Hour 3: Browns QB Competition Latest, plus 2-Time Super Bowl Cham Osi Umenyiora In-Studio

25:05Rich Eisen:You are here on the Rich Eisen show. Let's talk about NFL Africa. What's your role in it? Leader of NFL Africa. I think You know, the whole concept really came about by understanding a couple of things. Number one, there are a lot of players of African descent now that are in the NFL, right? First generation Africans are people who were born in Africa that are in the league. So you have to give them some sort of acknowledgement and respect. And on top of that, where I came from, I was given the opportunity to be able to come play in the NFL because my parents were able to send me over to the United States.

25:40And so I just had the chance to be able to play this game just by sheer luck. But there are a lot of people with tremendous athletic ability, much more athletic than I have. And they just don't have the ability to play or they don't have the opportunity to play. So opening up that pipeline, giving them the ability to do these things and come into the NFL has been, I would say, the culmination of my life's work. And it's just been incredible to see some of these people who have never played the game before and you see where they come from. And then the next year or two, you know, they're in the NFL making money, changing their family's lives.

26:14And it's just been really cool to watch.

26:17Rich Eisen:I'm smiling because you say that some of these players from NFL Africa are better physical attributes than you. And you had some terrific physical attributes as a player. Thank you. But you didn't have the same height and speed as Miles Garrett, as the current draftee of the Philadelphia Eagles. His name's U.R. Bernard. Correct, correct, yeah, yeah. When he came out on the stage at the draft, and Daniel Jeremiah on our NFL Network draft coverage said, his comp is Miles Garrett. Crazy. I'm like, what? Are you talking about it? Yeah. And it's the truth. Yeah. And he's never played a lick of organized football.

27:05Never played a single down of football before.

27:08Rich Eisen:Okay. Like how and what? And why? I guess that's a simple question. How does that work? It's really, it would be a really foreign concept to people who don't really have the context of which this started. Because it's crazy. But I started playing football late. And there are a lot of people who stopped playing the game late. Right. And so if you understand that, you're like, OK, there are certain positions that if you have the prerequisite athleticism and you train them, you give them some information, they can excel and they can excel quickly. So although he is an anomaly in his physical attributes, there are a lot of them in Africa.

27:42There are a lot of them in Nigeria, but they just don't know how to play the game. So what if you develop them? What if you train them? Then what does the NFL become then? Right. And interestingly enough, when you think about O 'R and his drafting, there are players who have come through the NFL Africa program for a couple of years now. C.J. Okoye playing for the Baltimore Ravens. He came from our program. He's playing meaningful snaps for the Ravens. Chu Godrick plays for the Kansas City Chiefs as a tackle. He came through the program. These guys are playing real NFL snaps. So although he did get drafted, we've had players who have come through, never played before, that are on NFL fields right now.

28:17It's crazy to think about.

28:18Rich Eisen:So the Eagles challenge like to say basically say that something called a down. Yeah. I'm serious. Is that, is that, is that, he gets that? Is he, he has that knowledge? Yeah, he will have that knowledge because of the program, the IPP program. So he'll go to Florida and train. How was he found? So we have scouting programs all across. I have one, which is called the Uprise. So they just go all across Africa and they scout the best athletes. And then from there they go to the NFL Africa camp. and then from the NFL Africa camp, they get selected to go over to Florida to train to get ready. Okay.

28:51Rich Eisen:Yeah. And was a little part of you, obviously, you're over the moon that this kid gets drafted. Absolutely unbelievable. But let's be honest. Yeah. A little part of you? Upset that the Eagles got him? Let's be honest. Please say yes. Yes, I'm very upset. Very upset the Eagles got him. Once upon a time, did you not sack Donovan McNabb six times in a day? I did take him down six times. But I will say this. I'll say this, though, Rich. The Philadelphia Eagles also drafted Jordan Mayata from the same program. Right. And they did right by him. He's an all-pro player, Super Bowl champion. Right. So if anybody understands what we're doing, it's them, and they're going to develop him.

29:31So good for them in that regard.

29:33Rich Eisen:Again, you're dressed in a suit and a tie, and you're corporate. Corporate. I'm just trying to dig. Corporate speak. I'm just trying to dig to see if there's any of that competitive pettiness that still exists within O.C. and Mignore that I first saw when we first chatted. Guys, I don't know if you're aware, but O.C. went to Troy, okay? And I had the gumption, temerity, to once upon a time have a guy named DeMarcus wear on the program on NFL Network and introduce him as the greatest player in the history of Troy University to play in the National Football League. Who did I hear from after that?

30:06Yeah, definitely from me. What did you say to me? I mean, I let you know that he can't be the greatest football because I was alive still at the time.

30:14Rich Eisen:This happened. Okay. And I'm like, uh-oh. Hall of Famer, by the way. Demarcus was in the Hall of Famer. And I still refused to relinquish that he's a better player than me. I noticed. But he wasn't in the Hall at the time. And you were still doing your thing, winning two Super Bowls with the Giants. What's your favorite Strayhand story? oh straight there's there's a lot i would say my favorite one they've usually come at his expense which is these are why i ask yeah yeah i ask so all-time favorite story uh this involved me justin tuck and michael strainer this is great right so we were this was 07 super bowl year so we're walking out to the um walking out to the field to practice yeah and strahan is he's here he's and fronts, and then me and Tuck are walking side by side.

31:12And so we're walking to the field, and then Tuck looks at Strahan, and he's like, Osi, you know what? I can't wait to kick this guy out of the league. And I'm like, what? And then Strahan turns around, and Tuck is like, yeah, you, you. I can't wait to kick you out of the league. And I couldn't believe that Tuck, who at this time, this was maybe like his second year in the league, he had the thought process to actually vocalize that and say that to Michael Strahan. and we just died laughing, fell out laughing because to me it was just the funniest thing I'd ever seen that this young guy had the, you know, just the thought to tell that to Michael Strahan.

31:50So that's one of my favorite things. And Strahan just laughed at it? Just laughed. Just laughed at it. It was funny. He retired that year too.

31:57Rich Eisen:And then you started putting him in commercials with him. Yeah. What the heck? Crazy. Okay. So that was one. I'll say another one was between Strahan and Bob Whitfield. This one was, to me, really funny. You had to bring in sandwiches when you were a rookie for the veterans. And so Strahan would always come in like a little bit later than everybody else when they were younger. So Tuck would bring in the sandwiches. So one day Tuck brought in Strahan's sandwich and put it on his desk. and Bob Whitfield comes in, takes Strayhand's sandwich, goes to the kitchen, gets like a piece of bread. I'm sorry.

32:35Puts like a frozen ham on the other one and then puts another piece of bread and leaves it on Strayhand's desk. So Strayhand comes in late and he sees this and he is irate. He's so angry. He's like, what happened? What's going on? Who took my sandwich? And then Big Bob comes out. He's like, I took your sandwich, Strayhand. What do you want to do? You want to thump? And then Stray is like, no.

33:03Self-preservation. Oh, man, just funny, man. But Stray is literally the reason I became a good football player. Why? Because he took me under his wing. There were so many things I didn't know about football that he taught me. And when I got there, what I couldn't understand was he was such a spectacular player. And I didn't know why people weren't following him like all the other defensive linemen to know what it was that he was doing. So I was like straight, you know, teach me, show me how you became this good. And, you know, to his credit, he decided to do that. And so he taught me how to watch film.

33:38He taught me how to take care of my body. He taught me how to do all the things that, you know, definitely made me the player that I became. So I credit him tremendously with everything that I was able to become. And a lot of times players can be good players or bad players, depending on the team they go to. And I didn't even know it was really that simple in a lot of instances. And the fact that I went there and he was there, I think, made me the player that I became.

34:03Rich Eisen:And then that 07 season, I'll never forget that. It was big for NFL Network because, you know, the final game of our game package season was in Giant Stadium. And the Patriots come in and complete the 16-0 regular season. And we were there not even thinking in a million years this was a Super Bowl preview. Not in a, like, if you had told us walking out to our cars, going back to the airport, going to hotels and whatever, this is a Super Bowl preview. We're like, yeah, forget it. No way. Yeah, right. Oh, and then the Giants are going to win the Super Bowl. No way. Forget it. Like, what caught fire after that game for you guys?

34:43You know, oddly enough, and this is another thing that happened, me and Tuck were walking off the field after that game. and for whatever reason I looked at him I was like you know if we play these people again we would beat them you said that said that to him and he was like you're right because it was we went into the game and you know I remember the week leading up to it Coughlin had told us because we were thinking we weren't going to play because we didn't need to play that game and he's right yeah so he came out and the first thing he said he was like I know a lot of you are thinking that you know you're not going to play it was like no we play to win every game we don't care what their record is what our record is we're going to play to try to beat them because your seed was already locked it was already locked in right so that switched the mentality in us and then the other thing that we kind of understood was spagnolo defensively anyway was like we're just going to play base defense you understand so he didn't put in any of those blitzes that you saw in the super bowl all these things that you saw him doing there was none of that so we were just playing base defense base offense and we were competing with them so walking off we're like huh we took this game seriously but like from a game planning standpoint we didn't and we almost beat them so what happens when you put all those things together if in fact we're able to meet them in the super

35:54Rich Eisen:bowl luckily we did and we beat them what was your perspective of the helmet catch i didn't necessarily see it when it happened you know because i all i saw was them grab eli and so when they grabbed eli put my head down right i thought i thought it was over so did my friend from New England over there. Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I didn't see it. All I heard was the crowd erupt. And then I look up and I saw him getting up. I said, okay, something happened here. It was only when I got home that I actually saw what happened. It was mind-blowing. So you did not see it live. Did not see it live.

36:28Rich Eisen:Because you put your head down thinking that's the sound. As soon as they grabbed Eli, put my head down. In the grasp. Huh. Yep, crazy. That's one of our favorite exchanges here with Eli where you told him that you thought it was holding. Well, there is holding lots of times on that play. Eli's response was holding. They didn't block anybody. Jailbreak, man. They just came through. O 'Hara, you know, I bust his stones about that all the time. Where are your rings? Where do you have those? They're in London. I live in London right now, so they're just sitting out there in a safe. I don't wear them.

37:02Because of what Deion said, I never wear them.

37:05Rich Eisen:Deion never brings those out either. He was like, you never see an Olympic gold medalist walking around with their gold medals. That sounds like prime. I was like, you know what? You got that. So I just put them up. That sounds like Deion, for sure. And that day, just last one for you, that day where you got, it was a 12-sack game of McNabb. Yeah. And you got half of them. It's still a Giants record for most sacks in a game. Did you wake up dangerous? What happened that day? I don't know, man. I just call it luck. Come on. No, seriously, I really do. And the only reason why I say that is because is I got to the quarterback that day, I think seven times only, which I'm talking about like pressures, hits, and six of the times I got there was a sack.

37:48And I've had games where I got to the quarterback like 12, 13 times and had zero sacks. So for whatever reason, every single time I got there, it just so happened to be a sack. So I look at those as like anomalies, man. It was just, it was my day and our year, to be fair.

38:03Rich Eisen:What did Conflin say to you? Yeah. What did he say to you that day? Nothing. He didn't say it. It was only Spags who came up to me. was like, I'm so happy for you. You know, you deserve this. You worked hard. Coughlin nothing, huh? Like, good job.

38:18Rich Eisen:Go on about your business. Oh, my gosh. Some great Coughlin stories we've heard on this show for so many years, you know, where I guess, what did he say? What was it? Jesse Palmer said he didn't ask permission about being on The Bachelor or something like that for him. And he just kind of rolled the dice on him, you know, which is a brilliant story. And the five-minute, if you're not five, that was true, right? It was a real thing. If you were five minutes early, it was a real thing. Did that pop you at any point in time? No, I just got out of Troy, so I didn't have any. He was your first coach.

38:53No, he was the second one. Foster was there for my first year. Okay. So the second year was when Coughlin came in, but I didn't really have no real frame of reference other than just discipline and hard work, and so it didn't bother me at all. It didn't. Mm-mm.

39:06Rich Eisen:One of my favorite stories, just real quick, was at an owner's meeting in Hawaii. Because it was the only owner's meeting that's ever been, I think, held in Hawaii. Because it was Paul Tagliabue's last year. So they said, we're going to go and do it in Hawaii. And so Total Access was on the air at a way different time. Because it was Hawaii. So I had a massage appointment in the morning. Okay. So I sat there. I'm in the waiting room with the music and the magazines and the bonsai tree with the water going on. And I'm sitting there. And who comes in in another? Terry Cloth bathrobe and Terry Cloth slippers just like me.

39:55Rich Eisen:Tom Coughlin. There's no way. There's no way. It's happening. So it's just me and Tom in the waiting room. In the room. He just looks at me and he goes, what time is your massage? I'm like, it's 10 o 'clock. And I looked up and it was five minutes to 10. And Tom goes, where the heck is my masseuse? And he went to the front desk to complain. No way. Because masseuse was not on cough. It was not on cough in time. And I just looked around. I'm like, I only had a witness right now. I swear. That tracks. That actually tracks. He went to go look for his therapist because they were not five minutes. Unbelievable.

40:37Rich Eisen:I swear to you that happened. It's such a pleasure to see you. It's been way too long. This is an opportunity for you anytime you want to come on and promote anything. I'm a big fan of the International Series games. It is a crucial aspect, I think, of the growth of the league. And, you know, I cannot wait to see what this kid, you are Bernard, will do. I tell you one thing, Rich. watch out for NFL Africa and the NFL Africa program watch out in these next couple of years because we have some things cooking that they come through it's going to change the game I can't wait can you imagine the Eagles just drafted the next Miles Garrett if they could only teach him down and distance and things like that it's great to see you O.C.

41:22Rich Eisen:Uminyora here on the Rich Eisen Show we'll be back to wrap up this Thursday in just a moment The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

41:37Rich Eisen:If you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret, Bucked Up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for. Insanely delicious, which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks, and they're built on real science-backed ingredients. It's clean energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want. Bucked Up is so confident you'll love their drinks. They're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up at BuckedUpEnergy.com.

42:15Rich Eisen:Grab a Bucked Up and fuel like a million bucks. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.

42:50Rich Eisen:ladies and gentlemen we're back here on the radio side of things Susie brought Yankee Stadium seats from our house I did what a great presentation 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 is 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 But with Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire and get started right now by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eisen.

43:29Rich Eisen:Terms and conditions apply. Women's Sports Now coming up at 6 p.m. Eastern time. Every single week, all the women's sports you need from Susie Schuster, Renee Montgomery, Sarah Tiana, and Colleen Wolfe. Renee is off the next month, correct? Yes. All right. And who is sitting in that seat hosting women's sports now with the three of you? Yeah, I decided to make a really great call to the bullpen. Went down the road to Westwood and won Corey Close. He's a gentleman. National champion. National champion. He's going to be here. Coach is going to be joining. Champion. And I am so excited to have her here.

44:04That's great. And we're going to talk this week. Rookies. We're going to talk trends coming out of the freedom of movement rule change.

44:10Rich Eisen:Okay. We're going to talk about her experience coaching Caitlin Clark. Okay. And our guest just happens to be, we didn't plan it this way, Lauren Betts. I have a feeling you planned it this way. I didn't. That's not a coincidence. You did not? That's good for you. How dare you? You should take credit for it. No, we didn't. It was a happy circumstance. Very good. That's like us talking about Garrett's and having a guy named Garrett just randomly be the call. Holly Rowe. Holly Rowe as well is on the program. Yeah. She's going to be zooming in from the Super Regionals for two weeks, which is great.

44:40Oh, great. So nobody knows more about pretty much anything than Holly Rowe. but basically she zeroed in for us and she will be our expert which is fantastic.

44:50Rich Eisen:Fantastic. Great to have my old sideline reporter friend on the show. That's awesome. That'll be great. We're now coming up at 6.00. Looking forward. Okay, yeah. By the way, our phone lines are lit. Can you please stop taking so many win-loss? I've got two days next week. We are going to play it like crazy. We might do three hours of win-loss next week. Also, my brother will be so annoyed so let's do it. We have all six phone lines. Really? Do you want to take one real quick? Because I know you love doing win-loss. Let's go. Joe in Florida has been holding on the longest. Joe, you're on with Susie and the rest of the crew.

45:25Rich Eisen:What's up, Joe? How are you doing today, Mr. Ozden? Well, Joe, here's the thing. Which team do you want to play the win-loss game for? I'm going to go with a team that Brockman likes, and that's the Atlanta Falcons. Okay. Well, actually, it's Sarah Tiana. I want them to do well. Happy life, happy life situation. so this is for Sarah who's on Women's Sports now alright let's go for it we got two minutes we gotta whip through it Joe in Florida what do you got for me for the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Falcons Aaron Rodgers first game Atlanta can't beat Pittsburgh that's a loss okay that's a loss Panthers at Falcons that's a win alright Falcons at Packers I'm gonna say that's a win 2-1 Falcons at the Saints on a Monday night Don't come in my 30th birthday.

46:14That's a win.

46:16Rich Eisen:Ravens and Falcons. That's a loss. Bears at Falcons. Close win. Close win. Okay, 4-2. 49ers at Falcons. Loss. All right. At the Bucs. I'm going to say Bucs get us in Tampa. Okay. Now you're in Madrid taking on the Bengals. Sorry, Suze. I don't think we're going to that one. I'm so glad. Absolutely. Bengals, La Victoria and the Falcons. Yes. Was that a win or a loss? That's a win for Atlanta. I looked at you. You're the multilingual person in our family. Chiefs at Falcons. We get revenge from a few years ago. Win. Okay. At the Vikings. I'm going to say loss. Lions at Falcons. Loss. At the Browns.

47:10Rich Eisen:close but lost wow that's three in a row um visiting the commanders get back in the wind column all right home for the bucks we get them in atlanta that's a win all right home for the saints sweep the same and at the panthers i'm gonna say a win all right that's four in a row one two three four five six seven that's a 10 and 7 mark okay that should win the South. See, you just played the win-loss game just sitting around and watching. I did absolutely nothing. It was great. Well done. Women's Sports Now. Suzy will do lots more then. Check it out, 6 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN+. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast.

47:53Rich Eisen:You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney +, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast.

48:12This is what everyone's talking about. Everything's on the table. This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. And the slam! No do-overs. No second chances. No more Mr. Nice Guy. This is Winner Take All. and it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals. Don't miss it. June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN app.