Bussin' With The Boys - Lavonte David Opens Up About Retiring From The NFL + What's Next For Him? | Bussin' With The Boys

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

Taylor Lewan and Will Compton are back with another STACKED episode of Bussin' With The Boys! This week's guest is Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend and one of the greatest linebackers to ever do it, Lavonte David. In the intro, Will and Lavonte discuss golf, fishing and favorite TV shows. Will announces Bussin’s upcoming spring tour dates hitting Texas Tech, Miami, and Notre Dame. Lavonte may even show up to Miami to kick it with the boys when they’re there.   Lavonte David’s interview begins with Will listing off all of his accolades, only to then try to bully Lavonte into admitting he was Will's little bro during their time together playing college football at Nebraska. Lavonte is NOT buying it and the argument gets heated. Carolina Panthers legend Luke Kuechly FaceTimes in to settle the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year debate once and for all, and the results might surprise you. Lavonte then calls Will out for never having a signed Willy C jersey from him, which is honestly criminal. Lavonte opens up about the moment he found out Tom Brady was coming to Tampa, what it was really like playing with Gronk, and how the locker room changed overnight when TB12 walked through the door. This episode has everything — beef, FaceTime ambushes, Super Bowl stories, and Harry Potter drama.   Please like, subscribe, and as always... Big Hugs, and Tiny Kisses!   Timestamp Chapters:   0:00 Intro 2:58 Lavonte Co-Hosting The Intro 3:44 March Madness talk (Nebraska hoops) 8:30 Tiger Woods News 11:15 Game of Thrones, Harry Potter & the New Snape 17:19 Nebraska stories  35:57 Lavonte David Interview Starts 37:54 Will's intro of Lavonte (the Hall of Fame resume) 45:32 JUCO stories  50:45 Conditioning horror stories 59:08 Strength coach was a psychopath 1:11:48 Talking About Coaches 1:15:46 Bo Pelini explained 1:27:40 Eight losing seasons & almost leaving Tampa 1:33:00 The Time Lavonte Almost Retired Previously 1:36:43 Pro Bowl & All-Pro snubs 1:46:56 Trying To Call Luke Kuechly  1:51:22 Jameis Winston's legendary 30-30 season 1:56:28 Tom Brady Coming To Tampa 2:00:06 Brady's Super Bowl locker room speech 2:06:50 Gronk in the locker room 2:08:59 The Antonio Brown moment 2:29:53 First week of retirement 2:40:42 What's next after retirement 2:59:53 Mike Evans leaving Tampa 3:02:07 The Bud Light Question 3:03:39 Closing thoughts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Every dinger Tuesday, play ball with the home for home runs on Fandle, an official partner of the MLB. Everybody, thank you for tuning in to another episode of Bust with the Boys. We have a very special interview later in this podcast with the one, the only Levante, David. Tara Luan is not on the bus right now. He had to go catch a flight. A couple housekeeping things, house cleaning, housekeeping, whatever we want to say, that we will have an order for everybody who's tuned in the last

couple weeks, everybody who dropped in the comment section for the Cam Juergens podcast or the Cam Juergens episode. Brilliant, we are featuring our audience throughout our episode from two weeks ago moving forward. Essentially, there's three ways to connect with us to be featured on the show. We'll have callbacks or reminiscing on last week's episode. On this episode, there's hashtag tier talk where every Sunday on Twitter, we drop a tweet, see if anybody has a hashtag tier talk what they would like to ask us we will feature those on the back half or the second part of the intro we also have tier talk for now you will know the guests coming in each and every week this week you guys knew was lavante david so you can drop in questions for our guests

every week when we tell you guys who we're going to have on the bus to where you use hashtag tier talk we feature those questions we feature your comments throughout the episode continue to drop comments we love the comment section while you were looking at the comment section while you're looking at us on Spotify, Apple, Google, YouTube, wherever it is, make sure you're subscribed to the boys. Guys, I have a co-host on the bus with me and I'll just let the cat out of the bag. It's Levante David. Levante David is co-hosting the bussing with the boys intro. For about 10 or 15 minutes, we have a two and a half hour interview that we did with you where we're on the bus the majority of the time with Taylor. Taylor ended up having to catch a flight

so we had to leave for the last, what, 30 minutes. So it should mean you reminiscing on some old But you're co-hosting with us. Yeah. Do you know what that means? I'm going off you. It means you're talking, we got the audience engaged right now. Right. Yeah, we're talking with the audience.

We're going over some clean takes, some callbacks from last week. Yeah. Talking about what's going on in our world. I'll tee up for this one. I had a comment that I left in the YouTube section last week. Got you played Iowa. Huskers are going to the Elite eight. That didn't happen.

Are you a basketball guy? Yes, I'm a basketball guy. You keeping up with March Mollinger. Yes, I am. And they should have gone to the elite eight, honestly. They played a really good game. I thought they was going to make it, but some mishaps in that game kind of like stopped those guys from going to the lead eight, which is, you know, for their first time actually been in the tournament or not being in it, but actually getting that far, I thought they played pretty well. First time ever, we talk about the year that the Huskers had. First start where we've had, we started 20 and 0. First time we've had a win in March Madness. First time we've ever. We've ever. been to the suite 16 yeah a lot of records being broke what yeah first time round of 32 first time round to 32 hang the banners you can't have four guys on the court can't at the end of the game yeah can't um but that just go to show you know if they you know more

experience being in there that may not may not have happened yeah next year we we're we're gonna let's win the whole thing right let's just win the whole thing they can it can happen Here's a Kevin's Natural Foods clean take. And what a Kevin's Natural Foods clean take is is shout out our partner Kevin's Natural Foods. But a clean take is ultimately like you just have a thought that you feel like is a clean take. To set this one up, clean take,

you should have five guys on the court the whole time. Clean take. That's a clean take. That's a clean one. Yeah. Clean take. Right here we have somebody who commented on last week's episode when we're looking at those comments.

Luke Green Street, 7,03. Didn't know much about Cam Juergens before the episode other than he was Kelsey's replacement. After watching this, I fuck with his cat so heavy. Just a true dude's dude. Big fan and look forward to seeing him do good things next season. That's a clean take. Clean take.

Clean comment. Sure. I have, you know Cam Jergens? I know Cam Jergens. I mean, obviously, I keep up with a lot of guys coming out of Nebraska, bro. I still watch Nebraska football. Like, I know some people. I know you do.

I just don't know if you knew. I mean, we play the Eagles a lot these past couple of years. I forgot you started. I forget you guys still both playing the league. So I got a chance to actually like meet him a couple times. But, you know, he started at guard before he moved to center. Bro, he came in as a four-star tight end for Nebraska. I didn't know all that.

Well, you can find it out. You check out last week's episode. Yeah. But came in as a tight end, had to make a switch. Ego death. Right. Obviously he carved his way into being a second round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles. Right.

Played on a broken back in the Super Bowl. Yes, he did. That's a crazy story. You can tune in to Bustin with the boys for. There's another clean take that I got on here that is just Kevin's Natural Foods, a clean take. This is from I. Allen Wade on YouTube. Kevin's Natural Foods Clean Takes has got to be the biggest bang for their buck marketing

has ever spent. That's a clean take. That's a great take. This one's from Alex J. Mary. I love this comment section. Let's get it, boys. No one can stop a moving train other than the conductor. muscle emoji.

Yeah. I got to, there's some things to teach you now that you're in this world. Yeah, I see. Like you're co-hosting right now. All right. You lean you on pretty good. I like it. Yeah, yeah.

We got to get the personality going. Yeah, yeah. This is where we just have fun. Right. With the people in the comment section. Man, being a truck driver, this is from T. Pezzy 87. Man, being a truck driver, I needed these three plus hour episodes back. Well, good news for T.

If we go here for about 20 more minutes, you got another three-hour baby with Levantézay DeVis. And my boy's a close friend of mine. I was a truck driver, so, you know, if he's tuning into this, I think he'll make his day go better too as well. You know how he can tune into it? How is that? By if you reach out to your boy and set up the link and you say, hey, I think you might mess with this podcast on your long drives.

Yeah, I think he should take a watch, take a look at it. What do you want to talk about, man? Entertain the fans, bro. We're live. Shit, what could we talk about? Let's talk about life. I don't want to talk about football, man. Sometimes I get tired of talking about football.

Well, we just talked about it for two and a half hours. I know. But that's what we're supposed to do. So, yeah, but let's move on from that. Like, let's talk about, are you into fishing? You want to hear in Nashville? I can, I can throw a rod. You'd have to hook it for me.

Like, if there's worms, like, hey, hey, get me right on the worm. I mean, that's about the most I know how to do, though. I'm not into fishing like that, but, like, I'm just saying, let's go fishing today. Yeah, what about golf? I don't really golf, man. My blow back. So I told myself, I'm going to get a month to first. worth the golf lesson and then I'm going to go out of golf I think I want to get into golf so you can try to get into golfing I want to try to get into golf just as a hobby like we're you're retired you're wealthy I never had a hobby bro so I think I need to start getting getting getting a hobby and doing something being outdoors get out of house a little bit yeah yeah do you see Tiger Woods over the weekend and it happened like right before the masters it's just like yeah it's a tough beat man yeah but what are we doing what are we doing what are we doing yeah

Yeah, like your Tiger Wool is like you should have a driver or something like that's what blows my mind is dog you are so Wealthy yeah all of the accidents he's been in already Yeah the resume you already have that you've rehabilitated or tried rehabilitating of the last however many years Like even if I take the mindset of if you're going to be under the influence and you still do that Yeah Why would you just not have a driver at all times right? I don't know like when every time I see like those top athletes like LeBron Jane for instance I don't think LeBron Jane drive I see Steph Curry

I don't think Steph Curry drive I think all those dudes have like person drivers and stuff like that when they're going out about in the town and things like that yeah you got to have a driver man just again it to me is what we doing like get your boy yeah you know I mean you'll see you'll see

Tigers like dating at Trump and like there was an executive order place that like Tiger's not allowed to drive around like Donald's nephew or niece or whatever it is Damn. Like that is in, that is a law. Is that real?

Is that real? Are you sure that that's a law? That's what I saw. I may have done. On X? Yeah, I saw it on. He said that is a law. When you saw the tweet, did you get in the comment section and say, hey, Grock, is this real?

I went through and somebody already did that and Grock approved it. Wow. Oh. Then it's got to be true. That's law. That's a law. I think you have to look at GROC approved. I think you have to look at Grog now.

Like every time something come out, you have to look at Grog to see if it's true or not. Because every time I look at those social media stuff, I always think about that clip on training day. Yeah. At Disney at Washington talking to Ethan Hawke, like, 90% of this is bullshit and entertains me. Yeah. So, like, now you want to interrupt, so now you entertain me. So I look at it like that too. With Gronk, though, people get horny with Grog.

Oh, yeah. People do. Brock switched these outfits. Yeah, put this outfit on. Yeah. I've been horny. when uh when uh

yeah yeah I mean I've been in order remember when I came after uh clay after the Bears beat the Packers

yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

sure your meme was funny to get up one I love anytime I can get a night of the seven

kingdoms meme in there yeah somebody team me up perfectly the chimarian pervert

ain't no pun intended team me up And you were you a game of thrones guy? Oh bro, am I a game of Thrones guy? I love Game of Thrones. Yo! You're a Game of Thrones guy? I love Game of Thrones.

I've been watching Game of Thrones. I know it started like in 2011, but I started watching in 2013. And I've been- Have you watched Night of the Seven Kingdoms? I watched Night of the Seven Kingdoms. So you get the meme. Yeah, that's what I was looking. Yeah, I get it.

I watched Night of Seven King. I like, House of Dragons, House of Dragons and all that stuff. Yeah. I'm big on those things. I like those. Like, I'm a big Lord of the Rings guy. Big TV show, big movie guy? Big TV show, big movie guy.

Your own body, you know. And Nebraska, I used to go to the movies by myself all the damn time. I know, I know, but we're doing the show together. Like, I can't just, I have to, like, you ask some questions to get you talk. And I can't just sit up here. Hey, you like doing this. Hey, you love doing that. Co-hosts.

We're co-hosting together. You're right. You got to get it. Favorite show of all time? That is a loaded question. That is a loaded question. Favorite show of all time. I can't not watch the wire.

I love the wire. I haven't either, but everybody swears by the wire. I did have a note during the podcast. I didn't want to throw it out to get off on a tangent, but y'all are talking about Bo Polini. Yeah. And in my mind, I was like, Bo Polini is Stanis Barathea.

Could have been king. Yeah. But he didn't want to do the Game of Thrones. Yeah. That's a great reference. Yeah, I really like that. I just want to fucking fight. Yeah, we dive into some great Bo Polini stories.

We do. That's a great one. You a Harry Potter fan? Not as much. Mike Evans is a huge Harry Potter fan, though. Is he? But I'm not a Harry Potter fan. I watched all of them, but I can't really get into them.

Like, I like them. I just watch them just to watch them. Like, I didn't get excited than nothing by watching them. Nothing kind of like got me going by watching them. Really? Yeah. I wasn't really, like maybe because it wasn't enough action, my type of action, I guess. Yeah.

And then you do you see... Because you like violence. Kind of, yeah. Did you see the... They coming out with the TV series? Yeah, I saw that. How do you feel about that? I think it's going to be amazing.

You think so? I think one thing that is absolute bullshit is fucking Professor Snape. I agree. Because when you look... I agree. I do, right? When you look back at all the books

and all the movies and everything else, like not at any point is he wearing something with a zipper. Yeah. Not only that, but let's call it space for him. He's not black. Oh, I was thinking that.

I was thinking the fucking zipparies when. Like, no, I can't, I can't go. I can't rock with that, bro. Like, honestly. Oh, so you hate that they got Snape is black. I mean, that too, but that's a part of it. But like, no, I can't rock with it, bro. Okay, yeah.

It just don't fit the character. Where I'm sitting, like, I rock with that. I rock with that, but I'm saying, like, I'm not going to say nothing like that. And then my whole thing. about the Harry Potter. Like see if Mike Evans say do you like the new Professor Snake? He said no. Oh, he said no. He didn't like the casting. Well, not the casting. He just said he don't like. I ain't say nothing about the casting, but he said he don't like it. You see what they're doing now? They're going to redo Black Panther. Ryan Gosling's going to be Black Panther.

We got to ask Groke that. I don't think that's going to happen. But my thing about the whole Harry Potter thing is like instead of doing the whole like to just redoing it and put it in TV series, I think they should do like a backstory, like on the parents or something like that or just like, yeah, something like that. Like, they definitely should have did that, right? Like how Game of Thrones is doing the prequels and everything. I feel like the show. I think that'd be cool.

Yeah. The show that, like, because they, all the people that have read the books have said the movies, there's stuff that happens in the books that doesn't happen. So I think each book is going to be a season for the show. They could do what he's saying. It's like ultimately Harry Potter is starting the, the Game of Thrones playbook. they're diving in all of the books, right? And then now that once they have the Harry Potter show established,

from there, you can have all of these, you know, side quests, parents, I think the more, I think the movie, I'm sure like, I'm sure like this dude is a great actor, but I don't know. Like my image of Professor Snape is. Listen, we're on the same page. We're on the same page. But here's what I'll say. If HBO is pouring all this into Harry Potter,

Like if you were revamping Harry Potter based off how successful the movies and everything else was, you're taking a leap to do it now as a TV series. I'm assuming that this dude is going to crush. Yeah, for sure. Toward a put whatever, you know. Everybody's got their takes.

I always think of me, he's the zipper. I just want to make sure. Just to be clean. I'll pay attention to stuff like that. Like my image of that professor, like that dude did a great job in that. I mean, and like I seen like, I feel like a guy.

Pale skin, dark hair. Similar to him should have been the I mean, you're speaking facts. Yeah, people like, why wasn't Adam Driver casted? Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's a perfect. What is this right here at Sherm? That's the zipper at like 400 times.

Oh, you zoomed in. Yeah. Well, it's good to know you don't like it. Mike Evans doesn't like it. Okay. But Mike Evans is a huge Harry Potter fan. I believe you. Yeah, he got a Harry Potter.

I like Harry Potter. You got a tattoo. You'll get a. No, no, no, I'm not a sicko like that. Some people are. He's not. Don't call my guy a sicko. You call him a sicko? No, sicko like obsessed, loves, just a whoa, oh, my fault. Clean take Mike Evans, not a sicker. I think he's just, I ain't no nerd. I could have sworn you one. Where was I going with that? What else is new, man? This is new. shit I'm retired

yeah we dive into that in the podcast I mean something we didn't talk about on the pod um we're talking about Bob Polini Nebraska

journeys like hilarious by the way the Jukko stories yeah but just to if people caught your audio episode where you kind of had the broken audio

or if they didn't is you when you got to Nebraska taking my job I didn't not take your job bro stop saying that listen like I look at it as me taking your job like you being healthy and me actually like coming in and taking your spot that's me taking your job that would have only got I only I only got putting into the job because you got hurt

the broke my foot yeah broke your foot so like in any sense like what it's called uh what's the um when I got healthy no man it's it's a thing it's uh it was a baseball player that he ended up What's called? You know what I'm saying? People say it all the time. Wally Pip. In a sense. Wally Pip.

Yeah. So. Yeah. I got healthy and then my job was nowhere to be found when I got back because you had just taken the team by storm, which I mean, you're obviously 14 years. We're arguing for you to be the whole thing. But we got a chance to play together. Me and you have some good times.

So that was really good. Michigan State, Penn State. Yeah. Penn State was good. Penn State was good. You was my, I'm my crash dummy on that. It was, uh, was it fourth and short. Yeah.

They're on game winning drives, trying to be on a game winning drive. Yeah. Maybe. Third and one. Then fourth and one. Third and one. Fourth and one. Game winning drive.

We run a cross dog. I'm the first blizzard. So I basically eat up the blocker. Lamonte comes around tight off the hip. Silas Red hits him in the back field. Big boys him. Yeah. We win the game.

Really cool. That was a cool moment. Talk to a moment. People are going to. to forget man yeah they shouldn't they're going to but yeah when I I I'll never forget like the the the men the ego mental battle I was in when that job was there when I got back yeah but for context yeah I'll bring my Lovante comes to Nebraska mm-hmm we have a great time in the offseason right Levantay's working on the second field with like the backup the backup

the backup to the backup back up like fourth yeah fourth fourth linebacker Sean Fisher was actually the starter in the dime package. We ran a lot of one linebacker, one off the ball linebacker. I was the two dime. Sean Fisher tears his ACL from friendly fire and practice. Somebody gets blocked. I always, I want to say,

Niles Paul blocked Dejong Goves into Sean Fisher's knee. Sean tears his ACL. Wait, was I on a third dime or the fourth dime? You were the third dime, I thought. Unless it was Zoe and then they were just like, we're just going to play Levanté. But you were third or fourth on the depth chart. You were starting on the low

wind on the tunnel pole like on the other field. Levante would flash in practice, but Sean Fisher tears his ACL. I go up to starting dime. I was the starting backer in our dime package. And it is the Thursday before opening game for the season. Yeah. And we're just in like a jog through. And I plan on this stick route and break my foot.

It feels like a gun went off, a gun went off of my foot. I'm like limping around. I'm like hoping it calms down so we can either tape it. I can get back in there, whatever it is. Again, we're going to open her. So redshirt sophomore, excited, ready to go. And I broke my foot. I was out for like eight or nine weeks.

Levante, I'm up in my scooter during the first game. I forget who we're playing. Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky comes to town. Levante has 13 tackles and disintegrates one of their receivers over the middle. They catch a pass. Avanti murders the dude. Stans up throwing the bones.

Him throwing the bones. That being like your first start first. game, whatever. Well, that was basically on a card. That was your card. The me hit and receiver was that same year, but it wasn't that game. That was against North Dakota State. Those first couple games?

Yeah, it was one of those first couple of games. The first game against West of Kentucky, like I had some pretty good hits, but it wasn't that hit. Okay, okay. Yeah. I might have got those mixed up. Yeah, yeah. But Levanté goes, and he's just dominating, bro.

Like doesn't know a whole lot about the defense. Like he knows enough clearly or they want to put him in. But he's like his learning curve. Like he's like learning on the run because we do so many checks, so many tendency-oriented things. And the dude's just like unblockable, like a savage. We go out to Washington and he dominates. He's slipping through blocks.

You're able to blitz him. Coach is kind of learning like, I'm sitting with Eck on the plane ride back. And he's talking up about how good Levanti is. And in my mind, I'm like, fuck, man. Is there a chance that like I'm not even going to, to be the guy when I get back healthy. I'm doing everything I can to get healthy,

but you can't rush a broken bone. And then we play Kansas State. National game, Thursday night game. You're freaking having all these things to where when I come back and I'm healthy. I'm sitting in the linebacker room. And coach just ain't talk. Like, he's not not talking to me,

but Levanté's the focal point. And I'm just thinking like, damn, like nobody sits you down, nobody says anything. Nobody talks about the changes they're going. to happen like it's just this is a Levanté's defense this is Levantay's spot and obviously looking back Levantay's Levantay but I remember that time and like there were frustrations but it was like just because again no but you're not like communicating like all my spots gone yeah but the thing about that is bro you was upbeat towards me the whole time like you stayed

the same the whole time and like that's kind of like what I really respected like you was like man I can't wait to get out there with you man I can't wait to get out there with I remember when it first happened and I came to see you and you was crying and all that you remember in the train of I was broken, bro. Because it was like a Thursday, bro. Like a couple days before a game, you hyped up, you were signing, and then that happens. We had a hell of an off season.

Again, I didn't. I like spot started my freshman year, but I wasn't like the guy. And you're kind of motivated going to that second one. Like, this is it. Like starting in Nebraska, sophomore year. And we did. We ran a lot of one linebacker stuff.

But you opened the, you kind of opened the gates for. The two linebackers. Yeah, you could play two linebackers. Like Levante's good enough. He could play the fast. The fast cover, man-to-man. And that's one thing that I kind of like, I told you, like, that off-season, I went to talk to them. I'm like, no, I want to be the lone linebacker on the field no more.

I want to be two linebackers. And that's when they moved me to the dime backer and you with the mic. I know, but we had so many good times, man. We dive into a lot of it in the episode. But we forgot to, not like for God, but it's almost like kind of rapping a bow on your entire career. I remember when y'all used to pick on me when I used to call the stretches and used to pick on me about the. As we're going to, as we're going through the interview and everything that is STR is SK and structure, I would go up to, Boogie was his nickname in college to us.

And I would go up to Buggy, whether after practice or we're in the locker room, and he would obviously make me laugh. And I would just like put my phone up to record in my back. Yeah, see. Just do that a lot. Like, what are you doing? See, stretch. scratch

matter of fact I want to take a pause I want to see if I can find it he's do all this type of stuff just record me for no reason like bro bro so many

while he's searching for Alvante do you have any other Will stories that whether it's in the locker room at Joe at his house that are safe to tell Will was a wild guy I remember one time

the party thing he was throwing a house party at his house and like he had this big ass cooler you know like I'm like what's you doing this cooler and he got a bunch of ice and just started mixing all the alcohols and stuff and you remember that you remember that all the alcohols and the juices and stuff like that and like I don't even remember what happened that night but I know it was probably a wild night like that was my first time ever seen that you got all this alcohol just like fuck it we for the hang out tonight And I'm like, damn, Will.

It's how you hang out, man. Willie White Boy. First ever recorded voice memo. You still got that? Yeah, bro. October 28, 2010. Listen to this. See, you got to say it loud.

Stretch. Scratch. That was the voice memo. He said, man, no, no, come here. Man, we had so many. good times, bro. So many good times. A couple things we got to hit before we get into the interview. Spring tour, we're rocking. We're going to Texas Tech this week. Next week we're going to Notre Dame and Miami. There could be a couple more schools in the works right now,

but the boys are going to be hitting the road. We'll be doing interviews. We'll be basically immersing ourselves into the team's culture while we're there. Teams are already setting stuff up for us if you want a great look of what that vlog or what that content is going to be like the best example to use is Oregon last year bro we go yeah we go and uh I'm aware oh yeah I'm aware you checked it out I did we go when we sit in the meetings yeah we go and participate in the weight room like we you know we get a little fit can't hang with the young cats anymore we go we get involved in the practice field you saw my one-on-one I'm sure I think we're talking about it after yeah I'm sure you hit me up yeah like you're like you're

Your old man, talking about angles. Yeah. Yeah, look. You know the runnerback's first route on a lineback in one-on-ones. Like, you shouldn't know that. You've been in lead for a while. Like, you shouldn't know what's going to happen. The problem was I did know.

I even told the fellas before the rep started, I'm like, he's going to want to beat me in front of all the team. He's going to want to shake me and get to the inside. So I just got to sit low hip, inside, stay sturdy. Yeah. Not let my base get wide. Base got wide. Yeah.

I started reaching. You definitely reached. I think you should just let him go after he beats you. But you, when you reach and trying to hit him and like slow him up and kind of like. Because I'm still thinking maybe I can grab his hip. Maybe I can still get back in the game. Maybe I can still get back in the rep.

Yeah. Maybe I'll get mine. I'll say like that's what a 19, 20 year old kid. You 30 plus. So like I'll give you the edge on that. Like you, you try. You touched them. Yeah.

So it's pretty cool. Pretty much. I am washed. like this uh look at you you're you're washed now yeah yeah yeah you still do it just we're literally right after a season like we're out there waving the flag yeah i see you look good you always look the part i tell you that you always look like a ballpair i appreciate that man you have some good swag but keep going that right there i there there's no not much and you like what are you doing i'm looking for a flag why for what a flag on you i forget yeah p i push off

Yeah, look, I got dusting. Hips, look, look, I got my fucking muffin top. Hips were never that great, man. You're embarrassed Taylor that day. Just talking through the pain. Where else? Oh, yeah, merchandise, bwtv.com. You got a clean take?

You've heard me talk about a couple clean takes. Like, it's not. I didn't think about no clean takes. The who? Yeah, hey, or as we get into the interview, hey, Shout out Kevin's natural foods, a clean take. Yeah.

Being a homebody. Shout out Kevin's natural food, a clean take. Everybody go watch Harry Potter. I think it's going to be a good series. Clean take! Clean take! Everybody in the comments, Clean take by Levante.

Sure. And we'll shout out Form Energy and Kevin's Natural Foods for the spring tour. Form Energy, Kevin's Natural Foods. You ever had Form Energy? No. It's okay if you have it.

We'll get you on it. And as a lot of, Always for any energy energy drink in the game. I've never been that guy. You never been an energy drink guy? No. You just straight water. Straight water and go play.

I took one year, one year, I mean, I took a rare book, not a rare book, but a five-hour energy when it was popping. Yeah. And I said never again. Five-hour energy with a four loco? No, never that. But one year I took it after the first quarter I was dead rest of the game And like I was kind of terrified because I could barely breathe

I was a screaming tire and I was like I would never do this again So just dragon ass Yeah that's all like I would never take an energy drink or nothing like that again They had to run there for a second now this this is clean energy This is from green tea okay so this is some good stuff got you so you like it You like it we do have I know you're retired so look at into your future. We have an internship program that just got announced.

We're taking on two production interns, two social interns, a graphics intern. I'm sure we'll have this stuff on the screen and how you can apply. Put your, what you're looking to do, what brand in our ecosystem you're looking to work with in the subject line for the dads, busing with the boys, locker room. You got the eyes right now, Mitch. Inside the bus, inside the bus, inside the bus, inside the bus. But maybe we'll bring in a talent intern. Yeah, maybe I can do that.

It's a summer internship program. Yeah. Be here a couple months. I like my summer, so I don't know. Get to work with the best. Yeah. You can stay at my house. I just be around you.

I think that would be cool. Kind of relive the old days, me come to your house and stuff like that. Yeah. I took care of you. It was okay. It was good time. Yeah. I looked out for you.

Your spot was my getaway. Yeah. Yeah. That's got to do it. Yeah. Yeah. He's speaking facts. Yeah.

He wanted to stay focused, the Shrad Nero. Let's get around some Willie C. Unless we got the jungle juice popping. Then it was, uh, yeah. Then we would have a night. Talk ball, get ready for the season. But it was fun, bro. It was fun.

College was fun. College was a great time. I really do a thing. I wish we could have took some trips together, though, in college. Like those breaks, spring breaks and stuff like that. Bro. Memorial weekend, things like that. Yeah.

I wish we could have did that. But it kind of made us, it kind of made us operate the way we operated. Yeah. You know what I mean? Because I never did. Like, we never did the spring break trips. Like, guys would take the bus and going out of Panama City. There are some, some FOMO that I had that where I look back.

Like, I should have been a little more. I think you mentioned Nixon Ozarks before. I think so, like when they used to do the boats and stuff down there. Yeah, like you the Ozarks. Yeah, I think you did mention that before. Because I had a couple of buddies that did like bachelor buddies where I got away. Yeah. Yeah.

But none of where it was like getting some of the Nebraska boys. Let's go out to the lake for the weekend. Yeah. We would do like cookouts and stuff. We did that. Yeah. We went to X-Crip before. X-Crip.

That's like a linebacker. Yeah. That's like within the team. Right. Tim Marlow would put some together. He'd get out in them American Speedos, USA Speedos. Oh, we did do that before. That's my first time I was trying to love the links, Sasha Links.

Yeah. What are they called? Brots. Yeah. Yeah. Broughts. Yeah. Those was really, really good.

And my first time playing cornhole with the guy. That was pretty cool. Yeah, because we go out to what, was it, CJ Zimmer's house? Yeah. Was it CJ Zimmer? I can't remember. But yeah, we had some good times, man. This interview is awesome.

Fellas, anything else that we need to hit for? We dive in. This interview with Levanté is awesome. Again, it's me, Levantane, Taylor. We're ripping for about two hours. Taylor has to make a flight. Bogie and I kick it for another 30 minutes. We talk Nebraska.

We talk career. We talk snubs. We talk everything, I feel like. We dive in deep. Bucking of your fans, you're going to love it. Nebraska fans, you're going to love it. Back to Back Weeks, now, Levanti, David.

Yes, sir. How's good. Keekley, Luke Keekley, Luke Keekley, FaceTime's in. We talk about 2013 defensive player of the year. It's a good time. Make sure you're subscribed. I encourage you all to subscribe.

Go Big Red, big hugs, tiny kisses. Proud of this guy right here, man. I end up with that. I'm proud of this guy, man. Love your success you've been having. Really like, really enjoy watching you, bro. Outside of football. Your life as a dad, as a husband.

husband's pretty good a scene we dive in the fatherhood yeah uh not to shy away from your compliments I appreciate you I love you yeah I love you there's a lot of love on this pod yeah a lot of love on this bond yeah just some young jits now we're grown start off as young jits in Nebraska man you know what I'm saying oh watch the interview watch the interview shit that's good all right before we get into the interview we got a shout out one of our partners one of our sponsors sponsors Jim Beam. So you'll just you'll do this top part. You can read it from the thing, but just have a little bit of enthusiasm. And I'm looking at this camera. You can look at

which any camera you want, bro. This is this is we're all Jim Beam fans right here. Gotcha. You're up. Oh, I'm up. Listen guys, as you all know, we have entered the could be the worst time of the year. That's right. Football is over. What are we supposed to do on Sunday or Monday or Thursday? So so much time. So little football. Whoa. Whoa, whoa, easy now. Just because football is over, the hang doesn't have to stop. Because believe it or not, there's still a ton of stuff to be excited for. Basketball, hockey, tennis, baseball, and soccer.

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Let's get into the interview. You crushed it. Guys, as always, this interview is brought to us by Bud Light. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy. Bud Light is always brewed for simple ingredients for a clean, crisp taste. Anything for the clean, crisp taste of Bud Light. Bud Light is the official beer sponsor of the NFL, the NFL Draft. USC, which is now on Paramount Plus. And Bud Light partners include Peyton Manning, George Kittle, Baker, Mayfield, Emmett Smith, Shane Gillis, Post Malone, Dustin Porier,

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I need something out of here. I need you this introduction to be. That's what I'm saying. Like I was telling you before, Levanté got on the bus, like, Levanti, as far as surface-level accolades as far as those go it's not like the deepest list like if you're going to be in the woods of lavante david going to the hall of fame it's all of these details inside of statistics that you would need from which i did last time he came on which by the way you guys could all check out the episode when we had them on zoom you've been on what time is this for you coming on the bus uh total part

about four yeah yeah because he was in person though yeah in person he was we did a one-on-one We did one-on-one. I came on here with Leonard. I think Leonard was like. With Vita. That's right. That's right. I was there for that.

And then the Zoom. And so, yeah, this would be his fourth of P. Yeah. But for that particular episode that you're talking about, like there's, it's almost like, it's like getting in the gutter of what makes Levante David great. Well, people say when the casual fan goes, well, he shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. That's the stats you're going to look at and be like, yes. No, hey, let me tell me why you're dumb for even saying that. Yes.

And then you point out all the stats why he should be in the Hall of Fame. Yes. That being said, let's pretend like he wasn't sitting here just talking a second ago. Please introduce our guest. So the guests that we were having on is a very special guest. Future, there will be a group, a circle that will be pushing Levanti David to the Hall of Fame. He played at Miami Northwestern at a high school, predominant, an alpha dog in high school football, one of nine, 13 guys that got scholarships to the University of Miami, not Lavante David.

Levante David went to Juco route, went to Fort Scott in Kansas for a couple of years, played Cam Newton in the National Championship was one of the best recruits coming out of Juko, got offered, picked up by the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Jules played there a couple years. Number two on the all-time leading list and tackles right behind Barrett Root, who played four years at Nebraska. Levante would have smoked it had he played four years. No disrespect to Barrett, he is the king.

But kind of disrespect to Barretted. Draft in the second round of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when everybody thought could this guy, Levanti, he always wanted to play 10 years in the NFL. Now, 14 years later, one of the most respected defense. of the history of the NFL, the most underrated defensive player that will ever play in the NFL. Everybody give it up for Levante Davis.

I know this podcast has been for a minute. We've had this kind of dialed in, like, is he retired? If he does, he'll come on then. But for this to get kind of done the last like 72 hours and you get a flight to come up, for you to come up with that, no notes, no nothing.

Incredible. Wait till I have the notes. You know last time when I was ripping through all that, when there was one category where it was like, what was it, tackles, interceptions, tackles for loss, three players ever,

Ray Lewis, Brian Erlacker, and Levanté David. Right. Like you get into the weeds. It's, uh, yeah,

people are going to be battling for Levanti David come five years from now. That's an amazing intro, man. I got to give you a lot of credit, a lot of props on that. That was great.

I appreciate you, bro. Do you, let me ask you, do you, um, how proud of yourself are you, before I start talking about how proud

everybody else is? I don't, I, You don't mean with, I don't indulging that stuff. I don't, I don't really think about, I'm not a, I'm not that much into myself as far as, like, the accolades and what I've done, you know, when I'm in it. But now that I'm actually out of it, I can kind of like sit back and kind of like see and, you know, really like understand what I've done because it's getting thrown at me all damn day, all the damn time. So now it's like I could just sit back and like basking what I actually done. And it's pretty fucking cool, bro.

It's pretty cool. like I can really sit back and say the years that I played in this league I was pretty dominant when I played the game so definitely like pat myself on the bat for that dog like legitimately I was thinking about it last week when I'm just seeing the timeline of everybody you know you have your press conference you're seeing any writer anybody that's known you come out and have this write up on like the man you are the teammate you are or a teammate you were like how you played the game all that stuff that you just alluded to to how dominant you are the field. And I'm like sit back and I remember I'm driving home last week and I'm just smiling

thinking like, bro, you did it. Yeah. Like for real did it. Like we're all fired up. Like we all played out our dream. Right, right, right. But you sitting there, it's like when I was a teammate with you for those couple years at Nebraska and knowing like we talked about the NFL. Yeah. I remember asking you like how long with me, you, Zawaley, Sean Fisher, shout out the boys. We're talking about how long we want to play if we got to play in the NFL. You say in 10 years and you're saying it with like this this confidence but no ego just like this innocence about you of like oh i'd love to play like 10 years in the NFL and i know like us and eck and ls and people just being like oh this dude could do it yeah it just depends on opportunity situation because you were like an undersized cat for sure and then

you get drafted in the second round and knowing you've played 14 fucking years bro at the highest level yeah and everybody responding the way they are about you it's like you're just sitting back knowing and like we got to, we were in the circle, like we were in those trenches together in college, being like, man, he really was Levante the whole time. Like, we'd always joke about you. I'll call you like, you know, Ed Reed, you never cared about all the public perception anything.

You just wanted to play football. That's it. You'd have the nappy hair. You'd have everything that just said, like, this dude's just all about ball. Yeah. And to know that you played 14 years, seeing the way everybody speaks about you,

like, dude, I'm so proud of you. Everybody's so proud of you. Husker fans, Tampa Bay fucking loves you. Like, bro, you're going to have a statue, I'm sure, at some point. You know what I mean? Like, you're cemented in football eternity at Fort Scott, at Miami Northwestern, at Nebraska, at Tampa Bay. Whether or not it happens, like, everybody's going to be arguing for you about the Hall of Fame.

But, bro, you did it. And everybody's so proud of you. And you got emotional talking about your parents. And I was telling Taylor, when I was just like, I'm just so fired up for Levante. I was like, dog, I just remember his dad. Like we were in the hall and I want to say your portrait went up for the all Americans. Your sister, your like everybody was there. Your nephew that you loved that you were all about that you protected or looked out for.

Your dad was there. And I just remember talking to your dad about, I was talking about the things that you were really good at. Stuff that like I'm like, these are the areas where I need to prove whether it's tackling in space, cover one-on-ones. Like you could do it all. And your dad would just say like, you know, he like pulled me aside. He's like, it's all angles. Like we'd be in the back yard.

we'd be working angles. Like it's just, you know, it's a math problem out there. You're just working on an angle to get there. I'm sitting there thinking like, just smiling because it's like, yeah, yeah, I'm with you. Like the angle shit is still hard to, still hard to do. But you can just tell he was just so proud of you. And dog, I'm just fired up for you, man. Appreciate you, man.

Yeah, that was my guy and my dad. He's talking about my dad, man. He, one kind of got me starting a football after, you know, just watching my cousins play and things like that. And that's really true. Like, really, really, like every time I'll miss a tackle, he'll come down. Angle, take the proper angle. you're not taking the proper angles and it stuck it stuck like that's how like every time I'm in like

playing football like if I'm in space and stuff like that I really do think about my angles let me ask you this dude we we uh all of us being in the space of football and kind of like any time you have an accomplishment individually as a team it's like a 24-hour role where you're like you sit there and you're like hey that was awesome look what we did look what iacom whatever it was and then as athletes you're just like okay how do i like either replicate that or do better that and now you get to the end of the tunnel you're sitting there you're doing your press conference yeah you get emotional over your daughter which I think anybody with a daughter sits there and watches you and clearly gets emotional

as well just watching the clip right you leave that's been like a week yeah what is the first thing that came into your head of like hey it's pretty dope that this happened yeah because there's you like all the things that will's talking about your guys's relationship being in the trenches Tampa Bay being cemented in all these other spots like what was one of those first things that hit you like I'm retired and it's so that if I didn't do this or if I didn't accomplish it, maybe it wouldn't have gone the way I want

or just like some sort of reflection that, hey, this is like the first time I'm kind of staring at like, this is awesome. Like, yo, I am him. You know, I am not only I am him, but like, dude, it's like there's tall people, there's athletic people, there's strong people. It's like, everyone's got,

there's white people. Yeah, exactly. Like, everyone has like certain attributes that can get them to the place that we've all been able to, like, be grateful enough to get to. Right. But very rarely is it, you know, getting there,

sustaining your career, and then having the career that you did. Yeah. And so, yeah, dude, like, you fucking, you did it. And so, like, what was, like, one of those first things you sit back after the press conference? You're like, I can't believe I did this shit. Oh, man, bro. I could take you back to Juko, to be honest.

Like, after everything ended, like, I test my Juko coach. I told him, like, you know, I don't have a great relationship with my Juko coach. You know the stories about me and Juko and stuff like that. And, you know, I just, you know, I just. kind of sit back and think like damn like i went through a lot in juco and it's been times where i quit when i was in juco and because of the stuff that we was going through but like as it all unfold and everything plays out the stuff that i went through in juco i feel like cold hardly got me to warm that right now today just because like the the discipline the drive the determination and just

hearing my coach all the time cursing me out and stuff like that i think that's what really drove me to like it was in a sense it's like trying to prove to him that no I'm a I'm a I'm a bad motherfucker on the field and stuff like that and then like just like the story like when when we had done we did a conditioner test and I'm on the ground crawling he called me all type of names calling me soft and this and that and at the time you know I'm pissed about it obviously but like that right that really like drove me to like literally like just be the best every time I'm out there on the field because this one dude called me a soft MF and I like, and it's like that kind of like stepped me the whole way.

But in the day, like I really appreciate him for like, man, coach Jeff Sims and like he was on the last chance you, if you guys watch it, he's one of those hard, tough coaches. And like, I told him, man, like great, I really appreciate you, man. You, you got something out of me that I never thought I had in me in a sense because like playing at Miami in our Western, you know, we was always praised.

We was always hyped up and stuff like that. Never really got yelled at it. as a player and stuff like that because I was always, you know, a good, I guess, I would say. But that moment right there kind of like told me like, oh, no, like, no, this is something. Like you got to, you got to pick your, pick your shit up and like, go, bro. Like, you got nothing else is just to prove this coach wrong. In a sense, I don't want to say that, but in a sense it was like that. Of all the things.

Yeah. We've all got situations where it's like one guy said one thing. Yeah. And it might have just been another day to him, but like that was the one thing that's like, Oh, I'm gonna, the 10 years from now, he's gonna realize how dumb he sounded from that moment right there. But it was off coming from like a good place. You know, if you know, if you get a chance to know him, like he does that to all, like almost all his plans. But I just took it personal just because like I guess I wanted to take it personal.

Like I didn't want to be there in the first place. Like I was jealous obviously because all my boys went to bid schools. I felt like I was good enough to go to a bit school. And I'm here stuck out of Juco. And, you know, like just being there and just going through that is just kind of like drawing me to a different. level of all the things that it's like what was like a reflective moment after you're retiring everything else like all the things you accomplish and what goes into Levanti's head is I prove that motherfucker yeah which I feel like it's like one of the best mentalities you can have

but the thing is like bro he's one of my biggest fans you know what I'm saying like he's one of my biggest fans like I got a lot of respect for Jim Sims man he's uh uh definitely a respectable guy and like I was one of the leaders on that team it's like he just drove me out of my comfort zone And me being an 18-year-old, a kid, I didn't, you know, my first time out of Miami, like I didn't, you know, I was one of the, you know, the best players on the team, like, and it's just like, he just drove me to a different level.

And I, that just stuck with me throughout, you know what I'm saying? Obviously, as I got older, I went through college and stuff like that. I learned different things, but that kind of was like one of the most driving forces that wanted me to, like, get out there and be able to make it. What was some of the shit that you were going through in Juko? Because I get it. Like, he woke up something in you,

that you kind of took personal. There are a multitude of ways of like coaching and getting the most of the guys without just being a straight up asshole. But like what were some of the stuff or the shit that you was going through in Juko? Are you in the, you know, BK went there, Yoshe went there?

Yeah. Stanley. Stanley? Just bro, like the fool, the fool wasn't good. Like we barely ate, you know. The town was small. You know, it's probably like three, four, maybe four restaurants and things like that. And then just the main thing was just like the whole rule, the main rule in Juko is like at the time, you can only have 12 out of state players on the roster.

And I didn't know this. And they bring in like 50 plus players from out of state. So I got to compete in battle with all these guys and then like some odd training and stuff like that. It used to be like a little rodeo arena in there. So sometimes he's going there and have to wrestle guys in your position group and things. like that and yeah yeah you had to wrestle guys ain't they're malnourished and just open the gates and two guys in like once everyone comes out it's got a spot the team yeah man it was brutal man we didn't eat very much food just had us like in

this room we had to wrestle it was it was brutal bro it's a it's a bunch of stories man but uh it is definitely what's the craziest bro the craziest now that you're out of it like are we talking you got me thinking it's like a dark night where you He breaks a stick. He's like, all right, one of you guys are going to walk out of this room. He had a Joker. I remember one time

we in spring and we were doing conditioning in spring and we had to run five miles like we just thinking as regular conditioning, right? The whole team running. And we had to run five miles to like this little lake or whatever.

And, you know, we get to the lake and we're like, okay, we hear and we think everybody's just going to, you know, get a ride back or we're going to find our way back. And we get there. He gave a little speech. And it was like, okay, now here we go.

I'm going to point out each guy. You got to battle a certain guy. You got to wrestle a certain guy. And that guy gets a ride back. So I was like, what the fuck? You got five miles? Yeah, he ran five miles. Yeah.

Everybody gets there. He gives a speech. Yeah. All right, now we're going to go one on one. One on one. And whoever wins, get a ride back on the truck. No shit. Yes.

Yes, bro. You know, there's one kid in that team that was like, oh, stay wrestling. He was like, I'm getting this fucking ride back. Yeah. It is. It is. And I remember this guy.

His last name was Sanchez. He played safety for us. And he was a wrestler. And you could tell, like, he was ready for it. And he played Sadden. And he ended up winning. And he ended up getting that ride back. And did I win in my group?

Did I win? I don't know. And it was kind of weird because, like, you're going against dudes who are like, you're really like you're tight with your home boys. You know he didn't win. You know he'd tell him this story if he would have won. He would have. Yeah.

I got that ride back. Yeah. Exactly. I believe I did win. I mean, I hit up Co-Sillings' accent, but I think I did win, bro. It's just so much stuff. What happened are the guys who didn't win?

They had to walk back. You had to walk back. We'll meet you back at the facility. You remember that walk? Yeah, bro. I'm just thinking about some of these, the stories that you'd hear in Juko. Stuff that people are like, you know,

that stuff like that's found out in real time right now. Like that's so viral over the internet. Oh, sure. But even like last chance you, You'd watch that and be like, Jesus Christ. Yeah, man. Like somebody had their phone out when, when coach was giving the speech

when they're at the lake. We just ran five miles on this with this motherfucker. Right, exactly. Someone's on live. Yeah, exactly. That would be absolutely nuts. Was that when you first got there? This is my second year there.

Second year there. That spring. That spring. So you kind of understood what the expectation was at that point. You knew what these coaches were going to do. Yeah, I kind of like had a good freshman year and I became like emerged as a leader or whatever. And then like from that point on,

it's like all eyes on me like what I'm doing what Vante doing and stuff like that so it's like I was expected to win like I was expected to do certain things and you know Co-Saint's pushed me that way so I got a lot respect for that man how do you feel when a coach and a team has an expectation on you because clearly playing 14 was 14 15 years 14 years in the league got 15 what the nice yeah it's kind of what I'm out of yeah tied with their Brooks for all-time tackles like they're ties just go get one more game in um but what when you're young and whatever happens in high school that makes you have to go to the juco route and you're kind of being thrusted into a position because you came from a high school

that had a lot of great players or it's like this is the guy everyone needs to watch the expectation is on him the coaches expect it and the players are now there's players that are watching you and admiring you but there's also players that are watching me like man fuck lavanti i am just as good as him because there's always that like you know the the the thief of joy is comparison comparison thief of joy and so like when you're going through that which essentially is like the first time. What is it like for you going into your second year with all those expectations on you? Was that level of anxiety or you're like ready to answer the bell? You knew this was like, I just need to get through this period of my life so I can get to essentially in Nebraska.

Honestly, bro, I needed to get through it. So it was like one of those like I need to do whatever it takes to get through it. Like I remember when because because the success I had my freshman year, I knew it's going to be a lot of like knowing Co. Sims and the staff that he put together, I knew it's going to be a lot on me. So I remember like going through. that summer, that first summer, and I was crawling, you know, balling my eyes out, couldn't finish the condition test. Like, the first thing I did as soon as I got home, during the break, was just ran. It was a block. I stayed on the other street, so I ran a block like five miles every day. Like, I ran not five miles, but I ran around the block maybe like four times every day. And, you know,

my home was going to test this. Like, I was running just so I wouldn't go through that no more. And, you know, when I got back that summer to do the same test, like, it was kind of like, Sims looking at me like, okay, let's see what he got now. Let's see he went home and did what he's supposed to do to, you know, kind of like, kick this test ass. And, bro, I did exactly that I was coming here first on everyone. I was, you know, killing it. And like, mind you, as a freshman, you couldn't drink water while you're doing tests.

So this time I was able to get my, so this time I was able to get my water bottle to be able to, you know, kill a test. And like, like, from that point on, he kind of, like, knew that I was, like, really dedicated and focused. So he kind of, like, put that leader role on me. And like I feel like I handled it well because just because like I wanted to get I wanted to get in and get out of it. I didn't want to, you know, hear his nagging, hear his bugging, you know, just be a great leader. Like make sure everybody's doing what it's supposed to do to be able to just, you know, get the fuck on from this, man.

Yeah, it's like almost at that point. Like I got to do, I got to do what I'm expected to do so I don't have to hear any noise from anybody. Yeah, exactly. At that point, which essentially is just breeding you into a better leader. Exactly. Exactly. Probably feels like you're just in prison. You're just like I got to get the fucking out.

Sounds like he's in fucking prison. All right. here we go fellas. We're in a fight. You're over a way and you get to ride home. Really? He's like, he's in holes. Yeah, yeah.

Hey, we got our condition test freshman. If you're a freshman, you get no water. Yeah. Like, giving everybody the hands up before. Just to go to Nebraska and what? You failed the beep test, right? Shut the hell up. But yeah, I did feel the beat test.

Hey, that's crazy. Yeah. Failed a beat test? Failed a beat test, bro. It's so funny, too, like the brain firing on this episode right now. We talked about this on the when we were on Zoom last time. Yeah, yeah.

Oh no, but we didn't talk to in this much depth. Because I'm just trying to really like, I'm just trying to reflect. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just reflect and have fun. The beat, like, because I failed that shit too. Did you really? Yeah.

I didn't know you said that on the Zoom. Yeah. We walked through what the beat test was. I didn't know what to expect than the beat. I just thought like, beep, just go take off. I didn't know the strategy behind it. Like, once I'm doing it, like, I'm looking back at guys. I'm like, why don't they job?

jogging like I gotta you know get coming from juco what I went through I'm like I got to kill this but that's not the perfect that's not the great strategy when you run in the beat test you got to start off slow have a good pace and you know I kind of like overthought it and you know next day I had to do it again and shit I killed it that time so I was good that anxiety though when you don't do well on a test and you have to do it again yeah or when you do a test the first time you know it was just it was a motherfucker and when we would do 300 tests at Michigan yeah like I knew I would pass the test but the we're doing the test like that morning you're like 60 your stomach 300 300 yard shuttles with rich Rodriguez we would do 25 and back which kills your legs bro you do two of those so

then when we had um because that was mike borrow us and then it was Aaron wellman and we would have the test but it'll be 60 and back yeah so it'd be down back down back down that's always it in my head I was like down back down back down that last three is easy because you say it faster yeah and that's like how the like my brain would like process it like down back that's the hardest part that by down it's way faster. But like the it would be like they would give you a longer break like a two and a half minute rest and you would think to yourself like oh I'm my lungs

feel great but that lad that second 300 your leg is because of the break your legs are just dying or dudes are falling out and then I had this I mean it clearly was ego but like I am not going to let these guys know that like my legs hurt and I would walk over to guys are going what the fuck are you doing like you stand up

like all the things but in my brain I would do anything to lay down right now. I remember I did that one time my boys had it in the league they had it for their condition testing lead and I just did it with them just to do it and they was doing 50 in back and I'm like bro this is shot got bro this is crazy yeah some of the conditioning tests out there a while like we would have it either be three 300s or six 150s on the shuttles yeah and like this would just be in the part of our workout program and then you know you know when you have like the four hour window in OTAs yeah when you're in kind

of phase one right but we would do all of our stuff on the field we do our field work then do conditioning and where let's just say it was the six one 50s you do six one 50s with 25-yard back increments. You're using the NFL? Yeah. Are you in Washington? Bro, our first strength coach was a psychopath. Yeah.

And then they called it, they coined it, they made this up. Like, now that I've talked with like all the boys back in Washington, like, this was made up, but they called it Russian volume training to where, say we do all of our on-field workouts, we do our conditioning of like the 6-150s would be the conditioning or three, 300-yard shuttles. And then, you know how you have that window of like 20 to 30 minutes to go back in the locker room, pound a shake, do whatever, and then you're in the weight room to do weight room stuff.

And then right after that, we'd have like a Russian volume training day to where you're squatting, and it'd be like 12, 10, sets of 12, 10, 8, then you go back up to 10, down to 8, down to 6. Six sets of squats, like volume training. Yeah. And where you're not like,

when we came from Nebraska, like Dobson, you had everything kind of mapped out, like what you one RM was. Dobson's a hell of a coach. Everything mapped out to where there's a sign, There's a goal for everything that you're doing with when I was in Washington my first year There was no there was no none of that you basically just get on the rack that has 315 or work out on the rack that has 225 And then you know a few of the boys would add whatever you want to add so you're just in there fucking dying bro

Yeah first year I got like tendonitis in both knees at Achilles tenonitis later in the year I bet Like we would and on practice squad we'd have Saturdays where you go in early in the morning yeah early in the morning bro and And we'd be having to push heavy-ass sleds, carrying stuff over our head, like row the boat type shit. It was brutal. Our conditioning test for that particular strength coach, I won't out his name. But you can look it up. Our conditioning test was like 10 to 12 full gasser's. And in between each gasser, you'd have a minute rest.

But 45 seconds of the minute rest, you'd have to plank. So you run the gasser and then you get on the sideline, you get down on a plank position for 45. five seconds then he lets you know when it's 15 seconds up you stand up and get ready to run a gasser again I'd be in Missouri with my brother Wyatt why it would be timing me because I was so stressed about this fucking condition test I'm thinking this is it you don't I mean you guys know you don't make the condition test like they'll weed you out right for sure especially in college when you first you to college like that winter conditioning yeah it's just hey all the new introductory guys that came in for winter like the freshman they're going to find out who really

wants it and you're happy to just be a stray that's taking place as well like a junior like what the fuck is happening? Or there'd be like 3.50, there'd be all these plates on the prowler. And we get in and this is a Saturday morning one for the P Squad guys. You start in the end zone. You go all the way down the goal line,

like the hash line of the all the way from one side line to the other and you'd do a snake. So every five yards you had to like take a plate off and you're pushing the prowler all the way until you get to the 50 yard line. And then you like lighten something. I would do something to where you come back.

And it was... This is the league? That's just crazy. Saturday morning was called 14 different ways to pass out. And it'd be stuff with the belt on you to where you're doing the little weight behind you where you're running or you're back pedaling or you're lunging with a 135 pound bar.

Yeah, this is, pushing the prowler. That's the rest of my juke-old is. Like you get the 135 pound bar after you like, you did lunges all the way 50 yards. Yeah. Then you sit on the ground, you have a little bit of rest, but then you have to situate yourself to do floor press and we're on the astroturf.

But get it up on you, you're doing floor press for an amount, 14 different ways to pass out. Was that harder than Nebraska? Yes. Because to me there was no- Like legit like I remember that in college. Like those insane over the top like at Michigan we would do winter like during our winter

conditioning when we just came back from winter break or the bowl game or whatever. We'd have the five a.m.s and you'd walk outside and the anxiety of the whole team would take place because there'd be cones and they had like stations. Yeah. And there'd be cones in one area and you don't know exactly like you see a bunch of cones. You don't know exactly what you're doing. Then there'd be mats with just a towel and tape around it and another mat with tires. And you would literally go and they're like,

you and I would lay next to each other and we would both hold the towel and it's like they're gonna blow the whistle and whoever comes up with the towel is the winner. Yeah, yeah. I remember that shit. I remember being a freshman. And like we were on our, we were on the side

and there was like a registered junior, like I was a man. All right, I'm like, I'm 18 years old, fresh 18, this kid's 21, 22, he can legally drink, he can, serve our country, he can do all the things. And we go on the mat, he comes up, he like picks me up and elbows me in the temple and I woke

up later. And then Turner's like, yeah, you were knocked out. Multiple guys. Was this on purpose? I don't know. I really don't know. But I do know that, like, that winter conditioning was, you just be dead after it. Bro, what's your knockout? Knockout number?

Three, four, four. I've always said that. I personally, I feel, I feel like, because with Dobson, yeah, like we'd have, whether it's called County Fair, GPP, like, there'd be those days, we're sure.

Yeah. But I feel like in the NFL, the like science and structure behind it was there was no real science behind it versus just like killing the guys. Like in college, I feel like there is a method to that madness with having those hard days, especially in the winter time. Because we wouldn't condition with Dobson

throughout winter training. Did we start conditioning? With the coaches and stuff, right? Yeah, yeah, we do like drills, like football drills with the coach. But as far as like quarters, all the conditioning stuff, that was mainly the summertime where you'd ramp up. There would always be, again, there would always be a goal to something.

Whereas when I'm experiencing this for my first year in the NFL, I'm like, yo, this is different shit, bro. Right. Trying to scare you out of it. I'm my routine. And I'm thinking, yo, this is stupid. You know what I mean? No, I'm with you.

Like, as somebody who goes through a program, like you have somewhere with all, like, okay, you're going to get, you go from college to the NFL, we're going to get even better trainers. We're going to get even better strength and conditioning program. Then you find out fairly quickly, like, you know, you find out fairly quickly, like, It ain't like that at all. No, not all string coaches are created equal. Yeah.

Yeah. What was anybody, a rookie year? Yeah, my rookie year was in a sense, like, we had a new head coach coming in. It was like, we kind of like, our rookie class was kind of like test dummies in a sense. Oh, you had Chiano that year. Yeah, yeah. So, like, our rookie class was kind of like a test dummy in a sense. So it was like, essentially like it just felt like I went from college and like

continuing my college career when we came in. And like the things that we did, like this one, I first ran 300 yard shuttle, everybody failed, which it was crazy. And then I remember we had to do gashes. It did gassers. And then at the end, we had to get a 45-pound plate and push them like push them across the field. Like side line and side-line.

Yeah, plate pushing and stuff like that. And then it was in that same little area we had to do lunges across. Like we push it to the hash. Then we get the barbell and we got to do lunges across to the other hash. And bro, like when I say brutal, like those stuff was brutal.

But it's like, I'm coming. straight out so it felt like okay this was what the league was supposed to be you know what I'm saying like I always say part of like my until until BA got there until be a got to the books I would say like that's the first time I really felt like it was a NFL vibe you know I mean like from what I hear you saying when BA came that with BA you felt like it was a real NFL vibe yeah like that's in the sense like when I all the stories used to hear about how I used to be like how practice used to be and how things used to be and stuff like that's when I felt like when people was telling me those stories I was like, oh, this is how it's supposed to be.

You know what I'm saying? And I remember, like, people used to come to our team. They were like, bro, I hope you go to somewhere else, but you'll get a chance to feel like how it is to be in an NFL football, a football, and stuff like that. And then I essentially got that feeling when BA came. Yeah. Isn't that crazy?

Some people tell me that the Titan suit, my first few years were like, man, if you just go somewhere else, I'm telling you, it's the real NFL. Right, right, right. This is the NFL. Because the experiences you guys hit your rookie year, right. I'm going to my rookie year so stressed out about, by rookie minicamp and all that stuff. And then we get to him like,

this is the easiest thing ever. Like we would do conditioning. And like during OTA is like that Thursday, Steve Waterson, we played like ultimate football. Where we like, we would draft teams. And then we were just like, yeah, we'd have a blast. You'd be like obviously tired after like,

you got conditioning. Right. But I was like, the NFL kind of fucks. And then you go two and 14, you're like, maybe we should do something different. Maybe we should lift more. Maybe we weren't doing the wrong shit. Because yeah, everyone's like,

I remember being like my rookie year in the media, be like, How do you think this team's gonna be this year? I'm like, I think we're gonna be great. And I literally have no idea, but looking back, like we were gonna suck always. We never had a chance with a team at all. So you had a 214 season?

Two and 14, my first year, three and 13, my second year. And I called the tackle before me, Michael Ruse and I was like, dude, how did you do this for 10 years? Yeah. This is miserable. I wanna be done now. It gets better, you just gotta win. Yeah.

Then next year we went nine and seven. And I was like, I thought I won the Super Bowl. I was like, the fucking NFL is the best. So that's why I really started to enjoy it. Yeah. But when I'm listening to you talk about like lifting and coaches and like programs, uranized brain are similar. Like the coach is gonna tell you what to do and you're not,

you're just gonna go do those things. Yeah, just gonna do it. This dude's brain over here is like, what is the method? Right? That's the process in which, why am I isolating the glutes here? Yeah, that's what I'm doing, uh, because Dobson, obviously I train with him for a couple years, right? Dobson was out Vandy.

He was at Vandy. Yeah. And they're like, Rex was into the French eccentric work and Will would essentially break down the things for me and I'm thinking to myself like you just put the weight on the bar like what do we got to do we're doing GPP today it sounds like I'm gonna die today I'm gonna earn a burger after this because I was like about like I was always in the camp of if you just die in the off season you'll be fine then see you'll be fine yeah so all the methods

and we got to ramp you up like do just kill me so I'm gonna be born again yeah that's what I want every single year yeah yeah because we do the GPP yeah and I think my biggest claim to fame was beating Dobson's ass in GPP one day because we would do the GPP which I fucking I always argued against it. Will Lokey would always try to find a way to get out of there. And I'm like, bro, or this is it. I'm like my name, my niece, though.

Yeah, like, fucking, you know. I had one year of GPP. So only had one spring in Nebraska, so I only did it one time. So yeah, that was good thing. But we were doing the GPP, Doppson's GPP, not like the team, not like when Dopp would have the guys out doing GPP.

Yeah, because that's quarters, right? You do quarters, but they also had the one where it was like, I forget, general, general physical preparation is the GPP, but he had something. when you'd sprint but then there'd also be a prowler station there'd also be a polling station that was my thought because we did that with Vandy one day because there was that one like kid that was mouthing off yeah yeah yeah you were running next to him yeah but

they were like quarters yeah yeah there's also quarters involved but that's what I thought striders you do 20 yard get outs like you do all this where we did it with the team but we would also do GPP with Dauce and like Doppso would just come up with whatever his workout is that take him like an hour yeah so I'd never want to do anything over like 25 minutes Like, that's just way too long. That's the thing. You know, when like, when the sprint coaches throw stuff at you and you're like, damn, they just throwing stuff out, but just throw stuff at us.

But Dobby, they actually used to do it themselves before they actually had us do it. So that's what I really like, is respecting about those guys. So like, so my mom, like, shit, if they did it, you know, I know I can do it. Right. And stuff like that's all about, yeah, because it's all the football, it's all like ego posturing. Yeah. There is that level of it that takes place. There's a great question for sure.

For listeners that don't know what GPP is, what is GPP is GDPP? GPP is general physical preparation. It's foundational training designed to improve overall work capacity, strength, endurance, flexibility, preparing the body for more intense specific training. That's exactly what I felt. Yeah. Man, there was one coach that I know did when you said that they would trial run the GPP. There was one coach.

I forget who it was. But remember he was puking and shitting at the same time in the bathroom? They was all laughing about it. They was just, they was dying over the fact that. I'm drawing a blank on who it was. But apparently he was in the stall afterwards puking and shitting at the same time from how brutal it was.

The coach? Yeah. Not Dobson, he was on a staff. No, Dobson would never. Yeah, Dawson would never. Dodson would never. Dobson just got the bucket head on and he'll just go cooked all the time.

I know Rex used to kill it. Dobby used to kill it. Because it was one time we walked out that early and saw him doing it. Yeah. Because we were trying to get a look at the way. Yeah, yeah. I remember that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I don't know exactly who it was, though. Yeah, fuck. That's going to drive me crazy. What was it Wade? Wade never did it. Wade never did it. Because you had Wade in Tampa.

Yeah. Wade never did. Okay, okay. What was it like with Shiano that first? Now, no, you went through how many head coaches? Five? Six head coaches. Seano, Lovey, Dirk.

Five. Shiano, Lovie, and Dirk. Like, what do you think about when you look back at those ten years with them? Respectable guys, I would say, for sure. Um, Shiano, I learned, I learned a lot of football with Shiano. I'll tell you that. Shiano was one of those detail-oriented coaches. And like, you know, and I had to be on point just because, like, coming in as a rookie,

I didn't find out I had to, the green dot I was going to be the Mike, when the green dot until the Saturday before our first game. So, you know, obviously I had to be very detailed and stuff like that. I really had to understand things like that. So I learned a lot of football with Shiano. know and you know I remember like every time teams to come out in certain formations and stuff like that we used to check to certain things to you know stop that's how I kind of like understood like personnel and stuff like that that's what I really tried to start to understand that and then you know

getting lovey going from shion to lovey you know lovey was a as a as far as a coach you know pretty like standard your standard coach but like his defense you know what he ran was just you know basically cover two all the time and things like that and it was more so like player led type thing whereas shiano was more so like his way of the highway type thing and then lovey was kind of in the sense the same way but you had just certain leads to kind of like control the team and things like that uh but um as far as personalities though those shoes was just night and day you know uh uh levy didn't curse levy was you know uh uh uh uh uh you know more so chill level-headed guy where shianno He's, you know, fiery and things like that.

And then going from two defensive coaches to an officer coach with Dirk, you know, Dirk, we had a great relationship. He was good. But he was more, you know, offensive, you know, oriented, you know. So I can't, I didn't really have that day-to-day thing with him as much. But and then going from those three guys and then going to B.A. It was like, damn. Like, you know, B.A. was just a dudes, a guy's guy.

What do you feel like BA was so good at the other ones? Not that they weren't good at it, but what do you feel like BA brought that you hadn't seen from the other ones? Tom? I think I would say with BA, it was like, it was more so like a players coach. You know what I'm saying? Like his first meet was like, this is your team.

You know, this is you guys' team. Everything that, you know, the success that we have is going to be based on you guys. Whereas the other guys is just like more so like, nah, it's going to do it my way. you this how we're going to win. But VA was like, it was just more so like, you know, this is your team, you know, whatever opinions you got, whatever ideas you got, run it by me and we could, you know, make it work.

And, you know, that's when I said, it felt like I was in the NFL. It was like, B.A. had an open door policy, whatever you want to talk about. You talk about it. Like, if the players have a problem with some, we have a little, you know, a little powwow and talk about it and, you know, get everything changed. And, you know, that's why, you know, felt the most from BA, man. And he was like a real like, you know, role model in a sense. You know what I'm saying?

Like he was a guy who you could go to for advice about anything, you know what I'm saying? He had all that football knowledge. He coached for like so many years. And, you know, he played in the Super Bowl. He not played, but he coached in the Super Bowl and things like that. He won a coach of the year when he was at the coach that one time. So, you know, he just had a lot of football knowledge. He just was like very open, man.

It was just something that I wasn't used to, you know, being there for those first, you know, eight years. and he was just more so like a really like a player's culture. That's what I really like he kind of reminded me of, you know, Bo in a sense. You know, you know how like Bo was like open with us and, you know, kind of get our ideas and things like that and, you know,

always joking around us and things like that. But when it came to football, he held you to a certain standard. And that's what I really respect about him. Can you guys both explain to me a little bit more about Bo Polini? Because I hear, I mean, clearly I have the Nebraska sicker that sits to my right every single week. But like you hear the stories about,

and I'm hearing players coach but I also hear him about fuck the refs he's he's done like there's a lot of stuff that happen with a fan base and all these things but you guys love them yeah so explain Bo Polini to me in a nutshell you know what don't nutshell there's a long-form podcast do whatever you want I mean Bo obviously what people see he had a screw loose like Dan Hurley that clip's going around him kind of just getting like going head to head yeah yeah like out when I see that clip I'm like oh that's he's got some Polini you know Bo just had that fire but I think with coach Bo, you just knew that he fucking cared a lot.

Like you know what I mean? He never cared about the politics game. He never cared. Now it's like when I look back on Bo as a head coach at Nebraska, some things that he didn't do well that you kind of need to do as a head coach is when you're like connecting with the fan base, connecting with boosters, going to all the dinners, like doing the kind of like a political game you kind of have to play. Dude was truly just ball.

Yeah, Bo just love fucking ball and you knew he'd die for you. Yeah. And everybody kind of felt that, even though he was hard on us. Like he held this, the standard was always a standard. Right. But the dude was just always about process. He was about going to class. He was a, you're going to have your shirt tucked there.

You're going to do all these little things. But there's a, he would always explain why he's doing it. Right, right, right. To where you always just kind of knew that, like looking back on all the head coaches I have, like having him as our, as our college football coach. Yeah. You just felt like he went about shit the right way. You kind of look back and you're like, damn, there was a, he always had like a method

and a standard laid out for everything. So when he was losing his mind or he was doing all this stuff, like yeah, he kind of black out during games and go off on you. But you always knew that it was coming from the right place. Yeah. That's hilarious. And it's like, this right here, he defended,

it's like I look at it, like he defending us. You know what I'm saying? Like he's cursing people out and stuff like that, but it's on our behalf, like, you know, take an eye side, take you, have an eye back and things like that. And like it showed, you know what I'm saying? Even like outside of football, you know,

the way he used to holler at you, talk to you, said what was up with you, You know, you know, actually about your family and things like that. So, like, most coaches, you know, when you come in, they be like, okay, you're like, that's it. Like, you don't really hear from him and hear from them and stuff like that. But, but Bo, man, it was, it was bigger than that. You know, I got a lot of respect for Bo. It was like Coach Barr, I remember one time because he'd lose his shit over people missing class.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And he called people out, they stand up. He kind of embarrassed him. But I remember, like, going into the facility one day and I was, like, walking next to him, you know, he had kind of that fear or that anxiety. I feel like every head coach should have. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I kind of mess with him like,

why you always get so worked up over class? And I'm kind of laughing, but he kind of joked, but he stopped. And he, like, turned around and had a conversation with me. And he was just like, look, man, you don't just show up on Saturdays. Like, you're either a all the time person or you're a none of the time person. There is no sometimes.

Like, if I have to hold your hand to go to class, when I'm here, we're here to coach and win football games. He's like, it's never about the result. It's not about it. He's like, wins and loss, do we want? Yes, we want them. But in my brain, if you go about the process the right way, the wind column and everything else will take care of itself

if you focus and dive into the little things. And so to me, if I feel like I have to babysit you guys to go to class, like, I'm doing a disservice for everybody that's in the room. And he was like, when I know that everybody's going to class and doing the right thing, I know that we're going to get the most out of practice that day. I just remember it kind of being like an aha moment. I'm like, okay, he's not just some sick of that's piss off that we're not going to class. Like he's like, there's like thought by.

behind it, there's the why, like, there's all that stuff to where he always had it. You kept that to yours, so that's something good to know. Yeah. Do you, is that something that like your perspective above, both of y'all's perspective above, would the majority of the people that played with you guys, would they have the same perspective of him as well?

I think so. I would say so, and there's some people that he was really, really hard on who may think otherwise, but, you know, just outside looking in, man, just understanding the process, what he was trying to do, what he was trying to get out you. Like what he said, like that, that, that means a lot like I didn't know that like he said that I'm like yeah damn like I mean he

really care about you know what I'm saying yeah when he's bringing it down you're kind of like yeah fuck he is right you're like when he was so like he might have done it on the when he was with us on the bus but he was super hard on me for a lot of different points and when it's on the pot he was saying like I knew I could be hard on you because you would take the coaching yeah and I'm thinking like yeah I mean I would internalize it but he'd keep me up at night because I'm kind of failing or like letting you down but he'd be like if I knew if I could be hard on you in front of other guys and other guys saw you being receptive to it, it would help me coach other guys a certain way. And I'm thinking to myself, man, if I would have just known that, I would have slept easier

at night. But it's like unless you go and have a conversation with them about it, I guess you can kind of build up your own assumption on like, man, why is he being such an asshole? Right, right. And that's what a lot of guys, like, kind of shy away from. Like, even today, like, when guys, like, yell, yell that about coaching stuff like that. Some dude's kind of like shy away and be like, oh, this coach don't mess with me, man, and just run away from it. Kind of take it personal. Yeah, taking a person.

Instead of going out there, having a conversation, okay, yeah, and I mean, what do you see that I'm not doing right? You know what I'm saying? And I feel like if guys do that more often, I think they'll have a better perception

of their coaching things like that. Because, like, I honestly feel like there's no coach out of that there's nothing that don't want you to succeed. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Like some people may have the other opinions, but I feel like if a guy's coaching, he wants you to see it because,

because like, your success is his success. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I feel like, you know, when you actually, like, sit down and talk to a coach, just try to understand, like, what it is that I really need to be doing to, you know, get better and stuff like that. How can you help me? I think dudes have a different perception of coaches because it was a long time I didn't trust coaches.

Right. Until, like, until, honestly, like, heck kind of like got me out of that shell and then going from X to L's, like, those dudes was really, like, you know, pretty cool, good dudes, you know what I'm saying? So that's when I kind of really, like, understand, like, okay, we all in this together. Right. And Coach Bo would also address, like when he come into the team. Obviously, I've told the story about him coming to the team meeting after the Michigan game.

If everybody had half the heart that Levanti David did because you had 17 tackles that game. I think it was more. Yeah, probably more 20-something. But Bo would also come in. And again, this kind of play to is Achilles heel of everything. But he would know what's being said. He would know that it could affect guys. Maybe not at the level that guys kind of scroll their name and see all the stuff being said about it.

But he would know people are saying shit to where he'd be like, fuck everybody outside of these walls. Like he'd have more of like a rallying speech for everybody who's sitting in that room. If we just had a bad game, like one game we lost to Iowa State. We shouldn't have lost to Iowa State. We lost like 9 to 7 or 13 to 9 or something.

Rex might have had a fumble. I want to say maybe Niles. I remember Niles was getting like death threats from fans. And Bo would almost talk about it out loud and then talk about like fuck all of them. Like it's us. It's us versus everybody else. Which looking back, you see all the games

that get played for head coaches. It's like, okay, I can see how he kind of fans had a, now everybody I feel like in the fan base appreciates him. But when he was leaving or when he got fired, there was kind of a division between like the team and the fan base at times. Because it'd be like, but would also be on the podium and be like,

you want to fire me, fucking fire me. Yeah, he'd be on, yeah, he won that Davosweeney game. Yeah, he's just got that Youngstown Mafia vibe to him, bro. Yeah, man. Yeah, but it's like an Ohio sicko. If you can pull that guy over and be like, hey, I love all the things you're saying about this, the team. And I love it.

keep that up but like you also have to play the game out here right and he he never gave a fuck he just he cared about a ball he cared about the guys what um you said a little bit ago like i used to not trust coaches yeah what like where why was that a starting point for you as a player because a lot of us you kind of thrust in whether it's your parents saying it to you or you just see this authoritative figure you're like this person knows more than me kind of like being a kid like you think your parents know everything then you get older be like oh they have issues just like we all have issues. Yeah. So for me as a kid, like I would look at my coaches and be like, whatever they say, essentially the word of God, essentially. Why for you was it like, I didn't trust coaches and tell

Eck and tell this, this Nebraska coaching staff? Because I just thought like they was out when most coaches like be out for themselves, you know what I'm saying? Instead of just like, you know, like when coaches get on you and stuff like that, like that's when I really like, I didn't care, you know, I didn't care for coaches and stuff like that. But when you like actually like sit down and, you know, talk to them and kind of like get an understanding. of like what they're doing, why they go about where they go, why they're going about what they're doing. Kind of like,

and just get a real, like, idea of, you know, why they're doing what they're doing and, you know, why they want you to be successful, so bad and stuff like that. And then it's like, sometimes you be like, you know, you're just doing this because it's your job. Yeah. That's your job.

You have to be my coach or whatever, but do you really care? You know, I really want, like, I didn't know if they really care or not. Some coaches don't. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like the hard part.

Yeah. If you were like you're asking that question, I wonder why you don't trust coaches. I'm just thinking when I watched the documentary, You're the Bull, which is Miami Northwestern. See how some of the coaches operate? I'm like, yeah, I can see how there could be some trust issues. Yeah. What do you hear about some of the, you know, I don't know Coach Sims, but I'm thinking of all of the stories that I'm hearing. It's like, yeah, there's so many ways that you can inspire and motivate guys where it wouldn't come off like, hey, maybe you could do it this way.

Yeah. Versus like kind of just making all the boys fight. I mean, as an 18, 19, at that time, you don't know. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, this dude just being an asshole, you know what I'm saying? But from afar, just outside, looking at you get older, you understand, like, you kind of see, okay, like, this dude is trying to push me to be my best. And that's why, like, now, like, I kind of finally got over all that stuff.

And, like, you know, as I got old, I finally got over. And I'm like, yeah, I respect that. I got it. Like, that's good. Like, he, in a sense, helped me get to where I'm at right now. So. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Having that perspective, but also. It's like, would you take some of these formulas that you learned back then? Would you use them if you were a head coach? No. No. Yeah, because in your brain, you think, like, there are ways that you can inspire and motivate without fucking. Yeah. Like, playing football, you know, I learned how to become a certain type of leader.

You know, I learn how to adapt to certain players. I learned to talk to certain people. And that's something that I kind of, like, learn throughout. Like, coming in as a rookie, you know, I was quiet, like, trying to learn. And, you know, just being doing what the rookie does, just to sit back. can stand behind the scenes, but I was kind of like thrusting that role because I was had to green dot and guys had to listen to me and guys had to talk to me and guys have to, you know, kind of like understand the same page that I'm on and stuff like that. So I was kind of like,

so what I deal was just kind of like get a sense of like knowing, you know, each player, each guy who I, you know, work with and stuff like that. So, you know, that's why I always say, man, like it just, me, it always just thought about being a great person first. You know, that's how you can like get to know people and then kind of like understand how to, you know, communicate with them on a different level and stuff like that because you know this lead man you you you you meet so many different guys you know different types of you know different walks of life and you know some dudes used to be in talked to this way some dude used to be talked to this way and you know that's why i just make it my you know make it a personal emphasis that you really just get to know people

because like i'll try i'm i'm a need you i'm a leader i'm i'm going to lean on you when you're on the field so like that's the way i can like hold you accountable and you can hold me accountable as well like if I know you're not doing what you're supposed to do I could talk to you a certain kind of way some dudes like to get yelled that some dudes don't like to get yelled at but whether I'm yelling or not you could really understand I'm mean what I'm saying and I'm like you kind of like feel the sense of like okay now I got to get I got to get my shit together because Vantes depending on me you know what I'm saying stuff like that throughout your career was there because how many losing seasons did you have for

started to turn around for you eight eight seasons was there ever a moment in those eight years that you're kind of like I need to go somewhere else, or maybe I don't want to play as long as I'm one to because of how just much the losing can weigh on you. For sure. From the organization or culture standpoint, like all the coaching changes, like, maybe I need a different, I need a different scene. For sure, bro, after the 2018 season, we went 5 and 11.

It was dirt cutter, was our head coach. They ended up finding dirt. And it was about to be, you know, this is going to be my fourth head coach. And I'm like... Where were you out on your deal? What was I? I signed my deal in 20... It was on my fourth year of my deal.

Third or fourth year in my deal. Was it the last year? It wasn't no guarantee money. I know that. Okay. Yeah, all right. That's what I'm trying to fit it. Okay.

So... New thing that mattered. Right. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Like if you wanted to make a move, this would be a time.

Yeah. Yeah. So I remember I hit my agent up. And Jason, like, the gym, I'm telling them, like, maybe it's time for me to move. I think you guys probably should just release me and trade me because I don't want to go through

another culture change and, you know, past history shows that, you know, that hasn't been pretty good for this organization. But they ended up hiring BA. And, you know, Jason Coffner's like, man, I know you want to, you know, do these things, but man, just give it a try and think you'll love this guy. I'm like, oh, I don't know, man, like, it's a new coach coming in. It's a new defense. I played four through my whole career. And we move into a three-four, so I don't know how it fit in and that. You know, I'm not the ideal four-three linebacker. And, you know, stuff like that. And then I ended up talking to BA. He was like, man, you know, we want you to stick around and we want you, we know we're going to turn this thing around for you. And we want

you to be the foundation piece of this turnaround. And, you know, and then I'm like, man, I don't know, like the defense stuff, the defense stuff. I don't know if I'll be able to, you know, grasp that. I'm used to being, you know, a four three defense. I know how to play in the four three and stuff like that. And he was like, man, trust me, you're going to love Coach Bowles. He's the type of type of coach that you want. And I talked to Coach Bowles. He said, man, like, ain't not going to change. You still going behind three technique. You're attacking style.

And the first meeting, fell in love with it, bro. I was like, oh, shit, this might work for real. So I loved it. But that's the time that I really thought about, you know, really leaving Tampa. But, you're having those initial meetings in your brain. How much were you mentally like, I'm going somewhere else?

Like, were you close? Were you having conversations with other teams? No, because I would stay, on the contract I didn't have a chance to so but like when I anything with your agent yeah no no with my agent he didn't tell me like uh he was just saying like uh you know jason them they want to talk to you they say this would still be this would be a good you know change like this is what y' y'all need i'm like man i don't know i don't know if this you know he's gonna work for me and stuff like that but he ended up uh you know convincing me and it all worked out bro so but it's like

i didn't have a chance to really like talk to other teams and hear him talked about other teams and stuff like that because they ain't later get that far. Yeah. When you're going through your first free agency, were you ever close to going somewhere else? My first free agency, for real, was 2023 or after the 2022 season.

Damn, they locked you up. Yeah, after the 22nd season. And for a while. Yeah, I was going to say 2020s. Yeah. That's what I did kind of like hear from other teams for the first time. I was trying to go to Miami to be honest.

So like I wanted to, because I felt like I was finishing up my career. I had retirement on my mind back then. And I'm like, you know, it would be great if I could go home and play for the Dolphins. And I had a conversation with those guys, but the money wasn't, it wasn't talking about the right price. So I was like, no, I'm okay. And then it was a point with San Francisco reached out, Buffalo reached out, Cleveland reached out. So probably more teams. but, you know, once, honestly, like, once, like, I didn't have a chance to, you know, go back home and play.

I was like, fuck it, I'll go back. I'm going back to Tampa. Did the money ever get to a certain point with these other teams, like Cleveland, San Francisco, or Buffalo? Or, like, Buffalo? He's, LeVonnie's kind of like, fuck, why are they offering this? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Was there anybody that was offering you more than essentially the bucks were offering you? No, nobody was offering more.

I think nobody wasn't really offering more because they really didn't believe that I would leave Tampa. You know what I was just probably, like, throw out a dollar amount and, like, just see what he's going to do and stuff like that. So it really never got to a real negotiating type deal. But really like when Miami, you know, they threw their offer out like, oh, hell no. I'm not going to do it. Can you say what it was? It's over, man. It's over, yeah.

It is over. It was around vet minimum. Vet minimum? No way. Like a one year or two year? Like a one year, one year two or three million dollar deal. And now was that, was that, hold on now. Was that like a starting price?

And you were just like, I'm not even fucking. having this conversation I'm not having this conversation that was the first number they threw out yeah yeah yeah no no we're not disrespect it too much you just like all right we're done with that yeah I want to go home to my family like okay cool how about bet men and he's like go fuck yourself yeah I was one of those type things so I'm like no I can't do this no more like god you're going back home going back to Tampa did you ever get closer retiring before this year yes um to me I talked about it on my press conference uh 2016 you know the year my mom passed uh I thought about giving it up

You know, I'm thought about saying just effort. Because, like, at that moment, it was, like, my biggest source of motivation, my biggest support was gone. So it's like, what's the point of playing football anymore? You know, there's no, like, my whole soul reason the plan was just to, like, kind of like, get her a life that she deserves. So, you know, like, it was one of those relationships.

Like, if my mom was the last year, I'd probably have my whole bank account and four. Like, y'all ever seen that clip with a soccer player and his wife divorced him? and she couldn't get nothing because everything was his mom's name. No. No. I think it would have been that sense with me and my mom.

Like, so it was like it was one of those type relationships, but it was like, like at that moment, I'm like, man, F football. I didn't care. And like the crazy thing about it is, though, bro, like I had one of my, at to that point I had, that year was my first year, but I made second team all bro. Which. Really? Yeah. That's wild. Yeah.

How long was that thought process for you in 2016? All year. bro like I didn't like kind of didn't want to go to training camp it was like the first year that um dirt could have became my head coach because at 2015 we had lovely win in 5 and 11 and then the next year 2016 dirt came in that was like the first winning season I had on it we went 9 and 7 if the new playoff rule was in at the time we probably been the 7th seed so like we had a chance to make the playoffs that year but like I didn't care bro like I didn't even want to play football anymore for real like I was just out there doing what I'm supposed to do just because I'm supposed to be doing this.

Right. And I ended up. Essentially muscle memory at this point. There's some years out there. So like after the games, I'm going home, don't want to do nothing. You know, don't want to spend time with the family. Just go home. You know, usually sometimes I take the family out to eat. But I'm like, nah, man, we stay home. We have a peace. I don't feel like doing this and this and that. So at that point in my life, you know, my career, I was kind of like really contemplating retirement and giving football up. What turned it around? I'll probably say just understanding like my family I have like you know my family man like we have a real strong bond like in that time like my dad you know seeing him have going through that struggle too and him like kind of like just still you know being supportive of me

and like just picking me up being a positive role model of my life and then my siblings you know them you know keeping me uplifted and seeing them how they're handling everything you know they've been positive they've been upbeat about the whole situation just having them in my ear and understanding that, like, you know, this is her dream for me to be able to do something that I love. And, you know, that kind of like clicked back in my mind. Like, nah, my mama wouldn't like it if I quit. So I'm just, you know, I'm just going ahead and just, you know, suck it up and just find a sense of new motivation, which was, you know, it wasn't essentially a new motivation, but kind of like moved it over just to like my family and my support system. Did that come from like a singular conversation or was it something just over time?

I would say it was overtime throughout the season, just seeing they still coming around, still keeping that same energy like, it was like it keeping the energy like it never happened. Like my mom never passed. Just keeping that same atmosphere, that same love, keeping everybody comfortable and stuff like that. So that's when I, that right there's like when I realized like, yeah, man, like, you know, nobody's really like beat up about it. Nobody's torn apart about it. They probably have their own grieving process where they're going through it, you know,

personally and stuff like that. But it used to come to the games and you talked to me after the game. they just keep that same good energy. So that's what I kind of felt like, yeah, like this would, you know, having support and having family, having love when you go through losses is really all about. So that's all really kind of like stuff.

Yeah, yeah. There was, now that you were mentioning that, that year, you had like your worst year and still got a second team all pro. Yeah. Now that you're on the other side. Yeah. Were you able to objectively look at your career

and think like about how how often you got snubbed? A lot, man, that's bullshit. I'm pissed off about that. Every chance that I get to talk about it because I'm in a 4-3 defense, I used to have to go against three-four outside linebackers, dudes who rushed the passion.

And, you know, at the time, like, I ain't, you know, I ain't really care, but I used to think, like, I just gotta be better, I gotta be better, these dudes better than me. But Thomas Davis, man, TD used to talk, and, you know, TD was a 4-3 outside linebacker, and I remember him one time getting on the media and just talking about that stuff.

I'm like, yeah, man, you got a point, bro. Like, we'd be doing all this, you know, we cover. I never thought of it like that. You've never thought of it like that. You've got to make all these tackles. We've got to do all these things. We play in space and stuff like that. And like our job is hard as hell for us not to get no real recognition.

It's like a, like a true linebacker. And we got to go against fucking, you know, Fawn Miller and, you know, Brian Arakow and Ryan Carrigan and all those guys. Clay Matthew, shout out the boy. Clay Matthews. Shout out the way. Like, yeah, those guys. guys in the NMC man like I'm like bro that was like I'm like bro they're like that's not fair

you know I'm saying it's not fair at all and you know I really hope they change that at some point you know for real for they need to change that even in the all pro I remember one time all pro uh Tj Watt made all pro as a airs rush and as a linebacker I'm like what the fuck like how is that like that's that's messed up you know what about you know I us the off ball guys like like come it should be different positions though same they have for Clu Mac too didn't it So Mac was like off the ball, all pro and. Edge.

Yeah, man. He made the Pro Bowl and All Pro Pro for both. He took up two slots. And the thing is, like, when they get to the Pro Bowl, they're not trying to be standing up at the night. Like, nah, I rush the passers. Yeah, yeah. It's like, bro.

And then you get to the Pro Bowl and sometimes Von Miller is in a 4-3 Sam. And you're like, yo, what are you doing about this? I don't fucking, I don't know. I've got this out of here. Exactly. So it's kind of like, it's brutal, bro. How would you change the rules? I would probably just say stick, edge, scriculess.

edge, you know what I'm saying? Make it more, yeah, more of a vague concept. Yeah, vague, just edge. If you got, if you get 10 plus sacks, yeah, you're a strictly your edge guy. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's it. Or would you just name a pass rusher? Pass rusher. Off the ball. Yeah. Off the ball linebackers. You're like, bro, like,

nah, like that shit is, it need to be, you need to start some type of petition for that because it's crazy. I see a flaw in your argument, though, because if you're talking about past rushers, because defensive ends are reaping the benefits of what's hurting you. Yeah. Because they're getting all pros.

And because they're like, Vaughn Miller's not, he's getting the Sam. Yeah. He's getting a linebacker. Yeah. And these D-Ns that are probably have like seven,

eight sacks are getting all pros. They're like, fuck yeah, keep it going. I remember one year, I don't know who it was, but somebody had to, kind of like sued the lead

because they was considered a linebacker, but they really was a patch rusher. It was kind of like, it was kind of like. I think the same thing happened with Jimmy Graham. What are you talking about? Yeah,

yeah, yeah, Yeah, because he was a tight end, but he was basically the number one past catch. He was like, no, he paid like a wide receiver. Yeah, the same thing, like this dude was getting, uh, getting paid or franchise as the, as a linebacker was like $12 million instead of getting paid as a pass rusher. And the pass rush to get like $18 million. So it's like, yeah, if he's going to do it like that, then you make him a pass rusher

and not an off the ballbacker. I thought you got like sued the league because they were just categorized for like all pro and pro bowl. He didn't make pole. But that makes sense the frame. Yeah, getting franchise tag. Like, oh, no, you're a linebacker. Like, bro, I fucking get double-digit sacks a year.

That's such a wild thing that's it because as an offensive lineman, you're just a left tackle. So, and then you see all the Jimmy Grams or whoever there's other individual is. It's like, yeah, it's crazy. You have to like kind of fight for your money. To base on what position they're trying to put you in. Put you in.

Just nuts. Do you think about the Hall of Fame conversation a lot? I think, I mean, being realistically, bro. Of course, yeah, I deserve I should get some, you know, some type of, you know, votes to get in but the way it is looking like the way it really is like they're gonna go off the pro bowls and all pros and stuff like that but if you really just sit down and watch football and study film I really think it should go off that and

even the stats too bro just that just that's what I'm saying like if you sit there yeah you can watch the tape but even like yeah the accolades I totally get that it's where it's like you got like busts with the boy Gerald McCoy he's been on getting on the on the table for you right a lot of people are yeah but you look at just even right outside of tape is even the stats on the stat sheet yeah it should feel like a no-brainer yeah i'm not sitting here saying it's like first ballot whatever yeah as long as you're wearing a gold jacket and then the thing is too though with that though like my guy london fletcher he hasn't got no nods either but i feel like has zach thomas gotten in yet yeah he went in

two years ago okay because there are some cats london fletcher being one yeah so you know it's gonna be i mean it's gonna be a tough conversation but i definitely feel like i should be up there because you know my stats speak for themselves like the one stat that i'm really really proud of and it's being talked about a lot not like now it's the tackle for loss that like that my tag for loss that goes to show like i'm a real like i really understand football in since like i my instincts included to include it into like really like understanding you know football when to when to attack and when to play downhill and stuff like that and like me being the fourth in tackle for loss in the history of the NFL history of the games as they started

and being the only off the ball linebacker in the top 15 I would say and I want to say the next guy's Brian Erlacker in here like 130 something so like it might not be touched for a very long time you know right you never know but like for me to be tied fork with nothing but pass rushes and defensive tackles I think like that definitely should be considered in that too as well yeah it's in the modern era of football like the one person they talk about having the best instincts is probably Luke Keeckley who's a friend of the show friend of the show in my hand in my hand right now I have what is this the 2013 NFL season comparisons between Levante David and

Luke Keeley both individuals played 16 games total tackles Kikli I did you got 156 you had 145 solo tackles you had 107 he had 102 assisted tackles he had 54 you had 38 sacks you had seven he had two Tackles for loss, Luke Keechley had 12 in the 2013 season. You had 21. Quarterback hits 11 to 4, you win that. Interceptions, 5 to 4, you and that. Passes defendant, 7 to 7.

Force fumbles, you had two, he had zero. Fumble recoveries, you had one, didn't finish that other one. He had zero. Defense of touchdowns, you had two, he had zero. Both you were first team all pro. Only one of you were a pro bowler. And that was Luke Kikley. And Luke Kikley, we got a question here

from hashtag tier to our West Philly Tuck. Ask him if he truly felt that he deserved the defensive player of the year award in 2013 when they gave it to Luke is a hell of a player. Again, friend of the show, great friend of the show. Great friend of the show. It had a great year, but LVD stats were ridiculously better. Had they recognized his greatness early in his career

and rightfully given him that award, it would have kept him from being so criminally underrated all these years. Go look up his stats versus Luke's in 2013, which Taylor just laid out. Yeah, that's crazy. Is that a year you think about? Yeah, of course.

It's definitely, I definitely think because even though I made a first team more pro, like, it's not, like, I didn't even get no recognition, bro. Like, I didn't even get, like, I didn't get a chance to be, like, talked about it, like, in the NFL and a defense player of voting at all. And, like, that's something that, like, now that I think about, like, damn, like, that's messed up, you know what I'm saying? Like, you weren't even in the running, like a semi-finalist. I wasn't even in the running. I wasn't in none of that. So, like, it was like, that's kind of, like, you know, kind of crazy in the sense to me. maybe because like that year I want to say we went four and 12 that year and we started out the season like

oh and eight and something that's the problem right there yeah we started out oh and eight and uh they actually was pretty good that year that i wanted to say they was like 13 and three or something that year so and um they was you know uh really good decent team you know you know uh you talk about luke man luke you know luke is my guy we're all a fan of luke yeah we all love luke yeah great great person he just has to be using this example because he's one of the best of all time for sure he has to catch the hands right now yeah he's the hell of sure about him but you know as far as like me winning you know obviously it comes with other stuff teams to assess as far as winning but the fact that i didn't get no recognition didn't get no like

no votes to become like zero votes or not even talked about to be defensive player of year it's kind of like you know messed up yeah dude it's so fascinating because it does feel like um like pro bowl all the uh like player of the year accolades. They get on such a pedestal where it's like all pro, that's like for players, it's like a peak thing, but it seems like it always just kind of gets dropped and goes under the radar a little bit.

If you like evaluate Pro Bowl, they evaluate the NFL honor. Player of the year. It's like all pros like technically better than Pro Bowl. Yeah, right. But people just kind of like, all list we all want to be on. And then it drops,

but I feel like all pros doesn't get used until you're being explained or like introed on a podcast or introed on a show, like all the old pros they got. So I feel like Pro Bowl just gets such shine when all that stuff goes out because popularity plays into a lot.

I think all pro pro matters more, way more than Pro Bowls. Hold on. I'm saying. You know what I'm saying? It's not takeaway from Pro Bowls. Let's keep those around. You know, it's pretty cool to have a Pro Bowl,

but, you know, the all pros is really like, because it's like, you're the best of the best. But Pro Bowls. Hey, listen, you were right. And my only argument would be like it's voted on by the media. Levante doesn't know. that he's sitting across him a three-time pro bowler and zero time all pro I was I was good not

great it's basically you're telling me right now you were you were elite thanks buddy you were elite you really I appreciate that should we should we try and get Luke on the phone oh yeah yeah just FaceTime him try and face time I see Bill and don't even say Lavantes here just ask him how he feels about some good test messages at my retirement man I really respect that from Luke my guy loose the man dude liability in that flag football game yeah yeah yeah But obviously, one of our goats. Oh, he's like not a goat.

You're gonna see you with text. That's crazy. While you're sending out that text, I got one from Francis Koo Chowah Jr. 78. How much fun was it to little bro, Wilcompton, every day at Nebraska? Oh, who said that? You don't make me want to say that again. Francis.

Francis said that. Come on, Francis. Francis, come on. Be nice. Man, man, we were boys, man. We used to hang out. We did a lot together, bro. Like, we did everything together.

Be real. Who was big bro? We was even. It was like twins. It wasn't big bro, little bro. Bro, I have several videos. I can't you see? That's my brother. It wasn't.

Can't you see? That's my brother. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In a sense, you were, like, when you really think about you was the annoying little bro. The annoying little bro. Yeah, because all the, the, the, the, I'm trying to do my homework. You want to fucking send, you know, selfies and stuff like that,

do videos, record me all the time. Like, bro, why you bother me? You talk about the one. That is, hey. You was at my house. Yeah. And he was doing your homework on the laptop. The laptop.

And I was like, oh, Lavante loves when I take naps on him. Yeah. You land on my lap. I'm like, what you doing, bro? Because we'd be roommates in the hotel together, too. Yeah. Boogie would always sing an R&B. And I always just catch a video recording him.

He'd like stop and look over to him. Man, what you doing, man? That's not. So that's that knowledge. Two things about that is wild, though. Like, you recording him is kind of crazy, but you're just randomly singing R&B next to a roommate. I was an R&B guy, man.

I was R&B guy. Is that what you're going to do after football? No, I'm not going to venture in that. But, you know, I used to always, like, you know how people find their little hype or whatever. Like, no, I used to listen to R&B. Probably because I had, you know, old school parents that kind of, like, stuck with me.

So I used to listen to R&B a lot. And he used to put it on a little YouTube on this laptop. I used to use a wheelchair laptop a lot of the I don't know. But I kind of used to. Who's big bro in this situation? Levantte didn't have a license. So guys had to drive him everywhere. I had to go take him.

He'd be like, hey, big bro, can you? Oh, can I go get my Sonic? Can I go get my Sonic now? Man, you're really eating that shit? Like, man, I just want my chili cheese dog. Roger, get in the car. I drive him down and get his Sonic.

Get his happy meal. You stay close to it. You let him sit in the front seat or have him sit in the back seat. He'd be in his, he'd be in the car seat. You got to keep him safe. Yeah, buckling, man. Let's get you safe. Keep you sick.

We need you this year. So no car, crazy. No car. Do your license now? Yes. And bro, I even tried the big bro and be like, let's go to a parking lot and I'll teach you how to drive. And he was just too nervous to drive.

And I got comfortable with him driving me around, so. Yeah, you did. Yeah, you got him to be your chauffeur. Yeah, exactly. You were really nervous about learning to drive in college? Kind of was, yeah, in a sense, just because like, I really didn't care for driving. You know what I'm saying? because like I always doing with just going from my dorm

to the football facilities and class and stuff like that, walk around and things like that. But I really got scared when they used to snow and you had that little black ice and stuff like that. So I'm like, oh, hell no, I'll never drive out here. So there's no point. I'm just a milk old wheel over here. Continue to use him.

You hear he's like, no, I wasn't scared. I just, yeah, I never cared for. Never cared for driving. Like it'd be a sunshine day. I'd like, bro, you want to go. Middle of summer. Yeah, middle of summer, bro. You just want to go practice driving?

We'll go to a parking lot. Yeah. No, no, I'm good. God, that's so funny. So who was, have we decided who little bro was? You don't have a lot of... We can let the crowd. We can let the audience,

but I think the record shows. But you had a nice spin. I was his chauffeur. That was his spin. I just laid it out. I was telling him what to do. Yeah. Hey, take me here.

Take me to sound like now. Exactly. I wouldn't want to, but then the coaches would get on the phone. They'd be like, we need him. Are you for real? No, no, I'm just kidding. Oh, shit.

I thought you were being out, for real. Eck was the man. Like, Eck took care of all of us. L's too, elves all the time. Both of them. I got another one here from Chris Lowe Grasso, being a part of Winston's 30 touchdowns and 30 receptions.

What was being set around the locker room? Personal thoughts and then getting Brady. What was the reaction then? So that's a two-parter. Yeah. Let's put the Brady one to the side, real quick. I'll re-asked that in a little bit.

James Winston, 30 and 30. Yeah, the thing with James was, you knew what you was going to get, you know, James is going to go out there and sling the ball. throw that move again. And it was going to be a touchdown or interception. Just so happened that year,

it was a tough year for him, you know, as far as like throwing a touchdown, interception ratio and stuff like that. But the thing that was like really stood out to more, it's like us defensively. Like it got to a point in that season. We were just like, we, like, offense get the ball.

None of us used to sit down. You used to stand up and wait to go on the field. No way. I swear. We used to stand up, wait to go on the field. and when he threw the intercession like okay he got out the way we go out there ball giving the ball back and he

starts slinging again it was like you kind of looked at it as like you know let him go out here got go out there and do him and do what he do you know he's throw it around his touchdown you know throw it in the session but we're going to motivate and we're going to try to give him the ball as much as we can yeah you know because sometimes

he's going on like it's going to be good but then sometimes it be on the other end but um you know it's just the way it happened bro was just like we was always just like motivated and just like you know we was we actually had a solid defense like a pretty good you know year that year like not a pretty good year but we went seven and nine I feel your defense was always solid especially in the run game but we went seven and now but and since like a lot of those interceptions that we threw kind of like put us on a backburner a little bit but

if he if James that comes like if he knock out half of those we definitely will win the team was what was the coaching staff like with James in that year because you watch them Yeah. He was on our show two years ago at the Super Bowl in New Orleans. And we brought up the 30 and 30. And he's like, that record will never be broken. He was like proud of it. And he's got this like energy about him.

How can you ever get mad at the kid? And what were the coaches like that? That exact thing. Like it was that like it was James is an authentic guy, man. Like you won't get what you get out of James. Like there's no faking, no facade. It's him. And, you know, the coaches, you know, when they got a chance to know him, they saw that.

Like, Jamers is a football player. And he's a quarterback. He's a gun-slinging quarterback. And sometimes with being a gun-slinging quarterback, bad things happen. And that year, you know, he was like, he threw 5,000 yards. And he had, what, 34 touchdowns, I think?

Yeah, something like that. And, you know, you gotta know, look at the game within the game too, like some of those stuff probably wasn't his fault, you know, you know, guys probably, you know, not running the right route and he expecting people to do these certain areas and like the other team, you know,

unfortunately capitalize off those. But, you know, I don't think nobody Honestly, like, bro, I don't think nobody was really, like, you know, pissed off about it or getting on him about it. I mean, he probably had his own private conversations and stuff like that. But from a defensive standpoint, bro, like, it really was the point where, like, once they took the ball, like, we wanted to receive the ball first. It was like, okay, let James get his, you know, intercession out of the way and let's go

out there. That's so funny. Yeah. Just going to a game playing. My God, boys, let him get his first one. Yeah. Because ever, we played, we played y'all that year. Yeah, yeah.

And you, I think you threw like two or three in that game. I was like, this dude really just keeps giving it back. And the game was still tied at the age as well. Defense was like nice. Yeah, bro. He's talking about you guys were being okay. I'm like kind of like, you guys were a menace to go against. He did it.

He had a couple of the year that we played y'all too and came back. The Kirk Cousins, you liked that game. I want to blame him on that. Yeah, I mean, obviously it's a full. It was a, it's a most. But having to comeback that game. Yeah. The prime, Kirk Cousins.

I hate that game. Because like, Kurt my guy, you know, me, Kurt Good People's or whatever. but no fucking way that shouldn't happen bro that shouldn't happen but um I think we got a little passive on defense like we went like I told you man that year that's when we had you know lovey Smith we was strictly covered too so like once you like you can only want to cover two so many times until somebody start you know like I feel like cover two nine in today's game we should throw it out there throw it out there here and there and give it different looks but we lined up with cover two and you knew what we was playing so you guys kind of like exploited that that whole second

We ended up beating your ass. Not being the ass. Y'all beat us in overtime. No. The last play last couple seconds, y'all beat us. We won. We came back. We were down what?

It was an ass being in the second half. It was 24. It was 24 to 3. You know an adjustment we made in the second half? What was the adjustment? That's when I started. Can't start the second half of a game. That's when the transition

when the C started getting on the field. Remember we were watching some of those plays. And I was out there tired. Is that the one where buddy kind of broke you off on the sidelines? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was, like, 2015. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well, sometimes Will and I will just get kind of banged up. We've done this a couple times. We'll just put old games on, and watch each other play. Yeah. You put on your senior year in Nebraska, Michigan game. Yeah. What was, uh, dude, what was the energy like when you saw that the goat? Tom Brady was coming to Tampa Bay?

That was incredible, bro. I remember that thing like it was yesterday. Like, obviously y'all remember the hype behind it. It was like, so first and foremost, at that I asked me, and I'm talking to VA or whatever. He was like, you know, it was a point where we might have signed James back, and it was just talking about like, you know, we just got to get him on board, get him right, getting him together because, like, we could win games with James if he just, you know, cut down the interceptions because it strolled that season.

And then he was like, but there is a chance we might have a shot at, what he said? He called him that. We got, oh, we might have a shot at the big guy. I'm like, who's the big guy? He was like, Tom. I'm like, what? Like, Tom, like, Tom ain't leaving New England, man. What are you talking about?

So that went in one there and not the other. And then after the offseason progress, you see Tom is really not going back to New England. And then stuff starts, like, once they said he's not going back to New England, I think the Bucks went full throttle, went full throttle at it. And then, like, you kind of see, like, they're talking about teams, like potential teams,

and the Buss wasn't a team on there. So I'm like, okay, well, yeah, it might not actually have. like that it might not actually happen and then that actual day I remember I was sitting on the couch eating my cereal cat in the crunch crunch crunch berries and bro it came across the ticker tom Brady agrees to turns with the town bay buccaneers and like I like like I literally like like what and like my phone was right here like sitting on the couch next to me and my shit was just blowing up going crazy and I ain't even want to answer because I'm like nah this can't be real like no I don't believe it.

And I'm talking to people. I'm talking, I'm talking, and then, like, a couple of days later, he ended up calling my phone. He's like, hey, Blante, man, you know, this is Tom. Like, I'm excited to be a guy against you, decided to play with you or not against you anymore. And I'm going to what the other thing to you got to welcome in the locker room. And he's just talking about, you know, this is you guys' locker room, you're the

leader of the team. So, you know, just, you know, don't treat me no different. You know, treat me like all the other guys and stuff like that. I'm like, I want to the hell you talk about. You're talking Brady, you getting whatever you want. You know what I'm saying? That's awesome. This is your team now.

And then like actually like actually meeting him for the first time, bro. It was like incredible. Like from a guy with his status with his superstar status, you would think, you know, what comes with that like outside looking in? Obviously, you know, when people have lots of sense, you kind of judge people and stuff like that, like you would think this guy's a, you know, Aho, Prima Donna. He's an egoistic guy. But the complete opposite, bro.

Like he's a, you know, a lot of sense. a guy's guy he's a great dude man he talked to you he actually get a chance to sit like know you and kind of like understand where you come from what you you know what like what you like and stuff like that and like when i saw that and he treated everybody like that from the top player to the last player bro like like like i thought i thought it was amazing because i ain't never seen nothing like that like he honestly he earned the right don't even act like that you know what what i'm saying but to see him rassily like do that bro it's kind of pretty cool to see Was there ever a moment where he like stood up and spoke to the team?

Like say you guys are having your run or you're in the playoffs. Or you just have that moment where everybody on the outside might hear stories. But you're sitting there and you're like, oh yeah, that is that motherfucker. The only moment like honestly, bro, he didn't even have to say nothing. Like the way he practiced, the way he carried itself, like his competitive edge, like his competitive nature. Like he was competitive as hell and practiced. Like he, no, like, like, no, I want ones on ones. you know something like we need to compete we need to do this and that and that like i need to get

actual looks and things like that and then the first time he actually stood up and spoke was the super bowl in the locker room and you know you kind of hear guys talk about it but like to actually like be there and be in the moment when he stood up and said like like somebody else is about talking he just stepped in there and like he moved poop and moved out the way and just started talking everybody like oh shit tom talking like this is real so everybody just kind of like gravitated to it and And the thing he said was like, this moment right here, you're going to be remembered forever. Like, your last name going to remember forever. Ten years from now, we're going to come back and celebrate this moment.

And your family going to be remembered forever. And it's like, it all, like, kind of like came down. Like, for me personally, it was like, I'm thinking like, damn, like, bro, I went eight years. Like, people, nobody not knowing me, you know, people, you know, not know who I am. Nobody knows about my game and stuff like that. But if I win this game, this moment, people gonna know who I am. And like, that's what I was thinking about. And, bro, that shit really happened.

You know what I'm saying? Like, everybody like got, like, that point, from that point when he started, like, after he started talking, it was no doubt in my mind that we wasn't going to win that game. That's Travis. He's fucking juice. Then you go out and lock up Travis Kelsey. I did my job against Travis Kelsey, I was saying. Friend of the show.

Friend of the show. I love to hear that. He's not going to like to hear that. Because he said locked up. I was like, when I did what I was supposed to do, I did my job. How many catches? On me? Yeah.

Like when I'm actually guarding them, probably like three. How many yards? I don't know how many yards. I didn't even look at the stats. Honestly, it didn't matter. It didn't matter. What's that locker room like when you have to you guys win the Super Bowl, the parade, the confetti, everything the public sees and now you're in the locker room.

Yeah. Like, are you just running to Tom? To be honest, what you're going? Tom. Tom. We did it, huh? To be honest with you, bro, I did all my celebrating on the field. Like, when I went in a locker room, people was gone by the time I got in a locker room.

Like, I was really like out there celebrating with all the guys, you know, celebrating with my family. You know, it's a point I went to the motherfucketstand, started talking to people and stuff like that. Just, I was just embracing the moment, bro, because like that eight years prior, I never thought I'd be in that situation. You know what I'm saying? And then actually do it in your home stadium in that fashion? like it was one of the best moments in life, honestly. What kind of fashion? Dominated fashion.

Aspeating fashion. Yeah, As being fashion. Yeah. And the crazy thing, we played them earlier that year, and they kicked the eyes. You know what I'm saying? And then the second half, we kind of like had a little, you know, adjustment period. We played better. We ended up losing that game, 27, 24.

And we saw, like, the media, like, how they was, you know, Sam talking about, like, the bucks ain't going, you know, that's it for the bucks, you know. If they're not going, they might go to the wild card, and that's as far as they're going to go, and they're kind of like put a chip on all our shoulder, and I just remember saying, like, we're going to play these dudes again, probably in the Super Bowl, and we can't wait.

And it showed that game. Because you guys dominant. Yeah. Like that poor offensive line for the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah. Pat had no chance to breathe the entire game. Even some of the throws that that man was making, though, like falling down,

Hitting dudes like in the chest kind of, and they're just dropping it. I was like, oh my God, he's still kind of, still going to keep doing it. It was no quitting that dude. And like, we knew that. You know what I'm saying? Like when we was up,

I want to say it was up 21, 3 at half, it was like, you know, they got pat my homes over there. So you guys better still, you know, be ready. And like, honestly, bro, our whole game plan was like our front full stop the run and get at the quarterback and everybody on the back in,

do what you're supposed to do. Be where you're supposed to be in coverage. Lock on guys when he started scrambling and everything. to take care of yourself. When you're up 23, 3 at half, is Tom Brady getting up being like, I've been here before?

Tell us more Tom Brady's story. Yeah, Tom, tell us more Tom Brady. I'll tell you another good one. At the half, I don't remember exactly at the half because, honestly, bro, I was a weekend fan and a weekend was performance, so I kind of like was outside locker and trying to peek that's crazy.

That's crazy. And trying to peek in here the weekend, but Tom Brady, Tom Brady's story. We were seven to five. going to the bye week. And before we let everybody broke for our little break or whatever to go, you know, go out different ways, I remember walking in the hall and Tom grabbed me.

It was like, you know, man, how's it going on? Man, how's going to do it? I'm like, yeah, we're going to be all right, man. We just got to fix a couple things. It was going to be better. And then he was said, and then I was like, how about offense? Like, how's it going over there? He was like, oh, you know, it's still some stuff like getting used to,

but, you know, we're getting there. We're going to, we're going to dominate this second half of the season. And he was like, look at me. I promise you, when we come back, we're not going to win. We're not going to lose another game. I promise you that I'm going to make sure of it. And never lost after that. So I'm like, damn.

That's good. Fucking Tom. Dude farts rainbows. Disgusting, man. Yeah. All right. Disgast, man. You know what I'm saying?

And then my mom, I'm like, yeah, whatever. And then, like, as it happening, it's like one of those moments, like, you ever seen a water boy when the girlfriend told her, like, we're going to win this game. That's what it's going to be. It's what it's going to be. It was like that. Like, as it happened, I'm like, damn, this is what it's going to be. We're not going to lose another game.

So it was pretty cool, bro. Like, he was the most, like, dominating, like, for a guy to not be, like, athletic as he was, but, like, he was, like, a problem on the field. Like, he was kind of like, like, damn, bro. And then I picked him off from practice one time, and I thought that was the highlight of my life. You know what I'm saying?

Getting the interception. You let him know? I mean, you know, I'm celebrating stuff like that. But like I said, man, it was real competitive, bro. Like, he talked, trash talk. trash talk with him and like we made the emphasis like you know mess with Tom and you know obviously Mike too like just mess with those guys but that little era of the Tom Brady era man that was pretty pretty pretty dope to be a part of how was uh how do you smell like

you got to be nice right like when you're in the hall you're like all right all right man and then you're like damn he smells pretty good you know he walks out he says good morning like yeah all right think about you finished practice and it was like he didn't shower you didn't have to yeah I I never said Tom eat. Like, I never seen him eat nothing. All he had was his little TB12 little water bottle. He always drank of his body getting work done. Never really saw him in the weight room.

But I always just seen him working and doing stuff the better himself. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, I got to respect a guy like that. What was it like when Grong came in that locker room? Man, I love Grunk, man. Like, grunk energy. Grunk is the same way from the time he comes in the building to the time he lead the building.

It was like full of energy, happy, happy, go lucky. And like, it was sometimes I never, I didn't even think like Grunton knew the playbook, knew the offense. But like he always knew what the hell to do. And that kind of like was kind of like weird to me. You know what I'm saying? Like, like, bro, like. I thought this dude doesn't know what he's doing.

Yeah. He does it right every single time. Yeah, he does everything right. Because like, you know, I used to start like ask, like, we, you know, I used to play again, go against the tight ends a lot. I used to like always like mess with them and joke with them and stuff like that.

So I kind of used to like picking their room and stuff like that. And like he'd be in the bullshit and not, you know, not penitition and stuff like that. So I'm like, you know, grung just a talent. But when they really like see like him and Tom had this thing, man, I don't know, man. Like they was always on the same page and everything like some type of telekinesis type thing, bro. Like I don't know. Like and like, you know, we put our ME board. You know, we put up the MEs and stuff like that and like grunk never was on there.

Like the whole team. Yeah, like the whole team. Like after practice, you got to. the board for like emm E's and stuff like that and I never really seen his name on there and then like what I think what I really loved by grunt like bro he used to know how to really block like most tight-in you know kind of like get thrown there and bullshit or whatever like nah grunton used to really like block his tail off and you know he used to get rewarded for you know for for the blocking and stuff like it but it was fun having him bro he was always energetic hyphen

hyped up dancing around uh you know listen to the rap music with us you know around they're just chilling hanging out with the guys in the locker room So, you know, like those two dudes, bro, like, you would think the complete opposite, but, you know, you'll think more opposite with Tom, but grunk, you kind of see it in the media, but that's exactly what he really liked that. He's really liked that, bro. He's really liked that, in the locker room, dancing around, playing around. And, like, him and Leonard Fernette had this pretty cool relationship.

And they used to always see each other, like, they used to see each other get hyped up, hey, what's up, Lenny? Like, it's the same shit. Like, he's like that all the damn time, bro. It was pretty good to see him. Dude, Leonard Burnett, too. How was your vantage point during the Antonio Brown moment with the Jets? Because defensively, you're on the sideline.

So yeah, the offense is a little farther down from you. But the offense being on the field, hearing everything go down, go down. What was your vantage point like on that day? So I was on R at that time. That's like the second game I missed. I didn't travel. But I tell you this, bro. Leading up to that, you saw it stirring up.

You saw it brewing just because, like, you. He came one day, like we was in there, whatever, he was in the locker room. You know, we'd be chilling in locker room. He came in there, like complaining about something or whatever. And I think we played the Panthers prior, the week before or whatever. And he was complaining about how often he scored a touchdown.

I'm like, bro, like, you had over a hundred yards. Like, what are you talking about? And he's just like pissed off. And like, you can see like, damn, like, it's like he might snap. Like he might snap soon. And then he was just going off about something small. Yeah, just something small.

And then there was another point, like, I wasn't there. But, like, one day I came back for meetings or whatever. And I was like, Vonté, boy, we need you, man. We need you to come AB now. I'm like, AB. We're like, what happened with AB? Like, his first is his first. Like, he was coming off the suspension, I think, at that time.

When he got suspended for the fake COVID test or whatever. But he was coming off suspension. It was like, bro, AB was having practice going crazy. Like, and it was a walk through president. He just sprinting, catching the ball, throwing it at people, like cursing people out. And I'm like, damn. what he's snapping for like going off on coaches like give me the fucking ball like going off and stuff like that and like and we're like damn what's going on bro so uh that game it's kind of like i was a surprise

in the sense but the way he did like during the game i was like damn ab like why you're doing that man and then like to be honest with you man ab kind of messed up our chances going to the second super bowl it's like he was that he was that dude bro he was really really a really really good football player and like it just when you rub him wrong way anyway he's going you're going to get A.B. Or you're going to get Antonio Brown. And that day, that mother was A.B. Really? Yeah.

Did you ever speak to him after that? Was there ever like a conversation like, hey, man, do you got to come back? Figure it out? Nah, I didn't speak to him, bro. The next time I seen A.B. was the like that offseason. I saw him at a heat game. And we was talking like nothing never happened. I ain't even want to bring it up because it might trigger him again and I don't want to trigger him.

and nothing like that. He starts doing basketball fans. Yeah, yeah, starts going nuts. That's nuts, man. That is crazy. He just wanted the ball more? I think he wanted the ball more. But I think it stemmed for something much deeper.

Some people got their own, you know, their own, you know, opinions about it. But for one that's going around, just like that all season, he didn't get paid, how much he wanted to get paid. And, you know, so he probably wanted to be like a higher paid guy, but he didn't get that. And then I think they ended up giving grunk more money than him or something like that. So I guess he felt to have to have a way about it. that oh that's right because he did start uh whether it was Twitter or something talking about kind of I don't know if you were saying gronk's name maybe but I do kind of vaguely remember that yeah I mean that's the

story kind of like behind it is one of them that I kind of like know about but yeah brutal yeah great football player though great football player one of the best of all time yeah I honestly yeah for sure could have clearly could have clearly could have clearly been one of the best at his peak like one of the greatest receivers to ever touch the grass And the way he worked, you can see it. Like, everything was full speed, bro. Full speed, man. I heard even, like, it walked through.

He was just sprint. Full speed, bro. And running through the end zone after he catch the ball. Full speed. And he's another one of those guys like, damn. Like, do he know the playbook? But he's doing everything. Yeah.

I'm like, damn. Balls and ball. And actually, like, know what you're supposed to do. And then like. And he was a low round draft pick too. Yeah. Six round. Yeah.

Six round. Yeah. Six round. Yeah. Went to Central, Central Michigan. Sister Michigan. Yeah. Crazy.

I don't know. What was his first play with the Steelers? Was the kick return for a touchdown? Keep return for a touchdown. Like the dude was just him. He's little too. Yeah.

Yeah. We'd see him at the Pro Bowl. Pro Bowl. And he'd have like a squad of like 20 people with him at all times. Yeah, yeah. And he just, he was always like in a good mood. It seemed like this is before.

I never saw him act. A certain way I just knew like he had a lot of people in his camp. And I feel like anytime I would see somebody rolling around with like more than five people. Yeah. Like anytime we got to like the 10 range. Right. Like man, he kind of. I think you got too many people around too.

Right, right. Because it's like you knew the lure of AB all the way, basically up until the Raiders. Right. The Raider year. Yeah. Then he went. Once the Raider thing happened,

because it started with like a helmet and then the feet and then all the... I think he just wanted out of there. I think so. Yeah, I mean, who knows? He's more than welcome to go on the show and talk about it. More than welcome to. Yeah, that's that was crazy. Was there ever, like, who's a player you think about that you were just

frustrated with because they had so much talent? I can't really... Of the top of my head really think about no guys. Oh, man. Some guys who I would say probably had a lot of potential, but certain things probably like derailed their career maybe. Damn, but what I say? Rojo.

I say Rojo. I really like Rojo Ronald Jones, running back. It's really good, really good football player. But I just think, like, running back in the league, and man, it's pretty tough. It's a different life, bro. It's a different life. Like, obviously, when we were brought Leonard in,

and kind of, he obviously felt some type of way and things like that. But that same year, he almost had 1,000 yards. But obviously, you know, Leonard started getting the ball more. And so, like, they kind of, like, just, you know, it's one ball and you only complain, you know. Ego gets in the way.

Yeah, yeah. Like, I feel like if he stayed on the right track, he'll be, you know, probably been, you know, a dominant guy. Uh, Vernon Hargraves, bro. Vernon. Corner? Yeah, Florida.

Yeah, Vernor was the most, one of the most talented athletic dudes, bro. And he had some solid years, but I just think, like, some stuff kind of like derail his career too. But, you know, I got a lot of respect for Vern. But I feel like he could have been an all pro level player, you know, whatever happened, you know, off the field, whatever the relationship he had with the coach and stuff like that, kind of like, I think may have messed him up. know exactly just like outside looking in just give him my opinion about I think uh something of kind of like veer him off track from actually low being focusing on football yeah yeah it sucks when you hear about dudes that you seem like they've all the town in the world and yeah for whatever

reason like other distractions get them like you hear that that Trent uh trit Richardson all the time he was like thinking third overall yeah yeah yeah thought the guys that were the colts or the browns whichever one it was made both he like he'd get off the field he'd be on his phone the entire time like he always had no no no practice as soon as he'd be on the phone like he always seemed like he was dealing with something to where like clearly he needed somebody in his camp right right to be like hey these issues man like these things can be focused on a different time like you to be a focus on this right now because I'm I play with that kid in the Under Armour game last year and he was legit like this man's 30 like he was a grown

ass man like and you see what he did Alabama yeah you hate seeing that type of stuff right dude's all a town the world yeah and it's like how do you not just put it together put together. I think it's just all about discipline, bro. Come down to discipline, like, you've got to focus on the main thing. Like, that was my whole thing, bro. Like football is going to be, you know, going to be my way out. I want to live a certain lifestyle.

So I'm going to focus on football and I'm going to, you know, get all I can get out of, I'm going to get all the benefits out of football. Like, but I'm going to do what I got to do until, you know, I can't do it no more. And then I'll read about that stuff, you know, after the fact. And I think if the guy is just like, be disciplined. And like, you know, you got an offseason where you can hang out and stuff like that. But when it's time to lock in, you got to lock in. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I always tell people, bro, like, you can't cheat the game, bro. Like, talent level, everybody got the same type of talent. But it's certain small things that you got to, like, just focus on and kind of like separate you from different people. And I think being disciplined throughout the game is one of those things. Yeah. Could you play another year? Yeah. I could have played another year.

Was there any chance? No, there's no chance. What was that conversation like? Like, when did you know it was? Actually gonna be before you answer that I do have to go catch this flight Do your thing I got I got a roll dude yeah I know the years are not into the podcast But seriously yeah your career is incredible hearing the stories yeah from well like extremely happy for you your family that little girl you get to be around all the time now

I'm fired up for you appreciate you both you too absolutely love to it again I'll see you all right fellas we're gonna interrupt this interview to bring you form energy Form energy delivers best-in-class tastes with natural flavors and zero sugar Form Energy has natural caffeine derived from green tea. Form comes in a variety of flavors like Scream and Freedom, Rocket Pop-inspired, Grape smash, blue blitz, orange fury, perfect for those who put in the work. So if you wake up early in the morning, get a workout in, full day of work and still gives it your all when you come home. You are a form energy guy.

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And it's the perfect time of year to grab a 12-pack of neutral for the game or grab a bucket deal in your favorite bars you root on your favorite team and then we'll go i'll say one two three and then we'll both go neutral keep it tasty gotcha that cadence okay okay all right here we go one two three neutral keep it tasty back to the episode hey what we just talking you were saying yeah yeah we're talking about football yeah oh yeah yeah when did that decision come about for you oh man uh see i talked to the bucks so probably like two weeks before I actually announced it I just remember just one day

you know like you know me remember like every time going to the all season I just kind of like I gotta have a plan for myself you know what I'm saying I gotta have a plan I gotta know what I want to do and you know I gotta start you know mapping out I'm a structure guy real like I love a structure life so like I had some type of structure and since I was going back and forward with the returning

and retiring it was kind of like hard for me kind of like plan out certain things that I wanted to do so uh what are you able to share those certain things uh just um like as far as like my training strategy and you know as far as like uh what i'm gonna do about my diet and you know what i'm going to do about my my knee fits in my knee and stuff like that and like just get myself prepared for you know the next season and once i kind like and then obviously how i'm going to spend time my little girl and stuff like that like once i kind of like kind of like kind of like didn't have a clear thing on what I wanted to do that's when I knew like yeah this probably time for me to retire because like if I really wanted to play football again

I would have had all this mapped out and already said already so that's when I kind of like really like understood like nah like and then like I just sat down you know look at myself in the mirror like bro like do you really really want to play is it worth it to play another season again will you be motivated Will you, you know, be all in with it? And I thought to myself, like, no, I probably won't. So that's what I really decided. Like, yeah, it's time for me to give it up. What was the conversation like, like the feeling going into having those convos with the Bucks?

Yeah. The family. Yeah. Was it difficult? Talking to the Bucks, it was difficult for the most part. Just because, like, the relationship I built with those dudes and, you know, talking to Jason, talking to Todd. And then with my family, not so much because my family always been supportive. whatever what I wanted to do and stuff like that.

And, you know, obviously they're going to have their questions like, are you going to regret it or is just like, like does the tackle thing, the tackle record thing, do that meaning anything to you? Like, are you going to look back at that and tell you, ask yourself like, dang, I should have did it just to, you know, kind of like cement myself as the, you know, uh, uh, all time tackle leader. Yeah. And the Bucks organization history.

Then like thought and I'm like, no, it really don't mean that much to me. So that's when I kind of like knew like, yeah, you know, you know, pretty, pretty good with that from your, you know, my family standpoint. And then talking to, you know, Jason for the first time to tell him, it's like, man, it's going to be one of the hardest conversation I had. And, you know, we both kind of like had a little sad moment. And we just went to reminiscing because, you know, Jason, you know, Jason, Nebraska guy.

He's a Nebraska fan. And he's been talking about, man, like, and he's talking about my dad and stuff like that. And he was like, man, we're going to miss you around here and stuff like that. And then talking to Bowls, you know, the relationship we built. You know, that was kind of like tough. and you know hearing him talk and tell me how he he felt about me and how in the past seven years i kind of like helped make his job easy and stuff like that so that's probably that was probably one of the toughest moment and obviously like just the press conference man like i got a lot of respect for that

organization bro they showed me a lot of love and like the support i had when i you know talking and stuff like that was pretty pretty cool to witness and it just goes to show like how i impacted those people and how they impacted me as well like how they came and support me and stuff like that i thought that was pretty dope. It is nuts, man. Yeah. Like even the time where it was like how long ago was it a couple years ago where they came out with like the type of guy. Yeah. The type of guy that won as a buccaneer. It's essentially your silhouette or a painting of you in the in the draft room. 2023. Uh, the I am that man. I guess it was something that they had prior to that, but that's the first time I heard about it. And then when Jason was talking about it in the press conference, he was like,

man, like we have a silhouette of a guy who we could. kind of want to mow our next generation. Yeah, next generation football players behind the end. That guy, Levante, does have these certain qualities and attributes and stuff like that. And I was like, damn, that's how y'all, you know, that's how y'all feel, you know?

And that she kind of like made me choke up a little bit. Like, bro, professional organization, you know, all the history that they have, all the players that came in on this building, y'all got me as a guy who y'all want to mow y'all next great player after. And I'm like, damn, that's an NFL organization. An NFL organization.

Like you grow up just as a kid. We all want to be like, you know, you create your player, you do all the things, you want to be, you want to be the best of the game's ever seen. No thought of my mind that crossed my mind of that, that they, that's how they felt about me. Yeah. And, you know, that's why, like I say, like, I have a ton of respect for them. And obviously, it showed they didn't want me to leave. And, you know, they kind of like put the ball in my court every time out there every year. The past couple years, like, well, I want to come back or not.

I have a contract that they got a contract. track ready for me and whether I'm a sounder or not and you know decision is all based on me so that's what I thought that pretty cool bro like you're sick man that the impact that you've got you've made on on just football yeah yeah bro pretty cool man what's uh by the way the I am that man is that your documentary uh is yeah it yeah it is yeah uh they filmed uh my guy Stephen lynch filmed me just throughout this whole from the all season all throughout this whole season kind of like who's the decision you're the day in the life? makers on who would be featured who would be doing the interviews for it was it you i mean i had some

input on it yeah you kind of like jealous about it no i i don't care but like you with the driver i mean i don't i wasn't really i really risen the driver like i'm not uh i'm not uh you know i'm not a you know i'm not a clout guy i'm not like you know want to be on stuff fame i hate when people put the spotlight on me But to protect myself, you know, they just, like, throw ideas at me. I was like, whether I agree. Like, I don't really have no real, like, ideas of who to interview and stuff like that. But, you know, I mean, if I was really into that stuff, you know, your name would have been brought up, bro.

I figured. Hey, well, I was telling you, I was, I'm sure there's a good reason. I do want to bring something up that Levanti said when he came through and he was looking at the set. Oh, yeah. Do you want to let Will know? Yeah, for sure. you know all these years bro that I know you I don't have a will-compan jersey or do I yeah you do we did a jersey swap I literally sore necks is coming into my gym tomorrow

so as people listen to this podcast today outfitting the whole thing it's getting painted right now as we speak your framed jersey along Mason Foster Quincy and now I do need to go around and get some more jerseys from guys but yours is it's been in its frame like yours is framed do I have one of yours I don't think I have one of yours will did we not exchange jerseys when we played oh I do when we took a picture with Ben yeah when Ben was yeah and Washington I think you should have a Washington yeah yeah I think I it must be at the bottom of your closet yeah you must have lost it you got a bunch of frame jerseys hanging up I do have a bunch oh no I think it's all good I got

hey we'll cut that yeah we'll cut that part you know he's got to do a lot of things over the years I know you know I know I know what I mean doing I think I think because I looked at the Tennessee Tigers once and like that's like you know you like was prominent here as a Tennessee Titan so I was probably yeah yeah that's respect you should have a Washington one I think I think I mean you do have Washington one maybe I do maybe I do yeah was that was that a Washington one was that your first year or second year that was that the 2015 game was that game yeah so you have a you have you should have a good one like that was I probably was pissed off and threw it through it

somewhere that you like that game was like the start transition that's probably why I got lost because like that game like I was pissed off after the game and I like got to a judge probably just threw it somewhere it's just a game man like come on we run deep we should run deeper than that but at that time you was like an op playing and then I had to hear from you and you know how you are yeah we beat your ass yeah exactly so it's like damn

that's what probably Big bro beat little bro Oh man Where do you even go from here That's tough to hear I do have yours It's ready to get hung up It's actually the first time

Because of course I have my jerseys hanging up But right I'm hanging up all the other fellows that I got Okay you're one of them I got a Levanti David Tambe Buccaneer jersey you got the one of the ugly uniforms. It was your way, jersey.

Yeah. You could hook me up with a nice one. We can do a proper exchange now if you feel like you lost it, which, you know, that's tough. I have to double check. Because that jersey was like, I would love to have that jersey. Because I remember I used to give it, like I used to have, get all my jersey at the end of the year. I put it in a bag and I used to give it to my people. Hey, frame this.

So there were something that you said get framed. Don't worry about that one. That's my boy comp. Hill, Hill. We have enough room on the wall. Let's see, Will. Did you sign it? Did we sign it?

Did I sign yours? I don't think so now. See, there we go right now. I need to go something signed. I'll give you something. I'll give you one sign. Where y'all hit it is the quote I put on it. And for people who don't know what I'm saying there,

you'll have to listen to the Zoom pod, the brutal audio. You got to fix your audio system when you're doing stuff from home. You're on the different side now. You're in retirement. Yeah. Not sure we'll talk about your future. but if you get anything media related, you got to have a more,

you got to have a better setup at home. I listen to you on, obviously on ours, it was tough audio. I listened to you on Pat McAfee last week, and I'm just like my, as I'm trying to listen to you, my man's got to fix his sound set up.

So what do I need? So I'm doing it off of a Mac, iMac. So like what type of system do I need? You're just doing it off the Mac. Yeah. Well, listen, we got some guys. We got some quality guys back there.

Okay, gotcha. Gotcha, got you. Well, we give you a, introduce you to like a, just a travel system. Yeah. Because the Bucks media team told me that too. It's like, hey, you got to be better on the sound side.

Yeah. It's a good interview, but like, bro, it's hard to listen to. It's hard to listen to it. It's just because from the audio, you're just using a laptop. Right. And we'll get you right. What is? First question.

How's the last week been? How's the first week of retirement? Where you're like, you know, I'm sure there's a transition. I am done playing football. Like I have nothing to, I don't have OTAs you thinking about. I don't have nothing to think about it. We've got nothing to think about in the football world. Honestly, like, when I, the next day I woke up, I'm like, damn, like, I'm really done with football.

Like, I'm retired. And, like, I got to figure out life now. But the good thing about it is, bro, like, I feel like I had a successful career. I earned some good money throughout my career. So I feel like I have a chance, like I have time to, like, enjoy myself a little bit. Like, take some trips, enjoy life through certain things. What's on the bucket list? On a bucket list, I want to do, I want to take a trip to Egypt.

That's something that I really want to do. I'm like, I'm into history. So I want to, you know, kind of like, like, do the history of Egypt, you know, look at the pyramids and stuff like that. And, you know, go to the beaches. Cairo got a nice beach out there. And then I kind of like want to go back to. I've been to Italy before, but I want to go back to Rome.

I didn't go to Rome. So I want to look at the Colosseum and kind of like, look at all that stuff and look at the, you know, the history of that. And another place is on my bucket list is probably, Bali or you know like some a place that's really like beachy and nice and stuff like that's another place that lot um what's that place man everybody be going to obviously in all celebrity 30A Florida is it borobora la lake lake of the Ozarks in Missouri are you doing these trips this year no eventually i'm gonna get to him though are you doing any of these

Are you doing Egypt this year? No, I'm not doing Egypt this year. So what do you got on the docket this year? This year? Shit, I don't really have that. You're talking about looking at your funds and looking I can travel and do this and that. And right now we're sitting it, it's March 30th. You got the entire year.

I mean, the good thing about it is, like if I want to do it, I could just go ahead and highlight my travel age, just do it. But like, like, uh, yeah. But honestly, bro, like, I just want to like, just on wine and relax for the most part. Just at home? Just home. You are home, body. You know, I'm a loner, you know, my homebody, just take my ass home and just wake up when I want to wake up, get to stuff when I want to get to stuff. Like just have chili cheese dogs.

Just have free will. Captain Crunch. Yeah, bro. Yeah. Are you, so homebody, in my brain, I'm thinking it'll be a few weeks. You'll just be a get, maybe get a little stir crazy. Yeah. But what are you into at home?

You a video game guy? Yeah, I'd be playing a game. I play a game a lot. But I'm not one of those gamers in a sense. Like I don't like playing against people in the game just because like a competitive and like I see how people talk to people on those video games and like I know I'll get pissed off and I want to do some physical stuff to people the way they talk and it's like I can't get into it like so what I'm doing right now I play my career on NCAA I got by four players I got a quarterback a receiver a runnerback and a corner no in a linebacker not a receiver but a linebacker and I'm like like one of them. the linebacker I got drafted fifth overall to the Patriots what's his name what damn what's his name king expert or some shit like that I just make stuff up and then I have a corner right now that I got with the bucks his name is Benny Sparks uh I have a quarterback my quarterback is my nephew name

junior Nelson and the running back I don't know the running back name but that's what I'd be doing real for the most part row And then like, I love taking my daughter to school, picking up from school. I think like that, that right there is like the highlight of my day, honestly, picking her up and taking her. How old is she now? She's three. She turns four in May.

Rue turns four this Friday. This Friday? Yeah. Yeah. You know, the rule was born like a month before. Yeah. Logan. Damn.

Isn't it crazy how they just tell you, you know, they're like, update you on the day. Yeah. They're all emotional. Yeah You gotta dial in the emotion It completely changes you Inside and out Inside and out bro

Like I didn't know I was the type of person I am With her Like the patience The vulnerability The love It's like crazy Like

Yesterday we was in the car And she said something She had a full-blown conversation with me She was talking And like I don't know What the hell She's talking about And I just look back

I'm like like what what are you saying she's just like don't worry about it and I just started laughing like what the fuck got sassy with you yeah you ain't listen to me don't you worry about it yeah it's just crazy bro what you got to do bro I'll have to send you the video that I made a rude going walking into the Coliseum at Rome you guys remember I think I saw that I saw that like her just kind of while her little self walking in because Scotty now Scotty's 16 month 16 months she's a spark plug But it is, it's the best, man. Yeah.

I need some girl dad hats. We got you. Yeah. It's basically for the dad's pod now. Yeah, for sure. Go check out for the dad's pod. You have to come back and get on and do For the Dads with us. Okay.

You'll essentially guest host with us. No one just be sitting there interviewing you. Yeah. You'll be engaged. Okay. You'd be talking about Papa Team Six. Yeah. Milk Team Six.

The blowouts. Okay. The struggles. Yeah. The frustrations. Yeah. The love. The vulnerability.

It's a lot of frustration. Yeah. Bedtime. How many books to read? How many books are you on right now? I got Rue. Rue, I have a nice operation of two books. Two books, okay.

Scotty will go through seven or eight. Okay. I'll start reading one. She'll hit it out of mind. She doesn't want it. She wants a different one. Yeah. But Rue, I have her locked into two books.

You got to brush her teeth. Right, right, right. So starting with Logan, we started out with three books. And then I'm down to two, sometimes, one, depending on. Yeah. how she like if she passed her bedtime so I got like hey like it's past your bedtime so I can only read you one book yeah yeah so stuff like that like it's really like a negotiation process which is crazy like and like when she want to have a little extra time playing like in the tub she's like playing

with her toys in the tub so they're like can I have five more minutes I'm like five more minutes I'm like five more minutes now is that a deal like you got to say deal because if you don't say deal she'll kind of like uh you're five more men like no no you said deal we say five minutes so we got to get out now yeah so stuff like that shake my hand you don't want to shake the shake my hand it means something yeah I'm gonna start the timer right now exactly and then when I bring in the time when it's going off I make sure I see that it's going off yeah like it's going on she's like okay and like okay we good we good for the rest of the night then like it's just funny bro it's crazy like the party stuff

like so she has this little thing like when she's in her big girl bed so she could get out her bed anytime now. Like her room is upstairs and like the past couple of the nights like I wake up I turn around she's dead in my face. I'm like yo like what are you doing? Like you don't supposed to be like you got to stand your bed you know what I'm saying because like we got this little thing like it's a sound machine but she don't like the sound so once the light go turn green then you can get out the bed so she'd get out the bed before that and she'd be coming downstairs like

like saying like just talking I'm like yo like if the light didn't come on So like what are you doing whatever and sometimes she'd get out of bed because she'd be scared to go pee But when I take her back to her room walk her back to her room I look in the bathroom she don't pee already So I'm like yo like what are you doing why are you getting out of your bed and then she just stopped making up these excuses and stuff like that and it just be it just be hilarious bro She's trying to get in some dad time yeah but no dad is sleeping It's two three in the morning. It's time oh it's two or three in the morning Yeah, bro I thought you were just saying like maybe Maybe wake up times like seven and she's in at like six o'clock.

Nah, man. Like two or three in the morning, she don't went to the bathroom already, pee and then come downstairs like she can't go back to sleep. Like, yes, you can. Like, she got her little sleep mask and like, pull your sleep mask down and just go back to the- She got a sleep mask? Yeah, she liked having a little sleep mask on her.

The love to cover her eyes. That's amazing. So it's for, so she kind of like don't go to sleep without it. But it's pretty cool, bro. It's dope. I love it. I love it, I love it, man. Just those are the smallest friends. Rue stay in her bed until we come upstairs.

Really? Yeah, I got to tell Logan about that. Like, Roo, want to talk to Roo? You got to FaceTime. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, Roo, stay in her bed until you guys, her parents come up and here. So he didn't do that too. Yeah.

Because obviously you have the monitor on it. And she gets like a little stir crazy. She's back, mama, dad, dad, come up and get me. Yeah. Yeah, we'll be like doing our thing down in the morning back. Oh, we got to go up and get Rue. Yeah. She kind of cursing me out sometimes.

Like when she's, she's got a sleep mask on. Of course she's up there cursing you out. She screamed, Daddy, Daddy! You know, me like, damn, I don't want to walk up stairs unless I have to. Yeah. And I speak to her through the thing. I'm like, what's wrong? She's like, come here, I need you.

I'm like, what's going on? And I walk up there, she's like, I'm scared. I'm like, come on, man. You know what I'm saying? Sheesh. Like, it's crazy. Roo got a problem with falling off the bed while she's sleeping. Really?

Yeah. I don't know if she's like having dreams or moves around. You'll hear a big thud. you'll kind of look and then she'll just be sitting she'll be sitting next to her bed like roo you can get back in bed she but we got this little some little bumpers on her bed so she don't roll over that's what we're thinking about doing yeah is getting some bumpers because she'll go down multiple times at the week she actually hasn't the last week but she'll go through these it feels like phases yeah where she's just falling out of the bed they wow because she got too many stuff the

animals on the bed yeah but hey we gotta stop sleeping next to so many you got 10 let's cut Let's cut the roster down to eight. Put two down at the end of the bed. But there are particular ones that have to be in like an order next to her. Do she sleep with the book? When you don't read the book, do she want the book on the book? Sometimes, like, there has been times where she wants to read the book after we leave. Yeah.

It's like, hey, dad, they can only do one book or dad is only doing two books. If you want to stay up and read, do your little nightlight that you have. Right. You can stay able to read it if you want. Yeah, it's pretty cool, man. Bro, it's crazy, man. It's like when you, then when you go downstairs and you start looking on the thing, she starts, she reading the book by herself. and then she put herself to sleep and stuff like that yeah it's pretty I love those moments

yeah so what's next for Levanté David what's next for your career I'm assuming you can't just stay home and play NCAA career I mean obviously throughout that time I'm gonna kind of like brainstorm kind of like figure out what I'm gonna do you know obviously I'm doing a lot of like media stuff so um you know throughout my career I wasn't big on media but in a sense it's like man you love football you still want to be around the game so you know I could easily you know, you know, kind of like talk football, you know, do certain things and kind of like give them a little end point, some insight from, you know, from my perspective, you know, fans love that stuff, former players talking about football, giving the ends and out, things like that.

So things like that. And then, you know, something that I thought about was getting to, you know, in the business side of football, you know, getting to scouting, you know, maybe, you know, maybe become a GM one day, who knows, but there you go, yeah. We got Kikily calling back. Luke Sitting on the bus right now My boy

Lamante David My boy What was you doing earlier I appreciate the text response I also appreciate that you saw the videos And didn't take a personal Yeah It's like you're my guy

I got to be hard of my guy You know what I mean? I mean, it's not being harder. You're just being honest. Yeah. Like, oh, they got my boy. Look at what is? He's a liability out there.

Get him off. Yeah. I walked off the side and I walked up to saw. I'm like, hey, bro. This ain't hit my dog. Yeah. Gaines moving a little too fast for me now. You know what?

I was pedaling. Dude, I was moving. I was feeling good. They ran like a post corner post on me. I was like, I ain't it. That just seemed fun. No.

It was, dude, it was freaking awesome. I'm hearing that you started training. I want to say Greg Olson was breaking down, saying you were training for this. I was legit training, and I thought I was killing it. And I was, I went and trained with these guys that were training for the combine. And they were running 10-yard sprints, and I was like, nah, it's gone, man. I would say, I would say you look good, man. You do look good.

He was moving, like he still looked good, bro. Yeah, you look good. Your physique's still the same? Hey, man, I might look good, but it doesn't be moving good. We were having a conversation earlier, and it was, in your opinion, Luke, who do you think deserve the 2013 defensive player of the year? I mean, he's sitting right next to you. You better gas him up.

Levante needs to be in. Yeah. And my whole thing about that, Luke, was just like I didn't get no recognition. about like four. Okay. You, I'm going to tell you is I talked, when I was,

we played you guys in Tampa this year, I was talking to your guys beat writer. Uh-huh. And so your beat writer is the guy that like bangs a table for you. Yeah. Yeah. And I said, when you get up there in five years and you talk about Levante.

Yeah. The only thing that needs to get talked about is what if his position didn't say OLB and it's an MLB? I told you. I guess, Dude, that's real, though. Yeah. Because let's be honest, the guys that get selected to go to the Pro Bowl in all pro are not off the ball linebackers.

It's like, the Marcus Ware. And like when everybody looks and it's like, oh, DeMarcus wore 12 sacks, they don't, they don't look at, literally look at nothing else. Yeah. So that's what I told your guy in Tampa was like, the argument needs to be Super Bowl champ. When you play 14 years? 14, yeah. He played 14 years. These are all his numbers.

Played with one team. Was a captain for this many years. And they're going to be like, well, he doesn't have this, this, and I would be like, that doesn't matter. He played. The only thing that was different was what his position said. Yeah. So I was telling them, you know how TD, me and TD used to talk about the same thing because we both was considered OLBs. And then I remember one time TD was like going hard about that because he was getting, he got, he got.

enough for the pro bowl some years because the old the outside linebacker thing with the airs rushing and stuff like that but that's a good point man I ain't like if my position price at MLB or regular LB instead of OLB I maybe it would have been saying something different right now the other thing too is think about like this is another argument too is you got when you got paid you get paid as an off the bow linebacker not an outside linebacker right yeah yeah yeah yeah you should be making 46 and a half like a You can sue the league now too. We're talking about how some dudes, somebody like sued the league because they were like an edge

rusher. But yeah, I mean, you're 100% right because everybody will lean on like accolades of pro bowls, all pros, not all the times that you got snubbed. But even you being, you were first ballot, right? Second ballot. And then Bobby Wagner's going to get in. And people always use those graphs where you're like next to them. Right.

Like that's the table that everybody always stands on because you were just. in a bad media market too. Yeah, yeah. You know what's the saying about that. Luke obviously should have been first ballot. Him and Pat Willis, in my opinion, should have been first ballot. But they probably got snuff of been first ballot because they only play eight years. No doubt.

Which is like crazy. But like in those eight years, those dudes was dominant guys in the league. So it's like, what are you guys really voting on? Are you really like you knocking people because they didn't play a certain amount of years? That's why they're not first ballot and stuff like that. So that's kind of like, it's just weird. You know there's just so many games that go on with them. Yeah.

Because obviously Luke, you're a first ballot in my hour. Yeah, all right, exactly. It's only what you're saying. Yeah, you know I care about you the most. But we were just calling the bust balls. We had a fan question. They were asking Levante if he felt like he deserved the 2013 the defensive player of the year when you got it.

There was a side by side. And I was like, let me give Luke a shout. Let me give him a show. It was, I think, I think, before it, I think. Yeah, and to Bogey's point, he was saying. Yeah, what was your stat line that year? I know you know what it was. Yeah, it was a 145 tackles, seven sacks, five interceptions.

That's pretty strong. That's pretty strong. Two force fumbles, two defensive touchdowns. 21 tackles for loss. Okay. Will, that's what you need to talk about with Avanti, too. Yeah. Yeah.

He was even alluding to it when they have the list, since they've kept track of the tackles for loss since like a certain period. He's the only inside backer to be in the what? Top 15? Top five. Well, top five, but on the inside. Oh, top 15. Yeah, the next one was what, Erlacker?

Brownler Lick, Rlecker. Yeah, yeah. Oh, we're going to be pounding the table. We'll have you, like, we'll have us. We'll have you within the media then. We'll have a lot of people. We're going to get the gold, we're going to get the gold jacket. Oh, yeah.

He's involved. Hey, Will, do you think, do you think Taylor ever blocked him? Taylor ever block you? He never got a hands on. I never felt Taylor before. Like Taylor probably had like, okay, I got to go up. to 5-4 but you know buggy probably slipped him he probably he said now we'll switch you away yeah you're the man Luke I appreciate you get back to me it would have been a

tough look see you bro this is a great dude yeah great dude man I've been a fan of Luke since college bro we got to call him back after to see what he was going to say what uh trim that part out but yeah man like Luke Bobby talk about uh lineback class bro like Like it's a scrone class. Like it's being brought up now. Who got drafted ahead of you, your class? So it was Luke. It was the, um, Dante High Tower.

Stud. Uh, Michael Kendricks, Zach Brown, Bobby, and then me. Damn, that is a strong class. Yeah. And then we had, um, the Mario was in that class. You had, uh, the Mario Davis. The Mario Davis. man me demari and bobby play on the same senior bowl team

man bobby was roommates in the scene bowl so that's how our relationship started he's a stud too man that's my guy like great dude bro because he's about to do 15 isn't he yeah he about to do 15 I want him I think he should do 15 I want him to break that record to tackle record I mean he's like he's built like an action figure yeah he's built like a inside back he's been built that way since his rookie year like nothing don't change

yeah you got them long arms like damn body like what should be doing in all season yeah um we were talking about you maybe diving into some media yeah uh yeah i think you know just to be around the game of football still just because i generally love the game of football i love sports in general but for me to like actually been a player and play at a high level and actually like played 40 10 years at the end of the game and kind of like give a little insight of you know what i see and stuff like that i think it'll be pretty cool for you know me to kind of like continue in that aspect and then i said i mentioned uh going to scouting maybe you know working in the front office role and stuff like that I

think it would be cool oh as far as the business side they're talking about yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah people say you don't think you be a coach I don't think I can get into coaching bro why not I don't know I don't know I don't know I like my time honestly because that's gone what you're doing for that yeah yeah I like my time but couldn't couldn't scouting be the same way I think think I feel like it would if like if you were in the if you're in the machine yeah I football I feel like with scouting bro I feel like if you're a college scout I don't know I mean I could be correct on it I feel like if you're a college scy I think it's more busy than being a pro scout

because college scouts you have to you know travel out and scout certain regions scout all these teams have all these drops and certain players but I think in a pro scouting I'm not sure there's just well I feel like in pro scouting they just give you a list of guys when this comes up the free agency and something like that, just study these guys and see who fit what I fit out of skiing and stuff like that. But what would you, if you were saying, you want to get into pro scouting?

What would be the end goal of you wanting to get into that business? I want to be a gym. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. There goes your life. I mean, I'll be a little older by then. I'd be, you know, I probably wouldn't count. But to climb to get there,

like think about the time commitment you had to be one of the best of all times. Think about the time commitment of anybody who's trying to be great at their craft. in football, like all the time you have to put into it. Like it'd be no different really in any job if you're trying to get like to the top. Like if you're really trying to be the best,

like you sacrifice a lot more than just whatever the structure is, let's just call it 9 to 5. Yeah, yeah. Like the 9 to 5 of being a pro scout. Right. Like if you were trying to eventually be a GM, like you're not looking at a 9 to 5 job and then you're just going to get promoted to when they be a GM.

Yeah. You'd be pouring into it in such a way to where all of your hours are dedicated to one day becoming a GM. Yeah. I think that talk, I have to have to talk with my family when that time comes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I haven't really think of it that deep, but it's something that I may venture into. Yeah, I feel that.

You got to think about the next five years, man. I was just talking to Wyatt about this. He's the new head coach in North County football. You got to think of what you want to be in five years. You know what I mean? So you didn't think about it that deep, but you got to think about it deep. Yeah, right. Just far I keep going, man.

Come on. You got to. Media-wise, though, you know, you. you know somebody that's got a few different shows you could spot on too. Yeah, I can. I can't pop out in Nashville a couple times out of the year. Yeah. You say where we get a Nebraska recap show going.

Tomorrow. You know, that's what I need to go. I need to go back to Nebraska. You need to pour into the Husker fans, bro. I do. They love you. They do. And it was a point in my career, like, you know, on Sunday night football, you say, or like, your high school, your college, whatever you say.

And it was a time. Like, I never said Nebraska. I know why. It was just no reason. Like, I just, I wanted to save my little league. Like, I wanted to save my high school. Yeah. Like, I wanted to say those things.

And, like, I didn't know it was, because I'm, I'm not on Twitter, right? So. Are you back on? I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. Okay. That's not me.

That's not me. That is not Levante. No, that's not me. So, like, I see, like, little stuff. Like, people send me stuff. And I see, like, like, some people, I figured out on Instagram, do this, you know, comment on some of my pictures of like do you hate the Huskers like why you never said in any of them I'm like but damn I didn't think it was that that deep or whatever it is for them

yeah but I got nothing blood for the Husker fans man I rep those guys every time do you want us to win a national title yes I do you got to understand the role that you can play into helping Nebraska out you think me speaking could help Nebraska win in the national yeah yeah well we're going to do it with Rayola to Nebraska really well I wouldn't say I got him to Nebraska but But like, you carry an influence. Yeah. You can bring eyes and attention to Nebraska. Like you're one of the best to touch the grass on defense, bro.

Yeah. I mean, we got a couple of Miami guys on the team right now. Vince and Shavers. I'm really tight with Vince. He's a stud. Yeah, he's a stud. I don't know Jacob Barney, but he's from down that way. Barney's a stud.

Yeah, he's a stud. So. But imagine, like, we're trying to recruit a guy. Mm-hmm. And they hear from Levante David. Mm-hmm. think what that would do to your sidekey if you were the recruit you're right you got a point you got a point um so when you were boosting them like all the young athletes who's like y'all

want to be like i want to be like fucking levante david all the backers defensive players you whoever you inspire right as a young athlete you you are this young athlete yeah who who is somebody you looked up to growing up i'll probably say Patrick willis Patrick Willis, let's just use him. But the way Patrick Willis moves, if he's literally on the, if he's on the hill, talking about Ole Miss all the time

and Ole Miss is in front of your face all the time through his influence on social, through when he speaks about it, you think like, damn, I want to be next Patrick Willis. You're in that spot for any of this younger generation. Like we're trying to win a Natty. You might not be able to

be on the field with them and make plays and impact the game, but you impact the game. in another way that goes beyond the field bro see this me being outside of football now for a couple weeks I understand that now I ain't know that yeah which at all funnels to the impact being made on the field yeah okay because we get laying a couple guys you got a good pitch come on you see hey that's legit though yeah yeah yeah I've been watching them been doing a really good job I love that they got you on the the

jumbo trum when you come out and stuff like I appreciate that could be you This couple times you fly in this year to Nashville to do bussing It'll be me and you making a hype video I don't think I could do it as good as you though When you got guys like this behind you Yeah They'll get you to do anything great

Yeah Did a really good job bro I'm proud of that man But I would say this I always seen Will Doing something like this Just because your personality Like when people would be like man

You know they ask me like Will your boy in college Blubb like yeah man that was my guy And like honestly I was no surprise that he He's like doing stuff like this, you know, you're, like you being generally you, you know what I'm saying? I appreciate that, man. I'm glad you didn't switch up a change.

Only thing you changed is your teeth, but that's cool. I had to, you already know I had to. At first it's like, everybody's like, damn, why did you change? Why did you get to the fake teeth? And now that we've gotten years removed, we're now like seven years removed. Yeah.

You look back at some of them photos, I'm like, God, damn. I was telling the boys, I forget who was in there, but I was like, Levanti was there when I gave like my first, like, speech in front of the, the team before that Iowa get instead of like my hands are sweaty yeah I was like shaking internally but we had some good times bro it was some great times bro it was that was that was a fun time

to be like college locker room ain't nothing like an NFL locker room no you're just in it in a different in a different way like in the NFL like when you're young you're you're assuming there's going to be like the groups of the young guys are working stick together guys are all dying for ball like it's the best. Yeah. Then you learn about vets who have families and it's just not like...

They can't get out with you all the time and stuff like that, yeah. Because you got to become unc. You got to become the OG or the old head who has a family or other priorities so you can't partake or run around with the fellas. Whereas in college, like you're all doing the same thing all the time together.

Everywhere we go, we all always together. That was pretty good moment. Are you down? Do you live close to the University of Miami? About 45 minutes away. We're going to be down there for the spring tour. Yeah, man. Next week, right?

I might, uh, I might, when you're down there, I might pop out down there. Eight, yeah, like the seventh or ninth range, I think we're on, because we're on in Notre Dame and then we'll go down to Miami. Yeah. So next Thursday we're down there. You know, all my homies, all my homeboys, they play down there. So sometimes they go out to the spring presence and stuff like that. So I kind of like, I like, we kind of like, like past couple years we've been going out. there to kind of like watch a practice or whatever so now true there my you know what to get you

going on this media on the media side uh I ain't trying to jump in I know you're not I'm not saying you need to jump into it yeah I'm just saying there's going to be a war coming five years from now yeah and then the years all following after that and there's only going to be there's there's what you mean by war a war Levanti David in the Hall of Fame oh gotcha yeah that's what I'm saying Yeah, listen, I'll be the guy that thinks down the road for you. You know, you and the other journal have been going really hard for me. We go hard, bro. I see, Jared.

I respect his game. It's good that he does because he got to play with you in Tampa. Yeah, the Gerald, my God, man. He, Gerald took me on his wing as soon as I got there, him and E.J. Biggers. You know. Bro, because I play with E.J. in Washington. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love E.J. my God, man.

Great dude, bro. Like, E.J. kind of like, you got me, found me my masseus, kind of found me my house cleaner, you know, stuff like that. So that's my God. man. Is he coaching still? I know he was in coaching for a little bit. I believe he's coaching. I believe he's coaching as I'm a mortar, North Miami Beach, and he do kind of like a little bit of training on the side. Got you. I love DJ, bro. Yeah. Great dude. How you feel about Mike Evans? He's still going. Yeah. Did that play into your decision at all? Teammates coming back if the team was going to stay together. Yeah. To play a 15th year for you, knowing that Mike was going to go and do,

do, you know, be with a different team? Yeah, I mean, I would say, no, it didn't play no effect. expecting my decision and all. And going to last season, I told Mike, it might be a chance that I, you know, retire at the end of the season. So he texted me back and said, man, let's make this one a great one. So, um, at first it started out great and then it kind of like ended a different way, but it was already on my mind that retirement was going to be, you know, a possible thing. And, you know, um, and then as far as the Mike thing, you know,

kind of surprising, I would say, but in a sense it's like knowing Mike, man, you know, know the competitive guy he is and you know how he is as a person i think you know mike was probably looking for a different challenge you know what i'm saying like honestly obviously you know he did above and beyond with time being in the community and for the team so maybe he just one was looking for you know different out and stuff like that you know um i told him congratulations on whatever it is you know his decision and stuff like that but to actually understand and know what he did i didn't get into that because i ain't you know i don't want to bother me he probably already taking a lot of slack and stuff like that.

People kind of like, some people, which is crazy, looking at him like, like, dang, man, you switched out on us like that. But you can't really, you know, you don't really, you don't really know what came into the decision of him actually, like, wanted to, let's just, you know, get away and, you know, try a different experience. Yeah, and as a player, too, like, I'm sure with, like, Mike, playing for the 49ers, it had to be, like,

a certain situation that he wanted to go into. Yeah. Where you feel like all this team could go the whole way? Not that he's saying, like, oh, we suck or we're not going to go the whole way. Right. But it's a play when you're making some of those decisions, especially late in your career. You're like, man, I really don't have a whole lot of time left. Yeah. And then you just get in the right, you see the right situation?

It's like, it's nothing personal. No. Like he's going to love being a bucking. He's going to probably come back and retire a bucking here. Yeah, exactly. And the end of the thing is, too. Like, it's not like he left the bucks in a terrible place. Like, the receiver room is a very, very talented receiving room.

Like, you still got Chris Godwin there. You got a mecca who emerged. You got, you got, you got a Tass Junction. you got J. Max still there. You still got a good core guys who can, you know, still, you know, keep that standing in that room. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, he's a beast too.

Yeah. Have we covered everything, boys? Do you feel good? We got a Bud Light question for you. It's the same Bud Light question you had last time. People will do anything for an ice cold Bud Light. Okay. And then all you have to answer is now that you're retired.

Yeah. Now that you're on the other side of it. What would Lavante do anything for? What would Levante do? anything for that's kind of like a crazy question can't say family Taylor that's a stipulation that Taylor has in there because you can't say your daughter yeah what would I do anything for for what like it can be anything bro last week cam Juergens Husker uh what was yeah he was just a sonic breakfast burrito he'd do anything for us on a rock bowers was a steak

George Kendall said a bud like some guys get deep some guys get deep Some guys don't. I'll do anything for an authentic Italian dish, Italian meal. Oh, okay. We were talking some Italian cuisine out in Italy. Yeah, I love Italian food. And like when we went on I went to Italy, like I was looking for those authentic Italian spots. And like the ones I did have was pretty good.

So like, I love experience those. I love experience of those. Levante David, a man with range. Come on. Come on. You guys got anything for him? Good? I saw Shirm's eyes were kind of off on the side like his brain was going for a second. It was thinking. He was thinking. I just love L.D.'s vibe. And both of these interviews have been really, really cool, really fun. Even so closely back-to-back, you'd think, oh, man, maybe we covered everything in the first one. Not at all. Like the story is super compelling. You're very fun to talk to you.

Appreciate you. You're awesome. Thank you, man. Appreciate you. Bro, you're the best, man. Appreciate you. Thank you for coming on, especially the week after.

Shout out, Buddha. I know you wanted me to come on and announce my retirement on here, too. But I try to talk to you about it, too. I think one day I text you was you going to the spring game a couple weeks ago. You did test back, but it was late. So I already had my mind made up. What were you going to text? Because if you're saying, hey, me asking if I'm going to the spring game,

my response is going to have to do anything. It was going to lead in. to that because I thought about going to the end was the spring game this past weekend right yeah because I thought of like hey would you going to go to the spring game and stuff like that and then like I was because I wasn't initially going to say like my retirement until the end of the month but like my mind

was kind of like made up already I was like fuck it I just get out of the way but I was going to ask you and talk to you about it like hey what would the optics be yeah but then I probably was going to shoot you down anyway though you'd be honest honestly it doesn't surprise me you gave it to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over bus some of the boys

fucking bullshit. You did. Well, I felt like I was really, I had you where I wanted you when you asked for those tickets at the Cincinnati game with Buddha. Yeah, you did. That was one.

Well, I didn't think about it until after the fact. Yeah. But I was like, oh, I kind of did him a solid right here. I didn't ask no questions. We'll get you the tickets to Buddha, your agent. Yeah. I knew nothing other than you're my boy.

You're seeing if I can get you a ticket for your agent. Let me see if we can make it happen. Capitalize all that. Yeah, and then once it happened and I was right in the car the next day, after we had a tight win. I was like, I need to spend this because this could be LaVante's last year. And I texted LaVante.

I was like, you know you're in my hip pocket now. Whenever you retire, you have to do it. Don't bust some of the boys. But we got you a week after. Yeah, man. All love, man. I appreciate you, man. I appreciate you too, bro.

You know, it's all love, man. Always and forever. Yeah. How big bill doing? Big bills is good. Big bills jacked. Yeah. Yeah.

Big bills jacked. Okay, okay. He's proud of you. He loves you. He texted you right away. Wy and Cody, they're both good. Cody's gearing up for a bachelor party. Wyatt is now the head coach of North County, or old high school.

Louis. You know, he's always mess with Wyatt. Yeah. Now he's the head coach, bro. Yeah. So we've been talking. Yeah. We've been strategizing.

Tell them I say what's up, man. I will. I will, bro. But love you. I appreciate you. Big hug, tiny kids. Thank you, everybody for tuning in. This is Buzz with the Boys.

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