Bussin' With The Boys - SPRING TOUR: DJ Uiagalelei Talks NIL Deals & Benefits of Transfer Portal + Why Patrick Payton Is Ready To Run It Back vs Georgia

Episode Date: April 18, 2024

Recorded: March 27, 2024 | In this episode of our 2024 Spring Tour we sit down with two of the BIGGEST names on Florida State's roster, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and defensive end Patrick Payton. Delanie and DJ are from the same area in California and immediate hit it off. DJ talks about what it was like transferring from Clemson, his conversation with Dabo, life before and after NIL, and his expectations for the season. Patrick hops on the pod right after DJ and we get a look into exactly how he gained his notoriety so fast. Let's just say you have to be a different breed to do what Patrick did in his first game. Florida State is in good hands with these two leaders going into the 2024 season. 0:00 DJ Uiagalelei interview starts 1:20 Journey from Clemson to Florida State 2:10 Playin pre-NIL and post NIL/Transfer portal 3:00 Why he chose FSU 6:00 Nervous to tell Dabo he was trasnferring 9:00 The bad side of NIL 15:00 Playing against Deion Sanders ---- 18:46 PATRICK PAYTON INTERVIEW STARTS 19:00 Playing at Miami Northwestern 20:00 Being named 2022 ACC Defensive Freshman Of The Year 21:00 Mistake of entering the transfer portal 22:30 Not telling coach he was going into the game his freshman year 24:30 Reaction to missing the College Football Playoff 26:30 Georgia game was a fluke 31:00 Smelliest guy in the locker roomFor more, visit barstool.link/bussinwtbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Dewee what? DJ Ui Ui Oonga Llelea. Ui Oonga Llea. DJ introduce yourself to the podcast, man. No, thanks for joining us. Right before we popped on, it seems like you guys grew up in similar areas, Delaney, he takes great pride. Oh, yeah.

He takes great pride. Pride in Pomona. Pomona? You know what it is, bro. Stop playing. So he was like, I bet you he's not from Pomona. I said, look. I said, no.

I said, look, he grew up. I said the page we got said he was from Riverside. He said he ain't from Riverside. I'm going to ask him, you're from the town, you're already going to know what's up. And he do know what's up. He said, no, my grandparents grew up there. That's what he said. My grandparents lived there.

Oh, my dad. My dad's brothers. I'm my uncles. Yeah, they grew up in Pomona. Yeah. I lived there for a couple of years in my grandparents' house for a couple years. Oh, no shit? I said it from the Aene, Illinois Empire.

Yeah. Talk about, I want to get into right away, because I feel like you've had a fascinating journey starting at Clemson. You were like, you were the man coming out of high school. You go to Clemson, transfer to Oregon State. Now you're transferred to Florida State. Talk us through, like, the process of now the transfer portal and your kind of journey of going from Clemson, the Oregon State to now Florida State.

I think honestly, man, it's nothing that I would have thought of when I was coming out of high school. Like, that's what I would have been at here at Florida State. I would have been at three different colleges. But, I mean, I think at the end of the day, I think that's part of the journey of what guys have for me. I think that's the blessing in it. I learned a lot in my five years being here in college. And for me, man, I'm happy to be here at Florida State. I'm excited for the next journey.

But it's been a blessing, man. Guys put me through some trials and tribulations, some good, some ups and downs. But for me, man, I've been able to come out of the fire on the other side and just learn through the times that God's giving me. So I've been blessed. When you were at Clemson, that was like the pre-NIL era, right? Yeah.

That was right before the stuff set up. Right before. I think my last year. Talk about how that's kind of just developed over time. Because you obviously wouldn't be here if the transfer portal and all that stuff wasn't going on. Talk about how like you've witnessed it all kind of come to life. I think it's been crazy.

I think NIL transfer portal, I think for me, man, NIL has been a blessing. I think it's been huge for me. For me, man, to be able to take care of my family, be able to make extra means for my family, be able to pay rent. be able to pay for different stuff for my parents, mom, dad,

and different stuff like that. So for me, NIL has been great. I mean, that's something that I would have never thought of that's helping my family out a lot, help my life out, made my life a lot easier. And then Transfer Portal, I think it's something that's been, for me, man, it's been beneficial. I mean, if it wasn't for the transfer portal,

I wouldn't be able to be here at Florida State. So for me, man, I'm super excited about my time for this next year of Florida State. I'm thankful for the Transfer Portal. I think it's a great tool, as long as people use it the right way, but I think it's great. So what made you come back to the ACC, though?

Leaving in. Yeah. That's a good. It didn't come back. For me, man, I feel like Florida State was the best fit. I feel like Coach Norval, Coach Toakarts, Coach Atkins, everyone here on the offensive staff, I feel like it's the best fit for me. I felt like the offense played to my tools and my strengths

for what I want to be as a quarterback and what I do as a quarterback. And then also I feel like Florida State, man, I feel like they're on the rise. They had a great season last year. Should have been in the playoffs, in my opinion. But I feel like, man, everyone's here hungry to get a national championship.

win another AC championship and that's what I want to do man I want to be able to come here and win be able to get developed be able to be a great player under coach norville why don't uh why why didn't it work out with Clemson I think there's a multitude of things I think for me man it was a blessing I think coach devil think all the people there my boy coach streeter my quarterback coach and all the guys that were there but I think it was just it just didn't work out for I think it was great at times at times I was there I think things went well but obviously things didn't work out to how I thought it would and probably how everyone else thought it would at Clemson. So for me, man, I felt like I wanted to go somewhere else and just go somewhere different.

So that's why I ended up going to Oregon State. Do you feel like it was like a clean break? Clean break? I think so. For me, man, I wanted to start. I wanted to go somewhere. I wanted to go somewhere. I want to do something different in offense, learn a different scheme.

And for me, I want to go do something different. I played my strengths better. Us being in our age and not being able to experience the portal, like when you do hit the portal, what is the feeling like after leaving a team, do they feel like you turn your back on them? Like, I mean, what's that feel like after the guys do in the locker room? I mean, honestly, when I left Clemson, it was tough because, I mean, all those guys, I was there for three years.

So the coaching staff, the guys, support staff, all my players, I mean, all those guys, I was boys, I was tight with them. I mean, obviously, I didn't want to leave, but it was also like kind of like a business decision like, man, if I want to be able to get to be my best, I need to leave. You know, I need to leave the situation. And it's tough. Like, I mean, when you're on a team, you're putting out tons of working with guys every single day. Like, you're out here in the summer, putting in work in the summer, this spring.

Then the season comes around doing everything with your teammates. You're around the guys. So you're bonding. Like, you guys are close. Like, it's a brotherhood where a lot of people talk about on the locker room. I mean, you guys know being in a locker room is like, you're super close. So leaving that part, it's tough. But you obviously knowing your heart, like, it's the best decision I got to do.

But, and depending on how you are as a teammate and as you are as you are as a player, I think the locker room, that team that you're leaving, I think it shows like, if the team's okay with you leaving, like, man, you know where DJ go be your best, like, do your best wherever you go. Or some cases is like, man, I forget that dude. Like, man, we ain't want him here anyways. I think that depends on, I think that shows what type of person you are and the type of character that you left on that team and then the people around you. Yeah.

So did you ask for their blessing when you did hit the portal? Like, I just want to know, like, do you go and talk to them? Like, I'm about to, I'm thinking about making a move. Yeah, I'm like, yo, you know. know, it's not working out the way I thought. I wanted to know, I'm going to do this anyway. I just wanted to let you know and see, like, what your blessing is. Because we didn't get the experience it, and I feel like it's a great opportunity for players nowadays.

Because you do have that opportunity. 100%. If it ain't going the way you like or they fired the quarterback coach and you get a new one in, he don't like you. Like, it gives you that opportunity. Yeah, no, 100%. You know what I mean? I think my first time when I told, I called dabble and let him down, like, hey, man, I want to, I want to, I'm probably going to enter the portal.

How nervous were you? I was definitely, yeah. I know. Like, yeah, I was definitely nervous. You know, that's not a conversation you want to have. It's not an easy conversation to have. It's like if you're trying to, like, you're a head employee. You want to, you know, you're talking to your employee.

Or like, you want to, you go talk to the boss. Yeah. You know what, man? I think I'm leaving. So, I mean, that conversation was, it wasn't, it wasn't the easiest. But I think Coach Sweeney, he understood where I was coming from. And then obviously he didn't want me to go. But he understood.

He understood what the place I was at. So I appreciate Coach Sweeney for that. making that conversation a lot easier than a lot of head coaches would instead of screaming like like, no, hell, no, you're not going to leave. Yeah. Not going to leave me. But he made that easy and he understood the process. Indeed.

We need absolute transparency. We live in the world that we're all, we all love capitalism. We all love making money. We all love having all of our decisions. After our careers, everything revolves around, you know, what are they paying here? What are they paying there? Since you are somebody who has experienced the pre-NIL and now the NIL for what it is today, like when you're making the decision to go to go to a school back when you when you first went to

Clemson back when we played you're like looking at is it a football factor you look at all these different facets of of why you go to school how does that change like how much more does that like maybe not mean as much with the whole NIL like is it more financially driven yeah when you make your decisions now when you are doing the portal in the NIL and everything else I think high school I think is definitely different I think I mean it depends I think I it all depends on case-to-case scenario. I think it depends on the athlete, what it means.

Like some athletes are like, hey, man, obviously everyone, their goal is trying to get to the NFL and get developed in college and go to a great place or you go to get developed. But in IL, it's also a plus. You know, it's like, hey, you know what?

I do want to make some money. I want to be paid for. Like, in some case, athletes, like, hey, this is what I feel like I'm worth. Like, this is what I want to get paid for. And colleges will pay money out there. So it is blessing and stuff like that. But I think where it gets tricky

is where people just want to, to go like, hey, I want to go here. Like, I just want to get paid. You know, they're just going money first. At the end of the day, where you make your real money is when you make it to the NFL. You know, like this money in college only lasts for a short amount of time. You know, you're not making the big bucks where, like, all these NFL players, you see they're signing their second contracts.

Some guys' third contracts are making hundreds of millions of dollars. Like, that's where you're not getting paid that much in college. Like, that's where you make the real money. So when you're going through the process, I would say, in high school, you're still going through the same process as you were before NIL. You're looking at where you're going to get developed. where's the best fit for you as a player and where you're going to be able to shine at to where you can be able to make the big bucks in the NFL and be able to be ready.

I think that's how. And then does it like in your brain as an athlete, does, say it checks all those boxes, then does it kind of like fall in a range of what a team might be willing to pay for them to meet all of the standards that you're kind of going through in your head? I think with that part, I think that comes second. You know, obviously, like when you're going through it, you're picking the team and then whatever the money is, I think that's a bonus the end of the day. I mean, you also, you also, I mean, it's also a business, so you want to be able to be paid what you're worth.

Like, you don't want to get cheaped out on anything. Just like the NFL contracts, you know, like, man, like, this is what I'm worth. Right. Like, don't come out here with some bull with some bullcrap and tell me I'm not worth this, you know? Yeah. So I feel like it's also, it's like the real world. I mean, you got to be able to, you got to be able to conduct yourself as a business person and also as athlete at the same time. Yeah.

I'm always so fascinated by that. Me too. Because there's such a different, like, they ultimately, they're in the shoes of like, like, like, he was just saying. Because when we're choosing the NFL's, if we're choosing an NFL team and free agency, where we feel like we're getting compensated the best. Or if it's a way better fit or a winning team, then right there. You might take a little less money. You might take a little less money.

Like that's what our decisions are based around. But with them too, I almost feel like as a college athlete, you do have to like try and stay like, I guess, true a little bit to like, where can I develop and be a better human being, a better? Because they're like, you know what I mean? They're young. Well, I mean, once you stop performing at a high level, them NIL deals stop.

You're only getting it because you was a top high school athlete or you that college athlete. And they paying you for that reason. And sometimes I feel like young athletes don't understand that. Like, yes, you are great. But once that performance drop, them NIL deals drop. And they won't pay you.

It's just like the NFL. Once you don't perform at a high level, what, you get, you're gone. You can cut. It's no different than free agency. When you're in the poor, it's no different. Like, you're like, you say, said, like if you're going to go somewhere and take the best fit, like, yeah, maybe it might not be a little bit less money than somewhere else, but like at the end of that, it's the

best fit. You're going somewhere where you're going to be the best fit to where you can be able to make a lot of money. So that's where I think it is. Because sometimes I feel like when they do give you all that money, they expect you to perform. 100% right now. Right now. They're, yeah, they're, they're, forking it up. Right now. Like first rounders, if they don't before they get two years. After that's tag a year, but they're gone. Yeah. They go. They're You feel like the locker room overall has, like, shifting a different mindset with all the, with all the NIL and guys understanding who's making what coming here. I don't know if you guys do.

Like, I don't know if it's, like, public knowledge. But do you feel any shift at all from when you were first in the locker room in Clemson to your last couple of years? Honestly, I don't think so. I think it depends on the team. I think some cases you hear some teams, they might get, they talk about like, oh, man, like this guy's making this much. Like, why am I not making that much?

But I think when you're in a brotherhood here, like, a Florida state, I think everyone understands like hey man you make you like this is your money make your money but like at the end of the day man you come here to work you know no matter how much money you make know how much money you make off the field like man at the end of day you got to come in here perform you got to come in here to the list like you're not missing no workouts because you make an X amount of money or you're in the porto you made this much money like you're coming here to perform like there's a standard to be met each and every day no matter how much money or if you make no money here so that's why i feel like at florida state there's no difference with how much money say everyone makes like there's no

difference with NIL with before and since I've been here. It's like it's your brotherhood, man. You come here to work. There's a standard to be met, know how much money you make. And you know what? I'm doing some research on you. Like, if these guys don't know, like, you really care about football because you did, you were drafted by the Dodgers as well, correct?

Yeah. Yeah. But didn't sign the contract. Yeah. Yeah, didn't sign the contract, though. So that just shows you, like, dedication to the football. Like, even though, yeah, we know you got a great NIL deal, but you could have signed a with baseball too and had a contract as well with them but chose to play football strictly.

So that says a lot about you that how much you care about the game. And the money really doesn't matter. You just want to be in the NFL. And I know your family, that's what they want to see you doing. Oh, yeah. And that's why they work so hard to get you to where you at. You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

No, that's well said. Everybody's curiosity is so high with all this, all the NIL stuff. And I was crazy, man. Because you have like a, you have a unique case. and journey because you've kind of been in both worlds. And you're going, this is your fifth year, yeah? Yes, fifth year. What made you leave or transferred from Oregon State?

Did a coach leave? Man, our whole staff left. My head coach left. So after our last game, the next day, our head coach, he ended up taking the job of Michigan State, Coach Smith. So when he left, my quarterback coach, my tight-in coach, my Oline coach. Big reasons why you were there in the first place. We had the main reason why I was there was the whole offensive staff.

And, like, when he left, the whole offensive staff left. And he was an offensive guy, my quarterback coach, lineman, offensive line, my tight ends. And that's the best damn near the whole offensive staff left. So I'm like, dang. Like when that left, and then the PAC 12, like, not having a conference anymore or not, that's being not in a conference anymore. Like, that didn't help as well. Yeah.

And I was like, well, shoot, man, I want to be able to compete for a national championship. I didn't know, like being in a, you can't, without being in a conference, like in a big conference, like ACC, Big 12, Big 10, and the SEC, it's kind of hard to compete for that national championship. Very hard. What was that when the Big 12 kind of got blown up? I'm going to be at Pac-12. It was crazy.

It was in the summer. I mean, for me, I grew up on the West Coast, grew up from Southern California. I grew up a SC fan. That is crazy. Years of me watching football, the Pac-10, the Pac-12. Same. Just get dispersed and just leave. It was crazy.

Yeah, but I mean, you're in a greater opportunity to have success by going to a national championship being here, especially after what they did last year. 100%. We'd be excited to watch and see what you. you do definitely when we found out I was interviewed I'm like that's my dog yeah no I know I met you bird but I was like hey I found out a couple minutes more like yeah Delaney Walker I'm like oh for real Delaney Walker yeah Delaney was fired up yeah I was fired out like yeah I'm glad that you got

to do this interview and we got to meet you and talk to you man yeah I like everything you're doing so you know we wish you the best I appreciate you find this stat real quick y'all didn't play uh i can't if y'all played colorado last year we played colorado last year we didn't win and lose we won they won they won that game they they they still remember they's Colorado i remember Oregon no Colorado's they start falling now that you when do y'all play that at what point they played them like towards the end of the year I got you I got you because if you all played them earlier I'll be curious like all the everything that was kind of coming with Colorado prime and everything else like crazy man mentality going against and be like,

you know, you're like wanting to take everybody down. Yeah, there's hella cameras on the field. That's all I remember. Like, I got to the field and it was packed and like cameras everywhere. Like hella media. I was like, damn, it's crazy. It's a constant show.

Yeah, constant show. It was wild. I ain't never seen that many cameras on the field. It was wild. Like following players. It was crazy. Following players? I think they had Kirk Franklin there.

I was like, they had hell of celebrities. Kirk Franklin. Like, oh, shit. Kirk Franklin came about that. I am. They can't have Kirk Franklin come out. I'm like, oh, damn. Like, that's hell of fire.

Kirk Franklin? Yeah, they let a lot of, yeah, they let a lot of stuff. Yeah, they let a lot of dudes will be like doing their vlogs and stuff. Oh, it was all type of celebrities on the film. I'm like, yo, they let celebrities on the field during the game. Yeah, no, that's what the, I was the most shy of like, man, who's coming to the game? I'm like, who's a celebrity's going to be at the game when we play out? Who next?

Your thoughts, your thoughts on not making the college football playoff? Are you guys? Yeah, obviously, I wasn't on the team. I think, I think honestly, I think they should. should have made it. I think that sucks. I mean, when you go undefeated... You don't think they should have made it. Me here? He wasn't here. I think they should have. You just probably sitting back like, oh, damn sucks. They didn't get in.

I think it sucks. I think I knew, I mean, I know in Florida State being here. I'm about saying, man, you're putting me in a tough position right here, man. You're trying to get me in trouble. I know. Man. You weren't room for them. Yeah, I'm about to say, he's putting in a tough position. Yeah, no, we always got to mess with people every time. But, uh, yeah, I mean, my situation.

With that, the Florida State situation, you know, it was a tough one. No quarterback, I think that was a big play. Well, yeah, it was the play. That's what I'm saying. That was like the top two guys, the top two cats went down. That's what I'm saying. So that hurts you. I think that.

But you know, Alabama is the Alabama Bowl. Yeah, I was just hoping. I wanted Michigan to go down. And so in my subjective personal opinion, I thought Alabama was a, more of a viable option, a healthier option, to take down Michigan. So it was nothing against Florida State. Nothing against Florida State.

Nothing against you. You just didn't have... Trust me, I wanted y'all. Yeah, I know. That's better, though. I'm glad they're doing that because they realized they jacked Florida State. So they was like, we got to put 12.

Yeah, no, that's an unfortunate situation. And don't go. And don't go. Like, I mean, what else are you supposed to do? You know, even with an injury with Jordan Travis getting hurt, like, man, when you win your conference, without you're starting.

quarterback i mean that's got to say a lot yeah that was an unfortunate i mean yeah yeah was a tough situation but hey thank you man we really appreciate you coming on bro appreciate you're fired up to watch oh yeah we got to come out we was uh we was out last night we we hit the uh township i don't think he goes to that type of stuff though you might have heard about it so we just let him know i just said township he like what he don't go to that stuff i tell you he don't do that stuff man he's just being the uh he been yeah great a great athlete, yes, yes, sir, that's who you. Do they, Miami and Northwestern, do they make you watch the year of the bull before each season?

No, they don't make you watch it, but you watched it. You watched it, yeah. It's a stable, yeah. I watched it, definitely watched that. That show was crazy. You are, yeah. Yeah. How are the shower post-game meetings?

Are they a little different now? Yeah, a little different. Well, I was there with Coach Max and it's basically the same. He can't move as much. Like, Coach Max, he was a defensive coordinator on those videos. He was the head coach when I was there. But he was exactly the same when he came to scream and the cuss and all that. But he couldn't really slop people, you know, running around.

He can't really move as well. Did he ever try you? Yeah, everybody. Everybody. Everybody get it. I remember one time we was, after like our first two games, we was in the gym. And he was going player for player. Like, even all the star players,

on the team. It was me, camp catchers from Miami to safety. Ramello Brinson, he's telling everybody what they're doing wrong. He came to me. He said, Patrick, I don't care how many touchdowns you school. You still ain't doing that to this year. He was on those type of players. Everybody respected him.

Yeah, everybody respected. Everybody respected. Everybody respected. How did it feel being a rookie, defensive rookie of the year for the ACC? It felt great because, like, just going through the season, I didn't even know I was had a chance to even win. I was just trying to play and just put my name out there and make plays for the team.

And at the end of the season, Coach Noveira called me. All the coaches just called me. I woke up one morning. I thought I was in trouble. But everybody called me. They congratulating me. And I just felt great. I felt love from the Seminole family and everybody.

Yeah, that's what's up. Like, they come out, be rookie, defensive rookie of the year, ball out, do what you do. And then to come back, you know what I mean. and still be successful here. And, you know, we got to talk about it because we heard about it, but the portal, why did you mention the portal

after having so much success here in Florida State? It was a personal matter with, like, us and my family when it came to certain stuff with NIR and all that, but I had to put my mind to it just knowing that. The N.I.L. really is at the next level, for real. And I love Florida State. So it was like, I know it was a big mistake on my behind. Like, when I think about it someday, I'd be trying not to think about it.

When I do think about it, I know I messed up money can to that. Because you remind me, guys, so you, you, Florida all day, like being here in Florida State, not too far from your family, but I understand what you're saying about situations with your family, and you got to do the right thing for your family to be successful. So I understand that. When we read that, I just wanted to hear it because you just, she was like, no, I'm not hitting the portal. I'm actually going to stay. And I see that as a big thing because you look at some of these players that's coming out of Florida State right now,

top 10 draft picks, dudes moving up and they stock. And you are one of those guys that's on the board already has been, can be in the top 10. You know what I mean? If you, you know, keep doing what you're doing, practice your craft and be successful as you are here in Florida State. And I see that just by watching your film and the way you go out there and play the game. Yeah, man. And how quickly do you feel like you were acclimated to the game speed or being out there on game day coming from Miami Northwestern?

You obviously played at a high level in high school. But how quickly did you realize like, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm still the same cat that I was. I was still the same cat, and I'll be able to catch on this stuff quick. It was really the year I won the AC Ricky earlier. We was playing against Louisville, and I know y'all know, Cheraverse, the deep thing. He had got hurt.

And so when he got hurt, he just came off a big game to LSU. So everybody looking at him like, oh, he's the guy, he's the guy. Like, even I was, like, that's still my guy to this day. But he had got hurt, he had a little minor injury that he couldn't play for the rest of the game. And I just knew, like, I knew something, they needed somebody to step up at the time. And I hadn't even asked my coach if I was in or not. I just went in. And I made a play on the first very play I was in.

It was a screen. I ran down the screen. I made the play. And that's on my mind, it just slowed down with knowing like, okay, Pat, you. you got this. And I just went on the rest of that game. I just made plays. Then the next week came, and then I just went on from there. Just started getting more reps. Just started getting more rest. You ran in and nobody was even saying. Nobody said nothing. He just, I looked at him. I said, I'm in. And I went in out there. And then the next week, I had got my first sack. And then I just

went up there from there. So what you had, 28 solo tackles, seven sacks, two force fumbles, several P.Us. Yeah, like, eke. Yeah, as a freshman. Yeah, it's a bad. I mean, hey, that's what you want to see. When somebody go, the hell are you going to game? Yeah, that's what I want to see.

Disrupting the ball like that? Right. Come on. You was nervous when you first went in? A little bit, yeah. It was a big game, too. We were playing Louisville on a Friday night. Yeah, everybody watched her.

We was our first time we're in the all-white uniform. Yeah. I was a little nervous. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Take us to the moment where you guys are all sitting around watching for the college football playoff and Florida State doesn't get picked. I mean, it was very heartbreaking, just knowing like we worked so hard from January all the

way to December just to try to show the world what Florida State football is all about. And it really hurt me because of my own main man, Georgia Travis. I know he felt like in the moment, like everything was his fault. I knew what he was going through the first few weeks he got hurt. Like, it was really because of him because, like, I knew he felt like, oh, if I never got hurt, we was gotten in the playoffs.

That's what it really was on my mind. I knew it was hurt for the whole team, too. But I just felt so bad for Jay Tride because it went to his fault for real. Right. It's just football. That's so true. What he just said is kind of true,

like to be that player and didn't hear everyone say that's the reason why they didn't get in. Yeah. Yeah. Like, God. Did you guys have an inkling that y'all weren't going to get picked? I mean. Or did you guys feel confident?

I feel like we felt confident coming off the Louisville game because our defense, we played so good. And we had a true freshman out there, quarterback. Respect the block game, it was just first game really out there. You know, a lot of kids can't just go out there as a quarterback and just go out there and just play, like Joe and Travis on their first game out there. And our second screen quarterback, he got a concussion in the Florida game, too. So that just made our defense play so good that game. So knowing that, that was our mindset. When we're going to these playoffs, if we get into the playoffs,

we just going to play as hard as we can on defense. If they can't score, they can't win. And that's what we did. We held Louisville six points, two field goals. And that was really high mindset. That's really how that scenario went. Starting quarterback go out. Second string quarterback, concussion.

start a true freshman and the Louisville game. AC championship. You get what I'm saying? Yeah. Mm-hmm. And it still get overlooked. Yeah, yeah, that was a tough. I'm sure it sucked.

It does suck. I mean, from hearing it from name mouth, it sound even worse. Just because it's like the result is ultimately out of your control. Nothing you can do. And you know, y'all went, what was it, 12 and 0? 13 and 0. 13 and 0. That was the first time. What happened with the Georgia game?

George game, I felt like it's just, Georgia know, the Georgia people know that. We had our four teams out there. It would have been a complete different game. We just had, it was really how many starters on the D-L-L-L-L-L-D line? Yeah, on the D-Line, it was one starter. That was me. And then linebackers, we had, oh, we had D-Lo one starter. And the DB only one starter, Shaheen Brown.

And the same thing was for the offense. It's just all our guys felt like they had to go put together their training and get right and stay healthy for it when they come for their pro day and drive time. So I respect them boys for doing what they have to do because that's them boys' career. But that's all that. I mean, because y'all kind of looked at the game as meaningless pretty much

because they're like, we should have been in a national championship since we're not being in the national championship. We're about to go get ready for this draft. And I understand that. And that was probably like a team-discipline. decision because I like that's how we heard it was like a team decision we're like oh yeah we're not gonna play so And then Georgia came out with that mind said oh we should have got in too so we're gonna show the world Yeah, we're gonna show y'all what we're gonna do to Florida State to get in with with their whole team right so that's it was just it was just a I wish we could have had our whole team against him they was out of talking trash all like I was just couldn't even say nothing because yeah

You could have been like next year bro yeah like What's going to say, bro. Watch what we do next year. Growing up in going to Miami Northwestern, what were some of your favorite schools growing up was Florida State, your favorite? And that's who you wanted to play for? Was it Miami? Was it crazy.

Florida State wasn't my favorite. I used to like Miami. My daddy was biggest Florida State fan ever since I was able to talk. He'd been talking about Florida State, Deon, Sanis, guy like that. Even when they won the national championship, I watched the game with him. been, his dream was for me to go to Florida State. It don't matter what sport I played, whatever. He just wanted me to come play for Florida State.

I really was a big Miami fan growing up. Just because growing up in Miami is right there. You see it every weekend. Your grandma got it on, Auntie got it on. And then what's crazy is, nah, my whole family don't even wear Miami. Everybody wears Florida State. But it was a, yeah, it wasn't really a dreams. It was a junior school just knowing it's in Florida.

Right. But it was my favorite. Were they close in your recruiting process? Like were you close to going to Miami or somewhere else over Florida State? Not Miami because I guess like no disrespect to the new coach style, but the old coach style, their skiing was a little different in their positions. They seen defensive ends as like outside linebackers, like stand-up linebackers. So I guess they didn't really see me as one of them big interior detail because, you know,

I was very skinny and stuff like that. So there's no disrespect to like Mario Cristobald or not enough because I'm knowing like he's a big. Like, he recruits a lot of people down there. So I know if he was at Coach, it would have been a little closer, but, nah, they didn't really recruit me at all for real. But your pops really was, like, Florida State. It don't even matter, like, all these other schools, Florida stays where you're going pretty much.

What we got on that Zoom with Coach Novell, just listening to him talk. Even if how bad our record was, he had the first got here, though, so I wasn't really paying attention to that. I was just focusing on the way he talked and how the way Coach Odell talked, because he was here for so long. But just listening to him on that Zoom, it just clicked.

Yeah. Yeah. What team in the ACC do you look forward to playing to most? This year? This year. I feel like it's going to be Clemson because it's going to be a big game. It's going to be a sword. It's going to be here.

And, you know, our new quarterback, DJ, I know in his mind what type of game it's going to be for him. So I know what type of game that's going to be when we play Clemson and when we play Miami again. Yeah. Yeah, that's going to be the two big games there. You got any other questions for him? No, I think everything you answered was great,

and we had a great time talking to you, man. I look forward to seeing you doing your thing. You're going to be a star in the NFL, man. Just keep your head straight and keep grinding. Do we have to do a Duke Cannon, like, smelliest guy in the locker? But it's nothing we got to hit in the interview. Who is the Smelliest guy in the locker room? Presented by Duke Cannon.

We'll get him right. we got to smell good as we brought the goodies. So what do you think needs it the most? I'm going to say you got to say he was one of the big guys, you know, the B-O-Line or D-Line. It's one of the 300-pound guys, but I feel like we got it going. We're good, but just for, I'm going to just say Julian Armella. He said across from me, so I'm going to say Julian and Armella. I'll take this phrase with Julian.

I was just trying to get you right. That's a free shout-out with no shout-out. just got free one. Pat, thank you, bro. This was awesome, man. I wish you all the luck in the world. And, yeah, I hope you become a monster in the NFL because we'll know we got to sit with you,

like right out of your ACC freshman of the year. But thank you, man, seriously. Thank you. Yeah, thank you, bro. Let's get a photo. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe.

I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. Nice. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it.

We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What would you eat if you had to start over? Real simple, poor man's, poor woman's food. Black beans, chicken, rice, plantains. On the podcast Eating While Broke, I sit down with celebrities, entrepreneurs, and creators as they revisit the meals they once relied on and the moments that shaped their journey. Named Best Food Podcasts at the 2006 IHeart Podcast Awards, the full season is available to binge. Right now. Listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.