LISTEN | An Offseason Conversation with C Connor McGovern (4/22)

four fourteen. Um got home from the hospital on on Saturday and uh, you know, just doing the doing the dad life right now. I'll be back in Jersey and uh in the building next week. What's her name? And how is everybody doing? Mom and baby are great. The baby's name is Dylan Lucy McGovern um. And she was a big girl, measuring eight pounds fifteen ounces, so she was an ounce short of being a nine pound baby. So but happ being healthy. Yep, yep, big girl. Now

you're out west right now. The Jets offseason voluntary portion of the program started. But you have a good excuse here not to be here right Yeah, I got I got the blessing from the coaches to uh to to postpone it a week. It was actually, so we came over with the hospital on Saturday, and then it was Easter Sunday, and uh, I'm from North Dakota and a blizzard rolled through on Sunday. So even if I tried to get out on Sunday, there's no way I was

getting out of here on Sunday. Um. And then Monday it was still pretty bad, so I wouldn't been able to get there till you know, tonight anyways. And the coaches were like, you know what, enjoy being a dad for a week, um, and we'll see you next Monday. So they were the Jets were awesome about it. So a guy from North Dakota, what is your definition of a blizzard? Uh? You know, it was only about two or two or three inches, which isn't a lot of

snow volume. But it was windy, you know, like thirt winds. Then it was blowing my crazy. Your visibility you know, it's like a quarter of a mile or half a mile, so it's not great visibility. Um. So it was a it was a you know, if it was February, it would have been a pretty normal snow light blizzard, but for April it was it was a pretty big one. So, but you're hanging out with your parents right now, so everybody's to celebrate the new addition to the family. And also,

you guys are gonna have a new home. You're working on that, right Yep, yep, working on building a new home. So we Uh my dad likes to joke that his NFL son moved back home. Um, we just kind of did the classic millennial thing. And we're living with our my parents right now while our our house is getting built here at Park. Hey man, it's been a busy off season for you on multiple fronts. What can you tell me about your participation in the Able Games and

what are the Able Games? Yes? The Able Games is something that uh myself and Kim Platt some over at T and T Fitness Year and Fargo came up with UM and it's a platform for people with all abilities to compete UM in a physical competition. You know. Being an NFL football player, competitions kind of my life. You know, it's it's something that I love and I find something

to compete in every day. UM. I think everybody on the team or in the NFL is a is you know what you classify as ultra competitive and you just you just love it. And UM, so I got involved with the Special Olympics our special needs athletes through the Special Olympics in college. My good buddy Mitch Morris, who's a center in the NFL, UM got me involved with the Special Olympics that in Missouri, who has as a state has a phenomenal special needs are Special Olympics program.

And so Kim was a family friend compliants as a family friend of my family, and she reached out to my mom was like, hey, it just kind of have any interest UM and working with TNT coming and spokesperson. And she didn't even know that I I wanted to start work with people's special needs. So I was a yeah, I love to. We kind of you know, brainstorm came with the ABLE Games UM and so it's the second year.

Uh you know, we raised a ton of money both the first year in the second year UM and then actually organically through the competition and and the classes that T and t UM does for athletes with special needs. UM we have now started ABLE which is UM a pe curriculum that the State of North Dakota UM is pretty much adopting as a whole it'll be a PE curriculum.

A student and a enable body and especially needs student can both UM get their required PE credits for a semester because they partner up and then they go through our curriculum um AT in a school year. UM So it's a way for us to get into and help as many people as we possibly can. We don't have to have everybody come to T and T to help

them UM. So we're bringing the curriculum to the schools, also to gyms, So whether you're a cross the gym or UM any sort of fitness center, you can take our curriculum and and and have fitness classes for people especial needs. And everything is partnered because it's a great way to you know, get people working with UM people

especial needs. You know, sometimes it can be intimidating. You don't want to, you know, do the wrong things, say the wrong thing, But when you get working with them and and and really being around people, especially needs, you really see the love that they bring and and how special they are. You know, I don't think I've ever seen anybody I love the way a special needs person does.

So and then when they get to compete, you know, to have a parent come up to you at the ABLE Games and say, you know that you know who have You know, they've always wanted their son or daughter to to compete in in you know, just like everybody else does UM, and to come up and you know, tears in their eyes, saying how awesome it was to finally get to see their child, who's now maybe in their twenties, finally get to compete, finally get to see

the smile on the special needs athletes face from competing. UM. It's been truly special. And the final piece actually it's it's crazy how fast this has grown in two years is able vocation UM. So right now in a special needs UM person I like to call my athletes because

the ABLE Games. But when especial needs person is done with high school, they kind of just go to medicaid right now, and there's not a great path for him, you know, like everybody else you can go to You go to high school, then you go to college where you go to a vocation school UM, and there's no real path for or for special needs people. So we're trying to build that path because a lot of them are able to do a lot of things and through the competition has really shown how able these people are

and this demographic is. Um. So it's been amazing. Um, it's been incredibly fulfilling for my wife and I too to be so involved in this and and to see the way to see the way it's growing. UM. So, you know, hopefully ables in in every state and every pe class um and able vocation is is in every state to help help bring a bring a workforce with the people with special needs and allow them to to live that fulfilling life through competing, through physical education, and

then through vocations. We're just trying to, um, yeah, give them the most fulfilling life we possibly can. You mentioned Mitch Moore's back at Missouri. Was there a specific child or specific event or experience that you had in college where you said, hey, not only did I like participating in this and being involved, but this is something that I want to continue to do down the line. Yeah we uh um we. So during this competition, it was a it was a weightlifting um meet for the Special Olympics,

and this athlete came up. Um. The individual had to have been I don't know, a hundred eighty, a hundred fifty pounds. The coach helped walk them to the bench. You know, they couldn't get to the bench on their own. They laid down and I was on one of the sides loading weights and helping spot and they it was like to seventy five, so it was like double their body way easily double their body weight on a bench. And you know, the coach they laid down the bench,

it was like, all right, are you ready? And they like they like kind of give them a head shape and lays down and absolutely smokes like a two x body weight bench. And I was like, holy moly, that is incredible. And that's kind of what did it for me, Like just to see, you know something where like I was like, there's no way this athlete is getting this bench, and then they just came down and absolutely smoked it.

I was like, Okay, this is this is really cool And I think a lot more people need to experience this because it's something that I had no idea that was there. And and and you know, I think the word able comes because I use it all the time about how able these athletes are, and I think that's kind of where we got a name from. But to see that that athlete was able to do that was was phenomenal. It was it was, it was life changing.

So so how many days was the most recent able games and how many events were the children able to participate in? The kids? So we had a Friday morning we had like a Place sixty type event for children young children with special needs UM. And then Friday afternoon we did this thing called the Celebrity Face Off. I had some my NFL friends and CrossFit friends UM in town and it was kind of like a Pep rally.

You just did fun things UM with sponsors, and each sponsored team had a special needs adult and a special needs UM teenager and they got to compete in fun games like a relay with an egg on a spoon and kind of like a dodgeball type thing and a tug of war that kind of stuff. Kind of just to allow the sponsors to get their employees around people especial needs and and how to work with them and all that kind of stuff. And then Saturday Sunday was

the competitions. It was all they said, all day Sunday. UM. It was five events UM, so we had four or if we had uh five classes In fitness competitions, r X is like the top tier and then you have scaled, then you have novice, and then you had special needs adult and special needs child, which is essentially teenagers. So there's five five groups, five events apiece. We had, um, you know, you know, almost two hundred athletes, UM, at least it was I think it was ninety athletes with

special needs in almost three d athletes total. So it was awesome. Wow. So how emotional has this last couple of weeks ben for you? As far as the strides are taken with the kids they're back home the Able Games? How much this has grown and how you're a dad? Yeah, it's it's it's been. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. You know. Uh. We had set the deadline or the uh the date for the Able Games a year in advanced, and then a couple of months later we found out

we were pregnant. It was gonna the due date was the Monday after the Able Games. So my wife, who was full term nine months pregnant, she went to the gall on Thursday night, both things, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. UM, she did amazing. She was she was a rock star and everybody there, you know, I just couldn't believe how awesome. She did. And then um, Monday came and our our daughter didn't quite come yet, and she was about four

days late. So then we got a couple of days to catch our breath and and kind of reset and get ready for our baby girl to come. It's o Connor. How important was it not only to get the games off, but now this thing is expanding, Like you talked about getting into the schools now, yeah, I mean that's to me, that's the cool like even the coolest parts. It came about so organically. It was just a need that was there and and and a niche that T and T and um our idea can kind of fit. So um

it worked out. It was just it And I think that's the coolest part of just organic. Nothing was forced. It was just a need that we saw and we kind of capitalize on it and and really fill in that need to help as many people as possible. And you said how many kids participated? You said, like three hundred, right, We had feudered athletes that range from r X to uh you know, kids with special needs, the special needs kids and adults. We had ninety um, I think nineties

special needs athletes competing. But there's not 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 boosted 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 up now or visit w y N and vett dot com to start winning winn bet and the

Pistol Sports Book. And gave me partner of the New York Jets. Oppose up to the change in terms of positions at wimpit dot com. Must be on the older at President of New Jersey if you have someone you know has a gambling problem on sevens or seven one one seven? All right, So I wanted to get back to you a little bit as far as your day, like you used are you still a killer in the weight room? Because it's funny you mentioned somebody in terms of back in Missouri getting on the bench. Didn't you

once tear a peck trying to bench five plus? I did, Yeah, I was on my way to set the school record, and um I got a little cocky and uh, I didn't. I didn't quite get my back right to to do a heavy bench and I I thought I was just gonna bench five hundred pounds like it was nothing, and I was wrong, and I tore my pack. But I did manage to get the squad record for for the universe for the UH weight room. And what was the

squad record? Uh? So we did five rep maxes and I did six nine five reps, which if you do the algorithm or whatever mathematical you know, to figure out your one rep max, that came out to about just over eight hundred pounds. But I have I've never put eight hundred pounds on my back. I've done over I've done about seven fifty I think is my best one rep. That's legitimately crazy. You said six nineties? So how many

plates on each side? So we had a bigger bar, so is a you know, a big seventy pound bar, so it's a lot thicker, so it wouldn't bend quite as much. And I had, um, three hundred pound plates on each side, um, and then a forty five on each side and some smaller ones, so um, it would it would have been six ninety would be would that be about eight plates on each side if you did it like just forty pretty sure, that's right, quick, quick meathead math. In my head, I think it's a plates man.

That is ridiculous because I was thinking when you're talking six maybe once, but you're doing it five times. Yeah, I did it for five reps. I uh yeah. Then I got excited. I thought I was cool. Went to rip my shirt off and I like ripped my shirt off and my bell was too ted, almost passed out. It was a it was a whole deal, but it was it was fun. It was exciting. I had the whole football team in the weight room. Um, it was a Friday. We've been getting hyped. It was. It was

a really cool experience. Hey, let me ask you how painful the torrent peck was. It wasn't too bad. Luckily had great coaches. Um. One of our coaches had trained out west side bar bell Um And as soon as the bar hit my chest and he saw my elbow kind of tweak out and said the bar go up. He knew instantly that I had started tearing my pecks, and he grabbed the bar um and saved me from a lot worse, and which was a great two. Didn't have to have surgery. Um, just got a peck half

held on by some scar tissue right now. So um, but no, it could have been a lot worse, but I didn't have such great spotters there and coaches. Oh my god. How much time off do you give yourself

during the off season? I, you know, I like to I I love to work out, so I kind of you know, maybe a week this year is a little different with with my knee, but normally I take about a week of not really doing anything, um, and then kind of slowly build back in um and do you know, more of a forty five to an hour workout and then just kind of slowly add add exercises and sets on as I go um through the off season. But no, I love it. I love working out. I love I

love the grind. So it's it's you know, my getaway. It's it's, uh, you know, I need that part of my day, so I I don't take too much time off. What are you listening to when you're working out? Depends? It depends on the day, you know, if it depends on the exercise I'm doing at the time, it depends on the mood I'm in um. You know, if I'm doing heavy squats, it's you know, heavy metal, some god smack,

you know, like kind of what I call like. You know, it's more like a Little John, like the high tempo wrap. There's nothing like so in Missoo and your max aout squats, they just played throw it Up by Little John for all day. All day it was on. So that that song comes on, it's it's time to squat some heavyweight. Hey, what do you attribute your durability in National Football League? We're gonna get to your knee in a second, but seven eight career games sixty seven stars. You played in

fifteen games last year. Uh, you had an amazing durability ron before missing a couple of games. What do you attribute that too? Uh? Well, one, uh, you know, a little bit of luck, uh, some good genetics and then um taking care of your body. You know. The kind of the way I train is to try to make it so that is anything that I can do in the off season to really build my body and build

that durability aspect of it. Um I do. I kind of try incorporate that in my trade as much as I can, And I think a big aspect that UM A lot of younger athletes don't understand is the mobility aspect. It's not being truly flexible, the big mobile UM. So I do a ton of mobility work and try to

do everything I can that way to UM. You know, if you get in those odd positions where you might get hurt, UM, you should you should have the mobility to be able to withstand that and uh UM to a to a point obviously UM to to not get hurt and just kind of try to do that with the training. Interesting you say mobility work. When you're talking about mobility work, what are some important exercises for you

as an offensive linement? To me, the biggest are are a full snatch and a full clean, you know, really catching it in the bottom of that position bottom of the squad you're able to beat. Have your ankles at full flat or full doors reflection, your knees at fully fully flexed position, your hips at a fully flexed position, and handle a lot of weight UM, and then snatch. It's the same thing for your knees, hips and ankles

plus and your back, but you're adding your shoulders into it. UM. It's a movement that you know posted on Instagram and you get people commenting, Oh, it's so bad for your back at this, that and the other, but you can

see it on film. I'll get in an odd position where I'm a you know, maybe a little bit bent in a weird angle, and I'm able to have the strength and an odd position, um to kind of come out of that, you know, withstand the block and and and at the end of the day, you know, for the most part, uh, come out a little bit you know,

injury free. Obviously you can't prevent every single injury, but um, you know, it's it's it's there's a lot and there's a lot of other things too, just you do you need to stretch, You need to do all that kind of stuff too, But um, yeah, it's it's snatches and cleans have been been the biggest thing in my opinion, to to help me be at where I am in

my career and and stay injury free. Wouldn't Bed is now live in New Jersey and they're bringing the excitement of wouldn't Las Vegas to online sports bidding getting on all your paper teams play There was in sports, from boosted 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 five hundred dollar sports bet. Download the wind Beat up now or visit w y and and bet dot com to start winning.

Wind Bet an official sports book, and gave me partner up the New York Jets offers up to change in terms of condition that wind bet dot Com must be twenty one or older in President of New Jersey. If you were someone you know has a gambling problem, call Zerousevean one one seven. You alluded to it before. How is the knee and our things on schedule right now for you? I'm a hundred percent ben ronning, been squatting, jumping, cleaning, snatching. I'm back to uh, back to to be able to

play a game. If I I, uh you know, if it was season, I would be practicing every day and playing every snap. So, um, I feel really good. Um. I spent most of the off season in Jersey rehabbing. Um you know, is the m c L is kind of the the injury that bit the old line this year, and so they had healed um quite a few of them, and uh and so I trusted that staff for any injury, but especially this one because of how many they had

had healed this year. So um state in Jersey, I got back to almost a hundred percent before I left, and then came back to to North Dakota for the able games and to have the baby, and then we're headed back to Jersey. A awesome What have you thought of the Jets off season the date? Most notably, what's gonna be happening next to you? On either side? A VT gonna move over to right guard and you pick

up a pro bowler at left Guarden Lake and Tomlinson. Yeah, I know if you watch the talking heads of football that they don't always talk about the Jets off season. Uh you know, maybe we haven't had the blockbuster trades or whatever the crazy offseason has spent. But in my opinion, the Jets have have had the best off season, um in in terms of you know, patching um the places that you know, we need to be patched. And and I've been been very impressed with this offseason. Um every

move is has made me happy. So um yeah, to have a pro bowler next to you you, it's it's gonna be hard to beat. And then obviously a v T is on a fast track to that Pro Bowl level. And Um, for a guy at his age and athleticism, for him, switch and left to right isn't a big deal. So um, I would expect another, you know, an even

better year out of a V team. And and then lake And has been in the system for for his you know, I think his whole career and with h j B every year except for last, I'm pretty sure. So for him to come in, he's he's not he's not a you know what I would say, Uh, he's definitely not a green horn in this system. So he'll come in and and instantly be a leader and actually have more experience and this offensive system than anybody else.

So uh, it's like as an offensive line wise, we're in we're in great straight but I think if you look on paper, we we have to be one of the better offensive lines on paper. So we just need to come out and make sure we prove proved that the papers telling the truth. Yeah. Have you been able to talk to link in it all after he signed with the Jets. Obviously if you had a busy offseason, maybe you guys have exchanged texts or something like that. Yep, Yeah,

we've we've taxed a couple of times. We have the group, we have the online group chat going. Um, it's always a good time in the online group chat. It's it's uh, um, you know, it'll be quiet for a week and then it'll pick up for a week and and uh, some good, good, good conversation has had in the online group chat for sure. Last year, let's talk about you individually. Was that your best year in the NFL? And it's so why would you say that? Yeah? I think it was my best

year in the the NFL. Um. You know, I I fit well in this system. This system places in my strengths. Um. And then you know it's just I was probably you know, the most confidence going into the year. Um. I you know, my body was the best that have been going into it a season and um, yeah, I mean just everything kind of clicked, uh last year, and um, I'd like

to have an even better season this year. You know, I have this going into your seven in the NFL, which someone had asked me that a couple of weeks ago and I hadn't said it yet, and I was like, man, seven sounds old. Six and sound old. Seven sounds old, But um, I'm going into your seven. But I've had six offensive coordinators, six old line coaches. Sup. This would be my first year UM in the exact same system, with the exact same offensive coordinating, the exact same ol

line coach. So I'm really excited to to see how I can take my game to the next level. I get to spend you know, the next two months, um, building on what I had last year instead of restarting. So I'm really excited to build upon last year. And uh, and I kind of go from there. What about the kid behind and Zac Wilson, how much did your communication maybe improve over the course of a year just by playing with each other? And also what did you like from him? Maybe what you saw on the field or

off the field. Yeah, I think Zach's gonna have a phenomenal year. You know, you saw it as the year went on, his confidence grow, his playmaking ability grow, um, and so you know he he has the ability to make that that huge play UM and that's what makes you know, quarterbacks in this league special. And as the year went on, he also got like that, I think

naturally he's a playmaker. And then as the year went on, he got better at being more systematic you know, when that big plays not they're just taking the checked out and moving on and getting that building up to that big player started instead of trying to make that highlight

you know sports center play every single play. Um. It takes a maturity to to let that build and capitalize when an opportunity comes, and when that opportunity is not there, um, to take the easy couple of yards and move on. And and that's really what, in my opinion, what you saw grow from Zack. And then our communication is great, you know he uh, you know, I have a great relationship and whether it's on the field, off the field and meetings, you and I communicate really really well. UM.

So I'm really excited for this year. UM, whether that be because the old line, you know, got mc back healthy, got Zack back, we got some weapons on the outside, and I'm really excited. Yeah. I think there's a crazy stat that we looked up just today we're talking about it that the Jets were the second team since the merger nineteen seventy to have rookies lead them in receiving yards like you mentioned Elijah More in rushing yards, Michael Carter, and then passing yards and Zachs and so this this

is a young team with some talent on it. Yeah. And then one of our best offense, Liman, is also a rookie. So um to have an offense built around essentially rookies um for lack of a better term. And then and to have them going into year two with the same system, same coaches, same building, you know, and then adding the pieces around them that are needed to really take it to the next level. I think our

offense could be really special. Will give me your favorite Robert Sola story from your one so I don't I don't know if I can tell the exact story, but it was on we're all friends here as a team meeting and we're in Green Bay, UM. And the story

that's all I told was was awesome. And so my favorite thing, I'll just say that my favorite thing about sala Um is how he teaches and and kind of a hum almost like a parable kind of way for if that makes sense, Like he tells great stories, um, and they all have great meaning and more than just on the field, meaning like he's really leading men and t because there are some some of the guys in the league are are young and they and they still need that you know how to be a great man

example and solids that. Um. So his stories, whether they were the night before games or in this case, the day of a joy practice, um uh, they're awesome. And I think he's he's a great leader. Um and and I really enjoyed playing for him. You know, something that's always struck with me about Robert is that he never calls any of the guys boys or kids or rookies. He calls everybody young men. Yeah yeah, Carter, Okay, you just talked about it before. Man, you bet in the

league for a few years. Now, you got a birthday coming up. Let's go. Let's go back to two thousand seventeen real quick. What was your draft experience? Like you're taking in the fifth round out of Missouri. I don't know if everybody remembers this, but it's not like you were playing center at Missouri before you were drafted. No, I kind of my whole career, I've always kind of

been like the backup center that plays guard. Um you know, and and uh so, I actually had to play left tackle my senior year at college, which, um, especially in the SEC being you know, six four, three hundred pounds on a good day. UM, three oh five. Maybe you know you're a little I'm a little small. I got arms at if a draft analyst was talking about me at tackle, would say incredibly short, good first center, incredibly short for tackle. UM. So me playing left tackle my

senior year didn't do me any favors in the draft. UM. Then I went and got hurt at the Senior Bowl when I was supposed to kind of the first thirty minutes of the first practice. UM. And that's kind of I was using that to kind of cement that I was in NFL guard. UM. So I went in fifth round of the draft, came into the broncos Um. Little adversity of my first year at the broncos Um. But ever since then, you know, I was I've always kind

of been that backup center that was playing guard. But then unfortunately one of my best friends, UM in my third year got hurt, Matt Artis UM and I, like I said, I was the backup center playing guards. So I slid over to center in the middle of the game.

UM and uh and and the rest is history. And I really enjoy a center and UM, to be honest, I've always felt like it was naturally my position that I would excel at the best um and I just never quite had the opportunity at a great center in college named Evan Bain who was in the NFL UM and then got to the Broncos and Matt Partis was there, so I wasn't going to be centered with him there. Um and so but once I had that opportunity, I really really capitalized on it and uh and kind of

cemented myself there. And it's the position that I really enjoy. Yeah, you kind of like the overlook piece up there is this offensive line moves ahead, Hey do you will you pay attention draft weekend or a veteran in your shoes is kind of like, hey, wake me up after the draft is over. Now I know what I have to do to get ready. I enjoyed the draft. Um, it's it's a cool experience. You know. I remember it and how how you know, emotional it was and how special

it was when I was going through it. Um. The stories you hear about you know, uh, ESPN or whoever. NFL does a great job of filling everybody in the background. And and you know, because sometimes we get a little you know, depersonalized. I guess. Uh, And it really kind of brings the person into the picture in the draft, in my opinion. And I love hearing the stories and and seeing the adversity everybody's fought through to get to

where they are. Um, So I enjoy it. And plus you you like to see who who your rookies are gonna be, who's gonna be buying you rookie dinner? So um, I enjoy it to watch it and see how it goes, and to see who your new teammates are and uh and yeah, I enjoy watching. Yeah, it's a great opportunity for this organization, right with the two top ten picks, the four in the top thirty eight nine overall. And we were just talking about before a few of those

guys in that two thousand twenty one draft class. If you get another draft class like the one you had last year, do you think you guys are gonna be well on your way to what Joe Douglas said playing meaningful games in December. Yeah, I mean, if you if you can hit on two drafts in a row like we did last year, um, you're set up for you know, a solid five, six, seven, eight years are really really

good football ahead. UM and I think, you know, Joe d his team, Coach Sala, all the coaches, they're the right guys that are are are there to do it. And you know, it's kind of funny. I was at the end of the season doing my ex interviews. I was hurt, and I kind of went into interviews a little early so I didn't have to be there the last day taking everybody's time. When I was sitting there talking to coach Sala, and I was like, just out of curiosity, like what do you look for when you

draft a guy? And he was like, He's like, I don't look for who has the most potential per se. He's like, I look for the guy that's going to hit his highest potential or who's most likely to hit his full potential. He's like, I want a team full of guys that are hitting and operating at the higher their highest potential, not guys that have them potential. And I thought that was that was awesome and and that like, to me, tell says that he's drafting guys on who

they are, not you know what they can do. UM. And I think that's a great way to build a very successful team. UM, a great way to build a championship team. And as you saw from the one draft, Um, Joe D and Coach Solo and all that, all that everybody, you know, the hundreds of people that go into to

all that kind of stuff did a phenomenal job. And I just see them building on that next year with you know that basis in mind when when you get Joe D and saw brand an extremely high level and really picking the guys that are gonna to fulfill that and reach their potential every day. Um, you're gonna you're gonna win a lot of football games. Wow. We're gonna leave it at that, well said, kind of recovering such an exciting offseason for you, your family, the people out

there in North Dakota who you're helping. Congratulations and all of that. And if we don't see before your birthday, Happy birthday, my man. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Getting old, not quite dirty, but almost getting back, definitely getting back. Thanks buddy,