Games with Names - Dudes on Mike Alstott

Episode Date: January 10, 2026

We've got a bonus mini-episode for you this week! We're covering legendary fullback Mike Alstott! Gronk and Julian Edelman discuss what makes Mike Alstott so great and some of their favorite stories.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All right. Well, let's give us the AI summary. All right. Let's go. Our first dude. Standing six foot one inch tall weighing 248 pounds. This bruising fullback was selected 35th overall in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. He grew up in Hortiet, Illinois.

Yeah. And starred at Purdue University. In the NFL, he was known for his punishing running style and versus. Satility. He earned six Pro Bowl selections, a Super Bowl ring, and remains the all-time touchdown leader in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. Let's get on Mike Allstop. Oh my God. And Jules, what's the first thing that you think of when you hear the name Mike Allstop? For me, for me, though, real quick before you, like, I believe that he was bigger than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. He was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

organization at that time, you know, that era when I was growing up and watching him. And that's what, you know, the first thing that comes to my memory is that he's a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Oh, yeah. For me, neck roll. First thing. There we go. I like that.

And then freaking boomer just going. Remember on all his highlights, he go. Like this good, I mean, just a bruising. And I just remember like he started out as a fullback and then he was getting tailback touches. And he was producing crazy amounts of yards. Like the most north and south guy you can ever think of. And if you were a white guy that was a lineman, you know what I mean? White linemen that were like in high school.

I just always remember that they loved Mike Allstop because he was like the epiphany that maybe this is what it would look like if I got the ball. And you know what I mean? he gave so much hope to every freaking little white lineman that was like six foot 240 in high school that played fucking guard center or anything like you know what if i hit a gross spurt i could potentially be my call stop that's the truth was he like a super superstar in college i know only about him when he was on the Tampa bay buccaneers but did he actually like get handoffs in college or in as well or did that start once he got into the n-frey i know because he was that big of a fullback like what was his style in college as well like what was his stats all right so he

played a hundred uh nope that's his NFL stats what was his college that got him drafted in the second round because being that beastly at the fullback position you have to he at least had to show some skill set that he could still run the ball as well you know at that full back position i mean he had three yards he had three seasons over all 1200 yards he's got a fucking monster so that's why absolute savage in college as well. I never knew his college stats. 14 touchdowns back to back years. Over 1,000 yards.

Three years. His junior year and senior year, 800 yards is sophomore year. And as a freshman, he had like 200 yards. So that's what got him drafted in the second round as well because he was showing the ability

that he could run the ball as well. His rookie year he had 65 catches. I mean, he was a great out of the backfield. He was a great out of the, Tom Rathman-esque. Just overall, just a great. Shout out, Tom Rathman. including being a fall and a running back.

He's a back. Yeah, he's just a back. He could play in any era, any era. He could play in any era. He could play right now. He'd be great right now. He would be. It would bring back that old school mentality.

Imagine him on the Baltimore Ravens right now with Lamar Jackson and Derek Henry. And then he's the fullback. And then he else has the option to hand it off to him too. Yeah, they do. What's his name? Fullback Ravens, big boy. He's the old defense alignment. number he's like 290 pounds ricard yeah ricard's a fucking monster too he is he's but he's not

run he can't run like all that he gets a couple here and there the little yeah waggles do you look at him just i'm going to get right into it do you look at him as the best fullback of all time i think he's probably the best hybrid fullback of all time because you look at neal uh that guy i mean he was the fullback for like four rushing champs uh you know what i mean uh so mike alls That's the best fullback of all time as the complete package. The complete package. I think he's the best running fullback of all time. Okay.

And I'm not trying to downplay his blocking because Warg Dunn had some fucking yards with him as well. But I'm just saying like Riggins was insane. There was a bunch of guys that the fullback position. What he did is he revolutionized the fullback position. It used to be the fullback. Usually used to just get a concussion every day because he had to hit a lineback. or 10 times in a row, full speed, or the D tackle on a wham or a bat.

You know what I mean? He's just getting concussions. He, as in Mike Allstadt, literally revolutionized it. We're like, hey, maybe we should give this big ass dude the ball on a short yardage play. Started doing that. And then all of a sudden he starts running for fucking 55 yards jumping over, dude, blowing people up. You know what I mean?

So it's hard to say he's the best of all time because the guys before it, I don't think they got the opportunity like him, which he earned that opportunity because he showed it in practice. He showed that he had the speed and everything to be able to do it. But he's definitely up there. He's the best running fullback of all time, I believe.

Mm-hmm. What I love about Mike Austin is that he just represents a football player as well. Let me see. This guy was a football player. Like if you had to describe a football player what a football player does, that's Mike Allstate.

Just the way he had no fear. And I don't envy these fullbacks. I'm telling you that right now. I love blocking jewels, but I love blocking a guy that's, you know, his hands down right in front of me right on the line of scrimmage. I'm talking, these guys are tap, brother. I got two brothers that are full backs. No, I know.

One played three years. The other one played about two years in the NFL. And the way that they just line up in the backfield, run five yards at a linebacker that has a full head of steam running five yards as well and just has that big, huge collision. It's like a car crash on a daily basis. I don't envy that. They're tapped to a number.

level. They're special. It's wild that gene that they have that they want to do that. Like James Devlin, absolute savage as well. I just tried to call James. We need them. Pick up James. We're trying to call you. I'm trying to call him because he's a neck roll guy too. Neck roll. That's what you think of when you think of fullback neck roll. Daryl Johnson, don't forget him. So what people don't realize the fullback throughout the week, Wednesday, Thursday, which are the two hitting days. we have these nine on seven practice drills where it's like you're it's just run game

inside run game and I remember watching this and every freaking play it's just Dante High Tower going full speed at James Devlin head to head combat every single play these dudes are fucking calcified their heads are cow that's what they do they hit they they fucking their bricks I wonder how he was in the weight room because I bet you he was just a fucking like every foolback

they have dedicated weight room time. Whenever the foolback is in the weight room, it's like his weight room, there's like a box of smelling salts. His knees are wrapped, the elbows are wrapped. I'm just talking off of like James Devlin and the guys that I play with,

but I can only imagine it's the same way everywhere. There's usually like a bottle of NO explode right before, like right next to them so they could take a shot every time they're about to hit the squats. Like that's what the fullback energy is. I mean, the guy trained by pushing a car 100 yards. That's full back energy as well right there. What kind of car though?

A Jeep. Oh, there he is. I remember that. I fucking remember that picture. Jeep ain't easy to push, man. A Jeep is an off-roading machine. No. Like that thing, you know, it's technically a decent size car.

So that's kind of describes Mike Austin as well. He's like the off-road Jeep, you know, that could also. have some talent to maneuver on the highway and juke some dudes. And Allstop was the guy, like, had the neck roll. He's a guy that looked like he could never juke a defender ever. Like, he's just going to run over an opponent, which he did on a daily basis. But then all of a sudden and out of nowhere, this guy had footwork that looked like a running back. And he would juke a safety, a defensive back or a linebacker in the open field and go for an extra 15.

It's like, oh, where did that footwork come from? I'm like unbelievable that he had that in him. And that's what made him so great as a ball carrier as well. And then also what made him great too, I feel like, yeah, he had those jukes. But when he was running over guys and blocking guys, this guy kept his feet moving. And they always emphasized that. Great coaches, offensive line coaches, you know, tight end coaches when you're in the blocking game or when you're running at someone or trying to get when someone's trying to tackle you. Keep your feet moving.

Got it. Keep the high knees going. And Mike Allstop was the perfect example. of that. If you watch his highlight film, boom, his feet were always rolling. He never stopped him. And that's what makes you great. That momentum never stops and you just keep trucking

over mofos. And that's what he did. You know what? And hold on. Let me finish on Mike. I'll start real quick. The greatest thing about him, if you want to get the chills, if you want to see what a true football player is, you want to get amped up. You watch one of the greatest highlight films of all time. And that's Mike Allstops.

It is. It'll get the hair on the back. It'll get the hair on the back, Now, I just had a thought in my head. If Mike Olst thought was a car, I know what he reminds me of. He reminds me of the new escalade with the Z-O-6 engine in it where that thing, have you heard those fucking cars? It's the Corvette engine in the escalade. So it's got giddy up, but it's a big fucking piece of mass.

And that's what he was. He was the escalade, the new escalade with fucking. It's a big piece of mass. It's a big car, but look at the horses under it. Look at the engine. I think it's got a 6.3. Supercharged Corvette engine. These things are fucking fast.

My buddy got one. I don't even have a fucking escalator or anything. This isn't an ad or anything. This is just literally what I thought supercharged. Supercharged fucking 6.3. That's Mike Allstate. Supercharged escalate. Maybe a little bit too fancy.

No, no, no, no. Like you got to switch it up. Maybe add some tires to it or something. It's still American. Yeah. How about put some like, you know, like key to escalate a little bit? Put some bruises on and some scars. Well, you just.

change the tires. You're not going to have rims on it. Once it gets dirty, never wash it either. That would, you know, represent a little bit more to the exact, you know, T. But okay, performance wise, makes sense. I remember that game. Go back. The two touchdowns in the division around versus the Niners in 2002, 17 carries, 87 yards, two touchdowns, Bucks stomped the Niners, 31 to 6 on route to the NFC championship.

Was that what Jeff Garcia? he'd have like only 87 yards but you didn't see the third and four or the third and two where he like just blew up four dudes and they'd have such great situational runs like he was he is the perfect four minute back four minute being like the last four minute it's a situation that we all play out in our head when you play football the last four minutes of the game how if you have a lead how do you sustain the time and take the time off the clock. You have to have long sustaining drives, but you also have to keep the clock running. A guy like him would be a four-minute fucking running backs wet dream. And another trait that he had,

which never's really been talked about, because as a fullback, you usually don't have patience. You're ready just to rip someone's head off. And you're just ready to run with a full head of, you know, full head of steam and just go take somebody out. And there's no patience. This guy had patience. Yeah, patient. As a full back. And that. That's rare because like I just said, you're trying to run just full speed to just level someone. But with the ball in his hands, he let the play develop. You know, he was patience, you know, with the way that he ran. North and South.

He was a good jump cut. Yes, great jump up. He was more north and south. But he just had that it feeling for the game of football at the full back position as well. You know what? And people who don't realize that he was great out out of the backfield catching the ball. I remember him, I remember watching him catching. the ball a bunch too on those little wide routes him and warg done on those double wide routes him and warg done

together were a great little combo work done was one of my favorite little running backs too and they ronde a barbara on the other side derrick brooks this was a fucking legendary team john lynch shout out fucking break your neck over the middle like this was a these teams i'm glad lynch didn't play when i was playing dude he so my rookie year i would have been knocked out like four more times up that seam and tom wouldn't have cared he would have still throw him the ball like oh that's john lynch i'll let rob get you know leveled john lynch was he used to murder people murder i remember i i did a thing with uh what's the sporting goods store out here models i did a thing with models and on the clearance rack my it was like my rookie year

there is a bunch of john lynch uh patriots jerseys because he was on the team for like a camp and so they probably ordered a bunch of jerseys i saw some can come pick it up and another thing that Allstate, you know, had in his tools is that, which is actually the most important thing, I feel like, is leverage. He knew that the game of football was dependent on leverage. He was the perfect size to get that leverage so he can blow up whatever defender he needed to or break a tackle. And like to get low like that and underneath someone else's paths, he was the master at him. And that's kind of what made him. So like when you were in Tampa for that year a couple years did did was there like a all stott aura in there could you know did you know he was

part of the organization i mean whenever he came around you had that he came around a lot i'm not a lot you know mike austat i know he's big in the community yeah uh but you know he came around every once in a while but whenever he came around i got to meet him i was kind of in awe because like i said Allsdot, one of the baddest ass football players to ever live. You know, you got to show respect to the ones that were before you as well. And he kind of is similar with the style I play, but I would say that he's even a notch above me. And he did it at a higher level than me of that aggressiveness in playing the game of football, especially at the fullback position, which takes a lot more to do. But you feel that presence when he's around and you appreciate it and you're respected to the

highest level. Now who's a Mount Rushmore of power runners? Let's get it give us a let's see what the power runners are because he I think he'd be in there. Riggins would be in there. Um, who else? Kazanka. Larry Zonka. Larry Zonka. Power runner. Wow. What about the guy on the giants back in the day when we were kids? Oh, love watching. Oh, Brandon Jacobs. Yeah, Brandon Jacobs, man. Or what about Peyton Hillis for that one year. Oh, Peyton Hillis. Yeah, he's definitely up there. He was on the cover of Madden for a year. I mean, Jim Brown was a fucking power runner. If you watch him, like he was the biggest, fastest man on the goddamn field. Like, no one can, I remember him punishing people. Like Derek Henry. Derek Henry, definitely. Steve Ridley had it in him too. I loved when Rid was at full strength. That's why it was his second year. He went over 4,000 yards, but Red ran over a couple fools as well. Remember the game in London.

Yeah. At the time, the St. Louis Rams just put his freaking shoulder down. Just plastered the guy. Plastered him. Earl Campbell. He was a physical runner. You remember those forearm shots he would give, guys trying to take him down. I would go Mount Rushmore of power runners.

Ooh, this is going to be going hot in the comment section, probably. But you're putting running backs in there as well. Oh, Mike Allstott was a fullback, but we're just going to combine them all because Wrigan's just such a power of a powerhouse of a runner. You got to go. All right. I'm going to put, I'll start one. I'm going to go John Riggins to you.

There's only four spots you got two. I'm definitely going to put Mike Allstead up there. You could take all stock. Three, I'm going Earl Campbell. I fucking loved Earl Campbell as an oil earlier. I didn't love him. I just remember watching his highlights as a kid. he's blown full.

I'm going to go with for the one year just overall. Oh, actually, no, nope, my mind just changed. Last one. I was going to give it to Payton Hill. It's just for the one or two years they had in Cleveland because it was absolutely absurd what he was doing. He was running. He was on the man in cover. That's how good of a year that he had.

And he was running over our defense. Marcia. Lynch. I'm going with Jerome Venice. The bus. How can I not go with the bus? Like that's all the guy did was run with power. Marchon Lynch was fucking powerful.

Yeah. fuck too. Especially late Marchong when he got a little bigger. So many good ones. It's hard to have Mount Rushmore of Power Runners jewels. Who created this? Like this is stupid because they're all great. What a rookie card on a heart. What is it a Harley? That's when you know you're badass. You're on the motorcycle looking like a stud, you know, filling out your chin. Just already eyeing down all the cheerleaders just, you know, during your photo shoot guy absolute stud. Those look like He's a 22-inch arms too, dog. Those arm, and look at his forearms.

I bet you he could hit a baseball. Looks like an actor there. He does. He looks like a beefy fucking action star. And top gun. Yeah. You know what? He's a pilot.

I don't, dude. He may be too big to be a pilot. Definitely. Those little cockpits. Mm-hmm. Man. Love that he had frosted tips for a little while. Did he?

Yeah. I mean, that was fucking late, late 90s, early 2000s. Everyone did. I mean, Enrique Iglesias brought that shit out. Remember that? We all had the little spice tips. Actually, I never mess with my hair ever before. I wish I had spice tips.

I went to private school. We'd put like spray the shit in your hair and get in trouble. Mm-hmm. All right. What kind of dude is Mike All-Stot? I mean, he's everything. He's got dog tendencies. He's definitely probably, did he have dude dudes kind of vibes?

I mean, when you're blocking your face off like that for your teammates, you're always a dude. You're always a dude, no matter what. No matter what. Whiz. He's kind of whiz. He innovated a fullback to be a tailback. There would be no Peyton Hillis if there was no fucking Mike Allstot. Freak of nature.

He's definitely, I mean, he's absolute dog. He's also a stud, though. You see that? Yes. You see that. That rookie photo? That's exactly what I thought. I said, what kind of fucking guy has a rookie photo on a Harley with his goddamn

forearms that are 18 inches? His biceps are 22. That's studly. It really is. On three, one, two, three, Stod. He really is. I mean, he, that's well-rounded.

He's well-rounded. He was also the face of a team. There's no, like dogs aren't usually face. You can be a face of a team. Face of a team that didn't even get much attention. But then went out and won a Super Bowl. Yes. Yeah, I mean, and he was a huge part of it.

Can't forget Warren Sapp and the Dair Brooks and that great defense, Don't Ronde Barber. kiffin fucking calling like they had some those were some great teams but everyone knew Mike Allstall stuff you know we were on the West Coast and that was like Tampa Bay Bucks

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