Games with Names - The Rookie Record Breaker with Puka Nacua | Week 2, 2023: 49ers vs. Rams

Episode Date: April 8, 2025

Puka Nacua is in studio! The Rams wide receiver is with us to relive a record setting performance from his rookie season: Week 2, 2023, when Puka broke the rookie single game reception record. Puka joins us on the couch (2:39). We go back to September of 2023 (34:06). We look at these rosters (38:34). We dive into the game (1:03:56). We score it (1:21:28). We read some of the best questions and comments from the YouTube comment section in this week's Chill Zone presented by Coors Light (1:31:25). Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Mississippi, Yazoo Clay keeps secrets. Seven thousand bodies out there or more. A forgotten asylum cemetery. It was my family's mystery. Shame, guilt, propriety. Something keeps it all buried deep until it's not. I'm Larisen Campbell and this is Under Yazoo Clay. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season 1. Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil. I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son he'd never known. At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer. Listen to new episodes of Bone Valley Season Two, starting April 9th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now that I'm year three, I'm going to make sure the rookies bring donuts to the when we're going to the when we're going to the airplane. Saturday morning we got walkthroughs I want maybe I'm like now that we're in California go get an Arowan smoothie. Arowan dude yeah. See I didn't even think about that. You could live so with the bullying you could live so healthy in LA. 100%. You know we used to go send the kids to the Red Robin. Go get a burger and a sack of fries. Go to Five Guys.

You go out here and get a Justin Bieber smoothie for $35. Have a rookie f***ing pay for it. Yeah, exactly. Welcome to Games with Names. I'm Julien Edelman. They're Jack and Kyler, and we're on a mission to find the greatest game of all time.

And on today's episode, we are covering week two, 2023 divisional rival game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams with BYU legend Rams wide receiver. And one of my favorite dudes in the league, Puka Nakua. And we get into talking the best rookie season of all time for a receiver. I definitely knew I was in the zone.

Like, yo, we're about to throw me the ball 20 times in one game. Retiring by the age of 30. I want to go play overseas basketball. That sounds like the dopest retirement plan of all time, bro. His best Sean McVeigh story. His passion for not only the game of football, but to be like a good person. And then we go through some of the best YouTube comments in this week's Chill Zone brought to you like a good person. And then we go through some of the best YouTube comments in this week's Chill Zone brought

to you by Coors Light. You gotta stick around to the very end. Let's go. Games with names is a production of iHeartRadio. September 17th, 2023. SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California. Bitter NFC West rivals clash in the City of Angels. But a rookie from Sin City is about to rewrite the history books.

This is We Didn't Get the Dumb, But We Did Later Game. Puka Nakua, welcome to Games with Names. We are going to look at 49ers versus the Rams Week 2, 2023. Historical game with historical player. In one sentence. Puka, why this game? It's the Niners versus the Rams. It's the Niners versus the Rams. Did he wait? Did he listen? What one sentence? That's right.

Pro move, pro move, pro move, pro move. Cause I sit here and I say that and guys will go on rant. That was our whole episode for Dave Devito. Yeah. Yeah. Whole episode. One question. That's all whole episode for Dave Devito. Yeah, whole episode. One question, that's all it took. Now, Pooh, is this the greatest game of all time? Is this the greatest game?

Ooh. Of all time. No, no, no, no. 20, I mean, you are a part of the greatest game of part of all time. 2016, first of Falcons. There it is, baby. 28 to three.

One opinion. Spoiler alert to three. One opinion. Spoiler alert. One opinion. I mean, not only obviously your catch across the middle, you double-claps that with centimeters in between you and the ground, and then Julio had a sideline, a couple sideline catches of oh my gosh, like Matt Ryan's just standing up,

hey, number 11's over there, I'm going to throw the ball and he would find a way to get it down. It was like, holy cow. That was a wild game. I could only imagine the rush when White was the running back. He gets in there, they run the toss, he ends up getting the end zone and being like, holy cow. Because the Garrett Blunt was there back there,

was like played a little bit at the beginning. And then like. He wasn't, I don't think he was playing that much. He fumbled. Yeah. Yeah. And then once you fumbled. Yeah. You get put in that doghouse in the Patriots, buddy Yeah, the the vibe is way different though. He can't even get a paw out during the game

Let me just tell you that doghouse especially in that game. No, but that was a great that was a fun game But let's let's talk about this game and we'll jump into it But what's the offseason been looking like this is going into your well this is your third third year yeah third year and you always refine your routine the offseason what's this offseason been like for you? Shoot it's been a little bit of a weight change I think I've slimmed down a little bit it's still been spending the offseason with Coop and shoot right after we watch the Super Bowl and be like all right now it's time to get back to work so like the acclimation week and then getting back into it.

Now we were getting ready to start OTAs. You have guys coming back. So it's been fun trying to get some basketball out there. I mean, play my video games, but also try to explore some of the things that I've been trying to go to as many Laker games as possible. Just enjoy what it's like to live out here in LA. I'm like being out here full time.

I mean, this is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There's so much going on and you can go downtown and nobody will recognize you because they're looking for Leonardo DiCaprio or they're looking for somebody else and I'm like, oh this is perfect, I'm gonna slide right by you, excuse me sir. Living in LA, what's the coolest thing you've done this off-season? What's the coolest thing you've done? Shoot, it had to be 100% me and LeBron James. LeBron James? LeBron James. Right after the Luka trade,

his first home, or the first home game is against the Jazz. And I'm supposed to do like a Jersey swap with Luka. I'm so excited. I'm playing my best music on my way down to crypto. I'm having a good time. My high school buddy calls me and he's like, yo, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm about to go meet Luka.

I'm like, we're about to do a Jersey swap. As soon as I say Jersey swap, I realized I forgot my Jersey. Oh, fuck. I'm like, oh my gosh, I blew it. Like it's- Where'd you go to? The Dicks right down the street?

Your Jersey's everywhere here. No, no. I was like, I told him, so I'm like, he's about to give me like a game Jersey. Like I'm about to give him one of my game Jersey. So I'm like, we're trading like for real for, I don't want to give him like a something off of like Fanatis.

That's not like one of the real ones. So I'm like, holy cow, what am I about to do? Luckily the freaking, we do after game. So after game we get a jersey, my actual jersey, he gives me a pair of shoes and we're sitting there taking photos right by the tunnel. And then 10 seconds after we're done taking a photo, LeBron James walks out of like their locker room and like the media is kind of right there and he kind of he sees me he's like yo I didn't know you were coming in tonight I'm like I only come to watch you and then he's like oh

let me drop my he's like let me put away my yo-yo he's like post games got all this stuff going on he's like I'm like I got this long sleeve like hoodie on I'm like I need to pull my sleeves up. This needs to be the best tap of my life. Like it's LeBron James, bro. So I wind up for clean, clean smack tap. I'm like, oh, what? He's like, what's up, man?

I was like, man, I had to come watch you and Luca. They won that game. And then we got to chop it up for a little bit. There's kind of media around. He's like, man, you know I'm always rocking with you. And I was like, bro, every ounce and every cell in my body was just screaming, because I'm born in 2001. I've been watching LeBron James my entire life.

Ever since I remember watching basketball, he's been there. And now I'm living in LA. And he's like, yo, I'm rocking with you. It was unreal. That's unreal. I got a quick question, though. What size shoe does Luca wear? I think he's like a 14 or 15 because he yeah cuz when I I'm a size 13 and a half

I wear some 14s. He was like, oh like you got good size feet too I was like, I'm not 6'6 but I'm like I do got a big foot. So you gave him cleats No, I know Put on the cleats like click click click on the hardwood. Oh my gosh. LeBron James getting me, I've never met him. I've done a bunch of stuff with his production company, Maverick, and I've met Mav a few times, he's been real cool. He's bigger than you think too, right?

Oh yeah, they're all, dude. I mean, other than Rich Paul is the only kind of small one, but Mav Ricardo, I'm like, I should, I meant. Mav's big. Yeah, that's all. Mav looks like a basketball player. Yeah. But, you know, with LeBron, now that he's kind of an underdog

because of his age, I've jumped on his wagon even harder. Because I went to college at Kent State and the year he got drafted, I was in Northeast Ohio right down the street from where he grew up in Akron. I remember going to Chapel Hill Mall and buying his first shoe shoe thinking it was so cool being in Ohio with you know LeBron at the university and I mean it's been so remarkable to see the longevity of This guy like he's 40 years old and he's punkin dudes still it's unreal

It's it's really a testament to how how hard he takes his craft his dedication to his body and and He's never been in trouble. It's fucking nuts Yeah, like he's he's the epitome of what a professional athlete should want to be in his life Regardless of what you think of LeBron James He is a fucking he's our generations Jordan. Yeah. 100%. Set the standard for sure. It's been unreal. I can't imagine being inaccurate at that time.

Like while, like. Yeah. It's the prime hype of everybody waiting to see what LeBron James is going to look like in the NBA and you're right there in the heat of it. The heat, it was so crazy. They used to have this big mural of like Josh Cribs on the side of the, like, it was like a Nike ad

on the side of the buildings in Cleveland. And as soon as, I don't know, it was LeBron, and then when LeBron left, they put Josh Cribbs up there. But LeBron owned that city, man, in that area. It was so cool to be a part of. What do you like about LeBron? Well, I think the mental toughness of being like, man, ever since I've walked in,

even before I was the number one pick in the NBA draft, of like, everybody was looking at me to be the one to lead the way, to be the great one. And like he's only surpassed everybody's expectations. Everybody's like, are you going to be Michael Jordan? Are you going to be Magda Johnson? And he just went out and became LeBron James to everybody who now we know is the 50,000 leading the NBA.

And as a basketball fan, I'm like, I just love watching the game. There's something that the fluidness and like the elusiveness that is in the game of basketball that you don't get in football in the exact same way that I'm like, I could watch basketball all day every day. Like there's something about it that's just so soothing to the brain.

Yeah, basketball, I was never a basketball junkie. I played a little AAU. That was always a football guy playing basketball. I was always an athletic guy that could you know defend? I could get to the hoop But I was never a basketball guy it never came to me natural like when you you cut and when you throw you know Like I was never a natural Vision like I always wanted to be like I wanted my basketball game to feel like how I ran with the football Like that vision on that field. Yeah, I see that I never had that that wasn't my gifts, but I've athleticism is

Unreal and you could see a lot of the carryover from Basketball guys. I've played with a lot of guys Aaron Hernandez was a Phenomenal basketball player and that you saw in his route running That's what made him such a crazy route runner like that elusiveness and like the shoulder turn and it's not even crossover at the top Of a route. Yeah 100% and then also like man like you're getting a second level release and like man that shoulder dip of when like you do it in And now crossover or you're like you're going through and like somebody's getting ready to take a charge and you do a euro

Step around them like those are all football movements. Like yeah, they're not, maybe not in the same exact direction or the same type of fluidness. But man, when I, when I'm, yeah, like I was saying, like you work a second level release or like I'm getting to the top of the route. I'm like, all right, I'm going, I'm about to go one, two right here. Like that's a Euro step.

It may not be as fast. And like the weight shift might not be the same, but of like, man, I'm going one, two. That's exactly what I would do in the basketball court as well. Yeah. I mean, LA sports culture is at a pinnacle right now, if you think about it.

You got Otani wearing your fucking jersey. How fucking cool is that? That was unreal. I went to my first Dodger game the other day. He hit the opening day. He hit a home run. Of course. He's fucking Otani.

That's all he does, right? But it is, yeah, it's a pinnaclenacle right now the Rams Lakers are gonna done this year And then we're up next after I'm like we're about to do it two years back to back I'm calling it now because 26 after they playing San Fran this year Yeah back back at your home, and then we come back to so fi the year after so Oh, I like that so far there people are gonna start saying that NFL is for sure rigged if we win it back at so far. That'd be sick. That would be sick.

So I saw some of these headlines, bro. We got to talk about it. We were retiring at 30. First off, first off, one player to another. This is between you and I. No one's listening to this. Yeah. Don't ever tell the other side.

Yeah. Any age. Okay. we're talking negotiation. I'll get you a couple more shekels. If it's there, it's there. You don't say it. Yeah, true. I mean, I don't really think about it like it was like they asked me the question, but I'm like, man, I know I want to go play overseas basketball. That's why I'm like, I want to play football and I want to take that money. I want to go to some, LMelo Ball went to Lithuania.

Like, I'm sure I could go to another country that only 25% of the world's ever heard before, get ownership in the team and go do the Michael Jordan route. I'm going to get 25 shots up a night. I'm going to be the coach. I'm going to stuff my own minutes in. And then I'm going to make sure that we're getting ticket sales at the end of it.

I'm like, I'm trying to work some actual business, right? Do it the right way. In order to go buy that team, they don't need to know that you're gonna retire at 30 yeah because we trying to get them exactly you trying to get them after we win that Super Bowl hopefully I'm like once we win I'm like hopefully it'll be a done deal there's no questions about it like they want me to stay here hopefully make LA my home like we'll take over that sounds like the dopest retirement plan of all time bro bro. Just go to Latvia and be the man ballin'.

The joker guy wants to just retire and ride donkeys. He wants to retire, go to his hometown and buy a team and play. And coach it. Player coach, owner coach. Oh my God, that would rule. Work it all out, yeah. Now, let's jump into this spring part of your off season. Like, what's a point of emphasis that you're trying to add to your game that you've learned over the last couple

years through your first two years in the league? What have you wanted to focus on going into like OTAs in many camps? What's one thing for you individually that you've been wanting to work on? How do you work on it? I think like my short area quickness is definitely something that we've been working with Coop. And when we do some of our conditioning stuff, it's not necessarily, yeah, we have our sprint days where we're doing some of that stuff. But also being like, all right, on Tuesdays

when we do some of our conditioning stuff, it's like, oh, we're here in our box. We're working our releases. We got the cones. These are your cutoff marks, quick feet. Or it's working a one, two release, get skinny, and then this is our box, it can only work in this area.

Because I feel like, with our offense, we do a lot of motions, I'm going across the field, so some of that stuff is like, okay, endurance, and like, all right, now I'm getting ready to break leverage and stuff like that, but now I'd be like, all right, to be able to be lined up one-on-one on the backside, I'd be like, all right, whatever route it is,

it's short area quickness. I'm like, I just got one guy to beat. Like Matthew, I trust him with every ounce of my body. I know he's going to put the ball wherever it needs to be. I'm like, all right, I got to out route and I'm backside and we just motion away. We're in one by three now and it's me up. And I got the out route.

I'm like, yo, this out route's going to get thrown 10 times out of 10 because in the short area quickness, when I get to my shoulder here and I'm at the top of the route, I'm one two and I'm winning. So short area quickness, I think, because that also involves being at the line of scrimmage, but I think especially once we get into the top of the route of being like, all right, I need to separate at the top instead of just being like, ah, I like the job as a receiver,

catch the ball no matter what. But also being like, all right, now if I can make our quarterback's job even easier, I'm like, man man the success we could have of being like all right he doesn't have to pinpoint it to put it in one spot throw it in the area I'll come down with it yeah so you're about to report so do you break down these drills top of routes and you just redo those a bunch of times and that's what you're doing you're specializing in one particular route or the top of a route, an end cut or? Not necessarily just like one specific route.

I mean, we work our curl breaks, we work our 90s. But. What's a 90? Sure, like our end cuts and like out cuts. Like when we have a bench route and stuff like that. So. Bench routes, end, six, up, what is it, 18, 24? Yep, just about.

Yeah. And then we have like. The quarterback flat new? Yep. And then we have like The quarterback flatten you? Yep. And then we have like our true like, cause I mean some of our stuff is inside the numbers. So like when we run a bench run, it's not always outside the numbers,

which is something that hopefully I mean, with Devontae Adams, like it'll be a little bit of a different look. I think, hopefully, I mean, the game's always evolving. Coach McVeigh is thinking faster, I think than any, most of these offensive coaches out here.

So I'm excited to see what the new thing is going to look like for us in the Rams offense. But yeah, kind of just breaking it down into, all right, we're doing our release right here, then we're working out of the middle of the route right here, our drive phase, and then we're working at the top of the route decelerating. Yeah, I like one thing, like a phrase that I come up, me and Coop, I kind of came up with while we're talking about some of this stuff is like, there's always, everybody talks about acceleration and deceleration, especially at our position. That's what you got to do

I was like man, like Yeah, you want to coach always says you want to run out of your brakes Like you never want to just saw I get to my break and now I kind of ooze back to the ball and stuff Like that so I was like man this chains like my my thought my thought process of like man. I'm accelerating down I'm not decelerating. I'm accelerating down because at the top of the round like okay I got to continue to I want to keep that energy that I'm accelerating down because at the top of the route like okay I got a continued tick I want to keep that energy that I have into the brake out of the brakes will be like, yo I don't want to tell myself that I'm slowing down

I'm like, yo I'm accelerating down because that when you're getting at the top of the route whether it's a Curl route or you're breaking an in cut or an out cut your body language should go down. So That's one something I'm like trying to completely change my mindset But like yo I'm accelerating down because I need to keep this energy out of the break. Because then I'm like, you have to catch easy money after that. Yeah, you create more separation the tighter you come back.

And when you come back, so then you can get that rack. Devante Adams, that's a big addition. I think he's going to be a huge help for you guys. Being able to be a guy that could win on the backside, outside the numbers consistently, something you guys kind of lacked last year, like, or a red area target, you guys would do all that. Hey, and then you get in the red area and Higgs was a little banged up. So having Devante there, that's going to be huge. What, what are you going to have you guys talked?

We a little bit when he came out of science contract, I think he's still been out in Vegas. But I want to one first. I want to get him on the basketball court, too, because I'm like, I feel like I always see it like, yeah, as a wide receiver, I feel like that you see it like how they kind of move through the on the basketball court. But I know he's a big basketball fan, too. I'm like, we'll get up for sure. He's going to show up to OTAs.

We're going to get a lot of routes in. We're going to talk about it. I'm like, once I can see you on the basketball court, I think I can understand how you think about football too. I'm like you get that similar movement pattern is gonna come out I think yeah one thousand percent So what would you do for 17? Like what did he? That's a man. So it's so fun. I I would have the number you give you a couple Bands, I wish he got it for the free ski give you a couple bands? I wish.

He got it for the free ski. Free ski? Did you play Pig? Were you going to play Pig? What? Did he beat you? No, no, no. He definitely didn't beat me in Pig.

No chance. So that didn't happen. But I was already planning to switch to 12. So you know, you got to file the paperwork and stuff like that. They got to buy out your jerseys and stuff like that. I'm like, I was still a fifth round pick. I'm like, they asked like how they're like,, it would be 500,000 to switch your jersey. I'm like, I think you forgot when I got drafted.

I was like, I don't got that type of money. I was like, for a jersey number? No, that's not, I'm like, no. So you fill out the paperwork, had to wait a whole year. So this year was like, I was getting ready to, the springtime, once that official season, March or whenever it is, they switch over, I was going to be going to number 12 and is like

We signed Devontae Adams and everybody's like yo, what are you about to do? And I'm like man if I would have waited when I waited like three more weeks like I would I know that's You go 500 there you get a couple here and then we've got a fun trip in the off season. I know, that's why I took the guys out. But now Demonte's got to do it. I'm going to make sure I'm holding up. I think you need a couple more Jewish people in your life.

OK, I'm just letting you know, bud. You can't be talking about age, and you can't be getting impatient with number changes. Let's go. Cost you a couple bills. Yeah, exactly. So you talk so much about your relationship with Cooper Cup, and I've heard you say he's been a huge help and he took that role of helping you.

Like, can you talk about your relationship with Cooper Cup and what he's meant and what you guys have learned and how it's going to be, how you're going to feel when he leaves? Yeah. When he's gone. Yeah, he is gone now, except I'm going to feel when he leaves. Yeah. When he's gone. Yeah, he is gone now, except I'm going to see him two times a year, so that'll be exciting. I told him, I'm like, man, I'm going to make sure somebody's going for 150.

I'm like, we're pushing each other. I'm going to be out there. I never really talk smack, and I know Cooper Cup, out of all people, doesn't talk smack either. So I'm like, that might be the only day I come out there yapping. I know that guy. I'm like, we spend the offseason together. And it's it's been it's been a true blessing to be around him the first two years of my career and absolutely be everywhere with him in the facility. Get to learn from him, spend the offseason together, work out,

learn what it's like to be a professional athlete and a wide receiver who's doing at the top of his game right now and has been at the top of the league, who's won a Super Bowl MVP. And just to watch it, I feel like I was stealing. Now that you're realizing that it's gone and being like, holy cow, I was right next to this guy. I was in the breakfast club with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Cup and Coach McVeigh. I'm like some of the best football minds currently right now in the NFL.

And to hang it, to wear the jersey with him, I'm like, I think about man, the Eagles game, his first game back, and we got to line up in formation next to each other and being like, yo, this is real. Cooper Cup's out here, I'm playing football with Cooper Cup right now. And what it felt like when I got called out before him,

and then they called Cooper Cubs number 10, he has his song play, and the whole stadium's like, Coop, and being like, what? It's happening, like all through like training camp, OTAs, he got hurt during training camp, like rookie year, and like, he came back and I was like, everybody, you can feel like the leadership, and then and he came back and I was like, everybody, you can feel the leadership and then also the football player being like,

he controls, he knows what's going on and made it so fun. Yeah. He's a pro. I remember him as a young buck. We used to work out together at Golden West. Yeah, the hot spot. I remember, he was coming off an injury.

I threw with Matthew a couple times. Oh man. He could light it up What do you got to do get in this goddamn breakfast club? I mean the cool name you got McVeigh got wit you got Stafford Cup, that's it exclusivity so home How do you get in this thing? Hopefully I'm like they didn't ask me for any membership fees But sure you got to get up there earlier like that's what one of the things I'm like, they didn't ask me for any membership fees. But, shoot, you got to get up there earlier.

Like, that's one of the things I was like, that helped when I was watching Koop, I changed my routine of like, man, during season, I'm normally in bed at least by 930. Like, if not, like going to bed by 930, so I could wake up and be up at 530, 545, so I could get to the facility at 6 o'clock. And they've already, and I would be almost the last one there. They've already been there, like they're up watching and they've probably gone through the last practice and now we're about to start watching the explosive from all the other teams across the league. And I'm like, so I come in for the back half

and then we rerun the tape, me and Cooper beg, all right, now we're going to watch the receivers at the end while either Matthew's going to grab coffee, they're grabbing breakfast and then like, can we kind of sit there? Yeah, I've watched all the tape and it would be like, all right, I keep them updated on like the newest slang terms, because I'm like, those two guys, I'm like, boomers. Yeah, one coup probably never actually

has gone on social media. They're my age. And then Matthew, I don't think he even knows he has an Instagram. Like. Yeah. Dang. He posted April Fools yesterday that he has,

he's all tatted up, do you see that? And Nancy Stafford has a full sleeve. That was the news yesterday. That's April Fools yesterday that he's all tatted up. Do you see that? Matthew Stafford has a full sleeve. That was the news yesterday. That's April Fools if I ever see that. That's a boom. That's such a dad joke right there. He is. Matt's cool.

Freaking, you know, when I hear you talk about it, I was in the same, similar situation. We had Wes Welker when I got drafted. And it's so good for a young player to get to learn from a guy who's a buck. Like you got to learn the routine of Cooper Cup. I got to learn the routine of Wes Welker. I got to learn the practice habits of Wes Welker,

Randy Moss. Like when you're around certain players, that's so good for the development of a young football player. If that young football player wants to learn and is in that back pocket. I was in Wes's back pocket all the time. He didn't always want to help me, but I was anytime he'd go, I'd go right behind him because I knew he was the best at doing it and I wanted to do What he did, you know what I mean? Like yeah when you're running indie drills and like everybody's getting ready to line up and I'm like, yo I'm gonna make my way to the front right behind cool. Yeah

I'm gonna make my way to the front to be number two just so I can watch him go watch his whole rep watch How you like doing everything whether it's routes on air It was the cone drills or he were going up in one-on-ones. And then when I got to go and run the reps with him, I'm like, all right, Coop, like, hey, we got this. So we're lined up two by two, and we're in a stack. And it's me and Coop would be like, all right, what are you about to do right here?

I'm like, and he'd be like, oh, I think I'm about to get inside leverage. And then I'm going to work him. I'm going to cross face. And then I'm going to one-two at the top. I'd be like, all right. And we're like, as we're going out, we're still kind of talking to me like oh

And then you watch him say exact do exactly what he said was gonna happen to me like holy cow like This is how football should feel like man There's a different type of feeling when you get to go and watch somebody because they're giving all these cues that man You're like oh, I just have my I have my corner out right here. I'm gonna go I'm gonna find a way and he's like all right. No, it's gonna look like this. He's gonna roll down He's gonna play outside leverage. I'm going to get to his inside shoulder. I'm going to one-two him at the top, and I'm going to win. And then he would go, one-two him at the top,

and he would win. I'd be like, damn, Coop. Reps, time on task. Cooper Cup has a lot of them, and you're building a lot of them right now. I watch a lot of your film. I've seen you on that backside as an ex. Hit that slant route, great release, cross him running up field flip his hips getting cut his face

You've done really good with that. You're really great with the ball in your hands. You're strong through contact. You make Contested catches a bunch and you're one of the one things that I was really impressed with Which is probably from your basketball is the way you stack guys So like when you have a bow route and the guy plays outside leverage and you bend it on him, you kind of lean on him and leave the quarterback a spot up field for him to throw in that bucket.

It's kind of like a basketball stack. So you have a lot of great tools and I'm excited to watch you going into your second, your second real go-around because last year you were banged up at the first. This is your first healthy off season. This is your first healthy, you know, you're the buck. They're going to be building around you.

You know, this is going to be a fun year. Yeah, I'm excited. I can't wait. I'm like, ugh. Like after you get a vacation, you start getting back on the football field, you're like, oh, okay, I'm ready for the off season, kind of be over. I'm like, I want to be around the guys.

Let's get back in the facility. I'm like, we were talking about be over. I'm like, I want to be around the guys. Let's get back in the facility. I'm like, we were talking about golf earlier. I'm like, if that's what it takes to get everybody to hang out, I'll be out there on the golf course. I mean, it may not look good, but I'll be out there. You know what? Hey, as long as you have that energy, good things will always happen.

Good things always happen. Now, how was it growing up in Vegas? There's nothing like it. It's the best place in the world for sure. I believe that. It was hot. It was hot. I think that's where it definitely.

So this is easy for you then when it's 110 over there in Woodland Hills. It's way different over there. Yeah, but like that's why I'm like, man, the tar outside, all of the streets, like when we used to be running outside or hot, like hot, boiling, like burn your socks right off. So like, but it was, it was so fun.

I loved it out there. That's where I mean, I first started playing football. That's where my memories are at. And then everything kind of took off from there. Who were your sports teams growing up? If you're in, from Vegas, I was a Packers fan and Packers, Bref Arv, but who, who's there?

Rodgers, Rodgers, Rodgers, Jesus mold? Who's that? Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers, yeah. Jesus, I'm old. Because one of them won, baby. But so yeah, my family, my mom's full Samoa, my dad grew up in Hawaii, so like, one of the Polynesian team, the Steelers, everybody. Steelers. Yeah, Troy Pongmala, everybody loves him. So it was like, okay, they were fans,

so I was like, being the youngest, we didn't have any team, I was like, I kind of want to choose against everybody. So I remember in 2010 when they played the Packers and they won, and I'd be like, oh, being the youngest, we didn't have any team. I was like, I kind of want to choose against everybody. So I remember in 2010 when they played the Packers and they won and I'd be like, man, I'm glad I chose the right team. And then the Steelers won it the year after. And then most of my family, they grew up like your fans

because both my parents are from California. And then I had gone to a Thunder game with little Dana. We had gone to a football camp out there in Oklahoma and then we went to a thunder game and I was like, yo, that was unreal. I don't think anybody in the stadium sat down for 48 minutes straight. Like, white out, people are rocking,

they beat the Spurs in a playoff game, they got the young thunder. I was like, yo, this is my new favorite team. Was that with Harden and Durant? Harden, right. That's like, Sergi Baca, like they had, it was a craze and like, this is 2013 Spurs. So like Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, those guys aren't that old.

Like, I mean, they're getting ready to win a championship like in a year and a half, two years later, and it was wild. Jeez. So like, are all the people now that grow up in Vegas, are they all like adopting the New Vegas teams? I think so, 100%. Especially like, I think the Raiders has been a little bit different. Because I mean, I feel like a lot of people out here, like in the Southern California teams? I think so, 100%. Especially like the, I think the Raiders has been a little bit different.

Because I mean, I feel like a lot of people out here, like in the Southern California are still. They have a, I think they have a Southwest region that follows them. Because Oakland, LA, and then there's Raiders fans everywhere. Yeah, that is true, 100%. But I know like they love, everybody loves the Knights

out there, especially like you come in your first season and you win it. Like I feel like that's, you couldn't write it any better for them. And they've been rocking with the the Knights out there especially like you come in your first season and you win it like I feel like that's you can't write it any better for that and yeah they've been rocking with the hockey team over there for sure. So you grew up with little Dana? Little Dana and then eight and two so we play me and both of the Dana. Little Dana White. Yep little Dana White and then eight and two like he was number 12 he was our quarterback that was a guy who was show he was great we didn't really throw the ball I mean I think

maybe our second year we started throwing the ball but our coach had coached at Oklahoma and was and he had coached to Marco Murray at Bishop Gorman so we weren't just our little league team like we had a hurry up offense like we were doing like we had rocket one like yeah I'm a high-tire in Oklahoma's X-Code. The high school for the Pop Warner team. Come on Dana. We were working, we were trying to win. I mean, I don't think we ever, we won.

Was it Pop Warner? Yeah, this is. Did you win a Super Bowl? Yep, we won the Super Bowl. How many? Three of them. Orlando? No, no, no, no, I wish.

Oh, we didn't go to Orlando? No, no, no. 98, baby. Redwood City. 14- baby. Redwood City. No, Redwood City. Shout out Frank Edelman. We beat the Naperville Redskins. Thank God for that field goal, kicked that bit right in.

Chris Reese. No way. Steven Aroes with the middle screen touchdown. Dude, those are some of the funnest times when you got to, we got to go miss a week of school right before Christmas break to go to Disney World to play two football games when you're 12 years old. Yeah, that's unbeatable right there. Unbeatable.

Yeah, staying up late going to like hang out with the friends just running around the hotel, being a menace to everybody else staying there, like that was the best time. Now did Lil Dana, did he throw like the sickest parties in high school? Like he had the sick house. Sure. I can't. We I when I went to go visit.

No parties, no parties. Fuck, bro. No, no, no. Yeah, the pool, the pool used to like basketball pool games like where those were always the most hectic. I feel like they always ended with somebody getting drowned, or somebody having a broken nose.

They got intense, everybody was trying to win, so. Fucking Gaylord Fokker over here. Remember that? Bloody nose, meet the parents. So you got two bros in the UFO, they both scored this last weekend? Yeah, open weekend, it was sweet. So who do they play for?

The Michigan Panthers. Both of them? Both of them, yep. My brother Samson plays wide receiver, and then my brother Kai plays safety. He's the bigger body. He's a little bit slow now. I saw him, he was a little bit gassed on his big six.

I was like, oh, he's running, he's at the 20 yard, and I'm like, oh, you still got a ways to go, buddy. You better not slow down that much. Big six. So how many of the Nakuas are there in the house? I got five brothers and one sister. She's tough? She probably beat me up more than my brothers did,

honestly, there's like, she knew at what age we would be able to beat her up or fight back and be like, all right, you can't win anymore. My sister used to just pin us down and punch you in the leg until she knew she'd get you with the Charlie horse, she'd find the spot and just keep like and then it was probably like seventh or eighth grade or it's like all right she tried to pin me to the ground i was like i got up and it was like all right it's over now this is my turn i've been waiting for this moment

so you got four brothers four of you guys everyone balls in football yep my, my younger brother, he's a redshirt freshman at BYU right now. He's a wide receiver too, he's a giant. And then my two other brothers, my three older brothers, Kai, Isaiah, and Samson, we all, Kai was at BYU and then Isaiah was there after him. He ended up tearing his Achilles and kind of ended his football career.

And then Samson, me and Samson played together at BYU. And then my younger brother there is right now. How's BYU? It's a special place, it's a special place. I think there's, it's beautiful back there. Yeah, I've been to Park City and I've been to Salt Lake for a UFC fight. Okay.

Shout out to Dana. They've only had knockouts in Salt Lake for the UFC, right, who is that? Yeah, I was there for the Luke Rockhold. Yeah, and Kosta fight? Yeah. Oh my, how right? Who was that? Yeah, I was there for the Luke Rockhold. Yeah, and Kosta Fight? Yeah. Oh my, how nasty and bloody was that one? That was bad.

Luke, he was getting, he was letting him hit him and he was just fucking brutal. I remember, because then he was like. Because I went to go see Luke. Young boys with Luke, he's crazy. It was a wild one. But it's beautiful, the mountains, the backdrop, BYU, like, there's nothing like that alumni base.

No, not at BYU for sure. So what do you guys do on the weekend? Everyone goes on hikes? Yes, that's true. Saturday morning at the Provo Rec Center, that's pick up basketball. Obviously not during football season, but like... So who's the bad kid on the team that like... Remember like in Heavyweights, have you ever seen that movie, Heavyweights?

No, I haven't. Where they're the fat camp, where they'd go to this one area where all the fat kids would hide their candy at the camp. Was there anyone that had booze on campus? No, oh, no, I mean, BYU, he's like, you would get in so much trouble. Do you? People would rat you out, like, yeah.

Ratty McDaddy? Yeah, there were some snakes over there for sure. much trouble like people would rat you out like yeah yeah yeah there there there's some snakes over there for sure like what about our Jake Retzlaff yeah that's our guy I'm like rocking number 12 right now BY Jew yeah we're taking over we need it one Jew at a time exactly slowly slowly he's a good kid he can sing it really well they got they've played they played really well last year they got a couple white outs. Hopefully on my my little brother I think now he's he's finally started to lift some weights and actually listen to the advice

I think I've given him so I think hopefully maybe he'll see the receiver. Yeah tall Don't ever get tired Just say if you can run like the wind if you could be the same player in the first quarter that you are in the set The fourth quarter. Yeah, like he'd be surprised on how many, how many wins you'll get from that. Just have more. Your win loadage will go up 45 percentage on just on your plays like plus, plus negative system. Yeah.

40%. If you can outrun people all the time, sounds like a guy that ran some Hills in his day. Ran a lot of them. Ran a lot of them. What about the big 10, 12? Are we going to make this jump this jump? Are we gonna be alright? BYU? I think so. I mean last year wasn't too bad. I just, the whole recruiting game, I think that would be interesting. I think now that BYU has been independent for so long, now that you got to go against all these guys who've been recruiting these kids for a long time. So like everybody knows. So I think a little

bit. But BYU's got, we got the NIL funds too. so we're working our way up there. Hey, Mormons, they got some stacks now. They got some in and out and in and out Prince money. We'll be right back after this quick break. There's a type of soil in Mississippi called Yazoo clay. It's thick, burnt orange, and it's got a reputation. It's terrible, terrible dirt. Yazoo clay eats everything. So things that get buried there tend to stay buried.

Until they're not. In 2012, construction crews at Mississippi's biggest hospital made a shocking discovery. 7,000 bodies out there or more. All former patients of the old state asylum. And nobody knew they were there. It was my family's mystery. But in this corner of the South, it's not just the soil that keeps secrets. Nobody talks about it, nobody has any information.

When you peel back the layers of Mississippi's Yazoo Clay, nothing's ever as simple as you think. The story is much more complicated and nuanced than that. I'm Larysen Campbell. Listen to Under Yazoo Clay on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season 1. I just knew him as a kid. Long, silent voices from his past came forward.

And he was just staring at me. And they had secrets of their own to share. Gilbert King, I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott. I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it. Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil. I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known.

If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed. I never expected to find myself in this place. Now, I need to tell you how I got here. At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer. Bone Valley, Season Two. Jeremy. Jeremy, I want to tell you something. Listen to new episodes of Bone Valley, Season Two starting April 9th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple podcasts. Let's go into a segment where we go back into time around where the game took place. Now we've done a lot of old, old cool games. This game took place, what, two years two years ago number one movie equalizer three Zell shout out Denzel shout out Denzel undefeated right there. I remember everything by Zack Bryant and Casey Musgraves

You country guy. I actually do know this song because I went to go see Zack Bryant out here at crypto And we got on stage with him. It was how is it? It was unreal the Kid now I'm like I sound like the total fraud because I can't think of the song what's it's not this song what's his most famous like a mono I don't know what is I love Zach Brian too I just don't know him by like names like that I know I like his shit they sing the song like five times I'm telling like crypto everybody's seeing it word for word and we're up there on stage Something in the orange no, it's no not something that's a little bit of a slower song for him. Pink Skies

No, another one going down south. Maybe I remember every going down south is a good one Oklahoma smoke show That's a good one. I remember motorcycle Man he's got a lot of anger. Burn, burn, burn. What's on the pregame playlist? Ooh, I listen to Drake. I got some Lil Baby in there, some Future. I like, it's hype songs for sure.

When you pull up, we've pulled up so far, I'm in the little players lot. I'll sit in the car for maybe five minutes and let a couple of my songs, my go-to songs go through. There's nothing like music, headphones are cool. When you're in the car and you can minutes and let like a couple of my songs like my go-to songs go through like there's nothing like music like headphones are cool when you're in the car and you can turn it all the way up and just absolutely jam out that's top tier for me so like I'll pull up and sit there I'm like full blast and like people are walking by they're like what are you doing like I

just gotta listen to my last couple songs before I get out I loved driving to the game and like I usually drove it in a coupe car, you know, small, fast car, where we can drive. Yeah. Some cool car. I feel like Batman with my fucking music blaring like I'm about to go in storm. The beach is a Normandy. Hell yeah. There's that. Yeah. I'm the same thing. I got a little Toyota Supra. We pull up right next to so far. I'm like that first three lights I'm hitting it. I got to hit at least a hundred miles per hour. Like I'm like, yeah, it's not, I'm like that first three lights I'm hitting it I gotta hit at least a hundred miles per hour like I'm like yeah it's not about telling you this man what is supra it's a new wave it's the new wave that they are no but I got

I'm telling you that super is is right I'm like some people pull up to me and they give me a little thumbs up cuz super it's a it's an exclusive no it's a great car. You said the little coupe, that's why I'm like, a little too soon. Mine was a Porsche 911 Turbo S, but. I mean, definitely. Something like that.

Feeling like Batman. Yeah. Revival, is that the song? Revival. That's it. Shout out Billy. Thank you, Billy. Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl,

Lamar Jackson MVP, Michigan, Super Bowl, Lamar Jackson, MVP, Michigan, Natty, Heisman, Jaden Daniels. What the fuck? How good was his rookie? Holy cow, he balled. That's unreal. He defied a lot of shit. Everything changed around him.

They made it work for him, and he looked like he was in a smooth, comfortable spot all the time. New owner, new quarterback, new identity. like people don't realize when I was a kid when they were the Redskins that stadium was like the biggest stadium in the National Football League. It held like over 98,000 people. They were huge. They had the the Gibbs days where they were winning Super Bowls in the 80s. This was like one of the most loved franchises and it went to like the absolute dogshit gutters for a long time and now they're like on their way up I got to meet the

owners before the Super Bowl and talk to them and see how excited they were the Harris family I believe and and they loved loved having Jay, like that's like hitting the lottery getting this kid. 100%. They rolled. I love Cliff Kingsbury, their offensive coordinator. I love Dan Quinn, their head coach. But that's a lottery ticket.

That's a lottery, that's gonna make that organization so prominent and good for a long time if he continues to stay healthy and continues to be on the trajectory that he's doing. Man, I was excited for him. Except they got to run through us in the NFC so he can make it all the way to the championship game. That's not the Super Bowl and then luck runs out right there. I like that. I like it. Hey, let them know. Let them know. Let the boys watch. All right. Let's jump into the San Francisco 40 Niners and get into this game. Break down this team.

These Niners real quick. 2023 Niners 12 and five season went to the Superbowl. Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, seventh year of that duo. GM head coach combo, first full season with Brock Purdy at the helm. You remember the year before was when he took over and then got knocked out in the NFC title game and down CMC and then quarterback. He was all banged up.

That was brutal, brutal. Got out to a hot start, five and oh, dropped three straight, won six straight. This was a loaded offense, Debo, Kittle, McCaffrey, Iuke, all going for over a thousand yards. Led the league in interceptions with 22. Second in total offense, almost 400 yards a game. This was a good Niners team.

This was a good Niners team. This is week two though, and this is a team that you guys know very well. Very well. Brock Purdy, is he going to get a five? I don't think so. You think he's going to go with a four? It's going to start with a four.

Yeah. High four? No. Mid four? Mid four. A 45? I think so. I mean, I think-

If he does that, that'd be smart for him and them. Yeah. I mean, I think he's a, he seems like a smart guy. I don't think he, like, they're still, they have a chance to still be in their window. And I think if he goes for a five that the window closes right Coming from division rival. I mean yeah as long as they got Fred on the other side

I think they'll be able to figure some things out So speaking of Fred Warner. Yeah, I'll fucking how is it competing against a guy like him? I saw him doing a tribal dance When when they were doing a joint practice with the Raiders. He was sniffing grass and doing stuff, and I got scared before the practice started when I saw him doing that shit. How is it competing against him over the middle when you are eating over there?

No, it's a wild place. I remember when we played him just this past year, we ran like a dagger concept and he's opening up to the field and then like, he completely like, he meets me at the inside edge of the numbers, like I make my end cut and he's right there waiting for me to run into each other and he kind of steps on my foot and he kind of falls over

and I was like, oh, hopefully they get the clip or like a photo of just this at the end where it's like, Fred's on the floor and I'm standing up because I'm like, I'm just going to tell him, like, oh, this was a run play and I blocked him 25 yards down the field. But he takes up so much space, like, and he can run, he can, and then he fits so well in the run game, like,

he's, it's something about BYU, man, the Cougs, we produce some good guys. BYU. Kyle Vittonoi. That's right, baby. Now, when you, like, I remember playing against, you know, my division opponents, and you knew the guys that you were going against.

Who's the guy that you have to go against a lot from this team this year? And then like, who are some of the guys that you know it's going to be a long day, they talk shit, they're confidence guy. Which of these guys do you know that it's going to be a long day talk Shoot green log green law was talking. I remember that for stiff like has been my rookie or like this is only game two like yeah

I'm like I we had a good first game and we won but I've been like, you know Like I'm still figuring a lot of this out Like I'm scared like I need to focus everything on me because if I focus on somebody else, I'm gonna mess up my job Now how's what's this? what's his shit talking like? Is he talking to you pre snap like a book? No, nothing pre snap. But it's like when when he tackled me,

no, I definitely can't let that happen. But I remember like he tackled me a couple of times and like, man, you know, linebackers, they got exert dominance, Like he punched at the ball for no reason. We're already down and like the whistle's being blown. And he's like, he's getting his extra punch in. And he's like, yeah, you better stay down. Like I'm going to tackle you again. Like, and then once, once that one,

it was one early in the game. And then that got Fred talking. Cause then I remember Kyle went over the middle and Fred and Hufanga and the corner ended up all hitting me at the same time. And I ended up at the bottom of the pile. And Fred was like, yeah, Pook, it's just getting started. And I was like, oh, we're in for a long one today.

Now when you see Hufanga, you guys give a little like a. No, no, we couldn't do that. No, it wasn't like that. No Polly head nods. Like, hey, come on, man, hey. I remember we were running frigging duo. I got my push crack, the corner's off, so I'm going to get him, I'm like,

so I'm like the same thing, I'm like, there was no head nods, so I'm like, this means we're going full go right now, so I load up and he loaded up and hit me, I'm like, it was a stalemate, we both stood each other up, and I was like, alright, I think the run's over right now, and I was like, alright, hopefully I don't have to do that again, because I don't know if I can do that 25 more times.

It was like, just straight downhill, I was like, holy cow, hopefully I don't have to do that again Because like I don't know if I can do that. He's a torpedo like just straight down hills. Like holy cow There's no gather. He just like went full speed into I was like, oh Jamal Adams used to do that He said he wouldn't even he didn't even care About the goddamn run play. He literally would take that play and just knock me out every time He knocked me out the club four or five times in one game We run 30 yards right by him He was not me out the fucking game cuz I would go ahead of a hundred mile an hour He come at me a hundred mile that motherfucker could hit. Yeah. Holy. I hate having to dig out that force

What about Christian McCaffrey like what a stud are we good? Is he gonna is he gonna get healthy this year? I think so. I mean shoot the, the workout, like, I mean, he looks jacked all the time. So I mean, his workout plan has got to be great, right? I'm like, there's nobody I've never seen somebody who's like calves like his. Like, he's got tremendous calves. And I'm like, I think that's got to be a part of the speed.

I'm like, I wasn't built with like that. I'm like. Change of direction is usually a calf thing. Dion Sanders used to say, you ain't never seen calves on a race horse. That's what Dion said. Oh. Because he didn't, Dion had the high bird calves.

You need some, the real fast, fast guy. He's got that like generational, his grandpa was fast shit. But like the real fast guys, they have those high bird calves. Yeah, they're slim. Where they're kind of small, but they're up there. Those are burners. Yeah, go look at the honest cat

But yeah, he's a baller on he is a he's a beast his contact balance and like his ability to like Transition out of the second level to run by everybody It's hard to get like that So what's your mindset going into this week when you're playing this team, San Francisco 49ers You know, it's this is a two-game win. Yeah, because if you beat them you're putting them down a game and you're joining You're going up a game This is a two win game and this is a division rival where this team probably dominated The Rams for a long time

80s 90s Early 2000s then the Rams started getting good with Bolger, then they went back to the Niners, now you guys have been kind of taking this is there's a lot of historic rivalry here. 100%. So what is it like? Is the intensity kicked up a little more? Is McVeigh got a little pep in his step because he gets to go against his fucking boy Shanahan? Like is there is it there's got to be some kind of juju going on in that

facility 100% I you feel like as soon as we we flew back from Seattle that week before is like all right everybody knew it was Niners Week like don't don't show up to the facility wearing a red outfit like we're having our the team meeting is happening on Monday when we show up it's not waiting till Wednesday like all right, this is the mindset for the week we're coming in. This is the game plan. It's like, I'm sure there is like an energy boost from Coach McVeigh because he is going against Shanahan.

But he keeps it nice and cool. He does show a lot of emotion. And he gets rolling in the team meetings. But I remember thinking of like, this is our first home game. I'm a little nervous. Like, what is it going to look like? And I friggin' Bobby Wagner the week before, I thought broke one of my ribs.

So I'm like, during practice, I got this big old pad and the guys aren't hitting me. So I'm like, I'm trying to make sure I'm like, I know I'm about to go up against Fred Warner. So I'm like, I got to, I at least got to hit one day. I at least got to get hit one day during the week because if I don't go in there, during I get hit by Fred, the first play of the game,

like it's going to hurt and it might take me out. But I just remember still just being kind of in shock of this is what's going on for me right now. Like, first week went so well, second week now, and then when you come out to the pregame, everybody's wearing red. The lower bowl's already filled up, and everybody in the stadium's wearing red.

I'm like, yo, this is supposed to be our first home game. And everybody's like, get used to it. When we play the Niners, everybody shows up wearing red. It's like, bang, bang, nine again. Yeah, just like a sea of red. It was crazy. And come out and do the intros, and it's like, are people cheering, or is everybody booing?

It's like just random noise, and it just was like, boo, and I'm like, what the heck, like it doesn't feel right, because I'm like, in high school, I mean college BYU home games, like you go to some crazy stadiums, like this is our field, this is our home field, and everybody is wearing the opposite color of what we're supposed to be wearing.

But yeah, the intro I remember like, took me for like a whirlwind of being like, yo, they just called my name and we just got booed, as like our whole intro, everybody got booed, and like, world wind up being like, yo They just called my name and every we just got booed as like our whole our whole intro Everybody got booed like this can't be real, right? Those Niner fans. They travel. It's not just here. They travel everywhere It's people don't realize That there's got a lot of history over there Niner Nation. Yeah, is that your team growing up? How's my team growing up? Jerry Rice? Is Jerry Rice Joe Montana Jerry Rice the guy?

Ricky Waters, Joe Montana, Ricky Waters, Steve Young. Steve Young, the BYU guy. You just can't get rid of the BYU guys, man. Can't, dude. Can't, BYU dudes are everywhere. My agent, Carter Chow, his dad was the head coach of BYU. Wasn't he, Norm? Wasn't Norm the head coach of BYU?

Oh yeah, Norm, he was on the staff in a lot of different capacities. I love BYU. From 73 all the way up to 99. He might have been on the Heisman, was it Ty Depner won the Heisman? Maybe. He might have been like in there because he was USC. I think so. 99, I mean he had to be there for when they they they won the national championships. Yeah he was and then he went to USC and that's when he started going UCLA and all that he went to the Pac-12 because that's when BYU was in the Mountain West But they were still getting Pac-10 talent

And then they go beat up on all the Mount West teams and then they play like a Pac-10 school knock them off. Yeah That's the BYU way. That's right, baby You get put up with the sleeper game and there was like ah BYU is not that good and they come out and whip them whoop you They show you what's up Jackie let's jump over to these Rams. Let's get into these Rams real quick. 10 and seven this year, Sean McVeigh's seventh season in LA, all the talk before the season,

coming off his first losing season as a head coach, which is crazy, was retirement. Oh, he might go do media. Puka's rookie season, of course, fifth round pick, 177. Aaron Donald's final season, crazy. Jalen Ramsey was dealt me off season, and to start this season, we mentioned it earlier, Coop was on IR up until week five

with a little nagging hammy. This is what's crazy for me, okay? The Rams mortgaged their future. They mortgaged their future to win a Super Bowl, got that Super Bowl. The only way you can get out of that rut is by drafting good players. Now they hit on Kyron Williams, who is what, sixth, seventh?

He was a, he's a fifth round pick. Fifth, fifth. Also fifth. And they hit on Pukka Nakua. So talk to me about. The fifth round boys, the fifth round boys. No, I'm telling you. That's the reason why you guys are viable now, is because you guys are building.

When you do that and you bring those free agents in and stuff like that, yeah, you got to hit that window. You guys did. But then you have to rebuild your team through the draft. And that's what you guys have done last few years, including having a guy like you get you in the fifth steal you in the fifth and then get the production that you had how what makes less need and Sean McVeigh so special do they are they are they real buddy buddy at work do

they finish each other's sentences are they like you don't see them together and one's doing one and one's doing the other? No I definitely do see them together. I think uh Less Need is definitely like the super I mean not to say that coach McVeigh isn't like a critical thinker but like you can take away he doesn't talk as much as uh coach McVeigh so you're like you know he's thinking about every word that's about to come out of his mouth and there has a reason he thought about all the five different avenues where the conversation could go and what are the different impacts of it where Coach McVeigh, he's thinking about that,

but like the football, like how the person's going to interact because like coach, he could, I mean, he talks to everybody. He has them by name. He knows where they got kids or what their family is, where they're back home from. Like every time I see him, he asks about my little brother. He talks about, he asked me how my mom's doing.

EQ through the roof. EQ through the roof. It's so fun to talk to him. And you see his energy is contagious as could be. His passion for not only the game of football, but to be a good person, it helps get everybody excited to go play football for him because you feel that real authentic energy.

So it makes it super fun. But I think those two, it's a it's a it's a very good dynamic duo. You know with Sean it has to be authentic like the high energy shit mm-hmm is authentic with Sean. He loves football that guy is football I mean I played against him in college we played against each other in Miami Ohio. Shout out the Mac. I won? Shout out to Mac. I think he won one year and I won one year. I'll do some thinking on that.

I don't remember him, but I know he remembered me. No but, the authenticity of that high energy is something that you see through Coach McVeigh. I mean, it's been so fun to watch you guys from you know closer distance now that I've retired and moved out here and seen your development you know building you know with verse and all the defensive guys that you brought in through the draft and you and Kyron like it's so fun. When did you realize that like this is week two you already what did you crack them for in the first

week you had ten catches or something yeah ten for 120 ten for 120 okay so you you can't you kind of knew before that game that there was chemistry between you and Matthew Stafford when did you feel that chemistry actually ignite and like you knew you were gonna have this ten catch game going into the week two where you're gonna have the performance you have I so rookie mini camp we come we get drafted we show up and then there's like two weeks after that the rookies got to stay after everybody else goes and Everybody's leaving but except me and my roommate Davis Allen. He was that I was 177. He was 175 two picks in front of me

We're at the hotel together, we're both rookies, so we're staying and everybody's going, we're like, oh, we're going to stay. And we get a text of like, yo, from one of our strength coaches, he's like, yo, Matthew wants you to come out and catch, for like, Higgs is going to be there, our other wide receiver, Van Jefferson is going to be there, and they're like, he wants you to come out,

and I'm like, yo, for real? Like, out of all the guys on the team, like he asked me and like my roommate to come out. I was like, yo, I got to run the best routes in my life. If I cannot drop a ball, like it's got to be as good. Or I got to, it's got to be the best route running I've ever had in my life. And the first day I'm like, you've thrown with him.

Like you see when like you're coming out of breaks and like the ball's in the perfect spot every time. I'd be like, yo, if I could keep my feet. And like, as long as I can see the ball spinning for a second, I'm like, this is, I'm like, he is not missing. Like, whether it's upfield or running an outroute, puts on your front shoulder, you can turn, tap and turn and get out of the side. Then you're running out of curl break. It's on your inside pad so you can drop step and turn over your inside shoulder.

And that was like, holy cow. So you're basically telling me that you guys had instant chemistry. I mean, low key, I felt like first thing I was like holy cow. So you're basically telling me that you guys had instant chemistry. I mean low key I felt like first thing I was like. Honestly I'm not even going to second guess that. Because I went with him once to Golden West. Yeah. We threw together, I think we threw 45 balls. I think we went 45 for 45, we never even met each other.

That's how elite his arm talent is. Like Puka was saying, a ball come right out there, right out that break, it's right on your forehead. Literally. Right up on your forehead. And he just over here slings it. Oh man, he got that little half white arm sleeve and he's just, woo, dot him up.

What do you think makes him so special? Is it the arm strength? What do you see from his day to day that makes him special? I mean, I think his attention to detail, like, man, like, he just like, I mean, I think of him in less need of like, so man, he does, he's not the guy who's going to go out and have the most conversation. He's going to talk to everybody, but man, like you see,

he's got the big old like year calendar, like notebook where he's like, he's got, he's got an old pen and paper. It's like the yellow pages still, like, you know, where it's not like the little brown spot on the top and you fold it over. So it's like he's got he's got an old pen and paper it's like the yellow pages still like you know where it's not like the little brown spot on the top and you fold it over so it's like that's him like he's got it he's taking notes he's got it all that's how we used to do it in the NFL yeah I know you're so used to iPads and fucking devices and stuff you probably didn't ever read a book no we used to get a big-ass binder with all the plays no yeah hell no they definitely don't do that anymore.

Three-incher, it'd be a three-incher. You gotta save some trees, man. Stop using the iPad, man. I guess we are, I guess we are. But yeah, I think his toughness, I think is the one thing that's like, man, you have to cut both arm and legs off for that guy to leave the football field.

1000%. And I think as that quarterback position, you don't always get that. And I think that separates him from almost every other guy out there. Now when the guys in the locker room see and know about Matthew Stafford's toughness, does it bring, does it have like an energy in the room where if a guy gets kind of banged up, they like, oh well, our fucking star quarterback will just play with broken ribs or whatever.

He's always playing banged up. Yeah. I got to play. Is there that energy with Matthew Stafford in that locker room? 100%. It's like, it's definitely bled into the identity of our team and stuff like that

and how guys operate and be like, yo, this is the most prized position we have as our quarterback. You know how the locker room is and how the football organ is, like the whole football team operates through this guy. And he, yeah, he will never take himself out of the game. Yeah, so it's like, if,

unless your ankle is facing the opposite way or there are ligaments that are completely torn or you can't run anymore, you got to get back out there. I just remember that one video of him going and doing the two-point conversion, when he fucked up his other shoulder when he's back in Detroit early in his career.

Because we were driving the same year, I think, 2009. Really? And he was like crying. I remember, because I've gotten crunched where a guy falls on you and you crunch your shoulder and you knock it out of place. Yeah. And the pain is, I remember him going, oh.

And I'm a motherfucker sacked up through that two point conversion. Like a boss. With a broken shoulder. I was like, I'm a Matthew Stafford guy ever since then. Then he got it with you guys. It's been fun to watch his story. Who's the unsung hero of this year's team?

2023 LA Rams, unsung hero. I want to say either Kobe Durant or Quinton Lake, one of our DBs. Maybe Quinton Lake, I'll give it a Q Lake. Kind of had him playing at the star position, was at corner two, got moved to playing safety, was kind of in and out of all those positions, but like somebody on the back end who was like

taking control and also like who wasn't scared to come fit the box. And he like, there were some of those guys who were like, alright, I mean, I never got to play with like a Jalen Ramsey, but of like, not that he was, I don't think he's ever scared to tackle anybody, but of like their corners, like yeah, they're not, I'm a guard at the I'm gonna go get a

pick but other than that don't ask me to be involved in anything else so like when you have somebody on down the defensive side of the ball and that in that position group I think it breeds it breeds toughness for all of those DBs not only just like the safety group but it breeds for everybody. It is. That's is the LA Rams have a theme of toughness? Low key. I think so. Low key. Shoot it all comes from number nine. Who's the team asshole of this 2023 team? Rob Havenstein for sure. Why Rob Havenstein? Rob, Big Rob's been in the league for I don't know maybe going on 10 years maybe a little after that. He was in the Rams when they were in St. Louis still. Just our veteran guy. Like you're not going to ever tell Big Rob anything. Big Rob is going to tell the rookies, hey, you better go pick up my damn towels. There better be three towels at my locker.

I need a pack of Zins. Go get the pack of Zins and put them in the lineman room. He's just a vet. Yeah, he's just a vet. But it's like, you need a vet like that. I'm like, everybody, I mean, now that I'm year three, I'm going to make sure the rookies bring donuts when we're going to the airplane. Saturday morning, we got walk throughs I want. Maybe I'm like, now that we're in California,

go get an Arowan smoothie. Arowan, dude, yeah. See, I didn't even think about that. You could live so, with the bullying, you could live so healthy in LA. 100%. You know, we used to go send the kids to Red Robin. You go get a burger and a sack of fries,

go to Five Guys, you can go out here and get a Justin Bieber smoothie for $35, have a rookie fucking pay for it. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Jesus, who's the funny guy? The funny guy, oh, Brian Allen for sure. BA, he's one of our centers. He was the center for the Super Bowl team,

but kind of another veteran guy, he's a Chicago kid. So he's kind of got that. Chicago. Yeah, he's kind of like, everything he says kind of feels like, are you talking shit to me right now for no reason? They're like, what did I do? And that uh Chicago. Yeah, he's kind of like everything he says kind of feels like yeah Are you talking shit to me right now for no reason they're like what what did I do and that's every everything? He's that whether he was or he wasn't that's always what it kind of felt like now how good was Aaron Donald this is you got to play with probably a Generational great player on defense of our generation my generation like

Was he just a monster? He still had like five years too, if you want him? Yeah, 100%. It was like terrifying and so exciting at the same time. Like terrifying during training camp, because you're like, you know, he just absolutely wants to beat your head into the ground.

Like, you're technically on the other side right now, and everybody's like just going to the way out there competing. And then when you get to season being like, yo, this guy's on our team. Like the other, the other team has to stop this guy from ruining practice or ruining the game. Cause that's what he does to us every day.

We're like, all right, we know these reps are at AD. We're going to, Matthew's going to slide the protection. We're going to make sure we get at least four, four hands on AD and like figure things out. When it's like, now the other team has to do it. Like we can watch it. Now I'm just Celebrating like when you see ad do the quickest like swim move at the line of scrimmage and now he's waiting for to pick up and body slam

The running back you're like, holy cow. Like I've been waiting for this moment to happen to the other team Oh my god, he I couldn't even imagine. I mean shoot you guys had to play against him, too Yeah, we did scary Scary guy. He was. I mean, the game plan was block Aaron Donald. If we block him, we'll win. Game wrecker. It was a low-scoring game. Shout out David Andrews.

Shout out David Andrews. What's up with Carson Wentz? He was on this team. Is he just straight like, is he dorking the locker room Wentz? Okay. He was on this team. Is he just straight like, is he dork in the locker room or what? How come guy, he got forced out of a couple places. Like I just feel like he's like the guy that like gives max effort and tries hard.

Things just don't go his way. Yeah. I think that, I mean, that was how he showed up to our facility for sure. And like, like high energy, like, hey, guys, what's up? Yeah. I'm wearing his camel hat, talking about going to shoot guns, going to fishing, going duck hunting and stuff like that. And I was like, I don't, I don't mind that.

I'm like, I'm from Utah. We can do some, we can go shoot guns out there, but he was super cool. He was, he would be in the breakfast club as well. He had to be there right there just as early as Matthew and them. And no, wait, bread is now is Jimmy Garoppolo in this breakfast club now they don't yeah Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy I don't he's no I wouldn't say he's in the breakfast club Jimmy G he's there he's there he's there just not as maybe as early as everybody else how Jimmy he's super cool he's got that is I chose that ever like when they talk to chill a little maybe some time Jimmy? How is Jimmy G? He's super cool. He's got, Is he the chillest dude ever?

Like when they talk about, A little too chill. A little, maybe sometimes. A little too chill to Jimmy. I think then like the modern phrase is like aura. Like somebody's got aura, like Jimmy G's got aura. Like whether it's out and whether it's at practice facility or I've never seen him outside,

but I can only imagine like the aura when somebody notices that Jimmy G's in there. He's got the Travis Matthews always walking in the nice little freshly Kind of shaved face with a little bit of hair in it too. I'm like shadow. Yeah, I'm like it just he's always looking nice Joker is handsome. I Remember Tom got a little mad He knew he's better-looking Big enough for both of us. Yeah, I said I was a Tom guy but

You know, there's some insecurities when you see Jimmy G. He's pretty handsome. All right, let's jump into this game. What's the game lead up? All right, leading up to this, as we mentioned, this is week two. Early on in the season, Pukka's second game ever. First game hits him over, first start ever. First start ever.

Ten. Up in Seattle, baby, ten catches in 119. Easy, easy. The week one the Rams were coming off a 30 to 13 win. San Fran also put up 30 in week one, 30 to seven over the Steelers. So two one and oh teams coming into this division battle. So you're still on like honeymoon phase here

of your rookie year. So you're still like excited honeymoon phase year of your rookie year. So you're still like excited, you don't feel pain. We had a great week one. How confident were you going into week two? I felt really good, especially like Koopa's turn at this time and be like, we're going through all the meetings

and like, just like we were talking about. So you know you're getting fed. When did you know you were gonna start getting the rock a lot? When Koopa's out? After this game. It still never registered in my head, because I'm going through them. We're going through.

I'm still trying to remember my play. I still got to line up. I still got to remember where I got to line up inside edge, where I got to line up outside edge. Am I here in the split? Am I at the alley? Do I got a push crack on this one? Or have I just got the corner on this?

So all of the football stuff was the only thing I could think about. I never even processed, I was like, yo, we're about to throw me the ball 20 times in one game. That never occurred in my head. Even Saturday, we're going through walk-throughs at the hotel. 20 target. And I'm like, yo, I didn't realize

that any of these plays were coming to me. I knew the first play, we had lined up the, first play of the game, I'm pretty sure our first offensive play was to me, was like, we had me lined up. One of the very few times in probably the first couple weeks, we had lined up the first play of the game, I'm pretty sure our first offensive play was to me, was like, we lined up, one of the very few times of probably the first couple weeks, like I lined up outside the numbers, like I'm out there, soloed up, we motioned somebody away, quick five yard hitch,

first catch, I'm like, all right, kind of got the jitters out. When you first get the, when the first play comes to you, you're like, all right, and especially when it goes well, everything starts to cool down. If they're designing a free access hitch first play To rookie oh You're getting the ball They just want him they they know they're gonna give him the ball game

So they want him to get confident right away. So hey give him some easy Let him get his little nerves cuz he's playing against the fucking Niners. We're gonna force feed this choker all goddamn day because he's playing against the fucking Niners. We're going to force feed this joker all god damn day. No, I never even realized it. And then like after the first one, like after the nerves get calm and you catch one, you kind of get hit by somebody move out of bounds and be like, all right, everything's everything feels feels good. Feels good.

Now, how many how many catches you have in the first half? This was six six I believe six so when did you know it was like Did you did you feel like you're in the zone in this game? Because I remember there's how many you had 20 targets? How many 15 catches? Was there was there like a zone thing? We're like you you felt like you were in the zone cuz I remember high catch games for me when you're catching a lot Of balls you feel like a were in the zone? Because I remember high catch games for me, when you're catching a lot of balls,

you feel like a lot of shit's working. You feel like you're making the right reads, the quarterback's on the page with you. Everything's going right if you're catching fucking 15 balls and getting 20 damn targets. So when did you know, like, all right, when did you, did you feel a zone? Were you in the zone?

When did you feel that zone? I definitely knew I was in the zone. Like I think there was, we had like a kind of like a quicker choice route line. I was out in the slot where I'm on the right like the right split. And we go and I get and like Matthew puts it on. I'm like yo he probably thinks the outbreak is here but I'm like I'm gonna take this in break like I'm like the in break that's where the money's at. I'm like so I go that one to the field. I'm like I take the in break and I'm like yeah so I go to the one, two, three. I'm like, I take the end break and I'm like,

yeah, he puts it on me, like rocket in the middle of my chest and I catch it and then the Drake Greenlaw, somebody hits me and I get to run through and I end up getting tackled and being like, he's thinking the exact same way I am and we didn't miss at all. Like no hesitation, no fall step, no movement. Like as soon as I was ready to catch the ball,

it was right there in the midst of me. Yeah. I love that feeling. There's nothing like it. Yeah. Especially like, especially for the quarterback. When you feel that with your quarterback, there's like, when you say you're getting a lot of balls,

obviously like feeling like you're zone, but then being like, yo, the exact same thought process is going through his head right now and being like, yo, we're on the exact same page, same word, same line. Like we're ready to roll. Wow. There's nothing like that feeling. Yeah. Now when CMC breaks that 50 yard yard run, are you like, this guy's fucking, what are you guys thinking on another sideline? Oh my gosh. Like he just kept right. Like he

was just that speed. I'm telling you, we're talking about the calves. I'm like, this guy can just roll like literally in the, in the line of scrimmage and out of there, like get, get out and, uh, he's got pristine, like sprinty mechanics. If you watch them though, like he's very efficient the way he strikes the ground and like his knee drive. Yeah. He's unreal. He looks like he should be on the blocks. I mean, that would help us all out. Now what's McVeigh say at halftime it's 1410. We're up at halftime? It's 14-10. We're up at halftime, right? 17-17 on this one.

Or 17. Yeah, you guys are up. Climbed out of a 10-3 hole early, got up 17-10, and let Purdy punch one in right at the end of the half there. I know. I remember the thing. It was like, you feel like the game is going good, and then the other team scores right before half,

and that kind of kills all of your momentum. No matter how good the game is going good and then the other team scores right before half and that kind of kills all of your momentum like no Matter how good the game is going for you guys and being like yeah that kind of that kind of hurt us And especially like being on the deep the offensive side like you just watch them was 30 seconds is going down and they march and kind Of scored quickly and being like yo If we get the ball next and we score and they haven't scored like the game is way different the whole the energy all the Raider all I mean the rate is the all the 49er fans who showed up and the the score is 14 to 7 at that or 21 to 7 We come out of the third quarter after our first series is like Everybody kind of shuts up starts to feel like we're at home again

we can go we can have a normal third down call without being on the silent stuff like that and then Just didn't happen out like that way Yeah, you know you guys were you guys are still learning your team you guys were banged up And then just didn't happen out like that way. Yeah, you know, you guys were, you guys are still learning your team. You guys were banged up. Yeah, I could tell you right now. I know McVeigh loves to throw the football, but he never wants to see Matt Stafford go back and throw the ball 55 times. That's not a recipe for winning.

You know, that's just because it's new in the season, they're banged up, they're still learning their god damn team. They don't even know what their team is yet. They got a fifth round guy. He's got 25 catches in two games. So now that game plan's changing. And then this year, once you guys get back into that running phase and you guys start

building off of Kyron, and then you get back into that equal formula. That's when you guys are thriving. But these are these division games early. They're fucking hard. Jack, break us through this game real quick. Yeah, we mentioned earlier that got into a 10-3 hole early, had that big CMC run, traded some field goals early,

then got up 17-10 to Kyron Williams touchdowns. He had a big game. He was starting to place the Camakers this week. And 17-17 at the half. His first start. Yeah, crazy, right? His first thousand yard season. He was balling out. That fifth round, man. Is that your guy? That's my guy, two-three, man.

That's why I lead to run duo. Because he always makes me right. That's what you say. Our wide receiver coach always says a good runner makes every block, right? Yeah, choose your feet and play like that quote. Yeah, and then But the story the second half unfortunately to Stafford Interceptions would kind of be the thing that sank the Rams in this one got out scored 13 to 6 end up losing 30 to 23

But as we mentioned Puka 15 catches 147 yards Got outscored 13 to 6. Ended up losing 30 to 23. But as we mentioned, Puka 15 catches, 147 yards. Two carries, four yards. Sets the record for rookie receptions in a game. Can you walk us through the moment you broke the record? Did you know you were getting close to the record? Did you know there was the record? No, I didn't know there was a record. I sort of like just feel like you're in the zone

and be like, yo, I gotta go run my route cause he's counting on me being the guy like to throw the ball. And like, I didn't know there was a record. I sort of like just feel like you're in the zone and be like, yo, I got to go run my route because he's counting on me being the guy to throw the ball. And like, I never even realized. I just remember like Fred every time I was like, I was we're catching balls over the middle. And Fred's like, yeah, Pook. And I'm like, gosh damn, Fred.

Like, why are you not be on the field while I'm out here? I'm like, he's not letting me get hit by you one play. Leave me alone. Go guard the left foot, left hash or something like that. Now 15 catches a lot of catches. A lot Are you keeping that tally in your head or like after like 12 you're like I don't know I've had a lot of catches today. No definitely I'm like I'm going back to the sideline. He knows exactly how many he's got. Joke is over here like man I'm about to get 18 catches on it.

No Coop I just remember going to the sideline one like we got one feeling exhausted and being like yo I'm getting hit every time. I'm like, well, so how they had chase young at the time they had a chase. Yeah, they have the Bosa and then they had Drake Jackson, who was like another, another defensive end for them. He was a USC. Very good. And be like, yo, like they were still asking me to like, I would be mixing the run game.

We line up on the inside edge of the hash and be like, yo, you got the one block right here or you got a sift block that the defensive end and be like all right and and whenever they see somebody who's under or who's not a tight end they're like all right this is my chance to wreck this guy's day always and definitely luckily I didn't get hit too bad but I've been like after we ran one crack toss that every time I lined up they'd be like all right alert alert crack toss and that every time I lined up they'd be like, all right, alert, alert, crack toss. And then now they just start hitting you for fun

because they know if they get you off the play, the whole thing will be wrecked. And then what you guys do is you guys run zone. Yeah. You white them out or then you do the double down flat and you fake it, you fake toss, you come here, you run the return, you got the spin over the top and you read the fucking backer.

I mean, it's, or then you do a little, the little, you motion a guy over, and you're the only guy out there in a nasty split. You run three up, you come back, and you throw a screen to you. I mean, what do we want to do? We got all options open. Hey, what do we want to do?

Once we establish the run, we got to get there. You can establish the run. To put a bow on this game, we got to get there. You can establish the run. To put a bow on this game, we got to mention single game receptions. Single game receptions by a rookie, 15, Pukka sets a record. Most receptions through first two career games, 25 also are record. My. So we're two games in and we're breaking records, baby. Final score?

Final score, 30 to 23 Niners, unfortunately. Now you guys beat him the second time? We did. Yep, I was week 18. Yeah, but it's always, yeah, you gotta get that effort. I mean, I hate when the NFL does that. You guys had two division openers.

Yeah. That's tough. Usually they give you something, you know what I mean? Somebody in between, yeah. I remember we always used to have those weird Thursday night games against the Jets early in the season You just want to get out healthy with the win It's like oh my god, but it's that it's a team that knows you you know them

It's really I see so you go. I just barely learned that where there are there there are divisions in the game of football You didn't know I mean I Feel like I did but I never really paid attention. I didn't know? I mean, I feel like I did, but I never really paid attention. I didn't really know. I'm like, I'm showing up on Sunday. I don't give a damn who we played against. There's no reason I should play different

for the 49ers or the Seahawks or the Cardinals than I should play when we play the Eagles or the Bills. Like, oh, I'm going out there to beat everybody's ass. You're not on my team. Like my job is to beat you. I don't give a damn if I see you twice or once a year. I tell you on my team, like my job is to beat you. I don't give a damn if I see you twice or once a year. I'll tell ya, you know, you start playing these teams and it's like your eighth, ninth time playing them.

You gotta fucking fabricate shit in your head to like, you know, make you go another level. And then also when you play, you know, when you know you're playing the division, you know if you sneak a game on them, you go up two games and then you also know that like you're probably going to the second time you can use a lot of that film. There's a lot. I don't know.

But I do understand as a young football player being, you know, let's just learn my system. Let's just play the right way. And that's a great mindset to fucking have. Fuck the divisions. If you go out and do your job and do it consistently every fucking play, it don't matter what division you, and collectively the unit does it,

that's how you win. Exactly. That's why you need everybody, all 11 to be on the same page. All 11 to be on the same page. Well, you were on the same fucking page this season with 105 fucking receptions, 1486 yards and six touchdowns for an,

well those are all rookie records. I think you surpassed Jalen Waddle with 104 and then also Bill Grohman for 1473 back in 1960. Damn, was that in 14 games? 14 games, Houston Oilers, Bill Grohmann, shout out. That was probably one of those run and shoot teams where they was the only team throwing. They were running them bare defenses, this guy was.

You know, you guys made the playoffs this year, which you guys got super hot at the back end of the year. Once again, very similar this year. You guys got super hot at the back end of the year once again very similar this year you guys went further this year but you know this is this was a start of something that could be really great for where you guys are going in 2025 it's these types of seasons and these types of games that you know guys lean on in those high stress pressured situations that you pull from you know, guys lean on in those high stress, pressured situations that you pull from. And it's, you know, it's absolute pleasure

to have you on the show. That's the all time rookie receiving season. That's all time. Incredible. That's crazy. You didn't get offensive player of the year. C.J. Stroud got it though, right? It's a quarterback thing, you know.

Quarterback thing. He did ball though. He balled. He I can't imagine the quarterback position as much as I think what we do is pretty damn hard to when you got to tell everybody where to go and you got to think for a lot of other people in the field whoo yeah I can barely think for myself that's why I had Coop out there we're lining up like yo what I got right here let's let let's dissect this defense together now What do you think about CJ Stroud second season? I?

Think it's a line. Yeah, I think there was definitely and then I think is I mean not only on him But I was like the coaches to be like yo, we got to evolve our game plan as well being like yeah We're we had especially with their whiteouts. I mean they had Stefan Diggs they had Nico Yeah, Collins was banged up. They were I mean they they had Stefan Diggs, they had Nico Collins. Yeah. Collins was banged up. They were, and Del got hurt. I mean, they had a lot of, everyone keeps on saying sophomore slum, but I think he just had a tough situation where

his offensive line wasn't playing particularly well. He had, his best playmakers were in and out of the lineup like all year long. And it's hard for a guy to get comfortable when he's got guys in his lap trying to read the defense and that's what he likes to do. So it's also hard to get comfortable and like you don't know any of those guys running out there especially they haven't been practicing.

They ain't going to be the same guy that was in training camp when they come back. That's what people don't realize. Practice time is extremely important. Yeah. Like all the reps, especially like we're talking about this time right now of like all the times you're just gonna there's no coaches out there you're not really running in places you're just throwing the ball you're watching him run be like all right he break it he gets out of the break like this or he's running like this and yeah reps are

important you don't get a lot of them. Yeah now you said you you were a Steelers fan. Packers fan., but you said Steelers because of Troy Yeah, who's the Mount Rushmore of Polly football players? Oh Junior say I got to play with them. Really? I played with them lucky Troy Palmolu Jesse Sepuluh another 49er guy And Hello T. Hello D. Nada another 49er guy. And,

Heloti. Heloti Nada. Garu. Bahamu. Yep, they got, that's four scary guys right there. Heloti, nicely, after Ray Lewis knocked me out of a game, I got banged, concussed, and walking towards the Ravens, Heloti goes, hey buddy, your sideline is that way. That is hilarious.

That's what I remember. It could have been someone else, but that's what I want to remember. We'll be right back after this quick break. There's a type of soil in Mississippi called Yazoo clay. It's thick, burnt orange, and it's got a reputation. It's terrible, terrible dirt. Yazoo Clay eats everything, so things that get buried there tend to stay buried. Until they're not.

In 2012, construction crews at Mississippi's biggest hospital made a shocking discovery. 7,000 bodies out there or more. All former patients of the old state asylum and nobody knew they were there. It was my family's mystery. But in this corner of the South it's not just the soil that keeps secrets. Nobody talks about it, nobody has any information. When you peel back the layers of Mississippi's Yazoo clay nothing's ever as simple as you think. The story is much more complicated and nuanced than that.

I'm Larysen Campbell. Listen to Under Yazoo Clay on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season 1. I just knew him as a kid. Long silent voices from his past came forward. And he was just staring at me. And they had secrets of their own to share.

Um, Gilbert King? I'm the son of Jeremy Lynn Scott. I was no longer just telling the story. I was part of it. Every time I hear about my dad, it's, oh, he's a killer. He's just straight evil. I was becoming the bridge between a killer and the son he'd never known. If the cops and everything would have done their job properly, my dad would have been in jail. I would have never existed. I never expected to find myself in this place. Now, I need to tell you how I got here.

At the end of the day, I'm literally a son of a killer. Bone Valley Season 2. Jeremy. Jeremy, I want to tell you something. Listen to new episodes of Bone Valley Season 2 starting April 9th on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear the entire new season ad free with exclusive content starting April 9th, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

Let's grade the game. Let's do it. Name the game. We have, we came up with some names if you have a name for this specific game that'll it'll be remembered for forever Existence you can go out and throw it but this is what we came up with the puka party 15 catches So easy and so fi the rookie record breaker Go easy on me Fred. The rookie record breaker. Go easy on me, Fred. But we didn't get the dub.

Or else something. Or something else. Or something else. Or something else. Man, because I'm a team guy, but we didn't get the dub, for sure. It's not a one that, but when I tell my son that story, I'd be like, yo, we bounced back

and we played them in week 18, we beat them. Yeah, baby. Fred and them were still in the game. They were trying to stop me from getting the rookie record. I had a couple plays against them, scored a touchdown. Chodavious Ward was guarding me, hit a little slot fade against them. We didn't get the dub, but we did later.

Hey, I like that. You made the playoffs. We did make the playoffs. That was one of the craziest, I'm sure you've had crazy playoff games playing in Detroit. Place goes off. What was it like for Stafford? Because that was the storyline in that game,

going back to Detroit. Everybody just booing him, like, instantly, as soon as he came on the field. Rightfully so, you got to. Yeah. They love him, but you can't get that's more for golf yeah I think that's more for golf they love Matthew Stafford Matthew Stafford did a lot for that organization but you know you can't go

in there and start cheering and giving standing oh and fucking got Jared Goff over here trying to fucking beat him yeah the city of the trade desperately needed that way they needed that way yeah that would win. Yeah. That would have been bad. Yeah, that would have been bad. All right. Score the game. Is this the greatest game of all time? Let's score it. Puka stakes 0 to 10 decimals.

OK, the stakes of this week to division game to 10. I'd say it's like a five. You know what? For for we didn't get the dub, but we did later game. Very, very integrity type scores by Puka. Just on the first one. I am the name that he picked. I can tell he's an integrity guy.

Team guy. Team guy. I'm gonna go with a five. Hit him with a four eight, we're in the same ballpark. I had a 4.6. Star power of this game, both sidelines. One of the generational greats was on defense for your team, Matthew Stafford, maybe first, he's probably

first battle Hall of Famer. Pooka Nakua, rookie record, was in this game of a lot of them. Bunch of guys, Sean McVeigh. Yeah. Cool man. I think we got to be at like. Shanahan. Ooh.

Since so far, maybe some Serendon at like. Shanahan. Ooh. Some SoFi, maybe some San Donals someplace. Aaron Donald's there. Am I crazy if I say like a nine? Nine, nine, two? Let it rip. I mean we got CMC, they got D-bo, they got. Yeah, they got a lot. George Kittle.

George Kittle, like. They got both, so yeah. D-bo. We're star studded on our side too. How much star studded? It's a lot of stars. I'ma go with eight. It's LA.

I like that. Ooh, I was low. Now you of stars. I'm going to go with eight. It's LA. I like that. Ooh, I was low. Now you're going to say I'm not crazy for giving a nine. You gave a six, eight. I forgot I was so low, sorry. I'm sorry. I just, I just said seven point eight. You guys just hyped me up.

Gas lit me like crazy, bro. I forgot I did that. A nine is cool. A nine is cool. That's not wild. You gave a six, eight. we didn't even get a seven. My bad, Pooka, oh damn, bro. I had a seven, eight.

Pooka. Sandbagging. The gameplay of this week two division game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. Back and forth, back and forth. Zero to 10 decimals, okay, the gameplay. Back and forth, you guys are up at halftime, somehow snuck it out.

Yeah. Records, once per game. Being broken. Let me, I'll go 777. I like that. Shout out Andrew Whitworth. Shout out Whit. I'm going to go with a 7-2.

Nice. 6-7, I'm in there with you. I'm a 6-1-1. Now on the highway, all right. The game. Now, Puka, you've you. I'm a six point one. Now on the highway, alright. The name. Now Puka, you got to score the name of the game. We actually scored the name that you picked for this game. I mean, I thought it was good, I picked it, so.

And this game is called the, but we didn't get the dub, but we did later game. Yeah, I'll give that a seven, five. I'll give that an eight. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Give that a... I'll give that a 7-5. I'll give that an 8. 7? Kyler? I had a 1.7. Whoa!

A 1-7? In honor of your old number. Oh, okay. Oh, okay. Oh, okay. It's also the cultural relevance of this game. I don't know. What are you talking about?

It's a rookie record. I might have had too many Red Bulls and got mean. Where's this stand up to all the games that we've done. Kyler, let's calculate soup. Nazi Kyler score Nazi Kyler. 6.4 that puts us. Do we make the top at least top 75 tied for 75th with the 1998 Pop Warner national championship? You didn't have to say that. You should have said we were tied for 75, bro.

What are you talking about? That's a ring right there, dog. Who is this? Rebel City 49ers versus the Naperville Redskins? No way. You mean you haven't heard about this historic game? Where it bounced off the field goal post, went in by Christopher Reese.

Steven Aros took a middle screen, all the way 70 yards for the win. Hey, this is the game you were talking about Yeah, no way legendary game. I'm more shadow crazy Crazy Goodness scripted that better. Oh, man. You mentioned the greatest game of all time Look who what our score is for the number one game here. 20 to three. But this is not biased. Pukka knows.

No, that's a crazy game. Was insane. Dude, I watched it like a few years after, like the first time, like a TV copy. I was like, how did we win this game? It was wild. Do you watch a lot of the games that you've played in TV copy?

When you're retired now. Now when you're retired. I'll watch them now because I got to talk about shit on TV. True. So what I do is anytime it'll be like, what is a divisional round week or this that I watch a lot of the replays of when you guys are playing, then I'll watch a lot of the replays. They'll throw on our old replays. Like when it's divisional around this, that because it helps me like bring back memories that I can reference when I speak on tv about it. Okay that makes a lot of sense. So like sometimes in the off seasons like I will go through a season that we played through

to try to rehash some of the memories of when we lost a Super Bowl. Yeah. Or some of the memories when we were going for our second or when we got bounced out of my rookie year in the first round. Like when you rewatch it, I don't remember a lot of shit and then you're like, oh, I remember this one fucking thing. Yeah, you see it playing, you're like, wait, that happened in this game? That happened in this game.

I remember when we were installing that fucking play and we had fucking this guy doing, you know what I mean? It's fun to do. Because I mean, I've been out now, this is five years. So, you know, when you're in it, I'm not watching that shit because you're onto the next, like you said, you're doing everything you can to make your fucking craft the best it could possibly be every year.

And it's hard to do that while you're evolving. You got to redo it every year. You got to bring something new to your game every year. Because there's a guy, some fucking slob, sitting in a goddamn office, literally watching every catch that you did from all the other teams to say, how the fuck do we stop this guy? All right, we're going to do this.

We're going to do that. We're going to do this. They've got guys trying to scheme against you now, because you got tape, and you're that good. Good luck. Did we miss anything, and you're that good. Good luck. Did we miss anything? I don't think so. I think we covered the whole spectrum of it.

Yeah, it was fun. We had Vegas, we had everything. I love talking about football. We're talking about basketball, the Red City. Yeah, we had Antonio Dates on here. Really. Yeah, recently, he's a hooper. He was badass.

He brought my college to lead eight. No way. Back in like 2004 or something. 2004. You were like three. Yeah. We got to plug you on Instagram. What is it?

Pooka is dead? Pooka is dead, yeah. I didn't really, I follow you. I didn't know that was your name. I just saw Pooka. Yeah, no, Pooka is so, I mean, funny story, my mom, maybe my eighth grade year didn't know I'm at Instagram. I make Instagram and it's like, I don't know some random other eight great not this

Yeah, and my mom my mom finds my Instagram and changes it and she made it puka is dead like to let me know I was in trouble. I've never changed my Instagram after that. It's too funny. Just like how it's spelled I Z DED That's exactly how she did it like to the queue and I was like, oh's too funny. Just like how it's spelled I-Z-D-E-D, that's exactly how she did it. Like to the cue and I was like, oh my gosh, that is hilarious mom. Like now every time like kids are always like, Pukka is dead. I'm like, that's me, man.

ASAP Pukka on X. Now how we get that one? That's just our rap name? Yeah, I was, man growing up, like loved ASAP Rocking and their group. I mean, those are like, when I first really started playing football and like I need hype music, ASAP Rocking and them were killing. So mean those are like, when I first really started playing football, and like I need hype music,

ASAP Rocking and them were killing it, so I was like, I want to be a part of them. You're part of Jordan Brand? Yes sir, there's nothing like it. It's fire. I was, that was my, I could've potentially been late, because I was like, I don't know what J's to wear, like that's the only thing I was like,

I got some fours on. I got rebugs. You have a favorite pair? Space Jam. Really? Number 11, Bubs. I was actually going to wear some. I was going to wear the black lows today, but I switched them.

I don't like lows. The fours look great. I like all the real shoes. Yeah, okay, that's it. I don't like the hybrid shit. The lows are nice though. They're cool. I mean, you saw the lows right over there.

Yeah, that's why I was asking about it. See, look at he lows right over there. Yeah, that's why I was like asking about it. See, look at he. He even remembers. He's going to be a good football player. We appreciate you coming on games with him. It was fucking a blast, bro. Check him out on Instagram at PukaIsDead, I-Z-D-E-D,

by his mom. ASAP Puka on X. Check him out anywhere in Los Angeles. I see him on billboards everywhere for LA Ram shit. So if you're in LA, you'll see him everywhere. BYU football, BYU, shout out to my Jew. And then, thank you Puka for coming on, bro. Appreciate you, brother.

Man, that was awesome. Puka, he's got that young, he's got young energy. Aura, baby. He got that that young He's got young Energy or a baby. You got that aura. He's a man. He's got he's got like a Fun like work hard play hard energy Just reminds me of the group of guys that we hung out with in New England Like we used to have this group called the fuk. I don't know if I said it, but it was like me, Dane Fletcher, Nico Koudavides, Gronk, Shane Varene.

There was like this house where we were all a bunch of young guys and we were the core of the team. We were the future of the team. And we loved to work hard. And then after you go play hard and that's kind of the vibe you get from Puka. Just the guy you wanna hang out with.

Wanna hang out with. Maybe he saw some messy goals. Oh Yeah, there was no goal though. No, it was one nothing. They lost nothing boo. We're kind of burying the lead here Jack's back Jack's back like I never left baby. See I I don't need seamlessly. We're back. Jack's always with me We are bad. I didn't even feel like he was gone. Hey, I'm just one macho man meme away. You know? In order to find me. Plus he's on the riverside. Always, he's here.

In the atmosphere, baby. Jack's in the hemisphere. Let's go. It's great to have him in the studio. And now it's time for the Chill Zone brought to you by Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door. Visit CoorsLight. comm slash GWN and celebrate

Responsibly That sound yeah, maybe so good Cold is the Rockies whoo-hoo they say today. We're gonna dive in To the YouTube comment section. We're answering questions and responding to some of the best comments on recent episodes. And by the way, how fun have these premieres been guys? They've been fun. Yeah man, the people show up, we get a little chatter going in the comment section. It's been a nice little weekly routine. Got it. Making buds in there. A lot of regulars too. A lot of regulars. Cross-pollination. Funny

seeing you here type cats Let's get into it. What do we got? We're pulling some from recent episodes. We're encouraging you guys hit us in the comment section We're recognizing these first up from William Haven two three five two Why does Julian's laugh sound like someone stuck an empty beer can in a garbage disposal? What is that, bro? An empty cork's like you. Oh, an empty cork, that's what he means. It's the same laugh as my dad, it's weird.

The Frank laugh? Yeah, Frank laugh. If you spend too much time with you guys, you start to pick it up too. I get it. It's a good laugh. It's a good laugh. And from the Antonio Gates episode,

shout out the flashes, baby, Shrub Chucker commented commented need rivers on here need rivers All right, only if we can do it from the little mobile. Yeah gosh darn it Get on the gosh darn couch bill bring all your kids We got a backyard the back out of trampoline kit you can put Maybe they have a 77 tournament out there with all those kids. Oh man easy Here is a particularly good one that is near and dear to our heart Gray seven four nine five said anyone know the name of that intro outro song that plays

So I'll just we do I'll cover this one. So which one this intro song to the Everyone always asks what that song is and the answer is it's not named. We had a composer his name was Andriy Zizov, I think uh check him out on his instagram here probably put it here. Uh, totally original. Um It was fun developing that song too a bunch of years ago. We're going to post it on youtube soon So you have access to the full thing. Uh, so be on the lookout for that He also did the dudes the the dudes on dudes song too. This guy's talented. Yeah.

Talented. We got another good one here, Jules. This one's for you, man. Nick Fleetwood, 2146 said, Jules, what is one lift slash workout you will never do again, i.e. hill sprints, tire flips, et cetera? Bout runs. Oh, I've heard of those.

I'm never doing bout runs again. What is a bout run? A bout run is where you have to run? Hunter so you start on one goal line and you? Run to the other goal line for three straight minutes, and you have to get 785 yards So you have to go touch a line go back It's just a constant run, but the slowing and stopping down, I think you have to average like 16 miles an hour.

It's fucking, it's hard. So you said it's three minutes? Three minutes to do like 785 yards. So then like that's down and back like seven and- Four and a half times. So like three and a half, three times. The whistle blows, they stop, and it's like if you haven't reached here.

If you don't stop, you don't make it. What's the ramifications for someone who doesn't get there? You may have to go and do more extra sprints. Like you may have to like come in, and there's like an, there's fat camp, and then there's like non-conditioning camp. And so sometimes guys that aren't in conditioning or don't make the conditioning test,

like this is off season usually. But if you don't make the conditioning test, you have to wake up at 5 a.m. Or you have to be at the facility at 5 a.m. and do conditioning before the day starts until you pass the conditioning test. More like, huh, how about we never do these again? How about we never do these again how about

we never do these again I've missed you Jack yeah I just renamed them for you coach yeah let's do we got any more than here that jump out to you guys do like one more one like some soccer shit though like we're not soccer guys we're fucking line up we're like dragsters Perfect segue. Perfect segue. From Darren Shields 18. Would be great to get a football, soccer player on here to do the best game ever. So he's referring to football. Yeah, we gotta get some football. We've only had Brandy so far.

Yeah. That's wild. We gotta get our numbers up. We gotta get Harry Kane on this bitch. You got to man Byron Munich, maybe we got to fly over to Germany games with names Deutschland. I know I'm tight. That'd be tight Let's see this one here. Jules. This is from the Stavi episode a recent fan favorite man I wish I was here for that one in purse. This is from C donk 5735 as a diehard Pats fan.

I love Edelman, but ranch with Greek food is a disgrace. It's when I order Greek. I'm not like going to a fucking Greek restaurant, bringing a hidden valley little pocket ranch with me. You know, I keep that thing on me. Who's going to like a good ranch with like a kebab, chicken kebab and shit? I think it's good. Say no to that. I'm with say no to that I'm with you okay I'm gonna take the kid out of the trailer but you can't

take the trailer at its core it's a creamy sauce with some zest baby what goes I mean I'm with you on this one I'll defend your tooth and nail sorry I'm also a guy loves a one on everything too so judge me if you want shout out a one sauce shout out a one auto stay gay right without the a was so I stayed dipped in sauce and they come bars well that's always fun those comments comments are there's some gold in the comment section keep them up questions in the comment section will get read on the show questions in the comment section. We'll get ready to show And that was the chill zone. Thanks to our favorite beer Coors like it Coors light delivered straight to your door visit Coors light

dot-com slash Gdouble UN and Celebrate responsibly what a game Thanks again to Puka and that's been another episode of games with names subscribe on Apple podcast Spotify celebrate responsibly. while you're there. We need em five stars. Remember to follow Games with Names on YouTube, Instagram, XtikTok and Snapchat. Leave a comment on the YouTube full episode. Comment or question, we're answering them. We'll read the best ones on future episodes. Leave a message on the hotline at 424-291-2290.

We'll see you guys next week. Games with names and production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. ["I'm On My Way To You"] In Mississippi, Yazoo Clay keeps secrets. Seven thousand bodies out there or more.

A forgotten asylum cemetery. It was my family's mystery. Shame, guilt, propriety, something keeps it all buried deep until it's not. I'm Larysen Campbell and this is Under Yazoo Clay. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Something unexpected happened after Jeremy Scott confessed to killing Michelle Schofield in Bone Valley Season 1. Every time I hear about my dad is, oh, a killer he's just straight evil. I was becoming the bridge between Jeremy Scott and the son

he'd never known. At the end of the day I'm literally a son of a killer. Listen to new episodes of Bone Valley season two starting April 9th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.