In short
Hour 2 of The Rich Eisen Show. It covers (1) Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend recap—especially the jacket ceremony and speeches—and (2) an interview with Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley about building a culture in training camp, coaching approach, and quarterback Malik Willis.
Guest backgrounds
Chris Carter (Pro Football Hall of Famer; previously discussed on the show with Rich). Jeff Hafley (new Dolphins head coach; previously coached in Green Bay’s system and in Pittsburgh). Also referenced: Larry Fitzgerald (Hall of Famer), Dan Fouts (jacket ceremony role), Drew Pearson, Tom Landry (story subject), Adam Vinatieri (speech), plus Hall of Famers Rich mentions he saw at the event.
Key claims
Hafley says culture is built by being demanding, relentless, and accountable, then “loving them up” while teaching details. He evaluates draft picks by love of football and toughness on tape. He says Malik Willis’s confidence is growing as he learns the scheme and leads the offense.
Notable examples
Hall of Fame weekend logistics (prize jewelry timing to avoid crowd crush), Larry Fitzgerald greeting returning members, and Drew Brees’ “no excuses” epiphany from a 2003 film session. Hafley says he expects Devon Achane to get 40–45 touches and jokes he may have to carry him off after. He outlines success for Willis as improvement, confidence, leadership, and game-taking moments.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOShow Overview
0:00 to 0:24
Rich previews the upcoming guests and topics for the hour.
“Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions.”
Show Overview
1:30 to 1:55
Rich previews the upcoming guests and topics for the hour.
“Peyton, thank you for generously donating your forehead for today's teleprompter.”
Hall of Fame Weekend Highlights
2:00 to 2:24
Rich shares anecdotes from the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend.
“Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame Dinner
2:27 to 3:22
Rich discusses his experience hosting the Hall of Fame jacket presentation.
“to answer our questions and hang with us in less than 20 minutes time.”
Ceremony Dynamics and Humor
3:23 to 6:18
Rich details the ceremony's flow and humorous exchanges during the event.
“or have some fun with them making fun of me because I'm a Michigan Wolverine.”
Hall of Famers Interactions
6:20 to 8:10
Rich recounts interactions with various Hall of Famers during the event.
“They start on the edges of the arena on a podium and then walk through one of the gauntlets to get to the stage.”
Travel Stories and Reflections
8:11 to 11:40
Rich shares travel stories and reflections on the significance of his experiences.
“So it's my job to keep things going and the applause stops at one point and you just hear music.”
Drew Brees' Hall of Fame Speech
11:43 to 14:00
Rich analyzes Drew Brees' speech and the moments that define greatness.
“Hearing these stories just from – but him turning to Drew Pearson is very rare that you got behind.”
Reflections on Growth and Challenges
14:00 to 20:02
Learn about the pivotal moments in a player's career that lead to growth and resilience.
“they asked me the question, hey, why didn't you throw to this receiver?”
Coaching Insights from Jeff Halfley
20:09 to 22:00
Delve into Miami Dolphins' coaching strategies and player development insights from Jeff Halfley.
“The toughest warriors I've ever seen, though, aren't on the field.”
Show all 21 chapters
Evaluating Talent in the Dolphins Organization
22:32 to 28:00
Learn how Jeff Halfley evaluates players and builds a successful team environment.
“and he was just going to kill himself to make sure that no one caught a football on him.”
Miami Dolphins Training Camp Insights
28:00 to 29:10
Learn about the performance and chemistry of players at Dolphins camp.
“You know, Malik Washington's had a really good camp.”
Handling Player Fatigue and Expectations
29:10 to 31:17
Explore the importance of managing player workload and expectations during games.
“And I think I would say this about him, Rich.”
Building a Strong Team Culture
31:17 to 33:29
Understand the philosophy of developing a team culture from within.
“And everybody's like, where, where, where's the, where are the pieces for Malik here?”
Defining Success for Malik Willis
33:29 to 35:06
Hear about the expectations and goals for quarterback Malik Willis this season.
“I mean, like, and a lot of fans of your team is looking for, like, what are they doing?”
Reflections on the Coaching Journey
35:06 to 36:45
Listen to the coach's reflections on his hiring experience and emotions.
“So those are the things that I'm looking forward to seeing him do.”
Preseason Game Preparations
36:45 to 38:48
Get insights on the preparations and expectations for the upcoming preseason game.
“You got your preseason game against the Commanders, right?”
Upcoming Challenges for the Dolphins
38:48 to 40:09
Discuss the challenges and expectations for the Dolphins' upcoming season.
“You take a look at it and you're like, okay.”
Unique Broadcasting Moments
41:01 to 42:00
Discover a special moment when a substitute teacher called an inning for the Phillies.
“First time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro, people, get started by posting a free job at linkedin.com slash eisen.”
Announcer Louis Kalb's Experience
42:00 to 45:38
Learn about Louis Kalb's experience as a play-by-play announcer.
“Andrew Pater picks up the strikeout, and that'll do it for the Nationals.”
Baseball Banter and Family
45:38 to 47:36
The hosts discuss their families, baseball teams, and recent performances.
“When I heard it, I was like, well, it's just as good as the regular guys.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Jeff Hafley:Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions. Put heavy-duty HDX totes to good use, protecting what's important to you. The solid, impact-resistant design prevents cracking, and the clear base and sides make items easy to find even when the totes are stacked. Find select shelving and tote storage up to 15 % off at the Home Depot to organize every room in your home, from your garage to your attic. Visit homedepot.com. How doers get more done. Sierra has all the best active and outdoor brands for the super athletic stuff, like running gear for cruising up the trail. Whoo! And the super athletic-ish stuff, like fishing gear for chilling by the creek.
0:42Nice cast. Fitness apparel to push for higher reps. You got this. And golf balls priced so you can afford to lose one. Or a few. Head to Sierra or Sierra.com for the brands you want at the prices that let you do it all. From athletic to athletic-ish, Sierra's got it. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment.
1:26Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Peyton, thank you for generously donating your forehead for today's teleprompter. Live from the Rich Eisen Show's studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, pro football Hall of Famer Chris Carter. Coming up, Dolphins head coach Jeff Halfley. Hosts of American Ninja Warrior, Matt Eisman and Akbar Bajabiamila. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:00Rich Eisen:All right, everybody. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Great chat with Chris Carter, Hall of Famer, and jacket presenter to Larry Fitzgerald. In hour number one, Larry Fitzgerald, it was announced during almost – oh, my God, how great would it have been if I informed Chris that they were retiring his number. It was announced – Yeah, all right. But they're retiring Larry Fitzgerald's number. Awesome. Jeff Halfley, the new HC of the Miami Dolphins, kind enough to step out of training camp for a bit to answer our questions and hang with us in less than 20 minutes time. It's Vikings Four Downs Monday.
2:38Rich Eisen:Overreaction Monday has already been cooked up and popped into your RSS feeds. Or if you listen to podcasts, you watch it, it's on our YouTube channel. It's going to be on ESPN2 later on today as well. 844-204-RICH is that number to dial right here on the program. Akbar Bajabiamila, Matt Eisman of American Ninja Warrior joining us later on in this program. Just let me unpack just my last stories on the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend. Hosting the Jack at dinner is pretty cool. It's an honor to do that. And, you know, it's my job to set a stage and, you know, move things along, have some fun with the audience or have some fun with them making fun of me because I'm a Michigan Wolverine.
3:27Rich Eisen:And, you know, sure enough, step to the podium. They're like, oh, H, you know. And my initial response was to basically say, I always love coming here to the Pro Football Hall of Fame so Buckeye fans can prove that they can spell four-letter words. Oh, God. And I'm like, I've got one I would love to say in response, but the commissioner of the NFL is sitting right next to me. You know, yada, yada, yada. It's great. And at one point I did work in because they gave away a piece of jewelry at the end as an item that, you know, on page three of everybody's guide, there's a number. And if your number hits, you win the jewelry.
4:09Rich Eisen:And after the jackets are given out and the class is introduced one more time, they had them announce who wins the item after the Hall of Famers are introduced as one class with all their jackets. And I'm like, I actually called over the people who run the event because I can't help myself. I'm like, shouldn't that be the end? shouldn't we give out the item and then bring up the hall of famers of the canton class as constituted in their jackets one more time for a big clap and that's the finish like shouldn't that be the crescendo and they explained to me the reason why they do it differently is to get the 125 returning members of the hall of fame the gauntlet members out the door before there's a crush of everybody to leave the arena because some of the members of the returning class the hall of famers don't move very fast.
5:06Rich Eisen:I'm like, got it. So I set it up in advance to basically tell everybody when we give out, you know, stay in your seats to find out who wins the prize. I want to give them that heads up in advance and I'm like, and it's going to involve page three on your program for those Buckeye fans, that's between pages two and four. At which point the commissioner of the NFL, after I sat down after that, Roger Goodell says to me, do you have security? And I said, I've got Steve Hutchinson. At which point the returning Hall of Famers are now introduced. Dan Fouts does that now, an expert job. They put an earpiece in his ear and each member of the Hall of Famer that's lined up in the tunnel all the way around, you know, into the concourse of the downtown Canton Civic Center.
6:02Rich Eisen:they all line up and they have their names on a card with it I imagine you know a quick bullet point from their resume and they hand it to an individual at a podium he's got a microphone that's clearly attached to Dan Fouts his ear and Dan does this sometimes he ad-libs it it's off the top of his head he says he does it without fail perfectly every year he's awesome at it but for some reason my Michigan caping pisses him off he's an Oregon duck you know you have no big 10 yeah I get it but not I mean new to the big 10 certainly not this rivalry I don't know why he feels the need to insert himself so Chris Carter was the first one out and he goes you know from the Ohio State sorry Rich you know and he kind of gives me a little bit of the business and at one point then he brings out orlando pace and he goes you know another ohio state guy rich he goes are there really any michigan guys here tonight there aren't any at which point i look at at hutch who's sitting right there he was one of the first people introduced and i turner roger goodell i'm like hutch is standing right there we both look and you could read hutch's lips he says bull s and then ty law comes out and i turn and roger goes there's another one i'm like yeah i know like this is the exchange that we're having during the jacket but you know my my job is to keep things moving and then to make things exciting and um and then each member of the returning class i mean each member of the returning hall of famers line up in a gauntlet that emanates from the center stage where everybody goes up to receive their jackets.
7:56Rich Eisen:They start on the edges of the arena on a podium and then walk through one of the gauntlets to get to the stage. Larry Fitzgerald, I think, had a conversation and a hug with every one of them. It took him five minutes to get to the stage. Oh, man. He's very popular. Everyone on a piece of Larry, too. So it's my job to keep things going and the applause stops at one point and you just hear music. so I got to tell a fact or a story or whatever um and it's fun there's nothing like it that's awesome and then you go to this you know hang out afterwards all the hall of famers are there in a party and I told you in hour one at one point it's mean Joe Green Mel Blunt Lynn Swan Lynn Swan sitting there and Jackie Slater I mean come on wow come on I just like want to say can i sit down but i'm not a steal i'm not a stealer from the steel curtain days or jackie slater you know you know and i would just like want to ask i'm like all right so jackie what it was like to block him as in mean joe green come on unreal and then you just look around and there's just there's john lynch and there's you know uh bill cower and then there's you know, Warren Moon walking around.
9:11Rich Eisen:And then there's yada and yada and yada. They're all there. Jim Kelly. You know, Thurman Thomas. Thurman Thomas was sitting with Bruce Smith and Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis. That one I sat down on just like to chit-chat with him because Thurman's coming on the show this week and I'm like, wanted to confirm with him that he understood. And he's just like, I'm coming on this week? I'm like, yeah, you are. And I actually showed the text from Erica, our booker, saying, do you want Thurman Thomas this week? And my thumbs up emoji. I'm like, see, I approved. So you now have to appear Thurman. Oh, yeah.
9:49Rich Eisen:OK. Fun stuff. Amazing stuff. There's nothing like I said, like heroes and legends. I sit there and I think about the fact that you're so closely associated and tied with this, how cool it is. Hey, man, I've been around a while, which I'm thrilled about, you know, and I'm honored. to be uh flight home you know got all screwed up so i had to fly through dallas um cliff harris crossed the aisle drew pearson right behind him and at one point cliff harris turns around and says to drew pearson it's very rare that i'm in front of you or actually no pardon me he says it's very rare that you got behind me that's what he said that's that's what funnier now and cliff Harris then proceeds to tell me a story about how Tom Landry used to give them full computerized printout sheets I imagine and the pixelated you know printouts right matrix printer dot matrix printers right of the tendencies and the routes that would be run by the opposing team's wide receivers based on downs and distances and he would then take a you know colored marker and first down routes would be like brown and then be blue and red.
11:08Rich Eisen:So he'd be able to study what the tendencies were because he said Tom Landry would always preach anticipation is better than reaction. That's how you win, that you anticipate. You might be able to react, but if you anticipate, you'll be able to react faster. Yeah, that makes sense. And it's what he said he would preach all the time. And he starts telling me about how he would be sitting in the opposing team, you know, in the hotel the night before, studying all these printouts that no other teams had. And mind you, this is the mid to late 70s when this is going on, right? This is great. Hearing these stories just from – but him turning to Drew Pearson is very rare that you got behind.
11:54Rich Eisen:I'm sure Drew did not take that well. Drew, it's just – there's the 88 clubber right there. Right. Who, by the way, said that Drew Brees was named after him. I could see that. Brees is named Drew because of Pearson. Wow. I didn't hear that in the speech, though. And in terms of Brees' speech, the thing that jumped out at me here is the moment. You want to hear about the moments where somebody realizes they need to do something to become great or change something to become great. It's very rare where somebody gets up and says, yeah, it was easy for me this entire time. I've never heard it. Right.
12:39Rich Eisen:I've never heard it. I've heard speeches since 2003. Never heard one saying, you know what? I was born with it and it was great and I got it. I got it from the beginning. What he said about Sean Payton, you know, about how he never wanted to let him down and he thanked Sean Payton for letting him make both of them great. Is what he said. You know, that's cool. Thank you for letting me be great and helping in whatever you wanted to be great. Thank you. Basically, thank you for being that guy for me. But it was before he got to New Orleans that he had the moment where the light bulb went on, the epiphany.
13:27Rich Eisen:And interestingly enough, it involves your new head coach of two years in Dallas. Brian Schottenheimer was Drew Brees' quarterback's coach in San Diego. Cam Cameron was the offensive coordinator for Marty. So Brian was his dad's QB coach. And this is what helped Brees become great. Thank you to Coach Cam Cameron and Brian Schottenheimer, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the Chargers. I'll never forget a film session in 2003. I was coming off a tough game, and as we watched the tape together, they asked me the question, hey, why didn't you throw to this receiver? He was wide open.
14:08To which my response was, I couldn't see him. The tape paused. There was a moment of silence. they glared at me and said, it's your job to see. You reach a point in your career when you stop making excuses. It's usually a moment or an event where you flip a switch or make a very conscious decision, and it becomes part of your being. They were right, and never again would those words or thoughts come out of my mouth. I would need to find a way to play the game a little bit different, even if it was in a way that had not been done before. It would shape me for what came next, New Orleans.
14:55Rich Eisen:And then the place went nuts because there were Saints fans everywhere in Tom Benson Stadium, by the way. And so I heard that, and I'm like, oh, I did not know that. Wow, that's awesome. That's the moment where he just said, you know what? You know, I know I've got – I'm height challenged, and I just, he told his coaches, I just couldn't see him. And the coaches were like, too bad. Figure something out. And he realizes, okay, I need to. Yada, yada, yada. He's the first battle hall of famer with a gajillion records. No excuses he figured out. Which nobody thought possible when he was, you know, battling with Phillip Rivers.
15:33Rich Eisen:Chargers definitely didn't think so because they chose Phillip. Man, that moment hit me. And then, you know, complete surprise. I had no idea Adam Vinatieri would tell everybody to tip their waitress by the steak. My man was on fire. Two-drink minimum speech from Adam Vinatieri. Didn't see that coming. As you said on air. I did say that. Yeah, Vinatieri. It's not like, hey, I'll be here all week. I'll be here for all eternity. Tip your waitress. Try the veal. Either or. Or whatever. And first, I mean, he was firing away. You'll see his tie was a little bit open. I had no idea he was channeling Rodney Dangerfield.
16:14Rich Eisen:Hey, hey, hey. I thought he had one. Look at me. Hey, I'm a Hall of Famer. I'm the leader in points of all time. Hey, Bill Belichick got the first high and tight fastball to mix sports metaphors. Unfortunately, Bill couldn't make it here today. There's a lot going on at UNC right now. He may be on a recruiting trip right now looking for the next Lawrence Taylor. I thought it was because training camp had already started. But in truth, it's because he's judging his girlfriend's cheerleading competition.
16:52Rich Eisen:Was that necessary? Hey. Hey, come on. Hey. What are we doing? What are we doing? Hey. You pick on your friends. I don't know. And then Brady got some next. Yeah, he did. Hit it. I was lucky enough to play with the greatest quarterback in Patriot history. Unfortunately, he was unable to make it here today. Drew, blood cell.
17:13I had a few more Tom Brady jokes, but I was afraid that he'd run up on the stage and maybe give me a Will Smith like he did to Logan Paul last month.
17:20Rich Eisen:Hey, hey, hey. Even Will Smith got some, huh? Like a Will Smith drive-by? Like, come on. I'm telling you he was on fire. Oh, wait a minute. We're not done. But wait, there's more. He gave, did you not hear this? He gave Pat a shout-out because Pat showed up, obviously. Right? Remember, Pat told us years ago when he was a guest here, McAfee, that he lied to Polian about holding footballs. Vinatieri sent him the holder's camp. Right. He sent him the holder's camp because he lied to Polian to say, of course I was a holder in West Virginia. And now he had to hold for Vinatieri. And Vinatieri's like, you got to figure this thing out, kid.
17:59Rich Eisen:And who knew that would lead to this moment in the Hall of Fame speech? Hey, Pat McAfee's here in the crowd today. Great to see you, brother.
18:11The only person who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife.
18:25Rich Eisen:I heard that I'm standing next to Kurt Warner and Louis Riddick on the set. I'm like, whoa. Now, he did follow that up, though. Yeah. Because Chris is like, wait, what? Yeah. Oh, he followed it up. He followed up with his wife held for him in the offseason, whatever, which led Kurt to say on the air, he's like, yeah, because I brought up, you know, hey, two drink minimum. And Kurt's like, yeah, so, you know, our wives play, you know, significant roles for all of us in the offseason. And I just went on the air. I'm like, don't think that was my takeaway.
18:58Rich Eisen:I don't think that was the takeaway from that comment. Adam Vinatieri, it's up and it's good. And you saw Manning Payton right before. Oh, yeah. He went with a forehead joke about it. Oh, yeah, the prompter. Yeah, the prompter was going to be on his forehead. Man, everybody got it. Everybody got it. Scoring points everywhere. Minutary. Minutary. What a legend. That was a first. He just picked off everybody. Oh, my goodness gracious. Didn't see that one coming. Great weekend in Canton. This is the headline. A SoFi personal loan is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible. It's overcoming high-interest credit card debt.
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20:15Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. We talk a lot about battles in sports. Teams battling through adversity. Athletes fighting for every yard. The toughest warriors I've ever seen, though, aren't on the field. They're kids fighting cancer. They're families standing beside them. Doctors, nurses, caregivers. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For over 28 years, they've helped fund pediatric cancer research, raising more than$303 million and supporting over 40 ,000 children. Learn more and donate at HyundaiUSA.com backslash Hope on Wheels. Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated.
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22:32Jeff Hafley:It was just not okay with him. It wasn't okay in a walkthrough. It wasn't okay in practice. It wasn't always okay in a one-on-one. and he was just going to kill himself to make sure that no one caught a football on him. And I just nowadays it's like, yeah, a guy caught a ball on me, tag off. A guy caught a five-yard pass on me, you know, do some kind of like I just strapped him down. Like those guys didn't do that. Like they just went out there and just, I don't know, it was just different up here. So really fortunate to be around guys like that.
23:01Rich Eisen:Jeff Halfley, Miami Dolphins head coach here on the Rich Eisen show. our radio audiences return talking about some hall of famers that he's coached in other places before becoming the HC in Miami. And listen, I mean, hall of fame players, you know, wake up with the talent that's needed. And then, or many people wake up with the talent that's needed. Let's put it that way. But hall of fame players add a burning desire to be great to it. How do you coach that? Right. I mean, how do you find those players? You know, you starting out now in Miami, trying to create a culture, but how do you, how do you knowing what it looks like trying to instill that?
23:41Jeff Hafley:Well, I think you got to be demanding. I mean, and we're so young right now where it's, it's actually a lot of fun. I mean, we have 23 rookie rookies on the roster and a lot of them are battling for jobs and getting a ton of reps, whether it's with the ones or the twos. And I mean, you can push these guys, show them exactly what it looks like. And, um, you gotta be relentless about it. You got to hold them accountable. You got to be demanding. And now we got to love these guys up and they're going to make mistakes, but just the way right now they're going about practice and our coaches are coaching them.
24:10Jeff Hafley:Um, you know, we'll take a little bit of time with these guys because playing as rookies is hard, but I think we're in a pretty cool space right now to be able to do that and, um, really get on these guys and teach them, teach them the right way, teach them what it looks like. And, um, it's, it's just all the little things in the details. That's been fun right now.
24:26Rich Eisen:And in terms of bringing the players in, you know, you and John Eric Sullivan together now from the Green Bay system, do you did you choose the players in the draft having already sort of kicked a tire to know that they're ready for that type of coaching? Was that part of the process over the last few months?
24:44Jeff Hafley:I think part of the process is finding guys that love football. And I think Sully and his staff, they did such a good job. And then, you know, a big thing for me is when, you know, Sonny and I constantly talk and you talk to the scouts and you talk to everybody in the draft room and what do they say about them? Does he love football? And then to me, it's how tough they are. And it's when I watch tape, whether it's late in the game, how hard are they still playing when their team's losing? How hard are they still playing? Do they celebrate with their teammates? They do all the little things on tape that don't talk to me that you love football because everybody could say you love football, but I want to see things that show me they love football.
25:20Jeff Hafley:you know how physical a guy comes down and how excited he gets and the juice that he has with his teammates and how a corner might get off a block or a wide receiver straining down the field like all those little things I mean if you get guys that are made up the right way you're gonna
25:35Rich Eisen:have a pretty good chance Jeff Halfley here on the Rich Eisen show so how is Malik Willis handling being the one there in Miami in his first training camp and offseason yeah he's doing a nice
25:48Jeff Hafley:job i mean clearly he's getting the reps and i think that's new for him right as a backup you're kind of with the twos and you're rotating in but he's getting the reps with the ones and you see probably the biggest thing his confidence it's just his confidence is starting to grow he's understanding this the scheme more with bobby slowick he's starting to lead more because he's feeling that confidence and understanding that you know what i'm going to take over this offense not just as a player but it's my time to lead these guys and you can start to see him vocally grabbing a wide out or the other day he got the offense together before practice to kind of go over some stuff so it's been fun to watch and he's going to continue to develop and as he gets
Read the full transcript
26:27Rich Eisen:playing time and in terms of evaluating him um Jeff Halfley here in the Rich Eisen Show and in terms of evaluating Malik Willis the conversation you hear so many times when you build a team certainly around a young quarterback who's doing it as a starter for the first time uh is you got to surround him with the talent to see what he can do and Jalen Waddell gets sent to Denver and it's caused a lot of confusion amongst people saying okay so you're bringing this kid in you're going to give him this chance but you send away a guy who Denver thinks so highly of and obviously your team thought so highly of as well but you're sending him away how do you respond to how you're able to evaluate him based on the roster that's around him yeah I mean one I think you look at
27:11Jeff Hafley:our O-line. I mean, we've got some really good players in the offensive line. Brewer, I think, is one of the best leaders and one of the best guys on our team. And I think he's one of the best centers in the NFL. We drafted Proctor in the first round and he's done a really good job at guard. Jonah was a high pick last year. I think his confidence is back and he's doing a really nice job. Pat Paul, really good offensive tackle. I think he has a chance to develop into one of the better tackles in the NFL. And, and I just think that group is starting to gel. And I think it's important to protect him.
27:45Jeff Hafley:You know, we signed H. Ann and I think H. Ann is one of the top backs in the league and probably doesn't get as much credit as he deserves, not only in the backfield running the football, but as a guy, you can kind of spread out. And then we got a bunch of receivers right now fighting and getting better. You know, Malik Washington's had a really good camp. Greg Caleb Douglas is a guy that we drafted and loved in the draft. And, you know, he's had really good moments. And we got other guys fighting, you know. So Malik's done a good job. And he's developing really good chemistry with the guys around.
28:20Jeff Hafley:And we're going to do everything we can to protect him and his teammates the same way.
28:25Rich Eisen:What will you allow about the amount of touches Devon Achan is going to get there in Miami? What sort of heads up can you give the fans here on that?
28:35Jeff Hafley:I just gave Achan a heads up this morning and told him you better be in good shape because I told him there might be some games where I have to pick him up and carry him back into the locker room because he's going to be so tired. And I told him I don't ever want to see one of these head taps all year. And he looked me right in the eye and said, you'll never get that head tap from me. I said, don't worry, buddy. After you touch the ball 40, 45 times, I might have to pick you up and I'll carry you back into the locker room. I love the guy. I mean, you want to talk about a guy with some juice and a guy with personality starting to come out and a guy who's starting to become a leader.
29:07Jeff Hafley:I just like those guys who can kind of give it back to you a little bit and have some fun. And I think I would say this about him, Rich. He's one of the smarter players. When you talk to him, like today in a walkthrough, I was kind of like, you're not going to pick up this blitz watch. And he's like, yeah, we're going to do this. And then it's like, he's really a smart football player. And it's fun to go back and forth with him. And he's got this fun energy about him. I think he's a stud.
29:30Rich Eisen:Well, I've watched many games in my days with Marshall Falk. And I would watch him watch a guy get two, three touches in a row and then do the tap of the helmet thing. And he would lose his mind. You know, he would lose his mind. Like, what are you doing? Like, the offense is running through you. You're getting the touches because you're good at it. What are you doing this for? And he would lose his mind, Jeff.
30:00Jeff Hafley:losing. Yeah, I'm going to, I'm going to, if H on, if H on starts tapping his head and you already see that in a game, I'm just going to start doing this to him and start beating my head and giving him the ball again. I'm not letting him tap his head now. Look, man, he's going to, he's going to get tired. I mean, he can just kind of sneak off the sideline and look at me and wink or something, but he's not going to tap his helmet.
30:19Rich Eisen:Okay. Very good. I appreciate that. We will, we will keep an eye appealed for all of that. Do you, do you play the nobody believes in his card? Do you do something? Um, not yet.
30:30Jeff Hafley:We, we're just, we're focused on building this the right way. Everybody keeps asking me that. And, you know, I read it, whether we're picked to win one game or zero games and how it goes, I see it, right? You can't not, but I just don't think it's a time to start talking about that with the players. I mean, I want to build this foundation. We've practiced really hard. Um, and we're trying to build this from the ground up, do it the right way, being very detailed, being very tough, being very physical. I mean, we went live and practice on, I think it was Saturday. I don't even know what day it is, but a couple of days ago and the guys embraced it and loved it.
31:03Jeff Hafley:And it looked like a real football practice. And we're starting to, we're starting to really gel together and have fun as a team. And I don't know if our guys are too concerned with that right now. There'll be a time and a place if I ever feel a little low and I need to get them fired up for a minute, but, but what's that going to do? Right? Like me going to team meeting and say look people think we're going to win one game it's going to fire them up for 10 seconds and I mean that's not real we got to build this thing right and it's got to come from within and they got to want to do it for each other for the right reasons not because what everybody else is thinking about us so maybe a good shot here or there but not ready for it so what is the right
31:40Rich Eisen:way again that's what everybody's trying to hunting and pecking for is philosophy and your roster building I mean the first three selections you had you had two first because of the wattle trade you You went lineman and then you went corner and you went linebacker. And everybody's like, where, where, where's the, where are the pieces for Malik here? You know what I mean? Even though you did give him one up front, which may be the most important one, but what, what is the right way? What can you give people an idea of what that means? Yeah.
32:06Jeff Hafley:I think, I think when you build a foundation, it's not being motivated from outside noise or outside sources. I just, I don't think that's real. I think even when you, you know, you get applauded from outside sources or from people from their non-organization. I mean, that's great. But at the end of the day, I want this team to play for each other. One, these guys got to start believing in themselves first. And I've had that conversation with a lot of guys after hard days. Like, you got to believe in yourself. And then they got to start to believe in each other. And I think if you get a group of guys that do that, and the coaches believe in the players, the players believe in themselves, and the players believe in each other, and we go out there and we play harder than our opponent and we play tougher and we play smart and we play together and we continue to grow this thing and get better and better and better and we see that process is working and by the end of the year we're playing good football and kind of have a feel for what this team is all about I mean that's the right way because that neck that's not going to be broken I mean the other stuff's not real and it's not going to sustain I mean the way we want to build this thing right now is we want to build it so it's right and it lasts not like this quick fix let's get all fired up and then it implodes like we got to go through some stuff together here and find out who we really are and who we can trust and count on when things get hard in that stadium that's what camp's got to be like and that's what early in the season is going to be like so I believe if we do that I know I'm ranting right now and getting a little off the topic but I think if we do that that's going to be the right way I don't think you're ranting that's exactly
33:40Rich Eisen:what I'm looking for, man. I mean, like, and a lot of fans of your team is looking for, like, what are they doing? What are they building? And, you know, the question last one I have for you on this front is, you know, is down the road. Like, what does success for Malik Willis look like for you? Because, again, in this league, I mean, the team did not sign him to some massive money deal that will force you into a roster decision, and there's a large contingent of quarterbacks in next year's draft, a lot of people are wondering what the future down the road holds. And I know I'm asking that as you're building a culture and a team and a roster.
34:19Rich Eisen:But what does success, in your mind, for Malik Willis look like this year? Improvement.
34:25Jeff Hafley:And the confidence that I talked about. I believe in Malik. I believe in him as a person and I believe in Malik as a player. And I watch him sit in the pocket and throw the ball well and I watch him use his legs and throw the ball on the run down the field. And, you know, there's going to be some ups and downs. I mean, that's just it's going to be the natural occurrence for a guy who's really starting his first year. It's almost like a rookie year for him. There's going to be his ups and downs. I want to see improvement and I want to see confidence and I want to see leadership. And I want to see some moments where he's capable of taking over a game, which I truly believe that he's going to do.
35:00Jeff Hafley:But it's going to be OK when he makes mistakes and I'm going to have his back because we're all going to make mistakes. but we got to learn from them or else they won't count. So those are the things that I'm looking forward to seeing him do. And I am excited. I'm excited for everybody to see what this kid's capable of doing. Well, last one for you, because the last time we spoke,
35:20Rich Eisen:you had just been hired and you said you didn't really know your way around the building. Where have I found you here? Is this a conference room? Is this an office of yours?
35:28Jeff Hafley:This is a nice conference room, isn't it? You see that glowing light? Yeah, it does look beautiful. I mean, we got a nice Dolphins helmet. It looks like we got some decorations. I don't know what those are.
35:39Rich Eisen:Those decorations, I have no clue what those are. I don't want to criticize whoever's, you know, the interior decorator.
35:44Jeff Hafley:I don't think you can criticize them, Rich. I think whoever did this room did an incredible job.
35:48Rich Eisen:Okay.
35:48Jeff Hafley:You know what's actually here? This is funny. What do you got? This is the room where I did my interview and got offered the job. So this is like a nostalgic moment for me being on your show, sitting here thinking, wow, this is where I got hired.
36:03Rich Eisen:So you, but you were brought into this room and you had no idea what was going to happen when you walked in. You had a better sense. It's not like when I was hired, when you were, when you were hired, it wasn't like, it wasn't like Pesci walking into that spot in Goodfellas, right? Like it was, you knew, you knew something good was going to happen when you walked into that room.
36:21Jeff Hafley:Rich, you never know on, you never know on these interviews what's going to happen. So no, I mean, I walked in and there's a whole kid, there's everything, every seat was filled. Oh, wow. There's Marino, there's Aikman. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, where am I right now? So, no, it was a cool moment. It's just kind of funny now that I'm sitting here again looking around, talking to you. I'm very fortunate.
36:41Rich Eisen:Yeah. Well, I appreciate the time. I really do enjoy our chats, and I do look forward to chatting with you during the season. You got your preseason game against the Commanders, right? So, what's your philosophy for your first preseason game for ones, twos, and things like that?
36:57Jeff Hafley:Well, we practice against them on today's Monday. We practice on Wednesday. So everybody will be available to play on Friday night. I just, the practice is going to be really important to us. And I want to see how many reps each guy gets and how we come out. So I'll base the reps played by how many reps we think each guy can handle within those, that real three-day period. But as of right now, everybody who's capable of playing will play in that game.
37:24Rich Eisen:And what's it going to be like for you in Vegas week one when you're stepping on that field as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, you know, with the, you're, you're, you're in the seat. Shula once occupied, man, you know what I mean? And also Wanstead, who was your guy in Pittsburgh, if I'm not mistaken, who hired you there. Pretty cool for you. What do you think is going to go through your mind if you'll allow?
37:46Jeff Hafley:Yeah. You know, you're probably the first person that's asked me that question. It would probably be a very, it would be a special moment. But, you know, obviously one that I worked very hard for and probably very humbling. You know, just I don't really think of myself often as the head coach. I just kind of go about my day and, you know, take a step back and think about all the people who helped me get there and all the hard work. It will probably be a pretty emotional first moment until the ball is kicked off and then I'll get back into coaching mode. but humbling, grateful to everybody who've helped, and I'm looking forward to it.
38:23Rich Eisen:Jeff, appreciate the time. You be well, Coach. We'll chat again soon, okay, man? Thanks. All right, thanks.
38:28Jeff Hafley:Thanks for having me on.
38:29Rich Eisen:Anytime. That's Jeff Halfley, head coach of the Miami Dolphins, right here on the Rich Eisen show. I like that dude. Right? Every time I speak to him, I'm like, I love this guy. I know. This season might be, you know, a little rocky, but I think Dolphins fans should feel good about who's in charge. They drafted a lineman. Okay. Yeah, not sexy. Which is none of their picks are. You take a look at it and you're like, okay. Which is why Dolphins fans are like, oh, they probably wanted a bright, shiny new offensive toy for Malik Willis. And instead they're like, nope. Well, you know a way to build a roster and this is the way we're going to do it.
39:10Rich Eisen:So we're going to get him a Kai Lemon. And it's just, oh, wait a minute. We got the Green Bay people. He's a wide receiver. This is the first round. Yeah. Also, for fantasy purposes, Devin A. Chan, he basically said. Oh, did you hear that? Going to get the ball early and often. Did you hear that? A lot. He made a point, so we're just going to mark it. Oh, yeah. He's just like, I'll pick you up and take you off the field after your 40th touch. Yeah. Had to write that down. I heard that one, too. Run till that. Run till that. Too late. I don't like drafting before preseason. Yeah. Yeah, because people get hurt.
39:47Rich Eisen:During training camp, you need to learn. You need to figure this stuff out. Not like it's any surprise that they're going to give Devin Achan the football. Just to hear the coach confirm. Yeah. I'll just move them up. And then you heard Dan Campbell say, Gibbs, we're going to push him. Yes. Push him real good. Good one. All right, let's take a break right here on the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast.
40:17Rich Eisen:Right now, O 'Reilly Auto Parts gets you back to savings. Pick up select Royal Purple Fuel System additives, buy one, get one free. Plus receive four times O rewards points. Stop by your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts store or shop online at OReillyAuto.com. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need.
40:53Rich Eisen:Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eisen. Terms and conditions apply. First time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro, people, get started by posting a free job at linkedin.com slash eisen. so um did you see this over the weekend in philadelphia the phillies on the radio side of things had a substitute teacher call an inning i don't mean to just peg this man as just a a substitute teacher but apparently that according to the article that's what he does for a living his name is uh lewis kalb and he called an inning for uh philadelphia radio because he won it in a charity auction.
41:43Rich Eisen:And let's listen to what he had to do and say. Thank you, Scott. It's a thrill to be here. It's a lifelong dream to be in the Phillies broadcast booth. So here we go. Painter with the first pitch to Ortiz. It's in there for Strike One Call. You spent your life as a firefighter, police officer? Neither of those things. Just guessing. Now delivers. Swung on and missed. He got him. Andrew Pater picks up the strikeout, and that'll do it for the Nationals. No runs here in the top of the third. They go to the bottom half. Phillies lead it 2-1. Holy crap. Natural. That was all done. Oh, it was so good.
42:25Rich Eisen:The Roy Hobbs. Yeah, it was awesome. He's been away, and he comes in, and he crushes it. We were planning on talking about this, but is this the case here? Yes, sir. Line four. Line four. Louis Kalb in Medford Lakes, New Jersey. Is this the announcer, Louis Kalb? This is the announcer, Rich Eisen. Wow. You crushed it. This is great. Oh, thank you. Have you done it before? I've done some YouTube. I go down to the local high school, Shawnee, and I record the games. And a few of the highlights, I'll add a little play-by-play in them. But other than that, that is my first. Well, you got the pipes for it.
43:09Rich Eisen:Is it true you are a by-trade substitute teacher, Lewis, or no? A substitute teacher in the latter years. I actually was on radio, so I guess I should confess to that. Back in the 80s, in the early 90s, in fact, I did do some reporting, including on WFAN's Harvey Rose Mets Extra show. So I'm not a novice, but I hadn't done the play-by-play. Well, it sounds like you definitely are professionally trained, I'll be honest with you, Lewis. But, man, what was that like for you to be in the booth? Oh, that was incredible. You know, you want to call a good game, you get one chance, you get one inning, you sit down in the booth, and you just hope you don't screw it up.
43:49And I thought it went pretty well, but the reaction afterwards, I mean, Rich, for four days I've been all over the country, media hits here and everywhere, all of these stories written. You definitely didn't expect that.
44:03Rich Eisen:I love it. That's so great. And the other thing, too, is you knew you're like, oh, please don't give me a six-pitch inning. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? You needed the pitch count to be racked up a little bit. I did. I did. Now, I was hoping for a home run, which I did not get. The Phillies went up three up and three down. But the good news is that in a couple of my ESPN hits over the weekend, they actually asked me to recreate a home run call. So I got to call both a Schwarber and Bryce Harper home run. That weren't. Okay. Now, did my son, who just got out of camp, he's 15 years old, who knows everything about baseball, he told me, is it true that Harper's going to the outfield?
44:41Rich Eisen:Is that a possibility? He is in the outfield. In fact, I think it was one game before I took the mic when they picked up Luis Sarai's. He wanted to play second. They needed to play him at second, so that continued to shuffle the infield, which was already in the state of flux. So Harper went out to right field, and they moved Stout over to third, and Alec Boehm became the first baseman. Look at you. All right, you can be our, how about you call in every now and then you'll be our Phillies reporter for us. Hey, I'm up for that. Let's do it. Let's do it, Lewis. You got our number and we're, you know, the Phillies are definitely going to be in the mix.
45:17Rich Eisen:That is for sure. Congrats, Lewis, and I appreciate you sharing time with us. Well, thanks, Rich. You know, my second item on the bucket list was behind calling Major League Baseball was to be interviewed by Rich Eisen. So check that box. Check that box. Thanks again. Congrats. Thanks so much, Rich. That was fun. It made sense that he had some... He sounded incredible. When I heard it, I was like, well, it's just as good as the regular guys. I think it's safe to say that's not going to be his last game. Well, we should call in. Because, you know, the Phillies are... How are the Mets doing? Who?
45:55They made this ban, Rich, I'm hearing.
45:57Rich Eisen:I don't know. Red Sox actually lost two in a row. Actually lost the series. You know why? We have the answer in our house. Coop got out of camp. Go away, Coop. Go back to camp. He went into camp the night they started their four-game sweep of the Yankees. Really? That was the same thing? That's when he went into camp. Wow. And so he comes out of camp. They've lost two in a row. You're done, Brock. Welcome home, Coop. This is great. I mean, I'll pay for half. Can we go to a new camp? Keep it up. Keep it up. Summer camp. Yeah. Oh, yeah. From school start. You wonder, what happened? How did the Red Sox suddenly lose two in a row?
46:35Rich Eisen:Coop's out of camp. I don't like it. I do. It's great to have him back. Great to have Coop back. Zan's back. Taylor returns midweek. We're going to be fully constituted. Fully constituted. We are. We're going to be fully constituted. Five wide again. Full strength. Let's go. Just light a candle. Light a candle. Light a candle. Yeah. Yeah, remember, Susie asked Kylie Kelsey on Women's Sports Now last week. My kids are all coming back. I'll have to hang with them. She goes, nope. She said no. That's great. Okay, so she's got Kylie Kelsey's permission. Yeah, whatever Kylie says. The Ridge Eyes and Show Podcast.
47:12Rich Eisen:Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relaxed, and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-CONTACTS. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-CONTACTS.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-CONTACTS.
From the publisher
Rich recaps his weekend in Canton, Ohio hosting the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket presentation dinner.
Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley tells Rich what it was like coaching standout CBs Darrell Revis, Ronde Barber and Richard Sherman, what it will take to reshape Miami’s locker room culture and get the team back to the playoffs, discusses quarterback Malik Willis’ training camp progress, and reveals that he has ZERO plans to use star running back De’Von Achane sparingly.
Phillies fan Lewis Kalb calls into the show to recap his experience calling an inning of play-by-play for Philadelphia.
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