Best of Playing Days Stories Part 2: Going through Rookie HAZING?! + DeSean Jackson REFLECTS on Eagles Career!

22:39You know, we turned into that core of Philadelphia. So 2017, a lot of that we carried over. you know they took that on and won a super bowl what was what was the what was the environment like

22:51Ocho:when when kelly was there because it seemed like they had a lot of issues you had the issue with the receiver at the uh the concert i don't know were you there then yeah i was there when riley cooper said uh riley cooper said what he said i forgot about that had mike to get up in front of them and and accept this like whoa whoa whoa yeah you don't don't put that pressure on me i i gotta to see some things before I start accepting apologies hell I ain't even heard him say that he apologized he apologized and you talk about Mike Vick said no Mike ain't accept nothing what was the type of environment that he fostered when he got there DJ oh man at that period of time just I'll go back before the Riley Cooper uh you know that situation but like when when Chip Kelly first came in for those who don't know he literally came in and you got pro bowlers when I tell you I was a pro bowler.

23:39Vic was a pro bowler. McCoy was a pro bowler. Jeremy Macklin was, you know, a thousand-yard receiver. I mean, we had guys, Brett Selick, I mean, we had guys, and I ain't even talking on the defensive side, we had guys that were ballers. When Chip Kelly came in there, he literally had a meeting, and he said, there's no starters. So you telling me you coming into a team that got them type of names that I just said, and you saying no one's a starter? Like, we literally was not starting. Like, everybody just was going, and we didn't have no first stream, no second. Like, it was crazy. Hold on. Jack, what is he trying to prove?

24:14He's coming into a team with a bunch of pro bowlers that have been playing for a long time and telling y 'all y 'all have to earn your position? You feel me, bro? Buddy was – he lost his – like, day one, Buddy lost everybody. Power trip. It was a power trip, and, like, he came from Oregon where he had success. But I'm going to be real. Like, everything he was doing, we was like guinea pigs. We was like lab rats. like he was like oh uh uh put a heart monitor on at nighttime i want to know how many hours you slept when you come to work i want you to pee in the cup and i want to see how hydrated you are um i'm gonna put trackers on you i need to know how many like it was just crazy and like i ain't gonna lie i was one me and mccoy we was there i mean vic was he had to play the role because you know he was coming off a situation but me and shady mccoy we was like hey bro we ain't doing that it's some shit we just not gonna do and so so so to go back to that situation with righty cooper i mean i can remember that meeting like it was yesterday he literally he said the comments and one thing about riley cooper like riley cooper he wasn't racist you know i'm saying i just think he got into a situation intoxicated somebody said something to him and he just slurred that out but like riley cooper was actually a good dude man you know i'm saying like i had a great relationship shit with him and when it happened I just knew I'm like we're not like that but it did happen it did come out and however it came out he may felt the way he felt so for us before we accepted any apologies we like we got to really see that this shit is sincere so I think you know he tried to force that on us he tried they tried to patch it up they tried to do a team meeting and cover it up but it was like when we got in trouble you ain't patching nothing up for us so why you why you going to go patch it up for him.

25:53So it just, the team did it. It didn't settle right for the team. Hey, when you think about coaching, coaching college, coaching football in general, as a coach, is this something that you view as something you want to do long-term doing your, do you envision, envision doing it 20 plus years and maybe transitioning from college to the NFL? He said 20 plus. He said 20 plus. I mean, Hey, DJ, let me get through the first year and I get back at you. You feel me, man? I ain't going to lie, but I got a few grades, bro. I've been already stressed out. Boy, they got me at the university, man. You know, it's HBCU, man.

26:30We got a lot of resources. We got a lot of out - Yeah, underfunded. Accomplished right here. So long-term, man, I'm not going to lie to you. I definitely love to see that I'm in right now, man, to be able to have the success I had on the field. to now to be able to be a head coach where I control everything from top to bottom. You know what I'm saying? Like, I ain't even no power trip type of dude, but just to have this control and to be able to say, like, that's a resemblance of me. I mean, it's a great feeling, man. Every day I wake up, I'm rejuvenated. I'm excited to go in there because I'm going to be real with you, uncontrolled.

27:04Like, I didn't think it was going to be this. I didn't think I was going to have this much fun doing it, bro, because I thought about the hours. when I get in there I get in there about 7, 8 in the morning and by the time I look up it's like 5, 6 o 'clock and the day's already gone you look up you're like where did the time go so it's really like when you're enjoying something and you passionate about it it don't seem like work and like honestly the meetings I'm a head coach so like I got an offensive coordinator they run the meetings I got a defensive coordinator they run the meetings so I just get to dibble and dabble and I don't gotta sit in the full meeting I don't gotta do installs So I don't got to go like, I just got to be a leader of men.

27:41And at the end of the day, I'm going to make sure my coaches, that's why I surrounded myself. And that's why I respect prime so much because I feel like in this day, I'm not taking away from nothing that coach prime does as a head coach, but he's more to me, he's more of a leader of men. And he, you know, his intelligence is smart, but he put people around him for him to have success. And I just followed the blueprint that big bro put down.

28:02Ocho:When you're moving like I do trips don't always come together weeks in advance. Sometimes production shoots, interviews, or something, I've got to travel for on a short notice, like the time when I had the last minute trip to Denver and everything came together fast. Once it was locked in, I had to be ready to go. That's where Amazon Prime can make a difference. When something comes together quickly, you can get what you need like grooming essentials, neck pillow, eye mask, even snacks for the flights, so you're ready to show up for it. With same day delivery, all those items show up on time and still make the trip so you can show up and focus on why you're there and not everything around it.

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31:01Ocho:Shadour says that when he's a vet, he'll have Rookie organize his locker. Take a look at this video, guys.

31:10I'm a vet. What I'm going to do, I'm going to have a Rookie organize my locker every day before he leaves. If Flacco told me to do this every day, I would do it. I'd go to him every day and I'd say, hey, bro, you good? You need anything? Write him because it's respect. You feel me? I feel that.

31:31Ocho:So when you came in as a rookie, what did the vets have you do, Teron? The vets were pretty good to me, man. Jari Evans, Ben Grubb, Zach Streep. Those guys were pretty good to me. I just had to get them breakfast every Saturday, food for the plane, snacks, toiletries. I had to bring that type of stuff to the facility, deodorant, body wash, all that good stuff. so trying to find a ride to Walmart because Uber didn't exist in 2013 so trying to find a ride to Walmart get the stuff for the guys and haul it in to the facility but they were pretty smooth on me yeah that's what it was I mean they want breakfast sandwiches they wanted donuts they wanted chicken they wanted Popeye's to come to the plane I'm like come on guys y 'all know man and back then you know we drove we drove drove to the airport, but we had our own hangar.

32:25Ocho:So you drive up, go get on the walk up and get on the plane. Man, you know, man, I was driving so fast, driving reckless, man. Try to get there. I'm on a rookie contract, man. I can't afford no$1 ,250 on a lot of fine, man. Damn. I remember them days. I remember them days. I received a group. I mean, obviously the vets, when I came in as a rookie in Cincinnati, man, it was love. You know, there was a certain amount of respect that I showed and a certain amount of respect that they showed as well. But you remember Darnay Scott? Yeah, I do. Yeah. Darnay Scott. Danny Farmer was there at the time.

33:00Ron Dugans. P-Dub. P-Dub was there. And it was all love. It was nothing to that magnitude like some of the stories that I hear. No, we think the receiver room have the hardest time with that. The receiver room is always that. Because they don't be trying to buck.

33:17Ocho:The receiver be trying to buck. It's always a hard time with that. we had a situation in Miami last year. Not a big situation, but Tariq Hill had bought one of the rookies a Christmas gift, and the rookie didn't like it really. Like, no, I mean, it's cool, but you know, you Tariq, I expect you to give me something better, you know, something bigger. You make it 30 M's a year, you know what I'm saying? And Tariq was really hurt by that. Like, he was really upset that he got in. Hey, what did he get in? I'm trying to remember. It was like a Gucci cologne set or something like that, some type of designer cologne set.

33:56And this young boy, he 21 years old in Miami, man. He probably don't even have no cologne. He don't wear no cologne. He don't want that. He wanted Tyreek Devon something with a little bit more splash to it. Yeah, that was receiver room. And plus, you sing it.

34:11Ocho:You know, you got to sing at training camp and not no damn fight song either. Ain't nobody go to your school but you. So you got to say something, whoever the latest is, now like probably neither be Kendrick Lamar, Drake, or whomever the hot rapper is right now. Back then, you know, R &B was still big when I was coming up. And guys singing Teddy Pitt, the guys were singing Luther, was singing Barry White. Hey, they did the thing. Did y 'all have a rookie show, T? Oh, for sure, for sure. Mike McDaniel, he was big on that. And Sean Payton was too back in New Orleans. We would do the song. most of the guys would do R &B, old school R &B.

34:50Yeah. I feel like the, and you guys probably have a different song, but I feel like that undefeated song, when a rookie starts singing it in that rookie show, the whole crowd going to join in, it's Fantasia. When I see you, it's over. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He start that, you get to the first 30, he get through the first 30 seconds, he won. Because everybody going, yeah. He's gone. Hey, you know what? That song, that song right there is like, when the swag surfing song come on, it don't matter. where you at or what you doing everybody joining in

35:20Ocho:yeah you're going to grab somebody's shoulder yeah you got to grab somebody everybody that's it hey New Orleans what is that here we come to get you here we come to get you that was bad New Orleans yeah that Superdome used to rock man I miss that place I miss those fans It was crazy. Matter of fact, I think you went to Arkansas Pine Bluff? Yes, sir. Matter of fact, when I was at Langston, you know about Langston University, right? Yeah. When I was at Langston, we played Arkansas Pine Bluff. They came on down. It was a coil. It's all still water. Whichever one it is. I remember it was back in 1990, 1997.

36:08We played Langston my freshman year, and Langston beat us, bro. For real? It was bad. It was bad.

36:15Ocho:I know y 'all took the bus because we took the bus everywhere. It didn't matter if it was three hours or if it was 12 hours. You on that bus. I was on that bus. I was on that bus. Paired up. And, well, see, the way we did it is like the starting offense and the starting defense on one bus and then the backups on another bus. Y 'all didn't ride together? We did offense and defense. No, hell no. Yeah. Starters on one bus and the back comes on another bus. What the hell you mean? Yeah, if you ride the bench, you ride this bus, huh? Yeah, you're right. Exactly. Talking about segregation. Oh, yeah, that's crazy.

36:55How they supposed to get better, man? They can't sit and talk to none of y 'all. No.

36:59Ocho:Because we back there playing cards. You know, Spades, we playing cards. We, you know, we own one at the back of the bus. You know what I'm saying? As a matter of fact, we wanted to go to the back of the bus, don't you? but hey all of us it wasn't nothing special because all of us was black we had what our kicker was white so it wasn't it wasn't a thing and i'm sure it's the same thing with you guys did y 'all have a white kicker or punter both white kicker and punter that's it oh yeah and a linebacker we had a yeah we had a linebacker too he's a bad man but that's what you know but you you missed that i missed you know taking over you know going to tuskegee uh going to uh where's Burlington, North Carolina?

37:41Ocho:Just because, you know, you taking the bus. I mean, it ain't no plane. It doesn't matter if it was, like I said, if it was an hour to Georgia Southern and Statesboro or you going to Tuskegee or you going to North Carolina, it didn't matter. Spartanburg, South Carolina, it didn't matter. You on that bus. Yeah, we would take that 10-hour bus ride to Houston for Prairie View, Texas Southern. We'd take the 10-hour bus ride to Alabama, A &M, Alabama State. my first flight in my life was we got paid to come play UTEP so we flew down to UTEP they paid us to beat on us yeah that was my first time I'm trying to think oh first time on the flight I think I went to Black College All-American I think I went to Pittsburgh I think maybe I flew to see my brother play but other now But you missed that because guess what?

38:37Ocho:We can stop by a convenience store. They're like, man, the guy was like, because I was a capitalist. So the man like, man, sharp man, I'm hungry, man. Have Coach Davis to stop by the convenience store. I'm like, I'm like, Coach, man, I'm hungry. Coach, can we stop by a convenience store? Coach Davis looked at me and said, all right, home, we're going to stop. But you're responsible for them. He already know what they're going to do. They're going to clean the store out. Y 'all had that NIL money back then No we had no NIL money That's why he told me I was responsible for them To make sure they issue their pockets That's why he told me I'm responsible for them And I'm standing to the door Hey Take it out Man Ocho How that gonna look He ain't stop everybody Ocho I didn't Yeah, you ain't see everything.

39:31Ocho:But let me tell you what I wouldn't do, because I was one of the few guys that had a vehicle. And people are like, man, to this day, they're like, man, Shaw wouldn't give nobody a ride. Bro, I know who had stuff would follow them out the store. I know who a bag of potato chips, soda, honey buns, ish would follow you, walk out the store behind you. So, no, you're not getting in my car, because everybody knew who I was and what I drove. Man, I just know they got in the car with Shannon. It was Shannon Shaw. They ain't going to say nothing else. It was Shannon Sharp. Oh, no. Even if he had a little honey bun, he's going to slide you a little Swiss roll or something.

40:08Ocho:He might have$3, but he's going to come out of there with$5 worth of stuff. So, no. No. He got something for you. No, he didn't. No. Oh, no. And the mall, never going to the mall with him. Absolutely not. Yeah. T, what do you think about the locker room this season with Tua going through his third and fourth major concussions? how do i mean look you you can do all you can to try to protect the guy but at some point in time he's got to protect himself he has to know when the journey's over you can't at no situation should he be allowed i don't know what he was thinking that you're gonna go ahead that you're gonna go head first on somebody knowing your history yeah you know he he definitely um he's he has to be aware there's no question about it and he is aware but even more and now it has to be proven on a weekly basis that he understands his importance and impact to the team, to the franchise, to the city.

41:04Without Tua under center, it's a different team. It's a different look. But with him under center, I strongly believe Miami Dolphins can win any game that he's a starting quarterback. So no, you're absolutely right. Except when he gets 30 degrees. Oh, here we go. Let's get into it. Let's get into it.

41:23Ocho:No, but go ahead. But with Tua, go ahead with Tua. Yeah. No, he has to know that. He has to know how much of a value piece he is and whatever it needs to do. But just just knowing the guy, knowing how much he loved the game and the way that he prepares, man, it's that competitiveness against Buffalo this year. We're stagnant offensively. We get a drive going and he's trying to extend on the third down and try to get another first down. It's just he can't be the one to do it. You know what I mean? But it's just him being a competitor, trying to trying to wield a team. Yeah, I think I talked, Uncle and I talked about this last year sometime when he went out.

41:58I just think he has to learn to fall a little better. Understanding when to, especially I remember that first down where he went head first. He still got, he got up. Yeah. It was like one of the moments where you'd be like, ah. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Hold your breath moment.

42:13Ocho:You got to know when the journey's over. Yeah, knowing when the journey's over and then when he gets hit, knowing how to fall correctly. you know especially when you go when you go back and you don't try to do your best i know it's hard but i was it's something that i trained myself to do is when you get tackled you're going backwards try not to let your head hit the back the back of the back of the ground as hard as it does what i used to do is if i get hit hard and i know it's backwards i'm going backwards i would tighten my core and try to keep my head upright the best i can the best i can just so i don't get that boom that that that initial shock which causes causes um that's the one though the one that you falling back hit the head that's the one that's that's yeah that's the one like if i'm getting you i do my best like i'm holding the ball but i do my best as if i'm as if i'm bear hugging dude you know in a sense obviously i'm literally bear hugging i'm just saying trying to keep my body and my upper body and torso as close to him as possible even on impact just so most of the force isn't the back of the head bouncing off.

43:17How do you feel about them guys on the sideline? If they jump out of bounds or are you trying to fall for a few more yards? What do you think about that?

43:26Ocho:It all depends. In his situation, he can't do it. Not even on four because he's too valuable. He gets first down and he gets dinged. What have you done? Okay, you got the first down. Now your backup has to come in and finish out the ball game. I give you a prime example, Peyton Manning. once Peyton Manning hurt that neck they never let him do quarterback sneak again yeah if you notice they don't let Patrick Mahomes since he hurt his knee they don't let Patrick Mahomes do go straight into the line of scrimmage you see you you have to protect the guy no that's a fact that's a fact with Tua he's gonna have they're not gonna let him do obviously you wouldn't do no tush push with Tua but second of all bro you got slide it's okay It's okay to slide.

44:08Ocho:I'm not looking at no quarterback. Oh, he tough. For what? You're not used to taking those licks like that. And they're looking to punish you because you don't have the protection of the pocket. Because once you leave that pocket, you're a runner. So I'm going to hit you like Derrick Henry. Free game. Free game.

44:31To honor our country on its 250th birthday, This can of Copenhagen goes out to those defending the free American soil. But our tobacco has taken root in for over two centuries and counting. Here's to the calloused hands of freedom. Copenhagen, saluting American grit, proven since 1822. Warning, this product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. Hey, sports fans, your away game road trip doesn't start at the kickoff. It starts on the road. Before heading to the game in Eugene, take a moment to enjoy the journey and explore Tualatin Valley, located just west of Portland and north of Eugene. Sip world-class Pinot Noir, soak in picturesque views, and craft a game day trip you'll talk about all season.

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