The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour Tua: The Tua Tagovailoa Interview

Episode Date: August 19, 2024

Before we get to our exclusive interview with Tua Tagovailoa, there are a couple of important things we need to get to first: Why is Stugotz driving a different car every week? And why is Roy Bellamy limping around our offices today? Then, it's Tua Tagovailoa like you've never heard him before as he sits down with Dan, Stugotz, and Chris for an extended interview at Miami Dolphins camp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Smirnoff Company, New York, New York. Please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age. This is the Don Leventor Show with the StuGuts Podcast. It would not appear, StuGuts, that my assessment was wrong on the Tuah thing because I'm getting a lot of texts already just with the one clip that we put out there from a lot of people in the industry that are surprised to hear Tuah taking out Flores the way that he did. We will play the entirety of that interview at the end of this. He was that kind of open throughout it.

I don't think, he didn't take anybody else out, but I will say that he's simply speaking with a confidence that we have not heard from him publicly before. Don't say that he doesn't take anyone out. Just say, guys, you cannot believe what else he said and who he took out. Who else he took out.

Exactly, right. That's how you sell it. What are they saying about his teeth? So far that controversy has not gotten off the ground, but I would like more information about Stugatz and Chris because one of my favorite parts of the two interview was him about four minutes in asking why are these other two guys here?

Are they gonna say anything? He asked that? Yes. He did, he turned to Chris and Stugatz and are like, are they just here decoratively or are they gonna ask me anything? Yeah, me, I'm here to be a decorator. Was the answer?

You're a decorator. Was the answer. Did you ask something, Chris? I think, no, Dan was just like, yeah, they're gonna jump in. No, I think I responded by saying something about him not remembering Dan in the interview we did at Super Bowl Radio Road.

Spoiler alert, that's one of the best parts of the interview. Why'd you bring that up? Stugatz was sitting there hoping to be noticed by Tua drinking from his cup that had his name on it. He spent there four minutes just sort of trying to be seen, noticed by Tua. I wanted to get to a couple of things here

that are genuine curiosities for me today. Do you guys have an answer to the question? Before we get Stugatz's explanation, which might be a simple one, you guys have noticed that Stugatz seems to drive here in a different car every week? Yes. Got a clunker this week.

What is, before we get to the real answer on this. This hasn't been like a recent thing either. This has been several years long, Dan, dating back to like the Miami Garden studios. Sugots gets courtesy vehicles because his main car is always in the shop like no one I've ever seen before in my entire life. I don't know the answer to the question I'm asking.

I always assume it's just because the authorities are closing in. I think I know the answer answer because every time he tells me How my daughter's in town? Yes, I think he has two cars and then every time one of his daughters is in town He somehow scams a dealer to give him a courtesy vehicle. No, I'm actually having another car. I don't scam anyone I had you know, we have two cars and my daughters they have not taken their cars to school yet So we just have two cars So when my daughters are home and they're both home right now at summertime one goes back to school next week

We rent a car. That's what we do. It's just a rental car. That's it. I'm not scamming anyone What is not taking their cars to school have to do with anything if anything you'd have a surplus of so so the two cars Are here now those two cars are here? Okay, we use those two cars and when they take them up to school we'll have to purchase new cars but for now we're renting when they come home you know i don't understand i don't understand i don't have four cars flat tires cars that we have at home right now one is rachel's she'll take that up to school one is emma's so you don't have any cars i don't own a car no that's what it is. Yeah. Yes. Okay Why wouldn't you lead with that? I mean technically I own two cars

But they're Rachel and Emma's and so me and Abby do not own cars, but we're getting around to it I don't think you are well buy them when we have to you're halfway through your daughter's college career And they still haven't taken their cars what's gonna change now so Rachel will take hers up this year There was no need for her to have a car. Rachel will take hers up this year, Emma will not, because Emma is spending half the year abroad. She is going somewhere to study. Exciting.

Why wouldn't you lead with, I don't have a car? Yeah, it's a fair point, but Dan was asking, I was just explaining it's a rental car. I wasn't scamming anyone. It's weird though that every week it's a different car and it's many different weeks. Sometimes it's a big car, sometimes it's a small car, but it's never a car that I identify as Stugatz's car.

That's the part we haven't gotten to yet is who's car are you driving today? Today's a rental car. Well how long do you rent it for? I mean we rent it until they go back. But what are they doing between the hours of let's say seven a.m. and you know two p.m. when you get home that they that you can't use the car? They're doing stuff. I don't know they need a car. I mean they're out training, you know shopping, spending my money, doing things that you know,

smoking weed. I mean I don't know what they're doing. This car is a downgrade though. The one that's presently here looks like you rented a cheaper version of the car that you usually rent. There's nothing wrong with a Toyota Corolla. I got it on purpose. What I said was, give me a smoking car. Because what happened is- I knew it. You rent these cars.

I don't believe that's a thing you can ask for. No, you can. You rent these cars, right? And they're fresh and they're new, and there's a sign that says no smoking. And then I got busted because I had a cigarette one. And it was $450. And Abby was so mad at me. So now when I got busted because I had a cigarette one, and it was $450. Oh yeah. And Abby was so mad at me.

So now when I walk in, I just say, hey, give me a clunker 60,000 miles that has white stains all over the window. I mean, that's what I want because that means I could smoke in it. Yeah. I don't- That's the tell for smokers. It has the white stuff on it. I don't understand your economic knowledge in that, like, you're constantly renting cars at a rate that would cost more than just leasing a car

That's fair. I mean we thought about that. What is the white stuff? That it's like the ashes you hold the cigarette window the ashes go against the you know Have you ever seen at the airport when they have those little leprosy cages for the smokers? Oh, yeah How those how those windows get a bunch of colors on them, that's what it is. I know it's smart when I go by those rooms. I have a feeling of superiority that I never had,

because I'm not superior to anybody. As you're wheezing, coughing. I know, but when I go by the smoking room. There's people in that room who are in better shape than you are. I know they are, but they're still pathetic. They're all in their... I know, it feels pathetic, I can tell you.

If you go into one of those smoking rooms, they're on their. I know, it feels pathetic, I can tell you. Yeah, it does. If you go into one of those smoking rooms, right, like a lot of them are like outdoor rooms, right, so like you walk in and it's like, it's open air, right? If you go into, yeah, some of them are. If you go into that, you're still technically in the airport but you're outside, so like, if I were to land in Denver, for example, right, and then I step outside, inside,

into the smoking room, but I have a connecting flight where I don't actually leave the Denver airport. Can I say I've been in Denver? That's true. I have seen in Miami's international airport, one of the worst airports in the history of flight in aviation history, what I believe to be is a bar that has an open air space above TGI Fridays.

It's still there, Dana. So that some of the smoke gets out and the windows are slightly less white with whatever cancerous gig. It's no Nathan's, but I mean. Yeah, it's foul. Put it on the poll please, Juju at LeBataar Show. Do you feel an air of superiority when you walk past the Smoker's Lounge in the airport?

But why you're coughing, I mean. Eh, you know. Well, how long you read this car for, you guys? I would, airports should have eating rooms, you know, where you walk by and there's- They're called restaurants. No, no, I'm talking about a dedicated eating room that'd be akin to the smoking room.

Some nice tables. Where it's a bunch of, like, quite frankly, corpulent people. Yes. Comfy chairs. Stuffing their face. That's good advice. Get restaurants. I like that. Yeah, I mean eating rooms. You know because one thing you hate, I hate people eating when they shouldn't be eating. You know like you're in a supermarket. People are eating grapes as they're walking through the store, cheating the market. Put it on the poll Juju at Lebatard show. Do you eat some grapes as you're walking

through the supermarket? No, but in the airport now, you get a bag of food, you come back to your seat, you're waiting in the area, the gated area, and you take out the food, it's a Burger King chicken sandwich, and you open the wrapping up in the seat right next to you, you're taking up someone else's seat. It's inefficient.

An eating room would be great for everyone. Everyone wins. I don't want to see anybody else eat. Even in a restaurant, who looks at other people eating? Right. It's tasteful to see other people eat. It's called the food court eating area. They have these guys. We're surrounding all the restaurants. I'm not sure. No privacy. Greg, would you like one of those in the dark dining experiences? How dark is it? No, they turn out the lights completely. You're just there, you go on a date or whatever, and then it's pitch black,

and then you're just eating in the dark. I'll tell you one thing, I don't need light. I know where my mouth is. I don't need a light, I don't need a map. You know, I know how to eat. I can eat with my eyes closed. I mean, come on now. Roy, why did you come in limping today?

40 years old, Dan, and I've fallen off on the whole exercise thing, so yes, I am actually 40. When that happened? You turned 40? Happy birthday, Roy. We should have celebrated this. Big 4L. When did that happen?

Happy birthday to him. I don't care! Good luck! I didn't realize it was the big 4L, though. Yeah. Right. Yeah, and I've fallen off on the old exercise routine, so Anita and I have decided that it's time for me

to get healthy. And last week... Anita decided. I like how you put it. Anita and I decided that I need to stop gambling so much. At the poker tables. I have to stop going to the poker tables as much, and that was a collective decision by Anita and I.

Mm-hmm, exactly. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Anita like a big runner? Like, doesn't she do like marathons and such? Yes, yes she is, and that's how we got started on the whole exercise thing. We ended up running. You're fun.

Yeah, yeah. How far did you run? Yes. We were supposed to run two miles, I probably ran two blocks. In the NFL, there is no margin for error. One mistake can change the outcome of a game. Science proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time, recovery time, and overall athletic performance. As the official Sleep Wellness Partner of the NFL, Sleep Number's mission is to provide

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Hire professionals like a professional on LinkedIn. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash prep. That's LinkedIn.com slash prep. Post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Don Lebatard. All right, we got to go back out there. That was big. Wake him up.

Uh oh. He doesn't want to be bothered anymore. Now it's getting tense because he didn't need that as a result. He needs something that happens. You can see that mother f***ing. Can we bother? Are we bothering you right now? Turn on your microphone, Greg.

My microphone's on. Stugats. Paint the scene. The paint the scene is I gotta go to work. Good night. This is the Don LeVatar Show with the Stugats. I'm getting bashed right now because I gotta come and do this

and guys, guys routines are getting messed up. Coming in and hitting the simulator. We are doing these interviews in their golf. They're mad because we're occupying their golf space. Yes, during the break. Yeah, before we're here with Tua Tonga Wailoa. And I wanted to start with you by apologizing to you because I botched our last interview from the Super Bowl.

So I wanted to start there. Oh, you're good. What do you mean you botched it? Oh, I was just asking you one too many concussion questions. It was right after that all stuff. You were sitting next to me and Billy, we were at Radio Row with you, he made it uncomfortable, he stopped talking, we started talking, and the interview got back. Oh, I appreciate the apology. I don't remember that. Okay, well good.

I appreciate that. Does it? I feel better. He doesn't remember Dan though. I mean, I don't remember that you guys did that. You look great. Now that could go both ways. I don't remember.

All right. That could go both ways. So I don't know. I was genuinely worried about you though at the time, as I imagine a lot of people, not just in South Florida all over were, but I won't drown this interview in that. You seem in interviews that I've seen, because you and I, right when you came out of the league, we did something, we did a long form interview.

You're one of that? No. Dude, I mean, it's sad that's so long ago. I'm like, God. It was on stage. It was at the Super Bowl, but you seem like a different human being from then. You were coming out of college and you've just grown with whatever the trials and tribulations

of the last few years have been. It's been nice to watch your growth publicly into somebody who seems vocally more confident than he was then, because you were just a college kid. You were just coming out of college. Yeah. And it was different, for sure. That was two kids ago, that was a wife ago, like all of that. And then you take into consideration, like all the things that, for me personally,

that I've had to go through the first couple years with the coaching staff then, and then now with the coaching staff that we have, I mean, it's just been a whirlwind, and there's been a lot of growth from year two and then going on to year five now, in that sense. I've never seen an athlete like you in South Florida in terms of being polarizing

when I don't understand why you're polarizing. Oh, I don't understand why, but it's kind of fun. It's kind of fun, it's funny. Wait, you enjoy that? Oh, it's funny because I can't control any of that, but the cool thing about it is, like you're being talked about, whether it's good or bad, that's hilarious.

I said this. That's hilarious. Like, whether it's good or bad, I mean, I don't care whether you have something good or something bad. That, you know, everyone's entitled to their own opinion about someone and I mean, I just don't understand too myself

why it's so polarizing. Like, okay, if he can't do this, we say he can't do this, then he does it. Okay, wait, what is something else we gotta, okay, yeah, no, he can't do that, but he sucks at that. No, but he actually did that. No, but no, wait, wait, wait.

Fuck something. No, wait, wait. Dude, but he actually did that. No, but no, wait, wait, wait. No, wait, wait. Dude, but remember two years ago, dude, he... So I think it's funny. I have to apologize, I'm the master of doing that. So I've done it to you probably, so I'm sorry too. But that's okay, cause that's essentially what analysts or that's what the job asks of you guys to do, right?

So does it bother me? No, because I'm not on TikTok, I'm not on Vine, I'm on YouTube Shorts, so if I run through one of those, yeah, I mean, I'll see it, but I'm not on Instagram. I don't run my Instagram account, my Twitter account, like I don't run any of that, so I'm not on it to see it. Yeah, but it makes life easier, right? You don't have to deal with that.

Yeah, no, for sure,. But I think I don't know I just think a lot of people get caught up in in in that that world and It it just takes takes a lot out of people I've seen it firsthand not just for myself because it has taken it taking a lot out of me For myself because I've had Instagram and whatnot would be on it like in college and whatnot then when I came into the league that was sort of the for myself, because I've had Instagram and whatnot would be on it like in college and whatnot. Then when I came into the league, that was sort of the change for me where it's like,

whoa, this is a different world, dude. And if I continue to like live in the world of, okay, what these people are saying about me and then I get in my own head about that and I try to go out and prove to them like, no, I can, I can, I can. Well, that's not how this game works. Like, I don't think that's how life works, right?

Like, who you are is who you are and how you go about things, that's just what makes you you. And so you start to change for what other people want you to do. I mean, it just messes everything up for you just daily. Because then you go to sleep and you lay your head down at night knowing that's not you. That's just not me. So I would say there's been growth a lot there and it's really been the past what, four and a half,

five years, you know, with social media and whatnot. The heat of the position though, the growth that you've had over the last couple of years of your strength, you are stronger. You're obviously someone who has the backing of an organization and a coaching staff. The person I met three or four years ago wasn't this forceful about go bleep yourself. I don't care what any of you think about anything.

Yeah. Well, I don't think he was mature at the point yet. Now, would I go and tell that kid anything indifferent, to think that I would be in this position? Like, no, I would tell him like, dude, whatever you're doing, go through it. You gotta go through that in order to get to where you're at now. That's just life, right?

You continue to learn, you continue to take the mistakes with the success and how you are from that, like that's just what it is. Like, you know, you live with that. The mistakes, you live with that. Like that's just life. I think once you start to have the perspective

of it's not as bad as it seems and it's never as good as it seems, I think then you can start to really find out the quality of, OK, that was a really good mistake. Whereas, OK, last time, like if there were any other time I made that mistake, I would have been so into my like into my head like I couldn't get out. And now I'm so worried about that. I can't even focus on the next plays.

I can't even focus on the next plays, I can't even focus on the next drives. So, kind of taking that mentality of perspective, you know. Where and how did that get learned though? That had to be hard with a coach before that perhaps didn't believe in you the way that this one does. But I think that's where you get that opportunity to really understand the difference, right? You have someone that doesn't believe in you and you see how you are. Then you have someone that does believe in you and then you can see the growth there. Like, I understand how I was a couple years ago, even last year. Like, I'm not the same person I was last year.

Next year I won't be the same person I am because you're ever growing, you're ever evolving and if not then you sort of speculate on if there's anything more to life than just that because if you're not growing you're getting worse or it's obviously going in the opposite direction. You're not allowed to be stagnant at your position in this job. I've wondered this for a while. With Tariq Hill and Jalen Waddell, if let's say you're like, you know, right before halftime. Yeah. Waddell's got like seven catches and Tariq only has one.

Does Tariq start getting in your ear about, hey, he's got never? Nope. How about Waddell? Nope. Really? What about River? Probably. Yeah. Nope. Really? What about River? Probably. No, I think we've all established a good enough relationship to really know, like, okay,

like last year, we were in a way really trying to help get to that 2,000 yard mark. I mean, it wasn't like we were trying to hide that, right? That was pretty obvious, trying to feed them the ball and whatnot. We all have a good enough relationship off the field to where Jalen can come up to me at any point, even in the games and whatnot, and tell me like, bro, I'm not messing with this. I need some shine too, you know? And I can go up to Mike and say, hey,

like we need some more plays for X, you know, in this drive or throughout this game. And we, like, Reek would be cool with that. Well, the cool thing about it was like, Jaylen knew like we were trying to do that for Reek. And he wasn't really like, he was like, dude, I'm just here to support like whatever I can do. Like if I get the ball,

I'm making the best out of that opportunity and whatnot. So like those guys, I mean, they make it easy, but they are tough. That doesn't mean they're easy, you know, to have conversations with, because they are unique in their own sense of personalities as well. Were you getting any access to what everybody was saying about your value this off season?

What was the contract negotiation for you like? Were you able to separate yourself and say this is business or were you at some point saying I should be valued by these people at X amount. Well, it was tough for me because for me, who you are as a person, regardless of its business, if it's not business, that's how you are every time, right? You can't go from being the nicest person to being an asshole like when it comes to business. Like to me, you're either a really nice person

a good amount of times and you know how to talk to people or you're an asshole that's trying to pretend to be a nice person. Like there's just no personality of being nice and then being an asshole and then being an asshole and then trying to be nice. I just think who you are, like if you're gonna be an asshole, okay noted, like that's normally who you are. Like if you're gonna be an asshole. Okay noted like that's normally who

who you are like essentially. Yeah don't don't get me wrong can nice people you know get get going. Sure but within business you got to know how to talk to people. You got to know how how emotional intelligence works. You got to know all of that. You got to know how to deal with people, how to maneuver through things and do it the right way. For me, it would have been hard for me to have been involved a lot within the process of that because I didn't want any of what they had to say to be told to me and my guys what they had to say to them. So it was like, hey I'm out of this. You guys go in there hey, I'm out of this. You guys go in there, you guys go talk about this.

Let me know when this thing is done. It was long for sure. It was long, but it's not like you're saying, hey, can we get two dollars here? Like no, it's a million dollars is a lot, let alone how much I just got paid. So, you know, that's why I think it took long. It's not as easy as saying like,

hey yeah, can you just send me $5 through Venmo? Did you ever think it was not gonna get done? I didn't not think that it was. Yeah, cause I've had a good amount of conversations with Steve and Ross about it. That'll do it. Yeah. Is there anything that you'll still go cheap on?

Cheap on? You know, like, you know, still going BOGO at Publix, like, you know, now that the new deal. Oh, no, brother. I'm the same, brother. Yeah? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I don't see why you would go shopping

anywhere else, you know? The BOGO is strong. When I see BOGO, it's like, I'll take three of these. But you're not looking for discounts or anything like that. Oh, I'm still working too. Come on. Give me an example of you still being... That's a great coupon.

Dude, you're going on like what, DoorDash or something? Like, dude, give me the 50% off. Oh, you don't do the 2.99 for the quick? Like, dude, go to Uber. Or $300 million. Dude. Or the marketplace, like you just, okay, I don't know. Oh, buy one, get one free. Okay, you get that. Like, dude, I mean.

I don't like it when it's like, buy seven and get three. It's like, just be BOGO or don't be BOGO. Like, I don't like this, like, buy six and you get four. You're always going Uber premium. You're not Ubering below the premium, are you? Oh. Priorities, so you were up first. You're not getting in one of those Miami cars

that smell like feet and cheese. He says I have a driver. No, I drive. No, I drive myself. I drive myself around. The only time is that we get a driver. Me and Anna get a driver is normally when it's a little later dinner in Miami,

just because of how far that is from Fort Lauderdale area. And so it's like, little later dinner in Miami, just because of how far that is from like Fort Lauderdale area. And so it's like, okay, we're probably gonna be full and a little tired after we eat. So probably just gonna wanna relax. And so that's normally when we'd get a driver, but I'm driving myself everywhere. When you signed the contract,

did you make some sort of ridiculous purchase for you or your family? No, I haven't made a ridiculous purchase. Has that first direct deposit hit yet? Like with the new amount where you're like, whoa. Well, he's still under the old deal, right? Oh, that's how it works now, okay. Yeah, whoa.

The signing bone. That one, that thing clears on that first one. Oh, that's the... Whoa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There's something, there's something, a little one, a little money. We haven't, yeah, we haven't,

we haven't gotten anything. We've said too much. Really? Yeah. No, we're just a little invasive. I mean, we didn't say enough. Yeah, let's say more. Well, it was unusual to see you on the sidelines with a microphone.

You were clearly a bouillon. You were effervescent. You were really happy and you were vocal about it. Those are some huge words. What did you just say? Happy. You were really happy and you were vocal about those are some huge words What did you just say? Thank you. I appreciate that Whoa, it was like a champagne a champagne bottle opening you were out there Show me the money seemed to be a little bit out of character. Oh, show me the money

well, the reason that came out was because somebody Somebody dared me that I wouldn't do it. So that's why I did the show me the money. Classic Raheem. Who dared you? Who did it? Classic Raheem, huh? What do you think, Tyreek?

I don't know. Tyreek sounds like, it sounds like my name is Tyreek. To be honest with you. Waddle, okay. No, it wasn't them. It wasn't. Keep going. Were you surprised to see I didn't stop coaching? I was actually. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't them. It wasn't. Keep going. Were you surprised to have been stopped coaching?

I was actually. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was, I was. But I played after, so after he ended up retiring, I maybe played golf with him, maybe like a month or two after. Who's giving strokes there? He was giving me strokes. Wow. Wow.

He's a good little player, I guess. But you were surprised. But I feel like I'm a sandbagger though. I know I am. But but outside. Yeah, you can ask Saban about that match. That was hilarious. Okay. But you were surprised. What were we playing for? How much a hole? Uh, it wasn't that much. Like, like, yeah, it wasn't that much. You ever take you on the boat and like throw you around on the raft Well, he did when we're in we're in Tuscaloosa, but we had the the whole conversation like, you know about hey, why why'd you?

Why'd you retire this and that's and he gave the the whole spiel and I thought it was I thought it was crazy like I I told him I would have thought he would have died coaching at the University of Alabama, but you know, I guess not. Was there anyone in your family a couple of years ago urging you to retire? Telling you we're worried about you? Yeah, I would say for sure, especially with what happened with the concussions and whatnot. But we went and seen a doctor, got to go see the doctor and whatnot, got to get all the information that I needed to hear

from him on whether it was a good idea or whether it wasn't a good idea. And got to sit down with them and I basically told them what I wanted to do. Who was the most vocal in your family telling you, why don't we just stop this? I love you too much, football's too dangerous. It's just dangerous.

It wasn't too vocal, but it was just brought up like here and there, like, you know, I don't think you should continue to play and whatnot, but we'll always support what you wanna do. It was more so like my mom. Yeah. And I get it, like, you know, I mean, I got kids too now and it's like, you can understand why the mothers are the way they are.

Is playing guitar the most romantic thing you do? Playing guitar? Who said I could play the guitar? I've seen, I think on Hard Knocks we saw some Strung and I've heard a little birdie. I have some sources. He's got sources. We were told you might have one here that you could bring. Well first of all, there was some social media clip of you playing something. Was it during Hard Knocks or something?

You've been out there with your guitar. Are you denying your guitar playing? Are you denying your romance? No. I'm not a romantic guy. The romance part I was assuming. I just know you to be a guitar player. He's denying playing the guitar is what he's guitars. I don't think he's doing that Yeah, dude, I love playing the guitar we broke him down

Investigative go to what's your go-to tune when you're playing guitar? Um Honestly, I don't I don't really have like a go-to tune It's just picking up the the feeling of picking up the guitar and then going through like the sequences of chords and then what sounds nice When your finger picking and what not so how's your air guitar? When you take us over the last couple of years, is there one game that you look at that brings back the memories of being happiest, of just being the happiest you've been playing football

as a dolphin? The Broncos game. You said the Broncos game? I mean, that Ravens fourth quarter was pretty good. I would say the last two years have been, have just been life-changing for me. Just within the fact of the support that I've had from Mike, from our quarterback room with Bev, and then just the support that I've had with my teammates.

A lot of them being vocal. And then obviously the first year that Mike's been here was, you know, he sort of took like a big step of being vocal. And he didn't really know, like, he was just telling me, like, dude, I believe in you this and that, but like, he's taking a big chance with what he's saying. Right? Like, we only have the past two years

of what I put on tape. And it's like, dude, yeah, like, you can throw these intermediate routes, but like, we haven't seen in much long balls or we haven't seen this and that. And for him to have done that and then, I mean, we've had a winning season every season, but it's just getting to the big games

and what we do in the big games. That's been essentially what we've been honing on last year and this year. Let's make sure Kansas City has to come here this year. Dude. You, right. You in for that? I'm in for that. Are we all in for that? I mean, my gosh. Dude, that was unbelievable. Yeah.

Were you surprised that Mike McDaniel told us that you're the most accurate quarterback he had ever had? Probably not. I would say probably not. No. Can you explain to us, last question before we get you out, can you explain to us the difference in practical terms between having a coach who did believe in you the way that he did and the difference between that and what was happening with Flores? Yeah. Well, to put it in simplest terms, if you woke up every morning and I told you, you sucked at

what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven't earned this right, and then you have somebody else come in and tell you dude you are the best fit for this like you are accurate you are the best whatever you are this you are that like how would it make you feel listening to one or the other you see what I'm saying and then you hear it you hear it regardless of what it is the good or the bad and you hear it more and more you start to actually believe that I don't care who you are you can be the president of the bad, and you hear it more and more, you start to actually believe that.

I don't care who you are. You can be the president of the United States. You have a terrible person that's telling you things that you don't wanna hear or that you probably shouldn't be hearing. You're gonna start to believe that about yourself. And so that's sort of like what ended up happening. And it was, I mean, it's basically been what, two years of training that

out of not just me, but you know, a couple of the guys as well that have been here since my rookie year all the way till now. It's been great to see your success. Great to see someone as fundamentally decent as you are rewarded. So thank you for all of your work down here. Stugaccio from my friends over at Simply Safe. If you're like me, you're constantly thinking about the safety of the people and things you value most. After a friend told me about a break-in in his home in which many of his most valuable possessions

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