The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Florida State Football GM; Darrick Yray joins the show

Episode Date: May 28, 2024

John is joined by Florida State GM, Darrick Yray to discuss his journey from working with John at Fresno State to becoming the GM at Florida State. Darrick dives into being the first GM at FSU, his journey from Fresno to Oregon State to Florida State, what he does as the FSU GM, how the recruiting process works, working with Coach Norvell, and some of the top guys at FSU. It's all here and more! 8:23 - Transfer portal at FSU 11:00 - Being the first GM at FSU 16:07 - Darrick's story 19:32 - Working at Oregon State 27:04 - First task at FSU 29:55 - What does a GM do 34:30 - The recruiting process at Florida State Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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On behalf of Boothill Casinoin Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. See dkng.co slash B-Ball for eligibility and deposit restrictions, terms, and responsible gaming resources. What is going on, everybody? Hopefully you had a great Memorial Day weekend. I know I did Well I don't actually because I'm recording this

Before Memorial Day weekend But it's now already happened And it's Tuesday So hopefully everyone enjoy themselves Found a little son Had a few bruskees A few cocktails Spend time with your loved ones

Your buddies, your friends Big show today My guy Derek Ray Who is the general manager The first ever general manager for the Florida State Seminoles. One of the more iconic college football programs the last, I don't know, 35 plus years.

Obviously, had a tough end of the season with the quarterback getting injured and being left out of the playoffs. But he's been a part of multiple recruiting classes there. It was a huge part of Keon Coleman, who we will discuss, knows Jared Verse. And just, we'll go through the draft pitch, talk about his job.

He started with me at Fresno State. Way back in the day, we were actually roommates on the road. He was like 19. I was probably 23, 24. So we've known each other a long time, and he was at Oregon State. And we'll just talk about his career, the business. I just thought it'd be kind of unique. I mean, we hear from NFL people all the time,

but we don't usually hear from these type guys in college football. And he's, I mean, they got that thing rolling. I mean, they're a top five, six, seven program in the country right now. Norvelle's a stud. They're good, and they're going to be good for a while. So, yeah, it was a fun interview. Hopefully you guys enjoy it and share it with your friends. But that's the plan today and then probably more normal podcasts as the week goes on.

But before we dive in, and he's, he invited me last year to LSU, Florida State, opening night in Orlando. I didn't go, and I kind of regretted it immediately. Long flight, but watching that team kick the crap at LSU. And I've said for a long time, it's hard during football season because Sunday is such a big day in my business, recording with Colin, recording for myself. I can't really afford to be traveling. I don't want to get stuck somewhere and have to come back Monday and deal with that. But I got to find a way. And if there's a will, there's a way.

I got to go to a game in the South. whether it's Florida State Clemson or one of the SEC games, I got to go. I got to make it happen. And I'm going to do it with my friends at game time. And if you want to go to a game, now the Big Ten in the SEC, they're going to have incredible matchups. Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Bama, right? Florida State.

Oh, I guess Florida State's in the ACC. But you know what I mean. Michigan, Washington. We're just going to get some of the best matchups we've seen in a long time because of conference realignment, which sucks. The Pac-12 is gone. I get to watch USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington play the Wisconsin's and Penn States of the world. So if you want to go to one of these games, you guys know the drill.

Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code, John, for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply again, create an account and redeem the code J-O-H-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. Last minute tickets, lowest prices guarantee. Let's dive into Derek. Okay, honored to be joined by a guy I once knew when he was a little old student assistant. And now he was just named the Football Scoop personnel director of the year.

He is the Florida State General Manager. Last week, he played golf at Michael Jordan's Country Club. Well, there's about 15 members. I don't even know how he got in the gates, but he did. and he saw Michael, he saw Ken Griffey. Derek Ray, what is up, bro? Pretty good you having me on. It's funny, you know, full circle.

We've known each other for, what, 15 plus years now? Long time. I think you were my roommate early on, weren't you? When we traveled. 2008, man. We shared roommates, you know, together. We got some stories. Yeah, Rutgers, UCLA.

Now you're just playing Grove 23. Yeah, thankfully, I know the right people and cover up smoke and mirrors. How long have you had this job? Going into my third season, so it got hired officially February of 2022 and probably one of my better decisions in my life to take this opportunity and grateful for it. Okay, we'll go into the job, but you told me something right before we hopped on that this was an anniversary for you and the program. Can you go into that? Yeah, I mean, I remember a year ago at this time, Keon Coleman, gave us the news that he was going to commit, and happy he did.

And happy that obviously took part, and that went exactly how we planned. So the transfer portal, you know, Keyon is at Michigan State. When a guy, obviously there are, I mean, you know the exact number. I mean, a ton of names in there. There's a guy like him. Is there a certain level of guy that's just on a different level in the competition? How did that materialize? when he went in. Did you had Norville already recruited him? Like, how did that play out?

Yeah, there was a little bit of a preexisting relationship from when he came out in high school. Keon actually came out his during the COVID year. So his very first official visit that he took was when he went in the transfer portal, which was to Florida State. He went in the last week and he came down on an official visit here and, you know, sitting down initially with him. I was like, well, this guy is like smart. And it's no surprise everything of how he is right now because that's how he is 24-7. Like, that's not an act. He's authentic as what you see.

And he's a great, great young man. I think what most people don't realize about him. Like, he's, you know, he was 20 years old last year when he played a senior year. Or, excuse me, not a senior year, but his last year in college. And so he's young and I truly believe he's just scratching the surface. But, you know, his is dominant. Like, the comparable that I would have, John is a guy we probably spent time around. Like, he reminds me very similar in a red zone threat is how Devante was at Fresno.

I mean, that first game, he played for you guys against LSU. There happened to be a lot of people watching. Didn't he score three touchdowns? It did. And, you know, playing LSU was one of his requirements. And, you know, a lot of people, you know, the narratives around NIL and transfer portal, oh, you just buy kids. And it's, you know, Kian was very specific in what he was looking for.

He said, I want to go somewhere that, you know, has a veteran proven quarterback. I was like, okay, good. We checked that box. We had Jordan Travis. And, you know, I want to go somewhere where I'm not the only featured weapon. I was like, oh, great. We have Johnny Wilson. And we have Trey Benson.

We had Jeanne Bell transfer him from South Carolina, Kyle Morlock from shorter, obviously Jordan, that quarterback, and a bunch of other pieces around. And he goes, I want to go somewhere that's playing LSU. I was like, well, perfect. We have them game one. So, I mean, we're three for three. We're off to a good start in this thing.

You know, speaking, I want to dive into your career because I get asked a lot by people that want it on football. And obviously, the timing in 2024 is a lot different than like when me and you got in, the landscape has completely changed. I mean, hell, your role didn't really even exist anywhere in college football. It's become much more prevalent when you say the last five, six years at programs. How long Florida State had a GM to, are you the first official GM? Yes, sir.

They created this position, and then I was lucky enough to be selected to fill it. So that didn't exist, you know, two and a half years ago. So there's a lot of conversation. I'm sure you hear about it and read about it. The NIL, you don't specific, are you allowed to talk about money when a prospect is sitting in your officer with the coach? How does that, is that a weird situation for you specifically? It is and the rules are ever changing. We're allowed to, I guess, now be aware of certain conversations,

but there's, you know, you're still not allowed to provide an inducement. Luckily, we have a strong collective with the battles end that is there, was founded, you know, by a group of individuals that have done an outstanding job. And I think more important than just, you know, actively going out and what you're finding, it's huge in roster retention. And so that's where Coach Norvell has done a phenomenal job. of really retaining the right guys, identifying the right talent, because it's one thing to put an investment into someone who might be coming in the portal, high school, junior college. But once you've

identified who that person is, you want to make sure they stick around on your roster, so you have multiple years with them. Is there a number you guys won't mess with a high school guy that is different with recruiting a Keon Coleman level player? How does that work? I don't think it's necessarily a number that's something that we won't mess with. I think it comes down to fit. And so really, not to put it you know, this much of a, towards this simplified. But if money is the main reason that someone's making a decision, there's a good chance they're not going to fit here at Florida State. But we want to be competitive in all aspects, you know, from academically how they're, you know, how they're going to be improved and that structure that's in place that we provide, but also, you know,

the support factors that are in place and how they can grow, you know, socially, you know, and also then athletically when you look at it. And so the facilities have to have a check, right? The gear, the equipment, the weight room, all that stuff, is the, you know, and so. same. Forty-five-pound weights are, you know, they're going to weigh 45 pounds, don't matter how shiny and bright they are. But it all matters because now the comparable, especially the area where we're around. It's how do we have to be different than, you know, what's within our state, but also it's within the 500-mile radius around us. Because let's face it, you're recruiting against in your conference directly, Miami-Clemson,

and then obviously Georgia, Bama, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, is that, and even Ohio State, I'm sure, and schools like that are coming down. So it's the list of all the time. seven or eight programs, right? I mean, is that who you view as your direct competition and recruit it? Absolutely. And I mean, if you're going to recruit the best, you're going to go against the best. And everyone has a little different avenue of how they do that. But, you know, we try to be authentic to who we are. And also, there's so much to showcase at this great university. I mean, you can have a top 20 institution education and you get a diploma from here. You can live a true college lifestyle here. You know, you're a professional sports team in the capital city of

of Tallahassee, Florida. And I mean, there's 80,000. They're going to be raining down on you at doke. And, you know, when you get to go out and see that war champ play, it's a pretty cool thing. Yeah, it's pretty badass. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George

Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here. unpack what went down and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack,

so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, I get so many young people listening to this podcast and ask for advice. And I think your story is pretty remarkable. I kind of want you just to tell it. Because when I met you, were you a freshman or were you a sophomore in Fresno State?

Sophomor. Sophomore. So you're from Linden, California, where Aaron Judge is from, correct? Yes. Next door neighbor's growing up. Yeah. So the valley's a small world. And you come to Fresno State, kind of go from there, how you ended up the GM 15 years later at Florida State. Just knew I wanted to do something.

And, you know, I just tried, I wanted to be involved in the next thing that I could. And just I knew I wanted to do that from the time that I was very, very young. I moved on and, you know, just tried to work as hard as I could and tried to suck it in. Luckily, had a lot of great people around me to help guide me and shape me and, you know, thankful. I mean, even as much like you had as much of an impact on me when I was younger and you were a GA as, you know, a lot of people did. And, you know, there was times where I was probably not acting the right way that I should have been. And we always have those times when you're younger, you think you know it all. And I really knew nothing. But there are so many

great people that were good to me. And, you know, Pat Hill, Drew Hill, Doug Nussmeyer, John Baxter, Tim Skipper, I mean, yourself, like, the list goes on and on. And you look back at those experiences and people providing that service to you, like just so thankful for the impact they had early in my career to steer me that way. When you graduate Fresno State, you worked for the program the whole time. Pat, was he fired when you were there? Talk to me about when you first became a full-time employee and kind of how that led to Oregon State. Yeah, so Pat ended up getting let go. And then Tim DeRueger got hired and went through, going through the transition. and, you know, hey, there was, you know, you can't coach on the field.

You know, we're not sure we're going to have a spot and kind of worked my way and just proved it. Then our DFO at the time left. And then I got to prove being a DFO for, you know, a month and a half at, I think, 21 years old. And just kind of worked my way from there. And that turned into, hey, you know, we're not going to give you this job. But, you know, we want to keep you a full time. And so at that point, I was like, hey, it's not $900 a month anymore. It's $20,000 a year.

All right. I'm rich. Yeah. made it. You know, we spend a little few more dollars at Jimbo's and Doghouse. Heck yeah. So, you know, just kind of worked up from there. Got ended up getting another raise after after that and actually interviewed with another institution with Gary Anderson and ended up not mutually working out. And then he took the job at Oregon State. And he called me and said, hey, you know, how much do you want to make? I was like, okay, well, this is simple in my mind.

Like, can you pay me double? It's like, yeah, I'll see you on the plane. Enjoy Hawaii. We're at the Hawaii ball at the time and went up to Oregon State and got started as the assistant director of player personnel and kind of worked my way up to the director recruiting operations to what number do you think you could have got looking back. Yeah. I don't know if I could have gotten that much, but that was probably the right number. You know, double for that time was like, hey, I want to go to 50,000 and went up there sight unseen at Corvallis.

And I remember driving up and, you know, you get through. I know you're from Northern California too. And you get to the Oregon board, you're like, all right, I'm almost here. And then GPS still said four more hours. I'm like, what the hell? I can. So, but there's some great times, great people. And, you know, even Gary, like, he had a huge impact on my career. Vince Ginta was a mutual connection there. And a big part of that as well. And, you know, I just, when I talk to young people, too, it's just you need a few breaks early. And so when you get those few, your first couple breaks, it's like, hey, you know, let's go. And, you know, once you hit that roulette wheel and you guys have some things in motion. But at the end of the day, I do believe you get what you get in the short term, you get what you deserve in the long term. I think Gary leaves, and you know this much better than me. I've talked to him before.

They bring in a former quarterback Oregon State who is just, let's face it, he's a shooting star. I mean, he's an absolute stud. And Jonathan Smith, are you nervous? You know, sometimes with their transitional period, how that works out. And then your guy's relationship from there, how that grew. Yeah, absolutely. You know, and knew of, you know, Smitty and, you know, he's coming in and he's done phenomenal things. and he's going to continue to do phenomenal things over in Michigan State.

He came in and I remember looking with people like counting off the plane, all right, who's this guy, who's this guy, who's this guy? Because you would never know, like when you're going through that, like, you know, are you going to have a spot? And, you know, it kind of went through a month and a half trial or felt that long. What was your job title at the time? Was the director of recruiting operations at that time. And then he came in and still kept that role.

Ended up getting retained and rehire, as he called. that rehired or hired, like, that was the choice. And that staff was, you know, is phenomenal. There are so many great people on that staff and, you know, kind of working through their first year was 2018 with him. And, you know, game one, we opened up at Ohio State. And so we didn't quite have the roster at that time. How'd that go? We scored 30 plus points in that game. First, first drive of the game, you know, Chase Young. And I think, I think they had one of the Bosa brothers, too. They sandwiched our quarterback. And he got out with a concussion. And we were down to the second string.

And, you know, we just put up 30 points for this allowed 70. So, you know, but it was good. And then we go through 2018 and the 19 and transition. You know, we end up barely missing a bowl game. We had a huge back and forth game with Washington State. You know, we're down by 12 and end up going up by two. And then they go down and score, you know, there's two different point swings in the last four minutes of that game. Go down to Oregon, lose to the last.

them don't make a bowl. 2020 is the COVID year and making strides in 2021. You know, in between that time, get promoted to be the direct care of player personnel. And we make our bowl game and go play in the LA Bowl and SoFi Stadium and play Utah State. And, you know, won some games, one bit, you know, one down at the Coliseum, which at that time for Oregon State was the first time, I think they had one down there since like 1960 or something like that.

I remember. And I remember one of the cooler moments I had with Smitty is, you know, are sitting. there and he pulls down his mic and they're lighting the torch in the Coliseum and he's like hey man this is pretty cool look at this like you know he lives almost 400 yards rushing like it's a pretty good feeling being from California doing this in the Coliseum I was like it's a pretty good take it in moment yeah so then your experience with Pat Hill I would imagine getting with Jonathan Smith kind of similar guys you know Jonathan's younger but old school tough guy loves running the ball how much did that help working with him?

Because you watch those teams, I see a lot of similarities, especially like when we were young, some of the early 2000 Pat Hill teams. I mean, he's kind of a throwback. I mean, he's got a little Harbaugh brother to him, Pat Hill. I mean, Harbaugh's and Pat Hill are buddies. He feels of that world.

So that was probably a pretty easy transition knowing what he wanted. That's what you're used to looking for. You know, Coach Smith, you know, being there, and obviously luckily had some mutual friends that knew him and were able speak for me. I mean, Doug Nussmeyer was someone who called him for me and just said, hey, like, you have this guy. And the first interaction I had with him was, hey, you know, I talked to

Nuss last night. He told, he said great things about you. I was like, okay, so, well, it's good things. So you always need people in your corner. I mean, we all know that. It's a people business. And that's why I try never to burn a bridge if you, if you can help it. But had a great experience through my time in Corvallis. And, you know, it just, when this opportunity presented itself, it became something and clear to me that it was not something. I can turn down to, you know, go to Tallahassee in Florida State. How does that play out? Obviously, we read about like head coaches, you know, the agents and stuff.

But when Mike Norvell and Florida State are interested in you, how does that material? Do you get a phone call or a text? Does it go through the head coach? How does that play out? Yeah, there was a couple different. So, you know, there was a few mutual friends that we had on staff. So Marcus Woodson, who was on staff at that point, you know, him and I had worked together at Fresno State. And then there's another, there was a West Coast Scout that.

I had known and, you know, keep his name out of this one, but he had kind of asked me, he goes, hey, they might have this opening here and they're creating a general manager role. And I think you'd be perfect for it. He goes, I know you've met Coach Norville before, but, you know, would you be interested? And in the beginning, I was happy. I was like, you know, I'd have to hear more about it. But, you know, and then you start thinking it's, you know, Florida State and all those things and what it's going to present.

I lived, I'd never been at that time when that first interest phone call happened. I'd never been to the state of Florida. And so we just so happened to be going. the next week, we were visiting a young man down in Tampa. So until the time that I stepped foot in Tallahassee, I'd only been to the state of Florida for about 18 hours or so. That's it. Never been to Tallahassee before.

And, you know, the hardest thing about it was I was riding around with Coach Smith and, you know, Mike Marvell's calling me. And, you know, it's on Apple Carplay. And it's like, hey, what's going on there? So you're balancing that. And both were understanding it. I've never been the type to try to leverage situations in that. I've never believed in it that way, just trying to be honest and up front

and looking for the fit. The fit was there. And so there was a couple of face times. There was a couple different phone calls that took place, but there was never an interview, really, a formal interview. Coach Schnurbel is really the only person that I discussed with besides Bruce Warwick. And it was an easier process,

and it ended up getting hired luckily, and came out here the day after signing day in February, and landed in Tallahassee, I'm like, oh, there's not as many palm trees as I expected there to be. So, I've never been there, but I don't think palm trees when I think Tallahassee. You'd obviously, you know, you had told me before you had turned down other pretty prominent jobs when you're in Oregon State. So you don't know this guy, you know, a little bit like Jonathan Smith, clearly a big, you know, his trajectory is pointing at the sky. But beside just, how did you ultimately make the decision?

Is it just like, I can't turn down Florida? state or? I've tried to never make a decision off of money or the logo or the place, or a place, really. And, you know, I think you looked at kind of the landscape of college football and what it was becoming and, you know, trying to align yourself with a university who was going to be in those conversations, you know, studying the roster of what they were going to have, but also understanding the person that you were going to go work for and have the pleasure to serve with, you know, I can't say enough great things about Coach Norville, the things that he's done in Tallahassee and his time here and even before.

but the man, the character, the integrity, and the leadership that he provides on a daily basis, like there's just not a better person that I would want, you know, to do that with. And, you know, the vision that was aligned of what we're trying to create, our athletic director had just been hired the month before I got here, you know, or spent a time with the Dallas Cowboys, with USC, with Alabama, and knowing what that looks like, the investment that was going to continue to pour in, they're just getting ready to hire a new president, the new facility that will be opened here in 2025,

our new stadium that's going to be done to 2025, we're putting $400 million of investment in facilities just for football in the next 18 months that are all happening right behind me and in front of me right now as I look in my office. And so you look at all those things aligned and you're like, hey, then you look at the history of Florida State and the vision of everything that was getting sold. And you're like, this thing is like too good to turn down.

I don't know how many more of these opportunities I'm going to have. and took a chance and so far so good. Yeah, I'd say. So you get hired, what's the first task? I mean, is it just immediately going in the bunker with coach and trying to figure out? Or do you kind of have a good idea? Because you get hired after the recruiting, when did you get hired? Yeah, I got hired.

After it got hired earlier before the recruiting period closed. Obviously kept it quieter before until that broke. You know, first task was really just to listen and understand. And I've never been a believer in just coming in and let's make wholesale changes on everything. Because it was clear, like, there was a lot of great things that were already happening. There's so many great people involved here. There's so many great people doing the right way. But so I wanted to come down and I wanted to sit down with everyone and just hear everyone's

words and, you know, thoughts on how things where can be going. Hey, what are a couple ideas of what can improve? Tell me things that I need to know that I don't know. You know, we're just different things and slight tweaks. And so my plan when I sat down with coach was saying, I'm just going to kind of listen for the first couple weeks. Then we're going to slowly implement different changes and things of what I think need to be addressed and change. And then, you know, six months from then, hopefully it's unrecognizable.

And we'll make a couple different weeks. And so we did that. And, you know, the staff that we had in place that was already existing and the staff that we brought in, you know, John Garrett and Justin Krause arrived at the same time with me, working on our offense and defensive scouts, John's now at Duke as the general manager and J.C. still here. Both of those guys having high NFL experience. You know, John, you know, coaching in the NFL being a prior head coach and obviously he had spent some time in Corvallis as well. So just kind of implementing different things and changes and structures in place. And, you know, recruiting is just how recruiting comes down to communication,

in my opinion. And personnel and talent evaluation is how can you get all parties to be on the same page to where everything has, you know, the same heartbeat and everything is pumped into the same organs of what you needed to go to. And so if you have a coaching staff as an arm and your recruiting staff as an arm and your personnel's staff as a leg, you need to make sure that blood's getting pumped to the proper places. And so a centralized location for all information to be accessible for all and making sure language was a force multiplier of having everyone in the same eval terminology, you know, the same ranking system, the same keys of what we're looking for, those player profiles of exactly what ideally

we want them to look like when they were recruiting them. That also look like when they're their senior year and, you know, just doing some numbers and being analytically based because sometimes you do go in with a bias, right? But though the numbers, you know, numbers don't lie, but people do. Right? And people tweak those numbers and, you know, what are the numbers say? Do I feel that same way, but can I do a study that might actually confirm or disprove what I feel already and try to take as much bias out? And how can I be an asset and making sure that coach has the best information that he can make the best decisions for Florida State in the program? So what does a GM do?

Yeah, I get to ask that question a lot. A lot of people have, man. He got a great job, you know. Just sit there and watch film the whole day. I'm like, I wish that was the case. You know, the simple way to put it is, you know, making sure that we retain and we have the best roster every single, every single Saturday that we go out there.

And so constantly improving the roster, any way that we can improve that, you know, daily. And a couple different ways. That's done in development. That's done in talent acquisition, but that's also done in retention. as well. And so I think like when you look at it, there's so many people involved, you know, as it comes to recruiting. It's not just acquisition. It's how you're marketing yourself, right?

It's the customer service that you're providing. And our recruiting operation staff does a phenomenal job of making sure that the experience when someone comes on campus is a first class experience from the time they step foot to the time they leave. Visits now, especially official visits. It's like an all-inclusive vacation. And it needs to be that way. And so, if you and I decided, hey, let's go down to the Bahamas, we're going to feel a certain type of way if we go to the concierge desk and we're not greeted with a smile. Well, that's and you need to be on point every single time when someone's coming on campus because it needs to be serviced with a smile. And so there's a lot of intricacies that do go into that. But the

oversight is something I have the responsibility to have every single day of that and making sure we're providing that experience. How many people we have working for you? We have 19 full-time people and the recruiting personnel or scouting staff. And then we have about 60 student interns and then about 15 content folks. You know what's funny is I tell people all the time, the biggest benefit I had was Cal Poly, which was really tiny. And when we were at Fresno State, wasn't much bigger. And you hear, like me and you're a great example, right? You immediately got to do a lot as a 19-year-old. How difficult. Is this like the hunger game? with these guys? Because I would imagine a lot of these students on campus aspire to have a role

like you did or do what I ended up doing. How do you, it was just me and you, right? How do you, that's got to be tough. I mean, are you managing that group? I mean, is there infighting, you know, because it's just the competition? It's like, it's like a separate team. And the way the games changed, like you need all those folks and, you know, even our students, the amount that they sacrifice, they choose, hey, I'm going to give up my whole. game day so I can put Florida state in a better position to recruit someone. And I mean, when you think about a game

day here in Tallahassee, like game day is a big event, obviously, besides the football game and everything else that goes into it. Heck yeah. Well, if you got 20 people doing it, how many applicants do you have for those jobs? Last year, so last year we had 500 people that applied in January. Jesus. And it's a volunteer job too.

And so there's 500 people that wanted experience and you win, obviously, people want to be a part of things. And because early, I think the first time when we opened this back up, when I'd gotten in here, we only had about 10 to 12 student interns. I said, okay, we need to open this up and create just to move people and provide the best experience we can. And I think at that time, we have 30 applicants. And so just getting a word and, you know, speaking at different classes and advertising that. And there's 44,000 students that go to Florida State. You know, there's people around.

It's a big school. And be involved. And so how can you showcase that and making sure that you're provide an experience, but also, you know, I tell them all the time, I want them to grow and be better versions of everyone around to where hopefully they can learn from some of my prior mistakes that I've made and, you know, things I wish I would have done better when I was growing up and younger and, you know, here, like, I'm an open book and try to be a resource as much as I can. But I think that, you know, I'm thankful for those individuals that do sacrifice that time. When we were at Fresno State, when I was there with you, it might have changed when Derruder came in, the coaches would go out in the spring, and this is well before the transfer portal,

so separate that, would bring back you group of guys that would fit, you know, the Fresno state level for then Coach Hill, myself, Drew, whatever, to watch and kind of whittle down. In the NFL, the scouting department watches the guys and then whittles it down for the coaching staff. How is that, where are you guys on that? Like your coaches are out spring recruiting, are they bringing you back guys or have you already given them guys to go see? Obviously, your program is a little unique. You're not looking at everybody. How does that play out? Yeah, it's a little, it's a good question. It's a little bit of both. You know, the majority of those times that they're going out to see someone. So the spring period's changed. Now they're allowed to

have contact with the, you know, with the juniors. So they're allowed to sit down at the school and have actual face-to-face contact with them, which back then you couldn't do. This is the first year they're allowing that. A guy who's a sophomore now going into his junior year or junior is going into a senior year? Junior who's going into a senior year. Okay. And so that's a lot of time we're spent there, but also the evaluation in the spring moments. And, you know, if there's someone that we're not aware of, obviously that's good that they're coming back with that, but then we've done a poor job on our side of making sure our coaches have the best tools to utilize, you know, through their resources. But it can happen a couple different ways. And there's a lot of, you know, it's not the days

of now with huddle and social media, it's hard to find a diamond in the rough. Because chances are he's been watched and evaluated by someone that does happen. But I think the area that we recruit, you know, there's a lot of people to go through. So there's not many secrets that are left out there. What's the kid's name who's just drafted by the Saints at Oregon State? Talia Seifuaga. So when you're at Oregon State, probably a lot of similarities to Fresno State, you kind of have to see the bigger picture.

Like a lot of those guys aren't getting recruited by, you know, programs like, Florida State. Now in your role, like, would you even, did you watch him in high school? So, Tali S.A, he was when he was actually, he came out in the class, he was the COVID year. He was from Mount Tahoma. He had a lot. He had the majority of the PAC 12 and a lot of. So he was a relatively bigger recruit. But like, would you guys at Florida State, because you're just kind of recruiting the cream of the crop, like, how do you balance of like, well, we might have something here, but he doesn't have Alabama, LSU. Like, do you guys even concern?

Because that was a famous Sabin thing. Like, he wasn't as concerned. Like, if he liked a guy, Amari Cooper, I don't give a shit that LSU and Georgia and Florida don't like. I'm taking them. How does the balance of like, well, is this guy quite good enough or like this is our type guy? We're going to trust our evaluation, trust our own eyes and not, we're not going to have lean on anyone else to confirm of what we see. And that's one thing our coaching staff and Coach Horval do a phenomenal job of who is trusting our own opinions. You know, coach actually talks about this all the time here.

no one is allowed in the evaluation process to bring up a kid's stars. And so when, you know, if you talk to coach about it, he's going to say, well, he's a force. I don't want to hear it. I don't care. Like, and so we're going to trust our own evaluation in the sense of making sure that we're getting the right fit for Florida State. And so in Polly's case specifically, he'd probably be someone that we would have watched just because he would have met the parameters we're looking for as far as size it goes. And that offensive tackle and defensive end and past rusher, quarterback. and those three, you'd probably go anywhere in the country to go get.

And we'll go anywhere in the country to go get anyone. But those three specifically are so unique that you're willing to travel and you're always looking. Before we dive into the recent draft class, just on Mike Norvell, obviously you guys had a rough end of the season with getting left out and Jordan's injury. But pretty clear you had what, 10 guys drafted. Your team was, I mean, defensively. it was on another level and bringing in Keyon. I mean, you guys were pretty elite.

And clearly he's, I mean, talked about immediately as the Alabama replacement when Nick retire. So what's your experience? What's your thoughts on Coach Norville? I know what you've told me personally. You think he's as good of a play caller as you think humanly possible. First of all, outstanding person. And the person before the coach, like, you know, the humility, the leadership, all the qualities that he has.

just to serve others and be around. And him and I have gotten the ability to be pretty close now. I think the world of him as a person, as a father, as a husband, but also on top of that, like he's one heck of a football coach too. You know, the ability to motivate the energy. And if you ever come to one of our practices, he never stops running. He's running the whole time, races the D-line before every single practice. I mean, he is 100% it.

But just the ability to instill confidence and the culture. that he's outlayed of Florida State, you know, it's something that I'm excited about the future and wants to come. Safe to say practices of Florida State aren't exactly a country club when the pads come on? No, sir. No, sir. But besides maybe the weather in October, you know, when it's 80 degrees or the high 70s, there's nothing country club about this, our 24-period practices. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unlawful. Others say it's unleashed. Enleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions. my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show, isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap

Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't. like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's big to me

not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode. where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now.

Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, let's really quick just hit on some of your top guys.

Verse was already there when you got there, correct? Jared came in. He transferred in January of 2022. Are you the pro liaison, 4 to say? No, Kiwan Ratliff is, but I do have some involvement with the NFL staff that does come in. I'd imagine you know a lot of those guys and they come to you. Okay, Jared Verse, stories pretty well established, transfers from Albany,

former tight end, correct? Puts on a bunch of weight. End up going to the L.A. Rams, what's your scattered report on a pretty dominant pass rusher for you. Yeah. You're an outstanding person, work ethic, high motor, plays with high, high, high intensity, about it powerful and as best of a bull rush that I've seen in person. One arm, one arm stuff, two arm stuff.

He can bowl and overpower you. You know, I'm excited to see what his career is going to unfold. He'll play in the league for a long, long time. Was he on the fence about coming out two years ago? He was on the fence about coming out last year. year, you know, and just made the decision to, you know, he loved Florida State and who he got to do it with. And I think a big part of that was, you know, there's a core group of guys that decided, hey, we want to come back after leading into the bowl game.

Just felt that 2022 could have gone a little bit differently. And they wanted to chase something and collectively go into an approach and, you know, come and plug some pieces in and, you know, also, you know, go, go acquire some different town and see what happened in 2023. And, you know, they did. They did that on the field. Well, this guy's taking the internet by storm. Keon Coleman, clearly quite the character. I mean, obviously, one of the more sought after, I mean, what would you say?

One of the more sought after guys in last year's transfer portal was on everyone's radar. I talked to in the NFL coming out of Michigan State, and then the way that started in that game against LSU, and then it was on. It's kind of crazy. As the season went on, it feels like you got dinged for speed. It's funny you bring up Devante. Also a little bit of a ding on him.

I'd say that's worked out pretty well. Just what are your thoughts on just his game and kind of where he needs to go? Is that a fair assessment, just separation stuff or just he's a young, he's 20 years old. Yeah, I mean, he can separate now. And I think with Keon, too, like last year was really his first year that he had a full offseason training because he was a basketball player in Michigan State too. I mean, talking to Tom Mizzow and those guys, they said he was going to start his junior year versus sophomore year.

So, and, you know, you always wonder, okay, you're a basketball player. You see the high school highlights. And, you know, it's coming up. Today's the year anniversary. He told us that, you know, he was going to come to Florida State and made it public the next day. But his first event was Memorial Day at Coach Norville's house. And he reports and he's in skinny jeans. And, you know, I think it's well documented and what happened.

But, you know, there's, coach has a basketball hoop out in front of his house. And Keon goes out there in skinny jeans, no warm up at 360 windmills a dunk. And I'm like, oh boy, we got one. But the person and the athleticism, that's one thing. Like how smart he is and how he studies the game. And, you know, the first conversation we had on his official visit, he's talking about, it's like, okay, Keon, like, what happens if we don't throw you the ball? He goes, well, you know, I'm going to, I'm going to ranch the DB. And I'm going to knock him over.

He's got family in the stands too. And that was his answer. Like he, he is studied, knows it like the back of his hand, understands concepts. It's so, so smart of how he understands the game. I truly believe he just scratched the surface. Well, when's the last time, Josh, I mean, in his NFL career, hasn't had a guy like this. They've had more speed guys. There is a guy I once heard of that pounded the table for a quarterback coming out of junior college and wanted him at Fresno State.

But, you know, according to that person, the coaches wouldn't listen to him. Is that a true story out there in the world? we all have misses in hindsight's 2020 i guess not misses but yeah i did uh josh was an interesting story and obviously high school he came to camps all the time from fireball and um and then when when he transferred to the junior college he ended up sprouting up and became his current size and i remember going up to organ state like oh there's two guys and he was one of them and we already had a quarterback committed at that time and so oh for two there's a guy on staff that went to wyoming he remembered the the conversations while we got fresno and that's how he ended up

getting brought up to Wyoming. I'm sure you guys, I'm sure in recruiting retweeted this and had it all over your guys social. The video of the Rams with first running up the stairs and McVeigh handing him the phone and Braden Fiske just basically breaking down is probably the coolest video of the entire draft. Talk to me about him. I guess I wasn't on him as much. You've described him to me offline. Just your thoughts on him as a player.

and obviously as a person seems like a pretty high-level dude. We're watching together, getting ready to go over to an event that we had to do. And I remember sitting there. And I'm like, gosh, I hope they captured that moment. And I hope that, you know, Verst got on the phone and all of it because it's just their reaction of what it would have been. And then we got to text and said, hey, Verst actually, they wanted him originally to make the call, the very first call from the Rams. And he didn't get there because of traffic and, you know, just to be a fly on the wall and what that is.

but Braden, Braden came in, you know, he gets in the portal coming out, coming out, and he had to have shoulder surgery.

And so that was the very first conversation. I coach just to let you know, I'm going to have to have shoulder surgery, still want to come down. And, you know, we battled there. There's other schools involved with him, and he had a lot of great options and brought him down here.

So his first practice that we actually got to see him do anything was fall camp. And so you can all see the athleticism, and what it was on tape and whether it's going to be. But the very first fall practice, he goes up to Jared and he goes, hey, it's you and I in every single group. Like, I'm going to be fashioning you. I'm going to have more sat, all of it. And so, you know, he got to the point.

And he had some goals written up throughout the year. And he was getting frustrated, too. And, you know, not that it was affecting him, but, you know, he wanted so many sacks and so many TFLs. And, you know, he had good years and he had, he just didn't have the production to necessarily show for it. And so we're through eight games. And I think he only had half, half for TFL. That was it. well, in the next four, he absolutely goes on a tear and the ACC championship goes on a tear.

And, you know, he works his tail off and the effort that he plays with. And, you know, his knock, obviously, oh, hey, he has short arms. But turn on the tape and that 55 was everywhere. Yeah, it feels like as a Niner guy, I mean, those two guys at a level of physicality and toughness that you can't replace with Aaron Donald. But it's pretty clear they knew what they were looking for. And I know a lot of people are like, you can't trade up. to get fists, but like you said, when you pair them with his buddy, I don't know. I think I'd be shocked that these two guys aren't pretty good for the Rams, won't you?

I got emotional on that call, and it was just so cool to see him that brother. And those guys were together for a year. And I mean, that's it. They were together for a year. That's all they spent together, and that was the reaction. So, I mean, it speaks to the culture of what Coach Morvel's built. Okay, the 49ers at the end of the second round took Renardo Green, who I think it's safe to say, as a defensive player, his tape against neighbors in week one, just in an individual game,

it's probably as good as any. And your experience about him, tell me about the guy and the player. Yeah, Artow doesn't. I mean, he's so even keeled as a corner. I mean, there's no panic in his game. He's consistent in his technique, you know, can run, can play press man. And I think you look at our defense, you know, 90% of the time we're going to play press man or some version of it.

And, you know, that ends up helping those guys. And so you had him and, you know, Jerry and Jones playing nickel for us. And then Fentrell Cyprus on the other side. And, you know, the two corners that we have this year are going to be really, really good as well. But Leonardo is so impressed with, you know, the growth that he showed and everything. And he never had to worry about it. And it's just like, hey, you know that he's going to be out there and he's going to make more plays than he gives up. And sometimes he might not give up anything.

Watching just some highlights of him, it seems like a pretty tough. corner like he ain't afraid no he will stick it in there and he'll be physical he's not afraid of much and you know another great great young man so happy for him and i'm excited that he gets to to go out to the left coast now tray benson yeah awesome you know tray going to arizona um you know was at organ originally transferred had a catastrophic knee injury um where he did everything but you know he got here in 2022 transferred in from organ you know he's the first person in florian in Florida State history against Boston College in 22 to run for a touchdown and return a kick for a touchdown in the same game.

And you think of all the great history and of all the great players in Florida State. He was the first person in history to do that. You know, how he carries himself, how professional he is in just the time that he spends. And, you know, he's run, he's a bigger back. He runs physical, but he's got true top end speed. I mean, there's four different times last year. He's hitting 21 plus miles an hour on our GPS. I mean, he's got all of it.

So I'm excited for him. And it would be fun to watch him play against Braden Fiske and Jaredverse, at least twice here. Okay, went on from a draft standpoint, Jordan Travis, who, you know, the injury was obviously sucked. I mean, if you like football, even if you're not a Florida State fan, that was awful. Obviously, his medical must be going pretty well to get drafted. Just he, when it was healthy last year, you guys were, I mean, let's face it, a national title contender. and then he goes down. What's your thoughts on Jordan Trouse?

Yeah, before him. And I think, you know, Jordan, you look at the type of leader he is and the type of person. You know, the quarterback stuff speaks for itself. But, you know, the ability that he has to extend plays, to create plays when something's not there. But also, you know, push the fall down field. And, you know, I think he's only, he again is only probably scratching the surface too and what he's going to be. But, you know, spoke to him a couple days ago and just his recovery of what that's going to be. and they expect them to kind of be cleared for fall camp.

How long did the final four that video went pretty viral of your players and might? How long did that linger just in the program? Yeah. I mean, it was hard for it to linger. I mean, I look back in December and coach and I talk about this often. That was probably one of the more challenging times that I've been a part of just in anything in life. So we get back from the ACC Championship. I think I got back to my house at 4.30 in the morning.

And so we were in a selection show at 11 a.m. 1130 the next day. Yeah. And you have no insights contrary to what people think. Like no one knows what's going to happen. There's no tips. There's no, hey, at least one person in your athletic department knows. No one knows. And so that was truly the live and raw reaction.

Well, coach and I had to be out on a plane. We were going out recruiting. And I travel with him when we go out recruiting. we're out on the plane, you know, three hours later from that. And so just for our team to have that, and we had five coaches that were on the road that had left Charlotte and stayed overnight that were going to different locations because we're right in the middle of a contact period as well. And there's one of our coaches who had landed.

And, you know, he just saw and didn't think anything of it, didn't really know the semi-final locations. And he's like, oh, okay, we're playing Georgia. And didn't realize still someone at the rental car attendant, man, Florida State, you all got, you know, that's messed up. And he's like, what are you talking about? We're playing joy. And then he looks down and that's how he found out.

And so there's different ways that found out. I just feel so bad for our players and the opportunity that, you know, should have been there. But, you know, that is history. And that was in 2023. We're on to 2024 now. For sure. How many GMs travel with their coach? Why do you do?

I think a few guys do. I think the amount of conversations that happen, it's important in the amount of ever-changing roster. But there's also a lot of trust and the confidence that we have in our office here to make sure everything's run right. but, you know, the ever-changing roster and being able to be there that does save a lot of phone calls. How often do you guys run into like Kirby Smart or Lane Kiffin or Nick Saban or these guys, do you guys cross paths a lot or is it pretty? Not very often because when I go out on the road, I'm not allowed to kill wind anywhere. So I just sit in the car and, you know, turn on the internet or answer different calls

or checking with our coaches just to make sure I can provide those updates. You know, there's a couple times you do cross some people, but not very often. and we didn't very much last year. Okay, looking at the draft, you lost a lot. You know, two defensive linemen high, you're a star receiver, your quarterback, you're running back, you're starting two corners. You're going to be a top five team. Is it easier to transition out with the transfer portal?

Obviously, you bring in DJ Ungule. Is that I'm saying that right? Ui Ungolole. Uwe-Uwe-Uwe-U-U-Lah, who... Well, close. We'll get you there. So talk to me about the transition expectations are going to be high. Playoffs expand.

So we can breathe a little easier. You would have been in. How did you, let's start with the quarterback. How do you need a quarterback? How did you pick him? How does that transpire? Yeah, looking for the fit. And obviously our quarterback room, you know, Brock Lynn, you know, played in a few games for us.

Last year started the ACC championship, started the bowl game against Georgia. and played in some other games. And, you know, just where we were age-wise and everything, we're always going to take the best fit and what made the most sense for us to do. We had another young man that decided to transfer out. And so there was a need there in our quarterback room. And, you know, the more and more we got involved with DJ, the more we liked what we saw.

And just the ability for what he is and being able to push the ball downfield and, you know, match up with the receivers that we had coming in or there were we were actively going to get. I'm just excited of what he is as a player and, you know, just being out there for spring. And, you know, he can push the ball. He can make all the throws. He's athletic. He can extend.

I mean, he's got as strong as an arm as I've been around. And I mean, that's all the quarterbacks that we've been around. And so I think he's just, I'm excited to see him in this offense, that's for sure. I mean, it's safe to say. I mean, you could argue Florida State's been as successful as any of these last couple years in the transfer portal. Right. Yeah. And then that's, you know, coach, Coach, Coach,

Starts and stops with Coach Norville. I mean, he does an outstanding job evaluating, but just talent is one thing, but fit is a whole other. And just getting the right fit is important for us. Do you automatically look at a guy or does he have to reach out to you? Like if I'm a transfer, if I'm a starter at Fresno State and you know nothing about me, whether I'm good or bad, I'm just a starter. Is Florida State looking at them or does there, is it that to be powerful? How does that play out? Because there's so many names to get thrown in there.

We have a couple different processes and there's a lot of men. There's many people that are involved in making sure we're always evaluating what's around us, what's in our conference, maybe someone we had a previous relationship with or someone who might be, hey, we've heard whispers that they're looking to go into the portal. So there's an evaluation in database, much like the NFL was in your time, right? There's a there's a per side and there's a college side. For us, there's a high school side and there's a college side. Is that easy to manage for you now or still a lot?

There's great people that I get to work with every single day that do make it easy. what do you got to do the rest of the spring now? Are you guys done? Yeah, we're getting ready. We got official visits coming up in the month of June. We got high school camps in the month of June. So we got some other guys that are coming by and getting ready for everything that the month of June does present. You better have a smile on your face when they show up.

Absolutely. Well, good luck, Derek. And who knows, maybe next time I talk to you, you're a national champion. Yeah, well, one game at a time right now. we open up a Georgia Tech in Ireland in August and looking forward to that event. You're going to Ireland to open it up? Yeah, we get to go to Ireland. That's pretty cool.

Well, I mean, safe to say you made the right decision at Florida State. Congrats on all your success, man. It's been really, really cool to watch. And I watch all your games now and follow your guys program closely. So keep crushing it, bro. You're an inspiration, I'm sure, to a lot of people listening to this that want to get involved in football. And there's never been a better time because all these opportunities in college that didn't exist 10 years. ago. Now you've got the NFL and college football, and obviously there's just more college football

team, so you're crushing, bro. Keep it rolling. I appreciate it. You got to get out here to Tallahassee for a game. I definitely do. I will make sure that happens in the next couple years. Well, in 25, we come out west to you, so we'll worry about 24. Cal or Stanford? Go Stanford in 25. I'd rather come out to you guys to go to that. You would. Okay. Talk to you soon, bro. All right. Take care. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app. or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

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