Hour 2: Tua’s Limited Backup Options, plus Iowa OL Prospect Gennings Dunker Talks Mullets & More

9:29Rich Eisen:recruit someone else and your coaches are like you need to talk to to Kirk Ferentz exactly because I

9:36Gennings Dunker:graduated with like 50 50 some kids I mean my hometown's like 2600 so so it was a small group

9:43Rich Eisen:that they would even be there what was that moment like for you to talk to Kirk Ferentz did you

9:47Gennings Dunker:realize it was I mean it was it for you I mean it's kind of it's kind of unreal because like I grew up watching the Hawks like I grew up a Hawk fan like I was born in Iowa Liverpool's like eight or nine like my folks are from Iowa so it's kind of unreal like I grew up watching coach Ferentz

10:00Rich Eisen:I was like oh my gosh like he's in my high school right I was like what's going on and you had red tennis shoes on you can confirm that you did i honestly can't remember but i i think i did because i think they were like the flat like metcon lifting shoes okay yeah all right i got another one for you here true or false jennings dunker you let a flock of ducks loose as a prank in a hallway and your principal at high school said you would not get your diploma unless you cleaned up

10:27Gennings Dunker:the mess is that true or false that is definitely true we let them loose the whole high school Yeah, that was kind of the senior prank. I was thinking of good ways to have a senior prank that would kind of be harmless, and I kind of settled on that. I mean, it was kind of awesome. It was funny looking back.

10:42Rich Eisen:How many ducks did you let loose in the hallway of your high school?

10:46Gennings Dunker:I want to say like five of them. They were like feeder ducks, and they were like the bigger ducks. So it was awesome.

10:51Rich Eisen:So if they're bigger ducks, they left a bigger mess is what you're saying.

10:55Gennings Dunker:Absolutely. Yeah, there was like – it was everywhere. It took a lot of clean up. I had to get some help from my classmates. So I'm glad they helped me out because it was taking me a while.

11:03Rich Eisen:Okay. So you did get your diploma, obviously, because you did clean up the mess.

11:08Gennings Dunker:Correct. Yeah, I got my diploma.

11:10Rich Eisen:Okay, good. Next one. I got two more for you. True or false? I think I know this is true, but I got to ask anyway. True or false? You are the two-time champion of the annual Solon Beef Days Hay Bale Toss. Is that true? Two times.

11:22Gennings Dunker:True. Yeah. I actually beat Logan Jones, too. I get that second title. It was pretty awesome. Okay. I still bring that up to him, too.

11:28Rich Eisen:How heavy are these bales of hay, Jennings? How heavy are they?

11:32Gennings Dunker:It kind of depends on when they get baled because that will determine the moisture content of them. So I don't know. Probably like 40, 50 pounds, I'd say. Oh, yeah. Look at those jorts.

11:40Rich Eisen:Jorts. Look at your hair. Dude.

11:45Gennings Dunker:Jorts. I think that was the first time. Yeah.

11:47Rich Eisen:You did this in jorts.

11:50Gennings Dunker:Those are custom jorts, too. I made those. I went to Goodwill and got a pair of jeans and cut them up.

11:54Rich Eisen:You hiked them up. And so how heavy is this bail that you're throwing in the air? How heavy is that?

12:00Gennings Dunker:I'm not even sure. Maybe 50 pounds or so. Dude. Probably around there, maybe.

12:03Rich Eisen:All right. So this was year one, and then you defended this moment, is what you're saying?

12:07Gennings Dunker:Oh, yeah. It was electric. I mean, the entire town of Solon and everyone in their third cousin came out. It was awesome.

12:12Romar Dennis:Did you get a trophy for this? I mean, does one get a trophy or a plaque for having this? I'd love to know. You got a trophy?

12:19Gennings Dunker:Yeah. So, like, when I won it, it was, like, a trophy. and then my buddy Peep, so my red guard this year, he actually won it this most previous time. So he has like a WWE belt that says like Sowing Hay Bale Champion on it. It's huge. He just keeps it in his truck.

12:33Rich Eisen:I love it. Last one for you, Jennings Dunker, true or false, you are a self-described bookworm that was on a pre-med track at Iowa and you don't own a television. Is that true?

12:46Gennings Dunker:You have a television, but like I do like to read and I also, I was pre-med, yeah.

12:51Rich Eisen:Okay, so you do, because where I read this, I guess it was a couple years ago, you had not yet owned a television, but you do now own it.

12:59Gennings Dunker:Yeah, I didn't have one in my room, because like growing up, I didn't have one in my room, and then like I got to college, and so my buddies had them. I was like, this sounds awesome. Like I can get a TV in my room. So I got one in my room. It's kind of, it's life-changing.

13:09Rich Eisen:What's your favorite book?

13:12Gennings Dunker:Man's Search for Meeting by Viktor Frankl. Wow. That's my favorite book. I haven't read it in a while. I gave it to one of my buddies to read, but yeah.

13:19Romar Dennis:I just reread that about three months ago because it's so deep and existential and really kind of helpful for going through the day today. I'm really impressed. That's so awesome. But I'm not surprised at all to hear so much about your character because, you know, I covered Iowa for a long time on ABC and it was Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge. That was the linebacking corps when I was there. And, you know, some of your stories remind me of the stories that we got. Then Chad grew up on a pig farm, I remember. And like he was like, oh, God, please don't ask me about growing up on a pig farm because everybody comes from like the networks and asks questions about growing up in some of these small communities.

13:53Romar Dennis:But I'm just curious about Kirk. And I'm wondering, besides the green, for any of you listening on the radio, I'm getting a really funny view of a very cool green. Yeah, it is. Behind you.

14:03Gennings Dunker:Yeah, right. I'm just wondering.

14:05Romar Dennis:That's right. I do that all the time in the car. Why do you think Kirk has had such great longevity? And why do you think he's able to get the most out of his players the way he gets the most out of you?

14:18Gennings Dunker:Honestly, I just kind of think it's like the person that he is. Like, I mean, obviously online, like you see, he's a great person. But like, you know, off online, he's even like a better person. Like, he knows every single person's name in our facility. I mean, even like the janitors and the people that come in and cater food and like just how he treats people. Like, I know guys that didn't finish out their career. and he would stay in contact with them like all the time. And like, he really cares about people. Like he cares about everyone. And, you know, he's a great man. Like just how he, he kind of teaches us values about responsibility and dependability.

14:48Gennings Dunker:And like, so like he always like builds the man first and the football player kind of follows. So that's how he coaches and teaches people. And I mean, if you talk to anybody from Iowa, like any former player, like they just love them and he stays in contact with everybody after they leave. So he's awesome.

15:00Rich Eisen:Yeah, and again, the character of folks that he builds, one of my favorite moments for every Iowa home game is when the team turns around and the fans turn around and wave at the children's hospital that overlooks the stadium. It gets me every single time, you know, because kids are sitting there wondering about what's going on with them, what's going on with their lives. And just to say hi to them like that, dude, I love it. Jennings, just great stuff. Yeah, it's awesome.

15:32Gennings Dunker:Yeah.

15:33Rich Eisen:Right? I mean, that you turn around, and I don't know if you've ever, you know, met any of these kids, but you mean a lot. So I appreciate that you do that sort of thing. Jennings.

15:41Gennings Dunker:Yeah, like a lot of guys on the team, especially, like, they'll go and see kids in the hospital, and there's different organizations that kind of work with us, and they'll kind of text me and be like, hey, like this kid, you know, he wants to see us, so then we'll make time to go up and see him on our off day. So, like, a lot of players do that. And obviously it's not public, it doesn't get posted, which is kind of how you want it. But, yeah, I mean, guys are definitely really involved with the Children's Hospital. I got smoked in, like, the Super Smash Bros game on the Nintendo Switch by one of them.

16:05Gennings Dunker:So, yeah, I mean, it's awesome.

16:07Rich Eisen:Well, listen, thanks for the time. Best of luck to you. I really will keep my eye on you as you go about your pro days and things of that nature and visits. And then once you get drafted, look out for my call, you know, if the team will let you hop on because once they get a rookie in there in their house they kind of make sure that the first things are first before they talk to somebody like me but i i really would love to keep up with you um and and before i let you go um you you know there's already a who wore it better conversation involving your mullet i don't know if you saw this during the nfl network combine coverage but there it is uh what do you think jennings what do you

16:51Gennings Dunker:think i love it i think you might be rocking a little better i like how it's pretty sweaty and And it looks like you've been working.

16:56Rich Eisen:Yeah, well, the guy on the right doesn't believe in conditioner either. But it's because I don't use it. You know what I mean? I don't need the conditioner.

17:03Romar Dennis:Rich, can I caution Jennings about one thing, though, by saying conditioner is a scam? Because, bro, I see you making so much money doing shampoo commercials that maybe you don't want to say conditioner is a scam. Maybe you should just, you know, roll with it and then, like, let the money come in, bro, because they're going to come for you. Yeah, like Troy Palamala with head and shoulders. There you go. So much money with those locks. I'm going to tell you this right now as somebody who really believes in the power of deep conditioning. I mean, there are a few things I really believe in more. Go with it.

17:38Romar Dennis:Try it. Experiment. Don't be afraid of the conditioner. And then collect the check. That's right. And then send me some of the free stuff you get. There you go.

17:49Rich Eisen:There you go. Yeah, I got you.

17:51Gennings Dunker:I can swing that. Okay. See?

17:52Rich Eisen:we see you and we hope the best for you, Jennings Dunker. Thank you for the time. Greatly appreciated. Yeah, appreciate it. Thank you. Go forth, sir. Go flow. Go do your thing. You be well. You too. Jennings Dunker, everybody. Delightful chat with the Iowa prospect who dominated the combine. Dominate. Fun stuff.

18:13Romar Dennis:You didn't even tell him that you've got a whole line of gingers adjacent to you. I mean, he could fit in with Lee and Emily.

18:19Rich Eisen:My brother?

18:20Romar Dennis:Yeah.

18:21Rich Eisen:Who fits in with me? You know, he needs he doesn't use conditioner either. He doesn't need it either. But, yeah, the whole line of redheads in my family. Did not know that. Yeah. How about that? You know, there's layers. We're learning a lot. There are layers to me, Jay. But that was fun right there, man. Yeah. Doesn't he sound like Kittle? His cadence. He's talking about him. Yeah. You know, just dropping sort of dry, funny. Yep. You know, I got smoked by some kid, you know, at the children's hospital. And what was that? Some video game, I imagine. Oh, yeah.

18:53Romar Dennis:Smash Brothers. Smash Brothers. Okay, there you go. And as someone who spent some time in Iowa, I can tell you that I've definitely seen dudes with the jorts and the cutoff flannel.

19:02Rich Eisen:Throwing 50-pound bales of hay up in the air. I didn't say the bales of hay, but I definitely saw them rolling around Cedar Rapids. And you know the book that he was referring to?

19:09Romar Dennis:Oh, yeah. I mean, have you never? They didn't give that to you in Michigan? Oh, boy. Wow. The Harvard of the West, Seuss? It is, it is. This is a very deep book about surviving the Holocaust. I mean, this is not just, you know, reading on a vacation. He's talking about next-level existential thinking. But, by the way, that's really cool. And I know that.

19:31Rich Eisen:I know that. And, you know, there are so many sometimes you hear scouts like, I just want a guy who only wants to talk about football or be about football 24-7, 365. I obviously feel differently. Great stuff. Phone lines are lit. And a what's more likely is still to come right here on The Rich Eisen Show.

19:54Rich Eisen:O 'Reilly Auto Parts can help take the guesswork out of your check engine, ABS, or maintenance light with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians. O 'Reilly Veriscan can identify the most likely problem with just one scan. If you need help, O 'Reilly Auto Parts can recommend a shop for you. Don't ignore a check engine, ABS, or maintenance light. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today. A free service exclusively at O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Rich Eisen here. The tax deadline will be here before you know it. And you just want to know your taxes are actually being handled.

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22:11Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show podcast. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show, radio and television all together. On the radio side, we just showed a video of George Kittle's appearance from two years ago where he took a pillow with my face on it back home. And as a postscript, the Kittle family dog urinated on it. Yep. And I don't think the pillow's around anymore. It doesn't. So that actually happened.

22:37Romar Dennis:What do you think that says about how this dog looked at this pillow right now? I don't know about that.

22:42Rich Eisen:What it means is, you know, I'm a dog person and dogs, you know, find me relieving. All right. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial here on the program. Gabriel in Washington is first in, first up. What's up, Gabriel?

23:01Romar Dennis:Hey, how you guys doing? How are you? I just say, ladies and gentlemen, how you guys doing?

23:06Rich Eisen:Well done, Gabriel.

23:08Romar Dennis:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Glad to have Susie on. I don't think I ever called when Susie was sitting in. Hey, Gabriel, nice to talk to you. I know she's always super friendly to the caller, so I'm honored to be on the phone now. I'm happy to have you call. And I want you guys to notice that the callers have expanded since I started sitting here. Oh, yeah, you're a factor. I like to empty out all the phone banks. You love callers.

23:27Rich Eisen:You're a factor. Thank you. What's up, Gabriel? What's on your mind?

23:31Romar Dennis:Hey, anyways, I was going to call about something else, but since you just had Jenny's dunker on, I wanted to just mention that my family and I are fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes. I have a nephew that actually went to the children's hospital because he had a little Forrest Gump situation going on after he was born. And my little brother's wife has a cousin that's a doctor at that hospital. And that is just a phenomenal school and a phenomenal program and a great thing they do. And my brother was at one of the games when he was over there with his son and got to do the whole turning wave to all the children.

24:04Romar Dennis:and it's an amazing, amazing school. So I guess in 14 years, if you see an Iowa Hawkeye jersey with the last name Wick on it, that's my nephew.

24:16Rich Eisen:All right. We'll keep an eye out for that, Gabriel. Appreciate it.

24:19Romar Dennis:Anyways, I was calling to talk about mainly Ken Walker being probably the biggest free agent the Seahawks have and that there's a handful of others that are going to walk probably because of the Super Bowl tax. When you win the Super Bowl, everyone wants your players. But I never bought a canine jersey his first or second year because I'm probably marred by all the injuries. Since Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks, they draft running backs and they tend to get hurt, which is kind of a nature of position. So they're going to let K-9 walk and all these other guys. I think maybe, I don't know, maybe there's one or two that stays.

24:57Romar Dennis:But I believe in John Schneider and Mike McDonald that they have their guys pinpointed and they're going to bring in the right guys and keep the scene rolling.

25:08Rich Eisen:I'm with you, Gabriel. And thanks for the call. And thanks for your sentiments and your two cents about everything that we've been talking about here. Kenneth Walker, I love him, man. He beat the crap out of my Wolverines when he was on Michigan State. What did he score? Five times, by the way, in the only game that the Wolverines lost that regular season. And so they were feeling his wrath. And then when the Seahawks drafted him in the second round, I'm like, great, great hire. And then he had some really good games. He sometimes wasn't healthy. And then when they needed him most, he played larger than life, which he's done in big games his whole life.

25:53Rich Eisen:and will be a terrific free agent for somebody, but the Seahawks clearly decided that franchising him at$14 million and change was just not a good use of their funds, and we'll see what they're going to do over the next few days. Their name has been floated as a Max Crosby destination a couple times, which I said yesterday would be quite an aggressive move for a team that had the pass rush. I didn't think anybody thought to themselves, boy, Seattle would be much better if they had a better pass rush. They were great because of their rush and the way that they were able to just keep on churning guys one after another after another.

26:35That would surprise me, but things have been crazier.

26:39Rich Eisen:Christian in Toronto, you're on the Rich Eisen Show. What's up, Christian? Mine too there, Jay. You there, Christian?

26:46Romar Dennis:How's everybody doing?

26:47Rich Eisen:What's up, buddy?

26:48Romar Dennis:Hello.

26:49Rich Eisen:Yeah, we're here. What's going on?

26:50Romar Dennis:Before I get into my question, I just wanted to bring up that my friend, also named Christian, was able to attend the Combine as a guest. And before he made his way to India, I joked and said, tell Rich Eisen I'd say hi. He did. And Christian from Toronto says hello. He did. And then he calls me and he tells me that he did. And that you recognized me. And I thought that was so cool. Just wanted to bring that up.

27:09Rich Eisen:I remember he did that. Part of me just has the devil in me where I'd be like, Christian who? I don't know that. I don't know Christian from Toronto. But I didn't do that. My default came through, which is I said hello, and now I say hello to you again. What's going on?

27:23Romar Dennis:Just wanted to run an idea by you. I think it's interesting. So if the Dolphins release Tua and he gets to sign for the minimum, what do you think of the Rams grabbing him as a backup and letting him sit behind Stafford, like similar to what Sam Darnold did in San Fran?

27:39Rich Eisen:Listen, I think anybody would want to be part of Sean McVay's factory and world. Any quarterback certainly would be. Baker Mayfield still talks about it, being in there for his brief bit and what it meant for him, in the same way that people talk about Shanahan's or Kevin O 'Connell's or anything like that. The issue with Tua being a backup is that he's left-handed. Believe it or not, it's not his talent. It's not his skill set. It's the fact he's left-handed. And the way a ball spins out of a left-hander throw is vastly different than a right-handed throw. Ask any receiver. They will tell you about that.

28:21Rich Eisen:And so if you have a starting quarterback and you've got a backup quarterback coming in the middle of a game in a crucible of a moment, it's a factor. It really is. I know I would do this if I am a left-handed starting quarterback team and I am going to look for a backup, I'd want another left-hander, to be honest with you. I wouldn't want to do that. I mean, thanks for the call, Christian, and hello again, I guess. Because, again, at the combine, one of – you know that – I hate this drill, the gauntlet drill where a wide receiver starts in the sideline looking this way flips around the other way catches a ball flips around the other way catches a ball and then runs in a straight

29:09Romar Dennis:line as fast as he can because they catch it and drop it and sometimes you know i was even joking

29:16Rich Eisen:to bring up uh just to have some entertaining quality to a long ass broadcast is that they should bring in officials to go through their own combine to see if it was actually catch two steps and then a football act before they drop it because they catch it and drop it because they need to be ready for the next one and the next one and everybody keeps telling me from michael irvin to daniel jeremiah to mayock and everybody that there is still a massive upside and helpfulness to this drill and that i should pipe down but the reason why i bring it up here is that the first two throws which are the easiest because you're looking directly at one person and then flipping around and looking directly at another person from a stationary position the rest of them your head's on a swivel and you're trying to run as fast as you can and try and run as straight a line as you can those are the toughest those the easiest are the ones where you're stationary and catching stationary and catching one time for one of the wide receiver groups they kept dropping the first easy situational pass.

30:20Rich Eisen:And the reason why that Daniel Jeremiah pointed out is it was being thrown by a left-hander. That's interesting. Because the ball, it rotates in a different way when you're spinning it from the left hand as opposed to the right. So, I mean, that's a tough one. That is a tough one to have your right-hander, you're starting to be a right-hander, and then in the middle of a game, it's not a lefty coming in, and sure, they'll catch passes. they'll be able to practice with them. But at the end of the day, in the crucible of a, you need this third down, you don't want that cropping up, regardless of how talented the left-hander is.

30:58Romar Dennis:You know what also concerns me, and I've talked about this at length, even with Amy Trask on What the Football, we saw so many backup quarterbacks coming in and having to get so much quality time this last season. And what's the concern level that you might have to bring in a backup who has been so concussion prone and I guess an injury prone. And I just feel like you're going to want to look for somebody with a little bit more durability or stability when you're backing up somebody of the ilk of Matthew Stafford.

31:30Rich Eisen:And if you were saying that as the backup, then clearly there's going to be people who have that issue for the starter. And that's just the price tag. That's why I don't think Tua is going to be traded for. He will be 100 % acquired by a team. and will they make him the starter based on he's always one snap away, but so is everyone else. And I understand what you're saying. He's a different player in that regard because we've seen him, and it's happened on big nationally televised game, in the most frightening positions of being prone on the field. So that's part and parcel of what's going on with Tua that isn't part and parcel of what's going on with Kyler or Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith or Malik Willis or anybody else that could be available as a free agent quarterback.

32:20Rich Eisen:And that's going to be part of the issue of selling himself as a starter somewhere. Him with his abilities, him in the right system, him with his heart and his soul. Those are easy sells. Although Dolphins fans will push back saying, sometimes he didn't seem like he was terribly into it. You'll hear that every now and then they'll call up. The backup, like I said, if I'm running a team, I do not want a left-handed backup quarterback if my starter is right-handed. If he's left-handed, you got it. There have been less. No, and I'm sure there's left-handed quarterbacks that have the backup being right-handed.

32:53Rich Eisen:It's the same thing. It's the same thing in that, you know, you're not talking about it that way.

32:58Romar Dennis:But there's not that many of them. There have been less than 40 left-handed quarterbacks that have started.

33:03Rich Eisen:This is why, again, I would be concerned about it. You also reach about the gauntlet. I love the gauntlet.

33:10Romar Dennis:Yeah. But here's one thing I wish they would do. let them wear helmets because that's more accurate. You've got guys firing footballs at their face.

33:18Rich Eisen:And also, you're going to have a helmet on when you're playing. I know that. But then, you know, again, at the end of the day, these drills are made to mimic football acts and mimic athletic movements that you're going to have to make on a football field. and padding them up and helmeting them up is just never going to happen. It is not meant to play football. It is meant to mimic what football acts will look like and what acts of physical strength will look like. And what better way you could say, I could see what your reaction is, what better way to show that they can do it than actually padding them up and putting them in helmets.

34:02Rich Eisen:But the bottom line is somebody with a helmet on and somebody with pads on is going to do something that could actually get them hurt because they feel like they are better protected. And it is, I've had conversations with scouts about this for over 20 years.

34:20Romar Dennis:But if it mirrors, they're running, dropping, running, dropping, running, dropping. A football act is a catch and then the end of a play and a start of another play. So in a lot of ways, it doesn't mirror at all. The Gauntlet's fast, fast, fast. And it's like, what, four or five balls and then they run it out?

34:35Rich Eisen:There was one drill. I know you were not watching because you were, you know, on the East Coast with Zan looking at schools. But there was one drill and one of the offensive linemen, one of Jennings Dunker's combine mates. And one of the many great stories that Stacey Dales was telling about all of these players. I don't know how she figures it out, gets it, is so able to present it detailed. It's all great. One of the players was the son of a yoga teacher. And one of the drills, which is kind of crazy, an agility drill, where they get up and move around and go side to side and side to side and then front to back and then move and get out and run towards the end zone.

35:25Rich Eisen:It started with them literally prone on their back. And you'd be proud of me, Suze, because, you know, back in the day when you were doing yoga a lot and you had me insist that I give it a try I pointed out that this drill would be perfect for the son of the yoga teacher because he's starting in a shavasana position wow next level right which is them which is the when you do it it's called the dead man's pose it's the end of the uh workout where you're supposed to really find your chi and me I would just be hyperventilating can't wait till this thing is over but again the reason why I bring it up is if an offensive lineman is in a position on his back arms out palms up staring at the roof of the stadium this is bad news for the quarterback he's trying to protect or the running back he's trying to blow open a hole from so why are we doing this and they keep saying it's to see how quickly they can get up and move that's it So trying to make heads or tails into what's a football act and what isn't through a combine drill is very difficult.

36:33Rich Eisen:And I've spent 20 years trying to figure this thing out. And I've spent 20 years watching you, Trent. Thank you, sir. I greatly appreciate it. All right, let's take a break here on the Rich Eisen Show. We're going to punt what's more likely to the top of hour number three before Rick Neuheisel joins us. But when we come back on ESPN Plus this weekend, the championship series for PLL begins. Romar Dennis is hoping to get there and certainly with the way he plays lacrosse they will for the Redwoods he's next right here on the Rich Eisen Show

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39:26Rich Eisen:Tonight, the California Redwoods have a chance to advance to the PLL Championship Series on Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. And joining us, a man who can, along with his teammates, get California there. It is the two-time All-Star of PLL and two-time Humanitarian Award winner for PLL. Ladies and gentlemen, Romar Dennis is here on the program. Good to see you, Romar. How are you? Good, good, Rich. Thanks for having me. You bet. I hope I got your introduction appropriately correct. And I guess you appearing on this program right now means it's Romar time for me. Is that what it means right now?

40:08Gennings Dunker:Yeah, yeah, I guess so.

40:10Rich Eisen:I know you're too humble. But do you want to explain what Romar time apparently is?

40:16Romar Dennis:Romar time? I mean, I think that's the first time I've heard of that. Really?

40:20Rich Eisen:Romar time means it's – you have never heard about the fact that it's called Romar time when you score in overtime, which is your penchant to do? You've never heard that?

40:30Romar Dennis:Honestly, I have not. That's a first. Wow.

40:32Rich Eisen:I'm informing. You coined it. I'm informing. I didn't coin it. This has been coined maybe behind your back, but it's all positive. You know, it's all positive. When did you first pick up a lacrosse stick, Romar?

40:46Romar Dennis:Pre-K. There was a scooper's clinic after school, just picking up the ball and trying to get it in your stick. And then I played baseball. And then fourth grade, I joined a team.

40:57Rich Eisen:In fourth grade. So you've been playing since pre-K when you had a lacrosse stick in your hand and playing since fourth grade. Is part of the reason why you played baseball is that your dad was in the Yankees system? Is that true, Romar? Yeah, yeah.

41:08Romar Dennis:He played AAA. I'm a huge Yankees guy. That was a tough conversation the day I quit baseball.

41:14Rich Eisen:Oh. Okay. So what do you feel is your challenge tonight to get to Sunday for your squad, Romar?

41:29Romar Dennis:Yeah, I think they have to win to get in. So they're going to come out firing, and we can't get like today's goal here and think that just because the only thing at stake is a bye that we don't have to come out playing hard. Right. But you can lock up a one seed.

41:44Rich Eisen:You could lock up a one seed, correct?

41:46Romar Dennis:We absolutely can. So that's a big opportunity for us. I think the bye in this format is huge.

41:53Rich Eisen:And your teammate, Aiden D 'Enza, he's in the hunt for the Golden Stick Award. What has impressed you about his tournament so far?

42:04Romar Dennis:Yeah, he came into training camp this summer as a training camp designee, meaning he was just holding a spot for someone else, and he just balled out. He's a jack-of-all-trades. He's a highly intelligent player. He's aggressive. He's a big athlete. And he's earned his keep. And no one's really surprised at this point, but he just keeps playing better and better the more confident he gets.

42:24Rich Eisen:And you're taking on your former team tonight, New York Atlas. Are you still friends with some of these guys on your team?

42:31Romar Dennis:Off the field, yeah, absolutely. A lot of good guys over there, but that doesn't matter. and we're playing them.

42:37Rich Eisen:Tonight, though, there's no friends is what you're saying. There'll be no friends.

42:40Romar Dennis:No, not during the game.

42:42Rich Eisen:Okay. But dapping up before and after is still wide open for you.

42:47Romar Dennis:Maybe after.

42:48Rich Eisen:Okay. You played college lacrosse with Pat Spencer, who we see right now balling out alongside Steph Curry. Did you ever see him having that in him, Romar, in all honesty?

43:04Romar Dennis:Yeah. Yeah, you know, he mentioned it in 2016, we were watching the Cavaliers play with LeBron and Delegadova's play, and he's like, I could do that. You know, just like grab boards, hustle, hit a three every now and then. And we're like, that guy's in the NBA. Like, we love you and you're a great athlete. But he was super confident and always a gifted athlete. So not that it was shocking, but it's just been an amazing journey watching him do it. Like, if anyone could do it, it's him.

43:33Rich Eisen:Well, when he gets on a heater, which we see sometimes, he frequently lets the opponent know about it. Was he the same way as a lacrosse player?

43:43Romar Dennis:Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He might be the most competitive person I've ever met. Like anything, anything that was a game, he would get heated and he would put it all out there. It was really crazy.

43:55Rich Eisen:And lacrosse is going to be in the Olympics here in Los Angeles in 2028. Do you have designs on going for it to be on that squad, Romar?

44:04Romar Dennis:It would be a huge honor, but, you know, I think that's a little out of my control. I'm just going to play my best and try to stay healthy up until then, and if called upon, that would be huge. But, yeah, just going to keep focusing on playing for the Redwoods for now.

44:18Rich Eisen:Now, since I'm an NFL guy quite a bit here, I'm always focused on the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner, which goes to the community-oriented individual that stands out amongst a group of community-oriented individuals. So being a two-time Wells Crowther Humanitarian Award winner, what do you do off the field? I'd love to give the platform to you about what you've done and how people can be part of what you do in the communities in which you play, Romar.

44:56Romar Dennis:Yeah, I'm an advisory board member on a group called Harlem Lacrosse in Compton. They're in five cities, but I'm in LA, so Compton is the closest. And they just use lacrosse as an enrichment tool for academics, for after-school activity, building confidence, healthy habits. But there are a ton of groups like that. Brooklyn, Bronx, City Lacrosse, Bridge Lacrosse, Denver City Lacs. Hope I'm not forgetting too many. Oakland Lacrosse Club. There are a ton that go into demographics that wouldn't be exposed to lacrosse and put sticks in their hands and kind of give them another avenue, another outlet from their lives.

45:32Romar Dennis:So I just I have a hard time saying no to those opportunities. So I do a bunch of stuff like that.

45:37Rich Eisen:Well, it's pretty cool. Congratulations on that. And why do you feel you you you do have success when the pressure's on the most and overtime hits? I know you again, you're being humble. uh romar time is in fact a nickname that is said about you uh why do you think this happens

45:59Romar Dennis:so often with you romar you know just even being a kid you don't you know imagine winning a game by five you imagine the three two one countdown buzzer beater um i feel like i've kind of manifested a little bit and then you know there's just way harder things to do than you know play a game and try to win a game so i just try to stay calm and collected and i think about you know how much I've dreamt of moments like that and try to step up for my teammates.

46:25Rich Eisen:Well, good luck on getting that number one seat against your former team. And so, and good luck when, when championship time hits for you. And I appreciate you spending time on this program.

46:38Romar Dennis:Thanks, Rich. Appreciate it.

46:39Rich Eisen:You got it. Romar Dennis can be seen tonight, 8 Eastern time against New York Atlas on ESPN plus. And then at 3 PM Eastern on Sunday, championship series begins on PLL, which we've been talking about every now and then on this program for a while. So that's the latest from that on our family of networks. His dad played for the Yankees system. Then he had to tell him, I'm not playing baseball anymore.

47:05Romar Dennis:And I noticed you mentioned the name, Wells Crawford, there that kind of popped out at me. People know the story behind 9-11. Wells is known as the man in the red bandana because he, former lacrosse player, always had a red bandana in his pocket. And stories came out from one of the towers that there was a man with a red bandana who was helping people escape from the towers of 9-11 and it turned out to be well. So when you said that name, that just really popped into my head.

47:33Rich Eisen:Interesting. I appreciate you lending that perspective for that award. And we'll always talk about that on this program. I'm wondering if there's a patch. wears a red bandana that you can wear similar to the the patch that the nfl gives a walter payton man of the year award i would assume it has there we go because we're just trying to make things better he's known for that we can't stop consulting yeah even though we're not being consulted uh rick neuheisel and what's more likely on our friday hour three finale right here on the rich eisen show the rich eisen show podcast shot clocks big shots upsets aces tgl playoffs are here

48:09Romar Dennis:First, Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then, Rory's Boston Common Golf and Tiger's Jupiter Lynx face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up. It's playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17th at 6.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. only on ESPN and the ESPN app.