Games with Names - Dudes on Dont'a Hightower & James Develin

Episode Date: January 31, 2026

We're covering New England Patriots legends Dont'a Hightower & James Develin! Gronk and Julian Edelman discuss what makes Dont'a and James so great and some of their favorite stories.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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So we got an Oklahoma sooner with Kyler Murray. Our next guest, though, I think we should go over to the Alabama side. Yeah, we're fair. We're fair. We're very fair. This guy, though, was never fair on a goal line play, or he was never fair on a second and 10 in the Super Bowl

or second in goal in the Super Bowl, where he had to make a life-changing play to create and tackle Marchon Lynch. This guy had the hugest calves I've ever seen. Next guest, Dante Hightower. Danta, I mean, Dante Hightower. Dante High Tower. Julian, even I know it's Dante. I'll get into it after AI.

And what's AI have to say about Dante? Because we know him is the AI synopsis. Obviously, I'm improving my speaking skills because I couldn't say synopsis on our very first episode, Julian, and now I can. So this is what's so great about dudes on dudes is that we're getting smarter as well being complete dudes overall. Synopsis. Synopsis.

All right, here we go. Synopsis on Dante High Tower. He's a former. He's a former NFL linebacker. Dante Hightower is a former NFL linebacker known for his leadership and versatility on the field. A two-time pro bowler, Hightower, played his entire nine-year NFL career with the New England Patriots, the same amount of years I play with the New England Patriots, nine. Helping the team win three Super Bowl titles, just like myself, helping the New England Patriots win three Super Bowl titles.

I love this guy already. Prior to his NFL career, he was a standout at the University of Alabama, where he was a key favorite. and winning two BCS National Championships. Jesus. This freaking guy is a winner. That's all I know. Five championships at the highest level. Two in college, three in the NFL over what?

Over a 13, 14 year period? That guy wins. Ridiculous. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. That's for sure. Born and raised in Lewisburg, Tennessee. Oh, the valls must not like him. I know, that's crazy.

I don't know how he'd go to Tennessee. Wow. Maybe he didn't want to go to Mayo's footsteps. Oh. Oh. shots fired. All right. High Tower was known for his high football IQ and relentless work ethic.

After retiring in 2022, High Tower joined the Patriots coaching staff while also pursuing business ventures, spending time with his family and engaging in charitable work, earning admiration. for his calm and thoughtful demeanor off the field. Oh, that's my guy. He is calm and does have that demeanor of being relaxed, but he will rip your freaking head off. Face off. He'll bring your arm off.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Dante? I'm scared of Dante Hightower, but the first thing that comes in mind right now is I'm looking at the picture of him in high school and he looks exactly like Matthew Slater, but with big ears like elf ears. So if you can put that up, please, and show everyone. He was Matthew Slater

in high school with Alf ears. I just looking at the pitcher. Pretty pretty close. Slate dog. Slate dog. Shots fired. Chum, pium. Mawr. More shots fired at our former teammates. Pium, pium. We love shooting shots at our former teammates. Please shoot them back. We appreciate that.

Tum Pchum, Tico, Niko. There's one guy who can't handle our shots fired at him. It's Ninkovic. This is about Dante. This is about, yeah, but Dante High Tower was such a better linebacker than Ninkov. He can handle our fire. Yeah.

There's both linebackers, but all right, back to Dante. All right, here's my story. This guy I was scared of, actually. He was, what, first round pick, New England Patriot? He's like top 15 or so. And when you have a linebacker that's 25th. What is he? 6-4, 6-3, you know.

260. Huge. And can move like he's a little guy. I'm scared of those guys. You want to know why? Because they got that leverage. He's not a little guy. Just massive.

No, I'm scared of those. He's fucking huge. I don't know why I said those guy. I'm scared of those big guys that are in the frame of six, you know, one to six four and are wide as well, like you just said, because they got that leverage and they can get underneath me and then that's when I lose. And I don't like that. You'll see, I got to outsmart these guys.

So with Dante, I had to try to outsmart him on the football field when going very soon in practice. And that was just to not get touched by him, you know, try to run away from him because he was always going to win versus me. In camp, I was a rookie. I was coming off that ankle injury. I wasn't a rookie. He was a rookie. I was coming off that ankle injury when, you know, that guy on Baltimore broke my ankle. Pollard.

Yeah, very, very mean. So I didn't really heal that well that whole year. I was at South Padre Island, spring break, my cast and everything, came back every time my ankle was good. It really wasn't. But don't tell Bill. I won't tell Bill. Don't listen to that, okay? You've done things like that too, Joel.

So that's going to make me feel better just saying that. But I can't get open. I'm not doing this well in training camp. My back's going to go out of me because I'm compensating. I'm just making excuses right now why Dante, you know, dominated me when he was a rookie. But this guy, when they're that wide, they're built that strong. You could just tell he had that presence of,

yo, I ain't going to move that guy. No one's really going to move that guy being 6-3, 260 pounds. And I accidentally, like, caught him one time running a route. I tried going around him and, like, we caught, like, shoulders or something. And it can't exactly pinpoint what it was. And, like, it was kind of like a cheap shot on him. But it was totally accidental. Chip.

Yeah, it wasn't a chip. It was like he was at the linebacker position, kind of stepping up for the run. And, like, we kind of ran into it. I think I kind of fac-masked him or something. And then, like, yanked it a little bit. He turned around, and he was furious. he was vicious and what was his face like?

Oh man he took it to a whole other level the next play versus me and I literally learned I will never piss off Dante High Tower ever again you gotta pisser

you mustn't do something crazy because I never really seen him pissed off yeah he was mad man he was mad you guys are freak you can't really block him in the run game you can't really stop him

in the past game either if he's rushing at you because he can move so well and can get around you or he can bowl rush shoe. So the guy, man, freak of an athlete, no doubt about that. And I swear, if you go to a barbecue with him, he'll eat like 15 pounds of, like, ribby steak and brisket and burgers. When did you see him?

Whatever at those team outings that we have. And like, it turns in the muscle right on the spot. It's straight muscle. Yeah. Like, you know how the Wolverine character or whatever and like the hawk, like they just, you know, in those movies, like whatever they do, they just, you know, turn into the creature that they are. Like, that's what he did when he did. he ate that food. He just turned into Dante High Tower. Dude, I mean, his nickname was Zeus, which is like huge, huge Greek guy. I remember, like, really, he was a rookie, and I was already telling him that he's going to sign a $100 million deal at the middle linebacker position.

Did you? Yeah. How'd you know? Because I was facing versus him. I'm like, this guy freaking good. He good. He can move, cover, can, you know, stop the run. He can do it all.

I mean, and he's scary. He looks like the predator out there because he has dreads. like early in his creed in, but when he got dreads and you're that big and wide. Dante looks like he has two houses for calves. His calves are so damn big. He has the largest cat. I used to tell him that every day I walk by. He'd be in his sandals.

We'd be walking by each other in the hallway. I see his cat. I'm like, bro, can you fucking ease up on the calf raises? Jesus Christ. It wasn't the calf raises. It was the brisket. It was probably the brisket. That was just go right to his calves.

Right to his calf. Right to his. right to his calf. And Dante was a smart-ass football player. Smart. Very smart football player. And I remember going to his house once. And I walked over there.

And he, like you said, he's just like a, he's a quiet. He's kind of quiet, but he's vicious. And I go to his house and I'm like, is that a fucking video game station with keyboard and mouse? Dante Hightower is a keyboard guy in the video games? I go, what the fuck is that? this, bro? He goes, what, bro? Whatever, you know, he's like a whiz. He's a fucking whiz. This guy, he's insane on Call of Duty, too. Don't, don't let him, don't let him trick you and think he's not. He's a fucking gamer. He used to, he was really good. Well, that's why he's a football coach now for

the New England Patriots. Football, because you got to be smart. You got to be a whiz in order to be a coach. How you think he's doing in coaching? I feel like he's doing fine. How do you think they're feeling over there, I know. I feel like Dante's always feeling good, man. He's never down. He's He's an even keel guy. He is, man. He really is. He's the guy that had the ultimate pass from Bill Belichick. He always had.

That's how scary he was that. Coach was even scared of him. I don't think coach was scared of him, but Coach loved him. He wasn't scared of him, man. He loved him because he was a well-built football player, and he played the game how it should be played. Bill always loved the defensive guys. Yeah, he did. We're offense.

That's why we never got loved, Julius. Who else had the bill pass? Basically, on the defense side of the ball. Oh, Mayo had that pass. He could do whatever he wanted to do. And Bill, that's fine, you know. Devin Belichick McCordy. I mean, that's one of his sons.

I think that's his actual middle name now. Who else was another one? In past, we mean like, you know, if they didn't want to practice or if like their, you know, hamstring was a little sore, they'd be like, oh, coach, I can't go to a coach, but no problem. Pass. Just hang out in the training room and get it rubbed. on, you know?

No, I was thinking more of the past. You know how Bill's been over here testing the guys who's running a show? Like, hey, who's this guy? Who's that guy? Well, for the offense, he'd be like, hey, Rob, what's the exotic front of the defense that you expect to see on third and two? And Rob's sitting there like going through. What the phone?

Hey, Devin, what color is the offense that we're playing if they're at home? Green. Yes, good job. Like that's the past we're talking about Or like whatever he'd give a question to like The defensive line like do these guys like to run the ball Or pass the ball They got Derek Henry

I'm like uh coach I'm on offense I think they like to run the ball God Hey Edelman what is the punter What school did he go? I mean that's that's the past we're talking about And Dante got that Bill loved Dante and it was deserving. Dante was, he was one of the alphas.

He sat in the Teddy Bruske locker when you walked into the, I think it was either the Teddy Bruske or the Willie Mac locker. They'd always put those two guys in because when you had to walk in the locker room, you had to walk by those guys. He was one of those guys. I mean, he was a great teammate. Where would you rank him as an all-time, you know, Patriot player on the defensive side of the ball? I mean, he's got to be up there.

I mean, we wouldn't have the Super Bowl if he didn't make that second down, that second down goal line. That's very true what you said. We would have never won that Super Bowl. That Malcolm Butler catch would have never happened because Marshaun Lynch would have scored already. And everyone talks about, hey, why didn't Marshaun Lynch get the handoff or why didn't they hand off the ball?

Well, it was a play prior to that, wasn't it? Yeah. Wasn't it the exact play before? Well, Marshaun Lynch did have the ball. And what happened? One-on-one with Dante High Tower and you never seen Marshaun-Lind. Never. Go down ever.

One-on-one. And literally, Dante Hightower is the only guy. that can, you know, possibly do that. And he knocked him right down and he stopped him in order to... The next play. In order to get to the next play that Malcolm Butler had that interception. So they already gave it to Marshaun Lynch to have that chance to score. So without Dante Hightower, we would have never had that, you know, first Super Bowl in New England, no doubt about him.

And then another big play that he has had, you know, in his career was that strip sack in the game that, unfortunately, I didn't play in because my back. got blown out when I went up to seam because Tom threw me up to seam earlier that year and then I got leveled and lost a long in them back and I still came back the next year but yeah and that Super Bowl versus Atlanta that strip sack man

to just continue the domination of the comeback that was an incredible play. He comes through in the clutch at all times I still, who blew your back out? Earl Thomas we're not going that deep about who blew my back out Joe it was it was a dude though

It was a dude. His name was Earl Thomas. The dude, the torpedo. Yeah, torpedo. What was the big play that you can recall? The guy always had a big play when the team needed it. I mean, you go back into college and the national championship, you had a strip sack. That's the kind of player Dante was.

Fucking, when your team needed a big play, a big moment, he was super versatile. I remember him. He'd be middle linebacker, and we put him at defensive end sometimes because he could rush a passer. Like, he just was big-time player to make big-time plays that is a huge contract. attribution why I have three Super Bowl rings. You have four. There's a huge part of it. I mean, we wouldn't have been there without them. I'd always call him. If you see how his name's spelled, it's don't a with apostrophe. And so I used to call him Donta. Very technical, that is. I used to call him, A, Danta in that locker. He go, Jules, don't you fucking call me Danta.

I go, why not Danta? He goes, because if you fucking call me all these white people out here in Boston, they're going to be calling me Danta. Don't you fucking call me Danta. My name is Dante. I'm like, all right, Danty. Jules. Jules, even I knew it was Dante. I know.

I knew it was Dante. You must have had a bad day. I knew it was Dante. Pretty hard that day. I knew I just wanted to call him Dantah to make fun of him. Time. Well, what kind of dude is he? What kind of dude is Danta?

I mean, Dante. Now you're getting me on that freaking wrong. I'm freaking pat. Whatever you do, if you see Dante, do not call him Dante. He'll get really mad at you. And he'll blame it on me. He'll fucking blame it on me.

Don't call him Dante. What kind of dude is Dante? I mean, he looks like a goddamn stud. He does look like a stud. He's a freak, too. I mean, he's got house for calves. I feel like he hits all five categories. He's a dude as well.

He's a dude. He really is. Yeah. He hits them all. On three. Let's see which one on three. Hold on. I got to think about it real quick.

All right. I'm going to go. Yeah, because he's all five, so let me try to pinpoint it down to one. On three, one, two, three. Wizz! I think he's a stud. I think he's a whiz. That's why he's a coach now.

He is a coach. Yeah, and he knew the game of football like no other. I mean, he's got a national championship. He has a stud. He has five, you know, championships, yeah, like you just said. And like he was a first round linebacker. He had a lot of hype coming in, and he backed up all the hype. He did.

You know what I mean? He's a, I mean, he's a freak too. I mean, he made big plays in big situations. He's got a pedigree. He's got football IQ. And he looks like a Greek god. But making big plays in a big game is a whiz, Jules, because he knew when to make that play,

to turn it around for the team. Does that make sense? Yeah. He is like a. But I would say, though, we're trying to categorize it into what, like, he most represents. A whiz is a guy that doesn't have the freak abilities.

And they get through because they're so smart. And they're not getting through because they're a freak or a stud. So that's how you become a true whiz. So therefore, he was getting through as a freak and a stud and a dog. So he can't technically be a whiz because being a whiz didn't really lead him to where he needs to be. Maybe now as a coach. Going back to that, I'm going to have to categorize him as a stud or a freak.

So let's go back at it again and try again. Ready? One, two, three. Stud. Stamp it. He's for sure a stud. 100%. If you saw his calves, you just, it would scream stud.

Standing 6'4.3 and weighing 255 pounds. This undrafted fullback carved out a hard-nosed NFL career built on grit and versatility. He grew up in Pennsylvania, starred at Boyertown High School where he earned all league honors as a linebacker and went on to play defensive line at Brown University. Smart guy. earning all IVIV league recognition. He was a smart guy. I said to that. I shared a room with him my whole career.

Very, very smart. I don't think he ever made a mistake. Well, let's get back to this. In the pros, he switched to fullback, becoming a pro bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion. He is widely regarded as one of the premier fullbacks of all time. Ladies and gentlemen, James Devlin. Let's get on James Devlin. We got to ask you why James Devlin.

I pick James one because I think he did all the dirty work and didn't get a lot of the credit. And that's a fullback kind of like, and I feel like fullbacks, you know, no offense, Rob, I do think you were kind of an honorary offensive lineman the way you blocked, but you also made a lot of big plays. fullbacks don't make the place. And so you really are an

honorary offense alignment. And this guy just how he approached everything, I used to be my favorite thing watching him work out. And then we became really close in 2019. What is it?

Remember James Devin? Just bring the smell of the salts. I need a little pick. I remember one day, I was done with my workout. You know, these are illegal now? They're not illegal. They just can't be given to you by the team.

Oh, that's strong. That's what James Devlin used to do in the way room all day. Waking up my sinuses. Give you a little shot of life. But yeah, no, I mean, just the way. We're passing it on. Everyone did your hip. Way he attacked the weight room.

Way he attacked his career. And I didn't really know how he got there. When I got there in 15, didn't know him that well. He broke his ankle, remember, our leg in Carolina preseason three. So he was hurt all year. I had surgery. So I just didn't know him. And, you know, and then 2016.

he was obviously back and I was watching him and I'm just like dude, this dude's a psychopath. And then he actually ended up being my neighbor, which was awesome. And he had a family. I didn't have kids yet, but his boys, I love playing with his boys in the yard.

And it was just like, I don't know, it was awesome to see him as like a dad and them wrestling and playing. And then in 2019, we both were hurt that year and we trained together. And that was probably the dumbest thing

I ever decided to do. Why? This dude, the workouts, dude would come up with. So, like, you guys doing your own thing. We train at, like, 5 a.m. We did crazy things.

And but we both, like, couldn't, because I had the blood clot. So, like, my training was weird. He had a neck thing, so he couldn't lift heavy. So we were just doing, like, weird workouts. But, like, we do one in the morning. And then after lunch or, like, break time before practice, he's all getting ready. He'd be like, all right, we're going to do a 30-minute shadow boxing lesson in the shower. In the shower?

Not shower. Sanna. I'm about to say. Whoa. Pai. I would have been back. But he would be like, we're going to do a 30-minute lesson in the shower,

and then we're going to go around 30 hills. I'd be like, dude, I was dying trying to keep up with this guy, but it was super fun for me because I didn't have anything to challenge me that year. So, and just the way the dude cracks skulls. Like, there was nothing like it. Nothing. Just laid it on the line each week for us.

And my favorite thing would be, like, if we, you know, we'd sometimes start in like 21 personnel and then we'd break to five wide and go to like 74. And like two times a year, like they wouldn't cover him or they just like play off and he'd catch like an eight yard hitch route. I used to love that. Love it. That used to get me so fired up.

But he just, he's everything you'd want a football player and everything more importantly you want in a fullback. And in a teammate. Yes, 100%. He was a great teammate. And I had no idea how he got to the league. league until I got to know him. Yeah.

You know, because you just, you feel like when you come to the NFL, like, it's like, yeah, everyone's drafted, you know, and that's not always the case. And so when I started to get to know him, learn, you know, went to Brown, played D in there, then went to the arena league. Yeah. I think you played in the UFL, then to Descensee, and then came to New England and then made a great career in New England. I mean, that's how, you know, talk about taking advantage of your opportunities.

That was something I was trying to do. my rookie year. Like he lived it all, did it all. You know, and people like, oh, yeah, you were undrafted. I'm like, yeah, it was not as much of a grind as like someone like this guy. AFL, UFL, like I went to the U.S. What was that for a year?

And with the dying position at fullback as well. I shared a room with James Devlin his whole entire career with New England. He was one of the most unselfish players I've ever been around. What do you mean? I was in the tight end room. He was a fullback But he was in the tight end room.

Didn't you live together? No, no, we never lived together. But we were in the same meeting room from morning to night in every single meeting room. It would start off with the tight ends and we would go in the offensive room to be with, you know, the wide receivers, with the skill players. And then we would be together in the team room. It was James Devlin and I in every single room, his whole entire career. And he was the most unselfish player out there. One of the smartest players as well.

I don't think he's rarely ever made a mistake. in his career. He's never went to the wrong guy. And for example, if I went to the wrong guy, if I went up to the second level and I took the wrong linebacker, he would make me right and make me look good. And I always appreciated that in the room as well. He never caused any controversy ever. Zero at all.

One of the best teammates you can possibly have. And he also made me a better player as well. When you were talking about it, yeah, I blocked. But then I also got the credit. it for going out and making a big play. But where did I make all my money? I made all my money in the play action game. And that's when I got the most open because all the linebackers would step up and then Tom would just dip it to me. And then I would just make a couple guys miss and get 25 yards, bam, right off the bat like that. Why was I so open? Yes, I was blocking. You guys were doing your

job as well. But when you have a fullback in the game as well that you got a, you know, you got to respect that you know he's going to bring the heat every single time he's in there. And he's going to run full speed downhill and give it his all and lay his body on the line every time you respect that. So every time they would say, oh, James Devlin's in. It's going to be a run, you know? Yeah, why wouldn't they run the ball? One of the best fullbacks in the league. And boom, we would play action off of that.

But he would still go full speed downhill and it would get me open because the linebackers were nervous that he was in. So without James Devlin in, you know, it like it boosted my stats in the past game because of him and how hard he went. and how good he was at the full back position. You know, as an O-Ly-Ly-Man, we ran a lot of inside lead plays with James, right? Like him mono-imano with the linebacker. And I used to always love, and it's not like you could, it's hard to explain. You guys will know what I mean, but like when you can fill people around you. Yeah.

So we run, it'd be an agap day, agap run. So a lot of times I'm at the opponent attack, you would feel like a good block. And then you could feel James going by you, and you knew the play was going. The wind. Yeah, you knew the play. was going to be a good play. You just felt him because you knew he was going to go stick that linebacker and it was going to be a good play.

And then honestly, I felt invincible on the goal line with James Devlin. Like if we did our job, there was no worry about what was going to happen with James Devlin and the linebacker. Which, you know, that and that, to me, it's a missing part of the game in the NFL right now. And I do think you're seeing it come back a little bit. Like, they're maybe more tight-inish, but I think San Diego last year had like two dudes that were like $3.50.

Baltimore. I've seen Baltimore do it a little bit. Like it's coming back that these fullbacks and they're valuable in the run game because it creates mismatches. And I don't know, just you see a guy in a three-point stance in the backfield ready to go. It's just like it's go time now. And as offense alignment, I didn't mind sub runs. But if we were going to run the ball, I wanted to have a fullback.

Because it creates, especially, as an offense alignment, when you can put up off our defense and base defense, there's not much they can do. And there's not much they can do coverage wise. There's not much they can do disguise wise. So I think it helped out you guys too. One thousand percent. You know what I mean? Like you can't run all these substituted fronts with a fullback in the game. There's countless times where because we had such smart football players, James Devlin, where we would be in a two tight, three tight personnel. put him out wide and it creates such crazy matchups for the two receivers on the field.

So he was just a smart football player that everyone loved. He was never heard. He was always seen. And I remember when he moved on and he retired, I told Yock. I said, hey, bro, go sit down and watch fucking James Devlin. I want you to watch every hit this guy does. He looks like he's concussioning himself every time he hits. and that's how it has to look

if you want to be a fucking foolback in this league. I'm sorry. You can't have brain cells. You need to set the tempo for the fucking offense because when James Devlin got on that field, people knew it was serious time. Anyone can kind of go in and run full speed at a defender one time and then you walk away like,

oh shit, I ain't ever doing that again. He was consistent on a daily basis. He never backed down no matter what. It was not on seven drills. Even if he was feeling shitty that day. He was running full speed downhill and absolutely smacking whatever linebacker it was. He never backed down. And that's what made him such a great football player at that position.

It's never, ever, ever backing down. You know what used to piss me all. So we used to do half-line, right? Half-line was a war. They never put a foolback in half-line. And I would just be like, half-line. Please, let him get one rep and watch what happens right now.

When we don't have to worry about this linebacker, watch what happens when James Devlin. in there. All right, we got to wrap this and determine what kind of dude James Devlin is. But before that, last question, what kind of car is James Devlin? What kind of car? You know, I'm not going to say he's like an old farm truck because I think

he's a better athlete than that. But he's like a nice Ford F1. I'm a Ford guy, so I'm going to do this. Like a four-year-old F-150, 80,000 miles on it. Still in good shape. like always dependable but like not like flashy like not a truck you're like worried about

taking in the mud you know can get dirty but you can also take your girl out on a date clean it up with just got a little bit of style to it but like also you're not worried about if you go out in the woods with it i might have to alter it a little bit you're just saying he's an f-150 i think he might be like an f-350 that's a lineman though he's probably like an f-250 Yeah, F-250. He weighed 250 pounds. All right, yeah. That's a, that's the 250.

Yeah, but still like, yeah, you can hook it. But not extended cab. He's not that big. No, you can hook a trailer to it, but you can also think about my favorite James Devlin's story. And this is not football related, but this is just who he was. He was running the marathon like after he retired. And so we're talking, he was a huge dude. Y'all know how he squatted and weight lifted.

We were like, James, you training? And he's like, yeah, yeah. And we're like, what are you doing? You know, like? because all these people have all these crazy training. You know, right? It's like you run 5, 8, 12, whatever it is. The day before you run like 19 miles.

So we're like, you train. He's like, yeah, like, you know, I'm, I'm training a little bit, but I'm just still lifting. The dude we found out didn't train at all for the marathon. Didn't run at all and just went out there and crushed the marathon. And that's James, definitely. And just like, I can do it. Mind over matter.

Doesn't matter. I'm going to get the job done. All right. All right. I like that. And so that segue is perfect to what kind of dude is James Devlin. Now, David, we have five different categories. We have a stud, someone who's had the pedigree, who was always the guy.

He's well-rounded. When you see him, he looks like, damn, that guy's a fucking stud. You got a freak where you look at those kind of humans. You're like, they're not humans. They are just like, what the hell is that? That looks like an animal. A dog, someone who's relentless, mentally, physically tough, probably had to go the long road, a whiz, someone who's, you know, innovative, he's clutch, he may have revolutionized something in his

type of the game, or the dude's dude, which is the guy who's a glue guy in the locker room. Everyone loves him in the locker room. Now, James Devlin is probably multiple of these. Yeah, I was about say, I think he's... But what's most fitting for James Depplin? There's three that I would be between the stud, the dog, and the dude. because I thought he was a great locker room guy like he just he was always there

dependable he was all he never got too high too low you know so he's calm cool collective positive attitude like I think when you went and worked out in the weight room with James you wanted to go harder right you wanted to train harder you know but I think I you got to go the position he played how he played the position

the way his career path went you got to say dog he's definitely 100% dog he's a 1,000% he's a stud he's a freak especially in the weight room the stud the stud is the guy who's drafted in the first round yeah the stud is the guy who was the five star and I don't

think he innovated the game what I think he did is honored the game and played the game the right way by like the people that came before him so like he wasn't innovative in that sense but he honored those guys because the fullback had been around for a hundred years right

whatever. But like he honored those guys the way he played the game. He was an old school 1980, 70 fullback. But you know, innovation wise, no, but you know, that also. He was a D. Lyman. Yeah. He went to Brown. He innovated. He's too smart to be a football player. No, he's a fucking dog on three, one, two, three. Dog. What if mind control is real? If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have? Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car? When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings. Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you?

I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused. Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. Mind Games, a new podcast exploring NLP, aka neurolinguistic programming. Is it a self-help miracle, a shady hypnosis scam, or both? Listen to Mind Games on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Dr. Jesse Mills, host of the Mailroom podcast. Each January, men promise to get stronger, work harder, and fix what's broken.

But what if the real work isn't physical at all? I sat down with psychologist Dr. Steve Poulter to unpack shame, anxiety, and the emotional pain men were never taught how to name. Part of the way through the Valley of Despair is realizing this has happened, and you have to make a choice whether you're going to stay in it or move forward. Our two-part conversation is available now. Listen to the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you have to make. you get your favorite shows. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new. It invites us back home to ourselves.

I'm Mike Delarocha, a host of Sacred Lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal. This year, we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release. If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show up in your life, Sacred Lessons is here for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Deloach on the IHart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On June 11th, 1998, a deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went missing. Hey, if they don't kill a cop and bury them, what are you going to do to me? What really happened to the missing deputy? Valley of Shadows, a new series from Pushkin Industries about crime and corruption in California's high desert. Listen to Valley of Shadows on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. you get your podcasts.