Ute Legends and future Hall of Famer Eric Weddle on a Wednesday afternoon.
Ewent, happy Wednesday, man, how you doing doing amazing?
Thanks for having me on.
We can't say future Hall of Famer yet because we don't know, you know, voting can.
Get crazy, so we'll say maybe soon.
To be.
Hall of Famer would have a nice ring to it.
Okay, fair enough, fair enough, I'm optimistic, you wed, but I am not you. So I will ask you where were you when you found out this news and what was your reaction?
Because I always find.
It interesting talking to people like you that have achieved something like this, and you know, you hear a lot of musicians or athletes or the people that have achieved say things like my dreams never got there, Like I never really dreamed to be a Hall of Famer.
Was this a goal of yours?
Or is this one of those things, like a potential accomplishment that you didn't even allow your mind to get to.
Yeah, I mean I don't. I don't think you're playing a team sport. I don't think anyone goes in thinking they want to end up a Hall of Famer. It's just kind of you know, I could be wrong. Maybe maybe it's like Deon Sanders might have thought that because he was just that incredibly talented and knew that of himself early on. But for myself, it was just man living living, living it up and having an opportunity to play college ball is where few and far between get that.
So I was trying to make the most every day, and then you know, those things kind of fall into place when you're around good people, great coaches, great university, great teammates. Like it never happens by yourself, especially in football. So if something like this ever does happen for me, it's it's definitely a group effort.
Where were you when you heard the news and what was your reaction?
He went, well, Mark Harlan actually reached out to me, shot me a text like, oh, this is great first step.
In getting into the college Football Hall of Fame.
And I didn't know what he was talking about, so I was doing some other things and I didn't responded back because I didn't know if it was meant for me or someone else.
Because I didn't I didn't have like there was.
No news at the time, and then of course the posts started coming out in the news stating that I was a finalist for it. So I was just out at the high school with the football team. We just finished up spring ball, so just coaching these kids up and I got the news, and you know, it's humbling, obviously, it's exciting, and again it's not not ever done. No success on the football that happens because of the individual. It's always about the team. So I just think about
my teammates and think about the team. I think about the love of Utah that I have in that university, and just thankful that I ended up at the place that I was meant to be at.
Have you allowed yourself to think about out what that phone call would be like if you hear that you have indeed been inducted.
Have you allowed your mind to go there?
Nah?
Nah, I don't.
I don't.
I don't think too far ahead. And and uh, I'm a I'm a guy that hopes for the best but prepared for the worst.
So I don't let myself get too far down that road because it's just it's not my mentality.
When it happens, it'll be it'll be fresh, and it'll be new, and and I'll enjoy it if it happens, and if not, then I'll just go about my day like I always do.
That's a great attitude.
But I will follow up with what would it mean to you if you do get that call and the news is you're in man, what would that mean to you?
Well, you know it's it's uh, it means you're you're an all time great, You're you're you less lasting impression on the field and off of. Very few do and I think I don't know. I think the numbers around thirteen hundred college Football Hall of Famer So to be.
In that mix and to be said and looked.
At as a Hall of Famer is a very very unique and humbling proposition. So it's it's to really wrap your head around.
It is kind of hard. It's kind of hard to do because I don't, you know, people know me. I don't look at myself in that instance.
I think I put it all out there, and I think in the college I said this a couple of days ago.
I think the College Football Hall of Fame I could sit there.
And say, yeah, I think I was one of the best in that sense where I could be labeled as a Hall of Fame. Now, the NFL is a whole different animal. Which I don't think in my opinion.
But the college football Like I could sit there and say, yeah.
I belong with one of the best in those names that are enshrined, So it would be incredible and humbling, and truly I would probably be lost forwards.
I'm being honest.
Okay, I'm glad you said what you just said, because I was going to follow up with this, like you do know that you are an all time great, right, Like you're aware of exactly what you mean to the program around here?
Correct?
Well, I mean yeah, I know it, and I'm loved and you know that place is a very special place in my heart.
So it's I know. Now, there are so many great players, So where do you rank them? I kind of in the old adage of Jordan of you know, rank me where you rank them, But you can't put me ahead of people that played twenty years before me, thirty forty fifty years. Like, I respect the game way too much, but I do know I'm loved and appreciated. I know that around the university.
Okay, okay, fair enough, fair enough, because I mean I appreciate the attitude, I respect the endeavor. But as a player, you were a killer you know you were, So I wonder how you balance out being such a killer on the field while maintaining more of a balanced approach just as a human.
Well, I mean that you cross that white line. At any point in my career, whether I was a true freshman at the University of Utah or fourteenth year coming off the street two years retired, my goal in mindset was, I'm I'm here to annihilate my opposition. I'm not here to make friends. I'm not here when it's my job is on the line. Yes, when I get off the white line, I'm a great teammate, and I love my
teammates and this and that. But my I have a job to do, and it's every rep is a chance to prove that I belong on this field, leading this team. So it's a very easy switch to turn on and off, as I learned to do over the course of my college years and then in the NFL. But it's it's a doggy dog world, and if you don't have that mindset, you will get eaten up and spit out. And so I'd rather be on the other side of eating than getting spit out.
I wonder I want to ask this today because I come from a family eric where I am the oldest of six and I am the only one of the six that went to the University of Utah. The other five all went to BYU and they all married, They all married spouses. They met at BYU and they all, sure.
You're you're outnumbered, my friend, Oh I am.
I chose truth? He wet is how I like to put it. Uh, you know, obviously I like to rip them. And I mean, look, it's all love, it's all good. And you know, a lot of the coaches down there, and they are all of my brothers, they went to BYU. They always say you're the ute that they wish was a cougar, and you're the ute that they just cannot say anything negative about. Does that jive with your experience? Does it feel like you have that universe respects from both these fan bases up here.
Well, I think it's it's you know, to hear that is really it makes me smile. It makes me. I don't like to say it like in moments where you're proud of yourself, but I truly am proud of how I try to represent myself and my family and my name, my last name and even more so in the grand
scheme of things. We're all here for a purpose, and we can get all riled up, and at the end of the day, it's about respecting your opponent no matter what, and speaking and treating your opponent in that type of fashion. I want to be treated as how others treat me, and so to hear that I do, smile and I and I and I am proud of that because I tried to represent myself in a way that most people will be proud to have me on their team, regardless
of the rivalry. And shoot, I am so close with coaches on both sides, even at BIU talk to those guys right just as much. And those men that are in those leadership roles mentoring roles, I tip my hat to all of them, especially the ones that I love and care for, because they are men that I look up to and that are changing the trajectory of these
young men. And so both programs have great men that are lead them and women that are within the facility and doing all the great things like they're really top notch programs that I am awesome to be affiliated with through friendships and family.
I wonder if you feel comfortable because the relationships you have with your former coaches and teammates, that's, you know, that's a sacred space. And I have been close enough in in locker rooms and around teams that I respect that space. But I wonder if you'd feel comfortable sharing whether or not you heard from Morgan or coach with or Coloni when the news came down that you're on the Hall of Fame ballot. What other phone calls did you receive?
You Yeah, Coach Witt of course reached out and congratulated me, And on both sides, anyone that knows me or or is close with me reached out.
But they also know me as well that it's not a done deal, so they'll probably want to save the congratulateary the congratulations to when it's a final seid and done. So they know me as well that I'm probably not missing a beat until it becomes final.
Tell me how the coaching stuff is going.
Last time we talked to you, you you know, you kind of outlined the early returns of this new endeavor of yours, And I wonder if any of these young men who you are coaching have any idea what sort of killer you really were as a player.
I think the young generation each year that goes by, I could care less about who their head coaches and what he used to be. And sometimes I have to remind them in a positive way that I'm here to help them and guide them and take it for what it's worth. Some of them goes one year out the other. But the few that actually take it and will be better from it, and those are the those are the ones that you're.
Really going to impact.
Can't impact them all, you try to, but the few that want it on and off the field, and and try to build these young men into future fathers and husbands of the future. That's really the ultimate goal. And uh, you know these these kids nowadays, they got so much going on that football and or the history of who their coach maybe is way down the list of prioritizing things.
Yeah, uh, your boy is Gauge, correct, that's your son, Yes, sir, you still have him in the program and if show how's that going?
Yeah he's uh. He's gonna be a sophomore coming up. Yeah, yeah, he's uh. He is a fun, fun kid to be around. His passion, his work ethic, how he leads, he's uh he's got a chance to be special, and I'm just along for the ride and trying to help guide him as best I can, and excited for this year to lead our team. And he's put in the work on and off the field and really put his best footy foot forward to have a great year on offensive defense. So uh, we got We've got a good group coming
back in the UH connected unit. Gotta stay healthy, obviously, but we have a chance to be really good and we'll see where his uh, his journey takes him over the next few years.
You play like his dad at all.
He's better than me, wow, when I was at this point in high school. So he's a bigger, probably more physical version of myself. You know, he's he's six to two, he's one hundred and eighty five pounds now and getting big and strong.
So he's uh.
I can only hope and dream that h'll have a better high school college and if he could ever make it better career than I ever did.
What sort of see, it's such a delicate balance, I mean, what sort of advice do you give him? What sort of I mean, because I'm a parent too, When you really learn as they grow the best thing you can do is be guardrails, and you know, it's like bumper lanes and bowling and they're the ball. You're there to make sure they kind of stay in the lane, but you can't roll the ball down the middle for them.
So what's it been like to watch this young man grow and evolve as a player, and how do you balance that as somebody that played and won at the highest of levels.
When it comes to the advice you dispensed him, well.
I just try to remind them that no matter what, if.
You don't have fun and you don't love the game and everything that entails, and what's the point. The game is beautiful when it's purest form. So trying to remind him that, and I think he does a good job of that, but he just he wants to be so good, and I think he puts a lot of pressure on
himself that. Reminding him that it's it's about managing the mishaps, the negative plays and how you rebound from that and how you control your emotions from a play to play basis is something that I think he's going to grow to be able to handle and really make that strength. But you know, he's it's just it's you know, last year was the delicate situation being a freshman and being the head coach. But I'm not gonna be apologetic for one of my best players, and it just so happens
to be my son. Like, I'm not gonna sit here and not give him positive feedback or be excited when he makes a great play on the field, or do this and that because of the optics. I'm not doing that anymore. So I'm gonna be proud. And I only get to coach him three more years, and I'm gonna enjoy every second of it because I'm not doing this for anything other than trying to get back to the kids. And he just happens to be one of our better
players that does everything right. I shouldn't have to apologize for that.
No, you shouldn't. You should never have put You should revel in it. You should be proud of it. You should enjoy the entire situation. I've got his socials up, and I see as a freshman, he was your starting quarterback and also starting safety, and he has schools calling already right, looks like he's got some offers in his back talkt already, even only as a freshman.
Yeah, I mean it's uh, it's it kind of came came at a whirlwind.
You know.
The recruiting starts way early nowadays, especially if you know, if you're a freshman playing on varsity and you play well, schools are gonna find you and they're gonna they're gonna start getting their feelers out and let you know that
that you're on their on their radar. So he's got a long ways to go, and he understands that that this these offers are basically saying like, we're interested in you, and if you keep developing and keep getting better and improving over the next couple of years, then these this
could be a reality. But oftentimes the attention comes with these young kids, they go the other way and they they don't stay humble, and they don't stay hungry, and they become entitled and they feel like they've arrived when that's not reality. You have a bullseeye in your back. Even more so for him for who his dad is, that he's got outwork and outplay everyone every day. You can't ever let up because that'll be the opportunity that someone comes and takes your job or takes your playing time.
And or takes that scholarship. So he has a good sense of that and he appreciates the love per se, but he knows he has a long way to go.
To make it a reality.
I noticed earlier, EWD, you recently turned forty, so welcome to our club. I am a little a little more advanced than you are, but I'm still in the forties area, So welcome to the forties. And it's been a minute since you went through the recruiting stuff. I wonder what the main differences are that you've noticed, because college football is much different now than it was in two thousand and one, two thousand and two when you were being recruited.
What are the main differences between what you see Gauge and his teammates going through and what you went through back in the day.
Yeah, I mean, that's a great question. I right, spend quite an hour talking about the differences and trying to navigate the landscape of recruiting now. I mean, I took my official visit to the University of Utah in December and ended up committing that week, a month before signing day. Where now a lot of times these these players, depending on positions, depending on need, et cetera, et cetera, can be committing sophomore junior season. Uh so it's it's definitely changed.
And with the NIL, you know, the programs that emphasize culture and loyalty and being a part of the community and the university is much more appealing to me because I'm a little old school. But you know, some schools aren't that way. So it's it's hey, we need you, we want you, how much can I pay you? Where in the grand scheme of things, this is a huge decision on not only what happens on the field, but the relationships and connections you make off the field and
how you represent yourself. And it goes both ways, right like, after a year, the school may tell you that you're never going to play, so you want to hit the portal, and then other cases that you want more money and this and that. So it's just so many different dynamics. I just try to remind all my kids engage when he gets to that point.
It's just the.
Connection and where do you see yourself for four years? Right Like, where do you want to build the relationships and build a legacy on this endeavor? Right Like, it's not about the money. It's not about where I can get this or that, obviously, it's it's about the you know, x'es and o's and systems and offense and defense and the staff and who's going to be coaching me and the culture and this and that blah blah blah. But outside that's what do you want? What is your last
impression on you? Like, what do you want to be represented by? And what do you want to be remembered by? You want to be remembered by chasing the next best thing or staying where your feet are and growing and dealing with adversity and dealing with competition and maybe falling down. Are you going to get back up? Or are you going to run to the next best thing? Like, So, those are the things that I try to look at and try to educate our kids. And it's not me though.
It's Gauge's decision and his journey. I'm just trying to help him. At the end of the day, it's going to be him and.
What he wants.
But I know deep down that whatever decision, when if it comes to that, it he's fortunate enough to have a decision that he'll do it for the right reasons.
I'm quite sure that.
Are you fans listening after they heard you say Gauge is a bigger, stronger version of me, are waiting for me to ask you if that's the case. Is there any chance this young man plays his college ball in Salt Lake City?
And if so, what would that mean to you?
Yeah? I mean Gade is a He's a big thinker in the sense that he wants to be better than I was and he wants to make his own mark. Now, he obviously has a deep love for Utah. But I would be honestly, I would be happy if he gets to play college football. I'm not really pigeonholed on where I'm more just would be so proud if he even gets a chance, because it's it's tough, man. There's amazing players across the board that do things the right way,
and sometimes it just is luck. Sometimes it's staying injury free. Sometimes it's just seeing a coach that believes in you. Like there's so many different factors. So yes, I would be honored and proud if he went to the You, but he's gonna carve out his own journey, and obviously
he will when he gets to that. If he has choices, but there's gonna be there's a lot of great schools out there that has showed that they like him, and if he continues on the trajectory that, well, he'll have his choice, which was just pretty insane to even think about.
I think it's awesome.
I think it's great As a father of his son, I know what that must feel like for you. Before I said you, Lucy wed we all know that you're one of the Big Twelve. Was not what we were hoping for any of us expected at all.
Some new coaches, some new transfers.
What's your confidence level the Utah football year two in the Big twelve will look better than it did year one?
Well, yeah, I mean I've been I've been fortunate enough that coach Wit and Scally and even coach lud before he left, allowed myself and some coaches to come out for two three days at a time and being all the meetings, position meetings, coaches meetings, obviously, be at the practices, so I'm pretty intimate with what's going on and seeing the guys and I'm I'm I'm optimistic, ecstatic, excited for the team. I think it's a it's a more connected unit.
I believe with the change offensively, change is good if you're willing, and obviously we need to stay healthy, we know that, but the groundwork is there, and I think the changes offensively are going to bring a fresh new start, a fresh new vibe and energy and belief. I think with our offensive line, with those tackles and in the guards and just the whole unit is going to be the best in the country, potentially two first round picks
on the edges tackle wise. So I mean, we got a lot of great things that are that are coming out for this season in that Yes, our last year was not us, but hey, that that stuff happens, right, And how are we going to rebound? How are we going to come back from that? With coach with leading the leading the charge and Scalley on defense, and you know, with the new offense, you know, I've drawing a blink
of the offensive coordinator, which I'm I'll have to apologize for. Yes, Coach Beck who was obviously graciu enough to let me be in the meetings and whatnot learn from them, and you know, I am. I think we could be an outstanding team and as long as we can. It just comes back to team football right, protect the football, be
explosive on offense. I think that's going to happen naturally with the quarterback with the element of running, but also extending plays, but just making sure that we're no matter what, we protect the football, we score in the red zone. And we played great defense, which we will. We were going to be better than we were last year on defense with Scalley and the system and the guys playing
together and being healthy. So listen, Nobody on the on the on the on the schedule worries me and or tells me we can't be if we go play great football. Is there great teams on our schedule, yes, but we go play our style of football, we should be able to be anyone on there.
All right, my guy, Well, thrilled for you, and we are optimistic about your chances and when that goes down, we'd love to get you back on, if not sooner, So enjoy the rest of the week.
Eric, thanks for the time, buddy, be well.
Okay, you got it anytime. Thanks for having me on.
Brother, All right, Eric Weddle, future Hall of Famer, not just in college. I didn't offer the follow up when he said I'm not sure that the NFL thing is a possibility. I felt like he was getting uncomfortable with my effusive praise. But he's got a shot at some point to be in Canton as well, I would imagine.
Yeah, you, I mean, Eric's a guy that, despite you know, how good he was here at Utah, and despite having a super Bowl ring all of the above, you know, doesn't like to toot his horn too much. A stat for you, Spence. Five guys in NFL history nine hundred tackles and twenty nine career interceptions. It's Eric Weddle, Brian Dawkins, Rodney Harrison, Ronde Barbara and Ronde Barber and Charles Woodson. That's the entire list.
Geecee, that's impressive. Yeah, at some point, our guy is going to get a look. If I was a Hall of Famer, I'd never take the jacket off.
Let's be clear. I'm wearing the gold jacket all day, every day. Oh.
If I reached the pinnacle of any sport of any kind, the ring, the jacket, the you know, the green jacket, the gold jacket, super Bowl ring, It's on me forever.
At that point