The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Open Mike - Joe Montana on being traded to Kansas City, Brock Purdy's elbow, crashing a race car

Episode Date: February 5, 2023

Legendary San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs QB Joe Montana joins Mike Silver to discuss the highs and lows of Montana’s Hall of Fame career. Montana looks back at his final game at Candlestick Park, playing as a backup to Steve Young, being traded from the 49ers to the Chiefs, and how the rules during his era allowed defenders to intentionally injure quarterbacks and ultimately led to many of his 27 surgeries. They also discuss Brock Purdy’s elbow injury, who the 49ers should play at QB next season, and how he nearly died when he crashed a race car into a tree, and how fans can purchase some of his own prized memorabilia. #volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills 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 Cliford show on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast, And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Joey Dardano.

And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hippocrite Wednesdays on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Volume. Well, way back before I was a big-time podcaster at The Volume, I was a rookie beatwriter, 24 years old, working for a now-defunct newspaper called the Sacramento Union, covering one of the greatest football teams, if not the greatest of all time. the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. I got thrown in. I wore a giant straw hat at training camp. It was nicknamed Huck Finn and was a complete idiot. Didn't know what I was doing at all. And so very nice people there took pity on me, including the quarterback.

You did upgrade to a nice leather looking hat at one point. See, this is why, so Joe Montana, he, He's done a few things on the football field, but people don't understand the recall that he has. And that's an incredible note. I did start out with a ridiculous straw hat. There were a series of them that got bigger. I was like full sombrero. This is in Rockland where it was very hot.

I did actually go leather. And you were often wearing a helmet, though not always. Yeah. Yeah. You can tell by my hair today. And I do actually vividly remember the first time. that we ever talked up in Rockland, you would go to the pool between practices, which was behind the locker room.

Yeah. And I'd be screwed around going off the high dive, you know. And we were able to have conversations that weren't like, hey, on that third and seven throw, were you trying to throw to Jerry? And it was good. So how are you, man? Good to have you. Good, yeah.

It's good to be here. Everything's going good. looking forward to the big game coming up and everything's going good. Looking for a new granddaughter, a grandson on the way now, coming up here in the next few weeks. Awesome. Be number three.

And yeah, it's just been fun down here. You know, watching these guys hit the golf ball like I wish I could here. You're down at Pebble Beach, the epicenter of the golf world right now. Yeah, that's awesome. Amazing. I have so many topics to get into.

I will start with the Super Bowl because you brought it up. You are, you know, of course, so much of your career was associated with the 49ers, but you are a proud former Kansas City Chief as well. Is it easier for you when they're not playing each other and you can just go go-ho for the Chiefs? I just wear red when they play each other, right? And then who you both, I got my red on, right? It doesn't matter. But, yeah, no, I mean, it's always fun to see them play each other.

That would be great. You know, how bad it was for the 49ers with all the injuries, like, in that game all of a sudden, didn't even have a shot. And I think I could have thrown some passes better than birdie at that point in time. And they're throwing back in the game after Josh got a concussion. I might not have been able to avoid the rush. I feel like you could have probably thrown slants. Yeah, I've done a couple things.

I actually was throwing balls. We were doing an event. Me and Steve Bono and J.T. John Taylor. We were in the Pasadena in the Rose Bowl doing an event playing this thing called Catch a Pass. So we were throwing passes. And we said, okay, we're only coming.

We got to put the game on, and they put it up on the Jumbotron. And so we got to watch the game while we were doing this up on the Jumbotron. Rose Bowl. So it was, you know, hey, bones can still throw it. Not so much about me, but bones being it. Yeah. And for people who remember the late 80s, John Taylor catching passes in Southern California probably brings back some PTSD for RAM fans.

Unbelievable. You know, football's not like every other sport. even now, when the rules have been changed drastically, but even now you can cleanly knock out the quarterback of the other team. And if it's in an elimination game, that usually helps your chances of victory greatly. You know, you obviously experienced that twice in playoff games. We'll take them one at a time since we're going down memory laid.

In 1986, you're playing the New York Giants at the Metalands. your future teammate Jim Bert hit you right up in here and then I think your head hit the frozen Astrochardt. Yeah. It's just how funny like one little thing really triggers a concussion like that.

I mean, you look at it and you watch it and you go, oh, it didn't look like he hit it that hard, but it's weird. If you hit it in the right spot, you're done. And out you go. and you know, they didn't, you know, I probably could have gone to the sidelines at some point and tried to come back in like they did back then,

but, you know, nowadays, as soon as that happens, you know, you're done. See you. Do you remember it? I don't remember. I remember the hit part of it, and then after that I don't. From that point until some point in the ambulance before we got to the x-rays and stuff.

it was when I kind of start remembering things. And then you heard the score and your head probably started hurting even more. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Well, I think the past, like it was picked off and run back for touchdown too. That's what they said. Man.

What I saw. Did you and Jim ever, you guys were both so funny and you were on the team to get, you ever joke around about it? Yeah, no, but you know what? If you look at the hit, it wasn't a vicious hit. It wasn't like he was, it wasn't like he took me down in

in the ground and trying to plant me. And then he just hit me and I got off balance. And when the court of exercise were stupid in some cases, they call you smart, but we always want to watch the dang throat. Right? So you try to keep your head up. And then what happens is your body hits.

And then your head is still looking up. And then as your body hits, then your head goes, boom. And it gets a whiplash into the turf. And so that's all that happened. And yeah, I didn't hold anything against Jim at all. No, we laughed about it. out a bunch of times.

And in fact, even with him and he would fit with Sims and Parcell, too, same thing. We laugh about it all the time. I'm not such a fan of the other one. So in 1990, I'll set the scene for you young ones. Joe had just won his second regular season MVP, I think, in a row. He had won the two previous Super Bowls was coming off maybe the greatest performance at Super Bowl history before or since. And the 49ers were the number one seed hosting the NFC championship game, trying to

win three in a row, which has never been done against the Giants. Great rivalry. It had had an epic regular season game. You threw a touchdown to John Taylor, put the 49ers ahead. It was a very tight game. And then I can still picture it looking down at Candlestick, Leonard Marshall came off the blind side and why don't you take it from there yeah you know it was so funny i got fleshed out of the pocket and to my right and i the funny thing was is i just dodged l t right so and i see jerry down the

field and i as i i stepped to throw the ball lernar marshal was coming he was playing the other defensive man and so he had come at a full speed rush and i basically backed up right into him coming full speed and and he hit me in and then he had it he had his hand in my hand, and when we hit the ground, and just kind of ripped back on my hand, and it ended up breaking my hand in that. But, yeah, I mean, if you can get the quarterbacks out of the games, you know, he's still even today, it makes a big difference.

Yes. I mean, that's always, I remember you telling me, because people didn't really know about the hand part. You had a sternum thing and a chest thing, and, you know, you look miserable. You'd been hit really, really hard. but just to yeah i my chest hurt so bad from being compressed into the ground because i tore some ligaments in the in my sternum area and i didn't even know my hand was broken that's what that's

a that's what bad it yeah and so letter marshall just as just to make sure had the hand to going down and decided to uh put his hand on the scale yeah just a little bit uh and that's a crazy thing because steve young would have started that Super Bowl. Of course, L.T. forced to fumble or recovered a fumble forced by Eric Howard at the end. They got a field goal. And, well, okay, that brings us to our next topic, which is also related to the last 49er game that was played, the elbow. So I hate to do this to you, but Brock Purdy just tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow after the hit from Hassan Reddick. There's a lot of talk about it might be six months. You have way too much experience with elbow injuries and

absences. You know, what do you think? Yeah, I tore my I tore my pronator off. So it's not as bad as that. And so they just reattach that. And what any time you're doing the ligaments and that, if I don't know if that's the exact Tommy John injury because I don't know that, but from You know, when you get into something where you're putting that much stress on your elbow all the time as a baseball pitcher does or as a quarterback does, you know, that ligament takes a lot of brunt. And I don't think I've ever seen the quarterback get hit to where they tore that leg of it. So it's kind of a freaky accident to happen. But from my understanding, you know, they're saying that if it is and while, Medicine's gotten a lot better and rehab.

They still say that he may not even make next year. So now it puts the four hours in kind of a strange predicament, you know, with the other two guys. Yeah, it really does. We'll get to that in a sec because I want to stay on the elbow. So for people who weren't aware in training camp in 1991 coming off that second MVP in a row, you suffered your elbow injury, ended up having surgery, and missed the entire season.

I think what compounded that, Mike, I had hit the season before or two seasons before. I had had tendonitis on the elbow, so I was getting shots before every game. That cortisone, they say, just eventually tears down the tendon

or the ligaments or ligaments or whatever. and it got to the tendon that held that to the bone. And I was just playing catch at training camp with. I remember Dave Weamer, who I played with in other night. And right before in one of those started, one of the practices in training camp, and I just felt something go. And every time I threw, I could feel it wasn't right. And then so they went and did a little check on it in the end,

and tore it all the way off the bone. And I'll never forget, so you missed the entire season. The 49ers ended up rallying and went 10 and 6th, but did not make the playoffs, had a rough year. Our buddy, Steve Bono, had some really nice moments in relation to Steve Young. Steve Young won the passing title, and so the next year, coming back to trading camp, it was kind of being talked about as a competition, although, you know, it was always weird. with you guys. And I'll never forget the day in Rockland

when you came off during a practice and you did not look happy at all. And something had happened to the elbow again. Yeah, I thought we had taken care of it initially. And when they did that, they stapled the drill holes in your bone and then they pushed the tendon. First they had to sew it back together. Then they push it back through the hole in the bone.

Then they staple it on the back. And one of the staples was every time I threw would zing my hand like you hit, like your funny bone on your elbow. You know how you get that thing? That's what would happen every time I threw. So they went in to take that staple out. And while they were taking the staple out,

they accidentally hit the owner nerve and dead in my hand. So these two fingers had no grip strength. So I couldn't hold on to the ball. So that's what really took me longer than anything to come back was that part of the injury, not so much the injury itself. And they were trying to fix, you know, that little take that thing out of there. But, yeah, and then it took a while to come back after that. Yeah, because I hear the word older with Purdy, and I remember the older nerve. That's how I learned what it was.

And so, okay, so he, Joe ends up missing the entire 92 Cs. But back then, you could come off IR seamlessly. And at the end of the season, the 49ers were the number one seed and had clenched it. And they were going to play one last Monday night game at home that didn't mean anything to the Niners. Bill Musgrave, who they was a young quarterback and they wanted to hold on to, they decided to give him arthroscopic surgery on his knee that may or may not have been medically necessary. necessary. I think Bill would probably say, was maybe pushing it a little bit in terms of, but be that as it may, the kind of the world knew that you were going to play the second half.

Steve Young, who was the MVP that year, played the first half. And the second half, you came out and, you know, one of the most chilling moments ever at Candlestick, because if nothing else, you know, these people that you had brought so much pleasure to were going to say goodbye. And you came in, you threw a touchdown pass, you looked like you, and then you threw one more at the end that, you know, the offensive coordinator at the time has told me the story about how George Seifert, the head coach, was not happy that a run had been changed to a pass. That coordinator was Mike Shanahan. But I'll tell you who was happy, like 65,000 people. 65,001 or two. Me and generally.

What do you remember? Did George get mad at you or just mad at Mike? I think he just got mad at Mike. You could see him throw down the headsets on the sideline video because he was upset. But, you know, I thank Mike. Every time I see Mike, I thank him again over and over for changing that to a pass. Just for people who might not understand the backdrop, why would George have been mad that his quarterback

threw a touchdown pass? He didn't really want me to leave, but he didn't want me to play. So if you feel one touchdown, you know, it's okay. Yeah, it makes sense in a quarter and a half. But if you're throwing two in the game, you know, even though we knew it didn't mean a lot to us. It meant a lot to me.

in it. It also still meant a lot to the team in Detroit, you know, those guys. So it was just a big difference for me when I went to go other places to have a,

you know, a video that showed that, you know, we're, no, and I throw one, but I threw two and,

you know, could have thrown a couple more, probably, played more of the game. But it is what it is. And I thank Mike all the time. What's your, arm all the way back because I know you know those two years in Kansas City you were really

really good you got to the conference championship game you got back to the playoffs what was your arm it was back it was back I don't either like or somewhere around halfway through the season oh wow yeah I just never got a chance to get back on the field interesting okay so I've never really talked to you about this but one of the weird things is that so now it's that 19 92 playoffs. Steve Young is quarterbacking in the playoffs for the first time. It's a big deal.

But you were the backup. You were standing right there including that famous 92 NFC championship game against the Cowboys with you know, doing whatever backups do. But I mean that's a really

weird thing. It wasn't like, oh, Joe's not healthy. You were you were you. what was that experience like for you that Dallas game? It was hard in ways because, you know, if that would have been switched, they'd take me out, right? And instead, they continue to let him play. And I never ever got a chance again to get back on the field

because I don't think he wanted me to see that I might be able to do something else, you know, against the Cowboys. But that's just my feeling. but you know you look at the games where in playoff games where I got taken out of where we were behind games a lot of times where we come back to win late in games

so why do you take me out it's hard to understand the whole situation was kind of crazy once Bill left it's a great point because in 1987 you guys were the number one seed you played the Vikings at home and it was not a great day for anyone on the team at the time. They had a great pass rush, and you did ultimately get taken out of that game.

That was Steve's first year. And I think people who freak out right these in this era about quarterback awkwardness and controversies, I want you to understand. We have Joe here who is the best who's ever done it. And we have Steve Young, who's a first ballot hall of favor, on the same team for six years, six years. Yeah, it was hard. 87 to the hard part about 87.

You can understand a little bit, maybe, but that's the year I came back from my back surgery. Yeah. So I don't know. They thought something else was going on. I weighed about a buck 85 at this time. So I remember our offensive line coach, Bob McHickrigg was, begging the offensive linemen

don't everybody gets fined a hundred bucks if somebody hits it I miss I miss Bob McChick so the famous the famous game in Philly in 89 which was the third regular season game I ever covered where you got sacked six times in the first half and I think eight overall

and came back from way down against the Eagles and won but there's a the famous story is the offensive linemen are waiting to get just reamed out because you keep getting hit. And Bob gathers them around and he looks at them and says, hey, if anybody knows any prayers, if you know the Lord's prayer, you might want to say it now. And he looks at Harris Barton, who's Jewish, and says, and Harris, if you know any Jewish prayers,

you might want to say those too. He was fun to be around. He was, there was only one of those. No doubt. You went through the elbow thing and ultimately were the same. We're hoping that Brock Purdy, when he's back, whether it's six months like they're hoping or a year, looks like he did in these eight games, nine games. What do the 49ers do?

Because before that championship game, it was going to be Purdy next year. on a rookie contract. That Trey Lance probably would have hug around and been the backup unless they got a great trade offer. But what do you do if you're them now? Well, I start Jimmy. I mean, if you look at how many games is Jimmy won?

I mean, you know, for the longest time, yeah, questions were out with Jimmy for a while. But the one thing he's been able to do is win games for those guys. And yeah, he'll make a mistake here and there, but you know, some of those things, you know, I don't just put on Jimmy. Like, you don't call a seven-step drop on from two-yard line and put him back there in the back of that end zone.

And the minute you feel pressure as a quarterback, the first thing you're going to do is your first step is going to be try to retreat to make room. And it happens, happened to almost everybody that you stepped out of the back of the end zone, but don't put him there, right? And, yeah, he made crazy throw and mistake in the playoff game a couple years ago, but he has won a lot of games. I can't say the same for Trey, right? You don't know that from him.

So I think you got to, I, you know, this is me. I don't go down there. I don't hang around down there. So this is just my thoughts. You start the guy who's won all the games for you, right? You got to figure out the backup situation with Trey. Is Trey know the offense well enough, or is he meant for that offense or not? And I think that's the biggest decision they have.

But me, I don't think it's hard. I think you just start Jimmy. Well, the only, the hard part is that Jimmy has a no franchise tag clause and he's a free agent. So you got to really show him the love to try to get him back. Yeah. I mean, I agree. But I think, I think when they started trade, I think that was that was a test. of Trey, not of Jimmy.

You know, unfortunately, you know, for Jimmy getting hurt, you know, he still won a lot of games before he got hurt, right? And so he put him in that position to be able to go on that run to begin with. So I don't know. I don't see an issue with it myself, but that's just me. And nothing against Trey, but he just doesn't have the game experience underneath of them to have, and they got a good team. They had a good defense and they got a good off.

I mean, you're not, you're, you handed a guy, a team, sort of like somebody else I know got handed a good team. So, other than two and 14 when I got. So they, uh, you just, you know, you got to go to the guy who's been winning the games and gets the offense and, you know, go from there. So let's go back to, you know, you and Bill Walsh took the game to a different level with the, you know, the early West Coast offense stuff. And, you know, you guys went through a lot together. And in 1988, he was alternating you and Steve in one game he did it.

He did it alternating starts at times. And, you know, it was hard on you guys. I know you guys were very, very close later. How hard was it to stay, you know, in a good place with Bill as all that was going on? It was really hard. I mean, there was like there was no real reason to be what was going on was going on other than they were trying to appease Steve somehow. And they came not about appeasing people, right?

You know, yeah, he came in later on and played well. But that doesn't take away from what I had already done. and was doing and can and continue to do still after that. And that was the hardest part on me was, you know, I can understand. Everybody's going to have a bad year. But do you pull somebody because you have a bad up and down season? Everybody goes through that. I mean, take a look around the league.

Look at Aaron Rogers. Look, Brady. I mean, you can pick them all out, right? and say, look, not a good year, not a good year, not a good year. Do you come back? If they're on the same team, do they not start? Absolutely they start. But it's just, it was just a weird situation that whole time.

And it was just hard to stay focused as much as you want. Because a lot of, it made you play differently than what you normally play. Because you tried to do things that you wouldn't normally do, like in a game. So that was weird, but 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 Greg. 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 Clivert 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, I'm Jared Adano.

You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice

and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit.

Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Pulturra podcast network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 stream.

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. I remember after the 1990 season, obviously before you hurt the elbow, George Seaford had announced a plan to give Steve, maybe he hadn't announced it, but it had been reported that there was a plan to give Steve Young some designated starts in the 91 season. I didn't know what that meant, but imagine.

He was going to get to play all the easy teams. I was going to have to play all the tough ones. He's going to come out looking great. I'm going to be fighting my butt off to win tough games. And, yeah, I go, how is that fair? When I just had one of the best seasons I'd had, And I said statistically, I mean, it doesn't make sense to me because I can understand if I had a bad year and you were thinking about it. But his contract was up and they were trying to keep him.

That was the only reason. And he told me that. That's what he, oh, that's what George told you. Yeah, you were told me that. I'll never forget. So I have this vivid memory. It was mini camp. And I feel like it was 89 and it was my first year.

So it really was one of my first days ever at the facility in Santa Clara. And what it happened was the 40-nighters had tried to cut the salaries and maybe successfully cut the salaries of three esteemed veteran players. I believe it was Keita Turner, Eric Wright, Jim Fawn Horse, maybe. And Ronnie Lott, the great, your great friend, and one of the great players in history didn't take it well. And he boycotted the first day of minicamp to show his displeasure. And so there was a big media thing outside the locker room.

And afterwards, and I didn't really, you know, I was very new. I didn't know off the record, on the record, or like, if we were ever going to have real conversations. And I was just kind of hanging around. And I remember talking to Ronnie and Ronnie said, you know what, man, this business is so effed. He's like, they're going to do it to me someday too. And I said, they're not going to do it to you. You know, you're Ronnie a lot.

There's no way. And you walk by and you go and they're going to F me too someday. And I was like, yeah, right. And then sure enough, three years later, Joe Montana traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. So it taught me a lot. Yeah, no, it's crazy with some of the things they try to do. And, you know, they think because they can get away with and try to keep people. And guys, especially they know wanted to stay with the team.

But, you know, I mean, look at Kina. Kina was a huge incident. And E, right? I don't know, was that before after E's injury? I think it was. Because I know anything. I think he was playing still in 89, but then maybe the. That happened after that, yeah.

Yeah. But yeah, no, that was one of my wife's second favorite player. Well, it might be first, was he. So. Well, I'll tell you, she has great taste because, so full disclosure, I grew up a 49er fan in L.A. And I may or may not have been, you know, super, super happy when I was 16 years old. And they had that incredible season and won the first Super Bowl and all that. And so I was a huge E. Wright fan, you know, because he had this knack for getting to the man right as the football arrived.

If you remember, he's the real reason we didn't lose that the Cowboys after the catch with his touchdown saving tackle. Everybody forgets about that. Even the cowboy fans forget about that. I remember it hauntingly, but they had just outlawed tear away jerseys, I think. And he just would not let go of Drew Pearson. And then the next play, Pillars, forces the fumble, Stucky recovers, and then you're going like this. But, yeah, so, you know, I talk about how people were nice to me back when I was clueless. Eric was all, you know, he's from East St. Louis, very tough neighborhood.

And he used to say, Silver, where you from? You ain't got no dog in you. You ain't got no dog in you. And for five years, it was this running joke until, That day in 1994, you were gone when I came to a minicamp practice and I was like, I'm from Brett Wood, we got double homicides, we got bloody glasses. And, you know, I was yelling it around the locker room and everyone knew the joke because it had been five years of it.

And I was like, I'm hard, but yeah, no, Eric, one of the unsung heroes, you know, he won four Super Bowls. He was a rookie in 1981, great starter. and as you know, a complete, complete character. Oh, yeah, love it. You played with another one of my favorite humans in Kansas City, Derek Thomas, who, you know, the late great Hall of Favor and probably the social coordinator of the entire NFL at that point.

What a great player. You know what? That was another really, we should have won a football there easily. But, you know, we screwed up late in the season and we ended up losing a game we should have won. And instead of playing Buffalo and in Buffalo, that game cost us home field advantage. And it was 50 degrees in sunshine in Kansas City.

We'd already been Buffalo earlier in the year. And we had to go up there to play. And I don't know if you could do things, certain things. With balls, I had to try. But, you know, you get there and you. because I could not throw the ball from here to the window over there.

So you felt a little deflated out there? Yeah, just a little bit. This is amazing. So did you get knocked out of that game if I recall? Yeah, so that's another one you got knocked. I'm pretty sure it was that one.

Yeah, because I covered your last one the next year. That was the one. I got tackled to the side. And when I was going down, I hit my head on Ruth Smiths me and hit me right in the temple.

And, you know, concussions usually don't, I don't know, I can't ever remember feeling one except for that one. It felt like a lightning bolt went across my head. And I was like, oh, my God. I never felt anything like that. That's kind of what made me retire after the next year, you know, during that whole year, all I was thinking about was my health and the kids

and being able to play with them. and still had 27 surgeries in the end. But, you know, I still could do a little bit of things at that point in time. But yeah, that team was, there was one guy that reminded, might have been the only defensive back that might have been a better athlete than Eric Wright to me. And that's Dale Carter.

Oh, wow. What a freak of nature. Man. Yeah. What a player. And we had a huge secondary, too. I mean, we have, that was a good team. We had a team that should have won the sets.

It was one of those big. The game has changed a lot. And so it's kind of like when people ask me to compare basketball areas, I'm always like, what rules are you using? Are using the illegal defense and the two-man ISO stuff? Are you using today's spacing? And it's really the same with football and quarterbacks. And people don't really understand.

But you played in an era where defensive backs. could definitely do more coverage-wise. And you were fair game. You know, defenders got two steps after you released the ball. They could hit you here. They could hit you here. They could hit you in the knees. And you just said 27 surgeries.

And I've had this conversation with you. I've had it with Elway. I've had it with Marino and others. How when you watch how protected quarterbacks are today, You know, does it feel weird? Does it feel better? What, you know? I mean, actually, we watch the game and we enjoy the game, just like anybody else.

You know, sometimes you look at it a little bit different because I wouldn't, I can't even begin to think about Danny Marino playing in today's age. Oh, my gosh. I mean, look at all the things he did while he was playing. Man, I think he's the most unsung guy that anybody ever talks about him. what he accomplished. And, you know, during the tough time there, and his receivers weren't very big.

And granted, they were fast and quick, and they could do the things that they needed to do with him. But I just can't imagine how long he would have played. If you couldn't, you know, and, yeah, it's, it's fun to watch the game still today, but it is different. And you know what's so funny? It's like, you look at, I, for the longest time, I still look back to the guys who played.

that kind of distance before me. And look at the game then. Oh, my gosh. What they did in wide receivers back then, they saw them in jail today. I was having dinner about five years ago in Florida. I was having dinner about five years ago in Florida with Marino and a big group. And, you know, he's a Pittsburgh guy.

You know, Dan. He was a hold of a corner. One point we started talking about this. And I go, Danny, if you played under today's rules, How many yards would you have thrown for? And he kind of just looked over and he goes, oh, fucking luck. You know what?

They wouldn't, they had to back up the Brinks truck for Danny. Oh, man. I mean, do you think about how many years you could have played under today's rules? Oh, yeah. I mean, you look at all the injuries and you look back. And, I mean, we had guys, we had a defensive back from, you know, I won't mention the team. But, you know, he would blitz.

and he would dive at the quarterback's plant leg in the front, like literally trying to take guys, blowing guys knees out. It was crazy back then and crazier before. And yeah, I understand why they're trying to protect the quarterback is the only guy. It's almost always standing still when they get hit. Right. And the guy who hits you is usually outweighs you by at least 150 pounds.

And, you know, you don't have a chance to protect yourself. And that was the difference before. Can a guy stand in there throw the ball? well, accurately knowing that big sucker right there can plant me in the ground behind me. And I'm going to try to figure out how I'm going to protect myself after I throw a ball. Did anybody ever get that DB back, whoever the Enablest DB? There was a lot of fights when he was around. Yeah.

When they would do it, the linemen went after him, a bunch of linemen, what would go after him all the time is. And it's just on call for it. So many injuries, you know, in the game already. There's no need to try to hurt somebody. You are going to be part of this auction. It's coming up February 10th, I believe. And it's, yeah, it's through the golden auction.

It is GOLD-I-N February elite auction. A portion of the proceeds of what you sell will go to the Four Rings, Montana Family Foundation, your great foundation, which supports local children's charities. You're selling, I mean, I saw it. I mean, I saw the list. I mean, I'll just give a little. I'll give a little preview here.

You can, if you want out there, you can bid on or buy the Super Bowl 19 and 23 jerseys, the real jerseys. A Super Bowl MVP trophy. The ball. Go ahead. The jersey, the 19 and I think it was 20, the 19 and the 23 jersey, it was the same. It was the same jersey. It was never been done before. What happened there was I had saved the jersey from the Super Bowl 19,

and I was leaving to go to Miami, and Jennifer packed it in my suitcase, unbeknownst to me with a note, saying, I think you might want to wear this. And if you look at the game film, you can tell the difference because the stripes are so far apart on my side. sleeves, but they're real close on the other guy's sleeves. So I think it's the only time Jersey's been worn in the same suit in two different Super Bowl. So it's pretty exciting. First of all, amazing, amazing move by Jennifer. Secondly, did Bronco or Ted Walsh or anyone know?

Like, did anyone figure it? No, not. And, you know, there's so many things that, you know, you look around and everybody's going, well, why would you be doing this? And, you know, my kids have seen them so long. And it's, you know, a lot of the stuff's in storage sitting there. And I get asked all the time, hey, do you have this? You know, people are one of them or looking to buy things of yours. And one of the things about this is, hey, you know, it's mine because it's coming from me. And it's real.

And it's things that I've been holding on to. And the kids are taking little things that they wanted and most important things. I got four rings and I got four kids and they're getting. So that's where those go. So you really plan that well. And considering I now work for The Chronicle where a columnist once infamously questioned your family planning because Jennifer was going to give birth during the playoffs, one of the worst things ever written probably. Yeah. But you plan that well.

Four rings, four children. Perfect. I see that the ball I wish she would have stuck to her normal plan she wanted six that might have been good luck on them right

I feel like if you hadn't got traded at six was attainable but well that's what I told Eddie I go I know you want another sugo but you know if I'd have stuck around we don't want a lot more and I just kid with him all the time I can't see any

any getting worked up about that somehow, though, at all. Yeah, so in fact, one of the things you're selling is the football. We told the story of the touchdown pass against the Lions that got George Sefer to yell at Mike Shanahan, that football. And then the jersey from your last ever game, which I was at, it was you and Marino, New Year's Eve Day. Yeah, so I kept both my full uniforms from the last games I played in. The one in the, we played Detroit and the other one in Miami.

And we actually, Jennifer had them framed as a full uniform on, that we had in our way room for the long time. We ended up selling that house. And so things were just in store, you sitting around. And I'd go to these autograph sessions and they were going, hey, do you still have that jersey or do you have this helmet and all those things? And I go, yeah, I got a lot of that stuff. And I've shoulder pads that I wore forever.

that I took to Kansas City with me. If you look at him, you won't even believe it. And they have this, it's funny because they have this, one of the guys said, why did you put that mole skin on your shoulder pads? I said, because when I want to run, the shoulder pads, because we didn't have skin tight jerseys, the shoulder pads would clang back and forth. They made noise to be crazy.

So we put the mold skin on there. Yeah, there's a lot of fun things, a bunch of trophies. Yeah, a bunch of good things. I mean, psychologically, does it kind of help you not dwell on the past? Or is it more spring cleaning vibe? Like, what's the vibe of getting rid of it, just like it's time? Yeah, it's just time. You know, it's going to clutter the kid's house.

If something happens to me or Jennifer, they're just going to have to try to figure out what to do with it at the same time. And, you know, it's just was a decision to say, hey, we're slowing down here. I love watching football. Yeah, I love a little bit of looking back, but I try not to think about all the things. I think about the good times back then. What I wish I was playing still, absolutely, like everybody else has played the game.

But I moved on, you know, I started a business and with one of my sons is one of the partners, and the other one started his own little venture fund too. And the kids are all around us and the grandkids. And it's just, it's fun for them to look back. but they've seen it enough. It's time to let other people enjoy it. I love it.

Well, I'll let you go because you've given me an insane amount of time. But I just, before I let you go, Patrick Mahomes, I mean, what is enough? He is so my wife's favorite play in the league right now, by far. I mean, I'm looking for something about him that I don't love, but I've yet to find it. I mean, he just seems like he's got the right temperament and does everything really well. He does. And, you know, and he just makes things happen with his feet, with his arms. I mean, throws a ball every way possible, known the man.

He's one of those guys when they're on TV. You want to try to find him because they fun to watch, fun, fun to watch. And when you've talked to him, is he chill? Like, what's the vibe? Yeah, I haven't spoken much with them. Like I said, I've kind of. most contact I make with people, usually at the Super Bowl pre-days where all the guys I run into by accident somewhere.

But other than that, I don't stay away from the game. I watch it, but it's in my past. I love my past in the game and what I played and the joy that came from it. And now it's time to enjoy my life going forward with the grandkids and the kids. and before it's too late, you know, when you watch all these guys die and young, and, you know, I'll be 67 this year. So my, I'm on that countdown phrase.

I'm trying to extend it as far as you can, but, you know, you're still on the countdown. You know, on the downhill side. Knowing you, you'll pull off the miracle ending and outlive everyone. But there was even a, there was what's so funny. I'm not sure if it was listed in there, and I'm not sure what they're planning is,

but I had this race car I almost killed myself in. It was a Formula 4 that we did it. I did an appearance for Audi when they were switching the cars out up at infinity, well, in Fini and they've changed the name so many times. Sears Point up there. Yeah. And so it gave us one auction and one to take home. So we auctioned the one off at the event and then I brought one home.

And one day used to let the kids drive it faster than hell. open wheel, open cockpit. And I take it down to this straight away and let him drive it back and forth. And there was a governor on it, right? So I turned the governor. They didn't know. So you could only go so fast. But they, I was driving in.

I was going. The kids would say, I'll meet you down the bottom of the hill. And I go, okay. And man, I was driving around the barn. I was looking for him. I couldn't find him. So I'd go down. And the road by the creek was like winding.

and I was getting on the gas and then all of a sudden there's the kids in this mule, Kalasaki mule and there's no way I either go into the creek or I go under the vehicle or I try to skirt around the side on one dead square into a tree

and probably had a big cut on my foot and fractured my phobia Oh! How long ago was this? This was a while ago and we had to charity we had a charity event that I was

with Jennifer I were sponsoring for our foundation and I had to go there that night and I had a bruise sternum from the the big bruise on my chest from the hitting the steering wheel I didn't have the seatbelt on right and I had the helmet on but I didn't have it tucked I didn't have because I didn't think I was going anywhere and sure enough when you least expect it and so we ended up rebuilding it and

figured it was a better rid of that too. Yeah, that's all right. Well, I'm really glad you're still here. I thought the one Bruce Sturham from Leonard Marshall was your worst sturdom moment, but apparently

this one, a steering wheel probably tops it. Wow. Well, I appreciate your time. Thanks, Mike. Great talking to you. Thank you, Joe. I'll see you guys in Arizona. Say hi to all your friends over there that I love and I appreciate you, man. I will do it. Take care.

Thank you. 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 I-Heart 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, Clivert 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 Cliver Show. This is a place for raw, unfills 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 Cliverts show. on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm Joey Dardano. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions.

Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite. The worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to help from Hippocrite Wednesdays on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.