The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - The QB2 Series: Charlie Whitehurst and his wildly interesting football life

Episode Date: December 9, 2022

Few backup quarterbacks have lived as interesting a football life as Charlie Whitehurst. He sits down with The Athletic's Kalyn Kahler to detail that life and share his stories in the latest installment of The QB2 Series on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the Athletic Football Show. Hey everybody. I'm Kailen Kaler, senior NFL writer for the athletic. And welcome to QB2. This is a show where we interview only my favorite players in football, the backup quarterbacks, because the backups are rarely in the spotlight, but they have the most interesting jobs in football, in my opinion. So this show right here is where the backups get the floor to share their knowledge and their stories.

And this is where we celebrate them. So today's guest is someone you probably know by his nickname, clipboard Jesus. He's one of the most well-known backup quarterbacks, but even he isn't entirely sure why that is. He was drafted in a third round by the Chargers in 2006, where he backed at Philip Rivers for several years. He played for five different organizations

and has started nine games in his 11-year NFL career. He's been traded, he's been cut. He won a week 17, winner-take-all divisional matchup in 2010. He's been a QB1, a QB1, a QB2 and a QB3, and he's kept the same hairstyle that made him well known to all of you. Welcome to the show, Charlie Whitehurst. Thank you. Quite an introduction. I appreciate that. You're welcome. That's one of my favorite parts is like putting together a little paragraph of,

you know, how to sum up guys like you and what you did in your career because so many of you have so many different aspects of your career that you've been through. And it's like, okay, how do I put this together to introduce them in the best? way. So I'm glad you liked it. I want to start with, you've been asked about this a million times, but I feel like we have to start here with the nickname, Clipboard Jesus. I have my clipboard here, which I actually have every time I do this show for the theme. But I want to ask you, where did that come from? Do you even remember it? Do you have any idea? I think the first time I heard it was in Seattle. I was growing. I think my hair started growing a few years before that.

obviously I think a lot of the hair and maybe the beard thing and the fact that I wasn't playing very much. I was watching a lot. I practiced a lot. I didn't play all that much. But yeah, I think in Seattle, like my fifth year, six year, maybe I heard it the first time, I was always curious about who said that first, not that it's a big deal and sports fans don't.

I guess lexicon of, you know, personalities to remember. But somebody said it first. And yeah, I'd love to know who it was. Yeah, if you're watching, whoever you are, if you're watching, comment on the YouTube stream later because we want to find you. Charlie is looking for you. There's a reward, yeah. Yeah, exactly.

So going off that nickname, you know, the clipboard is really, I don't even know if it's really a thing anymore for QB3s or QB2s because now we have iPads, we have, you know, or the surfaces. Did you ever actually hold a clipboard? having the nickname for many years and then I had not ever touched a clipboard on a football field or a practice. I mean, never, right? And I went to Indianapolis in my 10th year, like the second half of my 10th year, got cut in Tennessee and went to Tennessee and went to Indianapolis. And I was going to chart plays there. And Clyde Christensen, the QB coach, handed me a clipboard. For the first time, he said, hey, you can write it down on this.

never had had one. And I remember being, I think I held it for like the first drive. And I said, I'm going to go put this thing down. I'm going to hold this little pad of paper in my hand and chart the plays for the guys. So I think I, I think I held it for maybe five minutes. That's all. Oh my gosh. That's amazing. So technology had advanced to the point where the, the term for backup clipboard holder is really not accurate anymore. Well, you know, it's stuck. so yeah that's really good so i wanted to ask you uh i think a lot of us don't really know when it comes to kb2s and kb3s we don't actually really know what the difference in those roles are as far as what you're doing during a game you just mentioned there when you went to the cold they asked you

to chart plays you're holding a clipboard during the game so you started your career as a kb3 in san diego and i will say san diego because it was san diego at the time. So what is the difference? Can you kind of give us some insight on what the difference during a game is for a QB2 versus QB3? Yeah, I think that every situation is probably different. Mine was unique.

I was the third quarterback those first few years. In my second year, we got a new, North Turner was hired as our head coach, and he was also the offensive court. He's calling the plays as well. in the headset system to the quarterback. In my second year, they said, hey, I was the third quarterback, but I was going to call the plays in. Norv was going to tell me the play,

and then I was going to call it in to Philip, which was a pretty big responsibility. I mean, you can't, if you, it's like being the holder. Yeah. You can't really do anything right, but you can really screw this thing up. So I remember being pretty nervous when they told me that like oh my goodness i'm going to have to do that i did that for four years um even though i wasn't

the next guy into play um i was engaged in the game i had i'm not going to say it was a vital part but i mean the communication of the offense and the defense is important so um i was lucky enough to stand next to the head coach with a headset on which was really cool and i was i heard um what all the coaches were saying on the on the headsets which sometimes players aren't supposed to hear all that stuff for sure. I heard it all. So I was kind of like in between the two, but that was a unique situation. I wasn't one play away. I was two plays away from going in the game. But I was more involved than probably the typical third quarterback would be. Yeah. The rules have changed a little bit with how many players you can dress and all that stuff

too. And there's typically not, the third quarterback is typically not dressed in my, from what I can tell anymore. Back then, you could dress an emergency quarterback. So the third guy was always dressed. So I think it's changed a lot. Game day, I don't know what the responsibilities for the third guy is. He's usually a younger guy. You know, I guess Nick Foles, just to bring one up, is the third quarterback now, you know, so he's not dressing. But if you're not dressed, you certainly can help a little bit more. You don't have to be ready to play at all. So you can kind of help the coaches, you walk over here, what can I do for you, what can I do over there? I was always dressed.

So, you know, obviously the second quarterback has to be ready to play. Both the guys, along with the coaching staff and quarterback coach and stuff, are trying to help the starter any way they can during the game, trying to see some things maybe he can't see because his eyes are somewhere else during the play. So everybody's trying to support the starter. If that doesn't change, the second quarterback's got to be ready to go. The third one can relax a little bit more. Yeah.

So when you say you're hearing all the. communications on the headset. I think that's like every reporter or fan's dream is to be able to have a window into like what coaches are saying to each other. And you mentioned, you know, some of it probably is not really for the players to hear. Do you remember anything that you overheard on a game day from coaching communications that stood out to you or you were like, whoa, okay. Yeah, probably can't say any of them either. I mean, I remember, I remember Norv. Nor, would get really amped up on game day. He had so much responsibility. He had to, he's been as the head coach. So he's got to manage the game as the head coach. He's also calling the plays. I mean, it's really

demanding. So he was, he was pretty, he could get emotional at times, you know. And so I was able to see all that. And he used to joke with me. He said, you know, you could write a book. I certainly hope you don't write that book. But you could write a book. But you could write a. a book, everything you've heard. And I really loved him, and he was great to be around. Just the stuff you hear about, I think some of the things the players probably wouldn't want to hear is football is such an emotional game for the players and the coaches. I mean, the coaches are working as hard as the players are.

I mean, the fans are there. They're screaming. I mean, it's kind of controlled chaos for sure. You know, you hear some of the players say, somebody like, what is so-and-so doing on the field? And then one of the coaches, like, who the hell? knows, I don't know, he's sorry or something. You know, you'll get things that the coaches will say that they don't really mean, probably. Yeah, right, right.

But you wouldn't want to hear it as a player. Yeah. And I never was, I always, it went in one ear and I thought it was, I got to chuckle about it. And it never, never really thought of again. I will say this was pretty funny. There was a few times where Norve was upset with Philip. In their, what, 10-year, I don't know, eight-year relationship. Yeah.

They're both very passionate guys. They're both great at their jobs. They weren't mad at each other very much. Right. But there was a few times where Norv wanted Philip to come over to the sideline. And he told me to tell that, you know, tell that guy to come over here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got to talk to him.

So I'd push the button and say, Philip, Norve was requesting you on the sideline. So you got the chance to kind of sanitize the language and be the, be a little bit of a translator there. I was a translator. And I don't, I don't say that as anything negative towards, at all. I mean, he was one of my favorite coaches I ever had. I thought he was a leader and I really appreciated how much he cared. Yeah. And Philip the same way. I mean, he was, so those, look, and I'm not, I'm not trying to say they butted heads. They absolutely did not. But there's a few times where I was in the middle and tried to make sure that it was a smooth, smooth interaction. So I was going to ask me this later, but

It's kind of related to what you just said about Norv being the offensive play caller and also the head coach. And that's been kind of a big topic of conversation this season with different coaches who are, you know, the CEO type of head coach who they are not calling plays that delegated that somewhere else. And there are coaches who are also the offensive play callers. And there's been, you know, some debate over, you know, what works best and what is the best style. And I wonder from your perspective as a quarterback, if you can, do you have an opinion on that? And like, does that affect you in any way? Like, do you think it's better for a head coach to delegate that responsibility elsewhere? Or do you think it is a good idea or works well for them to do both?

I think there's a bunch of guys that have proven that they can do both. I mean, for sure. I mean, just the ones that come to my, Andy Reid comes to mind. He's called, I think, called the place his entire career. McVeigh's won a Super Bowl. I mean, I know there's more. I think it's doable for sure. Absolutely.

I don't see an issue with it. It's demanding. I know. I think sometimes what you can do if you're going to, I mean, the calling, if you're hired as a head coach, let's just say offensive head coach. And you're hired for your system and probably your ability to call those plays because that's what you were doing in your last job just last year. So I think there's so much importance in that. The whole managing of the game could possibly be delegated kind of behind the scenes to somebody in the box. And I think that probably happens for all head coaches. They do have somebody or a team of people maybe chiming in if maybe they ask for it. So I would say it's very important if that coach is so inclined to make sure they're calling the plays offensively or defensively because that's what got them the head job to begin with.

And managing the game can you're going to learn a little bit along the way. You know, you've seen like the Broncos, like Hackett. I mean, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's an offensive coordinator. Now he's a head coach, and he's learning a little bit of game management as he goes. I mean, just the way it is. Yeah. Yeah. I wanted to ask you, so you came in as a third round pick.

You were a QB3, eventually became a QB2. You get to compete a little bit for that starting job in Seattle. Was there, and as I've been talking to backup quarterbacks, it's interesting. Some of them, you know, enter with huge expectations for themselves. They want to beat the starter. Some are like, you know, I don't think any backup ever thinks of themselves as a backup. They always are wanting to be the starter. So I wonder for you personally, was there a stage in your career where you accepted, you know, this is my role?

Or were you always really striving and working for that starting job? Like take me into the mindset. So when I got drafted, Philip was next in line there. So I remember going, okay, what are my realistic expectations here? You know, he's a first round pick. Turned out to be, I think, a Hall of Fame player anyway and proved that very, very quickly, at least to everybody there and me included. So what, realistically, what are my goals here? Okay, you prepare like you are going to be in charge of this team tomorrow, for sure.

Because, I mean, you look what happened with, and stuff. So there's opportunity can come at any time. You better be ready. We had a good football team. I said, if I get on the field, probably my future is not here at San Diego, but I can show maybe what I can do. Cooper Rush, what he's done. He's just made himself, I don't know, 10 or 15 million bucks. I don't know if he's going to play for Dallas next year or not, but he's going to make a lot of money next year for sure.

So I always thought that there was a good chance that I would ascend maybe, you know, in the sport. you know, you try to play as well as you can when you do get the chances in preseason. Luckily, I was, I had, and then that happened for me. I was traded to Seattle with a chance to compete. And yeah, it was kind of the same thing there with Hasselback. And then Tavares, it was the next year, kind of fighting and clawed for that spot. I was, there was a few bright spots there for sure. I was giving opportunities to start and two games.

I played about as bad as I possibly could have. So I had, I had. You know, you're going to get, you're going to get an opportunity. It might be, you know, a quarter. For me, it was a handful of games. I had an opportunity. It didn't work out. For me, after that season, I go back to San Diego as the backup.

Your preparation is still the same. But I'm in my seventh year. Wow. It's probably not going to happen, you know, as in. as in the big contracts and the fame and all that stuff. Probably not going to have. But that kind of, that was a little bit of a struggle for me to deal with personally. I mean, nobody ever knew anything about that or anything.

But I mean, just kind of like, wow, I didn't do, I'm not going to achieve probably the dream. So you adjust your dream a little bit. And I remember my last two or three years that I played, I had some of the most fun I ever had playing football. We were a bad team in Tennessee. That would have been better if we were a better team and stuff and, you know, it would have probably been more fun. But I was not, I was playing for fun. And I never really played football, at least pro football for fun. I don't, I was always playing for fun because you love doing it. But like, there was no expectation other than I'm going to go out there and play a sport that I've played my whole life. It happens to be at this level. And it

it's like a high school game i'm just going out there to compete for college you know and that was like good for me and i really enjoyed that and i enjoyed football more in those years than i probably had in like early in my career for sure that's so interesting it's almost like accepting your fate or identity or role laid made you feel more free gave you like a freedom to it yeah it kind of did and i mean there was it look, I mean, there's guys that have kicked it off in the second half of their career for sure. Like somebody like Gino's made a resurrection a little bit in his career. I mean, you never know what's going to happen.

You're not saying, okay, I'm putting a, you know, but it's like, okay, there's not the, the $100 million that's coming, okay? You know, like, it's not coming. So I'm just going to go freaking play as hard as I can and compete as hard as I can. You know, and I don't know. I mean, I, maybe I should be. I don't know, maybe I should feel a certain way about having that thought ever, but I did. I did have that thought, you know, and is what it is, you know.

Yeah, no, I think a lot of guys reached that point, at least a lot that I've kind of spoken to, describe something a little bit similar to that. So I don't think you're alone in that for sure. I wanted to ask you, so you mentioned your trade to Seattle. So Seattle gives up, I believe it was what, a third round, third round pick for you. And they moved down in the second round as well. So when that happens, I mean, you described, you play well in the preseason. The preseason is kind of the only thing that you have.

How do you even like stay relevant or stay noticed when at that point in your career, you did not even have a single regular season pass? Right. How do teams, like, how do you stay on the radar and, like, prove to teams that you have something valuable when you are barely getting any opportunities? Right. Yeah. So there was, that was, there was a little bit of CBA stuff going on at that particular off season as well. I played four seasons. We thought we were going to get locked out. So we didn't know about, I would have been an unrestricted free agent. I ended up being a restricted free agent. I believe that's how that went. And I had no. idea. I was actually in the Caribbean on vacation in March. I love it. I love it. When free agency started and I get a call and they said, hey, Seattle wants you to come in. I mean, I really didn't. I was going to be, I was actually under contract with San Diego again that year.

I thought I was going to be, I don't remember exactly the details. But I had, I had no. So I get a call. Seattle was interested. I said, I do I need to, I guess I'll fly home. So starting to get my flights. Get another call. Hey, Arizona wants to. to meet with you. I'm going, oh my goodness. I just didn't, I didn't realize, you know. Yeah, yeah. I think part of it is I had done fine in preseason. You know, I think there was from years ago in college and stuff, I kind of fit the mold at the time with the size and stuff like that, you know, like I think I had a reputation of working well and being a decent teammate. I have been coached by Norr, Camp Cameron was our officer coordinator, my rookie year.

They liked me. There was some things there maybe going to Miami for a few years and stuff. So when he was head coach. So I just think there was a reputation of he's a decent guy. And he looks pretty good. And he looked pretty good in college. And he looks pretty good here in preseason. And Seattle didn't give up all that.

I mean, I'm not saying switching second round picks and a third round pick is not. That's some draft equity for sure. Yeah. But it was, they were going to rebuild. It wasn't that, it weren't given that that much for me, really. Yeah. The way I see it. So I think it was just a chance they took.

And I wish it would have been better for both of us. But, yeah, I mean, I, shoot, I don't know. I think they were just watching preseason film. Yeah. That's really, that's really interesting. So I want to ask you about Philip Rivers, obviously, because you spent two different times in your career playing behind him. And, you know, he is so interesting to me when you think about the backups behind him

because he was always playing through injuries, super tough, has a reputation of really never coming off the field. And when he played with a torn ACL, I believe, in 2008. So when you're playing behind him, do you guys just kind of know, like, we're never getting in the game, like, this guy is just going to keep going? Yeah, well, it certainly turned out that way. You know, Phillips first, Phillips first year playing, my rookie year,

and Billy Volick was there too. Philip had injuries at the end of the year that possibly could have kept him from playing if we would have advanced in the playoffs. His second year playing was the year that he, towards meniscus and his ACL in the divisional round. And then, yeah, people found out later. We knew because he didn't practice all week.

And he was wrapped up from surgery. meniscus taken care of. They didn't do anything, ACL, and he played the game. So his first two years, you're kind of like, well, you don't know. At the end, maybe there's an opportunity here, you know, or not an opportunity, but, you know, yeah, maybe you have to go in there. And then he just, after that ACL, he had bumps and bruises for sure. I remember his ribs one year and stuff, but, I mean, then he started putting, stacking the years together, for sure, in the games. And he never, I mean, he never missed one ever. So, um, At first, it looked like you didn't know how durable he was going to, he was.

I mean, he was obviously never missed the game then either, but like the Iron Man type stuff came, came and be to be proven later. Yeah, just he was, and I can remember there was a knee had in the Tennessee game where it just looked horrible. It looked like an MCL. We go in, Billy goes in, we go in at halftime. Philip looks like he's done for probably a month. And we're getting ready to start the second half. Bullock's going to go in again and fill it. And it goes into the game.

So it's like, I mean, he's one of the toughest guys I've been around. I saw him last week. He's just, he's still, he's passionate. He's probably as intelligent a football player, like the football IQ as I was ever around, tough, talented, everything. I hope he makes it a whole thing. So the week where he had surgery on his meniscus and leaves the ACL to deal with later, he doesn't practice that week.

What's going through your guys' minds? I think he were the third quarterback at that time, and Billy was the second. So are you guys thinking, like, is Billy thinking he's going to start that game? You just broke up just a tiny bit at the very end of that question. No worries. Just the variant. Yeah, is Billy thinking he's going to start that game? Absolutely.

We knew, well, we knew that, so Billy took all the reps. I remember coming back on the plane flight from Indy. We'd beat Peyton and Indy. Philip was pretty sure. I mean, he's sure he's torn his ACL at this point on the plane. He comes back to talk to me. He said, hey, I just talked to Norv. He said, you know, he says, I'm going to have surgery on the thing.

I'm going to try to play. But he says, I, you know, he says, I'm not going to be able to play. He says, so Billy, you know, Billy's going to play. But Norv says he's going to put in like a package for you, you know, like a, like a. like a running like a running quarterback thing you know it was really funny I in college for me I was like tall passer I was pretty athletic for the big as I big as I am but I wasn't like a running quarterback I mean I had I had a couple runs in college I had a real long one one time I don't know how that happened I got a 65 year run but um wow but I wasn't like dual threat right back in college

I get to San Diego and they were like, hey, we're going to put in some of the zone read for you. And I'm like, what in the world is going on here? I mean, these guys are a lot faster. I didn't get faster. But I remember Philip came back and told me, he said, you, Norm's, we're going to try to pull out all the stops. He's going to have a package for you. And we're going to do some zone read and some crazy stuff. And I'm going, oh, my goodness.

I'd never played it down at this point in my life. You know, like, okay, AFC championship. Well, we didn't practice any of that. stuff. So I think that was going to happen. I think he changed his mind. But Billy took all the reps that week. Billy was prepared to start. I'm sure Billy would have done great. I thought he was a heck of a player too. But Billet worked out before the game, wrapped his knee up, had a brace on it, and he went and he played a hell of a game. We lost. But that was, that was amazing. That was kind of like these people talk about welcome to the NFL moments, you know, and everybody's got a few

little ones, they kind of keep going. They don't really necessarily ever stop. I mean, you get into your like eighth or tenth year and you pretty much seen it all, you think. But I remember in my second year watching him do that and it's like 20 degrees outside and he's just shuffling back there, you know, and he's like, I don't know. I mean, and he just keeps complete. We're just, we're moving the ball. And I'm like, wow. Right. This is, this is incredible. That's really amazing. So I wanted to ask you, you mentioned, you know, obviously your relationship with Philip was really close. And you mentioned earlier that you feel like Seattle was interested in you because you had a good reputation from coaches that you had played with and as just being a good person and someone who works hard. So I feel like from what I've learned from back of quarterbacks, it seems like a lot of the job is sustaining the job for a while for several years in the NFL and building a career out of it is just really being like,

a likable person and being able to like network and connect and sustain those types of relationships. And I know for you, like you played with Rivers twice. You were in San Diego twice. So how much do you think like being a good, good at networking and good at relationships is part of the job of being a QB2? A lot. If you want to play a long time.

I mean, I, I think there's, I played 11 years. I had some luck go happen for sure. You have to have some luck. I mean, seriously. There has to be some opportunity that lines up and all that stuff. I had some talent, you know. But, like, yeah, if you're bad employee, if you're a bad teammate, I'm not saying you've got to be like the best guy in the world.

But like, you certainly have to understand if you got Pro Bowl quarterback or just a starting quarterback in general that your ego needs to be. in the appropriate level as a backup, you know, like just just being aware. And I'm not, I'm trying to think of all the guys that I was in a quarterback room with. I can't think of like one that was a bad guy. You know, I really can't, you know, so, but I think being, it's not necessarily being likable, but you got to be useful. You've got to, I know, I know Philip had a bunch of quarterbacks, backups that were helpful

to him, you know, for sure. And maybe even more so than I was. but I know that he was comfortable with me. I know that I could help him in some areas, maybe just assessing the team. He was a young player and not how to leave the team. Philip needs no help whatsoever in any of that. But it's just a different perspective maybe of managing all these star players

and all that and being a new quarterback and stuff like that. I mean, sometimes there's advice you can give people. And I know Philip respected that in me, you know what I mean? I didn't get in his way. I'm not stupid enough to do so. And yeah, I just think that sometimes egos and things can get you in trouble. And I don't mean that necessarily in a bad way either. Look, there's a short window in pro football.

It is a very, very competitive environment. And I know people are saying this is my chance to do something, you know, in the early part of my life. And damn it, I'm going to freaking take advantage of every opportunity. I completely agree that people should do that. But sometimes you just, you know, being a good teammate is very important, like you say. Yeah. And you also played with Matt Hasselback twice as well in Seattle and then later in Indianapolis.

So I wonder, and we've seen, we kind of see this happen across the NFL, like Brady and Brian Hoyer were together like three separate times with the same team. But like Brian left, came back, Brian left. came back. And Brady is like, I love, you know, he's talked very highly of Brian. So is it a thing that starters will become attached to like a certain backup and like want to be reunited with them later on? I don't know. I don't know if that's terribly high on starting quarterbacks. They've got some other things going on. But yeah, with me and Matt, it was, I think that was coincidental. You know, it was a different team. And, but yeah, there was some coaches like Rod

Ziski was there as the new officer coordinator at Indy. I had been in San Diego with him. So there's usually some connection. I don't know if the starter is saying, I want this guy. I mean, I will say somebody like

Philip, who's not going to miss a game. And, you know, he's going to want who he wants, probably in the room with him, you know, and I know he had a tremendous relationship with Kellyvins. and other guys too.

So you're trying to make that guy real comfortable. I mean, the head coach, the quarterback, two most important people in the organization, in my opinion, you know, and as comfortable as you can make those guys

so they can perform to their best. I think you should do. Yeah. And I'm going to go into a couple of quick hitters. So these will wrap up with and try to answer them, you know, in one sentence if you can.

It may not be possible. Uh-oh. I'll try. Best quarterback room you've been part of are your favorite? Just my favorite would be the first one I was in. You know, I would, it would be, no, I had a great time with Matt. Matt was a heck of a guy. Andrew Luck was in that room, too.

That was pretty cool. He was injured. Yeah. Along with, look, I play with a bunch of great guys. Probably the first time you're there with, with Phillip and, you know, AJ Feely was there in training camp. And he was, he was like a real cool guy. He was older. He was 30 and I was a kid and like looking up to this guy.

He had long hair. Like, whoa, this guy's cool. But Philip Billy and myself, it was pretty neat because it was the first one for me. Awesome. How do you, this probably just applies to your Seattle stint. How do you stay warm on the bench when you aren't playing in a cold game? Like what are your tips? Do you have any?

Well, they've got those, they've got really. nice benches now and they fill them with all that yeah yeah pump hot air through them and stuff um golly i mean after a while you're standing there and you're getting real stiff and uh you're like oh if i were to sprint right now i think everything would just rip off um being youthful and being young helps a lot when you get a lot colder but yeah i mean you bundle up and i think when when the time comes and all of a sudden that guy's down and you i always thought it was funny because it was like if you're going in it's like where's my helmet oh hell where's my helmet you know you go get your helmet you wake up pretty fast yeah um this this isn't a quick one but you mentioned

andrew luck and i definitely wanted to ask you this so you played with two quarterbacks who um ended up you know retiring early because of the toll of injuries uh jake locker Andrew luck what did you see in those guys? I know your time with Andrew was pretty short, but like did you see the toll on the starter when it comes to injuries like that? Or how would you sort of, how did you see that in your role? Yeah. When I was with luck, luck was very, he was very kind and respectful to everybody,

including me. He was close to the vest with the details of, I think, what he was going. going through personally, at least with me. I mean, I never broke into some circle of trust with him. You know, I mean, again, we were very friendly and had some laughs together. He just, he's private. And I think that I didn't see that, you know, but I knew that he, he played hard. When I was there, he had the, I think the kidney issue. He had on a stramble, lacerated it. Kidney, I think it was kidding. Yes. Yeah. So just like, good gracious. He just played so hard. And what's interesting about him, sorry if this is a little bit longer, you know,

but he was so physically, I mean, looked like a linebacker. So physically, and really Locker was the same. Locker could have played defensively, too, you know, but it's almost like, how could this guy, I mean, how do you hurt him, you know? And I think that he was able to get himself in situations on the football field where he was so big and strong and physical. and he could run through people and stuff

why wouldn't you try to do that? I don't know if that if that, you know, warm down or not, you know, but yeah, I don't really know. I have a lot of respect for the fact that both of them I mean, I remember when Locker did that and retired. It was very surprising.

And I just, I texted him or whatever. And I was like, I don't need to know your reasons or I'm not asking, but I just, I respect that you had the guts to do that because a lot of people are going to talk about you. And then negatively, you know, and the fact that that was right for him, and he had the guts to actually do it, and then Luck doing the same thing.

I mean, you know, I'd love to see him play both of them, you know, longer, but things happened. And I was glad that they were able to make decisions in their life. It sounds like Luck really made the right decision. Yeah. In the one interview he's done since. Yeah, right. And I think Locker was really, really happy.

I haven't talked to him a little while. but a few years later, I think he was glad that he was able to make the decision. He wished it would have gone longer, but he was glad that he made the decision that was right for him. Yeah. So your last NFL experience was in 2016. Are you still involved in football now? I know a lot of backups naturally transitioned to coaching because, as you mentioned, it's kind of what you do during the game. Like, you assist the coaches.

So what's your relationship with football now? Like, what are you doing now? I'm just a fan right now. I remember Ken Wisenhunt was the head coach in Tennessee, and he was out of football after his playing career. And I remember asking him like, what was it? He said, I just missed. I just like, you're not around these types of people. Yeah.

Civilian life is what we've got to jokingly call it some of those. Right. Just, I have not, yeah, I'm just a fan. I've been out of football. I've got a younger brother I talk to. I've got, you know, my dad, you know, played for the Packers. And I get to have conversations and I get worked up about this and that guy that you like and who's better. You know, Mubbs or Allen and all that stuff.

I still have it. It's not going away. Right. And I think at some point I'm going to need to do it. I don't want to coach. I don't think I want to coach in NFL and in college. I just, I don't think I'm willing to do that if I have a family or something like that,

you know, just from a time commitment. I do love football. I think at some point I'll be coaching high school or kids. Hopefully I have some kids that'll play. But no, I'm completely out of it. I'll get back into it at some point.

Yeah. Wow. amazing that you were able to just kind of quit cold turkey there. I'm going to ask you, you can take this, this would be the last question, you can take it either, you can take it in two different ways. Since you mentioned you're still really, you know, you watch all the game, you know, you're still a big fan,

you talk football all the time. Who is, you can either answer this one, who is a current backup, who you think needs, if given an opportunity, could break out like a Gino Smith, as we're seeing right now. Or who is the like ideal backup to you? Like when, you know, I did this show previously at my previous job defector and people would comment and be like, clipboard Jesus, you have to have clipboard Jesus.

We need to hear from Charlie Whitehurst. So who is that guy to you? Or you could answer both if you're feeling, if you're feeling like you have an answer for both of those, go for it. Yeah, I don't know if I have a single answer. I think some of the guys, I think some of the guys that I'm thinking of, you've already talked to. I do. I think the guys that stick around a long time, you know, have the kind of ups and downs, you know.

I mean, Hoyer's one that comes to my mind, just a tough guy you can rely on. Wrote my heart once when he was with Cleveland and they beat us and then really, really bad. We had a bad second half and he came back and beat him. I think Keenham is starter quality. Yeah. Like, where is he, Buffalo now? Buffalo. And I know I'll leave guys out.

You know, I hate to start making a list and leave guys out. But, and there's probably a bunch of young guys that nobody knows if they're good or not. You know, just their team. This is a zappy. I guess it's how you say it, zapping. You know, I mean, nobody knows about that guy. And all of a sudden, who knows? I mean, who knows if he plays the rest of the year?

So, yeah, I'm trying to think. I mean, I've always thought Tyrod was a heck of a guy. Yeah. He did it was, you know, right there on that starter thing, if it would have gone a little different direction for him, he'd have been somewhere for a while. Obviously, Fitzpatrick, he's not playing anymore. He's kind of the one that he's the most interesting one to me because it was like, you know he's going to play. You just know it because he does every year and you know he's going to really inspire the team. Yeah, right.

And everybody loves him. And so, and he had a little bit of the Brett Barb. you know at some point it's going to be like no you know what I mean which is so freaking interesting I mean he was he's a hell of a player was a hell of a player I guess he's playing but it was fun to watch him because you never knew what was going to happen so it's such a good point I'd say I'd say he was probably my favorite yeah he was not really a backup I got played every year yeah he's he's definitely his legacy is debatable uh what he was Like, what should he be remembered as?

And that is why he's so fascinating, I think, because he was always switching between the two roles. Charlie, this was so much fun. I'm so excited that you came on the show. Thank you so much for your time. And thanks everybody for watching. We'll see you again next time. This has been QV2 with Kail and Kaler.

This was The Athletic Football Show.