Welcome to another edition of the Dave Pasch Podcast. I'm your host, Dave Pash ESPN and Arizona Cardinals play by play announcer. Our guest this week is a guy that has evolved into one of the top tight ends in the NFL. If you look at Trey McBride's numbers this season, and in particular the last five to eight games, and watch the games and watch what he's doing on the field, it's easy to see the Trey McBride is becoming a star before our very eyes. He's already set the single
season franchise record for catches by a tight end. He is one of two tight ends in Cardinal history with seven hundred plus yards in a season, Jackie Smith the legend being the other. And he's already got two one hundred yard games. No player of the last thirty four years had had won one hundred yard games as a tight end in a single game. So what Trey McBride is doing this season is something to be aware of,
because I think it's only going to get better. Looking forward to this conversation with Trey, we're going to talk a lot of football, a lot about what makes him so special as a player, some of the areas he thinks he needs to grow, and also his relationship with Kyler Murray.
Kyler's starting to build that relationship with me, that trust that if he throws the ball to me more often than that, I'm coming down with it. I'm going to catch the ball and I'm going to make a play for him. So you know, that's kind of the trust I'm trying to get with him, trying to build with him, and hopefully he continues to give me opportunities.
So we'll get into that with Trey, along with a lot more. We are presented by BETMGM, the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals, and by Healer River Resorts and Casinos. Sign up today with BENMGM, 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 for terms and conditions. Twenty one years of age or older
to wager Arizona only. New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem Call one eight hundred, next step all right time now for our conversation with Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. So, Trey, you're playing about as well as anybody at your position in the NFL over the last eight games. You look at your last five games, thirty eight catches over four hundred yards. Your first five games you had only eight last year twenty nine. But we kind of saw towards
the end of the season you really getting comfortable. When do you think it clicked for you? Did it click last season? This season? When did it kind of all get to a point where you were really comfortable with what you were doing.
Yeah, I think just kind of, you know, as the reps come, as you play a little bit more, you kind of just feel more comfortable. You kind of start getting into groove, and you kind of just start start becoming the player that you that you know you can. So I think last year, you know, towards the end of the year, when I started playing, I was playing significant you know, eighty ninety percent of the snaps. I got comfortable. I felt like I was getting a lot
of confidence. And then going into this season, I had a lot of confidence. I you know, felt like I could I you know, could do a lot of the things and then when I got my opportunity this year, I just kind of took it and ran with it.
So are you a guy that, you know, do you do any like visualizations where you think about stuff? Are you a guy that it's all about the work in the weight room?
Like?
What are some of the things you did in between last year and this year to prepare you knowing that you had gone through it now you'd seen what the NFL was like playing in at week to week because it's obviously a much longer season than college.
Yeah, I think it was just being consistent, you know, having a good off season program, making sure I was strong, healthy, things like that, but most of all, just being consistent with what I do. You know, I take care of my body. I try to stay healthy, you know, like you said, it's a long season. You're trying to you know,
get through the whole season healthy. And that's a huge part of it, you know, staying healthy, staying prepared, and just whenever you get that opportunity, making sure you maximize it. And you know, I just came in every week, you know, preparing like I was going to be the starter, Preparing like I was going to play every snap, knowing if I got the chance, I knew exactly what I was going to be able to do. You know, the coaches didn't have to worry if you know, I knew what
I was doing. So just always being prepared every single week and just you know, when that opportunity comes, making sure you take advantage of it.
What would you say is your best attribute? Because there was a play you made yesterday? I said this on the air doing the game with Wolf. That was an elite play where your momentum was carrying you towards the sideline, the ball was thrown up field, you stop, you adjusted mid air, you make the catch, then you make a guy miss to get the first down. Like you obviously have made some incredible catches, but you're also very good after the run. What would you say is your best attribute?
I think just you know, I try to be a sure handed guy, you know, I try to be a guy that when you throw the ball to me, you know the ball's gonna get caught, the ball's gonna come down, and I just try to be consistent with that. You know. I think Kyler's starting to build that relationship with me, that trust that if he throws the ball to me, more often than that, I'm coming down with it. I'm gonna catch the ball and I'm gonna make a play
for him. So you know, that's kind of the trust I'm trying to get with him, trying to build with him, and hopefully he continues to give me opportunities and I continue to show him that he can trust me. But I think that's the biggest thing, just just having that trust with him and making sure he, you know, has that with me.
How's that connection evolved because obviously last year when you were kind of coming on, you know, he had the injury, so you guys didn't get a chance to play a ton together, right last year?
Yeah, you know, I think last year it wasn't uh definitely not as close as we are now. You know, he's a great guy, great guy. Uh texted me when I got drafted. We kind of had a good relationship, you know, last year, but then when you know, when he got hurt, he wasn't around rehabbing for his acl things like that. I was kind of wasn't playing as much as I am now. So you know, last year
we didn't have the greatest relationship. But now that I've been you know, stepped into that role, really gotten a full year with him. He's an awesome he's he loves to have fun, he loves to you know, he's a great dude. So I think that relationship is just continuing to grow each and every week. We're getting closer and closer, and you know, you know, he's starting to get that trust and confidence of me.
Along those lines, I'm going to play a sound bite from him in a recent press conference with which you probably heard. But before we play it, just I've noticed with you your which I love. You're emotional, like you wear your emotions out there after you make a big play. Is that just who you are?
Yeah, that's uh, that's just who I am. I've been like that since I was since I was young. I just I love to have fun. I love to go out there and just be animated. I like to bring you a lot of juice, a lot of excitement, and uh, I think it brings you know, my teammates along with me. With some of my teammates, you know, they love it. They love the juice and things like that. But that that's I love doing that stuff. I just have a lot of emotion and get after it for sure.
Well, here's Kyler talking because one thing that he's noticed your emotion, but he also doesn't think that your celebrations are very good. So let's listen to this.
Here, his celebrations are at awkward just just like it's like, I think, you know, his swag will get better as he you know, as he's keeps having success. But yeah, no, you know tight ends, you really don't, you know, you know, you never know what you're getting with them.
First of all, what is that you never know what you're getting with a tight end?
Why?
Why do you think he said that?
I just think, you know, we're a unique position group. You know, you never, like you said, you never know what you're gonna get there. Crazy, they're all over the place. Like you said, I'm an emotional guy. I'm crazy. I do all kinds of crazy things. But you know, I definitely think you know, he doesn't think my swags there that's kind of funny. But hopefully you know that that'll come. I can show him, you know, throughout the weeks that I got a little swag to me.
How does this offense suit you? And I'm not asking you to, you know, be negative or critical of the previous regime. In the offense. But what do you think about this particular offense fits your game?
Yeah, you know, I think we just do a really good job of marrying up the run game in the past game. You know, we do so much stuff with James and we run the ball. We do so many different things in the run game, and and and Drew does a good job of marrying that up in the past game where we're running a route, but it looks like we're blocking the same way that we would block on that run and then we're slipping in the back
or things like that. So so he's he does a great job of marrying up those two things, and we do a good job of running the ball, and then that opens up the play action stuff for the tight ends, and that's where I you know, get a lot of action.
He talked about being unique and that, you know, being a tight end is you know, sometimes personality is different. There's a guy starting that has different personality. George Kittle.
Yeah, you just kind.
Of watch and listen to him. Seems like a great dude, but obviously eccentric. I saw him talking to you on the field after the game yesterday. What did he say, Yeah, it was just cool.
You know. I told him, this is our fourth time playing against each other, and it's just awesome to play against a guy of his caliber what he's done, and and I just told him, you know, I love watching him play. He kind of said the same thing back to me. It was really cool just to kind of chop it up with him a little bit after the game. He's a great dude, and I look forward to the matchup with him every time.
So did you grow up wanting to be a tight end? Did you have tight ends that you admired, or was there another position you thought you'd play.
You know, I always knew I was gonna be a tight end. I played outside linebacker and I just didn't really love defense like that. I wanted to score touchdowns. I wanted to catch the ball. I always thought it was a little bit better at that, and that's what I wanted to do. I chose tight end. I loved watching Gronk. Gronk was awesome growing up watching Rob and he's an amazing tight end. The chemistry him and Tom Brady had, all the stuff he did. He was awesome
to watch. So when I was a young kid, he was the ut highlights I would pull up. For sure.
I was gonna say, it's so funny now when I was about to say, you know, was it you know, Tony Gonzalez or Shannon Sharp? And I forget how young you are, man, Like you're like growing up, Rob Gronkowski, Like think I just retired like two years ago.
Wi.
You're right, he's probably ten or twelve years older than you. Right, So was there because your brother was a defensive player, right, Toby? He was a defensive player pass yep, and so he was he a tight end as well, and decided to play defense and you decided to play offense.
He was actually like a fullback kind of a guy in high school. So we actually did some wildcat stuff where I was the quarterback and he was kind of a fullback and we did some stuff like that. But no, he never had the hand eye coordination to catch the football, so we always just handed it off to him and uh and let him go and hit people. But he was a much better defensive player than he was offensive.
And you guys are I assume still really tight because you guys are really tight growing up.
Bro.
Yeah. Yeah, he actually lives with me here in Arizona. So yeah, we were very tight.
Still, So what do you guys do when you're not when you're not studying film or playing a game or practicing What is it that do you guys do stuff together all the time?
Yeah, so we we love to cook, So you know, every night we're making dinner together. We you know, we rotate, We kind of do all kinds sorts of different things, but we're always making food. We love to play video games. We have a I have a huge office and we have both of our computers set up in there, and you know, all sorts of cool stuff in there. So we play video games together almost every day. But we
always spend a lot of time. You know, we'll go out and swim, We'll you know, play catch whatever it is. But yeah, we're always doing something together.
I want to go back to the cooking thing. So when you say you guys are cooking, is it like foo foo food? Like is it like really gourmet or is it hey, we're making pasta and meatballs.
Yeah, it's more of like, hey, we're making pasta and meatballs things like that, but not so much of that. You know, we're rotating, We're doing different things. We're on Pinterest trying to find uh, you know, recipes and stuff that look good, something that catches our eye, and we're always trying different things, and then we'll you know, rate it afterwards. We'll be like, is that a keeper? Is that a should?
We?
Should? We not ever make that one again? And only a few times we haven't ever wanted to make it again. So it usually turns out.
And you have another brother who's a twin, right, Yeah, I'm a twin.
Yeah, so me and him are twin brothers. Yeah, Dylan Dylan my twin.
Yet, Okay, and so Toby is living with you?
Correct? And where's Dylan? Dylan lives back in Colorado. Yeah, he's a fireman. Uh, works for a fire department there in Colorado. But he's he was actually out here this weekend visiting, so he was. He's been out here for the last couple days. So it's been fun.
Now your twins, if so, if he comes to practice it, puts on a uniform and number eighty five, would we be able to tell?
Yeah, yeah, I'm I'm much better looking than him. So so that's kind of where we uh we we we look a little different now we're actually fraternal twins, so we don't really look super similar. He's a big dude, strong. He's a little bit bigger than me actually, so definitely the size wise, you wouldn't be able to tell, but we do look a little bit different.
Now.
I know you were a great athlete in high school, basketball, baseball, football. Did you always think football was going to be your sport?
Yeah? I think so. You know, I love baseball as well. Baseball was probably my second sport, but you know, I think that my opportunity came, and my best opportunity was to go play football. That's what I loved. I thought I was probably the best at it, and and I wanted to play tight end, and that's what I did. I went to college and did that and didn't look back.
So you went to Colorado State, And if I remember, you were not incredibly highly recruited right coming out of high school, right, was it, Dazzi? No, Dazio was not the head coach that recruited you.
Right, Mike Bobo? Yeah, okay, yep, yep. So Mike Bobo recruited me there to Colorado State, and he just kind of felt like home there. You know. My older brother Toby, like you said, he was already there at Colorado State. They had offered him, they offered me shortly after that. So then when when my brother committed there, I committed shortly after. I wanted to play with him. It was about an hour and a half from my hometown, so
it worked out perfectly. Parents were at every game I got to play, you know, four years of college with my older brother. It was it was perfect, awesome.
So I'm not sure how familiar with what I do. But outside of the Cardinals I do. I work for ESPN, so do college football every week. And I just remember I didn't have any of your games in college, but I remember all the time because you obviously won the Macki Award, that your highlights were playing all the time, and when the Cardinals drafted you, familiar with you as
a player. It's interesting because nowadays, somebody of your talent at a school at Colorado State, after things start going well, they look to transfer. I don't know how much college football you still watch or pay attention to, but do you think things are out of control in that regard? It feels like now it's if it doesn't work out at one school, or even if you think, you know, I might have a better nil chance or a better chance to make the NFL elsewhere. I'm getting out of here.
But you stayed. You stayed and won the Makie at Colorado State, not a powerfied school.
Yeah. Like you said, I think the whole transferring stuff is getting a little crazy, especially with the NIL people are kind of just blowing it up with the money, trying to transfer just for the money and not really there for the opportunity that they have. I had a great opportunity at CSU. I loved it, and I stayed loyal to the program and they were loyal to me and they gave me the opportunity. I had a great season and ended up winning the Makie. So that's definitely
something that I'm very grateful for. I'm so glad I didn't transfer. You know, I definitely thought about it, you know, things like that, but I didn't, you know, never wanted to, wanted to stay there at Coloro State and ended up winning maki So it was very special.
So all right, going back to your childhood you're talking about, you know, playing sports. Did you think you would make it to the NFL? Is that a dream? You mentioned your brother being a firefighter, Is that something you were interested in me, and did you see yourself ending up where you are right now?
Yeah, you know, I think I always I think, you know, every little kid dreams of being a professional football player, professional athlete, or something of some sort. So I think that's exactly what I wanted to do. I think I always dreamed of it. I never really knew what I wanted to do when I got older. I always wanted to play football. I never really thought about another option. And uh, and when I got to college, you know,
I actually majored in accounting. I couldn't tell you anything about taxes or anything about that, but that's that's my what I'm doing. But so I'm glad it football worked out. I love playing football. I hope I can do it for a long time.
So my one of my daughters is now an accountant. I can't say that I envisioned that that's what she would do, but she she loves it. You have to, I guess really love numbers, Yeah, no doubt.
Yeah I was good at math, and yeah I took an a counting class in college. I did really well, and I was like, maybe this isn't so bad. And then about two or three years later, I was like wanting to turn around, but I was so deep into the major I couldn't do that.
Are you a big sports fan outside of just NFL? It seems like a lot of guys you mentioned playing video games, but a lot of guys that I talk to that are young guys. They don't watch as many games. They're not sitting around every night watching NBA players aren't watching a ton of NBA the younger guys the older guys do. Where do you fall in line? Are you watching college football on a Saturday or are you doing something else?
Yeah, I usually pull up a college football game or you know, if we're not playing on Sundays, I'm usually watching games Thursdays, Mondays, things like that. I always kind of have a game pulled up. But I love watching football. It's a lot of fun. I kind of watch the game a little bit different now you know that I know football a little bit more, so I kind of watch it more technique things like that. But I love watching football. It's a blast to see what other guys are doing.
So let me just kind of ask you to expound on that a little bit. So you was that part of the learning curve for you as kind of learning more about, you know, how you attack a defense and matchups and just kind of the the the intricacies of the game that go beyond just running arout and catching a pack.
Yeah. I think so, it's just, uh, you you can never stop learning. You're always trying to see what other guys doing, what's successful. You watch other guys. Oh that's what he did, that's how that worked, things like that. So you're always trying to, uh to to improve your game, and as you watch other players and what they do, how they're finding success, you kind of start taking things from them and doing the same thing in your own games.
So I'm always trying to watch other people, see how they're getting open, see how they're catching the ball, things like that. So then I can, you know, hopefully do the same.
So there was a moment during the bye week where you weren't watching sports. From what I understand, you went to Disneyland. Now is this by choice or was this because somebody dragged you to Disneyland?
Yeah, you know, I like to I'd like to say it was by choice, but I think I got dragged in. There was a few few days of of going to Disney It was a good time. We wrote a ton of rides, a ton of people, but it was a it was a good little getaway.
So who dragged you there?
That?
Yeah? I went with my girlfriend. It was it was awesome. It was it was a good time. But like I said, it was just a lot of people and I wasn't really uh you know, ready to see that many people.
Did you get the fast pass?
Oh? Absolutely? Yeah. You have to get the fast pass if you're gonna if you're gonna do anything, Uh, they're at Disney, you have to get the fast pass because those lines can get ridiculous.
So what was there a particular ride that stood out to you? Is like, hey, man, if I because you had not been to Disneyland, correct, yeah, yeah, I want to like, hey, I gotta do this again. Yeah.
I think the the Guardians of the Galaxy. It's like the Old Tower or tear the one that you know you're up in the sky, you drop down from the top level all the way down to the bottom. That that ride was awesome. Uh. You know, I probably wrote it three, four or five times. It was a it was a blast. Every time I wrote it, it got, you know, is more and more fun.
So you're an adrenaline junkie, is what you're trying to say.
Yeah, yeah, no doubt. I was trying to find the fastest, you know, the fastest ride, the ones that did all the most twirls, things like that, trying to trying to do it all while I was there as a blast. Yeah.
I can't even do the tea cups. Maybe it's just getting older with equilibriums off.
I don't know.
I do the tea cups and it's like I make I'm like telling the kids, the little kids, please stop spinning it. I'm getting Yeah, how's your shoulder? First of all, you got banged up in the game.
Yeah it's soon. Okay, it's you know, like you said, a little banged up. You know, hopefully I'll just have a couple of days and hopefully they'll be good to go by the weekend.
So obviously there's been a big culture change with a new GM, new head coach, new staff, a lot of new players. What stands out to you about the culture and the shift.
I think guys, you know, guys really want to be here. Guys play hard, We're not there's no quitting us. I think, you know, with that culture, that guys are just playing really hard. Like you said, that's a really good football team. The forty nine ers are good team, and we're right there in it. You know, we're a couple of plays away here and there, and and we're right there in that football game. So they've done a great job of setting a standard and not really lowering below that standard.
And it's it's been fun to be a part.
Of a there's you know, particular couple guys on the team that you know are really guys you look up to as as leaders that you kind of watch how they handle themselves and handle their business either with the media or with Because you're you're obviously getting a lot more request to do things like this. So yeah, people are talking about you nationally.
Now, Yeah, I think you know, James Connor comes to mind. He's a He's a great dude, a guy who who does it the right way, a true professional who's had a ton of success but still carries himself the right way. I really love the way he does things. Buddha is another great guy I think, who who carries himself the right way and and is a great leader, a guy that you know that you want to be around. A guy you want to play with, a guy that you want on the team. So those are two guys that
come to my mind on the team. But great, there's a ton of guys that carry themselves. So's it's cool to have guys like that to look up to, to to kind of go to if I if I need anything.
And are you start like, how do you feel like you're handling all this stuff now that's starting to come your way?
You know?
Are you? Are you trying to stay away from you know? You? Obviously there's three things. You set the school record, the single season franchise record for catches by a tight end. You're the first tight end in thirty four years with a one hundred yard game. You've done it twice. You and Jackie Smith the only tight ends in franchise history with seven hundred yards in a season. And obviously you're getting national recognition. How do you think you've handled all that?
Yeah? I think it's just kind of a you know, it's kind of like what I what I've a you know, known I can do. So it's not really a surprise to me. It's not really anything that I was not expecting. So I'm just going out there and playing football and kind of what comes with it comes with it. I just want to be a part of this team. I love playing with these guys. I just want to go out there and compete, and you know, whatever comes with that,
you know, comes with it. It's been a blast though the last few weeks.
So you see George Kittle does some stuff, you know, outside of this, and obviously Travis Kelsey is getting a lot of attention. He started thinking about, you know, I might want to develop my brand in this way.
Yeah, you know, I have thought about stuff like that, but you know, right now, I'm just kind of taking it day by day. You know, maybe maybe this offseason I'll kind of figure something out and and kind of start start going with something. But but no, it's uh, just kind of taking the day by day, just trying to go out there and compete against every team.
Can you give us a hint, like is there a certain direction maybe like hey, I might want to do my own podcast with my brother.
Or yeah, yeah, I think I need like a like a you know, like a celebratory something, maybe like I do like a cartwheel, or maybe I do like a I don't know, something crazy where where it's just unique that this guy does that and it's you know, something something crazy but me podcast, you know, something like that would be you know, like you said, the Kelsey Brothers do something like that. There's there's so many ways to
do it. I love playing golf. Maybe I can, you know, wrap my my hands around playing golf in football.
I'm trying to think if there is a celebratory golf swing, yes, you know, or do the Tiger Woods the fifth after you make a long putt, right, you know, when you score a touchdown, because obviously Kyler has put you on blast now about your celebration.
Yeah, now, I gotta now, I gotta figure it out. I gotta be better for him, so so he can he can tell the media I've changed and I got a little swag to me.
So so outside of golf, I know you're very involved back back home in Colorado with youth and you're going to be doing a youth camp again in the off season the summer.
Can you can you tell us a little bout Yeah? I think my mom has always been involved in the community. She's done a great job doing that and she's kind of instilled into me like to give back, to help out when you can and to be on this platform. I just want to give back and to give back to a community like my hometown that's done so much for me. That's been a huge part of my success, and I just want to give back. So last year I did a kid's camp. This year, I want to
do another one. You know, it was awesome. I had a ton of people come out. I'm from a small little town, but it was crazy how many people came out from all over the state. So it was awesome. I want to do that again and continue to do that to give back to a community that has done so much for me.
How about here locally, is there anything you've got your you know, your eye on in terms of something you want to do here?
Yeah, you know, I'm actually tomorrow I'm doing a Christmas drive where a bunch of kids are coming out two Shields and I think there's fifteen kids and each kid, you know, will have like a thousand dollars to spend, which will be awesome underprivileged kids that have had a hard time, you know, things like that. So I'm super
excited for that event. You know, I also thought about doing another kid's camp out here, you know, maybe doing one and out here in Arizona, one in Colorado, just so I can kind of, you know, spread that out, you know, throughout the different states. So I think that would be really cool as well. So trying to do everything I can to give back, and then I want to be a part of that.
That's awesome. A couple more football questions and then we'll get you out of here.
Awesome.
I'm just curious, what do you think is the next step for you? As you kind of look at how you've evolved and now your skills are in full display, everybody seeing what you're doing, and defenses are saying what you're doing too, So obviously you're becoming more of a target. They're gonna, you know, game plan a lot of times for you. So what's what's the next step for you?
I think just becoming a complete tight end, you know, making sure I can I can be a guy who can can be an asset in the run game, a guy who can can make plays in the past game. But I want to be able to do both. I want to be able to help in both. I want to be able to be a great, great run blocker where they don't have to take me off the field. For run plays things like that. So I want to
be able to be a complete tight end. So so defenses are always on their toes and not sure what they're gonna get from me.
Because Wolf all the time we'll talk about how he wants to see you become more of a blocker. I'm sure you've heard him say that absolutely. So is that Is that just a mindset? Is that a comfort level? Is that understanding what you're doing in the run game? All the above? None of the above.
Yeah, I think a lot of it's a mindset and just kind of comfort. Like you said, you know, when you're playing that much, you kind of have the want to and the will to go and you know, smack your face on someone and things like that. So it's definitely a mindset and things like that. But I want to I want to be better. I want to be better in that. I want to be better, you know, full full, you know, complete tight end and help his team and everywhere.
Well, listen, man, it's been great talk, idiot, it's been fun watching you as well. So appreciate you. Final Yeah, absolutely, thank you so much for having that was great, thanks man. Well, as you can tell from that conversation, Tray's very thoughtful, he's very humble, and he wants to help the team win. He's here to win. He's here for the right reasons. He's about the right things, and I think Cardinal fan should be excited about that. And he's got some personality.
I'm really interested to see what he comes up with for his touchdown celebration going forward. But I think he's a guy that if you're a Cardinal fan, you connect with and you catch on too. And I'll be really curious to see what he does next year, because in year two, Trey McBride has become one of the best tight ends in the NFL. We are presented by BETTMGM, the official sports betting partner of the Cardinals, and by
HeLa River Resorts and Casinos. You can follow us on x or Twitter at Pash pod and please, if you have any thoughts on this particular podcast, or if there's a guest you'd love to hear from in the future, you can rate us, review us, and tell us what you think on your favorite podcast platform. Our thanks to Cardinals Titan Trey McBride, and thanks to you for listening to another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast.