Games with Names - NFL Linemen Stories Pt. III

Episode Date: January 18, 2026

We get back in the trenches with our favorite offensive and defensive linemen guests, and listen to some of their favorite stories.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you you get your favorite shows. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyankawali. And I'm Hurricane Dabolu. It's a new year. And on the podcast, Health Stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know,

what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that, or am I just depressed? Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 Delocho on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This show contains information subject to, but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man? This is your boy, Nav Green, from the Broken Play Podcast. Look, it's the end of the season, the playoffs are here.

But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcasts with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Not a team who ain't going to the playoffs. It's time to rebuild. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green. from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the I Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or whatever you get your podcast.

Welcome to Games with Names. I'm Julian Edelman, and we got a brand new compilation highlight reel starting now. Now, Cam Jordan tells a story of being starstruck by Julie's Peppers. What was Cam Jordan like in 2019, 2020? You were, you got a more stupid. Defense again number one, hemiphy. solid stretch, you know, just

because, again, because like, you know, the world sees defensive ends as sack getters, so you have to get that accolade, but run stopping, pass the deflection, I think I had, I think I had a triple double in one of those years. And every down, the end. Man, one that will play 90-something percent of the snaps.

And every down, D.N. Yeah, not the, not the, oh, you got to worry about him on the pass-wresh. No, like, don't run to my side, shut down. Oh, you're running to, you're running opposite of me? Okay, I'll go play over there, too. He'll chase you down. come get you wherever you are i find you yeah yeah good times um gronk rich tired for the first time

gronk andrew lug first time julius peppers jane leckler unbelievable julius peppers got his last jersey from his last game did you yeah i've i've never like i've met plenty of famous people over the years and i've never once like stuttered or gotten awestruck and i feel like i've met a gambit of of really famous people yeah julius peppers was was my guy though. Like, you know, growing up, it was the freak. It was Chris Dolman. It was John Randall.

Yeah, Javon Curz. The freak is, come on. He was freak of nature. Julius Peppers had won them ones. Growing up, he'd be like, he plays basketball and football, UNC. And he's not just a guy. He's the guy. Yeah.

You know, he's six foot seven and he runs a four, five at 300 pounds. You know, like, shit that you're supposed to be like, wow, Julius Peppers. Yeah. You know? And so, met him younger at, like, Xos working out. And he had said some words to me. and I was like, he was like, hey, man, like your game. Thank you, sir.

And I was like, and I was like appalled at the way I responded. And like, dabbed him up and walked off and was like, I'm a nerd. Like, I was like, no way this dude thinks I'm a loser for sure. He was, he was that guy. That guy. I mean, he was a phenomenon. Now, Richie Incognito on how Aaron Donald was a nightmare for offensive linemen. Now, who's the guy that you,

competed against because there's game there's like game records who's someone that you were driving to the stadium like all right we got to get this guy that you had you knew it was going to be a long day yeah it's going to be a tough day it was it's going to be a day where you had to be in involved with him every day was there is there one guy that sticks out i mean it's erand donald 100% it's erand donald you know what what he was able to do with three technique in the dn position uh his movement and his his his kind of his athletic ability like you know he'd be able he'd give you three pass rush moves. You'd be like, what the, what was that? Like, I got a holding call on him once. And I was like, that's bullshit because I didn't even touch him. Like, he just spun around and

did this crazy shit. But yeah, that's, that's one of those guys where like, you know, all pass protection rules are off. We're not sliding to backers. We're sliding to him wherever he is. He was a game record. J.J. Watt was like that. Like, you had to have a plan for J.J. Watt or else J.J. Watt was going to pick on that backside tackle, make him look stupid, bend the corner and go make plays. So, you know, JJ Watt, we always had some, you know, always. some special stuff in there. I'm trying to think who else. I mean,

there's any guys you get into it with? Who, who, I know you, you fought. We know, oh yeah, definitely. Who, who, who's someone that you knew

you were gonna probably fight every, every, is there so, is there? Yeah. Because I had, Benny,

uh, I think I had Benny Sapp or something from, from the Dolph. Who's the safety for with you guys and the dolphins? Um, yeah, well, we had,

we had sap, yeah. No, who's, there's another one later. Uh, was the big buff guy? Nah,

regardless. We were fighting every time. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, there was a bunch of guys, man. When I was younger, I used to work out with some guys that played for the Cardinals. Antonio Smith and Darnell Docket. We used to work out together. Yeah, yeah. And then when we worked out together. Yeah, exactly, yeah. And when we started playing in the games, I mean, they hated me.

The Cardinals were playing well. I was on the Rams and we were shit. And I was like, I'm just going to try and fuck these guys up, you know. Not them, but everybody that was on that field, I was going to take it out on them. But yeah, it was, they had just clinched the, The NFC West were down in Arizona. I got my whole family there. I'm coming off the field. And like we were talking shit.

You know, you get separated. You walk away. I just turned around because there was a bunch of them. There was like three or four of them coming. So I was like, all right, I'm going over here.

And Antonio Smith, full ninja kicks me like on the back of the legs. I go down on the field and he gets a penalty flag. But yeah, with Antonio, I think he took my helmet off and swung it at me one time. I was getting after him in past pro. And I had my hand up in his face and,

you know, doing all sorts of crazy stuff. He took my helmet off and swung it at me. Thank God it was like two feet away from my face. Jesus. Miles Garrett. Yeah, he didn't make contact like Miles, but yeah. But we always had good battles.

They were great players. And me and me and Docket, we'd go back and forth. He was a great player. And they'd always put him on me. Like when we played the past, they'd always put Big Vince on me. Yeah. That was like my badge.

Like, hey, I made it. Like Bill over there thinks that I'm good enough that they're going to put their best defensive linemen on me to take me out of the game. And me and Big Vince, man, we used to go at it. And I love Big Vince, man. He's awesome. Remember he, hooty on the pick, or he lit someone up when he dropped on one play. Oh, yeah, yeah.

I saw that on film. He dude, he's a fucking beast, man. He was so good. I mean, he's one of the best nose guards ever in there. He really is. He's definitely, he should be a Hall of Fame. He gets a lot of, he didn't get a lot of, his numbers won't show that he's a Hall of Famer because he did so, like, he would take double teams and pressures and,

like he dictated a lot of offensive line play. Oh, no doubt. You had to account for him. Yeah. I mean, he was like, he was the guy there for. forever. And he, the commotion that he caused in the middle would take some teams out of their game. I forget what year. I think it was 2000. I think it was 2011. And they were doing a sports illustrated piece on them. And you guys ran like a double linebacker blitz. And he started off

this way and came back this way. And this linebacker came down and we hit knee to knee. So I went down. And I go down. I think he gets to sack. We're in Vegas after the season. And it's Vince on the cover Sports Illustrated and I'm laying on the ground. It looks like he threw me on the ground and is running after the quarterback. And I'm like, great. I'm on cover of Sports Illustrated, but I'm on the ground flopping around. Fucking Vince. I would always try and not piss off Vince. You know what I mean? Like me and Vince, we had come out together. We were the same age. He went to Miami. They wanted me to play D-Line at Miami. I went to Nebraska. I wanted to play offensive line. And I would never do Vince dirty. Like I would always help him up. Hey, Big Bo, come on.

So like, we, you know, we get after. We compete. But like, I always made sure to take care of my guy, Vince. fucking v man he he he he's athletic as hell too he's got some great feet people don't realize he's he's like well he's lost a lot of weight now he's looking good then but he used to be like four feet five feet wide but he had ballerina feet yeah quick feet we got to get him on this damn show next rich hornberger details his most embarrassing day ever so i had just had a shoulder surgery on my right shoulder and i'm in an arm sling still uh the training staff uh jim wellin joe they set me up with the, um, with, with, with the, the, the Boston Red Sox trainers because I'm living in Boston.

Yeah. And so they have a, like a private practice, uh, three blocks, four blocks walking distance from the apartment I was renting in Boston at the time. So I wake up one morning and I'm telling this story in front of the team. This is, this is for Bill and everybody else. I wake up one morning. I roll out of bed and I don't hear my alarm like, oh, I'm late for this training session. And now the, the Patriots trainers could, they could communicate.

with those Red Sox trainers, they just couldn't talk to me because they're under contract with the league owners. So they would know if I missed or was late or anything. So I'm like sprinting to get ready. So I throw on a pair of sweats. I throw on a t-shirt. I'm wearing my arm slinging sandals. I walk the four blocks over to the PT clinic. So I hit the elevator. I'm riding up to the second floor. And I'll pause here to tell you what I have for dinner the night before. I had sushi from a gas station, which don't do that. In Boston. In Boston, yeah, which there was like one gas station in Boston, and they had the best sushi.

Is it the Mexican food joint too right there? Oh, my God. You know the one I'm talking about, the mobile station? Yeah, yeah. It's gone. Oh, it's gone? Well, they had good sushi, but it was questionable, I guess, because I kicked my leg up in this elevator, and I ship my feet.

pants worse than anybody has ever shit a pair of pants in the history of shitting pants. It was, I can't even explain to you how horrifying the scene was. Did he go down your leg? Buddy, it had cuffed ankles full. Okay. So anyways, I'm in this elevator now with my shit pants and the doors open at the second floor and I'm like, I can't leave this elevator. So the door's just closed.

And now I'm just riding an elevator. in soil pants. And it smells in there. Oh, and I didn't have time to put on draws. Like, I'm wearing just gray sweatpants. Oh, buddy. So we're riding the elevator. I'm riding an elevator up and down.

And people are, like, coming onto this elevator, like, starting their workday. And, I mean, I smell like an ox. Like, people are now, like, visually disturbed. And, I mean, I'm a psychopath in the back of this elevator tucked into a corner because I don't want them to see the back of my pants. And the elevator reeks. they're like, who's this escaped patient?

I'm sitting there in an arm sling wearing sandals and shit-stained sweatpants and a t-shirt. So finally, I'm like, I guess I just have to walk home and kind of face the music here. This is the worst day of my life. And so I hit lobby, go down the lobby, doors open. And all of a sudden, as I'm walking through the doors, I notice it says PG on the button panel. I'm like, oh, parking garage. I'd always walk there. I'd never driven, so I didn't know there was parking garage.

So I click PG really quick and I go down to the parking garage. But now, I mean, it changed nothing. I'm now just, I'm walking around a parking garage trying to only face people as they're exiting their vehicles and going to this elevator. Also scaring the shit out of people because they're like, who is this escape patient wearing the arm'sling only facing us in the parking garage? So after doing this for like five minutes trying to figure out a plan, I'm like, I got to face the music and walk home. So I'm heading for daylight. I'm about to pass the last row of cars and go up the ramp.

And I have the corner of my eye, I see a pair of jeans in the back of a Honda Civic. I'm just like, goddamn. I mean, if it were me and I knew someone like me were in this situation, I know I would feel okay with him taking these jeans. And so I don't feel great about it. Sir, ma'am, I'm sorry for taking your clothing. but I opened the back seat, the back door to this Honda Civic. I grab what I thought were jeans. What were popular back then that aren't so popular anymore are jaggings.

And the woman whose jaggings these belonged to was not a large woman. She was diminutive in stature to say the very least. These were the smallest fucking leggings that a human being could squeeze themselves into. and I'm kicking off my clothes in this parking garage and I'm pulling these ill. So I even remove my shirt because I needed like clean. It was, I don't even want to get into specific. It was bad. So the sandals, the T-shirt and the, the sweats that I was wearing ended up under this poor

woman's car. I pulled the jaggings up. They're tearing at the seams. There's holes in these juggings. Okay. And I'm where I reassemble my arm sling. And so I'm walking toward the exit. it and I realized like, oh, this is way worse.

This is, like, I didn't do the math. But now I'm a 315 pound man in an arm sling wearing ill-fitting women's clothing. And, well, I'm just going to walk home in the streets of Boston. So look, I was an athlete. And I, I'm not bragging, humble brag. I was super fast for being a fat guy. And so I decide, once I hit the top of this ramp, I'm sprinting home. Like, I'm going to get there like, my.

three I'm breaking the sound barrier here so I start running didn't do the math on this when you're dressed like that and you start running in public people start running with you because they're afraid of whatever danger you're running away from so now it's like the jogging club going down the streets of Boston I shake my tail though I make it back to the apartment I shower off the doorman buzzes me and completely nonplazed by any of this he was just like as if it's a normal Tuesday morning he's like hey Rich I'm like what's up Muhammad I go up to my apartment, shower off, come back downstairs, say goodbye to Muhammad again, walk out to the

PT clinic, ride that elevator back up, still kind of stunk, rode the elevator back up to the second floor. I get there, I'm like, hey, I'm so sorry, I'm late. They're like, you're not late. You're right on time. My appointment was like 30 minutes later than I thought all of this could have been avoided. It was the worst day of my life. And so when you run out of stories to tell, You just tell stuff like that. Next up, Michael Bennett and Julian talk about what it's really like to get fined in the NFL.

Do you ever get fin for a dance? They told me I can only do two pumps. Two pumps? The key and peel rule, man. I know. Three days were like, that stuff too much. Hey, stop it. Three gyrations is too much.

You always knew that the... It was just right. I don't even want to say his name, but there's a ref that was always a little stickler with all that shit. Yeah. I want to say, his name, but he knows who he is.

Looking at you, Cleet Blakeman. Scott Novak. Fucking Scott Novak. Look, he looked like a principal out there just trying to hold court always. Didn't even let you jive with them. And the crazy part about the referees, they all have, like, good jobs.

Yeah. You're like, what are you? They're all like lawyers and judges. Yeah, it's like, what do you? Like, oh, yeah, I'm a medical doctor. Like, you guys, like, what? How do you have time to do this? Like, you know.

A couple former players now, though. Yeah, but I'm just saying it's kind of crazy, though, like, when you think about those guys when you talk to them and you're like... Well, they're not full time. I mean, you would think that the league would make them full time. They all have guns now, too. They feel like there's like an arms race

to get like bigger biceps, you know? That was Hockley. It's all Zipik. Yeah, but now they're all going after Hockley. That was old Hockley. He was the first one getting all jacked. And now his little son's getting all jacked. You got to get jacked up out there. They don't want to be getting tossed around out there.

They're to fight. But you can't really talk to the NFL referees like that. But NBA, you could say whatever you want. Let it fly, baby. Jordy Nelson, speaking of fines, he's one of the officers now. Yeah, he's one of the fine guys. Remember Merton Hanks? You see one of the guys?

Those fine people, they get paid pretty good money, man. Oh, do they really? Yeah, they get paid pretty good. I got so mad. I used to love Merton Hanks. Can I get that job, Roger Duh? What's a fine guy? I have no idea with it.

So, like, when you get fined for, like, on sportsman, like, conduct, or I threw the ball in the stands once got fined for that. You got to have, like, a little hearing. So the NFL sets you up with some guy. Former player. Former player. So it's like friendly fire type shit You're over here trying to buddy him up

Like I was talking to Merton Like yo you know You're such my favorite guy When I was a kid with the neck thing and everything Didn't even do anything Slap me with the fine didn't even reduce it I'm like come on No that's how I go man

It's like you're in prisoning They got the prisoners judging if you're going to get out or not It's like I ain't never got out So you're staying in No I was just that's crazy Exactly that's crazy you know they make pretty good bread though. Now Max Crosby and how NFL fans will do anything for an autograph.

Like after games and there's fans just smacking on your windows and going crazy and it was just different. I mean, there's a million stories I could say. There's one guy, I mean, that sat outside of the facility. Like there was a group of these people every day. They're waiting there to sign autographs. And then eventually you're like, okay, the same guy is fucking here every single day. And so there's this one guy I'm not going to expose him.

but I'm a slightly exposed him. He knows who he is, this fucking guy. I hope you're watching. But he had a very unique... You knew he stood out at the crowd. I'll just say that. We end up finding out, you know, he's like, hey, man, I got you about it. He always had a good excuse for why he needed this thing signed.

And then we found his fucking, his website. He had a full-blown memorabilia page, all our shit on it. So I went up the next day. I said, what is this? And he looked at me like he saw a go. and I was like, come on, bro. I'm like, I will sign for anybody. I'll sign for any grandma,

child, whatever. I'm like, but come on, bro. I was like, be better. I'm like, what are we doing? That's new to the world, man. Sometimes you go some places and they'll send the kids. Oh, yeah. You know, you know, you know,

grooming on them. You can always, you can always kind of know who the autograph people are because they kind of look like carnies. Oh, yeah. A little carni-e. Yeah. You know, and they have,

have a story. It'll be very unique look, all of them. And if things, if they're just, if you're doing blanks, you know, you're dealing with that. And then it's even worse when they start bringing in the kids. Oh, yeah. I've seen kids. Oh, yeah. Used by these people.

Numerous times. And if you see the blue marker, that's the one thing I just found out a couple years ago. But the blue marker, that's the one you got. If they have a blue marker, do not sign because they can sell it. I didn't know. That's what I found out. I'm like, these motherfuckers. Now, every time I see a blue marker, I'm like, I call it out.

and they're like, oh, and get all awkward. I'm like, you fuck. Thanks for listening. Remember to tune in every Tuesday for a brand new episode and every Sunday for another games with names highlight. 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 get your favorite shows. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanko Wally. And I'm Hurricane de Bolu. It's a new year.

And on the podcast's Health Stuff, we're resetting the way we talk about our health. Which means being honest about what we know, what we don't know, and how messy it can all be. I like to sleep in late and sleep early. Is there a chronotype for that or am I just depressed? Health stuff is about learning, laughing, and feeling a little less alone. Listen on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new. It invites us back home to ourselves.

I'm Mike Della Rocha, 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 IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

This show contains information subject to, but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man, this is your boy, Nail Green, from the Broken Play podcast. Look, it's the end of the season, the playoffs are here. Guess what? It ain't the end of your season.

You can always tune in with Broken Play Podcasts with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Not a team who ain't going to the playoffs. They're cheap. It's time to rebuild. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or whatever you get your podcast.