The OTP | Introducing Titans GM Ran Carthon

We recorded this on Friday, January the twentieth, and just a little while ago, Ran Carthon had his first press conference as he's introduced as general manager. Amy Adam Strunk very excited to introduce him, Mike Vrabel, very excited to work with him. I mean he won the press conference, There's no question about it. I mean he blew everybody away. I don't think anyone who had heard the build up to him is surprised that he won the press conference. Amy, No,

absolutely not. I mean anybody you talked to in the National Football League, anybody who has spoken on him publicly at all in the last week or so, has had glowing things to say about Ran. And I think we all saw that today, ton of charisma, ton of excitement, and you can tell he's passionate about this job, this opportunity, and also this football team. And I think that those three things are all good by me. I'm just over

the moon. Everybody blown away to by the video from Thursday of him entering Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park and the staff on hand to greet him, and what that meant to both he and his family. Absolutely, it was, I mean a beautiful moment. The video, it just blows you away, you know. And the Titans posted it and I got a ton of things from people all across the NFL just kind of talking about what a cool

moment that was. You could tell it really touched him, and I think it also really kind of touched Aby

Adam Strunk. She seemed blown away by the fact that every area of the club, from the ticket office to the marketing department, to coaching staff and scouts, everybody was there and it showed how this team has really kind of come together, and the collective organization, not just the football side, not just the business side, but the collective organization is excited about this higher and this next chapter

for this team. Let's hear from ran Carthon, as I had a chance to sit down and visit with him about more than just football, about his dad, his perception of this job. Coming back to this part of the country, you'll hear that he is a very serious Florida Gator to this day. Still this and a lot more rant Carthon joining us on the a T T. This is the man of the hour, the Titans New GM, and

we have to start with the most important part. I say, because I watched your dad play in the usfl Maurice Carthon, I say Carthon because that's how they said it on TV. Is that your preferred pronunciation? We can, yes, that's how I pronounce it. My mom pronounced it Carthon. Since everybody has their own my mom said it when when you got hired, she said Carthon. I said, I think it's Carthon. So I use Carthon. I use Carthon, he uses Carthon. Everybody has their own version of it, but we'll roll

with Carthon. Titans fans say, Carthon, you're doing just fine, all right, So when you're looking for players, I want to I want to throw the stead at you about your dad. Okay, So in nineteen eighty five, he played twenty two games for the New Jersey General Do you know this, Yes, he played twenty two games for the New Years Generals. Then he walked sixty five steps from the General's locker room at the Meadowlands to the Giants locker room at the meadow Lands, and then he played

twenty three games for the Giants. So, in the space of less than a year, your dad played in forty five games. Can you find us some players like that? I don't think those existing the first time? Limitations and but no, he told me that story, and I was I was unaware of that story. He told me that man probably about eight years ago he told me that story. I think he had a two week window from when the USFL season ended versus when he signed with the Giants.

And he told me legitimately he almost retired following that season just because the total took on his body, and especially as a lead blocking you know, fullback who didn't touch the ball. He just was a battering round. Was an extension of the old line. But yeah, that's a that's a crazy step. What's the main trait you think you take from your dad? And you carry on into your life to this day. Work. That's the first thing come to mind. I tell people I'm an early riser.

I got that from my dad. Like my biological clock, no matter what coast i'm I'm up by four forty seven, and it's specifically for forty seven, you know, And it's no alarm. And that's just my biological clock. My dad when he was coaching, he was in the office by four or thirty. Guy. You know, my dad worked extremely hard and that's that was him all the way through.

And you know, I mean ultimately he had a he had a stroke in twenty fourteen New Year's Day, and that was a lot of you know, stress from the way he worked in not allowing his body to regenerate. But you know, the way I'm hard wired comes from him to you know, I'll be in here early. That's just who I am. I get my best works done then. But that's the quality I think I've took the most from my dad. Ran What was it like telling your mom and dad I'm a GM in the NFL as

of today? So it's funny. My dad and I we were talking about it last night when he got in town. He was like you told me the news so calm. He was like, I was just waiting no more. I didn't know if you were serious. And I kind of got that consistently. Even my wife didn't take me serious. But you know, like I've said before, I was in the middle of an airport terminal, you know, so I

couldn't be too excited and run. You have this vision of you know, when I get that call that I'm going to be named the GM of a place, like I'm it's like draft day where you see the guys jump up in family's check. I'm in a terminal with strangers, you know, And so I just tried to compose myself as much as possible where he was just giving me a hard time last night that I was just way too calm. Found a couple of quotes from you from twenty twelve. I want to read them to you and

see how much they still apply. That's what I'm all about. I'm all about winning, even more so than in twenty twelve. I mean now in twenty twelve, I'm I'm assuming at the time I was with the Rams may have just gotten hired by the Rams. So I'm playing a key part in Lesson's operation. And I tell guys in the office all the time, whether you agree or disagree with the decision. Let's just use Less as example. Since we're talking,

we're here to execute Less's vision. Right, So I'm just a soldier in Less's army, and now I get to be the general, you know, of an army. So it's really more it's important, you know, like I said, to win, you know, and it's even more important now than I'm the general. All right, here's another one. I never run away from competition. I'm a very competitive guy. I'm feeling like that came from my college days and I know the exact time we had a log jam in the backfield.

And I'm not afraid of competition, you know. I'm one of those people that I'm good with having the uncomfortable conversation, you know, because sometimes you just need to take things head on, and whether you win or lose, you usually get better, you know, when you compete on something. So that still holds true. All Right, you're an SEC guy. You're back in SEC country. It feels like that was part of the allure of this job, was to get back here where you know, football just means a little

bit more no matter what level it's. Yeah, it was, It's super important and I'm gonna have to be careful. Fine my gator flag. Every home that we've lived in we have something gator oriented in in front of our home and let everybody know where gators now. We have a decal on the garage. I got a little gator holding a football on the front step. I remember living in Atlanta, I had a Gator flag. After every SEC game. Usually my flag was in the yard because somebody came

and took it down, you know. But it's really huge, you know, and even from an outside of football perspective. My wife is from Miami, and it just allows us to get back on this side and be closer to family. You know, our parents are getting up there in age, so it's more important to you know, spend more time with them, and you know, being here in this location

allows us to do. So. When you finished your playing career, you went back and finished your degree and then you said, I'm not gonna follow my dad into coaching, which is what most former players do. You said, I want to work in personnel. Why did personnel have that kind of intrigue for you? So what people don't know is my dad's initial thing was he wanted to do personnel. Okay, so Parcels called him, I think this was ninety four ninety five and offered him a job. My dad was like, okay, cool,

but I want to do personnel. And Bill's like, if you know, Bill know you're coaching. And once he stamps that, that's what it is. And so my dad always steered me, you know, to personnel. So when I was in college, pro day circuit comes, I get a call, Hey, coach A is coming. You need to meet him at the office at six. You need to watch film with him. You need to hold his clipboard, you need to clock his forties, you need to and you need to talk to him about your teammates. And so that was kind

of ingrained in me early. And so when I was done, I actually coached high schoolball one year in Miami in two thousand and seven to see if I had that in me. And I learned after two weeks that coaching wasn't for me, but it was a good experience to have. And then once I went back to finish my degree, I kind of just you know, went all charges ahead. You went through some st as a player. You got hurt in high school. You get to Florida, a bunch

of backs there, you have to wait your turn. You don't get drafted, you fight your way into the NFL, you're cut multiple times, the journey being I don't want to say hard, but I mean certainly there were obstacles. How much of that do you carry into this job and do you feel like helps you in the personnel world and now as a general manager? Yeah, I think it allows what these young men are going through. I think it brings a human element to it because I've

been through it. One of my mentors back home build spots. Would you know, his family owned a hotel and at the age of fourteen, he knew that that's what he wanted to do, so his father made him work for every job in the hotel until he eventually took over. So that's how I see my journey, right, I've gone through all these multiple steps and now I'm here at the pinnacle of you know what it is we do

and so I've worked every job in the buildings. So now that allows me to identify with every scout I've been in the locker room. I've been cut multiple times, so now I can identify with those guys in the locker room. So that's kind of how I see my journey. Alignment in the organization. You said that's the most important lesson you've learned that successful organizations have alignment between personnel

and coaching. When you talked about that today at the press conference, I totally believed you because you could you sense that having seen it successfully work, that it can be carried over right. Yeah. Absolutely, And at the end of the day, like I said, you know, we're we're here to execute you know, Mike's vision and Mike and you know whomever our knew offensive coordinator going to be

in our defensive coordinating specialty coordinator. They have a way that they want to do things and it's our job, as you know, a personnel staff, to go find those players. You know, Miss Amy and the crew from the interview. I you know, I have this quote and they've heard me say it. Hunting at the same time. Is it the same as hunting together? And that's what I want

to do here. I want our guys to hunt together so we can go out and bring home you know, the meal so to speak, allow us to be successful. One way that you brought home the meal is in San Francisco, you identified a lot of free agents that have fit well into the forty nine ers world, whether

they be big name or not. Why has that been a strength and what do you feel about that that you hope you can do here the same way Again, it goes back to our staffs being married, you know, in the collaboration of the staff, knowing what is going to take for us to be successful, knowing what our coaches want, but then at the same time knowing the right people to bring into our culture. You know, one thing I can say if you look at the Rasha that we built in San Francisco, we didn't have a

lot of bad character guys. We didn't have a lot of guys facing disciplinary actions because we were intentional about the type of person that we wanted to come in and fit our culture all right. Last one, you have been so close to winning a Super Bowl as a player and as a personnel man in this league. I mean, you have been frightened clothes. How much of it is a motivation that you bring to Ascension Saint Thome of

Sports Sports Park and the Tennessee Titans today. Yeah, that was one of the things I spoke with the group interview group about is you know, it would be their first Lombardy, in my first Lombardy. And after we lost the Super Bowl in twenty nineteen, obviously devastated, and I'm talking to my wife about it, and my wife kind of brought up the point, you know, maybe it's not your time. You know, maybe your time is when you're

in charge somewhere. Maybe that's your time. And I truly, you know, believe, you know, by the grace and mercy of the Most High, that you know that the time will come with me in charge, and it's specifically here with this organization, I hope. So we're looking forward to the ride, whatever it is. Thank you so much. Thank you, Brad Carthon. It's saying it proper. We're glad he's here, Thanks very much. All right, So let's pick up on the Florida thing for just a minute, and the fact

that he is still very much a gay. Yes, when Florida beat Tennessee in two thousand and six, twenty one to twenty, he went to Peyton Manning's room. He's still with the colds. He went to Peyton Manning's room, knocked on the door. Peyton Manning opened the door and he started singing the Florida fight song. That's very funny. Peyton immediately closed the door and he stood there and continued to sing the Florida fight song until he was finished. That. I must say I respect that too. I also respect

Peyton for slamming the door. I'm sure Peyton did not find that funny. No, he would not find that funny. But ran Carthon was cut eleven days later by the Colts. Do you think it was I was just about to say that's a little too close. I don't think that's why he was. He was waived. But you know, I think the word that comes to my mind. You watched the interview, you heard the whole thing, you met him as well. Genuine. Genuine's a great word. Yes, very genuine.

I think he I mean, I think he's going to be a guy who he is who he is. You know, he seems passionate about learning, not just how to do this job and do it really well because he's never been a general manager before, but he also seems very passionate about learning this organization. He wants to know the ins and outs of what's happening. Here at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park. And it's not just he's coming in

and doing things his way. He wants to find the best way and pull from a lot of different things, whether they're established or whether there's something he's experienced from somewhere else. And I think that that thirst for kind of knowledge and understanding is something that comes through right away, and I think is what's going to make him successful ultimately at this job. All right. Another thing that jumped

out to me is I'm listening to him. I'm thinking about the GM search in twenty sixteen and the level of candidate that Amy Adams Strunk had. I mean, it was a it was a super duper list of people who have done things and have been successful. And her general manager that she hired was successful. This time, it's a very different job need in terms of the GM, right, because the Titans aren't bad, you know the Titans. The

Titans aren't a five win team over two years. The Titans don't have the number one pick in the draft. And it was an impressive list of people that she interviewed, several of whom I think you're going to go on to hear from. I mean, Monti Austin for it's already gotten a GM job in the last week, so I think she identified the right people again. But it feels like to me, Ran Carthon is the right I at

this moment for where this franchise was. Yeah, the same way she had the temperature in twenty sixteen of who she needed to interview and what she needed, And it feels like she got the temperature right of who she needed to talk to this time and what she needed. Because it's not exactly the same thing. It's absolutely not the same thing. And I think that's a great point that you make. This job isn't about necessarily building the

foundation of the Tennessee Titans. There is a foundation for the Tennessee Titans because they have been very successful in the last eight years. Now it's about elevating now, it's about getting over the hump, moving to the next echelon of what makes a team a great team, a perennial contender, a team that this entire nation is talking about consistently, and that's kind of the next level. So getting someone who has different experiences, a different perspective, a fresh set

of eyes. There's so many different elements that are required in that position right now. I think that that's reflected not only in the people that Amy brought in to really be looking at, but it's reflected in the way that Ran as approaching this position and the way that he's approaching this job. We heard the word collaboration about nine hundred and eighty four times, and I think that that's really truly what they are going to be doing.

It's collaborating. It's working together to build on what is already established and elevate it and make it that much better. This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. Plan on paying Less for the coverage you need with Farm Bureau Health Plans. Get a quote today at FBHP dot com. Amy Adam Strunck was kind enough to take a little time to swing by and visit with us as she's positively glowing about the hiring of Ran Carthon today.

And you just heard it is Carthon. Carthon very fine, And it helps because that is the way somebody from the South would say it. Yeah, people don't say Carthon here. I wouldn't think, you know, I don't think my mother did. She got me thrown off because she was like, she was like, it's Carthon, I think, and so that got in my head. So then that's why I ask you,

Ran Carthon. But I can pronounce this, Amy Adams Strump, that's not hard with us now on the OTP Titans, owner Amy Adams Strump today introduced the team's new general manager, Ran Carthon. As you compiled the list of general manager candidates to interview, what were some of the most important characteristics that you were looking for. Well, I think first, you know, you have to think we need to find

the best evaluator. But you can be so technical, but there's so much more involved in being a great GM, and so there was going to be a lot of things. Leadership, personality, they're just a lot goes into being that guy that that can collaborate with Frabel. You know, most gms picked their coach, and we have a you know, special situation. We have a great coach, and you know that was

going to be important to me. I had to find who I thought could really help this team get to the next step, but help this team by working very closely with Mike. And you didn't go for a search firm. You did all this research yourself, you and the group together.

Why was that so important? Well, I think you know, at the end of the day, we had over a hundred candidates that you know, six weeks ago we were looking at, and we kind of got the list down to who we thought would would be good choices and we didn't need the help with a search firm identifying candidates. What we did do is hired two consultants that helped

us a lot. I mean they gave us some grave structure to go by during these interviews, Like we had set questions for all of these seven candidates that we wanted. You know, they would get sub questions out of it or sub answers. They'd be, you know, talking, we'd kind of move along, but we always tried to go back, so at the end of the day, we were always comparing apples to apples. Ran Carthon interviewed last Friday. What

struck you about him in that initial interview. Well, immediately, you know, you could just see he was a people person and he just he has a magnetic you saw it today personality. I mean, he's got an ease about him. You feel comfort. In fact, we were overlooking the practice feels before the interview, and I was like, oh, this whole wing is new and it was a remodel for the old part and he went, oh, just like HDTV, And I'm like, yes, like HD. Wait a minute, I'm

supposed to make you feel relaxed. Now you're you know, because I guess somewhere he'd heard that I'd like to remodel things. So but anyway, he just he has a natural way of making you comfortable. And you could just see that it would be a good fit with Mike Rabel. Did you know less Friday he was the guy now.

I mean I really knew right away I want to learn more about Ran and so we had always thought we were going to go through, you know, the second interview with a shortened list, and I knew pretty much right away five minutes into the interview that I wanted to learn more about Ran. So but you know, you heard a lot of good things today in the presser and he just, you know, he wants to be that guy that helps bring a championship to Tennessee, but do

it through collaboration. And I read somewhere that in my interview with Teresa someone was like she used that word like twenty times well, I heard it a like today and it wasn't from me, so you know he believes it. And it's one thing to say, oh, I can collaborate, but what does that really mean to you? Anybody can say that I want to be that collaborator, but you really got the sense that he really wanted to be that guy that can work all over this building. I mean,

he's just got that way about him. He's a good fit for our organization. Was there a moment in the second interview where you knew it was Rancarthon. Well, we used the second interview to kind of really dig into the weeds, so to speak. And the time before the second interview, you know, we called I was just Adolpho call everyone you can possibly come up with, and and

Burt called John Lynch. And I'm sure you've heard that John had just glowing things to say about him that you know, they brought him in as a director or a pro personnel, but they learned right away that that was he's a lot more than just that. And I think he kind of indicated today that they'd never in San Francisco, they don't put people in boxes. You may have this title, but a good idea is a good idea, and I don't care who it's from or if if you can go e value you know, you know that

kid or down in University of Florida or wherever. You know, they'd bring Ran Ran to the rescue sort of thing. I mean, they just don't get stuck putting people in boxes, which I think is a really you know, I've always admired the forty nine ers, and I believe that. And Bert called John on Saturday when they were going to have a game, you know, and said, now call me later. I know you're busy. And John called him right away and he was at the stadium because he wanted to

talk about Ran. And you know that says a lot right there. And I called Jed Yord and he just had the most wonderful things and he said, I mean, you just would never regret hiring Ran as your GM. Ever. You've been doing this nearly eight years. I know a lot of significant moments in that period of time. So for you, these moments are always emotional because this organization means so much to you. The people means so much to you for you overall, as you got to introduce

Ran Carthon as the general manager today. From an emotional standpoint, what jumps out like yesterday when everybody was in the lobby, and I mean from the stadium to the ticket off to marketing, everybody was there and they were cheering because I think everybody recognized that we got a really special person coming to our organization. I think back eight years. I can't believe it's been eight years, but I think back, and it's just, you know, we've come such a long way,

and I feel us all, you know, rowing together. We're we're a team. Everybody's a team, and I just don't mean the football team. I mean everybody in the building pulls together. And yesterday was a perfect example of everybody in the building being excited, being you know, inspired by ran and ready for what's going to come in the future. What is your new GM's charge from the owner as

he begins this job. I got a text from him after while he was still at the airport, and he was just he was so excited and he was just like, I just I can't wait to get back and start working on that that championship for you, miss Amy, and you know that. So if that's my mission to him, you know, I know there's going to be some difficult decisions that have to be made and you know, maybe some change we you know, I know they're going to evaluate, so I'm going to let them, you know, have their

time to do that. But I think, you know, we're just gonna like be excited for the steps that come because I know down maybe next year and the year after, I'm not really sure, but I know we have a Lombardi Trophy in our in our future. I'm very very excited. All Right, one more thing, We're going back to London. We're gonna get to We're getting to play for the second time in London. Excited about that, getting to go to Tottenham and play at the Hotspur Stadium. How excited

are you to go back? Well, I'm really excited because it's an honor to be picked us one of the home teams. And you know the last time we played, I went with the team and came back with the team.

Well not next year. That was not smart on my part. Really, I want to go and have the whole experience and go the week and enjoy it because the fans over there are so they're they're just passionate and this is their opportunity to get to see NFL football, and you know, the growth that has happened since we were last there is incredible. Now they're in Germany and you know there's two stadiums in the UK we're playing in. It's really an honor. But I'm gonna go and I'm gonna just

enjoy the whole thing. And I look forward to going to the next pub like I did the last time. In meeting fans, well, they're looking forward to seeing you. Hello. How as you're buying maybe Adams drunk like us excited about going to London. If you're interstudent tickets, go to NFL dot com slash International Game. I'm so excited about London, like kind of freaking out excited. Totton Hotspur, isn't it

Tottenham Hotspur? I mean we've gone one other time and it was one of the top three coolest experiences of my professional career. I would agree. Tottenham Hotspur the only purpose built NFL stadium outside of the United States. That's where we will play. I'm so excited built to host an NFL team and I'm which Wimbley is not. Wimbley was nice and they've done a great soccer it's a pitch. It's a pitch. It's a soccer pitch. Football, it's a

football pitch. Yeah, yes, it's a soccer field, soccer feed. I am so excited, though, I'm really like, I'm already making plans. Mike, I'm fired out. What about Amy? Adam Struck said she's going over for like the whole week, in the whole bit. I'm trying to get on that trip. Yeah. I mean, if there's one thing we know about Mike Rabel, he likes to keep it a efient. So I want if Amy staying longer, I want to be on her trip instead. Do you think the Titans will take their

bye week immediately after? They are given the option? When you play in an international game, you were given the option of playing your bye week immediately after. Do you think they will? I think so. That's what the team did the last time we were there. I don't even remember what year that was, twenty eighteen. Yeah, in twenty eight team, that's what the Titans did. I really appreciated it.

I think nobody cares about my vote, but you are turned around just enough that having a couple days on the back end to kind of get yourself re oriented. I think it is helpful. I think it will depend on how they maneuver the trip though, the logistics of it overall, because teams do it different ways. The Titans did it really quick in twenty eighteen. We were up, we were over, we played, we got right back on the plane when we came back home. It was a whirlwind.

So having a week on the back end of that to recalibrate was awesome and I'm sure the team really needed it. If the Titans end up doing it for a longer period of time, some teams then won't take the bye week because they took more time on the front end to kind of get themselves adjusted. Because and I'm very susceptible to jet lag, like that's something when we play on the West Coast. I'm a little throne um. But it's a real difference. I mean, it's something you

have to maneuver a little bit. You've got to navigate that. My understanding is Tottenham is aways from London, not meaning well outside of London, not like right next door. I could spend some time in the English countryside. This is like the holiday what the holiday with Cameron Diaz who and Kate Winslet. Well, I mean I know both of them, but good Law and Jack Black watch it every Christmas. They switch homes in la Ones in the English. Yes, it's a beautiful story. How far do we think it is?

It's it's uh twenty three miles, but it's fifty three minutes. You gotta put that in kilometers though, we're going to kilometers. Yeah. Yeah, the old metric system over. I was in school when they tried to insert the metric system in the United States of America. Oh, that would never work. Well, they tried to make them work. We were going to switch, supposedly, and we never did. To Celsius, Oh yes, we learned all that in school. Nope, I can't do that. Introducing

the new Duncan Rewards program. It works much better than the metric system. Download the app to join today, Start saving and stacking your way to the free Duncan that you love Duncan rewards, Save them, stack them, use them however you want. America runs on Duncan terms apply and the metric system does not apply. Can you take a train from wherever we are to London? You can generally take a train everywhere in Europe. I'm not phenomenal where

they have us whipped. Yeah, the whole train thing. They have us whipped on that. I'll admit that. It's fantastic. Metric system not so much. No, the metric system is poor. Yes, it's just not it's it's not not fantastic. Yeah, but I guess we'll stay somewhere in London because a lot of the festivities will and that's what I'm so excited about. The festivities. I mean, yes, football is very important and we want to try to get Adam Strunk to buy everybody a beer a pint. I know, I tried that.

That was good for a pint, isn't it a pint? Is that what you buy? Yeah? That was good. I like to see all of our fans. I do too. I mean, I just think it's great. Shout out to our fans, Shout out to the ot people who are European. Yeah, because we like to London country. We're very appreciative and come on down. We're just a little giddy today, Mike, Yeah, it's a little giddy. I want to play one more

thing for you. I had a chance to interview Gene Huey and I'm a little giddy over this because gene Hughey was a sensational college football coach who finally left Ohio State in nineteen ninety one to go to the Colts. Ted Marcher bro to hire d and he was the Colts running back coach for the next nineteen years. Marshall fok Edgar and James Joseph had all of those guys. Well, I found him. I found him, and he was one of those coaches. Howard Mudd was there and Tom Moore

was there, and they had this incredible coaching staff. But this is one of those legendary names that you know from one of the best franchises in the NFL of the time. Gene Huey was a big deal. He was while he played for the Colts, Ran Carthon's position coach Okay, And so I was interested. I wanted to know what he thought, knowing that he coached Ran as an NFL player, And he got back in touch with me in a hurry and he's like, I'd love to talk about him.

So this is gene Huey. Gene Huey a forty year legend and dairy running back coach in the National Football League. Coach Ran Carthon for three seasons when he played with the Indianapolis Colts. Let's hear some of his thoughts as he also coached Maurice Carthon the Dad. Yeah, how about that both of them? Here's here's that on the OTP coach. I want you to talk to me about how it felt for you when you heard the news that one of your former players, Ran Carthon was named the general

manager of the Tennessee Titans. You know, it's funny because initially, when I woke up and I saw that in the print or on my phone in the news, my mindset went right to Maurice the Dad, because I've coached them both, and I think, Okay, Maurice is gonna work with Tennessee. And then I know it's not. It's Ran, you know. But I was so excited and really pleased that tennis See interviewed through their process and the decided to hire this young man as their general manager. It's fantastic. It's

a fantastic hire. No one from his past is surprised, no one. Why is that? Ran? To me was always a guy that that warm, inviting, embracing smile, was a very engaging person. You know, as a player, and curtly in his profession as the pro personnel player personnel positions he's held with several teams in the league, but he has always been on point of what it was that their duties called them to do and perform, and how to do that in a way that you're always enhancing

people's lives and professions. And that's the way he's always been as a player and as a person. And I've always had a great deal of respect and admiration for how he's carried himself, conducted himself and what he brings to the table and professional pursuits. Coach, when you were his position coach with the Colts, you were an awfully good football team, especially on offense. For a guy like him to be able to fight his way on to your roster multiple times, what did it say about his

love for the game. Well, you know, I've always looked at people like that in his position is people ask me, well, who was the best player between Marshall Falk and Edrin James, who I also had the pleasure and privilege of coaching here. I never try to make those comparisons. I'd always say, whoever that one eleventh guy was on that field in that position running back then he was the best player.

Because you had to look at it that way. There might be difference of things and talents, certainly, because that's where that hierarchy goes. But yet if you're out there and want to eleven with that offensive unit, you'd better be performing. I don't care who you are or what you are. I don't look at it that way. And he was one of those kinds of guys as long, same thing with his father, that perform and did and gave you the best day to give you with their abilities.

All right, So let's talk about Mocarthon for a moment. I actually go back. I remember him in all three USFL seasons with the Generals, probably one of the few Mocarthon to me when he went to the Giants, and when he finished his career actually with you guys with the colds. He was about toughness. Yes, his son got

a bunch of that. I'm guessing too, certainly. I mean that DNA and I sent Ran a text the other day and I just expressed that in the text, and I said, you know, you come from good DNA, not only from your parents, but previous generations in that family, and you can sense that and see it, and they are about business. And that's what I liked about his dad.

And dad was a tough full back. We were in a two back offense in ninety two when he was here with us at the Colts, and he had some great experiences playing USFL, certainly sitting in front of herschel there in a two back set, then parcels having there at the Giant, and then he comes to us in ninety two and I had just had arrived here from the Ohio state where I was coaching, and there was a pleasure to have that kind of a veteran playing

in that position. He was a full grown man, and then an outstanding job for us, And that's certainly transferred onto his son and that work ethic which is so critical and so important to have it to coach here. He certainly stars go on to become good coaches and good personnel Ben, but in most cases the best coaches in personnel men are guys who weren't necessarily the stars. And Ran Carthon was not a star in the NFL.

Why do you think that type of guy and the type of guy that the Titans have just come across and have just hired as their general manager. Uses that experience so well in his evaluation and his relationship process. You know, I was reading back and looking at Ozzie Newsom, who we all know about in his career and certainly that in the college and then plan Cleveland and then being there with Baltimore as their general manager was a

great evaluator of talent. And you don't have to have a lot of titles to be able to do that. I don't believe. Certainly it helps, Yes, understandable because that says, hey, I've had I've had a lengthy career here and resumes long and all that. But he's been around football people through his father, through his own play at University of Florida's dad was Arkansas State down there with Larry Lacewell, and Rand was there with Spurrier and Ron Zook who

I coached with at Ohio State. So he's been around football people. He has a good keen sense of what talent is there and how to implement and get those pieces into place that will further help whatever organization he's working with. If you had advice for Ran Carthon walking

into this building and starting this job. Knowing what you know about the National Football League and the game of football, what would be the one piece of advice you would give made true to yourself and what your direction is in your pursuits and those goals and objectives, and don't listen too much to the outside chattering noise. And I

use that as my own example. Is this and I have to to some degree my own foundation of growing up in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where Ernie Davis and Sandy Stevens, who were one and four in the Heisman vote getting, were both out of my hometown of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and Tony dun Having told me one time that the reason why m with the University of Minnesota because of Sandy Stephens. We went to the Super Bowl in two thousand and six.

I have two running backs, Dominic Roads and Joseph Hadai, who came out of LSU as a number one picked force, and I took them both aside and I said, hey, I'm going to start Dominic because he replaced edgund James and ten ball games together over a thousand yards. Now there are some raised eyebrows. I didn't ask anybody, and I'm not touting myself for patting myself on the back about this. But there are lessons you learned in your own profession. Stick to it, stay true to yourself and

your convictions. Although you're going to hear the sirens outside all of that. Then that's my bit of advice, stay true to yourself and stay steadfast and at and I saw people like Bill Polly and who was a president here. So that's my advice, that little bit, stay true to yourself and your convictions and what got you to where you are. And I think things will work out best

for Tennessee and certainly for him too. In the profession and coach, it feels like although you know Ran Carthon, I don't, but that's what he's done to get to this point. Yes, like I said, he's all, you know, a warm, engaging personality about him, but he's on point and he's always surveying the field. He doesn't have tunnel vision, so he's a person that thinks ahead of what it is he has to get done and accomplished and gets the right people around him to do So that's beautiful, coach,

thank you, you bet you my pleasure. We're excited about him. I can tell you that I am too. I was

so thrilled. And I have to state this, there are eight or nine persons of color in those positions in this league, and they're Americans, and I'll just leave that that they are Americans first, and I don't like the other stuff that precedes and marginalizes people as to black this black bat, this is an American mail along with some other people in this league who've contributed in various ways and fashions, and now given the opportunity to be

a part of your organization Downer in Tennessee and demonstrate his talented abilities and skills and working with people and getting the right talent in there to make it more competitive. Well, the reaction of our fan base too, is very special, very special to me that they're just saying, man, this is the right guy for the job. Let's go. Yes, that's a good thing. I agree, Thank you so much, coach.

I love talking to old coaches. Yeah, there's just something special. Well, I mean you just hear the they just get it. And m coach, who he's probably seventy five now, sure it doesn't sound like it. I mean he is really really really still with it and uh and still got all the goods on all of his players and has a lot of great memories and fun to talk to him, and just so many people proud of Ran Carthon. Yeah, and there was a contingent of family and friends. Uh Osiola,

Arkansas where he is from. Um. Mississippi County, Arkansas is fifty five miles northwest of Memphis. Okay, right, so it's not it's not West Memphis, Arkansas, but it's close. West Memphis, Arkansas is basically just the western part of Memphis across

the Mississippi River. Exactly. How's it it sounds? Yeah? But um, you know, just a lot of proud folks and another sec guy in here, and just the continuing overall excitement that people have for this higher and just kind of a cool day, a cool two days at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park. Absolutely, it's it's an exciting time. It feels like a fresh chapter. It feels like there are

good things to come for this organization. Um. Really fired up. Um, I can't we wait to dive in deeper, you know, to really get to work and start to learn more about him, his style, how everything goes. And I'm willing to put up with a little bit more Florida in my life. Sorry, I know, I know, well, It'll be fine. I can. We will muscle through all of it. We

will push through, no doubt about it. For Amy Wells, I'm Mike Keith, thanking you for listening to the ode Teking Welcomes of the Big ever Gotten knows it's our house finding thoughts, ennessy making history. Greatness is meant to be