Green Light with Chris Long - Aaron Donald in The Fish Bowl

Episode Date: March 9, 2020

The first guest in this series is NFL superstar, Aaron Donald from the Los Angeles Rams. With Aaron Donald's favorite fish sitting front row, Aaron and Chris tackle several topics including, playing in the Super Bowl, his "home" workout routine in the house he grew up in, his college football days at Pitt, and his favorite NBA team. About Chalk Media: Following the unfiltered voice and vision of Chris Long, Chalk Media is the interactive online community for you, the intelligent and humorous sports fan. Driven by access, Chalk delivers a unique perspective that cuts through the canned talking points and provides a variety of content from your favorite sports and entertainment celebrities. Here at Chalk, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are rooted in challenging the perception of professional athletes. We embrace the “real” with a unique combination of humor and intelligence. Chalk is a community with a voice beyond 240 characters that brings a perspective and vibe to a traditionally brash and boastful sports media space. Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more. Nothing is off limits at Chalk - hot news items, trending discussions from the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA are just a small part of what we will be sharing with you. 🌍🏀🏈SUBSCRIBE NOW ⚾🏒⛰️ http://bit.ly/chalknetwork Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Donald. If you know me, you know how I feel about him as a person and an athlete, certainly one of the best athletes I've ever been around. To be honest, I play with him a couple years, and I don't think anybody knows him that well. He's not exactly Mr. Talkative. But anytime my friend picks up the phone when I say, hey, I got this new interview show called the Fish Bowl, can you ride out and talk to me for about an hour? And your friend happens to be the best defensive player in football in a lot of people's eyes. You got to take advantage of the opportunity when he says yes. So little brag here.

I don't think I've ever seen him answer this many questions ago, this in depth about personal stuff. I think you'll learn a lot. You haven't before about him. I certainly did as his teammate whose locker was right next to him for two years. He's a great dude. He's a humble dude. He's a hardworking dude.

And you see what he does on the field. And we got this interview last summer. before the 2019 season. So interesting looking back, hearing what he had to say on the heels of that Super Bowl lost to the pads. It's an hour with Aaron Donald. Not much more to say by me, but a lot that you can learn

about one of the best players in the game. So tune in, enjoy it. This is a guest I'm very excited about. It's like a guy I've seen grow up through the years, but truth be told, when he got in the league, he was better than me already, so I care. Aaron Donald, two-time reigning defensive player a year. I've recently referred to him as the best player in football.

And naturally, the best player in football, I saw him pull up outside in his car. He's got one of those doors that does... What's that door called? Is this the I-Ete? Is that a suicide door or is that a different type? I don't know what they call it. You just got it. You're just a little car.

I love it. I love it. So, you know, I referred to you as the best player in football. You're probably for every question. quarterback, the scariest dude in football, O-Lyman alike. What is Aaron Donald afraid of? What am I afraid of? I don't know.

Failure? You know, I'm really not, honestly, I'm not scared of nothing like. Lights go off at night? Nothing. See, I got kids, I gotta be the tough guy. I'm the protector, so I can't be scared of much. But, you know, if I had to say I was scared of something, just scared to fail.

Snakes? No, I ain't scared of no snakes. So no animals? I used to catch snakes growing up, so I can't be scared of it. Well, hold on a second. You used to catch snakes. Yeah. with your hands? Yeah. Well, in Pittsburgh, they're little gardener snakes. They ain't no rattles.

Okay, so like, so if you're from like Pahoki like Jank, like Janoris, he played with Jen. Yeah. And they said they caught rabbits down there to train. So you caught snakes. Yeah. And what did you do with them after? We just put them in like a container, put some grass, some rocks, and then let them live in like a little container. It was like a little pets. So you're into reptiles, dude. We go to the creek and get the little lizards and everything. Dude, are you serious? Like a little geologist. Like a little baby training to be defensive player a year slash geologist.

Hi, I'm Dr. Crystal Dilworth. Geology is the study of Earth's structure, substance, and the processes that act on it. It has nothing to do with snakes. Herpetology is the segment of zoology that deals with reptiles and amphibians, or snakes. So one question I was going to ask you, if you didn't play football, what would you be? I guess maybe you'd be like some sort of a Steve Irwin. See, I always talked about growing up. up always said I even want to play in the NFL or want to be a businessman.

Yeah. I just always want to do something that, you know, that earns some good money. Right. Well, you got plenty to start a business with now. Congratulations on all your success, man. You know, being the two-time reigning defensive player year, being a five-time pro bowler, or five-for-five, right? Batting a thousand there.

You know, a lot of people would say, you know, you've made it. It's a lot of success. A lot of money to be heaped on early. What's next for you as you stare down the barrel of another year? Are there goals that keep you driving, numeric goals, a sack record? What else? I just want to win a Super Bowl. Yeah.

You know, so I'm just grinding and do that. You know, I got to, when you make a name for yourself, I always say that it don't get easier, just get ten times harder, so I got to keep working, trying to find ways to get better. And I ain't get that ring yet, so that's what's pushing me and what's motivating me. Yeah, I mean, you talked about trying to win a Super Bowl. you talk about, you know, other individual goals in the off season. Do you sit here because every time a team plays you, you're A1 in the game plan? Do you sit here and think about you're kind of playing chess because people are trying to figure you out?

Do you, in the off season, try to get one step ahead of people and figure where they might see a blind spot in your game? Do you sit there and study? Because you're one of the hardest studying guys I know. Like, what's your offseason film room process look like? I usually just break down film from all the games I played in, the good games, the bad games, the games I really don't want to watch. I just study what I see in the office alignment do that. I felt like my weaknesses or what they did to slow me down what I can do to, you know, trying to free myself up or help myself to beat that guy a little faster to, you know, to make a play. So I'm just more, when I'm all off the season, I'm just studying myself trying to find ways to prove something or clean something up some type of way.

So, you know, come game time or come camp, I can work it and trying to find ways to just keep getting the better. So we got a new move in the arsenal in the pipe? I got a little something. You were talking about that. It went all over. It was variable. He taught me this little move for like play action, stuff, some handwork to work to get on it off.

It was just Chuck? Yeah. No, this is, Demarcus. Oh, DeMarcus. So yeah, I saw you and DeMarcus working. And I'm like, well, this is some scary shit. I think it's like, already you're almost at 60 sacks, five years into your career.

DeMarcus is a guy who was well into hundreds. You know, when I look at your career, I mean, it's easily. attainable to think that you could be pushing up near 200 and you know that that that number's not everything but it's what gets people paid and you seem to enjoy the art of it you enjoy the process you know I watch you doing the camp stuff I watch you working with DeMarcus I watch you working with younger kids what is it about that art form that you that you enjoy like why are you for a

younger guy you're so into the process what when did that start at high school You know, you come in, you're one of the good players, so you think you know it all in high school. My high school, defense line coach, DeMond Gibson. He played in the NFL, played in college. So, you know, my dad allowed him to coach me and say, if he acted up, go upside his head. And it took one game for me to say something back to him.

He grabbed me up, said, man, you're going to listen to what I say. And at one day, I always tell him, I changed everything. Because once I started to take his coach and I started listening and learning, and I could see my game, my game getting better and better. And I was doing things as far as, like, pass rush moves in high school that nobody was doing.

So I always say DeMond Gibson is what broke that curse from me just as learning, you know, taking it in them. Because you have success, you're gonna have success, but coaches and people's in places and have success and they teaching you things for you to learn from. So, you know, I just taught and understood that, you know, I'm listening with somebody saying something and trying to, you know, pit it in my game some way somehow.

So it's just, it ain't gonna do no, but make me better, so. Yeah, because when you got to the league, I remember we, one of my biggest regrets not being able to stay healthy and play with you longer. But at the tail end, we overlapped. And I remember I was always kind of the guy that, and I've told a bunch of people of this, I was the kind of guy that, like, I was bored in camp.

I was like, what am I going to do? Go back to the hotel and play video games? No. Like, I want to watch a little more tape. I want to stay a little bit longer. And it's almost peaceful when everybody empties the building. And I used to walk in at 8 at night because we'd have our one film room, shitty little film room in Earth City, Missouri.

and I'd walk in, the lights would be off, and I'd be like, oh, fuck, A.D.'s in here again. I guess I'm not watching film tonight, you know, I was like, because young guys watching film is something, and watching extra film is something you're not used to as a vet. So you were ready-made. I mean, you were a ready-made pro from a work ethic standpoint. You know, it's unmatched when it comes to the prep and being a student of the game.

The turning point was your coach, huh? Because you talk about your dad a lot, and your dad even, your dad called you at one point. I heard him say he was lazy at one. You were really lazy. You were really lazy. I was a little chunky kid. So I was chunky, so my dad telling me to do my chores, I would complain about how to take

the garbage out or something, he'll leave it, it'll still be the air goes outside my head. So it's the thing that he said to get me out that lazy stage was to get me in the weight room. Right. And he'd say, you know, once you work out, you start seeing a change in your body, it just changed everyday life. And it really did, though, for me. Well, because I've seen the pictures of you at Penn Hills, and you had this epic mustache for, you must have been pretty young.

And, you know, you were the kid in Little League that people were like, this guy's not 12 years old. This guy's, you seem like you had that grown man strength early, but you didn't realize it. And I know that that weight room that kind of has become legendary up at your old house was a big turning point as well. Yeah, just grand. I started lifting free weights when I was 12.

So I'm 12-year-old. You see, I think, waking up 6 o'clock in the morning to work out as a kid, a lot of people ain't doing it, you know. Grownups aren't doing that. Yeah. And so it was, I always taught my dad, you know, he was pretty much training me to be a pro before we knew what he was doing. So, you know, working and keeping myself on the schedule was just normal to me. Because that's why I'm like that now.

Right. I mean, I remember when I was a kid, my dad, I was, I guess I was lazy. And my pops hired a guy to just basically break me, run suicides. He was an old AAU basketball coach. I had no business being on a basketball course. So I thought I was out there to play basketball, and I thought it was going to be good. But this guy's sole job, and I learned this 10 years later, was to make me cry or puke or the whole nine yards.

And I look back at it and I say, like, where did I get the work ethic that carried me through 11 years? Is that one moment, is that one coach? But you had that weight room and supposedly, I hear you still go back there and work out. Is that true or was that just the story? That's the truth.

So you go back there and grind it out. Usually that's probably like a Thursday workout or a Saturday workout. One of my days I pull the head off, I go down to my. my dad's, you know, the basement and do some extra work. And the basement, and this is pretty interesting. I actually didn't know this about you and being your buddy.

I had no idea, but, you know, when you got paid, your parents are real important to you, obviously. Your dad, who I've met, tremendous, tremendous dude, and you wanted to pay him back for, and your mom, with everything they've done for you. You got them houses, but you insisted that you keep the house, right? You keep the house. Does that house have a name or? No. But it's just the house we grew up in it, and it's the wait room. So that's where the wait room's at.

So that's more when the fella, we get all together, that's where we all go and relax. So Aaron Donald, ultimate football machine, ultimate good guy, bought both his parents' homes when he made it, also went back and bought the very humble, modest house that he grew up in, probably 2,000 square feet, including the basement. And this is by Aaron's description. And he doesn't use it as a party house. He doesn't use it to go drink beer at or hideaway. like he uses it just to lift weights. It's a weight room. It's a flexitorium. This kid is just

constantly grinding, trying to get better. But imagine being a kid living down the street and like hitting a fly ball too far. I'm like going to retrieve and you have that like sandlot moment. I'm not sure if AD is James Earl Jones or Hercules, but has to be pretty fucking intimidating to see the rating defensive player of the year step out of his eye eight and the door goes like this and he reaches down and he gets the ball and he hands into you. He goes here, kid, here's your ball and it's kind of like that Joe green coke commercial but it's just Aaron Donald back in his neighborhood ultimate good guy makes me feel bad by myself the the Cowboys had the White House we all know it went on there we know most of what went on

there that'd be a good documentary and then Aaron Donald had his childhood home which he's just turned into a weight room so he can get better this is a party spot now they need the party spot it was me I would be like I need the weight room and it's you know it's It reminds me in my childhood, but this is the place of me and my buddies from back home. Because you still stay tight with your buddies from Pittsburgh. You're like Mr. Pittsburgh. Like you truly live, sleep, breathe, Pittsburgh. Culture, football, the whole nine yards.

I would be in their party. And especially being married now, I can't get a hall pass to go out to the bar. I'd be like, I got to run over to the house. Do some extra workouts. And then I have all my buddies there. We'd be on the porch. But the thing is, it ain't in the best neighborhood. So you really don't want to be.

You're probably good in that neighborhood. Are you saying I'm not good in that neighborhood? No, you're good. I know AD. So you're going to be good. What's Pittsburgh like culturally, like, because it's one of those places that if you're not from Pittsburgh, you don't know what the culture, what the scene is there.

And you're very entrenched in it. What's Pittsburgh all about? It's just when you hear Pittsburgh, everybody I say blue collar, you know, Pittsburgh's tough, all that good stuff. So, you know, Pittsburgh's home. You know, they always asked me, why am I back in Pittsburgh? I said, that's where I'm from.

That's his home. They say, but you can go anywhere. I'd be like, but this is where it all started. You know, I go to pit, and I go back home because that's what made me and molding me who I am today. You know, that's what helped me keep grounded. It's what helped me keep myself humble, to keep me working, because I got good people around me

that's going to push me and know my best interest because they've been there since day one. So I want to be around people that, you know, that pushed me and get me to this point, and I'm not going to stop doing what got me to where I'm at now. So I'm going to continue to do that and be in a city where I was born and raised there. Is it a thin line?

Because I live in my hometown, Obviously Charlottesville's a little tougher than Pittsburgh. You know, it's more of a color. It's more of a dangerous place, but I'm good there. You'd be good there. If you want to come Charleston, fly some doves or pigeons or whatever I need to do to let people know that you're good. But I mean, Pittsburgh to me, you go back a lot. Is there a thin line between trusting people but also hanging around where you're a big target? You know what I mean? Yeah. And how do you walk that line going back to your hometown and, and, and, and whatnot. See, I got a small circle, so I don't really, you know, I don't be around too many new people.

And the areas I be in the places I be, it ain't a place where, you know, I'm not in, and I'm not going to be in neighborhoods I know I ain't supposed to be in any way. Even though people know how I am, but you don't never know what everybody's attention is and what they think. Some people might smile in your face and in the back of the head, they're saying, I'm going to get him some way somehow, you know, so I keep him away, I keep myself away from all that. Everybody's got an angle. You got an angle. You got a, you got a, especially now that you got paid. And that's the thing about what I always tell people is like, what's different for us is, you know, our salary is online.

You can Google what you made. You can Google what I made. You know, people know, if we worked, if we were bankers or we worked on Wall Street, chances are, you know. But that's the worst thing because somebody would call you like, I get some money. You can't be like, I ain't got it. Exactly. They just signed this. You got to make up another bullshit.

I just can't do it right now. What's your go-to? I don't want to spoil the go-to. I'm going to tell you. This is, I'll say, I just invests it some money. money and some stuff and I can't I can't lend the money out right now just do a bunch of money in this business so when I hit you with a Ponzi scheme and I get the and I get the hey I just invested some money I know it's bullshit you know that

that's a no we got to work you need options you can't just do the same one over and over you have to have what's a chart if it's a high school buddy if it's a coach if it's an old teacher like if I don't mind helping somebody if there's somebody that you know that been there but you usually help somebody once they're going keep coming back like I hire can you have me one more time okay so the key is you just got to help one time so if I you know the reason I brought you here is I fell out some hard times and I noticed you know what I know you lie I know you lie so you go to pit I mean you're the ultimate hometown guy and and we've talked about Pittsburgh before you know you're you're the youngest player

youngest person to give a million dollars to Pittsburgh. You're basically synonymous with the university right now. And that's a that's a university that's had their national championship kind of heyday. They've had Hall of Famers come out of there. They've had you know in the modern era a lot of great players. What does it mean to you to be kind of like the face of Pitt? I mean it's good but I don't do it for the attention. I just do it. You know it was an opportunity to you know do something for a school that you know gave me a chance a lot of people didn't.

Yeah. You know, so for me to help them the upcoming football players in the future, you know, that was a no-brainer. And then on top of that, you want to pick my name on a building, you know, that's a legacy you leaving behind, you know, when it's all setting and done, I'll be dead and gone one day, you know, my name will be on front of that building. So that's the thing that's surreal to me, you know, just for me wanting to help, you know, the future football players and the kids, you know, by doing that, you leaving a legacy behind

that's going to be there forever. And what's in the building? everything yeah just a whole lower floor with a weight room locker rooms training room you know it's the and down sandwiches they got sandwiches they got nice the lunch rooms upstairs that's not covered under the ariddonald umbrella just the downstairs okay uh you know i you know i've said this before pit to me is a really again blue collar program tough they've had their their years where they were 10 win type team um now i mean they're in this transitional you played for three head coaches there yeah uh you like the coach there now you like the coach there now

Why is it that they turn so many great pros out, and I don't mean this as a slight, but the program is just pretty good. You know what I mean? I think it's just the culture to come up. You know, it's going to be different coaches, but I feel like the culture stay the same. You know, it's just hard work and you all, they always got people in there and coaches in there that's going to push you and help you not to just be a great football player, but a great person off the field too. So, you know, there's guys that's going to follow that trend and it's going to be your bunch of snack, you know, and you know, and just be a bunch of not, you know. you know and the bunch that's falling that league and then doing everything they're probably doing and doing it at a high level that's the guys you're gonna see at the next level

having success so a lot of respect for pit football rich history great players in the pros right now including Fitzgerald uh donald uh shady mccoy a whole bunch of them and one they're happy the ac c last year which is really good but it's a formality you kind of go and get your ass kicked by clemson at this point at this juncture in the ac cc so uh 2014 I was not thinking about Aaron Donald Drap Night and evidently a lot of GMs weren't either. He fell to 13 but if you didn't get him in the first 12 picks, you probably kept your job. One of the best first rounds, if not the best, this century. Star studded 15 through, you know, first 15 to 20 picks.

Guys like Clowny, Mac, Shazir, Donald, Kyle Fuller on defense, and then offensively you had guys like OBJ, Mike Evans, Taylor Luwan, Zach Martin. I'm probably missing a few, but a lot of studs. The one thing this draft class didn't really have was quarterbacks. There's probably two guys who you can consider franchise quarterbacks right now in Derek Carr and Jimmy G. Jimmy G's got the best record out of any of them. But I think most people are accepting that Derek Carr is the best quarterback out of the group. There were guys like Mansell who were out of league. There's guys like Teddy Bridgewater who have become spot starters in situations like New Orleans right now.

He's doing a great job. And then there's guys like Blake Portles who had his moments in Jacksonville and is now kind of a good. back up in LA. Draft tonight I wasn't thinking about Aaron Donald. I was thinking about Jadavian Clowny. Rams picked two. I know they liked him and he's an alien. I'm a mere mortal. He would have taken my job. I would have sat on the bench. So I was really happy the Texans came to their senses and picked Judeavian Clowny. Second pick Greg Robinson fell to us. Became a good buddy of mine and I took a lot of his money playing pool. So it all worked out for your boy. No harm, no foul.

has L.A. been a culture shock? No, it was. I'm used to L.A. now. This is my second home, so I'm comfortable here. I'm loving it. Well, because you grow up in Pittsburgh, and then you spend two years living in probably St. Charles. Where'd you live in? St. Charles. Lived in St. Charles. Lived in St. Chuck, over the bridge in St. Louis, which, by the way, I love St. Louis, and they never get enough love.

So shout out to St. Louis, even for guys that they see prospering now. It's hard not to like you or like Todd or, you know, I know it was. tough to lose the team, but when you come to LA, what's the hardest thing about the move? I mean, personally, there's obviously issues, but as a team, I mean, you guys, the facilities are a challenge in the first place. It was, it was just a lot, you know,

a lot going on, a big city, so much, so much, you know, being pulled here, being pulled there. So from being, you know, like you said, Pittsburgh and St. Louis and Pittsburgh, that's similar. And then now, LA, you know, this is, This is where it all that you know this is a big market big all that so you get a lot of opportunities and things like that a lot of Crazy going on so you know, but you guys you guys work out of like a you guys got like some tents and and stuff like You're wayrooms and is it is it when you first got here they got at the temporary spot. It's actually nice that they got it set up

It's not the our main spot but it's nice it's nice set up. Yeah, it's a nice set up. We got you know two big fields out there and all that but you know it's a good setup man everything's smooth now. We got the stadium about to be done at 20. You drive by that stadium and kind of daydream? I just went there and checked it out what I want to say last month. What's it looking like? Ridiculous. Yeah. Like when I say you really can't, you got to see it like it's not even done it just it's going to be something special man. It's going to be crazy. Speaking of special, the next 10 years for LA is is huge. I mean with all the, now you've

got LeBron, you've got Kauai, you've got the Rams playing in the Super Bowl last year. I think you got the Olympics coming up, new stadium. It's kind of the place to be right now. I mean, it was the place to be before. But I guess the biggest question is, is, are you a Clippers or a Lakers fan now? And I don't want to hear any switching, you know, next year when the clips are, you know, 15 games ahead of the Lakers, I don't want to hear any bullshit that you're a clippers fan. So let's put it on record. See, I'm a LeBron fan. So I got to say I'm a Lakers guy. Okay. You know, so I'm a Lakers guy. Okay. I like the, I feel like the Clippers, the Clippers, the Clippers, that mentality that they have really fits you. I mean, like, everybody plays defense,

Pat Beverly's hardcore, you know, Kauai, he doesn't say shit. He's a lot like you. People try to figure him out. They don't know what he's thinking. I just would have pegged you as a clippers guy. Like, I really don't, honestly, I don't watch basketball. I watch the playoffs. That's about it. I'm just, like I said, I'm just a LeBron guy. You met him? Pretty cool. Yeah. You got him in the phone book and you guys are, I got him on the phone book, though. That's a, that's a, that's a, that's a, That's a tough one to, because like you meet somebody like abroad and you're like, yeah, yeah, we're cool, but you don't want to be that guy like, let's exchange info. Yeah, no.

You know what I mean? You don't, everybody you meet you and look at their number. Yeah, yeah. They're just no more guy at the end of the day. Well, you guys are kind of, to me, you're the, you're the Kings LA right now. I mean, like to me, you know, and Kauai just joined that company, but where do the Rams rank? Is it like, is it like second fiddle to the Lakers?

because it is a Lakers town. It's not a football town per se yet, but it's getting there. I think it's a football town. You think it's a football town? It is now. Okay, so you're making it a football town again? It's a football town now. I like it. What's the, who's the coolest celebrity you met that knew who you were and was a fan of you? You know, I've made a lot of people, a lot of greats, you know, I'm gonna say this one person because I grew up always loving away, played, the intensity, the passion, play with the game. I met Ray Lewis. Oh yeah. So I met him, I want to say two years ago, we was at a, um, I'm gonna say, Super Bowl function, I think it was in Minnesota.

Yeah. You know, I'm in there. He walks up to me, he said, what's up, Aaron? You're like, you're like, what? Another hair in you? No, I'm like, I would never imagine that Ray Lewis would know my name before I even get to introduce myself to himself. For me, that was like, wow. Yeah, that was a surreal moment for me.

I'm like, to me that was crazy, you know, because I grew up watching that guy and seeing all the passion he played with. Even though I played DeLiam and I wanted to play like Ray Lewis, you know, I'm talking with that passion. and not the way he was just greedy with it and hustled and made every single play for him to come up and know who I was before I introduced myself. I was blown away about that. That's a pretty good one. You talked about being underappreciated, slighted at times.

You've talked about that before. Three stars coming to pit, not that rivals or your high school rating means anything. You know, you slid in a draft relative to some other defensive players who, they're not you. A lot of its height, right? I mean, a lot of it people were like, you're six feet or whatever.

You have challenged the... I'm 6'1. You 6'1? That's good. 6.1 inch used or 6.1? No, I'm 6'1. It really doesn't fucking matter. That bank account is 10 feet tall, and you've got 20 and a half sacks on a single season.

But what is it that you felt like people were not seeing in you or even leading up to the combine? My size, my height. That's normal. Everybody going to have a, you know, they, they were to have their own opinions. Yeah. You know, because even in college, the NFL, it's your investment, you know, they're investing to you in the college to give you a full-time scholarship. They're paying for that. So, you know, they want to make sure the players they're getting into the right ones. And sometimes they might. It's a good investment, though, you know, for whatever, I don't know what the scholarship to Pitt goes for a year, but, I mean, the return was like a million-dollar

facility. So that was a good investment. But you know, it come with it. They anybody, you know, they only think because I was a 6-1 and 260 pounds probably couldn't hold up with them bigger guys, them guys that's 6-5, 330, 320, so it's all right, everybody. My thing is when someone they said that, it didn't push me and make me feel some type of way, it just was like, I just saying I guess I ain't good enough, I got to get better, you know, so I just got to show them. I feel like in college it's a little easier if you're a three start to overcome that

than it is to be a low draft pick, which you weren't a low draft pick. I mean, you were still a high draft pick, but, you know, guys in the the pros, they got a lot more to overcome. So now maybe down the road, there's a guy who's 6-1, who's 280, who you've changed the perception of what his career might be. Have you thought about the fact that you have challenged that prototype and you've challenged the status quo and you're going to pave the way for other players? Yeah, somebody was talking to me about that, and that's the thing that's crazy.

You're opening up doors for other guys that's similar body types. But I always say, if you can play, you can play. Yes. It don't matter what's as you is, if you go out there and you put it on film, there ain't much they can say. What they're gonna keep saying is. They're gonna try to find ways, but it's right there on film. They're seeing it.

They're seeing the success. So what, well, I mean, listen, I mean, you played in, you played nearly every game of your career, going back to Pitt. You're durable. I think you might have sat a game or two in the pros because y'all arresting people or whatnot. You don't need training camp. But you've proved all these things out that you're talking about to be. And another thing is like, listen,

like you're 6-1 but your arm length is really solid so you have length and you're shorter I think that if I'm looking at D tackles I've always said this why the fuck do I want somebody and not saying somebody 6-5 can't play yeah but I'm saying like why do I want a guy who can't play with leverage and you're going to get all enamored with his height look at his arm length you know what I mean look at the explosion what would you look for I always thought defense ends supposed to be the tall guys growing up and I always thought the interior guys is supposed to be the I feel like the leverage is a plus for an interior gap going against the guy that's 6465 because you got the leverage off rip they got to trying to get down to you so

you already got the leverage with the pad level and then you hand placement everything just all you got to do is working on it's all about getting on and off the guy to get to the backfield that's the main is to make the play and so much your game is predicated on scaring people with that leverage you know like that you know when I watch you you're setting all your stuff up with the fear of that bull that helmet right under the chin. It's almost like it's your strongest attribute, I mean, along with a bunch of other stuff, but you grew up watching who? I mean, who was your, you know, if you're looking for a comp, it's harder to find when you're a six-foot-one guy today in this height, this

height-crazed league, you know, where these personnel guys are like, well, you've got to be six-five. Who'd you watch? See, I ain't just watch a defense. I've watched everybody. I watched guys like Paula Maloo. I was a Casey Hampton fan, you know, his tackle for the Steelers, just because I played D line. You know, back then when I was a little younger, Warren sat watching him play. Yeah. So it wasn't Ray Lewis. I watched everybody on defense. I ain't just watched defense alignment. I watched line and I watched linebackers. I watched safety. I just watched everybody play the guys that was making them splash plays like Paul Amel jumping over the whole line jumping on the court about making sacks. I was that's

the guys I was in tune to and I wanted to watch you know them guys making them big time splash plays. Who, who do you like watching now? Defense alignment. Yeah. I like Fletcher Cox. Fletcher's a bully, man. And you guys couldn't be more different, but you're just the two best. He's just so strong, like the way he just compared.

And then he got technique. They don't understand. He got technique with him too. And he's strong, like unbelievable strong. Then he got a lot of technique. So that's crazy. He could play end. I mean, it's the same thing with you.

When you used to get out there in Greg's defense, Greg Williams, and, you know, we'd do that odd stuff, and you'd go out there once a practice and rush. us the ends will be like, fuck, you know, take our job? Fuck this guy. But Fletch can do the same thing, and he's super impressive. Two best defensive tackles on the planet. Obviously Fletch is coming off surgery, getting healthy again. Aaron is absolutely rolling in L.A.

And, you know, they're two different players, two different body types, guys who respect each other immensely, which is really cool. Fletch is more of the throwback. Aaron's more the new age kind of guy who's breaking. the mole giving younger guys who were undersized hope. You might have never seen them on the field in the 80s or 90s. Fletch is a guy that would fit right in with that Philly defense back in the early 90s, the D-line specifically in Jerome Brown, Reggie White, Clyde Simmons. He'd look just perfect trotting out through the tunnel at the vet. He's probably the best D-Lignment that

Phillies had since then. I'd give a shout out to Trent Cole because he's a legend, but he's certainly probably the best D-Ly linemen since that group and probably the best defensive player since Weapon Axe and Brian Dawkins. I mean, just even being compared to, you know, to a guy like to Aaron, two-time defensive player the year, I mean, it means a lot to me. I mean, I'm an Aaron Donald fan if relaxed me. So I'm going to watch his tape and got a lot of respect for the guy, you know. We always talk about, you know, ways to get to the quarterback and that's ways to make us better as D-Lignment. So, you know, I wish to do the best of luck this year and go get them.

You're a student of the game. You watch who's an O-Liamman now. that you watch and that you play that you respect. You don't have to like him. See, I hate giving office alignment credit. You gotta do it here. I really don't know, because I feel like I don't get enough one-on-ones that really be like this guy. I'm being honest, I always get like double teams

or triple horse slats where I don't really get the opportunity to get too many one-on-ones to really see, you know, how good a guy really is. So I feel like all office line is good, I'm gonna give him credit. So basically, you don't want to give him credit. No, Limeon any credit. You took 60 seconds to tell me that fuck O'Liman, I'm not giving a single one credit. Not even my brother.

I ain't never go against your brother. Oh, you haven't played Kyle? When we played on my second year, they patted them at tackle then. Oh, they did? Yeah. So I ain't really never go against your brother. Kyle, you're off the hook. What's one game?

Because I know, like, from experience when I played with the Eagles and when I played with the Patriots and we played each other, I'd listen to just how much they were talking about. What's one game where you were like, Jesus, this whole, this whole game plan. It's like I'm getting slide pro chip. They keep a back back there. I've seen people do things in protection for you. Yeah. Like, is there one that you're like, this isn't even...

The Patriots, the Eagles, the Saints, even the Bears had a nice little game playing. So I feel like, it depends, man. You get a lot of attention, but some team give you a little bit more than what you expect. Yeah. It's a sure for it. guys, but they make sure that your game plans, whatever they do, I'm gonna let this guy take a chance. I'm gonna take him a chance to get this one-on-one, but we're gonna take him out the game. So that's the thing that, it gets frustrating after a while, but it comes with it,

it comes to territory. And you're already, like, listen, for people who don't know and who haven't played with you, you should know by watching you're a violent player. And I mean that as a compliment. Like, to me, it's one thing to set your mind to being violent, but to be able to go out and athletically do it too. Like there be games where I'd be like I'm gonna go I'm gonna go kill somebody. I'm gonna go fucking destroy somebody and then I get out there and try to run and I'm like god damn I'm 33. Has the torn all kicked in yet? So you have the mentality, you have the ability where's your mind the night before game, the morning of a game, are you anxious, are you angry, are you relaxed? What are you?

The night before the game, I'm relaxed. But before I used to get them jitters and like you keep thinking about the game I want to have I just you just more nervous because you want to do good, you know. I'm never nervous or something like I just nervous that I just want to do my job and I want to do it good, you know. So in the morning that you just wake up, face-time my kids, talk to my kid, you know, hang up, take a shower, being a shower about 30 minutes talking to myself, getting myself amped up, just talking about what I'm going to do.

So I'm real weird like that. I talk to myself a lot to try to, you know, motivate myself and just, you know, you know tell myself what I got to do what's the first thing you say to yourself when you wake up on a Sunday do you say game day game day and I jump but I promised you know and I'm jumping up smacking my chest and I'm like I'm just you think about it I'm weird so of course the the story for people who don't know is we we shared a coach who had impact on both of our careers Mike Waffle who we used to butt heads with all the time you know me and Mike we used to fucking

you remember it was like we you'd some days you'd be like to hate each other but I love the guy and he taught me a lot but one thing he used to always say was when you wake up on Sunday you're game day game day game day it's the first thing that should come out of your mouth and you really do it yeah I do it I'm Chris and Aaron look up for 41 years on Saturdays and Sundays and first thing that went off of my head was game day game day what else did you learn from Wall I learned a lot you know I always tell people this story like when I when I got there as a rookie you know I was in

there watching film one day he came and caught me watching film and he came, he was writing stuff on the board. He was just talking to me. He said, I'm gonna be coaching. I'm gonna be saying a lot of things in this meeting room. I'm a rookie, I ain't playing that one game, Mike, we're in OTAs right now. I'm gonna be saying a lot of things in this meeting room.

I don't want you to listen to nothing I say. And I start watching film, I said, uh huh? He said, I just wanna learn you. I just wanna watch you play. I wanna learn from you. So for me as a young guy that never played one snap, for you to hear your defense line coach, pretty much giving you freedom right away,

that just got out there and play. I feel that was what made me feel much more comfortable, just like, shh. Yeah. You're like, I ain't got a track. I'm gonna just do me. Yeah. I'm gonna just do me.

And if I mess up something, he just said, if I mess up, it's on me, just play. Well, the way we played was attacking. Everything was you do things three yards in the backfield. If you get three yards in the backfield and you beat somebody to a spot, you know, to each his own. And that's a big part of it is like,

and I see you at the camps, and we talk about this, is you love the, you love the technique. You love the technique. you love the art form. I could see you coaching. You'll have way too much money to want to deal with that bullshit when you're done.

But I could see you coaching. And that's a compliment because I could see you really passing that passion on to younger players. But one thing a lot of coaches forget is every player is not made the same. Exactly.

So a lot of coaches get these techniques that they want to push on players. Like if they told me, hey, go watch Julius Pepper's tape. I'm like, what the fuck I'm going to do with that? I'll enjoy it. There's nothing I can take from it. So giving you that freedom.

you know, which moves work for you. Everybody in that group we had was different. Yeah. You know what I mean? From a technique, from a physical standpoint. One thing I got down was that he, while I was the chop club. Yep.

And I used to do that, you know, Rob Quinn did that chop club all the time. But I couldn't do it to save my life. Yeah, and that's when I start watching film on Rob a lot, do his child. That's why I got to jump chop now. I took that from Rob. Yeah. Just studying his film over the years and I got to,

but just starting, it's just, for me, learning a pairstress moves is just repetition, you know? You got to, like, always, like, How I coach you, I say, slow to fast, become smooth, smooth, yeah, but it's really like that though. That's honest, you walk through stuff and then that's when you practice,

you're trying to work it. It's not gonna be the right way. You just gotta keep doing to keep working and keep practicing it. And don't be afraid to fail. And don't be afraid to fail. And that's the hardest part in the D-Line, O-line culture right now,

because you turn on the internet, turn on the internet, it's on old as fuck. You log on to Twitter and you see videos of camp culture. and like the one-on-ones, everything's one-on-ones. And when you get in a one-on-one, some players who don't have clout are afraid to try things.

Because if you get embarrassed, they're afraid to lose. You're afraid to lose. But you're not going to win, have your pass rush, move. But as long as you win the more than what you lose, you just got to trust your moves. You got to trust the process.

You got to just trust what you're doing. It's going to work. That's all that. More coaches need to free. Would you say that more coaches need to free their younger players up to do what suits them? Yeah, but everybody's different. I feel like they should give them freedom

to see what with their strength and their weaknesses and work from there. Because like you said, a lot of, like, you can't teach a lot of guys the same moves. Everybody ain't got the Chop Club. Everybody ain't got the Swipes. Everybody ain't got the same power moves and stuff like that. I felt so stupid trying to the Chop Club.

Every now and again, you hit it and you hit it. Listen, that's a move. You hit some Chop Club. I've seen you with some chops before. Yes, I have. See? But you just read. For the viewers out there, I still got it.

So is there a move that when you hit that move that you feel like, you know, that was sweet. Like, you know what I mean? Is it the chop club? Is it a spin? Like, what is it for you? For me, it's a little bit of everything. But I like, I like the chop.

The chop is, the chop club is, I feel like that's the, that's the speed. That's the rush that's bang, bang, clean and you're going to get free as a defense tackle to get that quarterback when he's not looking, you know, right? Chop club. Beautiful move when it's executed, chopping down on a low hand and getting the back shoulder to get by the offensive linemen. Or you can just drop them on their face. because they're leaning so hard because they're afraid of the bull rush.

That's what Aaron Donald does. Seeing guys like Gerald McCoy hit it. I've seen guys like Robert Quinn hit it with regularity, but nobody hit it with more regularity than the technician, one of my favorite players, Osi, you and Yora. What's going on Chris, your man, Osi, and we're going to talk today about the chop club, but it's not just the chop club,

it is the freeze chop club. The freeze is very, very important. If you just chop club, the guy's just going to push you on by the quarterback, and that's no good. But if you do the freeze, what this does that gets the offensive lineman to stop his feet for a millisecond, and that gives us the premier athletes that we are the chance to come around the edge. So you come up the field, you step inside, and as soon as you step inside,

most of the time the offensive lineman is going to be bracing for a bull rush or an inside move. So he's going to stop his feet, and then you come over the top with your left hand and pull yourself through with the right hand. But it's not a one-two. It's almost a simultaneous move. It's a one-two. And as soon as you do the one-two, the chop club, you've got to turn your shoulders to the quarterback. If you don't do that, you're going to go up the field.

So you come in, you step in, chalk club, and you're on your way to the quarterback, man. Best moving all of football. Most people aren't using this anymore, man. But you guys know all about that, don't you? When I came in a league, everybody was a puncher, right? I don't know if you notice this, and I don't know what they're doing now in a guard anymore,

but a lot of guys went to low hand. You know what I mean? And that was the answer to low hand. And a lot of times now they're pulling, they're pulling their punches, right? That's what a lot of days. I feel like a lot of the online coaches is teaching. and not to get your hands to get beat right away.

So how do you defeat that? So if you're doing the chop and he pulled, you just got to, it's more of a, now you go to your counter move. Whatever your counter is, sometimes it's power on the power, power pop, power pop, what Woff would have said. And I think, yeah, Power Pop apex. Yeah. See, but that, them was a real move that if you think about it,

it's all about getting to the back of the shoulder pad. To the back. Once you get to the back, you'll beat Office of Laman all day. And I see you do this stuff all time, and I'm like, I wonder if he's thinking about what Woff told him, a little bit of everything. And I still, honestly, I still go over Wobb's house. And Walsh will tell me, like, you need to do some more this.

He really still coach me. And I still listen to him and I still go visit him and tell me what do you think I should do. And I go to practice and I practice that. But it is, but it is. Most rushers, they plan things too much. I don't know about you. I would get in the game and I'd have a loose plan. But you got to be ready to hit the curveball because you might watch a guy on film

and think you can pull him super easy, but he's got better anchoring you think. You know what I mean? Or you got a guy you're like, oh, I've seen all these slow guys. get his edge, but I can't get it for some reason. You have to have curb balls. And another thing is within a play, you need to have that second move loaded in the chamber. And you do that really well, to sack against the Lions.

You're ready for the second guy in Slide Pro. You're ready for you miss with the chop, you're going to power. You know, what's your prep process in the week? What I learned from just, well, I study the guy. So if I'm studying the guy, obviously, like you just said, you might see a guy that's doing low hand, all through family.

You're like, I'm gonna do this chop club all game. And then you play on it now he's a puncher. So I got it. They switch up sets and things like that, but it's going to come to a point of the game. They're going to go back to what they know. And that's when you start seeing that low hand a lot. Especially when you put that helmet in there. You know, then you switch it up on them too.

So it's, for me, pass rushing ain't nothing but counter moves. It's a counter on the counter on the counter. So if I go chop club, I might hit him that first chop club, then he's trying to pull that hand back. But by him pushing that outside hand back and pulling the back. What he's doing is giving me the edge. So I might miss it. I might just go to a rip and beat you on the edge from just you giving up the edge.

Which us tall guys can't, so I didn't have that. So it's just, for me, pass rush moves ain't nothing but counter. It's just, you know, you have a plan, you know, for a third and long, when you, I down you gotta go get it. And sometimes it's just, you know, you're gonna work power and work off that. So it's just counter moves. Rob Ninkovich was talking to me because obviously when I got to New England, I'd never been in the playoffs. I didn't know what it was about.

He was like, listen, this Super Bowl thing is cool. but if you lose a Super Bowl, you might as well go on 1 in 15. In fact, I'd rather. Rob Nikovic here, want to talk to you a little bit about losing the Super Bowl and how it is absolutely terrible. And I'm going to explain to you why. Well, you have two weeks to prepare for that game. I played in Indianapolis, the awesome city.

That is a great venue for a Super Bowl, nice and warm in February, right? Playing the New York Giants. Mentally trying to not think it's like the biggest game of your life, but it's the biggest game of your life. And when you lose that game, which I did, you absolutely have nothing. You have a bag full of shit to remind you shirts, t-shirts, hats, that you lost that game.

And what are you going to wear that around? Like, yeah, I got a cool hat from the Super Bowl and I lost the game. Oh, what hats that from? Oh, the Super Bowl that I lost. Cool. What was the score? I don't freaking know I throw all that shit away. I don't have it.

I don't have my AFC championship ring. I gave it to my dad. I said, melt this shit down, take the diamonds out, do whatever you want. I don't care. Getting back to the Super Bowl loss. When you lose the Super Bowl, it's the worst feeling in the world. I would much rather be in Aruba, having multiple drinks on the beach, not having the stress and the depression and the thought of, I just lost a Super Bowl, I was off sides, I jumped off,

I don't know, I miss a sack. I was able to get back if we won. Great. Now I can, now I'd have hair because of it. I don't look like terribly obese or have depression issues. Losing the Super Bowl sucks. I don't wish it on my worst enemy. And yeah, I would rather not go than lose.

Thanks for your time. See ya. What would you rather do go 1 of 15 or lose a Super Bowl? Like after we lost, I said, I'd rather not have been here at all than lose it. You know, because it was tough. I'm talking about, you know, it was tough. I was definitely down a couple, like at least two weeks off that. I still ain't finished.

That's the only game I ain't watched it. I still ain't watched the Super Bowl yet. So, you know, to get that forward and be that close to being a world champion, man, and to lose the way we lost, you know, a lot of people keep trying to say the office, the offense, but it's a team game, you know, if we was, if we played great on defense, they wouldn't score no points that we could have won. Yeah, you're always thinking, man, one more turnover, one big play. I know how you think.

Was there one play, and you had to deal with a lot that game? I mean, as far as attention and game plan, I can hear Bill probably in the meeting room, like, we're not going to let Aaron fucking Donald beat us. Like, you know what I mean? Like, he would say that all week. Was there one play, you told Sue that drives on me. Was there one play in that drive where you were like, ah, if there was an inch different. I just didn't wear my one-on-one clean.

Yeah. You know, I was getting a lot of tension, a lot of tension. And then you get your one. And you're almost not ready for it. But there's no excuse. I got, you can't, I can't rush and think, and keep thinking, I'm going to get a double team. I got to, in my head, I got to say I'm going to get this one-on-one every time. So I won't second guess myself and to the point where I could have beat that guy easy

if I would have just did what I know and trusted without, you know, my moves. And instead, we gave Tom Brady that much more time to sit back there and throw that ball down to the ground to catch that ball right there. And he gets the ball out quick. But that time he held it a little bit. But it's the same thing you're talking about. It's like when you play a team that their timing predicated, a lot of bubbles or quick throws or RPO stuff, like, and then you get that one chance on a seven step and you're

like, fuck, I wasn't ready. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. That's the thing about when you get a lot of tension. You can't let yourself get frustrated. And during that game, I let myself get frustrated at times. You just got to keep playing. It's going to eventually come.

You've got to play, play, play, and it's going to come. For me, I felt like I let my team down because, you just got to keep playing. team down because I'm near and they expect me to win on one-on-ones to help them. So I could have probably beat them and got the ball out. You know, it could have made that one big play to change the whole game around and I didn't. Yeah, I have a feeling we'll see you again on that stage. You know, you talk about frustration. How do you channel that to be the violent player you are because, listen, it's no secret.

Like when you step between on those white, over those white lines, like you're ready to fuck somebody up. And like at the drop of a hat, like it could go south. Yeah. How do you walk that line? I mean, there's only been, there's legends of you ripping somebody's face mask. You're so strong, you ripped the guy's face mask off his helmet. Like, you turn him into like George Blanda with the old fucking helmet with him. I'm not going to get it whether or not you struck him with it.

But, you know, you had one instance in the Seattle game where I thought very rightfully so. You went a little, you were going after, my man. They were just doing stuff all game. How do you walk? How do you walk that line? You know what I mean? Like from being violent and playing, and then what are the situations where you're like, fuck that.

Well, you got to, I shouldn't have did that. I should have been smarter. I disagree. Yeah, but you got to, because you consider a leader on your team. So you can't show, as a leader, you can't show, you know, that type of stuff because they throw flags and you hurt your team doing stuff like that. But for me, it's just like, they was doing stuff all game, little dirty stuff all game. I was telling them, y'all better, like, you know.

Ohio. Yeah. Yeah, you get a couple warnings. Like, and then they just, and then I'm running out of the balance, hit me in my back. That was just, I just, I just blocked out from there. But I gotta be better. How do you? I don't really, it's hard.

How do you, how do you say, listen, because somebody does something dirty, they're fucking with your life. Exactly. Exactly. That's what I said. Like I got, this is my job. This is what, you know, we all love playing football, but at the day, this is our job. This is how we feed her families.

And you're doing something, you don't know what can happen, you know. You know, you could have did some stuff that I could have never played football another day in my life. You don't know that. Yeah. And one play can change everything. It can change everything. That's what I'm saying. And for you to hit me in my back like that, it was just, that's why I blocked out how I did.

It was like. Your midway or a quarter of the way, whatever you want to be, you know, through a great career. God willing, you play another 15 years. You told your dad when you got your big contract that he could hang his cleats up. First off, is he really hung his cleats up? Yeah, they hung up. Because you don't seem like a guy that deals with. sitting around.

He worked out and do something, but him and my mom, they relax and feet's all kicked up. My dad's cheap as hell now. That's the craziest thing. He's down. Now he's cheaper than that way. I don't get it. I'm like, all right, go ahead, man. Good for him.

Are you going to be able to do that? Are you going to be able to, when you hang your cleats up, I know it's early, but what's next? I mean, you know, what's 10 years down the line? Like, are you going to just, are you the type of guy that sits around? I don't think so. Yeah, I don't know anywhere I'm be able to just sit around. I'm going to get in some more and some real estate and some stuff with my brother. So, you know, I'm trying to wait more to do that when I'm more hands on with and just focus more with football.

And I have too much floating around. No movies? No movies right now. At least they want me or something. You're in the right place for it. But, you know, I definitely won't be able to sit around at all. So I'm definitely going, you know, real estate and if the movies are called, get in some movies. Maybe the Hulk, the Hulk 5 or something.

something. What's the word where are we on the holes now man what you get some of I got some of this protein that you got a protein just weights really I don't take no protein will you send me your program yep okay let's go through a quick a quick lightning around the questions that I had for you they can be quicker you can expound on these another purchase that you want to make when you get when you sign your next big contract a purchase something big I feel like I got everything I want though you don't have a yacht I'll get a no I get a jet you get a jet okay what kind do you know yet I don't know the jet's name but I'll

get a jet you don't know the jet's name shit I already asked you if you know an o-limey the best O-Lime you've been against let me change the question and see if you'll answer again I can't answer that because they double team and triple team so I don't get enough one-on-one to say that most underrated player on the Rams roster oh man Um, Michael Brockers. Hands down. No, hands down.

No, I know. Brock's been doing it a long time. He's a vet now. He's the man. He's a run stopper. He's the one that help everything go around and make, but, so I think Michael Brock is. Okay, I love that. What music you listen to on Game Day?

Is it, uh, Skelly Whistle? You remember that? You said the name right now. You said it right. Me and him catch up a lot. He said, come to Pittsburgh. He told me I have a pass up there. me I have a pass up there wasn't he said don't worry about I got a better pass he said he got

you yeah he got me well it's a little bit everything um a couple of pittsboro rapper hardo um whatever's playing in the locker room I really ain't got no favorite type music anything that can get me amped up and get myself going that's what I'm listening to what uh what's your favorite road city to play at road city you're talking about stadium yeah um hotels scenery I like Seattle That's my favorite too. I like Seattle. And we always be Seattle up there too. So it's special for you.

It's always real loud and somehow get real quiet at the end. So I like that. Yeah. Well, it's funny because I never won there in eight years. And then when we were getting good right before they were about to cut my ass, because I couldn't move. That was the first year we beat him. Todd's rookie year.

Remember that? Late in the season. And now it's a regular occurrence. So I like to credit the tough, It was a tough years that we were coaching you guys up to do it. What's a position you would play if you were on a detackle? If you could play any position. Running back or linebacker?

Okay. What's a sport you would want to play if you didn't play football? Sport? Soccer. No, I'm lying. That's too much running. Baseball. Yeah.

Why? Because I got, they make more money than you actually made. They make a lot of money and they really ain't got to be too conditioned. Speaking of these contracts. These guys are getting paid in the day. What are they? I thought we had it decent. No, they...

And it's guaranteed. All guaranteed, that's the thing. Is that, okay, so that one thing you want to see change in the next CBA? As far as money was? Anything, any issue in the NFL that you want to see? I feel like we should be, players should be paid a little up there with them guys. I understand, but I feel like the punishment we take, it's a small window. That's probably why I'm not.

But you know what I'm saying? We're out there doing, man. I feel like we deserve it. Yeah. I sure think we deserve more guaranteed money. 100% sure. I agree with that. Just because I was saying something on social media,

they had Tom, Brady, and somebody. I don't know the basketball player they had that, but it was probably like. It wasn't, no disrespect. But it wasn't a big name guy. No. They had Brady making like $15 million. He was making like $17 million.

Oh, dude. Some of these guys that got paid and I'm not a pocket watcher. That's the one thing in the league is like there's a lot of pocket watchers in our league and around. It's the one thing that's funny to me is like when you get in the league, the older guys, they tell you don't count pockets and don't hate on anybody. But there's a lot of hate. So we're not hating on the NBA guys, but just some of these guys are like six-man type guys. Exactly. And I only said that because I've seen something on Twitter.

I was just going through and I looked at it and seen it. And I was like, that's pretty. And Tom takes a discount, but still. I mean. He's the Michael Jordan of football. right now is he is he the best to ever do it he for me he won six super bowls six that's a that's that's a that's a that's a that's a press yeah for you to find the way and he's how old is tom brady 40 i mean he's 40 almost 41 years old is he four what is he 43 44 42

holy shit he's 42 i think you play to how many more years does tom brady play i don't know but i'll set the over under at three are you taking the under the over over so you think you can play four more I think you can. Just because he just, you got to think he just won an MVP two years ago. He was 40 when he won an MVP. Yeah. Yeah. Then just won another Super Bowl to won two Super Bowls back to back. Yeah. So I mean, listen, when I was in when I mean, he was a quarterback, you probably don't even remember Y2K. Do you know what Y2K is? Holy shit. You don't know what Y2K is? So, so dude, this is just an age thing. This is great. When when when when it became a came 2000, like in 1999, like in the winter, they were all worried about like when Y2K, when 2000 happened in the new millennium, all the computers are going to crash and the world was going to add. So he was a quarterback in like 2000. If you look

back at the things that were going on when he was when he started out being a quarterback, it was like two decades ago. So I mean the guy has won a Super Bowl. I mean if it weren't for the Atlanta game where we were we want a couple it would have been a decade like basically apart from winning their last Super Bowl. So the The guy's been unbelievable. I mean, he's been tremendous. The question I had for you that I think I know one of the answers would be, if you could pick four guys in a Mortal Kombat situation in the NFL to take with you, another three

guys. And you had to go in a dark alley with three guys, who would it be? Just hand-to-hand combat. What, fighting? Yeah, fighting, whatever. Will Hayes. That was the one of them. I would take Will Hayes because Will.

Will's low-key crazy and he's going to talk. He can talk. Low-key crazy? Yeah, he's crazy all the way crazy. I keep crazy. He thinks dinosaurs never existed. I think he's lying about that and he said he believe in mermaids. He believes in mermaids.

But don't believe in dinosaurs. Did he slam you on your head? He wanted me to ask you about that. Listen, I wish we can FaceTime Will right now. My rookie year, I'm going to tell you something. My rookie year, you know, we'll always mess with everybody. Yeah. And we was in the back of the equipment room.

And he was talking and talking. So, you know, me. I liked to wrestle. Yeah. I grabbed him, he tried to wrestle back. I get him to the ground and get him in the headlock like this. He said, I'm done. This is the truth story.

I'm not lying. I promise you. He'd get up, he said, see, man, I'm too old. You can't have to go on that. He said, yeah, he's strong. I ain't going to mess with you. Then he walks out from the behind, the walk out and say, yeah, you do something else. I'm slamming like that again.

He's a lie. He's alive. He's like him. He said, I called him right before, and I said, what was some good AD stories that we can talk about? And all the stories involved him, beating you up. Just shit he was making up. So William Hayes, one of the strongest men I played with pound for pound. Aaron Donald would be another and they've squared off.

Now the details of that clash are conflicting. But we've heard from Aaron. I want to give William an opportunity to have his day in court. Not that I'm necessarily going to believe it, but I wanted to get that out there. I will warn you he's not a great producer, not even of cell phone footage, selfie videos. videos. He didn't know how to flip the camera. The background here though is that William is a school yard bully type in an NFL locker room. And I don't mean that in a demeaning way. It wasn't like he made people feel bad, but he always wanted to wrestle. He wanted to assert his

dominance as a Greco-Roman wrestler. And in high school, let him tell it he was a four-sport All-American, one of those being wrestling. And I think he would have probably been a pretty imposing kid to line up across, whatever the fuck they call it, the octagon with his lead at the and the little helmet. I think it would have been intimidating but when you're in the pros there's a lot of other bad asses and some of them are rookies and you don't know whether or not you should try them and I think William found out the hard way but let's see what he has to say. If AD was very honest with you and I'm pretty sure he won't be he will tell you that he got his ass balled up really bad in

that back room and Jimmy and him actually had to pull me off AD at this point of we knew we had something special and I was just a career backup so that being said if I hurt this motherfucker it's a good chance I could get my ass shipped up out of him so I kind of hopped off of him he walked out there all pissed off and mad and you know you know trying to huff and puff and puff but you know nobody really give a damn about that because I knew I knew what I just did to him at that point in time that there's no way this kid could ever he'll ever even consider trying to put his hands on me so that's when I

knew at that point of time I'd already kind of snatched his heart out of this chest and that's what it was heart out of the chest you heard it from William don't know if I believe oh yep there's one more cell phone video he couldn't just do it in one it was a it was a it was a it was me doing being who I am and that's a full-blown killer but if I was in my if I was in good healthy AD knew what time it is man uh because I Honestly, I really want to try them again to see what he's talking about me. I see all these muscles and shit, man. I want to test them.

I honestly do, but that's a whole not a story, man. I've had enough of that. First things first, I think that story is total bullshit. If I'm the arbiter, I'm giving the edge to Aaron Donald. Second thing, why does it take you so long to park? Third thing, it's not raining. wire windshield wipers on. Fourth thing, clean your car up.

Fifth thing, next time I get you to, like, send me a selfie video. Can you flip the phone around and just park and get out and record it? Anyways, I'm giving the edge AD. I'm sorry. Is there anybody in the league that can beat you up? And fire? Yeah. As a man, I can never say another man can beat me.

Okay, that's all I want to know. Can your dad still beat you up? Yeah, only people I say can't, I won't, I won't fire them, but the people I always say can beat me. as my dad and my older brother. So your older brother, does he have the older brother psychology thing on you? Yeah, because that's the only person that used to beat me up. That's it. I took a lot of hours from my brother growing up.

Well, good. I believe it. And thanks for joining us, AD. We appreciate you coming out. Two-time, defense player a year, hoping it's three-time, and hopefully get a ring soon. You deserve it, my man. Appreciate you.

Appreciate you, bud. Come through. Yeah. So that was a lot of fun for me to do. Obviously, as I mentioned, I had never sat down and talked to Aaron for that. long. I mean, I've been in meeting rooms for countless hours with him. We've made plays

on the field together, although, in my opinion, one of my biggest regrets was not playing with him longer, but a guy that opened up. You get him to sit down, you ask him some tough questions, some personal questions, and he's very open if he trusts you. And, you know, I was really thankful that he sat

down and opened up a little bit to a former teammate. And, you know, this year was tough for him. I think he's been a victim of his own success. He's so great that he has a double digit sacks season and people look at him like he's falling off. You watch his tape. He's still the same guy. I know he's going to come out with his hair on fire. The team struggled this year. You know, maybe a little bit of that Super Bowl hangover. But the defense play well in spots. I'm excited to

continue to see Aaron dominate. And that includes this year. I mean, I would have loved it if my down here involved getting 10 plus sacks. So thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe. And next year in this series, we'll have DJ Premier. Another great interview, somebody who's more talkative than Aaron, but somebody who's as good as Aaron Donald in his field, legendary status. So look out for that. Thank you.