The Herd with Colin Cowherd - NY Giants Don Martindale on offending Joe Burrow, the hilarious Darnay Holmes video

Episode Date: October 29, 2022

New York Giants defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale talks to The Volume's Mike Silver to discuss his team's incredible 6-1 start to the 2022 season and the culture change behind it, then previews the Giants' challenging Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Martindale tells us about his professional career which started in trucking and later included teaching high school economics, and the scheme that got him his first coaching job. He discusses his unique relationship with legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, why he let Marcus Peters call the defensive plays in a preseason game, how the media misused his words to offend Joe Burrow, and what's actually happening in a very questionable-looking video of Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes. #volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes,

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you get a real one. And that is the way I would describe this guy. Don Wink Martindale has a very clearly defied coaching philosophy. And you see, it out there every week. He blitzed Belichick during the preseason. He blitzed in Aaron Rogers, Hail Mary in London. He blitzed one of his favorite guys, Lamar Jackson, with the game on the line a couple weeks ago. Everybody calls him wink, but he is in my phone as Don. Hello, sir. How are we doing, Mike? Just wonderful. Yeah, you're not shy about what you are and what you do, you're going to blitz people. Well, I think that, you know, each game's different,

and the timing of pressures are, you know, different for each game. I think that, you know, if I drive home from a game and say, I wish I'd a rush more than three or, you know, one max coverage or whatever it is, that's not a fun drive home for me. I'm more of a, let's go for it.

And, you know, everybody execute and put it on me if it doesn't work. And we've had a lot of success doing it that way. And I say that. And then last week we played Jacksonville and the last three plays, we were three-man rush, but it won us a game. It was a situational football decision that we made. And we made that on Thursday.

You know, we have win the game Thursdays. If we got in that situation, here's what we would call. We stuck with those calls and it won it for us. You are six and one in New York. Now, you did incredible work in Baltimore, the previous four seasons, but it's Baltimore. You've got some attention. Is it different to New York when you are six and one, a surprising six and one? Yeah, I believe so. I think one of the biggest things is because there's eight million people here.

So it is, you know, you're definitely, you know, right in the center of, you know, the greatest city in the world and people are excited. And as you know, there's a lot of personality out here on the East Coast in New York. and it's just, it's, it's going really well right now. Have you and Laura hit the town at all? You know, that's the tough part is right now. It's like, I'm a mercenary because she's still back in Maryland with the, you know, the kids and the dogs and the grandbaby. And she, but when when she comes up, you know, we'll go out.

But, you know, it's just like any place else you have your restaurants you really like. So instead of, you know, the worst thing is about New York, is my diet because whatever food you like, you and I were talking about sushi earlier. Whatever food you like, they got the best kind of it. So, but, you know, we have our spots we like to go to. It's a lot of fun. That's awesome. I wonder, are you getting recognized at all, you know, in Manhattan or in Jersey?

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. It's just like I said, there's, you know, my wife said that. She goes, it's like there's more people come up to you now than before. And I say, because there's more people. I mean, make sense to me anyway. Yeah, I love it. In fact, it's going to be hard when you and I go out when I come out there because between all the people mobbing me. No doubt.

And you now. Because you still have your bodyguards with you, though, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you saw my bodyguards at the combine. They're not exactly the strongest dudes in the world. One of them works for ESPN and he, you know, I don't think he could bench press a mic. microphone, but he's a good mascot, though.

He is a good mascot. He's a hype man for sure. All right. The Giants were 19 and 46, the past four seasons while you were in Baltimore. Joe Shane came in, Brian Dayball, you, and you did some roster flushing and tweaked it. But honestly, are you guys like a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of turning it around? You know, in this league, you know, if you don't stay humble, it'll smack you around. So we definitely have our humility with us.

I think that the biggest thing that stands out is just the organizational alignment of, like you already said, you know, starting with the Marin Tish family and then Joe and Dave's. Dave's is just he's my kind of guy. He's just the culture that, you know, and we all have something to do with it, But the culture that he's built here is, it makes it a great place to come to work. And the players have really bought in and help change the culture themselves.

And it's just a different style, I believe, from the past. I wasn't here in the past, so, but it just seems that way from what I've heard from players and other people, you know, from a cafeteria or wherever, you know, it's just, it's a different environment. Yeah, and I know you weren't there.

And we always hear the words, culture change, but it's hard tangibly to know what that is. Just based on what you've heard, what, yeah, what's kind of, what have been the bedrock? I think the culture change has a lot to do with

people's personality and people's confidence in themselves, which pours into the players and for them to know that it's not the end of the world, you know, like I'm speaking defensively now, if someone makes a mistake, you know,

especially, you know, when you're in OTAs and, well, even in the games. Because when they come over the sideline, you know, it was like the world was in it before. And now I'm just like, hey, you owe two plays. We know you mess it up. You don't have to say my bad. You know, we know. All right.

So just go make it up. You owe us two plays. And the guys have really bought into that philosophy. And, you know, they're starting to communicate more. And it's just, you just got to just. keep stacking great practices and great plays and great days and then it turns into weeks and then who knows where it's going to end up they're not running gasser's if they mess up no not your style huh you you you will tell them though you will you will not sugar coated in a

yeah you know a lot of that you know when you're saying you know i understand what you're saying tangible with with culture uh a lot of the you know changing the culture is being honest And once they know that, you know, if, if a player knows that you care about them, they'll bust their tail for you and, you know, and for themselves and for their teammates. And, you know, that's definitely our style of being honest with them up front. And I'll say it in front of the whole defense, too. I haven't, you know, we always have those keep at real meetings where I say, here's where we're at, here's what we need to do better.

You know, here's the good things. And, you know, they all appreciate it. respect it. And I'm sure you'll point out when you mess up too to that. Oh yeah, no doubt. Yeah. That's what I'm saying to all of us. You know, anything. Yeah, I have no problem doing that. Well, you have practice because I'm sure Laura points out to you all the time. Yes, no doubt. No doubt. No doubt. Um, I saw the Seahawks in week two. I covered the 40 Nair's Seahawks game. The 40s beat him 27. The seven was a block field goal. So they basically shut them out. And I thought to myself, okay, um, you know,

Russell Wilson's gone. They're kind of rebuilding. You know, the offense is not where it needs to be. Since that game, they've had the number one most productive offense in the league. They're averaging 31.8 points a game. And now you've got to go play them at their place. Is that stressful? Oh, yeah, of course it is. I mean, it's going to be a great challenge. The receiving core is outstanding, fast. You know, the running back, the rookie running back. I saw him hang 300 when Michigan State played Michigan last year. And he's really starting to blossom as an NFL running back. And Gino is playing really well.

And if I weren't playing against him, I'd say I'm happy for him. But after this weekend, I'll be happy for him. Because, but he is, he's playing really well. And they've done a nice job. Well, Gino's a cool story. He kind of hung tough and got written off, as he said, and, you know, he's really making a lot of this opportunity. We'll get into your journey because it's been super interesting. You know, you, I talk every year about coaches who aren't getting their due in the coaching cycle. A lot of times they're minorities, and that's a big issue. But I talk about you a lot, too, just because. the production has been so glaringly good. And for whatever reason, you know, I feel like you haven't gotten as much traction in certain cycles.

You did interview with the Giants, you know, before the 2020 season. And I know you really enjoyed that experience and they really came away impressed. Did that kind of stick with you when you were looking around, you know, after this last season? Oh, yeah. You know, there's, there was some choice.

You know, possible choices to be made. And, you know, this is a place that, you know, I really, I really like, you know, the interview process with them, you know, with the history of the organization. It's been everything I thought it would be and even more. But I just, I think that, you know, getting back to Gina what we were talking to, I was asked a similar question in my press conference yesterday. And he said, you ever seen another quarterback, you know, blossom this late in his career like that? And I said, well, really, Kurt Warner. You know, I said, I don't know if they're going to make a movie on Gino. But, I mean, really, that's similar to what it was.

You know, you had who Kurt replaced there and at that time, St. Louis, you know, and Gino's doing the same thing in Seattle. See, this is why, this is why I love you. Another reason. You're on my podcast. We're talking. and you just managed to get a plug in for a movie that was made about my book with Kurt 21 years after we wrote it, by the way. Now, that is friendship.

And so anyone who hasn't seen American Underdog, you know, you'll see my name way up high in the opening credits. Heck yeah. Because it's all me. It's really my doing, not Kurtz. But, you know, it's true because that is a, you know, I am a sucker for the underdog story anyway. You know, it's funny, my son,

when the movie came out, our book was called All Things Possible back in 2000. And my son said to me, Dad, do you wish that the movie had been called all things possible? And I go, no, I wish the book had been called American Underdog. That's a cooler title. And, you know, we kind of laugh.

But I thought, you know, I love the underdog story so much that any time I see, like, a little trace of it, I go nuts like Taylor Heineke in Washington last year and again this year. And so I do get into that. So it's a good jumping off point. Let's talk about your story because you literally, you're from Ohio and you literally went to college at a place called Defiance. Yes. Yes. Harvard of Northwest Ohio. And you, you know, you were probably like a lot of kids in Ohio, you know, a high school football star who really was into it and, you know, working class upbringing and, you know, now you're like a big, big Apple star and a fancy studio. But back then, more of a, more of a humble beginning.

You know, you ended up in coaching, but, you know, you did something first. What was your first job out of college? My grandfather, my uncle, and my dad were all in the trucking business. So, of course, they wanted me to get into the trucking business. So I left school a year early and said, I'm just going to get in the trucking business because I got hurt playing football. I hated every day I went into that job. And I knew that I wanted to coach.

I wanted to be a high school teacher and coach, just like my high school teacher coach. My high school coach who's still coaching, as a matter of fact, has a playoff game tonight. He coached me ever since I was in third grade and just made a, was a major impact in my life.

And a lot of my style, it comes from, him because he talked to us just as honest as I talk to our players all the time because you knew that he cared. And, you know, if you have somebody that cares, you know, what else do you need? And to clarify, you were not playing varsity football in third grade. He was coaching No, no, no, no. He's coached me ever since I was in third grade. He came up the ranks too. Yeah. And when you went into the trucking business, what was your day to day like? Oh, I was driving a truck.

I was doing pickups and deliveries. I'd start a 4.30 in the morning. It wouldn't get home till 6.30 at night. I'd drive from Dayton, Ohio, up to Detroit, the Chrysler plan up in Detroit, drop all that stuff off, wait for them to load something back on. That was always fun. And then go do pickups through to Michigan before I went back down the date. So it was not very, it was not entertaining at all.

It was not enjoyable at all. I'm sure changing flats in the winter is a great feeling. Yeah, no doubt. We're getting stuck in a snowstorm. Were you one of the CB radio guys? Oh, yeah, back then, yeah. Did you have a name? I forget what it was now.

I did, but I really do forget what it was. And it wasn't Wink? No, no. And for you young people, Wink Martindale, very famous kind of cheesy game show host over the years. You are no relation, though I would watch you host a game show for sure. No, no relation. But name stuck.

Yeah, I know. It's good. I mean, there is an actress Margo Martindale that I've noticed in recent years. Yeah, that's my cousin. For real? As far as everyone knows, yeah. Oh, that's cool. No, it's not.

I just hopefully. It's your de facto cousin. So, okay, so the name Martindale, we've established, big in the trucking business at Ohio. Do you, like, how do they prep you for that? Do they give you, like, your first cup of black coffee when you're, like, six years old? Oh, there's no preparation for that. No preparation for that. Both my uncle and my dad have passed, but God love them.

They meant well. And any truck stop showers? Like, did you have to do that whole life? No, no, I was never overnight. No. Okay. Well, that's good. And, you know, I have met your wonderful wife, Laura, and she's great.

You clearly overachieved. No, no. How did you manage to get that done back in your early days? Really? She chased me, Mike. I can see that. I mean, I think anyone who's looking at the screen right now sees. I'm just kidding.

Honey, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. They see two guys right now who clearly our beautiful wives chased us. I mean, I just don't think there's any doubt. No doubt. No doubt. I hope neither one of them are listening. I just, it was one of those things.

I was dating one of her friends. She went to the rich school and I went to the poor school. And I was dating one of her friends. And then I met her and we did. Well, I liked her. She didn't like me for good, for good. reason but it was one of those things that we just kept talking and then we went out and she I married her when she was 20 years old I was 22 and she's 20 wow and you know that's one of

the tough parts you were talking about being up here in New York is this is the first time in my coaching career you know we've been married 37 years it's the first time my coaching career that we haven't been together you know every day and that's that's tough it's like best way to explain it's like every every game's in a way game, you know, until she comes up here. It's a relaxer. You have a beautiful, beautiful place in Maryland where the dogs can run around. You can drink amazing red wine out on the deck. Although if you, when you drive up to visit, you might, you know, your, you know, your bravery is tested when those dogs come out to greet you. But yeah, no, I can understand why she would want

to hang there and, you know, obviously. But yeah, that's got to be tough. You guys have been through so much together. You know, what kind of sacrifices has she had to make as a coach's wife? Well, I think we've moved in, I want to say, 18 times. Whoa. You know, where the whole family moved. And then, you know, we were in Baltimore for 10 years. So that was like Maryland's like home to my kids because that's where we were at the longest. It was usually three years go to go to a better job. Three years go to a better job. And, you know, like when we were Denver, we moved three times. We were there for three years. We moved three times in three years because one place we were renting, the guy wasn't making the house payment. So they foreclosed on it. So we had to move it. But it's all

turned out really well. That's awesome. When you were working at the University of Cincinnati, wasn't you making some like non-livable wage at the time? Yeah, that is, there was two things that were pivotal in my career. One is when I was a high school teacher and coach, I really enjoyed it. I was living my dream. And then I said, I wanted to coach college football. So, well, the way to get into college football is work summer camps. Well, at that time, I was a big Lou Holtz fan.

So I would write a letter. know, to coach Holtz and say, I want to work your football camp. Well, I didn't realize that you got to have recruits as a high school coach. Then they bring you up to work the camp. You bring the recruits. I didn't realize how that worked. So there was two years that I got turned down. And the third year, I told Laura, I said, hey, look, they said I'm going to be working the Notre Dame camp, which I, they turned me down again. But I just went out there. And I met Skip Holtz going in about about 5.30 in the morning in South Bend. He said, hey, coach, what can I do for you?

I said, well, I'm here to work at football camp. He said, come on in. So he's looking through his list of coaches. And he says, I'm sorry, coach. I don't have your name on the list. I said, that's okay. I'll volunteer. He goes, no, you won't.

I'll pay you. And after that, I worked there three more years. And Skip and I, you know, became really good friends. And he and his wife, Jennifer, had us up guests, you know, for games and all that stuff. And then he got the job at the University of Connecticut and calls me up and says, I want you to be my outside linebacker coach. I said, great, I'm there. So I resigned from my teaching position.

I'm packing up my car. And it's a snowstorm. I remember it just like it was yesterday. And my daughter, I believe, was four at the time. And she said, Dad, phone. Because Laura answered the phone. And so I go in there and it's, hello, Don, this is Lou Holtz. So I'm thinking somebody's busting my chops, right?

I'm like, yeah, okay. No, I'm serious. This is Lou Holtz. I'm like, yes, sir. I think I can do more for you than Skip. Why don't you come on up here? Yes, sir. So I was driving to Connecticut, get the call right before I leave.

Then I go to, you know, call Skip. He goes, yeah, I know. I went out to dinner. I made a mistake about bragging about you. So he said he was going to hire you. He said, you got to go. Good luck. And I'm like, thanks.

Well, then two years later, everything was great there at Notre Dame, working for coach holds. Two years later, there's no jobs. And there for a while it was like, Lou was just turning out head coach after head coach after head coach. So there was no jobs. And Rick Minter calls me and said, I don't have any money this year,

but I will next year. And it was like, I think it was like, $4,000 and I had a wife and two kids. Laura obviously was working. That was a tough time. That year was a tough time. But when I took that job is where I met Rex, Ryan, who was the defense coordinator.

John Harbaugh was Special Team's coordinator, running back coach, assistant head coach. This is in 96. And there was a lot of guys, you know, like Sam Pittman, the head coach at Arkansas was on that staff. There's a lot of guys that went on. and did some big things. And, you know, just like Rick's son, Jesse's doing in Michigan. Right now as a defensive coordinator.

It's just, it was really cool. I love how you talked yourself into a camp job by just showing up and saying you're a volunteer. And then I like how Lou just decided to pilfer from his own son. I know. That was Lou, though. Yeah. And you were teaching in high school, when you were coaching, you were teaching economics, I believe.

Yeah, business education. And biking and biking to work. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How was your, how was your experience as a teacher? Were you good teacher?

I loved it. I loved it. I still, I think that's a big part of what I do and how I do it today. I mean, Mike, we've done all kinds of things back then. It was, you know, like I had a back then, it was chalkboard. not grease boards, and I had one of those nerve hoops you put on the door. Well, because I was a football coach and a baseball coach, I had all the discipline problems in my room. They'd send them, you know, this kid's acting up and home X, so he's going to be in macro economics.

But I'd have the hoop up, and I did that for a couple reasons, is because instead of kids milling around in the hallway, a lot of my students would get to class early, and they'd be shooting on the nerve hoop. But the main reason why I did it was, so we're in class, and instead of a kid being embarrassed that he didn't know the question, he'd say, Mr. Martin, I'm going to go to the line because I had a key and a foul line with the hoop.

I'm going to go to the line. And if they've made the shot, they could pass their question onto their buddy. All right. And if they miss the shot, I would just tell them the page the question's on. And they got to write that paragraph and turn it in before they leave. So we had that going. We had, we had our Fridays. And I got all the initials, ADD, I have all those initials. I'd have soft music on on Friday.

I'd have, you know, what chapters, the next chapter. Because I know I wasn't a very good student. and I hated tests on Fridays and Mondays just like all of us did. So I'd either have a test on Tuesday or Thursday. So Friday, we'd start the next chapter. And back then, you know, on Thursday, I'd post their grades. So if the class averaged over 75% in the mornings, I'd bring donuts for that class, or if in the afternoons, I'd get pizza.

So what's that do? All the smart kids are seeing the low scores of the, the other kids and they're trying to help them study, which was beautiful. I'm saying I did peer counseling there without even knowing about it back then. Oh, here's another one I did. As a teacher, you get evaluated by the principals. You know, they'd come around and one of them was classroom participation. So I told the kids, I said, now look, if you know the answer, raise your right hand.

If you don't know the answer, raise your left hand. I swear I won't call on you. So I got a classroom with kids going, oh, oh, oh. Come on, guys. You know, Susie'd be there in the back with the right hand up. Susie, very good, very good. You know, principal, Dale Starner, rest, he got arrested. So he gets in front of the faculty and he says, I don't know what you guys are doing,

but we got a young teacher and has a classroom full of kids that are participating better I've ever seen in my life. You got the right-hand left-hand thing, didn't you? I said, yep. But you haven't done that in NFL meetings yet. I've told the story. And then a couple guys will bust chops and go, oh, oh. If only I had teachers like that, that would have helped. So you got a job.

Your first NFL job was in Oakland, correct? Right, right. With the Raiders. Now you're working for a living legend. at the time, Al Davis, who, you know, was a very opinionated guy. He did ban me from the facility many times, full disclosure, although sometimes we did have good moments. But, you know, one of the things I'd heard at that stage was that Al was kind of

surrounded by certain people who would just say, yes, Al, and not tell him the hard stuff. I can't imagine you doing that. So what were your interactions like with, Mr. Davis. I don't know how it happened, but I loved working for Al Davis. And when he asked me a question, I would tell him what I think, you know, and, you know, and, you know, and, you know, have a discussion, you know, with him. And, I mean, he showed me, showed me the way, uh, especially when it come to the draft. That's why I have such deep passion for the draft is because working for Mr.

David's starting out. But he was a very important part of my growth, especially in the NFL. And he would pull me aside and say, what do you think about this? What do you think about that? I was there five years in Oakland, which was like what, would you say, 35 years for normal? Yes. Assistant coaches didn't last very long there. I guess that's the best way to put it.

Right. I think every year in that draft, he would get in a discussion with me in front of the staff, the coaching staff, the personnel department, you know, all the scouts. Because I think that I showed a way to respectfully disagree. And I think he did. I really do think he did it on purpose. And, you know, and there was just, there's so many great stories. You know, I remember one time this was one of the first combines he didn't go to when he started failing. in health.

One of his, I used to call them the vampires. Like all of a sudden, they'd show up and they'd be right there. One of his assistant guys would say, Mr. Davis is on the phone. And he'd say, I want you, what are you doing? I said, Mr. Davis, I'm at the way ins. You know, I was looking at the linebackers. I'm at the way ends, the highway. I want you to get down there on a 40 on the 10-yard line.

I want you to feel those wide receiver speed. Now, yes, sir. All right. and he wouldn't say goodbye, he just hang up, right? So I'm going down there, but, you know, now all these years later, I know exactly what he's talking about. You know, he went, that's a great thing about when we were working there in Oakland is we knew every player because we sat in on the offensive, you know,

you know, other things were left off because of it, you know, self-scout studies and things like that. But you knew every player that got drafted and you knew, you knew all those. players for the next, you know, five, six years. Oh, yeah, I remember him because this, this and this. And it was, it was just a great experience. I mean, I just can't tell you how good that experience was, Mike. When you would challenge him and back up what your thought was, and he disagreed, like, did it ever get funny? Like, how contentious it got, but respectful? I don't know what the rating is on this show, so I won't go in depth of some of the things he used to say. It's funny now. Sometimes it

wasn't, you know what I mean? But, but, uh, give us, give us a, uh, a taste with some bleep. So you can self bleep. All right. He would like after, you know, I would talk to him about like, he loved a player. And I said he's fast, but he's not very instinctive. I'd show him 10 plays. Okay.

Okay. So you don't like my guy, huh? No, sir. You know, like I said, it was respective discussions now. It wasn't like, you know, that's, you know, I was, I'd have the right words. Then he'd walk by me and just look at me and go, bleep.

And then keep walking. And we had one where it was the fourth round, and that's back when it was two days, you know, just Saturday and Sunday. We had the first pick in the fourth round. So all the scouts are coming up to me, you know, Mickey and all those guys, like, look, he's got his guy. He's been here all night. he's not in the mood.

No one say a word. We're sitting in there and it's quiet. Well, I got my guy. No one's saying a word. Does anybody else have anybody they want to draft? Because he said, it's Carlos Francis. You know, and Carlos could fly. Now, he was track.

He pulled hamstrings all the time. But it's just dead quiet. And I, and this was early. too. Yeah, this was early there. I think this is another reason why he took a liking to me. No one has anything, huh? Oh, well, I guess I'm the only one who wants to win around here. So I said, I have somebody, Mr. Davis, and Rob Ryan went, like, you broke the code. What are you doing? And I saw it because we, I was strategically sat back behind Mr. Davis. He would sit up, you know, up there. let me back here.

And I saw his shoulders, you know, he started laughing a little bit. Because, like, he knew everything. If he asked you a question, he already knew the answer. And I know he knew that everybody's going around there, hate man, don't say a word, be, you know. So who do you have? I said, DeMario Williams, linebacker from Nebraska.

So back then, I didn't know this. I had, you know, he said, do you have a tape? And one of the scouts says, I have a tape. Well, it was a kill tape. There was good tapes and there was killed tapes. It was the kill tape. In front of everybody, you know, in front of the, you know, once again,

in front of everybody, offense, the whole staff, personnel, there's this tape going on. I'm like, oh, my God. His worst moments. It's just his worst moments. This is a kill tape. Yeah, he said, yeah, I know it is, kid. Makes the selection.

This is. It's the first. year because there's another story to it too. Walks by me after he makes his pick, but makes his selection. I said, kid, I just couldn't turn down that. I know what they did to you there. That's a kill tape.

I liked DeMario, but I just couldn't turn down that speed. Yes, sir, Mr. Davis. And Rob's like, you lucky, at, you know. Yeah, you still have a job. Yeah, yeah. I'm like, hey, I had a guy. I had a guy.

I had a guy. I thought it was a good pick. And then remember the running back from Louisville? It broke his leg was going to be a Heisman winner. Michael Bush. Michael Bush. So another situation. This time it was Saturday, yeah, Saturday night before we left.

And he says, does anybody have anything? Once again, it's crickets. Because everybody just wants to leave. It's crickets. I do, Mr. Davis. What, Donnie. It brings joy to my heart. What, Donnie?

I said, I don't want to farm anybody else's land. But I've seen this kid play in high school. And if offense doesn't want him at running back, I'll take him at linebacker. We need to draft Michael Bush. This guy is a stud. And then, you know, you'd have to wait for a year. But, huh.

That's interesting. Tom, because Tom Ratham was running back coach time. You know anything about? Yes, sir. I do, Mr. Davis. Make me a tape. I said, I already have a tape right here. Because I wasn't going to get God again.

No kill tape. No kill tape. And the next day, we drafted him. Yeah. That's, yeah. That's like I said, that's the cool part that I'll never forget about work for Mr. Davis. If you believed in something, you said it.

And I took plenty of beatings from him, too, now. You know that, like all the coaches do. And certain journalists, definitely. 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. in probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hart 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, Cliver 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. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021.

And I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became. one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA.

Listen to the 1021 podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, yeah. Wallet on my mind, this is kind of a switch. But, you know, you guys went to London and played the Packers. That was the first time, by the way, two teams with winning records that ever faced off in London. So big,

big moment for the Brits. And everyone's going to kind of, you know, people will remember that you guys won. And I referenced blitzing Aaron Rogers and Hail Mary and stuff. But it turns out the most memorable image from that game was something else. And that was one of your, it was your nickel back, great kid, Darnay Holmes.

on the sideline was, well, I don't know what he was getting, but what was going on? And when you saw that video that came out of him on the sidelines, what was your reaction? Well, the serious reaction is that there was something wrong with his groin. It was tightening up. It appeared that there was a groin involved. It was from behind the video.

So he even said, let's go to the blue tent. Well, I don't know exactly what the rule is, but there's something about you can't take them to the blue tent unless there's, I don't know if it's a head injury or head neck. I don't know what it is. But, you know, so he said, no, we'll just do it right here. So then we didn't even get on the plane yet that that was already. I mean, Twitter is brutal.

It's brutal. Undefeated and brutal. So I'm just glad I wasn't anywhere around that. Thank you. Right, because that's a rough day of work. I mean, you know, you're a part of the training staff for an NFL team. Right. But now you've got to get a player's groin right.

Well, and you're trying to get them right back on the field so they don't miss any snaps, too. You want the blood to flow. Stop it. So you're going to be, I mean, so I'm just saying, so from behind the video, like, first of all, it didn't help Darnay that, you know, his pants were kind of pulled down. So there was some, stop it. There was some exposure there. But you're saying, you're saying it was just the groin.

Nothing. It wasn't necessarily anything higher than the groin. Okay. Yes. All right. So literally you guys are on the bus when that started coming out? Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, they're passing around a plane and everything.

It was pretty funny. It must have been a hell of a bus ride. Luckily, you won so you could really enjoy. No doubt. No doubt. That, I have such respect for Aaron Rogers. That was a really cool game to be a part of. And like I said, I just had so much respect for him.

I just hope that they help him out as long as I'm not playing against him. No doubt. Yeah, I know you guys have this great mutual respect then going. It's cool. Like me, you tend to bond with the people who have the very extreme personalities who are considered kind of, you know, the word saps of the world, right? Like, so I know one of your all-time favorite guys is Marcus Peters. Right.

I covered a preseason game where I believe he took over for you. He was not playing. He took over for you and ran the defense of the second half. Yes, he did. That's where he doesn't get enough respect. Everybody wants to talk about whatever besides his, he is a football savant. He really is. And from the corner position, you don't see that very often.

You know, you see a lot of guys, you know, the great ones that, you know, can make plays out there and they study receivers, he studies the game. And I just, I love Marcus Peters. He's a good man. And, you know, I sure do miss, you know, being around it. But that was a tough one after we played the Raven seeing him. I made sure I made that a quick. I love you.

Keep walking. I'd have got too emotional. So when you gave him the headset and had him run the D, he's on the sideline with you. Well, I kept the communication part. He'd just tell me what call he wanted. How'd he do? Well, he shut him out. Shut him out.

Well, see, and the record before that was Weddell. Weddell had three series of three, three and outs. Whoa. So after, you know, I'd say, you want to go again? Yeah, I'll go again. You know how Mark says, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then he's like, I'm finishing it. You know, I'm like, all right. But, you know, there's different guys that you didn't hear about, you know, like SIS was calling plays. And they started gaining yards on SIS. And he just like threw the call sheet at me. He said, I don't want to do this. You do it. You know, Siz, when I first met Siz, we were, I was doing a workout story in Southern California.

It was him and some other guys. He was very early in his career. And President Obama, he had just become president, had given a speech in Arizona State. And it was controversial because normally when someone comes and gives the graduation speech, they give them an honorary degree. But they had not given President Obama the honorary degree. So it became a thing.

And I remember it came up at breakfast and Ciz said, Man, they didn't give him a degree. I went to Arizona State. I passed my classes. He goes, that MFer went to Harvard. They should give him five degrees. And, you know, just hearing him cloud his own school was amazing. So, yeah, I can see how CIS.

That's another smart football player. Right. So smart football player, but maybe didn't have the patience to, you know, you said you have all the initials. I can see CIS not having the patience to think through an entire, you know, series of if it didn't work. But it's too early to do here, you know what I mean? Because we're just putting in a new system. But the reason why I do that is so you can, you know, they're sitting on the back of that plane saying, I would have called this or I'd have called that.

Then you have those guys that actually call it and say, whoa, whoa, whoa, not as easy as to think. you know what I mean? And yeah, you know, and it's, you know, the guys that know the system real well like Marcus and Weddell did. And then Sizz did too. Like I said, CIS is a football savant as well. And he just knows how to play POSOM. I'd love to extend that to beat writers and columnists too and TV analysts. Because, you know, many of us think we know scheme now.

That's I've noticed. I actually know that I don't, but I feel like a lot of my peers more than when I broke in are kind of presenting themselves as like experts on scheme and strategy. So, you know, if you ever like, you know, you won a couple Super Bowls as a head coach and you're feeling like super secure and you want to just bring down some media people to call a preseason game, I'd love to see that. Oh, that would be good, wouldn't it? I'd be like,

Siz, what do I call? Hey, Marcus. So you're a fantasy league owner, huh? Let's see. See, if you know, he's worth it. I think also it would be fun to see media people try to give coaching points to NFL players in the heat of battle. You know, I think that might not be received, you know, quite as well. But there's a lot of great people in this, in this profession.

I mean, there really is. You know, I've gotten to know you, for example. It's just, it's, you know, it's one of those things that it's always easier to do, just like it would be for me, right, you know, like you think you would be able to do it, like what we're doing right now, but who knows? I wouldn't know what questions to ask. I just do what we're doing is just things that you and I've talked about before and everything else. Well, I do feel like people who are the,

themselves in any context, which I would describe you exactly that way. It helps because then there's no variability. Like if you're a TV person and you sound like this on television, but then when you're off TV, you sound like this, it kind of freaks people out. But if you, I just tried when I was on TV a lot to just be me on TV. Oh, you can tell it too. Yeah. And it's not for everyone.

Just like in person, it's definitely not for everyone. here's what it is. You know why it's not for everyone? Because not everybody's comfortable in their own skin like we are. Right. All right. You think this, all right. You know what I mean?

I'll prove you wrong. You know, it's just, okay. I would say that and the natural beauty that we both possess. Again, male models. Yeah, male models. I mean, call us, you know, we have to be in the Husky division of male models now. But back of the day, I was straight male model. Yeah.

And the reason you're in the. Husky Division, as you said, is because you live in one of the great food cities, if not the greatest of the world. No doubt. And you're about to get a bunch of free meals, I think. I mean, look, I don't know what you, like, when you just were secretly, like, what could this team be this year record-wise? But, you know, the fact that you got to six in general, I think is, like, pretty exciting.

And it's going to get higher. Yeah. I think that the credit goes to players. those guys, it's re-energize me, Mike, coming here and being with just a new group of guys, you know, the change itself, bringing some of my guys, you know, with me from Baltimore, Drew and Kevin Wilkins. I got Johnny Eggs, who was with me when I was a linebacker coach there. And I've known Brian Cox and Dre Patterson forever and Jerome Henderson, our secondary coach.

He was here on the previous staff. I mean, he is a rock star. So, you know, the players play hard and the coaches are all standing on even keel like I do during the game. Something bad happens. We just say, okay, here's how we got to fix it. Let's go do it. And they just keep answering the bell. And it's really fun to watch.

It really is. I love it. Okay, I got a couple quick ones for you because you've been amazing. And you probably have to actually go do some game planning. Yeah, it's fast for it. First of all, you said before you played Joe Burrow last year, you said, hey, it's not like we're measuring him for a gold jacket yet, which was accurate. He was very young. He seemed to like he got all fired up about that.

Have you guys hugged it out yet? Oh, yeah. Yeah, we hugged it out this year in preseason. Because they, you know, what do you, what does the media call it a throwaway line? Yes. Okay. It was a throwaway line after they explained to me what a throwaway line. after they explained to me what a throwaway line was.

We were talking about Aaron Rogers and Devante. And, you know, about Aaron said that I gave him a coverage, you know, that he hasn't ever seen before, you know. And like you already said, the mutual respect we have for each other. And then another guy chirps in and said, are you going to do the same thing for Joe Burrow? Well, I was in the middle of a sentence talking about Aaron Rogers is going to be a first ballot hall of four.

same quarterback. And then when he said it, I just said, well, I don't think we're getting ready to measure Joe for a gold jacket yet, but they have talented receivers. You know, he's really picked up the offense his second year. You know, I said it like four other things complimenting Joe Burrow. Well, what comes out is we're not ready to fit him for a gold jacket yet. And he used it just like I do. You know, I mean, every, I think every coach and every player that's worth anything in this league finds a reason to not like somebody that Sunday, you know, in preparation. And, you know, we've always viewed ourselves as underdogs as far as I'm saying we as coaching staff.

And I have definitely as a defensive coordinator. And I think that's what that's what keeps my edge. Yeah. And you are getting more media savvy. And the way I knew that was, first you had a line talking about last year where you said, learned don't go to DoorDash to get backup cornerbacks, which, you know, you guys were very injury ravaged. But then my favorite was you did blitz in a preseason game against the Patriots, which

some coaches really don't like. And Belichick kind of said something about it. And you were going to get asked about it the next day. And you were getting ready to play the Bengals. And amazingly, you had the greatest possible line picked out to use multiple times, which was we're on to Cincinnati. So you're getting there, man. You're going to be pretty good at this. Yeah. Yeah. The, um, I, sometimes I get accused of not respecting punters. And what I always say is, it's not that I don't respect punters. It's just that I respect them way less than the other 52.

Sorry, that's just me. Um, kickers, I respect more, but, you know, kickers are still kickers. But you were with a kicker who, I mean, Justin Tucker is ridiculous, you know, probably the best who's ever done it. Is he also the cockiest who's ever done it? I think he might be the smartest that's ever done it. And I think he uses his personality to do things like World Farm commercials and things like that. I think he's very confident in me as well as he should be.

because he sticks to his routine. And, you know, the biggest thing stands out is he's got a new long snapper and a new holder this year, and he's still kicking as well as he ever has. But I've been fortunate to be around a lot of good punters and kickers throughout my career. We had Seabas and Leckler out there and Sam and Justin Tucker there and Baltimore, Sam Cooke and Justin Tucker and, you know, Condo was a long snapper. for some reason, I just, I love being around those guys. I think the biggest reason is, is because most of them are golfers.

And we talk golf instead of kicking and instead of football. And it's just a break for me when I'm out on the field and special teams and all that stuff. I talk to them about that kind of stuff. You know, you're a guy who I think is finally going to get some head coaching hysteria, hopefully, if it keeps going like this. You know, I know a lot of coaches who are just like, I'm not going to think about it. I'm just going to put my head down and try to do good work. And if it happens, it happens. And then you and I both know coaches who, you know, are thinking about it all the time,

even when they're GA's and they're, you know, 23. Kind of where are you with that? How do you feel about, you know, wanting to be a head coach and whether it'll happen? I think earlier in my career, you know, I was one of those. younger guys that said, you know, I got to be a head coach. I got to be a head coach. I've, through my experience, I think that you're, wherever you're at is where you're supposed to be.

And, you know, and that's how I feel because there's just so many variables that go into it. You know it from governing at all that, you know, that it just, you just don't know. It's a different league today is what it was, you know, 10 years back, you know, and It's one of those things that, you know, if you get the opportunity, you grasp it and take off with it, just like Dave has here. Hire the best staff you can hire, and great things can happen. And, you know, like you said, we're just in the infant stages of building a program here. And it's been a lot of fun doing it. Well, I love it.

And I am anxious to see it in person one of these weeks. It will, you know, I will never be able to figure out what you guys are doing and how this turned around. And whatever secrets you and Dave's. Hey, don't even, don't even question it. Just go with it. Exactly. Whatever you and Joe and Dave's and company or whatever sorcery. Mark is a rock star too now.

Yeah, right. He is a rock star. Yeah, I hear that actually. So, yeah, whatever you guys have going, just, um, I don't know if I should say this at the end, but keep massaging it, you know, like a guy on the side line. Why do you have to go back to that, Mike? There you go. It's just so easy.

Twitter remains undefeated. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mike. 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 Mike. 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.

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 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 what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. 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.