The volume. You know, you don't do the ball championship. That should always be the expectation. I ain't man.
Actually go ahead, Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. We got a guest I've been waiting on a while since his rookie year, Sauce Gardner, the New York Jets.
How you doing, brother, I'm good, man, can't complaining how you.
I'm doing great. I'm doing great. Just got got off my run, feeling good. Coach called me the other day it was like, hey, can you play? I said, nah, my growin ain't got that no more brown, ain't got what these young boys.
Need no more. Man. This game is fast, man, I feel that.
It is fast, and it is a lot of a lot more lateral than people understand. But I want to talk to you from the beginning because you grew up in Detroit. I'm sure you wanted to go to Michigan or Michigan State. And you know there there's been this story out there of you and the Michigan State locker room. You know what I mean, when you were young, when you're being recruited and trying to get there and they
didn't even get your offer, and then you know. Obviously years later everybody left wishing, you know, what if, what if?
What if? But tell me, tell me how you felt about that.
Man, I remember that day, like as you'll can see the video, I was real young.
I froed like five seven in that video.
That was my freshman year and like that was my first time being in like a big locker room.
Like a locker room was a big school.
Obviously, I'm from Detroit, so Michigan, Michigan State, those are the schools that you grow up on to go to, you know what I'm saying.
Obviously my dream school is Oregon.
I ain't gonna lie because they had swag, you know, the unis all that was fired. But like Michigan State was the one where I'm like, if I could go to like a Michigan school, like that'll probably be the That'll probably be the one, right.
Yeah. A lot of people ain't believe in me when I.
Was making that video, and you know, it's just it's a blessing to be where I am today. I remember I was at a football camp and the DC from Michigan.
I'm like, man, what I got to do to get offer from Michigan?
He was like and we don't really be we don't really like lanky corners, we don't really like longer corners. And it was I forgot his name. I forgot his name. I can't remember his name, but he was.
He probably ain't there no more. Yeah he was. He's not there no more.
He was in DC when I was like in tenth grade, you know what I'm saying.
And you know it was, it was. It was kind of crazy, man.
All of that was just motivation hit to keep me going and to push me to get where I are in today.
You know, yeah, I mean we all need the chip on the shoulder. And you know I was the same way when I was coming out, you know what I mean, just a skinny kid. I might have been one hundred and forty pounds, soaking wet, like my sophomore year, six ' three, super uncoordinated.
Uh.
You know, I got a little better as it got older, because I went from like five seven like you were your freshman year. Yeah, So I was that in the eighth grade and then by ninth grade, I was like six two and a half and then so you had your gross spurt in tenth grade, I'm guessing.
Uh, yeah, it was the end of tenth grade into tenth grade.
Talk about how that was because I was super uncoordinated when it happened. It was like it happened so fast, and you like, all of a sudden got these long strides and you're like, bro, what happened to my little body?
Yeah? Man, it was kind of weird, man, Like my torso took a little minute to grow.
So it's like my legs and my arms was just getting.
Longer, and it's like my torso stayed real small, Like I was like I was supposed to be an NBA or something. So it's kind of weird. Like my running for was changing. I was looking a little ugly. I'm like, bro, what's going on with me? It's a a minute to get used to, man. But I just remember I used to pray every night, like God, please let me hit a gross purt please. This is when I was playing receiver, because like that's what I wanted to do. But they're like, man,
you're not gonna be able to play receiver. Too short? Maybe slide what about corner? They're like, nah, I don't know about that. Like, you know, the game is evolving a little bit more. You at least got to be like five ten, five eleven. I'm like, bro, like this, this just not working for me, you know, so right, no guy, my first.
No question.
He did, and all of it probably helped you, you know what I mean, because you did get some receiver experience, and you know what I mean, I think that's what helps us. All is at least helped me is playing receiver for so long, just being able to see the ball, catch it, recognize the angles and the trajectory and all that nonsense, and just knowing how to high point it and all that good stuff helped me a lot.
Yeah, yeah, I agree. Man.
So when did you make the decision to officially like I'm playing corner the rest of the rest of the time.
Man, Actually, it wasn't really even my decision to make.
I went to King High School, Detroit King High School, and we was playing against our our rivals cast Take.
You know. It's it's some people that went to cast Take that you might know. If Donovan Peoples.
Jones, he played receiver, he went there, you know, Jordan Lewis went there, you know, and our corner, the receiver ended up running like a glance route. Our corner ran into our safety. Our safety got up, he was fine. Our corner he broke his jaw, so he couldn't go in there, and I would isn't even a backup corner.
But they didn't trust in the backup that we had, and they're like, it's somebody that we can trust, like even though he probably don't got the experience like that, could just go in there and just you know, make some plays.
You know.
They threw me in there, and mind you this is I'm going to get people who four star guys, you know, strapping them. I'm like, maybe I can do this. And this was right before we started our playoff run, and they told me like, yeah, you're gonna be starting for the rest of the playoffs.
You know.
That's that's what happened. Like I feel like my whole life and why I am where I am today is based on me just making the most out of opportunities.
You know.
That's what happened in high school that I got to college. I get to college, I'm like six strength, six string cornerback. You know, I'm sitting in the back of the classrooms, six string quarterback, not really playing. And I remember we had to go against UCS. They had guys like Gabriel Davis, Trey Nixon. They had some guys and you always was
known for their hurry up. They have one of the receivers run a go ball and then sell him out and have another one come do the same thing, and it's like, if you at corner, you probably gonna get beat. So I remember at the beginning of the week, like everybody's gonna have to play. You know, uh Ama, you even gonna have to play. This is before they even calling me sauce. Like my coach is not calling me sauce.
They amas, you probably even gonna have to play. They put me in there, they run they run a sit route because it was real basic offense room. Then man, if you're playing on top, they're gonna sit it down. I'm in cover three. I'm in cover three, and this is like not a match Cover three.
We need to be bailing.
But I'm like, bro, I was watching film, Like he told me you gonna play. He tells me I'm a place, So I'm watching film all week. I'm like, all right, bet, this is the play that I'm gonna make.
Man. I act like I was bailing soon as he set it down. Picked at six. Yeah, and that's when that's when everything started. You know what I'm saying.
That's real, bro that because people don't understand the like balls, you gotta have to really like watch the tape, but then go out there and do what you what you're thinking you can do exactly like it's one thing to watch it and be like, man, I can make this play. I can make this play. I can try this dig I can do this. But then you get out there and bullets start flying and you're like, oh, well, I
don't want to. I don't want them to double move or I don't want them to you mean, like you shot your gun young.
Yeah, young man, I could have I could have liked that.
The average person who going there young like, man, this is my first time. I don't know if I'm play again and I messed up. Let me just do my job, coach, let me just you know. But you know, I always I had a good camp. I had a good camp my fresh year. So I'm like, I'm gonna show them that, you know, I'm not just a freshman, any old freshman. I'm gonna show them like I was. I was supposed to be here. You know, I shot my gun and you know I was started it all.
Bro. Bro, that's mindset.
That's really that's a really cool mindset because that's what makes you special, you know what I mean? And that's in every aspect because that applies to everything.
You know.
There are so many people there corner corners in the league right now that watch tape and see stuff that they can make a play on. But in the back of their mind they're like, but what if and you don't play that what if game?
You're like, go get it. Yeah, I tried not to play that with have game.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't didn't at times, Like I remember, We're just playing against Minnesota, and I kept second guessing a little bit because they.
OC is nice. He's nice.
He is probably like one of the best OC's that I've ever played against, like ever.
So like I'm gonna watch.
I watched them and I'm like, Bro, they have the same exact stems, the same exact everything, and they're running the.
Opposite rode off of it.
Also, they'll literally have a void from two and they'll make you think it's a dig and have a dig and go off of it a boy from two and actually run a dig, they have a void from two stem in and run an out route.
You know.
So I'm like, bro, they really like he's nice. That's probably one of the only games this year where I was like, I was sticking, like, bro, do I really want to gamble against him?
And then they o see they see the head coach right right, come on.
So I'm looking on the side and I just see his face. He got that face like he played quarterbacks. So you know, I'm thinking, like, all right, he looking to lax, like what's going on? Like what's about to have been here? You know what I'm saying.
It was.
It was kind of crazy, man, But yeah, gotta get it. You gotta get him his flowers.
You know. Yeah, he's one of the best out there right now, and he's he drawing him up like everybody's you know, Kyle Shanahan McVay. They all doing them spray releases offs a condensed split. And so when they get those spray releases. I started to when I was young. I just pressed everything and I ended all that shit and and then I just have to just fight in the run game, you know what I mean, Because sometimes they cracked and they get they get outside and so
I just have to react quick. And you know, every now and then they get me. But for the most part, the past game was dead, you know what I mean. So if it's if it's third and something, or if it's second and long or something, I'm up there. I'm like, hey, I'm about to dead all this ship, and y'all gonna have to show me that y'all can get to the edge in this past game. And as I got older, we had to start peddling. I still, you know, I mean, I don't like the pedal. I like to butt to
the sideline everything. Yeah, And so I would I would back up like like two yards outside, probably like eight yards deep, butt to the sideline, and I would I would shuffle, id shuffle for two steps as they stem and I I, damn there be at like an angle so that I could break for the post or I could break for that out and you know what I mean, I settle down on that curl.
But that messes the problem.
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Because like you said, that run game man, it's been crazy, Like the way that the way that teams try to detect off the condensed they see a corner press.
They gonna try to get on the aas now. You know, teams really they they be hunt that that is.
Right, unless you got it like a nine technique that's really gonna.
Get No, that's that's that's that's that's a little different.
You know. That's why I'll be saying I miss my dog jfm uh play for the Broncos. One of them non texts where it's like I don't want to say what I want to say, But he was one of them, like he crashing all of it down.
Yes, yes, I had nothing to worry about.
I'm not saying I got nothing to worry about now, but I'm just saying, like, you know, when we played Denver before the game, I was talking to him man.
Like, man, I miss you boys. You know, I'm like, b I miss you too. You know.
It's one of them things like that's that's the brotherhood that come with being in the NFL. You know, the planet that you have with with with the past guys that you play with, you know, so yeah.
It ain't no shot at the current guys. I'm sure they know you got a lot of love and respect for him, But it's just like Mike Bennett and Cliff Abra when they came. You know, we had big red and we used to play this sixth technique. Then Cliff came in. He wanted to be in a nine and he would always I would always say, man, you're making me get in the sea gap now, like just no, you got to close it. You gotta crash this down. And every time he would and now I'd be.
Like, Weld, like this, we're good.
Get some assistant tackles off of that, like you know, you ain't got to right boy tackle every single play.
And the see gap.
You know, he set their ends condens it down or set their ends arm over and both of y'all make the play.
You know, that's I'm in there with you exactly exactly. But every now and then we used to have Mike be and he would jump a gap, so he would be and like he'd be playing the tackle because him and Cliff Wuld played the same side, and Clipp be the end. He'd beat the tackle so be like in a four eyes and then he jumped my gap and so I'd have to go to the beat gap, and you know it, get it get loud in that big gap.
Really, you're real loud in there.
Bro, I probably only had to make one tackle in the big gap my whole out of these old three seasons, one or two, and you're gonna fee him.
If you don't feel right away're gonna feel them next day, for sure, no question. Look.
I always tried to hit him shoulder to the thighs, like I'm trying to get down quick, like so I get down, wrap that up up to the ground because all these big fellas about to come exactly.
Oh yeah, that's that's been my this year, bro, Like tackling people high in that like, Bro, I didn't got friendly fired this Brody got friendly fired probably like four or five times this season.
Look, I gotta I gotta work with you one off season. We're gonna I'm gonna show you exactly hot track.
Bro.
They took the ground and you out of harm's way every time. I'm not hitting nobody high unless I got to.
Yeah, Bro, we played the Patriots. I thought it was friendly fire. I'm snapping in the D line. I'm like, bro, y'all see, I'm pulling it because Remindre Ran, he ran he was like four yard self. I grabbed him. I'm pulling him back I'm thinking that d Lineman came and hit me. Mind you, I'm on the ground. I'm looking through my ear hole like, whoever hit me? My whole helmet that turned my face straight, helmet that shifted.
So I'm heiling mad. You know. I look on film he was the Patriots ohod line and he just dove into me. Bro.
But if I would have got lower, just made the tackle, I would have been chilling. Everything would have flew over me. So that's the one thing I do. Gotta get right on, Bro, because they be hunting. Well you you just got a track.
Hey m m No, the drills to o no, the drills Like it's just shoulder pass the thigh every goddamn time.
Like there's no option of like go high.
You're gonna have to binge your knees, get down there and shoulder to thigh Like I'm not I'm not hitting nobody high unless we the same size, and even then I'm probably not hitting you high unless I'm really just pissed off and I got some.
Ship to get off. Yeah. Yeah, you're doing a great job. Brother.
You get to the league with you know what I mean, going from like a three star then you and Kobe at at Cincinnati. First off, he balding right now. You know, he got his op and he got him a book. He putting it on tape right down at safety.
Man weine. We've been talking, Man, We've been chopping it up. You know, I've been able to catch a couple of his games.
Man.
Just let him know how proud I am him. You always tell me how proud he is, and me like, he really a dog, Bro, You really a dog. Obviously it's football. You're gonna h your ups and downs. Bro, You're gonna have your ups and downs.
You're never gonna be able to just cruise like this. It's gonna be up.
You might go down a little bit, even if it's down a little bit, man. So you know, just being able to see him out there, man, like he's playing fast. You know, in the run game, past game, he's playing fast. I've seen one of the players. I forgot where they just played, but they threw the ball in the air. Bro had the ball.
Safety. Kobe came out the post smack them.
He threw the players. They ain't call it. They caught it up exactly, They picked it up.
Man.
So just to be able to see him out there having fun, man celebrating. You know, that's a blessing to see.
Yeah, you got to pick against Atlanta. I think that was his first one. Yeah, I had to. I gotta go talk to him because you can't slide on picks. I'm like, well it's too hard to get him.
I'm running faver.
You look, you look at all my picks. Boy, I'm cutting across the field. I'm making this play last as long as I can.
Exactly exactly. I didn't even know he slid on that. I just see him posted.
I just seen him the picture him catching it.
They ran a couple of yards and then, like you can, then slid and I was like, no, yeah, triping, But talk to me about getting drafted. And as high as you got drafted, was that where you wanted to go? Is that where you expected? Because I mean it's a short list of corners that they went top four.
You know, I really thought that New York was where I was going to end up. You know, I love their coaching staff. You know, Houston, the official there, the thirty visitor was smooth. I feel like they scheme wasn't really for me. Right when they had that coaching staff Obviously they got a different coaching staff. Now that's similar to the scheme that we played in New York, you know. You know, so when I got when the Jets called me Bro, it was just it was a blessing. Man,
it was a blessing. That's where I wanted it to be. Obviously I got the name SAW, so my marketing people was already they were like, oh, yes, yes, you know what I'm saying.
But with a football perspective, you know, because that's the main thing.
You know, I was blessed to be able to, you know, come to New York, and you know, I'm still blessed to be able to be playing well.
Tell telling people some stuff.
They know, you know what I mean, because you know, you know, New York market is crazy, the media is crazy, as you've experience for the last two years, the good and the bad. Talk about how how this journey has affected you, your family, you know what I mean, who you brought with you, you know what I mean, Like, I know this has been a blessing for your family, But just talk about how the impact that you've been able to have.
Man, it's a blessing. Man.
The area I come from, I think it's the most dangerous part of Detroit, you know.
So for me to be able to.
Just move my my mom out the hood, you know, and the stuff that I've seen growing up is like stuff that a lot of people my age during that time wouldn't have seen. So it's just all things that motivate me and all things that I consider my why so, just to be able to move my immediate family out of the hood and stop all the stuff that they was going through, you know, it's a blessing. And to be able to come to New York, you know, it's a blessing because the fan base they've welcomed.
Me with Oprah arms.
Obviously it's gonna be some good and it's some bad, especially like and I mean it's an the most humble way is possible, you know, especially when you coming in the league and you have as much success that I've had in New York.
You know, I feel like people be waiting to see you not have your best game.
So what I've learned is like, obviously every game that I play is not going to be the greatest, you know, but I don't think I really have like horrible, horrible games. It'd be like all right, cool, I played decent this game, But my decent games they look at it is like I played horrible, right, But if it's somebody that's not in the New York market, it's like my decent game would be like a pretty good game for the person
who's not in the New York market, you know. So that's what this year has made me understand, because obviously, if we were winning, it wouldn't be a huge deal. But you got when we're not winning as much, you know, it's an extra emphasis on everybody, you know, especially when you have these diehard Jets fans who were like they've been waiting for us to make the playoffs for the longest, They've been waiting for us to win the super Bowl
for the longest. So I understand, you know, I understand where it all comes from.
You know.
And yeah, yeah, I mean, look, if anybody feels you you know, I wasn't in a New York market, but I had a lot of spotlight on me and our team, you know, because the success we had and leading the boom, and I just talked the most shit, you know what I mean, I'm talking cash out there, like I'm not really feeling all this nonsense they talking about.
And so you know, every game they want you to fail.
I god, damn, have an eight pick season my second year I'm all pro. They tell me I'm a bum. I'm like, I got eight books. I didn't shut down everybody y'all put in front of me. And y'all then the next year, I lead the league in picks, another eight picks, We win the Super Bowl, number one defense in the world, up for Defensive Player of the Year. They still talking, he's slow. It's the scheme. It's this, I said, Why ain't nobody else getting eight books in
the scheme? Exactly why there's so many people running this scheme. It ain't nobody else having it's kind of success. Maybe I'm one of them. And then the next year, you know, all Pro, and they're still you know what I mean. So after a while you got to sit there and be like, man, maybe people just want to hate.
Yeah, yeh.
They look for you to have one bad play if I give up a catch. I gave up a slant one time to Keenan Allen. I never forget it. It was the twenty fourteen twenty fifteen season, and I mean, when I tell you, it was plastered all over ESPN. This is a slant and I'm dead tired. It's one hundred and twenty. It's like the twelfth player to drive. I'm dead out there. I ain't gonna lie. And it's like he just came off the sideline. I just ran a gold round. I'm like breathing, and so he outside
released me. So you know, I go for the fade and then he's running slant. I just head whip it and I'm just like get him to the ground, like I'm tired. You know, hey boy, they got that plastered everywhere. He's exposed, like they exposed and they finally showed everybody he can't play.
I said a slant. Yeah, Like y'all got to be getting me. Man.
I feel like I think that they don't know what we like, what it took for us to get there, you know. So it's like they don't understand and you have to think about the whole other side where it's like people really betting on the games, so it's like a lot of the anger be from that, you know. So it took me a minute the process, Like, bro, I mean I get I just missed the tackle that went for like five six yards, but like this.
Is the end of the world, Like what do we like, what are we doing? I play corner.
I'm not saying corners only need to cover because I used to say that a lot corners covered, but like a complete corner is the best corner thousand percent.
But as a corner, matter of fact, not even just a corner.
As a defender, you gonna misscackles every now and then you go, that's just what That's just what it is, you know what I'm saying. Back linebackers, d lineman, corner safeties, everybody gonn miss tacles that you know at some point, you know, so that is what it is. But you know, sometimes I feel like they think we robots, like you know what I'm saying.
And you're totally right.
They have unrealistic expectations, like there are miss tackles where you're like, man, I'm but one thing I'll say is like y'all don't care more than we can, you know what.
I mean, Like they don't care more than you care. Bro, I had a tackle I had to tackle.
I had to tackle that I missed against the Texans, they threw the flat route.
I'll go low.
Quincy bumping to me because he's going for the tackle as well. So I bounced off of him and I bounce off my shorts. They say I watched a TV copy. It's like, yeah, man, this is something that they're saying that he has to improve. Obviously, I want to improve in everything. But it wasn't like I just ran up to him and just missed the tackle. You know what I'm saying. It's just, yeah, it's just stuff like that.
I don't really pay attention to it no more. But it's just stuff like that where it's like, what are we What are we talking about?
It's just something to talk about, Like they gonna pick your game part, They're gonna, they're gonna. They always kept saying, you know what I mean, even when I'm having crazy two sets, They're like, yeah, but he's slow. I'm like, y'all really think I'm out here picking every goal route that's out there, and I'm slow, like y'all, y'all, like
y'all gotta be on drug. Y'all think the receiver running four three and I'm just out here running four six and I'm just the same speed as him going up catch the ball, bringing it down and it just be nonsense. And so you gotta understand. You got to keep the main thing the main thing, you know what I mean, get better with what you can, get better at, work on your craft, and keep just challenging yourself because nobody
wants it better than more than you. Nobody has higher expectations for yourself than you do.
And Bro, it had been, it had been days where I couldn't sleep.
I'm giving up a twenty yard past and that's my only completion and that's my only reception of the.
Day allowed on me. Bro, Just like, Bro, I really could I could have. I really should have.
I'm my biggest credit. Y'all don't gotta Hey, I wanted I wanted the baddest. My coach don't want it more than me. Y'all don't want to. So just like you said, Bro, like I'll really be having them days where it's like, Bro, I'm over I over critique myself, you know what I'm mean?
That's just right I am.
And And they sometimes let the results like dictate they feelings, like like when I'm playing well, I'm preparing well. When I didn't play well, still prepared well. I guarantee you I still put the time in, put the work in, put the energy in. I gave it everything I had. They just had a better day than me. That happens. I'm a human being, Like I might have stumbled on this, I might have saw something different than what it was, but I guarantee you, I still put the work in
to get there. You're like, it's gonna work out for you. You stay with that formula, brother, it's gonna work out exactly like it's opposed to. And it's gonna work out like that for the team. Sometimes it's just being able to have that mindset and allow other people around you to elevate too. It's hard because we play corner, so corner is such an individual. Like I'm in this world, y'all don't understand. I got a lot of space and a lot of great athletes I gotta.
Deal with all day exactly.
But in order to be a great defense and a great team, and y'all have been a great defense. But since you've been there, you know, with Salah, and we're gonna talk about Salah in a little while, but you just got to keep encouraging each other. And it's a lot of what Davante's talking about when he came in.
You know what I mean.
That's when in culture it's about celebrating. Like if you start practices, you think we were crazed dogs and we on the sideline. You you sitting there looking at all pros on the sideline getting super hyped for this practice. Squad kid make batting the past down and you're like, bro, who's this day getting excited for? Is he been gonna make the team? It's like, it ain't about him making the team. It's about us celebrating everybody's success. Like I
care about him winning. We worked hard, he in the film room, we in a film room winning. We see how how hard he working, how much better he's gotten, and we want him to show, want to show how much we care that he's out there putting the work and he's having success. And when you do that on a big scheme, everybody feels like they matter. Everybody's putting in the work. So then everybody wants to say put the same effort in that you're putting in.
Yeah, yeah, I feel that. Sure.
Yeah, But talk to me about Salad because you you talked about playing for Salah and obviously you've been playing for Brick the whole year and and you know he's been your coordinator.
That move just seemed crazy. I talked to DJ about it.
He seemed to be like, call off guard by it, and just you know, it just was unexpected, not you know, you guys don't have any control over what happens and who gets hired and fired, but talk about your mindset.
When that happened and I.
Was shot, you know, I wasn't on Twitter, uh during that time. So my agent just text me. He was like, how you feel about the news, And I didn't even know what he was talking about. I just asked him, like, is it bad bad news? Like or is it just bad news? It's like bad bad news. And I just typed in the New York Jets and that's all I could see. That's all I could see on Google Bro. So I'm like, man, it's crazy. Wouldn't expecting it because our record wasn't even that bad at the time, you
know what I'm saying. I don't remember what it was, but it wasn't and three. Yeah, it was two and three, So you know, it kind of kind of caught me off guard.
You know.
I remember I text him, told him I love him, and I appreciate him because he he really was a huge reason why my family life shames, you know.
So you know, we still talk. You know. He called me the other the other which was it like a week ago, a week some change ago, and was like, hey, make sure y'all out there having fun. Man, I see all of Hey.
It looks like y'all not having as much fun right now. Make sure y'all celebrating everything. I'm like, you're right, coach, you know, And it starts with me. Let me make sure I'm not making this just feel like a job. Let me make sure that I'm treating this like it's my passion, because it's really what it is is this is my life. And you know, I addressed that with the defense, and you know, I feel like we all took them to it's a matter.
Yeah.
I mean, I respect that he wants he still wants y'all team to do well, you know, And that's all he keeps when I talk to him. He's like, bro, I want him to make the playoffs. I want I want to see my guys have success. They earned it, they deserve it, you know. And and that's hard, you know what I mean, because I'm a spiteful kind of dude.
So you you you know what I mean. And I don't think it has anything to.
Do with y'all, but the owner doing that to me as a person personally, i'd be like, man for all that, I'm done with all this, you know. But y'alla ain't that kind of guy. You know, he's still like he's hurt by that. You know, he thinks he should have been given an opportunity to have a full you know, seven team games with airing at the helm and his guys, you know what I mean, let him see that it
ain't gonna work, or it is gonna work. I think y'all still got a great team, just when it comes to defense, like even missing tackles, like when you swarm, it don't matter, like everybody gets there, then nobody even noticed you missed the tackle because the next person hitting him up half a second later. And so miss tackles only show up when the effort of everybody isn't there.
And I'm not talking about your staff, monsters, Because it looked like Quinn be all over the place like project roaches, and so does Quincy and so does CJ when he's out there, and the d line. But it has to be like habits in practice, Like every single play, we only out there three faux plays before they rotate the twoes in. So it's like, for three fold plays, can everybody get to the ball, Like even backside corner, can you just come tag off? Even if you tagging off
right as he goes into the huddle? Fuck it Like it's a mentality. It's a mindset every single time. So then when we get out there on game, like it's given, like you don't even have a choice. Your body just starts going. You're like, man, what my dope, Mama still running all the way over there, they already tackling. But when it becomes happened, you start running, you start having fun, and you start hitting people, and you start like you start swarming, and people don't want to go play with you.
Right right now, I feel like I feel like I definitely feel like when you run into the ball, that's when it starts like having fun out there, like because you sacrificing your energy for the man next to you.
You know, I'm speaking on behalf of Like if you the backside corner, are you gonna make the play?
Probably not, but you never know. You never know what's happens. So you know, that's just one of those things where it's like, man, we all got to be swarming. Like you said, if everybody swarming, somebody miss a tackle, getting cleaned up right right now. But we're like, if it's not no effort, then he gonna miss it. If somebody miss a tackle gain another team yards, then it's like, such a sens has to make that play.
Such sess has to make that tackle.
What is he doing when it's so much it's a team sport, getting into team, eat off, run it to the ball, all of that, all of that, and it takes everybody, and a rising tide lifts all ships.
If everybody's swarming, everybody looks good, everybody, you know what I mean, nobody's looking like they're missing tackles. It just looks like, damn, this New York just defense is all over the place like what has gotten into them? Like they craized dogs. And a lot of times that's used to be how we work, you know what I mean, Because and I give Earl Thomas a lot of credit, you know what I mean, we had a lot of talent on this defense. But when you talk about practice
a tone Cetter at practice. That boy is full speed and walk through practice. I don't give a damn if we in a hotel ballroom like full speed. If you don't want even to go full speed, take him out. Yeah, And so if he going at that pace, we must go at that pace. So it ain't no choice. It ain't know, like, man, we're gonna go. So we're gonna go this what pace we going today? Ain't nobody ain't no question. And then the offense just has to deal with what we have to deal with because they're like,
we already know these boys. Is like, coach, don't put the ones against the ones. You already know what these dudes are on. Man, just put the tools out there. Even feel like dealing with him, Yeah, yeah, now.
I feel that it's crazy. I was about to take bro. I've seen him player with Earl Thomas. He was in he was in a post. He was in a post.
Bro.
The aint ran like a screen. He was the first person to make them play on the screen. Like, I'm like, Bro, how I to keep rolling the back were watching this in the mid of the bed room.
That was crazy. I'm like, oh yeah, he different And he was the middlefield post safety us.
Yes, like because his like in his brain, like he watching so much film, so when he sees what he's supposed to see like us play developing, like he know, he trusts, like what you were talking about, Like no hesitation, no doubt, no nothing, like he's trusting. I've watched fifty hours of tape on his team, like I'm I'm I'm going yeah. And so when you got five six dudes out there, all just we locked in, we communicating everything. So it's like even if he wrong, we're gonna cover it.
Like we're gonna get we're gonna get back, and we're gonna get to play dead it.
You know what I mean.
If if you're wrong, he didn't got a rough end the pass or call out the middle of the field. Bro, it was crazy. It's crazy.
Wow. Wow, Bro, he's the best. He's the best to do it. Bro. And you know I gotta say that because he I played with him and I saw him every day. I feel that. But but I'm a big fan of your game. Brother. I loved you when you when you came in.
I loved you, know the all pros and all that, but I loved your press, your footwork, Obviously I talked to Salad all.
The time, and you know what I mean, I talk to you as much as I could.
When you know, he asked me to call you and give you my two cents or I try to text you and give my two cents, because he just wanted the best for you. But if you got any questions for me or anything you want to ask me, man, I'd be happy to answer.
Yeah, most definitely.
Man, We're gonna stay in touch like you, Like you said, solid definitely want it was best with me, Bro, And I appreciate you for you know, always hitting me up when you could tell me give me some tipts, Bro, because it definitely helped me.
Bro.
Definitely, No matter how how big I get all pros, pro bos, none of that, Bro, Like, I'm always gonna be a sponge, you know, always gonna be willing to line you know what I'm saying, never gonna get the big heads.
So no, I definitely appreciate that. No, I appreciate you, man. It's you. You've been incredible and obviously starting as fast as you did.
Just keep on doing what you're doing, stay humble, love on your family and and stay on the Grindstone, and like I told you, just don't let these people get to you and get you out of character. The same thing I told you the other day is because that's all they waiting for. They waiting for you to get out of character, to be like just like they waiting for you to make a mistake and get beat on the play, you know, so they could say I told you so.
I told you you wasn't like that. I told you just a kid from Detroit. He just that.
That's just that Detroit. And I mean we knew it the whole time. We just was waiting for it to show up exactly. Just keep you know what I mean, you're pros pro you You've handled everything beautifully. You've handled the start of your career incredibly. Just keep on keeping on, man, and keep and keep my boy DJ Reid humble and get them snacks, them rookies.
Gonna get oh bro speaking to that. No, don't get me wrong, DJ DJ bro like here, cool here, cool back. He definitely ain't how you was.
I heard some stories about you with them snacks man, But man, DJ DJ been doing this thing this year.
Bro. He definitely a guy that I always watched.
We always picking each other's brains, Bro, So it's great being in the same room as him. Speaking of a snack, the snacks we got Quanta stickers, right, Quanti STI. I can't even call him his nickname, man. So we still ain't got no snacks, oh, he say? He say, Man, we got the Thursday night game. DJ like, Bro, where the snack?
Say DJ? If you on his bad side, it's something that you did wrong. You know what I'm saying. That's just how he is.
Like. He ain't got no ego, he ain't got like he he hell a cool. So still say, uh, nah, Bro, we got we got three he said. He said like this, Nah, Bro, we got three days off at the Thursday night game. So you know, I'm gonna just wait till we get back, like what, But then we're like all right, cool gool coole. We get back yesterday, which is Monday. The snacks still out there, he say, BRO went out of time.
Bro. I'll have one back on home, BRO. So how do we DJ said, don't he said, don't worry. Aboudy and Ricky Dinner gonna be a movie. It's gonna be a movie.
It's gonna be silly, silly, dun't see y'all better than me, because because we used to get the cars told and stuff.
Like that, like one falls and.
All of it rolls like everything right like, and they don't uite get mad. Ain't no fighting, y'all, ain't gonna fight me over this. Like, be a rookie and do the simple stuff we're asking. Are there's consequences, And I'm just gonna get your car told somewhere where you can't find it, and then I'm gonna we're gonna be done with it. Go go walk seven miles. It's at the store right over there, and then next time you'll have my snacks. Man, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta take that one. I ain't even know.
I ain't even know you could do that. Okay, you can do whatever you want.
Talk to the security, get the gate open, Hey, toe truck, is this car right here, put it on the truck. We're gonna take it right here to this safe area. And he walking home to day, Like, go ahead and walk and get it, and next time you give me my snacks and we don't.
Have no problem. All right. I'm stealing that one. I'm stealing that one. I'm gonna let him know ahead of time too.
Hey, yeah, is either you gonna get the snacks or you know what I'm saying, you gotta walk to your car.
The coldest thing I ever heard of a vet doing to a rook is as Jared Allen. They said, Jared Allen got a barn built around a dual car. They got his because I guess they had a field across from the facility. And they said he told the car to the field and had them build a barn around it and thought.
His car was stolen for like a week. What that's crazy. That's crazy, Bro, Yes, sick, yeah, Bro, Bro, I love DJ Man. He's a good dude. He's a good human being.
He's a human I've never seen him mad until the snack situation. I've never seen him mad until this year, right situation. Right, that's kind of crazy, brus So I tell him, I'm like, Bro, I ain't never seen DJ Man.
So if he mad, you can't keep making.
Excuses, bro, like you because my rookiear they helped me pay for my rookie dinner.
I'm gonna tell you why.
I had a situation where I said, Bro, this is all I'm at this I tried to keep it a hundred, like I try to be like, Bro, this is.
All I asks, Bro, just don't get to buy hell of stuff that y'all ain't gonna eat.
Bro. I feel like I got the respect. I feel like we got the mutual respect where it's like we're gonna be We're gonna be respectful for this dinner. So basically, if y'all want to get food that y'all can eat for a few days, go ahead. If y'all want to get some drinks that y'all have with you, but don't just get stuff and just leave it on the table. Like I don't heard all type of rookie dinners where people just get hell and stuff and just leave it
on the table. They ain't even gonna touch it. But with me, it wasn't even events and the players that tried to get over on me. It was the restaurant. Oh, the restaurant was bringing flashes in for five k apiece were just looking like, hold on, I get the bill. It's said like twenty some thousands. I'm like, I ain't gonna lie, Bro. You know you know we like in Bro, I ain't gona lie.
I can't pay this y'all. It ain't even off the strimp.
But like y'all like a lot of this and stuff, y'all didn't even eat, or a lot of y'all didn't even order. Like only one person ordered some food and it was Michael Carter. Everybody else is sitting there and they just eating it. But they not understanding, like these people trying to get over on it. So they see the bill, like hold on because they tried to look out like they ain't trying to do no right. They wasn't trying to kill you. They weren't trying to kill me.
So I ended up paying. They're like ten you know, other people just throwing there like a thousand, just like some little calm thousand and we got the bill pay.
But I said, like, we can't go there no more, like no rooge, I wouldn't even want.
To do that to the like even stick even though even though he doing what he doing with the snacks, Like we.
Got to get it in a different way, like yo, y'all gotta get it even if we try to get over on them and hit them over the head a little bit. Us.
Plus the restaurant, the yeah, don't kidding like that That's what I'm saying, man. So you know, we we definitely gotta something, gotta give some gotta for sure. Man, every rookie dinner we had, we never had. No nobody drafted, hired, and then third, I don't think. And then that was like my last year, we had a third round pick. I think we had Shaq Griffin went third, and anytime
I just didn't feel right killing them. We just messed with him, you know, I mean, we act, we order an you know what I mean, all this other nonsense. We'll order big steaks, bill will come out to like four grand or something. We'll probably play pay half of it and let them pay two grand or something. We ain't killing them doing crazy. Feel like that's how it should be, you know, as long as the rookie doing what he's supposed.
To do, you know, right, have my snacks or or get ignorant. If you don't have a snack, then it gets different. But also, I want to talk to you off these py calls and holding calls. Don't say nothing because I don't want you to get fined. It's been some god damn bull crap. And I just said it. When DJ was on here, there was like two or three games. That Buffalo game was silly. That Buffalo game, I said, Hey, this is the first time I'm gonna say they cheating these boys.
Now, if you look.
Around the league, like you, if you look around the league, you will see, like everybody probably got more PI calls than they've had they I know, me, I think now it's I haven't seen it, but I have more than I've had the last couple of years.
Because we were talking about it in my me room. I think DJ, dude, I think bro.
Really everybody you could think of it, you know. So, I mean a lot of the concepts look the same. A lot of the corners try to play it the same, even if they have different bills. Like so, it's like I see the same stuff, same concepts, the same hip slips, the sameeness and that same day. And it's like sometimes you see it get called sometimes don't. Like I remember, like, uh, it was a play on we was playing the Patriots
and Gonzales. He grabbed devonce arm a little bit and they didn't call a piare or holding or nothing like that. Me as a corner, I'm like, he's just playing physical. That's how I look at it. As a corner, so like, hey, if you throw the penalty, he was playing physical. If you don't throw the penalty, he was playing piscical.
It just is who it is.
And then the other one, they called another one and it was his great defense, like he didn't grab him, none of that, but they called it. But I feel like, you know, the rest aren't human. So I feel like sometimes they might call it a flag if they feel like they probably missed it previously. Like they might call a close one, So say, if it's if it's a blatant one, dang, I.
Ain't call that one.
If it's one that's a little close or could possibly be, they gonna.
Throw that one. You know what I'm saying. This is your third year in the league, right, I'm gonna give you.
I'm gonna give you some some game that I got as a rookie, and it's gonna sound crazy, and maybe you don't use it.
Every week.
They have that you get that sheet with everybody's name on it and all that in your locker. Right, they also have a sheet with every referee name on it. Does Brick or chiltte ever go over there with y'all. We've been we've been going we started. We started going over it after Minnesota game. Because Minnesota game.
I had bro They hit me for every penalty it was to hit me for.
I got here with a defensive holder, I got here with a illegal contact, and I got here with a PR and.
Two.
Well all three of the balls was uncatchable. One of them.
I was just like this, this is like different because it was a little fadure out. I'm chest to chest looking back for the ball. The ball was strong all the way.
Out of bounds, and they called you. I remember that.
I was just like, I go back, I go back to solond I'm like, solid, t o, how do I play the back shoulder if it's not Chess's chests looking through the man looking back for the ball.
Salad come up to me, like, play your game, keep playing your game.
So I'm like to hear that from a coacause when you get them pilloties, you're thinking like, damn, I'm hurting the team.
Hey I just did this. Hey I just when you heard the coach say that, he realassure you.
Like, all right, let me just keep doing what I'm doing because they probably understanding where I'm coming from, right, you.
Know, So just to be able to hear that that was that's cool. That's one thing that Sala always did.
If I was tripping on something, Sala gonna tell me, hey, you tripping, Hey do this better, Hey, you can do this better. And every time it was always off of like, I know he said it out of love. I know he's saying it because he wont was best for me, because he won, was best for the team. If he ever told me, like, keep playing your game, then I know, like, all right, he understanding the lives.
Okay, okay, cool, That's what I'm gonna do. Right. So that's just how I've handled it. Man.
I don't never try to snap on the rests. I don't ever try to, you know, just say certain things. It's just you got receivers right now that will be running their route, mere route. They leaning up against you. So it's like, okay, you leaning up against me. You run an inside release, some outside levers right on your outside. You're leaning up against me. Am I supposed to just do this? Or am I supposed to stay latched like this?
Hands low? Okay? Cool? But bro, it's just a little different.
Bro.
It's look, look, they got DJ for something.
I taught him as a rookie, and I felt so sick about it because I taught him like if somebody pushed, like keep the arm and make them one hand, put you on sports center, pull through and go for it.
So it's gonna be like, hey, I got that arm pulled through, reach put your other arm and go for it.
And so he did it, and they called it, and I said, bro, they never and there's no way he could have saw it because you looking from there the receivers back to you.
He grabbing this on there's no way you throwing out.
But another thing on that play, he didn't even reach and pool and accelerate, like he just had his arm and was running like DJ is still running his normal speed and just had his arm, like he didn't try to like do what you said, like pool and accelerate, because you got to think the receiver could have possibly
flopped it stuff if he did that. He just ran and the receiver just doing like I think he's talking about the Bills game, but I think I think he's had got that one called yeah, because he got that one called against New England Thornton and against Buffalo, both of the same ones where it's like, is the ball catchable? No?
Is he slowing his speed down? Lo, the receiver's arm is out.
Is he just gonna run and just be like blocked off by the hand and just be running into his hand? No?
So what he is he gonna do? Grab the arm?
You know?
But Bro, the one Jefferson he ran that outer that seven cut on DJ and tried to brush off and DJ, great.
D great defense, great defense. If it's something crazy. If it's something bro, this is how it's up. Bro, if it's a.
Crazy PI or crazy holding, we literally be like, nah, that's you ain't have to do that.
I didn't had times about it, told DJ, yeah, you ain't have to do.
That right there because you already and it's been time with DJ, so you ain't have to do that right there because you're in a good position to trust up speed. And that tell us us, bro, you hell a fact, Like we always we be coaching ourselves. So by the time by the time T come up to us, a solid couple a brick come up to us to tell us like, hey, yeah you ain't we already it went over. We're good, coach, were good. We ain't got to worry about it. You know, you know, that's just that's the
chemistry that me and DJ got. But yeah, man, it's definitely been rough. Obviously we've been able to watch football and just see like these PR calls and each hold costs throughout the league has been crazy. But I remember that Minnesota game. We think like, bro, is it is it us? Like, is these people have to get us?
Like what's going on?
That's what it looked like that game, because they might have got you like three times in one drive. I think it was like two or three times. And I was like, oh, like.
They got they got me off the they got me off the whip off, the whip rout that Addison and on even grazed they got me off that.
I'm like, I was, I went to the sideline.
I'm understand like if this is my rookie year, I threw a helmet kick some all that, but I'm understanding like the effect that I got on everybody else, And it's like if I do this, then other people go if they get mad, they feel like they're good. All right, SA, Calm down, you got a lot of football to be a lot of It's a lot of football to be played. Calm down, you know, but sometimes you can't get a little frustrated, you know, right, But that's growth.
That's growth showing showing a little growth for your three year three growth, you know.
Yeah, So back to this growth. These reps got names and they got families, and they people. They normal people. And this is a trick they taught me early on. Bro.
I would know the names. I would I.
Would probably either know one fact, because we always had this researcher that he just would tell me stuff about him because he that's just what do you want to call bighead Todd.
We just he just would help.
And so like, I don't know if they kids went to a certain school or if they went to a certain score, are they fans of like Bama or you know what I mean? Texas saying them and you know they lost that week or they won and be like, man, I see your Texas ay and m team boy. They doing it this year, and it'd be like, man, Josh, Man,
I appreciate you this year. Like Bro, I'm telling you, you get in the game, and I didn't got more warnings than anybody come up to you and be like hey, hey, Searan, come on, man, I could have got you, right there.
I appreciate and the ref and.
The receiver over there, Custody mouth like hey, I'm like, hey, come on now, Hey, don't talk to Jason like that.
Hey, come on, got to steal that. Come on telling you? I know no.
This is the day that got me though. Were playing Pittsburg. Right first drive Van Jefferson, he run like over the ball city he pushed, He pushed off.
Hella. I'm like, come on, ref, come on, ref, George, because he running around he pushed off. Hella. I tell I talked to the ref. Matter of fact, I talked to that ref before the game. I don't I don't know his name.
I'm like, ref, just know there's gonna be a physical there's gonna be a physical matchup. He like pushing off. Reff said, you know who you watched Hilm too. I know he's a huge push off guy. We're gonna let y'all play. He's talking about me and pickets, pickets.
Pushing on me.
I'm looking back for the ball on the goal. I'm not disrupted him at all. After the play he called a p I I'm like, ref, what did I do? Like you're pulling him? You'll stop him?
I said.
I did not pull him at all, like, not even a little bit. Like I literally was chested chest and I was running like vertical. I wasn't even laaning it on him, like I looked.
I looked through him.
Then I turned it the last minute hit the ball. Yeah, I say, hey, Rev, you tell I looked at him.
I looked at him.
He probably bad for me because the way I said that, I thought about it, like, did I really say it like that?
I'm like, hey, ref, he said, just let us lay today. Iver. I know you probably thinking about that, like, damn, I feel a little bad. I definitely did say I was gonna let them play. But man, that was that was one that hurt me. That was the one that hurt the heart right there.
You know right, I'm not gonna tell you it may not, it may not do nothing, but just learn that dude name. I'm telling you because they got numbers too, so you ain't even got it. They got they usually when they got the car, they got their faces and everything. But if you you only got to know the back judges, you know what I mean, That that that's down the field.
You could know the white hat you know what I mean? Easy, But know that the judges and just be like instead of ref you'd be like, hey, Terrence, Terrence, come on now, hey, don't do me like that.
You know, I got family to feed too, Okay, Like you know, I promise you that little bit of human, a little bit of him.
Yeah, make them feel, make them feel. But I'm always talking to them though obviously I don't be knowing all their names. But bro me, I like interacting with people in general, especially people in the football field.
So like we a lot of them already familiar with who I am. And I didn't seen him before, even one of the refs.
Bro.
One of the refs coached my state championship game in high school. Wow, yes, And I don't even know if it was just my state championship. He like, he coaching Detroit a lot, Bro, So I'll be seeing him already, be knowing who he is, you know. So some of them I'm more familiar with the others. But I'm definitely
gonna take that tactic right there. You know, it's a tactic, but for real, for it's just being human decency, you know, you know, they name man and that's just obviously them giving you some graces.
Just he was gonna come with it.
But yeah, everybody on the field y'all all grown man. So just being able to know their name and stuff like that, that's that's cool.
And give them a little bit more respect, you know what I mean, shows that Hey, I'm acknowledging that you're a human being and you're not just a ref out here. You know what I mean, You're a person.
I know your name, you know my name? Yeah, help a brother out. Yeah yeah yeah, Like.
Let me play my game and not you know what I mean, I don't need no nonsense if it look, if you give me two warnings or one warning, that's one less flag I got in this game, one last first down, you know, because they'll callt some bs backside and it'd be like, bro, he wasn't even looking over here.
Yeah yeah, yeah, that's happened to me before.
The gun shooters get you out too. That's what I'm saying. Every great corner, if he ain't been scored on, he ain't great. Yeah yeah, because you don't know what you are until you get scored on. He'll have a rough game and then you gotta respond. Yeah yeah, that is it is shrue, ma, But I appreciate you man, I don't want to take no more time on you off day.
We can sit here and talk all day. Man. Good. I appreciate you.
Man.
I had a lot of fun, bro.
Yeah. Yeah, we'll get you back on next time when y'all, when y'all make the playoffs this year, y'all make that crazy run, and we'll be talking about.
It, all right, cool, all right, brother. Appreciate you, man, Appreciate you.
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