Green Light with Chris Long - Will Anderson Jr Talks Texans' 2025 Championship Goals, Danielle Hunter, & NFL's Toughest OLinemen!

Episode Date: August 24, 2025

Will Anderson Jr, fresh off cancelled meetings at Texans team hotel in Detroit, joins Chris for an electric conversation with Will describing the Houston Texans' renewed commitment and dedication following their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs last season. Will talks about his excitement to play with Danielle Hunter - who in Will's words is the best pass rusher in the NFL - being encouraged to lead by DeMeco Ryans, CJ Stroud, and Zach Tom, Christian Darrisaw and Dion Dawkins being the top tackles he's rushed against. Another great in-depth pass rush conversation chalk full of energy - enjoy it. (00:00) Intro (2:55) Leadership (7:24) Pass Rush Technique & Favorite Pass Rush Move (11:54) Danielle Hunter (13:06) Joint Practice vs Detroit Lions & Penei Sewell (15:10) Best Tackles in the NFL (17:11) Texans OLine (19:22) Getting Chipped (21:01) Texans 2025 Aspirations (22:30) Jayden Higgins & Jaylin Noel (23:25) Bryce Young & Playing at Alabama (26:37) Learning From Super Bowl Winning Teammates (28:04) Tank Dell (29:15) Texans Defense Have some interesting takes, some codebreaks or just want to talk to the Green Light Crew? We want to hear from you. Call into the Green Light Hotline and give us your hottest takes, your biggest gripes and general thoughts. Day and night, this hotline is open. Green Light Hotline: ‪[phone]‬ Also, check out our paddling partners at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Appomattox River Company ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to get your canoes, kayaks and paddleboards so you're set to hit the river this summer. Green Light's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can catch all the latest GL action: Green Light with Chris Long: Subscribe and enjoy weekly content including podcasts, documentaries, live chats, celebrity interviews and more including 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Execution has been the biggest thing that we've talked about all off-season long. Precision to execution. There's no room for air. Like, everybody has to be locked in on their job all four quarters. What's your favorite move to sink for a sack? My style with fork lift, that's my baby right there. I got chipped against Baltimore. And the O-Lahn is like, yeah, screaming over.

I'm like, you didn't even do anything. Yeah, yeah. He's one of the best to do it. Like, he is nobody that rushes like him. There's nobody that gets off like them. There's nobody that you just moves like him that has more moves than the Nile Hunter. In your D-Line room, what's the policy on turning in sacks?

They go turn them in. Turn them in. They go turn them in. Welcome with the Greenlight podcast presented by BedmGM. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code Greenlight. You will get up to a $1,500 first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using Bonus Code Greenlight.

Deposit at least $10 and place your rate. first wager on any game. If that bet loses, you will receive up to $1,500 in bonus mess. Just make sure you use bonus code Greenlight when you sign up. Welcome to the Greenlight podcast. A very special episode for you today. We've got Will Anderson, an incredibly high-energy conversation. The fellas taught pass rush, the Texans' 2024 season and what they're looking forward to in 2025, Will Anderson's admiration of Daniel Hunter, and getting chipped against the Ravens. A great conversation. Enjoy it. We've got some great Detroit Lions interviews coming up for you

this week. Make sure you come back for those. Enjoy this and we'll catch it. All right, for the second time on the Greenlight Pod. Will Anderson, everybody, first off, welcome to the show. It's been like, we looked at the calendar, dude. It's been exactly two years pretty much since I talked to you. Yep. I think the first time I talked to you, you had to do your rookie show later that day or something. Probably so, yeah. How did that go? Do you remember? I don't. I'm not even going to lie. I don't know.

Now your big bet. It was so long ago. Yeah. It was so long ago. Yeah. But I saw a little thing. Can you stand the rain? Yeah.

I saw in Kenya, can you stand the rain. The guys backed me up. My D-Line, they backed me up. So it went good. That's awesome. It went good. That's awesome. You must have been a good rookie to those vets.

They backed you up. Yeah, they missed you. And then I hear that like two years later, the rookies are coming in. And Damiko's, telling the rookies follow that guy around. You want to see how a Houston Texan operates the way he works. How does that make you feel to be that guy standard bearer already? Man, it's an honor, man.

I prod myself in any organization that I'm in to prop myself in being the best person, being the best teammate, best leader possible in the building, man. And for him to say that it means a lot to me, just because, man, I was young at the time, still trying to navigate my way around. I got all these bets in here that's been in here for six plus years, 10 plus years, got these work you in here come and look at me, man. And, you know, I just appreciate them for trusting me

and believing in me. And I feel like it would be selfish of me, you know, not to help someone out when I know how a coach is supposed to be, when I know how a organization is supposed to be, and I know how it's supposed to be ran. This time of year, man, like, you're kind of in the dog days of camp, right?

Where, I mean, you've been through Alabama camp. So it's almost like probably the NFL. Are you less tired in the NFL camp than you were at Bamman camp? Most definitely. Most definitely. Alabama, they had us up there from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Yeah.

Every day. And you're catching Will, fresh off the news, that you got a PM meeting canceled. Yeah, we're putting going to hang out, man. Hang out with the guys. Do you know, like, that's the beautiful thing about camp is like, when you finally get a minute, dudes are so happy to just be like sitting around, eating it uncrustable. Bro. I don't know about that because I'm going to eat a burger.

I got a cheeseburger. You want a burger? Yeah. Yeah. I've been on this strict diet. I've been trying to do good, man, trying to watch what I eat. So, man, I'm going to go enjoy it tonight.

But what, you know, like your mindset at this point in camp, you know, being the standard bearer, when you come out on the practice field, you're aware that your energy, like dudes feed off of your energy. And you probably take the practice field with that mindset. Have to. Every day, I was talking to Solomon Burr,

and we were just talking about consistency. And I was like, man, for me, man, you got to show up every single day. Like, you have to be the same guy every single day, man, if you don't feel like, You're tired, my body hurt, nobody care. You gotta show up and be consistent every day. You get ingrated every day.

You don't matter if you're one or two or three they're evaluating you every day. And that's my challenge. And my challenge is always, man, it's more to give. The person behind me trying to take my spot or this person don't respect me. And we got a coach named Ben. And I'll be telling him he'll be coming.

And he's like, what's wrong with you today? It's the same thing, man. Nobody respect me. But it's just a little thing in my head where I'm just like, man, that's what keeps me on edge. You got to have that, though. Got to. It's almost like, like people say,

don't be afraid of anything. But you got to have a little fear. I was just talking to Jared Allen. You know, Jared Allen. And he was talking about, hey, one of the number one things that motivated me was fear of failure, fear of not being respected, fear of somebody taking my job. Even if it's unrealistic, you got to almost trick yourself. I worked out with Miles Garrett and Michael Parsons this off season.

And, you know, I'm really big on my faith. And I was like, God just had this beautiful plan, man. And I got to work out with them. And I got to see the way they worked. And to hear the, they talk in their mindsets and stuff like that, man. And then Mike calls itself a lion and, you know, Miles is, whoever he is. He's just like, you know what I'm saying? Like, but they both were just so like, I'm the best.

Like, I don't care who's in front of me, behind me, like, I'm the best. And I was feeding off that because I'm like, okay, like, this is what I'm working out with? Like, these two legends right here and then they breathe pumping in. And so me guys like, bro, you're a dog. And they was like, what you mean? People don't respect you, bro. People respect you in this league. And I was like, that's your job thing.

You know what I'm saying? And then every day was just a constant grind competing with them. And they really just changed my mindset even more. because I'm like, everybody's working. When you think you, the only one, everybody's working. And it really shift my mindset, this whole thing. Like, you gotta go every day. It ain't no day to be late.

It ain't no day to be off. Like, you gotta go every single day. That's right. And what do you do when you're away to actually like relax a little bit? Because it's hard. The hardest thing about football is to me is like, it's what you said. It's being great every day and not running out of energy,

your steam. Like, are you able to unplug when you're off? Yeah, most definitely. I like the fish. go sit by the lake, take my fishing rides with me, man, put a little jig on there, try to catch a largemouth bass before I chill. If I don't catch something,

I throw my hole in the ward and walk home. Jeffrey Simmons at Titans practice yesterday. He's a big fisherman. Who do you think take the crown there? I'm better than him. I see him on a little, like the badge, the classic thing they had. I see them on there.

I was like, he don't know what he's doing up there, man. That's funny. That's funny. Well, so your play didn't look like it, but, you know, people talk about a rookie wall and we're talking about, like, energy, keeping that energy up late in the season. Yeah.

Did you notice a point where people fade in a season? And for you, was that something that, like, you were aware of, like when they say, hey, at this point, rookies are going to break down. Yeah, I think for me, being in the Texans was a really great, you know, spot to be in. We were winning. The culture was changing.

But also, me, it was just the challenge of every week. Like, how can I get better at that one thing that, you know, D'Amico all the time. when he was talking to me and CJ, and me and CJ was like, what's something we got to get better at coach? He's just like one thing. And for me, I was like,

I can't hit a rookie role because every week was a new challenge and a new one thing to get better at. And I was talking to rankings, I was like, bro, that's what I love about football so much is like you get to see your craft come to fruition. Like you get to see all the hard work you've been putting in of working this move

and doing this. Like, you get to see it on Sunday, come to life. And that's what kept me motivated. Like, that's what kept me going and I end up starting getting sacks and I end up starts getting more pressures than winning faster.

So for me, like, I really didn't hit a rookie wall because I was just enjoying a challenge of getting better every week. Yeah, leveling up. Yeah. And I always felt, yeah, the way you're putting it, I always felt like, hey, you learn things like in a flash. Like you stay at it and then eventually like something comes to you, like an epiphany. Yeah. You know, as a rusher where you're like, oh, shoot, I can do this this way.

Yeah. What were those light bulbs that went off for you over the last couple of years to where you just kept leveling up? Yeah. Danil, man. Danil, a blessing, man, to have one. One thing he told me, he was like, bro, like, he was like, you work hard, you do all this stuff, bro. And you're going to look up one day. He said, your body's going to naturally just take over.

Like, you're going to have repped it so much that when you get out here, bro, you're not even going to know what you did. Your body's just going to naturally do it. And I think that's when I'm starting to get to at the point of my career. It's like my body's just starting to take over. I'm playing faster. I'm seeing things faster. Like, I used to go into the game like, or I used to go get ready to line up. I'm like, I'm going to do this move.

I'm going to stab club. But now I'm just like, well, whatever the tackle give me, I'm gonna play off of it and my body's just taking over now. Like, I think what was happening was, I was having a set move in my head. And when that set move didn't work, I would get flushed because I'm like, the move is not working. The movie's not working.

So now I'm just free. I'm just playing like, oh, the tackle when an angle set me, I'm popping inside. He went a burkle set me, I'm going stab. I'm going along where I'm like, now I'm starting to see the different sets of what tackles are giving me. Yeah, it's having a menu that you can look at in your head in a flash. Most definitely.

You gotta have the menu and know what to do with it. And then I feel like watching your game, the thing I love about it is you can win, a lot comes off of the power, but you can also do the edge stuff and the counters like, what's your favorite move to sync for a sack? Like the perfect Will Anderson big play

looks like what in your head? Honestly, it's just simple, man. My style forklift, that's my baby right there. Like my style forklift, and I think the beautiful thing about it now is like going into it, I put so much space. power on tape, like just going against some of these tackles and stuff like that now.

They're expecting me to do power. So it's just been able to open up my pass rush rec guitar going into this year. And I remember like doing OTAs, me and Domingo was talking and I was already amped up. And he's like, I love it. He said, I just want to help you take your game to the next level, just that one thing, man. And he was like, just keep working your hands at the top of your rush. And like that's been my baby like this whole, this whole OTA's whole training camp, everything like working my hands at the top of rush, getting their hands.

off me using my jab by Coach Rod right, like one of the best de line coaches I had, man. He's been working on my jab, all that type of stuff, sitting tackles down, getting the splash and hands for me. So it's been great. At the top of the rush, like there's so many, if it doesn't click, you leave so many plays out there. Was there a point where, you know, you were getting close a lot and missing some sacks? I felt like that was something, especially when I was a young player, it was like, man,

like winning the rush is hard enough, but then, damn, you got to get these guys down. Yep. And I think the easiest thing also is like, I need to get these guys down, but we were like, we're going to take it to the next level. Let's reach, let's get the ball. You know what I'm saying? So, like, that's where I've been at now.

Like, even in practice today, I'm like, I'm watching T.J. Miles get all these sacks. And sometimes they're not even touching the guy. They're just swatting at the ball. So, like, we, Coach Ryle, he did an excellent presentation. It's just like run, run, reach, and not reaching with height, but reaching with length.

Because they're going to call it. Now you hit quarterback on their head, face masks, anything going to call it. So, like, reaching with length to go for that attack in the elbow. and stuff like that. And I'm like, you get way more sex and way more pressure just by doing that. And it's going to pull your hips through.

You know, if you reach that way, you can pull your hips through. What's a move you've seen people think that you're like, man, that'd be nice, but I don't know if I have it in my bag. I love talking about the deal. Yeah, he's one of those people. He's the perfect guy.

All right, dude is that, you know, like, I can watch tape of him, but I can't necessarily try everything. I get the click and I'm like, I want to watch it just because I want to get excited. But I'm going to skip it because I know I can't do it, but when the NIL first got here,

I tried to do the pull through all those every day. And I couldn't do it. He worked with you on it, everything. But, like, he's a guy, man, that I watch. It's nobody in this league like him. And I got to give a huge shout out to him because, man, like, he deserves all the recognition, man. Like, bro, he's one of the best to do it.

It's incredible. It's nobody that rushes like him. It's nobody that uses moves like him. That has more moves than the Nile Hunter and that's winning with him constantly and getting pressure. like he does. And he's one of those guys where I watch up like,

DeNeil, you're in your own category, a big dog. Exactly. I'm going to let you have it. I don't want to try anything or attempt to even put my body in those positions. They'll even do it, but he's a dog. Well, it's tough because I remember they used to show us like, all right, and here's Julius Pepper's. And I'm like, well, I'm going to leave the room for a second.

Go to the bathroom. I can't really do anything with it. How about these joint practices, man, like I felt like in camp, I used to get bored with the same set. Yeah. Nothing against the guy who had given me a lot. look. Yeah. Might be a great player, but you can kind of get stagnant working the same moves on the same set. How is it for you and what do you want to get out of these joint practices? Yeah,

these joint practices have been great. Titus is a great tackle. Tay has been great for us, getting good working. Obviously today going against Panay, it was really good going against him. He's a different type of set guy. More angle than retreat back. So I haven't really seen that that much. And then Carolina, strong inside hand puncher, angles really quick and just dies a slow depth. So basically, but where we're going to see, we run line. So we're going to see a lot of angle sets. We're going to see a lot of things. So, like, just being able to work different moves, work my counters, you know,

be able to lift the hands off me, stuff like that. It's really been great. And that's the type of things you want to take from these joint practices, man, like, these tackles are different, how they said it. And it's a quick turnaround. You got to learn them very quickly within practice. So it's been good. Well, it's like the game.

And you might watch a tape of a guy and be like, oh, that's there for me. But for some reason, it's not. When you get in the game, it's something totally different. I'm going to my whole rush playing off of being of a run this guy over. Yes. You know, and then all of a sudden I'm like, damn, his anchor didn't work on. I'm like, I'm watching him go against this guy. He's doing this.

He's doing this. He's doing this against this guy. Then he switches up with you. So you got to have the curve balls, man. You got to be a little, yeah, counter punch, man. Like seeing him today, I thought he was a lot taller. But man, the guy's just like, he's a brick, you know what house. Yeah, he's huge. Yeah.

He's huge. I wasn't nervous. I'm not, but one of our coaches was like, we was nervous. He was speaking. And I think it was a sense of more just focus and locked in to a place that I went to today, man. But he's a great player. I respect him. I have a ton of respect for him, man.

He's a mauler, finishes box really well, man, protects the quarterback, man. And it was a really good challenge for us, man. And I feel like we got both, like both us got better going against you. It was fun to watch out there. That was truly good on good. Both sides of the ball. I mean, watching your team and lines, a good match. And hearing Dan Campbell talk about Damico and just the respect that they.

have programmatically for for each other. Who do you think of the best tackles that you've faced? I mean, obviously, Penae is one of the premier tackles in the game. But like on Sundays, has there been anybody that either was even better than you thought? Yeah. Or who are the guys that, to you are the best? Yo, Zach Tom was really good from the Packers. Yeah.

He's really good. He has really good feet. The dude from the Vikings. Oh, Derisaw. Derisaw. Darisaw. Have you seen his stance? Yeah.

So I'm looking at his stance. And I'm like, it's no way that he can kick out like this. He is touching the ground. And his anchor, I feel like he has one of the best anchors in the game. Really? One of the best anchors in the game. He's not as like the tall tackles. He's kind of on the shorter side, but he's more stout.

Yeah. And really firm and really can get low with you and like center of gravity and really just like stonewall you a little bit, man. But he was really good. And Dion, he is different. He's unorthodox. He's very. And that's kind of like a denil. He's like the danil of tackles.

Yeah. He gets in this really wide stance. He makes the B gap really open. And it's like he's baiting you to go in the B gap to wash you down. And he's going to kick out, like, angle at you to make you take it. And he's just going to wash you down. And he also does this thing with his hands where, like, if you try to loan him, if you try to boil him, he knocked his hands down and fall on top of you. So, like, he was a really good challenge last year for us, man.

But, like, those are some of the tackles that I enjoy going against. Yeah, the snatchdown thing with the long arm. I always tell you young guys, like, just keep your head up. Yeah, that's it. Anytime you get like this. Where the head's going, the body's going. Yeah. And you do a great job with that long arm, man.

Latham yesterday. I saw Latham yesterday. What was he talking about? What was he talking about? Nothing bad. Oh, okay, okay. But I did see him yesterday. And they moved him to right tackle.

He's pretty happy because, you know, they brought in Dan Moore. Yeah, I'm a stiller. Yeah, and they were training together. And so, like, he's a great guy, by the way. Great guy. And he was talking about you. He said, what I've noticed about Will is, for the record, he's like, he was great when he got to leave.

but his hand use is getting even better. Yeah. So everything you just said, you know, is confirmed there. How's the rookie ursury? He's strong. He's making some head headlines. Yeah, he's strong, man. And before we even get to the football part of what he does on the field,

I love his mindset and what he's about and who he wants to be. He wants to be the greatest at his position. He loves to learn. He loves to soak up knowledge. And I think it means everything to him because he pulls me and Danil after practice to come talk to him. And I was like, if you want to be great, those are the things you're doing, especially somebody like Denne,

Like Danil, like that's been the league, gets double digit sacks, like, you know, going against him every day. But man, you talk about being a maller on the field, CJ told me, like, I didn't even know this, but he was like, yeah, Tate texts me, he was like, I'm gonna protect you, I'm gonna kill for you, everything. Like, and that's what you have to have as an Olinman.

Like, you have to have that type of mentality as an old lineman, man, and he has all the tools to be one of the greats in his league. Yeah, the first quote I heard from him was like, I'm gonna, I would die out there on the field for CJ. I'm like, bro, the Olin's gonna be good this year. Yeah. I'm like, his is a mentality.

I heard Titus talking about like, we're just grittier this year. We're a little bit tougher this year. You know, it's like sometimes just, it can be something like momentum or it can be mental. It could be just like, and last year I looked at the group and I said, hey, they're better than this. I think they know that. And it feels like this year there's a lot more confidence. Is that palpable to you like in camp that, hey, they're turning over a new leaf and they look pretty good together? Yeah, most definitely, man.

You see them coming off the ball harder, executing even more. And the precision is just there, man, but they are way more grievous, man. Like, Titus, he's done a really good job of stepping up, man, and getting those guys rolling in the pieces that they're added, man. Like, some of these double teams and crunches and stuff. Yeah, you're feeling them. You're feeling them, man. And I'm like, you know, me and Titus had a little back and forth for one day in practice.

And I don't really usually talk in practice for it like, but I'm like, hell yeah, let's go. Come on then. Like, you know what I'm saying? But, like, that's what makes you great. Like, that competitive edge that like keeps pushing you to be better that keeps like, we can talk today. Okay, come on.

Let's go like those are the type of days that you need, especially in camp, man. And like, I'm super proud of that group and to see where they're coming. I think Coach Cole is doing a really good job of like giving them that energy, man. Like you hear him and Andy yelling and screaming like, that's how I'm doing push-ups after practice one day.

I'm like, oh, all right. Yeah, man, it's cool to see. That's awesome, man. Have you learned like a lot more about Chip help? Yes. As you've become more well known. Yes. You know, like, everybody knew who you were coming to league,

but like you're really, you've really coming to your own to where like, I feel like, Like now they pay attention to you. Yeah. I always say, yeah, I got chipped against Baltimore and I promised you it almost took the other game. Pretty bad, huh?

I got up and for a split second, it was, I was dizzy. The Olin is like, yeah, screaming on you. I'm like, you didn't even do anything on the chip. But like, ever since then, like, me and my coach, like, we got to come up with a chip plan. So like, he's done a phenomenal job, man, of just in and out, out and in, man, like, or just beating the chip on the edge and just running the hoop. We're like stemming inside, like, the move I had today, I stemmed inside

the chip, pop back outside. We call that an in and out. So just different variations of man, just playing with the chip and making it your own. And sometimes you say just chip the chipper. Yeah. Hit them before he had chew. Might as well.

Yeah. And I always think the tight end chips are almost trickier. Yeah. Because they affect where you align. And that's, okay, so like, sometimes at camp, I was getting a little frustrated because I started in alignment. They were motioned him in.

So I'm like, what do I do now? Because I'm gonna get caught stemming when the ball snapped. Yeah. And I was like, sometimes I feel like it kind of make a trick because I'm like, I'm so far away from the quarterback. It's going to take me longer than the tackle just sitting back their fold and waiting for me to get there. No question.

You know, so. But that can also make him uncomfortable just sitting in the top of waiting for you. Yeah. So it works out perfect. But it also sucks sometimes to be like, you know, sometimes you tell you three technique, go. Yeah. But I hate doing that flat loop. Yeah.

And just the center's waiting for you. I don't even want to think about chips. I've been chipped in years. That's the greatest thing about retirement. You don't get chipped anymore. I thought last year, man, I know it wasn't what people wanted to see from a result standpoint. But you guys were so ahead of schedule year one, right? I felt like all told, there were probably some really good lessons learned.

And I'm watching y'all in Kansas City and considering everything that went down, you guys almost beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Like there's got to be something that you come out of that season and say, hey, we learned something this year. what was it for y'all as a team you think execution yeah execution has been the biggest thing that we've talked about all offseason long precision and execution and CJ said something like you have fun when you execute and i i wholeheartedly believe that man but like in these games like those teams that's winning the championships or winning the Super Bowl they're executing at the highest level like everybody is locked in everybody's detailed like it's no room for error and that's like the biggest thing that we took away from that. Like, there's no room for air. Like, everybody has to be

locked in on their job all four quarters. Yeah, because a lot of times it's not even the biggest play of the game. It's all the little things. The small things that you don't realize in the second quarter that like one one misalignment on this or that is going to kill a drive or whatever. I was like in the, do you remember the drive out of the half in Kansas City when y'all had the ball for like 10 minutes and went down to score? Yeah. Like, that's a pretty good look. Yeah. I mean, like, that looks like what you guys could be all the time. I mean, like the run game and the whole thing. So how do the rookie wideouts look, Higgins and Noll?

Unbelievable. Those are like two little peas in the pot right there. Really? You see one, you see the other one. You see this one, he over there, he will. That's good. But, man, they're hard workers. They love ball.

They're always out on the field early. Always take care of their bodies. They have great routines. I always watch. I like to observe and watch everybody, man. And they do a really good job of, you know, being pros. Yeah. They kind of have that foundation of like who they want to be in this league and how great

they want to be. But man, you see both of them making explosive plays every day in practice, man. And they just keep showing up day after day after day. Well, they're learning from the example in the building. You and other guys, man. That's the beautiful thing about having a culture, you know, is like it's easier on the rookies because the rookies come in and they're looking around. Like when you came in, you were looking around and you found, you know, eventually Hunter and

guys like that. So, you know, they're looking at you. The joint practice thing, I thought it was really cool seeing you and Bryce getting back together. Yeah. He looked happy, didn't he? That's my dog. I tell people, I mean, like, when you go through that fire down there in Alabama, man, it makes you guys close. Like, that last year, we had to endure a lot of stuff.

Yeah. Like, we went through a lot. You know what I'm saying? Like, quote unquote, wasn't the standard. Right. You know, we had the alumni coming at us. We had all types of stuff. That's a crazy.

deal down there. Yeah, and being to both of the leaders on offense and defense, man, we had a lot on our shoulders. I think that's the time when NIL picked up. So players were transitioning, and players was leaving. We was trying to get the coacher back, new coaches, all that type of stuff, man.

And we kind of just bonded and grew closer because we had to have each other's back, especially being leaders, man. So like, we got really close my last year, Alabama, man, because he's like, bro, we in this together, big dog, I got your back through it all. So like, it was really good seeing my dog and I'm excited.

And he's playing well. I'm excited for him. And you can tell he's more confident, You know, imagine that. Confidence matters. And that team looks better. So, hey, by the way, I got down to Tuscaloosa for the LSU game. Your rookie year, you were probably in a hotel watching film or they were bed checking you.

But I was at Galette. Yeah. I fell in love with this place. I love Tuscalo. Do you? I love Tuscalo. Dude, I was like, I went home and I bought an Alabama flag and put it in the studio. It's in there, right?

I said, my son's going to commit to Alabama. They offer them now, you know? Alabama's great, man. Alabama's great. I love my time down there, man. I met some really great people. Got a lot of great relationship down there, man. It's real football.

One thing I love about it, I got a story for you. So early in row, right? And that's when they start. That's when Cochran was there. They was on the fourth quarter program. And honestly, I'm not going to lie to you. I'll be 100% honest. I've said this before.

When I commit to Alabama, of course, I was like, I want to go down there and compete. Like, I want to prove to myself I'm the best. But I was really taking the game. Because I really was like, in the back of my head, I really was like, why are they so good? What do they do to make them so good? So I was really like, I really just want to commit to see what they're going to do. Hell yeah, yeah.

And so I got down there and we had our first day of fourth quarter. And when coach broke it up, I almost wanted to leave. I'm back going to. I almost want to. Yeah. I was like, this is why they're so great. Like, this is the work they put in to be so great. Because they filter out the people that don't want to be there.

Yeah. And they also don't need to beg anybody to be there. That part. It's like when I was in New England, like Bill doesn't have to bet. anybody. It's like, and you know Nick from being, you know. Oh, he don't care. Like, it's just, either you do your job or you don't. Or they gonna find somebody else to do it. But bro, you and me, I had a Bill Parcell's tree coach in Al Groh. And he was like a real hard ass. I want to transfer. I was just close

to transfer. And so like, you gotta go to the edge of quitting to find out if it's what you really want to do. Yeah. Like it was to the point where like, I couldn't even focus on class and I'm like, you got practice coming up. We got fourth quarter program coming up. I can't even focus in class. I'm like, I'm thinking about this shit all day life. I know exactly what you mean too. Hey, you know it's so funny in our notes

from the first time I interviewed you, I was like, how you do it? And you were like, man, it's great. There's no class, anything. It's just football. Thanks. I was like, oh man, that's true. You ever talked to, you know, when you walked up earlier,

me and Barnett were catching up? Who's crazy, man? I hadn't seen Derek since I go, when's the last time I saw you? Now he's bald? I said, when's the last time I saw him? he goes, man, I think it was the parade. Like, and that's how quick it goes, man.

Like, and all of a sudden he's an eight, nine year vet, but like, I really hope this for you and your group that you get a chance to feel what a championship's like. Do you ever talk to Derek or anybody that's gotten a chance to do it about what it feels like and what it takes? Yeah, most definitely. Yeah. It's crazy that you say that because Coach Ryan's last year, um, he's basically saying like, if anybody's won a Super Bowl in your position group, have them speak about it, like, in the room.

Yeah. And Derek was one of the guys that spoke to us, man. And he was like, man, he said the year they won the Super Bowl, that group was the most connected group that he's ever been a part of. And he said, it really just came down to us executing, man. Like, that's what it was about. And that's how we were able to win the Super Bowl, man.

We were like this, we were locked in, and everybody was just doing their job flying around. Dude, you guys have what it takes. I mean, it just, but what you said is, it's the connection. Yeah. You know, you gotta love your teammates. You gotta do everything together.

Yeah. You know, it's like, hey, you're in, when they lock the doors to this thing, you don't unlock the doors and you don't step out until February. Yeah. If you're lucky, you might as well be together on this thing, right? So I'm just, I'm looking forward to seeing y'all play this year, man. And one guy that I saw Tank Dell had the SpongeBob tweet the other day with old buddy looking out the window. And do you see that tweet? It was like a lighter window into probably how he's feeling, but how hard has it been.

I mean, it was obviously very hard. hard to see it happen, but like, y'all love this, dude. And for him not to be able to be out there, is it hard, like, seeing him in the building, or is he keeping his spirits up to where he kind of keeps you guys going a little bit? Yeah, most definitely, like, me, him and CJ, obviously all came in the game. He was like, oh, we're going to do this. We're going to do that.

We're going to do this. And, like, we've been there for him, man. And he's been in great spirits. He's smiling, walking around. And, you know, of course, you know, doing that, you have some days where he's just like, ah, but, man, he's been checking on us. he's been coming to me and still being a part of everything, going to this, that, and third with everybody.

So it's really been good, man. And he's just progressing very great. So all we can do is just keep having his back, man, keep lifting him up, keep being there for him, man. He's in good spirits, man. He's keep being around the team. And when he ever he comes back, man, I know it's going to be great. I know that guy has this perfect plan for him that when he gets back,

he's going to be better than before. So I'm excited for him, man. I hope he picks right back up where he left off. I got a couple fun ones to finish. In your D-line room, what's the policy on, turning in sacks. They go turn them in. They turn them in.

They're going to turn them in. But they're going to warn you? Are they going to warn you? They don't warn you. Yeah, that's crazy. They turn them in. So if like De Nico gets a sack or you get a sack and DeNico's like, oh, it's fine. They turn it in.

He's turned it without you even knowing. We had a policy you had to come like tell the dude man to man. Hey, I'm turning this sack in. No, no policy. If you feel stronger about it, I need that sack. That's crazy. I do. I need that sack.

Dude, one time I, paid a linebacker not to turn a sack. For real? I was like, bro, like, this is how I feed my family. I told James Leonarditis, I was like,

name your price. It was over like a half a sack, too. Instead of whatever, yeah, I need that. I need that, dude. Hell yeah,

hell yeah, they do. The other one is talk to Nico Collins on the show. By the way, awesome, dude. And he was, first off,

hyping y'all's defense all by crazy, but he said, like, hey, you got stay out of that kill zone. What is the kill zone? What area of the field is that for y'all? The kill zone is like outside the pocket, like when the quarterback just dumps it like on either side, left or right.

Right, I want to say like, probably like right in front of the O-Lond and right by the O-Lond. Check-down area. Check-down area. That's the kill zone. Or in the middle of the field, the middle of the field, it gets real danger. So like it's like a little triangle.

It's like this. It's like the Bermuda triangle. You don't want to be there. You don't want to be there. Well, I know the guy that hits so hard as disease. I mean, he's so fun to watch, dude. He's like a missile. He's like a missile, bro.

I love that dude. That's the way you got to play defense, man. I love watching y'all play defense, man. I just wanted to wish you luck, man, and it's great to see you. Thanks for coming on the show. Appreciate you. Keep doing what you're doing, bro. Thank you.

You're playing the game the right way. Appreciate it. Thank you for having me. Yeah.