Games with Names - Dola Does Dallas with Danny Amendola | Preseason Week 3, 2008: Texans vs. Cowboys

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

Danny Amendola is in studio! This episode is presented by Transformers! Dola makes his debut in The Nuthouse to talk Texas football, his early days trying to make it in the NFL, and a whole lot more. Danny joins us on the couch (2:31). We go back to August of 2008 (50:50). We profile these teams (55:40). We dive into the game (1:11:07). We score the game presented by Transformers (1:19:37). We answer your voicemails in this week's edition of The Chill Zone presented by Coors Light (1:25:48). This episode brought to you by TRANSFORMERS and Hasbro. The Transformers NFL converting helmets by Hasbro are available for pre-order NOW at Amazon’s Transformers Store: amazon.com/transformers Follow Transformers on Social Media: @TransformersOfficial on Instagram @TransformersOfficial on TikTok @TransformersOfficial on YouTube @Transformers on X Facebook.com/transformers  Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 40s and free agents podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Greg Rosenthal has prepared you for the 2025 NFL draft. We've told you what last year's playoff teams need to return to the postseason and how teams with new coaches should approach the draft. So as draft season comes to a close, we've got you covered before your favorite team goes on the clock. We'll break it all down once all 257 picks have been made. Listen to the 40s and free agents podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Yo, K-Pop fans, are you ready? It's your boy, Bom Han, and I'm bringing you the K-Factor, the podcast that takes you straight into the heart of K-Pop. We're talking music, idols, exclusive interviews, and even the real behind the scenes K-pop stories. Plus, you're the fans, you're part of the show. And you can get a chance to jump in, share your opinions, and be part of the conversation like never before.

And trust me, you never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K-Factor starting on April 16th on iHeartRadio Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This isn't just a podcast, It's a K-pop experience. Are you in? Let's go. Being a reality TV veteran star,

what's the difference between Dancing with the Stars, Special Forces, and Hard Knocks? And Hard Knocks. I mean, you've been on three. Yeah. Some would say that's... Well, I didn't win any of them. I mean, you've been on three. Yeah. Some would say that's... Well, I didn't win any of them.

So... But... I'm over three. No, but you did good. What's Jerry Jones like? He was cool, man. I didn't really talk to him other than when he cut me. Welcome to Games with Names.

I'm Julian Edelman. They're Jack and Kyler. And we are on a mission to find the greatest game of all time. This episode is brought to you by Transformers, a global powerhouse franchise owned by Hasbro. The Transformers NFL converting helmets by Hasbro are available for pre-order today at Amazon's Transformers store. On today's episode, we are covering 2008, week three of the preseason. Texans versus the Cowboys with two times Super Bowl champion

dancing with the stars finalist and my good friend Danny Amambrola. And we are talking, is Texas high school football really that good? The town stops and the people go crazy. What it's like to be the star of Hard Knocks? They don't get in the way at all. They do a great job. I love watching Hard Knocks. In a little transformer word association, what would Jordan Love be?

He would be like a Hummer stretch limo with a hot tub in the back. With a hot tub in the back with a hot tub in the back and then we hit the chill line with Dola For this week's chill zone brought to you by Coors Light always fun with old Dola You got to stick around to the very end Games with names of production of I heart radio August 22nd 2008 Texas Stadium Arlington, Texas. It's a preseason battle for the Governor's Cup in the Lowell Star State.

And a young Daniel Amandola is trying to keep that star right on his helmet. This is Dola Does Dallas. Welcome to Games with Names. Today we have a very special episode dedicated to Transformers and this little Transformer helmet, Dallas Cowboy helmet that turns into a freaking optimus spot Right there star blitz. I think his name star glitz and you know We were thinking who should we pair? on a Texas cowboy themed freaking transformer

Episode I was like fucking Danny Amendola. This guy transformed his goddamn career from dropping punts in preseason games to winning touchdowns and winning games in Super Bowls, making crucial catches, transformed, but he's also a Texas through and through guy. Born in Texas, played college football in Texas Undrafted by the Dallas Cowboys played for the Houston Texans

He's played for a mall. So Danny welcome to the NUT house. Once again, I believe this is your third time You were on one of our first episodes then we did a second episode This is our transformer episode dedicated to you, Dallas Cowboys and Texas. And we're looking at the preseason game week three of the preseason of the 2008 season between the Cowboys and the Texans, just crazy Texas everywhere. One sentence, why this game? It was just a pivotal point in my emotional, physical,

and career aspect of my whole life. Just it was the I was either gonna play football for the rest of my life or just get cut and get a job at Costco and ended up hanging on you know by a dear thread getting on practice squad for that first year and then kind of just held on for the rest of my career after that now is this the greatest game of all time I don't honestly don't remember a lot of this game. So We're gonna be watching this shit together. So well, I think it could be the greatest game of all time Yeah, let me butt in here real quick. Well, this is Dola's third time on games with names First time in the nuthouse First time in the Nuthouse.

First time in the Nuthouse? Yeah. Well, he's been in the Nuthouse, but he hasn't been featured in the Nuthouse. Yes, yes. Because you were in Vegas and then you were remotely. Yeah, oh, you're right. Now, is this the greatest game of all time?

It's the greatest. It's one of the greatest games of all time. We'll go down in the history books. Preseason, week three, 2008, a game never to be forgotten. It's definitely top 10,000. The Governor's Cup, come on, man. Top 10,000? They call it the Governor's Cup.

This is the Governor's Cup. This is. Every preseason they play. I don't even think it's preseason. Not every preseason. Cowboys, Texans. Anytime the two pro teams in Texas meet up. Because we always play the Governor's Cup.

It could be Rangers versus Astros. No, no, no, just football. So prior to this, it was Oilers to Cowboys. Gotcha. One of my favorite things about this game was we got, you know, it was one of my last opportunities to play in Texas Stadium before they blew it up. And there's so much history that the Cowboys have

had as an organization, one of the biggest organizations in the world, really, if not the biggest organizations in the world really, if not the biggest organization. I think it's evaluated at number one. Yeah. Jerry Jones knows how to sell a business. Yeah. Texas Stadium, did you, you played,

let's jump into that. You went to high school in Texas, the Woodlands? Yep. Shout out. You played in Texas Stadium in high school? Yes sir. Didn't you play in the Astrodome in high school too? Yes, sir.

Jesus Christ. And the Alamo Dome too. And the Alamo Dome. Yep. Just getting dome all over Texas. So much Texas dome. The trifecta. Now give us one cool thing of each of those stadiums.

I mean, Texas, there's nothing like the old school Texas Stadium. You see highlights of Emma Smith, Troy Aitman, Dion back in the day making plays. They hung a couple banners up in there too. So the tradition in Texas Stadium, it's a mecca for high school football championship games. A bunch of bowl games used to come through there. And you could walk into that stadium and you could feel the tradition.

It wasn't the prettiest site, but you know that there's been great football played there. And an old Texas folk tale is that they cut a hole in the roof so God could watch. And America's team. Right? I love that. America's team. So it was really kind of, it was the Mecca for high school sports. I played a three overtime game versus Tyler Lee in that stadium.

What year is this? This was 2003. 2003, this is your senior year? It was actually 2004, I think it was, am I? Yeah, it was- One of those two years, because football years suck. Yeah, no, it was end of the 2003, right before I graduated in 2004. But it was the 2003 year of the season.

Is this state championship It was a playoff game to go to the it was a semi finals So we're playing playoff games in Texas Stadium. Yeah. Yeah a lot of great athletes play there I mean anybody that's ever played in a big high school football game in Texas has has played in front of 40 50,000 people at Texas Stadium and and we didn't play our state championship game there. We played at Rice, but it was, you know, these big stadiums get packed, dude. My, I played in the state championship my senior year.

It was an all Houston final in Houston, and we had 50,000 people there. And it was the first time I really felt what a big game was really supposed to feel like. Wow. That's, I mean mean Friday night lights. It's real. Yeah. Now. What do you remember about the Alamo Dome? Where is the Alamo Dome the Alamo Dome is in San Antonio. You see the Alamo Dome in bowl games. You see it in a lot of College basketball finals have played the final for they just played the final for there a couple weeks ago It's it's it's kind of a basic stadium, but the city of San Antonio

fully supports and comes out to any high school football, college football game there, any basketball event there. And it's a staple in Texas as a premier bowl spot and high school game field. We opened up, they have the Texas football classic there every year. You open up the season, first game of the year there. We did that one year and we got the opportunity to play on TV, uh,

in the state of Texas at the Alamo dome. And again, another opportunity to kind of get your name out there, show your show, you know, the world, the state, what you can do and, and, and try to keep moving up the ranks. Such a Texan show the world. Now ain't no one outside of Texas in 2003 watching that goddamn game. Hey, you Texans, everything's about goddamn Texas.

That's one thing, Texas people do love Texas. Now what's up with the Astrodome? I played in the Astrodome my sophomore year versus Duncanville. It was a big game, another opener of the season, and you play these schools all around Texas that aren't in your district, you really have an opportunity to play

against a lot of great football teams. It was old school turf, dude, smelled like old beer in there. I used to go to Astros games all the time, watch Craig Bisio and Jeff Bagwell, and you walk in there, and the brightness of the turf immediately illuminates your eyes, and then you just smell that old crusty beer in the seats,

and you're like, this is what sports is supposed to smell like. You know what I'm saying? So you hit the trifecta. That's so cool. Yeah. What's it like growing up in Texas? It's all about football.

My dad's a high school football coach in Texas. I actually played against him in the district. So you went to a different high school than your dad's high school that he coached. And you guys played them. We played against each other. They were in our district. They're another really good team in our district.

How does that go down? It's cool, man. He was the defensive coordinator, obviously. I played receiver. You just W-ed all game? One, yeah. No, he beat us my sophomore year. Then we beat them my junior and senior year. He was the defensive coordinator. Obviously, I played receiver. So just WL game. One. Yeah, no. He beat us my sophomore year.

Then we beat them my junior and senior year. But he was out on the numbers calling out the plays. They're going, they're doing this. They're doing that. He's been watching our offense as I came through the ranks and my brother came through the ranks. So he knew every play that we were about to call. Why didn't you guys go to his high school?

Because I lived in my brother and I grew up in the Woodlands. All our friends were there in the Woodlands. That's where our house was. He traveled like 15 minutes south at the time to Westfield High School. And they were good, man. We went to the state finals my senior year. And then the next year, his team went to the state finals.

We both ended up losing that game, but really good teams. So the talent was there. Now how's the dinner table after your dad meets you? It was quiet, man. He humbled me early and got us. He had to get some good players. And then we got him my junior and senior year. I have one great memory, though.

We had an interception. Their DB ran down their sideline. I go to tackle them. We had an interception, their DB ran down their sideline. I go to tackle them, I get blindsided, blown up, and into the sideline, my dad catches me, and then throws me back on the field, and I go back and I'm starting to run this, try to ride this guy down, but he scored on it.

So it's just, I remember every game before we played each other, he'd come up, tell me he loved me, and he's proud of me, and then we'd go about our business and have fun for the next three, four hours. And then it was a great, it was awesome, man. Great, great memory. How bad did you want to beat him?

I was begging him to put guys on me that I knew I could toast. I'm like, give me Bobby, give me freaking, give me whoever, Billy, I don't care. I'm going to toast all of them. And then he put their best player, I think, I forget what his name, but he ended up going to play in college. And we had a battle, man.

They had some really good teams, so. Who were some good, like some big name high schoolers in Texas around the time you played that Play in the league I grew up watching Colt McCoy play Colt McCoy played in the played in the NFL for a long time Chris Obanaya played in the NFL for a long time running back against running back at Texas Yeah played out played for the I played with him in the Rams. He played in Cleveland for a while You know just a lot of guys that filter either through Texas Texas A&M, Baylor TCU, Texas Tech and

UT and UT. Yeah, UT. Yeah. Yeah, that's UT. You know, they they you know These teams got a lot of money now the NIL and they can pay to get the best players So wait up you grew up in Texas you go to Texas Tech. Did you want to go to UT? I wanted to go. Initially wanted to go to A&M. But I remember my dad came home. When I was a sophomore, I started getting recruited. And my dad said, you know, my dad had all this inside information because he was a high school

football coach in the state. He knew all the recruiters, knew all the coaches. And they would tell him, like, hey, we're not going to offer you Danny. Well, you know, and then some people. So he came in and I wanted to go to A&M because he had Dante Hall went to A&M Hit my dad coach Dante in high school. Sure. I grew up watching A&M going to Going to Aggieland College Station to watch them play huge Aggie fan wanted to go there and my dad came home one day He's like listen A&M told me they're not gonna offer you a scholarship

And they had already listen, A&M told me they're not going to offer you a scholarship. I'm too small. And they had already delegated a certain amount of scholarships out to their guys already. And they had commits, so I wasn't going to touch the field there. But he came home one night, and he said, Texas Tech's going to offer you. And I knew their offense, Cliff Kingsbury, Wes Welker, guys that Wes was catching 13, 15 balls a game and you know similar you know size and stature I'm like hey I can do that let's let's let's go so tech

offered me as a as a sophomore I committed as a junior and and I committed to tech before I even took a visit and now it's ready in this day and age so say like somehow Danny Amendola is playing right now at Texas Tech balls out his freshman year. Is he graduating a Texas Tech guy, or is he going to get NIL somewhere else at A&M or UT? They say, hey, here's the real money, kid. Get out of those minor leagues in Texas Tech.

Because I went to a 2A school. So you went to a AAA school. I went to a 2A school at Kent State, but we put up some powerhouses up there. So would you finish that Texas Tech? I mean, I'm loyal to tech. I can't imagine going anywhere else. I came from nothing though, money-wise. It's enticing when you got $2 million on the table, $3 million on the table. The decisions these kids have to make, thank God I don't have to make them.

on the table. The decisions these kids have to make, thank God I don't have to make them. But Texas Tech is my home. I have all my great friends went there, a bunch of great coaches came through, and I'm loyal to the red and black. So your dad coached Dante Hall, the human joystick. The human joystick. Has one of the most elite punt returns, probably the most elite punt return has one of the most elite punt returns, probably the most elite punt return that we all could just remember. Yeah. I mean, do, do, do, do, do, do. Well, how was he in high school?

Dude, he was crazy. He played running back, actually. And they tried to get him the ball in every play. And, you know, I remember, I was a ball boy when he was at Nimitz High School, and he was a senior there. And just getting to watch him go through Texas A&M, played running back there. They try to get him the ball in every play, and then he punt return,

kick return in college as well. So, dynamic player, he's great hands, obviously great body control. The transition from running back to receiver in the NFL was pretty easy for him. Although he excelled in the NFL was pretty easy for him. Although he you know He excelled in the special teams roles. He definitely contributed on offense, too So it's great to see him transform into a receiver. Oh, there you go. Shout out Hasbro, there it is. Shout out Hasbro. In one sentence, can you describe football in Texas? One sentence. One sentence. Texas, Texas education, let's see it.

Yeah. Yeah. The town stops and the people go crazy. Paint the picture Friday night at the Woodlands, rival town, homecoming, rival teams there. Paint us the picture of what the city and that your high school experience was. I went to California. Yeah. Bunch of hippies out here and stuff. Like our

football is really good, but we had 30,000 people coming to at least my school. There's some that float around, but I want to hear the Texas Woodlands, 2A, 5A, whatever freaking A you guys are. Yeah, I mean first off they put so much work in the offseason and and into seven on seven and and into you know offseason football and then they get into the season and then you the city shuts down the the town completely stops everybody comes out for your house no I don't I have a funny story I'll share with you after this. But it's all about the pride of the city that you're from

and representing that in the best way possible. And there's no better way to do that than football and on a Friday night. Then what's that funny story you had? So just to give you a little rundown on how popular, you know, sports in general, but in football is in our community. We have a community newspaper, just like a lot of communities do.

And I was 18, and I had my brother's fake ID. And I needed to go buy everybody beer, like on like a Saturday after the Friday night game. So I walk into the gas station. I got my brother fake I got my fake ID which is my brother's ID shout out Matt thank you and and I go to put the beer on the on the desk and I'm pulling up ID yes sir here's my $22 cash crinkled up one dollar bills and he goes I can't sell you that I'm like why not I'm like what do you mean you can't sell me that I'm clearly 22 years old and He goes cuz you're on the front page of the of the

He's the woodlands Chronicle over here Scoring touchdowns in high school, buddy get out It's not like we're Daisy confused where the guy looks the other way He's like, I was ready to go have fun, right but That's so sick So we had to find a new way that rocks. Is your mom go to your game or your dad's games? Oh mine Yeah, mama Dola mama Dola represents now. Yeah, how when you sign at Texas Tech? How, when you sign at Texas Tech,

you said Wes Welker went there, and you guys had the same body type. How big of a legend was Wes Welker at Tech? He, at the time he had, I came in a year after him, he had set the NCAA punt return for touchdowns. I think he had 11 or 12 at the time. And they, every time he'd get back to return a punt the whole Stands would chant Wes Wes when and he'd get the ball and go crazy caught like him and Cliff Kingsbury, you know I mean hooked up for I mean

Tens hundreds almost I mean as many touchdowns as you can think of yeah I remember watching them play, Texas They beat Texas on CBS at like a two o'clock game in Lubbock one afternoon And I said that's exactly where I want to go and I want to do the same thing You know what I'm saying, so it all derived from Mike leach's offense Rest in peace Mike great coach We had some nights with that we've called him. Oh, yeah hammered for oh, yeah four in the morning And Mike leach will sit and talk to us for three hours

Oh, yeah, that's the thing about my he would be at a time zone where it's like Yeah, you shouldn't be up. Yeah get enough Mike leach talk man. Mike leach. Tell us a good Mike leach story man Mike is Mike was one of the the toughest coaches. He actually got a lot of his Philosophies and ideas from bill. He loved the Patriots. He loved what he loved what they were doing out there and and he won one this is this is Bill you know in a nutshell he didn't think we were tough at the time so we this was in season bro like we had a start practice everybody had full pads on we had to we had like a 60 yard sandpit and we had to start one end and we had to just roll throughout the same as they sprayed us with yard sand pit and we had to start one end and we had to just roll

Throughout the same as they sprayed us with water and and and we roll doodles. They call that doodles Yeah sugar cookies And so we we get done with with the with the sugar cookie and we had to go the rest of the practice with sand In our shoes and sand in our helmets and sand it just so we wanted to toughen us up And and and you know, I mean at the end of the day, it's like, I got so much from that man, I can't even really explain. He was a great, great person for this sport. Now he's had some crazy shit happen,

but there's also some crazy shit with everyone. But he gave so much more than a lot of people. He was a fun guy, and his offenses always used to light it up remember he went to what he go to Hawaii Was he in Hawaii for a while with Washington State? He was in he was he was in it was at Oklahoma, Kentucky Texas Tech then he went to Washington State He and then he went to anyway to Mississippi in the Mississippi State You're doing like that're thinking of June Jones. June Jones.

Yeah. Also, and then they used to have. Yeah, same offense. Same style of offense. I mean, the hard part about that offense is there's no four minute offense. So when you get up by 21 and the third, and you're passing, say you go three and out, you don't waste any time.

You give the ball back, and then you got to play defense. So you have to and out, you don't waste any time. You give the ball back and then you gotta play defense. So you have to get up, stay up and keep it moving because otherwise, you know, it's hard to stay up if you don't have that four minute offense that we learn situationally in the NFL. Yeah, I need Kurt to learn situationally for our FIFA clubs team. Cause he always has us in attack.

It's like four minute, we're up two goals bro. Put us in fucking defend. Cause we give up these counter attacks and then we end up losing these games. So it's the same fucking thing. We're the Texas tech of FIFA. Just fucking keep it going. That is interesting about the air raid.

I've never really thought about that as like missing a four minute offense. Right. Running clock. Did you ever watch the movie or showed Friday Night Lights? Of course. Peter Berg. Of course. Of course.

Is it kind of like that? It's like that. That's so Friday Night Lights is based out in Midland, Odessa. And it's a that's a small, small town vibe. And that's really where you see the essence of high school football in Texas come come alive The city literally the I mean, I'm the stoplights quit blinking stop lights quit blinking little boards on in front of house Billboards in front of house statues on the highway There's there's one stoplight in the town and you know, the whole town really comes together for those games

it's great in the bigger cities the you know The high school games are are bigger but at the end of the day, you know, I mean in Houston, you know We got other shit going on too. Do you know that Ernie Adams is responsible for Friday Night Lights being in Texas? Really? How tell me tell me how well the the author of the book buzz Bissinger Bissinger originally wanted to go where? Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania He went to hand over with Ernie and Bill I think and he wanted to write it about Pittsburgh football and Ernie's like Texas they breathe football. Yeah, shout out Ernie. So Ernie is the reason why So Ernie is the reason why. Friday Night Lights.

Pink stripes at it again. Pink stripes at it again. Who are the big time programs in Texas high school football? And like, oh, Odessa hates this team, or this is the guy. California, we have De La Salle, Long Beach, Paulie, Oaks Christian, and all those things. You know what I mean? Where are the big boys at?

St. Francis and NorCal. Yeah. So in Texas, the biggest thing to learn is that the private schools don't compete at the highest level. It's all public schools, so there's no recruiting. You know, you can't pay players to come there, or at least you can't make it too obvious.

So that's the biggest thing to know. Kids are getting paid in Texas, in high school to go to high schools, or just scholarships? I mean, yeah, under the table there's things that have happened that gotten people into the schools and stuff like that. My dad used to pay this guy, Coop Leonard, like 400 bucks a semester if he got grades. Just because, and my dad used to drive him home every once in a while because

There is the late bus to EPA Yeah, and he said he had to go he'd have to take it to go work and my dad's like I'll give you 400 bucks you keep your grades. Yeah And so we used to pay players. Yeah, there's I mean, there's a lot of big rivalries there You know the big schools I would say, you know Westlake has Westlake in Austin has won three state titles in the past six years And that's big school You know, then you have Houston schools like, you know, the Woodlands is good. We got

You know North Shore Galena Park is one of the best they're always in the playoffs late What's the Dallas school? Dallas school is Duncanville. They got DeSoto. They got a bunch of them. Tyler Lee is really good. But big cities, usually it's rare to see a one city final. So usually it's like a Houston team and a Dallas team or like a San Antonio team and a Dallas team so it's rare to see in an all-city

final which which is unique when it does happen we had an all-city final when when I played it was it was electric because you you again you get to represent the state but most importantly the city too Which area is the best football? Houston. I mean, no question. Easy. Easy. I mean, I'll always rep Houston.

I mean, we can look at the numbers and the, I mean that Houston or Dallas is, is clearly, you know, is clearly on top. San Antonio is in there. Austin has been producing, has one or two teams that can really play Usually the what usually you see Westlake in there as well. So It's pretty much it. So Talk us through the food scene in

Texas is it a barbecue place? Yeah, what's up with this? What a burger? Explain that good thing right that yeah all right yeah I mean it's a barbecue state what kind of barbecue you know beef ribs brisket slow-cooked all night we saw see I mean you're so we I sauce it up so I saw it up. Now, your top two favorite barbecue spots in Texas? Terry Black's. Terry Black's, where's that? Austin, Texas.

The best beef rib you can think of. Love a beef rib. It's fire. Dinosaur rib. Sides are awesome, too. They're cooking all night, dude. All night. All night.

Franklin's Barbecue, Austin, Texas. Famous. Yeah. What about. All night. Franklin's Barbecue, Austin, Texas. Famous. Yeah. What about Houston? Is Houston, is the barbecue different in the cities? In Houston, I don't know too many good barbecue joints in Houston, mostly chains like Luther's and Rudy's.

I know more of the local spots in Austin because that's where I live, but sauce it up, cook it up. Now, what a burger. What a burger. Do you like that? No, I mean, the good thing about Whataburger is they have an open menu 24 seven.

You can get a taquito at three in the clock in the morning. They're open, you know, around the clock. So you can roll up. That's the best thing about what your go-to order. It depends what time it is. All right. The burgers are fire jalapenos. put a little bacon on that is good and then the taquitos all night are clutch. I thought you didn't you like that honey butter chicken biscuit?

Ooh. The honey butter. I've never had a butter burger. You've never had one? Never had a butter burger at all? Yeah the honey butter chicken biscuit was hard but it's like you know 1500 calories. at all? Yeah the honey butter chicken miss it goes hard but it's like you know 1,500 calories. Worth it. Is it better than in and out in your mind? No. Okay. No. Just had to at least we knew. Just had to confirm. What's the best thing about growing up in Texas? Hmm just I mean for me you know sports tradition you know play AAU baseball through 115 games a year, switch it over to football, play seven on seven state championship, bunch of great athletes compete against really good football players.

The basketball is great there obviously, bunch of track stars coming out of there. It's just overall aura of sports there. It just gives everybody an opportunity to come together and showcase what they can do. Can the best Texas high school football team beat a Division I shitty program? I just think in terms of size I mean they're gonna be undersized at the on line on the defensive offensive line I think the skill players could compete yeah yeah I think the skill players could compete

100% man strength. It would depend on the trenches. That's what that's what when people used to say back when I was like a kid yeah the Niners were really bad for a while they're really bad and they're like us it's when USC was really good Yeah, and they're like USC could probably beat the Niners And I like on that wagon until I played in the NFL is like yeah, no shot, right? I know a fucking shot. I know No It's just it's the lines. Yeah, they're gonna be able to run the ball all day and stop the run and then I mean again

No, look, they'd be there'd be it'd be competition. I think I think yeah I don't think it'll be a blowout But I think I mean the skill position as long as your quarterback in the O line are good at the high school level Like you can compete but other than that, they're just hand the ball off and run all day No, you grew up in Houston. Are you a Dallas Cowboys fan or a Houston Oilers fan? So I grew up a Houston Oilers fan. They moved to Nashville to become the Titans. They moved the Texans in.

I wasn't on the Texans bandwagon. That's when I started rooting for the Cowboys. And they were winning. They just got Dion. And then I was probably 10. Oh, so you're right in the prime. That was a good year. That was a good era for.

Oh, man. Yeah, they were they were rocking up in Dallas and it was it was exciting to watch him play good. Now. Take us through this. Texas guy football loves Texas because there's nothing but 115 baseball games in the summer to football state to a guy that goes in on Dancing with the Stars explain that transformation. Shout out Hasbro. Transformer. Unbelievable experience honestly. Had a

great partner. It was four or five hours a day of dedicated work, something new, something fresh. The footwork translated for me because of all the footwork drills we do. So I could pick up that. The hardest part was holding frame and then knowing what to do with the rest of your body

and kind of the little nuances of dance. But great experience, man. It really related to me in the football sense of, and you can relate to this too, it was a week of preparation for a minute of live, you're competing with yourself. It's only one minute? It's two minutes of dance, maybe.

It seems like forever probably. 100%, I mean you're thinking every centimeter through that dance but it was very similar in that way. You know, I knew where I was when it was a Thursday. I knew where I was with, all right, I got two more days to prepare. I really need to hone in on this.

Start putting some extra sauce on this. And it was really, really similar to the world of football actually. Take us through that last run. The final? Yeah, take us through the final. The final, man. At that point, honestly, like-

Were you, at that point, were you like kind of dialed where it was starting to become easier and easier? It was. You were picking it up? Because how many weeks in were you? Ten weeks into the final. You're ten weeks into dancing. Oh my gosh.

Five hours, four times a week. Seven days a week. Seven days a week. Yeah. So take us through that last, like, by then are you like, all right, now, were you feeling a little swaysy on you? You feeling like- I was feeling a little swaysy.

No one puts fucking baby in a corner, get her out, let's go fucking hit this routine right now. Let's go rip it. Because your facial expressions got better. I was scared- You transformed from better. I was scared. You transformed from that. I was scared to death. At the beginning you looked like a robot.

Right. And then I started seeing some theatrics from you. Right. So you picked up some stuff. Some musicality. Did my dad tell you that? Musicality. Son, you gotta have musicality.

And then he goes, his musicality's gotten really good. My mom and dad would watch him and vote a million times. Every fucking night. They'd set alarms, I was at the house. And we went and watched it, but I didn't get to always watch it. I'd watch the cut-ups, or I'd watch the dance. And my parents, I'm at my parents' house,

and all of a sudden a fucking alarm goes on. I'm like, what's that? My mom was like, oh, we got 10 minutes, we'll dance with the stars. It's 12 o'clock. We're gonna call right now because it's fucking on, like she's motherfucking because it's on the East Coast. And she knows the game.

Oh my God. Yeah, she showed love, she showed love. How fun was that experience? I mean, it was so cool to watch you. It was great. I think the best part about it was I got to maximize every dance, the whole opportunity. I got to be in there till the final and

And just learn so much I became you know so much more comfortable in front of a live audience and and you know at the end Of the day I was competing with myself The day before and I just wanted to get better than what I was you know doing the day before and then whatever happened on dance night what happened so You know I just try to worry about what I can control and that's and that's competing with myself getting better That was the hay was in the barn the hay was in the barn man I just got to go do is gonna go do it now Out of all of our teammates that we've played with together

Because it'll be more fun. Who do you think could go out there and win it? Oh I mean could go out there and win it. Oh, I mean, shoot. Gronk would bring so much energy to the stage. He'd bring a lot of energy. He didn't perform very well on the Masked Singer, but. He would. I mean, you can just kind of dial his skills in and hone in

and get his big ass feet. Matthew Slater says he thinks he could be a dancer. I remember he always used to say say it's just choreography, baby. Right. You think Slate could get out there? I think with just his dedication alone, we already know what kind of guy he is in terms of when he has a task in front of him. I think he'd actually kill it.

Yeah, he would kill it. I think we got to get Matthew Slater to do Dancing with the Stars. Oh, I like that. Let's go Cap. He's going to be a fucking hall of famer as a special teamer. Yeah. Let's get them out there, man. Let's see what that looks like. Yeah. So that quicks that over tango guy. Yeah, he would be great. He'd be he had to get his freaking, you know, chest out, butt in, you know, he had to learn the frame. Football players aren't built for that shit, bro. No, because're supposed to be, our fight or flight is hunched over.

You know, when bullets start flying, we're trying to get low. We got to, you got to really kind of stay back. You know what I'm saying? It's kind of like boxing. Yeah, exactly. You're leaning forward always to try to eat space. Yeah. Football.

Exactly. You got to keep space and dancing. Yeah. Ooh. That's bad. Are you ready for it? Let's go. Come on, bro.

Knees. I'm going to work with Let's go. Come on, bro. Knees, I'm going to work with this comp case. Can't do it. Who's the best friend you made on the show? Clearly your partner, but outside of your partner. Great. Whitney was all time a friend for life. Alona Mar is somebody I really kind of gravitated to.

From where? An amazing rugby player. My, Lily loved her. She's out in Europe right now playing rugby. Shout out, Alona. She, we had a lot, you know, we were very relatable, obviously, in terms of trying to hone in our strength on the dance floor. And it's tough as an athlete of competitive sports because, you know, you're trying to

fight just as much as you are trying to move. So it was hard, but she was a great person to be around. I took her to a couple workouts with me too. She's a beast, she's strong as shit, she's tough as nails. She's always talking shit too. I'll remember, though I was the first day of Dancing with the Stars, I was going to get like a coffee or something and we had just met briefly

and then we were trying to connect a little bit. She came over and just immediately started talking shit. She was like, you can't tackle me. I will mush your face into the ground. I'm like, listen, I'm not going to let you get close to me. I'm out. But great person, great woman gets to go. She killed it, yeah, she was awesome now. That was so fun to watch

I mean Danny invited Lily, and I we went and watched him and Lily was enamored by Alona yeah, like she's like she's like man. She's really good. She's she's a pro Yeah, it was a fun experience I felt like we were all involved a little just through you being involved because we were all on the text chains. And did you guys see Dola's viral dance thing? You do that. It was a movement, bro. How did that come to come to be that viral leg lift thing?

She came up with all the choreography. We had a really cool lift to end that dance that we thought was going to be like a showstopper. This one was really easy for her. It's hard to do if you're not a pro, but you know, as you, as you can see on Tik Tok, but she, she, she makes everything look so easy. And, and we actually, we, we, we practiced that early in the week and then we didn't, we stopped practicing it because it kind of hurt her back a little bit. So we're like, we'll just mark that. We'll come back to that on the live show and just rip it. Now, being a reality TV veteran star, what's the difference between dancing with the stars,

special forces, and hard knocks? I mean, you've been on three. Yeah. Someone say that's... Well, I didn't win any of them. So but I'm over. No, but you did good. You did good. You did good.

Yeah, I competed my ass off on all of them. I took away a lot from from each, you know, opportunity dancing was a little less strenuous on the body and the most enjoyable. The Special Forces thing was absolutely crazy. And then everybody saw Hard Knocks when I got cut on national television. But I plan on doing some dancing in the future. My football and Special Forces days are completely over.

So what's the next show you're going to do, Traders? Yeah. Hatchler? Hatchler? We need to get some, I want to get on the Cooking Network, get with Chef Aaron May. Hey! You know, I want to get on, I watch Food Network all day.

I think I'm saying bro, the great British Bake Off, so I'm going to have to get a couple pointers for reality TV from you. That's perfect, that's perfect, absolutely. Just be yourself bro. People are going to love you. I'm cussing so much. I do live TV for a living as well.

Right, right, right. So there's modes. Right, right, right. There's modes, there's podcast mode, and there's TV mode. TV mode, you got to be in TV mode. Now transform into many modes. A lot of modes and a lot of rules.

And speaking of rules, you see Raeble's four rules that he gave to the Patriots. No hoods. No hoods. No cell phones. No snow phones. Be on time. Oh, be nice to the,

be nice to the everybody in the building. Be respectful. And what was the fourth one? Don't be late. Don't be late. If you're going to be late, call. Yeah, don't be late. You know what time it starts.

I mean, those are like the same rules for everyone. Also the call, if you're going to be late. Don't be late. Call. Yeah, don't be late. You know what time it starts. I mean, those are like the same rules for everyone. Also, the call, if you're going to be late, seems like. You need to. Just in case. Right, yeah. If you're going to be late, you got to call. And you're going to get fined. Yeah.

Now, no phone in the weight room. What about the aux situation? Ox gave up. Well, they said you could put it on the aux area. Oh, there was? OK. I didn't aux area. Oh there was. I saw it. You guys could leave your cell phones right at the area. Yeah I love what he's doing out there man. You know obviously I love Gerard, great teammate and coach. You know Vrabes is an established coach in the league. You know he's been there for a

long time and he brings a lot of great qualities to the organization. I'm excited what he's gonna do. I'm super excited the league you know he's been there for a long time and he brings he brings a lot of great qualities to the organization I'm excited what he's gonna do. I'm super excited too but you know it's it is a weird situation for us because we both played with Mayo. We both played with Mayo yeah and we both are really friendly with Rabe's right like we have relationships with him and you feel terrible for Gerard, who only had one year, and they didn't pay anyone, and they didn't bring anyone into the team. Right.

Correct. And now, but like also, Mike Vrabel brought Ryan Tannehill in the Tennessee Titans to the playoffs as a number one seed. He's a championship two. Ryan Tannehill. Right. I love Ryan Tannehill.

He's a great quarterback. I have to take that, but he's not a great quarterback. I have to take that. He's not a great quarterback. I gotta take that back. He's a good quarterback, but he ain't one seed. You know what I mean? So I'm excited for this situation and there's going to be some gray. There's going to be some Patriot foundational shit that he had as a Patriot that'll be there that you know that I like. Right. Probably just a little.

I think I've. Evolutionized. Yeah. Well, I think I think you know, in the case of him bringing Ryan Tannehill over, you know, I played with Ryan and he's a great football player. Great football player. You know what I'm saying? And I think I think Vrabes saw that in him and a lot like your situation.

You're a great football player. You can do a lot of different things. And I think Vrabes knows and understands if and a lot like your situation. You're a great football player. You can do a lot of different things. And I think Vrabes knows and understands if you're a great football player, then you're going to give our team a good chance to win. And I think the more great football players he can collect, as opposed to like, you got a guy that could just run fast, or you got a guy that could just do this or do that,

then that collection will be overall a better outcome. Now, I'm not killing on Tannehill. Right. But I'm saying we have a huge sample size of work of what he's done. Right. You know, we played against him a boatload when he was in Miami.

Right. You know, to go to Tennessee and resurrect his career and really be one of the first guys that had this, didn't really make it as a first rounder, go to somewhere else and kind of flourish in this generation. I think Vrabel's going to be great for the Patriots. I think they're going to make the playoffs this year. Ooh, I like that.

I think they'll make the playoffs this year. Let's go. Who do we got in the division? We got the Buffalo Bills who are the big dogs. Miami is a train wreck right now. Miami is a train wreck. Yeah. Everything, you know, you're, yeah, Miami is a train wreck.

And then we have the New York Jets. OK. And I like Aaron Glenn, and I like what he's been doing. But I don't know. Also got the Giants this year, the Raiders, the Panthers, Browns. They have, wait, so what divisions do they have? They have the South. They can win all those. NFC South, AFC West. No, no, no. So what, what uh Ravens Bill's been. So Ravens Bill, so they have the South for AFC South because they got the Browns and the Ravens. Andills, and... So Ravens, Bills, so they have the South for AFC South

because they got the Browns and the Ravens. And then what was the other division? What are the other teams? So it says Bucks, Saints, Giants. So South, so you have both the Souths. Yeah. So you're getting, I mean, the Bucks are going to be good. You can't sleep on those Panthers.

They just had a sneaky foundational year. Right. It wasn't like a good year, but it's a foundational year. Right. Where they were a dangerous team and Bryce Young starting to look good. Who else? You got Bucs, you got Atlanta. They're gonna be kind of hot. Well, it's still question marky because are they gonna be that much better with Pennex when they needed to really they couldn't stop anyone right and the offensive line was kind of I like Pennex though I just didn't like that move so they're playing the AFC North the north and the south yeah and then and I see south and then they got the Raiders as the like 17th game well

because they're the last pick or wherever they finished in the vision, they play those other two. Yeah. They're three. And then this is the new 17th game Raiders. Josh McDaniels revenge game. Josh McDaniels. So no more coaching Raiders.

No more coaching for now. For now. For now. You know, it's it, it was a great experience. And I got to see the, the, you know, the sport from a different side. What'd you learn? I mean, it's, it's cutthroat in there. I mean, in terms of evaluating players, and, and, and really just looking at every hole and everybody's game, like you try to do the most you can as a coach, but at the end And really just looking at every hole in everybody's game.

You try to do the most you can as a coach, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to being a player. I loved coaching. It took up a lot of time. And as a job, it's a little unstable in terms of unless you have the continuity of the head coach being there for a number of years, it's a little bit unstable as a job profession. And I sure as hell love floating in my pool on Sunday

and drinking margaritas. What are you going to do about the Instagram though? I know I'm going to have to get one. There's no more game day shots. I have to get some game day shots. I think we still exist. We should do a Danny and Dola Page dedicated to just tunnel shots and we move you each week to a different tunnel and you take the tunnel shot

I like this. That's a good idea. I like flat Stanley or like Damn Daniel. Remember that whole guy. We just do a damn Daniel Every time I got doing a tunnel walk in like somewhere, like he's playing, but he's really coaching, but he's not even doing both. Right. There's a lot of stadiums in Texas, a lot of high school stadiums you can go to. It's true.

We need so many good high school connection or content. Yeah, we can get it done. We'll start a high school football in Texas podcast. Let's get it going. Call Matthew or Kanye. Ooh, all right, all right. I like that. All right, all right, all right. I like that. All right, all right, all right, all right.

You guys ever cross paths down in Austin? I see him at the HEB every once in a while. What's the HEB? That's like the grocery store. Oh. It's the best grocery store in the world. Just because it's in Texas. That's in Texas, I was gonna say,

I'm not familiar with that one. It's in Big Two. You respect HEB. Shout out. Yeah, Rogan and McConaughey live in my neighborhood. No way. I see him at the grocery store, it's amazing. Dude of theughey live in my neighborhood. No way. It's all I see him at the grocery store It's amazing to the mothership Ben. Yeah, Tony I was watching that last night on Netflix. Yeah, it's great. You guys give us a little high sign or at least now

I have to move and I don't know about him. I like it. Yeah He saw me Since this episode is sponsored by Transformers, let's do some Transformer alt mode word association. Alt mode is when you are in your non-robot form. So these guys are robots that can transform into helmets. Helmet would be their alt mode. Think of Soundwave, another old Transformer.

Boombox. Boombox. Laser Beak, Electric Guitar, another old transformer, is all mode, boombox, laser beak, electric guitar, Optimus Prime, big old semi truck. So we're gonna have a little fun here, featured in this series are the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, all featured.

So we thought it would be fun to do a little word association for alt mode of some stars of each of those teams. All right so what would they be in their non-robot form? What would be their equivalent to the boombox? What would Jordan Love be in his non-robot form? Oh he would be you know he's smooth he's you know he's crafty he would be like a Hummer stretch limo. With a hot tub in the back? With a hot tub in the back. So you think- Tricked out from West Coast Customs?

Jordan Love gives you Hummer stretch limo, hot tub in the back. That's right. I was thinking like an apple. Maybe a piece of fruit. An apple. What about like a block of cheese? Yeah, a block of cheese or a bratwurst.

I like stretch. Can you go with the Hummer stretch? The electric version? Electric. Ooh. Yeah, yeah, smooth as a smoothie. EV Hummer? Right there.

EV Hummer? What about CD Lamb? Ooh, he's quick. Man, he's easy. It doesn't have to be an electric. It doesn't have to be a card. Just to let you know. Yeah, I like cars It can be fruit or cheese. City lamb. City lamb. Play off the lamb a little bit. Think of like a fighter jet or something

Yeah, F-35. Yeah The new F-35. Yeah, F-35s are sick. The new one. Yep. Shout out USS George Washington USS George Washington shout out to all the Sailors men and women that are on there's like five thousand. That was a great experience We met every one of them every one of them awesome got to hang out with them cap cap So yeah, I would say I mean he is like an f-35 stealth We don't know the patents behind it because right it's legal. Right. 200 million, $300 million airplane. Each, and he's like that.

He's worked like 400 million now with his contract. He could literally get an F35 if he wants. Taxes. Hey, but you're in Texas. Hey, you're in Texas, yeah. Texas, yeah. Still, you got 13% of federal. Yeah.

Yo, if AB can roll up to training camp in a hot air balloon. He should roll up in the turbo tax over there. With my tax refund, I got an F35. All right. CD lamb, F35. What about Travis Kelsey? What do you think, Jack? Kill a Trav.

You remember Twisted Metal, Yes. The ice cream truck? Yes. Yes. That's Travis Kelsey. That's Travis Kelsey. That is true. Twisted Metal ice cream truck. Oh, yes.

But it has to be kind of blinged out. Yeah. The ice cream truck's got to be kind of blinged out. Yeah. Yes. Got sweet weapons. It's got sweet weapons, but it also has, like, a TV in the bumper. Sweet rims. Sweet tires. That was he always wears cool shoes and shit. He's got sweet weapons, but it also has like a TV in the paper sweet rims

That was he always wears cool shoes. Yeah, he's got a cool fashion So this thing's gonna have like maybe some spray paint on it and shit. Yeah, I like that. Yeah. All right last one To the new Pittsburgh Steeler, ooh DK Medcalf Okay, DK Medcalf transform to DK. I mean's big, he's strong, he's fast as hell. I think a monster truck. I'm thinking Gravedigger. Gravedigger. Yes.

I like that. That's a sick monster truck too. Yeah. The like, the old bourbon, right? What was it? An old bourbon? Yeah. Bigfoot. Bigfoot was just a...

Bronco or a F2? That was just a truck. Yeah, just a four. Gravedigger's so cool. So we got DK Medcalf as Gravedigger. We got CD Lamb as an F35. We got Jordan Love as a stretch. EV Hummer.

EV Hummer stretch. Limo with hot tub in the back. And Travis Kelsey is the metal gear. Twisted metal. Twisted metal. Ice cream truck. Ice cream truck, with some sick rims and awesome weapons.

Please say. Fuck yeah. That's sick. You just bodied that. That was good. You can rent Jordan Love for proms also. Shout out Transformers. The Jordan Love is available for proms.

It's available for proms, Jordan Love's all mode. The Transformers NFL converting helmet by Hasbro are available for pre-order today at Amazon's Transformer store fans Amazon's vast selection includes a dedicated Transformers store available at Amazon.com Transformers the store features over a hundred Transformers products including Amazon exclusives and great value with special deals

You'll also find the hottest including Amazon exclusives and great value with special deals. You'll also find the hottest new items inspired by the NFL. Prime members enjoy fast, free shipping on every order. So let's let's go back in a time where this game took place. August 22nd, 2008, young babyface Dola with a whole lot of collagen when I was watching that heart hard knocks a Lot of collagen number one movie was Tropic Thunder. You probably couldn't make that now Disturbia by Rihanna love Rihanna miss Rihanna we need more Rihanna Well, I'm hitting the old catalog with Lily now. Yeah, so like umbrella work Freaking she's going hard started young baby Pittsburgh Steelers

Were the Super Bowl champions Peyton Manning was the MVP Florida Gators Florida Gators who was on that team Tebow Hernandez Florida Gators who was on that team Tebow Hernandez Right Percy Harvin Pouncy's, honey ham Pouncy, bro. Hella good guys upstanding citizen team And then Sam Bradford who you played with Shoutouts on the Heisman won the Heisman great player play with him the Rams Offensive rookie of the year offensive rookie. Youookie of the Year. He could absolutely spin it.

He could spin it off. Yeah, he could absolutely spin it. He just could never stay healthy. He had three ACLs and... I remember that. He got hurt in the championship game. Yeah. Towards ACL and still went one.

Yeah, tough player and great dude. His sleeves. Native American. Baggy sleeves guy. I always loved that about him. Yeah. He had a little, like, anytime a pro. It's like Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe was full Native American Yeah, he's like one of the best athletes of all time Yeah legend and he was like the last guy to get paid paid off the rookie. Oh, yeah crazy contracts

Oh, he was last one. Yeah, right. Yeah. He was the last one to get the Non-slated rookie contract there. It is well said all like it was what 60 million guaranteed. Yeah. He was the last one to get the non slated rookie contract. There it is. Well said all like it was what 60 million guaranteed. Yeah. Yeah, I did. What was Danny Amandola like in 2008 in 2008? Oh, a wild man on and off the field. But I've grown up since then yeah, we've grown up since then but we're not that young we're not that young What was the playlist in 2008? pregame ooh Your biggest game of your life to play professional football This is your prof. Do you have some wires and I had the wires. I probably had an mp3 player at the time I don't even wires. I probably had an mp3 player at the time I don't even know I mean probably Skrillex or something heavy. Do you risk your skrillex kid back in the day banger ring? Yeah, you get your juices flowing just did you have it like a ed Hardy t-shirt on no head Hardy no head Hardy, but

No Ed Hardy, no Ed Hardy, but questionable music taste for sure. Everyone liked Skrillex a little bit then, right? Oh yeah, he goes hard man. And then he changed, he had a complete identity change to a DJ didn't he? Or was that someone else? He transformed. He transformed. Wow. I've always known him as a DJ, but good DJ too.

Didn't he do something else? Didn't he change though? It didn't go dumpster and then he went to regular It's not sure movie month by the way step brothers I have a press the dark night all in the same month man. Yeah box office was popping. Yeah, that's Bernie Mac passed away I've been happy 30,000 Legend bro, who's some of your favorite comics right now my oh of your favorite comics right now? Oh, um, Schultz.

Schultz is new. He's funny. It was so good. It had me rolling on the ground the other night. Andrew Schultz, man, he's fucking hilarious. He killed the Thros too. Yeah. Good dude. All those, every comic, I don't know if my algo

is messed up, but I see all the ones from the roast. They're all like killing it right now. Killing it. They're're all doing it was so fun and honor to get to go and hang out with those people yeah crazy yeah Tony Tony's good too he's an awesome native yeah Tony's great he's so funny he had I saw him at the Super Bowl and I he's crazy yeah what he says in front of people 100% He said doesn't turn it off. He doesn't turn it off. I know he doesn't turn we shared if we shared a fight back from the Super Bowl and we were hung over and miserable and

He's fucking hilarious, man What's what's the best Texas movie of all time Dazed and Confused? Friday named lights Everybody wants some hell or high water hell or high water. No country for all men. You and confused, Friday night lights, everybody wants some hell or high water. Hell or high water. No country for old men you could throw in there probably. Yeah. They filmed that. Landman's out there now. Landman. How good is Landman? So good. Geez. Billy Bob just doesn't miss. He don't miss. Taylor Sheridan? Don't miss. He doesn't miss. John Madden also broadcasted his last game this year.

That Super Bowl. He did. Steelers. Cardinals. All right, Jackie, let's jump into this preseason freaking barn burn. We can do this quick. Let's do it, baby. These Texans will start off with these Houston Texans.

Eight and eight. We're in the second year of the Matt Schaub era. Gary Kubiak. You got a 29- 29 year old Kyle Shanahan running the offense. Wow. 29. My goodness. And also, we alluded to this earlier, just their seventh season in existence. We started out a little slow, 0-4 this year. And this was a pivotal year, their first ever appearance on Monday Night Football. That's big, big day in Texans history. And this was a pivotal year, their first ever appearance on Monday Night Football.

That's big, big day in Texans history. A lot of future head coaches on this as well. You got Kyle Shanahan, you got Matt LaFleur as an offensive assistant. You got Mike McDaniel as an offensive assistant. And you got Robert Sala as a defensive assistant. Hall of Famer, shout out Andre Johnson. Steve Slaton was a rookie this year. This was a fun team, but not a particularly remarkable Texans.

Mario Williams, remember Bill used to come over, he went to the Buffalo Bills. Yeah. What did Bill used to call him in the team meeting? All right, you gotta be watch out for Big M. Didn't he call him Big M or something? Super Mario. He called him, hey, watch out for Big M. Did he call him like Big M or something? Super Mario. He called him, hey watch out for Big M. This guy. He had like a nickname out of everyone in the world. Mario Williams had a fucking nickname from Bill Belichick.

Yeah. I never heard him call anybody. But he called him Big M or something. I want to find out. Remember that though? Yeah. Big M. He would wear the M in the Super Bowl and our Superman and maybe that's what it was Yeah, this guy's a fucking problem. He was huge, bro He was big also just from this team to Mika Ryan's was an active player on this and that another future head coach man Good a lot of a lot of brain power down there This let's get into these Cowboys here a nine and seven Cowboys team

You had Wade Phillips leading the way. Jason Garrett, before he was head coach, he was OC of this team. Just a second year under Wade Phillips, and we mentioned it earlier. Texas Stadium's last season, crazy man. From 71 to 08, coming off a 13 and 3 season, which ended in disappointment. You had the whole Tony Romo going to Cabo with Jessica Simpson over the bye week in the playoffs. I forgot about that.

Remember that he brought Jason on a boat. Yes. Cabo man. Flum snap. No, that was different year. This was the Giants didn't even get to Flub snap. That was what it was six. Yeah. Yeah. So that was different year. This was the Giants didn't even get to flub snap. That was what it was six. Yeah Yeah, so that's before this so he's not even taking it that serious

After that bad bro, Tony Romo. Let's go bad, bro I remember I only this was like the season for guys to take fucking first round by trips because remember Odell did it if you Let years later. Yes, dude. I remember Bill always fucking referencing these things like look We're not gonna be going to fucking Cabo this weekend. It's a fucking business week. Get your health, right? Right, you know, I mean get your mind away from the game But we don't need and then we had the whole hyperb thing. We had to have a hyperb anytime you went on a boat What is hyper? It's like a fucking GPS thing, remember that? Right, right.

Oh, right. He gave us a 45. After the four NFL dudes that got in the, they got stranded on a boat, and like two of them died, right? A couple died, I think. Oh yeah. Yeah.

So we had like a 45 minute presentation about hyperbs and God rest their soul. That was terrible. Um, but every time I go on a boat now, I talk to them. Do we have this thing got hyperb? Okay. Water safety is no joke, man. Water safety is no joke. And, uh, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the scene was featured on hard knocks, had some notable off season moves, brought in Martellus Bennett, who was a rookie this year, traded for Pac-Man. Terry Glenn was cut in camp with some knee issues.

So that's kind of an old school Patriot guy there, RIP. And this was a team with some Hall of Famers, man. T.O., Demarcus Ware, Zach Thomas? Texas Tech. What a beast, bro. I was watching this, young Marty B young Marty B Who who'd you hang out with on this team? Pac-man

Pac-man's my guy dude. He we me and Pac went to T. O's birthday party one year and we had an absolute blast I love Pac-man. He's one of the most authentic souls and Coolest motherfuckers I've ever met We hung out. We had our lockers were right next to each other. So we shared a lot of stories together man. It was great Did you ever make it rain with Pac-Man? I never made it rain with him yet, but we'll probably make it happen soon. They're like a late drizzle A light drizzle. A light drizzle.

I was out there throwing quarters. That's a heavy rain. That's a hail. I made it hail with Pac-Man. He's throwing hundreds. I'm throwing quarters. Now, I watched this, the hard knocks. Yeah.

Jerry brought you in. Yeah. How was that a little experience you you were very Courteous you put that you were sweaty sweating bullets a nice towel down on his couch. Yeah, just to get cut man No, it was I mean Hard Knocks does a great job They you don't ever really notice them and camp obviously you'll have like a couple master interviews once a week They'll bring in there, but it's it's on you know football time where it's like it kind of blends in really nicely they don't they don't get in the way at all they do a great job I think I love watching Hard Knocks. What's Jerry Jones like? He was cool man I didn't really talk to him other than when he

cut me and I didn't say anything but yes sir so you know I mean he runs one of the biggest organizations in the world and you know he's searching for some more Super Bowls so. Did you ever smell the egg big muffins being delivered to his office? No I didn't I tried not to go up there I try to stay out the way and not be up there obviously you see what happens when you're in his office usually it's not good. Who was the coach that you hung around? Did you have a coach that talked you off the ledge? You're a rookie.

You're trying to make the Dallas Cowboys when they're, they were still, they were, they're the Dallas Cowboys. Right. You're a Texas kid. Who was the guy that? So I mean, I was on practice squad. So Wes Phillips, Wade's son ran the practice squad team.

I was going up against Pac-Man and Terrence Newman and Roy Williams every single day. And trying to compete my ass off every single day, try to make as many plays as possible, try to get better and try to make the team every single day. I had a lot to prove as a young player, and Wes Phillips was somebody that really brought me along. And kind of helped me transform, shout out Hasbro,

from the college player to an NFL player. Is this really America's team? I mean- Do you guys feel it? Were they giving tours to you while you were playing? It's a big organization, man. There's fans coming through. Every training camp is packed out, huge fan base. Everybody in Texas loves them. Is it America's team?

I mean, it is nothing like winning Super Bowls for the Patriots, you know what I'm saying? That's, in my mind, could possibly be America's team, so to speak, but it's up to America to decide. Did Tio ever give you any advice? Tio was great for me. He practiced so hard just watching him every single day. He worked his ass off from the minute he ran out of the locker room to the practice field. He was 100% every day. He really put it out there. Do you think that he learned that from Jerry? I think he had to. I mean because they're both small school guys right and if you're around Jerry Rice

Yeah, you're a rookie right? Like you had to keep your standard up right 100% and then you he became obsessed with it on his own He's got any those guys. You know you got obsessions, right? Yeah, I know sess with your tea. Tio was obsessed with his craft for sure I could definitely see a lot of Jerry and him and kind of the pedigree that Jerry Has produced I mean, I know they played for a handful of years in San Fran together Yeah, Jerry rice day fucking teal broke the record, right? I remember that. Yeah the Was that the post over the middle that he caught that was in the division or that was the wild card versus Packers yeah but no on Jerry Rice's last day yeah because they

they were going they were they were gonna release him or his contract they knew he wasn't gonna play yeah they had like Jerry Rice day right in the game right and to bald and to had 24 catches god bless that's a lot of you got like he broke the record yeah single season single game catch. Yeah Can you just can like I use slap dick all the time on this show? Can you help me define it? slap dick yeah How I mean, how do you define it? It's like a slappy. Yeah Not reaching potential not reaching potential

slap dick That's perfect. Who is the slap dick on this Cowboys team? I Don't know probably me If you don't know who the slap dick is If you don't know who the slap dick is, you're probably the slap dick. What was your welcome to the NFO moment? My welcome to the NFO moment was in training camp. As a receiver, you got to block the safeties. I remember looking down at that box safety and it being Roy Williams.

It was my first day in pads and I had to go block Roy Williams and he put me in my fucking ass. I was like, damn, I better get in the weight room real quick That first day. Yeah, get your pads down bro. I'll be going, you know, I was like he doesn't even know I'm coming And he knew I was coming What year was it for him it was like fucking eight or nine guys see you see this look Yeah, defensive player of the year in college and and just a baller dude. Oh my god How was training camp in Oxnard? It was crazy was before the the new CBA

So we had two days and it was hot hot. I mean the fans were great. It was a great atmosphere I just remember I had blisters on this on my feet that like you I could barely walk Like it was a lot of work man. Those two-day practices were tough. Yeah, I was losing I remember we would weigh in before practice and then we weigh out and I remember I lost like 12 13 pounds a day of water weight Yeah, and I would just and then you have another practice to get ready for so you're just pounding liquids and trying to get ready for The next practice and so you're losing 10 pounds of practice is a lot of work. Especially for a low body fat guy.

Yeah. Honestly. Jeez. Yeah. What was it like playing for the Dallas Cowboys as a Texas kid? You remember those as a young kid, you have those fake helmets, the Hutch helmets? I had a Cowboys helmet.

It was my first fake football toy. It was a Dallas Cowboys helmet. It was my first like fake like football toy. It was a Dallas Cowboys helmet that would transform into an Autobot. Now, when you sign with Dallas, how many of your friends hit you up like, yo, can you get, and you're like probably stressed out, like I'm not even over making this team or. Well, funny story, dude. so I was getting ready for the I was I just I just you know

finished my senior year in college I was in my brother lived in Dallas at the time I went from Lubbock Texas or Texas Tech is to Dallas to play in a flag football game and Troy Aitman was there and Roger Starbucks kid was there and we're just at SMU just throwing the ball around. And I remember we were doing like some, you know, like three on three, four on four type stuff. And I ran a post and Troy Aitman threw the ball over my head. I ended up having a one handed catch,

like a post for like a touchdown. And then Roger Stalbach saw that. And he was he was like dude you're coming out of college we we're gonna try to you know where I'm gonna do my best and then next thing you know the draft goes around I don't get drafted and then the Cowboys call and they're like we were aware of you and we want to sign you to our practice squad and I'm like perfect let's go and that's really how I got to Dallas I remember at our like Dallas Cowboys banquet, I was undrafted rookie, nobody gave a shit about.

And I went over to Roger Stalbach, gave him a big hug, and I was like, thank you, man, I appreciate it. And Roger's still great to my family, and we're still in communications. He signed a football for me and stuff. So that's really how I kind of got in the door in Dallas. So if it wasn't for that day day just kind of going out to SMU and and working on stuff with with you know The ex-cowboy players it was in a pain off

Wow, that is awesome. Stalbot got Dola Stalbot in great great man. God knows how to evaluate talent He could throw it to still he's also killing it in the business world right? Yeah, a billionaire Yeah, yeah, he's in real estate. He left the NFL to go fucking served in he yeah So he was Navy and then served and then went back to the NFL one of the two. Yeah, he's a badass legend Yeah, he's a badass man like Yeah, that's a man. All right, Jack. Let's rip through this game. You want to get through this one? Yeah real fast. Okay yeah I thought we'd spin a little. Go play by play drive by drive. Yeah. So leading up to this. Starting off with the opening kickoff. We couldn't even find the box

score online. 100%. We had to hit up your Jarrett from Fox and he sent us over a little thing. Oh, we dug deep baby. Yeah, we We will rip through this thing this is the third game of the preseason which in the Not fast enough. I want to say the olden days with 2008 This meant starters played right? Right a big game. Yeah, we're coming into this thing Oh and to we being the Cow and 0. This was a fourth episode of Hard Knocks, if you're charting it by HBO series progression. If you're tracking it against the show. If you're tracking it by that. Starters played pretty much the first half.

Romo and Dallas dominated. The Texan starters, for the most part, up 20 to 10 at the half. Marion Barber was running wild. You got some big Patrick Creighton plays. TD at the half. Marion Barber was running wild. You got some big Patrick Creighton plays, TD in the first. Romo Pick though, not great. 2010 at the half, moving into the second half when the starters got pulled.

We had a classic Sage Rosenfeld's mad job combo comeback. This game ends with Sage Rosenfeld going airborne over the goal line about getting helicoptered in there to bring it to a 23 to 22 game. We say, hey, we're trying to win this thing. Go for two, conversion fails. The Lawboys end up winning 23-22. They hold them off to take the Governor's Cup. Nick Folk. Nick Folk, baby.

Brad Johnson coming in here. David Anderson played for the Texas. He had like 60-70 catches, didn't he? Oh yeah, old DA, man. Man, what a beast. Dola, one catch, 35 yards, two kick returns, 30 yards. Not bad, 30 yards. The door was opened when Isaiah stand back.

He's trying to make a play out there. Opens the second half, fumble, gets injured. Dola comes in, takes over, does some good returns. Had a nice 35 yarder down the seam. Good win there in Dallas. Good big win. Big win in the forgotten game. This is a big win.

Do you remember this game? I remember a little bit of it. I remember the catch. It was a seam route. I think it was cover three. You know, I bent it in a little bit. Again, I was a rookie. I bent it in a little bit too far off the seam, and I took a hit.

But, you know, caught caught the ball kept it moving it was it was that was I think that would have been my first catch you know as an NFL player first catch yeah of many of many thank God what's it like for a guy being like on the edge of a roster during the preseason game like do you know you're gonna be playing a little bit or is it like totally up yeah you know you know again we kind of touched on this earlier the third the third game is usually when the starters play the first half and then, you know, they fill in everybody else to the rest. The fourth game is really a barnstormer for the undrafted guys in the late round guys, because you're going to be playing the whole game. The rest of you guys know this, but, um, you know, it's as a, as a guy that's just hanging on, like I played, I remember playing this game and then the following game the fourth preseason game and I was like okay that's probably that could possibly be the last football game I ever play and it's just kind of up to you know the coaches the evaluators and you know how they feel

about me as a player or progression potential whatsoever and and but I remember you know this this could possibly be my last football game. Wow. Yeah. Geez. The one thing, going back to it and rewatching and going deep on Hard Knocks, like, can you break down the dichotomy for us of, like, vets are chilling, laughing, wearing sweatpants, and like, you guys are like fighting tooth and nail like every play.

Like, what is that like on the sidelines? It's it's full. It's it's so stressful. You got to learn the playbook you got to learn You know how the ins and outs of your position You know, you're you're you're trying to do everything right, you know, you're trying to you know You I had to get Tio's coffee every Thursday I'm like trying, you know, like you's just like being, being a, you know, being a rookie is hard, man. An all drafted rookie, even worse. You're the lowest man on the totem pole. It's like, you look behind you and there's nobody else. And,

and it's like, you know, you're liable to, you walk up in the, in the locker room every single day and you're like, thank God my name's still on this locker. You know what I'm saying? So avoid the damn turf. It's a very stressful, it's a very stressful time. It was funny on hard knocks They should like like you coming back to the sidelines after making that big catch and like Tony Romo's like yelling out his pizza Order to some guy like down the sideline right? Yeah, like what exactly? Yeah, I mean I've been on I've been on both. I've been on both ends of the spectrum I I really think you know as a as a player that for me though like that that like that put a chip on my shoulder every single day.

I'll never forget not getting drafted. I'll never forget the adversity I had to face as a rookie and really into my second year training camp with Philadelphia. And that's really what, that's the chip that I put on my shoulder and played with for the rest of my career. Because I know what it's like to be at the very, very bottom. Do you remember, was there ever a moment

where you felt like you could take a breath and not have to worry day to day about being on the actual team and focus on actually performing? Later in my career, when I knew I established a role in the team and where I kind of stood, again, you never want to get comfortable in the NFL. And I never felt comfortable.

where I kind of stood. Again, you never want to get comfortable in the NFL. Sure. Yeah. And I never felt comfortable. But as soon as you, you know, obviously guaranteed money, if they owe you a lot of money, you're most likely going to be around. And if you kind of form an identity or a role on the team and you feel like, you know, if you make the team better or not, they want to keep you, you know, the more power to you. But never get comfortable. And then, you know, that more power to you, but, um, never get comfortable. And then, you know, it's, that's really the, the MO of the NFL. And you could always look at the paycheck.

Yeah. Okay. Once you're not making a lot, like undrafted seventh round guy, you're making 8 million bucks this year. They fucking cut you down. You're getting, yeah, they're getting, they're not going to, that was when you, that was the first time I felt like I'm not getting cut. When I saw that page, they ain't cutting me now.

Oh, that's awesome. Jack, even quicker on this aftermath. I can't talk about Kevin Walter's big day. He led the... He had six catches, man. He led all receivers. Shout out Kevin Walter, baby. Danny would be cut on August 30th, then re-signed to the practice squad, as all you Hard Knock fans saw there in Jerry's office.

Dola would spend the 2008 season on Dallas' practice squad. Dallas finished 9-7, missed the playoffs. Houston 8-8 also missed the playoffs. SI would name this season of Hard Knocks number one on their top 10 seasons list So this was Dola was the fan favorite of the most watched fan favorite most beloved season That's saying something and they did you know what after knowing you and then watching this They got you pretty dialed of who you are yeah Like when even when you saw the high stress situations

meeting the owner, Danny's always been a calm, cool, collected, like, all right, yeah, thank you, sir. I just got cut. Like, he always, his give-a-fucks on everything to me, like an outsider looking into his, he's always been like, fuck it, we'll just move on. And it's always worked. And you saw that through that.

Now he works his ass off. I'm just saying, like whenever anything happens to Danny, which you saw on Hard Knocks, like he just always has like a calm, cool, like, yes sir. Like a calm demeanor at all cost. And it showed it. It definitely did. Eating outside with your boy, getting the call from your...

Whatever. I'll be there. Some of the narration did you kind of dirty though. Freaking Lear driver. There was like a pun he said. It was like, time is getting short. What was it exactly? The long and short of it is, Emendola is short.

Right. You probably won't be on this team much longer. Jesus Christ, makes your story better. Let me see, you get out here and want to rip out freaking Lee Ev's driver, come on buddy. Run a whip route, run a whip route. So they shoot that and edit it like week over week. Could you tell, because you weren't really a part of episode one and two, could you feel that they were

putting you in the story more and more, and like people texting you or anything like that? I had no idea, I watched it in real time and I would know you know, they did they did a couple interviews with a handful of guys and You never really know until it came out that week So you didn't know like how you were doing like say you were balling out in training camp practices And then you started getting more interviews from yeah, you didn't get that a little bit a little bit But I mean at the other day it was under my impression that they were you know you started getting more interviews from, you didn't get that? A little bit, a little bit.

But I mean, at the end of the day, it was under my impression that they were interviewing a lot of people, and they're filtering guys in for different interview roles or whatever. But when they started playing more footage of me each week, it kind of picks up.

People were texting me and shit. Now, to put a bow on this and score it, which I'm pretty sure it's going to score terribly. As it should. Did Danny Amandola, when he was in Jerry Jones' office on live TV, not live TV, but cut up scripted TV, whatever this TV is. Did you realize that that was just the start

of your reality TV career? What? The back nine of that question got me. It is a start. If you think about it. That's right. That's a great question. You go from there to him jumping out of planes on fucking soldier one.

And then he's doing the box trot over. Right. My main, my main goal is just to do fun shit with cool people. I like that. And I think all of those, all those opportunities kind of fit in that box. You know, obviously living my dream as an NFL football player was my first priority.

And reality TV came second. And reality TV came second. Exactly. I just wanted to get that cleared up. Let's score the game. Name of the game. Let's name the game. Danny, you know how the game goes.

Danny does Dallas. That could be a name. Dola does Dallas. I like Dola Does Dallas more. The Hard Knocks game, avoiding the Turk game, the Governor's Cup game, the Don't Get Cut game, Texas Forever game. I mean, they're all good. It's either Dola Does Dallas or Texas Forever for me.

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Let's score it. Stakes, Dola of this week three, which is the highest competition level of preseason. But the stakes of this week three preseason game. Personally, I mean all time high for me. I can only speak for myself. I mean, again, it was like live or die for me. So I mean, I give steaks for me, not for everybody else, but for me, a 10.

I think that's fair. I'm joking. I think that's fair. I think that's very fair. Yeah. You know, as an outsider looking in the steaks. For you. Yeah, you were perfecting the triple option at Kent

State at this time. No we're in the West Coast. Spread West Coast. Triple option was in the Juco. I'm gonna go with a 2. Right this game had no significance in your life. I'm surprised it's a 2. No well it still has I know the importance of preseason. Right. I wanted a 7.1 I know what this meant for Dola and his life at that time. Thank you, sir I went with the 2.1 because of integrity The star power of this game a lot of stars in this well a lot of stars a lot of stars in the arena In the arena. I mean I give that a 7

You know a few Hall of Famers Me Jessica Simpson, I never met her. I never met her. She was like the high of the high right now Yeah, she was killing it. She came to our like Christmas party that year and everybody was like that's Jessica Simpson What were you dressed up as at the Christmas or I thought Halloween party right now Are you like a little elf or something no dog I just wore you know a crappy suit and crappy tie I was broke as hell yeah I remember those days star power for me seven I'll go seven I had a six point eight I seven point eight hey we're in the same part there boys yeah average we're in the same ballpark the gameplay of a week three Preseason game. I mean, I mean this preseason

Good situational football at the end to get a gotta have it stop two-point play to win Gameplay I give it a six. I give it a six to it's a respectable score Well people don't realize point three point nine. I did a point nine guy guy. Oh my god Score well people don't realize three point nine. I did a point nine guy guy. Oh my god I'm gonna be terrible. It's a situation You know like like it's the summer and you can't wait for fucking football and training games happening in the first preseason game It's a fuck. Yeah, Hall of Fame game football is back and you turn it on and you're like, alright, it's preseason, right? Yeah, that's how I feel here. I'm still on it. I'm still betting on it You bet on them Ravens and preseason. They're like undefeated undefeated, bro

All right name of the game Dola does Dallas Dola does Dallas Do you know what that's a playoff of? Debbie Debbie. Oh Debbie, you know the have you seen that movie? No, I never seen that one. I heard it I don't know what you're talking about It's a fine film What kind of film is it I don't know what you're talking about. It's a fine film. What kind of film is it? I don't know. Check your letterboxed. It's probably on VHS under your bed.

What are you talking about? Nothing. What's a VHS? You gotta score the name. Oh, Dola Does Dallas. Bro, I went wild in Dallas that year. It was a fun year. Learned a lot.

Learned a lot. The name, I would say, is a seven. Do you live with any teammates? Could have won 6.9 there. Yeah, right? That's good. I lived with my brother, dude. So I kind of got to skip the whole rookie hotel kind of bus to the same.

So I had my own car my own house So I like it was streamlined for a reason. Yeah, the little area ish I was living the two hours from hometown off the field live in the rookie dream. I'm gonna go I Think it's a catchy name. I'm gonna go with the 7.2 Love it. Very good. Very strong. Oh, four. I messed up here. I scored it too early. Sorry. Yeah, I went one to 1.8, but I'm you know what? I'm gonna change this. 6.9. Oh, let me change too. If you're changing. Yeah. Change it you too, Jack. I'm gonna go with an 8. 8? Yeah. Here we go. Now we're good. Here we go, boys. All right. What is it? Where does it go? It is 6.07. Where does it go on the list of all?

It's above. It's right here. It's right behind the 2014 NLDS Game 2 Giants versus Nationals, probably not awesome. And then right above the 2019 Raiders versus Bears game in London. So it's our new 84th game. The double doink game.

Nice. No, that's the Richie incognito game. We did Oh, yeah, shout out Richie No, love rich in our first preseason game we've ever done Yeah baseball That's it. Yeah, they need to make the torpedo bat Lee. It's legal, right? Yeah. Yeah, I want to try it They're good. Yeah, I want to hit a torpedo bat I want to go hit I bet you could do I bet you could set a BP at the Dodgers with torpedo

I want to be you gotta have torpedo. I want to try the torpedo. We've got a man 34 Give me a 33 30 torpedo. I'd love that you want to stick around for the chill zone We got a we got a couple Collins for you. Yeah, let's rip. Let's do it It's time for the chill zone brought to you by Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit CoorsLight.com slash G W N and celebrate responsibly. Need a beer? Toss me one. Thank you. That sound in the world. Oh, cheers. Cheers.

This might be redundant, but let's. Here we go. My question is more so for Danny than Jules, I guess. I fell in love with Danny on hard knocks at the Dallas Cowboys, man, just being the undersized workhorse. What are some of the things you loved from all the different facilities and teams you were on versus just being on one team and being the same facility forever? Thanks. Good question. Who has the best facilities? All of them and they're all relatively the same. They have you know the weight room,

they have all the best, every team has top the line equipment You know what I'm saying and you know Get a masseuse get a couple trainers and then you know, you're good to go So I mean all the teams facilities are pretty good who had the longest always shit That's a good question We're watching that hard knock says like man all these hallways That's a good question. We were watching the hard knocks. It was like, man, all these hallways are so long that you have to walk in football

facilities and there's so it's a dark place when you're a young player. There's no windows, no windows. Yeah. I just had a thought when we were watching it in the scene where you had the Jerry Jones, was that in Oxnard or is that back in Dallas? That was back in Dallas when it came back for cuts. Cause he had all the Lombardi trophies. I wonder if Jerry Jones would ship the Lombardi trophies for his office in Oxnard.

You guys would practice, it would be training game in Oxnard. If there was a game would you fly back for the game then go back to Oxnard? No we would, so we had, we lived at the residence in there in Oxnard. That's where our camp was. And then we had two or three fields there as well. So what would you do when you had a preseason game? We would, the first game we took the train down to San Diego and played them. That's fun. Yeah. Gwalkin on the train. Beautiful. The second game, I actually think you're right.

I think we went back to Oxnard for another week. Okay. And then we moved camp down and finished the last two weeks. That's what I was wondering if games just shifted down there. The last two games were in Dallas. Yeah. That makes more sense. Huh the last two weeks. That's what I was worried Yeah, that makes more sense logistics talk. That's a good question. Thanks for the question. Great question Hi, Julian, Jack. You're back and Kyler and all the games names crew Sending some love to your awesome podcast from the state of Iowa. I have a question for Danny and Julian, I'd be interested in your answer too. If you could qualify and compete in the Olympics,

what sport would you compete in? Thanks guys, have a great day, bye. If I had the speed, who wouldn't want to win the 100? I want to go on that track. Classic. Get up in them blocks, have my chain hit in my fucking chest, my little placard thing on for the US of A, and go sprint fucking nine two or something.

Yeah. Without a doubt. You know, you probably could compete for Canada with your mom. Have a better chance at the hundred there No, they got fast people to see you Yeah, look for everyone. It's got hella good athletes Like they're always top there they're they're top track and field is yeah and track and field there they're top in Winter Olympics

You know, the more I talk about Canada the more I like them. Yeah neighbors to the north, baby What about you? Don? What do you think? I think I would go soccer. Ooo I like that. Have a sick haircut, you know. Trick and arm sleeve tattoo, you know. Just fly around, score a goal, and go crazy. I just don't like how they flop around on the ground.

I don't like that. Also Olympic soccer you have to be like under 23, but then there's a couple old guys that come through. It's not like true best on best. Right. We need to get our men's soccer team. That's World Cup. Got to get dialed.

Got to get dialed. Either way, we're having fun in the Olympic Village. No doubt. No doubt. Jack, what would you do? Ooh. Shot put. Maybe like a little shot put acting.

Jab, like some rhythmic gymnastics, like Frank the Tank kind of vibe. Old school, you know what I mean? Get out there on the mat. Floor exercises. You'd make a great coxswain too. Ooh. Swoom.

Swoom. The coxswain, that's the guy that doesn't let him. Skateboarding's in it. No, they rode the. Oh, they're like, oh yeah, they tell him. Curling guy? Curling. Curling. Sw were. Oh, they're like, yeah, they're curling, curling, curling, curling, Swiffer, great Swiffer guy.

Or I'd be a sick ass snowboarder. Oh, sick. Yeah. Flying tomato vert. Yeah. Bob's look could be cool too. And just be one of the guys just runs up front and they just wait. I'd be John Candy from cool running.

I mean, you think of you you gotta think track and field. If you think of Olympics, I wanna do what the Greeks were doing back 3000 years ago. Yes, the purest of the pure, yeah. Wrestling. I'm with ya. Yo, Games with Names, this is Chris from Houston. This question is for my boy Danny.

Danny, hey, are you taller than Jules and out of U2, which one's faster? Let me know. From Houston. That's a Houston accent if I remember. Wow. Chris, how tall is that? Dola is taller than me, but I'm faster than him.

I have like a hair taller than him. No, but you kind of look taller than him. And I low key, I'm on my tiptoes in every picture we take. So I kind of. Pro move, pro move. No, I'm on my tiptoes in every picture we take so I kind of Pro move pro move nice. He's a true. He's like a 511. I'm like 510 and a fourth guy Yeah, I'm like 510 and a half But I mean he's counting You're faster and yours is faster. Yeah, I was faster

About that short area quickness and just just he knows fast. He knows. Yeah. Pretty quick too. Yeah. Three cone, three cone. Dola had, he had a thing where he could, like he could run full speed into his in cut. Because the thing is, I learned how to run routes in a different offense. Yeah.

He's been running routes his whole life, and then he went to the West Coast where everything steps. So I would see a lot of stuff that I wasn't accustomed to seeing in our system from Danny. Then you evolve, you're always taken from people. So what does that mean with steps? Like the timing thing with West Coast? He would roll full speed, he would run full speed

and just keep running full speed and turn. It's like a speed cut versus like a breakdown. Yeah, I can break down cut interesting Hey, Dola, it's 28 to 3 2-point conversion balls coming to you. What's going to your head? Fucking we're scoring a touchdown. Yeah, maybe Tuddy. We're score getting in the end zone. We're gonna tie this bitch up That's it. No, I was thinking what don't, that play, I'm specifically thinking don't get a PI, because you can't block him until he has the ball. And they're a man to man coverage. If they jam you on that play,

if they would have jammed him, or they would have made some sort of illegal contact, it could have been called back. It could have been called back. But you know they jumped up free and he jumped off sides I know but I thought that's what we got this penalty for right for us picking right I got it so I was like fuck you like you see me right after we score like I didn't touch you it's not it's not on me okay fuck yeah okay how

many times in a game on average you have to like fuck you every play 20 plays Yeah, even when he's on even when it's good, it's fuck you even when the deep even when the defense fuck you Hi, this is Nicole from Westfield, Massachusetts super fan My question is what was your go-to food after a football game? And what is your favorite restaurant in the Boston area to go to when you are back home? Have a great day. Great question.

When I love Aria, shout out Massimo in the North End. Great Italian food, all homeooked recipes from his mother. Great, great food, great energy, great vibe. Aria. And after the game, anything I want. I'm so depleted at that point. Like, I could eat a freaking, you know, fried chicken, honey butter chicken biscuit if I want. The thing is, after every game we had the same type of food at home It was always like a southern Barbecue southern comfort type food so you'd have a brisket you have chicken fried chicken

You'd have collard greens because a lot of the guys are from the south, right? You know most the teams from the south so we'd have that and then you'd have specialty stuff Every away trip so like if you're in New York you get the triple decker sandwiches you from the deli you go to fucking Kansas City you get their style barbecue you're in California. They may have tacos before you get on the plane or whatever so You're eating whatever right? Restaurant in Boston. I love uh Arias good. I like demonic isMonica's in the North End. Yep. Shout out, shout out.

Frankie Impato. Frankie, Frankie Impato. I love Frankie Impato. Frankie Impato. And then I liked Reno's a lot too over in East Boston. I think they have the best lobster ravioli. Ooh. They got a good lobster ravioli and it's in East Boston.

So it's a, it's kind of like, whenever you want Italian in Boston, everyone goes to North End. But like the real townies go to like, go to like the little neighborhood spots that are like with the locals. You know, you go to like the Summervilles and you know, there's always like the place

that's been there forever. Which all those places in North End have too, but if you want a little different, you know, I'd go there there and then what was our boy Strega, you know, we used to go to Strega a bunch. They're martini's. You can go to Monica's a lot You can never go wrong with any of the Italian in the North End. Yeah, the North End is great You know, we go to certain places where it'd be kind of quiet and chill before

How's the food in Providence? Isn't the Italian food better? Food in Providence is amazing. Johnson and Wales is there. Obviously they have Browns right there on Thurston. There's a lot of young entrepreneurial chefs out there trying to make a good product. And they haven't really gotten off the ground yet, so you can catch a lot of great stuff.

Might have a hot take here, but I think Federal Hill has better Italian than the North End. Oh, I love that take. Sienna. It's hard. It sounds spicy. Constantine's, it's not there?

Constantine's wasn't on the Hill. Right. Sienna's not there anymore? Sienna's gone. And Dino's is there? I haven't forgot. I remember what was Alforno's had really good pizza. Alforno was so good.

Really good pizza in Providence. And then Providence also also you're kind of Boston is Boston Providence you're you're getting to like New York, Connecticut. Yeah, so they have like they had like a really good hot dog place that I used to go to that has like kind of a You know that one spot I went to I used to bring it over the house Yeah, I bring the hot they always had like New York style or like that Connecticut area.

They had a different influence of food or in Providence than Boston. Boston is like, you know, a lot of seafood, Italian, hearty. You go down to, you know, Connecticut or Providence,idence there was like you get like that New York shit Yeah, the pizza was a little better Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, but I you can't go wrong North end everywhere. What is that one oyster spot? What is Neptune Neptune Neptune oyster bar? I also love what was that? Uh, there was a seafood joint over in Love what was that? Uh, there was a seafood joint over in

Over like when you cross the bridge right by the pier something pure for I don't know, you know, I'm talking about it Yeah, it's not seaport. It's not South Boston. It's like in between what they call that more points Yeah, it's like on like the harbor thing. Yeah, right by the um, the dairy thing Let's say like Pier 36 or something. Yeah, red the red That's right. Is it red we used to go there a lot. There's a number in there Yeah, row 34 row 34 30 really good seafood. Yeah. Yeah, there's I mean I I get no I went to a new restaurant over in that new Raffles Hotel. I want to stay there so bad. That's what Copley Yeah, they've been that new Raffles Hotel. No. It's pretty cool. It's good. And they have a really good Italian restaurant there.

Yeah. I feel like I'm cheating on my neighborhood Italian though when I go to the fancy Italian. You know, because it's kind of like a swanky Italian. Yeah. I feel like I want to go see Rocco and fucking Polly. Want to do what, one more? One more? Hey boys, this is Sergio from Mexico City.

I got a question for Doa. My fiance is the daughter of Jorge who showed you around in Mexico City so I gotta know what was the best thing about your trip to Mexico City and what was the worst thing? Thanks guys. I love you both. I think the best thing about

Mexico City was I think the best thing about Mexico City Was the fact that we got to get in the Tigers den a lions den. Yeah, that's a Jaguar. I Think I don't know man. The energy of Mexico City was just so fucking cool It's electric remember when we were driving there and you see that fucking you see like the Mexican flag That's like it was like taking up like 60 acres Remember when we were driving there and you see that fucking you see like the Mexican flag That's like it was like taking up like 60 acres. It was like the biggest flag I ever saw I don't it was like a football field size flag Yeah, it was just like cool and then like the food in Mexico City is spectacular

We went to Tati what con where we were just skateboarding with the cops were getting pulled by cops on skateboards and shit Completely was fun. Yeah the cop we were both holding on to the back? We were getting pulled by cops on skateboards and shit. Completely. That was fun. Yeah, the cop, we were both holding on to the back of this motorcycle when this cop was pulling us. He was going like 30 miles an hour. We don't have helmets on. Nothing. A little sketchy on the car.

We're like, we're good. We're good. This is like Mexico City's like Times Square, too. It's like right in the fucking city. The worst thing about Mexico City was we almost died in that hot air balloon. Yeah, that was gnarly. There's no brakes. There's no brakes.

There's no brakes. There's no steering or brakes. It's just, you go up and you go down. Yeah. Wherever you go down, you go down. We're over here. Over a cactus patch and high lines. I go to my guy, I go, amigo, meet up power lines.

Right. Meet up, meet up. He's like, no steer. I'm like, oh, we're fucked. We are fucked. But it was so fun, and the people are awesome. And you know, remember we went there with the cartel shit? Yeah.

So we go there, and we're in the Intercontinental Hotel. Beautiful. The hotels were amazing. Everything was amazing. A lot of money. There's a lot of poverty, but there's also a lot of money in Mexico City. There's some lows in Mexico City, but there's some really high highs. And we go down and we're there for the NFL. We're making a documentary to promote the game that we were going to

play the following year in Mexico City. And so we go there and we have like this full security staff with us at all times pretty much. And they tell us, we get out of the elevator and they're like, hey, we gotta hold up. Like, what do you mean hold up? Yeah. It's like, stay here. There was a Jeep Cherokee, a blacked out Jeep Cherokee

that was like fully bulletproofed with some like older lady coming out and I'm sitting there and I look, and all of our cops are kind of away. They're just sitting on their motorcycles. Sitting on their motorcycles, and then out of this car comes four or five dudes in regular clothes with AK-47s,

and they're walking this polite little old lady to go have lunch at our thing. I go, Dick. Dick's our guy, he's a former FBI guy. like AK-47s. And they're walking this polite little old lady to go have lunch at our thing. I go, Dick, Dick's our guy, he's a former FBI guy. I'm like, Dick, what the fuck's going on here? He goes, ah, some cartel guys here, we gotta wait out, you know, it's a little whatever. And it was fucking amazing to me.

Like, the police were just chilling. There's guys unmarked with fucking big ass guns. Beautiful little lady just wanted to have a little lunch. Heard it was Cartel Boss like Mom or Ann or something. They were fucking walking her in. I actually I respected it. That was wild. It was wild. Hey guys, just hold up real here.

Here real quick. Like what the fuck you see AK-47s. Yeah. Shout out Dick. Dick found Brady's Jersey. Yeah. Shout out Dick. Dick found Brady's jersey. Yeah. Shout out Dick Farley. Dick Farley.

He was awesome. Shout out Dick. You always get the former FBI guys that, you know, they do the contract work for leagues and stuff. They always, you know, you get some cool conversations. Yeah. You get some cool conversations. That Mexico trip was so fun.

Unbelievable. Great people there. Food, people, we went to Tahuatua Khan, we saw the Step Pyramids. The wrestling was tight. The wrestling. Luchadori. We looked sick in those, looking back on it.

Yeah. We looked like real wrestlers. No doubt. We did win, you guys got pinned, but whatever. We didn't win. No, we didn't get pinned. I don't even remember the result. Right. A lot of it's a blur. Right. It was quick good day. We didn't get pinned. I don't even remember the result. Right.

A lot of it's a blur. Right. It was quick. It was like four days. Yeah. Yeah. That was awesome. Well, that was our Chill Zone.

Thanks to our favorite beer, Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit CoorsLight.com slash GWN. And remember, always celebrate responsibly. Danny, we miss anything from this amazing game or this amazing experience Man, I think we pull Dallas. I think we pulled it all out of there We pulled it all out handsome. Yeah, it's kind of like my ear. I had to go get my Ear clean today. Yeah before this

Cuz I now that I'm old I broke my jaw So my ear canal is fucking it chain It's change like my ear canal is broken from it from when I broke my jaw. Yeah So the I get earwax build up. Yeah, you gotta get that out Well, I have the guy and he got it all out just like we got it all out of this goddamn game That's right, babe. We got it Everyone go out check Danny Amandola on IG at Danny Amandola Talk to us about this fucking vodka company. I see you on party. I say I see it. What is this vodka company?

We've done few things for is it's amazing. It's great vodka man amnesia vodka. It's coming out soon Um, you know, I partnered in it with cliff kingsbury Uh, you know great football player great coach and then our other buddy Jacob is running the whole deal But you know get it off the ground, you know, we're gonna get it in stores Near you very soon amnesia amnesia vodka amnesia. What is amnesia? You don't remember? I mean, it's just there's it's based after a big club out in Ibiza It's just, it's based after a big club out in Ibiza. Ibiza? Is it Ibiza or Ibiza?

It's either one. I'm pretty sure it's Ibiza. Ibiza? I mean. Have you been? Have you been? Never been. I've actually been.

Been to Barcelona. Barcelona. I went to Barcelona in Madrid. And I saw Methi. All right. The real Spanish speaking people of Spain and also Cantalonia, which did go to a Cantalonian beer and play pool with people that don't speak English. Zero.

Right. But they speak Cantalonian. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. So they do with the T H. Yeah. Ibiza. Ibiza. Man they do with a TH. Yeah. A beta. A beta. Man, Texas loves their football.

Thanks again to Danny Amidola coming in and blessing us with his presence in the NUT House. This episode is brought to you by Transformers, a global power house franchise owned by Hasbro. The Transformers NFL converting helmets by Hasbro. The Transformers NFL converting helmets by Hasbro are available for preorder now at Amazon's Transformer store.

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