A Conversation with Jets QB Coach Rob Calabrese (6/21)

two with Zach not a rookie anymore. And for myself as well, you know, getting with la Flour first year working with him and the guys in our staff. So it's been a great experience for me and I'm looking forward to see what we put on the field from Sundays. I want to get to your background, but first let's go back to late January Mobile Alabama. Rob Calbarre's the offensive coordinator of the national team. What was that week like for you? What did it mean and all? So,

how cool of an opportunity was it. It was a huge opportunity for not only myself but our staff as far as in the evaluation with each one of those prospects. You know, we took Jeremy Rucket from the senior browme. We had him there and was able to coach him and watch him going the field and take what we taught in the classroom and go execute. But for myself, just being able to coordinate that coordinate that game, I was appreciative Coachala and with Florida let me do that.

And on game day it was amazing. You know, we call plays and just watch it unfold and try to execute the scheme. So I was happy with how it turned out, and UM, great learning experience for myself. Well, you guys got the w ron Middleton head coach during that game. How did you grade yourself in terms of self scout afterwards? Um? Not too much self scout. I had about hundred races per day, so that's not good. But other than that, it was we ever got there

and execute, and that's the most important thing. You have three days to practice to install scheme, to to get a fairy evaluation on these guys can to handle it, but also can we execute and not and not have negative plays and things that pop up like that. So I was happy with with what we did on the field and the players that were awesome, and the coaching

staff like we handled it well. How much did you throw out those guys in three days before they go out there, because obviously you want them to learn, but at the same time, you don't want to throw too much at them, right, and you threw We threw a lot of them because you got to think of it, with how college football is nowadays and the lack of huddling and burbage that these guys signal a lot of things,

so that's all new to them. And then to give them our offense and certain amount of plays and to be able to go execute it, it's it's overwhelming for them at first. And we had about a two hour meeting the night before practice and then went right to the practice field, so you had to crunch it all in. They had to put some time and study on our own, which they did, and it uh just snowballed into that and it was it was a good week. I know.

You obviously going to become fans a lot of these guys because you invest in them and then you get to know their personalities a little bit. You guys end up taking some of these players who participated in the Senior Bowl down and Bill Alabama. But for you specifically, what kind of relationships to just start with Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh, Desmond Ritter from Cincinnati, and then Carson Strong

from Nevada, all guys who are now on NFL teams. Yeah, you know, I got the communicate with them a little bit before, a week before because they were eager, they wanted the playbook, and um just started that process of building a relationship and just getting to meet those guys in person and spend that time with them. And then being quarterbacks, they spent a lot more time in the meeting rooms when they could the extra and got there

early in the mornings and to go over things. But it was a good group and they're they're dedicated, they're smart. That's the reason why they were there and the reason why they have moved on in the NFL and have spot and have homes now. But talk to them on

draft a congratulation. I communicate with them just throughout throughout this process because you know, you built that relationship and you want to see these guys do well because you know I had a part in that of just showing them what did the NFL is like and and watching them grown. It was short three days, but M have good relationship for all three of them. Solid gets hired in January two. I was twenty one. How soon after

did you get a call? Oh? Shoot, maybe I don't even know the time for him, maybe a week or two after, but we were on break and you know, kind of got word from my agent that this could be happening. And it was lucky enough to just talked to Solo on the phone and the floor and and things worked out and I was able to come back home. What was the difference the landscape right now that you're

dealing with as opposed to last year? Because I wanted to ask you specifically, specifically about one person who um made such a lasting impact in a short time. That was Greg Nap because that was a guy you worked with a lot less I was attached to hit and um first getting here that that was that was probably the most important person I've met in my coaching career

in that short amount of time. And uh, the amount of information and love and just knowledge that he just wanted to share because he was out at that at that spot in his career where he was at peace with what he was doing and just wanted to help develop players co choose anybody possible, And uh, I learned so much for him in that short amount of time, and I was I was so appreciative to just to just be able to be in his presence. And I knew coming into this is that was the situation with

how we're going to be in a quarterback room. And I was looking forward to it because of his experience and and then getting to meet the type of guy he was, and it was it was just it was huge for me and just I was very lucky and very blessed to just be around him. That's what everybody says about Nap or what did he bring to the table in terms of when he was on the field and the classroom and why did guys gravitate towards him.

It's just his energy. You'll you'll feel his vibe as soon as you just you got to meet him, you'll introduce. He went around the whole building the first day we got here, and that was the first thing I noticed, is he's making an effort to go start that relationship and create that bond with whoever that he came into contact with, and those are things that I learned that

I had just I was just a football coach. There's a ball and scheme and film, and he had everything with all that, he had everything else outside of that, and just he had like his vibe attracted people to him. People want to go talk to him because that's the type of person he was. Why was he so good with quarterbacks? So um, his energy, his enthusiasm, his meetings, you just knew. You never knew what was gonna happen, so you're always on your toes in a good way.

And he just was. He was an amazing teacher from his experiences, from his way to communicate what he wanted to get done in the classroom to the field, and it was really cool to be a part of. He tutored and mentored some of the all time grades during those meetings. Would he pull up some clips for your experience.

You watched some of the Payton Man and clips, and you know he he Uh in his office he has his old playbook from Sacramento State, I believe, and I have it and uh, just his notes and just to be able to go through and look at those things from when he was a quarterback to when he was a coach, and it's just this giant playbook of information.

I often looked through it just to kind of just remind myself of his key coaching points and how he believes in the quarterback position offensively and and and in total as as a person. There's there's how much good information He talked about how difficult it was for you not to lose the man professionally who was going to mean so much to you, but him as a person, because you're just talking about it right now and I see it in your eyes what he meant to you

was a guy. Yeah, it was. It was probably one of the toughest phone calls that I had gotten out of the blue, and you're kind of getting ready to come back for training camp and just to hear that happened to to the type of man he was and what he meant to so many people, Um, you know, just watching the his ceremony on on on the internet when they had it and hearing those people talk about them and the stories they shared, it was it was

kind of it was a surreal experience. It just, you know, I felt that and just see everyone else and those important people and how many people he impacted in his life, and I was just so so blessed to just sit there and say, I mean, how lucky am I just spend no. Six months with him and being able to just a sponge and soak everything up. But also just you know, have a friend that that cared so much

about each each individually came into contact with. There's our text messages and you know, throughout summer breaks, mandatory sending pictures to your family. I want to see what's going on, Send me a video, what you got going on? Keeping in a loop, see sending pictures. So those are things that you just you just you don't come into contact with much very often, and I was very lucky to

just to experience out the unique individual. Everybody who came in contact with Greg Nap would say that he was your friend, and he would get to know your name, walk around the building, get to know your name, and come back to it and then you know your family members. UM. From a football perspective, how do you make the transition in terms of last year of what you guys are

doing with the quarterbacks? Because it's you and your first year. UM, Greg Nap was going to be instrumental throughout the season for you guys, but you have to make the transition. And Robert Sale said that you guys wouldn't be doing never any justice if he took that step back, because he wants you guys to live and embrace every moment. You hire Matt Kavanaugh, and then at a certain point during the season, after Zack Wilson's hurt with the knee injury,

you bring in John Back. Yeah, and I look at it as if we're doing anything possible to help Zach be successful, to help this organization win games. So you know, as football coaches, that's our job is to myself and everyone in that rooms have prepared the quarterback to give them the tools necessary to win on Sunday and then ultimately helped his team win and start wearing some football

games here. So you know, with coach cav another veteran coach, I had so much information and another great guy that I was able to just soak things up from him, the way he taught, the way he viewed the position, just certain things that you know you can't get from anywhere else, but just going through experience wise with somebody.

And then John Beck, who's a who's a guy that's fundamentally going to look at each quarterback and know what's wrong with their throwing motion and can fix things by just seeing it on and spending time with him and learning about the biomechanics and looking at a quarterback's feed or how to quickly fix something but without wholesale changing something. I mean I took, I took all those things. That is, those are great opportunities for myself to grow as a

coach and and to grow within the quarterback position. Win bet is now live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement of win Las Vegas to online sports betting, getting on all your favorite teams, players and sports from boostep parlays to live in game odds on every major sport. They have what you need to win. Sign up today to receive a special offer risk free one thousand down the sports bet download the wind beat app now or visit w y N and vett dot com to start

winning wind Beat and the Pistol sports Book. And gave me part of the New York Jets office up to the the change in terms of conditions at win bet dot com twenty one the older at President of New Jersey. If you're someone you know has a gambling problem, called on seven zero seven one one seven. From your perspective, though, what changed for Zach pre injury then coming back post injury, Because it's easy for us to say, we write it down that hey listen, turnover streak. He started protecting the

football five straight games. He ends the year. He's just making better decisions. But you know the game inside and out. What was different about him? It's, um, it's a it's a rookie quarterback in the NFL, and that's that's the hardest position to play at this level. And and he was. He was thrown in the fire game one as a starter, playing playing that position up until he got hurt, and and within it, within a game a season, those weeks they just go. It doesn't stop unless you have a

bye week or you play a Thursday night game. You have to two days off, so you just you just keep going. And then you know, when he did get hurt, he was able to just sit back and reflect and go back through and watch those those games again and really think about what he was seeing and what he felt and and what it meant to him in those

certain situations in those moments. Also while getting to watch, you know, Mike White Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson go out there and execute our our system, our scheme and have some success doing it. And the reason why they were just just playing a position, playing each down not forced. You don't you don't have to make every single player. You just let the game come to you. So when he came back, he just had this this whole vision

of the position on what he went through. He felt the speed of the game, he felt what it was like to play four quarters sixty minutes and the wearing hair of an NFL game. But he also had the tools to be successful and just play the position. So it was kind of like a he called it his sophomore year, you know, it came back from he played his freshman year and ended up getting hurt, which was unfortunate, but and Zach me and the guy he is, he

took that as I'm gonna get better from this. How I go back and watch everything that I did and I learned from the guys that are playing right now and it just never stops, which was it was really cool to see from him to come back and just change the way he played the game. What did you tell him in January? After that game in Buffalo Because Michael Fleur says it, I know you're gonna echo those sentiments that he's a guy who doesn't get away. That's

not natural from him. It's exactly what we told him to get away. And it takes some time off and just do almost what you did when you when you ended up getting hurt. But first just go collect your thoughts and just get get yourself back to just back

to reality. And then then he started going through the film and started working on some things that you need to work on with his footwork, some certain throws that he missed, and he was able to spend some time out wherever he was at and he went all around and get what our receivers, which was awesome. That was a huge stuff for him from a leadership standpoint and

just just building that chemistry with all those guys. So he is a football junkie, but you know he uh, he came back with a clear head and just ready to go. How does he challenge you inside the media room? Uma, he always wants his that he wants he wants to know a lot and we've we've learned over the last year's you know, there's there's useful information and there's there's information,

you know that doesn't really matter. Just go play each play, play the position, and and do what we're acting to within the time of the play, within our scheme, and good things will happen. And I think he saw that with with Mike White, and um, since not a game, you know you're not. You're just playing a game. And if if it's unfortunate the number one receiver is not open, that's okay, get your completion and things start to happen

because of that in the fourth quarter. And um so we kind of just our whole goal, this whole lostoy simplifier thoughts and simplifier life. Yes, it's interesting what you just talked about. It you in an example there the Cincinnati game. But can you want too much information? Yes? And that's that's something I learned as a coach year one. You know you don't that's our job is to have all that information and get the right play and play design and when and how and when why. But we

don't need to give you all of that. It's just, hey, this is probably the best case scenario, and this is the worst case scenario. You need to have a plan for it. But other than that, you're just playing football. How different is this spring? He's very different, and it's just it's another year. It's year two in a system, especially for a rookie, and he's done. He did a

great job because he was ready to play. From a mentality standpoint, you know how hard it is when, especially at quarterback, coming in and learning the verbiage, this system, being able to call plays and then oh, that's the NFL pass rush, and then four quarters of that the mental wear and tear. He's just he's a different He's a different guy. He's very confident in what we're asking to do. He's very confident in our scheme because he knows it, and that's a huge deal. As for a

quarterback for sure. What do you like most about working with Michael fleur Um. There's there's a lot of things, like I just appreciate his his his knowledge of a game, but I really appreciate how he communicates and um just sitting in those meetings, whether it's with the unit or the quarterbacks and just hearing how he verbalizes his thoughts and how clear concise messages are through cross the boards

and whoever. So each each meeting you're just hearing things you're like, okay, and it's everyone's on their toes, but they're locked in and it's it's meaningful messages. And that's that's the one thing I appreciate from just being in those meetings. He was a passing game coordinate or San Francisco of course before coming over here with Sala from San Francisco. Uh, what's the dynamics like with you two? Um,

we were closer together. We're in obviously in the quarterback meetings, so you know there's times that I have things that to talk about with these guys, and then he has his going through the scheme, going through our reads and we kind of it's a really good mess and gel

with the with the meeting room. It's just we were able to keep him on our toes because they're switching and and who's presenting what and what tapeer we're looking at and then um, just from a game planning at same point this past year, and you know it is responsible for certain areas and just being able to go in his office with confidence on why I like certain things because he's such a great communicator. It's not it's not I'm nervous to bring up a play and he

doesn't like it. He has a way of just making you feel like this is you're accepted, this is your job, this is what we're trying to do. We're trying to win games. And if it's not right, we'll talk about it. That's the best thing about it. That's the best way I can put it, Like we could just talk about it. You know, how cool is it when you guys are in a game and you feel your quarterback in a flow and the fleur at the same time and a flow.

Because one thing that I think that he continued to mention later on in the year was, yeah, you guys are seeing more also offensively and you're saying I'm being more creative, But we just needed more places any more plays, and you need to be on schedule. That's that's that's what Zach had learned too. It's now we do. We do have some schemes and some place that we always want to get to, but you can't get to it if you're in not in second and long, or you're

you're already in passing row down to score. So that's that's our offense. We need to stay on schedule. We need be able run the football, and get to our explosive opportunities, whether it's play pass or gadget plays and um, there's there's nothing like just you know, on game day when you see the quarterback in his flow and then you know, and that's what you always try to visualize. You know, when you're a position coaches, what is what

is the play call? Are going to call next? And you guys, if we're in sync and we know what's coming out of his mouth as far as the play and the timing and when and when we're attacking, it's it's it's really cool to watch on fold on Sundays. So Robert Sale is very happy with you. He said, this guy is got coordinator potential. He said that yesterday your your phone blow up after that a little bit.

My my dad had text me, but because there's a Newsday article and my brother and my cousins, but I try not to pay too much attention to that stuff. And it's it's awesome to hear coach Hollis say that and and he has that belief, but I have to go prove it and throughout my coaching career. And you know, you have an idea of what you want to be.

But everything that's happened U until this point is because I did a really good job with my job right now, and the second that i'd ever tried to look forward to being something else that I'm not that's not my title, then I'm slacking on what I should be doing. So I try to block out the noise in that aspect. I love that and people think of me in that light. But I'm just gonna keep my head down and keep working. So he said he didn't want to blow up your spot,

but you had opportunities elsewhere. I did a little Google search for the Google today. It seemed like a lot of people were linking your name to the University of Kentucky. You don't got to talk about the specific teams, colleges, whatnot, but I do want to ask you, why is this the right spot for you right now? It's it's because I believe in this organization. I believe in Coach Shalla as a head coach and his message and what he's trying to accomplish here. And I believe in Michael Floor,

and I believe in Zach and his team. I've always wanted to be able to, you know, leave some some place better than than when I showed up and after last year. I know it was year one and Zach was a rookie myself, I was a young first year physician coach in the NFL, and and I'm not ready to leave without you know, stamping that We've We've done

some special things here. And I'm a Jets fan. I'm from Long Island's is home for me, so just being close to family and all those factors, I just I want to I want to win some football games here. Do you and Zach talk about jumps some quarterbacks have made in between the rookie season to that second season, Um,

not so much. You know, this this whole offseason and since he's got here has just been solely focused on what we're trying to get better at from what we showed on tape last year and then how he can improve from quarterback standpoint, from decision making, from timing, from accuracy. So it's solely been based on just getting himself better.

There's times that we do have, you know, examples, and you know, we have some time in the back end of a meeting, we'll watch them quarterback cool quarterback clips on just things around the league that maybe maybe didn't show up in his rookie year. But hey, look this is what happened to a certain player, and this is how he handled it. Now, every play is a different player. You can't just bank that and say I'm gonna do

that too more. This whole off season is just really just getting him mentally focused on just being being better at the position and being ready role. What do elite quarterbacks have in common? Um, they got that poise to him. They just have their They they're just great decision makers no matter what the situation is, Um, two minutes or the first quarter of the game, they're they're poison. You can tell that by their feet. And they just kind of play with timing and they play within the system

and they're not forcing throws. They let the game come to them. And and not a lot of people know that. They see highlights on yeah on Sports enter ESPN of these these wild throws whenever they are in the game, but they don't see all thirty other throws where they're just underneath because the defense took it away. It's not every player can be an explosive, but what you do with your completions creates what happens later on in the game.

Win bet is now live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement of win Las Vegas to online sports betting, getting on all your favorite teams, players and sports from boostep partlays to live in game odds on every major sport. They have what you need to win. Sign up today to receive a special offer risk free one thousand down the sports bet Download the wind beat app now or visit w y N and bet dot com to start winning.

Winn bet and the Pistil sports book and gaming part of the New York Jets office up to the change in terms of conditions at winbet dot Com must be twenty one the older at president of New Jersey. If you're someone you know has a gambling problem called one two seven zero seven one one seven. What did you take away from that Denver experience? You were there an offensive assistant for a couple of years and I believe the Broncos went through six quarterbacks including Joe Flacco. Yeah,

it was. It was my first job in the NFL, and um, just to see how this whole thing worked and what was really different about it was like you see the different schemes from the defensive standpoint unfold because that was my job was to break down um the games from a defensive standpoint, and that was where I

learned so much about football just watching. I don't know, probably I broke down every game of the opponent that we played prior, so to just bank all those all those clips that I was watching of coverage and when defensive were attacking and why certain things happened. And then getting to work with Big Fangio was was huge for

me because I've never worked for a coach. I viewed the game and that from that standpoint, from a statistical standpoint, self scout and how on it you have to be because certain coaches they'll find things that that you're not always aware of when you're when you're just in the moment of the season just grinding and going through some

certain things. He had everything pinpointed down and that's why he is a great defensive play caller, and that's why most of the time he's calling them right coverage because he's putting people on for what they've done. What do you like most about Flack on How does he help Wilson Joe? Joe is awesome because his wealth of knowledge from playing the game for for this long at a high level, and he's he's an elite arm talent. You can put the ball wherever he wants. And I knew

that from Denver. But he's, uh, he's in a good spot. He's been helping Zack out in the meeting room and whether it's on the field quickly, he's just the information he's given Zack Zack. Zack knows this and and I'm sure he's appreciative, but it's it's it's so beneficial for him for at this point in his career to have a veteran like that that's won a Super Bowl, that's played this many football games helping him out in a good spot in his career. How fun is a dynamic there?

Flag was older than you. Yeah, and obviously Zack two. Yeah, you know, so I gotta imagine you guys have some interesting conversations sometimes. Yeah, it's awesome, but yeah, we we we kind of bus around a little bit in the quarterback meeting room at the end of the meeting or

when we got a little bit of time. And it's just funny to see the age differences between Joe, myself, Zack and the things that we talked about and sometimes you know whether it's Zach or Joe, like they're too far removed from that certain situation, Like I don't know what you know. It's it's it's it's it's cool. It's a good group of guys. We have a lot of fun. Um, they all meshed well together. It's really good room. You're a Long Island kid. It broke a lot of Boomers

size his records growing up in Long Island. Can you talk about your experience and then how you wound up at UCF. Yeah, luckily. Um, you know, I did go to Boomers High school and and I know they I broke his records because they probably threw the ball five times a game. But he was He's a he's a Long Island legend. He's from my hometown. That's why I

grew up a Jets fan. And through the recruiting process getting to meet him and him reaching out and trying to just help guide me through my career as a player, and then that more so as a coach. Now he's been awesome and um, what led me to Central Florida is Boomer's head coach South Champi at East ilip I played first son in South Champion Jr. And then it's

one of the most historic programs on Long Island. He's was best friends champ, the Champion senior was best friends with the head coach at UCF, and I don't I don't know if I had this ASI and like, I'm going to UCF because that's what the championshire telling me to do. And luckily they were able to, you know, get me out there for a visit, and I was lucky enough to get an offer and I saw the campus and ultimately I was like, I'm going to You

were following us some pretty big footsteps, right Pepper. Yeah, Dante Copepp played there and I think he was the first true freshman player and then I ended up playing. Now, I didn't have the success yet and it was a rough career, but I've learned a lot. And that's kind of where I got the itch that I'm going to be a football coach, you know, from being injured and having to sit out and then watching Borders come in and kind of helping him go through his career when

I wasn't able to play. I knew right then and there, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life. So Scott is a quarterback. Me, I would make the right decisions, but UM never took too many chances. You know, when they were there. I was more so you say, like I checked down Charlie. I wasn't very accurate, but um I could call a play, get us in the right playing You know, I had fun playing position. But you were a thick dude back then too, most guys. If you look back at the

college biographies, it doesn't say quarterback slash receiver. Watch behind the story there. Um I switched positions. Let's see after I had tour a c L three times in college, but the second time I switched positions because, yeah, we had two quarterbacks that were good players, that were established

and I didn't see myself playing there. And you know, coach had asked me to switch over to receiver because I can quarterback playing receiver help get people lined up, not be the future guy, but just kind of make this offense go and get ready to get up the line scrimmage and be in the right place sometimes. So it was fun of a great experience as a different

lens from the viewing the game. And you know, we'll see that meeting room and how those guys were taught and and go out there and try to execute because the speed of the game is totally different when your receiver one from being conditioned to run that many routes and just get back every single player reset as opposed to a quarterback from the men, the mental focus needed every play where you've got to reset, not standpoint. So it was it was a good experience for me. Yeah,

but they don't let everybody play receiver. What were you running? Uh not fast? Maybe four seven mid four seven. It's not fast. And like I said, you were carrying out a little bit more weight than you Yeah, yeah, were at I was probably two fifteen still the quarterback weight.

But um at that at that point in my career, you know, I just I just wanted to help the team do whatever to win, and whether I had to play special teams and that's just I was a red shirt team or just happy to be there with my guys that came in with with that that recruiting class and just just try and go out there and execute, even if it was ten plays twelve plays a game. It was. It was a good experience for me. But why did that different ones help you? He said, as

far as you in the game. Yeah, just to hear how those guys are talking because you know, and and the different angles of the game which they watched the film. You know, it's more so matchup when you are in a man of man situation for receiver and then the quarterback meeting room, we're looking at the whole the whole picture as far as conceptionally, what are we trying to do?

And receivers, you you're really just watching your technique. You're watching the DBS technique and how much you can separate and within the timing of play. So it was it was fun to be in that room. What do you think about the group around I mean surrounding your young quarterback? Now you had a Garrett Wilson in the off season, Alijah More five touchdowns and eleven games, Corey Davis Beck healthy, Braxton Burials returns as well. He resigns in the off season.

Denzel Mims, I can go down the list. What do you think about the group, It's a it's a good group. It's an explosive group. They got big play potential. Um, they all they all got rack ability, so running after the catch and that's that's where Zach needs to understand, like those guys just get the football in their hands and with whatever we're asking you to do, with whatever route they're running. If that guy is open, let's get it to them quickly so they can go make the

explosive play. Yes, we're still going to go off top. We're and have our creative plays and explosive opportunities, but it's a it's a great room for the explosive potent filed with the underneath throws, which you love to see as a quarterback. Speaking of underneath throws, how about so many security blankets in terms of the tight position. You guys had Cjama, Tyler Conklin, a free anency they combined

for a hunter and time catches last year. And then you come back and you mentioned it before you get rutgered in the draft. Yeah, and that that's just from a scheme standpoint. You know, defenses can't play certain coverages if we across the board have have weapons and they can't take away the receivers and leave the tight end

matched up with a linebacker. And you know, sacks got enough awareness now within the system to know that there's some access stuff that if you see a matchup you like you're gonna take it, and adding those weapons just just just adds to our offense and and what we can do when you put the period here at the end of the off season here in a couple of weeks with the conclusion of Becher mini camp, which is mandatory right now, these are voluntary sessions here as we

tape during O t A s where do you want to be at I just want to be be able to go into training camp with ground running mentality. You know, you don't want to be able to just shut your brain off and come back and have to get these things reinstalled, whether it's a scheme, whether it's a formation,

or whether it's a technique. So you want all these guys that just leave leave the field feeling really good about what they put out for the last four weeks or even more so two months with Phase two and knowing what they gotta do to get a little bit better and come back and train and get in shape and mentally ready to roll and we can hit the ground running. As far as scheme wise, I'm jumping a little bit. I'm and go back to you. You see f days you said you knew you wanted to be

a coach. You started at the high school level. What kind of advice would you give to somebody who wants to coach. Just get your foot in the door with whatever program, organization, with whatever job it is. And um, I was lucky enough to just stay in the Orlando area because Central Floria did not have a graduate assistant spot open yet. So coach Olia told me to just hang out for six months, you know, go go do whatever.

And I ended up working at Blake Bortles Old High School and you know, getting to no coach Allen there, they gave me a job and I was working in the school and was able to coach, and then come January, I was able to get on staff at ucfrom from then from then on, just stuck with it. But then a young coach, you just want to get into the building, into the organization with whatever whatever you're doing, and then

that's your that's your interview. And if it's an internship, if it's an on field, if it's a whatever, do you have that moment you step into building to impress whoever, because you never know, And in today's day and age, there's there's guys if you look at the room that it could be head coaches somewhere else. It could be coordinators.

And that's your interview process as you get going and you have to make an impression for however long you're there, then you have made an impression because then you went into college ranks. One of those stops was Wagner right, yeah, waing to college. Yes, that was after UCF was able to work with UM coach coach Hotel ng At. Wagner was lucky enough to get a job there. And then that's where I met coach s Gangarrella, who ended up working in San Francisco. But UM, great experience, three three

great years out on Staten Island. So a lot of good players. Greg's not and is one of them who's here, and UM, I had a lot of fun during those three years. I've enjoyed this very much. We gotta have you come back at some point. Lastly, let's just the final question would be Robert Sale. All the players says say it really connects. You feel him when he talks from your perspective being a coach on his staff. What's

it like working for him and with him? It's uh, it's amazing because he makes you look at a lot of different things. From a different lens, whether it's how delivered we're trying to do things and how meaningful each rep is and each single individual each meeting, what are we trying to accomplish? And that's how he looks at things and can we be delivered? Because the way he connects how we run our meetings and what you do an individual to how it shows up on game day,

it's really impactful. As as a coach. Just look at that and you're not just running drills. You're doing things to get these players ready for Sunday. And and that's how you start to prepare yourself as a coach. You watch things around the league or whether it happened on Sundays, well that could possibly happen. Let me let me have a drill set up, Let me have an awareness, just mentality ready for the for my position being the quarterbacks. Like I just I really appreciate how it used the game,

how he connects it from everything that we do. Long Islands, Rob Calaries, thanks for coming up to the studio. I appreciate it. Thank you.