Deebo & Joe - Part 1: Aaron Rodgers latest, Bengals trade for Dexter Lawrence + Ike Taylor joins

22:02Listen to The Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

22:14What's up, everyone? I'm Ako Wodum. My next guest you know from Step Brothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come. Look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet.

22:47James Harrison:Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

23:23In 2023, former Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so-and-so, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

23:57James Harrison:Greg Gillespie and Michael Marancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Before that, I think he was trying to do something in 24 before he ended up getting hurt when he had just signed the deal in 23, I believe. So I think he was a year one or two into the deal and was trying to redo it.

24:43And it still had, what, two or three years left or something like that on the original deal. But you can't do that after you got a half sack. You done ended the previous year with surgery. And you missed the last, what, four or five games of the year. Yeah. The math don't be mapping sometimes.

25:04James Harrison:Yeah, it don't add up. You coming off 10, you know what I'm saying? Iron's hot. You can go right at him. Yeah, even, you know, shit, on the interior, hell, even eight. Eight, something over five. Yeah, you got to get something over that. He's going off his pressures, though. Second in pressures in the last four. Okay. He's going off his pressures. So behind Chris Jones in pressures, 123, that's legit. But I'm talking about the last two years. We got to look at the last two years. we ain't gonna look at last year 25 was down what was 24 still had to be down somewhat because you got hurt had surgery you missed the last 4 or 5 games of the season yeah they started doing that injury bug so you young and get hurt it's cool you 6 years in you get hurt why you get hurt how you coming back what those numbers look like when you come back how much we paying you oh now you asking for some more I don't know you just kind of it's a little it's a little different when you start when you start looking at it like that baby that 30 ain't lying that 30 is the 70 in the league soon you get a 29 30 yet well you 30 you 30 oh boy I'm gonna tell you right now you want to put it 65 regular retirement what 65 62 something like 67 65 okay so now in the league that 29 It's like 63.

26:33It's like, oh, 63. You 63. You ain't got nothing but about two years left.

26:39James Harrison:Soon you get 30, they're counting your days. Hey, they start looking at you like, uh-huh. Soon you get beat. Oh, that boy lost two steps. Oh, he didn't. On his birthday. Was he really trying for that? That boy got slower on his birthday. On his 30th birthday, he woke up. Hamstrings. For real. Joe, I'm going to tell you real talk. Bro. I hit 30. It was like a little window. It was like, oh, snap. I was like, yeah, my wind kind of... My wind going down. I ain't tripping, you know what I'm saying? The muscles still going up. I ain't tripping. Bruh, 35. Bruh, 35, I was like, whoa. Where in the hell did this come from?

27:24Mm-hmm. Off-season was what then determined if I was going to come back. Can I make it through the off season to build my body to get ready for the season? Because end season, that wasn't nothing.

27:38James Harrison:End season's cool. End season, you're maintaining. You're just chilling, you're cruising, keeping your body right. You're just maintaining. Maintaining. It's maintenance. Maintenance. Maintenance. Keep the maintenance up. Make sure you do your strength up. So instead of doing so many reps, you do lower reps, heavy weight, heavier weight. That way you keep your strength up. You're not wearing your body down. They don't understand that process, but dude, that built up to be able to do it. I would come into camp at like 275, 280, like rocked up, muscle, just muscle. And then I started the process of wearing all that down and I get to about 260, between 260 and 267 would be my season weight.

28:24but I'd come in I'd come in heavy as I can with all the muscle I could because I would do as little running as I can and try and hold on to the strength so that when I got to later in the season you know a lot of these cats don't like to touch the weight room when the football starts you know what I mean for sure no no for sure they ain't walking through there yeah minimal

28:44James Harrison:minimal as minimal as possible in the weight room oh man I don't want to lose my legs all this other stuff nope Sunday soon as the game over with I'm going to do legs right now straight to it straight to it look here brother over here the stillers cam hayward that's will howard okay you know why listen to the audio we got the audio about okay what he's saying readiness future um i know he's a champion quarterback at the collegiate level and brings that sort of dog uh to the to the hunt here yeah so what what can you tell me what about about him and the future here in Pittsburgh for him so the one thing I've loved is Aaron's been a big fan of Will's uh and watched him from from afar and watched him grow this year uh and you know Will is always going to compete Will has always had you know um you know the chips stacked against him and now you know he's going to a year where there's a little uncertainty uh obviously everybody wants aaron back but if you do go in a direction where you have will you feel pretty confident um and i think when you look at the 21st pick why not insulate why not have some other guys that build out your roster that way you can look at and say whoever takes over this job is going to have weapons, is going to have more pieces around him.

30:12Brother. Yes, Debo. Hey, listen, bro. I like that. But the latest update right now, Steelers don't expect Aaron Rodgers' decision before the draft. With no Rodgers in the building, the 2025 six-round pick Will Howard is set to serve as the team's number one quarterback during minicamp. Joe. What do you think of this, Joe? Do you like this? Do you love this? Joe, tell me what you think, Joe. Because I know what I think, Joe.

30:43James Harrison:Me and you right now, Debo, we're talking as Steelers fans. We're talking as blood-bought Steelers, right? Okay. And I'm talking for the Steelers, organizational-wise, I feel like we're the Pittsburgh Steelers, right? When the New York Jets said, I feel like we're sitting on what Aaron Rodgers wants us to do. Aaron Rodgers is going to do whatever Aaron Rodgers wants to do. So what I'm saying is, with Cam, with Will Howard, moving forward, we need to make a decision on getting the best players and making the best team. If quarterback is not the decision, if Ty Simpson and none of these dudes that we're worried about, what we need to do is build the best team that we could possibly have.

31:35James Harrison:Because with Will Howard, we're going to make it easy on him and not depend on him to be Aaron Rodgers or one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league. We're going to have a great defense. We're going to have a great special teams. We're going to have a great running game. We're going to have a great team overall. So we're going to be able to win games regardless. us. He's not going to be in the spot where he has to lose it for us. And we drafted him two years ago. So we're not looking crazy. Mike McCarthy, he does actually believe in him. He says, Will Howard, okay, I like him. We'll give him a chance.

32:06James Harrison:He's a big guy. He got to go prove what he can do. Cam Hayward, a legitimate player on the team, is saying not just because he's a stealer and that's what you got to say, but Will Howard's in the locker room. He's seen him. A-Rod did say that he supported Will Howard. He liked the way that he, you know what I'm saying, studied, he's taking me like the way he moved. So for me, I'm more Pittsburgh, do whatever you need to do. The way even the Jets, they told A-Rod, look, we're not waiting on you. We're going to go, we're going another way. We're going to do a different decision. A-Rod's not going to tell you when Dan Rooney was like, oh yeah, I think we're going to, I'm expecting a decision before the draft.

32:42James Harrison:Please don't expect anything, Mr. Rooney from A-Rod because A-Rod floats at his own boat. And respectfully, he can because he is one of the greatest quarterbacks. But now moving forward as an organization, we don't have to sit there and wait on A-Rod. We're the Pittsburgh Steelers. We're going to do whatever we want to do because we are the Pittsburgh Steelers. We want to get the best players. We want to build the best team. And we're going to do what we want to do because that's the way we move. So A-Rod, if he does want to come later on, if something happens, it's the Steelers to say yes or no.

33:14James Harrison:Like we're not sitting here waiting to see what he wants to do. No disrespect, but we got a whole team that we want to build. And if you're not going to be on the ship, then we got to go. Like the Jets did it. Like the Packers was like, they had Jordan Love in the waiting. So they're like, no, we already have an exit plan. So it's cool. You can slide. I think the Steelers and their organization need to just build the best team we possibly can. And don't sit here and think we're going to wait on Aaron Rodgers' decision because he's going to do whatever he wants to do respectfully because he's great.

33:46James Harrison:But we're the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we need to be able to move how we want to move and go and take a path where it don't matter. It's not just one player. We're the Steelers. We can do what we want to do, and we're going to make it work regardless. I'm sitting here, and I'm listening to you, but I'm thinking. And I've been sitting here and I've been thinking, Joe, and I think the Steelers are moving how they want to move right now. Now, listen to me. I hear you. Now, listen to me. They're saying that they're going to go with Will Howard. They don't expect a decision from Aaron, however that may be, whatever that process is.

34:34James Harrison:Yes. The Steelers are saying, Mike McCarthy is saying, he likes Will Howard. So, if we go and sign Aaron, or as Aaron said, there's no deal on the table for him to make a decision about, then he doesn't have to make a decision. for the Steelers to say, you know what? We're not going to make you make a decision because we need to see what Will Howard can do. We're going to give him OTAs. We're going to give him training camp. We're going to give him all the time that he can get at the ones, with the ones, to develop so we can see what it is that he can do. Now, Aaron, sit back there. Do what you want to do.

35:18Don't make no decisions. But if through that process of the Steelers evaluating Will Howard and they see what they have is conducive to them being able to win, I don't think they offer Aaron Rodgers a deal unless this is a little questionable of if they feel like what he's giving them can help them win. And if that's questionable, then you go and you offer Aaron something or whatever it is to get him in there to see if he'll come in because now you're in question about what you have and will so okay i feel you that's where i'm seeing it where now it's more of a i think it's more of a stiller's move of like okay we'll wait we'll listen we'll hey we still want you We do.

36:18But we're going to wait on your decision, and you ain't gave us a decision. And as he said himself, I don't have a decision to make because I haven't got a contract yet. So they're saying until you give us a decision on if you want to come back or not, there's no contract for us to offer you, which gives them all the time they need and want to see what Will Howard can do.

36:38James Harrison:But that's the whole – I hear you, but it sounds crazy because when they're saying, like, oh, we're expecting an answer from A-Rod, we've been in touch with him, Like, why do you think they're saying that? I think that was something that Mr. Rooney, the art said. I think when it comes down to it as of now, that's not what you're hearing. They're saying it's not going to be that long. It won't be that long. We're hoping it's not that long. The wording is changing. I think the Steelers have come to a decision or understanding that, okay, he's not going to give us a decision unless we give him numbers.

37:25We don't know what we have in Will Howard because it started off before combine. Now it's before draft. Now it's not going to be to a draft. And when it comes down to it, if we have trouble and we're like, yo, Will Howard is not going to do it. It's not going to take Aaron Rodgers that long to get up to speed. He can get up to speed and train camp. Yeah, for sure. So I don't think it's any more of him holding us. We're sitting there waiting and watching to see what Will can do to see if we even want or need to offer.

38:06James Harrison:So are you thinking, so for the draft, Ty Simpson, we're definitely not getting Ty. We're definitely not going Ty. I'm not saying we're not going Ty. If he's there at a certain position I don't see it as Ty. What's the other quarterback from

38:28LSU? No, what's his name? We talked about him.

38:33James Harrison:Oh, you're talking about the fast one. Yes. I know you're talking about 6 '6", buddy. Taylin Green out of Arkansas. Yes, him now I think if he's there I think that's the quarterback there like if he's there we'll get him now we got our three I'm telling you right now if we get green where they want him and it's a deal we're going to go in there with uh Will Howard green and Rudolph I am not a fan of Rudolph but I don't know we know he can get us he did we know we got like I said through that process of going through OTA like he ain't he ain't gotta be there day one he know what he's doing yeah like and that's again if we need it if we get in that position where they're like you know what this don't look like it's working out I don't I don't think it's gonna I don't think it's gonna vibe out I'm believing in Will, man.

39:38James Harrison:That's where I'm still putting my time at. Yeah, I can, you know, I don't have no reason to disbelieve. But again, that's where I'm sitting back just thinking and listening, you know.

39:55Like, I think that distillers may have just been like, you know what? they like, wait, we ain't gonna just sit here and wait. We gonna go ahead. We want him, but we're not gonna let him dictate our fate.

40:12James Harrison:That's all I'm saying. Don't let him dictate your fate, Steelers. You are the Pittsburgh Steelers.

40:20Like, that's just, that's where I see it, bro.

40:25James Harrison:I think we got our good man, Ike. I think I might see my dog. What's up, Joe? Yeah, there he go. There he go. Listen, man. Y 'all ain't even let me do this. Hang on, man. Listen, man. Debo, introduce your dog. That's what I'm trying to say, man. I ain't even let my... It's too late now, man. God damn, man. Look here. Y 'all got to let me do my introduction. Hey, I got to be able to see everybody in the camera, man. Hey, what you got behind you? I see you done blurred out everything. What you got behind you, boy? Yeah, so it's the twins. The twins are some black artists. I was about to say, that look like a nice little art piece back there or something.

40:59Hey, shout out to Coach John Mitch. You already know. Coach Mitchell, yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Look here, man. We got my ace, my ace boom, Koon. We got 20, what do we call it, 24 Greyhound and 92 Pitbull. Hey, we had a rap name, Joe. We used to rap, Joe. Joe. No. Joe, listen to you, Joe. We get up on the desk in team meeting and rap, bro. It was trash. I was super trash. Hey, Joe, that's what the time was on. Yeah, come on. Y 'all was on.

41:37James Harrison:You see why I got my shicey on because I knew you was out there mobbing every time I saw you. Hey, as soon as I saw you with the shicey, I said, yeah, that's shicey right there. I like that look right there, Joe. Come on, man. This is for you. I appreciate that. Brother. Brother. Brother. Hey, listen. what I didn't know is you actually walked on at University of Louisiana, Lafayette, bro? Walked on. You know me. So this is how I started. Please. So I won't do it right in college. I went to college for the wrong reason. You know what I'm saying? Keeping it a B. Yeah. So for me, my first couple of years, I was, you know, my class was chasing, chasing herbs.

42:23That was my thing. I had A pluses in that, but on the for real side, on the for real side, I was just, I was feeling the classes I needed to play. So I had to get my mind. 2%. That is the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter. And on my podcast, 2%, I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange modern world. I'll be speaking with writers, researchers, and other health and fitness experts and more to look past the impractical and way too complex pseudoscience that dominates the wellness industry.

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43:33James Harrison:A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what y 'all say. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor IV. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment.

44:07James Harrison:And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

44:38There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target.

45:19He's going to get what he deserves.

45:23Listen to The Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

45:46It's Will Ferrell My dad gave me the best advice ever I went and had lunch with him one day And I was like And dad I think I want to really give this a shot I don't know what that means But I just know the groundlings I'm working my way up through And I know it's a place that come Look for up and coming talent He said if it was based solely on talent I wouldn't worry about you Which is really sweet

46:09James Harrison:Yeah He goes but there's so much luck involved And he's like just give it a shot He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

46:44In 2023, former Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so-and-so, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

47:19James Harrison:Greg Gillespie and Michael Marancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Right. And I remember my mama called me. I didn't know. I didn't know my grades was going to my mama's house. So my mama called me and she asked me, she was like, how you doing in school?

48:02I said, I'm doing good. Yeah. She was like, no, you're not. I said, why you say that? she said uh you're on your way for academic suspension like you need to get your mind right yeah so she was like i got a question for you i said yeah talk to me mom she was like and before i say this i'm gonna rewind so when mama raised us it's me and my three sisters so she was okay right so a single parent mom so she told me she was like just tell me what i didn't do as a mom for you to be acting like this. So I'm like, dang. So I'm just relapsing all the sacrifices she made. She telling me I got to be the man of the house.

48:47And for me to be cutting up like this, it ain't making her proud. So I bawled. I was crying like a baby. You know how you be crying and your bottomed up be shivering? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's the type of time I was on. But when she told me that, when we hung up, I told my mama she had never called me for something I'm doing wrong out of all the sacrifices she made, and I just kind of took off. I just locked in from that point on. But, yeah, the walk-on is real. The walk-on is, you know, I finally got my grades right. Then after that, I walked on as a running back. So I walked on as a running back, played running back my junior year, and I remember Coach Gary Bartell.

49:29Shout-out to Coach Gary Bartell. But he was like, he from Texas. He said, look, I act. He said, we're going to have a new coach, I act. But I'm going to change you to defensive back, I act. So just bear with me. I think that's the best thing for you if you want to make it to the next level. I'm just counting my odds because on the other side, we had Kairis A. Bear. He wound up being a seventh-round draft pick of safety to Minnesota. But everybody was coming to see Charles Tillman, a.k.a. Peanut. I knew Peanut was going to be a high round draft pick. So I just, I said, you know what? Let me just change to the other side.

50:04So I wind up changing to the other side. And the rest was history after that. No, that's love.

50:12James Harrison:So how long did you get to play with Peanut? I only played with him for 12 games. 12 games? That's it? So basically, because I'm going through this with my son. So basically what I be trying to tell these kids, It's like the NFL ain't looking at y 'all freshmen and junior. I said, if y 'all just look at the big picture in the grand scheme of things, like, you know, I know y 'all want to get on the field in college as a freshman, as a sophomore. But if you're trying to get to that next level, just look at it like this. Like, you're putting a lot of miles on your body. So the more miles you put on your body, the less time you have, the less mileage you have going into the NFL.

50:51I said, all you really need is a year and a half. so this is what I be trying to tell these young kids when it comes down to kids want to be drafted and want to play in college right away because the more tape you put um from the field the more I can't critique you and see what you can't do you know so that's what I'm trying to tell these kids don't don't don't rush to get on the field and what I mean by that and the first thing I tell them like man getting that weight room getting the playbook that weight room and that playbook should be your best friend the first year and a half. You know what I'm saying?

51:25Because, I mean, Joe D. Boyard, you know, it's like, you know, when you go a freshman going against the senior, it's a little bit different. You know, that type of time, their body different, their mind different. They're used to, they're accustomed to. So that's what I be telling the young kids, man, just slow down on trying to rush and get on the field. And some kids deserve to be on the field. When you have a spectacular freshman, in some cases, like the wide receiver from Miami, ain't nothing you can do. You got to play him. He going to help you win a lot of games. But just wanting to get on the field just to get on the field because you think you should be on the field, take your time.

51:59Because at the next level, you know, we're looking at it from a front office standpoint, how many miles you got on your body. And obviously, we're critiquing the heck out of you off of your tape. So I just tell the kids, just fall back in a rush on getting on the field when you're in college. Yo, you are obviously involved with the Steelers. I don't think people know exactly what you do. Can you explain to the people what you do, brother? Like the ambassador scout. You know, so I'm in the front office with the Roonies and Omar and the team up there. So, you know, I'm on the college side. The college side is, you know, evaluating guys potentially that we might be looking at.

52:38So they give me a list. So they give me a list to look at regardless on what the position is. But, you know, for me, I feel like I'm certified at the wide receivers, the corners, and the safeties and the nickel. So I evaluate them and I've been doing it for three to four years now. So that's that's where I'm at. But what people don't know, I was doing this while I was playing. So Papa Rooney, R.I.P. Papa Rooney, speak. Papa Rooney, Papa Rooney let me sit in. Kevin Colbert let me sit in at the time while I was playing. And I got to hear because I knew what I wanted to do after football. So I got to hear everything they were doing.

53:19I learned the language, how they was talking. But I just didn't know the fine details because I was playing. So at that time, it wasn't that time to learn all that. Towards the end of my career, I wound up learning. And Kev gave me he gave me some stuff on the side to do when it came down to the college side. And I just had to figure it out, my style and how I want to present it. So I took it from there. But yeah, I'm now in the front office. But at the same time, I was kind of doing this while I was playing. I always be been intrigued on the front office and how they move. But I'm knee deep in right now, 10 toes.

53:58Yeah. You know, how they move. Matter of fact, how they move. Speaking of how they move, how you think Omar Khan moving? That's my dog. Yeah. He moving the way he should move. You know what type of time we'd be all coming from the city. What I mean, the city like New Orleans, all we do is sit back and evaluate and watch. We do a great job of reading the room. And what I mean by reading the room, like the time me and O was in the city, between 94 and 98, we was the murder capital of the world. So you had to trust your instincts. You had to trust your head. You couldn't say nothing. You had to read the room.

54:34If your antennas was up and it felt like you was doing something bad, like you had felt like something bad was about to happen i'm sorry you had to move because no more it's more planned in the city of that time so the older you got i mean the younger your age was 16 17 years old you just knew how to move like a 40 something year old you know you can read people you can read their body you can read when they're lying you can read when they're telling the truth you can just read the room you can read people that's just like a gift you just wind up acquiring because that city at that type of time, it was on some ignorant stuff, and you just didn't want to be a part of that.

55:11So that's what we learned it from. But O just been on that type of time, man. O move strategic. O is a super smart man. He's super savvy. So that's why I met with O. O kept his word with me too. Like O told me a long time ago, like 15, 16 years ago, he was like, bro, if you interested, just let me know. I see something in you. And, you know, 15, 16 years ago, he's just like, man, whatever. He talking. But then when he wound up getting a job, I was like, dang, this dude really is serious. He still don't know what he said. So, oh, my dog. That's love right there.

55:49James Harrison:For sure. For sure. And when did you end up getting – you got drafted in 2003? 2003. Yeah, 2003. Fourth round. When you got to the Steelers, who – did you have anybody that you really looked up to, kind of mentored you, taught you technique, taught you game? Man, listen. DeShay Townsend. DeShay Townsend, okay. Yeah, DeShay Townsend. DeShay didn't even know me. DeShay, I walked in the building, I remember DeShay gave me his Ford Expedition. Come on, bro. Didn't even know me. Now, we play in the same position, so just picture this. DeShay gave me his Ford Expedition, gave me the keys to his Ford Expedition.

56:27He told me to get lost, get lost, as in like, figure out the city. Yeah. And to save my money. He was like, bro, this is what happens to a lot of rookies, really a lot of us who's in the NFL. We never had this kind of money before, but I'm telling you because I done been through it. Like, bro, take the keys, don't buy no card to the offseason, save your money, and I got you. Real OG. Yeah, now as far as like, and that's what I did to our levels. You know? So every year we was drafting a cornerback, so I just did the same thing that Shea did to me. Now, as far as football-wise, I felt like as a player, there wasn't nobody smarter than DeShay Townsend.

57:09So it got to the point, and Debo know this, because DeShay was a technician. Yeah. The speed, IQ, DeShay was a technician. Yes. I didn't know how hard that nickel spot was. But it got to some downs, and Coach LeBeau, shout out to Coach LeBeau, Dickie. It got to some downs, you know, throughout the course of the year where Deshae got to call the calls on third down. You know, so now I see why Deshae is the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions right now. But you already know and we already knew, Joe, in that locker room who was going to be a coach. Going to be doing something related to coaching or front office because we just had them kind of people.

57:52The kind of minds in there. Yeah, we just had them kind of minds in the building. But Deshae was the first to grab me on this wing, and I just took it from there. So I did it with everybody else we drafted.

58:03James Harrison:Oh, that's love. He said, because how did you refine your mental side of playing corner in the defense, in Dick LeBeau's defense? It was hard. It was hard because you got to look. We ran like a 4-4. We ran like a 4-4 in college, so that wasn't number. But man, man, they covered three. Straight single. Yeah, that's all we ran in college. So getting to the NFL, you talk about fire zones. I thought that was a spot you go to to eat. I thought that was a restaurant. For sure. Yeah. So, but it took me a while. It took me off season because, you know, people know, man, we had double digit calls on one play.

58:42It could have been 23 Buster. It could have been 63, 24, 42. You know, whether the while was off or on, depending on. Like, that's just what it was. And all that was like, that was a whole new world for me. That was a whole new language for me. So I had to take my time. And Deshae, Coach T, I mean, not Coach T, Deshae, Coach LeBeau, Carnell Lake, Ray Horton. Cutting up Coach Lake. Oh, man, Ray Horton, all them boys. Tyrone. Hey, Ray now. Ray was something. Ray was one of the best ever. So, like, definitely underrated as a coach. Not even position coach, just coach in general. Coach Ray Harden was, he was something special.

59:28He was my D coordinator twice in Cleveland. All right, Dan. So you already know what type of time he was on. Man, he see the big picture. Yes. He see the big picture. So just being around greatness, you know what I'm saying? Like, I tell people all the time, like, I've been super spoiled. my owner, Paul Barone, he was a Hall of Famer. Kevin Colbert wound up going to the Hall of Fame. Bill Cowher is in the Hall of Fame. Coach T probably wound up going to the Hall of Fame soon. Dick LeBow is in the Hall of Fame. Russ Grum in the Hall of Fame. Mike Wanchek in the Hall of Fame. Scott Montgomery. Bruce Arians, you see what he did.

1:00:07Head coach, Ty Haley. Nick Hope, running back coach in the Hall of Fame. Then you get on the defensive side, Coach Keith Butts, first-round draft pick for the Seattle. Yeah. Then you get Cornell Lake. Then you get Ray Horton. He played at Cincinnati. Then you get Dan Perry. He was once one of us. Then he went to the Saints. You can just go down the line of greatness. I've been around. So I've been spoiled. So me and my knowledge of the game, I just soaked it up from everybody. That's what it takes. Like I said, that automatic buy in. You know what I'm saying? You come into a situation, you know, like I said, when he got there, he's coming into a situation that a dude helping him, that he's there to try and get his job from.

1:00:51But the big thing is we need to get better. And the only way to – if you beat me out, you beat me out. I'm going to help you get to a position that, yo, you're going to learn everything I need to learn because at some point I might get hurt and we don't need you to come in there. And that's not an issue. That's not an issue. It's part of the process of playing in the NFL. Like, like, what do you think is the big difference between like like those defenses that we played on and, you know, what that locker room was like compared to how it is now? Well, I think or recently. Well, for us, D-Bo, when we play, we ain't have no options.

1:01:33You know what I'm saying? You had to get on board. So I think now just in this generation, we're giving kids too many options. So they're going to pick the best option for themselves and what works for them. You know, when we played, it was just this is the rules. This is how it was ran. This is the locker room. This is what we expect. This is the building. This is what we expect out of you. And we just didn't. We didn't ask no why, because you ain't have to ask why, because the wide started in the 70s. Then it moved to the late 90s. And you just carried that over all the way to the early 2000s.

1:02:12So that's how I feel in general. Like, you give these kids too many options, they're going to pick the best one that benefits them. No question. No question, bro. Like, dude, how many times would you be in there talking about when Kyle was there, you'd be like, damn, man, I missed a block. I'm special. Hey, listen. Hey. Hey, listen. Bruh, if you mess up on special teams, that man wasn't going to put you out there on starting. You better ball. I tell him. Coach, Coach, Coach Cowell, that's all he knew. Because that's what he played when he played at this level. So we used to be on the sidelines, Joe.

1:02:52Me, Debo, Brick, he's a Chris Hope, Troy, Chidi, Sean Moore. This is Sarah Spain with a huge congratulations to WNBA top draft pick and amazing iHeart podcaster, AZ Fudd. From all of us here and your friends at GEICO, we know your life is about to change. New city, new locker room, new home. It's a lot, but you're not doing it alone. You've got friends, family, and teammates. You've got all of us at iHeart Women's Sports, and you've got GEICO with you every step of the way. Congrats again, AZ. Listen to AZ's podcast, Fudd Around and Find Out, wherever you listen to podcasts. Lots of places can expose you to identity theft.

1:03:30That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. If we find anything suspicious, like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, we alert you right away. All through text, phone, email, or the LifeLock app. Save up to 40 % your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash iHeart. Terms apply. 2 % that's the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter and on my podcast 2 % I break down the signs of mental toughness, fitness and building resilience in our strange modern world.

1:04:12Put yourself through some hardships and you will come out on the other side a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person. Listen to 2%. That's T-W-O percent on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:04:30James Harrison:A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what y 'all say. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor IV. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

1:05:06James Harrison:Peace to the planet. Charlamagne Tha God here. And listen, we are back. The Black Effect Podcast Festival is back in Atlanta on April 25th at Pullman Yard. Yeah. And the full lineup is nuts. We got the Grits and Eggs podcast, Deontay Kyle and Big Ice Cup Cat. We got Club 520 with Jeff Teague and the gang. Don't call me white, girl. Mona will be there. Keep it positive, sweetie, with Crystal Renee. We got Reality with the King with Carlos King. And yes, Drink Champ will be in the building. Plus, you know, we're going to have a lot of guests. So you need to join us. And we got the Black Effect Marketplace, the picture podcast, and everything you expect from the Black Effect Podcast Festival.

1:05:45James Harrison:Tickets are on sale right now. Go get yours at blackeffect.com slash podcast festival. Don't play yourself, okay? Pull up.

1:05:55This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.