Everybody, and welcome to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. I'm your host Arizona Cardinals at ESPN broadcaster Dave Pash. My guest this week is a guy that I had the pleasure of working with for four seasons on college football at ESPN who's continuing to climb the ladder and is one of the faces and voices of college football, not just on ESPN but nationally with all that he does, whether it's calling games, college football, Live Sports Center, He's
got his own podcast. He does a radio show in Birmingham. Greg McElroy, Greg, still a young guy at his mid thirties, excellent player in college won a national championship as the quarterback at Alabama. In fact, it was the first championship that Nick Saban won as the head coach at Alabama. Went on to play in the NFL for a little bit, including for the New York Jets against the Arizona Cardinals.
We'll talk about that during the podcast. We'll also talk about some of the big storylines in college football this year and what could be not just the biggest story in the sport, but the biggest story in sports period, and that's Colorado football. And Dion Sanders.
Right now, it's really fun, it's really exciting. It's a great story. But if some of the flaws that were exposed a little bit last week get exposed even more, then it could come crashing down pretty quickly.
Greg will also talk about what it was like to play for Nick Saban and Alabama, and we'll relive that memorable twenty twelve Cardinals Jets defensive showdown at MetLife Stadium with Greg McElroy coming up on the podcast. We are presented by BETMGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by HeLa River Resorts and Casino. Sign up today with BETMGM, the official partner of the Arizona Cardinals. Use code cards one thousand and get back up to
one thousand dollars in bonus bets. If you don't win your first bet, visit betmgm dot com for terms and conditions. Twenty one years of age you're older to wager Arizona only do customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem called
one eight hundred. Next step all right, Time to catch up with First of all, a great guy, great friend of mine, also terrific broadcaster who for the next three to four decades is going to be on your TV screen as probably the most authoritative face and voice on college football in the country. And that's great Mackelrod.
Greg.
I'm sure over the course of the next thirty minutes or so, I'm gonna be busting your chops, So let me at least start with some praise. I'm so happy for you, man, your fast rise at ESPN. I guess I was the training wheels for you, working with you for four plus years to get you to this point where you're now working with the great Sean McDonough on the number two team on college football. You sound fantastic, brother. How how's it been through a couple games?
Well, I love that you're softening me up right now. You're fattening me up for the kill. I know what's coming now. I am appreciative and I will always appreciate. We ate our friendship first and foremost, but I'll appreciate all the positive and quality lessons I learned from you on how to be a pro. Us are real pro, as Bill Raftery would say, a real pro's it's good man.
I mean, I appreciate very much our friendship, and I'm glad that we could do this together and hopefully we get to reference the incredible game that was the twenty twelve Cardinals Jets game. So I know we'll have a chance to get there at some point.
Oh yeah, that's coming, that's coming. That's on the list.
But first, let's talk college football, because it feels like, I don't know if you saw. I know you saw the ratings as I did, and I still am surprised as much as I know. Dion's a big story in Colorado's a big story, dude, It's the biggest story in sports right now. They had almost a ten a ten million people watching that broadcast that went until two in the morning, past two in the morning on the East Coast, and I was one of them.
And I'm sitting there thinking, all right, well, you know, this game will go final, It'll be one thirty. I'll get to bed and I'll make my expand polite, no problem. I'll get three hours or so and be fine. Then sure enough, over ninety eight our drive overtime, second overtime, it's like, oh boy, there goes the sleep cycle. But it's it's amazing, man, And I think, what's funny about it, Dave, and I know you know you and I have talked
about it or whatever. It's it's like bigger than college football. It's almost like a pop culture phenomenon in some ways. I mean, whether it's the celebrities on the field, the celebrities that are leading the team out of the tunnel, the celebrities that are doing postgame performances in the locker room, the coverage that it's getting from from sixty Minutes, the coverage that it's getting on all the platforms that cover college football traditionally, like the you know, big noon kickoff
on Fox or College Game Day or whatever. I mean, it's a story that has just transcended to sport, and I think because people are just so fascinated by it. I mean, nobody in their right mind could have anticipated the performances that they've put together up to this point. And I'm not sure it'll ever really be replicated. Okay, it's just mind blowing.
So they've got Oregon this week, and then they got usc next week. This week's games on ABC, and then Fox has that game next week which is a noon kick eastern ten am in Boulder. Do you think all of what you just said is sustainable once reality sets and when I say reality, like they may still win nine games, they might still win ten games, but it feels like winning the next two that's asking a lot.
So if they were to lose the next two or even if they split, do you still think the phenomenon is there in mid October talking about Dion and Colorado, then like we are now if.
They split, we are. If they go zero and two and lose close, we are. If they get blown out or not, probably, I mean, it's still going to be a captivating conversation. It's still going to be something that will you know, we'll definitely talk about it naturally. I mean, they are moving the needle, and I think you know, he'll still even given what he inherited and the team
that he stepped into. I mean if they go to Bowl, if they go to a Bowl game by winning six games, I mean, that's far beyond what any of us could have anticipated from them in year number one. So I think it's and that's I think obviously well within reach with games that they have against Arizona State and Stanford and some other really really winnable games on the schedule.
But I don't know if it's quite gonna capture the nation's attention the way it has if they lose big, Because right now it's really fun, it's really exciting, it's a great story. But if some of the flaws that were exposed a little bit last week getting exposed even more, then it could come crashing down pretty quickly. So I think it's one of those hey play the hot hand, but I don't know how sustainable it really is based on what I've seen up at this point.
Through three weeks. Who would you say is the best team? I mean, Georgia second half looked like Georgia last week. First half not so much. Obviously, you're Alma mater. Alabama not great the loss of Texas. Texas struggled with Wyoming last week, ends up winning, Florida State struggles with BC ends up winning. Who do you think is the best team right now?
Well, george is the best team. They have the highest ceiling, and I think it was on display in the second half of last week. I mean, they looked really really good against the South Kily team I think is actually kind of found themselves a little bit in their quarterback spensive rattler. I mean he's becoming a legit, you know, NFL prospect with how he's playing. So I think George is the best team. But really at number two, I
think it's wide open. I'm not going to tell you the team that I at least want to play right now is Washington. I mean, Washington to me is like, if I had to rank them right now, Dave like, I'd have Washington too. I know a lot of people are like, well, that's that's absurd. They're not They're not a traditional blue blood. How can you do that? Well, have you watched Michigan? I mean, because Michigan doesn't look great frankly through three weeks. Ohio State up until last week,
really hasn't looked great through three weeks. Last week, Texas, while I love Texas and think they're really good this year, they were at tied ten to ten going into the fourth quarter against Wyoming. I think about other teams that would be maybe garnering some of that attention at the number two or three spot. Florida State looked a little
sloppy in the second half against Boston College. So yeah, I mean, I think right now Washington's the team that's really clicking on all cylinders, and they did so on the road against the powerful opponent of the Michigan State. And I think SC is really capable as well. But SC hasn't done it against anybody yet. So if you're taking resume and you're taking eye test and trying to combine the two, the team that I think is playing
better with a better resume is Washington. Who would I think be attur near the top of the list.
So Michael Pennix clearly is one of the most improved players the last few years. You and I did one of his games back in the COVID year and yeah, when he was in Indiana.
Right, Well, we.
Definitely did an Indiana game. I still know if he was there.
I think he was, yeah, because.
Well you made me go up there to East Lanting and we did that game and it was like there was no one in the crowd and I had to hang out with you. So I try to forget it, but it's yeah, maybe he wasn't. Maybe he did play that game. I really don't remember. I think he probably did.
Yeah, And then I had him the next year twice against Cincinnati and against Ohio State. He was not good in either game. What's happened, because now it feels like, obviously Caleb Williams and Drake May we already knew that they were major NFL prospects, but now you've got Riley Leonard from Duke in the conversation, bo Nix and his improvement, and now Michael Pennox. It's it's starting to feel like there could be five to six quarterbacks in the first round. Is is Pennock's legit in your mind?
Yeah? He is. He is the real deal. And now he has an excellent supporting cast. So he gets taken into account that his wide receivers and he's got three of them that are ridiculous. But man, he's making throws that are next level. I mean off platform stuff, moving, sliding, still being accurate. You know, he's a lefty, which you know some you know sometimes that's just for writing in
a quarterback and always just it's hard to value. It's not that I have anything against lest handed quarterbacks at all, but like, for whatever reason, it's watching left handed quarterbacks. It always looks unnatural to a right handed guy. But for whatever reason, he doesn't to me look unnatural at all, And I think he's he's excellent. I mean really really good. For instance, like if I had to choose an NFL player between Bonix or him, I'd probably take Michael Pennix.
And I know bo Nix has garnered a lot of attention, but I've still seen no sporadic inconsistencies with him, uh and you know, I still think he can run a little hot from time to time. And bo Nick seems you know, I mean, and Michael Pennock seems to a little be a little bit more predictable with what you're
going to get week to week. So it's I think it's going to be a really good quarterback lass And I would not have necessarily said that two years ago, just because some of the young guys have had some trials and tribulations, But it's really come full circle now and I think it goes to show too, man, we draw conclusions on guys way too early as far as they're to be a prospect, you know, I mean, sometimes takes guys a couple of years, and sometimes it takes
them a little while to kind of find themselves. And just because you start slowly, or you start inaccurately, or maybe you look a little out of control or a little uncomfortable doesn't mean he won't fight it at some point, like people always forget, like Joe Burrow became highes sted player in the NFL and was terrible in twenty eighteen. Relatively speaking, I don't necessarily mean he you know. I mean he went for being a seventh round pick to
the first overall pick in one year. So that's pretty remarkable thing to do. So I think guys can improve and guys can get better, and that wouldn't be surprised if someone else potentially joins the mix as the season goes along as well. There's a lot of really good quarterback play going on right now.
So one of the years we were together, we did at least a couple Joe Burrow games and a couple two of games two, and now is starting to play a little bit more like I think you thought, because I know you were, I mean, among others, really high on him.
It's well to me.
I don't know if you remember this, Greg, it felt to me when we did those LSU games that even at Oorsron and his coaching staff, they weren't one hundred percent sold that Joe Burrow was elite. And then obviously clearly he's proven that he is well.
When you watch him throw in shorts, it's like, really, this is him, Like are you sure? Are you positive that guy doesn't go into the locker room and like someone takes his place and it's a different dude. Like because you watch him throwing shorts, it's like, all right, well, it's okay, that's not bad. And then the game starts and he's like unconscious, and all of a sudden, the ball and the spiral gets tighter and the arm gets stronger and the accuracy gets better. It's like it's wild.
And I actually did a Drake May game this year Week one, Spencer Rattler against Drake May South Carolina North Carolina, and I actually had kind of the same takeaway from him as I did with Joe Burrow, Like you watch him throwing shorts and you're not really prest then you watch him in the game and you're like, oh my goodness,
you know, he's just a gamer. So I do think there's that sometimes that guy that can just flip the switch from practice to the game, And clearly Burrow has that, or at least he had that prior to the contract. I don't you know, we're only a couple of weeks in, but you know, just skidding, of course he's great. Yeah, but I think some of some guys are just gamers and then when the real bullets start flying, they just get way better. And that's I think what what happens
quite a bit with Burrow. I think that's what's going to happen with May and I think in some ways that's what's going to happen with maybe another guy that that we kind of evaluate and maybe comes to the forefront here in the next couple months as we're going to the evaluation process.
You and I did you know Kyler Murray games in college? And obviously Kyler's hurt and we don't know when he's going to play. But you know, what were your thoughts on Kyler coming out? You know, what have you witnessed so far? Because I know you watch a lot of NFL, and you know, I keep telling people that I feel like he he wants to prove to people that he's worth the money. Others have said, well, he got the contract, that's all. You know, He's got the contract and that's it.
But now I think the injury, this is the most adversity he's ever faced in his life. He's not used to adversity. He faced it a little bit so far as a player, but this is different coming off a major injury. He's never dealt with that before, and now he's got people talking about study, habits and contract and everything else. What's your take on that in terms of how he attacks this next stage of his career.
Well, honestly, I would push back maybe a hair. I do think he experienced some adversity at Texas A and M. That's where he started his college career, and he was kind of thrown in there as a starter, and they had a couple guys at that point, and they were kind of trying to side. Was it going to be Kyle Allen or was it going to be Tyler Murray? And I believe there was another guy like Nick Starkole is in there. I don't even remember who the third
guy in the mix was. Tyler got a start, didn't play very well, and then got benched, and so that was some adversity, and I don't know how he handled that. I don't think it was great, But you know, he was a young player as a true freshman, and that's just the way it goes. He went goes to Oklahoma. That's a couple of years to sit behind Baker Mayfield and obviously had a ridiculous here in twenty eighteen and parlayed it into being the first overall pick. So he's
handled it and bounced back from it before. Obviously the way he plays, and just kind of the athleticism. I mean, the knee is an issue. I mean, will he trust it? Like a mental hurle that you have to get over as a player is significant, especially when you're a guy that's as twitchy as he is and as quick and as agile and as lateral as he is. So I do think that's the problem. But I mean, I think the study habits are a little concerning. But at the
same time, I mean, the guy makes plays. I mean, I do think he's probably a difficult one to coach, though, because his best attributes are when he's off schedule, you know, And as a coach, you're like, man, I call a play to have it designed to go to this particular player against this particular matchup, against this particular look, and Tyler's not there, but he's running around like crazy and he makes a play. So I think he's a difficult guy to coach a little bit, but it's not necessarily
a bad thing. It's just you have to be prepared
for the unpredictable. And maybe that wasn't exactly what Cliff wanted, but hopefully with this new staff and with the new regime coming from Philly, maybe they're a little bit more used to that because Jalen Hurts will improvised too, and they clearly had no issues with his improvisation and allowed them to kind of use some of that athletic ability, use some of that, use some of that I guess you could call it improv as a skills, but can still kind of hone in the plan to where he
can stay a little bit more predictable with how he attacks it. So I'm cautiously optimistic, especially you know, with the staff that was brought in.
I want to ask you a little bit about some of the rookies. The Cardinals are playing a handful of rookies right now. Paris Johnson is starting on the offensive line. I'm sure you did a game or two of his at Ohio State. Key Troll Clark is starting at corner, sixth round pick out of Louisville. We're just starting to see bj ol Jalai who I know you did his games at LSU Because of injury, he didn't really get
a lot of reps in camp. And then Clayton Tune is the backup Joshu with Dobbs has played well enough to keep starting at quarterback, but Clayton Tune fifth round pick, a lot of starts, a lot of experience. I know you had one of his games. Tell me first your your thoughts on Tuon, Well, I have.
I had Tune in the American Championship in twenty twenty one, he played against Cincinnati. He's very accurate. I knew his brother, actually, Nathan Tune, who was pretty close to my age, went to a small school in the state of Texas, and we had thrown together quite a bit. So I actually kind of followed Clayton's career since gosh he was a young pup, just because I had a relationship with his older brother. I really, I mean, I really think he's
a good player. And now he doesn't have crazy mobility, but he has enough. He doesn't have a huge arm, but he has enough. I think he's pretty accurate, and when he stays on schedule and his feet are set like I think he'd be a pretty good player. I think he's a solid backup. I mean, I don't know if he'll ever be a guy the guy, because I do think his ceiling's a little limited, but I do think a solid backup. I mean, not that dissimilar. He's
very similar. Actually in some way it's the Cole McCoy and obviously a little younger, a little less expensive, but in some ways, you know, a little similar as far as the skill set's considered, real accurate understands what his strengths are, what his weaknesses are, a good competitor, and in that Cincinnati game, I mean, he had Cincinnati feeling pretty uncomfortable, and so he threw a pick there at the beginning of the second half and that kind of
broke the game open. But at that point, Cincinnati was playing for a playoff spot, and Tune had him had him on the ropes a little bit with how he played early in that game. So I really like his game. I think he's got a good chance to develop into a kind of a mainstay in the league. But I don't know if he'll ever be a high end starter. I think he's a spot starter that could that could bail you out from time to time.
Paris Johnson's looked really good so far. I think I think everybody there's a consensus there. He's he was a great pick. He's going to be a great player for a long time. Bj ojala I mentioned we haven't seen as much of him. You've probably seen more than anybody else, just doing a lot of LSU games the last few years. Uh, what do you think his ceiling is in the NFL?
Well, I mean, no one's seen more LSU games. I mean we had him six times last year and I became a huge fan of bj oj l last year against Auburn and they were down, I mean like seventeen to nothing. I mean they were getting smoked, and bj Ojalari single handedly took over the game. I mean I'm talking take over the game, like stripsack to the house and then made a couple more plays that led to turnovers later in the game, and all of a sudden Lsu comes climbing all the way back on the road
at Auburn to ultimately win the game. So a huge fan of him. I don't think he has a crazy high feeling because I don't think he's crazy twitchy but I think he's going to be a rock solid pro for eight to ten years. And I'm a I mean, he's just he's he's more productive than he is flashy, and you know sometimes and look, let's just let's just
call call it what it is right now. Like if you're if you're an edge defender and you don't have ten, twelve, fifteen sacks, you're not a good player in the eyes of many, but you can impact the game a lot even if you don't get those numbers. He's pretty good against the run, I think, or at least in college
he was. Haven't seen him as much in the league naturally, but I think he's just a really really solid player, probably not a crazy high ceiling, but he's probably going to give you eight to ten good years where he's going to be a steady presence there and you can slade him inside too in some obvious third down rush situations if you want to, and he can probably give you a little bit inside as well. So I really
like him. I think he's a good player. He's got some good length and obviously comes from a conference you've got to bring it every week too, and it plays the right way. I mean really does play the right way, So I think he's a good pick too. I feel good about him.
Well, I know you root for the Cardinals because of our friendship, so I know that you have a stake in what happens.
Here more for Wolf than well.
Speaking of that, first of all, because I've been messing with Wolf like he is nationally renowned because of you and Sean and Mike Muscaro, who's part of the production team, getting Wolf to voice the teas and then making Wolf the answer to the Affleck trivia question. And I appreciated you putting up the picture of Wolf at age eleven.
By the way, Yeah he did. He did look very similar, just as crazy and I swear in that little tease that we ran with the backyard brawlby and obviously a proud West Virginia mountaineer. He wrote the poem and everything for it, which was terrific. I mean, he's actually very talented. That was pretty impressive, the poem that he wrote. But I mean, surely his voice was not that garkly like I've heard him talk before, like that was that had to have been like post production special effects. I don't
care what anybody said, Like I know, he's nuts. And I've listened to you guys on the radio forever, but I mean, come on, there's no way he's that garglely, is he?
He is?
When he's locked in like that too, and he's reading, it's different. It's different than when he's just calling a game. You know, he's reading a script and he's locked in and he's reading his own poetry. Yet it does sound a little different.
Okay, good. I was well, I to hope that someone has made some money in post production, but maybe not. It sounds like that was the real deal.
He's looking he's looking for money too, by the way, So if you anything you can throw his way would be appreciated.
Nob kidding.
Well, I don't have that. Maybe Sean can help him out. I don't have that, So maybe you can take care of him. Maybe maybe you guys, you guys and all your all your commas and your bank if I got that.
So the team the Cardinals are playing this week. You obviously have a connection to the Cowboys, your dad being a former executive with the Cowboys. I'm curious, first of all, what it was like to grow up as part of your childhood being associated with the Cowboys and also being a Cowboys fan as a guy that played high school quarterback very successfully in the state of Texas.
Well. I mean, I my dad worked in pro sports forever, so I was a Cowboy fan though before he got to the Cowboys. So when he got to the Cowboys, Dad had jobs that I really cared about. When he took the job of the Dodgers, where I remain a diehard Dodger fan, and then when he took the job with the Cowboys, and you kind of as a kid that grows up in sports, like you root for the paycheck. So wherever Dad is, I'm rootten for you, and I'm
rooting hard. So whether it's the La Kings, the Dallas Stars, the Texas Rangers, the you know, back to the Dodgers, to the Cowboys, the Arizona Standing like I'm rooting for the I'm rooting for the paycheck. So but when he had the job of the Cowboys, like I was a real genuine Cowboys fan being a kid in Dallas before
he got that gig. So it was like a dream come true for me, you know, having grown up watching you know, Aikman and Emmett and Michael Irvin, and Dion and you know, I mean, gosh, all the greats there in the nineties, So it was really pretty amazing when he got that gig. And then when he got there,
they stunk. You know. Of course, you get the job during the Chan Gaily era and then you know, you get a piece of it during Parcels and way Phillips where they ended up having some good years, but for most of that tenure as a Cowboy executive, they were god awful. So it was really hard to pull for the Cowboys when it was so natural as a kid
because they were always winning. Well. When Dad got the job, he was the bad luck charm and I think in his tenure they won one playoff game in the ten to twelve years that he was there, So it was a less than ideal time to really be all the way in on the Cowboys. We just missed the run as a young kid, and I you know, we didn't have a whole lot to show for it. But it
was cool. And the weird thing is when I got drafted to the Jets and my dad was still with the Cowboys, it was like, like I can't I can't root for the Cowboys anymore, Like I mean no way. I mean that ain't happened. And my first NFL game was actually against the Cowboys on nine to eleven and in twenty eleven, so it was a ten year anniversary nine eleven. It was either Sunday night or Monday night football, I don't remember. It was definitely a night game. I
don't remember if it was a Sunday or Monday. And Romo threw a couple picks and one bad pick at the end of the game where they were on the same page as des Bryant and Reeve caught it off. Reeves picked it off and took it back, and Nick Folk, former Cowboy, drained it for the game winner. And I've never, ever, not one time in my life, cheered a Romo interception
until that night. So it was very uncomfortable being there on the sideline in the Jets' uniform and like cheering against the team that I grew up gretting for and one of the players that I was obsessed with as a kid.
By the way, back to your dad, the great Greg McElroy Senior, for a second, has he forgiven you for taking that bottle of wine out of his collector's stash that fridge that he has in his house when you and I did that Texas A and M Spring game. I mean, seriously, the nerve that you have to go in there on your own without permission and just take a nice bottle of silver oak.
Well, that's really funny because my dad is convinced that he has this really nice wine collection. Dad has never had a glass of wine it in life. I mean, I'm not exaggerating that has never once had a glass of wine. Dad drinks beer. That's what Dad drinks in vodka, So like, you know what, Dad, you know what you're getting beer and vodka, pretty simple. But he's literally never had wine. I did. However, when I was going through the NFL process, I was like, you know, and the
draft process. This is during the lockout. So this is in twenty eleven. I was still living at home, and I went through a little bit of a wine face, albeit short lived, but a bit of a wine face. So I stalked up on all these bottles and nice bottles, and I just got dratched by the Jets and to buy some nice wine and you know, I'm gonna have it, and I just left it in my dad's fridge, and sure, enough.
You go in Dad's fridge and he's got like probably ten fifteen, twenty bottles of wine that are all like two thousand and eight vintage, you know, silver, oak, camus, you know, all the usual suspects, cake bread, you name it. But they're all like two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine. And Dad's convinced that he's been collecting those for years, but they're actually mine, and he doesn't remember that.
He forgets that I lived at home during the lockout, and he forgets that I went through a wine phase. And he somehow seems to not be able to get the dots based on the fact that all the wine bottles that are in there are eighth nine. So I'm not sure what he's thinking, but you're the one that wanted to break that bottle open, and you drank the whole thing, and it was really unprofessional. And we had a really high level telecast the next day, and you had a whole bottle of wine before we went to
bed the night before. It was really unprofessional of you.
First of all, that's not true, but I will say he did offer to pick whatever was in there, and then when I found out that it was yours. I made sure to pick the most expensive one.
Uh, yeah, of course you did well. Dad still thinks that like we owe him money for that. But I'm not payned because I'm not payned for the same thing twice. I've paid for it once. I'm certainly not going to pay for it again.
All Right, you've mentioned the Jets a couple of times. I got to get there, but I want to start with Alabama because you were the quarterback on Nick Saban, who is a first ballot Hall of Famer, perhaps the greatest college football coach.
Of all time.
You were the quarterback on his first national championship team. What was it like to be a part of a program shifting, sport changing title season? And then you know, we did some Alabama You've done him obviously without me, but Alabama games after that kind of watching interaction with coach Saban is interesting. What was it like to play for him as well? So loaded question, take your time, but I'm curious.
I'm both.
Okay, well, we'll just cancel whatever you have left on the podcast. We'll just go down.
Then we have to save time for twenty twelve and and and what happened on that faithful days.
I definitely want to carve out some time for that. So that's a lock. Well, starting with the first question that you asked, what was it like navigating through a season that was, you know, program defining sport, finding you know, seismic shift in the college football landscape. And the way I'd answer that is very simply not trying to dodge
the question. But I mean we didn't know, you know, like I mean, we didn't know it was going to be a you know, tectonic shift of the powers that be because when we were you know, twenty one twenty two, we wanted to win, but for each other, you know, we didn't really think about the bigger picture. I'm glad that we didn't, because we probably would have felt a whole lot more pressure. But we just heay, let's just go win this thing, man, like no one thinks we can. Like,
let's just go get it done. And we did, and we had a good team, and I don't think any of us really realized what we were doing at the time. And as I've gotten older and seen the program with great teams come up short, it's only gotten a little bit sweeter. That's one thing I've noticed is that it's really hard to win championships, and for us to have won it with that roster and with that team and the way we wanted against the teams we beat, it
was pretty dang special to be part of. But it's not on the day that I really thought about At the moment. It was just, Hey, we're gonna try to win each game and let's take it one at a time. Let's just see what happens. And when the winds started mounting up, it got a little bit more pressure packs, but really never to the point where you know, we were worried about losing anything. I mean, it was like, we had nothing to lose, Let's go throw or out
in the ring and see what happens. And that's kind of the way it went down.
So so, even with early even with started interrupt but even with like Julio Jones and mark Ingram and Trent Richardson and first round picks on the defense, you guys did not think in the middle of the season or early in the season that you guys were a championship team.
Well, we thought we got a chance to be really good, but we never talked about championships like we talked about, Hey, let's just win the one in front of us. Like there were guys on that team that were first round picks that we didn't know were first round picks. Like I remember when Kareem Jackson went out after two thousand and nine championship came and all of us were like,
why is he going out? Like that's absurd, Like he might get drafted, you know, there's no way, you know, And sure enough he's like the twentieth overall pick and it's still playing. The guys had like at safety, a fifteen year career, you know, one of the most accomplished players that was on that team. Like we knew ROLANDA. McClain was a first round pick, Like we knew that, but we didn't, you know, we were we I mean,
we were pretty naive at that point. Like it really wasn't so much like now so much of it's like NFL driven, NFL driven, like this guy's for this guy's for trimp pick. Like it really wasn't like that back then. There was more like, oh, well, he's good, he can help us. Like our center was five ten to eighty, you know, like that's a Alabama like, you know, clearly not an NFL prospect, but a really good college player.
Our you know, our right tackle was you know, never sniffed the NFL and not even got to a training camp. Our two tight ends never even got the training camp. Our back up running back not Trent Richardson, but the backup was actually got named Roy up Church, never got the training camp. Our number two wide receiver never got the training camp. Our number three wide receiver never got the training camp. And we're talking like these are like impact players on the team. So yeah, our left tackle
was a first round pick, James Carpenter. Our left guard was a third round pick. Mike Johnson I was a seventh round pick. Our running backs obviously Trent and Mark both first round picks. Julio first round pick, but was young at that point and frankly, during the championship season was never really at one hundred percent and the numbers would kind of reflect that he didn't really have a huge year. He was much better in ten when he came back as a third year junior and was uncoverable.
And then defensively, you had Kareem Jackson, who was the first round pick, Brandon Detrick, a defensive lineman. The seventh round pick Lorenzo Washington was a seventh round pick or an undrafted guy, but you know, bottom, you know, bottom of the roster guy and played maybe two or three years. Corey Remer our outside linebacker, never played down the NFL. Eric Anders never played down the NFL.
You don't have to go through the whole roster, Greg, we get we get it well.
So it's like one of those things. It's like we you know, it's not like it was a superstar dridden team. We had some good players, but it wasn't you know, we were just we were just good, like some was greater than each individual part, which I think was kind of cool about that roster and what made it a little different from the rosters that came down the road.
So no, like national championship was never really in our four purview, Like it was more let's, hey, let's beat LSU, let's beat Alabama, and hey, if we get the chance, let's beat Florida. You know, those were kind of the three things we wanted to do that year. And then sure enough, the wins just kept piling up and the National Championship became, you know, a clearer focus.
So, yeah, the win over Florida was really cool to watching the Swamp Kings documentary on Netflix and seeing it was obviously the Florida side of things from their perspective, but just seeing you guys go in there and beat them. I can't remember if that was on nine or ten, but anyway, what was it like to play for coach Saban? He seems to be the same guy because Wolfley played
for the Browns for Belichick and was the decordinator. And the way he talks about Saban is the same way you've talked about him, and basically the same thing I've seen when I've done his games. Is he the same guy today that he was then? What's it like to be around him as a player.
No, he's a lot different now than he used to be, to be honest with you, really, yeah, And but he's had to adapt and the modern players different and like us, we never asked why, you know what I mean, like the players back in the day, not that we're tougher, like I don't like the whole notion. Well back in my day, you know, like it's not really bad, but but we just Hey, you want us to go jump off a bridge? Perfect, let's go. Hey, you want us to you want us to do this, let's do it.
Whatever you think, Like we trusted him one you know, whatever he needed us to do, we were going to do it. And he didn't really have to push, he didn't really have to ask, he didn't have to beg he just did it. But the modern day players is not that way. Like the modern player has options. You can enter the transfer portal, you can go somewhere else.
You can voice your frustration on social media with your coaching staff, which in turn hurts recruiting, which you know means you really get the last laugh if if a coach doesn't treat you the way you need to be treated or the way you think you need to be treated, so he's had to change. I think he kind of handles guys with with a little bit different approach. Like back in our day it was tough love man like, it was hard and he was not nice, and you know he was, I mean, he was a dictator and
that's that's what he was. I mean, that's there's no doubt about it. His way or the highway. And if you don't want any part of the team final, you're not gonna win. And see you it was pretty simple. But the one thing that he always did a really good job of is that when you were struggling, maybe you had a run of bad games, maybe a game
or two he didn't play great. He had a unique ability of being able to sense your or internal challenge, you know, because you're you know, you're clearly feeling it, like you want to play well, you want you want to help the team. He would really kind of build you up. So he'd call you in his office. You think you're gonna get ripped, and he'd be like, man, you're doing great. Just hang in there, you know what I mean. Yeah, And he would also and look at the same time, he's like, hey, we need to do
this better. But hey, you get like you're out there for a reason, like we love you, we believe in you. You can do it for us, you know, not maybe not I love you, but you know, something closer to that. And then when you're playing great, he'll rip you the shreds. It's like, hang on a second, what do you mean I'm I'm bawling out, coach, like why are you gone me? Like stop? Like so, I think it's a way though, to keep everybody even and to kind of feel even.
He doesn't want to experience the highs and the lows. He doesn't want you to be too high with the highs or too low with the lows. If you're really on cloud nine, he's going to bring you back down to earth. And if you're not feeling so great about where you're at, he's going to build up. And I think you can always kind of tell with him in his press conferences where the team is at, because if he's really really happy and nice, maybe the team doesn't
feel great about themselves. If he's starting to get agitated, maybe the team's a little too over confident. And you know, I think that's kind of the way he doesn't. That's why his team's so consistent, Dave, Like I mean, I mean they've played in like three games since two thousand and nine that didn't have a possibility of going to the playoff for the national championship. Like I mean, there haven't been many games that haven't had national championship or
playoff implications that he's been a part of. Because the team is so consistent, you're gonna get predictable performance. They might not always have their best stuff, but it's going to be more predictable than most other places.
Well, listen, I'm sorry I've kept you longer than I intended, but I appreciate the time. But I do have to ask about twenty twelve.
I did just read off the whole roster N Championship team, So I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to time.
Well, I think what you were trying to do is get off the phone before I brought up twenty twelve.
That was exactly what it I was trying to filibuster. So glad that you were able to piece that together.
So, being your pal and wanting to support my pal, I always try to watch when I can your games. So I'm on the plane after doing Florida State BC and I'm trying to watch.
Oh wow, yeah, look at you just getting getting your assignment And that was a huge rating last week, just a ratings bonanza, and you go ahead and just shamelessly promotes that was your game.
That's fine, Wait, which I didn't see. Did that? Did that outrate the backyard brawl in your game?
It did, but I think Wolfly had a lot to do with it. When he started the show and he said all right, I said, I'm done with this show. So I think Wolflely was our was our nemesis. There in the in the rating category.
You're getting wolf back for twenty twelve. So anyway, I'm trying to watch your game West Virginia Pitt and the the TVs on on the flight keep going out. So I'm getting frustrated. Now I can't watch your game. I can't watch any game. So I'm gonna watch a movie. And so I start watching Field of Dreams. Do you remember the scene.
Where you watch Field.
I've been watching Field of Dreams, like the last I watched like ten minutes a night before I go to sleep, and I'm like, right at the part where he picks up he picks up James R.
Jones arch arch noeral Jones.
Already there, he picks up Archie. You know the doctor guy perfectly comes back as a kid. So they just picked him up last night and see what happens.
Okay, so perfect. This is absolutely perfect. So you remember the scene where they're at Fenway Park and on the screen that only Kevin Coster and James Earl Jones can see, it says Archibald Graham one yeah or Moonlight Graham. I think it says one played appearance. No official at bats and so he.
Played a half He played a half inning bats.
Come on, okay, So that made me think of your NFL career one win, one win as an NFL quarterback. And it happened to come against the Arizona Cardinals in twenty two well, a game that, by the way, I still feel bad about to this day because I was ruthless to you on the broadcast. I felt so bad that I confessed and played the tape for you many years ago. But both Wolfley and I were ripping you, and we shouldn't have because he went out and played
great and won the game. What do you remember about I even I can't remember if Ken Wizen came up to you last year because he was at a consultant at Penn State. And I texted Whiz and I said, if you see McElroy's doing the game, if you see him, go up and tell him, hey, thanks for getting me fired because of the twenty twelve I don't know if he did it or not. But what do you remember from that game? I mean not many core. How many people in the world can say they won an NFL game?
And then you started the next week a month and at football if I'm not mistaken, but tell me about the Cardinals game in twenty twelve.
Uh. Yeah, So I did not start the following week. We played the Jaguars the following week, which have been great place for me to start my first game in said they put Mark back and all Jacksonville did was run cover three and I would have tore him up in like perfect weather. Uh. And then Mark started the following week on Monday Night football and he turned over five times and got the hook. And I just started
on a short week. The week after we get eliminated from the playoffs against the San Diego Chargers, who literally, I'm watching the tape six weeks earlier, absolutely killed the Big Ben. So I'm like, oh god, this is not good. You know. So long story short. Against the Cardinals, Mark had been struggling. I had had a really good year running the scout team. Uh. And you know TiVo was there too, but Tibo as as far as like the down end, down out offense, I was operating it a
little better than him. So I started getting a couple of reps, you know, two weeks earlier, and then a week earlier, and then Mark had the butt fumble game on Thanksgiving, which was, you know, a tough one and we got killed by New England. Uh, so you know, they basically come up there and and they say, hey, we're we're gonna dress you this week and and you know you're gonna be the two and and we'll just be ready in case, you know, markets off to a
slow start, we'll get you in there. And sure enough, slow start, I'm not sure doesn't justice. Both defense were playing pretty well. We had a good defense. Y'all had a pretty good defense. People don't like to remember that, but the defense is actually pretty good. I mean, you had Rashaw Johnathan, you had you know, Patrick Peterson. Like it was a good group collectively if I.
Remember, yeah, darn Old Dock Carrie Rhodes, yep.
Yeah was on that team.
You really can't remember, Yeah he was.
Yeah, Yeah, it wasn't a bad group. Y'all had a pretty salty outfit. But y'all ran a lot of man coverage, so we didn't have great wide receivers. I don't know. I'm sure you remember Clyde Gates and Jeremy Curly and uh and over the Hill, Gosh, Braylan Edwards, Jeff Jeff Cumberland. So we didn't have a great outfit of wide receivers. Chas Shilling's I'm sure you.
Don't remember him. I do.
Memory of an elephant. Anyways, it was a it was not exactly a star study group, so I don't blame him for playing a lot of man coverage. But Mark was off the mark. It turned it over a couple of times. They say, all right, Michroy, you're in there, male. Third quarter, All of a sudden, I mean, the crowd probably the first from the second quarter on is channing McElroy for had to have been a quarter and Mark
gets the hook. I go in warm up a little bit, and first drive as a pro and of the third quarter I handed off, had a nice little run check piece of cake out the right door, right down the field. It's like, all right, this is this is easy, you know what I mean? This ain't hard. Had a couple of other plays that were pretty good. And then first play of the fourth quarter, which is why this game
will go down as a fourth quarter comeback win. We had third and goal at the one yard line or so, and I'm like, hey, man, let's run the boot like they haven't seen it, like they're selling out against the run. They don't think we'll throw it. The boot was wide, Oh but hit Jeff Cumberland and we take a seven to six lead. Well pass forward. There was a couple of plays that it was kind of back and forth defensive battle. Like Rex is like, don't turn it over.
Whatever you do, don't turn it over. I don't care what happened if if you keep doing what you're doing, we're gonna win this game because Ryan Lindley ain't gonna beat us. I was like, yeah, I probably agree with that. Long story short, basically, any drive the end of the
kick was a good drive by us. And then there was a third down and six or so where we could kind of put the game on ice, and I knew we could kneel on it if we picked it up, So I had Jeremy Curley working against Patrick Peterson hit a little back shoulder to the right hand side and and that kind of put the game on ice. We kneeled on it a couple plays later and the red zone and called it today. So it was it was
really a cool moment. I hate that it came against your team, but it was a cool moment to you know, say, I did it, you know, throw an NFL touchdown past get an NFL game. I think at that point that was probably all I really wanted to get from the NFL. I wanted to get my pension, I wanted to play, and I wanted to score touchdown. And if I did those three things, I felt pretty good about my career. And on that day I was able to accomplish you know, two of the three. So it's pretty neat.
Yeah, And then you ended up, you know, staying in the league for a couple more years, one with the Jets, one with Cincinnati, and then off you were to television. And here you are, still a young guy with uh, you know, the position you've got right now, man is one of the voices and faces of college football probably for the next thirty years. So things have worked out. Man, Listen, I appreciate you coming on, Bro. I know you've got a lot going on with sports center, hips and game
prep for Florida State Clemson. There's a there's a plug for your game ABC noon Eastern.
Oh wow on Saturday. But are you guys on Mountain time or Western West Coast time right now?
Well?
Pacific? I mean it's always Mountain time. But yes, it's it's three hours back. So nine am oukay.
Nine am local a right? Good? Yeah, so perfect. I hope everybody in the valley's checking it out. It will be awesome. But I appreciate you, buddy. I love you, and I know I wouldn't be where I'm at without without your help and without your tutelage and your friendship. So I love you very much. I'm proud of you. And keep on keep on pushing the pashpod. I just love the pash pot.
All right.
Well, well, we'll take a retweet or a repost. They're hard to get these days. We'll take one.
It's going to cost you, but we'll at least a two thousand and nine Camus or whatever the heck it was that you opened.
Whatever, you whatever you stole out of your dad's stash that you blamed on me. Yeah, that that I'll pay you back.
Perfect. That sounds like a good plan.
All right, brother, appreciate it.
See you, buddy.
Great to catch up with Greg and a lot of things. The Dion Sanders Colorado story is fascinating. The fact that almost ten million people watch that game Colorado Colorado State this past week Colorado plays Oregon this week, usc next week. Dion is the biggest story. Colorad to Football's the biggest story. It's incredible to see how many people are tuning in just to see what happens with a program that won
one game last year. Also fun to talk about Greg's playing days with Alabama and then his one NFL win as a quarterback in twenty twelve against the Arizona Cardinals. We are presented by BETMGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Heila River Resorts and Casinos. You can follow us on Twitter, slash x at Pash pod. We also would love to hear from you by rating us, reviewing us, and telling us what you think. If there's a future guest you'd like to hear from, you can
do that by visiting your favorite podcast platform. Thanks to ESPN's Greg McElroy, and thanks to you for listening to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast