The OTP with Charles Davis

with us. Say hello to our longtime friend and Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer Charles Davis. Welcome to the OTP. Hey, thanks for having me. It's great to see you guys again. So I was doing the background stuff and I was like, let's talk about the jobs of Charles Davis. Amy, this is incredible. He is the voice of Madden Football. So for all the gamers out there, you know, Charles Davis is the voice of Madden. You were doing Madden earlier today,

is that right? Yeah? Doing sessions from home myself and my partner or the play by play voice, Brandon Goaden, who at one point was the voice of Butler basketball, and of course football, although when you think Butler, you think basketball and Georgia Tech before moving into the full TV ranks. For the most part with Big ten network, Fox Sports still does Westwood One radio for NCAA basketball

tournament and other things. So yeah, we're having to work from home like everyone is, and the Maddened people came through with home equipment and we're still cranking it out. So what are you recording right now for Madden? What are the sort of I know you don't want to give it all away, but the sort of topics that you're doing at this point, well, finishing up everything to get ready for this year's game to come out, Madden

twenty one. As you understand, during the initial days of the pandemic, as we all came to a kind of a grinding halt, we're making up a ground there. We're doing fixes and patches in the game, meaning you'll find glitches in the game that the gamers will quickly let you know about and you better really get it fixed as fast as possible. And that's what we've been working on as well. And I'm sure we're already sprinkling in some stuff for next year's game to go ahead and

start getting ready. But you know, we got all the rookies now have been drafted, the free agents have changed teams, and so for the most part, we have guys in the proper places on their rosters. As we head into training camp, obviously there'll be trades, cuts, things of that nature, but right now we know Tooltunguea Violoa has indeed gone to the Miami Dolphins, although I don't know we were if we thought him going at number five was actually going to happen. Right we know that Isaiah Wilson is

now a Tennessee Titan. So these types of things, you know, have to go into the game and people getting ready for that. And I can't imagine it's real for these young guys the first time. Did they get to see themselves in this game? Because I would bet the vast majority of them have played it growing up and probably had visions in their mind, dreams of putting on that NFL uniform and being in that game. And it won't be long they'll be able to look and see themselves

in their uniforms playing. It's gonna be pretty cool. Amy, would you freak if that were you? Oh my gosh, I would lose my mind. But I would also play it every single day. I wouldn't. I would just play myself on that video game, and I would want to hear Charles's commentary every step of the way. All right. So he's also on Serious NFL satellite radio that's Channel eighty eight. And how often are you on there in the offseason? Typically once a week, usually on Thursday nights.

Occasionally we'll fill in when other people, you know how it goes, take vacation or unavailable, that sort of deal. But I typically do that from about the time we all meet together at the Combine, you know, our annual visit it the Combine in Indianapolis. That's when I tend to start, and I will roll through until probably about mid training camp, and then I get out of it

for the season. Could I do it, of course, But I really like the flexibility during the season of just locking in on what we all have to do each week, which is getting ready for a game, you know. And the serious people have been fantastic with me, and and really I appreciate every opportunity that they've given me. So you understand, Mike, You've You've had plenty of experience with the serious XEM people and doing the radio there, and I remember calling you one time. I was like, Mike,

I'm listening, tell you right, this is so cool. I want to do this with you. This is so awesome. So you know, here, here we are once again. I'm continuing to follow the path you've blazed and it's pretty cool. From the serious x M. NFL radio is fantastic. I love it. Now are you still doing NFL network stuff when they call? But now that the draft is over, As a general rule, I'm pretty well done until next year. With the run up to the draft and through there.

There might be an occasional thing they might call me for throughout the season, but not nearly like it was years ago. You remember during that time frame, I would do a game, whether it was a college or an NFL game, on a Saturday or a Sunday and fly to Los Angeles and then I'd be in Los Angeles work NFL Network Monday, Tuesday, maybe something possibly Wednesday, but the general rule Tuesday, catch your red eye flight home, and then Thursday or Friday start all over again, going

to the next city and doing the next game. And I did that for about five years, so there's a lot of fun. And you know, every time I tell that story, I always say to myself, how's that sounding to people? Are people hearing that and saying, oh, look at you, mister, Oh my god, I had to fly everywhere and do all of that. That is certainly not the way I want to come across. It's an honor for us to get to work. I mean, you know that Amy knows that anytime someone asks us to work.

Are there times when we're tired? Yes? Are there times that, oh boy, I had such and such scheduled. We have all those things like everyone else has in the world. You know, we all have different things. But but I don't want anyone to ever think for a second, I don't understand. Yeah, we're pretty fortunate, you know, because because people are working every single day in a decent number of people are doing things they don't want to do. We're doing exactly what we want to do, and I

cherish that. And then of course, back working with the Titans an analyst for our preseason television. We are so thrilled that you're back. Now. The question, however, is are we going to play four preseason games or are we going to play two? Preseason gifts. What do you think about hearing the first word of that right now? Yeah, you know it's it's it's one of those things that it stopped chewing your tracks and you first get it.

I don't know what exactly you and Amy thought right away, but when I heard it, I was like, oh, because we look at preseason a little bit differently than I believe the general public looks at preseason now, because when I was a young whipper snapper, preseason meant a lot.

There were six preseason games. Now, Amy, there's no way you were around fronty of that, okay, but there used to be six preseason games, fourteen regular season games, and then you got into the playoffs and the six preseason games. You were more than likely going to see starters in every preseason game in some shape or form. Maybe a little bit less in the beginning, but as it went on,

more and more and more you would see them. Now, the sixth game that's when they pull people back, but for the most part, you would see starters all the way through preseason. It was a different deal. Then as we got to the four games in sixteen and other things kicked in, it still took a while to get to where we are now, where you may not see any starters in the preseason, they may be in full bubble rap. So to go from four to two for us, it's a little bit different because this is part of

what we do. This is part of our livelihood. And now I'm thinking of people who work these games. Think of the people at the stadium right who this is part of their job and their income. If you cut it down to two I'm guessing, right, guys, we'll talk about one home game, one road game, right, So they've gone from two games to one. Their income gets cut

in half. If you're working at home. The people who are doing the games, whether it's Titans, radio or TV, now all those people who are used to working three or four games depend on if you get a national game or not. That gets shrunk down. So I don't want people to hear that and think about us as much, and think about everybody else that's involved in putting on an event, putting on a game. They're come gets cut in half because the preseason you're getting too. Now you're

getting cut to one. That's my first thought. My second thought is I'm not overly surprised. It's been that type of the off season with COVID going on. I'm not I'm not overly surprised at all, because aren't we kind of headed in that direction to begin with, right where we're talking about the day when we know we're gonna get cut down on preseason. It just may start earlier than we expected. So whether there's two preseason games or four preseason games, you will still be working though, Charles,

because you're now also with CBS Sports. Tell me how that CBS opportunity came to be Amy, You know, I always to use the words lucky, fortunate, and I hope they don't know right after a while because they're real. But I was fortunate that, you know, I had fourteen terrific years with Fox. I mean I got to do a lot of things there, including the BCS National Championship games before we got to the College Football playoff you know called NFL games, you name it. I had an

opportunity to do a lot of great things there. But my contract was ending at the end of last year, and as a free agent, I had an opportunity to explore other options if indeed someone was interested in me, and as it turned out, I was again fortunate and happy that CBS actually had some interest. So that's where it came about, Amy, And it all worked out for me that CBS had that interest, they had an opportunity

for them, they hadn't something in mind. And as it turned out, you know, Fox, as I said, terrific to me for all those years, they gave me an opportunity to continue with their their group and continue going. But what it was all said and done, it made more sense in my opinion, to be with CBS and start a new chapter in my life. So I thank Fox. I thank them for having the interest in me in the first place and still wanting me to be around.

But I also thank CBS. Of course we're giving me this great new place to be, great news start in doing something thing that I love to do. And now I get to work with a guy by the name of I an Eagle and Evan Washingburn works the sidelines. And I've been and I'll leave it with this. How lucky am I in my career? Amy? These have been the play by play people I've worked with at Fox. Okay, Tom brennaman college football, Dick Stockton. When I went to the NFL, Tom Brennaman again while I was with the

NFL Gus Johnson. When I went back to college football and finished my last few years with Kevin Burkhardt, another good one could not be I mean, what person could be upset with those played by play people, every single one of them phenomenal in what they're doing. I mean, Dick Stockton's a hall of famer, a living hall of famer for us, you know, so to be able to do that, and in these last few years with Kevin could not be better. And then what was my landing part?

Landling spot? I an Eagle? You're kidding me? I met I in years of amy. I remember I told a friend of mine, Laura Oak, and I said, Hey, if I ever had a chance to work with I A the Eagle in my career, that would be phenomenal. I've realized that was probably ten years ago, and now it's come it's actually come to pass. Unbelievable. Have you and I and already started doing things together? Have you already

started the collaboration process. He's been so terrific. Welcomed me right away, so did Evan Washburn, so did everyone else on the team, you know. Producer Mark Wolfe and director Bob Fishman. And we've been doing like I think a lot of us have been doing, phone calls, zoom calls, emails, getting to know each other, know each other's background, just spending time and I think it's been extremely valuable for us.

And what I've liked about what these guys have done and welcoming me in is they didn't bring me in and say, Okay, this is how we do a game, and this is how we're gonna go over the first quarter. We're just meeting each other, similar to the three of us talking right now, we've got experience. We've done this us for a while. Now we fall into this like that, the three of us, we're learning that. Now I'm learning them, they're they're learning me. But I consider myself again happy

and again fortunate. These guys have been extremely welcoming and it's been fun. Now you've had the opportunity to start that prep process a little bit, and we talked a little bit about the preseason, but we are hoping that things are still on track for the twenty twenty season to start kind of in a regular fashion. In your opinion, what is the biggest hurdle that's kind of left to clear before we can, maybe with more confidence, say that the seasons is going to start on time. You know

that expression above my head. It is, but only for this reason. Our medical experts are going to tell us what the big hurdle is. I mean, they're going to flat out tell us. And what I love about us and I keep referencing the three of us because I know that we do the same thing right in terms of we prep, we care, we investigate, we do all those things. And you guys have been so wonderful to me. But let's be honest about it. Whatever the adjustment is,

we'll be prepared for it right. Whatever it is, and how they say we go, how we cover, how we we'll do it, that's not a big That part's not a big deal. Whether it'll look like gets looked before. The medical experts to tell us that and the league will listen to them and then they'll emplement how we go. So that's the only thing I keep coming back to.

But whatever it is, it's kind of like remember the Titans when when Louis came running into their first being a little bit late, and they're like, where do you guy? He said, I heard football and I came running, that's gonna be the three of us. Well, there's been some talk in some other sports that broadcasts like radio and TV are going to be done remotely. So do you

have any experience with that? Do you know what some of the challenges may be with broadcasting and you're not running into the field, but you're running to a studio somewhere to broadcasts. You know. I did some remote games for NFL Europe years ago. All right. I went to a studio and I think I went to NFL films and did games that were in Amsterdam or Barcelona or whatever. I don't remember challenges during that time, but it was younger in my career, and I was just like, okay,

great and you just go ahead and do it. The rest of it, I couldn't begin to tell you because I know whatever is going on out there, everyone behind the scenes is going through all the permutations, aren't there. They're going through all the possibilities. Shouldn't we try this? Should we do that? And again when they tell me, I'm going to do it. But I don't know of any major challenges other than, let's be honest about it, we're used to being on site We're used to being

in the fray. We're used to walking into that stadium three hours ahead of time and feeling it all unfold in front of us rise to a crescendo. If we're all going to studios, that part may be a lot different for us. But again, we would adjust, and we would adapt, and we would do it. But you know, being on site with a full crowd is a whole different ballgame than than not. We'll just have to see

if we actually get to that point. This is the OTP, presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans, Amy Wells, Mike Keith, joined by Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer Charles Davis, who is leaving Fox to broadcast for CBS. One more broadcast question before I jump into the Titans, Gonna have a chance to do other sports, Gonna have a chance to do other things for CBS. Do you know yet there's a possibility that I might do some do some golf.

They had mentioned that and with PGA Tour Radio on Thursday, with the golf coming, Golf coming back, I'm gonna do something with PGA Tour Radio, you know, through CBS, I would believe, for about an hour and a half on the internet, which is gonna be a lot of fun to get my feet wet again and kind of get reintroduced to my old PGA tour days, which was a whole lot of fun when I was a tournament director at Disney. So yeah, Matt might do a little bit of that, but again that remains to be seen. And

you know how that is, Mike and Amy. Bottom line is they signed me up for football. I'd better do my best job with that before I worry about anything else. Well, that's true, but you have that background with golf and you have such a love for any sport and such a great night. I could see you work in the nc Double A tournament somehow, and that was a blast.

I did that, I think for three years and had a great time working NCAA tournament and meeting coaches and doing interviews and chasing down players after hitting game winners and things of that nature. That was a blast. Let's talk about some of the newer types. Charles. One of the exciting things about you being on CBS, as you're going to get to do AFC games, Hopefully we'll see a lot of Charles Davis at Nissan State him and

on the road calling Titans games. But for the last few years you've called NFC games, You've seen the Atlanta Falcons a lot. Tell us what you think about the Titans newest outside linebacker, Vic Beasley. He's one of those guys that's just loaded with talent. We saw that in what was it the twenty sixteen season, which was the monster breakout, you know, when he had fifteen and a half sacks. Even more than that, I think he had seven fourced fumbles during that time. He was he was

exactly what you were looking for. You know. You guys know nowadays we don't need a ton of bulk to play on the defensive side of the vault. Speed, the ability to get to the quarterback. That's what made Big Beasley Vic Beasley. I think the last couple of years for him and in Atlanta, he's been more of a hybrid type player where he's had to play on the defensive front and maybe drop into coverage a little more often than maybe you might expect from that type of

a player. My guess is that Mike Graybill now have a heavier hand in the defense, a second opportunity for Vic Beasley in a new spot. He's going to do probably brush you in the quarterback that's what this That's what they got him for. That was a need for Tennessee something to upgrade. And if they can get that Vic Beasley back twenty sixteen or approaching those numbers, that's that's a big hit for Tennessee because now it allows the Jeffrey Simmons of the world to work inside and

be even more courseful getting up field themselves. From Titans fans, I get a lot of questions and Mike Keith, I'm sure you did too, about the time second round pick Christian Fulton and whether he will be ready to make an impact in this Titan secondary as a rookie. Now, Charles, you know Dbs, you know Christian Fulton. What do you like about him and how he's going to fit in with the Titans. Well, what I like is one playing in the SEC and dealing with the speed that he

saw every week. That was a big deal. Next step is playing at LSU and dealing with the receivers that they put out, because think about it, justin Jefferson, first round pick this year, right going to the Minnesota Vikings, their number one receiver wasn't eligible to come out this year Jamar Chase, he was the bullet and the coff winner. I believe in college Roll was the best receiver in the country. So those are the types of players he has to deal with all the time. You know, worked outside,

worked inside in the slot. He's really a quieter kid. He's not one of those you know, a lot of times with dbs and wide receivers, you know, we tend to be a little more of the expressive types. So he is not really like that in terms of, you know, that type of interpersonal and being a little brash and louder. He's gonna be much more letting his play do the work for him. I think he'll have a very nice opportunity to get his feet wet early and have a

chance to go in there and play. And I think for him, if I'm eyeballing a spot to go, I'm thinking hard about going inside and playing that nickel with everyone that they've got in the secondary already that can command the outside of the Dory and Malcolm and you know those guys, I think hard about finding a spot there being able to get on the field early. But I do think having played at LSU, played for a national Championship last year, played more games in the average

Bear and more big games than the average Bear. That helps your transition coming into the NFL. Now, he touched on a little a little bit earlier, but I want to circle back to it. There's a chance Mike Rabel could be calling the Titans defense this year. What challenges do you see for him if that's a role he decides to take on. Well, I think for coach Rabel, the challenge is just simply delegating a few more things off of his plate in order to get ready to

be a play caller on the weekend. You know, he's not gonna shirt his duties of being the head coach in the face of the franchise for Tennessee. You know, we're still going to get him in those pressers and other things that he's going to have to do. But as far as some of the other things that he'll have, every head coach has a personal you know, a guy next to him, kind of like if you were a West Wing fan back in the day, Charlie was the body guy for President Bartley. Everybody's got a body guy,

all right. That body person is going to take a few more things off of the play to the head coach as well, in order for him to game plan spend that time with the defensive staff in order to get ready to call that game. If indeed that's the direction that he goes. But I don't think that's a major problem for a guy like Mike Grabel delegating understanding

being efficient use of time. He's already done it. Remember he's been a decordinator in the league before, So for him, that's just going back to his roots and being a little more hands on on game day, even though, let's face it, over the headset, he's probably been hands on on game day anyway, just making the final call, but that final call goes through his head headset, so we do know he's had a hand in that part of it as well. Amy, did he know? Did he know

that you were a West Wing freak? I was just about to say he enhanced this podcast by a million percent by making a West Wing reference. I'm done, Like I'm out. We peaked, had no idea. You're best fan favorite show at the Universe, hands down. We're gonna have a conversation about this later, Charles. You're coming back for the West Wing edition of the ONTP I'm excited about that because I still remember the first episode when President Barla Belle off the bicycle and got hurt and everybody

wants to know who potus is. Oh, I could do And then of course by the time it was over, he realized that everybody hadn't really been doing their thing. And that's when we learned vacations over, everybody get back to work. And we saw that repeated over the years on the West Wing. Oh, this is making me so happy. This is not the West Wing podcast. Amy listens to a West Wing podcast. This is actually the OTP presented by Far Bureau Health Plans. Don't get sacked by the

high cost of healthcare. Make Far Bureau Health Plans your first line of protection. They've been protecting Tennessee and since nineteen forty seven. I want to jump ahead and I want to talk offense. We've been talking defense. What excites you, Charles Davis about the Titans offense heading into twenty twenty if they understand who they are and they're not worried about Okay, do we have to change this? Do we have to change that? Of course you're going to add wrinkles.

Of course you're going to play off of some of your success before. Of course you're going to say, okay, do we really want to run Derrick Henry every single time we snapped the football. Those things are going to come up and they're going to look at that and tweak it. But when you look at their draft and what John Robinson did and said, Okay, this is who we are, where's our need and where do we have to plug in? Jack conchlind goes to the Browns. Isaiah

Wilson gets drafted in the first round. Now, the three of us know that if you go back through the mock drafts of the so called experts, even though you know, I guess I would quote unquote counting that you and Amy were counting that. But around the league, right we all had, you know, mock drafts one, two, three to four or five, whatever it was, pick the top people that we saw out there. How many times did you

see Isaiah Wilson in the first round? Now, the answer to me was probably zero up until probably the week of the draft. And then you know how you get closer to the draft and things start to leak out a little bit, and you know, people hear different things and they connect a few more dots and he started to get a little more love closer to the draft. But all in all, Isaiah Wilson wasn't on very many mock drafts. People respected his ability, but they didn't see

another tackle going in that first round. The reason I bring that up is John Robinson and crew were like, look, we don't care what you people think. We care what we think. We care what it's good for our team, how we evaluate it, how we're going to go ahead and do things. And by the way, this guy is a Mahler brawler in the run game. That's where we

make our living. Hello, Isaiah Wilson, welcome to Tennessee. Do the things we saw on tape at the University of Georgia and better and we're gonna be just fine, young man. Plug in and go. And then you continue to add off of that offense, right, you continue to develop Ryan Tannehill at the quarterback position and what he gave. Obviously, Derrick Henry's there, but one of my favorite picks was

Darrenton Evans. Okay, the kid out of Appalachian State. I mean, you talk about getting into my heart and me going yes, that's the perfect type of a guy. Change up guy. Forget that third down back stuff. This kid is a running back, but he's going to give you those extra plays, just like we had thought about Dion Lewis being here previously. That's what he's gonna do. Plus, he can bring a game open if you want to make a mckickreturner as well, plug independ state tape and watch him go. All right,

So let's talk about Jadeveon Clowney for a second. Titans fans have been talking about Jadevian Clowney for months. Maybe a free agent that the Titans add, Maybe not, maybe he goes somewhere else. So two part question, what do you think's going on with Jenevian Clowney right now? And number two for the team that adds him, what does he add to your defensive scheme that makes you different

and special? I think that for Jadevion Clowney and what's going on with him now, with no conversation with him, no one in his camp outside observer, I think he's got to get comfortable with the idea that the money he had hoped to make he might not make. In fact, it looks like he's not going to come close to making that kind of money. I'm sure he was looking for that top defensive end type of a contract and

it's has not been there. No one's come close to showing him, you know, for Jerry McGuire and crew, no one showing him that kind of money so far. So he's got to get comfortable with that idea that, Okay, am I gonna come down sign a one year or two year maybe lesser money, try and make it up later. All those things have to come into play. The second part with that is where can I go to show those talents in order to get that money, whether it's with that team I signed with or the ability to

jump somewhere else after having signed with them. Well, look, if you're a Tennessee Titans fan, you're going this is a spot man. There's a screaming need for pass rusher right here in Nashville. You'll be plugging play right away. You'll be counted on to be that guy. Yes, Vic Beasley got signed in the off season, Yes, Harold Landry is here, but Jadevi and Clowney shows up. This is your chance, man, This is a great spot. Plus, you're going to a team that went to the NC Championship.

Game last year, and in your own division, you get a chance to go against Houston twice who you used to be with. Go chase down Philip Rivers in Indianapolis and go get a young Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville. Not a bad place to go hunt it. So that part works out well. The second part of this for him is over time. All we talk about is athleticism, right,

because it is breathtaking. You guys remember when what was four to six six at the combine and almost Dion Sanders and just went out the door and we never saw him again. He was number one picking the entire draft. We remember the big play against was Vincent Smith from from Michigan in the ballgame, right, we all remember that. I was talking with Alex Boone, the former offensive lineman with the Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. He said he played

against Clowney and he said two things. Consistency, which is part of it. Is he bringing it every play every down. Heck, forget every play. Can you get forty great plays out of out of sixty snaps? If you do that, that's pretty good. You gonna get some big play. But he said, underrated is his ability to play the run. He said, Jadevidanwy's not just a pass rusher. He talked about one

play that he was like thinks with Minnesota. He said, they're guard pulled and there's a trap play and Clowney's like, I'm not gonna deal with this trap all day long, and he said he hit the guard with a forearm in the chest and knocked him out. He said, the guards done finished game day day over. He has that type of breath physical ability that you're which is part of the problem because you see it and you're like,

I want that every play. Well, it may not be possible every play, so we fall back on well, he's not giving it to man. I don't know about all that part that I'm gonna leave that to the scouts and the person to tell people. But I do know consistencies the deal. Because let's just go back to last year. Was it a Monday night against San Francisco he wore them out their first loss, yep. Was there a better defensive end in the league that night? The answer is no, absolutely. Now,

he wrecked the game. We use that term all the time, probably more than we should. He wrecked that game for San Francisco and the rest of the season. Everybody kept waiting for more of that, but he was in an aval line up with some injuries, some other things that went on. And here's the thing to remember. For all his breathtaking gifts, the highest number of sacks and then season for him is nine and a half, which absolutely shocks you because you think he's a double digit guy

each and every year. But he has to be on the field in order to do that. But look, if it's a friendly contract, then Tennessee can get him for that. I would run there myself, and I think John Robinson would do exactly that if indeed it could fit within their cap. It's a friendly contract for the team, he's not going to get the kind of money he was looking for. And when this whole thing began, are there other agents that are still on the market that could

have that same level of impact for a team? I think there are very few left when we're talking about that, amy, when we're talking about who those free agents are, because now we're really into quarterbacks, aren't we We're really into is you know, how's Cam Newton not out there somewhere running someone's team. And it is really blown me away

because I'm like, okay, let me get this straight. The NFL MVP from just a few seasons ago, remember in Nashville, helped cause a ker fluffle because he you know, the time he's spent in the end zone and next thing you know, we're having a national debate about how long you get to celebrate and all the other stuff. He's not signed anywhere, and it looks like we're gonna have to get into training camp and see where an opportunity comes up if the starter goes down all those things,

which really really is stunning for guy visibilities. We're falling back on the injury thing and in COVID times, you know, the pandemic, we can't you know, get the physicals, do all the things we're looking for. So we'll see how that part plays out. But he's going to be the big one. And obviously, you know, when when you're looking out there for other players, I think Amy is going to be in training camp time. You know, maybe a guy we're wondering if he can play one more year.

That team may decide he can't, but he may fit somewhere else for someone. We'll just have to see how it plays out. Right now, the biggest news in the NFL mirrors the biggest news in the world, and obviously that's talking about dealing with social injustice. So through the conversation that has gone on over the last two weeks, what are the most important things you have heard and are hearing right now? Charles Davis, Well, for me, the

consistency is the word listen. The consistent word, I should say, has been the word listen. And it works every which way. It is not just you listen to this group, or you know they listen to you. It's all over the place, all of us. It's like us having this conversation. Now you ask me a question, I have to listen to that question to give you a good answer. When I throw something in there about the west Wind, Amy heard that and reacted because she was listening. We have to

do that on the biggest scale we've ever had. But it's hard to listen and not be defensive, not wall things off. If we hear something we didn't want to hear, if we hear something that makes us uncomfortable, which is the word we use all the time, which means that's not me, that's someone else, you know, that's not this, And all of us have to be able to drop those defenses a little bit and find out what it

is that that person's talking about. You know, my parents, I was so lucky to have the parents i've had. I lost my mom four years ago. My dad's still with me. But one thing they talked about with me growing up is you're going to encounter issues. You're going to just look at who you are, and that's just there's just no way in this world a black person is not going to have some issues along the way. It's going to be associated with the color of their

sk in. Now, is that going to paralyze you to the point where you're going to just stop at that point and I can't do anything or whatever. We're gonna figure out other ways. Achievement was the word they talked about all the time. How do you achieve how do you push through? How do you tend to tend to fight through all these things? Have that achievement? Treat people as well as you as you expect to be treated.

And if you don't receive that back, figure out why, how whatever, and keep moving because that's just we're not gonnall like each other, and it's not always because of race. I just may not like the sound of your voice. You may hate the sound of mine, you may not like the shirt ey war. It could be any of those things. But if we listened to each other a lot more, Mike and Amy, I just think that we

have a better chance. But it's really hard because we all come hardwired and bring our own experiences with us, and sometimes those walls. It takes a while for us to let those go and trust somebody else with someone else when they tell us something about ourselves we may not want to hear, or we may not have observed

in ourselves. And a lot of times you get, oh, that's what you said to me, Well, let me tell you about you, and we hit back instead of going hum, let me contemplate that, okay, and how do I bring that message to that person in a better way so we actually continue to listen to each other. So it's hard, you know, it's really really hard, and I'm not about to be Pollyanna about it. We are in a really

tough spot right now, we really are. And you know, for anyone in this world, if you can't see yourself or someone that you know being in George Floyd's position, and you can take everything else out of it all right, whatever happened in George Floyd's past, whatever happened, and putting him in that position there, the end result never should

have happened. The end result should never happen. We've seen mass murderers treated better, killing Root in South Carolina, killing all those people in the church, gets walked out, didnt see a scratched, didn't see it, issued, didn't see whatever. And I'm not saying there should have been. The right way was to arrest toe me getting out of there. But if that can happen, normal stop normal. You know, arrest ends in a person being dead because someone was

callously didn't care about their life. That doesn't make any sense. So I just think that the dast majority of people you me Amy No, would look at that and go that's not right. And now here's our chance to start making it right in the future. And I think we got to keep working together on that. From the listening standpoint and the instructive standpoint. As painful as it was for all involved, will the Drew Brees New Orleans Saints situation end up being as good a lesson that comes

out of the NFL as we might have. And I'm talking about the whole seventy two hour process of it. Yeah, I think so in a lot of ways, because, like an Aim, I'm of the opinion that if someone is truly trying to help, if they say the wrong thing or it doesn't come across the right way or whatever, if that person has had a history of doing the right things, am I gonna want to cast them aside at that moment because of one comment? Probably not, That's just the way I'm built. I want to hear more

about it. For Drew, look, being in that locker room and not understanding what the message was trying to come across and equating it again with kneeling in the flag and all, that was a mistake. But when they had the zoom call and his teammates got with him and the reaction and whatever, you've heard, his teammates come out and say, we hear Drew, we take him at his word, we respect him, We're moving forward because it's not like Drew Brees didn't try and help a whole lot of

people along the way. I mean, who are we kidding? Right, go back and look at the track record. It's really impressive. Does that absolve him of the comment. No, but he's acknowledged that. He acknowledged that to the world multiple times now. When people say, Okay, let's see how he's gonna walk the walk, I was like, he's walked it already. I think he'll keep walking it. I don't. I don't worry about him. Those are types of things that for me, I want to see happen. I do know a number

of people have said, ah, done, definitely. How could he say that. That's not where I sit, Mike, That's not where I sit, Amy, That's not how I go about it. I'm not saying you can say anything, and I'm gonna give you you know, and we're gonna get there. But if I know who you are before, I'm not about to. Okay, this was that comment. Let's find out what was driving it. Do you stand with that. Let's go from here, okay,

and look where they are now. I think the Saints are much healthier because of it, and they'll move forward. And the beauty for that is, in high school, your head coach is probably involved in that. Right in college, your head coach is probably involved in that. The NFL the scenes pretty much took it upon themselves as a locker room before Sean Payton and crew had even bother to get involved, not that they wouldn't have. I'm just

saying these are grown men having grown man discussions. People discussions, adult human being discussions. Remember the words we used, uncomfortable listening. They'd listen to all sides, you know. And I'm sure when Drew Brees had those conversations with guys, they may have heard some things from him that maybe they had to take stock of. I don't know that this was just a one way street, even though it might be painted that way, But it seems to me that that's

a healthy locker room. They found a way to negotiate and maneuver through that, and I'd be surprised if we didn't have a lot of healthy locker rooms across the NFL. I think a lot of these people will be able to do that, and I hope that we can use some of those locker rooms as models for the rest of our society. Last question, what needs to happen in the National Football League in the coming weeks and months that can make a positive difference in all of society

when it comes to social injustice. I just think in a lot of ways, I don't want to come off polly animight, because that's just the worst thing that can do right now. But a lot of things have been said in the past, a lot of things have been floated in the past, ideas how we can do things better that may not have been heard before, that may have been rejected before, may not have been implemented before. I think we've got a chance to do that now, I really do. And I think that those are the

things that we will see. I just hope we don't get caught up in the whole idea of well, let's see what happens on opening day, whether people are gonna, you know, kneel or what. It's way bigger than that, way bigger than that. And actually had someone say to me the other day, someone I really really respect, like, I'm just wondering if whatever gesture the players and the teams come up with, if you make sure it's not right there at the anthem so that no one gets

confused anymore about the flag. Well, people who have said that they would get with things as long as it doesn't can you get involved? That would they now get involved? It's a thought. I'm not sure we'll get there. We'll see how everyone decides to do it, but I still want everybody get caught up with that's the only conversation. It's a much bigger deal than that. How do we make things better? Continue to make things better? And I think we got a lot of people who are trying

to get that done. I mean, I do have optimism that way. My heart hurts right now for our country. But I will say this, the next time I hear someone tell me we live in unprecedented times, I'm gonna be like, hold on a second, because I've already done it with people. Unprecedented. You have what history of did you watch in the United States? In a lot of take race out of it? How did the United States

get started? Revolution that unfortunately ended up violent? Right, But that's how we had to get our independence and start as a nation. And we've had these things happen and bubble all the way through. So when they say unprecedented, I was like, you're missing that. It's not unprecedented. But this is our flashpoint? Is this our chance to jump off and actually get better? That's what I'm looking for. Let's use this timeframe making a jump off point for our country and all of us find a way to

get better. And the first person I'm looking as a guy, look at it in the mirror every morning. I have to be better. How's to start here? Everyone looks at it. That's what it's about. The defensiveness. Oh, you're telling me what I have to do all the time. Yeah, but I'm telling myself, I'm part of I'm part of the deal. So I want to be part of the solution. Please let me be part of that. Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer, former Tennessee volunteer broadcaster for Fox Now for CBS PRECS

in television with the Tennessee Titans. You are a friend and a gentleman and a scholar. And Amy Wells and I thank you so much for joining us Charles Davis on this edition of the OTP. Yeah, I thank you and Amy Wells and the Tennessee Titans. And can't wait for all this to get started again when we're back out on the field and all of us get together and talk ball and talk Titans and talk season. So I'm looking forward to it, and thank you both of

you and everyone else is watching. Please stay safe. You know everything's going on in this world. COVID still out there. Please stay safe. Healthy, Let's not forget what's led us do where we are today in a lot of ways, and the rest of it. Let's let's get better as a people, let's get better as a nation. And I want to be a part of that. For Charles Davis and Amy Wells, Mike Keith says, thanks for joining us. Presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans, this has been the team