's a training camp cool.

And really be struggling. So here's that day On Henley.

I just saw you tell a kid you had him.

Yeah.

I imagine these kids like they lived for this, right.

Yeah.

Did you ever get to meet the athletes you were a kid.

When I was growing up, I definitely met the Shawn Jackson Artabius Bryant, and I think that was like the two biggest.

Guys I had met growing up. Of course, I'm probably missing something, but I'm not not at that age.

Did you meet de Sean Jackson as a kid.

Oh, well, my dad, so my dad, and he has a connection to a lot of people. And Sean Jackson is like from CALLI from Long Beach, so that's not too far for me. I'm from here as well, so that just kind of happened.

That's your second camp. This is my second camp going into this.

How'd you approach it differently than the first time when you went in wide eyed, didn't had no idea.

Well, I knew I had like this camp, and I wanted to come in and approach you with the like more intensity, like I wanted more from this season. Like it was just about this camp. I wanted more from this season than last. So I knew that I had to take a different approach.

I had to be more.

Detailed, more mentally involved, and come with a better physical you know, just stance on everything.

When did you start training for this year?

So last year ended, you take a break and then how long until you start getting back on it.

I mean they say give you the time like by this some rest, but I felt like my last season ended in a way that I didn't want to see. So I mean I gave myself about a week or two before I started to do like little rehabing, you know, like just warm.

The body up. But like we didn't know where our coach was.

I can't say I was like regularly ready to figure out like what the playbook was going to be but as far as my body, like about a week or two after I started to like take start to take care of myself, like start to get more active and not just be It's not normal for NFL athlete to just sit down and be, you know, stagnant for long.

Has there been a culture change in the locker room with the new crew coming in new coaches?

Oh, definitely, it's lit.

What's the difference, Like, what's the day to day difference?

I mean, first of all, we are The best way to say it is like we're more detailed, more in depth. I think, like from last year to this year, it's a standard that has to be uphild, and that standard.

Is set by the people.

One of the best things I've heard so far through all this is like the standard set by the people is not set by the coaches, about the people who's involved in I think we have a pretty good standard right now. It's like, you know, we want to cut drag for meetings. Cut drag meaning like we want to start about five minutes ahead, like you're not late.

If you get their own time. But amongst the team, that's no late.

I'm saying, like be there, bro, So like that's the type of the mentality we have, like we want to do things the right way, and I think that's just the best way to put it.

What was the first time you met coach or was it a big players on all players meeting?

Like, how was that instruction?

No, the first time I met coach, I was walking through the facility. I knew he had just got hired, so I was hoping to catch him because it was.

A whole lot of media going on.

I knew he was a busy man, but I had caught him in one of the middle of his pants tugs, you know he do. Like I was walking, I didn't know if it was him, but then he hit one of the I was like, that's my coach, that's my coach. I got to shake his hand, say what's up, and it was We hit it off, man, Like I think he pretty much hit it off with everybody. He probably meant because that's the type of guy he is. But that was a great day.

Before you go into a game, are you prepared that it's going to hurt the entire time? Like?

Is that it? Because I feel like that, I would be like, man, it's gonna hurt the whole game.

I mean, no, No, if you're going with that mindset, you might be scared to make some players I want to say, I'd.

Rather get hurt, but it hurts no, Nona.

You just prepare yourself for what comes next. But you don't ever think about it. If you come out the game feeling great, did you play hard enough?

Did you really play hard enough? That's what you gotta think.

So you want to go into that game like, no matter what comes at me, I got it, I got it.

So you don't want to you don't think about your body.

You want to say your body's prepared for anything, Like you want to be prepared for anything that comes at you.

Give me your mount Rushmore for players growing up, did you watch that?

Were your favorite?

Okay, so growing up, I would definitely say Michael Vick.

Like just it's Michael Vick.

Did you play quarterback?

You since you were I'm assuming you're the best athlete in like town, city, stay.

You know right here this field best athlete.

You know what I'm saying, field, state, whatever car, I'm in whatever house, I'm sitting in whatever couch I'm on.

I'm the best athlete.

You know what I'm saying.

So you know, of course I gotta, you know, watch everybody I was out. Randy Moss was the dopest, like obviously Tom Brady, Michael Vick and who else. I would say Ray Lewis, like those were like my Mount rushmore like those the four guys.

It's four heads on my other store.

He didn't put the Seann Jackson on there.

But I love him.

Yeah, it was it too much love, like it was too human.

Like yeah, I'm saying, like you they say, don't meet try those because like then they become human.

I'm at d Jack and like, not only.

Did I meet him like he was established, so like it's not even just like the Djack thing for me, It's like that's like my big cousin, So him I got to watch because one, he was legendary, he's golded. But also, I said, Michael Vick, and you know, I'm twenty four, so like my Michael Vick, I barely got any Atlanta Michael big Like I'm saying, like highlights.

Egos Michael Vick exactly, so I got to see him go crazy.

Last question last year, your first season in the league. Yeah, who did you line.

Up across from where you had that? All right, I'm about to go hard. But that's freaking cool. I'm lined up across from that dude.

I would definitely say.

Probably I got to see Leonard Fournett and I was like, it was Leonard Fornett. That's crazy even to even think about, like one of those guys. And then being up close in that like proximity of both Mahomes and.

Lamar's like, those are like what I'm saying.

You look at those guys and you see what they've done and what they're doing because they're so active.

It's like, yeah, I appreciate you.

And lastly, it's Dicker the Kicker. Cameron Dicker, Yes, best name in the NFL. Dick or the Kicker, made news a few years ago when he got a call from the Chargers in like an emergency kicker situation and he was going to the Carry Underwood concert and then instead he went and kicked and won the game. Big thanks to camera for joining us here. When a new coach comes in, does that change your anything as the kicker?

I think if new special teams coaches. Yes, with new head coaches, there's certain things that they might implement that they tell the special teams coach to do. Most of the time special teams. Coaches have almost full control special teams, and so everything stays the same for me.

How did Jumie coacharball with the first time or have you even?

Yeah?

I have his first might have been his first weekend or second weekend in town. I texted him in the off seasons I was still here and he and I went to church.

So that was my first time gating in Huh, how many balls? I have friends play basketball and they get it. Try to get episode amount of shots a day or a week. Is it similar with kickers? Is there a number you try to chase?

Try to limit it?

So I don't ever really count reps, but I'd put it in the ballpark of like fifty reps on days I kick, and which is twice a week other than game day. So I'll during season, I'll kick Sunday on game day and then do Wednesday Thursday.

The mental aspect of this is obviously a big part of what you do. Does your heart rate climb during a game and do you monitor your heart rate?

I think I don't monitor it. I don't think it really climbs. I think it either stays same or might drop in those moments because I just like to like zone out and get as like mellow as I can.

Can you zone out if it's a kick to potentially tie or win the game?

Can you separate?

Yeah?

Is that something you could always do?

Something I've been able to do since I was young, So yeah, something I don't know how, but I've just been.

Able to do it.

Is there a difference with a new deep snapper long snapper and one that has been around for a long time.

I think just having the stability in his mental side helps a lot, because like everybody's gonna mess up in some way at some point, and so he knows, like, that's not the way I am. They know that's not the way I am. So he's not worried about anything happening. I think just him being able to help me kind of going into new stadiums, being.

In Josh and you're thirteen for us, so him being able to.

Say, hey, the past is how stuff has gone here, blah blah blah, and kind of walk me through how stadiums work.

And all that.

Can you shake off and miss pretty quick.

Very easily?

Yeah?

Make makes and missus I'd say, are gone out of my mind instantly, what was.

Your bigges high school kick?

Not the longest, but the most important high school kick.

We had a game winner, actually a game tying kick I'll say against Sibilo Steel when our quarterback went out of the game and we had our backup quarterback as one of my best friends who went into the game and drove us down the field and I hit a I think it was a forty or fifty yard at.

A tire the game.

Could you ever play multiple positions and you were also the kicker or when did you start going I'm only dialing in a gay.

Yeah.

When I first started playing football, which was in Shanghai, China, I was a left guard and I hated it. I thought the sport sucks, this.

Isn't for me.

Then we moved to the United States to sixth grade, I only played soccer, and then seventh grade we started playing football again because everybody does in Texas, and I was an alignment again, thought this is awful, and decided I'm just gonna kick. This is not for me again, and so started kicking from there and kicked all the eighth grade and then high school.

I told the coaches, I'm not playing another position.

I don't want to do this, so you chose to only focus on kicking from eighth grade on?

And when did you start.

To actually play for the high school team?

Was it ninth grade?

Ninth grade?

Because you can't nathe because it's too many years, right, you get four years? And did you start as a ninth grader in you high school team?

I was on the a team of freshmen, and then sophomore year I won the starting.

Job for the varsity.

Did you punt as well?

I punted junior and senior year.

Could you egency punt here and now if they needed to do?

I'm ready, I'm ready.

Do you ever pray? Okay? What about a play? If they're like, all right, do you have a play? I don't even want you to say what it is.

But you're so excited if they call because it's a fake and you really get to shine.

I wish, I wish that'd be fun.

I wish we had the opportunity.

To, like a direct snap roll out again.

I wish man.

I'm just I'm hoping one day, one day they have faith in me.

But we'll see.

What do you get out of camp?

I think it's just good to come out here and then be able to kick in front of fans and talk with people, and then hang out with the guys. You have long days with each other and so being in the locker room playing ping pong, beating everybody and enjoying.

Life off season?

Where you live?

I travel. I don't have a home, so I just travel around. I try to do a month in usually another country somewhere and wow, figure something out.

We're off from awesome movie.

We're Austin, folks, And I thought you'd say maybe back in Aues.

I do go to Austin. That's technically home base.

I go to my parents' house and just throw all my stuff there and I'm there for four days and then go on a trip somewhere.

And I'll be I use that kind of as my resting spot.

How would your Special Teams coach describe you as a human if someone went out and said, hey, what's camera like as a person that was a kicker?

Awful die? I just think like a good dude who's lighthearted and it doesn't take anything too seriously.

My final three, can you hear the crowd screaming at you when you're about to kick?

Not what I'm about to kick, but like when we're just staying on the sidebin and yeah, I listen, but when.

I run on the field everything, I don't hear anything. Everything's just kind of like noise.

Can you be iced?

I don't think it.

Do you think more is made of that than Actually?

Yeah, I think it's like a silly thing that people bring attention to in a way just because I'm like, you're gonna make a miss the kick if you ice me or not. Like, I guess it doesn't affect what I'm doing. It's just like, okay, we're just delaying this whole process for everybody.

So final question, barefoot? Do you kick barefoot?

Ever?

Never? Okay?

That just seems stupid.

Yeah, it wouldn't feel good.

We'll just hurt the foot. It's not fun.

Yeah, okay, So here's the thing. So my friend Thomas Rhett is a country singer. My friend Rich Eisen is ESPN guy sports guy, And so I got this error card and I'm going to auction this for Saint Jude.

But it's like a re.

Soul send card and we're gonna get him to sign it at the end, but I want like prominent people, would you mind signing it with Thomas Rhett, all right, I want to give you this marker here.

We're gonna auction off for charity.

Sweet boom.

Appreciate you.

Thank you.

That's the end of our NFL preview show. And everything we said his gospel and take it to the bank.

Oh it's gonna happen too, is very single thing crazy.

It is exciting though so and it's exciting every single year, which you think at this point if we've done it so many years but it's football's back, you wouldn't be.

Is excited, but it's exciting every year.

Thank you, guys. We'll have two normal episodes coming up this week, so we'll have one on Wednesday and one on Friday. We won't do three episodes every week just because of the college and NFL preview episodes is one extra. But we will see you guys on Wednesday with another show. Go follow us at Bobby Bones Sports. Thanks for listen to twenty five whistles. Addie Westle's out here. We're good byey body.