The Bobby Bones Show - Lots to Say: The New England Patriots' Kevin Byard

Episode Date: April 8, 2026

Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel welcome three-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to Lots to Say. Byard reflects on the grind of his rookie season and how Mike Vrabel factored into choosing New England. Byard also details his film study evolution, how he stays healthy, and how he recovers week-to-week. Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel is part of the NFL Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and IHart podcast. We got lots to say. And we got lots. Again, we benefit from Castle's relationships at a school, which is great. Yeah, that's great. Yeah.

We want to introduce our guest? Oh, yes, I would love to introduce our next guest. He is a three-time all-pro safety, three-time Pro Bowl safety. He led the league in interceptions last year. He is a friend of mine, an incredible person, an incredible player. And the newest member of the New England Patriots, Kevin Byard, everybody. Yes. Thank you.

Thank you for that introduction. So you and Cassel go back how far? So my rookie year. Was that your last year in Tennessee? No, I was 2016-17. I was probably not as memorable. Not as memorable 2017. You probably didn't remember anything.

I didn't play much, but yeah, his rookie year was my first year in Tennessee. Yeah, so we were teammates for two years. If you're a rookie and you come in, you got a guy who's obviously a veteran, do you talk to the, like, and he's not your position, he's not on your side of the ball. Right. Like, do you have a relationship with those guys at all? Not, I mean, outside of, because obviously Marcus was a quarterback there as well, obviously, because I was kind of a part-time starter in beginning of my rookie year.

Obviously, Castle was, you know, slinging dimes for the scout team, practice squad, wherever we'd be. obviously wasn't a practice squad. But for me, I was still young, and I kind of was just looking at Castle, like, yeah, I remember Castle, you know, was playing for the Patriots, and obviously went to Kansas City and played for different teams. So I was almost kind of looking up to him. So I was kind of nervous. And then you'll kind of see him around the facility with his family, he had his four children,

his wife and stuff like that. So it was like, and I was still like a young knucklehead a little bit. Obviously, I had a girlfriend. So, but we did have a relationship, but still it was kind of like that separation from, like, the younger guys, you got divested married, have children, you want to get like that. And so if I did have. have conversation, it was probably asking something about his life or something like that.

So, yeah, we did have a relationship. I do remember that he put a dent in our relationship early on because he's on the defensive side of the ball. And so we're running through seven on seven. If you throw one interception in seven, seven, it's usually a bad day. Kevin in one period during this particular training camp practice, pick me off three times. And I was like, oh my God, this rookie just jumped in front of three ball.

Do you remember that day? I don't remember that day. I've got Marcus Marriota. Well, yeah, you probably had bigger fish to fry, you know, down the road in real games. But, I mean, I just want to build your confidence, but you hurt my confidence that day. And I've got Marcus Marriota, Alex Taney in the background, and they're giggling because they're just like, what just happened? And I was like, I have no idea. And that was one of my first times I'm sitting there going, okay, this guy's going to be.

That rookie year flies by. There's so many different memories, so many different points. It's funny. I actually don't remember that price. Three years after you swap. No, then I didn't throw you any. You probably shouldn't even brought that up because I didn't remember it. That was the start of your destiny.

Yeah, there you go. Whenever you come in as a rookie, does the season seem so long because it's so many more games? Yes. And the reason being is because like when you're, you're by less, you're underclass and you're about to declare for the draft of your senior, I had a bowl game. I think my bowl game was like late December or something like that. You probably get maybe a week or two off. You're an agent. you sign with an agent and you're immediately getting shipped off the pre-draft training.

So I'm basically going from January training. Then you got, you know, your pro days, combines and visits. Then you literally sign or drafted. I was drafted in May. You're basically going from January to January. All football, all gas, no breaks. So that rookie year is like, and I tell all the guys, it's like, you know, everybody talk about the rookie wall.

And when you're playing and starting, it's not as bad as some guys that may not be, maybe just relegated special teams, what it may be. It's a real thing. So by the time you get to like October, November, and most guys in college football, you're 12, 13 games, you get to like week 13,

you're like, it's no way we're still playing football. And then for like, if you become events, like that's really when the season is just starting. So yeah, it gets long as a rookie, for sure. Talk about that journey that you had. You went to Middle Tennessee State. You obviously were a standout there.

You're in their Hall of Fame. But you were not invited to the Combines. So it was not. Talk about that mentality of not being invited to the combine. Did you just do your pro day? Did you have the workout at the Titans? How did it all work and how did you come on their radar? It was a crazy thing.

So I had got invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl out of college. I had to decorate a college career. And I'm just knowing, like, you have one of anticipation, like, you get the Reese's Senior Bowl. Votes like, you know, the Combine is coming. But at the time, like, it wasn't, I ain't got the invite yet. So I'm thinking like eventually it's going to show up. go down to the Reese Senior Bowl, have a good time, and obviously balled out.

And I remember, you know, we have a conversation in the locker room, and guys were like, yeah, man, you know, I'm going to see you later. I'm going to see you at the combine. And I'm just thinking of my head, like, I still don't have the invite. What's going on? I'm super, I was upset. I'm not even going to lie. I was literally about to fire my agent and all type of stuff because I was just,

I'm thinking it was his fault. Like, he's the reason why I didn't get an invite. So, no, I didn't get an invite. I just kept training. And then I went to, did the pro day at middle. And I had a really good pro day. It's funny, I had the Titans was there. They had a coach, the Lions, a couple of other teams.

And I remember we did after the pro day, did like a little interview. We just kind of get on the board and stuff. And it was like, yeah, write your favorite defense. Just write it down. And I had wrote like all 11 guys on the defense, the D-Lyman and the stunt. I was blitzing hair, da-da-da-da. And it was like, oh, the meetings down. We're good to go.

We're good to go. And so I ended up taking like 12 to like 12 or 13 visits within like a two-week period before the draft, which was crazy. And, you know, you're going on these visits. Because they wanted to get the physicals. I didn't do the Indianapolis Combine stuff. And they're whining and dying. We're not whining, but steaks, you know, you're eating all, you know,

eating at them like, yeah, order whatever you want because it's all free. It's on the team's budget. So probably a week or two before the draft. I'm on my last visit in Miami. And I never forget, I was, you know, you kind of, I'm sitting in the lounge waiting to meet with a coach or whatever. And my agent called me. He's like, hey, you know, Tennessee wants to work you out.

And I'm just like, listen, bro, I've been on the road for about the last two weeks. I've been eating steak. Like, I'm really not in the mood. Like, I don't think I should. I really don't want to do it. You know, if they haven't seen the pro day or the film, like, I think, you know, it's over with. And he was like, I basically told him to cancel to me. And he was like, okay, you know, I'll talk to him and tell him.

And so I remember he called me back probably like 20 minutes later. He said, hey, so I, you know, I told him what you said. And but, you know, I mean, the general manager, John Roberts is going to be there. Dick Leboe, who was the defensive coordinator there, was going to be there. The Shea Towns and the DB coach. The head coach Mike Malarkey is going to be there. I think you should do this workout. You know what I mean? So I was like, all right, well, just please, just tell them, don't kill me. You know what I mean? We'll get on the film and just do a little bit of drills. And they worked me out for like a hour and a half. It was crazy.

But it was a blessing because I think that workout was the reason why I got drafted to the Titans. And it was one of those deals where like I said, I really didn't want to do it. But, you know, it all worked out for the best. It's crazy that you didn't get an invite, then you were drafted in the third round, because that's a very valuable round. First, second, third, fourth round. Those are like the upper tier rounds. Absolutely. Like, you can't get an invite, but then you still get drafted in the third round.

Like, I've not heard that juxtaposition of, no, we don't think you're good enough to come to this, but we're still going to draft you so high. Right. And do you think a bit of that is because the Titans were close? They were able to come to your pro day and then ask you to work out. Do you think proximity had anything to do with them discovering that you were actually legit? Honestly, I'm not even sure. I really don't. I remember talking to John. John said that he had been doing research on me since my sophomore, junior year, talking to people on campus. But I have no clue. Like, I've got to this point in my life where, like, when stuff like that I don't, like even talking to you or Matt, like, you don't really have an explanation for it, I just just point to God, just all God, in my opinion. Because it's like, I have no clue why I didn't get invited to the combine. Like I had had the most interceptions in college. I had like 19 interceptions. It was like a record at the time. You know, I had. I had great stats. So, like, you know, it's still, honestly, still to this, that don't have an answer.

Yeah, I'm shocked. I didn't get an answer. Yeah, I'm shocked. The NFL's never told me anything why I didn't get invited. I had no clue. It's such a weird thing to be drafted so high. Right. But also, so I have a conspiracy theory that a team like the Titans kept you out because they knew what they had.

A secret don't invite him. Seriously. Might have been. They will do that. They'll talk players up and down, right. Agents do that all the time. Right, right. But imagine, conspiracy mind here.

The Titans were kept you out because they knew what they had. If they can keep other people from seeing you, they can get you high. That's a great theory. And I also had the theory of, so, you know, a lot of times for the combine, some guys, you'll see some guys at the combine, and you look at their college stats and they're really not that good. So sometimes they invite these guys to the combine just because they want to get around them. And I was thinking, well, they already knew I was good. So they said, hey, you could just sit out.

We'll get some of these other guys that maybe not be very well known. So I don't know. I've been trying to piece this together for the longest. And eventually, I just kind of let it go. I've been very over my career, even in high school. I've been very, like, under the radar. Not really, I feel like not really rated where I probably should be. What were your star rating?

I was a two-star prospect. You got to be kidding me. Yeah, it's crazy, right? And I was like an all-state. The Titans did that too. The Titans kept you in a two-star. They were on it early. Keep this kid under Raskos.

Yeah, man. She keeps progressing. I had like a scholarship bar from the University of Kentucky. They pulled it for a guy that was like committed to Alabama and he decommitted. It was like, I've had a bunch of different. phases, so I just, you know, that's just my story. It's my story. You played all the positions, though, in high school.

Did you play, like, quarterback and wider? Did you do everything? That's true. I literally played everything. My senior year, I was playing like Iron Man football. I literally started on offense, and then which grade, I literally didn't get a break. I don't think I did like field goal block or something. I think that was my favorite.

I did everything. That's my only break. When you first got the Tennessee Titans, you mentioned Dick Leboe, legendary coach, Hall of Famer, just an incredible person, but one of the best defensive minds to ever coach our game. Talk to me about the influence he had on you as a young player. Big influence. So growing up, I didn't really get into NFL football probably until maybe 13, 14 years old. It was just kind of, you know, you go in the neighborhood, play football. Everybody wanted to be Mike Vick, especially in my neighborhood. But really just getting into the sport,

my whole family, obviously I grew up in Philadelphia, all Eagles fans. I went completely against the ground. I was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. So I grew up. up on like Troy Paul O'Mahlo, Dick LeBow, those legendary Pittsburgh defense defenses. And so obviously I knew all about Dick LaBoe. I had no clue Dick LaBoe was a defensive coordinator in Tennessee until like I did that workout and stuff like that.

So I'm starstruck in this meeting, like seeing Dick LaBoe right there and we're talking about defenses and all his fire zone blitz and stuff. I'm just completely blown away. Dick LaBoe, and I really wish that I had him longer in my career. I only had him in my first two years. He's a true legend. And most people don't notice, but I'm pretty sure people that play for him. Dick LeBow is the only coach that doesn't use a play call sheet.

I don't know if you notice or not. So Dick LaBoe, we'd be in the games, and he will legit be staring, you get a feel for things, and we had a linebacker coach. He would literally whisper to the linebacker coach, would play to give the linebacker. You know, most coach you see in games, Andy Reid has this big clipboard, different pages and stuff like that. Dick LeBoe had nothing that was on his head. He memorized every defense that he's probably ever done.

all in his head, and he would just call it, like, live. It was the most amazing thing ever. Like, he's a legend. He's to have these stories in our meetings about, you know, most people know this, but Dick LaBoe is a defensive coordinator. He's a Hall of Fame defense coordinator, but he's also a Hall of Fame player. He played cornerback in Detroit in all those days, and he would talk about his Motown days. He got some stories.

He got some stories about being back of Motel. So, uh, no, he's a legend, man. One of my favorite coaches, um, he said he's hit, like, nine holding ones. I honestly, that's like Kim Jong-en. meal type stuff. Nine hole and one. He could play the guitar. He's a good musician.

How about his night before Christmas, which is legendary? Oh, yes. What was that? I don't know that. So it's a legendary thing that goes around from the guys back in Pittsburgh. And then when he came to Tennessee, he does, he used to for his grandmother who raised him. And I think, was it his mom as well?

I'm not 100 sure. All the women and family that were in around Christmas time, he did his own. version of the night before Christmas. That was his gift to them. And he memorized it, adds his own flare, and then he tells the night before Christmas. And he did it for us. I think we were in Jacksonville. Yeah. And you've heard about this legend for a long time. He tells a story like that. Yeah, it was the, he knows the whole night before Christmas. Do you have a photographic memory? He must have. Because it feels like between that and knowing all the play balls. He's incredible. I truly like, we, it was like just like just running joke on the team, especially on the defense that

Dick Leboe literally left the facility like on some Batman stuff he would just be saving the night like he was like a superhero at night time or something like no for it he was legit He's literally Lanny Lebo out Like he would like

Before practice Like every morning like he would jog around the facility Like jog around the practice And he'll do pushups I mean at this time's like in the 70s 70s And then as soon as he's done with the football field

He's gonna go try to get nine holes in For really Like that was him And his storytelling The capacity for him to remember stories That's what I'm saying To convey those stories in such a riveting way as players were sitting there just amazed just all.

Just tell us more. Even as young men, even as 23, 24-year-old young men, they're still a 70-year-old and you're still in. He's not. He's a, it's like stuff of legend. Like when he walks around, he just has a certain presence. And like you said, I was 23 at the time. And like I said, we'd be in the middle defensive meetings and we'll be talking about a certain play call. He said, I just remember this story.

And he would literally forget about the whole, we're like, we legit, forget about football. He'll just tell his whole meeting about, I mean, whole story about being. back in the 60s or 70s, and then we'll get back to football. But he was a legend, one of the best coaches. Is that a guy you liked playing for as a guy? Like, you would go hard for him? Oh, absolutely. Because I think he was so relational too.

Like, he was, I think he really truly cared about the players. Because I said, obviously, this guy invented fire zones. He invented, like, certain defenses. And it was the worst to go up against. He was the truth when it comes to, like, setting up, bliss is getting guys free. So the football stuff was easy. but I just think just like him as a person

and just the kind of like wisdom and knowledge that he had is a guy that truly wanted to play for. I mean, the guy didn't have a play call shit. I mean, it's incredible. Like, maybe he was an awesome guy. I have a niece and she's about to go to college and I tell her, hey, don't go to college near where you live right now because you want a whole new like list of experiences.

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Stream us on your phone. Listen now at iHeartRadio.ca. Now obviously you didn't go to college near where you came from. You came from Philadelphia. But did you want to go play pro ball right next door to where you play college ball? I don't know if that's necessarily what I wanted to do. It's a nicer neighborhood here. Yeah, for sure.

I mean, I joke that I could have kept my college apartment from Murphsboro and just drove back and forth. You thought about it too. It was like I definitely could have did that. But I don't know. I think it was, I think it was, like I said, it's a blessing. I think it was absolutely cool because especially being from a smaller school, I think my, like, my internal, like, fan base that I had built in college just transferred right to Nashville. So I think it almost made me like a household name before I really.

even did anything. I think that was awesome. But I will say I definitely liked being in Nashville over probably like a Miami, like any of these super bigger cities. Because obviously when I got drafted, I had been with my high school sweetheart. She moved in town with me. And I just felt like it was when I got when I got drafted in Nashville, like we had a great culture core of guys like say Matt was married.

We had like Brian a Ratpoly. We had a bunch of older vets that was doing her to write. way, showing us the right way. And I think that's really a reason why we were so successful because I feel like we were just all focused on ball. Guys were about family. We wasn't like, hey, Friday night, let's go out to the club and stay out until two in the morning. And then Saturday coming to Saturday, walk through, you know what I mean? It was really like a family culture vibe. And I think for me as a person, just my maturation, I think that was the best situation for me. I think it all worked out perfectly. I mean, you led the league in interceptions that second year,

which was amazing to think how quickly you came to the top of your position group. But then Mike Vrabel comes in, and you obviously are going to be playing for Mike again. Talk to me about what he brings to the table as a coach, as a teacher, and what inspired you to go to the New England Patriots. I remember obviously Brable was in Houston at the time, defense coordinator. And when they hired him, I was the immediate obviously. I was a fan of Vrable, you know, growing up, seeing him in New England, balling out pro bowls, Super Bowls and things like that.

So I'm thinking, okay, we got a proven guy, you know what I mean? So I didn't know, I didn't really think too much of it. I'm not like, okay, we'll see how it goes. Because Mike Malarkey, I think he was more laid back. The staff, we had, you know, obviously, Leboe, we had a fairly older staff. You know what I mean? So things were kind of laid back. And I never forget this.

Our first meeting, our first day of like practice, OTAs or whatever, we're kind of doing, like, jog through. running the ball, Derek Henry up the left side. And the first play, Vrable, ripped Taylor Nguyen. It was, like, said, normal jog through. And I think at the time, like, Taylor Wine, like, we didn't notice, but we kind of anticipated. But I was trying to get a new contract. It was the year he got his new contract. And I think he purposely just ripped into him to let everybody know.

Like, I don't care who you are because Taylor Wan was one of the best left tackles in the league, if not the best at the time, just ripped him. And I'm just like, oh, everybody kind of just sat up in the meeting. So this is how it's going to be. be, you know what I mean? So, but no, Vrable is obviously having the success that I've had with him over the years. He's one of the best coaches.

He's actually the best coach I've ever had. Reason being just how detailed he is, how intentional he is, but then also like how much relational he is with the players. I mean, man, obviously, you know Vrable, like, and he's like a player's coach. Like, he's a guy. He doesn't, like, he doesn't feel like he's above you or nothing like that.

Like, he literally gets, you know, your family. When you see him in the hallway, he's going to ask you how you're doing. But he's not just going to be like, hey, how you doing? Just keep moving. Like, he's going to ask you how you doing? How's your family? How's your children? Da-da-da-da-da. He's definitely one of the best coaches. And he has a big influence on me. I became an incredible, a lot smarter player just by being around him. Now, obviously, you could just be in his meetings. And he had a joke about this, too. I know he's going to say when we get up New England.

That I can basically run the meetings how he was going to run. Like he's going to be what I'm going to say. Da-da-da-da-da. And no, he's a, he's a phenomenal. guy, phenomenal coach. That feels like a rare dynamic of, because you describe him as a player's coach, but as hardcore as he has at the same time, because you hear about coaches and aren't players coaches, and they are on you. And then players coaches, for the most part, are like, you know, one of the dudes. It feels like Vrable has the best qualities of both. Yeah. That as a player's coach, because he relates, he played, he also cares, but he'll also like snatch a nod in you.

For sure. I mean, I think because he was, you know, they said he was like this in New England. You know what I mean? Like he would do all this stuff. Like he was, he was one of those guys. So he's going to be the same way as a coach. You know what I mean? Like he's,

he's going to be the loudest voice at practice. He's going to be talking all day, but he's going to get in the drills with you. He's not just going to take what you. He's going to, you know, everybody's seen the pro day stuff, putting the pads on and stuff like that.

He's incredible. He's an incredible teacher. But like you said, I think he's, he's going to be very intense during practice, but then off the field, like you said, he understands what a player,

his psyche, you know what I mean? He understands that guys want to take care of their family. He understands that guys want to go to Pro Bowls and things like that. He understands that some of the guys that are just trying to make the team. So he just understands everybody's situation because he's been in it. You know what I mean? So I think that gives you an automatic level of like certain credibility because you've been through this.

You've sat in the seats that I've sat at. So you're easily able to buy into what he's selling because like I say, he's been there. And I think he coaches with intentionality, right? Because there's coaches that get after you and rip you, but don't really coach. you know and you can take constructive criticism but just straight criticism attack a kid's character or a player's character get after them but when you do it with a purpose because you're showing them hey i got after you because i need you to do this x y and z now it makes sense to us as players and we can grasp that and want to play for somebody like that whereas if you just are dogging me

out for no reason and you constantly are grinding on me then it becomes this conflict and it usually doesn't work out really well. Not at all. I think you hit the head, you hit the nail on the head. I don't know if I said that right. You nailed it. You nailed it. You nailed it. With the nail on the head. No, 100%. You got them both at the same time. No, but I think as a coach, and I think the best coaches are like this. The best coaches connect with the players first. I think, because especially in, you can say this generation, whatever generation, a player, if I know that you care about me as a

person, then now you're able to kind of motivate me or inspire me or get on me in a certain way that if you're just all transactional, you know what I mean? You're just going to be ripping me. It's like, this guy don't care about me. He don't even know anything about my family. Like, man, forget him. I'm going to do it my way. Versus if a coach really knows and kind of understands a player, like, man, this guy may have some stuff going on at home or, you know, obviously he's motivating. He wants to be this type of player. If you're going to, if I can get to know you, let's say, for example, Matt Castle is trying to be a Pro Bowl, Hall of Fame quarterback. He's to be this, when I can push him to that level now.

But if you don't really get to know a player, understand what makes him tick or how he goes, the hockey, you don't really know him. You could you be ripped into a guy. Some guys don't respond well to that. You know what I mean? So I think that's one thing that he does a great job of. When you're making your decision on where to play next,

we can even talk about the Patriots, how important is the head coach? It's huge. I think for me, and I say every guy is in a different phase in their career. You know, when you're younger, you're probably just, you mean, high is bitter. I'm going to the highest better. trying to get paid.

For me, especially in this stage of my career, I'm going to year 11, which still sounds crazy to say. You're the old buck now. Yeah, I know. I've been, I've been unc OG for like the last three years, which is crazy. It happens overnight, too.

It happens fast, bro. No, it's, for me, I wanted to go to a contender, first and foremost. And, you know, I have, obviously, I've kept in contact with Brable over the years, ever since I left Tennessee, we've had a great relationship. So honestly, once I kind of understood

that, hey, Chicago, it might not work, out, honestly, it was really two teams. It was Chicago and New England. And obviously, I didn't know that. I'm not just saying to say, like, I already had variable on the other line or something like that. It was legit. You kind of did.

Or your agent did. Obviously, I had his contact my phone. But, no, I've been telling myself throughout the whole season, obviously, I wouldn't telling a lot of people. And I'm like, if it doesn't work out in Chicago, I would take less to go to New England just based on a relationship like I would variable. Obviously, I knew he's a hell of a ball coach. And I had new, I was telling guys like this before the season in Chicago, like, y'all watch New England.

And I'm not going to say they're going to go over to the Super Bowl, but he's going to turn it around quick, fast, in a hurry because I know what kind of coach he is. So that was kind of like already in my mind. Like if it's not Chicago, I want to go play for variable again. Talk about that season that you had last year with Chicago. What an incredible turnaround you guys had. And being a part of that, obviously, new coaching staff, you've got a lot of young talent on that team. But your leadership role really on that team, because it was pivotal. and it showed through in big games throughout the course of year. But talk about that season that you had because it was remarkable. Bro, it was so fun.

And I've said this before, but this was probably one of the most funnest seasons I've ever had playing football. Reason being, you know, playing in Tennessee, we had so much fun. We had so much camaraderie. We had so many great seasons. But Tennessee, I want to say the tightens is probably the out of 32 teams, the 29th or 28th smallest market in the NFL. Chicago is like number three. So this is my first time really plan and have a success in a big market.

I mean, you know, I was, I'm going to brag about it a little bit, but it was pretty crazy. I was top five in Pro Bowl votes this year. Like overall players, like, it was like, Caleb Williams, Pat Mahomes, Josh Allen, myself, and like Travis Kelsey. Like, come on. I'm a great player, but to be up there with those certain names was like, that lets you know, like, how much Chicago comes out for their fans and stuff like that. So it was so much fun. because the previous year, 2024, we didn't have a great year. We went five and 12.

We had a lot of games we were in, but it's like, you know how in NFL. It all comes down to like the last drive. And we lost so many one-score games because of those things. And it was just like, we lost 10 straight games. I've never lost 10 games straight in my life. I don't think I lost more than 10 games, but that was a crazy year. And so the next year, you know, Caleb's second year, they bring in Ben Johnson. We have the hardest training camp I've ever had in year of 10.

which was insane. But to see that, we started year out, oh and two. And then we rip off like seven straight wins or something like that. We had so much fun. It was the guys. It was the camaraderie. But just the success that we was having on defense, we're getting pigs, turnovers, all that good stuff.

But then the city, the way the city just like, it's always behind the team. And they had been telling me this when I first got to. They're like, listen, if you win here in Chicago, you're like, you don't have to pay for a meal ever again in this city. I mean, they still talk about 85 bears up there. Like, they're literally legends. Like, they don't have to pay for anything.

So it was just a fun time to be in a big city and to win like that and, you know, go to the playoffs. And it was fun. I mean, like, outside of 2021, the year we was number one seed here in Tennessee, that was most fun I've had playing football. It was awesome. Man, it's always cold, though, for you. Like, why are you playing in cold places? Like, that does not sound appealing. It's not.

I'm going to keep it real. Like, it was brutal this year. We played a game at home. against Cleveland. And I think the temperature before that game was probably like, it was somewhere around zero. I don't know if it was like negative one, one degrees.

It was around that number, but the wind chill was like negative 11. And no BS. Like I remember, because the hotel we stayed at, we had like, you got a ballet car or whatever. And but I don't know why.

They got her keys outside, like the little valet deal. My key was frozen. I couldn't open. Like, it took me like 30 minutes of staying there trying to open it. And I'm freezing. I'm trying to open my car. Um,

But my car key was frozen. It was so cold. Are you no sleeve guy in cold weather? I am. See, I don't understand that. They make all this technology now. But see, I think it's worse when you wear sleeve because now you start to sweat. Now your shirt is wet.

And now it's, I'm doubling up. But I guess you played high school ball and cold. I think it's a little different. You're not running around as a wetsuit underneath the long sleeve just because I don't know. I do the wet suit. I do the wet suit. Here's the difference in you two, though. Well, aside from athletic ability.

good looks, Ken. True statement. Is that you played high school ball and grew up in Southern California. True. Warm. You actually played in Pennsylvania. So I guess a little bit, your blood, I'm not saying anybody's blood's good for Chicago, but I'm

saying like you played in cold. It's not to you, it's not foreign. Yeah, but I also say this too, like, even if you live in, let's say you lived in Alaska your whole life or something, then you moved to Florida for two, three years, that's gone. Like, the whole Alaska deal is gone. Like, you've gotten completely adapted to the warm weather.

It's so funny because, you know, we try to talk about different teams like how the weather and the fed like. Guys in Florida and California hate cold weather games. They hate being in the cold. Chicago is one of the coldest cities I've ever played in. Obviously, Kansas City is freezing too. I know you played in Kansas City is super cold. But the wind in Chicago, too, it's nonstop. That's the biggest difference.

That's the biggest difference. Even in April. Like, I'll go to Cubs games. It would cut me. Yeah. That's not December. We got back there in April last year for like the start of all season. It was snowing.

the first day. I'm like, what is going on here? And it never leaves the ground. And I will say that Chicago is probably the best summer city in the country, one of the best, because of the fact that it could be 85, 90 degrees, but that breeze constantly feels so good. So like I said, I think, but the summer season is like two months, two and a half months. It's so small. But that, that win is serious because the winds blows every day all day, no matter where you at. It's crazy. How do you like the Bears uniform on you the first time? That's a pretty sweet It is cool. And it's legendary.

Yeah, that's all the same. It's very, yeah. It's very, yeah. Emblems. Now, you almost wish they had a little more variety because they're very like old school, like our equipment manager, T-Maz, my guy. They don't let you swag out anything. Nothing.

It's white pants, blue jerseys, you better have the stripes. You know, guys try to get around some of that stuff where like the socks, those stripes better be shown. And then like they had like, I think they got like a couple of throwbacks, but that's really it. And then away games is blue pants, white jerseys, strikes. About as traditional as you get. As traditional as get. Have you put on the Patriot uniform yet fully?

I have not. I have not. That's another cause of that. Yeah. I put on castle. Sweet. Yeah. I put on castles every Thursday.

And how big was. He'll let me borrow a sweaters too. Yeah, yeah. He just like switch out. That sounds hilarious. I have to see that picture. That sounds hilarious. Pride month, Toronto.

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Happy Pride. Iheart Radio. Let's talk about the mentality of your preparation, right? because you come in the league, obviously, you've got vets and stuff. But in terms of how you watch film and what you do mentally to prepare yourself week in and week out, and also how offenses have evolved since you came into the league, particularly with a lot of these quarterbacks. You see they're multifaceted, their dual threat.

But just talk to me about what goes into your week of preparation, how you approach each and every week. Yeah, so early in my career, I think I was kind of, I would say, a little bit ahead of the curve a little bit because in college, I watched a lot of film. Like I had, I had a routine. So, like, you know how the weeks are. Wednesday, first and second down, Thursday, third down, Friday, Red Zone.

So I kind of had that a little bit already in college. So that's kind of what I would do. Just watch the whatever cutups the coach is made. But still then when you're young, you don't really know what you're, you're just kind of just watching. And so at the time, I would just watch for, like, you know, if you're playing certain guys, like, it was a good tight, let's say Travis Kelsey.

I'm just watching Travis Kelsey, stuff like that. As I've gotten older now, I think I watch more for like the scheme. Like I want to know who's the coordinator. You know what I mean? Like, okay, who's the coordinator? Okay, now I kind of know how he wants to attack this defense based upon what we do. So I kind of just take it to that next level. So now I'm more anticipating, okay, these are probably the play calls.

They're going to run against us because we run this type of defense and stuff like that. So still routine as far as the days. I'm preparing for, you know, the next day previously, the night before watching those things. but now I'm more watching based upon scheme, the coaches, and obviously still studying the players, the personnel and things like that. But I kind of have more of a bigger pitcher mentality now just based upon the team that we could be playing or the coach. Because that makes a huge difference.

Like studying for like a Kyle Shanahan, and I say this to the day, he's the toughest coordinator or coach that you can prepare for because his scheme changes week to week. and they also give you so many different looks, motions, shifts. And I truly believe this, that Kyle Shanahan knows what your rules are on defense. So if my rules is watching too, and if he does this, does this, he's going to put you on conflict every single time. So you basically got to be perfect.

And if you're not, ooh, there goes the ball over your head. So, yeah, I'm kind of a big pitcher guy versus then just zoning in on this one guy, you know, like a cornerback. Right. If it's Jaylon Ramsey or whatever maybe he's probably going to watch this receiver, because I'm covering him all games. I'm kind of watching for the big picture of everything. And as the weeks goes on or the days goes on throughout the week, then maybe I can watch some small stuff like, hey, I'm looking at this office alarm right here.

His foot, if it's far back, it's probably past. If it's more squared, it's run. So it just depends on week to week. Is it formational alignment? And then how much of it is recognizing route combinations that you're like, okay, from this formation, they like to do this, or the run scheme is going to be wide zone. They're going to run the counter off that.

but it's formationally based? Is that how you're looking at a lot of these things? Yeah, a lot of it is formation-based. You know, but throughout the week also, you're going to have the coaches are going to have these different speeches and packages. I'm talking about, oh, the top three runs

are going to be this, top three paths, that a lot of first and take it down. First and the day and what's kind of is what it is. You kind of understand what personality they like to use, how do you like to use these guys? Like, for example, most teams are going to carry two or three tight-in to a game. One tight-in isn't going to block.

The other tightens going to be a blocker. So if they got both of those guys separate, If they're going to run the ball, they're probably going to run to this guy. They're not going to run to him. Like for Travis Kelsey, whatever, like, they're going to give Travis Kelsey out the way. They got another tight-in. He's the blocker. So, yeah, I kind of understand that.

Third down is when I'm really more focusing in on, okay, where they put in this one guy. First of all, he's getting all the third-down targets. Right. Let's find him every third down because more than like the ball's going to him. So I kind of watched that. But then also, a lot of scheme stuff. Like, for example, I had two interceptions this past year against the Raiders. Gino Smith. Earlier in the week, we knew on third downs,

they love running these 12 to 15 yard end breakers, digs. But it was primarily to Jacoby Myers, number 16. And they were getting these bunch formations every time. And so we put in specific defense, basically I was going to be kind of like the middle of field robber type deal. So obviously, you know, you get into practice reps. So when we get in the game, I see the formation.

And I see 16s in there. And I'm literally the whole time, okay, I can trust that I got a guy backside. is going to protect me. If I see 16, as soon as he stick his foot in the ground, I am gone. And I literally picked the ball. I literally almost overran the play. Like I had to spin around and catch the ball behind me because I had broke so fast.

But it was just off a film study, understand. Then they ran the same thing, like two drives after them. I caught an underinception. But yeah, so I think just being, you're a little older now, just being able to have the IQ anticipating stuff a lot more versus than when you're young, you're just kind of, I'm just going to run full speed everywhere around the field, try to go hit somebody and knock somebody out. now it's more, everything's more calculated

versus than just, you know, running around like a chicken with your hair cut off. You feel like most of your interceptions to your career have been pre-snap more so than during play? Like you know and you're going to be there or has it been mostly instinctual like during the play you make an adjustment? It's a mix.

I definitely say it was a mix of it because even this past year I had a couple of those, two or three of those, but then I have somewhere I just showed incredible range and just ran and got the ball. Like a quarterback was scrambling. and didn't see me backside through the ball because he thought he had his guy wide open.

I was able to chase the ball down. So it's definitely a good mix. I think obviously when you play safety, tips, overthrows, you know, you're going to make at least two or those. Yeah, got to get those. Got to get them. So you're going to get at least two or three of those a year. But you're still going to catch it.

Not all the safeties can catch it. That is true because most guys are going to drop to it. Most safeties will actually have like three or four interceptions every year if they didn't drop them all. But yeah, so it's kind of a mix of both, I would say. For sure. Is there, and both you guys can answer this question, a few years ago, and I've done it almost every year since, I will hire someone to pick apart what I'm doing, like on my national radio show,

like find my weaknesses. Like, I'm going to pay you to come and find my weaknesses. When I was, consider running for office, I hired two different people to go and investigate me. I had somebody that I hired that I told was me, and I hired somebody that didn't know was me to see if they would present two different scenarios to me. So I, like, try to beat myself so I can fix the holes. When you're talking about, you're breaking down tape, is there somebody in these staffs that are trying to beat their own team so they can report back what the other teams are doing? Hmm.

And if not, why not? You know, I think a lot of times you had the advanced scouting department and they put together schematically, hey, this is this coordinator, this is what they like to do. So they really kind of set the platform for or the foundation for what you're going to go into. And they start to give you an illustration. because from one week to the next, you've got to concentrate just on that team because every single week, especially if you're a game playing defense offense, you're trying to beat what they're doing. You can't just run the same fundamental plays.

Now, you might have like a certain scheme defensively, offensively, that works against every type of defense. Base packages of stuff. Right, but every team has wrinkles, blitzes, overloads. Some are three, four defenses, which means three defense alignment, four down, four linebackers. some people are four down. So it's constantly evolving.

You don't have enough time to jump ahead. But those guys in the advanced scouting department and some of the young staff members a lot of time are putting the pieces together as you're moving forward in the season. Especially when you get to a by week. Like a biweek, you do a lot of like self-scout on yourself and try to change up.

It's funny you say that because I think in the league, like, number one, you got enough people and so many people reporting on the game and like just Redifist's podcast, you got news shows, radio, especially big on radio, like when you were saying, like, you would hire somebody to kind of see what your weaknesses are to try to beat yourself. Like, you're going to have enough of that. Trust me.

Like, you know. They're all going to tell you you you got weaknesses. Yeah, like, when you have a good game, they're going to let you know even more. So I think we all kind of, I mean, for some, I mean, me, I'm a more realistic player. Like, I know what my weaknesses are. And so I think as a great player, they do the best to not hide your weaknesses, but you stray more towards your strengths. And you try to hide more your weakness. and that's what you work on in the offseason.

But then also, too, you know, obviously first day of the week was probably Wednesday. That morning, like, especially on defense, we would put out a whole personnel sheet, and the defense coordinator is going to go through a whole Scott report on everybody. They're going to say the strength of their team is the office of line. This left tackle, he's strong, he's fast, he may be a little light, so you can probably bull do-do-do-do the disreceiver. He doesn't really have great hands, but he's fast. So you're kind of kind of know the strengths and weaknesses of everybody. So based upon that, you know for a fact that they got a scound report on you as well.

Now, I'm not the guy that really wants to know my scound report like that during the season because it's a lot of egos involved. You kind of want to feel good about yourself. You don't want to be hearing how trash you are. You're in your team. You're getting a lot slower now. So you may need to do some sprints. But no, I think everybody has a true scound report. And we all did with especially going to the draft.

Everybody has a scound report. This guy's probably not going to run good. or he's a tweener. For me, it was like, oh, I don't know if this guys can tackle. This guy can tackle very well. I got to tackle now. I think I've got to tackle pretty okay. And I also think the best coordinators in our game recognize player strengths and weaknesses

and put you in the best position to be successful. The good ones. Because we've been around plenty of that has me to do something I probably shouldn't be doing. But at the same time, they are able to recognize your strength and weaknesses and design an offensive system around that or a defensive system. that fits what you do best and stick to that. And if they can do that consistently, then you're going to have more success, obviously,

then asking you to go outside your comfort zone. And then as a player, the evaluation's ongoing throughout the year. You're getting instantaneous feedback. I mean, you literally go in, watch the game with the team. You watch the game in position groups. And then you get, hey, your footwork was bad, boom, boom. So it's a lot of times, I would say, in the NFL more so, it's up to the player themselves.

If there's certain footwork that you need to get better out throughout a season, because they're not really coaching fundamentals during the middle of season. It's more scheme. More scheme. That you've got to spend extra time on your own after practice or before practice, hone in on those skills, but you only have such a finite period of time to work on those. And that's why off-season is such a pivotal time for all of us.

I think if I'm a coach, I'm hiring a staff just to predict what the other staff is predicting about me. Like I'm going full. What's the movie, the dream with DiCaprio? Is that inception? Inception. Inception. Inception. I want that coaching staff to predict what the other coaching staff is going to predict about us.

So then I can stay. Anyway. Well, nowadays, everybody has like, they're hiring all the analytics. Right. Before, I think it was, like, kind of a pushback. Like, the old school coach is like, I don't believe in analytics. Like, if it's fourth down, we're putting the ball no matter what. But now, you see now, like, I mean, fourth down is best just an extra down.

I mean, four from three, you go for. You know what I mean? That's how Ben was. Pride Month, Toronto. Pride is an opportunity for you to create your own space, to celebrate your existence. Iheart Radio is proud to be an official sponsor of Pride Toronto Festival, and we won't stop. Celebrate Pride. Turn up the love and listen to IHeart Pride Canada.

Your 24-7 radio stream and the only playlist you need for your Toronto Pride celebrations. Pride is so great because it gives a whole bunch of people this visibility that they've never had before. We have a ton to celebrate Toronto. Happy Pride. I heart radio. How do you stay healthy? Like, what's your? I mean, you ain't missed a game since like 61.

You and you and Leboe were playing together. Seriously. No, man. 164 straight. Is that what it is now? 164 is. Do you know that number? Like, is that number that sticks out of your head?

164 consecutive games. I will say in the back of my mind, though, now that I kind of have this street going, like you want to keep it going. So it's like, it's not necessarily. oh, please don't get hurt, don't get hurt. But when you have certain Knicks and Brewers, like I'm getting back out there. And I was always like that.

But no, man, I don't, a lot of it is God. I've been blessed, you know, knock on wood and all that stuff. But I think a lot of it's preparation, how I train the off season. Certain guys have different ways how they train. Some dudes don't do anything until they report back in April. Some guys go almost 12 months. So I think for me it's kind of how I phase out my training. I do a lot of running.

and I think that's where I don't have any like soft-titch injure because I'm always running. I'm always conditioned. And then it's a lot of the, you know, the recovery stuff throughout the season, throughout the off-season as well, Pilates, just a bunch of different stuff that kind of, I think, aids me in my recovery and allowed me to continue to be able to play, you know, at a high level. But like I said, a lot of it is just been, you know, being blessed.

You know what I mean? Like, you know, some people have freak injuries, you know, where I had a guy, T.J. Edwards, the linebacker, who was a routine linebacker played tickets drop, and somebody clipped him in the back of his leg and broke his leg. It was just like super random. It wasn't like nothing that he did. So I just been blessed in that aspect. So hopefully I can keep that street going. We're talking about massage. Like, so many advancements has happened in terms of recovery. Like, what's your go-to weekly routine in terms of recovery? Yeah, how much money you spent on your body? Yeah. Are you Derek Henry style? Like,

I don't know. I don't think so. Derek spent a lot of money as. But I'm up there, though. I will say I'm up there. So when I was younger, it would literally just be massages. I hated cold. I never did cold tubs. I probably didn't start doing my first cold tub in the lead to like year five, year six. No way.

Seriously? I could not get in that cold tub. I was the B word. I was scared. But no, so now it's like in Chicago, they had a great facility. Like they had so much stuff. So I actually added more. So like, for example, on the, let's say,

games Sunday. I'm a big massage on Monday. I used to be a Tuesday because they're off day, but I've noticed that I'm like a second day soaring this guy. So I'm a lot more so. That's because a tornado wore off. Well, I'm not even a tortoise which is funny, but it's weird

because most guys would tell you in the lead that they're more sore. Two days after a game versus the day after because maybe still adrenaline, vitamin T, if you're on the vitamin T, whatever, painkillers. So I get my recovery immediately on Monday. So Monday, I go to facility. I'm a

red light guy. So I got into the red light therapy. 15 minutes in the red light therapy. I had the panels. We didn't have like the tanning bed in Chicago. We got the bed at the house. You got to bed at the house. I honestly, I was literally just on Google, just researching some. I was actually one about this house. Yeah, we're doing like seven houses away. As long as you don't charge me. I might have to babysit a little bit. Yeah. Any in front of the castle. Get my kid in the school. You guys school in a few years? Well, yeah, you can use it all you want. A hundred percent. So I do red light first thing in the morning. Lead the red light. getting the hot tub about another 10 minutes to warm up. So then I'm doing the water treadmill. Oh, yeah. So I do just like not sprints, but like, you know, high knees, different stuff like that to kind of flush the body in the treadmill. And then obviously, if I have anything like it was injured during the game, then I'm in the training room getting treatment on that.

So then after that, I'm not, depending on if we had a victory Monday or not, obviously you got to do the workout on a Monday. So do a workout on Monday after a workout, big sauna cold plunge guy. So my deal is I do 15 minutes in a sauna, four minutes in the cold. I'm like all the way down to almost chest down. And I'll probably do two rounds of that. If I'm feeling really good or if I had, like we had a really good game and I had some pretty good food, you know, after the game, then I'm probably doing three rounds if I need to. So then that's probably Monday.

Then go home, spend time with the family, massage that night. Tuesday, fairly basically the same thing outside of probably a workout. I'm probably going to do red light. Sana again, the water treadmill. This is like a 10-year-old question, but is it still fun on game day? That's the funnest part about football.

I would say, you know, as you get older, the hardest part is the process. That's where, I think that's where guys start to have those thoughts and those thoughts, like how long I still want to do this. You know what I mean? The training camps, even the off-season program, early off the spring.

Like, you know, even, you know, I'm going through with my family now, like having to, you know, go up to New England in April and have to fly back and forth. Like that's where it becomes tougher and tougher, especially you have families and children, the training camp, the soreness, the two-day soreness, all the, because it's not just physical, but it's mental too. Like, I'm a big routine guy. No, Matt.

People that play in the lead, they're so routine-based and they're so used to that. But it takes a lot of mental strain to be able to have all these appointments and practitioners. all lined up and doing the same thing over and over again. It becomes tougher and it's harder as you age because it's like, man, like, you know, especially, you know, make a little, make some dollars, you know what I mean? Like, you kind of get complacent a little bit. For me, and I always tell guys, like, you had to have a purpose bigger than just, I want to just be rich.

And once you're rich, it's like, okay, what's next? Like, your purpose has to be bigger. It has to be a legacy. You want to go to the Hall of Fame. You want to create generation, whatever may be. It has to be something bigger because as you get older, it gets tougher and tougher. But game days, I mean, everybody loves game days. Because, I mean, you tell the coaches leave you alone a little bit more on game day,

you kind of just focus on yourself. You get your little ton of walks, get your drip going. You know what I mean? You just feel good, the fans. Like, that's the most. Like I said in Chicago this past year was incredible. I mean, those fans, they sell out every game. Yeah.

Like, they sell out every game. Like, those playoff games, that won against the Rams that we played, the one of the most incredible experiences I've had. Crazy. We beat Green Bay in the playoffs. Yeah. DJ Moore got a walk-off touchdown. That was insane.

It was a movie. Like, legit. I remember the ball going up in the air. Like, I was sitting on the bench. It was like slow motion. Like you slid up, like, just watched the ball and he caught it. It was insane. Like Caleb's running backward.

That was, there was the Rams. Yeah, it was incredible. So, like, those type of things will never get old. The locker room never gets old. It's just all the stuff in between. It is difficult to stay motivated. The older you get, just because, like you said, you've got life going on. You got kids.

You're doing all these things. And there is, that's, that's, That's the fight is the complacency, right? Of how do I get my mind right to know that I'm going to about to leave my family behind, go here, be separated for them for a little while, but you got all the other stuff. What's it like at this juncture in your career, right? You're going into year, what, 11? Yeah.

Going into year 11, but you're also a new guy on the team, right? How do you build relationships in that locker room and how quickly do you get adapted to it? And obviously you come in with a reputation, right? And you've been playing for a long time, a guy that has a tremendous leader, been a captain on a lot of teams that you've played on. But what's that like going into a new locker room and kind of adapting to that new environment? No, it's different. I've done it the past.

You know, obviously I got traded 2023 to Philly. So I was in a new locker room then and obviously going to Chicago. It's another experience for me. I think the good thing about this experience that I have, have a lot of familiarity in the building. My old safety coach in Tennessee, he's the secondary coach there in New England. So I obviously knowing Braves, the team chaplain that was in Tennessee, he's there. So I got a lot of mentors.

I got a lot of people in that building. But for the locker room, I think it's just, for me it's easy. You know what I mean? Because obviously, you know, even though I'm unc, you know what I mean? I'm still one of the guys. I'm still playing at a high level. And then, like you said, coming in with that credibility already, I think I'm easy going to be able to connect with the team.

So I don't necessarily look at that as a big deal. But like you said, as you get older, like, you know, I don't know if I'm going to continue to want to do this. You know what I mean? Keep going to new places dealing with the politics and NFL and stuff like that. So for me, you know, I hope and pray that obviously, you know, this stop in New England is the one where I get the Super Bowl. And then, you know, obviously we'll see. You know, I've said this last year, past couple years in Chicago. But every year for me at this point is a year-to-year league.

You know what I mean? It's a year to year. I put everything as possible preparation into this one year. And then we'll see what happens at the end of the season. season. But, no, I mean, I think the familiarity with Braves and everybody up there is going to make this transition a lot easier than, you know, the previous couple years. You guys got some dogs back there in that defensive background. We do. Seeing Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones. I'm excited. I mean, you guys are going to have a great

group. Final question. You're here in Nashville. This is home now, right? Yeah. Same with Castle. Like, neither one of you guys actually grew up here. You did play college here. It's got to be hard to live like during season in Chicago or Philly for a year when you get traded or now New England. But why here in Nashville is home? And then how hard is it to be gone? Does your family go up with you a lot? Like what's that like? Yeah. So the past couple years in Chicago, the family has moved up. So we'll do half and half. So obviously, you know, our kids' schools, been gracious enough, you know, where they're allowed was to, hey, you go up to Chicago for a half a year. But then second semester, they come back. So, but it's a little, but it's, but it's a lot. It's

It gets tougher and tougher, I will say that, especially if the kids get a little older. It's different when they're like just the preschool stuff like that. It's like, not pulling up for friends. Now you're on. You know, you kind of like just glorify a daycare in a way, but they just learn the ABCs a little bit more. But how to go to the restroom without help. Exactly. But, you know, my daughter's six now.

My son's five. And I have a two-year-old as well. So, you know, as they kind of get, you know, really get into their friend groups and the sports and stuff. Like, it gets tougher. we're probably going to do the same thing this year in New England. But the logistics of it, you know what I mean? So, for example, in Chicago, we just ran to run the house. Luckily, the guy we rented from, the house came fully furnished.

So we didn't have to buy any new furniture. Yes, it was fully furnished. So that part was a little bit easier. But, you know, just, you know, you get into the season. And then, you know, my wife, she has stuff going on here. And we got to pick up and move everything up there. It's tough. And it's funny because I was having this talk with a,

with my guy DeMario Davis just the other day because he's you know he has a big family as well kind of do the same thing and we're just talking like how you know the way we talk about it's like like it's nothing you know I mean we're so used to this lifestyle but when you know you talk to other people it's like bro how do you deal with that it seems so tough and it is tough but you know I guess we make the hard look easy whatever um but yeah just the moving parts of it is it's tougher and so for example the first time I ever had you know I got traded to Philadelphia and I've told the story before, but my wife had, we literally just had our son. He was born very premature. He was born at five and a half months. He was literally just born. So we just played a game in Indianapolis.

We lost to Indianapolis. Remember, we got home from on a flight. This was still like Sunday night because it's a whole story. I don't know if we got enough time to get into it, but he was born that night. She had an emergency C-section. And he had spent how many months? He's basically from, this was October. He was in the NICU until February. Wow. So I spent the whole, so after he was born, a week later,

well, a couple of days later, actually, we had a London game. So I left. He was born two or three days later. We had to go to London for basically two or three days. Lost to Baltimore. Next week, I'm traded to Philadelphia. So my son's in the NICU.

We're having deal with all this stuff from my son. And I'm up in Philadelphia. by myself basically, miserable. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I want to be home my family. And I'm talking to Sierra Ana. He was like, man, if you want to fly home on after a game and be there to Wednesday, like I'm completely fine with that.

It was so tough. So, like, dealing with all that stuff, that, you know, that's kind of like the unspoken part of football. Because in the football world, people that cover the game, they don't really know that stuff. They just care about, hey, are you producing or not? But just that part of just having to move around, it becomes tougher. So, yeah, it's not easy.

That's hard that people don't see, right? There's a lot of stuff, yeah. I remember that situation coming up. But, I mean, you're trying to be the father and all these things, but also the provider. And you know that this is your job and it's an opportunity. But at the same time, there's two different hats that you constantly are wearing that everybody else doesn't see. It is everybody as a fan just sees this performance-based individual. It's whether you have success or not.

But they don't realize any of the stuff on the background that's going on. that's real life stuff that players deal with. And we really appreciate you coming by. I mean, it's been awesome. No, absolutely, man. Thank you, Kevin's one of the special people you'll meet. He's incredible in every way. So I appreciate you guys.

Well, I haven't. I haven't been. Every way is a little bit. Every way, there may be some ghosts or skeletons in the closet. When do you go up? Like, when do you go up now? So we report on the 20th of April. Oh, coming up?

Yeah, like two weeks. Yeah, two weeks. Yeah, two weeks. But I'll be back on the weekends. Super Bowl? No, I think that's majority of most teams, yeah. Because some teams started this week. The guys that got new head coaches, they started

either yesterday or today. So, yeah, I mean, like you said, you get older. That date comes faster and faster. It's like, man, off-season just started. We appreciate you. I hope you have a great season. Yeah, there he is. The great, Kevin Byer. Thank you. Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle

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